Making Waves

Mission Details:

Storm clouds covered the skies, outside the barrier a storm raged on. That wasn’t out of the standard for Kirigakure and was one of the reasons for the barrier that the ones before them came up with to help mitigate that particular issue. Mako eyed those clouds and a feeling of dread was filling him as he knew that those outside the barrier would be in danger and need help but given his station he wouldn’t be allowed to go that far out without permission. On his way to the building where you could pick up your missions and such Mako noticed that there was an influx of Shinobis entering and leaving the building it seems that this storm was a big enough problem that people were being called in from everywhere. Once he got inside he approached the counter and the worker handed him a particular mission request and was told that everyone was getting this mission due to its scale and urgency.
 
Reading over the information given it seemed that this storm was more then just an ordinary one and was big enough and powerful enough to cause Kirigakure to call for everyone to help with evacuation of those on the outskirts of the village and in the surrounding areas, the shinobis were being called in to help with such efforts. Quickly moving Mako grabbed some more missions and once the paperwork was taken care of he quickly moved to the meeting place that each team had been given to expediate the help to those in need.

WC: 259

Kouji was nervous. Everyone in the village was used to the fickle weather around Kirigakure, but this was unlike anything he had seen before. The sky was dark and stormy, and thunder blared loudly from outside the barrier. Lightning lit up the sky at regular intervals. Rain poured from their heads from the clouds the barrier did let in, an ominous sign of the deluge that was happening outside.

He'd been scheduled the day off today, but on seeing the weather he knew it would be an all hands on deck situation and so rushed to the mission desk. Once assigned to a squad he hurried to the mission location. The wind battered him as he ran, a bitter and constant reminder of the danger people were in. He wondered who he would be assigned with, but quickly set that aside to think on a strategy for helping those outside the village and running through the techniques he had learned in hopes that some were helpful to this situation. As he skidded to a stop he saw Mako already waiting for the others to arrive. He gave him a somber nod, not wanting to talk in the face of such gruesome circumstances. He hoped the others would arrive soon, they had a lot of work to do.

WC: 217
TWC: 217
MTWC: 476/9,600

Leaning wearily on the sill, Kaimera gazed out through his bedroom window. Rain came lightly down on the land below, sounding out a rhythmic drumbeat on the roof of the house. The young ninja could have sworn he'd seen a flash of lightning in the distance - the rumbling heavens certainly suggested it. He sighed in disappointment. It was no climate to be heading out to train in, that was for sure. He'd planned on heading out the woods so he could hone his abilities. The stormy weather wouldn't usually stop him, but he wasn't in the mood to get wet this evening.  The rain cascaded down the glass, distorting the view of the outside world. Not that the heavy, gray clouds allowed much light through to see by. Tapping his fingers on the window, the young genin cocked his head, drifting off into his thoughts.

"Ah," the Yakedo exclaimed, thumping his finger now against the windowsill, thinking about what his life would be like if Jay and Angi were still here. Kaimera hadn't revisited his memories from his life before in quite some time. Those few in particular left a nasty taste in his mouth. Even though death can be quite common, it wasn't war that took his teammate and friend away, but unfortunate circumstances during missions. At the time, the genin had accepted his loss, but now... "Ah." He muttered, dismissing the memory. He knew it didn't help to dwell on the past.

“Kaimera, here is a note from the administration.” A light, female voice sounded out from behind his bedroom door. Looking towards the wooden structure, he saw a note being passed underneath the door. “Hm,” he said as he lowered his legs from the windowsill and moved his body over to the note.

“Of course, so much for staying dry.” Kaimera said to himself as he read the contents inside that detailed the few missions that he was to embark on. The first one dealt with the monstrous superstorm that was heading their way.Storms. They came and went. Some pass without much disturbance to the livelihood of the residents of Kirigakure. However, there are some storms that are destructive, embedding malice in their vapory bodies that cause disastrous results on whoever is most unfortunate to be below them. And just like that, the civilians that make up outlying districts of Kirigakure are soon to feel the wrath of one such storm.

Gathering his supplies and gearing up, he headed to the streets. The overcast darkened skies gave free rein to his imagination. Sometimes this meant seeing figures stalking through the streets out of the corner of his eyes and at others it meant hearing the screams of a traumatized past. Of course, Kaimera knew they were just merely fragments but he still couldn’t help having that sense of dread. 

Enough people looked upon the impending supercell that was happening outside their doors and prized dryness and warmth over their business that the streets leading to the mission location were, at the very least, tolerable to walk through. Kaimera, adorned in blue and white attire with a wide white umbrella above his head to keep the rain off, moved with swift and sure footsteps, weaving in and out of the pedestrians before him like an apparition among men. Some, indeed, seemed disturbed as though by a ghost.

Quickly finding the location, he was met with two individuals. One, he has met before and another, this was the first time they were meeting. For the latter, Kaimera studied the man over. Astonishingly tall, shark-like features, and blue skin. He must be from the Hoshigaki Clan due to his notable appearance. This would also be the first time Kaimera would meet someone from the beastly clan, which made him more intrigued. “Wow, you are majestic,” Kaimera announced as he beamed his smile at the extremely tall male while motioning over to him. “A pleasure to meet someone from the incredible Hoshigaki Clan. The name’s Kaimera,” he said as gave a quick bow before moving on.

The one that he has already been introduced to was none other than Kouji. Kaimera would have come up to him with a friendly approach, however, he stopped himself by studying the look on his face. He appears to be aloof. Pausing briefly on the thought, he threw caution out the window and continued his approach towards the one that wore glasses while throwing his umbrella to the ground. “Awe, Kouji. Is something wrong?” Kaimera said as he attempted to wrap his arms around Kouji’s upper body to sway him back and forth. “It is lovely to see you again,” he would say even if Kouji moved away from him. With that introduction, Kaimera would either stand idly by and continue swaying Kouji back and forth.

TWC: 802

Being called for evacuation around the Land of Water was an interesting way to begin the morning. Shiro had arrived quickly, wearing his jade blue Kirigakure Flak jacket, unzipped and flowing freely in the high winds that were beginning to focus along the entire village. The winds roared around the town square. His Byakugan could see far out into the distance, people were trying to escape the incoming storm. Boats and small ships of all shapes and sizes were approaching the mainland or surrounding islands to find shelter. It wouldn’t be long until others would begin to arrive that were unsavory. This was the perfect time for bandits, thieves, and crafty fellows alike to take advantage of the village's current situation. Shiro landed gracefully, not bothering to bring any form of covering due to the urgency of the situation. The meeting area was rather small, located about a few meters outside of the gates due to the urgency of the situation. The clouds began to roll in. The crackle of lightning slammed down onto the nearest island of Kirigakure in the distance. Yet, what was most alarming was the sudden pick up of mist near the beginning of the Storm barrier, Shiro could see the small specs of flames begin to shoot out inside of the mist. His senses immediately flared up in shock at seeing just how bold they were being. He’d quickly formulate a plan, turning back for a moment to give out instructions.

“Kaimera, deal with those on the left island, I will deal with those on the right, Mako, Kouji, help protect the ships and make sure that no bandits can sneak on board, let’s move!”

Immediately, the one-eyed Hyuga leaped into action, drawing his bonded blade out of its sheath. The bright shine of the blue metal was a rare occurrence nowadays. But that didn’t stop Shiro from at least keeping it on him. He had only hoped that the two would heed his instructions in a time of dire circumstance. As Shiro traveled along the damp earth before the water, noticing a few shinobi were already fighting back. Walls of water were being slowly constructed to block out any blasts of fire from hitting Kirigakure. Yet it still wouldn’t be enough in this situation. As the young master of the village would come to find out, the storm had begun its rapid assault against the entire village. Shiro had to now focus on both the lightning and the rapid rain and the shifting of the water weight due to the wild weather that they were having. His body shifted around to try and gain some even footing while moving along the waves, it almost looked like he was surfing them, traveling along the grand streams of water until he had finally made it towards his current destination, the island on the right, one of the less inhabited ones, his fingers tightly gripped the handle of his blade. Ready for combat against the threat of the bandits.

WC:502

The others that were assigned to the slew of missions that had popped up due to the storm started to show up, first it was Kouji the young genin that Mako had interacted with quite a few times they exchanged nods as the seriousness of the storm was hitting both of them. The next one to show up was a white and red haired boy who introduced himself as Kaimera but was more eccentric as if the weight of the mission they were assigned didn’t phase the boy or maybe they just didn’t really care that much about it. The last to show up was the former Mizukage that Mako had interactions with Shiro. This time though it would be a more beneficial addition unlike last time as having someone with their prowess would greatly help with the evacuation and stopping of any bandits that could be out and about trying to take advantage of the situation.

Shiro took the lead on giving orders to the others, Mako included. Kaimera was told to handle the ones one the left while Shiro would take care of the right and Kouji and Mako would focus on protecting the ships and keep watch for any bandits trying to sneak aboard. The benefit of being on of the Hoshigaki clan was that while others might find it difficult to move in such rampant waters Mako would move through the water as easy one would expect from his lineage. “Kouji you defend from above the water I’ll take care of any strays in the water including anyone that has fallen overboard.” Mako called out to the boy as he dived into the water and started swimming through the water quickly.

Mako was at home in the water more so than when he was on land and with his strength and vision he was able to see through the water. With these advantages he cut through the water and picked out any struggling villagers that had gotten knocked off board quickly throwing them out of the water onto nearby boats and kept an eye out for anyone trying to sneak onto the boats themselves which was easy due to them trying to use smaller boats to dock onto larger ones. Mako for these ones simply punctured the hulls of these small ships with his hands using his build and monstrous strength to easily accomplish such feats. There were varies cries for help and surprise whenever he destroyed one of these boats and brought these criminals under the water and a few came from surprised villagers being saved, after all if you saw something over seven feet in length and swimming at you at such speeds during this time you would probably think it was a massive shark looking for some easy food.

As long as Kouji took care of any bandits that got past him Mako would be able to continue his work on saving those he needed to and taking care of the bandits that were on the waters.

WC: 504
TWC: 763
MWC: 2284/9600

It didn't take long for the rest of the team to arrive. He was pleased to see Kaimera again, they'd worked well together in the past and were now building to something beyond simple camaraderie. He was starting to gain friends. At this point, it practically felt like he, Nemui, Kaimera, and Leon were a full blown squad. He was also glad to see Shiro had joined them. He respected the Hyuga and hoped to learn from him. Though, he wasn't sure how Mako would feel about the master joining the mission. Or him for that matter. The Hoshigaki had been quite clear on his feelings regarding them all back in his Academy days.

He blushed as Kaimera grabbed his arms in a warm, romantically charged greeting. He still didn't know what to do about this. Where he even fell in relation to orientation. Where he even fell into the larger world of romance. He had never imagined himself having time for such a thing, his dedication to the village always being his first priority. Already a simple mistaken assumption on the matter had almost cost the other boy his life. His blush turned a shade redder at the thought, his embarrassment turning to anger. His uncle had almost cost Kaimera everything, he couldn't afford to let such a thing happen again. With that thought he jerked away from the shinobi sharply, but gave him an apologetic smile to lessen the blow. Kouji didn't want to hurt him, but he'd do whatever it took if it meant he stayed safe. Whatever it took.

It wasn't long before his thoughts were interrupted though. With Shiro's instructions explicitly given he ran in the direction of the water alongside Mako. As he began using the surface walking technique he heard Mako yell at him.

“Kouji you defend from above the water I’ll take care of any strays in the water including anyone that has fallen overboard.”

He gave the Hoshigaki a sharp nod and kept running. As he got closer to the boats he began to flick his hand through a variety of seals Dog-Rat-Boar-Ram. On execution of the jutsu he began to skate on the expanding ice sheet, using it to speedily surveil his surroundings for incoming threats. He trusted Mako implicitly, despite their differences he knew the area underwater was covered. He could see the shark-like shinobi's handiwork. Incoming vessels would quickly get sunk as their inhabitants revealed their deadly intent. It was interesting to watch, as he only saw the results, not the work that went beneath the surface that led to them. But it quickly became clear that he would have his hands full too. As he skated a few bandits clearly had made their way in on their own, their surface walking ability betraying some slight skill with ninjutsu. Not to be shown up Kouji flicked his hands through some additional seals Monkey - Snake - Ox. As he formed his fingers into a gun-like shape he began to fire at the incoming invaders.

His swift actions came as a surprise to two of the would-be bandits as a bullet of air knocked them over and sent them hurtling into the water. However, the third saw it coming and maneuvered around it, dodging to the right. What he wasn't expecting was the bullet to curve in the air and follow his new trajectory. With another large splash announcing his failure, the final bandit was hit and taken out of the fight. Not taking his victory to heart Kouji kept skating, keeping his eyes on the horizon for any other threats.

WC: 602
TWC: 819
MTWC: 2,886/9,600

Greetings were held, assignments were placed, and positions were taken.

The rough sea swirled under him as he moved over the top layer water to his destination. The push and pull of the tides gave him a buoyancy effect. The harsh winds of the country danced around Kaimera and drowned out any other sounds in howling cacophonies. It was cold, nothing like in the midst of a dead winter that couldn’t be dealt with, but tolerable. The ash-gray sky and the dark waters seemed to mute the colors around him. It was as if he’d been deafened. There was something about this place he was heading towards. There was a pit in his abdomen, a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety, but he still couldn’t place it. Perhaps, it was just nervousness. Maybe it was something else. He felt not like prey, but as if he were being watched on the water without eyes.

He surprised himself with how quickly he made it to the island due to the high waves that the sea was offering to him. Kaimera figured it would have been a treacherous journey but nonetheless he is now inside a small town's pathways, all surrounded by differently built buildings. Yet, it was curiously empty, all the ever structurally ordered houses, all void without a sound. Not a single clue had revealed itself to the teen, who was tensing up with fear and forced awareness, as to the reason for their never-ending silence. Not a single person, child or adult, populated the dirt trailed streets occupying this small place. It was too quiet, he had known that people stayed indoors and talked in various tones during a storm, soothing cries of an ignorant babe, shushing a petulant child or simply arguing with no raised tone.

It was too dangerous, the never-ending wind and thunder was defeating, overbearing, unnatural. He could sense it in the stormed-induced air, already activating his Kashogan in order to combat a lurking enemy nearby, always seeming so near, yet somehow out of reach. But his heart was pure, the concern dominating his other fears, and trying to glance inside one of the ominous houses, expecting any survivors and trying to guide them to safety before doing anything else.

He slid the door open, his heart beating fast inside his chest, sliding the door open, tensing himself up for a surprise attack or the mournful sight of a family slaughtered in cold blood, their plentiful blood staining the walls, ceiling and especially the floor. He had prepared for any of the expected scenes, but when he opened the door, there was nothing. Well, no one. Candles were lit at different places of the house; however, they must have been burning for quite some time due to the liquid wax buildup. Food, surprisingly still warm, sat on the table untouched. Everything seemed normal except for the occupants of this home who had vanished without a trace. His eyes guided around but picked up no heat signatures.

Could they have already evacuated and made it to the main island. No, that couldn’t be the case as most of the ships were still docked when he came in. Something else must have occurred here. He furrowed his brow, confused. His heart still wanted him to slide the other doors located outside other houses, refusing to believe that the people had just simply disappeared without a trace, no note left behind to explain what they were doing, leaving dear loved ones behind without a reason. He went through with his thorough investigation, something ominous being built up inside her veins when he noticed the same sight that she had witnessed a few minutes earlier. No matter how large or small the houses seemed to be, not a single person seemed to be occupying the bare rooms. His fists clenching, trying to concentrate on his breathing, these men seemed to be experienced hunters, leaving not a single trace of their prey behind. There was no way he could go through all of these houses on his own, he needed desperate aid.

Unfortunately, his companions were holding their positions at different parts of the country. Therefore, he had and needed to do this alone.

In a matter of minutes, the storm was at full force. Kaimera was running through the village near the entrance of the small forest when he heard a scream, immediately turning and heading that way looking for the source of the sound hoping he wasn't too late. The thick linings of trees enveloped his senses as he moved. But what was disturbing about this area was that he had already seen three corpses, two of them were cut in half, the third was a teen around his age being picked apart by a pack of stray dogs. 

It was all so gruesome but there had to be survivors…there had to be, right? He began questioning himself whether or not he arrived too late for anyone to be saved, but he had hope on his side. Hope was the main thing he had to continue his investigation into the part of the island, but it has almost all but become lacking. From the distance he could see a heat signature just standing idly by, but when he arrived, he saw a male shinobi adorned in lavender clinging to the base of a tree. "I'm gonna die!" He wailed. Kaimera looked around not seeing any threats or sensing any and swiftly approached the individual by reaching out to touch his arm. "Are you okay?" Kaimera asked.

The boy looked at him, he noted his eyes were the color of amber and he had bushy brows and a rounded face. He looked cute in his opinion, kind of like a dandelion.

"Are you an angel?" He asked with tears in his eyes.

"No, I'm Kaimera." He said with a smile "What's your name?"

"Ioji," he said with a sniffle.

"Are you okay?" Kaimera asked.

"I am now that you're here," he said with a silly smile on his face.

Kaimera wondered if he was feeling sick and put a hand to his forehead. He didn't feel warm to him. Maybe he was hungry, so he pulled out some berries he had been carrying and handed them to him. "Here," Kaimera said as if he wasn’t searching for the people who inhabited the town.

Ioji started to tear up again. "You are an angel sent to save me from this hell," he said, accepting the berries beginning to eat.

"I'm confused, aren’t you a shinobi? Aren’t you supposed to be helping?" Kaimera asked.

"Yes, NO! I WAS FORCED TO BE HERE!" He said screaming the last part.

“Wait, you were already on a mission here?” Kaimera questioned.

“Yes, people disappeared from here and I was supposed to find out why.” Ioji said, still sniffling.

“Yet, you never requested help?” Kaimera gave a puzzled look.

“I’M SORRY, I’M EMBARRASSED,” Ioji once again screamed.

“Whatever, do you know where everyone went to?” Kaimera continued questioning.

“They’ve been taken to a cave near the bluffs by a man. He is super strong and scary.” Ioji said as he finished eating the final berry.

“I see, how did one-man maneuver all those people there in a short amount of time?” Kaimera asked, curious about this detail.

“They were in a trance of some sort, they all moved there. Now, I can hear them down there, and often a voice would disappear!" He said hands over his ears. "It's torturous, I tell you, torturous!" He exclaimed.

"Voice?" Kaimera asked.

Ioji seemed to flush, realizing what he said and looked away saying. "I have really good hearing; I can hear things from pretty far away." Ioji said.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Kaimera exclaimed.

"...you're not going to say it's freaky?" Ioji asked.

"Why would I? Jun, an Inuzuka I know, has an amazing sense of scent, and my sensei and teammate have exceptional eyesight." Kaimera said. "I know it can come pretty useful." He said with a smile.

"Oh, that smile strikes my heart!" Ioji said dramatically, and Kaimera giggled, this guy was funny to listen to.

"Ioji, if you want, can aid me in rescuing those people and in apprehending this villain." Kaimera said.

"...wait really?! Are you sure you want to partner with me?" Ioji said.

"Yeah, you seem like a really kind person, and with your sense of hearing it will be easier to detect the criminals.” Kaimera said.

Ioji’s eyes were full of gratitude as he ran forward and hugged his legs. "KAI-KUN, THANK YOU I THO..." his words were abruptly stopped as his head was then removed from the rest of his body.

Blood sprayed everywhere, coating him and the ground in the crimson liquid. Kaimera gasped in fear as he tried to back up, but Ioji's headless body was still wrapped around his legs making him tumble to the ground as the man ate part of Ioji's jaw, chewing the meaty flesh. What really disturbed him was the sound that came from it, it sounded squishy.

Scrambling on the ground, he untied Ioji's arms from around his legs, quickly getting up. He didn't even see this…this demon approached them, Ioji obviously didn't hear it as he was now decapitated. This man must've been one that severely outclassed all the ones he fought before.

"Scared little ninja?"

The giant had a surprisingly skinny voice and Kaimera would have laughed at the weirdness of the thin voice coming out of such a burly figure, if death itself wasn't trapped in his lungs, so all he could do was whimper with fright and stumble back. "Don't worry, I'll let you live, I’m just here for my meal.”

“You are a Kyuketsuki,” Kaimera stuttered.

“Right you are, but thanks for the meal. I should get going,” the individual said, “also, a word of advice, do not come try to find them.” He said before completely disappearing and leaving Kaimera traumatized. Forcing his feelings to the back of his mind, he quickly stood. He needed to go to the bluffs to find the cave. He couldn’t save Ioji and those other three, but he could potentially save all the civilians in that cave. He had to make it there. Thus, he took off in a haste.

Moments later, hurricane like-winds, and torrential rain was beating the islands that home’d the smaller towns and the main village. Soaking wet and becoming somewhat tired. He was running hunched forward against the battling winds, his head down, eyes only shielded from the aggressive, relentless weather by his arm covering his eyes.

He forced his burning calves to work against the wind, but his strength was dwindling – the winds trying to force him backwards. He was just contemplating giving up, laying down on the ground and sleeping – even in this weather, when he heard an almighty crack from directly above.

Lighting up the area, he had to find the place he was searching for, but it was pouring so hard that he could hardly see a few meters in front of him. Luckily, he quickly recognized where he was – near the bottom of the bluffs, when had he gotten this far? – and knew exactly where to go.

The moment he stopped feeling the pressure of water on his body, making his clothes stick on every portion of his skin, Kaimera let out a long sigh and tried to even his breathing after his running. Once he recovered, he finally allowed himself to look around him and couldn't refrain from the small wistful smile that appeared on his lips.

The rock faces composing the cave were glistening with droplets of water because of the humidity, which partake in the incessant sound of running water. But what really caught his eye was the bioluminescent worms that covered the stone walls. 

Kaimera could remember the first time he had set foot inside the cave like this, like it was yesterday, eyes open wide because of wonder and excitement. As a kid, his place had always seemed like another world entirely, a place where he could play and dream freely. It was where he had come up with a lot of ideas for his drawings, his imagination always running wild, and it was also where he would go to find peace and comfort from his family. But that was all just a fragmented memory, as the sudden stench of death began to whelm his senses.

Following the cavern into its depths, he was most fortunate that it was just a single pathway instead of a series of tunnels that one could get lost in. Although, that was the only thing hopeful about this situation. Keeping his Kashogan activated, he began picking up heat signatures the more he moved through the tunnel, until he knew he was nearing where these people were held at.

"I can smell you," he whistles. "Come out so I can kill you!" Kaimera doesn't want to. He's scared. He can't hide that fact from himself. Not when his body is still vibrating with contained energy as he breathed and the blood flowed through her body, yet the man is standing in the center of this well-lit room. From what he could see, the man was standing in the center, almost seeming like an altar for the Evil God, Jashin. While the civilians were in numerous cages throughout the area. Failing to act now would be devastating. He doesn't want to. Teeth clenching to the point of creaking, the boy moved into the area.

Forcing himself into the opening, "prepare yourself, criminal!" Kaimera yelled and the fight was on.

Kaimera should’ve known that a Kyuketsuki would be wielding blood release, but he didn’t realize it at this level. Strings of blood ripped around the cavern as Kaimera dodged the deadly threads. Not only was he trying to not get hit by them, but he was trying to not get the people that were locked in the cages hit as well. This was becoming quite the struggle as he somersaulted, twisted, and turned to avoid the technique. He would use his chakra scalpel to sever some of the threads, but only those that were close enough to hit him.

Landing on a cage, Kaimera finally went on the offensive. Forming a series of hand seals, he launched a numerous amount of poison-infused chakra senbon at his target. The man quickly moved, and Kaimera couldn’t tell if any of his senbon hit him. He was quick as well as strong. He needed to think what he should do next, but as fate would have it, the man was already acting. This time, instead of strings, he was forming blood orbs around him that would be launched at Kaimera. The easy part was dodging them, the hard part was dodging them while they were exploding. Blood began to coat the area as each orb started to detonate. He would lie if he said he could effortlessly do this, but this is becoming so much of a problem.

He would send waves of orbs and threads at Kaimera, mostly trying to wear him down. But he would start to form blood clones and use numerous other blood related techniques. Kaimera had to start maneuvering chaotically so that he wouldn’t be hit, every so often. He would fire a technique out but ultimately it would be avoided. He was running low on stamina, and he could keep this up forever. However, it seemed fate had given him grace. As the man stopped his relentless assault and dropped to the ground. Dead. It must be that one of his senbon that was infused with the toxic nature of Hellish Breath finally took effect. Taking nothing to chance, he incinerated the body of the man, burning him to a complete crisp.

After that, Kaimera would break open each cage that held all the civilians in the town and lead them to their docks to be transported safely to the village. Although, numerous of them needed to be checked out at the hospital due to how abused they were and severely malnourished. Finding their way to the boats, the rain gave a brief pause for them to traverse the waters. It must be a sign from the gods to give them safe passage. 

Docking at the main island the people would depart to safety, if that was a hospital or a safe house, that was their discretion. Some of them would thank Kaimera for their rescue, but he would just play it off as that was part of the job. To ensure rescue and safety to all civilians of Kirigakure and towns of the Water Country. Once they would get past the gates, Kaimera would look for Shiro-sensei to report what had transpired on that island.

WC: 2,806
TWC: 3,613

A new battle for Kirigakure’s civilians had begun. The rain was pounding the very ground, making the land moist and soggy. The dirt turned into squishy mud, the worst way to fight as someone who was a swordsman. Water and rain were some of the worst terrains to fight in, water made everything wet, it weighed down armor, and clouded the eyes from opposing enemies' attacks. Yet what Shiro could see was everything, the byakugan did not have the same problems as a normal human's eye, and even a shinobi’s trained eye, resistant to the elements as it was, would not be able to see the same way as a Byakugan could. Shiro could see just how many bandits were postering around the area. Some were rather large, wearing heavy amounts of armor over their ruggish cloaks. It was plated armor, similarly to the stories of knights and horses up in the east. Yet this plate looked cheap, mostly for looks rather than to protect the individual houses underneath them. Even for some of the bandits larger than average sizes, they’d prove to be nothing more than a footnote against him. Most of the bandits stood ready for Shiro to make any slight movements. Some were young, with fair skin and unscarred bodies. Their outfits, while rugged, certainly did not look like they were living off of scraps. They were successful bandits, and perhaps even the sons and daughters of successful bandit lords.

He would not mince words, his one byakugan stared down the bandits. A few of them only gave the young Hyuga a few moments before charging after him, yet the moment they had taken a step. Shiro’s blade had already slashed through the pitiful armor they were wearing. A spurt of blood rushed out from the first bandit that had tried to attack him, he was an older man, strong build. But seemingly not much in the way of chakra control. None of them were using Chakra. He wouldn’t even have to use his sword against them. His eyes could see others beginning to charge at him, their voices roaring underneath the howl of the storm. Five of them, all coming from his flank, a mix of old and young faces charging at him, one was holding onto a massive battle ax, two were holding swords, one was holding a spear, and another a massive warhammer. Of the five, only the man with the warhammer had seemingly any control over chakra, even if it was simply passive. The closest too him was the man with the Ax, his waist was already turned backwards, arms held high near his head with his ax poised to strike Shiro’s head. Shiro leaned backwards at an incredible speed the moment the man's ax swung. Immediately the young warrior would return to his standing position. An open palm strike swiftly being delivered to the man's face, sending the man flying backwards. The 2 with their straight swords, and the one with their spear all charged him at once. Swords began to fly, with Shiro’s own blocking the combined downward slash of the two twin swords, one boy, and one girl. The spear men nearly struck Shiro’s other good eye, yet with a tilt of his body, Shiro’s arm pulled back, before releasing a shockwave like a cannon that blasted all three of the sellswords backwards. Their bodies like ragdolls, their armor had been dented, almost caved in by the concussive force emitted from Shiro’s palm. He could see others approaching in the distance to the west. This force of bandits and vagabonds was a curious case, one that he’d find the answer too sooner rather than later.

His body felt almost bothered by this, the strain of simple combat was making him feel strain?! Where had his body gone too after all of this time. His grip on his sword's handle tightened. As more and more bandits seemed to be approaching. The ones behind him were knocked out, one of their breast plates had been dented so hard it looked like he had hit it full force with a Warhammer. Salt and brimstone filled his nose, to his left, both of the genin he had appointed to defend the ship were facing forwards and rushing towards the ship itself. Shiro’s focus turned back towards the other bandits, clenching his teeth, before rushing forwards towards the fight with a grin. He hadn’t felt this amount of strain in so long. Nothing to push himself after the invasion. He needed this workout, this amount of movement made the muscles in his body come alive. He saw it all, the way in which their muscles moved, how they flexed and contorted their thighs and calves while running. He could see every single weak spot. Everything in front of him was nothing more than a target, one that he could see and abuse. He’d dash forwards, there were ten of them exactly that were within range, and another 20 that were still attacking the ship full of civilians with their ninjutsu. The crash of lightning surrounded them all, as droplets of rain dripped along his face like beads of sweat through the storm.

Just what were they all here for? He thought while rushing towards the group, he crossed the distance towards the closest Bandit, his armor was cheap, likely founded off the dead body of a once proud knight that was buried long ago. His body moved like a blur in the young man's eyes. Shiro’s sword slammed through, easily cutting the plated armor like butter. Shiro would follow suit with the rest of the bandits. His blade cleaves through their bodies and armor through the use of his sword's infusion of chakra. Allowing it to seamlessly slash through armor and metal alike without it becoming chipped or damaged. Chakra being used against simple materials was not something that was common in bandits. Usually missing ninja were seen as a rarity with bandits and the like. Partially because they usually begged a high price. One that he was assuming that they used for the ones who were currently attacking the ships. His arms steadied, his blade angle to the side with the tip pointing towards the sea. The fire being shot out from the mouths of those bandits caused a thick, heavy fog to begin to set in around the ships being assaulted. He was ten meters away from the groups as they focused on the ships. Streams of fire surging from their mouths in one moment, until Shiro dragged his blade to the side, a slip stream of pressurized air had suddenly formed from the tip of his blade. As hundreds of needles, no bigger than the average steel senbon, were shot out in a wave. Their bodies were shredded to pieces, needles of wind piercing through their bodies like pin cushions. Not even the rain wasn’t safe. Droplets of water are piercing through just the same as the men before him. He felt a small spark of enjoyment from seeing the scene in front of him. It was almost comical, seeing nearly 20 dead at the hands. But this didn’t answer any of his questions. Especially since he could still hear the sound of flames flying all around him, the hurricane raging on, as the water went buck wild, waves surging the boats forwards with every push, almost like a shove forwards into safety. Shiro’s eyes could see that other shinobi were converging on the location of the bandits, fighting began to break out more and more.

His eye was suddenly drawn by the sudden emergence of a figure rushing out of the mist. He was wearing primarily blacks and greys, the only color on his body was that of a red scarf wrapped around his neck. His hair an ashy grey, yet what was the most concerning was the rapier held in his hand. Shiro held his own sword with two hands, which only seemed to make the man rushing towards him had a wide grin. Shiro couldn’t tell if he was young or old, but before he could even think, the man with the red scarf was already too close to him. The man thrusted the pointed tip of his rapier directly at Shiro’s gut. The young hyuga sword slashed away the thrust, yet the man continued to jab at the hyuga’s stomach. Shiro parried the thrusts, swinging and slapping away most of the thrusts while taking small steps forwards to get in close.

“Good good! That’s what I like to see!” The man shouted, Shiro continued to parry the blows of the rapier. The man was quick, stepping back only as Shiro seemed to be able to easily parry the man's blows. That smile etched on the red scarfed mans face.

“Who the hell are you? You’re way better than the others.” Shiro asked.

“I’m but a simple warrior, but I’ve heard much about you, you’re the One-Eyed Hyuga!” The man shouted. Shiro’s eyebrow raised, the first time he had ever heard of a title such as this. Yet he’d only give a small nod towards the man.

“Where’d you hear that from? Don’t get too many titles nowadays. . .” He explained. The man before him seemed willing to talk. Shiro’s hand still holding onto his sword. While the man would continue to smile underneath his blood-red scarf. The harsh rain only continued, moving slightly to the east while the two men were circling one another.

“Everyone in the Land of Water knows of the bastard Hyuga who fought against one of Hoshigakure’s own Nova Corp. Sure, you lost, but even surviving a fight such as that is one worthy of praise. I’m simply here to see if the tales of you are true.”

“What tales?” Shiro asked, surprised that there were tales of him and his supposed adventures.

“That you fought with the man who had bested you up in the north near the Land of Lightning. That you did battle against giant monsters and can bend the very sea with the tip of your blade. That you're one of the best swordsmen of the age, one that could fight with the best of them. That your blade is made of ice itself instead of regular steel. At least I can confirm that one of these isn’t true. . .”

The man suddenly lunged forward with a thrust straight to Shiro’s chest. Shiro blocked the attack with a swift bat of his sword, this time, he’d go on the offensive. His sword swung to the side on the man's left. Yet the man would respond in kind, his sword smacking away the blade of the previous Mizukage. Sparks of orange flew out as the two would tango inside of the storm. Shiro’s blade was fast, constantly parrying and responding to the man's attacks with grace. The white-haired Hyuga did not feel the need to exert himself, yet he knew he could not play with his opponent for long. Shiro was curious about this man, there were stories about himself, stories he had never known and did not wish to know. Yet, he couldn’t help but smile at the rush of battle he had felt. His speed had increased just slightly, his sword rushing past the man’s rapier, and in one swift slash, Shiro’s blade had cut through the man's armor and chest. The man winced, as Shiro’s blade was coated in blood for one moment, before being washed away by the rain.
“Man. . . Didn’t expect for you to be that strong. . . Guess your father was right about you. . .” Shiro’s eyes widened for a moment, holding the man in his arms while placing a hand on his chest.

“What do you mean by my father?” Shiro’s eyes were wide with shock, his father, his flesh and blood. . . He was in contact with bandits. . .

“Oh? You didn’t know, did you? I. . . Wish you the best of luck. . . You’re going to need it. . .” Before Shiro’s hands could light up to heal the man's wounds, the man’s tooth was suddenly cracked up, as he inhaled what seemed to be a poison, one that would instantly be ingested in a single gulp. Shiro couldn’t act fast enough as the man’s heart would suddenly stop, his red scarf falling to the ground, drenched in the cold of the night. Shiro grabbed a hold of the scarf, removing it from the man's own neck and wrapping it around his waist. Shinobi began to surround the ships, with some of them shouting towards their commander.

“Shiro-Sama! We need your assistance!”

“Shiro! Move!”

“Shiro!”

The shouts forced him to act, the shinobi surrounding the area were fighting off the bandits, yet some were losing. Their deaths would be in his hands, just like Romp and Youai. He had wasted time, too much time had been spent fighting against nobody. One that he had heard senseless drivel about his own father. It angered him, enraged him to see that he was still being affected by those who he had fought. His teeth clenched, his eyes stared down how many there were with his white eyes. The veins flexed for a single moment around his eye, before he vanished from the bandits' sights. Appearing only for a moment to deliver a quick and fatal blow towards the backs of the bandits, shredding through their backs with a single slash of his blade. Some shinobi were almost killed just before he had arrived. Yet Shiro could only feel himself annoyed, angered that he had almost let himself be distracted. Cleaving through the remaining bandit forces, his own shinobi began to cheer that Shiro had come to their aid. Immediately he began to order that those who were injured be delivered to the medical corps. While he would stay in case there were any others to look to see if there were any casualties. Shiro had only hoped that there wouldn’t be too many bodies for him to deliver back home.

WC:2336
TWC:2838

The rain continued to patter against his skin, blood washing away from his pale skin into the mud underneath his boots. Hair dampened from the weather, Shiro’s entire body felt the sagginess of his clothing, the weight of the water holding his own him down. The wind felt like a sharp knife against his skin, cutting open the cold to leave an icy dagger directly on his fingers. Bandits were something that Shiro was expecting, but the level to fight against at least part of Kirigakure’s fighting force was something he had not expected. Walking along the grassy fields just outside of the Marine fortress gates, his black cloak separated him from the rest of his shinobi. Not a single scratch was on him, save for the bits of dirt that were slowly being washed away by the rain’s cold droplets. His eyes could see it all, the bodies of those that had been lost, blood seeping into the mud just like before. Small flashes of that day shot through his mind like an arrow. A stab of pain in his temple from the memories. Where was everyone, where was his student? Where was Reizo and Akabayashi? He had no idea where they were. Even if his Bakugan focuses on the village. He could see not see them. He felt abandoned and lost in his home. Now with the blood of other shinobi on his hands once again. His fingers curled into fists. Nails digging into his palms. Small drops of blood escaped his tightened grasp. His sacrifice of blood for what had become of his village. His head turned, seeing his comrades trying to support their fellow ninja. A few had already died at this point, but, he could save enough. Rushing towards a few of the more grievously injured, his hand glowing with a greenish light as he turned towards his fellow shinobi.

“Gather as many of the injured as they can, the medical corps will be arriving shortly, there we can save as many as we can,”

One of his shinobi turned to him in disgust at his words, shouting towards Shiro, “ You, why should we trust you?! You can’t even defend this village -”

“I am one man, I am not someone like our current Kage, I’m not strong enough to fight against threats like this by myself. But I want our village to thrive! Even if it means I’m weak now, I won’t be weak forever,” Shiro turned his attention towards his shinobi. The man’s face was worn, scars lining his cheek and lip from previous battles. He was a jonin, a similar rank to his own. Shiro’s hands began to mend the wounds on his shinobi. Skin being slowly healed back up to full strength. Once life-threatening wounds had been mitigated. Blood transfusions would have to be in order soon. His medical corp would arrive and help the remaining shinobi. Allowing them a chance to survive and fight another day. The smell of blood was fresh in his nose. The sounds of garbled-up screams, of internal injuries that he would correct. His hand would continuously change from light green to a brownish yellow. Signifying that they wouldn’t experience any pain from him digging around inside their organs for any notable injuries. He had to drain the lungs of blood on several occasions. His outfit had been completely soaked with the blood of his comrades. At least he could say that he saved those that could be saved. The ones caught in the initial bursts of fire weren’t so lucky. Neither were any of the bandits that he could find, an attack like this was unprecedented. They had hired missing ninjas for a situation like this, those that could fight against other shinobi.

He wondered where Akabayashi was during this time. He hadn’t been around for months at this point. This felt like back when he was a genin, unable to make the orders that could help the village because his Kage was off and away. He knew that Akabayashi had issued the order for him and Shikami to fight for Deputy, but this was something that he felt the Mizukage should have been here for.

But he was alive, and those who survived could begin their duties as Shinobi soon. Shiro’s eyes scanned the battlefield, only to find one person, who seemed unharmed during the encounter. No wounds on his body, even with the use of the Byakugan. He looked old, older than even the principle of the Academy. The mans hammer, however, was badly damaged, coated with blood, yet almost looking as though it had shattered upon contact with something. When Shiro moved closer, the older man sprung from the rock he was sitting on, appearing in front of Shiro in the blink of an eye. The old man was fast, enough to give Shiro pause. The jonin raised his eyebrow at the man before him.

“Jumping at me like that could have gotten you killed old man,” Shiro said. His hand was placed on the handle of his blade with a small smirk.

“I know when I am outmatched One Eye, I respect your efforts during this siege, however, I have a request given the state of my current weapon,” The man motioned towards the quarts hammer in his hand. The top half was completely shattered, small pieces of quarts still falling on the ground like glittering jewels.

“You want me to repair it?”

“Oh, far from it, I want a new weapon, something far more unique than a simple hammer or sword. I’m sure someone of your caliber can make me a weapon that I can use to make a name for myself?” The Old man said, a small, curious smirk graced the man's lips. His white mustache and beard moved with his lip, as Shiro placed a hand on his chin.

“What’s your name?” Shiro asked.

The man paused for a moment, snorting almost at the question, “I am Ikube, wielder of over a hundred different weapons.”

Shiro nodded his head, knowing now that he had another mission to attend to. The medical corps began to transport any that they could find. A few people were escorted through bodybags or in stretchers. Yet he knew that this was a failure on his part, he needed to grow stronger, to gain the strength necessary to be able to fend off an attack like this by himself. He had put the lives of his shinobi in danger. He felt remorse for it, the bloody mist was something he both admired and feared for what Kirigakure could become. As comrades should help each other, but at the same time, they need to be ruthless toward their enemies. He’d have to talk to Reizo about potentially helping with the curriculum along with the rest of the staff. Shiro’s eyes focused back towards the gate, walking forward with purpose now that he had a job to do. Which was to make Ikube some type of unique weapon that he could use. An interesting character for sure, especially considering his old age. But he had to respect the old man, especially in a profession where most don’t live past the age of 25.

Walking through the village, most of the townsfolk were beginning to exit out of their homes. Most were staring down at the previous Mizukage. Dirt and blood covered parts of his face and outfit. The black clothing he had couldn’t hide the stains of blood on his body. He felt disgusted with himself, even with the exhilaration of battle, and the amount of blood on his hands that had come from saving his comrades. The thrill of battle fueled him, but, this was something that he could not hope to understand. He could kill his enemies, making them suffer even, but this, it felt like the blood of everyone else who had died was attached to him, similarly to a suit of armor. His eyes stared back at the villagers while he walked around, a few shinobi close behind him, almost as if they were watching for any kind of disturbance that he would cause. He was still untrusted by few within the community, primarily for his failure to help his village in their time of need. Shiro walked towards the estate he was living in, the large house still standing tall after he had refurnished it. Sliding open the grey-painted door. He’d discard his sword near the stairwell, discarding his clothes soon afterward before making his way towards the shower. The blood being peeled off of his skin through the hot water, as he felt the delicate heat hit his skin in pangs. The water washed away most of what he was feeling for a moment. The cold after the shower always annoyed him, but after drying himself off and retrieving his clothes, a white shirt and black pants, He’d place back on his shinobi sandals and head back out to first commission the weapon of the old man he had met on the battlefield, and then would enter into the Kage mansion, hoping to fill out the report of what had occurred in the gate of the village. Finding a small desk where he could fill out the report, Shiro’s pen scratched at the paper with swift strokes. Notifying that the gate itself and the surrounding islands would need more protection. The bridge idea that he had of unifying the ten different islands would make Sea travel nearly obsolete. It would hurt the sailors of the village, but it was still something that he suggested for the report to be given to Akabayashi. He had taken up most of the village duties unofficially in his absence. But he knew now more than ever that Akabayashi was needed or a Deputy had to be appointed.

After filling out the form application, Shiro awaited for the weapon he commissioned to be complete. The weapon itself was a twin blade, a weapon that had two blades at either end of a handle. It was a weapon idea he had for a long time, one that could be considered Unique in it’s own right. Arriving with the weapon near where Ikube was notified to be living. He’d gift the weapon to the old man, bidding him a good day after the fact as he’d return to walking around the village, heading towards the gates with an intense desire to see if anyone would dare try to come at the village again.

WC:1755
TWC:4593

Exit and Claims

Talented:3750/3750 (Previous WC:Here)
Water Element:1500/1500
Discarding the remaining WC

Ryo: 21000 + 30000 from Master Rank = 51000

Total Ryo:311800 + 51000 = 362,800