The Shiroto Manor

As he had for nearly the past two weeks, Shinichi awoke in his bed sweaty and screaming, his entire body shaking so violently that the bed shook with it. Thankfully, the Shiroto Manor he was staying at was on the farthest edges of Hidden Sand Village, and it wasn't likely he had woken anyone. It wasn't so much that he cared one way or the other if any of the villagers lost any sleep, but the last thing he wanted right now was a visitor or two, whether inquiring as to his well being or complaining about the disturbance. Getting up, Shinichi got dressed in his usual white attire, taking care to neatly place his golden jewelry in their usual places. A golden wristband, left arm. Pocket watch and chain, right front pocket. The two necklaces, the collared one on top, and the slimmer one on bottom, tucked beneath his shirt. He didn't do this to avoid attention...the people of the village would know he was a Shiroto by his elegant dress, even without seeing the golden pendant shaped like a small phoenix. He did it more to hide it from himself. Though he would never admit it to another soul, and risk his pride, deep within, Shinichi feared the power of the phoenix dormant within him. Which of course is why he stood there now, golden jewelry glinting in the moon, cast in a silver light that illuminated his clothing like an eerie spectre in the dead of night. For almost half a month, Shinichi had suffered through the same dream. The details were difficult to remember, but vague recollection was enough to unsettle him. A vision of his father, scarred and burned. A flash of white. The glowing ruby red eyes of the phoenix, and an overpowering heat...the two eyes swirl to form a pair of shadows, and then, the heat slowly intensifies until Shinichi wakes, with his body temperature through the roof. Walking outside for a bit of fresh, cool air, Shinichi does his best to shake off the dream

After standing on the front steps of the manor for a few minutes, Shinichi sighed knowing that inaction would not clear his mind of the horrible nightmare. It bothered him that he was so shaken, especially since he remembered so little from what actually occurred in the dream. Coming to the rear of the manor, Shinichi looked up at the large stone wall in the center of the garden. He closed his eyes as he approached it, hearing a voice in the back of his mind, saying the words he had heard all to many times. 'Cleansed by fire...Everything burns.... Opening his eyes once more, he found himself facing the gigantic stone slab. Once it had been brown, perhaps even a dull grey, like the rest of the stone in the village. Now, however, it was pitch black. Focusing his chakra and taking a deep breath, Shinichi imagined the images from his dream manifest on the face of the great stone, and formed the Shiroto Phoenix hand seal, much like the tiger, but with the index fingers forming a cross instead of touching, little fingers pressed together.

"Katon! Goukkyaku no jutsu!"

Exhaling deeply, forcing all the wind from his lungs, a great ball of fire flew from him, engulfing the stone entirely, causing a large and bright glow to be cast over the village for a few seconds, burning a bit of the surrounding garden as well before it subsided and dissappeared. Taking just a few moments to catch his breath, he formed the phoenix seal again, and recalled the burnt image of his father, and the piercing eyes of the phoenix, staring him down. He remember the searing heat, the agonizing burn he felt over every inch of his body, within as well as without, yelling his next words at the top of his lungs, almost shrieking.

"Katon! Karyu Endan!"

This time a bright light flashed through the entire village as the orb of flames shot from his mouth, growing larger each second, then as it began to fly forward assumed the shape of a dragon. Moments before it hit the stone Shinichi saw the orange and red flames begin to pale, and as the wall was covered in the roaring fires smoke rose above the now white flames. After what seemed like forever, but could only have been mere seconds, the flames dispersed and it seemed as if the sun had set all over again in the garden, so drastic was the return to darkness. Gasping for breath and sweating from the heat, Shinichi's eyes widened just a little as he noticed that half of the wall was gone now, the stone which had survived countless fire jutsu from previous clan members had been melted away by his rage. His lips began to tremble as the extent of his power was laid bare before him, and he shut his eyes tight to avoid seeing it any longer.

After what felt like yet another eternity, Shinichi opened his eyes again. Sadly, this was no nightmare. There stood the half melted away stone, in the midst of the now all but destroyed garden. The black wall formed a disturbingly twisted shadow, now that its melted portions bulged and consumed it. Looking over it, lips trembling still, Shinichi saw something he had never seen before. An opening. One side of the stone wall had been melted to the ground and where once there was solid rock, there now was an opening into the underground. Arching a brow in puzzlement, Shinichi walked slowly over to it, and peered inside. A hallway. A hallway made of brick, this was no random cave. This was created by man. Glancing around nervously, Shinichi knelt, careful not to dirty his clothes, and poked his head into the opening. It was definately a manmade chamber, though it looked more than ancient. Curiousity swept over him, but he knew he would never fit through this small gap. He rose again and took a few steps back. Forming the phoenix seal and gathering his chakra again, he takes a deep breath, focusing intently.

"Katon! Karyu Endan!"

Trying to keep the disturbing image of his father's ruined body in mind, he repeats his earlier technique, sending a large dragon shaped fireball hurtling towards the melted section of the stone. After the technique finished, Shinichi smirked. The affect had not been so devastating this time, but it served its purpose. The gap beneath the stone should be just large enough to squeeze through. Kneeling for just a moment Shinichi closed his eyes and relaxed. Members of the Shiroto clan didn't consume as much chakra as normal with fire techniques, but the Dragon Missile jutsu was taxing nonetheless. However it was best to investigate this before the rest of the clan awoke in the morning and wanted to poke their noses in as well. Rising, Shinichi walked forward towards the gap, and looking around only once to see if anyone was watching, eased himself into the pit.

Landing quietly on the stone floor, Shinichi took a moment to look around. Much to his dissapointment, there wasn't much to see. A bare wall behind him, and a large wooden door in front of him. This entry way was small enough to still be lit by the small amount of moonlight creeping through the crevice he had crawled through. No telling if he would have the same luck in the next room. At first he thought it wouldnt matter. Upon trying to open the door, he found it locked and lodged in place. Nevertheless, a smirk played across his face. He had burned through stone to get here. What more a bit of wood? Forming a series of seals and finishing with the tiger seal, he said gently, once again -

"Katon: Goukyaku no Jutsu!"

- and shooting a ball of flame from his mouth at the door. He heard the satisfying roar of the flames as they engulfed the old wood, burning it easily. He chuckled to himself as the technique ended, seeing an archway with two lit candles where the door had been. Lucky to have lit some candles in the process. He stepped forward, taking one of them from its place on the wall, and carried it into the next room. While it was a small room still, it was twice as large as the previous. It too seemed unextraordinary, circular with unordained stone walls. In the center there was a pedestal of no spectacular design. Stepping closer, Shinichi saw that on the pedestal was a small scroll. Curiousity knowing no bounds now, he set the candle down gently and picked up the scroll to read it. As he did, he experienced several things at once. First, his heart dropped, and the heat seemed to run from his body as the realization of the truth sank in. Then, closing his eyes for only a moment, he read on. A new truth cast in a new light, and he felt the blood pumping in his body again. glancing down he saw a golden pendant, like his own, sitting on the pedestal. This one however, unlike all teh others he and his clan members wore, had two small rubies set in it, for eyes. Ruby eyes....Shinichi felt his breath catch and dropped the scroll in his loose grip, looking around uncomfortably

*Shinichi heard a voice from the shadows, only to see nothing while he had been looking around.* "It hurts to see the truth of things. Doesn't it? Shinichi?" *He said as he emerged from the shadows, one arm emerged from his Akatsuki cloak. Several more shadows were behind him, but were to dark to be seen. Ukokei picked up the scroll, reading only the end of it, he smiled.* "It's quite amazing, really. I never thought someone would burn through that stone." *He said as he rolled up the scroll. He walked towards Shinichi slowly, looking as if he wasn't moving at all.*

Spinning quickly, heart jumping at the sudden sound, Shinichi throws the candle at the foot of the intruder, though it fails to cast him in any revealing light. Clutching the red eyed pendant in his hand now, Shinichi struggles to speak, still astounded from the information on the scroll. His normally unshakable reserve was clearly shaken now, try as he might to retain his arrogant air.

"Who...who are you, and what are you doing down here?"

More importantly, he thought to himself, how does this person know about this scroll? What it said...was it really true? Shinichi had been taught that the chakra of the Phoenix had been split amongst all surviving clan members, passed down through the blood...and yet now that he thought of it, all members he had ever seen use Phoenix chakra DID have one of the family pendants.... Could it be true? was the collective chakra of the phoenix scattered through out the pendants? and this, he thought as he glanced down at the red eyed phoenix in his hand. The master key?

*Ukokei smirked as he finally stood in front of Shinichi. His appearance was now visible. He was tall, just slightly over average of a full-grown man. He had black hair, much like that of a color, similar to ash. His eyes were black as a night, combined with small blue pupils in the center. He wore an Akatsuki cloak, hiding his hands, along with a hood over his head that hid his face. He picked up the candle and handed it back to Shinichi.* "It seems you don't know of The Akatsuki. I am their Leader. I saw the way you use your Katon jutsus. They're quite impressive. How would you like to join my organization? Now that you know of our Headquarters, If you decline, I can't just let you get away, and I will be forced to kill you." *He said as he stared into his eyes will his cold, blue pupils.* "We can give you power. Your power only resides within your pendant. I can give you power ten times that of your pitiful little pheonix. By giving you this." *He pulled a card-sized mirror from his pocket. In the reflection was a fox, covered in flames from head to toe.* "It is the Houkou. The Fire Fox. He also possesses many other elements. I wouldn't want you to decline. But if you do, it is your choice. You may join as you are. Or you may join with the Houkou. Or you can walk away and die at the hands of me." *He finally finished speaking, awaiting the answer of Shinichi, thinking that after wording like that, he would never refuse.*

Shinichi listens for a moment, stunned. He had heard of the Akatsuki before, but never expected to see one. Much less speak to one and live to tell about it. No, he may yet die, here, tonight...Had he heard right? JOIN the Akatsuki? He knew his clan had always been strong with fire jutsu, but the Akatsuki were legendary...Surely he couldn't be that good...Shinichi failed to even register the fact that the Akatsuki base had been located just beneath his very own estate, his mind was spinning over another detail. What this Akatsuki had said...Only in my small pendant...pitiful phoenix...He hadn't read the whole scroll. He had no idea...he thought it was just the one, and yet Shinichi knew now, a piece of it resided in each and every pendant. and this...The red eyed phoenix...just like in his dream...was the pendant that could gather them together again, combine them again...The person with this could hold the entire phoenix. The shadowy figures..must have been Akatsuki...The consuming flames...the full power of the phoenix, within him...Shinichi set his lips firmly, clasping the new phoenix necklace tighter in his hand. He knew what he had to do now, it fit perfectly with his dream...That and if he didn't, this was the end, here and now. Holding his head high again, his smug arrogance returning...perhaps stronger now more than ever. He kept telling himself in his head, unable to believe..Akatsuki. The Akatsuki want me..

"Alright then, I'm in...how can I refuse that kind of a choice? Keep your Houku. I'll take my chances with the phoenix."

So saying Shinichi pulled out his original pendant and began concentrating, drew chakra from it as he normally would from himself. as soon as he did so, the new necklace flared to life, ruby eyes glowing red, sucking the chakra into it. it took all of five seconds, and the eyes began to dim. tossing the useless golden trinket to the side, Shinichi placed the ruby phoenix necklace around his neck, and using the candle set fire to the scroll, so that no one else might discover this secret.

*Ukokei smirked, knowing he had convinced him.* "Let's go." *He said as he walked into the shadows, entering a small room, where alone, there were Five mirrors, and one man standing.* "This is where we reside. Your new home."

Shinichi followed wearily, letting his finger slide idly over the cool chain of his pocketwatch, still on guard, unsure if that was even real, even at this point. His suspiscions were confirmed when he saw the other man standing...two of them, just like the two shadows that had formed after he stared down the phoenix...Yes, he had been staring the phoenix down, not the other way around...It all made sense now...This power in him...it WAS to be feared...but not by him. Shinichi had control over the power...

"If it's all the same to you, I wouldn't mind sleeping in my own bed...You may have noticed, my manor isn't far..."

*Ukokei stared around the area.* "All right then." *He said. He quickly turned and sat in his seat, staring up at the mirrors of every human and beast he'd caught. Every single one of them had been reverted to their primordial form.* "Would be a shame to have someone as good as you join the mantle up here." *He finished, then waved his hand, seeing Shinichi off.*

Shinichi had turned to leave when the Akatsuki leader spoke again. He stopped for a moment in the doorway, still holding his head high, higher than before even, perhaps feeling all too arrogant now that he was part of the most feared ninja organization in all the five shinobi countries. Already he could feel the increased power of his unique phoenix pendant surging through him. Or perhaps that was his pride, growing wildy out of control.

"No need to be hostile. I'll be back. I have a few things I'd like to gather before my...defection is official."

Shinichi left after saying this, leaping up through the hole he had made, wondering first when he would get his robe, secondly wondering if by any off chance they came in white...But mostly his mind was wondering, as he let his fingers play over the smooth chain of the ruby-eyed phoenix necklace, just how much more of the phoenix's chakra he could absorb from the pendants on the necks of all the others in the Shiroto manor.

*Ukokei looked at his robe. He knew the child had loved the color white his whole life. He quickly began on one for him after he had left. He would not let Shinichi see this good side of him, knowing it could break his position in Akatsuki, and possibly be made fun of.*

Shinichi entered his manor quietly, astounded that anyone was sleeping after his loss of control on the stone behind the manor. As silently and slowly as he could, he crept around the manor into the many bedrooms, careful to avoid those he knew to be light sleepers. Thoses till wearing their necklaces he left sleeping, but many shiroto clan members, for the same reason Shiroto hid his under his shirt, left their pendants at home for safe keeping. These were easy to find, usually in some ornate golden box or ancient dark wood case. Returning to his own room, having collected nearly a dozen pendants, he pulled his own ruby-eyed phoenix out from beneath his shirt and began pouring some of his chakra into it. As he did so, the eyes again lit up, and a bright yellowish-orange chakra began to seep from the golden pendants into his own, more fragments of the Phoenix's chakra. Shinich grabbed his father's sword, a very thin, silver rapier, and hooked it to his belt, tossing the used golden phoenix pendants like trash onto the floor. For the next half hour or so, he worked on collecting his few ninja tools, making sure they were clean and in good condition. A mere pair of kunai, kept in his inner jacket pocket, and a pair of shuriken. A smoke bomb, and half a dozen exploding tags. When he was finished about an hour later, he set off to return to the Akatsuki lair, not sure exactly what would happen from here on out, or what the purpose of this was...He only knew that with this new power...with this pendant, and more of the phoenix's chakra being his, he no longer had to fear the power within him...he could control it now. But others...they had hated him for so long, cast him out for his blood. Perhaps he would give them a reason to fear him now, and justify the way he had been treated. As a member of Akatsuki, was he not expected to be ruthless?

*Ukokei heard him walking in, now done with the Akatsuki robe he had been weaving using his chakra. He quickly laid it out and dissapeared from vision.* "Hope he likes it." *He said as his body faded into a mirror. He didn't know what Shinichi would think, and after sensing each item he had been grabbing he realized he was serious about Akatsuki, and he knew he was more than ready to destroy an entire civilization. Ready to take on, The Akatsuki.....*

Shinichi entered the main chamber to find it empty. Of course the leader of Akatsuki would be busy, or just plain like to remain mysterious and aloof. Sliding his fingers along the chain of his necklace, feeling the Phoenix's chakra from the necklace binding with he who wore it, Shinichi glanced around the Akatsuki headquarters, taking in the surroundings, when his eyes came to rest on the robe laying there. He coudn't help but chuckle as he examined it. The black had become white, and the clouds were outlined with a black line now. Shinichi knew this had to be more than mere coincidence. So far as he knew, none of the Akatsuki every wore anything but the standard robe. Shinichi considered it best not to mention the favor. The leader didn't seem the sort that would react well to open friendliness. He was more the type who...meant business. Setting the robe down for a moment, Shinichi unhooked his father's sword and removed his white jacket, throwing the robe on over his close and taking a moment to examine it. The all encompassing look and feel wasn't at all what he was used to, he preferred seeing his limbs just as they were without any draping cloth in the way but...It was rather comfortable, and moving his hands inside the robe, he saw there were numerous pockets to hold any number of weapons, tools, scrolls and anything else they may need. Forming the clan's special Phoenix seal, he activated the burning hand jutsu and touching his white jacket, set it aflame, never to be worn again. Pulling out his phoenix pendant to hang outside of his new Akatsuki robe, Shinichi decided to try and relax in the headquarters for a bit, trying to decide what sort of a life he might lead now.

*Ukokei wandered into the room, acting as if he didn't know what was going on.* "What did you do to your robe?" *He asked, almost convincing. He couldn't tell him he had made it.* "Your going to enjoy it here. Let me show you to your room." *He said as he walked into the darkness, followed by his other two companions.*

Chuckling at the leader's words, Shinichi shrugged, glancing down at his robs as he strapped his father's sword to his back, underneath the robe, the hilt barely sticking out enough for him to reach back and grab it.

"Hope you don't mind. White is more my style."

So saying Shinichi followed him into the other room, not bothering to look over at the two members, it didn't matter much to him who they were. Although knowing for the sake of knowledge wouldn't hurt.

Washi walked slowly down the streets of the sand towards the outskirts with a purpose in his mind. When he was in the team with Kiza and Shinichi, it was always Shinichi who bothered him and Washi had to make sure that nothing had happened to him. It had been many years but Kiza told him that Shinichi still lived in the Sand, it was therefore inevitable that he would be living in his Manor.

He walked closer to the outskirts of the village and the manor was clearly visible now. He shunshined quickly towards the entrance and knocked quietly, three times, awaiting his old comrade.

Faintly hearing a knock on the large oak doors of the manor, Shinichi straightened up further, and without a word turned and left, leaving the leader of Akatsuki behind, using the back door, quickly removing his Akatsuki robe and placing on the counter behind him as he went to open the door, Phoenix pendant hanging at his neck standing out against his white button up shirt.

"Who is it this late at night?"

The door opened and the man inside was revealed. Shinichi was unmistakable, he still wore white and he still had white hair and he still had that demenour around him. Washi looked at the pendant carefully and it was a phoenix, that noble animal of sacred fire. Phoenix...

"It is I, Washi of the Oda Clan and shunshin master," he replied softly, "You are Shinichi of the Shiroto Clan and I have come to visit you."

Shinichi narrowed his eyes a little, about to close the door when the name rang a bell. Something he had all but forgotten, when he was younger. He had never truly been a part of the sand village's operations, but for a brief amount of time, he had been on a shinobi team. Washi... Shinichi's eyes widened just a little as the memories poored back to him, leaving the door open now.

"Oda W-washi.... What are you doing here?"

Washi deduced from his short observations that Shinichi was obviously quite apart from the rest of the village, it almost seemed as if Shinichi had forgotten about him and from the way he talked he clearly had not expected visitors.

"I'm here to check up on you, you were only a chuunin when I had you on my team and as I'm visiting the sand village for a few days I thought why not?" said Washi cautiously, "Now the question I'm going to ask you is, what have you been doing these last few years?"

Shinichi's eyes flickered for a moment as he thought mostly of the events of the past few hours more than the past few years. He threw his head to get the hair out of his eyes, then returned his chin to its upheld position as he answered carefully.

"Training some, although more than anything else, just allowing life to drag on...Though I have become a Jounin of the Sand Village, it seems they have little use for me, and are content to allow me rot here."

Smiling bitterly, he stepped aside, holding the door open so that it blocked the view of the c ounter where he had placed his robe, beckoning for Washi to step inside, towards the main living room, where there were several chairs and a fireplace, always crackling*

"Please, come in my old friend."

Washi carefully stepped into the Shiroto Manor, his robes swishing left and right as he entered. He gazed at the room inside and at the walls. He had visited this place before but clearly just as the Oda Manor had decayed, the grandeur in the Shiroto Manor had also gradually decayed as if from neglect. He glanced at the warm fireplace slightly grinning and knowing that Shinichi had always liked fire.

"I see, you became a Jounin eh? You've gotten stronger."

Washi swept towards one of the chairs, carefully sitting down and observing the flames. There was something odd about Shinichi's attitude, he had always been like this but there was something odd.