# Naruto: Rotting Leaves [IC]



## Island (Mar 29, 2014)

*Naruto*



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*Spoiler*: _Synopsis_ 




Shortly after the Fourth Shinobi World War, Konohagakure kicked off the Industrial Revolution. This revolution sparked the development of many great technologies such as the locomotive, and most recently, the automobile and the flying machine. Even once expensive machines such as computers have been enhanced, and now, computers are becoming commonplace throughout the Shinobi World, though they are still not compact enough to be found in homes. However, not everybody is ready to embrace this change. Though the Five Kage Summit occurs annually and the United Shinobi Forces remains a peacekeeping force throughout the Shinobi World, the individual Daimyo in charge of the Five Great Shinobi Nations continue to bicker amongst themselves, escalating tensions between the nations. Even the Kage find themselves increasingly hostile toward one another, occasionally ordering shinobi to skirmish along their borders over everything from boundary disputes to trade rights.

Though industry allows for the construction of many great architectural wonders and the development of marvelous new inventions, it has also paved the way for even greater war machines and more deadly weapons. For instance, the repeating rifle has become popular among non-shinobi insurgents. The villages have devoted significant amounts of money toward modernizing their militaries. Kirigakure has completed the first ever steel-plated warship, the _Battleship Mei_, which has been outfitted with high-caliber turrets and long-ranged cannons. Kumogakure is testing new rotary-wing flying machines while Iwagakure is laying new, pressure-release ordnance along its border in an attempt to fortify its frontier against would-be invaders. Meanwhile, Sunagakure Engineering Corps is reportedly experimenting with armored automobiles with mounted cannons. The Village Hidden in the Leaves, Konohagakure, however...

Since the end of Uzumaki Naruto's reign as Sixth Hokage, Konohagakure has become a cesspool of political and social stagnation. Once the economic capital of the Shinobi World, also home to its largest and most well-trained military, Konohagakure has become complacent, many people even referring to it as the _Rotting Leaf_. However, there are rumors that the Konohagakure Research Institute is experimenting with artificial kekkei genkai and looking for new, innovative ways to manipulate the human genome, to create super soldiers that will dominate the battlefield.

Now, a hundred years after the last Shinobi World War, the villages are on the brink of war once again. There are also whispers in the night of a malevolent force lurking in the shadows, perhaps a revolutionary army seeking to establish a new world order or even an old nemesis,  biding his time, waiting for the opportune moment to exact revenge upon the world. Whomever he may be, they say that he wants nothing more than to plunge the Shinobi World back into war so that he may usurp control once the Five Great Shinobi Nations have exhausted both their manpower and their resources in a bloody and devastating campaign against each another.

What is to become of the Shinobi World?

What role will you play in determining its future?

You are a genin from one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations (Iwa, Kiri, Konoha, Kumo, and Suna) between the ages of twelve and sixteen. Most likely, you started at your local academy when you were eight and graduated from that academy when you were twelve. Since then, you have begun making your way through the Shinobi World, meeting new people, seeing new things, and learning everything there is to know about what it means to be a shinobi. Ultimately, these experiences have helped shape who you a person, mold you into who you are today, and most importantly, influence the choices you are about to make. Do you support war with the other villages, or are vehemently opposed to breaking the hundred-year peace? If it comes to war, what will you do? Will you answer your country’s call to arms and march off to battle, or will you protest this struggle, not just in the defense of your home, your family and friends, but in the name of humanity?

How will you change the world?




*Breaking news!*

The Hokage has recently announced that he will not be attending the annual Five Kage Summit, making it the first time in the history of the event that one of the Gokage is not present. This is in response to what the Hokage claims to be the ineffectiveness of the Five Kage Summit at addressing key issues between the Five Great Shinobi Nations such as trade rights, especially related to the trade of oil from the Land of Wind to the other powers, as well as the increasing number of border skirmishes between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth. Analysts are unsurprised at this move, claiming that the Hokage walking out of last year’s meeting was an indicator that something like this would inevitably occur.

The Hokage’s Office could not be reached for questioning.

(The OOC thread can be found .)​


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## Atlantic Storm (Mar 29, 2014)

*Ren Houki, Konoha*

____________________​
With a shrill creak, the metal gate to the training field opened, and Ren Houki entered, hands planted firmly within his pockets. He'd been a genin for a year, but it was only now the Hokage decided to place him in a team. "_Hirari Hyūga, Minako Urasabi and... Fightin' Brawly._" Those were the names of his team-mates and sensei; no other pieces of information were given to him. Though, considering their names, Ren concluded that the Hyūga would likely be some sort of taijutsu user and that 'Fightin' Brawly' would be some kind of moron. 

The training field wasn't a field so much as a plain of dirt, surrounded by various trees and a lot of grass blurred into the distance by the orange hues of the setting sun. Much like the surrounding area of Konoha, it was just an endless, empty stretch of green. Though, in a way, it was also nice; in the urban sprawl that Konoha had become, Ren personally had always found the wildlife relaxing and tranquil. It gave him time to think, and to assess, away from the noise and turbulence of the idiots which he always found himself surrounded by. 

Then, like a bubble, the silence burst apart, a deep bellow echoing through the air. "AH! I see the first arrival is here! My *HEART* is filled with endless *JOY* at the punctuality and dedication of my new students!" Like a blur, the towering form of Fightin' Brawly appeared in front of Ren. The younger shinobi looked up, his eyes tracing upwards as his instructor continued to rise until he reached full height. Fightin' Brawly was a messy looking man; as messy as he looked strong. His face was a astrewn with dirt and grime, with a large white grin cutting across the mud, loose strands of barely contained brown hair falling across his face. Build-wise, Ren noted, the man looked like a living tank. It wasn't just his height; his mere presence felt imposing despite his friendly disposition. 

"So you're Fightin' Brawly." Ren stated, completely deadpan. "_He's fast. How did I not notice him here before?_"


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## Island (Mar 29, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
North Training Ground, Konoha Outskirts

---​

If you?re early, you?re on time. If you?re on time, you?re late. If you?re late, you might as well not even bother showing up at all. At least that?s what my father always told me, and by his logic, I shouldn?t have even bothered leaving the house. Looking at the clock, I discovered that I was late before I even rolled out of bed. Then, I looked toward the window. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and there was a slight breeze the rustled the curtains and carried the smell of a nice warm apple pie being baked somewhere down the street. The ideal day during the ideal time of year. The perfect day to crawl back under the covers and watch some television or something. After two weeks of torture, finally mastering both Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation and Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms, you?d think I could catch a break, right? Just one day to myself, to kick my feet up and relax? Well, apparently not. Two years after graduating the academy, and I was about to become part of a genin squad for the first time. My father asked for special permission from the Hokage to keep me at home so that I could focus on mastering the Gentle Fist fighting style and associated Eight Trigrams techniques. Now that I had the basics down, he said that it was time to get into the real world and train under a sensei. Why this was important, I had no idea, but I assumed he knew something I didn?t. He _always_ knew something I didn?t.

Either way, it was time to venture out into the world.

_Wonderful._

I couldn?t help but feel that father had a hand in everything that happened to me. When I received a letter from my future sensei, I immediately recognized the name: Fightin? Brawly. Though I didn?t know him personally, he was one of father?s close friends and former rivals. Apparently they grew up together or something, went on missions together, and all that jazz. Periodically, father invited him over for dinner and random functions he held here at the complex. He also went on missions with him from time to time, some S-Rank stuff that he never elaborated on.

In other words, they seemed pretty tight, which was worrisome, to say the very least.

I sluggishly put on my clothes and made my way down the steps. Much to my surprise, I caught my mother stepping out of the kitchen and into the den with a platter of breakfast, some bacon, eggs, and sausage. I raised an eyebrow, wondering why she would be eating breakfast so late, but then, I realized something. The clock in the den read exactly one hour earlier than the one in my bedroom. According to the letter I received from Fightin? Brawly, I was supposed to meet him and my future squadmates at the North Training Grounds in the Konoha Outskirts at exactly eleven o?clock.

Did somebody set my clock forward on purpose to get me to hurry up?

How bothersome.

I made my way to the North Training Grounds. I recalled that it was a place where mother and I used to feed the geese. We walked through the training grounds together with bags of feed, and she would explain to me what the various shinobi and kunoichi there were doing. Some would be practicing Ninjutsu, others Taijutsu, and rarely, some would be practicing Genjutsu on one another. Not only would she outline to me what many of these techniques were and how they were used, but she would also give me information on the shinobi and kunoichi who used them, usually powerful jounin that my mother kept track of in that Bingo Book of hers.

When I finally arrived at the training ground?










​
A gander of geese waddled along the shore of the river that split the North Training Ground in half, honking loudly, pecking at the ground, and otherwise going about their business. Then, something spooked them, and they all began flapping their wings wildly and making haste across the river to safety. What spooked them, I had no idea, but then I felt a presence behind me?

*SMAAAAACK!*

A sudden burst of pain emanated from my back.

?Hirari-chan!? Fightin? Brawly greeted me, smacking me on the back, just a little too hard. ?Exactly one minute early! How *WONDERFULLY* prompt!?

I began to say something, but?

?One of your partners has finally *ARRIVED*.? He stated.

Without any other explanation, he disappeared in a blur, presumably to greet whomever had just arrived.


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## Fedster (Mar 29, 2014)

Urasabi Minako

"Ugh." The unpleasant sound of the alarm clock filled the otherwise silent bedroom, and was turned off by a hand that came from a bulge of sheets. It stayed there for a few moments, laying on the device, and fell into the floor, lifeless. The room was silent.  Until...

"Wait a second!" A girl came out from the bulge, with obvious signs of drooling and with her blonde hair imitating a lion's mane. Her green eyes were as big as saucers. "Today is...Oh." All the excitement left her as she took a glance at her calendar. She wrapped herself back and returned to her sleep.

_______________________________________________

"It's odd that Minako is still sleeping." Said a woman in the floor beneath. It was Minako's mother.

"Wait for it..." A man reading that day's newspaper told her. He was Minako's father. The man seemed to be counting in his mind, and when he reached a certain number, he heard the sound he was waiting for.

"I'M LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATEE!" A few moments later, rushing footsteps were heard climbing down the stairs and Minako ran through the kitchen, her head trapped in the neck of her shirt,  and snatched the toast his father was about to eat.

"Bye, dear."

"Yeah, bye, _dear_." His father clenched both teeth and hands, but a look from his wife stopped him from smashing the latter on the table.

_________________________________

"I'm almost there! Oh, why did I have to trip so many times?!" And as Minako said that, her feet intertwined with one another, and to the floor she went, face first. "Ugh." She grunted while raising up, dusting herself off and setting to run to the Training Grounds again.

According to the letter she got (She had to reread it three times and make her father read it to confirm it was legitimate) from a man called Fightin' Brawly-sensei, a jounin with quite the reputation preceding him, she was to meet him and her new teammates that day, after a long year of boring solo missions. Finally, teammates, senseis, PEOPLE. "There it is!"

And oh, did she not expect what happened after...

A ginormous man with long hair tied with a red headband towered before her, causing her to jump back and letting out a loud gasp.

"*YOU* must be Minako! We've been waiting *FOR* you! This means the *TEAM* is all gathered *UP*! Ah, my *HEART* can hardly take such *BEAUTY*!"

_"...What"_


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## Island (Mar 29, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
North Training Ground, Konoha Outskirts

---​
Apparently somebody arrived before me, some boy with white hair, green eyes, pale skin, and headphones. Houki Ren, most likely. Then, right after my arrival, Fightin’ Brawly went off to greet the third member of the squad, some blonde-haired girl with bright green eyes and almost no clothes on approaching in the near distance. Urasabi Minako, presumably.

I stood closest to Houki Ren, about ten meters away, between him and the front gate, while Urasabi Minako, and by extension, Fightin’ Brawly, stood closest to the gate, having ambushed her upon arrival. The river flowed in the northwest, with Houki Ren between it and me, and the entrance stood in the southwest, with Urasabi Minako, and again, Fightin’ Brawly, between it and me.

Suddenly, Fightin’ Brawly disappeared from his previous position and reappeared in the center of where we were standing, beckoning us with his hands to approach.

I sighed to myself, wondering just how long this was going to take, but nevertheless, following the instructions given to me, making brief eye contact with Houki Ren as I made my way over…

“Welcome, welcome, my *YOUTHFUL* friends!” He announced, loud enough for even Urasabi Minako to hear clearly. “Welcome to your first day as members of Team 24! As I’m sure you’re aware, my name is *FIGHTIN’ BRAWLY*, and I will be your *SENSEI*!”

He waited for everyone to gather around before continuing.

“Now, first thing’s *FIRST*.” He explained. “*INTRODUCTIONS*. Tell us your name and three facts about yourself, anything at all that you think makes you *UNIQUE*.”

“Oh,” he added, “I also want to know your *NINDO*.”


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## Atlantic Storm (Mar 29, 2014)

*Ren Houki, Konoha*

____________________​
In another blur, Fightin' Brawly's figure filled Ren's line of vision once more, coming into the centre of the circle that had been formed by him, Hirari and Minako. In his typical loud voice, which Ren now associated with him, the jōnin announced for introductions to be made by them, almost causing the Houki to roll his eyes. "_How old fashioned. Not unexpected, however._"

"My name is Ren Houki." He introduced himself first, deciding that it was better to just get it over with than wait for the others. "I'm proficient in raiton ninjutsu, like quiet walks, and dislike people getting in my way. As for my nindo, I don't have one. I find them tacky."


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## Fedster (Mar 29, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


It was all happening so fast, maybe too fast, for Minako to immediately process it and react accordingly. That man spoke in the exact same way his letter was written, and was _way_ too energetic. And to top it off, he was _gigantic_. Minako didn't have enough neck to bend her head up and look him in the eye. And to think he could move so fast in that massive body...

But, in any case, she didn't have the time to dwell on those details. She had to go with it for the time being and gather around with her new teammates. One of them was already introducing himself: the only boy of the team, without counting the sensei (who, anyways, couldn't _possibly_ count as a boy), Houki Ren. He seemed to be a straight-to-the-point person and someone who tried to look all 'serious business'. Minako knew there was a clan named Houki, but didn't have a clue as to what kind of clan it was.

"Oh! My turn!" She beamed up, raising her hand in the air. "Hi, I am Urasabi Minako, but you can use whatever name you like!" She cleared her throat when she realized she was being a little _too_ cheerful, and pushed a strand of hair behind her left ear. "As for what makes me unique, I like animals (even the ones tagged as 'dangerous'.) I'm very good at Genjutsu, and..." She tried to find a third thing that made her unique. "Oh! I don't like to give or receive presents. I feel it's unnecesary."

"And my Nindo...Wait, my Nindo...Right!" She left a dramatic pause, and left raised her index finger up in the air. 

"...It's to become an awesome Genjutsu user! The best there is!"


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## Island (Mar 29, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
North Training Ground, Konoha Outskirts

---​
Fightin? Brawly listened to what Ren had to say, intently taking in everything he had to say. Towards the end, he looked as if he wanted to say something but held back. Then, Minako began speaking, and Brawly diverted his attention to her. He appeared somewhat more excited about what she had to say and how she was saying it. It made sense. He was loud. She was loud. He was really passionate. She was really passionate. Again, made sense.

Then, it was my turn.

?I am?? I sighed to myself. ?Hyuuga Hirari, heiress-apparent to the Hyuuga Clan. I am a Gentle Fist user and am proficient in both Ninjutsu and Taijutsu. You probably also know this because I?m pretty sure both of you these things because we were in the same graduating class at the academy, though? I don?t think I?ve ever formally met either of you.?

?What about your third *INTERESTING* fact?? Fightin? Brawly insisted.

He stared at me, pressuring me with his gaze. I stared back, like a deer in headlights, unsure of how to respond.

?It can be *ANYTHING*, Hirari-chan,? he restated, ?Just about *ANYTHING* that makes you *UNIQUE*, or *SPECIAL*, in some way.?

He probably wanted to hear something interesting.

?I share the same birthday as the Fire Daimyo.? I finally answered, coming up with some random factoid about myself. ?July 7th.?

?What about your *NINDO*, your *NINJA WAY*, Hirari-chan??  He probed.

?My Nindo?? I repeated before explaining myself. ?Ren-san is right about Nindo. They are just some archaic social construct, nothing more, nothing less. They help shinobi and kunoichi define themselves in arbitrary ways, give themselves labels, and to help them create snappy catch phrases. Again, pointless, unnecessary.?

Fightin? Brawly frowned, looking down at the ground for a brief second and then up at the sky contemplatively. ?So then, is that your *NINDO*, Hirari-chan? The *ANTI-NINDO*??

?I-? I stumbled on my words. I really had no idea how to answer that.

?Everybody has a *NINDO* whether they know it or not, Hirari-chan, you too, Ren-kun.? He explained. ?Everybody has something they *STRIVE* for, some *GOAL*, maybe short-term, maybe long-term, but nevertheless something they want to *ACHIEVE*. Some condition they want to *SATISFY*, or even something as simple as a *STANDARD* to live by.?

He gave a toothy smile, addressing the whole team, ?May that be your first lesson.?

Fightin? Brawly then rustled his fingers through his hair, clearing the wayward strands from his face, standing in such a way that the sunlight glistened and shone almost exclusively on him:



?Like I said, I am your new sensei, *FIGHTIN? BRAWLY*, and I feel that it is only *FAIR* that I share three facts and my *NINDO*.?

*?FIRSTLY,?* he stated, ?I never, *EVER*, accept defeat, *NO MATTER WHAT*. There is always another way, and if there isn?t, there is another battle to win. Even if I fall a *HUNDRED TIMES*, there is still another chance to get back up. *NO MATTER WHAT*.?

*?SECONDLY,?* he went on, ?I put *AT LEAST* 99% into everything I do, *NO MATTER WHAT*, and always, *ALWAYS*, save just a little bit, that last 1% for the *FINAL STRETCH*, the *FINAL COUNTDOWN*, if you will.?

He stood there proudly, for several seconds, presumably waiting for somebody to say something, in which, nobody did, probably because we were all waiting for him to give us his third fact about himself.

?Brawly-sensei,? I finally spoke up. ?That?s? only two.?

?One? two?? He began counting on his fingers. ?Only *TWO* of them, and I was supposed to give *THREE*. Indeed, you live up to your *REPUTATION*, Hirari-chan. You are a very *CLEVER* kunoichi!?

?Lastly!? He announced. ?Fightin? Brawly will always, _*ALWAYS*_ admit his mistakes, and will always, *NO MATTER WHAT*, work to correct them, no matter how much effort much be spent or how long it will take!?


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## Atlantic Storm (Mar 30, 2014)

*Ren Houki, Konoha*

____________________​
Ren listened patiently while the two girls introduced themselves, carefully turning over and calculating things in his head. The exercise had been more informative than he had anticipated. "_The Minako girl is a genjutsu type, while the Hyūga is a taijutsu user. Looks like we have a pretty even distribution here. Meanwhile..._"

He glanced at his sensei, who was roaring with hearty laughter after realising that he had only given two points instead of three. "_Our instructor seems to be a classic dumb brute. Loud, too._"

Then the muscular jōnin turned to face him, a grin still stretched across his features. "Come on, *REN-KUN, HIRARI-KUN*. Show us your *SPIRIT* and tell us..." Then, like a bird, he spread his arms out and lolled his head back slightly for dramatic pause. As if on cue, a small gust of wind blew howled through the area, blowing leaves and various other pieces of greenery into the sky but, perhaps more relevant to Ren, also pulling Fightin' Brawly's gi wide open. Then, with a dramatic motion, he brought himself forward, one arm pulled to his front with a thumbs up gestured to his face and the other behind his back pointed at Hirari. "Your *MOTIVATION!*"

The younger shinobi stared at Brawly who, likewise, gazed at him, his brown eyes silently encouraging him. Relenting, Ren gave a sigh and said: "Fine." Closing his eyes, the Houki thought of what to say, and how much about himself to reveal, then opened them back up, his ice blue pupils giving a dull glow. "My goal is to climb the ladder of the Houki clan and take over as the head. My philosophy, nindo as you would say, is to achieve this by any means necessary. A ruler is not bound by regulations or codes of honour; he must be able to bend them to his will."


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## Fedster (Mar 30, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


From the three of them, Minako seemed to be the less complex. She was someone who had all her cards on the table, while the other two were more reluctant to show them. In a sense, she could relate to Brawly-sensei, who insisted them on sharing their dreams. Minako would be lying if she said that she was not curious. Now that she thought about it, or as Hirari had said, she never _did_ put effort on knowing her two new teammates in depth. Mainly because she felt that they were very different, and that was obvious just by looking at them. Ren, for instance, was reserved, and Hirari was distant.

However, Minako wished she could have known Brawly-sensei before. He was charismatic, extremely active and very loud. Putting the active part aside, Minako was a bit like him.

She had to stop staring at him to pay attention to Houki Ren and his Nindo. To tell the truth, she expected something a lot more somber.

"By...By _all_ means necessary?" She repeated, frowning at Ren. The impact of his words hit her rather late than everybody else. "Well...I guess that's cool?"


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## Island (Mar 30, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
North Training Ground, Konoha Outskirts

---​
I considered what Ren had to say, listening closely to everything that came out of his mouth. From my understanding, he wanted to become head of the Houki Clan, not through traditional means, but through whatever means necessary. I wondered to myself where he drew the line, if he drew one at all. What about people? What about his friends, his family, and everybody he cared about? If given the choice, would he cast them aside in some crazed lust for power?

One might find this worrisome, but I didn’t really care enough to ask him to expand upon his feelings.

“By… by all any means necessary?” Minako repeated.

I turned my gaze to her.

Loud. Obnoxious. Stated the obvious. Still, she seemed passionate about what she stood for and looked like she genuinely wanted to be here. Again, she seemed a lot like Fightin’ Brawly, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing,

“Your turn, *HIRARI-CHAN*!” Fightin’ Brawly announced.

I noticed that he’d been staring at me this whole time, ever since Ren finished speaking, which, in itself, was somewhat strange. I wondered why he didn’t call me out sooner, why he let me just sit there, waiting, but like most things, I didn’t dwell on it for too long, again, because I didn’t really care to.

“Right,” I glanced around at everyone before speaking, “My goal is to fulfill my duties as heiress-apparent to the Hyuuga Clan so that I may one day lead the Hyuuga Clan as its head, just like my father, his father before him, so on, and so on. My philosophy…”

I paused. 

“Is to fulfill the expectations placed upon me, nothing more and nothing less.” I concluded.

Fightin’ Brawly’s expression didn’t change. In fact, he didn’t seem any different whatsoever, and that somewhat bothered me. I asked myself whether or not he had an opinion of myself and wondered what that opinion might be. Would like somebody him agree with what I said? Would he vehemently oppose this philosophy?

I really had no idea.

“Very good, very good,” he turned his attention away from me to address the team, “A bunch of *AMBITIOUS* youths here. It warms my* HEART*.”

He pounded on his bare chest and let out a bellowing laugh.

“Now then,” he stated, “I have yet to share with you my own *NINDO*, my *NINJA WAY*, if you will, so here goes *NOTHING*. My goal is to ensure the *SAFETY* and the *SUCCESS*, no, the *PROSPERITY*, of future generations. I will commit *EVERYTHING* so that the *YOUTH* of today will inherit a world that is a *HUNDRED PERCENT* better than the one I grew up in.”

“My philosophy…” he stared up a the sky, a ray of sunlight beaming down upon him, “Is that *HARD WORK* and *EFFORT* can make this dream of mine a *REALITY*.”


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## Atlantic Storm (Mar 30, 2014)

*Ren Houki, Konoha*

____________________​
Ren looked at Hirari carefully as she spoke, curious as to what the heir apparent of the Hyūga clan had to say. In many respects, they were as similar as they were polar opposites to one another, which is why the Houki found himself intrigued as to what she might have to say. He found himself decidedly disappointed with what she had to say, however. "_No ambition whatsoever; how boring. Then again, it's not so unbelievable that someone who was born into power would be complacent._" He concluded, then silently shook his head, his eyes glancing over at Fightin' Brawly, who continued to pound away at his new bare chest.

"Now that we've got introductions out of the way, are we actually going to do something constructive?" He asked, a hand reaching to remove a strand of stray silver hair in his eyes.


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## Island (Mar 30, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Konoha Training Ground, Konoha Outskirts

---​
?Ah!? Brawly answered, ?Again, what *AMBITIOUS* youths we have here. So *EAGER*, so *READY* to learn.?

He swung around with his back facing the team before continuing, ?Now then, it?s time to begin your first exercise, the *BELL TEST*. Traditionally, this was an *EXAMINATION* performed by jounin to ensure that newly graduated academy students were *READY* to advance into becoming full-fledged genin. In these peaceful times, genin are not immediately placed into teams, so, now, the tests serve to *GAUGE* the overall *PERFORMANCE* of genin to see whether or not they are *READY* to work as* REAL* shinobi under *REAL* jounin instructors.?

He produced two bells from the pocket of his gi.

?The goal is simple.? He explained. ?Each of you must acquire one of these bells by removing them from my person. Satisfying that goal, you will become *OFFICIAL* members of *TEAM BRAWLY*. Failing to do so, however, will mean that you will be *BANNED* from ever training under a jounin? *FOREVER*.?

I stared at the bells that Fightin? Brawly now dangled from his hand.

There were only two bells but three of us.

Problematic, but I knew that I wasn?t the weakest link, so, again, I didn?t concern myself with asking.

?You will have until *DUSK* to complete this task.? He concluded. ?If you *CAN*.?

?One other thing,? he added, ?Once you leave these training grounds, the floor will be *LAVA*. Stepping on the ground at any point during the test will *BAN* you from *PARTICIPATING* for one *HOUR* per *OFFENSE*.?

I gave a look of bewilderment, glancing around at the environment. Although we weren?t very far into the training grounds, I doubted that we would have a reason to leave the training grounds at any point during the exercise. After all, why would we try to lure him away from such an open environment where it was difficult to conceal one?s presence? It was our ideal terrain. He had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and if we worked together, we could flank him without fail. Unless?

?Good *LUCK*, my *YOUTHFUL* friends!? He announced, bending his knees forward and concentrating on some particular thing.

I had no idea what he was about to do.

Then he leapt up into the sky like a spring, soaring higher and higher until eventually disappearing into a cloud. A couple seconds later, his faint silhouette began to descend what must have been a kilometer away from us and into the center of the village.

?Uh??


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## Fedster (Mar 30, 2014)

Urasabi Minako

Brawly-sensei produced two bells, each attached to a string, from his pocket. He announced that the team's sole objective was to snatch the bells from him to pass. Minako had heard of this test. It was a sort of ritual of passage between genins and jounins on their first day together. But, there was a problem. They had to take the bells away from a _jounin_ while being genin, the lowest rank on the ladder.

There was another problem, one that Minako realized of rather late. There were only _*two bells*_. Why? Clearly he knew there would be three of them in the team. In fact, she knew that _all_ teams consisted on three ninjas.

Then, why two bells?

Before she could find out, Brawly-sensei rocketed to the sky, leaving Minako's jaw to fall to the ground. "That...Was..."

"AMAZING!" She beamed up, framing her face with her palms. "Did you just see that jump?! Oh, I can't wait to see what's next!" And then she faced Hirari and Ren, her arms folded. "Though, I don't know why he has two bells when there's clearly three of us. It's like he wants one of us to be left behind, right?"


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Mar 30, 2014)

*Ren Houki, Konoha*

____________________​
Ren blinked, his eyes tracing the shrinking figure of Fightin' Brawly as the man shot up into the sky, through the clouds and then disappeared. Even the young shinobi had to admit that was pretty impressive, reluctant as he was. "_I'm certainly not going to faun about it like her, though..._" He said, looking at Minako.

"Of course." He nodded, a hand moving to half zip his hoodie. "Rooting out the weakest link is the best way to create an efficient unit. That's common sense. Though, I didn't think Fightin' Brawly would be the type to use such a method. " There was something about this that bugged him - as if there was a detail he was missing. Their sensei seemed _far_ too friendly and warm to be willing to marginalise weaker members of a group, and nothing Ren had observed in his behaviour had suggested it was all an act, either. Everything the man said seemed to be genuine, as old fashioned and corny they were. But that was the only degree of worry Ren paid to it; he knew he wasn't the weakest link, and thus felt no need to give it any further thought. How hard could it be to catch one man?

"That being said, we should focus on capturing him first before he gains any distance." He said, then turned around, disappearing in blur and smoke.


----------



## Island (Mar 30, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
North Training Ground, Konoha Outskirts

---​
“He’s not very smart, is he?” I rolled my eyes as Ren disappeared into a puff of smoke before turning my attention to Minako. “Brawly-sensei is a clearly superior foe, so if we can’t overcome him with quality, then we’ll need quantity. Furthermore, we’ll need to make use of strategy, first by tracking him, and then by striking when he’s at his most vulnerable. Fortunately for us, the Byakugan will allow us to track him. After that, however, we’ll need to create a game plan based on where he is and what he’s doing…”

I stopped to think for a moment, crossing my arms and twirling the ball of my ankle before continuing, “You’re a Genjutsu Specialist, right? A long-ranged fighter, too? If we play our cards right, we’ll be able to use both of those to our advantage.”

I nudged my head in the direction of the gate, signaling for Minako to follow. “Let’s try to hurry, though. My favorite show comes on at six.”

---​
Unbeknownst to me, Fightin’ Brawly descended on a place colloquially known as Downtown Konoha, just south of both the Hokage’s Office and the Konoha Ninja Academy. For the most part, Downtown Konoha was a large street that ran north to south, again, from the Hokage’s Office, all the way down to the residential districts that surround the village, just inside the iconic village gates. Along this street were a number of restaurants, stores, and various other venues where people would go for recreational activities, including Konoha Game Corner, Konoha Theater, and most prominently, the Konoha Mall.

Brawly looked around the busy city street, rubbing his belly and saying to himself, “Man, training tomorrow’s stars sure gives me an *APPETITE*, but it isn’t even *NOON* yet. Perhaps I should kill some time at the *MALL* before *LUNCH*…”


----------



## Hidden Nin (Mar 30, 2014)

*Kouji*
Hinjaku Street, Downtown Konoha 

---​
It wasn't difficult to pick Kouji out of a crowd, when he was abroad. It wasn't because of his loose fitting, flowing scarves and cloaks, or the desert goggles around his neck. Or the soft cotten linen capris and  It wasn't his head of powerfully red haired he'd inherited from his ancestors, whoever they were, or even the fact that he complained about how cold it was, even in a mild place like Konoha, quiet often. One might think at the very least, his armband marking him a diplomat of the Sand Village might have given him away, the Puppet Brigade insignia stitched to his breast, the Suna Engineering Corps emblem on his left shoulder, or the mon of Monzaemon Chikamatsu on his back. He carried three large scrolls on his back as well,

No, what drew attention to him was the fact that he didn't seem to have a problem pissing everyone around him off, and contrary to his being a diplomat, heedlessly ignored social and cultural norms with intense fits of swearing or simply disregarding polite tendencies of villages he visited outright. He'd done very little outside of his training with the Puppet Brigade thus far, besides study the procedures and policies of the Committee of Technological Advancement he'd be following for the Engineering Corps of Sunagakure.  His team had been in Kumogakure previously, and the shift to Konoha had been boring, as they said. _Nothing _was happening here, and he'd foolishly rushed off first to get ahead of the rest and start on his assignment. Only trouble was there was nothing happening in Konoha. At least, that he knew of...

Presently, Kouji was having a bit of fun on a particular street in Downtown Konoha, at the expense of others. Every so often he would use a few chakra strings to veer the path of the small motor bikes the occasional delivery boy was riding to his destination, or trip a few burly guys trying to carrying a stack of crates. Old ladies were nudged and made to slip, stray cats or dogs were lashed lightly with his chakra threads, and children made to take a dive as well. All the while, Kouji snickered with each successful trip attempt, from his relatively unassuming position sitting on a nearby roof, wearing his thin ivory garbs, and with his large scarf draped about his shoulders and reaching down in front of him. His hands were bound tight with faded white handwraps, about the color of sand at this point.



He had a trickster's shit eating grin on his face as he continued his pranks, until he felt a shift in weight on the roof behind him. Instinctively, he shifted his positioning, darting up from his seat as he narrowly avoided someone grabbing him from behind. Kouji flipped up and away, landing on his feet as he observed whoever the hell it was who'd just struck out at him in an attempt to grab his scarf.  What he observed was curious.

Ahead of him was a boy wearing an odd get up. He had a head of grey hair, and wore a thin short sleeved cloak with a long tail, sleeveless linen shirt underneath, two fingerless gloves, armguards, with a peculiar cross shaped harness over his chest, loose trousers and a pair of light boots. At his hip was a tanto, though Kouji couldn't tell anything about it's construction from just looking at it. The boy set down the pup in his arms, which the sand ninja recognized as one he'd flung particularly high into the air just now with his chakra threads. Had this guy saved it? Asshole. He squinted, reading the dog's collar. It was bent, rusted along the edges, and you could barely make out the letters. Probably a stray from the look of its fur and the missing patches. But to the best of his knowledge, it said something like 'Cenn'.

As he stood to his full height, glaring over at the puppeteer, and still not speaking a word.  He tapped his foot...as if expecting a response or reply...and then finally shot forward like a bullet at Kouji, dipping low and to the side with strangely fluid and off center movements. He appeared like a silver blur as he approached, and Kouji assumed a stance to receive him.

_"Wanna be a white knight, asshole? Well alright then."_ 

He knew well enough not to use his puppets in a situation like this, but he'd fling a dozen strays 100 times over before he let some silent punk beat his ass.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Mar 31, 2014)

*Ren Houki, Konoha*

____________________​
From the perspective of Hirari and Minako, Ren would have undoubtedly have seemed like an eager idiot rushing to catch Brawly directly, which was Ren's original intention. If he's underestimated, then that would mean that they'd be less weary of him, meaning there would be plenty more opportunities to strike when the time was right. "_Only a fool would attack him directly, and in the face of such overwhelming power, it's doubtful that even three genins attacking at once would manage to accomplish anything. It's best to exploit his lack of intelligence, and considering the nature of the test, it would be far easier to act alone than risk someone else taking my bell_."

The Houki launched himself upwards, trailing up the bark of one of the larger trees until he reached above the canopy of the forest surrounding the training area. If it wasn't before, then it was definitely approaching dusk now. The blue sky had given way to oranges and purple as the Sun slowly drifted away into the horizon, casting a golden hue over the greenery. Ren took a few moments to admire the view, squinting slightly as the rays of light hit his eyes, then re-focused his attention on the mess of buildings and towers a distance away. "_The power of his jump should have landed him well into the village. Since he leapt away from us, it's likely his goal is to keep away from us rather than disable us. With that in mind, Brawly will have probably headed for downtown Konoha, which is the most crowded part of the village._

A small smirk crept up Ren Houki's features. "Perfect." He muttered to himself, producing a kunai and a smoke bomb from his tool pouch.


----------



## Fedster (Mar 31, 2014)

Urasabi Minako

"But what about Ren-san?" Even though he was the one who left them and decided to work alone, Minako felt that that dismissing him from the whole party was wrong. After all, they _should_ be together as a team, not like...Divided...Parts...Thingies...Or something.

As Minako talked, she would follow Hirari in their chase for the bells. "Shouldn't we look for him? Or do we...Just go get the bells for ourselves and he should...?" Minako frowned. She loved people, but they were complicated. And ninjas? They were worse. "I don't get why he should want to take Brawly-sensei on his own. Do you know, Hirari-san?" Her green eyes looked at the back of the Hyuuga's head. She was nowhere near to decypher her new teammates, which sucked.


----------



## Island (Mar 31, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
North Konoha Training Ground, Konoha Outskirts

---​

“Well,” I explained, “If he doesn’t want to work with us, then he doesn’t want to work with us. Plus, if we go to him and offer to work with him, then he’ll most likely try to manipulate us to getting a bell for him, leaving us to fight over the remaining one. Remember that rant he went on earlier? About trying to become head of the Houki Clan by any means necessary? Those people are his family. Imagine what the lengths he'd be willing to go to when the only thing standing in his way is one of us…”

“For now, let’s pursue Brawly-sensei without him.” I concluded. “Hopefully, we catch Brawly-sensei before he does. If not…”

I shrugged.

“If not, oh well.” I stated nonchalantly. “Now, given his trajectory, and knowing his personality, I’d say that he was headed toward Downtown Konoha, probably to get some lunch or something. Follow me, and when find him, we can start planning our next movement, unless you don’t want to, of course…”

I didn’t wait for her to answer. Instead, I created a hand seal and disappeared into a puff of smoke, heading in the direction of Downtown Konoha.

I created a seal with my right hand and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

---​
Fightin’ Brawly stared through the glass window of a shop on the main street of Downtown Konoha. He bore a look of awe, one of pure amazement for what he saw inside the building. He spoke softly to himself, “T-The Might Guy Limited Edition, Ultra Rare, Collector’s Edition Boxing Gloves! Made of *REAL* leather and lined on the inside with the fur of a tailed beast! I-I-I *MUST* have these! There were only *TEN* ever made in *EXISTENCE*!”

The man reached into his gi, but pulled out only pocket lint and a piece of chewed bubble gum…

Suddenly, he began to tear up some manly tears.

“I-I will have these. *ONE DAY*.” He suddenly turned to face the world, pounding his fists against his bare chest. “One day, *FIGHTIN’ BRAWLY* will be the *PROUD* owner of the *MIGHT GUY LIMITED EDITION, ULTRA RARE, COLLECTOR’S EDITION BOXING GLOVES*, complete with *REAL LEATHER* and lined on the inside with the fur of a *TAILED BEAST*!”


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Mar 31, 2014)

*Ren Houki, Konoha*

____________________​
Fightin' Brawly, as the Houki had anticipated, was not a very smart or cautious man. Even if he were far stronger than the three shinobi, Ren had at least expected an experienced shinobi to take more care in hiding himself or stall for time. As it were, Ren finally spotted Fightin' Brawly observing one of the nearby dumpling shops, woefully checking the contents of his empty gi for money.

With a dash, Ren moved off one of the rooftops onto a pole, directly above Fightin' Brawly's position, a confident smirk on his face as he took out a kunai, a small smoke bomb attached to the end of it by a piece of ninja wire. "I found you." He confidently announced. 

The large man's head revolved immediately, beaming at the new arrival. "Ah! *REN-KUN*, the *FIRST* one!" He smiled. "But I must *SAY*, I had not expected you to make such a *BOLD* move. Nevertheless, I shall *ACCEPT* your challenge. Come forth, *REN-KUN*." Brawly commented, shifting into a taijutsu stance, the people around him looking wearily and dispersing to make room for the large two metre tall man in the middle of the street.

"I'll do more tha-" He said, then his face distorted itself as a bird flew past, it's left wing grazing his mouth and dissipating it for just a moment.

Fightin' Brawly grinned a toothy smile. "I see. You plan to divert my attention with a *CLONE*, and then attack me from elsewhere. *UNFORTUNATELY*, it will not work, *REN-KUN*, as you have made a *MISCALCULATION*. Clones are unable to interact with real objects, and are liable to become distorted when they *CLASH*. Perhaps you should have been more careful, eh?" He stated confidently.

"Oh well. Looks like I've been found out." The clone sighed, then casually tossed his kunai over to the instructor, before forming a sequence of hand seals.

"You cannot *TRICK* me, Ren-kun. A kunai thrown by a clone is not real, and won't damage me." He announced, decidedly turning around, a small ball of light forming above his head. The bulky shinobi notices it immediately, moving to avoid it, then...

*Boom!*

The smoke bomb explodes, enveloping Fightin' Brawly and the surrounding area in a cloud of grey, but was not deterred, quickly reacting to deflect several incoming kunai knives and shurikens, scattering the ground with projectiles. "Not bad, *REN-KUN*. I am *CURIOUS* as to how you managed to achieve that! *NEVERTHELESS*, your efforts are *FUTILE!*" He roared, dynamically blasting through the smoke cloud, onto the clearing away from it, discarded weapons all around him.

"Not *BAD*. I deflected those *QUITE* far away." He admired, then looked around to try and locate the Houki.


----------



## Fedster (Mar 31, 2014)

Urasabi Minako

"W-wait, wait!" But it was too late; Hyuuga Hirari disappeared in a cloud of smoke after perfoming a hand seal. At least she told her where Brawly was bound to be, and that the two of them would work together. She still felt slightly bad for leaving Ren behind, just because it was their first day together and she was so excited of knowing her team better. "And...And..."

"THEY ARE SO COOL!" Minako exclaimed, hugging herself to refrain her overexcitement. "And there I was, acting like a fool! Ugh, they probably think I'm _so_ stupid! I have to make it up! Aha!" She exclaimed, as she was struck with an idea. "If I impress them both in this task, I may have a chance to redeem myself! Oh, I impress _me_ some times!"

Minako suddenly remembered that she was supposed to follow Hirari, and that she had been talking to herself...A bit too much. She quickly performed the seal her teammate made before and disappeared in the same way.


----------



## Island (Mar 31, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Downtown Konoha

---​

We arrived at Downtown Konoha without incident, leaping from building to building and being careful not to land on anything that might be considered ground. We arrived on the rooftop of a small shop, some martial arts store, only to see a scattered smoke bomb filling the busy street. People raced away, and kunai began flying around. Either somebody was attacking Konoha or Ren found Brawly. Probably the latter.

I signaled for Minako to stay where she was and remain hidden on the rooftop. In the meantime, I created a number of handseals and activated my kekkei genkai, the Byakugan.

My pupils became pale, and the veins around my eyes bulged out. Suddenly, I could see everything and everyone around me, including Brawly.

Everyone except Ren. I had no idea where he was.

---

Brawly continued looking around but couldn?t see Ren anywhere.

?Well, *REN-KUN*, if you want to give up so easily,? Brawly yawned loudly, stretching his arms and then cracking his neck, ?Then I?m going to go get some lunch. There is a *SPECIAL* today at my *FAVORITE* sushi restaurant.?

He glanced back once at the store front that displayed the boxing gloves he so dearly wanted, sniffling slightly and rubbing his eyes as he did so. Then, he turned away, his gi fluttering with his movements as he made his way uptown.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Mar 31, 2014)

*Ren Houki, Konoha*

____________________​
Another clone stepped out, this time on the opposite rooftop of the one the first one leapt off of. "Now, let's not be so hasty, sensei. After all, the first hand is always the feint." He smirks, and waves his hand while the real Ren Houki simultaneously finished weaving his seals, the kunai around Fightin' Brawly floating up in the air, pointed menacingly towards him, before homing in on his person.

Fightin' Brawly's steps were unusually graceful for someone of his size, Ren observed. His body floating like a white fabric in the wind, the instructor flawlessly evaded each shuriken and kunai that attacked him in an almost mesmerisingly fluid sequence of movements. Ren's voice came again. "As expected."

But the young shinobi's strategy didn't end there.

With a crash, the window of the building behind Fightin' Brawly shattered in a rain of glass as a small shape flew out. The cause of the window breaking was a single small cylindrical object, spiralling in the air, rapidly unravelling itself in a long glowing parchment of blue. From behind the window, Ren formed a seal, and the water scroll gave one last shine before expelling a fountain of water onto the ground below, showering Fightin' Brawly and the streets, the reflection of a small spherical object forming on the distorted surface. 

"Lightning Release: Thunder Pearl." Ren uttered, the sphere he had set in the air emanating a sharp light, then firing off a single small stream of lightning chakra down on Brawly.


----------



## Fedster (Mar 31, 2014)

Urasabi Minako

Everything was happening so fast. Why did things couldn't go at a normal pace? First Brawly-sensei rocketed into the air, Ren and Hirari vanished in their 'oh-so-cool' manner, and now, Ren seemed to have prepared an elaborated trap against the sensei, which involved various ninja tools. And to top it off, Hirari did _the thing_. Minako couldn't help but gasp in amezement. The Byakugan, as far as she knew, was the distinctive feature of the Hyuuga clan, but she never thought she would actually see it in action. _'And so close, at that!'_

"Ren-kun's...Going to finish off Brawly-sensei?!" She tried as hard as she could to control her tone. It couldn't be true. There was no way in Hell that a genin could defeat a jounin. And yet, she was seeing just that with her own eyes. Ren had said he used Lightening Release, but she didn't know he was able to do things like _that._

"Hirari-chan!" Minako called out, pulling her teammate's sleeve with her hands. "This is no Genjutsu! It's the real deal! We have to do something!"


----------



## Hidden Nin (Mar 31, 2014)

*Kouji*
Hinjaku Street, Downtown Konoha 

---​
Kouji ducked past the Konoha genin's uneven punch, watching as he mouthed something to the sand ninja. What was he saying exactly? Kouji squinted as the other boy approached and seemed to make out the words...

_Teach you a lesson._

The puppeteer instantly grew angry, and flicked his wrists at the other genin's approach, producing two wrist knives hidden up his sleeves. 

"Don't fuck with me you cocky little shit!"

He crossed his arms, receiving the punch, and noting the silver haired boys superior speed...and strength. And from his pace, he was either going to tire out soon...or had very impressive stamina. 

Kouji shot back from the roof, landing in the street nearby, and then darting away, lashing out with a few more chakra threads. He overturned a few nearby crates, barring the other genin's pursuit as he leapt away again, but...a flash of movement, and the other genin was behind him. _Shunshin_? More than likely. He was obviously a taijutsu specialist then.

Kouji grabbed a nearby plank with a few threads, narrowly blocking the genin's next kick. He burst forward again, still quite fast despite the other boy's alarming speed, before running into...another ninja of the Leaf. Kouji paused, glancing at the Hatake pursuing him, and then smiled a devious grin.

"Shinobi-sama! This one is chasing me incessantly, and for no reason at all! I'm not sure what his deal is, but I find this highly disrespectful, as a diplomat of the sand village!" And with that he sped on, leaving the mute to explain himself...and probably getting enough distance because of that.

_Idiot_...


----------



## Island (Mar 31, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Downtown Konoha

---​

“No.” I stated flatly. “Ren-san is somewhere else. These are just clones. I suspect that he doesn’t want to get too close unless he knows he has a clear shot at the bells. Brawly-sensei, however, doesn’t even look like he’s trying. He’s incredibly strong, crazy fast, and if I had to guess, he is just testing Ren-san, though…”

“I doubt he actually knows where Ren-san is.” I went on. “Ren-san appears to be hidden under the guise of the Transformation Technique. Where he actually is and who he is pretending to be, I have no idea. The number of people in the immediate vicinity with chakra pools large enough to be shinobi is somewhat high, which is to be expected for Downtown Konoha. If I had activated my Byakugan sooner, I might have been able to get an idea of what his chakra was like, but…”

I pondered the possibility for a few seconds and then shrugged.

“Not hugely important, Minako-chan,” I explained, “Given how liberally he’s using his jutsu, I don’t think he’ll last another hour. Likewise, he’s using a lot of equipment, and while kunai and shuriken are easily replaceable, I’m unsure as to how many Water Scrolls he carries on him. Like I said, he won’t last very long at this rate, unless he has an unusually high amount of chakra, but I don’t see many people like that around here.”

“In the meantime,” I stated, “Watch and wait.”

I sighed to myself and leaned back, allowing my back to press against the diagonal rooftop and trying to find a comfortable position to lay.

---​
Brawly stared up at the pool of water descending upon him, and rather than flee like some kind of coward, he began spinning rapidly on his right foot, twirling around and around, and letting the wind dissipate the water. Then, in the face of Ren’s Lighting Release, Brawly leapt into the air, straight toward the attack, and…

*“HYAAAAAH!”* He roared.

The hulking man headbutted Ren’s Lighting Pearl midair.

The attack dispersed, and Brawly descended downward, performing a number of front flips as he went before finally landing safely on his feet.

“Clever tactic, Ren-kun, *VERY* clever, indeed.” Brawly announced. “However, a basic C-Rank technique is not *ENOUGH* to overpower Brawly-sensei! Bwahahaha!”

Brawly glanced down at himself, and attention was brought to the fact that he was not wearing any footwear today.

“Now then,” he brushed back his hair and straightened his gi, “It appears as though I won’t be eating *LUNCH* until this is *RESOLVED*, so, Ren-kun, I will make you a *PROPOSITION*. I will not move from this spot for the next minute, and I will keep these bells…”

He reached into his gi pocket, and his eyes suddenly widened.

_“Uh oh.”_ He murmured.

Brawly wondered to himself. _“Did I *LOSE* them?”_

The jounin began patting himself down frantically.

*“THESE BELLS!”* He pulled them out of his other pocket and held them out in front of him. “I will hold *THESE BELLS* right in front of me like so for the next *MINUTE*, without doing so much as *RINGING* them.”

“If you can get them, they’re *YOURS*.” He concluded.

But then, he turned his attention toward a nearby roof, “You too, Hirari-chan, Minako-chan. This is your *GOLDEN* opportunity. Your time to *SHINE*.”


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Apr 1, 2014)

*Ren Houki, Konoha*

____________________​
As the thunder pearl casted down it's attack on Fightin' Brawly, time seemed to almost slow down between it's activation and the events which followed. A bright flash lit the area, followed by the large man leaping up into the air, bringing his head forward to meet the beam head on and then dispersing it, small branches of static dissipating into the air as he forced his way through the attack. For just a brief moment, both Ren's and his clone's eyes simultaneously widened in surprise. "Ridiculous. He countered my attack with pure strength?" He muttered to himself, moving from the now shattered window to relocate elsewhere.

"_Still, I'm not a fool. He might be stood still on the spot for a minute, but he'll be expecting more tricks from me - any attack I do will just be countered in the same way before. I should just bide my time and wait for Hirari and Minako to try and exploit the opening... but I'm going to have to be quick. I doubt I can keep up this transformation for much longer._" He mentally assessed, then rifled through his pouch.

The Houki produced two kunai knives, a flash bomb, and a false paper bomb. "_Not much left in here, but it'll have to do. I still have a kunai outside I've yet to move with my jutsu, too._" Ren took a breath, working to prepare his last few tools. After a few moments, he dangled the two kunai from two of the fingers of his right hand, one with a smoke bomb attached and the other one wrapped with a fake paper bomb.


----------



## Fedster (Apr 1, 2014)

Urasabi Minako

There were no words to describe how ridiculously awesome that fight was. Brawly just dispersed a thunder ball with his bare _head_. What could even top that? Was there even a top for that move? No. It went beyond pure magnificence, beyond all material and ethereal things...It was the power from the _Heart_. Not heart like the organ, but from the _Heart_. Minako could feel it gracing her body, sending shivers until it hit her very soul.

But then it hit her. It was a distraction! He wanted them to be so immersed, so taken by his actions so he could take advantage of them! _'There's no end to this man!'_ She thought, open-mouthed. "Hirari-chan! I'm starting!" She announced, performing a set of seals. _'Pack of Wolves Technique!'_

Seconds later, some figures emerged from the nearby alleys. They were walking on all fours, growling and showing their fangs at Brawly-sensei. Their fur was black as night, and their eyes were filled with hunger and killing intent. They were wolves, and they were surrounding Brawly-sensei like a prey, ready to pounce at him at any moment...


----------



## Island (Apr 2, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Downtown Konoha

---​
I assessed the situation. “Probably not the best idea. Ren-san is probably waiting for the opportunity to strike, hoping that we’ll attack first and that Brawly-sensei will be too busy dealing with us to be able to counter him.”

“Furthermore,” I added, “We’re fighting on his terms, not ours. In order to beat such a vastly superior opponent, we’d need to be in a situation where we control what’s going on, not him. Otherwise, we don’t even stand a chance.”

Finally finding a comfortable position to lay, I shut my eyes, but nevertheless kept my attention on Fightin’ Brawly and what he was doing through the power of the Byakugan.

---​
“How *DISAPPOINTING*.” He shook his head and sighed aloud. “If none of you come at me with an *ACTUAL* attack within the next minute…”

He decidedly broke his own rule, bringing the bells up to his face, dangling them a couple inches above his nose. Thenm he leaned his head back and opened his mouth.

“If *NONE* of you even come down here,” he repeated, “Then Brawly-sensei will swallow one of these bells.”

“An *APPETIZER* before lunch,” he laughed, “My *BRUNCH*, if you will.”


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Apr 2, 2014)

*Ren Houki, Konoha*

____________________​
Hirari and Minako had decidedly not taken action, causing Ren to frown a bit. "Looks like she figured out what I was planning to do." He muttered to himself, looking down at the two pieces of weaponry dangling between his fingers, his blue eyes looking back at him on the distilled dark surface of the kunai.

Glancing back out the window, Ren sighed. It wasn't ideal, but he could adapt his plans a little to accommodate for the change. It would take a chunk of chakra to do, but fortune favoured the bold, and this plan was nothing if not bold. Placing his kunai in his mouth, Ren quickly began to form a series of seals, keeping his eyes focused on the space around his clone. "_Houki Style, Lightning Release..._"

"I'm sorry, I don't think I can let you do that." The clone smiled, simultaneously performing a shorter sequence of false hand signs, three thunder pearls forming in a line besides him, cackling with a sharp pitch.

"Cry of Piercing Thunder." Is uttered, a bright beam of lightning shooting out of it, halos of white expanding around it as it fired towards Fightin' Brawly. The area was enveloped in a blanket of light while the clone disappeared in a puff of smoke, and that was when Ren Houki made the move, jumping out of the window, his transformation fading in the light. With a flick of his wrist, the knife with the flash bomb attached to it was launched at the adjacent wall, while the one with the fake explosive tag was thrown towards Fightin' Brawly.

"_Between trying to defend against my attack, and the kunai, he won't have time to react to my move. Besides, with no way of knowing that explosive tag is fake, he won't be expecting me to make a direct move, anyway._" His eyes narrowing into a sharp glare, the Houki shot forward in a blur of blue and silver, his hand reaching for the bell...


----------



## Fedster (Apr 2, 2014)

Urasabi Minako

_'He...He will eat the bell?!'_ Was that physically possible? Well, he _did_ just nullify a lightening attack with his head, but eating a bell was probably just...Impulsive and dangerous. However, if he did it, there would be only one bell, which meant...

"That only one of us would get a bell?!" Minako gasped, dispelling her genjutsu unintentionally. "Oops." She simply said to that, seeing how her wolves evaporated into thin air, leaving the scene. Well, that was awkward. If there was a moment to get out of there, that would be the perfect opportunity. _'But I won't!'_ She concluded, and when Ren started shooting lightening again, she placed her foot on the roof's edge, ready to jump...

Until...

Ren disappeared. And then a person jumped through a window, which then became Ren. _'...What?'_ She was not confused as she was frustated that Ren bested her on the 'jumping out of hiding' thing. With cleched teeth, Minako extended her arm, and imitated a gun with her fingers. A blue-ish aura began to form and took the shape of her index finger. She pointed it towards the bells that Brawly-sensei was not going to eat and 'pulled the trigger'. _'Chakra Bullet!'_


----------



## Island (Apr 2, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Downtown Konoha

---​
I stayed where I was, interested to see how this situation would resolve. From my understanding, Ren intended to overwhelm Brawly with a flashy display of force and then come in and take one of the bells. It seemed similar to his previous strategy which relied on brute forcing his way through with ranged attacks and then sneaking in while Brawly was distracted.

Not bad. Smart, even.

But something didn’t quite add up. An explosive tag?

---​
Brawly stared cautiously as Ren made his move. First, he ducked to avoid the Cry of Piercing Thunder. Then, he saw a kunai with an explosive tag heading toward him, but for some reason, he chose to do nothing about it. Thus, the kunai flew right over his head, and then, thinking the element of surprise was on his side, Ren leapt out of the shadows and at his sensei.

With his free hand, Brawly caught Ren by the throat, wrapping his fingers around his neck and placing his thumb on the young man's jugular.

“Ren-kun,” Brawly explained, “Hirari-chan gave away your *STRATEGY*, unveiled your *CLEVER RUSE*. For the last several minutes, she’s been laying up there relaxing, but *NEVERTHELESS* keeping an eye on the battle with her Byakugan. The fact that she hadn’t moved indicated that there was nothing *CATASTROPHIC* about to happen…”

“In other words,” he stated, “Her Byakugan showed her that your explosive tag was *FAKE*. You’d expect a person to have *SOME* kind of reaction when somebody was about to *EXPLODE* a tag in the middle of a city street, but she didn’t even sit up…”

“Now then, *REN-KUN*,” Brawly let out a hearty bellow. “I hear *KIRIGAKURE* is beautiful this time of year. Please give Mizukage-sama my *REGARDS*.”

His eyes twinkled when he mentioned the Mizukage, and when he finished speaking, he began spinning around, with Ren twirling along with him. Then, after a couple spins, he released, launching the Houki off into the distance, in the general direction of Kirigakure and the Land of Water…

But suddenly, the Chakra Bullet shot the bells right off their strings, and they began to fall from their position, just as Brawly recoiled from his mighty throw, though it was doubtful that Ren was _actually_ going to end up any farther than the Konoha Outskirts.


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## Atlantic Storm (Apr 2, 2014)

*Ren Houki, Konoha*

____________________​
Getting grabbed by the throat and being thrown across Konoha was not something Ren had anticipated. One moment, he was poised to grab one of the bells Brawly had carelessly dangled over his head, and the next all breath was out of him as he quickly found himself hoisted above Brawly's head and then suddenly looking over the various buildings of the village while he flew. A few things crossed Ren's mind as this happened.

One was that Fightin' Brawly was deceptively attentive, and that he should not be underestimated in the future. Another was that future ruses would also need to be capable of deceiving the Byakugan, another was that this was actually a somewhat good opportunity, as it gave him chance to prepare and collect his thoughts. And finally, the realisation that he was plummeting straight towards the ground.

Twisting his body, Ren directed his ragdolled person towards one of the building, taking out his tantō and stabbing at the wall with all of his might in order to stop himself touching the ground. With a grunt, he managed to decelerate his fall just enough to avoid breaking the rules, and pulled himself back up. "I should get back quickly. I can think over things while I'm on the move." He said, and quickly dashed off again.


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## Fedster (Apr 2, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


There was a moment when time just stopped. Precisely, it was when Brawly let go of Ren's throat and her chakra bullet pierced the bells' strings. Minako's eyes slowly went wide, as her plan made in the heat of the moment worked out. This was it. This was her chance, her golden opportunity.

Her moment.

"VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!!" Minako yelled as she dived out of the roof towards the ground. The air sounded in her ears, hit her skin, made her eyes to narrow. Brawly and the bells got closer and closer. It seemed that she would be in the air for an eternity, but...

The ground greeted her rather rudely and sooner than expected, as she plummeted with a thud, face-down. "Ugh..." She complaint, as she forgot that once you fall, you had to positioned yourself to land. That little detail escaped her mind as she was too excited by her accomplishment, by the fact that she had outwit Brawly-sensei.

And yet, there she laid, with her palms facing up so she could catch the falling bells.


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## Island (Apr 2, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Downtown Konoha

---​
I got up suddenly and turned in the direction of Minako. I began to speak, but I wasn?t quite fast enough. My partner leapt from her position on top of the building and made her way to the ground. The fact that she didn?t land as gracefully as she should have wasn?t nearly as important as the fact that?

?Minako-chan!? Brawly called out. ?You are *DISQUALIFIED* for one *HOUR*!?

I immediately smacked my palm against my forehead and sighed aloud. With Ren gone and Minako disqualified, I found myself alone to combat Brawly. I had trouble coming up with a strategy for how we could get the bells with our combined effort, never mind how I could do so by myself.

I met Brawly?s gaze.

?What now, *HIRARI-CHAN*?? He shouted.

I shook my head and pinched the bridge of my nose.

Finally deciding on an action, I produced a hand seal and deactivated my Byakugan and shrugging. ?There?s no way I can do this alone, so I?m not even going to bother. I?ll see you in an hour, Brawly-sensei.?

Thus, I turned away from him and began making my way in the opposite direction.


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## Atlantic Storm (Apr 2, 2014)

*Ren Houki, Konoha*

____________________​
Sometime later, Ren finally arrived back at the now abandoned street, with Brawly now missing, but his various weapons still scattered in disarray across the ground. Hirari was also missing, and the only one left was Minako, who was sat in the corner looking sullen.

Landing on the wall he had planted his trick kunai in, his feet sticking to it with chakra, Ren gave a sigh as he removed his weapon from the wall. "You didn't do what I think you did, did you?" He asked.


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## Fedster (Apr 2, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


As she was penalized for touching the ground, Brawly-sensei told Minako to sit in the corner of the street, facing the wall. She was to stay like that for an hour, and only after that she could return to the competition. At least, nobody she knew could see her, due to the fight that had unfolded between Jounin and Genins. Why didn't Hirari bother to do something? And why did Ren have to work on his own? Maybe if they had worked together, the plan might have worked.

That thought made her even more sullen. Until a voice took her by surprise.

"You didn't do what I think you did, did you?" Minako jumped, and when she turned around, she saw that it was...Ren?

"I...I did." Minako replied, pressing her forehead against the wall. "I was so close, and yet so far!" The way she said that was almost theatrical. "Hey! Since Hirari-chan left me, wanna work together?" She proposed with a bright smile and sparkling eyes.


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## Atlantic Storm (Apr 2, 2014)

*Ren Houki, Konoha*

____________________​
Ren briefly considered the offer. Minako didn't seem particularly competent, but her genjutsu abilities might provide a valuable diversion, and it was clear that taking on Fightin' Brawly alone wasn't an option. There wasn't any disadvantage to taking up the offer. "Sure." He shrugged, removing the flash bomb from the kunai and pocketing it, before throwing the knife onto the ground.

With a hop, Ren landed onto the circular handle of the object so that his feet were not touching the ground and, with crane-like balance, began to bend down to pick up the scattered weapons around him. "I'm nearly out of chakra, though, so we're going to need to be more conservative with our strategy."

He gave a pause. "And I thought of a way to make it so all three of us can pass the test."


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## Fedster (Apr 2, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


"Yay!" Minako celebrated, as Ren had agreed to work with her. And since Hirari had not exactly ditched her, she was bound to work with them two. Finally, the three of them would work together as a team! They were finally doing what teams usually did. And together, they would face Brawly-sensei and pass the test!

When the hour passed, Minako leapt away from the ground, as she did not want to be disqualified..._Again_. "Okay, Ren-kun, we have to find Hirari-chan! Let's talk about that plan of yours in the way!"


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## Island (Apr 3, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Downtown Konoha

---​
?Have you guys really been here this whole time?? I raised an eyebrow. ?I would have thought you?d have gotten lunch or something in the meantime.?

I stood from the same rooftop that they had seen me previously, except this time, I had with me a skewer of food, including chicken, shrimp, and peppers which I ate between statements. In the time that had passed, I got some lunch and relaxed, sitting on a nearby rooftop and enjoyed my meal, which was painstakingly acquired without actually touching the ground. More importantly, however?

?Brawly-sensei,? I swallowed my food, ?Brawly-sensei went to some sushi place for lunch and then got dessert at some dessert stand. Right now, he should be heading to for an afternoon jog through the residential district, or at least, that?s what he normally does on days like this. Oh, and he tied the bells to the belt around his waist, on the right side, I think??

I yawned loudly and stretched my arms over my head.

_?How troublesome.?_ I thought to myself._ ?But by the looks of it, Ren-san has realized that he?s better off working with us than he is against us. Should simplify things, but still, not sure how helpful he can be after expending all that chakra??_

I took a moment to observe my surroundings. I thought that it was strange that the village street remained desolate even though things had long since calmed down. However, I realized that any damage that had done had already been reversed. Holes in the walls an craters in the ground had been seemingly erased, probably through the work of some complicated combination of engineering and ninja arts. In fact, I had spotted some maintenance men in the distance, as well as various members of the Konoha Police Force, which raised the question of whether or not anyone actually knew that Brawly was going to take the fighting to the streets?

People started returning however, probably because the police deemed the area safe.

I shrugged, deciding not to give this any more thought.

?One last thing,? I added, ?Brawly-sensei alternates every fifteen minutes between jogging on his feet and jogging on his hands. For obvious reasons, it would be beneficial to ambush him while his hands are preoccupied.  However, his kicks might be a lot fiercer than his throws...?

?Ideally, we figure out his route and set an ambush, allowing us to choose both the time and the place of our confrontation,? I concluded, ?But Ren-san, I heard you saying you had something in mind, so I?ll leave the planning to you??

My thoughts drifted back to my show coming on tonight. I wondered whether or not I?d be back in time and if not, how I was supposed to catch my show.


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## Atlantic Storm (Apr 3, 2014)

*Ren Houki, Konoha*

____________________​
With a leap, Ren appeared on the rooftop Hirari was stood on, a ring of smoke dispersing around him as he appeared. "Brawly leaving here was actually a good thing, because it means that he doesn't know we're working as a group this time. The plan is very simple, and preys precisely on that knowledge gap."

"I will transform myself into a kunai, and you," he said, pointing at Hirari, "will pretend that I'm your weapon. Since I've been working independently from the two of you, he won't expect me. In any case, once we've located him, you'll challenge him to catch you. Make sure to offer Limited Edition Gai Boxing Gloves as a reward if he wins, since I saw him looking at a display of them earlier. Lure him to a designated rooftop, where this will be planted."

He holds up the kunai, a flash bomb dangling off the handle, then turned to look at Minako. "And where you'll be waiting, hidden behind a genjutsu of some sort. Once he's up, distract him with an illusion, then throw a projectile at the string holding the flash bomb up to activate it. That should blind you and Brawly, but Hirari and I will still be able to see. With her Byakugan, she'll throw me towards the bells, and I'll grab them, making sure to cut one in half after I get them."


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## Fedster (Apr 3, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


Minako landed with a bit more grace on the rooftop than when she 'landed' on the ground earlier. Hirari was eating, and that reminded her how hungry _she_ was. Why did she have to eat in front of them? Minako only had eyes for the skewer, and she half-listened the plan the other two were machinating. However, there was a part where she felt someone's gaze and when she turned, she realized Ren was talking to her. "Distract him? Oh! Brawly. Okay, Got it!" She reassured, even when she was told that she was going to be blind temporarily, and that she was going to cause her own blindness.

"Well, I'm gonna get going! Good luck!" She wished. Minako then used a seal and disappeared, landing on the roof Ren told her to wait. "Time to shine, Minako!" She told herself, and began the preparations, casting her wolves' genjutsu and mixing herself with the animals by transforming into one.


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## Island (Apr 3, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
South Residential District

---​
I nodded intently, listening to everything Ren had to say. For somebody who stupidly rushed off by himself and then wasted most of his chakra in the first couple hours, he was actually pretty smart. A simple but effective strategy, he suggested that we exploit the fact that Brawly wouldn’t expect the three of us to be working together and have Ren grab the bells while Minako and I distract him.

I considered it.

If Brawly actually caught me, then not only would the plan fail, but I’d also have to put out a small fortune for those gloves that he wanted.

Still, fortune favored the bold or something clich? like that.

“Right,” I answered, not particularly having anything else to add. “Then let’s get to it.”

---​
“One-thousand-three-hundred-sixty-*SEVEN*, one-thousand-three-hundred-sixty-*EIGHT*,” Brawly counted.

The large man could be seen making his way up the street, walking slowly on his hands rather than his feet, and taking deep breaths between each stride. He had long since removed his gi and bandaged up both his hands and feet, presumably so that they would not become calloused after repeated exposure to the hard ground. One could clearly see two bells dangled from his waist.

Enter me.

From atop a nearby roof, presumably somebody’s house, I called out to Brawly, who stopped upon detecting my presence, “Brawly-sensei, I have a challenge for _you_ this time. If you can catch me in the next ten minutes…”

I attempted to sound as cocky as possible, or in other words, as much like Ren as I possibly could, “I will buy you those Might Guy Fighting Gloves that you wanted.”

Brawly’s eyes glimmered, “Ah, Hirari-chan, so *CONFIDENT*. Confidence is *GOOD*, Hirari-chan, but are you *REALLY* ready to give up the Hyuuga Clan FORTUNE for this tiny little bell?!”

I formed a hand sign, activating my Byakugan and getting into a Gentle Fist fighting stance with my right hand outstretched at shoulder level and my left just below my chest.

“Then, *SO BE IT*, Hirari-chan!” Brawly suddenly disappeared, and before I could realize what was happening, he was there, right next to me, his hands landing firmly on the rooftop and his legs ready to make contact.

However, I had prepared for this by positioning myself in such a way that Brawly would land on a less supported section of the roof, and considering how heavily he was compared to me, fall straight through. As predicted, when his palms made contact with the roof, it began to collapse in on itself, and although this only deterred him for a moment, it gave me a narrow window of opportunity to fall back to my next trap…

While Ren laid out the basic strategy, it was up to me to come up with a way to keep him from catching me. Since he was chasing me rather than us confronting him like before, or in other words, us fighting on his terms, I was able to preemptively setup a number of traps on the way to where Minako was waiting. Furthermore, I controlled when the initial confrontation would occur. Since I knew that Brawly alternated between jogging on his hands and feet every fifteen minutes, and assuming that he didn’t plan on breaking this routine, then it was beneficial for me to issue my challenge at just the right time, shortly after he had begun moving on his hands only, long enough afterwards that he would no longer be at maximum speed but not close enough to the end that I could potentially run out of time and allow him to switch back to moving on his feet.

This time, we would fight on our terms, not his.

---​
Thus, after some careful maneuvering and plenty of close calls, I had been successfully able to lure Brawly down the street and to the meet-up point with Minako. However, I had one last obstacle to overcome…

Actually stopping Brawly from blitzing me before Minako throw her flash bombs.

However, I prepared for this moment, saving what I considered to be my trump card, my ultimate strategy for impeding Fightin’ Brawly, something that I knew that if push came to shove, would absolutely work, no matter what. From my position on the rooftop, looking down at Fightin’ Brawly as he approached, I created another hand sign and channeling my chakra, and…

“Brawly-sensei!” I announced, activating a special variation of Sexy no Jutsu, made specifically for dealing with Fightin' Brawly by…

…turning into the Mizukage!



“Brawly-san,” I spoke with the Mizukage’s voice and blowing him a kiss, “How about that _date_?”


*“W-WHAAA?!”* Brawly-sensei bellowed, stumbling backwards and nearly toppling over.

Blood began to gush from his nose, and he instinctively brought his hands up to his nose to control the bleeding. However, considering that he was presently walking on his hands rather than his feet, this meant that there was nothing left to support his gargantuan body…

*BOOOOM!*

Brawly collapsed into a perverted mess on the ground, giving Minako an ample opportunity to spring the trap!


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## Fedster (Apr 3, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


Waiting on the rooftop was boring and taxing. Not only did Minako have to focus on mantaining the genjutsu and her transformation, but she had to stay alone with no one to talk to but herself. It was a good thing that she enjoyed talking to herself, mainly because she was a hilarious person, and witty too. In the time she had to stay hidden, she entertained herself by coming up with nicknames for her teammates, though as she revised them, she realized that they were rather stupid. They would be locked up in the depths on her mind, sealed forever.

But, finally, the time came, and she spotted Hirari dashing through the roofs, with Brawly-sensei right behind her. It was strange to see that the sensei would pursuit her while walking with his hands. Minako felt it again, that determination and drive that the man gave off, pouring into her soul.

She almost forgot that it was a trap.

As soon as Hirari transformed into that bodacious woman that caused Brawly-sensei to become a blood dispenser, Minako threw the kunai with the flash bomb with her mouth (as she was still transformed into a wolf), and her genjutsu pounced at the Jounin.

Smoke surrounded her as the transformation ended, and showed Minako pointed her finger at the flash bomb. 'Chakra Bullet!' Her finger was surrounded by the same blue coat from earlier, and by flexing her raised thumb, the chakra was shot right at the bomb.


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## Island (Apr 3, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
South Residential District

---​
Success! As my transformation wore off and Brawly began to recover, Minako came at him with her Genjutsu while simultaneously shooting a Chakra Bullet at the flash bomb hidden near him. Then, from my position on the rooftop, I reached into my pouch for the kunai that Ren disguised himself at and launched it. My accuracy remained true due to the power of my Byakugan. While the flash bomb would blind anyone in the immediate area, including Minako, the Byakugan allowed me to see in both intense and low light environments. Thus, I could accurately throw Ren at Brawly for him to retrieve the bells while Brawly remained blinded and, thus, unable to react.

*BAAAAAM!*

On cue, Ren transformed back into himself and dived for the bells. However, Brawly, although blinded, responded with a swift kick to the face, sending my partner flying backwards. Brawly followed this up by flipping forward several times before finally landing on his feet, just in front of where he shot Ren, catching him by the neck with his right hand, just like before. He wrapped his fingers around his throat and pressed against his jugular.

The fifteen minute mark.

We attacked at five minutes, just long enough for Brawly to start wearing down his muscles but giving us enough time to attack. At fifteen minutes, Brawly would then switch from moving on his hands to his feet. If timed perfectly, we would have gotten the bells just shy of this mark, a somewhat narrow window of opportunity. A high-risk, high-reward situation, but necessary. Based on his previous movements, I doubted that I’d be able to outrun him if he started fresh on his hands, e.g. as soon as he switched from running on his feet to his hands, thus, making it a necessity that we strike after he had worn himself down after several minutes.

How he anticipated this attack, I had no idea.

Just then, however, I felt a hand wrap around my neck. My eyes widened in horror as Brawly stood right in front of me, his fingers pressed against my throat. He began lifting me such that both Ren and I dangled in front of him.

He began speaking, “Ah, a *VERY* clever ruse, *VERY* clever indeed. However, Brawly-sensei will not be fooled *THAT* easily.”

“Hirari-chan is a *VERY* worldly young woman,” he explained, “She knows many things about the Shinobi World and the people that inhabit it. While it’s fairly common knowledge that I have been rejected many a times by Mizukage-sama, not many people know about my obsession with the Might Guy, Limited Edition, Ultra Rare, Collector’s Edition Boxing Gloves…”

“Likewise, neither her nor Minako-chan were present while I was window shopping,” Brawly went on, “Thus, she must have learned about the boxing gloves from *YOU*, Ren-kun, meaning that the three of you were *FINALLY* working together as a *TEAM*. When she lured me here, I anticipated a *TRAP*. It was logical to conclude that after Hirari-chan lured me here and Minako-chan sprung the trap that *YOU* were going to make a grab for the bells.”

He let out a hearty laugh before bringing his hands together, and thus, clunking our foreheads together!

“They say that Kumogakure is developing new *FLYING MACHINES*,” he stated, “But who needs them when you could just fly Airway Brawly? *Bwahahaha!*”

I felt Brawly begin to spin around, the same way that he did before, and then, after a couple cycles, he released the two of us, launching us off into the sky in two different directions, Ren to the east and me to the west, leaving Minako to fend for herself!

While I flew off to some unknown place, Brawly turned to the direction of Minako, who stood atop a building adjacent to the one that I previously did…


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## Redblood (Apr 3, 2014)

*Kabiki Ruka*
Somewhere in Kumogakure

----------​
?WAH HA HA HA HA!!!?

A gust of wind, a kunoichi, and an idea. These three elements had come together this day for one single purpose: to do something absolutely NUTS. And there, careening through the sky was the newly appointed genin of Kumogakure, Kabiki Ruka. She had stolen a prototype of the Kumogakure Glider, and had been circling around the mountains for at least an hour, laughing all the while. It was honestly starting to get a bit annoying for the residents of Ruka?s village. She had gotten the hang of the glider, and was starting to show off, occaisionally dipping down into the streets to knock merchant carts over in her wake.

?Sorry!? Ruka called back, stifling her giddiness until she was sure the townspeople were out of earshot. But they still heard her laughter, even as she drifted above the clouds. As she broke free from the mist of the clouds, Kabiki Ruka hung in the air for a moment, taking in her surroundings. The village was so far away? all that she could see was the azure sky, the sun hanging before her, and the white clouds beneath her. It was so beautiful?

*SNAP*

One of the glider?s wings bent, broke, and fell away from its body. All the stress Ruka had put on the glider seemed to have taken its toll. The ground that seemed so far away was about to get a LOT closer.


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## Fedster (Apr 3, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


The light caused by the flash bomb blinded Minako, who covered her eyes with her hands. It was all up to the other two from there. Even if they were fighting against a Jounin, she felt that this strategy could succeed. It was far-fetched and maybe na?ve to think like that. However, just seeing their synchronization and how well they were doing, gave her a sense of hope. Hope that their plan would bear fruit.

Oh, how wrong she was.

As the light died away, Minako uncovered her eyes and saw, peplexed, that Brawly-sensei was not only clutching Ren's throat, but Hirari's as well. Her two teammates were prisoner's of the sensei's grip, but what happened next made her jaw dropped. Brawly-sensei started spinning around, and when he let go of the two Genin, each of them flew off to opposite directions. Minako weakly waved at them, her face contorted in confusion.

How could it go _so_ wrong?

And, of course, she was not going to be left aside. Brawly-sensei turned and, even though they were in adjacent buildings, she felt that the man was towering before her. After spending so much chakra in the genjutsu and the bullets, she felt that she could not do anything else. Or perhaps she could, but her current state of uncertainty would not let her.

"...What?" She managed to say, falling to her knees, with a bemused expression implanted on her face.


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## Santí (Apr 4, 2014)

*Katsurou*
The outskirt cliffs of Kumogakure​

The sun was beginning to rise high, and Katsurou could feel the heat in all of its ferocity resonate on his skin and fill his spirit with its majestic warmth; however, this would mean it was nearing noon, and he had been so deep in meditation that he had forgotten he was hungry. Katsurou stood up as he slowly begins to stroke the growing hairs on his chin and his mind began to wonder to thoughts of his recent discovery of what is called "BBQ" and the practice of roasting meat on a "grill" rather than over a fire spit as is practiced at his home. Despite the toxic, tumorous odor of the air that the recent industrialization has brought to these mountains and the hard pavement which made it virtually impossible to walk with his bare feet... He had to praise the savory tastes, flavors, and variety that the "BBQ" and "grill" added to his favorite meats.

After 4 hours of meditation, Katsurou has requested guidance and assistance in an upcoming event, in which he will form with a team under a Jounin and begin undergoing missions. The Isamuki strongly believe that every single individual should contribute in some way to the survival of the clan and village. This was where he was lacking... As he has been a shinobi for roughly a year and a half and has still been doing the same old as he was doing since graduation, and he's had it up to his neck with his mother telling him that he's only good for something when there's leftov-

Katsurou felt his heart suddenly sink into his stomach and rocket back up through his throat, whispers of misfortune and impeding tragedy flooding his mind with the force of 400 Oxen when the incandescence of the sun was blotted out and it was getting colder by the second with an awkward figure descending from....... 

".....WHERE IN THE-"

His body instinctively moved quicker than his mind did, as a loud roll of a thunderous clap peels from his hands, compressing the air around the mountain cliff into a gale of primal surprise fury, blowing every: stone, shrub, pebble, and insect over and off the cliff, hoping to do the same with his assailant.


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## Island (Apr 4, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Hokage Monument, Overlooking Konoha

---​
“Ah,” Fightin’ Brawly articulated, “What a *WONDERFUL* day of *HARD WORK*. I am *PROUD* of you three and the effort you put into *RETRIEVING* these bells. At first, I worried that you’d fail *CATASTROPHICALLY*, but upon realizing that you couldn’t do it by yourselves, you came together as a *TEAM* and *OVERCAME*. Not only did the three of you come up with an *INGENIOUS* plan to get these bells, but you took ADVANTAGE of each other’s strengths, *MAXIMIZING* your success rate. Ren-kun’s cunning, Hirari-chan’s knowledge, and Minako-chan’s proficiency at both Genjutsu and ranged NInjutsu.”

“Brawly-sensei…” I pointed out. “We didn’t _actually_ get any bells.”

Brawly pondered this for a moment, pacing back and forth from his position in front of his students before coming to a sudden halt. “I would have thought that you of *ALL* people would know this, Hirari-chan, but very *FEW* genin teams actually *PASS* the bell test.”

“It is not a test a team is meant to pass,” he stated, “But to assess whether or not that team is capable of working together when the odds are stacked against them.”

“It is…” the finally began setting in the distance, and Brawly turned away from his team to watch it, “...a taste of what being a real shinobi is like, coming up with intricate plans, maximizing your advantages and exploiting your opponent's weaknesses, overcoming no matter how much the odds are stacked against you.”


“Some teachers make their tests harder than others,” he admitted, “But it is ultimately up to them to determine whether they believe that their new team is worthy to train under them.”

He paused.

“Though you did not pass the test in the conventional sense, you were able to operate as unit and prove that you are ready to take the next step on the path to being a ninja and thus pass the test.” He went on.

I recalled that in olden times, genin went straight under the tutelage of jounin instructors, usually after proving themselves in some capacity. However, as the demand for ninja teams fell and ninja began operating as part of a professional military force rather than as hired mercenaries, new genin usually spent a year or two working in the village, performing various E-Rank and D-Rank missions, continuing their formal educations, and even learning some kind of trade that would make them useful in other capacities. Today, however, I, or rather, we, advanced from that position and actually begin our lives as ninja.

“Therefore, it is with great honor that I welcome the three of you to *TEAM BRAWLY*!” He concluded, just as dusk finally set upon the village.


----------



## SinRaven (Apr 4, 2014)

*Haru*
Hinjaku Street, Downtown Konoha
___________​
Konohagakure was wonderful. Although it was a little bit colder than in his hometown, Haru loved every thing about the village hidden in the leaves. Sunagakure was great too, but some change from that sandy village with brownish buildings everywhere was good. It seemed a little bit more crowded as well, which meant there were lots of interesting people for Haru to meet. He looked forward to all the strong shinobi that he could fight with or learn from. Yes, everything about this trip was wonderful.

One of the things that caught his eye immediately was the Hokage Monument. All faces carved into the mountain were those of inspiring and strong ninja that acquired the title of Hokage. All men, and women, that motivated Haru to get stronger. An old lady he met on the street was happy to tell the boy the stories of the Hokages. 
"And that third man on the mountain is the glorious Hiruzen Sarutobi. Also known as the God of Shinobi. A strong man and a disciple of the second Hokage. Unfortunately, he fell at the hands of-"
"I'm sorry ma'am. I'd love to hear the rest of the stories another time", Haru interrupted with a smile and a nod, "But right now, a friend of mine is in need of my help!" He waved her off and quickly dashed through the streets.

During the lady's speech about the third Hokage, Haru had noticed two figures running not far from them. One he was not sure about, but the other one was undoubtedly his teammate Kouji. The large ruckus he made along with the nonstop swearing could only confirm that. It wasn't easy for Haru to deduce what was going on, but it was pretty clear Kouji was being chased for unknown reasons and didn't like it... Otherwise he would've fought back, right?

Kouji didn't make it easy for Haru to chase the two, as he jumped into alleyways and used the environments to shake the other shinobi off. Luckily, Haru's shunshin made it easier for him to catch up. At the end of the last alleyway Kouji jumped in, Haru finally met the two shinobi.

"Kouji-san, what's going on?", Haru asked his friend, "Do you need my help?" The answer seemed obvious, but if Kouji was playing some kind of game of tag, he of course wouldn't need help. Haru couldn't just assume he was in trouble.

"Just get him, *DIPSHIT*!", Kouji yelled back. Alright, this seemed like the confirmation he needed. Haru quickly turned and grabbed his beloved weapon, the katana his uncle Dan gave him, in hand. 
"You are my opponent now!", Haru yelled in excitement as he dashed towards the silver-haired shinobi. "Let's duel!"


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## Hidden Nin (Apr 4, 2014)

*Kouji*
Hinjaku Street, Downtown Konoha 

---​
Kouji pulled his lips into a half smile, half snarl as Haru arrived and stood next to him to back him up. He flicks his wrists again, and his wrist sheathed knives appear again. "Perfect."

The Konoha ninja raised an eyebrow, and then drew his tanto, adopting a reverse grip as he looked between them. Kouji took a half step back, deferring to Haru's lead, and it seemed like combat was just about to strike when...

A second figure appeared in the mouth of the alley, scratching his head. He had tanned skin, and was scratching his head a little. A handkerchief poking out of his flak jacket marked him one of the Sarutobi.

"Ma, Hatake-san...what are you doing now?" The two exchanged glances, and it finally dawned on Kouji that these two might now exactly be genin as he observed the flak jacket and way they seemed to square up next to each other. They appeared comfortable with the others movements. "Er...whatever..." The Sarutobi cracked his knuckles. "I know you wouldn't try and start something for no reason. Let's handle them, then." And then the two rushed forward in tandem towards Haru and Kouji!


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## Atlantic Storm (Apr 4, 2014)

*Ren Houki, Konoha*

____________________​
Ren took a deep breath, rubbing his head as he stepped into the house. The bruise from where Brawly had bumped his and Hirari's head together was still there, reminding him that, despite everything, he had still failed to get the bells from their sensei. As he climbed up the staircase, the Houki's thoughts drifted back towards the team activity that took up the afternoon. "_The purpose of the test was to see if we could work as a team? What a load of crap._" He narrowed his eyes. There wasn't disappointment in his gaze. Only resentment. Resentment at not having been strong enough, fast enough, or cunning enough to outwit Brawly or do anything apart from being flung around the village. It was a level of humiliation he'd never experienced before; even when they worked as a team, Ren had come no closer to getting the bells. He'd still ended up several miles away from touching them.

Entering his room, the young shinobi locked the door and quickly got changed. He slipped into a form fitting dark vest and pants, along with a blue, fur lined hoodie. He briefly contemplated replacing his weapons pouch, but decidedly chose not to, instead throwing his now empty pouch into his weapons closet. Walking to the window, the Houki cranked it open, a cold breeze cutting into him and the room as the frame swung open. Climbing out onto the ledge, Ren moved to gently shut it again, before shunshining into the darkness.


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## Island (Apr 4, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Somewhere in Konoha

---​
_?How disappointing.?_ I murmured to myself on the walk home. We started the bell test around eleven and were given about seven hours to complete it, our deadline being at dusk. Seven hours, he allotted us a full seven hours, from eleven to six, and even after coming together and making a plan, he proved to be too much for us?

Because of that, I missed my show. I left the monument a quarter after six and then began making my way home, which would take another twenty minutes, if not more, given how exhausted I was after a long day of work.

I didn't particularly care about not getting a bell simply to pass the exam as much as I cared about the fact that not getting a bell meant that the test ran all the way to dusk, and thus, I missed my show.

Defeated, I continued on my way home, walking down the empty village street.

_?Still,?_ I thought to myself, _?Not a bad idea. Give an unattainable goal with serious consequences and see how they deal with it. A good team would work together regardless and devise a strategy to overcome whatever obstacle is in their path whereas a bad team would crumble and probably fail to even come up with a decent strategy. The former moves on while the latter??_

I realized I didn?t exactly know what would happen if we failed. Was Brawly bluffing, or was he being serious that we would never be able to train under a jounin sensei?

Not worth thinking about any longer.

I yawned loudly, stretching as I did as I approached the gate to the Hyuuga Compound.


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## Redblood (Apr 5, 2014)

*Kabiki Ruka*
Above the Cliffs of Kumogakure

----------​
Kabiki Ruka was finding it harder and harder to laugh as she plummeted toward the earth like a sack full of rocks. She clung to the remains of her stolen glider as she shot right through a particularly large cumulonimbus cloud. When she broke free of the fluffy void, Ruka was horrified to see that she was getting far too close to a particularly jagged Cliffside. Though not as horrified as she was to see a cluster of bugs, rocks, pebbles and shrugs being blasted at her from some jerkass ninja!

?OH CRAP!? Ruka eloquently exclaimed as she swatted insects and shrubbery away with the corpse of the glider, the rest of it breaking to bits just as the rocks came at the kunoichi. Thinking quickly, Kabiki Ruka balled her hands into fists, focusing a considerable amount of chakra into them before slamming them right into the rocks. With each mighty hit, Ruka destroyed every one of the oncoming projectiles.

?Ha HA!?

? Before swiftly being blown away by the burst of wind that shot all of that at her, and sending her flying down the cliff?s edge. Ruka made sure to impart one question to her assailant before she was too far out of earshot.

'WHAT WAS THAT FOR, YOU DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK?!?!"


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Apr 5, 2014)

*Ren Houki, Konoha*

____________________​
The training grounds were empty, as Ren had anticipated. It was night-time now, around 9 PM. The warm golden hues of the sun had long set during dusk, replaced by the shimmering silver glows of the moon. There would be no disturbances, and that was just the way he liked it. The low temperature prickled at his skin a little, but Ren was willing to ignore it, since the cold sharpened his mind.

Cutting across the field was a large lake which ran through, the argent reflection of the moon distilling the dark waters. Ren approached it, focusing chakra to his feet, and then walked across until he was in the centre of it, ignoring the shivers which run up his leg as he touched the surface. "_I'll sift through as many hand seals as I can until my chakra control becomes unstable._" Closing his eyes, his hands moved to form the ram seal, before awkwardly moving into snake, ram, monkey and boar.

"_If I managed to execute my jutsu faster, I might have actually caught him off guard. Not only that, I was being far too inefficient with my chakra usage. I need to learn to preserve it more._" With each seal, the chakra flowing in Ren's feet bubbled slightly, moulding and threatening to throw off Ren's balance. However, managing to keep his stance steady, the shinobi persisted, moving onto a different sequence.

"_A strong shinobi doesn't just need a lot of jutsu. He needs to be able to execute them properly, and that means performing them with speed and efficiency. That isn't going to be possible if my hand seal speed compromise-_" Ren's train of thought was cut off by a fresh icy sensation trailing up his body. A pinky clumsily had slipped out of one of the seals, causing the layer of chakra between the soles of his shoes and the water to dissipate. However, before he sank, Ren leapt into the air with a shunshin, the water below him exploding and cascading into a small fountain. "_That was close._" He gave a small sigh of relief, then reapplied the water walking technique. With a slight bob, Ren landed safely back onto the surface of the water.

"_I have an idea..._" He thought to himself, the blunder triggering a small eureka moment. With another shunshin, Ren leapt into the air, his hand forming through as many seals as possible before going back onto the ram one to concentrate the water walking technique as his feet approached the lake once more. "Four seals in one jump." He commented, and then repeated, his body twisting into a backflip as it passed into the sky.

"_It's not just about speed; I need to get the timing down as well. Using a jutsu fast doesn't mean anything if I can't time it properly._" He grunted, landing on the water again after another round, though this time his balance was shakier, as if the surface underneath him threatened to collapse under his weight—like standing on paper.


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## Fedster (Apr 5, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


"My, look at the time."

"Stop worrying about her, Mayoi."

"But what if she's not coming for dinner, Musato? What will I do with all the left-overs?"

The two people talking were both from the Urasabi clan and, more specifically, husband and wife. The wife was called Mayoi, and the husband Musato. Both of them had blond hair; her was long and tied up in a bun, and his was short and spiky. Her green, sparkly eyes complemented his grey, dull pair.

And between them, there was their second child, Masoto. He was three-years old, and he had a mat of blond hair as well, his fringe just above his innocent-looking grey eyes. "Food! Food! Here comes the food!" He chanted, as he saw the steamy pot being placed down on the tablecloth.

"Well, I guess we could start witho-" Mayoi started, but was interrupted by a loud slide of the door, followed by heavy footsteps and a second slide. "Ah, you're home, Minako-chan!"

Minako-chan's back was bent, as if carrying a heavy burden over her shoulders, and her arms were just hanging from their hinges. Not only she looked extremely exhausted, but dirty, as well. "You're just in time! Please, sit down."

After a rather silent dinner (or it would have been silent if Masoto would not yell every time he burned his tongue with the stew,) the parents looked at each other conspiringly, and the interrogation began. "So, Minako," Said her father, "you never told us anything about your new team."

"Ah! I forgot that, hehe." The subject laughed, scratching the back of her head, "I'm paired up with two super _sugoi_ genius ninja, and our sensei is just...I can't even describe what he is." Her voice denoted her excitement.

"Sugoi ninja!" Her brother, Masoto, repeated as he rose his spoon as though it was a sword.

"And who are they? Do we know their parents?" Asked her mother.

"Well...They are from the Hyuuga and the Houki clan." The parents looked at each other again as her daughter shrugged.

"Hyuuga and Houki? Those are some names." The mother commented, but then the father said:

"But I'm sure they also knew our clan. We're quite well-known in Konoha...Kind of." His shoulders fell at this, and his wife patted him on the back. Seeing her father disappointed at the fact that they should be grateful for having some recognition from the village, Minako pondered. He had always fight to prove that the Urasabi clan could reach to something, to become one of the most well-known clans in the village, even in the ninja world. His fight had bore him very little fruit as of yet, and this made her realize that she had not thought of her Nindo in depth. She said it without thinking, without any kind of meditation.

She said it to call the attention.

"Dad!" Minako suddenly stood up and put her hands on the table, and three pairs of eyes turned at her. She looked directly into the ones that were grey and sparkless, and announced: "What is your Nindo?"

"What's this all of a sud-"

"What is it?" She insisted, and his eyes went wider before he complied.

"To make a name for the Urasabi clan...To restore its former glow."

"Then, I'll throw away my stupid Nindo, and share yours."

"But...Nindos can't be shared! You have to make your own!"

"I _have_ made my own, dad." She smiled at him, and clarified with a giggle, "My Nindo is: 'To help my dad with his Nindo.'"


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## Santí (Apr 5, 2014)

*Katsurou*
The outskirt cliffs of Kumogakure​

Katsurou spectates as his distant assailant, who was now closing in, swaps away every obstacle that flew at him and even punished the high-velocity stones into rubble with what he considered an impressive display of power... Or so he was until his assailant was effortlessly caught by the winds and blown away, a total lightweight.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR, YOU DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK?!?!"

A female? Katsurou focused his vision and caught slight glimpse of his assailant before she flew out of sight, but could not catch more than a few distinct details from the distance. "Bright orange hair; blue cape; and half of a pink, floral dress which leaves her upper right-hand side exposed and covered only by bandages; all held together by a brown band at the waist..." he murmured silently to himself. He acknowledged that he was far from being anyone to talk, but it was a fairly unorthodox form of dress for Kumo Shinobi, although he sensed neither hostility nor ill will from his assailant. Perhaps it was all a big misunderstanding? What bothered Katsurou most was that the females temperments and expressions sort of made him think of his mother- the thought sent chills down his soine and he decided to dismiss any more thoughts regarding this event or his assailant. Even if it was a misunderstanding, what were the chances of him running into such a strange individual again? 

Katsurou prayed against the possibility, as it was bound to bring trouble, not because of the events that happened here today will cause conflict, but simply because that female was undoubtedly the personification of trouble itself. Katsurou turned the other direction back towards town to see if he could purchase some wood. Now that it was time for him to soon join a team and undertake missions, he should prepare and carve totems that could assist both himself and his team. Sliding down the cliffside with his bare feet, he once more realized that he had forgotten he was hungry...


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## Redblood (Apr 6, 2014)

*Kabiki Ruka*
Above the Cliffs of Kumogakure

----------​
“CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!!!” Kabiki Ruka asserted as she was once more thrust into freefall beyond the cliffs. With a turn of her head, the young kunoichi faced her assailant, who was actually… running down the cliffside?!

_Is…is he coming to save me?_ Ruka thought. _Is this all a misunderstanding? Maybe this person isn’t so bad..._

_IS HE JUST GOING TO GET SOMETHING TO EAT?!_ Ruka internally screamed as she noticed the ninja change directions, heading for the town below, more specifically the market area.

As the man passed her, Ruka could clearly observe what the jerkass who had attacked her looked like. He was a large, dark skinned shinobi, wearing an imposing wolf pelt. Behind that were a pair of piercing, golden eyes that seemed to stare into Ruka’s soul, if only for an instant before she slammed into a protruding root along the cliffside, breaking her fall, and with any luck, nothing else.

Ruka, covered in leaves, dirt and god knows what else, glared at the ninja running down to get his meal. Blissfully unaware of what had just happened. He didn’t even care he’d messed up Ruka’s perfectly new dress. Or that her hair could take an hour to redo. Or that one of her shoes had fallen off. Ruka growled as the shinobi went out of sight.

“Murder. Murder will happen.”


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## Atlantic Storm (Apr 6, 2014)

*J, Kumogakure Cliffside*

____________________​
Sometimes, I liked to stand atop one of the cliff-sides and look over the village. It made me feel pretty cool, for one, but the air up here was also good, being one of the areas not enveloped by Kumo's massive industrial expansion. I closed my eyes and inhaled, taking a deep breath of the fresh mountain air as I did every day at this time...

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR, YOU DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK?!?!" A loud, shrill voice pierced the skies, along with my eardrums, and my eyelids immediately swung open again.

What the fuck was that? Then, from the corner of my eye, I saw a dark silhouette leave the edge of my cliffside I was stood on—a person? I turned, my eyes scanning the ground below me for any signs of a person. For a few moments, I didn't see anything—what finally alerted me was the sound of a loud crash, and the eruption of a plume of mud and dirt from impact. I peered closer, my eyes zoning in through the dispersing grime cloud...

It was a girl? Not a bad looker, but a bit too grimy for my taste. What was she doing on the ground, anyway? Completely oblivious to the fact that she was glaring daggers in the opposite direction of me, I slid down the cliffside, breaking into a small run to stop myself from falling, stopping myself just in front of her. "Yo, you aight?" I asked.


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## Redblood (Apr 6, 2014)

*Kabiki Ruka*
A Kumogakure cliffside

----------​
Kabiki Ruka sat on the root she'd fallen on and glared in the direction of the shinobi who'd knocked her down and messed up her day, fantasizing about more and more gruesome horrible things to do to him. Throw mud at him. Take his stupid pelt thing away. Poke his stupid eyes. Call him a nasty name. Ruka was so caught up in plotting her vengeance that she didn't even see the other shinobi approach her from below.

"Yo, you aight?" he asked. Hearing the ninja, Ruka's gaze darted downward to see a dark-skinned man with poofy brown hair and a kind of lazy feel to his appearance. Like he didn't care what he was wearing.

_Who the--_ Suddenly, Kabiki Ruka's train of thought was derailed.

**KRRRRKKKK!**

As the root she'd landed on finally collapsed, sending Ruka smack dab into a puddle of mud.

On the plus side, she found her missing shoe.


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## Island (Apr 6, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Hand Seals Training
Hyuuga Compound

---​
A somewhat dull and colorless sky with no clouds and an uncomfortably cold morning breeze is what I stepped into as I exited the central building and into the courtyard at the center of the compound.

Hyuuga Hajime, the head of the Hyuuga Clan and also my father, stood at the center of the courtyard with his back turned to me. Father himself resembled ox, with a large rectangular head, broad shoulders, and a large frame. He kept his hair long, the back tied neatly into a tail with two bangs hanging down in front in the same fashion that most males of the Hyuuga Clan did. Meanwhile, he bore a deep, X-shaped scar over his left eye from a time in which somebody attempted to steal the Byakugan and a diagonal slash across his chest when a would-be assassin attempted to chop him in half with a cleaver. Lastly, he wore an open white gi with bandages over his abdomen, as well as bandages around his forearms, hands, ankles, and feet while his headband dangled loosely around his neck.

?Hirari,? he finally spoke, ?Today we will focus on chakra control and manipulation, how you craft and mold chakra. As you know, the most basic way to mold chakra is through the use of hand seals, but the more advanced the technique, the greater manipulation is required, and thus, the more seals one usually has to make. For instance, Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet typically requires forty-four hand seals, but advanced shinobi, most notably, the Second Hokage, have been able to use this technique with only one.?

?The number of seals required for a jutsu is not fixed.? He went on. ?A skilled shinobi can decrease the number of seals needed to perform a technique through more efficient use of chakra.?

Father brought both hands above his head, his open palms facing me. Then, his eyes became a dull white and the veins around his temples bulged, signs that he had activated the Byakugan.

?A skilled shinobi can even decrease the number of seals required to activate a jutsu to zero.? Father explained. ?Typically, the Byakugan can only be activated by forming Horse, Tiger, Bear, Hare, Rat, Dog, Horse, Dog, Hare, Rat, and Boar, in that order.?

?You can activate Byakugan with only that last seal.? He stated.

?However,? he added, ?I do not need any seals to do so.?

?Now then,? he concluded, ?I want you to show me what you?ve got.?

?Yes, father,? I answered, creating a seal and activating my Byakugan. Then, I fell into a traditional Gentle Fist fighting stance with my arms out, palms open, and feet shoulder length apart.?

?You are to use your chakra in a way that maximizes efficiency and allows you to get the most out your chakra pool.? Father instructed.

?Yes, father.? I braced myself, expecting him to attack at any moment.

?No, no, Hirari.? He gave a surprisingly lighthearted laugh. ?I won?t be your opponent, no.?

I gave him a surprised look, broke stance, and deactivated my Byakugan since there was nobody else around.

?Hisa, dear, are you ready?? He called out to? mother?

Without warning, a triad of shuriken buzzed at me from behind, and I narrowly avoided being splintered by shuriken by sidestepping and turning around to face my opponent. Mother, in stark contrast to father, resembled a fox, a petite woman with a narrow head, soft chin, and curvy shoulders and hips. She generally wore her dark hair up, and her skin appeared light and dainty, in contrast to father's whose was dark and crisped after long exposure to the sunlight. While father spoke in a direct, very straightforward manner, she spoke in a soft spoken and much more gentle way. I never really understood how they got along so well, but father seemed to treat mother with the utmost respect and valued her opinion on everything from clan matters to what he should wear to formal events. One would never guess, but apparently mother was an ANBU officer at some point. Apparently, she trained specifically in the art of assassination, and although she wasn?t a Hyuuga by blood and didn?t have the Byakugan, she had a thorough understanding of the Gentle Fist style and the chakra circulatory system. After I was born, she chose to retire from ANBU and settled down, though she would periodically help me with my training and give me tips on proper technique.

I rarely ever fought mother, as she busied herself with managing the compound, or when father was busy, running the clan in his absence.

I barely had time to active the Byakugan before she closed in on me. Her charge was preceded by another flurry of shuriken, this time at my legs and was followed up with a diagonal slash at my chest with a kunai in her left hand. Her basic strategy assumed that she could throw off my balance and then slash at my chest for the kill. However, I backpedaled far enough to dodge the shuriken and maintained my position. Then I twisted my torso to dodge her kunai slash. At that moment, I realized I could either fallback to range or cripple my mother?s extended arm now. Although father explicitly told me to show off my jutsu and expend as much chakra as possible, I remembered a time when he told me that improvising was not only allowed but encouraged in times when things went haywire, at least when doing so didn?t jeopardize the mission.

I decided.

I threw my right palm forward and then my left palm at her right forearm. My right palm strike allowed me to strike her center and throw off her balance while my left strike hit just the right tenketsu to disable her kunai arm. Of course, that?s how it went in my head. I should have expected her to be much faster and smarter than me. After all, mother retired from being an ANBU assassin with a secondary specialty in reconnaissance and intelligence. I?m not even sure how she did it, but she casually brushed away both my strikes and then delivered a powerful kick to my chest that sent me reeling back past father and then another 10-15 feet. Fortunately, I managed to maintain my composure mid-flight and caught myself before I smacked into the ground.

She delayed charging me for some reason, and this gave me the opportunity to prepare my stance. Having a near-360 field of vision came in handy. It helped me figure out why mother delayed her attack: about four or five copies of her came at me from every direction. It was the perfect setup for Eight Trigram Palm Rotation. It was time for the culmination of all of my training thus far. I began spinning as quickly as I was able while simultaneously channeling my chakra out of every tenketsu in my body. I heard one poof, another, followed by another, then another, and then? another? Five clones dispersed... out of five attackers.

I slowed down; I had neither the chakra nor the stomach to continue spinning that rapidly.

*SMAAAAACK!*

A foot landed on my face as my mother descended from what seemed like nowhere, and I collapsed backwards into the ground. How could somebody with 360 degree vision miss an attacker like that? The Eight Trigram Palm Rotation technique negated issues created by the blind spot. Spinning meant that the blind spot constantly changed, and releasing chakra meant that any attacker or projectile would be deflected. That meant that either mother moved at a speed that I couldn?t detect or that she had a really good hiding spot.

It took a moment for me to regain consciousness since the impact of her foot into my face and then my head against the ground was enough to literally rattle my brain around. When I opened my eyes and got back to my feet, I saw my father towering over me. Unsurprisingly, he appeared dissatisfied with my performance, and I readied myself for the lecture that was to come.


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## Fedster (Apr 6, 2014)

*Speed Training*

Urasabi Minako
Speed Training

?You?re lacking *HEART*, Minako-chan!? A bulky man yelled to a blonde girl running behind him with difficulty. She was almost dragging her feet, and throwing her arms back and forth. ?This is the *BRAWLY?S SUPER INTENSE SPECIAL TRAINING SESSION*, and you will be the *FIRST* in *TEAM BRAWLY* to experience *IT*!?

Brawly-sensei, in contrast to Minako, seemed to be barely trying to train. Instead, he looked as though he was taking gigantic strides, two-hundred meters away from the Genin. Minako had been wanted to train with someone for a while, but she did not have this idea of training, nor did she know that Brawly would show up at her doorstep precisely for that specific purpose. The face her father made when she opened the door and gazed at the colossus that was Brawly had been both hilarious and urine-inducing, but after twenty minutes of the sensei explaining what his training method involved (and another ten minutes lecturing Masoto in the Ninja Way,) he took Minako outside and told her that they would run across the village three times (Since she, according to Brawly, ?was just *BEGINNING*,?) and that would be it. When they began, Minako ran at a steady pace, but after half a lap, she turned it into a half-assed jog.

And when the first lap ended, what she was doing could barely be called ?running?. Therefore, Brawly-sensei started to encourage her. ?*UNLOCK* your *POTENTIAL*, Minako-chan!? and ?Run with your *SPIRIT*!? Things Brawly-sensei believed could reach Minako. In a normal situation, they would, but this tired, starving Minako was like a zombie; his words would enter one ear, and exit through the other.

?I?I can?t?No more?? She repeated every time Brawly-sensei chanted those words, and slowed her pace every time she ?ran? by a restaurant or convenience store. Brawly had come so suddenly that she forgot to have breakfast, and her stomach behaved like an untamed beast, growling and roaring in complaint. Her feet started moving automatically, while Brawly-sensei took it easy, way in front of her.

?It?s the final *STRETCH*, Minako-chan!? Brawly-sensei announced unexpectedly. What had happened in the last lap and three-quarters? Did she just?fall asleep while running or something? Was that even possible? Or was it that she was so hungry, that she could not remember? ?I *KNOW* you can *DO* it!?

This time, the words got to her. They got through her thick skull, and her desire for food. Her feet began to take up rhythm, and Minako felt that she picked up speed, and Brawly.sensei was getting closer and closer. The latter grinned, and also picked up speed. Buildings became a mixed blur, and the path became more uniform. ?OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!? She let out, and as she reached the end, she collapsed face first. What made her sit up was the fresh aroma of?

?*INCREDIBLE* demonstration of *HEART*, Minako-chan!? Breakfast. Brawly-sensei had a bento, and he was offering it to her.

Of course, she took it, and within seconds, it was empty. However, she felt that her legs were made of jelly, and that she would not be able to stand for a bit. ?Thanks for the training and the food, Brawly-sensei. Don't worry about me. I?ll?I?ll just crawl my way back home.?

Minako heard Brawly-sensei sniff. ?Such?Such _*DRIVE*_, Minako-chan! It just *MOVES* my *SPIRIT*! Theb, I will *CRAWL* back home *TOO*!?

And that, he did.


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## Atlantic Storm (Apr 7, 2014)

*J, Kumogakure Cliffside*

____________________​
After a few more awkward moments of her staring into the distance, the broad finally seemed to notice me, turning around. She turned around, giving me a brief look, and then opened her mouth to speak...

But whatever she said was drowned out by the sound of snapping wood, as the branch she was stood on collapsed and she fell, tumbling straight into a pool of mud. "_Holy shit, is she an idiot?_" I blinked, then decided to follow her down again?without falling, obviously.

"Yo... uh, you okay?" I asked, looking at the girl somewhat bemusedly.


----------



## Redblood (Apr 7, 2014)

*Kabiki Ruka*
Kumogakure cliffside

----------​
“Yo, uh, you okay?” the stranger asked. Bubbles of rage formed in the mud as Kabiki Ruka clenched her fists again. She remained in the mud for a moment as the bubbles multiplied exponentially, until there seemed to be more bubbles than mud, and finally Ruka got up.

"I’M GONNA KILL HIM!!!” she shrieked, completely disregarding the proximity of her yelling to the concerned man’s ears. Though after wiping the mud from her face and a few deliberate blinks, Kabiki Ruka finally recognized the man standing before her.

“Oh… uh… I’m… fine.” Ruka replied, not especially honestly as she shook the grime from her recovered shoe and put it back on her foot.

“Sorry. My name is Kabiki Ruka! And you are?” Ruka asked, reinflating her bubbly attitude to greet this mysterious man.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Apr 8, 2014)

*J, Kumogakure Cliffside*

____________________​
For a while, the girl did not emerge from the pool of brown and I was beginning to worry that she might have knocked herself out or something; it was a pretty big fall, and she seemed pretty frail. I contemplated moving to check if this actually happened or not, but my decision was preemptively made by the sudden appearance of bubbles quaking in the puddle, growing in size until it looked like the entire thing was some sort of bubbly chocolate milk.

And then she emerged, the only part of her body not covered in brown her eyes, which were a seeing red of anger. "I'M GONNA KILL HIM!" She screamed, and I backed away slightly in response. Holy shit, her voice was loud—did I feel the ground shake?

Then, she finally seemed to notice me. “Oh… uh… I’m… fine.” She grumbled, wiping some dried shards of mud from her face. And then her personality spun 180 degrees. “Sorry. My name is Kabiki Ruka! And you are?” She beamed.

"I'm J!" I introduced myself. "Saw you, like, flying into the ground and shit so I decided to check if you were alright. Then you, uh, fell, and now we here. You sure you ain't gonna fall again?" I asked, reaching out for a fist bump; the classic welcome of Kumogakure.


----------



## Island (Apr 8, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
North Training Ground, Konoha Outskirts

---​
Yesterday, Fightin’ Brawly asked us to meet him at the North Training Ground. Upon arrival, I found that I was the first on there. A couple minutes later, Ren showed up, and then Minako, about five minutes late, Minako rushed through the gates and made her way over to us. We stood around for ten minutes, but for some reason, Brawly had not arrived yet. For somebody who made such a big deal about being prompt, I thought it was strange that he hadn’t shown up. Perhaps something happened to him? Maybe he got caught up with something. I really had no idea, partly because I just met him but mostly because I couldn’t even imagine what kind of things he did in his free time. Alternatively, I considered that this might have been some kind of test.

Still, I felt like we'd be waiting here forever.

I resigned myself to this fate after about fifteen minutes and flopped myself over in the glass, laying on my back and letting my arms rest where they landed. I glanced over at Ren, then at Minako, and finally back at Ren, wondering what they thought about all this…

Come to think of it, I didn’t remember seeing my parents this morning. I woke up sometime around seven and made my way downstairs a half hour late. Typically, my mother busied herself in the kitchen, making breakfast for father and me. Meanwhile, father spent some time relaxing at the table, reading the Konoha Times and sipping on a hot cup of tea. Sometimes they would switch, and father would make some elaborate breakfast for mother while mother relaxed in the den, waiting for father to call her in and surprise her with whatever he cooked on that particular day. However, I saw neither of them this morning…

By the time I left the compound at nine-thirty to get here just before ten, I didn't even seem once.

Strange.

Coincidental, but strange nevertheless.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Apr 8, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
KONOHA NORTH TRAINING GROUNDS

__________​
Yesterday, Fightin' Brawly had asked the team to meet him up at the Northern Training Grounds in Konoha. Ren had expected it to be some form of training exercise, so after training he had prepared a new weapon pouch for the following day. When morning came, the Houki had gone to the training grounds, arriving just after Hirari and before his other team-mate Minako. Two things immediately struck him as peculiar.

When he had woken up and gone downstairs to leave?even though he usually didn't interact with him that often?his father wasn't there in his study chamber as he usually was. The only time he ever left was when he would train, or go on walks during the afternoon and nights.

On top of this, Fightin' Brawly, who was always so enthusiastic about punctuality, appeared to be absent, too. Ren had chalked this up to maybe an accident, or perhaps getting distracted by something on the way over, but now it had been nearly an hour and there was still no sight of them.

"_Are these two absences linked together, somehow?_" Ren pondered, staring at the gate entrance, expectantly waiting for Brawly to burst through it and the rest of the surrounding fence with his boisterous laughter. Then, he turned his head, looking around at the forest.

"_Maybe they're watching and seeing if we're going to do anything..._" He considers, then finally looks at Hirari, who had folded over onto the field. "Hey, Hirari-san. Reckon you could activate your Byakugan for a moment?"


----------



## Santí (Apr 9, 2014)

*Katsurou*
Kumogakure Food District​
Truly a god send in the prime of noon, where Katsurou arrived and all of the lines appeared to have been virtually empty, he could feel his eyesight become narrower and narrower forming a tunnel to his completely open destination. After Katsurou had taken a few paces forward, he heard a shrill cry to the east of his direction, and although he could not see from where, but he couldn't help but feel a sinister set of eyes were watching him.

Katsurou peered over to the direction of the scream, and at the very core of a small observing crowd appears to be a small boy and perhaps his mother, on the opposite side were a grouped of armed men- "UNACCEPTABLE!" Katsurou announced boldly, as his feet instinctively left the ground which shocking force, stringing together hand signs as he leaps from the outside directly at his assailants.

Katsurou had once more jumped into a situation he knew nothing about, and he knew that one day this may perhaps be his own downfall. As a Shinobi, reconnaissance was key, and we are to be fully aware of our surroundings and situation, gathering as much intel as possible to optimize success and minimize unexpected results, as one miscalculation could very well jeopardize both the mission and our lives.

"Without a confirmation, one cannot do anything. If we can not see the correct answer ourselves, we can never choose it; however, this world will not wait for you until you have found an answer, and there will need to be someone who will act without hesitation" he remembers hearing once. He will not waste another second, he will decide for himself what is to await him after already involving himself, as he descends onto the floor below him.


----------



## Redblood (Apr 9, 2014)

*Kabiki Ruka*
Kumogakure cliffside

----------​
"I'm J!" the stranger proclaimed. "Saw you, like, flying into the ground and shit so I decided to check if you were alright. Then you, uh, fell, and now we here. You sure you ain't gonna fall again?" he asked, reaching out for a fist bump; the classic welcome of Kumogakure.

_Wow, he talks weird. But at least he's not a jerk like that other guy._ Ruka thought to herself before giving J a nice big grin.

"No way, J!" Ruka exclaimed, answering his offer of a fist bump with a punch that might have been a bit TOO enthusiastic.


----------



## Sablés (Apr 9, 2014)

*Rikou *
Kumogakure Food District​
The behemoth of a man crashed into the ground with force that sent the armed gang sprawling across the pavement in every direction. The woman and child were not spared from the brutish affront and flew backwards, with the mother clutching her child as if their lives depended on it. Fortunately, before their bodies impacted a nearby wall, the woman felt her momentum inexplicably come to a halt along with the sensation of a person's chest behind her back and arms around her shoulders. She motioned her head backwards to gaze upon her rescuer only to find there was nothing there and that her back was less than a meter across the wall, the average person would feel perplexed at such a confusing turn of events however between  this and a sudden stranger coming to her rescue at the most opportune moment, she only felt relief at the possibility that a guardian angel had been watching over them. The actual truth was that Rikou ahd shunshin'd from his former position as a bystander, caught the family and moved away instantaneously to a nearby rooftop where he would be undisturbed.

"So a Hero makes his debut in the first act.... and apparently, not a very subtle one at that." Rikou said while resting his chin on  both hands  with his legs dangling on the edge of the roof. The ground below him had developed a new crater, with the unknown ninja at it's center along with 13 full-grown men laying unconscious at his heel. What once started off as a group of 18 now dwindled to a measly 5, the latter numbers seemed to have been undeterred by the Genin's entrance and now turned their full attention towards him with killing intent practically oozing from their bodies. 4 members wore black Karate gi, each one holding a lethal weapon; a katana, a pair of nunchuks, Sai, and a Sickle respectively. The last one stood out the most, this was the same large man who had approached the woman and child for their belongings. His darkened skin was native to Kumogakure and unlike the other 4, he was dressed in a boxer's outfit and was unarmed with nothing  short of  boxing gloves.



_Odd. I could have sworn these guys were a bunch of no good thugs. But if they could take that crash so easily, guess they're not totally inept. It appears my skills will be the ones in need of improvement - hold on.._  Rikou's thought process was interrupted by a loud proclamation by one of the remaining 5 members responding to the newcomer's unprovoked attack.

"You got a fucking death wish, pal!?" Said the man holding the katana. The 4 draped in Karate outfits had the ninja surrounded while the boxer laid back in waiting. The genin would have to choose his next words carefully for even the slightest bit of provocation could lead to an all-out assault from 4 directions.

"What'll you do now, Mr.Hero?" Rikou said to himself as he watched the events unfold


----------



## Fedster (Apr 9, 2014)

Urasabi Minako
Konoha Training Grounds, North


"I'M LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE!!! AGAAAAAAAAAIN!!" Minako ran down the stairs and entered the kitchen, one sandal on and the other on her hand, and her hand poking through the t-shirt neck. She snatched at something that was supposed to be there, but grabbed only air. That was strange. She then turned her head towards where the toast her father hold would be and realized...

Neither the toast nor the father were where they usually were. And then it hit her: it was too silent. Where was her mom? It was weird enough that her dad was not having breakfast, and now that she noticed her mom was not cooking it...

"Minako!"A voice came from the living-room. A kid's voice. Minako went to the room and found Masoto sitting by himself on the couch, surrounded by his toys. "Are you Ninjaing today?"

"It's not _Ninjaing_, Masoto, it's...It's umm..." Seeing as she could not remember how it was called, she figure that telling a white lie to him was enough to keep him quiet. "I'm gonna go do _ninja stuff_!"

"Ah! Ninja stuff!" Masoto beamed.

"By the way, where is mom and dad?" That question triggered a sudden change of behaviour in Masoto. He dropped the toys in his hands and covered his mouth with them. He shook his head several times before responding:

"No!" The answer made Minako frowned.

"Why not?"

"No!"

"Well, will you open the door to strangers?"

"No!"

"Okay, see you!" And off her way she went.



Minako reached the North Training Grounds ten minutes later than the agreed time, and Hirari and Ren were already there. But Brawly-sensei was not. A man with such _Heart_ and _Spirit_ running late to a meeting? Impossible. Unconceivable. But, for a ninja of his rank, it was possible that he was assigned a mission and had to leave Konoha. But, if so, he would have notified them...

That day was so weird.

But then Ren suggested that Hirari should use her Byakugan. "Oh! Hirari-chan's Byakugan? I wanna see it again! Do it! Do it!" She was almost skipping.


----------



## Island (Apr 9, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
North Training Ground, Konoha Outskirts

---​
I sat up and created a seal, activating my Byakugan. Within range, I saw two, three, four people, none of which were Fightin? Brawly. In fact, two of them looked like genin with relatively small chakra pools, another appeared to be a non-shinobi, and the fourth?

?Nobody.? I answered flatly. ?Just a few random people and then Shizuo-kun training by himself, just across the pond.?

My curiosity finally got the best of me. ?Minako-chan, Ren-san, have either of you noticed anything unusual??

---​
Apparently, a minor diplomatic incident occurred the other day in which a squad from the United Shinobi Forces, Sunagakure Brigade, engaged Konoha Team 61, which, incidentally included Hatake Shizuo. Although none of the combatants sustained serious injuries, Sunagakure reassigned one of them, Haru or something like that, and sent him back to the Land of Wind. Apparently that team's sensei flipped out about it.


----------



## Redblood (Apr 9, 2014)

*Amagumo*
Above the Kumogakure Food District

----------
​
“Hmm… now let me see…” the elder pondered aloud atop a cloud, looking at the sheet the Raikage had given him. Three new students for him. A large one, who dresses in a wolf pelt. A rather thin one with an odd choice of hair and clothing for a shinobi. And a girl with no real characteristics.

“Well, let’s hope they last longer than the other group.” Amagumo grumbled.

“You got a fucking death wish, pal?!”

_What in the hell—_

As fate would have it, there were two of Amagumo’s students now. Surrounded by armed thugs. Well, no one can fault them for their bravery. But they can, AND WILL, be faulted for their stupidity. But for now, Amagumo descended to a much lower hanging cloud, positioned himself right above the problem, and focused.

“Cloud Release.” Amagumo whispered as the innocent cumulus cloud he stood on grew to an imposing cumulonimbus, and a storm began to rage. Wind began to bear down on the attackers as Amagumo slipped inside the cloud. Amagumo slipped down further and fell behind a nearby rooftop, keeping his eyes on the four.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!” One cried.

They were confused. Good. The four attackers were all armed, be it with a katana, sai, a sickle or nunchakus. Considering the situation, Amagumo decided to go easy on the nunchaku assailant by blasting him with a wind bullet that knocked him right through a food stand. One of the other armed men, the one with the sai, actually broke rank to go and check on his fallen ally. Which is fine. He was so caught up in tending to his friend that he didn’t notice it had started to rain right over him, until a sizable puddle had been created around him and his buddy. And then came the lightning. The sai man was dispatched just as easily as the other. However, the remaining shinobi were getting nervous.

“What the hell is this?! Who’s doing this?! SHOW YOURSELF!” the sickle wielding one demanded. Pfft. Like he had any right to demand anything. Water Dragon Bullet Technique.

And then there was one. The katana wielder had remained silent throughout Amagumo’s attack, and even now he was very, very still. He was trembling.
And that is when Amagumo showed himself, appearing behind this coward.

“Knock knock.” Amagumo proclaimed.

“W-who’s there?” the ninja asked.

“Lightning Jaws.”

And with that, all four assailants had been dealt with, and the storm passed. Or so Amagumo thought, as a fist very nearly hit his face. Amagumo had apparently missed their leader, a large, dark skinned man wearing boxing gloves.

“Really? You still wanna do this?” Amagumo inquired.

“I’M GONNA FUCKIN’ KILL YOU, OLD MAN!” the boxer roared. Amagumo’s eyebrow twitched just once as the boxer swung again, but hit only water this time as Amagumo reappeared behind the man.

“Old?” the boxer swung again. Another water clone.

“OLD?!” Amagumo cried, this time to the left of the boxer. Swing and a miss.

Finally, Amagumo appeared before the boxer again, with electrically charged fists. He moved too fast for the boxer to hit, and so Amagumo got in some hits, enunciating with each blow.

*“YOU – ARE – A – WORTHLESS – MAGGOT! AGE - DOESN’T – MEAN – SHIT – IF – YOU - CAN’T – COMPETE – WITH – AN – OLD – MAN, DIP – SHIT !!”* And so, after a total of nineteen hits, the boxer fell to the ground, soundly defeated. Finally, Amagumo was able to look upon the two he’d apparently saved, and after a quick glance at his scroll, saw that they were indeed two of his future pupils, Rikou Raiden and Isamuki Katsurou.

“Ah, where are my manners?” Amagumo thought aloud, clearing his throat, “Hello! My name is Amagumo, and as of today, I am your sensei!”


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Apr 9, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
KONOHA NORTH TRAINING GROUNDS

__________​
"_Nothing?_" Ren's frown deepened. He was sure that there'd be Brawly or some others hiding in the trees or something. But in hindsight, perhaps that was an idea lacking in foresight: Brawly had proven himself to not be as unintelligent as he had once assumed he was, and knew Hirari quite well. If he were hiding, he'd certainly not be hiding anywhere within her Byakugan's range. He was dumb, but he couldn't have been that stupid.

The Houki considered some other possibilities that might have caused him to be outside of Hirari's line of sight. There was really only one thing he could think of. "_Maybe he's using a genjutsu? Then again... Brawly probably doesn't use illusions. Just what is going on?_"

"Yes." The Houki said, finally replying to Hirari's question. "When I woke up, my father wasn't in his study chamber as he usually is. Judging by the fact that you asked that, I assume something similar happened to you?" He asked.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Apr 9, 2014)

*J*
KUMOGAKURE CLIFFSIDE

__________​
She seemed pretty cool, at least, based on her fist bumps. Around Kumo, fist bumps are used more than as a common greeting?they say that high level shinobi can communicate with each other without words, and through only their fists. Now, I may not be the Raikage, but I reckon and I'm a pretty damn sweet shinobi and this fist bump gave me good vibes. Though, I wasn't too sure about her not falling again. This Ruka girl seemed ridiculously clumsy to the point of almost being supernatural. 

Even so...

"Hey, wait... why were you flyin' around earlier?" I ask, my grin turning into a small frown, eyebrows furrowing in thought. "Were you testing out some jutsu or summin'?" If she was, I totally wanted a go. I'd heard stories of flying shinobi before from Iwa when I was young, and I'd always wanted to learn whatever jutsu that let them fly.


----------



## Fedster (Apr 9, 2014)

Urasabi Minako



"Wait, your father wasn't there when you woke up _either_, Ren-kun?" Minako asked, taking aback by that confession. So not only her parents, but Ren's parents disappeared? "My dad wasn't home when I woke up, and neither was my mom. Just...My little brother in the living-room." She remembered Masoto surrounded by his toys on the couch, smiling innocently. "But when I asked him where our parents were, he...he just said 'no' and covered his mouth." She looked at her two teammates. "He usually doesn't do that, which is strange...Very strange..."

But, all of a sudden, she beamed up. "I guess that's a sign of him growing up, right?"


----------



## Redblood (Apr 9, 2014)

*Kabiki Ruka*
Kumokagure Cliffside

----------​
Kabiki Ruka was feeling good. Really good. Sure, she?d fallen flat on her ass, her clothes were ruined, and someone MAY have tried to kill her earlier, but she?d made a friend! Today was a good day.

?Hey, wait... why were you flyin' around earlier?" J asked, "Were you testing out some jutsu or summin'?" Oh boy. Ruka?d nearly forgotten HOW she almost got murdered today. It still made her giggle. Ordinarily, Ruka would have yelled something unintelligible and ran away, but J seemed like a cool guy, so Kabiki Ruka decided to confide in him.

?I?I took one of those glider prototypes for a spin.? Ruka replied, stifling a chuckle. ?That was FUN!? she exclaimed with a smile that spread ear to ear.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Apr 9, 2014)

*J*
KUMOGAKURE CLIFFSIDE

__________​
My eyes must've glistened at this, because I felt my body freeze up a little bit in excitement. She didn't have a jutsu that let her fly, but a glider... that was a good alternative. Maybe even better, since those things are stylish as _hell_. "A glider prototype?!" I almost squealed, bringing a hand to my mouth to prevent another squeak.

When I was sure my voice wouldn't sound like some kid who was just hitting puberty again, I spoke up again, quietly clearing my throat. "I... where can you find one?" I asked.


----------



## Redblood (Apr 9, 2014)

*Kabiki Ruka*
Kumokagure Cliffside

----------​
?Well, I ?borrowed? one from the factory a few miles from here.? Ruka responded, with distinct air quotes on the word ?borrowed.?

?We could get one there, but I don?t think I can go back there. Like?. EVER.? Ruka explained with a fairly incriminating smirk.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Apr 9, 2014)

*J*
KUMOGAKURE CLIFFSIDE

__________​
There was a factory around here? One that had gliders? _Flying machines_? Why the hell didn't I know about that? Kumo focusing industry on air machines was almost common knowledge around here; it'd be natural for there to be a production facility somewhere...

I almost facepalmed myself, but stopped at the risk of embarrassing myself in front of someone who just fell down a cliff twice, each sequential fall more tragic than the previous. "Wait... so, why can'tcha go back?" I ask, completely glossing over how she 'borrowed' one of the gliders. That, I didn't care about. I wasn't afraid to get my hands dirty.


----------



## Island (Apr 9, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
North Training Ground, Konoha Outskirts

---​
“If you’re thinking what I’m thinking, then there’s nothing I can really do.” I explained. “My father can see farther with his Byakugan than I can, meaning that if they stay just out of my range, he’ll be able to us but I won’t be able to see them. On top of that, my mother was an assassin and has a number of tricks up her sleeve to get past the Byakugan.”

“I don’t know about your parents, but…” I shook my head. “This would be problematic if they were conspiring against us.”

I slowly got back to my feet and began brushing myself off. After a couple seconds, I turned to meet his gaze and continued, “However, it’s unlikely that this is another one of his tests, though, I wouldn’t discount the possibility.”

“On one hand, it would be an interesting test, parents against children.” I went on. “On the other, I don’t think that it would be worth the effort, considering the amount of coordination that something like this would take…”

I mused with the idea that this was like that book where those children became trapped on a deserted island without any adults to tell them what to do and were ultimately left to govern themselves.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Apr 9, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
KONOHA NORTH TRAINING GROUNDS

__________​
"_Looks like she reached to the same conclusion as I did._" Ren thought to himself, listening to Hirari's assessment of the situation. It seemed fairly apt to him, though he'd be surprised if Fightin' Brawly actually managed to get his father to participate in such a trivial test. If he did, however, this could be interesting...

"_If this is a test, then they must have brought us here for a reason. Chances are, they want to watch over us from a distance to see how we act around each other alone. A socializing test, in other words. In that case, the best way to draw their attention out would be to.._." 

Ren got up, removing himself from the grass, his two hands moving to pat down the back of his trousers to remove stray strands of grass. "I'm bored, so I think I'll go home for now." He announced, passing the two of them a knowing glance, hoping that they'd catch the message of his plan. If they were being watched, Ren couldn't risk speaking aloud and had to bet on their cunning and sharpness. In Hirari's case, it probably wouldn't be an issue, but...


----------



## Redblood (Apr 9, 2014)

*Kabiki Ruka*
Kumogakure Cliffside

---------​
Kabiki Ruka took a deep breath, and explained.

“Well, see, it wasn’t my fault. I went to the entrance, and politely asked for a tour. They said ‘this factory isn’t open to civilians.’ So I ask ‘em if I can test drive one of their gliders. They said ‘get out of here’. Well, I asked nicely, and they said no. So I took the next step and ran over the walls. They kinda shot at me, but nobody hit me. I got inside, and it was super cool! I saw the whole factory floor and everything! The workers were so nice! Saying stuff like ‘who the hell is that?” and ‘a spy! get her!’ We played hide and seek for like two hours! It was FUN! But then I got bored so I went to the place called ‘distribution center’. They had all these gliders hanging from the ceiling, so I decided to take one. But it wouldn’t budge, so I threw a bunch of shiruken at the production line ‘til it stopped. I grabbed a glider and flew outside. IT WAS SO AWESOME! I think I heard something about a ‘critical system failure’ and ‘temperature overload’, but it’s probably fine. I did see a bunch of smoke near there when I circled back around though. I can show you if you want!” Kabiki Ruka proclaimed.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Apr 9, 2014)

*J*
KUMOGAKURE CLIFFSIDE

__________​
It took me a while to process everything she said, but when I did, one thing was clear to me: this girl was crazy. Or maybe stupid, or both? I decided not to tell her that those people shooting at her and chasing her were probably actually trying to hurt her, and that a critical system failure sounded like a pretty _bad_ thing to happen. Rather, it's more that I just completely forgot about it. Instead, I focused on what was important. 

"That would be sick, yo." I beam. "Let's go!"


----------



## Redblood (Apr 9, 2014)

*Kabiki Ruka*
Kumokagure Cliffside

----------​
?Okay! I know a shortcut! This way!? Ruka beamed as she ran off, far away from the mountains and into the town in the valley between them. As J followed, Ruka became less and less familiar with her surroundings, until she realized she had absolutely NO idea where she was going.

?Um? this way!? Kabiki Ruka exclaimed, darting to the right, before slamming right into a wall.

?No? wait? this way!? Ruka decided, before turning a corner and falling down a flight of stairs. Things went on like this for a while until Ruka decided to drop the charade of actually knowing where to go.

?Ah geez. Guess my sense of direction is up in the air.? Ruka chuckled, trying to hide her embarrassment. J said nothing, so Ruka broke the silence.

?Uh? you wanna go get somethin? to eat??


----------



## Santí (Apr 10, 2014)

*Katsurou*
Kumogakure Food District​
Katsurou was not sure why he had leaped of all things, but since he did, there was only one thing that he could do in his situation... Without further ado, Katsurou turned his body and manipulated the wind surrounding his feet to double-jump with his legs downwards, increasing the velocity he descended upon the group of what was slightly more than a dozen or so thugs. With extreme prejudice, Katsurou assaulted the very ground the thugs stood on top of sending many flying and flailing through the ground, the force of the impact accidentally blowing back the mother and child, he could have sworn he measured the distance of his crash correctly, did he miscalculate the amount of force he used?

Before he could respond to their rescue, Katsurou caught a quick glance of what had to be a shinobi using shunshin to rescue the woman, and using it once more to vanish; however, Katsurou had already laid eyes on him and tracked his movements, it was undoubtedly the cause of that grotesque feeling he had which was watching him. Katsurou couldn't help but feel he was manipulated into this situation by that grinning bastard, who is now carelessly sitting on the edge of the roof, as if he was spectating the monkey cages at the local zoo, and this did nothing short of pissing Katsurou off. "I will drag this snake down to this fiery pit of hell which amuses him so much" Latsurou exclaimed while using the cloud of dust caused by his crash as a cover, he forms a few quicks hand seals and exhales a stream of wind chakra onto a shuriken he pulls from a pouch on his left-side waist. 

"You got a fucking death wish, pal!?" roared one of the few remaining thugs through the cloud of smoke, but at that very same instant, a shuriken widespread with fan blades cut through the cloud of dust towards the opposite direction towards the genin which reminded Katsurou of nothing less than a snake, the utter surprise of the attack forced the genin to move in haste and disrupt his balance, the shuriken cutting into the building right below his feet, the impact completely knocking him off forward and landing only a few feet away from Katsurou, right in the middle of the dilemma. The cloud of smoke that was obstructing the vision of the thugs was now gone, and he was in plain sight of remaining opponents; however, a large dark grey cloud bringing winds and storm rained over Katsurou's head. There were absolutely zero indications of a storm today, and not once had Katsurou nor any member off the Itsamuki clan failed to sense the coming of a storm between several minutes to several hours before they occured. This was no natural cloud....


----------



## Fedster (Apr 10, 2014)

Urasabi Minako
Konoha Training Grounds


"I'm bored, so I think I'll go home for now."

"WAIT!!" Minako interjected, one arm extended with its palm in front of Ren's face. Why was he trying to leave? "Brawly-sensei told us to be here! We have to wait for him until he arrives! What would he think if he finds out that you have left, Ren-kun?" She explained, obviously not getting the hidden message that her teammate wanted to transmit. She thought that if she left Ren go on his way, Hirari and herself would get scolded by Brawly-sensei and that they would have to look for him later.

"That's why you have to stay here! Or else, what's the point of meeting up hereeeeeee?!"


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Apr 10, 2014)

*J*
KUMOGAKURE CLIFFSIDE

__________​
I stared at Ruka. The scenery around me was completely unfamiliar and, under normal circumstances, probably an area I wouldn't stray into. "You serious, yo?" I asked, about to ask her how she could get lost here when she'd been this way before. 

_Grumble._

Well, I _guess_ it was my fault for trusting in some girl I just met and knew was a klutz. In hindsight, that was a pretty shitty move, on my part. "... yeah, let's go eat." I conceded, giving a sigh.


----------



## Island (Apr 10, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
North Training Ground, Konoha Outskirts

---​
Ren and I seemed to be on the same page. If we wanted to draw Brawly out, then we would need to lure him out. Just like before, we would need to take control of the situation, put him in a situation that would force his hand. If this was some kind of test, a social experiment, then the obvious solution would be to ruin the experiment by pretending to part ways.

Minako didn?t seem to get the hint, however.

Which was, at the very least, disappointing.

Unsurprising, but disappointing nevertheless.

I brought my hand up to my face and pinched the bridge of my nose, sighing loudly.  I started to say something, but I couldn?t find the words. Thus, I gave up, turning my attention back to Ren, deciding to keep up the ruse and _hope_ that Minako would catch on eventually.

Then, I saw something through my Byakugan.

?

?

??

I really had no idea how to react, ?Uh, Ren-san, Minako-chan??

?Brawly-sensei is?? I tried to articulate, unsure of how to word this. ??incoming!?

*CRAAAAAAAAAASH!*

I attempted to articulate what I was seeing, but I couldn?t get the word out in time. Brawly descended from the sky, flying straight into my range of sight, twisting and turning, appearing as if he was not in control of his trajectory. Then, he hit. With earth-shattering force, collided with the nearby pond, producing a colossal tidal wave and spraying water across the training ground.


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## Atlantic Storm (Apr 10, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
KONOHA NORTH TRAINING GROUNDS

__________​
"_Oh shit._" Were the first thoughts that entered Ren's head as his eyes spotted the airborne Fightin' Brawly, descending straight towards the training grounds, his body appearing almost javelin like in it's speed and posture. However, before their instructor made contact with the ground, the Houki leapt out of the way, his feet exploding against the ground with an explosive shunshin which propelled him all the way towards the trees. An instant later, a tremour shook the ground and the trees. The body of Brawly touched the earth with a furious explosion and cascade of dirt, water and dust raining across the area, spraying the immediate area with river-water. 

Before the smoke could clear and Fightin' Brawly once again had vision, Ren took to escaping into the canopy of the trees, quickly making a clone to replace himself on the branch of the tree while he would decidedly observe the unfolding scene from behind the greenery. "_Looks like the test started. This time, I'll be ready._" He had thought to himself, taking a quiet breath to concentrate, having not expected the man to appear so suddenly or so aggressively. It worked well towards his plans, but the way Fightin' Brawly appeared filled him with a tentative unease. The man was not dumb, and was more perceptive than he led on. It wouldn't be entirely unlikely that he saw through his ruse, and Ren knew as much. Even so, to appear so quickly...

"_Is he just confident in his ability? Or is this some sort of ruse?_" Ren took out his kunai, knotting a flashbang around the hilt. The leaves were a bit scarce, but they provided him with sufficient cover.


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## Fedster (Apr 10, 2014)

Urasabi Minako
Konoha Training Grounds


Brawly-sensei...Incoming? From where? And how was he coming? The only answer Hirari need was the whistle the air made as the gigantic body of Brawly-sensei fell from the very sky, as though he had broken through Heavens themselves. It was a majestic view, and Minako was stunned by it, bathing in the scene's beauty.

However, everything changed when Brawly-sensei landed.

His feet hit a nearby pond, and the earth beneath it shattered. A rain of dirt and lukewarm water scattered through the air and fell to the ground. Ren was nowhere to be seen before, during or after the impact. Minako, however, received the full blow, being thrown a couple of meters up, and 'landing' headfirst with a grunt. She stood back up, her face brown with dirt. "He got away. He just _had_ to get away." He muttered with gritted teeth.


----------



## Hidden Nin (Apr 10, 2014)

*Kouji of the Sand*
KONOHA NORTH TRAINING GROUNDS

__________​
Where the hell was his fucking sensei? Like shit, Kouji knew he was basically running the entire team himself, carrying everyone on his back, but where was that good for nothing sensei when you actually needed him for something. He strode towards Konoha's North Training Grounds, with the intention of finding someone to help, and also perhaps running into that shitty Hatake kid as well, so he could actually have a reason to use his puppets against him.

It was a training area, after all.

And that's when he strode up to three clueless looking shinobi, wearing the typical flowing garbs of the sand, and doing a gesture that was halfway between a salute and wave. "Yo, Konoha, where the fuck is m-"

And then Brawly crashed down from the sky, or something. Kouji was suitably speechless, at least for a moment.

"...what the actual _fuck_?"


----------



## Island (Apr 10, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
North Training Ground, Konoha Outskirts

---​
Out of the billowing dust and debris came Fightin? Brawly. He limped slightly, rubbing his head with his right hand while holding the other over his stomach. He winced somewhat but nevertheless maintained a toothy smile on his face, though, some blood began leaking out of his mouth. It became increasingly obvious that what had initially looked like a majestic freefall had actually been some kind of controlled crash. From where and for what reason, I hadn?t even the slightest clue.

Fortunately for me, I had a couple extra seconds to react since he came into the range of my Byakugan long before he came into visual sight. Thus, when he came crashing down, I made my way away from where I anticipated him to crash, diving onto the ground and covering myself. After the loud crash and the eruption of dirt, debris, and miscellaneous pieces of ground, I shot back up, getting the inclination that it was safe?

Only to see Brawly limping towards us.

I put up my guard, but he began to speak.

?Sorry about that,? he let out a hearty laugh. ?Something came up, and I?m afraid I have to *CANCEL* for today.?

He pulled on his neck until a loud snap could be heard.

?You can come on out, Ren-kun!? He went on. ?All of you, consider this a day off. We'll be back to work *TOMORROW*, though, same time, same place!?

One could see that his gi noticeably ripped and that the bandages over his forearms, hands, ankles, and feet were stained a deep red. Likewise, his skin appeared to have a scarlet tint to it, while some of his veins bulged out more than usual, pulsing heavily. He appeared to be under some kind of physical duress, but if he was in any kind of physical pain, he gave no indication of being so.

?Now then, I must *GO*!? He announced, striking a pose in which the sun reflected upon him, causing his teeth to sparkle while the wind blew his hair majestically. ?My people *NEED ME*!?

?Uh-? I thought to ask Brawly about our parents, but before I could?

He blasted off with a monstrous leap to parts unknown, just as quickly as he appeared, leaving only destruction in his wake.


----------



## Santí (Apr 11, 2014)

*Katsurou*
Kumogakure Food District​
The display of precision, control, and mastery from this elder shinobi was near unbelievable to Katsurou. Although unjudicious with his assault using the elements, he was without a doubt worthy of his respect. From the corner of his eye, Katsurou saw the suited green snake attempt to sneak away, but before he had the chance to call him out the serpentine man suddenly came to a halt. 

“Hello! My name is Amagumo, and as of today, I am your sensei!”

"What the hell?" thought Katsurou, "What is this man saying, and why does it appear like he's not talking to just one of us?" Katsurou knew very well that he had already been assigned and he was to soon join a team, but he never recalled a scheduled meeting and he had yet to be given any form of information regarding his team. No matter how Katsurou looked at the situation, it all seemed peculiarly strange.

"...I see, the pleasure is all mine. My name's Rikou Raiden but please, call me Felix."

"Isamuki Katsurou, son of Katashi and son of Hina" he appropriately followed along, "hopefully you can understand my skepticism in your words for many reasons. Not only was I completely unaware of whom my team would be, but it appears the green snake also failed to receive notice. But most importantly, there are two here, and our unknown third member is likely to not have been notified either. This is either a misunderstanding, or a bad turn of coincidence as you just now received the confirmed assignment before bumping into us.


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## Atlantic Storm (Apr 11, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
KONOHA NORTH TRAINING GROUNDS

__________​
Ren leapt out of his hiding place, landing back onto the now flooded plains with Minako, Hirari and that one other guy, his clone dispersing as he landed. "I assume you guys saw that." He said, looking more particularly at Hirari. By 'you guys', he had meant her specifically?the boy somehow doubted Minako had been quite so sharp or perceptive, based on his previous experiences with her. "Brawly was wounded, and his red skin and veins suggests that he had at least activated the fourth of the Eight Gates. He must have been in a fight of some sort."

Then he turned his attention to the latest arrival. He looked to be roughly his age, with a somewhat rough appearance and a head of messy red hair. More prominently, however, were the slew of badges, pins and emblems which covered his outfit. Ren looked for a headband, but it was either covered up by one of his many insignias, or he wasn't wearing it, because he couldn't locate one. He gave him a curious look, then said: "Who are you?"


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## Fedster (Apr 11, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


After waving the wounded Brawly goodbye, Minako realized that her face was covered with dirt, and promptly cleaned it off with her hands. While she was at it, Ren came back from wherever he was hiding, and began talking about...Gates? As in, giant doors? No, Brawly could not have giant doors inside him...Right? Well, he was a pretty big man. Minako was sure that if he tried hard and believed in himself...No! It was impossible to have gates in one's body! But then, what Ren was saying did not make sense.

...She would have to ask them later. There were more urgent matters at hand.

"Who are you?" The only guy in Team 24 (Brawly-sensei did not count because he was a _Man_.) asked, and Minako's eyes travelled to a person in the training grounds. His garments were odd; too loose and long for Konoha. He also had an assorment of buttons attached to it, but that was not the most important thing. What caught the eye the most was his vivid red hair, crowning his head. The kunoichi had never seen such hair colour, and she could not stop staring at it. It kind of hurt the eyes, but it was _worth_ it.

"Be careful, guys!" Minako announced, pointing a figer at the red-haired guy. "He is...He is...He's extremely cool!"


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## Hidden Nin (Apr 11, 2014)

*Kouji of the Sand*
KONOHA NORTH TRAINING GROUNDS

__________​
Kouji flashes a charming smile, tapping his shoulder. "Don't you read friend? Kanji says head Suna Diplomat. I'm big shit."

Then he lowers his chin, and crosses his arms from holding them triumphantly on his hips, body language shifting subtly. "But there's a problem, from what I could gather of your conversation. My sensei's missing, as well...so this needs to be handled, obviously."

Kouji did a cursory scan and gauging of each. A Houki, Hyuuga, and Urasabi. Probably a strong direct combat team, and that had been their sensei if the language they'd used was any indicator. So why wash is sensei missing, and their's was currently in combat with someone. 

"Wait a second..." he murmurs, taking one of his scrolls off of his back, his long garments beginning to flow past him with a light breeze. "Are you...is this an attack?"

His eyes widen. "*YOU BACKWARDS SHIT EATING APES, WHERE THE HELL IS MY SENSEI?*" He makes a hand seal, and then...out came his three puppets. 

Cinders. Echo. Rush.

_Hopefully Kimiko doesn't dilly dally..._


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## Island (Apr 12, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
North Training Ground, Konoha Outskirts

---​
?The Eight Gates, if he was pressed to open them,? I added to what Ren was saying, ?Then, most likely, he was fighting a powerful opponent, probably at least jounin-level, maybe even kage-level. The fact that he ended up here of all places suggests that he was fighting nearby, either that or his opponent is far stronger than any of us could even imagine. Worrisome. Might also help explain where our parents are, however.?

?A distinct possibility that the two are related,? I deduced, ?But unlikely because??

Ren and Minako suddenly turned their attentions to the new arrival, a red-haired teenager with loose robes and a number of emblems, symbols, and writing on his person. After looking him over, I concluded that he must have been from Sunagakure, the Engineering Corps, given the distinct emblem that he wore. Given the kanji on his arm, I guessed that he was part of the United Shinobi Forces, Sunagakure Division, and given his presence in Konohagakure, part of the Diplomatic Corps.

He spoke in a rather harsh way, undiplomatic, to say the least, and went on about not knowing where his sensei was?

I knew where this was going.

The genin produced a scroll which summoned three large puppets onto the battlefield?

With my Byakugan already activated, I quickly fell into a battle stance but nevertheless attempted to resolve this through diplomatic means. ?An unlikely scenario. Our parents are missing too, which suggests that if something is wrong, it?s most likely because Konoha has mobilized to defend against some kind of threat. Unless its Suna that?s attacking, your sensei would most likely be helping fend off that threat, or alternatively, reporting the news back to your village??

I hoped that my diplomacy would be effective since I spotted somebody in the near distance with my Byakugan. Somebody, a young woman with red hair and green eyes, dressed like she was also from Sunagakure, just entered my field of vision, which was worrisome, to say the least.

If a battle broke out between us and this puppeteer and that young woman was his partner, it was likely that she might intervene on his behalf, making this? problematic.

Right now, I anticipated a quick end to this battle, if it took place. Ideally, I?d attract the puppeteer?s attention and battle his three puppets. Meanwhile, Ren would rush through and attack the puppeteer himself. Minako would support either one of us if we faced trouble. If the puppets proved formidable, then she would support me from range. However, if the puppeteer proved to be able to juggle between both his puppets and combating Ren, which was somewhat unlikely, Minako would strike with ranged attacks, hopefully luring him into some kind of trap conceived by Ren. The appearance of his partner would throw a wrench in this strategy, however, as it would require Minako to engage the partner while Ren and I put pressure on the puppeteer. If either of us succumbed, the strategy would fail.


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## Atlantic Storm (Apr 12, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
KONOHA NORTH TRAINING GROUNDS

__________​
Ren secretly began to siphon chakra to the soles of his feet, ready to body flicker in case the Sunagakure shinobi attacked, but remained casually stood where he was, assessing the situation. "A diplomat," he spoke, "wouldn't be so eager to attack natives of the village he's visiting. So either you're just not a very good one, or you're lying. In any case, unless your sensei is incredibly weak, it's unlikely that we could have done anything to him."

He didn't particularly want a fight with the puppeteer; they tended to be irritating to deal with because of their puppets, which were often filled with poisons and various traps. "_Then again, it's three on one, and Hirari's Byakugan could probably see through any hidden weapons that might be hidden. Beside that, puppeteers tend to be weak in close quarters, and both she and I are fairly adept with taijutsu. We have the clear advantage here, but..._"

Something was bugging him a little. The Hyūga were famous for their Byakugan and jūken fighting style, and the Houki were equally well known for their nin-taijutsu prowess. Unintelligent as he might be, a diplomat should have definitely known these things. _"Why is he challenging us, when he likely knows he's at a match-up disadvantage?"_ He thought to himself, his blue eyes narrowing slightly, peering through the puppets and at the puppet user's build. He tried to make out anything that might suggest close combat ability; muscles, a nimble skeletal structure—anything. However, it was hard to make any details out behind the shinobi's robe-like garb. 

The Houki took a step forward, tossing the kunai he held in his hand to the ground, then looked at Kouji again, a small condescending grin creasing his features. He didn't like the idea of attacking the puppeteer first, but provoking him into walking into a trap should be a simple matter. "I'm gonna go home now, since training's over. Save yourself some injuries, and us some time, and kindly de-summon your little toys."


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## Hidden Nin (Apr 12, 2014)

*Kouji of the Sand*
KONOHA NORTH TRAINING GROUNDS

__________​
A Hyuuga. Strong close quarters ability, probably able to anticipate his traps through the use of the Byakugan, and perhaps even having a solution to dealing with his poison if she could manipulate a target's chakra points to a great enough extent. Not a strong match up for him, even with Kimiko's support. The Houki, however...

Each of the Suna genin's puppets stood poised to lash out in that moment...until he finally relaxed his fingers. And then, with a quick pull, Cinders turned towards Ren, and a compartment opened up in the chest. The clicking got louder, and then a spark flickered in the center of its mouth...

Kimiko stepped up and beside him, exchanging a glance with the other red headed Suna-nin, and Kouji...smiled?  No, it was too small, insignificant, and brief to be a smile. But it was something, a slight curling of his lips, for a split second, and his body language relaxed.  Nodding once, he dismissed his puppets, and the trap wasn't sprung at the last moment. 

Opening his palm, a set of chakra threads branched from his fingers, and then latched onto the kunai Ren had discarded, pulling it over to the genin's grip. "What's it say about your village in terms of advancement if my 'toys' are ages ahead of any of the tech Konoha's put out in the last decade? There's a reason why we stopped here last out of all the Great Villages...and that our diplomatic team was the only one that bothered to_ show up_."

He glances in Minako's direction, and then towards Ren. "You aren't known for your raw intellect. You _yourself _can't even read kanji." He worked his jaw with his hand as he thought back to the incident with the Hatake kid. Then he stepped forward towards Hirari, setting the large scroll back on his back. "Though I guess there are exceptions. Why is your sensei fighting on your own soil, then? And with the Eight Gates, no less?" he asked the Hyuuga heiress directly.


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## Fedster (Apr 12, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


Suddenly, the tables flipped. It would have be in a literal sense if there would be actual tables in the training grounds, but there was none. The unidentified red-haired guy and his identical red-haired partner jumped into action and...Wait...

R-red-haired partners?! Like, a team which consisted of only people with the reddest of hairs, the elite of red, one might say. The Crimson Brigade, Blood Squad, Frenzy Unit, it went by many names, so many that some were lost in time. But, seeing it with her own eyes, she could only call it... _'Red Team.''_

Putting that aside, Hirari said something about their parents, and it did not sound good. But wait. If there _was_ something happening in the vicinity, only _shinobi_ would battle it. Minako's mother was not a ninja. She had never even held a kunai in her hands. So that begged the question: Why was Masoto alone this morning? Where was mom?

"Raw intellect?!" Minako jumped at that. Even though she was not the brightest crayon in the box, she could think and listen at the same time, but not as attentively as if she was just listening, so it usually resulted in misunderstandings. "Anyways, why is everyone mentioning the Eight Gates? First, Ren-kun, then Hirari-chan, and now..." She pointed at the robed guy. "Now *you*? What _are_ the Eight Gates?!" She asked those questions while everyone else was either preparing for battle or negotiating in order to prevent said fight.


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## Island (Apr 12, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
North Training Ground, Konoha Outskirts

---​
I addressed Minako first. ?The eight gates are eight specific tenketsu on a person?s chakra pathway system. They limit the overall chakra flow within a person?s body so that, well, think of them as inhibitors that prevent the body from overworking itself. They regulate the amount of chakra flowing through the body, making it weaker, but ultimately keeping a person from overexerting themselves. However, years of intense training may allow somebody to open these gates and thus remove these inhibitors.?

?In practice, it allows a person to surpass their own physical limitations and increase their strength and speed to astronomical levels,? I went on. ?Brawly-sensei activated the first four gates. For what purpose, I don?t really know??

I turned my attention back to the puppeteer. ?I don?t know.?

My eye twitched subtly as he began degrading my village and talking down about my compatriots, but nevertheless, I maintained an aura of calmness, trying not to let it bother me.

?The disappearance of our parents, the disappearance of your sensei, the sudden arrival of ours, beaten, bloody, and having activated four of the eight gates,? I began rubbing my temples, ?Probably not a coincidence that all of these are happening at once.?

?Ren-san,? I turned to my partner, ?What are you thinking??


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## Atlantic Storm (Apr 12, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
KONOHA NORTH TRAINING GROUNDS

__________​
"The same thing as you, actually." Ren replied, giving a nod, a tantō now in hand upon seeing the puppeteer attach a chakra string to the kunai he had discarded earlier. Their comments about Konoha had pissed him off a little, but like Hirari, he didn't allow his irritation to creep onto his face, instead maintaining his impassive poker face.

He gave a shrug of his shoulder, cracking his neck as he did so. "As for what your advanced toys say about our village..." A small smirk rises. "I suppose it just means that Konoha does not have to compensate for lack of talent or skill with technology. Sunagakure may be ahead in industry, but all the greatest shinobi the world has seen have been born and bred in Konoha—two of them dubbed the God of Shinobi. By contrast, three of your Kages have been assassinated, and the rest have been just as faceless as the preceding ones." Ren numbered off, purposely provoking them. Even in the economic and political stagnation Konoha suffered from, they still had more well known world-class ninja, and the Hokage—despite his quirks—was renown for his exceptional ability. Rent was well aware of this, and based on the puppet users badges and personality, a few well placed jibes directed towards his home were likely all that was needed.

"If you're still eager to fight," he continued, "then by all means, try it, Sunagakure bitches."


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## Hidden Nin (Apr 12, 2014)

*Kouji of the Sand*
KONOHA NORTH TRAINING GROUNDS

__________​
"If Konoha weren't also the home to the most sinister and threatening individuals within history as well, your comment would give you more credit. Just the other day I was reading about some Houki bitch being added to the bingo books...who else but Konoha to produce criminals in times of peace. Technology and skill can't do anything about _morals_."

Kouji glanced at Kimiko, shaking his head. "I don't feel like cleaning up after my 'toys' though. They don't have a safety. And I don't need your blood on my hands." Kouji rubbed his chin, now considering the situation. "So I suppose whatever is happening we'll have to work together on."

He then scowled. "And Kimiko's not a bitch. Chill with that..." he grumbled.


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## Fedster (Apr 12, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


"_Oh_." Minako murmured at Hirari's detailed explanation. It was easy enough, and she got the main point, and it was quite educative. 

But yep, the tables flipped, _and how did they flip!_ Instead of the awaited physical battle, an unexpected and surprising verbal battle began between the two factions: Konoha versus Suna. And even though she obviously belonged to the former group, Minako felt that she could not participate in it. Actually, she _would_ not participate in it, because not only did she not have any 'ammunition' to fire at the Red Team, but also she did not want to start a fight she could not finish. And it was _obvious_ this was the calm before the storm.

And with Brawly-sensei gone and hurt, Minako felt that it was her job to make things right.

"You are right!" She agreed with the Suna guy. "Even though you've insulted Konoha and tried to attack us, we have more urgent matters at hand!" Then, she faced her two teammates. "We can solve this pissing contest later! We gotta find out what or who has our parents and senseis busy." She balled her hands and put them in front of her, not in a battle stance, but in one of determination. "If Brawly-sensei had to open some of his Gates, then it must be a pretty big thing. And iff our parents left without warning, it's more than pretty big..." Minako held her hands high, and almost yelled:

*"IT'S GINORMOUS!!"*


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## Island (Apr 12, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
North Training Ground, Konoha Outskirts

---​
?Minako-chan's right.? I confirmed.

?We have more pressing matters to attend to.? I went on. ?Let?s hurry up and get introductions out of the way, though. My name is Hyuuga Hirari, this is Houki Ren, and this is Urasabi Minako. If I?m not mistaken, you must be Kouji of the Desert, and your partner here must be Kimiko of the West Wind.?

I recalled the newspaper article I read the other day about a team from Sunagakure who engaged Hatake Shizuo in broad daylight. The battle did significant collateral damage to the surrounding area, and subsequently, Sunagakure recalled one of the teammates and issued a formal apology.

Only two of the three team members were present at the time, Haru and Kouji, while the third, Kimiko was apparently touring the village.

Kimiko was obviously the female standing in front of us.

Haru was deported, and thus, by process of elimination, the puppeteer accompanying Kimiko must have been Kouji.

?That said, I?ve shared with you all we know.? I stated. ?Thus, it?s only a matter of deciding on a course of action??

We had two options. Either investigate or not. If we chose to investigate, then we could talk to other shinobi here at the training grounds or head into the village and ask around there. If we went to the village, we could ask around in Downtown Konoha or we could head straight to the Ninja Academy and the Hokage?s Office and ask whoever there where our parents were, as well as what exactly Fightin? Brawly was doing. The latter seemed like it?d be the optimal solution, direct and straight to the heart of the matter. However, if this was some covert operation or something we really weren?t supposed to know about, then I doubted that any authority would be willing to answer our questions.


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## Redblood (Apr 12, 2014)

*Amagumo*
Kumogakure Food District

----------​
"...I see, the pleasure is all mine. My name's Rikou Raiden but please, call me Felix."

Amagumo nodded in acknowledgement of the green-haired boy’s introduction. Simple enough.

"Isamuki Katsurou, son of Katashi and son of Hina" he appropriately followed along, "hopefully you can understand my skepticism in your words for many reasons. Not only was I completely unaware of whom my team would be, but it appears the green snake also failed to receive notice. But most importantly, there are two here, and our unknown third member is likely to not have been notified either. This is either a misunderstanding, or a bad turn of coincidence as you just now received the confirmed assignment before bumping into us.”

…Huh. 

“You’re quite the wordy shinobi, aren’t you Isamuki?” Amagumo proclaimed with one eyebrow raised, “But yes. You were not notified, no one but I was. For as a ninja, you must be prepared…” the elder explained, turning his back to his new students. Then, silence.

“FOR ANYTHING!” Amagumo suddenly roared as he spun around and hurled a kunai toward the two that completely missed them, but sped off into the distance at a remarkable speed.


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## Redblood (Apr 12, 2014)

*Kabiki Ruka*
Kumogakure Food District

----------​
“Oh! We’re here, J! We’re here!” Kabiki Ruka proclaimed, practically bouncing at the sight of the food stands surrounding the two.

“Oh! Oh! Where should we go first? There’s a REALLY good kamaboko stand just up that way! Oh! If we make a left here we can have some really AWESOME ramen! Oh! Oh! Oh my god! Is that…TAKOYAKI?!” Ruka squealed with glee before rushing up to the nearby stand, headed by a very uncomfortable looking man.

“Sixteen please!” Ruka requested.

“Order up.” The man grumbled, handing Ruka each stick of takoyaki one at a time, the young lady devouring them in an instant, save for the last one as Ruka turned to her traveling companion.

“Oh, sorry J. Did you want o—”

**SPLURK**

A sudden, horrid squishy sound made Kabiki Ruka’s neck shrink into her shoulders for just a moment, and when she turned around, she saw something that made her want to cry. A stray kunai had impaled her tasty treat and obliterated it, the kunai wedged in what little was left.

“Why?! Why did this happen?!” Ruka cried, pulling the kunai out and hoping to eat what little remained, but it all fell to mush in her hands, and this time she really did cry. That is, until she saw that there was a long scroll attached to the rogue kunai. A scroll…with a seal on it?

Smoke flew everywhere, and suddenly an old, tan gentleman stood before J and Ruka.

“Miss Ruka Kabiki…” the man addressed.

“Yes?” she responded.

“I am Amagumo, your sensei.” the old guy explained before clearing his throat, “GET YOUR ASS DOWN TO THE CENTER OF THE DISTRICT! YOU’RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR YOUR TEST!!” Amagumo screamed.

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!” Ruka roared in kind, before rushing off toward the center of the Food District, leaving a pile of coins on the table, and a wave of dust in her wake.


----------



## Santí (Apr 13, 2014)

*Katsurou*
Kumogakure Food District​
The elder man who would now be our sensei turned his back to us and stood in silence for a few seconds after basically giving us a pep talk about how we should always be prepared to adept to the scenario. "I really hope he doesn't attempt to surprise us by turning around and throwing a kunai past our heads, that would be so predictable and cliche..." Katsurou imagined shortly before a shout was made, followed by a kunai which shamefully flew by his head just like he imagined. 

Katsurou let out a slight sigh, and struggled to resist the urge of burying his face in his palm. The act was borderline insulting, as it was something he imaged would be done for an eleven or twelve year old genin fresh from the academy. Katsurou's hand continued to beckon for the warmth of his face, but doing so now would be a blatant act of disre- Katsurou's thought process was interrupted by a loud wail of distress from behind him. 

"Why?! Why did this happen?!" the tone was all too familiar and discomforting, and he dared not turn back and confirm his fears... For a moment, at least, as Katsurou turned around focusing his keen, hawk-like eyes on the now rushing female leaving behind her a trail of dust. "Bright orange hair; blue cape; and half of a pink, floral dress which leaves her upper right-hand side exposed and covered only by bandages; all held together by a brown band at the waist..." Katsurou murmured silently to himself, for he never forgot someone he has laid eyes on before, even if they were now messy and filth-covered beyond what would be normally recognizable. Katsurou's face was now almost completely hidden behind his hand, he would name it the village hidden in shame.


----------



## Sablés (Apr 13, 2014)

Rikou

Food District​

"This is a bit too fast paced, even for me. I need to get a grasp of the situation and for that, I need information. Sensei appears  to be rash and predictable judging by his little stunt just now,  that has its merits and flaws but it's a start. It also seems the mongrel next to me isn't quite as...unlearned as his appearance dictates, he's fluent in the language at the very least." Rikou muttered loudly enough for only the one called Katsurou to hear, be it to piss him off out of spite or a show of ignoring  his fellow genin's existence was anybody's guess.

My eyes trailed to the direction of Amagumo's where kunai as an oddly dressed girl was quite literally stampeding towards their direction  "Oh this is going to be fun fun fun." I said derisively, making sure to step out of the girl's warpath, just in case.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Apr 13, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
KONOHA NORTH TRAINING GROUNDS

__________​
Ren sighed. He actually wanted a fight or, at least, a skirmish of some sort, if only to put the words Kouji spoke about Konoha back into his mouth. To meet such ends, the Houki had thought up of several plans, traps and contingencies while they were conversing, but it looks like now none of them would ever be used. If there was one thing Ren hated, it was wasting a perfectly good strategy or four. But, he also recognized that there were more pressing matters beyond his pride, so he ignored the dull irritation prickling at him. "Obviously, we'd go to the Hokage's residence to find out where Fightin' Brawly and our parents are. Even if he doesn't answer us directly, which is highly likely, any reaction he might have would give us a good idea of what they're doing. I think the Byakugan could help with that. There is another way as well, but..."

The Houki wanted to suggest that the group split off and, while one group went to the Hokage, another would deviate from there and enter the mission archive chamber and look there. It would be a sure way of finding out what their sensei was doing, and likely easier than trying to pry the Hokage. However...

_"It's unlikely that they'd just let a bunch of genin in. They'd probably have a few chūnin or maybe even tokubetsu jōnin guarding the general vicinity, meaning we'd have to find an alternate entrance and sneak in..."_ He brought a hand to his chin. Perhaps this would be more difficult than he initially gave it credit for.


----------



## Redblood (Apr 13, 2014)

*Ruka Kabiki*
Kumogakure Food District

----------​
As Kabiki Ruka tore across the food district, she spied three people in the distance, who, thanks to Ruka?s unwieldly speed, became clearer very quickly. One of them was clearly the man who had called himself Ruka?s sensei.

?Wait for meeeeee!!!? Ruka exclaimed, digging her feet into the ground and skidding to a stop beside the other two genin. The girl took a brief moment to catch her breath before straightening up and introducing herself.

?Kabiki Ruka, ready for the test, sensei!? the kunoichi beamed, looking to the two shinobi beside her. One had green hair and wore a tuxedo. And the other one?

*AND THE OTHER ONE?*

*?YOU!!!?* 

Ruka had found her mysterious assailant. And she was about to punch him right in the face.


----------



## Santí (Apr 13, 2014)

*Katsurou*
Kumogakure Food District​
The little green snake to Katsurou's side began to mutter under his breath "This is a bit too fast paced, even for me. I need to get a grasp of the situation and for that, I need information. Sensei appears to be rash and predictable judging by his little stunt just now, that has its merits and flaws but it's a start" and Katsurou couldn't help but agree with the one who called himself Rikou, "It also seems the mongrel next to me isn't quite as...unlearned as his appearance dictates, he's fluent in the language at the very least."

_"An idiot?"_ Katsurou wondered to himself as he drops his hand from his face, turning to speak directly to his new teammate "I can also concur that the one in front of me has less spine than a jellyfish, if he can't even speak up and look me in the eyes when he tries to mock me" Katsurou boldly challenged to the one who called himself Rikou, but Katsurou was interrupted by the stampeding of their 3rd teammate, who was growing louder per second and closing in at an absurd speed... 

"Oh this is going to be fun fun fun.", 

"I'm counting on it" Katsurou replied standing firm, unlike his teammate who cleared path and had begun to slither away, a partially disgusting individual. The kunoichi and 3rd member of the team was now only a few yards away, and clear within line of sight as Katsurou's eyes met his gleeful, smiling, female teammate who came into a stop to catch her breath. “Kabiki Ruka, ready for the test, sensei!” she beamed shortly until her eyes met back into Katsurou's, and her cheerful expression switched into a scowl of fury.

*“YOU!!!”* 

Without warning, Ruka clutched her hand into a fist, noticeably focusing chakra into it as if she dared to strike at Katsurou. Cute. Katsurou's own chakra began to actually pour out of his body and took shape of two feral wolves comprised purely of his own concentrated chakra. The two wolves immediately began running ahead of him towards the kunoichi with howling hunger, Katsurou lagging behind shortly to reduce his assailant.


----------



## Sablés (Apr 13, 2014)

Rikou

Kumogakure Food District​

I didn't bother to correct the oaf on the fact that we as ninja, were cowards by our very profession or that the mocking wouldn't have been quite as effective if I hadn't shown disinterest in his existence, which clearly worked judging from his reaction . Yup definitely not the brightest bulb

Katsurou created two chakra wolves aimed at their apparent teammate who in turn was prepared to strike Katsurou down with her fist "Should I do something?" After a few seconds of pondering came to a conclusion_ I've got time to spare. It'll make an interesting learning experience watching them tear each other apart._


----------



## Redblood (Apr 13, 2014)

*Kabiki Ruka*
Kumogakure Food District

----------​
Kabiki Ruka was ready to bust some heads. But then something happened. The jerkoff that tried to kill her earlier let chakra flow out of him, forming into two large wolves.

“Doggies!” Ruka exclaimed excitedly as the beasts flew at her with unimaginable ferocity. Ruka’s smile remained.

“Sorry, I can’t play with you now.” Kabiki Ruka declared before vanishing using the Body Flicker technique. She passed the wolves. Then the jerkass. Finally she reappeared behind the wolf pelt d-bag and brought her Heavenly Foot of Pain right down on his head.


----------



## Island (Apr 14, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
North Training Ground, Konoha Outskirts

---​
?We can either go together or split up.? I explained. ?If we go together, then we might run into some logistical issues, especially if we choose to sneak into the Hokage?s Office. If we split up, we?d be able to cover more ground with a smaller chance of getting caught. Also, us getting caught and the two of you getting caught would be entirely two different things. I?d venture to say that we?d just get a slap on the wrist if we got caught sneaking around the Hokage?s Office, whereas you two getting caught might cause some diplomatic incident or something??

I sighed loudly, rubbing my hands over my temple.

Why did this have to be so complicated?

?Let us go to the Hokage?s Office, or his residence, whichever,? I turned my attention to the puppeteer, ?While the two of you ask around, either around here or in Downtown Konoha.?

?I?ll leave that up to you.? I concluded. ?If you choose not to come with us, meet us back here in about an hour, and we?ll compare notes. If we run into any problems, we?ll? signal or something, though, I doubt that will happen...?

I glanced at Minako and Ren, nudging for them to follow.

---​
We headed into Konoha without incident and made our way downtown, heading north to where to where both the Hokage?s Office and the Konoha Ninja Academy were located. As we made our way across the rooftops, leaping from one to another, I became increasingly aware of a distinct lack of people on the streets below. Specifically, there appeared to be far fewer shinobi than usual. Traditionally busy restaurants and stores, especially those frequented by large quantities of shinobi, remained desolate, which was suspicious, to say the very least?

Arriving at the complex that housed both the Hokage?s Office and the Konoha Ninja Academy, yet another unusual thing caught my attention.

No instructors, no students? no class.

Somebody nailed a large white sign with black kanji on the front of the academy which read ?Closed? while the other entrance to the structure, at the base of the Hokage?s Office, where shinobi often went to pick up new missions, appeared abandoned, with not even a light left on by mistake, otherwise devoid of life?

Suspicious.

At the present, we stood within the large walls that separated the complex from the outside world, in the courtyard that forked off to the Hokage?s Office on one side and the Konoha Ninja Academy on the other. Nobody stood in the courtyard, no chuunin discussing their latest missions, no jounin reporting back from an A-Rank or S-Rank mission, not even any academy students getting scolded by some instructor. Even with my Byakugan, I couldn?t detect anyone within the walls, not a single person, nobody within either the academy nor the Hokage?s Office, and especially not the Hokage himself, whose chakra was? distinctive, to say the very least.

I felt the color drain from my face, as this _was_ worrisome.

Just what exactly was going on?

I turned to my teammates, to see what they thought about all of this?


----------



## Fedster (Apr 14, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


"W-wait for me!" Minako managed to say as Hirari left the training grounds and signaled them to follow her. The blonde girl almost did not catch sight of it and jumped at the right time, remaining at the back of the group. Her father always told her to stay in that position, because, should they face an enemy, she could easily hide somewhere and cast illusions and long-range techniques. This was common knowledge within the clan, and Minako made sure to learn it by heart, since 'it could save lives someday.'

When they reached the Hokage's Office, however, there was no threat. In fact, there was no one to be seen. That was odd. Usually, this place was bursting with shinobi coming and going from mission to mission, and kids going from class to class. Instead, only silence greeted them. "Maybe...The thing is more ginormous than we thought." Then she added: "Do you think we'll find anything? What if it was so sudden they don't have records about it?"


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Apr 15, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
HOKAGE RESIDENCE

__________​
Ren looked around, once at the huge spiralling tower that was the the Hokage's residence, and once at the huge complex which was the rebuilt Konoha Ninja Academy. Typically, this was one of the most bustling areas around the village, congested with returning genin, chūnin, jōnin talking about their missions, or vibrating with the distant sounds of the academy students. It was a familiar sound that Ren had gotten used to hearing over the years, and as he stepped onto the courtyard with his team, something struck him as being deeply suspicious. "It's quiet." He commented calmly, his blue eyes tracing along the windows of each building of the complex. "Too quiet." The shinobi reaffirmed, more to himself than anybody else. Nevermind the almost desolate downtown Konoha, which could have been chalked up to a lunch break, but these two buildings were _always_ active.

The Houki briefly considered three possibilities, his eyes moving back to look at Hirari and Minako. _"This could be some sort of genjutsu cast over us. I'm not particularly good at genjutsu, so it's unlikely I'd see through it, and Hirari doesn't seem particularly good at illusions, either. Only Minako seems to have any notable ability in it, but she never mentioned anything about her resistance to it..."_

His eyes guided themselves away from his team-mates, alongside the path and towards the building. _"Second is that they could all be hiding somewhere, and and this is still a test of some sort. If they were hiding, it'd be somewhere outside of Hirari's Byakugan range, and assuming they have her dad in on it... but how could they have gotten the cooperation of the shop owners?"_

And finally, he removed his eyes from the building, and looked at the Sunagakure shinobi. _"Or, there could actually be something happening that legitimately requires their attention. The appearance of these 'diplomats' juxtaposed with the disappearance of our two senseis definitely isn't a coincidence, but the Hokage doesn't go out on missions. And where would those shop owners tie in?"_

Ren brought a hand to his chin, unconsciously rubbing it as he continued to drift deeper into thought. Every single possible scenario had one big glaring hole in it that didn't seem to make sense and, more than anything, the Houki considered _that_ to be the most suspicious element here. He turned to Hirari: "Can you use your Byakugan to see if any of our chakra flows are disrupted? We could be in a genjutsu." It was unlikely that they were in one, and the Houki was aware of this, but at the very least if they were watching, this would put them under the assumption that they weren't anywhere near correctly assessing the situation and, therefore, give Ren more time to think. He was, if nothing, a master of the poker face.


----------



## Hidden Nin (Apr 15, 2014)

*Kouji of the Sand*
KONOHA NORTH TRAINING GROUNDS

__________​
"It might be too late to check if we're in a genjutsu, to be fair," Kouji stated in no uncertain terms as he got a look around. The only other time he'd come here, which was to check in upon his arrival to Konohagakure, it'd been teaming with Leaf shinobi and activity. To see such a stark contrast was definitely...eerie.

"Hmph." His palm opened up and from the tips of his fingers chakra threads leeched out, latching onto the door of the Hokage's mansion. With a swift tug, he pulled it open in order to peer inside from a distance.


----------



## Santí (Apr 16, 2014)

*Katsurou*
Kumogakure Food District​
The kunoichi vanished for a split second, and even though Katsurou failed to follow her movements in that moment, he knew exactly where she would appear. Rather than turning back to his opponent, Katsurou took another step, forcing chakra into his feet and propelling himself forward in the same direction he was running. The earth behind Katsurou's feet shattered, not because of his leap, but due a massive leg drop from his assailant which gave his leap an extra little kick he neither expected nor desired. An attack from behind was all too obvious. 

The extra push made Katsurou lose control of his momentum after he landed, and stumbled to regain control of his body. This was not an opponent he could favorably brawl; however, he had forgotten his two favorite cleavers at home the one time he could make actual use of them. Perfect. 

Katsurou pulls 7 kunai from his pouch and holds them between his fingers, tossing them all up into the air at an 80 degree angle in the direction of his assailant.


----------



## Redblood (Apr 16, 2014)

*Kabiki Ruka
*Kumokagure Food District

---------​
Despite everything that had gone on today, Ruka was having fun. The jerkass may have knocked her off a mountain, but she met J after that. Plus, this guy?s jutsus were super cool! Chakra wolves? Awesome! It?s actually kind of fun to spar with-

**SHINK**

Wait, were those kunai? Kabiki Ruka?s instincts moved faster than her brain did, and she Body Flickered away from the incoming projectiles.

?What the heck, dude?!? Ruka cried from atop a nearby food stand, ?That seriously coulda hurt me!? she exclaimed, leaving more than a few people confused.

?I was just gonna hit you once! Then we?d be even! I wasn?t gonna pull out the stabby knives! Geez!? Ruka explained, before hopping off of the food stand and back onto street level. Ruka then saw the crater she?d made with her foot and couldn?t help but laugh.

?Looks like I got a little carried away!? the kunoichi chuckled, turning back to the nameless jerkass.

?Sorry about that, but that was fun! I hope we can still be friends!? Ruka declared, smiling ear to ear and holding out her hand to the furry guy she?d been sparring with.


----------



## Island (Apr 16, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Hokage's Office, Konoha

---​
“Nothing.” I stated flatly.

“Not a single thing.” I went on.

Kouji and Kimiko went on ahead, however, walking into the complex that constituted both the Konoha Ninja Academy and the Hokage’s Office. I glanced over at Minako and Ren, momentarily, hesitating but nevertheless the continuing forward. Upon entering, I saw Kouji and Kimiko staring forward, the latter in disbelief at what she saw. Typically, the room bustled with activity, centered on a large desk where shinobi would pick up new assignments and another off to the side where they would pick up their rewards, usually money, sometimes artifacts, treasures, and other rarities, depending on who was paying for the mission and how desperately they needed the village’s help. What stood before us was the exact opposite of that. Not a soul. Not even a trace that anybody was even here.

The place looked as it normally did minus the people, as they didn’t even bother opening today.

“There’s nobody here.” I confirmed. “No Genjutsu, nothing out of place…”

 “I have no idea what this could possibly be about.” I confessed. “None of this adds up.”

I imagine that Ren thought the same thing that I was thinking. “Can’t be a Genjutsu, which means that this is either some elaborate conspiracy or an actual emergency. The former seems unlikely while the latter also doesn’t seem all that realistic. What kind of emergency could this be? What sort of trouble would require everybody from our parents to the people at the reception desk to the Hokage himself…?”

“We could go up to the Hokage’s Office,” I thought aloud, “But I’m not sure that seems like a good idea, especially if we get caught. I’m not all that interested in getting charged with treason… would be too much of a headache.”


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Apr 17, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
HOKAGE RESIDENCE

__________​
"No genjutsu, huh." Ren scratched at his chin, not particularly surprised at this revelation, then looked up, his eyes trailing the walls of the Hokage residence until it reached the building which housed the archive of missions, narrowing his vision slightly.

"Then, the only other solution is to go up there." He stated, pointing to it, beginning to walk towards the entrance. "It's fine if you guys don't want to do it, but I can't be bothered waiting around for something to happen. If there's something going on, it's bound to be in there. And if there's someone watching us..."

The Houki stretched. "Then going inside should certainly draw them out."


----------



## Fedster (Apr 17, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


"Maybe..." Minako began, cupping her chin, as though she were deep in thought, when in reality, she was well above the surface. "Not _all_ of us have to get in." She looked at her teammates, with her usual carefree attitude.."We can stand guard while Ren-kun goes to investigate. This is like, a self-imposed mission!" Remembering that she should not be too loud, Minako lowered her tone to a loud whisper. "I want to know what is happening and why the village is so empty, and from the looks of it, this looks like the only choice. So, Hirari-chan, your amazing-super-special eyes will help us! And I will help _you_!" She listed, as she kept pointing at people while she talked to them. "And Ren-kun will search the archives in search for clues! And you will..." She stopped at the Red Team, unsure of what they could do. "What can you do?"


----------



## Island (Apr 19, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Hokage's Office, Konoha

---​
“Is something the matter?” Somebody spoke from the entrance.

The five of us stood in the center of the room, planning our next course of action. On one hand, we could move forward, investigate the archives and even rummage through the Hokage’s Office. On the other hand, if we got caught, there could be severe consequences. We could get charged for treason, and newfound allies could be convicted as spies and cause an international crisis between our two nations. However, with the power of the Byakugan, I could detect any movement within several kilometers. If somebody turned the corner, even entered the building, I would know. Hell, if a rat climbed out of the walls, I would see it.

The chances of us getting caught were low.

Until _he_ showed up.

The blood rushed from my face, and my mouth dropped to the floor. Out of nowhere, a man stood behind us at the entrance, blocking our passage out of the building. This man was somewhat short, at least twenty centimeters smaller than Fightin’ Brawly and about ten centimeters smaller than the average shinobi. His hair was black and messy, flowing wildly and going wherever the wind took it. Meanwhile, his complexion was somewhat pale, almost sickly looking, and there were bags underneath his crimson eyes.



Creepy, unsettling even, but from my experience, this man was probably one of the most pleasant people in Konoha, friendly, outgoing, and almost as approachable as one’s own parents.

This man was…

“H-H-Hokage-sama?!” I articulated, turning around to meet his gaze, deactivating my Byakugan as I did.

The Hokage wore a traditional flak jacket, in stark contrast to the robes that he usually wore around the village and to formal events. A bead of sweat rolled down the left side of his face, and he appeared somewhat strained, not nearly as much as Brawly but enough to see that he had been expending energy on… something.

How he evaded detection until now, I had no idea…


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Apr 19, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
HOKAGE RESIDENCE

__________​
_"The Hokage?"_ Ren felt his body tense up slightly, as if numbed by an ethereal force. As he stood, a hail of questions raged inside his head. What was the Hokage doing here and, more importantly, how did Hirari's Byakugan not detect him? Was he using some kind of jutsu to evade her detection, or exploiting some blind spot in the supposed 360 degree vision? In either case, the Houki had been expecting her Byakugan to alert them to the presence of any shinobi who might be in the complex and to help them get around the place. The sudden appearance of the Hokage was definitely not expected.

Nevertheless, he turned around to face the Hokage, eyes widening for the briefest of seconds as he cast his eyes on him. His eyes were strained and bagged, suggesting lack of proper rest and a few beads of sweat could be faintly made out in the light. The man had clearly been straining himself slightly, though not nearly as much as Brawly, if the lack of injuries and blood any indication. _"He's wearing a flak jacket rather than his traditional robes, and he seems to clearly be exhausted. Has he been in a fight?"_ He observed, keeping his facial expression impassive as he analyzed the situation.

Finally, the young man spoke. "Hokage-sama, we were just going to go see you, actually." He said politely, carefully wording what he said. On the one hand, he didn't want to outright lie to the head authority of the village, but on the other hand, saying they were going to see the mission archives could land them on some serious trouble. "Do you know where Brawly-sensei is?" He asked.


----------



## Fedster (Apr 19, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


A voice filled the apparent silence of the room, and behind them appeared a person. But not _any_ person; it was _the_ person. He was the most well-known, loved, *sugoi* person on the village: The Hokage. It just _had_ to be him who caught them with their pants down. Well, not literally down, that was an expression. Maybe 'caught red-handed' be a better option? But red would make allusion to blood,, and they were not actually doing anything with blood. That was gross.

Though, if the Suna team were to be caught doing something they should not be doing, and they did not say that 'they were caught red-haired', they would be wasting a golden opportunity.

"H-Hokage-sama?!" Minako exclaimed, and jumped almost instinctively behind Hirari. However, when she realized that it was the _Hokage_, she took notice of what she was doing and stepped out of her hiding spot.

After Ren asked for the whereabouts of Brawly-sensei, Minako could not help but add: "Our parents are also missing. What's up with _that_, too?"


----------



## Island (Apr 19, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Hokage's Office, Konoha

---​
The Hokage brought his hand up to his face and rubbed the grease and sweat before addressing the young man before him. ?Your sensei is away on a mission, spur of the moment, but nothing to worry about. I imagine that he didn?t have time this morning to notify you that your session today was canceled. That's my fault, I?m afraid. Fightin? Brawly is an old friend of mine, and when I need something, I know that I can always turn to him to make sure that it gets done. For that, I apologize for inconveniencing you.?

He sounded sincere, but I was unsure.

I glanced over at Ren to gauge his reaction.

Then, the Hokage turned to address Minako. ?We called your parents, among many other high-ranking shinobi, to address an incident a problem facing the village. As you can see, we also closed down all non-essential institutions and other programs funded and run by the village. Again, nothing to worry about. Nothing cataclysmic, of course, but still something that required the village?s attention.?

My mother retired from being a kunoichi shortly after I was born, and likewise, I recalled that one of Minako or Ren?s parents were non-shinobi.

Suspicious, to say the least, but certainly not enough to call the Hokage out on.

?But what about our sensei, Hokage-sama?? Kimiko spoke up.

I turned to Kouji and Kimko and then back at the Hokage, just as he addressed the former. ?In order to foster a healthy relationship between our two villages, we sometimes combine our forces and carry out missions together. Typically, this only occurs when shinobi are hired by a third-party, usually an outside contractor, a nobleman or some wealthy merchant, but we also work together when there are missions in which both villages have vested interest to see to their completion.?

I took in what the Hokage said. A very diplomatic response. Didn?t quite answer the question, as if he was dodging it, but should have nevertheless satisfied somebody who wasn?t questioning this whole situation.

?Again, I apologize for the inconvenience.? He repeated. ?In fact, if you?d like, I?d be more than happy to make things up to you. My schedule for the rest of the day is open, so if the five of you would like, you may join me downtown for lunch and then maybe a training session afterwards.?


?It?s the least I could do, after all.? He said with a smile.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Apr 20, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
HOKAGE RESIDENCE

__________​
Ren listened intently, his facial expression unchanging as the Hokage explained the situation. As it turned out, he _was_ right, and there was a situation that required the attention of Fightin' Brawly and all the other instructors who would otherwise be inside the facility. With that being the case, it could be reasoned that the downtown shops they came across on their way here were shut down because there were no visitors or customers. The answer given may have satisfied most other people, such as Minako, but it was quite obvious that the Hokage was avoiding answering the question. He gave no detail on what exactly their parents and instructors were doing, for instance, and...

His eyes narrowed, slightly. _"There's no way that the situation isn't quite bad if Brawly was forced to open up the gates. And even with that, it looks like he'd been overpowered, considering his injuries and the way he was thrown to our location..."_ He thought to himself. Something didn't add up, and the Houki's instincts told him that their Hokage, for whatever reason, was withholding information from them.

"Ah, you wouldn't mind if I bought an extra portion for Brawly-sensei would you, Hokage-sama?" He smiled politely, and then threw his bait. "I'm sure he'll be exhausted after opening up the gates like that~"


----------



## Fedster (Apr 20, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


According to the Hokage, everyone was busy with something, including Brawly-sensei, their parents, Red Team's sensei, and himself. It even involved the shop owners, whatever it was. So she _was_ right; the thing they were dealing with was more than ginormous. But _what_ was more than ginormous? Ginormous was pretty big by itself, and Minako did not know anything that could exceed that level of measuring. Unless...no. It was stupid thinking that something _that_ big could exist. But what if...

Just what if there was something _planetary_? But that would involve all the planet! People would get killed, and _die_!

The proposal that the Hokage made snapped her back to reality. "Lunch with Hokage-sama?! Yay! I hope something is open, because I didn't have breakfast and I'm _starving_! Oh! Hokage-sama, I'd also have to bring a portion for my brother. I...Is it okay?" She remembered that she had left Masoto, her 3-year old brother, alone in the house. At least she told him not to open the door to strangers.


----------



## Island (Apr 21, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Hokage's Office
---​
?Your sensei works hard for his village.? The Hokage seemed unfazed by Ren?s statement. ?I?d even invite him, but I don?t think he?ll be back in time.?

He paused, listening carefully to Minako?s words before raising the question. ?Minako-chan, your mother is a non-shinobi, correct? Are you sure she wasn?t in the bathroom or something??

I raised an eyebrow at this, pondering momentarily whether or not Minako would be dumb enough to let something like this happen. It made sense that her mother was actually home the whole time, taking care of her son, but could a kunoichi, a genin, but a kunoichi nevertheless, be oblivious enough to not notice that her own mother was home the whole time?

?You?re free buy as much as you?d like.? He finally answered both of them with a smile.

?But the real question is,? he turned to Kouji and Kimiko, ?Will our friends from Sunagakure be joining us this afternoon??

I turned to see what Kouji and Kimiko had to say.

The latter spoke up. ?No thank you, Hokage-sama. Kouji-kun and I should get back to the embassy soon.?

The Hokage shrugged and then turned to me.

?Hirari-chan,? he pointed out, ?You?ve been even quieter than usual. Is it safe to say that you?re coming as well, or do you have other obligations??

I thought about this for a moment. On one hand, the Hokage had given me the perfect opportunity to opt out and go home without coming off as rude. On the other hand, it wasn?t every day that somebody as important as important as the Hokage invited you out for lunch. Well, at least for normal people, it wasn?t. On more than one occasion, I accompanied father to lunch with the Hokage, and I recalled one night when he came for dinner at the compound. Probably wouldn?t mean all that much if I chose not to go. 

I leaned toward a solid no, but?

?Of course, Hokage-sama.? I settled on my decision, one I?d probably end up regretting.

?Excellent!? He exclaimed.

?If you guys have no other business here, then let?s be off!? He announced.

---​
We arrived at a small restaurant on some sidestreet on the far end of Downtown Konoha, some place called Grandpa Tamago?s Traditional Dishes. The structure was built out of wood, the floors from rice straw, and the walls from paper. The doors were sliding paper doors, and the windows were large empty holes in the walls that let in the various sights, sounds, and smells from the rest of the village. Traditional music, instrumentals that predated even the village, played in the background, coming from two young men playing instruments in the far corner, probably the owner?s adult sons.

The Hokage entered first and was greeted warmly by an elderly man at the entrance, presumably Grandpa Tamago.

We followed him to a table on the far right side along a window looking out to Downtown Konoha. Of the four seats, the Hokage sat down at one of the window seats, leaving us to choose where we wanted to sit. Two of us could sit across from the Hokage while the third would have to sit next to him.

I let Ren and Minako go first.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Apr 21, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
DOWNTOWN KONOHA

__________​
Ren entered the restaurant. It seemed to have somewhat traditional looking architecture, with paper walls and doors and rice straw floors, and folk music playing in the background. _"How typical of the Hokage to come to a place like this..."_ He thought to himself. Personally, the Houki found the place a bit distasteful, but it seemed like the sort of place the Hokage would have liked. Like him, it had an old, traditional feel to it which felt immersed in the roots and culture of the village. In this regard, he'd been somewhat glad that the two Sunagakure shinobi didn't come along; they probably wouldn't have understood the appeal of such a place.

He walked, finding a spot near the window so that he could look out of it in case anything happened. There was still something he felt uneasy about, but the Houki wasn't sure what exactly what it was. Reaching inside his pocket, the shinobi produced a blue ribbon, etched with the patterns and silver trimming of the Houki clan, tying up the back of his hair with it. He didn't want loose bits of hair to fall into his food, after all. "So, what are we having?" He asked.


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## Fedster (Apr 21, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


Already in the house? But...If so, why didn't Masoto say something? Was that little prick pulling her leg? Were that the case, the kid would find a leg deeply buried in his face when Minako returned home. Now that she gave it some thought though, it _was_ possible that her mother was somewhere else, like the bathroom or shopping. After all, she rarely took Masoto with her, because she would have to carry a lot of bags and if she added a three-year old kid running around her, it was more than she could manage.

With her mind at ease, Minako almost skipped her way to the restaurant. It had few to no people, there was background music, and food. It was the perfect place to talk, or to plan murder.

As if on cue, she sat next to the Hokage after he and Ren took their seats. "I thought it was common courtesy to let the girls sit first." She pouted at them. "I didn't expect that from you, Hokage-sama!" She sighed, having made her point and leaving the subject to board another one, clearly more urgent.

She addressed Ren by pointing in his direction and looking at him with fire in her eyes. "It doesn't matter what we're having, as long as it is lots of it!"


----------



## Island (Apr 22, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Downtown Konoha

---​
?Age before beauty.? The Hokage answered with a lighthearted chuckle. ?I?m a lot older than I was when I first took office, Minako-chan. Give it another twenty years, and the three of you might just be bringing me here in a wheelchair.?

From what I recalled, the Hokage wasn?t actually that old, probably in his late-twenties to early-thirties. However, he _did_ look somewhat older, probably in his late-thirties, maybe early-thirties, with a handful of wrinkles and a couple grays on that mop on top of his head.

Not worth dwelling on, though.

I went ahead and took my seat next to Ren and across from Minako, with the Hokage sitting diagonally to me. I glanced over at both of my partners and then up at our leader who had since busied himself by searching for a waiter or a waitress, probably in hopes that he or she would be arriving with menus, maybe even something to drink. He appeared somewhat childish, carefree and cheerful, nonchalantly enjoying his time off, in stark contrast to what one would expect the most powerful man in the village, maybe even the whole Shinobi World, to be like, in a way like how they described the Fourth and Sixth Hokages.

Minako went ahead and answered Ren?s question about what they were having, in which the Hokage only responded with a laugh.

I had to wonder to myself, though. Were all shinobi like this? So carefree and nonchalant about everything? First Brawly, now the Hokage. Even mother, a master assassin, maintained this degree of compassion.

Then, a waitress, a young non-shinobi, probably the daughter or granddaughter of the owner of this establishment, came with a tray of hot drinks, placing them on the table and nodding kindly at the Hokage, to which he nodded back and replied simply with, ?Four of the usual.?

Did he come here a lot? Probably.

?Hokage-sama,? I spoke up, ?What exactly _is_ the usual??

?Also,? I added, ?How do you know that we?ll like it??

?Well, Hirari-chan,? he explained, ?I make an effort to get at least read over the dossiers of every shinobi in our village, those who come in, those who leave, those who graduate, and those who, well, you know. Tens of thousands of dossiers later, I can tell you everything from the favorite color to the favorite hot beverage of just about any shinobi in the village, as well as some other trivial stuff like battle styles and signature jutsu...?

I didn?t actually know if he was serious or not.

?What I?m trying to say is that?? the Hokage said, ?I know just about everything about everyone, and thus, am under the impression that you guys should be fine with what I usually get, though I have been known to make mistakes occasionally. For example, you have a particular distain for sweet foods, but I wasn't quite sure whether or not that includes honey??


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## Santí (Apr 22, 2014)

*Katsurou*
Kumogakure Food District​
"She got a little carried away, she says" Katsurou was partially certain that it was a bad joke, the girl nearly dropped her leg on him with a one-way ticket to the Earth's core; however... She seemed genuine enough, and had a fairly warm smile. She was definitely less detestable than his other teammate in every sense of thought, feeling, and impression. Katsurou slowly strolled his way towards his teammate and the wolves dissolve and looked her deeply in the eyes before reaching his grip out to meet her handshake. She was strong, stronger than he had expected. This was beyond respectable.

Katsurou acted in greater haste than he is proud of, the least he could do now was introduce himself. "I am Isamuki Katsurou, son of Katashi and son of Hina" he announced, "and we all seem to now be present, Sensei. Hopefully, you bring us more than a bag full of impressions and a few papers you haven't completely finished reading through yet."


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## Atlantic Storm (Apr 22, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
DOWNTOWN KONOHA

__________​
Ren took a sip of his tea, then set it back down on the table again, the clear brown surface of the drink reflecting his impassive face as he set it back down again. He gave a slight sigh of relaxation, wrapping his fingers around the edges of the china. "It's good tea, but..." He finally said, then looked away from the beverage and at the Hokage. "...I don't usually like cold drinks." The Houki finished, looking at Uchiha Yamata with complete deadpan seriousness.

Though, he didn't actually care about it that much. Good tea was still good tea, after all; he just preferred to drink it warm. Ren mostly wanted to see how the Hokage would react to this. Surprise? Calm? He was sort of curious. More importantly, however, it likely would have been rude for him to speak his mind immediately upon entering the restaurant; that he suspected that the Hokage was merely offering these things to distract them from whatever was going on in the village. He waited for a few moments, taking another sip of his honey green tea before placing it back upon the surface of the table. "I don't mean to sound rude, Hokage-sama, but..."

He looked at the Hokage. "When are you going to stop trying to distract us from what's going on and tell us what's happening? If our parents and sensei are involved, I believe we have the right to know. In full detail."


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## Redblood (Apr 22, 2014)

*Amagumo*
Kumogakure Food District

----------​
Well, this was certainly unexpected. Apparently two of his prospective students knew each other from somewhere else. Somewhere very unpleasant, as Kabiki Ruka had clearly tried to attack Isamuki Katsurou with some furious intent, which escalated further and further until…

“Sorry about that, but that was fun! I hope we can still be friends!”

…The fight completely stopped out of nowhere. What an odd bunch. Two of them had already tried to kill each other, and the other one just sat back and let it happen. This should make their test all the more interesting.

"I am Isamuki Katsurou, son of Katashi and son of Hina" he announced, "and we all seem to now be present, Sensei. Hopefully, you bring us more than a bag full of impressions and a few papers you haven't completely finished reading through yet."

Presumptuous boy. Amagumo cleared his throat and finally spoke again.

“Indeed. Since you all know each other’s names now, I think it’s only best to begin your test.” Amagumo declared.

“A test?! I didn’t study for this! I thought we were just gonna do cool ninja stuff!” Kabiki Ruka chirped, making Amagumo’s eyebrow twitch just a bit as he approached her.

“Kabiki-chan, do you think this is a game? A joke? A farce, if you will?” Amagumo asked, getting right up in Ruka’s face.

“I hope so! I like jokes!” Ruka declared, entirely unaware of her sensei’s displeasure.

“Oh really? Well then, have you heard this one? What did the Kunoichi say after being sent to the moon?” Amagumo began, Ruka visibly eager to answer.

“I don’t know, what did the---*WAAAHH!!*" Ruka cried, interrupted with a blast of compressed air that sent her flying.

“Ah yes. ‘Waaahh.’ Sorry, guess you’ve heard that one before.” Amagumo remarked, and before Felix or Katsurou could even say anything to that, water clones appeared behind them and sent the two of them right up with Ruka. Acting quickly, the shinobi made a bunch of fast hand signs and formed about two dozen water-dense clouds high above the Food District. Amagumo created a cloud for himself and came to the center of the group of clouds. His students were careening out of control, but a quick burst of wind sent them all in the right direction, landing each of them on a cloud. 

"Well then..." Amagumo began, "Now we'll see if you all are worthy of training under me. This is a game of tag! Each of you has to tag me in order to become my student. Now, as you may have noticed, this is no ordinary game of tag! Each of you are standing on clouds of my own creation, which have been so densely packed with water that you can walk on them, much in the same way you can walk on water by concentrating your chakra. Naturally, if you fall to the ground, you fail. Additionally, after ten minutes, these clouds will start to rain, and they'll start to be less secure. Other than that, there are no rules to this game! Come and get me!" Amagumo bellowed.


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## Redblood (Apr 22, 2014)

*Kabiki Ruka*
High Above the Kumogakure Food District

----------​
*“CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!!!”* was all Ruka thought to say as she rocketed higher and higher through the air, through several clouds and possibly a passing goose. Yet, just as Ruka was about to fall back to earth, a new gust of wind propelled her forward, landing her on a cloud. A cloud that she could stand on. Somehow. What the?! Where was everyone else?!

Oh. They were right next to her. Also standing on clouds. 

*HOW?!*

Ruka was so caught up in how the hell they were standing on clouds that she almost didn't realize her sensei was there, speaking to her and the others.

"...Each of you has to tag me in order to become my student. Now, as you may have noticed, this is no ordinary game of tag! Each of you are standing on clouds of my own creation, which have been so densely packed with water that you can walk on them, much in the same way you can walk on water by concentrating your chakra. Naturally, if you fall to the ground, you fail. Additionally, after ten minutes, these clouds will start to rain, and they'll start to be less secure. Other than that, there are no rules to this game! Come and get me!" Amagumo bellowed. Well, I _guess_ that makes sense. But...there's water in clouds now?

"...Tag?" Ruka pondered, "I *LOVE* tag!" she declared, ready to spring into action.


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## Fedster (Apr 22, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


Woah, the Hokage knew _everything_ about _every_ shinobi in the village? That was scary, and creepy, if one thought about it. Really, how much information would the archives have? The Hokage's knowledge would be kinda limited to what their papers said, unless...No. It was creepy enough that he knew about them. It would be even creepier if he knew their measures, and...Underwear preferences, and stuff like that. Minako thanked the God of Shinobi that she was wearing trousers. She did not know if Hokage-sama was actually a perv at heart, beneath that mask of kindness...

In any case, after almost burning her tongue with the tea, she listened. Even though she had lots of questions to ask, mainly about what the usual was, why it was called 'usual', and if it was a secret food that only this restaurant served, she let Ren and Hirari deal with the more trivial stuff, which for them seemed to be quite the opposite.

"When are you going to stop trying to distract us from what's going on and tell us what's happening? If our parents and sensei are involved, I believe we have the right to know. In full detail." Minako contained just in time, as she was about to showered Hirari with hot tea. When she was done coughing, she said:

"W-why would Hokage-sama be distracting us, Ren-kun? I mean, why _us_, right? We're not that important." She added with a short, wannabe laugh.


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## Island (Apr 23, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Downtown Konoha

---​
_?Here we go.?_ I sighed to myself.

I leaned forward, placing both of my elbows on the table and resting my face right in the palm of my hands. I shook my head silently to myself but nevertheless listened closely to the conversation between Ren and the Hokage.

?Is your tea cold?? The Hokage seemed genuinely disappointed to hear that. ?I can have the waitress bring you another if you?d like.?

?But onto business.? He changed the subject. ?I?m impressed that you?re so ready and willing to question the world around you. A hallmark of any great shinobi, really. That said, there are a couple of holes in your logic.?

He turned to Minako briefly. ?As Minako-chan asked, why you specifically? Why you over any other genin squad that probably stopped by today, Ren-kun??

He paused briefly. ?Why me, specifically? If my purpose here was to distract you, I could have facilitated a number of other distractions for you, most of which involving people _other_ than me to keep you busy.?

?Your argument places a special emphasis on yourself, implying that there _must_ be a reason that I?m keeping something from _you_ and that _I_ must ensure that some mysterious secret isn't revealed.? He deviated somewhat. ?An old master once said that perfection is not achieved when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. In other words, a machine that functions with the fewest parts is preferable to one that functions with the maximum number of components. Fewer places to go wrong. Fewer things to screw up, if you will. Relevant to this, an explanation with the fewest assumptions is more likely to be true than one with many. An explanation that is simple has a higher chance of being true over one that that is not.?

?To bring this point home, and to teach you a lesson for today,? he added, ?A strategy with the fewest steps is preferable to one with many. A simple but effective strategy will always triumph a complicated one for the same reason that a machine with few parts or an argument with few assumptions is better than one with many.?

?All that said,? the Hokage glanced over to his left to see the waitress coming with a large tray of food, ?In the best interest of our village, I simply cannot share anything with you, and your parents will most likely give you a similar answer. As a shinobi, you are a soldier, an arm of the village and an instrument of its will. You are to fight in the name of your village, to protect your village, and ensure that it and its inhabitants will continue to prosper. As such, you must understand that there are things that the village must keep secret from anybody who isn?t on a need-to-know basis.?

The Hokage?s attention turned to the waitress which now approached with a large platter of food, presumably the Hokage?s ?usual? lunch. To my surprise, this lunch ended up being?

?Ice cream?? I raised an eyebrow as the waitress began setting the bowls down in front of us. ?You eat _ice cream_ for lunch every day, Hokage-sama??

?Not too sweet and just the right amount of flavor.? The Hokage described, his mouth practically watering. ?This place makes the best dessert in the village, a well-kept secret, I think.?


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## Atlantic Storm (Apr 23, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
DOWNTOWN KONOHA

__________​
Ren opened his mouth to reply to the Hokage, but quickly closed it again, wordlessly. He wasn't happy with being kept in the dark about things, but it became clear to him that the Hokage would not tell him what he, Fightin' Brawly and his parents were doing.

With a sigh of resignation, he brings the tea to his lips again, taking another drink from it. "It's fine. The tea's still nice even if it's cold." The shinobi replied, bringing the topic away from the mission, and then looked down at his lunch. The Hokage's 'usual'. He wasn't sure what he expected it to be; the Hokage, as friendly as he was, was someone who he still didn't know anything about. At first, he thought it might have been some kind of soup. When he entered the restaurant, a glance at the menu outside mentioned a soup special, and it seemed like the old fashioned thing that Uchiha Yamata might like. The Hokage's regular wasn't soup, however. It wasn't even a proper meal. It was...

Ice cream.

_"I can't believe the Hokage eats ice cream for lunch every day..."_ Ren thought to himself. In retrospect, it wasn't really all that unexpected. The leader of their village was a quirky man, and having ice cream for lunch seemed like the sort of thing he might do.


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## Fedster (Apr 23, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


Minako was caught off-guard. All that time, the Hokage had been hiding something from them, and it seemed that Minako alone had figured it out. However, the truth was so awe-inspiring, so despair-inducing, that it could not be uttered. That went beyond explanation, demonstration and sensation; beyond mind and matter, illusion and reality; beyond life itself.

It was ice-cream. For _lunch_. Minako could not disguise her emotions, her face being as unimpassive as possible. Even _she_ knew that eating ice-cream on an empty stomach could upset it, and brainfreeze was eve more likely to happen in these conditions.

Was this some kind of training? Otherwise, how could the Hokage eat ice-cream for lunch nearly every day? She stared at the bowl she was given, at the semi-solid dessert in front of her, slowly melting its way to a liquid state. "Um, H-Hokage-sama...I don't think this can be very healthy." She managed to say, politely raising her hand up to eye-level to talk.


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## Island (Apr 24, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Downtown Konoha

---​
?I?ve been doing this since I was your age, and look at me now.? The Hokage chuckled. ?Of course, maybe my body is just used to it by now.?

?Who knows?? He shrugged nonchalantly before dipping his spoon into a large hunk of ice cream in the center of the bowl.

He brought his attention to me momentarily. ?I hope this isn?t too sweet for you, Hirari-chan. You are a notoriously picky eater, y?know.?

I shied away and turned my gaze out the window, somewhat embarrassed. Out of everything I could be known for, he knew me as a picky eater. Nothing worth stressing over but it still made me uncomfortable.

?It?s fine.? I answered, not returning eye contact.

?Great!? The Hokage exclaimed.

Then, the man turned his attention back to the group as a whole stating, ?I?ll send the three of you home with some real food for you and your families, if you?d like. In the meantime, let?s enjoy our lunch and, afterward, we can begin the training session that I promised.?

---​
Shortly after eating?

?Let?s get down to business.? The Hokage placed his spoon in the bowl and pushed it toward the edge of the table, signifying to the waitress that he was finished. ?Among the three fighting styles, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu, the latter is probably the least frequently used but also the most dangerous. Using Genjutsu requires immense skill, and likewise, combatting it, requires the user to either have an inherent predisposition to detecting and reversing the effects of Genjutsu, such as the Byakugan or the Sharingan, or to be able to override its effects through masterful chakra control. In regards to the latter, one can stop the flow of chakra in their body and then apply a sudden surge that interrupt?s the opponent?s chakra flow.?

?Of course, they can also override the effects of Genjutsu through sensory overload, inflicting enough pain to reset the nervous system, in a sense.? He added. ?That?s not quite the point of this exercise, however.?

?To my knowledge, Minako-chan specializes in Genjutsu,? he changed the subject, ?While Hirari-chan and Ren-kun are? sub-par.?

?Therefore,? the Hokage stated, ?We?ll spend today?s session working with Genjutsu.?

He took a moment to activate his Sharingan, the kekkei genkai of the Uchiha Clan and one of the Three Great Dojutsu.


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## Atlantic Storm (Apr 25, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
DOWNTOWN KONOHA

__________​
"_Shit. The Sharingan?_" Upon witnessing the Hokage's formerly onyx black eyes turn into the signature illuminative red of the Uchiha's Sharingan, Ren reflexively forced his eyes shut. Tentatively, he backed away slightly. He didn't know a lot about genjutsu, but he did know that one of the many specialties of the Uchiha clan were their ocular illusions and their ability to use their eyes to snare people.

The Hokage had said that they were going to train genjutsu, but in the instance where Uchiha Yamata had activated his Sharingan, that thought had flown immediately out of Ren's memory. But it was with his eyes closed, that the Houki realized how hard it must be to fight an Uchiha. Without sufficient skill in genjutsu, a look in their eyes means they get trapped in an illusion. But if they close their eyes, they lose sight and have to rely on the other senses to fight a, very likely to be, skilled foe.


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## Fedster (Apr 25, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


_'Spoon Element:
...
ICE-CREAM EXCAVATION TECHNIQUE!'_​
One seriously bad decision later....

"Uuuugh..." Minako has overexerted herself with that technique. Both her stomach and head were complaining, but, in the end, it was worth it. The ice-cream, as Hokage-sama had mentioned, was neither too sweet and had just the exact amount of flavor. It was not like she would not have eaten should it be too sweet, but it was an important distinction to make. She would have asked for a second ration, but in her state, she would not be able to make it through with it.

The headache left immediately after Minako drank the hot tea, and the stomache, though still present, did menguated to a lesser malady. With that problem aside, Minako could focus on the matter at hand, which was the Hokage ranting again about some technical ninja stuff. However, her attention was caught by the word 'Genjutsu.'

_"Look, Minako."_ She could hear her father's words as though he was in that room with her. _"I know I said the clan was one of the best when it came to Genjutsu, but I never told you_ which _was the best. Sadly, it's not us. I wish we were, but no. Those are the Uchiha. But only because of that eyes they have. If it wasn't for that, maybe _we_ would be best. Who knows?"

"Point is, Be careful with them, if you ever fight one."_

If _he_ thought they were a threat, then Minako was, to put it bluntly, screwed.

Her thoughts were confirmed when the Hokage activated his Sharingan.

"Ah!" She let out, moving to the edge of her chair, away from the man.   She was inches away of falling off it.


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## Island (Apr 26, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Downtown Konoha

---​
The Hokage spoke. “The most powerful Genjutsu tend to drain one’s chakra pool incredibly fast and also require so much concentration and mental energy that they are unable to be used on multiple targets. Very few can devastate a large number of targets, and even fewer can do so without draining the user entirely. Thus, many years ago, I began searching for a way to put down my opponents without expending too much chakra, something many thought to be a fool’s errand…”

He paused momentarily. “The other villages have advanced tremendously, developing many new machines, from the aeroplane to the automobile.  However, since the days of the Sixth Hokage and the start of the Industrial Revolution, Konohagakure has invested its time and money into researching the mysterious of the universe, what are we, how we work, and most importantly, what defines us as human.”

“We have learned much about the brain and made incredible advances in both neuroscience and the field of human psychology.” The Hokage explained. “By applying that knowledge to the shinobi arts, I have ccompleted my search and developed the jutsu that I was seeking.”

“Nightmare Fuel.” I interjected. “The Ninth Hokage’s signature Genjutsu. They say that Uchiha Yamata, the Ninth Hokage, discovered a way to cast Genjutsu over entire armies and effectively cripple the military capabilities of any invading force. The Kazekage can glass entire battlefields, Mizukage can command the power of the seas, producing the destructive force of a tsunami, the Raikage can destroy whole mountains with his bare fists, the Tsuchikage can sculpt countrysides like an artist working from a canvas, but the Hokage, the Hokage can break the hearts and minds of whole armies, shatter their psyches and make them unable to do battle.”

“Or so they say.” I answered flatly. “Nobody has actually _seen_ the Kage do any of this stuff.”

Minako and Ren looked somewhat apprehensive, fearful of the Hokage’s powers, but in all honestly, I didn’t really care. I figured that the Hokage was just putting on a show, being dramatic and trying to scare us, and although the Sharingan _was_ one of the most powerful kekkei genkai in the world and although there _was_ truth in his words, I kept in mind the fact that he was our leader and we were his followers. I doubted that he would do anything to actually harm us. Though, considering Brawly threw us across the village…

I was somewhat concerned, but I didn’t let it show.

Plus, I figured that if he wanted to cast Genjutsu over us, we wouldn’t really have much say in the matter…

“Very good, Hirari-chan.” He sounded somewhat impressed, but my attention was still focused on what was going on outside so I couldn’t actually see his face. “Now, imagine that you’re dreaming, and suddenly, that dream turns into a nightmare. Your greatest fears, your deepest regrets, and even your most tragic losses manifest right before your eyes.”

“The subconscious in action.” The Hokage said.

He continued. “I have found a way to manipulate one’s subconscious into producing nightmarish hallucinations, drawing upon everything that an individual suppresses, again, their fears, their regrets, and everything other negative feeling that they refuse to bring to light.”

“I simply need to gain that foothold, establish dominance over an opponent’s mind,” he stated, “And their own subconscious turns against them.”

“Because they only need to fall under my influence and, likewise, due to how difficult it is to prevent oneself from falling victim to Genjutsu, especially Genjutsu cast by a Sharingan user, I am able to cast upon multiple opponents and halt any potential threat against our village.” He stated. “Our ultimate defense, again, the reason that any other village would think twice before attacking Konohagakure.”

“Now, I’m sure you can figure out why I'm telling you all of this…” The Hokage awaited a response.


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## Fedster (Apr 26, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


As a Genjutsu specialist and as member of the Urasabi clan, Minako had heard about Nightmare Fuel. In fact, she seemed to be as informed as Hirari, or maybe even more, depending on what her friend knew. But even the most well-known and elite on Genjutsu only knew so much about it. After all, it was a technique developed by the Hokage, after years and years of intensive studying and training. The Urasabi clan seemed like a bunch of slackers besides him, and that kind of upsetted Minako.

They have always tried their best. They really have. But even that never seemed to be enough. Would the cause of that be that they prioritized personalities and feelings over perfection? What would have happened if Urasabi Tetsu had not existed? Minako would probably be much more better in Genjutsu, but...

But...

Was _that_ worthy of throwing away her self?

Minako forced herself to snap out of her somber train of thought. "I...I guess?" She replied rather bemused, not really sure of what the Hokage just said.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Apr 27, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

DOWNTOWN KONOHA

_________________​
*Genjutsu-no-go;*


Truth be told, Ren had a very superficial understanding of genjutsu. He understood that it involved the creation of illusions to trick the opponent and that it was deadly, but beyond that, he'd never tried to dabble in it. As long as he could fry opponents from a distance with his ninjutsu, as well as respond accordingly with taijutsu if they ever got close, he'd be fine, right? Besides, there was a sure method of escaping from them, which was just sensory overload. A scratch, and the illusion would disperse instantly. How easy was that?

But as the Hokage began to discuss his creation, Nightmare Fuel, the Houki found himself gulping somewhat nervously. An illusion which could spread over entire armies? He'd never heard of such a thing, and even with the strongest ninjutsu, it would be difficult to have such a wide-scale technique. If the subconscious turned against the user, then in theory, he could manipulate his every action. How would he cut himself with a kunai or try to escape from the illusion if the enemy told him not to?

Ren's eyes opened, looking at the Hokage once again though still careful to avoid his direct gaze. "You're going to use it on us, right?" He asked.​


----------



## Island (Apr 27, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Downtown Konoha

---​
?Heavens, no!? The Hokage raised his hand above his mouth.

?Such a technique is nothing less than a human rights violation, a crime against all of humanity.? He stated. ?This technique must never be used except in the direst emergencies, the most extreme circumstances.  One wrong move, and a person may become a dribbling mess, a vegetable in a hospital bed, trapped forever in their own nightmares??

The man paused, tabbing his chin with his pointer finger.

?On second thought?? His eyes began to twinkle and a playful yet devilish smile appeared on his face.

Suddenly, I felt myself succumb to what must have been the Hokage?s Genjutsu. I began to feel numb and my limbs became heavy. I felt as if I was about to fall asleep, collapse right on the table and lose consciousness. 

Nightmare Fuel.

The Hokage?s signature Genjutsu, his ultimate technique.

?Listen to me very carefully.? The Hokage instructed. ?The three of you are about to enter a dream-like state where some of your darkest nightmares will manifest right before your eyes. You will be helpless to stop this nightmare, the sights, the sounds, and the feelings that will overwhelm you and consume you??

?Unless you fortify your mind.? He stated. ?Become a fortress and try to resist my influence.?

?Today?s test will be one that tests your mental fortitude, your capacity to stand up and face your fears.? He concluded.

Just briefly, moments before finally losing consciousness, I wondered to myself what Ren and Minako would be experiencing, what they would see, how they would react, and most importantly, what they would do when pressed against the wall like this?


----------



## Sablés (Apr 27, 2014)

Rikou

Above Kumogakure food district​
I have to analyze the situation. From how he handled that boxer, a frontal assault is doomed to failure. Amagumo stood at the center of a little over 24 makeshift clouds. However we planned to attack, taking advantage of the terrain was a must. He can't exactly run anywhere without footing. Course I have a backup plan just in case.

A metallic rattling could be heard from underneath Rikou's clothes as a chain with a golden snake head descended from his sleeves. I turned towards my other teammates to hear whatever idea they might have thought of.

"Any ideas?"


----------



## Island (Apr 27, 2014)

*Kimiko*
Konoha Embassies

---​
?Our new teammate was supposed to arrive today.? Kimiko explained. ?The dossier said something about a guy named Funzaki, sixteen years old, Nintaijutsu Specialist, or something like that. Looked cute, at least. Red hair. Green eyes. Sorta like you except, well, not as, uh, as? mean-looking.?

The duo finally arrived back at the embassies, a large complex that was home to embassies for every country in the Shinobi World, as well as the headquarters of the United Shinobi Forces. The structure itself was a large rectangular building made out of brick, cement, and even wood, somewhat dated but nevertheless came with all of the necessities. The front of the structure had a large red door with a circular red sign above it that read ?Konoha Embassies? in black kanji. Usually, one could see people coming in and out of the structure, standing outside and conversing, but today, there was nothing. No sights, no sounds. Just emptiness.

?Kouji-kun?? Kimiko shuttered, ?I hope Konoha isn?t like this all the time??

?Because this is starting to freak me out.? She added.

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard from inside, walking toward the exit?


----------



## Hidden Nin (Apr 27, 2014)

Kouji
Konoha Embassies​
Kouji grins. "So that means you think I'm cute, huh?" On the way there he'd acted like his normal self, though as he hears the footsteps, the grin begins to fade. It did sort of bother him, on a certain level, that the place was this deserted. And if they didn't find out what was happening soon, he had half a mind to just retreat back to Suna...

Kouji darted to the side of the exit as he heard footsteps, and nodded towards the other side to Kimiko to indicate she should cover that side. Then he put a finger to his lips to indicate silence...


----------



## Redblood (Apr 27, 2014)

*Funzaki
*Konoha Sunagakure Embassy

------------
​“Geez…” Funzaki mumbled, “this sucks.” he groaned. The shinobi wasn’t exaggerating. He had been waiting in the embassy for HOURS. No one had even come to greet him. He wasn’t even sure if anyone was around. The place was so quiet.

“I was at least hoping a nice woman would be at the kiosk to help me… one with a nice, low cut uniform.” Funzaki mused, his breathing getting just a bit heavier. But still, the lack of people around concerned him. Is this really how Konoha treats its guests these days? Unbelievable.

“Tch. Fine. Guess I’ll go see what’s outside. It’s not like I wanted to order room service or anything. I miss my dear old friend, Sake.” Funzaki whimpered, catching something out of the corner of his eye.  Two people were approaching the embassy. Bellhops? Maybe even SEXY ones?!

Funzaki practically flew at the entry way, carrying his Hammer with him as he ran to greet the duo. But when he got outside, he noticed the two of them were standing... hiding against either side of the entrance. When he finally met their gaze, he saw a totally hot redhead…

…and a rather scary guy next to her. Dammit! A boyfriend! Funzaki’s greatest nemesis. Oh well, best to be polite.

“Uh…hi. I’m Funzaki, who’re you guys?”


----------



## Island (Apr 27, 2014)

*Kimiko*
Konoha Embassies

---​
?Oh! Uh, I didn?t mean?? Kimiko sunk forward and brought her hands over her face. ?I just meant that, y?know, he looked??

She stopped upon hearing the footsteps, immediately switching from embarrassed teenaged girl into battle-ready kunoichi. She took an offensive stance and began channeling her chakra, as if she was ready to produce some powerful Wind Release techniques to knock back whomever walked through that door. At least, that was her intention, until?

Some guy came out, staring right at her with a creepy look on his face, as if he was eyeing her up.

He seemed to back off after seeing Kouji, turning his attention to the two of them rather than just on Kimiko and her? qualities.

?Uh? hi.? He introduced himself. ?I?m Funzaki Who?re you guys??

Speak of the devil.

He matched the description that Kimiko just gave, a young man with red hair and green eyes, and with the look and build of a Nintaijutsu Specialist. Of course, the dossier didn?t say anything about that gigantic hammer or about him being a huge pervert, but Kimiko concluded that those things could only write so much. After all, where exactly would one write: _?Warning: This man is a sexual deviant.?_

?You must be our new teammate.? Kimiko tried to remain polite. ?My name is Kimiko, and this is Kouji-kun. It?s a? pleasure to make your acquaintance.?


----------



## Hidden Nin (Apr 27, 2014)

Kouji
Konoha Embassies​
Kouji had his hands on his hips as he regarded the guy and the huge hammer, then crossed his arms. "Yea, Kouji," he said reemphasizing his name as he took as step between Kimiko and the new figure. "Nice hammer. Hope you're not overcompensating or anything..."

His body language relaxes a bit, and then he steps forward, offering his hand.


----------



## Redblood (Apr 27, 2014)

*Funzaki*
Konoha Embassies

----------​
“My name is Kimiko, and this is Kouji-kun. It’s a… pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“So you guys are my teammates? Nice to meet you!” Funzaki reaffirmed, internally screaming. He’d just eyed up the girl he’d be working with for the forseeable future. Greeeeat. But at least that means this other guy might not be her boyfriend…

"…Hope you're not overcompensating or anything..."

Oh, what? That guy Kouji was talking while Funzaki had been thinking, and he was reaching for a handshake. While Funzaki was fairly sure that Kouji had insulted him, and that Funzaki could easily say a thing or two right back, Funzaki didn’t know Kouji, and didn't want to paint a worse picture of himself to Kimiko than he already had, so he responded as politely as he could, shaking Kouji’s hand.

“No way. Hey, you guys have any idea where anyone is? I haven't seen a soul in hours!”


----------



## Island (Apr 27, 2014)

*Kimiko*
Konoha Embassies

---​
?We saw some people at the training ground earlier.? Kimiko answered. ?We went with them to the Hokage?s Office for an explanation and even found the Hokage himself, but we didn?t stay long enough to get answers. The Hokage wanted to take us out to lunch or something, but I didn?t think we could get through something like that without, well, without us offending him or something??

?Plus,? she added, ?We were told you?d be here, and we didn?t want to get held up with something we couldn?t easily get out of.?

Kimiko pondered the situation for a moment before continuing. ?I think that Hyuuga girl said that there were some more people at the training grounds??

?We _could_ find someone, maybe that team or whoever was at the training grounds.? The kunoichi stated. ?What do you think, Kouji-kun??


----------



## Island (Apr 28, 2014)

*Downtown Kiri*

---​
The two of you were asked to go to an undescriptive restaurant on some backstreet somewhere in Downtown Kiri. Upon arrival, you saw your sensei sitting in the far corner of the room, beckoning you silently with her hand. Upon heading over, she gestured for you to sit down at a couple of empty chairs across from her. Once you did, she began speaking in a hushed tone. ?To your left, a non-shinobi, female, sixteen years old, white hair, pale skin, somewhat sickly-looking. No, no, _stop that_. Don?t all look at once. You?ll draw attention to yourselves.?

?That is our target.? She stated flatly.

?We have strict orders to bring her back into custody.? Your sensei continued. ?As you can see, however, we cannot simply neutralize her the same way that we would any other threat. We cannot engage her in fear of damaging the surrounding area and, again, drawing attention to ourselves, something that we don?t want to do. Therefore, we must approach her with an olive branch, attempt to sway her with words, y?know, convince her to surrender peacefully??

?All we know is that she was brought to the village aboard a research vessel returning from a classified location.? She explained. ?We know nothing else about her, except that she apparently possesses a rare and powerful kekkei genkai that the village is interested in studying.?

Team Ran, this is your mission.

A young woman has escaped custody from a facility here in the village, and you are tasked with bringing her back. You know nothing about this young woman, other than the fact that she is wanted by the village and is presently three tables away from where you are, sitting by herself in the center of the room. You are to only use force as a last resort and absolutely forbidden from using lethal force.


----------



## Hidden Nin (Apr 28, 2014)

Kouji & Yui Hōzuki 
Konoha Embassies and Downtown Kirigakure​
Kouji shrugs. "Yea, maybe. The Hyuuga seemed to know what she was doing, at the very least. If we hurry we might be able to catch up to them."

He closes the front door of the embassy if his new teammate does not, and then turns to both. "Though, I'm not so sure what the Hokage's involvement might be. He was wearing his flak jacket...let's just be careful going forward. There's combat afoot, I think."

----------------------​
Yui glanced away from her sister, though one wouldn't know it if they simply overheard the conversation, and to their target. She pulls up a menu and glances over it for a few moments to observe the target for a little longer, and then folds it up, moving over towards the girl, and pulling out a chair, and seating herself. She doubted running would be her immediate reaction, and at since they were both female...at the very least it wouldn't seem strange. Yui offered a small smile, though it wasn't insincere. She enjoyed the hunt, in any form.

"Hello. I was wondering if I could maybe join you at your table? My date didn't show up and I sort of hate eating alone...I'm not sure if you do as well, but well. It never hurts to meet new people. I'm Yui Hōzuki." She offered her hand to shake.


----------



## Fedster (Apr 28, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


Just a moment ago, Minako was sitting with Ren, Hirari and the Hokage. But then, the latter did something...What was it? She could not remember. And how did she end up in Downtown Konoha? She could not figure that out, either. It could have been the ice-cream. No, it _had_ to be the ice-cream. The Hokage said he would never...he would never...

"I can't...remember." Minako frowned, worried. She walked along the dirt road. It was a sunny day, maybe too sunny for her taste. Or was it that everything was as it should be, and her body was what lacked color? She looked...greyer, somehow, and out of place with her surroundings. Even the people looked more colorful than her. Why?

As she walked down the road, she found more and more people. She could not hear their voices, but they were definitively saying something amusing, for they were smiling. Minako tried to smile, but found herself unable to. The ice-cream was not to blame anymore; something about _her_ was off. And yet, she could not know what it was. And what was worse, she could not say it, not because she did not know how to, but because no sound came out of her mouth.

Minako had no colour, no expression, and no voice. In other words, _she had lost her uniqueness_.

She started to gasp for air, and put a hand to her chest, feeling her heartbeat growing faster and faster. She felt imprisoned inside her own body, unable to break herself free. She stopped in her tracks and knelt on the floor. The people around her did not seem to see her no matter how much she waved at them. In fact, they all seemed to have their _backs_ facing her, as if unanimously deciding to pay her no attention. At that point, Minako was about to collapse when...

When _that_ happened.

She heard a series of coughs behind her, and when she turned around, she found a mess of yellow, green and red. His face was covered in fresh crimson, but she could recognize him; after all, he was her dad. Minako tried to call him, but still, her voice did not come out. But his...It was so forced, so pained, as though he was using his final strengths just to talk.

"We-Well done, Mina-ko." He said, coughing some blood. "You ha-ve passed the...Final test...Of the clan. You have...Ki..." He was interrupted by more coughing. "someone..."

"You have...Killed me..." 

Minako's expression was impassive, but on the inside, she wanted to shout, to cry, to deny what her father was saying. But then, she looked at her own hands, and instead the otherwise clean palms, the colorless hands were soaked in vivid, crimson blood.

Throughout the road, a sharp, despairingly unhuman cry could be heard. Minako did not realize, until it was gone, that it was her who had uttered it.


----------



## ?clair (Apr 29, 2014)

*MITSURA IKO*
DOWNTOWN KIRIGAKURE​
"Hello. I was wondering if I could maybe join you at your table? My date didn't show up and I sort of hate eating alone...I'm not sure if you do as well, but well. It never hurts to meet new people. I'm Yui Hōzuki." Yui offered her hand to shake, being rather odd in Iko's opinion. No one just goes and shakes hands with their targets. It was suspicious, completely contradictory to their original goal.

"Another one bites the dust," Iko sighed. Her sensei remained impassive, watching Yui with hawk-like eyes.

After a moment of consideration, while the two talked, she made up her mind. Maneuvering around the tables, thankful that theirs was hidden from the rest of the customers, she plastered a bright, entirely plastic smile on her face, her muscles twitching as they got used to this unusual expression. 

"There you are, Yui! I was waiting for you over there," she said simply, before 'noticing' the other girl. She really did look sick. "Oh, who is this?" Knowing she seemed a little overbearing, Iko pulled out a chair and sat down, mock-smiling at the girl. "Thank you for keeping my friend company. I'm Iko."

Another fake, painful smile that stretched her facial muscles. Honestly, her face had never felt so strange before as it did now.


----------



## Island (Apr 29, 2014)

*Masuyo*
Downtown Kiri

---​
?Masuyo.? The young woman answered.

She did not make eye contact with the kunoichi nor did she return the handshake. However, she also didn?t deny her request to sit down. She allowed Hozuki Yui to take a seat in front of her, still not making eye contact or even looking up at her. In fact, she hadn?t moved much at all in the time between Hozuki Yui introducing herself and her sitting down. She remained mostly still, her hands cupped beneath her chin and her eyes staring down at the table. She seemed morose and also somewhat fidgety, her fingers moving rapidly and her right leg shaking somewhat?

Tense, probably really nervous.

Then, Mitsura Iko appeared.

For the first time during the course of the conversation, Masuyo glanced up, a bewildered look plastered across her face. ?This is? your date, Yui-san??

?Where I?m from, this type of engagement is strictly forbidden.? She stated. ?Out of necessity, though. I don?t think anyone here actually has a problem with, well, you know??

She fidgeted awkwardly to herself before glancing back down at the table.


----------



## ?clair (Apr 29, 2014)

*MITSURA IKO*
DOWNTOWN KIRIGAKURE​
The girl, Masuyo, glanced up with a bewildered look on her face. It really looked out of place on her delicate features, which Iko could swear would crack if she exaggerated them too much.

?This is? your date, Yui-san??

For the love of god, couldn't mini-Hōzuki have come up with a better excuse? Did she _have_ to play the date card? All it did was make her look weird?as evidenced by the now bemused Masuyo.

?Where I?m from, this type of engagement is strictly forbidden,? Masuyo stated. ?Out of necessity, though. I don?t think anyone here actually has a problem with, well, you know??

She fidgeted awkwardly to herself before glancing back down at the table as Iko shot a murderous glare at the younger Hōzuki. Ran was probably enjoying the show from their table.

"It's not exactly like that," she tried to clear up. "We don't necessarily need to be in a relationship to call it a date. It's pretty casual. Things work like that here." She cleared her throat. "_Right_, Yui?"


----------



## Redblood (Apr 30, 2014)

*Funzaki*
Konoha Embassies

----------​
Funzaki paid close attention to his teammates as they debated their next move.

 "? The Hyuuga seemed to know what she was doing, at the very least. If we hurry we might be able to catch up to them."

A Hyuuga?! Woah. Even back in Suna, the Hyuuga girls were always talked about for how powerful (and *GOREGOUS*) they were. If there was even a chance that Funzaki could meet her, he was down for an investigation.
Funzaki was so immersed in? less than clean thoughts about what the Hyuuga girl looked like that he almost didn?t notice Kouji shut the front door of the embassy. 

"Though, I'm not so sure what the Hokage's involvement might be. He was wearing his flak jacket...let's just be careful going forward. There's combat afoot, I think."

Funzaki only heard about half of what his teammate said, as his mind was still elsewhere. All Funzaki knew was that there was a Hyuuga out there, and he was going to find her.

?Well then?? Funzaki began, ?as ambassadors of Sunakagure, I think it?s only right that we find out just what?s going on here in Konoha.? the shinobi declared, walking forward and resting his massive mallet on his shoulders as he did so.


----------



## Santí (May 1, 2014)

*Katsurou*
A long way from land​
Katsurou had a marvelous idea, although he was unsure if it would actually count. Regardless, it was something he would have to try without question in order to maintain the element of surprise against Amagumo.

"We will climb that hill when we get to it" Katsurou sneered to his pale teammate. The look in the other two genin's eyes was more than enough to give away that everyone had their own agenda to perform, co-operation within the next few moments was non-existant, but that is exactly where he would find his own opening. 

Katsurou sat on the cloud crossing his legs together along with his arms, awaiting for his hyperactive comrade to preemptively leap in and for his sneaky one to attempt to squeeze in through a hole trying to get his scheme to pay fruit.


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 1, 2014)

Yui Hōzuki 
Konoha Embassies and Downtown Kirigakure​
Yui glances over her shoulder at her teammate, and then looks back to the target. "She's not my date," she said with a pretty straight face, considering that it was the truth, and turning back to their guest as her teammate sat down.

"Is this your first time in this restaurant? Do you recommend anything?" she asked as she turned to Masuyo.


----------



## Island (May 1, 2014)

*Masuyo*
Downtown Kiri

---​
“I’m not from around here.” Masuyo answered. “I don’t plan on being around much longer either.”

The waitress suddenly appeared, a young woman with messy black hair and a deep scar across her right eye. She appeared somewhat tan, also unusually fit for a non-shinobi. The two of you quickly got the impression that she might be a kunoichi in disguise, possibly a hunter-nin brought in by the village.

Unusual, to say the very least.

You knew that the target was a non-shinobi, and thus, it would be strange to bring in a whole squad plus reinforcements to see to her capture.

The waitress spoke softly, “May I take your orders today, ladies?”

“A hot cup of tea for me, please.” Masuyo was quick to answer.


----------



## Redblood (May 2, 2014)

*Kabiki Ruka*
High Above Kumogakure

----------​
?I got a plan.? Kabiki Ruka sneered, cracking her knuckles, *?I?M A SMASH HIS FACE!?* she cried. Instantly, Ruka ran for Amagumo, who was leafing through a ratty old joke book he?d pulled out to pass the time. Amagumo was unmoved as Ruka ran right for him, gaining speed with each cloud passed.

?Hmm? what?s pink, green, furry, and completely missing the point of this exercise?? Amagumo mumbled, seemingly reading from his book as Ruka finally came within tagging distance of her sensei. Ruka balled her hand into a mighty fist, swung?

?and punched straight through a water clone. However, the force of Ruka?s punch was so great that she flew forward past about two more clouds before knocking into a third and just barely latching on and regaining her footing. But her sensei was gone.

?Huh. Every single one of my students.? Amagumo commented, appearing at the far end of the cluster of clouds, before another dozen Amagumos rose from various clouds around him, all reading from the same book. All Ruka could do was pout.

?Hey! No fair!?


----------



## Island (May 2, 2014)

*Kimiko*
Hokage's Office

---​
The team from Sunagakure made their way across Konohagakure and toward the Hokage?s Office where they had last seen both Team Brawly and the Hokage himself. The village remained suspiciously empty, very few people wandering the streets and none of them looking like they were shinobi. What should have been a bustling center of business remained vacant, devoid of all life, like some kind of ghost town. Everything from the Konoha Caf? to the Konoha Theater, like the Konoha Ninja Academy was closed. Nobody entering, nobody leaving, again, almost nobody on the street.

Finally, the team made their way back to the Hokage?s Office.

Again, empty.

However, the large wooden door was left ajar and the light inside was left on, indicating that somebody was there recently. Maybe the Hokage left the light on before he and Team Brawly left for lunch. Perhaps he simply forgot to close the door. Kimiko glanced nervously over at Kouji, looking to him for guidance. One could see that she was unsure of what to do, whether or not to advance or fall back.

Maybe the Hokage and Team Brawly were back already. Maybe not.

Maybe some unknown threat lurked behind that door, waiting for its chance to strike.

Who knew?

The whole situation weirded the kunoichi out.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 2, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

DOWNTOWN KONOHA

_________________​
*At The Top;*


The seat Ren Houki found himself sat upon was strangely cold, despite the two ornamental candles at his side. It was made out of a fine craftsmanship of some description of leather and various other fabrics, but the substance felt hard and jagged. Like flint. He was roughly thirty years old, with a taller and more masculine physique to match that as well as a slicked back hair style. Along with this, he'd left his dress shirt and trousers in favour of a more traditional blue robes with the clan insignia etched onto the back. Fifteen years after graduating from the Academy, he had become the head of the Houki Clan after ousting his father.

His eyes looked across the room: a long chamber with a mahogany table stretching across it, lined with velvet seats and a traditional straw tile based floor. Along the walls were the pictures of the previous clan heads, including the now deceased Eduan Houki. Despite the rice paper walls directly facing the sun, the quarters itself was dimly lit, illuminated only by the two candles which dyed the area surrounding Ren in orange envy. 

The clan head closed his eyes. What did he come here for? He had finally achieved his goals after thirty long years of his life and become the head of the clan, but it felt so empty. His father was dead, there were no means available to recover Hana Houki from her coma and he had little to no allies who would work with him due to the nature of his ascension. Of course, he had _retainers_, but even they acted callously distant at times. They remained respectful of him when they were with him, but spoke in hushed tones when they thought Ren couldn't hear him.

But they were deeply mistaken. Through the years, though he had always been adept at combat, Ren had tooled his skills more towards intelligence gathering, espionage and sensory abilities. In fact, it would be no understatement to say that he possibly had the widest spanning network of information in the entire village. The Houki gave a sigh, summoning an ethereal sphere of blue. 

And that's when his eyes widened, ever so slightly, in surprise. The sphere showed everybody within the clan area, down to every last clanmen, but approaching the area he was in was a chakra signature he didn't recognize. Where everybody else possessed small, light blue dots, this was a shade of slate-gray and burned far more furiously than the others. The entrance slid open with a quiet creak, and a dark, slender shape walked in.

The girl was dressed in a dark blue dress, a black half-cape covering her right arm. The first thing that Ren noticed as she walked in were her blue eyes, which glowed mischievously in the darkness of the room. Along with this, the woman had familiarly pale skin much like his, and long flowing silver hair which reached her hip. "Hello, Ren."  She said.

It was his sister; Lin Houki.​


----------



## Island (May 4, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Downtown Konoha

---​
I snapped back into reality after what was probably one of the most horrifying experiences I ever had to endure. A cold bead of sweat dripped down my forehead and fell onto the table in front of me. I quickly brought my hand up my forehand and began rubbing the sweat away, only to discover that my entire brow was drenched. I stopped mid-stroke to consider this, taking some time to reflect on what I just experience, the anger, the fear, and everything else that accompanied that dreadful nightmare.

Then, I stared up at the Hokage.

He appeared contemplative, as if examining the three of us, watching our every movements and trying to get a sense of what was going on in our minds.

?Well,? he asked, ?How was it??


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 4, 2014)

Kouji & Yui Hōzuki 
Konoha Embassies and Downtown Kirigakure​
Yui nodded, turning to the waitress. "I'll have a cup of coffee, black please." Then she centered her gaze on Masuyo. "So then, why is it you're in such a hurry, anyway? Nothing fascinating enough to keep you here in Kirigakure?"

She shot her partner a glance that sort of meant, jump in whenever you'd like, but not for long, lest their guest catch it too. She quickly turned back to the pale youth, smiling, though it was a small, gradual thing. "If that's the case, I'm sure you could pay a tour guide to show you some of the more interesting points of Kiri. There's some underwater chakra gardens that few people know of, for example." Yui leans back in her chair, her eyes centered squarely on Masuyo.

She probably won't be completely honest at first, but it's a start...

--------------​
Kouji looked back to Kimiko, his usually demented gaze a great deal calmer as he began to walk inside. And then...he went into a haphazard frenzy, pulling things down with erratically shot out and attached sets of chakra strings, from furniture, to paintings, and books, and whathaveyou. Nothing escaped his reach and little by little he started to displace it all.

"Is anybody _fucking _home?" he demanded quite loudly, glancing about as he continued to shoot out chakra strings all around the place and unshelve books, turn aside chairs, shove tables away, and all other manner of chaotic reassembly.

And after about 2 minutes, he was satisfied, and walked out of the Hokage's office, perhaps satisfied with himself. "Nope, nothing. Can you track?" he asked their new hammer swinging comrade. "We can trace where they went off too after this, if so. Or just eyeball it, it hasn't been _that _long."


----------



## Redblood (May 4, 2014)

*Funzaki*
Hokage?s Office

----------​
Funzaki was hesitant. This whole situation had been weird from the get-go, and no one seemed to be around, not even here at the Hokage?s office. Funzaki didn?t want to do anything rash.

Mainly because Kouji decided to do it first.

He went right into the Hokage?s office and trashed the place with a great amount of chakra strings, looking for any sign of life. But once again, nothing. That?s when Kouji looked to Funzaki.

"Nope, nothing. Can you track?" he asked his hammer swinging comrade. "We can trace where they went off too after this, if so. Or just eyeball it, it hasn't been _that _long."

?Um?? Funzaki began, looking around and seeing nothing of interest or clue to where anyone had gone. Not that what Kouji did made it any easier to see.
?I can? use my hammer?? Funzaki offered, at a total loss for words or advice as to how to proceed.


----------



## Island (May 4, 2014)

*Kimiko*
Hokage's Office

---​
One could hear footsteps from inside, descending a flight of steps that led to the upper levels of the Hokage?s Office. Then, suddenly, somebody shouted, ?What the?? What the hell happened down here?!?

Then, about a second later, just after Funzaki and Kouji finished speaking, somebody busted through the front door with a powerful kick. A young man, probably between the ages of fourteen and sixteen, came through with a kunai gripped firmly in his right hands. This young man wore a blue bandanna that bore his forehead protector and had medium-length black hair that obscured his face. One could not make out any further details as to who he was, but considering that he was not wearing a flak jacket, it was likely he was a fellow genin.

Behind him followed two other genin.

The genin to his immediate right, Kouji would recognize immediately, a young man with wild white hair and a distinct, determined and thoughtful, look on his face.

The genin to his immediate left, however, would seem oddly familiar to both Kouji and Kimiko, but neither would quite be able to put their fingers on it. This genin was a young woman with light blue hair and pale skin who wore a long white shirt and orange pants. She seemed somewhat distant, as if not really paying attention to what was going on?

?Wait a minute?? The young man in the center spoke. ?You??

He stared straight at Kouji for a second.

?Shizuo-kun,? he turned to one of his squadmates, ?Isn?t this the guy you got into a fight with the other day??


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 5, 2014)

Kouji
Hokage's Office​
Kouji's gaze snaps towards the voice coming down the stairs, and then to the door being kicked in, his posture tensing as he prepared for the worst...and instead found_ that guy_.

Kouji scowled slightly, folding his arms in front of him. "Ah, it's the deaf and dumb _asshole _from the other day. What the fuck are you three doing here?" He eyed the girl with the blue hair, though he couldn't properly place who she was right now...though it probably wasn't that important.

Kouji pulled at his scarves slightly, grabbing the oversized scroll on his back. "Can we _help _you?"


----------



## Redblood (May 5, 2014)

*Funzaki*
Hokage’s Office

----------​
Funzaki was just about ready to leave when all of a sudden, three ninja burst into the Hokage’s office. They all appeared to be from Konoha, including a blue haired beauty that Funzaki took care not to stare at too long (as he remembered the impression he left last time). Finally! People! Now maybe Funzaki could get some answers as to what the hell was going on h—

“Shizuo-kun,” one of the guys addressed, “Isn’t this the guy you got into a fight with the other day?”

Uh oh.

"Ah, it's the deaf and dumb asshole from the other day. What the fuck are you three doing here?" Kouji answered.

*UH OH.*

It looked like Kouji was readying for a fight too! Funzaki clutched his hammer a little tighter, but more out of precaution than provocation. Just what had Funzaki gotten himself into with these two teammates of his?!


----------



## Island (May 5, 2014)

*Kimiko*
Hokage's Office

---​
The young man replied, “What are *YOU* doing here?”

“We came here to find out what's going on around here.” He stated. “We head upstairs for a couple minutes only to find that you trashed the place in the meantime! First you cause all that trouble in Downtown Konoha, and now you wreck the Hokage’s Office?! Just who the hell do you think you are?!”

Whoever he was, he seemed pretty annoyed.

His partners appeared to tense up, probably getting ready for a fight.


----------



## Sablés (May 5, 2014)

Rikou
Above Kumogaure Food District​
Rikou thinned his lips as dozens of clones surrounded the real Amagumo, Assuming that was the real one anyway 

_The direct approach worked out about well as expected and Katsurou is proving to be rather...not co-operative, as expected. Considering how Amagumo beat those guys, I don't have a chance in a straight fight using my power, that much is obvious. In that case_

A lengthy Chain with a Gold snake head fell from Rikou's sleeves . Rikou gripped the head with his right hand as he tossed the end over to an unoccupied cloud where it slipped through and hanged in the air beneath. From there, with his other hand, used the Lighting Release Flow Jutsu on the chain itself to send an electrical current to the cloud, positively charging it. The Chain began to function as a conductor due to the  cloud discharging electricity through it. Ordinarily, the Snake ornament served as the spearhead section of the chain  however due to Gold functioning as an insulator, Rikou required it's protection as to not be fried by the electric current. While his own innate talents might have granted some protection, he wasn't willing to test it out under these circumstances.

"If my own power won't cut it, I'll use someone else's. Simple as that." Once the chain had been fully charged, Rikou leapt towards the clones and lashed the Lightning-imbued weapon in multiple directions. The chain's form could no longer be perceived as such, rather the scenario appeared as if Rikou used natural lightning as a whip.


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 5, 2014)

Kouji
Hokage's Office

Kouji's cocky grin widened, and he shook his head. "You gonna bark all day little doggie? Or you gonna bite?" Oddly enough he seemed mostly concentrated on Shizuo, who was mute, and probably the least like a dog out of them all seeing as he was always making a point of doing the right thing. He summoned all three of his puppets as he saw Funzaki grip his hammer defensively.

"Yea!  Zehahahaha! That's the idea, strike first, right!" Kouji arranged his puppets in their normal formation, and Rush went right for Shizuo, spinning as his steam engine moaned to life. The rotation picked up and after a moment the momentum had picked up completely. It wasn't an attacked with any sort of lasting skill behind it, perhaps a warning shot, as the Hatake dodged it. "Well you can be on your way, because we don't really have anything much to say to you, alright?"​


----------



## Fedster (May 5, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


The images were still fresh on Minako's brain; the people, his dad, the blood...She was so immersed in what had happened that she did not notice that her breathing became erratic as though she had run a marathon. She also did not notice the pearly sweat that went down her forehead, mixing with the tears that came out of her eyes. Due to this, her vision became blurred, and thus she rubbed her eyes and saw that Hirari at least was in a similar state.

However, the Hokage seemed as easygoing as usual. His question made it all the more obvious that he had done something _to_ them, as though he was testing them. While he _did_ say that he would train them for the day, casting Fuel Nightmare on Genin was almost...Cruel. Yes, that was the word. Cruel. She could not describe it as another thing. Minako wanted to think that the Hokage's intentions were good, but...

Wasn't this taking it too far?

"H-How was it?!" Minako asked, indignantly. "It was awful! Horrible! I don't want to go through it again! I _can't_ go through it again!" She just wanted to stand up and leave, and walk away from the Hokage and his Sharingan. But...She was bounded with her teammates, and she could not just leave _them_ with a crazy middle-aged man with an obssesion with desserts!


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 6, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

DOWNTOWN KONOHA

_________________​
*End of Illusions;*


The Houki awoke from the illusion with a sudden jolt, his eyes snapping open. Two immediate things caught his attention as he drifted back into reality: his neck was covered in cold sweat, drying into and staining the satin white collar of his shirt. The second was that he found it had to focus or coherently form thoughts with any degree of clarity; his body felt fine, albeit extremely warm at the present moment, but he felt mentally drained by the exercise. It was almost like someone had taken a hammer and repeatedly beaten into his concentration until it had become battered and dull.

Ren remained silent for a few moments to quell the storm of rage the genjutsu had summoned forth. _"Is this the power of genjutsu?"_ He thought to himself bitterly. One stare, and he was almost completely at the Hokage's mercy. Granted, he was one of the strongest shinobi in the village and at the forefront of genjutsu development on top of that. No ordinary person could have replicated such a powerful illusion. Even so...

"Bad." He admitted with a single adjective, still not having recovered from the toll the technique had taken. He turned up his head to meet the Hokage once more, though this time it was more of an intense glare. He hadn't meant to look so hostile, but he couldn't help but feel a little resentment towards the Hokage. "That's the first time I've ever felt so helpless."​


----------



## Island (May 6, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Downtown Konoha

---​
?Good.? The Hokage answered.

?If you?re angry,? the man stated, ?Afraid, even, then that?s good. That?s how I want you to feel.?

?If you do not continue your training and stand to fight when the time comes,? the Hokage stated, ?Then the enemy will not hesitate to turn those nightmares into reality.?

?For that reason, we must remain vigilant.? He went on. ?We cannot let ourselves become complacent. A hundred years of peace does not mean we will never see war again. The moment we believe that is the moment that we let our guard down, and that will be the moment that our enemy will strike. I am not here to teach you any new techniques, strengthen your bodies, or even fortify your minds. I am here to remind you the importance of the work that you are doing. Your missions, your training, everything you do as a shinobi is to protect this village and its inhabitants, to ensure that your enemy never has an opportunity to strike and inflict upon them horrors far worse than anything you just experienced.?

?At any moment, this era of peace could be over.? He said. ?You must be prepared for what happens if and when that day comes. It may not be today, tomorrow, or even in ten years but we will not know until that day is upon us.?

?For that reason,? he concluded, ?We must always be ready, ready to defend what matters most to us, or else you risk your deepest, darkest nightmares manifesting before your very eyes, except this time, they will be real.?


----------



## Redblood (May 6, 2014)

*Funzaki*
Hokage’s Office

----------​
Funzaki grimaced as Kouji proceeded to intimidate the first three ninja that he’d seen outside of his teammates all day with his puppets. This was absolutely terrible. Funzaki had only been a representative of Sunagakure for one day and already things were going south. Either side looked ready to tear the other’s heads off. Funzaki took a deep breath, and stepped forward, addressing the Konoha trio.

“Okay, can we all just calm down? My name is Funzaki. I’m with Sunagakure, as you may have guessed. Although it appears my teammates have run into you folks already. My fine lady and gentlemen, would you mind telling me your names and just what happened to put everyone on edge? I don’t want to start any fights that I don’t have to, especially not with the first Konoha ninja I’ve seen all day.” Funzaki declared, relaxing the grip on his hammer, but keeping an eye on the three ninja. For all Funzaki knew, they could be the reason he hadn't seen anyone all day.


----------



## Island (May 7, 2014)

*Kimiko*
Hokage's Office

---​
Shizuo skillfully dodged his opponent?s strike with a carefully timed sidestep. As he did, he produced a couple shuriken from his pocket and launched them in the direction of the puppeteer, not necessarily to hit his opponent but instead indicating his intent to do battle?

Meanwhile, the young man in the center rushed forward, his hair being blown back by the air resistance, revealing?

The Byakugan!

He rushed past both Kouji and Funzaki at blinding speeds before stopping just short of Kimiko, delivering a swift jab straight at her throat, ramming his fingers right into her voice box.

The female collapsed in the wake of the young man?s strike, his Gentle Fist style blocking her chakra pathway and rendering her immobile from the neck down!

The kunoichi from this team remained where she was, deciding not to attack her opponents, possibly bidding her time.

She spoke, ?Konoha Team 21 strikes swiftly and decisively, laying waste to its enemies before they have a chance to strike back!?

?So what say you?? She made eye contact with Funzaki, simultaneously crafting seals with her hands.

Then, she disappeared into a blur, most likely the result of the Body Flicker Technique. However, the number of seals she crafted did not correspond with the number required for the Body Flicker Technique. Typically, only a single ram seal was required?

?Lightning Release: Thunder Pearl!? She shouted, descending upon Funzaki from above!

The kunoichi reappeared above her opponent, launching a couple shuriken, one from each hand, at her opponent. However, as the shuriken came close, it was revealed that there two additional shuriken in the shadow of the first two, a clever ruse achieved through the use of the Shadow Shuriken Technique!

Anticipating Funzaki to block or dodge all four shuriken, the kunoichi sprung her trap. While the shinobi took care of the shuriken, she revealed Lightning Release: Thunder Pearl, the jutsu she crafted before she struck, which had thus far remained hidden behind her.

The Thunder Pearl, a medium-sized orb of electricity, shot fourth a stream of lightning chakra at Funzaki, his hammer being one giant lightning rod!


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 7, 2014)

Kouji
Hokage's Office​
Kouji became another person when combat began, and Shizuo's two teammates flew into action, the more chivalrous shinobi opening with a gradual approach. Kouji admired that about him, somewhere deep down, but now wasn't the time to deal with that. As the sand ninja moved Cinder's tail into position to block the shuriken, Kouji moved Rush into the way to intercept the Houki's attack, and faltered as his instinct to release one of its hidden compartments and deadlier jutsu was suppressed. 

_Don't fight with lethal intent._

Meanwhile he shot out Cinders' tail, and grabbed Kimiko's paralyzed body, the puppet firing a stream of fire towards the Hyuuga in tandem with this maneuver. Echo meanwhile stood next to Kouji on the left, and with Cinders to his right, he activated both of their defensive techniques, Hijutsu Ishibari in Cinder's case, and Kyōmeisen for Echo. He kept an eye on Shizuo to see if he'd rush in on these terms. 

_Chi-sensei would kick my ass if I used_ that_ technique for something like this..._


----------



## Redblood (May 7, 2014)

*Funzaki
*Hokage’s Office

----------​
Funzaki watched in horror as one of his teammates was struck down. It was then that Funzaki realized Kouji’s first instinct was right. Negotiation was not an option. And this Byakugan guy was a colossal bitch.

“So what say you?”  the kunoichi of the group made eye contact with Funzaki, simultaneously crafting seals with her hands. Funzaki was at a loss for words, but held his hammer much tighter than before.

Then, before Funzaki could say anything, the girl was gone, vanished with the help of the Body Flicker technique.

“Lightning Release: Thunder Pearl!” the kunoichi cried. Wait, what? Funzaki didn’t have time to think about just what the hell technique that was before the girl sent two shiruken right at him. Not to be done in by such a cheap tactic, Funzaki knocked the shiruken out of the air with his Hammer, only to see two more hidden in shadow that sliced his arm and his face. Gritting his teeth and baring the pain, Funzaki saw that the enemy kunoichi was now holding a large orb of electricity.

Oh.

The *THUNDER PEARL*.

Funzaki quickly looked to his hammer and realized the situation he was in.

*“BALLS!”* Funzaki exclaimed as a bolt of lightning flew right at him!

Or at least it would have, had Kouji not assisted Funzaki and redirected the electric blast. 

With the kunoichi's attention diverted, Funzaki saw his chance. The Suna shinobi performed a bunch of hand seals, and then grasped his hammer tightly

“Earth Release: Hammer The Nail!” Funzaki cried before slamming his massive Hammer onto the floor, splintering the wood below and sending a wave of sand right at the enemy kunoichi!


----------



## Redblood (May 7, 2014)

*Amagumo*
High Above Kumogakure

-----------​
"If my own power won't cut it, I'll use someone else's. Simple as that." Amagumo?s green haired, dapper student proclaimed before using lightning itself as a whip against the multiple Amagumos. The lightning struck each and every one of them successfully. And each and every one of them were water clones.

?Very inventive, Felix!? Amagumo called, seemingly from nowhere, ?But once more, not how you win this! Come on now boys and girl, clock is ticking! One minute till the rain starts!? Amagumo proclaimed.


----------



## Redblood (May 7, 2014)

*Kabiki Ruka*
High Above Kumogakure

----------​
Ruka wasn?t feeling super great. All this flying around was kind of making her sick. She?d just gotten her bearings when she heard her sensei make an announcement.

?? Clock?s ticking! One minute till the rain starts!? Amagumo declared.

?OH COME ON!!? Ruka cried, stomping the cloud in anger with each word she said, ?HOW! ARE! WE! SUPPOSED! TO! DO! THIS?!? she screamed. Wait. There was a scream, but it didn?t come from Ruka. It came from directly below Ruka, in the hole she?d made in the cloud.

Lifting up her foot, the young kunoichi found Amagumo?s face, a shoeprint firmly embedded in it. Ruka blinked a few times, unsure of what she was seeing. Amagumo, dumbfounded and potentially brain damaged, did the same. When Ruka finally saw that this Amagumo was NOT disappearing, the young kunoichi grew a smile from ear to ear.

?I FOUND HIM!! I FOUND HIM YOU G--? 

Kabiki Ruka?s joyful cries were immediately cut off when she was hit with a burst of wind from Amagumo, and knocked high into the air, and falling past the safe clouds, and down towards Kumogakure!


----------



## Island (May 8, 2014)

*Kimiko*
Hokage's Office

---​
Chivalrous? Perhaps.

Merciful? Not at all.

When it came time to defend his family and friends, to protect his home and everything he cared about, Hatake Shizuo did not hesitate nor did he hold back. At that moment, right when the puppeteer turned his attention away, the young man sprung his trap. He attached wires to his shuriken and threw them in such a way that they would wrap back in his direction and catch anything between them and himself.

Ultimately, he intended to wrap his wire around Kouji, not necessarily to capture him but to at least distract him long enough for?

?RAAAGH!? The Hyuuga roared, capitalizing on the puppeteer?s momentarily lapse of attention.

A simple strategy.

The Hyuuga would quickly dispatch the weakest of the three. Then, the Hatake and the Houki would engage their targets separately. Ideally, either the Hatake or the Houki would put enough pressure on one target so that the other comes to their aid. At that point, both the Hatake and the Hyuuga would strike.

Striking swiftly and decisively, the motto of Konoha Team 21, required doing enough damage in the initial strike so that the enemy would be put at a crippling disadvantage. In three-on-three, this usually involved taking out at least one member such that the remaining teammate or teammates would have to fight all three of them at once. In this particular situation, the Hyuuga rushed Kimiko so that Kouji and Funzaki would be left to fight the three of them at once.

The Houki brought her forearms up to to her face to block the incoming splash of sand. She began moving backwards to put some distance between her and Funzaki, probably hoping that the her partners would finish up with Kouji soon.

Either that, or she was luring Funzaki into a trap.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 8, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

REN'S HOUSE

_________________​
*A Visit, I;*


The Houki arrived back at his compound at roughly eight, entering without a sound. The training with the Hokage had finished a few hours before then, and he'd decided to get some dinner outside before heading back home. Ordinarily, he would have either taken a walk or continue training, but on this particular day, Ren wasn't feeling particularly motivated. Presumably the effects of the genjutsu. His house was a modest piece of architecture, built away from the main Houki complex after he decided he wanted to live alone. It had two floors, the ground one hosting a bathroom, kitchen, living room and the entrance, while the second one hosted his bedroom, study room and second bathroom. When he'd left, the elders had offered something a bit more grand than the mundane building he lived in, but Ren graciously declined.

Small as it was, and though he loved the peace and quiet, the house was lonely enough without any company. Anything bigger would only accentuate that. Besides, it's not like he _needed_ the space. If he wanted to upgrade anything in the house, it'd be a library or training room, not a larger living room.

As per usual, Ren placed his shoes away and made his way upstairs and into his bedroom. Half-light filled the room, remnants of the light from the setting sun breaking through the seams of the curtains in shards of highlighted dust and warmth. Ren took a sigh, moving to shut the blinds. "_That wasn't a very productive day._" He thought to himself, slightly irritated that he got no work done. He ended up wasting time mingling with some Suna ninja and playing genjutsu with the Hokage. The man didn't even _teach_ him anything. Grumpily, the Houki threw his weapons pouch into the armoury compartment of his wardrobe and got changed, before getting into bed.

Sleep never came particularly easy for him. He had the habit of, even when trying to rest, thinking about things: what he would do tomorrow, the things that happened this day, the people he had encountered and so on and so forth. However, today, a wave of fatigue seemed to flood across his body and he realized, as he entered his bed, that he felt somewhat sore. Bizarre, considering he didn't even do anything physically strenuous today. The shinobi tried to think about what else he did today that might have caused the sudden exhaustion, but his concentration had dulled, unable to form sharp, coherent thoughts. Then, his eyes began to sag, borders of darkness enveloping his vision and covering it in a blanket. Out of the corner of his eye, he made the lamp which hung above the ceiling, flickering on and off as two twin strands of electricity danced across the bulb...

And then he faded into the darkness.​


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 8, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

​
REN'S HOUSE

_________________​
*A Visit, II;*


When the Houki came upon consciousness again, a certain sense of unease filled him; there was something off, outside of the strange circumstances of his sleep. He couldn't however, quite point a figure on it. Slowly, Ren removed himself from bed, and therein came the first sign?with an eerily high pitch, the floorboard squeaked from underneath his foot. It never did that, and his body wasn't nearly heavy enough to make it do that. Another sign came, soon after. A dull pain prickled up his leg as he walked; the familiar sensation of muscle soreness after insufficient rest. "Man, what did I even do yesterday?" He grumbled to himself irritably, looking at his leg.

A quick glance at the clock told Ren that it had been ten hours since he went to sleep. "_I've definitely slept enough to shake off any exhaustion I might have felt yesterday. What's going on? Am I ill?_" His constitution wasn't the best, so the latter was certainly a possibility. Moving a hand through his hair, he rested his palm on his forehead, but felt nothing that suggested a temperature. His blue eyes narrowed slightly at this, but he let no expression form on his face which suggested he thought something might be wrong. Something told the Houki that he was not alone. Instead, he got changed as normal, bringing an elastic band to tie the back of his hair up.

Without opening his curtains, the shinobi made his way downstairs, straight towards the kitchen where he made himself breakfast. Nothing extravagant or overly complicated; just some rice and an egg. He never had the patience to cook, or learn anything beyond simple meals, but at the same time, refused to eat ready-to-cook meals like ramen or noodles. Quickly devouring his meal, Ren put the dishes away after giving them a light, not so thorough rinse, and walked towards the front door...

And stepped straight into a dark starry night. Thick clusters of grey splashed across the black canvas, while sporadic flashes of light filled the sky around him, forming pillars of pure white. "What the..." He muttered to himself, eyes widening in utter shock. He might have had a killer poker face, but even this sudden change in scenery was enough to throw him off and completely shatter it.

"Fuck?" A familiar voice sang behind him, helpfully finishing off his sentence.

In an instant, Ren immediately spun around, a hand reaching for the senbon he had hidden in his hair as he lashed out in a hundred and eighty degree spin. The tip of his weapon partially met it's target, ripping through the fabric of a murky brown cloak and a small piece of a white dress. However, the person inside the garment had danced away. The slim silhouette rose up, a sardonic smile perpetuating her face as her own brilliant white hair fluttered out against the backdrop of the pitch darkness, her face revealed by a branch of lightning lighting up behind her. 

"Sister." Ren growled lowly, his bewildered face contorting into one of quiet, seething anger.​


----------



## Fedster (May 8, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


A weird day, to say the least. As Minako dragged her feet into the small bit that was reserved for the Urasabi Clan (Immediately after its birth and due to the excellence of its members, the Hokage allowed them to have a space for their clan, but it was reduced from its original size when the members stopped being as good.) It could not be call a compound, but it could not be call a block either. It was...something in the middle. But details were umimportant. No matter how hard she tried, Minako could not care less at the moment.

She cared, however, the moment she opened the door to her house.

"I'm home..." She greeted rather gloomy. She was expecting no answer.

"Welcome back, Minako!" The girl pounced at her mother, surrounding her with her arms and letting out incomprenhensible sounds while crying.

"momimsogladITHOughtyouweeeereedeeeeeeeeeeead!!" As she wailed in relief, Urasabi Mayoi stood there, confused.

"Mayoi, what's that noise? Is someone killing a cat?" A voice said, followed by steps from the kitchen. The next thing Urasabi Musato knew was that someone was suffocating him.

"DADYOUAREALIIIIIIVEEEEEEEEEEE!!! ITHOUGHTYOUWEREDEADTOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Husband and wife exhanged bemused looks as his face went from pink to red to purple.

"Er...Minako...You should, yeah...Stop killing your father..."

"I'M SORRY!" She shouted, as she took distance and the man sat down on a chair, trying to recover from the 'attack.'

"No! No no no!" It was a child's voice this time, and it came from the living-room.

"Ugh, he's been with that word all day. Why is Masoto so obsessed with it?" She left the drawing room to tend her child, while Minako was left with her father, giving off steam. Then Masoto was saying 'no' just for the sake of it? That little monster made her worry so much because of a whim? But more importantly:

*SHE WAS DECEIVED BY A THREE-YEAR OLD?!*


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 8, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

​
REN'S HOUSE

_________________​
*A Visit, III;*


"Hello, dear brother." She greeted amicably, casting a brilliant smile that might have fooled less familiar people than Ren. Behind her casual demeanor was a hidden veneer of condescension. Lin Houki was dressed in a bigger and more ostentatious version of the kimono she had worn when she was exiled; it was a shade darker, with various jewels lining the sleeves. Wrapped around her neck was a long scarf as white as a sheet of snow, draping down her back in twin tails.

"What the hell is going on?" Ren demanded, leaping back a few metres, needle still in hand. His eyes scanned her dress, scarf and her hair, looking out for any weapons she might have hidden on her person like he had. 

"Oh, Renny. Aren't you insulting me just a bit?" His sister smiled, her eyes shut in wistful consideration, as if thinking of a funny joke she had been told. Her eyes fluttered open again after a small chuckle. Her blue eyelashes provided a thin veil which only barely covered the woman's own glare. Momentarily dropping her amicability, she uttered coldly: "If I was here to harm you, I certainly wouldn't need a weapon to do it."

As much as it pained him to admit it, the male Houki had to acknowledge that. Their skills had such a wild gulf between them that it was likely she could still easily defeat him without a weapon of her own. "Then what are you here for?" Ren asked, and then continued "And what exactly is this place?"

The woman brought a single, delicate white hand to her face, closing her eyes once more as she gave a melodramatic sigh of ostensible disappointment. "I thought it was obvious, Renny. This is _clearly_ a genjutsu. I set it as a trap in your light bulb so that, when you went to sleep, the last thing you would see was your flickering light. I set the flickering up in such a way that it would make you have a small seizure, which would knock you out. Barely noticeable and not permanently damaging, of course. And slowly, so that you wouldn't notice anything was too out of the ordinary. From there, I cast another one over you. Since you're asleep, you can't kai out, and the only way you can escape is by waking up." She explained, clearly enjoying the sound of her own voice and the apparent ingenuity of her machinations. 

"As for what I want of you..." She looked back up, removing her porcelain hand. "I just wanted to check up on your progress. Is there something wrong with a responsible sibling looking after her younger brother?" Is asked, as an innocent tilt of the head is given.

"It is when you're in _exile_. How long have you been in the village?" He growled. It was taking all his willpower to restrain himself from moving, from throwing his senbon at her neck. The only reasons he didn't do that was because he knew that, even if this was an illusion (or perhaps especially because it was one) he was terribly outmatched, and he wanted answers to his questions. It was a juvenile curiosity. 

Another smirk was given. "I've been here since this morning, watching you mingle with your new team. They seem like losers, by the way. Things got a little bit harder when the Hokage came about, but I still managed to keep track of what you were doing~ and now I'm here."

Lin Houki gave a pause, bringing a swathe of hair in her hand and tucking it behind her right ear. "As for why I'm here... I suppose, you can find out if you beat me!" She proclaimed confidently.

And that was when Ren hit his limit.​


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 9, 2014)

Kouji
Hokage's Office​
Kouji didn't grit his teeth, dig his feet in, or even tense up. No, he actually relaxed, against all odds. The puppetshow was starting to form in his mind, the players all set. It was time to begin taking this seriously.

And that'd also be the last time he'd cover for a teammate! Funzaki could handle the Houki, he had his own problems to deal with; namely two taijutsu specialists surging right for him! As the Hatake and Hyuuga rushed, Rush angled himself behind them while their backs were turned.  The shuriken and wires Shizuo had used as a trap had wrapped around Cinders's tail, and as a matter of fact happened to help Kouji in the end. They served as a channel for the puppet's defensive jutsu to travel back to the ivory haired genin, intent on paralyzing him! 

Hijutsu Ishibari!

Rush's chest compartment then slid open silently, firing a sudden array of rapid fire senbon at both from stealth from behind! 

Shikomi Kugutsu: Shinshin Happa!

Echo for her part kept to Kouji's side and engaged the Hyuuga. Defensive postures as she took to taijutsu, but that wasn't her true intent at all. Instead, after a few swings, Kouji waited for the puppet's trap to hit home, the minute sound waves from her swings soon beginning to distort the Hyuuga's vision, hearing, and sense of balance...

Kyōmeisen!


----------



## Redblood (May 9, 2014)

*Funzaki*
Hokage?s Office

-----------​
Funzaki barely had time to catch his breath as his jutsu forced the enemy kunoichi to retreat just a bit. Good, he?d gotten some distance between him and that problematic ninja. Though when Funzaki faced the girl he noticed that her gaze wasn?t focused on him, but rather, behind him. 

A quick glance and Funzaki saw what was happening. The other two ninja were ganging up on Kouji! Well, Kouji had helped Funzaki, so it was only right that he do the same. The Hyuuga guy didn?t look too good. Funzaki wondered if he could make him worse.

?Pardon me a moment, miss.? Funzaki declared, addressing his enemy before performing another Body Flicker technique. When Funzaki reappeared he was about ten feet away from the Hyuuga, holding the very end of The Hammer so as not to get too close as he swung right for the enemy ninja?s skull!


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 9, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

​
REN'S HOUSE

_________________​
*A Visit, IV;*


Ren lunged, his needle going straight towards Lin's throat. However, his sister casually side-stepped the attack, moving with such ease and fluidity that it looked as if she hadn't moved at all. Bringing her hand out, she snapped the flat of her palm against Ren's face, crushing into it with the force of a powerful wave. "Going straight for the neck, huh? You're so cold, Renny." She sang, appearing in front of Ren, still smiling. A long, slender leg shooting out in a kick, her heels digging into his chest. The young shinobi stumbled under the kick, coughing from being winded, but nevertheless persisted with another attempt at a lunge. To no avail, however, his move evaded once more, this time an elbow meeting his face. A sharp pain pierced him, causing Ren to cry out in pain. At this point, his nose was broken, and there was a deep gash from where his sister had made the elbow strike.

"_S-shit._" He body flickered back, clutching at his nose as he watched his sister, who was examining her now bloodied kimono sleeve with a bemused look on her face as if examining the spoils of a freshly made kill or the stain of green left on the hand after slapping an insect out of the air. Who it was she was hurting seemed to matter little to her, at this point. It was evident that she was just slapping him around for the sake of it.

The Houki forced himself to remain calm, steadying his breath as he began to analyze her moves thus far. "_She's going by the book. A crushed nose to sap stamina and disrupt breathing... that means she'll probably go to cut my forehead to take away my sight ne-_" However, before he could complete his line of thought, his sister re-emerged in his vision, her fingers extended outwards to cut his face. But this time, Ren was ready, blocking her off by the wrist with a palm. "I've got you now, you bitch." He breathed, blood trickling down over his lips as his other hand formed a seal.

Three medium sized orbs of light manifested themselves behind her person, their familiarly bright glares even more prominent against the dark night. "*Lightning Release: Cry of Piercing Thunder*." Is uttered, a long, sharp lace of lightning shooting out of the constructs, poised to slice her straight in half.​


----------



## Island (May 9, 2014)

*Kimiko*
Hokage's Office

---​
_*?ENOUGH!?*_ A thunderous bellow echoed across the courtyard.

Then, a man appeared in the center of all the commotion.



A large, shirtless man with a mighty beard and even mightier eyebrows stood in the center of the combatting teams. He held both arms up. In one, he held the young man from the Hyuuga Clan by the wrists. In the other, he dangled the young woman from the Houki Clan by her ankle.

?Konoha Team 21 strikes *SWIFTLY* and *DECISIVELY*.? He repeated the words spoken by the young kunoichi. ?However, Konoha Team 21 also recognizes the importance of choosing its battles *WISELY*.?

Of the many Strong Fist practitioners in the Shinobi World, there were few that were universally recognized as masters. Among those masters, there were two who called Konohagakure and the Land of Fire their homes. These two masters were rivals from a young age, always competing with each other, one always trying to outdo the other, one trying to gain recognition as the greatest, to become greater than the other, more powerful, faster, stronger?

One of these masters was Fightin? Brawly, instructor for Konoha Team 24.

The other?

The large man turned to Suna Team 53.

?Allow me to introduce myself.? He stated. ?My name is *MAN LI*, instructor for Konoha Team 21.?

?On behalf of my team,? he went on, ?I *APOLOGIZE* for this sudden and unwarranted outburst of aggression. Haruto-kun does not always know when to back down, and none of them really know when to hold back, as you?ve probably seen.?

?Now then,? he turned his attention back to his students.

He addressed Hyuuga Haruto first. ?Brawly-sensei said that he launched Hirari-chan all the way to that one sushi stand on the far end of the Konoha Outskirts.?

?I hope you?re *HUNGRY*, Haruto-kun!? He chuckled.

Then, he turned his attention to Houki Ran. ?I don?t think you *WANT* to know where Ren-kun ended up??

He let out another hearty chuckle before raising his arms even higher, bringing his pupils up with them. Then, he began twirling rapidly and released them one by one, Haruto to the west and Ran to the east?

He held his hand up to his brow, probably trying to see if he could spot either of his students on the horizon. Then, he stopped and turned to the genin from Sunagakure.

?Ah, I *ALMOST* forgot!? He exclaimed.

?You?ve made *QUITE* the reputation around here,? he explained, ?What with the incident the other day and all. And *NOW* getting into a fight outside of Hokage-sama?s office and who knows what else???

He brought his left arm up to shoulder level, staring at his wrist, as if checking an invisible watch?

?You sensei *was* only a few minutes behind me?? He trailed off.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 9, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

​
REN'S HOUSE

_________________​
*A Visit, V;*


A blanket of smoke immediately enveloped Lin Houki upon Ren's jutsu striking her neck, while Ren dashed out to avoid getting hit by it himself. However, the cloud dispersed away as quickly as it appeared, the silhouette of Ren's sister forming through a film of grey. She stood with a few scratches on her person, but otherwise no other visible damage had seemingly come to her. "That was cute." She smiled. "But you'll need at least ten more of those pearls if you want to do anything remotely damaging."  The kunoichi commented, flicking a few specs of dust from her shoulder, then began to walk forward, the sound of her high heels clacking in the void of silence.

Another smile, this time more malevolent and ill-meaning. "I think I'll show you a real jutsu, now." She states, her hands extending out of the blue sleeves of her kimono. 

A single word was all that was given in response. "Shit." Ren leapt backwards, but by the time he had retreated and looked back up, his sister had disappeared. _"Where did she go?"_ Immediately, his eyes began scanning in all directions, but Lin Houki had seemingly disappeared entirely. Or at least, until a small shape formed on the ground below him followed by a light that stained the ground with a blue hue. And then a sound was heard; a cackling similar to one of his own thunder pearls, but at the same time, worlds apart from it. Whereas the sound his version emitted was reminiscent of a large bulb, this one rumbled ominously like a thundercloud. Ren gazed up slowly, his eyes widening at what he saw.

His sister stood upon the sky, small wires of electricity forming a layer of chakra underneath the soles of her feet. Presumably, this was what kept her airborne. Around her were ten thunder pearls, aligned in a halo-like formation. "Ren, the chūnin exams are coming up. If you can't even cut me, then I'm sad to say that there's really no hope for you!" She said, sounding serious for the first time in the genjutsu.

"Why do you care about how I do in the exams?" Ren asked, his own thunder pearl forming behind him.

"How else are you going to take over the Houki clan, silly? In any case, the reason as to why I want you to succeed isn't important riiiight now. At the moment, the most important thing to you should be these things floating behind me." She gestured at the chakra creations behind her, then frowned as her attention turned towards the comparatively minute looking thing her little brother had created.

When she spoke again, Lin sounded genuinely insulted, and maybe a smidge disappointed."Do you really think that will stop my jutsu?" She asked, extending a finger towards it.

"We'll see." Ren said in reply, wiping away some blood from his nose and forming a handseal. 

"Disappointing. I thought you'd at least know your place by now," Lin Houki sighed, and then stretched out a hand. *"Lightning Release: Thunder Thorn."* The bulbs of chakra around her shot ten individual beams, all congregating at a single point, before forming into a large cone of lightning chakra which blasted towards Ren Houki.​


----------



## Fedster (May 9, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


The sun arose in the horizon, dying the sky of orange tones, and covering the starry night as though it was a blanket. As it did, not a thing stirred in the streets of Konoha. Well, that if you did not count the shop owners who exited their houses and started the business day, the stray animals that lurked from their shelters to look for a half-decent _desayuno_, and the gigantic Jounin that stood imposedly before the Hokage's Office. He was waiting, and had been waiting for two hours now. His excitement could not be quelled; he felt that his _Heart_ would rip his ribcage open and jump away at any moment now.

This excitement was because Team 24, or as he preferred (and believed that the rest agree), "Team Brawly," was going to have their first official mission.

"*THAT*'s why *TODAY*, we must put our *400%*!!!" He roared to the silent streets. Cats fled, birds flew, and neighbours complained, but neither of those things could calm Fightin' Brawly's spirit.

________________________________________

Urasabi Minako was worming her way up to the Hokage's Office, dressed in her ninja outfit but nevertheless wrapped in her blanket. Her eyes were half-open, and her face showed obvious signs of drooling. This was an ungodly hour, she thought. Who could be fully awake at this time? "How am _I_ awake at this time?" She asked. The floor seemed like a very inviting bed, and she was still wrapped in the soft warmy blanket, but she knew that if she slept in the middle of the street, she could...I don't know, get something.

Deep in thought and still semi-conscious, Minako did not realize she was side by side with Fightin' Brawly-sensei. His words were a very effective waking-up call, literally.

"Minako-chan! Your _*DRIVE*_ never stops to *IMPRESS* me!" Blankets flew into the air, and the now awake Minako shivered after jumping in surprise, as the cold morning hit her skin. She sneezed and hugged herself.

"G-g-ood morn-n-ning..."


----------



## Redblood (May 9, 2014)

*Funzaki*
Hokage’s Office

----------​
Funzaki gritted his teeth as his Hammer got closer and closer to the Hyuuga’s head.

Closer…

*CLOSER…*

*“ENOUGH!”* A thunderous bellow echoed across the courtyard.

“What the?” Funzaki cried as his hammer struck only air. 

Funzaki turned his head to see a large, shirtless man with a mighty beard and even mightier eyebrows standing in the center of the combatting teams. He held both arms up. In one, he held the Hyuuga Funzaki was about to strike. In the other, he dangled the young woman who shot lightning at Funzaki before. 

What the?

“Konoha Team 21 strikes *SWIFTLY* and *DECISIVELY.*” He repeated the words spoken by that horrible kunoichi. “However, Konoha Team 21 also recognizes the importance of choosing its battles *WISELY.*”

Who is this guy?

“Allow me to introduce myself.” He stated. “My name is *MAN LI,* instructor for Konoha Team 21.”

He’s their sensei! Of course!

“On behalf of my team,” he went on, “I *APOLOGIZE* for this sudden and unwarranted outburst of aggression. Haruto-kun does not always know when to back down, and none of them really know when to hold back, as you’ve probably seen.”

Funzaki nodded, then gave an apologetic bow as Man Li berated his students AND SENT THEM FLYING OH MY GOD. Good thing we didn’t make this guy mad.

“Ah, I* ALMOST *forgot!” Man Li exclaimed after hurling his students away.
“You’ve made *QUITE* the reputation around here,” he explained, addressing Kouji, “What with the incident the other day and all. And *NOW* getting into a fight outside of Hokage-sama’s office and who knows what else…?”

The Konoha sensei brought his left arm up to shoulder level, staring at his wrist, as if checking an invisible watch…

“You sensei _was_ only a few minutes behind me…” He trailed off.

Wait…our sensei? Who was our sensei again? Wait. It was….

Funzaki's train of thought was interrupted by a slow, mechanical ticking sound, followed by several kunai striking a nearby wall. Each had chakra strings attached to them.

Oh.

OH.

GOD. 

*NO.*


----------



## Redblood (May 9, 2014)

*CHI*
Hokage?s Office

----------​
The chakra strings grew taut as the ticking noise grew louder. Funzaki dropped his hammer as he kept his eyes fixed on the kunai.

Steadily, the ticking grew closer. 

Then faster. 

And then finally, a large shadow flew in from the window, attached to the kunai, but breaking the strings as it entered. Slowly, deliberately, the shadow rose to almost six feet in height, a pale, expressionless mask staring at the Suna ninja. From out of the shadowy cloak came a hand that looked more like a demon?s than a human, reaching for the mask. A snap, and a crack, and the mask was off, replaced by a youthful face, white and red hair obscuring piercing crimson eyes. The woman tucked away the mask in a pouch bearing the Sunagakure emblem, and walked towards the Suna genin.
The woman took a deep breath, and spoke.

?Ah, so here you all are.?

She then punched Kouji square in the jaw, knocking him right on his back.

*?WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING, YOU PANICKY LITTLE BITCH?!? *the woman shrieked, putting her boot on the puppeteer?s chest.

?I gave you explicit instruction to *WAIT- AT THE EMBASSY-FOR ME!*? she roared, stomping on Kouji?s chest with every pause in her sentence. She was almost smiling as she did it.

?But noooooo, you had to go looking for me, had to pick a fight with another team of genin, and *ON TOP OF ALL OF THAT, THE THREE OF YOU FUCK UP THE HOKAGE?S OFFICE?!  CHRIST!!*? the lady exclaimed, grabbing Kouji by his collar and hoisting him back up.

?You have *ANY* idea how much* SHIT* this puts me in?! How much I?m gonna have to explain because of you idiots?! And what the hell happened to Kimiko?! You let her get hurt! *MORONS!!*? with that, the woman tossed Kouji aside and, with a few quick jabs, Kimiko could move again. The woman then turned to Funzaki, picking up his Hammer from off of the floor.

?Um?sorry?sensei?I was waiting for you at the Embassy but?uh?? Funzaki stuttered as his apparent sensei approached him, putting a finger to his lips.

?Shhhhh?One more word out of you *AND THIS HAMMER?S GOING RIGHT UP YOUR STUPID ASS!!*? the woman roared, shoving the weighty weapon back into the hands of its owner, before turning to face the genin again.

?Now, I am Chi, your sensei! And as your sensei you *WILL* do what I say! And as of right now we are leaving! Before you *IDIOTS* manage to screw anything else up!? the woman cried.


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 11, 2014)

*Kouji*
Hokage’s Office

----------​
HOLE.

EE. 

*SHIT.*

Kouji doubled over as the air was stomped from his stomach and chest, knitting his brow in pain.

"Fuckin bitch..." he muttered, though his expression softened as his sensei helped Kimiko get back to normal, glancing up at Chi. She could be hard on them, but knew what to do when they were in trouble. And for that she gained Kouji's utmost respect.

And he had sort of gone wild. He always did, when they spent any sort of prolonged time apart. But the fun was over now, and the leash pulled taut. He struggled to feet as he tried to gain some semblance of dignity after getting the shit stomped out of him by his rival, Shizuo, who surprisingly had avoided being launched by the manly Man Li.

"Yea yea yea...I'm sorry, I messed shit up. I let loose when you're not beating my face in, shit..."

He manages one last nod and wave to the remainder of Team 21 before moving to get going with his sensei.

"Do you know what's going on, sensei?" he asked once they'd gotten a bit of distance from the Konoha team, and uttering the most formal sentence he'd dared to say since coming to Konoha. Chi just sort of had that effect on him.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 11, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

HOKAGE OFFICE

_________________​
*Early Morning;*


Ren Houki had to practically drag himself to the Hokage Mansion. Thanks to his sister's genjutsu, he didn't get a proper night's sleep. And even if that hadn't happened, it's likely that the Houki would still feel groggy. It was far too early in the morning, and Ren was a late morning sleeper. He was usually still in bed at this time, and would only crawl out a few hours later.

Minako walked beside him, wrapping her blanket around her like a cape. She seemed to have the right idea. Why didn't _he_ do that? Sighing, he looked to Fightin' Brawly, the only indication of his fatigue being the yawn before he spoke: "So, what's the mission?" He asked.​


----------



## Island (May 11, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Hokage's Office

---​
The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and mother was busy in the kitchen cooking breakfast for everyone, all that usual stuff. Another beautiful day in Konoha. All I really wanted to do was go back to sleep. Thus, I rolled over and pulled the blanket over my head, laying on my side and trying to get just a few more minutes of sleep.

Then it hit me.

Fightin? Brawly wanted us to meet early this morning.

What the hell.

My eyes widened as this final sank in. I sat up as quickly as I could and made a rush for the shower, attempting to clean myself up and get out the door before I could be late. Shower. Clothes. Hair. Maybe breakfast but probably not. Out the door. Usual routine, but if I wanted to make it to the Hokage?s Office on time, I had to do that in half the time.

Because for some reason, Brawly wanted to be doing things at the crack of dawn.

Seemed just like our first day, except this time, I was actually in danger of being late. On top of that?

Holy hell. I didn?t even know it *GOT* this cold in Konoha.

Fortunately or unfortunately, father had a thing against heating systems, so the temperature of the house was usually reflective of the temperature of the outside world, plus or minus a few degrees. Thus, I knew what it would be like outside before I even stepped out of my bedroom, and ultimately, I had ample opportunity to prepare myself for a cold morning?

Which didn?t amount to a lot. I typically wore a jacket anyway and didn?t really need much else.

Thus, I headed out.

---​
I arrived at the Hokage?s Office without incident, shortly after both Minako and Ren, just after Brawly decided to jump out at Minako in that excited way that he always did?

I raised an eyebrow, somewhat wondering to myself if this was how he planned to greet us _everyday_.

?Ah, *HIRARI-CHAN*,? He exclaimed, suddenly next to me, ?What a *WONDERFUL* morning, is it *NOT*??

In an instant, he was there.

Just standing right next to me.

How the _hell_ did he do that? More importantly, _why_ did he do that?

It was _way_ too early in the morning for this, but I kept my composure, deciding to just smile and laugh, faintly and fakely but smile and laugh nevertheless.


----------



## Redblood (May 11, 2014)

*CHI*
Somewhere in Konoha

-----------​
Chi groaned to herself as she led her students from rooftop to rooftop, away from the Hokage?s office. Foreign policy could go to *SHIT* because of this mess. And they would blame* HER.* *CHRIST.*

"Do you know what's going on, sensei?" Kouji asked, surprisingly cordial for the puppet-using son of a bitch.

*?NONE OF YOUR GODDAMN BUSINESS!?* Chi roared, before clearing her throat, ?We need to get back to the Embassy now. No use tying ourselves up in any more messes today. I think we?ve done quite enough of that, eh Kouji-kun?? she asked. Her words were friendly, but the smile on her face looked more sadistic than comforting.


----------



## Fedster (May 11, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


"Well, *WELL*," Brawly-sensei resumed, gathering his three pupils. "now that *ALL* of you are *HERE*, I will *TELL* you about the *MISSION*. Our very first *JOB* together as...!"

He let the sun hit his enormous body to let his students bask in his glorious pose. "*TEAM BRAWLY*!"

"I...I thought we were Team 21." Minako commented in the silence that followed the man's powerful statement. Another moment of silence fell, in which Brawly-sensei stood in that tear-jerking pose of his. In a flash, he was standing up straight with his hands on his hips, letting out a boisterous laugh.

"Ah! You are *VERY* attentive, Minako-chan!" He observed, and  he rapidly changed the subject. "Our *MISSION*, our *TASK*, the very *REASON* why I have gathered you *HERE*!"

"I *HAVE* taken a mission where we *WILL* escort a shop *ATTENDANT* from one point of the village to *ANOTHER*!!" He looked at  the Genin before him expectantly, examining their reactions with eagerness.

"...What?" Was the only thing that come out of Minako's mouth.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 13, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

HOKAGE OFFICE

_________________​
*Early Morning II;*


Ren stared at Fightin' Brawly. He wasn't serious, was he? Did he seriously make him get up so early for such a ridiculous mission? This couldn't have been any more than an E-ranked mission. What were they, fresh out of the Academy Genin?

The Houki sighed, rubbing his head. He was better than this. "This isn't a mission, it's a morning jog. If you've got nothing better for me to do, I'm going back home to sleep." He said, turning around.​


----------



## Island (May 16, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Hokage's Office

---​
What were we to the village? What kind of mission was this? Wouldn?t our time be spent doing missions more appropriate to our level of skill, or at the very least, at the training grounds? I felt somewhat offended that they would even ask something like this of us? Again, what were we? A bunch of academy students with no idea how to properly hold a kunai?

Somebody had to do these jobs, I suppose.

The fact that those somebodies ended up being us was bothersome, but we _were_ getting paid for this, which was nice.

Even though I didn?t _really_ need the money.

Maybe Ren did, living on his own and all, and perhaps even Minako, as some kind of extra spending money or something.

Whatever. I sighed to myself.

I figured that there was no use arguing about it, and somebody had to do these kinds of jobs. After all, what was the village going to do? Turn down such easy money?

I decided to vocalize this to Ren who began to walk away, probably annoyed that we had to such a trivial task.

?What choice does the village have, Ren-san?? I spoke up. ?People come to the village with their problems, and the village solves them. Some problems are bigger than others. Some require more skilled shinobi. Others, less so. What happens when the village is confronted with an emergency situation, something that requires its full attention? It sends its best. But what about when somebody just needs their kids watched or their pets watched? Who are they going to send???

?Us.? I answered, ?We?re the lowest on the totem pole, the back seats, the bench warmers.?

?Until we work our way up,? I concluded, ?Until we prove ourselves to the village, this is what we?re going to be stuck doing.?


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 16, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

HOKAGE OFFICE

_________________​
*Early Morning III;*


The Hyūga spoke up, uttering the most words in a single sentence Ren had ever heard from her. He stopped to listen to her speak, though he already had a rough idea of she would say, having already pinned her as something of a wet blanket. It wasn't like he didn't know that the Genin were at the lowest of the totem pole in the village, but being tasked with something even an Academy Student could easily do still ticked him off. "Things like this are usually left to the fresh out of Academy scrubs." He replied, turning around. Anybody could do a D-rank mission, and it was highly unlikely the 'escort' was anything more than that. 

He brought a hand to stifle his yawn, suddenly aware of how tired he was, peeking a blue eye out at them again before he began speaking again. "We've all been Genin for at least a year, meaning we're eligible for C-rank missions. Obviously, the weaker shinobi have to do the easier missions, but designating something like this to us instead of to one of the dozens of noobs running around is stupid. I'm not getting up at 6 AM in the morning to do a glorified jog."

There were better things to do with his time than this. Granted, he'd still be asleep by now, but the walk to the other side of the village would undoubtedly drag into the afternoon. He could have spent that time training instead, and even though the pay was reasonable for such an easy mission, it wasn't like he had cash flow difficulties either. He was _loaded_.​


----------



## Island (May 16, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Hokage's Office

---​
?So?? I asked. ?We _can_ do missions like this, but _have_ we??

?If there's no proof that we can even escort somebody across the village,? I questioned, ?What would make the village think that we?re capable of escorting people across the country??

I didn?t quite like Ren all that much. He seemed so full of himself, which is something I never really liked in a person.

Still, he seemed like somebody who would listen to reason.

?It isn?t about what we think we can do.? I argued. ?It?s about what the village thinks we can do, and until we prove to the village that we can effectively work as a team and complete our missions, this is what we?re going to be stuck doing.?


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 16, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

HOKAGE OFFICE

_________________​
*Early Morning IV;*


Ren found himself intrinsically annoyed by Hirari, for some reason. Maybe it was in the way that she lived; a Hyūga born to be the successor of her clan, while he had to work to beat all his other siblings. Yet, despite her heritage, she was seemingly content and sought for no further heights, instead indulging in a life of complacency. It wasn't something he understood. Or maybe it was the fact that she seemed to have no opinion of her own; everything she said seemed to be a mirror reflecting what the village authority said. No ambition, no drive; a sheep in a kunoichi's clothing, blessed with powerful heritage. 

Even so, he gave a reply, not that he thought her argument actually merited one. "I don't know about you," Ren replied boredly, fixing his tie slightly after noticing that it was somewhat crooked.

"But I spent my entire first year as a shinobi doing D-rank missions. Any idiot can take a man and escort them a few miles. If they can't, then they probably shouldn't have graduated in the first place."​


----------



## Fedster (May 16, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


As the Houki and the Hyuuga discussed about whether it was worthy of them to do the mission, Minako stood there, with her eyes closed and slightly drooling. Years of training have allowed her to master the skill of sleeping while standing up, and she was putting them to practise. It was not that she thought that the discussion was boring, but she was so sleepy that it felt wrong to just deprive herself from a few-minute's rest. It was a dreamless nap, if something so short could be called a nap, but she felt a bit better when she woke up.

"Though," Minako interrupted, her voice groggy. A small cascade of saliva coming out of the edge of her lips."Can we just do the mission so we can go back to sleep?" She wiped the drool with sleepy determination and looked up at Brawly-sensei. "Where is the mission?"

"Ah! I am *GLAD* you asked! *OVER* here!" And with a kick, he propelled himself to the location, his pupils following him from afar.

________________________________________________________________________

"We'll go from here to the East Gate. No stops, no questions, and definitively *NO* interruptions. We have to get there as fast as possible." The man said. He was middle-aged, bearded, and rather chubby. He talked fast, and his voice was rough, hoarse even. When they arrived, he was standing besides a small truck and seemed rather determined with not letting anyone inside the back part. It was rather odd, but then again, so was Brawly-sensei.

"WELL, then!" He turned to his Genin. "I will *LET* you decide on *FORMATION*, *TACTICS*, and *TEAMWORK*! Take it as your *FIRST* task!"


----------



## Island (May 17, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
West Gate

---​
I immediately looked over to Ren to see if he had another one of his somewhat convoluted plans, but he didn?t have a response. I figured that as long as he was around to make the plans, it saved me the trouble. However, he did nothing, probably out of apathy, or alternatively, as some passive aggressive way to spite us. What a prick.

I found myself intrinsically bothered by him, for some reason. All business, all the time. Succeed at any cost, by any means necessary. All about the goals, the destination, and never about the journey. He didn?t seem like the kind of guy to relax, kick back with his family or friends, or at the very least, sit back and enjoy some television. Why did it have to be all work and no play? Why did he have some fantastic ambition that he _had_to pursue, no matter who or what got in his way? Like this, for instance, some trivial mission, not worth his time. Simply having to do it was a waste. Why did _he_ have to do it? _Clearly_, he had _better_ things to do.

Plus, it didn?t help that he was an asshole.

Maybe if he was a nice guy, he wouldn?t be so bad. Minus the whole,  mentality that was probably just a few years down the road.

Whatever.

I turned my attention to the team as a whole. ?A diamond formation, simple and effective. I?ll be front, Ren-san to the left, and Minako-chan in the back. Brawly-sensei, if you would, please follow in the back.?

It made sense.

We didn?t need a scout, somebody to go ahead and scope for danger as long as I had my Byakugan.

The formation made sense too, organized in such a way that the strongest were assigned to the most dangerous positions while the weakest were assigned to what I assumed would be the least likely place to be attacked. Attacking from the rear was a common strategy, which meant that Brawly would do well back there. The front was also common, and I trusted myself a lot more than I trusted Ren. Then, between Minako and Ren, I figured that it was more likely that we?d be attacked from the left than the right, as ambushers preferred to catch their victims off-guard, attacking the traditionally weaker left side. Since people were usually right-handed, it would take them an extra moment to respond to an attack from the left, meaning that the enemy could just as easily clear our left flank if somebody strong wasn?t ready and waiting.

I severely doubted that anybody would attack us, but Brawly-sensei wanted us to put in our all and was probably testing us or something.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 17, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

HOKAGE OFFICE

_________________​
*Escorting I;*


Ren had contemplated deciding on a formation, or tactics in case of an attack. Ideally, they could surround the escort with clones while they walked alongside the rooftops to counter-trap anybody who tried to ambush them for the target. And with Hirari's Byakugan on their side, it was unlikely they would have encountered any surprises along the way, either. Though, this mission just simply wasn't worth the effort. The person they were taking wasn't anybody particularly important, and even if somebody attacked them on the way of a D-rank mission, which was already highly unlikely, any of them individually could probably take on the threat. There was no point expending chakra or mental energies on something so trivial and stupid.

Therefore, he silently delegated the task to Hirari, who decided on a diamond formation. It was simple, but effective, so Ren personally had no problems with it as he headed out on the front with Hirari. No scouts were needed at the front because of her Byakugan, and the genjutsu user was placed at the back with a secure guard. Meanwhile, the two main fighters of the team, excluding Brawly, were at the front to repel any threats that might try to flank. ​


----------



## Island (May 17, 2014)

*Masuyo*
Downtown Kiri

---​
?I just want to go home, is all.? Masuyo answered. ?I?ve never been here before, and I don?t quite like it. Don?t get me wrong, your village is lovely, and the people seem friendly enough. It?s just that your world is strange and foreign to me, and??

She paused.

?Back home, we?re simple folk.? She stated.

?But enough of that.? She changed topics.

Her words suddenly became sharper and more hostile. ?I think it?s about time we get down to business. Including the two of you, there are six people in this restaurant that don?t want me to leave this village. In the far corner, there are two hunters, in the opposite corner, there?s a woman, probably a fellow clansmen, and then the waitress??

?The two of you are going to sit here with me.? Masuyo went on. ?You?re going to continue acting like everything is normal, and we?re going to leave after we finish our food. You?re going to walk me out, and we?re going to go for a stroll. If you do that, we can end this without incident. If not, I'll kill you right here, right now.?


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 17, 2014)

*Yui*
Downtown Kirigakure 

----------​
Yui held her tongue, and kept from turning towards her teammate after that interesting...development. She leaned back in her chair, parting her lips as her tongue flickered out and she closed her eyes, nodding. "Sure. That sounds fine."

_'She's definitely confident,'_ Yui thought. _'Best not to test it, for now. So she knows what hunter nin are, and can tell them apart from their garb.'_

"So in the meantime, why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself? Where you're from, for example. You must like it a lot, if you're willing to threaten in order to get there."


----------



## Island (May 17, 2014)

*Masuyo*
Downtown Kiri

---​
?When somebody tells you that you?re here now and that they want you to fight for them, fight their battles and win their wars, then you start to miss your home, no matter what you may have thought of it before.? Masuyo explained. ?I came to this strange village, and your people sought to use me as some kind of tool, some weapon??

?To wear your insignia and fight in your name.? She stated.

?Imagine,? she began, ?One day, you wake up in a whole new world, some unrecognizable land with people you?ve never seen before, wearing strange clothes and speaking about strange things. They ask you a whole host of questions about yourself, and then began talking about how useful you?ll be, how much of an asset you could be. They tell you that you can work for them, protect their village and fight in their name??

?You think back about where you came from?? She described. ?The disease, the famine, and the war that ravaged your homeland. The senseless destruction that destroyed towns and villages, leaving thousands homeless and hungry. Described as some of the lowest standards of living in the world. People lived to twenty, maybe thirty, at most. Still, it was what you called home. You fought for it. Fought to bring peace to your land and rebuild. Create something beautiful, something greater than anything that came before it.?

?But now,? she shook her head, ?Somebody else wants you, again, to fight their battles and win their wars. You see a world on the verge of war, so eager and ready to plunge itself into the abyss, and for what???

?Yui-san, was it?? She asked. ?Tell me, what would you think? What would you do??


----------



## Fedster (May 17, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


Hirari, rapidly taking the role of the strategist, decided on a formation and where each of them should be. Minako did not really have nothing to contribute, so she just took her position while Ren went to the left, Brawly at the right, and Hirari was at the front of the caravan. A shame, really. Now Minako could not see her activating her Byakugan. She sighed at this, and when the truck started moving, she had to catch up with it.

The truck moved rather fast, and the gas it expelled were shot straight to Minako's face. She decided to hop onto the truck. She would still be visible, since she was just sitting on the edge of the open compartment, and now she had a clear view of what was going on in the rear part of the vehicle. She noticed, though, that the truck had messily arranged sacks inside it. Maybe those were the goods the man was transporting? He was rather insistant that nobody should come close to them. Why? Well, if there was a moment to find out, it was now.

Minako took a step towards one of the sacks. It was rough and cold. She did not like it. And what was that smell? Now that she was properly inside the truck, there was a pungent smell of disinfectant. She suddenly felt as though she was in a hospital.

Minako took the sack and slowly pulled it up. And the next thing that Ren, Hirari Brawly-sensei and the man heard was a high-pitch, shiver-inducing shrill.

The girl had found out what the mission was all about: the man was smuggling corpses, and had the nerve to hire the very ninjas that were supposed to catch him.


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 17, 2014)

*Yui*
Downtown Kirigakure 

----------​
"I would tread very carefully," Yui replied bluntly as she leaned forward. "Because there might be more to this strange place than you think, with your cursory glance. Where are we strolling to?"

Yui straightens her posture, waving off her teammate. She wouldn't really need back up for something like this if they were on home soil. She also gave her sister a look the moment she broke eye contact with Masuyo.


----------



## Island (May 17, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
The Intersection

---​
My head.

As soon as I activated my Byakugan, my head started pounding. I felt as if somebody was taking a sledgehammer and beating it against my skull with all their might. Instinctively, I brought my hands up to my temples and began rubbing them, deactivating my Byakugan as I did.

What the actual fuck.

What the hell was that.

The pain slowly began to subside, and I quickly recomposed myself, unsure of what just happened or why it happened. Then, I quickly looked around to see if anybody noticed.

Nobody did, or at least nobody looked like they noticed. Maybe Ren did, but he didn’t look like he was paying much attention to me when I looked in his direction. Probably contemplating plans for world domination or something. Whatever it was that he thought about.

Thus, we marched onward.

The truck moved slow enough that I could keep with a brisk walk, which was nice, but it was somewhat worrisome that I didn’t have the Byakugan to rely on. On one hand, I doubted that anything bad would happen in the heart of the village, the center of one of the greatest military powers in the known world. On the other hand, it felt strange to not have the safety blanket of my kekkei genkai to fall back on.

I mean, I did, but I didn’t want to hurt myself or something. I figured I’d ask father about it later, or alternatively, go to the hospital. Or both.

Fortunately or unfortunately, we weren’t moving for very long.

An ear-piercing, shiver-inducing shriek blasted from the rear of the vehicle, and then, immediately after, the truck came to a screeching halt, as if the driver slammed on the brakes, probably in response to whoever was screaming. I turned to see what all the commotion was…

We found ourselves stopped at the center of a four way intersection in one of the less densely populated parts of the village. Houses sat at each of the four corners, each of them enclosed within large stone walls. The street immediately outside had long since been paved with cement, and likewise, the road with asphalt, one of the more developed sections of the village, probably home to some wealthy non-shinobi, merchants or noblemen.

Previously, the owner of the vehicle, a middle-aged non-shinobi, sat in the driver’s seat, maintaining a steady and constant speed of just a few kilometers per hour, ten, maybe fifteen at the most. However, when I turned back to see what was wrong, he had removed himself from his previous position and relocated to the roof of the vehicle. He stood up there, his long flowing robes fluttering, as if he was ready to make an announcement, a revelation of some kind…

“It is time to spring our trap, team!” He called out.

From Minako’s perspective, it looked like the dead was rising from their graves. Out of some dodgy-looking burlap sacks rose three individuals, two young men and a woman. As soon as they sat up, they each created hand signs and disappeared into smoke, reappearing almost instantly by the man’s side atop the vehicle.

I couldn’t see Brawly’s face, but he was probably white as a ghost and paralyzed with fear after watching what looked like the dead return to life. After all, anybody who knew the man knew that he was afraid of nothing, not snakes, not spiders, not Orochimaru nor Madara. Nothing except _zombies_. Konoha’s Greatest Taijutsu Specialist had one fear…

The living dead.

*THUUUUUD!*

I heard what sounded like ninety kilograms of muscle collapse onto the ground, most likely Brawly fainting out of sheer terror.

Then, suddenly the man threw off his disguise, revealing…



“GET UP, BRAWLY-SAN, FOR IT IS, I, YOUR *ARCHRIVAL*, MAN LI,” He proclaimed. “And the rest of *KONOHA TEAM 21*, ready to face you and your squad!”

I found myself speechless. My mouth dropped, and I raised an eyebrow.

I did my best to try and articulate how I felt, but it just couldn’t come.

What the actual _actual_ fuck.

On the rooftop stood Man Li and the three members of Konoha Team 21. Between him and I, staring straight at me, stood my cousin, . To his left stood Ren's own cousin, , casually eating a piece of beef and shrugging down to her counterpart. Then, in front of him, between him and Minako, stood Hatake Shizuo, one of my close friends and also one of the most persistent shinobi in the village, probably even the whole Shinobi World.

“What say you, *TEAM BRAWLY*,” he bellowed, “Will you *FACE US*?”


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 18, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

THE INTERSECTION

_________________​
*Escorting II;*


To say that Ren Houki was a little frustrated by the speed at which the truck moved, or lack thereof, was a vast understatement. When he saw that it was a vehicle they were helping transport, he was actually somewhat glad?it would probably move quite fast, and they could get the mission done with quicker. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case. The truck moved very slow, with the steel container on the back giving visible shakes each time the wheels hit a bump. The Houki was actually pretty sure he could fall faster than this.

From the corner of his eye, he made out Hirari wincing in pain and rubbing her temples, causing the shinobi to frown slightly. He concluded that it probably wasn't anything more than a momentary headache given how quickly she recovered, and promptly stopped caring. And then, almost causing him to have his own headache, a piercing scream rang through the air, causing Ren to almost trip and fall over in surprise. "Eh? Minako?" He frowned, and then his eyes shifted over to where the truck had stopped.

They were at an intersection. Four houses, lined with tall walls, ominously stood at each side. There were no people walking around?unsurprising, given that this was in one of the least populated areas of the village. But considering the mission, it definitely merited suspicion. "_It can't be an ambush. Hirari's Byakugan should have been able to see it coming._" He thought to himself, but was soon proven wrong by a loud, boisterous voice from the top of the truck.

"It's time to spring our trap, team!" The middle aged man declared cheerfully, his bad back gone and his body having realigned itself completely upright as if he'd just gotten twenty years younger. This caused Ren's eyes to narrow slightly. The man was likely using a transformation jutsu, and with that in mind, this was obviously an ambush. But how did Hirari not notice? Once again, however, Ren's concerns were cut short, as the mysterious man showed that he wasn't an enemy. Or at least, not one as such...

"*GET UP, BRAWLY-SAN, FOR IT IS, I, YOUR ARCHRIVAL, MAN LI*," He proclaimed. ?And the rest of *KONOHA TEAM 21*, ready to face you and your squad!?

From the back, the squad members poured out, darting on top of the roof to their master in a dark blur. There were two people Ren didn't recognize, but could identify as a Hatake and a Hyūga, but one person that he did know of. It was his cousin, Ran Houki, eating a piece of beef. The senior Houki gave a smirk, stepping forward as his tantō caught in his hand. "Ran. You don't honestly think that a no name Houki like yourself could possibly beat me, do you?" He asked bemusedly.


​


----------



## Fedster (May 18, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


Suddenly, the truck came to a stop, and Minako tripped and fell to the floor. What was happening? Did her scream alert the man that his plans have been foiled, and now he was running away? But then, what about the rest? They knew she screamed, but not _why_ she screamed. SHe needed to warn them, there was still time. She was about to get out of the truck...

When it happened.

A thunderous voice cracked the morning's silence. And wihout warning, the sacks started moving, and from them, three figures stood in the semi-darkness. Minako could not stop shivering. This could not be happening. It was not happening. There was no way...and yet, she was seeing it with her own eyes. Three corpses stood up, only to disappear in clouds of smoke. Wait, smoke?

She exited the truck, and found Hirari and Ren and Brawly-sensei, who laid unexplicably on the floor. Brawly-sensei...on the _floor_? Well, that was new. She wanted to go and see if he was ok, but someone was standing in the middle. Some dude with white hair who did not look very threatening, but that did not mean he was not.

"Ren, Hirari!", She called, waving her hand to call their attention, She needed some explanation. "What happened to Brawly-sensei? Actually, what happened in general?"


----------



## Island (May 19, 2014)

*Masuyo*
Downtown Kiri

---​
?Straight to business, no bullshit,? Masuyo gave a faint smile, ?I can respect that.?

Masuyo made a left out of the building and down the busy city street, glancing around every so often, probably in search of aggressors or anybody else who might seek to ambush her. You could get the impression that she at least somewhat aware of the danger she was in but also that she didn?t quite know where she was or what this village was all about, which was odd, since the Five Great Shinobi Nations were known throughout the world. Despite the danger, she also seemed quite calm and collected, or at least that?s what she tried to convey. The young woman _did_ look a little tense?

?This is an island, correct?? She asked. ?A big one, but an island nevertheless.?

You saw her glance up at the sky at some passing seagulls. ?Based on the flight patterns of water fowl, you can usually figure out where water is and is not.?

Again, strange that a non-shinobi would be this cunning.

She still hadn?t answered your question about where the two of you were going, but?

?You have a leader, yes?? She added. ?Probably a military commander or something, yes??

?Take me to them.? She commanded.


----------



## Island (May 19, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
The Intersection

---​
“A *SIMPLE* plan.” Man Li explained. “First, entice Brawly-san to take on this mission. Next, disguises. Then, disable Hirari-chan’s Byakugan.  Finally, *JUMP OUT*…”

He gloated. “You sensei did not suspect *THING*!”

*SMAAAAASH!*

Fightin’ Brawly’s fist collided Man Li’s face. The latter toppled back but not before grabbing Brawly by the arm and dragging him back with him. How Brawly recovered so quickly, I had no idea. It was possible that fainting was just a ruse and that he wanted to wait for his rival’s guard to drop before striking. However, I somewhat doubted this. I had heard how Brawly could be sometimes…

I turned by attention back to Haruto. He and I both knew that I couldn’t use the Byakugan, for reasons that I still didn’t fully understand. Somehow, they found a way to stop me from using it, whether through some kind of neurotoxin or through an elaborate Genjutsu…

I also knew that Haruto wouldn’t accept a concession.

A young man born into the branch family, he never seemed to like me. Although he treated me respectfully, addressing me with honorifics, he seemed to do so begrudgingly.

Which bothered me somewhat.

Haruto had no respect for the main house. He believed that no man or woman should have the inherent right to rule over others and that it was merit that determined one’s place in society. Respectable, somewhat idealistic, but nevertheless respectable, at least as long as he kept those opinions to himself. He despised those born into power almost as much as he did liars, cheaters, and anyone else simple took what they wanted at the expense of the innocent.

Noble, but…

The circumstances of his birth made him bitter, callous.

Something I planned to capitalize on.

There was no way that I would fight him here.

“Don’t you dare, Haruto-kun.” I growled. “Don’t even think about it.”

I created a seal with my hands, not a traditional handseal but one that my counterpart would nevertheless recognize…

“Make one wrong move,” I threatened, lying, but threatened nevertheless, “You’ll be dead before you even get down here.”

Indeed, the circumstances of his birth would come back to haunt him. At any given moment, both my father and mother had the means to end him, to activate the seal on his forehead and kill him where he stood. Although I didn’t know how to do that, I didn’t exactly need to. I just needed him to think I could, and as long as he thought I could, he wouldn’t dare provoke me.

At least that’s what I thought…

Meanwhile, Ran took the last bite of her kebab before tossing the wooden skewer aside. She listened to what Ren had to say before swallowing and speaking up, “Is that all you really care about, Ren-kun, how you measure somebody’s worth, by how powerful they are?”

“You’re pathetic.” She spat.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 19, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

THE INTERSECTION

_________________​
*Houki v Houki;*


A sigh is given by Ren at his cousin's words. "And yet, you don't deny the claim at all." He observes amusedly, the tantō falling into his hand. Ren recognized the girl, though not immediately. Her name, as he had mentioned before, was Ran Houki. She was a member of his clan but came from a part of the family which had traditionally served the rest as retainers, and was one of the first from that family in decades who tried to compete as successors to the throne of Eduan Houki.

With a cackle, a small orb of light formed by the side of the other Houki's head, the girl having formed the hand seals amidst the conversation. "I like to prove my worth through actions, not words, Ren-kun." The viper bit back, replacing the wooden skewer in her hand with a kunai, a glow in her eyes. And then the pearl activated, releasing a stream of vividly bright chakra at Ren, who immediately ducked past it and shot for Ran, his tantō meeting her kunai.

The Houki arched an eyebrow in surprise. A somewhat pleasant surprise, as he had expected the girl to be dropped immediately by his attack. He hadn't used the Body Flicker, granted, but it was rare that somebody could defend against him like that. "Oh, you managed to block it. Impressive." He commented, and then his free hand shifted. "My turn, though. *Lightning Release: Thunder Pearl*." Muttered the blue haired boy, a sphere of chakra forming at his torso, ready to fire directly at her.
​


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 19, 2014)

*Yui*
Downtown Kirigakure 

----------​
Yui looked over at her new friend, and then breathed in. Then she breathed out. "You did me the favor of looking at our situation from your point of view. Now I'm going to do you the same service, so that we can make this stroll just a bit more productive. Is that ok?"

"So you're given the job of keeping tabs on an individual who is a non-shinobi, or at least said to be, but continues to display qualities that would only be possible in a shinobi, including very capable sensory analysis and apparently the potential to do combat comfortably with at least 6 other combatants. One who claims to not understand our ways, who I was told to be exceptionally careful around. And that individual also threatens you, and then asks to see the most powerful individual in your village."

Yui shifted her weight, folding her arms in front of her chest as she looked over at Masuyo incredulously. "I need a bit more if I'm going to trust you. I already failed the mission the moment I stepped out of the restaurant, so let's help each other." Her expression softens a touch. "Your story is just vague enough to be a mask to get my trust. But if you were to convince me it were...true..." Then the young woman's gaze slides offside as she trails off.


----------



## Island (May 19, 2014)

*Masuyo*
Downtown Kiri

---​
“Reasonable.” Masuyo answered.

She hesitated before speaking but nevertheless went on. “The last thing I remember is waking up aboard one of your research vessels. They asked me all sorts of questions, who I was, where I was from, so on, and so on. Nothing suspicious. They seemed friendly enough. Naturally, I wanted to know some things too, where I was, how I ended up on their ship…”

She hesitated.

“They said they found happened upon me.” Masuyo explained. “No family, no friends, nothing, just me, and that they were bringing me back to their village. Again, they seemed friendly enough, and I really didn’t have any other choice. What was I to do? Jump into the ocean and swim back home? I didn’t even know where I was, so naturally, I went with it…”

“I didn’t know that they were part of your army.” She stated. “I’m not interested in being some instrument of war, searing allegiance to another lord and fighting somebody else’s battles.”

“When they brought me here, to some medical facility uptown, I fled, and have been wandering around here ever since.” She concluded. “Your people have been watching me, keeping their distance but nevertheless following me wherever I went. Reasonable, I suppose, but I don’t want to hurt anybody. I just want to go home, that’s all…”

“I’m under the impression that your people don’t want that to happen, however, which brings us to the present.” She recollected on the past few hours. “We are on an island, a large island, but like I said, an island nevertheless. Thus, in order to escape, I would need a hostage, somebody I could bring with me to negotiate my freedom. I stopped by that shop and ordered myself a cup of tea, hoping that I would be approached. I was under the impression that your people are just as afraid of me as I am of you. Either that, or you have some other reason for not attacking me outright and attempting to subdue me with force. Regardless…”

Masuyo didn’t seem to be lying. If she was, she would have to be incredibly good at it. However, you got the impression that she might not be telling you everything.

“I assume your commander lives in that large building,” she pointed over to the Mizukage’s Office, the largest structure in Kirigakure, “Well fortified and in the dead center of the village…”

What she wasn’t telling you, you had no idea. She didn’t seem particularly hostile, and you doubted that she actually wanted to hurt anybody, much like she said…


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 20, 2014)

*Hatake Shizuo & Yui Hōzuki*
The Intersection and Downtown Kiri

----------​
_"You can't always be so hesitant, Shizuo-kun. Sometimes, proper action is required before those who would harm your friends and family can snatch the initiative. Sometimes you need to seize your destiny, and stop being the nice guy...it's the only way you'll grow."_

---​
*Present Day*

Shizuo watched as the scene began to unfold before him, taking stock of how everyone was reacting. As the Hyuugas and Houkis reacted with understandable rivalry sparking. He glanced at the other girl on their team, a kunoichi he knew basically nothing about, and couldn't even throw jibes at like his teammates if he did. Though he had no intention of that, even if he knew her, and also could speak. Instead, he'd cover for his teammates.

But by attacking who? He didn't particularly like Hokuto, and the matters of the Hyuuga clan he had no part in; besides, Hirari _was _his friend. As Ren and Ran continued their conversation, the Hatake fumbled through handsigns, intent on charging them with his raiton jutsu conducted through his body in order to draw their attention but just as he was about to rush...he noticed Ren create a raiton jutsu in front of him.

Ah, of course! The Houki's specialty, which he'd seen Ran use many times. In that case...

He knew from combination jutsus with Ran that the default charge of this raiton ability was always negative (which said a lot about the Clan) and so, instead of pulse the Raiton: Kangekiha he had planned through his body to attack, he stuck his drawn short sword into the roof of the truck they were on, and charged it positively with his jutsu!

Watching as that served as a decoy, Shizuo proceeded to body flicker right for Ren, opening with a solid uppercut.

_'I won't use Kyōmeisen or kenjutsu, but I can't hold back...'_

Meanwhile, in Kirigakure....

Yui blinked once, her memories turning back towards the darker times in Kirigakure's history, when men like the Monster of the Hidden Mist ran wild, and Madara Uchiha pulled strings from behind the scenes; when bloody exam rituals were put in place and trust wasn't something you could ever earn in Kirigakure. Then she reattuned her thoughts to the present.

"I'm not going to press you, and I don't want to, lest you tell me something that turns me immediately hostile. I know you're holding back a little, but I can no longer perform my mission, and anything the Medical Division is doing I have no idea about. So we'll pretend I didn't hear any of that. But I do know one thing...I trust Mizukage-sama, and she'd never do something to bar your going home if you weren't needed here for something. So let's go see her, first. You're going to have trouble acting like I'm a hostage though...people are well aware of my Clan's specialty. We make poor hostages."

She taps her chin, thinking a moment. "Let's go. I'll figure something out, on the way."


----------



## Island (May 20, 2014)

*Masuyo*
Mizukage's Office

---​
Regardless, the two of you headed to the Mizukage?s Office and arrived without incident. As you might have expected, you had no trouble getting into the Mizukage?s Office, probably because somebody forewarned her of your arrival with Masuyo. When you entered the structure, you noticed that there was an unusual amount of people around, some of which you recognized as hunter-nin. They paid you no mind, appearing busy with paperwork or chatting amongst themselves, discussing their family, their work, or whatever else. You suspected, though, that this might have been a ruse. They were probably all there to keep an eye on your new friend?

?Masuyo-chan,? The Mizukage announced as the two of you entered her office, ?You are female, sixteen years, with no affiliation to any known nation in the Shinobi World??

, stood at about 185 centimeters and probably weighed 80-85 kilograms, towering over the two of you, as well as most other people in the people. Known throughout the Shinobi World for her sheer force of personality, her domineering attitude, even amongst the other Five Kage, the Mizukage usually dominated the room, commanded the attention of everybody around her. Here was no exception.



?We ran the blood tests because, frankly, we didn?t really believe it at first?? the Mizukage stated, ?Though, they weren?t necessary after seeing you in action when you escaped from the facility.?

The woman suddenly changed the subject, turning to you, ?Yui-chan, do you know Masuyo-chan?s full name, by any chance??

She didn?t wait for you to answer, probably because she already knew what your answer was going to be.

?Allow me to introduce you to?? she paused briefly, ?Kaguya Masuyo.?


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 20, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

KONOHA FOREST

_________________​
*LT: Five-Seal Barrier;*


A while ago, while Ren had decided to look up defensive jutsu in his library to make up for his lack of stamina, he found one particularly interesting barrier technique. "This technique creates a barrier around a place by placing four forbidden tags in different locations surrounding the location to be protected and a fifth tag on the designated zone. The tags are connected to the user's chakra, which is what allows it to turn the selected zone into a barrier space. To cancel this, it is necessary to search for the four tags and tear them off simultaneously. Meaning there must be at least five people on a team to cancel it." Ren yawned, rolling up the scroll which explained the jutsu as he looked at the line of tags on the ground in front of him. 

The Houki brought a hand to his chin, deep in thought. "_What an inefficient technique. Unless I had kage bunshin no jutsu, there's no way I'd be able to scatter five tags in a battle quickly enough. In that case..._" He took three tags and three kunai, carefully wrapping the fabric around the hilt, then scattered them, designating a nearby tree as the zone he would use the barrier on. Obviously, he wouldn't waste the jutsu like that in a real fight, but this was just an experiment to see if the Five Seal Barrier technique could be streamlined into the Three Seal Barrier. 

Extending a palm, Ren muttered. "Three Seal Barrier." He said, but nothing happened. A bright sheen of chakra should have layered the tree where his jutsu had covered itself, but it remained as mundane looking as ever. "Weird. Why isn't anything happening?" He frowned, throwing a kunai at the tree just in case it had actually worked and he didn't see it. But as it would usually, the steel cut easily into the wood.

"Ah." Ren realized suddenly, facepalming himself. He'd forgotten to channel chakra through the jutsu to activate it—of course it wouldn't work if there was no chakra siphoned into it. Concentrating, the Houki took a deep breath and flowed chakra through the tags, feeling a small part of his stamina leave his body. "Got it," he smirked, then looked at the tree again, *"Three Seal Barrier!"* He shouted. The he had wrapped around the kunai gave off a blue glow, signalling the activation of the jutsu, and then a glass-like transparent sheen flowed from the forbidden tag and around the tree.

The Houki took out another kunai and then sliced it through the air. The projectile flew true at the tree, finding immediate purchase in striking it's inanimate foe. However, instead of cutting into it like before, it harmlessly bounced off, as if parried by an invisible force. "Normally, the jutsu is meant to deflect all the kinetic energy thrown at it back at the user. But I guess it being slightly weaker than normal is expected..." He observed, then shrugged.  ​


----------



## Redblood (May 20, 2014)

*Amagumo*
Above Kumogakure
----------​
God DAMN that Kabiki girl could hit! Amagumo was fairly certain there was a shoeprint stuck on his face as he blew the kunoichi away with blast of wind. 

*“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!”* Ruka cried as she fell toward the city.

Well, now the REAL test begins. Let’s see which one of her future teammates catches her.

Any second now, one of them should abandon catching me, and save her.

Any second now, they’ll move…

Any…

Second…

Now…

Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind blew past the Cloud sensei. Katsurou, the wolf pelt-clad ninja had abandoned his mission and gone to save his teammate.

“There we go.” Amagumo declared as he fell from his hiding place, performed another Cloud Release to catch himself before Amagumo caught Katsurou with another cloud. The shinobi looked like he may have been able to steady himself, but Amagumo would rather be safe than sorry. Not entirely sure of what just happened, Ruka looked around and clearly saw the imprint she’d made on her sensei’s face.

*“OHMYGOSHIMSOSORRYSENSEI—”* Ruka began, flailing in Katsurou's arms before Amagumo placed a finger over his mouth and Ruka fell silent. The three drifted safely to the ground and Amagumo let Katsurou and Ruka down safely in the Kumogakure Food District.

“It’s all right, Kabiki-chan. The test is over.” Amagumo declared with a sigh.

“Oh.” Ruka replied, scratching her head, “I guess…we failed, huh sensei?” she asked.

“No.” Amagumo replied before dispelling all the clouds he had created, sending Felix plummeting toward Kumogakure much like their teammates had. However, Amagumo created one last cloud that caught the boy before he hit the ground.

“*HE* failed.” Amagumo declared before dispelling the cloud that caught Felix, making them hit the ground, albeit much softer than they would have.

*“WHAT?!”* Ruka exclaimed in disbelief, “But…but…” she continued before Amagumo shushed her again, and turned to the failing shinobi.

“Now, NOT ONLY did you fail to tag me as was instructed, but you also failed to save your teammate, who was in dire need of help. You did not communicate with your teammates, but rather, you exploited them. You're not ready to be on any ninja squad, least of all mine. Go home.”  Amagumo ordered, and with that, he turned away from the boy and back to Ruka and Katsurou.

"Isamuki Katsurou," Amagumo proclaimed, turning to the young shinobi, "While you did not act in the test, your inaction suggests that you'll evaluate a situation before charging in, a valued trait of any shinobi. Not only that, but you've proven your dedication and loyalty to this by saving your teammate. To me, that's enough to give you a pass."

“Kabiki Ruka...” Amagumo addressed, getting Ruka's attention, “you are the most brazen, foolhardy idiot of a kunoichi I've ever come across in my years as a teacher. You are reckless, and didn't even think before attacking me. That sort of attitude could very well get you killed." the sensei growled, making Ruka recoil in fear. Yet, Amagumo's scowl faded, and with a sigh he continued.

"Yet, you _DID_ manage to tag me. Something neither of your teammates could accomplish. Therefore, you pass. By complete, dumb luck." Amagumo groaned.

"Ooh! That's the BEST kind of luck!" Ruka chirped, regaining the smile she wore so proudly. Amagumo's left eye twitched, like it knew something the rest of him didn't. Still, Amagumo reached for his pocket and handed each of his new students a map.

"Just show up where the X is tomorrow, okay you two?" Amagumo requested, before Body Flickering out of sight.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 20, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

THE INTERSECTION

_________________​
*Team Clash;*


A blanket of smoke blew across the street as the thunder pearl struck the ground, two distinctive blue shapes erupting from the grey cloud simultaneously. "_It looks like she managed to dodge it at the last minute... for the most part._" He observed, noting a singed graze on the side of her body from where the beam had pierced. 

However, by now, Shizuo Hatake had come into the scene, emerging just behind him with his fist moving into a decisive uppercut. The Houki narrowed his eyes, but nevertheless blocked the punch, the Houki clan shield summoning itself in the air to intercept the boy's taijutsu maneuver. 

Before he could begin to mount a counter-attack against the Hatake, however, Ran had already recovered. The girl launched herself into the air above Ren, her hands forming through a sequence of seals. "*Houki Style, Lightning Release: Thunder Needles!*" She called. A pearl of lightning formed in the space in front of her, and then scattered into a rain of minute raiton senbon.

Ren moved to dodge, but his movements were a few seconds too late. He'd underestimated the speed and range of the girl's ninjutsu, and the result was a few cuts on the arms and his cheek. Twitching his finger, he forced the shield to forcefully shove Shizuo aside and block his line of sight so that he could focus solely on Ran. In the air, she was in the prime position to strike down. Producing two shurikens and a kunai, he threw them at her, imbuing them with chakra so that he could manipulate their movements if they missed.
​


----------



## Redblood (May 20, 2014)

*Funzaki*
Konoha Embassies

----------​
After a long and silent journey through the seemingly deserted streets of Konoha, the Suna team had finally made it back to the equally deserted Konoha Embassies.

Funzaki was exhausted, both from the fight, and from all the running around afterwards. He couldn?t wait to just slide right into bed and dream his pain away. That, and a few private things needed taking care of. Still, while Funzaki was in the presence of his sensei he didn?t let his exhaustion show, standing at attention as Chi stood before the Sunagakure Embassy?s gates.
No one said or did anything, kind of just frozen in some awkward silence, so Funzaki made the first move, heading for the entrance. He had almost passed by his sensei, when her words stopped him.

?And just where the* FUCK *do you think you?re going?? Chi asked the hammer wielding shinobi.

?Um?I was going to go lie down for a b?? Funzaki began, before Chi interrupted him by grabbing the back of the boy?s shirt and tossing him away from the embassy and right on his ass.

?*WRONG!!* Do you idiots think you* DESERVE* a rest after your little *SHIT SHOW* out there?!* NO!!* You are not going to rest until you?ve *PROVEN* to me that I shouldn?t just* DUMP* your sorry asses here and find *NEW*, more *COMPETENT* ninjas to train! All of you have to spar against me. If you can touch me, hell, if you can *SURPRISE* me, you pass and can go back to the room to rest. If you fail, I will hurt you. And I will *ENJOY IT.*? Chi snarled as she brought out her massive offensive puppet, Renga.

?Now?*COME AT ME.*? the Suna sensei snarled.


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 21, 2014)

*Kouji & Yui Hōzuki*
Konoha Embassies and Downtown Kiri

----------​
Kouji made a single handsign, and thus summoned all his puppets, taking a step between their sensei and Kimiko. "Training's fine and all, but no need to be a bitch to them for my mistake. I'll sleep out here if I can't get past you. But they shouldn't be penalized for my mistake."

He glances over at Funzaki, and grins. "He doesn't even know what he just stepped into the middle of. You always knew I was the fuck up, anyway."

He looks back to her. "But I'm your fuck up." With a vicious sneer, he then sent Rush right at Renga, pulling back his grip on the puppet at the last minute as his sensei's counter came! 

Kouji knew that he'd die if he let that thing wound him, but sent his other puppets on the offensive anyway; he needed to ferret out her strengths and weaknesses. Sensei did not often bring out her puppets, but was the creator of all three of his. She was at the advantage, currently. As he sent Rush around Renga's counter, he sent out a barrage or rapid fire senbon at his sensei from the left as Echo tossed the shrapnel bomb towards Cinders on the right. Cinders hit it with Hiruko's tail, and sent it hurtling towards Chi's right side, spraying both with scattered traps!

------------

Meanwhile...

Yui nearly spit out her water as she heard that, dropping her water bottle as she body flickered in front of the Mizukage, mimicing a firegun with her left hand, holding her wrist straight with her right. "You didn't tell me she was...wait."

Yui relaxed a moment, lowering her finger gun and glancing over her shoulder at the Mizukage. "Magari-sama...that's not possible. The Kaguya..." She looks over at Masuyo, lowering her hand entirely, and realizing that Masuyo was probably just as confused as she was. She takes a step back, turning to face the Mizukage. "How do you know all this? How is this even possible? They all died, when they attacked Kirikagure long ago."

For a moment she looked between the Mizukage, and this girl she'd just met for the first time today, thinking back to all the hunter-nin that had lined the building. What really was going on here?


----------



## Fedster (May 21, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


"Whaaaat?" Was uttered, and Minako was left alone, her opponent leaving to catch 'better' prey. Why was everyone so obsessed with Ren? His hair was rather odd, but Minako figured the white-haired guy would let him fight his own fight instead of interfering. What was he trying to do, anyways?

And he left himself wide open, as that. Now that Minako was without an opponent, she was free to cast all the genjutsus she wanted, or well, the ones she knew. It was not possible to know _ALL_ the techniques. Ain't nobody got time for that, or the chakra. But still, she had to do something, or her friends would get curbstomped at that rate.

She performed a set of hand seals, and murmured: "Pack of Wolves!" She covered the intersection with her technique, and from behind her, a rabid pack of wild wolves pounced at their prey. She directed them at the two people attacking Ren, and Minako took a couple of shuriken from her pouch and threw them so as to disguise them within the illusion.


----------



## Island (May 21, 2014)

*Kaguya Masuyo*
Mizukage's Office

---​
?Died?? Masuyo repeated. A puzzled look appeared on her face, an indication that she probably had no idea what you were talking about.

?Last week, a research team discovered something strange in the Arctic Circle,? the Mizukage explained, ?A person. A comatose person trapped in an iceberg. On my orders, they recovered this person, thawing them from their icy prison??

The woman stared straight at Masuyo, ?This person woke up on the way back to Kirigakure, and the team interviewed them, asking them all sorts of questions. Their answers were indicative of one thing??

?Masuyo-chan,? she addressed, ?You have been trapped in an iceberg for over two hundred years, predating the foundation of the Five Great Shinobi Countries and all four Shinobi World Wars. You are also the last surviving member of the Kaguya Clan, after being kept in stasis by your clan?s unique regenerative powers.?

The young woman stared straight at the Mizukage, her face empty, expressionless. Maybe she was trying to piece everything together, make sense of it all. Maybe she had no idea how to react. After all, you might have pondered, who would? How would you feel to learn that, suddenly, you are displaced in time, hundreds of years away from your family, friends, and everything you ever knew?

She then glanced down, contemplatively, opening her mouth briefly, possibly to say something, but no words came out.

?Masuyo-chan, I?m very sorry to have to tell you this,? the Mizukage speaks in a surprisingly tender, almost motherly tone, ?We wanted to tell you sooner, but??

The Mizukage glanced down at you, perhaps wondering if you had anything to say, supportive or otherwise.


----------



## Fedster (May 23, 2014)

*Jutsu Training*

Urasabi Minako
LT - Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique training


"Well! Here we are." Minako and her father dropped their bags and gazed at the scenery before them. The girl was right in thinking that those were the South Training Grounds and, besides, they have walked a lot. She was exhausted, and right now, she could use a stop for breathing. Minako sat on the grass, and her father leaned on a tree, looking at her father, as though expecting her to see something she should have noticed a while ago. Truth was, she was a victim of _his_ Genjutsu, the one she had been wanting to master.

And, still...

"Or is it?"

"What?" Suddenly, the whole forest began to swirl, as though it was being sucked by an invisible vacuum. When it ended, they were on some rooftop in Downtown Konoha, the girl with her mouth wide open. How did she not notice that she was under a Genjutsu? Probably because she was way too distracted at the moment. Yeah, probably that. "Not fair. I should be the one practicing!"

"Then, practice." The man said nonchallantly. "We're just taking a walk."

Annoyed, Minako decided to have her revenge on her father. So she devised her plan carefully. She waited some five minutes, her attention focused on what surrounded her. Should her father do something, she would know. Well, ideally, at least. She needed a mental image that could be reflected into the environment, but so subtly that even he would not notice. So Minako attempted to make the surroundings look like a park. She made the pertinent hand-seals, and hope his father would not tell. As they were about to take a turn, Minako activated her jutsu, and her father found himself on a street. It did not work. _'Oops.'_ She thought, and tried again. And again. And again. And...

54 'again' later....

"Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique!" She whispered breathlessly, and this time, his father stepped on sand. The place was a children's playground, complete with swings, slide and seesaw. It merged with the street, and was surrounded by buildings. That was supposed to be a wasteland, full of trash, stray animals and some homeless guy or two. However, her illusion made it look innocent, clean, _alive_. His father turned to her.

"You got it." He smiled. "You may use it to confuse your targets, but also to remind you that the world is not such a bad place." He turned again and went to the main street, not looking at Minako. "You just have to change your perspective."

"Stop being so deep, dad! It's just a playground!" And Minako chased him off.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 23, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

THE INTERSECTION

_________________​
*Team Clash II;*


Ran brought a kunai up, parrying the shurikens just before they could pierce her skin, scattering them away with a series of quick movements. "I guess you do have skills worth bragging about." The female Houki commented, looking at the small marks of damage Ren had inflicted on her. She'd expected her cousin to be all bark and no bite and while he wasn't as good as he was made out to be, Ren's skills were on a higher level than she had anticipated. 

Then, Minako's wolves came. Ren, having experienced them before, knew that they were genjutsu and were likely hiding projectiles or something. However, Ran was none the wiser, in this case. Instead of avoiding them, she attempted to cut them, but the wolves simply melted away through her blade and bit down on her leg, while the shurikens simultaneously cut at her thighs. "Good one, Minako-san." Ren commented, appearing in front of Ran with a body flicker.

With a kick, he lashed out to try and hit her in the head, but Ran managed to intercept it with her arm. Withdrawing his leg, Ren spun around and shot forward another kick, and then another kick, causing her defense to eventually crumble, a roundhouse causing her to finally fly back a small distance. "Give up yet?" Ren asked, stepping forward.​


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 23, 2014)

*Hatake Shizuo & Yui Hōzuki*
The Intersection and Downtown Kiri

----------​
Shizuo flickered away as he was pushed back by the chakra barrier; a decent trade in his book, in terms of tactics. Shizuo possessed better stamina than most genin, and soldier pills besides to keep up his reserves, and his ability to economize his moves only added to this. He grinned to himself as he shunshin'd to prepare for his next move. He could break it using the same raiton he'd stored in his blade as a lightning rod, except...

As he touched base back on the rooftop, he could see two wolves looming on either side of him. Odd, they hadn't been there before, but they did appear lethal...nothing like cute little Cenn. He prepared himself to meet either head-on, until of course, he felt his side bleeding. One shuriken imbedded in his side, the other having ricocheted off of his armguard. He glanced in the direction of the shot...and his eyes fell on Minako. The wolves lunged as his eyes narrowed on her, and the genin forgot to even produce a simple kai in response as he rushed in.

Who. *The.* *Fuck?*

He wasted no time in returning such. He body flickered right towards her, crouched low as he arrived just behind her, and then sprung up towards her left with his raiton edged tanto, though without lethal force. The true kicker here was the fact that he'd dipped in at unusual angle using the Drunken Fist, to deliver his signature technique; Kyōmeisen!

------------------

Yui stood across from Masuyo, nearly as shocked as the other young woman was. What did you say in a situation like this? What could you say, to someone who'd lost everything? Not mostly everything but...lost _everything_. Including the concreteness and security that came with knowing and understanding the era you were currently in. She hardly even knew the girl, but...there was almost nothing you could say, but perhaps a small thing you could do.

Yui took a step forward, drawing in a deep breath, and then turned towards the Mizukage. "So what are we going to do to try and help her, then?" she asked the leader of the village. "You've known for some time, so we must have _something _planned...right?"


----------



## Island (May 24, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
The Intersection

---​
That didn’t quite work out the way I wanted it to.

In fact, it completely backfired.

Haruto dove at me, activating his Byakugan with one hand and jabbing at me with the other. I ducked to avoid his strike, but he brought his knee up, attempting to kick me in the chin, probably so that he could daze me and then strike before I had a could regain my composure. However, I moved too quickly for him, rolling to the right and narrowly dodging his next attack...

Either he saw through my lie or he simply didn’t care.

Something told me that it was the latter.

I got back up just in time to sidestep another palm strike, then another, and finally a third. Haruto knew that he was larger and much stronger than me, but at the same time, also knew that I was a lot faster, and thus, relied on overwhelming me with his presence, boxing me in and putting me into a situation from which I couldn’t conceivably escape. That, however, would prove difficult for him. We stood at the center of a four-way intersection, the only obstacle being the large truck in the center of the road.

As long as I stayed a few steps ahead of him, he couldn’t win. However, as long as I couldn’t use my Byakugan, I couldn’t make use of the Gentle Fist, meaning that I also couldn’t win.

He came at me again with another barrage of palm thrusts to which I maneuvered through with my superior speed. I considered trying to jab at him regardless, hoping that maybe years of practice would allow me to hit tenketsu without actually seeing them. Missing, however, would make me vulnerable, and as I knew all too well, one wrong move against a user of the Gentle Fist fighting style could mean the fight…

 “Haruto-kun, back down,” I commanded, “You can’t win.”

“Hirari-sama…” He began, preparing to come at me again.

“You are way too cocky for your own good!” He shouted, suddenly disappearing, probably through the use of the Body Flicker Technique.

He reappeared behind me, but I had already anticipated this. When fighting another member of the Hyuuga Clan, one knew to strike the blind spot. It became automatic, instinctive even, and I figured that although Haruto knew that I couldn’t use my Byakugan, his first instinct would be to strike me from behind, dive at me from my blind spot. Thus, I produced a kunai, quickly turning around and slashed horizontally at where I predicted him to be…

*SLAAAAAAAAAAM!*

Just before I could engage Haruto again, something collided with us and continued past like we weren't even there. Whatever it was continued on until finally making contact with the ground, rolling on like a bowling ball, hitting Ren from behind, and knocking him forward into where Ran landed after the former threw her back with a decisive roundhouse kick. If I had to guess what this strange something was, I would have said it was either Fightin' Brawly or Man Li, one being chucked across the intersection by the other with immense force.

Then, suddenly…

*BOOOOOOOOOOM!*

A man descended from the sky, again, either Brawly or Li, delivering a mighty punch to his fallen opponent who now laid on his back, sprawled across the asphalt, still trying to collect himself after being tossed across the battlefield like a tissue into the trash.

Dust and debris flew everywhere as the impact of the punch created a small crater in the asphalt. For the next few moments, only silhouettes could be seen within the smoke...

Presumably, one of the two jounin had finally triumphed over the other, but which one it was, I had no idea. They moved too fast for me to see anything except human-shaped blurs moving across the battlefield. Then, finally, when the smoke began to clear, I saw him.

Fightin' Brawly stood tall, his right foot planted firmly on Man Li's chest. He carried some noticeable injuries, including a blackeye and a dislocated jaw, but neither of those seemed to bother him that much.

“I claim *VICTORY* today, Li-san.” He bellowed in triumph.


----------



## Island (May 24, 2014)

*Kaguya Masuyo*
Mizukage's Office

---​
?We will do our best to accommodate her.? The Mizukage answered. ?That's about all we can do.?

A surprisingly vague response from somebody who usually had all the answers, but then again, what would you have expected? In front of you stood somebody who was literally displaced by over two hundred years of history, somebody whose family and friends had long since died and the world moved on without her. Since she had first been encased in that iceberg, you might have learned, the five Great Shinobi Villages were founded, four Shinobi World Wars broke out, and most recently, the Industrial Revolution propelled the world into the modern era. In her time, mercenary clans ravaged the lands, seizing land in the name of wealthy contractors, but things were much different, probably alien, in this era of modernity?

?Masuyo-chan,? the Mizukage turned her attention to the young woman, ?You are more than welcome here in the Land of Water, the historic homeland of the Kaguya Clan.?

You might wonder whether or not it was a coincidence that you and your team would be assigned to this mission. A potentially hostile target loose in Kirigakure, would that not be better suited for chuunin, or even jounin? At the very least, would that not be a B-Rank or A-Rank mission, maybe even S-Rank depending on how dangerous the target might be? A relatively intelligent young woman, you might suspect that there is something else going on here, some grander purpose to all of this, not necessarily a nefarious one, but nevertheless, something the Mizukage has yet to explain.

?You are free to leave if that is what you wish,? she went on, ?We have no right to detain you here against your will, but??

?At the very least, please consider our offer.? The Mizukage concluded.

Masuyo remained silent, her head down and her eyes shrouded beneath her long silver hair.

Finally, the Mizukage addressed you, ?Yui-chan, it is no coincidence that you and your team were assigned to this mission, that a couple of genin were asked to neutralize a potentially hostile target. If Masuyo-chan chooses to stay in the village, I would like your team to ensure that her stay here is comfortable, that she has somebody to see her through this difficult time in her life??


----------



## Fedster (May 25, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


Ah! Was all Minako managed to say when the white-haired guy disappeared in a cloud of smoke and reappeared right behind her. How could someone react so fast? She had no time to even cast Surging Light, her trump card, and could only try to block the attack and hope for the best. The raiton edged tanto struck her arms. Apparently, he was not going for the kill, or else he would have seized the opening he had created. Instead, he hit Minako with some sort of hole-filled gadget he wore on his arm. It sent her flying.

When Minako landed two buildings later, she found that she was mildly bleeding and disorientated. What was that sound? And why did it have to be _SO_ loud? She tried to stand up, but she seemed to have lost her sense of distance, and she could not tell whether the roof was near or very, very far away. Minako could also hear muffled fighting noises that came from afar, or was it near? "My head..." She uttered, but her voice sounded funny, as though it was not Minako the one who spoke.

"*...!*" When the girl finally arrived back at the intersection, Brawly-sensei seemed to be yelling something, as usual. But she could not hear him. Like, how could one *NOT* hear Brawly-sensei?

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, BRAWLY-SENSEI!!" Minako asked.

"I said: 'I claim *VICTORY* today, Li-san'!!" Brawly repeated, his hands around his mouth.

"WHAAAT!!"

"I will *TELL* you later, Minako*-CHAN*!!"

Minako looked at Hirari and Ren, totally confused. "WHY'S EVERYONE MUTE!! STOP JOKING!!"


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 25, 2014)

*Hatake Shizuo & Yui Hōzuki*
The Intersection and Downtown Kiri

----------​
Suddenly, Yui's entire understanding of the situation shifted. She was truly off center now, with what Managi-sama told her that, and she glanced over Masuyo, looking her over carefully as her eyes narrowed. Just how dangerous could she be, realistically speaking? Obviously not about to take out the entire village like she'd threatened but...this was significantly different. Yui lets out a sigh, and took a step closer, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Well, you've got to start somewhere, right?"

---------------

Shizuo geared himself to finish off that Minako girl as she succumbed to his jutsu but then...spotted his idle, no his hero, plummeting to the ground...and then that villain Brawly placing his foot on the man's chest.

And the Hatake snapped.

Yelling a fierce (though mute) battlecry, Shizuo shunshined over towards Brawly, the charge on his short sword beginning to die out as he lunged right for the jounin, not heeding the difference in ability, and seeking only to avenge his sensei with this thrust of dreams!


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 25, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

THE INTERSECTION

_________________​
*Brawly Takes Victory;*


Ren stepped back, a faint chain of lightning dancing sporadically around his arm and fist. He usually didn't use nintaijutsu, since it was far easier just blasting the opponent from a distance or nailing them from a blind spot with a kunai he'd set up behind them, but in this case, his opponent had a very similar set of skills to him. She could use lightning pearl, and was fast enough to anticipate and react against sneak attacks as well. "_Not that they'd work now that she knows about my jutsu..._" The Houki reflected to himself. He had a trump card in Cry of Piercing Lightning, but he wasn't going to use something that was potentially lethal in what was effectively a friendly spar. If this hit, he was pretty sure it'd end the match. His physical strength wasn't great, but the raiton flow gave it an added kick on top of numbing the opponent's body a bit. That would be the only advantage he'd need here. 

His cousin seemed to have similar ideas, her hands flying through a series of seals. "It's time to end this." She said, a ball of lightning forming behind her. With a body flicker, Ren rushed her, bringing his arm back as he prepared to strike her. At the same time, a halo of white began to expand outwards from Ran's lightning pearl.

_*Crash!*_ 

Before their clash could be met with a conclusion, a large bulking shadow formed on the ground, causing the two to become momentarily distracted. Then, as if struck by a very heavy truck, Man Li's hulking body crashed into them, sending the two flying backwards while it continued to slide across the floor. "Man... what the hell was that? Did I get hit by a train?" Ren wondered to himself, looking up, only to see Fightin' Brawly stood above his rival. 

Then, reminiscent to earlier, a shrill, high-pitched voice pierced his eardrums. "*WHY IS EVERYONE MUTE!? STOP JOKING!*" Minako screamed, looking around confusedly. Ren frowned at her, then looked towards Shizuo, who was now heading straight to Fightin' Brawly. He concluded that it was probably him that messed up the genjutsu user's ears, but there wasn't enough evidence around for him to deduce what it actually was. Ren momentarily considered striking Shizuo from a distance, since he was perfectly in place, but decided to leave it to Fightin' Brawly. It'd probably be funnier that way, after all.​


----------



## Island (May 25, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
The Intersection

---​
Brawly broke from his victory stance and swung his arm forward, catching Shizuo mid-lunge. He held the young man by the wrist and lifted him up until he was at eye level. The hulking man must have thought about chucking him, throwing him as far as he would go, the same way that he did to Ren and me, but?

Not this time.

Brawly shrugged and simply tossed Shizuo over his shoulder and into some bushes on the far side of the intersection, probably deciding to show mercy on the young man who fought so valiantly this day. Either that, or he was genuinely tired after a tough fight with his rival.

Meanwhile, I finally got back on my feet, still disoriented after what felt like getting hit by a truck, or even a train?

?Alright team,? Brawly announced, ?Let?s call it a *DAY*. Good job, everybody!?

Whether or not Minako received that message, I had no idea, but Brawly must have figured that she?s soon catch on when everybody else started leaving...

Nevertheless, I glanced over at Haruto and shrugged. He scowled, decidedly not saying anything, something that didn?t really surprise me. If we were on friendlier terms, I?d probably say goodbye, but again, he didn?t seem like the kind of who was interested in pleasantries, especially with somebody like me.

I started making way over to Brawly and others, though my sense of balance was still off, and thus, my movements were a little shaky.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 25, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

HOUKI COMPLEX

_________________​
*A Gift Received;*



It had been a while since Ren had last been at the Main Houki Household, and in that time, not a lot had changed. The complex was, essentially, an area of Konoha they owned by themselves which was more or less self-governed and self-sustained independent from the village itself. It wouldn't be inaccurate to say that it was somewhat similar to the ways the Uchiha lived before their massacre at the hands of Uchiha Itachi, though the Houki Clan were more successful in integrating into village life and didn't suffer from the same stigmas.

The household of the Main Branch was built in a traditional style, being an ancient building which had not seen exterior modification since the early founding days of Konohagakure itself. Various maids, servants and retainers scurried and cleaned around the hallways, while the occasional relative passed by. It was a comfortable place to live; isolated from the noise and hustle and bustle of downtown Konoha and yet at the same time possessing convenient access to shopping districts. Each morning, as Ren remembered, the geese would fly by and come to the garden ponds to frivolously honk while the sun slowly seeped into his own room through the rice paper walls. 

But Ren wasn't here for the sake of nostalgia. When he returned to Konoha, after his mission, he was called upon by one of the senior members of the clan to meet his instructor and one of the well-respected Elders. Approaching the meeting room, the Houki slid the door open and entered. 


*Spoiler*: __ 



​



Truth be told, Elder Kyoudo Houki had always been a little bit intimidating to the young Genin. He was of a short stature and wasn't physically imposing in the least, but nevertheless seemed to command an aura of power and respect even his own father didn't possess. He didn't speak much, but was infamous in the clan for his sternness and could be heard barking orders at servants and other clansmen alike. Along with this, it was a well established fact that his loyalty to the clan was second to none, willing to eradicate any threats or danger to the Houki Clan. One thing that Ren had never understood, however, was that despite his power and being the longest serving clan member, Kyoudo Houki had never risen to clan head. 

"Did you want something?" Ren asked, stepping inside the room.

The Elder looked up, gazing at the young Houki as if appraising him. "Indeed. I heard you'd been put inside a team."

"Yes." He confirmed, nodding. 

"To think that they'd only do it after a year," Kyoudo commented, raising a silver eyebrow, "How are your team mates?"

"Well..." He began, then gave a shrug and a casual smile. "They're not as inept as I thought they'd be, but they're tiring." 

"Quite. Not unexpected from a team formed around that energetic brat." The Elder mused. 

"Fightin' Brawly-sensei... he's a bit of a weirdo." Ren commented idly, recalling all the large man's quirks. His tendency to emphasize certain words, sometimes randomly, his ridiculous level of energy... 

"Heh." He smirked slightly, stroking at his chin in thought. "Yes, I suppose his eccentricity was something that characterized his younger days. He and Eduan-sama never got along particularly well, thinking back."

Ren looked up slightly, frowning, surprised by the sudden revelation. _That_ was something he didn't see coming. "They were the same team? _Them_?" He frowned, trying to imagine the clan head with Fightin' Brawly. It was like a jigsaw with two pieces that just didn't fit together no matter how hard you tried to smash them together.

The clan retainer gave a careful, considerate nod. "Indeed. They shared quite a rivalry back then. It always was amusing to watch.... hm. In any case, regarding what I called you for..." He brought his arm forward, flicking his wrist so that a scroll rolled out of the fabric of his robe and into his hand. "Think of this as a 'graduation gift', since you're now a fully fledged genin."

"What is it?" Ren frowned, looking at the scroll. The item was likely sealed into the fabric itself, judging from the way it was sealed by rope.

"The Houki Clan shield. It's an item made out of a special material that allows it to float and move by the user's own will, and can be summoned at any point in your body to defend you from attacks." He stated. "I believe that it would be good for you, as you have no defensive techniques of your own and constitution was always one of your weaker points. Keep in mind, however, that the shield will only block basic attacks. Punches, kicks, kunai, explosive tags and the like. A strong ninjutsu or a chakra enhanced strike would likely damage it beyond use in the battle."

The young Houki blinked, picking up the scroll. _"Damn, that's actually a really awesome gift."_ He thought to himself, pocketing the scroll, before getting up and bowing. "Thank you, Elder Kyoudo."​


----------



## Fedster (May 25, 2014)

*Jutsu Training*

Urasabi Minako
LT - Genjutsu Binding


"Okay...What about now?"

"I don't think this is working."

The voices came from a young and not-so-young Genins from Konoha. The former was a girl called Urasabi Minako, and the latter was the much older Inuzuka Yasu. He had graduated a year earlier than her from the Academy, at the surprising age of 19, and still bore the rank of Genin. He had met her there, and despite the age difference, they became good friends. And so, from time to time, they helped each other with training or some other thing that came up.

This time, Minako wanted to learn a rather difficult jutsu, and asked Yasu for help, who felt obliged to comply. So both of them were sitting in a coffee shop, drinking, pouting and yawning.

"Are you sure that's the right way to do it?" Yasu asked, chugging the coffee in his mug and returning to look boredly at Minako's eyes as instructed.

"Of course it is! It says it right here!" She pointed an indignant finger at the scroll that was on the table. Yasu did not even look at it, but proceeded to scratch his day old beard with little interest in what she said.

"Maybe you're not digging it." The man stated, his hand landing noisily on the table, as though he had found the solution to the problem.

"Not digging it?" Minako replied, eyebrow raised. She was clearly not following. "How you could _not_ dig a jutsu?"

"I don't know. You just...do. It's kind of like one of those shinobi philosophies..." And so, Yasu embarked on an explanation about what it meant to 'dig a jutsu.' Minako could not stop wishing she had not asked that question. But wait, there was a way for her to stop him. She just have to focus on him for a moment, try to make eye-contact and...

*'Genjutsu Binding!'* She casted. Yasu stopped speaking at once, his arms hovering in mid-air, his eyes being the only part of his body that moved. Minako clapped with joy. "Yay! Looks like I finally dig it!" To reward herself, she drank a big gulp of hot chocolate. She burned her tongue a little, but it was totally worth it. "Ha! You should see your face, Yasu-kun!" Even though he could not move, she could tell that he wanted her to stop, and then she realized she did not know how. 

"Uh oh..." She hurriedly took the scroll and began to look for the way to stop the jutsu. It may naturally wear off, but she did not know how long that would take. Finally, she found out that a simple hand seal that was common to dispel Genjutsu would suffice.

"Ah! At least give me a warning, dammit!" Yasu scorned as soon as he was freed.

"The thing about Genjutsu is to catch the other off guard, and that's what I did." Minako explained defensively.

"Well," Concluded a defeated Yasu, "I guess you got a point."


----------



## Island (May 25, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
Uchiha Yamata, the Hokage, looked up at us as we entered his office, shifting his attention away from the mess of paperwork scattered across his desk. He looked a little stressed out, overworked, even, and ready to put his head down and fall asleep at his desk. At first, I wondered whether or not there might actually be something wrong, but then I realized that it probably had more to do with the monotony of his job, shuffling through endless piles of paperwork, something that he was notorious for complaining about. As he often said, he enjoyed being Hokage, but he’d much rather be leading a team than stamping papers and signing his name all day…

Nevertheless, he smiled at us as we entered, “Ah, Team Brawly, it’s wonderful to see you guys again.”

I bowed respectfully.

The Hokage got straight to the point, probably so he can get back to work as quickly as possible, though, it was apparent that he wasn't really eager to do so, “You are to escort a research team to the Land of Rice Fields where some locals have uncovered a lost data cache. We don’t expect you to run into much trouble, maybe some hungry wildlife, possibly some bandits, but nothing the three of you and your sensei can’t handle. Likewise, the cache isn’t expected to have anything of value, just some old maps, most likely, but we nevertheless want it for our archives…”

“Simple enough, yeah?” He opened the floor to questions.

I recalled that the Land of Rice Fields was once called the Land of Sound and home to Otogakure, the Village Hidden by Sound. Shortly after the Fourth Shinobi World War, the village disbanded, and anything of value fell into the hands of the Five Great Shinobi Nations. However, over the years, the locals would periodically discover lost arsenals, bunkers, even laboratories…

Still, nobody ever found anything interesting, or at least anything that the villages might want, mainly weapons technology. All that stuff had long since been retrieved, plundered shortly after the fall of the village and locked away in some underground facility under the supervision of the Gokage and the United Shinobi Forces.


----------



## Island (May 25, 2014)

*Kaguya Masuyo*
Mizukage's Office

---​
Masuyo accepted your approach but does not react when you placed your hand on her shoulder. For what reason, you could only speculate. Maybe she was still deep in thought, mulling over what was and what no longer is. Though, it was also possible that she was wondering about her future, considering the Mizukage?s offer. Again, you could only speculate, as she gave no indication either way, just a blank stare of anguish?

?If you choose to stay,? the Mizukage stated, ?There will be somebody waiting downstairs to take you to a residence we?ve prepared??

Finally, Masuyo spoke up, much less confident than before, her voice weak and shaky. ?Thank you, thank you very much for your generosity??

You knew little about Masuyo, but considering her background, you suspected that she didn?t thank people very often. After all, the people of the Warring Clans Era, they were known to be ruthless mercenaries who pillaged and plundered, ravaged the land in the name of wealthy noblemen. You somewhat doubted that Masuyo was like this, though. She seemed kind, compassionate, even, but nevertheless, given the world she grew up in, you doubted that she was one to thank people often.

Without another word, she turned away and headed for the exit.

Unless you had anything in particular to ask the Mizukage, you might want to do the same. At the very least, you'd probably want to meet back up with your team before calling it a day.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 26, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

KONOHA

_________________​
*Return to Otogakure I;*













This morning, Ren hadn't even bothered to turn it off the alarm clock. As soon as it rang, he reached out his hand, grabbing it by the top and tossed it at the wall, smashing the metal contraption into pieces. "I'll get used to this eventually." He grumbled to him, getting changed into his outfit: a white dress shirt, black trousers, formal shoes and a tie. A small sealed cut could be faintly made out on the inner part of his thumb if one paid enough attention to it, from when he formed the blood contract with the clan shield last night.

As usual, the walk to the Hokage's Office was fairly uneventful. The streets were sparse and empty, save for the occasional old couple out for morning exercises or the shop keepers beginning to set up. Nobody else was really up and about at the crack of dawn. Not that Ren could blame them. It was always somewhat chilly and foggy in the morning of Konoha, and if he had the choice, he probably wouldn't have had willingly sacrificed his sleep like that, either. Stifling a yawn, he met up with the rest of the team at an intersection in Konoha and they made their way together to the office in groggy silence.

The mission, in this case, seemed relatively interesting. The former host of Otogakure was actually a fair distance away from Konoha, out of the Land of Fire and past the Valley of the End. On foot, it probably would have taken the best part of a day to reach there, which is likely what Fightin' Brawly would have them do. "_Still, I thought everything of anything value in that place got raided already after the war ended?_" He frowned, but decided not to voice his question. The Hokage probably knew more about this than he did.

Fightin' Brawly pumped his fist up in the air in a display of glorious vigour that Ren didn't think was possible at such an absurd hour. "*EXCELLENT*! This will be Team Brawly's *FIRST* mission!" He exclaimed excitedly. 

The Houki decided to reply to this one. He didn't count the one that was actually an ambush by Team Man Li, but even prior to that, they did a bunch of menial D-ranks. "This is actually our fourth mission." He corrected.

The jōnin looked at Ren, his expression suddenly serious. "Ah, you are *CORRECT*. As perceptive as always, *REN-KUN*." He turned to look at Minako and Hirari. "Well then, are we *READY* to *EMBARK*?" He asked.
​


----------



## Fedster (May 26, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


"Minako! Get up! It's morning!" A pair of small hands clapped on the other side of the sheets, and a cheerful, childish voice yelled with all its might between happy laughter. Minako hated her mom whenever she sent Masoto to wake her up. He was _so unnecessarily_ noisy, and he did not only clap, but also stomped on the floor, drew the curtains back and forth, and even threw stuff at the floor. If there were trophies for annoying little brothers, he would win it. Like, everytime.

"I'M AWAKE, OKAY?!" She finally let out, still covered by the sheets.

"Mom said to stop when you're up! You're not *up*!" He climbed on the bed and started jumping on it. That was it. He went too far.

"I'M UP!" Minako blurted out as she emerged from beneath the ocean of blankets, and angrily made her way up to the dining-room, Masoto skipping behind her, satisfied.

After eating, dressing, and walking, she met up with the rest of Team Brawly, and they went together to the Hokage's Office for their actual first mission.

Their first mission was, unsurprisingly, escorting. Something like their previous mission, hopefully without ambushes set by old rivalries. However, the destination _sounded_ odd to her. The Land of Rice Fields? Wasn't that The Village Hidden by Sound territory like, some hundred years ago or something? Then, that would be kind of far...Ugh. Far. Far things were not worth it. And Brawly-sensei liked things that were far, because that meant he could train more to get them. But Minako? As long as it was at hand's reach, she liked it.

"Ah! Y-yes, ready!" Minako exclaimed, snapping out of her semi-drowsiness. She had a feeling that was going to be a long day.


----------



## Island (May 26, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
“If none of you have any questions,” the Hokage paused, “Then I’ll let you guys get to work.”

Thus, I turned my attention to Brawly. He seemed pretty eager to get on with our “first” mission as a team, even though he had been saying that the last four missions we went on were our “first” missions together. Still, I could see how he would be excited for this. Apparently, this was a C-Rank mission, the first of its kind that we’d take on together. Incidentally, it was also the first C-Rank mission that I’d ever go on, but that was neither here nor there.

Brawly beckoned us from his position at the doorway, again, eager to get moving.

As we made our way out of the Hokage’s Office, I took one last look over at him. With us on our way out, he quickly got back to work, rummaging through paperwork on his desk. I couldn’t help but notice something out of the ordinary, something that stuck out from all the other paperwork. Sticking out from a stack of papers, I saw a manila envelope with the words “Operation Failsafe” written on it. Then, in big, bold letters, stamped atop that, it read “Critical Mission Failure!” I had no idea what that was in reference to, but it probably wasn’t relevant to us in any way. Probably…

Nevertheless, I followed the rest of the team out of the office, just in time to hear Brawly giving us more information about our mission.

“The research team will be meeting us at the west gate,” He explained, “From there, we will be heading north to the border and cross into the Land of Rice Fields. It’ll be about a day’s journey to our destination, give or take, enough time for us to spend some *QUALITY TIME* together as a *TEAM* before we get down to business.”

I sighed to myself, not really looking forward to “quality time” with the team but nevertheless went along with it. Whatever Brawly wanted, Brawly got. He _was_ our sensei, after all.

---​
We arrived at the westernmost gate without incident, no disappearing townsfolk, no mouthy puppeteers, no surprise attacks from archrivals, nothing. Just a normal trip across town, which was surprising. Refreshing, but nevertheless surprising considering our tendency to run into trouble at the most random times.

As promised, the research team was already waiting for us. They had a truck parked alongside the gate. It had two doors with a large flat space in the back covered by a canvas. Most likely, it was a retired military transport, previously used to carry people and supplies across the country to various armories and other bases along the border. There were scratches everywhere, and it was banged up and dented in several places. On top of that, the entire bottom half was caked in mud. Still, it beat walking, assuming that Brawly would let us ride in it and not make us walk.

Well, I _hoped_ Brawly would let us ride in it.

Before I could ask, he went ahead to speak to a couple of people standing beside the truck, most likely members of the research team that we were escorting. They wore casual clothes, clearly non-shinobi, and looked like they belonged to Konoha University. Most likely, they did, and given the details of this mission, I figured they were good with computers or something. Probably worked in intelligence, encrypting and decrypting computer files and all that. Stuff that I really didn’t know a lot about.

In total, I counted three of them, one already in the driver’s seat and two more standing outside the vehicle, all of them men.

Finally, after a couple minutes of waiting, Brawly spoke up, “Alright, *TEAM*, hop in the back, and we’ll get going!”


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 27, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

KONOHA

_________________​
*Return to Otogakure II;*


Ren was the first to get into the truck, having been the one nearest to it when they reached the meeting point. The transport was a little too grimy looking for his tastes; the wheels at the bottom and the sides were caked with thin layers of dried mud that made it look like the thing hadn't been washed for several decades. At the same time, the steel surface of the vehicle was also heavily dented in places, as if severely battered repeatedly, and almost the entire perimeter was marked with prominent scratches. He might have preferred walking to this, but was decidedly too tired and didn't care enough to actually say anything.

The interior was a little bit nicer. It was spacious, and not as cramped as it looked like it might be from the outside, and it was kept relatively in shape as well, save for the small patches of sunlight which pierced through the aged fabric covering the back. Still, at least it wasn't muddy. Ren took a seat, suppressing a light yawn. "_I hope this journey goes by quick._" He thought to himself, not at all looking forward to the idea of 'quality time' with the team. 
​


----------



## Redblood (May 27, 2014)

*CHI*
Konoha Embassies
----------​
Chi watched intently as Kouji puffed himself up with pseudo-honor. Moron. If he’d really wanted to avoid punishment for his teammates, maybe he could try a little RESTRAINT. 

"…But I'm your fuck up." well, at least the dumbass knew his place. Still, that sneer annoyed the SHIT out of Chi as Kouji sent one of his puppets, Rush, right at Renga. Fool. A twist of her hand and Renga’s dark maw opened, spewing flame at the charging puppet. Yet, before the pupped could be burned, Rush was pulled back. Huh. The dumbass is learning. 
Although he’ll never be a great puppeteer if all he uses are puppets he didn’t make himself. 

Ever alert, Chi spied Rush whipping around Renga's wall of fire to her left side. Rush sent out a barrage of rapid fire senbon at Chi, who with a quick tug, had Renga turn and block the incoming projectiles, the needles bouncing off of Renga’s hard outer shell. Meanwhile, another of the idiot’s puppets, Echo, tossed a shrapnel bomb towards Cinders on the right. Cinders hit it with Hiruko's tail, and sent it hurtling towards Chi's right side, spraying both with scattered traps. Hmm, this should be interesting. Renga curled up into a near fetal position around Chi as the bomb and traps hit. The puppet was engulfed in a huge fireball, and when the flames settled…the attack had done little more than dirty Renga with ash. The giant puppet unrolled itself, leaving its unharmed master in the heart of an inferno. The flames accentuated her insane smile quite well.

“Now, if I were some BITCH of a teacher, I’d say some SHIT like ‘oh, that was impressive, Kouji-kun’. But let’s face facts here. You FUCKED UP! You won’t be able to hit me with some BITCH ASS attack like that! Come on!” Chi spat as a compartment in Renga’s chest opened up and began to suck in the fire created by the blast, and Renga himself. In a matter of seconds, the fire was gone, and Renga’s chest compartment closed, replaced by his dark maw glowing an eerie blue.

*“SHOW ME SOMETHING IMPRESSIVE!” *Chi roared as Renga’s mouth opened, spewing a huge stream of blue fire right at Kouji!


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 27, 2014)

* Yui and Ran Hōzuki*
Kirikagukure Training Field #34

----------​
The trip with Masuyo was slow and silent; Yui had very little to discuss with her, at least for now, and was content to just let the gravity of the situation simply sink in before she started prodding the other girl. But just before they reached their destination, and Yui's sensei, she stopped a moment, and offered without looking directly to Masuyo...

"She has your best interests at heart. Honest." It wasn't really clear if she meant her sister, or the Mizukage, but did it really matter either? They moved on.

When they reached the training grounds, in the center stood a tall, lean young woman, with a large bundle on her back. She had her back turned to them, with her arms crossed as she looked at the treeline that edge this particular training field in. There was a faint mist about, but not enough to make looking about difficult. Ran turned to face the duo, smiling faintly. "Yui, Masuyo." she greeted quietly. A simple indication that she'd been expecting them.

"I'm Hōzuki Ran, Yui's sister and sensei, and from henceforth, your handler of sorts while you're in Kirigakure." She tossed the Kaguya a small bag of something enjoyed long ago; an oriental blend of fruit and barley often enjoyed during ancient times. Something she guessed Masuyo might like, though it was a shot in the dark.

"But, first things first. Since you've been in that iceberg for a while, you're probably a little rusty, no? I can't force you to do anything while you're here but, how about a quick spar? You and Yui. I'll keep watch. After that we can maybe go exploring. Or get you caught up on current events."


----------



## Island (May 28, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
We all gathered into the back of the truck, first Ren, then Minako, and then me. Minako sat across from Ren, so I had to choose whether to sit next to Minako or Ren. The choice seemed obvious, and thus, I took a seat next to my fellow kunoichi. We sat in awkward silence for the next couple minutes until Brawly hopped in with us.

Brawly took the only available seat, right next to Ren.

“Looks like it’s you and me today, eh, *REN-KUN*?” Brawly let out a hearty chuckle and gave Ren a friendly slap on the back, one that was probably just a bit too hard.

I couldn’t help but laugh at my teammate’s misfortune. Out of the three of us, I got the impression that he liked Brawly the least. I wasn’t really sure why though. Maybe he thought Brawly was stupid or that he antics were inappropriate…

I had no idea, really. I had no problem with Brawly, even though I _did_ think that he could be a bit dumb sometimes.

Soon enough, my attention shifted to the sound of the driver trying to crank the engine. For some unknown reason, it just wouldn’t start up. He kept at it for a little while, and fortunately, it finally did. On top of everything else wrong with this vehicle, the dings, the dents, and all of the scratches that riddled its exterior, it seemed as though it had a bad engine, or at the very least, a bad starter. Then, just as a thought that this rust bucket couldn’t be in any worse shape, the exhaust pipe let out a gigantic black cloud of smog that transformed our only view of the outside world into a dark haze…

*RUUUUUMP!*

The truck made a strange sound when the driver hit the gas pedal. Nevertheless, we started moving, getting onto the dusty old road and onwards to Otogakure!

---​
A rust bucket, beaten and broken and probably read for the scrapyard, the more time I spent in the back of this truck, the more I began to notice a foul smell. It smelled like Shizuo, sorta like wet dog mixed with leather. Well, Shizuo didn’t smell _that_ bad, but he noticeably smelled like Cenn sometimes. Regardless, the smell started to give me somewhat of a headache. It probably wouldn’t be a problem, but still. It was annoying, to say the least.

Eventually, Brawly spoke up, not forgetting his promise about "quality time" as team, “Alright, *GANG*, are you ready for our first team-building *EXERCISE*?”

This headache was going to get a lot worse.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 28, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

KONOHA

_________________​
*Return to Otogakure III;*


Ren's poker face held steady as Fightin' Brawly stepped into the back of the truck, having to lower his head slightly so it didn't hit the roof. Considering that Hirari had decided to sit with Minako, that meant the tall man would most likely...  

“Looks like it’s you and me today, eh, *REN-KUN*?” He laughed, delivering a powerful slap on the back, causing Ren to give a light cough. 

The Houki inwardly sighed at his fate. It wasn't that he didn't _like_ Brawly—there was a strange charisma the man held that he couldn't quite describe. Nevertheless, it did nothing to mitigate his eccentricities and his overly friendly antics were a source of stress which vexed the young boy, somewhat. His own personal cynicism and upbringing had made him unfamiliar with such warmth of character or naivety, though he internally admitted that it was a little refreshing. 

What made the situation a little more irritating for Ren was the vehicle itself. For almost two minutes now, the driver had been sat in the front seat trying to start up the car, giving the mud bucket a dangerous lurk each time the engine turned on and off. After a minute more of awkward silence, the god of fortune seemed to have finally cast her gaze down onto the driver, be it in pity or amusement, and the truck started itself. 

---

The drive to the destination was not a particularly smooth one, nor one of comfort. The route they took hadn't been paved out yet and was more of a rough, rocky hill path than a proper road. As such, the ground was scattered with rocks and pebbles of various sizes. This the truck to have sporadic bumps as it drove along, not helped by it's apparent lack of suspension or the driver's personal incompetence. Along with this, a faint but pungent smell lingered in the air, like the smell of an unwashed sock in a room: hard to trace and pinpoint, but definitely there. Hirari and Minako seemed to have noticed it, though Brawly was either completely oblivious to the odour or chose to ignore it. The bubble of silence which had characterized the trip thus far was popped by none other than their sensei, who spoke up as the truck made a sharp and unsteady turn. 

“Alright, *GANG*, are you ready for our first team-building *EXERCISE*?” He asked with a toothy grin. 

Ren looked up from the book he'd packed. It wasn't an exciting one, but it was short enough to be finished in the time it took them to reach the former host of Otogakure and interesting enough to keep his attention at the same time. 

"Do I have a choice?" He asked.


----------



## Fedster (May 28, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


After a moment of hesitation caused by the previous mission, Minako finally entered the trunk after Ren did. Luckily, there were no bodies except for their own, but there was a very strong smell that made the girl to pinch her nose. It smelled like her friend Yasu. Like, his dog smelled better than him, which said a lot about his personal hygiene. Well, now that she though about it, she did not think the truck's smell was _that_ bad. It was at least tolerable.

Minako sat in front of Ren, and Hirari, who was the third to get in, sat besides her. Brawly, having no other choice, happily took his seat besides Ren, 'patting' his back as he did. Fightin' Brawly was a hell of a sensei, even if his methods were rather unconventional and his personality was outrageously ridiculous. He was supporitve, very charismatic, and a hard-worker. Well, to call Brawly a 'hard-worker' would be a bit of an understatement. He was the very definition of hard work; he became one with the words, and the words became one with him.

?Alright, *GANG*, are you ready for our first team-building *EXERCISE*?? Brawly asked the team suddenly, breaking the silence Minako wanted to get rid of, but did not know how. 

"*YES.*" Was Minako's immediate response, eyes bright with excitement. This was the perfect opportunity to bond with her teammates, to meet them in depth and, who knows, maybe become real friends? At the moment, it kinda looked as though they were tolerating each other, at least in Minako's opinion. So they needed exercises to break those barriers. "Ren, if we don't do this, our enemies will curbstomped us to the ground. I don't want that, and I'd bet that neither do you!"


----------



## Island (May 28, 2014)

*Kaguya Masuyo*
Kirigakure

---​
It was a small house made out of wood and stone with only the bare necessities, no radios, no televisions, nothing of the sort, just the way that it was meant to be. It still had lighting and a remedial electrical system, along with various appliances, including a refrigerator and stove, but some things, people just couldn’t live without. Ultimately, the home that the Mizukage prepared for Masuyo on the far end of Kirigakure was meant to be simple, reminiscent of a simpler time and place, long before the amenities of modern living. 

“What the hell is _this_?” Masuyo yelled.

Standing in front of an open cabinet, Masuyo held a can of food in her hand, examining it, probably trying to find a way to open it. She must have been particularly hungry, and thus, annoyed that she couldn’t readily get to the contents within. Seeing no alternative, the young woman produced a sharp bone from her wrist and jabbed it through the tin. Liquid started leaking all over the floor.

A moment later, the contents of the can were splattered against the wall, most likely thrown out of frustration…

---​
Meanwhile, in the present, Masuyo went along with what the sisters had planned. The older sister handed her a bag of fruits and vegetables, something that she thought was a bit strange. A gesture of good will, most likely, a weird one, but Masuyo appreciated it nonetheless. Then, Hozuki Ran issued her challenge: Masuyo versus Yui.

For the first time in a long time, the young woman’s face lit up.

“A spar?” Masuyo couldn’t help but smile. “That’s more like it. The gift basket was a kind gesture, but a good old fashion rumble is more my style.”

A surprisingly brutish answer from somebody who small and weak-looking, but then again, as you might recall, Masuyo didn’t exactly live in the most peaceful of times. They didn’t call it the Warring Clans Era for nothing, and you suspected that you might just be finding out why. Still, both Ran and the Mizukage seemed to think this was a good idea, so how strong could she really be?

*CRAAAAAACK!*

Masuyo cracked her neck loudly, probably not purposefully but nevertheless making her intentions known. She began spinning her arms around her shoulder and flexing her muscles, again, probably not to make any kind of point but still making it known that she was eager to get this show on the road.


----------



## Island (May 28, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
“Of course we should play,” I vocalized my support, not particularly because I wanted to play. In fact, I didn’t really want to play at all, but I was feeling a bit passive-aggressive today and sided with Minako just to spite Ren. “I think it would be a fun way to pass the time.”

“*WONDERFUL!*” Brawly exclaimed. “Then let’s get *STARTED*!”

“Our first game is *SIMPLE*, so *SIMPLE* that an academy student could play.” He explained the rules to us. “In this game, we’re taking a trip to the *MOON*. We will go around in a circle, and we’ll each say what we’re bringing to the moon. I will tell you if you *CAN* or *CANNOT* bring that particular thing. We’ll keep going until everyone figures out the pattern.”

“Like this,” he exemplified, “I’m going to the moon, and I’m bringing a *FERRIS WHEEL*.”

He looked over momentarily at Ren, then at Minako, and finally at me.

“Hirari-chan, you go *FIRST*.” He pointed. “We’ll go *CLOCKWISE*.”

In this game, we were on a trip to the moon, and we had to bring something. Brawly was bringing a Ferris wheel? A Ferris wheel of all things…?

“Uh,” I had no idea how to respond to this, “I’ll bring a…”

“No, no, Hirari-chan,” The large man shook his head, “You have to say _‘I’m going to the moon, and I’m bringing…’_ and then whatever it is you’re bringing.”

I frowned. 

_Really?_

“Okay…” I went with it, no matter how pedantic it seemed, “I’m going to the moon, and I’m bringing a funnel cake?”

It made sense in context, but then…

“*No!*” Brawly exclaimed. “I’m sorry, Hirari-chan, but you *CANNOT* bring a funnel cake.”

I immediately regretted my decision.

“Your turn, *Minako-chan*!” The man turned to my teammate.


----------



## Fedster (May 28, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


The first thing Minako thought about when Brawly-sensei said they were going to the moon was that he would throw them at the actual satellite. Knowing that Brawly-sensei had a weird obsession with throwing people to distant and remote places, Minako did not discard the idea that he could probably send people to the moon, should he put his _Heart_ to it. But when he explained the rules, she felt immensely relieved. They were only going to the moon in their minds. Nothing to worry about.

Unless it was a Genjutsu. Which was totally not. Maybe. No! It could not be. But...No.

In any case, Brawly strated, and said that he would take a...ferris wheel? How could you even...? But then again, it was Brawly-sensei speaking; no physical task was entirely impossible for him. And then, he looked at them, as if scanning them, and his eyes landed on Hirari, who promptly answered that she would take a funnel cake to the moon.

?*No!*? Brawly exclaimed. ?I?m sorry, Hirari-chan, but you *CANNOT* bring a funnel cake.?

It made sense, though. It is obvious that if you have to bring any pastries with you to the moon, you would take a mooncake with you. Still, she was surprised to see the Hyuuga getting a wrong answer, and if Ren got it wrong too, Minako would not know what to do. Little did she know that Brawly determined that it was her turn. She was taken by surprise.

"Ah! Um...Let's see...This..." The girl cupped her chin, deep in thought. If one paid close attention, they would be able to hear Minako's train of thought, departing from the station in a cloud of steam and clanking. Ah! I'm going to the moon, and I'm bringing...

"People! I mean, someone's has to ride the ferris wheel, right?" Much to her surprise, though...

"*No!*" Brawly-sensei exclaimed again, shaking his head as he did. "Minako-chan, you *CANNOT* bring people!" Minako let out a sigh, a bit let down that her answer was incorrect.

"Now, Ren-kun, it is _*YOUR*_ turn!"


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 28, 2014)

* Yui Hōzuki*
Kirikagukure Training Field #34

----------​
Yui set her jian sword aside, exchanging a glance with Ran as she began to roll her shoulders as well. She didn't like the sudden shift in enthusiasm, but Ran didn't seem all that perturbed. Indeed, she seemed to encourage this sort of passion and energy with relation to sparring and training. After all, her younger sister wasn't going to be cut out for the Seven Swordsman of the Mist if she wasn't used to fighting strong opponents.

"Yui?" Ran said, raising an eyebrow. The young woman looked up from strapping up her sandals, unsure what was the matter. "Yes?" 

Ran glanced over at her jian, then back to Yui. "But she doesn't..." but the expression in Ran's eyes explained her stance quite readily. "Alright," she said with a sigh, picking it back up. Ran was a strong proponent of going all out, even when training, and it almost always applied when they fought one on one; bladed weaponry came out quickly. But she hadn't expected Ran to want her to adopt this philosophy with such a...unique guest. But then, her sister wasn't one to compromise ideals. 

She gripped her blade for a moment...and looked up as Masuyo a moment. "Ready?" she asked. Though it was more a formality, and with a swift opening, Yui fired three quick shots of water at Masuyo with her finger gun, and then flickered into range next to her to follow up, aiming for a swift left kick!


----------



## Kyuuzen (May 29, 2014)

- Hagane || Rengoku -​
"Katon!  Gokakyuu no Jutsu!"

Hagane Rengoku flinched a bit at the intense heat on his face as he raised his hands to shield the sensitive flesh on his cheeks.  He was at one of the Kirigakure training grounds supposed to be working on his skill with ninjutsu.  He was there with the person best suited to training him in his Katon, and the last person he would ever want to have to spend any amount of time with.

Hagane Izumo, his biological father.  Also the man who was all for sending him to Sunagakure to live in the desert indefinitely.

The Hagane clan was known in Kirigakure for their katons.  They were among the few shinobi in Kirigakure capable of producing the fire element, and it set them apart from many others.  This made it difficult to train their ninjutsu with anyone outside of the clan.  So, Rengoku was stuck here practicing Katons with his father.  The boy was typically easy going and kind, but he didn't like Izumo.  Not in the slightest.  The man turned to look at Rengoku, his face a combination of forced stoicism and disappointment as he regarded his son.

"Your turn.  Try to produce something worthwhile, will you?"

Rengoku bit back the overly defensive retort as his face turned red and heated up.  "H-hai, Otou-san."  He walked forward, stepping past the man and facing the remaining, uncharred training dummies.  He closed his eyes and released a steady breath.  Handseals always did come easily to him, so his mind breezed through the list.  Uma, Tora, Hitsuji, Saru, I, Uma, Tora.  As he formed the final tiger seal, he drew air and chakra into his lungs with a deep breath.

"Katon!  Gokakyuu no Jutsu!"

With a long and steady exhaled, he released a ball of streaming, burning fire that was no where near as big, nor as impressive as the one his father has effortlessly created.  It singed the dummy, blackening the straw it was made of.  It caught alight, burning with a slightly acrid smell until the flames finally died and the dummy fell from the wooden stand it was propped on.  Rengoku took a few breaths before looking up at his father.

Izumo frowned and sighed.  "It was... passable.  You will perform the Hosenka technique tomorrow."  The man left with a swirl of his traditional hakama and kosode.  Rengoku glared at his retreating back before letting out another sigh and running his fingers through his jet black locks.  "Yeah, thanks a lot, father."  He made sure that he had everything he needed on him.  Well, he had his weapons pouch, anyway.  That was pretty much everything.  He adjusted the hitai-ate sitting on his forehead and made his way back to his apartment.  It had belonged to his uncle Shishiga.  He slipped his hands in his pockets as he trudged toward a different training ground within the village.

He was supposed to meet his new sensei and teammate at the thirty-fourth training grounds.  He trekked through light forestry and muddy underbrush, checking each of the signs.  Thirtieth, thirty-first, thirty-second...  He wasn't really going fast enough, and a small voice that sounded like his uncle, like his true dad, rang out in the back of his head.  He focused the chakra to his feet and sprinted up the side of a tree, taking to the branches for faster travel more becoming of a shinobi.  He rapidly traversed the thirty-third training ground before landing in the thirty fourth.  A handful of meters away was a group of girls, one of the younger ones and the oldest one looking pretty similar.  In fact, he'd seen the older one before.  _Oh, that must be Ran-sensei!_  He emerged from his bush, trying to be as unobstreperous(if that's even a word) as possible.  They appeared to be training, and were all attacking each other.​


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 29, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure IV*

*Ren Houki*

When Fightin' Brawly said that they were going to the moon, Ren's thoughts briefly flickered to the few times where the giant man had thrown him across Konoha, wondering if he was going to attempt to throw them to the moon this time. Thankfully, their team building exercise didn't involve Brawly attempting to rupture the stratosphere with Genin corpses, but instead a simple activity, consisting of what one would bring with them if they went to the moon. 

Brawly decided to take a ferris wheel with him. Ren had no idea why.

_"What does that even mean?"_

Hirari wanted to bring a funnel cake, but wasn't allowed to bring one. Ren had no idea why.

_"Why?"_

Minako wanted to bring people for the ferris wheel, but wasn't allowed that. Ren had no idea why.

_"This game is stupid."_

Then finally it came Ren's turn, and the boy cursed a little inside his head as he reached the end of his chapter. Turning the page over, the Houki looked up. The purpose of the game was entirely lost upon him. Why the moon, of all places? Surely, if they went to the moon, the lack of oxygen also meant that they'd just die? With that in mind, wouldn't the only thing people would bring with them be a space suit? He concluded that the game was sort of retarded, but decided to humour it anyway. "I'd bring a house." He replied, then looked back down at his book. Maybe the trick to getting it 'right' was to just bring in impossibly large objects or structures? In truth, however, Ren wanted to say that he'd bring a kunai so that he could kill himself.


----------



## Redblood (May 29, 2014)

*Amagumo*
Kumogakure Training Grounds

----------​
?Ha ha! Excellent work, you two! You?re really starting to get the hang of this!? Amagumo clapped as the three finished up their training. Amagumo had been working his new students hard since the morning, and they had actually improved considerably since their test. For instance, Kabiki Ruka waited a whole _TEN SECONDS_ without immediately trying to smash her training dummy. Isamuki Katsurou had shown great prowess in Wind Release jutsu. The team was shaping up nicely. Kind of. The lack of a third team member nagged in the back of Amagumo?s mind as he readied to send his students home for the day.

Yet right before he did, a massive crow swooped down from the sky and landed on a tree stump before the Cloud sensei. Amagumo instantly recognized the bird, and took the scroll from its leg. Unfurled, the scroll had a short, simple message on it.

*MR. CLOUD?

TODAY. YOU.

-D*

Oh boy.

?Kabiki-chan! Katsurou-kun! That?s enough for today!? Amagumo declared, Ruka bouncing with happiness now that she was done. Amagumo?s students turned away from their sensei, readying to leave when he stopped them.

?Sorry, you?re not going home yet.? Amagumo proclaimed, appearing before the two of them and displaying the scroll.
?It appears the Raikage wants a word with us.?


----------



## Redblood (May 29, 2014)

*Funzaki*
Konoha Embassies

-----------​
Blue fire raged toward Kouji, who actually looked shocked to see such a sheer display of power. He froze, unsure of what to do. And that?s when he felt something strange against his leg. In the seconds he had before the blast would hit, Kouji saw the arm of his teammate Funzaki grabbing hold of him!

?Sorry in advance for this! Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique!? Funzaki cried, his voice muted by the ground as he pulled Kouji down with him. And not a moment too soon, as right as Funzaki pulled him, the blue fire roared overhead, missing Kouji completely. Though the same couldn?t be said for the shrubbery behind him. Funzaki then Body Flickered to the surface, and freed his teammate.

*?HEY!!?* Chi roared, having somehow gotten right up in Funzaki?s face in mere seconds. Oh boy.

?This is a sparring exercise. I am testing your INDIVIDUAL talents. Allow your fellow teammates to succeed or DIE on their own.? Chi spat. Upon closer inspection, Funzaki could see that his sensei was pretty. Really pretty. Teachers had always been kind of hot to Funzaki, but Chi was nothing like the girls he fantasized over. Short skirts and glasses had been replaced with long, heavy clothing. It was a tragedy! It was an outrage! This injustice that will not stand!

?Furthermore?? Chi growled. Aw, her nose wrinkles when she gets mad. That?s so cute! ?if you have an Elemental Release, USE IT RIGHT!!? Chi screamed before backing off and putting together a complex string of hand signs. When that was done, Chi began to take deep breaths. But something was off about that. Her breath was?glowing?

?Fire Release: Dragon Burst!? Chi declared as she blew a small, thin wisp of blue fire from her mouth. The wisp moved at amazing speed before coming very close to Funzaki. The wisp then exploded into a tremendous ball of fire and sent Funzaki hurtling into the air!

As Funzaki flew up, he saw his sensei?s cloak blowing in the wind, and he  thought he caught a glimpse of something. 

Something pink.

?No way!? Funzaki exclaimed as he quickly Body Flickered back to the ground, and then did a string of handsigns he didn?t even realize he was doing. After the Body Flicker, he had reappeared behind his sensei, and created fists out of the earth around him.

Which he then used to pull up the back of his sensei?s cloak.

?WOW! You really are just wearing your und?? Funzaki?s disbelief at what he saw was promptly interrupted by Chi?s right fist. Then the left one. And then a kick to the balls. And then continuous stomping on his beaten body. Chi wasn?t even enjoying this. She just wanted Funzaki dead.


----------



## Vash TS (May 29, 2014)

*Doron and the revival of the Nio​*
"Rooooooooon!" 

Doron stirred in his bed his eyes slowly opening, he had no idea what the time was but he knew it was early. He pulled his curtain to see that the sky had not even been stained with the light of the morning sun yet. Doron rolled out of bed and dropped to the floor and started doing push ups. This was something he did every morning after waking up, it got his blood pumping and knocked what ever sleep that was left in his head right out. 

"Rooooooon!" he heard his mother shout again

The call was more frantic this time but he knew it was nothing serious, it was only breakfast. That's just the way mothers were, he'd never met a mother that wasn't loud, fussy, annoying and nagging. He finished his push ups and jumped up to grab one of the beams that ran horizontally near the roof of his room, he began pulling himself up and letting himself fall back to the ground only the repeat the motion again. The door to the room creaked open slowly and light from the corridor spilled into his room. Clothes and manga along with various empty packs of spicy chips were strewn across the floor. He wasn't a terribly neat person but what sixteen year old boy was? A hand reached into the room and flicked on the light.

"Good Morning Ron" she said planting her hands on her hips
"Morning Mom" Doron responded without stopping his pull ups
"If you were awake the least you could have done was answer me"
"Like anyone could sleep with you screeching like that, next time just assume I'm awake"

His mother looked at him and shook her head a faint smile dancing on her face, she was accustomed to his snappy answers and sarcastic comments. 

"Come down for breakfast I made your favorite, today is an important day. You need to make sure you have lots of energy"

Doron dropped to the ground and stretched his arms and made a few windmills with each hand. He walked up to his mother and kissed her on the cheek and walked down the corridor.

"And clean your room" she shouted behind him

He wouldn't clean his room, he knew if he left it long enough she would eventually do it. What did moms do when everyone else was out working? He figured he had to leave something for her to occupy her time with or she might get bored. He loved his mother too much to leave something like that to chance. Boredom was a serious affliction and he was sure he had heard about it being fatal in some cases. He loved his mother too much to let her die of boredom. 

He walked into the kitchen to see breakfast already served. His plate was stacked high with his favourite peppered eggs and smoked meat. He sat on the chair and began to eat stuffing large spoons of eggs into his mouth. He heard the door creak open behind him, he didn't turn around though. He already knew who it was, Renzou his half brother and the bane of his existence

"Well if it isn't the great hope of the Nio clan sitting in my house having breakfast" Renzou said

Doron didn't respond, he just continued eating like no one had spoken

"As usual the great hope is showed favouritism, I should be accustomed to this by now. Peppered eggs again."

Renzou walked over to the stove where their mother stood with a plate in her hand with food piled high but not as high as Doron's plate. He snatched the plate without so much as a second look at her. Renzou was a large man, not quite as large as Doron though even though he was the elder of the two. His hair was shorter than's Doron's by quite a bit, it always seemed to look like a strange black tangle of wire sitting on his head. Doron often wondered why he didn't do something about it but  Renzou wasn't a man that cared about appearances. All he seemed to care about was hating Doron as far as he could tell.

He walked over to the table and sat down facing Doron his reddish brown eyes met with Doron's  crimson eyes for a brief moment. Their hatred for each other seemed to flow out of them and fill up the room with something tangible like a thick fog. 

"OK you two that's enough, it is too early in the morning for this" their mother said with a sigh
"You couldn't wake me for breakfast mother? Like you do your favourite son?" Renzou said

He was scowling as he usually was, it seemed to be the only thing his face could do. Doron had never seen him happy. Anger seemed to be the only emotion he was capable of. 

"I didn't wake you because you are an adult and you don't need me to wake you up. Ron on the other hand will sleep until the sun comes up if I give him a chance."

Doron was thought about responding but he bit his lip, he could feel his blood boiling. This entire scene seemed to play out every day and he was sick of it. His patience had run out he stuffed the rest of food into his mouth and stood up pushing his chair out the legs scraping on the wooden floor with a loud noise. He walked over to where his mother was standing and handed her his plate. 

"Thanks for breakfast mom, it was great as always" he said 
"Good luck today Great Savior of the Nio" Renzou said his voice dripping with contempt

Doron ignored him as he usually did and walked through the door, as it closed behind him he could hear his mother and half brother arguing. He shut it out and walked up the stairs to his room. He grabbed his towel and walked to the bathroom to shower, he wasn't one for long showers. In and out, make sure you wash all the important parts and that was all there was to it. No standing and thinking as the water cascades off your head, just in and out. He'd seen his mother take hour long baths, he didn't understand why anyone would want to waste an hour doing something you could do in three minutes. He was ready to leave the house just as the inky blue sky started to turn bright blue, he decided not to leave through the conventional means. 
He really didn't want to see Renzou again because he'd had his fill of him for the day. The next time Renzou said anything to him he would just punch him in the face. He'd try to break his brothers jaw again. He had tried quite a few times but he could never catch him cleanly enough to do it with a single blow. He really hated Renzou but he admired that one thing about him, he could take a punch better than anyone else Doron had ever punched. 

He checked his pouch as he always did before he left home and made sure he had everything he would need. Today was really an important day for him, and his entire clan the way he saw it. Today would be the day he showed them who he was and why they should trust him. He pushed his window open and a gust of wind blew in throwing his curtains back. He hopped up onto the window sill and threw himself into the morning air.

"I will show them today that I am the best" he thought to himself as he fell toward the ground


----------



## Santí (May 30, 2014)

*Katsurou*
Kumogakure Training Grounds​
Receiving a direct summoning from the Raikage, the chief commanding officer of the entire village. This was serious business. Katsurou had heard of this village's Raikage before from his father, "the man who's existence is everything that exists" Katsuro repeated. Surely this comparison was unreasonable, for there is so much left unknown in our world. Could it be that he himself is the unknown?

Katsurou caught himself drifting off in wandering thoughts and reformed his attention back to the situation at hand. He was being directly summoned by the Raikage of the village? Unlikely. At best, he's being dragged along for punishment as an accomplice due to some prank performed by his troublesome team member. Speaking of the devil, he could _feel_ the energy oozing out of her even after all of this training, and an outburst of excitement and noise is bound to happen right about...


----------



## Redblood (May 30, 2014)

*Kabiki Ruka*
Kumogakure Training Grounds

----------​
“*WHAAAAAAAT?!* The Raikage wants to see US?! NO WAY! That’s so cool! I’ve never even seen the Raikage, but my Mom says he’s the master of Nintaijutsu! OOH! Maybe he’s gonna teach us some moves! That’d be SO cool!” Kabiki Ruka exclaimed. Any energy she lost from training was instantly renewed with this news.

“So sensei, when are we leaving?” Ruka inquired, noticing her sensei was nowhere in sight.

“Five minutes ago!” Amagumo called from a tree branch before leaping away.

“Oh geez!” Ruka cried before running after her sensei, wondering what the Raikage wanted with them as they reached his office. Wait, could this be about that whole "factory destruction" thing? Uh oh.


----------



## Vash TS (May 30, 2014)

*The Tournament of Revivial*​
Doron left his house and made his way toward the fighting grounds located near the centre of the compund. The Nio had been separated from the village for a long time now. They were overly aggressive and often caused trouble when they entered the village, so the elders decided put all of them in one place. Doron thought that maybe they secretly hoped they would all kill each other and a useless clan would cease to exist. He shook the thoughts from his head and tried to concentrate on the day ahead of him. The Test as people kept calling had a lot of intrigue around it, no one really knew much about it other than the date. They called it a test, but the way it was described to him it felt much more like a tournament. He'd heard that the prize was some special training or access to  ancient clan scrolls and about ten other things some more probable than others. There were so many rumours surrounding the whole thing he didn't know what to believe anymore. He really didn't care what the prize was though, he just wanted to win the thing and show everyone he had the potential to use Oni Transformation and revive the clan. 

He got to the grounds and there were already a lot of people there with numbers attached to them. From what he could see they were all Genin and Chunin between the ages of fourteen and twenty. He walked over to the small table where they were distributing the numbers.

"_This seems so strange_" he heard a girl say
"Yea, why are they using Genin and Chunin and not Jonin?"
"*You ever heard that you can't teach an old dog new tricks?*" another one said with a chuckle

Doron collected his number and stuck it to the back of his jacket, number thirty nine. He glimpsed Renzou arriving at the grounds with his crew out the corner of his eye, Doron made it his business to move in the opposite direction from them. He walked over and sat at the top of some bleachers that were constructed for the test today. It was pretty sparse, other than the participants. The numbers of the clan had fallen considerably over the past few decades, so many Nio's died in the war and just and much filled the jails of Iwa, his own father being one of them. It was about six years now he had not seen him. He had killed some Iwa ninja for speaking ill of the Nio clan. That is what most of them were locked up for. 

He pushed the thought of his father out of his head and looked around at the numbered contestants. They were all people he knew or fought before. He liked to fight, there was always time for a friendly contest in the Nio clan sometimes they ended up being not so friendly and people got seriously hurt. This seemed no different, people would get injured today. He would have to pull out all the stops today, there were a few things he had been working on for the past year since he'd graduated the academy he'd have a chance to test them in battle today. He was by no means a genius he worked harder and longer than anyone else in his age group. He spent hours upon hours every day out in the canyons that surrounded the village training alone. A lot of people still saw him as some sort of prodigy though. He was the first Nio to be born with red eyes in a half a century and he was the only one alive at the current moment. Part of him just wanted them to give him what ever scrolls they could because he was obviously the best candidate and another part of him wanted to earn it. 

"I need to stop distracting myself with trivial matters, if I enter this thing with distractions I could easily lose" he said softly to himself

He heard some crackling over the speaker and then a voice came through crystal clear

"*Good Morning Nio youth, you've been gathered here today for a single reason. To decide which of you is worthy of undergoing the special training that can bring out Oni Transformation and bring our clan back to it's former glory!*"

There was a small cheer from the minuscule crowd that had gathered in the bleachers. Doron looked around as the numbered contestants started congregating near the middle of the area marked off as the ring. It was a series of white lines that made a huge square on the ground, he could never understand why they called it a ring, again he shook the trivial thought from his head. He jumped off the top of the bleacher and landed near the back of the crowd.

"You just can't be normal can you? Anyone else would have simply walked down. You had to make an entrance and draw attention to yourself" Renzou said with his characteristic scowl

Doron clenched his fist ready to go though with the promise he made to himself earlier. He took a step toward Renzou his mind already made up

"You will get lots of att..." Renzou started but was cut off by the man on the loud speaker

"*We will start off with a Battle Royale to thin down the pack to eight contestants. Getting thrown out the ring will be an instant disqualification, being down for ten seconds or more will also see you removed for the race. Are these rules clear?*"

There was a resounding "_*YES!*_" from a majority of the contestants

Doron spat on the ground near Renzou's feet, a smile splitting his face. He could break Renzou's jaw and there would be no questions or repercussions. He had been waiting for this moment for so long. He almost couldn't contain himself

"*At the sound of the gong you will begin*"

There was quick separation of the contestants, sandals scraping the ground, dust being kicked up everyone was in battle mode. Doron turned to take a quick stock of his competition but when he turned back Renzou was gone, disappeared into the crowd. He cursed silently under his breath and moved to a spot where his back was to the edge of the ring. He could already see small groups of people starting to form, it only made sense. It would be hard to come out this battle royale alone. He didn't have any friends here, he didn't have any friends at all. People either hated him or worshipped him and he couldn't stand either of those sentiments so he spent a lot of time training alone. 

"*SCHWANGGGGGGG!!!*" 

There was the sound of the gong everyone in the ring exploded into action including Doron as he dropped into his battle stance.


----------



## Island (May 30, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
“Ren-kun!” Brawly shook his head in disappointment. “You have to say ‘I’m going to the moon, and I’m bringing…’ and *THEN* whatever it is you’re bringing.”

“But, no!” He declared. “You *CANNOT* bring a house!”

“Meanwhile,” he began his turn, “I am going to the moon, and I’m bringing a *FIDDLE*!”

“What about you, *HIRARI-CHAN*?” Our sensei turned his attention to me.

Finally.

Time to spring my trap.

Unrveil my elaborate ruse.

You see, I knew the trick to this game. I played it before at the academy. One day, when one of our instructors was off on a mission, we had a substitute, and not quite knowing what to do, he spent a good part of the day playing random games with us. He said that being able to do these kinds of things would strengthen one’s mind and make them more perceptive, something that was very important for a shinobi. Or something like that. In a way, the guy was kinda like Fightin’ Brawly. Not nearly as obnoxious and definitely more professional but still.

“I’m going to the moon,” I stated, “And _I_ am bringing a house.”

Brawly seemed ready to correct me and tell me that I couldn’t bring a house to the moon, but then he stopped. He stared at me for a second, as if thinking, trying to figure something out.

Finally, he spoke up, “*PERCEPTIVE*, Hirari-chan! You *CAN* bring a house to the moon!”


----------



## Island (May 30, 2014)

*Kaguya Masuyo*
Kirigakure

---​
?Are you people fucking *CRAZY*?!? Kaguya Masuyo bellowed.

She thought that something as simple as a bathroom wouldn?t change much over two hundred years. After all, everybody used bathrooms and for the same reason. Although indoor plumping wasn?t widespread during her time, it existed, and she was familiar with it, though she never had the luxury of using it. She bathed with a bucket and a washcloth and squatted in the bushes when she needed to take care of business. Simple but effective. Again, she lived in an age where towns and villages were constantly being plundered and razed. Infrastructure was almost entirely non-existent. Only wealthy merchants, noblemen, sometimes even the heads of powerful clans, could afford these things?

Certainly not pond scum like the Kaguya Clan, as mercenary groups in the Land of Water were sometimes referred to as.

Still, Masuyo wasn?t stupid. She knew how plumbing worked, and she knew what a shower was, but?

Why the hell was this shower water _scolding fucking hot_?

?Is everything alright, Masuyo-san?? Somebody banged on her bathroom door, probably worried that Masuyo might be in some kind of trouble. Apparently, the Mizukage kept somebody around to keep an eye on her, probably for her own protection.

?How the *HELL* do you even get water this hot?? Masuyo screamed.

?Who would even _want_ something like this?? She went on.

Then, it clicked.

?Wait a second.?

*?WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?!?*

---​
Back in the present?

Her opponent but some distance between the two and promptly began with some kind of long-ranged attack. It appeared to be some kind of Water Release technique, but where the water came from, Masuyo could only speculate. It seemed to meld right from her sparring partner?s fingertips, as if she naturally produced water to be used for jutsu. The Kaguya recalled something that Yui mentioned before about a clan but didn?t know if this meant that she possessed a kekkei genkai or not?

Masuyo brought her right forearm up to where she anticipated the water bullets to hit. Through the power of Shikotsumyaku, or Macabre Bone Pulse, she formed and solidified a layer of calcium, effectively creating bone armor beneath her flesh. The bullets impacted, tearing away the flesh but not even cracking the hardened bone, nevermind puncturing it. Then, Yui came in for close-combat.

She came in for a kick. However, Masuyo swung her forearm around and used it to block the incoming struck. She anticipated that the force behind Yui?s kick against her bone should be enough to damage her opponent from recoil. She hoped that Yui might even break her fit, effectively crippling her and leaving her open for attack.

Not waiting to see the results, she produced a sharpened bone from her left forearm and allowed it to protrude from her wrist, just long enough to extend past her fingertips. It resembled, at least in design, like a concealed blade that one might hide within the sleeves of a thick robe, something an assassin might use to take out a target. Ultimately, the young woman drove it forward, attempting to jab it straight into her opponent?s chest.

If the Kaguya Clan was, in fact, extinct, Masuyo reasoned, then this would give her a decisive advantage over any opponent she might encounter. Even in her world, as she started calling it, Shikotsumyaku was rare, legendary, even. Maybe one or two members of the Kaguya Clan were born with it every generation, and thus, nobody really knew how to stop it. In this world, few probably knew it even existed, and if they did, they certainly wouldn?t be spending their time finding ways to counter it.

On the other hand, however, Masuyo realized that she was completely unfamiliar with any fighting styles or jutsu, even newborn kekkei genkai, that might have emerged in her absence?


----------



## Fedster (May 30, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


A...fiddle? Of all objects he could bring to the moon apart from a ferris wheel, he choose a fiddle? Minako could not even at this point. Where was the pattern on that? Let's see...Ferris wheel...House...Fiddle. Those were the three things that they could take to the moon. A ferris wheel was usually seen in theme parks and places like that. Well, she never saw it in _any_ other place,  but one never knew. Maybe in Iwagakure people had private ferris wheel that use for leisure, or maybe people use them as public transportation in Kumogakure.

Then, there was the house. Which was...something that could be located virtually anywhere. There was not much to say about that. Unless you could own a ferris wheel...But wait, theme parks _own_ ferris wheel! And on theme parks there were horror _houses_!

Though, how did the fiddle fit in all of that?

"Okay, my turn!" Minako exclaimed, now with fresh determination. "I'm going to the moon, and I am bringing _FOOD_!" She stood up in the most unnecessarily dramatic way possible as she said that, eyes filled with confidence.

Nice try, but *NO*! Brawly-sensei roared, followed by his boisterous laughter. "You *CANNOT* bring food to the moon, Minako-chan!"

Everyone present could see Minako deflating, landing on the bench and lying on it, her face depicting her defeat.


----------



## Vash TS (May 30, 2014)

*The Battle Royale​*
The gong sounded triumphantly sending vibrations through the air bombarding everyone with it's sound, there was an eruption of movement. Bodies, shurikens, kunai and various other weapons flew everywhere what seemed like simultaneously. Doron pulled out his kunai and blocked a myriad of shurikens that flew toward him, he located the source and used a shunshin to close the distance on his assailant. He was so quick the younger genin didn't have time to react. Doron grabbed his face and slammed his head into the ground with a sickening wet crunch. There was no time to stop because more attackers were on him. A group of two this time a boy and a girl around his own age both wielding humongous double bladed weapons. He remembered them from the academy he had some idea of what they would do. He jumped backwards narrowly avoiding a horizontal swing of a large axe as he threw the kunai in his hand, the boy moved his head to the side and it missed his head completely. Doron landed and slid backward on the ground his feet almost touching the white line marking the edge of the ring. Just as he regained his balance the girl was already flying at him with a stabbing strike with her sword. He side stepped the strike and grabbed her by the back of her jacket while she was still in mid air. He swung her around once pivoting on the ball of his feet, her sword awkwardly wobbling around making a few other fighters back off him a little. He threw her as hard as he could away from him and out of the ring, she cried out as she crashed into the bleachers the spectators moving out of the way. The sword dropped from her hands with the sudden jerk of motion and clattered to the ground. 

Doron bent down and grabbed the sword quickly, he looked up and smiled at the group of attackers working in tandem to try to take him out, there were five of them now. He swung the large sword taking a few steps forward forcing the ring around him to open up a bit more. The boy with the axe charged him and brought the double bladed weapon down with a large two handed chop. Attacks like that were incredibly easy to predict and therefore dodge but Doron knew enough about how the Nio fought with these weapons to know this guy was just distraction. The others wanted him to dodge back or to the sides as he done earlier. They would be ready to respond to either of these evasions with attacks of their own. So Doron did something none of them expected, he jumped into the air. 

"I've never practised this but it should work" he said to himself

His attackers were frozen because no one expected that, no one could dodge in the air, what he did was tantamount suicide or so they thought.

"*GATSUUGAAA!!*" Doron shouted 

He held the sword in front of him and used the power of gravity to draw him downward, he became a spinning drill of destruction. He normally employed this technique in a completely different manner but it would be even more devastating with a weapon. He slammed into two of the group that jumped into the air in an attempt to finish him off. He cut strait through them and drilled into the axe wielder sparks flying everywhere. The axe shattered as he tried to block Dorons Gatsuga, pieces of steel flew everywhere along with a mist of blood. He'd taken down three with a single attack, he looked down at the blood stained sword to see a large crack on the blade. It wouldn't last for much longer. The weapon wasn't made to take the kind of punishment Doron just doled out. After seeing what he was capable of the other backed off. Doron looked around for the largest group of participants and lobbed two smoke bombs into their midst. He didn't give them much time to react, he used to shunshin to close the distance and launched himself into the cloud of white smoke.

"*GATSUUGAAAAA!!!!*" 

He once again became a weapon of pure destruction he punched through the wall of smoke, his attack hit who ever had not moved out of the way in time. He was not entirely sure who he hit or how many people he hit but he left a lot of injured bodies in his wake as the smoke dispersed. The sword shattered with the last Gatsuga, all he held in his hand now was the hilt with about a quarter of the blade still attached.

"This is why I don't use weapons" he said with a frown

He scanned the area around him for potential threats, everyone was giving him a wide berth after they saw what he could do. Judges were frantically removing injured participants from the ring, the once thickly populated ring had become very sparse it what seemed like a short space of time. It was easier to see individuals now and he was looking for one in particular. A certain black nest head, he found who he was looking for and began to casually walk toward him and the group of four fighting with him. He was with his crew and they was systematically eliminating smaller groups and anyone unlucky enough not to have any friends. He hated his half brother but he was no fool and definitely no weakling they worked like a well oiled machine. He couldn't just waltz into the middle of them as he'd done twice before. The sword was broken this time and he wouldn't catch them by surprise as he was able to do previously. 

He locked eyes with Renzou and his blood boiled, he saw him give his friends a few hand signals. Doron had no idea what they meant, he knew he should slow his approach to take stock of the situation but he didn't, he sped up. To his surprise they spread out and left Renzou alone. 

"If it isn't the star of the show..." Renzou started

Doron didn't give him a chance to continue, he threw the broken sword at him and charged in behind it. Renzou dodged the projectile and blocked the flurry of punches that Doron threw. His brother was good, good enough not to get finished in the first few seconds of their encounter. The fight was going his way, his brother couldn't dodge his attacks only block them. He couldn't land a clean blow but Renzou couldn't do anything to him either. He'd fought with his brother a few times before and it was hard for him to believe that this was all he could do.

"He's stalling for something." Doron thought as he caught a glimpse of a smile on Renzou's face

Renzou never smiled, Doron tried to disengage before the trap was sprung but Renzou grabbed his hand as he left it lagging after an attack. Renzou swept his feet from under him knocking him to the ground in a puff of dust. Renzou's friends suddenly appeared all around him. He'd fallen right into their trap, he ground his teeth as his mind raced.

*SCHWANGGGGGGG!!!*

The gong sounded to signal the end of the Battle Royale, Renzou didn't hear it or care. He threw himself at Doron kunai in hand, he meant to kill him, Doron could see it in his eyes. He screamed out as he put up his hand grabbing the kunai with his bare hand and kicked upward sending Renzou flying over him as he rolled to his feet. Renzou was back on his feet immediately, he set himself kunai in hand. Doron flicked his hand at Renzou's face blood flying into his eyes. He clenched his fist and launched a punch with all his strength at Renzou's jaw. There was a sudden cloud of dust as several of the judges appeared just in time to restrain the both of them. 

"_I should disqualify the both of you_" a large Nio Jonin said through clenched teeth
"You would disqualify me for defending myself?" Doron screamed spit flying from his mouth
"He did attack him after the gong sounded" another Jonin said sympathetically
"_I said I should, I didn't say I would. Calm down boy!_" the man said roughly as he tried to restrain Doron who was trying his best to escape their restraint.

Doron violently pulled himself free of them as they loosened their grip, he walked away from Renzou and the others cursing under his breath.

There was a crackling over the speakers again

*"We will take a small break where any wounds will be treated and then the brackets will be announced for the final eight."*


----------



## Island (May 30, 2014)

*Big D, the Raikage*
The Raikage's Office

---​
Upon entering the Raikage?s Office, one would most likely start choking on a thick haze of cigar smoke. He or she would barely be able to see through the dense cloud of smog, squinting to make out what appeared to be a dark silhouette on the opposite side of the room. Indeed, as the smoke escaped the room, one could see the Raikage, kicked back and relaxing. He sat with his feet up on an expensive mahogany desk. The large man took a drag of his cigar and blew a ring of smoke in the air?

?Hello.? He greeted. ?Can I help you??

He didn?t know who it was or what they wanted, but he didn?t seem to care. He had been expecting Team Amagumo but wouldn?t be surprised if it was his secretary or somebody else who worked in the large structure at the heart of the village. He also expected a particular young man, Kirigaya Hikita, but again, considering how many people came by daily to complain about this or that, he wouldn't be surprised if it was somebody else entirely.


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 30, 2014)

*Kouji, Ran & Yui Hōzuki*

Konoha Embassies and Kirigakure Training Grounds #34​
Kouji's eyes widened as the vice of his teammate became painfully apparent to him. He was going to get himself killed like this...faster than Kouji might have been able to do on his own, but right now Kouji needed to think, and _fast_. Chi-sensei was a lot of things, but patient was rarely one of them. He was going to need to rush if he wanted to make sure she _honestly _didn't kill Funzaki...rush. _Rush_. *Rush*!

He attached a couple of chakra strings to his sensei, and then attached the ones in his grasp to Rush beside him, who then began to use _Tsuga _in the direction completely opposite Chi-sensei! Then as  the puppet shot off in the opposite direction, Kouji shunshined towards his sensei, going in for a close combat punch instead of attacking with Cinders! 

_"She won't torch me with any of those wide radius katons if I keep close...that's just as bad potentially, though..."_

---------------

Yui blinked in surprise as she came into contact with such a powerful hide in reaction to her attack, but her water weight absorbed the brunt of the recoil. Still, it did give her pause, and as Masuyo produced a weapon from seemingly nowhere, Yui brought her sword up to parry, surprised by the durability of the blade. _"What sort of jutsu is she using?"_

Then, she dove in with a testing series of lunges, though to her surprise Masuyo simply dipped and dived to evade them, parrying the last with a bit more force from her swing. "Interesting. She has solid combat instincts; she doesn't take a blow head on when she has the ability to dodge. Warring Clans Era indeed..."

Yui then threw her sword up into the air, made a series of quick hand signs, and then caught it as it came back down. And slowly, a thick blanket of mist began to cover the training field. Ran instinctively got out of the way, coming to stand on a branch overlooking the field just as the Hagane joined them. She folded her arms in front of her chest, looking over the field, but probably able to hear whatever was going on just fine as well. She was young for a jounin, even younger for a sensei, and to think that she had actually come out of retirement at one point? An oddity among those in Kirigakure. She turned to face the katon user, offering a short smile. "...Rengoku-kun?" she guessed after a moment of looking him over. She wore a flight jacket and camouflaged cargo pants, along with a light pair of combat boots, her blade bandaged and bundled onto her back, and gloves besides that. Few knew it to look at them, but the Hōzuki were a great deal more susceptible to the changes in temperature thanks to their bloodline. As such, both the sisters had recently begun wearing heavier clothing as the cold front from that glacier expedition in part followed the researchers home.

Though, that was nothing to her, and she smiled over at who she assumed to be her new student.


----------



## Island (May 30, 2014)

*Kaguya Masuyo*
Kirigakure

---​
Masuyo immediately recognized one of the oldest tricks in the book, Kirigakure no Jutsu, or the Hiding in the Mist Technique. Even back in her time, this technique was considered old. Still, it stuck around for a reason, and that reason was because it was difficult to counter. A master assassin could clear a whole battlefield with the technique, silently moving through the mist and bringing down each and every one of his targets. Isolated and alone, they would fall, one-by-one?

But Masuyo didn?t seem worried. In fact, she looked even more confident than ever. Most likely, she came to the conclusion that her opponent hadn?t anyway to win a direct confrontation, and, thus, resorted to hiding in the mist. If she waited long enough, she must have concluded, Yui would simply wear herself out. If it was a war of attrition she wanted, it was a war of attrition she would get.

Ultimately, Masuyo took a defensive stance, bracing herself for wherever and whenever her opponent might strike. On top of that, she shut her eyes, allowing her to focus on her opponent?s movements, everything from footsteps to subtle changes in the air. Especially that smell, the young woman realized that the people of this village had a certain smell to them, something that was hard for her to explain. Even the village itself, it smelled a certain way, a particularly unpleasant way. Although her sense of smell was never that great, it might come in handy if she could smell her opponent before she got a chance to attack, even if it gave the Kaguya just another half second to react.

On the other hand, what if they thought that _she_ had a particular smell?

Didn?t matter that much since Masuyo wasn?t the one hiding, but still, the thought made her feel a little self-conscious?


----------



## Redblood (May 31, 2014)

*Amagumo & Kabiki Ruka*
Raikage?s Office

----------​
Amagumo entered the Raikage?s office to a haze of cigar smoke. Oh, goody. Amagumo casually used his Wind Release to repel the obnoxious fumes from himself and his students as he walked further into the room.

?Hello.? a deep, familiar voice proclaimed from behind a fine mahogany desk, ?Can I help you?? it asked.

?Cigars? Some things never change, eh D?? Amagumo replied with a smirk to the figure in the shadows. 

Kabiki Ruka was very nearly bouncing with anticipation as to why the Raikage had summoned them all here, what he looked like and why he and Amagumo-sensei were on a first name basis. It was all so exciting! What was gonna happen next? Was Ruka getting a puppy? She hoped so. Puppies are the BEST.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (May 31, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure V*

*Ren Houki*

Once again, the turns rotated around the group until it came back onto Ren. He'd noticed Hirari's little taunt earlier, but decidedly ignored it, concluding that it wasn't worth his time. The book was more interesting, anyway. Fightin' Brawly gave Minako a hearty chuckle as she deflated into the truck bench, and then looked at Ren. "It is now your turn, *REN-KUN*. What will *YOU* bring to the moon?" He asked.

Ren put his book down on his lap. It was times like these which made him cherish the year he spent as a lone genin, without a team. At least back then, he could afford to find a nice quiet place to read. "I'm going to the moon," he stated, "and I am bringing another house."

And without waiting for his sensei to reply, he went back to his book.


----------



## Island (May 31, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
“You…” Brawly looked Ren dead in the eye, pausing dramatically for a second, “You may *NOT* bring a house to the moon, Ren-kun!”

Ren must have realized that there was no connection between the items themselves, and thus, must have been trying to mimic the way we said it. After all, why would I be able to bring a house but he couldn’t? What did I do differently than he did, if anything? At the very least, it was an interesting puzzle. It made you think outside the proverbial box.

“Now then,” he announced, “I am going to the moon, and I am bring a… *FOUNTAIN*.”

“…Of *YOUTH*!” He made reference to one of his favorite shinobi, a legendary Taijutsu Master from the days of Fourth Shinobi World War.

“*HIRARI-CHAN*,” he turned back to me, “What are *YOU* bringing to the moon?”

I shrugged, “I’m going to the moon, and I’m bringing a horse.”

“Perceptive, as *ALWAYS*!” Brawly announced, “You *MAY* bring a horse to the moon.”

He turned his attention back at the group, stating, “If either of you can figure out the trick by the end of this round, then I will share with you a *SPECIAL* ninja tool I brought with me just for this mission!”

“This will be the _FINAL ROUND_,” Brawly announced, probably deciding that the game had gone on long enough, “So, *MINAKO-CHAN*, what are *YOU* bringing to the moon?”


----------



## Redblood (May 31, 2014)

*CHI*
Konoha Embassies

----------
​*“YOU – GOD – DAMN – CUNT – BUNGLING – SHIT – SUCKING –SON – OF- A – BITCH!!! I – WILL – FUCKING – BREAK – EVERY – BONE – IN  - YOUR – SHIT – SACK – OF – A – BODY – AND  - FEED – YOU – YOUR – OWN – DICK –  Y—”  *Chi shrieked between every blow to her downed student’s body, only stopped by a slight tugging sensation on her robes. Chi glanced behind and saw chakra strings had latched onto her, and then latched onto Rush. Kouji.

That *friend.*

In a moment of weakness, Chi was jerked from Funzaki’s side  and launched right at the puppet-wielding bitch. Chi tugged on the strings controlling Renga, but the beast moved too slowly, and Kouji managed to land a blow right on his sensei’s face. Chi flew backwards, tumbling to the ground and falling flat on her ass. All Renga could do was help her up. Chi’s cloak had been blown forward by the hit, her cowl covering her face. Funzaki clenched his teeth, afraid of what dark thoughts laid behind the shadows. Slowly, Chi pulled her hood back, revealing  a slightly bruised cheek and an oddly genuine smile. Chi even began to laugh.

“Now THAT’S what I like to see! Students who take advantage of their enemies weakness, and hit when they’re most vulnerable! You are all DEFINITELY students of mine.” Chi laughed, turning to the Sunagakure Embassy they’d been outside of this whole time.

“Now, go on, all of you. Get some rest.” she declared, as she dispelled Renga and walked inside the building herself.


----------



## Fedster (May 31, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


Sparks appeared suddenly in Minako's eyes at the mention of a _special_ ninja tool prize to the person who could figure out the puzzle. Obviously, Hirari had already solved it: Like, one could see that miles away. And Ren just could not care less. That meant that it was all of nothing. Go big or go home. The prize would be either Hirari's or Minako's, or Brawly's, should he decided to make an unexpected, last-minute plot twist. He kind of seemed like the kind of person who would do that.

But it was not time for that. Minako needed to solve this, or else she would get mad at herself when she was told the answer. Now, A fountain could be related to with all the objects above, and also a horse. Then, was she right to think Brawly was talking about a theme park? No. Wait...

WAIT...

OH. MY. GOD!

"This is it!!" Minako suddenly exclaimed, sitting properly on the bench. "I'm going to the moon...and I'm bringing...a mango!!"

Brawly-sensei stared at her, as though analyzing her answer, letting the suspense to build up up to a certain point. That was when he said: "*OH*, Minako-chan, you are just...*CORRECT*!"

A gasp left the girl's mouth, and her fist rocketed to the truck's ceiling, happiness overflowing her body.


----------



## Shika (May 31, 2014)

Kimiko

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​
Kimiko stared , paralyzed and slack jawed, clutching her camera.

Funzaki attacked Chi. Let's go, help him Kimiko! Funzaki got beaten down. Time to move and make memories! Kouji protected Funzaki. Damn it Kimiko, think, move, attack! Why didn't you help anyone?! Get it together girl, you are supposed to be a part of this team, but you are as useless as a broken puppet! You let yourself be an extra while Kouji hogged the spotlight!

She couldn't hear the sound of the battle, hear what Chi was yelling at them while wailing on Funzaki, and even her thoughts were completely scatterd because, frankly, she was afraid. You spent so much time training, so much time imagining what it would be to fight sensei just to stand completely still! You have missed another opportunity to prove yourself!

?Now THAT?S what I like to see! Students who take advantage of their enemies weakness, and hit when they?re most vulnerable! You are all DEFINITELY students of mine.?

Of course she'd be laughing, she laughing at you! As she kept chastising herself, her face kept turning red, and by the end of her inner dramatic monologue, there was almost no way to stop the tears. Except for the fact that she'd be mocked from this day until the end of time by Kouji, Chi, and their goddamn puppets.

But there was a bright side to all of this! She had taken plenty of pictures of the fight while she stared being completely useless.

Yes, let's see all of this excell- NO WAY I FORGOT TO TAKE OF THE LENS PROTECTOR!


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jun 1, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure VI*

*Ren Houki*

Once again, the turn fell upon Ren, who looked up from his book. According to Fightin' Brawly, this was the last turn of the game and a ninja tool would be offered to the winner. He wasn't sure how that would work because, to his knowledge, there was only one weapon Brawly brought and two people had already got it right. Even so, Ren concluded, he might as well think about it now that it was the last turn of the game.

_"Fightin' Brawly picked a fiddle and a ferris wheel. Hirari picked a house and a horse, while Minako chose a mango. I've attempted to pick a house twice, but neither attempts were correct. The first time, I thought I was wrong because I didn't say the moon thing, so I just said it again the second time to test waters. If Hirari could take one, why can't I? That means that they're not just taking a specific object or type. None of them are even related. What's the common link, then?"_

A spark suddenly lit up inside his head. The answer to the puzzle was actually dirt simple. Brawly's first name was Fightin, which began with an F. He picked objects which only began with the letter F. Hirari's name began with a H, which meant that she could take a house or horse because they also began with H. Minako, meanwhile, picked mango, which shared the letter M with her name. 

Ren closed his book. "I'm going to the moon and I'm taking a rocket." He stated.


----------



## Island (Jun 1, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
*“WONDERFUL!”* Brawly exclaimed. “You are absolutely *CORRECT*. You *MAY* bring a rocket to the moon, Ren-kun!”

Thus, everyone had finally figured out the trick. Brawly brought a ferris wheel, a fiddle, and a fountain. I brought a house and a horse, Minako brought a mango, and Ren brought a rocket. The trick was surprisingly simple. There was something unique about all of us that meant that there were certain things we could bring and others we couldn't. That something was our first initial.

He gave a toothy smile, glowing with energy, radiating, even, probably excited that all three of his students could solve this puzzle.

But then the smile faded and suddenly turned serious. “You have all figured out the puzzle already, so allow me to get straight to the point. A shinobi should always be mindful of alternative explanations, always think outside the box and be wary of accepting an answer based on the limited data he or she might have. In other words, it is unwise to jump to conclusions, and doing so in the thick of battle could be catastrophic. In this game, the solution only became apparent after several turns had past and half of the group already knew the answer. Meaning, you only figured out the answer when you had more information. In the field, this is not always the case. You may not always have the opportunity to gather more data. Usually, you are usually limited in what little you have available.”

“Thus,” Brawly went on, “A good shinobi carefully considers all of his or her options, every alternative explanation and every possible solution before making a final decision. Again, one wrong move could be catastrophic. People could be injured, lives could be lost. Your mission could end in failure because of one simple miscalculation.”

“That…” He concluded. “Is the nugget of wisdom I wish to bestow upon you.”

Then, his expression changed, as if he realized that he was forgetting something but couldn’t quite remember what it was. He sat there, contemplatively for a few seconds, as if trying to remember what it was. Then, it must have clicked because his face lit up as he mouthed what looked like _“Aha!”_ to himself.

He kneeled down and reached into a burlap sack that sat at his feet, rummaging through it.

“Don’t think for a *SECOND* that Brawly-sensei forgot…” He paused, probably for dramatic effect, “The *SPECIAL* ninja tool I promised!”

Finally, he came back up, holding… something in his hand. Whatever it was, he had three of them, and he tossed them to the three of us.

Naturally, I caught whatever it was, some strange rectangular thing and brought it up to shoulder level for closer examination. It was contained in a plastic wrapper with a crudely hand-written label that read: _“Brawly’s Homemade Nutrition Bars.”_

…

_That_ was his special ninja tool?

“It’s *ALWAYS* important to be at 110%!” Brawly said.


----------



## Kyuuzen (Jun 1, 2014)

- Hagane || Rengoku -​
Rengoku stood shyly as he watched the two girls do battle.  They were much better than he was.  He wasn't very strong, and always seemed to hesitate when he could claim a victory.  He clenched his fists a bit at that thought, steeling himself.  He wasn't here to impress his father.  He was here to do justice to his Uncle's memory.  As long as he was the best shinobi he could be, he would never need to surpass his father.  His smile returned at that thought, just in time for Hozuki Ran to approach him.

"Rengoku-kun?"  Rengoku's stance straightened up and he bowed in respect to her as she stood before him.  "H-hai!  It's nice to meet you, Ran-sensei."  He rose from his bow, trying to remember to not trip all over his words.  "I'm Hagane Rengoku, r-reporting for duty, ma'am!"  His uncle was probably grimacing at him.  He was so rigid and proper, but it didn't match up with his personality, so it just looked like he was trying to hard.  He kicked himself mentally as he kept his gaze focused on his sensei.​


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 1, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure VII*

*Ren Houki*

He gave a sigh, catching the nutrition bar in the air as it flew towards him. Ren wasn't sure what he was expecting, though something like a nutrition bar, in hindsight, didn't particularly seem all that out of place for Fightin' Brawly. Giving a glance at the packaging, Ren slid it into his briefcase without a second thought and went back to reading his book.


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## Shika (Jun 1, 2014)

Kimiko​
--------------------------------------​
The Suna embassy was somber like anything out of Suna would be, a complete opposite to Kimiko demeanor. Any other day she'd be telling anyone who would bother to listen how 'it was too dark' or 'the portraits are all wrong!'; today, the only one listening to her criticism would be herself. 

If she talked, or thought about anything other than practice.

There was no time to talk about the typical Suna aesthetics or to looking for the best spot for a truly great snap. Today was the day Kimiko resumed her practice schedule! And by resume, I mean start.

While she was following Kouji, she slipped away to the stairwell. Are you sure you want to start training today? I mean, you should take day off, you're too shaken to do anything worthwhile. She took a deep breath. Yes, otherwise, I'll never get to training any time soon.

As she set foot onto the messy roof, she looked up to sky. Great, it's sunny! She quickly glanced around, hoping to find some props she could use. There were a couple of scattered barrels and a big stack of boxes; I can't use those boxes, I'd just send them flying too easily. She pushed the barrels into random places across the entirety of the roof, anxious to start.

She grabs a few shuriken, turns to one of the barrels and puts her hands together, closing her eyes. Ok, here goes nothing... Fūton: Reppūshō!


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## Fedster (Jun 1, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


Minako had done it! She had decyphered Brawly-sensei's game and therefore could stand tall and proud with the rest of her teammates. There was no word that could describe how happy she was, well, maybe there was, but it would have to be a pretty strong word, like, hapcited or excippy. It was along those lines, but it was yet to be discovered.

Brawly-sensei snatched something from his sack and threw at his students. It was a small, rectangular object. Was it a penknife? A special kunai? A _penkunai_? Oh, that one sounded so cool. This, however, was no such thing. It was wrapped, and it had written _"Brawly's Homemade Nutrition Bars."_ A nutrition bar. All of her efforts worthed a nutrition bar. Minako looked up at Brawly, face impassible for a moment. And then she opened her mouth.

"This is awesome, Brawly-sensei!" She beamed, with an ear-to-ear smile and her chin resting on her open palm. She was often hungry mid-journey, so a nutrition bar was almost a gift from Heavens. "I'll give my 110%, alright. You haven't seen anything yet!"

A lesson and a bar. This was proving to be one of the best missions Minako had ever taken.


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## Santí (Jun 1, 2014)

*Katsurou*
Kumogakure Hokage Residence ​
This is more awkward than it was supposed to be, and Katsurou had anticipated it being fairly awkward. The room was filled with Cigar smoke, which was being whirled and repelled around by Amagumo. ?Can I help you?? a bass'd voice said from behind the mahogany desk. Can he not see us through the smoke? After all, it was him who summoned us here, correct? Katsurou focused his vision on the Raikage's silhouette, he could now see it perfectly; or at the very least, the Raikage's massive boot rested up on the desk. Surprisingly enough, you could hardly see his massive figure behind it.

?Cigars? Some things never change, eh D?? Amagumo replied with a smile on his face. Acquaintances? Amagumo appears seasoned enough, and looks like the type who gets around. "We arrived on your call, Raikage-sama." Katsuro declared to the boot. "We came as quickly as we could".


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## Island (Jun 1, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
“I’m glad you like it, Minako-chan!” Brawly stated. “You certainly earned it! You all did!”

He suddenly shifted his attention back to the rest of the group, announcing, “Now then, it’s time for a *ROUSING* game of *I SPY*. Whoever can correctly guess what I am thinking of will…”

“Umm…” Brawly probably realized that he didn’t have anything else to reward us with.

“Well, *ANYWAY*,” He went on, “I spy with my little eye, something that starts with the letter *H*!”

I sighed deeply to myself, realizing that there was only one thing that was visible to the three of us that he could possibly be referring to. Again, I didn’t _dislike_ these games, at least not to the extent that Ren seemed to. It was just that I thought that they were a little silly and that there were much better ways for Brawly to get across whatever point it was that he was trying to make. On the other hand, at least he wasn’t lecturing us like some kind of school teacher or beating the lessons into us like some instructors….

Nevertheless, it was going to be a long trip to Otogakure.

---​
A few hours and several games later, the truck began to slow, decelerating until it came to a complete stop. We met at the Hokage’s Office around 8 AM and left Konoha about a half hour later. If I was as good of keeping track of time as I thought I was, then it was probably sometime in the early afternoon, 3 PM, at latest. Factoring the handful of bathroom breaks we made along the way, as well as that slight “mishap” with the pothole that our ever-so-competent driver didn’t see, we had to be somewhere close to the border.

Brawly made his way out of the vehicle, beckoning us to follow.

“Welcome, one and all, to one of Konoha’s most famous landmarks, second only to the Hokage Momument…” Brawly announced.

If my math was correct, then we must have been at…

“*THE VALLEY OF THE END*!” Brawly exclaimed.












​
I stepped out of the back of the vehicle and onto a dusty old road that overlooked this historic site. Two gigantic statues stood facing one another. One was the legendary Senju Hashirama, the First Hokage, and the other was the infamous Madara Uchiha. Between them flowed a gigantic waterfall into a deep valley formed over a hundred and fifty years ago during their colossal struggle. A mesmerizing site, to say the least, even for somebody like me who didn’t really get out much and, more importantly, didn’t really care to.

“For *FIVE POINTS*,” Brawly turned and pointed over to the statues, “Somebody share with the team the legend surrounding the Valley of the End.”

What the hell were points? Since when did we…

Whatever.

“Shortly after the foundation of Konoha,” I explained, “The head of the Senju Clan, Senju Hashirama became the First Hokage, much to the dismay of his former partner and fallen head of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Madara. The latter sought to use the power of the legendary Nine-Tailed Fox to destroy Konoha, and thus, an epic battle broke out at this very spot. Senju Hashirama emerged victorious and Madara faked his own death and lurked in the shadows until he one day returned and instigated the Fourth Shinobi World War sixty years later.”

“The valley itself,” I went on, “Is said to have been carved out during this battle like some kind of scar on the land, a reminder of where we came from  and a lesson of what could have been had the brave Senju Hashirama not been there to stop Uchiha Madara…”

“Very good, Hirari-chan!” Brawly praised. “As *EXPECTED* of my pupil.”

“Now then, let’s take a break and do some training, *SHALL WE*?” He changed the subject, probably done with the history lesson. Most likely, he was eager to get some practice in after such a long ride. Granted, he could have gotten out and gone for a jog, but maybe he wanted to save his energy for whatever he had in store for us here…

Without another word, Brawly began backstepping, moonwalking over to the edge of what looked like a steep cliff that led down to the river at the base of the waterfall. In addition to the legend of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, it was also said that Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke, best friends and partners in the Fourth Shinobi World War, fought down there when the latter fell under the influence of Orochimaru, one of the three legendary Sannin and another one of Konoha’s most notorious villains.

Finally, Brawly stopped, his heels over the edge of the cliff and his toes the only thing keeping him upright, stabilizing him and preventing him from falling off. With a toothy smile and a hearty bellow, he brought his arms up horizontal with his chest and leaned back...

Falling backwards and off the cliff into the valley below!

*“YAAAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”* He could be heard descending through the air and down into whatever was below.

Did he…

Want us to follow?

I glanced over to Ren and Minako before approaching the edge and peering over.

*SPLAAAAAAAAAAAASH!*

Brawly finally hit the bottom, diving into river that flowed through the valley.


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 1, 2014)

*Kouji, Ran & Yui Hōzuki*

Konoha Embassies and Kirigakure Training Grounds #34​
Kouji let out a silent breath of relief as his last ditch effort worked, smiling faintly as the training session concluded, and then walking over to Kimiko, resting a hand on her shoulder as the other two began to head inside. "Hey, I noticed you were uh...kinda pussyfooting out there today, but fuck that shit. You wanna train soon, so you can get back to how you usually are? I mean, it's fine if you don't want to, but I didn't want to be a little bitch and not offer." And then Kouji didn't give her a chance to reply, and simply headed inside to rest. 

-----------------------------

Ran raised an eyebrow and smirked faintly at the fire user's antics, waving a hand dismissively. "Relax, Rengoku-kun. Just watch how your teammates fight. Or listen, rather. You might end up sparring with them later." She turns her gaze back to the fight, though of course she couldn't see through hidden mist...right? "Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself in the meantime. If you're going to be my student, anyway."

Below, Yui called to her opponent, as Masuyo would hear the sound of a sharp stomp onto the ground. "You know, standing still isn't the way to go when you fight an opponent using the Hidden Mist jutsu. I'll give you this information for free. We rely on sound. So moving and confusing our sense of hearing helps. And relying on your hearing, won't work," she calls, her voice coming from different directions as she kept darting around.  There was also the sound of water beginning to flow outward, splashing steps in the puddle, and finally the water reached Masuyo's feet as she stood stationary. And suddenly, from the water below, Yui leapt surged up, cutting forward with her blade. 

"Relying on your hearing is ill advised. Silent killers don't make a sound."


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## Island (Jun 1, 2014)

*Big D, the Raikage*
The Raikage's Office

---​
The Raikage took a breath of fresh air as Amagumo blew away the smoke that was polluting the atmosphere of his office.

?Ah! Look who it is!? He greeted, as if he was surprised at who was suddenly at his door.

?Twenty minutes early!? The Raikage glanced up at the clock just above his office door. ?You certainly didn?t waste any time getting here. To be expected, I suppose??

The Raikage got straight to the point. ?My understanding is that you have a new team, Mr. Cloud, and I know how you like to run your teams. A mission came by my desk the other day that might pique your interest. Nothing too intense. One of our research outposts is reporting some strange activity, probably some angry wildlife, maybe some bandits, and has asked that somebody investigate the issue. Again, we have no reason to believe that there?s anything actually wrong, but I know how you like to work your teams. C-Rank, nothing too hard, but should nevertheless give your team a taste of what being real shinobi is like??

He removed the cigar from his mouth and brought it down to an ashtray on the far side of his desk, deciding to put it out for the time being. Then, he reached over for a manila envelope which presumably contained the contents of the mission, or at the very least, some other documents that would be of interest to Team Amagumo. Bringing it up to about shoulder level, he casually tossed the envelope over to his former sensei.

?I also heard that one of your prospective students failed your entrance exam,? he went on, ?So I took the liberty of assigning another to your team. In addition to the mission specs, his dossier should be in the envelope I just gave you??

?Ah!? The Raikage seemed pleasantly surprised about something. ?Here he is right now.?

His attention turned to somebody entering the room from behind Team Amagumo.


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## Island (Jun 1, 2014)

*Kaguya Masuyo*
Kirigakure










​
?Hearing??? Masuyo questioned. ?No??

The Silent Killing Technique, another timeless classic, it was one of the oldest fighting styles in the Land of Water. Although Masuyo was far from being an assassin, she was at least familiar with how the technique worked. An assassin would sneak through the mist, usually something of his or her own creation, and take out an opponent before they could even react. Kirigakure no Jutsu, the Hiding in the Mist Technique, deprived one of their sight, and a master of the Silent Killing Technique could then deprive them of their hearing. Masuyo was actually surprised at how adept Yui was at this technique, but still, she didn?t see it as an issue.

*?YOU SMELL!?* Masuyo shouted as her opponent surged up from a puddle at her feet.

Though Masuyo didn?t have much room to talk, often smelling of some combination of burning wood and fresh blood, she _did_ notice that the people of this era had a strange smell about them. Maybe it was the food they ate or maybe this strange urban lifestyle they enjoyed. Regardless, they had a stench to them that Masuyo picked up on as soon as she arrived in Kirigakure and couldn?t quite shake. At first, she hoped that she might get used to it, but now?

Now she didn't mind so much.

Her opponent brought her sword up, but her sword would be unable to pierce the hardened bone that protected her chest. What?s more, Masuyo produced several sharp horns out of her ribs, protruding them outward and impaling her opponent who would now be in range of such an attack.

Typically, when one would get so close, usually less than a foot away, Masuyo would expel her ribs from inside of her chest and bear hug her opponent, impaling them much like an iron maiden. Alternatively, she would simply leap at her opponent and then ?hug? him or her, again, like an iron maiden shutting on whoever was unfortunate enough to be locked inside. The possibilities were endless. As long as somebody was foolish enough to get close, of course, which, unfortunately for Yui, she was?


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## Kyuuzen (Jun 2, 2014)

- Hagane || Rengoku -​
"Relax, Rengoku-kun. Just watch how your teammates fight. Or listen, rather. You might end up sparring with them later."

Rengoku nodded at his teachers words.  "R-right.  Gomenasai, Ran-sensei.  I'm from the Hagane clan, and we use Katon ninjutsu.  I spend my free time volunteering and I like to tinker and build stuff."

He hoped this would be enough of an introduction, and was going to go on, but remembered what Ran-sensei said.  He might have to spar those two?  He gulped hard and shut his eyes.  His eyebrows knitted together as he focused hard on trying to separate the sounds around him.  He needed to get rid of useless noise, wind through leaves, animal chatter, and focus on the important sounds.  His eyesight wouldn't penetrate the thick cloud of mist, so he had to rely on his ears more than he ever had.  He was beginning to lose hope when he heard a loud stomp from inside the cloud.  He was by no means able to pinpoint the location of the stomp, nor its distance from him.  He didn't have a Jonin's senses, and he didn't have the battle experience to instinctively know what to listen for.  So he used what he did have.

His intelligence.

Among his clan, he was the most intelligent, even including the adults and elders.  The Hagane clan didn't care much for smarts if the wielder was lacking in strength, so Rengoku's intellect wasn't held in high regard, but it was his best tool.  Sharper than any knife he owned.  _Kirigakure no Jutsu, the Hidden Mist Technique.  Seeing as it's known for its use among practitioners of the Silent Murder technique, there are two most logical options.  Either the girl who didn't cast the jutsu is trying to move around inside the mist, avoiding the other one, or the other girl is deliberately making noise.  Misdirection._

That second theory began to prove itself as he heard one of the girls' voices come out from the mist, coming from a different source every second.  There was also footsteps, a lot of them, and the sound of water splashing and dripping.  The same voice came back.  "Relying on your hearing is ill advised.  Silent killers don't make a sound."  Both sentences came from the same location.  Is the attacker preparing to finish this with the next blow...?

"*YOU SMELL!*"

Out of nowhere, a voice obviously belonging to the other girl emitted a loud shout, blocking any further sound from the cloud.  His eyes opened and his eyebrows relaxed, the corners of his mouth pulled into a frown.  That was all he could do on hearing alone.  He looked up to Ran-sensei who was looking at the cloud as if she could clearly see inside of it.  Was she able to hear what happened next?​


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## Redblood (Jun 2, 2014)

*Ruka's...INTELLIGENCE Training?!*

*Kabiki Ruka*
Raikage?s Office

----------​
Kabiki Ruka turned to face the Raikage?s office door. When no one entered for about ten seconds, Ruka?s mind began to wander, back to the training she?d done today with Amagumo-sensei?

?

?Kabiki-chan, tell me something. What?s red, white, and black all over?? Amagumo asked as Ruka walked into the training grounds. A joke? Oh boy! If there's one thing Ruka loved, it was jokes.

?Uh, I dunno sensei? What is red, white and black all over?? Ruka replied, doing some warm up stretches.

?A sunburned penguin.? Amagumo replied, which sent Kabiki Ruka into a fit of laughter.

?HA HA! A penguin! Good one sens?? Ruka laughed before noticing Amagumo had vanished, only to reappear behind Ruka and kick her right in the back, sending her flying. After picking herself out of the dirt and brushing off her new kimono, Ruka pouted.

?No fair, sensei! You didn?t tell me we were starting!? Ruka whined as her sensei scoffed.

?A ninja must be ready for ANYTHING, Kabiki-chan! At the drop of a hat, a friendly conversation could turn into a deadly ambush. You never know what could happen out there.? Amagumo declared.

?Well,? Ruka retorted, getting into a running stance, ?I know THIS is happening! Kabiki Striker!!? Ruka cried before rocketing forward, swinging punches wildly at her sensei!

?Who had already moved out of the way.

?A ninja?s mission can be fluid. You must be prepared for unforeseen problems!? Amagumo announced as he shot a burst of wind at Kabiki-chan, sending her hurtling into a tree.

?OOF! This lesson is painful, sensei.? Ruka commented as again, she stood up.

?Many often are, Kabiki-chan. Now tell me, what did one tree say to the other?? Amagumo asked, glancing at his ratty old joke book. Ruka tensed up. Something was bound to happen here. Something PAINFUL. Wait?that tree comment. Where could he be going? Ruka thought for a moment about what Amagumo had said. Be ready for anything. The mission is fluid. Be prepared for the unforeseen. All signs pointed to right where she was. The tree. Yet, Ruka decided to play along with her sensei?s game. Painful or not, it was still fun.

?I?don?t?kn??

Ruka looked to the tree branches above, and readied herself. Sure enough, a second later her sensei appeared, and Kabiki Ruka tore down the branch, knocking her sensei right on his butt.

?So sensei?what DID one tree say to the other?? Ruka inquired with a triumphant smile. There was a pause as Amagumo gave Kabiki Ruka a harsh glare, which softened after a few seconds to a smile echoing Ruka's as he spoke.

?What?s sappening?? Amagumo answered. Teacher and student looked at each other. They grinned, snickered, and finally burst into uproarious laughter that echoed throughout Kumogakure.


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## Redblood (Jun 2, 2014)

*Funzaki's Speed Training*

*Funzaki*
Konoha Embassies

----------​
Funzaki breathed a sigh of relief, his torment thankfully cut short by a well-placed punch from Kouji. Even luckier was that Chi-sensei?s reaction to that punch was one of joy, and not ball-breaking fury.

?Now THAT?S what I like to see! Students who take advantage of their enemies weakness, and hit when they?re most vulnerable! You are all DEFINITELY students of mine.? She?she thinks that was all a trick? That Funzaki PLANNED all of that?

OH THANK GOD!

This revelation made the pain seem all the more worth it, as long as it meant he got to see what was under Chi?s cloak. That memory would serve him well as he slept off his injuries. And so, Funzaki made his way inside the Suna Embassy?

?Now, where are YOU going??

? Only to be stopped by Chi-sensei. Oh NO.

?Where?s my STAR PUPIL going??

?Um?I was?going to rest?? Funzaki stuttered, worried that his agony was not yet over.

?No! We can?t have that! You tricked me! You OUTSMARTED me! You know what that gets you, right?? Chi said, rather excitedly. This CAN?T be good.

?No?? Funzaki replied with a whimper.

?A private EXTRA training session!? Chi proclaimed. Oh god why.
Not wanting to be thrown out, Funzaki followed Chi back outside the embassy, as she summoned a puppet unknown to him.

?This is Kiru. She is the fastest puppet I control. Since I?ve had you as a student, I?ve noticed that your speed is absolute SHIT. Due in no small part, I?m sure, to the stupid FUCKING hammer you insist on carrying around. So I?m gonna make you faster. One way or THE OTHER.? Chi explained, as the thin puppet extended some imposing, long blades from its wrists.

?Get RUNNING, boy.? Chi sneered as Kiru flew at Funzaki.

Funzaki burst into a run, but Kiru had already circled around him and slashed at his arms!

?COME ON! You?ll have to do better than that!? Chi roared as Funzaki changed direction, leaping at the Embassy building?s wall and jumping off of it. Funzaki hoped to smash the puppet on his return leap, but it had already moved. Behind him. A slash to his back and Funzaki was on the ground. Funzaki couldn?t take much more of this. He was already beaten and bloodied from Chi?s earlier assault, and this new training wasn?t helping. Funzaki was beginning to suspect this ?training? was actually an extended form of punishment.

?This is PATHETIC, Funzaki-kun! I?m not even going the fastest I can with Kiru!? Chi declared as Funzaki struggled to his feet. This bitch is crazy. Kiru came at Funzaki again, but this time Funzaki guarded using his Hammer. Only to get slashed in the shoulders. Kiru fell back for a moment as Funzaki stumbled backwards. Crap! Now just holding his Hammer was a pain in the ass.

Ass.

*ASS!*

The image of Chi-sensei?s underwear burned in Funzaki?s mind. He had to see it, just one more time. And so, Funzaki ran right for Chi. He didn?t even see Kiru as he ran for his sensei, nor could the puppet ever touch him as he ran right past it. Chi brought her leg up, and smashed it right on Funzaki?s skull, knocking him out. But Funzaki didn?t care. He got to see sensei?s bare leg again.

?Well now, where did THAT speed come from, Funzaki-kun??


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 2, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure VII*

*Ren Houki*

The Houki breathed a sigh of relief as he left the truck, taking in the fresh air. After about an hour of driving inside the vehicle, the smell had become prominent enough that Ren couldn't just distract himself from it by reading his book. The sensation of a mild sea breeze blowing into his face... it was a blessing that he didn't think he could ever feel again after that horrific journey. Ren walked over, taking a glance at the deep valley carved by the fight between Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. He'd seen this place from pictures and maps, but the canyon looked even deeper, even wider, from up close. 

_"Damn... what kind of crazy ninjutsu would you need to cause this much damage? They completely changed the landscape."_

That was when Fightin' Brawly approached him, noisily walking over to him from behind. Reflexively, not wanting to be pushed down by one of his 'friendly' back pats, Ren moved. The giant man gave a toothy grin, then took a backwards dive into the ocean, his white robes melting through the deluge produced by the waterfall.

Hirari turned to look at him, and then at Minako, as if questioning what they should do. Ren paused, looking back, and then down at the waterfall. "He probably wants us to come down, but..." He sure as hell wasn't going to leap down. With a flick of his finger, his clan shield appeared into the air and Ren jumped onto the surface, then hovered down on it like a lift.


----------



## Shika (Jun 2, 2014)

*NINJUTSU TRAINING*

Kimiko
-----------------------------------​
The shuriken hit the barrels, producing a high-pitched sound, but leaving the barrels otherwise unscathed. "Damn, I couldn't even dent the barrels! ... AGAIN! Fūton: Reppūshō" This time, they moved a litlle bit, a miserable couple of millimeters. "AGAIN!" More of the same. And so she used the jutsu, over and over again, in a useless attempt to master her jutsu. Master it, or just plain using it with a reasonable degree of strength.

But the thing simply did not move! 

So she simply lied down on the floor, fairly exhausted from the frantic repetition. "Whyyy don't they move?!" She got up and Shunshin'ed right to on of the barrels. "Someone tampered with you to sabotage my training! Yes, that must be it!" The barrels were empty, completely empty. "How in the world can this be? I am good at ninjutsu damn it!" She threw one of the shuriken that she had in her hand.

It made the same sound.

So she hit it one more time. "No way!"

A few jumps later, she was away from the barrel; she clapped, gathering chakra in her hands. "Fūton: Reppūshō"

The flight of the shuriken-incrusted-barrel surprised her. "Right, I forgot the chakra!" Holy shit Kimiko, you just threw a metal barrel into the middle of Konoha. "Sorryyyyy!!!"


----------



## Redblood (Jun 2, 2014)

*Kabiki Ruka*
Raikage’s Office

----------​
It had now been a full thirty seconds since the Raikage announced someone else was joining Team Amagumo, and Kabiki Ruka’s mind was beginning to wander again, back to the training earlier in the day…

…

After catching their breath from their earlier exercise, Amagumo and Kabiki Ruka faced each other again.

“That was fun, sensei! Can we train some more?” Ruka asked, stars in her eyes.

“Of course, Kabiki-chan, that’s what we’re here to do!” Amagumo replied, wondering if this girl was a glutton for punishment, or just a colossal fool.

*“YAHOOOO!!”* Ruka exclaimed. Ah. Clearly it was the latter.

“So, uh, what was that move you did before? Kabiki…something?” Amagumo inquired, rubbing his chin in thought.

“Ooh! My Kabiki Striker! I LOVE that move! It’s so cool!” Ruka chirped.

“Yeeeeeeeah, that move’s not really good in an open field like this. You need to pin your enemy down if you’re gonna really do some damage here. Plus, I think all of those punches had chakra in them, right?” Amagumo explained.

“Yup! I love those! They smash stuff GOOD!” Ruka proclaimed with a smile.

“Maybe so, but you’ll never smash anything living with any ounce of common sense with a move like that. Here…” Amagumo retorted, walking away from his student, “… try and hit me.” he said.

“Okay sensei! Hey, that rhymes!” Ruka cried, rushing at her sensei with a fist full of chakra. She swung right at her sensei, but he would always dodge. This happened for a good several dozen more attacks, and by the end of it all, Ruka was exhausted, and Amagumo was bored.

“Your chakra’s nearly gone by now, isn’t it? Kabiki-chan, what have I taught you?” the cloud sensei asked as he leafed through his joke book. Angry, Ruka tossed a kunai at her sensei, only for him to effortlessly dodge it.

“Oh, come now, Kabiki-chan, what did you expect that to…” Amagumo began, only to notice his student was nowhere in sight.

“Be ready for anything!” Ruka cried, hitting Amagumo with a brutal drop kick that actually stuck his feet into the ground. Landing on the ground, Kabiki Ruka pummeled her sensei’s body with a flurry of light, extremely fast jabs.

“A ninja's mission can be fluid!” she exclaimed, pulling her leg back and focusing a considerable amount of chakra into it.

“And…” Ruka began, *“BE PREPARED FOR UNFORESEEN PROBLEMS!!”* Ruka screamed, before hitting Amagumo with the full force of her chakra-filled kick. The hit wrenched Amagumo from the ground and sent him flying backwards into a tree, splintering it. Ruka’s momentary pride soon dissolved into horrified concern for her sensei as she rushed over to him.

“Oh my gosh sensei, I’m really sorry! I guess I don’t know my own strength! You’re not mad at me are you?” Kabiki Ruka exclaimed with the utmost sincerity.

“No, that was good, Kabiki-chan…” Amagumo replied with a cough, “… What do you call that one?” he asked.

“The Kabiki Barrage!” Ruka proudly announced.

“Right. Remind me not to get hit with that again.” Amagumo groaned as he got to his feet.

“Hey sensei, why did the fish have a bad report card?” Ruka asked.

“I don’t know, why?” Amagumo responded.

“Because all of his grades were under ‘C!’” Ruka smiled, and Amagumo laughed. Fool or not, he liked Ruka.


----------



## Fedster (Jun 2, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


It was beautiful. Minako had never seen the Valley of the End personally, though descriptions and photographs paled in comparison to the real thing. She let out a gasp to express his amazement. It was almost impossible to believe that the landscape was molded by ninjutsu, by actual people. In fact, the two men depicted in the statues at each side of the waterfall were responsible for the creation of this place.

But first, Brawly decided to go for a swim.

He went first, majestically jumping from a cliff, his back to the void, his grin as toothy as it could possibly be. It was a sight comparable to the very Valley they were at. So much so, Minako decided to do something similar. After Ren summoned his shield thingy and started his descend, Minako looked at Hirari and said: "I'll see you at the bottom~!"

Without hesitation, she sprinted towards the edge.

And jumped, stretching her arms as much as possible, as though she was a bird that was about to soar into the skies.

But everything changed when gravity took action.












"UUUUUUUUUUNIIIIIIIVEEEEEEEEEERSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" She cried as she fell, rapidly passing Ren, and heading towards the water.

It would have been a nice and perfect fall, should he have entered the water in the correct position. But no. Minako entered sideways into the water, and she sunk, and sunk, and sunk. And emerged!

"..._OUCH_" Was the first thing that came out of her mouth after that fall.


----------



## Island (Jun 2, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
“Yeah, uh, how about no?” I thought aloud.

But then I realized that it was either stay up here with the research team or go down there and do whatever it was that Brawly wanted us to do. Between the two of them, the former seemed incredibly boring. Not that I had anything against non-shinobi or anything, but these guys seemed like a bunch of eggheads, a group of nerds with their big words and fancy computers, oh, and their beaten up old truck. Again, not that I had anything against them but given the choice between sitting with those weirdoes and training with the team, I really only had one option.

I sighed deeply to myself.

Unlike Ren, I didn’t have some shield… thing that would just like me float down the mountain, and unlike Minako, I wasn’t crazy enough to jump feet first off a cliff. 

Fortunately, I wasn’t as incompetent as some genin and at least knew how to walk on vertical surfaces. Thus, I took a leap off the cliff and quickly attached my feet to the side. With a fixed amount of chakra at the bottom of my feet, I began walking down. Of course, not wanting to be the last to the bottom, in case Brawly had something to say about it, I picked up the pace and broke into a shallow run.

Finally, when all three of us reached the bottom, Brawly gave us some direction.

“The research team wanted to stop and eat lunch sometime before we reached the Land of Rice Fields, so I asked them if we could stop here…” He explained. “While they eat, we’ll be doing some training. Nothing too intense. Just a friendly *SPAR* between the three of you, y’know, to stretch those *MUSCLES*.”

I stared blankly at him for a second.

Did he… really want us to fight each other?


----------



## Vash TS (Jun 2, 2014)

*Let the Quarter Finals begin!​*
Doron walked over to the little tent that was set up for treating the wounded, blood still streaming from his hand and dripping on the ground. He had grabbed Renzou's kunai to stop him brother from killing him. His wound was just a scratch compared to what he saw the medics treating. Some of what he saw was his own handy work, he wasn't proud of what he had done but it was clear they were out to kill him while all he wanted to do was win. His goal and their goal didn't match up, he had never realized he was so hated, he thought about it for a few seconds then he shook the thought out of his head. He didn't need those kinds of distractions

"I can't sit back and wait this time I'm going on the offensive" he said softly to himself  
"Here give me your hand" a soft soothing voice said

He turned to see a kunoichi with grey stony eyes and short black hair in a typical one sleeved Iwn Jonin uniform. She wasn't from the Nio clan that much was obvious from the first look, other than her dress and her eyes her frame was much too small. He stood staring at her for a few seconds. She was very beautiful, even if petite girls weren't really his cup of tea.

"Do you want me to heal you or not, there are a lot of people that need my help more than you right now" she said her voice becoming irritated
"Do what ever you want lady." Doron said his anger flaring up again
"LADY?!!? How old do you think I am?"
"Does it matter? You're not a guy, so you're a lady" Doron said turning away from her

He didn't need all this talk, he would bandage his hand and carry on with the tournament, she suddenly grabbed his hand. His first reaction was to snatch it back but he couldn't, he turned to see her firmly grabbing his wrist and making a few seals with her free hand. It started to glow and she placed it over the deep wound on his palm. All he felt was a warm soothing sensation wash over his palm.

"I can see that little brain of yours working overtime trying to figure out why I'm so strong for such a small person" 

Doron didn't say anything he just looked at her, he was a little surprised but he didn't really care.

"Sometimes I have to treat patients who don't particularly want to be treated" she said with a mischievous smile

Doron simply nodded, this woman was intriguing to say the least. What was a regular Iwa medinin doing here. She seemed to be the only person not of Nio decent at the tournament. She was done pretty quickly and Doron looked at his hand as she wiped off the blood. No cut, no scar, no nothing was left where he was stabbed. He had heard about this kind of quick treatment but he had never had a reason to have it done to him.

"Thanks" he said shifting his glance to her face their eyes meeting
"You have to win, I don't help losers." she said turning and walking away

He looked at his hand and back at her as she walked away, she stopped and turned to him

"Your brother is worried about how you will fight one on one. Should you fight anyone of his team and there is a big chance you will, they might try to draw out the fight as much as possible to see what you do. Seems other than using Konohagakure taijutsu no one knows how you fight" she said with that same mischievous smile 

She turned and walked away but she didn't go back to the tent where the casualties were being treated to Doron's surprise. She walked over to the bleachers and sat there separate and alone from the rest of the spectators who were all Nio clan members. His mind went off on a few tangents but again he pushed all the stray thoughts out of his head. He did use some techniques that he had seen during his gennin examinations. Konoha has been the host and he saw quite a lot of their techniques during the exam. He was never able to perfectly reproduce them but through enough practice he was able to do something similar. That was enough for him they worked well enough.  

*"OK ladies and gentlemen the brackets have been decided"* said the man over the speakers

There was a large screen that was replaying little snippets of the Battle Royale. It mostly showed Renzou and his group ruthlessly dispatching the other contestants with their team work, there was a small clip of him plowing through the group the threw the smoke bombs into. He turned to see Renzou talking to his team was the most animated as usual, Doron was sure they were coming up with a plan to win the whole thing or for Renzou to win the whole thing at least. He would never allow that to happen once he drew breath.

*"We are about to show the brackets please direct your attention to the big screen"*

Doron looked up at the screen and to his dismay Renzou was on the other side of the bracket he cursed and slammed his fist into his hand. It seemed he would have to fight Renzou's team members all the way to the finals though. That in itself was annoying but thanks the the medinin he knew what approach he would take. 

*"First up we have Renzou and Lei"* the announcer said over the loud speaker

Doron stood and watched as Lei who was one of Renzou's team mates bowed to him in the ring and forfeited the match. He spat on the ground his knuckles turning bone white as he clenched his fists. There were a few boos but they weren't doing anything illegal, Renzou was the strongest of them all which was why he was their leader but this was folly. At this rate Renzou would be fresh for the finals.

*"That first match definitely had a surprise ending. Next up we have Zina and Mitsuko"*

The pair of girls made their way to the ring, one of them was Renzou's team mate and the other was one of the few like Doron who made it through the Battle Royale without any team mates. This match went by quickly too. Zina charged Mitsuko who threw something that looked like a smoke bomb to the ground and jumped backward. It exploded throwing purple smoke right in front of Zina,  she rushed strait through it drawing a kunai. She collapsed just before she got to Mitsuko her momentum carrying her sliding on the dusty ground. It was obviously sleeping gas, Doron would have to be careful of that. He already knew what would happen when Renzou and Mitsuko were matched up he got so mad he started to shake. Doron already decided he would take it out on his opponent.

*"Next up we have Doron vs Touya, these matches are definitely flying much faster than I expected"* the announcer said over the loud speaker

Doron walked into the ring and swung his hand around and stretched his muscles. 

"I will destroy you!" he said as he assumed his fighting stance.


----------



## Shika (Jun 2, 2014)

*FINAL NINJUTSU TRAINING*

Kimiko
----------------------------------​
Great, I can use jutsus again! she proclaimed excitedly, hopping around to set up the roof-training-facility; first, picking up the remaining barrels and boxes, then setting the up in a lot of formations, scattering them all over the place.

*PRACTICE OBJECTIVE
Move the barrels from a distance, without touching the boxes.*​
"Let's do this."

She stands in the middle of the roof, readying her jutsu; she shoots one at the formation closest to her, knocking everything far far away. Paying no attention to her first failure, she moved to the next formation, attempting to combo both of her techniques, this time with some more success, knocking the barrels of the roof, and moving the boxes without having them follow the barrels.

Kimiko didn't have the biggst chakra pool in the universe, but she had to push herself, as doing otherwise would mean failure. Failure for herself, her team, and most of all, for her sensei. Because if Chi found out she wimped out on practice, she'd have to practice more!

Great, it's working.

Every time she'd use the combo, it would be more accurate, moving the boxes less and making the barrels appear to be birds, soaring across the skies of Konoha.

The last formation looked the prettiest, as the combo staked the boxes all on top of each other, making a neat tower, with no sign of the 'enemies' whatsoever.

*PRACTICE BALANCE 
10/10 barrels sent back to Sunagakure.
6/20 boxes hurt.*​
I did it!


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## Redblood (Jun 2, 2014)

*CHI*
Sunagakure Embassy

----------​
Chi laid the unconscious Funzaki in his bed. She’d healed his injuries from the sparring, but it was still best for him to get some rest, at least for a little while. Chi pulled the covers over her student, and patted him on the head.

“Get some rest, you stupid BITCH.” she whispered, exiting the room and preparing to take a rest herself, when she bumped right into a young woman she’d never seen before.

“OW! Son of a—who the HELL are you?!” Chi demanded, readying herself for a fight.

“Oh, hello miss! Is your name Chi, by any chance?” the woman asked. Upon closer inspection, Chi noticed that this woman was dressed in traditional Suna garb, with a small metal badge pinned to her chest that read: “Welcome to the Sunagakure Embassy! My name is: YUKA”

“How can I help you…Yuka?” Chi responded, still on the defensive.

“Ah, well, I’m actually here to help YOU. This came for you just before you arrived here, Ms. Chi.” Kaya replied, bowing her head and offering the Suna sensei a scroll sealed with what she instantly recognized as the seal of the Kazekage. Without wasting another second, Chi ripped the scroll from Kaya’s grasp and unfurled it. Her eyes scanned the scroll’s contents in a manner of seconds, and as soon as she was done, she closed it, looking quite upset. 

“That rat BASTARD.” Chi grumbled before clearing her throat, *“EVERYONE FROM TEAM CHI, FRONT AND CENTER, NOW!!!”* she roared at the top of her lungs, and within minutes, Kouji, Kimiko and Funzaki were before her. Funzaki was still pretty out of it, but alert enough to pay attention.

“It appears we’ve been given our first mission by TOGE, the Kazekage himself. There’s a joint archaeological dig that’s happening about a day from now in the Land of Rivers, a place on the border of here and Sunagakure. It’s a joint venture between our nations, so we’ve been tasked with guarding the expedition from any unknown hazards. Good PR BULLSHIT. It’s a C-Rank mission, more than likely elevated to that to keep us on edge, just in case. There's a truck waiting outside to take us there. If we leave now, we’ll arrive just in time. So come on, we’re moving out!” Chi declared. And with that, Chi exited the embassy, her team right behind her.

"So, sensei..." Funzaki began, "... why did you sound so upset when you told us all that?" he asked, surprisingly perceptive for a pervert.

"None of your business." Chi grumbled, looking at the last lines of the letter.

_"From the Office of The Kazekage."_

"BASTARD." Chi whispered, "He could have at least written me the letter himself..." she said as everyone piled into the truck.

*=STORY ARC I: JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF RIVERS=​*


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## Hidden Nin (Jun 3, 2014)

*Kouji, Ran & Yui Hōzuki*

Sunagakure Embassy and Kirigakure Training Grounds #34​
Kouji looked over at his sensei for a moment as they loaded up into the truck. A journey to the land of rivers would be interesting, at the very least, but he feared for their ability to synergize. Fumiko had suddenly begun to act...rather strangely, if he was being completely honest with himself, and while Funzaki was good in a fight, he seemed to get on Chi's nerves more than Kouji did, and that took time, and effort, to perfect. And of course, even though he and his sensei possessed a lot of similarities, they still had a very odd relationship when one looked at it from an outside perspective. Could they really be trusted to act as a coherent unit in concert?

Of course, Kouji displayed none of this outwardly, or that he noticed his sensei's irritation with some matter about the letter. He'd been studying under her long enough to know when she was pissed off, and how she reacted when disappointed, and this decidedly fell to the latter. But no, Kouji did not give even a hint of either of these impressions as he walked with them towards the truck, having quickly assembled his pack in order to prepare for the journey properly. Instead, he uttered....

"Well, I guess it's our first mission, *EH*. You shitheads just try to keep up with me, alright? My shoulders get tired carrying this team all the time, you know?" Then he climbed up into the front of the truck, and slammed the door behind him.

---------------------------------------------------------

Yui blinked in surprise as for the second time that day she'd been caught off guard by this girl's strange kekkai genkai; which is what she assumed it had to be, altering her body so drastically. There was little to no time to maneuver her way out as Masuyo's attack came; she hadn't expected a counterattack when she'd placed herself inside the other girl's guard._ "Guess both our little secrets are going to be laid bare," _she thought to herself as the ribs pierced her body...slipping into her watery form. Slowly the mist began to fade, and Yui lowered her blade slowly, stepping back as the mist began to fade.

Ran meanwhile glanced over at Rengoku, smiling a touch, either oblivious as to his tenseness, or just not making the effort to draw notice to it. Perhaps a bit of both. "Yui's twin brother helped with the plans of one of the more recent naval models Kirigakure has been working on." She looked from the fading mist to Rengoku, as if scrutinizing the way in which the cogs of his mind were moving as he considered her question. "Anyway, c'mon. Let's go introduce you to your new teammates."

Ran quickly body flickered over to the duo in the middle of the clearing, motioning the the genin with her. "Masuyo-chan, Yui, this is Rengoku, the newest member of Team Ran starting today. Rengoku, this is my younger sister, Yui Hōzuki, and a guest of Kirigakure we're helping get situated in the city, Masuyo."

Yui still seemed a little off center from what she'd just seen, but turns slowly towards the new face, instinctively falling into a more pensive mode of thought as she observed him, drinking in the cursory details he laid bare with his body language, eye contact, and mode of dress. At first glance, he didn't seem to be all that...anything. He didn't stand out in anyway to her, but she decided she'd just think on it for later.

"Yui Hōzuki, as she said. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Let's do our best to make sure this team excels.  We've done quite well so far, with just my sister and I." Which more or less translated into, don't hold us back, to anyone with the intention of observing her body language.

---------------------------------------------------------

Kouji had always had a very dynamic relationship with Kimiko. She was almost like an odd sister that kept him out of trouble, and sort of understood why he acted like he did. And he in turn oftentimes took the time to speak for the both of them, respecting her desire to keep quiet in many cases, which was fine to be honest. But it also gave him an idea of what she might be thinking, or when she was bothered by something.

On one such day, he ended up coming up to the roof to observe her training...which had something to do with barrels. He peered over as she sent a barrel careening into the streets of Konoha, threatening to outdo the pranks he'd been pulling just a few weeks prior. Though, from the looks of her stance, she was obviously training something. Perhaps he'd give her a hand...though he'd do it by reminding her of the first combination technique they'd ever accomplished successfully together. Maybe it'd jog her memory, or maybe he'd end up injuring them both very badly.

"Think fast, Kimiko!" he said quickly, and lashed out with chakra strings, pulling the barrel up and over, swinging it up, and then tossing it over towards them! He sprinted up to her side, lining up with her. "That thing is going to break us if we don't melt it down, or send it somewhere else. And my katon alone isn't going to do it, so you better have my back. Katon: Endan!"


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 3, 2014)

*Hikita Kirigaya*

The swordsman had been slightly late on the morning he was to introduce himself to the team. To begin with, even though the Raikage's Office was more or less at the pinnacle of the village and could be viewed at almost any location within it's boundaries, he'd never actually been there himself and didn't know which route to take to get to it. That delayed him a few minutes, but he'd set off an hour early just in case.

What really threw him off was the flock of geese he encountered along the way, and the old lady who was tending to them with breadcrumbs, but had actually ran out because the little she had attracted additional gaggles. Reasoning that he still had a little time left, Hikita rushed to the nearest store to buy another loaf of bread for the elderly woman. However... he'd overestimated how much geese could actually _eat_ and underestimated how long the journey to the office was.

And the end result was that he turned up to the office, precisely one minute late, holding a pack of bread under one arm. "My apologies for the tardiness, Raikage-sama." He said, giving a bow, then faced his team. "My name is Hikita Kirigaya, and I will be the third member of your team."


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## Shika (Jun 3, 2014)

Kimiko
-------------------​
Great, I knocked out the last barrel! Wait, why is it coming back?! She thuoght, having no clue about what was happening.

"Think fast, Kimiko! That thing is going to break us if we don't melt it down, or send it somewhere else. And my katon alone isn't going to do it, so you better have my back." Kouji came out of nowhere, appearing next to her, to make sure she'd be motivated enough to actually hit her technique; it actually killed at least two birds mid flight.

Damn it Kouji, I just finished my practice! "Sure, thing, let's do this!"

"Katon: Endan!" "Fūton: Daitoppa!" They shouted simultaneously.


And it melted completely, leaving Kimiko happy and prepared for what was coming next.

*“EVERYONE FROM TEAM CHI, FRONT AND CENTER, NOW!!!”* Chi's roar echoed through the whole embassy, scaring Kimiko

Our first mission!


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## Redblood (Jun 3, 2014)

*Journey to The Land of Rivers, I*

*Funzaki*
On the way to the Land of Rivers

----------​
Funzaki did more than fiddle with his Hammer throughout the entire trip there, though the team wasn?t really talking. The landscape passing them by had gradually changed from green and vibrant, to flat, and rather lifeless. It reminded Funzaki of home. The shinobi hoped he could make up his initial blunder toward Kimiko on this mission, and that he could impress Kouji. Another glimpse of his sensei wouldn?t hurt either. That thought lingered in his mind for a bit. Just long enough to get wrenched out of him as the truck screeched to a halt.

?All right, we?re here!? the driver proclaimed as Kouji stepped outside. When Funzaki and the others joined him, their eyes beheld a peculiar sight.
The  ground they?d ridden on up until now had been flat and nearly lifeless, with little landmarks to guide them. But THIS:



This was much different. The area that lay before them was much more vibrant. Much more alive. The terrain ahead seemed varied, sloping in some places but flat in others. Funzaki couldn?t help but compare this place to a sexy lady.

Speaking of which, Chi had moved ahead of the group to a rather small tent pitched on the edge of the lush area, ringing the small bell that hung outside of it. There was some rustling, followed by some cries of surprise as the tent opened up, and four people emerged from the tent. 

The first was a tall, thin man, clad in a long Sunagakure cloak not unlike Chi, although unlike Chi, he DEFINITELY had clothes on underneath them. Thankfully. The man pushed up his glasses and bowed respectfully.

 ?Thank you so much for coming. My name is Jukuya Kaguro, Archaeobotanist.? he said as another man stepped out of the tent.

The second man was a much older gentleman, supporting himself with a cane. Balding and professionally dressed in a suit and tie, the man had an emblem pinned to his chest to show he was from Konoha. He did not bow, but made eye contact with each and every one of us before speaking. Like he was JUDGING all of us.

?I?m Robuke Akage, Archaeozoologist.? he grumbled.

The third to leave the tent was a woman, more middle aged. She had a gentle demeanor to her and wore typical Sunagakure garb, save for some sapphire earrings and a gold wristband. She reminded Funzaki of a grandmother, despite the woman being about half the age expected of one. She greeted the team with a warm smile and a more than respectable bow.

?It?s very nice to meet you all. I?m Daitoku Suzuha, Osteoarchaeologist.? she declared with the same sweetness her smile promised.

Finally, the last member of the team came out of the tent and OH. MY. GOD. She was absolutely GOREGOUS! Her short hair was platinum blonde, with braids running down either side of her head. She wore a bulky vest that covered a black, skintight suit that PERFECTLY accentuated her fit, busty body. She also wore slightly baggy pants, metal boots and wristbands.  She looked NOTHING like the others, or even close to an archaeologist, but did Funzaki mind? HELL NO! This goddess yawned, and faced the group, bowing in respect.

?Hello, I?m Aikuro Ikuko. I?m the Expedition Leader. Thank you all very much for taking our mission. Now, is your team ready to go?? the woman asked. Chi nodded, and turned to her students.

?All right, seeing as there?s four of us and four of them, each of you will be protecting one of these people throughout the entirety of our mission. If ANYTHING happens to your person, be it a scraped knee, a bruise or if you even OFFEND your person in any way, there?ll be HELL to pay. So, whom do you want to protect?? Chi asked the group. Funzaki opened his mouth, eager to protect Ms. Aikuro, but Chi stopped him dead.

?And before you ask, Funzaki-kun, I will be protecting Ms. Aikuro.? Chi growled, ?God knows what YOU would do left alone with a woman like THAT.? she whispered.

?In fact, you choose LAST, Funzaki-kun. Now,? Chi began, turning to her other students, ?who will you choose??


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## Fedster (Jun 3, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


After getting out of the water and standing on it by sending chakra to her feet, Minako began to dry her soaking self. She was not visibly hurt, but that fall left her rather pained. It seemed like it would worth it at the time, but after the jump she realized that it had totally worthed it. And she had reached first to the bottom, so it was not only awesome, but effective.

But when the other two arrived, Brawly-sensei revealed the purpose of them stopping at that historic landscape. He wanted them to spar. Minako needed a couple of seconds to assimilate that. She had to fight...With _them_? Hirari and Ren at the _same_ time? What was Brawly-sensei thinking? The odds were not on her favour...

She looked at the two of them, wondering if they would accept their sensei's proposition. The answer seemed quite obvious, though. "Um...Why do we have to fight each other? Isn't that like the opposite of teamwork?"


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 3, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure VIII*

*Ren Houki*

Despite setting off before the both of them, both Hirari and Minako were rather quick to catch up. First came Minako, whose body ungracefully fell through the deluge, passing by him. "*UNIVERSE*!" She screamed, her voice quickly dulled by the roaring sound of the waterfall behind her. Drowned out as it was, however, it was still loud enough to catch Ren's ears. Though, the meaning completely eluded his understanding.

_"What does that even mean?"_

And then she crashed into the water in a messy cascade. Ren stared, completely deadpan, and then brought a hand to his face. Hirari came next, doing what looked to be a semi-urgent run down the side of Hashirama's statue. Now roughly two or three metres above where Brawly and Minako stood, the Houki hopped off the top of his shield, making it disappear. The Hyūga followed closely, leaping off the surface of the statue in an uncharacteristically dynamic fashion and landing next to Ren and Minako.

Fightin' Brawly nodded as the team gathered together. ?While they eat, we?ll be doing some training. Nothing too intense. Just a friendly *SPAR* between the three of you, y?know, to stretch those *MUSCLES*.? He explained, grinning excitedly, with apparent eagerness to see his pupils fight one another.

Ren sighed, twisting his body in a light stretch to unwind himself. "Sure. We might as well kill the time with _something_ while they're eating up there." He reasoned.


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## Island (Jun 3, 2014)

*Story Arc I*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
Ren gave me a strange look on my way down, as if he somehow doubted that I could move the way I did. Granted I usually _didn?t_, I thought it unwise for him to think that I _couldn?t_. Unlike him, I didn?t really need flashy displays to get me through the day.

?An effective team knows its strengths and weaknesses,? Brawly answered Minako, ?By extension, an effective teammate knows yours while you know theirs. What is the best way to learn those strengths and weaknesses? A good old fashion RUMBLE, that?s how!?

?Anyone can *KNOW* that the Byakugan has a blind spot, for example,? he reasoned, ?But until you know how Hirari-chan fights, how she overcomes this weakness and turn it into a strength, then you don?t really anything, do you??

Made sense, or at least it sounded like it did. It also made me suspect that he had ulterior motives for fighting on that first day. He didn?t just want to see how we functioned as a team or even to gauge our power. He wanted to learn our strengths and weaknesses firsthand, get a feel for how we fought, the how we would respond to certain situations, the kind of jutsu we would use, when we would use them, and so on. I never really thought of it like that before. In fact, I didn?t think too much on our bell test the day after. I was probably more worried about missing that show the night before. Still, 

?Now then!? He didn?t wait for a reply. ?Ten meters apart, start when everybody else is in position and stop *ONLY* when I give the okay. *GOT IT*??


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## Fedster (Jun 3, 2014)

*Jutsu Training*

Urasabi Minako
LT - Zoom


"Let's do this! I'm ready! C'mooon!!!" After an absurdly quick dinner, Minako had asked, almost begged her father to teach her one of the Urasabi clan's jutsu. Musato, always unready for teaching, glanced up from his glass and placed it down back at the table. His wife had already gone to tuck in their boy, so he was left alone with his teenage daughter. He somehow wished that she could just grab a book and study the jutsus by herself, as his father made him do. But, then again, teaching her meant spending time with her, instead of forcing her to socialize with him.

"Fine, but it can't take long; remember that you have a mission early in the morning."

"Yaaaay!"

"Now, This one's really simple. Look." He created a single hand seal, looking at the unsuspected Minako straight in the eye. "_Zoom!_"

The girl's eyes suddenly hurt, but the pain vanished instantly. She did not notice anything different at first, but as she took a look at her hand, she noticed it was strangely far, when in reality it was just inches away from her face. She discovered that as Minako 'accidentally' hit her face with the palm of her hand. "I should've known."

"Yes, you should. You asked me to teach you that one." Her father replied, a amused smile on his face. Zoom was a Genjutsu that disturbed the target's sense of distance. It was particularly useful against those who relied mostly on sight than other senses, rendering them useless for close combat. For a clan that was about long-distance fighting, this technique was almost a must-have.

"Now that the effect has passed," Musato said after checking his watch. "You do it to me. Focus on my eyes and don't break eye contact. I'll try to be mildly distracted, for your advantage."

"Okay!" Minako produced the same seal his father made and...

"Wait!" He stopped her. "You have to do the other set. I just use one because, well, I'm just too good." He said, smirking at how proficient he was.

"Fine, then." The girl pouted, and returned to focus on his dad's eyes. She stared into those dull, grey eyes and beyond, passing through the mental door he had left open just for her and only her. The seals were produced and when she felt she had it, she chanted:

"_Zoom_!"

"Nope."

"_Zoom!_"

"Still nothing."

He...was not distracted. He was prepared. He wanted to make it harder for her. Very well. Two could play the same game. "I'm going to bed!" Minako finally said, feigning frustation.

"Wait, what? I thought you wanted to _'nail this jutsu'_." Musato quoted, totally buying his daughter's act. While she had her back to him, she kneaded the seals and turned, making eye contact with those now unsupiscious eyes.

"_Zoom!_" It worked. Her father cringed for a moment, and she saw that he did the same thing she had done: He facepalmed accidentally.

"...Okay...You win. Let's call it a night."

"Okay!" Minako said, turning around and climbing the stairs towards her room.


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## Fedster (Jun 3, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


The explanation Brawly gave for the spar was logic, in a way. Yes, one thing was to talk about your strengths and weakness and make a plan in the heat of the moment, but to see them in action and memorize them was a completely different thing. Though, this was the first time Minako heard about the Byakugan blindspot. So it is not a 360? vision, huh? That was good to know, both to protect that blindspot in future fights and to take advantage of it on this one. She almost let out an evil laughter, but fortunately Minako contained herself.

He did not talk about her or Ren. She knew nothing about him, only that he had a thunder fetish and a floating shield. Was there more to him that met the eye? Or was as shallow as a pond, and those were the full extent of his abilities? Well, Minako would probably figured that out in the fight. But for now, she needed to walk away ten metres from them.

"One...Two...Three..." The girl began counting her steps. She knew people usually took one-metre steps, so if she took ten steps, she would be ten metres away from Hirari and Ren. When she reached ten, she faced them, pouting, machinating a sort of plan.

_'Hirari: Byakugan, television, Hyuuga, no sweets, Gentle Fist. Conclusion: Errr...Stay away from her.
'Ren': Books, Houki, no expressions, raiton, pearls. Conclusion: Errr...Stay away from him too.'_

It was the greatest plan *EVER*.


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 3, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure IX*

*Ren Houki*

Ren stood in his starting position, bringing a hand to tie his hair into a small ponytail at the back, imbuing the needle hidden inside the ribbon with a trace of chakra. His blue eyes flickered between Hirari and Minako. Between them, he wasn't sure who would be the most dangerous and it was difficult for him to decide who to attack first. _"The Hyūga is stronger in direct combat, but Minako's genjutsu might screw me over if I'm not careful... bah."_ He thought to himself, a hand dipping into his pouch, producing a kunai with a flashbang and his tantō, the first signs of a plan beginning to take shape inside his head. 

He waited for the other two to get into place, and then began, dropping the kunai into the water. He was fairly certain that, if it came down to it, he could counter Minako's genjutsu. The main problem here was taking out Hirari, who would be at a natural advantage in a taijutsu spar. _"I'm not going to get her with taijutsu alone, and I doubt I could just beat her down with ninjutsu."_ Ren thought to himself and gave a sigh.

This might have been slightly more difficult than he'd given it credit for. With a body flicker, Ren dashed forward, appearing immediately in front of Hirari in a burst of speed. Then, with a swift movement, he swung the suitcase at her face, using it's reach to keep out of her direct jūken range. He then waits for a counter-attack, getting ready to make a thunder pearl in between them to blast her.


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## Shika (Jun 3, 2014)

Kimiko
---------------------​
The truck ride was a boring affair, everyone was silent. Kouji looked like himself, entraped in his thoughts, perhaps he was thinking about how bad we all were. After all, we got Chi-recked, and he was the one to save us.

Chi was fuming and shifting in her seat, with the letter from the Kazekage hanging in the wind, threatening to let it go. I wonder what could have left her in that state.

Finally they got to their destination, a complete different scenery from the road, luscious and beautiful, nothing like the deserts of the Land of Wind, or even the fertile Land of Fire. This looks great! But I don't want to be protecting some people, I want to... TAKE PICTURES!, she thought, leaving the truck.

She wasn't even listening to the archeo-zoo-guys talking, but she did snap them and wrote their names into her memory: Jukuya Kaguro, Robuke Akage, Daitoku Suzuha and Aikuro Ikuko. They were all normal people, at least for scientists, but the lady, Suzuha, looked nice.

She kept wandering in her thoughts until she heard sensei say ?Who will you choose??.

"May I protect Suzuha-san, sensei?" she asked her sensei, confident in her ability to complete the mission.


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## Island (Jun 3, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
How bothersome.

As I got into position and crafted the seal to activate the Byakugan, it started to sink in how much effort this would be. Competent in both Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, also a skilled tactician, I really didn’t feel like fighting Ren. Too much thinking.  Meanwhile, Minako specialized in the art that I knew the least about and had the least amount of experience combatting. Genjutsu. Too much work.

Still, Brawly-sensei had his reasons. Probably.

After activating the Byakugan, I brought my hand down to the pouch on my leg and began rummaging through. Then it dawned on me. Couldn’t I just blow the him and his bowl cut up and be done with it? Toss an explosive tag or something, hope it gets caught in his ego and explodes? Would be fun, but Brawly specified that this was going to be a _friend_ spar. Last I checked, blowing somebody up wasn’t exactly… friendly.

One could dream.

Between the two, I saw Ren as being the biggest threat. Not only did Ren seem more competent than Minako but we were also fighting over a body of water. Lighting Release would make for a dangerous adversary. He would have to go down first, which didn’t seem like an easy task. Then again, we were only sparring, so actually taking somebody out was probably out of the question. Even given the possibility, I doubted that I would go for the finish. After all, striking somebody in the jugular and crippling their capacity to manipulate chakra didn’t very friendly.

Still, I didn’t think Ren knew the meaning of holding back, so…

I produced a kunai from my pouch and prepared for Ren, who was quick to take the offensive, probably deciding that he’d want to put me down quickly so that he could fight Minako one-on-one. These kinds of situations always worked against me. Somebody would see me as the most immediate threat, usually due to the unique nature of the Gentle Fist, and thus, target me before anyone else. Granted, those people had a point…

Clever.  Ren hid his shield in his briefcase and swung it at me. The extra range prevented me from simply dodging and countering, and on the off-chance that it hit me, I imagined it would have a lot more power behind it than it otherwise would have. Still, that couldn’t be everything he had up his metaphorical sleeve. Running at a Gentle Fist user and hitting her with his briefcase like some woman hitting a pervert with her purse? No, no way that was all Ren could come up with. Thus, I came up with a quick and easy counter. Since Ren swung his briefcase horizontally, I simply ducked and then threw the kunai while he was still following through with his swing, forcing him to use his free hand to block the kunai. Then, I swung my right foot outward and, attempting to sweep him off his feet and drop him into the water.

Crude, but Ren moved to the offensive before I actually had a chance to come up with something on my own…


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## Kyuuzen (Jun 3, 2014)

- Hagane || Rengoku -​
Rengoku looked wide-eyed over at Ran-sensei.  Her brother was working on Kirigakure's astounding warships?  That was incredible!  The _Mei_ was already a feat of engineering, one that inspired and impressed him every time he saw or read about it.  She probably noticed his eyes light up when she said that, but before he could respond she told him to come with her to meet his new team.

The two girls emerged when the cloud of mist faded away.  One looked very much like Ran-sensei, the other with white hair and her... bones sticking out?!  Rengoku's eyes widened, his sharp mind returning to the books upon books he had poured through.  Only one clan matched the ability to freely manipulate their bones and use them as weapons.  A clan that was supposed to have gone extinct a long time ago.  Did they happen to have surviving members?  Or did a few of them have the bloodline as a dormant gene?  Was it possible that she was really from the Kaguya clan?  He was almost mystified by the idea, that someone or a group of someones had hidden themselves for so long.  He shook the thought from his head and walked forward to greet them as they headed toward the rest of the group.  The girl who looked like his sensei was introduced as Yui Hozuki, and Ran-sensei confirmed that they were sisters.  Yui came forward to greet him.  She seemed kind enough, but Rengoku wasn't stupid enough to not see through her honeyed words.  He doubted she had much faith in him.

Just joined and he was already letting people down.

The other girl was Masuyo, who remained silent at her greeting.  Rengoku bowed to both of them.  "I-I'm Hagane Rengoku.  My clan is proficient in katon ninjutsu!  Personally, I like to build things, and... and..." he clenched his jaw shut tightly.  The two girls were very impressive, and compared to them, what was he?  The thought that he would merely be a burden to drag down his team began to wear heavily on him, and his mind couldn't help but go into self-deprecating mode.

_Stop.  Uncl-... my real Dad wouldn't want me to think like this._

He met Yui's look with an excited and determined glare.  "A-and if you're got enough energy, I would like to see what my team is capable.  Please, fight me, Yui-san!"​


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## Fedster (Jun 3, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


It started! And Ren, as per usual, took the first turn. Minako realized that her tools were on her pouch and, should Ren or Hirari have come at her, she would be defenseless and screwed. Luckily, the former decided to attack the latter, leaving Minako to do whatever she wanted. But what could she do? She did not have a fancy plan apart from staying away from those two, nor she could come up with a good plan with the pressure of the battle.

Right now, she could only trust her gut. And her gut told her that it was time for some serious mind games.

Minako started running on the opposite direction from where the fight was, trying to put some nice and safe distance. She had forgotten to count how many metres were between them, but, right now, it mattered little. All she needed was distance. And then...

"Womp!" She skipped where she stood, stopping the chakra flow on her feet, and disappeared into the water. She assumed they would be so immersed in their fight that they would not notice that a certain blonde kunoichi was underwater, pointing her two index fingers at them, as though it was a pair of guns. Unless...you know...Byakugan.

"Blugh Blugh Bluuuugh!" Was all that escaped Minako's mouth in her attempt to say 'Chakra Bullet'. She was surprised to notice that the bullets were of a lighter colour than the water, and they could be disguised relatively well. It was a bit of a shame that they would go towards her teammates, but there was little she could do about it. If anyone asked, it was Brawly who wanted them to spar.


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## Island (Jun 3, 2014)

*Kaguya Masuyo*
Kirigakure

---​
_“Somebody like you wouldn’t last a day back at home.”_ Masuyo eyed up the young man, apparently the third member of this team of theirs. _“Still, can’t be all that bad. Gave me a strange look. Maybe he recognized Shikotsumyaku. Not really sure how much people here know about clans that have apparently been extinct for a hundred years, but I’m willing to say they don’t know a whole lot. Somebody who does, especially someone my age, maybe he’s a genius or something. Will keep that in the back of my head.”_

Meek, scrawny, even, at least by Masuyo’s standards. She recalled a world where men wore hefty metal armor and fought one another with gigantic weapons, often using brute force to overwhelm opponents and smash them with the blunt end of a hammer or run them through with the sharp edge of a blade. At least, that’s how the Kaguya Clan worked. Compared to her uncles, even some aunts, Rengoku seemed a little lacking.

Then again, the only real authority figures Masuyo had thus far seen were women?

For a moment, she pondered if this was actually some female-dominated future where males became submissive tools to further female interests.

Unlikely, but Masuyo couldn’t help muse with the idea.

One might call it a defense mechanism. Some cheap jokes and musings, at least as far as Masuyo rationalized, helped her deal with this sudden twist of fate. Though, as she also figured, it wasn’t quite sudden. In fact, it was glacially slow in the most literal sense.

Nevertheless, Masuyo turned to Rengoku with a faint smile. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

It wasn’t.

But the people around here seemed fond of pleasantries, so, when in Eiennoto, do as they do.


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## Kyuuzen (Jun 4, 2014)

*Kushu Sougo
ROOT HQ*

"22-7B."

The corresponding shinobi fell from the rafters, landing in a kneel before his CO, ROOT Commander Senkuu.  While he was a leader in the ROOT forces, he was still a soldier, and, just like 22-7B himself, wore a mask.  His was basically an ANBU mask, and had the face of a bear depicted on the front of it.  22-7B himself was rather short, indicating he was a child.  He wore a leather mask that left only his silky white hair and red eye exposed.  Clothing wise, 22-7B was garbed in an unique leather coat that seemed to be a cross between bulky rain cloak and a trench coat.  It was hooded, with large sleeves that concealed his hands.  His shirt could not be seen underneath, and his pants were a dark color between purple and blue, with various navy blue straps around his legs that had empty slots where he could put things like scrolls, if he used them.

"Present, taicho."

The man regarded the boy for a moment behind his bear mask before dropping a manilla folder in front of him.  "A Konoha four man cell consisting of a jonin and three genin was sent to the land that was formerly Otogakure.  Their goal is to retrieve a data cache for archiving purposes, however we cannot ignore the fact that Otogakure once belonged to Orochimaru.  There may be information on his genetic experimentation.  You will go with them as support.  Secretly, however, you will attempt to move in secret, collecting every piece of data you can before their team finds it.  If this tasks proves difficult under the scrutiny of a jonin, then you will commit it to memory, and an intelligence and interrogation team will debrief you and scour your brain for the information.  Failure will result in protocol 7.  Is that understood?"  The small shinobi was silent for a few seconds.

"Hai."

"This mission has been given to a standard Leaf squad, meaning you will not be wearing your mask.  Remove it.  You will operate under your standard codename, Kushu Sougo."  22-7B, now going by Sougo, reached to the back of his head and pulled the zipper on his leather mask, unzipping and removing it.  He had an almost effeminate look, with a pair of red eyes that seemed to be empty, soulless.  He was the future of the ROOT program, and everything about him, from his appearance to the personality he hid within embodied the code of conduct and operation idiosyncrasies being ROOT entailed.  "Also, included in the folder is information on every member of the team, save for the jonin.  His file is surprisingly well-classified.  You will come to fully understand their personality, their quirks, and, should it come to physical altercation, their battle skills.  If you are found out and made a target by the team, you will be killed by the jonin.  However, before this happens, you _will_ kill the genin.  Is that also understood?"

"Hai."

"Dismissed."  Sougo leaped back up into the rafters, heading for the exit of the building in a blur.


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 4, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure X*

*Ren Houki*

Hirari quickly ducked out of the way of Ren's swing, using the follow through of the momentum of his swing to throw a kunai while he was vulnerable. Ren grumbled to himself and brought his tantō forward to deflect the projectile. From the corner of his eye, the Houki made out a thin black shape—Hirari's leg, shooting out to sweep him into the water. Ren leapt up to avoid it, then flicked a finger upwards, causing the kunai he placed underwater to shoot upwards at Hirari. 

_*"Manipulating Attack Blades!"*_ 

As Ren contemplated his next moves, a faint splashing sound caught his attention. While he'd diverted his attention and energy towards taking out Hirari, Minako had apparently dove underwater, decidedly hiding herself to snipe from below. The Houki raised his briefcase to try and block it, but it was done a moment too late and the bullet scraped his arm. _"I didn't notice Minako. Dammit. Well... this isn't exactly bad."_ He thought to himself, wincing in pain. If she was underwater, that just meant that she was a sitting duck for his raiton ninjutsu.


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## Hidden Nin (Jun 4, 2014)

*Kouji, Ran & Yui Hōzuki*

On the way to the Land of Rivers and Kirigakure Training Grounds #34​
Kouji had indeed been silent on the way over, but only because the landscape he'd gotten the chance to glimpse as they rode by kept him in such a state. The one thing he liked more than looking at the different types of art, and music, as an ambassador, were the different landscapes and environments. He'd even rushed into the truck first for that express purpose. In order to get the window seat, though he'd be the least to admit it.

As they filed out and met up with their contacts, Kouji instinctively scowled at the rougher looking older gentleman with the cane and an attitude to match the crimson haired youth himself. Kouji spits, though it was only vaguely in the man's direction and not obvious enough to be a direct insult. "I'll take the ancient looking judgemental piece of-" he paused, remembering his sensei's words from just a few seconds ago, and pursing his lips as the hardened old man raised an eyebrow at the beginnings of his insulting greeting. "I'll take the dapper gentleman in the suit with the cane, then. I hope we work well together, Akage-san..." he muttered in a much politer tone of voice.

_This is gonna to be a long day._

------------------------------------

Yui raised a thin eyebrow at the boy's request, and glanced over at Ran for a moment, equal parts 'is he serious' and 'can I?'. Ran simply gave an easy shrug as she took a step away from the two. Her relationship with Yui had changed drastically since the death of their parents and Yui's twin brother; it had served to bring them closer, sure.  But Ran was a member of the Seven Mist Swordsman, and although the rituals and practices of the organization had changed over the years, one thing remained consistent through all its incarnations and installments. 

All the members were savage, cunning, and well equipped to do serious damage even when without their blades. Ran's one on one training with Yui had hardened the latter in ways; the Hōzuki were quite adept at the henge jutsu when they combined it with their bloodline ability. Ran was deceptive, tricky, and altogether very consistent in how she pushed Yui, and the result was a no holds barred training style, even in a sparring match, which Masuyo had just played first hand to. And while it had usually just been Ran vs Yui, Yui now understood from her sister's expression that no. It was _all _of Team Ran that was subject to this unspoken rule. 

It just so happened that with more members now, Yui had new sparring partners to deal with. So if that was his choice, then she would oblige. She shunshin'd right up to him then, drawing her blade in stride as she lashed out with a cut to test how comfortable he was in close quarters combat, but also to get him into a false sense of security with how quick her swordplay was.

"As you wish."


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## Kyuuzen (Jun 4, 2014)

- Hagane || Rengoku -​
The young Hagane made a noise of surprise before dropping ungracefully to the grass in order to dodge.  It wasn't the prettiest evasion, but it fulfilled its purpose.  He scrambled to his feet, running past her with his hands pressed to the ground in what appeared to be an effort to keep his balance.  Truthfully, though, he had lain a smoke bomb down in the grass as he put distance between himself and Yui.  He slid a bit in the wet grass as he went, before turning around to face her with a determined expression.

_Right, I've got to put some kind of plan together in case this maneuver fails.   She already tried to slice me once, although I can't depend on that being her full speed.  This early in, we're both probably feeling each other out.  She can already fight well using sound, so if I cut her vision, I'd have to cut her acute hearing as well.  My advantage here is Katon.  She may have an elemental advantage over me, but it's a rarity in this village.  With luck she won't know these jutsu by their name alone.  I've got it._

He threw a kunai in her direction, sending it toward the smoke bomb before going into a string of seals.  The blade penetrated the casing of the bomb, sending out the cloud of smoke as he finished the seals he was performing, ending with the Tiger seal, Tora.

"*Katon:* Hosenka no Jutsu!"

He inhaled sharply and released a volley of small fireballs in her direction.  Unlike the gokakyuu, this technique granted him many attacks at once, making at harder to dodge.  Also in his favor, the multiple balls of flame all burned in unison, each making a sound, with their aim being distracting her hearing while the smoke distracted her sight.​


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## Redblood (Jun 4, 2014)

*Journey to The Land of Rivers, II*

*Funzaki*
Outskirts of The Land of Rivers

----------​
"May I protect Suzuha-san, sensei?" Kimiko asked Chi, looking happy with her decision. *DAMMIT!* That was Funzaki?s second choice! Chi simply nodded, and Kimiko went to Suzuha?s side. Suzuha gave the girl the same warm smile that she greeted the others with.

?Well, this should be fun!? the woman declared, clasping her hands together in excitement.

"I'll take the ancient looking judgemental piece of-" he paused, just as Chi gave her student a glare that could slice through steel. Remembering what she had said, Kouji pursed his lips and started over."I'll take the dapper gentleman in the suit with the cane, then. I hope we work well together, Akage-san..." he muttered in a much politer tone of voice. 

?Yeah, yeah. Just shut up and watch my back.? Akage grunted, turning away from his bodyguard. Phew! At least Funzaki dodged THAT cranky, old bullet! Which means?

?I guess that just leaves me with you, then?? * AAH!* Damn that Kaguro is quiet! He?d snuck up behind Funzaki without him even noticing. After taking a bit of a breath, Funzaki addressed his client.

?Yep. I?ll make sure nothing happens to?you.? Funzaki proclaimed, only pausing for the tiniest of glances at Expedition Leader Ikuko?s behind as she went back to grab something from the tent. That something was a fairly sizable map of The Land of Rivers, with an ?X? marked right in the heart of it.

?Okay?? Ikuko began, having Funzaki?s FULL ATTENTION, ?we?re investigating a ruin rumored to be in the heart of this place. It?s said that one of the earliest human settlements was made there. Our job is to investigate it, and bring back any pertinent findings. We?re losing daylight, so let?s just head out!? she declared, leading the charge down into The Land of Rivers?


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## Island (Jun 4, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
It seemed like Ren had a contingency plan. The kunai that he dropped into the water was used for Manipulating Attack Blades. Only one kunai, it didn’t pose much of a problem, but it left me open to attack. Fortunately, Minako took action, apparently using one of her Chakra Bullets to snipe at us. This time Ren, maybe next time me, but if I was here, I would focus on Ren since he would be less likely to be able to dodge incoming bullets. Byakugan allowed me to see them coming, and so long as Ren was busy fighting me, he’d be distracted enough to not see them coming. On top of that, as long as Minako was underwater, she was especially susceptible to his Thunder Pearls.

This led to my next move.

Keep Ren busy and hope Minako plays along. Alternatively, pursue Ren if he chooses to take out Minako first and then deal with me. Again, I deemed him the biggest threat, and thus, I wanted to suppress him before taking on Minako. At least if Ren was out of the way, Minako and I might have the opportunity to have an casual spar, nothing flashy, just a couple teammates showing each other their moves. Again, I pegged Ren as one of those _“All or nothing! Hold nothing back!”_ kind of guys.

_“Offensive, stick to the offensive.”_ I told myself.

I wasn’t expecting Ren to be skilled enough to form seals with both hands full. In fact, it genuinely surprised me. Nevertheless, I saw the kunai coming, and although I reacted later than expected, I was still able to narrowly sidestep it, the metal blade brushing lightly past my nose and scrapping some skin.

With some distance between Ren and me, I had ample opportunity to produce some shuriken from my pouch and clench them between my fingertips. Then, I rushed my partner, launching the shuriken in hopes that he would bring up his shield. However, additional shuriken followed in the shadow of the first ones, and as perceptive as Ren was, I figured he would see them, and thus, respond by blocking with his tantō. As long as he kept his sword in one hand and his shield in the other, he would have a much more difficult time crafting Ninjutsu.

Which meant that if he wanted to use Lightning Release against either Minako or me, ideally Minako, he would have to lower his guard, leaving him susceptible to my Taijutsu. On the other hand, as long as he kept both his sword and shield up, I would have a difficult time overcoming this defense and be unable to do damage. I doubted that I could break through his weird levitating shield thing, and I didn’t want to risk getting run through by his tantō. Considering how fast he was and probably how ruthless I pegged him as, this _was_ a legitimate concern.

Regardless, if I couldn't break through his defense, then I could at least suppress his capacity to counter.


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 4, 2014)

*Kouji, Ran & Yui Hōzuki*

To the Land of Rivers and Kirigakure Training Grounds #34​
Yui nodded once as he dodged past her upward cut, and then rolled away from her, swiping her jian behind her at an awkward angle in a vain attempt to cut him down there. She sighed at her poorly placed cut, and turned as he continued along, and then...

Smoke.

Yui scowled at the simple tactics, then began to listen; truth be told she identified better with her hearing than her sight anyway, but that's when she heard... "Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!"/COLOR] 

Did he really expect a tactic like that to work? After all, her specialty was suiton, so all she had to do was...

"Suiton: Hōmatsu Rappa!" she called, firing her counter which washed away the multiple flames she could hear flickering in the smoke...though that wasn't all. Narrowly, she dodged the shuriken embedded, despite more than likely being able to tank them should she desire. She had learned long ago that her bloodline was no reason to be sloppy during a fight. As the froth of bubbles coated the ground, moving about became that much more difficult...at least for anyone not able to meld with the moisture. Sheathing her sword, she began to sink into the water some more, the smoke dissipating, and wondering how he'd react. Perhaps he knew of the loss of friction from her specific suiton, or maybe he didn't.

Only one way to find out.

She surged up and out of the water just behind Rengoku, and lashed out with a low kick, aiming to sweep the boy's legs out from under him on the slippery surface.

-------------------

Kouji rolled his eyes and grumbled to himself as the old man was just as much of a dick as the sand genin had predicted. Well, that was fine. He just had to do his job, and after that, he was more or less out of the clear. 

But then again, what was his job, in this situation? And besides that, he needed to be certain he could count on the man not to act...out, if danger struck. And to do that, he needed to establish dominance. Turning to Akage, "Hey, you little *bitch*," he whispered quietly to him. "Just what is it you fossils are looking for out here?" Pausing, he thought it prudent to add something to get him into ta talking mood first. Someone like this probably loved bragging, right? He knew he did. "And what sort of discoveries have you already made? I mean someone as ol-...as experienced as you are must have a lot of stories under his belt, yea?"


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## Fedster (Jun 4, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako



"...!" Minako had no more air in her lungs, having used them to unnecessarily talk underwater. Besides, she wanted to see what was happening up there, so she broke the water's surface in one swift maneuver and gasped for air. It entered her mouth and nose and filled her with precious, precious oxygen. His head and shoulders were the only parts of her body that remained above the surface.

Meanwhile, it seemed that Ren and Hirari were taking it more seriously. That was both a problem and an advantage. Problem because they were showing her just how powerful they were and how she did not stand a chance fighting them one-on-one. And an advantage because greater techniques required greater amounts of chakra, so the winner of the spar would be more exhausted and would become easy prey for Minako.

"Oh, right! I need to hide!" She exclaimed, inspecting the area. There was really no place to hide, except for underwater. Wait a second...

"Oh, right. Genjutsu. Duh." Minako concluded, stepping out of the water and creating seals. "_Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique!_" She casted the jutsu over herself to make it look like there was a rock  of about her size standing where she was.

*No one* would suspect a thing.


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 4, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure XI*

*Ren Houki*

Ren was beginning to become irritated now. The kunai had just barely scratched Hirari, though the wound was superficial and probably barely noticed by the taijutsu user. In response, she reached into her pouch, procuring shuriken, and threw them at Ren, in a not so well veiled attempt at stopping him from forming seals. "Annoying." He grumbled, battering the shuriken away with a quick swing. The shurikens hidden beneath the ones she had thrown were not missed, either; the Hyūga had taken a second or two too long to throw a few shurikens and it was obvious there was something else to it.

The Houki brought his tantō in, quickly parrying the hidden shurikens with a few quick strokes. "_Well, it's not like I need hand seals for all my raiton jutsu..._" He thought to himself idly, reaching a hand into his briefcase to produce a kunai. Quickly charging it with raiton chakra, Ren sliced it through the air and towards Hirari.


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## Island (Jun 4, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
That wasn’t just ordinary chakra. It was _advanced_ chakra. Ren imbued his kunai with lightning chakra and tossed it at me. More than likely, I would be unable to simply stop the kunai since it could potentially puncture anything I put in its way. Thus, I would be forced to dodge, which is probably what Ren wanted me to do. Not sure what kind of strategy he had in mind here, probably something with Manipulating Attack Blades and then trying to submerge me in the water. Combined with Lightning Release, he could do some serious damage. Not a bad plan, especially with what little he had to work with right now, trying to stay at range and being unable to use Thunder Pearl.

Meanwhile, Minako…

Well, Minako…

I sighed to myself, deciding to abandon any hope of getting her help.

Ultimately, I sidestepped the incoming kunai and then rushed Ren, racing across the water and channeling chakra into my hands. I figured that if Minako wouldn’t be doing anything useful, I might as well try to break his shield myself and then move in for the metaphorical kill. As long as we were at range, there wasn’t much I could do except suppressing his capacity to shoot electricity at me. While effective, it wasn’t exactly the direction I wanted this fight to go. What I _really_ wanted was to break through this shield of his, disarm him, and then take him out with the Gentle First.

Well, actually, what I really wanted was to go home and relax, but given the circumstances, that wasn’t quite possible.

Nevertheless, it was time to use _that_ jutsu.

I moved in…

“Gentle Step-” I was suddenly interrupted by something.

*“MINAKO-CHAN!”* Brawly’s voice caught my attention. “That’s no way to *SPAR* with your teammates! Get in there, and *SHOW THEM THE POWER YOUR HEART*!”

In the near distance, I spotted Brawly move in and disperse Minako’s not-so-cleverly disguised Genjutsu. Then, he grabbed my teammate and lifted her above his head before hurling her over to us...

I stopped mid-run as this was occurring, somewhat unsure of how to respond to… whatever this was.


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## Fedster (Jun 4, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


While inside her awesomely disguised Genjutsu, Minako calmly fabricated a plan. She could not get near Ren or Hirari, that much was obvious, or else, they would send her flying. Firing chakra bullets would also be out of the question; Ren was just too prepared for everything and Hirari could see it coming even before she could fire, mainly because they were made of chakra. Like, that was too evident, even to Minako.

Then, what could she do? What could sh-

"*MINAKO-CHAN!*" A thunderous roar interrupted her train of thoughts, dispelled her rock illusion and grappled her by the t-shirt's neck. It was Brawly-sensei. Who else could it be? He handled Minako like she was a rag doll. Well, compared to him, she was, but let's not get into that. The important thing was that he iniciated Minako in the Air Brawly ways, throwing her into the frail.

She was going _exactly_ where she did not want to go: towards Ren and Hirari.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" She yelled as she travelled the distance, her brain at full throttle. She could not fight them, unless of course, they were like statues and could not move. But how could she even...?

Oh.

_Oh._

"I got it!!" Minako exclaimed, producing seal after seal, and staring at the two figures standing in front of her. _'Time for the main event!!'_ "_Genjutsu Binding!_"


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## Kyuuzen (Jun 5, 2014)

- Hagane || Rengoku -​
Rengoku lowered his gaze as she used water jutsu to counteract his katons.  He then looked around as he was surrounded by the splashed bubbles, the entire space around him drenched.  _She's from the Hozuki clan... so she can appear from anywhere now.  If she goes for an attack, it'll be playing right into my hands, if I use_ that _technique._  He closed his eyes and waited, building up his chakra.  This next technique had a very high fail rate for him, mainly due to his lack of killing instinct, but had only ever been used against his father, an opponent who was top-tier Jonin level.  The chakra surged to two points equally, preparing for his trump card technique.  It was a bit early to use it, but if he let this fight drag out he would lose.  Best bet was to end it now and prove himself!

She surged up behind him, announcing her presence with the splashing of water as she reappeared.  He felt her leg make contact with his own, kicking out his legs and putting him on his back.  _Don't lose focus, let her have this attack and then counter!_  He tightened his shoulder blades and spine so that his head wouldn't snap back when he hit the ground and allowed his eyes to open.  Their color had been inverted.  If this technique worked, it could very well win him this fight.  If it failed, she would be free to continue her attack on him.  Everything would be determined in an instant!!

"Ninpo: Kanashibari no Jutsu!"​


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 5, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure XII*

*Ren Houki*

He didn't know what jutsu Hirari was about to use, but whatever it was, it looked potent. The chakra had become so densely concentrated around her two hands that it had become visible, gathering around in what appeared to be a vague visage of some kind of animal. The Hyūga gave Ren a look, her Byakugan glaring as if pin-pointing which area would hurt the most, and then moved in, her feet shuffling in. At the same time, Ren raised his shield, though he wasn't quite so certain that it would be able to fully block the attack...

But before the two could meet, the both of them were interrupted by Minako flying in between them, apparently having been thrown by Fightin' Brawly. She looked startled and just a smidge frightened, too. Though, Ren couldn't blame her?as far as direct combat went, she was outmatched by the both of them by quite a fair margin. Then, the cloudy uncertain look in the genjutsu user's eyes seemed to displace, her usual excited glimmer having returned. She formed a hand seal, and then...

Paralysis.

Ren wasn't sure about Hirari, but the moment Minako had activated her jutsu, it felt as if his whole body had been submerged within icy water. His legs, arms and body felt frozen and it was all he could do to even twitch them. _"Shit. When did she learn something like this?."_ He thought to himself, the corner of his eyes glancing past Hirari and towards Minako. He grinded his teeth?he had a needle in his hair tie just for this occasion, but at this point, it was a little hard to use. With all the force he could muster, the Houki bit down on his lip; it wasn't a lot, as it took a great deal of willpower just to move, but the little shard of pain that he felt as blood began to crickle down was just enough to loosen the restraints slightly. Enough for his finger to move about...

_*"Manipulating Attack Blades!"*_

Ripping through the blue fabric, Ren's senbon moved to life, flying slowly and carefully as it scraped at his neck. Numb as he was, the sensation of pain was extremely vivid, like taking a hot searing bath after returning from the cold. The effects of the genjutsu shattered instantly, though Ren was careful not to move in a noticeable way yet, using his jutsu to force the needle to fly to the first kunai he had set up...

The 'twang' sound of wire sounded as his senbon cut through, releasing the flashbang attached to the projectile. Before Minako could react, a blanket of white covered the area. Before she had the opportunity to make another genjutsu binding, the Houki capitalized, moving behind Minako in a burst of speed while she was blinded. Using both arms, Ren swung his briefcase like a baseball bat, striking Minako's back and sending her flying towards Hirari with the intention to down them both into the water.


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## Hidden Nin (Jun 5, 2014)

*Yui Hōzuki*

Kirigakure Training Grounds #34​
Yui's smile widens as her sweep succeeded, drawing out her sword with another fluid motion as she prepared to capitalize on the opening she'd just made, and end the fight. Unsheathing it with little flair or flourish, she began to rush forward, only to discover that he'd been preparing his counter...

"Ninpo: Kanashibari no Jutsu!"

Yui froze, though her eyes widened slightly as her blade froze. She locked gazes with Rengoku as silence began to roll over the training grounds, and it was impossible to tell if she was simply surprised, or if the jutsu had worked completely.  Her gaze softened slightly, and she relaxed, planting her sword in the soft ground and offering Rengoku a hand. 

"You think quickly on your feet," she said quietly.


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## Island (Jun 5, 2014)

*Story Arc I*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
I actually knew of a technique to get myself out of a situation like this, but it’s a shame I never bothered to learn it. It would have been immensely helpful. Meanwhile, Ren broke through the Genjutsu by driving a senbon into his neck, something he prepared at the beginning of the fight, a contingency plan in case he fall prey to one of our teammate’s illusions. That probably would have been a good idea, but it wasn’t something I was hugely concerned about. Again, friendly spar and all that, I didn’t really see the need to stab myself to break through Genjutsu. Maybe in a direr situation, sure, in a real fight with real consequences, but here? No.

Ren broke through and rushed Minako, appearing behind her and attempting to kick her in my direction, probably so that he could knock us both into the water and make us susceptible to his Lightning Release techniques. Ideally, Minako would hit me, and we’d both end up in the water where Ren would strike. Fortunately, I wasn’t stupid. A simple but effective way to break through Genjutsu was sensory overload, whether through pain or otherwise.

Since we were standing on water, I simply released the chakra at my feet and let myself sink through, narrowly missing Minako if she happened to get caught by Ren’s kick. On top of that, the sensation of being submerged so suddenly would override Minako’s Genjutsu, freeing me from its grasp.

Either way, I was going in the water, something I didn’t want to do, but given the circumstances, I didn’t have much of a choice. Doing this, at least Ren wouldn't know where I was hiding whereas, if he kicked Minako at me, he'd have a good idea of where we were both at. On the off chance that Minako dodged his strike, doing this would still override her Genjutsu _and_ give me the opportunity to surprise my opponents later on.


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## Fedster (Jun 5, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


The Genjutsu worked! Minako's teammates suddenly stopped moving, staying like statues on the water. She was kind of doubting whether it would work or not on them, given the gap between their abilities, but it did! Wait, would that mean that she won? She, Urasabi Minako, accidentally outsmarted the Konoha Prodigies and was able to win that friendly spar?

"I wo-!" She started, almost making her first perfect landing, hands held high in victory. Her face was as radiant as the sun itself. Everything was going so perfectly; the throw, the binding, the landing...

But, of course, it was going _*too*_ perfectly.

Before she could finish her sentence, someone appeared behind her. It could not be Brawly; Minako could see him, enthusiatically watching the spar. The only ones who could be there were either Hirari or Ren, and something told Minako that Hirari would not use a flashbomb to blind her. She closed her eyes instinctively, but opened them as a hard, rectangular object hit her back. _Ren's briefcase_.

Minako cried in pain as it struck her spine, sending her flying towards Hirari. The Urasabi waited for the impact with the Hyuuga, but it did not come. Instead, she collided with something much worse: the rock wall surrounding the lake. She hit, she fell, and she sunk. Minako did not know until that moment how much physical pain a person could bear. Of course, that was an exaggeration, but for something who was not used to close combat, it was a great deal


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## Shika (Jun 5, 2014)

Kimiko
--------------------​
The time had finally come for them to go the the archaeological site, to begin the mission. But Kimiko had so many questions! What are they looking for, how did they figure out it'd be around here.. Wait, I can ask the nice lady!

"Suzuha-san, what is it there you are trying to unearth? Also, why the Land of Rivers?..."

She kept spitballing question, not letting Suzuha answer, excited for the fact that she might be able to take the photographic evidence of this expedition!

"Can I take pictures in there? Oh, wait, that reminds me, mind if I take a picture with you?" And before she could answer, she stopped talking, shunshin'd next to her, and took a selfie.


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## Redblood (Jun 6, 2014)

*Journey to The Land of Rivers, III*

*Funzaki*
Somewhere in The Land of Rivers

----------










​
Robuke Akage hobbled along, a scowl still etched in his face as Kouji leaned in close to him.

“Hey, you little *bitch,*" Kouji whispered, eliciting a twitch from the elder. "Just what is it you fossils are looking for out here?" Tch. What an arrogant brat. Fool thinks he can just say whatever the hell he wants. Yet, Akage was not one to whine and complain over name calling, so he let the Suna boy continue to speak. “… what sort of discoveries have you already made? I mean someone as ol-...as experienced as you are must have a lot of stories under his belt, yea?" Kouji asked. Akage shot the puppeteer a scowl, and then began to speak.

“Well, as I told you earlier, I am an Archaeozoologist. That should tell you all you need to know about me.” Akage explained, before snorting in laughter.

“Oh right, how foolish of me! You don’t actually know what that is do you?” Robuke Akage chuckled without giving Kouji time enough to respond.

“Unlike the others here, I study organic remains of life. I’m a REAL archaeologist. Not like flower boy up there, or the ‘sweet old lady’ behind us. I don’t even know why she’s here. I’m perfectly capable of identifying bones myself!” Akage growled, perhaps a bit too loudly, as Suzuha briefly cleared her throat, making the situation just a bit awkward. His voice lowered, Akage continued.

“Listen here, boy. The only reason I’ve come along on this stupid mission is because I believe something is at our destination. Something I’ve been searching for my entire career as an Archaeozoologist.” he proclaimed, and said nothing more.

. . . 

Daitoku Suzuha was a little miffed by Akage’s comment. Sure, Akage studied remains, but could he tell the difference between each of the spinal vertebrae? No. Could he reconstruct a skeleton? No. Could…oh, wait, the young woman was talking.

“… what is it there you are trying to unearth? Also, why the Land of Rivers?..." Kimiko inquired, words flowing from her mouth like an endless waterfall.

“Um…uh…” Suzuha fumbled, not entirely sure which question to answer first, before Kimiko pulled out her camera. Having an idea of where this was going, Suzuha did her best to smile on such short notice before being shot by the camera.

“Well, we’ve been together as a team for some time now, searching for lost civilizations throughout Sunagakure and Konoha, but we’ve never really found anything conclusive. All the things we’ve dug up so far have led us all here, so we thought ‘why not join together?’ For science!” Suzuha chirped, clasping her hands together to illustrate her point.

“That, and the fact that neither country wanted the other in here alone…” Akage grumbled up ahead. Suzuha responded with a refined, mature raspberry.

. . .

Where one half of the team had engaged in conversation with each other, the other half was decidedly silent. Chi did not talk to Ikuko because she didn’t feel it was necessary for the mission’s completion. That and Chi didn’t care for how Aikuro Ikuko seemed to be withholding information from her team.
Funzaki, by contrast, just couldn’t get a word in edgewise with Kaguro.

“Oh my goodness! Is that a Zetsudhenron Mododaerius?! I never thought I’d see one up close! This place is a gold mine of botanical finds, my boy!” GEEZ. He'd been going ON and ON like this ever since the team set foot in this place. The only saving grace was the sweet view he had of Ikuko, but even that wasn’t enough of a distraction anymore! He had to shut him up! He had to do something! But WHAT? Then Funzaki got an idea. He walked a little bit faster, and leaned in close to his sensei’s ear.

“Sensei…_sensei!_” Funzaki whispered, “You’ve gotta switch partners with me! Pleeeeeease!” he begged as his sensei turned her head to face him as she kept walking.

“I already told you, Funzaki. _I _am escorting Ms. Aikuro. Not YOU. Are you questioning my leadership?” Chi hissed, making Funzaki recoil just a bit before he spoke again.

“No, I’m not but… please, you gotta help me out here!” Funzaki pleaded in the same small voice he used before. Chi looked at Funzaki’s desperate eyes, then to the blabbermouth he’d been tasked with guarding, then back to Funzaki. Chi thought she felt a small twang in the pit of her chest. Was… was that pity? Tch. These idiots were starting to get to her.

“FINE. We can switch.” Chi whispered, Funzaki’s face lighting up just before the sensei shoved her finger in it.

“BUT…once this mission is over, you have to do EVERYTHING I say. Without question, without complaint. You won’t sleep until I say you can. You won’t eat until I tell you to. You won’t even be allowed to SHIT without my say so. Your entire life from this point on will be MINE. You understand me?” Chi clarified. Funzaki thought for a moment, looking from Chi to Kaguro, to Ikuko and then back to Chi.

“Okay.” was all Funzaki said. Chi looked dumbfounded, like she hadn’t expected that answer from him. All Chi did was walk back to where Kaguro was, and continue alongside him without another word. Excited, Funzaki joined Aikuro Ikuko’s side.

“Hi!” Funzaki proclaimed.

*“AAH!”* much to Ikuko’s surprise.

“Oh, hello.” Ikuko properly greeted, “Hammer guy…I thought your sensei was guarding me.” she mused, as Funzaki smiled.

“Funzaki! My name is Funzaki!”the shinobi declared with the tact one would expect of a smitten idiot, “We switched! But don’t worry, my Hammer w-I will protect you.” he announced.

“Yeah, been meaning to ask about that. Why are you carrying that thing around with you?” Ikuko asked.

“Oh, this thing? It amplifies my chakra! Can’t do jutsu without it!” Funzaki proudly explained, though he realized in retrospect this was not something to be proud of. Especially since it seemed to make Ikuko laugh.

“What?” Funzaki barked as his client continued to laugh.

“That’s not what that hammer does!” she laughed.


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## Santí (Jun 6, 2014)

*Katsurou*
Kumogakure Hokage Residence ​
After exactly 60 seconds, the one the Raikage spoke of turned into the room, bowing his head and apologizing to us for his tardiness. "My name is Hikita Kirigaya, and I will be the third member of your team."

"Ah, excellent" Katsurou grinned, his eyes intently focused elsewhere, "you went far enough to consider bringing fresh bread for us on the trip. Worry not about the minor tardiness, it is much more important that we are fully prepared for everything". Katsurou crossed his arms and stood straight, blatantly examining the one who called himself Kirigaya. The new squad member stood a brush-stroke higher than himself with a leaner complexion; however, his muscle-tone indicated that his body was physically trained and conditioned to avoid bulk as to avoid impeding agility or hindering movement. Another CQC specialist? Katsurou narrowed his hawk-like gaze with Kirigaya's own set of contrasting dark-eyes... And he liked what he saw, smiling once more. 

"Greetings, comrade. I am Itsamuki Katsurou, son of Katashi and Hina. I look forward to becoming more acquainted" he announced shortly before landing a thunderous flat pat on the back to the all too delightful Ruka, who needed to now introduce herself as well and appeared to still be partially in... Wherever it was her mind drifted off too.


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## Kyuuzen (Jun 6, 2014)

- Hagane || Rengoku -​
"You think quickly on your feet."

Rengoku smiled and took her hand, raising up from the ground and onto his feet.  "Not fast enough it seems.  Thanks Yui-san.  I've got a long way to go before I can make my body move as fast as yours."  He dusted the dirt and bubble remnants off of the seat of his pants and cracked his neck from side to side.  "Well," he began, looking around at the incredibly slippery ground around him.  "I can't move without falling, and you were already faster than me.  I think you win this one."  He rubbed the back of his neck gingerly, a little sore from taking the brunt of the fall on his neck.  This was still good, he figured.  His teammates knew what he could do, roughly, and he new what Yui could do, roughly.  This was essential in forming an effective team.​


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## Redblood (Jun 6, 2014)

*Kabiki Ruka*
Raikage?s Office

----------​
Kabiki Ruka, lost in pleasant memories of the past, was shocked to suddenly see another shinobi in the office with them, thanks to a firm pat on the back by her teammate.

?Oh! Hi there! I guess you?re our new third guy, huh?? Ruka asked with her cheer in full force as she extended her arm for a handshake.

?Nice to meet you?? Kabiki Ruka began, fumbling halfway through her greeting. She hadn?t actually heard the boy?s name. Luckily, Katsurou was there to help.

?Kirigaya Hikita.? he whispered.

?Kirigaya Hikita!? Ruka repeated, much louder and full of the spirit one came to expect from her as she waited for a handshake.


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 6, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure XIII*

*Ren Houki*

As the light receded from Ren's eyes, he became aware of two things: one was that Minako had not crashed into Hirari as he had originally planned, and the second was that the black haired girl seemed to have disappeared entirely. Following his training, the blue haired shinobi turned his head, looking right, left and behind for any sign of the Hyūga, but there was no sign of her. Summoning his shield from his briefcase, the Houki quickly took to the air a few metres above the water. 

_"She must be in the water, then."_

Ren brought his hands together, beginning to mould the chakra flowing inside his body. Minako seemed to be out of commission and with Hirari seemingly lurking in wait for an advantage, he was presented with the perfect opportunity to prepare his jutsu. Hovering higher into the air, a ball of lightning formed above him, ready to fire a beam in any direction the girl could come from.

She had to come out eventually, after all. And when she did, Ren would be waiting.


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 7, 2014)

*The First Mission, II*

*Hikita Kirigaya*

Well, these people seemed reasonable at least. Katsuou seemingly mistook his poor timing and planning as a gesture of friendship for a new team—well, he wasn't going to correct him. "It's white with sliced crusts." He affirmed, taking another step into the room and towards Ruka, accepting her handshake.

His grip was strong and, even though he hadn't meant to, Hikita did it almost instinctively. For most of the years of his life, his calloused hands had been used to tightly holding onto the hilts of swords, hammer or a piece of unbeaten iron. With any of them, the golden rule that had been drilled into him by his father had always been to keep a tight grip and never let go. So, not used to giving or receiving handshakes from other people, he accidentally did the same to Ruka, gripping her hand as if it were a piece of metal.

_"Okay, things seem to be going well so far."_

Though, what Kirigaya considered 'well' and what others considered 'well' in social situations were slightly different. To the humble blacksmith whose social skills had yet to flourish or develop properly, 'well' meant that he hadn't embarrassed himself somehow or insulted someone by accident. Relinquishing his handshake, somewhat awkwardly, he turned to the elderly man in the Kumogakure flak jacket.

"You must be the famous Amagumo-sensei. It's an honour."


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## Redblood (Jun 7, 2014)

*Amagumo*
Raikage’s Office

----------​
“Please,” Amagumo replied, placing a hand on his new student’s shoulder, “the pleasure is all mine. Well, we’d best not waste any time. Team Amagumo, let’s head out! There should be transportation outside, waiting to take us to our mission!” Amagumo proclaimed.

“Oh boy!” Kabiki Ruka exclaimed, jumping for joy and running out of the Hokage’s office, the others following soon after, save for Amagumo. He was about to leave, when he heard the Raikage’s seat creak forward, the man mountain placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder before he could exit.

“Wait, Mr. Cloud, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you.” D requested, his elder turning toward him with a puzzled look on his face.

“It’s about that student of yours, Kabiki Ruka. She stole something earlier, something I’d like back.” Big D explained, only adding to Amagumo’s confusion.

“Ah, yes. As I understand it she stole a glider prototype from one of your factories. Though if word of mouth is correct, I can only really bring you the pieces left over.” Amagumo replied as D shook his head.

“No, no, I’m not talking about that... or even about the factory she ruined. This is something she stole much earlier. It’s the reason why I assigned her to your team…” the Raikage declared.

“Maybe I should take a seat.” Amagumo thought aloud, doing just that as he settled in.

. . .

Meanwhile, Ruka, Katsurou, and Hikita had made it out of the Raikage’s office and out onto street level. Kabiki Ruka took a deep breath of the nice, clean air before she spoke again.

*“OH MY GOSH, A BUS!!”* the kunoichi exclaimed. And sure enough, waiting just outside the Raikage’s Building was a short, bright yellow bus, a short, pudgy man waiting beside it with a sign that read “AMAGUMO” on it. Excited as ever, Ruka skipped onto the bus and waited for her friends to join her. Once they did, there was about a minute of silence before Amagumo exited Big D’s office and joined the team on the bus. Once they did, the driver got in, closed the door and started the engine.

“Well, settle in. We’ll be on this bus for a few hours.” Amagumo declared as he shifted in his seat.

“Why’s that, sensei? Where are we going?” Ruka inquired.

“Well, we’ll be driving to and over the Kumogakure mountainside, going deep into a place that to this day has not been fully explored. We’ll be going down into an outpost deep inside The Valley of Ice.”

*STORY ARC I: DEEP IN THE VALLEY OF ICE*​


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## Redblood (Jun 8, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku*
ROOT HQ

----------​
?Are you sure that?s wise, taichou?? a low, snide voice rang out from a dark corner. A boy, not much older than Sougo, stepped forth from the shadows. He was far different from either of the ROOT operatives, having no mask to hide his identity. That, and his outfit was nowhere near as combat-ready. He wore a loosely buttoned Hawaiian shirt and jeans, dark sunglasses obscuring his eyes. He ran his hand through his shock of bright blond hair before speaking again.

?Sending the kid out there alone, I mean. He?s never been on the outside before.? the teen clarified, raising his eyebrows.

?Ah, Tokuoka Roku. Right on time. And formal as ever, I see. Don?t worry, he won?t be alone. You?re going to escort him, and aid him in his mission.? Commander Senkuu declared.

?Tch, so I have to babysit? Me and my big mouth.? Roku spat as he headed out.

?Roku!? Senkuu exclaimed, making the boy stop dead in his tracks. A sigh, and Roku answered.

?What?? he asked.

?22-7B cannot be killed on the outside. He's too important to our goals. Should he be discovered, do whatever it takes to extract him safely. There may even be a little murder in it for you.? the Commander ordered as an unpleasant grin spread across Roku?s face.

?Now *THAT?S *what I like to hear.? Roku cackled as he followed after Kushu Sougo.


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## Island (Jun 8, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*

*Gentle Step: Twin Badger Fists [1/1]*​
Ren took to the sky, which wasn’t all that surprising. He must have known that if I was underwater, I would have jabbed the bottom of his feet and crippled him on the spot and effectively knocked him out of the fight. On top of that, he created another one of those Thunder Pearls. While not especially dangerous, they still presented a serious threat to Minako and me. Since I was underwater and would have to come back up eventually, I was in a particularly nasty but unavoidable situation. When I inevitably back up, Ren could strike me with Thunder Pearl…

This meant that I needed to overwhelm Ren before he had an opportunity to strike back.

Considering that his attention would be at least partially divided between Minako and me, I thought that I might just be able to accomplish this task. On top of that, he wouldn’t have anticipated me coming at him from below. To his knowledge, I couldn’t just brute force my way through his shield. It looked way too durable to simply strike, meaning that I would need a powerful Ninjutsu or Taijutsu to break it. Again, to his knowledge, I didn’t have anything like that, no flashy explosives or anything similar…

Just the Palm Rotation technique but that was a purely defensive move, not something I would be using to attack somebody with.

“Gentle Step!” I began channeling my chakra.

I released chakra from the bottom of my feet to propel myself upwards, effectively launching myself out of the water and at Ren from below.

“Twin Badger Fist!” I shouted.

Densely concentrated chakra became visible around my hands, slowly taking shape into two faces, one on each hand. Slowly, they took form into long-faced mammals with black and white stripes running down their faces. Indeed, my variation of the Twin Lion Fist began to take form, manifesting as these two weasel-like creatures. As I shot upwards, I shot my arms forward, aiming for the bottom of that levitating shield that Ren had. If I was correct, I would be striking where he wouldn’t expect, with a technique that he’d never seen before!

Of course, I attempted to use it previously, but the chances of him expecting something like this were low…

I recalled the words of my father, _“Hirari, what I’m about to teach you is a technique that allows you to utilize your mastery of chakra crafting and create an offensive technique that can break through defenses that the Gentle Fist traditionally cannot. By shrouding chakra around your hands, you can rush your opponent, shatter their armor and leave them stunned, and ultimately, susceptible to your palm thrusts.”_

I remembered him facing me, his Byakugan activated. He began to mold chakra around his hands, so much that it became visible to the naked eye. I hesitated, taking a step back, frightened at the sheer amount of chakra my father was creating. His chakra pool was significantly larger than mine, and thus, he could concentrate more into that one technique, bringing down greater and more powerful defenses than I could ever hope to dream.

Finally, his technique took shape, two roaring tigers!

_“There are many who have claimed to have created an absolute defense, unbreakable walls that no jutsu can pierce.”_ My father went on. _“This is the Hyuuga Clan’s answer to that.”_

I snapped back to reality, coming straight for Ren. If I was successful, I would shatter his shield and strike him, knocking him into the air and down into the water. Then, I would flip forward and land safely atop the water. Although father had shown me the basics and I had practiced the technique many times, it was still strenuous to channel so much chakra at once, and whenever I did it, I needed at least a moment to recover. I figured that as I grew stronger, my stamina increasing and my overall mastery of the technique improved, I would have less trouble, but at the moment…


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## Fedster (Jun 8, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


Minako was such a good actress. It was quite a feat to pull off that act, to appear helpless and defeat when it was not the case. She stopped sinking and began to swim up, finally breaking the surface and filling her lungs with air again. At that moment, she saw another figure emerging from the depths, a strange blue aura surrounding both of their hands.

Wait, wasn't that Hirari?

It _was_ Hirari! Wow, when did she learn to do that? Like, Ren's shield kind of seem unimportant after seeing the two badgers' heads that engulfed her hands like gloves. They also looked threatening, and they could become a problem, should the battle continue. Besides, Minako was already near her limit after using her B-rank on two targets simultaneously. She could, at the best, use one more jutsu before having to give up.

"So be it, then." She resolved, kneading a last set of seals. It was quite convenient that Ren and Hirari were always relatively near when she needed to cast Genjutsu on them. "_Zoom!_" She dropped to one knee, one half-closed and gasping. _'If I can pull this off, it's my win.However, if they dispell it, it's game over.'_


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## Island (Jun 9, 2014)

*Nashi*
Root Headquarters

---​
?Hey, Roku-kun, you sadist son of a bitch,? somebody called, ?Wait the fuck up.?

A young man, codenamed Nashi, moved quickly to catch up to his partner, Roku. Similar to his fellow operatives, this one wore a long black cloak, concealing his identity. Though, he did not wear a mask. Instead, his pitch black hair obscured his face, eclipsing his eyes and showing only his nose and mouth. He didn?t really feel the need to hide his identity. Unlike other operatives, he reasoned, he was a not priority target, nobody in particular. Plus, even if he wanted one, they wouldn?t let him until he?d proven himself or something or another. He couldn?t really remember, something about not really being official yet, medical evaluations, something, something, followed by a bunch more stuff that he crammed into the back of his head for until  actually became important.

In other words, they didn't let him have one yet, and he didn't care to know why.

?I know you ain?t goin? out there without me.? He finally caught up to his partner, who was likewise following somebody else.

He brought a thick manila envelope into view, ?At least _somebody_ should be reading these dossiers and figuring out what?s what...?

?In order,? he began, walking alongside his partner, ?One Brawly, Fightin?, jounin, Taijutsu Specialist, nothing remarkable except that he?s wanted in four countries and renowned as one of the world?s greatest martial artists. We ain't killin' him even if he tied both hands behind is back and put a kunai through his heart _for_ us. Next, we got one Houki Ren, genin, something or another about the Houki Clan, nothing important. Then we got one Hyuuga Hirari, genin, heiress to the Hyuuga Clan, killing her would cause quite a stir. Ten out of ten, would recommend killing. Finally, some Urasabi Minako, genin, something, something, Urasabi Clan immigrated here from somewhere or another after the Fourth Shinobi World War, again, nobody of importance, though her Genjutsu might knock you into next week. Two out of ten. Would not recommend killing.?

He flipped through the folder some more, scanning the dossiers, in search of anything he might have missed, before finally deciding that were no longer of any interest to him.

?Here,? he passed them over, ?Burn them or something. I _know_ you ain?t gonna read ?em, so there?s no use having two copies.?

?Hey, you, Numbers,? he called out to his new teammate, referencing his designation, ?I didn?t quite catch your name.?

?Mine is Nashi.? He introduced himself and then his partner. ?This is Roku, Tokuoka Roku.?


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 9, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure XIV*

*Ren Houki*

If his guess was correct, Hirari would likely attempt to divert his attention somehow and then attack from the side, where he wouldn't be able to block with his shield since it was occupied with keeping him afloat in the air. A simple tactic, but not one he hadn't been anticipating already, which was why he summoned the lightning pearl. But something was off...

_"Why is she taking so long?"_

His sense of unease was, a few moments later, confirmed with a violent rocking in his shield. Hirari shot out from the water, directly underneath him, and struck the bottom of his makeshift hover board. It rocked for a moment, and then split open, before what felt like a brick wall smashed Ren right in the face, sending him flying into the water. Like a rock, he crashed into the water, before immediately clawing his way back up, climbing back onto the surface with chakra walking. Unbeknownst to him at the time, he had been caught in Minako's genjutsu. 

Ren coughed, winded by Hirari's technique as most of the damage had struck at his abdomen. His chest also felt sore, and he suspected that she might have fractured something with that, even though the shield soaked up some of the impact. _"What kind of jutsu is that?"_ He wondered to himself, his blue eyes peering at the now dispersed wisps of chakra floating along her hands, then narrowed his eyes.

He brought a hand to his eyes, rubbing them to check if there was any water. For some reason, his vision had suddenly turned very blurry, as if perceiving the world through glasses on a cold winter night. It was murky, and he could only just barely make out Hirari's figure in the distance. Ren reared his head towards Minako, who had seemingly collapsed onto the water, and then it dawned upon him. He was in a genjutsu again. Well, this was simple enough to deal with?Hirari had already done half the work for him. Extending a finger, he poked lightly at his chest, wincing as a sharp pain shot through his body. 

With that one motion, the illusion faded away, and Ren's vision faded back into normal. Making a hand seal, Ren kneaded the chakra inside his body, coils of lightning dancing around his arm as he concentrated his jutsu inside his fist. "_I'll force her to dodge, and then strike._" He decided to himself, throwing shurikens at the air at her. Immediately afterwards, he moved, using a body flicker to relocate himself immediately behind her, and threw his punch.

A bright light flashed, as the familiar cackle of Ren's electricity roared in their ears. _*"Lightning Release: Thunder Pearl!"*_ Announced the Houki, a wide beam of lightning chakra bursting forth from his fist into her back.


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## Island (Jun 9, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*

*Genjutsu Training [1/1]*​
What the hell?

I came down from my strike, landing exactly as I meant to, and then it hit me. I had no idea what it was or where it came from, but I felt like I was about to lose my lunch. All around me, dizziness, as if the world was spinning. Everything began to mesh together, as if my vision suddenly became two-dimensional, as if I lost my sense of distance. A Genjutsu. It must have been a Genjutsu. Another damn Genjutsu. Again, I had no idea how Minako was doing this, where or when she even learned any of this, but damn, it was brutally effective.

A normal person would have just been disoriented but not me.

With the Byakugan activated, it felt like the whole world was closing in on me.

I quickly brought my hands up to my temples and began rubbing, trying to make whatever this was go away, or at the very least, alleviate the symptoms. I tried to concentrate, think back, and figure out something to do. What? How? Again, I recalled what I was taught at the academy and then everything else I had been taught over the last few years, from father, mother, and most recently, Brawly and the Hokage.

Our leader’s words echoed in my mind, _“Among the three fighting styles, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu, the latter is probably the least frequently used but also the most dangerous. Using Genjutsu requires immense skill, and likewise, combatting it, requires the user to either have an inherent predisposition to detecting and reversing the effects of Genjutsu, such as the Byakugan or the Sharingan, or to be able to override its effects through masterful chakra control. In regards to the latter, one can stop the flow of chakra in their body and then apply a sudden surge that interrupt’s the opponent’s chakra flow.”_

Like father always told me, the Byakugan could detect and counteract the effects of Genjutsu by allowing its user to see where the enemy was striking and then reverse chakra flow to override and expel the enemy’s own. In this situation, however, I found myself barely able to stand, never mind manipulate the flow of chakra in my body. My arms shook, my legs wobbled, and I would have been lucky to even craft the most basic jutsu at this point, again, the sickening effects of this illusion being amplified by the Byakugan’s extended line of sight.

No, I needed something else.

Something simple.

_“They can also override the effects of Genjutsu through sensory overload, inflicting enough pain to reset the nervous system, in a sense…”_ I recalled him saying.

That was it.

_That_ was what I needed.

I reached down to my waist and went for the pouch at my hip, feeling around for the opening and grabbing for a kunai. Again, I couldn’t quite tell how far away they were, so it was almost like I was reaching down with my eyes closed. Not as much of a problem since reaching down for kunai, shuriken, and other ninja tools was almost instinctive by now, but still, it was somewhat inconvenient to not have my use of my sense of distance.

Some basic anatomy would say that there were plenty of nerve endings on the hands, mostly the fingertips, which meant that if I stabbed one, enough pain should shoot through my body to override most basic Genjutsu. Thinking back, this was the same way that Ren dispelled Minako’s previous Genjutsu, by ramming a senbon into the back of his neck.

Not nearly as masochistic, the principle was the same.

I brought the kunai up to chest level, holding it in my right hand and then held out my left ring finger. Just as I was about to do anything, however…

*SWOOOOOOOSH!*

I narrowly sidestepped a couple of shuriken. Apparently, Ren was back on the offensive, which didn’t take very long. Granted, this strange Genjutsu probably had less of an effect on him than me…

Just as I dodged, Ren moved in with another Body Flicker, something that he seemed to be quite a fan of using. I had little time to react, and thus, was forced to take the brunt of whatever technique he was about to unleash upon me. Maybe, just maybe, I’d be able to must up a Body Flicker of my own, but…

*ZAAAAAAAAAAP!*

His Ninjutsu struck me and sent me toppling forward, also leaving me susceptible to whatever follow-up he might have in store for us. On the other hand, the excoriating shock I experienced was enough to knock me out of that Genjutsu that Minako put on me. Still…

This wasn’t going quite as well as I hoped it would.

*“ENOUGH!”* I heard Brawly shout. “I’ve seen what I needed to see.”


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## Fedster (Jun 9, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako



After Ren sent Hirari flying with his lightning thingies, Brawly-sensei made his second (and hopefully final) interruption. "*ENOUGH!*" He almost broke the rocks around them with his voice. "I've seen what I needed to see!" What did he mean by that? Was this like the test bell, only that instead of working together to defeat him, he made them fight against one another to learn their abilities? Or were _they_ suppose to learn that? Ugh, it was too confusing.

However, Minako did learn quite a lot about her two teammates. There was a palpable rivalry between them. However, if said rivalry existed fro before they became a team Minako did not know. But what she knew was that should they be in different teams, they would take each other's heads every time they crossed paths.

At that moment, Minako remembered another thing. This place, the Valley of the End, was where Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara had their final battle; where Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke had their definitive fight...And now, they were having a 'friendly' spar. Hirari and Ren, Ren and Hirari. Two opposite forces that tugged the rope with equal strength, and that, one day, it will grow weary and will will be cut...

And between those two forces, what was Minako's place?

_'No. If the rope ever gives in...I'll be there to fix it.'_ She resolved quietly, not entirely sure how she started to think about that. She put it in the back of her mind and, with weary feet, dragged herself towards Brawly-sensei and the others.

"The spar's over?" She asked, returning to her cheerful self again. "Who won? Was it me?! It was me, wasn't it?!"


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## Hidden Nin (Jun 9, 2014)

*Kouji, Ran & Yui Hōzuki*

To the Land of Rivers and Kirigakure Training Grounds #34​
Kouji squinted at him a little as they continued, then folded his arms in front of his chest. "What the fuck? Fucking say it, god dammit. You're smug as fuck about it, obviously you wanna brag to Professor Bones over there. And I'll have a better chance of not FUCKING IT UP if you tell me what to look for. Otherwise I might fuck it up like the hired muscle you think I am, yea? *YEA*?"

Kouji walks in front of him then, facing the archeaologist as he began to step backwards, hands behind his head. "*C'MON*. Brag about your life's work. You know you want to. And the way you're looking you don't have much time left on the clock to spill the beans before you just keel over and *die*."

--------------

Ran watched the ensuing combat between Yui and Rengoku, her lazy smile slowly turning into a faint frown as it continued, and then ended a little abruptly. She ran a hand through her hair, drawing a few stray strands behind her ear with a sigh, and nodded.

"Well, that was interesting. It was good to see both of you give it your best shot and put your all into a spar, twice for Yui. But I sort of get the feeling that...as a team, you guys would probably fall flat. Am I wrong?" Ran made a hand sign, and then in front of her rose a clone from the moisture in the field, an exact replica of Ran, with all her appropriate weaponry and outfit.

"I want to see how well you guys work _together_, rather than your individual talents against each other. Good luck." The clone then drew the blade its back quick as greased lightning, chakra bursting through in the form of a slash as hiramekarei came to life through a massive radius!

Yui instantly swept Rengoku's feet from under him, and he fell flat, ducking the attack as a result.  And in the few moments before her sister's clone came at them full strength, she whispered to him, "Any ideas? Strategy seems to be your strong suit."


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## Redblood (Jun 10, 2014)

*Journey to The Land of Rivers, IV*

*Funzaki
*To The Land of Rivers

----------​
?What do you mean that?s not what The Hammer does?! I?ve had this thing all my life! It?s amplified my chakra so I could actually be a shinobi! I never had any chakra without it!? Funzaki exclaimed in disbelief. Ikuko, who had stopped laughing, cleared her throat and explained.

?That Hammer doesn?t amplify a person?s chakra. It FOCUSES it. You DO have chakra.? Ikuko declared with a sigh.

?How do you know all of this?? Funzaki asked.

?Because I tried to use it once, when I was trying to become a kunoichi. It?it doesn?t help you if you don?t have ANY chakra.? Ikuko elaborated, her posture wilting like a dying flower.

?You wanted to be a kunoichi?? Funzaki thought aloud, stepping a little closer to Ikuko as he did.

?Of course, who doesn?t? But?but my family?s cursed with a complete LACK of chakra.? Ikuko replied, looking Funzaki right in his eyes. And that?s when Funzaki saw it: Ikuko had red irises, a telltale sign of the Aikuro clan, famous for owning and operating most of the shops and businesses in Konoha, as their lack of chakra made them ill-suited for much else. They were so widespread they were even known in Sunagakure. Funzaki was at a loss for words. A woman was right beside him, upset, and he couldn?t think of a single thing to say to comfort her.

?I became an archaeologist to study ancient civilizations, to study the birth of chakra. And, maybe some day, find out why I can?t use any. Then maybe medical science can cure people like me. People who want to help, but who just aren?t strong enough to do it.? Ikuko explained.

?NONSENSE!? Funzaki proclaimed, looking Ikuko straight in the face, ?ANYONE can help someone else! It doesn?t matter if you have chakra or if you don?t! As long as you have the kindness and the SPIRIT to help others, you can totally help people! You know, you?re helping people right now.? he said with a smirk.

?How?? Ikuko chirped.

?By leading this very expedition, you?re helping people find KNOWLEDGE, a power greater than any chakra!? Funzaki declared, Ikuko perking up a bit.

?You think so?? she asked.

?Ab-so-lutely! Now, please? don?t be sad. A pretty face like yours shouldn?t stain itself with tears.? Funzaki pleaded, as Ikuko realized tears had been welling up in her eyes during their little conversation. She dried her eyes as her face turned a little pink.

?S-shut up.?

. . .

Kouji was getting rather annoyed by Akage?s cryptic nature, squinting at him a little as they continued, then folded his arms in front of his chest. "What the fuck? Fucking say it, god dammit. You're smug as fuck about it, obviously you wanna brag to Professor Bones over there. And I'll have a better chance of not FUCKING IT UP if you tell me what to look for. Otherwise I might fuck it up like the hired muscle you think I am, yea? *YEA*?"

?Tch, you wouldn?t understand it.? was all the response Akage gave.

Kouji walked in front of him then, facing the archeaologist as he began to step backwards, hands behind his head. "*C'MON*. Brag about your life's work. You know you want to. And the way you're looking you don't have much time left on the clock to spill the beans before you just keel over and *die*."

?My work isn?t something to brag about, boy. I?m in the business of SCIENCE, not fame. Do you know how many scientist?s names and discoveries get remembered over the years? Next to NONE! Even if you work hard, even if you find things no one?s ever seen before, do you know how many people know your NAME after you?re gone?! Next to NONE! I?ve discovered countless extinct species, all different forms of organisms and do you know what I have to show for it?! *NOTHING!* This job, this last job, isn?t to prove anything to anyone else. It?s to prove something to* MYSELF.*? Akage growled, leaving the two staring each other down. 

The three groups progressed, with Kimiko taking snapshots of the jungle every-so-often, yet Chi and Kaguro began to trail behind everyone. Partially due to Kaguro?s insistence to examine every new species of flora he came across, and partially due to something not so easily placed. Chi?s eyes were darting left and right every so often, and her hands were twitching. Something was off.

Yet, the teams continued onward, unabated by Chi?s fidgeting. That is, until Funzaki heard a twig snap.

?What the f??

*SOMEONE'S IN THE TREES!*

Funzaki grabbed Ikuko and leapt out of the way as a fireball obliterated the tree next to them, sending splintered wood and fire across the team?s path. As Funzaki got Ikuko to her feet, from out of the fire came three nearly identical heavily armored warriors. 













Their skin was like ash, heavily protected by metal. Their faces were concealed by masks, though the trio?s gaze was enough to stop the group in their tracks. One was holding a ball of fire in his hands, but was smaller than the other two. The second was nearly seven feet tall and built like an ox. The last one seemed to generate lightning just by moving.

?So we?ve finally found you, Aikuro Ikuko?? the lightning one proclaimed. A female.

?Yes, and as we told you before?? the fire one continued, a male.

?What lies in the temple is OURS.? the big one snarled, ?now?you will ALL die.? he growled, as the three of them ran straight for the team!


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## Kyuuzen (Jun 11, 2014)

- Hagane || Rengoku -​
Rengoku frowned a bit at Ran-sensei's assessment, scratching the back of his neck.  Were they really that bad as a team?  He didn't think so.  Yui had strong abilities in Taijutsu and he was good at mid range, plus their elements gave them a wide range of offensive capabilities.  Was it their defense?  Granted, a doton user would round them out nicely.  Before he could really respond to her, she created a clone that attacked incredibly rapidly with a copy of the sword the jonin wielded.  With a swift low sweeping kick that dropped him to his back, Yui forced him to narrowly dodge the swiftly traveling weapon.  He landed roughly on his back, gritting his teeth a bit as Yui told him to come up with a plan.  _A plan?  Shit... well, if they're sisters, then Ran-sensei must obviously have the same Kekkei Genkai as Yui.  Not only that, but she had to learn the Hidden Mist technique from someone.  Most likely a close-range type, like Yui, with ranged jutsu to give more possibilities._  Those thoughts came to Rengoku in the span of a second, his sharp mind working at top speed.

He rolled backwards and onto his feet just in time to see the clone gear up to sprint toward them.  He formed seals as he spoke.  "Same tactic I used against you for now.  Block sight and hearing, we play keep away.   Katon!  Gokakyuu no Jutsu!"  A crimson ball of flames turning and folding over themselves erupted from his lips and rumbled toward Ran-sensei's clone, threatening to swallow it whole.  The ball was large enough to completely hide the two of them from view, and the sounds of raging flames was just enough to conceal their sound, or so he hoped.  However, the sound of the fireball was not the only thing he would use.  He reached behind into his weapons pouch and launched twin kunai at the ball of flame, explosive tags trailing from the back of them.​


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## Island (Jun 11, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
“I am… Brawly confessed. “…disappointed in the three of you.”

He stood in the center of the three of us, his arms crossed, and a much more solemn look in his eyes, in stark contrast to his usual upbeat attitude. I had no idea why this was, what could have possibly made him so upset, but, seeing him like that, I wasn’t all that eager to find out. Ever since we met him, he seemed so jovial, so happy-go-lucky, but now, it was like we were looking at somebody else entirely…

“Look up there,” he seemed surprisingly calm, pointing over to the statues, “What do you see?”

He didn’t wait for an answer. “You see two of our village’s bitterest enemies about to face off, ready to determine the fate of not just Konoha but the entire Shinobi World. But what are they doing, Hirari-chan, Minako-chan, Ren-kun? They are making the Seal of Confrontation, one of the oldest and most universal gestures in the Shinobi World. Half of a tiger seal and half of a ram seal, it represents one’s desire to fight…”

He turned his gaze way from the statues, instead, focusing on the three of us.

“We do not spar to win,” he went on, “We spar for sport, for fun, to hone our skills and those of our comrades. If you fight with the mindset that you must win, that you must beat your opponent, then you are not sparring. You are attempting to assert your dominance, show superiority over your comrades…”

“We are *COMRADES*, we are *NAKAMA*,” he stated, “Our purpose here is not to beat each other senseless.”

“We are *SHINOBI*. We do not fight for *DOMINANCE*, for *SUPREMACY*. We fight to protect those we *LOVE*.” He spat into the water.

At this point, Brawly was turning red with anger. He bore an intense look on his face, his brow angled forward and his nose scrunched. Veins bulged from his neck, and it was quickly becoming clear that this was no laughing matter, no cheap joke or lame word game…

He must have been fuming.

“Hirari-chan, Ren-kun,” he turned his attention to us, “We are not at war. We are not risking our lives on the battlefield. We are practicing, training ourselves, and working to better ourselves as shinobi so that we may protect the people who are important to us. In this situation, we do not get ready. We do not draw our weapons or craft jutsu before the battle has even begun. That is a sign of *DISRESPECT* toward your *NAKAMA*.”

“Hirari-chan,” his cold eyes locked on me. I backstepped, hesitating, his death glare fixed upon me. “We do not strike to break our opponents, to bring them down and win the fight. You may have seriously injured Ren-kun, made him incapable of completing his mission. Utter *INCOMPETENCE* on your part, Hirari-chan. I expected *BETTER*. A disappointment, Hirari-chan, that is what you have just proven yourself to be. Not a kunoichi, but a *DISAPPOINTMENT* to both your clan and your village.”

“Ren-kun,” he turned to my teammate, “You *KNEW* that you had an inherent advantage over your comrades and sought to *EXPLOIT* it. For what purpose other than to mercilessly beat down them down? To claim victory? You have much potential, Ren-kun, and are capable of doing great things. However, you are amongst friends. _*COMRADES. NAKAMA.*_ Yet, you treat these two, your *NAKAMA*, in such a way? That makes you *TRASH*, Ren-kun! *NO!* It makes you *WORSE THAN TRASH*, and until you learn that power is a means of protecting your *NAKAMA* and not some tool for carving your name into the history books, then that is *ALL* you shall ever be.”

“Minako-chan,” he addressed, “Your inaction makes you just as responsible. If Senju Hashirama had not confronted Uchiha Madara, what would have happened? If Uzumaki Naruto and the rest of Team Seven had not done battle with that same man a hundred years ago, where do you think we might all be today? As a member of this team, it is your responsibility to *ENSURE* that it operates at *OPTIMAL* efficiency. If you sit on the sidelines and watch, then you are utterly *WORTHLESS*.”

We stood in silence for the next twenty or thirty seconds, probably left to think on what our sensei had told us. Incompetent and a disappointment to both my clan and my village? Was that really what Brawly thought of me? Not as a kunoichi but as a disappointment? To say that stung was an understatement. Hell, to say that it hurt would have been an understatement. For somebody like Brawly, so ready, so eager, to childish and playful, to actually get angry and say something like that. Not only that, but he was our sensei, our teacher. To hear that you are a complete failure from your own teacher…?

I didn’t know how to react.

But then, Brawly broke the silence.

“On our first day together,” he recollected, “The three of you impressed me with your ability to work together as a team and overcome the obstacles that stood in your way. Actually getting the bell wasn’t important, as I’ve told you before. It was showing me that you were capable of functioning as a team. *HOWEVER!* If you can only function as a team so long as it is convenient for you, if you do not recognize your teammates as *COMRADES*, *NAKAMA*, all dedicated to a common goal of protecting your village and its inhabitants, then you are not truly a team… you are a bunch of *CHILDREN* playing *PRETEND*.”

“It doesn’t take much to pick up a kunai,” he concluded, “But it does take a lot to be a shinobi. It is not some title you are given for passing a couple classes or proving that you are capable of molding chakra and throwing shuriken. Being a shinobi is an *IDEAL*, a *PRINCIPLE*, and, again, until you understand what those principles are, you are *NOT* shinobi. You are *CHILDREN* masquerading as shinobi.”

*“NOW GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!”* He roared with an intensity that I had never seen from him before.


----------



## Kyuuzen (Jun 11, 2014)

*Kushu Sougo
ROOT HQ*

"Hm?"

Kushu Sougo was pretty skilled for his age, and his capacity to sense followers through miniscule sounds was decent, but when two people freely followed after him while chatting, it didn't take much to alert them to their position.  He landed on a catwalk within Root HQ and turned to face them.  One introduced the both of them, as Nashi and Tokuoka Roku.  Those names were familiar.  The head of Root saw the three boys as her own children, and much to the chagrin of some of the less-dedicated members, these three were easily her favorites.  So, understandably, he'd heard of these two before.  The details weren't there, but the names and faces were.

He took a few steps toward them and extended a hand, first toward Nashi, and slapped an incredibly fake smile on his face.  "Hello there, Nashi-san, Roku-san.  My name is Kushu Sougo, or just Sougo.  As this mission does deal with stealth and secrecy, please refer to me using that name.  Upon completion, I'll go back to 22-7B."


----------



## Island (Jun 11, 2014)

*Kaguya Masuyo*
Kirigakure

---​
_“What the hell is that?”_ Masuyo muttered to herself.

The clone produced some kind of large sword, a wide, flat blade with two curved indentations near its base with two handles. It looked like some kind of flounder fish, long and flat. It also seemed heavy and emitted chakra from two holes at the top which coated the blade. Since she met Ran and Yui, the former kept the blade bandaged up, and the young woman could only speculate as to what kind of weapon it could be and what exactly it could do. Upon seeing, however…

Masuyo still had no idea what it was.

She had never seen anything like it before.

Considering Ran and Yui were sisters, Masuyo suspected that they probably shared the same kekkei genkai. Though she still didn’t understand its mechanics, it apparently allowed the user to liquefy his or her body. It made it difficult to damage somebody like that since everything from hair to skin to skin to muscles, but most importantly, organs, could be liquefied and solidified in an instant. A useful technique with high strategic value, though, again, Masuyo suspected that it wasn’t a coincidence that the Mizukage asked Ran and Yui, users of this powerful kekkei genkai, to oversee her “transition” back into society.

An interesting combination of powers.

Masuyo found herself impressed.

Masuyo watched from the sidelines as Yui and her new teammate, Rengoku, combatted this clone of their sensei.


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## Fedster (Jun 11, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako











Minako did not expect what happened when Brawly-sensei came up to them. She thought that he would point out a few things they needed to polish, and that he would do so with his usual cheerful, upbeat self. Oh how wrong she was.

Brawly-sensei was mad, like, _really_ mad. Actually, there was not a single word that could describe him at that moment. But he was somewhere between enraged and utterly disappointed, a killing combination. Minako tried to stay outside of his reach. He could break bones with his glare in that state, and she liked them a little too much to have them broken.

He started with Ren and Hirari. The thing he said to them were not hurtful; they were devastating. And the worse of all, she could not contradict him. She wanted to, but she could not, as she knew that he was telling the absolute truth. Hirari was not a disappointment, she was not incompetent, but...she did try, and succeeded in, breaking Ren's ribs. She hurt her comrade, and Minako did not do anything to stop her.

Ren was not trash, but...he did make the spar unnecessarily violent, hurt his two teammates, and still he seemed not to care at what Brawly-sensei was spewing at him. Why did he have to be like that?

"Re..." Minako began to say, but she got interrupted by the one person she wanted to avoid.

“Minako-chan,” Brawly-sensei addressed her, And Minako's whole self shivered by the resounding of his voice. “Your inaction makes you just as responsible. If Senju Hashirama had not confronted Uchiha Madara, what would have happened? If Uzumaki Naruto and the rest of Team Seven had not done battle with that same man a hundred years ago, where do you think we might all be today? As a member of this team, it is your responsibility to *ENSURE* that it operates at *OPTIMAL* efficiency. If you sit on the sidelines and watch, then you are utterly *WORTHLESS*.”

If Brawly-sensei would have punched her senseless instead of saying what he said, it would have hurt less. Minako felt that she could not breathe. Brawly-sensei had taken all the air, forbidding her to breathe as punishment. Her whole body felt pain: her legs could barely support her, her chest ached as though a kunai had pierced through it, even letting out tears was painful, but she could not stop those.

She shivered where she stood, eyes red and watery, a constant river of tears streaming down her face. Minako finally fell to her knees, arms wrapped around herself, when Brawly-sensei shouted his order. "I-I'm sorry..." She uttered an almost inaudible whisper, her voice hoarse with regret. Brawly-sensei was right: she was worthless for not stopping the fight, and she could not call herself a real shinobi. She was just a girl who thought it would be cool to be a shinobi.


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 11, 2014)

*Kouji, Ran & Yui Hōzuki*

To the Land of Rivers and Kirigakure Training Grounds #34​
As Rengoku provides them with cover, Yui begins to create a hidden mist, though she knew for a fact that Ran was a significantly better swordswoman than her, and better trained in silent killing. But she'd have to trust her new teammate on this. As the fog began to thicken, she grabbed him and body flickered backwards, gaining them some distance. As she came to a stop, feeling their current position was far enough, she knelt over, beginning to write something on the wet ground to communicate; whispering would be too loud.

*This might work for a little, but we can't communicate for long like this before she attacks again. A full frontal assault won't work that well, but I do have one surprise she doesn't know about that might give us the advantage. Just don't mess it up, ok? This won't stop until we're maimed or the clone is done. I know my sister well enough to know.*

Ran's clone held her blade tight; to let go would cause it to be dismissed into a puddle of water and force her to adopt some other weapon. Stalking through the mist towards them, she then heard a quiet, dull buzzing that started to aggravate her sense of hearing. 

_"Insects?"_ she thought, as the real Ran looked to Masuyo. "What is your analysis, Masuyo-chan? It seems Rengoku-kun is knowledgeable in botany. Attracting those insects with the blossoms in this field. "You can smell it, right?" She wasn't frowning anymore, but it was the beginnings of a smile.

From the slowly thinning mist rushed Rengoku, who was lining up a punch towards Ran's clone's gut. The blow struck dully, but didn't have enough force to dismiss the clone outright. Ran struck out with a wide attack and Rengoku just barely managed to dip around towards her left and watched as she stepped to attack him only to realize...

She couldn't pull her leg up. Glancing down, the clone grimaced. _"Syrup Capture Field? When did they..."_ The clone heaved and dislodged her foot with the Hydrification technique after a brief one second pause, but got another solid blow to her side for her efforts. Though, this didn't make sense. Rengoku hadn't mentioned that he was this skilled at taijutsu, let alone against a sword user...unless.

The mist finally gave completely, revealing a bit further away...a second Rengoku? No, the _real _Rengoku, standing in a pool of water. The clone felt itself fall still as Yui, disguised as Rengoku, used another brief time slot to get a brutal haymaker in on the chin, sending the clone sprawling back for a moment as its chakra began to run out, and the huge blade it wielded was dismissed. Ran's clone stood back up straight, a small smile forming to the curve of her lips as she nodded. This...this was good. Then she rushed for Yui.

"Now Rengoku-san!" "Right!"

The two made simultaneous handsigns as they swapped places with a well timed doburu kawarami, sending the real Rengoku right into Ran's lap. But for what purpose? _"Silly,"_ Ran thought as she lashed out with a vicious kick, doubling Rengoku over. 

Or rather, a feint?

The clone narrowly dodged backwards as both it and Rengoku were subjected to Yui's most powerful jutsu; Suiton: Suiryūben!

Ran grimaced as the onslaught rushed towards both her and Rengoku; he'd tanked the attack to give Yui time to prepare the assault. The pool of water he'd been standing in was now gone, used as fuel for the massive network of whips. Rengoku was moving with uncanny precision as he dodged most of them. It wasn't that he was fast enough...it was that he was anticipating them. _"Memorized the order? Well then..."_

Rengoku dipped and dived past each and everyone of them as Yui's wide area of effect became more and more chaotic, causing Ran more difficulty in hitting Rengoku. That is, until he decide to close the distance, coming right towards her. "They work well together, when they have time to plan..." she thought, as he continued to maneuver past the whips unlike the clone, knowing exactly where not to be. And with a final burst of energy, he drove a fist towards the clone's solar plexus, seeking to dismiss it completely with one last strike to a weak point. 

"Gaaaaah!" he yelled, and with one last burst of energy, drove his chop into the clone's chest, as all grew still. Yui's jutsu, the bunshin, and the remaining mist, all fell together like a sheet of water held in the air until then, revealing Ran and Masuyo not too far away. 

The former, of which, was smiling. "Hey there. Look at that."


----------



## Island (Jun 12, 2014)

*Kaguya Masuyo*
Kirigakure

---​
“A timeless struggle of quality versus quantity.” Masuyo analyzed. “A single, much more powerful opponent versus two or more weaker ones. Typically, the latter achieves victory by overwhelming the former, usually by utilizing the strengths of each individual combatant and overwhelming the enemy. The strategy isn’t surprising. Suppress the enemy, prevent a counter-attack, and strike when ready.”

“Probably a much better strategy today than it was during my time.” She went on. “Back in my time, we would simply overwhelm our opponents by brute forcing our way through them. Today, you seem more organized with specialized teams, cells that specialize in any one style of fighting, or more generally, multipurpose cells where each individual member has their own specialization, may that be Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, or some combination thereof.”

Indeed, during Masuyo’s stay in Kirigakure, she took note of the organizational structure and hierarchy of the shinobi that swore loyalty to the village. She observed that they were organized into teams, usually three-man or four-man cells. Some were specialized. Others were more general but with each individual member specializing in one or more styles. On top of that, the shinobi of the village seemed to divide themselves into ranks, most likely, those who wore flak jackets and those who didn’t, though she suspected that the former was further subdivided, probably between stronger and weaker shinobi. There also appeared to be periphery units such as specialized medical squads and those for assassination and reconnaissance, but Masuyo was unsure what kind of organizational structures they had, if any.

“In any case,” she concluded, “Good teamwork can make all the difference. Individually, they probably wouldn’t stand a chance but together, and with some strategy, they can take down some of the toughest opponents.”


----------



## Island (Jun 12, 2014)

*The Adventures of Team Man Li*

*TROUBLE ROCKS THE LAND OF WAVES!*​
About an hour after we left Konoha, Team Li arrived at the Hokage?s Office to receive a mission of their own. They arrived much better prepared than us. While we were only planning to stay out a day or two, at the most, they seemed to have packed for about a week?s worth of travel, carrying a backpack each plus additional ninja pouches and miscellaneous tools such as fuma shuriken. Strange that they would pack so much, especially for a mission so simple, something that even the Hokage pointed out, but then again, Man Li was known throughout the village as being prepared for just about anything?!

Like with us, the Hokage was brief and to the point, ?Your mission today is fairly simple. Sometime last year, a tsunami struck the Land of Waves and badly damaged the Great Naruto Bridge. Although the people of the Land of Waves are excellent craftsmen, they need a professional to oversee the repairs. Escort one of our engineers to the Land of Waves and meet up with Master Takeshi, a bridge builder whose family has maintained the bridge since its construction a hundred years ago.?

?Again, simple,? he stated, ?However, you are to keep in mind that the Land of Waves depends on the Great Naruto Bridge. This isn?t some E-Rank mission or even a D-Rank one. This is a C-Rank mission where you are entrusted with safely escorting a priority target.?

?Don?t let me down, Team Li.? The Hokage concluded.

One might imagine that an engineer would be riding in style, or at the very least, have some kind automobile, maybe a car or some kind of truck. Instead, when Man Li and his team arrived at the East Gate, they came upon an elderly man, probably in his early-seventies and a decrepit old donkey pulling a wooden cart. No automobile, not even a bicycle, an aging man and his donkey. To say that Team Li was disappointed would be an understatement. Ran slapped her forehead while Haruto pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing loudly. Shizuo, meanwhile, seemed more confused than anything, probably wondering if they were even at the right gate?

*?TEAM!?* Man Li announced. ?We should consider ourselves *LUCKY* to have been given this *OPPORTUNITY*.?

?I want the three of you to start *JOGGING*.? He went on. ?No stopping until we reach the *LAND OF WAVES*!?


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## Shika (Jun 12, 2014)

Kimiko
---------------​
This mission is so easy! Just walking around, taking snaps, hearing Kaguro's explanations about the flora, and-

"What the f-"

Suddenly, a fireball zoomed through the trees, nearly hitting Funzaki and Ikuko.

And then the warriors appeared. All wearing the same, all looking menacing. 

Whoa, what is this?! No matter, I need to protect Suzuha-san and set myself up to help Kouji and Chi. And Funzaki too, I guess. She quickly moved next to Suzuha, drew a few kunai and shuriken and prepared her jutsu, ready for what would happen next.


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## Redblood (Jun 12, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku
*ROOT HQ

------------
​?Hey, Roku-kun, you sadist son of a bitch,? somebody called, ?Wait the fuck up.?

A brash call like that could only mean one thing. And sure enough, the man Roku expected appeared by his side.

?Nashi, my favorite douchebag. What?s up?? Roku greeted.

?I know you ain?t goin? out there without me.? Nashi replied as Roku smirked.

?You never could stand to see me have all the fun.? he retorted as Nashi pulled out a thick manila envelope, and read off the list of targets.  The sensei: Fightin? Brawly. A man like that would provide an excellent challenge, though if Mama Root didn?t sign off on it, then Roku decided he?d better avoid confrontation with him altogether. After all, Roku has been known to say he?ll just break an arm, and then proceed to break every other bone in the person?s body. Houki?that name sounded familiar somehow, but it probably wasn?t important. A Hyuuga?! And not just any Hyuuga. The heiress to the entire clan. Roku made a mental note to get first dibs on her, should the opportunity for battle arise. Roku would have to be wary of the Minako girl. She seemed an unknown variable. And that was most troubling. Well, at least Roku would have time on the way to think of ways to kill the Hyuuga as they travelled.  Roku was in the midst of a particularly nasty daydream when he realized that the numbered man had stopped, and Nashi had introduced everyone.

22-7B took a few steps Roku and Nashi and extended a hand, first toward Nashi, and smiled. It looked?wrong. Made Roku raise an eyebrow. 

"Hello there, Nashi-san, Roku-san. My name is Kushu Sougo, or just Sougo. As this mission does deal with stealth and secrecy, please refer to me using that name. Upon completion, I'll go back to 22-7B."

?That?s just fine. Sougo?s easier to say anyway. Nice to meet you.? Roku declared, meeting Kushu Sougo?s outstretched arm with a firm handshake.


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## Hidden Nin (Jun 12, 2014)

*Kouji*

To the Land of Rivers​
Clockwork. That was how Kouji's mind worked when fangs were bared, each of the individual parts coming to life as they clicked together, and gave birth to ideas in stunning moments of clarity, or synergy. It wasn't that he was incredibly intelligent, or anything. It was his combat sense. How putting his puppets together with his allies abilities was sort of like a show, or an act. He knew the roles, how it should go by the end if they were to come out on top. 

He knew the story, and if he stuck to it, it'd work out.

"Funzaki, avoid the electricity! Kimiko, let's go!" he shouted, making hand signs quickly as Fumiko knew what to do. As he anticipated, Chi-sama used chakra strings to pull the four out of harm's way; her use of them far surpassed Kouji's skill, and she was above all else, a professional. She'd make sure the targets didn't get hurt, first and foremost.

There was the matter of finding out what these things were, but first, fire storm! Kouji's katon roared to life in conjunction with Kimiko's Great Breakthrough, managing to knock over the armored figures. They didn't seem to show any signs of harm from their combined attack, however. Which had Kouji going like...shit. What are these things? Cause that usually worked.

Then he noticed Funzaki going in against the fire wielder, as Kimiko followed up her first attack with Temporary Paralysis.  Funzaki feinted with his odd drunken fighting style...and then activated his genjutsu as the three turned to fight him! The genjutsu and paralyzing ninjutsu worked perfectly in concert with one another, and Kouji breathed out quietly as the brief skirmish came to an end. Slowly, he strode up to the figures, a cocky smile on his face. "Didn't expect to have to deal with that sort of shit, eh motherfuckers? Now let's see how this armor works..." the tinker declared, not even having bothered to summon his puppets.

"KOUJI YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT, BE CAREFUL FOR KAMI'S SAKE!"

"Huh?" Kouji turning to regard Chi-sensei was all it took for the figure to counter. He turned just in time to find himself hammered into the ground with a solid downward punch, the wind literally being knocked from his lungs as his eyes widened in shock. Genjutsu hadn't worked? Or perhaps the paralysis jutsu had been broken? What were these things?

_"Shit..."_ the careless puppeteer muttered as he blacked out...


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jun 12, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure XV*

*Ren Houki*












Ren bent down, silently lifting his briefcase out from the water, opening it up to examine the broken contents of his shield. A soft sigh escaped from his lips, and he closed the clasp on his bag. Fightin' Brawly's words hadn't stung him—at least, not as much as it had to Hirari and Minako, but they drew him quiet.

_"What's wrong with exploiting an advantage? Isn't that just common sense? Am I meant to ignore it instead? This is retarded."_

His sensei's words went against everything he had been taught and raised to believe back when he lived with the Houki Clan. He had been taught that victory and success were the most important things a shinobi could have; things like nakama or comrades were transient—useful tools at best, and unnecessary baggage at worse. How could he simply be expected to unconditionally trust people he'd only known a few _weeks_?

The Houki winced, a sharp pain shooting through his chest as he straightened his back up. As if on cue, he was reminded of his fractured ribs. Mercilessly beat down? He didn't see anybody _else_ with damaged bones; the strongest thing he used was nintaijutsu. Ren glanced at Minako, at Hirari, apathetic. Then, still wordlessly, he made his way back to the banks.

---

_"Hey, have you heard?"

"Yeah. About Lisanna Houki?"

"It's some really sad news... to think her own daughter would do something like that."

"Well... it was her own fault. She shouldn't have tried to be so eager. I feel bad for Ren-san, though."

"What? Her son?"

"Yeah. He's so young and his family is torn now..."

"It's what happens when you don't know your place. She had it coming. Besides, that little kid isn't anything special, anyway. Lin's the genius. Compared to his sister, he's just trash."_

---

_"Ren, I'm sorry. I've failed you as a mother—I underestimated your sister. Before I'm exiled, I just want you to know..._

---

_"Poor Hana-san."

"I know, right? She was so talented. But now... she's nothing but a vegetable. I've heard that it's impossible for the seal to be broken unless Lisanna did it herself."

"What a bitch."

"Looks like it's another loss for Ren-san. Those two were close."

"Ugh... Ren-san? I don't know, I can't really feel pity for him... it's just, he's kind of disconcerting. That cold stare of his, the feeling like he's reading into you for the best way to mess you over. He used to be a cute kid, but I don't know what happened to him."

"Can you really blame him? Everything's turned to hell for his family. His sister has been branded a missing-nin, his best friend is comatose and his mother was sent on exile too."_

---

_"Don't trust anybody, Ren. The path that we walk on is a perilous road that we can only take alone. It is a narrow road, and there is no room for mistakes. Do not take to heart anybody's words—they're poison. Do not trust anyone—they're snakes. Do not accept their offers of friendship—they hold daggers in the other hand.

"M-mom, are you okay? What's going to happen to you?!"

"I will be exiled, but it's highly likely that shinobi from the clan will be sent out to hunt me down so that my secrets do not escape. I'm sorry, Ren. This is all my fault. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." _

---

He opened his eyes again, giving a shake of his water sprinkled head. Reaching inside his pocket, he produced the bar Fightin' Brawly had given them, crinkled and crushed from being moved around so much inside his trousers. Opening his bag up, he placed it inside one of the dark pockets of his briefcase and shut it again.


----------



## Island (Jun 12, 2014)

*Team Ran*

*THE ISLAND OF ISOLATION*​
About a week later…

Magari Kunetta, the Mizukage, glanced up at the three of you, Ran, Yui, and Rengoku, as you entered her office. She appeared especially busy today. Two mountains of paper sat beside her, one labelled “In” and another labelled “Out”, most likely consisting of paperwork that she had yet to do and the other which she had already done. Looking at all of this work, you might have suspected that she’d be long since passed out where she sat had it not been for a gigantic mug of hot coffee beside her. At the very least, you would have to appreciate her dedication to her village. Not many shinobi would be willing to sit at a desk all day, stamping papers and answering calls.

“Good morning, Team Ran,” The Mizukage greeted.

“If you don’t mind, I’m going to get straight to the point.” She began. “The three of you are to head to Sakana Island and investigate some suspicious behavior reported by the locals. Apparently, somebody has been stealing their fishing boats. Pirates, maybe, but we don't think so. Most likely, they just scuttled them and are trying to collect on the insurance.”

The Mizukage went on. “A military transport is docked in the harbor and will be passing by Sakana Island later on this afternoon. I’ve requested that they make a special stop for you, so you needn't worry about transportation. Once there, begin your investigation. Talk to everybody you meet, get as much information as you can, and then report back. Again, we’re not expecting anything substantial, most likely some impoverished fishermen looking to make a quick buck.”

Then, the woman produced a manila envelope and handed it over to Ran. “Within, you’ll find information on the island and its inhabitants, or, well, as much as we have. This is a small fishing community, home to maybe a couple hundred people, literally the smallest island community you’ve never heard of…”

The woman turned back to the mountain of paperwork stacked on her desk and left the three of you to your work. Just as you began to leave, however…

“One last thing.” The Mizukage added. “Your teammate, Mitsura Iko, has been redeployed to the Land of Fire, and thus, you are one teammate short of a full team. To rectify this, you are to bring Kaguya Masuyo along with you. As you may or may not know, she is not one of us, affiliated with neither Kirigakure or the Land of Water. Nevertheless, you are to treat her with the utmost respect, as both a friend and an ally of Kirigakure.”

“She will be waiting for you at the dock.” She specified. “And, again, so will the transport.”

“If you don’t have any questions, then you are dismissed.” The Mizukage concluded. “Good luck, Team Ran.”


----------



## Redblood (Jun 12, 2014)

*Journey to The Land of Rivers, V*

*Funzaki*
To The Land of Rivers

---------










​
Funzaki guarded Ikuko as the three rushed the team. What was he supposed to do?! This was supposed to just be some escort mission! Who

"Funzaki, avoid the electricity! Kimiko, let's go!? Kouji cried as the genin ran right at the three assailants.

?MORONS! You?re abandoning your clients!? Chi cried to her students, who did not listen.

?Goddamn it.? Chi growled as she lassoed the four scientists with her chakra strings and pulled them close to her.

?That?s the LAST time I?m helping you today! YOU GOT THAT?!? Chi roared as her students flew into batte. This whole thing felt off to Funzaki. Like they were stepping into a fight they had no place in. It? scared Funzaki. Luckily for him, he had brought along a flask of liquid courage. A quick swig was all Funzaki needed to hurry himself along.

The three assailants stopped as Kouji and Kimiko flew into the air, firing off a combined katon and Great Breakthrough attack, yet, they didn?t run from it. They just looked at it. Like they knew something.

Funzaki couldn?t quite see it, but it looked like the smaller assassins reacted to the attack just before it happened, and the fire and wind did not injure them, or even their armor!

?Interlopers will not be tolerated.? The female growled. Kouji made a run at the closest one, the fire wielder, dipping and dodging various bursts of fire thanks to his flask plan.

?What?the?hell?? the fire man growled in between bursts of flame. Funzaki?s movements were too erratic for the fire user to hit, but by that same right, Funzaki could not get close with all of that flame in his way. Out of the corner of his eye, Funzaki saw Kimiko approaching, forming the hand signs for what appeared to be the Temporary Paralysis Technique. YES! A breakthrough! Funzaki weaved in closer as his teammate used her technique, and SWUNG FOR?wait. These people didn?t flinch at the fire or wind. Fine. Then let?s try something else!

?Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique!? Funzaki cried after a series of handsigns. And?nothing. The three didn?t move. But that shouldn?t be odd considering the Paralysis Technique. What was off was?there was no reaction. Funzaki?s genjutsu was supposed to make the three see horrible, nightmarish things. And not one sound of fear came from them. What was going on here?

"Didn't expect to have to deal with that sort of shit, eh motherfuckers? Now let's see how this armor works..." Kouji sneered, getting up close and personal with the large one.

?Uh, Kouj?? Funzaki began, before his sensei interrupted him.

?KOUJI YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT, BE CAREFUL FOR KAMI?S SAKE!!? she shrieked, and just as she did so, the largest of the armored ones struck the puppeteer with the full force of his fist, knocking him to the ground.

?Shit?? Kouji groaned as the warriors stepped over him.

?I shall tell you once more. Step aside, and let us deal with Aikuro Ikuko. If you continue to interfere, we will not hesitate to crush you.? the large one said. Funzaki was sobering up a little bit, his foolhardy courage replaced by righteous anger. Even if she WASN?T part of the mission, Funzaki couldn?t just stand by while a woman was being threatened. He wouldn?t allow it! With resolve in his eyes, Funzaki ran right at the big assassin, throwing together a bunch of hand signs as he did.

?Oh no you don?t! Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique!? Funzaki roared as rocks formed around his arms, solidifying into solid stone forearms that collided with the big man?s face with a satisfying clang, and sent the big man stumbling backwards, to the other?s surprise.

?Well?? Funzaki panted, ?at least that works.? he said, looking to the three villains.

?All right. Now you listen to me, and listen well. You are not getting past me. You are not touching a hair on her head. You step past me, and you *WILL DIE.*? Funzaki growled with a ferocity seen before.

?Well, look who grew some balls?? Chi whispered, keeping a tight hold on the four clients as the three assassins rushed Funzaki all at once!


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 12, 2014)

* Kouji, Shizuo, Ran & Yui Hōzuki*

To the Land of Rivers, the Mizukage's Office, and the Kirigakure Port #23​
As the three rushed for Funzaki, there was suddenly a harsh yell from behind them as the crimson haired puppeteer stirred.

"Fuck off, I was only playing possum assholes! Shikomi Kugutsu: Shinshin Happa!" he bellowed, firing off a rapid fire spread of senbon at the armored targets. Because of their thick defenses, the poison would obviously not effect them...but that didn't mean he didn't have another plan up his sleeves. The three all stopped in their tracks, paralyzed once again, only this time it wasn't due to the kunoichi of their genin trio...

"And don't think that's all! Hijutsu Ishibari!" he added, as he formed the handsign for the movement restricting technique, smiling viciously. "And now for the finale!" All three of his recently summoned puppets began to form together, as a quiet howl began to emanate from the center of the triangular formation...

"Sanbō Kyūkai! Sayonara, dickwads!" Though the reaction from the figures had yet to be discerned as the genin began his next jutsu...

-------------

Ran peered over the documents silently before nodding to the Mizukage, and turning to leave. Though she had no questions, she didn't assume that either of her students did not. Many of Kirigakure took her by the ear style of teaching to be a sign of her immaturity, but generally Yui was quite proud of her sister, and sensei. She glanced at Rengoku to see if he had anything to ask, as he seemed to be the brain of the operation, and if no objections were made, moved to follow her sister...

-------------

Yui and Ran had adopted their usual formal wear; tank tops, camoflauged cargo pants, flight jackets with matted fur about the necks, combat boots with the laces done up and polished to a shine, and their swords on their backs.  If not for the height Ran had on Yui, some might assume that they were twins. Coming upon Masuyo at the docks, Ran waves, smiling to the Kaguya.

" 'lo, Masuyo-chan, you'll be working with us now, but I'm guessing you already know that? Let's hope you listen better than Iko-chan, alright?"

Ran was oddly cheerful, seeing as she'd retired from being a jounin not long ago. One would think that such a person would typically want to only get involved in rather important missions, and not waste their time with minor assignments such as this one. However, she apparently was eager to get started on this one, making her way onto the boat and speaking in hushed tones with the captain of the vessel about their accommodations for the day, and the plans for the trip, leaving the genin trio to speak amongst themselves and get on the vessel at their own pace...

"You like swimming?" she asks Masuyo before she gets onto the boat as well, not waiting for an answer...

-------------

Sometimes, when he woke up from a night of restless sleep, Shizuo would reflect on his dreams, or rather nightmares, and ponder their meanings. Rarely did they really mean anything honestly, but sometimes he dreamt of a him that wasn't quite him. Obviously, he never spoke of these adventures, but they were...another world. A world where he wasn't apart of Team Li.

A world where Brawly was his sensei. Of course, it was a silly notion; he was very pleased with his time on Team Li, and always felt that his sensei pushed him to his utmost potential. Shizuo had learned a great deal from him, including how to train his body in unique ways to create the fighting style he used, how to harness his lightning release chakra, and even...*that *technique.

But sometimes the dreams had substance. Vaguely foreshadowing things to come in the future, though he never understood that until they came to pass. Just what did these visions of Brawly being his sensei mean? Perhaps he should try and seek the man out, one of these days...


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## Island (Jun 13, 2014)

*Nashi*
Root Headquarters

---​
“Acquainted?” Nashi asked.

He didn’t wait for an answer, however. “Good, then let’s get moving.”












​
For a moment, the young man glanced back at the entrance to the compound. A team of operatives had already gathered at the entrance, probably about to leave for another mission. From what he could gather, they were receiving instructions from Commander Yoru, a middle-aged man who bore a white cloak, in stark contrast to the black ones worn by most other operatives. One of the best and most renown members of the organization, or at least as renown as one could be in a secret, underground agency, Commander Yoru usually only dealt with special cases, high-priority assassinations, espionage, and reconnaissance missions, usually those against the other Great Shinobi Nations. This stood contrast to the missions that Nashi and Roku were usually sent on, which usually involved domestic affairs, and less frequently, missions involving the minor powers such as this one to the Land of Rice Fields.

Though, it wasn't like Nashi and Roku were in any position to go on those high-priority missions anyway.

Much like the rest of ANBU, there were no true ranks within Root. Instead, hierarchy was based on merit and experience, and in the field, there was only the leader and his followers. No genin, no chuunin, not even any jounin, again, there were only those who gave the orders and those who followed, and that was determined not by some exam but by how well they performed in the eyes of Mama Root, the nexus of ANBU Root. Rudimentary but surprisingly effective. Those who excelled went onto lead and were typically given high-priority missions, again, assassination, reconnaissance, and espionage within and against the other Five Great Shinobi Nations, and sometimes, even against the Hokage himself. Those who didn't remained followers to the leaders, usually restricted to low-priority missions, investigation, mostly, sometimes recovery, as with the retrieval of this data cache that Commander Senkuu apparently wanted.

“I was just telling Roku-kun about the dossiers we picked up.” Nashi explained to Sougo. “I find it disturbing that there’s so little information on this Fightin’ Brawly. Just some background information and some extra bits and pieces that you can find just about anywhere. Nothing about how the guy fights, what kinds of jutsu he knows, not even how many missions he’s been on, never mind what those missions were. Guy's probably done some highly classified shit.”

“Which means we're gonna have to be careful.” He warned. “One wrong move and this this fucker will put his boot so far up our asses that we’ll be tasting leather.”

Apparently Commander Yoru finished up, and the team of operatives behind them began to move. They were speaking quietly amongst themselves, about nothing of any particular importance, or so it sounded like. Seemed like casual conversation, some friendly banter amongst themselves before heading off on whatever their mission was. They were moving at a somewhat faster pace than Nashi, Roku, and Sougo, however, and when they came into earshot, Nashi picked up on what they were saying…


*Spoiler*: __ 




“Shit, man,” the one in the red and white mask stated, “Can you believe they found one of _them_ fuckers?”

“Yeah, crazy world, man,” the one in the blue and black mask replied.

“Best part is, those poor motherfuckers have no fucking idea.” He first one continued. “I mean, they’re gonna walk right into it, not a fuckin’ clue what they’re about to get themselves into.”

“Man, this gunna be good.” The other laughed.

“Good thing it ain’t one of our guys, huh?” He stated.

“Yeah, well, we ain’t stupid enough to send somebody out there like that.” He shook his head in disappointment. “For all that advanced shit they got in them other countries, they’re sure as dumb as bricks. I mean, fuck. Almost feel bad for the guys. Somebody’s gunna have to be moppin’ that team up off the floor when _it_ gets through with ‘em.”




Nothing important, or at least nothing that concerned the three of them. Most likely, Root discovered the location of some failed experiment or maybe even some missing-nin, and, now, some poor team from one of the other villages was probably going to end up being its next victim. Whatever _it_ was, of course. Then again, it really wasn't important, at least not to the three of them. Nashi shrugged it off without a second thought, letting the other team pass by before exiting the compound with Nashi and Sougo and heading toward the surface.

---​
The team surfaced at a back alleyway somewhere in Downtown Konoha, next to a popular club that was secretly owned and run by Root Operatives, as well as the shop next store, a surplus store, owned by a non-shinobi family that was loosely affiliated with the organization. Nothing special, but this particular entrance to the surface, in contrast to the others, allowed operatives to enter and leave the underground compound without raising suspicion from the locals, especially pesky shopkeepers and miscellaneous dogooders who would raise a complaint with the Hokage about “mysterious people” being seen near their property.

The sun was particularly bright today, especially for those who didn’t come to the surface often.

Nashi found himself blinded for a couple moments before his eyes had a chance to adjust but as soon as they did, he took to the rooftops and made his way toward West Gate.

When they finally arrived…

“Man, you know what’s fucking weird?” He turned to his comrades. “Having a lollipop is like enjoying flavored saliva. Like, you’re swallowing your own fuckin’ grape-flavored spit.”

They stood at the massive West Gate, one of three gates that allowed passage in and out of Konoha. Unlike the South Gate, the East Gate and West Gate did not have paved roads, instead being humble dirt trails that lead to the Konoha Outskirts and then into the land beyond that, mostly farmland and woods, nothing particularly exciting. According to one of the previous Hokage, it would have been stupid to urbanize a _hidden_ village. The purpose of the village, after all, was to be a center for the Land of Fire’s military, not some capital city or urban hub. If there were tens of thousands of civilians wandering around the village every day, it would ultimately become easier for enemies to infiltrate the village and compromise its defenses.

“Your file says you’ve never been outside the village, eh, Numbers?” Nashi turned to Sougo.


----------



## Kyuuzen (Jun 13, 2014)

- Hagane || Rengoku -​
Rengoku stood at attention when they came before the esteemed Mizukage-sama, careful not to allow his eyes travel her frame.  He wasn't typically a hormone-driven kind of person, but the Mizukage's body was one that could and at some point in her life, probably did, bring a man to commit crimes just to stand next to it.  He mentally chastised himself and focused on what she was telling them.  They were being sent to a small island that he, as she predicted, had never heard of.  Apparently ,boats were being stolen left and right, which she believed was just a case of insurance fraud.  He had to agree, the evidence was there.  He wasn't threatening in the slightest, so interrogation was out of the question.  He would have to simple interview the people who would spare him the time of day and make the connections himself.  The mission was straight forward, so without any questions he bowed politely, thanking her and addressing her with "Mizukage-sama," and followed Ren-sensei out of the door.

After a bit of walking, they arrived at the docks, where Masuyo was waiting for them.  Ran asked her if she would work with them better than someone named Iko-san had, but Rengoku disregarded it as he stepped onto the ship.  His first mission had him a bit nervous, and a whole flock of butterflies were having a damn orgy in his stomach, but he knew he had to shake it.  He had performed somewhat decently in their training earlier, and if he proved himself capable on this mission, it would be another huge step forward in increasing solidarity between them.  Maybe he would never be a legendary shinobi, but he would make damn sure that he was part of a good team, and that he pulled his weight at all times.  With now iron-clad determination he nodded and looked back at his teammates and sensei.  "So, have _you_ been to this island before, Ran-sensei?"  He might as well start gathering information now.​


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## Kyuuzen (Jun 13, 2014)

*Kushu Sougo
ROOT HQ*

The three chosen favorites of Mama Root walked through the Root Headquarters.  They were still deep underground, moving from catwalk to catwalk, when they encountered a large group of operatives being briefed on a mission by Commander Yoru.  He was distinguishable by his white cloak as opposed to the common blacks, grays, and dark blues.  He finished briefing his men who scattered to accomplish their mission.  You could always tell the inexperienced members a Root from the experienced ones.  The newbies had a habit of muttering to each other about a mission they were given.  The ones who'd been around for a while were quiet, preparing for their mission in silence.  The noobs had a purpose, though.  Their chatter allowed Sougo to listen in one what their mission was.  "There's no way they're coming back alive.  It's gonna slaughter them."  Sougo blinked once and felt his eyebrows knit together in concentration, before disregarding the statement.  It held little bearing on the trio.  Surely they weren't referring to their mission.

So why wouldn't this... feeling go away?

As they walked, Nashi spoke again, expressing disdain in the lack of information they had on their target.  Despite vastly different personalities, they were still all Root, and all understood what was at stake here.  Sougo had no choice but to respect the two.  He nodded, looking back at the black-haired youth.  "Agreed.  Of course he's a Jonin, and no matter his moveset could kill the three of us in an instant, but it would still be nice to know what to look out for.  I guess we'll find out."  After this, their trek was mostly silent as they made their way through the streets and rooftops of Konohagakure.  When they arrived at the gates, Nashi made a statement about lollipops that Sougo didn't completely feel needed a response.  He was silent until the boy addressed him personally.  "Your file says you?ve never been outside the village, eh, Numbers?"

Numbers?  Despite himself, he smirked at the nickname.  It didn't reveal anything about him that didn't need to be, and they did share some incredibly puny sense of camaraderie.  None of the regular village shinobi would understand them or their convictions.  He turned to face Nashi.  "That's right, never been outside of the gates before.  Should be an interesting adventure, huh?"  He pulled the hood of his black cloak over his snowy white hair.  Once they cleared the gates and the ears of the Chuunin standing guard, Sougo spoke once more.  "From here on out we operate under the guise of Team Sixty-Six.  We're regular genin sent from the village to provide aid to Team Brawly.  However, don't forget our mission.  Anything that pertains to Orochimaru's experimentation, especially anything information that can be weaponized, leaves with us, even if it means destroying their team and sacrificing our lives in the process."  He made a quick judgment, based on their individual files.  "Roku, Nashi.  You're both adept at holding enemies back, both with Shadow Manipulation and your Kekkei Genkai, Roku.  If it comes to it, you two will have to hold off their team.  I'll provide whatever support I can, but the mission is to get this information back to Root.  Let's all stay alive here, we're no use to the Leader in body bags."  After his small speech, he took to the trees with his team.


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## Redblood (Jun 13, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku*
ROOT HQ

----------​
As the three made their way outside, they ran into another team, run by Commander Yoru. Oh great, that prick. Roku kept his eyes down to avoid being noticed, though his attire was even more outlandish than the Commander?s. Luckily, the Commander seemed more focused on whatever it was he was doing than on Roku, so they went by unnoticed. Nashi was going on about how this Brawly guy worried him so much.

?I find it disturbing that there?s so little information on this Fightin? Brawly. Just some background information and some extra bits and pieces that you can find just about anywhere. Nothing about how the guy fights, what kinds of jutsu he knows, not even how many missions he?s been on, never mind what those missions were. Guy's probably done some highly classified shit.? Pfft. Like that mattered. All Roku cared about was whether or not he'd get the chance to see him in action.

?Which means we're gonna have to be careful.? He warned, noting the eager expression on his friend's face. ?One wrong move and this this fucker will put his boot so far up our asses that we?ll be tasting leather.? Nashi explained.

?Heh, well I?ll be happy to collect some ?combat data? on the man, if need be.? Roku said with a scoff, cracking his knuckles as he said combat data. Commander Yoru and those with him were FINALLY moving out. They were talking about something, but Roku didn?t exactly care about what. And so, the newly-formed team moved out, and soon arrived at Konoha?s West Gate.

?Man, you know what?s fucking weird?? Nashi asked, turning to his comrades. ?Having a lollipop is like enjoying flavored saliva. Like, you?re swallowing your own fuckin? grape-flavored spit.?

Roku raised an eyebrow.

?You eat GRAPE lollipops?? Roku asked, before Nashi addressed Sougo, asking him if he?d ever been outside the village before this. 

"That's right, never been outside of the gates before. Should be an interesting adventure, huh?" Numbers posited.

?Yeah, I?m looking forward to seeing what these new genin can do. Maybe even how they scream.? Roku replied with the most wicked smile, as Sougo explained the mission parameters.

"From here on out we operate under the guise of Team Sixty-Six. We're regular genin sent from the village to provide aid to Team Brawly. However, don't forget our mission. Anything that pertains to Orochimaru's experimentation, especially anything information that can be weaponized, leaves with us, even if it means destroying their team and sacrificing our lives in the process." Roku hoped that it would at least come to the first half of that. "Roku, Nashi. You're both adept at holding enemies back, both with Shadow Manipulation and your Kekkei Genkai, Roku. If it comes to it, you two will have to hold off their team. I'll provide whatever support I can, but the mission is to get this information back to Root. Let's all stay alive here, we're no use to the Leader in body bags." he explained.

?Please. There?s no way I?m dying here. That?d make Mama cry.? Roku declared, and with that, the three went into the trees, and on to meet Team Brawly.


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## Shika (Jun 13, 2014)

Kimiko
----------------​
Kouji's combo was working on them, but Kimiko wasn't focusing on that at all: she still had a job to do.

So she kept using Shunshin around the clients, making sure to stay back and protect them, using the combo she trained on top of the embassy, focusing mainly the lightning user.

Thoughts of everyone's death were going through her mind, as well as thoughts of victory.

This isn't in my hands, she thought sending yet another barrage of shurikens. I don't have the firepower necessary to go toe-to-toe with this masked freaks, but I'll have to keep covering my team.. I can't let them die!

She felt weaker by the second, yet the same thought remained. I won't let them die!

**


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## Kyuuzen (Jun 13, 2014)

_Shizenoko Aodo_
The Jigokasai Mountains​
"Hah!  Inu Tenma no Jutsu: Gomashi!"

The 14-year-old boy dressed in light, wolf-hide armor leaped forward, flying through the air with a single clawed hand raised.  With a powerful swipe, he fired four crescents of displaced air at a large stalagmite, the shock waves cutting into the stone.  It was by no means a clean cut, and left chunks of rock flinging about, which was just how the boy liked it.  Why the Hell would he want to cut cleanly?  This wasn't an animal, and he wouldn't be using this jutsu to hunt.  He would be using it for battle, and the more physical trauma it caused the better.  The top half of the stalagmite had lost its physical integrity, and had leaned too far to one side and was now falling over.  The boy grinned widely and braced himself for a high-speed leap.  He revealed his claws once more, dashing toward the boulder in a blur.  "Okami Kishin no Jutsu: Tsumaden no Mai!"  He slashed through the falling boulder again and again, carving it up at incredible speeds.  

He landed on the other side of the boulder with his back to it as it fell apart into pieces that crashed to the ground.  Shizenoko Aodo wiped the sweat from his brow, sweat that came from training and the hot environment he was in.  Jigokasaizan was in actuality, a very large volcano, and steam was constantly gathering around him.  He exhaled a long sigh and turned around, catching a familiar scent.  His oldest brother, Yaguro, was approaching him.  "Yo, kid.  You need to head home and get bathed."  Aodo rose an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest.  "Why do I have to do that?"  Yaguro sat down on a rock, the sounds of his armor and weapons clinking with his movements.  "Because dad's taking you on a diplomacy trip.  He's headed to Konoha, and you're the only one who hasn't been there yet.  Come on."  Aodo nodded and followed after him as they descended the volcano and headed in the direction of Iwagakure.

After having arrived, Aodo went through a whirlwind of bathing, dressing, and meeting his father at the pick up spot.  A large pick up truck was waiting for them, already packed with their luggage.  Apparently this trip would last several days.  His father got into the passenger seat while Aodo jumped into the truck bed, sitting on the edge of the vehicle's frame, leaned against the rear window.  He closed his eyes for a second, opening them to see that a lot of time had suddenly passed.  He must have fallen asleep.  He looked over his shoulder to see that they were slowly cruising toward the gates of Konohagakure.  He smirked and jumped off of the truck, sprinting past it.  "I'll find you later, dad!"  He took the rooftops of the village and began bounding above the streets like the free spirit he was.  He dropped to the streets in free fall suddenly, his sturdy, powerful body mitigating any kind of fall damage.  He chuckled to himself and began walking down a street full of restaurants when he bumped into someone.  He didn't feel any recoil, as it had been very light, but he did take a step back so that he wasn't invading this person's space.  

It was a boy, at or around his age and they were about the same height.  The guy in front of him had short, silver hair and electric blue eyes, and seemed to regard him with disdain.  Aodo stuck out a hand in apology.  "That's my fault, I should have been paying attention.  I'm Shizenoko Aodo, from Iwagakure."


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## Redblood (Jun 13, 2014)

*Journey to The Land of Rivers, VI*

*Funzaki
*To The Land of Rivers

----------​
Kouji?s senbon shot at the assailants, but to little effect. The senbon either scraped the armor or simply ricocheted off of it, leaving small dents. Only a few of the senbon actually managed to impale the three?s armor. This attack only slowed the attacker?s advance slightly. That is, until Kouji attacked again.

"And don't think that's all! Hijutsu Ishibari!" Kouji roared as the three?s advance was suddenly halted by the stray senbon embedded in their armor. Yet, no verbal reaction was made. As that happened, Kouji began his final assault, the Sanbō Kyūkai. Slowly, but deliberately, Kouji?s puppets began to create a vortex of wind that began to suck the three in. Yet, the trio remained unafraid. They were pulled closer and closer into the vortex as Kimiko aided with the Fuuton Reppusho, complimented by kunai to strike the lightning assassin. Funzaki watched in awe as the three were completely helpless to his comrade?s attack, preparing to aid them with a strike of his own.

?Earth Release: Hammer the Nail!? he roared as his Hammer struck the earth, and sent a blast of sand right at the three! But wait?something was wrong. The large one. And the fire user. It looked like?

?THEY CAN MOVE!!? Funzaki shrieked as, at the last moment, the two male assassins leapt away from Kouji?s vortex and escaped death. The female however, was not as lucky. 

Bombarded with the high impact kunai from Kimiko, and blinded by Funzaki?s sand attack, the female?s armor cracked, broke, and she was ripped to pieces in seconds by Kouji?s puppets. All that remained was dust, and cracked bits of her armor. Armor that, broken down and exposed, Chi recognized. And actually made her worry.

?Be careful, you IDIOTS!? the Suna sensei shrieked, ?They?re wearing CHAKRA ARMOR!!?


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## Island (Jun 13, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
*“I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP AND SHIP OUT.”* Brawly thundered when Minako tried to speak up.

The young woman fell to her knees, almost sinking into the water, and then, just then, the unthinkable happened. Brawly disappeared into a blur, rushing forward and planting his gigantic fist in Minako’s face, crushing her nose and sending her soaring backwards, a rare act of cruelty that I had never imagined possible!

At least, that's where my mind went. Fortunately, none of that actually happened. He didn't actually say that or punch my partner in the face so hard that his fist went straight through her skull. Instead, it was Brawly that left first. He turned away from us, leaving us here to our own devices, disappearing in a blur to wherever it was that he was headed.

A disappointment to my clan and to my village, again, that didn’t just sting. It hurt. It hurt a lot, especially coming from somebody like him. I stood there in silence for a few moments, unsure of how to react, pain swelling on inside. I didn’t expect it, but my eyes began to water. I was used to being berated, told how I needed to do better and how if I didn’t work hard, I’d be nothing but a failure. But a disappointment? Was I really?

I turned away and headed back to the truck, soaking wet and trying to take in everything that Brawly had said.

Eventually, the three of us gathered back at the truck, loading in and assuming our previous positions. Fortunately, that strange smell was gone. It must have been somebody’s lunch, and now, it only smelled slightly bad. Still bad, but one could definitely tolerate the smell. I glanced over to my teammates. Minako looked like she was about to break down out there, and Ren, well, Ren seemed defiant as always, convinced that his crazy _“All of nothing! By any means necessary!”_ idea was right and that Brawly was completely in the wrong. Still, he _did_ look a little bothered. By what, I had no idea, however.

Finally, after some time in silence, Brawly returned.

“Well, *TEAM*,” he began, “Are you *READY*?!”

As if on cue, the driver started the engine, though, to say he actually “started” it would be a bit of an exaggeration. Again, he spent some time cranking it before it actually began. In the meantime, I stared at Brawly blankly. He acted as if nothing was wrong, as if he hadn’t just exploded at us, like the last twenty minutes hadn’t happened. I really had no idea how to react to that. Did it no longer bother him? Had he not cared anymore?

What the hell…?

We sat in silence for at least an hour, Ren getting back to his book, and Minako doing… whatever it was that Minako did when nobody was looking…

At least until…

---​
“So,” Brawly spoke, “What are you reading, Ren-kun?”

Calm and collected, as all of his energy was somehow contained rather than seeping from every pour in his body. He waited patiently for Ren’s response, listening intently to everything he had to say. It seemed like he was trying to reach out to Ren, probably noticing that he wasn’t all that interested in his word games. A friendly gesture, to say the least, an olive branch after this afternoon's incident, I just hoped that Ren wouldn’t just blow him off like I figured he would if Minako or I asked. 

Though, he might engage Brawly, just to keep him calm, you know, accept the olive branch.

“Ah, yes, I’m a fan of literature myself.” Brawly carried on the conversation. “I’m big on the classics, but I enjoy modern stuff too sometimes. Have you ever read Gray Nights? It’s a book written about fifty years ago by Tamashi Ukete. It’s what this man thought the world might be like on the hundredth anniversary of the Fourth Shinobi World War. According to him, the Shinobi World would splinter into two groups, one who wanted to abandon the old system of a Daimyo and a Kage and another who wanted to maintain the status quo. It’s about progressivism versus traditionalism, when you get right down to it. Good book, not really my cup of tea, but…”

Again, he gave Ren adequate time to respond, enough to say whatever he wanted to say, whether it be about any particular book or about his own literary preferences.

Finally, Brawly went on, “One of my favorites has to be The Creature in the Lake. It’s an old tale from an unknown author about a star-crossed couple during the Warring Clans Era who sought to capture and use the legendary Three-Tailed Beast to unite the world many years before the First Hokage founded Konohagakure. It’s a tragedy and probably one of the best written pieces of literature in the world. Or at least I think so.”

This was… unexpected. It was a side of Brawly I had never seen before, an intellectual and a scholar. Though, I _knew_ Brawly was a smart man. He was cunning, one of the best, with a mind that was cold and calculated, considering every possible outcome and deciding on a course of action that would ultimately lead him and his village to victory. Or so I heard. Thus far, I’d only seen the playful, almost childish, side of Fightin’ Brawly, but again, I’d heard rumors of his triumphs.

---​
Sometime later, he addressed Minako.

“Minako-chan,” Brawly addressed my teammate, “Genjutsu, huh?”

“The Urasabi Clan settled in Konoha after the Fourth Shinobi World, right?” He made conversation. “I don’t know a whole lot about your clan. What is it like, Minako-chan? What kind of life did you have growing up? If you don’t mind me asking, of course, I’d never pry. It’s just that I don’t think I ever worked with anybody from your clan, and I’m interested to know what kind of people they are and what kind of life they live.”

A strange question considered Brawly had probably memorized everything from our dossiers. He most likely knew our exact heights and weights, even our blood types, never mind things as trivial as who our parents were and what kind of people they were. I recalled that one of Minako’s parents was a non-shinobi. I couldn’t remember which one, but it was probably her mother. She also had a younger sibling or something, but again, my memory was kind of hazy. I never actually met these people. In fact, I also didn’t know much about the Urasabi Clan. Like Brawly said, they were relatively new to Konoha, much like the Houki Clan. Unlike the Houki Clan, however, they didn’t seem all that interested in power and mostly stayed on the sidelines. Or so father had said.

“Interesting, interesting.” Brawly nodded along to everything Minako said, and when she finished, he shared something himself. “As you might know, I was an orphan. Never had parents, never mind a clan. It wasn’t until I was put on a team that I really felt like I had a family, so I always find it interesting to know what kind of lives people have, what their families are like, you know, get to know where they came from and what made them who they are today…”

I never knew that Brawly was an orphan. In fact, I didn’t really know much about Brawly other than his experience as a shinobi. He was regarded as one of the best Taijutsu Specialists in the Shinobi World and probably the best in Konoha. Only Raikage really had him beat raw power, maybe even…

Regardless, what he said to Minako really made me think.

It wasn’t until he was put on a team that he really felt like he had a family. I took a moment and glanced up at Ren and then at Minako.


----------



## Island (Jun 14, 2014)

*Team Ran*

*THE ISLAND OF ISOLATION*​
“Can’t say that I’m a fan.” Masuyo answered. 

Masuyo looked a lot healthier than before. Her skin had more color to it, and the discoloration around her eyes, lips, and nose were gone. Most likely, she started training again, evident by a somewhat noticeable increase in the size of her arms, probably just a pump from some workout last night, but nevertheless, she was looking a lot better than before. One might suspect that around two hundred years in stasis would do that, dry one out and turn one into a sickly skeleton of a person. She still didn’t look quite as healthy as she could of, but it was a start…

The young woman seemed more focused on the ship in front of her. It was a large transport ship with a metal hull and a wooden deck. It was long and flat, at least until the back third where it raised up, presumably where the bridge was. This contrasted to the ships of her day and even with the ships of a century ago. Previously, and even currently, especially in the Land of Fire, ships were constructed with wooden hulls with large cloth sails which were now considered primitive in a country that powered their ships with coal rather than wind.

“Team Ran?” Somebody asked.

A shinobi appeared, a young man wearing a flak jacket bearing both the emblem of his village and that of the Kirigakure Navy. He had silver hair, though he concealed it, as well as the rest of his head, within a tight ninja hood. Only his deep blue eyes were visible.

“Itto Kokaishi,” he introduced himself, “I’m the first mate for the KMT-42, pleased to make your acquaintance. The captain says that we’ll be dropping you off on Sakana Island, which is only a few hour’s journey from here, at least with these ships. Probably a couple day’s journey if you were riding with Konoha, a day or so with Kumo. I’m sure you get the point. They say the island appeared about sixty or so years ago, something about a volcanic eruption creating a whole new island. Too small and faraway to be of any strategic importance, which the titular settlement was founded by fishermen instead of the military…”

“In any case,” he went on, “You’re free to do as you wish. The desk is yours for whatever training you might want to do. Don’t worry about causing any damaged. Nothing that can’t be fixed. Even if you do manage to puncture the hull, we can patch it, though it's unlikely you'll be able to. We’ve got a reinforced hall, best material this side of Iwagakure. That said, there is some cargo below deck you might want to watch out for. Mostly ninja tools and other equipment that we’re delivering to the Third Fleet. Nothing important, but I wouldn’t play around there if I were you. Might explode something.”

“If ya have any questions,” he turned away to board the ship, “Come to the bridge, and somebody will assist you. We’ll be setting off in about twenty minutes or so, so just make sure you’re aboard when we leave.”

He seemed pleasant enough, but he was noticeably nervous, most likely thinking to himself, _“Wow, Hozuki Ran, the real Hozuki Ran, a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, right here, on our ship.”_


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jun 14, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure XVI*

*Ren Houki*

A curious, albeit somewhat disconcerting, surprise. When the team returned to the truck, Fightin' Brawly seemingly acted as if nothing had happened, returning to his usual jovial self. Surprising, but in hindsight, Ren didn't really think he'd be the type to hold grudges or stay mad for long. Nor could he imagine him as someone who would try to make the team uncomfortable, unless absolutely necessary.

The bigger shock came later, when he tried to strike at a conversation. Ren looked up from his book, turning to look at the massive towering martial artist. "Tales of the Copy Ninja." He replied, closing the book on a finger to keep his page to show the front cover: a painting of a young looking shinobi with long white hair and a stylized headband to keep his left eye hidden. 

"It's a biography of Kakashi Hatake, detailing his childhood, time in Team Minato, the Third Shinobi World War, Team Kakashi and the Fourth Shinobi World War. There's a bunch of stuff that's been removed, since it involved his ANBU career, but there's still a few interesting bits where he gives the writer his personal thoughts and memories of both teams."

He still wasn't sold on the whole comradeship deal their sensei ranted about every mission they went on and, more recently, an hour ago. Were those sentiments really that important in having an effective team? For the most part, Ren doubted it. It might have been a philosophy he would have embraced as a kid, but for the teenaged Ren, unconditional trust in people he frankly did not know that well was not something that was possible. Not when he grew up around lies and betrayal.

Still, he figured it might have been something worth reading about. In many respects, the younger version of Kakashi was not completely dissimilar to himself: they were pragmatic, skilled and focused individuals who both shared more or less the same ideology when it came to how a shinobi should act. The crucial difference was that he seemed a lot more cemented in rules and regulations than the Houki was, and their motivations were certainly different. Despite that, however, Ren wanted to see what exactly changed the Copy Ninja.

Ren frowned. He hadn't taken Fightin' Brawly to be an avid reader of anything. The most he imagined him to read were maybe cooking guides or work out books—something fitness related. at least. He didn't attribute him to be someone who enjoyed the classics. His attempt at throwing a line to try and 'bond' with him was obvious, but it nevertheless worked and the discussion piqued his interest. "I'm not a fan of romance," he admitted, "but I read Gray Nights a few years ago. He was wrong in a few places, but I found it incredible how accurate his predictions were. My favourite book would probably have to be Journey to the Other Side."


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jun 14, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

It was one of the rare afternoons where Team Brawly finished their missions early. It wasn't anything exciting or particularly invigorating?just chasing a stray cat owned by some wealthy noble, for the fifth time since he'd been put on the team. Fortunately, despite how tedious the job was, the team had grown used to the routes the rogue cat would take and it's behaviour and were able to secure the feline relatively quickly.

After the team split up for the rest of the day, Ren decided to head to the nearest restaurant to treat himself to some proper food. With how early he had to get up for the misadventures of the team, he had very little time to make a proper breakfast and by the time they finished, he was usually too tired to have a real dinner. 

_"Hm. Sumiko's Sushi sounds nice right now. Maybe I'll go there..."_

And that's where he headed off. It was a semi-luxurious sushi bar in the west part of the village, tucked away near a residential area. Not many people knew about it, as it was relatively small, but it boasted some of the best sushi the village had and was a personal favourite of his. As the Houki walked down the road, distracted by his own thoughts, he failed to notice an eager Iwagakure shinobi running across the streets. 

The impact felt very much like running into a brick wall. Whoever he was, he was extremely sturdy, and even though neither were moving fast enough to get knocked down, the collision was very much felt by Ren. The Iwagakure shinobi, by contrast, seemed unperturbed by it. "That's my fault, I should have been paying attention. I'm Shizenoko Aodo, from Iwagakure." He offered a handshake in apology.

_"He's lean, but muscular. Definitely a taijutsu type."_

Ren's eyes flickered for just a moment, observing Aodo, his mouth turning in irritation. Finally, he reached out his own hand, accepting the boy's handshake with an amiable smile. "No worries. I'm Houki Ren. What's a shinobi from Iwagakure doing around here?" He asked curiously.


----------



## Island (Jun 14, 2014)

*Nashi*
The Beaten Path

---​
The three spent the next hour travelling, not really saying much of anything, perhaps some wayward comments from Nashi, maybe something from Roku, but again, not a whole lot of conversing.  For the most part, they stuck to the main road, a beaten old path that winded north from Konoha all the way to the Land of Rice Fields. Thankfully, they didn’t run into anybody, else any one of them might have brutally murdered that person and dumped them in a runoff on the side of the rode. Then, however…

_“Shinobi-san!”_

_“Shinobi-san!”_

At this point, the three of them had slowed down to a brisk walk, for no reason in particular, other than that they had been moving quickly for the last hour so. At the rate they were going, they figured that they would catch up to Team Brawly in another hour, maybe two, depending on how fast both teams were moving. Given the information Commander Senkuu provided about their mission details, Nashi didn’t think they would be moving very fast considering they were escorting a couple of people. With any luck, you would catch up just before they arrived at their destination: Otogakure, provided there were no interruptions, of course…

*“Shinobi-saaaaan!”*

Suddenly, a girl, probably eight or nine years old, stumbled from the hilltop straight ahead, nearly collapsing in the dirt but catching herself and trying making her way towards you. She appeared frantic, panicky, as if something was terribly wrong. Maybe something happened, perhaps somebody was chasing her. The three of you had no idea and probably didn’t care. In fact, at least one of you probably wanted to kill her on the spot, again, for no particular reason other than that you were you and that she happened to cross your path.

_*“Shinobi-saaaaan!”*_ She wailed. _*“Help me!”*_

Suddenly…


*Spoiler*: _Highway Robbery_ 








Four men appeared on the horizon, standing on the hilltop. They looked like a bunch of goons, probably highwaymen, but you had no way to be sure. They seemed like they were chasing the girl, but then, as soon as they came over the hilltop and got a look at the three of you, their attentions suddenly shifted. With crooked smiles, they drew their weapons, not ninja tools, more like random garbage pulled off the side of the street. One carried a large wooden plank with a nail stuck in the end, another wedged some sharp screws between his fingers. The third had with them the top half of a shattered beer bottle. The last one, however, lazy-eyed and looking like he’d taken one too many hits the head, put up his fists.

“Wud ya look at dat,” the thug in the center called out, “Some bratty punks wanna play heroes. Wuddya say we show ‘em how we treat heroes ‘round these parts, eh boys?”

Nashi shrugged.

“Whatever,” he stated, “We have some time, I guess.”

“Kill ‘em.” He commanded.


----------



## Redblood (Jun 14, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku*
The Beaten Path

----------​
It had been a pretty quiet trip so far, nothing too interesting really happening. Roku and Nashi would chat a bit, but Numbers was not a man of many words. All in all,  things were pretty dull.

*?Shinobi-saaaaan!?*

At least, until this happened. A young girl, no more than eight years old, came barreling down the path behind the three ninja. The girl was quite loud when she was afraid. It piqued his curiosity a bit. Made him wonder just how loud she could get. But that?s when Roku noticed why the girl was running.

*?Shinobi-saaaaan!?* She wailed. *?Help me!?*

Four men were chasing her. Four ugly men, each brandishing their own makeshift weapon, save for a lazy eyed man who used his fists. Roku?s face lit up like a child?s on Christmas morning. Murder! Sweet, delightful murder! And he had a beautiful, totally justifiable excuse! Was it his birthday?! This day had just gotten a thousand times better. Then the man in the center spoke.

?Wud ya look at dat,? the thug called out, ?Some bratty punks wanna play heroes. Wuddya say we show ?em how we treat heroes ?round these parts, eh boys??

Roku couldn?t help but laugh as Nashi looked to him and Sougo.

?Whatever,? he stated, ?We have some time, I guess.?


?Kill ?em.? Nashi commanded.

?Don?t have to tell me twice.? Roku exclaimed, slowly, deliberately unbuttoning his Hawaiian shirt to reveal  the body underneath.



Roku carefully and precisely folded his shirt into a neat little square before handing it to Nashi.

?Take good care of this while I?m gone, yeah?? Roku requested as he kneeled down to be at eye level with the little girl.

?You might wanna shut your eyes and cover your ears, sweetie. Things are gonna get a little nasty.? Roku declared, as the girl complied.

?There?s a good girl.? Roku whispered before getting up to face the four men.

?Okay, so who?s first?? Roku asked, looking to the four, ?How about you, bright eyes?? he said, looking to the lazy eyed man.

?Yer gonna DIE, kid!? The man roared, rushing right for Roku and hitting him in the face with his fist! 

Roku didn?t even blink, or move, from the man?s punch. All he did was sigh.

?No, no, NO! Your technique is all wrong! If you REALLY want to punch someone in the face, you gotta do it like THIS!? Roku roared before retaliating with a punch of his own, twisting his thumb into one of the man?s lazy eyes, drawing blood and knocking him back. The gang members were visibly shaken by this display.

?What the FUCK?!? one of them astutely observed as Roku was upon the downed man.

?Now, if you REALLY wanna incapacitate someone, you?d do THIS!? Roku explained as he grabbed one of the man?s legs, held it up, and then promptly stomped on it. A horrid crack was heard and the lazy eyed man was bawling.

?Hey, hey, hey now. I?m just trying to teach you something here. There?s no need to cry.? Roku proclaimed, propping the man up. What Roku didn?t notice was that the man was gathering chakra in his left arm, focusing it into his fist.

?Eat this, asshole!? the lazy eyed man cried before slamming his chakra fist into Roku?s side.The hit made him let go of the lazy eyed man for just a moment, allowing him a reprieve.

?Hah! Take THAT, bitch!? the man spat, as Roku held his side. But he didn?t look like he was in any pain. Suddenly, there was a strange snapping sound, and all of a sudden Tokuoka Roku increased in size! The snapping sound was that of his muscles quickly expanding, as a red aura emanated from his body. It quickly faded, and when it did, Roku was three inches taller, and his muscles had grown even bigger.

?Well?? Roku grumbled, ?that wasn't very nice.? he said, walking back to the immobile man.

?Here I am trying to teach you something. Something you can USE.? Roku growled, picking the man up by his head.

?But I guess some people just don?t want to learn.? Roku sighed, before punching the lazy eyed man in the throat. Then he did it again. And again. And again. And then there was a snap, and Tokuoka Roku dropped the man to the floor, his neck as limp as a noodle.

?YOU BASTARD!!? Another man, the one with nails in his fists, cried out as he rushed right for Roku! But this one didn?t even get a hit in, as Roku merely grabbed his arm and stopped him mid attack.

?When will people learn that it?s not the weapon that makes the man? It?s the MAN that makes the weapon!? Roku proclaimed as he began to twist the man?s arm. 

*CRRK. *

His wrist was sprained. 

*CCCRK! *

Now it was broken. 

*SKKCHRCH!!!* 

And now the man?s entire arm was backwards.

?AAAAAAAAAAARGH!!! FUCK!!!? the man screamed in utter agony, right before Roku grabbed the man?s tongue, pulled, and brought his fist down on the man?s head, making him bite off his own tongue.

?SIR! There are CHILDREN present! I will kindly ask you to REFRAIN from such language!? Roku declared as the man could only gurgle in response. Roku then delivered three blows to the man?s body, and in an instant, the man must have expelled a half liter of blood, and was on the ground.

?You see? This is what happens when YOU-DON?T-WAIT-YOUR-TURN! I was going to go for the board guy next, but YOU-HAD-TO-BUTT-IN!? Roku screamed, stomping on the man?s head with each pause in his words. By the time he was done, the man?s head really couldn?t be identified as such anymore.

?How rude.? Roku spat, before turning away from the survivors and to his comrades, ?You guys get the rest. I can?t have ALL the fun.? Roku declared, taking his shirt back and delicately putting it back on with a smile.


----------



## Fedster (Jun 14, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


It took a couple of minutes for Minako to recover. Her whimpering gradually died down and became nothing but a soundless, almost unnoticable shivering. She felt her eyes could let out no more tears. She rubbed them to ease the pain, enjoying the temporary pleasure that was eye-rubbing, an activity to prevent her to think about what happened.

Though, to say that it was hard not to think about it would be an understatement. The thought of being called worthless occupied her whole self, and she felt there was no more room inside her for anything else, not even for her own thoughts. She could not notice that she stood up and walked to the truck, nor did she perceive sitting down next to Hirari, and nor did she saw that her hands began to braid two strands of her long, blonde hair.

Minako always calmed down when she braided her hair. Her mother used to do so whenever Minako started crying, and her soft, delicate fingers passing through her hair had an unknown power over the girl. The tears would stop and the sadness would go away, and she would return to her normal self again. That was the reason Minako had such long hair: to give her mother (and Minako herself, should her mother be absent) more space to work on.

Suddenly, and after she calmed down completely, the girl became aware of Brawly getting on the truck. He had...forgotten about what happened? Did he have short-term memory problems? Or was the earlier scorn just ana act? In any case, Brawly sat down and began speaking to Ren.

Minako could not believe her ears. Obviously, there was more to her sensei that met the eye, but she did not expect he would be an expert on classic literature. Minako had somewhat heard of the novels, but never read them. They were classics, of course, and even people who had never held a book on their hands knew the titles and knew to a certain extent the basic plot.

“Minako-chan,” Brawly addressed the girl, her whole body tensing again. “Genjutsu, huh?”

“The Urasabi Clan settled in Konoha after the Fourth Shinobi World, right?” He made conversation. It was strange that he did not stress any words. Kind of unsettling, even. “I don’t know a whole lot about your clan. What is it like, Minako-chan? What kind of life did you have growing up? If you don’t mind me asking, of course, I’d never pry. It’s just that I don’t think I ever worked with anybody from your clan, and I’m interested to know what kind of people they are and what kind of life they live.”

"Ah, uh, well..." What was there to tell? Minako struggled to put words together, fearing that she could somehow make Brawly lose his temper again. "I don't mind! It's not that we prefer secrecy, at least not now..." She realized that now she would have to elaborate, so she took a deep breath and started:

"We were a merciless clan at first, and our traditions were kept secret, mainly because they aimed at destroying the clan memeber's emotions so as to make them more effective. It was...I can't even begin to describe what it was." The hands unconsciously resumed their braiding. "Thankfully, everything changed like, three generations ago. Our traditions became less obscure, and we became a better clan, at least I think so. Many people think we're not what we used to be, but...To feel nothing, and to be surrounded by murder, that's not life. When we were under Nightmare Fuel," She looked at Hirari and Ren. They had not talked about that, not even after it happened, and she felt she had to take it out. "I became that: a murderous being, uncapable to feel anything. If everyone after Metsuo-chan (The one who made the reform) felt like that...Then I'm ever more thankful to him."

Letting out all of that almost deflated Minako, but she was not given a rest. Brawly-sensei started talking about his past, but not his ninja past; it was his childhood. And what he said was enough to bring Minako to tears again. Without a family and clan, Brawly-sensei found a home in his team. As they say, _'home is where the heart is.'_ Or in his case, _'home is where the *HEART* is.''_

"I'M SO SORRY SO HURTING YOU, GUYS!" Minako howled, suddenly embracing Hirari, since she was the nearest, and crying helplessly on her shoulder. "IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, I PROMISE!"


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 14, 2014)

* Kouji, Ran & Yui Hōzuki*

To the Land of Rivers, and the Kirigakure Port #23​
Ran, despite her officially coming 'out' of retirement, didn't really prefer to look at it that way. In her mind, it was simply a precaution to make sure the blade didn't fall into the wrong hands. When they weren't wielded by someone, it was possible for someone else to fall into the role of handling the blades, or at least, that was the policy ever since Suigetsu had reinstated the organization after the conclusion of the Fifth Great Shinobi War.

But another ritual tradition that had come up lately was...challenging users to a duel in order to gain control of their weapons. It wasn't something that concerned Ran, though, as in general she seemed to ignore the eccentricities that came with the position. She only had a duty to her blade, as she saw it.

She made a few handsigns, winking to the team in general after they were left to their own devices. "I can't say that I have, Rengoku-kun," she said whimsically, as she disappeared into a plume of steam, and after a few minutes, it began to rain.

_"Ukojizai no Jutsu..."
_
The ship pulled off into the light squall that seemed to surround them. It branched out a considerable distance, covering a pretty considerable area of the port, part of Kirigakure's docks, and of course the area not far away. Yui disappeared under the deck as the rain began without a word to the others, leaving the two on deck alone for now, a few shinobi here and there going about their jobs...

--------------------------------

Kouji barely managed to dive out of the way as the much larger figure in the armor ahead of him, dismissing his puppets with a handsign. He wasn't completely out of chakra, but that little string of jutsu he'd just pulled off was certainly taxing. He'd need to go back to basics for now, managing to dodge their attacks by the skin of his teeth at this point, through the use of chakra strings to trip them and propel himself. Flicking his wrists, two wrist mounted daggers popped from his flowing sleeves as he stared down the last two opponents, Funzaki 90 degrees on his left, eyeing the duo as well.

_"Chakra armor, huh?"_ That was high tech stuff. Definitely something he'd want to mess with, later on.  If they got the chance, anyway. Kouji took off like a rocket at the figures in front of him, diving past the first as he threw out his arm, spinning the other. And exposed the man's back to Funzaki, but also opened himself up to an attack from the figure. Kouji made a single hang sign to cause the armored figure to pause, but then shouted to Funzaki:

"NOW!" And the other genin could see, in the chink of the figure's armor, between plates, a senbon stuck. Maybe not so much as a senbon as...

A nail.


----------



## Island (Jun 14, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
A merciless clan with some emotion cleansing technique seeking to create murderous beings, incapable of feeling even the most basic human emotions? Color me surprised. I never really asked about the Urasabi Clan and never really cared to know much about it. I always just assumed that they were some humble farming family from a nowhere country that nobody really cared about. I figured that they were refugees or something, displaced by the Fourth Shinobi War, farmers whose home was destroyed and decided to pack up and move, start a new life somewhere else. At the very least, they _were_ immigrants, _maybe_ refugees.

I gave that some thought, but then…

*“I’M SO SORRY FOR HURTING YOU GUYS!”* Minako howled.

Then, suddenly, she embraced me and began crying helplessly on my shoulder.

*“IT WON’T HAPPEN AGAIN, I PROMISE.”* She went on.

Uh.

Umm.

I had no idea what to say or do. 

“There, there…” I awkwardly accepted her embrace, patting her on the back with my hand.

“It’s, uh, okay…” I went on.

I felt obligated to say something deep and meaningful, and I probably should have. However, nothing came to mind, leaving me there. In retrospect, maybe I could have said something about how I’d likewise never hurt any of them either and that I was likewise sorry for my actions. Then again, that also meant apologizing to Ren, which, as bad as I felt after what Brawly said, I didn’t think I had the pride to apologize to somebody like him. After all, his ego might swell up and explode. I didn’t really want to clean up the resulting mess…

I sighed to myself.

“I’m sorry too.” I finally said.

“To both of you.” I went on. “It was reckless and disrespectful.”

---​
After some time passed, about a couple hours of idle chitchat between ourselves, mostly Brawly asking us various questions and then giving his own input, same as we were just doing, the truck came to another screeching halt. It was sudden and jerked us forward. Nothing seemed particularly wrong, however, aside from shot brakes and some terrible driving. Considering how long we had been travelling since the Valley of the End, that could only mean one thing, again, assuming we didn’t accidentally hit something or the truck didn’t break down. Worst case scenario, we actually _did_ hit something, most likely some poor kid’s dog. Most likely, we were there, at the heart of the Land of Rice Fields, the former Village Hidden by Sound…

*“Otogakure!”* Brawly declared.

​
For the former home of one of the most treacherous shinobi in the history of our village, this place was surprisingly peaceful. So serene, so tranquil, as if it hadn’t been touched by anyone or anything in many, many years. In fact, the whole country seemed to be that way. We didn’t pass a single settlement, no towns, nothing, not even an inn off by the side of the road. It looked to be far less developed than even the Land of Fire, which was saying something. Admittedly, however, my knowledge on these countries was lacking. The Five Great Shinobi Nations, sure, but as far as the minor powers went, I didn’t know all that much. There was something about a war here many years ago, a resurgence of shinobi formerly aligned with Orochimaru…

Still, it seemed eerily quiet.

Uncomfortably so.

“The path ends here,” Brawly broke the silence, “This means that we’ll be escorting the research team by foot to our destination. Provided we don’t run into any delays, we should be in and out by the time the sun goes down and on our way back to the village. We’ll be home by morning, most likely, but until we finish up, I want everybody *ALERT* and *READY*.”

“On the *DOUBLE*!” He commanded.


----------



## Santí (Jun 14, 2014)

*Katsurou*
On the bus​
Several minutes have gone by, possibly twenty, since the team had departed on the automobile. Strangely enough, not a word had been said as everyone passes through deep into the Kumogakure mountainside to the uncharted Valley of Ice, even the usually nutty Ruka silently peered out the window in sheer amusement of the landscape. Hikita seemed focused on... Something. He just seemed focus. Lord knows on what.

Katsurou began to realize that he actually knew very little about the other genin beside him, despite the fact that he is to spend the next several days in unknown land, and possibily entusting his life with them and theirs to him. Katsurou felt like it was only right for him to share about himself first; however, this atmosphere was... "Ridiculous"

Katsurou began to consider that he was over thinking this, he decided to simply speak what came to his mind, "Have any of us traveled far outside the village walls before? The Isamuki tend to travel very often, paying visits and respect to the spirits of are fallen clan members at their location of death, and I have even once visited the land of fire in my youth. Despite this, travelling to a land not fully explored makes me believe that we can either encounter very little or a lot of surprises" he shared with his team mates, he believed this would be a great opportunity to further understand what he can begin to expect.


----------



## Island (Jun 14, 2014)

*The Adventures of Team Man Li*

*TROUBLE ROCKS THE LAND OF WAVES!*​
Unsurprisingly, the jog to the Land of Waves was uneventful. There was not a whole lot along the way, just a bunch of trees and the occasional wildlife, mostly deer, sometimes some scavengers circling overhead. Man Li jogged up ahead while Shizuo lagged behind, not because he couldn’t move as fast but because their formation demanded that at least somebody scouted up ahead for trouble and then somebody protect the rear. That left Haruto and Ran in the center to talk amongst themselves…

“So,” Ran made small talk, “What’s the deal with that cousin of yours?”

“What?” Haruto questioned. “Which one?”

“Hirari-chan.” Ran clarified.

“Hirari-sama is the heiress to the Hyuuga Clan,” Haruto explained, “A member of the main house and, the rulers of our clan. As you know, I am only a member of the branch house that protects my clan and its rulers…”

“No, no, no. I know _that_. I mean,” she interrupted, “I mean, what’s the deal between you and her?”

“I made a mistake, that’s what.” Haruto confessed. “I shared with you guys a means to cripple the power of the Byakugan, a toxin developed by one of my cousins that can temporarily disable it. Then, I demanded that she battle me. If she was anybody else, it would have been nothing short of me beating her senseless and her being unable to do anything to stop me. The Gentle Fist is our primary fighting style. Although we are proficient in traditional forms of Taijutsu, even some Ninjutsu, without the Byakugan and the Gentle Fist, we might as well be swordsmen without their swords…”

“So?” Ran raised an eyebrow.

“What I did was wrong.” He went on. “I put her in a situation which should have resulted in me beating her senseless and for no other reason than because I could. She knew it. I knew. More importantly, however, she knew that I knew it. In our clan, the curse seal is usually only activated when a branch family member displays killing intent. What I did was nothing but revenge, the intention of inflicting harm upon her, acting out against my master…”

“Yeah, yeah, I figured out most of that already.” She asked. “I should be more specific, I guess, I mean, what I’m getting at is, why? What happened between the two of you? What made you hate her so much? And her hate you? Did something happen, or…?”

“Well…” Hyuuga Haruto began.

---​
After we left the Valley of the End but sometime before we arrived at Otogakure…

“What about you, Hirari-chan?” Brawly asked. “That cousin of yours, what happened between the two of you? Must not have been anything good if you threatened to activate that curse seal of his. Not exactly your *PROUDEST* moment either, eh?”

Truthfully, I didn’t want to answer. In fact, I thought that this question was a lot more intrusive than what he asked my teammates. He asked Ren about the book he was reading and had a casual conversation about classic literature. He probed Minako further, asking about her clan, what it was like, where it came from but still nothing about individual family members and her relationships with them. I thought about not answering, but then, I started to feel guilty. Brawly shared some personal information with us. He opened up to _us_, bonded, even, and I wouldn’t even give him the time of day? Granted, this question was probably loaded…

“Why do you ask, Brawly-sensei?” I settled.

Haruto begrudgingly accepted the authority of the main house. He believed that no one had an inherent right to rule over others and that it should be one’s merits that determine their place in society. I thought this to be respectable, idealistic, but nevertheless, respectable. So long as he accepted the authority of my family and answered to us, and only us, I did not have a problem with it, no matter what he actually thought.

He was a prideful young man, almost too much so. As somebody once said, _“Gloating, pride, honor, all have been bequeathed to the child, but ultimately he had disowned them due to circumstances of life.”_

Naturally, his idealism made him _hate_ me and everything I stood for, vehemently so. I represented everything that he thought was wrong with the world, like some kind of aristocracy that he sought to overthrow. Unfortunately, the circumstances of his birth required him to swear loyalty to me and uphold the very system he sought to destroy. Again, I thought it to be respectable, idealistic but respectable. In fact, I pitied him. Maybe in another age, under different circumstances, he might have had his way, to be able to work his way to the top, to fulfill his potential and establish himself as something great…

Though, even if he was given the opportunity, he probably couldn't. He was no Hyuuga Neji, and he knew it.

I was better than him.

Born into a higher place in society and having a natural gift at what I did. Again, it spat in the face of everything he stood for.

“Because, Hirari-chan,” Brawly finally answered, “The two of you were *BEST FRIENDS* when you were children, *COMRADES*, *NAKAMAS*, even!”

“What _happened_?” He asked.

“Well…” I began.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jun 15, 2014)

*Journey to Valley of Ice III*

*Hikita Kirigaya*

This was Hikita's first time in a vehicle and, truthfully, he did not like it. He had been silently excited when he heard that they'd be travelling by truck, but the actual thing fell short of his expectations. He had expected a sleeker vehicle, one which travelled at high speeds like he saw in the commercials or, sometimes, on the streets. Instead, they got a clunky old thing which travelled at what he felt was his jogging space.

He couldn't get used to the smell, either. It was hard to describe, and Hikita wasn't quite sure how to describe it in words, but there was something in the air of the vehicle that made him feel a little bit queasy?like the food he had eaten was being tossed around in his stomach. It didn't help that they kept swaying around, either. 

The swordsman had no idea, but he was actually carsick. 

Slumped on his seat, his sun kissed skin paled as the truck drove onwards. _"What's going on? I suddenly feel terrible..."_ He put a hand to his face. How embarrassing, to show such weakness on his first ever mission with his team. He'd have to make up for it later.

Katsurou and Ruka, conversely, seemed perfectly fine. The latter was beaming excitedly at the changing, while Katsurou seemed disturbed about something. Not disturbed in the same way that he was?more like he was slightly disgruntled. Finally, he looked between Ruka and him, and spoke: "Have any of us traveled far outside the village walls before? The Isamuki tend to travel very often, paying visits and respect to the spirits of are fallen clan members at their location of death, and I have even once visited the land of fire in my youth. Despite this, travelling to a land not fully explored makes me believe that we can either encounter very little or a lot of surprises."

The raven haired boy mustered up the energy and willpower to lift his head up, peering at Katsurou. Ill as he felt, the intense look of concentration had not disappeared from his eyes. "I have not. For the most of my life, I have stayed and worker in my father's workshop or travelled around the general area. The most I have travelled from my house was when I went into the Raikage's Office, today." He admitted.


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## Redblood (Jun 15, 2014)

*Deep in The Valley of Ice, I*

*Kabiki Ruka & Amagumo
*On the Bus

----------​
Kabiki Ruka was practically bouncing in her seat. They were so high up! Everything was so beautiful here! The city in the mountains was drifting further and further away from view, diminishing in scale as the bus travelled up the mountain. They looked like little boxes! It was so cool! 

"Ridiculous." Katsurou proclaimed, diverting Ruka?s attention to her teammate.

"Have any of us traveled far outside the village walls before? The Isamuki tend to travel very often, paying visits and respect to the spirits of are fallen clan members at their location of death, and I have even once visited the land of fire in my youth. Despite this, travelling to a land not fully explored makes me believe that we can either encounter very little or a lot of surprises." he declared, clearly concerned with what lay ahead. The new guy, Hikita, answered.

"I have not. For the most of my life, I have stayed and worker in my father's workshop or travelled around the general area. The most I have travelled from my house was when I went into the Raikage's Office, today." he said. The guy looked super serious, but also a little uncomfortable. Did he have to go to the bathroom?

?Ooh! I like surprises! I wonder if there?s a party for us down there!? Ruka replied in her usual bubbly, air-headed manner.

?I?ve never really been outside of Kumogakure before, but I?ve always wanted to go out and see all the fun people from all these different places! So going to a place no one?s ever really been to is SUPER exciting!? Ruka declared, pressing her nose to the bus window.

?The Valley of Ice is an odd place,? Amagumo explained, ?it lays in the very center of the Kumogakure mountain range, surrounded on all sides by rock and snow. It?s said that ages ago, when the earth was warmer that The Valley of Ice was a lush, beautiful plain, filled with flora and fauna unknown to ninja today. Yet, as the climate changed and the world shifted, the Valley became enveloped by the mountains, and is little more than a large, flat stretch of ice and snow now. Many scientists believe that some of the earliest humans came from this place, and travel from all corners of the earth just to dig there. Personally, I think if they haven?t found anything yet, they NEVER will. But I do admire the persistence of these scientists.? he said.

The landscape around them began to change, from rocky and desolate, to snowbound, and rather serene. The bus still rattled along the uneven path every so often, but the scenery was quite calming. Amagumo sighed. These were the moments he lived for. The quiet beauty of nature. He seemed utterly at peace as he gazed out the window, before looking to his students. Ruka. Katsurou. Hikita. While Amagumo knew all of their names, he realized right then that he didn?t know much about the ninja themselves. The formation of his team had been so haphazard that he really hadn?t gotten a chance to get to know any of them. Well, no time like the present.

?So, why did you all decide to become ninja? What is your nindo?? Amagumo inquired.

?Well, my dad?s a doctor, and my mom is a kunoichi! I?ve always looked up to them, and love how much they help people. They make people happy! And that?s my nindo, too! I wanna make everyone happy, and have fun as a kunoichi!? Ruka chirped, still gazing out the window.


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 15, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure XVII*

*Ren Houki*

He paid close attention to the conversation between Minako and Fightin' Brawly when the latter began to probe the kunoichi. The Urasabi clan was extremely minor and he didn't know very much about it; just that it was genjutsu-focused and weren't native to Konoha, from what his books told him. When she revealed that her ancestors had dabbled in the same emotion training that the ANBU were known to use, Ren found himself very surprised. He sort of assumed that her clan just consisted of older, younger or male versions of Minako.

Fightin' Brawly's story was less surprising, but no less interesting for it. Ren didn't know that their teacher was an orphan, but thinking about it, his background made more sense. He had the cold instincts which developed from a hard childhood, but also clung deeply to the value of family and camaraderie as a result of not having had a family for such a long time. As he ended his story, Minako burst into a stream of tears once again, promptly pulling Hirari into a hug. "*I'M SO SORRY FOR HURTING YOU GUYS!*" She wailed. "*IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, I PROMISE!*"

Ren subtly raised an eyebrow. He was tempted to point out that she never actually _hurt_ either of them, and Brawly had actually chided her for being too passive, but decidedly abstained from voicing it. Hirari apologized soon after, startling the Houki slightly; he thought the girl was too prideful to do something as humble as saying sorry. Ren sighed. "I'm sorry, too. I got too eager and let my competitiveness take over my better judgment."  Well, if everybody else was doing it, he had to do it too.


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## Santí (Jun 16, 2014)

*Katsurou*
On the bus​
The rocky and desolate mountain cliffs of the Kumogakure country suddenly became coveted in a blanket of snow. This land was separated from the problems and occurrences of the modern world. Whatever lied ahead, Katsurou felt like this land will help his spirit grow. ?So, why did you all decide to become ninja? What is your nindo?? Amagumo inquired of everyone, possibly realizing the same as Katsurou. 

?Well, my dad?s a doctor, and my mom is a kunoichi! I?ve always looked up to them, and love how much they help people. They make people happy! And that?s my nindo, too! I wanna make everyone happy, and have fun as a kunoichi!? Ruka replied, still awe-struck by the scenery that surrounds us.

There was an air of enjoyment Katsurou received from Ruka. Despite her fierce and nasty temper, Katsurou felt comfortable believing she was someone she can always expect a genuine and concerned friend from her. Despite the fact that Katsurou shared and opened hospitality to everyone he meets, he was actually very careful with the people whom he spoke with and consciously kept the correct amount of distance, and there was a particular reason for such....

"Despite the fact that we all have different complexions, hair, size, and thoughts; when we take a look at the soul are we not all the same? The shinobi world spans for many miles and encompasses many people, all of us with the same soul," Katsuro announced in response to Amagumo, "yet we are separated, fight, and war with one another over these conflicting thoughts. How easily our minds turn to hate out of fear, a response that naturally and instinctively occurs with the desire to protect. Instead of paying eye to the same soul that unites us, we focus on the ideals that divide us, and even within the same country, clans divide themselves and war internally."

Katsurou stood out of his seat, intently looking in the eyes of his new teacher, whom he felt he may have more in common with than what is seen with the eye, ""When I reached adulthood, I set out to meet others of different countries, the friends of my father before; and it is I who will unite this one land in their honor as they had hoped". Katsurou sat back down in his seat, half-nervous that these people may not understand him also like the ones before. How could they? They can not feel and sense the same things he can...


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 16, 2014)

*Journey to Valley of Ice IV*

*Hikita Kirigaya*

The scenery was, in a single world, beautiful. Or, perhaps more aptly, stunning. Kirigaya wasn't sure if he was one to be able to call something 'beautiful'; there wasn't anything he could compare it to besides the dirty and dusty corners of his home. He'd never seen anything quite like it, though. The cloud enveloped mountaintops were a common sight in Kumogakure, and one the blacksmith had gotten used to seeing every morning as he went on his errands. 

Would he keep seeing these different sights throughout his shinobi career? And would he have the opportunity to travel to other villages and engage in their culture? For him, someone who had never really left the confines of his house or village, the idea of venturing out was much like letting a bird or animal loose from it's cage. Intimidating, but at the same time, exhilarating. 

He liked his team-mates too, so far. Ruka was a little weird, but she hadn't given him a reason to dislike her yet; besides, quirkiness kept things interesting. At the same time, Katsurou seemed respectable. Maybe a little bit too talkative, but he didn't mind. 

With his hand, Hikita wiped away a bead of sweat which had begun to trickle down his forehead. The carsickness was really beginning to get to him now. "I became a ninja to support my father. I want to prove to the world that weapons like swords still have a place in the world, in a time where everyone else has seemingly moved onto puppets or other forms of machinery. That is my nindo, my ninja way." He replied.


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## Fedster (Jun 16, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


Hirari awkwardly patted Minako's back, and after a moment, the latter stopped the embrace and resumed her seat with renewed hopes. _Now_ they were getting somewhere. They were finally understanding the concept of team, comradeship and, most importantly, friendship. Brawly-sensei taught them that, and Minako could not be more grateful.

After a rather long talk about a variety of things, they reached the remains of the Hidden Village by Sound: Otogakure. In truth, it was not what Minako was expecting: while she knew there would not be any Otogakure, she hoped that at least there would be towns and villages. A savage camp, even. _Anything_. But no, it was all forest and nature and stuff. And quietness. A piercing quietness that unsettled her. She was not used to it, and the fact that she could hear her own heartbeat was rather odd and creepy. She did not like it one bit.

However, Brawly's thunderous voice broke the silence. Thank. God. Minako was about to go crazy. He said that they would be escorting the research team on foot from thereon and that they would return to the village by morning of the next day. Now that she thought about it, Minako never actually said to her parents when she was coming back, but then again, her dad never did and her mother hardly got nervous by that. It was probably for the best.

?On the *DOUBLE*!? Brawly commanded.

"Yessir!" She replied, but then a question appeared. "Um, what's the formation again?"


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## Redblood (Jun 16, 2014)

*Deep in The Valley of Ice, II*

*Kabiki Ruka & Amagumo*
On the Bus

----------​
?Well, my dad?s a doctor, and my mom is a kunoichi! I?ve always looked up to them, and love how much they help people. They make people happy! And that?s my nindo, too! I wanna make everyone happy, and have fun as a kunoichi!? Ruka replied.

?An admirable nindo, Kabiki-chan! And I can see you?re already having fun!? Amagumo proclaimed with a smile. Admirable, if a bit na?ve?but still, Ruka had a good, kind heart. He tossed a small, striped candy ball to the young kunoichi, who giggled with glee before eating it.

?Mm! It?s so good! This is the best trip EVER, sensei!? Ruka chirped, her mood somehow even brighter than before.

"Despite the fact that we all have different complexions, hair, size, and thoughts; when we take a look at the soul are we not all the same? The shinobi world spans for many miles and encompasses many people, all of us with the same soul," Katsurou announced in response to Amagumo, "yet we are separated, fight, and war with one another over these conflicting thoughts. How easily our minds turn to hate out of fear, a response that naturally and instinctively occurs with the desire to protect. Instead of paying eye to the same soul that unites us, we focus on the ideals that divide us, and even within the same country, clans divide themselves and war internally." Quite the wordy shinobi. Still, he made excellent points.

"When I reached adulthood, I set out to meet others of different countries, the friends of my father before; and it is I who will unite this one land in their honor as they had hoped." Katsurou said, leaving Amagumo.

?That?s certainly quite an ambition, Isamuki-kun! I hope you can make it happen.? Amagumo chuckled. He wasn?t sure if Katsurou was the man for such a feat, but he at least seemed to have brains enough to try. And enough compassion to carry on. He passed the shinobi a candy ball just like Ruka?s before Hikita spoke up.

"I became a ninja to support my father. I want to prove to the world that weapons like swords still have a place in the world, in a time where everyone else has seemingly moved onto puppets or other forms of machinery. That is my nindo, my ninja way." Hikita proclaimed. That was enough to get Amagumo out of his seat, putting a hand on his newest student?s shoulder.

?Tradition. Family. Now there is something worth fighting for. Hikita-kun, do your best.? Amagumo said, handing a small candy ball to the boy.

?Eat it. It?ll help with the sickness.? Amagumo whispered. He could tell Hikita was a boy of strong conviction, and Amagumo could see him fighting to maintain composure. 

?Driver!? Amagumo addressed before tossing the pudgy man a piece of candy as well. Without diverting his attention from the road, the driver caught the candy in one of his hands and put it in his mouth. He tipped his cap in appreciation as Amagumo sat back down.










​?We?re approaching the peak of the trail now.? Amagumo explained, ?In a few minutes, we should be able to see our destination.? he said, as the snow began to fade from sight, replaced with the darkness of a low-lying cloud. 

Soon, the only light that could be seen were the ones spilling out from the bus? headlights and the three small lights illuminating the bus? interior.

*?OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH!!?* Kabiki Ruka exclaimed, ?We?re INSIDE a cloud!!!? she said.

Soon enough however, the darkness passed as the bus began to descend. The bus was awash in the light of the rising sun and the snowbound landscape. And there, far below, was The Valley of Ice. And not too far from the center was the team's destination.

"There it is..." Amagumo declared, "Outpost 32." 

​


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## Island (Jun 17, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
A few hours ago, my clothes were drenched, and I was dripping wet. However, I was able to dry myself off during the ride here. For the most part, it was like I never even submerged, though, my clothes still felt a little damp. Aside from that, I wasn’t all that beat up from our battle at the Valley of the End. I had a small headache and maybe a few scratches, but overall, I was feeling pretty good, or at the very least, I figured I wouldn’t have any trouble fighting off wildlife or perhaps bandits, should they decide to attack. I listened to Brawly’s instructions which consisted of him telling us to be alert and ready for anything. Made sense, nothing out of the ordinary, and as per usual, I created a hand seal and began channeling my chakra, preparing to activate the Byakugan…

Then, Minako popped in with a question.

“Um, what’s the formation again?” She inquired.

“We will be walking in a *LINE*!” Brawly answered. “I will lead, followed by the researchers followed by Hirari-chan, followed by you, and then Ren-kun in the back. Step in my steps, and with any luck, pursuers would not know how many of us there actually are until they got close enough to catch a glimpse firsthand.”

Seemed reasonable.

Once more, I created the hand seal to activate the Byakugan, but then…

*“Hirari-chan!”* Brawly thundered. “Do *NOT* activate your Byakugan!”

“Huh, what…?” I didn't understand.

“I totally *FORBID* you from doing so unless *ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY*!” He commanded.

Huh.

“B-But why, Brawly-sensei?” I was more confused than anything.

Suddenly, Brawly stopped what he was doing and turned toward us, giving us his full attention.

“Despite what I may have told you earlier, you are *NOT* children, and, thus, I will *NOT* bullshit you.” I never heard Brawly curse before. “I do not think we should have gone on this mission, and I would have refused to do so had the Hokage not requested us specifically for the task. It’s not because this mission is particularly dangerous. In fact, this mission is ideal for a new team, a journey to a faraway land, a chance to see new places and learn new things. However…”

“The Land of Rice Fields is a dark place.” He stated. “It has a long history of violence, and I am unsure that you are prepared for what you might see beneath the rice fields…”

“We will walk and talk.” He decided, grabbing a hefty backpack from the back of the truck and swinging it over his shoulder. Then, as the three members of the research team got their equipment from the back, mostly small electronics that they stuffed into duffel bags, they began walking as well. Thus, the seven of us, the three researchers, Brawly, Minako, Ren, and myself, set off on foot toward our destination…


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 17, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure XVII*

_*Ren Houki*_

His ribs hurt and it hurt to walk. He was quite sure, at this point, that his ribs weren't actually broken and just fractured. If Hirari had broken them, then after the adrenaline rush wore off, he would have been in serious pain. At the moment, the Houki was just in mild pain—like walking around with a large, painful bruise. At the same time, his chakra had returned also, for the most part. He had a lot of rest on the journey to the Land of Rice, and Brawly's energy bar, reluctant though he may have been to admit it, was helpful. Unfortunately, a small part of his chakra still had to go towards regenerating the damaged shield.

Needless to say, Ren Houki was not in optimal condition. And it was for this particular reason that he was actually somewhat thankful he was at the back. Taijutsu would have been difficult for him at the front, and being at the behind of the formation meant he could avoid most conflict while striking from a distance with his ninjutsu. It was efficient, though he would have been lying if he said he wasn't a little bit miffed about the whole situation.

_"Gah, this is annoying."_

Well, with any luck, they'd get there soon. And being a C-ranked mission, it was unlikely they'd encounter anything more than stray bandits and raiders looking for easy targets. He did wonder about what Fightin' Brawly said, though. The Land of Rice was taken over by Orochimaru sometime before the Fourth Shinobi War and from what he had read, it also used to be strife with violence due to being the home of many shinobi clans and yet having no single individual to unite them all, which was particularly how the Sannin was able to find so much success. 

But after that, the village disbanded and the entire country faded into historical obscurity. Nobody really knew what happened to it afterwards. Or, to be more precise, nobody really _cared_ about it. What could have been so bad beneath the rice banks that Brawly had to forbid Hirari from using her Byakugan, though? It seemed a little overly precautious, but then again, the Hyūga _did_ seem a little coddled.


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## Fedster (Jun 18, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


Apart from one or two bruises that apparently came out of nowhere and a mild pain in her lower back, Minako was in top shape. The long, albeit uncomfortable rest on the truck had given her enough strength to resume with their task at hand, which was escorting the researchers to Otogakure and back. She had no idea whatsoever why it was a C-Rank, but whatever. She was out of Konoha for a change.

There was one thing that unsettled Minako more than the utter silence of the place, and that was Brawly's answer. He did not want Hirari to use her Byakugan to watch the perimeter, and he said that this place was a dark one, full of violence of days past among other things. It was bad enough that Brawly barely emphasized words. That sent a cold shiver down Minako's pained back, who winced slightly. She rubbed the area gently to ease the mallady and then moved on.

"Brawly-sensei..." Minako called out, "Are we gonna be ok without Hirari's Byakugan?" She did not see why he was so reluctant on letting Hirari activate it. He must have had his reasons, or maybe it was a personal training thing. Minako just wanted to know which.


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## Island (Jun 18, 2014)

*The Return to Otogakure*

*WHAT LIES BENEATH THE RICE FIELDS*​
“There is nothing here that can hurt us, Minako-chan.” Brawly assured. “Because there is nothing here that is still alive…”

We began moving, making our way through the thick wood. All the while, Brawly spoke, telling us about the terrible secret of the Land of Rice Fields…










​
Brawly explained. “Not many people know about what happened here. It wasn’t classified, but it also wasn't something that the Five Great Shinobi Nations never made an effort to publicize. You see, ever since the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War, the Land of Rice Fields has been in a state of utter turmoil. It all began after the Fourth Shinobi World War when the United Shinobi Forces entered the Land of Sound and disbanded Otogakure. For the next several years, we kept a garrison here to maintain order in the absence of a formal military, but then, priorities changed, and eventually, it was only Konoha and Kumo who thought it necessary to remain active in the region…”

“Ultimately, the United Shinobi Forces withdrew.” He continued walking along, me to his left and Ren to his right while Minako walked to my left. “Even Kumo withdrew, and, thus, only Konoha remained. We maintained a garrison here until the death of the Sixth Hokage. The Seventh Hokage decidedly withdrew our forces as part of some hard-hitting budget cuts that ravaged our military and began a downward spiral that would not be rectified until our own current Hokage, Uchiha Yamata, stepped in.”

“I already know that, Brawly-sensei.” I interrupted. “That stuff can be found in any history book.”

“Why is that so important, though?” I asked.

Almost anybody who knew anything about the history of the last hundred years knew about the decline of Konoha shortly after the Industrial Revolution. During the reign of the Seventh Hokage, Konoha and the Land of Fire found itself controlling increasingly smaller percentages of the Shinobi World economy. The industrialization of the other nations, especially the Land of Earth, meant that they were now producing their own manufactured goods using raw materials harvested from their own countrysides rather than importing them, much like they were during the reign of the Fifth and Sixth Hokages. Likewise, most people were at least familiar with the bloody wars that ravaged the minor powers during this time, proxy wars where the Five Great Shinobi Nations would fund various rebel groups within a nation, pitting them against each other, somewhat like what Danzo and ANBU Root did those many years ago around the time of the Second Shinobi World War.

Brawly ignored me, which I found somewhat surprising. “A bloody civil war ravaged the Land of Rice Fields after the withdrawal of the United Shinobi Forces, and it was left to Konoha to put a stop to it. You see, various factions, mostly clans, affiliated with Otogakure sought to overthrow the new government established by the United Shinobi Forces. Once the United Shinobi Forces withdrew, they struck, plunging the Land of Rice Fields, or the Land of Sound, as they called it, into one of the deadliest conflicts since the Fourth Shinobi World War. Thousands upon thousands lost their lives, and yet, the United Shinobi Forces refused to act…”

“At this time, Konoha did not have the manpower nor the resources to invade on its own.” He explained. “Thus, it began supplying our allies with weapons, allowing them to fight the war themselves. Not a terrible solution in itself, but these weren’t just any weapons. They were experimental weapons, tools of war that Konoha wanted to develop and store in its arsenals in case one of the other villages ever decided to attack, everything from bioweapons to chemweapons to bombs, missiles, and other explosive devices. We started to see results. The rebel forces faced defeat after defeat, until they came across an undiscovered cache, detailing Orochimaru’s research on artificial kekkei genkai…”

“Our allies found themselves unable to win against this new foe, powerful shinobi with genetic enhancements, everything from super strength and super speed to regenerative and rejuvenating powers. However, the rebels simply couldn’t overcome our allies. Our allies simply had too many weapons, again, experimental weapons of mass destruction such as chemical agents capable of melting a victim’s lungs and genetically engineered viruses that targeted synapses in the brain. Simply put, the war quickly stalled, turning into a stalemate where neither side was able to defeat the other. The Seventh Hokage had no solution to this problem, other than to engage in a lengthy war of attrition which we could obviously not afford…” Brawly went on.

It suddenly clicked. I remembered watching something about this on television once. “According to conspiracy theorists, the Seventh Hokage betrayed his allies and began selling weapons to the rebels in exchange for the research data they required, thus allowing us to develop a program for the creation of artificial kekkei genkai, supposedly deep underground in the heart of the village. There’s little evidence to support this, but it is true that the rebels eventually overtook the allies and then fractured, forcing the United Shinobi Forces to intervene before _another_ civil war could begin…”

“Indeed, Hirari-chan.” Brawly nodded.

He didn’t say anything else after that, perhaps letting us think about what he told us, maybe offering us the opportunity to contribute to the conversation in some way. I glanced at Ren and Minako, curious to see what their reactions were…


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jun 20, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure XVIII*

*Ren Houki*

He listened to Brawly's history lesson with interest. A lot of it were things he already knew from history books, but he did learn a few things. Artificial kekkei genkai and conspiracy theories about the Seventh Hokage betraying the allies? Ren raised an eyebrow, but that was the extent of his surprise?every village had dirty little secrets to keep. Why would Konoha be any different?

His story did make things a little bit more tense, though, or at least changed the way the three of them perceived the former Otogakure. The dark shrubs of the forest they travelled through suddenly looked a lot more ominous, the shapes of the shadows bending and expanding as the Sun set in the background. And the silence, which had once been serene, couldn't felt any more eeire.


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## Fedster (Jun 20, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


Minako was regretting tagging along for that trip. Well, she never really had much choice, or any choice actually. As she was part of the team, she had to go wherever the team went, even if that meant traveling to a God-forsaken land where everything was dead and nobody cared enough to clean it up. Who owned these lands, by the way? If there were not Otogakure's anymore, then was it just free territory? Konoha's? Kumo's? She was not sure, and it would probably be best not to ask.

They walked, and they kept on walking. Why, oh WHY did the path had to narrow? Was it yet another one of fate's devious ploys? And where was fate leading them? What was going on around them?! Ugh, so many questions! And no answers! It was _so_ frustating. "Ah, I saw that on TV as well!" The girl exclaimed, trying to derail her train of thoughts to another subject. "It was a bit scary, but not as much as the host's voice. That guy sounded like he was telling a horror story with a flashlight under his face." She remembered that she could not sleep that night, as she kept on recalling the deep, severe voice of the narrator in her head. "But it's all lies, right? Like, Konoha doesn't do human experiments...Right?"


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## Island (Jun 20, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
“No,” I answered, “Those are just conspiracy theories.”

“Every village has its secrets, sure, but...” I went on, “The Second Kage Summit banned human experimentation almost a hundred years ago.”

Nobody said anything after that. In fact, we walked in complete silence for the rest of the way, not a word from anybody, neither Brawly nor Minako nor Ren. Even the research team kept to themselves. I also spent the rest of the walk keeping to myself, not really paying attention to what everybody else was doing. Along the way, however, I noticed that the trees were becoming larger, both taller and wider, indicating that they had been rooted there for a very long time, a hundred years, maybe more. Likewise, any traces of human presence had long since eroded away. Even the path we walked on was less of a path and more of an opening between the trees, about a meter or so from one to the other.










​
Another ten minutes passed and then another. The sun began to set, and coupled with the overhanging branches, the forest quickly became dark, even more eerie and foreboding that it already was. Finally…

​
A sudden chill ran down my spine, and I hoped that we would just keep walking. However, Brawly raised his hand, signaling for us to stop. We were there. Between two gigantic tree roots, one could see a split, a deep, dark opening that led underground. Squinting, one could also see that moss and vines had long since overtaken this secret cavern, but somebody had cut them away and recently too, probably whoever discovered the place. According to the Hokage, it was some farmer or hunter that found it, and, hopefully, he or she was the only one who did. The last thing we needed was company…

Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but feel as if there was something dark and unforgiving waiting for us down there, something that wouldn’t hesitate to do away with us at its first opportunity. My legs began to shake, and I wanted nothing more than to turn around and run as fast as I could, escape from this place and go somewhere safe, maybe the confines of my bedroom, protected underneath my blanket, knowing that whatever might lurk down there would never get me. Still, I convinced myself that it was all in my head, that monster stories weren’t real, and that anything that might ever want to do us harm had died many years ago.

Plus, I was a kunoichi and a powerful one at that.

“One of you will accompany us down there.” Brawly ordered. “The other two will wait here.”

My stomach sank.

I didn’t know what would be worse. Going down there or being up here without Brawly to protect us…

That feeling, I just couldn’t shake it.

I didn’t like this place, and the last thing I was for us to split up.

“I will stay up here.” I decided.

“How *DECISIVE*, Hirari-chan!” Brawly exclaimed. “Now, Ren-kun, Minako-chan, which one of you will come with your good ol’ *SENSEI*?”


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## Shika (Jun 20, 2014)

Kimiko
----------------------------​
One down, two to go. Well done team!

But even this enormous victory seemed small in comparison to the challenge ahead: the fire dude and the other guy. When I take their picture I'll have to find better names; telling people we beat 'the dude who did stuff' doesn't seem like it would do this fight any justice.

Kimiko then looked ahead to the opponents in front of her. She had to take on the other dude, of course; going up against a Katon user would be akin to suicide.

So she did what she could to distract the big guy from the rest of her team, hoping they would be able to kill the one that was left and then help her.

Throwing kunais and shurikens was the best she could do, exhausted as she was. However she was able to set off a couple of jutsus, making the armor-clad ninja flinch and leave his partner alone.

Success. Let's just hope I don't die now.


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## Redblood (Jun 20, 2014)

*Journey to The Land of Rivers, VII*

*Funzaki*
To The Land of Rivers

----------










​
The two remaining assassins actually emoted after that last attack. They were absolutely FURIOUS.

"Chakra armor, huh?" Kouji sneered before he took off like a rocket at the figures in front of him, diving past the large one as he threw out his arm, spinning the fire user. And exposed the man's back to Funzaki, but the large assassin was not one to pause, readying to bash Kouji?s skull in with his bare hands. 

That was, until another barrage of Kimiko?s kunai and shiruken blindsided the man mountain, one kunai in particular, backed by Kimiko?s Wind Release, striking the large man right in the head, and sending him crashing to the forest floor. The assassin roared as he got to his feet, his helmet split open by the attack. Yet, he didn?t see Kimiko?s second wind coming, and the large man was blasted straight into a tree. The man was about to get up for a third strike, but that was before the tree he?d hit split in two, and fell on him, leaving him trapped. 

Kouji made a single hand sign to cause the fire user to pause, assuming he was readying his puppets. However, all Kouji did was shout:

"NOW!" And Funzaki could see, in the chink of the figure's armor, between plates, a senbon stuck. Maybe not so much as a senbon as...

A nail.

?Gotcha!? Funzaki cried before his Hammer collided with the nail with the shinobi?s full strength behind it. The smaller man howled in agony as the senbon drove into him, and more importantly, into his armor. As the flame user stumbled backward, a strange noise filled the air. It didn?t take long to realize that the noise was the sound of the chakra armor cracking, as in mere seconds, it had fallen away, revealing the man underneath. There was something off about him. His skin looked wrong. Like it was made of crumbling stone. That?s when something else caught Chi?s eye. Something stuck to the assassin?s neck.

?Kinjutsu?? she whispered, as the man made a single hand sign. Horse.

?Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku!? the last assassin screamed before a wall of flame burst from his mouth. This wasn?t good. The team was too exhausted to help, and a blast that size would surely destroy them all! Unless?

?Everyone! Get behind me, NOW!? Funzaki roared, as the others did as he asked. Using the chakra he had left, Funzaki focused his energy into his hammer, made a few hand signs, and struck the earth.

?Earth Release: Hammer the Nail!? the boy cried as a wall of sand erupted before the group, taking the full force of the fire. The fire superheated the sand, and a pillar of glass was erected between the Suna team and their enemy. Funzaki, out of breath, listened for something. Only seconds later, the sound of the fire user?s footsteps rushing forward pierced the air, and Funzaki made one last combination of hand signs.

?I told you, NONE OF YOU ARE GETTING PAST ME!! EARTH RELEASE: FIST ROCK TECHNIQUE!? Funzaki screamed as earth coated his forearms once more. He struck the glass with all the strength left in his body, and the wall of glass exploded outwards, ripping the fire user to bits, his hacked corpse falling to the floor and disintegrating like the sand Funzaki summoned to defend them all before. The archaeologists were in total awe of their protector?s abilities, with Aikuro Ikuko making her opinion known.

?Whoa?? was all she could think to say.

?Whoa NOTHING!? Chi growled before summoning Renga, looking to the fallen assassins with a twinge of worry in her eyes.

?We need to find shelter for the night. We have NO IDEA who else could be out here, and my team is in no shape to fight any longer.? Chi replied, oddly concerned as she commanded Renga to absorb the still burning fires.

?You have no right to divert our expedition like this! We?re losing valuable time if we stop to rest!? Akage protested, drawing out Chi?s ire just a little bit.

?LISTEN YOU OLD F? man? you will lose FAR MORE than your life if you insist on travelling with a group of bodyguards who are INCAPABLE OF GUARDING YOUR BODY! We HAVE to find shelter, do you understand me?? Chi roared. A nod was all the response the sensei needed.

?Just as well.? Suzuha replied with a sigh, ?That was all very frightening.? she said with a weaker smile than everyone was used to.

As the group walked by the crushed assassin, they were surprised to hear something.

?You won?t survive if you insist on aiding her.?

The assassin wasn?t quite dead yet. Chi turned to face him, and meet his warning.

?Oh yes.? Chi replied, commanding Renga?s fist to rise, ?We WILL.? Chi spat, as the assassin was met with the full force of Renga?s piston punch. There was no head left to speak after that.

. . . 










​
The sun had faded from the treeline by the time Chi allowed the group to stop, finding an acceptable place to rest.



?Looks like there?s a cave behind these falls. You all can rest here. This will be an easy area to defend. One way in, one way out.? Chi explained as the expedition team went on ahead, setting up camp behind the waterfall. Or at least most of them did. Kaguro was too enraptured by the nearby ferns to help set up anything. Funzaki was practically using his Hammer as a walking stick after exerting himself for so long, and he was ready to rest. Or better yet, he was ready to have some quiet time with Ikuko. Yet, before he could go see his beloved, Chi stopped him, Kouji and Kimiko.

?Hold on. I don?t like where this mission is going. Funzaki, your little crush is hiding something from us. Those shinobi you fought were not normal. They had been brought back using Kinjutsu, and were being controlled. So whatever's happening out here, whoever wanted us gone is still out there.? Chi grumbled.

?You all did well back there. Historically, the only ones known to stand one on one with chakra armor users were Hatake Kakashi?s Team Seven. However, we weren?t prepared for that attack. I believe we should all train tonight, to be better prepared for what could come tomorrow.? Chi declared, noticing a considerable drop in Funzaki?s mood. Chi sighed.

?FINE. Not NOW. You all have three hours to rest and recuperate before we begin. I?ll take the first watch.? Chi groaned, readying Renga as she walked into the campsite. Funzaki, his mood brightened, went to go sit with Ikuko.


----------



## Fedster (Jun 20, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


The silence that engulfed the group gave room for Minako to think the whole situation through. It was rather annoying to be trapped in your own head, to be imprisoned behind the mental barriers of your own psyche. But she would not want to force the others to talk if they did not want to. It was bad enough that they had _that_ conversation just seconds ago; if they had another just like that Minako would not be able to control her shivering.

Soon the group found itself on a more dense forest, which bordered the definition of jungle. The trees were tall and robust and left little to no space for them to pass through. The perfect place for someone to sneak on them and attack. That particular thought made Minako nervous, and she felt her senses becoming more acute, as if fearing that someone was constantly preying on them, enjoying their superior position of watcher and not of watched. If it was not for the group, Minako would have jumped to the trees.

It was on the roots of one of those trees that they stopped. There was an ancient entrance covered with moss between the roots, which lead to an underground place. If there was an image that could define the word 'creepy', that was it.

_?There is nothing here that can hurt us, Minako-chan.?_ She repeated Brawly-sensei's words as if they were a mantra to keep evil away from her. Over and over again they went through her head, until Brawly's actual voice reached her ears.

?One of you will accompany us down there.? He ordered, scanning his subordinates.?The other two will wait here.?

They had the option to either stay or go down to the depths of the unknown. Hirari was staying, and Ren had not yet decided. Travelling down was crazy, but she would have Brawly by her side. On the other hand, staying in the silence of the forest was creepy and unnerving, but she would have Hirari to keep her companny.

"I'm sorry, sensei, but I'm staying too." She felt really sorry for Ren too, that could not decide what he wanted to do, but Minako would rather staying with what she knew than jumping recklessly into the unknown.

Ironic, really, but I guess that is fright for you!


----------



## Island (Jun 21, 2014)

*The Adventures of Team Man Li*

*TROUBLE ROCKS THE LAND OF WAVES!*​
I recalled my childhood experiences with Haruto…

Back at the academy, there was only one swing, an old board attached to some rope tied to an old tree that had been there since the days of Uzumaki Naruto and the rest of the Rookie Nine, as they were called back in those days. There was no sharing, no switching out, none of that. Only the strongest of the strongest could sit on that swing, like it was some kind of throne reserved for only one. In fact, some people actually believed that. They knew that Uzumaki Naruto sat on that swing, as did Uchiha Yamata, the current Hokage. Whoever sat on that swing was destined to become Hokage, or so they said…

It didn’t quite make sense, in retrospect. There were about three or four recess periods at the academy per semester. Given that there were two semesters per academic year and that each Hokage reigned for about fifteen to twenty-five years, there would be way more students who sat on that swing than there would be opportunities to become Hokage. Still, the kids used the idea to reinforce the notion that the swing was somehow sacred. Whoever sat there would one day become Hokage, or, again, at least according to them. I never questioned it, and neither did anybody else. It was just one of those things.

“Hirari,” Haruto addressed, “What will we be playing today?”

“What do you want to play, Haruto?” I was distracted on this particular day and didn’t really feel like coming up with a game for us to play.

Back in those days, Haruto and I referred to each other by name, no honorifics, no titles, nothing of the sort, as least when we were alone. The rest of the clan was insistent on him respecting my main family, and my father continuously scolded me for being so kind to Haruto. He would say, _“That boy is of a lesser pedigree, Hirari. He is not one of us, and he never will be, no matter how much he wants to be. You must teach him that. Make him respect you and your authority. Impose the will of the main family upon him… or I will.”_

Haruto said nothing.

“Then we will sit.” I decided.

If there was one thing I learned about human nature, it was that humans fought for themselves, for their own advancement, for their own success, and often times, that involved stepping on others and pushing them away, even if it meant that nobody would succeed. We needed to be taught how to sacrifice ourselves and our own interests. We had to learn how to put our family and friends, or clan and our village, before ourselves, to suppress these primal instincts. As one might imagine, the playground became dog eat dog, every man for himself. Kids would fight over who got the swing, beat each other up, and even drag others down with them. Haruto, however, Haruto protected me. It was us against the world, or, well, the playground.

When we walked outside, kids out of our way, murmuring quietly to themselves, whispering about the Hyuuga Clan, the genius princess and her loyal servant. In retrospect, it seemed so animalistic, so barbaric. We dominated them, asserting our superiority, like alphas proving themselves over the rest of the pack. With Haruto by my side, we were unstoppable. We went wherever we pleased, whenever we pleased, doing whatever we wanted to, often recruiting whomever to be by our side.

In a sense, it was like the balance between order and chaos, the fluctuation between periods of stability and instability. Many years ago, warring clans ravaged the Shinobi World until two men brought an end to the fighting, ushering in an era of relative peace and prosperity. Nobody fought over the swing while we were around. We sat on it, and nobody objected, much like nobody objected to the existence of the Five Great Shinobi Nations. Again, order and chaos. Out of chaos comes order, though, order will eventually decay, and chaos will once more consume anything and everything its path, much like what I imagine happened after we graduated and also what many say might one day happen to the Five Great Shinobi Nations…

We made our way over to the swings, and anyone who was resting beneath the tree quickly moved away, vacating the area for the two of us. I glanced over at my cousin, and without a second thought, we sat down together, each taking half of the swing.

Although father always told me about the main family and the branch family, I never really saw them as any different than us. I always thought father was just throwing words around, yelling at me needlessly. After all, what made Haruto that much different than me? Why couldn't he sit on the swing too…?

---​
“What do you think, Brawly-san?” Unbeknownst to us, two jounin stood atop a balcony overlooking the yard outside of the academy.

Brawly glanced at his old friend and rival, Man Li, but quickly turned his attention back down at the playground, pointing down at us. He spoke, “They both show a lot of *PROMISE*, Li-san. They call the girl a genius, a prodigy, even. She absorbs whatever she reads, storing it away in that tiny little head of hers. Her test scores are remarkable. She regurgitates everything, almost word from word from the text books, as if she has them sitting right there in front of her…”

“But she is *LAZY*, *UNMOTIVATED*,” he went on, “She is *COMPLACENT*. She knows that she only has to put in minimal effort, that she does not have to *WORK* to get what she wants because, one day, EVERYTHING that she could possibly want will just be *HANDED* to her. She has no siblings, nobody to compete against, nothing to *CHALLENGE* her in anyway. As far as she is concerned, her future is *SECURE*, and she only needs to *PRETEND* to care.”

“The *PERFECT* pupil!” Brawly smiled. “As soon as her father if I would train her when the time comes, I already already had my answer.”

“Decisive as *ALWAYS*, eh, Brawly-san?” Man Li slapped his old pal on the back.

The two shared a hearty laugh before finally getting back down to business.

“Indeed, Brawly-san,” Man Li nodded, “It will be quite the *CHALLENGE* to motivate the unmotivated, *PUSH THE UNPUSHABLE* to strive for *GREATNESS*.”

“That boy, though,” Man Li continued, “He is a nobody, nothing. He has no future, absolutely nothing except a life of mediocrity, groveling at the feet of his superiors. Quite the *SHAME*, isn’t it, Brawly-san, that children still have to grow up in this kind of world, a world where their *PLACE* in society is already determined for them, where their futures are determined by their *BIRTHRIGHT*, their *PEDIGREE*?”

“He will be *MY* student,” he stated, “I will help him achieve *GREATNESS*, show him that he *CAN* break down the barriers that stand in his way. With my help, he will do something *GREAT*, better this world for both himself and the people he cares about.”

“But the real question is, Li-san,” Brawly interrupted, “Which of us is faced with the *GREATER* challenge?”

Once more, they shared a hearty laugh.

“We shall see, Brawly-san.” Man Li stated. “We shall see.”

“The two get along well together…” Man Li went on, “…which is suggestive that they have not yet been tainted by the *POISON* that is *TRADITION*, that there is *HOPE* that they will one day come *TOGETHER*, regardless of the circumstances of their birth and achieve something great *TOGETHER*, not as master and servant, leader and follower, but as *COMRADES*, *NAKAMA*, even!”

“Indeed, Li-san!” Brawly exclaimed.

“It will certainly be a *SAD* day if these two were to drift apart.” The hulking man shook his head. “It will mean that their minds were indeed *POISONED* and that they have been taught that one is inherently *BETTER* than the other, that one is to give orders while the other obeys. Her father is a good man, but he is *BACKWARDS* and still clings to *ARCHAIC* values. The people of this village cannot truly be free until it is our *ACTIONS* that shape our future, not some arbitrary-”

“Calm down, Brawly-san!” Li interrupted his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Remember our *NINJA WAY*!”

“To ensure the *PROSPERITY* of future generations!” Brawly declared. “To ensure that the world they inherit will be *ONE HUNDRED PERCENT* better than our own!”

“Indeed!” Man Li exclaimed. “As long as we are here to guide them, we can set them back on track from *WHATEVER* wayward path they wander down!”


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jun 21, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure XIX*

*Ren Houki*

After another ten minutes, give or take, of walking, the team arrived at their destination. It was a dark opening between long and dark spider-like roots which presumably led to the underground chamber the team was meant to travel down. The cave was a foreboding-looking thing, and sent tiny chills running up Ren's spine. Brawly had assured them that nothing dangerous would be around, but he still couldn't help but feel a tiny bit unnerved by the aphotic tunnel. The stories he told earlier, and the fact that the Sun had already set didn't exactly provide any degree of relief for him, either.

“One of you will accompany us down there.” Brawly ordered. “The other two will wait here.”

Ren sighed, completely taken off guard by the suddenness of this order and the speed at which Hirari and Minako both decided to stay above. He set his briefcase down, removing a blue piece of fabric from one of the side pouches and tied up his hair with it. Bending down, he picked up his briefcase again and looked at his sensei. "I guess I'll be with you, then." The Houki commented, grateful that he had recharged his shield during the walk.

He definitely didn't want to head down, but he didn't exactly have a choice now that his other two team mates decided for him. Besides: he was strong, and had Fightin' Brawly along with him. Surely, nothing could go wrong?


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## Island (Jun 21, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
“Looks like it’s just *YOU AND ME*, Ren-kun!” Just like before, Brawly slapped Ren on the back just a bit too hard.

Then, Brawly turned to us, producing two small objects from his pocket. They appeared to be earpieces of some kind, probably two-way radios. Typically, teams used this kind of thing for reconnaissance, especially when they split up to cover large areas of land. This device allowed them to keep in contact with not only each other but a third-party, usually back at base so that they could report unusual activity, warn other teammates about some impending danger, or even call in for reinforcements if the situation demanded. Unfortunately for us, we didn’t _have_ a home base to call back to, but nevertheless, this device would keep the two of us connected with Brawly and Ren.

One simply put it in his or her ear and tapped a button on the earpiece to speak into it, something that was fairly obvious but...

“Just put it in your ear and *TAP* if you have something to say.” Brawly went ahead and explained it for us. “We’ll let you know if we run into any problems. Stay *SHARP*, Hirari-chan, Minako-chan!”

Brawly produced two more earpieces, placing one in his right ear and then handing the other to Ren. Finally, he signaled to the research team that he was ready and began walking toward the cave entrance. First went Brawly, then Ren, and then the three members of the research team, and after a couple seconds, the last young man faded into the darkness and out of view. Still, we could hear their footsteps as they descended what must have been some kind of stone steps into an underground area deep beneath the surface…

---​
Indeed, Brawly and Ren walked down a makeshift stairway made out of stone and other random pieces of nature  and lit up by lanterns provided by the researcher team,. The stairs winded around, spiraling through what looked like a tunnel drilled out man y years ago. Who made it or why, I didn’t think that even Brawly had an answer, but it was clear that it wasn’t a naturally occurring cave. After all, there were no roots sticking out, blocking one’s path, like one might expect if the cave existed before the tree. More pressingly, however, one could still see scratches and scars along the tunnel walls, signifying that _somebody_ carved it out.

Finally, they reached an opening. However, it was too dark to see anything.

“Brawly-san,” one of the researchers spoke, “According to the report, there should be a light switch somewhere around here. The place is powered by some kind of underground generator, and as long as the bulbs still work…”

“Right.” Brawly nodded along.

“Ren-kun!” Brawly instructed. “Let there be *LIGHT*!”

Presumably, he wanted Ren to find the light switch.

Then, after the flip of a switch…

“And there was *LIGHT*!” Brawly proclaimed.

The whole cave suddenly lit up, though some lights were noticeably flickering. Nevertheless, one got a full view of the area. Roughly fifteen meters across and twenty-five meters wide, the cave was surprisingly well maintained. There were lights on the walls connected to each other by electrical wire that circled the room. There were also the remains of what looked like a pillow and blanket, as well as a basket, probably used for foraging. All of these things had long since rotted, and the pillow and blanket, especially, smelled putrid. Most noticeably, however was…

A gigantic computer at the far end of the room.

The reason why this place remained hidden for so long quickly became clear. This place was not some underground bunker or even an underground shelter. It was simply some underground chasm with a computer. Why somebody would build something like this, spend all that time carving out the tunnel and probably the cave, one could only speculate, but it was suspicious, to say the least. It was one thing to build a home in a cave on the mountainside or to inhabit some hole in the ground, but to find a place _this_ secluded? On top of that, to only furnish it with the absolute _bare_ minimum?

The group approached the computer, and without a second thought, got straight to work. The research team went ahead and started playing with the massive computer, which was at least six meters tall, while Brawly turned to Ren, trying to make casual conversation, and hopefully, break the aura of tenseness…

“Ren-kun!” Brawly asked. “Do you have a *MACHETE* on you, by any chance?”

He waited for Ren’s answer, though it was unlikely that he did.

“Because I *REALLY* need to shave my legs.” He followed up.

Several minutes of casual banter followed.

During this time, one could see the researchers fiddling with the computer, opening up what must have been its waterproof casing and trying to get it to turn on. They eventually did, and when that happened, the whole room became even brighter as the massive screen came to life. At this point, one of the researchers plugged in a device, probably some kind of miniature computer of their own, running a program to bypass any password that might otherwise prevent them from getting the research data they sought. One couldn’t help but notice the difference between the two devices, one easily being fifty or so years old and the other being one of the more recent models designed by some entrepreneur in the computing industry…

As some more time passed…

“Brawly-san!” One of the researchers exclaimed.

They must have finished already, breaking down whatever barriers were in their way and downloading the data they wanted.

“Brawly-san!” He sounded more urgent this time.

“What?” Brawly seemed a bit annoyed that this guy was interrupting him. “What’s wrong?”

“This…” The man hesitated for a second. “This isn’t a data cache.”

“It’s a computer terminal for a…” Again, he hesitated. “A radio tower.”

*“INITIATING PROTOCOL FORTY-NINE.”* The computer suddenly came to life.

The research team stepped back from the computer. They must have inputted too many incorrect passwords… or something.

“And it’s activating!”

---​
Meanwhile, back on the surface, I took a seat on one of the tree roots, and the two of us sat in silence for several minutes. At least, we sat there until I finally decided to make conversation with my teammate. I didn’t particularly want to talk to Minako, but I also didn’t want to sit in silence, especially in a place like this. Some deep, dark forest in the middle of the night, in a country that had been ravaged by war the past fifty years, I mean, it wasn’t like I believed in ghost stories or anything, but it was nevertheless unsettling. I just _had_ to break the silence.

“So, Minako-chan,” I asked, “Do you like being on a team with us…?”

“I mean,” I went on, “We’re not exactly the ideal teammates.”

I listened intently at Minako’s answer, hoping that it was something that she would go on and on about, at least so we wouldn’t go back to sitting in silence. Plus, if she followed up with a question of her own, it would give me ample opportunity to speak for awhile, maybe even have casual conversation with her. She wasn’t exactly my friend or anything, but it didn’t seem all _that_ hard to carry on a conversation with her, especially since, again, I pegged her as the kind of person who would just go _on_ and _on_ if you asked her the right questions.

Sometime during our conversation, however, something strange began to happen. I felt the ground begin to tremble, as if something was going on underground. It was the worst possible feeling, knowing that something went _wrong_ down there. I went to bring my hand up to my ear and speak into the earpiece and ask if something was wrong, but for some reason, I just froze.


----------



## Fedster (Jun 21, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


Brawly handed earpieces to the team to keep them informed as to what happened both outside and inside the cavern. Minako placed hers on her left ear and tucked that side of her hair back so she did not have any difficulties to use the device. After all, it would be pointless to have an earpiece if you could not talk through it. She just hoped that they were in top shape and none of them was malfunctioning. Once she was ready, she went to one of the sides of the entrance and gave Brawly-sensei a thumbs-up.

And so, they splitted up, Ren, Brawly-sensei, and the reseach team travelled down the stairs with torches in their hands, and Minako and Hirari were left to their own devices to look after the entrance. In the darkness. In the middle of a creepy forest. Where everything was supposedly dead. _'Yay.'_ Thought Minako, taking a kunai from her pouch to feel more secure.

There was a bit of an awkward silence between the two girls at first. Minako crouched and began drawing lines on the ground with the kunai, sometimes changing the patterns to circles or triangles to make it more interesting, or a rare star when things got stale. She liked drawing, even if she was bad at it. Like, _really_ bad at it. But that did not mean she could try. In fact, should you take a look at her class notebooks from back at the Academy, the sides of the pages would be filled with all kinds of different doodles and attempts of doodles. It was a way to spend time during particularly boring lectures, which were all of them.

?So, Minako-chan,? Hirari suddenly started, taking Minako by surprise, ?Do you like being on a team with us??? The question, if anything, seemed rather odd.

"Of course I do!" The blonde answered, happy to think of something other than their current situation. "I mean, yeah, we may not be the perfect team, but no team is actually perfect. At least I got paired up with the Konoha Prodigies." Minako beamed at that. "So if I ever screw up, I know you'll be there to help me fix it, right?" She smiled at Hirari, adn then proceed with a question of her own: "And what about you, Hira-?"

But Minako could not finish the question, for the ground began to tremble beneath them. That could mean only two things, and as far as she could see, there was no circus parade nearby. Something was happening down there, and it was something big. There was a moment that the two of them could not move, could not even blink. But Ren and Brawly-sensei were probably in danger, they could be injured for all they knew! She needed to know!

Minako tapped the earpiece. "Hello? Ren, Brawly-sensei? Can you hear me?! What's going on down there?!"


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jun 22, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure XX*

*Ren Houki*

He attached his portable radio onto his neck, quickly connecting the straps together until it formed a collar, and then ventured into the cave with Brawly and the researchers. The journey was uneventful, and melted away some of the initial worry he had. The chambers were dark and damp—very uncomfortable, in other words, and had all the signs that somebody had been here before. Even in the dim illumination granted by the various bits of working technology, he could make out faint cuts on moss and greenery which coated the walls. It felt somewhat ominous, but it was more likely that the cuts came from whoever came here before them. And for that reason, Ren Houki was not particularly nervous.

Though, the conversations between Fightin' Brawly, the researchers and himself did well to distract him, too. Ren watched on as the researchers set to work, their fingers smashing away on the keyboard of the ancient computer, whilst he himself engaged his sensei in 'casual conversation'.

But everything changed when the radio tower attacked.

The researchers ran back, hurried, panicked and covered in sweat. One of them, the one who seemed to be the 'leader' amongst them, addressed Brawly. "This... this isn't a data cache," he said, his nervousness almost palpable, "it's a computer terminal for a radio tower." And thus, the bomb was dropped. The small underground chasm in the remnants of Otogakure they had travelled across a country to find was not a treasure trove for data, knowledge and wisdom. It contained something far more insidious. Far more dangerous, and far more ominous than any of the three could have expected from their C-rank adventure into the dead lands. It was a signal.

And as if to prove it's point, the ground suddenly shook, the force and suddenness of the tectonic movement almost throwing Ren to the ground. He briefly suspected or rather, hoped, it might have been an earthquake, but quickly dispersed the piece of optimism from his mind. He had read that earthquakes didn't occur often in the Land of Rice; it wasn't even resting on one of the tectonic plates. A faint, but familiar voice, dulled and maimed by distance and the limitations of technology rang in his ear. "Hello? Ren, Brawly-sensei? Can you hear me?! What's going on down there?!" It was Minako. She and Hirari must have felt the tremor. 

Regaining his bearings, Ren tapped his earpiece, speaking into his microphone. "It's a trap, Urasabi-san. Get Hyūga-san to activate her Byakugan, quickly!"  He shouted.


----------



## Island (Jun 22, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
“Do *NOT* activate your Byakugan, Hirari-chan!” He commanded.

“That’s an *ORDER*!” He followed up.

Suddenly, the hulking man moved forward, pushing the research team out of his way. He finally stopped in front of the computer and stared down at it, as if considering his next move. Then, without a second thought, he swung his fist downward, through the keyboard, and into the heart of the computer, smashing straight through its metal casing as if his fist was a hot knife through better. Then, he pulled back, ripping something out with it. A piece of the motherboard, perhaps? Maybe the harddrive? Nevertheless, one couldn’t help but imagine Brawly performing the same technique on an enemy, knocking them over and then ripping their still-beating heart straight from their chest, showing it to them during their last precious seconds of life.

Brawly appeared noticeably angry, not at anyone in particular, however, but rather, at the situation he suddenly found himself in. A simple mission with his team, a squad of genin and three escorts, suddenly turning into something far more dangerous than any of them could have prepared for. Brawly feared that whatever it was, whatever was signaled by this radio tower, might be lurking nearby. Whatever it was, it would have had to have slumbered for decades, some dormant power, awakened abruptly by a bunch of children and their teacher. Either that, or somebody far, far away was about to be in for an equally rude awakening…

In any case, Brawly recognized that lives might now be in danger, again, something that even _he_ wasn’t prepared to deal with.

“Any idea what that signal even was?” Brawly turned his attention back to the research team.

“Any at all?” He tried to get as much information out of them as possible.

“Nothing out of the ordinary, though…” The man hesitated.

“There was no radio tower anywhere on the surface. Anything this old would need a gigantic tower, at least thirty to forty meters tall. Somebody would know of its existence and would therefore have found this place long ago. Considering that the computer activated the tower means that it’s still there and didn’t get knocked over or anything…” He stopped, pondering for a second, probably trying to find a way to word what he was about to say. “That means that the tower must be… underground, but… that would defeat the purpose of there being a tower at all, unless, well… it was purposefully underground, pointing… down…”

“Why…” Brawly didn’t quite understand. “Why the *HELL* would a radio tower point *DOWN*?”

Suddenly, my voice came through the earpiece, somewhat statically, but my words were nevertheless clear as day.

*“BRAWLY-SENSEI!”* I must have sounded frantic, panicky, even, like a teenage girl unsure of what to do about a spider in her bedroom. “There’s… There’s a…”

*“THERE’S A HAND COMING OUT OF THE GROUND!”* I practically shrieked.

At that moment, the color left Brawly’s face and the fire in his eyes suddenly died. A hand coming out of the ground in an otherwise empty forest, devoid of all life…


----------



## Fedster (Jun 22, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako












It was relatively close to midnight, and something evil was lurking in the dark while the ground trembled. Under the moonlight, Minako saw a sight that almost stopped her heart. She tried to scream, but terror took the sound before she made it. She started to freeze, as horror looked her right between the eyes, her whole self paralyzed.

No, but seriously, what happened really scarred Minako. After the ground stopped shaking, Something sprouted from it. It was rather dark, so she could not really see what it was, but she wondered what could possibly grow so fast in the death of night. It turned out that it was not a plant sprouting or even a small animal coming out. It was...

*?THERE?S A HAND COMING OUT OF THE GROUND!?* Hirari screamed to the earpiece. A hand. An actual, human hand was coming out of the ground. And it was followed by an arm, a shoulder...and...a head....

"*AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!*" Minako let out a scream without restraint, forgetting that her earpiece was still on. But she could not help it. After all, the living dead were a work of fiction, something to scare children in bed time stories and teenagers at late night shows. "*IT'S A BO-BO-BO-BODYYYYY!!!* WHAT DO WE DO, WHAT DO WE DO!!" Minako climbed to the root Hirari was sitting in a flash, trying to put some distance between her and the corpse. "BRAWLY-SENSEIIIII! What do we doooooo?!"


----------



## Island (Jun 22, 2014)

*The Adventures of Team Man Li*

*TROUBLE ROCKS THE LAND OF WAVES!*​
They finally arrived at the Land of Waves, or at least, they approached the border. Haruto and Ran carried on a conversation for most of the time, discussing in length their history with Ren and myself. Haruto shared stories about how we used to be friends, but decidedly didn?t tell Ran what happened between us, much like I didn?t share with my teammates what happened between Haruto and me. Likewise, Ran shared her experiences with the Houki Clan, as well as some firsthand encounters with Ren, most of which, not very pleasant?

The team approached a set of stone steps that led up a hill.

_?Approaching the Great Naruto Bridge!?_ Read a wooden sign at the top of the hill.

Indeed, they neared the Land of Waves. They continued onward, down that hill, and then up another, and once reaching it, they could see the Great Naruto Bridge in the distance. A gigantic cement bridge went from one side of the glistening ocean to another. A marvelous sight, breathtaking, almost, one could see a blue sky with puffy white clouds and a gleaming, almost pristine river of waves just up ahead. On the opposite end of the bridge, a small settlement could be seen, a humble fishing village with wooden homes. Traditional, much like Konoha, in a way, almost feeling like a home away from home.












​
?I-It?s beautiful.? Ran stated.

The group stopped for a second to admire the view.

?Indeed, Ran-chan.? Li nodded. ?The Land of Waves is not like other parts of the Shinobi World. It is bare and innocent, much like an infant. You won?t find water this clear anywhere else, not in Konoha, Kumo, or even in Kiri. Traditional folk, these ones are, practically the same as they were since Uzumaki Naruto first came here a hundred years ago??

He went on, ?They have no military of their own and, thus, rely on us for protection. The people of the Land of Waves are fisherman, some craftsmen, not concerned with warfare or anything of the sort. Again, simple folk. Admirable, really, the kind of life that many shinobi aspire to have, to retire to the beachside, spend one?s day fishing, catching his own dinner, you know, *ENJOYING* life!?

Then, Man Li took a deep breath, inhaling, and then exhaling loudly.

*?AHHH!?* He exclaimed.

?Nice, *CLEAN* air!? Man Li proclaimed.

?Let?s get *MOVING* before I decide to *RETIRE* here!? Man Li let out a hearty laugh, slapping both Haruto and Ran, who happened to be standing alongside him, just a bit too hard on the back.

Thus the group continued onward, though, they decidedly broke formation. The three genin walked alongside one another while Man Li chatted with their escort, the elderly man who was responsible for overseeing the bridge repairs. They continued on for the next couple minutes, conversing amongst themselves without much care, though, as far as conversing went, it was usually Haruto and Ran, and, less frequently, some yes or no questions for Shizuo?

?Li-sensei?? Haruto suddenly stopped.

?There are people down there.? He pointed down to the bridge.

---​
Team Man Li made their way down to the bridge to find a pair of robbed figures approaching, making their way slowly across the bridge. They bore brown robes with no emblems or insignias present, and likewise, no forehead protectors were visible. Whether or not they were shinobi was unknown, though, their secrecy drew some obvious suspicion. However, they weren?t doing anything wrong, so there wasn?t any reason for Team Man Li to say anything. Until they were about ten meters away at the foot of the bridge?

?Sorry, fellas,? one of them, a young man, spoke, ?The bridge is closed.?

Man Li stopped, scratching his head.

?We have to get across.? Man Li explained. ?We are escorting an engineer who will oversee its repairs.?

?Sorry, fella, ain?t happenin?.? The mysterious man shook his head.

At this point, Man Li became suspicious. Before, it might have been accepted for a couple of hooded figures to be making their way off the bridge. No problem. Some people simply didn't want their identities known. Alternatively, maybe the bridge became unstable, and these two being sent to stop anybody from doing anymore damage. However, he wasn't informed of the bridge being closed, or more importantly, anybody _guarding_ the bridge. Probably highwaymen, looking to set up a ?toll? and force people to pay to get across. Less likely, they actually trying to start trouble. Though, this was clearly a team of shinobi, from Konoha, nonetheless.

Man Li reached down to his pouch, grabbing for a kunai, ?Just who *ARE* you???

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and the two figures took this opportunity to cast off their robes, grabbing them by the collar, pulling them off, and letting them flutter away in the breeze, revealing?




?We are the Iwagakure Explosion Corps!? The female announced.

?By order the Tsuchikage?? She went on.

?We?re gonna gonna blow this bitch sky high!? The young man declared.


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 22, 2014)

* Kouji, &Shizuo*

To the Land of Rivers, and the Land of Waves​
"Raijū Hashiri no Jutsu!"

Is what Shizuo would have shouted, if he were not...mute. As it was, he could only mouth the phrase, and make the hand signs as he geared himself to attack the two figures!

But, thankfully for him, or perhaps for the two in front of him, or maybe for Brawly, Shizuo didn't get that chance, for of all the members of that team, he was most heavily concentrated on taijutsu. His hand signs, as a result, were horrid. Man Li saw the young man beginning the signs for the technique from a mile away, grasping both his hands as they settled on the second hand sign with one massive palm, clenching them together as he lifted the Hatake off the ground, staring down the duo.

"Now now, Shizuo-*KUN*. Let us first assess the situation before acting. We, as Team Brawly, strike hard and fast, *YES*, but not without first getting a good idea of the situation."

Their sensei turned back to the two in front of them. "So. Just why has the *TSUCHIKAGE *ordered for the destruction of this bridge?"

-----------

Kouji preened at the high praise from his sensei.  Given how harsh she was normally, and how badly he desired praise and recognition, at least from a puppeteer such as herself, he might compare her compliments to something like cocaine for an addict. It came infrequently and was hard to gather the currency for, but it was addicting nonetheless with its moments few and far between.

That night, Kouji slept like a baby, and fully enjoyed all 3 hours he had to rest, curling up in his sleeping bag and simply knocking out for the duration. _Nothing_ would wake him from his sleep.


----------



## Island (Jun 22, 2014)

*The Adventures of Team Man Li*

*TROUBLE ROCKS THE LAND OF WAVES!*​
“Wait a minute!” Man Li held his hand up.

“Scratch that last question!” He told.

Man Li paused and began counting on his fingers. He seemed to be deep in thought, contemplating something. What that something was, however, one could only venture a guess. Finally, after a couple seconds, he mouthed _“Aha!”_ and looked back up at the two shinobi.

“You don’t wear flak jackets, but that’s most likely because you don’t want to be detected so far away from you village.” Man Li went on. “Though, you made it no secret who you are, members of the Iwagakure Explosion Corps. That can only mean one thing. You wanted to reveal yourselves to us as a means to *STALL FOR TIME*, am I right? Or am I *RIGHT*?!”

The young man brought his hand up to his face. “You are probably… the stupidest shinobi-”

*“SO TELL ME!”* Man Li interrupted. “Where is the *REST* of your team?!”










​
Suddenly, another shinobi flickered into view, about a meter in front of his partners. This shinobi also wore no flak jacket, instead keeping several pouches at his waist, as well as a variety of weapons, including two short swords, strapped to belts that dangled from his person. At first glance, he looked like some kind of Kenjutsu Specialist, though given that he was a member of the Iwagakure Explosion Corps, it was likely that he was primarily a Ninjutsu Specialist and then a Kenjutsu Specialist second. On the other hand, however, it was rumored that Iwagakure was experimenting with new explosive weapons, so there _was_ a distinct possibility that he was some new breed of Bukijutsu Specialist, an explosive master that did not use Explosion Release…

“Right here.” He stated. “Ryuujin Matsuo, at your service.”


*Spoiler*: _Ryuujin Matsuo_ 








“You must be Man Li.” Somebody else appeared, this one behind Team Li. “One of Konoha’s greatest Taijutsu Masters, even considered one of the strongest in the whole world. You’re with your team, too, a kid from the Houki Clan, another from the Hyuuga Clan, and most curiously, the great grandson of the legendary Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi. You alone would be worth millions, especially considering your bounty in Kumo, but your whole team…”

“Forgive me,” he suddenly changed the topic. “My name is Hiroshi Yoru, Iwagakure Explosion Corps, Logistical Support, Reconnaissance and Scouting. My friends over there are Hibaku Yuna and Hibaku Inuzuku, users of the Explosion Release kekkei genkai. You already met Ryuujin Matsuo, Bukijutsu Specialist and inventor Iwagakure’s Bunker Buster.”

He looked easy-going. In fact, he seemed quite friendly, though, he certainly didn’t talk like it. This young man, Hiroshi Yoru, kept his hair messy and wore loose-fitting clothing. Most notable, however, he held a bingo book in his right hand, flipping through the pages with his left. It looked tattered and worn, as if it had been on many missions to many different places and probably scribbled with notes written in the margins, the same way an academy student might write extra notes for themselves while they crammed for tomorrow’s exam.


*Spoiler*: _Yoru Hiroshi_ 








“We were expecting Fightin’ Brawly, but…” he shrugged with a hint of disappointment in his voice, “I guess you’ll have to do.”

“W-What exactly do you guys want?” Man Li hesitated, not necessarily out of fear for himself but for the safety of his team.

“Man, you *ARE* the stupidest shinobi I’ve ever heard of…” Hibaku Inuzuku stated.

“But you *HAVE* heard of me!” Man Li joked.

The four of them all brought their hands up to their faces and shook their heads. It would have probably been the opportune moment to strike, but, ultimately, the time for that quickly came and went. Man Li missed his chance, and Hiroshi Yoru got back down to business.

“Your assessment was indeed correct, Li-san.” Hiroshi Yoru explained. “We were stalling you, allowing us to plant our explosives and regroup here at the foot of the bridge. Admittedly, your team arrived far sooner than we expected, though, we didn’t exactly know who would be joining us here today. Again, we were hoping for Fightin’ Brawly. Rumor has it that he’s training the brat from the main house. Those eyes would fetch us a fortune on the black market…”

“What?” Man Li seemed more confused than anything. “What *IS* all this?”

“What the *HELL* is going on here?!” Man Li demanded to know.

Since the birth of the Five Great Shinobi Nations, the two villages, Konohagakure and Iwagakure probably had the most strained relations. The two fought in almost every Shinobi World War, and in the aftermath of the Fourth Shinobi World War, often competed with each other for trade deals and other economic opportunities. When the Industrial Revolution kicked off under Uzumaki Naruto, Iwa insisted on competing against Konoha, attempting to build an even larger manufacturing base, to produce even more durable metals and even more coveted manufactured goods, especially industrial equipment, heavy machinery, and so on. In the present day, they maintained cool relations. Certainly nothing that would suggest outright aggression, but…

The fact that the Iwagakure Explosion Corps was here, ready to destroy the bridge between the Land of Waves and the Land of Fire, fully prepared to do battle with Konoha shinobi...

Man Li found it unsettling, disturbing, even. Not over a hundred years had one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations declared open hostility against another.

“Give us a second, Li-san.” Hiroshi Yoru apologized. “Like I said, you arrived earlier than we anticipated, but it isn’t _that_ big of a deal. We just need a moment to finish things up.”

“Matsuo-san!” Hiroshi Yoru called out.

“Sink this bridge into the ocean.” He ordered.

“W-Wait, what?!” Man Li shouted.

Ryuujin Matsuo produced a small black remote with from a pouch attached to his belt. Probably some kind of remote detonator, it was rectangular in shape with a large red button on it with an antenna sticking out of the end. At this point, Man Li could have attacked Ryuujin Matsuo, engaging the three members of Iwagakure’s Explosion Corps and possibly saved the bridge. However, he probably knew that doing so would endanger his team. At the very least, every member of the enemy team was chuunin-level, and more realistically, jounin-level. Even opening the gates and attempting to blitz them ran the risk of one them rushing one of his genin, never mind the poor old man that they were supposed to escort here…

*BOOOOOOOOOOM!*

Thus, the Great Naruto Bridge went up in a massive series of explosions. Every single one of the pillars that kept the bridge above the surface blew apart, and with no legs left to stand on, the bridge crumbled into the ocean. Team Li could only watch on in horror as the hundred year old bridge, a monument to Uzumaki Naruto and Team Seven’s first true adventure, collapsed into the sea, meeting an untimely end at the hands of the Iwagakure Explosion Corps…

*“KA-BOOM, friend!”* Hibaku Inuzuku cackled, explosions going off behind him.


----------



## Santí (Jun 23, 2014)

*Katsurou*
The Valley of Ice​
Team Amagumo had finally arrived at Outpost 32, a large chrome dome encompassing possibly many scientists... But what business did Shinobi, soldiers of espionage and war, have in our own place of research and discovery? Katsurou was the first to depart from the bus, removing his sandals which served only to spare his feet from the grotesque feel of the metal contraption and embraced the ice cold snow with his bare feet... Something he had not felt in years.



			
				Hand Seal Training said:
			
		

> The Land of Hot Water always had the reputation for one of the greatest spring on this Earth; mother has often spoken sheer glamour of her visits. It was only natural that I desired such a great resort and paradise, and demanded that I experience the same joys that they had. Choose carefully what you wish for. Located between the land of hot water and the land of lightning was first the land of Frost, and we were unfortunate enough to travel through on a snowstorm. Outside of the village of Shimogakure, they had thought it was an excellent idea to teach me how to manage my chakra reserves and usage... In the storm "the sooner you complete these exercises the sooner we can go in," my father, who came up with this brilliant training method, believed that if I could quickly form hand seals and mold chakra in the blistering snow with near frostbite, doing so in normally perfect conditions would be effortless and help me excel. "the way you just haphazardly toss mounds of your chakra and spirit around is simply an affront to the grounds we stand on."
> 
> Based on what I remembered, those who were unable to manage or mold their chakra well had a difficult time performing ninjutsu and often tired out extremely easily, but this was never quite the situation for me. He tells me that my chakra is wasted, managed poorly, and is sloppy; however, I simply don't feel any of the signs."I'm ready" I looked at him, despite not being able to see a thing in the storm other than his golden leer reflecting back into mines before they faded in the dark bliss of white and gray.
> 
> Alone once more in the harsh winter of a frozen wasteland, my fingers and ears could both have been removed and cut off by now and I would not have been remotely aware; nonetheless, I preceded with the formation and the timing, focusing my chakra throughout my body and insulating it from the cold, but Katsurou realized what his father may have meant and the difference why he can withstand this weather as if he's on a tropical island. Closing my eyes, I worked on my breathing molding my chakra to the desired shape and form that I needed it to be to make what I need: Hair, Monkey, Tiger, Ox, Horse, Bird, Dragon, Dog! The warmth that fueled my spirit and desire, I pressed on with each hand seal giving creation to my thoughts, a spirit and soul of fire being tapped by the bottomless spirit that I possess, this is what he meant. "The formation of chakra is all about timing! The timing between your body and spirit. To get that synchronized, you must be able to move your chakra like you use your own body," his voice emanating from the darkness in all directions at once, as if he was the very storm itself. The sage chief's bond with the environment is truly something unreal. "think of it as circulating the chakra you pulled from your abdomen according to the movement of the body, and releasing it through your hands at the same time you form them."



Yeah... The feel of the snow is one that is completely different that the storm Katsurou felt that evening. This land was frozen, but it didn't feel alive.  "Sensei," Katsurou announced as the rest of the team began to depart off the bus "what business do us soldiers have in a facility of science?"


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jun 23, 2014)

*Journey to Valley of Ice V*

*Hikita Hikigaya*

For someone who had spent the past few hours toiling away in pain and nausea, the blast of cold icy wind and the feeling of his feet against nice, solid ground was one of the best feelings in the world. Amagumo's candy had helped with the sickness, but it wore off soon enough, and he had felt far too guilty about accepting a gift already to ask for anymore. The swordsman inhaled a deep breath, filling his lungs with the chill coolness which characterised the Valley of the Ice. "Achoo," he sneezed, breaking into a small fit of coughs. He probably shouldn't have taken such a deep breath. Among other things, he probably should have also invested in more layers. The jeans and pullover were comfortable and warm in Kumogakure, but he may as well have been stark naked in this ice land.

In some ways, the Valley of Ice reminded Hikita a little bit of Kumogakure. Mountains, as far as the eyes could see, circling the location like a white, snowy fence. The key difference was all the snow which surrounded them. Even during winter, their village never saw much snow?only piercing winds. New sights were everywhere today. Valleys of ice, plains of snow and...

What appeared to be a massive dome of some sort, linked to a collection of trailers by the side. Kirigaya rubbed his hands together and then rubbed his now red nose. _"Such a mysterious place, and to think it existed so close..."_ he thought to himself.


----------



## Island (Jun 23, 2014)

*Nashi*
The Valley of the End

---​
Sougo finished up with the last two thugs in a way that was almost as brutal as Roku. Then, without a second thought, he turned away, leaving their beaten and battered corpses to rot alongside the road. He turned his attention to Nashi, seeing what his _de facto_ leader wanted to do next. Whether Nashi was sadistic enough to want this little girl dead, Sougo didn?t really know. He didn?t really care either.

With the danger gone, Nashi turned to the young girl, kneeling down and placing his hand on her shoulder. He spoke softly, saying, ?It?s okay now. The bad men can?t hurt you anymore.?

Probably just to keep up appearances, he figured that killing some innocent little girl might not have looked good, especially if somebody found out that they were travelling along this road. People might have started asking questions like, ?Who were these shinobi?? or ?I?ve never seen these guys before. Just where did they come from?? Obviously questions that they didn?t want people asking, again, Nashi figured it would be best to pretend to be upstanding citizens, at least until they were far enough away that nobody could hear their victims scream.

?Now run along before the _real_ monsters get you.? He instructed, though he purposefully left it ambiguous who or what these real monsters might have been. Though, both Roku and Sougo were probably smart enough to gather that Nashi was talking about _them_.

?Real monster, _eh_?? The little girl?s voice suddenly turned deep, almost demonic, much to Nashi?s surprise.

Out of the corner of his eye, the shinobi caught a glimpse of something strange going on just behind Roku and Sougo. The corpses of the men that they beat down were rising, putting themselves back together, as if the next five minutes never even happened. When he turned to give it his full attention, he saw that the skin was chipping off one of them, revealing a solid layer of wood beneath its fleshy exterior.

?Behind you!? He called out.

Indeed, the foursome of thugs weren?t just ordinary highwaymen. They were? puppets!

Which meant that the puppeteer had to be?

Nashi turned back to the little girl, only to narrowly dodge a blade that she plunged toward his throat!

---​
After a lengthy battle and some more travelling, the trio finally reached the Valley of the End on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rice Fields. Nashi bore a couple new gashes, noticeably one along his left cheek while the tips of Roku?s blond hair looked like they had been singed, possibly by some Fire Release Ninjutsu but, more realistically, by a flamethrower concealed within one of the puppets. Sougo seemed to have made it out with only a couple scratches and maybe a few less weapons, but?

?That was some weird fuckin' shit, man.? Nashi shook his head. ?Put us behind at least an hour. We?re gonna be late if we don?t pick up the pace.?

They stood at the cliff overlooking the valley, staring down at the waterfall and the river that flowed at its base. A breathtaking sight, not only because of its beauty but because the valley was actually carved out by a powerful shinobi over a hundred and fifty years ago. To think, any one man could command so much power?

?What a waste of space.? Nashi spat before deciding that it was time to continue on.

?Come on, let?s go.? He commanded.


----------



## Island (Jun 23, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*










​
A person slowly made his way out from the ground, first with the hand, then an arm, and then another before grabbing onto the ground and pulling himself out. This person, however, lacked an eyeball missing and most of its flesh rotted away. Even tissue seemed to have long since decayed, turning this man into half-man, half-skeleton, or in other words, a zombie. This particular zombie wore a very familiar flak jacket. Not a flak jacket similar to those worn by Oto but one of Konoha. Indeed, around his half-eaten neck, I saw it. A rusty old forehead protector with the emblem of my village… Konohagakure!

I stepped backwards, hesitating, positioning my back against the gigantic tree. Then, suddenly, a hand come out from beneath my feet, another one of those _things_ climbing up to the surface! 

On top of that, I heard rustling in the distance, the sound of corpses unearthing themselves  and slowly making their way towards us. What they wanted, I had no idea, though, they didn’t look all that intelligent. In fact, they seemed primal, like vicious animals attacking whoever or whatever was in proximity. Fortunately, they also seemed to move slowly, or at least the one closest to us did. It dragged itself along, slowly making its way toward the two of us, growling and grunting, even gurgling unintelligibly. To think, this was once a shinobi…

To think, we were being attacked by _zombies_!

I almost wanted to hurl, not just because of the situation I suddenly found myself in but because these creatures reeked out rotting flesh. Like a dead animal alongside the road, they smelled of rot and decay. Only years of shinobi training, being able to tune out any particular sight, sound, or smell saved me from losing my lunch all over the ground, though, the smell was _still_ particularly bad, almost overwhelmingly so.

I started to feel nauseous, but my survival instinct kicked in.

A head popped out from beneath my feet, the remains of a hooded shinobi. Without a second thought, I slammed my foot down as head as I can, attempting to push it back down from whence it came. Though, even if I got this one down, I looked up into the distance. Even more of them were approaching from the treeline…

“Minako-chan!” I called out. “We have to do…_ something_!”

The zombie’s skull caved in when my foot pressed against it, allowing me to pop its brain like a water balloon. Disgusting, absolutely disgusting, the fact that I now had brain juice on my sandal, again, made me want to throw up, but nevertheless, it showed me that these things weren’t all _that_ bad. They seemed rather easy to kill. Years of decomposition made them frail and weak, and I’d seen plenty of zombie movies to know where to hit them…

“Aim for the head!” I called out.

---​
“To the surface, Ren-kun!” Brawly commanded.

“Protect your teammates!” He went on.

Almost like somebody flipped a switch within his brain, Brawly suddenly changed, going from jovial, happy-go-lucky, to seasoned soldier within seconds. He motioned for Ren to get a move on before turning back to the research team.

“Stay close behind me.” He told them. “When we reach the surface, I’ll carve out a path and get the three of you back to your truck. Once there, head straight to Konoha. No breaks, no stopping, nothing. Get back to the village as fast you can and head straight to the Hokage’s Office. We’ll be right behind you…”

One could almost hear the terror in the man’s voice, a faint, ever so subtle bit of hesitation in his words. Again, Brawly feared no man or woman alive. No shinobi, not even the Hokage, frightened him. However, his deepest, darkest fear, a manifestation of his nightmares, now confronted him… the undead. Nobody really knew why, but Brawly vehemently refused to participate in anything involving zombies. No movie nights, no television marathons, and especially no zombie walks. The mere mention of the word caused his knees to shake and him to back away…

A strange fear. A _really_ strange one.


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## Redblood (Jun 24, 2014)

*Deep in The Valley of Ice, III*

*Kabiki Ruka & Amagumo*
The Valley of Ice

-----------










​
Slowly but surely, the bus descended into the valley, a vast expanse of snow and ice, fenced in by the mountains around them. The bus came to a stop about 50 feet from the large, glass dome in the center of the Outpost.

“All right,” the bus driver called from the front, “end of the road, kiddies.” he said, pulling the lever to open the door. A gust of frigid air blew into the bus, and Kabiki Ruka shivered. Though not from the cold, but from sheer excitement. She was the furthest back in the bus, so she waited politely for Katsurou and Hikita to depart before the kunoichi bounded toward the exit, though not before turning to face the driver.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Driver!” Ruka chirped, shaking the pudgy man’s hand so hard it skewed his large, horn-rimmed glasses. The driver was exceptionally surprised, though whether it was because of what Ruka had said or the force she put behind her handshake was anyone’s guess.

“No problemo, kid.” the driver replied, pushing his glasses back into place, “and the name’s Hoshi.” he said, though by the time he had, Ruka was already off the bus and making a snow angel. 

Amagumo was the last to leave the bus as Hoshi prepared a scarf for himself. When he exited the bus, the cloud sensei already saw his team adjusting to the climate. Isamuki Katsurou was digging his bare feet into the snow. Kirigaya Hikita was still rather sick. And Kabiki Ruka was…doing whatever she wanted to.

As Amagumo tightened his flak jacket to combat the oppressive winds, Katsurou raised a pertinent question.

"Sensei, what business do us soldiers have in a facility of science?" he inquired.

“Ah yes, I forgot to tell you what we were doing here! How foolish of me!” Amagumo proclaimed, trying to hide his embarrassment through boisterous laughter. It had been so long since he’d done the whole “student” thing. Amagumo cleared his throat, and addressed his team.

“According to the Raikage, we've been receiving odd, conflicting reports from Outpost 32 as of late. It began with a distress signal, demanding extraction from the Outpost. Yet, when we were able to contact the station they assured us that everything was fine. However, a few days later, the same man who said this came on air again, begging for extraction. This station has been in operation for decades, and it's been said that the intense isolation of The Valley of Ice can be frightening. These reports started coming in a month ago, right when the new research team arrived. What's even more bizarre is that the old research team hasn't returned home yet, and their families are starting to worry. Back when we first received the signals, the area was too snowbound to even reach the Outpost. Now that it's thawed some, the Raikage wants us to go in and check up on the new research team, and make sure everything's okay. That, and bring the old team home to their families." Amagumo explained, as he looked to the Outpost before the four of them. As he squinted, the sensei could see five bright orange blobs emerging from the dome before them and walking toward the group.

As it happened, these were not blobs, but rather, five people clad in bright orange, thick winter parkas.

“Ooh!” Ruka exclaimed, jumping to her feet and facing the five, “A welcome party!” she chirped.

“Are you Amagumo-sensei?” one of the orange people yelled over the roaring wind. A man. Amagumo nodded in reply as another of the five oranges pointed back to the dome.

“Come inside! We have a lot to discuss!” the orange cried. A woman. Amagumo nodded as his students eagerly entered the facility, with Hoshi trailing behind them. Amagumo hung back for just a moment, looking to the horizon beyond Outpost 32. Large, dark clouds were just beyond the mountains, and were beginning to creep into the valley.

A storm was coming.

When Amagumo was inside the dome, one of the oranges shut the door behind him using an electronic lock. The door shut with a hiss and the clank of metal against metal, before the cold passed, replaced by a constant, comforting warmth. The group then passed through another one of these heavy doors before truly making it inside.

The oranges shed their skin to reveal five scientists. The first was a stoic, tall man with long brown hair and a beard to match it.

“Good to see you all made it. My name is Seizon Sazaki.” he declared.
Another was an aged, white haired man with a handlebar mustache and wore yellow tinted glasses.

“Uragiri Moto.” he grunted, though more out of exhaustion than annoyance. 
The third was a thin, small woman with goggles strapped to her face and her hair wrapped in a bun.

“Kagaku Koto. Nice to meet you all.” she said with a bow. 
Fourth was a dark skinned man with a gap between his front teeth and a gaunt look about him. 

“Awateki Houka.” the man announced, shaking Amagumo’s hand.
Finally there was a larger woman wearing pseudo-military gear.

“Serizawa Akko.” the woman huffed before plopping herself in a nearby chair.
Now that everyone had been introduced, Team Amagumo could really stop and look around to take in their surroundings.

Above them was the large, glass geodesic dome. It was thick enough to keep out the cold, but transparent enough to see all the vibrant colors of the sunrise outside. There were some tables and metal chairs laid out around the area, along with a small television with a tape deck, turned off for the moment. Various magazines about a year or so out of date, and videos even older than that were laid on the floor, and there was a foosball table by Ruka. This central area must have been the Rec Room. While they could see the dome above them, Team Amagumo was in a relatively small, octagonal room, with five doors around them, each marked with a single word. Garden. Kitchen. Laboratory. Library. Beds. Even Ruka could tell where these doors led.

“So, you are the team the Raikage sent, am I correct?” Sazaki asked the ninja.

“Yes we are. Are you the research team that was dispatched this past month?” Amagumo inquired.

“Yeah. Why?” Houka wondered.

“Well, we were dispatched by the Raikage to see if there were any issues here. Are you folks all right?” Amagumo replied, just as the lights flickered and shut off. Though it was only for an instant, as seconds later the power came back on and the facility was alight once more.

“Well, aside from THAT? Yeah, we’re fine.” Akko grumbled, leafing through a discarded magazine.

“What was that?” Kabiki Ruka asked, mystified by this strange new place.

“The generators that power this station are really, really old. We could use some new ones soon. But the outages aren’t too frequent, so it doesn’t bother us too much.” Koto explained.

“All right, we’ll be certain to report that to the Raikage upon our arrival back in Kumogakure. Now, where is the old team? They should be heading back with us.” Amagumo proclaimed. There was a small pause before Moto answered Amagumo’s question.

“They’re in the lower levels of the station’s Laboratory. Said they had some important work to finish down there, but they said they’d be done by tomorrow morning. You’re free to spend the night here in the cabins until they’re ready to go, though.”  Moto declared, as Amagumo considered this for a moment, looking to the sky.

“All right. We will wait. But we have to leave first thing tomorrow morning.” Amagumo declared. Kabiki Ruka, overflowing with excitement, jumped for joy.

*“SLEEPOVER! YES!!”* she exclaimed, as Amagumo sighed in dismay.

“This is *NOT* a sleepover, Kabiki-chan! We are ninja! We cannot afford to laze about! We should use this time to train, while we have the chance.” Amagumo scolded, only for Ruka to pout.

“Although, yes, we are _*TECHNICALLY*_ sleeping over.” Amagumo clarified, to Ruka’s delight.

“There’s a big, abandoned section of the Library we don’t use anymore. It’s literally just a big empty room. You could train in there if you like.” Houka said, pointing a thumb to the door marked “Library”.

“We’ll be having lunch in a few hours, so when you finish, meet us all back here. Then we can show you to your quarters, or give you a tour while you’re here. Not often we get visitors out here, after all.” Sazaki offered, before hearing a loud thump. Hoshi, the bus driver, had plopped himself on one of the chairs and put a tape into the television.

“If it’s all the same to you guys,” Hoshi declared, propping his feet up on a nearby table, “I’m gonna hang back here.” he said, settling in.

“All right, then let’s get to training.” Amagumo proclaimed, as they went into the Library. It was covered wall to wall in textbooks and notepads, some strewn about the floor. At the end was another door, leading to a vast, empty storage room. Amagumo entered first, and spoke.

"Okay, this will be a three way sparring match. All of you are to fight until I see improvement, and what you can do. Under NO circumstances are you to badly injure one another. Am I clear?"

His students nodded as they faced one another. Kabiki Ruka clasped her hands together, first in excitement, then in respect as she bowed to her comrades.

"Very well, then. _Hajime!_"


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jun 24, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure XXI*

*Ren Houki*

The stench which filled the air as he left the tunnel was truly unbearable. Imagine wearing a sock and going into gym in it. Then leaving gym, keeping it on for another few hours in a hot summer day, before finally planting an egg inside of it and leaving it for a week. And then magnify that smell by about two times, and you had the distinctive stink of animated corpses after a century of decomposing underground.

Emerging from the small entrance he first entered through less than an hour ago, he immediately noticed Hirari and Minako a few metres away, surrounded by a legion of zombies. One of them, stumbled across to Minako, reaching in to lunge at her, and then stopped half-way, it's rotting fingers just short of scraping her face. Slowly, the flesh around it's neck opened up, releasing all manner of filth: blood, flesh and insects, as Ren's shuriken sliced through it and decapitated the zombie. "What the hell is going on around here?" He asked, slicing through the necks of two more with another two shuriken.

Actually, thinking back, Ren suddenly remembered that Fightin' Brawly held a distinctively powerful fear for the undead. The ones that he was facing weren't particularly tough, and he had no doubt that his teacher would have more or less no difficulty dismantling a whole army of these things if forced to. But it did make him worry?someone went through the trouble of rigging that computer with a signal which brought zombies up, which gave the Houki a stinking feeling that there might have been something else yet to come. Something stronger and deadlier than the undead training dummies the team was dismantling right now.


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## Fedster (Jun 24, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako












They were surrounded, and they had nowhere else to go. The gang of zombies was closing in on the two kunoichi, in their slow, almost rythmic way of walking, their flesh rotted and peeling off their bones as they walk. It was disgusting. The smell was disgusting as well. In fact, everything about the situation was way too disgusting.

One of the undead tried to reach Minako, its hand almost grasping her. The girl wanted to scream, but before she could, a shuriken flew straight to its neck and sliced it open. Minako was about to vomit as the filth dropped near her feet. She saw that the one who threw that shuriken was Ren. "Thank you!"

"What the hell is going on around here?" The boy asked.

"I don't know!!" Minako answered between frustated and scared. If only there would be some jutsu that could shoot...!

Oh.

_Oh._

"_Chakra Bullet!_" Her finger shot an ammunition made out of chakra that went straight to the zombie's head, putting him to rest again. How could she forget about that reliable jutsu? It was, like, the perfect weapon! "UUUUUOOOOOHH!! YOU'RE MINE!!" Minako stood up and began shooting it again and again. If she did it too many times, she would be out of chakra and a sitting duck to the zombies, so she could only use it so many times as were necessary.


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## Island (Jun 24, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
If only I could activate the Byakugan. Then I could do some serious damage and put a dent in the army of undead that were descending upon us. However, Brawly explicitly forbad me from doing so, for reasons I still did not fully understand. I started to gather that this forest was, for some strange reason, home to many dead shinobi. Perhaps it was once a battlefield, but then, thinking back on it, this entire _country_ was once a battlefield. Most likely, Brawly was worried that there might be something beneath the surface that I couldn’t handle, but given the situation…

Suddenly, footsteps came into earshot.

More zombies?

No. They sounded more controlled, more natural.

Brawly and the research team finally emerged from underground, the latter huddled up behind our teacher. Though, to say he looked any better would be a gross exaggeration. Upon seeing the zombies for the first time, he face went pale, and one could almost see his lip begin to quiver. Indeed, Brawly stood face to face with his greatest fear, again, a peculiar fear but, nevertheless…

His students were in danger, and Brawly must have known that the safety of his students was more important than anything else right now.

*“TEAM!”* He commanded. “Hold your ground. I’m going to clear us a path!”

I had no idea what he meant by that. What kind of path could he possibly clear for us? There was roughly a meter, maybe two between each of the trees bar this clearing in front of the entrance to this underground cavern. Zombies were quickly springing up from the ground and now occupied most of the free space. Making us room would involve zipping through the trees and taking out each and every one, all the way to the truck. Then, of course, taking out any zombies that were loitering near the vehicle…

Our sensei assumed a crouching position, the same way that a runner would just before the start of a competition. He placed both hands on the ground, placed on foot flat on the ground, and angled the other, as if it was resting on a starting block. Then, the imaginary starting pistol fired, and Brawly… vanished!

*WOOOOOOOOOOSH!*

He must have sprinted forward, barreling through whatever zombies were in front of him. In his wake, a clear path emerged, again, as if he rushed forward and bulldozed anything and everything that stood in his way. More shockingly, however, was that this also included the trees between her and the truck. A few second after he vanished, the gigantic trees, at least twenty meters tall, began to fall, one-by-one, like dominos, _literally_ opening up a straight path to the vehicle, though, it was still a few kilometers away…

_“Whoa…”_ Was all I could mouth.

Few things genuinely impressed me, but _that_…

Suddenly, our situation got _exponentially_ worse. As one might have expected, the zombie horde quickly consumed the open path created by our sensei, closing our escape route and leaving us to do exactly as Brawly instructed, to hold our ground until he returned. From what I gathered, there were about twenty of them encircling us, all wearing different headbands and flak jackets, probably chuunin or jounin during life. Mostly, they bore the insignia of the long lost Village Hidden by Sound, but more than a few wore forehead protectors from Kumo, Iwa, and even Konoha. None of that was really worrisome, however. Those who might have been chuunin or jounin forty years ago were now undead bags of flesh ready for us to rip open. At least, they might have been. Then, like I said, things got a _lot_ worse. The undead shinobi, one of our former compatriots, began… forming hand seals!

My eyes widened in terror, as the zombie growled loudly, as if announcing his attack!

The creature emitted a stream of fire from his mouth, as if he was a walking flamethrower, probably using Fire Release: Stream!

To make matters even worse, another created a hand seal and… vanished! Suddenly, the shinobi reappeared in the air just above Ren, apparently using the Body Flicker Technique to swoop down and catch him off-guard!


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## Redblood (Jun 25, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku Speed Training*

*Tokuoka Roku*
The Valley of the End
----------​
As Roku made his way toward the falls, he ran his fingers through his hair. As he did, he realized that the very top of his shock of blonde hair had been singed.

“That little bitch.” Roku hissed as he thought back to that fight.

. . .

“Behind you!” Nashi called out, as Roku wheeled around to see the men he’d dismembered coming back together! Looking closer, Roku spied chakra strings, running from the living dead to the little girl he’d let hold his shirt. Only this whore wasn’t fit to touch his clothing, let alone MURDER him.

“I KNEW there was a reason I hated kids!” Roku growled as he faced the puppets, leaving their master to Nashi.  Roku faced the men he’d taken down before. The first man’s neck had slid right back into its rightful place and rigidity, while his leg had also reformed. The second man’s arm had turned right back around, and none of his other attacks seemed to have had any TRUE effect on the puppet.
Roku once again took off his Hawaiian shirt, folded it neatly and placed it on a nearby rock before cracking his knuckles.

“Okay…” he began, “Who’s up for round two?” Roku asked, only for the one he’d killed first to open his mouth and spew a ball of fire that nearly took his head off! Roku saw that the hair on his head had been singed by the blast, and he was more than a little upset.

“Oh… Oh you are DEAD!” Roku roared before running right for the puppet. The other quickly shot senbon right for the monstrous man, making Roku veer a hard left, straight into another fireball, narrowly avoided once more!

“That does it! NOW YOU’VE PISSED ME OFF!” Tokuoka Roku roared as his mind cleared.

Faster.

Faster.

He had to be FASTER!

Suddenly, Roku took off like a bullet straight for the fire blasting puppet, only to Body Flicker at the last second, reappearing right behind the puppet and grabbing it by the head.

“This may not kill you…” Roku grunted as he began to twist the puppet’s head, “but it’ll certainly entertain me!” he cackled as Roku slowly but surely turned the puppet’s head all the way around until a harsh snap was heard. Then, Roku hit the puppet in its broken neck, and this time, the head completely separated from the body.  Though, as it was a puppet, the head soon reattached itself. As the puppet readied its flamethrower again, Roku did not move. He didn’t even flinch. He just waited.

“Yeah? You gonna BURN me? Are ya?” Roku asked, almost sounding excited about being burned alive. Yet, as the puppet threw its head forward, no fire erupted from its mouth. Instead, its neck began to glow.The puppet attempted several more times to shoot at Roku, but to no avail as the glow brightened each time. In truth, the chop that Tokuoka Roku had done to the puppet’s neck earlier had not been to snap off its head, but rather to pinch close the tube that led fire out of the puppet’s body.
The resulting explosion from inside the puppet was glorious.

“Well, that’s one down. Now where’s that other one?” Roku wondered with a sneer.
. . .

“You know, that girl WAS a bitch, but MAN could she scream like an angel...” Roku laughed as they stood on a cliffside overlooking the waterfall.


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 26, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure XXII*

*Ren Houki*

True things truly impressed the Houki, but Fightin' Brawly's ridiculous physical abilities were one of the few things which did. In fact, to say that Ren was in awe of it would be an understatement?he was in sheer amazement of it. In a quick burst of speed, the man sprinted forward as if he was in a race, plowing straight into a forest. An explosion of wind and sound ripped through the air a moment later, and then everything disappeared; all the several metre tall trees blown away from either strength or just the shockwaves created by his movement. However, before the team could capitalize on it, the zombies decisively swarmed in, slowly but surely. They lacked speed, but were numinous, resulting in the makeshift path being lined with the undead in a few seconds. Zombies of all appearances emerged through the mist, melting through the grey haze of the Otogakure forest. Some wore native flack jackets, while others wore ones which Ren recognized as being from Kumo, Suna and even Konoha.

But to his more immediate concern, was the two pronged attack which came towards him. One large stream of fire coming in from the front, which bathed the woods in crimson and dyed the mist a diluted shade of orange. And another zombie which leapt in above him with what appeared to be a body flicker. _"What the hell? Zombies can use jutsu?"_ He frowned, surprised by the development. Blocking off the burst of flame with his shield, the force of the ember threatening cracks in the metal, Ren looked up to address his assailant. As an arm reached down to grab his face, the Houki reached out one of his own, grabbing it's soft, fleshy wrist and pulled him down...

And let the kunai sink into it's neck, before the metal sliced straight through it, sending the head flying into the distance. "Fatality, bitch."


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## Fedster (Jun 26, 2014)

Urasabi Minako


*?TEAM!?* Brawly called out. As Minako turned, she heard him say: ?Hold your ground. I?m going to clear us a path!?

That said, Brawly positioned himself as though he was about to run a 100m hurdle, his hands on the ground and one of his feet in an angle. Though, there was no way Minako could foresee what was going to happen next. Suddenly, he moved an inch, as though reacting to some kind of signal only he could hear, and disappeared. Litterally. It happened so fast her eyes could not follow him, could not even see an afterimage of his body. But she could clearly see the effects.

The trees moved aside, as though a helping hand had moved them in its wake, revealing a straight path. They could easily have used it, should there be less zombies and more of them. Of course, the dead were reluctant of just letting them go, and usually they got mad when their food played hard-to-get. The team was left to protect the research team and, well, themselves.

Minako jumped towards where the research team was, tightening her fingers on her kunai. There were defenseless against these threats, and someone had to take care of them while Brawly was gone, now more than ever, since the zombies seemed capable of using jutsus. The team's luck seemed to keep getting worse and worse.

"_Chakra Bullet!_" Minako shot to another zombie that was about to perform a set of hand seals. She panted slightly. It was not that it required much chakra, but what strained her was to compress it into a bullet-size ammunition. It seemed rather pointless to use Genjutsu on them, so that jutsu was her only choice. _'Hurry up, Brawly-sensei!'_


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## Redblood (Jun 27, 2014)

*Funzaki*
The Cave

----------​
Funzaki ran to be beside his beloved Ikuko, only to nearly collapse on the way there from exhaustion, as Ikuko herself was rolling out a sleeping bag. When she?d finished, she noticed Funzaki was beside the sleeping bag, lying flat on his face.

?Uh? can I help you?? Ikuko asked, lifting Funzaki?s head from the floor. He was fast asleep. Aikuro Ikuko sighed, and put the boy?s head on a spare pillow she had, noticing that Kimiko and Kouji were following the hammer boy?s example.

. . .

Funzaki woke after sleeping for what seemed like an eternity to find his head was not on rock, but something soft and feathery. That, and Aikuro Ikuko sat beside him. Best. Mission. EVER.

?Oh, you?re up. Your sensei says you have fifteen minutes before training starts.? Ikuko informed.

?Blooogh?? was all the response Funzaki could muster as he sat up, and prepared to meet his sensei.

?Hey,? Ikuko addressed, stopping Funzaki where he stood, ?thanks for what you did back there. You were really brave.? she said, making the shinobi blush and take a seat beside her again.

?Well, it was nothing, I mean it?s my JOB to do that sort of thing, right? I am a ninja, after all!? Funzaki said with a hearty laugh before noticing Ikuko was not happy.

?You know, all my life, I?ve wanted to be a kunoichi. To be as strong as everyone else. To help people. But because I was born into the Aikuro clan, I can?t use jutsu. At all. Medical science doesn?t have the answer for something like this right now, so I thought ?maybe the past does.? What a fool I am.? Ikuko moaned.

?Aikuro-san, you are many things. Beautiful, smart, and a good leader, but you are not stupid. The very idea that there were people trying to stop us from reaching The Land of Rivers means that you MUST be onto something here.? Funzaki proclaimed, as Aikuro Ikuko looked to him, in a way he?d never seen her eyes before. And then she hugged him. It was a moment Funzaki would never forget.

?AHEM!?

But it was a moment soon ended, as Kouji, Kimiko, Chi and Renga were upon the two.

?Time to train, lover boy.? Chi hissed as Funzaki got to his feet and joined his team. They went further into the cave, until only a flame burning inside Renga?s mouth lit the way.

?All right,? Chi began, ?you did well against those assassins before. However, none of us were prepared for such an attack. That?s why I believe we need to train to be able to fight in unfamiliar surroundings. I want you all to hit me, just once? in the dark.? Chi proclaimed as Renga snuffed its light out, and the team was shrouded in darkness.

?COME AND GET ME!? the sensei roared.


----------



## Redblood (Jun 27, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku*
LT Supermarket

----------​
Tokuoka Roku was having a fairly good day. He?d successfully completed his mission for Mama Root, and he was eager for some downtime. So the shinobi decided to relax by engaging in one of his favorite pastimes: going to the supermarket and imagining clever ways for the customers to die. That, and maybe pick up some Corn Flakes. Roku LOVED his Corn Flakes. There was a bloated woman who decided not to cover her unsightly arms. Perhaps she would think to do so once the first five layers of skin had been torn from them. There was a child screaming because he couldn?t get a lollipop. Roku would gladly oblige. He would stick the lollipop right in the boy?s windpipe. And there was?*CORN FLAKES! AHA!*

?Found you, you little box of wonder, you.? Roku proclaimed with a smile as he put a single box into his handbasket. Then he went back to his little game. Guys throwing around a ball in the store. He would throw around their arms for a bit. Woman screaming at a clerk. Roku wondered how well she would scream with all her vocal chords pulled out. The Houki from the Konoha team. Wait?THE HOUKI FROM THE KONOHA TEAM?! Oh, oh this fantasy MIGHT just become reality. Still, Roku was hungry. He had Corn Flakes to eat. So he ignored the Houki, and went forward, toward the registers?


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## Island (Jun 27, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
Finally, I reached down into my pouch and pulled out a couple kunai. If I couldn’t use the Byakugan, then I wouldn’t be using the Gentle Fist either, though I doubted how well something like that would work on the undead. Considering they could apparently use jutsu, however, that meant they _must_ have some kind of chakra pathway system. I didn’t want to take any chances, however. According to the movies, getting bitten by one ultimately meant becoming one, and, again, that wasn’t something I really wanted to risk.

I glanced over at my teammates. Ren had his sword and shield, and Minako had that long-range jutsu that her clan apparently specialized in. A strange combination, Genjutsu and long-range Ninjutsu, though, I it made sense in a roundabout sort of way. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring any extra weapons nor did I have any Ninjutsu to keep my enemies in range. In fact, some fifty-year old corpse knew more Ninjutsu than I did, which was somewhat embarrassing. Also unsettling, but I didn’t really want of focus on that.

From our current position, the creatures made a semicircle around us. The tree gigantic tree, and likewise, the underground cavern, were behind us. The research team were also to our backs, cowering behind us for protection. I wasn’t really sure what kind of protection we could give, but I guess we were better than nothing.

“Minako-chan!” I called. “Watch my back!”

Without a second thought, I rushed forward and divided, slashing the ankles of the zombie immediately in front of me. Then I uppercut the one behind him, slashing upwards with the kunai in my right hand. With my left, I struck another, jabbing it the forehead, then ripped out the blade and turned to my right, slicing at another with both kunai. Slow, lumbering creatures versus an agile kunoichi, they didn’t stand a chance, especially with how fragile they were. All they really had going for them was sheer numbers. As the seconds passed, more and more of them appeared which was to be expected. Presumably, we were the only people in the vicinity, meaning that we were the only things that they were targeting.

But again, it was strange that there were so many of them…

I kept striking, performing a combination of horizontal and vertical slices until enough of them got close. Considering that I dived straight in, that didn’t take very long. Maybe ten or twenty seconds, if that, but that’s exactly what I wanted. Although I couldn’t use the Byakugan, I still had access to some Eight Trigrams and Gentle Step techniques. Not many, but I had a few in mind for when I was put into a situation where I couldn’t use my eyes. Specifically…

The Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation! In a situation where I was completely surrounded, it was my ultimate defense. It allowed me to block just about any attack, compensating for both the Byakugan’s blind spot, as well as any additional techniques that might come my way. By spinning rapidly and expelling chakra from every tenketsu, I would be able to at least knock away anything within range, and, again, considering how fragile these undead shinobi seemed  to be, it seemed logical that I might even be able to break some of them.

At least that was the plan. Just as I was about to… 










​
Brawly descended upon us. The sheer force behind his landing was enough to create an aftershock, knocking over any poor creature, living or dead, that might have been too close, never mind the two zombies that were crushed beneath his sandal during landing. Ultimately, he landed with both feet planted firmly into the ground and a toothy grin on his face. I found myself somewhat off-balance from the force behind his land. It wasn't quite enough to fully knock me over, but still enough that I had to shift focus to maintaining my balance. When I looked back up, getting a full view of Brawly, my eyes widened in surprise. I thought he was done impressing us for the night, but at that moment, it became clear why he was so adamant to carve out a path, breaking down all those trees and give the team enough room to escape…

Brawly stood with his hands up in the sky, as if he was holding something above his head, and I’d be damned if he wasn’t…

“Need a *LIFT*?” Brawly released one of his thunderous cackles.

Indeed, he held the truck up above his head, holding it up by the frame! How any one man could lift so much was beyond me, but he did it. Instead of escorting the research team to the truck and then driving the truck back to Konoha, he brought the truck to them. Not a bad idea, though I would never have imagined he could do something like that. Then again, this was the same guy capable throwing people over the horizon and legitimately making Minako think that he was going to throw her to the moon, so I guess anything was possible.

*“HIRARI-CHAN!”* He motioned for me to move of the way, though, he didn’t exactly give me much time. About a second after he did, he let go of the truck, tossing it forward and letting it fall a couple meters in front of him, about three from where I would have been if I hadn’t backed away to where my teammates were.

*“TEAM!”* He instructed. “Clean this place up while they get the truck started. After that, we’re going to guide them out and then call for *REINFORCEMENTS*.”


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 28, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

He did not like shopping at supermarkets, but living on his own, it was a chore he had to do once every week. But it was not something that could be helped; the price he paid for independence was having to take a stroll down to peasant central every once in a while to purchase materials. Sometimes he wondered if it was worth it, but every so often, he'd spot a family from the corner of his eye, crying and arguing over whether or not they would buy chocolate ice cream or vanilla ice cream. 

_"Worth."_

Placing the last item on his list inside his cart, a box of Kuma Pops, he made his way towards the register, placing all his items on the belt in a display of keen ninja speed. The type that only ninjas had. The cashier, a young man of about twenty years old, looked onwards in surprise. Though, the surprise wasn't at Ren Houki so much as the total which appeared on the screen in front of him...

"Uh, that'll be three hundred ryo," he stated, squinting as if to double check the number.

The average man would consume around one hundred ryo, if he lived independently, whilst a small family of one children typically spent two hundred and eighty ryo on weekly shopping. Ren Houki didn't _usually_ spend this much; generally his cost would come up to around one hundred and fifty just because he had enough money to afford the fancy foods. Today, however, he felt like treating himself, and had to buy some extra supplies.


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## Fedster (Jun 28, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


It seemed as though Brawly just wanted to surprise them with the full extent of his abilities. However, given that he was terrified of zombies, it was reasonable that he would want to get out of that forest as soon as possible. Though, he _did_ lift a truck with his own two hands and rocketed  himself towards the skies, landing precisely where they were standing. Minako almost fell when he reached them due to the quasi-earthquake he caused. She was able to keep on her two legs, but it had been a close call.

"I'm on it!" Minako responded to Hirari, sniping a zombie that was a little bit too close to the Hyuuga girl. She almost missed another that was approaching Ren as well, the chakra bullet entering through the ear cavity and exiting the other. The girl's accuracy was worsening due to exhaustion. She would be out of chakra if she kept shooting like that, and if she missed, then she would have wasted a good bullet. _'I'll miss if I keep shooting while standing. I need to lie. That way I won't tire myself and the aim would be better.'_ But where could she do that? There was no place high enou-

...

The truck's roof! That was it! Minako jumped to it, turned around and laid her stomach on the truck. Now she could aim better since her legs were not supporting her, and she felt like a sniper, and that, somehow, helped _a lot_. "Keep it up, guys! _'Chakra Bullet!'_"


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## Santí (Jun 28, 2014)

*Katsurou*
Outpost 32 - Library​
Outpost 32... Something wasn't right, and the bit of information we've received had already contradicted the information Amagumo had given us. Per the 5 scientists, the old research team were in lower levels finishing a job; however, Katsurou felt like he couldn't take that information at face value. He was certain Amagumo had a certain mindset, but Katsurou wasn't sure if he should carelessly speak out about his thoughts, and he didn't want to trouble Ruka and Hikigaya.

Upon reaching the library, Katsurou knew and decided what he would do for the night, such an opportunity could not be passed. 

"Okay, this will be a three way sparring match. All of you are to fight until I see improvement, and what you can do. Under NO circumstances are you to badly injure one another. Am I clear?" announced Amagumo upon reaching the largest area of the library.

From the other corner of the room, Ruka smashed her hands together and bowed in respect, clearly excited and eager to spar. Katsurou had encountered her briefly before, and she was clearly more experienced and lethal in a close confrontation, spacing an feet movement will definitely be of the utmost importance.

In response to Ruka's bow, Katsurou lifts and plants both of his feet into the floor with a stance and a deep breath. He decided that he would have to act and make a move second to create his ideal distance and spacing between his opponents, and defensively fend back the others.


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## Redblood (Jun 29, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku*
LT Supermarket

----------​
Roku was quite pleased with himself. He was this close to having a delightful breakfast away from all these agonizing people. All he had to do was get to the registers, pay and?

?What the hell?!? Tokuoka Roku exclaimed.

The Houki boy had cut in front of him! And he had so many items! The Houki was delaying his breakfast time! This was an outrage. Who did the Houki think he was? King of the goddamned universe? That ROKU?S time was worth less than HIS? That asshole! People like him put Roku in a very? unpleasant mood.

?Uh, that?ll be 300 ryo.? the cashier announced, completely unaware of Ren?s heinous misdeed. The bastard! He had three HUNDRED ryo to spend on food?! Roku was lucky to find five! This affluent asshole was gonna get it.

*?HEY!?* Roku roared, ?you cut in line.? he hissed, clenching his fist and just begging for an excuse to throw it. Though it didn't seem like Ren noticed him.

"Houki, are you going to apologize to me and my breakfast..." Roku growled, "or am I going to have to make you?"


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 29, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

He turned around, bringing his disinterested gaze towards a very angry sounding voice behind him while his hand slipped the remaining wad of cash into his bulging leather wallet. A boy, around his age, with messy blonde hair and pale blue sunglasses which just barely hid the glare of contempt in his eyes.

Ren had no idea who this was.

_"How does this guy know my name, then?"_ He wondered to himself, somewhat suspicious of this new individual, then mentally shrugged to address this person's question, "I see no reason why I'd apologize to you or your breakfast, but you might do well to pay attention  to what's going on behind you because half your stuff has already gone on the belt," said Ren, gesturing behind him.


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 29, 2014)

*Hikita Kirigaya*

This was it. His chance to prove himself to the rest of the team. _"Their first impression of me must have been bad. I was late to the meeting, and I suffered so much on the journey here..."_ he thought to himself, walking along with them into the training room. The abandoned library, much like everything else he'd laid his eyes upon today, was something he'd never seen before. The empty library was more than just a training room, though. It was so _clean._ Everything was kept so pristine; the walls were without stain and the floors were so shiny that Hikita was almost afraid he'd trip on them. He would have felt bad if he dropped sweat or blood on them.

He looked at Katsurou and Ruka, giving the traditional Kumogakure bow of respect first before entering his stance; a fairly basic one that was taught to him by his father. His weight was dropped onto his back foot, which meant he could dash forward towards an opponent faster even without the use of shunshin. Meanwhile, his body was twisted to the right, with his blade already pointed behind him so that his attack would already be partially in swing when it started. "_It's just a spar, so I'll use the flat side of my sword_," he mentally reminded himself. Hikita didn't want to maim his team mates, or anything.

"If you do not mind, I will make the first move," is stated, as he immediately began to dart off, the sound of his sandals rapidly clattering against the floor echoing across the room. He first made his way to Katsurou, and then at the last second, swivelled around on the spot and shot forth like a rocket towards Ruka instead with a shunshin. Moving his wrist just a tiny bit, he reflected the lights from above off of his sword and into her eyes, before moving his body low and bringing his katana upwards. 

*"Leaping Tiger Dance: Spectral Blade!"*


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 29, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

The force and shock of Brawly's turbulent landing almost made Ren lose his balance, though he managed to steady himself at the last second, evading a lunge by a stray zombie who had managed to not get vaporized by Brawly. With a flick of his wrist, Ren tossed a kunai into it's head, and the undead became dead once more as he toppled over the ground. Ren looked at the massive truck, planted neatly in the small crater Brawly just made and shook his head. "I'm not even surprised anymore," he muttered.

Following Minako's lead, he leapt onto the roof of the truck, channeling chakra to his feet to make sure he wouldn't fall off. He'd only used one jutsu since they came here, so his chakra reserves were still relatively stable. Forming a hand seal, he created two thunder pearls, one next to Minako and the other one directly above him. "I'll give you some support fire," he said, before the two chakra constructs shot began to shoot beams of lightning.


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## Redblood (Jun 29, 2014)

*Deep in The Valley of Ice, IV*

*Kabiki Ruka*
Outpost 32 ? The Library

----------​
Kabiki Ruka was eager to fight, ready to show her stuff to her new teammate. Except he wasn?t fighting her. 

?Aw?? Ruka pouted as Hikita rushed towards Katsurou, only to turn around and head toward Ruka!

?Oh boy!? she cried with excitement before crying out in surprise as Hikita blinded her with his sword! Well that wasn?t very nice. What was even less nice was what came next.

"Leaping Tiger Dance: Spectral Blade!"

*?AAH!!?* Ruka exclaimed as her vision had still not fully returned  yet. In a reflexive response, Ruka threw her hands out toward the area making the most noise, where she?d heard Hikita?s sandals hitting the floor. 

She missed completely, but did find where Hikita was when his blade smacked her right in the face. It hurt, but thankfully Hikita was using the back of his blade, so Ruka did not bleed, and through her own strength of will the hit did not knock her back. Not wasting a second, Ruka grabbed  the arm Hikita had his sword in and drew him close, counterattacking with a close range open palm strike to her teammate?s face!


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 29, 2014)

*Hikita Kirigaya*

He hadn't expected her to be able to recover from the attack quite so quickly. Granted, he had used the flat side of the blade with the attack, so he didn't maim or decapitate her, but the swordsman was sure he struck with a decent amount of force. _"She's more durable than I thought she'd be,"_ Hikita thought to himself, watching as Ruka threw a punch at the air and stepped on his back foot to back up and renew his offensive with a different attack. 

That was when he felt her vice-like grip clutch at his wrist. Hikita grunted, but before he could do anything to counter or attempt to shunshin away, Ruka made a powerful pull, reeling him in like a fisherman with a fish. She opened up her palm to strike him in the face...

... but missed, though she did manage to graze his cheek and draw blood, as he brought the hilt of his handle to her chin to shove her a few centimetres away. "That was close," he muttered quietly.


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## Island (Jun 29, 2014)

*Team Ran*

*THE ISLAND OF ISOLATION*​
Not all that intimidating, certainly not for a shinobi, Masuyo thought that Rengoku looked more like a bureaucrat or a merchant than one born and raised for battle. The kid looked small and scrawny, like a strong gust of wind would be enough to knock him down. Again, not much of a fearsome warrior, but on the other hand, he _was_ twelve years old. Back in her day, she recalled, shinobi were bred for battle, raised to fight from the moment they could walk. In a way, it seemed that not much had changed if this kid was apparently good enough to go on missions for his village. It warmed the young woman’s heart to know that they were still sending children to win wars, though, she just wished they had sent a more imposing twelve year old....

Nevertheless…

The ship, Masuyo recalled the last time she had been on one of these vessels, when they first transported her to Kirigakure. Long metal ships with huge smokestacks coming out of the deck, they contrasted starkly with the wooden sailing ships of her time. Back in her day, they doubted that such a feat was even possible. Metal ships? No, those would most certainly sink to the bottom of the ocean. Some thought to plate their ships with metal armor, others to reinforce the hulls with metal, but again, nobody wanted to commit the time or the resources to such an endeavor, fearing it would end in tragedy for the ship and her crew. Still, the mercenary didn’t feel all that impressed. As much as she should have, she simply didn’t feel a whole lot of anything about this new world and all of its advanced technology. No awe, no wonder, nothing, just emptiness. Perhaps she missed home, or maybe she was still in shock.

Masuyo stood on the far side of the ship, overlooking the water. In truth, they took off twenty, maybe thirty minutes ago. Ran went off to do her own thing, probably to talk to the captain or maybe to do some reconnaissance. Alternatively, she could have to gather some more information about where they were going. The three of them, the two genin and the mercenary waited together, not really saying much of anything. At least, it stayed that way until Rengoku approached, probably trying to make some friendly conversation with Masuyo.

He came over, first glancing at Masuyo and then out at sea…

“Hello, Masuyo-chan.” He greeted with a smile.

Masuyo stared blankly, not really knowing what to say.

“I figured we could get to know each other a bit better, you know, since we’re working together.” He went on.

“Okay, I have a question for you.” Masuyo’s answer was surprisingly quick. “Do you know how to swim, Rengoku-kun?”

“Huh?” Rengoku must have been taken aback by this seemingly random and insignificant question. “Well, I-”

Before he could even finish, Masuyo placed her hand on her back and applied pressure, shoving him forward and over the protective railing that would normally prevent somebody, such as a drunken sailor, from stumbling off the side of the ship. Caught off-guard and thrown completely off balance, Rengoku fell forward, off of the ship and into the sea!


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## Island (Jun 29, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
?Brawly-sensei?? I didn?t like where this was going.

?What is that on your forehead?? I asked.

The man reached up and touched his forehead, feeling some strange black liquid dripping down from the crown of his head. He seemed perplexed by this, so he brought his hand down to his nose and sniffed.  A moment later, it clicked, and he spoke, ?Why, Hirari-chan, I think we?ve struck *GOLD*,  or, well, *BLACK GOLD*, that is!?

Black? gold? Did he mean? petroleum? Some people referred to petroleum as black gold due to its high demand. Since the Industrial Revolution, people have been pumping it out of the ground and processing it for use in engines, mostly in automobiles but also locomotives. The demand was so high, and the price was so low that consumers would pay just about anything, resulting in the price soaring. It was only recently that it began to drop, making it more affordable to purchase automobiles and other vehicles that were powered by combustion engines, much like? the truck?!

Brawly seemed to realize it the same moment I did. His eyes widened somewhat, as if he was taken by surprise, realizing that the gas must have been leaking from the truck. At some point or another, the truck must have hit a pothole, an already rusty line snapped,

*?CHANGE OF PLANS!?* He announced. ?Assume a defensive position. *REN-KUN*, set up a barrier, *HIRARI-CHAN*, protect the researchers, *MINAKO-CHAN*, provide support where needed. It?s time to *BUNKER DOWN*.?

I pondered whether or not we could all just hop in the truck and then Brawly carry us all the way back to the village, but I doubted that even he had that much stamina. Thus, I took to a defensive stance, calculating my next move. The creatures encircled us, though, and, again, though they weren?t all that strong, they made up for that in numbers. Two of them leapt up onto the truck, roaring loudly and creating hand seals. What they were about to do, I had no idea, at least until?

One began to shoot balls of fire in rapid secession, while the other released a powerful gust of wind from its mouth, increasing the size and intensity of those fireballs. The creature fired first at Minako, and then at me before settling on Minako, deciding that she was a more valuable target than I was! Then, in the midst of their second attack, a third zombie leapt out of the sky, appearing out of seemingly nowhere, probably through the help of the Body Flicker Technique. It swung down at Minako with some kind of electrically charged weapon, some sword amplified by Lighting Release chakra!

Meanwhile, another stood in Ren's away, as he presumably made his way way over to set his seals. This one was large and lumbering with a forehead protector with the kanji of the United Shinobi Forces written on it. Unlike the others, he seemed surprisingly well preserved, a lot tougher too, though didn't yet attack, so it was uncertainly what exactly he could do, if anything.


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## Santí (Jun 29, 2014)

*Katsurou*
Outpost 32 - Library​
Ruka had seemed really involved in her fight with Hikigaya, as expected; however, he expected Hiki to be slightly more alert than Ruka. As Ruka clenches Hiki closer to her and strikes for his head, Kasturou begins to form the tiger seal followed by a successive combination of Ox, Dog, Rabbit, and Snake.

"That was close-" Hikigaya had spoken to soon...

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" Katsurou positioned himself a few feet behind where Hiki had pushed Ruka back, creating a squall of wind to push Hiki back into Ruka's direction. Outpost 32 was a sealed off and closed area, so the circulation of air was greatly limited in what he can use to augment his attack; he would need to quickly think of something else to follow up-

Looking behind him, Katsurou caught eye of the hundreds of text books posted up on their cabinets and laying about on the floor, Katsurou reached for the nearest ones and began to lift and fling four of them in the direction of Hiki and Ruka only moments before he winded his hands back and thunderously clapped his muscular grip together, "Wind Release: Gale Palm!" Katsurou compressed and reformed the available wind into what he thought was a half-assed gale, but it got the job done for this match.

The gale began to pick up and lift the large books that Katsurou had to use a fair amount of strength and torque just to get them to travel reasonably long enough; as he hoped, they were picking up in travel speed enforced by the gale towards his teammates direction.


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## Atlantic Storm (Jun 30, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
Return to Otogakure, XXV

_________​
Just where were these bloody things coming from?

Each time he and Minako took a handful of zombies out, two handfuls would emerge from their place and continue their undead offensive with renewed vigor. To make matters worse, it also looked as if they were getting _tougher_, and more zombies like the one which had blown the fireball earlier were appearing, too. _"Shit, and we're trapped here, as well,"_ he cursed to himself, dispersing the thunder pearls as he took out two kunai, each with what appeared to be a parchment wrapped around the handle. 

“*CHANGE OF PLANS!*” He announced. “Assume a defensive position. *REN-KUN*, set up a barrier, *HIRARI-CHAN*, protect the researchers, *MINAKO-CHAN*, provide support where needed. It’s time to *BUNKER DOWN*.”

"I'm already on it," he spoke into the microphone  connected to his earpiece, before tossing the two projectiles into adjacent trees, funneling his chakra through the 'forbidden' tags. Before he could activate the barrier at the front of the truck, however, two more zombies made their way onto the roof with them, clambering on top with clumsy, heavy steps. Then, in a surprisingly fluid flurry of motions, the two produced their ninjutsu: what the Houki recognized as _katon: hōsenka_ and _fūton: daitoppa_. Ren moved to dodge, having preemptively felt the intense heat blast into his face, but the balls of flame simply flew straight past him. 

Rather, they weren't headed towards him at all, but Minako. Ren wasn't sure if he was offended or not by the fact that the zombies seemed to have placed her as a higher priority attack target than him, but he shelved those thoughts temporarily. With a flick of his wrist, his clan shield appeared in between her and the stream of fire, the third sealing tag attached to the surface of the metal. "*Gofū kekkai*," is muttered by the Houki, as a large transparent barrier of chakra expanded from the shield. The explosion came like thunder on a summer's day; abrupt and ear piercingly loud. But as the smoke from the collision cleared itself, it became clear that the barrier was left unscathed and Minako, unroasted. 

"Another one, huh," he grumbled, producing a tantō from his briefcase. Between the two ninjutsu casting mounds of rotting flesh, a third one seemed to have appeared while his attention was on protecting Minako. This one far larger and muscular than the comparatively lankier ones which stood to it's side. _"A taijutsu type, then,"_ he concluded, and braced for a _shunshin_ charge as he had previously experienced. But nothing happened; they simply wavered there expectantly, almost as if they were waiting for Ren to attack. This, along with their chorus of groans, made the Houki feel uneasy. 

Then, without warning, another haze of fire burned towards him, quickly expanding itself into a small ember whirlwind as another wind jutsu was fired off from behind it. Ren launched himself into the air, evading the katon and fūton combo, but his eyes widened as they settled back down on where his opponents were. The large one was gone.

The hit came as a complete surprise to him, and the Houki roared in pain as he felt it's fist smashing down on his back, sending him crashing back onto the metal surface of the truck with a loud, painful thud—right next to the katon and fūton, as he had dubbed them, who reached down at him. With a quick swipe, Ren brought the blade of his tantō through their ankles, making them fall backwards painfully as their feet disconnected with the rest of their bodies. Dropping the tantō, Ren swiftly weaved through his hand seals, a ball of lightning forming between him and the descending foot of the zombie which struck him earlier.

*"Raiton: Raikou Shinju!"*


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## Fedster (Jun 30, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


There were some moments during the day where Minako would stop and rethink her life choices. For example, in that very moment she was thinking why in the ever-loving name of the God of Shinobi the girl woke up and got out of bed. There were reasons for thinking that the moment she did, since in that moment she was being attacked by not one, nor two but _three_ ninja zombies. Three. A trio of undead that was able to perform ninjutsu.

It was the kind of situation that would make you think whether life was being serious or just messing with you on a whim.

But, as it was, she had no time to dwell on the subject. After all, she was being attacked, and if she did not do something quick, she would get some sick burns and slice and dice like pork for ramen, maximum four servings and salt to taste.

_'I don't want to be pork!'_ Minako thought, but as she did, she only had time to stand up before assuming a defensive position against Lightening-kun, helplessly holding a simple kunai against the chakra-infused sword. The sword went through the short knife and wounded Minako's forearm, blood coming out of the opening. Through the pain, however, the girl grabbed the zombie with her uninjured arm and, with great effort, threw him into the upcoming flames.

She was helpless against them, though.

But fate was on her side, or rather, Ren was. He summoned that floating shield of his to protect her from the attack, taking damage himself for that. He put Minako before himself, and that, even in the current situation, moved the girl. To think her teammate would turn out to be so selfless...

_'I must return the favour!'_ Minako decided. She needed to try whether Genjutsu worked on those zombies or not. So, throwing things to fate, she casted _'Genjutsu Binding'_ on the three that were in Ren's way.


----------



## Redblood (Jul 1, 2014)

*Deep in The Valley of Ice, V*

*Kabiki Ruka*
Outpost 32 ? The Library

----------​
Ruka?s strike didn?t hit Hikita directly, but instead grazed him, drawing blood as he knocked the kunoichi away.

?Oh geez! Sorry! I didn?t mean to draw blood! That?s not gonna count against me, is it sensei?? Ruka exclaimed, looking to Amagumo, who did nothing but point back to the battle, just as Katsurou made his move.

?Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!? he cried, propelling Hikita right back at her! Again, acting almost reflexively, Ruka stepped back, and kicked Hikita right in the chest, stopping his forward momentum and sending him to the floor.

?Oh my gosh! Are you o??

"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"

?KAY?!? Ruka finished, just to see Katsurou launching several stray books right towards the two of them! Thinking quickly, Kabiki Ruka Body Flickered away from the incoming barrage of books and appeared right behind Katsurou, throwing another open palm strike right at his back!


----------



## Island (Jul 1, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
*“REN-KUN!”* Brawly called out. *“MINAKO-CHAN!”*

Brawly produced two fistfuls of shuriken, three in each hand, clenched between his fingers, though, I didn’t know what he planned to do with them. Somebody as skilled as Brawly should have been able to take out one of these things with a single shuriken. Presumably, he could launch a shuriken straight through the zombie’s forehead and put it down, in contrast to less experienced shinobi who would fire multiple at once if he or she thought that missing was likely. Alternatively, a shinobi might also attempt to use the Shadow Shuriken Technique, but that didn’t seem necessary considering how mindless these creatures seemed to be. They didn’t even bother to dodge strikes, just rush at us and swing…

“Always remember…” He advised.

He stopped mid-sentence and launched his shuriken, both fistfuls at two of the three zombies that Minako used her Binding technique on. Unsurprisingly, two of them hit their targets, ripping right through the skulls of the zombies. One shuirken, however, collided with the undead shinobi’s forehead protector, deflecting it and shooting it off into the one immediately next to it. That one shot to the side and went through the head of the third zombie while the original changed direction once again, this time, in the opposite direction, colliding with the two shuriken thrown in his other hand, changing the trajectory of all three, and… all hit their targets, two more zombies approaching us in the near distance!

“They’re shuri-*KEN*, not shuri-*KEN’T*!” He let out a hearty laugh.

There seemed to be fewer of the creatures than there was before, which was a plus, so Brawly to a moment of reprieve, nodding to Ren to get back down to business. He took a deep breath, inhaling and then exhaling, and gave himself a moment of reprieve. Then, the hulking man reached into his seemingly endless jacket pocket and produced some kind of ninja scroll. Tied up with red string, it bore the insignia of the United Shinobi Forces, which was, appropriately enough, the kanji for _“shinobi”_. He pulled off the string and unraveled it, and even as large as he was, the scroll still managed to stretch all the way down to the ground. Much of the scroll consisted of printed word, like some kind of Terms of Service rather than a summoning scroll. I only managed to catch a glimpse at the words at the top of the scroll which read *“FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY!”*

“It’s time to call for reinforcements!” He announced.

He brought his free hand up to his mouth and bite down hard on his right thumb, enough to produce blood. Then, he took his thumb and brought it down to an open space at the bottom of the scroll, something that resembled a space for one’s signature, or an _“I have read and agree to the Terms of Service.”_ He moved fast, signing a gigantic “F” and then an equally large “B” right beside it. What exactly that was supposed to do, I had no idea, but…

Then his signature started glowing!

“Finish up here, ladies!” He motioned to Minako and me. “Have this place clean by the time Ren-kun sets up the barrier. *ON THE DOUBLE!*”

While Minako and Ren fought the approaching zombies, I remained in the real guarding the escorts, which was, unsurprisingly, not all that eventful. Most of them focused on Minako and Ren, and only a handful of them slipped by to attack me. Nevertheless, they were easily dispatched, giving me ample opportunity to get an idea where the rest of them were and what they were doing. Yeo more approached Minako, one from the right and one from the left, while another approached me. Mine didn’t look all that tough, but Minako’s, on the other hand…

I almost wanted to cry when I saw it.

It wasn’t two human zombies, but instead, a human zombie and its companion. An undead member of the Inuzaka Clan, barely distinguishable from the rotting remains of two blue fang-shaped tattoos on his face and his clan’s emblem on his shoulder approached from the right while a gigantic, undead beast approached from the left, growing angrily, like a cross between a rabid animal and a plague victim. The latter looked significantly more durable than the other zombies, which was problematic for Minako, especially if she didn’t have anything to break them. Compounding her problem, Brawly seemed to have turned his attention to the perimeter, producing even more shuriken and probably getting ready to… whatever crazy thing he was going to do next to make something die...


----------



## Redblood (Jul 2, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku*
LT Supermarket

----------​
There was a brief pause after Roku spoke. The Houki looked? confused. Did he not remember who Roku was?!

"I see no reason why I'd apologize to you or your breakfast, but you might do well to pay attention to what's going on behind you because half your stuff has already gone on the belt," said Ren, gesturing behind him. Wait, what? How had half of Roku?s items been moved when he only had one? OH YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. A woman, a FAT woman, behind Roku had actually started putting HER stuff on the conveyor belt ahead of Roku!

?That does it!? Roku cried, punching the woman who?d cut in line and knocking her far back into the store.

?If I can?t pay for my things and enjoy my breakfast without being bothered by you people, I am going to??

*CRRKKRCH.*

An unsettling sound, one that Tokuoka Roku did not cause, interrupted him. Someone, albeit accidentally, had stepped on his box of cereal. It was a small boy.

?Are you? stepping? in my corn flakes?? Roku asked the boy, in what sounded like utter shock. But the boy did not move. Whether it was from defiance or fear no one could say. Tokuoka Roku cleared his throat, and spoke again.

?Let me tell you something about stepping in my corn flakes, boy?? Roku began, putting a hand on the boy?s shoulder, ?it?s a weird way to eat corn flakes.? he said, as the boy chuckled just a bit, only for Roku to grab the boy by the ankle and slam him into the floor. Roku glared at the rest of the line of people as he picked up his box of cereal, looked at it in disgust, then went back to get a new one.


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## Atlantic Storm (Jul 4, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
Cornflake Adventures, Part III

__________​
He looked on slightly awkwardly as Roku grabbed the ankle of the boy immediately behind him, violently slamming him against the ground and crushing his cornflakes into even tinier pieces. Seemingly forgetting about the Houki, the blonde walked away off to find another box of cereal. _"What a freak,"_ Ren thought to himself, putting away a can of beans inside a plastic bag. Exiting the supermarket, Ren began to slowly make his way back home.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jul 4, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
Return to Otogakure, XXVI

_________​
His lightning jutsu had blasted the target away, but apparently failed to put it out of commission, as it immediately got back up again. With another shunshin, the buff zombie rushed to attack Ren again, the blue haired shinobi cursing under his breath as he tried to get back up from the ground. "Shit, he's going to get me..." he muttered, tantō halfway in position to block the attack.

Abruptly, the zombie stopped on the spot, it's legs suddenly stuck together and it's arms at it's sides as if constricted by some sort of invisible chain. Ren blinked in confusion, and then turned to Minako, giving a nod of acknowledgement for her aid. _"They're affected by genjutsu and can use jutsu. That must mean they still have working chakra networks..."_ He thought to himself, his blue eyes peering at them while they struggled to break through their illusory chains. Though, before he could examine further, a round of shuriken quickly sliced through them, ripping them into ribbons of flesh and blood. Ren blinked, but quickly shook his surprise off as he remembered Brawly's orders. "Let's set up that barrier now, shall we?" He muttered, to nobody in particular. 

Dashing over to Minako's spot, he removes the two kunai he had planted into the ground and tosses them so they stick on the left and right sides of the truck. Then, removing the tag from the Houki clan shield, he moves to the front of the truck, kicking away a few wayward undead as he sticks it on at the front. Making sure he's back within the perimetre, Ren forms a handseal, once again channeling chakra through the pieces of fabric, *"Gofū Kekkai!"*


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jul 5, 2014)

*Hikita Kirigaya*

He stepped back, preparing to send a flurry of lunges to try and seal Ruka's movements and push her back against the wall. From there, he reasoned that getting a direct hit on her would be a lot easier. Thus, this is what he began to do. Position already taken, Hikita brought his right arm back, the tip of his sword pointed directly at Ruka as he began to aim. _"As long as I just strike in her general direction, she'll probably dodge. I won't need to cut her... I hope."_

Though, amidst his skirmish with the kunoichi, he had actually forgotten about the third member of his team. Katsurou. Before he could execute his strategy, he felt a gust of wind push at his back, catching the swordsman completely off guard and lifting his feet off the ground. _"Shit, what's tha--"_ His thoughts were promptly cut off by Ruka, who decided to capitalize upon the opportunity of a free hit and kicked Hikita square in the chest, sending him against the ground as a group of books whizzed overhead.

Neither of the attacks hurt, though. Hikita was a sturdy young man, and at the same time, he was also quite sure that both Katsurou and Ruka were holding back the full strength of their own jutsu, too. A little bit frustrating, given that he wanted to see what they were fully capable of, but perhaps not entirely unfair, given that he needed to limit himself to only using the blunt sword of his katana. He got up, rubbing his chest from where the girl had hit him and looked in the direction of Katsurou and Ruka.

She had started attacking him now, and more importantly, her back was turned to him. It was the perfect chance to attack?she wouldn't see his kenjutsu coming and he could possibly put her down with a good hit. However, that wasn't a tactic Hikita was willing to employ; it was far too underhanded and cowardly for his tastes. "_This is a sparring match, where the three of us test our abilities and resolve against each other. To attack her while her back is turned to me would be disrespectful,_"  was his reasoning. 

So, he stood and assumed his second stance. His dominant foot behind the other and with both hands tightly gripped to the hilt of his sword, imbuing the metal with his chakra. He'd wait until they were finished or until one of them turned their attention towards him.


----------



## Fedster (Jul 5, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako



If there would be a camera recording all of that, Minako would turn its way and stared at it dead in the lens. That was just ridiculous, an act so random that she could do nothing but stare at it and wondered if life was taking this whole situation seriously. Probably not, most definitively not, actually. But if it was not serious and the dead Inuzuka would not be right in front of her, ready to harm her, she would have laughed at it.

Though, this was a situation where her life was in danger. No time to laugh here.

Suddenly, she noticed the Inuzuka ninja changed its stance and their features became animal-like, just like the big dog next to him. Human-Beast Mimicry. She knew that this jutsu was the stepping stone of most Inuzuka's jutsu, or so her friend Yasu told her. That did not tell her anything. However, what happened next was rather enlightening. Both the ninja and the dog pounced at her, spinning really fast and intertwining with each other. They were going for the kill!

_'Then I'll go for the kill, too!'_ "Minakooooo..." She called, channeling her strength as the two zombies charged at her. And just when they were really close, she did it. She activated her deadliest, most difficult-to-execute move.

*"DODGE!"* Minako leaned to the left, giving a little jump as she did, hands held high. It was barely enough, like, the Inuzuka graced her skin and left a few scratches, but she dodged it nonetheless. Her enemy passed right besides her, and as Ren activated the barrier, was left outside of it. Perfect synchronization! Yay!


----------



## Island (Jul 5, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
The barrier went up, and anything that might have been a danger to us was now separated by an unbreakable wall of chakra. Any zombies that were left within the barrier were quickly dispatched by Brawly, smashed into the ground and left to rot once more. Not the ideal situation, being trapped within our own fortification, besieged by a horde of undead shinobi, but Brawly must have known what he was doing. Maybe he had some contingency plan that needed preparation, I had no idea. Knowing him, it wouldn?t be too much of a stretch to assume that he had a ?In Case of Zombie Apocalypse? plan thought up. Though, he might have just decided to bunker down and wait for those reinforcements he apparently called.

?Now then, team,? Brawly spoke, ?No time for rest!?

?We have to stay sharp!? He added.

Not like we could rest anyway. The ground was littered with corpses, and not only was it unsightly but it also smelled awful, like a cross between bad meat and rotting eggs with a hint of sweat. At least a couple dozen were sprawled across our makeshift fortification, ripped open and left for (un)dead. Made me want to lose my lunch, and the more I thought about it, the closer I came to doing just that. Fortunately, I didn?t think anyone saw me start gagging all the way from my position in the back, except maybe the researchers, but I didn?t really care what a bunch of eggheads thought of me, anyway?

?I told Hirari-chan not to activate her Byakugan for this very reason.? Our sensei explained. ?In a country devastated by decades of war, there are many battlefields that have long since been forgotten, fought on by shinobi whose names history doesn?t remember. In a situation like that, it?s not surprising that a place like this would exist. Hirari-chan, Minako-chan, Ren-kun??

?Somebody undoubtedly planned this.? He said. ?Construct some kind of machine to resurrect the dead, choosing the opportune location, somewhere isolated and faraway from the rest of human civilization. More importantly, they chose somewhere that is most likely home to? a mass grave. The two sides of the civil war that plagued this country probably fought here many years ago, and when the fighting was through, they simply opened up the earth and buried the dead within. No funeral, no service, probably not even a pray for the departed??

?One of the worst fates one could suffer?? He shook his head. ?To die in vain, your last moments being the realization that you simply weren?t good enough to make a difference, that your country, you family, your friends, are no better off than they otherwise would have been.?

Just barely, I could make out the slightest hint of pity in his eyes, not for us, not for our situation, but for the enemies that we spent the last twenty or thirty minutes returning to their graves. It almost looked like he regretted what he had to do and wished that that his compatriots, wherever they were, would forgive him for his transgressions?

?I?m going to return underground.? He changed the subject. ?Whatever caused this is apparently some underground radio tower. I thought that disabling the terminal would shut it off, but I guess not.?

?The three of you stay up here.? He instructed. ?Keep me posted.?

Brawly made his way past the truck and into the underground cavern before he eventually disappeared from sight. All the while, zombies of all shapes, sizes, and nationalities started to amass at the barrier, clawing at it and trying to search for a way in?


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## Atlantic Storm (Jul 6, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
Return to Otogakure, XXVII

_________​
Ren looked at the zombies, his eyes narrowed in irritation as he watched the hordes of undead ineffectually claw at the chakra barrier he had set up around the truck. He reached inside his pocket, taking out a single kunai with an explosive tag attached to the handle. Explosions weren't his style, but his jutsu didn't have a particularly great area of effect and he wanted to conserve as much chakra as possible. "We should probably do something about these guys," he said, gesturing to the ground, "it'd be hard to get this rust bucket started if we have the zombies latched on."

He motioned for Hirari and Minako to do the same, and then chucked the kunai onto the ground, at the centre of a collection of undead. The note sizzled as embers consumed it, and with a resounding explosion, blew apart the surrounding zombies in a boom of flames and smoke.


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## Fedster (Jul 6, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako



Minako used a lot off chakra by then, and as a result, she was gasping for air. She had to save it, or else she would become an easy target for the zombies. Thank God Ren erected the barrier and now they could not get in, but she was not sure whether it would last or not. It _did_ seem reliable, but appearances could be deceiving. As a Genjutsu specialist, Minako was all too familiar with that concept.

She turned to Brawly as he spoke of the zombies, of what they truly were, and when he finished, Minako wished she did not hear any of it. Fighting the undead was already hard as it was, but now, knowig what she knew, knowing that they died without barely anyone knowing, that were buried in a rush and that they did not see their ideals come true, put a weight in her heart. Minako could not go through with killing more of them, could not go through with Brawly's order.

"How...How can I fight these zombies knowing that, Brawly-sensei?!" Minako cried on the earpiece, slightly trembling. "Why did you tell us?! I...I don't want to die, but I also can't kill them...Not after knowing that!"


----------



## Redblood (Jul 6, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku*
LT Supermarket

----------​
Tokuoka Roku was about to go off and grab another box of Corn Flakes, but something stopped him. The way that the Houki boy had looked at him as he punished the impudent little boy. That look bothered him. A lot. Like, it didn?t make SENSE how much that look bothered him. 

People had given Roku weird or mean looks before, but the Houki?that GODDAMN Houki looked at Roku like he was better than him. No one looked at Roku like that! Roku ALWAYS made DAMN sure of that! Looks like that?It just made Roku want to? want to?

It took Roku a few seconds to realize he was already out of the Supermarket, had ran right up to the Houki, and sucker punched him square in the back of his head.

Oh.

Yeah.

It made him want to do that.


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## Santí (Jul 7, 2014)

*Katsurou*
Outpost 32 - Library​
Ruka had vanished for a split second, and Katsurou had once more failed to follower her movements in the commotion; however, he had seen this already once before when they first clashed in the middle of market, and he knew exactly where she would come from. Katsurou torques his body forward with his left foot in front, pivoting off it in the direction in front of him to most of the impact of Ruka's strike. Unlike the flamboyant leg drop she had previously performed, this was a straight thrust with the palm and she managed to obtain half of the impact with the full extension of her reach.

Katsurou figured that such an attack was only a lead to a stronger follow up, it looks like the girl had become more proficient and if she were to follow up with another attack right now he may not be able to avoid it, he would have to delay it at any cost.

While launching forward a few feet way from Ruka Katsurou formed a Ram seal and chakra began generating from Katsurou's back and taking the form of a single, larger wolf which lunged at Ruka biting at her.

Katsurou landed back on his feet and smashed a wooden chair with a downwards elbow into several pieces, grabbing one of the chair's legs before it dispersed off. It had occurred to Katsurou that he had forgotten his sword at home, and he would have to try and substitute it with this cheap peace of wood.

Katsurou peered over to Hikita who had taken into a stance, his sensory noting that Hikita was charging chakra into his blade for an attack. Katsurou awkwardly holding his current weapon at know, takes into a slugger's positioning and swings the wooden stick in Hikita's direction, a gust of wind releasing in a horizontal arc at the pale boy.


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## Redblood (Jul 7, 2014)

*Deep in The Valley of Ice, VI*

*Kabiki Ruka*
Outpost 32 – Library

----------​
Kabiki Ruka struggled with the chakra doggie, trying to wrestle it off with pure strength, but the creature was made of chakra so it didn’t really go anywhere. Having no other choice, Ruka focused a small amount of her own chakra into her fist, and punched the wolf right in the face, her chakra overpowering and dispelling Katsurou’s.

As Katsurou and Hikita prepared to face off, with Katsurou throwing a slash of wind at his teammate, who countered before there was a loud crack of thunder, and the jutsu was dispelled.

“_Ya-me!_ That's enough for today, my students. I believe I have seen enough.” Amagumo declared, stepping in on the sparring match.

“Isamuki-kun, once more you demonstrate your foresight and analytical abilities, waiting for Kirigaya and Kabiki-chan to fight before you stepped in. However, there will be times where you cannot wait before entering battle, where you cannot know the full extent of their power. Keep that in mind. Also, I don’t think the researchers will appreciate what you’ve done to their things.” Amagumo proclaimed, motioning to the broken chair and tossed around books, then turning to his newest student.

“Kirigaya-kun, you have shown great honor in this first match. You could have struck Kabiki-chan when she and Isamuki-kun were fighting, but you chose not to. However, concentrating your chakra into your blade escalated the fight, and there was little need to do so when your teammates remained on a level playing field. You are extremely skilled with that blade.  I could only imagine what damage it could do with chakra inside of it, blunt side or no.” Amagumo explained, finally looking to Ruka.

“Kabiki-chan, you have displayed improvement since the last time you fought. You fight smarter, instead of harder, as you did when we first met. Yet, when the battle escalated, you hesitated. You did not immediately destroy Isamuki-kun’s chakra wolf with your own chakra. Why is that?” Amagumo asked.

“Well, I just didn’t wanna be mean. It’s just a sparring exercise, right? So Katsurou wouldn’t really hurt me. I wanted to make it fun! Add some suspense!” Ruka exclaimed, much to the disappointment of her sensei.

“You are a kind kunoichi, Kabiki-chan. But if you’re not careful, that kindness could get you killed.” Amagumo replied with a growl, much to Ruka’s embarrassment. The sensei sighed, and addressed the team as a whole.

“All right, let’s all join the others in the Rec Room. I’d say you’ve earned your dinner.” Amagumo proclaimed, his mild frustration gone.

“WOO HOO!” Ruka exclaimed, practically bounding out of Library’s spare room as the others followed, Amagumo burying his face in his hand.

Soon enough, Team Amagumo made it back to the Rec Room, where the five researchers they’d met before were already sharing a meal of freeze dried foods and warm coffee.

“Good to see you folks again! I trust everything went well? Sit down, have some food!” Seizon Sazaki, the bearded man welcomed as the group took the spare seats around the table. Yet, Amagumo noticed something.

“So, where is the other team going to sit?” he asked before the larger, militaristic woman answered him.

“They’ll be eating down below. They insisted they can’t take a break from their work down there if they really wanna be outta here by tomorrow.” Serizawa Akko exposited, tearing into some jerky as she did.

. . .

When dinner was done, and Ruka had eaten her fill of jerky, the more feminine woman, Kagaku Koto, stood up.

“Okay, if everyone’s finished, I can show you to your quarters if you like.” she said with a smile as the dark skinned man, Awateki Houka, stood up as well.

“Or if you’re still too awake, I can show you around the place.” he offered.

“I will go with you then, Awateki-san.” Amagumo replied, thinking it best to have a layout of the surroundings, even if they would only be here one night.

“So…” Koto addressed, “what about the rest of you?” she asked.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jul 7, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

With one bag in each hand, he made his way out of the supermarket and began to head home. The walk back to his house took roughly about twenty minutes on foot, or ten minutes if he decided to take shortcuts via rooftops and shunshin. He looked up, his eyes squinted as the bright rays of the Sun threatened to blind him. "Too warm for shortcuts today..." he mumbled to himself, and decidedly took the normal route back to his residence instead.

After walking for roughly two or three minutes, his ears picked up the sound of rapid footsteps hammering against the ground heading towards him. _"An attack? When I'm carrying things?"_ He thought to himself irritably. Muggers truly had no class or decency these days?nor the ability to pick good prey, apparently.

The assailant rushed towards him, his fist in swing as it readied to smash itself into the back of the Houki's head. However, rather than skull, his hand was met with the hard surface of the Houki's shield as it suddenly appeared to intercept the strike. Ren's head turned slightly, his blue eyes peering at the back of his shield as he spoke, "hey, can't you see I'm busy today? Attack me some other time, you scrub."


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## Atlantic Storm (Jul 7, 2014)

*Hikita Kirigaya*

His eyes widened as the gust of wind raced towards him, and his body flared into action. Having charged his back foot with chakra already, the swordsman raced straight into the storm, his blade pointed forward as the chakra imbued blade cut through the wind like a knife through butter, though a few stray knives of wind made it past his defense and cut into his skin and shirt a little bit. Nevertheless, Hikita remained unperturbed?a little pain was nothing for his skin, which had been toned and hardened by years of beating steel into shape. As he approached Katsurou, his blade tilted itself so that the blunt side was faced towards his opponent. Hikita brought his arms up, motioning his blade to smash into Katsurou when lightning roared and filled the room with bright light.

Amagumo ended the sparring match, suddenly appearing at the centre of the room as he addressed each of their respective performances. _"Should I not have put chakra into my sword? Everybody else was using jutsu..."_ he mused, sheathing his katana while his eyes flickered to Katsurou and Ruka. His team was tougher than he thought they'd be. Hikita had thought he was strong, but Ruka was _definitely_ stronger?even whilst blatantly holding back her strength, he had noticed it. Meanwhile, the Kumogakure boy with the fūton jutsu seemed incredibly skilled, having been able to both hold off the girl in a taijutsu clash while simultaneously attacking with ranged ninjutsu. _"I have a reliable team,"_ he concluded. 

---

Dinner was a bizarre experience for Hikita. They were served these strange hot brown drinks called 'coffee', and despite their alluring fragrance, they tasted disgustingly bitter. He knew better than to comment on it aloud, but after his first sip, the blacksmith decidedly set it back down and asked for water instead. Equally, he was not used to the concept of jerky or frozen foods either?where was the normal meat? Or the bread? That wasn't to say he disliked it, though. Eating with the team and scientists had been an interesting experience, and while he wasn't particularly hot for coffee, the jerky had a nice taste. 

After everyone had finished, the researchers stood up and walked over to where the team had gathered and offered them to either explore the facility or be shown their quarters. Kirigaya pondered the question for a moment, and then gave a nod. "I would like to be shown around, if that is convenient. Do you have a gym or some sort of training facility?" he asked.


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## Atlantic Storm (Jul 8, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
Return to Otogakure, XXVIII

_________​
"Get a hold of yourself, Minako!" Ren shouted, losing his temper in a rare moment of rage, the flames produced from his explosive tag dying down behind him. "What happened to our fellow shinobi might have been tragic, but do you think what's happened to them now is any better? Do you think they'd want to be used like this?" Putting away his weapon, the Houki pointed at the three zombies he and Minako had slain earlier, their bodies already decomposing despite the chill in the air. It produced a revolting smell, but he ignored it for now.

"Earlier, you used your genjutsu on one of these guys. That means they have working chakra networks," he stated, hoping that Minako knew how her illusions actually worked. He took a moment to inhale, partly for dramatic effect and also partly because he needed to catch his breath again before speaking. "Assuming that they're just lumps of flesh being animated is wrong; their spiritual energy is still inside their body but is likely being forced against their will to fight."

Ren's eyes narrowed, his hand returning into his weapons pouch as it produced another set of weapons. "The best thing we can do now is not to show pity, but to take them out as we would any other foe and let their spirits rest in peace." He wasn't actually sure if their spirits were being forced against their will or if they _were_ just bodies which could access their own jutsu through other means. But based on what he knew, the only way to do the latter was through human puppets, so chances are, his hypothesis was more likely.


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## Shika (Jul 10, 2014)

*#FRESH #TYPOSTGOD #NINJUTSUTRAINING #SHORTPOSTFORTHEBIGGOD #SORRY4THEWAIT #SHITPOST*

Kimiko
--------------------​
Kimiko needed to crash for at least two or three days after that exhausting fight; however, Chi-sensei had other plans. So, she woke up after three hours and followed her to where Funzaki was. This is not going to end well... Maybe she'll pit us against each other?

... Everything got dark.

"COME AND GET ME!", the sensei roared.

How am I supposed to hit her? I am completely in the dark! I can't simply start throwing kunais and shurikens all around, I might kill Funzaki or Kouji; maybe I could start using Fuutons all around... No no, that would be worse than kunais! Unless... Maybe I could mold enough chakra inside of me and expel it all around, hopefully hitting sensei in the process.That's ludicrous though.

But she knew that there wasn't much more she could do without looking extremely stupid or hindering the progress of the others... So she simply sat down and started molding and molding some more. Steady Kimiko, you can do this, just focus...

As she was doing this an idea popped into her mind: this tactic could be very well used for defense, but of course she couldn't be doing it at this speed. 

Okay, I am as ready as I'll ever be. It's all or nothing.

"GUYS, GET DOWN!" she yelled, as she released the jutsu.


----------



## Fedster (Jul 10, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako



Ren's words travelled through the air and hit Minako like a bucket of cold water, though it was not the water that hit her. It was the colder, much, much harder bucket the one that crushed on her face and brought her out of her breakdown. Though, seeing Ren angry was something that did not happen everyday, like Hirari getting angry or Brawly-sensei crying. It took her by surprise, and made her look his way.

_'Right.'_

_'Keep calm.'_

_'Don't lose your way, Minako.'_

_'You can do it!''_ Those thoughts crossed her mind as she lifted her spirits and gathered courage to look at the zombies. They seemed different: their features were more...human, in a sense. She could see beyond the rotten flesh and hanging jaws and look at a person. Minako needed to stop doing that. She fought with actual people before, why was this any different?

_'YOU.
CAN.
DO.
IT!'_

*"UUUUUOOOOOHHH!!!"* Using that as a sort of battlecry, Minako took out two kunais, one in each hand. If she could not shoot bullets, then she would shoot something else. If there was something she could brag about, was her accuracy. The girl threw both tools at opposite directions, making a full 360?, as though she was a ballerina. One missed by a hair's breadth, but the other missed its target, swiftly going through the head of an Iwagakure zombie.


----------



## Island (Jul 12, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
?Ren-kun is right.? I added. ?Whatever these things are, they?re certainly not human anymore.?

The souls of the departed reattached to their bodies, something like that was a crime against nature. Whoever or whatever was responsible for this should face justice, though, it was likely that he, she or, or it had long since died. After all, that computer terminal was decades old and was apparently left untouched for about as long. A curious situation, certainly an unpleasant one too, but curious nevertheless. 

?This is going to be groundbreaking!? Brawly spoke into the earpiece. ?_Literally_ groundbreaking.?

?What?? I spoke into the earpiece.

?There is indeed a radio tower down here. Not much of a tower, though.? He explained. ?How it works, I don?t know yet. I?ll need to take a closer look??

?Uh??? I didn?t know what to say.

?Which means?? he ordered, *?Move!?*

For what purpose, I had no idea, but I nevertheless got out of the way, moving back to the entryway of the cavern.

About ten seconds later, the ground cracked, and something began to emerge. It was metallic, whatever it was, with four legs followed by support beams that ran the length of it. It had an almost triangular shape, long and pointed, and after a few seconds, I realized. It was the radio tower, detached from the computer terminal and coming out from the ground. Literally groundbreaking, Brawly?s intent was to bring whatever this was to the surface, probably so that the research team could take a look. Maybe he hoped that they could deactivate it, or perhaps he thought that breaking it would turn it off. In any case, Brawly must have put a little extra _?Oomph!?_ into it as it appeared to leap out of the ground, going airborne for a couple seconds and then falling onto its side.

I quickly moved out of the way. Although the thing wasn?t all that big, much smaller than I thought it would be, I figured it wouldn?t do me any good to get hit with it.

In total, it was about three to five meters tall and a meter wide, much thinner at the head than at the base, getting progressively narrower along the shaft. Interestingly, the ?tower? appeared to have something stuck inside of it. What that something was, I had no idea, though, whatever it was emanated a chakra signature, a deep crimson that was visible to the naked eye. It was long, somewhat wide, and getting a little closer to it, it appeared to be attached to the ?tower? through tape and glue on one end and wired on the other. The power supply, maybe??



A sword?? No, that didn?t make any sense. Then again, it didn?t make sense for a weapon to just emanate chakra like that. I turned my attention to the hole Brawly created when he brought this thing to the surface, hoping that he?d emerge soon and bring some light to the situation, whether literally or otherwise.


----------



## Santí (Jul 12, 2014)

*Katsurou*
Outpost 32 - Library​
At the dinner table, scoffing down plate after plate of the jerky that was being served Katsurou had decided to reflect back on the duel he had with his team and the words of Amagumo. He had grown with the mindset of using the environment to your advantage; however, he failed to consider in the heat of the moment that he was vandalizing property that did not belong to him; a shameful display, and his elder had every right to scold him for it.

Despite his pale and sickly look earlier, the new swordsman was extremely resilient and tough, refusing to flinch or so much as blink at the attack that were dealt to him. Ruka; on the other hand, was easily able to disperse his Spirit Wolf with a mere punch of her own flow. Such a glaring weakness was present in his technique for all this time, and he realized that only now?

Everyone seemed to have settled down and appear ready to disperse to their own activities; however, Katsurou continued to eat and finish the food that was remaining on his plate. "Leaving your plate anything but empty was nothing short of a crime," he imagined as one of the female scientists stood up with nerve and announced “Okay, if everyone’s finished, I can show you to your quarters if you like.”

The gall this woman possessed; he was blatantly still enjoying his meal. Was he being ignored? If Katsurou hadn't known any better, that was a direct challenge-

“Or if you’re still too awake, I can show you around the place.” suggested another, much to Amagumo-sensei's approval as he takes it up. “I will go with you then, Awateki-san.”

"'Awateki'? Did they introduce themselves at any point?" he thought over again, ashamed to have completely missed this. Either way, it appears that Amagumo has already covered mapping out the vicinity. 

“So…” the rude one spoke up again with an innocent grin, “what about the rest of you?”

"I would like to be shown around, if that is convenient. Do you have a gym or some sort of training facility?" Hikita mentioned, although to Katsurou's confusion. All the doors and their destinations were marked as clear as broad day, if such a place had existed; there wouldn't have been any purpose of us clashing it out in a _library_. Was he still perhaps sick?

Katsurou had just finished his remaining plate of jerky and scoffed down the coffee "I'd like to be shown my quarters, miss..." dammit. Nothing. Why did he even go for it?

Katsurou figured it would be best to leave with the lady. Out of everyone, despite her earlier offense, she did seem to exhibit the most hospitality, and Katsurou believed her to be the link that would allow him to get a better understanding of this group. He felt too much like something was being covered up still, and that the harsh one in olive drab always had an answer for any questiong regarding the previous group. He definitely needed an opportunity to better grasp their character.


----------



## Fedster (Jul 13, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako



"*MOVE!*"

That word resounded on the earpiece for way longer than it should have. Minako felt something trembling, as though more zombies came from their tumbs, but that one was...greater. A horde? Or maybe something much powerful and horrible? Something told her that it was not threatening, or at least not in a direct way, but still...

And that was when it came. The ground broke and from beneath came a tower, like those that television and radio stations used to transmit their programmes. It was smaller than the ones Minako saw, though, and it had something that looked sharp and dangerous attached to it, emitting some kind of visible energy. Wait, visible energy? It could not be...No, how could it? It was just an antenna's big brother! It could not have...

"_Chakra sword?_ This is getting crazier by the minute!" Minako exclaimed, a confused expression on her face. He hands seemed to be grasping for something, as though she could catch the words she was searching for in the middle of the air. Of course, that was not possible. Words were not like insects.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jul 13, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
_Return to Otogakure, Part XXIX_

______________________​
How long had it been since Brawly went back underground? Truthfully, he'd lost count. How many zombies had he sent back to their graves? A few? A dozen? A few dozens? He'd lost count of that too, to be honest. The slaughter wasn't even an active effort, anymore. His hands waved through the air, as if he were conducting a symphony. His fingers would dexterously flicker every once in a while amidst the motions, manipulating the shuriken to do more precise things in mid-air as he controlled them to slice through the undead foes. Ren was more than a little tired now. He wanted to avoid using raiton ninjutsu, if possible, but he wasn't sure if sōshūjin was even meant to be used this way. The Houki was pretty sure it wasn't, though. Not that it stopped him, anyway. At least he was saving equipment and chakra. 

Their sensei's voice then buzzed into their ears. His voice was muffled and distorted by heavy static, Ren barely being able to discern his words. This was one of the few times he was grateful that this man was unbelievably and unreasonably loud. "_Literally_ groundbreaking," he finally said. What did that even mean? Was he going to bust his way out of the computer chamber just by jumping up really hard? Well, maybe that wasn't entirely unreasonable. He _did_ just destroy a forest just by running really fast. Ren supposed it wouldn't be too crazy if he could burst through the ground like a mole just with his head. With all things were said and done, Fightin' Brawly was a complete freak. 

Almost on-point, the ground around them began to crack, small fissures forming in the grey earth of the forest. For a moment, Ren was half-expecting Brawly's head to just pop out. It never did, to his mixture of disappointment and relief. The last thing the Houki wanted was for Minako to panic about seeing what might have faintly resembled a decapitated sensei. Instead of their teacher, a large metallic object burst through the dirt. It was made of a dark iron, browned with rust and greened with moss. Ren stopped his shuriken for a few moments, his blue eyes peering suspiciously at the tower. He made out what appeared to be a sword-like object ingrained inside the surface of the metal, and the faint vibrating sound of chakra. 

Like a clock, the cogs in his brain began to whirl and turn. _"That tower's the thing which brought the zombies out. There's an object slotted inside of it, which looks like a sword... could that be a special weapon for one of the zombies?"_ he shook his head. No, it had chakra flowing through it. No weapon could flow chakra for a century. Store it, maybe...

He blinked. _"Wait. Store?"_ Beats of silence followed. Ren tapped at his ear piece. "Sensei, is this sword-looking thing what's powering the tower?" he asked.


----------



## Redblood (Jul 13, 2014)

*Deep in The Valley of Ice, VII (Kabiki Ruka's Hand Seal Training)*

*Amagumo & Kabiki Ruka*
Outpost 32 ? Rec Room

----------










​
"I would like to be shown around, if that is convenient. Do you have a gym or some sort of training facility?" Kirigaya asked, joining Amagumo.

?I?m sure we could find you someplace like that. This way.? Awateki Houka declared, leading his group into the door marked ?Laboratory?.

The lab was a smaller, domed area filed with beakers and Bunsen burners, vials containing different chemicals and things of that sort, but oddly enough there was also a refrigerator full of blood samples and medicine, and there was an operating table in the center of the room. What was especially odd was the elevator opposite the entrance to the room, alongside another electrically locked door.

?So, what is all this?? Amagumo asked, looking around with a growing sense of caution.

?Well, like the door says, this is our laboratory. We break down stuff we find in the ice here, and document it for study. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts it also has to serve as the infirmary from time to time. Now come on, there should be a good spot for your student to train past here.? Houka explained, walking toward the electronically locked door. As he punched in the key code, Houka noticed Amagumo?s attention lay on the elevator.

?Where does that lead?? he asked, voicing his thoughts.

?That leads to the lower area of the facility, where the Old Team is. They insist they have to focus on their work, so they made us shut off the elevator for the night. Crazy bastards.? Houka grumbled as he unlocked the door, and Amagumo and Hikita were led into a room full of weights, mats and punching bags. A gym. The other woman, Serizawa Akko, was already there, lifting weights. She paid her visitors little attention.

?This is probably the closest thing we got to a training facility around here, kid. Knock yourself out, I?ll show your sensei the rest of the place. Meet me back in the Rec Room when you?re done, so I can show you to your bed, ok? And be careful, these doors lock behind you automatically.? Awateki declared, leaving Hikita to his training as they exited the room. 

. . . 

"I'd like to be shown my quarters, miss..." Katsurou began, only to fumble at the most important part. Their host was not upset, however, and remained smiling.

?Koto. Kagaku Koto.? she clarified. Kabiki Ruka had once again gotten distracted, and decided to occupy herself with poking the sleeping bus driver, Hoshi. She softly giggled as the man flopped in his sleep like a large fish out of water with each poke. It was only after the last poke that Koto cleared her throat, and got Ruka?s attention.

?Um, Miss? What would you like to do?? Kagaku Koto inquired, as Ruka realized half of her team was gone.

?Aw!? Ruka exclaimed, ?Did I miss the tour?? she asked.

?Yes, unfortunately.? Koto replied with a sigh. Whether that was pity for Ruka or exasperation for being stuck with her was anyone?s guess.

?Doooh,? Ruka grumbled, ?I guess I?ll go to my bed then.? she pouted. With a nod, Kagaku Koto led Katsurou and Ruka toward the door simply marked ?Beds?, and unlocked it. Past the electronically locked doors was a smallish corridor-like room with two electronically locked doors on either side.

?Hey! That door lied! There?s no beds here!? Kabiki Ruka protested.

?The beds are just past these doors, Miss.? Koto explained, ?To the right is where my team and I will be sleeping. To the left is where your team will be sleeping.? she declared, Ruka?s enthusiasm deflating a bit. They wouldn?t all be in the same room? Well that?s? less fun. Koto approached the door on the left side of the corridor, but did not unlock it, and instead faced the ninja again.

?Okay, so the electronic lock on this door is broken. It?ll accept whatever code you put into it.? Koto explained before punching in some random numbers on the keypad. Sure enough, the door slid open, and the three entered the sleeping quarters. Or, at least what one could consider to be as such.

This room was clearly not meant to be a sleeping quarters, as the large, blinking console in front of them indicated. Yet, beside it were two bunk beds, fully furnished with pillows and blankets. There were a few porthole windows in the walls, but there was not much to see other than the icy expanse outside.

?Ooh! What?s that thing?? Ruka asked, pointing to the large console in the middle of all these beds.

?That?s our radar console. It used to let us know when someone was coming, back when there were people who came out here more than once a year. Now it mostly just gathers dust.? Koto explained, ?Anyway, there?s your beds, so if you need anything else, just come back to the Rec Room, okay?? she said, right before leaving Katsurou and Ruka to themselves. There was a small pause, and it seemed like Katsurou was about to say something, yet Ruka interrupted.

?I GOT TOP BUNK!!? she cried in her usual way, jumping right on up to the bed and making herself cozy.

. . .

Several hours passed and Kabiki Ruka found herself having a hard time getting to sleep. She was just so excited to be here! Who knows what cool stuff could happen all the way out here? It just got her so fired up! Still, Ruka didn?t want to be a bother, so she decided to stay in the bedroom and practice her Hand Signs. She concentrated, and instantly, chakra emanated from her hand. Then Ruka focused more, and it was only the palm of her hand that held the chakra. Ruka?s focus needed more focus! So she concentrated even harder, and the chakra began to collect, to centralize. It began to take on shape, and just as it was about to solidify?

BEEP!

*BEEP!*

*BEEP!*

*?WAAAAAAH!!?*

Kabiki Ruka fell right out of bed and onto the floor. She quickly looked to the source of the beeps, the radar console. And sure enough, there was a blip on the display! A blip that was? remarkably close to the center of the display. 

To the Outpost.

Taking note of the position of the blip, Kabiki Ruka spied through one of the porthole windows. And, not too far in the distance, she saw something. Something wearing a black dress. No. Not something.

?Katsurou, come look!? Ruka cried, ?There?s someone out there!?


----------



## Redblood (Jul 13, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku*
LT Supermarket

----------​
Roku?s punch was swiftly intercepted by the Houki?s shield.

"Hey, can't you see I'm busy today? Attack me some other time, you scrub." Ren taunted. This was his second mistake. 

The first had been letting Tokuoka Roku get anywhere near him. 

All Roku could do was laugh as he kicked Ren Houki square in the back, knocking him and his groceries down to the ground. Not one to waste an opportunity, Roku grabbed Ren's sheild and proceeded to bludgeon him with it.

?Oh! I?m sorry! Let me set up an appointment! You ENTITLED! LITTLE! BITCH!? Roku screamed in delight as he kicked Ren away and tossed the sheild aside. Readying himself for a fight, Tokuoka Roku took off his Hawaiian shirt, folded it neatly, placed it on the ground and cracked his knuckles. He was ready to bust some Houki brains.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jul 13, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
_*Liquid Time:* Meeting The Crazy, Part IV_

______________________​
The kick to the back sent him sprawling to the floor, like a deflated doll. With much vigour, the blonde grabbed his floating shield. He held it at the base, with both of his hands, bringing it high up into the air. Like a bat, the metal swung down, beating deeper into the Houki's body until, finally, he seemingly got bored. “Oh! I’m sorry! Let me set up an appointment! You *ENTITLED! LITTLE! BITCH!*” he exclaimed, disturbingly elated by the whole thing. He tossed the shield away, giving the blue haired boy another kick to the ribs before assuming a stance after, for whatever reason, removing his top.

A cloud of smoke enveloped Ren's body, alarming Roku, who quickly stepped forward to make another move in case he was trying to do something. The blanket of grey dispersed quickly under the wind, revealing a log in place. Kawarimi no jutsu. Ren stepped out from an alleyway behind him, rubbing his head. "I have no idea who you are," he stated, "but if you're that eager to get your ass kicked, I guess the entitled have to do to oblige the less fortunate." the boy produced a kunai, tossing it square for Roku's chest. Then, with a shunshin, the Houki shot towards Roku as he evaded the kunai. He lunged in for a punch, though revealed it to be a feint a beat later, spinning around to deliver a backwards kick to his solar plexus.


----------



## Redblood (Jul 13, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku*
LT Supermarket

----------​
Got him!

**POOF**

Oh god damn it!

Tokuoka Roku scowled to find the Houki he?d been beating on had been nothing more than a common log.

"I have no idea who you are," the Houki stated, emerging from an alleyway behind Roku, "but if you're that eager to get your ass kicked, I guess the entitled have to do to oblige the less fortunate." he sneered. Roku scoffed as Ren attacked by flinging a kunai right for his chest. A simple, small movement was all Roku needed to evade the strike. Yet, the Houki wasn?t finished. He vanished, just as Roku began to form some hand seals.

?You know, there?s nothing I hate more than smug little bitches who think they can beat everyone they come across!? Tokuoka Roku screamed just as Ren reappeared before him, readying a punch. Roku stepped back, performing one last hand seal as he did and dodging, only to be hit with a swift kick to the solar plexus and to be sent flying backwards, blood shooting out from his mouth as he did. The Houki looked rather proud as he stood above his fallen adversary, but Roku was far from done, getting up seconds later and finishing his sentiment.

?But, on the other hand?? he began, ?there?s nothing I love more than watching all of that confidence crumble away, when they realize they?re outmatched. When they realize they?re fighting* ME!*? Roku cried as he extended his arm outward.

*?Fire Release: Ember Barrage!?* Roku screamed as Ren discovered that it was not blood that had sprayed from Roku?s mouth earlier, but chakra, as he found himself surrounded by dozens of small, superheated orbs, all headed right for him!


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jul 14, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
_*Liquid Time:* Meeting The Crazy, Part V_

______________________​
The air burned with incandescent heat as Roku's beads of fire flared from his mouth. Ren grimaced. As fast as he was, there was almost no chance of him being able to dodge all of that when the jutsu was shot from such a close distance. _"Might as well do my best to avoid the critical burns and get a shot in myself, then..."_ he concluded, shuffling on his feat as he weaved between the embers, all the while closing in on his boisterous opponent. He grimaced as some of the flames burned through clothing and bit into soft flesh, leaving burns. 

As the last of the flames danced scalded his tricep, Ren rocketed off on his back foot. He was intent on closing the distance between them. Speeding towards him with what appeared to be a powerful shunshin-enhanced shoulder barge with his left, the boy gave a smirk as Roku bit on his feint again. As he neared to the point of impact, Ren's upper body rotated to the left, sheathing the shoulder to reveal a powerful punch headed right towards the boy's face.


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## Redblood (Jul 14, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku*
LT Supermarket

----------​
Tokuoka Roku was cackling like a maniac as he influenced the little orbs to converge on their target. Some hit, others glanced off, and the Houki rocketed forward, with a shoulder hit! Roku flinched just a little, but more out of reflex than out of fear. He knew the Houki didn?t play this way. Sure enough, it was a feint, and Ren sent a fist flying right for Roku?s face! Roku stood his ground and took the full brunt of the punch, and quickly grabbed Ren?s outstretched arm, locking them both in place.

?Ah, ah, ah. Fool me once...?  Roku proclaimed, his insane grin still visible behind Ren?s fist. With that, Roku brought the full force of his free elbow down on Ren?s captured arm.


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## Atlantic Storm (Jul 14, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
_*Liquid Time:* Meeting The Crazy, Part VI_

______________________​
In truth, he hadn't expected Roku to be able to react to his feint quite so quickly. As strong as he was, the guy looked quite dumb and unskilled. Or at least, that's what he inferred from his appearance and personality. Still, Ren took the surprise in stride, as he wasn't out of cards yet; he could bank on having superior skill and agility to what he might have been missing in strength and raw craziness compared to Roku. Ren flung himself into the air with his left foot, his body flipped so that his chest was faced against the sky, his arm pulled out from the grip. _"Let's see how you handle this one!"_ is thought to himself as the Houki immediately made a quick spin to stabilize himself in the air, shooting his right foot down on Roku like a powerful spear.

The counter was dodged, with Ren's foot shooting just over his shoulder. Roku gave another crazy smirk, now that his opponent was airborne and an easier target to hit. Once more, he moved in, preparing to crack a good punch against the Houki's spine now that his back was turned to him. Before his attack could connect, however, Ren gave another spin in the air, manipulating his fall so that his chest was once again pointed towards the ceiling. Raising his left foot into the air, he prepared to deliver a powerful axe-kick on Roku's head. The last thing the Root agent made out before Ren's leg filled his vision was his opponent's smug smirk.


----------



## Redblood (Jul 14, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku*
LT Supermarket

---------​
The Houki managed to weasel his way out of Roku’s hold, flinging himself in the air. Moments later, Ren had turned himself around and counterattacked with a swift kick that Roku easily dodged. He smirked in his usual way. Honestly, could this guy be any more predictable? Another feint, then an actual attack. What Ren had in skill, Roku would break. As he always did. Still, he decided he should play along, throwing a punch at the Houki’s back, only for him to unsurprisingly dodge.

“And here we go again.” Roku muttered just as Ren descended on him with that arrogant, smug look. Oh, Roku was going to ENJOY breaking that. The Houki brought his leg down for a fierce axe kick that brought Roku to the ground. Ren stood over his fallen adversary, presumably gloating over his superiority as Roku spat blood. And that was the moment Tokuoka Roku was waiting for. While Ren was distracted, Roku formed some quick hand signs and grabbed Ren by the ankle.

"Guess what? _Fire Release: Chakra Combustion!_"


----------



## Island (Jul 14, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
Suddenly, Brawly emerged. He leapt from the darkness and performed a forward flip before landing about half a meter beyond the fissure he created. He had something with him, something I didn’t recognize. There were two of them, and they looked like braces, things that one might wrap around his or her arms or legs. They had something written on them, and I squinted. Between the darkness and how far he was away from me, I had trouble reading them, but after some time, I finally figured out what the kanji said. On these mysterious things he held in his hands were: _“One hundred thousand”_!

“Sorry, team,” Brawly apologized, “I needed to take off my *ANKLE WEIGHTS*.”

“You never *KNOW* what might be lurking around the corner.” At first, I thought he was joking, but then I came to the startling realization that he might have been serious.

He changed the subject. “Now let me just put these somewhere safe.”

Our sensei glanced around, right, then left, and momentarily back into the chasm he chasm he created before finally deciding that none of those places were sufficient. Then, with a twinkle in his eye, he looked up to the stars. I knew. I knew immediately what he was thinking. At this point, after everything he’d done so far, little could surprise me, but really? Was he really about to do what I thought he was about to do?

“There’s no place like *HOME*~!” He exclaimed.

At that exact moment, he brought his arms up, flinging his ankle weights into the sky before they twinkled out of sight, blasting off into the dead of night. Then the man brought his right hand up to his brow, holding it up like a visor and peering into the night sky. He seemed to be admiring his work, and after an approving nod, he got back to business…

Faraway in Konoha, I imagined some poor guy, probably Shizuo, maybe Kouji, walking down the street, unknowingly passing by Brawly’s home. Then, suddenly and without any prior warning, what must have looked like a meteor struck his house, pulverizing whatever poor thing happened to between his weights and the ground. A funny mental image, it made this whole situation just a little bit more manageable, which, after another moment of thought, I realized…

That was probably the point.

*BOOOOOOOOOOM!*

Suddenly, a powerful Fire Release jutsu collided with the barrier. My eyes widened in horror as the zombies pressed the assault, pushing on our makeshift fortification even harder. Though it was doubtful that they could break it, it was still unsettling that there was one thing standing between us and a zombie horde tearing us limb from limb. Even if they had no durable or even any speed, they had numbers. Eventually, we would tire, and no matter how many we had taken down, there would be another two or three to replace them. Not the kind of situation I wanted to be in. Just about _anything_ was preferable to this…

Brawly winced, and for a brief second, I saw the slightest hint of fear in his eyes, something he had thus far managed to control. Him being afraid was even more worrisome. The man who could down forests and carry trucks on his back, to see somebody like that afraid, I didn’t know how to describe that feeling, something that made me feel beyond helpless. It felt like one of those moments when a child realized that not even their parents could save them, that their parents were just as afraid, if not more so, than they were. Not only were they helpless, but their parents were helpless to save _them_.

“You’re as *PERCEPTIVE* as ever, Ren-kun!” Brawly stated. “The sword is what’s most likely powering this tower. They say that the Sunagakure Engineering Corps found a way to convert spiritual energy into physical energy, so it’s possible that the tower uses a similar technology and draws from this sword for power. However, that doesn’t explain how the tower is capable of transmitting a signal that can resurrect the dead. Most likely, the tower isn’t powered by the sword but instead the sword is amplified by the tower, meaning that it’s the _sword_ that’s causing all of this…”

“In any case, I’m going to pull it out, and hopefully the tower will shut down.” He explained. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but there’s a chance that this thing might overload and bring down our barrier. If that happens, you need to be ready. Usually not a risk I’d be willing to take, but we don’t have much of a choice. Now might be our only chance to end this right here and now.”


----------



## Island (Jul 14, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Hyuuga Compound - Liquid Time

---​
Some carrots, some onions, and a bunch of other vegetables that needed cutting, this wasn?t exactly how I wanted to spend my time off. I hoped that with father out of town, I might be able to relax, watch some television, maybe read a book, but of course, that wasn?t about to happen, not with at least _one_ of my parents still around. Mother put me straight to work, telling me that I'd be helping her with dinner every night, as well as doing various odds and ends stuff around the house, mostly chores but also random things like helping her with her garden. I stood over the counter chopping vegetables over the chopping block. I glanced up at the clock on the far side of the room, sighing to myself. I just checked the clock a few minutes minutes ago and found myself saying: _?Twenty more seconds until ten minutes before one more hour before break time.?_

?Hirari,? mother brought the silence, ?Any news??

?Still pretty shaken up, I hear.? I answered. ?Apparently, he hasn?t left his house since we got back to the village a few days ago.?

The wrong person to be smack in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, Brawly fell apart when we got back to the village. The Hokage gave him, and by extension, us, the week off, hoping that he?d bounce back, but so far, nothing. Nobody had seen or heard from the man since we returned to the village, and anyone who went knocking on his door was greeted with angry growls from Sashakai. Not exactly the warmest of welcomes, it was certainly enough to deter anyone from thoroughly investigating the matter, lest they risk getting mauled by a tigress.

I turned to my mother to see what her reaction was, but she faced away from me, instead staring into the refrigerator searching for something. At that moment, I realized something. For an assassin, she sure didn?t look the part. She wore casual clothes with an apron overtop and kept her hair up with a combination of an apron and a bun in the back with two hair sticks stuck in it, though, I secretly believe these to be poison-tipped weapons that she keeps on her in case of emergency. On second thought, maybe that _was_ the perfect disguise. Go outside, and who?s the last person you?d expect to attack you? Some mother on her way to the supermarket.

Speaking of which?

?We?re out of lettuce.? She turned to me. ?Let?s go to the grocery store and get some more.?

?The grocery store??? I repeated.

?Yes, the grocery store.? She answered. ?There are a couple things I want to get.?

I frowned.

?Isn?t this why we have the branch family?? I complained.

Mother was not amused.

?The branch family exists for your protection.? She scolded. ?They?re _not_ your servants, no matter how many errands your father makes them run for him.?

I rolled my eyes. I knew she was right, but I didn?t want to give her that satisfaction. The branch family was people too, deserving of the same respect and privileges as anyone else, so on, and so on. It was a lecture father had given me many times, though he often sent them on errands or made them do other random tasks that he couldn?t be bothered to do himself. He knew it wasn?t exactly right, but everyone knew that there was a power differential that existed, and, subsequently, nobody was going to tell him no. By extension, they usually didn?t tell me no either, but then again, I never really made any outrageous requests. After all, I didn?t want to hear any of it from father, or worse, mother.

?Now go get ready.? Mother ordered. ?Oh, and wear those new clothes I bought you the other day. You can?t keep wearing the same thing every day like some cartoon character??

I groaned loudly as I exited the kitchen, trying to block out my mother nagging me about this and that and everything else that I didn?t really care about.

?Oh, and that one jacket you like has zombie gunk all over it!? She called. ?You might not want to-?


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jul 15, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
_*Liquid Time:* Meeting The Crazy, Part VII_

______________________​
Ren landed on the ground with a small smirk on his face, his opponent collapsed beneath him, where he belonged. The series of kicks and flips he'd attempted had been a little ambitious, but he was glad he managed to successfully execute the maneuver. He'd got a good hit on his opponent and managed to try out something he'd been meaning to test in battle for a while now. All things-including his spilled groceries-aside, today had been a good day. The Houki slid a hand through his hair, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. Giving a shrug, he moved to pick up his stuff and walk away... until he felt something close against his ankle, clamping around the hems of his trousers like an iron vice. 

His eyes peered down, widening slightly as they saw Roku grinning upwards at him with his maniacal expression. A trap? Though, even as Ren moved to try and pull his leg away, he knew it was too late; the grip was too strong and he didn't have time to avoid the inevitable follow up attack. "Guess what? *Fire Release: Chakra Combustion*!" the Root agent roared abruptly, even though the Houki hadn't actually displayed any curiosity as to what he was going to do. A beat of awkward silence passed by. Then it came, suddenly striking like a hammer on hot iron. Thorns of pain stabbed at his legs as the searing heat spread across his ankle and leg. The Houki gave a cry of pain and immediately reached for a smoke grenade, dropping it in front of Roku's face to block his vision whilst he brought his other leg to smash his head into the ground.


----------



## Redblood (Jul 15, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku*
LT Supermarket

---------​
Tokuoka Roku’s grin expanded wildly as the Houki’s smug grin warped into agony, his own chakra poisoning the boy. Still, Ren was able to move. Surprising. This one was more resilient than the others. Roku managed to see the Houki pull out something small and black from his pocket. So THAT’s his game. Roku quickly formed a few hand seals just before the smoke bomb hit him right in the face. But he’d had just enough time to do what he needed to, flipping around so he lay on his back. The Houki brought his leg down on the psycho's face with a harsh thud. A thud, oddly followed by Roku’s sinister laughter as his grip on Ren's leg tightened.

"Are you done?" Roku asked, pulling the Houki's foot from his face just enough to hear him speak, *"BECAUSE I'M JUST GETTING STARTED! FIRE RELEASE! EMBER BARRAGE!" *


----------



## Fedster (Jul 15, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako



The zombies were getting more restless and desperate in their hunt for flesh and carnage of the living on the other side of the chakra barrier. Minako stood panting, her legs slightly trembling and barely keeping her from falling to the cold hard roof of the truck. They were cornered. With the undead just outside of reach and with a truck that just would not cooperate, despair started to take invade the girl's heart. The question _'What are we gonna do?'_ popped out every now and then, and most of the times she did not have an answer.

But there were times, few but key times, where she could answer it: _'Hold your ground. Cool your mind. You're not alone.'_

_'You will return.'_












"We're here, Brawly-sensei!" Minako shouted, driven by her will. "Go and take out that sword! We'll support you until we drop dead, and even after that!" A sudden urge compelled her to say it, maybe the wish to stay alive, or the thought that this could be their last moments. Whatever it was, it cleansed Minako of all the despair, of all the negative feeling swelling her _Heart_. "PLEASE, RELY ON US, BRAWLY-SENSEI!!"


----------



## Redblood (Jul 16, 2014)

*Journey to The Land of Rivers, VIII (Funzaki's Genjutsu Training)*

*Funzaki & CHI*
The Cave

---------​
The rush of air sounded like cannon fire against the walls of the cavern. Truth be told, while Chi had expected her students to fight in the dark, she hadn’t expected such a foolish move from one of her students, as everyone was hit by that blast. Although, the fact that Chi was flat on her ass was proof enough that such a strategy was not so foolish. That, and the sound of Chi falling to the floor made Kouji keenly aware of his sensei’s presence, allowing him to get a good, clean hit in. What puzzled Chi was the fact that her third student had yet to act. The one who was usually the most eager to get up close and personal with her was extremely distant now. Good. He’s learning.

Yet, it was not fear that kept Funzaki from attacking his sensei head on. But rather, a thought. As the darkness surrounded him, Funzaki realized that fighting with his hammer in such a dark, enclosed space would be a foolish option. This battle required… a different approach. And so Funzaki sat down, formed some hand seals, and concentrated. And concentrated.

“Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique!” he whispered.
This didn’t make any sense! Where was Funzaki?! Chi knew he’d show his stupid ass sooner or later, swinging his big, dumbass hammer and probably try to grope her again. Oh, when this mission was over, that boy would have some SERIOUS hell to—

“Chi?” a voice rang out in the darkness. A voice that did not belong to any of her students, or those she was guarding.

“Is that you, Chi?” another voice asked. These were voices she hadn’t heard in a very long time.

“Why, Chi?”

“We loved you…”

“Why did you KILL us?”

A shriek, and an explosion later, light flooded the cave, revealing a disheveled sensei and her battle ready puppet, having blown a hole straight out of the tunnel, and into an unfamiliar area.

“That… that’s enough. You pass.” Chi panted, swiftly regaining her composure as the Expedition Team rushed to the sound of the earlier disturbance.

“What’s going on? We heard an explosion!” Kaguro exclaimed in alarm.

“And your instinct is to run TOWARDS it?” Chi barked, letting a little of her composure briefly slip away again as Ikuko arrived on the scene, her eyes fixed on the hole Chi had made in the tunnel.

“Aikuro-san? Is something wrong?” Funzaki asked, more worried for her than his sensei.












“Everyone pack up, and let’s keep going!” Ikuko proclaimed with determination.

“What? Why? The sun’s barely up, why should we be?” Akage snapped in his usual way.

“Look! We’re here!” Ikuko proclaimed, pointing out of the cavern’s new exit to the place below, “We’ve made it to The Land of Rivers!” she declared.



Soon enough, the group was on their way out of the cave, and heading down to the massive structures below. Funzaki was about to join his beloved Ikuko when his sensei stopped him, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.

“Funzaki… you… *YOU…*” Chi began, looking like a bomb about to explode. That was, before she noticed the rest of the party staring at her.

_“Pass.”_ Chi snarled, setting her student down nicely. Funzaki could have sworn he saw venom ooze from her mouth as she strode past him and back to Kaguro. Funzaki eagerly took his place at Ikuko’s side, and they traveled toward the largest of the structures, surrounded on all sides by winding vast rivers.

“So, Aikuro-san, what will we be doing when we reach this place?” Funzaki asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

“Well, once we get inside, we’ll—” Aikuro began, only to be interrupted by a loud thud, as a tall figure descended from the treetops and startled the group.



“You’ll do no such thing, Aikuro Ikuko. This is as far as you will step onto our sacred land.” the woman declared, and before anyone could even react, six warriors, not unlike the ones the team had faced earlier, emerged from the shadows.

“Kill them.” was all the warrior needed to say for the soldiers to spring into action and attack!


----------



## Island (Jul 16, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Hyuuga Compound - Liquid Time

---​
?I?m not going out like this.? I frowned.

?Why not?? Mother asked.

?Because shinobi don?t dress like this.? I answered.

?Doesn?t that teammate of yours usually wear a collared shirt and some slacks?? My mother brought up Ren and his somewhat questionable fashion sense.

?Yeah, but he also uses a bowl to cut his hair.? I rolled my eyes, or at least as well as I could with featureless white irises and no visible pupils. Having those somewhat defeated the purpose of eye rolling, but on the other hand, it was probably better that doing so often went unnoticed.

?Don?t be rude.? Mother scolded. ?I?m sure he?s a nice kid and wouldn?t like you making fun of him like that.?

Houki Ren, to call him ?nice? would be to say that Fightin? Brawly was reserved or that the Hokage had healthy eating habits. None of those things were true. In fact, they couldn?t be farther from the truth. As far as Houki Ren went, he was one of the most insufferable, most unbearable people I had the displeasure of knowing. He looked out for only himself and nobody else. When push came to shove, he came first and everybody else second, and he didn?t hesitate to throw somebody under the proverbial bus if it meant advancing his own interests. His niceness extended as far as your usefulness, and if you weren?t useful to him?

Needless to say, I couldn?t help but find humor in what mother had to say. In fact, I started to laugh to myself, bringing my hand up to my mouth to cover up the slight smile that crept across my face. That moment lasted about a second, however, thanks to mother. She seemed eager to leave, and probably not wanting to hear anymore lip, grabbed me by the ear and began pulling me into the direction of the outside world.

?Ow, ow.? I yelped.

?Okay! Okay!? I pleaded.

---​
?Yeah, so there we were.? I chatted. ?Brawly-sensei did this thing where he pushed the tower to through the ground and brought it to the surface. Apparently, it had some crazy sword embedded in it, which we assumed powered the machine. We eventually realized that the machine amplified its power, not the other way around, but I guess that?s not really the point. Anyway, there we were, getting ready for whatever was going to happen when Brawly pulled it out, and just as he did-?

*BOOOOOOOOOOM!*

?What the hell was that.? I wondered aloud.

?Watch your mouth.? Mother scowled.

Apparently mother concerned herself more with my foul language than whatever was going on in the distance. Though, thinking about it, she probably didn?t have any reason to be alarmed. After all, the two of us walked through the streets of one of the greatest hidden villages in the history of the world, the safest, most secure place on the planet. Perhaps somebody was robbing a bank or maybe there was even a terrorist. None of that really mattered, though, because the Konoha Military Police or even ANBU would be on it. If they weren?t, some jounin going about his business would surely take care of it. One minute, he?s walking home with some groceries, and the next minute, he?s kicking some guy?s teeth in for trying to steal an old lady?s purse. Happened all the time. That particular scenario, not so much, mostly because old lady?s around here tended to be tough as nails, but nevertheless?

I decided to focus on more important things.

?People are staring at me.? I complained.

?Yes, Hirari,? mother snarked, ?That?s what happens when you don?t dress like you?ve just rolled out of bed.?

I? probably deserved that. In fact, I _did_ deserve that. I knew it. She knew it. Hell, just about everyone within earshot knew that I deserved it. As much trouble as I put that poor woman through, as much as I complained and whined about whatever it was she was trying to make me do at any given time, she definitely deserved to take a few shots at me once and awhile. Usually those shots were physical, nearly breaking my nose or breaking my arm during a training session, hitting just a little too hard and then telling me that the enemy isn?t going to be thinking about whether or not they hit me ?too hard? or caring that they ?weren?t playing fair?? Thinking on it, there were probably some child abuse laws on the subject, but then again, when you're training somebody to be a Taijutsu Master, I don't think those laws still apply?


*Spoiler*: __ 







I glanced down at myself. Certainly not my usual attire, to say the least, but as mother so kindly put it, she wanted me to dress like I was actually planning to go outside. Plus, my usual clothes started to smell from zombie gunk. I wore my forehead protector on the top of my head, though I needed a new one since there was a noticeable gash in it from that mission the other day. I also wore a top my mother bought me which exposed way more chest than I wanted it to, along with a high-waisted skirt that was a little too breezy for my liking.

The whole thing made me uncomfortable, to be perfectly honest, but I guess mother _did_ have a point, though, like always, I didn?t want to give her the satisfaction of letting her know that.

Nevertheless, we continued down the street, walking along the sidewalk, mostly minding our own business, though, I couldn?t help but notice that people were giving me funny looks here and there. Maybe I actually had something on my face, and mother decided not to tell me, or, more realistically, they probably thought it strange that a kunoichi dress the way I did. Still, I did my best to ignore it, slinking my head into my shoulders and pushing my skirt down as far as it would go, hoping that I could just keep quiet and stay out of sight until I could make it back into the house and then vanish into my room for a couple days, hopefully repressing this whole ordeal.

At least that was the plan.

Then we turned the corner, and the grocery store came into view, incidentally finding the source of the loud bang we heard just a few moments ago.

I raised an eyebrow.

Ren was fighting? that shirt guy we met on our mission?

What was his name?

Goku?

Toku?

Gokuoka Toku?

Something like that.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jul 16, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
_Return to Otogakure, Part XXX_

______________________​











Ren surveyed his surroundings. The zombies had stopped trying to break through the barrier and re-focused themselves on a new target?Brawly, who was now walking to the tower he'd just chucked out of the ground. He wasn't sure if they chose to attack him because they could feel him about to rip out the source of their artificial life, or simply because he was a new target, and one who wasn't protected by a powerful barrier. Their sensei look at them, slightly nervously. "Don't worry," Ren smiled, "we got this." he stated, bringing the now bloodied and battered shuriken on the ground to the air directly in front of him, ordered in a single file. They were worn, and probably couldn't kill more than one or two zombies between them before they broke, but...

That was all he needed. Putting his tantō away, the Houki took out a roll of ninja wire, threading it through the loops of each weapon in a rapid sequence of hand movements. He looked at Minako. "You up for a combo attack?" the Houki asked. Even with his plan, he wasn't sure if he could take out all the zombies by himself; he'd need her help. Besides, he figured it might also do well as a pick me up.

Minako stared at Ren, giving an audible gasp of surprise as her eyes gleamed in surprise and excitement. "Combo... attack? Yes! Let's do this, Ren!" she beamed. 

Ren smiled, giving a nod. "Alright. I'll use my shuriken and the wire to round them up for you... and if I'm right, we should probably be able to kill all of the ones around Brawly-sensei between us," he explained. 

The girl stayed silent as she listened to her team mate, and stayed quiet a few beats longer after the itinerary finished. "We could call it... flying electric metal dragon wire bullet jutsu!"

Ren's smile dropped as he turned around. "We are _definitely_ not calling it that. Get into position, Minako," he said, before raising the two of his arms. Like an conductor manipulating a symphony, Ren's hands glided through the air in a series of directional strokes. The shurikens shivered through the air, the metal slicing into more necks whilst the wire bit into and severed limbs. Though, slowly, pieces of metal began to litter the floor as the boy's projectiles broke. Ren's eyes narrowed. "Time to change it up, then," he muttered, motioning an arm in a circular motion through the air. Like a sheep dog with cattle, the shurikens began to corner and round the zombies up, whilst the wires set about restraining and constraining them in place in small squads of single file.


----------



## Fedster (Jul 16, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako



"What? Oh..." After her clever jutsu name got rejected, Minako pouted her way to her position. It really was a very good name, and it described the technique quite well, but apparently Ren would not have it. Wait, did that mean that he wanted to name the technique? So he could have the credit for himself? Yes, it _was_ his idea, but the jutsu naming was Minako's department.

The girl decided that it was her duty, her task to give the moveset a proper name. It was quite surprising how one could just stop thinking about the zombies who wanted to eat them and ponder about other things, like jutsu naming.

Ren's arm flailed as though he was trying to get rid of an annoying fly, hurling shuriken at the undead. The weapon found the skin of the enemy and penetrated it like an invader on a foreign land or a train entering a tunnel. The wire graced their skin, restricting their movements  and rendering them useless.

Which meant that Minako was up. She stood before the column of zombies sideways, her left hand in gun position, and a confident smile on her face. "_ReMin Combo: Execution Row!_" And fired to the helpless undead, splashing great quantities of grey matter in the process.


----------



## Island (Jul 16, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
Ren, working together? With somebody else? As in, another person was involved, cooperating with him toward to achieve a common goal? I almost couldn’t believe what I was seeing, and that was saying something. A zombie apocalypse was breaking out right in front of us, and the most surprising thing to me was that Ren was capable of teamwork. I turned for a moment to Brawly and saw him nodding along silently, pleased to see that his pupils were capable of such a feat.

“Impressive, Minako-chan, Ren-kun!” He congratulated.

Now standing over the tower, Brawly peered into it, getting a closer look at the mysterious object lodged inside. With his immense strength, he casually ripped away the metal frame, allowing for him to reach for the sword and pull it out. Though, he hesitated, stopping momentarily, probably considering if this was _actually_ a good idea. The weapon emanated a visible chakra signature, one that glowed a deep crimson, almost identical to the color of blood. Ominous, it gave me chills just looking at it, never mind extracting it…

“Sensei,” I pressed the earpiece and spoke. “Do we… have a Plan B, y'know, in case this doesn’t work?”

“Plan B?” Brawly laughed. “We have one, yes, but it’s not Plan B. It’s *PLAN 2*. Plan B implies that we only have 26.”

“I, uh… oh.” I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not.

“Don’t worry, Hirari-chan.” He assured. “Everything will be okay. I *PROMISE*.”










​
Then, Brawly turned his attention back to the sword and reached his hands down to extract it from the tower. With one hand, he grabbed the blade and with the other, the hilt, and upon wrapping his fingers around the hilt, it began to glow, emanating even more chakra and engulfing his hand in that mysterious crimson energy. For that a brief second, the energy reflected off of him, illuminating and putting the spotlight on him, including his unkempt brown hair, his tan skin, and his chiseled physique covered by a loose white gin with seemingly endless pocket space.

Then, Brawly drew the sword from the proverbial stone and lifted it up into the sky!

*FLAAAAAAAAAASH!* 

At that exact moment, Brawly was… struck by lightning? At first, I thought that it was some kind of freak accident, some random act of nature, but then I realized that it was something else. Indeed, a lightning bolt descended from the sky and struck the blade, but it wasn’t just any lightning bolt. It was black, and instead of brightening the sky, illuminating it with its energy, it darkened it, stealing energy from the world and drawing it to the sword. I had no explanation for it, none whatsoever. The sky was and remained cloudless, and there was no sign of an impending storm. There was no reason for this, none…

The flash blinded me for the next thirty seconds, and not in the usual way. It didn’t feel like my eyes were being flooded with light, much like one would normally feel after witnessing an intense flash of light. Instead, it felt like light was being drained from my eyes, as if any and all light was simply removed from the environment, vacuumed by some strange force. It burned, feeling like a combination of scalding water being poured on my flesh and how I imagined it would feel if somebody taking a vacuum cleaner to my eyes.

I imagined that Minako and Ren were experiencing the same thing, though, I couldn't confirm this. What I could confirm, and what I knew we _all_ heard was something that made the color drain from my face, something that made everything else we had experienced tonight seem like it was out of a cheesy horror movie. For the first time, and hopefully the last, I heard Brawly scream. Not out of anger but of anguish. An ear-shattering cry of pain from who I imagined was the most powerful man in this whole God forsaken country, and to say it was loud would be an understatement. My ears rang for the next several seconds, and I could swear I heard the windshield of the truck crack…

What the _hell_ was going on?

There was no way of knowing, at least not until my vision recovered. Until then, I had to put up with another ten seconds of the most horrifying screams imaginable, some terrifying cross between a death cry and what I imagined it would sound like if Brawly actually _did_ rip somebody’s heart out except, this time, he was on the receiving end.

Finally, my vision began to recover. At first, I only saw shadowy silhouetters, Minako, Ren, and the creatures that loomed beyond the barrier. In the near distance, I saw something standing where Brawly should have been. It vaguely resembled him except it was much larger, taller and wider, wielding that sword. Could it have been Brawly? Was it him? Was he okay? I had no way of knowing, at least until the shapes finally became recognizable. A creature, something that vaguely resembled our sensei, except a couple meters tall stood in his place, holding that forsaken sword…


*Spoiler*: __ 




You're not ready for this. Go read first.




Whoever or whatever it was just stared at us. Probably more intelligent than the zombies, I imagined that it knew that it had no way of getting past our barrier. At least, that’s what I initially thought. Suddenly, the creature brought its arm up, once more lifting the sword into the sky and then bringing it down on our barrier.

The sword collided with our barrier and its crimson red chakra spilled out. I thought for a moment that we might be safe, but then, the barrier cracked. A deep crimson crack opened up, and then that crack began to expand, much like cracks “walked” through glass. Then, much to my horror, our barrier shattered, something like a rock to a glass window. The only thing separating us and the zombies, as well as… whatever that thing was… was now gone, and with Brawly nowhere in sight, perhaps possessed by that demonic creature, we were, for the first time… _alone_.


----------



## Redblood (Jul 17, 2014)

*Izuku Junko*
The Boat

----------​
It had been some time since the boat’s departure from the harbor. Minutes? Hours? Days, even? All Izuku Junko knew was that she had to be on a ninja team, or her parents would NEVER stop bothering her. “Junko, be more ladylike.” “Don’t chew with your mouth open.” “Don’t put spiders in your cousin’s bedsheets.” “Don’t deface the monument to the Mizukage.” Rules, rules, RULES! As far as she was concerned, rules could sink straight to the bottom of this stinking ocean! But here, out on the open sea, she was free! Free from rules, from restrictions! No one was gonna tell her what to do! An overwhelming sense of self pride bubbled inside the girl until she couldn’t hold it anymore. She had to see outside! And so, ever so slowly, Izuku Junko peeked out the top of the barrel she’d stowed away on, just in time to witness a conversation.

“I figured we could get to know each other a bit better, you know, since we’re working together.” a man declared.

Oh! Those must be some of the ninja that got on this boat!

“Okay, I have a question for you.” the other, a woman, proclaimed. “Do you know how to swim, Rengoku-kun?”

Huh? What does that—

*OH MY GOD SHE THREW HIM IN THE OCEAN!* *SHE THREW HIM IN THE OCEAN!* The deceit! The trickery! The lies!

*“KYA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!”* 

Izuku Junko couldn’t help but explode into laughter. Laughter that not only made the barrel fall, but also splinter and break, leaving an exposed Junko lying on the floor, cackling with glee.

_“You just- and he – OH MY GOOOOOD!”_ she exclaimed in between fits of laughter. That is, right before a particularly large crewman noticed the girl and picked her up by the straps of her enormous backpack.

“What’re you doing on board this ship, girlie? Didn’t see your name on the roster.” the man growled, getting right up in her face.

“Oh, yeah, well, the thing about that is *BAD TRIP!*” Junko exclaimed after hastily throwing a few hand signs together. Suddenly, the man let go of Izuku Junko and started to wobble this way and that, stumbling around the deck.

“Clouds… why are you so… WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT MY MOMMA?!” the man babbled before collapsing.

“Whoopsie. Didn’t mean to knock him out.” Junko muttered, scratching her head before turning her attention to the woman who’d made her laugh, having more than gotten her attention at this point.

“Hi there! My name’s Izuku Junko! Sorry about the whole stowaway business, but I missed the test, and I didn’t wanna wait another year to get outta the house!” Junko proclaimed, to the woman’s utter silence.

“Oh geez, are you really mad? Come on, I’m not the only one who did it, you know!” Junko explained, popping open the barrel that was next to hers and revealing another stowaway.

“This guy’s here too!” she chirped, much to the new guy’s dismay.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jul 17, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
_Return to Otogakure, Part XXXI_

______________________​
As the last of the few zombies surrounding their sensei were taken out by Minako's chakra bullets, Ren allowed himself to relax. The tightened wires and remaining shuriken loosened and dropped amongst the corpses as the team watched Brawly pull out the sword. Crimson light bathed down on him as he approached the ominous Otogakure machinery, illuminating every detail of his body?hair, physique, smile and eyes?like it was scanning him. His large hands touched at the coarse, rusted surface of the sword... 

And then all vision disappeared. The last thing the Houki made out was a pillar of black lightning descending upon Brawly, out of a cloudless sky, and striking him. Where light flooded the forest, light disappeared from Ren's blue eyes at the same time. He couldn't see anything, but he _could_ hear an intense roar of pain, one more beast-like than that of a human. It was their sensei's. The sound lingered in his ears for the next few moments, like a hail of gunfire, whilst the dark film in his eyes finally began to recede. 

The sight sent shivers up his skin. His blue eyes peered past the zombies, towards the rising plume of steam and smoke. A tall, dark silhouette melted from it and, at first, Ren thought it had been Brawly. His assumption couldn't be further from the truth. In their sensei's place was a tall, bulky thing?much like their teacher?with dark scaly skin and other features which could only be described as monstrous. A whirlwind of thoughts quickly pushed into his head. _"Is that Brawly? That lightning hit him, and we must have all heard that scream..."_ though, before his theory could be concluded, the demon came rushing towards them. The boy had, at first, hoped that the barrier could resist it. But, much like his jutsu, these hopes were immediately shattered as it rose it's sword, wrapping it with a sickly red chakra, and sliced it through the wall he had erected around the perimetre of the truck. 

They had to get out of there. If that thing was Brawly, then it would have also had his ridiculous taijutsu and close combat prowess, nevermind the fact it had just ripped through their barrier. Ren produced a duo of smoke bombs and smashed them onto the ground. "We need to get out of here!" he shouted, hoping that the two of them caught his rationale. If they stayed, they were certainly dead and while leaving the area brought the risk of whatever that thing was trashing the vehicle, the fact that it had specifically targeted them first led the Houki to believe it would try to follow them.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jul 17, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
_*Liquid Time:* Meeting The Crazy, Part VIII_

______________________​
His foot smashed into Roku's face with a resounding crack as it impacted on his nose. Ren wasn't sure if it had broke?he hoped it did?but it was definitely damaged. Though, somewhat disconcertingly, the Root agent seemed completely nonchalant about the flood seeping down his face as he gave another round of laughter. *"BECAUSE I'M JUST GETTING STARTED! FIRE RELEASE! EMBER BARRAGE!"* he roared with laughter, spitting out another round of fire pellets from his mouth. They flew true towards the Houki's face, before immediately meeting another target. His shield, which was summoned over to guard his body. The embers simmered, burning a few holes through the metal surface. Behind the shield, Ren's hands went through a string of hand seals as he chained two jutsu together.

The kunai he had thrown right at the start floated up in the air and shot to wedge itself into Roku's hand, making sure he couldn't escape. At the same time, a ball of lightning floated above his face, ready to fire a stream of lightning into his open mouth. Or anywhere else, depending on where he moved.


----------



## Fedster (Jul 17, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako



There was a moment where it seemed that they had won. The combo jutsu worked perfectly, and Brawly tore open the tower and grappled the sword attached to it. With his herculean strength, he easily took it out and help it high for everyone to see. Minako was about to let out a 'hurray', her arms about to rocket towards the night sky. But then, it happened. Nothing could prepare them for what happened next, not even all of the lessons Brawly had been teaching them combined...

A long branch of pitch black thunder appeared from a stormless, clear sky. Its sole ominous apparition struck not only the sword, but also struck fear into their hearts. Minako held his arms in front of her face, blinded by the light and, at the same time, by darkness. She was flooded by it, taking every inch around her and inside of her. Minako felt there was no room in her for anything else - not even for her own thoughts. For a moment, she was drifting alone in a black ocean, uncapable of thinking, of speaking, even incapable of _feeling_...

And the next moment, it was over. Minako got her vision back, but deep down, she wished she had not, for what she saw chilled her spine and almost made weak in the knees. A clawed, feathery, scaly black figure replaced Brawly, wielding the sword the latter held just seconds ago. What was it doing here? And where was Brawly? For every unanswered question, Minako's heartbeat increased, her skin shiny with pearly sweat. That...monstruosity approached them, swinged its sword and...

And...

Broke their barrier, their only stronghold, their only ticket to safety. It made it look so easy, as though he was not even trying to break it. As though it was mocking them, showing its twisted sense of humour. If it were not for that voice, _his_ voice, Minako would have been eaten by her own thoughts.

"We need to get out of here!" Ren shouted, bringing her to reality. Yes, run away. Do not stay. It is dangerous. But...But...

"What about Brawly-sensei?! And the researchers?! We need to get them out too!!" Minako shouted back, despair flooding her voice. There was no logical way to explain what was happening, no way to keep things in order...

They needed to save what they could and run. And that was what scared Minako the most.


----------



## Island (Jul 18, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
To say that I was frightened would be an understatement. We faced Brawly once before during the Bell Test, and we got a firsthand look at his physical prowess throughout, seeing him perform amazing feats of strength that I didn’t even think possible for all but the most powerful shinobi. Now, he stared at us with bloodlust. A killing intent, he wanted nothing more to put down, and there would be nothing we could do to stop him. At the same time, this also swelled me with sadness. He was our _teacher_, our _sensei_, and for now he was our enemy, not by choice, but because he was corrupted by something dark and sinister, some carefully laid trap by someone who had long since faded into irrelevancy. He was being _forced_ to do this, _forced_ to turn against his students, much like these undead shinobi were being forced to attack us. Except, this was different. He was somebody to us, a teacher, a role model, somebody we actually cared about…

We had to kill him, or he would kill us.

But the former was not just unlikely but probably impossible.

At that moment, I felt so helpless, so alone, paralyzed with fear, the realization that my life was about to end, and not by the hand of some faceless monster but at the hand of my teacher. I had no idea what to do or where to go. None whatsoever. I just stood there, frozen, shaking silently to myself, still in shock. I mean, what could we do? Run? Hide? If this thing had any of Brawly's capabilities, he would find us and kill us before we could even formulate a strategy. We were talking about somebody who could throw you over the horizon, leap across a battlefield with a truck on his back, somebody we _legitimately_ believed could throw you to the moon.

He promised us.

Right before this all happened…

Brawly promised to protect us… 

…not _kill_ us.

“We need to get out of here!” Ren's voice snapped me back into reality.

Around me, a haze of smoke filled the air. At first, I didn’t know what it was, but then, I realized that Ren had thrown a smoke bomb, hoping to slip away in the cover of darkness. A valiant attempt, but somehow, I doubted it would work. The cover of darkness, this creature, it was probably born of darkness. When it appeared, it sucked light from the world, darkening the battlefield with its mere presence. It probably didn’t need light. In fact, it most likely preferred the cover of darkness, the capacity to deny its prey of one of five precious senses while it hunted them down.

“What about Brawly-sensei?!” Minako replied. “What about the researchers?!”

I looked around, trying to find where the researchers went off to. Given our rather limited circumstances, I figured they only had three options. Flee underground, flee deeper into the forest, or attempt to bypass Brawly and follow the path that he carved out for us. Then, I spotted them, three silhouettes rushing through the darkness, toward the truck and around that… abomination. However, it wasn’t about to have any of that. No, when Ren threw the smoke bomb, it stopped, and with it, the zombies. It must have commanded them, but why he would order them to stop, I had no idea. At least I didn’t until just a few seconds later. Regardless of what it was or where it came from, it still possessed the body and mind of a shinobi. For all intents and purposes, it _was_ a shinobi, and like all shinobi, knew how to lay traps. By convincing us, or at least the researchers, that safety could be found within the smoke shroud, that darkness was their ally, it lurked them in, and just as the researchers advanced, reaching the truck…

_*SMAAAAAAAAAASH!*_

The creature descended upon the truck, leaping high and then smashing its massive arm down upon its roof. Not just the roof but the whole vehicle buckled downward, collapsing in on itself in the wake of the monstrous being’s descension. For some reason, the researchers chose to encircle the vehicle, perhaps to increase their own survival chance, minimizing the chance that they would _all_ get caught. One went around the right side and the other the left, while the third seemed altogether missing. With its right arm, the creature swung its blade, bisecting him with one clean cut down the center, and then with its left, it reached out and grabbed the other, pulling him inward and then bringing him up to its face. Was it going to eat him? Or maybe it was going to chuck him…?

*WAAAAAAAAAAAAM!*

Something _else_ came out of the sky. A bolt of lightning? No, it was solid. A meteor? No, it didn’t look much like a rock. Whatever it was, it collided with the creature, dropping straight down on its head. The creature bent forward under the force of the impact, momentarily losing its grip on the researcher and freeing him from captivity. The latter landed flat on his face but nevertheless, recovered, making a mad dash for the woods. The former, however, seemed stunned, momentarily, recoiling from whatever it was that hit him. Then, it hit [_me_. Metaphorically, of course. I knew what it was…

_“There’s no place like *HOME*~!”_ Brawly's words echoed in my head.

And home… is where the _heart_ is.

Brawly didn’t throw his ankle weights back to Konoha. He threw them straight _up_, anticipating to recover them later, though, whether or not he factored in something like _this_…

I didn’t have time to mull this over any further. Instead, I turned my attention to where I perceived Ren to be, looking to where he wanted to go. Much like the researchers, we had three options. We could flee underground and try to fortify ourselves. We could flee deeper into the woods, hoping to outrun this rather large behemoth and maybe finding some kind of settlement, not matter how small, and try to contact home. Or, we could follow the path Brawly planned for the truck to follow and head back to the border, hoping that we might encounter friendlies, maybe those reinforcements or even a border patrol.

Assuming the creature could understand us, I didn't want to vocalize any of this, instead, leaving it entirely to Ren, following him wherever he decided that we should go.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jul 18, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
_Return to Otogakure, Part XXXII_

______________________​
His eyes peered at their surroundings. To the metallic ruins of the truck, to the path Brawly had laid out for them before, to the cave which led to the underground bunker which started all this and, finally, to the dark depths of the Otogakure forest. _"Only three routes of escape left now that the truck is destroyed. I doubt we'd be able to outrun him on a straight path and going into an unfamiliar underground lair smells of trouble..."_ Ren looked at the forest. Of the three, that was probably the safest route; they weren't trapped like the might in the science chamber and there were obstacles to block Brawly off. His thoughts then flickered back to when their sensei had ripped apart an open path and created a clearing for them in the middle of the forest, leading him to cross that out as an option as well. _"Come on, we're running out of time. *Think*!"_ he looked back worriedly. Brawly had just sliced one of the researchers clean in half, spilling more blood onto the soil of the cursed forest.

"_There's no doubt that this Brawly must have shinobi instincts. If he does, then... he'll be expecting us to run, like any other overwhelmingly powerful predator would expect of a prey,_" he thought, the various jigsaw pieces of his strategy finally beginning to slot together inside his head, albeit very roughly. Ren raised his head, a faint glimmer of confidence in his electric blue eyes. Much like Hirari, he didn't want to speak just in case the monster Brawly could actually understand human speech. Instead, he simply looked back at the two and gave a very subtle nod of the head towards the bunker, hoping that the smoke bomb would last a little longer. He mouthed the words _"I have a plan"_ to his team mates as he landed silently on the soil. Producing a kunai, he quickly tossed it into the opposite direction. Ren hoped to lure the zombies and whatever Brawly had become, with sounds, since they couldn't rely on their sight quite just yet. It was unlikely they would be able to smell them, given that the entire _forest_ smelled overwhelmingly of corpses at the moment, and they had been trained to be silent by the man himself. Still, the Houki very much doubted the trick would fool Brawly for long, if at all, but it was better than nothing.

He motioned with his blood and dirt stained hand. Everything, including his wrist, felt a little sore at this point from the rounds of slaughter he and Minako just did. He bit down the fatigue for the moment, though. There were more important things to take care of. His shield appeared in the air, inviting the three of them to ride on top of it so as to avoid making footprints. Ren leapt on top first, making sure to feed it a tiny piece of his chakra to keep the three of their collective weights afloat as they hovered their way to their temporary hideout. Meanwhile, the smoke cloud from the bomb he had dropped behind them slowly dispersed, but by the time zombies were ready to resume their hunt, the shinobi and two kunoichi were gone. 

Once they were safely inside the bunker, Ren de-summoned the shield. _"There's at least ten minutes worth of walking to be done inside here, so even if he finds out we're inside, we should have some time to discuss things,"_ he muttered, then looked at the two of his team mates. Not too long ago, their relationships with each other had been strained at best. Now, under the threat of their sensei now trying his very hardest to slaughter them, they were forced to work together as a team. The irony was not lost upon the Houki. In fact, were the situation not so bleak, he might have even burst out laughing from it. Ren sighed. "Like I said, I have a plan. It's a little crazy... but, by the end, we should hopefully have our sensei back."


----------



## Island (Jul 18, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
Liquid Time

---

*Good Goblin Housekeeping*

*Rank:* D
*Team:* Yet to be determined.
*Type:* Supplementary
*Client:* The Hokage
*Status:* In Progress

_?Since Brawly returned from Otogakure about a week ago, he has not left his house. I worry that he is running low on food, water, and other basic necessities but will not force him to leave home until he is ready. Please deliver this crate of supplies to his residence. While you?re there, tend to any other basic needs that he may have. This means washing his dishes, vacuuming his rug, and doing the laundry. It might sound trivial, but he has the tendency to become unresponsive when something is bothering him. Almost catatonic, which is why I need somebody to make sure his basic needs are still being met.

I'm paying out of pocket for this, but the reward for this mission will be 10,000 ryo, which should be more than enough, I would think.?_

---​

Since that whole ordeal at Otogakure almost a week ago, Brawly hadn?t left his house, and the Hokage was understandably concerned. I didn?t really need the money nor did I care to do anymore missions, especially during my time off, but I thought that it might do Brawly some good to see a friendly face. That said, I didn?t know who else would be accompanying me on this ?mission? since Minako and Ren, or at least, Minako, was apparently busy with something and couldn?t make it. That meant that whoever was coming was probably going to be a total stranger, and considering the reward, probably somebody just looking to make a quick buck. After all, the reward for this _was_ surprisingly high. Almost too high, but then again, the Hokage _was_ one of his close friends.

Still, ten thousand a pop.

That was a lot of money.










​
Brawly owned a home in the Konoha Outskirts, which was mostly woods and the occasional farm, as well as some miscellaneous businesses such as the hot springs. Apparently, the Council voted to construct a new ?Konoha Stadium? in the Outskirts, but Brawly vehemently protested this proposal, putting together a petition and collecting signatures to protect its natural beauty from the ?taint? of urbanization. According to the Mission Board, we were supposed to meet in front of Brawly?s house where a package would be waiting, which included fresh food, fresh water, and other necessities like toilet paper and toothpaste. Once we were altogether, that was, once three people showed up, we were supposed to knock on the door and head inside.

I happened to be the first to arrive.

​
To say that Brawly had a simple residence would be an understatement. He seemed to one quite a bit of land in the Konoha Outskirts. His house sat on more of a homestead than an ordinary piece of property with a walkway, a frontyard, and a backyard. In fact, Brawly seemed to know this and was quite proud of it. Just like farmers or ranchers would often ?name? their piece of property, Brawly put a large handcrafted sign out in front of his property, doing the same, displaying its name for all to say. The sign was made out of some old pieces of wood, several of two-by-fours nailed to a stake and then stuck in the ground, much like one might see in a video game. Painted on this sign in big, bold, red letters, much how I imagined Brawly spoke, read the words: _?The *HEARTLAND*.?_

A shanty wooden fence surrounded the perimeter of his house minus an opening for the walkway that led up to the front door which was about ten meters away from where I stood on the side of the road. I could almost see a silhouette peering through the paper window, figuring that Brawly must have known that we were coming. I smiled and waved before turning my attention to the road. Somebody else was coming, though I didn?t know who it was. I somewhat hoped that Ren and Minako were able to make it, as I didn?t really feel like putting up with strangers today?


----------



## Fedster (Jul 19, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako



The team recoiled back to the cave, or well, at least Ren did. It would be the first time for Hirari and Minako, since they had stood guard at the entrance. How ironic that now the one place she did not want to get into turn out to be her safe haven, though that irony was lost in Minako. Not because she could not understand it, but because that was no time for irony. No one had time for that. And as such, she accompanied her two teammates aboard the HMS Houki, alias Ren's floating shield, which apparently could hold two medium-sized teenagers and a beautiful, lithe girl like Minako.

Inside the tunnel-like staircase, the shinobi dropped down their voices' volumes to a minimum, afraid that Kuro-Brawly (as Minako dubbed him in her head) could hear them. Ren told them that he had a plan, and knowing the complex that those plans could turn out to be, Minako had faith in them. After all, if it was that convoluted, it means that Kuro Brawly would get dizzy and be a sitting duck to their attacks. And then, and only then, they could save him! And the researchers, of course. Never forget about those.

_"Guys..."_ The girl forgot the last time she had spoken in a whisper. _"It's too dark outside, and...Kuro-Brawly-sensei seems to like it that way."_ She looked up to where she imagined her two friends were. _"There's a technique I know...that can counter darkness. Ren, if you could let me use it, I may be able to give you an opening."_ To think that she was impressed of herself would be an understatement. Minako had thought of a sort of plan, and what was more, she voiced it. Of course, it could not compare to a plan made by any of the two Konoha Prodigies, but she felt that, in this situation, every grain counted.


----------



## Island (Jul 19, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
An interesting decision on his part, Ren must have figured that running would be a useless endeavor, and thus, we needed to make a stand. We needed to set some kind of trap and hope that he fell for it. A lot banked on that creature falling for our trap, specifically, our lives and possibly the lives of anyone else that might be unfortunate enough to be put between it and whatever it wanted. It seemed risky, especially since Brawly himself was only toying with us the day of the Bell Test, and if he was serious, he could have probably ripped us all to shreds before we even knew what was happening. Whatever this was, however, this monster, it had Brawly?s strength plus some, never mind a horde of zombies at its beck and call?

Nevertheless, I followed him down through the winding underground passage and into the bunker where there remained a smashed computer terminal and what appeared to be a hole punched into the wall where Brawly extracted the radio tower and then brought it to the surface. Considering how deep we were underground, he must have done a lot of work to get it up there, digging up through all that ground and then tossing that tower, easily several hundred kilograms, all the way to the surface. Though, that was then, and this was now, and there wasn't time to dwell on things.

?What do you have in mi-? I was suddenly interrupted by something.

*?RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.?* Something suddenly came in through the earpiece, something demonic, harsh and growling, octaves lower than any voice I had ever heard.

At first, I had no clue what it was. Then I realized, it spoke to us.

Whatever that creature was, it _spoke_.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jul 19, 2014)

*Ren Houki*
_Return to Otogakure, Part XXXIII_

______________________​
Ren removed his earpiece, silently turning it off, hand twitching with nervousness. The voice and the fact that whatever Brawly became could apparently talk and communicate had rattled him slightly. Just how sure was he of his plan? It all depended on so many things, so many hypotheticals, to be true to work. It assumed that the sword in his hand was the source of this demonic transformation. It assumed that Minako's genjutsu would affect him. It assumed that Brawly would fall for the trap, and it _assumed_ he wouldn't just rip them into pieces. Making strategies was common place for the Houki, but... making ones with his and the lives of others on the line was different. _"Can I actually do this? What if everything is wrong?"_ he questioned himself in a rare moment of self-doubt. 

He shook his head. There wasn't time for that; Brawly was already hunting for them. Ren looked at Minako and Hirari. "Turn off your earpieces, first. I don't want him to be able to track us through the sounds of his voice," he whispered in a low voice, walking over to a nearby table. A blanket of dust wrapped the steel surface, and it smelled of rust and decay. Perfect. The smell was almost _overwhelmingly_ bad.

"I can't say this for certain, but I think the sword in Brawly's hand is the cause of this transformation. If you remember, when he lifted it up, a red light wrapped around his body, like the crimson chakra he used when he broke our barrier... and not to mention the fact the lightning struck directly onto the tip of the blade," Ren detailed, etching a rough figure of both their sensei and the sinister weapon on the table through the dust. He then drew an arrow towards the sword. "With that in mind, our goal here should be clear: not to run away, nor to eliminate Brawly. We just need to separate his hand and that sword. It'll be just like the Bell Test, but with higher stakes and better odds on our side."

Both Minako and Hirari opened their mouths to ask how their odds were any better than before, with their ridiculously strong teacher being on full bloodlust mode and out to kill them, but Ren cut them off. "Firstly, we're stronger than before, meaning our chances of success should already be higher. Secondly, even though Brawly isn't holding back this time, we also don't have to, either. If we're to win here, we're going to need to go in for the kill. Thirdly, even though he can talk and has shown intelligence, I... don't think he'll be as sharp or perceptive as the real thing. We can hopefully exploit that. And lastly... there's only one target this time, and we're a better team than before." He paused, letting his last words linger in the air for a bit.

"We're going to stay inside here. There's a lot of good hiding places and if Hirari-san is still reluctant to use the Byakugan, I still know a good seventy per cent of this place from earlier, anyway. The smell of rust should also mask our smell," he explained, then set about drawing another trio of doodles on the table. One for himself, one for Hirari and one for Minako. They weren't great drawings, but they fit the bill in terms of appearance, at least. "We will lure Brawly into a room. On the off chance that he came inside with zombies, I'll try and piss him off to bait him into charging us first. I don't think that would be uncharateristic of him. Hopefully, by this point, Minako will have layered the room with _kokoni arazu no jutsu_ to make Brawly think that Hirari and I are standing in front of Minako," drew another series of sketches, creating a new Ren and Hirari around Brawly. "But we will actually be transformed as props. Even sane, I don't think Brawly would be able to tell the difference. As soon as he steps into..." 

He rummaged through the last of his equipment; a small roll of ninja wire. "A ninja wire trap set to bind him with raiton, probably just long enough for you to use your blinding genjutsu. The next step is critical. Since both Hirari and I will create sound when attacking, someone needs to mask it. As soon as you cast your genjutsu, you'll need to set off an explosive tag and that's when we'll attack. I'll attack from behind with sakebi no piasu kaminari, whilst Hirari attacks from the front with whatever she used to break my shield."

The Houki exhaled, finally allowing himself to catch a breath before finally saying: "Any questions? If not, we're going to start luring him inside."


----------



## Fedster (Jul 19, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako



As soon as they settled on a place, Ren dropped down a sick plan and dropped it hard enough to make the ground tremble. However, that plan could be the last the team would make, for failure to complete would result in their horrible, horrible death, just like Researcher-chan. Poor man, he totally did not see that coming. Maybe he did, and probably thought _'Oh dammit'_ or _'I knew I should've stayed in bed'_.

Minako listened to Ren very carefully when he told her what she needed to do. She could not get distracted by anything right now, or else she would not be able to see her family, her friends, even her teamates again. _'Set False Surroundings, hide explosive tag, cast Surge of Light. Set, hide, cast. Set, hide, cast.'_ She repeated mentally. The whole ordeal drained her mental energy, and she could not imagine how it could be affecting Ren or Hirari.

The girl decided to get her part done. After some hand seals, she casted Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique over the part of the lab they were in. Almost nothing changed, except that the real Ren and Hirari were covered by the illusion and a replica of each appeared in front of Minako. She thought they were good replicas. Pretty accurate ones, even.

"Wait..." She half-raised her hand to ask something. "Where do I set the exploding tag?" She was unsure of where the thing would go best, and wasting tools was out of the question.


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## Santí (Jul 19, 2014)

*Katsurou aqcuiring intelligence on the human anatomy*

*Katsurou*
Outpost 32 - The Room​
Katsurou and Ruka had settled into their new dormitory, and the crafty one stole the top bunk. Katsurou could only mumble under his breath and find comfort in the bottom bunk, which he guessed wasn't so bad. It was his first time actually seeing a bunk bed outside of comedy sitcoms on television.

In the library, Katsurou had encountered many books on ice excavation and such, most of which he tossed and slammed without much shame; however, he managed to encounter one book which went into much detail of the human body, a science which was called _anatomy_. Katsurou had borrowed this book and stored it in his pelt so that he can explore it on his own. The first chapter of the book went into detail of the human nervous system, and the senses which are used to gather information of your environment. To Katsurou, these were often taught techniques and honed abilities to the Isamuki clan; however, no explanation he had ever received broke down the functions, and the ones often taught appear to be labeled as the _special senses_ as they have unique organs dedicated to them: Sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Katsurou couldn't help but identify that touch was not listed and a _special sense_, due to the fact that it does not have a specialized organ and is experienced all over the body, this was identified as a somatic sense.

Katsurou continued reading and studying the studying of the human body and its functions, what must have been quite a few hours must have gone by and Katsurou had covered quite a few pages and was covering over the respiratory system. From above, Katsurou could sense his teammate Ruka gathering Chakra and molding it through her body. Katsurou could feel a considerable amount of energy within the bubbly Kabiki Ruka; however, she must have realized during the last spar segment that her usage and flow of chakra were inferior to himself, and even fellow taijutsu user Hikita. Katsurou began to feel warmth towards the young girl, who he originally considered troublesome and noisy at first; however, it was just about impossible for him to witness someone working to cover their weaknesses so soon after realizing them. He was glad to have such an astute worker with him, and felt further comfortable that Kabiki Ruka will be someone he can rely o-

BEEP!

*BEEP!*

*BEEP!*

*?WAAAAAAH!!?*

a thud struck the ground to the side of Katsurou, who could not help but laugh at the startled Ruka who plummeted off her bunk at a bit of noise. "Perhaps we should switch for your own safety?" Katsurou teased, but Ruka disregarded the comment and crawled over to the source of the ambiance, the radar console. Ruka then quickly moved over to the window, concerned on who could be nearing the outpost. 

?Katsurou, come look!? she beckoned Katsurou over, ?There?s someone out there!?[/QUOTE]

"Have you confirmed that it's anything suspicious enough to warrant interrupting my study? It could be one of the scientist," regardless, Katsurou stood up and dragged his feet over to the window. Taking a look outside, it appears that the snow has picked up since the morning and was much more violent; however, Katsurou has seen through tougher snow storms and could easily identify the sight of a civilian in a casual dress. There's no reason for a scientist to be in such conditions dressed like that. Katsurou looked over to the other two bunk beds and noticed that Amagumo-sensei and Hikita had not yet returned. Surely the tour of this dome couldn't have taken this much time, could it? Have they already noticed the individual out in the storm?

Katsurou hurried with haste rushing towards the door to the room, smashing into it with a loud bang . Not used to the advanced alloy corridors of this facility in comparison to his home, Katsurou had completely forgotten that the door was mechanical and and angrily slapped the keypad to slide the door open "Ruka, let us report this discovery".


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## Redblood (Jul 19, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku*
LT Supermarket

----------​
Blood coating his face, Tokuoka Roku snarled as his attempt at a sneak attack failed miserably, the fire striking the Houki?s shield instead of his body. What was worse was what came next. A kunai Roku had failed to notice before struck one of his free hands, pegging it to the ground as Ren activated another jutsu. A? a ball of lightning. 

Oh. 

*OH, THIS WOULD BE INTERESTING. *

Having one hand pinned wasn?t so conducive to performing any sort of jutsu, so Roku took the only path he could see. Roku pushed the Houki back with his free arm a few steps, before rolling over to pull the kunai out of his hand. Naturally, Ren took the opportunity to strike Roku in the back just as he threw the irritating kunai aside. The ration attack struck its target fiercely, making Roku collapse for what could have been the final time. 

That is, if Tokuoka Roku was a normal shinobi.

Slowly, deliberately, Roku rose to his feet, as a strange aura emanated from his body. It was like a chakra aura, only? wrong. The energy flowing from the ROOT operative?s body was dark. As dark as the midnight sky. Then, through the blood and seared flesh, came that old familiar laugh.

?Round two?? he chuckled, ?FIGHT!? Roku cried before bursting into a run, a fist with the Houki?s name on it. Ren recoiled just a bit, only for Roku to Body Flicker away, and appear? above him?

High in the air, Tokuoka Roku formed the hand signs for his favorite jutsu, Fire Release: Ember Barrage, once again, and fired, but with one major difference. There were WAY more fireballs than there were before, all headed straight for Ren at all different angles!


----------



## Redblood (Jul 19, 2014)

*Deep in The Valley of Ice, VIII*

*Kabiki Ruka*
Outpost 32

----------​
Seeing what Ruka had, Katsurou flew into a wild sense of urgency, and rushed to the door. For some reason, the boy just chose to smash the keypad instead of typing a code in, but that just made Kabiki Ruka all the more worried. If Katsurou, the smartest guy on the team, was just smashing doors open, this was really serious!

?Ruka, let us report this discovery!? the wolf clad shinobi declared. His teammate nodded and the two kept moving.

Running into the hallway, they saw Kagaku Koto, the woman who?d shown them to their beds, rushing out of her sleeping quarters as well, pulling her orange skin on. The radar alert must have been louder than they thought.
Ever obedient, Ruka took it upon herself to report what she had seen.

?Koto-san! Koto-san! There?s someone out there!? Ruka chirped.

?That?s impossible!? Koto snapped back, ?It?s a blizzard out there! No one?s left the facility since you folks got here!? she proclaimed as they got into the Rec Room where the others had already gathered, including Amagumo and Hikita, who must have heard the siren go off as well. Hikita seemed confused, while Amagumo was alerted. Hoshi, our bus driver, was sleeping in a corner, curled up in front of the television. The apparent leader of the group, Seizon Sazaki, stepped forth and addressed the uneasy bunch.

?Okay, everyone please settle down. The proximity alert?s been triggered, probably by some stray animal wandering down from the mountains agai?? Sazaki explained before he was rather rudely interrupted by Ruka pressing her face to the window nearest the Outpost?s entrance.

?There?s totally a girl out there!? Ruka cried, much to the other?s shock. Save for Katsurou, of course, who moved in to get a closer look. 

The Woman In Black was indeed, still out there, and very, very real. She was much closer to the outpost now, and even as the storm raged the group could make out her appearance. She had short, dark hair, and only seemed to be wearing a long, black dress, and long, black cloth gloves as the wandered through the snow. She seemed lost, and out of place. Soon enough, the woman trudged toward the entrance to the Outpost, just staring through the porthole with dull, hazel eyes.

Everyone looked at each other, some in confusion, others in apprehension. However, Kabiki Ruka was fixed on the woman trapped outside.

?So? shouldn?t we let her in??


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jul 21, 2014)

*Hikita Kirigaya*

Adventure in the Valley of Ice, IX

_____________________​
Thrashing out in the gym had left Hikita tired. His legs felt sore and the swordsman was almost certain he'd tore open his biceps and triceps, so the thought of sleep and the bunk beds came as a warm sanctuary of relief for him. Unfortunately, rest never came for him and the moment he made his way towards the sleeping quarters, he made out Katsurou and Ruka running in the distance. _"Is something wrong?"_ he wondered, tossing a glance at the door they just came from. He really wanted to just go to sleep, but a responsible comrade would have gone along with the Kumo duo. He gave a resigned sigh and then dashed off after them.

Apparently, someone had been spotted outside of the facility, wandering in the cold darkness of a blizzard. Though, he didn't join Ruka and Katsurou at peering any closer to the woman. Just looking at the snow made him feel hyperthermic. The swordsman thought for a while about what he should say, remembering how he had felt in the snow when they first leapt off the bus. Excited about the mysterious substance and then... very cold, almost immediately afterwards. A blizzard must have been far colder, and to top it off, there wasn't even any sun.

So, while everybody else was concerned about security implications and whether or not it was a good idea to let a half-dead looking woman inside, the Kirigaya resolved his mind. It was simply not honourable to let a woman freeze while they stayed nice and toasty inside a high-tech dome. "Of course we should let her in. She'll freeze to death if we don't," he said.


----------



## Island (Jul 22, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
?Hold up a sec.? I stated.

?Let's see what the Byakugan shows us.? I added

I formed a seal and began channeling my chakra. For the first time since we got here, I would activate the Byakugan. In direct defiance to what Brawly told me earlier, I hesitated for a moment, wondering what exactly I would see. After all, what was the worst that could be down there? Even more corpses? At this point, I figured a bit of my sanity was worth giving up in exchange for the next sixty or seventy years of my life. Plus, I reasoned that his instructions no longer mattered, especially considering that _he_ was the reason that this was even necessary in the first place. Thus, I activated my kekkei genkai, the veins around my eyes bulging out?

?Brawly-sensei was right?? I described exactly what I saw. ?This forest is sitting on top of a mass grave. There are probably hundreds, maybe thousands, of shinobi buried here. Most of them have dug themselves back up to the surface thanks to the power of that strange weapon, but many of them are still trapped down there. There are forehead protectors bearing almost every emblem in existence, the Five Great Shinobi Nations, the United Shinobi Forces, even some minor powers, Amegakure, Takigakure??

I shifted my attention. ?It?s looking for us.?

?But it?s obviously not having any luck.? I added.

?Ren-kun,? I addressed my teammate. ?You were right. The creatures still have chakra circulatory systems, but not in the way you might think. They seem to have one central system, feeding chakra to and from one another. Almost like a nervous system, neurons transmitting signals to other neurons, all through the body, where the zombies are neurons, and the signals are chakra. They don?t have spiritual energy of their own. They produce nothing, entirely dependent on? that sword. That sword is the brain, the central nervous system to their periphery nervous system, the center of operations.?

I stopped to consider this for a couple moments. The zombies all drew their power from that demonic creature and its sword. Thus, if we stopped that demonic creature and destroyed the sword, the zombies would no longer have any spiritual energy, nothing to keep them animated, nothing to keep them going. In other words, cut off the head, and the body will die, and in this example, the demon was the head, and the zombies were the body. We just had to prevent ourselves from getting headbutted in the process.

?The fact that they can transmit chakra between one another might also mean that they actually _are_ a hive mind, though?? I pondered aloud. ?It might be a stretch, but we should expect that whatever the zombies can sense, the creature can also sense. If the zombies see us, that thing can probably also sees us, like a Shadow Clone or something??


----------



## Island (Jul 22, 2014)

*Hyuuga Hirari*
The Grocery Store - Liquid Time

---​
?Hirari,? Mother asked. ?Isn?t that your teammate??

The mushroom cut, the collared shirt, the slacks, and, of course, that infamous smug disposition, I had no doubt in my mind that I was looking at Houki Ren. On the other side of the makeshift battlefield, I made out another distinct presence. That messy blond hair with those shimmering blue sunglasses and that green flower shirt, I spotted Rokuoka Toku. He arrived as ?reinforcements? during that mission last week, his team assisting us in stopping the would-be zombie apocalypse. Not exactly the most pleasant person. In fact, I thought that he was almost as bad as Ren in some regards, if not worse. It wasn?t surprising that somebody like him would find himself staring at the business end of my teammate?s short blade?

?Yes, it is.? Not really believing what I was seeing.

?Are we? going to do something about this?? I asked.

?After we checkout.? My mother decided. ?You are going to break them up.?

We walked by them clashing. Roku used the Body Flicker Technique to put some distance between him and my teammate. He reappeared a few meters above the ground, crafting several handseals and then blanketing the battlefield in a Fire Release technique. I cringed at the thought of having to break them up, especially considering I didn?t bring with me any ninja tools, not even my pouch. Though, hopefully, they would have ended their fight long before mother and I finished up in the grocery store. Maybe if I walked slowly and took my time, I could make sure this was what would happen. Then?

Mother crafted a hand seal, creating a half dozen clones of herself? the Shadow Clone Technique.

?Wait by the checkout counter, Hirari.? Mother instructed. ?I will be finished in a couple minutes.?

_?You should consider learning the Shadow Clone Technique.?_ Mother always told me. _?It has many practical applications beyond its usefulness in the field. You can do your hair, your nails, cook, clean, garden, anything.?_

_?Essential for any kunoichi.?_ She would add.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jul 23, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

Return to Otogakure, XXXIV

_____________________​
A hive mind, huh. That made things a little simpler, then. As long as he got the attention of even one zombie, then the head would come charging inside, regardless of whether or not he himself heard it. By this point, all the preparations were done. The wires, the traps, the ironing out on how to execute the entire thing and the genjutsu. All that was left was to lure Demon Brawly in himself. If the plan failed, then they were completely screwed. 

Ren gestured to Minako, who nodded her head and proceeded to turn her headset back on on. The Houki gave a tired smile and began to speak. Between him, Hirari and Minako, he was probably the best at keeping a steady voice, lying and general deceit. The Urasabi probably wasn't coy enough to do anything like this and Ren was afraid Hirari might get nervous or something half-way through. "Shit, it looks like we've reached the end of the cave," he said irritably, adding a few breathless pants for authenticity. Ren was, if nothing, a consummate professional. Beside that, he genuinely _was_ tired. "Well, it's not all bad. As long as the flare trap above springs itself, we should be safe from that ugly thing down here..." he added.

"Y-yeah..." Minako said, a little too closely to the mouthpiece of the headset, producing a slightly ear piercing static.

"Minako, did you have the headset on the whole time?!" The Houki feigned anger, flaring his voice up and hoping that his rage was believable. Minako seemed convinced, at least, as she replied with a somewhat meek nod of the head, which provoked a sigh from Ren. "God dammit, now he's going to know we're down here... alright, change of plan," his voice trailed off as he motioned for Minako to turn her headset back off.

Now they waited.


----------



## Island (Jul 23, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
_*?FOOLISH MORTALS.?*_ The demon spoke into the microphone, as if on cue.

_*?YOU HAVE DUG YOUR OWN GRAVES.?*_ It declared.

I took a deep breath, speaking as slowly and calmly as I could. ?The demon is making its way down here. It just entered through the opening in the tree and is slowly making its way down the walkway. It?s followed by some zombies, but they?re trailing behind. It doesn?t look like they?ll be a problem. Hold up. It?s stopping. Something seems to have caught its attention. I?m not sure what it is, though. It?s out of my range, but it definitely confirms my earlier suspicion. Some of the zombies in the far distance have been attracted to something. Maybe the researchers. Whatever it is, the creature knows it?s there.?

?It definitely has a larger visual range than it otherwise should.? I explained. ?It must be using the zombies as its eyes and ears. In fact, it?s turning around. It must figure that we?re not going anywhere, like caged animals or something, and whatever captured its attention must be more worthy of its attention. Maybe more worthy opponents. Perhaps our reinforcements. I?m not sure. Like I said, whatever it is, it?s out of my range.?

---​
?So, what if you went into a parallel universe,? Nashi conversed, ?Yknow, like one of those ones you see on TV where everything is the opposite. The good guys are the bad guys, the bad guys the good guys, whatever. You go find yourself, and you?re expecting to meet the evil version of you, y'know, with a _Fu Manchu_ and a pointy beard or something. Then you find out that the evil you is really nice and that _you?re_ the asshole.?

The trio walked along a beaten path to where they assumed this entrance was going to eventually be. If their intelligence was correct, they should continue down the winding path through the forest until they come to an opening where there would be a gigantic tree with a hole carved into the center. Inside that hole, they should find an underground tunnel that opened up into some kind of bunker, a makeshift fortification against the elements. There, they?d find a computer terminal detailing information relevant to the Rice Patty Wars many years ago. Simple, though, that unexpected? delay back in the Land of Fire didn?t help any. Team Brawly, for all they knew, was long gone, and they?d have to go find them and get the data.

While Konoha Team 66 _did_ track Team Brawly this far, following their footprints down this dusty old trail through the woods, for some reason, there was no sign of them returning. Maybe they were in luck. Maybe Team Brawly decided to camp there for the night and would be relaxing by the fire when they arrived. Not too bad. Join them, steal the data, and then head back to Konoha. Best case scenario, they were right up ahead. Worst case scenario, they had to track Team Brawly and then steal that data cache. At least, that?s what Nashi reasoned. Until?

?Holy fucking?? The young man?s jaw practically dropped to the floor.

An otherwise uneventful trip just got catastrophically worse. For the duration of their walk down this path, Nashi heard some pretty strange noises. Some rustling in the distance, probably some animals stirring, but he had no reason suspect that anyone was following them. In fact, it seemed like whatever was in those woods was _avoiding_ them. Again, he figured it was probably some animals or something. No big deal. If anything attacked, they would quickly dispatch them and go about his business. Again, best case scenario, worst case scenario, no matter what, it shouldn?t have been an issue. That was until a small group of zombies emerged from the bushes, dragging their feet and grunting loudly. About four of them, dressed as shinobi?

?ROKU-KUN!? Nashi commanded. ?KILL IT WITH FIRE!?

---​
?A team!? I exclaimed. ?Ren-kun, Minako-chan, there is another group here, a three-man squad out there in the woods. They don?t look like our reinforcements. In fact, they look like a bunch of genin-?

*?YOU HAVE ANOTHER PRECIOUS FEW MINUTES OF LIFE.?* The demon spoke to us.

*?PRAY TO WHATEVER GODS YOU WORSHIP??* It went on. *??FOR I SHALL RETURN AFTER SLAUGHTERING YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS, BUT WORRY NOT, YOU SHALL BE JOINING THEM SHORTLY.?*

?It?s? turning around!? I stated. ?And the zombies are heading straight for us!?


----------



## Redblood (Jul 23, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku*
Otogakure

----------​
“So, what if you went into a parallel universe,” Nashi conversed, “Yknow, like one of those ones you see on TV where everything is the opposite. The good guys are the bad guys, the bad guys the good guys, whatever. You go find yourself, and you’re expecting to meet the evil version of you, y'know, with a Fu Manchu and a pointy beard or something. Then you find out that the evil you is really nice and that you’re the asshole.” he posed as the trio went on their way.

“Tch, like that matters.” Roku scoffed, “I’d beat the crap outta the little goody two-shoes.” he said.

Finally, after what felt like ages of walking, Tokuoka Roku and his companions made it to… Otogakure? Slowly but surely, Roku began to realize things were a bit sideways here. The area was unlike the info in the mission dossier, or at least what little he'd read of it. This dead place seemed strangely alive with noises, seemingly coming from every direction. Branches snapped far from the ROOT team’s location, and small voices echoed past the treetops. Had they all really come upon the Konoha team that fast? No. There was way too much noise for only four people to be making it. Something else was here. Or perhaps, someone…

Then, as if on cue, Nashi spotted the source of the disturbance, and voiced his opinion on the matter.

“Holy fucking…”

As the expletive escaped his teammate’s mouth, Roku turned, slowly taking off his sunglasses to see what Nashi saw with eyes unclouded. There, standing before the team were four shinobi. No, not shinobi. These… creatures were pale, and moved slowly, their bodies making sickening cracks and squelches as they lurched forwards. Their eyes where fog white. Their jaws were wide open. One man had a gaping hole in his chest. These were not shinobi any longer. Nor were they human. They were zombies.

Which means Roku had an excuse.












A crazed smile spread across the boy’s face as a panicked Nashi commanded his attack dog.

*“ROKU-KUN! KILL IT WITH FIRE!”* he screamed as Tokuoka Roku removed and folded his shirt, placing it on the ground.

“Don’t have to tell me twice! *MOTHER FUCKERS GONNA DIE!*” Roku cackled as he quickly formed some hand seals.

*“Fire Release: Ember Barrage!”* the shinobi screamed as balls of fire erupted from his mouth, and hung in the air as the undead drew closer. A flick of the wrist and the orbs sprang to life, one kneecapping the zombie that had made it the farthest before another three fireballs destroyed its head. Roku was elated, clapping his hands and practically jumping for joy at the gruesome outcome. Roku looked to the three remaining zombies, still marching blindly forward. 

They had no idea what they’d gotten into. 

Two quick fireballs and one zombie lost both an arm and a leg, leaving it crawling mindlessly on the ground. Roku took this opportunity to Body Flicker right next to the downed zombie, grab its severed leg and start pounding the back of the zombie’s skull in. When Roku heard a crack, he moved one of his fire orbs on top of the cracked skull, and finished the bastard off with an orb directly to the brain. Unfortunately for Roku, this execution had diverted one of the two remaining zombies’ attention, and the creature was dangerously close to feeding distance.

“Ooooh, you wanna bite me, don’t ya little guy?” Roku asked, addressing the zombie as one would a curious child.

Fortunately for Roku, he was utterly insane.

The zombie groaned and snapped at Roku, the shinobi evading each attack with ease.

“Come on, come on!” Roku taunted, “You can get me! I know you can!” he encouraged while continuing to dodge. Finally, ten feet away from the zombie, Roku stopped dodging.

“Tell you what. For the next five seconds you get a free shot at me. Come on, hit me right here.” Roku proclaimed as he tapped his jugular vein in another taunt.

“Five…”

The zombie was eight feet from Roku.

“Four…”

Six feet from Roku.

“Three…”

Four feet from Roku.

“Two…”

*TWO FEET FROM ROKU.*

“One!”

The zombie was right on top of Roku, its jaws opening and ready to feed when all of a sudden the beast stopped, unable to move. Its body had been charred to ruin by Roku’s Ember Barrage from behind, and all that remained intact was the corpse’s head, which snapped off its burnt body and rolled onto the ground. Its jaws lazily open and shut, unaware of what had happened, before one last fireball destroyed the head.

“*OH!* So close!” Roku cackled, before turning to the last zombie, who had turned around thanks to the ruckus.

“Hmm…you know what, Nashi-kun? This whole atmosphere is so depressing.” Roku pouted as the zombie advanced, ready to eat. Roku seemed to pay the creature little mind, looking deep in thought.

“You know what would make this place nicer?” Roku posed, redirecting the last of his fireballs, “Fireworks!” he exclaimed as all the remaining fireballs converged on the zombie’s open chest cavity. Controlling his chakra, Roku used the fireballs inside the zombie to shoot the corpse high into the sky, before letting the fireballs explode in a flash of fire and entrails.
Roku spread his arms wide, reveling in the mayhem. He was on top of the world. Thanks to his “fireworks”, Roku could even see what looked like the Konoha genin up ahead in the forest. And coming right for them, some giant unimaginable horror. What a lovely trip.

“Nashi-kun! Numbers! Look out! We’ve got company coming! BIG company!" Roku roared, Body Flickering back to his team and readying himself for the behemoth that approached the team.


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jul 23, 2014)

*Kouji, Ran & Yui Hōzuki*

To the Land of Rivers and The Boat​
When he thought about it, this trap really wasn't that bad. The scenery was interesting, and he was sure Kimiko was taking a bunch of good pictures of everything, all things considered. These researchers were interesting to talk to when they could get them to do so freely, but he did feel that Aikuro was hiding something. Chi was focused on the mission, but probably noticed it too. Funzaki might've been just a bit too enraptured, and lately Kimiko seemed to be on a different wavelength than all of them, but Kouji saw it. He wasn't about to bring it up just yet, but it didn't escape his notice. 

The young man blinked in surprise as he noticed how deftly Funzaki handled the training exercise, and he even managed to smile faintly, getting a bit of a scowl to match the grin. "Oi, who knew you could move like that, damn!" he exclaimed, only to be interrupted by the appearance of just a few more of those men they'd seen before. Although perhaps half a dozen and a leader was more than a few. Kouji blinked in surprise as the ensemble appeared from the tree tops, making a handsign as the huge scroll he kept on his back began to activate, producing one puppet.

_"I'll have to concentrate on controlling one puppet instead of three with this many opponents...and protect the archeologists, dammit! Concentrate Kouji!"_ as Rush appeared beside him. His eyes narrowed, and as the soldiers rushed right for him, he opened up a compartment, letting out a harsh spray of lots of gatling powered senbon at the wave!

-----------------------------

Almost drowned out by the sound of Junko's obnoxious laughter and generally very happy air was the sound of steel being drawn. Yui Hōzuki, one could say, was manipulative at her best, and downright cold and standoffish at her worst. At least concerning potential enemies or threats. "Izuko Junko, yes? Why the hell are you on this boat, exactly?" Yui demanded, her thin straight sword drawn and brandished towards the other girl. "And why _shouldn't _I assume you're an enemy, exactly?" In Ran's absence, Yui's eyes were calm, neutral, and nearly devoid of any sort of emotion, even harshness, as she stared down Junko. If her sister wasn't about, it was her job to make sure the mission went smoothly.

And that included securing all variables as they presented themselves.


----------



## Fedster (Jul 24, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako



?It?s? turning around! And the zombies are heading straight for us!?

Hirari's words resounded on the earpiece for a moment before Minako fully understood what was said. Kuro-Brawly-sensei was not going after them for the time being, but his new target appeared to be a new team, a three-cell group that was in the area. But what would a team be doing in Otogakure? Okay, Hirari, Ren and Minako _were_ a team and they _were_ in Otogakure, but they had a mission to justify their stay. Wait, what if the other team _also_ had a mission there?

However, Brawly's words were enough to keep the girl where she stood. Hearing Brawly's voice with that Hell-ish accent was a blasphemy. She could not bear it, and she did not want to imagine how he was feeling at that moment, if he was conscious at all. Minako just hoped that he did not remember any of this when it was over.

"What about the trap?!" Minako asked her teammates, the fake Ren and Hirari still standing, facing the lab's entrance. Oh, they were going to be pissed if she vanished them now...


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Jul 25, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

Return to Otogakure, XXXV

_____________________​
If his current form had arms or a hand, he would have pressed at his temples. The zombies suddenly coming in made things a lot harder to deal with; they'd have to adapt a plan which was already very bare bones to begin with. "We're going to adapt the plan. If I push myself, I think I can still take on some of those zombies and still have enough juice left to attack Brawly's sword, but Hirari is going to need to do the bulk of the work here..." He dissolved his form, returning to his human shape. There was no worry of being sighted yet, since the zombies were still mobilising to their position.

"I'll leave my headset here, next to the exploding tag, so that we can set it off and deafen Brawly even without him being here," he said, removing his earpiece and setting it down on the ground. With a tug, he imbued the wires on the ground with some chakra. "Keep your genjutsu clones of Hirari and I out of sight for now. Once we take out the zombies, we're going to burst through the hole Brawly made for us and do the exact same thing. We'll attack on Hirari's signal, when Brawly's attention is most distracted by the 'reinforcements. Minako will go first, using her clones to distract him even more before setting off her blinding genjutsu. That's when Hirari and I attack. But for now..."

The Houki flicked the earpiece on. "We need to take these things out," he said as the first zombie came into sight. It hadn't seen them yet, but _they_ saw it. Ren moved into action first, twirling his wrist in a motion and sending the raiton charged wires slicing the undead in half.


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## Santí (Jul 26, 2014)

*Katsurou*
Outpost 32 - Main Lobby​
Hikita spoke out answering "Of course we should let her in. She'll freeze to death if we don't," in response to Ruka

Katsurou had decided not to immediately speak his thoughts despite being in agreement, and instead kept eye on the expressions and features of the other scientists in the room, wanting to capture the thoughts that ran through their head. Mosts of their hosts were still looking back and forth among each other sharing expressions of concern or anxiety, as  if they were waiting for an answer to fall on their lap. Fear of the unknown is a common emotion for human beings, but these scientists have been here exploring the unknown itself in Kumogakure's very own valley of ice. What was there to lose? Did the old group also get notified of this alarm?

Having seen enough, Katsurou stepped forward with a mighty impact of his foot after having taken a close enough look at the citizens and the scientists running around like fauna with their heads cut off.

"Open up," he growled, his foot planted on the surface firmly and with a challenge.


----------



## Redblood (Jul 26, 2014)

*Deep in The Valley of Ice, IX*

*Kabiki Ruka*
Outpost 32 – Rec Room

----------​
It was unanimous. Everyone voted to let The Woman in Black inside. Seizon Sazaki, the leader of the scientists moved to unlock the door. As he did, Serizawa Akko, the one who’d been with Hikita left the room. There was a creak, a burst of frigid air, and the woman collapsed into Outpost 32 like a frozen doll. Uragiri Moto, the fat, mustached man rushed to the Woman’s side, pressing his fingers to her neck and waiting.

“She’s still alive!” he proclaimed in amazement.

“She… she doesn’t even seem to be frostbitten!” Awateki Houka exclaimed. It was true. Though the woman’s body was frigid to the touch, her feet had not blackened from the cold.

“How long was she outside?”  Amagumo thought aloud, looking to Ruka, who’d seen her first.

“I dunno!” she replied, much to everyone’s frustration.

“Okay, okay,” Uragiri Moto declared, addressing everyone, “I’m gonna run some tests, make sure this cold doesn’t kill her. You’re all free to do what you like till I finish.” he said. Most went back to bed, but not Ruka. She was too excited. She saved someone! For the first time ever, she saved someone’s life!

. . .​
Ruka was feeling good. They’d rescued that lady from the outside and as soon as the doctor guy checked her up, everything would be A-OK! Ruka was so excited to be meeting so many new people! It was all absolutely great! Kabiki Ruka practically skipped back into the laboratory to see how her new friend was doing.

But when she unlocked the door, something wasn’t right.










​
Everything was awfully… quiet. The lights were dimmed, and the familiar hum of the machinery was strangely absent. In its place was a strange, unknown gurgling sound. And the sound of something wet sloshing against the floor.

“Everything okay in here?” Ruka said, peeking around the corner in her curious way.

But what she saw changed everything.

The table that had once had beakers and medical equipment perched on it was overturned, shattered glass littering the floor and reflecting the fresh blood glistening around it. The operating table had been torn in half, and surgical equipment was strewn all about, all of them covered in blood. But not the same blood that adorned the floor. But Ruka did not fear this. No, what Ruka feared was what was on the ground. There lay Uragiri Moto, his throat torn open and his face frozen in horror as the woman in black Ruka had helped to save knelt before him. her wrists were slit, tendons exposed and splayed out like thick strands of spaghetti. No… these weren’t tendons. The ends were pointed… and moving. They slithered back inside the woman’s wrists as she gazed down at the fallen man. Her eyes peered over the dead man’s body, but they did not show sorrow, remorse, or even pleasure. They were just… empty. Suddenly, the woman’s whole body began to shake, like she was going into convulsions. Kabiki Ruka was too terrified to even move. She could only watch as the bloodied woman opened her mouth, and cried.










​
If Ruka was afraid before, there wasn’t a word that existed in the English language that could accurately describe what she was feeling now. The woman in black hunched over as her stomach engorged, filling up like a fleshy balloon. Soon enough, the woman’s dress couldn’t contain her stomach and the front of her dress was split in half, revealing something that would make nightmares afraid. 

The woman’s chest cavity had been warped, gashes all over her distended form, something undistinguishable squirming just beneath the surface. It seemed as though all of the fat in the woman’s body had relocated to her stomach, the girl’s ribs piercing through her skin as her stomach continued to grow and writhe. The woman in black slumped over, like she’d lost consciousness, as the veins beneath the woman’s stomach became frighteningly visible, to the point where Ruka could swear she could see the blood moving through them. Finally, there was a loud CRACK, and the woman’s stomach spilled open, but it was not blood or organs that spilled onto the floor, but tendrils. Hundreds of thin, pointed tentacles burst onto the ground, and took hold of Uragiri Moto’s corpse. Once the fleshy ropes had a hold of him, the tentacles began to drag the body into the gaping hole they had come from. This was impossible! Ruka couldn’t even fathom HOW…whatever this THING was could take the body in, let alone WHY. Yet, for whatever reason, the woman slowly took in the doctor. 

Soon enough, two large, thick lumps appeared in the back of the once-beautiful dress. Ruka nearly vomited as she realized those were Moto’s legs, straining to be held within the confines of the thin woman’s body. Slowly but surely, the woman’s back became more and more deformed, as though huge tumors were sprouting across it. When the woman reached the doctor’s arms it stopped, and remained still. Had… had it finished? No, only paused, as the woman’s entire chest cavity unzipped, and took in the rest of the dead man. With the corpse inside her, the gaping hole in the woman’s chest actually began to seal up, leaving a horrific affront to nature behind. The woman’s once shapely body had been tainted by the horror that lay beneath. Flesh jutted out to a point below her left breast. His elbow. Her hip had a huge, flat extension. His foot. Her neck was consumed by a giant bulge. His head. The woman’s convulsions ceased, followed by slow, deliberate twitches.

*SSSHK! 

CCRKK! 

CRKAK!!*

By the third twitch, Kabiki Ruka realized that these twitches were not muscle spasms. With each crack, some part of the doctor that pressed against the woman’s body vanished. It was… eating him. Soon enough, the spasms stopped. Yet, the woman did not rise from the floor. Instead, she remained hunched on the floor, as her posture worsened. In fact, the woman in black nearly collapsed to the floor, her legs sloshing around as if they had no bones to support them. Her arms drooped in much the same way. 

Yet, her torso somehow remained upright. Ruka took a step backwards as she realized that just like the woman’s stomach had, the woman’s back was now beginning to swell. However, this was not a slow and deliberate growth. What came next happened in a matter of seconds. The woman’s dress burst open, revealing an intricate, chiseled musculature beneath her skin. But something was off. Those muscles were in the wrong place. Those muscles looked less like back muscles, and more like… ARM MUSCLES?!

What came next confirmed Ruka’s fears, as two veiny, underdeveloped arms peeled the flesh away from the woman’s back, and rooted themselves to the bloodied floor. They took hold of it, and pulled. They began to pull something out of the woman. Soon enough, Ruka saw what it was. A new, barely skinned Uragiri Moto. A man whose eyes were fixed.

*Right.*

*On.*

*RUKA.*

This Moto...this _THING_ was moving towards her. It was coming for _her_ next. Faced with this horror, all she could think to do was run. 

And scream.


----------



## Island (Jul 26, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
?Who the hell are you?? No fear, no hesitation.

*?I AM INFINITE. I AM ETERNAL.?* The creature shot back.

*?I AM??* It began.

?Yeah, yeah. I don?t care anymore.? Nashi interrupted.

*?YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR INSOLENCE.?* The creature roared.

Even Nashi found himself stammering back, putting one foot behind the other and considering that maybe standing there and taunting the creature wasn?t the best idea. He and Roku stood in a triangular formation with Sougo in the back, knowing that their priority was to protect the young man, but facing something significantly larger and probably a lot more powerful than all three of them combined, he momentarily considered the possibility of dumping Sougo and fleeing into the woods, hopefully escaping the creature?s wrath. On the other hand, he figured that he _might_ be able to formulate a plan, though, it wasn?t looking good if whatever this thing was wiped out Team Brawly?

Nothing was coming to him just yet.

?So, uh, fuck?? The young man found himself at a loss for words, not quite knowing how to respond. ?I don?t suppose you can kill his bitch ass with fire, can you, Roku-kun??

*?AAAAAAAAARGHHH!?* The creature finally snapped.

---​
The zombies poured into the underground chamber, but they were no match for our combined efforts. Ren shot a bolt of lightning through his wires and cutting the creature in half. Then I moved into close range, producing another kunai from my pouch. These creatures couldn?t be harmed with the Gentle Fist. I could tell that the moment I activated the Byakugan. Their chakra circulatory systems, if one could even call them that, were rotted away like metal rusting in a pool of water. If I was right, they channeled chakra between one another, ?bypassing? the chakra circulatory system entirely. How it worked, I wasn?t entirely sure, but I figured now wasn?t the time to take that chance?

I slashed at one of the zombies, cutting straight through its neck, and then with my free hand, produced a seal, using the Body Flicker Technique to move onto another, planting my blade right between its eyes. Meanwhile, Ren continued twirling his electrically-charged wires, carefully avoiding me, and bisecting the zombies. We continued this for the next couple minutes, cutting down at least a dozen more before they finally stopped coming, something that I was greatly relieved to know. By the end of this, I?m sure Ren was out of chakra, and I was quickly running out of kunai. We stood on our proverbial last leg, and if we failed to stop Brawly with this next plan, we?d probably end up like another one of these zombies.

---​
We sprung our trap. Our clones leapt from the hole in the ground and then dashed forward, charging the demon. Then, Minako came in from behind, activating another one of her Genjutsu, this one to disorient the demon. If everything went according to plan, the demon should have been too distracted by the clones to see Minako and then fall prey to her other Genjutsu. Then, Minako would explode the explosive tags by the earpiece down below, deafening him in addition to blinding him. The perfect setup for one of us to dislodge the weapon from his hands and hopefully free Brawly from its hold. I had a sneaking suspicion, however, that this wouldn?t work out as well as it should have. Everything seemed to add up.

Except for one thing.

The _hive mind_!

To the demon, the zombies were its eyes and ears. Even if it was blinded or deafened, it would still be able to perceive our movements through the sensory organs of the zombies. Something I didn?t realize or didn't think would be an issue until just now, overlooking something as important as this might as well have been a death sentence. In any case, the creature _saw_ the clones, so, and although it _was_ blinded by the second Genjutsu, it still perceived Ren and I coming for it. It swung its sword in retaliation, but fortunately, Minako activated the explosive tag just in time. The creature recoiled from the ear-shattering noise of an explosion coming through the transmitter, redirecting its sword and narrowly missing me. The blade collided with my forehead protector, nearly slicing it in two and also knocking it off my head, both my bandanna and the protector that it was attached too flying off my head and onto the ground about a half meter away?

?Plan B! Plan B!? I shouted, blindly hoping that Ren had some kind of contingency plan for this.


----------



## Redblood (Jul 27, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku*
Otogakure

----------​
Soon enough, Tokuoka Roku found himself face to face with the colossal, hellish monster of Otogakure. Roku had no idea where this thing had come from, but he guessed that this big bastard had to be the leader of all the zombies Roku had dispatched. The monster was about to introduce himself, when Roku’s teammate dismissed the large one.

*“YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR INSOLENCE.”*

Needless to say, the team’s new enemy was not pleased. To be honest, the whole thing had Roku shaking…in excitement. This creature was bigger than any man the genin had cut down before. And that sword looked like it could cleave straight through bone with ease! Roku was delighted to find someone such as this beast! Nashi, on the other hand, was less than thrilled.

“So, uh, fuck…” The young man found himself at a loss for words, not quite knowing how to respond. “I don’t suppose you can kill his bitch ass with fire, can you, Roku-kun?”

*“AAAAAAAAARGHHH!”* The creature roared.

Roku howled with eager laughter, raising his hand to strike when all of a sudden the Konoha team that he and his teammates had been searching for stepped in! Except… there were WAAAAAY too many of them. 

Shadow clones? No. This was something else. Something that Roku was fairly certain he was allergic to: Genjutsu.

Roku watched as the team flew around the beast, darting this way and that in an attempt to do… something. Roku wasn’t entirely sure what they were doing, but from the sickly feeling he got in his stomach it appeared to be Genjutsu. The monster appeared… off. Like he was… in PAIN?! Hanging back, Roku saw the Hyuuga girl he’d read about lunge right for the bastard, only to be knocked away by his titanic blade. Nearly took her head off too. _DAMN!_ …Only nearly.

“Plan B! Plan B!” the girl screamed. Whatever the Konoha team had tried, it hadn’t worked. A huge grin formed on Roku’s face.

“And *THAT’S* my cue!” Roku chirped as his left hand spasmed. In truth, he had not detonated all the fireballs from his Ember Barrage after taking out the zombies. He had saved one, either to hit another enemy with or to burn down the forest, just because. However, Roku had other plans for it.

*“SURPRISE, friend!!”*

With that, Roku balled his hand into a fist, and the last fireball exploded behind the demon, creating a smokescreen and a considerable amount of noise. Flame splashed against the bark of nearby trees. It was then that Roku acted again, throwing together some more hand seals. That sword, while delightful, was extremely hazardous to Roku's health, and he couldn't have the beast hitting him with such a weapon. Not if he wanted to get home to Mama in one piece. Luckily, Roku had just the thing for the pesky blade.

*“REPRISE, friend! FIRE RELEASE: EMBER BARRAGE!!”* Roku screamed as he shot more orbs of flame from his mouth, quickly dispersing through the area, before several converged on the demon’s hands to get the sword out of them. A clang of metal let Roku know he had done it. Observing the charred trees, Roku acted again.

*“REVISE, friend!!” *he cried as he sent two orbs of fire right into two thick, tall trees on either side of the demon. The trees combusted and collapsed right on top of the monster, who seemed relatively unfazed.

*“OH, JUST DIE, friend!!!”* Roku screamed as every last ember orb converged on the beast, creating one massive explosion.

“There. Burninated.” Roku said, panting after all that excitement.


----------



## Fedster (Jul 27, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


"Surge of light!"

They were doing it. The clones were in position, the real Hirari and Ren were in position, and Minako was in position as well. Everything was going so well, _so_ perfectly well that it ade the girl think that that was it. They had freed Brawly from that nightmare and they could return home together, the zombies staying behind as though they did not belong to the team's world. Minako hoped that Brawly would be conscious to see them work as a team, instead of three people that were randomly put together and just wanted to get rid of a task as soon as possible.

If only the zombies had not been there, everything would have worked.

Minako was enveloped by a  that covered her full body and made her practically invisible. And in the middle of the night, the effect was that of a beacon illuminating the path for the lost traveller, like saying 'here, this is way.' Deep inside her, Minako hoped that she could be a beacon for her lost sensei, trying to guide him towards the righteous and friendly path he had always chosen.

But they were not so lucky. Kuro-Brawly saw it coming, and almost slashed Hirari's head off  when she and Ren went to separate him from the Kukuku Sword. Yeah, that was how Minako named it: Kukuku Sword.

Surprisingly, the team Hirari had detected was there, and one of their members jumped into the fray, trembling with excitement and a sort of sadistic joy. He threw so many fireballs against Kuro-Brawly that Minako feared their sensei would die. Like, people died when they were burned.

Two gigantic trees fell and a big explosion covered her field of vision. "*BRAWLY-SENSEI!*" Minako called, shouting at the top of her lungs. That was...wrong. It was too wrong. She wanted to run and see if he was ok, but hesitated. What if he was still possessed? Or worse, what if he was...

What if he was...

"...dead?" She muttered.


----------



## Shika (Jul 28, 2014)

Kimiko
-----------------------------------​
Her jutsu worked, but not in the manner she wished, having also hit Kouji. I have to practice this more so I don't kill my teammates during a fight for our lives. At least it worked out well enough!

And then continued the walk towards the temple the archeologists were searching for, where they planned on finding... something. Kimiko wasn't actually sure of it was, all she knew was that she was going to take plenty of photographs of the "thing", the temple, the scientists and even her teammates. But not of the sensei, she might kill her.

Whilst she was thinking about these important issues, a bunch of warriors like the ones they had fought before appeared out of thin air.

I have to protect the scientists!


----------



## Redblood (Jul 28, 2014)

*Journey to The Land of Rivers, IX*

*Funzaki*
The Land of Rivers

----------​
Funzaki steeled himself, clutching his Hammer tight as the enemy leapt for the group. Kouji was the first to strike, summoning Rush and firing high powered senbon at the six attackers, to varying degrees of effectiveness. The two closest got the worst of it, the senbon piercing their armor and leaving it vulnerable. The next two were dented, but unfazed. Funzaki smirked. The team had these bastards dead to rights. As soon as the first two got close enough, Funzaki whacked them with his Hammer. That, plus the impacted senbon made the two assassins crumble to dust. Surprised, the two undamaged assassins fell back, cautious, while the damaged two went right for Funzaki, who didn’t have time to react!

*KLAAAANG!!*

Renga’s giant metal fist impacted the assassins like an oncoming train, and they too were obliterated as Kimiko stayed close to the scientists.

“Sensei?” Funzaki remarked, looking to the standoffish woman, who earlier in the mission had said that the team was on their own. Still, Chi did not look pleased.

“You get ONE. But I am NEVER saving your ass again.” she snarled, holding back either an undying rage or a fierce need to protect her student.
The leader of these gray assassins snarled, and pointed to us.

“Why do you people insist on helping this woman! What did she tell you? What* LIE *did she tell you to get her here?! She is only here to steal the treasure of our people! The last time Aikuro Ikuko was here, hundreds of my people died! I am protecting my land! Why are you stopping me?! Step aside, and let me punish her!” the woman roared, dispelling the last two assassins, and readying to fight the group herself if necessary.


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Aug 2, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

Return to Otogakure, XXXVI

_____________________​
Ren silently cursed himself for overlooking the detail about the hive mind; how could he have forgotten about it? He saw his own pale blue eyes, their distorted reflection, in the rusted metal of Brawly's sword as it swung towards him. _"Is this it?"_ his muscles tightened in tension, waiting for the moment his blade would separate his head from his body. But the moment never came. A dull explosion came from underground at the last second, dulling Brawly's focus and causing the attack to narrowly miss his and Hirari's necks. Instinctively, the Houki flickered away from the titan's immediate range, brought back to the world by Hirari's calls for a 'Plan B' as she hurried back. 

The Root begun their offensive with feverish enthusiasm. A single young man, blonde with a lean build, stepped out from the shadows and illuminated the darkness with an orange envy which spread across the hallowed forest. A continuous stream of explosive fireballs showered upon Brawly, bathing him in fire and heat, whilst the blonde shinobi ecstatically screamed. *"Oh, just DIE, friend!"* he gave a final roar, crossing both his hands as he focused the surrounding fire onto a single point on Brawly's body, causing an explosion to erupt and tear apart the ground in embers and smoke.

Silence fell soon after he finished his jutsu; an eerie and uncertain one. Fightin' Brawly didn't emerge from the shroud nor did he make any sign which might signal the fact he survived the jutsu at all. That couldn't have been possible, though. The katon the blonde shinobi used was undeniably powerful, but it was nowhere near enough to even put a dent on the demon's constitution, by Ren's calculations and estimations. "I don't know what's happened, but he's definitely not dead, Minako," Ren finally commented, replying to Minako's question.

He turned around, looking between Hirari, Minako and the two new 'reinforcements'. Truthfully, he had no idea who they were, and their involvement in this whole thing was... fishy, to say the least. Under normal circumstances, he would have questioned where they came from and their motives, but these circumstances were far from normal. "We need to regroup somewhere out of sight and come up with a plan before that thing comes out and kills us. There's no way we're beating it in direct combat," he breathed.


----------



## Island (Aug 3, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
*?FIRE CANNOT KILL A DEMON.?* It announced.

As the smoke cleared, it became apparent that the creature had not only survived but was completely unfazed. On top of that, it apparently clanged its sword against the ground, swatting at the fireballs much like a human would at a fly buzzing around his or her face. Indeed, the attack did absolutely nothing. It didn?t hurt the creature, and, if anything, it just made it even angrier than it already was. Though, something seemed strange, something I didn't quite understand. If the demon was so angry, then why wasn't it going anywhere? Why wasn't it attacking? One would imagine it would use the shroud of dust as a cover, emerging at the opportune moment to run through its attacker, and then lay waste to the rest of us?

?We don?t need to run.? Nashi announced.

?Because we have this fucker right where we want him.? He grinned.

My eyes widened in surprise.

Whoever this young man was, he successfully trapped the demon using the Shadow Imitation Technique. An individual whose shadow was caught by the user?s own shadow would be forced to imitate that user?s movements. This worked out especially well for us. All he needed to do was open his right hand. The demon would copy this action, and upon doing so, drop its sword. Then, Brawly would revert back to normal, and we could all go home, ending this nightmare before it escalated any further?

His strategy was almost flawless. If I followed it right, he had his partner attack the demon with a Fire Release, and while it was distracted, activated the Shadow Imitation Technique. This technique required a strong light source to create equally strong shadows. Typically, this light source was the sun, but in this case, it was the embers that burned in the distance, brightening the battlefield and casting shadows upon anything and everything within range, including the demon itself.

Then, Nashi raised his right hand, bringing it up to his throat. The demon did the same, likewise bringing his hand up to his throat. At that moment, I realized what he planned to do. He would run his hand across his throat. No harm done to him. He didn?t have anything in his hand that might cut into his neck. The demon, on the other hand, would run his hand across, bringing its blade along with it. Assuming the blade was sharp enough, at least sharp enough to puncture its skin, the demon would be slitting its own throat!

?No!? I spoke up. ?You can?t! That?s our sensei!?

?Make the demon drop the sword, and he should revert to normal!? I went on.

?Oh?? Nashi expressed.

He must have smelled an opportunity. I don't know what kind, but it was like I could see a twinkle in his eye, as if he saw his chance and was ready to take it.

?Roku-kun, Sougo-kun.? Nashi turned his attention to his teammates. ?Brawly was possessed by a demon and turned on his students. We arrived just a little too late, unfortunately, and he cut them down right before our very eyes. Although we eventually slew Brawly, we?ll have to live with the pain of watching our compatriots get ripped apart by this monster.?

?Go make this believable or something.? He commanded. ?I hate being called a liar.?


----------



## Redblood (Aug 4, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku*
Otogakure

---------​
Roku grinned, elated as the smoke cleared and he emerged vict—

*“FIRE CANNOT KILL A DEMON.”* the beast declared, still alive.

*“FUCK!”* Roku retorted, “Time we regroup, eh Nashi-kun?” he asked. But his teammate was no longer as afraid as he had been before. He looked rather… confident.

“We don’t need to run. Because we have this fucker right where we want him.” Nashi proclaimed as Roku finally saw what had happened. That clever bastard! Nashi had used his Shadow Imitation Technique to immobilize the demon, and made him raise that scary looking blade to his neck. Roku burst out laughing. THIS is why he worked with Nashi-kun. The manipulation. Outsmarting the enemy. While Roku wasn’t one to do this, he appreciated seeing it, like looking at the most beautiful of paintings. Roku licked his lips, salivating as Nashi readied for the kill…

“No!” A voice cried in protest. The Hyuuga girl? Why would she—

“You can’t! That’s our sensei!”

Wait.

*WHAT?!*

“Make the demon drop the sword, and he should revert to normal!” she explained. Roku looked to Nashi.

“Oh?” he replied, raising an eyebrow.
 They were in an… interesting predicament. The one foe they’d been told to avoid AT ALL COSTS was now a monster, and incapacitated. The Konoha team was weak from fighting their dark sensei, and probably not too able to fight back. Nashi recognized this, and acted accordingly.

“Roku-kun, Sougo-kun.” Nashi turned his attention to his teammates. “Brawly was possessed by a demon and turned on his students. We arrived just a little too late, unfortunately, and he cut them down right before our very eyes. Although we eventually slew Brawly, we’ll have to live with the pain of watching our compatriots get ripped apart by this monster.”

“Go make this believable or something.” he requested. “I hate being called a liar.”

Cold blooded. The tiniest bit of Roku almost felt sorry for the genin. Still, murder time.

“I aim to please.” Roku chuckled, throwing some hand seals together, “Fire Release: Ember Barrage!” he roared, spewing fire from his mouth once again, the orbs blasting into the ground with tremendous force, kicking up dirt and smoke. In the hazy confusion, Roku Body Flickered behind the one he wanted dead most, the Genjutsu user, and threw a chakra infused punch right for the back of her skull, while Sougo ran right for the Hyuuga!


----------



## Atlantic Storm (Aug 5, 2014)

*Ren Houki*

Return to Otogakure, XXXVII

_____________________​
"Hirari!" Ren shouted through the dirt and smoke kicked up by Roku's latest round of katon. "Take down the blonde scrub and the other guy, I'll take the Nara!" Hirari was the only one in the group who more or less had a full supply of chakra; there was no way Ren could handle a drawn out fight against either combustion boy or his ugly friend. At the same time, Minako was at a terrible disadvantage in direct combat on top of having even worse stamina than him. 

Admittedly, he didn't like the idea of having Hirari fight two people at once. Especially not two people whose abilities he hadn't fully observed yet, but he was confident enough in her abilities that she'd be able to hold them off for a while, at least. At the very least, she should have the advantage in the smoke thanks to her Byakugan.

_His_ focus was on Nashi. _Kagemane no jutsu_ was a deadly technique, but had one drawback: it's ability to hold down the opponent was dependent on the user's chakra supply as well as the other person's physical strength. Considering Brawly's freakish might, it was unlikely that the Nara would be able to hold him completely for more than maybe ten seconds or so.  He gave a smirk. "_The kagemane actually works for me in this case. I've got a target stood completely still for me_," he sliced a kunai through the air, in the direction of Nashi's hand to force him to stop motioning it towards his neck.

With a body flicker, he maneuvered himself behind Brawly then leapt up into the air, as three pearls of lightning lined up behind him. His breath deepened. He needed to aim this carefully so as to not maim their sensei. _"Raiton: Cry of Piercing Thunder!"_ he mentally announced, a thin blade of condensed raiton chakra forming through the pearls, slicing into his sensei's sword hand and also Nashi's right hand. The Nara would regret using a jutsu which made the two of them share pain.


----------



## Fedster (Aug 8, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako



Yes! Kuro Brawly was binded by the long-haired guy jutsu, some shadow technique that Minako thought it seemed strangely familiar. Where had she seen it? She had not had many missions, if she did not count the lame-o E-Rank solo tasks she had been given for the past year. But she was _sure_ that she had seen it before, but Minako could not quite put her finger on it. Oh well, it could not hurt to ask now, could it?

She was about to open her mouth when she saw where Kuro Brawly's sword ended up. Just inches away from his throat. Hirari shouted, quick to inform the guy that the creature was actually their possessed sensei. Minako thought that it would be enough reason for the guy to stop whatever he was doing and somehow turn Brawly back to normal. Minako then understood: whatever that shadow guy did, Brawly imitated. It was like a more macabre version of _Simon Says_, and with a lot more at stake.

And with that, chaos emerged. Ren sprinted to action, tellign Hirari to fight both the blond guy and...whatever the other weird guy was. He was masked, dammit! How could one tell for sure he was human?! He could be hiding _anything_ behind that mask. _Anything_.

However, Minako could not afford to think about that. She felt a presence behind her. A zombie? One of the researchers? A zombie researcher? She needed to check, so she turned around. But as she did, her foot slipped on the mud beneath it, and she did one of her 'graceful' falls yet again. The blue-ish coated fist hit her in her left forearm, though. She winced in pain, but as her back came in contact with the ground, she noticed it. That guy was not trying to spar, or even to violently duel her. He was trying to _kill_ her!

"THAT WAS MY DRAWING ARM, DAMMIT! Okay, it's not, BUT IT COULD BE." And so, with her right arm, did the only thing she could think of: Chakra Bullet the hell out of that guy's leg.


----------



## Island (Aug 12, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*










​
That kid from the Nara Clan attempted to hold back Brawly while his teammates made a run for us. Not having Brawly on our side was problematic enough but the fact that both Minako and Ren were almost out of chakra made the situation exponentially worse. In fact, I was surprised that they were even able to muster up any more jutsu, never mind the B-Rank jutsu that Ren was using against that Nara kid.

Roku let out another barrage of fire as a distraction and then used the Body Flicker Technique to sneak up on Minako. A simple tactic, and it would have been devastatingly effective had Minako not tripped and fallen. Given his immense strength, I imagine he would have cracked Minako?s skull and probably put her out of the battle, but fortunately for us, she was able to maneuver out of the way just in time. Unfortunately, however, she had to use her arm to block, and although she didn?t realize it at first, his strike fractured her left forearm!

How her counterattack went, I don?t know, mostly because I shifted my attention to Ren and his attempt at knocking out the Nara. The Nara must have had a contingency for this because he reacted almost immediately. He brought his arm out horizontally which forced Brawly to do the same, mirroring his movement. Thus, the Nara put the sword in the way of the Lighting Release technique and caused it to act like a lightning rod.

How he knew to anticipate something like this was beyond me, but somehow, he seemed aware of Ren?s affinity for lightning-based jutsu?

The third teammate charged me. At first, I had no idea what to do or how to react. For the first time in my life, I was put in a situation where my opponent was trying to kill me. Not spar with me, he wanted me _dead_. More so, he didn?t just want me dead. He wanted my friends dead. He wanted to kill me, then my teammates, and then frame my sensei. The thought of that filled me with anger. No, not anger, more like hate, something I don?t think I ever experienced. I may have disliked people, but I don?t think I ever hated. No, not in the way that I hated this man, I wanted nothing more to put him down, to show him and his ilk that messing with us was the wrong idea.

It was as if something suddenly snapped.

The realization that this person wanted to bring harm to my friends and frame my sensei, it broke something inside of me.

I don't know what that thing was, but whatever it was caused me to lash out with a furious vengeance, a ruthlessness that I didn't think possible. With a battle cry, I charged him, narrowly dodging his strike with some kind of spear-like weapon, and then jabbed at his throat. My strike succeeded, and I felt my fingers press deep into his larynx. He let out a silent gasp, probably an involuntary spasm after having his voice box crushed and the relevant chakra points severed, and in that moment, I moved in for my next strike?

?Eight Trigrams!? I shouted. ?Sixty-Four Palms!?

I delivered the first two consecutive strikes and then repeated them to make four. Then those four quickly became eight, those eight became sixteen, and so on. With each strike, the young fell further and further back, completely blindsided by the intensity and swiftness of my strikes, each individual set increasing in pace and strength and knocking him even further back to his starting position. A technique I had practiced many times, I knew that although each individual strike proved valuable in shutting down an opponent?s capacity to manipulate chakra, the sixth set of consecutive strikes proved to be the most important. At the start of the sixth set, a made a strong step forward and lunged, striking at him several more times before landing a final blow to the center of his chest, a blow so intense he once more gasped for breath but this time spewed blood, signifying that I not only shut down his Chakra Circulatory System but that I had also done irreparable damage to other systems, most likely rupturing an artery with that final strike. 

And thus, Sougo became no more. He fell backwards, collapsing lifelessly onto the ground, becoming the first human being I had ever killed. The first life that I would ever take, something that until that moment, I didn't actually think happened. I heard stories about great shinobi, but I never put real human beings in their places. I never stopped to consider that these people killed other people, that real human beings ended other human beings. They were just names in books, fantasy people ending fantasy people, not real humans ending others.

There was human blood on my hands.

I ended another human being.

They tried to kill me, they wanted to end me.

But they failed. Because I killed them first.

The thought of doing that stunned me. Again, I never thought that _I_ would have the blood of another human being on my hands, never considering that _I_ would kill another person. Not just defeating some faceless nemesis, this was a real person. I ruthlessly killed a real human being with a real life and a real past. Any connections that he had with the world, family, friends, favorite foods, favorite restaurants, everything, it was now gone, and that was entirely my fault.

*?RAAAAAAARGH!?* The beast roared, interrupting my moment and shining the spotlight back on him.

It began twitching, as if it was slowly breaking free from the Nara kid's jutsu?


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## Redblood (Aug 14, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku*
Otogakure

---------​
A satisfying crunch and Roku knew he’d broken the Genjutsu girl’s arm. Music to his ears.

"THAT WAS MY DRAWING ARM, DAMMIT! Okay, it's not, BUT IT COULD BE." Minako protested, firing off a chakra bullet with her uninjured arm right into Roku’s leg! The blasts hit the boy hard and sent him flat on his ass. Yet, instead agonized shrieks of pain, laughter was the only thing to escape Roku’s mouth.

“THERE we go! That’s the stuff, baby!” Roku cackled as his entire body began to shimmer with… black chakra? Roku rose to his feet, somewhat shakily due to Minako’s close quarters strike, but fast enough that he was up before Minako. Another laugh and he brought his foot down on the girl’s chest with a considerably increased amount of chakra in his foot than before. More than one would think possible for a genin in a single attack. Yet, as Roku kicked the girl away, a voice rang out.

“Eight Trigrams! Sixty Four Palms!”

Roku wheeled around and made a grim realization: Sougo had taken on the Hyuuga alone! That STUPID BASTARD! Roku ran to aid his teammate, but by the time he was upon the Hyuuga, Sougo had been hit right in the chest. Blood burst from his mouth, and the boy collapsed to the forest floor, dead. Roku had seen others die before. Plenty of them by his own hands. But this? This just wasn’t FAIR. Mama Root wouldn’t forgive him for this. He’d be cast aside. He’d be nothing again.

That is.

Unless HE killed the Hyuuga himself.

But no.

Not now.

With the Hyuuga's Byakugan still active, Hirari would see Roku coming a mile away. So instead, he opted to rush the lightning user who had assaulted Nashi with some highly potent chakra punches!


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## Fedster (Aug 15, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako



If it was not because for the fire Blondie was spewing ffrom his mouth, Minako would have not been able to distinguish the black chakra from the darkness of the night. The black chakra gave off an ominous and creepy aura, and the guy's laughter and taunting intensified it. Blondie-kun was... crazy, if not completely out of his mind. It was tempting to assume the latter.

In a flash, before Minako could have a chance to stand and admire the work Blondie-kun had done in her arm, he was up and kicked her in her chest, almost above the heart, his foot enshrouded in that black chakra. The girl lost her breath, and was sent flying. Should he had hit more than once, he would have probably knocked her out, if not worse.

Minako ended up some metres away from the main fight, stomach facing the ground and face looking at the other five genins...Or well, four, because Hirari totally killed one of them.

Wait.

HIRARI KILLED A GENIN?! Minako was out of breath, so she could not say anything. Her arm and chest hurt like Hell, and did not think she could stand unless she was really in danger, and even then, she was not sure. However, the shock of what she saw Hirari do left Minako glued to the cold soil. She never thought that her friend would kill. She did not even believe Ren would kill. But there it happened, right before her eyes.

It was then when Blondie-kun sprinted to return the favour.

"Hi...a...i" Minako tried to warn her friend, but only whispers came out, and coughing. Ren was busy fighting Shadow-kun, so he could not bother him. Hirari would have to stand alone against that guy. _'I'm...I'm sorry, guys. I reached...my limit...'_

Minako realized a moment too late that tears of pain, both physical and emotional, were streming down her face.


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## Atlantic Storm (Aug 17, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure XXXVIII*

*Ren Houki*

The Houki bit down as his jutsu missed his target, immediately reaching for his kunai and a couple of other tools as he settled back onto the ground, faint residue of electricity sparkling around him. He contemplated attempting to engage the Nara directly in combat with taijutsu for a moment. "_I could take him. Nara's typically aren't very good with close quarters and his concentration is divided on keeping Brawly captured. But..._" his eyes flickered from Nashi over to Brawly. It definitely wasn't worth it. In the time he took to defeat Nashi, there was at least an eighty percent chance of the Nara's _kagemane no jutsu_ breaking and Brawly returning to slaughter them.

Roku came in from the smoke straight towards him, which caused him to curse underneath his breath. He was thankful he hadn't used many smoke bombs or explosives against Brawly or the zombies?they were the only things that would keep him alive at this point. He was okay at it, but taijutsu wasn't his fort?, and he didn't want to try going toe to toe with someone who just took a chakra bullet to the knee like it was a marble. He threw a smoke grenade straight towards the blonde, erasing line of sight and his vision with a cloud of grey, and then immediately tossed an explosive tag wrapped kunai to his location.

Hopefully, that'd keep him at bay for a little. Enough for him to talk to Nashi, at least. He took a step towards him. "Nara boy, why don't you just give up trying to wipe out our team? If you move that sword towards your neck, both Hirari and I will move in to stop you. If that happens, you'll miss your last chance and Brawly will break out and kill us all. I think it's pretty obvious that you're straining to keep the big guy under your jutsu." Ren nudged his head in the direction of the struggling Brawly.

The Houki's eyes trained onto Nashi's own pale golden pearls. "Or you could do the smart thing and just let the sword fall out of his hand. That way, we don't all have to die."


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## Island (Aug 17, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*










​
“Conjecture.” Nashi retorted.

“I have no reason to believe that making him drop the sword would do anything.” He explained. “In fact, doing so would rid me of my only chance to kill him.”

“From the looks of it, you and your teammate are out of chakra.” He seemed pretty set on killing us, but for what reason, I didn’t know. “We know everything about you, your strengths, your weaknesses, and all of your jutsu. Again, compounded with your lack of chakra, there is nothing you can do to stop us.”

“That said,” Nashi concluded. “The logical outcome would be to kill Brawly and then you and Minako before ganging up on Hirari. Then, when all this is finished, return to the village and report that the three of you were killed by him before we put him down to avenge our fallen comrades.”

“In other words,” he drove his point home, “You lose.”

Nashi had a point. We didn’t actually know that making Brawly drop the sword would make him revert back to normal. It was entirely possible, even likely, that whatever was in that sword was now attached to Brawly. An evil spirit, some supernatural creature, whatever it was, maybe it was only bound to the sword because it had nowhere else to go. It _was_ conjecture on our part. We had _nothing_, absolutely _nothing_ to go on, only a fading hope that we could somehow save our sensei and win the day.

*SLAAAAAAAASH!*

My eyes widened in horror.

He did it.

He _actually_ did it.

Nashi brought his hand back up and then moved horizontal across his throat. The creature did the same, and with its sword in hand, slit its own throat in the process. The blade cut deep into its neck, severing several major arteries, as well as its windpipe. Over the next few seconds, blood began spewing from the wound, and it became noticeable that his esophagus was also filling with excess blood, causing him to start choking, coughing up lumps of fresh crimson. If Nashi executed his attack the way I expected, then he used the creature’s strength against him, forcing it to cut deep enough to puncture, or even severe, the carotid artery, effectively cutting blood circulation from the brain and giving the creature an excruciatingly painful, also bloody, death…

But more importantly…

He killed our sensei.

That was _Brawly_ bleeding out. _His_ body, and more importantly, it was _his_ blood being spilled.

The young man released his jutsu, and the creature collapsed. It fell to its knees, grasping at its bloodied throat, and helplessly trying to contain the copious amounts of blood that were spewing out in just about every direction, all the while gagging, drowning on its own blood, the blood of our sensei…


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## Redblood (Aug 19, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku*
Otogakure

----------​
Roku, eager to strike the Houki boy, didn?t even realize he was readying a counterattack. Before Roku could dodge, he was hit with a smoke bomb and blinded.

?Son of a?!? he exclaimed, stumbling blindly backwards, avoiding the kunai that followed through sheer luck. That being said, Roku wasn?t lucky enough to completely escape the blast from the explosive tag attached to said kunai.

?SHIT!? Roku cried as the blast struck him, burned him and knocked him right on his ass. The blast had temporarily left the genin without the use of his ears, but as Tokuoka Roku rose, he saw Ren trying to talk to Nashi, perhaps again trying to convince him of doing anything other than murdering their monster sensei.

Roku?s hearing returned just in time for the slash that cut the deadly taijutsu master?s throat open. Blood bloomed from the open wound and the foe collapsed to the ground, wheezing and coughing. He was done for. Fightin? Brawly, the man that Mama had told them to stay away from, the man that they were told to RUN from, had been killed by THEIR hands! Tokuoka Roku looked to the husk, and then at his own hands. He was trembling. He?d never felt like this before. He?d aided in the destruction of one of the most deadly enemies he?d ever seen before. Excitement and pride swelled within him, making him shake more and more until finally he jumped up and expressed his feelings.

?Ha HA!! We fuckin? killed him! Fightin? Brawly IS DEAD!! YES!!!? he shrieked in elation before clearing his throat and looking to the heartbroken Konoha genin, specifically Hyuuga Hirari.

?Now that? that was just business. This next part isn?t even for pleasure. This is for what you did to Sougo, Hyuuga. Now, while I didn't know him long, he was still a teammate of mine. And he was quite skilled in the art of murder. To cut down such an artist before he even reached his prime is something I cannot forgive. I?m going to make you suffer. Your sensei is dying right before your eyes. I wonder how it will feel to watch your other friends die as well.? Roku mused, forming some hand signs.

?They won?t go slowly either. When this forest is painted red with their blood, their organs strewn among the treetops, and I tire of the noises they make, they shall die. And then I?ll start on you.? Roku proclaimed as he made his last hand sign.

?Fire Release: Ember Barrage!? Roku screamed as fireballs shot from his mouth and struck the trees nearest to both Ren and Minako, breaking them and sending them crashing down toward the weakened genin!


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## Fedster (Aug 20, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako



Minako cried silently in her place. She covered her mouth. She could not let a sound out, not right now. She could only cry for Brawly in silence, while the blood gushed out of his throat, a waterfall of crimson that made a disgusting sound when it cascaded to the floor. Minako touched her broken arm, but quickly let go as the pain resurfaced. As long as she ignored it, she would be okay. But, what about Brawly? Should they save themselves and left him die? Should they carry him back to the village?

Should they seek vengeance?

Minako put the wrapper of the nutrition bar Brawly gave them earlier back in the pouch as she saw Blondie-kun spewing some stuff about murdering everyone, repeated his fire jutsu, and made two trees fall towards Ren and Minako. She saw herself gazing at the falling tree, one eye closed due to the pain she was feeling, and disappeared under its branches.

Such was the power of the False Surroundings technique. She set it right when she was sent flying, and used Body Flicker to get into a high position. She could not set it around Ren due to being low on chakra, so she hoped that her teammate was alright.

"Hirari." Minako whispered into the earpiece. Ren blew up his, but Hirari had not. The girl's voice was a bit broken and wavery. "We have to go. We can't fight them."


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## Island (Aug 27, 2014)

*Team Brawly*

*THE RETURN TO OTOGAKURE*​
Save Ren. Priority #1.

I rushed over, creating a seal with my hands and activating the Body Flicker Technique and then again, leapfrogging across the battlefield, and grabbing Ren in just the nick of time, pushing him out of the way from a tree that was ready to collapse on top of him. Had I even been a moment too later, he would have most likely been finished. Almost entirely out of chakra having probably exerted himself as much as he could, I doubted he could have escaped on his own.

Regardless of whether or not that was true or not?

Get the hell out of here. Priority #2.

I brought my finger up to the earpiece, activating it, and then spoke, ?I agree. Let?s use the cover of your Genjutsu to get out of here and formulate another plan. We don?t have a whole lot left to work with, but if we?re careful, I think we can take out these mooks.?

The air was thick with smoke, dust and debris flying everywhere, never mind the fire that now raged around us. Combined with the Genjutsu, there was no way that these two could find us, and if there was, I?m sure I could catch at least one of them by surprise, hopefully the kid with the Fire Release jutsu. The Nara kid didn?t look like much, but if I could take out the Fire Release guy the same way I did his friend, we might be able to end this nightmare right here, right now, before it escalates even further.

?We?re heading deeper into the forest.? I decided. ?Northward, as far as we can go, at least to put some distance between us and them, all the while, we?ll try to formulate another plan, catch them by surprise, you know.?

I turned my attention one more time over at where the Nashi put down Brawly. The corpse, for some reason, was steaming, almost simmering in the darkness, as if his blood was literally boiling, but why, I had no idea. Then, it moved. No, it didn?t just move. It jumped up, hopping back on its feet 

At the top of his lungs, the creature let out a frightening roar, screeching?

*?INSOLENT MORTALS.?* It shouted.

*?I AM INFINITE. I AM ETERNAL.?* It declared.

*?YOU CANNOT STOP ME.?* It went on.

We did the completely logical thing and got the fuck out of there.


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## Redblood (Aug 28, 2014)

*Tokuoka Roku*
Otogakure

---------​
Roku scowled as the Hyuuga rescued her comrades in the nick of time. How sickeningly heroic. Oh well, Roku did ADORE a good chase. He readied himself to pursue when an odd sound graced his ears. A frothing, gurgling noise. Turning around, Roku found the source of the disturbance: the fallen sensei?s blood. It was boiling. LITERALLY boiling. Which could only mean that a certain someone wasn?t quite dead yet.

As if on cue, the carcass of the beast sprang up and roared in defiance of its supposed demise.

*?INSOLENT MORTALS. I AM INFINITE. I AM ETERNAL. YOU CANNOT STOP ME.?* the beast proclaimed. Shit. If there was one thing that pissed Roku off to no end, it was a mouthy bitch that didn?t know when to die. Still, as much as Roku wanted to rip the bastard a new one, he recalled that his Fire Release didn?t even faze the creature, let alone wound it. And even with his engorged chakra supply, he probably couldn?t take the man-mountain head on. 

?Son of a *BITCH!*? Roku screamed, forming some quick hand seals.

_?Fire Release: Ember Barrage!?_ the genin roared before shooting a large cluster of fireballs at the ground in front of  the demon, and to the trees around him. Hopefully that would slow him down, at least a little bit. 

?Yo, Nashi!? Roku cried, looking to his surviving teammate, ?Unless you?ve got another plan, I suggest we move our asses outta here!? he cried.


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## Fedster (Aug 29, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure*

Urasabi Minako


_Escape._

No more fights, no more opponents. They just needed to run as fast as their tired bodies allowed them to, and find a way to resuce their sensei or, should they be unable to do so, find a way to leave Otogakure and return to Konoha. Seemed easier said than done, specially since their pursuers had all their chakra, and the monster that possessed Brawly-sensei was apparently immortal. Minako's heart was slowly filling with hopelessness, and her eyes were red from so much crying. She found Hirari carrying Ren and joined her in silence for a few minutes.

But she could not help it. Minako _had_ to voice her worries.

"Hirari," she started, looking down as she tried to keep up with the Hyuuga. "How are we going to bring Brawly-sensei back? It already seemed difficult when he first transformed, but now that these guys want to murder us..." She could not say that it was utterly impossible to un-possess their sensei.


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## Atlantic Storm (Aug 30, 2014)

*Return to Otogakure - Chapter 39*
 
 _Ren
_
_________________
 
 Everything hurt, a lot. His body was sore and his muscles were screaming at him in pain. His head burned with a mighty headache and bright spots of light danced in his dulled vision. The tree fell into sight, and the Houki braced himself for his fate. There was no way he was dodging that. That last raiton he'd just used had basically been everything he had. 

"As if I'm going to get killed by a tree," Ren muttered to himself, before collapsing to the ground. 
 
He blacked out.
 
 ***
 
 Familiar voices rang inside his ears as he drifted in an ocean of darkness, laid flat on his back. It was a relaxing serenity which had now been punctured. Ren turned away on his back, to try and deny the voices and go back to his slumber, but they grew stronger. A sphere of light dangled in the distance, like a large light bulb hanging in the void, expanding towards him. 
 
Hands reached out from it, as the chorus of indistinguishable words pounded in his ears even more strongly. He tried to pull away, but this time they reached for his wrists. Ren made an annoyed sounding grunt, but the ethereal limbs simply tugged harder, eventually pulling him into the light...
 
 ***
​ 
"Hirari, how are we going to bring back Brawly-sensei? It already seemed difficult enough when he first transformed, but now that those guys want to murder us..."
 
Ren's eyes fluttered open. "Holy shit," he muttered. "What the hell happened?"
​


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