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First, a Hiroshi and hiedki Oneshot

RATED MA

“I’m not sure this is a good idea”
“Come on. What is the problem?”
Hiroshi blushes. The holding hands after missions had been sweet and the few kisses snuck behind the bushes had been sweeter but…
“It’s just Sanae…” He mutters, aware it’s a pathetic excuse.
“You still like her?” Hideki asks with his blind eyes completely emotionless.
“Yeah…” Hiroshi says, shuffling his feet. He had a crush on Sanae since he had been eight. Since they hit puberty however he had been think of her more and more. He’d been thinking of Hideki more and more too…The dreams involving both of them had often ended with him having to change his sheets. He was glad he wasn’t sharing a room with both of them like he was when he was in a genin team. Sanae would have crippled him for being a pervert; Hideki would have eviscerated him for thinking of him and a girl.
“But she doesn’t like you.” Hideki states bluntly “And I do. Don’t you like me?”
“Yes.” He replies instantly. “But if I do get with Sanae I don’t want…” I don’t want to have to tell her my first time was with a guy. Hideki picks up on the unsaid words.
“Sanae has a boyfriend. She isn’t saving herself for you. You don’t have to save yourself for her.” You can’t pretend you don’t want this. I’ve seen the way you look at me from across the room. Just admit it.
“Yes but…” Hiroshi doesn’t want to have to make a choice. Still things were getting more and more awkward between him and Hideki.
People were starting to notice.
Sanae seemed to be avoiding him.
Yesterday Kaze had given him a condom.
“Why don’t we kiss?” Hideki says, leaning in close. “Then if you start to feel uncomfortable just say so and we can stop.”
“I guess so.” Hiroshi shuffles his feet. “I mean it’s not like anyone’s going to walk in.”
“I made sure of it” Hideki had taken impressive precautions, not only making sure to meet Hiroshi in the forest at night but also to lay down the complicated barrier ninjutsu needed to prevent people accidently wandering in.
Hiroshi looks up as Hideki leans in and kisses him. It is hot and clumsy as it always was between them, tongues jostling for position as they explore rather than fight.
Hideki makes the first move and starts to trail his hands down Hiroshi’s back until he tightly grips his a**.
Hiroshi jerks back in surprise but merely deepens the kiss and warningly bunches his hands around the collar of Hideki’s shirt. Hideki blushes. He doesn’t want to mess this up now.
Hiroshi consentingly slips his shirt from his shoulders and gently bites Hideki’s neck.
Smoothly Hideki starts to trace the curves of Hiroshi’s body with his hands. Hiroshi sucks on Hideki’s collarbone, determined not to be outdone. This coaxes a small moan from between his pale lips and Hideki leans in closer still and entwines his arms around Hiroshi’s neck until their bodies are pressed tight together.
Hiroshi softly sucking on Hideki’s neck, determined to leave a mark. Hideki softly slips his hand between Hiroshi’s legs. The awkward embrace is broken.
“Are we really-?” Hiroshi is hesitant.
“It won’t hurt.” Hideki whispers softly. “We can just start off small.” A tiny grin.
The night air is cool under the shining stars as Hiroshi looks down and softly slips down his underwear.
“Fairs fair.” Hiroshi carefully eases down Hideki’s pants, practically straddling him. Hideki struggles not to drool over the closeness of Hiroshi’s body. He’d never had a god let alone his god of fire so close.
“Now be gentle. It’s my first time.” Hiroshi says warningly.
“It’s my first time too. I’ll try not to be too clumsy.” Hideki holds Hiroshi closer to him. This time it’s Hiroshi who leans in for the kiss and knots his fingers forcibly in Hideki’s hair.
Hideki grins impishly and Hiroshi gives a small gasp as Hideki grabs his c**k and starts to rub his hand up the length.
“Oh quit squirming.” Hideki scolds as he leans in and starts to pump his hand faster. “This isn’t anything you haven’t done before.”
“Yeah but…this feels.” Hiroshi stifles a soft moan. “Better.”
“It should.” Hideki says smugly. “Now put your hands on my shoulders and lean in a bit closer.”
Hiroshi obeys promptly until he’s leaning directly over Hideki and bracing himself on the pale teens’ shoulders.
As Hideki starts to move his hand faster he suddenly bucks his hips up into Hiroshi’s. Hiroshi moans and bucks his hips into Hideki’s hand. Hideki moans softly as Hiroshi’s breathing speeds up and he moves his body roughly against the other.
Tangled limbs under the moonlight.
A minute later Hiroshi releases with a soft moan of Hideki’s name. Warmth fills Hideki’s waiting palm as Hiroshi relaxes. As he drew back he noticed, with shame, the ten perfect dents his fingernails had left in Hideki’s shoulders. Hideki curiously licks up c** from palm.
“Was that o.k.?” Hideki asks nervously, brushing a few strand of errant hair from Hiroshi’s brow.
“Yeah…” Hiroshi manages to say. “You’re great.” Hiroshi clumsily pulls himself off Hideki. “I guess this means it’s my turn to take care of you now.”
Hideki blinks in the cute confused way Hiroshi always loved. Hiroshi grins evilly and leans down.
“Hiroshi…” Hideki sounds uncertain.
“I saw this in one of Hayato’s magazines.”
Hiroshi gently moves Hideki’s legs apart.
“I’m not about to get outclassed.”
Hideki twitches as Hiroshi exhales warm breath and takes a cursory lick. A small whimper escapes pale lips as the blond shinobi takes as much of Hideki in as he can.
“Hiroshi…” Hideki blushes deeply at the sight of Hiroshi sucking him off. He’d have material to jerk off to for MONTHS.
Bobbing his head Hiroshi begins to hum and Hideki clings tighter and gasps in pleasure. Hiroshi is good at this as he swipes his tongue across Hideki’s erection until Hideki is thrusting into his mouth.
“Hiroshi!” Hideki gasps as the warm feeling between his legs grows. He hadn’t dared to picture his god of fire like this before; on his knees before him.
With a small moan Hideki surrenders to the feelings building inside him and releases in Hiroshi’s mouth. Hiroshi pulls away with a small drop leaking from the corner of his mouth.
“I can do better…” he mumbles, knowing he forgot about half the magazine’s tips.
“That was fine.” Hideki says faintly, pulling himself up and hurriedly yanking up his pants. Hiroshi does the same.
“Not bad for a first time…” Hiroshi says looking up at the stars.
“We’re going to have to explain this to Sanae” Hideki says.
“It can wait.” Hiroshi softly kisses Hideki on the cheek. “Hey I have a condom in my bag…”

Doku's lullaby.( To the tune of "All the pretty little horses")

No need to sigh, don't you cry,
Go to sleep my little conqueror
When you you wake, all your fears,
Will make such pretty little corpses,
Stiff and grey, they'll fade away,
They're all just silly little corpses,

Hush-a-bye, and never die,
Never fear my little warrior,
When you wake, I'll give to you,
So many pretty little corpses,
Day by day, they will stay,
Such happy pretty little corpses,

Those that lie, must say goodbye,
You're the strongest little soldier,
When you wake, all that tease,
Will be just pretty little corpses,
I'll make them pay, you know what they'll say,
And it's nothing because they're all just corpses.

"Orochimaru-sama, this isn't really appropriate."

"What would be appropriate?" Orochimaru grins, showing a gleam of white fang.

"It's late Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto protests. "And it's my birthday in the morning."

The deep throaty chuckle from behind him shows how pathetic that argument was.
Kabuto turns so that he's facing the sannin silhouetted in the doorway.
"Any impossible requests or will you let me sleep?"

Orochimaru's tongue darts out impossibly quickly and wraps around the silver-haired spies neck.

"Now, now Kabuto. I am still in charge here." Miraculously he can still articulate without his tongue.
Kabuto would suspect a jutsu if he wasn't busy choking.
The coiled muscle releases and Kabuto greedily gasps in air.

"Getting excited?" Orochimaru asks coyly and Kabuto starts to laugh until tears form in the corners of his eye.
"Only you would think that."

Orochimaru bites his ear. In retaliation Kabuto wraps his arms around Orochimaru's neck, knowing the sannin can't repeat the passive-aggressive action, and kisses him on the cheek.
Orochimaru bites him again, harder and on the neck, this normally meant he was feeling frisky.

Despite himself Kabuto was getting rather excited.

The crippling curse laid on his master's arms had in no way dampened his enthusiasm for life...or his perverse lust for his medic.
Kabuto curls closer against the sannin as the pointed incisors draw a small bead of scarlet from the nape of his neck and the dexterous tongue laps it up.

It is late, far too late for this kind of behaviour and, in the velvety darkness Orochimaru's luminous serpentine eyes are all he can see of the man.

Kabuto feels a familiar tickle as the sannin's dark hair brushes against his collar bone.
Playfully he bites Orochimaru in return, a gentle nibble to show that, no matter what his verbal protests, he doesn't mind the attention.

The playful n** is returned twofold to remind Kabuto that Orochimaru is wanting a different kind of attention.

Kabuto slowly strokes his hands over his master's chest, inwardly marveling at how the sannin always seemed to able to loom while standing still.
The next thing he knows he's on the bed on his back.

The sheets are so soft and god he just wants to go back to sleep. It's far too late for this...

With a sigh he is careful to keep in his head Kabuto pulls down the pants of his sleepwear. This was just one of his many duties; to make sure Orochimaru was happy, healthy and sexually satisfied.

"Oh Orochimaru-sama what are you going to do to me?" He says teasingly. After all with Orochimaru's arms sealed there is only so much damage he can do.

The moist pink tip of the sannin's tongue runs slowly along his lips and he suddenly and unceremoniously lowers his head. He nips the delicate skin between his medic's legs and leaves two small purple bruises then sucking to make the bruising larger.

A small moan escapes from Kabuto's clenched teeth and he can almost feel himself twitch as the tip of that obscenely long tongue glides over the patch of grey curls around his manhood.

Then Orochimaru licks his way up, and Kabuto's hands knot themselves in the blankets.

"Orochimaru-sama that's tender!" Kabuto yelps as Orochimaru bites his tip.

The Sannin rolls his yellowy eyes and starts to lick, lick, lick the dexterous wet tip of his tongue along his length, tracing a pulsing vein as the organ twitches and hardens.
Tentatively Kabuto's trembling fingers grip Orochimaru's raven black hair. A wheezing gasp makes its way out from between his lips.

The tongue curls itself around the base of the Otogakure spy's throbbing erection and swiftly jerks upwards before constricting tightly and more sedately dragging down.
Orochimaru plays Kabuto's arousal like a musical instrument, sometimes bringing him to the peak of pleasure before letting him fall then with a gentle bite building him back up again.

The sannin makes good use of his mouth, using the extra length of his tongue to lick Kabuto's c**k all over before he takes it all into his mouth.

Kabuto gasps aloud as the warmness of Orochimaru's mouth surrounds him and, involuntarily, his fingers tighten a notch in his master's hair.
Orochimaru wallows him whole, the flesh of his throat constricting as he sucks.
Kabuto's moans become desperate pants, his shoulders shake and his eyes squeeze tightly closed.

Orochimaru, the S-ranked missing nin and killer of thousands, was giving him a b*****b and it was fantastic.
He starts to move his hips, struggling to get closer to that wonderful wet warmth and then Orochimaru's tongue glides across the tip of his leaking arousal. The medic makes a desperate animal sound as he feels the ecstasy starts to fill him up inside...then stop.

Orochimaru stops licking at his swollen tip and the sudden lack of stimulus is harsh.
Kabuto whimpers and Orochimaru's tongue resumes its busy action until his medic is almost howling for release, then Orochimaru stops again.

Kabuto's shoulders tremble as tiny tears form in the corners of his eyes.
This is getting painful.
He draws in a shuddering breath. His tongue feels thick as if it had been wrapped in cotton wool. Blood is being diverted from his brain to between his legs and he knows that prolonged arousal can be dangerous.

"Orochimaru-sama-" He manages to gasp out before Orochimaru sucks him in deeper. The sannin's throat muscles are like a vice and the medic's poor aching, oozing manhood is painfully fixed.

"Orochimaru-sama please..." Kabuto whines in a way so different from his usual tone.
The corners of the sannin's mouth twitch upwards.

The spy gasps and his fumbling fingers knot themselves in his master's hair as the tongue wraps itself around him and rubs up and down even as he feels his manhood engulfed in the warmth of the sannin's mouth.

His back arches and he moans loudly as he cums then slumps and pants with fatigue.
Orochimaru swallows with apparent relish and lets his medic fall back onto the blankets.

He rises and runs the tip of his tongue along his lips before stepping up to the head of his medic's bed and biting his ear to get him to pay attention.

"By the way it's past midnight so technically it's your birthday now that counts as your birthday present."

The sannin turns to leave and stands in the doorway watching Kabuto's chest rise and fall.
"In fact your mission is in three hours. Remember to get up nice and early~!"

The words 'You horny snake b*****d" are very loudly not said by Kabuto.
Orochimaru slinks away and Kabuto sighs.
The bruises are starting to throb and he just knows they won't be healed by three hours.

Kabuto punches his pillow. Not to mention all the excess adrenaline in his system...
Kabuto closes his eyes and lets his hand slip between his legs.

There had been a marked behavioral change in his favorite research subject.
Kuromaru Kaguya was exhibiting signs of mating behavior.
Normally this opportunity would have been a welcomed chance to gather more data on human mating behavior, the few he had studied that had chosen a mate seemed reluctant to discuss anything to the level of detail Tsuru desired, although Hayato had provided a video that had shown valuable insight into the physical aspect.
And if there was one thing Tsuru hated it was incomplete data.
The Kaguya was what one more capable of human emotion might consider a close friend, Tsuru had documented more of the working of human society from him than any other that didn't mind answering a few questions in the darkness of the eternally Bird-Masked nin's laboratory.
By now Tsuru was so in tune with him that the slight unexplained disruption to Kuromaru's daily routine irritated him no end, like a scratch he could not itch.

Over the course of the following week Tsuru strove to correct the gap in his data.
Taking care not to be seen and thus disturb the natural patterns of human interactions (the beating that also occurred were of no significance to him) Tsuru tirelessly followed the Kaguya, skulking in the Byakugan's blind spot. Despite putting tabs on every girl (and boy) Kuromaru stopped to talk to for longer than a passing courtesy by the end of the week Tsuru was still no closer to finding out who Kuromaru's 'crush' was than he was before.
It was immensely frustrating.
Hoping to gleam more information to narrow the search perimeters Tsuru doubled the length of their normal Sunday sessions and pressed the Kaguya for more details on his preferences in choosing a mate.
Kuromaru's answers always seemed confusingly cryptic and Tsuru noted the way the scents of nervousness hung on his skin. It was plain being interrogated for information did not sit well with the Kaguya but the lack of hard data still lead to Tsuru to constantly sift through his records in search of justification for this behavioral change.
By the previous research he had gathered from various others he managed to deduce that such a marked change would be most likely triggered by the introduction of a new potential mate with certain characteristics not present in the current pool of available mating partners or the reclassification of another as a potential mate from another category of associate due to a combination of external factors and, commonly, an expression of a common desire of the other as a mating partner.
Tsuru took note of this and invited Kuromaru to a session later that night for more specific questioning.

The first hint that the night would not proceed as planned was when Kuromaru entered the room.
Tsuru, thanks to the unique defects of his Kekkai Genkai, easily picked up the normally undetectable scent of the hormone that curled from the Kaguya's skin.
It was one he recognized; Hayato always smelt of it when he was around Kaze.
It denoted a strong sexual attraction.
For a while Tsuru was very confused. There was no one in the room but Kuromaru and...
Oh.
Tsuru realizes his Faux Paux at last.

The idea that anyone could actually be interested in him was decidedly alien; Tsuru was the eternal observer, no more than a pair of eyes to see and ears to hear (most of the time). He never thought of the meat that held his spirit unless it needed to be fed, relieved or he was curious about the operation of a certain organ and had no ready corpse to dissect.
He had no way of telling if his body could be considered attractive.
It seemed Kuromaru thought so apparently.
Would it be wrong to allow him to continue with such thoughts?
Tsuru could not care less about the moral implications of such a deception, for one who had to pour physical effort into experiencing even a lukewarm emotion high spiritual thinking such as honor was a waste of valuable brain power.
His concerns could be viewed as selfish to the extreme; he worried for the consequences of failing to adequately fulfill the unspoken traditions of human mating.
Kuromaru could snap him like a twig if he was made to feel rejected or unusually treated, he was by far the stronger of the two.
Tsuru could not invite his displeasure through rash actions.
Pointedly Kuromaru has not taken his regular seat, set up a comfortably safe distance from Tsuru's desk. Instead he stands beside it.
Tsuru's hurriedly re-analysis of the past few days shows that his study of Kuromaru could indicate an attraction to one inclined to think that way, even indicate a crude courtship due to the personal nature of his inquiries. Requesting this private meeting had no doubt given rise to the impression its intention was...explicit.

Kuromaru can see straight through Tsuru's mask, something neither of them bothered about. Tsuru's face was always an emotionless blank unless he felt the need to force an expression on it.
The Kaguya takes a step forward and the bone white beak swings around to face him in exactly the way a real crane might observe a dog or some other predator.
Even if he physically could not Tsuru looked ready to take flight at any possible disturbance.
Inwardly his mind buzzes.
Even Hayato's video had not answered all his questions on human mating and no doubt a closer look at the actual processes would provide a lot more information.
His body could handle whatever Kuromaru could dish out; Tsuru had spent enough time dismantling it to know that.
Tsuru steps out from behind his desk. It's a rare occurrence.
"Kuromaru..." He says voice as dull as his face but follows it up with a beckoning twitch of a finger.
Kuromaru smiles and closes the distance between them far faster than Tsuru considers natural.
Now he is close enough to touch the hormone scents are overpowering. Kuromaru is not restraining his affections.
One would almost expect Tsuru to twitch at the first touch of Kuromaru’s hand on his shoulder but he remains calm and collected, struggling to recall the appropriate response from Hayato's video.
His thoughts are interrupted by Kuromaru sweeping all his carefully piled papers off the desk-top and onto the floor.
Of all the childish, inappropriate-! That is his workspace!
Kuromaru's arms wrap around his waist and neatly sit Tsuru on the edge of the desk.
Oh dear...Tsuru thinks as Kuromaru undoes the buttons of his lab coat. He would have to sterilize the desk later.

The appropriate reaction would be a kiss, right?
Tsuru's hands go to the band of cloth that secured his mask and firmly yet gently Kuromaru grips the bird-masked scientist's hands in his own.
Ah.
This is what one would call a 'kink'.
He slowly lowers his hands to Kuromaru's approval that slowly slips the lab coat from his shoulders. Tsuru takes the next step and removes his dark-grey undershirt. Tenderly Kuromaru runs the tip of his fingers over the scars that mottle Tsuru's chest from his self-experimentation. Some are fine spidery lines of pearl-colored scarring, others are large and ridged. Some are still fresh wounds with dark black thread stitches.
The Kaguya looks enchanted by them, after lightly tracing them with his fingertips he repeats the actions with his tongue.
That startles Tsuru into remembering he's supposed to be worrying about getting aroused.
Thankfully the relevant parts of his anatomy are still functional.
How does one go about this?
Tsuru stimulates some likely parts and a dribble of endorphins simulates a feeling of happiness in his brain. Tsuru redirects the sensation to the area between his legs.
Was it just him or did the deeper his breaths get the more his mask echoed them around his ears?
Kuromaru lightly bites him.
Blood is rising to the top layers of Tsuru's skin, making him blush.
Oh this is rather pleasant.

Kuromaru trails his touches downwards; tracing the pearly scars down Tsuru's thin shoulders, across his lean stomach until one rippling scar's path is interrupted by Tsuru's waistband. He yanks down the offending garment and Tsuru's gasp can be heard even through his mask.
The Kaguya's tongue follows the scars path, along Tsuru's stomach, down his thigh and feels the muscle tensing. Tsuru's fingers touch Kuromaru's hair, lightly, hesitantly. When there is no negative response from the Kaguya Tsuru tries the action again to a brief sound of approval.
Who would have guessed that having his hair stroked was something Kuromaru liked? He liked the scars too.
Tsuru puts that bit of information away for later as Kaguya's tongue touches him in a place he had not had cause to think about for the longest time.
Against his will Tsuru's hands tighten their grip, Kuromaru carefully loosens them then suddenly tips Tsuru over so he is lying on his back on the desk.
Tsuru blinks in surprise.
Kuromaru's breathing seems louder as his hand's dance over Tsuru's body, each touch drawing forth more endorphins until Tsuru becomes dangerously unsure about whether he could stop the reaction.
Not that he wants to, the ways his body is behaving is entirely new to the scientist and he carefully catalogues the sensations.

Now Kuromaru is taking his own clothing. Tsuru recalls every line from the physical examinations earlier that year but there seemed to be such a difference when the muscles tensed like that. Kuromaru was not holding himself in check as he must have been when they last talked yet the Kaguya took care with each touch.
The flow of endorphins is showing physically now, it makes Kuromaru smirk as he leans in close enough for Tsuru to feel the heat of his skin.
Tsuru's unresisting hands are taken in the Kaguya's and the scientist's fingers curl up.
Kuromaru's voice is as soft as his touches; he is well aware that Tsuru has likely never even thought about sex in a way that involved him.
While he was doing a good job of letting Kuromaru handle things (in more ways than one...) Tsuru's body was unused to being touched by anything that wasn't a scalpel and the Kaguya coaxed the desired motions out of every muscle.
The faint moans are audible now through that blunt bird-beaked mask and Tsuru showing emotion, any emotion, for Kuromaru was such an incredible turn-on.

He was far-sighted enough to pack all that he needed on him and the little tube of lubricant should be sufficient for the entire night.
The Kaguya carefully prepares the unresisting scientist who treats the entire thing with the calmness of a grown child getting an injection, it was something strange and not at all comfortable but you were too old to act scared or cry.
Softly he orders Tsuru to move into a more comfortable position and finds the silver-foil sachet in his pockets then tears it open.
Contraception like this was something that was rather new for him. He was from the same age as Hayato originally, back when the Kaguya's were still a proud warrior clan.
With a few whispered words for Tsuru to mentally brace himself Kuromaru puts on the lubricated condom as Tsuru cautiously raises his leg a fraction.
Kuromaru carefully edges into Tsuru, he doesn't need to bother. Tsuru has put his inside through a lot of abuse through the years and he's even scarred inside.
The scientist's fingers tighten around Kuromaru's. He's gasping now but as always there is the little part of him keeping an eye on things. The endorphins are sparking unusually vibrant responses in his body, the sensation is rather pleasant, and he leaves his form to enjoy itself.

Kuromaru slowly begins to thrust, rocking his hips against Tsuru whose legs hesitantly curl tight around the Kaguya's waist. Tsuru's shoulders curl forwards and tremble slightly but Kuromaru is going out of his way to be gentle, delicate and Tsuru never felt much pain unless he wanted to.
Tsuru felt nice too. Kuromaru had never had a man that had been ribbed inside and for his entire cold attitude the scientist's body was wonderfully hot.
He was whimpering too, barely audible soft sounds that Kuromaru teased louder with every movement of his hips until even through the mask Tsuru's cries are evident.
The Kaguya had wanted to do this for a while; to just hold Tsuru down and ******** him on his own desk.
If he took off the mask now would that emotionless face be twisted in pleasure just like his body was?
Certainly Tsuru's desperate panting was now a duet as there were few things that could make the Kaguya harder than such a forbidden love.

The heat of Kuromaru's skin so close to him makes Tsuru curl his pale form closer towards him until their bodies are practically touching. The bird-masked man gasps as Kuromaru slowly drags his fingers out of his grasp and they scrabble blindly at the desktop for a moment as the Kaguya uses his now free hand to stroke along the hardened organ that nestles snuggly against the curves of Tsuru's stomach.
Already pearly droplets of fluid are starting to ooze from the swollen head.
Tsuru's desperate arms wrap firmly around Kuromaru without prompting, the white beak tucking around the Kaguya's shoulder so the sound of his desperate panting echoes in Kuromaru's ears as much as it does in his own.
The Kaguya is paying less attention to being gentle as Tsuru presses up against him and moans loudly. For a virgin Tsuru is certainly giving the Kaguya a run for his money.
Tsuru has always spent so long behind his desk; it seemed to Kuromaru, with such a carefully blank expression. It felt like he was waiting for something, ever day just waiting and waiting and waiting.
Now it seemed he wasn't waiting any longer, the way the warm scarred flesh bucked up to meet him was almost...human.

Tsuru's fingernails gouge bloody scratches along Kuromaru's shoulders as his back curls in tight with the effort of holding himself in.
Oh this is a valuable experience, high endorphin levels results in this series of physical reactions…Tsuru’s mind says.
“God, yes!” His long neglected other parts say very, very loudly.
The heartfelt cry that echoes out of the mask is enough to set Kuromaru on fire.
He mirrors the sound as Tsuru's back arched backwards, his masked head lying still against the hard wood of the desktop and his c**-covered chest rising and falling as he tried to regain his breath.

Gently, carefully, Kuromaru separates Tsuru’s arms from his shoulders and lowers back onto the desk top. Even more carefully he disentangles the scientist’s legs and slowly withdraws himself.
Tsuru’s breathing has grown calmer, the rise and fall of his chest is less marked and the way the bone-white beak turns towards him looks almost curious.
Cheeky b*****d.
Kuromaru snatches at the mask and pulls it away swiftly before Tsuru's expression has time to change.
Then there is kissing, something Tsuru finds confusing.
He will need to do a lot more research...

Geography

The Forest of No Return is located on a sliver of independently owned land between the Land of Fire and the Land of Fire, where the forested grounds become flatter foothills where much of Konohagakure's produce is grown. This Forest marks the borders of Lands owned by Kemurigakure, entrance to the Forest is marked by Red Tori Gates.
The major landmark by which this forest can be distinguished from others like it in the area is the small but active stratovolcano that marks most of the forest's centre.
The Kuromizu River flows through it, forming a lake inside the forest and looping around Akaigetsu Town before continuing on through the Land of Grass.

The soil of Kemurigakure is mainly layers of soft ash mixed with fertile soils from the flooding of the riverbanks. Under this is a bed of hardened lava that prevents effective soil drainage around the river, forming the swamp plains nears the volcano. Lack of recent eruptions has lead to a more fertile soil in the areas away from the volcano on limestone bedrock. A secondary vent, kept clear by the efforts of Kemuri Nin has lead to a large patch of ground surrounding the volcano being an acrid wasteland due to escaping poisonous gases and the heated ground. This proximity to the lava flow heats the underground rivers and lakes to form the natural hot springs of Akaigetsu Town, before the lava streams and underground waterways are actually spaced very far apart, leading to the water being icy cold. Large holes worn through the limestone provide access to these dark, cold waters, broken up only by the occasional air pocket.

The Village Hidden in the Smoke is actually located within the volcano itself in an underground cavern made of an emptied magma chamber from a previous eruption. The igneous rocks that make up the cavern retain vestiges of heat from the magma flow, resulting in an even climate all year round. Built around a central marketplace the homes of the resident Kemuri citizens are carved straight from the stone of the cavern walls in rectangular apartment blocks that average approximately thirty storeys tall. Access to and from the village is either through the heavily guarded main gates, only accessible through the maze of unlit "black water" rapids and waterfalls, or the Central Market Stone, accessible by any ninja chunin level or above.

Closely allied and equally independent of other nations is Akaigetsu Town. Built around the Kuromizu River the town consists of mainly low-lying buildings and many wide fields along the floodplains of the river where rice is grown. Owning the stretch of the river that passes through the town various aquatic plants are also grown, leading to Akaigetsu Town being entirely self-sufficient in food.

Economy

The main exports of Kemurigakure are precious metals and gemstones mined by underground tunneling, jutsu developed in specialist facilities, poisons and rare medicines made from plants endemic to the Forest of No Return and information. Lacking the surface area to grow enough food to sustain the population most of Kemurigakure's food is imported from various nations through Akaigetsu Town.
In exchange most of Kemurigakure's exports also travel through Akaigetsu Town that makes a profit on a small tax on business done there.

As with most shinobi villages an additional source of income is from Missions, many placed by individual clients but, controversially, many Kemuri Shinobi will accept missions from other Shinobi villages such as lending aid capturing Rogue Shinobi and participating in inter-village combat. Shinobi with a permit from the Hokage may pay a small fee to enter the village for training purposes and/or freely battle Kemuri nin.

Currencies accepted within Kemurigakure are those accepted in any other Hidden Village but may also include: the small seed-like pearls found in the Lake, the strange blue beads known as Chakra Gems (shown threaded onto the traditional red cord) and Kemurigakure's own unique currency formed of the light but curiously resilient Dreamiron, referred to simply as "coin"

Due to the entrepreneurial and rather capricious nature of Kemurigakure's residents there are many facilities within the village where visitors can exchange various things for other forms of currency; including information, blood or even years of life. Most of this information is then sold down to the deeper research facilities for Jutsu development.

Political state:

The Council and the Assembly

At the time of printing Kemurigakure is a complete democracy similar to that of the foreign lands of ancient Athens. Any employed citizen that has been resident of the village for over three years and is older than eighteen years of age is permitted and, in times of political strife, required to contribute to the running of the Village. A council of twelve magistrates deals with day-to-day affairs of the law such as the sentencing of criminals with the sentence being decided by a jury of number dependant on the crime, a minimum of fifteen with a maximum of three hundred for a major crime such as treason. These magistrates are elected for a term of three months after which another twelve are selected at random from a list of candidates.

Major issues are discussed at the end of every week where a day is declared 'work-free' during which entrance into the village is denied. Any important decision such as the Village's engagement in a war is decided by a majority vote from the general population at the Assembly, a meeting of all citizens of voting age barring injury or other absence. A special building is set aside for the Assembly, built for its acoustics and to house over ten thousand simultaneously.
A semi-circle of rows of seating positioned is positioned around a central circular stage. Those who wish to address the population do so at this centre stage. Issues are bought to the attention of the populace by speakers who may stand at any time (except when the stage is occupied by another speaker) to address the populace. Representatives of the main councils use this time to test their approval ratings and get large scale actions approved by the general population. Actions that are viewed in general as too extreme or ridiculous will not be implemented; some speakers may even be booed offstage by the Assembly.

The United Ninja Council, formed entirely of ninjas is responsible for the way Kemurigakure's diplomatic image and military support. This council meets on average once a month (more so if addressing a serious issue) and handles the income from missions. Responsible for maintaining the village defenses, registering new shinobi and organizing events such as the chunin exams this council is elected from the military bi-annually to represent the best interests of Kemurigakure. Large scale actions such as troop deployment are beyond the control of the council but the collection and assigning of missions and control of rogue shinobi are handled by this council. At all times the United Ninja Council consists of representatives from the other councils to ensure stability. This council is the main governing body.

The Guilds

The Entertainment and Cultural Guild, known colloquially as the Bards and represented by the Semi-quaver and scroll insignia, also meet monthly. A guild has a single Guild master as leader supported by a sub-council of representatives from the trades that are under the jurisdiction of the Guild. The Bard's Guild traditionally encompasses Singers, Dancers, Puppeteers, Musicians, Scribes, Poets and sundry other entertainment trades and deals with the organization of Festivals and other celebrations, training and testing of all trades people under its jurisdiction, the protection, payment and housing of all such trades people and making sure all of the cultural differences between the differing sectors of society are met. The Entertainment and Cultural Guild offices handle any complaints about unfair treatment or discrimination and pass the information along to the Retribution and Justices Guild who they are traditionally affiliated with. Members of the sub-council are elected by the members of their representative trade and replaced as soon as said trade members view them as an unfit representative. The Guild master can be replaced at any time by similar means.

The Retribution and Justices Guild, colloquially known as the Knights and represented by the drawn blade and scales insignia, are responsible for keeping the peace in Kemurigakure. Similarly consisting of a Guild master and sub council the Knight's guild traditionally encompasses law enforcement, forensics and undertaker squads, punishment of those found guilty in independent courts and training of personnel for such duties. Any complaints made about disorderly or inappropriate conduct are expected to be reported to the Knight's Guild who will investigate the claims before making arrests. The accused stand trial before the magistrates before being returned to the Knight's guild for punishment if found guilty. There punishment is carried out by guild members or deferred to another guild. All sworn in members of the Retribution and Justices Guild must comply with a strict code of conduct to be allowed to identify themselves as a member of the Guild and the Guild is policed by its own members. By far it is the smallest of the guilds.

The Commerce and Tourism Guild, known as the Merchants and represented by an emblem of a golden coin and cup, is responsible for the overseeing of money exchange. As well as owning and running all banks and currency exchanges the Merchant's Guild insures businesses against threat, runs the stock markets, adjusts the value of the coin, purchases supplies of food and other necessities on behalf of Kemurigakure and oversees the central market place. Anyone wishing to sell goods in or near Kemurigakure must comply with the Commerce and Tourism Guilds Code of Ethical Business before they are permitted to sell. Similarly Kemurigakure's tourism industry is operated by the Guild of Commerce and Tourism and displays and guides that aid guests are trained Guild Members. The Merchant's guild traditionally encompasses bankers, stock-brokers, businesses (small and large), industries, Currency exchange, tourism attractions, accommodation, work practices and purchases of goods imported from other villages.

The Health Care and Mental Health Guild, known as the Medics and represented by an emblem of a medicine bottle and staff with a snake around it, is the Guild responsible for all the medical practices in Kemurigakure. Under the jurisdiction of the Health Care and Mental Health guild are, traditionally, all doctors in any relevant field, chemists, healers, some forms of priest, morticians, psychiatrists, battlefield medics, cloners and anyone whose research includes living flesh. The territory of the Health Care and Mental Health Guild is mainly deeper underground than the other guilds due to the isolated laboratories that many members use. As well as conventional medicines the Medic's guild also handles any chemical or biological weapons formulas (although the crafting of chemical weapons is restricted to the Guild of Craftsman and Forgers). The responsibilities of the Medic's guild are to secure the safety of the public, heal major wounds or those sustained in battle for no fee, oversee and operate the cloning tanks, impose order on the Guild's members and to lend aid to all wounded regardless of background. The most secretive guild.

The Craftsmen and Forgers guild, commonly known as the Makers and represented by a gear and flame emblem, are responsible for the creation of everything from carts to exploding tags. One of the largest guilds in Kemurigakure all major craftsmen belong to this guild. This guild oversees the creation vehicles, weapons, jewellery, tools, clothing, the upkeep of forges and factories, adequate payment for goods, trades apprenticeships, mechanics and mining. Widely regarded as the industrious guild the majority of Kemurigakure's exports and made and refined through this guild. Those under the influence of this guild are traditionally farmers, weavers, smiths, tailors, potters, jewelers, miners, smelters, technicians and other assorted craftsmen. All goods approved by the Maker's guild are screened for quality before they are approved. The Guild of Craftsmen and Forgers also organizes two large fairs, one in summer and one in winter for display of premium goods. These occasions are some of the busiest times in Kemurigakure. Commonly aligned with the Health Care and Mental Health Care guild.

The Reclamation and Defense Guild, usually referred to as the Thieves and represented by a blood drop, dagger and shield emblem, is an unusual organization. Existing only to control its unruly members the Thief’s Guild is responsible for the mercenaries, thieves, fighters, assassins, Ukenin, forgers, torturers, orphans and abandoned genetic experiments. The Reclamation and Defense Guild is one that accepts all new members regardless of their past and aims to hone their talents into something useful. The ex-missing Nin and children often leave this guild to join another at a later date but to those that do not qualify for entrance in another guild the Reclamation and Defense Guild allows for the practice of otherwise unethical crafts against safe targets in preparation of war. Responsible for defense of Kemurigakure from invasion, practice for battle, assassinations, information extraction, avenging the death of Kemuri nin and disposing of threats to the nation the Thief’s Guild is considered a close-knit community. Even within Kemurigakure their exact numbers are unknown.

The Cookery and Livestock Guild, commonly known as the Chefs guild and represented by a spoon and bull horns emblem, is directly responsible for all produce both entering and leaving the Village. Kemurigakure's long standing reputation for exotic cuisine has led to this guild recently breaking off from the larger Commerce and Tourism Guild to become a Guild in it's own right. Dealing with bakers, pastry chefs, bar tenders, herders, slaughterhouse men and cooks of all descriptions the Chef's Guild is responsible for keeping both guests and citizens of Kemurigakure fed all year around as well as the creation of dishes for the Daimyo and other respected personages of other lands. While many members of the Cookery and Livestock Guild are also members of one or more other guild the Cookery and Livestock Guild zealously guard the secrets of preparing many of the plants found in the Forest of No Return. Being responsible for the preparation of all food in Kemurigakure as well as shelters where those who cannot afford meals in the colder winter months can be fed and clothed the Cookery and Livestock Guild also handles the care of any livestock owned by Kemuri nin as well as the places used to produce meat products. The Chef's guild is notable for the feasts prepared for major holidays, commonly prepared by the council and Guild master.

Higher positions

Considered to be the equivalent of the post of Hokage, the special post of Representative to the Shinobi Nations is on independent of the guilds, although they may have some influence on the Representative's actions. The Representative to the Shinobi Nations is a Kemurigakure nin that spends little time in Kemurigakure, instead traveling from Shinobi Nation to Shinobi Nation offering small aid and recruiting nin for Kemurigakure as well as seeking new technologies and ideas with which to improve the nation. They were authorized to use extreme violence if necessary and without an Assembly vote to keep the peace. Required to be a gifted orator of high regard, intelligence, integrity and talent the position of Representative to Shinobi Nations has been vacant since the death of its last holder shortly after the Fourth Ninja War.

The special post of Warlord of the Kemurigakure Shinobi Forces is a similarly independent post. The Warlord was responsible for overseeing all battle-capable citizens of Kemurigakure and ensuring measures were made for battle, organizing defenses and implementing a master strategy in the case of indecision or conflict in the ranks of the Guild commanders. Requiring an all-consuming knowledge of battle and the terrain the position of Warlord of the Kemurigakure Shinobi Forces is also vacant following the death of its previous holder shortly after the Fourth Ninja War.

While there is no confirmed evidence to support the theory, based on word-of-mouth rumors from Kemuri nin, it is possible that a higher position of leadership exists within the village in the event that a catastrophic event causes a break-down in the system known simply as "the King"

Alliance status

At the time of printing Kemurigakure has put forth an empathetic policy of Non-combat Neutrality; although it consents to trade and friendly relations such as providing disaster relief for all other Shinobi Villages Kemurigakure has made clear its official position is to abstain from participation in any combat between Shinobi Villages unless specifically hired to do so to maintain diplomatic relations. In previous years however, before Kemurigakure was recognized as a full Shinobi Village, a form of treaty had been forged between The Fist Hokage and the founder of Kemurigakure.

Being the Third largest forest in the vicinity of the Land of Fire the Forest of No Return is the marked barrier between the Lands under the jurisdiction of Konohagakure and those of Kemurigakure and trespass over those lines can be counted as an act of hostility from any Shinobi concerned.
All Genins should be warned that without an appropriate pass or appointment with the Kemurigakure governing body/guild those that illegally cross the border into the Forest of No Return will be punished according to the laws of Kemurigakure not Konohagakure.
In previous years it was believed the only way to enter the lands of Kemurigakure was by passing through the Forest of No Return with the consent of a paid guide, recently the ruling body of Kemurigakure was set up a transport seal by which jonins and their genin students may teleport themselves directly to the civic centre without needing to bypass the various barriers in place to defend the village from invasion.
The Forest of No Return also serves as training ground for a number of experienced Kemurigakure jonin.

Kemurigakure is the most powerful Shinobi Village with such a small allotment of land, many maps may not even show the area officially under the jurisdiction of Kemurigakure for that reason. Kemurigakure is unique in that the governing body is made up entire of citizens of the Village with no daimyo or other class of feudal lord. According to historical records Kemurigakure has shared with Konohagakure's godaime Hokage the area of the Village was originally rewarded to a single shinobi some 100 years before the First Ninja War. As opposed to renting out the land for monetary gain said shinobi declared the spot an independent nation and offered the place as sanctuary for any war-weary shinobi that dared to claim asylum there. Following the events of the First Ninja War a historical peace treaty was signed between this shinobi and the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, the terms of which are still binding to Konohagakure Shinobi today. They are listed below:

- No Konoha Shinobi has permission to pursue a fugitive further than the tree-line border of the Forest of No Return.

-Any Ukenin or other criminal taking shelter in Kemurigakure lands is henceforth property of Kemurigakure.

-If such a persons as was pursued beyond the tree line border should later be seen wearing the metal necklace of a Kemurigakure Nin they are to be counted as a Kemurigakure Nin foremost, having already paid for any crimes they have committed as seen fit by Kemurigakure's reigning council.

-Conversely any Konoha Nin that enters the Forest of No Return at the bequest of a Kemurigakure Nin for aid will be allowed to leave the Forest unharmed with the asking fee provided the rules of Kemuri are followed.

-Any Nin from another village that volunteers to become a Kemurigakure Nin and later is seen to leave the village is counted as a Kemurigakure Nin not an Ukenin and should not be pursued or attacked.

- In exchange for free, non-hostile access to Konoha lands and village (due exception made for times of war) an annual tribute of 3% Kemuri's developed Jutsu and armory will be paid to the current Hokage.

-No Kemuri nin can be punished under Konoha law for use of Forbidden Techniques unless these techniques have been used to harm a Konoha nin. Similarly no Konoha Nin will be punished for use of Ninjutsu against a Kemurigakure nin unless direct harm was wished.

-While Kemuri reserves the right to non-participation in battle, the village of Kemuri will offer assistance in combat to Konoha over all other villages.

-Regardless of appearance all Kemuri nin are required to be treated as normal. Unpunished abuse of a Kemuri nin may be viewed as an act of war.

The bonfire’s tongues of hungry flame had died down and left behind the glowing embers, like fist-sized red-hot rubies nestling in the soft charcoal ashes. The ember-light cast elongated twisted shadows of the three against the rough cave falls as the shadows danced like the silhouettes of reveling worshippers.

The First was a woman wrapped in the heavy crimson robes of the Priestess of the Mountain. The lace veil that shielded her face from the heat and poisons of the volcano’s air lay modestly on her breast. Her hair, long and the fresh color of spun gold was limp and moistened with sweat and the deep bags beneath her eyes belied her tiredness. Yet there was strength and determination in her orange-eyed glare and it was obvious that inside she must have had nerves of pure steel.
Her form, though still young, was held rigid from her sheer determination to see this through to the end.
In her fingers was a rosary of honey colored beads. At the heart of each one danced an aurora of many different colors, like frozen fragments of a shattered rainbow.
Fire opals.
It had been an engagement gift; he had picked each one of the gemstones from the earth by hand and polished them without aid of any of his powers.

He was the Second one, a tall man with powerful limbs and a cruel tattooed brow that contrasted with the gentle concern in his expression. His hair was orange but the word was inadequate for it was not one solid shade but many different flickering highlights like a candle flame. The cavern was warm from the heat of the fire but as the shadows played upon his face he seemed to alternate between the form of a man and a demon, for his red eyes had slit pupils like that of a snake and tiny ivory fangs instead of canines. It was not the poor lighting that gave the illusion of faint scales on his tanned skin as the long whip lashed tail that curled around his legs would testify.
One hand he kept around his wife's shoulders to keep her steady, the other held the elegant Kiseru pipe he clutched like a life-line as he took deep puffs from it to steady his nerves and exhaled black clouds of acrid smoke that stung at the eyes.
He was a Kami, the Molten Lizard God of the Mountains to whom all had offered prayers for safety until he relinquished his throne of liquid lava in exchange for the hand of the Priestess he had loved.
Now mortal, his form still held traces of the god's power.

The Third was one well-known to and one that worried them both. He was a friend, and that was certain, for all the aid and support he had offered them both when all others had turned away but to Him he was a Man that walked like a God and to Her he was a God that walked like a Man. His nature was capricious it seemed but neither would deny him this chance to see the child. He was simply too genuine in his love. He wore his habitual garments of a sleeveless black vest with his clan sign sewn in the back and his long cape made of the soft skin of a Pit Eel. Ash from tending the fire had speckled the white sash belt around his waist and smeared all over his light grey pants but he didn't mind at all.

Like all of the three his attentions were focused on the rock. It was a smooth shaped stone; a deep nearly black purple color banded with layers of quartz in stripes. The stone was faintly warm to the touch from the heat of the fire it had been kept near and, although the Priestess could not tell for herself, both the others had assured her that, within the stone, were the heartbeats of the living.
It was one thing to be wooed by the god you served, to be shown the wonders of a Kami’s realm as only the Kami could show you and experience the burning love so strong that a god would stop being a god to show it. It was another to, after nine months of pregnancy, give birth to a stone egg instead of a child.
It was a fearful thing to think of what could be born from such an egg.
She loved her husband, loved him with a passion hotter than the volcano he had ruled, yet she still remembered the first time she saw him in the magma; a salamander the size of a whale with eyes of ruby embers and the molten rock cooling to jagged spines on his fire-scaled back.
She could come to love a child such as that, as she loved the god when she first saw him, but she could not hold it or feed it or care for it as a mother should. What if her child died, too contaminated by the mortal blood in its veins to survive or, the other way round, what if the fires of divinity consumed its mortal body?
It is one thing to love a god in human form and it made her forget how different a god was to a man.

The Third One assuaged her fears with gentle words and tended to the egg of stone with tender hands, making sure the glowing embers shone with enough heat to warm the stone and carefully placing it into the nest of ashes as if this was not the first time he had performed such an odd task just as hatching an egg of rock.
His smiling eyes were illuminated by the shadows as he fed the embers tidbits of wood and dried grass. A cloud of smoke began to halo the egg as he cut a snowy lock of hair from his head and laid it on the coals.
The hairs burnt with an emerald colored flame and a foul smell that made the Priestess cough but the egg rocked from some internal force and fell, crushing charcoal embers as it did. Darkness fell like an axe with only the barest silhouettes from the dying embers to see by.
The egg rocked again faintly and not one in the cavern dared breathe for fear of disturbing it.
For a third time the egg of stone moved by itself and a hairline fracture split one of the white quartz like bands.
The fourth blow enlarged the cracks and the fifth cracked the edge of the shell into splinters and a tiny ivory fang broke through the gap.
Gesturing to the father the Third One and the God of the Mountains peeled back the rock shell as the unmistakable sound of a child crying filled the darkened cave.
As the God of the Mountains lifted his son free from the last shattered remains stone the egg tooth broke free from the child’s smooth skin and fell back into hollow remainder of egg shell.
The Priestess rushed forwards to comfort her child as the third one built up the fire and hungry new tongues of flame licked around the fresh wood.
His eyes were orange, like his mother’s but with reptilian pupils like his father. He had no claws, no fangs save his discarded egg tooth and, despite his unusual hatching, every inch a perfectly normal newborn boy.

The Third One gathered the fragments of egg shell, taking care no tiny sliver of the strangely organic stone was left behind for fear of what such a thing could lead to. There were jutsu that allowed those lacking in morals to control the actions of others through a hair or a tooth, no doubt this egg of stone had even more powerful properties.
The Priestess and her God conversed as the child's cries echoed through the cavern. There had been many doubts that the egg of stone would ever hatch within a mortal lifetime and now that it had there was much to be arranged.
A bed for the child and clothes that would fit.
New paint for the room that would be its nursery.
Above all a name, a name for their new son and the discussion went on as the Third One tended to the fire and left the happy couple to fuss over their child.
He had done his duty by bringing the child into the air but their joy was not his joy.

"We are going to name him Hiroshi." The God said, placing his hand on a soot-speckled shoulder and watching the Third One jump in surprise.
"A nice name." The Third One said with a habitual smile stretching his lips.
"And I would very much like for you to be his godfather." The God said, mimicking the smile as uncertainty stripped it from the Third One's face.
"Are you sure?" The Third One asked, tossing another log on the fire and offering forth the egg shell.
The God plucks the child's soft egg tooth from inside the shards of stone.
"You didn't think you were getting out of this so easily did you? This is only the beginning. Besides you're like my best mate, if I'm going to trust my kids education to anyone it would be you."
The smile returns and the Third One bows so deeply his fringe is nearly scorched by the fire.
"Here. Keep this safe for him."
The egg tooth is handed to the Third One who wraps his pale fingers around it tightly.
"And keep this." A diamond shaped shard of the egg, deep purple with a stripe of white encircling the middle is pressed into the other hand. "As a reminder of what he owes you."
The Third One looks at both the items laying flat on his palms.
"I promise I'll take care of him, no matter what happens..." he says softly and God and Priestess both nod their approval
"This is going to be fun isn't it?" The Third One adds with a wide toothy smile.

Awakening

The long sterile corridors were lit only by the faint green radiance of row upon row of cloning Tanks, each containing a perfectly formed specimen held still in the viscous green gel inside.
It started as a project for Kaze alone. Throughout the years the albino had seen too many great men rise, die and fade with no memory of their reign remaining. Even the paper records rotted and faded to nothing. Only the Tanks provided some form of immortality, the rare Kekkai Genkai kept preserved like a butterfly pinned beneath two sheets of glass.

Near the entrance hung two of the large spherical containers, some of the oldest exhibits permitted to be viewed by the public.

A dark blue light pulsated slowly by the red light that showed the Tanks were no longer growing the flesh but keeping it preserved. Over the short distance that separated them the two locked their gazes. Capable of some pale shimmer of intelligence did they recognize the other clone? Was some part of their original memory drawing the two together or was it simply that they were familiar with each others faces, being cloned next to each other from the beginning?
It was impossible to really tell, neither clone was capable of speech.

The Museum of Faces was no tourist attraction. It had existed long before Kemurigakure became anything more than a rumor.

Though officially it was counted as an educational experience the rows of empty eyed faces were rather quite eerie. In truth the Museum served dual purposes, both as a gene bank and as a warning not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Small metal plagues in front of each Tank recorded the name of the clone drifting inside, how and when they died, what they had achieved in life and, modestly, the name of the one who had retrieved and cloned the specimen.

The clones that weren't merely clusters of cells, soulless lumps of meat with no intelligence at all were simple minded enough to pick up some learned behaviors, enough to disturb unprepared minds. It whispered that all humans could be replaced. To enter here was strangely humbling.
Some would demonstrate part of their Kekkai Genkai if they were startled, Uchiha clones with dull red eyes often mimicked those they saw flawlessly, others would knock on the inside of their Tank as if trying to draw attention to themselves. Some clones would press themselves to the solid inside of the Tank as if trying to contact the outside world.

Most came to recognize when they were being looked at or even a face they had seen before but that was the furthest extent of their sentience.

Clones that developed further then that would never grace the Museum halls.

It was through this myriad of faces that the researcher walked to get to his workstation. Some turned towards him in a faint reflection of interest but most just lay suspended where they were, curled up in the pale green slime of their containers.

Honored heroes and despised villains with an equal blankness of expression, their stories simply recorded below them.

All the while this place was growing; new Tanks being formed and filled as there came to be more and more deeds worthy of recording and preservation in the halls and history was being rewritten to honor those once thought unworthy of it.

His project was small compared to those. He was not reproducing the form of any great hero but one who had simply done what had needed to be done even when it meant his death. The Tank would have no great display and only a few lines engraved on the plaque below it but it was a modest achievement for a new researcher, the first step on the way to grander projects.

It had been only a week since the scrap of flesh cut free from the corpse long ago was removed from the scroll where it had been sealed and introduced to the curiously yielding surface of the Cloning Tank.

The Tank, large enough to hold a fully grown man, was kept behind air-locked seals in a room that disinfected the air the researcher breathed as he donned his protective gear and entered the sealed room. A silvery workbench held an array of tools and instruments for the care of the clone sprouting inside.

Already the scrap of flesh had grown into a finger, then a hand, then a child's naked form curled fetal position in the light green gel. It aged months in minutes as it tried to grow to appropriate age of the specimen when the sample had been taken, flesh knotting and cording beneath the skin as it grew a shinobi's build.

The light that had started a foreboding black had tinted the color of a dusk sky as the developing brain began to make connections.

Its fingers twitched with a few convulsive movements as it tried to lift its head. Recently it had opened its eyes for the first time, ebony black eyes that were the hallmark of many unremarkable shinobi clans and a few remarkable ones.

The pupils lacked focus; it did not see anything but it was almost fully grown. When the researcher moved it tilted its head to follow his path but nothing more.

Simple instinctual responses were nothing to worry about. Often it was at this stage that development in the brain ceased entirely, leaving the full grown clone still nothing more than a carbon copy of the original despite its rudimentary movements. In fact if it was ever removed from the Tank the sudden shock of learning to breath and feeling gravity would be fatal. As it was once the clone was full grown and the Tank set to preserve the specimen within considerable effort was needed to dress the clone appropriately for display.

The true spark of sentience was not something that could be called to a specimen by any means. How a clone came to pass from a mere husk of flesh into a full vibrant life was unknown, there was no way to track what caused a clone to develop sentience or what could be done to a specimen to cause it. The sudden change merely shifted the brain from simple sending and receiving messages into actual thought.

A clone's first thoughts go something like this:
Huh?
What happened?
I'm not breathing.
I'm drowning!

In the Tank the clone blinked, his deep black eyes losing their dull cast to fill the sharp focus of thought. With an electric tingle he feels every part of his body as he hasn't before, how the muscles twist and stretch.

Through the faint haze of green he can see through the transparent walls of the spherical chamber and recognize something in the hazy shadows beyond.

It is then he tries to inhale and finds that the thick green gel is in his lungs.

Though oxygen is entering his body through his skin in a manner similar to osmosis the feeling of being unable to breathe sparks a considerable panic in the still developing clone.

Its body twists in an attempt to clear its lungs, balled fists and twitching legs bouncing off the impermeable inner shell of the Tank, designed to keep organic matter in.
The night blue light has become a bright clear sky blue, lightening further in shade as the clone within writhes in an attempt to escape.

It has not developed to the point of the original it was cloned from; in form it is still very much a child. In another 2-5 days without incident it would have continued to grow to the age needed for the display before the Tank was switched to the preservation of the specimen and it could be dressed and groomed accordingly before being set in the Museum as a display.

That was no longer an option, as the clone's movements became more and more agitated its vital signs increase dramatically. If left alone for too long its fear will eventually cause brain bleeding and the Tank will destroy the damaged corpse.

Gloves are taken off with a swift snapping sound and laid on the workbench facing the Tank. It is bare arms that plunge through the Tank's glassy outer surface as if it were no more solid than a soap bubble, the Tank's outer surface bending in at the touch of organic matter and yielding to allow the arms to grip the struggling clone inside and, with care, pulls him through and out.
The clone struggles further at the unfamiliar feeling of fingers on his skin as the solid barrier that kept him from passing is suddenly flimsy and permeable.

The viscous gel parts smoothly around him, still confined by the walls of the Tank. The clone itself is pulled through the Tank's walls and out into the world beyond.

The sterile air stings his new skin as he retches and his lungs clear as the gel evaporates harmlessly.

To one used to effortless suspension the feeling of gravity pulling down evokes a strange sense of vertigo. The clone tightly grips the one that had pulled it from its Tank until the dizzying sensation of falling fades away.

The researcher sighs and thinks of the wasted days put into the project.

As the fine film of green disappears from the clone's skin and hair the Tank starts to display a orange light. Now it'll be two further days before he can start the cloning process anew.
The researcher rests one hand in the clone's wavy black hair as the clone blinks curiously in the bright lights and touches the curve of his mask.

Taking the clone's hand the researching pulls it to its feet and enters the code for the locked doors.

The clone coughs and wipes its eyes with the back of its hand as it is pulled along.

As the door hisses open two brightly clothed figures turn towards the researcher and the clone he leads behind him. Resting a garishly gloved hand on the researchers shoulder both figures drop into a squatting crouch to put themselves at eye level with the clone. One wears an outfit of red and gold, the other of blue and white.

They too wear masks unlike that of the researcher. Their masks are in white and silver and shaped in exaggerated smiles.

Members of the Bard's guild, on duty to protect those clones that develop sentience but can't be cared for by the one who created them in the first place. The young researcher does not have the financial security to raise the young clone and is given a small receipt in return as the dark-haired boy is carefully wrapped in a warm blanket and carried away.

The young clone is only a few minutes old by the time he is legally adopted by the Bard's guild.
The nameless clone waits in the room of darkness. His dark eyes slide back and forth suspiciously as he rubs his fingers across the collar of the shirt he has been given.

The cloth feels nice against his skin and the air no longer feels so cold. It hasn't taken him too long to learn how to balance himself and stay upright. With his brain still filling up with information he has even managed to get the hang of walking although he prefers sitting down.
With nothing else to do he simply waits in the darkness.

Unseen a bard rests a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, bending his head close.
"Chose one." The Bard tells him and the lights come on.

Arranged in a circle around him gleams a wide array of objects, all shining and new in all different colors and sizes.

Swords, scrolls, blades, toys, gemstones, books, tools, clothes and instruments of all kinds are spread before him, nearly but not quite within reach. The young clone looks over them all with an air of awe. Even if he can only guess at the purpose of the most of the treasures spread before him they all have an air of richness about them.

Chose one and only one?

Which thing here is the most valuable to have?

With care the young clone sweeps his gaze over the objects, mentally judging their worth. The gaudy gems he rejects out of hand, though they gleam and refract light in interesting ways they hold no magpie’s allure for him.

Other things seem a lot more interesting to his gaze though he can't say why. That was the purpose of the test in the first place, to decide what he wanted out of life was.

He waits and thinks thoroughly before making a choice, turning to see everything on display before he even thinks of choosing an item. The young clone senses a deeper choice is in play but he has only been ‘awake’ for such a short time he doesn’t even know who’s cells he was made with.

What he has seen of the outside world is strange blurred images that have never been fully explained to him. Of all these things which one does he want to be his?

The ebony black eyes pass dismissively over the shining blades, rejecting the destiny of a Shinobi as his original hadn’t been able to.

So many of these things seem so precious, what one does he want above all the others.
His eyes fall on the smooth carved body of an instrument and he reaches out towards it, taking it tightly in his pale skinned fingers and lifting the stringed instrument up.

Its rounded body fits snugly into his lap as he lightly plucks at the taunt strings to draw forth a single wavering note.

The Bard beside him presses a pick of white ivory into his fingers and softly instructs him on how to hold both plectrum and instrument.

Carefully the clone plucks at the strings, picking out the notes with his fingers and the small chord runs through the room.

With a faint smile he looks at the other objects still neatly arranged across the floor. Somehow they seem to have lost their allure compared to the smooth feel of the wood beneath his fingers.
“So this is your choice?” The masked Bard asks softly, looking down at the boy.
Staring firmly up at him the clone decisively nods.

Over the next two years the clone is taught total mastery over the instrument he had chosen, practicing his music until the instrument felt as natural a part of his body as his limbs. He was taught as well what happened to those who had chosen other objects in the room, what they are drawn to leading them towards their own individual destiny.

He was taught that he was cloned from a long-dead shinobi of the clan Uchiha, a shinobi really only significant for those he had aided and the unique powers of his eyes but he was also taught that he was different from him because he had chosen a different destiny.

His blood meant nothing because he was in training to become a full Bard and nothing mattered to a Bard apart from their music.

That was the curse and the gift of a Bard, to be judged only on the part of them that was truly their soul instead of whom they had been created from.

In the Bard’s Guild office years later the new Bard, biwa clutched close to his chest filled out his registration form.

Name: Gagaku Biwa
Gender: Male
Hair color: Black
Eye color: Black
Parent/Genetic relative: Uchiha Shisui

KuromaruXTsuru-Dining

Dinner with Tsuru was never a romantic affair except if forced to be.

Kuromaru was, by his own admission, a spectacular cook and one fully enrolled in the Chef's Guild. It was at Kaze's suggestion and finally his repeated insistence that the Kaguya had reluctantly conceded that all good warriors needed some kind of hobby, some kind of art they could master to give them a well-balanced mind to aid in battle.
Whereas some of his peers had taken up sculpture or flower-arranging he had learnt to cook and over the years honed his skills until they were nearly as equal as his skills at archery. On demand he could turn a single diminutive Cave Crayfish and several cave-dwelling mosses and lichens into a meal suitable for visiting diplomats. He was a qualified master in several disciplines of turning raw ingredients into mouth-watering meals.

Therein lay the problem.

Tsuru was one of the rare few who devoted some portion of his time to increasing his own efficiency. The effort needed to correctly prepare a meal followed by the effort needed to sit down and consume it was an inconvenience, not to mention the time it took out of his day. A more efficient solution was simply to pre-package the nutrients needed for the day into easy to swallow pills and take them with the daily water requirements; nutrition that didn't require him to take time apart from his precious research.
The role of dining in courtship was something he had made a brief study of and, theorizing it represented a visceral need to prove to potential mates that the courtier was capable of providing food, he had pursued the subject no further.
As such the invitation Kuromaru had presented him was cause of something of a problem.

The bird-masked Nin was torn between simply informing the Kaguya that he both had plans for the night already and that he considered the experience nothing more than a pointless frivolity and investigating further to see if there was some merit to it.
To Tsuru's clearly ordered mind he valued Kuromaru as a valuable subject and considered it prudent to gain the maximum of data on him and his biological needs. His studies on the psychology of humans were greatly enhanced by the Kaguya's willingness to share data beyond that of other test subjects. He had never reacted with hostility to questioning or even to the small surgical procedures to study his biology and that alone was worth making sure to not offend him.
Nevertheless he did have research to record...
Tsuru makes up his mind. If he had an interview, dissection or other such complex task he would have to simply inform the Kaguya he was unavailable at the listed time and date. However his plans for the marked evening were to record the data taken from recent findings and transcribe it to the individual files he kept on nearly all Kemuri Nin. Though his loathing of inefficiency and potential contamination of data prevented him from keeping assistants for long Getsu Hideki had proved himself capable of such a task. Tsuru could trust him with the simple matter of filing.

To Tsuru's way of thinking there was no easy way he could leave his lab simply because it had been locked from the outside to prevent unnecessary disturbances. To the thinking of the majority of the village he was kept under the equivalent of house arrest to keep him from bothering them.
Because to Tsuru pain was optional it was near impossible to keep him in if he didn't want to be and a certain amount of spying was agreed as acceptable to prevent him from trying anything worse.
The end result was that before Kuromaru as allowed to have Tsuru around for dinner he had to acquire a permit.

Kuromaru lived as many Kemuri citizens did, in an apartment block carved from the living stone of the mountain itself. The rooms of carved grey stone once wallpapered and carpeted resembled any other apartment in many a village. Kuromaru's rented rooms were a Living/Dining room with attached kitchen that lead onto the hallway, a bedroom and private bathroom. Facilities located deeper in the village provided him with areas he could train his Taijutsu and Ninjutsu as well as an Archery Range he had to fit with custom targets to make sure he stayed sharp.
In times he needed mental preparation he meditated in the deeper caverns Kaze had left him for that purpose. It was there he could be found when the Kaguya was steeling himself for dangers up ahead.
It was there he waited in preparation for dinner with Tsuru.
Kuromaru was less analytic than the bird-masked researcher and certainly more talkative.
He was also much older, a fallen warrior plucked from time to serve here in the woods of dreaming. In his mind the thought of Tsuru sparked feelings of forbidden delight, never minding that in Kemuri laying with another man was as common as laying with a woman. In his time for a warrior of the clan to refuse to produce offspring by preference was very much forbidden.

Still...to many others there was no discernible appeal in Tsuru. Physically he was thin and sickly looking, skin bleached pale from years of artificial lights. The man was an emotional grey, unable to pick up on society’s expectations and entire selfish in his own work. He had no notion of himself beyond the presence of an observer.
If he was seen wandering around the village children would throw small stones at him to drive him off like farmers shooing crows from a new-planted field.
Yet Tsuru had some emotions, lukewarm pale reflections of true emotion and Kuromaru had found that with care Tsuru could be encouraged into making them grow.

The two had been having an active, if strange, relationship for months. Kuromaru had always been welcome in the lab for the information he had provided but he found himself spending more time there to talk with Tsuru. If he was feeling frisky it would be the work of nearly half an hour of dropping hints for Tsuru to realize exactly what it was Kuromaru was wanting then respond accordingly. Sometimes his hard work was rewarded and they enjoyed some heated moments pressed up against the lab equipment, sometimes Tsuru bluntly stated his projects were more important and dismissed him to cool down. If Tsuru desired intercourse for his research he merely stripped naked in front of Kuromaru.
The element of normality was conspicuously absent from their relations, something that Kuromaru was now attempting to correct, if only by a fraction.

He had enjoyed the preparation of the three course meal and had devoted much time to finding the best and freshest ingredients, an effort Tsuru would no doubt fail to appreciate.
Some of the bird-masked researcher's habits were starting to rub off on the Kaguya and with Tsuru's dulled reactions to many normal sensations; pain, pleasure, hot or cold, Kuromaru was wondering if the many-scarred scientist actually had a sense of taste.
A few subtle inquiries, or at least those subtle enough to be unnoticed by Tsuru, had told him that it had been many years since the bird-masked researcher had a meal not in pill form. Were his taste buds even operational or did he simply not mind the taste of protein pills?
In deference to his 'research' Kuromaru had taken care to prepare dishes filled with a wide variety of flavors for the coming night.

In the limestone hollow, a strangely rounded cavern in the stone, Kuromaru rose from his meditation. He had been resting cross-legged with both eyes firmly closed as he listened to the steady drip of water from stalactite peak to the milky calcite pools below. The steady drip of water depositing a thin film of rock was soothing. In all the years he had been here the spire of stone had only grown a fraction of a centimeter whereas the spine of rock itself was many meters long. In drawing the mind to ones mortality it also showed the over all pointlessness of worrying too much over such tiny actions.
As always he wore purest white silk, the precious garments never dirtied by blood. The evening dress he had laid out to wear was also white.
It made him seem even paler and frailer and drew attention to the lines of the tattoo in dark purple ink chiseled beneath his eye but it was also an incredible symbol of status in Kemuri and only served to enhance his reputation.

With care the Kaguya returned to his home to prepare the last of the ingredients for the upcoming meal, chosen for either romantic dining or their undeniable quality in creating a meal.
He trusted in the very specific set of instructions he has left for Tsuru, carefully calculated so that the Bird-masked researcher cannot misinterpret them, to lead his dinner guest along the approved route with suitable threats to deter him from bothering the neighbors.
He had the appetizers prepared and ready on the table with his apron switched for his elegant evening dress well before Tsuru was due to arrive.
When Tsuru at last did arrive he waited outside the door for a further five minutes until the exact minute detailed on the invitation when he politely knocked as instructed too.
Kuromaru answered, directed his guest to his seat and instructed the bewildered researcher in how to hold and use a knife, fork and spoon for the first course before sitting down.

Tsuru remained sitting in confusion, a morsel impaled on the end of his fork and quelling the sigh that rose up inside of him the Kaguya stood again to help the researcher take off his mask.
The bone white beaked mask was in the style of that worn by shinobi elite these days though it bore no markings that identified it with any village, just two long tears of red straight down from the eyes.
Tsuru's face on the other hand was striped with many pale scars as the rest of his body, some faded nearly to nothing and others bright white lines across his face. His eyes were as blank and emotionless as the empty sockets of the mask carefully laid on the table beside him. A few wisps of white smoke ooze from the corners of his mouth as Kuromaru goes about the unusual business of teaching a grown man how to eat.

The long tapering beak of the crane filled the air with a haze of white smoke. A pad of dried lotus leaves had been concealed in the hollowed beak and ignited with a slow burning ember so that the researcher breathed in the fragrant smoke with every breath. The leaves of Lotus, as well as the entire plant as a whole, had unusual properties but when burnt at temperatures steady enough to produce the white smoke they were more or less harmless, Tsuru had reassured him.
Even now curls of the white smoke instead of rising spread across the tablecloth lazily like white serpents before dissolving into nothingness. The effect is rather strange but Kuromaru ignores it in his determination to have a romantic dinner with Tsuru. After all feeding each other could be considered romantic.

Tsuru is entirely silent through the appetizers as if he is mentally making notes in his head while Kuromaru tries to coax him into conversation.
The main course, a fillet of rare Pit Eel, the large and fierce predator of the deep water filled tunnels only acquired by great bravery or expense, was not commented on by Tsuru apart from a brief inquiry as to how many dishes would be served.
Kuromaru lost hope of impressing Tsuru with his mastery of culinary delights, by the judgement of the bird masked Nin such quality was standard and the Kaguya could tell he appreciated none of the interplay of fine flavors, the co-mingling of bold and subtle tastes on the tongue but merely analysed their chemical make up.
Nevertheless he had prepared for this eventuality and was not disappointed.
With Tsuru looking blankly up at him Kuromaru dabbed a spot of sauce from the corner of the researcher's mouth with a cloth napkin and bought out the desert.

Compared to the rest of the meal it looked overly simple, having no sauce or other ingredients to alter the flavor but to any normal Kemuri nin it was an indicator of a dedicated relationship. Two halves of a lotus fruit, poached like pears with the yellow skin faintly wrinkled from the heat of the oven and the exposed pale flesh dripping with clear juice. The soft seeds inside had been carefully scooped out leaving only the aphrodisiac pulp inside the shell of toughened golden skin
Carefully Kuromaru lays one of the halves in front of Tsuru who is managing to use his own knife and fork by now. His own half he doesn't touch until Tsuru has cut free a tiny sliver of the soft flesh and raised it to his lips.
Kuromaru watches carefully as the researcher chews twice and then swallows.

"Do you like it? What does it taste like?" The Kaguya asks with genuine curiosity, knowing one of the unique properties of the Lotus fruit was its flesh was engineered not to have one particular taste but to act on memories of pleasurable tastes in the one that consumed it.
From his own plate he smells the scents of apple and cinnamon; smells from his childhood that always make him happier.
"It is a fairly complex chemical, acting directly on the pleasure centers of the brain rather than the tongue. In taste it is simply plain water." Tsuru replies, eating another slice without showing any sign the Lotus has had any effect.
Kuromaru sighs mentally and records his experiment in arousing some form of passion in Tsuru as failure.
He had tried his hardest as the row of empty dishes shows but Tsuru was just impossible to romance.

The researcher looks back at Kuromaru as he wonders if he is supposed to eat the tough dried skin around the fruit's flesh and tentatively rests a hand on the back of his still faintly smoking mask as if asking permission to leave.
Kuromaru gives a faint nod that Tsuru takes as consent to leave the bizarre ceremony.
Visibly Tsuru straightens up and looses some of his faint expression of befuddlement.
"So now do we have sexual intercourse?" He asks coolly.
Kuromaru looks at him sharply but there is no sign of deceit in Tsuru's blank gaze. He means every word of it.
"Wasn't the implication of this event you conceding to my requests that we locate our intercourse in other places than my laboratory. Presumably this... food exchange ceremony is a unnecessary prerequisite to intercourse with a guest?"
"Well that's one of the interpretations off it." Kuromaru admits, wondering if the lotus did work after all.
"So you do not wish to have intercourse?" Tsuru sounds worried now, as usual being unable to recognize his Faux Pass.
Kuromaru only briefly considers the question. After all he has put a lot of effort into dinner even if it didn't turn out particularly romantic.
Good thing he found that look of helpless puzzlement on Tsuru's face attractive.