tampered | (no subject)

Child?

Shit, if that one weird shinigami hadn't told him in her uptight, pissy way that this guy was at least as powerful as Orochimaru...

But she did all but flatly state that, and that made Suigetsu a little wary, especially since he didn't really get what shinigami were or did yet.

So this guy could be trouble...though his calm attitude was already enough to sway a touch of respect out of the otherwise lackadaisical Mist nin.

Suigetsu kept his eyes on Aizen as he stetched up and twisted to reach the reinforced hilt of the massively oversized zanbato, smiling in a friendly way...
...even when he suddenly hefted the sword as quickly as he could and brought it around in a whistling arc aimed not at Aizen's head, but across his chest.

Aizen didn't move from his sitting position, instead raising his other arm. He caught the blade between his thumb and fingers, the blade-edge just barely touching his palm. He raised himself to full standing height, still holding on. With a careful eye, he inspected the sword.

"Hmm...A good make, for a human creation. But put a bit more swing into it," he said, pushing the blade back at it's wielder and setting down his tea, "Again."

Only Aizen could make standing naked look like the most normal thing in the world.

Suigetsu was so startled that he stumbled back a step...and then another as the laws of physics and the weight of the blade acted together against him...and then actually slipped on the wet ceramic and went down heavily.

Or would have, if he'd retained human form.
Instead, gallons of Suigetsu splashed all over the floor and the zanbato clattered down into the middle of the mess he'd made.

He is...something...
Strong.
Strong enough to actually follow, though?

Suigetsu reformed slowly, seemingly crawingly up out of the puddle, gropingly reaching for his sword first and then gaining his feet and levering himself up. He hefted the blade up again, holding it out in front of him as steadily as he could.

"That was unexpected," he said cheerfully before trying nearly the same tactic again.

He whipped the heavy sword around and down, using momentum to add force to his blow.

Once more, he caught the blade, holding it calmly in front of him. He studied the man's ability once more, noting his reformed shape.

"So interesting, that power. I wonder how you are able to survive with your brain also in a liquified state."

He deftly passed the sword back against, putting more force into it, extending a small burst of his reiatsu outward to knock it back.

"Do all your attacks consist of simply swinging your sword? No other jutsu, besides changing your body shape?"

Lessee... Fighting Juugo was a lot like this, he kept blocking, and nothing I was doing seemed to affect him. 'Course, eventually he'd wear down, 'cause he couldn't keep that curse up forever, right...?

But this guy's not even acting like I'm doing anything. He's taunting me.

His reformation was much quicker this time, and he shifted his sword from hand to hand, figeting as he considered his options.

"No, don't be stupid," he snorted, not bothering to check his bluntness. "I know other jutsu, too. By why waste the chakra if I don't have to."

Suigestu leaned the blade against the edge of the tub-- he didn't have the backstrap and harness for it on him-- and smiled, baring a mouthful of sharp teeth. "'sides, it's more fun that way."

His hands flicked through a series of quick seals and the remaining water in the room exploded up into violent columns of twisting water that zeroed on on Aizen as though mindfully controlled.

"Oh ho?" Aizen stated with a smirk, allowing the force to collide against his reiatsu, pushing him back against the wall. He held his hand forward, causing his energy to exploded violently to the sides of the room, carrying all of the water with it. The water stayed against the walls, suspended by his power.

"Ah, so you are a water specialist in all areas, eh? Interesting. Are they natural powers, or the result of experimentation?"

Suigestu's eyes flicked from side to side briefly as he noted the way that the water was pinned up against the wall, held there by the shinigami's force ...and he could tell that Aizen wasn't exerting himself at all, though the air seemed to ring with lingering vibrations from the explosion of opposing forces.

He didn't like that, not one little bit. If Aizen could shove that much water back so casually, what was to stop him from shoving at all the water in the room, including that trapped in living tissue?

"Both, actually," he answered, stalling for some time to consider his next move. "My village specialized in water jutsu and I was raised with that fighting style. But I've been...inproved upon as well."

"Ah. Orochimaru's talent for crafting the flesh of others is impressive. Most humans are so delicate. Creating such changes must be difficult. He reminds me of an old colleague."

Aizen allowed the water to flow again, letting it rush in from all sides to pool in the bath and floor again. He looked around himself, expression neutral.

"It would appear the water has gotten colder. A pity, that," he said, moving to a towel to dry himself off, then wrapping it about his waist, "A good introduction to your skills, in any case. Can I interest you in some tea? Perhaps a bit of coffee cake?"

Strangely, the first thing Suigetsu thought about was how few ninja-- perhaps no ninja-- had dual-natured chakra that allowed for both fire and water elemental expression. He couldn't heat the water even if he'd been ordered to, even if he'd felt like it. That kind of manipulation would be antithetical to his nature.

But Suigetsu didn't want to think about that any more than he wanted to remember the boredom of Orochimaru's dungeons and containment tanks and the terror of the frequent experimentation itself.

"Tea?" he repeated dubiously, then smiled. He wasn't getting rejected, as far as he could tell, and that meant that maybe someone thought he could be useful. "Alright. Since you so kindly offered and all."

"Excellent," he said, walking out and into the interior of his home. It was a near replica of Los Noches, though much, much smaller. Clean white walls and high ceilings were the architecture of the day, with a large screen on the wall that showed the day's posts and a few other walls with security monitors showing the exterior of the area.

"Here," Aizen said, showing the boy a table with tea and small snacks, "Don't worry, it's not poisoned."

Hesitating only long enough to grab up his zanbato and swing it up against his shoulder, Suigetsu trotted obediently after Aizen, still stark naked and completely uncaring.

He glanced around curiously at the monitors-- those things were much rarer where he'd grown up, though not completely unheard of-- but he wasn't all that interested in technology, especially not when there was food and drink to be had.

"I wasn't worried." Suigestu hooked a chair with his foot to tip i back and then slithered into it, already grabbing for the teapot. "You don't seem the type for that kind of bullshit. I like that."

In a rare moment of...well, of something, the Mist nin pushed the first cup of tea across the table before pouring a second for himself.

"I must say, you certainly seem more...what's the word...stable, than most of Orochimaru's other servants. The man doesn't seem to understand the concept of using the carrot, as well as the stick."

Aizen nodded his head slightly and took the robe from the back of his chair, slipping it around himself, before passing an undershirt of his to Suigetsu.

"Feel free to try the other things as well," he said, taking his seat.

That wasn't true at all. Orochimaru knew how to use the carrot-- he lured so many stupid fools into Sound with empty promises.

It was just that the carrot was rotten, was all.

"Other things?" Suigetsu had to actually put the teacup down and swallow to ask for clarification, unsure if Aizen was referring to the other things on the table or something else.

He looked at the proffered shirt in confusion for a moment, then checked a sigh and reached to accept it.

"...but what's your gig, then?" Suigetsu's eyes narrowed as he touched the fabric, letting it serve as a weak connection between them. "You're powerful, and you're a traitor. What's your gameplan?"

"Hmm...I want to remake the universe. You know, that old story. I'm just closer to doing it than many other megalomaniacs here," he said, giving a light chuckle at his jest, "It certainly took me enough centuries to set up. I had to go to the trouble of establishing myself in an area where my kind are either food or the enemy. gather an army, raise their power, and all while having my other life in the midst of the shinigami, as their kind Captain Aizen."

"I mean the other treats on the table. They go well with the tea," he simply stated, breaking off a piece of crumb cake to pop into his mouth, "I must say ninjas impress me. Very powerful. More powerful than humans in my world are capable of, at least. Summons, jutsus, so many things."

"Yeah." Suigetsu managed to wrangle himself into the shirt one-armed, while stuffing a slice of coffee cake into his face with his other hand...somehow. Both actions gave him sufficient time to control his expression and hide his cynical, disbelieving reaction from Aizen.

Why did they all want to take over the world?

"Quick, quiet, discreet, and sold to the highest bidder. Or something like that." He laughed and leaned casually against the table, raking his fingers through his own hair as he propped his head up, watching his host with interest. "Or the strongest. Nobody want to work for someone who's gonna get their ass whupped."

"Agreed. The Arrancar are much the same. They only respect power, control, and violence. The worst aspects of their formerly human nature," he said, adding a bit of cream to his tea, "So tell me, what is your goal? Or are you yet another of his own that exist for nothing but protecting him?"

"No." Suigetsu almost seemed to recoil from the suggestion. "I'm not one of his mindless minions. He changed me a lot with his experiments, but he never managed to cut out my free will."

He crumbled a but of cake between his fingers absently and then grinned. "Like I said-- I'm sold to the highest bidder who has a use for my skills. That's all; I'm merely a sword for hire to the strongest and most capable."

"Really? And what might be the price of those services? I may be able to send some business your way in the future. I find that ninjas can go places that my arrancar cannot. They are...not subtle, to say the least. Collateral damage seems to dog their steps."

He emptied the last of a cup of tea and dabbed a napking at his mouth, then sighed and leaned back in his chair.

Suigestu was watching Aizen very carefully; his attention was riveted to this strange and obviously powerful man who put more effort in being charming than in stopping a massive beheading sword about to slice him in half.

He was watching, though he looked more interested in the half loaf of pound cake he demolished and remaining tea he washed it down with.

"If you ask, I'll do whatever you want," he said finally. "I've been bored anyway. It'd be beneficial to both of us."

Then he grinned again. "And I'd rather be on your side than not, to be honest."

"Excellent. I'm glad we could have this discussion. I have some business to attend to, so I trust you can find your own way out. Until you choose to leave, feel free to have as much of the tea and food as you wish. Do give my regards to Tayuya and Kimimaro, if you see them."

Aizen raised his hand to the east, and the wall parted to reveal a series of corridors.

"The exit corridor will light up as you move through it. Oh and...please keep this location a secret. I tend to be very hard on those who prove unreliable."