Crime? And Punishment.

Kita listened with a defiant intensity as Ayato explained his childhood with his father. His legs trembled slightly, but someone had to stand up to this pompous thug. He listened intently as Fu explained her past, her childhood, finding himself nodding along. They were two of a kind in Kita's mind. Though he had parents himself, both of whom were still alive and well, he wasn't born with any particular bloodline either. Someone like Ayato could never understand, never comprehend the world from their point of view. It was somewhat funny, maybe even laugh inducing if not for the grim reality of the situation. Kita knew what the byakugan was. Kato Hyuuga, a fellow shinobi from Kirigakure had explained its function to the boy before, and his eyes resembled this man's. Yet for all the vision it granted them, they still saw too little. Despite its incredible sight, it couldn't see the gift's that they'd been handed by simple virtue of being born.

Yet Kita's defiant confidence waved with the glance that Ayato thrust upon him. A single glance was all that the boy needed to know that he had earned the kage's ire. His words were calm, yet the boy could swear that there was contempt hidden deep in its core. Another bead of sweat formed on Kita's brow. He took a small, slow instinctive step backwards. He could feel it in his bones. He had made the wrong choice. His bravado began to drain at a rapid rate, mirrored by the color in his face as it turned as pale as a sheet. Kita's eyes turned between the Hogokage before him and his bodyguard. Which one would it be? Would the kage strike him down himself? Would he sicc his servant on him to prove a point? What was it? What was it?!

The boy was paralyzed as the venom dripped from the kage's voice, his measured tone barely masking the malice hidden within. Kita's heart pounded in his chest, the tightness and heat coming from his chest far surpassing that within his side for the moment. He saw Ayato speak, yet he couldn't make out the words. The room faded away in the boy's mind eye, leaving only those two in a world of black, staring at one another. How strange was it? To be so close in distance, yet so many worlds apart in so many ways? In power, in prestige, in ideology. Yet even through the sickening, choking horror, there was one thing Kita felt for certain, one last spark left in his eye that wouldn't fade. Deep within his psyche, Kita felt it, burrowing, burning. It was a kernel, a single kernel of hatred for the kage... no... the man before him.

That moment felt like an eternity. Maybe it was. Maybe time had stopped, leaving Kita the time to etch his tormentor's face into his memory, the new object of his inner loathing. Yet when time resumed, it was with an attack. When the first strike landed, it didn't hurt per se, even as it slammed into his side with tremendous force. Maybe it was the pain in the kidney already that was overwhelming him, or maybe it was the adrenaline. Maybe his focus on this arbiter of mock justice just overpowered his pain receptors. Yet its effects were pronounced. The air left Kita's lungs, and his vision faltered. He staggered in place, suddenly wobbly and barely able to stand on his own two feet. His mind went fuzzy as he lost concentration on this reality as he grunted heavily in pain from the compressed air to his side. The next strike came as Kita was staggering, delivering a sharp blow to the side of his face. This one Kita felt. He felt his teeth break under the pressure, sending fragments and shrapnel of enamel and blood over the floor through his opened lips. The sheer force of it sent the boy careening to the floor with a deafening slam, practically cracking it under the momentum delivered by his frail body.

Kita laid there completely still, his breathing being delivered in short and rapid "hic's" of air as his body tried to adjust and catch his breath once more. He laid there motionless for a moment, seemingly dead to the world. His eyes were empty and dead, like a doll's or fish. His only sign of life the slow and repetitive "hics" through the chamber. Yet as the conversation went by, life began to pool into the boys eyes and fingers, contemplating the series of events that got him to this point. The wounds weren't what brought Kita this low. No, while they were devastatingly powerful, it was Kita's mind, not the pain that confined him to that vegetative state. The words from earlier finally registered, and Kita poured over them in his mind.

"Little man, to you being a shinobi might mean to be a bully with a bag of tricks..."

The boy did not stir at that, though his mind raced over his words.

"Me? A bully?"

Kita's fingers twitched. A bully? He meant the child lying face down in the dirt? A boy beaten by the hired goons of a petulant military brat?

"...the law is what makes everyone in this world equal. So the law is sacred..."

"The law? Who's law?"

The fingers began to curl, drawing blood from his nails as they clawed the floor. It wasn't divine decree that was handed down to the masses. No, it was the will of the Seventh that was enacted upon the land, him who decided what was right and what was wrong. It was his whims, and his preferences that dictated this law, that bound people like Kita in cast iron shackles. Blind morality.

"That... Privileged... WEASLY LITTLE!"

Kita's arms slowly tucked inwards, reaching under his chest as he started pushing himself upwards, just as Fu asked Ayato's plan. The boy's blood steamed and boiled within his veins. That rat Ayato would never understand. Kita's rational mind was fading now, returning to nothingness as a primal ferocity took its place. The images and values of his many clanned friends faded away. Kato Hyuuga. Kasumi Hyuuga. Travin Rentei. Gonk Hoshigaki. All of them clan shinobi who Kita regarded as his friends were gone from his mind. In their place were those that mocked him. Kita's mind returned to his time in the academy. He returned to the times in which he tried his hardest to learn even the most basic Ninjutsu, only to be continually surpassed and overtaken by those with more potent blood, with rich clans and innate talents that someone like Kita could never, EVER learn. His incredible speed was one he discovered in childhood, running from his own bullies. He worked his fingers to the bone learning the necessary hand seals, practicing and wielding every weapon he could for just a prayer of matching up. Yet here he lay once more, at the foot of another entitled clansman. In that moment, it became all too clear in Kita's mind.

"They hate me. They've always hated me. They guard their secrets so closely. People like them... People like Ayato... they're scared. Scared of what would happen if their blood wasn't quite so special..."

The fear was retreating the the back of the boys mind with a frenzied speed, replacing it with a mix of various emotions. Disgust, despair, sorrow. Yet these did nothing to mask the white hot fury he felt within. Gone were the pleasant memories he had made, and in its place took hold a dark narrative, one worming its way through Kita's subconcious. Yet the boy did not panic. Surprisingly, it felt nice. Anger and hatred felt so much better than self doubt and misery. Now, he had a target.

Kita rose slowly, placing his legs from underneath himself and rising to his feet. And when he finally stood, he said not a word. He simply looked in Ayato's eye, his eyes a bit wilder, his hair a bit more disheveled, and spit a tooth that was trapped in his mouth to the floor. Tears still brimmed his red, puffy eyes, yet even from that distance it would be easy to see. That kernel of hate had taken hold, taken root. There was nothing but loathing in the boys eyes, a silent promise that one day, he would pay for what he'd done. Kita would be silent... for now.

Word Count - 1413

Total Word Count - 3577

Jutsu Used:

“Fu, my intentions are a hard target for you to hit, it seems. I need you whole, my guests of honor, The brave competitors of the Chunin exams. Else who would I share my triumphs? They say victory is sweeter with a loved one by your side.” The Hyuuga in black said, his eyes flicking up and down, sounding almost concerned as Kita Hajime spat a crooked tooth out from a mouth full of blood. 

“The Council of Red advocates for your execution, justice for the law you have broken, and faith and culture you have slighted. My deputy Kage Shina wants the same, but to rip out your prized transplants and tongues first. The latter, somewhat fitting for Kita’s insolence. So pardon her absence from this hall. If I cut the tongue of every man who cursed me, I could have made a cloak out of them.”

The council was similar to the Daimyo of their shinobi culture. The past kings and queens of Haven or regent appointed councilors. And now, since Tenhiyat’s vacancy of the Throne and abolishment of the royalty, the councilors were the regents. Seven members in total, and their meetings occur in the Tower of Red inside the royal residence. Hence their name. They were proud men and cared for their culture and religion.

“Complete a task for us to reverse your crime. You will be permitted to continue to live. The cost of your lives will be the end of others. The choice is yours, die here and now, or continue to live and be remembered through death. “

“Lord Seventh," Asked Yasha and took a knee. His fists were still burning from the blows he had delivered to the lawbreaker. "What word do we give the council?"

“Their god can keep his grace,” said Ayato, who did not share his council's vibrant faith. “It’s foreign shinobi I need this time, not blessings. Do they have an army hidden somewhere that they’ve not told me of?” There was a difference between Ayato’s commitment to faith and the civilian council and their followers. Ayato's lack of confidence was rooted in the traumatic death of his mother. Yasha remembered what Ayato told him once in the training grounds, after a morning of hard practice.

”Gods so cruel as to take my kind mother away would never have my worship.”

There was a tightness to his face and flesh that spoke of leather cured in the sun until it was as tough as steel. Hard was the word men use, and hard he was his eyes burned with ice under his heavy brow, a mouth made for frowns and scowls and sharply worded commands. The real Ayato had never learned to soften his speech, to disassemble or flatter. He said what he thought. His Kage was stubborn and proud; when he had set his mind, there was no changing it.

“I want to get you home, little man. Finally, you have a home, which is more than many can say in these dark days. You have a mother that must surely love you. Consider her grief if you should never return. Perhaps they will bring her your headband and sword after you have fallen. Maybe she will even hang them in her hall and look at them with pride. But if you were to ask her, I know she would tell you that she would sooner have a living son than a shattered blade.”

WC: 569

It would appear that the Kiri Genin who did not think before he spoke, found it within himself to withstand the punishment delivered by the giant and was now standing on his own two feet once more, defiantly staring down Ayato, the Hogokage, and the one responsible for delivering the verdict for the crime they had committed. Turnns out, Hogokage was not as senseless as the old council that governed the nation, and instead insisted on assigning them a task for reasons currently unknown. Fu only felt a brief sense of relief knowing that Kita and her would not be executed on the spot for what they had done, but she was still far from of the situation. She knew that whatever task they would be assigned would definitely test their entire character and could potentially prove to be deadly.
 
“The cost of your lives will be the end of others.” Fu took a moment to mull over the Hyuuga’s words, not knowing entirely what that meant right away, but after just a few moments of deliberation, Fu finally understood- they were going to be sent to fight for their lives- winner takes all. The decision, although shitty, was obvious. “Alright.” Fu would say as confidently as she could. “We will take your offer. We came here to test our strengths after all!” Her words echoed through the room and despite the confidence she attempted to project in her tone, she couldn’t help but feel nervous. Fu knew that this feeling was natural. The time she spent as a hunter instilled a very rational approach to animal behavior and humans were animals after all; she just didn’t know who was going to be the hunter in this specific scenario, would it be Kita and herself or their opponent?  
 
Now that their fate had been sealed, she waited to learn more about the task they would be sent on and who they would be up against.

WC: 326
TWC: 3355

Kita's lip quivered, and his eyes welled with tears. He knew that if he spoke, that the tears would fall, and the boy would be powerless to stop it. It's not as if he was in any hurry to move his jaw though. The pain in the side of his face was nearly unbearable, and all he wanted to do was rest. God what he wouldn't do for a bag of ice.

He wished that he looked as brave as he wanted to feel, but something told him that he looked utterly pathetic in that moment. Truth be told, through the wild flurry of emotions that he was experiencing, he felt pathetic as well. His mind flashed back to the last time he had killed someone... the time he killed Yumeko. A member of the Jugo clan, someone who possessed the same bloodline he had in his body right now. The one who's raw power started the journey that led to this moment. He'd felt awful after that. It wasn't the first time he had killed someone, but it was certainly the most... personal.

He had to wonder if he and Fu were being sent to their graves. After all, why send foreign shinobi on a mission if not because it was too dangerous or threatening or dangerous for one of your own? They likely wouldn't be getting paid for this, so it's not as if Hoshigakure lost anything if they die.

Kita looked at his soon to be partner, sizing her up in his mind through blurry eyes. He wasn't sure how to feel, but she was all the help that he'd be getting. He just had to hope that they had the strength needed to fight their way through, and come out the other side alive...

"I-I'll do it. I-I don't want to die here, so I'll do it."

Word Count - 311

Total Word Count - 3888

Jutsu Used:

“Very well, Fu of Konoha and Kita Hajime, your redemption arc begins now.” Said Ayato to the two Genin after they announced their agreement to this deal. Ayato turned to his Nova with a steely gaze.” Akabayashi, prepare the seals for them as I brief them." Provided that there were no questions, no second thoughts, no cold feet, no nothing, the taijutsu expert would proceed to do that. 

“In the North, there are reports about a group of outlaws. They raid and kidnap and, after that, burn villages to the ground. They are led by some heavy hitter named the Wolf King. The kind of urban legend you'd hear in a campfire. But as it happens, a werewolf disappeared from Hoshigakure recently, while another emerged not far from it. ”

Yasha magicked up a folder from his storage displacement dimension and opened it to a clipped picture of a long-haired brute clad in full golden plate armor, inlaid with black. A gauntleted hand waved to the adoring crowd sitting on the stands and, at the same time, holding bare steel on the other hand. That day was the tourney for Queen Tenhiyat’s coronation. Yasha was the winner of the melee that day, and the man in the picture was the winner of the joust. 

“This is Sir Axwell Florent, formerly of the Queensguard, sworn to protect the royalty that once governed this country. A big, angry brute whose wolfish grin I’ve always found unsettling. A fellowship of a few fascinating individuals and I squared up against him at the water gardens. I have carried a token of his gratitude since that day,” Ayato observed and touched his neck. His pale skin turned almost bronze in the sunlight, highlighting the claw mark scar underneath his neck.

Yasha had heard the story a hundred times. The Byakugan heir was exchanging blows with Ser Axwell Florent, and in the midst of it, that huge man of fierce repute and temper had transformed into a huge werewolf of a fierce repute and temper. Kenshin, Miyamoto, and Kyousuke had joined the current Kage to bring him down. But if they had not joined him, The Hyuga boy might have died fighting for what his village stood for. The vile knight had been imprisoned, and Ayato went on to win his Chunin Exam Tournament. He couldn’t have been older than Kita Hajime was now.

“Shina and I had suggested cutting Axwell’s head off when his rebellion had ended in what he deemed as blood and glory. However, Akihana, Hoshi’s good mother, ever merciful and gentle of heart, believed that treasonous scum deserved better. So Florent became a prisoner where I’d sooner see him become a corpse. I am to rectify that mistake."

Axwell had escaped from his cell during Valen's coup. Tenma Ketsuki was the guard that day, and he has been missing too since then. Some suggested Florent ate him, but Shina is sure he was the one who let him out. There was no denying Tenma was talented and driven. He was not a loyal man, however. Tenma refused his family to join a military institution such as Hoshigakure and then didn’t abide by their teachings, once inconveniencing him. Taking up with Valen when he had the upper hand against Hoshigakure Forces, then left as soon as the tide of war turned against them.

“We have a valid lead that Florent and his crew is in Fallhalt-by-the-mountain. A vibrant town that has grown up around an ancient mural tucked away in the mountains of Haven Country. It’s a day's ride from Hoshigakure. Also, the black market for the arms trade. Bargain market they call it these days. The bad eggs will be in one basket, and the goal of this operation that you'll join us is to blow up the basket."

WC:650
TWC: 3517

The doctor would begin his work straight away beginning with Kita, then Fu, Ayato, and finally himself. With sage mode active he would begin making hand sings for the Seal of Absorption and apply one to each person including himself there were more hand seals added when the ninja did his own to amplify the technique.

Seal of Absorption: 60 power, Akabayshi 200 power

The second Seal would be one of his former informants design the Chakra Scrambling seal. He would walk to each person performing the same signs and tapping each person to produce a fuin array upon their skin.

Chakra Scrambling Seal: Power 60, Akabayashi 200

The third seal each individual would recieve was a chakra storage seal. He would go down the line tapping each person and leaving a small red square in the place they were touched.

Chakra Storage Seal: 60Ap, Akabayashi 370 Ap

"The first seal can weaken technique's you can activate the seal through thought. It can also completely absorb techniques if they are weak enough. Fuinjutsu such as the ones provided to you cannot be used to their full potential when placed on others. As the control is delicate." The vulture would touch the second seal he gave to himself. "This will prevent people reading your chakra even when using techniques I'd advise using it when you drop your chakra supression. An enemy that can pick out your chakra from a crowd is never good. The last seal is just additional energy in the event you run out."

The doctor would then go back to standing in the corner of the room silent. Listening, but not really caring about the events unfolding as they were he would however speak up after a moment remembering something. "We should also get some of their blood. In case things go south a pint or two should suffice."

Once, the Konoha and Kiri shinobi left there was only one seal left to place. "This one is going to knock you out and theres a chance you'll die, but not really though as I can just bring you back. I'll need someone to carry the kage so I can form a Lazarus pit in that event." He would wait for the other Nova to agree before forming seals for the Curse Mark and touching the kage's neck.

The winter knight agreed to carry the unconscious/dead Ayato. In a fashion that was similar to the former Kage Kyousuke Snow. Another odd comparison to this behemoth and the former kage of Hoshi.

Orochimaru's Juinjutsu: power 150 1-5 roll you live. Best of luck, but we always succeed here.
WC: 432
TWC: 740

1-5 lives, good luck

The member 'Ita' has done the following action : Roll Dice/Flip Coin

---

'6 Sided Dice' : 1

-

“Your redemption arc begins now” The Hogokage’s words rang through the air and into the young kunoichi’s ears. The fair skinned Hyuuga’s words generated a sense of invigoration in the girl as she shifted from feeling anxious to eager, as a chance to redeem herself was coming to fruition. Ayato then instructed Akabayashi to prepare Fuinjutsu seals, or so she assumed, for the group- something that Fu herself was familiar with as she also specialized in Fuinjutsu.

Ayato then went onto informing the group of their task, to investigate and bring an end to a group of barbarians responsible for pillaging villages within Haven country. This group was led by a werewolf who went by the Alias, “Wolf King”- for obvious reasons. Yasha the behemoth would produce a scroll via storage displacement containing an illustration of a former Queensgaurd, “Sir Axwell Florent”, who was a confirmed werewolf and their primary suspect. Ayato’s explanation included additional information of former village leaders and escapees however it did not make much sense to Fu since she had only been within the village for a few days’ time, but she made sure not to forget the names mentioned. Ayato eventually got to the point where he informed them that their targets were rumored to be hanging their hats in a mountain town, Fallhalt, which was about a day’s ride from their current location. The town was also home to a black market specifically for arms, “Bargain market”.

Based upon his words, it meant that she and Kita would not be taking on this task alone, and a feeling of relief washed over her. “A werewolf huh..” She thought to herself as a fire ignited in her eyes. Fu was a hunter after all, so she could not give up the opportunity to test her skills against such a rare beast. This task would prove to be a chance to gauge her abilities as a shinobi and a hunter- a good step in the right direction towards her goal of battling with Biju. Plus, how often would she get to go into battle with another Kage? Although their task was extremely dangerous and there was a chance she could lose her life, the benefits far outweighed the risks. Once Ayato finished speaking, she would look upon him with determined eyes and nod her head in agreeance, and hum “Hmph” signaling that she understood the task at hand and was ready to take on the challenge.

Next, Akayabashi, the Nova that had escorted them here, went about placing seals on the group. He started with the Seal of Absorption. Fu currently had one of these applied on her person already that she had attended to use during the Chuunin exams, however now she would need them both for something far more dangerous. The next seal was a Chakra Scrambling seal, a seal that she was not currently familiar with. The final seal was a chakra storage seal, another seal that she was familiar with.


Now that the seals had been placed, Fu and Kita were free to leave in order to prepare for the groups upcoming departure. Fu would thank Akayabashi before leaving as his seals may be one of the reasons she survives the upcoming battle, “Thank you.” then turn and exit through the same large doors she had first entered through.

WC: 557
TWC: 3912

[Exit]

Ninjutsu Enhancement A-Rank 2.5k/2.5k
Great Fire Ball B to A Rank 1k/1k
412 Great Blazeball 412/5k

Bonus AP: 78
New Bonus AP Total: 305 + 78 = 383

Seals:
Seal of Absorption: 60 power
Chakra Scrambling Seal: Power 60
Chakra Storage Seal: 60Ap