PRELUDE: Faith in Monsters

[Matachi]

prelude:
FAITH IN MONSTERS

Undisclosed Location

“Konoha and Suna are not a factors in our plans.” A baritone voice spoke over the conference room that was submerged in darkness, the faint light that trickled into the room through the large glass wall at the end of the room that seemed to display a tank of water on the other side showed ten figures seated in ten tall chairs. The one at the head of the table just in front of the tank sat in a slump, his elbow on the armrest, his fist to his cheek.

“Word is is that the Sannin have re-emerged and Tsunade has become Hokage. And Suna’s already moved and gotten a new Kazekage…these are not things we can ignore, Jūpachi-sama.” One of the voices spoke, this one was calm, collected, a certain element to it would remind someone of a snake, slithering, creeping. His voice alone set off alarms, his barely visible eyes were slit, his hues barely visible in the darkness, his mock smile spread from ear to ear.

“Suna’s new Kazekage is one of our prime targets. Their strongest weapon, and the one most necessary to sacrifice in order to pass through Shiromon.” Another voice spoke, this one’s skin was a darker tone, his lips were all that was visible in the light, the shifting waters reflecting upon his face. The man at the head of the table sat up with a sigh, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“They’re weak and not important right now. Kumo, Kiri and Iwa will be our main focuses, we must first weaken them…” He growled, “then simultaneously crush them so one cannot come to the aid of the other.” He clenched his fist tight, the sound of the white glove he wore rubbing against each other as he wrenched his grip could be heard. “Garōrō will handle Konoha and Suna with his men…SEKAI.”

“Hmph,” Garōrō grunted, his chest jumping, sitting forward, his beast-like eyes glared across the table at the man who was handing out the commands, “I’m supposed to occupy the weak powers while you try and weaken the others?” He cockily responded to the command, the only man who was clearly visible in the whole room, Garōrō stood from his seat, combing his fingers through his blue hair. “This is some shit. I joined your little club, put on your little exclusive jacket, and you know why? Because I thought you silly sunuvabitches were goin’ somewhere.”

“Do you question my commands, Garōrō-san?” The baritone voice called out from across the room, the sound of his fingers impatiently tapping against the polished black marble table in a rhythmic beat.. Through his shaded eyes, his intent was felt, seemingly visible upon the air. Garōrō who was heading toward the door came to a stop, glaring back in his direction with a frown, seemingly unfazed by the killer intent that was beamed across the room.

“You’re gonna’ trust these eight to do actual damage to three of the great villages while putting the man with his own personal army up against the crippled of the two? Feh, I questioned your sanity with this whole Shiromon bullshit, but now I see you’re just some stupid fuck who’s trying to look cool.” Garōrō chuckled, his nose wrinkled, he threw his arms up.

“To speak such blasphemy about Shiromon…a non-believer such as yourself can’t possibly be one of us…” A new voice spoke out, it was as if this one were dead, as if it belonged to a corpse, lighter than the others, though. His eyes were a deep green, shifting in the darkness, glaring at Garōrō.

“Tch…” He sucked on his teeth, “if you buy the bullshit that this farce spouts, then you’re a stupid fuck, too.” He slipped his hand in his pockets, his grin growing wide. “As for why I’m here…I’m here because I’m a means to an end. I was a force too large to deny, yet not big enough to be considered a target, right? The reason I’m on this council is the same reason all of you are on the council, you’re this stupidass’s weapons, the very thing that he has you exterminatin’.”

“Ha, I heard that.” One of the men who sat closer to Garōrō laughed, his one eye glancing at the corpse-like voice’s origin, wincing his one good eye, the other covered by a large band. A large staff stood at his side, two crescent moons attached back to back at the end of the long pole. “All of us are just pawns for this crackpot’s scheme. I agree, anyone who actually believes his promises of a false heaven needs their head checked.” He tapped at his temple with his slender digit, his lips curling into a long smile. “Me? I’m in it for the thrill and nothing else.” He spoke bluntly, grasping his peculiar weapon from his side as he stood. “Anyway, this meeting seems to have gone to hell…I have my job, I was just here to show face.” The mysterious one-eyed man passed by Garōrō, shooting him a glance with his slit eye.

In the tank behind the leader, a whale howled, slipping by the window pane with it’s monstrous proportions. “You also have your orders, Garōrō-san.” The leader spoke as if Garōrō hadn’t expressed such disinterest in his orders, as if he hadn’t just called him a complete farce, a façade, some sort of crackpot seeking to ‘look cool.’ He acted as if he didn’t just insult him to his face, because he was bigger than that. He was much bigger than that. In his mind, he was a man who would usher the innocent and liberated into a gate that had a paradise lying beyond it’s entrance.

“Watch what you do in Kaze no Kuni…as you know, there’s a group operating there…they don’t take lightly for people making plays at their territory.”

“The Shūshūka. They’re a group of bad fuckers…I’ve heard some things about that Isutoshi fella’.” Garōrō stroked his chin, turning away from the table, following after the man with the eye patch. “Whatever, though. We’ll see about keeping Hi no Kuni under wraps.”

“Why do you insist on keeping such a insubordinate within the council, Jūpachi-sama?”

“Because they’re necessary to the cause…you can only fight weapons with weapons.”

THE BEGINNING