A curious visit

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A man in a black robe walked through the small village of Jiroh on a rainy Sunday night. There were homes and lodges to his left and right as he paced smoothly through, there being hardly a single soul out. There was a small merchant store just outside the town. One had to leave the neighborhood and walk about a mile in the fields to reach it.

The rain continued to pass down as the stranger entered into the one-story lodge. The stranger walked in, the robe still covering his head, and looked around the small store. It was old, very old. It reeked of wet wood and dust. The total cabin space was no larger than a traditional cabin, yet it seemed to have a depth to it that extended beyond its walls.

The stranger walked slowly forward towards a desk at the end of the cabin. At this desk, was a small lamp and many messy papers scattered across it. Not wishing to intrude, the stranger stood still about five meters in front of the desk, looking around the room behind and beside him. There were books all around, giving it the ambience of a hidden library. At the same time, there seemed to be potions, scrolls, skeletons, and other small trinkets that was commonly found in merchant stores or museums. Mankind was still a bit young to have full scale history displayed in open areas for public viewing; yet the beginnings of this phenomena could be experienced inside this small merchants room.

What had the stranger come for, you might ask?

The full story of the stranger could not be told in one setting, but it suffices to say - he was in search of something he once thought lost; but he believed was now found.

Mithrandir (the stranger) was in reality no stranger at all to Earth or to this town. This town, a little over a century ago, had been called the outskirts of what was known as Kumogakure. He wasn’t sure if it was still called that, but the frequent thunderstorms and ominous aura in the air betrayed it. Of course, the thunderstorms did also signal something, or - someone, else. Mithrandir was unsure of when his brother would be arriving, but he’d gone through great pains to explain to him the need for subtly in this private mission of theirs. The gravity of it was something both of them felt for certain, but for the time a great deal of investigation was needed before any major moves were made. Mithrandir appeared to be a normal sized Japanese man in his mid thirties with no distinguishable features from any other townsmen. He’d morphed his appearance on the way here progressively to fit within what he calculated were the common genetic abnormalities amongst males in the town. Given that he was a master of gene manipulation, he simply shifted his cells around in order to alter his appearance and appear as he stood.

As he looked to the side near the bookshelf he caught the unique tapestry of the walls in the cabin. Glancing more closely, he noticed there was a depth and a pattern to the drawings he saw. Similar to hieroglyphs, it was clear that the pictures were depicting something; communicating something. He saw drawn figures that looked to be normal humans, and as the tapestry was followed towards the ceiling, there were beings above that could be made out to be something… other. Celestial perhaps, he wasn’t positive. Humans had a way of depicting their encounters with beings of higher capacity than them as something of deities. They might have met someone from the fourth of fifth realm even, and thought they’d met their maker. Still, he was impressed with the detail indicated in the pictures. Familiar with languages of various species, he quickly discerned that the pictures were indeed telling of a time in which these supposed “gods” had come down from earth and blessed the human race with what appeared to be -

The back door of the cabin creaked open and then shut hard. An older man, mid forties walked in and quickly sat down at his desk, now looking straight forward at Mithrandir. Instantly Mithrandir read the man to be a human of exceptionally positive spirit and stamina. His constitution implied strong genetic trends in his bloodline as well as an overall positive disposition. The older man reached for his glasses quickly before acknowledging the stranger with a chuckle.

“Why you must be Mino!”

“Kenta told me you’d be late but I never thought you’d come all this way on a night like this! Can I get you some tea?! You must be shivering after that walk in the wet. We are a few miles out of town, do you have a place to stay tonight?”

Before Mithrandir could fake an answer, the man arose and stood facing the wall behind his desk, opening compartments that had previously been hidden.

“Hold on just a second and I’ll get it for you.”

One arrived before the other and he before him. The weather in this particular part of the world went hand in hand with this peculiar and fresh faced individual. The man strolled along his path through the forest with a smile on his face. He could sense that a certain someone had finally arrived. Kurotsuchi was sight seeing if one could call it that. This was his way of passing the time and gathering his thoughts. A thing is often needed considering the importance of what is to come.

Kurotsuchi blended in well with the locals, he was one of them. And it would be impossible for those without certain gifts to tell he wasn't human. They've spent so much time traversing space itself it had become ever so exhausting. However, Kurotsuchi was trying his best not to go off galivanting. Ever the quick worker, he'd already made some arrangements ahead of time. He managed to make some friends among the local population. People were easily seduced by his ways, his forked tongue and charm. They had come in search of something. In Kurotsuchi's mind the sooner they find it the better. The cabin was in view now and he had a few ways in which to approach this situation. The best course of action was to behave like a human as best as possible. With this in mind Kurotsuchi edged closer to the cabin until he was finally at the door. A quick knock before finally opening the door and stepping food inside. "Ohaiyo! I've arrived just in time for what looks to be tea! Look who decided to turn up, I told you he'd be late. Tut, tut Mino". He exclaimed meanwhile wagging his left index finger as if disappointed. Finally, they managed to catch up with each other.

The cabin was a fascinating one, the interior tried telling stories of past times. Some of it was incomplete or better yet misunderstood. Nevertheless, one cannot fault these creatures for attempting to piece together these puzzles. "The wildlife here is truly amazing, it is also very peaceful. In any case, how is everyone doing?". He asked with a smile upon his face. The man was now waiting to see what would follow on from this. He and Mithrandir had business to take care of. Kurotsuchi wasn't exactly fond of walking around looking the way that he currently did. This was far too mundane for his liking and felt unnatural. Mithrandir on the other hand may just be a little more comfortable parading in his current form. Kurotsuchi treated this as a means of seeing how other went about their day to day lives. Humans are certainly a fascinating specie. Frail compared to his kind but in their own right had so much strength. It was almost admirable to say the least. Despite all of this they didn't have time for unnecessary pleasantries.

The storm raged on, lightning and thunder ominously in the background. It was of such veracity that one, at times, that its source might be external. It was almost as if it were a technique of some kind.

Mithrandir smirked as his brother came in. Kurotsuchi was always the more stylish of the two, and it had taken considerable convincing to get him to stoop down to the appearance of a human. Vanirians particularly tended to have a lower view of humanity, often seeing them as cattle. This wasn’t the entire case with Kurotsuchi of course, but no doubt he had little interest in “fitting in” with human kind. Mithrandir, Kurotsuchi and the other seven had come into themselves. They were no longer wandering the stars in search of who they were or how they were somehow related in some cosmic sense. They knew their roles to play in the dance of the nine realms, and in each other’s lives; inseparable. Nazarick, the kingdom where the nine lived, was nearly fully furnished. It was a perfect, private paradise where these gods could dwell in complete secrecy and yet still maintain access to other worlds. These days, the nine realms seem relatively balanced. There was little to do outside of their own private studies and interests.

Mithrandir had spent the last few decades in search of the Everstar. A star said to have come from the tenth realm and capable of special abilities. It was a mythos of the Aesir that the star even existed.  Having lost his entire race, for the most part, there still was an emptiness in his heart that he sought to fill through these myths. Kurotsuchi could similarly relate, though no doubt there were far more Vanirians still out in the cosmos; hiding, perhaps. Kurotsuchi had spent most of his time in learning the old relics and scrolls recovered by the Vanir on the various worlds they’d conquered. You could say he’d done an exploration of his own since Nazarick was founded. Naturally, however, he’d brought others along with him and returned frequently home. Nazarick contained everything the nine needed to study the various sciences and mysteries the realms had to offer - why leave?
The absence of Mithrandir, without communication or sign had particularly upset his sisters; all of whom refused to speak to him at this point. This mission was a chance to show his siblings he still cared about their collective duty to protect the nine realms, and not only fairy tails that gave him nostalgia for the long lost Aedin, Kingdom of the Aesir.

Two weeks ago, Earth time, an Aesirian Symbol had appeared on Mithrandir’s chest and abdomen area. This was a sign that an item, weapon or relic with his DNA on it had been activated. Returning to Nazarick, he also came to sense that there was a severe loss of life happening on the Earth. This would have normally been of no relevance to himself or Kurotsuchi had there not been several stars aligning to indicate something ominous. Mithrandir had assumed he’d been communicated to by one of his siblings; only to come home and find out this was not the case; clue one. Two, a portal to the phantom realm had been opened and nobody knew how. Humans surely were foolish and of unusual aptitude for power - but he was confident they couldn’t have known how to open up such a doorway. Mithrandir and Kurotsuchi had a past on Earth; times they’d visited the world and made contact with its inhabitants. Their last visit had been likely a century ago in earth years, yet something told him there was unfinished business.

Lastly, and most importantly of all - was Andular. Angular was one of the nine. In the following years of their ascension and the founding of Nazarick, Angular had gone rogue. To cut a long story short - Angular had rebelled against his family. Mithrandir led the charge as he and Kurotsuchi had thus bound and imprisoned him in a place known as the “Phantom Zone”. It was a place akin to the zero realm but smaller; a place Kurotsuchi had discovered ancient Vanirian and Aesirians had used in order to imprison the disembodied spirits of criminals. This meant that a legitimate threat to the survival of all things on Earth had potentially been unleashed. Beings from all realms were bound in that place; beings capable of wiping out entire civilizations even. Angular was one of the children of the grail; which meant he was a being of terrible power. Each of the nine possessed extraordinary abilities. Angular in particular was dangerous as he had a natural affinity for the dark arts. He was the only of the Nine capable of matching Mithrandir in terms of sheer numbers. Both Angular and Mithrandir can create armies on command.  Mithrandir’s armies are usually composed of plants, starlight and midichlorians; Angular has an affinity for night creatures.

Upon arriving at the village, he was confronted by the military to ensure he was not coming as a straggler from villages nearby. Apparently night creatures had been ravaging villages in the surrounding small countries to the point of wiping them out entirely. Kumogakure had taken so many refugees that they could take no more. This was an immediate indication to Mithrandir that Angular was involved. Angular was capable of exceptional cloaking abilities as well, which is why having Kuro come along was essential. All in all, this mission had the stench of personal vendetta written all over it. Mithranidir was a nature deity who cherished life and its continuation; Angular saw most living things as nothing more than empty carcasses to fill undead spirits with in order to control.

The old man behind the counter brought forth a small box and placed it before Mithrandir as Kurotsuchi walked in. The old man opened the box to reveal a folded scroll. Mithrandir gazed upon the scroll with intent, his Galagan analyzing the DNA fragments attached; he would soon find out where and with whom this document had been with.

Mithrandir reached out his hand to grab the map, and the old man caught it and took a stance to glare right into the eyes of the traveler.

“Let me tell you a story about this map, my dear friend.”

“Since the recorded history of man, the Sochioro clan has protected men from… extraordinary threats. Threats from beyond, threats from below, threats from above - you name it. Since the dawn of mankind, men have always imagined demons and devils were things beneath them that ascended. It wasn’t until a century ago that my grandfather expressed a different theory.

My grandfather was many things, you see. He was Kage, leader of Sochiro guild, head of the league of nations, carpenter, engineer, puppeteer, and father. In his days, the Earth was visited by the Ootsutsuki for the second time since mankind’s recorded history. In those days the Ootsutuski dwelled on the Earth among men. It wasn’t until the war that my grandfather successfully drove them out of Earth and restored power to the kingdoms of men. He later became famous for that war, effectively decreeing that any and all visitors from other worlds were unwelcome on Earth and war would be made against them upon arrival.

You see, when the Ootsutsuki arrived, mankind worshipped them as gods. We believed them to be the saviors of our many plights and fights on our tiny little world. Little did we know that we were only pawns and sheep in their sight; to be killed, devoured or controlled at will.

I’ll never forget my grandfather's words to me; My son, devils don’t come from hell - no, they come from the sky.

All throughout the ages, man has been looking up to the skies for his salvation and his gods! We know the real truth though.. The sky's the real hell from which demons descend.”

The man lifted the scroll and offered it to Mithrandir, his eyes wide with excitement. He seemed to somehow enjoy the history and embellishment of men of old. Sochiro… It sounded familiar but Mithrandir couldn’t put his finger on which human...

"What is this?" Mithrandir asked plainly.

“This…” the man giggled.

“Is a map… of hell.”

For one of the first time in a social situation, is was Mithrandir who felt the need to hold Kurotsuchi back.

Time away from Earth had seared his warmth towards mankind. Their lesser qualities of men seemed to be less forgivable to his brother. Godhood, if you will, was something similar to a different stage of life. A stage in which one is used to law, order, harmony; and an extraordinary ability to make things conform to such. No doubt hearing falsehood out of the mouth of such a feebile creature was an affront that neither brother had experienced in quite some time. Nazarick was a kingdom filled with nothing other than what the nine deemed fitting. Kurotsuchi had created the different dimensions that made up the kingdom; Mithrandir had filled them according to an approved design within that dimension. In other words, they both lived in a kingdom where there was nothing but beauty, truth, and equity. Kurotsuchi in particular was a man of study and intellect. He and Mithrandir bonded quite a lot over their mutual curiosity into all things concerning the foundations of the nine realms and the ancient cultures of the worlds therein. Surely spending so much time with access to some of the highest wisdom available to anyone, he'd also developed a insensitivity to the malady and beauty of myths.

Yet still, both men were stunned with the words of the older man. No doubt at the mention of the Ootsutuski being "removed" Kurostuchi had connected the dots to understand the event referred to. That event, however, was not the main point Mithrandir made note of.

Sochiro. That name was eerily familiar...

"What is your name?" Mithrandir said as he stretched his left arm across in order to prevent Kurostuchi from losing his cool and his cover.

"Setoshi Sochiro; named after the great Setoshi Sochiro of old; my grandfather." The man said proudly.

Mithrandir knew that Kurotsuchi was processing all of this in as quick and organized a manner he was. They were here to understand everything and everyone at play here. From what he could tell, Setoshi went on with his witch hunt long after their last visit earth. The question was, what did his legacy have to do with Angular?

"I'll tell you what makes me sure this is a map of hell...

Because it was given to me by a man who's been there..."

There was an ominous pause in the room. The lightning stopped outside, which let Mithrandir know that it was indeed his brother controlling it. Kurotsuchi's ability to tame and unleash the powers of the skies at will was one of the most impressive things about him. Mithrandir had seen these abilities and techniques at scale on various missions they'd been on.

Seeing the stopping of the weather, and the mentioning of "us Ootsutsuki" as a sign his brother's patience was wearing thin - the Aeserian prince got straight to the point.

"Listen Setoshi... I need you to tell me who gave you this map. I think they may know something about where all of the night creatures are coming from." Mithrandir said this and then smoothly took the map and placed it under his robes.

Setoshi looked at him with a look of excitement, almost entirely forgetting about necessary payment.

"There's a temple in the southern border of the nation. The temple is older, largely abandoned. There are still a few monks who reside and study there. I was visiting once to see if I could bargain with the sages for a few books to keep and re-sell. I snuck in one night to the library and grabbed a few interesting books that looked... well, like they hadn't been used in some time; surely they wouldn't be missed!

One of the books I grabbed told of very dark and ancient techniques. Clearly something from times before the shinobi world. I could see in it there were several pages torn out; but I found this map. I had to drop the book and leave quickly before I was found out, but I read a little in it. The author of the book was telling of how he had found himself somehow in the very center of a place he could only describe... as hell. Apparently he lived there for sometime in secrecy and took a journal of his experiences.

Now many will say the book is fiction. Especially given the author had no name mentioned.

I, on the other hand; believe it was real.

Now, if you're looking for more information than that - I'd advise you pay those wierdos a visit yourselves and see what they can tell you about it. Of course, leave out the map and where you found it pretty please."

Mithrandir looked to his side at Kurotsuchi, who no doubt wanted to harm the man severely. Mithrandir wouldn't stop his brother, but with the glance implied that it was still essential that they maintain their cover. A gray bag of gold was dropped on the desk in front of the old man; with that, Mithrandir departed for the temple.