This is the Land of Rice. The name is self-explanatory.

Nestled between the Land of Hotsprings and the Land of Iron, this largely rural place is known for its rising stone spires that jut upwards from the earth, along which are build countless tiered rice paddies. Riding on a carriage from Konoha to the country's Hidden Village is quite a sublime experience. There is much for me to draw and sketch: farmers shin-deep in the water of their rice fields, livestock grazing, and the occasional temple or monastery nestled up on the craggy cliff faces. The people are all of an amicable disposition, save for some of the older generations.

I know from studying the archives of the Hidden Leaf Village that this is a land of both highs and lows. In the past, it was once known as the Land of Sound, a violent and dangerous place organized around the militaristic shinobi clans who ruled over it. The place was rife with corruption, with the nation's daimyo all but under the control of the legendary Orochimaru. Since the latter's disappearance from the history books, however, that dark period in history has ended. With a return to peacetime has come a much more relaxed and content nation, eager to try and avoid drawing attention to itself on the international stage. The people here do not like war, and for that, I cannot blame them.

I have come here for one reason: to meet with a potential teacher. Having won the Chunin Exams, and with my current skill, it seems as though some of the Tokujo of the Leaf are keen to bump me up to their rank sooner rather than later. My physical prowess is apparently at the benchmark, but I am still needing guidance to help make the jump in overall ability.

I will soon arrive in the Village Hidden in Rice. I hope that my teacher will be able to help instruct me further in the ways of the shinobi arts, and I hope I am able to live up to his expectations.

Ever your faithful travelling partner,
ジョーよしひろ

Yojo took some amount of solace in feeling the weight of his traveler's journal as as he hopped down from the top of the carriage. He tossed the drive a few ryo as a small tip, before turning to look at the village entrance. Large wooden doors were flung open, roped together by the sinews of bamboo, with a concrete wall similar to Konoha's bored into the mountain. From what the young Uchiha knew, Konoha had helped rebuild this Hidden Village in the wake of the 4th Shinobi World War, and there were subtle reminders of that everywhere, even centuries later. There was something about the overall feel of the village that seemed familiar to him, perhaps it was the layout our how the cornershops on the streets looked so similar. Indeed, the only real major difference from the Leaf Village were the large stone spires stretching upwards, with various bridges adding a vertical element not otherwise seen in the Land of Fire.

"Take that road to the center a town. Once ye get to the central spire, take the elevator up to the second level- you'll see the signs for the tavern there" the driver said, eyeing the ryo he had been tossed with a skeptical eye.

Yojo nodded silently, looking ahead at the rather busy street and starting his trek towards the major tavern for traveling shinobi: The Snake-Eater.

---

"Oi! I-I see him!" an excited and boisterous voice said as the sight of the Chunin appeared in their view. Strands of light from the blinders straddling the window eeked into the dark and musty room. They were somewhere up on one of the craggy cliffs overlooking the streets of the village below. "He's alone! If we all go now he won't be able to stop us!" the youngest voice said, clearly impatient.

"No. We'll wait for the teacher to come along. Two birds for one stone and all that. We'll only have one shot at this, after all" the more senior voice ordered, shooting the notion down. His gravelly voice sounded just two packs of cigarettes away from being virtual white noise. "Killing a prized Chunin, and a Tokujo will send a stronger message. These imperialists have to remember who we are and what we stand for..." the sensei instructed, feeling the warmth of the light outside gleam against his old head protector bearing a musical note.

"The Sound Village can never die, our actions will create echoes that last until the end of time"

781/781

“Hey pal. Your Dad isn't looking too good and, he’s hogging up a spot for more customers.” The bartender chastised the young man, slapping down his cleaning towel just shy of his mentor’s nose. The older gentleman besides Suutei was, for lack of a better term, 'hammered’.  The weight of his own head was too cumbersome to hold upright in a seated position. Suutei tried his best to reassure that his ‘father’ was ‘okay’. “We’ll be out of your hair soon. Please, just bear with us for a few minutes. I’ll even compensate you for the time spent.” The bartender obviously wouldn’t object to an under the counter bribe, but of course he had to put on a tough guy show. “You’ve got one hour. Tch.” He said before fleeing to the other end of the bar to service his other patrons.

“Honestly, Juunto-sama get yourself together. You’re embarrassing yourself and more importantly, you’re embarrassing me. My future potential student could show at any moment.” Suutei was only wasting his breath, the young man’s mentor was out for the count it would seem. Not to mention how much of a hassle moving deadweight would be. It was best to leave him at the bar, and see if he can catch his subordinate outside of the tavern. He grabbed his satchel, from the table, as well as his mentors’ wallet leaving only his ID. You never go anywhere with any money...So just sit tight hehe... Reaching into his satchel he pulled out a folder, that contained all the notable information he needed to know about this fledgling.

File wrote:

Joe, Yoshiro
Chuunin Exam Winner, Uchiha Descent
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown

“He’s a year older than me that’s interesting, I wonder what held him back from promotion. Just a tad taller than me too.” He stroked his naked chin focused on the shinboi’s file. "I’ve got a good read on his abilities, but what about his personality. They really should do a better job getting a read of shinobi of new shinobi.” He tucked the file away leaning against the warm brick wall. The sun was now shining over the the town, giving it the most vibrant hue of colors. A surreal sight even for those without a sixth sense for capturing beautiful scenery. He steadied the camera carefully, without a tripod getting a good focused shot was more difficult than somebody would think.

*CLICK* The photo processed on the screen and came out crystal clear, nearly perfect by his standards. He zoomed in to get a closer look at all the details of the picture to see Joe was slowly approaching. “Oh, looks like he’s coming. Shouldn’t hurt if I meet him halfway.” The young man clipped his camera to his belt loop, approaching Joe at a small cabbage cart. “Kon'nichiwa, watashi wa Suuteidesu. Joe-san I’ve heard much about you, and I'm looking forward to building a good Student-Teacher relationship.” His words were sincere, his smile was bright, and his eyes still blue as the sky. He stretched out his hand to Joe, waiting for him to acknowledge his gesture of trust.

Yojo walked along one of the tall bridges of the multi-level Hidden Village. He found it a tad hard to keep track of where he was going, he couldn't get over the sight of the town below straddling the canyon roads every which way. It seemed as though the entire village was built around these tiered platforms, with elevators and the like ferrying both people and goods up and down. People were coming and going along the suspended bridges and walkways, carrying their goods, running errands, and otherwise just doing what the average non-shinobi might do. There was one stranger in particular, however, who certainly caught the shinobi's eye rather quickly as they approached. Stalking forwards energetically from around a cabbage cart that had been rolling by, the figure came to a sudden stop that took Yojo off guard a tad. The bright smile, bright hair, and bright eyes were a heavy contrast to the more quiet and introverted dark colors that the Chunin wore often.

"AH! Yes. Hello" the young man instinctively said, though pausing quickly once the stranger said a barrage of formal languages. "Please never speak those words again. Thank you" he requested, honestly, who said konichiwa anymore? Still, he couldn't turn down the earnest shinobi's hand shake nor his rather upcast disposition. He looked the other teen over, noticing he was similar in years to him, if not a tad younger. That certainly felt a tad strange to the shinobi, even if he was the type to think that 'age isn't a number'... Though the more that he thought about it, that rule tended to only really apply to older women and middle-aged men. Gah, he was overthinking this- he always had a bad knack for that, for overthinking things.

"You are... Suutei Kimura? Yes?" he asked, making double sure that this was indeed the Tokujo sent to be his sensei for now. He still didn't know much about the clan, and even less about the Uchiha for that matter. From what he could tell, they had a natural inclination to using Katon, but beyond that, he knew virtually nothing about them. "They didn't tell me much about you. How do you describe yourself?" the teen asked, standing up straight with a hand resting on the swords at his hip.

When Suu finished his short blurb of introduction, Yojo would pause and hum a few times, processing the information. "Yes. I see. But is it true that the Kimua can pee fire?" he asked, holding his chin and speaking with the utmost seriousness. The biology of the chakra pathways system was something he had to know as a genjutsu user, this was valuable information! Plus, it was the kind of question he'd have asked the other orphans growing up. "So. What kind of activities do you have in mind for us? Sensei?" Yojo asked, seemingly having gotten over the irregularity of having a younger teacher than himself.

---

The older Sound Ninja placed a small machine on the table near the window of their decrepit shack. It was just one of the many shantytowns built against the craggy cliff faces of the Hidden Village, it was the perfect cover. The younger shinobi's eyes went wide as he saw the contraption be turned on, with a light humming sound emanating faintly as an ambient noise. "Is that what I think it is?" he asked, mouth ajar as he sloooooowly moved closer to inspect the machine.

"Careful you idiot! Do you want us passed out on the floor until the next crew come to find us?" the older man barked, causing the lad to scurry off a bit, giving a small pout in disappointment. With that ADD threat out of the way, the shinobi looked through the window again, "It'll all come down to chakra signatures- that's why we have to time this right. Everything has to happen like clockwork" he said, watching as the Sensei appeared in front of a local cabbage cart to meet with the wayward student. They looked so content, so relaxed, it made him feel sick- it's why he'd joined this organization after all, he was nauseous to see what his country had become after years of peace.

The old man's hand hovered over the machine. He picked up a microphone to speak into the short-range radio they had with them. "We're ready, just give the word" he stated, waiting in dreading anticipation as the ambient sound of the machine hummed idly. At last, the order came.

"Begin the operation. You have thirty minutes before we leave you for dead" a deep, gravelly voice said from the other side of the radio, distorted by static.

The old man nodded, and pressed the button on the machine, causing it to whirr to life.

817/1598

Yojo blinked, looking down a tad as his sensei noted the disparity between them in height. Truthfully, he hadn't thought much about it. There were plenty of Chunin or Tokujo shorter than he, and he was fairly certain that he'd have his butt kicked by a fair number of them regardless of how tall they were! Still, he gave Suu a small nod, trying to be respectful in a way that probably was doing the opposite to an outside observor. Yojo was simply one of those people who swung wildly between socializing and needing to be left the hell alone to think and recharge. Right now, he was trying to force himself to be more of the former, even though he certainly felt more like the latter.

Using food to worm his way into Yojo's heart was a good place to start in building a relationship, it was something that the Chunin didn't need to be asked twice about before he began following Suu to the shop in question. The Snake-Eater was likely going to be their best bet to help keep a low profile for now, wandering around with Konoha head protectors was likely going to be a poor decision amongst the locals. Yojo hummed again as he saw Suu's reaction to his question, giving the same explosive and disbelieving response as Takao had. Hey, it didn't hurt to ask again, right? "The orphanage. there were plenty of rumors to pass the time for while Lord Takao was Hokage" Yojo stated, as if it was simply common knowledge.

The Chunin was spacing out a tad as the waitress came up to them both, asking Yojo in particular if the two of them were sitting in for a meal. Were it not for Suu's interjection, Yojo would probably have kept staring off with little focus to speak of. Fortunately, once the two were seated, things became a tad more straightforward. Suu seemed to speak more bluntly and more purposefully, thankfully. Yojo gave a small nod as he explained what it was that he was aiming to try and teach. Determination and a goal of being a notable shinobi were fine and dandy, and they weren't ones that Yojo could ever bring himself to shrug off. The Chunin gave a small nod, as well as a small smile, in acknowledgement.

As he opened his mouth again to speak though, something... strange, began to happen.

It started off soft and low, like a gentle breeze. To a shinobi, though the strange sound emanating through the air was far more significant than what any commoner might've noticed. Yojo frowned, looking out the window of their booth down at the elevated city and canyon streets below. The sound gradually grew louder, transforming into a piercing frequency that pounded on one's eardrums in a way that almost sounded supersonic. It was enough to get Yojo to yelp, wincing as he felt the sound begin to overtake him. He saw the commoners start to fall to the ground outside the Snake-Eater, collapsing in a heap with closed eyes. One by one they dropped like mayflies.

Sensing something was wrong, the Chunin blinked and held his eyes closed for a moment before unveiling his modest one-Tomoe sharingan. Sure enough, a rippling pulse of chakra was vibrating through the air every which way. It was a genjutsu, one with an audio trigger by the sound of it. These canyons and craggy platforms were perfect for allowing for sound to bounce for miles un-pertubed. However, what kind of monstrously powerful genjutsu was capable of affecting so many people over such a wide area? It seemed unfathomable! Yojo, feeling his body beginning to feel faint looked back to Suu. "Kiai!" he grunted in a huff, freeing his sensei from the genjutsu and hopefully allowing him to do the same to him before the Chunin went under.

"Is this part of your training? Sensei!?" Yojo asked, pulling himself out of the booth and past the unconscious forms of the waitress and the old mentor... Who somehow seemed unaffected by the genjutsu- and was instead just asleep like he was before. "I-I've never heard of such a potent genjutsu. What's going on?" the shinobi asked, looking back to the other Leaf shinobi. Yojo paused, waiting for some kind of order or command on what to do next, but before either of them could get too comfy, a new voice was heard over the ringing genjutsu waves.

"Shinobi of Konoha! Enemies of peace! Come outside and face the fury of the defenders of the Village of Hidden Rice!" an old, gruff, voice called out.

Yojo frowned, his sharingan still active as he looked to the front of the restraunt. He could vaguely see a large chakra signature waiting for them outside, as well as some smaller, insignificant ones squirming about in confusion. The conclusion took a moment for him to interpret, "There's one major enemy out there along with what must be some civillians watching- some who were immune to the genjutsu... It's all very strange" Yojo summarized, turning to look to his sensei.

"How do you want to do this? Fight? Flight? Or create your own option 3?" he asked, tilting his head as the tense seconds ticked away.

896/2494

At hearing his sensei's instruction, Yojo didn't wait to get moving. Undoing his Konoha headband and retying it around his forehead, he gave a swift nod to his master before making his way to the nearby window. He looked over his shoulder to his master, "Be careful, sensei!" he warned, before leaping off onto one of the nearby suspended platforms to begin rounding up those who had passed out during the widespread genjutsu. He had to trust his sensei to take care of himself, especially when communication would be difficult with Yojo rounding up the injured.

---

The old man wheezed, feeling a sudden pain in his abdomen as he stood there defiantly in front of the Snake Eater. He'd come to this place as a boy, it was a place his father had told him of the glorious exploits of the Village Hidden in Sound. They were like a light to hold onto for warmth while the rest of the world continued to decay. It was a light he was determined to keep alive for his grandchildren- that was why he'd volunteered for this mission while his youngest grandson stayed behind to man the filter.

If he didn't die today as a martyr, then he'd inevitably be forced into some bed by his daughter where his cancer could eat away at him. He would not let that happen. He was a shinobi, a ninja of the Hidden Sound Village!

He watched as the young Leaf ninja stepped out of the tavern. Good, he was choosing to appear in front of him, it was exactly as how Number Zero had planned it. Suutei appearing and speaking to the old shinobi in a challenging tone would be the next trigger.

The high pitched sound that had initiated the first genjutsu became altered, this time becoming a lower and more subtle pulsating beat that echoed through the acoustive valleys of the village. "Stay back! He's carrying a bomb!" the old man yelled. Sure enough, the bystanders who were present bought the genjutsu, seeing a multitude of Explosive Tags attached to the Leaf ninja's chest. No matter who vigorously Suutei would shout down the accusation, the reality that the civilizans were trapped under remained totally incompatible with his own.

They hadn't needed to knock ALL of the villagers unconscious- only enough to spark confusion and fear of an attack... An attack that was swiftly being laid at the feet of Suutei. Though, it was troubling to see his student not present. Where was the young Chunin that had come only half an hour ago? No matter, in a moment, all of that would no longer be his problem.

"One voice may be silenced, but their words will echo on for eternity!" the old man shouted, his voice booming through the canyons before he threw himself forward. He sprinted with every cell in his leg's muscles, with every jutsu he'd trained for his one dash, with every burst of speed his aged form had left in the tank. In a blink, he would be upon the Leaf Shinobi. Only as he tapped the side of his leg mid-dash, would his true intent be revealed to Suutei.

His entire body was covered head to toe with Explosive Tags.

The old man closed his eyes, his nerves steeled, awaiting the embrace of death. He had done his duty, his country would be free.

---

A magnificent and terrifying explosion erupted along the large wooden platform that the Snake Eater was built into. The shockwave reverberated throughout the entire village and beyond into the countryside, the blast incinerating the platform as well as the suicide bomber who triggered it. Fire tore through the surrounding area, eating up buildings as well as civilians- though most were shieled from the blast by the old Sound Ninja's 'sacrifice', causing them to watch in awe and horror at the sight.

The mahogany wood and planks would crack and groan, a calamitous 'snap' sound ringing through the air next as the platform began to give way. Snapping the bridges it was connected to, the whole structure shook, like an entire city block was falling from the top of a skyscraper, bulldozing everything beneath as it descended to the bottom in a fiery explosion of destruction. Civillians screamed, a teary eyed grandson watched from a dimly lit room next to a strange contraption, and the entire village was physically shaken to its very foundations.

Huge plumes of ash and smoke billowed upwards in the aftermath of the blast. Creating a dark and red-tinted sky overhead. The village would be in chaos, and the only certainty afforded to them would be of the voice that would come to speak. Their words would echo through the valley and canyons of the village, speaking from everywhere and nowhere all at once in the aftermath of the attack.

"We have waited, we have warned you, and we have seen the flames of evil growing closer and closer to our homeland" it said, its voice monotone and somehow managing to speak without any real emotion. "Everywhere, the world grows smaller with each day- the Minor Nations are exploited by the Majors. They do not care for us, they look down at us, they slaughter us silently and without nary a glance. They expect us to live in their shadow while they kill with impunity" the strange voice said, their words petrifying and yet empowering the villagers listening. "No more. This is our country, and it will be ruled by our people- not by the puppets of daimyo and the whims of far off Kage! We will not live in the shadows of the Leaf, nor the Earth, nor the Wind, nor the Thunder, nor the Sea! We shall have our place in the Sun! We shall be free!" it shouted, its voice booming through every open space in the village.

"Rise! Rise brothers and sister! The time has come to take up arms and reclaim what was once lost! The Land of Rice is weak and corrupt, the time has come to reclaim our heritage as conquerors!" it shouted, large swathes of the populace still in shock from the bombing that had occured that very day.

"The Village Hidden in Sound has returned!" the voice declared, earning cheers and chants of support. The atmosphere around the city plungign further into uncertainty as a nerve was struck by the monotone voice's outburst of emotion. "To War! We shall have freedom or death! One voice may fall, but their deeds shall echo for eternity!" it shouted.

And so began what would in time be known as 'The Snake Eater's War', the Civil War between the Land of Rice, and the Land of Sound.

---

Yojo held a hood tightly over his head, keeping himself obscured as the streets descended into anarchy. Keeping his head low, he stuck to the back allies and dark corners, making his way to the ruins of the Snake Eater Tavern. He hadn't been there when the bombing happened, he'd only heard the blast- yet by the time he'd turned around, the ruins of the building were a smoldering ruin of fire and ash. that left one question in his head...

What had happened to Suutei?

1225/3719

Yojo heard footsteps behind him as he stood at the smoldering ruins of the Tavern. Instinctively, he whipped around, holding a Kunai and assuming a set position. It was only once his gaze came upon Suutei that he let out a sigh of relief. "Gods, you need to give me some warning next time you're going to do that" the Chunin said, bemoaning the way that the Tokujo had snuck up on him a tad. He slid his kunai back into his pouch and looked around the area. There were sounds of distant fighting and shouts that echoed down the valleys that that Village was built into. It was still somewhat quiet, but this was only the calm before the storm. For now, just being seen wearing a Leaf head protector was a death sentence. Once Suutei spoke again, Yoshihiro was forced to shake his head to try and get a word in.

"Much has happened since we last spoke, Sensei. It may still be the same day, but as the petals of the cherry blossoms fall to the foreign ground, so is out current circumstance" he explained in a typically wordy and rambling way. He had to speak more concise so that the younger shinobi could understand the predicament they were in. "From what I have gathered, the same genjutsu we nearly fell asleep under was the first part in a larger ploy. That suicide bomber that leapt at you, the people who saw it happen believe that YOU were the bomber and that the old man was protecting the other villagers. It was a bait and switch. We've been used as pawns since the moment we stepped into the Village" he explained, speaking what he'd heard from tense conversations between terrified villagers. It was the popular perception of what had happened.

Yojo looked up and down the street that they were on. "After you disappeared, someone spoke to the entire village and convinced them that the Leaf and the other Major Villages are conspiring to manipulate them and the other Minor Nations like a puppet master. In the wake of the bombing, huge swathes of people have joined their cause and made way to the Old Sound Ninja Offices to the south of the city... That's not the bad part yet though, for us at least" Yojo said quickly but clearly, trying to stay calm and convey the severity of their situation without it sounding like disrespect or insubordination to his teacher.

"The country's borders have been closed, as have the gates to the Hidden Village. No one can get in or out anymore. They have shinobi patrolling the area... Which means that whoever planned all this has done so well ahead of time and with the intent to keep communication restricted to the outside world" Yojo said, pausing as he waited to see how his sensei was taking the information. "We're stuck in here, Sensei" he stated, hoping that it hammered the point home. There was no going back to Konoha now, they'd never make it to the border, let alone cross it undetected.

There was a loud sound form nearby, a clattering of metal that caused Yojo to look over his shoulder. "We need to get off the streets. We're away from the front lines, but patrols are still scouring for Leaf Shinobi. This leader has put out a bounty for them- for us... I've met a family who are willing to shelter us. It's one of the villagers who we rescued after passing out. They can be trusted, and what's more- we can send Carrier Pigeons from the rooftop back to Konoha for further instruction" Yojo said, turning to point toward the alleyway he'd come back to the ruins of the Tavern from. "The old man who lives there seems in tune with the popular sentiments of the people. He'd be able to explain this Civil War than I can" he stated, waiting to see what his sensei would decide. Yojo had tried to get out of the city as quick as he could, but there was no getting past the numbers of patrols that were scanning the outskirts. The only saving grace they had was that most people thought they were dead... Including their enemies, for now at least.

728/4447

Yojo frowned a deep and all too judgmental frown. If they left now, they'd be giving up all the potential to investigate with the assumption that they were dead. It was the perfect scenario for clandestine work. Despite that, it was one that Suutei seemed vehemently against, preferring to revert to the tried and true tactic of retreating to Konoha, raising an army, and invading to bring peace before this civil war spiraled out of control. "If these people see a Leaf army invade their land, then this terrorist will have been truly right all along. They'll be viewed as heroes, and there will be no hope in returning to the original status quo. They will accept nothing more than a revolution if it means throwing off what they think is the chains of the Leaf. Regardless of how you, or I, or anyone of Konoha may see it, that is what will happen here. I know, I have talked with good people, good people I trust" the Chunin replied, letting that final word ring for a tad.

He paused for a moment, seeing the anger and frustration in Suutei's gaze as the flames of the burning ruins lit up the area around them. "You are going to attack me, if I do not come back with you" he stated, letting his frown remain. "I would not win. For that alone, I have no choice but to do what you wish, even if it means giving up a tactical advantage in intelligence collecting" he continued, eyeing the clenched fist and hard gaze that the younger male gave him with no hidden amount of disdain. For the first time in his life, Yojo felt a disappointment and disillusionment with the Hidden Leaf Village. Was this truly their first response? To raise an army and enforce their will like tyrants? It was the impression that Suutei had given him. "However, I see clearly now that you can be no sensei of mine. You will never be. I don't think anyone can when they will only get in my way" he said, gesturing to the broken road. "If there is no one here you can trust, not even me, then go home. I will follow you, but that will be the end of my trust in you" Yojo replied, waiting for Suutei to take the lead, and beginning the long trek back to the Leaf border.

He had been shaken tonight, only time would tell how deep those tremors would reach.

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[EXIT]

Total WC: 4871

• Training B-Rank Jutsu, 'Sky King's Tomb': 1500/1500
  
• Training B-Rank Jutsu, 'Flash of Green': 1500/1500
  
• Training B-rank Jutsu, 'Lightning God's Naraka': 1500/1500