MrProper This one was REALLY rushed out, so I'm a bit burnt. I may have to release the next one on Tuesday, if not Wednesday. Enjoy your weekend!
Present Time
"And that's what happened, Akio only got me once. All these other marks are from my mother's instruction"
"..."
"What?"
"You kind of went off the rails towards the end. Specifically, when Rei was mentioned"
"So you understand then?! How abnormally popular he is, with women especially?!"
"Not really. Rei is just Rei to me?"
"DAMN IT!! AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO SEES IT?!"
Mariko may spoil him a bit, but that's just her
TAK!
"See what?"
"Whoa?! Don't just land right in front of me like that!"
And the one in question finally showed up
"What's with all the bruises? Did your mom kick your ass again?" (Rei)
"Don't put it like that!" (Tai)
"I thought you were gonna ask why he was yelling" (Suzu)
"Nah, he always being weird about something. I just tune it out most of the time. Hey pincushion, tell your mom I said hi" (Rei)
"Not a chance in hell! Damn pretty boy!" (Tai)
"That's fine, I'll just say hi in person" (Rei)
"Nnnngghh!!!" (Tai)
I see that smirk, Rei
"What happened to you? You look pretty roughed up yourself" (Suzu)
"Oh, this? Nah, I was just doing some extra training" (Rei)
Overnight training. Bird of feather really do flock together
"Along with some side projects I've been working on" {One my "Pets" is ready for a...test run} (Rei)
"Oh? That raises an eyebrow" (Tai)
"The only thing my curiosity is fixed on is resting at your hip" (Rei)
"Hm?" (Tai)
Nice way to change the subject, mysterious as ever. What's he looking at anyway...oh. That small blade on Tai's hip
"Ah, you mean this?" (Tai)
"You suddenly started using Kenjutsu1Sword Techniqueson that last mission of ours, of course I was curious" (Rei)
"I've been wondering about that as well" (Suzu)
KASHINK!
"Here, take a good look at it" (Tai)
Oh my...wow...
"I may not be a swords expert, but even I can tell this is premium quality" (Suzu)
"Is it a...what's the word? Tanto2Short Sword? Like the kind Samui-nee uses?" (Rei)
Speaking of her, where is she? Samui-san and Yugito-sama should've been here already. I hope something hasn't come up, the kids were really looking forward to today
"No, it's a Wakizashi3Side Sword...part of a matching set. Mom gave me this" (Tai)
"Asking the obvious, where's the other half?" (Rei)
"It's an old family tradition. When a child of my clan progresses, he or she is given two swords. First, from the mother, a Wakizashi. Later, from the father, a Katana. The first blade is to signify the start of the journey" (Tai)
"To become a swordsman?" (Suzu)
"No. To become an adult" (Tai)
"Which means the Katana is meant to signify the end?" (Rei)
"Not quite. After you're awarded a second blade, you must continue to hone your skills. Only when proper harmony between the two blades is achieved are you considered an elder of the clan. That's when you're allowed to be apart of Clan meetings, when your voice has sway...when you have true authority" (Tai)
"Everything's starting to make sense now. And as for that second blade..." (Rei)
"Yeah..." (Tai)
Now I get it. The reason he's been so down lately is due to the rocky relationship between him and his father. Can't say that I blame him
I doubt Ganjō will be giving him a sword anytime soon
"That's crazy, an entire clan full of dual wielding adults" (Rei)
"That would be crazy, if everyone was. The blades are typically ceremonial in nature, decorative. Many of my clan just place them on pedestals. Sticking to their own fighting styles" (Tai)
Right, at the end of the day, we're all ninja
"However, my parents value this tradition the most. This blade mom left me isn't just for looks, it's very special. Made with materials hailing from the Samurai country...The Land of Iron itself" (Tai)
"Materials...so it's a chakra blade then?" (Rei)
"Yup. It absorbs and adapts to my chakra like a sponge. Chakra Flow is so easy with it" (Tai)
Just like the training bracelets Tango-sensei gave us
"This blade is expensive, and my mother made it herself. Though I never liked wielding the sword, I couldn't just disregard the effort she made to help me" (Tai)
"That's why, after all this time, you've begun practicing Kenjutsu" (Suzu)
"Bingo" (Tai)
{The Land of Iron, going there would help my studies in the relations between matter and chakra. Since I can't visit another Ōtsutsuki dimension yet, it could give me a much needed boost in my Ninja Tech research} (Rei)
"Phew!" (Tai)
"!" (Suzu)
"No worries. I haven't even mastered the first blade yet, the second is a long ways off" (Tai)
{My research from last night, when it comes to the tech created by Amado for Isshiki, the same conclusion kept coming up. Passing up such power would be a huge waste} (Rei)
"That's a nice way to look at things" (Suzu)
"Right? Who knows, I'm actually starting to get the hang of it. Swordsman might be in my future after all" (Tai)
"It certainly wouldn't hurt" (Suzu)
"Come on, let's get back to others, we've a picnic to prepare. I know you must hungry right now, Rei. Rei?" (Tai)
{Especially now that Isshiki's cells are almost done overriding "Rei's". It's only a matter of time before this body undergoes another "Reset". I need to prepare for the Chunin Exams. There's also the Black Scroll's third lock...} (Rei)
"Rei!" (Tai)
"Hm? You say something?" (Rei)
"Aren't you hungry?" (Suzu)
"More like, when is he not hungry? Let's go man, this little backyard picnic isn't going start on its own" (Tai)
"Heh, true" {There's a lot on my plate, but I'll focus on it after I'm done with this. Speaking of today, wasn't nee-san coming as well? Where is she?} (Rei)
Kumogakure's Intelligence Division
After Tetsuo, and his chief of security Shō spent the night in Dodai's lab, the former went to work finalizing the generator needed for the "Network"
His engineers, along with aid from Tenga helped speed things up
"Boss, how's it looking?" (Shō)
"We're pretty much done, all that's needed now is Tango-kun at the center" (Tetsuo)
CLINK!
As the calibration continued, Dodai entered the room after attending to other affairs
"Tenga-kun? You're still here? Shouldn't you be with-?" (Dodai)
"I know, I'm Tekkan-san's bodyguard. He wanted me here, helping out Tetsuo-dono. No need to worry, things are covered in the Daimyō's Intelligence Bureau" (Tenga)
"While the Daimyō-sama isn't here, his right hand is picking up the slack. That's a relief" (Dodai)
With the Daimyō away, Tekkan was the leading authority for his office. This is the first time in years Tenga has been away from Tekkan for this long
"We have instant communication between here and the bureau thanks to the installed transmission screens. However, they might as well be ancient compared to what we're making now" (Tenga)
SPARK! SPARK!
"Plus they can only be used a few times a day! {Phew! It's finally hooked up} (Tetsuo)
"Tetsuo-dono! Are we finally ready to begin?" (Dodai)
"We had to place men in various locations throughout the village. Picture them as nodes, connecting one after the other, supporting the overall link for the system" (Tetsuo)
"His engineers are collaborating with your men. Once they're in place, we can-" (Tenga)
CLACK! CLACK!
"?!"
"Who doing that?! Don't you know this is a private-!" (Dodai)
"Dodai-sama! There's been an incident! You must come with me now!"
"Tango?! What are you-? Where have you been, we've been waiting for you!" (Tetsuo)
"I'm sorry, there's no time. Everyone, even you Tetsuo-dono, please come with me. Tekkan is already waiting for us" (Tango)
The Yotsuki Clan
A married couple were sitting across from one another as they quietly sipped tea. The husband periodically glanced at his wife, seemingly waiting for something
Tired of his hesitation, the wife broke the silence
"What is it you want to say?"
"I saw a blade on his hip last night, was that you?"
"Who else could it have been? Is there a problem?"
"He never acknowledged his participation in the Selection. But now that he's accepted his first blade from you, others will start speculating..."
CLAK!
The wife placed her tea cup on the table and stared back at her husband. Clearly unamused at his statement
"From what he told me last night, you've already decided he'll have nothing to do with clan affairs. And now you're whining to me about following tradition?"
"Look...I wasn't trying to be harsh, I only meant-"
"Are you so embarrassed by him? Does your son bring you such shame?"
"Stop twisting my words. You know how I feel better than anyone"
"Yes, but he doesn't. You're quite terrible at expressing yourself, it's your worst quality. Honestly, why can't father and son be more open and honest with one another..."
"He shouldn't have to bear the bur-"
SLIDE!
The door to their room was violently swung open! Rushing in, a servant bowed before them
"What is the meaning of this?"
"Forgive this abrupt intrusion, but I must inform you...we've lost contact from one our Phases!"
"?!"
"How?!"
"They're gone Ganjō-sama, Tomoe-sama"
SLAM!
The head of clan, Ganjō, stood up after slamming his fist on the table, easily breaking it in half!
"Which phase?!"
"I-It's, New Moon sir...all of it. The entire outermost line has gone dark!"
"Husband...are we-?"
"Yes, Tomoe. You! Relay my words to Kiyoi! Have the next section remain on standby. The second will retreat back to the first. And have them all prepare!"
"With Raikage-sama and the Daimyō-sama gone...I need to inform Dodai and discuss next steps. We may have to coordinate with Moroi"
"Go, I'll meet up with you later"
"Be safe, Ganjō"
"Always"
After Tomoe left, the servant presented a query to Ganjō before leaving
"Sir? What should I tell them to prepare for?"
"Isn't is obvious?"
KASHINK!
Ganjō removed his favored sword, set on a shrine, placing it on his hip
"For war"
MrProper This one was REALLY rushed out, so I'm a bit burnt. I may have to release the next one on Tuesday, if not Wednesday. Enjoy your weekend!
Present Time
"And that's what happened, Akio only got me once. All these other marks are from my mother's instruction"
"..."
"What?"
"You kind of went off the rails towards the end. Specifically, when Rei was mentioned"
"So you understand then?! How abnormally popular he is, with women especially?!"
"Not really. Rei is just Rei to me?"
"DAMN IT!! AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO SEES IT?!"
Mariko may spoil him a bit, but that's just her
TAK!
"See what?"
"Whoa?! Don't just land right in front of me like that!"
And the one in question finally showed up
"What's with all the bruises? Did your mom kick your ass again?" (Rei)
"Don't put it like that!" (Tai)
"I thought you were gonna ask why he was yelling" (Suzu)
"Nah, he always being weird about something. I just tune it out most of the time. Hey pincushion, tell your mom I said hi" (Rei)
"Not a chance in hell! Damn pretty boy!" (Tai)
"That's fine, I'll just say hi in person" (Rei)
"Nnnngghh!!!" (Tai)
I see that smirk, Rei
"What happened to you? You look pretty roughed up yourself" (Suzu)
"Oh, this? Nah, I was just doing some extra training" (Rei)
Overnight training. Bird of feather really do flock together
"Along with some side projects I've been working on" {One my "Pets" is ready for a...test run} (Rei)
"Oh? That raises an eyebrow" (Tai)
"The only thing my curiosity is fixed on is resting at your hip" (Rei)
"Hm?" (Tai)
Nice way to change the subject, mysterious as ever. What's he looking at anyway...oh. That small blade on Tai's hip
"Ah, you mean this?" (Tai)
"You suddenly started using Kenjutsu1Sword Techniqueson that last mission of ours, of course I was curious" (Rei)
"I've been wondering about that as well" (Suzu)
KASHINK!
"Here, take a good look at it" (Tai)
Oh my...wow...
"I may not be a swords expert, but even I can tell this is premium quality" (Suzu)
"Is it a...what's the word? Tanto2Short Sword? Like the kind Samui-nee uses?" (Rei)
Speaking of her, where is she? Samui-san and Yugito-sama should've been here already. I hope something hasn't come up, the kids were really looking forward to today
"No, it's a Wakizashi3Side Sword...part of a matching set. Mom gave me this" (Tai)
"Asking the obvious, where's the other half?" (Rei)
"It's an old family tradition. When a child of my clan progresses, he or she is given two swords. First, from the mother, a Wakizashi. Later, from the father, a Katana. The first blade is to signify the start of the journey" (Tai)
"To become a swordsman?" (Suzu)
"No. To become an adult" (Tai)
"Which means the Katana is meant to signify the end?" (Rei)
"Not quite. After you're awarded a second blade, you must continue to hone your skills. Only when proper harmony between the two blades is achieved are you considered an elder of the clan. That's when you're allowed to be apart of Clan meetings, when your voice has sway...when you have true authority" (Tai)
"Everything's starting to make sense now. And as for that second blade..." (Rei)
"Yeah..." (Tai)
Now I get it. The reason he's been so down lately is due to the rocky relationship between him and his father. Can't say that I blame him
I doubt Ganjō will be giving him a sword anytime soon
"That's crazy, an entire clan full of dual wielding adults" (Rei)
"That would be crazy, if everyone was. The blades are typically ceremonial in nature, decorative. Many of my clan just place them on pedestals. Sticking to their own fighting styles" (Tai)
Right, at the end of the day, we're all ninja
"However, my parents value this tradition the most. This blade mom left me isn't just for looks, it's very special. Made with materials hailing from the Samurai country...The Land of Iron itself" (Tai)
"Materials...so it's a chakra blade then?" (Rei)
"Yup. It absorbs and adapts to my chakra like a sponge. Chakra Flow is so easy with it" (Tai)
Just like the training bracelets Tango-sensei gave us
"This blade is expensive, and my mother made it herself. Though I never liked wielding the sword, I couldn't just disregard the effort she made to help me" (Tai)
"That's why, after all this time, you've begun practicing Kenjutsu" (Suzu)
"Bingo" (Tai)
{The Land of Iron, going there would help my studies in the relations between matter and chakra. Since I can't visit another Ōtsutsuki dimension yet, it could give me a much needed boost in my Ninja Tech research} (Rei)
"Phew!" (Tai)
"!" (Suzu)
"No worries. I haven't even mastered the first blade yet, the second is a long ways off" (Tai)
{My research from last night, when it comes to the tech created by Amado for Isshiki, the same conclusion kept coming up. Passing up such power would be a huge waste} (Rei)
"That's a nice way to look at things" (Suzu)
"Right? Who knows, I'm actually starting to get the hang of it. Swordsman might be in my future after all" (Tai)
"It certainly wouldn't hurt" (Suzu)
"Come on, let's get back to others, we've a picnic to prepare. I know you must hungry right now, Rei. Rei?" (Tai)
{Especially now that Isshiki's cells are almost done overriding "Rei's". It's only a matter of time before this body undergoes another "Reset". I need to prepare for the Chunin Exams. There's also the Black Scroll's third lock...} (Rei)
"Rei!" (Tai)
"Hm? You say something?" (Rei)
"Aren't you hungry?" (Suzu)
"More like, when is he not hungry? Let's go man, this little backyard picnic isn't going start on its own" (Tai)
"Heh, true" {There's a lot on my plate, but I'll focus on it after I'm done with this. Speaking of today, wasn't nee-san coming as well? Where is she?} (Rei)
Kumogakure's Intelligence Division
After Tetsuo, and his chief of security Shō spent the night in Dodai's lab, the former went to work finalizing the generator needed for the "Network"
His engineers, along with aid from Tenga helped speed things up
"Boss, how's it looking?" (Shō)
"We're pretty much done, all that's needed now is Tango-kun at the center" (Tetsuo)
CLINK!
As the calibration continued, Dodai entered the room after attending to other affairs
"Tenga-kun? You're still here? Shouldn't you be with-?" (Dodai)
"I know, I'm Tekkan-san's bodyguard. He wanted me here, helping out Tetsuo-dono. No need to worry, things are covered in the Daimyō's Intelligence Bureau" (Tenga)
"While the Daimyō-sama isn't here, his right hand is picking up the slack. That's a relief" (Dodai)
With the Daimyō away, Tekkan was the leading authority for his office. This is the first time in years Tenga has been away from Tekkan for this long
"We have instant communication between here and the bureau thanks to the installed transmission screens. However, they might as well be ancient compared to what we're making now" (Tenga)
SPARK! SPARK!
"Plus they can only be used a few times a day! {Phew! It's finally hooked up} (Tetsuo)
"Tetsuo-dono! Are we finally ready to begin?" (Dodai)
"We had to place men in various locations throughout the village. Picture them as nodes, connecting one after the other, supporting the overall link for the system" (Tetsuo)
"His engineers are collaborating with your men. Once they're in place, we can-" (Tenga)
CLACK! CLACK!
"?!"
"Who doing that?! Don't you know this is a private-!" (Dodai)
"Dodai-sama! There's been an incident! You must come with me now!"
"Tango?! What are you-? Where have you been, we've been waiting for you!" (Tetsuo)
"I'm sorry, there's no time. Everyone, even you Tetsuo-dono, please come with me. Tekkan is already waiting for us" (Tango)
The Yotsuki Clan
A married couple were sitting across from one another as they quietly sipped tea. The husband periodically glanced at his wife, seemingly waiting for something
Tired of his hesitation, the wife broke the silence
"What is it you want to say?"
"I saw a blade on his hip last night, was that you?"
"Who else could it have been? Is there a problem?"
"He never acknowledged his participation in the Selection. But now that he's accepted his first blade from you, others will start speculating..."
CLAK!
The wife placed her tea cup on the table and stared back at her husband. Clearly unamused at his statement
"From what he told me last night, you've already decided he'll have nothing to do with clan affairs. And now you're whining to me about following tradition?"
"Look...I wasn't trying to be harsh, I only meant-"
"Are you so embarrassed by him? Does your son bring you such shame?"
"Stop twisting my words. You know how I feel better than anyone"
"Yes, but he doesn't. You're quite terrible at expressing yourself, it's your worst quality. Honestly, why can't father and son be more open and honest with one another..."
"He shouldn't have to bear the bur-"
SLIDE!
The door to their room was violently swung open! Rushing in, a servant bowed before them
"What is the meaning of this?"
"Forgive this abrupt intrusion, but I must inform you...we've lost contact from one our Phases!"
"?!"
"How?!"
"They're gone Ganjō-sama, Tomoe-sama"
SLAM!
The head of clan, Ganjō, stood up after slamming his fist on the table, easily breaking it in half!
"Which phase?!"
"I-It's, New Moon sir...all of it. The entire outermost line has gone dark!"
"Husband...are we-?"
"Yes, Tomoe. You! Relay my words to Kiyoi! Have the next section remain on standby. The second will retreat back to the first. And have them all prepare!"
"With Raikage-sama and the Daimyō-sama gone...I need to inform Dodai and discuss next steps. We may have to coordinate with Moroi"
"Go, I'll meet up with you later"
"Be safe, Ganjō"
"Always"
After Tomoe left, the servant presented a query to Ganjō before leaving
"Sir? What should I tell them to prepare for?"
"Isn't is obvious?"
KASHINK!
Ganjō removed his favored sword, set on a shrine, placing it on his hip
"For war"
