A gracious and glorious melody filled the ears of Maikumaru, the Tsuchikage. He almost hummed to the tune. The tune of the marching shinobi passing by his tent. There was no more waiting. No more hesitation. It was do or die for him. For Iwagakure and the future of Earth Country. His eyes were closed and his, for he was calm. The song of the marching shinobi put him at ease. The time for war was now. He leaned back in his chair, his subordinates sitting with him. The leaders of the mercenary clans, the head of development for the juggernauts, the bandit leaders. They had to discuss strategy. He resisted the call for battle. He was yearning to join. But he reminded himself to be patient. "So…lord Tsuchikage. The time has come." Tasoshi one of the leaders to one of the clans, was very nervous in his seat. They all were. All except Maikumaru, who's heart danced with anticipation.

"Took long enough. Now we don't have time to chit chat. I'll be going over strategy with you all. The initial invasion force has been dispatched. Their job is to breach the first wall of the Capital City of Gold Country, Kugane. It's heavily guarded, as to be expected. The Juggernauts have been sent ahead of them. They will easily crush most of the defenses, but they might not be able to handle the counterattack of shinobi. That’s where our initial forces come in. Once they have been pushed back, that’s when they will be bombarded by the second company, led by me, the Tsuchikage.”

“But wouldn’t it be better if you coordinated from here?” Maikumaru smiled with his eyes closed. “A Kage who isn’t in the fight with his fellow shinobi isn’t a kage at all.”

“What happens if we win the battle.”

“WHEN we win, afterwards we will pull everyone together, and take the forces who are still on standby in the Hidden Stone to the capital of Earth Country. The timing I chose for this to happen was pretty strategic. The day that is set for our march on the capital is the day that there is a meeting between the legitimate candidates to become the Daimyo. And I’m going there, and I’m going to show that there is NO ONE, more legitimate to me!” There began to be more frustration and emotion in his voice. He stood up, and looked at all of his cohorts. His knuckles rested on the table. “None of those cowards are more legitimate than me…” They all looked at him, a bit in fear. He sat back down and sighed. “I’m not going to become just the Daimyo. I have something else in mind. Now, get your remaining men ready. You’ve all done your part, and I will see to it that you are all greatly rewarded for it. He heard the march stop. As was suspected. He walked from the tent.

After leaving his tent, Maikumaru bared witness to the thousands of Shinobi that were before him. Hewas proud. He was proud of the forces he had built before him. He weaved a few hand seals, and a spire raised beneath his feet, rising above them. He stood tall, and began to speak. Speak to the legend. To the will of the future of earth country. Speak to its might.

“I. Am Maikumaru. I am the Tsuchikage. Today is the day you have been trained for. You have been prepared for. Today is the day we will TAKE WHAT IS OURS! The might of the Earth and Stone is with us all! Glory to us! GLORY TO EARTH COUNTRY!” The Shinobi roared their battle cry, and charged at the village. The walls were attacked by the machines. Jutsu started flying. Weapons started to unsheathe. Blood started to spill. This is what it means to be a shinobi. This is what it means to be a warrior.

670 WC

Few Miles ahead of the Invasion Force, Two hours prior to attack on capital

Somehow the Golden country was not like the woman had expected it to be, sure there were a lot of wheat fields and there seemed to be this air of peace and tranquility, but going by the name of the country, she had at least expected some sort of magnificent grandeur, with huge buildings and a lot of splendor to uphold the country's name. It was basically, in a sense...rather disappointing to see that this was the country the Tsuchikage had chosen to be the staging point of his ambitions. However, since a deal was a deal and he did allow her and Laïs to remain in his village and thus the Land of Earth without any further repercussions, she simply decided to look upon these facts as nothing more than just another job.

His idea wasn't bad thoug, to have a smaller, more mobile detachment of troops to be send beforehand to make sure there would be no obstacles in the path of the main force, to manage to get a hold on the lay of the land and to create a most effective line of communication with the main forces. The Orochi decided to instruct the majority of the troops to wade through the crops on the fields themselves, making sure that any hidden ambushes could be taken care of in an efficient manner and without too much hassle or resistance. In the meantime, she herself and a small group of about thirty shinobi would take care of being the bait, running across the open road, unimpeded by obstacles, but also completely in the open.

It was rather surprising that no defensive troops from the Gold Country had showed up yet. Pointing this out to the others in the small group and relaying it to those in the fields. "I guess there won't be much in our way, so fall back to the main force and relay to them that the enemy has apparently decided to hole themselves within their capital's walls," The shinobi who's duty it was to relay information, simply placed a hand against his ear and started doing exactly what she had wanted him to do. It was kind of surprising, to see that though this Tsuchikage also employed bandits and vagrants, his shinobi weren't half bad at their job. "Okay, there it is... this nation's annoying capital. It's a goddamn stronghold, no wonder they've holed themselves in there. Well, with Iwagakure's mighty warmachines on the way, this might actually be fun. Let's regroup with the main force at the rendez-vous point."

Present, main force arrival at the capital

The assault had begun in earnest, with machines of war clambering the walls of the Gold Country's capital. Loud explosions and tremors of great magnitude bellowed through the air, occassionally intertwined with the sounds of clashing jutsu, screams of shinobi of both sides and the obvious melody of violence and despair. In the meantime, the only Ouroboros member of this entire sortie was making sure that her attire was in perfect order. There was little to no need to wear the mask she'd been presented with when she had taken the reign of her Ryujin so long ago, but now...she thought it to be a fitting addition to what was about to happen.

With the mask in hand, fully clad in black armor, the woman walked up to the Tsuchikage as he made his speech to rally the troops and grant them more vigor and fervor. "I guess it's about time I did my job, no?" With a vicious grin on her face, she tapped the burly man's shoulder, and smiled at him before putting on her mask, elegantly making her way through the crowd which had been waiting to finally assault the capital themselves, all pumped up by the Tsuchikage's speech and the sounds of war emanated by the countless juggernauts trying to breach the gates and the walls of the stronghold before them. "Allright, my little cute dogs of war...Those with doton  up front, create ramparts, tear down the walls and act as a defensive barrier for your comrades!! Raiton and katon users will act as the first wave of the offensive, suiton and fuuton users will be support...now than...Commence the assault!!"

As she herself was someone well versed in the use of Doton, Lamya had decided to be part of the first wave, defending the first offensive while aiming to maintain a superiority on the field by removing obstacles near and upon the walls of the city.  With a smile hidden behind her mask, she shouted to make room for her in order to avoid any collateral damage to the troops, making the ox, dog, rabbit, half dog, dragon and finally the ox handseal before slamming both hands flat upon the ground. "Why use warmachines when you have me...heh."

A violent tremor coursed through the ground, ripping it open and as the shockwave reached the outer wall of the capital, a section of about four to five meters wide started to crack and crumble underneath the combined stress of structural damage and the heavy tremors. "The wall's breached, secure me a beach head here and clean up the mess inside, no doubt this isn't the only wall...send a message to the tsuchikage so he can coordinate his juggernauts accordingly."

900

Jutsu Used

Earth Release - Swallowing earth:

Pride, it was evident among the faces of those that had travelled to the outskirts of the earth country. As platoons of the able bodies of shinobi and mercenary alike marched forward toward the entrance of the gold country, an eerie silence would fill the air as tension rose in the hearts of those present. Like the calm before a storm, everyone knew chaos was to unfold, where conviction lacked; death would await. As the sounds of boots crunching firm atop the earth and gravel thundered, one man would walk softly as he gazed upon the sky. His ungodly appearance would allow his body to stick out like a sore thumb, however his thoughts had strayed rather far from what others thought of him.

Deep anxiety spiralled through his mental confines, however it wouldn’t take long for his thoughts to be interrupted. ”I’d like to thank you for inviting us again Xigs, however it’s still taking me a while to adjust to this dry climate.” Looking to his side, Xigs would feel less anxious when seeing the mercenary ‘Ligg’ he had recruited from Kumogakure unphased by the daunting pressure. ”Don’t thank me yet, I have no experience with war so I’ll let you lead our platoon. As I briefed you earlier we’ve been selected in the main force here at the front. So don’t let me down.” As he looked behind Ligg he would see the small mercenary group of twenty, all riding white rhinos armed with chains and saddles. A wry smile would begin to develop at the end of his lips, as he looked into the distance noticing the high walls and barricades as a sense of crisis began to develop. What if we die right here? As soon as he began to indulge in his fear, a large boom would sound behind him in the distance.

A figure would arise from the ground atop a pillar, prsenting a male body who Xigs had never seen before. However as the first syllable left the figures tongue a roaring sensation would surge through his body, as he noticed his posture swiftly straightened. The words of his kage would fill the eerie silence as blood was demanded, for what little pride Xigs had for his country, was now invoked and nurtured by the Tsuchikages alone. As the hoards of the stone countries finest roared in recongnition, Xigs would remain quiet, however killing intent began to creep into his eyes. His mind no longer pondered, he simply turned his attention back to the walls where juggernauts began their assault.

Xigs’ mercenary group would immediately fall into action as Ligg blew into his warhorn signalling the rhinos to begin the assault. Charging forward toward the gates,  their force would be met by the opposition as twenty spear wielding soldiers knelt patiently to attempt to stop his platoons momentum. Ligg would signal Xigs to run in front and clear the way for the rhino battalion. ”Ugh.” As the deep sigh escaped his lips, Xigs being the only one in his platoon not mounted on a rhino, would burst forward immediately affront the pack, taking off toward the immobile spear wielders. When finally reaching them he leapt into the air, shooting his body behind the enemy soldiers before revealing a kunai from his back pouch. Slipping past each soldier his arm would swipe outward whilst his wrist continously flickered allowing his small blade to dance through the air, piercing throats and wrists alike with precision and without fault allowing a light red mist to haze the area. Soaked in blood, the blue eyed shinobi would feel at ease at dispatching the majority of the spear wielders, however he had noticed they had lacked significant skill, and this would not be anything like actual trained soldiers.

However his swift assault which had gained the attention of the other spear wielders would allow the rhinos to run rampant through them as severed heads began to toss violently into the air. Horns would impale through the chests of the least perceptives as the opposing forces around them began to flee. It was truly only just the beginning, however across the chaotic expanse two green orbs would eye off Xigs in the distance. ”Leave that little turd for me. He’s mine.”

WC: 713

---

1036

B rank - Death-Bound Blessing:

B Rank - Death-Bound Thrall (outdated):

Back at Iwagakure...

Jerrick sat on the edge of his bed. He arched his back in an attempt to stretch it out. A hand moved up over the middle of his back. He sighed as he stood up and made his way to the shower glimpsing back at the woman as walked out his bedroom door. Moments later he returned and put on a pair of breeches and a tunic. Freida exited the room as Jerrick prepared himself. He looked in the mirror as he made himself look more presentable. He fixed his hair and stroked his beard that now stretched down to his collarbone. It made him question if it was time to shave it off or at the very least give it a trim. There were no split-ins within his hair. Jerrick just continued to move his hand through it. He wasn’t used to having a beard as long as this. Most of the time, he preferred to be clean shaven. Freida entered the room and rubbed her hands through his hair and her mouth slightly twisted like she wanted to make a comment.

“Go ahead Freida, say your peace.”

“Nothing, I’m just curious about what you were thinking.”

“Trying to figure out if I’m going to cut my beard or not. I haven’t been to battle in ages.”

“Jerrick, it should be fine. It’s not going to be like last time. Plus, how many battles have you been in since then?”

“Too many, you’re right. I’m just overthinking it. I guess we need to hurry up and get ourselves ready. I don’t want to miss leaving with the other shinobi.”

Right before the battle…

Jerrick checked the straps on his armor. He borrowed some old plate armor from one of his cousins. It was pretty worn out, but it would do. His axe displayed on his waist as he marched with the troops into formation. The tsuchikage gave a short speech as the crowd erupted in a mighty roar. Jerrick joined in with them. Pure adrenaline passed through him as the war cry seemed to rupture his soul. Joy filled him and the mercenary troops that were around him. A smug look spread across Jerrick’s face as Freida chuckled. The fighting hadn’t even quiet started yet and a number of Shinkai that were mixed in were giddy and eager. A few of them started up a mass of sea shanties that could be heard even in the heavens themselves. They were ready and Jerrick was glad that they were going to blow the enemy troops from existence.

There was a voice he heard he recognized, but he wasn’t sure from where it came from. The voice called out again, “Lord Jerrick!” He turned around to see a man in silver armor from head to toe. “Erikson!” he returned. They embraced each other. Jerrick hadn’t expected to see the man here, but he figured that he wanted in with the fighting. The two of them greeted each other jokingly before beginning their conversation.

“I didn’t expect to see the two of you here within the frontlines.”

“Well, you know. I can’t let my clansmen fight alone. We fight together.”

“You don’t have to be so political Jerrick. You’re not dealing with clan politics anymore.”

“If you really want to know, I wanted to be able to kick their asses first. There’s no glory sitting in the back.”

“Truer words, brother. Truer words. Jormungand said that the invasion would be too easy if he participated.”

“Yeah, he could probably solo the enemy force by himself. More for us then.”

“I’ll stand by your side with you and Freida. We’ll see who will get the most kills. I’ll have to check on some of the others. Glory to Ōyamatsumi.”

Jerrick readjusted his armor and checked up on his weapons blade. He wasn’t sure if he really needed to use it, but it did make things easier. The enemies they faced had something to lose. Their allies didn’t have much to lose, but they equal fought for what they believed in. It didn’t matter if it was gold or glory in battle. Regardless of which they held dear, Jerrick hoped that he they would all enjoy themselves. Jerrick finally got himself together as he kissed Freida and stretched his neck. It was go time.

The Battle...

As the army rushed into battle, their wear screams of victory. Jerrick like a lot of the others ran into the fold. The older Shinkai was even able to make it near the front. The lines would collapse as Jerrick would engage in the use of his god fist style taijutsu. The utter bliss and feeling of being in battle again. It was magnificent. His body moved graciously as he cracked one guy’s neck. Freida and Erikson next to each other as they watched each other’s six. Jerrick wouldn’t give this feeling up for anything. It was almost as his body went into autopilot. It wasn’t like how he was fighting back in the Land of Lightning. The feeling was a lot more peaceful than it was then. He would definitely thank the tsuchikage for allowing to fight for him. If this was what it was like to be a shinobi, it was well worth it.

909

There was a kind of tension in the air today. One Kizmaru has never experienced before. This must be what war was like. He was in his room, getting his equipment. Flash Bombs, Smoke Bombs, Kunai, Shuriken Etc. He packed them in appropriate places where he could easily access in the midst of combat. He wasn't sure the details of what the warzone would entail so Kizmaru was feeling extra cautious today. Once he finalized his possessions in the place she thought best, he had left his room and began en route to Gold country. That's where the big event would go down and where all the potential bloodshed would start. Kizmaru didn't have a very strong opinion of what was going on, he was solider and the only thing that concerned him, was carrying out his orders to the letter. He thought long and hard as he traveled to the minor nation of Gold. It wasn't that long of trip though, even on foot or Kizmaru's mind had wandered to the point where the trip seemed short. He was approaching the military camp which was very easily recognizable, even though it was his first time laying eyes on it. The scores of mercenaries and bandits serving as an army was, of course, a large giveaway as well as his Kage and some choice shinobi surrounding him.

These must be the few other Iwa shinobi that were chosen for key points in the war. Kizmaru had hurried towards them so he didn't miss the debriefing that was going on. Listening intently, it seems as if this was a battle in a struggle of power. This didn't really concern Kizmaru as he didn't care who was sitting in the seat of power as long as he could gain a form of physical of his own. He had always thought that was the kind of power that stood above all before going after other types of superficial "power". With that, and some other forms of "pep talk" from the other chosen Shinobi, they had started their seige. Mercenaries, Bandits and Shinobi alike all ran towards the village gates of Gold. One shinobi had unleashed some form of earth jutsu that would make short work of the gates they were beginning to siege. Another two seems to have taken personally to the battle in routing the enemy. He didn't really know what the Kage was doing and assumed he was just the commander that stays in the back to be honest, as it should be. Kizmaru himself wasn't a stranger to combat but at the same time, he didn't have anything that could be used offensively on a large scale. Taking that into consideration, Kizmaru figured he would go a more supportive role instead of just helping fight on the front lines.

Kizmaru entered from the front of the gate, fending off would be defenders in the process. Immediately, after getting into the village, Kizmaru broke away from all the combat and headed straight for a nearby complex. He'd never been to Gold country and didn't really know the lay of the land. His first order of business was to cripple enemy security and Intel gathering. He needed to keep the enemy guessing on what they would do next. There's not much he could do to prevent the information of them attacking from the front since that was over and done with and honestly, could be seen coming from a mile away. First, he would sneak around until he found a lone shinobi and effortlessly subdue and pin him to the ground. While holding the shinobi's arm with his hand and unsheathing a Kunai, Kizmaru demanded to know where he could get a copy of the village map, where each point of interest is in the war such as armory, Storehouses and the place where they keep important information.

It took a few moments of subtle torture before the guard had confessed where they kept their Intel and had given the corresponding location and directions. Of course, it was also the same place where they kept more detailed maps of certain facilities as well as their police station and that's the kind of thing Kizmaru was looking for. Kizmaru then choked the guardsman until he passed out and got up and went on his way. Covertly making his way to the compound, Kizmaru was staking out the place. It seemed to be a three story building and assumed there was a basement of some kind. Security seems to have loosened up a bit since there was an assault on their front gates. Circling around the back, Kizmaru found a window to get into on the second floor as he made his way in.

W.C: 806

The shinobi's jutsu clashed wonderfully, earth, fire, water, wind and lightning coursing through the air, ripping through both ground, stone and flesh. Mercenaries let out their most violent warcries, their roars shaking even the mightiest of spirits, their swords, spears and shields clanging and ringing aloud. This was war, this was an invasion...this was repetitive. From right in the midst of all this, Lamya was commanding, guiding and steering the troops that had been placed under her command, intent on whiping out the enemy wherever and whenever possible. Alas, things did not seem to go as smoothly as the Tsuchikage would've thought it would be, as pockets of resistance had already grown when the Iwa army passed beyond the first wall, with many a soldier and shinobi mowed down by a continuous hail of arrows coming from the capital city's second inner wall.

Screams mixed with roars, the desperaty of both the invading soldiers and those who were in turn cut down by them. A symphony of madness descended upon the battlefield, orchestrated by the people in the back at both places with their pawns, singing and stirring like strings in the center, surrounded by the loud rumbling of trombones and trumpets, the beating drums and the high pitched clarinets. The battlefield had turned into an enormous performance of an epic scale and the world was their witness.

"Move, move move people, we've passed the breach, but our left flank's wavering...eliminate the resistance, where the hell are those mercenaries?," It was obvious that trying to direct a large force consisting out of shinobi, bandits and mercenaries alike, was not going to be an easy task, especially not from right in the fray itself. Though confident in her abilities to lead such a force, Lamya had usually been the strategist, leading from behind a wartable, surrounded by a council of shinobi, generals or brilliant strategists. This However, was far different, chaotic and wild, with little or no dependency to be found within the pawns she was supposed to be moving accross the board. "Those that are wounded, fall back to the center, when we have control over the gates we can have you lot return to the command center for treatment, in the meantime seek provisional aid from the medics that are alongside you."

As she roared her orders, slipping through the fights which had broken out in close quarters, the snakelike woman had not even noticed that an arrow had managed to dig itself deep into her forearm, not until someone actually mentioned it to her. "Goddamned...I want anyone with long range jutsu concentrating fire upon those archers, the juggernauts won't be able to pass through until we secure both gates, so get a move on!!" Hissing to herself, Lamya managed to snap off the arrow and pull out the dud attached to it, throwing it to the ground and holding her hand over the deeply penetrated arm to close off the wound as fast as she could, before she was suddenly being tackled by a shinobi from the Gold country, in her anger, she simply grabbed the poor sod by the throat and threw him off of her with relative ease. It was still surprising that she'd been so easily singled out by one of them, so she decided perhaps now it was better to observe the situation from a higher position. "Laïs, fall back to the wall, we need to have a look at the battlefield from above...someone for fuck's sake establish a comlink, I need sensory shinobi with me, stat!!"

The chaos below continued, while Lamya fell back, running back to the breach se had created to jump up onto the outer wall, a few other shinobi following her as per her own request and command. When she was finally standing at the top of the wall, she could finally get a better view of what was transpiring.

"Have a detachment of mercenaries go to the gate, I want them to mop up those last resisting soldiers and capture the gatehouse, we need to pry open this clam with every chance we've got," The sensory shinobi who she talked to nodded and started communications with the mercenary troops. "I need someone with incredible eyesight for a little job too, look if we got any people with dojutsu in our force."

Turning to Laïs, Lamya smiled and pointed at the two pockets of resistance still between the two walls apart from both gatehouses. "If they're so fervently protecting those two places...I want you to find a way to break through this defiance with as little casualties on our side as possible."

790/1690

Player missions:
-Anyone with a doujutsu, report to the wall
-people with long range techniques focus on the archers peppering the troops with arrows
-Mercenaries may try and attack the outer gatehouse to provide passage for the juggernauts.
-Defeat the resistance at the armory and grain storage facility.
[put at the top of your post which mission you'll be taking]

Sweat would excrete from his pores as a sigh of relief would begin to overwhelm him. There had been countless times over the last few minutes where lives were taken with disregard for who they were. Blood would trickle as it snaked through the cracks on the ground as countless spear wielding warriors would be put to rest. As he walked through a breach in the wall the sounds of metal clanging would add to the hostility already present. With Xigs running to the resistance army, he had taken orders from a superior chunin to follow him in an assault against a resistance at the armoury, with just the meer thought being somewhat lack luster. He had started to not give an actual shit about the war, not for any divine reason but perhaps, this didn't really fair well with this sense of bullying. Every sense of danger or resistance would be easily snuffed out.

He would look around to see smiles in the Iwagakure shinobi men, as they bore down weapons and released jutsu that would obliterate a human body. Seeing people he had never seen before fighting and helping each other showed the truth of how Xigs knew nothing about his own village. He simply didn't have that sense of pride. Regardless, he would continue to trek forward as he dispatched of a few guards who had the attention obscured by the constant ramblings of soldiers and shinobi alike. It wouldn't take long for them to arrive at the armoury where Xigs would wait allowing his turquoise lenses to analyse the building, getting a general depth of the situation and how he could move more effectively. "Six windows, and theirs four of us, how about we drop in on their little.... party."

Maintaining his will to define their actions over the chunin, he would sit and wait patiently for a response till he knew he was ready too begin the assault.

Busy:

---

1053
Total: 2'089

B rank - Fade to Black:

B rank - Kiss of the Shedim:

Jerrick quite fancied the way this was turning out. The troops were hard pushed, but it seemed that it was a bit disorganized out on the frontlines from his standpoint. That didn’t matter to him. As long as he was able to fight, he found happiness. The mercenaries he fought with hadn’t had many casualties. Though the ones they suffered, would be avenged on the battlefield. Jerrick continued to crack skulls and break his opponents’ necks. With each death they wrought, they brought  glory to his clan and to his village. Jerrick had to remember to thank the tsuchikage for given him this opportunity. A large portion of the mercenaries and the members of his clan felt the same way he did. Most of them haven’t been apart of a full scale invasion in decades or even at all for that matter. This was a new experience as well as a positive morale boost. This had been one of the best battles that he had taken part in. He wondered what could truly match the adrenaline and fierceness they showed to their unfortunate opponents. This is what he lived for.

“Jerrick!”

He heard a voice scream as he looked over his shoulder toward a spear user that was coming straight at him. There wasn’t any time to draw his axe as he dodged an onslaught of jabs that were aimed at his torso. Jerrick would receive a couple of cuts, but they weren’t anything to write home about. He would pick up a shield from one of the fallen mercenaries as he used two hands to hold it. Jerrick was evenly matched with the opposing shinobi that he didn’t have much time to react. The spear landed on the shield a couple of times as he thought of a way to deal with his opponent. Each strike had been in a similar pattern, but the speed in which they came made it difficult to deal with. He would need to think fast. The ultimate defense wasn’t the best offense in this case. One wrong move and he would have to be taken back with the rest of the casualties. Freida was going to intervene, but Jerrick shook her head. He wanted this kill for himself. Jerrick was selfish when it came down to opponents that he found worthy. Letting her take intervene would have been the wiser decision, but his pride wouldn’t let her.

Jerrick had finally come up with a plan as he threw the shield at the shinobi which caused the enemy to lean backwards. This gave him enough time to rushing toward him as the enemy was wide open. The enemy didn’t have enough time to raise his head before Jerrick clotheslined him. The opponent dropped the spear as he attempted to gather himself together. Jerrick picked up the guy’s spear and lifted his opponent by the collar with his free hand. The opposing shinobi was then lifted him to his knees. The foreign shinobi looked at Jerrick with wretched fear within his eyes like he wanted to beg for mercy. The shinobi was young and could have had a longer life to live, but this was war. Jerrick took the spear and plunged it through shinobi’s heart. The life left the opponent’s eyes as Jerrick withdrew the spear from his chest cavity. “Be at peace, young warrior.” he would say as he would continue to move forward. To attempt to find a new opponent as he would regain the shield he once threw. As soon as he saw a new target, there was a voice that called out loudly. Jerrick figured that it was a sensory technique. The voice sounded like it was right next to him which gave him a slight pause.

"Have a detachment of mercenaries go to the gate, I want them to mop up those last resisting soldiers and capture the gatehouse, we need to pry open this clam with every chance we've got."

Jerrick would wait for the mercenaries he fought with to finish up their fights. It didn’t take long for them to defeat their current targets. He would give a smile as he stood in the middle of the battlefield and raised the newly acquired spear into the air. It was time for a new objective and he was ready. Jerrick didn’t want the detachment to just start running around everywhere. They would need to stick together and work as fast and efficient as possible. A brief sigh would expel from him as he would then regain a large breath in its place.

“Brothers and Sisters in Arms! We have a mission. We’re going to capture the gatehouse and open up the gates with brute force. Let’s show them that we are not to be messed with. Go now!” he yelled as he pointed the spear toward their objective.

Breaching the gate:

It only made sense that they would head toward the gate. They were one of the closest units and they were mostly skilled melee fighters. Rushing the gate shouldn’t be too difficult for them to breakthrough. Though, they would still need to figure out how to open the gate once they arrived at the gatehouse. It may take some time, but they would have to worry about that once they arrived on site. Jerrick and few of other mercenaries began to run toward the gate at top speed as they again would crash with the remaining enemy forces trying to protect the gatehouse. Blades met necks and fist met faces. The ongoing continue roar of the mercenaries would strive on and on as they attempted to meet their objective. Their was not one worried soul that wanted to die, but they would put their lives on the line to prove they were worth every ryo. None of them today would ever wanted to die a coward and it showed. They continued to fight and they pushed through every ounce of strength that they had. They killed and ravaged their way toward the gate. Blood, sweat, and tears followed with every stroke of determination. They would not be denied their sweet victory. They were a machine that was oiled and ready.

1051/1960

Entering the compound through the window of the second floor, Kizmaru found himself in what seems like an above average sized janitorial closet. Although he didn't land in a spot that favors his interest, he could still use this to his advantage though. The room was kind of a mess, despite it being a place where cleaning supplies are kept to maintain the cleanliness. A lot of junk was laying on the floor, almost up to his ankles. Wading through the junk of what he assumed was cleaning supplies, Kizmaru looked around to see if he could find something to disguise himself. He was in the heart of the village during a war after all and didn't really have the firepower to take on a small militia. He found a cleaning uniform, that was admittedly too large for his frame. This also means, he could conceal his weapons better and maybe fill in the extra space with them. Putting on the uniform, Kizmaru looks like some underage worker but maybe he could pull it off decently well if he didn't get to close to other shinobi or people. Grabbing a few other bottles and a bucket, he put them on a cart that he'd push around to look a bit more legitimate. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door from the closet and pushed the cart out halfway. He peeked his head out to see if he could spot any potential combatants that he'd have to worry about.

He had heard a couple of enemy shinobi near by that was coming in his direction and Kizmaru quickly pulled the cart back in and shut the door to wait for them to pass by. Sitting there, Kizmaru looked around once more to see if he had overlooked something useful he could have missed. Turns out, he had. Looking on the wall, there was a large ring of with a large set of keys on it. This was a pretty good discovery as he could have been lost without a way of opening doors discreetly. He had taken the key off of the wall it was hanging on and latched it onto the side of his pants. He assumed the hallway was cleared and so he had opened the door once more to check to see if anybody else was passing through. He could still hear voices in the distance about how the invasion was going and how much loss they were currently taking. From what he could make out, they hadn't lost too many yet but if things kept going at this rate, they were going to lose a lot especially since they were fighting a vastly larger force than they had. Well, it was a hostile takeover that was being led by one of the greater nation's Kage. WIth that, Kizmaru had pushed the cart out and started to head in a haphazard direction of his choosing. He wasn't really sure what room he was looking for but he assumed he'd know when he he finally made it there. Looking around, Kizmru found many doors marked with names on them. He figured they were offices of certain shinobi but none with a high enough authority worth investigating.

Casually walking down the hall, pushing his cart, Kizmaru had figured he'd have to go on the upper floors to find anything useful. Backtracking to the closet he came from, Kizmaru had hoped to find an elevator or lift of some kind. Obviously, this janitor had to get around with this cart or his job might be even harder than a shinboi's if that wasn't the case. Eventually, he found an elevator but for some reason, the third floor wasn't listed as an option. This puzzled Kizmaru as he was sure that this was a three story building. Kizmaru continued to examine the button panel until he noticed a hidden lid. He tried to loft the lid but it didn't budge, next he tried to forcefully smash it open but decided it wasn't in his best interest in case an alarm was set of or he damaged the mechanism before he figured out where it would take him. Still, he needed to find a way to get it upon. Upon further examination, Kizmaru discovered there was a small keyhole next to the panel. He was making progress on figuring out how to get to the next area. Kizmaru then remembered that he had snatched a key ring full of keys and took it off his person, in an attempt to try and open the panel. He figured this would be a long process since he didn't know what key belonged to this keyhole and prepared for the slow method of trying every key. He didn't have time for this but he had no other choice right now.

W.C: 822

T.W.C: 1628

With her high position atop the walls granting her a more useful and efficient overview of the battlefield, Lamya had to admit that despite Iwagakure's overwhelming forces, the enemy was not just someone to trample underneath their boots. They had equally skilled shinobi, who had the added benefit of fighting on their hometurf, knowing all the ins and outs of this capital they were so valiantly defending. It almost looked like the initial surge and speed of the invasionforce was slowly grinding to a halt, with more and more pitched battles ensuing and to make matters worse, with the second inner wall still in enemy hands, they were able to pepper the Iwagakure forces with arrows at a frightening pace. "Did anyone even bother to research this place before we started this invasion?" The snake-like woman wondered what in the blazes the Tsuchikage had been thinking to just hastily attack this place with no proper precautions besides his apparent blind belief in his toys and machines of war. Underneath her breath she cursed the man's apparent shortsightedness and wondered if he had at the very least given her some time, how big the batch of soldiers she and Laïs could've whipped up for him would be. "Someone give me a report on the situation, have the soldiers been updated on their missions and how is their progress?"

A single shinobi of the communications team arrived to divulge the entire situation down on the ground to her, while she was still recovering from a few nasty wounds caused by the storm of arrows she'd been caught in before...

Xiggs: Armory

The Armory was a well guarded place, though relatively small in size and with no outward guards, there was no doubt that inside it, there would be some handpicked members of the rearguard of the Gold Nation, though not shinobi persay, the men and women protecting the armory were soldiers in their own right, armed and armoured as professional soldiers and ready to defend the place till the end.

Just as Xiggs and his team were scouting out the place, so too were the defenders trying to gain some intel on those facing them. Xiggs squad had been bolstered by at least another small battalion of mercenaries who were eager to throw down with those defending the armory and keeping them under control would no doubt prove rather difficult to the genin and his compatriots. Lucky for them though, a small detachment of enemy troops managed to arrive near the armory, making it a question on how Xiggs would breach through to destroy the armory. There were a few options after all: to be straightforward and just let loose all the battlehungry soldiers upon the enemy or to take the more careful and possibly more efficient route of silently infiltrating the armory itself and take out the rearguard.

Laïs: Grain Storage

Laïs' swift action and punishing brutality in terms of the defenders' food supply did not go entirely unnoticed. When the flames started licking at the dry grain, the piled up fine dust ignited quickly under the intense heat, with rather cataclysmic explosions signifying her work, as the grain storage lit up like a hellish inferno. Though the flames did their job in distracting the ones outside with the job of defending the place, even causing bonus casualties among those defending troops, with her chakra reserves now depleted by a relatively high marging, she still had to manage getting back outside unseen with so much chaos and extreme vigilance making an escape all the more harrowing.

Jerrick: Gatehouse

Though the battle was bloody, with equal losses on both sides of the playing field, Jerrick's small squad was among the first to push through the defensive line of the enemy, only to be met by something Lamya had not even been able to foresee from her own position: a team of shinobi skilled in animal techniques were among the last defenders of the gatehouse. two of them actually controlling an entire pack of wolves and two others partnered up with an armoured bear each. With all of those animals wreaking havoc among the mercenaries, taking the gatehouse so easily would prove to be a mere fool's dream. However, a fresh battalion of mercenaries had been send over from the outside as well to corner the defenders of the gatehouse. Now all they had to do was figure out how to beat those last shinobi who had been defending the gatehouse so fervently.

Kizmaru:

With one of the specialized sensory shinobi of the invasion force informing her that there was a lone rogue element at work, Lamya let out a deep sigh and asked wether or not this "rogue element" was doing a good job anyway, to which the sensory could not truthfully and wholeheartedly reply. As such, she ordered him to make a mental link to the lone subject, allowing her voice and image to reach the young genin. "Deserting your lines, leaving behind your fellow comrades with no clear orders nor any explanation...Kizmaru, genin of Iwagakure. If you do not wish to die at my hand you will have to do a little job for me. Search for a way to slip past the second wall, find the weak spots of that inner wall and contact me whenever you find anything which may grant us an advantage." With that, Lamya hoped to have at the very least coerced the lone element into a more workable and efficient operative rather than just being a rogue element that could jeopardise the entire invasion.

wc: 941/2731

Missions:
- Xiggs, the armory: choose either a stealthy attack or a straightforward rush on the armory.
- Laïs: avoid detection after fullfilling your task and join up with Lamya.
- Jerrick: Find a way to beat the shinobi and their pets left standing.
- Kizmaru: try to find a weak spot within the enemy's inner wall or find a detailed plan of the city's layout and report back to Lamya.

Amidst the sounds of clashing blades and screams of terror, turquoise hued lenses would peer atop a building look through the windows of the armory. As his gaze counted his foes within, his small squadron of four would stand idle awaiting orders from Xigs, somehow the staple ridden genin would find command without a prompt. He had assumed they had seem him taken charge in the front line despatching soldiers with haste, as when he gazed upon them he was met with utter respect which was new for him as he had never met these shinobi before. Regardless, they were vastly outnumbered, and had been unnoticed thus the best advantage they had was their hidden presence and ability to surprise them. Xigs who would be easily complemented as a cool headed emotionless being would now have a solemn look to his face as he continued to assess his options. However it would seem his decision would be made for him as more gold country soldiers arrived to the armory. ”Ugh. Stay hidden boys they haven’t noticed us.” He murmured after a deep sigh. Xigs would look into the distance noticing backup would make their way toward him, he would leave a message with one of his shinobi for the reinforcements to land an assault on the gold countries soldiers that were now surrounding the building so hat their assault would go unphased.

His shinobi would stay still until Xigs decided on their plan of action. Signalling them to prepare for attack, Xigs would close his eyes whilst instantly thrusting through the glass into the room of twenty descending amongst the middle of the soldiers where space was provided, as his body fell to the ground his back pockets would reach for his shuriken before unleashing them upward in four seperate directions. Confusion would swiftly swarm the soldiers as they watched the shinobi’s tools launch upward instead of toward them, however they would strike lightbulbs dangling from the ceiling, silencing the light. ”Now!” As the word left the young genins mouth, the four shinobi would begin to cover he windows with their jackets, blocking the light ceasing sight to exist within the armory. Yells would unleash as the soldiers fell into chaos, unsheathing their spears and swords in defence.

”They say a soldier is strongest when next to his fellow man in the hot sun. So I shall blot out the sun.” The meletone expression would swiftly change to one of nightmares as he swiftly opened his eyes. A wide grin would present itself, not that it could be seen in the pitch black room however due to closing his eyes before entering the room he would be more accustom to the sudden lack of light. His hands would dance affront him unleashing chakra to surge through his hands. He had readied himself for slaughter, his prey were before him as he kicked off toward his first adversary, unleashing his hands upon the necks and spines of the soldiers.

”Five, six, seven....” Thanks to his jutsu dispatching of foes became easy as each strike rendered a new restless foe. ”Twelve, thirteen, fourteen.....” His countdown continued to tally as screams of agony would exclaim from falling bodies. However it would seem like finally the remaining soldiers had now grown accustomed to the lack of light, with the rear guard left as they could vaguely make out Xigs and had moved from their positions of what Xigs had analysed from the beginning. Unknown to them, by moving around instead of standing still, they would have made it harder for Xigs to find them as his vision whilst good in the room was also not perfect. So he had utilised remembering where they were to attack.

Another deep sigh would leave his lips as the dispatching of foes grew longer as blades would swipe out for his neck, however whilst barely visible, Xigs would begin to notice he had self consciously relied on his hearing, and thus be even more accustom to fighting in the dark. His body moved fluidly as he dispatched of more men. ”Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen......” It was then that a slow chuckle would fill the air as a man stood affront him, armed with a black halberd with it’s blade serrated as if no stale loaf were a match for it. Xigs would allow his demonic smile to widen where once thought impossible as he gleamed at his last foe. ”I haven’t been met with a challenge yet, but you.... you seem different.” Drawing a kunai from his tool pouch Xigs would deactivate his jutsu whilst flicking his kunai along his pointer. ”Let’s do this.”

WC: 780/1827

Chakra: 235/250

Jutsu Used:

---

1099
Total: 3'188

E rank - Henge no Jutsu:

B rank - Eyes of Nornir:

Jerrick and his company were starting to struggle during the fight. It had been the hardest effort that they had to endure thus far. They were almost on equal footing with their enemy. He had still been enjoying himself as much one could during a battle. Though, he continued to monitor the troops and realized that they were slowly losing momentum. This was the first time he had seen their energy this low. They would need to continue to push forward. It wasn’t the time for pep talks, but the stalemate was starting to rack his brain. What was causing them to have to fight so hard? He needed to stop fighting and figure out what was going on. They weren’t having this problem earlier and it seemed like they were slowly having casualties. Jerrick had an unearthly scowl that seemed to be tattooed to his face. As he moved toward the front of the fighting group.

As he moved forward, he started to hear yelping.. He questioned the sounding as he started to notice the sound became louder. It sounded remotely like a pack of wolves. He could even smell them. They carried a very distinctive odor that was hard for him to forget. Jerrick had yet to see any of them. He wasn’t sure what was going on until he felt like an immovable force hit him. It was almost like his body ragdolled. He quickly attempted to move to his feet. A large grey wolf stood before him as it slowly began to crescendo into a charge toward him. Jerrick’s eyes widened as he quickly lifted the shield and would thrust the spear forward. He braced himself as the wolf’s teeth clenched the top of his shield. The force almost caused his body to collapse. His spear made contact with the wolf’s bulking body. There was a jolt that he could feel that came from the wolf as the wolf slowly resigned. The beast slowly shook its head as it tried to shake off the pain. Jerrick stood up to his full height as he spread his feet to prepare himself for another attack.

The wolf gave him a stare that could pierce one’s soul as it ran off. Jerrick followed him to the front of the lines as he bashed a couple of shinobi along the way with his shield. The wolf staggered toward the gatehouse where there was a large gap between them and their opponents. Their enemy had posted themselves up against the gate. Jerrick looked toward the enemy shinobi as he would attempt to gather his thoughts. His eyes shifted around as he saw more wolves that appeared. Jerrick ran back within the large group of fighting mercenaries. He attempted to think of a plan that could work, but there didn’t seem like much preparation for this. He truly figured that the plan he came up with was going to work, but he couldn’t hurt to try. Ulgon did teach him the old ways of fighting. It wasn’t original to their clan, but something they picked up from their enemies over the centuries. To get through this, they were going to need to work together. The individual fighting and self glory wasn’t going to get them through. If this became a stalemate, it would be their loss. Jerrick took a deep breath before he would begin to bark orders to the men.

“Fall back! Fall back! Fall back, dammit! All Shinkai and mercs with a shield stay in the front. Slash the calves of any enemy and finish them off! We don’t have all day! Grab the wounded that you can and fall back!”

The men joined together to fight off their opponents together. They were able to take on the wolves and the enemy shinobi. Jerrick then noticed two armored bears that showed up at the gates. Jerrick cursed under his breath as the bears began to slowly walk toward the group. A few of the mercenaries drug back the wounded that they could. The dead would be stepped over as they grouped back toward their lines. He was wondering how they could get the message across in such a short time. It made him hate that he wasn’t much of a sensory shinobi. Though, these were mostly mercenaries trained by his clan. He just so happened to wonder what they actually knew. The suzerain and commander were a very prestigious persons after all. Jerrick would need to try it. It wasn’t like they had much choice.

“I need...a… I need a shield wall!”

Jerrick chuckled slightly as the mercenaries began to line up their shields in rows of two. One row toward the ground and the other row locked on top of the other. They became a long wall of wood and steel. The sound of the bears and wolves charging toward the wall brought a new determination within them. Jerrick was about to scream something. The words he sought couldn’t be found. It was going to be anything he could get out. They needed to find a way to stop their attackers. Erikson peaked through the corners of his shield as he started performing one-handed seals. Erikson screamed out for them to use a technique that Jerrick never heard of. A large barrier green barrier formed up in front of them that went up several meters high. The beasts charged into the barrier and ricocheted off of it. They shook themselves off and began to pace. Other shinobi began launching projectiles and techniques toward the barrier as they would attempt to disintegrate it on contact. Erikson commanded the men to move forward as they began to take slow steps toward the gate. This seemed too good to be real. He wondered what would have happened if they did this from the start.

“Erikson, I didn’t know.”

“No worries. We need to get others that know projectiles techniques. This is only a one way barrier. We can fire techniques through the barrier while maintaining our defenses. We’ll need to aim for the beasts first and move on to the shinobi. Though, the men had decided to follow you. It’s your choice.”

“Alright, I owe you and the unit a drink I guess. Anyone that’s skilled in projectile and large scale offensive techniques that remain within our ranks, we need you to launch an all out assault on those animals. Once they’re done, aim for the shinobi at the gate. Leave no one alive, man or beast!”

The troops would rush to get into formation as the shield wall began to separate slightly. There grew enough space for shinobi to cast techniques through the barrier without being hindered. Techniques clashed with the barrier and with other offensive techniques. A maelstrom of fire, lightning, and water would sail through the air. The techniques indiscriminately took on whoever was in their way. They would keep pushing until their targets would be defeated.

1180/3140

Fiddling and fumbling through the the set of keys he had acquired from the janitor's room, Kizmaru was having little luck trying to figure out what key belongs to the mysterious keyhole. He felt he was getting close but was briefly interrupted by the sound of an alarm going off, followed by a male voice booming through multiple intercoms through out the building. "INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT! WE HAVE A BREACH IN SECURITY! ALL PERSONNEL ARE TO SEARCH AND DESTROY THE TARGET! THE INTRUDER MAY BE TRYING TO BLEND IN! EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION!" Well shit, things just got from bad to worse for Kizmaru. Still, he didn't have choice as he continued to run keys through the keyhole of the panel as he would run the risk of leaving and potentially getting caught by the opposition. With a stroke of luck, Kizmaru finally managed to socket the right key into the keyhole and turn the key tumblers. This caused the elevator to jolt a bit before it began to move on it's own accord.

From what Kizmaru could tell, the motion of the elevator had him assume he was taken further up into the building. This was the outcome he was looking for in hopes of progression. As he was taken to the floor above, Kizmaru heard distant shouts of guards and enemy shinobi yelling his location throughout the building. Kizmaru also assumed this elevator was the only way to go up to the next floor and it would take sometime before the enemy would make it up here. What strange flaw in the design Kizmaru thought to himself as the elevator made it to it's destination. He leaps out of the elevator and sprints down the only direction he could see in front of him which was a straightforward path. It didn't take long for him to reach the end. In front of him was a massive door with an even bigger room behind it. This must be where they keep their most confidential of information. Kizmaru wondered what kind of dirty secrets the Gold nation would have to hide but he wasn't here for things like that. It was a pity, a chance for some dirt on a nation to use as leverage but he had another objective to fulfill. Well, nothing said he couldn't grab a bit of Intel for the future if the need arises. Kizmaru then tried to open the door in front of him but of course it was locked.

Sighing, Kizmaru reached for the keys he had stolen previously, the sound of the elevator starting it's descent behind him. Upon hearing it, Kizmaru changed his mind and decided he would force entry since he could feel he was close to completing his objective. A few well placed kicks, and a fireball jutsu later, the door had finally fallen off of it's hinges. He wasn't sure if using a fire technique was the best idea since the entry way was now starting to catch fire. This wasn't something he needed to think about as now he had even less time to search for the intel he required. A map, war plans, anything that would help further the war effort for his own nation. Kizmaru began to search the room he was in which was roughly the floor itself. There were large file cabinets, small vaults and other things he'd have to search through. Still, he had to get to work cause they'll be up here soon. While searching through a cabinet, Kizmaru had found a large layout of the village he was in just in the nick of time. Further examination shows that the war plans were also in the same cabinet as the layout map. What a stroke of luck Kizmaru thought to himself, sneering a bit but now wasn't the time to congratulate himself. He had to head back to the elevator, face whatever opposition was going to barrel out of it and go back to the room he had entered from. Folding the plans and map into his chuunin vest, Kizmaru prepared for what was to come but unsheathing two kunai, one for each hand to use as knives.

W.C: 712

T.W.C: 2340

Armory: Xiggs

Though their initial assault within the armory had been brilliantly executed, none of the mercenaries or even the Iwagakure genin who had flawlessly thought of and pulled off said stunt, could have figured that they'd be seeing first hand one of the elusive members of the Gold Country's Rearguard this soon. As it appeared, the Rearguard had been put on the frontlines for once, defending strategically important places to allow for the capital of the country to launch a counteroffensive and they who usually acted as the last line of defense...were now the spearpoint of this plan.

"Little genin should not be acting cocky," The man grumbled from underneath his heavy, plated helmet. His hands grabbed the serrated halberd tightly as its blade gleamed in the dim light of the armory, raising the weapon without so much as breaking a sweat above his head. "Let's not..."

Before he could complete his sentence, a bunch of the mercenaries which had acted along to carry out Xiggs' plan broke through the windows in an attempt to surprise the halberd wielding Brutus, readying their kunai, daggers and blades to strike now that in their eyes it had been the opportune moment of doing so. Alas, the massive, armorclad brute swung his halberd through the air at a blitzing speed and as he slammed down the sharply pointed pommel at the other end of his halberd upon the concrete floor, all which rained down upon Xiggs and the brute, were the bodies of his comrades cleanly cut through with almost surgical precision, with blood only pooring out when the bodies had long littered the floor. "...make things too messy."

Raising his weapon again, the brute was clearly getting ready for another swift swing, yet this time with Xiggs being the only one to stand in his way...

Armory: Laïs

As she managed to masterfully act her way out of her tough spot, Laîs would find herself on her path to try and find a new exciting challenge for herself. When she had felt the dwindling number of lives near the armory, no doubt she had sensed Xiggs' brilliantly executed plan, alas just as Xiggs would notice, she too seemed to notice the arrival of or rather how one of the Rearguard of the Gold Country removed his own stealth to make his presence known. When she than too, would finally reach the armory, she'd be able to see the events transpiring, with the halberd-wielding brute cleanly dispatching the mercenaries which were acting out of order. A challenge most worthy of her time.

Gatehouse: Jerrick

It was quite a wondrous sight to behold, with the mercenaries working together as a single unit, a well oiled warmachine of experience and bloodlust trying to force its way through the last defending line of Gold Country shinobi which were holding down their advance on the gatehouse. The use of the mercenaries shield wall was a brilliant tactic to ensure they'd be able to hold their ground, yet just as Jerrick might've seen, without anything in terms of strong projectiles or long range techniques, they'd just be acting as a shallow wall against a pack of large grey wolves and two armored bears. Not to mention they'd still have to contend with the arrows peppering down upon them from the inner wall.

Luckily, it seemed his keen insight on strategy gave him and his teammates a certain windfall, as the shinobi working alongside them rained down bullets of earth and wind upon the wolves, decimating the beasts, with other shinobi throwing larger jutsu at the bears to have them slow down before the walls and have them end up impaled on fellow mercenary's spears and javelins.

With the last of the bears finally being felled by the concentrated team effort of the mercenaries, the remaining defenses at the gates crumbled and the warmachines of Iwagakure could finally pass through to try and tear down the inner wall and claim victory. However...Jerrick must've felt the arrival of the Halberd wielding Brute at the armory as well...a counter offensive was being launched and with the Iwagakure forces so thinly spread and the Tsuchikage nowhere in sight, thingqs might've begun to become...bloody.

Kizmaru:

Though managing to get inside one of th'e enemy's compound wasn't all that hard, it seemed getting out of it was more of a hassle than to be expected. With both the keys and the layout of the capital in hand, the Genin had to make sure that the intel he had gathered would reach the commanders or at least someone of the higher ups which were stationed outside the capital with notable exception of Lamya, who had a small command and relay center at the outer wall. In the meantime though, the poor genin was beset upon by a multitude of armored guards which had responded to the intruder alert, not making his escape easier at all.

Lamya/Risu:

With the wound on her arm finally healed properly, the acting commander of the Iwagakure forces decided to keep one of the sensory shinobi at the command center as a relay to her, while she would redirect the efforts of those who had managed to take a breather and lick their wounds towards the final part of their assault: breaching the inner gate. As it seemed, both she and the enemy had the same idea, the same truth in mind: that everything in this invasion depended solely on that inner wall. If it wasn't breached, the invasion was lost and it would turn into a bloody siege which would spell disaster in terms of numbers and casualties, not to mention a logistical nightmare now that they'd destroyed the granaries.

Just before she had managed to head out though, she was glad to see the warmachines pass through the gate. Alas, her joy and relief were only shortlived, as a tingling sensation of dread crept up her spine. While walking down the stairs at the side of the wall with a team of shinobi in tow, the acting commander froze up when one of the warmachines at the gate crumbled in a spectacular fashion, having been cut in half by what seemed to be a massive, hulking, armored figure wielding not one, but two swords the size of Kirigakure's long lost Executioner's blade. "The heck?!"

Hastily commands were thrown through the lines, sensory shinobi reporting they had been beset upon by unknown, armorclad figures that appeared out of nowhere...the counter offensive had begun.

1111/3842

Missions:
-Survive Brutus [Xiggs/Laïs]
-Survive Goliath [Jerrick]
-Regroup at the wall [everyone]

As the events unfolded before him, the blue eyed Sencho could nothing as his prey became predator, unleashing a halberd to seperate limbs from bodies. The banquet for crows was now evident with bloodied carcasses scattered across the floor, however the armoury was no longer a dark place. The halberd wielding soldier stood affront him with armour tailored for a knight, clad in a shining plated assortment. It glistened in the sunlight which had shown it had been well look after, another show of the gold country's wealth. Xigs would continue to smile as turquoise orbs gleamed at the man before him. The soldier mentioning that genin should not get cocky would infatuate Xigs, so much to the point where he hypothesised his intentions. Good intel from the gold country as expected. It wasn't odd to think it either, the country was a small one yet inhabited a big population with unmeasurable wealth. There were so many shinobi here that intel would be easy to buy from, for a shinobi's pockets were never full and loyalties were always tested in wars, regardless of who and where the defining moments of wars would always sway by the change of allegiance.

However now was not the time, for a halberd began to descend upon him. The knight lunged onto Xigs, bringing down the halberd onto the formers head, Xigs would match the knights speed as he pivoted his right foot whilst thrusting of his left and thus successfully evaded the first cleave. The halberd had struck the earth, embedding into the ground rupturing the ground beneath them, however the knights helm would turn to look Xigs in the eye, as a slow wind began to gather into the room toward the knight. A strong sense of danger would smother the Sencho as he watched the slow winds gather toward the halberd. "I've seen it all now, knights with fucking ninjutsu." Swiftly leaping backward, Xigs would quickly seperate himself from the knight by 5 meters, however the knight would laugh as he swung his halberd in the air leaving a crescent moon shaped blade of wind to unleash in every direction. The speed was blinding, so much in fact that as Xigs ducked to evade it would shave a portion of his scalp off, and thus allow blood to trickle down his neck.

The wind blade would continue to surge through the air as it hit the walls of the room, however it didn't stop. Screams would echo from outside the armoury as bodies from both Iwagakure shinobi and gold country soldiers alike began to be severed from the blade. However Xigs once again had no time to be concerned about others, as a loud creak began to vibrate the walls. In an instant the building began to collapse, with debris descending upon the two. Xigs would allow his senses to take over, there was no room for thought, as if he were in a trance. Utilising every sense of perception he contained the Sencho would begin to move back and forth dodging once again from the debris. However his ears would pickup the sounds of clinking metal. "Ugh. This damn knight." The knight would slowly make his way to Xigs, unfazed by the falling debris as the majority of it would simply bounce of the armour. However Xigs could sense the overconfidence in his opponent, sure armour was great, but it slowed him down, the knight was probably faster without it.  

As the knight continued unto him, Xigs would look up to see larger debris descending onto the knight, a smile would widen across the Sencho's lips as he ran straight at the Knight whilst keeping low, with the knight now looking down toward Xigs who had begun zigzagging, he had almost been somewhat sidetracked, and thus a thin beam of metal would crash into the knights shoulder pauldron, tipping him slightly to his left. Taking this instance of instability of his foe, Xigs would dash to the knight and activate his jutsu once more as his hands danced affront him. Chakra would radiate from his hands as he finally arrived at the knight and unleashed a left uppercut from his low stance, however the knight whilst unbalanced would still swing the halberd, however it was swung a little off by the tiniest of margins and scraped the skin off Xigs' entire forearm. The left hook would successfully connect to the rear guards chin on the helm, however the angle of his uppercut had allowed contact with his knuckles onto the knights skin, thus allowing his jutsu to make work of the mans jaw.

A howl would bellow from the knights mouth as his jaw was now fractured and displaced, and due to this was now wobbling slowly with his equilibrium off. The man was rocked, however Xigs knew well this was his time to end it all, as he clasped his adversaries halberd, kicked off the ground using the halberd as leverage and launched his knee into the knights chin once again. The knight couldn't help but fall back and he began to slowly fade into an unconscious state, however Xigs would not stop. With his body in the air and his hand still grasped tightly around the halberd, he would utilise every fibre of muscle within his arms, chest and shoulders to swing the halberd into the knight. The blade would instantly pierce into the knights helmet, cleaving the head in two and allowing blood to erupt into the air.

Deactivating his jutsu, Xigs would stare down at his dead foe whilst wielding the halberd, his vision would begin to blur as the blood loss from his scalp being severely cut had now taken it's toll, and with Xigs body being numb, had no idea about the wound, as well as countless cuts from falling glass and his shoulders being covered in splinters. Making the dog hand sign, he would activate his 'nurture' technique as he allowed chakra to soothe his injuries whilst collapsing to the ground. "Looks like I'll be out of commission for a while....  But luckily, I get to leave with this beauty of a weapon."

WC: 1038/2865

Jutsu Used:

Armoury

With all the movement about, it was difficult to get closer quickly. The Jugo was forced to dive into hiding and wait it out several times before slipping back into the open. One time, she had even been forced to put a swift end to a soldier's life, her ouroboros chakram slashing open his throat before he could raise the alarm, her chakra devouring the corpse that remained so as to leave no trace of his presence behind. Most likely him missing would end up being noticed eventually, but in times of war there was no saying what had happened to him. Too eager to fight? Commanded towards the front? He certainly wouldn't tell them now, and his restless soul wouldn't either. The occultist was pretty sure of that.

Moving closer still, her Nornir eyes registered the movement of the lifeforces within the armoury. Their vividness, their back and forth betrayed they had engaged in a dance of their own. Here and there, another flame was snuffed out, the new arrival proving quite superior in his skills compared to the invaders. The very thought of facing someone like that had her thrilled, amethyst eyes shifting towards a claret hue as the Beast readied itself to fight. Soon, it'd be unleashed. Left to rampage upon the world and tear down any and all opposition. A lust for war and drive for battle to be sated. If only navigating this camp didn't require so much time. By the time she eventually reached the armoury, only one strand of life remained. She quietly hoped it'd be one of the Gold nation's warriors but as she stepped inside, she found Xigs slumped on the ground, a halberd in his hands. All around him, spread out were the corpses of friends and foes alike, with one particular one standing out - the knight. A sense of disappointment washed over her.

"I'm not sure if I should congratulate you or be annoyed at the fact I had no hand in this massacre.", she said with a sigh. There was little to be done, though she'd find some amusement with the knight. A heavily armoured individual was bound to be a difficult opponent, while the feigned immortality of undeath added another layer of dread. If she could let loose a skilled, armoured individual upon the Gold army's troops, they'd have the perfect distraction to escape this armoury and return to base.

Walking over to the Rearguard corpse, Laïs allowed her chakra to bless the corpse two-fold. First, his scalp and jaw would be restored, the man back in pristine condition were it not for his pallid countenance. Then, the Rearguard rose to his feet to stand tall before his new commander. She'd hand him her spear Einherjar, which materialised out of thin air as it was pulled from the Otherworld, and watch him flourish it with such deftness the Jugo couldn't help but throw a glance at Xigs. Wondering how he had been able to defeat a skilled man such as him for just a moment before she remembered the lights of life being snuffed out one by one. Strength by numbers, and perhaps suckering some, if not all of his allies.

"Hear me, my Blackguard. Through me, the gods have chosen you for your bravery and valiant efforts. They have seen how your brethren abandoned you in fear of your talents, envious of your skill. They saw how they left you to die by the hand of your enemies. I have granted you a new chance to execute your vengeance. Become my avenger of the fallen. Go. Slay them all.", she'd coo as the Valkyrie whispered her instructions in the ears of the former Rearguard, twisting the spirit inhabiting the corpse to her will. With the eldritch Einherjar in his hands, which housed innumerable spirits of the fallen in turn, they'd become her tool of vengeance upon the living world. Yomi unleashed.

The Blackguard then walked away. Proud, strong. Ready to strike its former allies who were now branded as treacherous enemies. He'd run out the armoury and meet the incoming troops head on with the same skill he harboured as a living. Meanwhile, fatigue was driving itself deep within the Jugo who briefly saw her world spin. She couldn't feel pain and thus didn't register the aching of her own exhausted muscles and chakra expenditure, but there was nothing wrong with her sight. She now knew she really had to get back to the camp where she'd eventually crash. She really needed some rest. A moment to meditate.

With Xigs looking nothing better, she decided to take the boy along homewards. His claimed trophy, the halberd, disappeared as Fuinjutsu Seals briefly surrounded it and a puff of smoke appeared. Now trapped within a scroll, she let the scroll glide into his pockets for later use before she grabbed his arm and flung it over her shoulder.

"Time to go home. They'll soon be looking for us anyway and we don't want to be here while that guard draws in the attention."

One flicker later, she had left the armoury. Xigs with her unless he'd break free to do his own thing.

Camp

Flickering into existence, the Valkyrie tumbled into the ground as exhaustion over took her. A huge yawn escaped her, tears pricking around her eyes. She wouldn't rise. Just... Flop down while she brushed her hair out of her eyes and looked up to Lamya.

"The granary burned down to a crisp, and the armoury is done for. One of their elite men appeared at the armoury. Xigs took him down, and I made sure he's currently causing havoc in our favour as we speak."

She'd also share what information she had about their numbers, how they were organising themselves, and their current movement. Lais wouldn't fail to mention the small group who had decided to move through the mountains on the sides for a possible strike in unprotected flanks. After that, she excused herself for some much needed rest.

---

1034
Total: 4'222

It looked like the entire assault was not going as planned, even though the troops were doing their best, it just simply seemed that without the Tsuchikage there to lead and guide them, it was too difficult of a task for them to retain their moral. As such, Lamya decided that it was for the best to sound a momentary retreat, ordering everyone to go and lick their wounds for now. Maikumaru had failed her, rushed her into this battle without advance knowledge and without anything close to proper preperations, as such, she was disgusted by how he had handled things and severely disappointed in his ambitions and apparent lack to see them through.

With a loud hiss, her hand went straight for the shinobi jonin leader that was supposed to be her relay to the Tsuchikage, grabbing the man's throat with the full brutality and scope of her strength. "That idiot, he was supposed to add fuel to the fire, boost morale and now he's just abandoning his own cause, pathetic mutt," With a quick jerk, she ripped out the shinobi's throat and threw it to the side. Grabbing a shocked communication's officer, she looked him in the eyes and gave him a sinister grin. "Order Laïs to retreat, order them all to retreat, the invasion has been lost and your own incompetent kage is to blame for this."

With that being said, she jumped off of the outer wall, looking at the panicked faces of the ragtag army assembled by the Tsuchikage, which should have won and should've had all the advantages, but simply did not make the cut, all thanks to poor preperation and weak resolve. "So that's all your ambitions were...dreams, gone in a puff of smoke. Farewell little Maikemaru, you have shown me the sad state of this new world...for that I thank you." Without a second thought, she ran off into the darkness, leaving the entirity of Iwagakure's ambitions and foolishness behind her.

[EXIT THREAD]

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