Leviathans

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"What is this place?" Kaoru couldn't help but blurt out, his eyes darting around nonstop.

The first thing he noticed was a massive statue towering over the passage. But it wasn't the size that shocked him, it was the shape. It wasn't a Leviathan, like he expected. It was a humanoid figure, but with scales and tentacles.

"Elder Ogashi, what…" Kaoru's voice trailed off as he gasped in disbelief.

The enormous sea creature he had traveled with all this time was now standing beside him, transformed into an elderly man.

He had long white hair and sharp features. His skin was a pale blue, slightly darker in some places, and covered in hard, scale-like ridges. Several thin tentacles stuck out from his back and shoulders, swaying gently as he moved.

"Please, bring us to the shore and we'll talk in detail, Keiru," Ogashi said, adjusting the dark robe draped over his shoulders. Despite the deep lines on his face and the sharklike teeth flashing when he spoke, there was something dignified about him. The simplicity of his robe made him seem less threatening somehow.

"Alright…" Kaoru mumbled, still trying to wrap his head around how a creature that large could shrink down enough to fit inside the water bubble they were using.

'Whatever. I'll wait. I'm sure he'll explain.' Thought Kaoru, slowly moving his gaze away from Ogashi. Then, he took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as his eyes scanned the surroundings again.

The tunnel they'd come from connected this place from below. It wasn't just a cave, it was an enormous hollowed-out space beneath the sea, easily two or three times the size of Takimura. The ceiling shimmered with silvery stones that reflected the faint light, giving everything a cold, bluish glow.

'How is something like this even possible?' Kaoru stared in awe, completely absorbed in the view. He didn't notice that Ogashi had been silently watching him the whole time, faintly smiling at his wonderstruck reaction.

The place even had docks, though there were no ships, only wide stone steps that led up and away from the water. The settlement itself wasn't visible from the surface, but as the water bubble rose to the top of the stairs and broke, Kaoru felt his breath hitch again.

Every inch of this place was carved. Every building was sculpted from cold, dark stone, and yet none of it felt lifeless. The walls were engraved with intricate patterns and art, giving the village a strange kind of warmth despite its harsh materials.

'Even the paving stones are better than Takimura's,' Kaoru noticed, his feet brushing over the smooth surface as he walked. The stone path was lit by tall lamps, their glow coming not from the silvery crystals on the ceiling, but from warm yellow ones embedded near the top of each post.

'Are those sunflowers?' he wondered, spotting several tall plants clustered around the base of each lamp. Their broad flowers looked just like sunflowers, facing toward the nearest light source. Curious, Kaoru stepped closer, reaching out to touch one.

"Don't touch those." Ogashi's deep voice cut through his curiosity like a blade. It wasn't harsh, but there was no room for argument either.

Kaoru froze, turning toward the Leviathan in man's skin, now walking beside him calmly. His gaze stopped at Ogashi's eyes.

"They look just like the Takime clan's… Elder Ogashi, do you also have the Suijingan?" Kaoru asked, noticing the familiar cyan color.

"Haha, no. Of course not," Ogashi laughed, playfully scratching the scales along his jawline. "But that's a good question."

He gestured forward with one hand. "Go on, ask whatever you want while we walk to the center." His smile was relaxed, even bright, like he truly enjoyed the idea of sharing knowledge.

"Erm…" Kaoru hesitated. There were too many questions bouncing around in his head. "How did you change into this form? Is that some Leviathan ability? Or... a transformation jutsu?"

Ogashi tilted his head slightly and let out a small sigh. "Hmm. So your basic understanding is lacking," he muttered, sounding more disappointed than annoyed. "Transformation jutsu demands constant concentration. You must fully understand the being you're imitating, inside and out. It's one thing to mimic appearance, but internal organs are where it becomes dangerous. Imagine the mental strain of just trying to keep your mind locked on how human lungs work. Now imagine that, but for the entire body. Its close to impossible."

He glanced at Kaoru, watching carefully to see if he was following.

"Good," Ogashi said, pleased that Kaoru's head was working properly. "What we use isn't Transformation jutsu, it's Morphing. It's only possible because of our chakra capacity. But even then, we're limited. A Leviathan can only take on one alternate form. And once we choose it… it's permanent."

Kaoru kept walking, still processing everything Ogashi was saying.

'This place… this being… there's so much here I could never learn anywhere else.' He thought and for the first time since diving into the depths, Kaoru's nerves began to fade, replaced by a building excitement.

As they walked, Kaoru noticed other Leviathans starting to gather around them. There had been no one near the docks, but as they got closer to where the houses were, the crowd slowly began to build.

Kaoru glanced at them, his eyes widening at their appearance.

Unlike the mythical creatures Leviathans were supposed to be, these looked mostly human, just with slightly bluish skin, thin tentacles, and patches of visible scales. But the features were subtle, not grotesque or off-putting.

'There are even kids…' Kaoru noticed smaller figures peeking from behind the adults. 'And all of them have blue hair and cyan eyes… just like the Takimes.'

Maybe it was the colors. Or maybe it was the warm, curious smiles they were giving him, but Kaoru didn't feel uncomfortable at all.

"Elder Ogashi, is that the kid you were talking about?" asked one of the Leviathans, a female who stepped out from the crowd. Her eyes locked onto Kaoru like she was staring at a rare specimen of a nearly extinct species.

'To them, I must be the weird one,' Kaoru thought, offering a small, polite smile.

"Yes, he is, Nosa," Ogashi nodded, placing a hand on Kaoru's shoulder as if to shield him.

"It's Sona, Elder… but you almost got it right this time," she grinned, flashing a row of sharp, pointed teeth. "What's your name?"

"His name is Kira," Ogashi answered confidently before Kaoru could speak.

'Did he do that on purpose, or did he actually forget again?' Kaoru winced slightly, unsure whether to correct him. Luckily, Sona stepped in.

"Elder, that's not his name. Please let him speak." She sighed, exhaustion creeping in her voice. "Don't worry, he wasn't trying to hide your identity, he just can't remember names. You'll see, most of us here have their own… quirks."

Her voice shifted as she spoke, the tiredness giving way to fresh energy. She beamed again, cheerful and curious.

'Did she read my thoughts? Or was my reaction just that obvious?' Kaoru groaned inwardly, annoyed at himself for being so easy to read.

"My name is Kaoru Takime. Glad to meet you, Lady Sona," he said, bowing respectfully.

"Oh, the Suijingan bearer is so polite and well-mannered this time," Sona replied, stepping a little closer. "You can just call me Sona. Drop the 'lady' stuff, it makes me feel ancient. And in human terms, we might be of the same age…"

But her smile shifted. Bright and warm a second ago, now it twisted into something menacing. She stepped in again, her grin showing more teeth than before.

"Not that you'll be calling me that for long," she said darkly, her voice dropping as her fangs became more prominent.

Before Kaoru could react, someone smacked the back of her head.

"Stop scaring the kid, you idiot." A male voice snapped as Sona hit the ground face-first. "Wow, look at that, guys," the man added, his tone switching instantly to awe.

He pointed at Kaoru, whose Suijingan had started glowing so brightly it was putting the lamps to shame.

Kaoru had tensed up the moment Sona moved closer, and now several dark blue needles floated around him, ready to launch.

"Excuse my sister," the male Leviathan said, raising both hands as he backed away. "She always does this crap. That's why everyone here hates her."

He glanced at the growing number of needles in the air.

"I swear, that was her way of saying hello. Next time, just punch her before she opens her mouth. Oh, my name's Soma. I'm her twin brother."

Kaoru relaxed slightly when he saw Soma take a full step back, dragging his sister with him. He looked up at Ogashi, who hadn't moved and still had his hand resting on Kaoru's shoulder.

His expression was one of approval. Now Kaoru understood why Ogashi had placed a hand on his shoulder the moment Sona got close. The older Leviathan had been making sure nothing happened by accident, but also wanted to test him.

"You'll get used to this pretty soon. These kids love to mess with each other, but once you learn how to use your powers properly, you can easily terrorize them," Ogashi said, trying to reassure him.

'Is he seriously telling me I can bully his people once I master Suijingan?' Kaoru was starting to realize that Leviathans weren't just ancient, powerful, and knowledgeable - they were also very… peculiar.

"I can't wait," he said brightly, scanning the crowd with an expression that made a few of the younger ones shiver.

"That's the spirit!" Ogashi laughed, giving Kaoru's shoulder a light pat. "Alright, let's go, Keuro. Time to meet the head."

"Can I come too? Pleaaase? I swear I'll behave!" Sona suddenly ran forward, hugging Ogashi's waist like a child begging a parent. "Please, please, please."

"Like my refusal would stop you," Ogashi said with a chuckle, continuing toward the center of the settlement and giving Kaoru a gentle tug to follow along.

"Sorry, Kaoru, I was just joking," Sona grinned brightly when she noticed his glare. But unlike before, when Kaoru had bowed to her out of respect, now he was completely ignoring her.

'I don't care what others think. If she comes at me again, I'll defend myself. I'm not going to be pushed around.' Thought Kaoru licking his wounded pride. He didn't like the way she treated him earlier. Still, somewhere in the back of his mind, he couldn't forget that behind her cheerful, human-like appearance was a monstrous Leviathan with a mouth probably big enough to swallow him whole.

"Kaoru… should I call you Kaoru? Or do you humans call each other something else nowadays?" Soma asked, suddenly appearing beside him. His movement was so quiet that Kaoru flinched when he heard the voice.

"Kaoru is fine," he said, unlike his Soma hadn't done anything wrong, so Kaoru's attitude toward him was still polite and respectful. "How should I address you? Soma-san?"

"Nah, just call me Soma. I hate formalities." He waved it off. "Anyway, Kaoru, how old are you? Is that rude to ask, by human standards?"

Soma's eyes practically sparkled as he rattled off question after question. He was talking so fast that Kaoru had to focus to keep up.

"We usually don't ask strangers their age, but I don't mind. I'm twelve," Kaoru replied with a smile.

"Wooow, you're so young! I'm six hundred years old and these guys still treat me like I'm a child." Soma grumbled, pointing a thumb behind him. "Kaoru, how strong are you in the human world? Like, are you average or above average?"

'Oh great. This one's a battle nut too.' Kaoru sighed inwardly, instantly reminded of that hissing lunatic from the Noda clan. Soma was giving off the same kind of energy.

"I think I'm slightly above average, but not too much," Kaoru answered, nodding to himself at how humble he sounded.

"Eh? Humans seem to have gotten weaker," Soma muttered, scratching his chin in either disappointment or amusement.

"That's rude, Soma. You're not supposed to call people weak," Sona intervened, smacking her brother on the back of the head. "And be silent, the head is approaching."

Her voice dropped to a whisper as she spoke, and even her posture changed. She lowered her gaze, eyes fixed on the ground with respect and maybe even fear.

Kaoru immediately tensed.

'Whoever this head is, they seem to be not only respected, but also feared.'

His eyes snapped forward, looking for the Leviathan's head he was supposed to meet.

**

A/N -

So, I decided not to go with the usual ancient and grumpy mystical beast trope. Instead, the Leviathans are going to be... weird. Chaotic, eccentric, unpredictable - each with their own unique quirks and personality.

Part of it is just to keep the arc fun, but honestly, it's also a challenge for me as a writer. Can I make an ancient sea race feel both powerful and entertaining without relying on the typical serious mentor vibe?

Let's find out together xD

Character Notes:

Ogashi – Elder Leviathan, memory of a dead goldfish – "Kura? Koru? Kera? Whatever. You're the Suijingan brat I like."

Sona – Prankster Leviathan – "Hehehe! Let me just scare the Suijingan bearer for fun. What could possibly go wrong?"

Soma – The overly friendly brother – "Six hundred years old and still treated like a kid. Please spar with me. Please. Please."

Reminder - Break Tomorrow

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The link is also in the synopsis