"Do you know much about evolution? Evolutionary biology is a relatively recent field of study in my world."

"Some! Many technological and scientific advancements have been hampered by secrecy and competition among the Hidden Villages; there's some better universities outside the Elemental Nations, but trade with them is sparse. I've personally contributed several major advancements in genetic theory, including the first known sequencing of the human genome."

"Well, maybe I'll just have to pay them a visit sometime. You have no idea how long I've spent in university libraries. Life gets kind of fast sometimes, having time to just learn is what keeps me from... going further insane. Probably."

"You have a very useful power! And truly, who defines sanity? Many have called me insane."

"Why? Because you're ambitious?"

"I object to the concept of death. The usual spiel here is that it's part of nature, that it's a crime to interfere with the cycle of reincarnation. I was also called insane for turning my experiments onto those under my old teacher's watch, though he was fine funding the same experiments on enemies and then random others."

"Death is bullshit. If you have the resources and the will to subvert it... then I don't see why you shouldn't be able to. I suppose people have a right to be angry if you hurt them. But." She shrugs. "They shound either do something about that, or get over it."

"Exactly! My teacher failed repeatedly to live up to his own ideals." Shrug. "So, he died."

She raises an eyebrow.

"Shame. But I suppose he got a taste of what he was trying to preserve."

...She should probably feel a little bad. But she never knew his teacher. Feeling bad for random people was -- why would she do that? It sounds exhausting.

"Do you think you could pick out a monk from their shadows?"

"This time of day and year everyone here should be a monk. But I have draft rights, I was thinking appearing in the middle and seeing who walks up. Or affirmatively tries to sacrifice someone else."

"Your world, your method." She shifts them back. "I need physical contact to shift them. Make sure nobody stabs me."

Most of the monks seem placid. A few younger monks are very thoroughly terrified, and look like they might contemplate stabbing them if not for the likelyhood of that resulting in death.

One, a woman, seems entirely unbothered, and approaches the two with a smile. "Welcome to our temple, honored visitors," she says. "What may we do for you?"

"I have found that I require someone schooled in purification rituals for my research. Who here is most talented?"

"This one is so schooled, and will be happy to help our lord Orochimaru." 

"Very well." And he gestures for Juliet.

"If you want to communicate with me, you'll need to write things down. I don't understand your language -- yet." She pauses and holds out her hand. "I can shift us into another dimension. It's... unpleasant for all involved. Are you sure?"

He'll kidnap someone else if she doesn't, and despite her appearance she's old, by far the oldest here. The answer is easy.

A nod, and "Yes."

Well then, she shifts all three of them back Elsewhere.

"Welcome to my world of horrors," she jokes, half heartedly.

"It's very committed to being itself," she says absently, looking around. Then remembers to write that, and then: "An inversion of the world proper, shadows where the Pure Land is light, and the Impure World of our existence in between. Do you need a purifying ritual for here?"

"No. I like it just as it is. We need the purification for him, so he can exist here and not go insane."

She fidgets slightly, having them here in this world -- both of them -- it feels violating. They don't belong. She feels the whispers pressing down on her, and she moves slightly to stand in a cluster of darkness to try and calm herself.

Out loud and in writing: "Understandable. There are supplies I will need for full purification; if you don't wish this place touched, I will need to perform the ritual in our world, which for certain aspects might be better. I would also recommend immersion in a sacred river at some point; even if this place doesn't need it, you shinobi are around death far too much." A pause, then, addressed to the girl, "Is there anything I can do to make this more comfortable for you? And what may I call you? My name nowadays is Tetsuri."

"You can call me Akhlys and... I don't think so? Having people in this world is -- unpleasant." She pauses and shrugs. "Where do we find a sacred river?"

"Akhlys. A lovely name. As for sacred waters, I know the location of a few, though ones that are strong enough to fully withstand the pollution of this world are rare. A sacred waterfall sits behind this very temple; it's part of why I founded it here. There's a small sacred river in the Land of Rivers, and a larger one to the far west, which I once made pilgrimage to. Though for most issues, any source of moving water will suffice; I simply doubt my lord has ever purified himself of the death that hangs around him."

She looks over to Orochimaru. "Does that sound appealing to you? So long as you are purified, we can go wherever."

"I doubt the issue requires full purification just yet, but whichever ritual is fine. It would be fascinating if a death-purification ritual could slow the decay of my bodies; the main driving factor behind that appears to be a dissonance between the inhabiting soul and the expectations of the body."