Private/Closed Naruto AU: Roleplay

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“I see like talkin’ about it, looks like that ‘carrot’ made an impression.” Zaku laughed. “It’s almost as funny as thinking you could actually beat me. It’s adorable.”

Zaku didn’t seem to be taking her seriously, in fact he’s seemed pretty amused. He took an apple from a nearby table, twirling it about in his hand.

“But let’s make one thing more clear...” Zaku trailed one. “Anyone who thinks they can beat me one on one...”

Suddenly, a splice of air erupted from his palm, briedly and sharply. With a crushing movement from his fingers, the apple was crushed into sticky pieces.

“...Gets Crushed.”

With that, he opened his hand, letting the pulp fall to the floor directly in front of Sagiso, looking sharply into her eyes

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

"Almost as much as you're gonna like eating it."

Without skipping a beat, Sagisō snarked back to Zaku's carrot comment. But then she continued.

"But you're nothing but a paper tiger," She reprimanded, "you're in no condition to fight me, you'd barely even last a few rounds."

The details of Zaku's body were easily laid bare to her eyes, each muscle, tendon, and ligament, every vein, artery or clunky metal tube, none of it had escaped Sagisō's notice. That, of course, extended to any wounds he still carried. While he certainly looked a lot better than the half-dead corpse they'd brought back, it wasn't like he was anywhere close to peak form. As far as she was concerned, his act now was nothing but false bravado. That confirmed, she slowly began to walk away, leaving a few more words behind.

"I'm not interested in flattening a crippled man; I'm much too kind and gracious to bully the weak. When you've— If you ever recover, then you can have a go."

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“A paper tiger you say? Heh, get over yourself chick. Just cause you got a fancy pair of eyes doesn’t mean you stand a chance against me, even with body weak, ya know why?”

At this point, Zaku’s Wrists crossed each other, a tunnel of air coming out of his implants as his legs lowered, getting proper footing on the ground.

“I’m man and machine. Even if one is weaker, the other doubles efficiency. So make my day, come at me. You’ll either regret being born or be my wife. Just try me.”

The high pitched sounds of his implants along with his long stare into Sagiso’s byakugan toting eyes.

“I’d only need one round.”

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

A contempt-ful harrumph, that was all the warning Sagisō gave but she gave Zaku what he wanted. Since he wanted a beating so badly, then she'd give him one. She approached slowly at first, picking up speed until she'd transitioned into a jog as she regarded her opponent.

"Then let me discipline you in your captor's place."

Her voice held a deep disdain, and even offense at Zaku's words. Truly, he was the boldest person she'd ever met and yet, she hadn't quite decided if that made him the world's biggest fool or the world's bravest fool.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

His food bowl now on a nearby table, he wondered of his tattooed markings, annoyed by the idea they would call off the fight. To avoid this, he side stepped over to a pair of doors that were next to the hall, seemingly cracked open. Not a soul inside. Perfect.

As Sagiso approached, Zaku knew she was an evasive one, but not destructive. Having his only blind spot covered by the door behind him, he knew that she didn’t have the coverage needed to get past his offense.

“Decapatating airwaves!”

A burst of air, harsher and more concussive than the airwaves Sagiso would have been used to during the date fight erupted. Both of his hands combinding fire on Sagiso’s position, a vast swath of air coverage. One thing was noticed however. A lone carrot being propelled quite shockingly toward Sagiso’s Head, outspending the airwaves. As it ripped through, several of the inzuka clan members were quick to cover their food and dart deeper into the mess hall, not quite sure what to do in this situation.

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

Each strand of chakra, each change in nature, the machinations of mechanical parts, the formation of a jutsu. It was all an open book to Sagisō. Even before Zaku had fired off his decapitating airwaves, she'd already judged their range, strength, and force, by reading the chakra as it formed in her hands. Thus she was already prepared he'd fired. Her clenched fist slammed into the ground with the full power of the Nadeshiko Gale Fist, shattered tile as fracture run through the earth. Within a moment, Sagisō had flipped up a slab of earth larger than she was tall. She could still perfectly see Zaku on the other side, of course, but that wasn't all too important. As the slab of earth was impacted by the airwaves, she used the brief moment before it was pulverized to mount it. Her target? Straight up. For that instant, she rode the earth like a surfboard, and Zaku's airwaves, like very literally waves. However, immediately after, she was on the ceiling, merely using the earth as an impromptu spring-board and defensive fortification.

Chakra gathered in her legs, a burst of expelled chakra combining with the body flicker to give her an impressive push right over Zaku's head. Her body twisted in mid-air, spinning so her legs absorbed the impact from her touch-down on the wall behind Zaku, but not a moment later, she'd sprung again, appearing to aim right for Zaku's undefended back. However, even this too was but a rouse, as chakra had begun gathering in her palms, in preparation for her real assault.

 

[Godjacob]

"Woah easy there! Oh my talk about hot blooded!"​

As Sagiso and Zaku had began their little romantic scuffle, or rather before they even had chance to act upon their impulses, the Inuzuka had been quick to act in a flash. For Tsume, she lifted a pair of index fingers up as she in an instant activated the little control seal on Zaku; as she aimed to shut his body down while she moved by him in an effort to further secure him or guard him in case Sagiso's strike she attempted or managed to get her strike off.

But, Hana had worked to ensure that'd not be a possibility.

Moving as a blur, with speed even Tayuya had been caught off guard by, Hana moved behind Sagiso as she aimed to grasp her wrists and pin them behind her back. From there, she'd aim to try and drive Sagiso with a "gentle force" down to the ground as she aimed to try and pin her down then and there.

All the while their ninja dog companions shifted to clones and moved to guard the others in the kitchen. Just in case. As the Inuzuka-nin worked to quickly quell the fight before it had a chance to gain traction.

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

Lavender tones receded. If one was that perceptive, they would've noticed. It was the subtle contraction of ciliary muscles, the shrinkage of bleached pupils, the shifting of focus as Sagisō's perception fired at the sudden intrusion of Hana Inuzuka. She was fast —impressively so— devouring the distance between them ravenously. It was hardly enough to fill the gaps between her teeth.

The feeling of her hands being seized had immediately transitioned to her heart, her emotions seized in three parts shock and three parts crisis. Her first coherent thought was to resist. It was a thought driven primarily by instinct, an instinct of self-preservation that was vehemently against taking the lower ground and accepting a disadvantageous position. But, it was a thought nonetheless, and thoughts took precious milliseconds before they could be processed. This was more than enough time for the Nadeshiko's superego to stir, pinning the Id in place with cold, hard, rationality.

Assessing the situation, it was only to be expected that the Inuzuka would react with displeasure. The fault lay with her. She'd moved too rashly, been provoked too easily.

The realization doused her spirit, further calming her.

Mother would be furious...

Since that was already the case, it would be fool-hardy to invite further calamity. Her prior jumpiness was mildly troubling, she usually had much better self-control than this. However, it wasn't as troubling as it could have been. At the very least, Sagisō held onto an assumption. Her time in the leaf was enjoyable and satisfying on an emotional level, however, it was rather lacking in the thrill. Good fights were few, and far between, and yet even those she could engage in were oft short-lived.

Perhaps she was simply pent-up?

Whatever the case was, it wouldn't be deciphered now. Prioritizing damage control, Sagisō restrained herself. Her course of action decided, her mind slowed, relegating itself to an observant spectator. What it was spectating now, was the rapidly approaching floor, and as the softness of her body collided with the hardness of the ground, the weight of her captor on her back squeezed the breath from her lungs, along with a voice beneath her breath.

"Ah...my dress is ruined."

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“Jsksksizpsmnakzhmakk!”

The seal, once activated came as a surprised, Zaku’s words spazzing as he too hit the ground, the restraint seal flaring. Great. Thought we were going to avoid this. The curse mark seal on his neck twitched upon this restraint’s second activation, curiously.

What now, Dog dunces?

 

[Retro Master]

Though the Inuzuka didn't exactly respond to his wishes, Kiro still got what he wanted when the dogs were forced to shift their attention away from him. After a little more bickering, Zaku and Sagisō appeared to take their quarrel up a notch. Obviously, the Inuzuka weren't going to have any of that and virtually stopped the scuffle before it could even begin. He had to hand it to Zaku for being able to so easily provoke the fiery Skillful Star herself. Not that it was anything too unexpected at the moment.

'Funny how they were telling me to watch my behavior. Now look at them.'

In an instant, the perpetrators were both easily restrained. It seemed the Inuzuka were able to activate some type of mechanism with Zaku, which caused him to start spazzing and completely lose his balance. A curious feature that made Kiro wonder why his own captors didn't have the same counter measure for him. Perhaps the Hyūga were just that confident. On the other hand, the "princess" was in a rather disgraceful state, being completely pinned on the ground by a simple pet owner. Kiro felt sick to his stomach just imagining himself in that pitiful position and couldn't bear looking down at Sagisō for more than a few seconds. He ended up forcing himself to look away with nothing but an unamused expression on his face.

Of course, Kiro figured Sagisō had let herself fall and felt he understood why that was the logical option. The circumstances at play, such as Lady Hinagiku being her mother and the connection with a certain clan, likely played an important role. She was basically caught in a postition that prevented a natural reaction from her. A somewhat unfortunate result for a girl that seemed to move mainly on primal instinct. Perhaps even worse, her pristine dress appeared to have been tainted.

'That's a shame.'

 

[Godjacob]

Tomiko blinked, in udder bewilderment over what she had seen or rather in part what she had not seen. As all she could view was Mori and his parents, who seemed to be seated in the middle of the road for whatever reason without a trace of anyone or anything else in sight.

Needless to say without context all this seemed...a bit too bizarre.

"Uh, a-are you guys okay? Did something happened? I felt some tremors and heard some commotion but...nothing." Tomiko said as she walked over to them as clearly she felt she had been out of the loop on something.

-----
The masked figure the hawk had been tasked to follow seemed to move at a shocking pace through an ally, shocking that as soon as the figure stopped he seemed to check for something.

And that something had been a dagger. Stuck in his right leg. Seemed one of the gang members had gotten a lucky shot, though without context it had been impossible to tell how it ended up there, but what had been clear was a curious detail...in that when the dagger was pulled out, there was no trace of blood upon it. No trace of so much as a drop, and no sign of adjudication or even annoyance form the admittedly masked figure as it had been casually discarded.

A moment later, the figure turned the corner...and he was gone. As if he vanished into thin air...

----------
Luna and Sky seemed to enjoy this treatment, as they softly purred as they felt Tari gently brush against their surprisingly soft fur as indeed they seemed quite comfortable. Kenji had a chuckle at the comment about how comfortable they were as he decided to answer.

"Yes, when Aisha was here in secret as she agreed to help train me after the exams a while back, though even in that relative short time they seemed to have assume they owned the place." Kenji replied as Aisha stuck a tongue his way but then overheard Taji's comments which gained her curiosity. Kenji's as well as he had heard rumors of that old custom though had not seen it in action himself in years as Aisha thought it over.

"Well, I did have some idea for training in mind for you and Kenji. Though I am curious of this ceremony of yours." Aisha said, before her expression seemed to...almost darken, somewhat, which had caught Kenji off guard as this had been new for Aisha.

"Y-you say that but, do you think I'll ever be really accepted? I mean this headband and doing missions is one thing, but...part of me worries even if I see this as a home I'll be seen as an outsider among it..." Aisha admitted, a concern she had kept inside since the Raikage rewarded her effort in the mission with this newfound citizenship. Sky & Luna quickly moved to their partner and rubbed against her as if to provide comfort.

----------
Hana worked to ensure that Sagiso would be unable to act or try to resist in any meaningful capacity, but at the same time tried to avoid being too physical with the girl in kind. After all, she had been an honored stay at the Hyuga so she'd rather not deal with any annoyances with the Hyuga head if something "happened" to their guest.

Though given that head's nature, perhaps she had been better than to guess how'd she react to that.

Either way, Sagiso seemed to begin to give herself up. Which caused Hana to ease up to not put as much pressure on Sagiso, though she had yet to fully move off her as she heard her comment. "Well, least it is better than when I acted up on impulse. I lost a tooth with mom took me down." Hana chuckled at the old memory as she glanced down at her. "So, I trust you will behave now?"

Tsume in turn kept her eye on Zaku once she saw her daughter had Sagiso more or less taken care of, as the latter spaz out though seemed annoyed as she counter seal had taken effect as she eyed him down with that intense gaze of hers. "Funny, didn't even take an hour for you to try something. I think someone owes me money, irregardless if you act up again don't expect me to release this. Do you understand?" Tsume said with a look that could kill had it been an Inuzuka trait. She would slowly weaken the seal...but not break it yet. "So can I trust you can control yourself now?"

Tayuya in turn as she had seen this flinched and rubbed her own mark. The seal Tsume used had seemed to be the same one placed upon her, the same one the likes of that Anko, presumably Hina and Shura had access to. Tayuya half wondered if Kiro had such a caution measure placed upon him but brushed that thought aside.

-----
Mittens seemed less than intimidated by the rat, nor did it even take offense to the stance it took, rather the kitten's eyes seemed to almost shimmer as she extened a paw out and swipped the air lightly. Weather it was to pet or try to get at the rat seemed hard to tell but Takato kept his distance and grip as Kou asked his question.

"I was on that mission on the islands. Same one we found you and Zaku on. And the same one where everything went to hell, for lack of a better term." Takato said, though he'd rather not talk much about that mission. His complaints and issues with it from himself to overall execution had been laid out and he'd rather not dig up that old ditch.

----------
Madoka soon gazed upon Yasu's familiar figure as she walked up to her friend and gave a respectful nod his way. "Hello there Yasu, I hope you've been well." Madoka said as she moved closer to Yasu as to separate herself from the crowd in the streets.

"Listen, I came to talk about what I mentioned yesterday. I was wondering if...you could, escort me to the border." Madoka said with a more hushed tone as she made her intent clear to Yasu though her motive had yet to be revealed.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“You...REALLY like this don’t you...?” Zaku said as the seal weakened. “Heh, if I didn’t know any better...I’d say you were jealous-Urk!”

Stopped by another flux of tending muscle in his throat, Zaku found himself at the mercy of the leaf...again. Man he hated this. He had enough of the smelly mutts, suicidal women, jinchurkis, and multicolored hair. It made him sick to his stomach...or that was just the seal. He couldn’t quite tell.


.......


The rat picked up a feather that was previously hidden in Kou’s hair, turning the sharp quill end toward the cat, acting like a sword. Not exactly the most powerful weapon in the world, but a defense against such a carnivorous feline. If this battle were to escalate, bloodshed would surely follow. What would broodlord Palentra say? Would she be proud for a vanquished foe? Or would she weep for a dead son? Who was he to say? All he knew was that a predator stood amongst them, lurching over a human’s shoulder like a vulture awaiting to pick up a corpse. HIS corpse. What a world it was where such horrifying creatures could exist. But he’d stand his ground. He had no choice.

Directly below this standoff of the century, Kou snapped his fingers, pointing to the air, remembering what Takato was talking about.

“Oh! You were there! Gee...there were a lot of people there. You were after her too right? The beast girl? I don’t think anyone found her.”

This tailed beast thing seemed like a bunch of weird hokey stuff to me. Outside that weird monster that apparently WASNT what we were looking for. Though that girl I met at the waterfall was nice, I wonder if she knew the tailed beast lady?

 

[Mystic Zander]

Katsuo had to admit, he was enjoying himself whilst touring the gardens of the Hyuga’s Estate, despite typically shying away from events like this.
Although, in the mix of such a large gathering, the Traveler-Nin found himself wanting a few minutes of peace and quiet. Proceeding to the entrance of the Hyuga Estate, Katsuo slipped around the corner, hoping to get back a few minutes before the tournament began.

————

The young shinobi walked the small dirt paths of town. Most shops were closed, and everyone was inside spending time with their families, so the streets were always rather peaceful this time of year.
However, it also happened to be days like today where small time creeps and con artists would do their dirty work more casually. After all, less eyes meant an easier time emptying unsuspecting citizens pockets.

“Bingo.” The violet-suited boy took note of three dirty individuals standing on the street corner next to a table with a small sign, stating nothing but, ‘Beat the challenge, win a prize’. Katsuo liked a mystery.

“What’s going on boys?” He blurted out casually, approaching the three individuals with a wide grin.

“Looking to fill your pockets with some spare cash, kid?” Spoke the small, thin man on the far left.

“Come over here. Take a seat.” Spoke the angry looking overweight man on the right.

“Coming right up.” Katsuo replied in a tone far to lighthearted to be appropriate, “So what’s the plan, man.” He tacked on at the end, addressing the man in the middle, who joined him on the other side of the table.

“We’re gonna have an arm wrestling match, just me and you. Entrance fee of 500 Ryo, but if ya beat me, you win 5,000 Ryo. What d’ya say, kid. You in?” The large, lean man before Katsuo stated with a knowing grin, throwing his right arm up on the table.

“Hmmm...I suppose I could. What’s the harm in a light hearted arm wrestling match?” Katsuo replied innocently, pulling 500 Ryo from his pocket before slapping it down onto the table.

“Heheh...this dumbass rich boy is the perfect target.” The large man in front of Katsuo thought to himself as the two interlocked hands.

“One round, no do overs.” The overweight man on the right piped up once more, sliding the 500 off the table.

“1...2..-heh.” The small spindly man on the right began counting down, but a moment before he hit three, the large man Katsuo was facing leaned all his weight on his arm, causing Katsuo’s elbow to quickly bend backwards towards the table.

“Hah! You lose, kid. Better luck next time.” The man chuckled as he attempted to pull away from Katsuo, only to find his arm refused to move. Katsuo held a firm grip on the mans hand, and was now adorned in the same sly smile he wore in combat.

“I believe this match isn’t over yet.” He said flatly.

“What are you talking about?” The small man on the right squeaked out, leaning down to get a level view of their hands.

“Uh...boss, he’s right.” Squeaked the weak voice once more. It was now clear that Katsuo’s hand held firm just barely half an inch above the table.

“What do you mea-gah!” The muscled gang leader began angrily questioning what exactly was happening, when the world around him suddenly flipped sideways.

In truth, it was hard to tell exactly what happened. One moment, he was perfectly fine, the next, he was smashing through the small table shoulder first.

“What the hell?”

“I’ll take my prize now.” Katsuo stated while brushing off his sleeve, the anger inducing grin he wore never wavering.

“Like hell! Fuck the formalities. Boys, get em!” The gang leader shouted, stumbling to his feet. All three men quickly pulled small knives from their pockets, charging Katsuo with sinister grins.

“Looks like it’s gonna be one of those days....awesome.”

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

"En, you can get off now."

Her voice was bleak as she gave short words of assurance. Her task here was done, either way, she'd done what she came to do, and it was about time she left. As she calmed down, her eyes returned to normal, the Byakugan receding. no longer provoked by the surge of emotion.

Yasu

"The...border?"

Yasu appeared taken back by Madoka's request. It was certainly wasn't the most reasonable request, but then again, the stoic puppet master had never been one to make requests. What she had to say was perhaps quite important, so he would at the least hear her out, and if he could, help her to the best of his capabilities. Still, he would need a bit more information than that.

"The border is a semi-active warzone, so...?"

He probed lightly into Madoka's motives, his caution and concern apparent.

Shōshitsugetsu

"Oh? It seems like everybody's already here."

The last of the Clan Heads to arrive, Shōshitsugetsu swept into the meeting room and took a seat. She wasn't...surprised that a meeting had been called, after what had happened yesterday the lack of a reaction from the Mizukage would've been far more surprising. Perhaps even concerning.

Respectfully greeting the Elder, Shō turned back to the table, where it seemed Mei was more than ready to begin. The Mizukage wore her Kage's hat, the wide-brim casting a shadow over her face that gave her an extra air of solemnity as she spoke.

"Matters of the past have a way of rearing their ugly heads at the worst of moments...However, I've not called you here to discuss problems, but instead, solutions. Yesterday's battle had caused a bit of damage to the village structures. As this directly affects the livelihood of the villagers, I wish to get that out of the way first. Material costs have already been covered, so reconstruction need not be delayed any longer. It shouldn't be difficult for you to muster the required manpower."

The first matter of business seemed to have been decided before they'd even arrived. Having no objections to the Mizukage's arrangements, Shō remained silent, instead, glancing around the table curiously.

 

[DarkHydraT]

"We're fine. a gang called the Sharks showed up and tried to mug us, but a figure wearing a skull mask, a black cloak and wielding a baseball bat made short work of then. Iwao's sent a hawk to search for this figure. I don't suspect you know anyone who fits that description. Glad to see you arrive so quickly, I don't know how you sensed those tremors, but it is no doubt a valuable skill to have." Kasumi informed Tomiko as she got up and brushed the snow and dirt from her pants, those stains were always a pain to get out. "But enough about us, how've you been?"

-----
Liumaru was tailing the figure he was ordered to follow, when his target stopped to pull something out of their leg that looked exactly like a dagger. But what he saw made him furrow his brows, or atleast the part above his eyes what could be called eyebrows. The blade had not even the slightest hint of blood on it, and he was sure that a drop of red would be visible on a dagger. As the figure tossed the dagger away and turned around the corner, Liumaru flew towards the location of the masked figure, only to find out that they were gone. Either they went into a building, or they knew some ninja tricks. He had to inform Iwao about this, but not without that dagger.

----
"Heya Tomiko, how've you been?" Iwao grinned at Tomiko, failing miserably at keeping the bag with gifts out of sight as a shadow flew over. "Ah, that would be Liumaru. Right here buddy!" He extended his arm and the hawk landed on it, dropping the dagger in the open hand that Iwao presented. "What's this Liumaru? Found a new toy?'

"I don't look for toys or anything like that when on a mission, I skipped three rats whilst tracking that mysterious figure! That should speak for itself. This dagger was in the leg of that masked vigilante, yet there's not a single drop of blood on it. They didn't hesitate to pull it out, though I couldn't see if they flinched because of that dreaded mask. When they turned around the corner and I followed them, they were just gone! Either this guy wears armor underneath his clothes and entered a building, is a clone that can take abuse, or they know some fancy ninja trick to patch up a wound and disappear into thin air!"

Iwao furrowed his brow as he cupped his chin. "Ignoring how you described the term 'jutsu', that is odd. All humans bleed when stabbed, so I am leaning more towards a clone. But if the jutsu got cancelled right after turning around the corner, you'd find rubble if it was a Rock Clone. Regular clones don't have substance though, maybe the original caster appeared in the flesh before us and then used a clone to occupy us? But why though? You did a good job Liumaru, dismissed." The hawk disappeared in a cloud of smoke as the summoner shook his head. "Guess even I don't know every secret this village harbors after all these years, suppose it keeps things interesting."

Mori had been awfully silent during the exchange, but he listened. If the figure was indeed a clone, someone would be tired if they weren't ninja and the figure didn't match that of the only ninja he knew in the slums, Tomiko. He'd have to keep an eye open, in case the figure decided to finish the job that the Sharks started. They had something to hide, otherwise they wouldn't wear a mask. He didn't trust them just yet, but for now he'd focus on something else. Getting these gifts to their respective recipients. "Dad, we can't waste all day lounging around here. We've got that bag with us for a reason, remember?"

"Oh yeah, you're right. Tomiko, would you be so kind to lead the way to your home? I'm sure that I could find my way there eventually, but that would take too long." Iwao made a small bow as he requested guidance from Tomiko.

"Always the gentleman." Kasumi chuckled as she punched Iwao on the shoulder."
-------------------
"And your parents never found out or questioned the wolf smell? Now that is quite impressive." Taji chuckled as she looked at the two wolves and scratched them underneath their chins. Though she stopped as she listened to Aisha's concerns and the wolves moved over to comfort her. Taji felt bad for her, though she could understand where she came from. After all, Kumo is considered to be one of the more ruthless Hidden Villages and even someone literally raised by wolves would've heard some things about Kumo's reputation.

She kneeled in front of Aisha and placed a hand on her knee. "It's going to be fine, did Kenji never tell you about the history of Kumo? This entire village was practically built on outsiders. Long ago, refugees, criminals, missing-nin and the like came here to find a place to call home away from what drove them away from their old homes. Over time, a village grew in these mountains and the inhabitants got used to their old names to hide from potential pursuers. Kumo became somewhat of a haven to those who lost their way and needed a home, and it still is. Not many people know that though, as during and after the three great ninja wars, Kumo began to create an image for itself of a tough and ruthless village to protect themselves and to deter spies. After all, a spy finding out about the hospitable origins of the village could very well find some old law that protects them or grants them access to information." She informed her friend about the origins of the village, almost unknown to outsiders but common knowledge among most inhabitants.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“The Yuki have opened up our doors to families that do not feel safe, and have given medical aid to all of the victims of the black rain.” Jin explained. “But we are prepared to take measures to make sure what happened here...NEVER happens again.”

Jin looked over to the other clan heads, his voice confident in his resolve despite the heavy task it seemed to be. At this point, the elder Yuki looked directly at Mei.

“And how do you plan to alter the mist to ensure this doesn’t happen again?”

 

[kyuukestu]

Mei

Murmurs drifted across the room. As she folded her arms before her, Mei took a moment to observe. She could see the sly smile on the face of the Hozuki Head, an enigmatic display that masked buried unease. It was a stark contrast to the cool, confident resolve Jin carried. The gap between them was...foretelling. Her eyes swept around the room, taking in the reactions of the various leaders and elders present. They too held their tongues —waiting. All eyes were on her, forming an invisible sense of pressure.

The reigning Mizukage smiled, lips curving into crescent moons. It was an expression so out of place that it seemed to stun a few of the onlookers. The pressure vanished, melting away like ice.

"You always were one step ahead of me, Jin."

Her voice was soft, the praise in her tone from a genuine respect of the man before her, even as he bared his fangs. However, it was those very fangs she needed to pluck from his gums. She sighed at the Yuki Head, acknowledging his desire to go against her. Since he'd already taken the first move, then she could only respond in kind.

"But, you still want to blow your own trumpet...at a time like this?"

There was a deep disappointment in her voice. The room fell silent, the table falling silent as everyone retreated to their own thoughts. Meanwhile, Mei met Jin with her gaze, awaiting his answer.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“You mistake my curiosity for your plans as egotism, which couldn’t be further than the truth.” Jin bit back. “Do not discard my curiosity to the plan of our village as a whole just because you find me prideful.”

She is acting like a child. She didn’t even answer the question of the fate of our village in front of all the clan heads.

“You believe me taking action is linked to pride? I must relinquish this fact. For I do indeed take pride in the mist, I take pride in the Yuki, and I take pride in every single mist life. To see that you don’t share the same lookout is more concerning than any squabbles you believe or want to be happening. There a time and place for your childish games, Mizukage, but the fate of our village is at stake. Do not mock this resolve.”

Jin’s cold demeanor didn’t falter, in fact, he seemed even more stout due to her reaction. The looks of those in the room followed him. Some with curiosity, surprise, or anxiety. As he called her out on this, he restated his last question.

“Now tell me. What is your plan?”

 

[kyuukestu]

Shōshitsugetsu

Tension returned to the room, mushing the air into a thick, viscous goop that seemed to hold every word for just a bit longer than it should've. At the side, Sho smirked, her lips curved with just the fainted tints of schadenfreude. Her eyes shifted from the Mizukage to Jin, then back and again. He was so cruel posing such a question when he knew she couldn't give a satisfactory answer. Hell, who could?

She knew first-hand the terror of that fabled beast, his power had been vast, subduing even the great one-tail with little effort. However, even more terrifying that his sheer might, was the deviousness of his techniques. She remembered it clearly, with a single finger he'd turned her water clone into a corrupted pile of goop. She shuddered at the thought. Unlike the other Clans, the Hozuki had no life-line against the Black Rain. The nature of their Hiden rendered them particularly susceptible to its properties, to say it would be instant death wasn't far from the truth.

So then how could anyone have a satisfactory answer?

The thought amused her in a morbid way. Her deathly contemplation was broken by the Mizukage's sigh, and Sho returned her attention to the show at hand. The conflict between the Yuki and the Mizukage had nothing to do with her, but it was quite entertaining all the same. Leaning back into her chair, the Hozuki head watched as Mei pursed her lips to speak.

"Why ask a question you already know the answer to? If I had a fool-proof plan, wouldn't you all have known it already? No, I don't have a solid plan. There are too many holes in intel, what could I use to create a plan? The only one with a grasp on the situation appears to be...you —no?"

At that, the Mizukage paused, letting the words sink in.

"So then...Jin. No, Lord Yuki, would you not care to share with us? We all play on the same team, so why do you keep your hand so close abreast? I'm sure if you shared with us, you'd find 10 hands are better than two. How about we start with...the method to cure the Black Rain? Or whatever else it is that you have. You seemed quite confident in your own preparations, care to clue the rest of us in?"

The smile on Sho's face had vanished, replaced by grim-darkness. Her eyes returned to Jin, pinning the Yuki Head with a hard stare...

 

[sSoul]

Tsuki
"I suppose it might be," The Yuki-nin mused, though she secretly thought that there may be more to it than that, "Then again, I wouldn't mind riding on beginner's luck until I develop the sufficient skill to consistently best my opponents," Tsuki then realized that she was getting just a little bit too introspective for a snowball fight, so she decided to change the subject.

"So about that second round, do you want to get some of the children in on the action as well?" The Yuki-nin's tone changed to denote that while she was good spirited, she was being legitimate in her suggestion.

Those chakra pills that Hama's been prescribing me have been working well, though I should remember to take my dose today. I also want to know if those pills have any concerning long-term side effects...

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“Certainly, I was hoping you would say that.”

With that, Jin got up from his chair. Combing a stray hair back he had began to pace around the room, his hands behind his back and his stern expression fixed.

“The Yuki have planned an initiative for something such as this. I believe you must have noticed the construction of several dense buildings and a wall alongside the Yuki border. We have coined this plan: ‘Project Arsenal.’ Exhibit A.”

He pulled open the curtains, gesturing toward a large concrete structure that was eight stories, having construction crews swarming the place.

“One of these fortresses will be manned by hundreds of Mist soldiers, not necessarily ninja. This defensive structure by itself will have the firepower to repel the harshest of attacks that would attempt to break it down. It’s inside are reinforced with steel, and filled to the brim with hidden weapons and defensive measures that I plan to make. And that is but the first...”

He whipped open the rest of the curtains in one quick movment, revealing three more locations where these fortresses are being contructed at varying degrees of creation.

“Within my jurisdiction, four of these structures are already under way. If we were to spread more of these bastions across the mist, we will have no blindspots! Combine that with a border wall stretching across the entire village and we have an impenetrable defense.”

He then looked directly to Mei, before gesturing to these buildings.

“You wanted to see my hand, and here it is. The start of something new. He start of a unrelenting mist. And even this is just the start. Soon there will be even further defensive modifications, this village will be like that of the hardest fortress!”

Revealing this plan to everyone in the room, he has rest assured that he had a major plan compared to Mei’s not only lack of a plan, but lack of thinking there was a good enough one to work. Mei’s deflection and lost hope versus Jin’s unyielding ambition.



.......


“Heh...you’d be wise not to push your look Tsuki.” Kai chuckled. “A prince of the Yuki isn’t so easily-“

This is when a kid behind him mashed a snowball in his face, giggling and running away from him. Kai was in shock for a few moments, realizing he had been taken off guard by a young child. He began to laugh, a large snowball beginning to generate in his hands.

“Come back here!” He playfully called as chucked this big snowball.

Meanwhile, Hama continued to look on, eyes never leaving Tsuki. Her lips curved into a smile as an ice needle was propelled over to her. It fixed a strand of hair that was out of place, just to signify that she was watching her.

 

[kyuukestu]

Mei

Another card added to his hand. Mei took note of that, wondering how many of the others in the room also noticed. She shook her head dispassionately and responded.

"That's...well and all Jin, but that wasn't quite what I was getting at. You can do all these things because you're the only one who seemed to be familiar with that...thing and its abilities. How about you enlighten the rest of us. I imagine we'd like to think of our own countermeasures, instead of relying on Yuki Grace, don't you think?"

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“Leave it to you to ignore the good and focus on negatives without actually giving solutions to Anything.” Jin bit back. “Regardless of your evident ineptitude, i’ll Answer your question. We have a department of researchers and historians in the Yuki Clan that have access to a wide spread of information. There were theories of abilities, and as soon as I saw the black rain coming, I knew what would come of it, just like the fate of the seven swordsman of the mist.”

Jin gestured to the rest of the clan heads in the room and then turned back to her.

“Is that all you’ve come to do in this meaning? Complain and wail? I’ve already shown a solution that’s already partially underway and all you’ve been doing is trying to sow seeds of discontent Mei. If I didn’t know better, I would say you only cared about smothering my name rather than the mist at all.”

 

[kyuukestu]

Mei

The Mizukage remained unphased by Jin's superfluous words. She knew what her aim was, and as success appeared to be in sight, she pushed in.

"Excellent, so we can expect to be given full access to this information post-haste, yes? It's quite hard to plan countermeasures with such little information. This discussion is better continued when everyone has been brought up to speed."

Waving her hand, Mei signaled for an attendant. In but a few moments Chino walked into the room, looking all too young when placed in a room full of geezers.

"I'll have my aide collect the information and bring it back quickly, we can be assured she'll meet no trouble, yes?"

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“Of course she can, although we need to collect the findings first. I’ll have the honor guard of heritage dispatched to this at once. But that is another matter...”

He, seeing no headway accomplished in the stubborn Mei, turned to the clan heads.

“First. Project Arsenal cannot be inacted without the consent of the head of the clans...” Jin explained. “I wouldn’t encroach upon other’s territory. So I ask, would each of you allow the construction of a the the project that will keep every mist life secure?”

 

[kyuukestu]

Shōshitsugetsu

"Tell me more about this...Project Arsenal. You'll forgive me for being hesitant, your claims are rather...extravagant. You said those buildings would be able to stop any threat while maned with...civilians?"

Speaking up first, Sho leaned into the discussion. The towers of...whatever they were, didn't seem to be that capable. Reinforced steel and fortifications were nice and all, but how would that protect them against a Biju-subduing threat? The sheer might of those beasts would reduce most buildings to rubble.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“Soldiers, Shoshitsugetsu, not civilians.” Jin clarified. “Most make the assumption that because your not a ninja that you are useless in battle, automatically deemed civilian. That is certainly not the case.”

He gestured down to the village below, the population now coming out, laughing and playing in the snow, enjoying the holiday.

“These souls are still worthy even if they aren’t as gifted as we are. They are the mist. And they will be the key to our salvation.” Jin started. “The Fortresses will boast superior firepower, allowing more able bodies to join the fight whilst not being a shinobi. You could equate it to providing power to the people as well as the mist, as the two are the same.”

 

[sSoul]

Tsuki
Noticing an ice needle that corrected an out-of-place hair strand, Tsuki was able to figure out that Hama was nearby, and that she was being watched by her sensei.

Eventually, I'll have to look for her so I can talk to her. But for now, I'll continue doing what I was doing.

With that line of logic being followed, Tsuki found another one of the kids who wanted to join the snowball fight. She created an average-sized snowball and chucked it at the onlooking kid, to which he replied with by doing the same. While the kid presented no amount of challenge comparable to the Yuki prince, he still managed to paint a smile on the face of Hama's apprentice.

If this is what having friends is like...I think I can get used to having friends.

 

[kyuukestu]

Shōshitsugetsu

Her brow furrowed. That didn't answer the question. He'd revealed nothing about Project Arsenal other than restating what he'd already said. There was hardly any distinction between 'soldiers' and 'civilians' in Sho's eyes, their capabilities were rather close to each other when compared to the likes of Shinobi.

As the Hozuki Matriarch opened her mouth to question further, the Mizukage's voice interrupted.

"We'll put this topic on hold, it's best discussed after the relevant intel has been provided. There is still much to be done in the meantime. The Chunin exams once again draw near, we need to draft our list of participants. There shall also be the matter of the Kage Summit that shall be held around the same time, our delegates for that must also be chosen. Perhaps most pressing of all though, is the loss of Kanshi and the one-tails he hosted. Something will need to be done to make up for that gap in power."

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“Kanshi is ultimately irrelevant. While he loss is a blow, we shouldn’t worry about another.” Jin explained. “If they want to destroy each other with tailed beasts, we should let them. If we stay out of their affairs and make ourselves impenetrable, then we should outlive them all.”

This however didn’t mean his words before didn’t carry. His eyes scanned over the other clan heads, for he knew the time to allow it the building of Project Arsenal was shortening. The people wouldn’t wait long. Oh would he pressed.

 

[kyuukestu]

Mei

Kanshi was...irrelevant? Did the towers give him such confidence? She would have their capabilities tested later, to see if there really were as impenetrable as Jin touted. Staying out of international affairs would hardly be enough to keep the Mist safe. If they planned to turtle up, they at least needed to make sure their shell was hard enough to withstand the inevitable assault. For now, though, she let the topic pass.

"Are there any recommendations for the upcoming Chunin exams?"

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“I suggest Hyo of the Hozuki, whom has shown promise during this last mission.” Jin explained, giving a quick glance to Shoshit. “And I believe Kai Yuki as we should prove his worth. Perhaps then he will show headway.”

Giving his two suggestions, he looked to the other clan heads, curious to see who they would nominate.

 

[kyuukestu]

Shoshitsugetsu

"I'd also recommend my daughter attend the Chunin exams...It'll be a gathering place of all the nations, a hot-pot of information ripe for probing. Given the events of the last Chunin exams, it's as good a place to start as any to start looking for answers."

Truth be told, she would've suggested Hyoryugetsu for the above reason even if the issue hadn't been brought up. However, she wasn't against streamlining the process through these means. She nodded faintly toward Jin before her attention returned to Mei. She caught the faintest of smiles on the Mizukage's lips, but nothing more.

Hinagiku

Hina leaned back from the table as a Hyuga guard appeared on the rooftop and made his way towards her. She lent her ear to him as he whispered something that caused her eyes no narrow ominously.

"How bold of them...round them up afterward, I'm sure idle people like that are better put to use for the sake of the village."

The guard departed with her statement, and Hinagiku returned her attention to the meeting. She gave an apologetic smile towards Hisao.

"Seems like my daughter is causing quite the ruckus in your clan. Feel free to punish her as you see fit."

 

[Grand Master Koop]

Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed the man’s fist before he could strike the young girl while another delivered a swift chop to the assailant’s neck. Shura aimed to knock the man semi unconscious to reduce any resistance he might pull as he quickly pushed the two he faced around a corner, out of the public view.

“Performing shady activities in a festival is one thing but doing it out in the open is downright idiotic.” The Hyūga lectured the man out loud as they entered an alleyway between buildings, he then sat the man down next to a dumpster. “This guy is definitely inexperienced, doing this kind of stuff during a big event such as this festival is a strategic move, but his approach of it was the worst I’ve seen in a while.” This thought ran through the Hyūga’s head as he turned towards Susei. He pulled out a lollipop out of his pocket and handed it to the girl. “Here, now keep quiet for now. This festival is important for us and I don’t want this to become a big scene that might disrupt it.” He bluntly said.

Suddenly, Shura felt a rather explosive chakra pressure a distance away headed towards his location. “Oh now what?” He muttered as he weaved the hand signs for shadow clones and created two clones. “Clone 2, go inform miss Hinagiku about this. Clone 1, get ready for what’s coming.” He instructed. Both clones ran up the wall of the building next to them, Clone 2 moved up on to the roof and began leaping away, on route towards their clan head while Clone 1 stopped one of the balconies and began his preparation.

 

[Godjacob]

Tomiko heard mention of the sharks which caused her to inwardly curse, those guys even on a holiday can't help but try to start something. Though she perhaps had been thankful it had not escalated, the Sharks were nasty and dangerous beyond initial perception but attacking two Jonin is just a suicide note so the fact it had not come to that was a plus.

But the figure with a skull mask? That got her attention. She had heard of this guy, some titled "defender" of the slums who nobody had any knowledge of. She had personally seen him but once, and it had been as he fled before he vanished on her. She had not disagreed with this idea to make the slums safer, though his actions only further painted the reputation they had and caused further conflict. Least in her opinion.

Either way, the sack behind Mori's father had not been lost, even if he spoke with his hawk about the figure who seemed to use a clone to escape though the details had been speculation as Mori brought the bag into the topic discussion as they asked how she was and if she could lead them to her home which caught her off guard but she soon smiled.

"Oh sure! We were just about to begin some gift opening at my place, Ren was gonna pick something up so he should be back with the others. Follow my lead~" Tomiko said with a pep to her step as she'd lead Mori & company back to her place and upon arrive she'd open the door where sure enough Ren, the crew and Tomiko's parents had been.

"O-oh I didn't expect you three here, I wish we could have prepared something." Atsuko said in apology to their big city guests.

----------
"I aimed to explain to her later actually, but yeah...this was the right moment. And she is right, even if you came from another place so long as you consider and prove that Kumo is your home you will be able to fit in fine." Kenji assured as he had a hand on Aisha's shoulder as the Inuzuka girl looked on with wide eyes at the words that Kenji but especially Taji had said which opened up the possibility that perhaps she'd really been seen as one of them. Her wolves seemed inspired enough as they gave encouraging licks to Aisha's sides as she had given them pets on the head before she stood with a big smile.

"T-thanks guys, I never knew that. In that case...let's go see what this ceremony is all about!" She said with a toothy smirk as Kenji smiled and gathered up some personal items. Including his prized signed literature as he seemed ready to go.

----------
"I take joy in real accomplishments. Keeping the resident Oto "guest" in line is merely my duty, no different than a babysitter dealing with a brat..." Tsume said, her tone carried no harshness or judgement really as once she sensed Zaku got the message she worked her way off of him as she caused the seal to die down for the moment as between herself and Hana the situation seemed controlled.

"Alright works for me. Just keep yourself behaved and no harm no foul." Hana said with a wink as she got off Sagiso once her Byakugan retreated as it seemed the situation settled for now.

"Well, mostly. You two will have to pay a penalty for causing a scene here. I think a quick clean up of this kitchen should suffice." Tsume said with her usual intensity even if it had been a basic chore. Tayuya had a snicker as she glanced Zaku's way.

"Shall I fetch a mop for you blowhard?"

-----
While the rat seemed to prepare his blade as a grand battle was on the horizon, well least from the rodent's perspective but as it tried to fend off Mittens with its feather blade the kitten in turn had its eyes widened as it seemed drawn to the feather, finding it to be quite cute.

Really, Mittens was young to the world. Young to her surroundings, and all she saw was a cute little playmate who seemed to display amazing stuff every second. It dazzled her young mind! This caused her to swing her paw harmlessly at the feather as Takato glanced at this and sighed before pulling her back.

"Yeah I don't have word where she went. I presume she was found by one of the other teams, though I wouldn't quote me on anything." Takato replied with a shrug, as the answer seemed believable enough all things considered. Really Takato merely wanted to forget details of that job and move on as Sakura decided to inquire about the new fluffy addition to the Nara-nin.

"And uh, a cat? Was that a reward?" Sakura asked as Takato sighed and explained the festive gift his parents left him while the young Mittens meowed and glanced at Kou's brother with wide and curious eyes.

"You hear something?" Ino asked as there seemed to be some commotion or at least she had heard some rumbles make way from another part of the festival.

-----
"Believe me, my fellow clan members will issue punishment as seen fit." Hisao replied back as she stroked her wolf companion as she overheard the discussion due to her sharp senses and she figured Tsume and Hana had a good handle on whatever these kids could throw at them. So she had not been concerned, though she had noted this to keep in mind.

----------
"I am aware of the status of the border, believe me. But it is for that reason I must go. I figure that things here may never change if we just repeat the motions, so I wanted to get a taste of what it is like. Know more about the situation and maybe use that as a building block to understanding this ever present conflict and think of what to do about it." Madoka replied, with a newfound sense of determination unlike the usually reclusive puppet ninja as she gave her full intentions to Yasu.

"I need you because you have experience traveling to the border safely. I ask you merely guide me there, beyond that you may do what you wish." Madoka clarified to Yasu as she figured he needed not get put in anymore risk than needed for her personal project.

 

[kyuukestu]

Hinagiku

The approach of Shura's clone was unsurprising. She had, after all, already received a report containing the details of the few troublesome groups that had decided to act up. Beckoning Shura's clone forward with a finger, she spoke in a low hum that only he could hear.

"Good Work, but it isn't in Hyūga Style to leave behind a mess. For this task...hmmm. Rakū and Furisu should suffice. Bait that man into leading you back to his friends then, wipe them out."

Sagisō

Sagisō sprung to her feet and dusted off her clothing.

She scanned the room already working out the most time-effective means of ditching this place. Escape wasn't feasible. Perhaps if those Jonin weren't there she could give the rest of them the slip, but... It didn't matter. Time spent elaborating on an impossible feat was time wasted.

"Then I guess I'll take the dishes."

Resigned to her 'task', Sagisō made her way over to the sink.

 

[DarkHydraT]

"Then let's go! This sack should extend the gift opening shebang with like five whole minutes!" Mori grinned as he ran to walk next to Tomiko. "So, those shark guys. You know them? And for a gang called the Sharks, they really were more bark than bite. And stupid for that matter, attacking three ninja and continuing to stay after hearing their ranks. What's their deal, never got inspired by your speeches or positive attitude? If it worked for me, surely it can work on them." Mori threw his hands behind his head and flashed a grin as he asked Tomiko about the gang that tried to rob them. After all, who else knew the slums as well as she did? He could only dream of that, just like he did last night. Scaling buildings, fighting crime, helping people. And Tomiko may or may not have appeared in that dream, but that wasn't important.

Iwao let out a hearty laugh as Atsuko's apology left her lips. "Oh please, I thought we made it clear that you didn't need to prepare anything just for us. If anything, we're at fault. Showing up without an invitation and a suspicious sack? Sounds pretty rude to me. Now, isn't there a check-up we have to go through or can we just ditch the sack and hope you all can't contain your excitement?"

Kasumi punched Iwao's shoulder who rubbed it and grinned. "What my husband is trying to say in his own way is that you don't need to apologise. We didn't exactly give you a way to know that we were coming, but we brought something for the children and you two. It might not be much, but we tried our best with the info we've got on you all." With those words, Iwao placed the sack down and whistled sharply on his fingers.

"Santa passed by and he lost a sack of goodies! First come, first serve!"

Whilst Kasumi didn't really agree with the implication that stealing was okay, she didn't act on it. She was a ninja, not a cop. She'd stolen stuff herself, and these kids got a pass because of their background.
----------

Taji smiled as she squeezed Aisha's knee. "Let's go to Parhelic Circle then. I know where it is, and on the way there I can inform you about it. My parents got their tattoos there and told me all about it." At the mention of her parents, her smile died down slightly before forcing it back to where it was before. "The tattoo parlor my family went to is called Thunder & Lightning, one of the smaller but highly praised parlors for its quality tattoos and the way they treat customers. There might be a bit of bias speaking though, since it is kinda like unwritten tradition that once you choose a parlor, you don't go anywhere else. My parents might have influenced my opinion a bit."

Jumping up, she scratched both Luna and Sky behind their ears before leaving the room. "Everyone ready? It is okay if you back down by the way, it is a big thing after all. I'd recommend starting with a small tattoo on your ankle or something, one that is easily hidable in case you don't want to walk around with a dragon across your back. Maybe a wolf or something? Kenji might be able to pull a rat off, given his last encounter with one." Chuckling at the memory of the rat attacking bat Kenji, she beckoned the rest to follow her. "Oh, by the way, did everyone eat breakfast? If not, we can make a stop along the way."

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
After zipping through the crowds, he found his way to the source of his sister's scream. As any good older sibling would, Taiyo frantically searched the area to find his sister once his FBS had been deactivated. However to his dismay, she was nowhere near that area.

This sucks! I shouldn't have been so careless...

Now who knows where she is? She could be getting beat, or kidnapped, or even-

I'd rather not think about all the horrible things my neglect resulted in.

Eventually, the Fire-nin's search led him to an ally way where he found that seemed to be guarded by the asshole who interrupted his and Sagisō's sparring match. Despite really wanting to punch him in the face for that and or shot a fireball at him, Taiyo had much more important matters to deal with.

"Look, I don't have much time for you and any of your potential bullshit, so just be honest with me. Do. You. Have. My. Sister?" A stone cold glare inhabited the FBS master's eyes, fueled by the goals of saving his sister, and killing the person who tried to hurt her.

"Tell me what I need to hear and maybe I won't cook you like Pork Tenderloin,"

Woah...since when did we become Mr. Murder?

Now seems as good of a time as ever...

 

[Retro Master]

“Surprised she even knows how to wash dishes.”

Kiro mumbled in a hushed tone as the girl stated the task she would take up. It was ironic how Sagisō came here on her own free will but was now forced to stay longer than she desired. She’d gone from being pinned disgracefully on the floor to doing chores in the den of animals. Next she’d be serving them food like a maid.

On second thought, he probably shouldn’t be too surprised. Sagisō wasn’t called the Skillful Star for nothing, but he wondered how far that extended. Zaku also had to perform some cleaning and Tayuya couldn’t help but offer “assistance” in her own amusing way. Since Kiro could barely stand such an unclean environment, he appreciated their efforts. As for himself, Kiro supposed he’d have to wait a bit longer doing a whole bunch of nothing.

‘Curse her incompetence.’

———————​

"With the tardiness displayed by the Uchiha Head today, it's unlikely that the Uchiha will be able to contribute anything to those plans in even a timely manner. Besides, I'm certain Lady Hinagiku has already considered possibilities to include them, but has deemed their assistance to be unnecessary."

Speaking ever so calmly, Danzo spoke up at the clan meeting. He had an idea on who or what may be holding the Hokage and Uchiha Head up. Not that it mattered much. The Hyūga Head seemed to have gotten distracted with other business. There seemed to be an event about every hour thus far. Quite an unfortunate display for the host clan. Though, that was only a slight taint for the true purpose of this festival. Nothing to be concerned about.

———————​

Rather than the feral eyes of one nine tails jinchuriki, Tsunade was met with the captivating aqua eyes of a beautiful young woman. A charming face revealed itself behind a fierce white and red mask. Two cat ear structures on the top with red lines coming down. One red line came from under the chin with remain red being the whiskers. It resembled a kitsune. As she stepped into the office, the tense aura in the room shifted in accordance to her elegant presence.

With delicate fingers, visible due to the fingerless gloves, she brushed a strand of red hair to the side of her face. The long, silky hair had been tied into a low and messy ponytail that fell barely past her shoulders. She'd allow the hair to fall freely once it was time to change out of her current gear. The black flak jacket, fastened by a zipper, showed she was a member of an Anbu subdivision. Hidden underneath the thick layer on her chest was a simple black shirt along with noticeable curves. She seemed to be growing into her body quite nicely. Tsunade was proud.

There was a tinge of teal in her eyes. Fugaku noticed this before he deactivated his sharingan. To think it had been about twelve years ago since the nine tails devastated their village. The Uchiha Head suppressed those tragic memories and could only wonder why this girl was here now. The only person who could know this answer was waiting somewhere else. Judging by the Hokage's seemingly cheerful expression, she wasn't worried. Neither was Tonton. The pig seemed to have calmed down in the arms of a more relaxed Shizune. With a smirk almost as seductive as herself, the girl gave a graceful bow of respect to the Hokage. Were they running late? Looking up at Tsunade once more, she finally greeted her with a sweet and mellifluous voice.

“Auntie Tsunade. It's been so long...”

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Getting up from the floor, Zaku rolled his eyes at Tayuya, not caring much for her comment. Instead, a snicker grew across his face.

“Stay on your leash Mutt, gettin’ captured like that.” Zaku scoffed. “I don’t need a mop, not when I have the justu of the future on my side!”

Perhaps overzealously, Zaku Shot focuses bursts of air, centralized enough to only blow the falled contaminates into a corner, not disturbing what was on the table. In a matter of seconds, the floor was spotless, after scooping the pile with a dirty plate.

“I don’t need handmaiden’s tools, but maybe you do. It’s not like Jirobo will do your chores this time.”



...........

As the furry feline monster swung it’s paw mercilessly toward our rodent hero, the rat raised it’s trusty feather sword, parrying the attack from the hideous creature. Sweat dripped down it’s cheek. The cat was stronger than it had seemed. Did he bite off more than he could chew with this fight? He had only to look down, to see his grey haired little brother, Kou, defenseless.

No.

He had to fight. If he didn’t stand up for him, who would? Family before all else. His resolve hardened as he pressed on, bound and determined to best this cat in the duel of the century. He need only find an opening to deliver a crushing blow, it with the feline’s constant attacks that could never be harder. For now, he had to time his blocks carefully so that he may endure the barrage.

Kou tried to ignore the subtle squeaks about him, nodding with what Takato was saying. He didn’t know much about the teams, or much about the mission, so nodding was about all he could do. He herd the faint meowing of the cat on takato, bringing a smile to his face.

“Aw, they’re so cute!” He beamed. “Can I pet ‘em?”


.........



As Taiyo confronted Shura at the source of the scream, a certain small figure stared down at them from the rooftops. Bobo, the mime from the steets had appeared, appearingly interested in what was going on. It was attracted to the scream of a panicking woman. Not necessarily to aid her however. It’s heavy breathing and unblinking stare would unease anyone, especially how intent it was on seeing this scene through.


.........


King Mori seemed disappointed. It had a bucket of popcorn out and a tee shirt reading ‘I heart bloodshed’ on the front. It’s expression was bored out of it’s mind, slowly turning to Mori directly, blinking with a foot tapping impatiently.