The First Storm [Village Destruction]

Whether it was the storm that followed them or they that followed the storm was unknown, yet the two entities had traveled with one another all the way to the shores a way off from Konohagakure, yet they didn't get too close to the shore as that'd obviously ground their boats and with damage. So instead, Xyxer flicked his hand to the side and watched as the crew went about releasing the anchor from it's restraints, and throwing it over the side of the boat to the sound of a hearty plop in the water. It'd soon descend and anchor the vessel there for a long while, and well, the next part is obvious. Xyxer would simply walk over to the side of the boat and jump off from it towards the tamer waters below, activating chakra in his feet so that he wouldn't sink like the anchor that had already hit the sandy ground under the depths. Walking the rest of the short distance, let's say 25 meters, Xyxer would soon step foot on foreign soil. He was on land that was currently owned by Konohagakure.. a foreign invader on their shores.. yet this would soon all be his. After all, that's what an invasion was for.

The other boats would soon be anchoring themselves with their crew departing, and of course, the less gifted with chakra being forced to take paddle boats to the shore yet there would be no discrimination. Their leader would not allow for that. To fight for his cause in itself was worthy of respect, regardless of rank, power, or ability. Looking through the forest that started about 10 meters off, he wondered how far they had come before scouts had witnessed their arrival.. Surely Konoha had scouts, right? It mattered very little as Xyxer planned to announce his presence soon enough. "How does it feel to be here, Xyxer? To stand in the same country as your opposition?" A familiar voice came a few meters behind him, a voice that belonged to Matsuri, sporting a crimson kimono this time around. He considered the supervisor's words for a few seconds before his voice came out rather faint, "There's opposition in my own village, Matsuri. The only difference is it won't be frowned upon if I massacre everyone in this village.. it's expected from our village's ancient rivalry.". For a few seconds Matsuri contemplated what Xyxer had said before he verbally riposted, "You may be known as the ruler of the Bloody Mist, but that doesn't mean you have to make the same bloody mistakes. I'll go prepare the armies and prepare a perimeter for the ships." and that was the last thing the male said before he walked back to the ships, calmly ushering out commands and scolding a man that found himself resting when there was work to be done.

A short amount of time elapsed before the armies had begun marching towards their destination of Konohagakure. A village that had plagued Xyxer not only in reality, but in his dreams. The torment was never ending and it seemed like a cycle that would never stop.. unless he forced it to. He could stop the village from bothering him in the real world, that was a given.. but would that stop it from haunting his dreams? Of reminding him of his failures in protecting those that relied on him? No.. that was Gyuki now. He was tainting his thoughts in this glorious moment. Thriving on his failures to give himself leeway into this body just as the sweet dawn of war was beginning. This was Xyxer's time, not some wretched immortal beast. He had the rest of history to control situations.. now was the time for Xyxer. With each footstep on the foreign soil he felt himself becoming more accustomed to the terrain, preparing himself for the incoming situation. Behind him, the mobilized forces that contained scores of armoured soldiers with different rows which contained different weaponry, such as the pikemen and the swordsmen, etc. To the sides of the army around the central part were the horsemen of Kirigakure, riding on their dark, powerful horses; that was a bonus of breeding horses in a harsh climate, they became accustomed to harsh conditions, just like the soldiers. Xyxer was obviously not at the back of the army.. that was the place of a boss. He was at the forefront as a leader and an example. Exactly where he belonged. The shinobi with him mostly covered the soldiers in order to protect them, with a few straggling along behind him.

Xyxer heard little of anything anyone was potentially saying to him, after all, the storm that was following them made him care very little for the words of mortals.. the gods were favouring them as the wind whipped and howled around trees, the rain crashing down through the layers of leaves violently. It was a sign of what was to come. He felt the beast within begin it's call, and he was unable to restrain such a glorious request. As Xyxer walked ahead of the group, roughly 1000 meters away from the village at this point while still hidden by the treeline, a surge of chakra would propel from his body with a muscular, fleshy tint. A projection of chakra roared above his body in the form of Gyuki momentarily before he gained control over the manifestation rather than the demon, and that was when the leviathan made itself known. A large, many eyed beast with rows of razor sharp teeth. It's entire body was aligned with many plates of scales that slid over one another and scaly protrusions emerged from it's back, with many tentacles stretching out from it's form in a wild and furious manner.

The Leviathan had arrived.

As the display of power roared above them all, Konoha would be in for a dark awakening as the creature made itself known and thus the foreign shinobi was increasingly more evident, even if no sensory ninja had picked up on them. Xyxer didn't want to attack a village out of nowhere.. there was no honour in that. He wanted them to know he was coming.. to fear it. He could pick up on that fear like a predator as he'd been raised like one for the majority of his life, and now Konoha was about to encounter a true shinobi of the Mist. Their safe, little village was about to encounter the very man it had spited for a good portion of his existence.. but could the children of a village be punished for the sins of their leaders?

Once they reached about 300 meters from the village gates, Xyxer lowered his hand to signify the army to stop moving as he continued on himself before lowering his hand once more to signal the shinobi to stop, before continuing to walk towards the gates of the village. He expected someone to come out and greet him, or he would simply carry on walking directly into the village through the gates. For now, he wore his armour 'The Abysswalker' with the helm removed and not in sight, exposing his brilliant looks. The Mizukage hat itself tied around his body and situated on his back over samehada; wearing it on his head felt too weird, leaving him open to far too many attacks. If someone came out to greet him, he'd walk towards them before stopping five meters from their position. He'd open up simply, after all, this didn't have to be hostile right from the get go, "Hi, I'm Xyxer." The Mizukage would say, a light smile on his face and a flicker of light in his grey eyes, yet the storm would continue to thunder around them, engulfing the entire village and the surrounding area with it's watery brilliance.. were the heavens crying for the many lives that swung in the balance of this parley?

DoP base image:

[I'd prefer it if only the ambassador of Konoha for this topic posts for now so as to not slow things down. Konoha & Kiri can make separate observation topics and insta join this thread if combat happens rather than having to wait 48 hours. That's my proposal at least unless you want a rerun of the Hoshi gates incident, but with a shit load more of dead defenders.]

The only noise that rang about the room aside from the tapping of fingers against the hat was the squabble of the council. In Risako's mind these seven individuals were out of touch with the current world, as they preffered to totally isolate themselves from any danger or experiences outside of the village or its surrounding areas. In Ayumi's place she was presiding over the hearing to make sure things went smoothly. So far the discussion wormed its way through one ear and right around her brain, before swiftly exiting out of the other ear. Her cares remained more in shaping the village up to be something with the recent loss of its founder and most notable inhabitants, Kurisu, Viper, and Navi. Not to mention the loss of Jason before them, the Deputy Hokage fully acknowledged that as of right now, Konoha had two ANBU and then two Jounin running the show alongside the council, which was proving to be a thorn in the foot of her progress. 

Spinning around in her chair, her fingers left the hat on the table. Scanning the image presented to her by the window, she took note of the storm clouds in the distance and began to grow a bit hopeful. It had been roughly a month since the village had seen any rain. Behind her, Masaki scoffed. 

"You've been absent minded this whole time, Akara. We need you to pay attention, important matters are being discussed." His words were partnered with a biting tone, almost sounding as if he couldn't believe she was the Kage's second in command. Risako continued to stare outside of the room, moving her hand to her mouth. Standing from his seat, the man slammed an open palm against the surface of the table. "Turn around now and pay attention!" 

Over her regular attire, were the robes the Ayumi was supposed to be wearing, but she found them to be ill-fitting of her own body. With the amount of work Risako had been doing in place of the Hokage, she felt more and more like she was the Hokage and that the other woman was biding her time until a replacement could be found. Removing herself from her seat, the girl stood and snatched the hat from the desk. Knowing the ANBU were in service to the Hokage, she felt confident enough to continue with her actions. The council was more of an attempt by the local Daimyo to assert his influence over the village, and the recent disappearance of previous leadership made the village appear shaky and weak. 

Striding towards the door, she turned only to inform Masaki, "Know your place, or lose your tongue, I have no desire of being the Daimyo's lapdog." Risako had no intention to bend her knee to one who could barely dress himself, however before any retorts could be made, her exit was done. Walking down the hall to the Hokage chamber, her ANBU who were standing outside of the door followed suit. Taking on a lighter tone, as if the two tools following her were something closer to friends, she would request of them, "Can you see to it that the communication squads are doing their jobs?" The implication is that she requested it of them, asked for a favor, not that she issued a demand.

Arriving at the door of the Hokage Chamber, she would slide it open and enter the room alone. Her first order of business was to ensure the village secrets were still intact. Walking to the wall to the left of the desk, she formed a combination of handseals in order to unlock the door. Upon completion a meter wide, roughly two meters tall panel slid over to the side. This allowed her to step into the small closet and count ensure the ryo was safe, as well as the various scrolls that detailed the village's secret techniques and the like. Once she was done, the door was sealed shut and she began to do paper work for the next few hours. 

****

Risako turned her attention to the first drops of rain that began to strike the glass behind her. It was paid no mind however to the sounds of the door being opened as the director of the communication squad entered the door unannounced. Seeing as the ANBU felt no need to stop him, she felt that it may actually be of importance. 

"Lady Hokage, a large presence has been detected heading towards the village." 

To this she stood from her chair, her pupils widening as her first reaction. Risako snapped on the man, "What kind of presence," she questioned.

"I believe it's an army." 

Surely the daimyo wouldn't send an army after the village over what she said to his advisor. Barking an order, the Deputy Hokage said, "Then ready the ANBU and start evacuating villagers using the tunnels. Tell everyone in the village that I only want Chuunin and higher to be involved and that they are to remain inside the village walls, on the threat of death." All of her equipment save for Mako's sword was stowed away in the various pockets of her Flak Jacket.

During her time spent doing paperwork, she removed the Hokage's robes and hat. Donning both objects of apparel over her Flak Jacket and regular jounin attire, she snatched Mako's sword from the desk and carried it in its sheathe with her left hand. One of the kunai on her possession at the moment was marked with the Flying Thunder God seal. On her way out of the room her open palm found itself flat against the wall, summoning Yu. The fox appeared into the area in a small poof of smoke, sitting atop her shoulder. "There's a situation, I'll need help," she said to the creature. Yu, having worked with Risako before, knew this meant that the oh so precious nature energy may be required. Dutifully, it began to trickle small amounts of the chakra into her own.

Making her way to the gate she arrived just in time to exit and survey the area, standing roughly twenty meters out of the gate, with her ANBU hopefully standing by on the wall behind her. By now she could sense the chakra presence mentioned by Kasa. It was shortly after sensing it, that her silver eyes took in the image of the tentacles and gnashing teeth. As the coming force approached the village, Risako stood in the rain. The Hokage hat was hanging from her shoulder as it was attache to the robes, exposing her medium length raven black hair to the elements of nature. Her bangs whipped over the top of her head, as for the most part the wind was coming slightly from her right and in front of her. It was unlikely for her to put the hat back on anyway, it limited her vision from anything above due to its size. Her summon had no issue staying on her shoulder.

As the foreign army stopped about three hundred meters out, Risako would simply watch as a single man, she assumed the leader, continued to march forwards. Once he neared, a rather pleasant tone greeted her ears. "Hi, I'm Xyxer."

The man spoke with a smile, catching her slightly off guard. When speaking to the man, her eyes fixated on his brow. In reply, the acting Hokage would say "Hi, I'm Risako, Hokage." During her time spent with the Uchiha, and Genjutsu specialists in general, she knew better than to make direct eye to eye contact, and so their eyes would never directly meet. Her expression was rather plain, not expressing happiness or worry, save for her pupils expanding slightly. The rest of his features, from his hair to his armour, height, etc, would be memorized before she finished speaking. Provided he didn't continue to speak, she would comment, "Impressive display, honestly. I'm assuming you're here for more than business though." This wasn't the work of the Daimyo. She made sure to maintain the dank ass five meter distance from the male as well.

[Gonna pull a Den and disappear when I'm needed. Be back in like six months fam. 

I'll throw up the AP costs for the summon later. Cba to find the AP costs atm.

Guess I timelined the Konoha observation topic so that Ris arrived before everyone else, they probably should have waited to post tbh.]

It seemed that today wouldn't be just senseless slaughter after all, someone had in fact came out to greet him. Perhaps they didn't seem to understand the threat that was at hand, given how a quick skim over the walls had shown that only a few people were peering over, and nobody had even followed behind the girl that had came out. Was this their sacrificial lamb in order to appease the forces at hand? He half expected some revelation of a prank, or perhaps to even discover this was the wrong village entirely. He'd heard many stories of the proud village of Konohagakure and the droves of people that would defend it to bitter end.. and yet.. barely anyone had came on their side.

Peering past the girl in the robes of the Hokage, he looked through the large gap in the gates so as to see the people scurrying around in the distance like a flock of frightened sheep when the wolves came howling. This was the village that Risako governed over.. a mass of cowards. She made a comment regarding the impressive display, to which he assumed she talked about both the leviathan and his army. He nodded his head once before replying to her, "I wish I could say the same, I was unaware that Konohagakure had fallen so far.. but no, no, this is all business." Xyxer spoke plainly and forthright as he expressed his discontent for the shinobi that were supposed to protect this village.. Where were they when the village needed them? His cold eyes fell upon the fox that nuzzled the girl's shoulder showing a bestial affection towards it's master, and he wondered for a moment how his dogs would be doing. Lifting his hand up, he pointed once towards the fox and then moved his hand towards the gate, "The fox goes back into the village before things continue." He'd state once more, lowering his hand back down towards his side so that his posture wasn't threatening.

It was around about this time that he noticed the girl was consistently avoiding his eyes.. perhaps it was because they looked like dull chips of ice.. or maybe she had some form of condition that made eye contact very difficult, yet it did not matter as he spoke to her again, "Look me in the eyes when we converse, Risako, it's rude not to. Bad mannerisms during a negotiation mean you get a bad deal, right?" Xyxer explained, the Leviathan continuing to roar above him as it's scaly head reared and twisted, exposing it's muscular throat during the motion so that all within the village felt the chakra presence of the beast. 

Looking over the girl clad in the robes of a Kage once more, he cared little on disproving her rank at the moment as he couldn't even tell that it was a farce. So instead, he focused on watching her posture and movements in response to him, as well as observing her facial expressions in response to his words. It was always a fun to play with humans, much like the cat enjoyed the thrill of hunting the mouse. At this point, if the fox had went back through the village gates, Xyxer would lift his shoulders up before dropping them in a shrug, "You see, Risako, I need you to understand before the negotiations actually begin.. Somebody will die today, regardless of the outcome. that's just the way it is. How many depends on how much you try to resist Kirigakure. I need you to understand that." Xyxer finished speaking, waiting for the rebuttal of the Hokage as his eyes lifted towards the walls once more, wondering if any of Konoha's children would find their balls.

So it wasn't just her that thought the village had fallen since the disappearance her predecessors, the Hokage before her. As she was ordered to return the fox to the village, Risako would do so much to Yu's discontent. "Only fair that my army remains in the village since your's is so far back, I suppose," she said referring to the fox, as her left hand snatched the vulpine creature by its scruff. As she lowered her hand back to her waist, her version of the Flying Thunder God seal was imprinted onto the animal before dropping it to the ground. Normally the fox would ignore her commands, however the importance of this situation was too great to cause a ruckus. Landing on all fours, he would trot back into the village via the gates, which were cracked open enough to allow one person in and out. Enough nature energy had been gathered for her to at least enter Sage Mode. Upon being ordered to look this fellow in the eye, Risako still refused to make pupil to pupil contact. The cornea would suffice, she hoped, as Xyxer's own cornea was what her eyes would focus on. Rather demanding fellow, she thought, "I wasn't aware we were going to have a deal, seems rather one sided so far."

Hopefully her last comment didn't send the man before her over the edge, nor would it prevent him from continuing the conversation as he originally planned. Her fear of the situation was real, to some extent. The Leviathan roaring above her was nothing more than a display and would be viewed as such, she paid it little attention. Judging by the scope of the things presented to her so far, the size of the army mainly, she didn't believe it would be an easy victory for her side. That said, aside from her pupils being slightly dilated she was rather calm, as far as appearances were concerned. Provided the Mizukage, just a guess she had made based on the hat tied to his body, continued with what he planned to say, Risako raised her eyebrows and nodded. Her expression was still rather plain as she spoke to the man "People die every day, Xyxer." She understood the notion of what the man said. He wanted a fight, or to make an example of someone. "The Daimyo already views the title of Hokage as nothing more than a tool. I don't really see myself not losing much in this deal. Tell me what I stand to gain and that will determine how far I'm willing to push," the pretend Hokage would finish saying in earnest. A feral hound can only endure so many days on a leash.

[-50 AP for the seal, however much for the summon. I'll look it up once it becomes important.]

One of his demands had been promptly met as the summon walked back towards the safety of it's village, leaving Risako alone with the embodiment of Kirigakure No Sato. If Xyxer was a lesser man, he would use this time to strike the girl, yet the thought did not even cross his mind. There was no honour in a surprise kill, thus no glory.. and so the girl's life was safe throughout this negotiation. Yet, there was a problem as the girl suddenly turned cross eyed, and it became immediately obvious that she had not adhered to his other demand, and so he'd reiterate, "This is the last time I'll warn you, Risako. Look me in the eyes while we converse, not the bridge of my nose or some random freckle, but my eyes. It'd be foolish to initiate a war due to your anxiety.", albeit this time his smile seemed to be lost. To say something once was a pain, but to be forced to say it twice? Gosh, that was just unthinkable. 

Risako didn't seem to understand just how one sided this entire deal was going to be, Xyxer realized. She seemed to believe in a trivial notion that she had anything to offer Kirigakure that they could not simply take with few casualties.. He was offering her a chance to survive and keep her people safe, yet she seemed to want more? However, he could respect that she understood the importance of death and didn't fear it as much as her village did, if the numbers on the wall were anything to go by, "We are tools to be utilized, Risako. That's the price we pay for being Shinobi, you'll understand that one day if you survive this encounter." Xyxer stated, as throughout his entire life he'd only seen shinobi die in glorious causes for others, or died a shambles for themselves, yet he'd continue on, "You stand to secure the safety of yourself and your people. To be the last reigning Hokage before the glorious village of Konohagakure is razed would make you a stain in the history book and a curse on the tongue of scholars. I offer you a chance to reshape the world and restore your village to the noble status it used to deserve."

At this point, Xyxer would pause as the wind whipped the area around them violently as rain cascaded against their stalwart forms, allowing the violence of the nature influence him. It was reassuring to feel that the powers that be smiled upon him on this day. "Kneel before me and preserve your village, or remain standing and watch as shinobi, innocents, and the rest die before you merely because you put your feelings above others. The choice is yours." The Leviathan told the girl, yet his hands remained by his side, showing that he had no intention of launching a physical attack on her at the current moment.

Bossy bossy, Risako's eyes would straighten out to meet Xyxer's. Out of all events of today, this was probably her least favorite part. Her fists clenched and she mentally prepared herself to break whatever Genjutsu the man would use, if he would. "It's an old habit," she'd comment. Listening as the man went on about what Konohagakure would gain, he stated that cooperation would secure the safety and survival of the village. If that was the case, then why did he ensure that someone would die today? Finally, an ultimatum had been given. Bend the knee and secure the safety of her village, or fight and incur the wrath of Kirigakure. 

Weighing her options for a second, it seemed as if Risako could drag the conversation on for a bit by complying with the man's commands. The difference between the Daimyo and the Mizukage was that one could back up his words. After all, sensing the area around her seemed to imply that only four of her own people made any appearance near the gate. If the village was still standing at the end of the day, the masks of the ANBU would find themselves with new hosts. Since the man still had yet to show any signs of physical aggression, she lowered herself onto her left knee, her right hand moving to rest on her other knee. Her trust wasn't with the man, she didn't think he would honor his word completely, and this act was to satisfy his present need. Her eyes had remained in contact with his the whole time, while she listened to anything else he had to say.

In all honesty, Xyxer could somewhat understand the girl's inability to maintain eye contact with him during the early stages of their meeting. In the latest report he'd heard of Konohagakure, it had been a male Hokage, so she couldn't possibly have been leading for long.. thus, meeting a kage that hadn't been dethroned for such a long period of time was understandably a strange notion to the people of Konoha. His lips curled upwards lightly when the eye contact was made, and it wouldn't be unlikely for people to believe Xyxer was talking to an old friend in terms of his casual demeanor. Yet, once the girl dropped to a single knee as per his request, any remaining hostility from Xyxer would vanish like a tear in the rain. As far as he was concerned, the girl had made an oath to him from this action, and the Mizukage liked to believe that the people of Konoha had more loyalty than their Kages of old had.

He'd close the gap between them at a light pace, walking the five meters before he stopped before her, granted she was still kneeling. For a moment, Xyxer saw a fluctuation in the person that was before him.. Their appearance seemed to shift momentarily into the silver haired, petite figure of Ren, the man that had infamously executed in his village just a few weeks prior to this contact. He saw the mangled body lying before him, the brain leaking from the freshly dented cranium with a single shot from his sinister weapon that was more of a monstrosity than a blade. Then when Xyxer blinked, the apparition had malformed into the visage of his mentor, the woman that had drowned this village previously. Her trisected body lay at his feet, and for a moment a look of unadulterated confusion crossed his features. Was it happening again? No.. this was a sign.. he was being too lenient..

During this temporary break in the male's concentration, the colossal Leviathan that roared above the masses found itself draining back down into it's source of Xyxer's back, becoming one with him once more. His features no longer bore the same smile as before, as now his face was a desolate land of neutrality. Nothing was openly displayed as he extended a single hand out towards the girl that was on her knee, his hand open for her to take. He fought against his desire to avenge his leader.. for now. There was nothing that linked this girl into that sordid affair, she didn't even seem to be a Uchiha with her lack of confidence.. although, perhaps he was wrong.. raven hair was often linked to Uchiha.. maybe she was his enemy after all. If she was to take his hand, he'd help her back up to her feet before releasing his grip and taking a step back from her; a sign of partnership.

He'd pause for a moment in this position to collect himself.. if he wasn't careful, he knew that he'd fly off the handle and cause the massacre of many.. that would only further his reputation as something he could avoid. To be known as a tyrant in the history books was a sour deal, but to be known as a tyrant that massacred a village that had surrendered to him was a foul crime that not even his leader of old would forgive. He was different from the Bloody Kage of old.. better. As that thought cruised through his mind, he'd look back towards the girls' eyes before speaking, "I'm glad you made that decision, and now we can work on your village. Your shinobi.. I want them outside these gates, kneeling before me in order of rank. Masters, ANBU, Jounin, Chuunin, Genin. Of course, the higher ranked they are, the closer they are to the front." He gestured towards himself, indicating that they were to be closest to him. "Tell them, failure to comply, or if anyone does not attend at all.. will be dealt with. It's been too lax for them too long, and those that fail to serve their village should be punished brutally and in spectacular fashion." Xyxer finished, allowing for the girl to go back towards the village to coordinate her people to come out as requested, while he himself walked backwards around 15 meters back towards his army before promptly turning back around and waiting for their arrival. Boy, perhaps even a kunai would come flying at his eye while he failed to look in their direction.

It was raining. Tatsuo could tell because it was now drumming against his head as he walked through the village. The storm had arrived. The young boy had hoped he would be able to make it home before it's arrival. His exam had taken longer than expected though. Or maybe the storm had been faster than anticipated. Weather was an unpredictable thing after all. The Tadashi looked downward at the headband tightly gripped in his hand. Such a cheap little trinket. Yet it's meaning was beyond comprehension. The next step in his journey toward greatness. The boy made his way down the street. It was a noisy day. The rain and wind combined together to assault his ears with the noise. The electricity that crackled in the heavens above added to the sound. Yet Tatsuo still heard the talk of the villagers that passed by him in alarm.

Another storm had arrived.

Tatsuo made his way through the winding streets of Konoha. The gate was in his sights, the leviathan that could be seen throughout the village was still there. The boy pushed his damp hair from his eyes. This was the moment he had predicted. Someone had finally sensed the weakness of the village. It had only been a matter of time. Was he prepared? Was he ready? Of course not. Tatsuo needed many more months to train himself to his peak. A newly crowned Genin of Konohagakure, what could one such as himself do? Tatsuo didn't have the answer. Though he hoped he would find it before he arrived.

Turning a corner the gates came into his view. The young Tadashi prepared himself mentally. Tadashi's were made for this moment. They were purposely built for this kind of event. They were genetically superior to other shinobi. Perhaps this knowledge gave him confidence. His hands were shaking though. It was reasonable of course. The leviathan was scary, but it was what else lay beyond the wall the frightened him more. He saw them as he approached. The army that had been amassed for the purpose of conquering his home. The banners blew wildly in the wind. The image of a flayed man. Would that image become a reality if they succeeded. Would the citizens of his home become like the man on the banner? Tatsuo would not allow such a thing.

His legs felt heavy. Breathing was difficult. It was if the air became thicker and thicker as he drew ever closer. The boy wiped his eyes, clearing the rain water from his face. The rain had soaked through his clothing. What a sorry sight he must have looked like. Tatsuo didn't care. The leviathan that headed the army was his main focus now.

The young boy willed himself onward. Tadashi didn't retreat. His hands tightened into fists as he moved. The leviathan stirred, the boy's heart skipped a beat. It roared, and began to shrink downward. Tatsuo was confused. He watched, following the beast as it shrunk downward. It disappeared completely, inside of a man that stood at the head of the army. For the first time Tatsuo noted the two that were away from the mass of enemies. A stranger that was on their knees. A representative of Konoha, the lone defender? There didn't seem to be any sign of battle. Though it was hard to see from this distance, it was becoming clearer as he continued his advance. He noted they were in fact on one knee. A sign of servitude. The bending of the knee, disgusting. They refused to fight and die for their village with honour?

Tatsuo took in a deep breath. His hands were still shaking. Maybe he should have prayed to Jashin before doing this. Perhaps the god would have granted him power during this time. He would definitely need it.

He crossed through the gateway and into the open field. Don't focus on the army he told himself. Focus on the one that led it. Cut off the head of the beast. Perhaps then they would stand a chance. His vision narrowed in on the man whom stood tall. Even from here he could see the light coloured blue hair. Tatsuo's eyes widened. He recognised the appearance, only from stories though. One of the elder Tadashi. The man who stood before him was Xyxer, there was no doubt. No one else within the world would have the audacity to dye their hair that colour and pull it off. Tatsuo couldn't believe it. The Xyxer was invading his homeland. If the circumstances were different he would have fainted. However now was not the time for an autograph, even though he was wearing his official Tadashi Club™ hoodie at the moment it wasn't really appropriate.

The boy moved forward, stopping around twenty meters from the man. His hands continued to shake, both from excitement and fear. The boy took in a deep breath. He drew a kunai into his shaking left hand. "Xyxer Tadashi." Tatsuo called out to the man, who would have been walking away unless he changed his actions at the boy's approach. "My name is Tatsuo Tadashi." Tatsuo trailed off, unsure of what exactly to say. "This village is under my protection. I won't allow it to fall into the hands of an enemy, even that of a distant relation." Tatsuo exhaled slowly. His body was still shaking. He was not prepared for this. Was he going to die? Could he even die? So many unknown questions. The boy remembered something his father had once told him. It helped calm him, if just a bit.

Conflict forces one to better oneself. It forces change, growth, adaption, evolution… or death.

[OOC: exiting directly into this topic from the observation thread.]

Two of the clones were on either side of the young Konoha boy, the original standing a few feet in front of him. The original had already activated a technique on it's descent to the ground, a single simple hand seal had been needed to do so. The immediate area was attacked by a thick white cloud of smoke, coming from the creation of the clones, concealing Jason's movements from the others that may be watching on the way down. The clone on the right, immediately upon landing, had already begun restraining the boy with a branch grown from his own body that had been manipulated to wrap tightly around the ninja's body to stop him. The plan had been to conceal their movements and drag this idiot back inside the gates before anything happened. Luckily, Jason wasn't the only one to pick up on the situation.

Just as soon as the mokuton had trapped the boy, the one with the flaming hair landed in front of him, just between the original Jason and the target. He heard whispered orders and saw the dumbass becoming limp, as if in a sort of trance, and immediately comply with the newcomer's demands. In response to that, the clone restraining the young, impulsive boy would manipulate the wood to release him, before throwing the branch off into the gates; no proof of this interaction would remain. Jason's shadow clones dispersing, now having managed to prevent the poor kid from saying or doing anything that would cost Konoha it's survival, the three Genin of the Hidden Leaf would each walk forward as the smoke also disappeared. They stopped a few meters behind Risako where it was assumed the Genin should be, each dropping down on one knee, choosing to honor their leader's decision of compliance. 


[i doubt i need it, but if this still devolves into fighting ill look up the ap and add it in]