[closed] Humility

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TyDie
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[closed] Humility

Post by TyDie » Thu Jul 06, 2017 4:25 pm

It had only been 48 hours since everything had gone down... He has snapped on the Hokage, realized his error, and addressed his forces in that time. He had realized much about himself in that time, and also realized he had much that he needed to explain. And luckily for him (or unluckily, depending on how you looked at it) that opportunity was now here. He had known it wouldn't take Takeo long to reach out to him, the tension between them was thick enough to cut with a knife. There was clearly much that the two had to say to each other, and now would be the time to vent all their greivances...

It would also be Yosuke's chance to explain himself... for better, or for worse.

He received a message directly from another shinobi, who instructed him to go west outside of the village for about 20 miles. He would be able to find the Hokage's personal training area with ease, just look for a manmade ravine. Sure enough, after about 20 miles of moving at breakneck speed through Konoha's forest, he happened upon a 200 meter long ravine with a river that ran through it. At one end was a waterfall, the waterfall being what fed the river. At the other end was a small pond, maybe a few meters in diameter and no more than 10 meters deep. At the bottom, about 70 meters down, Yosuke could see the Hokage standing at the ready. And so, without any delay, he made his way down the side of the ravine, stopping as he came within 10 meters of the Hokage.

"Hard to believe you made all this yourself. You sure you didn't just curb nature a little here and there? This seems pretty... natural." It was a poor attempt at small talk, clearly Yosuke was uncharacteristically nervous...
Active Characters
Village of OriginCharacter Name & LinkRankColor
Sunagakure no SatoHenrin EmiGenin[color=darkgoldenrod][b][/b][/color]
Konohagakure no SatoIbakuro AiyaChuunin[color=#8CD600][/color]
Sunagakure no SatoKouseki TakumaGenin[color=#003893][b][/b][/color], [b][color=#AFBCDB][/color][/b]
Kirigakure no SatoKazuki RyuChuunin[color=#dc143c][/color], [b][color=#C71585][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoHiraku KenjiBannin S-Rank Missing Ninja[b][color=slategray][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoFukusha JinsaiJounin[color=#BF0000][/color], [b][glow=orangered][color=#000000][/color][/glow][/b]

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Izanagi
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[closed] Humility

Post by Izanagi » Fri Jul 07, 2017 9:44 pm

The Hokage had arrived at his personal training ground several hours earlier than he had told his ‘comrade’ to arrive. The truth was he needed to time to work off some of his conflicted emotions. The serene environment, the gently flowing creek, steady churning of a waterfall and cool embrace of the shadowed ravine served as the perfect revitalization to start the morning off with. Even in the heat of the day such a location was always notably much cooler than the surrounding plains and forests. Plant life was abundant along the cliff-face and throughout the ravine though most of the growths were rather young, much of it having to regrow every few weeks or months as the landscape was worn down and repaired time and time again.

As the sun reached its peak Takeo had taken to some light workouts to get his blood pumping, climbing the cliff-face with just his arms or with only one arm and a leg, alternately for various levels of difficulty before planting his feet against the slick surface and performing vertical sit-ups while holding onto a compact boulder that easily weighed several hundred pounds. He had been at it for well over an hour, having performed hundreds of reps before flipping backwards and landing 20 meters below with a thud. Tossing aside the boulder he began to stretch out, noting a light sweat begin to build up. He had removed his brown haori at the beginning of his workout, wearing only a pair of black training pants, made of a more durable material more akin to a martial arts gi than casual wear. In addition to being sturdier the material also breathed much better in warm weather.

By the time Yosuke arrived Takeo had already dunked his head under the waterfall and had returned stand over the pond, wearing black footwear that left little track and cushioned sound while also offering good foot support and without sacrificing striking power. Bandaged wrappings adorned his shins and hands and forearms, aiding in grip strength, limb conditioning and striking protection. His chest was bare, displaying scars across his torso, chest and arms as well as a burn mark on his back. These marks were hardly the focus however against his chiseled body, truly he was an imposing figure. Even if he wasn’t a man of particularly large stature it was evident that he was entirely muscle and incredibly densely packed. No doubt Yosuke would notice the ANBU tattoo on his left shoulder, one that a recent scar ran across. Hanging from his neck was a titanium ring inscribed with writing. It was something he rarely if ever took off, a symbol of his bond with his first and most cherished student and now his closest friend.

The ANBU commander stood at the edge of the pond and Takeo turned his gaze upon him. As instructed the man had come out of uniform, he wanted to connect with the man beyond the mask, the true heart of Yosuke and not whatever air of power and authority and no small measure of arrogance came with the mask and position. Without the mask he always seemed to appear younger and perhaps somewhat less imposing though Takeo knew better than to underestimate the man. ‘I wonder how he thinks this will end’ he considered, noting the awkward small talk. Make no mistake there remained tension between the two and the warm up he had done this morning had been barely enough to take the edge off and contain himself when confronting this man. “My chakra natures are well suited towards manipulation of this kind, this valley had existed now for several years, nature has begun to claim it as its own and would take it over completely if left unattended.” He responded though his voice remained cold, chilling. The Hokage’s piercing cobalt eyes locked onto Yosukes, “Tell me, do you think I’m incompetent? You once indicated that you’d kill a council member if you were convinced that they weren’t doing their job justice, have you already come to think that of me?” there was no shame, fear or sadness in his tone nor his heart upon asking such things, simply he was speaking openly and honestly and expected, no demanded, the same in return.

Natsuki Takeo - 17th Hokage, former Anbu Commander [DEAD]
Karagata Shinjiro - Kiri Bannin; Jinchuuriki, Overseer of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Kintsugi
Haziwara Youji- Iwagakure Chunin
Takeda Ichiro - A-Rank Waterfall Country; Black Wake, Chishiki, Setsuzoku
Hyuuga Takeshi - Konoha Special Jounin; Anbu
Jouchaku Shigeko - Kiri Genin; HHD

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TyDie
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[closed] Humility

Post by TyDie » Sat Jul 08, 2017 8:30 am

Even as Takeo answered his question which was obviously just some sort of coping mechanism to deal with his nerves, the voice he spoke with was still quite clearly one of anger and agitation. It was collected, but cold and almost uncaring... Yes, Takeo was still quite upset, as Yosuke had expected. He then asked his own question, using Yosuke's own words against him even... a clever tactic to be sure, but it was also something that Yosuke wouldn't have denied even if Takeo didn't already know the answer. "While what I said about the forceful removal of one who does not have Konoha's interest at heart remains true... No, I do not think that of you Takeo."

"I believe we have very different ways of running things. And I believe that your ways are much more conducive to your position as Hokage. Being in the limelight as you are, you can't afford to make such hasty or dangerous decisions all that often for fear of what the people may think of you. I, fortunately for myself, don't have to worry about that since my role as commander is kept secret from all except you." Yosuke paused for a moment, choosing his next words carefully as he didn't wish to piss the man off more than he already was.

"As the leader of ANBU, I... I didn't consider that others within the org would be daft enough to consider me inept. And for what, because I wasn't elected to the position? Because I dislike the idea of an ANBU agent becoming some sort of glorified guest speaker at the academy in some attempt to curb the defection rate of Konoha? That was never our intended purpose. We work in the darkness to serve the light, we aren't meant to be so public with our methods." Yosuke stopped, realizing he was just ranting at this point. "I apologize for getting sidetracked lord Hokage. To answer your question again, no, I do not find you incompetent or unworthy of your title. But... I suspect you may find me unworthy of mine."

The words hurt for him to utter. He had been thinking on it ever since that day, and he hated to think that it might be true...
Active Characters
Village of OriginCharacter Name & LinkRankColor
Sunagakure no SatoHenrin EmiGenin[color=darkgoldenrod][b][/b][/color]
Konohagakure no SatoIbakuro AiyaChuunin[color=#8CD600][/color]
Sunagakure no SatoKouseki TakumaGenin[color=#003893][b][/b][/color], [b][color=#AFBCDB][/color][/b]
Kirigakure no SatoKazuki RyuChuunin[color=#dc143c][/color], [b][color=#C71585][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoHiraku KenjiBannin S-Rank Missing Ninja[b][color=slategray][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoFukusha JinsaiJounin[color=#BF0000][/color], [b][glow=orangered][color=#000000][/color][/glow][/b]

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Izanagi
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[closed] Humility

Post by Izanagi » Mon Aug 14, 2017 9:03 am

The Hokage’s piercing eyes assessed the man before him, picking up on every subtle movement of his muscles, hearing the rate of his breathing, even his heartbeat and noticing every twitch of facial expression or shift of the eyes. His sense of smell was so great that he could even detect trace amounts of sweat or anything else of note. It was apparent the man was nervous to some extent though collectively he did not have the aura of a killer at this point in time nor did his vitals quicken when he answered Takeo’s question. It seemed he was at least being genuine. That was at least a small measure of relief. The man’s guard lowered only slightly and he nodded, glad that perhaps their relationship could then be salvaged. He was willing to forgive but only if one could learn from their mistakes. In order to do that however Yosuke first would have to realize where his faults lay.

Calmly walking to the edge of the pond Takeo kept his eyes on Yosuke, remaining attentive and listening. When he stepped off of the water he would form the snake handseal, stomping the ground casually as two small ramparts would form behind them, perhaps two feet wide and three feet off the ground, providing something for the men to sit on or lean against. He had considered making a jutsu that formed proper chairs for such a situation though had never actually got around to doing so. Leaning against the stone ledge the muscular man slowly stroked his beard. “That’s where you’re wrong. Regardless of whether or not your role is subject to public scrutiny no leader should act recklessly and without proper thought. You may think I conduct myself the way I do because of public support and opinion but even when I stood in your position I always carefully considered every angle, every possible outcome and choose the path that would position Konoha for a better future.” He explained, deciding to hold off on the rest of his rant for the moment as he could see Yosuke had more to say.

Takeo listened to the words thoughtfully, he could see that Yosuke had realized the mistake of not knowing the hearts and minds of his men but he still didn’t seem to understand how their views on him had become clouded in the first place. Likely they saw the same red flags that Takeo did. The mention of such an idealistic notion surprised him though upon a few moments of consideration he realized that it was likely Masuru’s doing though it was possible that even Kuodachi and Gene might have seen some value in such a thing, both had spent time teaching and giving lectures to the youth of the village in their time outside of ANBU. “I do agree with you in that regard, although knowledge of ANBU’s existence is becoming known once more the organization must stay true to its cause.” The problem was, did Yosuke truly know what that entailed? Or did he think that his operatives were nothing but assassins?

There was a moment of compassion in the eyes of Konoha’s charismatic leader. He truly did care about the people of his village though he was also a steadfast advocate of brutal honesty. He couldn’t baby the people of konoha and sugarcoat their hardships, sufferings and doubt. Each and every person was responsible for their choices and for learning to adapt and persevere. It was only his duty to help them claim that strength, to guide them to the realizations that would allow them to find the right path. “The thought has crossed my mind. You’re an excellent fighter Yosuke and a perfect assassin, at least technically but your instincts, judgment and leadership. In those regards I have concerns. It seems to me that you act rashly without properly anticipating what might happen as a result. Beyond that, when presented with a scenario your solution is always violence. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the need for harshness in your position, I’m not beyond making an example of a figurehead or torture. Not in the least but just because you are permitted to utilize such options doesn’t mean you should be pigeonholed to them. Tact, understanding and restraint are equally valuable tools. You must always look at the big picture and consider how the ripple effect of your actions might impact Konoha or come back to hurt us, perhaps even missing opportunities for a well-placed alliance or partnership in your haste to eliminate everything in your way.” As he spoke Takeo seemed to become more relaxed and genuine, as if he was offering advice to a friend rather than giving a stern lecture. He truly wanted Yosuke to succeed and he knew that the way he ran ANBU wouldn’t completely mirror his own vision for the organization though some essential traits had to persist or it would devolve into nothing more than a group of brutish hitmen.

Natsuki Takeo - 17th Hokage, former Anbu Commander [DEAD]
Karagata Shinjiro - Kiri Bannin; Jinchuuriki, Overseer of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Kintsugi
Haziwara Youji- Iwagakure Chunin
Takeda Ichiro - A-Rank Waterfall Country; Black Wake, Chishiki, Setsuzoku
Hyuuga Takeshi - Konoha Special Jounin; Anbu
Jouchaku Shigeko - Kiri Genin; HHD

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TyDie
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[closed] Humility

Post by TyDie » Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:34 am

The ANBU commander bowed his head in respect as the Hokage continued with his analysis of Yosuke and his actions as Onigumo. Of course he was right about pretty much everything, there wasn't much he could say to refute his claims. But at least he agreed with him that ANBU was not to be some public relations group... That actually got a chuckle out of the man. When the Hokage finally finished speaking, Yosuke rose, a look of disappointment on his face. "You are absolutely right Hokage-sama. In all respects. Even though my role as commander is secret, I should act with tact and consider all available options. I admit there is a bias in relation to outer village relations... I find myself thinking that we don't need anyone else. Even our relationship with Suna, I see that as more for their benefit then ours. It's a flawed logic, I know, but..."

He trailed off, not really knowing how to finish the thought properly. Instead, he decided to simply move on to the rest of what Takeo had said. "I cannot refute your claims, Takeo-sama. In fact, I can only add to your doubts, as you know about the spider queen's presence in my mind. If you weren't as capable as you are, then that day I would've..." He couldn't finish the thought, he knew full well that Takeo knew he was thinking about what he had done to him after that interrogation with Kenji's daughter. "That wasn't me, Hokage-sama. It was as if I was a bystander, watching from the outside as my body acted on it's own. I had no control over my actions... And that terrifies me. There are few in the village that can equal me in close quarters, and I keep thinking 'what if they weren't as strong as me? what if it was Daisuke, or Mai?' Those thoughts send chills down my spine... They make me wonder if coming back to Konoha was the right decision. If maybe, after killing Homura, I should've just..."

He once again trailed off, not really wanting to finish that sentence... Though of course Takeo could connect the dots.
Active Characters
Village of OriginCharacter Name & LinkRankColor
Sunagakure no SatoHenrin EmiGenin[color=darkgoldenrod][b][/b][/color]
Konohagakure no SatoIbakuro AiyaChuunin[color=#8CD600][/color]
Sunagakure no SatoKouseki TakumaGenin[color=#003893][b][/b][/color], [b][color=#AFBCDB][/color][/b]
Kirigakure no SatoKazuki RyuChuunin[color=#dc143c][/color], [b][color=#C71585][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoHiraku KenjiBannin S-Rank Missing Ninja[b][color=slategray][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoFukusha JinsaiJounin[color=#BF0000][/color], [b][glow=orangered][color=#000000][/color][/glow][/b]

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Izanagi
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[closed] Humility

Post by Izanagi » Thu Feb 01, 2018 7:29 pm

The Hokage studied Yosuke, he could see that the man wanted to understand and to grow as a leader, there were simply aspects that were so deeply ingrained that they were near impossible to change. He wondered how much of that was psychological trauma and how much was the influence of the spider queen. He had to see for himself how the man acted under pressure. “Even the strongest nation or shinobi for that matter can benefit from allies and I can assure you that we are not the strongest village nor am I the strongest shinobi in this world. Far from it in fact.” He would leave it at that, Yosuke would have to discover for himself how vulnerable Konoha truly was, experience the strength of a Kage and realize that there were many who possessed such power and for every shinobi of that caliber who joined together defeating such a collaboration would become exponentially more difficult.

Takeo’s eyes narrowed at the Jounin’s admission, these were thoughts he had been afraid to entertain. “If you cant control this power then you’re a liability and a danger to the entire village. You’re right to be scared, you have tremendous power, enough even to kill me under the right circumstances. The life of every citizen of Konoha is equally valuable and I will not give up on you Yosuke. Don’t give up on yourself either, prove to me that you can control this borrowed power of yours and claim dominion over your own mind. Fail and I will have no choice but to relieve you of duty until a permanent solution can be found.” He stated with great gravity to his words. He would not risk the lives of his comrades by leaving them under the command of someone who was unstable or corruptible by an outside entity. That being said he couldn’t bring himself to kill a powerful asset and friend until all other options had been thoroughly explored. At worst Yosuke would be detained and relieved of rank and duty though he sincerely hoped that it wouldn’t have to come to that.

The Hokage turned and began walking to the closest cliff-face, “Take position on the other side and fight me with everything you have. Let out your anger, do what you must. You will not be reprimanded if I’m injured but you mustn’t lose yourself, I’ll know who it is that I’m fighting” he assured. And with that he began jogging up the 70 meter tall cliff-face, the rock wall was sturdy, made from his own chakra and boasting a durability of 35 strength. As the Hokage ascended he began forming a lengthy sequence of seals pre-emptively. Cheating perhaps but the priority of a shinobi wasn’t fighting fair but rather victory and survival. As a former ANBU commander facing off against his successor he knew that there was no room for mistakes. The first time they had fought Takeo had rendered Yosuke unconscious in an instant, in a matter of years however the man had risen to his equal in the realm of taijutsu, boasting a remarkably deadly style that held a significant advantage over the hand-to-hand preference of the Hokage. The only way he had any chance against Yosuke was to encase himself in armor and then overwhelm his opponent with a more powerful offence.

By the time he reached the top of the ravine Takeo’s skin had darkened to a deep brown, almost black coloration. The man’s muscles bulged, traced by deep lines of definition and now it truly looked as if he had been sculped from the earth itself. The two combatants would be standing 25 meters apart with the open ravine between them, theoretically Yosuke would have the advantage the more distance he was afforded, Takeo was well aware of the ridiculous range of his wires as well as his own limitations past the 25 meter mark. He would have to use his most advanced techniques to fight at such a distance but that suited him just fine. Whatever the range he would have a way to adapt and make the best of the situation, ‘Adapt and Survive’ that was his ninja way when it came to combat and this encounter would certainly put that to the test. “Begin!” he would shout out, already forming another set of handseals. He expected wires to quickly lash out at him and he would be ready to strafe to the side and dart back in roughly zig-zag patterns but his main focus would be completely the handseals, using his not quite full speed motions as little more than a test to determine how fast Yosuke’s control over his wires had become. Once his seals were complete the Hokage would be suddenly surrounded in a torrent of slicing winds that would surge out all around him, extending outwards to encompass Yosuke if he didn’t fall back or escape into the valley. Moreover the durability of the wires would be tested and Takeo sincerely hoped that they wouldn’t be able to endure the cutting winds.
Jutsu UsedShow
Earth Element • Titans Armor
S-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: 40 Ninjutsu
After forming the necessary hand seals Takeo will imbue his body with the properties of Doton chakra. At this level he is able to refine his chakra to merge with his skin on a cellular level, creating a flexible though incredibly dense armor that spans his entire body save for his eyes, spreading across his body at a speed of 30. As a result his skin will become visibly darker and stone-like in appearance, becoming invulnerable to all but the most powerful piercing or slashing attacks. The defensive matrix can withstand attacks up to 50 strength while also increasing the damage dealt by Takeo’s strikes as the density of his skin becomes akin to that of a diamond, meaning with sufficient force anything of less density is able to be shattered and destroyed. This technique can last a maximum of 8 posts and requires a significant amount of chakra to maintain.

*Fuuton • Dragon's Tempest
A-Ranked Fuuton Jutsu
After forming the needed hand seals, a fierce whirlwind will radiate out from the user at 20 speed, surrounding the user with winds that will cut any opponent or object within range to pieces. There is a 2m radius around the user that would be the “eye of the storm.” If struck by this Jutsu the victims will face wounds so severe that they can be deadly, receiving deep cuts and hits equal to a strength of 30. This Jutsu covers an area of 40m in all directions.

Natsuki Takeo - 17th Hokage, former Anbu Commander [DEAD]
Karagata Shinjiro - Kiri Bannin; Jinchuuriki, Overseer of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Kintsugi
Haziwara Youji- Iwagakure Chunin
Takeda Ichiro - A-Rank Waterfall Country; Black Wake, Chishiki, Setsuzoku
Hyuuga Takeshi - Konoha Special Jounin; Anbu
Jouchaku Shigeko - Kiri Genin; HHD

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