Aspiring Assassins (p, nk)

Tue Jan 02, 2018 7:04 am

Satoru is walking down a street towards a destination. Currently, it is midday. The sun is quite high in the sky and there are few clouds above to dim its rays. The wind is generally calm. Once in a while, a particularly strong gust will blow by but aside from that, the breezes as of current are negligible. As is normal for the season, the temperature of the air is temperate. Haven Country and Lightning Country share largely the same longitude so this time of year having this temperature is not new to Satoru. He expects the slightly warm air, feeling as though it is springtime. His clothing is dressed to keep him warm though. His pants are standard issue ninja wear, long, baggy, and of dark hue. His top is no different except with more of a gray tone. The shoes he wears are all encompassing along with high socks which cannot be seen under the pants. All of this in order to keep warmer than the air but not by any great amount of heat. He simply prefers to be warmer than lukewarm.

The destination to which Satoru is set on walking to is a place he has yet to visit in his time in the village. He knows based on asking around that this building known as the "Unseen University" is something like the village's shinobi headquarters. Here, ninja are given official missions and rewards for successfully completed tasks. The chambers of the village’s leader, the Hogokage, also exists here. So, in many ways, this building is the heart of ninja activities in the city of Hoshigakure. As a location of command, there also exists the Royal Palace. But that building houses the monarchial government of the country. Both of these buildings are in the same city which is split between the pacifist religious people and the more militant, defensive shinobi who defend this land. The dichotomy between both ideologies is defined quite well in mannerisms and occupational differences between the people. But now, as Satoru has seen both the Royal Palace and the Unseen University, he is able to put more of a split between them. Two separate buildings, two sides of the same coin.

Exactly why is Satoru making his way towards the Unseen University? He is no ninja of Hoshigakure so seeking an official mission from the mission desk is pointless. Nor does he have any need to seek an audience with an official of the village’s shinobi forces. Satoru is cognisant of the fact that only ninja of the village are permitted access to the building. The reason he is here is simply to survey.

In his time here, Satoru has neglected to return to Kumogakure with the group he arrived among. Why? Residing in Hoshigakure has intrigued his curiosity. He has noticed that ninja from Kumogakure are not very welcome in this village. In particular, some of the shinobi of this land are at odds with those identifying with Kumogakure. Even just entering the village was a controlled and regulated ordeal meant to completely rule out the idea of an attack against their village. Forces patrolling the streets of the village take note of Satoru and seem wary of danger as though he means to do harm. These experiences make up just half of his thinking which results in his resolve to do what he is doing now.

He has also noticed that there are two kinds of people in the village: those religious and passive versus those employed with defense and military activities. Yes, the split among these people of the same village was compared to the treatment Satoru experienced as a result of his being from a particular village. So, having seen this prejudice based on ideologies and based on village of origin as well as seeing it from the inside and the outside, Satoru reaches a drastic conclusion. He is to remain in Hoshigakure, refusing to wear his Kumogakure headband, and act as though he is a regular member of the village. Yes, he is under cover. These actions may constitute espionage enacted by a hostile village power but to keep from detection, Satoru takes measures to blend in. He rarely leaves his living quarters. He wears no headband. He has purchased clothes normal for the area. And all of this for what reason? To solve the domestic problem that is the civil unrest between shinobi and clergymen. A logical person, Satoru sees it fit that understanding this dilemma might result in a world less divided by distance and origin.

It is an ambitious undertaking. Such a small part of the world being the key to instilling more peace in the human race? One man doing this alone? Satoru is neither a sociologist nor a psychologist. But the determining factors in this undertaking are these: Satoru has experienced the problem firsthand, and he has grown to feel an attachment to both villages in question. Surely a social scientist of either Kumogakure or Hoshigakure or any other village has wondered what the underlying issue is which gives birth to preconceived dislike or unfriendliness. How many have taken it upon themselves to take in all information about their dilemma including making themselves test subjects? Within Satoru exists the divide that is equal to the one he is studying. It is his hope that he might come to identify with that fact and better understand Hoshigakure as a population.

But above all else, Satoru’s very motivation for doing anything is the desire to avoid weakness. Weakness lost him his home village, Amegakure. Weakness kept him from protecting those he loved. How is this decision supposed to strengthen him? He believes that there exists different types of strength. Physical, mental, emotional. Solving the domestic divide in Hoshigakure, a challenge indeed, is a form of mental preparation. It’s a puzzle which he intends to solve and prove to himself that he is not mentally weak. Chemistry, physics, mathematics, these are not enough. It isn’t greed, it’s assurance. It isn’t insecurity, it’s a desire for fortitude. These are Satoru’s motivations.

We’ve strayed a bit from the current center of the narrative. Satoru has arrived at the Unseen University and stands leaning against a wall which encloses the compound, relaxing. The area is peaceful at the moment and he is taking in his surroundings.

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Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:20 am

In an attempt to gather more information for the upcoming tournament Miyamoto decided to check in at the Unseen University. He arrived just after dawn and began to check mission boards, some things popping up looked familiar, others were new areas for him. Upon seeing that nothing there would suit his team's needs he decided to take leave in hopes that something might happen to turn up for them to tackle. After a few minutes of wandering, he was able to make it back outside the gates where he promptly sat down near the gate to meditate. He knew it would be odd, but it was also a great place to hear rumors and pick up the occasional odd job. It was not until the late morning did he begin to feel a few familiar chakra signatures begin to pop up here and there. One such familiar chakra signature belonged to a member of his team. Satoru Nara, a peculiar shinobi that Miyamoto had yet to really get a good grasp for his use. He was effective at close quarters and his level of understanding chakra was impressive. So he just sat there until the teammate walked up and looked at the gate. Then as if catching the same wind as he, Satoru leaned up against the wall surrounding the compound.

"Fancy seeing you here all dressed up. So when are we going to have a discussion about not wearing the headbands of the shinobi?" He asked Satoru out of genuine curiosity. He knew a little of the males background, but there were always secrets that could be pried out of any mouth. He knew that much anyway as he stared up at Satoru, his eyes trying to pierce into his soul without even making eye contact with him.
"Trying to pick up a female guard, or perhaps you are just trying out the rumor mill as well?" Miyamoto further inquired s if he was a bit impatient.

WC:328

Fri Jan 05, 2018 5:50 am

Satoru is greeted by Miyamoto, a familiar face and voice. He is indifferent about seeing the chuunin but gives a greeting nonetheless. A simple hello and a wave. This is actually one of the usual days when Satoru simply doesn't feel like interacting with anyone, not because he is unhappy but because his thinking takes greater priority. However, the question brought up by Miyamoto is deemed preferable to answer so he enters conversation. It may be slightly out of character but Satoru actually feels as though Miyamoto will be of great help in his endeavors.

Sensing that the question posed is not sarcastic, Satoru prepares to give an answer. Once he has assembled and put in order all of the information he deems acceptable to share, he speaks. "I would wear a headband but, being in Hoshigakure, I would rather not. You may have been able to tell already but I am from neither this village nor Haven Country. My headband is that of Amegakure's in Rain Country. Kumogakure expanded their empire to include my home village so I fled the attack and came here."

Some of this information is a lie but a good deal of it is true. The answer to Miyamoto's question is not the real sequence of events but it suffices. Though Satoru will tell those who ask that he comes purely from Amegakure, none need to know that his previous allegiance lied with Kumo. If things go well in the next couple of days, Satoru may even become an official part of Hoshigakure's ninja forces. But that's a long shot. He may dislike telling slight lies like this but they're necessary. He knows not who he can trust.

"I'm here as a refugee. Currently, my goal is to be accepted here and work for the village as a ninja as you do." Satoru finishes his explanation. Then, to answer his following statement, he addresses why he is here at the Unseen University. "Since this is the base of operations for Hoshigakure's shinobi operations and defense, I want to see what the ninja here are like. With luck, I will be one of you soon. Until then, I can hang around here. I'm content with it."

It is not known to Satoru but a maliciousness is hidden among the crowd. He is unable to sense chakra and does not know how to spot any kind of suspicious person. The circumstances would have it though that Satoru is here as the events will unfold. He looks up at the Unseen University building and marvels at it, listening to Miyamoto.

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Fri Jan 05, 2018 9:41 am

As per usual Satoru seemed to be rather distant when spoken to, it was like he was mentally preparing a speech at any given time, but still, it seemed as though the teammate would actually join him for a bit as he would finally speak. When he finally spoke, it made Miyamoto kind of snap to attention as he heard of his home village, Amegakure, a place he would surely resurrect one day. The remainder of the time he spoke of how Kumogakure took the village and made it apart from their empire. He knew the sequence was out of time, and that he really was not going to get information that quickly but it still showed a lot of growth in the kid to speak that much. As he spoke about his goals to become apart of the village and that he was a refugee it made Miyamoto think about when he first arrived at the village. He stood up and leaned against the wall just like Satoru did as he finally decided to speak as the pair looked out at the growing crowd of people gathering to perform various tasks at the base of shinobi operations at the compound of the Unseen University.

"I understand where you are coming from as I too was a refugee, my family and I were the only ones to complete the trek here. However, I found that my team was the only people I could rely on outside of my family, just remember that. We are a team and we all have each other's backs. As for this place here...I never really came here much, I was mostly given my missions through a raven delivering a message, or going to see higher-ups that did not care for shinobi life. Times have changed though since Snow became Kage. I guess we can just wait out here till trouble shows up, it usually does from what I hear." Miyamoto finished as he continued to look out, not yet activating his Mind Eye of the Kagura, but his chakra senses were up and he was seeing a lot of signatures approaching them.

WC:360/688

Sun Jan 07, 2018 12:20 pm

"Really." Satoru says almost like a question as Miyamoto states that he too was a refugee. This fact peaks Satoru's interest because it denotes a similarity between the two shinobi which allows for them to relate to each other in a more complex way. Briefly explained, Satoru is thinking about how he is a refugee coming from a weak past. He failed to fight Kumogakure and instead joined them in order to give himself the image of being strong. Now, he still feels weak, he knows that he is no member of Kumogakure at heart. But he takes Miyamoto and sees his strength which is leagues greater than his own. This person has come form the same weakness but here he is, his own ninja with his own prowess. Satoru aspires to grow into such a person.

The rest of what Miyamoto says becomes another thought for Satoru. The thought of a team and being part of one himself. He relates this to simply wanting to live under the name of Kumogakure which gives him the guise of strength. But he has already recognized that this is no substitute for really overcoming weakness. Miyamoto makes a greater point though. He makes the point that team members have each other's backs. Satoru takes this and examines it. He is able to rely on such a team. With a group so dependable, he may grow stronger with ease especially with Miyamoto involved. Yes, this is one viable path to power. With that set, Satoru agrees wholly with what his partner is saying.

Then there is the name of the Kage of this village, or at least just his last name. "Snow". Satoru does not know exactly who this is, he has not met anyone of that name but the thought quickly leaves his mind. It is of no concern right now, not until he is really trying to become a part of the village. Until that time comes, this knowledge will be in the back of his mind. For now, Satoru gazes into the crowd.

Walking across their line of sight from their right side, three men are walking slowly. Satoru is tracking them as they walk but for no specific reason. It is one of those times when you are simply finding something to look at and find yourself staring at any random person. But the next actions of these three men are quite intriguing. Knowing that usually only ninja of the village are allowed to enter the compound for the Unseen University, Satoru finds it odd that anyone who does not seem to be a ninja at all would be trying to enter. What makes this more strange is that these are three people, not one. All three seem to be making the same mistake of going to enter an area restricted to civilians.

Satoru brings himself off of the wall. One hand is in his pocket nonchalantly and he puts his other arm out as if reaching towards the three men. Each seems to be below the age of thirty. Reaching out to them, Satoru begins to explain that the area they're clearly walking towards is not open to them.

"Hi, sorry. Only ninja are permitted inside of that compound." He simply says. Satoru remains standing where he is until these men respond or something else causes him to move.

(561/2,051)

Tue Jan 09, 2018 4:13 am

All in all, it did not appear that Satoru was interested in everything Miyamoto had to say, but it seems that something did at least get through to him as he seemed to deepen in thought before looking out into the mass of people. A quick glance out past the people and out into the area around the compound found that the bare open area around the compound seemed to give way to the sprawling village of Hoshi. He continued to look out, nothing really all that interesting, but something did catch his eye at just about the same time that Satoru stepped away from the wall to ask a group of suspicious men to step away. Miyamoto looked at the group on the horizon then to the group with Satoru before standing up and focusing on the group out on the horizon. Miyamoto then stepped over to Satoru while maintaining visual contact with the outside group, but as Miyamoto approached he noticed one on either side of the five-man group broke off and began to walk in different directions away.

"Satoru, these guys are apart of something larger. Let's take them to the proper authorities." Miyamoto whispered to Satoru before stepping beside him, taking out his Kanabo.
"Think about what you are doing before you do it, peacefully step towards me, all of you...we are taking you into the compound personally," Miyamoto commanded as he held the Kanabo in one hand like a bat resting on his right shoulder.

WC:250/938

Thu Jan 11, 2018 1:47 pm

Miyamoto’s warning is duly noted. This situation is treated by Satoru as though it were a real mission as such work is what he has been anticipating. He does not jump to any kind of conclusion but part of him can’t help but feel some positive exhilaration at this situation. This may be no more than a minor infraction of the village’s laws but even still, it puts Satoru in a position of having performed some act of law enforcement. This is the work of a shinobi of Hoshigakure, this is what Satoru has set as a goal.

The three men comply with Miyamoto’s instructions at first, walking quietly towards him. Satoru follows behind them. They state their apologies, saying that they had not known the building was restricted. They also state that they simply request an audience with the Hogokage, asking Miyamoto how they might be able to have one. Their arms are at their sides and they walk with no hint of fear. The way they move is as though this were a normal occurrence, calm, collected, … prepared.

With the senses of a shinobi as is his occupation, Satoru hears and sees the very slight ruffling of leaves from a bush behind him. Being in this situation and given the information conveyed by Miyamoto, Satoru’s first instinct is to give attention to this sound and ensure that it is nothing to be concerned about. Satoru’s mistake, as will be seen, is that he splits his attention between the three men in front of him and what is behind him. The following is a slowed down version of these events in detail. Be enlightened on the inner machinations of Satoru’s subconscious as these things unfold before him.

He turns his head ever so slightly so as to keep the men in front of him in his peripheral vision. At the same time, the direction from which the sound in question originated is also within his sight to be examined for threats.

Now, what exactly is seen should be elaborated on so as to understand Satoru’s reasoning. And this is what it is: a man running in his direction with a kunai knife in hand. Bizarre, is it not? But not if Miyamoto’s warning is considered. And it is, so Satoru is less dumbfounded by this and understands that this person is a threat to him, that he is the target of his drawn knife.

But see, this is what is truly interesting. What was heard was a ruffling of leaves so quiet that a ninja’s skill is needed in order to react to it. And while this person is coming from a bush as Satoru can tell by his path, the sound was still so soft? He must then be dealing with an individual skilled in the ninja arts. That fact puts a more pressing atmosphere onto the situation. Satoru’s actions are immediate. When the coming man who seems to be no more than three years older than him arrives at Satoru’s position, the knife is thrusted towards him. The kunai looks freshly sharpened, the edges of the blade are brighter in color than the rest of the metal. Satoru moves in self defense, taking a quick step back and placing a hand onto the hand of this attacker who has thrusted his knife. He takes a firm hold of the attacker’s hand and pulls it up over their heads. So that the weapon does not fall out of the attacker’s hand, Satoru keeps a grip.

That would be the end of the events we want to take a deeper look into. Surely, you understand the point of the play by play here. Satoru finds it very odd that the only sounds to be heard from the attacker is the soft ruffling of leaves and yet this man has already emerged completely from the bush he has been hiding in. In such a situation, any ninja would quickly reach the same conclusion that this perpetrator is skilled and to be treated as a ninja rather than a mere murderer. We will return to the normal speed of events then.

“Knife.” Satoru says with urgency. An exclamation mark would be too much to really convey the way Satoru says this. It is not said quickly or as though he is short on time but it is emphasized in volume and pressure. Miyamoto will understand the fashion in which this is said.

Satoru’s attention is still split but more of it is placed upon the current attacker than on the three next to him. Knowing that Miyamoto is a chuunin, Satoru feels as though he is able to handle more. However, the skills of these men are not known. So, to help Miyamoto, he will attempt to quickly neutralize this first attacker and aid his comrade. The first of these actions includes Satoru using his free hand to grab a hold of his opponents own free hand. With it, the rat seal is formed and Satoru keeps this in place. His shadow imitation jutsu is to follow.

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Fri Jan 12, 2018 9:17 am

Miyamoto watched as the group seemed to be easily persuaded to join him in walking over to where he could question them. It was not until Satoru was attacked did Miyamoto finally realize what their plan was. Their Coup D'etat would not be so easy as Satoru seemed to grab his aggressor quick enough to stop him from actually hurting him. It was the great example of close quarters combat work of the shinobi that made Miyamoto's job just a bit easier as the group took the attack as a sign and moved to overtake Miyamoto. Causing Miyamoto to just smile as if this was some sort of game, his hands began to glow blue right before he used the body flicker technique to appear behind them as he struck each man at the base of the spine, which would look odd, but still effective as he used his medical technique of Body Pathway Derangement to bring the men to their knees.

"So...this...issue we have here is that there seem to be a few of you right? My friend here Satoru has one of you guys and is about to actually make his heart explode...trust me the stuff this man can do make even the kage think twice about even making him a full-fledged shinobi. That, however, is why he is apart of the team I lead...his power and my unique ability to actually melt things makes for a pretty dangerous combo. We could let you go...if you give us all the information you are currently harboring about your fellow compatriots. So what do you all say?" Miyamoto said as he looked at the three men on the ground now unable to move. The lies he told about Satoru were just to scare them, it seemed that more and more each day the normal civilian is receiving some sort of shinobi training and it makes people unpredictable. That is why these failed attempts to have the Kage's blood spilled keep failing. Lack of actual training and practicality of the job they want to perform.

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Sun Jan 14, 2018 11:36 am

The three original perpetrators are taken care of by Miyamoto quite easily, at least it looks easy from the outside. Satoru sees how his teammate efficiently brings the three men to their knees with no more than a few jabs to their spines. The technique is unknown to Satoru, understandably, as it looks to be some jutsu which affects the body’s nerves directly. He takes a moment to think about how this is likely a medical type of jutsu, something far out of Satoru’s own skill set.

Satoru still has the fourth man’s armed hand in the air and his free hand held to force the rat seal to be formed. But he can tell that his strength is not entirely enough to keep the man from breaking free of his grasp. So, rather than using his shadow imitation jutsu to stop any incoming reinforcements in their tracks, Satoru is forced to use it to subdue this man with his superior chakra. This way, Satoru is sure that he will not escape and, further, will be able to extend his shadow to take care of further assassination attempts.

At least, this is what Satoru believes this operation to be. He assumes that the goal of these people is to enter the Unseen University for the purpose of killing some official, possibly the Hogokage himself. This then gets Satoru thinking about how stopping such an operation is quite the showing of devotion to a village. Two shinobi stop four assassins from killing their target and arrests them despite being outnumbered. Granted, Miyamoto has done most of the work. And to make the achievement even less impressive, these are fairly poor fighters.

Satoru leaves the thought. Why so suddenly though? Surely, its possible to be given some award for this valiant work. Yeah but that won’t happen if Satoru is dead, will it? And seeing as how he has his hands full with three more assassins charging straight for him so that their comrade can go free, Satoru would rather focus on what is happening in front of him.

The shadow has attached to the one with the knife, the one Satoru engaged first. With it in place, Satoru allows the hand with the knife to go free and replaces the rat seal made with the assassin’s hand with a rat seal held solely by himself. Now, the knife-armed assassin to his left stands still as Satoru extends his own shadow towards that of the three approaching assassins.

It should be noted that these three men do not know that Satoru has used his shadow to force their friend to keep still and hold the rat seal, imitating Satoru. Certainly, they are aware it is some ninja technique beyond them but they are sorely unprepared for the sight of Satoru’s shadow suddenly jutting out towards them. Stunned, they are caught in their tracks and forced to stand as Satoru does. His shadow has split off into three different tendrils to capture all of the three assassins mid-charge.

“I have these here but this is about as far as my chakra will take me. If you could do what you just did to them, I’d be free to apprehend any further assassins.” Satoru conveys this information on his current state to Miyamoto. His chakra control is quite developed but the shadow imitation technique is draining and difficult to maintain for any extended period of time. Along with this, the complexity of his current use of the technique, capturing four targets at once, has never been done before by him. This new extent of the technique is even more taxing. “As for my stamina, I don’t know exactly how long I can hold them like this. Is this even the last of them?”

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Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:20 am

Miyamoto looked back to his teammate as he apprehended more assailants with ease. They seemed stuck in place as if by magic, Miyamoto knew about Satoru being a Naara, but he did not know of his limitations yet. His control was impressive and had Miyamoto in awe for a few minutes before he was told by Satoru that he did not know exactly how long he could keep the men in place and required his assistance. Miyamoto was happy to oblige as he hit the last group with the same technique he had just used to incapacitate the three before.

"These guys aren't going anywhere for a while, but I know that a Coup would not be such a small operation and there are likely more. Let's make these guys talk then we will go for the final assault." Miyamoto said as there was a small explosion to the south of their location, enough to catch the attention of the people of the compound as guards began rushing to the gate and people were instantly turned away as some were even brought down as if they were suspect.
"Looks like we don't have that luxury then...let us make haste, go ahead of me and I will catch up...do not engage unless you can get them in a one on one situation, wait for me," Miyamoto said as he grouped the men together as guards began to flood out the gate and up to Miyamoto as he began to question the would-be assassins. Soon the view of Miyamoto and the men would be shrouded behind the backs of guards as they circled the group.

Miyamoto was there trying to get answers as guards began to move in, they were being quiet and refusing to speak so Miyamoto had to move quickly as he began with one guy as he began using his chakra scalpel to make incisions inside of the man as a truth-finding method as he questioned him. He was given a one-word answer as Miyamoto's heart sank. Isshin.

Miyamoto jumped up and began running after Satoru, he had to catch him before something happened. If Isshin was here or his men, this was a much bigger operation than he thought.

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Aspiring Assassins (p, nk)

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