D-Rank Quest:

---

The Land of Wind, a land that had fallen to crime and corruption since the fall of the Village Hidden within it's Sand. Some say that it had been there even before Sunagakure no Sato had fallen, no matter the case the fact was without a Shinobi Force to quell the Bandits and the Raids on different villages the Land of Wind has turned to a Desolate Wasteland. Today that was all going to change, Kumogakure had come and nothing was going to stand in their way, after today nothing was going to be the same. The had been travelling for days from the Land of Lightning, under the rule of the Raikage the Shinobi of Kumogakure no Sato would bring order to the Land of Wind and bring it back from the brink of chaos. Raphael, The Silver Wind and his fellow Shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Clouds crossed the border to the Land of Wind, they still had a long ways to go before they reach what the higher ups where declaring the Based Camp for their foothold into the land of when. As they travelled across the endless dunes of Kaze no Kuni, the young Shinobi's mind trailed back to the last time he had seen his homeland when he had left the ruins of Sunagakure behind him and swore his allegiance to the Raikage and the Village Hidden in the Clouds. He wondered if he would be able to find the time to return home to see his family again, he had left without saying so much as a word to them after the fall of Sunagakure. For all the boy knew his mother probably thought him to be dead, 'you are such an idiot' the boy thought to himself as he thought for the first time of the pain that it no likely put on not only his mother but his sister, uncle and grandfather. He had been so conceded in himself and how ashamed he had been that he had not been able to defend his village before that he was to afraid to return home before he left the country last year, however this past year was good for the boy he had grown not just in age but in his abilities as a shinobi. From the day he left the land of wind the boy had pushed himself hard and further than he had ever had before, and now he was returning to the Land of Wind under the leadership of the Raikage and his advisors. For the boy this was now his chance to redeem himself for his past failure, under the orders of the Raikage, him and the rest of the Kumogakure Shinobi will wipe the symbols of the past and the lawlessness that it represented away and with it bring in the new age of order to this land. Raphael believed with all of his heart that this was a righteous path, however deep in the recesses of his mind he also believed that if he helped the Raikage earse the memory of Sunagakure no Sato from the desert that he was also erasing the shame he felt for not being strong enough to stop it.

The boy's thoughts trailed back to that of his family, he wondered if his sister had been able to complete her awakening and gain the gift of Raava that he had received. He also wondered if they did believe him to have fallen with the village hidden in the sand and if they did he wondered if his mother began grooming his sister to take the mantle of Clan Leader from her one day as he was meant to. The young special jounin could not help but crack a smile at the thought of his sister having to sit though all the boring lessons he had had to go through, he would not envy her if she had he knew all to well the stress and boredom that came with lessons from his mother and grandfather. He only hoped that they could find it in their heart to forgive him for not telling them that he was still alive, he still could not believe it had been two years since he had seen the Kozai estate and his family. He had meant to return sooner than this, but with everything that had happened since the destruction of the Hidden Sand Village and the Chuunin Exams he just never had found the time. Raphael made a mental note to find Ryo once the base camp was setup so that he could keep his promise of taking him to see where he had grown up, the Kozai estate was by all accounts a oasis in this desolate wasteland even more so now after the destruction of Sunagakure no Sato. The young shinobi knew they were there to perform their jobs as shinobi of the hidden clouds, however the Kozai were a powerful force to be reckoned with and if he was to return home he had no doubt in his mind that he could convince his mother to send the Warriors of the Kozai to aid in the clouds village's quest to bring order back to this land. His argument within his head was rather convincing, for himself at least though he was not sure how his superiors would feel about the situation. All the boy could do was hope that they would allow him to go, in hopes that his clan swearing loyalty to the Raikage and the Land of Lightning would prove not only the boy's own loyalty to the man but also benefit both parties as he was sure his mother would wish for peace and order within the land. After all his mother was the one who had instilled such a since of law and order into the boy, it was only right that she would have that same sense within herself as well, and she no doubt learned it from her father who was a very honorable man. The truth was that they boy would not be surprised to find that the Kozai had been doing their own part to help those that survived after the destruction of the hidden sand village, protecting those to weak to protect themselves and helping those in need that was his mother's shinobi way and by her morals the boy strifed to achieve her expectations of himself and the effect that he was to have on this world.

The boy's thoughts were interrupted by a couple of other Shinobi that were walking near him who were already complaining about the heat of the desert, the boy looked around him to see only desert surrounding the large convoy that was the Shinobi Force of Kumagakure no Sato. Raphael had no idea how long they had been walking through this wasteland of dunes as the heat did not bother him as it seemed to do to those around him, of course he had lived most of his life within the sands of this very desert, even after being gone for over a year the boy felt as though he had never left but he could not blame those that spent their lives in the shade of clouds to not be bothered by the lack there of in the cloud department in the sky over the land of wind. Even though he could not blame them for not being use to the heat that came from the desert land, the young shinobi could not help but feel slightly appalled by his comrades weak constitutions however it was not his place to speak out against them he would leave that up to those of the higher rank that were paid to deal with them. Instead the boy went back into his own little world, lost in his own thoughts as they continued their long trek through the Land of Wind. Throughout the journey the boy had stayed mostly on his own walking with the caravan, however when it came to setting up camps at night along the way he kept his tent close to those of his squad members. Despite this being a united effort across the whole of the village, he was still the squad leader of Takara Squad and as such he was responsible for them and their safety while on this journey. He knew in the days to come that they would be working with each other a lot, so he figured he would give them space during their journey allowing them to be amongst themselves and other's of their rank and friends of theirs. He also tried his best when the situation allowed to have Ryo camp close to them as well, though the boy was not responsible for him, Raphael considered the young Knetegawa to be his one true friend and a person that he could always count on to have his back no matter the situation. Not only had the two of them served on a squad in Sunagakure together for almost a year, but even after the destruction of their village they found each other yet again in the embrace of the Village Hidden in the Clouds but they were able to get to know each other better over the year they have served together in the service of Kumogakure. Having a friend like Ryo whom the boy had shared many experiences with over the years here with him made the young special jounin be a little more at easy with not only himself and the protection of his squad but also with the mission as a whole because he knew that the young puppet master would always have his back.

Raphael's thoughts were interrupted yet again when the convoy stopped, after a quick look ahead of him to see those at the front of the convoy spreading out the boy quickly guessed that they had reached their destination and they were to begin setting up their new base camp. Shortly after the thought had crossed the boy's mind, the orders were announced to the masses confirming his assumption that they had reached the target area, the first part of the land of wind that was now claimed in the name of the Raikage and the Village Hidden in the Clouds. Once camp was set up then they could begin their quest to claim the rest of the Land of Wind, starting by taking a foot hold within the wreckage that was once the Hidden Sand Village before any of the other nations tried to claim it for themselves. As the Caravan began spreading out marking its territory so to speak, the young boy found the wagon that held his gear and then set out to locate both his Squad as well as Ryo so that they could all set up their tents close to each other so that they could get a hold of each other easier when the time came that they needed to work together to complete the task at hand. Once Raphael found everyone that he was looking for, he would convince them all to set up camp close to each other after which he would move to help anyone else that needed help among the Kumogakure camp as well as setting up the perimeter of the entire base camp. By the time the camp was finally set up the sun was already beginning to set in the distance, and from the talks among the other Shinobi it would seem that it would be tomorrow before they set out on their actual tasks that have brought them to this land. Though the boy was eager to begin working, he did have to admit that it had been a long day as well as an overall very long journey and he could use some rest before they actually got started not to mention some food. And so the young shinobi found the militias chef and got himself something to eat, after which he found his way back to his tent so that he could get some rest. Tomorrow was going to be a very busy day for the shinobi of the hidden cloud village and he was going to need all of his energy to take care of what he needed to take care of.

The next morning could not have come fast enough for the eager young boy, he was up before dawn beginning his workout. It was not that the boy had doubts or worries about lowering his guard while he slept, even though he would be considered an outsider to these lands the boy would still feel at home here. A platoon of ANBU had watched over the Kumogakure Encampment during the night, so that the majority of the shinobi within would be able to rest for the long day they were going to have ahead of them. Raphael was simply glad that he was not chosen to be on the first night guard duty as he was itching to get started with why they had all come here, to bring what was left of the village hidden in the sand into the fold and by doing so begin to bring the entirety of the land of wind into the fold to serve the Raikage. This was more than just a relief mission this was a claim of power not only for the Raikage but the entirety of Kumogakure no Sato, it was their chance to show the other nations as well as the rest of the world that they were not to be messed with and that they were a nation united under the banner of their Raikage. As the rest of the camp began to wake up, Raphael heard the call for everyone to gather to be given their assignment. The young shinobi arrived to the growing crowd just as a man took the stage, though Raphael did not know who the man was it was clear from the silence that seemed to fall over the crowd that the man was important and was no doubt part of the Raikage's personal affiliation. "Good morning everyone, I hope that you all slept well. I am going to keep this short due to the fact that we have a lot of work ahead of us, we all know why we are here and we all know that we must all do our part." With the many of the crowd burst into cheers, it was obvious that they were all excited and ready to get started. The man on the stage raised his hands to settle the crowd, "now now, lets not get ahead of ourselves. As I said we have a lot of work ahead of us and we are not sure how long this endeavor will take but the sooner we get started the sooner we will be closer to our goals. Now your first task is to wipe away the remnants of the fallen Sunagakura from this land, the village hidden in the sand is no more they have failed this land and in their absence they have left the land fall to ruin along with their destroyed village. Destroy anything you find that holds the marks of the failure that is Sunagakure no Sato for in order for us to take control of this land we need a blank canvas. So spread out, work together or on your own but cleanse this land of anything that would remind its people of its fallen protectors so that they may welcome in the birth of a new age under the banner of Kumogakure no Sato and our Raikage!" The man finished his speech as the roar of the crowd cheered and clapped their approval, it was now time to get to work.

Raphael wasted little time making his way into the ruins that was once his home village, his time there had been short but he still had memories here, the fact was that the Raikage was right Sunagakure no Sato was no more they had failed this land and its people and now it was time for those that still held power to extend their reach as well as help those that the hidden sand village had been unable to protect. The young Special Jounin made his way through the ruins, every now and again he would find a banner or something that bore the mark of the former great village using his Kunai or Jutsu to tear down or destroy the symbols so that they can be replaced later with banners of the hidden cloud village. The boy knew he should feel something for the loss of his former village, but the truth was that he had never really cared for the sand village. Sure he sought revenge against those who took part in the destruction of the village, however that was more out of a sense for the innocent lives that were lost that night rather than the village itself. The truth was Raphael had never agreed with the way the village hidden in the sand was ran, and he only wished that he could erase the memory of the village from his mind as easily as he had the different banners scattered across the remnants of the fallen village. With his task complete Raphael returned to the base camp to report of his quadrants completion of the task and move on to the next step in the quest to bring order to the Land of Wind.

{Exit Thread}

---

2939

D-Rank Mission: -750
Max Addition Ryo: -600
B-Rank Jutsu (Chakra Suppression): -1500 Cost 200
89 words discarded.

Sunagakure. Or rather, the ruins of it. Mizuki had been here before when the war broke out. She had been here as the Raikage's herald with the intention to meet up with the kazekage so she could reveal the black raiton rods as his business card, but instead she had found a Village in peril. Three shinobi had taken right into their own hands, gathered up and were assaulting the Village each for their own reasons. Few would know who they were, but one of them had been bold enough to claim the assault in her name - Orochi Risu. The other two somehow made it as Kumo-nin. Mizuki wondered if they would join in with the forces to see the ruin they had caused. Would they feel regret for the deaths of countless innocents at their hands and the sorry state it was in now?  Only they could tell her.

The herald had used the black raiton rods as a beacon. There was little else she could do at that point. Place the rods and allow the black thunder to call those in need of help. She ran through the very streets that now formed the veins of this dead Village, seeing buildings break down, people run away, death everywhere. Academy Students felt lost, genin and chuunin doing what they could to save their villagers. The higher ranks were fighting, some even deserted as they feared the invading powers, others altered the purpose of their shinobi lives from staunch protectors of Sunagakure to nurturing guides through the ravaging winds of this land. Loyalty was easily spoken, but so much harder to maintain. Especially in a situation as this. Who would be able to blame them?

Mizuki herself had been but a chuunin at that point, running into a situation that would have been considered a mission far beyond her abilities. Again. She had done so twice as a genin and she had done so again as a chuunin. Life had a cruel way to play with hers, and yet the kunoichi continued doing what she believed she could do best - protect and help. During the war she had gathered the people under the black clouds, searched for those finding an exit out of the chaos and tried to help the wounded or ended the suffering of those whose situation was hopeless. Even if she was but a passing shinobi, the war had changed her just as much as it had changed these people.

And now she was here again.

Mizuki, now a special jounin, had been dispatched to lead small groups of genin through the devastated ruins of Sunagakure. Though war had ended, it was to be considered as hostile territory. Bandits had claimed whole sections for themselves, refugees still harboured hatred for strangers and there was no saying how many shinobi of the other Villages would be present to further the goals of their own kage. The whole of Sunagakure would be one huge test for every shinobi no matter their ranks to prove they could stomach the worst of situations. All of them would have to be prepared.

Walking through the streets with a group of genin at her side, the diplomat of Kumogakure would point at the barriers that prevented the convoy from moving on. With combined effort, the group would tear down the makeshift blockade of wood, sand stone and debris that warned the weak-willed from entering this bandit's turf. A lone tattered banner marked the signature of the local bandit gang, but the forces of Kumogakure would not waver before such a weak sign when something far worse represented a more powerful being. This area had to be picked clean. Any memoir to Sunagakure had to be removed. A discomforting thought to the kunoichi, but perhaps burying any reminder to this poor part in Suna's history would allow for proper healing and renewal. The reconstruction of something new was a much needed goal considering the state of the forlorn buildings.

"Tokujō!"

Mizuki's attention was drawn to a shouting genin and ran to meet him. A couple of elder people were trembling in a corner. Their weak health betraying the lack of food and water they had suffered, the bruise marks showing they had been harassed by the thugs in the area. She would give them her gourd of water, which they clamped on eagerly to slake their thirst.

"Go get an iryo-nin. These people need to be brought to safety."
"Hai, Tokujō."

The genin ran off to find the busy medic at the convoy, the increasing amount of wounded people that were gathered giving him a headache and a heavy shortage on time and help as the diplomat continued saving the few civilians that were in dire need. He'd swear when he heard that there was yet another couple in need of help, but one could only question the true origin of his frustration. If Kumogakure wanted to win over the people, there was a need to preserve their humanity as shinobi. At the very least, some genin had stepped up to help the iryo-nin, finding purpose as budding apprentices, while the people would be thankful. Shepherded people did not revolt quickly and were more inclined to support a new regimen even if it meant cutting loose the past. A valid strategy as any other, the lack of unnecessary violence mostly being the reason why Mizuki held up this strategy with her team in the first place. The genin returned with the iryo-nin, who shot Mizuki a dirty look, but the three of them would help up the elders to get away from this area riddled with bandits. This was not a place for the elderly, that much the group agreed upon.

With the help of doton and fuuton, the blockade was swiftly dealt with and the convoy could move on once more. It picked up its slow pace again, the shinobi once more taking their places around the convoy as the escort. The streets were littered with debris and the remnants of the ruins, sand scattered everywhere and making movement difficult. The whole area looked deserted, making one wonder since when exactly the elders had been sitting there by themselves, but there were plenty of icons and banners waving in the wind as they marked which buildings were claimed as theirs.

"Eyes open, squad."

Weapons would be drawn by the genin as Mizuki whistled sharply, a piercing cry replying from high in the air before a grey hawk would land on her arm. Petting the bird, she would instruct Zhinu and allow it flight again. Lacking any sort of sensory techniques herself, she made a mental note she really had to do something about that when she found some spare time. The bird circled in the air as the convoy moved on, returning to Mizuki's outstretched hand once they had reached the crossroads. No sign of life on the surface in the whole area.

"Coast's clear on the surface. Be wary of potential underground spots."

With those words, the convoy came to a halt and the genin spread out to take down the remaining icons. It would be quite a work considering the large amount of banners and graffiti signs that littered the area.

---

[EXIT]

1222
-750 mission
-400 extra pay (100 ryo)

Ryo was absolutely furious. He was beside himself with rage, hatred, and utter loathing for what he was sent out to do. He was being sent on a mission to destroy the remains of Sunagakure. He was being sent by his new kage to destroy any remnants that still existed in the ruins of Sunagakure. He couldn’t stomach, he couldn’t understand why, he wouldn’t understand why, he wouldn’t stomach it. He hated every last second of this mission, but after losing a violent altercation with his mother about this he had no choice. He had stormed into the head of the clan’s chambers and started to rant and rave about this mission.

He and his mother had a fight that destroyed most of the room and spilled outside into the courtyard of the Kumogakure Knetegawa clan compound. Here in Kumogakure most of the Knetegawa clan compound was below ground dug deep into the mountainous terrain. However, the courtyard was where they received guests and the clan’s head compound was similar despite the fact that the clan head didn’t sleep there. At the end of that fight his mother had Ryo bleeding, one arm nearly broken, and he was pinned down underneath her prized puppet. She knelt down next to him grabbing a fistful of his hair as she glared at him “Now you listen here Ryo. I don’t care what the Raikage asks you to do. You are a shinobi of the Knetegawa clan, Sunagakure is no more and we now belong to Kumogakure. You will not bring down the honor of the clan, or with your father’s spirit as my witness I will personally cast you out of the clan and this village.”

Ryo remembered glaring into his mother’s eyes, but he could see past her outwards anger. He could see the agony that was ripping her apart from the inside. This was the pain that shinobi had to face doing something they clearly hated but doing it anyway for the honor of their village as well as their clan. He nodded his head in defeat as he realized what his mother was feeling. She maneuvered her puppet off of him and looking him over “Go see your aunt for some healing.” Was all she said to him as she walked away to repair the damage the pair of them had done to their home.

He was healed and the next day he was sent out on this mission. He couldn’t stand it, not one bit, but he would get it done. He didn’t wait for anyone to notice him, he didn’t wait for any approval, he just went through the ruins of Sunagakure. His first stop was the ninja academy, there wasn’t much left of it thankfully, but what was there he made sure to torch it. He used his lightning jutsu to shatter pieces of buildings that bore the Suna emblem. He made his way to his home, so he could see what was left behind. All the living quarters were destroyed, most of the training ground and common areas were gone, but the workshop doors were still intact, the roof of the workshop was done, and more importantly, the memorial his mother had built to his father was still intact. He made his way into the workshop and quickly got to work checking the traps to make sure that they would go off properly to destroy what was left of the unfinished works inside.

As he walked outside he clapped his hands which in turn caused the remains of the workshop to explode and start to burn down. While it burned down he went to the memorial of his father taking the picture from it. He wanted to save this photo of his father. As soon as he lifted the picture frame from the pedestal a click was sounded, and a plant of wood slid away from the top of the alter. Inside of asmall cut out was a scroll with a complex seal on it, and a note to Ryo. The note read “Ryo my son, if you are reading this then I have died before you were born into the world. I am sorry I failed to return from my mission, but I love you dearly. I designed this puppet with you in mind, I hope that you have taken on my puppet species as I took mine from my father. When you are ready this will be your magnum opus, and you’ll be ready to create such a puppet. I wish you the best of luck my son, I know you will make me proud.” Ryo crushed the note in his hand as he walked out of the room the fire spreading to this room behind him. He tucked the scroll into his scroll harness, so it looked like he always had it with him.

His clan’s former home was now burning to ashes, and he had destroyed the last pieces of the ninja academy in the village of Sunagakure. He was done here, he had done his part for the mission, he had done what he was told to do, but he knew that there were several others who had been sent to do similar work. That was all he needed to do, and he couldn’t stomach doing anything else. It would break him. He didn’t know how his mother could stomach it, and he knew that he couldn’t. With his secret prizes and his work done he decided that it was time to return home to Kumogakure. The scroll’s secrets were nagging at him. He wondered how he could go about opening the scroll without destroying it wondering if he needed to master Fuinjutsu, but that was a worry for another day.


[Exit Thread]

WC:982

Mission: 750/750
Extra pay: 200 words, 50 Ryo extra
Remaining WC: 32

Naivety. It was something that Shinoko wouldn't think of herself. Infact it wasn't something that she would think of a lot of people. Shinoko was a kind soul, one that tried to see the best in people, and would do her best to not think of people as ignorant or naive. Of course this sentiment in it of it's self was a testament to the girl's naive view the world. The lack of awareness to what was going on around her, and the instructions she was given. Shinoko's Naive nature would be put into question over the course of the next few weeks, as would her view of the nation she loved, but for now, she remained ignorant. Unaware of what the army that surrounded her intended to do when it was done marching. What would happen after they unloaded and "Brought Order to Sunagakure." It sounded nice in her head. Restoring Sunagakure's law, but she truly lacked the deeper implications of those words. With a sort of excitement the girl marched towards the end of her naive nature.

Of course, Shinoko didn't realize any of this. She was excited, but over the fact that she was going to be helping Sunagakure. She was also rather excited over the fact that she would be leaving Kumogakure for the first time in her life. She loved Kumogakure, but the young girl was also rather excited to see the world, and what lie in other nations. It was one of the reasons she was so excited to become a ninja, and now that was finally going to be a part of her reality. Of course she knew that the other lands might not be as nice as Kumogakure, specifically Sunagakure which had been laid to ruin. But getting the chance to travel and see other places was still exciting none the less. It also didn't help, that those that she seemed to be traveling with also seemed to be brimming with excitement. This excitement of course only growing in all of them when they past the border of Kumogakure into Sunagakure. "This is it." Shinoko thought "One of the reasons I became a shinobi". She'd let her eyes wonder. Explore the sights of a new land as they continued to travel, deeper and deeper into the land, as the rock and trees gave way to the sand and the vast desert.

It wasn't long after the they stopped and began setting up the base of operations. It was tiring but exciting work to be a part of. This would be the beachhead for their efforts in sunagakure. It would be from this place they helped a lot of people, or so Shinoko thought. Shinoko was charged with setting up some of the tents, including her own, as well as handing out some provisions and refreshments to those doing the harder lifting. It wasn't much, but the work of a genin never is in comparison. Even still, she felt like she was helping and accomplishing things. With each tent, and with each delivery she put them one step closer to helping others. And by the time it came ready for her to sleep, she was all to ready to fall asleep. Having been traveling most of the day, and then setting up a forward operating base had tired the girl out, and she feel into a rather peaceful sleep. Not realizing that her next day would come to change everything.

Shinoko would wake up the next day rather early the day. Which served her well. While her muscles ached from the day before, she still wanted to get in a rather small work out. A few sword swings and some basic core work outs before the rest of the camp would wake up. However the girl only managed to complete her sword swings before she noticed most of the camp gathering towards a podium in the center. Shinoko would sheathe her sword, a bit disappointed she didn't have more time to finish her work-out, but excited to start helping. She would follow the crowd in, and gather with them as they turned to their attention to the podium, and murmurs of the early morning came to silence as they all intended to listen. "Good morning everyone, I hope that you all slept well. I am going to keep this short due to the fact that we have a lot of work ahead of us, we all know why we are here and we all know that we must all do our part." The crowd burst into cheers, with excitement, and as did Shinoko. It seemed everyone was ready to do their part, and ready to help aid Sunagakure in it's time of need. "now now, lets not get ahead of ourselves. As I said we have a lot of work ahead of us and we are not sure how long this endeavor will take but the sooner we get started the sooner we will be closer to our goals. Now your first task is to wipe away the remnants of the fallen Sunagakura from this land, the village hidden in the sand is no more they have failed this land and in their absence they have left the land fall to ruin along with their destroyed village. Destroy anything you find that holds the marks of the failure that is Sunagakure no Sato for in order for us to take control of this land we need a blank canvas. So spread out, work together or on your own but cleanse this land of anything that would remind its people of its fallen protectors so that they may welcome in the birth of a new age under the banner of Kumogakure no Sato and our Raikage!" The crowd once more burst into cheers and excitement, however shinoko would not follow suit. The air around her seemed to grow cold and the world around seemed to shift. It felt fake. Did they not hear what he said? This wasn't a mission to help sunagakure. This was a take-over. Did they not care. Shinoko felt sick, and almost feint. They were going to erase Sunagakure and extend Kumogakure's land.

It didn't take long for the crowd to clear out, and begin getting their assignments. Shinoko was more or less the same, and the mission she received didn't help her feel less sickened by what she was doing. She was to tear down banners of sunagakure. Symbols that people would remember the village by, and possibly still had hope for. She was going to not inspire hope in these people, but instead remove it. Shinoko was assigned to a small squad, so it's not like she could hide and pretend to help. She had to actively take part in what was left of Sunagakure's imprint upon this land. To make way for Kumogakure to establish it's self. Saying that Shinoko felt sick to her stomach was a vast understatement. She hated this. She hated when she grouped up with her small squad of people she'd never met, and they all talked about there excitement for this, and how great it was going to be. She hated when she had to agree with them. She hated when they made a competition out of how many banners they could tear down. She every last ounce the mission she was assigned. But it was her home, it was a mission she was assigned to by Kumogakure its self. She couldn't turn it down, she couldn't refuse it. That was about of being a shinobi for her land. This didn't mean she wasn't filled with guilt. She tearing herself up inside tearing down each banner her squad missed. She just kept thinking about how she would feel if she had been a refugee in this situation. If Kumogakure had been attacked, and instead of help, another village marched in and while excitement and joy tore down their home even further. Destroyed their history. Their symbols of pride. How would she feel? She would hate them. She knew she'd despise them. She laugh at them for saying "this was for them". this was selfish. This was a take-over. This was for Kumogakure and no one else, and guilt consumed the young shinobi.

When Shinoko finally returned to the camp, job complete. Her face was not one of brightness and cheer as it normally was. It was gloom. She looked sad. The girl avoided dinner, and almost every other kumogakure ninja on her way to the showers. Especially those that appeared to be celebrating. This night would not be as easy resting for Shinoko as the first had. She would spent the night guilt consumed, and training well into the night. She trained in part to take her mind off of what she had just done, but also because she couldn't sleep. She tried, and after only 30 minutes she realized she wouldn't be able to sleep until she was so tired she couldn't think anymore, and she trained and trained attempting to forget.

---

WC: 1543
Thread WC: 10265 (2939 + 1222 + 982 + 1543 + 1579 + 2000)

D-rank Mission: 750/750 words
Endurance (E -> D): 750/750 words

Words left over: 43

[exit thread]

The sun’s rays beat down on Fable mercilessly, the wrappings around his arms and legs felt as if they were drenched in sweat. He’d never traveled to the land of wind, but the road there was long and rugged for Fable. He’d never been away from the clouds this long, not even when he lived in Kirigakure. Though he never noticed how closely his mood was tied to the storm before, his sudden deployment to Sunagakure brought this to his attention. The country was as dry as the old Raiu books told him they were. The hills seemed endless, and the sand went on as far as the eye could see. As he walked through the dessert, his mind began to drift. He had so many questions for the world. He didn’t follow the situation in the land of the wind, only hearing of its events after they occurred. He seemed to distinctively remover he grandfather reading about it in the paper and mumbling something about it being too soon, and how much of a tragedy it was.

Fable’s ears perked upon hearing of Kumogakure and other ninja being able to travel to the lands and complete missions for the sake of their respective villages. He always wanted to travel the world and see how the country his grandfather was so loyal to acted towards another land in need. As he traveled through the land with fellow shinobi from the land of clouds, he looked at them, partly glad that he actually didn’t ever wear a shirt, if he lived in this land he’d hardly wear any clothes. He wondered just what exactly their mission was in this foreign land, though he knew that their were limited options; to help, or to hurt.

As the group of shinobi stopped to set up camp at nights, Fable would slumber in the tents with his squad. They’d grown on him a bit and he knew that in another land, with as many mysteries as this land had, his allies would be there only one he could count on besides his own strength. He’d seen the potential and already potent power they had already gained, and often pondered just how powerful his sensei was. Though not much thinking went with him at nights, his body was often exhausted with the dry dessert sapping him of his energy and overall mood faster than he’d ever encountered. He was just glimpsing into the answer as to why the clan stood tall in the eye of the storm, why they always remained in the village hidden in the cloud.

When he awoke they would travel more, and more everyday. With the same route growing increasingly boring, Fable took the opportunities he had to train in whatever way possible. As he walked through the dessert he would try to focus his chakra into his hands, seeking to form a small cloud. He would focus as he walked, closing his eyes at times, and thinking back to his teachings from both his grandfather and the many books he’d read of the clan’s history. His grandfather taught him to feel the clouds around him and draw from their moisture, but in this dessert that seemed impossible. Lucky for Fable, some ninja in the division handed out water bottles throughout the hours spent walking. He’d use these water bottles and their water to create the clouds, at least that was the plan. As time went on, he failed countless times to use the clan’s jutsu, and enventless grew a little fed up. He started to stop drinking the water until he could create the cloud, his foolish pride beating down on his mental just as the sun’s rays beat down on him. Though as much as he tried, he still couldn’t create a cloud with his clan’s jutsu, evenly drinking the water bottles for self preservation rather than anything else.

As he’d finished his last water bottle, throwing in his bag with the rest of the trash he’d gathered throughout the trip, he’d noticed the group had stopped. Fable had unconsciously fallen to the back of the group, and upon that realization, he jogged to catch up to the group. Though he was late the the announcement that had been made, still heard the objective and the ending of the speech.

"now now, lets not get ahead of ourselves. As I said we have a lot of work ahead of us and we are not sure how long this endeavor will take but the sooner we get started the sooner we will be closer to our goals. Now your first task is to wipe away the remnants of the fallen Sunagakura from this land, the village hidden in the sand is no more they have failed this land and in their absence they have left the land fall to ruin along with their destroyed village. Destroy anything you find that holds the marks of the failure that is Sunagakure no Sato for in order for us to take control of this land we need a blank canvas. So spread out, work together or on your own but cleanse this land of anything that would remind its people of its fallen protectors so that they may welcome in the birth of a new age under the banner of Kumogakure no Sato and our Raikage!"

The mission he received was simple: destroy any signs of records of the land of wind. He was sent to be an eraser, a mere pawn in a grand scheme he couldn’t even fathom hearing, but that’s exactly what drove Fable. That feeling of being a pawn would not last long, he’d promised himself long ago that he would be the only one to decide his path. He understood that the victors of battle, and ultimately war, would be the ones who wrote the escapades and adventures in the history books: painting the portrait anyway they saw fit. Fable didn’t agree with this method of the villages hidden in the cloud, for their goal was stated to ultimately be to conquer the land. To conquer a land seemed too avaricious to Fable, why did the village need to take over another village. What are the higher ups planning? He wondered Ashe traveler through the land. Nevertheless, Fable knew the tolls of lose, the tragedy of grief and debts left unsettled all too well. He felt as if destroying the iconic symbols of another village was dishonorable and petty, but this mission was the one that allowed him to sneak off and see the world for what it really was and how it was shaping to be. Fable always wanted to be apart of that change, but he wasn’t sure if this is how he wanted to be remembered.

Though, Fable could be wrong, and the village could earnestly be doing what’s best for the fallen village. Fable had heard that it was quite restless these days, with rogue ninja running a mock in lawless areas that were the spitting definition of orderly in their former days. He could only imagine how the citizens were coping and taking to defeat. Though, maybe he wrong about it all, maybe he didn’t know a thing about the Shinobi world, he was, of course, merely a genin. But this fact never stopped him from poking his nose in whoever business he was interested in. Quite foolhardy, but he’d never lost in the eye of the storm, though the storm was nowhere to be found in this lands dessert ruins. “I wonder what will befall this land in the near future.” He said under his breath as he snapped back to the task at hand.

As the shinobi began to split up to complete the mission, Fable grew sick. Not in term of his physical body, but his heart and soul grew sick. He would not follow this order. This was wrong and he wouldn’t be a pawn in such a game without clinging to his individuality. As he left to complete his mission, he ran rapidly throughout the dessert. The feeling of not being close to a cloud effected him still, but not as much as it had when he’d first journeyed to this land. He eventually ran into ruins bearing the symbols of the village. Quickly running into action he would grab another physical symbol of the village, erasing those that could not be transported, and move to the next ruin. He would eventually store the banners, books, and various other articles with the symbol of the sand, deep in the dessert. He would complete the mission to as best as he could stomach, but he would complete his personal objectives as well.

When he returned to the camp and the end of the night he would merrily celebrate with some fellow ninja from the village on how they would lend a shadow of hope for the ruined land. He saw many ninja return, some seeming as though they weren’t too keen on completing their mission. Although this saddened Fable, he always grew a genuine smile, knowing that there were still good people in this violent shinobi world after all. He’d sleep outside at night, as if he’d fallen asleep right in the middle of partying.
[Exit]


Wc: 1579
Total Thread WC: 8265

As Kanamora took her first couple of steps into the Land of Wind she watched as the mountains and rocks slowly decayed and crumbled away. The arid waste that lay before her was everything she'd expected: desolate, lifeless, and flat. There had been many things that had been said about the Land of Wind, about the place it had been becoming over the course of the last few years. Even before it was razed to the ground by demons who sought power, justice, and fame, it supposedly nurtured a cesspool of human filth that was slowly congealing over the last decade or so. While there were many great and powerful ninja who were attempting to clamp down on the law breakers, there was a bad culture beneath the surface of it all and no  legislation to counter it. No matter how hard the ninja may have tried the problem was rooted deeper than they could reach. That all left her wondering if this would be the closest thing to war that she'd ever experienced. If this matter was going to take a scale that she, at this moment, couldn't quite perceive. She'd heard of Great Wars in the past that were monumental in their scale. Frankly the thought of one of those deeply terrified her. To fight her in the desolate place against ruffians and criminals she'd never met. Against a plague of scum that betrayed their home and let their people be devoured in the uncaring unnoticing sand. She understood why Lord Miyamoto deployed forces to this place, and she agreed that with his firm guidance some sort of nation could be salvaged from this wreckage.

That's not to say that Kanamora thought that the Land of Wind was an innately bad place. As one of the great five shinobi villages it would have had to have been a noble and well led place, but the biggest evidence that that was no longer true was how when Sunagakure fell its shinobi forces had to separate themselves from the carnage because they had no fail safe, no defense, and no way to stop the carnage that occurred. There was so much that overwhelmed the people, army, and shinobi that the odds were stacked against them. The stories of the great fires that melted the sand beneath the feet of shinobi as they decided whether to fight against the ambushing forces. Most of the witness of the event turned to ash that were hungrily devoured by the sand beneath their feet. The lives of countless people fed scorched sands of Sunagakure until even its epithically gluttonous maw was glazed over and sealed no longer able to take in even another drop of its people's blood. Even once it was satisfied there were eight more hungering mouths that filled the air with wretched screams that night. The colossal eight headed albino that rose over the horizon that night occupied the minds of every shinobi that had made their way past Tokujo as they fought the beast. It threw a silhouette into the smoke above the dying village, and as it projected its terrifying visage in the sky, the shinobi below helplessly nicked at its scales, doing little to stop it. The monstrosity went more or less unchallenged as its creator was nowhere to be seen. In all of this overwhelming fight there was nothing that the ninja of the area managed to do. They had no one to guide them through the crisis. They had no one to fight for them. All they could do was save the few people that they could with the resources they had. She couldn't help but wonder if the tables were turned would she have been any different? Would she have stood silently as everyone around her died? As she lost her home? Would she be plagued in the night with memories and truths that were more terrifying than waking life? Would she have been driven to banditry to try and fund a corrupt leader who wouldn't make the same mistakes that the last one had.

Kumo was different. Sunagakure's last Kage was the legendary puppet user Midori Ningyou. She was from a clan whose technical usage of puppets, and its founding principles was so much more advanced than anyone else's they were borderline prestigious. Kanamora remembered sitting in front of a large screen outside watching the Kazekage's coronation. She was a woman who was truly a hero to any woman who aspired to be a great kunoichi. Kanamora remembered the strange dissonance she felt though when the newly appointed Kage began to talk. Her entire speech spoke about her concern that the Land of wind was a lawless state, and she seemed like change the state from a lawless one to one filled with regimented order was a task too daunting for one person. At the time she was too awe inspired to notice why she felt that way, but as she entered the hidden sand it all made sense to her. She understood that this banditry ws not something a mere ninja could ever hope to fix. That's why she backed the Raikage. After she resigned, or maybe because she resigned the crime in Sunagakure got worse and worse until eventually the attack happened. And though she was not expected to act as a Kage, she should have at least have acted as a defender to her clan. It was that night that one of the ninja that assaulted Suna razed the ningyou clans estates and surgically ended the life of each clan member. This was the pivotal difference between her and the Raikage.

Though the group was fearsome, Lord Miyamoto could have easily have put an end to the miserable lot that sieged the village. Simply looking at the coordinated front the put up as they delved into Suna was the first of a nearly unending list of examples of Kumo's  military might under Lord Miyamoto. Also the fires and the beast that terrorized the village would have been extinguished as if from water in a storm. The title of Raikage was seized from the last two of Kumogakure's Kage who won their seats with personality, by the God of Thunder who shattered a mountain while training his skills and talents. compared to a mountain what were a couple of snakes and a little fire. It was this very strength that bolstered the ninja he sent to Suna. His strength to shatter mountains made them forget to be afraid of the possible terrors that grew and festered beneath this land's surface. Kanamora acknowledged that her bravery was mostly a product of the people around her. She acknowledge that she'd never had to perform triage on the lives of others, decide who should get to be saved and who needs to be left behind. The feeling that Lord Miyamoto spared the Kumo ninja's this fate.

Kanamora fought to hide the strain she felt from the long journey they'd taken to get this far into the Land of Wind she looked at the desolate glass scarred environment left behind by the attacks. It was a tedious thing that would only prove to be an inconvenience to her with the task she'd been assigned, but once they'd arrived Kanamora, almost immediately began to feel her heart rattle at the assuring thought of rest. Midway through the night she was awoken to do join a night shift. Though mostly uneventful, she maintained vigilance in the nearby area until eventually the sun rose and one of Lord Hastur's men gathered all of the ninja to one area, so he could speak to the a little more formally. The people's faces spoke magnitudes about their opinion separating them into the jaded few and those who dreamed bigger. "Good morning everyone, I hope that you all slept well. I am going to keep this short due to the fact that we have a lot of work ahead of us, we all know why we are here and we all know that we must all do our part. now now, lets not get ahead of ourselves. As I said we have a lot of work ahead of us and we are not sure how long this endeavor will take but the sooner we get started the sooner we will be closer to our goals. Now your first task is to wipe away the remnants of the fallen Sunagakure from this land, the village hidden in the sand is no more they have failed this land and in their absence they have left the land fall to ruin along with their destroyed village. Destroy anything you find that holds the marks of the failure that is Sunagakure no Sato for in order for us to take control of this land we need a blank canvas. So spread out, work together or on your own but cleanse this land of anything that would remind its people of its fallen protectors so that they may welcome in the birth of a new age under the banner of Kumogakure no Sato and our Raikage!"

Kanamora listened as intently as she could to the Man's speech. After the full night of keeping watch over the camp she was beat, but even still she joined the roaring crowd in their elation before heading off to complete her part of the mission. Kanamora was assigned to a special unit focused on eliminating records sealed out of obvious sight, a job which Kanamora was surprised she was assigned to. With a half dozen hand seals Kanamora 's body filled with chakra that slowly manipulated the sand around her, causing it to almost bend around her body. Like a ship sinking into the seas Kanamora was submerged into the ground. With the Jutsu activated she slowly made her way to the point in the area she was notified was an underground library. She swam there with little more helping her keep her sense of direction than her memory of when she submerged. After what seemed like an eternity she could feel her arm touch air, and she hurredly left the depths of the earth gasping at the stale, dark air that filled this place. The striking of two kunai over cloth gave the room brief respites from the overwhelming darkness before eventually the cloth lit aflame, revealing the room that'd been marked library in the mission information she'd been given. Kana now stood on the edge of this room with iron sand holding a bit of cloth creating a makeshift torch that revealed one of the former Kazekage's workshops. Kanamora simultaneously was faced with so many emotions, and her face was slowly revolving between them as the small whirlwind of feeling clutched at Kanamora's heart. She looked around at all the prototypes that spanned the area. While it was possible that that this shop belonged to one of the villages other ninja, it was more likely that this was one of the kage's studies. Regardless of who it belonged to Kana had something she had been assigned to do by her superiors, so she'd see to it that they'd get finished regardless of how it'd make her feel. Kanamora walked around the room taking in everything that this trove of treasure had to offer him. As she took in each piece she'd stop for a moment then light it and everyone of the ones around it, as she despaired at the lost knowledge. Slowly the entirety of the little library of information and titles is was engulfed in large amber tongues of flame that consumed the contents of the room. Kanamora slowly walked towards a stairwell that led out of the library to the street level. She'd open a door that'd been locked from the inside, and began making her way back to camp.
[Thread WC = 10265]
[WC = 2000]

750 words for mission
1250 words for training
[EXIT THREAD]