Naruto Fantasy (AU) : The Rise of the New Generation

Gerontis · Feb 5, 2020

[ North of Ranzaki | Lightning Country ]
[ Koryusai of the Tano Clan | Sibling of Yakamochi and one of his generals ]

Koryusai's Army versus the Saemund-Sanosuke force.

The Battle of Yosuke.

The anticipation for the attack caused the men to grow restless. But Koryusai's officers kept their fighters under control. The scouts reported the landing of the Saemund and Sanosuke force. The majority that had landed were Saemund, that spearheaded the allied force. A fact that made some men grow cautious. Even nervous. For while there were enough tales of Sanosuke fighting Taika, both winning and losing, there was nobody that knew about Saemund fighting. Some men and officers were growing confident, proclaiming already that the Saemund wouldn't know what organised warfare was like. The majority was, however, cautious and decided not to judge in advance.

The reports of the Saemund and Sanosuke embarking on the beach with a force was met with enthusiasm. Not only from those who desired to prove their worth against what they considered the barbarians of the North. But also to finally get into action. The constant advancing in parallel with the enemy was anything but fun. It was tiring and annoying.
But now? Now they could fight those responsible for making them trudge mile after mile.

The plan was simple and easy to execute. The enemy had to embark and set up camp. They would send scouts to advance and explore the perimeter. And much to Koryusai's joy, the enemy had decided to land in a place where he could execute his plan perfectly.
The terrain would be in favour. For the nearby woods would conceal a lot of troop movement, while the dunes between the woods and beach further took away the enemy's visibility.
With scouts keeping an eye on enemy activity, Koryusai and his forces lay in wait. Their success relied on the right timing. Koryusai wanted to deal a destructive blow to the enemy but had to give them a proper chance to embark. But if he waited too long then his success could turn into a defeat. Something he wasn't too keen on.

A scout returned, informing Koryusai that the Saemund and Sanosuke were landing with a good portion of their fleet. Various parties of Saemund and Sanosuke were sent to explore the perimeter.
"Send in the first attack. Make sure that those damn bastards won't be returning alive."
The instruction was met with grins from the officers that spread the instruction. In a few minutes, a strong detachment from Koryusai's force moved out.
In a lightning attack, the woodlands behind the dunes would be swarmed by Koryusai's riders - expert soldiers on horseback that would sweep down on any unfortunate Saemund or Sanosuke scouting party. The cavalry charge was followed by small units of footsoldiers, that were tasked to eliminate or capture any foul opponent that could have survived the initial charge.

Once finished with their task, the real fight was about to dawn. On Koryusai's orders, his army would move closer. In concealment, they poised themselves for the offensive. And it seemed as if the Saemund and Sanosuke weren't aware of anything yet.
Then Koryusai was the first to cross the dune. His mount had some trouble to cross the sandy dune but spurred by his master, the horse continued forth.
"Charge! Death to the invaders! For the North and Ranzaki!"

From thousands of throats, the battle cry was repeated. The first to move over the dune were thousands of archers. Lining quickly up, they would release a salvo of deadly projectiles. By the time that the arrows rained down on the Saemund and Sanosuke, Koryusai's footsoldiers charged forwards.
The arrows rained death on the Saemund and Sanosuke, who were taken by surprise. Many that were hit by the projectiles wouldn't be able to do much else than mortally wounded fall to the earth. A few would still muster together with their comrades in arms.
Much to Koryusai's delight, the Saemund and Sanosuke formed their own formations. The Sanosuke shield wall was a sight to behold, their round shields locking together as they shouted back in their crude and inferior tongue. The Saemund would move on to the flanks or behind the Sanosuke formations, replying to the arrow volleys of Koryusai's archers.

Within minutes, violence dominated the beach. Steel sang as it moved through the air, people crying out battlecries while the scent of sweat mixed in with blood and the sea.
At the start, the Sanosuke shield wall formations were slammed back. The vicious charge of Koryusai's soldiers seemed to make the Sanosuke and Saemund waver. Only for a brutal and ferocious counter-attack to take place. From the midst of the Sanosuke formations, something seemed to stir. As if the barbarians were possessed by demons, they started to move out. Their rage brought fear and death among Koryusai's soldiers, who weren't prepared for the almost unnatural response. Where confidence had been present, Koryusai's men started to waver.
"Give them another volley. And give the sign for Terumoto to withdraw. Slow and steady."

The command was followed as a few thousand arrows started to fly high into the air. Only to descend with lethal result among the Sanosuke and Saemund formations. Their cries of agony, anger and pain were drowned out by the fierce fighting.
Slowly but surely, Koryusai's footsoldiers started to withdraw. Still fighting back against their deadly adversaries, it seemed almost as if the Sanosuke and Saemund were breaking the Regency force.
Then the ground started to tremble. Cries of men hungering for battle came from two directions, only quickly followed by the sight of horsemen formations racing over the dunes. The sand slightly impacted the speed of the charge but not enough to reduce the brutal impact.
Satisfied, Koryusai watched as some of his enemies were swooped down by the cavalry charge.

The fight quickly turned around. Whereas a close victory seemed feasible, the odds turned against the Sanosuke and Saemund. Mere moments after the dreadful impact of the cavalry charge, the Sanosuke and Saemund started to make way for their ships. Whereas a good portion made it to the ships, a detachment would form a last line of defence. In a desperate attempt to win time for their comrades and allies to get away.
Knowing the risk of letting their enemy sail away, Koryusai's troops started to push. Eventually, they cracked through and the fighting started to turn into a slaughter.

When the evening started to fall, the fighting was over. A few Saemund and Sanosuke had been taken prisoner but on Koryusai's orders were to be executed and then dumped at the beach. Though not having entirely wiped out the enemy force, Koryusai basked in his moment of glory. His army chanted his name for some time throughout the night. Koryusai would be known by his men as the Hero of Yosuke's Beach, having defeated the barbarians of ice and steel.

Oetje · Feb 5, 2020

Moving On?

[ Lightning Country - Nearing on the Alaricus Clan borders, western approach | Still marching eastwards ]
[ Uyeda Miyara, the Blade of Miyara Clan ]

He was still unsure about this whole plan. In Uyeda's mind, the Raikage was off his bonkers. Though it was true that stationing an abundance of troops in Kumogakure would result in more troubles than advantages, Uyeda disagreed with the Raikage's plans and strategies.
The Blade of Miyara considered various other plans that could have worked and allowed a much stronger defence. However, the slow pace at which decisions were made didn't allow the plans that were moving around in Uyeda's head. Such as having the civilians been evacuated and supplies being stored. Allowing thus a larger military force to serve as an anvil.
No, instead there were now a lot of civilians under threat. And Uyeda had little doubt that a lot of innocent lives would be lost if no big change would come to the conflict.

Returning his attention to the present and now, Uyeda felt the slight ache at his feet. For he had desired to march alongside his forces, holding the reins of his mount himself. The current terrain wasn't too rough but soon enough, they would make a cross over the first river that marked the Alaricus natural border. The first 'enemy' that Uyeda and his troops would encounter. If they had any luck.
The thought of coming across Alarics troops didn't bring anything but a grim set of thoughts in Uyeda's mind. He just hoped that he wouldn't learn too soon about if the Alaricus clan really had sided with the Regency. Or else he and his troops would be stuck in the middle of enemy territory.

[ Alaricus Clanlands ]

The men were restless. The marching was dull and exhausting. Then there was the fact that they were advancing into the lands of the Alaricus. And not a single man was unaware or foolish enough to forget about the constant strife between the Alaricus and Hojo clan in the past. Every single of Uyeda's men were quite aware of how it would appear to the Alaricus. A force of Hojo just marching over their land was anything but a friendly gesture.
Yet none of the men dared to desert. None of the officers dared to speak up against going back or finding an advantageous position to stay. Every single person in Uyeda's army had one thing in mind: getting as fast as they could through the Alaricus territory.

Days went passed without any encounter. There were the brief instances where Uyeda's scouts would venture far forth and spot Alaricus troops - likely patrols. But so far and by some reason, no confrontation or interaction occurred.
Being high on guard, Uyeda didn't deem the Alaricus cowards or idiots. The chance that the Alaricus were highly aware that an army of Hojo was pushing through their land should be known. Or, at least, a sizeable force. Considering to use it to his advantage, Uyeda thought of various plans. But each plot and tactic would just result in his army to be slowed down. And then easy prey for the Alaricus to close a noose around them, to then annihilate them.

By the end of the first week, it happened. The scouts came hurried back from all directions. The reports were saying enough: the Alaricus were moving in. But from multiple directions. Some officers urged Uyeda to leave a token force to occupy the Alaricus while a feasible detachment would make their way to their destination. Another part stated that they shouldn't run but defeat their despicable foes in the last stand. A smaller group made the suggestion that they could divide their forces in hopes to gain a close or a pyrrhic victory.
All of the options weren't to Uyeda's liking. The situation wasn't of his own making, he realised, but that of the Raikage's idiotic planning. The risk of the Alaricus being a potential ally of the Regency was known and yet the Raikage had decided the smartest thing to do was to sacrifice the reinforcements he had asked for.
Briefly, Uyeda wondered if the Raikage hadn't considered this a move to weaken the Hojo military. Though how the Raikage considered winning this conflict then was a mere guessing game for the Miyara samurai.

Ordering his force to start getting ready for what would be their last potential fight, Uyeda made peace with the gods and his ancestors. His troops would quickly make use of the surrounding terrain to be at the ready to defend themselves. Though there wasn't much, there were a few hills that could be used as points of defence. With no potential way to flee, it made Uyeda's soldiers bitter and eager to take as many Alaricus subjects with them in death.
From the hilltop, Uyeda had a good sight on the approaching Alaricus troops. The lion banner fluttered in the wind as the soldiers of the Alaricus moved in cohesive formations. Their pace quite slow, stretching the inevitable clash of will and steel.

"May the Gods curse you," Uyeda whispered as he gripped his spear tighter.

Blood would seep into the ground. On his knees, he stared at the blade that penetrated the linen clothing, into his own chest. Gripping the blade hard, he closed his eyes and tried to endure the terrible pain. His hands trembled but then he moved into action. His lips parted, a scream escaping as he would push the blade to the right - the sharp steel shredding and tearing through his innards. A swift stroke from the Alaricus behind him ending his life.

Watching Uyeda felt a sorrow welling up. A few of his men were on their knees in the dirt. Their armour was cast off and they only were given a blade to commit a the rite to preserve their family's honour, in spite of what had happened. Standing with his hands at his back, Uyeda watched as the scenario unfolded several more times. He knew only one of those men by heart. The others? They were unknown but still had served dutiful underneath his command. Watching them die in an honourable ritual was the least that Uyeda could do in return.
After all, soon, it could be his turn.

Oblivion666 · Feb 5, 2020

Splish Splash

[ Eastern Continent | Wolf Country]
[Kiro still under ruse as Yuuki Narukami was sent an order to dispatch of someone, and he can't deny his sugar hips what she wants. ]

Red drops would splatter on the ground and turn the white snow beneath it a dark red. A small cough would escape someone as the sound of a blade would be pulled out from their chest, and sheathed. An older man clutching his chest as he stared at the legs of his killer would turn his head towards the ocean and smile. "Not a horrible place to die. Didn't think I'd be killed by you though. My own commander Yuuki Narukami.." The voice said old and hoarse, the blue eyes of the man now looked up to none other than Kiro who looked down on him with a smile
"It was a good fight. Sorry it had to come to this. Yet I can't say no to good ol Sugar Hips" Kiro said which causes Nonaka to chuckle and smile before falling face first into the snow. The white surface around him turned into a red one.

Walking over to the man's corpse he would take the sword known as Splash in his hands. "Guess that makes me your new owner now…." Kiro said with a smile before he tossed it into the sea, where as soon as it contacted the water an explosion sounded and the sword bounced up and back down to the ocean where it repeated exploding, which Kiro seemed to watch with amusement before the bomb tags ran dry and the blade sunk to the bottom of the sea.
"Sir"
Kiro looked around to see no one and started kicking the body and pushing it into the sea as well.
"SIR!"
----
Followed by that was Kiro being smacked across the face by one of the ANBU tasked with watching him. Kiro stared at her blinking, looking around the tent and then at the paper before him in his hands. "Oh I was sleeping." He said as he put the paper over a candle flame and then placed it in a bowl so it could burn to ash. The ANBU just looked at him and shook her head. "Seriously can you treat this with some sort of seriousness?" She asked him to which he held up his hands defensively.
"First of all. I kind of have to take this seriously. I literally only have one option and that's serious." Kiro said which she raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms at him.
"Dream me is allowed to do whatever he wants. But I'll get it done, tell Nonaka and a few others that they have patrol duty. Then keep a close eye on the others and make sure they dont get close to Nonaka's position." Kiro said as he grabbed his sword off the table. "Do that much and I'll handle the rest."

With the order confirmed all Kiro had to do was wait a little bit before getting out of camp under a different look so no one was wary of their commander leaving by himself. Riding out to the woods he had some help in signs of which way Nonaka went and which the other soldiers went. Following in Nonaka's tracks, he came across some bodies of zealot scouts most likely. None blown to bits so he didn't use Splash against them. He also had to be very careful about how to approach that. A swordsman of the Mist was a veteran with the blade, fighting them like any casual foe would wind up bad fast. Changing his disguise to match that of a zealot, he still carried his own sword. The only tell tale sign to those that paid close attention to him would know that he wasn't indeed a zealot.

Kiro following the ANBU's directions soon came to Nonaka who was cutting down another Zealot and wiping his blade on the man's clothing. Approaching Nonaka on foot, he simply kept his eyes on the man who eyed the Zealot with a disinterested expression before looking at his sword. A curious look took over as he stared at Kiro. "Stole a sword huh? Well I'll just be taking that back. Looks well made after all, far more deserving of me than you." Nonaka then charged at Kiro with speed and sword ready, Splash in a custom sheath to his side. With a quick downwards slash, Kiro unsheathed his sword in quick fashion and deflected the blade and followed it up with a backslash which Nonaka pushed back with only his chest getting a small slice.
Nonaka looked at the small minor wound then to Kiro and chuckled. With no words but a nod of acknowledgement he prepared his stance as did Kiro and then quick motion after quick motion the sound of blade hitting blade, blades scraping against each other. A series of swings against the other being blocked and parried some minor cuts being made on each other were the only telling signs in their fight that they were even fighting.

Nonaka let out a laugh as he sheathed his sword and drew Splash. "It's been too long since I enjoyed a fight! You get the honor of Splash killing you!" Nonaka said as he charged at Kiro who simply took a deep breath in. Much like he expected Nonaka would do, he came in with a simple ordinary swing that was targeting a vital area. Which Nonaka was probably hoping he would block which would then cause the explosion.
Instead a simple duck and thrust forward was all it took. Splash passed overhead as Kiro blade punctured Nonaka chest.
Nonaka coughed and went to speak before Kiro pulled his blade out and in another quick fashion Beheaded the man. Kiro looked down at the man then up to the ANBU who were watching over head and nodded back at him. Cleaning his sword, Kiro would return back to camp under the first disguise before returning to his tent.

Several hours later he would be informed that Nonaka was murdered while on patrol, Kiro ordered that the body be treated with care and that he and his sword be returned to Kirigakure as it was proper for a man of his status. That and the sword itself was precious to Kirigakure. Well that's what he was going to say anyway. After all, he was just obeying orders.

Oetje · Feb 5, 2020

[ Lightning Country - The capital, Ranzaki | Ending the Regency ]
[ Setsu Hojo, the Heir of the Hojo Clan ]

The night would fall upon the world. Yet the inhabitants of Ranzaki had no reason to find any comfort in the coming night. The sight of many lights reminded them of the enemy that laid in wait, poised at the ready to bombard the broad and tall walls with their siege engines. Willing to rain death and fire upon the city, all in order to end the succession crisis and civil strife that had the country in its grip.
On the walls and towers, there were a good number of soldiers that did their rounds or else served as sentries. Teams of shinobi were stationed as well to keep watch, utilizing various techniques to keep a close watch on any movement. From the outside, nobody would enter or be able to crack the defence without sacrificing something in return.

Watching the walls, Setsu could see the small lights on the fortifications. Behind him, a large force was at the ready. Armed to the teeth and armoured to the core, the Hojo's heir forces were more than willing for the lethal clash that awaited them.
Drawing his sword, Setsu felt his heart beating between his ears. Turning half around he would raise his sword. The faint light of the torches was reflected in the armour of those present. Creating odd but interesting lighting as the Hojo heir addressed his troops.
"Tonight, we take the fight to the enemy. We have not desired this fight. We didn't give them a reason to try to invade our homes and butcher our kin," with a firm and resolute motion, Setsu threw his sword down. The sharp steel digging into the soft earth. Spreading his arms, Setsu continued to address his men.
"Who rules the north?"
A soft rumbling followed. Causing Setsu to narrow his eyes. He saw how the troops used to stomp a foot or use the blunt side of their polearms.
"I ask you, fine men, again, who rules the north?"
A loud roar was the answer, soon repeated and rising from more throats with each rise.
Pulling his sword from the dirt Setsu turned around, towards the distant fortifications of Ranzaki.
"Let us take this city!"

The night breeze brought over the roars that resonated from the siege camps. Some of the defenders attempted to get a better idea of what was going on, climbing the stairs of nearby towers to figure out if their enemy were going to assault them.
"Captain, what--"
The soldier's voice halted abruptly. Before he could finish his sentence, a steel edge tore his throat open. Slicing through skin and flesh, the wound would allow blood to pour into the soldier's trachea - causing him to gurgle and slowly suffocate in his own blood.
Before anybody else was able to react, knives started to flash in the dim light of the torches. Within a matter of moments, the group of curious guards that had approached their captain, wondering what they should do, were dead.
"Gate."

The sole word was uttered softly as if it was to not disturb the permanent sleep of the soldiers that just were sent to the afterlife. The group started to split as some of the disguised soldiers started to head to the gate. All the while others continued their bloody work.
Soon enough as the cries, originating from the Hojo camps, started to shimmer down, the number of men standing guard on the first ring of Ranzaki's defences were dwindling fast. Teams of Steel Sentinels that had infiltrated the city, way ahead before Setsu's army had arrived to start the siege, were moving with surgeon-like precision. No defender, soldier or shinobi, were spared as they were taken out.
As an hour passed, the large gates that formed the main entrance and exit to the city would start to swing slowly open. Welcoming silently the approaching force, that moved over to the defences with nothing else but the light of the moon to navigate.

"Argh!"
The pained grunt escaped him. In a quick motion, he raised his mace and was quick enough to slam the heavy head of the weapon into his opponent. The satisfying thud and vibration that moved through Kaemon's arm were followed by another, as Kaemon attacked again. Panting, he looked around. Various dead comrades and enemies laid around him. The attack had come out of nowhere but Kaemon had found it suspicious that a patrol on the second ring of walls, inside the city, existed out of more than four guards.
The bloody fight that had taken place had left only Kaemon alive. Taking a second to catch his breath and size himself for any wounds, Kaemon wondered what was going on.
Turning his sight on the first ring of fortifications, he was able to see the main gate being opened. Squinting his eyes, he tried to understand what was going on. Until it hit the sergeant full force.
"SOUND THE ALARM!"

The shout that escaped Kaemon's throat was repeated before an arrow would pierce Kaemon's eye. Another one followed, piercing through Kaemon's throat. Causing the sergeant to collapse on his side as moments later bells would be resonating, alerting the city.

The first section of the city was taken by surprise. Any defenders or foolish enough inhabitant to run out on the street were massacred. Clad in lamellar and wielding terrible naginata as weapons, the Iron troops slammed through any defence. Anybody that dared to stand in their path was annihilated in a bloody manner. Any resistance was swept aside in a tide of violence and blood.
Spreading out, Setsu's troops started to pour into the city. Fights started to break out while specialised units started to their place to prepare the back-up plan.

Defenders behind the second ring of defences rushed to the walls. Carrying bows, spears and swords, the sound of boots would be mixed with armour clanking and rustling. Screams of panic and agony were drowned in sounds of violence and shouts of orders and battle cries.
In various sections of the city between the first and second wall, the realisation quickly dawned on the defenders that they were left to their fate. Those who were lucky to encounter Hojo or their vassal's troops were disarmed and spared. But there were unfortunate ones that got caught by the Iron troopers - who were bent on not even sparing civilians, only to continue their bloody work of mayhem.

From the second wall, the defenders unleashed arrows and various small ninjutsu at the assaulters, who attempted to bash down the city's inner gate. The dark of the night was driven away by the light of ninjutsu clashing and torches carried by both defenders and attackers.
Both sides were desperate to gain the upper hand and for a brief moment, it seemed that the gate would hold. Only for a loud cracking sound to split the air. Splinters of wood flew through the air as the battering ram slammed once against the gate.
Crumbling underneath the violence, the sturdy entrance would be forced open. And within mere seconds, troops started to pour in.

A few hours later, the disturbance of violence and agony would slowly ebb away. Flags that before proudly bore the sign of the Ranzaki family were put down. And instead, the Hojo flag was hoisted as the last place of resistance would be taken down.

The palace gate was barred as good and bad as they could. But it had been for nought. Both defenders and attackers knew it. Yet, the stubborn remnants of resistance against the Hojo invasion prepared their last stand.
A mix of Iron troopers and Hojo samurai charged in once the barricaded gate was taken down. Amidst his forces, Setsu fought valiantly. His armour dirtied by the previous fighting and his steel smeared with the blood of his foes.
Underneath Setsu's leadership, his forces started to push the defenders back into the palace. Hall by hall was fought for with the corpses of both attackers and defenders left as evidence of the brutal fighting.

"Take it down," Setsu ordered, staring at the double door that led to the throne room within the palace.
Right after the order, a few men would come forth. An improvised battering ram carried as they positioned themselves at the doors. Under the leadership of an officer, the few men would start swinging and slamming their ram against the wooden door. Each hit caused the wood to softly groan and crack. Each hit bringing the attackers closer to their goal.
Watching how the men started to tear down the defence, Setsu turned around at a certain moment, sheathing his blade. Walking to the back of the group, Setsu folded his hands together in front of his stomach.

The doors would swing up as the last smack against the wood forced them to do so. Instantly a hail of arrows filled the air, taking down the few men that had broken down the doors to the throne room. Without any need for an order, the first group entered the throne room.
In their black armour, they appeared as demons out of hell. Despite the valiant efforts of the guards present in the throne room, none of the ferocious troops that went suffered a death.
Walking inside in a calm fashion, Setsu stared at the few figures on the throne. A child, a woman and a monk.

"You dare to trespass and threaten your rightful ruler, Hojo?!"
The sentence was shouted by the woman, whose face turned red. Making her anger more than enough visible, despite her tone and tremblings hands.
Not deigning her worth a response, Setsu raised his right hand. In a subtle sign, he gave the command.
His own personal samurai retinue and Iron troops marched forwards. Their weapons bloodied and aimed at the trio that occupied what they came for.

In a fit of fury and perhaps foolhardiness, the Regent charged forwards with a drawn sword. She clashed against a few opponents but was quickly and without any ceremony taken down. Her body was then simply kicked aside as Setsu's troops moved in closer. Forming a net to prevent the monk and child to run away.
The monk simply knelt on the ground, his hands woven together as he closed his eyes. Soft whispers escaped his lips, in a strange tongue.
The child simply watched with a blank expression before it moved from the throne. Walking forwards, it didn't seem to deign the Iron troops or Hojo samurai as a threat. Only once in range for a naginata of an Iron trooper, the scenario would turn much darker.
The steel slammed against the child's head but didn't slice through skin nor hit any bone. It just seemed to be stopped as the child grabbed the naginata firmly. Before the black-clad Iron'er could respond, he stumbled forward by a pull. One performed with a strength that was highly unnatural for a child that appeared so sickly and young. Without any hesitation, the child's free hand slammed forwards into the stumbling trooper. Despite the protection of the black, lamellar armour a terrible sound was produced as the man's armour was punctured.
Pushing aside the dying Iron'er the child gazed upon the remaining opponents. A screech resonated from the child before it charged in.

Breathing heavily, Setsu stared at the body that was laid out in front of him. His left arm was broken and his armour was quite damaged. But it was a fate much better than what had occurred to half of the troops that had followed him into the throne room.
With caution, Setsu approached the body of the creature that they had fought. The set of black armour had something ominous to it, much more than what the Iron troops were equipped with. It had something menacing and unnatural to it. After all, it had deflected so many strikes and attempts before it finally started to show any signs of damage.
"Lord?"
One of the surviving samurai carefully approached Setsu.
"What should we do with that monk, lord?"

Setsu threw a look at the monk, who still sat on his knees. Praying in a language that Setsu didn't know or could recognise.
"Put him in chains. I will deal later with him. For now, let it be known that the Regency Council is no more. The Hojo have taken the city. Send a messenger north. I expect guests soon..."

Oetje · Feb 6, 2020

Operation Safeguard

[ Republic of Water | The city of Shigaa - On deck of the Junyo | At the eastern part of the Republic ]
[ Nishi Hirashima | Jounin of Team 11 ]

The fight was going anything but coordinated and fine. Focused on the fight Nishi was fending off an attacker on her own. The close-quarter fighting wasn't a hinderance but the rocking of the ship as various elements around them were certainly not allowing her to fight as smooth as she would have done otherwise.
Despite the few sloppy mistakes, Nishi's kunai would pierce her opponent's neck. Grabbing his right shoulder with her left hand, she twisted and drove the kunai deeper. The screaming of her foe wasn't something that the jounin registered as she would finish the fight.
Granted a moment to throw a look at how her pupils were doing, Nishi's eyes widened.
"No!"

The shout was lost in the crucible of the fighting. The overwhelming ambience of the fighting and ships made Nishi's shout as effective as a whisper. Wanting to make way to the genin and chuunin, Nishi was forced to halt.
An attacker caught her attention as he attempted to hack at her with a short sword. The design seemed to favour the weapon to hack away at a target, which caused heavy vibrations to move through Nishi's right arm as she deflected the attacks.
Wanting to finish the fight quickly, Nishi used the kunai in her right hand to block the next attack. Before her opponent could pull back Nishi grabbed the man's wrist. Firmly grasping the wrist, she would pull the weapon hand back and raised her kunai - moving closer to not allow her opponent to utilize his longer weapon. In rapid jabs, the jounin felt how warm blood splattered against her sleeves and against her face as she kept stabbing. In mere seconds Nishi felt how the resistance of her opponent weakened, blood spurting out of the neck wounds.
Pushing her dying foe aside Nishi blinked twice before she caught sight of what the team was doing.
"Fuck," the jounin grunted as she quickly moved forward.

The ship started to moan and grunt in its own way. The great cold that Yukimi had emitted was acting as a severe warning. The wood started to crack and slowly shatter as it couldn't support the weight. With the wood being forced to expand and the cold having spread, it created a serious problem.
Upon seeing that the team was about to use more ice to blockade the entrance that Nishi told them to protect, the jounin tried to shout again.
Before she could reach and order her team to stand down, the ship rocked. The frozen wood cracked and expanded, causing more damage as the weight of the fighting marines and enemies started to weigh more on the deck.
When Yukimi started to freeze the entrance, Nishi watched with a horrified expression as the cold crept swiftly over the wood - creating a barricade.

"Fucking idiots!" Nishi shouted as she wanted to get close. But before she could reach the team, an attacker lashed out. A sharp pain surged through Nishi's shoulder as a blade landed a nasty cut. Grunting, Nishi turned quickly to the new threat.
Her opponent lashed again but this time Nishi was prepared. In a quick movement, the jounin avoided the stab and drove her own weapon into the man's armpit. Jerking the weapon out, she quickly slammed the weapon into the man's neck before turning to try to stop the chuunin and genin. Moving forward, the ship rocked heavily - more than it had before.
Spotting that the enemy retreated from the deck, fighting off any attacking Republican marines Nishi had a hunch why the enemy pulled back.

"What are you fucking doing?!"

The voice of Nishi cut through the air as she brusquely shoved Hikari and Claire aside. Moving to Yukimi, Nishi grabbed the chuunin by her collar and pulled her closer. The biting cold was barely registered as Nishi felt her hands itch to start pommeling the Yuki right there and now.
"You fucking moron! Move!"
Throwing the Yuki aside Nishi stomped off to the thick ice that was created. Much to Nishi's horror, the wood started to expand - as it did when wet and cold. Cracks started to form as it pressed against the other wood. With the weight of everyone on deck, it started to cause a real problem.
"Off," Nishi said, rising up and taking a step back. Horrifying screams of agony started to rise as a few rowers from below deck attempted to get up. Only to be blocked by the wall of ice.
"OFF!"

Turning around, Nishi gripped one of the genin and pushed the respective girl forward. "We are going off!"
Before Nishi could explain, panicked shouts arose from the deck. Instructions to abandon ship were issued as confusion started to rise and mix together with the panic. The damage of the enemy ship combined with the fighting, panic and fissures created by the ice were creating a most hazardous situation.
"Follow me," Nishi shouted, trying to make herself audible to the genin and chuunin above the chaos. Without wavering or looking for a second at the dark water, the jounin would let herself fall into the cold sea.

The cold water briefly enveloped Nishi as she went through the sea's surface - the salt creating a burning sensation at Nishi's shoulder wound. Reaching the surface, she gasped for air. The pain causing her to flinch for a second. Looking around, she spotted a Republican vessel up ahead that wasn't locked in the fighting. Volleys of projectiles were launched from the respective vessel, aimed to cripple and eliminate a nearby enemy ship.
Hoping that her students wouldn't fret too much, Nishi started to swim as fast as she could to the ship - despite the pain slowing her down. The waves made it difficult and it certainly was far from a pleasant swim with the chaotic sounds of the fighting around them.
Getting near the ship Nishi looked around. Deciding to focus chakra at her hands and feet, the jounin started to climb the ship's side. Attempting to climb over the railing, one of the marines onboard spotted her. In an instant, the marine turned around as he had an arrow at the ready.
"Friendly!" Nishi shouted as she raised a hand. "Junyo crew!" She added, though there was some hesitation visible on the marine's features - so far Nishi could distinguish in the dim light.
Climbing on board, her uniform caused the marine to relax and turn his focus back on his previous task.

Turning around, Nishi would see which of her team had followed her. And despite her anger and disappointment in the team misunderstanding her order horribly, Nishi would reach out an arm to pull the genin or chuunin over the railing.

Nim · Feb 6, 2020

Abandon the Junyo

[ Republic of the Water Country | The City of Shigaa ]

[ Hikari Torimoto | Genin of Team 11 ]

The man was hit at the ankles with her tanto, and let out a scream of pain. While he went down to his knees to try and ease the pain on his injured legs, Hikari could barely hear the voice of Yukimi, calling out to her and the rest. Before she could pay proper attention, she spotted the man looking at her, an angry glare in his eyes, before he lunged forward without any weapons in hand, attempting to try and grasp her neck. She put her tanto between her and the man's hands, managing to stop his reach part way. His right hand, which was holding onto the blade, started bleeding, but the man didn't seem to care. He was hell bent on getting to Hikari.

Only a moment later, the pushing of the man ceased. Looking at him, Hikari noticed he was looking up, calling to his comrades and requesting aid. In the chaos, people seemed to have begin abandoning ship, with many of the attackers retreating. The man that was before her was eventually grabbed by a couple of his own comrades. Slowly standing up, Hikari suddenly found herself pushed to the side by Nishi. Looking towards where the jounin was headed, she watched as Nishi grabbed Yukimi, call the whole team and her idiots, before attempting to break some ice that had apparently formed over the way to the rowers. Understanding what happened, Nishi then turned, grabbed the collar of Hikari and shouted for them to get off while pushing her once more, this time to the edge of the ship.

While Nishi shouted to them that they are getting off the ship, Hikari looked towards the ice for a second. If she used a fire technique, wouldn't it weaken the ice enough to allow the others to escape? But then there is a chance the fire would spread, even on a ship in the middle of the sea. Looking towards the sea, she watched Nishi jump into the water and followed suit. As she landed in the sea, the freezing temperatures and the gear she had equipped felt like both were weighing her down, but she put all the effort she could into remaining above the surface. She just barely heard Nishi, with the water and the shouting that were all around. She began swimming slowly in the water, following the silhouette of Nishi in the water.

Eventually, they reached another ship and Nishi started climbing it with chakra. Following her lead, she felt like the wind that hit against her drenched uniform was only making things harder, as each moment felt like her skin was being pierced by a lot of tiny freezing needles. She had to stop behind Nishi as the jounin spoke to a marine on board, before Nishi was allowed to get on. Nishi then turned and grabbed Hikari, helping her get on board. Hikari quickly stood up, started pacing back and forth while rubbing her arms as fast as she could. Anything to help get rid of the freezing and try to keep herself warm. The thought of all those men on the Junyo came to mind, and her eyes moved down to the deck as she kept pacing. It was horrible, and it was on the team. It was on her.

Celestial Scorpio · Feb 7, 2020

Plan Unsuccessful

Claire Rose
Team 11 Genin
Aboard The Junyo, Abandoning Ship

It had seemed the plan was working, but only for a moment. Things escalated quickly as Nishi made her way to them. The assailants already jumping ship as well as the crew. She watched as Yukimi was scolded by the woman before they were ordered to abandon ship. She could hear the crew below scrambling to get out as the ice warped the wood. Nishi had jumped into the sea below, followed by Hikari. Listening to the people below deck she looked at the ice barrier. Glancing to the sea then back she pulled out her sickle, hacking at the ice for a second. The ship was going down and she knew she had little time, if any. "Dammit come on, just a little more!" She screamed in a hurry as the blade carved into the sheet of ice.

Once she made a few indents into the surface she stuck a few kunai with paper bombs into the slots she made. She had hoped by any chance the force from the small explosives would help break the ice and give the people below a chance to get free. Getting to the edge of the deck she watched as the kunai went off but barely dented the surface. Seconds passed as she fought the urge to stay and try harder. Claire remembered her chat with Nishi, that this is a part of life and that she couldn't always save everyone. Jumping into the water she felt the harsh cold gnaw at her skin. The sting on her wounds as the salt brushed against them.

Swimming towards the ship Nishi had made her way to, the genin fought against the waves, barely staying above them as she made it to the other vessel. Floating in the water a moment she looked back at the Junyo, the ship had already sank quite a bit. Eyes shifting to Nishi as she held her hand out to help the team aboard, Claire took it as she made it on deck. Standing on the edge she watched the Junyo, fingers digging into the railing as she held back her anger, her sadness, her guilt. "I'm sorry.." A hushed whisper leaving her lips as she shivered and caught her breath.

Lillian · Feb 7, 2020

Himiko Harurei
Location: On the Junyo, Off the Junyo

Scenes upon scenes upon scenes flashed Himiko's gaze as she tried to follow her orders to a T. She had assumed her new teammates were doing the same, but that flash of frost bothered her as she fought. She had never seen anyone use ice techniques before, she had no idea how they worked, but she assumed that perhaps, everything would turn out alright, they'd drive off the invaders. Himiko felt splatters of blood hit her, her small body struggling to navigate the flurry of bodies, yells, and fighting, as her fingers struck the larger bodies coming towards her in an attempt to take her life.

Her muscles roared and groaned with pain from inexperience in performing in such a turbulent fight, but she kept fighting, she had to do well, this was her first mission! If she failed in this it.. It would be...

SMACK! Suddenly a stray hit in her moment of self-consciousness would result in her sliding across the deck, a slight ringing in her ears as she took the haphazard blow of friend or foe, soon a strange sensation would touch her; It was cold.
Not being at sea cold, it was way too cold for that. It was like she was standing near.. Ice...

"What.. the..?"

She heard the sound of creaking underneath her, the sounds of her captain yelling for someone to stop, and even the enemy retreating... It all came into place as she got a good look at what that mist of frost was from.
The wood had been frozen solid. The wood, on a wet boat. In the middle of the ocean.

...Oh.

Realization numbed her shivering body as she was a body on the ground in the middle of a panic to get off of a creaking and snapping ship. She moved to get up, but was halted as she felt a firm foot hit her lower body. The girl yelped in pain as she dragged herself, attempting to get up, however getting kicked and hit by those running in the chaos, various bruises and blemishes appearing on her pale white skin as she heard "off" being yelled.

Get to the edge, get to the edge...

She struggled, her pained body moving and shuffling closer and closer to where she swore she saw her teammates jump off, however her weak legs just didn't want her to go off the edge. She'd drown if her body went limp in the cold ocean..

She took initiative, taking a deep breath, silently signing, and carefully forced her Thunder Jab technique do the opposite of it's intended effects, and in a much weaker form, and jabbed her lower spine in order to stimulate her nerves with the weaker pulse of electricity. She grit her teeth in pain, the sting in her legs building, but it'd keep her body awake as she swam. She slid off deck, hitting the waves with a nasty clap, and moved in the direction of Nishi-sensei, arms and legs feeling like squeaking machine joints as she moved amongst the waves in the dark of night.

The ocean tried to swallow her multiple times, waves clapping and submerging her head at times, the taste of salt in her mouth as she gasped for air. She mentally screamed at her muscles to move, move, move. The bruises hurt, the shock numbed her, but she had to keep freaking moving or she'd fail and die in the water like a true failure. No failing allowed, in her mind.

Soon, her hand slapped wet wood, coughing as she focused her chakra, struggling up the side of the boat, almost slipping at points of which her strength momentarily failed her, until she was able to be grabbed and pulled up by Nishi-sensei, upon touching solid ground again did the genin collapse, panting and coughing, her bruise features masked by the darkness, barely visible by the moon hanging in the sky.

"..Who.. Who froze the boat...? Was... It one of us..? Why?"

Jessie Targaryen · Feb 9, 2020

►Yukimi Yuki◄

►Team: Team 11 Chuunin
►Location: Junyo -> Other Navy Ship
►Interactions: Lots O' Dying People

The first crack sent warnings flying down the Chuunin's spine as her eyes went wide and she realized what she had done in the heat of the moment. Immediately, she started concentrating on trying to counteract the damage she had already done. Panic coursing through her veins as she, much to her own horror, realized that perhaps the damage was too much and her efforts to counter too late. She couldn't stop the ice within the wooden planks from causing them to splinter, nor could she make the ice blocking the entrance going below decks melt. Instead, she was quite literally helpless before the destruction that she had caused. She was midway through trying to unfreeze the way belowdecks when Nishi grabbed her by the collar, shouting something at her that didn't quite make it to her mind. Instead, Yukimi's sole focus was on what she had caused, and her inability to do a damned thing to stop it. "This wasn't supposed to happen..." She muttered softly, along with other comments along the same line as she found herself unable to tear her attention away from where she had trapped those men. Especially when their haunting scream of agony came forward when they realized they couldn't escape.

Nishi's orders and the ensuing cacophony of chaos as the orders to abandon ship were given seemed to be miles away from the chuunin as she stared at the ship literally coming apart around her. The connections between everybody running and the ship falling apart not quite coming together as she could only focus on the destruction. She likely would've gone down with the ship like that, staring numbly as she tried to process the fact that she had damned so many lives were it not for the fleeing sailor who quite literally ran into the chuunin as he tried to get off. Yukimi stumbling back and falling to the splintering deck from the unexpected impact, and the jarring being enough to yank her roughly out of that stupor. Like the waves that would soon consume the Junyo, the cacophony all around the Yuki suddenly slammed into her as she unsteadily got to her feet. She made her way across the deck as best she could, the footing becoming unstable as the ship deck continued to crack and splinter beneath her. Somehow, she did manage to make her way to the edge of deck and then spotted the rest of her team swimming away from the ship she was still onboard. They hadn't made it very far, and fortunately, Yukimi was able to figure out where they were heading easily enough.

Not long after she was in the water, swimming after the rest of her team towards the new boat they were apparently trying to board. Fortunately for the girl, the cold of the water did not particularly bother her. Although as she swam she almost wished that the cold would bite at her as it did others. At least it would then distract her mind from those dark thoughts swimming around freely now. Instead, she was stuck alone with the thoughts of what she had caused as she crossed the dark waters towards the ship that Nishi was leading them towards. Though she did wonder for a moment if she would even be allowed on board after what had happened to the Junyo. As her hand slapped into the wood of the hull of the ship, Yukimi knew that she had made it and had to swallow hard for a moment before making the climb up the side. Once on the deck, she stood there for a long few moments, breathing heavily from the swim over. Looking around the deck of the ship, she saw the Junyo in the distance, the damage she had caused still fresh in her mind. Her eyes went wide as the whole situation truly started to sit in her stomach, and moments later she was at the edge of the deck as she emptied the contents of said stomach over the side. The reality almost being too much for her to bear.

She, not the rest of the team, but herself was the cause.

She, had killed those people.

RedFox · Feb 11, 2020

A seed of kindness!

[ Eastern Continent | Imperial Akinian Military - 3rd Division]
[ 11th Brigade Camp | Mamoru Senju ]
[ Upon being visited by Meilin Cho, Mamoru is able to come to different thoughts regarding his first mission and first bested foe, thus planting the first seed of hope for the young Senju to come to terms with the events that are transpiring. ]

As Meilin was leaving, Mamoru kept staring at her back. She truly had no idea how much this little visit of hers meant to him. He then turned his eyesight to his palm and opened it to check out the acorn. He tried to press it with his fingers - he was unable to do so, meaning the acorn was not rotten from the inside. He then rolled it around in his palm, to check if any worms burrowed into it, but he did not find any. Upon closer inspection, and given the time of year the acorn was found in, Mamoru decided that it was a red oak acorn. He placed it into his pocket and got up from his table, leaving Oak there unattended.

He almost ran around the camp, looking for a few things he needed right now. His father taught him everything there was about oaks, so he knew exactly what he needed. He fetched a small bucket of water and some hay from the stables and quickly went back to his table, placing the bucket next to the bench and the hay on the table. He went into their team's tent and shuffled through his belongings and found what he wanted - a linen bag. He quickly walked back out and sat on the bench, over the bucket. He took out the acorn from his pocket and once again looked at it.

He then placed his thumb on the top of it and checked the cap. It was missing, but there were no tearing indications on it, another indication that this will be a perfect gift from Meilin. He then moved his hand over the bucket and let the acorn fall into it, performing a float test. Knowing he had a minute or two, he turned back to Oak and reached for the damp cloth and went on polishing the blade. He gave great attention to get all the dried blood from the blade, else it would threaten to start corroding his blade, if it didn't already. He managed to wipe it off within a minute or two, then he submerged the cloth into pure water from the bucket and cleared of the blade with it. At last, he dried the blade with another cloth and rested it on the table, edge upside. He then reached for a single straw of hay and lifted it above the blade, letting it fall down.

He watched the hay fall on the edge of the blade. One straw hit the blade, but two landed on the table. Satisfied with the result, he went back into the tent and got the sheath and one of his sealing scrolls, as well as Ash. Walking out to the table, he slid Oak into it and placed it on the scroll, then Ash just above it. Forming the handseals and moulding the necessary chakra, he sealed both blades into the seal for safer storage.

Having done this, he placed the scroll on the table and turned back to the bucket. What he saw made him smile from ear to ear. The acorn was settled at the bottom of the bucket. Reaching for it, Mamoru quickly dried it off with the cloth he used previously, wringing it before doing so. Once the acorn was completely dry, he reached for the small bag he bought out from the tent and filled it with hay, creating a place that would absorb the moisture, helping to germinate the acorn. Placing some more hay on top of it, he closed the bag, tying a knot on top of it to keep it sealed. He stood up and grabbed both the scroll and the bag and walked back with them into the tent, placing them between his belongings with a satisfied smile. Then he walked out and grabbed the bucket, wanting to return it from where he found it. Suddenly, everything seemed brighter as he went on about it.

Nim · Feb 11, 2020

Meeting the Jounin Commander

[ Republic of the Water Country | Kirigakure ]

[ Takeshi Shun and Jirou Kanbe ]

A collab between Chromehound and Nim

Jirou continues his council member meetings, with the next on the list being the Jounin-Commander, Takeshi.

The former Senate building felt like the most suitable place to begin his new dictatorship. On the ruins of the old, the new shall rise. As he looked around, Jirou had already made arrangements for a cleaning crew to come and take care of the mess that had taken place in the Senate building. He wanted to turn the entire structure into his own, well secure mansion. While arranging for the security was simple enough for him, he figured he would wait until the place was a bit cleaner before thinking of arranging more things. That didn't stop him from arranging some of his meetings to take place in the building. If anything, he figured the blood and mess around would help determine who is more easily shaken and who is not. As much as he wanted loyalty, he wanted bravery too. Having an army of scaredy cats would do him no good, after all.

Knowing he sent out orders to instruct several personnel to come and meet him, Jirou thought about one of the first people that he instructed to arrive. Takeshi Shun. He didn't know much about the man. But seeing his position as the Jounin-Commander in the council, Jirou wanted to meet him and see where his allegiance stood. After the meeting with Kimi, he knew he would need to try and take things a bit more carefully if he wanted to try and keep things less bloody.

Takeshi entered the building with three armed guards as his escort. The Jounin-Commander had not been certain at first that he even wanted to accept the invitation to meet with the man who had seen fit to murder the majority of the senators. While he agreed things had grown stagnant and Kiri was falling behind in the race of the great nations, senseless murder was not something he supported. Nevertheless, his presence had been requested and so Takeshi found himself here.

As they walked through the halls, the first thing he noticed was the smell. They had clearly not been able to fully clean up after the mess that had been made during the massacre and Takeshi wondered how long they were going to leave it. When they arrived at the door to the room that served as Jirou's temporary office, one of the three guards that was escorting him stepped forward and opened the door. Waiting to be granted access, Takeshi simply stood outside, a bored expression on his face. The soldier returned and gestured towards the door. Nodding, Takeshi entered the room.

Looking at Takeshi as the man entered, Jirou nodded towards him "Welcome, Jounin-Commander Takeshi Shun. I was pleased to hear you chose to arrive without any resistance. I am sure you heard by now about me and what had occurred, so let me first reassure you. Those who had died were the ones who held back the country. The senators who wanted to see things stay because it was beneficial for them. All others had been alerted beforehand, and their lives had been spared. With that said, the Senate will not exist anymore. The same, however, may not be the same towards the council. I know all council members held important roles, and even if I am going to put myself at the head of the country, I know one man cannot do all alone, let alone only by force."

Jirou briefly glanced in the direction of the list of names that laid on the desk before looking back at Takeshi, his expression unchanging. His stance slightly changed, allowed Takeshi to see that Jirou had his kusarigama in his right hand, with the chain wrapped around his arm "I am putting forward an offer for every council member to work under me. While the positions will remain the same as before, the conditions can be different. New arrangements can be made, and none of the council members will need to hear the sounds of many people. Only answer to me. But as I said, I am open to allowing new terms in order to ensure you and your colleagues work under me willingly, and minimize any further bloodshed." He said.

Listening as the man tried to explain his deeds, Takeshi's expression never changed. When the man shifted his stance, however, Takeshi raised a single eyebrow. "Am I really that threatening that you felt the need to bring a weapon to an introductory meeting?" His tone held a hint of amusement and the Jounin-Commander folded his arms across his chest. "You say you're open to new terms and that conditions will be different, but all I've seen so far is the same attempt to rule by fear and display of power that every other so called leader of Kirigakure has before you. So tell me, what exactly makes you different?"

As Takeshi made his first remark, Jirou looked at his weapon "This is more due to my nature than anyone in particular feeling threatening." He explained as he unraveled the weapon from around his arm and then put it aside "As for the display of fear and power. You are right in that front. But all those that came before me always had further, hidden agendas. I intend to be clear about everything I desire. Furthermore, the last few leaders and leadership had seen little to no progress for the country, allowing our rivals to advance and become much more prosperous. I despise the thought and will work to change it, instead of pretending to try and work alongside them. With the current war in the east, I understand some measures need to be taken. But that will be as far as I am willing to go in working together with those from Akino.

"I won't lie and say I don't have my own, personal agendas. I certainly do. But I won't pretend that this won't be a dictatorship either. The last three Mizukages tried to pretend, to a degree, that they were 'there for the people' when they just kept trying to make sure they stay in power. That was, at the end, what began the chain of stagnation that has been hurting our country. The lies and deceit. That is my take on things, and what eventually pushed me to act. The Senate, while not all were like this, contained more than enough individuals that were essentially the same as the Mizukages. Only wanting to ensure their own wealth and prosperity continued and not about others. That is why I acted." Jirou finished speaking, looking dead in the eyes of Takeshi, and waited to see what kind of response the man would have.

"You can see the problem here though, can't you?" Takeshi asked. "You come in claiming to be different, that your goals and desires are purely noble. Yet that is also exactly what the last few leaders proclaimed and you saw how that ended." The amusement had faded from his tone and Takeshi tilted his head slightly. "This country has a bloody and brutal history. We seem to believe the only way to move forward is by murdering everyone and everything that we perceive to be in our way. Strangely enough, this hasn't led to the same success that each of our glorious leaders assumed it would." Shrugging, the Jounin continued, "Take a look at the ones you call our enemies. Sure, the Lightning has had some struggles with leadership changes as well, but the thing that they and Akino both share is that the periods in which they have had the most success and growth are ones in which they established stability and unity within their clans and people. The way we're heading, all I see is further internal bloodshed until we are eventually overrun by our rivals."

Shifting slightly, Takeshi scratched his chin with one hand. "So sure, you're in charge now. That's great. But now what?" Posing the question, the Jounin locked eyes with Jirou. "If we really want to set the country up for long-term success, how do you propose we begin? Because I certainly don't think it starts with just murdering everyone who disagrees with you or has another opinion."

"You are right about that. Those that came before me did say the same. And I have taken the advice of your colleague Kimi. I am trying to find ways to proceed other than just kill all those who oppose me. The beginning was certainly bloody, but she had mentioned that if I just kill everyone who opposes me, I'll eventually run out of competent people. And that is not something I can say I desire." Jirou's expression turned more grim "I am aware of my own shortcomings. I am a military man through and through. Pride is what defines me. That is why I am willing to listen and try to work on things. I do not believe I know everything. I may have experience in certain fields, but I won't lie and pretend to be all knowing. And stepping forward and admitting it feels like a hard blow to my pride already."

Once more, he glanced towards the list of names on the desk "I desire to work on improving this country for myself, my family. That is why, first thing, I will work on fixing what is currently wrong. The illness that struck the country, as one prime example. I have an extended list of things I believe are wrong, but going at them with just pure brute strength and expecting it to work is not the way to go. That is why it is also a priority for me to approach all the council members and see if they would be willing to work under me and not just sit while a group of fat and rich people talk among them, but actually start to see change, and be able to help formulate the plans too. I may be the one who will end up approving the plans, but I doubt any country has a single person that decides on everything on their own." Jirou turned his gaze back to Takeshi "I am willing to inform you even further of my thoughts and plans if it will help you decide if you want to follow me or not."

Though his facial expression did not change, Takeshi smirked inwardly when he heard Kimi's name. That certainly explained a few things. For a moment, the Jounin-Commander pondered whether or not Jirou knew who he had gotten himself involved with. "You're going to need to forget your pride if you're to lead successfully." Takeshi said after a few moments. "Pride has been the downfall of many prior leaders and, quite frankly, is the last thing this Country needs right now."

Shrugging again, the Jounin-Commander locked eyes with Jirou. "You say you're a soldier. That's all well and good, but it doesn't exactly inspire confidence in your ability to lead this country during a time where it needs to focus on rebuilding rather than fighting. Yes we're currently involved in a conflict in the East, and yes we need to strengthen our borders to prevent our rivals from taking advantage of us. But we've just gone through a revolution and a reformation and the country is in shambles. It doesn't help that you've decided to make the first step in establishing a new leadership to eviscerate what people believed to be a more unified system. You're right, it wasn't working. But was going in and slaughtering everyone that you felt wouldn't play along really necessary? Or was it just a way of flexing your muscles?"

His tone gained a slight edge and Takeshi's eyes narrowed. "For too damned long the leaders of this country have tried to rule by fear. For whatever reason, you all seem to think it's the best possible way to lead. I don't know if you've read a history book recently, but it doesn't fucking work. You might be able to get people in line momentarily, but it's not a long term solution. All it does is cause people to eventually grow enough resentment that they lash out and sure enough, the cycle repeats itself."

"If you really want to be different than all those before you, if you really want to make a change in this country that will set it up for prosperity and success, then be that change first. Don't run around dumping bodies in the streets and making threats to the citizens. Don't have your lackeys chant your fucking name from a stage like you're some sort of god." Shaking his head, Takeshi sighed. "It's great that you want others to help you, but honestly? I'm not going to stand behind another leader who tries to get everyone to bow before them while holding some self-righteous illusions that they're doing it all for the greater good. I'm too damned tired of watching this country fail time and again with leaders who are more concerned with obedience than progress. If you want monkeys who run around and do everything you say without any thought of their own, I'm not your guy."

"You got two things wrong in that little speech of yours. First one is the thought that I am doing it for the greater good. If I cared about that, I wouldn't have gone and murdered members of the previous government, and instead looked for a too peaceful solution that most likely would've led me nowhere. I care about making sure the country I live in is one I want to live in. I despised the way things were so I took it into my hands to make a change. The whole show I put out a show because I knew that was what, unfortunately, the people know nowadays in the country, as you stated yourself. I personally still believe it was the appropriate first step to making the country acknowledge me as their leader, but far be it from being the right way for the rest of the way. I know the farmers are suffering. My parents were farmers, and I saw how much of their hard work and basically equalled to nothing at the end because of how things were run. I know the economy in the country was suffering because of how the only goddamn reforms the senate cared about were ones that made their own pockets deeper. So to those I decided to say, loud and clear, no more. I showed the corruption to all to show I won't accept anything like that. Everyone who could be spared was spared."

Jirou kept going, his voice being stern but his expression unchanging "The second thing is that I want monkeys who will just do whatever I say. Why do you think I am approaching the council members in the way I am? I am already trying to put my pride aside and openly show awareness of the things that could easily bring to someone else replacing me. This is why this is an offer, not an order. With all that said," He sighed "You are right that it was far from being the right move or way to do things. I am a part of the cycle you mentioned, with the way things are. But that does not mean it has to remain this way, especially if there will be people like you who will come up and tell me at face level that this won't work. That is the sole reason I thought of a dictatorship being the right way. It will give me the power to give the right people power. Those who will help work things to bring the country back to its former glory, and they cannot be spineless monkeys who will just do my bidding. They need to be people who care about the country. I may desire obedience from all, but if that comes with a lack of change, I may as well just step down already and make things easier for the next person in the line."

Jirou shook his head "You won't follow every dog that comes and bites and barks loudly. I can certainly respect that. Now, would you consider working with me?" He asked. He had some hope that Takeshi would notice his choice of wording in this instance. It was clear that to gain the respect of the man it would take a lot of work, but the first step was to see if he could convince him of his motives. His selfish motives to have a better country, while understanding it is impossible to go at it alone or by fear only.

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely," Takeshi said softly, shaking his head. "My issue was not that you would be acting for the greater good, but rather that you'd be using that false belief as justification for your actions. If you're truly only acting out selfishness then I don't understand how you see yourself as being any different than the other leaders." Tilting his head, Takeshi's eyes narrowed slightly. "You just told me your only interest is in making this a better country for you and your family. That means you're either going to give in to nepotism, or you're only going to work hard as long as you believe it benefits you and your family in the long run. What happens when one of your enemies decides they've had enough and goes after your family? What then? Will you simply give up on the country because they're gone, or will you take your anger out on everyone and use your newfound power to bring the country to its knees?"

"I'm not opposed to working with you, after all it isn't like I have much choice right now. My desire is to see this country prosper. Not for me, not for my family, but for everyone living here that deserves a safe and healthy place for once. For everyone who has had to suffer their entire damned lives because we've never had a leader that truly gives a shit about them." Locking eyes with Jirou, the Jounin-Commander continued, "So, as long as you show me that you're making changes with the best interests of the country and its people in mind, and not just for you and your family, then you will have my support. And yes I mean show. I don't care for fancy words, especially when all you've shown me so far is that you're happy perpetuating the same cycle of murder and power grabbing as every other regime thus far. But if you cannot do that, or that is not your plan… then I'm out. I have no interest in supporting another tyrant."

As he listened to Takeshi, Jirou made sure to pay full attention. When the Jounin-Commander locked eyes with him, he returned the gaze without hesitation. When he finished, Jirou took a moment of silence before speaking "Absolute power corrupts. That statement is very true. I suppose that my chosen way to this place, already had begun that process. He said, briefly looking around before returning his gaze onto Takeshi "What will I do if I see my enemies go after my family? I will try to protect my family the best I can, while knowing the people I chose to work alongside with can take matters into their own hands and continue to run it in the best possible way. I will not step away from here unless I am confident that those who help me run the country are people who do care about the country. Those who would be willing to come and tell me 'No, this will harm them'. Those who would be willing to headbutt me if needed. Those are the people I respect. I am wanting to set things up so that I will stand as the head of the country, as the face of it, but to know that if anything were to happen, those that worked with me and those that followed me will be able to continue working for the country, for the people. I know my selfishness, that is why I am looking for people who will keep me from straying too far and forgetting about the country. About the people. Those that live in the farms and feel deserted, those that live in the slums and feel neglected."

"As for actions," Jirou turned to the table and picked up a few notes, before taking a couple of steps towards Takeshi and offering him the notes "These are the first steps I know I can already take. But in order to more efficiently execute them, I will require the aid of several council members. I have found stockpiles of medicine, robbed from the people, and will work to distribute them and combat the current illness that is ongoing in the city. But if I have the support of the council, I can deliver the medicine in a manner that is not purely militaristic. I can work further to ensure no lives are lost. And I was hoping one of the council members would helm the medicine distribution." He finished speaking, hoping Takeshi would better understand what he is trying to set up. A dictatorship to everyone outside, but a proper leadership from within.

Nodding slowly, Takeshi pondered something for a moment. "Where did you find these stockpiles?" he asked finally, "Have they been tested to ensure they were not tampered with?" Reaching up to scratch his chin again, the Jounin-Commander raised a single eyebrow. "I'm assuming you'd like me to oversee the distribution?"

"I've located the stockpiles in a few abandoned buildings near the eastern edge of the city. Although there were no signs of who placed them there, the doors and buildings both had marks that the medicine was placed there recently, and from what I know, there were robberies of medicine not long ago. As for testing, not yet. I did not wish to simply grab a sick person off the street and test it, and it is why I wanted the support of more council members. I believe that a few would know the proper way to test the medicine and ensure it is safe for distribution. As for who I wanted to oversee, you were my first pick, but if you do not agree to take it, then I will look for the other council members to do it. But as someone who so clearly cares for the country and its people, you are the best man for the job." Jirou responded.

"As long as there is thorough testing done, then I have no problem assisting with the distribution. I simply have no wish to spread further harm distributing something that feels like it could be a trap." Folding his arms across his chest, Takeshi continued, "Will that be all, or is there anything else?"

Jirou thought about it for a moment before speaking "That was the most urgent topic in mind. There is also a thought I had regarding the Jinchuuriki which I would appreciate your opinion on. I was thinking it may be better to send them, for the time being, to a barracks outside of the city, along with their team leader. To protect them from the still ongoing illness, along with giving them further protection by having them be surrounded by military personnel, and protect the people from yet another potential risk of a beast becoming loose. If either Jinchuuriki catches this illness, then I can only imagine the risk would increase quite a bit, and the last thing we need right now is a repeat of what happened during Rika's reign. Keeping them with their team leader will be to keep a familiar face around."

As Jirou mentioned the Jinchuuriki, Takeshi felt his jaw clench. He could not help but think of Haruhi, the girl he'd let down. The one he was supposed to protect…

Looking away for a moment, the Jounin-Commander pondered Jirou's request. "I had another thought here, something I had been pondering for awhile." Turning back to the man, Takeshi continued, "I believe the Jinchuuriki should be split up. We should not have both on one team. The risk is too great to lose both of them should anything happen. Mika is capable of looking after them, but should an enemy target them specifically, there is not much she can do to stop it."

"If you're wanting to send them to a barracks, which I'm not certain I'd recommend, then I'd advise at least sending them to separate barracks. All it would take is a single barracks being hit and we'd be in a much worse position." Pondering something else, Takeshi continued, "Rather than moving them out, we should check to see if this new medicine you've recovered can actually work to remove the illness. If it is successful, then we can ensure they are prepared in any case. The concern, however, would be that nobody really knows how a Jinchuuriki is affected by regular illnesses or cures."

Listening, Jirou nodded. Both points were very good points. "Alright, for the time being, I will put the focus on ensuring the medicine is tested and once it was deemed good to go, I will inform you to begin the distribution. If you could try and look into potentially splitting the Jinchuuriki, as you know the teams best, it would be appreciated." Jirou said. He then whistled, and the door was opened from the other side "That was everything I wished to cover with you for today. By the next time I contact you, I will have the test results for the medicine." He told the Jounin Commander with another nod of his head.

Nodding his head, Takeshi turned and took a step towards the door. Deciding something, he paused and looked back over his shoulder. "Remember what I said. There is no need to repeat the same mistakes of the past. Move forward and the others are more likely to join." With that, the Jounin-Commander turned completely and left, already thinking on how he could split the teams. Mika likely wouldn't be happy, but then again… was she ever happy with him?

Oetje · Feb 11, 2020

Operation Safeguard

FONT=Georgia][ Republic of Water | Back to the city of Shigaa | At the eastern part of the Republic ]
[ Nishi Hirashima | Jounin of Team 11 ][/FONT]

Once the team was onboard, Nishi threw a look at the ship. The Junyo was barely in sight. A mere silhouette, that slowly started to become devoured by the dark waves and the night. With a stern gaze, the jounin's emotions were a mere mystery if one had to gauge it from her facial features. Her gloved hands slowly became trembling fists as she kept watching how the large war-vessel vanished out of sight.
Throwing a glance at her pupils, Nishi remained silent. There was silent anger visible in Nishi's eyes. Though hard to describe, the way how she gazed at her team made it clear that words couldn't likely describe the sheer disappointment and anger the woman felt. The dark of the night only seemed to make the woman considering to turn on her genin and chuunin.

The night continued, the fighting fiercely advancing. While the Republican force had lost a valuable ship, they didn't retreat. In the typical style of using manoeuvrability and the superior number of their ships, it became clear at the end that they were outmatching their enemy. Only for the Republican squadron having suffered losses themselves.
By the end of the fight, there was a faint light on the horizon - the herald of a new day. As dawn approached at a slow pace, the remaining Republican warships would focus on executing their last tasks.
Any Republican sailor, deckhand or marine that was in the water was fished out. While the enemy could only count on cold mercy of being stricken death. Any corpses of the unknown foe were thrown overboard, send to be food for the fishes.

During the whole endeavours that continued the rest of the troublesome night, Nishi only spoke once to her team. They were to remain far from everyone while the jounin joined the various tasks with the other Republican sailors and marines. It didn't seem that anyone but Nishi seemed aware yet on what had transpired on the Junyo. Or more precisely: who unit was to blame for the death of Republican rowers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two ships had suffered some heavy damage but still able to continue on. The remaining ships of the Republican flotilla had fared much better, suffering only some casualties onboard or receiving light damage. The enemy had managed to withdraw after suffering heavier losses, both in lives and warships.
Yet, there wasn't any hint or inclination that those serving on the Republican war vessels considered them true victors. Returning to the port-city of Shigaa, the ships were swiftly and carefully moved to the yards to become repaired. The crews were disembarked, where first and most attention was spent on those who had sustained wounds or sick. Or worse, both.

When Nishi and her team could finally leave the ship that they had been staying on board, the jounin gave short and firm commands. It became more evident that the anger and disappoint that Nishi held towards the team was still residing, likely more festering rather than cooling down.
Leading the genin and chuunin back to the barracks where they had stayed previously, Nishi spoke briefly with a few people. By their attire, they seemed to be officers of low rank.
Finally getting the team in a room, Nishi dropped her small sack of belongings on a bunkbed.
Throwing a glance at each that was present in the room, the jounin walked towards the door. Closing it slowly, Nishi would proceed to lock it with the key she had obtained.
Lowering her head slightly as the sound of metal clicked, indicating that the lock was in place, a certain tension seemed to become tangible.

"Around two-hundred lives. Fathers, brothers and sons. All gone to the depths of the sea," Nishi said, though her voice soft yet being able to cut through the room and being audible enough for her team, "you all bear that blame."
Turning around, she faced her team. The anger and disappointment were visible, mixed on the woman's features as growing present in her voice. Yet Nishi's body language didn't shout any aggression or gave any hints she was going to punish them.
"I will not have any excuses. I will not hear any justifications. Mistakes may happen but this wasn't a mistake. This is a disaster that will stain your entire lives."
Letting a pause flow after her words, Nishi slightly raised her chin. Shifting her gaze between the chuunin and genin, she continued.

"From this day on, you lot won't be fighting and bleeding for the glory of the nation. But to earn redemption."

FrostedCaramel · Feb 16, 2020

Kukiko Yuki | ~~Jounin of Team 17 | Senate Guard~~ | Jounin | Republic of the Water Country, Kirigakure

Steam gently drifted up from the cup of tea before her. Eccentric circles and curving lines that barely lasted long enough to register as they made their short journey into nothingness. A terse but exciting existence, nothing more than a reaction to what had been truly wanted, an accident that corrected itself.

She lifted the cup and took a sip from its still hot contents, watching the amber liquid as it swayed gently in the cup. Taking the glass away from her lips she cupped it in both hands and blew at the surface of the amber liquid, steam swirling away far faster as she did. A brief existence.

She stared past the steam and out of the window of her apartment, to the buildings of the city and the grey tinged clouds beyond. Her hands tightened on the cup, the heat of the tea within almost threatening to burn her as she did. So quickly the steam came and went, she couldn't help but notice it in vision as she watched the clouds drift silently outside her window. She clenched the tea between her hands a bit harder as she watched.

The clouds were much more tangible than the steam before her, like some bigger, more grown up version of the steam from her cup. Yet as she watched she couldn't help but notice as even the clouds shifted their shape or lost their immense stature as they drifted along. She noticed that, as these clouds lost themselves to the world they floated in that more would form in the space they had left, taking their place as quickly as the original had gone.

Nothing was permanent, no matter how large it appeared at first glance. Something as infallible as the clouds above could be felled and replaced by the new.

Before she knew what she had done the cup was soaring through the room. It hit the wall and shattered, the tea within spraying against the wall and falling to the floor with the pieces of tea cup.

She had made the right choice. She was sure of it. Yet somehow it all felt so very wrong.

She stood at the window now, staring across the city toward the governmental district. Clenching her fists at her side she raised a single hand to the glass. Her own pale reflection staring back at her she mused to herself.

There had been blight here. There had been a festering wound in need of removal. And just as the clouds that disappeared in their journey across the horizon left room for the new, so too would the removal bring in something new. A breath of new life, a new vision for a stagnant and dying country.

God so she hoped.

Lesli · Feb 16, 2020

I don't betray my captain

[ Meisa Ichi | Shadow | Empire of Akino ]

Reading the report, Meisa wondered briefly about the various events that had transpired. Intel from the various operating Zero Teams was relaying information that the Wind country was attempting to influence the Fang country. An interesting turn of event, due to the rather hostile diplomatic stance of the Fang - towards every foreign power.
If it was, however, that the Wind and Fang would combine forces then a dangerous situation could exist. Whereas the Wind or Fang alone couldn't contest against the Imperial military, they could do some serious damage if they coordinated a huge attack on the entire western border of Akino. Deciding on something, Meisa continued to find her mind drifting.

Trying to focus, it only lasted for a good dozen minutes before she was back at that certain conversation. Sighing, Meisa raised her right hand to rub her eyes.

[ Empire of Akino | Konohagakure, the Imperial Capital - Meisa's Home ]
[ A Flashback collab between @Gerontis and @Lesli | Meisa arrives home after a long day of work. However, a certain someone is awaiting her. A conversation sparks between two former Hokage-Guard members. ]

Closing the door behind her, Meisa released a soft sigh. The soft click of the lock moving into place gave a short sense of relief. Turning around Meisa would take the time to slowly take out her shoes. It had been a long day but gave a sense of rewarding. More intel was flooding in and operations planned by the Intelligence Division started to bear fruit, allowing intel to be passed to other branches. Both military and civilian.
Walking through the hallway, the dark didn't bother Meisa that much. It never had and certainly not in her own home. Where some people were afraid of what the dark could hold, it was the opposite for the woman. It was soothing and provoking a certain curiosity at times.
Entering the living room, there was little to no sign of life. Whatever had been laying around in terms of Mayumi's toys or betraying that people had been in the home during the day, were all cleaned up. The benefits of working directly for the Empress, Meisa mused to herself.

Without much sound, Meisa continued to the room of Mayumi. Slowly pushing the door open, she listened for a moment - trying to catch the sound of the girl breathing. There was still an odd sense whenever Meisa interacted with the girl. It reminded her of things she didn't want to remember. Yet, it had grown on Meisa how the girl walked. How she was curious about how the world worked, despite getting hurt several times.
Nearing the small bed Meisa felt her stomach-turning. Something was off but she couldn't understand what.
Approaching the bed, she heard no sound. And the silhouette had something to it.
Reaching a hand out Meisa grabbed a bit of the blanket. Pulling the blanket back Meisa's eyes narrowed.

"I figured that you would come here first," a familiar voice softly resonated from the other side of the room. A shadow stood near the door, out of view when Meisa had entered and approached the girl's bed. Lightning crackled menacingly, jumping over the man's fingers.
"I must be a first in a while. To successfully ambush Meisa Ichi."

Straighten her back Meisa would slowly turn to face the man inside Mayumi's room. The voice was soft but there was a certain emotion in it. Something that made Meisa quite cautious.
"I didn't expect you to be here," Meisa replied, "Hiron. What is the meaning of this all?" The woman asked, not ignoring the sight of the Hon's lightning. "Where is Mayumi?"

"She is safe. In your bed." Hiron said, still leaning against the wall, his arms crossed out front of his chest. "She was there when I arrived. Was sound asleep."
Letting a pause flow into the room, Hiron observed Meisa. The darkness didn't allow him to see her perfectly. But he expected that she showed no fear. No hesitation. And he didn't care or mind. The darkness allowed him to hide his own emotions. Despite confident in his abilities, he was well aware who he had caught off guard. One of the most dangerous people on the globe.
"I wonder though. She doesn't bear a strong resemblance to Sakamoto. Never had. Perhaps in the fact she is as joyful and naive as he could be at times."

Meisa wasn't sure what Hiron's goal was. Keeping her breath regular, she tried to go in her mind what he wanted. Why he had decided on doing this. The remark that Mayumi didn't seem to resemble Sakamoto much made Meisa feel wary. Warier than she had been for quite a while.
"I suppose she does look more like her mother. How about we go downstairs? I got something to drink. Then we can talk."

Lightning fizzled, bursting around Hiron's right arm. It briefly lighted the man's features. "I prefer here. For I don't think you want to talk about this in any presence of the light," Hiron replied, despite the tense situation sounding quite calm, "And frankly, your daughter doesn't remind me of you either. Sure, she has some features that she shares with you. But most of all, she reminds me of him."
The last sentence was spoken with a whisper. One that brought Hiron's emotions regarding Hisoka to the surface.
"Where is he?" Hiron asked, his voice still calm.

Meisa stared at the shadow of Hiron. Instantly, she tried of ways how to dispose of him. All to make sure that Mayumi would remain protected. That the situation wouldn't get complicated. But Meisa was aware of the other's combat capability. And despite her abilities, she hadn't faced a serious fight in months. Perhaps even been nearly a year ago since her last serious clash. To make matters worse, she couldn't kill Hiron. Even if Hiron had always declined political ambition or responsibilities, there was nobody else that Kiyomi held in higher regards. Killing Hiron was the equivalent of bringing the entire Empire down on oneself.
"I don't know," Meisa replied, "why? Are you seeking to settle a score?" She asked, trying to remember if Hiron and Hisoka ever had a serious conflict. Other than one of personality and how they prefered to approached situations.

The question wasn't met with an answer in a swift response. Silence came and plagued the two people in Mayumi's room. But eventually, Hiron spoke.
"Cause he deserves a good punch to the cheek."

Placing the bottle on the table Meisa would take a seat on a chair near the coffee table. A sigh escaped her lips as she eyed Hiron. He didn't seem as bad as she had expected. He looked like he took care of himself again. Not the pitiful state he had been in before, right after his team had been ambush and finding out that his youngest daughter and wife had been kidnapped.
"I am sorry, that was the best that I could find," Meisa said as she raised her bottle, "I rarely ever drink these days. Or before, I suppose."

Hiron nodded as he leaned forward, grasping the bottle. It wasn't that cold but it was better than water, in his opinion.
"I can't recall you ever partaking in the drinking," Hiron replied, taking a sip afterwards.
"I suppose that you want to know why. Why all of this."

Meisa leaned back, her gaze lazily resting on the Hon. There was a curiosity but also an understanding. Thus she shook her head subtly. "No, I don't. You are going through a rough patch. And in your case, I would have been much worse." A soft smile crossed Meisa's lips as she raised the bottle. Taking a small sip, she would let the alcohol roll over her tongue.
"You lost a lot."

"I suppose, not as much as Sakamoto. Poor drunk, did he know?" Hiron asked, his eyebrows slightly perked up.
"Kid looks as much like him as night with day. Though I doubt that anyone has questioned it yet." Hiron continued, taking another sip of his drink.

Meisa remained silent for a moment. "She looks more like her father in appearance. But it seems that Sakamoto has left its mark on her. The kid is as cheerful and naive as he is. Which I do prefer," Meisa's tone became slightly sharper. "It is safer that way. Until I figure things out. All of it."

Hiron chuckled softly, though the sound lacked the usual amusement or joy to it. "I suppose that Kiyomi hasn't taken Hisoka's resignment that great at all? I figured." Hiron wondered briefly what he had done if he were Kiyomi. The fact that Hisoka had deserted, as Hiron saw it, was a painful and annoying matter. The political issues didn't intrigue Hiron. It was the fact that Hisoka had decided to be such a coward. To leave without being man enough to say it. Leaving it up to Meisa to report about it.
It just didn't seem like the captain that Hiron respected, admired and despised.

"She didn't. Mayumi is to stay in Konohagakure. For the fact that we went dark." Meisa said, remembering the vengeance that they brought on the Wind country. Killing the Kazekage was a feat that many would find worth boasting about. But Meisa felt only a bitter emptiness when she thought about it. For all that it had and hadn't been worth that journey, Sakamoto remained death. And Mayumi having been hurt.
"She looks much like you. More than that Sato that had been here before." Meisa began, "I am surprised though."

Hiron didn't feel pity for either Hisoka or Meisa. Kiyomi had made a decision and it was between them. Hell, if it had been him, Hisoka wouldn't have been allowed to escape into obscurity and secrecy. Instead, the Uchiha would have been pulled by his hair and given a few punches before forced to stay in the fray.
"Shame that she does," Hiron said, scoffing, "I always figured she would have been much better off if she was like Zakito, Hisoka or you. Even Sakamoto. Hell, even that Nimatsu arseface would have been more preferable." Taking a sip of his drink, Hiron stared at the coffee table for a moment.
"Why her though?"

Meisa stared at Hiron. In truth, she had always considered him to be much brighter than he portrayed himself. But seeing how he had seen through various things, she had some questions of her own. Yet, she decided to first answer his question. Weighing the bottle in her hand Meisa inhaled and exhaled softly, before answering.
"Cause she is like you. Stubborn, persistent and yet independent. She fascinated me cause she was a meagre bit of hope. Perhaps not as talented as some of her peers. Far less as those who went before her. But she is like you. Easy to place faith in and follow." Meisa paused for a second.
"Where others were content with themselves, she continued. I found that quite valuable. For any other candidate that I had in mind wasn't suited for this work. Not able to lead in the fashion that I had in mind. Kiyomi? I suppose she took after you. Too much of an angry fuck to just roll over and die."

The ghost of a smile dawned on Hiron's lips upon hearing the last sentence. He leaned back and briefly think about Meisa's words. He wanted to argue but what good would it do? The events had transpired and he had remained silenced back then. Speaking now against Kiyomi being the empress would cause harm.
"I suppose that is right." He took a sip of his drink, remaining silent as he let the words of Meisa sink in, once more.

"How did you know?" Meisa asked, "About Mayumi and what played behind the curtains?" She asked, unable to contain her curiosity. "Other than Zakito, nobody else has figured it out. Or I hope, will figure it out anyway."

Hiron turned his head, looking at Meisa. There was a temptation to not tell her. The mere fact of being able to hide something from Meisa was amusing. Not because he didn't like her. He respected her, more than he let on.
"I served with you guys for a while. I may not have been as close as Zakito and Hisoka were. Not being invited to go to a hot spring. But I knew my captain. I respected him, even if he was an arrogant fuck. However, Hokage? No. Hisoka is a good leader but one of that scale?" Scoffing, Hiron took a swig of his drink - emptying it. Placing the bottle on the table, he leaned forward.
"I hate it and yet am proud to admit it but Hisoka was one of the best. He knew how to handle an operation. Knew what to do when the odds started to stack. Damn bastard never broke out in panic when others did." Pausing, Hiron stared at the empty bottle.
"But political matters? No. He never was ambitious. I imagine he would have been fine to run another guard unit. Keep it small and professional." Turning his attention at Meisa, Hiron continued. "I knew it for a while. At least, I had my thoughts and doubts. But when the Fire Union was getting kickstarted? No, that wasn't like Hisoka. It was you or Zakito. Then when the Empire was formed, I knew it was you. Most certainly when Hisoka started to become detained at home. Heh," a chuckle that lacked any amusement escaped Hiron.
"I bet he hated that. Sitting still. Watching others being useful."

Meisa remained silent. Her gaze resting on Hiron. His answer amused her. But it also caused her some discomfort. Raising her bottle to her lips, she would empty it as well with the last swig.
"So, did you tell anyone? About what you uncovered?"

Hiron's eyes narrowed, his gaze averted from Meisa. A sigh escaped him.
"No. I can't betray my captain."

Lesli · Feb 16, 2020

A small change~

[ Imperial Military | The 3rd Division | Centre of the Eastern Campaign ]
[ A collab between @Gerontis and @Lesli | Saki Yamanaka has been summoned for a meeting with Hiron Hon. The two interact, from which Saki gains a new assignment and purpose. One that she is most happy to execute. ]

Moving through the camp, Saki was both curious and wary. The fact that Hayate wasn't in command anymore meant that a change was happening. And while not minding to serve underneath the command of Hiron Hon, it certainly meant that her own influence and possibilites would shift. And at the moment, she reckoned it was going to be diminished.
Closing in on the commander's tent, Saki already noticed the difference right away. Whereas Hayate's personal detail was secured by a combination of the most experienced Guardians and her Tiger Claws, Hiron's guard was made out of a different unit.
Approaching the tent, she would make herself known to one of the guards. Waiting outside, Saki threw a glance to the side. All that she could do was to wait.

Standing behind a desk, Hiron went over some plans in his mind. The front was being pushed to the east. Operations were happening all over the largest front in recent history. A shame, in his opinion, that he couldn't count on more troops or resources.
When a guard notified him who had arrived Hiron made a subtle gesture that Saki could enter the spacious tent. Placing his hands behind his back, Hiron's gaze would be fixated on the blonde Yamanaka. Waiting for her to enter, he moved his mind to what he wanted to discuss with the lieutenant of the Tiger Claws.

Entering the tent, Saki would greet Hiron with a resolute salute. Removing the fist from her chest, she required little time to take in the Hon. She had heard stories of the man. And if anything, she was hoping that he could live up to his reputation.
"Major General, sir," Saki began, "Saki Yamanaka, of the Tiger Claws. As you requested."

Hiron didn't say that she could stand at ease. A few seconds of silence echoed after Saki's words while Hiron sized her up. Then he slowly nodded before speaking. "At ease, Yamanaka. Good of you to come on such short notice. I heard some good things about you and your unit," Hiron began, "from fighting off a flanking force to executing various cavalry attacks on a larger opposition?"

"And winning those engagements, Major General, sir. All of them," Saki said, her tone calm and her posture radiating confidence. "My main task has been to guard captain-commander Hayate Hyuzu and ensuring that he would survive this campaign. But we indeed operate in various other skirmishes."

"That you did," Hiron said, his voice giving away his amusement. In fact, he liked that she wasn't some timid lass. Or thinking that he appreciated someone that would try to lick his boots. "I doubt I can find anyone who speaks ill of you and your compatriots. But it is like you said. Your main objective was to ensure the safety of captain-commander Hyuzu. With his role in this campaign changed and likely pulling him from the danger, that means you and your unit are left to what I devise wise."

Saki's facial features remained calm as she held her hands on her back. "With all respect, Major General, sir. Though it is true that you hold command over the 3rd Division, that doesn't give you command over me and mine." Saki paused for a second. "If the Major General is willing, I desire to propose a plan myself. Sir."

Hiron had turned to the table, turning halfway from Saki. But when she stated that in a polite fashion that he could fuck off, Hiron frowned. The amusement of before seemed to shift into something else. He slowly nodded. "Of course. I hold no formal power over the Tiger Claws. And while I like your attitude, lieutenant Yamanaka, I dare say that you shouldn't push the boundaries. It has been a while since I have been in a good mood."
Letting a second pass before he continued, Hiron fully turned back to Saki. "Please, join me then. I am all ears to what you have to propose, lieutenant Yamanaka."

Saki felt a certain relief rolling over her spine. Walking to the table, she didn't ease up entirely - for that order had never come.
"I understand that the front has been widened. With three major cores of the allied force been positioned. Here, here and here," Saki said as she pointed on the large map that detailed on the wide front, "I wish to detach a group from my unit. To continue our goal to ensure that captain-commander Hyuzu stays protected. I then want to put the unit to what it was meant to do, Major General, sir." Raising her gaze to lock her pale blue eyes with Hiron's, "to be of effective use."

Hiron listened and he couldn't say that he disagreed. He could foresee that Hayate would be unhappy and likely argue against having Tiger Claws continue to watch over him. However, Hiron decided to agree - nodding to emphasise his answer. "I agree. The boy's security should be as good as we can afford. I will pass his location to you and yours after this meeting."
Crossing an arm out front of his chest and using the other to hold his chin, Hiron considered the possibility. He was well aware of what had occurred to Saki. The reports had been clear on the young woman's desire to shed blood. To wreak havoc and claim vengeance for her personal loss. But unlike Hayate, Hiron didn't mind that. As long as it served the campaign's purpose.
"And to what use would you see your unit fulfil, Lieutenant Yamanaka?" Hiron asked, shifting his gaze to the Yamanaka.

"We have proven our worth on the field of battle, Major General, sir. On foot and mounted. We have no trouble to cull the enemy's numbers or grind it to dust." Saki paused as she gestured to the middle of the front, displayed by the map in front of them. "However, I believe it may serve a good purpose to unleash my unit on the enemy. Allow me to move further and scout ahead. We can relay information much better than most of your scouts, I wager. Or else allow us to make the enemy deaf and blind."

"You and the Tiger Claws have proven their worth, I agree. I am a bit hesitant to just allow you to move too far. Considering your unit's worth, I rather keep you somewhere closer. Not for my own safety but to let your tigers loose when it is most vital to my own plans," Hiron said on his turn, "however, you think that your unit can damage the enemy that much?"

Saki slowly nodded.
"I am certain, Major General, sir. We have made them bleed before. But if we are allowed to go at them and receive some support? I assure you that we will make those squints rout before they will notice an Imperial banner."

Hiron smiled upon hearing her words. "Then it seems only fair to release the tiger, lieutenant Yamanaka. Keep me informed and my forces shall aid you in the terror you promise me." Pausing Hiron's eyes gained a certain, soft glint. "I expect results, lieutenant Yamanaka."

Saluting towards Hiron, Saki felt something stirring in her. The fact she was soon allowed to execute her own plans almost caused her to run out of the tent, sword in hand. "Count on it, Major General, sir."

Nim · Feb 19, 2020

Council Members and Medicine

[ Republic of the Water Country | Kirigakure ]

[ Jirou Kanbe ]

A few days have passed, and Jirou now stood in a much cleaner and better looking building. Entering the former hall where the council met, he still had thoughts on the best use there would be for the room, but it kept going back to making use of the room for strategic meetings. There was also the matter of giving different offices to the council members who had agreed to work with him, even if it was just for the time being.

Moving to sit on one of the chairs in the room, he took out the list of names from his pocket. All the names were crossed out. Some had an X next to the names, while the others had question marks. Despite knowing to the uninformed that it would seem wrong, it was simply his way to mark which council members stated clearly they refuse to work with him, and which ones were willing to work with him for the time being. None of the council members were harmed or threatened in any way, and those who elected not to work with him were allowed to return to their lives in peace. It was like he told Takeshi, there was no need for more bloodshed if he could avoid it, and so far, none of the council members had given him any reason to act against them.

There was one issue with the names on the list that Jirou had come up with. While Kimi and Takeshi were in charge of the Intelligence and shinobi forces respectively, the former council member who was responsible for the specialized forces and the ANBU refused to return to his role. This meant there was an open spot, and Jirou had no desire to give anyone more people they could potentially get to become loyal to them. He knew he would need to spread the word that he is looking for someone new for such a role, but perhaps he could try spreading it to people who are closer and more loyal to him than Takeshi and Kimi, both of whom were still considered wild cards in Jirou's mind.

Tearing up the list, Jirou decided it was best to not keep any record of those he approached. People could always try figuring that out on their own, but as long as there would be nothing in his handwriting, it was better. He tossed the pieces into the nearest trash, before instructing one of the nearby soldiers to burn that trash. It may have been his own paranoia, but Jirou always felt like people who are spies would go into any kind of place if it meant they could gain information.

Walking to the office he decided to designate as his own, which ended up being the same office he had used to conduct his meetings so far, Jirou saw a couple of soldiers waiting outside the office, papers in hand. Both saluted when they saw him, and he gestured to them to follow him inside as he unlocked the office. Once all three were within the office, he turned to them "Report. What did you bring to me?" Jirou asked.

One of the soldiers stepped forward and offered Jirou the paper "An update from the people assigned to test the medicine stockpiles, sir. There is progress being made, but they are requesting more time to test a few other potential problems that may have occurred due to not knowing how safely the medicine was transferred, nor how long the medicine was actually in that storage. Anything that could have harmed the medicine is a risk to anyone who may end up taking it, as they put it." The soldier then stepped back. The second soldier also stepped forward, only handing Jirou the papers, before stepping back.

Looking over all the documents given to him, Jirou didn't exactly understand the medical terms that were written in the reports, but he did manage to see that there were concerns brought up regarding several things, just as the soldier had just informed him. He looked up at the soldiers "Tell the medical staff that they have additional time. I do not desire to pass harmful medicine to the people I am trying to help. When the testing is done, if there are no problems, then I want them to also pass the message to Takeshi Shun. He is incharge of the distribution of the medicine. Dismissed." Jirou said, and watched as both soldiers left the room.

Putting the reports on the table, Jirou sat down. He still had more things he wanted to do, but until he could show the council members he is serious about his actions and have the medicine be distributed and properly help the people, he would focus on it. This was his way of proving to all those who chose to go with him he is more than just a man of words.

Nim · Feb 22, 2020

Talking of the Jinchuuriki

[ Republic of the Water Country | Kirigakure ]

[ Mika Hayashi and Jirou Kanbe ]

A collab between @Aliceee and @Nim

Jirou takes a moment to talk with the woman who has been tasked with mentoring the Jinchuuriki. They discuss a couple of things before agreeing on how Mika should proceed with her team.

Things were advancing in a good way. Jirou was beginning to feel more confident in the new position he was in. He was working on proving himself to his new colleagues, working on helping the country already, and now came the time for another step in what he hoped would be the right direction. He leaned against the desk in the office and thought about the next person he invited to meet him. Hayashi, the one who led the revolution that brought the Republic into being. He had no idea how she would take meeting him and what he did. But he knew, from what the records showed him, that she was the leader of at least one Jinchuuriki for some time now. So she held some sway over one of the country's more valuable assets. Hoping he could at least get her to understand his own motivations behind his action, he waited patiently for the woman to arrive.

Heading towards the place where she would become introduced with the newest addition of leaders of Kirigakure, Mika seemed anything but impressed. Not by the fact that the Senate was so quickly and easily overthrown. Not by the amount of security. She had seen this before and it was much the same as always.
Being guided inside the building by a couple of loyalists to this Jirou, Mika lazily threw some looks around. The complex that formerly was claimed by the Senate started to gain subtle changes. Mika wondered for a moment how this regime would handle themselves, if it would gain enough momentum to unify all of the country underneath its banner.

Arriving at the office and being allowed inside, Mika stared at Jirou. She had heard some people talk about the man but appearances weren't interesting. If her experience had taught her anything, appearances were the least interesting about a person.
Throwing a look around, appearing far from wary, Mika subtly screened the office for various matters. Both out of habit and necessity, in case this regime was far less benevolent towards her and the past achievements she had accomplished.
"Mika Hayashi, reporting in," the woman finally said, after a few moments of silence, settling her gaze on Jirou.

Watching as Mika entered the office, Jirou appreciated the fact that she scanned around. Being careful towards the unknown was both signs of paranoia and caution, which he appreciated. Once she introduced herself, he nodded "Welcome. I was hoping to talk to you sooner, but I had some other, more important matters that have urgent written on them. Excuse me if I will be direct, but I wished to speak to you because of a couple of reasons. First, you led the revolution that brought the Republic into being. Second, from what I saw in the records, you have been responsible for one of the country's Jinchuuriki for some time now. So I decided I wanted to talk to you, and see if we could at least start things off in a proper and civil fashion."

Moving from the desk, he walked around it and sat down in one of the chairs "Please, take a seat." He offered, before continuing "This is far from my comfort zone. Being civil like this. But I was told by someone else that this is most likely a better way to approach others than to perform shows of strengths as I am used to. So let me go ahead and ask if you have any particular thoughts about how I brought down what you helped establish before." Jirou asked, keeping his eyes locked on Mika.

Mika simply nodded subtly, when Jirou began. She reckoned he had far more thrilling and important matters than to speak with her. If anything, she would have been comfortable to just receive a letter and let it be that.
When Jirou stated that he had read her records, Mika felt the need to scoff and make a certain remark. However, she also understood why he had done that. And even more: she would have done the same.

Taking a seat, Mika remained silent as Jirou continued. Truth be told, she didn't wonder who had advised Jirou to take this approach. Such small details or talk didn't intrigue her at the moment. As Jirou continued to ask if she had any thoughts about his usurpation, Mika shrugged lightly.
"I can't say that I am either amused or disappointed. Or caring, if you wonder." Mika said in a calm fashion, "the previous regime saw my existence as a threat. Rightfully so, I suppose. Other than to hold it as blackmail and keep me under control, I don't think it fostered any loyalty or care to the Senate. A pity, that it seems this country can't last without a coup for more than a good decade though."

Jirou nodded as she spoke "And now I am part of that chain of coups. I won't hide the fact that the same thought came across my mind. But, instead of keeping you at arms length and just keeping tabs on you, I thought it would be better to simply try and talk to you. We are both people. Soldiers for the country. We both aimed to do what we believed was right for the country when we acted. Of course, I won't say that means you certainly see eye to eye with my actions right now." He said, leaning back in his seat slightly.
"I was hoping to form a proper working relationship with you. I doubt we would immediately have trust, but I can state that you have my respect. Your actions speak widely for you, and I personally think highly of those who act rather than just follow blindly. It is why I am working to arrange a governing force that won't shy away from headbutting with me if needed. To let me know if actions I want to take are wrong. Takeshi Shun, for one example, has currently agreed to give working with me a chance, and I in turn will trust him with distribution of medicine to those who need it, as soon as the medicine is finished being examined and tested."

Leaning on the desk now, Jirou nodded "You are a strong willed woman. And one who is also responsible for one of our country's biggest assets. I also desire to talk to you about the Jinchuuriki, if you would be willing."

Once more, Mika remained silent. She listened intently to what Jirou had to tell her. Her features didn't shift or reveal what she thought. Only when Jirou mentioned Takeshi Shun, Mika's eyebrows slightly raised - changing her blank expression slightly.
"Fair enough," Mika reacted to what Jirou stated and said, almost seemingly ignoring or uncaring for his words of praise for her. "I already suspected you were going to bring them up. Though I personally disagree that they are big assets."

Knowing full well that Jirou could do some research and digging to know what she meant with that, Mika decided to just play with a few cards on the table. "They are inexperienced and I have yet to get a gist on their Bijuu. For most part, both bijuu seem dormant. Even when jinchuriki are in close proximity. Compare that to the likes of the Tamer of the Nibi or Hachibi? I assume you can understand why they are far from a big asset, as things stand now."

Listening carefully, Jirou's expression would turn disappointed. Moving his arms from the table, he shook his head slightly "I won't lie, I hoped to hear something better. But it does give an already better picture of how things are and some thoughts on what potential actions we could take next. At the very least, they should be trained more, to become capable of standing up to themselves, even without the power of their bijuu. I had brought up the idea of sending you and the Jinchuuriki to a secure barracks away from the city for a while, where you will be able to focus on training while also being safe from the illness that is currently ongoing in the city. Takeshi disagreed, and thought we should actually split the two into different teams, along with dismissing the idea of sending the team away all-together. Do you have any thoughts on any of those ideas, or perhaps ideas of your own?" He asked.

She reckoned that he had hoped for that. It was much what she had hoped for initially. A frown knitted on Mika's brow when Jirou stated he considered to send them to a secure barracks away from the city, at least for a while.
"I understand that you're dealing with a lot of shit. You can't use two angsty teenagers with demons sealed within them, to roam around. Not when so much is ongoing." Mika stated, pausing to let the words sink in. "But a secure barracks? If you intend to safekeep the jinchuriki, a barracks will do anything good. If you fear for any opposition to seek and take them away, you will need something way more subtle. Away from Kirigakure? Sure. But nothing as obvious as some barracks, fortified island or something where people will go look first."

Considering that Takeshi had proposed to split the jinchuriki, Mika scoffed lightly. "I understand why Shun has advised something like that. But splitting the jinchuriki is a bad idea, for the moment at least. I don't doubt you got your gang of loyal swordbearers. But how many of them can you rely on to keep a jinchuriki from rampaging? How many of them will be able to compete with the Imps? Or with the Rats? Or any of the other foreign operatives that may be coming or are already here?"
Not giving much time for Jirou to answer the questions, Mika continued.
"If you want to truly weigh in my proposition, then I request to go underground. My terms, my way and none of the regular forces. Nor aid from those I didn't handpick."

As Mika gave her thoughts on the proposed ideas, Jirou kept his eyes locked onto her, his expression unchanging. After she gave her own proposal, he leaned back in the chair once more "You certainly know how you want to do things. I will first need to hear what your full terms are before I could agree to anything of the such. The rest of the details you can keep to yourself, if it will help keep things more secure." Jirou said "I hope you understand my reluctance to immediately agree to such an idea. A bijuu was already almost stolen once and released onto our city, and that was due to that time's leader being unaware of what went on. Heck, she was entirely away from the city, but that idiotic move is something else." He looked at Mika, wondering just how deep of an operation would she be running if he allowed her to.

"My terms? They are quite simple," Mika began, "I want to remain a mentor over Aya Oda. Regardless of what station that means I will occupy, I want full rights to say where or when she get deployed. In return? You reap the benefits of a jinchuriki becoming an actual asset. As long as I agree," Mika paused as she considered something else.
"True. But that was because the Fifth Mizukage was a failure. Taking too much pride that she could solve matters by might and herself alone. If you have read my records, you may know that I am the opposite." Raising her chin slightly and crossing arms out front of her chest, Mika continued to explain herself, "I have worked for the ANBU for an extensive amount of time. I know how to vanish to the point you won't be able to find anything else than I want you to find. I reckon that you might even have discovered my affiliations with some other people. And if I were to turn traitor, I had plenty of chances before."

Remaining silent, to let her words work their possible effects, Mika frowned once more. "After all, you are free to seek someone else to watch over the jinchuriki. But who else than me do you have to ensure their security? Or to make them vanish until you want them back into the fray?"

He thought Mika would go for a term of exclusivity over both Jinchuuriki, but she ended up only asking for one. Aya Oda, the one who was in her team the longest, according to the records. It did suggest that she wasn't that attached to the second Jinchuuriki, which was both good and bad. Attachments meant reasons to fight for the country, but they could also sway loyalties. After thinking about it for a couple of moments, Jirou sat straight up "If I hadn't wanted to try and keep you to look over the Jinchuuriki, I would've started looking without approaching you. Your terms are acceptable by me. I still wonder on how will I receive updates regarding your situation, but knowing your background and resourcefulness helps knowing that you are very capable of delivering anything you may wish to update me on without the need for me to know."

Leaning forward once more, Jirou offered his hand to shake "You are hereby instructed to do what you believe is best in order to keep the Jinchuuriki safe and hidden while training them further." He said, with his tone suggesting that it is more of a formality to him than an actual order.

Locking her eyes with Jirou, Mika was briefly pondering if she could get any benefits for herself. But she didn't see much of a reason to overplay herself and risk losing some of her standing. Leaning forwards, Mika extended a hand and shook Jirou's hand.
"Good," she said as she would release her hand and leaned back. "I will indeed let you know on my terms and way on how it will go.Though I will have to prepare then right away," Mika stated, though not yet rising and taking her leave.

"Very well. You are dismissed." Jirou said in a calm tone, before watching her get up and leave the office. He turned to look at the window behind him, and thought about the conversation. It certainly felt like they were getting off on the right track, which was important, considering she had such a connection to the Jinchuuriki. And if she did not care about the country, she wouldn't have acted in the past the way she did. This would just have to be like the others. He will need to prove to her, too, that his intentions, selfish or not, lay in the right place at the end.

Aliceee · Feb 22, 2020

A Conversation at a fire

[ Eastern Continent | Wolf Country | Imperial 13th Brigade's campment ]
[ A collab between @conman2163 and @Aliceee | Dagrún and Orun share a conversation with each other. The two briefly talk about the possibility of dragon soup and very lightly touch upon Mamoru's idea on how to honour the slain. ]

Orun sat in silence in front of his tent, slowly adding the scales to his carving of Tireo. It was small and delicate by this point, the finer details only barely visible in the light of the fire. Orun was hunched over cutting the wood carefully with a specially made knife, considering the results of the mission. Sat next to him was a small bottle of the alcohol that he stashed in his personal items. Orun had been trained in so many ways to kill people he'd have trouble counting them. He'd ended the lives of many in the defense of his people and his homeland, he would probably end many more, but it didn't change the gut wrenching feeling that knotted up in his stomach every time he did. Carving the small piece of wood helped with that. It was a therapeutic experience to be able to bring a shape to something formless.

Orun leaned back for a moment as he considered the small statuette of Tireo, holding it in one hand, while taking a swig of the alcohol with the other. It was undoubtedly the best one he had carved yet, though it lacked fine detail in places like the eyes or mouth. The scale patterns in the wood snaked over each other, a pair of horns rose from the fearsome head, and his legs ended in terrible claws. Yet it lacked the life of the dragon, and for what seemed like the millionth time Orun considered abandoning his duties, leaving the camp, and going out alone to talk to the dragon. He felt so lonely without the constant mental companionship of the creature. The only times he really could afford to summon Tireo now were during missions, or the rare occasion in some hidden glade. He considered the crackling fire in front of him before sitting the wooden statuette down beside him on the log and tossing another stick on the flames providing light and warmth.

"That's ye pet, eh?"

Dagrún's voice resonated a mere second before she would sit down near the fire. Chewing on something briefly, the Hon would turn her head and spit it out in an opposite direction from Orun. "Nice carving. How long have ye been occupied with that?" She asked, her gaze briefly resting upon the carving before rising to look at Orun's face. "I actually expected folk like yous to be more fond using, metals and like. Ye know, stuff that some of ye Hyuzu tend to do."

"Partner, more like." Responded Orun as Dagrun had a seat near the fire. He offered her the bottle of alcohol. "Months now, it's a pain in the ass to add the details, but it is something I can do anywhere." He chuckled at Dagrun invoking the stereotype of Hyuzu smiths. "Aye, I can smith like others in my clan, I just haven't spent very much time doing it. My father wanted me to take his forge before he passed and I chose to become a shinobi. Infuriated the piss out of him." He smiled faintly. "You seen Madoc yet? Last I heard he was in the medic tent for his eye."

Accepting the bottle of alcohol, Dagrún took a swig. Letting the taste roll over her tastebuds, she listened to what Orun replied back. Her eyebrows perked up slightly, as she figured that Orun misunderstood her. Deciding to not bring up the Hyuzu bloodline ability, she shrugged about the Hyuzu's question about Madoc.
"Pretty face shall be alright. Lost his eye, he did," she casually remarked before taking another swig of the alcohol. Offering the bottle back, she decided to swap back on a previous topic. "Ye said that yer scaled friend is a partner? Interesting relationship with a beast," she began, not hiding her curiosity, "Have ye tried to ever eat one of them dragons?"

Orun nodded in reply to the answer. If he was fine, then that was good. His reply to her question was a hearty laugh though as he accepted the bottle back. "I can't say I have, though I am almost certain my clan would hunt me like a fox if I did. Bad plan to try and eat a dragon. They are smart, foul tempered, and can breath fire." He took a swig of the alcohol "Not to mention that I can't help but see them as more than beasts. Tireo has been travelling with me since I was a lad. If it weren't for him I'd likely be dead by now. I owe him plenty." His look turned curious as he took another swig of alcohol. "I take it you've never seen a dragon before? Heard any stories?"

The answer of Orun caused visible disappointment to dawn on Dagrún's features. "I would love to know what they taste like." She said, "And yer Hyuzu that close with them beasts? Odd. Reminds me of what those Hanta's are like. Odd," the Hon briefly considered something but seemed to come to a conclusion that fell back on not able to understand what Orun completely said.
"I have not seen a dragon before, nay. When ye summoned yous, I had hoped it would be bigger, ye know? I don't know. I heard some tales that they were nastier, bigger and such."

Continue to ponder for another second, she would lightly shrug. "I can't think of my beast as a partner. Animals are animals. Not people like. Though I suppose that animals can be jolly companions compared to some folk." Dagrún raised her right hand to scratch her temple. "So that dragon of yers, ye got him for some time now?"

"We're as close as two friends can be. I don't have a good size comparison for Tireo and other, older dragons. I never really hung about my clan long enough to see any others. He's been with me since I was…. Oh thirteen I think? So fourteen years then. He was frightfully grumpy back then. Smaller though." He shrugged at Dagrun's disappointment. "Unfortunately, that's just the way it is I guess. Some stories can be disappointing. But don't worry, he's plenty nasty now. I wouldn't call him an animal to his face though. Dragon's are proud, too proud to admit they're proud even, and it wouldn't do anything but upset him. It's really quite a shame he can't be here now, but it'd cause a stir like no other." He took another swig and offered the bottle back to Dagrun.

Dagrún had her doubts when Orun continued, stating that he and the beast could be as close as two friends could be. "I suppose so, aye. Still, I would have enjoy'd marveling at the sight of a large fiend. As for hurting yer buddy, don't worry," the Hon shrugged lightly, "sounds like he's human alright." Dagrún said, the last comment being loaded with more amusement than the previous replies.
Taking the bottle, Dagrún took a sip this time. Considering Orun's last words, she shrugged.
"To be fair, I can't sympathize with ye. My own summoning wouldn't fit in here either. But it gives me time to try to give ye scoundrels a go. Learning what I can 'bout ya'll. And not needing to worry about a bear going this or that."
Offering the bottle and what remained back to Orun, Dagrún sighed softly.
"After all, it could have been worse. Ye could have been forced to serve that buddy of yers as supper."

Orun shrugged and decided on changing the topic. "Aye, it could be worse. Though I doubt that he'd have nothing to say on the matter of dragon soup." He chuckled as he took the bottle back and took a final swig before getting quiet for a moment and looking into the fire, setting the bottle aside. "Anyone talked to Mamoru yet? I didn't say anything to him, but that habit he wants to develop… Well, it's a little odd."

The question of Orun brought Dagrún's mind back to the Senju. Truth be told? She didn't mind the genin. It was clear that he had yet to grow and develop a better appetite and attitude for bloodshed. During the mission it had shown his inexperience. But from what she could recall, he had managed to get out alive. Though she hadn't involve herself with babysitting Mamoru, so she couldn't form a solid opinion yet.
"It is different, aye," Dagrún started, a frown appearing on her brow, "but if it gives him peace? I won't argue. It is better than lighting a fire for each life he took. Perhaps its paying homage to his ancestors or God as well? I find many traditions of Asiske odd and yet, fascinating."
Pausing for a second, Dagrún would lightly shrug.
"But odd? Nah, I don't yet see it as odd. Lad just got to find his way. After all, how do ye deal with killing?"

Orun pointed to the bottle simply and matter of factly. "I drink and I carve. That's all." He shrugged as far as the thoughts of paying homage to his gods or ancestors? Well… fine really. There were worse ways of killing. "Aye well, so long as none of you take a dive off the deep end, I suppose it doesn't matter." Orun felt very tired all of a sudden. He yawned and stretched. "Well, I am going to get some shut eye. Have a good night." He stood up from the campfire, picking up his carving and the special knife that went with it.

Placing her elbow on a knee Dagrún supported her head with a hand. Listening to Orun, the expression of the Hon remained neutral. When Orun decided it was time to head off, Dagrún's eyes followed the Hyuzu leaving.
Turning her eyes back at the campfire Dagrún remained silent. Then a frown formed on her face as she scoffed lightly.

Aliceee · Feb 22, 2020

A Venture Southwards!

[ Lightning Country | From the cold, far North to Okino! | Part 3 ]
[ Reyna Azuma and Asami Sanosuke - A collab between @ChromeHound and @Aliceee | Reyna accompanies Asami, as the latter decides to venture with the Saemund-Sanosuke fleet to the south. The offensive of the northern clans of the Sanosuke lash out with their Saemund ally in a bid to keep the northern seas dominated. But only time will say if their efforts will pay off. ]

[ Previous Part ]

In a quick succession of movement Asami plunged the tip of the spear into the breast of an enemy. The steel tore through the gambeson with some difficulty but hearing the soft gasp of her foe, Asami was able to deduce that her strike was sufficient.
Giving a push with the spear and releasing her grip, the woman ignored the man falling on his back.
Panting slightly, Asami observed the scene as she had dispatched two enemies. However, three enemies moved in quickly. Two of them were armed with swords while another wielded a mace. Dodging the first opponent, whose approach was to curse at Asami and swing rather wildly with his weapon - the strikes aimed at Asami's head and neck primarily.
Dodging the man's swings Asami was forced to move back as the second swordfighter trailed his companion and every time that Asami made an attempt, the second swordfighter lashed out.

Frustrated, the woman wasn't stupid enough to risk her own skin to gain an advantage with losing a hand or impaling herself on the enemy's steel. Squinting her eyes Asami pivoted to dodge another strike. Chakra started to rapidly mould as the woman brought her hands together.
"Filthy--" the word escaped the soldier as he recognised the danger. Dashing forwards the swordfighter lashed out with his blade. But before the man could attempt to skewer Asami, his screams would ripple through the area.
Fire would drive Asami's opponent back as the flames started to engulf the man. Holding in her breath, Asami turned to her next opponent who took a step back. The soldier dropped his sword as his other hand was brought up.
"No, no, plea--"
Without any hesitation Asami took a step forward and let her lips part. The kneaded chakra rushed forward as it converted itself into heat and fire. The stench of burnt flesh, hair and the man's screaming did little to affect Asami.

Turning half around Asami was throwing a look where she had last seen Reyna. Before she could settle her gaze a blow would connect to her stomach. The force was enough to slam any oxygen out of her lungs and leave her wheezing. Before Asami could recover and react another blow would land and cause her to drop on her back.
Blinking with her eyes Asami saw a blurred figure as the world tumbled and trembled. Something was raised above the figure and Asami had some difficulty to register the sounds that originated from the figure. Grunting the woman closed her eyes as she noticed that the object came soaring down.
In a rapid motion Asami's right foot would move up and kick the wrist that held the mace. The counter-attack was enough to halt the mace from shattering Asami's skull. Opening her eyes Asami would use her other foot to kick the man and disturb his balance.
While her opponent struggled to keep his balance Asami's head twisted to the right. Spotting one of the blades that had been dropped to the ground Asami quickly reached for it.
Her gloved fingers grasped the hilt until something heavy dropped on her. Wanting to turn her head, Asami could feel the hand of her opponent pushing her head back - using his weight to keep her pinned down.
Before the soldier could deliver a crushing blow with his mace he gasped, his eyes widening. Driving the sword deeper into the man's side Asami grunted softly. Twisting the handle, she would let the sharp steel tear the flesh of the man further. Feeling the grip of the man loosen Asami quickly pushed her foe off her.
Wasting no time the woman would quickly move on her feet. Now that she had the chance, Asami saw how Reyna was facing off against two other opponents. Inhaling Asami would squint her eyes as she gripped the blade with both hands.

Moving forwards Asami would use all her strength and momentum to slam herself against one of the soldiers. The action was enough to topple one of the soldiers and send both the man and Asami to the ground, the steel of Asami's weapon piercing the man's side.

The movement came so fast that Reyna initially thought she was being attacked from another side. The blur moved past her, however, and tackled the man she had managed to snag with her chain-blade. The momentum of Asami's attack nearly pulled the weapon from Reyna's hand but the girl maintained her grip until the tension suddenly fell slack. Confused, Reyna looked at the place where the soldier had been standing. The realization came with a sickening twist as Reyna saw that Asami's attack, coupled by the blades in her weapon, had severed the man's leg from his ankle, leaving his bloody stump connected to the foot on the ground.

Whipping the chain-blade back in disgust, Reyna yelped as the weapon was still partially stuck to the severed foot, bringing it flying towards her. Ducking, she slid to her left to avoid the incoming projectile. The move managed to save her from getting her head smashed in as the man Asami had wounded with an axe to the back earlier brought his mace down viciously, attempting to crush Reyna's skull. The flying foot collided with the soldier's face and sent him reeling backwards, flailing his arms as he tried to recover his balance. The flailing mace swung around, catching Reyna on her right arm, causing her to drop the chain-blade. Gritting her teeth against the pain, Reyna's medical training kicked in,telling her the arm wasn't broken and the spikes on the mace hadn't punctured anything vital. She wouldn't have time to confirm until after dealing with the immediate threat, however, and Reyna leapt forwards, bringing the blade in her left hand around. The soldier had just managed to recover when Reyna's sword came charging towards him, lightning surging down the blade. Lifting the mace, he managed to deflect the blow slightly, but it still cut through the armour on his arm and forced him back. Taking one step backwards, the soldier snarled and angrily swung the mace around in front of him. Dropping and rolling, Reyna avoided the horizontal blow that would likely have broken her in half. Coming up from her roll, the girl cursed inwardly as her right arm was forced to brace the move slightly, sending new waves of pain shooting through her body. The move had allowed her to shift around behind the man where she had an opening in the armour - exactly where Asami's axe had cut through earlier. Without hesitating, Reyna jumped up, her blade held out in front of her. Driving the sword into the breach in the soldier's armour as hard as she could, Reyna closed her eyes and held her breath. The noise that followed was sickening, as her blade pierced through the man's body and out the other side. She felt him thrash violently several times, but held the sword as tightly as she could, not wanting to risk being thrown off.

The thrashing stopped and Reyna realized he was gone. Pulling her blade out as the man slumped forward, Reyna paused to catch her breath. Looking over at Asami, she saw that the woman had dispatched her own target and stepped forward, relieved as it appeared the fighting was over. That was when she realized she had forgotten about the man with the strange weapon. Scanning the area, she tried to see the man but her vision was still cloudy. Wiping her eyes again, Reyna looked up and thought she saw movement. Taking another step forward, she realized in a panic that the man was now standing just above Asami.

"No!" Reyna shouted. Pulling her left arm back, she took aim and launched her sword towards the only remaining soldier. Hoping, praying that it would find its mark.

It did… sort of... The pommel of her sword struck the soldier first, throwing him off balance as he was trying to swing his blade. While it hadn't exactly had the desired effect, Reyna hoped it would give Asami enough time to react. Running forward, Reyna pulled out a kunai, preparing to throw it if Asami did not react in time.

Pain and exhaustion were taking hold. The biting cold of the snow actually provided a relief of some sort. Feeling a wave of pain moving through her body, pulsing strongly at her side. With each heartbeat the jounin felt as if a bit of her life escaped her. Placing a hand on the wound Asami's breathing became irregular for a moment, the pain causing the woman to narrow her eyes.
Laying on her back Asami was able to throw a glance at Reyna. Watching how the jinchuriki managed to take care of her opponent Asami noticed some movement. One of the soldiers from before managed to find enough strength to get up. He slouched towards Asami, a tight grip on his weapon.
Watching the man approach her Asami did nothing to pose a threat, allowing the man to believe that he was dealing with a helpless target.
Locking her eyes with the soldier Asami felt the hilt with her free hand. Slowly her fingers wrapped around the hilt as she kept her eyes locked on the soldier. Her plan being to dodge at the last moment and plunge her own weapon into the man's body.

Hearing Reyna's shout, Asami's eyes diverted. Her blank features betraying her worries if the chuunin was unable to deal with a certain opponent provided the chance for the soldier to move in.
Pulling her attention back to the soldier Asami grunted. Rolling out of harm's way the jounin would lash out in a quick and swift motion. The blade of the woman slicing and biting into the man's thigh, causing him to groan and sink down.
Before the soldier could respond Asami's gloved hands shot forward. Grabbing the man's head Asami cursed softly as she used her strength and weight, an eerie sound of bones cracking at the base of the man's head.
Releasing the soldier Asami watched as the soldier slumped down.
"Rotten piece of shite," Asami cursed as she spat on the last corpse before placing a hand on her wound. Throwing a glance at Reyna, Asami's lips parted. Despite being quite winded from the fight and hurt, there was no repulsion or anger shown towards Reyna. Straightening her back so good as she could Asami gave a curt nod to Reyna before looking around.
"This will just be one unit. We got to move away from here. Quickly."

Relief flooded through her when Asami was able to dispatch the last enemy and Reyna stopped, finally taking a moment to catch her breath. It was in that moment that she realized how much her arm hurt and glanced down to check the wound. Gritting her teeth against the pain, the girl saw the sparks that surrounded her arm and gained some small comfort in knowing that her Lightning Aura was kicking in, already beginning to heal the wounds. Retrieving her weapons, Reyna sheathed them before noticing that Asami was holding a wound of her own. "Asami-sensei, you… you're hurt!"

Biting her lip, the girl glanced around. "I can help," she began uncertainly, not sure they'd have enough time before then next wave of enemies would be upon them. "Is there somewhere we can rest for a minute?"

The last question was waved off by Asami. The woman pressed against her wound. Despite wanting to appear strong, the stubborn Sanosuke had some difficulty to walk without any pain.
"We got to get out of here. Before more of them show up. We worry later about wounds," Asami stated, nearly sneering back at Reyna.
Starting to trudge through the snow Asami had to blink a few times. Her vision became blurry a few times and the wound radiated pain through her body, each ache and pulse causing Asami to take a sharp breath in.

Biting her lip, Reyna nodded and followed Asami for a few steps before slowing. She could see the discomfort that the jounin was dealing with and the sharp breaths indicated she wouldn't get very far by trying to simply push through things. Hesitating, the girl clenched her fists and stopped completely.

"No."

Waiting for Asami to turn, Reyna fully expected the sneer or the disappointment, but continued speaking anyway. "You are in no shape to continue Asami-sensei. If you continue trying to push through it, you're likely to cause even more damage to yourself and you will lose consciousness shortly. I can't carry you and I won't be able to defend myself without you. Not for long any way." Reaching out, Reyna pointed at Asami's feet. "Besides. You're bleeding all over the place. If we keep moving, they're going to find us anyway and at that point neither of us will be able to fight back. So no. You need to stop for a short time and let me heal you. I won't have time to heal everything, but I can stop you from bleeding and get you to a point where you can keep moving."

A soft wheeze was present in Asami's breathing. She threw a look over her shoulder, first. Turning half way around, the expression of the Sanosuke was one of annoyance and pain. Without a word, Asami made it clear that she was far from wanting to consent to a genin's demands. Certainly one that she had saved and got wounded for.
Spitting on the snow, Asami turned her gaze to the direction where the beach landing was supposed to be. Grunting, Asami decided to gesture with her free hand that Reyna could do her work.
"Make it fast, we got to make distance fast from this place."

Relieved that the woman had not simply decided to strike her down where she stood, Reyna nodded and quickly moved forward. Reaching out with her left hand, she looked up at Asami again, hesitating as she felt like she needed the woman's verbal permission. Shaking the thought from her mind, Reyna gritted her teeth, looked down and focused her chakra. Her hand hovered just over the wound and sparks began gathering around her hand as she focused. She was keenly aware that they didn't have as much time as she'd like and Reyna knew she'd have to focus on the immediate threats. From the way Asami was wheezing, there was definitely some damage to the lungs, likely a broken or bruised rib at the least. A blue glow formed beneath her hand and the sparks leapt between her and Asami as her Lightning Aura kicked in to begin healing the Jounin.

She would start with the surface wound, stopping the bleeding and closing the wound as best she could. It wasn't an ideal job, but Reyna was able to stop the flow of blood. It would hold up for long enough for them to get to safety, so long as Asami didn't strain herself too much… Making a quick prayer under her breath that they would not encounter any enemies on their way, Reyna looked up. "I know we don't have much time, but there is something affecting your lungs. If I don't take a look right now there's a chance you won't even make it to a safer area."

Without waiting for the woman to respond, Reyna moved her hand up, closing her eyes while she tried to concentrate. Sparks still arced back and forth between Reyna's hand and Asami, shifting from the wound in the Jounin's side towards her chest. Focusing her chakra, Reyna did her best to repair the internal damage that was impacting Asami's breathing. After a few minutes of concentrating, the girl lowered her hand and stepped back, breathing heavily. "That… that should do it."

Attempting to keep herself still Asami felt irritation boiling up. The mere fact that a genin of Reyna's calibre was saving her hide, annoyed and frustrated Asami to almost no end. The intriguing fashion of how the genin mended the wound wasn't painful, but it was far from pleasant. It gave Asami a constant reminder that a inexperienced person like Reyna was taking care of her. Instead of the other way around. When Reyna stated that there was something affecting her lungs, Asami grunted and waved off the worry.
"If we don't get out here as soon as possible, it will be more than just my lung." The woman stated as she started to walk again. "We need to get moving."

Already Asami feared that this was a very bad omen. If the scout parties had been taken out this rapidly and the enemy was getting into position, then that meant that they could wind up seperated. And if that occured, then they were most likely abandoned to their deaths or being captured. Having an idea what would happen, Asami threw a glance at Reyna.
"Come on," the woman sneered, trying to ignore the pain or difficulty to breathe properly.

Nodding quietly, Reyna fell into step behind Asami. As they moved through the forest, Reyna could not help the fear that grew in the back of her mind. Despite her best efforts, she was becoming more and more afraid. Afraid that they'd taken too much time and would be attacked again. Afraid that she hadn't done a good enough job healing Asami and that the woman wouldn't make it back to camp. Afraid of what she would do if the woman did collapse.

The fear only grew as she realized her instability was putting them both at risk. If she let her guard down that… that thing, that monster could come back. If it did come back, there was no way she could control it and Reyna didn't want to put Asami at risk. Biting her lower lip, the girl tried to shake the thought from her mind. Focus she told herself. Another thought crossed her mind and the girl looked up towards Asami. "What happens if they've already taken the beach?" she asked quietly, a hint of fear still in her voice.

Continue to move on forward, Asami ignored the question of Reyna. She had her own thoughts on what they would do if the fighting was in full force. Despite the previous show of Reyna's skills, she was certain that the genin was far from capable to survive the crucible that a true battlefield would pose.
"Just keep on moving," Asami ordered with a firm tone.
Walking forward Asami's frustration grew. Her vision blurred a few times and the pain was close to forcing her to sit down. Stubbornly, she carried on. Step by step.

Nearing one of the dunes, she heard the sounds ahead. Freezing, Asami hissed softly. The sounds were chaotic, a mixture of steel clashing and soaring through the air, while people shouted in anger, agony, excitement or fear. A true chaotic mess that she didn't want to get into.
Turning to the side, Asami gestured to Reyna to stick close.
"Time to move out. Best if we move as far as we can." Asami ordered strictly, moving back to the forest.
Already in the woman's mind, a plan was hatching now that they were clearly in more trouble.

Asami did not answer her question, which only served to make Reyna more nervous. She continued to follow the Jounin, keeping a close eye on the woman in case her injuries worsened. When they reached the dunes and Asami paused, Reyna's hand immediately went towards her weapon. She could hear the sounds of battle ahead and it appeared her worst fears had been realized. Heading off back towards the forest, Reyna felt her dread growing.

Traveling to the forest Asami had to blink several times. In her mind, she was already at the edge but in reality, she was moving slower than she desired. Reaching the forest's edge, Asami threw a look over her shoulder. Then she gestured for Reyna to keep moving, towards the north.
Already Asami was considering what they should do next as they continued to trudge through the snow and cold. Knowing that the battle was lost she felt a bitter taste rising in her mouth.

Lesli · Feb 22, 2020

[ Empire of Akino | Cho Clan heartlands | Somewhere in the Jarldom of Frode ]
[ Near the village of Skarfanes ]
[ A response to the GM post]

The man's fingers clawed through the dirt and sand. Using his strength to drag himself forward, his chest and stomach rubbing against the cold ground. His breath was uneasy, his pupils enlarged as pain coursed through his body.
"No-"

The plea was cut off short as steel penetrated the man's back. Only to be jerked out and shoved into the man's back. The motion repeated several times, blood started to form a stain on the ground. Ending the man's movement and pained breath.
Staring down at the fresh corpse, the masked operative remained silent. Hearing some footsteps, she twisted her head to throw a look over her shoulder.

"You got that runner?" A masculine voice heralded Asmund's visual arrival - as the Cho pushed aside the vegetation. Throwing a look at the corpse, Asmund flashed a grin. Approaching the corpse he would kneel close to it.
"Three stabs? A quick death?" His smile diminished as he threw a look at the masked operative. "Too kind, young one. But you managed to track and hunt him down."
Rising from his stance, Asmund seemed to cough. Only to spat on the dead body.
"Dispose of this invader. Then join the others."

The stench of skin and hair burnt filled the air. Accompanied by smoke, the screams of before had halted. Yet the flames of the bonfire continued to devour various individuals that had been caught and tortured.
Watching from a far distance, Asmund chewed on some beef jerky. Slowly chewing on the tough meat Asmund wagered what the purpose was of these people. Why they had decided to land on these shores, leaving their home country - the Republic of Water. Had they not known where they disembarked? Or was their purpose to try to infiltrate and convert the locals here?

Many locals from the nearby villages came to witness to the event. It was far from a pleasant experience but a necessary one, in the opinion of the locals. For many were wary of what these outsiders tried to bring. Their words of 'true religion' had sparked unrest and hostility. Various individuals that hadn't been captured by the Cho Guard or the local authorities. Those unfortunate souls had met their end in a rather brutal fashion.
It seemed that whatever diety this Miku was, Asmund mused to himself, it was far from interested or able to protect its loyal devotees. Unlike the gods that he had grown up with. The gods that watched over his people and clan.

Turning around, Asmund would start to walk towards the nearby cliffs. For there were some of the 'invaders' that had yet to be questioned. There was quite some doubt that anything could be learned of these Miku devotees. But orders were orders, Asmund reminded himself.
Arriving on the site where he was greeted with a grimmest scenery. Various people were tied down, many wounded and suffering from past interrogations or being handled far from gentle during their capture. A group of soldiers that served the jarldom were present, which held the perimeter and watched from a distance. Their disgust and distrust were clear as day. And not to mention quite audible.

Passing the soldiers Asmund joined the various Cho Guards that held a close eye on the various individuals. Already one of the Miku devotees was handpicked and pulled from the group. Which caused a loud ruckus as many started to desperately plea for them to swap places or for mercy. Their pleas were merely answered with hostility and violence.
Watching how a pair of Cho Guards started to drag one of the devotees away, Asmund would follow. The devotee was dragged to a lower part of the cliff. The sound of the sea crashing waves upon the land was considerably noticable

Dragging the devotee to a rock, the Cho Guards started their handiwork as fast as they could. A barrier of chakra would be formed around the devotee and its escorts. A prayer to Miku was drowned out as waves slammed against the chakra barrier as if the sea was quite eager to claim its prize already.
Chaining the devotee to the rock, the chakra barrier remained still. The violence of the waves made it impossible for Asmund to listen in but he continued watching. Judging on how quickly the exchange went, Asmund knew enough. Soon enough the devotee was left alone.
The water soon slammed against the devotee's body as the Cho Guard would walk away, taking his protective barrier with him.

The only mercy that the devotee could count upon wasn't Miku, Asmund thought to himself as he kept watching. Instead of pleading with Miku, Asmund was certain that the devotee should request Ergir to send one of his creatures. For else the devotee would be facing a very slow and agonizing death.

Luckily, there were more spots on which they could bring a living sacrifice to moody god of the waves.

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