Enter: Taishou

[Ace Trainer]

The boy's wiry frame was practically eaten by the large chair he sat in. He'd found it surprising that, in spite of the rather democratic and unmonarchial way the samurai country was ran, the Taishou had such an enormous seat, very clearly a throne, designated for him.Unlike many a throne, however, the chair sat in front of a long rectangular table. Enough to sit 25 to 30 individual samurai. Shio was dressed as he always was, an oversized baggy shirt, black pants, his large round glasses having slid down the bridge of his nose and sitting just before the tip. On his head, however, sat the hat most often worn by kage and daimyo, and in this case, a Taishou. The hat, clearly too large for the wearer, tipped forward slight obscuring parts of Shio's face from view.

"Sit.", he commanded.

Like clockwork the 10 seats closest to him will be pulled out and the samurai that did so would sit. Shio had often seen shinobi form up in front of kage, and they almost always knelt on the ground. Shio found it interesting that the samurai chose the path of a table. It made them seem more like equals than subordinates. Shio was unquestionable their leader, but they all stood on even ground. Which lead to another interesting distinction Shio had noticed. Shinobi seemed impossibly rigid, at least in Kirigakure, about who they saw as their leader. History had shown that in transitions of power while the new Kage and his strength was recognized, it was not always easy for them to be accepted by the masses. Assassinations, successful and failed, dotted Kirigakure's history are various levels of leadership. Unlike in Kiri, however, when Shio was named Taishou it seemed he was immediately embraced as the leader. There were no whispers or sideways glances, instead he seemed to be immediately embraced as the rightful claimant to the title of Taishou.

He suspected this was due to the culture and size of the population. Discord among the people would be far more palpable and could impact the countries readiness to respond to threats or missions. It was simply more realistic to embrace whatever leader was selected through the means that had been respected for centuries. If it had worked thus far, why should they question it just because a shinobi had taken the seat?

Shio removed the hat, placing it on the table in front of him. The steel medallion sitting on the lip of the hat reflected the few lights in the room off of its shiney surface, bringing attention to the symbol of iron country engraved into it. "Good Morning.", he said simply. He had no doubt the men in this room were used to loud, booming voices of authority, not his soft young voice. "Iron Country has long stood as the pique of samurai strength throughout the world, and if the actions I took during the war don't make it clear, I have no intention of that changing." The samurai to each side of the table made no noise, and seemed still as statues.

"However. That vision of strength demands review, and I have my own visions that you act as a hand and sword for execution of.". He paused for a moment. "The world is full of gifted people. The secret of chakra does not exist here, we are all fully aware of what lays beyond the borders of this country. But many times those born with incredible power are treated with fear and mistrust, never allowed to grow to their potential." Another pause, scanning the dimly lit room, the samurai seemed to be processing. "As protectors, we have an obligation to protect those individuals. Too often we have seen that power unchecked becomes uncontrolled.", there was nodding.

Shio would continue to talk, musings of the power the samurai would need to tap into, the recognition of value inherent to strength, and what would come of Iron Country under this new direction. He would end the meeting discussing among the samurai how they would go about accomplishing this, and what murmuring they had heard of monstrous men and cursed children. With a plan in action, Shio would slam the hilt of the dagger against the table, and the samurai would file out of the room.

Picking up the hat, he would don it back onto his head, standing from the chair and turning to walk from the room.

---

"We have much to do Kesu."

The blonde child would float to Shio's side, seemingly from no where. "As always.", he said with a small smile. In the years since the war Kesu had grown to be a bit more outspoken, but not my much. Now, he seemed to appreciate the humor that came with him employ. The guidance of his teacher, and what he would call a friend now, had left an indelible mark on his growth. Confidence seemed to radiate from him, alongside the soft glow.

"Go ahead.", Shio instructed. He knew the boy would have much to say. Shio had found that, in spite of his own passion, Kesu was quite an adept geographer, cartographer, and planner. Kesu had an uncanny knack for recognizing the best path, and the easiest way to hit the desired locations the fastest. And, he was always interested in sharing these thoughts.

"Based on the reports from the lieutenants, there are rumors floating in many places across the continent. I don't need to go over the Kuruma Clan in the Land of Tides.", he mentioned. They were both keenly aware of this clan. It had caught Shio's attention many years ago, prior to the war. But when war broke out and political movements occurred, Shio was forced to act. Opportunity rang, after all. "But, dragon country north of it is fractured, with refugees and those who rejected rule by Fire Country having stabilized themselves in the west. In the northernmost region of the new Dragon Country, there is word of a child that is said to speak to grass. What that means is open to interpretation. Moving north, there is always whispers of exemplary children that disappear in the night in the Land of Runes. There is a group in the country called the Chanters that many blame. Though it is impossible to investigate due to their rather reclusive nature.", as Kesu spoke, he pointed to points on the map in his hands. Indicating exactly where these rumors were coming from.

"West of our friends in Pebble, The Land of Stars has a sect of blood enchanters, you may remember them.", Kesu said with a sly grin.

Shio nodded, he did remember. He had seen their power during the tournament the country held. Dinosaurs and blood magic, the country was a place of wonder even within this already chaotic world. "An especially adept young woman has become the center of much attention alleging she is cursed with wickedness. Her village is on the brink of burning itself down as they feud over her destiny.", Kesu explained. Shio stopped walking, turning to look at Kesu and where on the map he was pointing.

"How quickly can we be there.", he asked.

"With a squadron? A day's journey. With just us and Michi? A little more than half a day?", Kesu offered. Shio nodded, then resumed walking. Kesu took that as the signal to continue, "A child is currently on the run within the newly founded Steam Country, it is being asserted that they brought in a plague.", Kesu watched Shio closely, surprised to find the Taishou didn't immediately respond to this. "Of course, shinobi activity is forbidden in the country. While samurai activity is not, I imagine the powers at work would respond negatively to a missing ninja that seized control of a foreign nation extraditing a child.", Kesu said, his voice getting softer as he spoke. Despite the many hours he'd spent with Shio, he hadn't fully ascertained how Shio felt about his status as missing ninja. He remained the blank look on Shio's face the first time a bingo book with his information was presented to him. It betrayed no emotion, which only made it harder for Kesu to establish exactly what the response was. Since then, Shio had given no further hint or indication, but never seemed to respond when it came up. The only clarity Kesu had was that it was not ambivalence.

"And the final of note. On the other side of the ocean, a small nameless country of refugees on Friopia has formed in the demilitarized zone between the lands taken by Water Country and the Lightning Empire.", Shio rolled his eyes at the name, how tacky. "A child quite attuned with the Etherium has been left on a mountain as an oracle.", Kesu couldn't help but smile slightly at this notion. Shio wasn't far off from a similar fate, as Kesu had come to understand. He had now doubt the young Taishou would be particularly interested in this child.

Shio looked at the map in the boys hands, observing the various points that had been marked.

"I would like to start with the Kuruma clan. They will need to be brought to Iron Country before anything else.", he said as a matter of factly. Kesu nodded, stopping where they were walking and rolling the map and tucking it away. "I'll gather who I want. Thanks." he said, before slipping away down another hall. Kesu turned, walking in the opposite direction, he'd need to prepare for the trip as well, and prepare Michi.

[Ace Trainer]

"Its slavery!"

A samurai lieutenant stood from his seat, slamming his fist on the table. Shio, the cap of the Taishou centered between his two hands on the table, looked unaffected, looking at the lieutenant. He had not expected immediate compliance. These men had been very clearly instructed to be honest, and to speak their minds. These men were an extension of the Taishou across the samurai's hierarchy, this type of relationship was required.

"It is servitude.", Shio corrected. "Limited at that.", he amended. There were murmured among the lieutenants, while only one had spoken out, it seemed many of them were at a minimum uneasy about the notion of introducing slavery to the three headed wolf. Shio had just explained his interest in doing so as he intended to bolster Iron's international presence and forwar certain agendas he had. Iron was well known internationally already, but Shio had new direction he was interested in.

"Its quite simple. When I became Taishou I had Seikoujo formed on one of the few habitable places in this country outside the Three Headed wolf. We have extended and taken much of the land that was once Fur Country. And while many of the occupants fled to Earth Country during its hold under other usurpers, the land is healthy and useable. More so than much of Iron. A samurai academy will be formed in the new lands, much like Seikoujo. Many of our craftsmen and laborers will displace themselves there to support. And we will have a deficit of bodies here.", Shio was laying out facts.

"The healthiest and most able-bodied of slaves purchased will come here. They will remain under the employ of a family that has a member or members working in the new lands. They will act is housed servants for the family, filling the role of the absent member. Upon the members return, the slave can elect to enroll in the academy, or be granted the freedom to emigrate from the country.", murmurs again.

"So exile.", the lieutenant spoke up again. His voice gave hints that he didn't like the sound of it, but also wanted clarity.

Shio shook his head, "As opposed to slavery elsewhere?", he offered. "If they're unwilling to serve for the country, they are granted freedom to pursue their desire elsewhere. Or they can enlist, become rightful citizens with the benefits that come with it." it seemed like a reasonable solution. Shio had been raised around slaves in Kirigakure, and they were hardly given the luxury of the light at the end of the tunnel. Slaves in Kiri, though often treated well, were that way for life.

The lieutenant spoke up again, "And of those who aren't healthy?", he asked.

Shio liked this lieutenant, he was outspoken, independent, and clearly respected the Taishou enough to be forthright. "They will be at the academy, serving whatever role is most appropriate. Caretakers, craftsmen, laborers, and so forth. They will serve for a unit of time determined by their overall health and age, then granted land ownership in the new land. Where they will be able to carry servants under their own employ.", Shio explained rather succinctly. "This will allow a population to grow within the new lands, of individuals that would once have been slaves and have been granted freedom, agency and citizenry under our name. During their periods of servitude they can be taught the way of Iron. Do not be discriminatory in the slaves that you purchase, you are providing a path to liberation.", Shio mused.

The lieutenant nodded understanding, but murmurs began to spread among the others again, until the samurai who had been speaking up blinked a few times, "What do you mean by that? That I purchase?", he asked.

"Yes, lieutenant. You and your men will be responsible for the purchasing, escorting, distribution of slaves, managing their transition into indentured servitude, and advocating for them, as well as enforcing practical and respectful treatment standards. You and your men will be their voice. You are a liberator.", Shio said with a small smile. The lieutenant nodded, apparently processing on whether this was a punishment, demotion or promotion. It appeared that Shio found his passion about this a sufficient reason to charge him with it.

"Dismissed.", he commanded. And the lieutenants would file out as quickly as they came in.

[Ace Trainer]

Deep in the base of Sanrou, an enormous cavern was used for training the army of Iron. Likely the largest repurposed cavern in the world, perhaps only outdone by the Land of Runes, it saw activity and the presence of training soldiers day in and day out within break for the past thousand year at a minimum. The people in this cavern did nothing but train. The north end of it had be cleared out almost entirely, putting it to half capacity. It was occupied by only two individuals, a single samurai and Mistaki, Shio, the Taishou himself. It wasn't often a Taishou came to train, he'd watch the various trainings and activities and stay involved as a leader, perhaps even walk some samurai through drills, but training among them was uncommon. Shio was no different. Perhaps the idea of training in front of the samurai suggested the Taishou was not a complete warrior. Messaging they wanted to avoid.

He'd been around swords quite a bit, as Taishou. While he was already well aware of how dangerous the weapon could be, he'd found that being around so many samurai that resisting the sword was considered a mighty feat of strength.

"Lieutenant.", he simply said.

Today was going to be a training for exactly that. Proof that the Taishou defied the sword. He understood the mechanics of it. Honestly, most of the samurai would not be able to do more than scratch him purely due to how much stronger than them he was. The young taishou was a force of nature after all. But just as he was an exceptional child, there were exceptional samurai, like the one that stood on the training ground with him. And he had no doubt such a samurai could skewer him given the opportunity.

The lieutenant seemed to understand the direction given to him just by being called by his rank, because he drew his sword and began stalking around the Taishou like a cat eyeing his prey. The sword in his hand would wave through the air, spinning occasionally and making a slight metallic sound as it did so. Shio would cross his arms, close his eyes and attune his ear to the sound, focusing on the samurai. He would flex every muscle in his body, the fibers holding the skin to his musculature tightening, the very cells of his skin compounding against each other. He would focus on it all, the raw strength he had, and remain in place, listening closely.

The samurai would move swiftly and with intent, swinging the sword across Shio's chest with [45 Strength]. It would slide against the shirt he wore and free it from Shio's form. And under it, his skin remained unmarred. "Again.", was all he would say.

Once more another swing, this time at his stomach. Then again, at his neck. Each time, Shio's own body repelling the sword. It seemed he had done it. "ENough.", he'd command, and the lieutenant would stop, huffing heavy breaths. Truly a magnificent Taishou.

[Titan]
B-rank Taijutsu Stance
[Rigid Body]
A mixture of experience and raw strength, Shio is able to harden his body to resist slashing and stabbing attacks. By standing still and focusing his strength, he is able to treat any strike that is meant to cut or stab him by what is effectively -6 strength. This does not reduce the force of them impact, however, but makes it harder to cut him. So long as he remains still he can remain in this resistant state. Attacks that are a surprise, or specifically designed to cut through defenses are not effected by this reduction.

[Ace Trainer]

With one technique mastered, it was time to move onto the next technique on the list. The Taishou was a brilliant young shinobi, after all, he had much to do today and he anticipated it would take little more practice than trying once or twice to master most of these techniques. Today he was intending to display to the samurai that his skill transcended what was required to beat the previous Taishou. After all, he'd used genjutsu in the fight, which had served him quite well. The samurai were experienced with shinobi so it was likely they knew this, but they accepted the results and he took the seat none-the-less.

The next technique he was training would not be much more difficult than the previous. Similar in application and execution, it would require him to simply keep his body tight and firm, resistant to the outside world. His immense power condensed into his small body, layers upon layer of muscles stacked to protect him. It was impressive how such a small boy was capable doing, but shinobi knew how to focus chakra into raw strength to supplement themselves so perhaps Shio was not quite as strong as he came off anyways.

He gestured towards the lieutenant, who would take down his sword and instead pick up a club. The lieutenant would swing the club in his hands a few times, and Shio would gestured for him to pause before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. Tightening his core, he focused first on his forehead, then gradually moved his mind through his body. Each part of his body tightening and contracting to form an armor of muscle under his skin. The purpose of this technique was to protect from blunt force damage, it meant being firm and still. Being a force of nature himself. Finally, Shio would nod, then perform another exhale repeating the process in his mind.

The samurai would swing the club once more, then approach Shio, swinging the club against the young boys core with all his strength. The boom from the impact would echo through the training grounds capturing the attention of people on the other side of the canyon. But Shio remained still. The samurai would follow with another strike to Shio's side, then to his chest, then to his back. Shio's eyes watching the samurai dart around him trying to find an opening. He'd finally go in for the last swing and Shio would weave out of the way, grabbing the samurai's wrist. "We're good.", he instructed. Another technique complete.


[Goliath]
B-rank Taijutsu Stance
[Rigid Body]
A mixture of experience and raw strength, Shio is able to harden his body to resist the damage of blunt attacks meant to cause bruising or broken bones. By standing still and focusing his strength, he is able to treat any strike that is meant to cause blunt or breaking damage by what is effectively -6 strength. This does not reduce the power of slashing or glancing blows, but makes it harder to cause bruising or internal damage. So long as he remains still he can remain in this resistant state. Attacks that are a surprise, or specifically designed to cut through defenses are not effected by this reduction.

[Ace Trainer]

Shio clasped his hands together, gesturing towards the lieutenant's sword, indicating for him to take it back up. Following the instruction, the lieutenant picked up the sword and began to approach the Taishou. "For these next ones, I'll mostly be refining existing techniques and stuff that I already use. It just needs to be sorted out and condensed into a proper style. So, we're going to start with some parries. I just want you to come at me. I'll do the rest.". He took a moment, eyeing the samurai up for a moment and then took a defensive stance.

The lieutenant seemed to take that as an invitation, because he saw Shio take the stance and proceeded forward. The attack was simple, coming forward with the sword, then swinging it at Shio's left side. Shio would read the attack, it wasn't intended to be an ultra powerful one and was easy enough to anticipate. As it came, Shio would through his arm up to guard the strike, then swing his opposing arm at the lieutenants ribcage, knocking him off balance and sending him tumbling off to the side.

The samurai would stand, and return, charging at Shio once more. This time he would swing the sword upwards at Shio, aiming to slice across his midsection. Once more, Shio would step to the side, and parry the blow with his arm into the opponents arm. As quickly as that strike came, another would come at the samurai's shoulder, once more knocking him from his balance and sending him tumbling. Shio would gesture for him to return, and the lieutenant would give a frustrated huff and return to his feet. Nodding in response to his Taishou, he charged again.

This time, his sword came unsheathed and then swung downwards at Shio. It was a strong strike and came quite fast. Shio would throw an arm up to guard, parrying away the strike and this time rotating his forearm around it to put the arm in a lock. As quickly as that would happen, he would then buckle his own body, and swing a leg into the samurai's knees, sending him sprawing forward with nothing to support himself. Shio's size would lend to his favor in this situation, allowing him to very easily move into this position and then tumble out of the way as the samurai collapsed to the ground.

This time he'd hold a hand out. "Next.", he'd command.


[Balance]
D-rank Taijutsu Maneuver
[Toppling Gilgamesh]
A core component of the style, any time the user parries an attack, they will strike the opponent in the same direction the technique is being parried, throwing the target off balance. This will often be enough to throw the target to the ground.

[Ace Trainer]

"Its all the same again.", Shio instructed. Simple enough, it just meant he wanted to lieutenant to continue attacking him. The lieutenant didn't seem to pleased with this, but he also wasn't taking his time in following the orders. Being asking to train with the Taishou was an honor, and Shio had chosen him for some reason after all, right? If anything, this was an opportunity to learn. He knew the young Taishou was strong, but the talent being displayed in front of him would perhaps help him understand just how strong the Taishou truly was. What they were going over were rather simple maneuvers, so perhaps the Taishou was just training to ensure he had these skills properly trained. But the way he moved...well, he expected this was gearing up towards something.

As instructed, the lieutenant gave a quick Hai, and pulled the sword into the sheath. Taking a moment, he would jolt his body forward and move on the Taishou. Ripping the sword for it's sheath, he'd swing horizontally across Shio's body. As quickly as the attack came, Shio responded, the swing across his body would be parried upwards. Unlike previously, however, the Taishou would move forward, grabbing the now flailing arm with one hand, and gripping the samurai's armor with the other. Quickly, he'd thrust the samurai to the left, flipping his body over and onto the ground.

"Again.", he commanded, taking several steps back to give the samurai space. What incredible power his had. A small huff from the samurai, then back to his feet. This was just as much training for him as it was the Taishou. Perhaps he would be able to land one blow on the samurai leader before the end of their training. Once more, he came forward as instructed. This time, the sword would swing from his right side. Anticipating that the taishou would be parrying, he tried to do an upwards diagonal strike, hoping to catch the taishou unprepared. Shio seemed unbothered however, and would take a single step into the strike, ducking and throwing his arm into it to parry the side of the blade. Lowered, he would throw his arm around the samurai's waist, and thrust his body forward, throwing him to the ground, and standing straight up.

"Thats well enough.", was all he would say. Taking several steps back to allow the samurai to recover, it seemed he was done with this move too.

[Grapple]
D-rank Taijutsu Maneuver
[Toppling Gilgamesh]
A core component of the style, when the user parries an attack, they will grab the attacker and thrust them to the ground in whatever direction they were parried.

[Ace Trainer]

Shio took a moment, looking down at his feet while he thought through this. He wanted to ensure he was able to leverage his size against his opponent. He'd often done this in fights, taking advantage of his small size to get into the interior of the opponent's fight box and keep them off guard. He had ways of doing that now, so it was more about keeping the opponent on the ground at this point. Despite his small size, Shio was more strong than he was fast. Getting opponents on the ground where they would have less mobility to dodge was key to that.

For now, he's focus on that aspect of the moveset. Establishing ways to keep the opponent on the ground was key, so he'd go from there. "We're only doing this once.", he instructed the lieutenant. The lieutenant would give a arched brow in response, suggesting he wasn't entirely sure what was coming. Nonetheless, he would follow the orders from his Taishou. As Shio gave a gesture for him to come forward, the samurai would cautiously sheath his blade, nod, and prepare a stance.

Suddenly, he'd burst forward, unsheathing the sword and pulling it back. It seemed this time he was going for just a direct attack against the Taishou. Simple enough. Shio's eyes scanned the samurai and his blade in just a moment, and then a quick interior step, and his foremar would move forward along the flat face of the blade. He'd slap it back, then rotate his arm around the samurai, bending the elbow back to force the sword to drop. As quickly as he did that, he'd throw his knee into the samurai's gut and force his body downward. Flipping them both over as the toppled into the ground.

Now was the moment. He'd twist his body, rotating his torso to be flat against the lieutenants, and stretch his arm out forward to lock the lieutenants free shoulder in place. The other arm being held down by Shio's body. Finally Shio's other arm would reach out, pinning the samurai's left leg down. Over all, despite his small size, Shio seemed to have control over the samurai lieutenant. Immediately he began trying to overpower the Taishou, but found himself unable to do so. It seemed the position was just not advantageous for him. Finally, Shio would dismount, standing up and nodding at the lieutenant as he did the same and brushing him off.

"More to do.", was all the instruction he offered. They weren't done yet.


[Side Control]
C-rank Taijutsu Stance
[Toppling Gilgamesh]
Should an opponent be on the ground in the supine position, the user will mount the opponent placing their chest at a 90 degree angle against the target’s chest. In this stance, the user is exerting their strength against the opponent to prevent them from getting up, and leave the user in the dominant position to defend against strikes, giving the target [-3 Speed].

[Ace Trainer]

As the samurai recovered, his rubbed his forehead for a moment, preparing himself for more of this grappling the Taishou was engaging in. He'd seen fighting styles like this before, and ground fighting was not uncommon in the barracks of young samurai wanting to test their mettle. He understood why the Taishou wanted to use a fighting style like this, it maximized the advantage he had with his size and strength, it was a helpful way to really be able to get into your opponent. Not to mention, shinobi tended to emphasize agile, large scale combat with a lot of moving. A fighting style like this took away that advantage which would greatly serve the Taishou. Resheathing his sword, he undid the belt holding the sheath in place and took a moment to crack his knuckles. Very well, if the Taishou was going to train this way, so would he.

He waited for Shio to gesture for him to come forward, taking a deep breath to prepare himself. Shio, likewise, was taking a moment to brace himself mentally. He had one mount down, but he would need a few, and different ways to mount and pin opponents. Especially in the world of shinobi, so many had special attributes that made them less than easy to keep in place in situations like this. He would need to be prepared. Finally, he gestured for the samurai to come forward. His lieutenant would spring forward, pulling back a fist and throwing it directly at Shio's chest.

Shio quickly side stepped, grabbing the attack and thrusting the lieutenants arm upwards. Followed by another step, and an elbow into the back, he would grab the arm and force it to the side, causing the lieutenant to topple over as he fell. As quickly as he defend, Shio descended, forcing his knee into the lieutenants gut and then quickly adjusting his body backwards. Despite his small size, Shio was quickly able to adjust, pinning both elobws into the dirt just below the lieutenants elbows. His ankles would lock into the space between the lieutenants thighs and leverage them apart to prevent the lieutenant from putting up a guard.

He held the lieutenant for a moment, staring down at him with empty eyes as the lieutenant samurai tried to struggle out from the hold. But he was locked in place, and when Shio was finally confident this was the case, he would stand and take a few steps back, allowing the lieutenant to compose himself. This training was going quick.

[Full Mount]
B-rank Taijutsu Stance
[Toppling Gilgamesh]
Should an opponent be on the ground in the supine position, the user will mount the opponent, placing their rear in the opponent's hips, and both knees into the opponent's armpits. While in the full mount stance, a number of techniques become usable. While in this position, the opponent suffers [-6 Strength] due to the restriction of their body.

[Ace Trainer]

A lull would break in the training as a young blonde haired boy would descend down to the training ground, having come from somewhere up above. There were many winding halls and pathways in Sanrou, some of which were defunct as the cavern village had expanded. However, Kesu's knack for getting to places previously unreachable made it easy for him to seemingly pop out of no where. Shio would gesture towards the lieutenant he was training with indicating that he could take a break, a relief for the young lieutenant. Shio would approach Kesu, crossing his arms behind his back and waiting for the young attendant. Kesu smiled softly, nodding at his Taishou, "Your generals will be here soon. They were expecting a meeting regarding Seikoujo.", he quickly explained.

Shio nodded, "Well, guess we'll have it here.", he said with a casual shrug. Kesu would hand him the cap of the Taishou, which Shio would adorn in preparation for the meeting. This was a less than formal meeting, but perhaps meeting on the training ground made sense for such a militant society. He would ponder on this for a moment as the group of generals approached the emptied training grounds. They'd enter single file, forming a semi-circle facing their Taisho, each kneeling as they took their position. Shio would gesture towards them, then sit, indicating for each to follow as he did so.

"So, are preparations ready for Seikoujo?", he asked simply, looking to one of the generals specifically as he asked.

The general would nod, "The forces that will be establishing it have been selected. A number of families to be seed families have also been selected. All of children nearing adulthood, there are a variety of skilled workers among them. They are prepared to be the first families of Seikoujo. We have began moving materials out to the region it will be established. The large plateau in the Shinku woods will be a defensible position and work as a good location to begin spreading out through the country.", he delivered this information rather flatly, and would immediately quiet down when he was finished, keeping his eyes locked on the Taishou.

Shio nodded thoughtfully at the summary, "Great. And the laborers?", he'd asked, turning his attention to another general.

This was the lieutenant that Shio had previously placed in charge of the new slavery that was present in Iron Country. Slavery was something of a violent word though, one Shio did his best to avoid around the kinder ears among them. This lieutenant, now a general, had been the first to speak up in opposition of integrating such a practice into the country, so Shio thought it was appropriate for him to be charged with it. Now was his turn to speak, "Yes, many of those that we have brought into the country have integrated rather seamlessly. There are also some among the selected troops for the establishment of Seikoujo. They understand the terms of their eventual citizenry. When given the option, most expressed a desire to remain in Sanrou, which was granted per your guidance. The remaining will help in establishing Seikoujo in exchange for larger plots of lands when their contract expires. This was well received.", he was less flat in his delivery than his peer. The way he spoke was a mixture of relief and cautious optimism, perhaps he was enjoying being a liberator more than he expected.

Shio ran a finger along the brim of the cap he was wearing, and then finally nodded. "Very well.", he pondered more, "I'd like you to burn the previous establishments in the country to the ground. All of them. Start with Nukumi, but do the rest as well.", he instructed. Almost immediately glances began to move between the generals. "I do not want the people who abandoned Fur to return. The land is uncontested currently, but we are nestled between to arms of Earth Country, where many of the people who were native to Fur Country would have fled to. Earth has little incentive to re-cease the land from us. Instigating another battle after the Great War has only just ended would be irresponsible, and it is not a well kept secret that I have no ill-will towards my home country so Earth surely sees me as a potential ally, or at best not an enemy. But if the native people of Fur began to want their land back it could prove troublesome. Burn it to the ground so thy have nothing to come back to.", the logic was sound.

The first general that had spoken nodded, "Hai. That can be done. I'll dispatch teams immediately to handle that while we continue to prepare for the establishment of Seikoujo. I anticipate foundations will be laid and it will be liveable by the end of the month. Creating of an academy will take slightly longer.", he explained.

Shio nodded understanding, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he seemed to be contemplating something else.

"You all should be prepared. In the coming months a lot will be happening. And I anticipate the world at large will not be happy with its actions. Trust that your Taishou is acting for the benefit of Iron, however.", he said rather flatly, "The world is encroaching on this way of life. And I have an obligation as your leader to defend it. What I will be leading us through in the coming months will be in intentional defiance of anything that stands in the way of that obligation.", he said with finality.

Silence would linger in the air between the group for a fair amount of time, and eventually he would stand, "Dismissed.", he instructed. They would quickly stand, filing out of the small training arena. Shio would turn to Kesu, "We will need to refine our plans. Everything will need to go exactly as intended. I believe we should move on Tides and create a tie with the Kuruma before engaging in too much else. I want them primed and prepared to move to Seikoujo the moment the pathway is set for them.", he said, his eyes drifting up towards the ceiling as he thought through the process.

"Everything with Iron and Kishakisei is in place. We'll be in motion soon.", he'd nod towards Kesu, then take a few steps. It was time to return to training.

[Ace Trainer]

With the meeting over, Shio would gesture towards the samurai that had been practicing with him, guiding him to return to the ring they were training it. He was a little more exciteable now, seemingly refreshed from the break from the Taishou's berating of his body. Shio gave a respectful nod, and then a bit of a sigh as the samurai would prepare himself. The meeting was still on his mind, he was making moves with Iron Country, and while they were good for his people he wondered what the larger rammifications would be. Nestled into a little corner of Earth Country, Shio often considered the implications of gaining too much power, and how Earth Country specifically might think about seeing a super power raising so close to it's grasp. If it came down to it, what Shio saw a potential ally could very easily turn into an enemy. And that wouldn't be good. He'd try to shake the thought from his head, returning to the training before him. If that reality did come to be, he would need to be at his best. "We're going to pick up the pace a little.", Shio explained to him. "Do not be afraid to tap out if you need to. This is training but you're a good soldier and I don't want to actually hurt you.", he pushed his glasses up. The samurai looked at his leader with a concerned frown, but gave an affirmative nod, seemingly understanding the instruction.

Shio would take a few steps backwards, apparently centering his mind as he thought about what he was going to need to do here. He thought about the moves he was going to be doing, they were simple enough in theory. He would be attacking the samurai and break through his guard in order to establish a mount. As they fell, he'd transition into a new mount - the back mount, which would be the strongest mount he'd have in his arsenal. Getting into the back mount wouldn't be easy, but once he was in it he'd be able to position himself into doing the rear naked choke on the samurai, and then mime through the execution attack associated with it. It would be far from easy, especially with this rather strong trainee.

He'd remain still, going through the motions over and over in his head, he wouldn't want to have to do this too many times, particularly because putting the trainee in a rear naked choke too many times would dramatically reduce the efficacy of the training purely as he would just become pretty exhausted. He'd get 2, maybe 3 shots at this before they'd need to take a break and if Shio was being honest with himself he just wasn't interested in doing that much training. He had things to attend to, this would likely be the last exercise the pair would do for the day before going to handle other business.

Finally he would adjust his stance, shifting a foot forward and rotating his core just slightly to cant his body away from the samurai. "Ready?", he asked, which was less a question and more a indication that Shio was ready. The samurai would nod and Shio would take a final breath bfore lunging his body forward.

He was intentional in his first attack, running forward and doing a powerful punch directly at the samurai's gut, the samurai would block it (somewhat easily infact), and he body would slide backwards. Before he would get a chance to recover, Shio would leap into the air and come fall through the air down on the samurai in front of him. This would be the first part, he would need to connect and get a grab on his target. The samurai seemed to view Shio's descent as a relatively easy attack to block because he would flourish with his sword. This is what the assault mount was for though, and as the sword swung through the air Shio would meet it with his hand, knocking it back and throwing his knees into the samurai's chest. The samurai would stumble backwards and Shio would grab his shoulder, throwing his legs around the samurai's body as he began to fall to the ground. It was almost successful, he just needed one more strike. He'd bring his forearms together, dropping his elbows on the samurai's head, and then collapsing his arms around his head in order to rotate the samurai's body.

Finally they would fall to the ground and Shio would force him into the proper prone position. It had worked, the assault mount was successful. That easily too! He couldn't get distracted now though, while he was in the back mount it wasn't the proper grip and the samurai he was trying to restrain was struggling against him, trying to force himself up to throw Shio off of his back.

This part would be harder, Shio's legs had wrapped around the samurai's stomach, making them a bit to high for a proper back mount and making it difficult for him to latch his feet around the samurai's thighs. Every time the samurai forced himself up, Shio would thrust an elbow into his shoulder blades, causing him to collapse back to the ground. Shio needed to figure out how to adjust his body down into the proper back mount. This time, when the samurai lifted, Shio would release one leg, then shove a open hand into the samurai's ribcage, causing him to release an audible groan and lean over to the opposite side. This would give Shio space to adjust one leg back and then pull the samurai's body up, adjusting the other leg. Finally wrapped around the samurai's waist, he'd roll to the side, sliding his feet into the space between the thigh and latching them together. The samurai would throw an elbow at Shio's face that would hit him on the side of the head. It hurt, but in that moment Shio could slide his arms into the samurai's armpits and then behind his neck.

Forcing the samurai back prone, Shio paused for a moment, leveraging all his strength against the samurai who was now effectively immobile. It had worked.

He would pause for a moment, next was the transition into the choke. With his current position, this wouldn't be too hard, he just had to transition before the trainee could get a strike on Shio. With a soft release of breath, Shio would drop one hand from behind the samurai's neck releasing the arm he had pinned. The samurai would swing and Shio would slam and elbow into the back of his head. In that instant, he would slide his arm forward, wrapping it around the samurai's neck. The samurai seemed to realize instantly what was happening because he'd place his free hand against the ground and push upwards, trying to throw Shio off of him. Shio would release his legs, allowing the samurai to roll so that Shio was on his back under the samurai. He flailed his legs, attempts to get some strike on the Taishou to get him to release.

But it was too late, Shio could feel it. Using his other hand he'd move it to the top of the samurai's head, trying to pull his entire skull back so he could adjust his arms against the samurai's neck. When it happened, he felt a small gap and would force into it, flexing his arm and tightening his grip. The samurai would relax for a moment, pausing as he seemed to be assessing his options. Then he would flail again, swinging backwards at the small boy he had pinned down. He'd roll once more, getting to his knees as Shio would wrap his legs around the samurai's stomach to keep himself in place and stop him from being thrown off.

Shio had him in place, now it was time for the final move. The neck break. OF course, Shio wasn't actually going to kill this samurai, absolutely not. But the fundamental nature of the technique was easy enough to practice without actually killing him. He would slowly begin leveraging weight against one side of the samurai's head. He could feel the boy getting weaker as his oxygen was running out but he hadn't tapped yet, which was good enough for Shio to manage execute the attack. He just had to leverage enough force that the neck would snap. He wouldn't actually do that, but he needed to make sure he knew how to leverage his strength in this position to actually do that. As the samurai's struggle got increasingly weaker, Shio would crank harder and hard, forcing his neck more and more to the side.

Finally a weak couple of taps against Shio's elbow, and he would quickly release the samurai, catching his body as he collapsed. Letting him lie on the ground, Shio took a moment to look at him before taking a few steps away. The whole sequence had been effective, and he was sure he'd be able to use it in combat. He'd likely practice it a few more times, with other samurai, or in live training perhaps. But the fact of the matter was the basics had been sorted out, and he'd very easily be able to use it in combat. This wasn't enough though, he'd need more skills. After a few more things on his agenda, Shio would need to explore just what secrets were held in Iron country. He'd pat the young samurai on the back as the boy sat up, "Take some time, recover. You did great.", is all the Taishou would offer before picking up his things an wandering off.

SpoilerShow

[Assault Mount]
B-rank Taijutsu Maneuver
[Toppling Gilgamesh]; [Guard] or [Full Mount] or [Back Mount] or [Side Control]
Best used on unsuspecting targets, but can be used when the opening is appropriate, the user will jump and descend on the target. As they’re descending, the user will kick away any attempts at defending, throwing their full weight and strength into the target. As they make contact, the user will move into one of the Mount or [Guard] stances, throwing the target onto the ground and stunning them into a grapple.

[Back Mount]
A-rank Taijutsu Stance
[Toppling Gilgamesh]
One of the most dominant stances in the style, when the opponent is on the ground in the prone position, the user will mount the target, wrapping their legs around the targets hips and upper thighs, and arms through the opponents armpits and on their necks. In this position, the target is greatly reduced in both their mobility and their ability to exert strength, giving them [-3 Strength] and [-6 Speed]. In this stance, a number of techniques become usable.

[Rear Naked Choke]
B-rank Taijutsu Maneuver]
[Toppling Gilgamesh][Back Mount]
While in the Back Mount position, the user will transition to have the pit of their elbow over the target’s adam apple, pinching both carotid arteries with their bicep and forearm. Once in this position, the target does not have to remain in the back mount, and the user will often let the target move more freely in this position. Should the user have +10 Strength than the target, the target will typically instantly pass out. Should the user have more strength than the target, the target will typically pass out after 2 posts. Should the user’s strength be equal to or less than the target’s strength, the target will pass out after a number of posts equal to the difference +2.

[Neck Break]
A-rank Taijutsu Maneuver
[Toppling Gilgamesh][Rear Naked Choke]
While in the [Rear Naked Choke], should the target pass out, or be stuck in the choke for more than 4 posts, the user can leverage the target’s depleting strength, and crank at their neck then suddenly jerk. In most cases, this will result in the breaking of the target’s neck and the severing of their spinal cord, killing them.

[Ace Trainer]

Since taking the seat of Taishou, Shio had been told there were a number of secret archives created by prior Taishou's, their disciples and so forth. To a degree, SHio had felt some hesitancy about accessing these archives. While Shio was a strong child, he did not like to always engage in direct hand to hand combat. Even if he had usurped the previous Taishou in such a way, his speciality was genjutsu. But, it was becoming increasingly obvious that Shio would need to become an even more capable fighter. Perhaps he was a monster among other monsters, but he was realizing that perhaps he did not have as much leverage as he thought. He had found himself pondering how he could increase his own strength, genjutsu was such a powerful tool, especially when doing with non-shinobi, that it was hard to think about what else he would truly need...

Deep under Sanrou, there was little light. The use of bioluminscent moss - much like what was used throughout Sanrou - was common here, but was less regularly tended to and a fair amount of it was dying away. Shio had lit a number of torches in the small library he was in. And was sitting among a number of book that had been left open and strewn about around him. Many of these books were things that felt like they were effectively diaries, the different Taishou's internal musing and monologues about their duties and responsibilities, what was happening, their love lives even. It was certainly interesting, but hardly helpful in his current issue. But, the point of these archives was security for the Taishou, accessing them was not something any else could do. In a way, he felt a bit of unity here, he was among the ideas and thoughts of the only people who shared his station and the burden of responsibility they had, surely they would understand the issue he was facing now, and that brought him a sense of peace.

Aimi had easily been the first recognition of that. The Daimyo of Gold so effortlessly exuded an enormous amount of power. Having seen the end of their training even, Shio had quickly guaged that Aimi was in control of an enormous amount of power, more than Shio could have ever guessed. He wouldn't have admitted it in the moment, but when he caught the samurai Aimi had launched back, Shio recognized immediately Aimi could have torn Shio in half in a moment's notice should he had so chosen. Surely, Shio had other skills and he had no doubt he could stand on par with Aimi, but if it came down to a fist fight, Shio wouldn't have stood a chance. This was scary for a few reasons, but most of all the fact that Shio was not entirely sure he and Aimi were as closely aligned as he had once thought. Aimi had, after all, attacked Kirigakure. News to Shio, and not the good type. Shio had hoped to have a somewhat positive relationship with his home at some point, but an alliance with Aimi would put that under stress, or the inverse. He didn't relish the idea of fighting the Kaguya, and thought it would be unlikely even if their relationship was strained, but he would certainly need to be prepared for the worst.

He would approach the wall in front of him, thumbing through the various books, scrolls, and pages on the shelf until he came across a book with metal binding. Pulling it from the shelter the metal cover would creak open, revealing pages that had been meticulously written in. The other stuff he had read had an air of simplicity to them, a collection of thoughts and musings. This writing however was deliberate, there were no drawings in the margins, but instead purposeful writing that was clearly meant to guide the reader through it. The title read nothing but Commander.

Yoru concerned Shio as well. The man he'd met as Daremo was clearly no longer a missing ninja and returned to his homeland. Shio had learned of some of Yoru's alleged crimes that had gotten him in the bingobook, so he found himself surprised that Yoru had been welcomed home. Through what means that was accomplished was beyond Shio, and he was certain the day would never come that he'd find out. But it meant that Yoru's allegiance to Shio, which was largely a means to continued survival, was a little more tenuous and a little less necessary. Perhaps one day Yoru would be on the run from his village again, but until then Yoru had support and backing that could easily make him dangerous. Did Shio have the capacity to take on Yoru? He wasn't sure, and he had become confident this wasn't something he wanted to find out.

He would slowly thumb through the pages of the Commander book, gradually becoming more and more impressed with the writing. This was not a training manual, nor a guide line to a fighting style. It was more a meticulous record of a great power that many Taishou had been favored to call their own. Shio had heard the stories, of the enormous battle might of an enraged Taishou, how the king of Iron could explode into a fury and rage that made him unmatched. And he'd be told of the incredible longevity Taishou's, how some sat on the throne for entire lifetimes and more and would only fall when challenged. How they held incredible might in them. It was impressive, he realized, how few Taishou's there had been in the long millenia that the Land of Iron had existed.

Fuhen was a cause of worry for the young lord as well. Meeting him had been a battle of wits and politics just as much as it was a formality. They had spent much of their meeting navigating the conversation to try and get a tab on each other, and Shio worried that he had not been successful by the end of it. Fuhen had, tentatively, agreed to join Kishakisei, which was a relief. But it was hard to tell if he had done so to Shio's benefit, and how it would play out over time. Fuhen's philosophical and ideological disposition was clearly in opposition to Shio's, but they had mutual benefit in working together, or at least assuring each other that they would if one needed it. But, just as easily the day could come where Shio was what Fuhen felt the need to protect the world from, and Shio was not sure he could stand up to the legends he had heard.

His eyes darted through the pages of the metal book, what an incredible history this was. No wonder Iron had lasted so long, no wonder the Taishou was so respected. The power recorded in this book was unlike any other. It was coming together in his head now, maybe the Taishou was not the single reason Iron had risen to such a powerful international stage, but it was certainly a big part of it. Such a power to have, passed down not through training but through text. Suddenly, the idea of seizing the Iron Throne made a lot more sense. One needed the desire and thirst for the authority to be able to hold this position, and consequently this power. The power of the Taishou was not being explicitly stated, but instead describe through canon after canon of the Taishou's greatest accomplishments, and the wisdom and understanding it brought them.

Perhaps a greater threat to Shio than all his peers, however, was the very reason he had sought them out. The Grand 5, in all their glory, could at any point recognize the threat Shio, or Aimi, or Fuhen, was to them and elect to band together to wipe them out. The ones he had met at Heiji day, as relaxed as they were, were like that because they had great power on their own. They had the power to wipe out cities on all their own, much as those in Kishakisei did. What would it look like for the boy to face off against the emperor of the Lightning Empire - if thats what he was? Or the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure? Or the Hokage flanked by Shio's own comrade? These were real, tangible threats to the security of Iron Country. Threats that Shio would be one of the only people in the world capable of keeping at bay. He would need to be stronger.

Finally, he reached a page in the metal book and found that there was no more text inscribed in it. The most recent thing documented in it from his direct predecessor. This is where Shio would need to pick up. With the story of how he came to be Taishou. He'd take a pen and dip it in ink, writing into the book with same deliberate and cautious nature every Taishou before him had done. He explained where he came from and how he came to hold the title. He wrote in great detail anything he could think. His thoughts into the changes he made, what had brought him to it, and how Iron would benefit. Perhaps hours would pass, the torches he had brought with him had grown dim by time he finished. He paused for a moment, and the shut the book.

Shio now understood the power of the Commander

[Ace Trainer]

Training with genjutsu was a little bit harder in Sanrou than taijutsu. Anywhere he went Shio could find somoene who was a capable and competent hand-to-hand fighter than he could engage with for training. But genjutsu, well, Shio was essentially the only person in several hundred miles that knew how to use it. Maybe that was a slight exaggeration, surely there were some samurai who were skilled in defending against the art, who had picked up a trick or two while fighting shinobi. But there was a reason they were samurai, not shinobi, and their skills were just not designed to be good training partners for genjutsu. Michi and Kesu were also not ideal options - partially because they were so young and fragile. Shio putting them in genjutsu was....well a bit cruel to a point. It didn't make sense to put them through that. So, Shio had to get innovative in training genjutsu. The samurai had a pain discipline training they used to increase their soldiers endurance. To a degree, Shio felt it was cruel. But, it was convenient for this purpose. The samurai were exposed to high levels of intense pain at regular intervals. Shio could use this to do genjutsu on individuals, allowing them to break out of it without using kai, and be prepared to be caught in another set.

It would work.

He would start off with something simple. Well, simple for him. A new status technique. The large heated room had several samurai sitting on the specialized chairs, which delivered some sort of stimulation that caused intense pain. They would all be caught in this first technique. It was actually quite simple in effect, one meant to caught doubt and questioning in his targets. Shio had learned rather quickly in all the training with the samurai that even a moments hesitations could be the difference between life or death. He'd known it as a shinobi, but the world of the samurai was so exact and precise that it meant even more to them. This genjutsu would capitalize on that.

Shio felt a strange dichotomy in him as he started to shape his chakra. Usually when training genjutsu, particularly status, he would try to emulate the feelings he was hoping to embed them into the chakra. But this genjutsu was meant to create doubt, a feeling of second guessing and questioning. To make someone think anything they were doing was a mistake. Feeling that way while doing something intentional was purposefully difficult, that was the aim of the technique after all. He would continue to focus the chakra, compartmentalizing his brain and tellin himself to question things while continuing on with the shaping of his chakra. He would feel it moving into his hands as he began to finish the shape. With a quick surge he would clap, releasing the chakra and letting the sound ring through the room. He'd pause, then look at the three samurai seated before him, "Well?", he'd ask.

They would look between each other, pausing, seemingly unsure of what to answer. One would open his mouth to speak, only to then pause and then stop, not making whatever comment he was going to. Shio gave a small smile and then a light laugh, nodding. It seemed the genjutsu had worked, "Thats alright.", he said. The genjutsu had worked. It was unsurprising, he had always been good at genjutsu, it had come to him naturally. Suddenly a surge of energy would seemingly move through the room, and the samurai would each give tight groans that they were clearly attempting to restrain. Shio could feel the genjutsu release from each of them, and would give a relieved nod. Well, that was one jutsu complete. But there was more to do.

The next genjutsu would be easier, he could easily envision the effect he was hoping to achieve. Once again, this technique had been inspired by his samurai, who he had seen training in groups. Being able to make it hard to differentiate allies and enemies was a key skill in disrupting coordinated attacks. While it could counter samurai, it would work well against shinobi as well. He knew how he'd go about it. But erasing identity wasn't exactly an easy task. There were so many ways in which a person could be identified. As his chakra began to swell in his gut, he would start focusing on the different parts that he would want to erase. First was the face, he'd imagine the face slowly erasing away into a blur. Then the sound of their voice to follow, warbled and vague. Then their scent, the chakra signatures, their gait, everything about them. A person transforming into a shadowy blur and nothing else. That is what he needed to create. It wouldn't be hard now that he had the image.

He would go up to the two closest samurai, releasing a small surge of chakra towards them to activate sensory in them. Then, he'd cough, bringing their attention to him. Right as they did, he'd release the chakra, initiating the genjutsu in the two as they sensed them. The genjutsu would surge into them, and Shio could feel it taking place. Both would look at him, blinking, clearly confused for a moment. Then they'd look at each other, then back at Shio. "Taishou-sama is that you?", one would ask. He wasn't sure, good.

Shio would nod, Yes", but the samurai didn't seem convinced, and looked even more confused continuing to look at Shio with doubt on his face, "You're lying.", he said, but clearly not confident. What Shio had done to them had worked. Suddenly, the same surge of energy would move through the room and once again the three samurai would give tense, muffled groans as they tried to ignore whatever pain they were experiencing. Shio would give a thoughtful nod towards them, not really giving much support but at least acknowledging it was happening. They would be freed from the genjutsu again, and Shio would begin thinking about the last genjutsu he had planned. Once again, this had been inspired by the samurai. With Shio engaging more and more in hand to hand combat, he needed a way to incorporate genjutsu to benefit him. This new technique was a way to do that, he would focus on creating pain, more doubt and distracting into his opponents while they were fighting.

He would formulate the chakra in his stomach again, focusing on its shape as he thought about the effect he was wanting to create. It would be easy, each touch, pain. Really, he'd want the pain just like the samurai were experiencing now. It would be shocking, paralyzing even, for someone not expecting it. Especially when compounded with Shio's own strength. He tried to envision the feeling, pain in every membrane, across every cell. It would be horrendous. He could create that easily enough.

The chakra would surge to his hands and he would approach the third samurai, reaching forward, "Going to fast track your training...", he said, his voice slightly apologetic already. He would touch the samurai's hand, the chakra surging from his own into the samurai. The genjutsu would initiate and the samurai would release a groan through gritted teeth. Shio would reach with the other hand, touching the samurai's head. The pain would surge through his body again, another groan. Again Shio would touch his head, an even louder groan. Again. Again. Each time louder, more pained groans. The samurai trying to endure the intense pain.

"Thats enough.", he finally said. "This will be the last one.", he said. Charging his chakra into a chakra kai, he would reach forward, the pain surging through the samurai again with the touch, then the genjutsu being released from him. The next time, he would need to make more pain. But he understood the general nature of the technique, he would be able to taper it up the next time quite easily. Yes, this technique would be fine. All of them would be. The training had gone quickly but Shio was unsurprised. Genjutsu was his deal after all.

SpoilerShow

[Doubt]
A-rank Status Genjutsu
Shio will do a series of hand seals, then clap his hands, initiating the genjutsu in anyone who hears the clap. Anyone caught in this genjutsu will begin to seriously doubt anything they do. Even those with high resolve will find themselves questioning their decisions, often double, triple or even quadruple thinking before doing anything. The genjutsu causes even something as simple as taking a step to tumble into the various and many consequences this could have and how it might play out. While under this genjutsu, making decisions becomes much harder, and fighting seamlessly will often feel impossible for most who are incapable of being confident they're deciding what is the best move. This genjutsu lasts for 5 posts.

[Face Blindness]
A-rank Illusion Genjutsu
Shio will do a series of hand seals, initiating this genjutsu in anyone currently sensing his chakra. While under the effect of this technique, the target is unable to discern identifiable aspects of an individual, or identify who someone is. Everyone around them will be unrecognizeable, by their face, scent, sound of their voice, their chakra signature, or even their gait. While someone saying their name will alleviate this, if the target stops looking at said person for even an instant, they'll once again be unable to identify them. This makes it impossible to track someone while under the effect of this technique. This genjutsu lasts for 5 posts.


[Punishment]
S-rank Illusion Genjutsu
Shio will do a series of hand seals before coming in contact with someone. Should they make contact, this genjutsu will activate in the target. For the next 3 posts, every time they come in contact with Shio, their body will experience a flash of pain as if every nerve has suddenly been set on fire, if only for a moment. This incredible amount of pain is considered unbearable by most, and can be incredibly distracting, and make it virtually impossible to maintain contact with Shio, acting as a deterrent.

[Ace Trainer]

Kesu presented the information Shio had requested in the same quick, precise manner he presented everything else. His arms crossed behind his back, his chin lifted high as he recited information that had been stacked into his brain. How fortunate Shio realized he was that the gifted little boy he had saved from beatings by his family would be as smart as he was powerful. And to have such diligence and reverence for Shio was just a bonus. There had been a number of people Shio had requested information on, their profiles in many ways opposite from what Shio typically had the Kesu scanning reports for. Normally, Shio was on the look out for 'orphans', or so he called them, not that it was a requirement. Young people of great power, much like Kesu and himself, that he could guide into working in Iron and representing him beyond it's border. But, with the work he was going to be doing soon, Shio was instead in search of older people, shinobi, those of the bingo book, and perhaps good enough to stay out of it, that would be able to lend a hand to the mission Kishakisei had been discussing.

There had been a few, names that Shio was all too familiar with from Kirigakure, names he'd heard stories of during the war from Konoha, Iwa and Kumo, and names that he was surprised to learn had been aligned with new places - or even old. It was hard to really pick out what to think, his eyes staring at the ceiling above him as Kesu's speech continued on detailing various people's skillsets and abilities.

"Reports have him best known for the utilization of spiritual summons, and presumably Tenkujutsu in order to control them. An incredibly competent ninjutsu user, he's said to be one of the few capable of using Space-Time techniques, which would place him in ranks alongside your own ability to use Overlay genjutsu. Presumably, as he hails from Sunagakure we can assume he also has access to reserved skills such as Puppetry and advanced iijutsu. The most recent reports suggest he has been reintegrated into the village in some way. The ex-", Kesu would stop as Shio raised a hand indicating for him to.

"He's rejoined Sunagakure?", he asked. Kesu would give a nod and Shio's face would immediately translate into him thinking. This information stood out to him for some reason, "Its interesting, one of my biggest regrets was leaving Kirigakure the way I did, and I've made peace with the reality that I will likely never be able to truly return to my home. But with Yoru having returned, this fellow as well, I find it interesting that so many of us feel the need to return to the places that created us...", he seemed to be thinking out loud, not directing this line of thought at Kesu in any way. "Zao is quite highly regarded in the bingo book, no? If memory serves, a number of reports listed him as needlessly cruel and foul, only to be contradicted by later reports.", he continued, "Maybe some sort of crisis of faith. If he's retuned to the village. Well, with Yoru back in Konoha, perhaps we should be considering having shinobi on the inside of each of the villages as a part of our organization. Myself, Aimi and Nehan marked as missing ninja...Fuhen never to be considered one but a threat none-the-less..well, we don't want to get too big, perhaps people inside Suna, Iwa and Konoha makes the most sense.", he'd push his glasses up, contemplating this.

"Kesu, reach out to Sunagakure for me. Inform them that the Taishou of Iron Country is requesting a formal visit for the purpose of diplomacy, and would like to be escorted by his old friend, their Bannin, Saisuke, Zao. Emphasize that he and I have interacted in the past and my perception of safety and willingness to engage is dependent on friendly faces. Hopefully, his curiosity will be piqued and he won't give them the drop on us. I'll have to sort out the exact nuance on the way and see how amenable he is to...collaboration.", he smiled, standing and moving towards the side of the room to get ready.

"Yes sir, I'll send message out and prepare a squadron for travel.", Kesu would say. A firm nod and the small boy would float out of the room.

[Ace Trainer]

The group of samurai stood in their ranks with their arms crossed behind their backs, the Taishou standing in front of them. "As you all know, I use a shinobi art called genjutsu. I need to test a few mass genjutsu briefly, which you will all be test subjects for. Consider this a test of your will, I encourage you to try and resist my effects.", was all he would say. He imagined this would go quite quickly. These were his specialty, status genjutsu, after all, it wouldn't be too hard.

Channeling chakra he would release a pulse, activating his sage mode in the air around him, and all the samurai gaining access to sensory. Then, he would begin channeling chakra once more, this time for the genjutsu itself. Each of the samurai would have a very minor sense of him charging chakra, the feeling of chakra welling up radiating from him. But, releasing this technique would be easy enough. He just focused on the sleeping feeling he wanted to create in them. Focusing on that tiredness everyone experienced just before bed and embedding it into his chakra. Then, he would smile and release the jutsu. His chakra would deflate, and every samurai would passively sense it, the genjutsu activating in them. "You should feel quite sleepy.", he would tell them. Then, the first samurai would collapse to the ground, then the next, then the next. Within moments, the entire squadron was collapsed on the ground asleep, with the exception of one, who was very clearly fighting to keep himself awake, "You've won.", Shio would say, approaching him.

The samurai would open his mouth to speak, but his eyes would roll back and he'd fall to the ground, snoring.

"One done.", Shio said with a smile.

208/200

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Sleep Tight
A-rank Status Genjutsu
Shio will do the hand seals for this technique then release it, activating the technique. Anyone sensing his chakra when he releases the genjutsu will be caught in it. For the post following this, an overwhelming drowsiness will overcome anyone afflicted with the genjutsu, and if they do not kai out of the genjutsu prior to the end of the post, will fall into a deep sleep. It takes 15 Willpower to resist this effect, and the standard Control to kai it.

[Ace Trainer]

"Wake Up.", Shio commanded, stomping his foot on the ground with such force that it would shake, causing the samurai that had effectively collapsed into a pile on the ground before him to stir. They would quickly panic, and climb over each other to get back to their feet and in line. "Well done. Your comrade here was the last standing.", he said gesturing towards the one samurai that had lasted the longest. Shio would gesture for him to come forward and he would break ranks to stand in front of his Taishou.

It was time to try again, "We're gonna see just how long you last this time.", he said with a smile. He would begin focusing chakra again, thinking about the same sleeping feeling. This one was a little bit different and he would blanket the chakra through his whole body. This technique was contact based, but Shio didn't just want it to be when he touched someone, but if anyone touched him. It would allow him to be able to respond to physical attacks but initiating the genjutsu against anyone who hit him, or conversely, when he was trading blows. It was an advanced form of genjutsu, not one that was incredibly common among even some of the best. With how genjutsu was taught, many didn't even realize they could do genjutsu in such a way. Shio, being one that engaged in close combat however, needed to be able to do this.

Finally, though, the sleeping feeling was welling up in his chest, he knew exactly what he was doing, he'd just done it after all. The technique was ready, so he would reach forward and tap the samurai on the chest, the genjutsu releasing into his chakra system. The samurai would immediately begin to grit his teeth, trying to resisting the sleeping sensation as his eyelids felt heavy. Shio would smile, his eyes glistening through his glasses as he watched. "You're doing good.", he said. The samurai began to sway, clenching his fists as he attempted to resist. And then, he would begin to fall backwards. Quickly Shio would grab him and lower him to the ground, "Any of you think you could outlast?", he asked the squadron with a laugh. One more done.

288/200

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Count Sheep
A-rank Status Genjutsu
Shio will do the hand seals for this technique, activating this technique in the next person he makes contact with. For the post following this, an overwhelming drowsiness will overcome anyone afflicted with the genjutsu, and if they do not kai out of the genjutsu prior to the end of the post, will fall into a deep sleep. It takes 15 Willpower to resist this effect, and the standard Control to kai it.

[Ace Trainer]

Sitting in his chambers, Shio had called for some of his generals to meet with him. He had some stuff to discuss with them, but also needed their presence so he could begin training a new technique. After sending Kesu off to fetch them, he'd sit in the center of the room, crossing his legs and beginning to focus. This technique was relatively simple, and not one he expected to be of much use to him on a regular basis. But when it did come into use, he would need it. It was better to be prepared and not need to be, than not be prepared and regret it, yes? So as he waited, he sat and focused, thinking about what he was trying to accomplish. Training his body to respond for him was never a simple task, but he wasn't trying much. He'd found that as he had gotten stronger he was quite attuned to the power of people around him, especially the exceptionally strong. All he wanted was to be able to notice them quicker, without having to think about it.

This was simple enough to do. With his eyes closed, he'd focus out into the room, and then beyond it. Trying to feel out for the approaching generals, some of the strongest samurai to ever walk the earth. He just wanted to feel their presence and embed that feeling into his body. His hope was that if he became familiar enough with it, the presence would trigger itself passively, without him having to focus. He'd keep focusing, breathing in and out, until finally he'd feel them. Shaking the feeling, he'd close his eyes once more and wait, as the door creaked open his whole body would come covered in goose bumps. Wow, that had been easier than he expected. Settling the feeling, he smiled. "Perfect timing.", he'd call to them. One technique down, a few more to go. But first, there was some business to handle.

SpoilerShow

[Anticipation]
B-rank Taijutsu Discipline
[Perception]
Having spent a great deal of time around exceptionally powerful shinobi and samurai, Shio has become attuned to the physical presence of people with such power. Should anyone with a stat total greater than 200, or a jutsu be cast with more than 40 Control within [Willpower]m of him, Shio’s body will automatically produce goosebumps. Any rank technique meant to mask someone presence will protect them from this technique (I.e; a stance that makes someone appear innocuous, NOT a silent walking technique), as well as a like-rank chakra signature masking technique. This technique does not tell Shio the location, just the general acknowledgment of a threat.

[Ace Trainer]

The seven generals would file into the room, sitting in a half circle in front of the Taishou as he turned to look at them. "I promise to keep this one short.",


Post about Gold country blah blah

[Ace Trainer]

With the meeting complete, Shio would gesture towards one of the generals, asking him to stay while the others left. "If you could walk with me, I'd like to go down to the training grounds. I have a few techniques I'd like to work on, and they're a bit higher scale so I don't want to hurt any of the troops.", he said with a sly smile. The general would give a hesitant but abiding nod.

"Whatever you need Taishou-sama.", he said, clearly part of him curious what the Taishou could possibly want to train that he didn't want to expose the samurai to.

They'd begin to walk, and Shio would mention, "i have one I'll work on along the way.", and would immediately begin channeling chakra as they walked in silence. He knew the first technique would be relatively easy to learn, which is why he was sure he could do it while walk to training, as if it was more casual than anything else he was doing. He would focus on what he was creating, which was really just a feeling of pushing. He'd focus on the feeling of the ground below him as he walked, firm and hard, and try to imagine projecting that out from himself, against anyone around him. It was a pretty easy feeling to anticipate; just a firm wall pushing against you with an incredible strength.

He finish channeling and begin humming, a song from his childhood. Right as the humming started, the general would stop in his pace, looking physically strained as if he was pushing against something. As Shio continued to hum, he would stop walking, cocking his neck to the side as he looked at the general who was very clearly struggling. Finally, he would begin taking steps backwards, seemingly aiming to relieve the force coming against him, to no avail of course. Shio would continue humming, as the general would find himself with his back to the wall. Finally, Shio would stop, and nod, as the general seemed generally surprised at the sudden relief.

"I take it that worked.", he smiled. One more down.

359/300

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Force Push
B-rank Illusion Genjutsu
Shio will do a series of hand seals then make a loud humming sound, as long as he maintains this sound, anyone who hears it will feel a force of [Willpower] strength pushing against them, forcing them backwards if they try to move. This lasts as long as he hums, for up to 4 posts.

[Ace Trainer]

"Seikoujo is nearing completion.", Kesu would inform the Taishou, standing dutifully in front of the young leader. Shio sat on the 'throne' sideways, his legs dangling over the right arm rest, his back against the left. One of his hands was raised in the air, a single locust sitting on his index finger. "The Tribunal of Generals should be here shortly to discuss with you.", Kesu added, "And as you've requested, Io will be joining us as well." With that, Kesu would take several steps to the door, waiting momentarily and then announcing, "They've arrived.", before opening the door and letting in the four guests.

Shio wouldn't adjust in his seat, beckoning the four new arrivals with his free hand as he continued to inspect the locust on his finger. He'd noticed these locusts all throughout Iron, he had not realized they were servants of the Taishou until he had found the record. With the power of the Taishou had came the power of this swarm, and he was still getting used to having them around. He'd used them to rearrange Fur Country from the ground up, seizing control of the land and transforming it to his whim. But even having done that, the power of the swarm felt slightly foreign. Perhaps because he could only wield it while in the Taishou state. The three generals and the one named 'Io', would gather around his seat and kneel before him as was customary, and for a moment silence would hang between them all.

Finally, Shio would wave his hand, the locust lifting into the air and flying off to settle somewhere else in the room. Shio would let out a heavy sigh then rotate in the seat so he was sitting proper. "I'm delighted to inform you that Seikoujo is reaching completion. The workers you have brought into the country have been greatly successful.", he directed this comment to one of the generals in particular, who nodded in response. "As Kesu has handled much of the work and labor associated with the completion of the village, I'm well aware you all are not fully informed of it's purpose beyond a training site. I apologize for having left you in the dark, but you all of important responsibilities and I like to avoid weighing you down with excess.", he mused for a moment before directing his gaze at the sole woman among them - presumably Io.

"As you're all aware, Captain Sesuyaku is our premiere special operation commander. Iron, which has traditionally manage warfare through traditional means, has little use of a special operations command, which is why Captain Sesuyaku has retained the title of Captain in spite of her extraordinary talent. You all respect her as a leader, I have no doubt. This is not an admonishment of Iron, simply an observation. Samurai, of course, operate in warfare quite differently from shinobi, and that has been your strength. However, we are all aware of the changing nature of the world and Iron has to modernize all the same. Seikoujo is that modernization.", he said rather assertively.

"I have assigned Captain Sesuyaku the codename Io, going forward, Io will be in control of Seikoujo. It will operate as the special operations command of Iron Country. There, samurai will train in the art of Qi, o Chakra, and learn to utilize traditional ninja arts. This will be a specialized operational unit. Meant to deploy to highly complex tactical situations that might be less suited for traditional samurai. They will be a response team. Highly focus on black ops, espionage, and otherwise operate as a high level shinobi response force.", he explained. "Io, you and I will work collaboratively to formulate an indepth curricula and training regiment. I expect the same level of expertise, diligence and combat mastery that every other samurai in Iron Country has. Your shinobi will be shinobi, but I expect they will still have hearts of Iron. Every single one of your shinobi should be fully integratable into a samurai unit, and fully integrateable into shinobi units."

Captain Sesuyaku, now dubbed Io, would nod affirmatively, giving a sharp Hai in response to the direction. The other generals were each had soft smiles on their faces, seemingly pleased with her promotion, and the news Shio had given them. "Should we expect any changes to our operations?", one general would ask. General Taio, who was the battalion commander of training and development, this question made sense for him.

Shio would shake his head, "Io will be responsible for identifying a recruitment methodology. I will work with her on this. If you have samurai in your squadrons that are particularly talented in the control of Qi, or would have otherwise been identified for special operations under Io, then you can continue to redirect their training under her as you have in the past. Otherwise, it is likely young samurai will be selected when extraordinary talent is recognized, or for select traits. We will be recruiting clans from minor countries with Kekkei Genkai and they will likely work exclusively through Seikoujo."

Shio would pause, "Going forward, Seikoujo will be known as Kemurigakure, the Village Hidden in the Smoke.", he would stand. Nodding to each of them, and receiving an affirmative nod back, "Dismissed."