[KCW] The Fall

[Nafan~]

Fujiwara continued to spin, and feeling Hayate's movement knew she didn't have quiet as many moments as she had hoped. Her spin tightened and rather than the shoulder her blow landed on his elbow, severing the arm and burning across his body as his fist met her side. She was thrust to the side, spinning through the air until she was caught by the edge of the tent.

As soon as her body hit the canvas with a grunt, two kunai seemed to blossom into existence in each of her shoulders. Banri had waited for them to disengage before hurling the weapons, which now drew severe amounts of blood from the woman.

Fujiwara slid to the ground and began to howl in pain. Being a pampered lady, more suited to the court room than a practice yard, the woman had never felt the pain brought on by such severe injuries. She wailed in incomprehensible anguish, spittle running down her face as she lifted her hands weakly to stare at their shaking in shock.

Hayate's severed arm lay beside her body, blood streaming from it. An arc of lightning suddenly struck out from the gem in the lady's chest, touching and beginning to disintegrate the arm on the ground. It only took a few moments for the electricity to visibly pull the severed limb apart.

OOCShow

Poison is worn off now.

[Taiga]

As the two performed their final moves, the dance finally finished, and the performers parted way. For Hayate, this meant blood went spilling from every which way as his arm was bisected, but merely for a moment, as the lightning cauterized the wound of both his arm and the lower half which was now spinning through the air and to the ground. Hayate fell backward, stumbling for a moment as his damaged arm and side began to feel as if it was bubbling.

With Banri having pinned the woman to the tent, Hayate's eyes looked to his arm... energy arcing off the woman strangely transfixing on his arm. It troubled him. Something about this whole scenario seemed off, and with no doubt, the feeling he had was that Raijin had something to do with things. Taking a deep breath, he channeled his chakra into his lungs and puffed his chest, before releasing multiple streams of wind. When the wind impacted, it would destroy his arm, any lightning in the area, and eviscerate the woman.

And in case it didn't do the job he was standing by to use his other talents. Biting his lip, he simply looked to the other man.

"It's him, Banri. It's Raijin."

usedShow

Fuuton • Dismemberment Destruction
A-Rank Ninjutsu
By channeling chakra into his mouth, Hayate will release a thin 2-inch diameter stream of wind from his mouth that travels in a straight line up to 25 meters away at a speed of 25. Upon impact, the stream will split apart, violently turning into a vortex of wind with a 15 meter radius from the point of impact. The vortex will push anything caught in it between the spinning blades of wind with a strength of 25. Last 1 posts before dissipating.

[Nafan~]

OOCShow

Jsn, you're only like 2-3 metres from her. You'd get caught in the 15 metre radius of this technique.

The blades of wind struck the arm, but the carving of the lost limb only served to speed up its disintegration. The technique expanded quickly, encompassing the entirety of the tent and then some, cutting through the fabric and many soldiers outside. The destruction and bedlam was impressive to say the least. Banri had to leap clear, landing amidst others who stood by in awe. The blades of wind also struck the woman, however, and she was thrown across the ground screaming as the howling gale tore deep gashes in her body. Blood flowed freely across the ground as she lay on her side, gradually progressing closer to death.

After a moment, her head lifted up and began to speak despite her fading consciousness. "Well done Nakajima Hayate. I truly did not expect my acolyte to be able to best you in truth. But thanks to her efforts it will be much easier to return to your world once again in the future. I trust you will await my arrival. It should not be long now. I have almost recovered. This time we will see how you fight against my full power. One Shadow of Lightning could not stand up to it without help before. I doubt you will fare much better.

Then the voice faded, along with the light in Lady Fujiwara's eyes.

Banri made his way forward out of the crowd of soldiers once more, most of whom stood by, terrified of this magical wind that had torn apart the lady and many of their friends with a single touch. He checked the woman's body, and nodded toward Hayate. "We must go, quickly. Fujiwara's surrender will come in a day or so. In that time we must prepare for our next move." He explained, before wiping away the remaining flecks of blood from his chin. His movements did not betray his sickness to the untrained eye, but perhaps Hayate could see that the man still felt significant effects from the poison that had struck them. He turned away, a kunai dropping into his hand as he prepared to break free of the camp. "Let's go."

[Taiga]

OOCShow

Oh, lol, thought she was far away... Lol.

The one armed Kage looked to the side. He could already feel his tissue regenerating as his arm made it's way back. It'd take a while yet. Despite any pain or anything he might normally feel he was instead filled with a feeling that he could not describe. It was feeling of nostalgia, fear... but not fear... It was something so complex. Regardless of that feeling the lightning's shadow steeled himself, and simply looked to the dying lady. His remaining fist unlocking, he put his hand to his head, slightly perched below her mouth as he laughed out at the words the spirit said.

"The difference is... Fujiwara's eyes had already faded. Emotions flooded forth in Hayate. Emotions he had put away long before the war and it was only fitting they came back at it's end. "I won't be alone. Every soul who died- every person. They've become a part of me." he said lowering his hand back into a bawled fist. The next time Raijin showed his face he would finish this. He would finish it all. As the Kage stepped away, a massive aura of water surrounded him. Everyone only knew him as the shadow of lightning... but he was so, so much more.

Hayate walked next to Banri, his arm waving. The water from his aura bubbled off him and surrounded Banri, too, both men encased in it.

"You won't need that Kunai." he said quietly. As they exited into the camp, he cleared his throat. "I have no desire to kill- wasting blood is the goal of foolish lords like the one before you. Your lives are more valuable to me than that... You know the legends are true, and I beg that you don't force me to act." He didn't wish to spill any good blood. Not anymore.

USEDShow

Suiton • Manifest Water
B-Rank Ninjutsu
Hayate causes the chakra leaking out from each tenketsu point on his body currently to convert to suiton chakra. This causes Suiton • Aspect of Water to appear around him.

Suiton • Aspect of Water
S-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: 42 Ninjutsu
Upon willing his tenketsu to manifest his cloak, Hayate's body is coated by a compact inch of hard suiton chakra and around that, 1 foot of residual water that bubbles all about his body. If this energy is destroyed or removed, more leaking chakra takes it's place. This cloak is shaped relatively perfect to his body, giving the illusion of a worn cloak of bubbles. Wherever Hayate goes, the ground beneath him will become soaked and the bubbles are potent enough to collectively have the envelop effect. While active, anything attempting to physically breach Hayate's cloak that possess less than 50 strength is instantly repelled and particulates find themselves too dampened by the water to ever reach Hayate. When willed, this cloak materializes at a speed of 34.

[Nafan~]

The men crowding around Hayate looked at him in awe and fear. It took some time, but men started to move out of their path. Then, a man ran forward with his sword drawn. Banri hurled his kunai almost lazily, as if it were part of his stride, and it struck the man in the foot tripping him to the ground.

The pair walked past the moaning man unscathed, and exitted the camp.

---

Several Days Later

Banri opened a door before the Raikage, standing aside to allow him entry. Through the doorway Hayate could see five men sitting at a table. Most he knew by name if not by face. At the head of the table sat Hojo, Masamune, with the lords Hashiji to his left and Nakatomi to his right. A vacant seat beside Nakatomi was gestured to by the feudal lord of the Lightning Country, indicating Hayate sit there upon entry. Opposite him sat Toyotomi, steward and viceroy of Natsukyou province on behalf of the Murakami; and next to him sat the clearly terrified Lord Fujiwara.

As Banri sat next to Hayate at the table, bringing the number to seven, Hojo looked questioningly at him. "Banri? I was under the impression that this was to be a diplomatic meeting to end the war between the seven lords..?" He queried, bemused. The sly shinobi simply stared flatly back at the Daimyo.

"I sit here in my capacity as Chugen adviser to Lord Kusakabe. As you know he is still young, and so has delegated most of his ruling duties to me so that he may focus on completing his education with his father's retainers. I speak with his voice and act with his hand." he replied flatly, clearly less than impressed at being questioned.

[Taiga]

Hayate straightened his hat before returning his hands to within his haori and entering through the now open door. The room which he had entered held the five feudal lords. Three years had been spent in turmoil as these feudal lords warred, and within these wars Hayate witnessed no redeeming qualities from the lords. Today, a new dawn would wise and Hayate would rid the Lightning Country of it's cancer. Of the relics of the past which stopped it's progression and unification. The relics of the past that stood only as a division to the good people of the lightning country, taking his seat he became number six, and soon after him, Banri.

For all the sins Banri had committed and for all that he was... he had progressed the politics of the nation and pulled the strings that needed to be pulled in order to bring about the civil war, and ultimately, the opportunity for Hayate to pursue his true goals. Goals that expanded far beyond Kumogakure. Hayate would not suffer this room of fools.

"The war between the seven fuedal lords will be ended now and forever.." Hayate said, his eyes glimmering like sparks of electricity. Despite having just sat, he rose to his feet. "This war was an inevitable breakdown, a process set in motion many years ago. It is a process, that like clockwork, will repeat, just as it has in centuries past." The leader of Kumogakure's hands gesticulated wildly. "Time after time the feudal lords have shown that the people of this country are mere playthings, mere servants to their own greed, and, I cannot allow that to continue." The kage paused.

"It is my intention that this war is the war that ends all wars within our own country, and that moving forward we will be a unified country." Hayate said as he placed his hat down on the table. "The archaic feudal system... cannot continue in this day and age." His eyes shot around the room. "Nor can the age of Kumogakure hoarding the resources and shinobi forces that allow us to be the true power of this nation." he said, trailing off.

"My question to you all is what role you want to play in this. You may resist, but at great cost. Or, you may step down from your positions and transition us from 7 broken states into one, glorious nation."

[Nafan~]

As Hayate finished speaking, the other Lords simply looked at him in silence. Fujiwara's mouth hung agape, only managing to close it foolishly after Hashiji tapped him surreptitiously on the thigh. Hashiji himself seemed as if Hayate had mentioned nothing more pressing than the weather. Hojo, on the other hand, was a thunderhead. His face was a mixture of horror, shock and fury. With blazing eyes he opened his mouth to fire back at Hayate's arrogant words.

Banri cleared his throat as Hojo attempted to speak, skilfully cutting him off. "The Lord Kusakabe has instructed me to express similar concerns. He believes that Lord Hojo has failed in his duty to provide stability and security to the Lightning Country, which was unified only beneath his promises to provide such things. Now that he has failed so grievously as to allow two provinces to have to be occupied, Lord Kusakabe would like to submit that the treaty which created the Lightning Country beneath house Hojo is now annulled." He declared, voice strong and demanding no argument.

Hojo immediately turned his head to Banri, intending to unleash his tirade at last, but was interrupted once more. Hashiji, the man who had stayed close to the Daimyo through the entire civil war, spoke only a few words, but they were brutal. "I second this submission."

Fujiwara stumbled over himself to raise a quivering "A-Aye!" his eyes regaining the light of ambition. Clearly the man thought that he may yet carve some kind of power from the country. Meanwhile, Toyotomi simply nodded.

Hojo deflated visibly. Nakatomi looked to his Lord in sympathy, before lending his own voice. "While it will not change the outcome, I wish it to be known that Nakatomi will not break its oath to the Hojo in this respect. I also will express my extreme disappointment that you are so ready to abandon your liege Lord yet expect others to follow you with respect. But I am no fool. I will submit to the will of the Lords in Council."

Hojo simply sat quietly, allowing silence to stretch for some time. His response was quiet, and the disheartened reply of a man who knew he was beaten. "Well then. How shall we continue?"

Banri replied quickly as Hojo closed his mouth, allowing no others to provide solutions before him. "Lord Kusakabe submits that the Lightning Country shall be reforged beneath Lord Hayate and the capital moved to Kumogakure no Sato. The incumbent Raikage has reportedly twice defeated a figure known as a God of Lightning, and if this does not show that the Gods have tested and approved this man as worthy to rule then nothing else will. He submits that no man in the world has a greater claim to nobility than a man whom has himself been tested by the Gods. Kusakabe raises its banner for Nakajima to rule Lightning Country as king." He announced, his words captivating the small audience before him. The lords paused before Hojo turned to Hayate, asking simply "What do you say to this?"

[Taiga]

It was true that defeating Raijin and becoming the Hero of the Cloud had become the best thing to ever happen to Hayate, however it was not for the reason most people would think. Becoming the hero wasn't fulfilling because of the praise he received, or even the nomination for Raikage that he had received. It was fulfilling because it had been the start of his awakening- the start of his journey and mission. Being in the capital he had saw just the misfortune the rest of his country had been suffering at the hands of the feudal lords. He saw mean who were powerful and important play games rather than solve issues. Utilize their power to do whatever they wanted... and in the process, his the Hero of the Cloud's mind had been completely unclouded. The people of the nation of non-noble blood- just like those of Kumogakure were not pawns on the chessboard of kings to be played with.

He thought back to that very day that the fate of his nation had been decided. The trembling of his body- the rage he felt at the games these men played with the lives of the innocent, with the problems of their people. How his mere questioning of Kusakabe had angered him to the point of the man attempting to attack him, and then for defending himself being told he would be in prison. What justice was there in that? It was then that he realized the suffering and lack of true unity the Lightning Country had suffered for hundreds of years could be ended, by eliminating those who had caused it.

His hand nearly trembled from the memory- the memory of his bubble bomb as it formed in his hand and smacked into the kyounin, destroying him, only for moments to later do the same move in a quick succession and strike him in the head, killing him immedatiely. He had done this completely knowing that his life would be ruined and he would lose all he had left. The village, his daughters. His friends. But he did it, because in that moment he knew that this was the only way he could truly protect the Lightning Country, and by extension, Kumogakure. The words of his oath to Banri still were everpresent in his mind.

"I knew what I was getting into when I did it- I knew the "idea"" of Nakajima Hayate would die. I knew that my name would now signify not a hero, but a coward, traitor, and enemy to the state." "And I know that by letting my name be dragged through the mud and removing any legacy, I can solve the issues of this country once and for all... and that, that is what it means to be a Bannin to me. I'm willing to make the sacrifices no Kage could to ensure our future."

"I have taken the worst wound I could ever today- those who loved me no longer will- the woman I love. The daughter I care so deeply for... because I have branded myself a traitor. I have thrown away the dream that allowed me to live as long as I have... the dream of Raikage that every last damn person I've cared about put their faith in me for... but this is why I have no doubts or fears in my heart. I'll never forget them or stop loving them, and it's because of this that I'm willing to sacrifice everything."

"My answers changed. I'm not going to dance around a civil war, or dance around the pride and feelings of others. Let a war come. I'll protect everyone myself. I'll fight every last battle and defy the odds, because I'm not going to back down when the fate of this country is on the line. I'll confront everyone head on and I won't stop until this country is united not as seven separate lands but as one true country. I don't care if I'm remembered, but I do know this: the textbooks will speak of a country where everyone had the privileges I grew up with. A country that was ours, a country that was united as one land!"

Hayate was stirred from his recollections.

"I am truly thankful for your kind words and acceptance, to those who have spoken. But I must add that I'm no god- I'm no one special." he said bowing his head graciously to the room that had gone the way of peace and had so quickly accepted the change he proposed. Rising from his seat he went to the front of the room where all could see him, and bowed on the floor. Bowed in a groveling position.

"I am honored but cannot accept a position as Emperor, as being an emperor would only serve to perpetuate the very system I dismantled." he said, still bowed on the ground. "If you wish me to lead, however, I will humbly accept your offer, but I want things to be different." he said, rising to his feet and exiting his bow. He began to pace the room.

"If you wish me to lead, I would hope that I could be more of a chancellor. For more than just me, I do not want the new leader of this nation to be something on lineage, or divinity, but something chosen by the people to represent them for the course of the leader's life. I do not want absolute power- I want a government that reflects our people and merely places me at the helm." he said, his gaze almost as if it was sparking lightning. "I am weary of the term emperor, because it implies a man served by people. As you can understand, I am a man who lives solely to serve the people of this nation, nothing more. Every thing I have done has been at great cost to me but I have done it all to make this nation better." He paused, putting his hand to his side.

Emperor or chancellor did not matter- they could call him what they pleased, but if he was to lead he wanted to make sure it was nothing like a feudal lord or king.

[Nafan~]

To say that the gathered lords were stunned by Hayate's speech and action would have been a gross understatement. Fujiwara's mouth had crept open once more, and not even Hashiji had enough composure to give him that same sharp reminder as previously. In the shocked silence that followed, a pin could have dropped and been heard.

"A good lord or king does the exact things you describe. They rule as much a subject to their people as their people to them. All leaders who wish to lead well require this trait. However, to change the system from what it is would require generations. The people cannot rule themselves as they are. They require the guidance of those of us whom have been gifted by the gods with our opportunities for advanced learnings and understandings. That, is the true divine right." Hojo intoned, before standing from his seat and placing himself before Hayate. With his hand over his heart in a formal salute, the man bowed at the waist before him. "On behalf of the people of Echigo, I acknowledge your sacrifice and accept your offer to serve in this capacity. Hojo raises its banner for Nakajima. And I personally offer my experience and knowledge in service to my new liege, whenever and however he so desires it to be used."

Nakatomi stood immediately after Hojo spoke the words, bowing on the spot with his own added, "Nakatomi stands with its liege, and raises its banner for the same cause." Ever so carefully so as to avoid outright stating support for Hayate, yet pledging to do so all the same.

Hashiji gave a dignified bow of his own, standing beside Murakami as he offered his gesture. "I see much of Akino's goals in your own Hayate, yet you have a fire most would have thought impossible for the man. Still, the best kings are those that did not seek out the position, historically speaking. Hashiji raises its banner for Nakajima to ascend the throne."

It did not take long for the remainder to fall into line, accepting Hayate as Lord above them, and yet making it known that they expected him to do right by them all the same. Hayate had bound the seven provinces to himself more tightly than any living man had ever achieved. Each leader bowed their head in service, Banri and Toyotomi significantly more so than the rest.

After far too much blood had been spilled, and men had gained, lost and regained their honour, the Lightning Country had truly fallen. As to what would rise in its place, that was yet to be seen.