MrProper A little tired from my busy schedule, but I'm still hangin in there! Getting close to finishing the next chapter too ^^!
Intelligence Division
"Wow, almost every shinobi in the village is here"
"Yeah, I just wish they'd shut up. All the noise is giving me a headache"
"Tai, Rei...look. Someone's coming"
CHATTER!
"SETTLE DOWN! Dodai-sama has something to say!"
Including Team Tango, the reigning majority of Kumogakure's ninja had arrived within the facility, restless for the lack of answers. With the earlier explosions, many held foreboding thoughts of war. Others remained in denial, rejecting the possibility outright
Only a few minutes had passed after the room was filled, and people were already yelling
SLAM!
Following the crashing sound of a door being violently opened, everyone went silent, Dodai had entered the room. Standing atop a podium with a face that practically screamed "stern", he addressed the large crowd of shinobi
"I'm not going to mince my words. As of approximately 32 hours ago, Kumogakure has been under siege. We are now officially at war..."
Just as the yelling was about resume, Dodai held out his hand to stop them. Elaborating on the situation, identifying the perpetrators behind this incident...the Chinoike and Fuma clans respectively
"The Fuma? Suzu, Rei...didn't we fight them during the Team Mabui rescue mission?"
"Yeah, we did. Though I was knocked out for most of it. Oh! Rei, didn't you say their partner was..."
"The Chinoike...I confirmed who they were after my mission with Motoi a few years back"
WHISTLE!
"Dodai-sama! What of the explosions in the village?! Did the enemy manage to get inside already?!"
"Sigh...The Chinoike have used their unique ability to manipulate blood, turning citizens into living, exploding humans"
"How could they do that when they're not even in the village?! Does this mean any of us could be a bomb?!"
"Or any of our family and friends?!"
Despite the expected, panicked reactions, Dodai demeanor remained undisturbed as he answered each question thrown his way
"This awful ninjutsu appears to be Time-delayed in nature, only activating after a set period of time. Once the Genjutsu kicks in, the victim cuts their bodies, starting the technique. Blood flows out from the open wound and inflates the individual, until finally...they explode. At out evacuation centers, every individual is thoroughly inspected before allowed entry"
"So that's why we given a slight cut when we arrived here...glad I'm not a bomb"
"Don't worry Tai, if you were, I'd make sure to kick you away from Suzu and myself"
"Dick"
CLAP! CLAP!
"We've confirmed reports indicating the only ones affected are our countrymen who originally dwelled from outside the village. The ones we let in after the recent influx of marauder attacks on our country's southern border. I'm sure you're all aware of what happened with the recent string of missions"
"All that chaos at the Mission Assignment Desk yesterday..."
"Plus F's speculation, was it all just a..."
{The southern border...the marauders who fled from the Land of Water...after the Kaguya Clan's early destruction. Could this be the "Ripple"?!}
"What are your thoughts? Rei?"
{Someone or something caused them to rebel early, Kirigakure1Hidden Mist Villagewiped them out. As a result, prejudice towards Kekkei Genkai2Bloodline Limitusers reaches an all time high. The Kiri-nin begin a sweep of the entire country, forcing people with special powers, and criminals to flee. Most of them arriving to nearest country...us}
"Rei, what's wrong-?"
"The Chinoike influenced the people who lost their homes in the countryside to those marauders before we took them in. Turning them into living bombs, who just strolled right through our gates...a trojan horse"
"Eh?!"
"Wait, are you insinuating this was all some plot to-?!"
"No good deed..."
"...Unbelievable"
{I get the Chinoike holding a grudge against us, but what does the Fuma get out of this-hm?! MOM?!}
CLINK!
Much to Tai's surprise, two more individuals entered the room, one of whom was none other than his very mother, Tomoe Yotsuki.
"Isn't that your mom Tai? What's she doing here?"
"I don't recognize that guy behind her"
A tall shinobi with light-brown hair and a bristling moustache strolled behind Tomoe. He had a peculiar overbite, with his front teeth being more noticeable than the rest. A red cape was tied behind his standard shinobi attire
"That's Moroi, he's the captain of the Kumo Barrier Team. B-sama's best friend Motoi used to work for him"
"Barrier team...I thought your family handled security for the village"
"Security for outside the village. Inside, various squads handle that. Moroi's is one of them. His squad is stationed closest to the village walls. Thus, he often comes into contact with my family"
{I remember now. Both Motoi & Moroi are eventually transferred to Genbu Island. To oversee the protection and confinement of the remaining Jinchūriki from Madara and Akatsuki. Right before the upcoming 4th Shinobi World War}
"So, he's friends with your family?"
"Not quite Suzu. The Yotsuki clan is very...um...proud with their duty. Typically, we don't like receiving help from others when it comes to the protection of our country. This has caused others to claim we're attempting to expand our influence and grasp more power"
"Considering your clan controls all security outside the village..."
"I know. I know. The result is obvious"
"Tai, what do you really think?"
"With my father on top, not a chance in hell. He's VERY traditional, a power grab isn't his style"
"No wonder you're so worried he might be replaced soon. The next head might have different ideas"
"Thanks for the grim reminder Rei. Still, I'm genuinely surprised my mom is working with Moroi now. I wonder what they're gonna say..."
With grace, she joined Dodai on the podium. Having a notorious reputation as a swordswoman, along with being the wife of the Yotsuki Clan head, there were few Kumo-nin who didn't know of her
The shinobi once again grew restless with her presence, as everyone knew it meant something has happened with security on their borders
After a light pause, she slowly split her beautiful red lips and broke the silence
"Hello everyone, I wish we were here under better circumstances. Unfortunately, I'm here to inform you that as of an hour ago, the fourth phase, New Moon...has fallen"
Outside Kumogakure
SLICE!
"GAH!"
"Bastard!"
"How dare y-!"
SHING!
"Eh?"
THUD!
"H-His head is-!"
Ganjō Yotsuki, head of the Yotsuki Clan, and Tai's father was maintaining a line of defense against the invading Fuma clan. Prior to his arrival, many present were in the process of being slaughtered by the enemies ruthless onslaught.
PIERCE!
"Damn...you...!"
"Your death, is of your own design"
"Heh! Uhack! I hope...Nobuyuki-sama...gives you the same message..."
THUD!
"Ganjō-sama!"
{Amazing, his sword strikes were so fast...they're practically invisible!}
"This section of the third phase is taken care of, what's next?"
"There's more trouble near both ends of this phase, north and south. We believe the enemy has caught wind of your appearance and are attempting to divide your attention"
"Makes sense, I can't be in two places at once..."
"Sir? "
"I'll head down south towards the coastline. That place is probably having the most trouble. You lot remain here and hold this position"
DASH!
"What of the northern side sir?!"
"My wife will definitely handle it!"
Several kilometers away, two masked figures had observed the entire ordeal
"Well hot damn, I thought sister Blade was good with a sword but-"
"As expected of the Yotsuki head, he can turn a human body into sashimi in a second"
"By the way Balance, what's your strategy for the others? Even if the Raikage isn't here, there's still the two Jinchūriki"
Balance pointed in a direction towards the village, or rather, past the village. But Mountain remained clueless as to what exactly he was specifying
"The Raikage's younger brother is currently at Unraikyō3Valley of Clouds and Lightning. By the time he receives word of the attack, plus factoring in the distance between the village and there, we'll have already achieved our objective"
"And the other one?"
"The blue cat is currently being entertained by the Chinoike on that giant turtle"
"I thought the Chinoike infiltrated the village already?"
"Some of them did, the rest were sent to keep the Two-tails occupied"
Mountain remained skeptical. Despite its size, he knew Genbu island was notorious for being difficult to find, let alone breach. The behemoth of a man was also aware Balance came here directly from the prison, he had no opportunity to get a team on the island
For this operation, he was tasked with selecting and clearing various paths from Kusagakure4Hidden Grass Villageto Kumogakure. Mountain kept track of everyone's movements
"Your expression makes you easy to read. To answer your question, I didn't send them"
"You didn't? Then who could have...oh...ohhhh"
"And I think he's got it"
"Hehe, your brother, I thought he wasn't supposed to be on this mission?" Mountain said coyly
For such an important step in the Company's ambition, their leader Sage wouldn't tolerate any deviation from the original plan. Mountain tried to vex Balance on the possibility he may be punished, but the latter didn't seem to care
"You know us, Arc and I have never been one for rules. Plus, he's the best when it comes to infiltration by sea. He just dropped off the Chinoike and left, no one saw him"
"Well, it's welcome help"
"Shit, if we're gonna talk about deviation from our duties, why the hell are you here now? After getting us here, you were supposed to back up Blade. She is fighting the Raikage right now"
"No problem Balance, there's a reason she was picked over me and brother Scorpion to be the Company's top enforcer. She won't go down easy"
It couldn't be seen behind the mask, but Balance smiled as he realized something just now
"But if she does, that gives you an opportunity to take her place, now doesn't it?"
"!"
"Survival of the fittest", the Company was no exception towards this simple truth. Despite being allies, each member constantly sought to one up the other
Mountain had already known Arc broke the rules by intervening in this mission, at his brother's behest no doubt. He'd hoped it would give him leverage over the twins, but to avail
But if that wasn't upsetting enough, he now discerned it was mistake to meet Balance in person. As the clever spymaster not only worked out what he was planning, but gained leverage to be used against him
"I'll...leave you to it. Sister Blade needs my help"
"Yeah, I'll bet. Better hop to it then. It's a looooong walk from here. Hehehe"
"!"
CLACK!
Behind his mask, Mountain grit his teeth as he departed
"Truly. There's no honor amongst scoundrels"
Balance removed his mask and placed a cigarette in his mouth before lighting it
Fffffff! COUGH!
"Trying to get the better of me? Only in your dreams...f**king meathead"
MrProper A little tired from my busy schedule, but I'm still hangin in there! Getting close to finishing the next chapter too ^^!
Intelligence Division
"Wow, almost every shinobi in the village is here"
"Yeah, I just wish they'd shut up. All the noise is giving me a headache"
"Tai, Rei...look. Someone's coming"
CHATTER!
"SETTLE DOWN! Dodai-sama has something to say!"
Including Team Tango, the reigning majority of Kumogakure's ninja had arrived within the facility, restless for the lack of answers. With the earlier explosions, many held foreboding thoughts of war. Others remained in denial, rejecting the possibility outright
Only a few minutes had passed after the room was filled, and people were already yelling
SLAM!
Following the crashing sound of a door being violently opened, everyone went silent, Dodai had entered the room. Standing atop a podium with a face that practically screamed "stern", he addressed the large crowd of shinobi
"I'm not going to mince my words. As of approximately 32 hours ago, Kumogakure has been under siege. We are now officially at war..."
Just as the yelling was about resume, Dodai held out his hand to stop them. Elaborating on the situation, identifying the perpetrators behind this incident...the Chinoike and Fuma clans respectively
"The Fuma? Suzu, Rei...didn't we fight them during the Team Mabui rescue mission?"
"Yeah, we did. Though I was knocked out for most of it. Oh! Rei, didn't you say their partner was..."
"The Chinoike...I confirmed who they were after my mission with Motoi a few years back"
WHISTLE!
"Dodai-sama! What of the explosions in the village?! Did the enemy manage to get inside already?!"
"Sigh...The Chinoike have used their unique ability to manipulate blood, turning citizens into living, exploding humans"
"How could they do that when they're not even in the village?! Does this mean any of us could be a bomb?!"
"Or any of our family and friends?!"
Despite the expected, panicked reactions, Dodai demeanor remained undisturbed as he answered each question thrown his way
"This awful ninjutsu appears to be Time-delayed in nature, only activating after a set period of time. Once the Genjutsu kicks in, the victim cuts their bodies, starting the technique. Blood flows out from the open wound and inflates the individual, until finally...they explode. At out evacuation centers, every individual is thoroughly inspected before allowed entry"
"So that's why we given a slight cut when we arrived here...glad I'm not a bomb"
"Don't worry Tai, if you were, I'd make sure to kick you away from Suzu and myself"
"Dick"
CLAP! CLAP!
"We've confirmed reports indicating the only ones affected are our countrymen who originally dwelled from outside the village. The ones we let in after the recent influx of marauder attacks on our country's southern border. I'm sure you're all aware of what happened with the recent string of missions"
"All that chaos at the Mission Assignment Desk yesterday..."
"Plus F's speculation, was it all just a..."
{The southern border...the marauders who fled from the Land of Water...after the Kaguya Clan's early destruction. Could this be the "Ripple"?!}
"What are your thoughts? Rei?"
{Someone or something caused them to rebel early, Kirigakure1Hidden Mist Villagewiped them out. As a result, prejudice towards Kekkei Genkai2Bloodline Limitusers reaches an all time high. The Kiri-nin begin a sweep of the entire country, forcing people with special powers, and criminals to flee. Most of them arriving to nearest country...us}
"Rei, what's wrong-?"
"The Chinoike influenced the people who lost their homes in the countryside to those marauders before we took them in. Turning them into living bombs, who just strolled right through our gates...a trojan horse"
"Eh?!"
"Wait, are you insinuating this was all some plot to-?!"
"No good deed..."
"...Unbelievable"
{I get the Chinoike holding a grudge against us, but what does the Fuma get out of this-hm?! MOM?!}
CLINK!
Much to Tai's surprise, two more individuals entered the room, one of whom was none other than his very mother, Tomoe Yotsuki.
"Isn't that your mom Tai? What's she doing here?"
"I don't recognize that guy behind her"
A tall shinobi with light-brown hair and a bristling moustache strolled behind Tomoe. He had a peculiar overbite, with his front teeth being more noticeable than the rest. A red cape was tied behind his standard shinobi attire
"That's Moroi, he's the captain of the Kumo Barrier Team. B-sama's best friend Motoi used to work for him"
"Barrier team...I thought your family handled security for the village"
"Security for outside the village. Inside, various squads handle that. Moroi's is one of them. His squad is stationed closest to the village walls. Thus, he often comes into contact with my family"
{I remember now. Both Motoi & Moroi are eventually transferred to Genbu Island. To oversee the protection and confinement of the remaining Jinchūriki from Madara and Akatsuki. Right before the upcoming 4th Shinobi World War}
"So, he's friends with your family?"
"Not quite Suzu. The Yotsuki clan is very...um...proud with their duty. Typically, we don't like receiving help from others when it comes to the protection of our country. This has caused others to claim we're attempting to expand our influence and grasp more power"
"Considering your clan controls all security outside the village..."
"I know. I know. The result is obvious"
"Tai, what do you really think?"
"With my father on top, not a chance in hell. He's VERY traditional, a power grab isn't his style"
"No wonder you're so worried he might be replaced soon. The next head might have different ideas"
"Thanks for the grim reminder Rei. Still, I'm genuinely surprised my mom is working with Moroi now. I wonder what they're gonna say..."
With grace, she joined Dodai on the podium. Having a notorious reputation as a swordswoman, along with being the wife of the Yotsuki Clan head, there were few Kumo-nin who didn't know of her
The shinobi once again grew restless with her presence, as everyone knew it meant something has happened with security on their borders
After a light pause, she slowly split her beautiful red lips and broke the silence
"Hello everyone, I wish we were here under better circumstances. Unfortunately, I'm here to inform you that as of an hour ago, the fourth phase, New Moon...has fallen"
Outside Kumogakure
SLICE!
"GAH!"
"Bastard!"
"How dare y-!"
SHING!
"Eh?"
THUD!
"H-His head is-!"
Ganjō Yotsuki, head of the Yotsuki Clan, and Tai's father was maintaining a line of defense against the invading Fuma clan. Prior to his arrival, many present were in the process of being slaughtered by the enemies ruthless onslaught.
PIERCE!
"Damn...you...!"
"Your death, is of your own design"
"Heh! Uhack! I hope...Nobuyuki-sama...gives you the same message..."
THUD!
"Ganjō-sama!"
{Amazing, his sword strikes were so fast...they're practically invisible!}
"This section of the third phase is taken care of, what's next?"
"There's more trouble near both ends of this phase, north and south. We believe the enemy has caught wind of your appearance and are attempting to divide your attention"
"Makes sense, I can't be in two places at once..."
"Sir? "
"I'll head down south towards the coastline. That place is probably having the most trouble. You lot remain here and hold this position"
DASH!
"What of the northern side sir?!"
"My wife will definitely handle it!"
Several kilometers away, two masked figures had observed the entire ordeal
"Well hot damn, I thought sister Blade was good with a sword but-"
"As expected of the Yotsuki head, he can turn a human body into sashimi in a second"
"By the way Balance, what's your strategy for the others? Even if the Raikage isn't here, there's still the two Jinchūriki"
Balance pointed in a direction towards the village, or rather, past the village. But Mountain remained clueless as to what exactly he was specifying
"The Raikage's younger brother is currently at Unraikyō3Valley of Clouds and Lightning. By the time he receives word of the attack, plus factoring in the distance between the village and there, we'll have already achieved our objective"
"And the other one?"
"The blue cat is currently being entertained by the Chinoike on that giant turtle"
"I thought the Chinoike infiltrated the village already?"
"Some of them did, the rest were sent to keep the Two-tails occupied"
Mountain remained skeptical. Despite its size, he knew Genbu island was notorious for being difficult to find, let alone breach. The behemoth of a man was also aware Balance came here directly from the prison, he had no opportunity to get a team on the island
For this operation, he was tasked with selecting and clearing various paths from Kusagakure4Hidden Grass Villageto Kumogakure. Mountain kept track of everyone's movements
"Your expression makes you easy to read. To answer your question, I didn't send them"
"You didn't? Then who could have...oh...ohhhh"
"And I think he's got it"
"Hehe, your brother, I thought he wasn't supposed to be on this mission?" Mountain said coyly
For such an important step in the Company's ambition, their leader Sage wouldn't tolerate any deviation from the original plan. Mountain tried to vex Balance on the possibility he may be punished, but the latter didn't seem to care
"You know us, Arc and I have never been one for rules. Plus, he's the best when it comes to infiltration by sea. He just dropped off the Chinoike and left, no one saw him"
"Well, it's welcome help"
"Shit, if we're gonna talk about deviation from our duties, why the hell are you here now? After getting us here, you were supposed to back up Blade. She is fighting the Raikage right now"
"No problem Balance, there's a reason she was picked over me and brother Scorpion to be the Company's top enforcer. She won't go down easy"
It couldn't be seen behind the mask, but Balance smiled as he realized something just now
"But if she does, that gives you an opportunity to take her place, now doesn't it?"
"!"
"Survival of the fittest", the Company was no exception towards this simple truth. Despite being allies, each member constantly sought to one up the other
Mountain had already known Arc broke the rules by intervening in this mission, at his brother's behest no doubt. He'd hoped it would give him leverage over the twins, but to avail
But if that wasn't upsetting enough, he now discerned it was mistake to meet Balance in person. As the clever spymaster not only worked out what he was planning, but gained leverage to be used against him
"I'll...leave you to it. Sister Blade needs my help"
"Yeah, I'll bet. Better hop to it then. It's a looooong walk from here. Hehehe"
"!"
CLACK!
Behind his mask, Mountain grit his teeth as he departed
"Truly. There's no honor amongst scoundrels"
Balance removed his mask and placed a cigarette in his mouth before lighting it
Fffffff! COUGH!
"Trying to get the better of me? Only in your dreams...f**king meathead"
