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Naruto Saga » Kaze no Kuni » Kaze no Kuni Wilderness » Kaze no Kuni Border » Turning the Yellow Cult Red [Nova | Yosei | Mission]

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Izumi

Izumi


A-rank
Mission name: Cease Cloud Influence.
Mission rank: S-rank.
Objective: Eliminate cloud elements threatening refugee operations.
Location: Endless Wasteland.
Reward: 3000 ryo + 5 EP
Mission Description: Distraught, traumatized refugees are a prime hunting ground for organizations and religions to find and recruit new members. Village intelligence has requested the investigation into strange cults recruiting refugees, we cannot allow the rogue nation of Kumogakure to import new followers to radicalize on this scale. Prevent it!
Development References: What Lies Beneath Event.
Mission Details: Refugees have been going missing, led into the deserts by men in golden robes who claim to be working for a divine mandate. They have amassed a large number of refugees and are converting them to their way of thinking. Iwa intelligence requests the covert elimination of this threat, which is considered a failure if they discover it was done by an Iwa shinobi, likely placing the Iwa shinobi, if revealed, in the Kumogakure bingo book. The leader of the cult is an S-ranked Shihana clan member with Ninjutsu, Bukijutsu (Two S-ranked broadswords) and Taijutsu (Speed), as well as all Ninjutsu, Raiton, and Suiton library jutsu. With him are two A-ranked Taijutsu (Speed) users who also have Ninjutsu, Raiton and Suiton library techniques of A-rank and lower. In addition there are fifteen B-ranked cult members who will attack but are non-ninja. This mission is considered a criminal mission as it is unofficial and the village will not acknowledge its existence in the event of failure.



Izumi had heard the rumours, yellow robed men who would lure refugees into the wastes with promise of shelter, power, whatever they needed to convince their quarry to follow them. Izumi didn't agree with the villages for the most part, but even a broken clock can be right twice a day. The young lady had heard that Iwagakure was leading a major operation to stop these strange golden men of Hastur. Izumi hadn't known it was Hastur's doing until a strange dream about the exams had reminded her that that was wear she'd seen the yellow robes before. Those strange men who attended the God-King Hastur as well as the participants in the exams making their lives easy as possible through constant attention. Izumi had returned to her home in order to help those that remained she had developed something akin to survivors guilt as of late. Having wished that she was more powerful back then. If she was the same strength then that she was now it may have been a different story. Her friends were so much stronger too. Granted, she hadn't seen any of her Suna comrades save for Nova since the exams. Izumi wanted to meet up with her old mentor Ryu sometime. Izumi dressed in the fine black and white silks that she had been donning while in her original home. The Karisuma woman had adopted a false name and a haunting mask. Going by Zhi, she had been able to avoid recognition thus far. Iwagakure had put out feelers for some agents willing to carry out their operation against Hastur's forces. Izumi of course agreed quickly and sent a message to her constant companion, Nova. The two had been lovers since reconnecting in the Mist Village. Surely her lover would want to join her on a dangerous off the record mission that could very well be Izumi's last. Should she be caught there was no back up, no one to save her just her own skills and that of her trusted lover. Surely, it was possible that others would answer the call but as it stood Izumi could only really rely on herself and Nova. Izumi's lover had also adopted a false name on this excursion, choosing to go by Xie. Nova and Izumi had posed as foreign nobles, Izumi's considerable wealth easily able to make the facade appear real. Izumi was clad in a tight white silk dress with a black floral pattern.

Izumi yet again was undertaking something that she couldn't afford to be recognized during and have said information leaked out. Izumi donned the mask that she had used so frequently since leaving her recent home, the Hidden Mist Village. Izumi used every single one of the many distraction tactics at her disposal. She was confident woman and the tightness of her dress showed that. It was not restrictive on her movements however, allowing her to move with a grace that almost made it seem like she glided as she walked. The Karisuma was ready to undertake her daunting mission, one she had a good chance of dying during. At least she was dying for something she believed in, the liberation of her home. Izumi set out to meet Nova at the intermediary point mandated in the clandestine dossier Izumi had in her possession. One of the hardest parts of her traveling identity was that she couldn't spend nearly as much time with Nova in the evenings as she'd like. Part of the act was keeping up the appearance that Izumi was visiting this land under the pretense of finding husbands for themselves. Of course there was always some excuse why she couldn't court this man and that man but the attempts couldn't be shut down altogether.

It was surreal walking through the ruins of her once home, she could almost see everything as it was with every shop and home as it were. Hopefully these emotional distractions didn't crop up in a moment that would have her killed, thankfully though it was a rather peaceful journey. The night sky was full of stars just how she had always remembered it. The air was cool but not cold it was in all honesty quite a pleasant night to be shedding blood on. Even better that it was crazy cultist blood. Izumi would start a fire and begin cooking a meal, waiting for the arrival of her love while preparing a meal. Hopefully the fire would attract the yellow robed men in search of refugees. Izumi would send her Raiton chakra into the environment around her allowing her well advanced warning of anyone who approached. She would greet any interlopers pleasantly and invite them to join her for a meal after introducing herself as Zhi.

809 words.

Nova Makato

Nova Makato


A-rank
Whilst most of Izumi's missions seemed to take her from responsibilities within the ruins of Suna itself, Nova had found herself re-familiarizing herself with the roads through the desecrated village. Not only with it's layout and structures, but the people who had wormed their way back into the wasteland. It gnawed at Nova's heartstrings to picture being stuck here, unable to have a chance against the forces that were as she had been upon her departure. A single genin, with no shinobi to call her mentor nor family to learn from. Though she had left these lands lonely and scared, unwilling to even call herself a shinobi due to lack of confidence in her abilities, she now returned a changed woman. Skills had been honed, techniques practices, puppets crafted. What had made the most difference in her from then and now however, was that she was no longer alone. In Kiri she had bonded with another woman who had left the land of wind, Izumi Karisuma. In addition she had a mentor, Lord Osada who praised her as one of his best students. Now she, herself, was a mentor in her own right to a group that her and Izumi had taken with them.

For their venture into the lands around Suna, the pair had opted to change their look as well as using false names; Izumi going by Zhi and Nova going by Xie. Nova's normally auburn and teal waves were replaced by a blend of dark purple silver and all the shades between the two. In addition, she had left behind her dark silk kimono with white embroidered spiders along its hems and now opted for a simple outfit of black shorts, tank top, and thin mesh kimono to protect from the bulk of the sun's rays without warming her more. It was a casual outfit, not one that would give the appearance of being prepared for battle especially when combined with her clumsying faux leg and lack of visible weaponry. However, she was not unarmed despite looking so, in the back of her faux leg was a slot in which he had three tightly wound scrolls tucked away, ready to be used at the snap of her fingers.

As dangerous as these lands were, it was almost more dangerous to appear as one who could take care of themselves as the bandits saw that as a sign that the individual might have something of value worth protecting. The scrolls Nova carried with her were certainly worth guarding, one of which containing the body of the lond deceased Akatsuki member Sasori. Being disguised as a refugee in these lands gave her opportunities she would likely have been denied had she still wore the kiri headband. Slowly, she had gleaned information from the people who scurried about in the shadows of the ruins to find that people had been dissapearing into the desert with no supplies and no return. To supplement this, a message from Izumi spelled out what the cause was, being an Iwagakure mission against Hastur. The Raikage being the one who gave her the scroll containing Sasori. Never opened. Did he even know what was inside?. The Raikage had me in his... possessions?, the thoughts had a irate tone to it, along with the sense of confusion at what had happened to his body as he lay dormant.

Having already walked through the ruins and night, Nova was not expecting the pang of fear that rushed through her upon departing for the location Izumi had set to meet. Still she walked with her slow limp down the street, puppets hidden away from view though she would unseal them the moment she felt any sort of threat. Fortuitously, the streets were silent and her travel was unaccosted. Out between a pair of sand dune was the warm glow of what only could have been a fire, and even from a distance Nova could recognize Izumi's lovely face. Slowly, Nove would approach with hands up in a sign of non-agression as it appeared that there were was a pair of robed individuals sitting beside her in the firelight.

[698 WC]

Yōsei

Yōsei


S-rank
The Sealer cast his gaze out across the windstorm, keen eyes scouring the dark miasma for signs of life as he twisted through the dusk. The Cloud knew no sanctity, choosing to defile the history of this land by perverting its people, converting them into followers of some hollow regime which threatened to bring discord in its wake. Yōsei spat at the thought of this desecration, vowing to rid the sand of the intruders by whatever means he had to before the war began, for if he was to establish his hold on the western summit of the world, the Sand could not fall into the hands of his target. Remaining still were the meetings he had to attend throughout the lawless frontier near the border, including that of his reunion with the Mizukage which he grinned even now in anticipation of. So long it had been since Yōsei tasted the edge of a battle so grandiose as a test for the Mizukage, one which the Sealer was confident she would pass. But the question yet remained whether she would be ready, or willing, to slay the King in Yellow if it came to pass that he could not. Ayakashi held power perhaps above any other, and resolve yet to be broken, but if she could be easily fooled by one such as he, then what hope would she have to stand against Hastur.

For days since their arrival, Yōsei had observed the goings on of men in golden robes, those he had feared, leading the residents of the fallen Sand away under cover of darkness. With ease, the Sealer had pursued them to their hideout, marking the trail and connecting it to his network of seals across the nation before moving on. Tonight, Yōsei stalked throughout the ruined outskirts of the city, awaiting the arrival of his marks before he would travel to the heart of their empire and slay their king. As he broke the edge of the wind, sheltered by the decaying walls which stood as a reminder to the craftsmanship of the Hidden Sand, still able to withstand the elements after all the senseless destruction that had been wrought. The Sealer had often wondered what would have become of this place if he had completed his ascent more swiftly, breached his way back toward the light of mortality before the ruins were beyond redemption. Would he have snatched the mantle of Hokage for his own and stood against this? He supposed he would have more likely been swept up in the fury of it all, as is the way of men such as him. When the world turned again to blood and ash, Yōsei found his teeth again set free into the forge of war where already, men on the front lines returned messages of the figure in black which tore through the forward camps of the ignorant savages who chose to breach this place.

By now, the apostles made their way to greet any who seemed lost, to offer them warm words and the promise of salvation, appearing cordial to the point of cartoonish manipulation. The ruinous landscape held many secrets, allowing the Sealer to slip past unseen through the cracks and crevasses which made up his forbidden passageways, the expert navigation betrayed his experience and cunning. Cresting a shard of stone which once had been part of some colossal structure and locking his gaze on the distant fire of a campsite glowing where already amber vultures circled the pair of women and joined in their respite. Still some distance from them, the Sealer twisted his eyes to more figures in yellow who skulked throughout the ruins. In his state of nothingness, Yōsei could move close without being detected, draw forth the lost Legacy at his hip and strike at the two men with precision, Kyoki's edge gliding through flesh as he moved between them. Offering no resistance, the limp men were left behind as the Sealer covered the street's width and darted into an alley, climbing to follow through with closing his way toward the campsite spotted moments before. The invasion upon his new home had already put several of his plans into motion far earlier than the Sealer had wished, and so unleashed was the disastrous beast of blood and lightning once known as Hokage.

Doubtless, the lovers would have begun to hear the tales of salvation, brought about at the hands of the divine Raikage who stood at the summit of the world above all else. It was none of Yōsei's business what the pair thought of these robed men or of him as he came to kneel overlooking the fire, two golden cloaked men, and more approaching, ready to stand in the peripherals of the women's vision as a method of subtle intimidation before offering to take them away. Typically, the Sealer may have followed them to their nest before doing his work, but the threat of time running out had forced his hand, unfortunately for the Raikage's servants. As he spoke, the Sealer's words carried on the currents of dust which swirled, eerily quiet as the stealth of his technique would fade enough to discern the faintest figure of black, and the ivory mask which bore the legacy of Obito Uchiha, but not relenting Yōsei's form entirely.

"These men are no saviors, they seek to twist your vision of death and turn us against the World. Run away or stand against me if you must, lost shinobi of Sunagakure, but my work is thankless and long, so I will dally no longer."

Departing from his perch, the Sealer moved in silence, vanishing again and causing alarm within the surrounding ranks of men, who withdrew daggers from the folds of their cloaks. The first man, several meters to the left of the woman who had been cooking, contorted his face in pain as an invisible force crashed into his body, Kyoki piercing his abdomen and carrying him off his feet before spinning him and launching the eviscerated carcass in the direction of his companions. No matter what the duo of Suna-nin decided, the decorum of their camp would collapse, and Yōsei spun forward with another strike, stepping impossibly far and felling the errant limb which held an outstretched dagger waving at nothing. A scream echoed out, and the Sealer's leg struck into the man's gut, twisting and thrusting him back into the sand, trailing blood along the ground from his stump. The Sealer's main effort would be in protecting the pair's food, which even if they retreated, he would return to them before the night was out. In the event they had chosen to fight at his side, they would have no need to worry about their hard cooked meal being ruined as Yōsei would effortlessly move to deflect strikes or bodies which made their way into its zone.

1148

chakra 315|345:

Izumi

Izumi


A-rank
It was thus far all according to plan, no one recognized Izumi for who she truly was, the headband bearing the suna sigil on her left bicep was assumed to be nothing more than a trinket. That's what it had devolved to at this point, there were people selling the headbands as souvenirs of sorts; nothing more than a bauble to take home to prove you were there. The woman now known as Zhi, would kindly welcome the first interlopers upon her campfire. It was after all the entire purpose of the thing. Izumi had done well to put up the facade of the lost refugee, easier still having been one at one point. Izumi's plan took a disturbing turn when he showed up. Having not sensed him ahead of time Izumi actually jumped in her seat when his voice cut the night. It was a small thing but it made her feel totally powerless. It was a humbling reminder that she was but a drop in the ocean of power that a ninja could achieve. "These men are no saviors, they seek to twist your vision of death and turn us against the World. Run away or stand against me if you must, lost shinobi of Sunagakure, but my work is thankless and long, so I will dally no longer." Izumi's favorite part of the night was set to begin, but she wasn't has happy as she'd normally be about it seeing as it wasn't completely on her terms. She was already flanked by two of the yellow men who immediately drew daggers. They at least didn't assume much of Izumi so she could surprise them. It was still less than ideal. That was until it was abundantly clear that the mystery man was on their side and he was something else, not only could Izumi not sense him through normal methods her extrasensory methods picked up nothing as well. There was something about his mask that was truly terrifying to Izumi. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was but it was there nagging in the back of her mind telling her that she knew it was important almost as if it was a figure from her history books.

Izumi refused to not take part in the fun, while still disturbed by  the masked man Izumi would sink her dagger into the heart of the man within reach of her left hand while her right hand plunged into the heart of the man on her right crackling with raiton that made the distinct sound of many hundreds of birds chirping. It was a thing of beauty watching the men before her drop into the sands painting them red with their blood. While she was able to surprise the two men before her, the rest turned towards her, her cover having been clearly blown by using ninjutsu. Izumi loved this, every drop of foreign blood spilt on the sands doing more and more to consecrate this sacred homeland. The foreigners had made the grave mistake of thinking the sand wanted them there. Izumi wanted to make it clear to them that they were unwelome. If the best to do so for her was killing their important agents until it was too costly to remain, so be it. She wasn't exactly a directed force of death and couldn't honestly challenge anyone too much more powerful than herself especially if they knew of her trump card, the bloodline ability so aptly named the stunning eye. Izumi wouldn't dare use it before this strange new presence, it's main weakness being repeated use on the same target she couldn't afford for him to find out about it; not while she was still unsure about his intentions. Izumi had grown more and more pragmatic as she went deeper down this new darker path she was following. Izumi was responsible for people now, it was a bit of an odd feeling having subordinates. She mostly left them with Nova, however it was mostly because Izumi didn't want to endanger the children's lives on her suicide missions for justice. They were probably better off not learning from her truth be told but Izumi wouldn't tell people how to live their lives. She was more in the business of telling them their lives were over.  

Izumi noticed a pattern in the bodies that were falling seemingly to nothing but the darkness, it appeared oddly enough that the figure was defending their meal. How thoughtful for a shadow of death. Izumi couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of her situation. Here she was, in the middle of the wind country killing cultists of the yellow god Hastur, assisted by her lover and what currently appeared to be a manifestation of death itself which had taken to defending her dinner. The combat had quickly come to a lull, the shadowed figure having slain the robed ones quite handily. Much to Izumi's further bewilderment, the importance of the mask had decided to remind itself to Izumi's consciousness. It was the mask of a long dead man  who had nearly caused the end of the world as they knew it. Perhaps it truly was a spirit of malignancy risen to cause strife once more. Izumi gingerly called out to the night, addressing the spirit by the name the mask implied, “Obito Uchiha, why do you haunt us?”

918 words.

Nova Makato

Nova Makato


A-rank
It was hard for Nova not to be jumpy and nervous, usually dangerous situations such as these called for the protection only an armored puppet could provide. Despite her discomfort and feeling of exposure, she sat leaning slightly to rest on Izumi who sat beside her. Like many others, the mission itself was not something Nova had sought but rather found herself following Izumi into combined with the whispering of a mind after murder. Trying to push the desire to unleash her puppets upon the world at this very moment, their goal was one of infiltration and that was most easily done under disguise and not in a two-ton construct of metal. Like a scared prey animal her eyes would shift warily back and forth across the circle of yellow robed men that had quietly formed around them as pleasantries had been exchanged. A pair of them men seemed to stand out, if nothing else by their posture and placement in the cabal before them, as they offered to escort the pair of ladies to their camp, “For nothing but your safety of course”. Had their threat been allowed to ring in her ears a moment longer and he would have found himself being impaled upon the blade of Doku Tsuki's tail, but barely a second after the threat would fall from his tongue a voice would materialize from the darkness just beyond the glow of the fire, "These men are no saviors, they seek to twist your vision of death and turn us against the World. Run away or stand against me if you must, lost shinobi of Sunagakure, but my work is thankless and long, so I will dally no longer."

Nova's head would snap in the directions she thought she heard it from, only to see a vague outline of a human body with an ivory mask before it slid back into the shadows. Obito? He's been gone as long as I have. Though I'm not sure that is the voice of the real Obito.. First you? Now Obito?, a wave of fear of ancient powers had been instilled in most shinobi in the academy often referencing the actions of both of those individuals, that emotion bleeding through and palpable for Sasori. A fraction of a second later, one of the robed men would be slammed backwards. And another. Another. Each one spiraling outwards away from their meal and the flames. Izumi stood to embroil herself in the action, a hungry look crossing her face at the chance at a bloodletting. If only you had the ambition she did..., the voice would whisper as she cower back in her seat slipping her fingers inconspicuously against the back of her prosthetic leg preparing to take actions should it need to be. Still sitting motionless, her dyed lavender locks falling across her face as she tried to shrink from view. An action that seemed to be largely unnecessary as the last of the yellow clothed bodies crumpled with crimson oozing over the bright robes.

Away from the fallen bodies, her attention would slide to the form masked in shadows as Izumi would address it, “Obito Uchiha, why do you haunt us?” I have a suspicion that the man behind that mask is not truly Obito..., he would whisper in Nova's skill with an uninterested tone before falling silent, seemingly bored with the developments after making that judgement. Perhaps not... though one who feels they ought to hide behind his mask feels themselves to be enough of a threat to merit it.. Her thoughts would would go without a response from Sasori, leaving Nova's mind wandering as to what her actions should be. Izumi's voice had been tentative, nearly reverent of the incorporeal form. Nova, while she trusted the judgment of Sasori for no reason other than his lack of a reason to lie, felt fear at the fact this man would hide behind a mask so recognizable.

Shaking the hair from her face, though still sitting with her fingers pressed against the scrolls she hid within her leg ready to unseal at least one of them at the sign of danger. Coughing to clear and steady her voice, she would speak after waiting for a response from the masked man, if nothing else to question his true identity. “Though you wear his mask... I do not believe you are truly Obito. Who are you?, her voice came out strong and stern as she had wished, too often she looked a fool for a breaking voice, but no more.

[768 wc]

Tenjin

Tenjin


D-rank
Tenjin kneeled 100m away from the camp, on a mission given to him by unmeasurable power. The foliage beneath his feet and knees ruffles as he descends and settles. His eyes are focused forward as Yosei vanished to accomplish his bidding. It was asked of the young shinobi to take down enemies who plan to attack from a hiding place, as they are more likely to be trained to especially hit their target accurately and at long range. So as soon as Yosei vanished from his sights, Tenjin squats with his right knee at the same level as his heel and his left foot flat upon the ground. His left arm rested upon his left knee while he removed his glove and placed his palm on the ground, this was his Seismic Wave Sensing technique. Tenjin himself was low behind a large sand dune which can be peered through for some measure of visibility. Tenjin is a sensory type ninja of subpar proficiency, although this is due to his current inability to sense chakra natures, nevertheless, due to his keen sense of chakra control, he is able to sense physical physical constructs within his earthly domain; being in the sand simply meant a higher chance of this jutsus wave propagation to manifest and travel without encountering noise.

The sun continued its descend into the horizon, while the moon ascended, both were well below the horizon of this fateful night. A shadow casted along the landscape making the environment eary. Sand particles swayed in the wind, and every so often, the wind picks up enough pace to cause a disturbance in the young shinobi seismic wave sensing technique.

Non contrary to Yosei’s prediction, a shinobi was schoping the camp from the outskirts of their initial location. There is one, 45 meters away from the broken structures seen far in the distance which are remanence of the once great Sunagakure no sato. No words were exchanged by Yosei and Tenjin as the pair found themselves within the vicinity of their targets. A group of radicalized yellow shinobi witnessed taking refugees who have not returned to their families. Tenjin then thought to himself, ‘to make a sound may mean giving up his position.’ The element of surprise must be kept. Tenjin arose slowly from the desert sands and silently stood as he dispersed to begin his dash utilizing the body flicker technique, leaving nothing behind, not even a cloud of stone particles. In his hands is a kunai, and when Tenjin stops his flicker and now remained standing, Tenjin lined up his aim to attack his target, and as he took a deep breath inward, he saw as as the sniper was getting ready to strike creating a series of hand seals. Tenjin, without thought, threw his kunai and as the weapon proceeds forward at a high speed which is not so fast that a high rank shinobi cannot track it, but as fast as possible for this particular young shinobi.

The kunai travelled at a good speed, keeping and building momentum as it travelled the distance as it was aimed directly at the rear lower part of the enemies neck. Events seem to slow as the kunai got close, Tenjin himself was able to hear the tempo of his heart beat as he watches intently at the shadow in the back of the targets neck showing that a projectile is closing in.

Almost immediately after Tenjin fires the kunai, the figure dressed in yellow did just as he had predicted, using his right hand to intercept the kunai just before it was going to pierce him lethally. The kunai is swiftly caught and thrown on the floor. At this same time, the long range attack was interrupted. Laying his eyes upon the target, Tenjin takes a deep breath in preparation for what's to come. The enemy stands up straight and turns towards the direction from which the kunai came. In this direction he can see Tenjin who is not very far to the left of the kunai’s point of origin. The enemy without hesitating removes three shuriken from one of his pockets, and as he throws the shuriken at high speed and in a straight line, they travelled across the short distance between the two, aimed directly for Tenjin’s own face. He simply steps to his left in order to stand adjacent to the path of the shuriken.

Tenjins eyes widened as adrenaline surged through his body, and his fist clench. The scene was accentuated by the wind blowing past Tenjin’s body, causing his hooded cloak to sway to his left.

Tenjin then extends his arms with his tanto in hand, multiple sharp bones from his body. The target himself pulls out a kinai, and as the blade clashed, both attacks were stopped in advance with equal yet opposing force on both ends. Tenjin quickly removed himself from this deadlock and took his blade to swipe at the enemies mid-section. However, this second attempt fails when the enemy leaps backward about 5 meters, his blade still in his hand. Tenjin retracts with haist and runs forward at the same speed as the target jumped back so that the two remain in front of each other.

Now, the conflict picked up momentum. the enemy’s blade work is masterful. However, Tenjin does not need to concentrate on parrying his slashes as the Tanto the young shinobi has had since first becoming a shinobi, together with his taijutsu capabilities, provide an adequate defense when he spins he utilizes his body and all of its speed and strength. This speed in conjunction with his strength is meshed into his fighting, sometimes throwing punches in the enemy’s direction with the utmost force. The fast offense provided by Tenjins tactic causes the enemy to further back himself up. There is now a shorter distance between the two.

To the enemy’s left and right, two clones materialize from spontaneous sparks in the area. They are made of static electricity and condense into identical clones of the enemy. Both run directly towards Tenjin as he stops his attack. He takes in the information before him and decides on a course of action which will protect himself while allowing him to continue his offense against the enemy. As quickly as possible, Tenjin threw the kunai from his right hand to his left and opened up his palm in order to create the masterful black rasengan.

Following the emergence of the rasengan, the enemy continued to leap backward keeping up with his momentum. Tenjin, moving forward, leaped into the air with the compressed ball of chakra aimed directly at the first clones chest, as it impacts the clone and drills threw it, the exploding act was with such violent power that the other clone was his with the shockwave. Sparks were launched in multiple directions. Both lightning clones are dispersed as the force was too grandiose. Through the sparks from where the clone stood, three shuriken flew towards Tenjin. All three are deflected when Tenjin utilized his Tanto as a whip to whack the shuriken out of the air in front of him. One of the shuriken was thrown at a different height from the rest and succeeds in cutting Tenjin’s arm. Letting the Tanto drop to the ground, as Tenjin continued his charge.

Tenjin getting closer prepares himself as the enemy was seen taking out a katana at the ready. His stance implies the coming execution of an invested motion. This coming strike is meant to cut through Tenjin once and for all. The palm of the enemy’s left hand rests upon the back of the blade which is set at his left hip. His body is turned in the left direction as well while his eyes are locked upon Tenjin’s direction.

Preparing to finish this fight, Tenjin activates his rasengan once again. Black energy began to spread across his palm and nearly cover his dominant hand. The young shinobi jumped as he pointed forward with his left hand and has the palm face forward. His right hand, also with the palm face forward, was reeled back with power behind it. Both shinobi have their concentration on each other, all other simulations are blocked out. Suddenly then, the enemy makes a move. He dashes forward at full speed towards Tenjin while in midair, who reacts by launching his right hand forward with the rasengan aimed towards the enemies sword.  The two collide, the resulting blast of pure force, which moves outward towards the enemy caused the air to quickly expand. The enemy is blown back and his body slams into a sand dune within view. Tenjin then jumps backward. Tenjin then slowly moves forward towards the enemy who is lying upon the ground. His instinct telling him that the threat has passed. He then arrives in front of the enemy and kneels down. The sand dune which the enemy had collided with blocked the whole encounter from view of the camp. The enemy first coughs blood. He lays with his head against the base of the dune. Attempting to speak some words of courage, the enemy was stopped short when Tenjin gave him a merciful death slicing his throat and stabbing him in the back of the neck, to prevent blood to travel to his brain, causing his brain to stop registering pain.

Tenjin understands the enemy’s reasoning and respects the wishes of a shinobi to die on the battlefield. In a way, Tenjin feels bad for the enemy because his actions were for his village, and like Tenjin, they are mere tools to be of use until furthermore being disposed. Tenjin didnt have time to dwell on his actions, as he knelt down once again, eyes fixed on the camp, not knowing if Yosei would want him to appear yet or stay within the shadows, he awaited for a signal from his current master.

WC 1,654

Yōsei

Yōsei


S-rank
Through seconds of chaos, a long story is told. Yōsei's sword flourished, rolling between his fingers as he threaded the unseen strikes across the meager battlefield. Elsewhere, his pupil would have finished with his mark, left to his own devices by the Sealer's unusual teaching methods. For weeks, the pair had traveled together, Yōsei imparting what he could of the world and its tragedy to the young prodigy, and after those long nights traversing lost dunes, the Sealer had taken him righteously, as his pupil. Of the pair, only one rose up arms to fight, spinning with deft precision and slicing through her foes, face shining home and comforted amidst the chance for violence. The young inferno twisted forward to strike at her target and Yōsei slipped, unnoticed behind her to throw Kyōki, which spun out and dug deep into the flesh concealed by gold regalia. In an instant, the Sealer would be upon him, taking back his property by way of the cultist's heart and routing to step forward, skipping to intercept and parry errant projectiles which threatened the more passive of the pair.

Finally, Yōsei turned his wrath at the final recruiter, who turned to move on his heels into the desert to escape from whatever rage had been cast upon them. He looked up, through the folds of his hood, and cried out the name of his king, the Raikage who slumbered with his treasures high in Kumogakure's mountains, before he could speak no more. Behind him, the Rogue crept, unstoppable, and twisted the Legacy into the base of the man's gullet, evacuating his throat which toppled as the blow carried through him, beheading him and causing the lifeless husk to crumple down in a heap of scarlet and amber. As the emptiness which surrounded his form faded, Yōsei would face the women who looked on, taking his fingers and the tattered rags wrapped around them to clean from Kyōki the blood of its victims before letting the blade fall into the breeze where it would vanish. From the point of his right eye, Yōsei's fearsome technique withdrew, peeling away the layers of chakra which obscured his body and revealing, at last, the cloaked visage that watched over the sand. Closest to him, the roiling storm within the first woman could be contained no longer, snapping out toward the Sealer demanding a settlement for her growing confusion. Yōsei paused, deliberately allowing her question to sit long enough for the silence to grow uncomfortable. As if he could see the future, the second woman's question would provide curiosity more worthy of his response and with his voice carried through the earth and into the heartbeats which drowned out the wind.

"Keen eyes. Obito Uchiha is long dead, this mask pays homage to those whose mantle I have claimed. In your eyes, I see the scars of a desolate era, something indeed haunts you, but it is not I."

Tenjin would bear witness to this encounter, and Yōsei made no attempt of hiding his words from the trusted apprentice who followed him. With his right hand, the Sealer would gesture to the ruins, calling forth his protégé to reveal himself. Dressed similarly, in their black attire, it would be obvious the two were a pair, and that the newcomer was of no threat to either of the women who Yōsei addressed. The Rogue would leave time for Tenjin to speak, should he wish, before fixing his eyes back upon the women.

"I am called Yōsei, and I strive to rid the land of a Tyrant's influence. My partner and I have hunted these men through dunes to arrive here where they dwell. The Hidden Cloud looks to prey upon this dying nation, steal what riches remain and conquer them as it sets its sights toward the horizon. This blasphemy I cannot allow, and so I offer you now the chance to have this vengeance and take aim at those who seek to exploit this holy land. Follow me, or depart, but know that all hope is not lost for Sunagakure's legacy."

Moving toward a ruined wall, Yōsei would step past his student toward the surface behind him, placing his hand against the limestone which still felt warm to the touch. At his behest, the strands of sealing script which emanated from his palm formed the full mark of a unique summoning circle, one with which Tenjin would already be familiar. These mysterious gateways, modified pacts through time and space, allowed the Sealer to find purchase anywhere he desired throughout the Land of Wind. With the gift of blood, Yōsei was gone, vanishing through the portal between worlds in a white cloud. He would expect Tenjin to follow quickly, though not instruct him verbally, the bond between them having matured enough that the young shinobi should, by now, know what was expected of him. The prodigious Iwagakure student would likely be accustomed to the sensation of summoning by now, but if the two women deigned to follow deeper down this path, they would, for the first time, experience secrets reserved for kings and Gods. To be pulled from the physical and thrown throughout dimensions then, in an instant, to be standing atop a dune miles away, such power merited whatever thoughts of the devils they had already attributed to Yōsei's facade, and it was his will.

Overlooking a pillar of stone, formed naturally after the ruins of an ancient city had eroded away, attached on all sides with ropes which hung tattered banners and further strings each leading to row upon row of tents which made up the encampment. In the dead of night, sleeping prisoners with no bearings in the merciless desert had no choice but to succumb to the teachings of their oppressors, sleeping away their hunger pangs as scouts roamed the shanty town in search of those who would try to run. Already, the Sealer would be on the move, bursting toward his target through the darkness and leaping down, plunging the tip of Konoha's Legacy into the shoulder of a man who would let out the beginning of a yelp before gargling and collapsing under the weight of death. As he rolled forward, the loud thump attracting the attention of nearby men, the Sealer would unleash behind him, toward the exit of his portal, a lone kunai marked with sealing formula intended for Tenjin to catch, or perhaps one of the women if his apprentice had already taken his own initiative. On the handle, a Seal would be present, capable of being triggered by the Sealer if danger presented itself either to him or any of those who fought alongside him.

As the carnage began, a man stood within the hollowed out bunker beneath the pillar, sensing through his connection to the sand, the Sealer's presence. Blades strung high upon his shoulders, the leader of Yōsei's victims prepared to make his stand, taking up his arms and ascending the stairs. He would appear as the Rogue slew the second scout, eviscerating him before transfixing his gaze without delay on the influential leader of these savage foreigners. Bald and with a golden band wrapped across his eyes, Shi-Fei would reveal himself; clad head to toe in robes befitting a monk that had traveled far from another land, laced with golden trinkets and the shape of unusual mountain ranges stitched within its folds. However Tenjin chose to deal with his share, he would know that the leader remained a duel for Yōsei alone, and if the women decided to follow, they would be wise to take their cues from the boy who Yōsei called his pupil. Drawing his blades, Shi-Fei focused, expressionless, on the Sealer who watched statuesque, grinning beneath his mask. Unable to resist, the Sealer's eyes examined the fingers which repeatedly clutched in rhythmic upheaval at the handles of his swords. Smelling fear, the predator nipped at the air with his words, venomous and cruel.

"Do not fear, you will meet your God in hell."

1339

Izumi

Izumi


A-rank
The brief seconds in which the battle took place felt like an eternity with all the adrenaline and carnage, Izumi felt alive for those few seconds her smile widening with each drop of enemy blood spilled. Izumi also made sure she didn’t catch her lover who was cowering behind her in the crossfire. Nova was doing well to put out the façade of helpless young lady although Izumi had a hunch that with present company included it wasn’t doing much good to mask her except maybe to the new figure who for whatever reason was perched outside of view attempting to stay hidden. The hidden figure put Izumi on edge, not knowing if they were an additional aggressor. Based on the reading Izumi could tell it was a moderately powerful shinobi male. Perhaps no more than a Chunin in strength, while Izumi could easily handle such a simple threat she’d rather not expose herself any more than she’d already had to. Izumi was unable to divert her entire focus towards the interloper as there were a pair of men who’d attempted to creep behind Nova and capture her to use as a hostage or something.  Nova screamed as the man grabbed her putting his knife to the throat of the puppet mistress. “You better give it uhhhh-“ The man’s comically bad threat was cut short by Izumi activating her doujutsu upon locking eyes with him, stunning the pair men and her lover where they stood. Izumi slowly approached the man holding her woman and pulled her gently free before getting to work savagely eviscerating the man who dared lay a hand on her using the sinister 8 inch blade on her left wrist. Izumi turned towards the remaining cultist and approached him methodically. Upon reaching him she leaned into his ear and whispered, “Boo!” luckily for the man’s dignity his robes were already yellow as he took off into the night, fleeing whatever terror he’d found here.

Izumi was getting ready to chase down this last man after giving him his glimmer of hope when he fell from the invisible force that defended the pair. Her fine silks had turned red from the blood of her enemies and she stood panting facing the direction that the now rematerializing man stood. "Keen eyes. Obito Uchiha is long dead, this mask pays homage to those whose mantle I have claimed. In your eyes, I see the scars of a desolate era, something indeed haunts you, but it is not I." It was a load off her chest that this wasn’t the famed catalyst of the fourth ninja world war but still a slight disappointment at the loss of wonder in the world. The last hidden figure would draw itself from the shadows, unknown to himself that his tempt at stealthy entry had already failed to surprise the Karisuma woman.  The new entrant to the gathering was apparently not interested in harming the pair of lovers much to Izumi’s relief now knowing that the figure belonged to the one whose power staggered Izumi by the sheer pressure of his chakra being sensed by her extrasensory technique. "I am called Yōsei, and I strive to rid the land of a Tyrant's influence. My partner and I have hunted these men through dunes to arrive here where they dwell. The Hidden Cloud looks to prey upon this dying nation, steal what riches remain and conquer them as it sets its sights toward the horizon. This blasphemy I cannot allow, and so I offer you now the chance to have this vengeance and take aim at those who seek to exploit this holy land. Follow me, or depart, but know that all hope is not lost for Sunagakure's legacy."

If what this Yosei said was true, he had a similar goal to Izumi but much more power to carry it out. The cloaked man intrigued her with his words of temptation concerning her fallen home. It was all she really wanted, a nice quiet place in the desert to spend her days with Nova in. Izumi hadn’t much to say in reply to the man only giving one word meant to be an introduction of her own accompanied by a half-hearted bow “Zhi.” The man approached a ruined wall and put some sort of seal down on it. That was empowered with chakra like Izumi had never sensed before, its entire nature was a mystery to her but based on the weaker of the two figure’s reaction it was no threat to them. Izumi grabbed Nova and dragged her towards the strange portal. When within the circle Yosei would make some sort of blood sacrifice to the seal and the most peculiar thing happened: they appeared elsewhere with little to no explanation on the mode of transportation. Standing on a dune that was surely in the Wind Country but an unknown distance from where they started. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all…  The man had thrown a kunai with a strange seal matching the one that had somehow transported them to this new place which Izumi instinctively caught and pocketed in the breast of the now crimson silks she was garbed in

Before them was rows and rows and of tents bearing the sigil of Kumogakure’s Yellow God, Hastur. Izumi checked to ensure Nova was safe and okay before looking to her possibly crazy guides. Yosei was the first to spring to action having killed a man as they arrived and charging to the middle of the camp where a man awaited him with two blades. Izumi waited the actions of the other cloaked figure before charging gung-ho into the camp possibly to her doom.

972 words.

Nova Makato

Nova Makato


A-rank
"Keen eyes. Obito Uchiha is long dead, this mask pays homage to those whose mantle I have claimed. In your eyes, I see the scars of a desolate era, something indeed haunts you, but it is not I”, the masked mad would speak as he gestured to the ruins. Another black clad man would approach, their matching attire suggesting that they might be partners, or perhaps student and mentor. "I am called Yōsei, and I strive to rid the land of a Tyrant's influence. My partner and I have hunted these men through dunes to arrive here where they dwell. The Hidden Cloud looks to prey upon this dying nation, steal what riches remain and conquer them as it sets its sights toward the horizon. This blasphemy I cannot allow, and so I offer you now the chance to have this vengeance and take aim at those who seek to exploit this holy land. Follow me, or depart, but know that all hope is not lost for Sunagakure's legacy."

Their goals seemed to align... despite the fact that their intrusion upon the plan Izumi had laid out was now spoiled. It appears I was correct... Yosei. Hmmm.... Though we seek to bring Suna back from the ashes rather than memorialize it.., Sasori seemed intrigued now by the man who wore the mask of Obito. For a moment Nova's eyes would slide to Izumi to see that her interest was piqued as well by the introduction and the offer to accompany the darkly clad duo. “Zhi.”, Izumi would reply with a half-hearted bow towards the man. “Xie”, Nova too would stand besides Izumi, though her wooden leg gave her own bow a peculiar posture. Yosei, as he had identified himself, would step past his companion and place his hand flat against the stone. Nova watched on as seals would emanate from where he touched. This made her wary... the minimal experience she had with seals past the most basic was what she had experienced within the walls of Lord Osada's mansion when Sasori was unbound from the scroll that she had received.

Though her mind was wandering within, Nova would be snapped back to by Izumi's warm hand closing around her wrist and dragging her forwards, towards the seal. At the last moment, Nova would see Yosei vanish as he pressed a bleeding palm to the seal followed by the other hooded figured. Though something in her stomach was turning, Nova would look to Izumi and ask to borrow a kunai with a soft voice. Izumi instead would take Nova's hand in her own and in the opposite extend the blade that was hidden beneath her wrist. With an apologetic look, she would draw the sharp edge against Nova's palm. Pale flesh would split and ruby blood would ooze towards the air. Letting go of Nova's wrist, Izumi would do the same to her own palm. Together, the pair of women would step forwards and press their palms to the seal at the same time.

The sensation Nova would feel now was reminiscent of when she followed Lord Osada through the portal he had conjured. Like she was pushing though a nearly solid cloud of mist for a moment, before she stood before Yosei and his companion once again. Still beside her was Izumi, a calming presence among those she was unfamiliar with. Letting her gaze stray from Yosei, Nova would be surprised to take in the view from the peak of a sand dune that overlooked a pillar of stone that Nova assumed had at once point been part of a structure of some ancient building.... though it did not look like Suna itself. Numerous tents and banners lay in the ruins, like spiders that had infested an abandoned home and made it their own. Without another word the man was on the move already. Almost choreographed looking, the man would fight with an impressive grace and speed, each movement deliberate and as restrained as possible. Without looking, yosei would toss what appeared to be an average kunai with markings on its side towards Izumi, who would pocket it.  

As combat begun, Nova scrambled for a moment on what to do.Join the fight. Are you a coward? Gritting her teeth she would press her fingers to a sealed scroll within her leg and around her would appear the form of her most recently crafted puppet. Doku Tsuki's hulking form would slide on the dunes slightly as the barbed legs sunk in the sand. Closing the lid to the construct, Doku Tsuki would dive beneath the earth, sensing the movement around her and trying to visualize the layout of the camp and who remained alive there. The words did not make it to her ears, though Nova 'watched' a man of the camp stand against the masked man. Though her experience with him was minimal, she knew that was more than likely a death sentence for the man who stood against one who donned a mask such as the one he did. For a moment, she would watch, before letting her senses wander to a pair of men who stood on either side of the encampment. Hoping Nova would go to engage the man on the left, Doku Tsuki would tunnel beneath the one on the right, preparing to fire a projectile from beneath the earth toward him.

[909 WC]

Yōsei

Yōsei


S-rank
Upon his foes, Yōsei quickly became an omen of destruction, a sign sent from below their God's stolen throne to rend its influence to ashes. They wasted no time, men in finery of shimmering gold producing their swords, leading with strokes of their hands which trailed kunai in their wake. With poise, Yōsei rose the Legacy, unsealed from his wrist, and spun the hilt into his waiting fingers while he twisted left, corkscrew motions deflecting projectile assaults as the odachi in his dominant grip unleashed into the Shihana's waiting blade. Across the sand, Shi-Fei grinned at the chance to slay a demon, and he responded in kind, whirling the knives in his grip, while still the five swords snug in their confines rested waiting for his decisive call. Raising into a clash of steel, Seisakata met the edge which dared challenge and responded with its metallic roar, crystalline structure briefly casting hues of blue and white between the duelists. Slicing from the opposite side, the Sealer's form had dropped low and rose where it met the drawn parry of a second sword, the Shihana flipped on his right ankle, leaving the ground, loosely sheathed swords falling perilously toward the dust. Yōsei grimaced, eyes flickering between the maze of deadly razors as he watched his opponent reach across his hip and strike with the momentum of his swing.

Kyoki would be the deciding factor as Yōsei met with his parry and continued past without halting his movement, to disengage away as Shi-Fei gave chase, throwing two of his weapons as the others slipped back into place while he produced another pair. The breadth of Yōsei's mastery would be tested against such an unorthodox fighting style, and even if the Sealer had known of his foe's bloodline trait, it would not have changed the strategy; if the priest saw fit to abandon Jutsu, then Yōsei would gladly cut him down without expending any of his spiritual resources, whether he was able to or not. Fury and sound collided as the Leaf's long-suffering Legacy deflected the swords, aiming to shift their momentum down so they would swiftly embed themselves in the sand, in case Hastur's dog dared to use a strategy of juggled weapons. From the air, his strikes would rely on an unpredictable momentum which posed more variables than the Sealer was willing to confront; if instead, the priest's strategy relied on merely placing his swords throughout the battlefield to utilize with reckless abandon, Yōsei would effortlessly track their positions and minimize his risk. In the heartbeats between seconds, Yōsei analyzed his options with great care, formulating a plan and setting on the road to execution. Capturing the Shihana in his sights, the Rogue burst to meet him at the in between, leaping from his forward foot at the moment his parry would have unleashed, instead whipping overhead and scooping Kyoki with his wrist in an attempt to behead his quarry. With surprising quickness, the priest fell low, loose robes flailing into the Sealer's blade, torn to ribbons by its sharpness as he landed in the dirt.

In a flash, the two were together again, dancing around the campsite with blades clashing. From the Sealer's hip came a blow to disembowel him, then the heft of his wrist spun down as he routed the space around his enemy, Seisakata howling through the air into a flurry of aggressive rebuttals. The Shihana would not be outdone, his training reflexively causing him to hop and pirouette while the weapons at his hip released in a violent array, coming into a field which surrounded the Sealer's left-hand side. Twin pillars of Konoha's fury responded with voracious cries, Yōsei routing the hurricane of swords with his pupils trailing the priest's snapping palms, which threatened to scissor him between two swords and rend him at the knee and neck. In mirrored stanza, Yōsei came through the tornado, deflecting within the falling blades and sealing away the Oath to make room for his hand to pivot against the ground in order to send him away with the wind. Waves of dust became the Sealer's waning legacy as he glid away through the shifting tide of cooling grains. Without delay, Yōsei was in motion again, this time strafing the edge of the Shihana, who landed and caught his blades, two twirling in each hand before throwing them to intercept the Sealer's path. The attack became Yōsei's signal to approach, immediately angling his way in a direct assault toward his foe, who brandished a single blade with the threat of several in the sand within arms reach.

Heaven coursed out from the Sealer's grip, spinning Oath and Legacy became orbiting furies spiraling toward the Shihana in honor of his legacy. The Fire Shadow drew forth his wrath with a swipe low while pivoting on the front of his left foot and whipping Seisakata high to catch his opponent's predicted escape route. Acting with instinct, the golden-robed man brought two swords to bear as he lept into the path of Yōsei's blade, the Sealer wheeling around while thrashing Kyoki in the way of his opponent's sweeping hand, which had dropped one of the blocking swords and scooped another from the sand which aimed below Yōsei's ribs. Sparks met fresh air, and the Rogue stepped into the conflict, thrusting with his shoulder as he dismissed Seisakata and connected with the man's chest, pushing him through the sand before the rolling quake of his heel swung from the opposite direction, catching the Shihana's chin. Splintered bone and fonts of blood spilled forth, and Yōsei carried on his crusade, launching the fist of his left hand into the stomach of his opponent before the right, clearing through the air, became blocked by a desperate forearm. The Sealer's body dropped without delay, navigating around the stunned priest as he punctuated the movement with his elbow, eliciting a pained yelp, followed by the sound of flailing fabric and a body thumping rhythmically across the sand. In a blink, the Hokage's swords were back within his grip as he charged.

"Pick up your swords, face me!"

Screeching walls of metal came in a flurry of blows, low and high the Sealer wove his tapestry of offense, which if undefended would leave Shi-Fei limbless and dead, but the Shihana was quick. Parrying at his hip, the priest followed with the second of his blades and rolled into the Sealer, trading places with him and counterattacking for Yōsei's back. Kyoki, the Rogue's defensive anchor, rose in defiance as he spun, right heel catching the sand to halt and rout his momentum into the attack. The Sealer's eyes whipped to the right, willing Kyoki to fall away into the void between his fingers as he slid past, twisting the now-free hand to grip the hilt of a wayward saber left by Shi-Fei. Meeting its brother, the priest's swords would enter a perilous dance, pitted against one another, the match was even, but Yōsei's dominant hand held still the sacred Oath with which he spun into the fray. Duet broken, silence fell upon them as the Sealer's blade dug deep into his quarry's chest, rending free the chains beneath his heart and thrusting him back into the sand. Withdrawing, Seisakata lapped greedily at its prey, who wheezed and crawled away as the haunting silhouette marched toward him.

What remained of his communion would begin to scatter, those that the Sealer and his followers had not slain would find solace in the shifting sandstorm, deep in the dark where they could not be seen. The firepits snuffed out left Yōsei standing in a circle of smoke and blades, what had amounted to little more than a second had been a formidable test for the fighters, but Hastur's follower could not hope to match wits or razors with the ex-Hokage. The women who watched, whether they had deigned to join the slaughter or merely defended themselves, would find themselves the targets of Shi-Fei's address, baritone looming over the sands to draw with it his warning.

"This Ghost is the devil. And his Hell, this forsaken desert."

"I will send your God to meet you soon."

Yōsei's stoic response came in the form of execution, brutal and swift as he dismissed Seisakata, the folds of his bewitching Shroud unraveling and reconstituting into new shapes of flowing ebony robes, cleansed of the dust and blood as he ascended toward the followers. The fire-hearted harpy who had readily joined in the campsite's earlier carnage, Zhi, would become the focus of Yōsei's observation. He would stride slowly to the apex of the basin and crest its ridge, leveling his gaze with lazy distance before he would begin to speak.

"Tell me, do you wish to see this land avenged? Or do you wish to forget this place?"

1470

Izumi

Izumi


A-rank
Izumi thought herself proficient enough in killing, but made no mistake on the true balance of power in her world. While she certainly wasn’t weak there were those more powerful than her whose abilities began to approach those of legend. The last Izumi saw such effortless carnage it was at the hands of the famed Mizukage, Ayakashi. This man was something else the way he moved was like watching a tiger tear through a chicken coup there was no hope for the victims here. Izumi sensed an odd presence, odd in that it was quite powerful. It wasn’t quite on the level of the man who crashed down on their camp like a divine wind but it was still someone Izumi would never want to cross blades with in her current form. Izumi had looked to the man who called himself apprentice to the recently identified Yosei; however, for some unknown reason he didn’t act. Izumi had learned long ago hesitation is akin to death and instead charged into the fray both hands singing the song of a thousand birds as she arced across the battlefield at a blinding pace. Both hands would sink into the hearts of men who were charging to strike the recently appeared trio. With a sly grin back to the so called “apprentice” Izumi disappeared once more in a blur. Around the young woman the air would be abnormally hot and the tents around her would literally explode as she passed.

The exploitation of her country would last no longer, she’d decided this as soon as she saw the truth of the “aid” sent by villages. Kidnappings for experiments, land grabs, espionage, in short it was a complete disaster and to call it a relief effort was nothing less than absurd. Izumi was laying waste to the camp, leaving nothing but destruction, the screams of those still inside the tents could be heard like a macabre chorus to give the bloodshed a soundtrack. Any that made their way out of the tent would be quickly felled by flames from the Karisuma woman. Even Nova had joined in at this point, laying waste to the other side of the tent with Yosei taking care of their champion it was a slaughter of yellow robed men. What Izumi lacked in raw skill of which she had a fair amount of she made up for with her vicious mentality. The woman didn’t hesitate to end enemies ever a lesson funny enough taught by Nova in the exams.

The screams were dying down and the signatures of life all around started to diminish or flee until there were only five: Izumi, Nova, Yosei, The Apprentice, and the mysterious duelist. Izumi, panting and covered in ash, sweat and blood turned to watch the duel between the two. Their battle taking longer than the time it took for the two women to exterminate the less able bodied men and women. Some had been stronger sure, but the chaos and the surprise proved too much for them even shinobi are subject to fear and panick in an inferno. Izumi’s connection the elements had deepened to the point that she could ignite her surroundings with thoughts. The robed man with the menacing eyes was fast, but Yosei was faster but not by much. The man was blocking Yosei’s attacks better than Izumi would have been able to, his skill with blade apparent. Another flurry of motion and the man was sent sprawling and bleeding from a combination of strikes from Yosei. The mysterious sealer rushed forward, following up with another quick combination. The challenger was on the ropes as Yosei called out to the stunned man, “Pick up your swords, face me!” Izumi grinned, she liked his style, Yosei was toying with his prey another favorite pastime of Izumi. Never had she felt that she had so much to learn from someone, not even Ayakashi. While her power level was similar to that of Yosei, Ayakashi’s fighting style was much different from Izumi’s and she hadn’t felt the same magnetism.

Izumi had to learn from this man, everything she could. The man who was clearly losing still tried to talk the big game, “This Ghost is the devil. And his Hell, this forsaken desert.” If nothing else, his last words were poetic. Yosei had an equal poetic retort, “I will send your God to meet you soon.” These words had deep meaning and told Izumi that this man meant business He must mean Hastur… There was a flurry of dust and the sound of blade and blow meeting marks. Although she couldn’t see it, she could feel it; the other had fallen leaving only Yosei.  The remaining signs of enemy life scattered to the winds like the sands shifting before them. Izumi was seated in the sands absolutely mesmerized by the man in the strange robes who approached her slowly. It was like the world moved in slow motion, her heart was racing as he spoke, it all felt so surreal. “Tell me, do you wish to see this land avenged? Or do you wish to forget this place?"

It was like the god of death had blessed her with an angel. Her prayers to Izanami had been answered it seemed. The vengeance and restoration of her home could become reality with the help of a man such as he. Izumi was stunned speechless for a moment before rising gracefully from her seat to a position of reverence on one knee. “I’d sooner see my home returned than forgotten. Vengeance is my dream, the Sand will only die when her last child stops breathing. The Leaf must pay for what it’s done to the world. Too long have their problems led to the world suffering. Leaving the innocent to pick up the pieces they leave. The Cloud is no better, harboring that … madman. I’d fight to my last breath to bring an end to them both.”

1,007 words.

Nova Makato

Nova Makato


A-rank
Doku Tsuki now slunk under the sands like a shark in the water after then men that she had sensed in the distance. With cautious eyes, Nova herself would glance around and as she assured herself she was currently out of view of those who would wish her arm would sink to a sitting position with her back to a stone that stuck from the sand. Closing her eyes, her fingers would dance out a pattern sending Doku Tsuki boring through the sand and up to impale one of those men upon that menacing tail it bore for such purposes. While she could not see the waste that Izumi lay to the land and those who camped here, The presences of tents would crumble to ash. As it often would go, Nova would be too late to have been any use in battle. Izumi's fire and sparks worked best with speed, her style of combat finishing the fights far faster than Nova's own. Yosei himself would go to meet the man in the center, who stood to meet his end with pride, or perhaps arrogance in assuming that it would not in fact be his end that would greet him. No such mercy would be had, Yosei dispatched the man quietly and effectively.

The man masked in robes would turn and walk away, to where Izumi stood. As he would begin to speak, he would stride in the direction of the crest at the edge of camp. Sprawled in a pool of his own blood, the man that Yosei had slain lay still in crimson stained sand. Unblinking eyes stared up at the glaring sun, no longer taking in the view before them. Nova's eyes would flit back to Izumi and Yosei, who's steps would lead them further away and even further out of earshot of Nova. Doku Tsuki would stay under the sands now that its mission had been done, waiting for the next flick of Nova's fingers. It would come, and guide the puppet to surface quite close to where the man that had been slain by Yosei lay. Perhaps this one would serve our needs well.

What do you expect me to do? Take the body with us? What would they think? I have no reason I could justify it to them/

And why do you care what they would say? Is that why you have been so restrained near the fire user? I know your thoughts and your fear that she discovers me.

That... that's different. I can keep you away. From making things worse. But there is something just so obviously evil about taking a body...

Evil? You know as well as I do that we are merely doing them a favor. They are already dead, what purpose does their body serve now other than drying under the sun. What I do is art. I use what remains and make something useful from it. Something that will never rot.

This internal argument was one that had been had several times, the struggle against Sasori to keep him from the craft he did in life. Often had he tried to convince Nova that she ought to utilize a strategy similar to his own technique of 100 puppets. Each time she had pushed his encouragement off much to his own irritation. Nova would walk closer, looking down at the blank face. Still the expression was one of fear, not the peace that she had been to left to believe was on the other side of life. From her left fingertips, she would feel an uncomfortable tingle. As though it held a static shock, ready to release at any contact. Though it was not her will, she would feel a surge of chakra flow from her fingertips. Suiton chakra would dance across the body before her, before finding any orifice that was open and entering the corpse. Perhaps you are still not ready. But there will be bodies ready when you finally are.

Nova's eyes would snap back up to where the pair stood conversing, hoping that their attention had absorbed in that enough that her bizzare action would not have drawn attention. Prodding the body with her toes, she wondered what exactly it was that Sasori had done.

718 WC

Yōsei

Yōsei


S-rank
Washing away with the wind, innumerable suffrages sighed heavy with the Nation's grief, punctuating the Sealer's enigmatic statement. Layers of sand, hefted in thin sheets, lifted like the forms of ghosts and cascaded toward the heavens, mythic and profound as the Namikaze who stood before the daughters of Sunakagkure's legacy. It would first be Seisakata, Konoha's sacred relic, that would find itself dispersed by the Sealer's whim, locked away into the primeval void between dimensions with effortless withdrawal, and the Kyoki, the smaller blade who stood opposed in stark contrast to Seisakata's fanfare, subdued and uniform as if it was unwilling to speak of its own importance. With his weapons dismissed, words presented to an audience determined toward vengeance, and watching in reverence of the Ghost's performance, the blonde to whom he spoke would find herself the only target of the Sealer's indifferent speaking, the time for her companion would come in short order. For now, the Karisuma bore the brunt of Yōsei's stare and the baritone that emanated from his mask, addressed to her alone.

Speaking back, the woman's words dripped with venom, seeping into the cracks between syllables and poisoning their meaning, twisting emotion to her ends with every sound. The Sealer smiled, for he had found another spirit of vengeance to join the cast of rogues and misfits in his wicked gang, liars, killers, thieves, one and all pitiful shinobi who sought to bring about the destruction of their enemies by any blasphemous means they could grasp. Such subjects, in the Sealer's experience, made for easy conversion, for the subtlety required to manipulate rage and hatred paled in comparison to those who could only be drawn to his cause through the perversion of their hope. Reaching a hand for the mask he wore, Yōsei would depart from the facade of Obito Uchiha, pulling forth the ivory mantle in order to allow his hair, white as innocence possessed, and the distant green eyes of his face to fall into view. With this gesture, the Sealer's left hand would produce, from the layered ribbons of black cloth wrapped around his arm, a scroll of black parchment scrawled upon with ancient texts, drawn in bone ash and bare at the center where a perfect circle lay.

"I am called Yōsei, I haunt your homeland seeking out souls such as you with whom I may forge a contract. Listen, quiet your mind and comprehend my message thusly; through me is the path to what you seek, your home reborn, destruction of those who took everything from you, and ascension to the clouds from where you may seize the chance to slay a God. I can see in you such voracious hunger for revenge, and with such fire, you will litter the path toward your goal with the bodies of your fallen foes. Know that my word is true, and my contract rendered between us will be sacred, for in exchange for all these boons I  shall grant to you...

...you will become the instrument of my war, abandoning all else. The trail I blaze will be to a new era beyond this peace, for the good of everyone. You will help me save the world."

With his free hand, Yōsei would summon Kyoki again, silver edge catching the light of the moon and glistening briefly as the lunging blade found purchase in reality, gliding with a swift stroke within inches of the Karisuma's cheek. Deft fingers would flip the edge to extend the hilt instead toward his speaking partner, sharpness slicing and singing through the air with a low whistle as the Sealer presented Kyoki to whom he offered his latest contract. With his actions, the world would churn, as if the fingers of invisible giants dug trenches in the sand around the pair, wind coiled sand into shifting pillars which fell away and were replaced in kind, the Sealer's words spun through the air and soil, caressing at the nape of her neck and ears in whispered folds, fading and replaced as quickly as they came. Such ethereal methods spoke to Yōsei's connection to the earth, and the power of his Senjutsu altering the very pulse of life beneath their feet into strange rhythms unlike any she would have experienced before, dipping into the uncanny valley between real and imagination to evoke the depth of the Sealer's weighty promises. Sparks ignited, strings of lightning and magnetism flowed between the pair of shinobi, the world itself lending credence to Yōsei's contract, arguing on his behalf for the woman to join his creed and allowing her to taste that which made his dominion inviolable and his words profoundly true: even the planet would not deny the Sealer's honesty.

"If this is what you wish, then sign in blood, and we will forge a sacred contract, for which the price of dissolution will be death. Do not take up the mantle of my blade so lightly with vengeance alone, consider the world you wish to inhabit, and what you cherish most. The philosophy which guides your utterances and actions is yours to decide, and you have set far too long down the path of shinobi to abandon it now. Examine and reflect in these final moments, is this the life you choose?"

948

Izumi

Izumi


A-rank
Nova and Izumi were like tides of death beside each other, alone they were fairly powerful together they were near unstoppable they didn’t even have to acknowledge each other in order to work in tandem they were so used to working together that it was like clockwork exterminating the men in the camp each taking half while Yosei killed their captain. Yosei looked much younger than Izumi had expected, his white hair and smooth face wasn’t at all what Izumi had expected to lie beneath the mask he’d donned. His eyes were green and they were the only thing that showed what Izumi expected, his distant stare like she wasn’t kneeling but a meter away from him. She rose as he produced something with his left hand, a scroll wrapped in cloth and ribbon. There were many words on this black parchment few of which Izumi recognized the young woman had a feeling would not be the first nor the last to sign it if this went where it seemed to lead. Izumi couldn’t help but feel that this was a life defining moment that could change her dreams into reality. He reiterated his name as his deep voice filled her ears, "I am called Yōsei, I haunt your homeland seeking out souls such as you with whom I may forge a contract. Listen, quiet your mind and comprehend my message thusly; through me is the path to what you seek, your home reborn, destruction of those who took everything from you, and ascension to the clouds from where you may seize the chance to slay a God. I can see in you such voracious hunger for revenge, and with such fire, you will litter the path toward your goal with the bodies of your fallen foes. Know that my word is true, and my contract rendered between us will be sacred, for in exchange for all these boons I  shall grant to you...” As the man paused for a moment and from his hand once again was summoned his Wakizashi, razor sharp and gleaming. The Karisuma avoided flinching not breaking eye contact with him as the blade stopped inches from her soft, tanned, cheek. “...you will become the instrument of my war, abandoning all else. The trail I blaze will be to a new era beyond this peace, for the good of everyone. You will help me save the world."

The blonde woman smirked, it was everything she could hope for it had been years since she’d had direction in her studies of the ninja arts. To the ambitious young woman servitude was a small price for power. Nova was uncharacteristically missing from Izumi’s side evidently giving her lover space during this exchange with the powerful man who’d drawn them into a new world where they were merely players. "If this is what you wish, then sign in blood, and we will forge a sacred contract, for which the price of dissolution will be death. Do not take up the mantle of my blade so lightly with vengeance alone, consider the world you wish to inhabit, and what you cherish most. The philosophy which guides your utterances and actions is yours to decide, and you have set far too long down the path of shinobi to abandon it now. Examine and reflect in these final moments, is this the life you choose?" The man’s power was incredible; it seemed the world itself was begging her as the elements twisted and distorted, the turbulence urged her to take the blade before he’d even suggested it her hand had been drifting towards it as he spoke and the world itself seemed to stand still just for their moment. At the conclusion of his terms the woman quickly grabbed the handle with her left hand and sliced her right letting her blood spill out on the infernal terms he’d offered. The price was steep but to one such as she, it was only a drop in the pond compared to her ambition. Her cornflower blue eyes were smiling as she signed her true name “Izumi Karisuma” in the crimson hues of her own life force on the jet parchment that had been the subject of their interaction. “My life has never been my own, why not serve a master who’s on my side. I will be your dagger and spear; my life meaningless without your order and will. I pray that the blood we spill is the ink that writes the pages history.”

764 words.

Nova Makato

Nova Makato


A-rank
Even from a distance Nova could tell what was happening between the two was of some incredible importance. And she stood off to the side... Izumi's talents were far beyond her own. She knew her own strengths were nothing to be ignored, but it couldn't help but feel as though Izumi were always the superior ninja. It almost felt as though she were intruding upon a moment that she ought not be witnessing. Shuffling across the sand for a moment, Nova would walk away from that body that she had unintentionally altered. It made her nauseous for a moment thinking about it, but Sasori was there to push it further. It's nothing I haven't done before. It will become familiar to you too, before long it will be second nature., his mono toned whispers would ring in her ears as one of those visions she would get from him would flash across her gaze.

While to the outside her eyes would appear glazed over, she watched over Sasori's shoulder as bent closely over the corpse of some long forgotten ninja. Pieces were missing in some places, others looked as though there were bits of metalwork barely hidden beneath a layer of skin. He wore that familiar robe, though the sleeves were neatly pinned back revealing his porcelain hands with visible mechanical joints between each segment of his fingers. Each brush of his fingertips seemed exact and surprisingly fluid for one who was no longer made of flesh. As those elegantly crafted hands worked, carving away the meat on the inside of the corpse's torso, their pale complexion would be hidden behind the sheen of fresh blood. What was closer up on the forarms was starting to take on the brown hue of a scab, but the blood from within the body despite appearing to have been their for a number of days was fresh and bright red. Nova desperately wished she could blink away what she watched in on, though try as shy might it would do nothing other than slide useless lids across glazed eyes.

It only made her stomach more to look upon it thinking she had on occasion done something similar, though to an animal rather than another human and for the purpose of consumption. Neither could she decide whether it was worse that it was not for sustenance or if that would terrify her more. Nova then realized she could turn her head, and her vision within this memory would reveal more of the scene. It was a workshop, only slightly bigger than the one she had at one point in time had for her own. This one however, was far more full and with a more disturbing set of parts. In racks, neatly organized on the wall, was a multitude of body parts. All of them look fresh and even further some seemingly had been altered. Sitting out on the table was a tightly wound metal cord, the width of the band so thick Nova did not think she could fit her fingers around it. Beside it, what appeared to be an arm with a metal slot running alongside the top and bottom. Even without seeing its function, Nova would guess that it would have some sort of protruding blade when used.

Despite her abhorrence of those that would replace limbs with pieces of metal willingly, it did pique a sick interest in how it was done. She would never deliberately sever a limb for the purpose of replacement, though the thought of replacing the stump that she had acquired through an accident in her youth was incredibly tempting even if terrifying. Still looking down as though she rested her chin on Sasori's shoulder she would turn with him as he would lift that metal cord with ease. It was something she should have been used to by now, the unusual strength. No muscles strained, only the movement of joins through the aid of chakra. Turning it in his hands, Nova would see a nearly two feet long spike in the center that would be what the cord was wrapped around. It felt as though her cheeks would go numb as she realized what Sasori intended to show her. Please... no...., even her voice seemed to convey her nausea. Holding the spine in one hand, Sasori would reach down with the other and pull back on the rib cage. Prying it further open and doing so with the other side, he would heft the metal piece into place. Nova winced, expecting the sickening squish of raw flesh impacted by something heavy. Rather, there was a somewhat satisfying click as it would slide into place and hollow echo as it would reverberate off of what appeared to now be flesh completely solidified as if turned to stone.

Now looking on with interest rather than horror, she would watch as Sasori would press his now free fingers into what was once flesh to show that it no longer bore the consistency of flesh. Without even looking he would reach out to grab what appeared to be a meat cleaver of considerable size. A swift swing of his arm would bring the blade down and sinking into the wood surface the corpse laid upon. So fast was the blow that it took Nova an extra moment to realize that it had also cleanly cut through the flesh and humerus of the body it struck. This time the flesh didn't even have time to ooze red onto the counter before the replacement limb was held into place and carefully attacked with a number of chrakra threads that seemed to be coming from Sasori's fingertips though they would fade from view as they stitched together. As the stitching would continue, Nova would turn her eyes to the face of the body on the table. It was noone notable, a rather plain looking man with long hair pulled back at the nape of his neck and a Sunagakure headband worn tied lopsidedly on his forehead. Their face looked peaceful, as though they were sleeping rather than the reality that they were dead and being dissected and experimented on. Though it did not matter, Nova wondered absentmindedly what had happened to this mans body, and if it still remained a puppet as Sasori had crafted him into or had he been destroyed.

In the memory, Sasori would straighten the new arm out on the table, finish a number of stitches across the torso and would take a step back. From his fingers chakraa strings would flow  and would latch on to the body he had been operating upon. No suprise to Nova as she watched on, the body would lurch to life and slide off the table at the tug of Sasori's strings. It was all very smooth, and now before Sasori in his memory a human puppet stood with a blank gaze and under the complete control of Sasori. It really isn't that hard. You could do it. I would help you. Together it would be easy.

With that her own vision would be restored, not with what Sasori had done hundreds of years before but what was before her now. Looking back at the corpse Sasori would urge her onwards. Closer. Go closer.. Brow furrowing in frustration, she still did so as a strange compulsion pushed her to do so. Looking cautiously up at where Izumi and Yosei stood to be satisfied that they were paying her no attention, she would roll forward to her knees and look upon that body she stood above before. Reaching out a tentative hand, she would prod at the forearm of the body to find it still retaining the feeling of flesh. Though the man was clearly dead, It felt as though the chakra had not yet dissipated from his body. From her fingertip of sliver of chakra would poke out and into the arm she had reached out to, and though it was her chakra it was under the control of Sasori who was seemingly trying very hard to maintain this one jutsu through her body. It would slice into the flesh slightly, a single bead of blood falling before it would seem to seal itself, retaining the appearance of a fresh piece of a body without spilling the red blood that clearly still filled it. Carefully she would prod at the mans arm then gradually to his torso under Sasori's instruction, until she would note the movement of the pair back towards her.

1433 WC

Yōsei

Yōsei


S-rank
In lost ages, the men of reason would preach to one another at the center of the city, battlegrounds of ideologies vying for control of those who watched, to learn the origin of thought, before it swept across in cyclical eras throughout the Land of Wind. The few who stayed outside the ring of conquest, rebirth, and suffering gave birth to a new breed of philosophical thought, a world without polarization, where the vast horizon of discovery did not narrow with each interpretation of the preceding ideal. Stood before Izumi, Yōsei remained one of the few who walked this path, seeking the resolution to questions he had not yet asked, and smiling down upon her with absent calmness. The ex-Hokage wondered what would have been if the woman before him knew his crimes, of his role in the Hidden Leaf and his desire to protect it above all else, would she have laid her life before him with such ease? Recoiling his hand, the Sealer would nod quietly and withdraw the scrolls, in the same motion calling away Kyoki from the woman's grip to vanish into his abyss. Rolling waves of natural energy gave way to the statement which followed, rhythmic tone dropping the facade of nature's breath to speak freely.

"Then it is done, and the contract is sealed. Take with you my symbol, and call upon it with your chakra when times are dire, and you will return to my side, or I will come to yours. Crush the Cloud's influence, and proclaim their God a lie, soon I will come for you, and we will begin preparations for what is to come. The road to dawn awaits us, be prepared."

Right hand rising in time with the echoing rendition of his empty conjecture, which he had read from so many times, reciting the scripture from which he had taught these many months alone in Suna's barely beating heart. Around them, the cadence of wind and sand dropped still and fell silent to punctuate the culmination of their sacred bond, Yōsei making short work of their meeting before he would step toward the woman, reaching out and dropping from his outstretched palm a handful of chimes and baubles attached to scrolls and sealing tags. The woman may have recognized from her recent journey throughout the Land of Wind, the symbol which lay bare upon the parchment would have been present in her peripheral, etched in the side of buildings and the corners of flags, even errant soldiers of once-aimless bands wore this marking on their hips to signify their allegiance to the man in black. At her feet, these tools would serve as her gateway to the history she sought, making short work of the distances leading to her new benefactor would prove invaluable in the coming weeks, as Yōsei would soon require much of her. The Sealer had considered whether this woman quite understood the task she had avowed, making haste with her decision to join him showed conviction, but if she could not be harnessed, focused into a chisel with which he could carve her a jagged path toward redemption, then it would be for naught, and she would die alone.

If it were the life of his pupil that the woman sought to lead, then she would find herself with hope discarded, for even when he had been Hokage, the Sealer's tutelage had been sparse and uncaring. In life, Mitsuhide had been preoccupied with waging his war against creation in the name of the Fire Nation, ambitiously seizing power at every turn to shift the balance in his favor, through the ANBU and into the throne of Hokage, the Namikaze made himself known throughout the world as one who would settle for nothing less. Such a man, reforged as he was, by the crucible of hell, now found new meaning, but would still not suffer failure, and would have no time to teach. Instead, if Izumi could fend for herself, and complete the lofty tasks that would be set before her, while Yōsei conducted the errands of his grand design, and if she would show ambition, and take what was hers, then she would make an excellent weapon. The grinning man would turn away, drawing his dominant grip tightly into the formation of a hand seal, rolling his eyes back over his shoulder to peer at the two women as he sunk forward, swallowed by chakra into nothingness, away with the dust and ghosts. Abandoning his form, Yōsei marched into the stealth technique with no pomp and fanfare, and continued his patrol, taking several steps across the sand before leaping across the miles of desert to lurch onto the cusp of a ruined wall, the ruins of a complex so far east that he could hear the sea crashing against Wind Country's coastal cliffsides.

From afar, the Daimyo's compound appeared dilapidated and in disrepair, with fallen pillars stripped of their jewels and precious metals laying in pieces across the scorched gardens and vandalized walls. Yōsei's smile faded to a grimace as he set upon the path toward the structure in the distance, footfalls not disturbing the sand as his chakra streamed through each tenketsu, making short work of the place between him and reality, allowing him to leave behind the shackles of sight and mind to slice a weary path of dust and cinder through Sunagakure. Sat beneath the ruined walls, firepits ignited as the Sealer made his presence known, drifting into the tangible atop a perch overlooking a congregation of his followers, those who he had instructed to remain here and prepare themselves. Allowing time for the men and women to observe him, Yōsei descended, and his arm extended, conjuring between his fingers a slew of blades and tools stolen from the Kumogakure encampment, each of the vicious implements had sought once to rend his flesh but found the void of his vanishment sealing style. Repurposed here, the bounty of arms that the Sealer laid bare would be swept up in kind by his followers, who would not have time to thank him before again, Yōsei withdrew into nothingness. Such brief excursions and the constant traversal of a thousand-thousand miles each day across the desolate desert had become normalcy for the Namikaze, who found no time among his endeavors to linger too long in one place. This fading presence lent weight also to the stories of him, and how he appeared for moments only to vanish and be seen elsewhere, a mysterious spirit serving alone as the inception of the Sand's rebirth. How many would know that their hopes had been twisted? How many would care?

From this peace, the Sealer would impart again on another mission of war, Seisakata striking out in violent array toward a group of shinobi who stood beneath his mark in the Hidden Sand's husk, bartering with the lives of captured soldiers, stealing their secrets and sending them to ruin. Yōsei came upon them like a tide of destruction, the work of his sordid missive never through he worked as a merchant of the destructive vengeance of the Wind Nation. Expertise guided the blade to breach his targets' guards, slicing through the room and into the street where bodyguards drew forth spears and cleavers only to be rent in twain before the might of Konoha's relentless Shadow of Cinder. Streets became sacrificial urns, burning with incense and oils liberated from lands beyond the realm of man and beast. Beneath the voracious guise of the Sand's messiah, Yōsei watched beyond the task at hand to the creeping dread at the horizon of his mission, soon the journey to Konoha would begin, as soon as his work was done in this arid place, and the poets of war would find themselves again in need of ink and parchment with which to record the legacy of Konoha's rebirth. Flurries of hands greeted him, like crowds of pilgrims clutching at the cloak of their savior, their task to hope for better days to come as the wheel of Samsara came closer to another bleak cycle.

exit

1352
6256
6250 completes s-rank criminal mission

Izumi

Izumi


A-rank
The man's deep voice gave a simple command that was more difficult to follow. Along with a vague hint that the strange assortments before her held deeper significance than mere trinkets. Izumi looked around and realized that she was completely exhausted, drained beyond belief she decided to find Nova and then curl up in one of the few remaining tents with her. Izumi gathered up the trinkets sealing them away on seals drawn in her skin using the blood on her palm. The woman would ensure she had these for the right moments and while she didn't fully understand what part she'd play in this grand plan but she knew she was ready for it. Power came at a price, everyone knows that Izumi just had a more clearly laid out bargain than most. Her servitude in exchange for the tools needed to bring death on those who she decided needed it. Disrupting the Cloud Village was a simple enough order, Izumi and Nova had already been doing that as it was. Killing those who would seek to exploit the Sand and her people was like breathing to the pair of lovers. One day they hoped to bring their home back to the glory it once held as a major village and feared force in the world.

Izumi noticed that Nova was gone when she turned around but found her soon enough when she focused on her extrasensory abilities the familiar chakra signature of her lover was not to far away and Izumi left to join her. To Izumi's surprise her lover was currently experimenting on one of the fallen enemy's arms. Nova would stand up embarrassed and Izumi pretended not to notice the fresh blood on her. Izumi rushed forward to embrace Nova and give her a deep kiss. The Karisuma was glad the love of her life had come out of the carnage unscathed, “I'm exhausted baby, how about you?” Not waiting for a response Izumi lifted her lover by her bottom and carried her to the captains tent which remained conveniently unburned by Izumi's inferno. Setting her down gently on the lavish bed of the general that once lodged within Izumi found a bottle of liquor in one of the cabinets and popped it open drinking heavily from the bottle before offering it to her lavender haired lover. “If you could have one wish, what would you ask for?” Izumi's question would abruptly pierce the silence as her arms wrapped around Nova's waist holding the bottle in front of her upholding the offer of intoxication. Before Nova could give her reply Izumi would whisper those three simple worlds that matter so much, “I love you.” Izumi's dreams would surely suffer for the wild night she'd just had but it was no matter at least she'd killed some key operatives of the Cloud Village in the area and further had made a powerful ally she'd never dreamed of even meeting. After a bit of drinking and chatter Izumi would pounce on her lover, pinning her to the soft bed of a foreign officer for the happy ending their night deserved.

535 words for a total of 5,005 words.

Exit

S rank Mission Completed 5000/5000

Nova Makato

Nova Makato


A-rank
Using chakra strings to slice into the flesh her fingers would prod under the layer of skin to the muscles underneath as Sasori instructed her to do so. She was surprised to find it stiff, almost like Sasori's body himself. Nova would hear the soft padding of Izumi's feet across the sand towards her, but too late to entirely hide what she had been doing. Withdrawing her hands she would quickly wipe her palms across the already stained robes them man had worn, leaving two streaks of gore across them though not entirely cleaning her own hands.Standing quickly her hands would be tucked slightly behind her back to hide the crimson that clung to it. Smiling and awkward smile, she would let her worry at being questioned fall away as Izumi would rush towards her an bring her in for a deep kiss. “I'm exhausted baby, how about you?” Nova would nod and turn to walk besides her compaion, only to be surprised by being swept off her feet and carried into one of the few tents that had not met a fiery demise.

The interior was nicer than she expected for an encampment like this, perhaps it was the captains tent to merit the extravagance with which it was furnished and stocked. A bed reminiscent of the large one that had once sat within Izumi's Kiri mansion was perhaps the centerpiece, upon which she would set Nova down gently before turning to retrieve a bottle from one of the various cabinets nearly made a wall around the room. Taking a large swig herself, she would pass it to Nova while asking a pecuniary question and breaking the silence that filled the tent, “If you could have one wish, what would you ask for?” Nova would ponder that for a moment... What would I ask for? Before she would put too much thought into a question as deep at that, she would be caught off guard by Izumi's arms wrapping around her waist and the whispering of three words in her ear, “I love you.” Kissing her partner deeply, Nova would return the words before pulling Izumi's face into her busom and stroking the back of her head. Reaching out for the bottle again, she would see again her stained fingers. Looking around the room, she would see another impracticality for an encampment of soldiers; A large claw footed tub sitting on an ornate rug by a washbasin.

Shaking Izumi's shoulder slightly, she would motion for her to let Nova up for a moment. It had been far too long since the pair had been able to enjoy actual hygiene practices, such as bathing with more than a damp cloth. Making a number of seals with her left hand, the tub would begin to fill as though a faucet was turned on despite the lack of plumbing. From the shelf besides the tub, she would grab a vial of what could only be assumed to be soap and turn it into the water that would fill quickly. The addition would cause a rush of suds to erupt. With the lighting of a few candles, a well deserved makeshift evening of relaxation would be made and Nova would invite Izumi to join her in the water.

Exit thread

[553 wc]
[5079 Total WC]
5000 for S-rank mission
79 wasted WC

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