THE LAND OF FIRE | AKAGAHARA MORNING A warm, mid-spring morning graced the Land of Fire, gradually chasing away the trace flakes of frost that hid in the long shadows and giving light to the forest-ladden countryside shrouded in darkness. The cloudless sky told of a beautiful day lying in store for the picturesque land of woods and fields. Seldom did it happen, but on occasion, an ominous feeling would grow in his gut. He never knew quite what it was, whether it was incoming doom, baseless paranoia, or something else, but he trusted instinct more than anything. It rarely lead him astray. Takao's coal-eyed gaze watched the rolling landscapes of the Fire Country speed by from behind the window of a passenger train bound for Akagahara, the Land of Fire's capital city. He had set out early in the morning, following his gut. The trip took half an hour; it was much slower than if he'd ran, but more comfortable than speeding through the forest canopies, and required considerably less expenditure of energy and effort. He dismounted at the Shinamōta platform and passed under the large gates, heading into the beautifully ornate city, home to the Fire Daimyō. Momentum lead solely by what he presumed was baseless paranoia, Takao made his way through the streets and to the large fortress, guarded in part by contracted, specialized Samurai and in part by the most skilled shinobi the Hidden Leaf had to offer. Heavy footsteps echoed through the large, empty foyer and hallways of the massive palace as Takao's stride carried him to his destination, the office of the Fire Daimyō. He knew the way well enough to find it himself despite the labyrinth of a building presented, decorated by ceilings dressed with coloured glass at the top, casting technicolour light downward when the sun was shining, massive pillars at either of his flank, and beautiful marble tiles that seemed to stretch on forever with sparse, rich red rugs and runners to break up the marbled monotony. Arriving at the door that was nearly twice his height, Takao's knuckles rapped heavily thrice on the oak surface. A brief moment of silence followed before an answer called out from behind the door. "Come in." Said the voice. Takao pushed the door open and closed it quietly behind him. He was granted by a familiar sight. Another massive room, far too tall to be anything but extravagant, with walls stretching from floor to ceiling with filled bookcases. Sitting perfectly centered in the room was a large, long, ornate wooden desk, and seated behind the desk was an older man with combed white hair and a two-toned beard, some spots black and some spots white. "Ahh, Takao. What an unexpected surprise." The man said, rising to stand as Takao approached the desk. "Sorry for dropping in unannounced." Takao reached to meet the Daimyō's hand for a firm shake before they both sat; Takao in a chair opposite to the Daimyō and the Daimyō in his own leisurely upholstered chair. "Nonsense, no apologies needed. In fact, it is exceptionally convenient you did so. I was just about to have an assistant head down to the Leaf to check up on progress. I suppose that must be what brings you in?" "Not exactly," Takao replied. "But, since I'm here, I might as well. I haven't had the opportunity to leave the Leaf since Rippa's death. I've sent missives to the minor countries ahead of me to arrange meetings but I'm stretched too thin with the administration right now. Is it possible that you might consider delegation?" A moment of silence befell them following Takao's request, and the Daimyō steepled his hands, breaking the solace with an inhale. "No." "This is far too important to jeopardize by trusting just anybody. You are an exceptionally well-trained soldier, and more importantly, you understand the situation that you and the village are in. Others might get the wrong idea, you see, might think that this is conquest and not democratic union." With a voice smooth like silk and an even tone to match Takao's, the Daimyō continued. "I will send some of my best staff to the Leaf today to handle administration. We will start with the Land of Hotsprings." "Yes sir." Takao replied following a slow, lengthy inhale and exhale. "But, before we do so, a problem persists just north... Hidden Cloud presence in the neighboring country, the Land of Frost, is growing troublesome." "I believe it is time we make our opening move." THE LAND OF FIRE | KONOHAGAKURE NO SATO MIDDAY At the orders of the Fire Daimyō, Takao had gathered a force of Konoha shinobi and gathered them in the Administration Office for a briefing in two different teams. Firstly, he had briefed Mikumi Senju and Suutei Kimura, who would act as his Officers for the assignment. He informed them that their orders came down from the Daimyō, and that there were three Hidden Cloud-controlled bases of operation in the Land of Frost that would be their targets. Suutei was tasked with taking up the rear assault and controlling a small force of shinobi to wipe out the outpost located in the Kitakaze Woods. Along with him, besides the small force of shinobi, he would be taking N'Jobu Aburame, Xion Akui, and Kisei Ushinatta, a recent addition to Konoha's ranks. Mikumi was given the task of holding the middle and assaulting the outpost located near the Genyō River. Granted a similar force to lead, she would have the likes of Hina Braveheart, Hika, Yoshihiro Joe, Sunadokei Akimichi along with her. Takao had claimed the largest risk for himself; the vanguard. If he was dooming his people to a fight that none of them wanted, himself included, then it was only right that he take the largest load to carry upon his shoulders. The largest encampment, nestled in the Buddhas' Graves, closest to the Hidden Cloud and the best-manned outpost in the country. When reinforcements would arrive, and he was so sure that they would, he would slow them down, and he entrusted those that would slip past to the capable hands of his other teams. Given their orders, Takao gave the force at large a short briefing, and entrusted the team leaders to grant more in-depth details on their own plans of action using the basis that Takao had given. Once the Leaf was ready, they set out for the Land of Frost. THE LAND OF FROST | BUDDHAS' GRAVES LATE EVENING Time had come for the assault. The teams had been dispatched and were en-route to their targets. Takao had ventured out before them, taking up the vanguard, and plowing through the evergreen forests and deep mountainous landscape that painted the Land of Frost in broad strokes. Green turned to snowy white in the blink of an eye, and he was encroached on all sides by bitter mountain air, yet the natural heat of his body was enough to melt the snow in his immediate vicinity. Before night fell, his black eyes graced the bustling outpost with their cold gaze. Gloved hands tightened into fists and lungs drew in chestfuls of gelid air. The element of surprise was an incredible advantage when used properly, and a fatal consequence for the ignorant. Without distorting so much as a flake of snow upon the branch he leapt from, Takao utilized 'Jump' to send him into the sky above the outpost. His darkened Jōnin ensemble was visible as a silhouette before the darkening sky for only a mere moment before his breath evacuated his lungs. The creeping darkness of the forthcoming night retreated as gargantuan swathes of flame roared through the sky. For a brief moment, an artificial summer's day spit from Takao's agape maw graced the lands of eternal winter, yet the unfortunate occupants of the outpost below were not so lucky to enjoy it. The ground quaked, forests a mile out shook, and snow atop the mountains nearest fell loose under the sheer force of the flames slamming into the ground, eating away everything in their path, tearing through snow, ice, and permafrost to turn the Hidden Cloud's fortification into ash and soot. Had the sheer heat not burned away the grass, perhaps the ground might have seen green since time immemorial. But instead, when the last wisps of flame made their final pass through the outpost, all that was left was a crater just shy of three-hundred meters around and fifty meters deep. Takao landed upon the scarred earth, stood directly in the middle, and cast his gaze northeastward toward the Land of Lightning. Lesser outposts wouldn't know exactly what happened, but word bounced from radio to radio that the main outpost was no longer responding. With hands dug into the warm depths of his pockets, Takao's half-lidded stare awaited the arrival of whatever force the Hidden Cloud would muster.

wc

1,525 | 1,525/5,400 OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION This thread is Invite Only. Participants must post in this thread before breaking off into splinter threads. All word counts, training bonuses, and reductions apply to splinter threads as well as the main thread. By joining this thread, you acknowledge and consent to all battle mod rulings being resolved by coin flips. We're here to have fun, not be competitive. Confer with your designated partner/opponent on which rank of mission you're taking and make sure you include it in the first post(s) of your splinter thread for bookkeeping. Convenience Link to the Missions Setting Information for Suutei, N'Jobu, Xion, Kisei, Maikumaru, Ibara, and Sora Spoiler: Setting Information for Mikumi, Yoshihiro, Sunadokei, Hina, Hika, Aikiko, Kyousuke, Sangetsu, Maelstrom, and Atsushi Spoiler:

Clear Skies:

The young Kimura’s day was off to a casual start. The village had been quiet as ever, allowing him much like the other shinobi to unwind. He’d grown well accustomed to this refreshing lifestyle. A lifestyle worth protecting no matter what. While young he did inspire to make the most from his life, as well as find his true calling. In the past during his time of refuge in Sunagakure, on serene days like today. He accompanied his master in a meditation ritual. Juunto used meditation as a tool to purge the soul of adverse energy. As one would expect the duo made no exception for today either. The two men sat cross legged across from one another, their energies ebbing and flowing in a harmonious rhythm. The two men were at the mercy of nature in the small lush courtyard. The small area in which they resided was dense in chakra. The pressure alone was enough to halt the flow of wind through their space. The focus of the grizzled man next to him was impossible to obstruct, however, the same could not be said for the young man. A foreign body entered their space within a split second, and vanished shortly before it was identified. Within his lap he felt something cylindrical in shape that was not present prior to the disturbance. He remained vigilant however to not break his own focus. but he was reluctant to break his focus. His brow furrowed and wavered, in its hushed tone, temptation enticed him to indulge in the mysterious object. “Suutei-san. I think it’d be your best interests to look over that scroll in your lap.” The aged gentleman besides him advocated. “Oh? Aye, Juunto-sensei.” He replied without hesitation to his decree. He unraveled the scroll that lie in his lap. Tentatively he read each line more careful than the last. It was a formal summon from his cousin, the Jūsandaime Hokage himself, Takao. Communication let alone actual meetings were few and far between them. This raised some bit of concern leaving an unsettling feeling in his belly. The young man was hesitant to move from the spot in which he resided. “You know, your cousin, the Hokage. He’s a bit of a livewire. I think it’d be in your best interest to not keep him waiting.” He urged his disciple to adhere to the invitation. During his trek to the Office it didn’t particularly cross his mind there would be others assembling in this office. He was taken off guard by the sight of another shinobi present within Takao’s Office. She was dressed in peculiar garb, the most distinguishable being her impressively weaved straw hat. Normally he would oblige strangers with a hearty introduction. Yet, judging by the cold glare in his cousins’ eyes it’d be in everyone's best interest to save the spiels. Takao covered the purpose of their summons diligently. He assigned the roles of First and Second Lieutenant, respectively, to the mystery shinobi named Mikumi and his blood relative Suutei. It wasn’t long after that before more “recruits” filed into the office. Of the new seven shinobi that were assembled, all but two were unfamiliar to him. Just like with Mikumi it’d be in his best interests to save the formalities for later. The recruits had been given their instructions fleetingly. Their mission would be taking place on three separate fronts. Objectively, each of the lower ranking shinobi were put under the command of Mikumi and Suutei. The younger Kimura was the governing body of three seemingly capable young men. He felt a bit uneasy by the need to recruit such lower ranking shinobi. More often than not he found it in his best interests to not question his cousins' motives. He stood before his subordinates assuring the trio would be in good hands. He looked at this mission no different from any of his Monolith assignments. Often times he was in disagreement with many things coming from the Fire Daimyō. He learned firsthand what his father was forced to endure while serving the Daimyō. He recalled many instances of using the Great Sage;s name in vain in conjunction with swearing the Daimyō. “You three should make proper preparations, before we head out. I trust that you all can handle yourself accordingly.” He issued while scanning over the lot. “That being said, you all will meet me in this area within the Kitakaze Woods, roughly three hundred meters from our objective. I expect you all to be prompt.” Suutei asserted to the team. The young man would exit the office without much information to pass on to his team. Believing his cousin would not have chosen these shinobi if they didn’t have a particular aptitude. It wasn’t until Suutei reached ground level that he hadn’t abided by his own words. He would stop by his home to gather his most absolutely and necessary tools to aide him in the mission. When he arrived, he found his mentor was nowhere to be seen. The young man figured it best they didn’t speak until his return anyhow. The moisture in the air was extremely thick as a dense fog set in over the pine woods. Suutei was able to track down the base to the exact location given to him by Takao. As foretold the outpost was devoid of most, if not all, trees that surrounded the outpost within a few meters. The young man clung to   He kept his wits about himself as he observed the Kitakaze Outpost. This seemed like the most minimally guarded yet it seemed that it was for good reason. The terrain between the Squad and the Outpost was rough for lack of a better term. He had his doubts about his initially planned strategy after getting an in-person observation. Fortunately, he wasn’t concerned with the landscape being that big a problem for his Team. He tugged on the cuffs of his gloves a few times for good measure. He expected his squad mates to be fully prepared for their assault on the outpost. The young man had his eyes set heavenward on the building with the highest vantage point. There is where he expected the overseers of the outpost to reside. Taking out higher ranking shinobi out of the gate would make this a walk in the park. That was how he would have led the Monoliths in the past. He was much more naïve and brash back then. This Strike would require a much more methodical approach to ensure they all made it out safely. He unveiled his clans Burning Eye Technique getting a better feel for the battlefront before them. From his observations he was now certain that the oppositions forces were miniscule. “Alright. N’Jobu we will need your cunning eye to provide support, but be sure to protect yourself before anyone else.” He directed this to the youngest of the squad. “Same goes for you two. Watch each other's backs, but be sure to cover your own ass.” He delegated to Kisei and Xion. “You all might want to start by following my lead. We’re about to heat things up a bit.” He said before rising from his kneeled position. He stepped from out of the shadows of the outer lying thickets. His arm beginning to radiate an orange hue from beneath his sleeve. He loosened up his fingers on his right hand as he felt the heat radiating from his palm intensify. He bounced eagerly with each stride, slowly encroaching upon the outpost. The small singularity spun slowly within his open palm. The warm glow was like a beacon to his squad through the thick fog. The young Kimura reached about eighty meters from the outpost before he gathered himself. He felt the muscles in his legs tense up, before he exploded into the air high enough to see over the walls. He would whip his hand to the front aiming for the center of the encampment. The singularity shot out with enough force to push him backwards roughly 20 meters. Luckily, he was able to land on his feet the cushioning of his boots softening his abrupt descent. There was a slight tremor in the Earth following the detonation of his technique. The force alone dissipated a majority of the fog that submerged the outpost. It was a satisfying sight to watch everything within those walls burn to ash. As the fog cleared Suutei signaled to his subordinates to move in and sweep the area clear. He needed to gather himself following his dynamic leap. His leg ached a tad bit from the fall. He rubbed the pain away that lingered for a bit, but for the most part he felt fine.

TOTAL WC

1480/2925

Clear Skies:

Xion frowned at his reflection in the window pane, smoothing out his pants.

His other self sat back, calm and collected and smiling broadly. He was always teeth and secrets. Xion himself, was quite anxious. Before joining the Academy and proving an ounce of his meddle, he had never had to worry about fighting battles for others. 

Now there were orders. To attack. Neutral outpost. Advance. He, and the shinobi like him, were merely a means to an end. Fulfilling the desires of someone else. Which would normally break his calm demeanor, and make him absolutely fervent. But for now, all he could be was--anxious.

He was fixated on the rolling hills and mountainside outside the window. Lush trees covered the landscape with a flourish of warm colors. Daisy yellow, sunset orange, and apple red swirled together as the wind ruffled the leaves. In mere hours that would all be ice and snow. His stop would be the small border country the Land of Frost, until he hiked deep into the Kitakaze Woods, the place where the Land of Frost and the Land of Hotsprings converged. And herald to the encampment that he was supposed to rid of Kumo-aligned forces.

He could barely hear the soft squeal of the gears and machinery propelling him across the Earth. He sighed with content at the sun’s placement, it was perfect lighting to take into account the rest of his ensemble. Dark sandals, his hands and fingernails clean and steady, his trousers, combat ready, but ironed to perfection. As he started to look out the window once again, he noticed a stain on his pants. He let out a displeased “humph” as he pulled on it to examine it better. It appeared to have been from the tomato basil soup he’d eaten earlier that day for lunch. 

'Are you [afraid]?' Xion stared at H͇̤̞͖̣͍͂ͯ̒́ͧͦ̄ͨ͐i̙͖̞̫͙̤̒ͫ̇̽͌͞m̎͆ͭ̓҉͉̗͕̖͙̥̥͠͡. His eyes were a lit, as usual.

A sole declaration. "I am."

The fear sits on him like a pillow over his mouth and nose. Enough air gets by it, allowing his body to keep functioning, but it's crippling all the same. Despite his normal bravado and skill with a scythe,  fear still spoke to him in its cackling voice. It told his legs to go weak, his stomach to lurch and his heart to ache. For the better half of the train ride, every worse case scenario had played in head.

How did the old adage go, there was nothing to fear but fear itself? Though that still didn't silence the voices.

Xion thought back to when the courier had sent for him, and when he had been briefed at the administration building. Upon first meeting, the scruffled face, and dark hair of the Hokage seemed charming. Which was strange. He always thought the Hokage was supposed to be a worn, elderly man with one foot in the grave. But he was so young. Xion had never been so wide-eyed. His form was chisled, developed, whetted for battle. And Xion wondered what battles he'd seen. A distance that seemed insurmountable to him.

Among him were the others tasked. He had only a faint memory of what they looked like, and he had already forgotten their names. Though he was sure they had been uttered at least once. Despite that, Xion hoped that they could all rendezvous in the outpost once they cleared it. But fate is always left to chance. They could in fact die. That's essentially the risk that comes with this job, anyways.

He thought long and hard to what the exact allure of this job was. Being a shinobi was really just serving as the muscle and might of some figure-head. Safe behind the walls of their creation. 

One thing he thought about often, were the desires of others. Obsession is just ambition, ambition is a dream, and dreams are what we desire. Someone in Konoha, high in the ranks, desired the Land of Frost, and the forces of Kumogakure desired to keep it for themselves. Who is to say that their's should be fulfilled? After all, one wish deserves another. Desires has it's way of being intangible, yet manifesting itself into the screaming surface of reality.

"We're all so afflicted by tedious repetition." Xion said to no one.

'That is the nature of human appetite [desire]. If [desire] were to be the finest [flesh], are you not [hungry]?' He said. 'Fulfillment of [desire]; does that not make you [salivate]?'

Th̡̨͝e ́͘v̶̀ǫ͡i̴͜͝d̶̢̛, ̢it̨͢ ̵̨i̡ś̨̛ ͝s̶͟h̶̕ap̵̸ed̕͠ ͘͞l͟i̶͜k̶͘é [̴҉͡w͢e͢͏ ̢̛͠a҉r̨͟͝e̸͟͡]́.͘͏̕ Ẃ͢e͢ ̷̨͞t̶͘a̸͝k̶̷̡é ó̸̶n͏ ̶̢i̸t͠'̀͜ś̨ ͡ś̴ha̸͏̛p̕e͏̧,̧͘̕ an͏̶d ̢͝it҉̡͠'̶͢͜s̷̡ ̴̶i͝҉̀n͏s̛͞a͝͠t̶̢́įa͏͢b́͠ĺe ̶h̢u͟ǹ̶g͢er̛͟.͏ ̴͠Wé̷͜ ̸̕d̷̸̢e̷̢v̛͝oų̀r̕ ͠͞eve̡r̷̢̨y̨̨ ̵͢͡as̵̡p̴̡͞ę͘c̕҉t̢̢̡ ́o̸̡̡f o̷͝t̶̀́h̵̢è̸̕r͠ ̴͠͞b̶e̸i҉n̨͜g̕͢͞s,͢͡ ̷҉t̸̡͠hȩ̸̢iŗ̨͠ [͝de҉͡s̶̶i̴̢͜ŕ҉e̸ś̴]͠,͠ ̡̛́ş̷o̧̕͜ tḩ̴a͏t͜ ̸we͡ ̶͢may̴ ̨b҉͜ȩ͘ ͜s͡ús͠͡͞t̶͢a͏i͏ne͜҉҉d. ̶̨̡Th͟a̢t i̧s̶͝ ̵͝[̴͘g͠u̶͢i̶̴҉ĺ͞e]҉,̸͢͡ a͘͠n҉d͡ ̨͟͜t̵̸͝h̶r͏̀o͞ú͟͞g͏͟͡h̨ ̡[̷̀g͏ų̴͡iĺ̨e]͏̛͟ ͢a͜͠r̨e ̡̕t͞h͘e̕ỳ̶̶ c̛o̸̢nsu͡m̸̀e̶̛d̛͢.́͏̡ ͏C͡ó͏nsid̀e͏r͜͠ ̸a̶͞m̶͘bi̸͡t͏ì҉͝o҉̧͟n,̷҉ ̡̢́o͠r͞ ̧̛o̷͘bse͝şs̵̵͟i͟͡҉ơn͟,͡ ͏͟as̢͝ a̢҉ p̛͟l̢҉̨a̛t͏te̛͞͏r̸ ͜f̢̨̛o͜r̛͘͟ ̢[̀y҉͏҉o͟͏u̡r̴ ̨̧̛de͜͠si͟r̕͝e̡͝].̷̀ ̡G̀u̴̴̸i͠le ́w̕͠o̕u̧͟͠l̡d ̢b̷͝ę ͏̕y̶ơ̡̛ur ̕͢u̸͘͞t̨̨ȩ̸n̡s͢il͠.̢

His words gave Xion pause. The pregnant silence amused H͇̤̞͖̣͍͂ͯ̒́ͧͦ̄ͨ͐i̙͖̞̫͙̤̒ͫ̇̽͌͞m̎͆ͭ̓҉͉̗͕̖͙̥̥͠͡. 'To think, that [guile] is what drives others to falsehoods, and we may feed on every falsehood, which are their [desires]. Do you not see? So long as you have [guile], and do not abandon it, you shall be fed; which is your [desire]. Ponder, yes? Wherever a being attempts to understand you and fails, has your [guile] not consumed them? And wherever a falsehood is repeated about you, have you not displayed [guile]?"

A cursory glance to the left, Xion could see the sun setting. And across from him, He was gone. Typical. He would say that he wasn't sure what his words meant, but Xion always knew. He could almost say that his--appetite had been peaked. 

 Around him, on the train, an elderly woman is first to yawn, around the room mouths gape one after the other. Everyone has that slightly pink-eyed look and shoulders slouched. Night rolls around and after a time, gravity comes to heavy Xion's lids. He feels the shuttering of his synapses, the quiet lure into sleepiness. As each limb becomes heavy and his heart slows to a more peaceful beat, the comfort of bed calls. But this seat would have to do.

Although that icy-calm is short lived. A swift tremor rattles the train. Xion's gaze is frantic as his sight wanders out the window. Mouth gaping at the sobering reality in the distance. Night had quickly changed to day at the brief presence of an inferno, somewhere beyond the frosted mountains.

Whilst the few train-riders were slightly hysteric, Xion could only sigh and grimace. Sod the world. That was exactly where he needed to be...

"Imagine, A world on Fire..."

Clear Skies:

A string of successful missions both official and unofficial awarded the heir a respected place within Kumogakure’s military ranks. Though he was still technically a genin, he had been sent on numerous missions only usually assigned to those of higher ranks and had managed to fully accomplish his duties on all occasions, much to the surprise of many. He was a shinobi on the rise, in fact, there was a whole group of them, four notable young ninjas that were hand selected and stationed at Kumogakure’s outpost within the Land of Frost. It was a task that filled him with tremendous honor, guarding the southern border and making sure his home was well protected. He hadn't yet found the time to meet the other two, but their team leader and his partner was someone he had grown a fond friendship with. Aikiko Uchiha. Their friendship was a strange one, first meeting when the girl had attacked him out of the blue and forced a giant shuriken in his chest. As fate would have it, now she was one of the select few people that he had learned to respect… and care for. While he couldn't deny the small tinge of jealousy out of the fact that he wasn't selected as team leader, he could at least take comfort in knowing that they had a more than capable leader in Aikiko. As days would pass, it would become apparent that his earlier excitement was misplaced. Days in the outpost would all blend together. Yesterday just a copy of the day previous. Though he took pride in his duties, he wished to do more than just go out on patrol and watch for the intruders that seemed to never come. The young man craved action, he wanted each of his efforts to go into missions that truly impacted the betterment of Kumogakure. Unlucky for him, he would have to remain in the outpost until further instructions were received ordering otherwise. It didn't help that he and his fellow shinobi were spared of a purpose to guard the border. If he had been told that an attack from one of the other four great nations was imminent, then he would have stood vigilant day in and day out protecting the border, yet all reason had been kept from them. That of course didn't mean that he was oblivious. The heir had a mind of his own and thus suspected something more that just a minor country requesting aid. He had been in a self imposed mission to catch himself up on the recent political events that had shaken up the world in his time of absence. Hastur, though now a thing of the past, had successfully managed to ruin all relations with every other country. A true tyrant indeed. There were many that he suspected to oppose the Hidden Cloud and strike at any moment. At the top of his list was Kirigakure no Sato. An enemy to the south, though in technicality everyone was an enemy to the south aside from Iwagakure which was to their west. Evening had drawn closer, and the time had come for the next wave of patrols to be in their way. Kyousuke prepared himself for a night out, dressing himself to the usual armor lined clothing he wore. As he buttoned each hole in his shirt, the boy stood in front the window of his private quarters. Unlike the others that were designed only with the interiors of the craggy caves, he had been luck. The room he had been given was somewhat modernized, with a window that provided an view of the main outpost far away. He looked out to the darkness, thoughts wandering elsewhere for the few peaceful moments he was given. The sight of snowflakes slowly descending below made for a beautiful view, one last calm before the storm that brought about hell. A sudden blast erupted from the main building, though without warning a similar explosion would occur within their base shaking the very foundations of the the cave hideout they occupied. The earth quaked, prompting the heir to hold himself against a wall to maintain his balance. The force of the impact shattered the glass pane of his windows. Cold and howling winds rushed inside his room, flooding all of his belonging to the floor. Immediately voices of panic filled the outside of his doors, people screamed for help and cried in anguish. He pressed his head to peak at the outside of his now open window, left hand guiding his eyes. He could make out smoke coming from the main building not so far away and remnants of fire burning parts of the cave. His eyes widened. It couldn't be… an attack against Kumogakure troops? His brows furrowed, urging himself to wear his combat gear faster. His personal room was much closer to the impact than any other genin’s, yet almost instantly he began to worry about the Uchiha girl that he could only hope would have been at a safer distance. Twin blades at the ready, armor worn, and a black coat worn over his shoulders he bolted towards the door, each movement precise as to not waste a single second. The first stop was Aikiko's private quarters, he needed to make sure his partner was unharmed, before then nothing else would matter. As his gloved hands stretched out for the door knob, the wooden door burst open, nearly hitting him on the face had it not been for his honed reaction time, he would have blurted out a curse were it not for the figure immediately speaking. The girl's voice was one he would recognize anywhere, it was Aikiko, barking orders at him that would exit his ears as they entered. Whatever words she intended to say were interrupted by the heir, he shut her up with a hug and stayed silent for a few moments. Afterwards there was nothing more to ask. Whoever it was that aimed to take the lives of his people would be ended rightly by his blade. “Guide the way, team leader.” He urged, golden eyes now determined and focused on one thing and one thing alone. Protect the outpost at all costs.

1051

Mission:

Of course I wasn’t looking forward to this.

The rest of the detachment was aft, and paving the way for a jōnin was something beyond my ken - I wasn’t even officially a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf, I only aligned with their goals in this instance. And he’d have me prove my goodwill by fighting for them….

Discomfort was the source of all progress, as they said, eh?

Combat in such a direct manner was not my area of expertise, yet there were things only I could do. Things that the others could rely on to execute this mission to its highest potential.

The woods gave way only after a trek of several hours. Having long since scouted ahead, my own unique abilities granting me some measure of cover despite no actual cloaking being present. The ability to sense others far ahead of myself without anyone being the wiser to my status as anything but a civilian was crucial to my survival here. I knew full well, as the trees passed me, those interspersed mottlings of light gracing and deserting me all too quickly, yet the half-overcast sky was more welcome. It boded my proximity to the operation site, and I couldn’t be happier. The more quickly it could all be done with, the better. I had promises to keep, and dallying for too long could result in a casualty that I was not prepared to face.

Ninja killed. I am not a ninja.

The ‘enemy’, as the briefing had disclosed, were behind a waterfall. The confines of these coves were well-known to anyone who’d studied the geography of the more mountainous lands in proximity to the Water Country. Having extended my senses, I knew which to approach without being seen myself. Being one with little chakra to mould, I flew under the sensors’ radar - not that I could blame them. Days on end of keeping watch? There was no doubt that a loss of acuity could result. Darting behind boulders and beneath the line-of-sight cover from the hills, I could forego the path in favor of my own way. It was curious, watching myself from the third person, yet oddly fulfilling with the thought that I could know exactly what they would know, see what they could see.
And then they knew nothing. My senses could press further into the waterfall’s cove with my approach, and with a mere thought, a gentle yet absolute command to ‘sleep’, those who staffed this lookout were fast into dreams. Some slumped to their knees, others let their heads hang as they stood. Regardless, there was no waking them as long as I was around to keep them subdued. This subset of the outpost was mine, and the remainder of my squad could take the rest without worry.

So I thought, anyhow.

480

Mission:

Mission: