Mission name: A Game of Influences
Mission rank: C-A rank Quest
Objective: Convince your clan to rise against Hastur
Location: Kumogakure
Reward: 1 EP + 300 ryo (C-rank), 1 EP + 500 ryo (B-rank), 1 EP + 1000 ryo (A-rank)
Mission Description: Convince your clan to join the cause of the Resistance against Hastur. When every clan unites against a common enemy, victory is pretty much assured.
Development References: "Godslayer.", end of Hastur arc
Mission Details: 2000 wc (C-rank), 2500 wc (B-rank), 3500 wc (A-rank)
C-rank: No hostitlies. Try to influence the ruling power(s) in your favour, push your influence or win a game of wits.
B-rank: Minor hostilities. You'll have to take down the current leader, fight a champion or assassinate a present influence working against you. Whichever, their stats are B-2 across the board, B-rank equipment and have two elements/specs of your choice.
A-rank: Better call this a 'Game of Thrones' for blood will be about all there is to pay to get the clan rise up against Hastur. They are indoctrinated, stubborn or afraid and the nail that sticks out gets hammered - you, in other words. Your opponents are members of your own clan with A-0 stats across the board, with A-rank equipment, three specs/elements. There are at least 5 opponents.

The art of hiding in plain sight. If there was one thing the Raiu could be mildly proud about was how she had learned to use simple disguises as a means to hide her identity. The Herald of Hastur, a diplomat of Kumogakure who had decided on walking the path of the mystical mountain hermits, was generally a well-known presence within her own Village. And yet, by ditching most of her high quality clothing, wearing a sober looking cloak, hiding her face under a large hood and generally keeping to herself with eyes focused on the floor, most people ignored her. In a world of supernatural powers and superhuman beings, few cared to look at the most mundane as they searched for the greater threats that wandered around the Village. Granted, she had been gone for a long time, travelling the world in Hastur's name, meaning that few of the Jashinists knew how she looked like - an added advantage.

When she stepped outside the building, blue-green eyes would take a brief glance of the surroundings. The streets looked mostly abandoned, safe for a few citizen quickly making their way home. The sky looked clear, if not slightly clouded by Kumogakure standards, but nothing that would hint at a coming rain. On one of the roofs sat a grey hawk preening its feathers, eyeing the hermit with a glint of caution before it decided this new arrival in the streets was not worth its time. With an irritated cry it left the roof to make for the skies. What few understood was that this grey hawk served as the hermit's eyes and ears. Where others were forced to take the rooftops for a better view, Mizuki was allowed to remain within the streets, adding another layer of inconspicuousness to her disguise.

Making her way through the streets to return to her personal little haven for a well-deserved rest, she was halted in her tracks as she heard the sound of someone crying for help. Sticking to the shadows while avoiding the breaking of her own disguise, she inched closer until she was close enough to notice someone else had already stepped in to deal with the situation. Mizuki would instead move on rather than step into the alley, acting like she was just passing by, and rest against the wall with her back. Pulling the hood over her head a little lower, she'd seemingly sink into a sense of light sleep as she opened her mind's eye and focused her chakra sight upon the situation.

A lone girl, four hooded men, one teenager. The boy hero coming to the rescue of the damsel in distress.

Were she younger Mizuki would have melted at such romantic heroism, but the woman she was could only roll her eyes. Though noble the thought, unless he knew how to fight, he'd pretty much be sacrificing himself in vain. For a mere moment, the boy would appeal to her expectations. Clones were summoned, giving him a temporary edge in numbers. Then, raiton was being channelled with a purpose similar to her own Celestial Step. He shot forward, closing the gap for what looked like a killing blow. And was stopped. If he had been opposing Mizuki, she'd have considered him too predictable. A reasoning his opponent too seemed to share as his own KKG protected him from certain death and left the boy undefended. A boisterous behaviour, barely thinking two steps ahead? She'd be surprised if he'd be chuunin level with that approach.

Releasing her chakra focus, Mizuki subtly nudged her Storm chakra to mingle with her aura and quietly stepped forward into the alley where the boy and the four hoodlums were. The enthralling aura that illuminated her presence was instantly caught by most of the men surrounding the boy, luring their attention away from him as it forced them to focus on her. Without a word she'd continue until one of them finally realised something was off and called her out.

"Hey, you. Scram."
"Official Raikage business."

They tried their hardest to split their attention between the captured boy and the quiet hermit, but with some effort the young genin might find a way to use the resplendent aura to his benefit as he was not the target of Mizuki's will.

"An unlikely situation, seeing as how you're lifting your hand against His shinobi."
"I don't see a headband.", one of them smirked. "Neither do I see one on you."
"Indeed. Yet it would be most impudent to lift a hand against the boy."

Standing at a mere five meter from her closest target now, the hermit would halt and slowly lift her piercing gaze to meet the group. The blue-green eyes of the hermit bore themselves within those of her opponents. Calm and determined, they reflected the eyes of a veteran who had seen more than her fair share of battle. Yet an almost uncanny serenity pervaded the immediate area around her like the quietude heralding the storm; inner peace of mind and mastery of the storm within barely whispering her skill in the ears of the opposition.

"I kindly request you to let the boy go."
"Denied.", he replied instantaneously, grinning despite the bead of sweat running down his face.
"Then I see myself forced to make my wishes understood more clearly."

With blinding speed, hand seals were formed under her cloak, invoking the signature technique of the Raiu - Laser Circus. They'd realise too late what the bright light emanating from under her cloak indicated, gasping as they saw a variety of beams split off from her hand to pierce every of the four hooded individuals with pin-point precision. The beams would strike their shoulders, hands and wrists, making future assaults on the girl and the boy increasingly more difficult. And should the boy not have found an opportunity to escape their dwindled attention, he surely would find one now that his aggressors had little means to hold their grasp over him or their weapons.

"A Raiu...", one uttered quite shocked.
"Raiu Mizuki, to be more precise. I believe my name does not need further introduction to your cult?"
"G-get her guys!"

And so another dance of death began.

---

1056

330/400
- 25 : A-rank Kagura Shingan
- 25 : A-rank Songbird's Allure
- 20 : B-rank Laser Circus

Jutsu:

With an opportunity granted, the boy would seize the moment and deal with his oppressor in turn. Seething anger would restore his pride as he took the fight to the man now that they were on equal footing. A fair one on one fight, for the others had their vengeance set on the Raiu as they relied on their ally's skill to deal with the hero. The first one would run up, spear at the ready to skewer her. The metal tip glistening in the light as if to draw attention to its potential danger. It would lunge forward, only to loose its power as the purple shine of Seiun, Mizuki's own katana, cut through the lance. The tip would fall off ingloriously, leaving the spearman with a piece of wood moments before Mizuki's follow up strike cleanly cut off his left arm. The stump where once his arm had been attached to would be cauterised by the ranton chakra that altered Seiun's interaction, the only blood spilling on the ground being that of his lost arm.

Two were left to deal with, and Mizuki would continue her quiet advance. The next one attempted a strike of his own, finding that his opponent simply twisted her body out of harm's way with a minimum of movement. She'd allow him a few more attempts as her blue-green eyes searched for the ideal opening, but the last man's interference eventually forced her to jump up. As she flipped through the air, the back of her feet found the man's head and kicked it sufficiently hard to make him lose balance. He'd tumble forward, leaving his former spot open for Mizuki to land. His ally would not leave things to chance. Believing he spotted an opening in the hermit's defences, hand seals were formed for his own technique but standing in close proximity with a being of greater speed didn't prove to be the advantage he believed to hold. In retaliation, the Immortal Blade bore itself in his stomach with practically no opposition before raiton chakra coursed through the katana to electrocute the man from within. He'd die instantly, leaving but one man to fend for his life.

Seeing as how the boy too had dealt with his opponent, hesitation conquered his mind and allowed fear to step inside his world. The spear would tremble in his hand, his eyes sizing up the situation as he took minute steps backwards. Ready to flee. Before he had the chance to do so, however, the Raiu would set a sprint, aided by Hsien, her pair of pretty shoes. Her body blurred as she shot forward at 140 m/s to cut the man horizontally in two, halting a few meters behind him with outstretched blade. In the eyes of the untrained, mistaking her speed as teleportation or the use of the Body Flicker Technique in mid-battle was not unlikely even though that was far from the case. Wiping the blood of Seiun with a single sweep, the heavy thud of two separated body halves announced the man's final moments when she sheathed her katana.

"You Jashinists rely too much on the power of your god.", she denounced the dead men even though their ears could no longer hear her voice. Her gaze then shifted to the boy's dead opponent, analysing how he had come to his end, before she gave him her undivided attention. He'd tell her how he could have handled the four Jashinists by himself yet thank her nonetheless, and proceed to introduce himself as 'Sasaki Kyousuke'.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sasaki-san.", she'd state with respect, the diplomat of Kumo knowing his position as heir thanks to the revelation of his name. However, she'd bow respectfully towards him rather than shake his hand as her own way of greeting him. "I had heard of you before. Having seeing your sword skill in action, I do not doubt your clan must be proud of your discipline. It is most unfortunate the Jashinists did not realise this before they met an untimely end. If you wish, I can treat your wounds before duties take you further down the road? Consider it my thanks for your noble intervention."

With this, she'd await his answers. If he denied her offer, she'd give a curt nod in comprehension. He looked the sort to know sufficiently what he wanted; not the sort where she'd have to insist upon his health or future like a worried mother. On the other hand, if he accepted, the Raiu would channel benevolent chakra through her hands to heal the wounds he had suffered. Taking away the pain and any signs of a battle along with it. All the while, she'd listen to any further questions or conversation he'd offer - with no one having escaped to call for reinforcements, the two would be long gone before this skirmish would be discovered.

---

846
Total: 1'902

310/400
- 05 : Celestial Empowerment
- 15 : Heaven Sword, Heaven's Decree

Jutsu:

With his acceptance, benevolent chakra would flow into her faintly illuminated hands and dissipate into his body as she allowed it to restore his wounds. The storm chakra she controlled offered a sobering experience as the suiton nature refreshed the body and the raiton nature revitalised it. Though control over her chakra was one of discipline and precision, the end result often felt rewarding - like how stepping out of a raging storm felt both bewildering and invigorating. Cold and clammy, but at the same time unexpectedly needed. And seeing how the boy's breathing improved with every second, Mizuki could only assume he was experiencing a similar experience under her medical care.

When she was done, his eyes glided to meet the Raikage's tower. Mizuki's eyes followed, her mind's eye seeing a different world than what he envisioned in his goals. Where the boy thought about a forced meeting with a self-proclaimed god, Mizuki's mind searched for options about how to take down that very same 'god'. As the visions of the hermit had foreshadowed, the influence of Thunder God was opposing that of the Lady of Storms as the Jashinist horde collided with the hermit's build-up forces of resistance. As if the boy had felt her very thoughts hanging in the air, he broke the momentarily silence with a question. Who was she exactly that the cultists knew her? Rising her eyebrows as she weighted his question, the hermit thought about her own answer all the same.

"You ask a question of which the answer alone may well change your very perception of this Village. I am a yamabushi named Raiu Mizuki, daughter of Raiu Kiyoshi and Kaminari Siri. I hold little position of authority within my clan, though I did inherit my father's dojo much like he did from his father. Seemingly, I am but a mere member of Kumogakure's shinobi forces, and yet my actions may have influenced the Village more than I'd like to admit."

Her eyes drifted towards the Raikage's tower once more as she folded her arms. It was not a pose in which a certain desire for self-defence rested, but one in which she temporarily withdrew to find the right words in this situation. How much exactly could she reveal about her past, her influence? Certainly, he did not pose a threat to her in terms of skill but only a fool disregarded the small pawn in the greater scheme of today's civil war. How close was this boy, or his clan for that matter, with the current Raikage?

As if to assure her, Kyousuke revealed his clan's current state of affairs from the perspective of an heir. Even if he didn't lead them, the political indecision of his clan occupied him. In many ways, his clan resembled her own while his worries reflected hers just as much. And that similarity was exactly the nudge that pushed the hermit's thoughts towards a more revealing answer. It put herself at risk... But under the boy's influence, the Sasaki clan might take a final decision in favour of neutrality or the resistance. And if that was not an available outcome, perhaps her personal experience would allow the boy to take a path she would avoid having taken if she only had the chance to return to the past.

"My roles in Kumogakure have shifted throughout my life, Kyousuke-san. When I was but a few years older than you, about chuunin rank, I was the Herald of Hastur. I searched for him when the previous Raikage Lin Katonrai, my mentor, disappeared and found him there at the centre of our Village. I believed him when he told me he'd make Kumogakure a nation to be reckoned with, and so at his request, a naive girl became the messenger-diplomat who travelled the world to demonstrate his power with the help of black raiton rods.

His name became known, and with his call many people flocked under his banner. Some sought new life, some sought glory under an impressive power, some found a rescuing embrace when Sunagakure was being destroyed by the three Destroyers. Some, as I've only came to understand much later, were Jashinists believing he was the avatar of their dark god."

She paused to let the words sink in. Yes, she had been the one to solidify his position as Raikage. She had planted the banner the Jashinists were waiting for, the black raiton clouds summoned forth by the rods more than just his business card. They had been a secret sign.

"Later, when my duties as messenger were over, I was granted the position of special jounin and became a diplomat to the nation. I lobbied between clans and the cities of the Land of Lightning, and even maintained diplomatic relations during the Siege of Inabayama when the four nations gathered to throw their verdict over a destroyed Sunagakure. Though I was already troubled by the lacklustre treatment Hastur had given Kumo's civilians and shinobi, the Jashinists had yet to rise. He failed us during the Chuunin Exams back then, but Lamya's rampaging bout was but an opportunity to bolster his own propaganda. Like many, I believed them to be human mistakes which would not be repeated.

But I had other concerns not relating to Hastur. My mother had died of illness and my grieving father no longer desired to serve this dark god. He craved Death's embrace, wishing to be reunited with his wife. When eventually he found his eternal rest, I left Kumogakure to find my own peace again. I intended to temporarily leave service, and ended up living the life of a yamabushi - a mountain hermit. This hermit is the person you see today, Kyousuke-san. A person who feels the need to rectify her errors from the past to find peace for the next generations."

Blue-green eyes shifted to meet the dead cultists of Jashin, her momentary glance revealing the unspoken words she kept for herself - once the Herald, she had now become the person who had sown the seeds of Hastur's destruction. Her connections and political clout had brought together people with a futuristic vision where Hastur would be replaced by someone who truly cared for Kumogakure. Mizuki was part of the resistance that opposed his cultists today and aspired to become the Godslayers of tomorrow.

"As for Hastur's disposition...? Know that in the eyes of the dark god, it is he who ordains his people. Not the way around. A mere genin, even an entire clan, are nothing but pawns to be sacrificed for the greater good of his own self-proclaimed divinity. Should you doubt the truth of my words, remember that what you experienced today is but one of many projects the Jashinists have been undertaking lately. They terrorise Kumogakure's civilians and the former refugees of Sunagakure. They oppose the Lightning Daimyo, his influence and his samurai. But their nefarious tendrils stretch far outside of Kumogakure. The cult was present during the Siege of Inabayama, bringing their gospel and propaganda. Genin were being kidnapped during the Konoha Chuunin Exams to indoctrinate them into Jashinism. And there is no saying where else they may currently be attempting to bring their dark schemes to fruition, emboldened by Hastur's divine approval...

In many ways you stand at the precipice of a path not all that dissimilar to the one in my own past, Kyousuke-san. It is not my right to decide upon your course of action for the future, but I'd ask you to learn from the brief history you've heard today. I believe it may aide you to reconcile your clan towards a more favourable future. A first, albeit weighted step towards the difficulties of leadership."

With those last words, she'd offer him an encouraging smile. If only she had been given half the insight Kyousuke was offered today, would the hermit still have walked this path? A question to which she'd never know the answer, of course, but one that would nonetheless pop up in the back of her mind. Pushing the thought away, the hermit slowly started to walk away from their current position. Away from the dead Jashinists. Away from the Raikage's tower.

"Other than your clan's turmoil on the matter, I can't help but be curious. What vision do you desire to see fulfilled for yourself?"

---

1428
Total: 3'330

Kyousuke's story felt similar to her own. He and herself were both children of a prestigious clan, bound by loyalty to Kumogakure. Both were raised with the blade in hand, expected to carry on a legacy. His legacy carried him towards books and legends, visions of a heroic future, a noble purpose. Hers had been revealed the dark side of the moon, being taught the Executioner Arts from her grandfather and unquestionably expected to walk in her footsteps in opening the dojo. It had taken years for Mizuki to find the noble goal that already fuelled Kyousuke's heart. He the sun and her the moon. Melancholy filled her for a moment as she quietly hoped his early gains would not result in an early burn-out of his own beliefs. Life had its ways of making things understood, and those lessons were not always the easiest to learn.

"Unlike other dragons I have met, your parents sound wise. They shape the foundations you need to weapon yourself in life while allowing you to discover your own adventures. It is true that certain lessons can not be learned by word or example; some must be experienced and taught by life itself. I believe this is why your mother, the quiet dragon, didn't tell you anything."

The hermit had smiled when she heard about his mother. It reminded her of her own mother, Kaminari Siri. A woman of great warmth, but unlike the Quiet Dragon, she knew how to raise her voice; one only surpassed by the woman's father - the Roaring Lion of Kumogakure. Siri had been a passionate, fierce woman with a will strong enough to let her live on for several years despite her deadly illness. All that for the sake of her children and husband.

"Every legend holds an unspoken darkness. One must often venture through the depths of the night to find the brightest star. Should you ever come to a point in life where your goals become a burden as heavy as the weight of the world itself, remind yourself to breathe. It is a simple act we're so used to, that many forget how much power it can bring to our lives."

With those words, the hermit would impart a bit of wisdom. Dull words in comparison to the heroics of a dragon; the Noblesse Sage revealed with it how she had achieved enlightenment and rekindled her own desire to safeguard Kumogakure from spiritual destitution. Breathing. Meditation. Solitude.

No longer alone now, she watched how Kyousuke drew his twin blades in the night and ritualistically laid them down as he kneeled. Mizuki blinked, not quite used to such an approach of devotion, quietly listening to his plea. The same curse of placation had struck his clan like it had hers. So bound to their traditional loyalties, they no longer differentiated between the Village or the leader. Though she had been able to convince her own clan, the same might not be the case within the Sasaki clan - diplomat or not, she had little to say in the personal business of another clan. Double so if it concerned something as sensitive as age-old loyalties.

Blue-green eyes looked up to the night stars. Her mind connecting with the inspiration of her personal techniques. As if seeking those brilliant stars out meant they'd bring her the answers she required. A slow, measured breath escaped her as it crossed her mind that there was no point in speaking of knights and dragons if she had little intention of acting like it. This path was Kyousuke's, but could she deny a request when he humbled himself so?

"Please rise, Kyousuke-kun. I'm no goddess in need of worship. If you, as the heir of your clan, believe I can be of help somehow, then I'll endeavour to aide you.", she'd agree to his request, hoping that he'd rise quickly to his feet as it made her somewhat uncomfortable. "Your clan and mine sound very alike, both being loyalist guardians stuck between protecting the Village or its political embodiment - the Raikage. To influence your clan, you need not to know where their loyalties lie, but what its spirit seeks to preserve. You desire to walk a path in where the civilians are protected from harm. A person walking among mere men. But does your clan share a similar mindset?"

Her hand gestured for him to lead the way towards his clan grounds so they could share what they knew and how they'd proceed while they walked. From where they were, the clan grounds were not all that far but the night had fallen already and there were other dangers lurking behind the corners other than the Jashinists.

---

799
Total: 4'129

The road to the Sasaki clan would be one where Mizuki shared few words. Her ears were attentively listening to what the heir had to share about his clan, mental notes helping her to think about the words that would be required to influence them. Then, at the clan compound, she'd quietly follow him through the guards, through the estate, the manor and into into a gathering. The hermit had kept her simple cloak on, hiding her face in the shadows of its hood, and kept to herself unless she was spoken to. It was only when he asked for advice when dealing with nobles that she subtly nodded and said, "Avoid offending their pride and don't forget complements will get you anywhere.". It was common practise for politicians to hide sneers in carefully wrapped compliments, forcing confusion in the mind as compliments and insults pretty much sounded alike. A difficult art, if anything.

Questions about her presence would be asked and replies granted leeway for the hermit to present herself. Feeling her current attire hardly did her position as diplomat any credit, the hermit allowed enlightenment to awake within herself. As she pulled back the hood that had hid her face, the resplendence of the Noblesse Sage form cascaded down to emphasise she was not to be considered a mere civilian at this point.

"Honourable members of the Sasaki clan. As stated, I am Raiu Mizuki, a diplomat of Kumogakure once named the Herald of Hastur. It is true that my position has allowed me a keen insight into the Raikage's mind and much like you today my clan and myself found themselves torn when it comes to the priorities in loyalties. Do we protect Kumogakure first and foremost, watching over the civilians and the future it takes, or do we serve the Raikage, following him in every of his decisions?"

The Raiu would proceed to explain the current situation and repeat the hidden agenda of the Jashinists under the Raikage's commands she had revealed to Kyousuke too. Sharing information and enlightening them on the matter, the Raiu would explain how she had talked with her own clan before and what the final decision was of its leading council - the safety and future of Kumogakure preceded that of the Raikage, certainly when the last named held no intention of putting his Village before his own selfish desires.

"I can not decide for your clan which path to approach but I do believe that the Sasaki and Raiu clan are two pieces of the same cloth. If so possible, I'd like for our honourable clans to stand next to each other in the preservation of the Village against the ruination of the Jashinists rather than to oppose each other. Let us not work towards an internal war that would only further weaken the Village but strengthen each other in this conflicting matter."

Ending with those words, Mizuki stepped back. The senjutsu chakra of the Noblesse Sage dissipated, taking its avian resplendence with it, and left the playground to Kyousuke-kun again. She had told them what she knew, it was now up to him and his clan to run the last mile.

---

537
Total: 4'666

Mizuki, sitting in seiza, patiently waited until the Sasaki clan members had finished their internal discussions. Where she had paved the road ahead, Kyousuke had delivered the final blow. Even if he held little political clout at this point, none could simply discard the heir as being irrelevant to this matter. His decision, and his direct approach, had already influenced some minds even before they'd realise it themselves. Her eyes scanned the room, perceiving the mannerism and mood of the active members to gauge the general direction the debate was taking. It looked favourable for the most part, their deepest thoughts of contemplation remaining hidden to all but their own minds. One by one, final decisions were made clear. One by one, they gathered around the heir's choice to preserve Kumogakure above its Raikage. And lastly, even the current leader understood the sagacity of the revealed road towards the future.

The decision of Sasaki Kaida not to join the resistance but remain an independent force was more than sufficient in the eyes of the resistance leader. She had not searched for them to join the resistance, merely desired for them to renounce support towards the current leadership. Every clan that did not support Hastur against the resistance was a hurdle less for the resistance to jump over. And with the Sasaki clan stepping away, another small victory spoke in favour of the resistance.

"I would not have asked for more.", Mizuki replied, content with the clan's decision. "Should you find yourself targeted by Jashinists or the kage's personal forces, the kami might yet smile favourably on the honourful Sasaki."

A subtle hint that in times of need, they might yet find allies assisting them in times of need. With the decision concluded, she'd rise to her feet again and ready herself to move on when Kyousuke spoke up. What now?

"Today you set a foot into clan politics and emerged as victor, Kyousuke-kun. I believe a glass of fine wine in joy of a brighter future is an acceptable reward. However, as a Sasaki and its heir, it is paramount you set the example to build up the credibility of leadership. The Sasaki will remain neutral, therefore Sasaki Kyousuke should too."

At those words, she'd wink meaningfully to him. The hermit had used his full name on purpose, hoping he'd catch the hint that hiding his real identity and picking up an alter ego was the only way for him now to join the resistance. An approach the ANBU were well-known for, and one she had used herself when Raiu Mizuki lived in the mountains of Iwagakure as the hermit Suzume.

The first steps of a shinobi's arts; hiding in plain sight.

---

[EXIT]

462
Total: 5'128
- 4'200 wc Raiton: S to Legendary
- 900 wc stashed