Fandom Naruto: Seiryūden

[Sha]

@The Architect


Juro maintained relative silence throughout the meal. He would nod and give his apathetic look and attention to whomever it was that spoke but kept quiet as he usually did. This detached trait of his was enhanced by his hunger; even if he had the desire to speak, he would be too enveloped in satiating his hunger to speak many words. A few looks were given to the Genin due to their worn appearance. A few people even seemed on the verge of asking if everything was alright, but in the end must have been somewhat used to seeing shinobi in such a state. Juro could feel their looks but hardly seemed to care.


“…Kind of hard to believe, right?”


At this Juro perked up. The food was already about to arrive – perhaps due to the state of unrest the Genin portrayed, perhaps because the diner was fairly empty, either way, it was faster than usual and Juro was all the happier for it. “Well,” Juro began, leaning back comfortably in his seat and opening his palm which still held the golden bell, “We have the evidence right here.” A brief grin passed over the young man’s face and was gone as quickly as it appeared. As soon as he reminded himself of the victory, the thought of what became of Haya returned and wiped the grin from his face.


The food was delicious. He forgot what it was he was eating at times despite the completely average speed with which he ate – the same mediocre, apathetic way in which he seemed to carry himself in most things. He was returning to his usual self. The pain which had been diluted from exhaustion and adrenaline began to sting various parts of his body as he calmed and became full.


When the check came there was more than enough money to cover the costs. “I should get home,” Juro said standing. He was slow to stand. At least he could stand with relative ease now. “I don’t think I’m injured, just tired. I should be fine after I get some sleep,” He continued, now passing a look to his teammates before turning to exit. Raising a weary hand as he walk away he said his final goodbye: “I’ll see you tomorrow for training.”


* * * * *


Juro removed his robe as he walked and slung it over his shoulder. He was still exhausted, but the food had given him a clear head once more. His dull eyes peered blankly ahead as thoughts of the day passed through his mind:


“My fist plan should have worked. He cheated, he said he wasn’t interfering and what did he do? He interfered. Stupid, should have guessed. An enemy won’t stand by their word either. Ahh, of course he did, but now we know. But… That chakra web. How does he control so many threads, his chakra control must be incredible. Not just that, but his chakra reserves must be incredibly high too. How is it I haven’t heard of him before? Maybe father knows, whatever, I’m going to have to be careful with the puppets I bring tomorrow or I won’t have any left for our first mission… Haya…”


His thoughts trailed off as he opened the door to his home and was greeted by a laughing father, “Rough first day?” He asked Juro who just nodded wearily and continued up the stairs to his room. His father, Isuma, surely noticed the missing scroll from Juro’s chest given that his robe was over his shoulder but this did not quell his laughter. He was a hard-ass, to be sure, and would have been happy with the way his new son’s sensei had taught him the lesson - though, if Juro told his father, Isuma would have disagreed with the lesson for he was a hardliner, of sorts, and put the sake of the village above all else. Perhaps it was out of a sense of loyalty deepened by the fact that the clan was relatively newer to the village, perhaps it was just who he was. Either way, the willingness to die for the village had been imparted unto his son, Juro, and it would take more than a single beating to remove the ideology from his mind.


Upon arriving to his room Juro would fall into deep sleep almost immediately after tossing his robe on a nearby chair and falling onto his bed. He would sleep soundly until the morning.

 

[Hoax]

Kyouka Aruhane

While she'd certainly been expecting the group to run into something, Kyouka hadn't been nearly prepared enough for explosives. The tags went off too fast and too late for her and Hikaru to totally avoid them, but between their startled attempts to dodge and a sudden sharp gust of wind knocking them off course, the blondes were thrown away.


Just barely managing to catch a glimpse of foreign shinobi, Kyouka's body soon made rather unpleasant acquaintances with a tree. Unable to control her angled descent, the Genin slammed fully into the trunk and dropped to a wide branch, gritting her teeth. The pain wasn't immediate nor particularly bad, just winded her enough to force her not to move right away. Kyouka had a feeling new bruises would be appearing thanks to the impact.


Pushing herself to her knees, she looked around frantically for Hikaru, remembering Kokuro-sensei's rushed "Stick together". She managed to spot both him and Ichiro, thankfully safe and unhurt, but the world started exploding again and she was forced to jump to another tree. Shakily standing up and forcing herself not to be dizzy, the Genin leaped away again and down to her teammates, almost falling over again as she hit the ground.


Before she was even able to ask if everyone was okay, Kokuro was back from her fight and steadied Kyouka before she fell.


"Let's go, quickly. If we've been ambushed, then it's safe to assume Ayaka is in serious trouble." The Jounin explained, soon leaping back up into the trees. Kyouka took a deep breath and followed, thankfully much less muddled from her tree hugging excursion.


@The Architect

 

[Hanarei]

Tsukiashi had frozen in place, mid 'leap' forward. Her eyes staring forward in confusion as his arm had seemed to appear almost instantaneously in front of her. Her puzzled look shifted to Cale as suddenly he flicked at her forehead. The 'wild pup' let out a gasp as she flew back. She toppled over, her body doing a backflip as she skidded on the ground. She found herself stopped, her legs above her body before falling flat forward back to the ground. A small red mark was on her head as the girl was left dazed. A dog light whimper escaped her lips as she kept still on the ground.


The girl's body seemed to twitch as she slowly rolled up just as her sensei began to speak. Her body started to roll rotate counter clockwise roughly 2 and half times through before she finally shook her head. A soft glow was on her cheeks as she rubbed her forehead, processing what he said in her mind as she started to snap back to reality. She seemed almost frantic attempting to figure out what had happened, finding herself in disbelief of what she recalled.


"Th... th... that w... was cheating s... somehow!" She spoke with a blush visible on her cheeks, nearly turning the shade of her fang marks on her face. She shook her head out propping herself up onto her feet. Despite her initial stagger, her energy seemed to return quite quickly. She rubbed at her forehead, noticing her own action as she tried to hide away the fact she had done such.


"What kind of training is that s'ppose to be anyways? We ran around as Genin! We should be doing Shinobi stuff now! Swinging from trees with one arm doesn't seem helpful at all! Why do we gotta warm up and we gotta warm up with that kinda lame stuff?" She pouted a bit looking towards Cale. Despite her claims of him cheating, she seemed to hold back from attempting to pounce at him once again, at least for now.


@Seraph Darkfire @Hellkite @LeSoraAmari

 

[DreamBeat]

@The Architect​

After the meal was all paid for, Team 3 parted ways and went home. She watched as the boys walked away and smiled slightly, still worried for their well-beings. Juro still looked exhausted, and Kyoden's extensive injuries looked painful, especially with the dried blood matting his clothes. She would have to trust them to take care of themselves. As she headed for home, she reflected back on her new team.


These people were her new teammates. And as much as she disliked Hayato-sensei for his less-than-preferable teaching methods during what she dubbed "the bell test," he was part of the team as well. She would trust her life to them, and they would have to trust their lives to her. It was a scary thought, especially with how useless she was during the mock spar with Hayato-sensei. Honestly, she had no idea on what she should improve on first. There were so many things she needed to work on. Being able to create strategies on the spot was one. Even if she was mediocre at thinking during fights, she would have to learn at least the basics.


"Tadaima," she called out when she arrived at the Muranami house. The Muranami house was split into two sections: the clinic and the living quarters. The living quarters consisted of various houses that housed all the people of the Muranami clan. Her house was just as average as all the other houses even though she was from the main branch.


The twins came to greet her, enthusiastically pestering her for details about her new team. So, she told them what she could remember from "the bell test" as the twins listened like children listening to a story told by their mother. Seriously, they acted so childish, yet they were all business when it came down to family business. Her smile didn't waver throughout the story of the quiet boy who aimed to become a puppet master and the bright boy who was good with weapons working together with the hardworking girl to obtain the golden bell from their sensei, until her face suddenly blanked out as she neared the end of the story when Hayato-sensei further worsened their injuries after the spar was over. Given, they didn't die, but even the twins agreed with her that the action was uncalled for. Though, the reason for those reactions was because they thought like Suzume; they found no reason to hurt an already injured person.


Shortly after her story was told, the twins were called in for a patient, so they parted ways. As the twins made their way to the clinic, Suzume went to her bedroom and took a nice, warm shower. The next thing she did was flop on to her bed and spread out her arms across the bed, thinking about what kind of training Hayato-sensei had in mind for them. She wasn't sure she wanted to do them... but she would try her best. Although she was left slightly disappointed that she hadn't seen her parents by the time she was in bed, her thoughts faded away as she drifted into a comfortable sleep.

 

[Hellkite]

Taura sighed.


"Sensei, Ashi, please try to be civil." She glanced around the room, a flicker of embarrassment crossing her face.


"Everyone's staring. This is a restaurant, so at least abide by the rules of etiquette until we get outside. Please?"


She gave the pair an imploring look.


Those two are going to be a handful. She thought. Guess it'll be down to me and Satoshi to keep them out of trouble. Great, just the sensei I needed...





Taura stood, and bowed to the waitress.


"Thank you." She said, simply, before turning to her new team. "Shall we go?"


@LeSoraAmari @Hanarei @Seraph Darkfire

 

[Ilstead]

Hikaru Uzumaki

Hikaru wouldn't be able to tell you what just happened if he tried to. It was all kind a blur as his nerves took over and the adrenaline had set his body into shock. When he heard his team leader say we are moving out, it snapped him back to reality to find his hand white knuckling his kana with an explosive tag attached. Hikaru gulped and quickly put it back into his pouch before looking over to his sensei.


"This was just an ambush."


Hikaru thought to himself.


"It gonna get harder from here on out. Its gonna get rougher and tougher, vicious cycle. I need to keep my wits about me."


As they travelled on, Hikaru would take out his water and take a little sip. His slowed his breathing and slowly pushed his emotions out of the situation and replaced the with a cool sense of rationality. Its what needed to be done or this specific mission, no for this battle.

 

[Pariah Stark]

Fear. It seethed through the village and into the hearts of everyone from every edge of the village, even seeping into the outskirts and beyond into the Land of Fire. Shinobi and civilians alike felt the anxiety and dread in the atmosphere. Their wits end pressed hard against the razor's edge. Children weren't safe in their homes. Not anymore. Merchants, hostesses, chefs, smithies, florists and every other niche the village had filled all felt the chill that ran through the village, caused by the silent strike of lightning from Kumogakure. This was the reality faced by their earlier generations. This was the reality they accepted when they overthrew the Daimy?. But, it wasn't until now that Konohagakure as a village realized that they weren't truly at peace. The Second Hy?ga Affair marked a new era and a new mindset inside Konoha.


The civilians within the walls of Konoha were sent into the greatest unrest. Despite it being a Clan family that had been attacked, just the idea that such an attack could be made on the village was enough to fill them with panic. Some civilian families that had allowed their children to become shinobi, some even as far as Chuunin, rescinded this and pressured them into returning to their families in hope of safety. Kyoden Shiratori was one such example. Others, such as Taura Miyamae, found a way to argue that this is when the Leaf needed shinobi most. Others took different measures. The Uzumaki, for instance, withdrew their younger clansmen from other squads and put them into squads consisting only of their kin. A new sense of clan pride filled the village. The Hy?ga set a powerful example as they immediately tracked down their assailants, and other clans deemed it necessary to follow.


In the dead of night, Kumi-nin infiltrated Konohagakure, killed several Hy?ga guards and ultimately kidnapped two main branch Hy?ga children. Their group, lead by a master tactician of the newly reforming Kinkaku Force, split into two parties. Each party only consisted of one-third of the total squadron for the mission, and the tactician intended on having the last third reinforce whichever party had the weaker pursuit. He had learned from history and prepared to potentially even sacrifice his own men for the power of the Byakugan. He also used knowledge from the frontlines; a significant portion of Konoha forces were along the Eastern border fighting territorial skirmishes. This was a prime time to strike, a well-calculated plan and all of it was held together with even greater cohesion because of the technological advances made by Kumogakure.


The Hy?ga pursued their captor North while Ayaka Uzumaki, the Jounin Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails started the pursuit West. Seeing a whole clan hunt down a party vs. a single shinobi, be them a Jinchuuriki or not, secured the decision of which party would receive reinforcements. While Ayaka found herself greatly outnumbered, she was eventually aided by Kokuro and Team Four who themselves were assisted by Kosuke and Deiki, former students of Kokuro. The Genin of Team Four provided almost no assistance until Ayaka shrouded them in one-tailed cloaks, greatly enhancing their natural strength. However, even with this benefit, their adversaries had a unique tool at their disposal: Chakra Armor. Engineered in Kumogakure to replicate the use of Lightning Release Chakra Mode, this armor could grant even Genin this potent technique and increase their fighting force tenfold. Even worse, the armor was set to self-destruct upon the final heartbeat of its wearer, keeping the technology as secret as the Byakugan.


The Hy?ga made short work of their party, but ultimately failed to save their heir. Meanwhile, Kokuro was capable of getting in close to the Kinkaku leader and dueled him one-on-one. Ayaka found herself in a whole new mess as Ichir? was overwhelmed by the Kyuubi chakra. It fed off his rage and turned it into hate. It granted him immense power, power that Ayaka couldn't sever. The enraged Ichir? began feeding off of her like a battery and in his blind rage, he was capable of tearing through his attackers with ease. The problem was that the only one he couldn't tear through was Ayaka, making him a significant threat to even his own allies. In the end, Ichir? regained control for just long enough to force himself to exhaust all of his chakra - his Cursed Chakra, the Kyuubi Chakra and his regular Chakra - in a single multi-size technique that brought him to enormous proportions. As he fell unconscious, Ayaka regained control. Still, they were greatly outnumbered and the fight appeared abysmal. Ichir? and the Hy?ga heir were now both major liabilities, leaving making Hikaru and Kyouka push themselves to their absolute limit to defend them.


Hope shined through as Kokuro was capable of defeating the Kinkaku leader, proving that even in her age, she still excelled as an elite shinobi. However, this left her drained of chakra. Kyouka had already sustained severe injuries and Hikaru was only in better shape because of his Uzumaki heritage. It was left to Kokuro and Ayaka to defend a young Hy?ga heir, an exhausted Ichir?, a nearly-exhausted Hikaru, and Kyouka as she was effectively bleeding out. When all hope seemed lost, the remaining Hy?ga forces dashed in to fight off the remaining members of the Kumogakure sqadron. The Hy?ga suffered only two casualties from the conflict, not included their other heir. Regardless, they proved capable of fighting these armored Kumo-nin toe-to-toe, and in doing so set an example for the rest of the village. Kyouka was hospitalized indefinitely, Hikaru was pulled from his squad to be reassigned with his cousin Satoshi to a full Uzumaki squad, and all of Team Three was dissolved in part due to the parental complaints on Hayato and in part because of the fear of the moment.


The Rookie Nine of this generation were no more. A single event is all it took to take the most prodigal and most hopeful of a generation, and knock them down a peg. Ichir? was taken off of Team Four and given to Team Five; after showing what could happen when his rage was unleashed, it was decided that he needed to be put under the most powerful sensei the village had to offer, and there was none other than Cale. He already had a Cursed Child in his ranks and his Sage Mode should easily keep Ichir? in check. Kokoru then was effectively given an entirely new squad: the took Juro and Suzume from Hayato after his discharge, and then was given Sora Hy?ga, a Genin that had fought with his clan in their hunt for the Kumo-nin. One event, one event that was actually a success, had such a powerful impact on Konoha. The mindset of the village was changed. So long had they lived with the false pretense of peace permeated their lifestyle. Too long, in fact. Too long did the village go on without fearing what it should have. Now, after an event that felt like the restart of the cycle that lead to the downfall of their previous generation, Konohagakure was reminded of what it meant to have shinobi and the cost of freedom... sacrifice.

The same gentle breeze carried the familiar scent of the slow-shifting autumn leaves of the great forest that surrounded Konoha. The same warm sun sat in the same blue sky, but somehow, the world was just a little colder. The sky was lit just was bright, yet it didn't seem as vivid. The day did not feel eternally still; instead, it felt stagnant and tense. A week ago, a day like this might have been considered relaxing. But, every shinobi was on guard. There was no merriment within the villagers. Instead, they felt like just doing their jobs daily had became a risk. It was only with news that their great Hokage would be delivering a speech today did they receive and consolation.


Hitori Uzumaki, the Sixth Hokage, overlooked a crowd of citizens and shinobi alike that had gathered around the courtyard in front of the Academy. Behind him was the great Hokage Rock and directly below him was a platform full of young genin and a handful of Jounin they would be assigned to. The crowd did not murmur. No. They were silent. They hoped that whatever their leader would say would bring them some type of ease. Some type of reassurance that what happened before would not happen again. In over two decades, there had not been a moment like this. A time like this. Konoha had not faced fear or panic since the end of the Purge, and probably even before that. This was the time for a real leader to stand up.

"Konoha..." Hitori said aloud, his voice softer and serene. He needn't speak over anyone. Not this time.

​

"As many of you know, three days ago, we were infiltrated by enemy shinobi. I will not lie to you. Just as in the past, rival villages wanted the great power held by our noble Hy?ga Clan. Two children they took, and only one returned. Now, this may seem like a tragedy, and in fact it is... but we have over sixty confirmed bodies of the enemy, and only three of our own. I will not stand here, upon this platform, and tell you that this is okay. I would have gladly had no loss of life, had that been the option... but it was not. And, in fact, it probably will not be. This is the fact we need to face."


Hitori looked to his crowd in a brief moment of silence. Some had gained energy as he told them of the enemy body count. Others only felt the reality of the situation sink in even further.


"This is war, and there will be death. Four days ago, I boasted of our twentieth graduating class. And, today, I will still boast. I will have you know that there were many of those same Genin involved in this confrontation, and they were successful. Hell, I will tell you of my personal pride that my own very cousins proved to be successful shinobi. What I mean to say is that, yes, there is danger. But, and this is what you should remember in these troubling times, we are prepared. We are prepared like no other nation. We are the Village Hidden in the Leaves and we have the most prodigal shinobi in the world. I am bringing back many of our forces from the Eastern border to provide added patrols to the city, I am increasing funding to our academy and training programs; I am making sure the safety and security of this village comes first, and with shinobi like these in our ranks, Konoha, I will stand upon this podium today and tell you that there is nothing to fear!"


And, just like that, the crowd that was dull and silent erupted into a roar of pride and dignity. Just like that, three days of anguish and sorrow had turned into an event that united Konoha. Just like that, every single Clan Head and even Shin Uzumaki himself remembered why Hitori was Hokage. He may not have been their greatest shinobi. But, he was a great leader. He treated the village like his own clan, and even spoke of pride for his clan along the exact same lines he spoke of the pride he felt for each and every one of his fellow shinobi. While Hitori may have delivered the same speech year after year, once he finally got the chance to deliver a brand new one, it did not disappoint. Hitori was a man that could illicit pride in Jounin and Genin alike. That is why he was Hokage.

@Hellkite @Seraph Darkfire @Hanarei @Sha @DreamBeat
​

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

Caillte Leanaí

Cale was annoyed. First off all, he hadn't even gotten to fight strong opponents. That was always a bummer, but he' also found out that one of his students ha been replaced with another. It was Shin's brat too! He tapped his bare feet against the ground as he listened to the Hokage talk. The man's ability to lift the spirits of his people was certainly impressive. He held a strong fire within his heart.


He then grinned as he walked towards his students. This time, he'd memorized their names...well, their first names anyway.


Tsukiashi


Ichirō


Taura


He even knew their faces. He stepped up them and picked all three up by the scruff of their necks, holding them in his hands like a mother cat her young "Since you should be properly motivated after this event and your Hokage's speech, I can train you without worry" he said firmly. He'd found that introductions were pointless. They'd get to know each other through their fists. You only truly knew your enemies and allies once you've left a mark on them.


Putting strength into his legs, he leaped into the air, heading towards his assigned training area 'I'll test their bodies first' he thought grinning as he leaped high above the training area and suddenly let his students drop. It wasn't enough to kill them or even seriously harm them, at most they would just get a shock from hitting the ground wrong.


If they were worthy teaching, then they would spring back from anything. That was Cale's style, an unyielding force.


@Hanarei @Pariah Stark @Hellkite

Sora Hyūga

Sora gritted his teeth as the other's cheered around him. He could understand their feelings of pride, but all he felt was anger. Sora was the type of person who wanted to help anyone, but he'd been completely useless this time. Even worse, family died.


He didn't have the strength. Even during the fighting, at most he'd been a little more than a punching bag due to his high physical resistance. He needed to get stronger, needed to perfect his Gentle Fist and increase the range of his Byakugan. He needed to be faster and stronger.


If this happened again, Sora would not be caught off guard. Using his own strength, he would crush anyone who threatened his home. He turned and set off, looking for his new Sensei and team. He would give his strength to them and in return, would make their strength his own.


He spotted his sensei first. Kokuro Tsengami, despite her age, he knew she was powerful, and still quite beautiful. He knew he could learn a lot from her.


@Hellkite @Sha @DreamBeat

 

[Pariah Stark]

@Seraph Darkfire @Hellkite @Hanarei

Ichir? spent the last few days recovering, and so did the village. However, Ichir? was recovering not only from the Affair. He was recovering from the anguish that the Kyuubi unleashed inside his mind. As soon as the Nine-Tail's Chakra poured into him, he felt it rip out the deepest, darkest parts of his inner self and bring them to life. It was like he was given a back seat in his own body, but it wasn't like genjutsu. With genjutsu, you either didn't realize it at all or you didn't until it was too late. This time, Ichir? was aware the entire time. The weirdest thing is that he knew that he wasn't entirely being controlled, either. The Kyuubi didn't have full power over him. What was released from Ichir? was something he kept locked up inside himself. It was what everyone in the village feared. It was what he practiced every day to control. And, he faced it head on. Ichir? was terrified because he knew that he could lose that inner battle. In fact, the only reason he didn't was a split second disruption of the Kyuubi chakra from Ayaka. He seized those brief moments to perform the Multi-Size technique with no inhibition, and that effectively knocked him out. But, those moments of unconsciousness right after his fight were filled with the worst terrors of his life. Ichir? knew failure at its fullest.


Even Hitori, as he spoke boldly to the village and managed to lift their spirits, wasn't enough to pull Ichir? out of his slump. Of course, it was still the first few days. One couldn't expect him to recover immediately. Not to mention, his entire team was being revamped. He was just starting to get along with Hikaru and Kyouka was annoying, but sort've cute. Oh... Kyouka. She was still in the hospital. That one Ichir? was aware of wasn't exactly his fault. As it was described to him, even Ayaka and Kokuro would have died if not for the Hyuuga arriving last minute. Nevertheless, the thought of Kyouka in bed in such significantly worse shape than any of them was something that also hung over his head.


His new sensei was literally the new sensei. He was told to his face in the boldest manner that he needed to be put under a shinobi powerful enough to stomp him into the ground in case he lost control again. While Kokuro likely could do that, they decided to take even greater measures. As the speech ended, Ichir? looked to his new team and intended on in--whoa fuck.


Before he knew it, he was literally flying through the fucking air at like mach two alongside his teammates, Cale had just grabbed them all and did his monkey jump to the training ground.

"Since you should be properly motivated after this event and your Hokage's speech, I can train you without worry"

​

He heard his mentor and lost track of all his thoughts. The only thing running through the young Genin's head was the one repeated question: what the literal Hell just happened? Then the mother fucker let the go mid air. They were a solid twenty feet above the ground. Ichir? had less time to ask himself questions than he did a half-second ago. Instinctively, Ichir? performed the multi-size hand sign, then used the expansion of one hand to break his fall. The other hand he used to catch Taura and Ashi before allowing both to shrink down so they could all hit the ground... slightly less hard.


Ichir? then looked to Cale with his eyes squinted, slightly irritated about the previous series of events. The only words he uttered were under his breath, "What the Hell..."

 

[Hanarei]

Tsukiashi had been rather neutral in terms of the speech. In truth... she had always kept some distance when it came to the events in the village. It wasn't as much that she didn't care... she just wasn't certain what to do hearing it. She had a habit of trying to ignore or push aside uncomfortable things or do something to actively combat it. She always tried to focus on the 'now' over the 'then'. It was her own way of suppressing bad thoughts. It had only made her that much more eager to start... at least it would of if her sensei hadn't suddenly embraced her in a hug.


Ashi gave a rather displeased groan as she was suddenly held onto, looking up with a light blush. "Don't hold me like I'm not a pup... She barked at him in a rather feisty tone as she looked away trying to hide her embarrassment. She didn't have to worry to much about that as suddenly she felt her feet leave the ground in the grip of her new Sensei with her teammates. She gasped out, looking rather frightened like a little pup in complete disbelief not having expected such a thing to happen.


She collected herself a bit though it didn't change the disbelief she had, changing from fear to unease. She blinked feeling his grip release her. She squirmed in the air, kicking as if she was attempting to swim in the air. She let out a loud (and rather cute) cry as she tumbled down. She suddenly watched a giant hand expand in front of her, gasping as she hit face first into his hand, fortunately only causing a bit of discomfort doing well to not cause any pain. She felt the hand vanish, watching the ground approach again though this time to a much smaller degree.


She let out a light gasp as she tumbled, rolling on the ground instinctively as she stopped herself. She rested on all fours, gripping to the grass as if she was afraid she might float off. She looked around a bit dazzled, shifting back up perking onto her feet. She shook her head out looking towards Cale. "Wh... what the hecks was that! First you hug and then you monster jump in the air... then you do that drop... thing! You coulda hurt us! What kind of Sensei do you think you are?" She spoke out fiercely. She crossed her arms, looking away in defiance, still shaking a little overcoming the shock she had just been through. No one could of ever expected such a series of events to unfold at once.


@Seraph Darkfire @Hellkite @Pariah Stark

 

[Hellkite]

Taura

Taura listened to the speech attentively, but with eyes downcast. She understood, at least in part, the severity of what had happened. She cast a sidelong look down the line to those of her generation who had actually been there.


Must have been tough. Wish I'd been there to help... but then what could I have done?





The somber speech rolled on, building to a crescendo of roars as the Hokage made his declaration to Konoha. Taura didn't shout, but she offer a burst of applause which was drowned beneath the shouts on either side her. The Hokage's words reassured her somewhat, but she still felt a twinge of unease.


Must be easy for him to say that. To follow through though, much harder...





Taura spotted Cale approaching. She had barely opened her mouth to greet her sensei when the man gripped her by the scruff of her collar. Taura made a surprised noise but didn't struggle, instead choosing to hang limp. Taura's stomach lurched once as her sensei jumped, and then a second time when Cale suddenly let go. Taura plummeted, hair streaming out behind her. Later she'd insist that she didn't scream at all, although deep down she knew that was far from the truth.


Her fall was broken by a Ichiro's multi-sized hand. When she hit the ground Taura was stunned but only for a moment. She stood, swaying slightly, nodding her thanks to Ichiro before turning to glance at their new sensei.


"Why..?" Taura left her sentence hanging before shaking her head. "Talk about dropping us in the deep end."


Kokuro

Kokuro ached, exhausted from her battle, still heavily bandaged under her flak jacket from the exchange with the Kinkaku. She semi-listened to the Hitori's speech, but largely allowed the words to wash over her.


Why can't I just take sick leave and go sit in the bar..?





She knew the answer to that question. The Leaf was threatened, and no Jonin would have a break from missions for quite some time. If they could walk, then regardless of their injuries Hitori could make use of them in his campaign to defend the village. Kokuro remained silent as the village roared their approval of the Hokage, standing with eyes folded. She made eye contact with Ghost, who stood a short distance away. He raised an eyebrow as he clapped for the Hokage. Kokuro simply shrugged in reply.


Hitori knows that it was a good speech. Doesn't need any confirmation from me to know that I'll back him up.





As the shinobi dispersed back to their duties, Kokuro spotted one of her new charges, Sora, nearby. She beckoned to him, and to her other two new pupils.


I didn't expect to get a new team only a three days after receiving my first one. Extraordinary circumstances, I suppose...

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

Caillte Leanaí

Cale flexed his fingers as he stood before his students. He could see the indignation on their faces at having been manhandled "That completely sucked" he said grinning "Had I been an enemy, I could have killed you before you even had a chance to react" he bounced on the balls of his feet. He stared at all of them "After what just recently happened, you should be fully aware that you can be attacked anywhere, even in your own backyard" when he had been training on the Mountain, it wasn't uncommon to be attacked by other monkeys, or even some of the large predators that existed there.


He crossed his arms and watched them with a small grin on his face "If you do not like the way I teach, you can always challenge me for my position" depending on the monkey family, they could be extremely territorial. Considering that the mountain's monkeys were all martial artists, this was true for Cale as well. If they weren't happy with the way he taught them, they were free to challenge him and become the top monkey.


However, the monkeys of Mount Huaguo were all very loyal to their family. These were his students and his family now. He would make them powerful. However, Cale had almost no experience working as a team and even less experience leading a team. When he had time, he was going to observe those within the village, to see how they worked together.


This was difficult. Normally, he could charge head first into a situation and usually it would work out in the end, but as Shin had shown him, that wouldn't always work. With these little monkeys, he couldn't just beat the knowledge into them.


The Monkey Style was all he knew, so he would teach them that. The loud mouth Ashi was a lot like him, the Wooden Monkey style would be perfect for her. Wild and angry, with powerful attacks.


His eyes flicked over Ichirō. This was supposed to be the angry kid, the one who couldn't control himself or something. Cale wondered if Stone Monkey would be best for him, at least to temper his anger. Practitioners of Stone Monkey could take attacks and weren't quick to attack openings, preferring to strike at weak points instead. It was a very patient style.


Finally, there was Taura. She wasn't flashy like the other two, but seemed very smart. After all the trouble, he'd taken a look at the scrolls he'd been given on them. She was apparently a genjutsu user. Unfortunately, that had always been Cale's weakest point...but maybe Lost Monkey would suit her well. If she wanted to use illusions and misdirection, then a style that primarily used feints would be perfect for her.


@Hellkite @Hanarei @Pariah Stark

Sora Hyūga

Sora noticed his new sensei waving him over and nodded, walking over to her. He stood before her and bowed to her "Good afternoon sensei" he said softly. Being a Hyuga, he'd been properly taught to treat his elders with respect. He hoped that his skills could be of use to his team. He needed to grow stronger, to be of use to his clan and prevent another death.


He looked around for his other two teammates, he didn't know them so he was eager to find out what kind of people they were. He did hope he could get along with them. It would be horrible if he had a bad relationship with them from the very start. Of course, he couldn't help if they weren't friendly.


At the same time, he hoped they were strong. The stronger the opponent, the faster one learned. That's what he believed anyway.


@Hellkite @Sha @DreamBeat

 

[Hanarei]

Tsukiashi looked at Caillte after his comment. She frowned a bit frustrated by his words. She looked at him with a pouty face, wiggling back and forth in response. His words didn't seem all that comforting for the girl. The idea of worrying about being attacked at home was one thing, but being dropped mid air was something completely different. It didn't help she was naturally a bit more rebellious as it was. Her clan teacher had trouble in terms of keeping her in line, something that wasn't aided at all due to the fact he was her adopted father Kamimasu .


Ever since she met him, Tsukiashi always looked on unfavorably to Kamimasu. She had felt as if he was trying to replace her real father. She knew so little of her actual father. The only bit she knew of him was of a few pictures she happened upon by sheer accident. Her mother had kept rather silent about it all. It was frustrating to her even as a little girl. Kamimasu being there in his place only felt as if her mother was trying to wipe away her father completely. The man was more then kind to her, yet Ashi could never fully embrace him. It wasn't as if she hated him as a person, it was what he stood for that always bothered her so much.


Ashi looked at Cale at him mentioning challenging him. She gave a light smirk in response. It was relatively easy to get her to act brashly when she was challenged. She slowly crouched down, slipping down onto all fours. Her eyes fixated at him as if some predator eyeing up it's prey. Challenge huh... I'll show him a challenge! The Genin thought to herself as her eyes narrowed and her nails grew longer and sharper. Ashi finally leaped forward, charging in at him with great speed.


She approached directly, using her high mobility to dart at him. The girl jumped up attempting to strike at him with a quick moving punch and catch him by surprise. "I'll get you!" At least it would of been surprise given her big mouth hadn't decided to blurt it out. She extended her fist forward, preparing to strike through him using her momentum to add force behind her attack. It was the Inuzuka technique to fight using hit and run techniques to wittle down an enemy and leave them little room to counter attack.


@Seraph Darkfire @Hellkite @Pariah Stark

 

[DreamBeat]

@Sha @Hellkite @Seraph Darkfire

What now... Well, just train and eat some tangerines.



​

Suzume imagined this kind of scenario more than a dozen times in many different situations. The village was in panic, a clan was attacked, her own clan was starting to train everyone in the Muranami clan in case of an attack, one of her teammates was pulled out of the team, her sensei was discharged, she and Juro were moved to another team with another sensei, her parents were starting to train her more vigorously than she could have ever imagined. Simply put, everything was chaos.


The Hokage's words didn't do much to soothe her worries because this was where things started to get serious. That was why she needed to get stronger. And she was so relieved (but at the same time, not relieved) that her training regime was taken to a new level. Now, she was a faster, a bit more strong, and had more jutsu in her arsenal. In total, she learned four jutsu: 3 elemental and one hiden. After finding out that her elemental affinity was earth, her parents immediately had her learn Earth Release: Practice Brick Technique, the simplest of earth jutsu. After that she juggled between practicing with Hiden: Shooting Strings, Earth Release: Mudslide, and Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears. She wasn't a master at any of those jutsu, but it was coming along well.


As she navigated her way to her new training place, she kept alert, her eyes wandering constantly, and thought of how Kyoden and Jiro were doing as she ate her tangerine. Kyoden... she wondered is she would see him again, and she hoped that Juro was doing well. It had been a while since they last saw each other. Who was her new teammate? Her new sensei? Suzume wasn't informed of anything regarding her new team before making her way to the training grounds.


The walk from the Muramami Compound to her new training ground was far since the training ground was on elevated grounds. On her way, she saw that people were more alert, like she was, even though they were just civilians. Even after the Hokage's speech, everyone was still on edge. Regardless, she still waved at them and greeted them with a smile like normal. There was no point in not smiling, though her smile was more forced than usual. Everyone needed a sense of normalcy, after all.


She neared the training ground and saw two people standing. Most likely her new teammates. They were the same height, but she could tell that the boy with long hair was her new teammate and that the strict looking woman was her new sensei. Although she recognized the Hyuuga from her time in the academy, she didn't know who the woman was just by looking at her. Suzume walked up to the two, smiling and waving.


"Ohayo gozaimasu," she chirped. She wondered where Juro was...

 

[Sha]

@DreamBeat @Hellkite @Seraph Darkfire

Juro Ningya



​

The calm, peaceful atmosphere of the village was quick to change into a place of alertness and vigor coupled with an unusual fear which Juro had never experienced before. The history of the village was well known to him but the reality of the Shinobi world could never really set in. The calm, almost tranquil peace which had pervaded the village for as long as the young Genin could remember dissipated before his eyes so quickly that he found himself confused and with an undeniable pang of worry. His stale gaze never faltered.


The Ningya clan was busier than ever, as could be expected of all the Shinobi clans. The Jonin, and even the Chunin, were constantly being sent out on missions while Juro, now team less and out of his depth, trained constantly. Without a sensei or a senior clan member with enough time to spare him, Juro practiced his chakra control and manipulation for hours on end. The only reprieve he found was when he would tinker with his puppets and, more often than not, fall asleep at his workbench, only to wake in the morning with a crooked neck.


Fine lines began to erode the skin below his eyes in the short time since the attitude of the village began to shift. He stood and stared blankly as the Hokage gave the village hope with his words. A grin passed briefly across his face as the excitement roared all too briefly over the crowd. The mass of people dissipated quickly – everyone seemed to have somewhere to be.


Juro wasted no time in leaving the ceremony. He walked slowly, as he tended to do when he was alone, along the path which lead to the training grounds. A few butterflies anxiously fluttered about his stomach as he wondered who would be on his new team: Team Four. He felt a pang of sadness when he had heard that Kyoden was no longer a Shinobi, soon coming to realize that this sadness was not for the loss of a short-lived team member, but out of empathy for Kyoden’s situation. Juro doubted it was anything other than his civilian parents’ fear which removed his former teammate from the squad and not Kyoden’s decision. Juro would have been devastated if it had happened to him. Surprisingly enough, when he had heard that Hayato would no longer be his sensei, Juro didn’t feel the happiness one might expect (given their less than amicable first encounter) but instead, the Genin regretted the loss of having a sensei so capable and adept at Chakra control and manipulation.


The young puppeteer wouldn’t have recognized Team Four had Suzume not been with them, arriving just in time to hear her greet the other members of the team. He recognized the Jonin from the graduation ceremony but didn’t know her. The new teammate was Sora of the Hyuga clan. Again, he recognized him from the academy, but didn’t know him on a personal level – or much about him at all really.


He walked up to the group, the sleeves of his black robe dangled just above the tips of his fingers. “Hello, Suzume,” He said with the usual dull of his voice before moving his passive eyes to Sora and Kokuro, “It’s nice to meet you both,” He finished with a soft bow of his head.

 

[Pariah Stark]

@Seraph Darkfire @Hellkite @Hanarei

Ichir? wasn't exactly a fan of his new sensei. He seemed like a brute. He toted around power, which he obviously had, and rumor was that he impressed several of the clans, including the Nara and Hy?ga. He wasn't for sure how someone like this could impress the most intelligent and refined clans in the village, respectively. He must have honestly just had that much power behind him, somehow. Not to mention, a tail. Maybe what was most irritating is that on some level, he was also right. Ichir? was easily able to recall his encounter with the Kumo-nin and how at a point his comrades were nothing but liabilities to Kokuro and Ayaka. Even worse, he became an even bigger threat because of the Kyuubi. Ayaka might have claimed it was her fault, but he just didn't see it that way.


"You haven't taught us anything," Ichir? replied. "We can't even know if we like it if you haven't done anything but show off," he added.


Ichir? then looked over to Ashi and saw her darting at their sensei. The girl was cute, but apparently not bright. Their sensei could obviously overpower them and she was just wasting time. Ichir? performed the Akimichi handsign before flinging his fist into the air, letting it grow to immense proportions before slamming it down. The result was a shockwave that would easily knock most grown men on their asses, and a small indentation in the ground. "Don't be stupid," he told her, "you're not going to learn anything by attacking him directly."

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

Caillte Leanaí

Cale grinned "It is fun to show off" he said chuckling as his tail flicked back and forth. It was fortunate that Ichirō had been the one to deal with Ashi. Cale would have knocked her across the training area with a flick of his hand.


He liked the way they acted though. Fast reaction times.


He smirked "She'd learn a lot from just attacking me, one of the main things being to not attack me" he cracked his knuckles before he brought his thumb to his mouth and bit into it, letting the blood flow freely "But you are right, I haven't really taught you anything yet, unfortunately, you aren't suited for my techniques, I'll have to bring in someone else"


His fingers flew through the handseals: Boar → Dog → Bird → Monkey → Ram before slamming his hand onto the ground "Kuchiyose no Jutsu" he said firmly as symbols flowed out from the spot his hand made contact with before a explosion of smoke happened in front of him.


"Haah...to be summoned at a time like this" a small voice said as the smoke cleared "It's been a while since you summoned me Cale, what's up this time?"


Once the smoke cleared, a small monkey was revealed to be standing there. He was so small, he only came up to Cale's knees. In his crossed arms he held a staff around his own size.


"Students" Cale said "and it hasn't been that long Ko, I summoned you just last week"


"What!? Students!?" Inpu Ko looked at the two children standing before him before snickering "Come on Cale, you wouldn't train a couple of kids, what is really going on?"


Cale sighed and rubbed his face "I made a bet with Shin for our fight and lost again, so now I have to train a couple of their children"


The small monkey began to laugh "You lost again!? Oh man, wait until the other's hear about this, they're going to lose..." Ko's words were interrupted as Cale gave him a swift kick across the training ground where he slammed into a tree.


For a second, it seemed like the monkey had been killed by the impact, before he pulled himself out of the tree with a grunt "Damn, nothing worse that being treated like a ball" he said as the ground cracked under his feet as he jumped towards the man.


Cale guarded the attack and grinned as he was pushed back a little "Not my fault you got so small" he said as the two broke their contact and smirked at each other before bumping fists.


"So why am I here?" Ko asked.


Cale pointed at Ichirō "I'm thinking about having him trained in the Stone Monkey style" he said thoughtfully "Since you've Mastered the style, I wanted to get your thoughts and see if you'll train him"


"The Dog Girl?" Ko asked looking towards Ashi as his nose twitched "What about her?"


"Wooden Monkey, she's excitable and it'll fit her perfectly" Cale said grinning.


Ko nodded "Alright, I'll see what I can do" he said looking at Ichirō "Is it alright if I change his skin color?"


"Go ahead, black and blue will probably look good on him" the taller man said scratching his chin "If his family comes complaining, I'll deal with them"


Again, Ko nodded and walked over to Ichirō and began to poke and prod at his body, examining him "Tell me kid, any medical problems? Weak joints? Rashes? Allergies?" he asked as he worked.


@Pariah Stark


@Hanarei

 

[Pariah Stark]

White Death

@Sha @DreamBeat @Seraph Darkfire
​

Sui had spent the last two days traveling. He was one of the many shinobi pulled from the Eastern Front back to Konohagakure. At the time, he had only received a very short briefing over what happened. It was unwise to target the Hyūga to begin with, and it ended quite disastrously for the Kumo-nin involved. He spent the entire trip wondering just how Konoha would react to the prospect of war. The village had never suffered such a direct attack since its second founding. Not to mention, the era just before this one was one of cooperation between the villages. While Sui often worked alone, he knew several Konoha shinobi that entrusted their lives to those from rival villages. How quickly things changed. How different things were in just a couple decades.


Once Sui returned to the village, he was given a far more formal briefing. Kokuro and her squad alongside Ayaka took a pretty terrible beating. Lucky to get out alive, honestly. The village was in such a state of panic that there were restructures just to suit it. Teams disassembled, shinobi pulled from the Eastern Front, tighter security all around. Sui hadn't seen the village this distressed ever. They were taking every precaution possible. Sui was being reassigned as a sensei to take over for the hospitalized Kokuro. In the past, he was only a sensei for genjutsu techniques. Having his own squad was a completely different task at hand, but not one he was upset by. He was getting tired of the field anyway. His brand of fighting ended conflict quickly, which often kept things boring. He didn't seek out revenge or the thrill he used to. Maybe being a sensei was suitable. Of course, being The White Death and teaching the next generation might not go hand-in-hand.


Sui was invited to stand on a set of platforms across from the academy while Hitori gave his speech. Shin didn't stand by Hitori, but he was always around. Being part of the ANBU meant you generally stood in the shadows even though he was their head. Sui was well-aware of Hitori and his way with words. He wasn't always like that, though. Hitori, much like Sui at one point, was completely speechless at the loss of his brother. Everyone always thought it would be Hosuka standing on a platform, addressing Konoha as the Sixth Hokage. Hitori never imagined he would be the one holding the mantle of Kage. Regardless, he did a fine job. He may not have been the most elite shinobi in the village, but there was no one that could move a crowd like him. His speech cleared the air of dread that had loomed over Konoha the last few days and the people cheered for him. They cheered for the village. They felt pride in their nation, in their leader, and that pride overwhelmed whatever fear they had in their hearts. Yeah... yeah. Hitori did a fine job for Hosuka.


Sui shrugged it off and after a brief conversation with Shin and Ghost, made his way down to the courtyard in front of the academy. Based on the letter he received, he was told his group would be meeting in a classroom within the academy. Room 16, he recalled. It was one of the extra rooms that was rarely used. It was actually designated to civilian education, such as basic medical assistance, resuscitation techniques, so on and so forth. Made it a fairly dull place, but probably one of the most normal in the entire academy building. Sui was pretty sure he would be tagging behind the others, too. It was nearly twenty minutes past their meeting time, but he was caught up in talking to Shin. Shin was always raving about the new leaps and bounds made by Konoha R&D, and honestly Sui couldn't deny some of what they did was incredible. Since Sui had the ANBU seal, Shin could tell him pretty much anything, and he did. The Niseringan alone was a great asset, but hardly the only one. Sui noted himself as far too old to begin dabbling in things like that now, though.


All thoughts aside, Sui opened the door to Room 16 to meet his new team.

 

[Pariah Stark]

@Seraph Darkfire @Hanarei

Ichir? wad growing more and more frustrated with his new mentor by the moment. Kokuro might have been a former Cursed Seal Hunter, but this guy acted like this training was a game. Why were they even handed to him? He didn't even seem to care if they got hurt, and it appeared he most definitely had the ability to do so. Where did he even come from, anyway? He didn't seem like an Konoha shinobi that Ichir? had met before. Literally, Ichir? couldn't think of a single shinobi that behaved even remotely similar to Cale or any whom would get away with it. He didn't even seem like he knew how to teach, and that only seem to be reinforced by the fact he went on to say his style wouldn't suit Ichir?. Sure, this literal monkey man was strong - inhumanly so - but there had to be more suitable sensei than him.


Then, Cale summoned a monkey. A talking monkey. As if he could get any more strange. Although, Ichir? had seen a handful of summoning contracts in his lifetime. Talking animals weren't too terribly uncommon and in fact were generally regarded as a sign of power. Such animals would only allow a contract to be signed with someone of notable strength. However, it was already established that Cale here had superhuman strength, so this fact was lost on him. Granted, the exchange between Cale and the monkey was far from entertaining. Cale didn't even treat his summon with respect - one of the founding principles academy students were introduced to when it came to contracts. Ichir? could only sigh as he saw the monkey near him.


In response to Ko's question, Ichir? performed the Akimichi hand seal quickly, then quickly grew to twice his height and size. Now, looking down on Ko even more than before, he replied, "Yeah, thinkin' about it, I do. I have this real big fists and some Cursed Chakra." Curling his fist into a tighter ball, he continued to look down on Ko. "Whatcha think, doc, how bad is it?" Ichir? asked. In all reality, he was getting frustrated with how they seemed to treat this training like a joke. He felt, quite simply, if they weren't taking it seriously, he had no reason to.

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

Sora Hyūga

Sora was going through the Gentle Fist kata while he was waiting for his new sensei to arrive. He was moving slow and precise, making sure his body memorized the proper movements. If his body knew the movements then he wouldn't have to think of them during battle. He wanted his body to just move by instinct so his mind could be occupied with other things.


In front of him, he was imagining an opponent near the same size as himself. It was easier to imagine the tenketsu if it was someone of his own height.


'Three points in the shoulders, disable the arms and prevent the molding of chakra, seven points in the chest, three on the heart' he recited the main points to strike when fighting an opponent. Strike to kill or just to incapacitate. Though he didn't really want to kill unless he absolutely had to, he knew it would be an inevitable event.


He paused in his movements when he heard the door open and turned, seeing an older gentleman 'He's...' Sora tried to remember where he'd seen this man's face before, then he realized it 'The White Death' his eyes widened. He hadn't realized that this man would be his sensei.


He then gave a proper bow "Pleasure to meet you, I'm Sora Hyūga" he said.


@Pariah Stark

 

[Hanarei]

Tsukiashi was stopped in her tracks, skidding a little bit as Ichiro extended his hand out to stop her. She growled, looking fiercely at him as he got in the way. She was interrupted as Cail spoke simply continuing to growl lightly. I'd of been fine... I'd of showed you! I mean... I guess he isn't some push over... and well... I guess a front attack wasn't the best way.. b... but still! She thought in her head seeming to rethink her action a little bit despite still wishing to of carried through with it. She might be brash, but even the impatient Ashi could notice when she did something that was careless even if she did so much to late.


The girl perked up as she propped herself up onto her knees, leaning back. She seemed a bit puzzled watching as the Monkey appeared. Where as Ichiro was filled with frustration, Ashi was much more with utter confusion. She scratched her forehead, looking on in bewilderment at the display. She slowly propped herself back up to her feat. She shook her head a bit as if trying to expel water from her body.


She shuffled a little closer as Ichiro grew bigger, peeking at the monkey and back towards Cale. She tilted her head as her earlier frustration seemed to be more general bewilderment. "Were we put with the crazy one?" She spoke out under her breath as her anger shifted away seeming to lost to really think much of it. The impatient girl seemed to shift a bit back and forth on her feat, watching the Monkey seem to try and teach as she looked to Cale giving a little more of a stern look.


@Seraph Darkfire @Pariah Stark

 

[DreamBeat]

@Sha @Pariah Stark @Seraph Darkfire


What now... Well, just train and eat some tangerines.



​

Suzume imagined this kind of scenario more than a dozen times in many different situations. Some scenarios were worse than what actually happened, but she still didn't like the turn of events. The village was in panic, a clan was attacked. Since then, her own clan started training everyone in the Muranami clan in case of another attack. Kyoden quit being shinobi, and Hayato-sensei was discharged. Now, she and Juro were moved to another team with another sensei. On top of that, her parents were starting to train her more vigorously than she could have ever imagined. Simply put, it was chaos.


The Hokage's words didn't do much to soothe her worries because this was where things would start to get serious. She knew that she could die. Now that she thought about it, she actually liked living. Death was not something she could run from... but she could try to run. That was why she needed to get stronger, smarter. And she was so relieved (but at the same time, not relieved) that her training regime was taken to a new level. Now, she was a faster, a bit more strong, and had two more jutsu in her arsenal: one elemental and one hiden. After finding out that her elemental affinity was earth, her parents immediately had her learn Earth Release: Practice Brick Technique, the simplest of earth jutsu. After that she juggled between practicing that justu with Hiden: Shooting Strings. She wasn't a master at either of those jutsu just yet, but it was coming along well.


As she navigated her way to her new training place, she kept alert, her eyes wandering constantly, and thought of how Kyoden and Jiro were doing as she ate her tangerine. Kyoden... she wondered is she would see him again. And Juro... she hoped that Juro was doing well. It had been a while since they last saw each other. Who was her new teammate? Her new sensei? Suzume wasn't informed of anything regarding her new team before making her way to the assigned meeting place.


The walk from the Muramami Compound to the academy wasn't very far. Just about five minutes if she ran. On her way, she saw that people were more alert, like she was, even though they were just civilians. Even after the Hokage's speech, everyone was still on edge. Regardless, she still waved at them and greeted them with a smile like normal. There was no point in not smiling, though her smile was more forced than usual. Everyone needed a sense of normalcy, after all.


Suzume wandered further down the hall into a part of the academy she did not recognize. Room 13, Room 14, Room 15, Ah! Room 16. She opened the door to the unfamiliar classroom and was greeted with the sight of who she guessed was her new teammate. Wait, was it a boy or a girl? Upon closer observation, it was obvious that he was a boy. They were the same height, but she could tell that the boy with long hair was her new teammate. Although she recognized the Hyuuga from her time in the academy, but never really interacted with him like many others.


"Ohayo, Hyuuga," she chirped. She wondered where Juro was... Suzume went to sit down in an empty chair and closed her eyes. One other thing she learned during this "break" was chakra sensing. Apparently, she had a bit of innate talent. Any skill could save her life, including this one. Suzume continued to meditate, spreading and condensing chakra around her. It was a Muranami meditation technique to better control their chakra, and it was fairly simple. After a while, she noticed that the someone else was nearing the classroom even though she couldn't hear anyone. Suzume opened her eyes when the door opened.


". . . Ah, it's sensei," she thought.


Wait... White looking hair, normal looking jonin, dark eyes... No, not white. Light gray? Wait... Ah. Eh?! Suzume's eyes widened, and her mouth parted slightly. It was only a few seconds before she snapped out of it. "Sensei... Sensei... This is my new sensei." The chair scraped against the floor as she stood up abruptly and bowed ninety degrees.


"O-Ohayo gozaimasu, sensei!" She yelled. Suzume mentally face palmed. Gah...

 

[Sha]

@DreamBeat @Pariah Stark @Seraph Darkfire

Juro Ningya

​

The calm, peaceful atmosphere of the village was quick to change into a place of alertness and vigor. Juro found himself enveloped in some unusual fear, the likes of which he had never experienced before. The history of the village was well known to him, but such knowledge never allowed the reality of the Shinobi world to truly resonate within him. Even now, surrounded by muffled panic and increased solidarity among the Leaf Shinobi, he felt more confused than scared – it was this unknown which frightened the young puppeteer the most. The calm, almost tranquil peace which had pervaded the village for as long as the young Genin could remember now dissipated before his very eyes with an unnerving quickness. His stale gaze refused to falter despite his muddled thoughts.


The Ningya clan was busier than ever, as could be expected of all the Shinobi clans. The Jonin, and even the Chunin, were constantly being sent out on missions while Juro, now team less and out of his depth, trained constantly. Without a sensei or a senior clan member with enough time to spare him, Juro practiced his chakra control and manipulation for hours on end. The only reprieve he found was when he would tinker with his puppets and, more often than not, fall asleep at his workbench, only to wake in the morning with a crooked neck.


Fine lines began to erode the skin below his eyes in the short time since the attitude of the village began to shift. He stood and stared blankly as the Hokage gave the village hope with his words. A grin passed across his face as the excitement roared all too briefly over the crowd. The mass of people dissipated quickly – everyone seemed to have somewhere to be.


Juro wasted no time in leaving the ceremony. He walked slowly, as he tended to do when he was alone, along the path which lead to the academy. A few butterflies anxiously fluttered about his stomach as he wondered who would be on his new team: Team Four. He felt a pang of sadness when he had heard that Kyoden was no longer a Shinobi, soon coming to realize that this sadness was not so much for the loss of a short-lived team member, but out of empathy for Kyoden’s situation. Juro doubted it was anything other than his civilian parents’ fear which removed his former teammate from the squad and not Kyoden’s decision. Juro would have been devastated if such a thing had happened to him. Surprisingly enough, when he had heard that Hayato would no longer be his sensei, Juro didn’t feel the happiness one might expect (given their less than amicable first encounter) but instead, the Genin regretted the loss of having a sensei so capable and adept at Chakra control and manipulation.


This regret flowed through him with a renewed vigor as he watched the infamous White Death enter Room 16: The room where he was to meet his new teammate and sensei. “A Genjutsu specialist? A Genjutsu user is my new sensei? At least with that bastard Hayato I might have learned something,” Juro thought with mild angst as he walked along the hallway towards the classroom, disregarding the man’s reputation. With every step Juro’s reverence was slowly replaced with contempt.


He heard greetings from within the classroom as he approached. Juro recognized Suzume’s chirping voice but still held out hope the White Death would not be his sensei. Standing outside the door he looked to the white haired man’s back before glancing to the placard: “Room 16”.


“Damn.” He thought behind his fatigued, apathetic eyes before his legs carried him into the room.

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

Caillte Leanaí and Inpu Ko

"What I think," Ko said softly as he reached forward and grabbed the skin of Ichirō's leg "is that you are full of hot air" he said and with a soft grunt, he pulled back, lifting the boy up and tripping him. Ko wasn't Cale's partner for no reason. The man's strength was beyond ridiculous, but so was Ko's.


Despite his small size, he was capable of shattering boulders and flipping oversized children with ease.


"Shrink back down" he said firmly "You are too easy of a target when you are so big and your defense doesn't equal your size" Cale had been right. Stone Monkey would be perfect for this kid. With his ability to grow and the Stone Monkey style, he could turn his body into a living fortress. Right now, an increase in size just meant more for the enemy to hit. With his style, he'd turn it into an advantage.


'This kid reminds me of Cale shortly after he became a Sage' he thought grinning 'He was so easy to knock down because he wasn't used to his increased size'





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Meanwhile, Cale walked over to Ashi and looked down at her. He brought one of his bare feet up and gently hit the center of her forehead, forcing her back with a slight grin "Why are you looking so sternly at me? Do you think you deserve to be taught after all of that attitude?" He wondered what it would take to make her angry, though he was guessing not much.


His own training had been similar. Show respect to the ones who could beat you and tolerate everyone else, that was what he'd gotten from it all. It was more fun when you didn't have to worry about whether or not you were upsetting some pompous clan head. It was even more fun when they didn't take 'no' for an answer.


He crossed his arms and continued to look down at Ashi 'After fighting Shin, I've realized that my anger isn't as under control as I'd originally thought' he thought to himself 'I probably should find a way to curb hers'





@Pariah Stark


@Hanarei

 

[Pariah Stark]

White Death

@Sha @DreamBeat @Seraph Darkfire
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Sora was the only member of his team that was actually there. Sui himself was nearly twenty minutes late and his students dawdling like this didn't quite enthuse him. Except for Sora. A Hyūga kid that spent his free time practicing his basic kata and from the looks of it attempting to make the tenketsu second nature by burning it into his brain. That type of dedication to memorizing a notably complex system was something to applaud, but it did lead to the question of how much Sora actually understood about the tenketsu and chakra. A truly great Hyūga was much like a Samurai in that their fighting style was quick and ruthless, often so fast that most shinobi couldn't weave complex handsigns and the moment that a Hyūga was in close range, most fights were over. However, that wasn't always the case. The most elite Hyūga retained the ability to adapt to new situations that their previous training simply wasn't enough for and that required understanding their abilities, not just using techniques that had been repeated ten thousand times over the course of their lifetime.

"O-Ohayo gozaimasu, sensei!" She yelled.

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This one must have been Suzume. Previously from Team Three with Hayato. She was part of the Muranami Clan. A young clan, but well-respected. Not notably powerful, though. A definite far-stretch from the noble clan that the Hyūga was. In her files, she was noted as a sensor with the potential for Earth Release. A definite ninjutsu user. This was something Sui could train with. Admittedly, Hayato would have definitely been better suited for this entire squad. Hayato was strictly set in his element which would have helped refine her jutsu. His chakra threading abilities would have also helped with hers, not to mention Juro's whenever he showed up. Apparently, though, some complaints about his teaching method was enough to get him reassigned. The hysteria in the village was pretty high, so that likely contributed to it. Hayato would have likely stayed their mentor all the same if not for the Kumo-nin.


"Ah, good morning to you, too, miss Suzume. I would suggest taking a note from Sora, though. Introducing yourself when you greet someone," he told her. He had a calm voice and a gentle smile. With his head half cocked, he ruffled through her hair. He was entirely unlike Hayato in this regard. He seemed far too gentle to even be a shinobi, yet alone the famed White Death. "Oh yes, Sora, activate your Byakugan. Juro will be joining us shortly," he instructed Sora. Once the door opened for the second time for Juro, and his eyes fell on Sui, the old shinobi vanished from plain sight. Vanished so incredibly well that even Sora with his Byakugan couldn't see him.


In another quick moment, Sui placed his fingertip on the forehead of Juro, still invisible. This placement of his finger as a medium allowed him to use Ephemeral, immediately casting Juro into a world of genjutsu. In this surreal world, Suzume and Sora began to swirl and distort and the once-invisible Sui now reappeared in front of Juro with his gentle smile. "Juro," he said, only heard through audible illusions to the genin, "do you know what the difference between me and your former sensei is?" It was a rhetorical question. "When you complain about what I do to you, every single member of your clan will be too scared to do anything about it," he answered his own question. Juro was a problem. He was going to eliminate that problem. A genin could not go into a student-teacher relationship thinking that they could complain and get a new teacher, no matter how harsh their first one was. As Ephemeral set in, it became more and more clear how potent of a genjutsu Sui was using on Juro.


To Juro and Juro alone, Sui turned into a solid statue of glass that exploded into a million little shards that only then reformed into a liquid mirror. The reflection of that mirror was Juro. In an instant, though, Juro was split in half. The entire left portion of his body now resembled his own puppet, Kami. Juro no longer had control over his body at this point. He could feel the tugs and pulls around him from central points. It was as if he was being controlled himself by chakra strings. This sudden loss of control forced him to turn around only to see Hayato in the hallway using his chakra threads that were now attached to Juro. This surreal world was created as a nightmare for Juro. Hayato wasn't even accurate; he looked significantly younger. He only resembled himself the last time Sui saw him, not Juro. Nevertheless, down the hallway was his former puppet, Haya. These were memories drawn from his mind. He could hear Hayato say, "I've never got to play with a puppet before. What's this one called? Juro? It seems bland. Let's test it."


Juro was at this point little less than a doll to Hayato within this genjutsu illusion. He was forced to dash forward madly, fighting his former puppet Haya. He could feel the intense cuts the puppet made to him, but while they were painful, the most unfortunate part of the entire experience was likely that Hayato was winning the fight. Juro was watching himself slowly break down Haya. Haya was riddled with needles, had dents and even an arm ripped off, and the fight between them only continued on as each were getting battered and broken. For the final act of this genjutsu, Juro was entirely impaled by one of the bladed arms of Haya, and he felt his entire body sink down as if it were losing control. As this surreal world turned to black, the last words uttered came from Hayato: "I guess it's time to use the last ace of this pathetic puppet." In that instant, the genjutsu came to an end. Juro, like Kami, exploded to destroy both Haya and himself, and the sensations created by this technique were as realistic as they could get.


Meanwhile, Sui removed his finger from Juro. He was absolutely sure that there was no way the Genin could resist a Jounin-level genjutsu, especially one placed with such a strong medium as the finger. The only reason he even turned invisible was to show Sora that he could easily hide from his Byakugan. While Juro was lost in the genjutsu, Sui turned back to the ground with that same, now far more ominous smile. "Lesson One is being learned the hard way by Juro right now. You do not get to complain about your sensei. We are assigned for a reason. If you think Hayato was harsh, understand this: Kokuro and Kyouka are half-dead in the hospital right now, Kyoden was removed from the Shinobi Forces all together and apparently Ichiro is such a threat that he's being put under one of the only shinobi that could effortlessly put him in the ground if need be. You will respect me, and if you don't, I will make you fear me - like I intend to do with Juro. You can thank him later for this treatment; his complaints over this stupid little puppet were enough to get Hayato reassigned to the Eastern Front while I'm training you," Sui explained. The entire time, he was straight-faced. Kind and considerate, warm even. Yet his words were like poison-coated kunai being thrown directly at the genin.


"I'm not a difficult person to get along with," Sui said, "but I do demand respect. Juro will snap out of the genjutsu I cast on him any moment, and I want you to take note of his condition after. I don't like to do that to you kids, I really don't. I don't want to have to do it, either. But, I absolutely will. You need to be conditioned for war, and you won't get that being spoiled. You can't complain and get new enemies on the battlefield because you don't like the old ones. You will die, it will likely be painful, and you will never get to become some stupid hero. You need to learn to survive and it's my goal to make you survivors." As Sui finished his rant, Juro and his timed genjutsu would have ended. Sui was, quite factually, one of if not the greatest practitioner of genjutsu alive, so his ability to time out a genjutsu like this was second nature. "The way I see it, you can either tell Juro right now that you want to become survivors or I can show you all the hard way what you should be afraid of. This is your new dynamic. Two-thirds vote wins and if I ever catch one of you going off on your own because you were outvoted, I may literally kill you myself just to get a new Genin that won't be so petulant."

"So guys, what will it be?"

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