Walking I.E.D.

**Date Started:** September 19th, 2019
**Date Completed:** Ongoing
**Users Involved:** User:TheOmniscientBear
**Setting**: TBD
**Characters Involved:**
* **Present**: Namahage

## Explosion Imminent

He sat by the entrance to the village and waited for the Sun to go down. He watched as the hustle and bustle of everyday life became quieter and quieter until only he, the gate guards, and the irritating lull of the insects remained. He grabbed his bag, stood up, and ran a hand through his bright orange hair. He could feel the pull. The itch and the urge. He got a somber nod from one of the gatekeepers and took off for the forest. Namahage wasn't afraid of the bumps in the night or the rustles in the bushes. His walk through the forest was the only time he wasn't bombarded with stares, glances, precaution, and prejudice. Even the wild creatures that roam for prey knew. Nothing would dare come near him during his forest walk. Namahage felt the pull getting stronger, the itch and the urge. He kept walking.

His commute to and from the village was a long one. He wasn't allowed to live in the village. He could only attend school and roam under supervision during the day. Even though he was allowed to shop, most salesmen would avoid him or pretend he wasn't there. This behavior only made him more dangerous. After about an hour of walking, he reached his destination. A remote area in the woods, far from the roads and pathways created by the village. No one would bother him here. He threw his bag down behind a tree that was a few meters from a giant rock. The rock had steel chains fused into it by ninjutsu. He despised the chains, but it was the only way the village goers felt safe. He grabbed onto one and latched it to his wrist. He did the same with the other arm, along with his legs. He wished for the chains to snap, but was that his thought, or *his*? The pull, the itch, and the urge. They grew stronger.

He curled up in a ball and rested against the rock. *"Another horrible night of sleep,"* he thought. He closed his eyes as the pull, the itch, and the urge consumed him. He shot up out of his temporary slumber and tensed up. He forcefully lifted himself off the ground, his hands struggling to catch the dirt of the forest floor. He pulled against the chains, trying to pull away.

His skin darkened and became coarse like the scorching sands of the desert. He felt his jaw change, becoming wider and sturdier to accommodate his new features. His teeth lengthened and split his gums. His fingers crunched up and became pointed and as sharp as a wild dog's claws. His fingers and arms grew a plating that went downwards. He pulled off his shirt as soon as he could. He felt his shoulder blades expand and contort, creating large protrusions that faced downwards. These protrusions looked like tiny hollow barnacles, which were designed to unfold to create a partial barrier across his skin. The barnacle-spike-esque growths had pinholes on the tips, which allowed for the flow of precise lasers of chakra or release it in a loose flowing movement when unfolded. His elbows split open and grew into an appendage that looked like a climbing tool. His legs formed plating similar to his arms, but they were sturdier and flatter. His toes became spiked and easily conformed to the terrain, along with increasing his running mobility. Across his face, horn-like growths appeared and tore out from his flesh. The entire process was painless but sometimes uncomfortable depending on his situation. His nose stiffened up and formed an armor plate on it. His eyes became black, with yellow irises. The transformation took mere seconds but changed every aspect of his body.

He took quick breaths, his heart beating faster and faster. Namahage no longer had enough control to change any actions he wasn't already prepared for. Instead, *he* was in control. *He* let out a raspy and rough laugh before forcing himself away from the chains. The chains kept him in place, pulling one of his legs back. Though Namahage wasn't too good when it came to controlling his chakra, he made up for it with this monster. The barnacles on his back opened up and began releasing a steady flow of chakra. He pulled himself up against the rock, his elbows and soles sticking to the rock. He entered a stance that would give him ideal distance if he kicked off and jumped horizontally. He crouched further down into himself. The flow of chakra through his back flickered out for a second, before suddenly flowing stronger than before. As this happened, he kicked off with full force and snapped one of the chains on his arms. An oversight made by Namahage. He held off getting the chains replaced for too long. Perhaps *he* was more Namahage than he initially thought. The sudden change in direction caused by one of the chains snapping threw Namahage off balance and made him skid along the ground. He got up and began breathing slower. This is what Namahage had been training. He was trying to gain more control over *him*. It was more than an uphill battle, but he would get better. At least, he hoped he would. The feeling was strange. He was still led by pure instinct, but he could process it instead of blacking out as usual. Namahage slipped out of consciousness again, being consumed by instinct.

He lifted his free arm over his head, watched it transform into a crude blade, and proceeded to hack at the chain. The chain snapped after a few progressively stronger hits. More barnacles formed on his arms and the rest of his upper body. They folded up and released a precise surge of chakra, splitting the leg chains. The barnacles receded into Namahage's body and were replaced with more plating. His arms reverted to normal before he firmly clasped his hands together. His hands molded together into an axe and he swung them around, his arms elongating and destroying several trees. He swung around till his axe-hand made contact with the rock that formerly bound him. Several more arms formed on his torso and fused with the axe. The axe lost shape before reforming into a giant hammer. A small tube formed within the hammer, allowing him to speed it up with his chakra flow. He swung around, gradually extending his multitude of arms. He lifted it over his head and brought it down with full force. The chakra booster activated and sped up the hammer even more. The thundering force of the hammer not only split but decimated most of the rock, an impressive feat for a new genin. The force, however, shattered all of his arms and sent him reeling back in pain. The extra arms reabsorbed into his upper arms, accelerating his healing. He dropped to his knees and passed out from overusing chakra and the stamina toll from healing. His body quickly changed back, leaving his arms to heal overnight.