The Invasion of Konoha [Open]

[Cylan]

The Invasion of Konohagakure

OOCShow

This is a continuation of this thread.

• This is an open thread. Anyone may join in at their own peril.
• There will be multiple threads besides this one, you can only be in one thread relating to the plot at a time.
• Time limit is 48 hours. If you join, don't hold the thread up.
• Because there is only two of us, Dallas and I might switch up our posting order here and there.
• If you want to be involved in the plot somehow, but don't know how, feel free to pm me.

Stay tuned for more threads pertaining to the invasion.

The day was finally upon them. Perched on top of a building, two men loomed over the village. They were high up and hidden. No one thought to look inside the village. The walls of Konoha had held for thousands of years. The clans always worked together to keep intruders out. Their defenses had failed. Now, wolves were looking down at the sheep, fresh-faced and ready to meet the day after a long night. The time for disguises and parlor tricks was over. Both men knew the part they had to play today.

The shorter, gray haired man was busy practicing hand seals. The jutsu he was readying was one that had been performed by him countless times. "Tiger. Bird. Bird. Dragon. Tiger. Ram." He muttered in a voice his partner would recognize as higher than usual. There was something different about him in this place. Old instincts were kicking in. As he tore the final mask he wore off of his face, it seemed to only cling tighter and bring back old memories of the facade he wore when this village was home. "Dog. Ram. Tiger. Bird. Boar. Dog." The chakra molded was miniscule. It was a droplet pulled out of an ocean. With the skills of his partner, he could afford to be careless with his signature.

Strewn across the ground next to the gray haired shinobi were tools of the trade. Grabbing a kunai, he remembered the first time he held one.

His hands were smaller then. The hands of a child. Blemish free, pale, untainted. Unscarred by the world outside of Konoha. His sensei rambled about how the kunai was the most useful and versatile tool in a shinobi's arsenal. The sentiment made the grown man scoff. A kunai was a shinobi's second best friend, right behind the people standing alongside them in the fights to come.

His cold eyes turned to the man on the roof with him. Even now, his expression was cold and unnerving. There was no pleasure in this for the tall, plain-faced, blank Fushinkou. It was simply a means to an end. They were vastly different people, him and his partner. The village below them would have never paired them up. Even if they did, friendship was something neither of them aspired to. They were products of the shinobi system, a pair of psychopaths with plan and the power to act on that plan. The seals were coming together. It was almost time.

"One-one thousand. Two-one thousand. Three one-thousand..." He looked up at the sky and tracked the position of the sun. It had been years since he'd been inside the village. He knew next to nothing of the routine or the patrols. He knew only a little of the new faces in the village. They'd scramble to stop them after their plan began. They'd fight him tooth and nail. The man in black welcomed them to try.

Long fingers danced around one another. The clumsiness he'd displayed moments earlier was giving way to a precision born of countless trials and practice. "Ten-one thousand.." Showtime.

Enma rose from his squatting position. There was no hood on his head. His handsome, sharp face smirked as the wind caught his hair. "You know the history of these villages, right? The clans banding together and all that? You wouldn't know what it's like, being some no-name orphan without a fancy family to fall back on." Seals were flying with savage eloquence. Somewhere far away, a murder awakened and knew their time was near. "I'm going to show them that an orphan mastered ninjutsu like they never could. I'm going to let Konoha see the monster its village created."

Drawing a knife, he sliced into his palm with a cut designed to draw blood. Lifeblood drained from him, dripping onto the ground. The pact was made. A thousand voices cheered with delight in his head. From his robes poured hundreds of carrion birds. They flew with the speed of a missile towards the looming faces of the Kage. The first leaders of the village watched over the village with knowing, stoic eyes. He'd hated them from the first moment he looked upon them. The crows knew his hatred for them. They latched on and howled. Their anger was palpable. He'd been sealing furiously while they flew towards their destination and many of them were catching fire.

Others flew into the forest. They, much like their brethren who pecked at the rock of the monument, knew it was their duty to die for the plans of their master. They did so with glee. Once they had hated him until his own hate overcame them and became their hate. Still others were spread on the roofs. Watching the chaos that was about to unfold with glee. They were their master's honor guard.

It had been a quiet, lazy day. Nothing special was going to happen. Some shinobi returned from their duties outside the village while others were leaving. Parents played with their children or sent them off to the academy before they made their way to their own duties. Perhaps some of them even noticed the howling jet black cloud as it moved towards the monument that gave the village its strength.

There was a moment of terrible silence. Then, Enma felt hatred unparalleled as the Katon chakra inside is crows ignited. An explosion the likes of which the village had never seen rocked it. The crows that were left saw people in the streets get blown back by the sheer force. Screams were lost in the sheer volume of sound and light as fire and mortar and feathers tore the stone from its seams. Where once had stood wise faces, now there was only falling debris. Rocks and ash fell upon the village. "Dirty for dirty, Yaks." Enma said with his hood down. The Henkou symbol was on his chest. Behind him, smoke began to rise from the forest. The crows there had sparked a terrible wildfire. "You ready to get to work? There's lots to do."

[Yaku Fushinkou]

It was the shot heard around the world. The Hokage Monument blew up with a bang and if you listened closely, the caw of crows. It was sudden and abrupt. It was untimely, but inevitable. Konoha reared its head, caught in disbelief. The people below were a swath of emotions. They were afraid, anxious, and uncertain. Most were confused. They didn't understand what was happening or chose not to believe it. For thirty years, they had known peace, undisturbed. Even when the world around them was swallowed by conflict and decadence, Konoha was an example to the world. The cold war was over. No one would dare break the peace.

And then... the forest caught fire. It rose like a beacon, signaling the end to an era. Within five seconds, the citizens turned their heads, almost in unison. Their world was over. This was no accident. The forest, the first line of defense for the city was ignited into a thousand toches. Soon they would all taste the smoke. This was an attack. Konoha was in danger. Someone was attacking. But by who?

"And let there be light..." It was barely a whisper, lost to the sound of screams and explosions. Yaku and Enma stood side by side.

Henkou had arrived. Two defects of society in two different ways. Enma cared too much and Yaku cared too little. Their cloaks, the most human thing about these two, waved 'hello' in the wind. His partners side of the bargain had been fullfilled. The destruction, chaos and death of Konoha's innocence was all that was paid. As Konoha's greatest hero's crashed down on the city in murderous chunks of rock, Enma was satisfied. The sneer on his face had never been brighter. Enma cursed the clans under his breath, but Yaku paid no response. Too many things were happening at once for Yaku to care.

As everyone looked west, Yaku slowly turned his head down. The city began to panic. Humanity had always been a moment away from their most basic primitive state. Take away their laws and rules, take away the mask, and you'll see its true face. Their emotions betrayed them. Yaku didn’t flinch. He stared and watched, sweltering under the smoke. He felt cleansed, felt the dark planet turn under his feet. His fingers tingled feeling the chakra surface.

As the dust rolled over the city, they now all understood, even the stragglers. The faces of their former kages whipped down in a heap of dust and smoke. A few screams of disbelief littered the street and the once calm hidden village became more alive than ever. People began to run.

"Enma, this might be peculiar of me." Yaku eyed the hospital and glanced ahead at the academy. "But remove all restraints. Make the city burn." The time for patience and holding back was over. He had shackled Enma to prudence and calculation, but today, Yaku needed a distraction. Death and fire were great distractions, and Enma excelled at both of those.

Yaku dropped down from his perch. It was time to collect.

"Lets go..."

[Amy]

The innocence of a child is unparalleled. It shows in every word they speak, every smile that blossoms on their face, every step that they take. A child is a vessel, a piece of molding clay. Every person that they come into contact with shapes them into a person. Into a body, a heart, a soul. A soul of one and a soul of many. In the right hands, parents and guardians were rewarded with strong men and women who knew the meaning of hard work and how to accomplish dreams. Children became teachers, parents, leaders, because someone took the time to teach them. To raise them. To lead them.

But sometimes, children ended up in the wrong hands.

Across the peaceful village of Konohagakure no Sato, the shouts of children stood out above all else. Their voices calling out to each other. To their parents. To their squad leaders.

Bet I can beat you to the Academy! Slowpoke!

Bye, Mom! I love you!

Sensei! Sensei! You're going to teach me that new Jutsu today, right?

We should skip class today. It's too nice to sit inside and learn all day. Boring!

One day, I'll be strong enough to fight even the baddest guys there are. No one will ever stop me.

The voices of the innocent. The hopeful and the trusting.

The voices of the naive.

It was the crows that caught the attention of those in the street before all else. While not an unusual animal, the sense of agony that these crows brought with them was easily sensed. These were not simply creatures. Transactions at vendors stood still while all heads turned to the sky, watching the hoard of ignited crows and on their monument. The monument that honored the men who had risen above all and fought to protect the village they loved so much. The crows covered it and while some stepped closer, their shoulders already squaring as fate loomed over them, others stepped back.

Those who pretended to be strong but were nothing but cowards stepped back as they saw disaster coming. It was a moment of absolute silence over the village as the crows settled onto the monument, everyone wondering. "Was that it?"

And then everything went to hell.

Screams from civilians, from children, rang throughout the town square. People grabbing for each other, pulling them out of the way as chunks of rock rained down on the buildings closest to the monument. A cloud of dirt obscured their view but there was no time to waste. The panic on the ground was thicker than the cloud of dust. Everyone looking for their loved ones. No one quite knowing what to do.

Those who were prepared though. The Shinobi who had trained day in and day out, they stood tall among the panic. Looking over the village they had sworn to protect when they placed the Konoha headband on their head. They surveyed the panic and they found each other. They had no idea what the day, the week, or the month would hold. They didn't even know what the next ten minutes would reveal. But what they did know was that they would protect Konoha with everything they had in them.

For those Shinobi, they knew the day was only beginning.

[Legacy]

I'll be right back I'm going to the store. Gene called out to his parents from the front door before he'd made haste to get on the other side of it. Today was the day, Sakusen released another title today called: Sakusen: Sekai Bunkatsu or "Tactics: A world divided" as it would be translated in English. The first installment of the series had been riddled with thrills, suspense, drama and the like! Gene could only imagine how the second one would be. Truth be told he'd been more giddy about this novel than he'd been when graduating from the Academy, which was saying something.

With no missions or Team meetings to attend to the young Cloud Watcher enjoyed his time leisurely strolling about the village - it'd given him a chance to really see the brighter side of the place he'd called home. Granted he resided deep within the Rukon district a ways off from the village center, it'd always been a secret pleasure seeing just how Konoha had developed throughout each section.

Days like this make all the hard work worth it. Gene spoke to himself though he'd been overheard by a gathering crowd that seemed to surround one item peddler up-selling the materials on him at the time. Typical merchants trying to scheme the people for a quick buck but hey, some of that stuff came in handy. By now, the young Genin had made his way up one of the few flights of stairs present as apart of the village system and in the distance he could make out the bridge which meant that he was almost there.

However, something else had caught his attention. High above in the skies as if to deliberately be up to no good there were a murder of crows lingering without a clear reason why. Of course, Gene believed somewhat in the old superstition which generally regarding that particular brand of bird as an omen. Something wasn't quite right but he couldn't put his finger on what it was.

He hadn't abandoned the worries but due to being in public where on average hundreds of thousands of civilians looked to him as well as the other Shinobi for comfort, an open reaction was just about the last thing that he and everyone else, needed. Moments later, intense rumbling that seemed to guide almost everyone's attention toward the great stone faces could be heard, unknown to Gene that the cause had actually been the destruction of something more than just sacred to their ways of living.

Huh? What's going on? He asked, seeing the Jounin and Chunin scramble about as if something major had just happened.

Gene's eyes narrowed and the male shot toward the Hokage's office hoping to find some sort of detail on the situation at hand. Along the way he'd witnessed the type of fear and panic that had only throughout the years, been exhibited during the Genma rampages. Something was definitely not right!

Broken out in a full fledged run, Gene's arms remained suspended behind his back as if to be in limbo while the young boy's upper torso loomed closer to the ground. He'd been leaping from roof to roof where necessary but ultimately, his look at the situation on ground level was what spurred a burning fire within his chest. Whoever or whatever the cause had been to this panic - they'd be sure to pay the price in the end! I wonder where Minoru Sensei and Satoshi are...Things look like they're going to get ugly. Gene spoke silently to himself, even though they'd only just become his team recently Gene felt concerned for them granted all this panic going about the village. But he knew that focusing on that wouldn't have done anything for the current situation - all he could do was reach the Hokage and go from there.

[Cylan]

There was something inherently powerful about images. Watching Yaku jump down from his vantage point, Enma mused that their mutual understanding of that simple fact was what made them great. Enma did not simply fall. His fingers once again weaved through one another. Hand seals were formed and the power of the wind was harnessed. His honor guard of crows swarmed all around. Fly. He heard that word repeated hundreds of times in his head. The crows cried out for him to join them in the air. Fly. Closing his eyes, he jumped off of the building and felt the current he created sweep him up. The crows cheered and gathered around their champion. Coaxing Enma along on jet black wings, they sped through the village.

Finding Yaku as he ran was easy enough. The other nukenin wasn't running at his full speed. He was showing the restraint he didn't demand of Enma. "Hoping they won't figure out who you are yet, Yaks?" The gray haired man asked. "Something tells us it won't take them very long, all things considered. Better hurry up and find Pappy Hyuuga. I'll buy you a little time." Falling into a hectic dive, he flew down into one of the streets below. Breaking his carrion character, he swept up a man off the street and bit deep into his neck. It was messy business and the taste was awful. Iron tasting crimson poured into his mouth and as his feet hit the ground, he tore a bite out of the man's jugular. A few people were gawking in the street at him.

Again, images were powerful.

The image he was giving would be burned into the memories of those who saw him there. Flesh was dangling from his mouth as crows perched on his shoulder. A mad, insane grin was plastered on his face, finally free of all masks as he met the eyes of any brave enough to stay there and watch him. His observant eyes saw a few shinobi watching. They didn't yet attack despite how he'd injured one of their fellow villagers. So much for the precious will of fire. They knew he was one of them, too. The Konoha headband he wore had the trademark cut of a missing-nin scratched deep into its surface. What courage most of the civilians had in them fled when they saw that mark. Looking up, he saw that the shinobi observing him were gone. Good. He had a good idea of who they'd be running to tell.

Namely, the people in charge.

Doing more hasty seals, he saw fellow shinobi racing towards the academy down the street. The wind from before still carried him. He raced towards his destination and knew that he'd beaten most of them. Slamming his bloodied palm against a wall moments before he reached the academy, a summoning seal formed and a crow wearing a belt of skulls emerged. "Escape tunnels. You know the drill." Demise nodded and flew off.

Enma, meanwhile, rushed right through an academy window like a speeding bullet.

JutsuShow

Controlled Movements
D-rank Taijutsu
After long hours of practice and training with his body, Enma has learned how to more easily control the speed at which his body moves, and uses this to more easily build up momentum on shorter notice.

[Flight]
A-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing the correct seals, Enma will douse his body in fuuton chakra for the next seven posts. This fuuton chakra will allow him to float and fly in midair. With speed equal to his control and ninjutsu average, he can maneuver in multiple directions. This jutsu is also very effective as a defense vs things that are weak to fuuton. To note: Unless in an air fight, he cannot exceed 30 feet during battle.

Hardened Summoning Jutsu
A-rank Ninjutsu
After an annoying encounter with a certain Konoha shinobi, Enma started experimenting with the summoning jutsu for different ways to empower it. Eventually, he came up with this jutsu. By performing a longer series of hand seals and increasing the chakra output of the jutsu to A-rank, he can keep his summons on the field unless dismissed by an A-rank banishment jutsu or his own will.

[[Exiting this thread for the moment. Entering this one.

[Legacy]

You've got to be joking, this is more than just insane this - this is MADNESS


Gene could not suppress the fear, not this time. Total numbness of the body encompassed him and he could have sworn that what little heart he did have dropped deep into the bounds of his own stomach. Auburn hued optics remained both wide-eyed and ever shaking as the fear made its transition into a whole new feeling, despair. But what could have caused the typically easy-going ninja to suddenly be overcome by this intense dread?

Along the way toward the Hokage's quarters Gene witnessed something that he wished he hadn't. In the distance, a ways off; a gathering of Konoha ninja stood in absolute awe as one individual descended from above almost out of nowhere however, it hadn't been his sudden appearance that shocked them. No, not by a long shot. If they had been paying attention in the same manner that Gene had, then surely the blatant act of cannibalism wouldn't have been hard to miss.

The air around Gene grew heavy, dense with guilt and frustration. He knew immediately that the guy responsible for this had been way out of his league - and on top of that, he'd been a missing ninja from THIS village? Then there stood a high chance that all of this had only been a diversion - something to draw the attention of the village ninja while carrying out a certain objective in secret...but what? At this point Gene had finally managed to calm himself down enough to fill his lungs with air before collapsing to one knee in a cold sweat.

Man, this is bad. I've got to inform someone about this ASAP. But I'm pretty sure that if I get anywhere near the Hokage's mansion that guy will try to wipe me out. No, I need to warn the others! If anyone less than a Jounin tries to take that guy on it'll be chaos. Lifting himself up, the rattled Genin headed back toward where he'd come to notify the medic first. He'd be able to help the people in this section as well and the damage done here seemed far more severe, not to mention it'd be a good thing to travel in groups rather than scattered about. Throughout the entire time he'd been running that image of a man being eaten never left Gene's mind, he'd been exposed to real fear for the first time and chances were it'd take more than just a little time to let it all go.

If there could be anything positive said about the situation it'd have to be that now, Gene could put at least one face to the madness and that was all that the higher ups needed in order to fully mount a counter assault. He was willing to bet that the other ninja, like himself, had been so busy dealing with the rescue and stabilize protocol that no one had any time to mount a search on those responsible - but with Gene's Intel on the enemy that just may have changed.

With no time to spare he'd raced down the marble stair-casing of the central village and headed back toward the Rukon district. There'd be someone there who could opt some assistance.

Thread TransitionShow

Temporarily leaving this thread and entering This one

[Yaku Fushinkou]

At the age of 10, I realized I was different. At 15, I began to resent myself, but at 17 I began to resent the village more. It wasn't until a whole other year later, at 18, I abandoned Kirigakure.

Konoha wasn't any different than Kiri. Yes, there was small minuscule changes, but humanity was predictable. They still enjoyed and hated the same things. They killed for the same reasons and worshiped the same gods (even if they called this god a different name). The S-Class Missing Nin had traveled the world and each human had some meaningless dogmatic ritual to their murder. In Yaku's eyes, murder was murder. There was nothing beautiful or ugly about it, just a pointless event on a meaningless planet.

It wasn't until I was 20 that I realized I was better than them. Those... humans.

Emotion. This was what separated them. Yaku did not have it, he did not possess such a pitiful equation in his evolutionary make up. For this fact, he was thankful. His sensations were bare and empty. He was neutral in all things and because of this, Yaku could not be any luckier. Of the Million or so humans on this planet, Yaku represented a small fraction of a fraction. He was immune to the disease called humanity and their corruptive tendencies. It was this that made him better, his bloodline was pure, perfect in judgement. Yaku was not evil, he was neutral.

Where are you?...

Yaku brushed past a human, unflinching as he walked over the dead. They were of little interest to the Fushinkou. In this whole city, only one human mattered. Only one... and soon... he would be dead too. Masuko of the Hyuuga Clan. The knowledge inside his head was paramount to the evolution of mankind. Masuko, like the rest, was guilty of ignorantly not understanding what he possessed. Yaku would take that unused knowledge and put it to good use.

"I'll buy you a little time."
"Don't get yourself killed, Enma." Yaku glanced after his partner only a few more moments. They each had their part to play. As Enma stole the show, Yaku would steal the scrolls.

His hands clasped together and his chakra emanated outwards. It wouldn't take long. Only a couple seconds to connect the link.

Yaku's head slowly turned and his eyes shifted west. I found you. The Hyuuga clan leader was only a mile away. Yaku could taste it. Beyond the fear, fire, and murder, Yaku watched. He did not see with his eyes, but he felt him, a tingling sensation in the back of his mind. Oh Hyuuga Masuko... how many have I killed in your name? Yaku gracefully stepped over the debris, past the inferno, and began his pursuit. Soon like all the other locusts swarming Konoha, he began to run, his body blurring with the panic stricken humans. Their confusion was a comfort and their fear was a solace.

It was in that moment, Enma's voice breached his thoughts. Masuko and his chakra slipped away in the background.

"Want to know the thing about the will of fire, Yaks? It creates this mandate. Help one another out. They're morally obligated to save these academy students now. That buys us a lot of time."
"The Will of Fire. Like most emotions: a celebrated weakness."

JutsuShow

Locating and traveling towards Hyuuga, Masuko

[Nostalgic Mark: Conversation]
B-Rank Ninjutsu
After marking and becoming familiar with a chakra source through [Nostalgic Mark], Yaku can communicate and converse internally with them after doing the required handseals. This extends 1/4th a mile x control. The drawback is that the target can break the link completely. If they refuse to hear Yaku’s words and refuse to talk, they can shut him out voluntarily and permanently. Lasts for five posts.

[Chakra Mark: Location Sense]
B-Rank Ninjutsu
This technique is restricted to only chakra sources that Yaku has marked down and analyzed fully with the chakra mark jutsu for 3 posts. Once this has been applied, he utilizes this form of sensor to help him track the target within 3 miles of him. By concentrating on this noted and analyzed source, he is able to pinpoint it much easier and follow accordingly. If it is outside this range, it is impossible for him to locate using this jutsu until they are back in range.

[Mino]

Standing in the graveyard, Awai, Katsu knelt, praying over two graves. "I know it's been a while since I've come. Things are different. Things are better. Minoru, he's.. well he's changed, and our whole lives have been different because of it. I fulfilled my promise, finally. I am helping train a shinobi that would have protected you- someone that should have been beside you instead of me. I know it's fifteen years too late..." He permitted himself a small smile. He could see Mikoru and Aymu laughing at that. He smiled. How many times had he done that this last week?

Just as he was rejoicing over his new and exciting life, explosions rang out from the forest, and from overhead. The Kage memorial blasted outward and sprayed debris over the countryside, some rocks falling dangerously close to populated areas. Eoi. Minoru. The fear that threatened to paralyze the once-ninja evaporated into determination at finding and protecting his family. Two ghosts were made because of his cowardice. There would not be a third. He took off running from the graveyard. "You two should have warned me! If I don't find them in time, I'll never forgive you two!" With that the aged legs remembered a burst of youthful energy and off he went running first to find his wife.

[Toshi]

Say one thing about Tousha, say he hadn't expected that one.

He would have killed for a distraction as he thumbed through a perpetual stream of paperwork that flowed through his office day in and day out, Mrs. Stephenson diligently keeping him focused and on task with the occasional death glare if the Nara got sidetracked. Which was more times than he cared to admit. But even Mrs Stephenson couldn't blame the Kage for turning away from yet another zoning plan proposal to watch as a massive swarm of crows flocked towards Hokage Mountain.

"What in the world..." Mrs. Stephenson muttered as Tousha stood, suddenly very uneasy.

"Down," he said.

Both Hokage and secretary ducked as the cloud of birds detonated, the shock wave sweeping through the Village in mere moments. Tousha's rib cage rattled, wood splintered and glass shattered. When it was over the Hokage walked out onto the balcony overlooking Konoha. It felt like walking into a nightmare.

Hokage Mountain was reduced to rubble, stray boulders still cascading down the shattered cliff and disappearing into the rust colored mist that was the part of the Village caught in the rock slide. He watched buildings burn, listened to people scream. Villagers he'd sworn to keep safe were dying in their homes and the streets, they were scared and horrified. Everything was falling into chaos.

"Evacuate the Village," Tousha ordered, turning away from the discord for a moment to gather a few things in his ruined office. "Dispatch the fire squads, gather the Clan Leaders."

As he spoke the Hokage threw open a cabinet door and pulled out his sword belt. The man strapped it to his waist and made for the other side of the room, adjusting it as he did.

"Put the Tower in lock down, make sure the Council reaches the panic room." Mrs. Stephenson simply nodded and quickly walked out of the room. No sooner had she left a half dozen masked ANBU appeared, awaiting orders.

Tousha acknowledged them with a glance and opened another cabinet. "How many?" he asked quietly, tossing aside the long, ornamental robe he was expected to wear on occasion. It'd only slow him down now.

"As far as we know there's only two."

"Where." It wasn't a question.

"One's making his way for the Hyuuga District," a Kunoichi answered. "The other... We aren't sure, Sir."

"What do they want?"

"Hard to say," another answered, his voice quiet and hollow. "Whatever it is they certainly aren't making much effort at being subtle."

"No kidding," Tousha muttered. He pulled out his Battle Hat from the cabinet, similar to his usual round Kage hat but stained with black paint and lightly armored. He placed it on his head and walked out to the balcony again.

"Any idea who they are?" he asked, checking all of his equipment. Various sharp things, explodey things, all his little ninja knickknacks, everything was ready. But nothing would have prepared him for the name they dropped.

He didn't hear much more than 'Yaku.' He didn't really need to.

"Handle the other one," Tousha said, cutting off the ANBU. "Yaku's mine."

"Alone? Sir we can't let you do that," the Kunoichi objected.

Tousha gave them all a look more inhuman than any of their masks. It was enough to quiet them. "Handle the other one," he repeated. "I appreciate the dedication but he'd cut you all to ribbons and not think twice. The man's like nothing you've seen."

Tousha only knew Yaku through the information the Village had gathered. Regardless, he got the gist. There weren't many people who stood up to him and walked away, and even fewer who managed to put up a good fight. The missing nin was like something out of a particularly cruel fairy tail, something used to scare children into behaving.

What he was doing in Konoha Tousha had no idea... But whatever it was, he needed to stop it.

"Keep as many people as you can safe. And please, find my daughter. Make sure Sin's okay."

With that the Hokage leaped from the Tower. He plummeted a couple dozen floors before deftly sliding down a slanted roof, tearing away clay tiles as he did. A moment later he was on his feet and sprinting, a silent blur passing from building to building. As he ran he did his best to shut out the world around him. It broke the man's heart but he needed to focus now, right now. It would take all he had and then some to have a chance against the monster he was hunting.

Eventually the Kage managed to spot another blur moving about the crowd, a pale shadow ordinary eyes would have overlooked. Tousha bolted ahead, vaulting from roof to roof in a desperate attempt to head off the man he could only assume was Yaku. Finally he made it within a block of the missing ninja, the man responsible for all the senseless destruction that burned around them all.

Tousha hurled a warning kunai at Yaku's feet, hoping to stop the Shinobi in his tracks. At least for the moment. Tousha would leap down to the bustling street, no more than a dozen strides from Yaku. Men, women and children spotted the two Shinobi and ran away as fast as they could. Even they could feel it in the air, the way it grew heavy and thick. The way it did when monsters crawled out into the sunlight.

Nara Tousha stood across from Yaku, his eyes sharp and cold and full of quiet rage. The world may well have disappeared in that moment.

"You blew up my face," he said. A slow smirk split Tousha's lips as he added, "Dick move."

[Octopus Garden]

OOCShow

[Yaku Fushinkou]

Something was on its way. Something very big.

It was the largest chakra pool in the city except for another, and that one was busy fighting the fires. This one was moving fast... too fast. Amazing. Was he as fast as me? Not possible. Yaku tensed, sensing a fight. He did not see him, he did not need to, his chakra was defined and sculpted. It was rare to see a chakra signature this well versed.

The Kunai whizzed by cutting Yaku's thoughts and questions. Hokage Nara Tousha. Konoha's best. The S-Class Missing Nin halted in step. Not many shinobi dared confront Yaku, much less alone.

"You blew up my face, dick move"

The Fushinkou's eyebrow raised ever slightly. Things were about to get interesting.

"Quite the contrary. I was against blowing it up. But my partner has a thing... for theatrics." Yaku slowly lulled his head, appearing almost disappointed at being interfered with. He unlaced one string of his black robe, letting it dangle by his side. It was a signal, but to who?

"Is that anger or hate in those eyes? I can't tell." Yaku's voice was abnormally calm. The gray outlines of Yaku's pupils peering through the darkness of his hood. He locked gaze with the Hokage"Humans and their emotions. If you saw through my eyes, you would understand."

Yaku reached for his kunai, letting it rest in his palm. The words to a jutsu on his lips. A single handseal by Tousha and Yaku would be ready.

"Kill a man, and you are a missing nin. Kill thousands of men, and you are a village. I'm sure... you had to kill countless men to get where you're at Mr. Hokage. There was a bit of resentment in the way Yaku spoke of the mans title. It was not hate or anger, but disgust.

Yaku put his finger slightly to his head in concentration, sending a message to his partner via sensor. "I'm dealing with their kage right now. Don't interfere." The Fushinkou would deal with the Nara himself. He was the only one that Yaku was unsure about. He sensed his surroundings, assuring himself that one of the Kage's men weren't nearby.

OOCShow

<3

5 years and finally some fun. We got all the time in the world to fight, so just gonna banter with this post.

Conversation jutsu still in effect.

[Toshi]

OOCShow

I'm glad we can banter a bit. Kids these days don't seem to appreciate taking things slow.

"I'd say I like his style if it wasn't my monument," Tousha answered. His tone might have come across as casual if it weren't for the edge behind it, something strained and dangerous like a whetstone put to steel. The Hokage watched as Yaku looked at him with something like annoyance, unlacing his long, dark robe as he did.

He couldn't miss anything. Every detail was important. Every word, every move, everything. Take it all in and breathe deep he had to remind himself. Focus.

Something flitted through the Nara as Yaku finally held his gaze. Fear maybe, he didn't doubt it. He was smart to be scared. But it was more than that, Tousha could feel it. Despite the unfolding chaos and himself the Kage felt something he'd thought long past. It was nostalgic and bitter sweet and exciting all at once. whatever it was, those pale eyes staring back at him made the man feel more alive than he had in years.

This was a Shinobi. They were Shinobi.

The Nara remained quiet as the Missing Ninja noticed the look in his eyes, asking his question as if the world wasn't burning around them. Tousha wasn't sure himself anymore. What lay behind those thin, glinting slivers of black on white was only his own. But the Hokage couldn't hide his intent no matter the effort. They were the eyes of a man pushed past the point of caring about the life of the person responsible for taking things this far.

After Yaku finished going on about how many people he must have killed the Nara couldn't help but smile. It was cruel and hollow but his lips curled as he said, "I wonder how many people died because of you during that little monologue, Mister Missing Ninja."

Slowly, as if charming a viper, Tousha reached for the holster on his hip and pulled out a kunai of his own. The Kage spun it on a finger before the handle slapped into his open palm. It felt comforting, holding the knife. The cold steel was just another reminder that all of this was real.

Tousha's free hand gently found its way to the brim of his hat. The man's fingers wrapped around that round edge before pulling it off. With a flick of the wrist the Nara tossed the garment away. It floated along the air before softly landing on a fiery pile of rubble, the fabric catching fire instantly and burning it to nothing more than a charred metal frame. Tousha didn't even watch as Konoha's embroidered symbol curled and twisted in pain as the flames licked at it.

Something changed in Tousha as he stood there, free of any statements of loyalty to the Hidden Leaf. It felt like taking off a mask, something real and true emerging through the guise he'd tried so hard to play off as who he really was. All of it was slipping away, all thanks to Yaku.

"I'm sure you're expecting me to make some corny speech about how I'll avenge those lives, that I'm going to put you in the ground for the greater good and that justice and honor will always prevail. Maybe add something about how you're wrong and I'm right and that I'll make you see the error of your ways before the end. But this... This right here, you and me, this isn't about the Village anymore," Tousha said, his smile fading. A hard line replaced his smirk, his features losing all claim to humanity.

"This isn't about the people you've taken from me or anyone else. It's not about any of it."

Tousha ripped off the ninja headband from his arm and tossed it aside too. It clattered and skittered across bare concrete and disappeared into an alleyway.

"What you're seeing right now... You're going to wish it was just anger or hate. Because what I'm about to do to you goes against everything I've ever preached as Hokage."

Nara Tousha held his knife close and extended his free hand and arm, slipping into a stance that reeked of lethal purpose. Suddenly he wasn't the Hokage anymore, he wasn't a man who had spent his life fighting for and teaching the beliefs of the very Village that screamed in agony all around him. To stand a chance against Yaku he'd have to let go of it all because right now the best way to protect the people he loved was to forget they existed.

Tousha looked more demon than man as he stared back at Yaku. there was nothing left of the easy going, mischievous prankster that the Village Hidden in the Leaves had come to trust and believe in. Now, away from any of those eyes of admiration, Tousha became a mere shadow of himself.

The Blackbird took flight.




"Let's go."

[Yaku Fushinkou]

Time stopped at that moment. Everything halted. The Fushinkou knew what was at stake. His eyes and minds eye were hard at work, sizing the Hokage up and down. He couldn't miss a thing, a single mistake could mean certain death. Between the two gray slits that labeled him a Fushinkou, Yaku felt the presence of something. An emotion. He couldn't put his finger on it. Was this anxiety?

"I'm sure you're expecting me to make some corny speech about how I'll avenge those lives, that I'm going to put you in the ground for the greater good and that justice and honor will always prevail.

Raiton. Hmm. Yaku had just finished analyzing the Hokages first element just as Tousha finished his first sentence. This was not a sign of disrespect, but the highest honor that the Fushinkou could afford to a human. It hadn't been since Bishamon that Yaku had been forced to use 100% of his ability.

Maybe add something about how you're wrong and I'm right and that I'll make you see the error of your ways before the end. But this... This right here, you and me, this isn't about the Village anymore,"

Yaku felt the emotion resonate with each syllable. He saw the chakra bubble, festering, and demanding to be released. He saw it all. The length of the knife, the distance between shadows and the frightened human that gawked on the side of the street. The second and third element were noted as if jotting down a name. His mind played with every scenario, debating if Katon appearing twice meant Sankaton.

"This isn't about the people you've taken from me or anyone else. It's not about any of it."

Talking to Yaku was like talking to a brick wall. His face showed no expression and his body rarely moved. In reality, it was the opposite. The Fushinkou was hard at work, wasting not a single second as he gathered his intel. Sankaton, Raiton, Katon, Speed, and he was a Nara. Adapt accordingly. The Fushinkou paused, the emotion that Tousha conveyed caught his attention.

"What you're seeing right now... You're going to wish it was just anger or hate. Because what I'm about to do to you goes against everything I've ever preached as Hokage."

Though it looked as if the Fushinkou wasn't listening, he very much was. The Faceless shinobi wasn't known for his charm and even as Yaku scrutinized his foe, he digested every word as if it was last. Yaku was interested, very interested in these words. Even the mans chakra was static. It was incredible and the Fushinkou's eyes widened only slightly, intrigued at such a drastic reversal. Something about the man had changed as if a light switch had been flickered. Humans could be so unpredictable. "The Blackbird of Konohagakure," Yaku breathed the mans title to himself, lost in his own awe... "Interesting."

"Let's go."

Immediately, as if the curtains had been lifted, Yaku Fushinkou sprung into action. A dozen strides separated them. That was barely half a second to men of their stature. To the world outside these two, their motion could not be fathomed. It was inhuman. There was no time for handseals. Yaku threw the kunai in hand forward. The strength behind his swing sent it rippling through the air towards the Hokage. What came behind it was much more menacing. The acceleration between standing position and full speed was something many didn't see. While it usually took a bit before a shinobi got to his full speed, Yaku's Fushinkou nodes had gifted him with strength. The Chakra breathed and Yaku bolted towards the Hokage, no weapon in hand. His fists were not even clenched. It was in that moment, the Hokage might notice something squirm beneath Yaku's right sleeve.

The two entities collided and the village sucked in its breath.

OOCShow

Sorry, I would have posted sooner, but Mothers Day and all that.

[Sensor of Affinity]
C-Rank Ninjutsu
By concentrating on an opponent with his sensor capabilities, Yaku can learn and seek out the affinities of a target within range. By studying the relationship of the chakra and the color of it, he can decipher their various elements. The jutsu is used in conjunction with another sensor jutsu to help give it range (I.E. Beyond Senses).

[Inches]
B-Rank Taijutsu
Prerequisite: 8 Wit
This particular taijutsu is simply a form of perception that intakes very minute details. Inches. Yaku has always been a rather calculating man, but this form of taijutsu takes it a step higher by calculating every inch of the battle. This includes footwork, kunai throws, to the extension of explosions. Such attention to detail helps to see through illusions and other fallacies that are sometimes revealed by mere inches.

1x Kunai thrown

[Disbelief of the Immovable]
C-Rank Taijutsu
Prerequisite: 10 Strength, 7 Taijutsu
This technique is the quick transition from a standstill position to an attack at a moment’s notice. Utilizing his enormous strength, he can propel his body at full speed and full strength very suddenly and unexpectedly.

[Toshi]

The men moved as one, Yaku hurling his kunai and bolting forward with inhuman speed while Tousha let fly his own. The knives collided between the combatants, steel on steel glinted and sparked as each Shinobi followed closely behind. Tousha watched as their projectiles struck one another, just hitting the peak of his stride as his own knife shuddered and glanced away. He'd meant to completely deflect Yaku's throw but the sheer strength behind the Missing Nin's kunai was more than enough to bat away the Kage's.

Tousha shifted his weight and tracked the still very dangerous kunai, its trajectory only mildly altered by the collision but its speed significantly lessened. The Nara deftly caught Yaku's own knife as it passed by, managing to simultaneously slip a finger from his free hand through the ringed hilt of another in his own thigh holster.

Now no more than a half dozen strides from each other the Shinobi closed in at full speed. Tousha hurled both kunai at Yaku's center of mass, using his speed and momentum to loose the projectiles at augmented speed. At this range he couldn't hope to round off the hand seals for anything more than basic jutsu, none of which seemed useful at the moment.

Instead the Hokage dropped his sword hand to the bound handle of the Kodachi hanging at his hip and held the other open, the man's body sharp and ready to react to Yaku.

OOCShow

1x kunai thrown from holster, 1x caught kunai thrown.

[Yaku Fushinkou]

Each fighter eclipsed one another's movements. As the first Kunai failed, two more were already in the slits between Yaku's right hand. His fingers mimicking that of the Hokage. This was was all in the span of a second, both of them reaching, wrapping their hands around kunai and throwing. Two for two. It was in this moment however, Yaku upped the stakes. He had no intention of allowing Tousha to make a mockery of him a second time.

Clink. The four kunai connected.

The force of his own kunai ripped through the two opposing objects. Their metal sprawling into the air uselessly. The edge of his own kunai hadn't been hindered, not yet at least. Good. Adjust. Yaku adjusted his speed, wavering between his own kunai. His own technique allowed for himself to maneuver around the objects, gracefully falling in line, desiring to attack just as the kunai landed at the Hokage.

A Kodachi. The Hokage took stance. It was fast. The S-class Missing Nin's eyes flickered, reading the exact length, translating the information and quickly adapting. His sensor felt the mans presence, placing his minds eye at the mans arms, seeing not just through his vision, but by watching the chakra in the mans arms collect and release. All movement, even taijutsu emitted chakra and Yaku studied it intently as the Hokage prepared his stature.

Yaku knew that it was a matter of time before the Kodachi was swung. Yaku decided to act first, fully alert. His left palm arched forward in a solid strike, angling beneath his thrown kunai and aiming for Tousha's sword arm. The Right palm was poised and ready, but did not strike. Waiting for something. A counter perhaps.

The most frightening thought was that this clash was barely longer than a second. The Fushinkou could only imagine what the gawking humans would think. Could they even comprehend such a battle? Did they even have the ability to witness it?

OOCShow

Another 2 Kunai thrown.

[Yaku's Kunai]
D-Rank Taijutsu
Yaku will throw a Kunai. However, with the strength Yaku possesses, this kunai can become very dangerous as it will rip wholes through most obstacles (I.E. Trees, Walls). If it comes in contact with an opponents thrown kunai or object, it can normally repel the object and continue in the desired direction. it would take something within 3 strength of his own to curve or interrupt the path of his kunai.

+Sensor

[Open Fist: Strike]
D-Rank Taijutsu
The basic technique to Yaku's taijutsu style, he will exert a forward strike with an open palm. By appearance, it comes across as graceful, nonchalant, and elegant. In actuality, the user exerts their full force while maintaining solid unmoving shoulders. If the user has 2 less endurance (Strength and Stamina Average), a connected strike can send them to the ground. 4 less endurance and being hit would be similar to being stabbed with a knife.

[Toshi]

Tousha's eyes narrowed as his kunai were slapped away, the brute force behind Yaku's throws more than enough to overpower his own. The Kage didn't let that strength go unnoticed as the dueling Shinobi barreled towards each other, one lunging forward in tandem with his knives and the other coiled and taught.

He couldn't estimate Yaku's full strength but that little display was enough to convince the Nara that he didn't want those hands anywhere near him. The Missing Nin's speed was on par with his own and, given the chance, Yaku would break him with strength Tousha could only envy.

Yaku's open palm and kunai appeared to hit their marks as the men clashed... only to pass through their intended target.

A ghostly apparition of the Nara met the Missing Ninja's attacks, the real Tousha having already darted to the side with a blinding burst of speed. The after image seemed to pass through Yaku as Tousha fell to rogue ninjas left flank, unsheathing the Kodachi at his hip and striking at the man's outstretched left arm and left thigh without breaking stride.

Another apparition would appear as Tousha attacked, two attacks bleeding together as one to the naked eye.

Still moving past his opponent The Hokage pushed off the ground and attempted to vault away from Yaku after sheathing his blade with practiced quickness, hoping to put some distance between them.

With both hands free of any weaponry the Hokage began rounding off a string of hand seals, his fingers practically buzzing as they formed the signs.

OOCShow

Jutsu used in orderShow

Passing Ghost Step
C-ranked Taijutsu
Prerequisites: 10 Speed
The user of this technique bursts forward with blinding speed, deftly stepping around a target or incoming attack in two steps. The aim of the Passing Ghost Step is allowing the user to step past an opponent, granting a moment to strike before placing him behind the target. Unless the target has a Wit stat equal or greater than the user's Speed he will only perceive a ghostly apparition of the user passing through them, a decoy masking the actual attack.

Twice
C-ranked Kenjutsu
Prerequisites: 10 Speed
The most fundamental technique that practices the Kokuei style's ability to utilize instantaneous slashes. The user will draw his blade from its sheathe and use blinding speed to lash out with two linear slashes before sheathing his weapon again. If performed correctly these separate attacks will appear to land as one, making this technique difficult to block. Unless the target has a Wit stat equal or greater than the user's Speed he will only perceive a single slash in the form a ghostly after image of the already completed technique.

Hiding Edge
D-ranked Kenjutsu
Prerequisites: 4 Speed
A fundamental technique of Kokuei style. This Kenjutsu allows the user to rapidly sheathe his sword during combat in a way that does not interrupt the flow of battle. This will allow the user to seamlessly utilize other techniques of the Kokuei style that require him to draw his sword from the sheathe.

[Yaku Fushinkou]

The building behind Tousha collapsed as the kunai ripped into it. The rubble cascading onto the street as Yaku Fushinkou and Tousha Nara became caked in dust. This occurence was lost and meaningless to the fighters as they engaged. Yaku was already turning, his palm retracting. This answered the question, the Kage was as fast as the Fushinkou. A rarity, a feat that Yaku had once thought impossible. The ghost stepped through him and Toush'a chakra signature had bolted.

"Oh?" Yaku's brow raised slightly as he pivoted to meet his attacking opponent. Parlor tricks were useless to Yaku as chakra was still chakra. He had learned that very lesson against the Ghost of Kirigakure. "In thirty years, I must say, this is a first." The Fushinkou moved gracefully, his body turning as if the wind moved at his blessing. The Henkou cloak at his side, waving at the world.

"Your chakra betrays you however," Yaku watched as the Kage's chakra signature danced in the street, the Fushinkou never stopping, always following, and always watching. "Your emotion enslaves you and your own humanity... it weakens you."

The Kage took two strokes, the chakra sparking and the sword glinting. Yaku raised his left and right hand, feeling the metal touch his skin. It was cold, but relieving. One. Two. Yaku raised his eyebrow, impressed at the maneuver. Two strikes.

"I do admit however, the Nara in you helps inhibit the most senseless of emotions." Yaku observed, always following, throwing a jab here and there, always missing. The Kage attempted to leap away, but Yaku's acceleration kept him in hot pursuit. When Tousha began seals, Yaku took the opportunity to strike, swatting away at his opponent, not interested in a flashy show of ninjutsu.

"He is most powerful who has power over himself." The Fushinkou couldn't keep the ire out of his voice. Yaku detested them all (If such a thing was possible). Humans had squandered everything. Their own dogmatic tendencies had destroyed this world. The Fushinkou clan had been birthed to set things right: To correct natures mistake. Yaku was fair and unbiased, emotionless in all things. I am neutral.

It was in that moment that the Kage would see a glimpse of something odd in the sleeve of Yaku Fushinkou. The golden lace that had been untied at the match was still swaying back and forth in the wind. It looked like a scale. No wait. Yaku maneuvered his hand, throwing his own open fist punches at the kage. Whatever the Kage may have seen was lost in the motion of battle. Yaku jabbed forward, keeping the Kage occupied.

And all of a sudden during the chase, the ground began to quake. The dirt splintered and in that moment, Yaku pulled up his foot, leaving a small crater in the earth where he had stepped. Yaku, took the distraction as an opportunity to throw another open palm at the Kage, his body lurching forward. His minds eye expecting something, anything.

OOCShow

Ill do as you do. Jutsu in order. And Fff sorry, my dialogue took up more than I wanted.

In defense:

[Open Fist: Reject]
D-Rank Taijutsu
While in mid flight of an attack, lunge, or charge, Yaku can retract his fist/palm quickly back to himself. He will relinquish his attack quickly, giving him ample time to respond and counter attack if needed.

[Iron Palm]
C-Rank Taijutsu
Due to Yaku’s reliance on open palm strikes, this puts him at a disadvantage to opponents that use weapons and objects. In order to combat this, Yaku focuses the extent of his strength into his palms. His hands will act like their own weapon, countering sharp or dull objects. If he has two strength above his opponent, his hands and hands only are able to deflect a common blade. Elemental or chakra enhanced weapons though can bypass this technique depending on their use.

[Pressure]
D-Rank Taijutsu
Purely offensive. This taijutsu is utilized by Yaku to remain with his opponent at all times. By superior or equal speed, he is able to keep them from ever inching away or creating gaps between one another. If they jump, he will follow.

[Open Fist: Interruption]
D-Rank Taijutsu
The simple act of interrupting an opponents use of hand seals. If Yaku is within 5 meters and has more speed than his target, he can easily disrupt their concentration by either swatting their seals away or striking them with an [Open Fist] technique.

In Offense:

[Open Fist: Speed]
C-Rank Taijutsu
A basic tenet to Yaku's Open Palm Style, his graceful thrusts forward are utilized in quick, static strikes to fool the opponents expectation and perception. His swings and strikes become hard to discern. In comparison to their wit and his swing speed, his hands and arms could become hard to predict or see. When a large gap exists, the motion of his arms could become almost invisible to sight.

+ Some Open fist Punches, yada yada.

[Disbelief of Stability]
C-Rank Taijutsu
Prerequisite: 10 Strength
By striking the ground, the impact can cause a small quake in the ground 10 meters around himself. This simply causes the earth in a small area to shake and unsettle. Those with -3 taijutsu less than his strength will have very hard problems standing and maintaining composure. Those with less than that may find themselves falling completely over and stumbling.

+1 more punch

[Toshi]

The Kage watched as Yaku drew his arm back, the man's cold, grey eyes following each movement and disregarding the ghostly after image that passed through him. Somehow the Missing Ninja was able to not only comprehend Tousha's speed but compensate for it as well. As if gifted with foresight Yaku turned to face the Hokage as the Kodachi lashed out, its razor sharp edge glancing off the Fushinkou's bear skin as if it were made of cold-rolled steel.

No more than a handful of seconds had passed but Tousha already felt like they'd been fighting for hours. Still brutally focused on the fight the Kage barely noticed the building's foundation shatter by mere kunai, its dying moans calling out as dirt and dust and splintered wood filled the air around them and caked their bodies. Tousha ignored it, he had to. There wasn't any time.

No wonder the guy had a God complex, Tousha thought. When was the last time someone made him bleed?

Yaku's probing jabs just barely missed their marks as Tousha bolted by, his already sheathed and hands blurred with seals. He wouldn't even have a moment to spare as the Missing Ninja gave chase, his body propelled by inhuman speed and strength. The Nara's eyes grew wide as Yaku moved in close and let fly a disrupting fist aimed at his own hands, the glancing blow hardly enough to cause any lasting harm but more than enough to interrupt Tousha's seals.

The chakra he'd spent only a split second building slumped away, settling uselessly in his gut as Yaku charged forward and fell into a relentless assault. Tousha faded back with each open-palmed punch, avoiding the myriad of strikes by mere inches. Tousha's raw stepping speed birthed an after image with each narrow miss, the Kage's movements calculated and timed to shirk away from the man's palms with the least amount of effort.

It would save him some chakra to feel out the Fushinkou, to think of a better plan. While Yaku spoke, his voice seeping with contempt for the human race, the Kage's mind reeled, grasping for a way to put some distance between them. The dust and debris that settled around them was blown away with each of Yaku's thrusts, leaving nothing but clean air and the rushing of wind. Tousha was forced to use his arms to avert Yaku's palms, the clashing of muscle on muscle echoing with a painful cadence.

Yaku's final thrust pushed the Kage back another step. Tousha was about to continue his retreat when the Missing Nin's foot smashed to the cobbled street below, shattering the ground and forming a massive crater. The earth seemed to yawn under Tousha's feet, forcing the Shinobi to leap away from his opponent.

Tousha grunted as Yaku leaped after him, throwing another open palmed strike. Unable to alter his leap through the air and without enough time to weave any hand seals the Hokage brought his arms forward and attempted to grab Yaku's wrist with his fingers splayed desperately. The Nara's open hands would allow Yaku's arm to pass until the Missing Ninja's palm was between his own.

A sphere of rusted red chakra would appear between Tousha's hands, instantly reaching a four foot diameter as it spawned from seemingly nothing. The chakra would swallow and consume anything it touched and would follow Tousha's hands as quickly as he could move them. Still leaping backwards the Hokage could only hope Yaku's arm was caught in the middle of his technique, or at the very least it deterred him from continuing his assault.

OOCShow

Jutsu used in orderShow

Dancing Leaf Step
D-ranked Taijutsu
Prerequisites: 8 Speed, 6 Wit
Utilizing his blinding speed the user of this technique will anticipate an incoming attack and move just out of its reach with a single step. This step may be made towards, to either front side of or away from the opponent but is not capable of placing the user behind or directly beside the target. Unless the target has a Wit stat equal or greater than the user's Speed he will only perceive a ghostly apparition of the user, the shadow of an already completed technique.

*[Annihilation: Climax]
B-Ranked Annihilation Ninjutsu
Rather than using hand seals, the ninja is required to put their hands in a specific formation, as if gripping a basketball with each hand. As they do this, a 4 foot diameter ball of pure Sankaton chakra is created in the space between their hands. The ball can then be shot off at a speed of 7. Whenever this ball comes in contact with any physical substance, it eats and corrodes the substance, instantly destroying whatever it hits, but only equal to the volume of the ball, where it hit.

[Yaku Fushinkou]

And thus finally, the two separated.

The chakra churned, circulating around the Kage. Tousha was preparing a jutsu, revealing itself to the Fushinkou and his sensor capabilities. He could have done so much in this moment. So much, but the Fushinkou hesitated. Yaku had to see this. His body halted, relinquishing from the fight. He pulled back, leaping away gracefully as the Hokage manifested his jutsu. The gray plain eyes stared as the ball took shape, flickering into existence.

The first of a series of Kunai were thrown in that moment. Two Kunai, shot outwards towards the ball, firing from Yaku's hands. They were more of a test, prodding blindly at Tousha and his Jutsu. Each Kunai was evenly spaced apart that Tousha would have to angle his hands just right to intercept both objects in the sphere.

Yaku was standing still, no longer pursuing the Kage.

"In Kirigakure, we were conditioned to hate the ninja of Konohagakure." Yaku smiled, a fake smile to humor his human foe. There was no emotion behind those lips, only playing a part. "But I don't hate you. I can't. It's not in my genes."

"2" Yaku called, his voice stern and abrupt. It had no relevance to his previous words, almost contradictory. But regardless, a scroll rolled onto the ground, unfurling in one master stroke. Yaku never left his eyes from the Hokage. He continued to stare as if Tousha was the only thing that existed in this world. And in some sense, he was. The stronger Yaku had become, humans became less relevant. They began to mesh into the background like trees. The actors on the stage dwindled with each stride in power.

"In fact... I am here to help you." His voice was as callous as ever. There was no emphasis in his words, no expression, and lacking all remorse. "As absurd as that may seem."

Another Kunai sung through the air, this time aiming for the ground near Tousha. The impact sent rocks flying at the Hokage, dust whipping fiercely behind, intending to sabotage the Jutsu in the Hokages palms.

"But as a Shinobi, you should know better than anyone. The ends justify the means." In that moment, a burst of chakra erupted from Yaku's fingertips as a Kunai shot forward. Fuuton enveloping the tip as it sprung towards the kage.


"Rule number 4. The mission always comes first."

What was Yaku planning? There had to be more to this. And it was in that moment, the faceless shinobi followed up, his hands becoming blurs. Two Kunai darted outside his cloak, bolting to the Kage. If Tousha stared behind the metal, he would see it. Yaku's fingers flashed in a quick basic seal. Release.

It was quick. Fifteen more Kunai poofed into existence, surrounding the Fushinkou.

But Yaku wasn't done, he was preparing a new set of seals.

OOCShow

I'm assuming the Ball of Sankaton is in your hand. Not sure if you have to shoot it off right away, so I just rp'd as if it was still in your hands.

ALSO

WOOP. KUNAI. AND LOTS OF IT.

DefenseShow

Jutsu Sensa [Jutsu Sense]
C-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisites: Hiroinen
Utilizing his sensor abilities, Yaku is able to sense if someone is circulating chakra for a jutsu or technique within 15 yards from him. This includes hand seals, concentration, meditation, chanting and other forms to emit chakra. This does not include the natural circulation of chakra that the body normally undertakes routinely.

OffenseShow

Threw x2 Kunai.


x1 Kunai at ground near Tousha


1x Kunai with

[Air Kunai]
B-Rank Taijutsu
Prerequisite: 9 Strength, 11 Taijutsu
Throwing a kunai with full strength can create massive friction in the air around it. The speed of the trajectory will create a massive force in a five meter radius around the Kunai. The force is equal to Yaku's strength and extends around the kunai for five meters until it lands. Small things that are not heavier than 80 pounds will easily be pushed to the side of the kunai by the air currents. Anything heavier will be obliterated struck by the kunai. The wind is good at absorbing blows, explosive tags aimed at halting the Kunai's path, allowing for the weapon to meet its intended target. Especially strong versus particulates or things weak to fuuton.

2x Kunai

*Chakra Kai
E-Ranked Ninjutsu
A jutsu used with the purpose of activating seals and a range of devices and weapons, this technique begins with a single handseal. Once this has been performed, the user will focus a dollop of his/her chakra into what s/he is looking to activate in order to complete the task. Seals activated with this technique must be within 20 yards of the user's position.

[Cylan]

OOCShow

OOCShow

OOC: I HATE YOU ALL. GTFO MY THREAD. YAKU GETS TO RP WITH THE KAGE AND I'M STUCK WITH THE GENIN.

A flock of crows flew over Tousha. Another flock flew past the Fushinkou, seemingly angry that Yaku got to have all the fun. Enma was somewhere not here.

[Toshi]

Shocked but pleasantly surprised, Tousha fell away from Yaku as the Missing Nin leaped away. The man's arm just barely managed to clear Tousha's orb of annihilation. Again, somehow the Fushinkou managed to see through his deception. He'd read in Yaku's file that he appeared nigh omnipotent, possessing speed and strength and clairvoyance beyond the understanding of mere men. Clearly those reports were extravagantly belittled.

Even before either man touched the ground again kunai cut the air. Two slivers of biting steel raced towards the Hokage, only to be consumed by the rusted red chakra burning between Tousha's hands. Almost behaving like a liquid the Sankaton absorbed the kunai as they entered its diameter, failing to pass through before being eaten away in an instant. The Nara only barely managed to place the sphere in a way that both projectiles were enveloped, something he was certain Yaku planned. It seemed like they weren't done testing each other yet.

As far as the Shinobi were concerned they may as well have just finished shaking hands.

As the space between the Shinobi grew so did Tousha's realization. Yaku couldn't have known about the building Sankaton chakra without either seeing or feeling it. Somehow, in some way the Missing Ninja could detect chakra. No man's perception was faster than the instantaneous manifestation of Sankaton chakra outside of the body.

Yaku was a sensor. Somehow the new found knowledge didn't put at ease the weariness in the Nara.

Tousha came to a skidding stop on the opposite side of the crater as Yaku, the ball of Sankaton chakra still alive and hungry in his hands. The Kage stood poised and ready as Yaku motionlessly spoke, smiling with a sick falseness. It was as if a mannequin had sprung to life and learned to speak, his whole body reeking of lifelessness. Even his eyes were dead as he smiled, not a shred of amusement coloring the gray.

With another burst of haste the Hokage sidestepped the kunai aimed at the ground near him, placing the ball of Sankaton between him and the area of impact. Stray, shattered bits of flying rock sunk into the Sankaton and disappeared without a trace. The rest bounced harmlessly off the man's flak jacket and long sleeve, leaving only a few shallow scrapes where the debris managed to hunt down his skin. A moment after the impact more of the air's hanging dust was blown away, the aftermath of a simple throw augmented with monstrous strength.

"I know it too well," Tousha said, his tone sharp and thin as a razor as he raised his arms. "Better than you by the looks of it."

As another of Yaku's kunai flew from his hand, enveloped in disrupted air, Tousha let fly the Sankaton. Both projectiles raced towards each other until they met, Yaku's knife silently consumed well before it would reach Tousha. The air surrounding the projectile dissipated, swirling the smoke and dust between the combatants like a lethargic squall.

Again Yaku let fly twin kunai, the Sankaton ball still flying through the air at him. Before the last volley of projectiles could reach Tousha's jutsu he released a small dose of his own chakra from the Sankaton. In an instant the ball destabilized, letting loose a mist of fine, rusted particles that expanded in every direction. As Yaku's knives entered the rapidly expanding mist they were slowly eaten away, each particle they came across taking a small bite out of the steel itself.

No more than a pair of chewed bits of metal made their way out of the mist, the sudden loss of mass wreaking havoc on their trajectory. They wobbled and spun as air resistance got the better of them, their once sleek form ruined to nothing more than rough stones of steel. What was left of Yaku's assault bounced and skittered down the street well clear of Tousha.

The thick, red haze would linger between the Shinobi, giving the street an eerie red glow.

The Hokage didn't waste the time Yaku allowed. While the Fushinkou summoned a swarm of kunai the Nara wove a quick set of seals and guided chakra to the shadows surrounding him. His own shadow, the shadows cast about on his clothing, even the shade under his brow seemed to crawl across the man's entire body.

In no more than a breath the Hokage wore those shadows like a cloak, not unlike Yaku's own. Bathed in shade and chakra the Hokage bent at the knees, readied his hands and waited for Yaku to make his move.

OOCShow

Really appreciate the extra time.

Jutsu usedShow

[Annihilation: Destabilize]
D-ranked Annihilation Ninjutsu
Prerequisites: [Annihilation: Fog]
By injecting a dose of Sankaton chakra into another Annihilation Sankaton jutsu Tousha is able to destabilize his own technique, causing it to expand and dispense in the form of a deep red fog. The fog's volume is relative to the amount of Sankaton chakra used to construct the Annihilation jutsu that is being destabilized (2 meters for D-ranks, 5 meters for C-ranks, 10 meters for B-ranks, 20 meters for A-ranks and 30 meters for S-ranks). Whenever this fog comes into contact with any physical substance it eats and corrodes the substance, instantly destroying whatever it touches, but only equal to the volume of the fog particles where they land (approximately the volume of a grain of sand per particle).

Shadow Veil
D-rank Ninjutsu
After forming the needed hand seals and flooding their shadow with chakra, the user will expand the shadow to cover parts or all of his body. This layer of shadow has no defensive qualities but acts as a supplementary technique to other more advanced Nara techniques. This lasts for up to 4 posts or until released by the user.

[Yaku Fushinkou]

Victory was not honorable. It was not just or ethical. There was only Win or lose. Most defeats were unexpected and it was in that moment, Tousha would realize that this was never a 1v1. As they fought, the pieces were slowly being set. Not by Yaku, but by Enma.

It was in these next moments, Tousha would learn of Yaku's honor. It was non-existent.

It was a crow. Only one, surrounded by a flock and they flapped harmlessly over Tousha unanswered. Perhaps he hadn't noticed or perhaps he didn't care. Regardless, this mistake was fatal.

Everything else did not matter. Not the fog, not the shadow, and certainly not the battle between Tousha and Yaku.

"I know it too well. Better than you by the looks of it."

Yaku had no response.

The Fushinkou gave nothing away. He did not have relief, surprise, or joy in his evolutionary make up. He didn't even look at the crows, he didn't need to. He recognized Enma's chakra and he understood. As the red fog etched outward, Yaku played the game and kept away, not revealing the truth. Backing up a few steps, the final deception was finally in motion.

Just as Yaku and Tousha began their seals, it happened. The shadows had just began to gather. The crows had aligned.

"Now" It was unsaid. Only one man could hear this word.

An explosion followed.

OOCShow

Haha, sorry. We're horrid. I wanted to keep this going, but I still have mission objectives to fullfill.

Jutsu Joretsu Okusoku [Chakra-Amount Speculation]
C-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisites: Hiroinen
Utilizing his sensor abilities, Yaku is able to read the amount of chakra embedded into an area, jutsu or target within a set range of himself. This has a max range of his control x1 meters. Helping him distinguish large and small chakra sources.

[Nostalgic Mark: Conversation]
B-Rank Ninjutsu
After marking and becoming familiar with a chakra source through [Nostalgic Mark], Yaku can communicate and converse internally with them after doing the required handseals. This extends 1/4th a mile x control. The drawback is that the target can break the link completely. If they refuse to hear Yaku’s words and refuse to talk, they can shut him out voluntarily and permanently. Lasts for five posts.

[Cylan]

Don't interfere
Don't interfere? Fuck that.

Most of the crows overlooking the battlefield observed it with reckless enthusiasm. They went unnoticed and unanswered as they watched the battle unfold. Tousha formed his sankaton cloud between himself and Yaku. The crows knew, as their master would know, what the cloud was. It was a cloud of death, totally unlike anything that their Fushinkou ally or their master could pull off with their particles. It only served to make the creature at the center of the crows more afraid.

Now.

The signal was sent to both the crows and the man that controlled them. At the foot of the alleyway where Tousha had tossed his headband now stood a man who had made his entrance late. Tied to his head was the warped metal of the forehead protector that the Hokage had tossed aside. "You make me a happy man, Yaku. I didn't think I'd get a trophy like this today."

The blackbird had taken flight. Now his murder would shoot it down.

The Hokage was forming hand seals at a frantic pace. The birds were faster and Enma had only one seal to make while the Kage's attention had gone over them. An explosion rocked the area. It was even more powerful than the one that had destroyed the monument and large enough to take out much of the street around the Hokage in addition to his person. Enma watched with glee, wondering how the Hokage could escape the death trap he'd made.

OOCShow

Mwahahaha

This was done in this thread

[Checkmate]

Massive heaves of smoke billowed on the horizon, filling the sky with a sickly greenish gray smoke. Shikatsuko leaped to a nearby rooftop and continued running, but it looked like it was already too late. By the time she got there everyone would be safe or dead. She spoke to the jounin with her. "We can try to put out the flames and get the people who made it to safety. Make sure no one else dies." But she was sure she wouldn't be able to do anything.

Now closer to the sky, and with an arial view, she could see everything. It was sickening. Although many of the shinobi had managed to take control over the civilians, there were still small pockets of panic breaking out. Screaming, mayhem, and death. The harbingers brought these things to her village, and there wasn't anyone that could stop them. Except... Tousha!

The woman shifted her gaze, and quickly found a different color of smoke that to her signified combat. It was Tousha's Sankaton cloud. He was the only one who would be fighting back. A sudden surge of hope rushed through her body as she imagined Tousha drawing the line and putting an end to this chaos, drawing it all to a neat end. "I'll join you if I can, don't wait for me." Her foot pivoted as she landed on another building, and she was changing directions, now moving toward the battle she believed to be between Tousha and the enemy.

She was not wrong. Shikatsuko skidded to a stop as she saw the two shinobi facing off. Tousha was decked out in his battle attire, but barely maintained any resemblance to the village. If someone didn't know it was him they might confuse the invader with the Fire's Flickering Shadow. She wanted to speak, to help, to do something, but then she saw the battle field, littered with kunai, destroyed buildings, and other debris. Her heart skipped a beat, suddenly concerned for her mentor. "Is he... keeping up with Tousha?" She asked herself quietly. Never before had she seen anyone as fast as Tousha. She was pretty sure she'd never even seen his full speed - mostly because at full speed she couldn't see him anymore.

She began to take in more of the battle field - the area, the crows. Crows? Odd. Tousha didn't seem to mind them, but they certainly didn't belong in the village, and definitely not around a fight this intense. She wondered... "I wonder if they're part of-" An explosion shattered the air, bigger than any she'd seen - similar to the one that brought the building down earlier that day. Shikatsuko was only on the very edge of the blast radius, but it still knocked her to her back, striking her head on the hard roof.

"Oww..." She couldn't hear herself. Her ears were damaged and ringing from the concussive blast. Her head was spinning and she nearly forgot what she was doing, then she remembered -

"TOUSHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" She screamed, ripping herself from the broken roof and throwing herself to the ledge to see what happened. He had been in the exact center of directly under the explosion. There was no way he could have survived that. No, that couldn't be true - tears rolled down her eyes - it couldn't be true. Tousha couldn't die, he couldn't die. No one could beat Tousha, he was the Hokage. She tried to scream again but realized that her lungs had been effected, and her voice was actually functionless. Not a sound came from her mouth. But she screamed all the same, a soundless cry into a soundless void.

"Tousha! TOUSHAAAAAAAAAAA!" Her eyes were blurred and her balance prevented her from getting to her feet or running to check on Tousha. She didn't care if she died, she had to help Tousha! But her body wouldn't let her. Nothing she tried would let her overcome her body's resistance. Every alarm in her body was going off telling her to lie still, but she couldn't. Her hands flew to her temples, trying to steady her swimming head. She wanted to throw up. The pain in her chest told her something was broken. Maybe that was why her lungs weren't working right. She could still breathe, but it hurt immensely.

Tears streamed down her face and filled her eyes, obscuring the battle field almost entirely, but there was nothing to see anyway. The entire field was filled with debris. She couldn't see Tousha or the ninja he had challenged. "Tousha, no..." The woman didn't know what to think, what to feel. She knew she was concussed, and could barely trust her own senses or reasoning, but everything within her logic told her that Tousha, strong as he was, had not survived. And as that strong probability clarified, getting stronger and stronger in her mind, the Nara girl fell to her hands and knees, tears staining the roof. Her mentor... her teacher... her friend. Not to mention the leader of the village she called home... Could he really be... dead?

No. No."No!" She exclaimed, still unable to make much sound. "You are not dead!" She shouted as she tried to pull herself up, doubling over as her ribs smarted. "You can't die, we still need you!" She said, almost as if her willpower alone could invoke a miracle.

She could still not gain a full visual of the field to know what the hell happened. But though the tears and emotions persisted, the Nara chuunin stood there, only a few rooftops away, with her fists clenched and her face wet with tears, praying that the will of fire would not take him, not yet. She wasn't ready. Not knowing killed her. Her emotions were of fear and sadness, anger and desperation. She could not yet stand, but she could crawl. And crawl she did, nearing the battle field. She had to know. She had to know if... No, she just had to know that he was ok.

"Nara Tousha, you had better not be dead, or I'll kill you myself!"

[Toshi]

Not able to notice a jutsu being performed in another thread or given any reason to pay attention to a group of birds that weren't described as dangerous or explosive in any way in the post in which they entered the Hokage could only watch as the sky exploded. He had next to no time to react to the massive release of chakra but in what time he had several thoughts burned through the man.

This seems like a really lame way to end a really compelling fight, he thought. A little rushed even. He probably should have been more concerned about the very lethal technique going off overhead but something about the whole thing left a bad taste in his mouth and made him wish no one had interrupted in the first place.

Knowing the city like the back of his hand, Tousha located a shadow at the top of a building about an eighth of a mile away and infused his shadow with chakra. In the blink of an eye the Hokage disappeared, replacing himself at near instant speed with nothing but a little shade. Tousha would appear southeast of the explosion's radius, appearing to have been lost to Enma's technique. The Nara watched through enraged eyes as he watched the homes of his people burning, roofs shattered and concrete cracked and ruined.

Smoke and ash and embers rose into the sky, spreading across the village like a blanket of despair. In that moment Tousha hated more deeply than he knew he could.

Minutes would pass before the Hokage returned to the blast site to inspect the damage. Ruin and fire awaited him and nothing more. Anyone foolish enough to remain close to their fight would have been vaporized, reduced to nothing more than a stain in an instant. The Hokage stood in the rubble, every breath saturated with rage.

He wouldn't even notice Shikatsuko's tearful screams until her last outburst. The Kunoichi's voice was enough to pull a part of him back to reality, the shred that made him human. Everything else was hungry for the head of the man responsible for such senseless destruction.

"See where they went?" Tousha asked, his voice low and dark. A hard scowl grew across his lips. "Getting real tired of this shit."

OOCShow

Jutsu usedShow

Shadow God Step
S-rank Ninjutsu
By infusing his own shadow with chakra Tousha is able to replace it with any other shadow within a 3 kilometer radius, transporting himself to that location at near instant speed. This technique is similar to that of the Body Flicker technique but has a much larger range, which requires a considerable amount of control and chakra to perform regardless of the distance Tousha travels. Limited to 2 uses per thread.

[Checkmate]

"Tousha...?" The sadness was replaced with confusion, disbelief, then joy, then anger as the shape of her Captain materialized through the settling smoke. She had prayed for a miracle, and in a display of nothing less, Tousha appeared.

The anger that flared within was not at Tousha, or really even at the nukenin at this point. For a moment she allowed herself to be angry with herself that she couldn't do anything to help. Maybe if she had chosen a different path, she could have helped. Less focus on espionage outside the village and more time spent training by Tousha's side. She had spent the last two years swatting a few wasps only to find that the mother hive had descended upon her home.

"You son of a- you're not hurt, are you?" She stopped herself, heaving a sigh of relief that he seemed unharmed, at least physicaly. But Shikatsuko knew that as each building fell, so fell away another of the few final threads that held the man to himself. She could not hope to know what was going through him right now, and somehow it was a burden she was not sure she wanted to share.

"Ugh, I think my chest went down two sizes." She said, planting her hand on a knee to push herself up. She realized that she was still in civilian clothes. Her combat attire stashed in the partially shredded backpack that had cushioned her fall. A backpack which she now removed, grabbing the shroud from within, along with her weapons.

"Tousha, I know I'm of no use to you in combat - I'd just get in the way." She said, methodically but purposefully pulling the gear over her street clothes.

"But remember that you're not alone. You don't have to carry the weight of the village on your shoulders. The village stands behind you. Let us be your strength." She said as she finished donning the garb. Now dressed fully in black, and starting to feel less pain, the Nara looked straight into the eyes of the only man she could call a true friend.

"I won't ask to fight with you, but don't ask me to leave you." She said, standing tall. Her voice was fully returned and her ribs were beginning to hurt less.

"I think I saw them, but honestly my head was spinning. It looked like they were heading back toward the black fog in Residential. But we have to hurry, that's where all the civilians are gathering since the tunnels were attacked." At this point she was ready to move, and would follow if Tousha moved, trying to keep up.

"Status report on the village - evac is going well, only a few fatalities but plenty injuries. They're moving to the nearest rally points to await further instructions. Small teams of shinobi have mobilized over each district to facilitate. I didn't make it to the hospital but reinforcements were on the way when I split off to find you. I don't know about any of the council, but most of the villagers are safe for now." A small part of Shikatsuko wanted to jump and hug the man. She hadn't seen him in two years. But Tousha was not himself. Or maybe worse - maybe he was more himself now than she'd ever seen. Maybe she didn't know the real Tousha that laid dormant, a sleeping beast kept in the basement because it's not tame. And there was nothing tame about the man who stood before her.

"Intel on the intruders?" She asked, prepared to note anything important so she could act as Tousha's mouth if he insisted on pursuing battle before reinforcements could be briefed.

"Should I rally the clan leaders? Whatever they're after, I don't know how long our defenses will hold, and the longer they hold the more time is given for mayhem. We're looking at a very small window before things go from bad to worse." She was saying nothing Tousha didn't already know, but she didn't know what else to do. This was her training - crisis evaluation, strategy, action. But Tousha didn't look like he was favoring steps one and two, and in truth it was unlikely that anything she could say would be able to change whatever it was that was going on behind those eyes.

"Whatever your decision, I am at your service." She said, standing ready to receive instruction.

[Octopus Garden]

OOCShow

Such salt.

[Yaku Fushinkou]

The explosion rocked the streets and Yaku bolted backwards to avoid the intense rolling heat that followed. His black cloak flapped furiously in the wind as the dust wrapped itself around him. His arms shot upwards, shielding his face as the wind sailed past. The Fushinkou bit his lip as Enma made his entrance. Houses collapsed and their wood was splintered into small pieces. Only rocks and fire was left behind. That and the dust.

It was in this giant mess that Tousha's chakra signature disappeared. It had vanished. The Fushinkou smiled in silent victory, revealing the closest bit of humanity that Yaku had left. He was relieved. The blast must have obliterated the Hokage.

And finally, it stopped. The explosion simmered and the dust began to ease. Only Enma and Yaku remained. The faceless shinobi gave his Henkou partner a silent nod as he collected himself. The street had been cleared. It was barely recognizable.

"Nothing personal, Tousha." Yaku turned, looking at nothing, but rubble. "Nothing with me is ever personal." Carefully hopping over the rocks, Yaku became lost to the dust.

Nothing could be seen, only words echoed through the vortex of dirt. "Lets go."


[Exiting Thread]

[Cylan]

That explosion was magnificent. Enma had to take cover to avoid the heat and force from his own blast. The cold blue eyes of every crow in the village turned towards this new blast and cawed proudly. Their brother died a good death. Enma quickly went to Yaku after the blast was done. Pointing to the metal of the Hokage's forehead protector, Enma smirked. "Sorry for interrupting your fun, buddy. Ready to get going? The Hyuuga guy won't kill himself." For a few moments, he had to take in the sweet smell of victory. He knew hardly anything about this new Hokage but he figured that he simply had to be dead.

Enma had a flair for the dramatic and the impression he got to leave upon the people of Konoha stroked his ego like few other things did. The village's Hokage was dead by his hands. There was no way he could survive, even with some of his fancy clan abilities. "Let's get going. This is going to make things interesting when we get out. I'm gonna be the most wanted man in Konoha for sure now. 'Wanted for the murder of the Hokage'. Hopefully they won't give you the credit. People love sucking you off, guy." His grin grew as he looked across the rubble. So much of the town was destroyed as far as he could tell. This was the best day ever.

All that remained in this part of Konoha seemed to be rubble. The people of Konoha would have a lot of work to do. Enma nodded at his partner's words and sped off along with him. They still had work to do. The fun with Kawa would come later.

[Exiting the thread]

[Toshi]

Tousha listened to the young Kunoichi through the fire and death and dust, quietly shifting his gaze from her to the surrounding Village. Homes burned and crumbled into ash and ember, the lives of those they sheltered crumbling just as loudly in his ears. The Blackbird sighed when Shikatsuko's words trailed off and the woman stood there below him, looking to her Kage for leadership and comfort.

She would have been better off looking elsewhere. He'd already lost.

"Rally who you can," Tousha said, his voice as heavy as the look in his eyes. "Yaku was making towards the Hyuuga district before I caught up to him... And there seems to be a lot of commotion in that direction."

The Kage hopped off his perch, a ruined swath of rubble, and began collecting the Kunai he'd used against Yaku. Some of the knives had been lost to the explosion, some swallowed by the corpses of the buildings collapsed around them. But he managed to find a couple and the cold steel grounded the man a little. He quickly sheathed them in the holster at his thigh and turned back to Shikatsuko.

"Whatever they're after... they probably already have it. All we can do now is find out where they are, build up what we have and hope it's enough."

The Hokage brushed some soot from his sleeve and stood beside the Kunoichi, a feint smile touching his lips. "Thanks, by the way. I needed that. Now hop to it, let's see how many friends we've got left."

With that the Nara made for the Hyuuga district. He practically flew through the streets, eventually taking flight to the rooftops and weaving through the smoke smothered air with purpose.

One way or another this was going to end. Soon.


[Exit thread]