Invasion!!

[Yun Luán]

[atrb=cellpadding,10,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width, 460, true][atrb=rules,none][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background-image: url(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v303/WholeLottaChaos/asian-rice-paper_zps6ad0fe3b.jpg); -moz-border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; -o-border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; -webkit-border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; border-bottom: #101010 solid 6px; border-right: #101010 solid 6px; border-left: #101010 solid 6px; border-top: #101010 solid 6px;][atrb=style,padding-top:10px;][atrb=align,center] [Invite/Storyline] Matsutata Kenji, like usual, was up at the peak of dawn, though not particularly because he wished to, lamenting over his preference of sleeping until nearly the early hours of the afternoon. Something he unfortunately couldn't afford to do. Over the last few weeks, bandit attacks and criminals reaching over the boarders had reached an all time high in several decades. Raiders and cutthroats weren't uncommon, at least since the diminished power of Taki no Kuni, even moreso when their neighboring countries were imposing harsh doctrines and regulations that made a legitimate living all the more fruitless. Too many times the ruffians, especially those from the mountainous west, were former merchants, who couldn't stay afloat of the high taxes...or refused to kneel before a favored family's eventual buyout. Still, he assumed the usual routine, adorned his battle fatigues, and joined the motley crew of guardsmen that set up the gate outpost more inland to the Waterfall country. If anything at all, it kept the men at the station busy in what had been a fairly uneventful season of redundancy and habit. Kenji thought briefly on the reports he over looked earlier in the week. Though nothing largely out of the ordinary he still afforded his attention to detail to being a shinobi, and though his grandfather insisted that the era of waring nations was at a close, it was hard notion to swallow when their borderland fellows declared, sometimes with the occasional skirmish, that they would reverently retain their might. Kenji saluted as he passed another Taki ninja, one of the four at this outpost in particular. The rest were foot soldiers, aspirants, and the occasional medicine peddler that refused to accept the answer 'no' to his charlatan wares. “What do we have?” Kenji asked, the airs of nonchalance in his tone. “Well sir,” Himiko, his second began, motioning flippantly to the sea of teas, babbling brooks, and paved lands. “Aside from seeing some elk break backs in the woods earlier, nothing much.” Quickly, a sly grin formed along her lips, her blue gaze narrowed in wicked intent. “Though we have some time before post switch if you want me reenact that scene...for science of course.” Kenji scoffed, looking past his surbordinate to the same woodlands. “I'm married.” he merely retorted. Himiko shrugged, though didn't press the matter further. “They all say that, you're the only one I know that it actually makes a difference.” The kunoichi winked, following his gaze to the same forest. “Shinji says he caught some merchant trying to smuggle weapons in here earlier.” “Weapons aren't illegal.” Kenji mused, taking a sip from his canteen. “Normal weapons, no. But these were forged for ninja. Based on the merchant's accent, we think he was from Tsuchi no Kuni.” He pursed his lips, shaking his head. “Hm. Perhaps for some nobleman's trophy? Beyond that, they'd be useless in the hands of anyone else...” Rubbing the shaved stubble, Kenjin thought back to those reports from before, another sip from his canteen while he pondered. “It is something to look into...” Himiko's eyes narrowed a bit. “Something up?” Kenji opened his mouth to answer, but even as he began to mutter the words, he was drowned out by shouting behind his tower. “Ma-Matsutata Taichou!” Both of them looked down, finding one of the stationed footmen, Takeru-if he recalled correctly. The young man stammered, waving towards the ninja peering down before him. “What is it?” Kenji demanded, his tone stern if anything else, to quell whatever fright that had possessed the boy. “Someone approaches the gate! Master Takeda says it's Iwa!” Kenji and Himiko met each others gazes in disbelief. “Are you sure?” Himiko lept from her high vantage point, joining the startled Takeru. “Did he really say the one at the gate is Iwa forces?” Takeru affrimed with rapid, frantic nods. “Yes, they're speaking now!” Kenji joined the pair in a nimble vault, motioning for Himiko to follow. “You did good, go to the barracks and alert the others. I'll go see what they want...” Kenji, with his second in tow, moved rapidly to the front entrance, shoving past the alerted fighters that stood on the edge of anxiety. “Why Iwa? What now?” He asked out loud, his hand resting firmly along his sheathed short sword. “Something is up, captain.” His lieutenant murmured. Kusarigama fastened to her hip, she followed close while until they approached over the highrise, looking down to the scene at the front patrol gate. And Kenji was immediately perplexed. Master Takeda, hardy and strong, stood with his arms folded across his massive chest. Several of the guardsmen joined his flank, spears and weapons at the ready to what would have been the prelude to ward off a massive assault. Silence, nay but the passing wind and whisper of flowing waters, enveloped the scene drenched in tension. Takeda himself bore no weapons, save for his fists, regarded jokingly to be weapons of mass destruction, as he cast a challenging stare to the foreign forces across the way. Or, to what Kenji, and everyone else observed. One, single man... Standing but several yards from Takeda, a lone figure, dressed in crimson robes too ornate to be practical, let alone martial, stood unassumingly from the alerted stronghold. He held no weapons in his possession, visible at least and carried no national banner beyond the ominous dragon mon stitched along the flowing robes that caught the wind. Pony tail draped over his shoulder, this lone figure made no move, yet still cascaded a presence that only amplified the tension within the atmosphere. Kenji joined his fellow shinobi, speaking to him in the ear. “Is this him? He seems more a nobleman than from Iwagakure.” Takeda chuckled, smirking with a mix of sadistic and mocking approval. “He carries the mark of Yun,” the name he spat out with disgust, flexing his arms. “Puissant bureaucrats and schemers...I'm surprised they would bother leaving their enchanted halls.” With that, he bellowed out to the figure in the farside. “Tell me Yun! Why do you come?! Are you lost from your pillaged shrines? Looking for more enterprises to take over?!” Kenji did not care for his fellow's provocation, but he did levy a glance towards the Yun who greeted them with little else but blank indifference. “My name is Yun Sun Jian,” His voice was elegant, far too cultured and soft to stand a contest against the more bolstering of Master Takeda's booming challenge. “I wish to pass into your country and speak with your nation's leaders.”” Kenji frowned, Himiko raised a brow, and Takeda laughed. “How gracious of you, to find time to leave your honored shrines to grace our daimyo with your presence...but our leaders are busy. Make an appointment. Then-we might bother with you flith.” Yun Sun Jian shook his head. “I apologize, I must have misspoke.” He, seeming to glide in his crimson robes, bowed at the waist, offering a polite, if anything else, well feigned smile. “My mission is to speak with your leaders and I am pressed of time to do so. Therefore I 'will' pass.” Kenji's grip tighten along his weapon but he couldn't help but feel a chill from the sincerity radiating from this person. “Yun or not, my friend you cannot simply pass into our nation unchecked, or even without an escort. We are not at peace.” Sun Jian once again shook his head. “This is no longer a matter of your concern. I must pass through the gates and have an audience with your Daimyo. I humbly suggest you do not impede in that objective.” “This guy is full of hot air!” Himiko shouted, leaping down also to create the trio of armed Takigakure fighters. “Go back the way you came or we will have to move you by force.” Kenji raised his hand, beckoning his subordinates to silence. “Despite my fellows eagerness, they speak the truth. I do not wish for conflict, but if you persist then we have to act in the best interests of our nation and the duty bestowed upon us.” The Yun tilted his head to the side, looking genuinely perplexed. “Opposing me is not in the best interests in yourself or your nation, I assure you.” His hands vanished within his sleeves. “I cannot be deterred but you can pick the route that salvages your personal well being...” It was then, that Master Takeda, approached the Yun. Each step along the paved gravel become like war drums, a thunderous clap as the earth gave way to his imposing stature. The rest of the guardsmen readied their weapons, grips tightened along spears and the hilts of swords when Takeda cast a threatening shadow over the much smaller, but no less fazed Yun. “Leave.” “I will not.” A howl, the great Taijutsu master through a massive fist towards Yun Sun Jian. Where the man once stood, the ground erupted into an explosion of dust and smoke, the earth cracking under the pressure of two forces in collision. Kenji kept his weapon sheathed, peering with narrowed slits as the mist of gravel washed over him, not daring to move in the haze that began to vanish as the winds carried the mist away. “Stand ready!” Kenji shouted, the guardsmen responded in kind. “What are you talking about?” Himiko called, confusion laden in her voice. “That guy was oblitera-” Red robes flashed from the smoke, a shoving match of strength as Yun Sun Jian braced his open palm against the fist that descended upon him. “For the new Empire...” he whispered, and was gone in a flash of red. Kenji could follow, albeit barely, the Yun's movements, who immediately pressed upon Master Takeda in a flury of circular kicks and explosive jabs. The wind kicked up, swirling around the combatants in a proverbial tornado, echoed by the thunderous clap of blow upon blow. Kenjin raised his hand to still the advancing guards and Himiko, seeing quite clearly that the two were well too involved into their engagement to allow meaningful assistance. Yun Sun Jian moved with a brutal grace that seemed to match the overwhelming strength utilized by the much more physically impressive Takeda. The Yun was violently acrobatic, Takeda was stolid and resilient, shrugging off the Yun's blows as if they were little more than itches, retaliating with strikes that shook the earth and rippled the winds. Master Takeda broke free from their grapple, chuckling with sadistic amusement. “For a royal pup, you fight pretty well.” He sneered, fingers waving into a string of hand signs before the surrounding water lept to his palms. Consolidating in rapid swirls, the water formed two sharpened blades within his grip before he charged at the placid Yun that awaited him. The Iwagakure warrior, merely adopted a martial stance. Kenji drew his weapon. “Himiko! Go!” She, as well as the rest of the entourage at the gate, began to poor in, barreling down towards the lone fighter, their footsteps now war drums that shook the ground in massive tremors. The Yun vanished in a whirl of kicks, punches, and martial flurries. Takeda swung, his watery sword catching nothing but air while Sun Jian ducked. The Master's reward for his folly, a blow in the abdomen. Had he possessed the air in his body, he would have shouted curses before he became a missile towards the river shore. Kenji drew his blade, the steel hissing that too caught the air just short from the assaulting Yun, followed by the chain that whirled overhead that caught the fighter’s arm. “I got hi-” She was yanked forward, the slacking chain used to wrap around the head of a spear that he avoided at the last moment, ripped from the hands of his attacker, before Himiko was tossed to join the crowd in a pile of perplexed bodies. She tumbled back to kneel and then kicked off back into the fray. Sun Jian, stolen spear in one hand, chain wrapped around in a balled clump in the other, exploded into motion against three warriors who had the resolve to challenge him. Moving faster than they obviously expected, his strides melded out of sight. One, a female footman, barely had time to recognize what was happening, before her spear was caught, ripped from her hands, a swift kick that turned her into a rag doll projectile across the gravel. He did not slow, steping around from the motion of his riposte with twirling spears in hand. Another warrior stepped in, blade coming close enough to snag his robes, drawing a sliver of blood at the hip even as Sun Jian slammed the staff into the space between neck and shoulder. The gatekeeper went down in a clump, just enough for Sun Jian to lept vault over him, taking to the air as he descended upon another. This one brought up their spear to parry but could only block one weapon. The Yun's free spear smacking his target to the side, clearing a path as a chakra powered leap shot him straight to the air... Kenji stood in the Yun' shadow, Himiko to his side, and they all pressed towards each other in an explosive clash... Kakita Shimei ruffled his straw hat, wishing he had picked up another while he was in town. The stubborn mules that pulled his cart seemed to fuss along with him, as the aroma of smoke became overwhelming while they approached the Taki no Kuni checkpoint just shortly in the distance. Inwardly, he cringed. His business provided that he unfortunately chased places of conflict or the underground, even if he personally was so much of a coward he would kneel to sheep if they threatened him enough. So it was natural that he nearly pissed on himself when a man, dressed in crimson, stepped from the woods in front of his cart. “EYEH!” Shimei shouted, his cart coming to a halt as the mulls likely muttered curses in whatever lanaguage they used to talk about him behind his back. “I almost choked out my heart!” “My humblest apologies Kakita-san,” he spoke, not seeming to be bothered by the various wounds and bruises that had littered his body from head and downward. Oddly, he still kept a regal disposition that unnerved the merchant. “Do you have the weapons?” Shimei waved dismissively. “Yeah, yeah, I got them...” scuffling off to open the back of his stores. Within, the gleam of steel and iron in the sun cast a myriad of colors along his face. “Was hard to sneak these in you know...I got stopped by another checkpoint a little more south of here, Master Sun Jian.” The Yun nodded, immediately handed a heavy sack of coins towards Shimei when he exampled the coffers. “You wont have any more problems in the future. Our Lady thanks you for her service.” Shimei wanted to spit something nasty upon the back of the Yun's head, but a look towards the bodies that lay scattered by the checkpoint's entrance, and the thought left his mind as quickly as it came. “Tell her any time. Now, if you have what you want...I should really be-” “Oh, no, you still have more work to do!” Shimei swore he leaked a little. Two more figures appeared from the woodlands. Man and woman, both with the same ornate robes as Sun Jian sans the tattered parts and blood. The young girl smiled politely, patted Shimei on the shoulder as she strolled past. “You know Sun Jian...you could of asked us to help.” Sun Jian said nothing at first, merely set his gaze to Taki no Kuni's horizon. “Are the other forces here, Mei Xiang?” The boy, rather than Mei Xiang, answered instead. “The Kamizuru have already reported coming in from the southern border closer to Kusa no Kuni. And the Awaikage already near the capital...” “Thank you Zhou.” The Yun grabbed another weapon from the boxes, handing them out to his peers. “We have less than two days to siege the capital before Takigakue's forces will spiral down upon us. Thanks to Shimei and the cartel, we will have weapons and rations in the villages according to the listed plan. We move now.” “For Iwagakure, for the Yun, for the new Empire...” The world was in a blur, but Kenji realized he was alive. The pained effort to stand was notorius, but gentle arms lifted him to his feet. He barely had time to recognize Himiko's soft gaze before he coughed blood at her feet. “Is everyone-?” “Dead? No sir. In fact, none were killed...the checkpoint is worst for wear...as is everyone elses egoes.” She nodded to Master Takeda who was seemingly knelt in shame before the ruined gateway. “His of course, will take a long time to heal...” Kenji braced himself more on Himiko's assuring shoulder. Disbelief swam in his mind. Aside from the fact that they were alive, the vison of that Yun dispatching so many of their guards...an assault that only spelled one thing. “Himiko...we need to warn the village..send messenger bird...” “We are being invaded by Iwagakure...”

[Eboshi Seiichi]

Thin trails of smoke wisped from Jinpachi’s mouth and framed his face in a hazy veil. The day had been a boring affair in Taki no Kuni, as it usually was. Ruffians and bandits and all sorts of bad people were doing their thing, of course--generally rape and murder and theft--but there were other, less important people out in the world meant to deal with that. He was satisfied with his job and life, and if he survived the next decade, he’d find some woman who was also content and finally settle down. And there was the catch: surviving the next decade

Bird, a deep foreign voice thought in Jinpachi’s head.

His blue eyes looked up from an equally blue pool at his feet. He had heard the flap of wings and the familiar call of the grey parrot, the messenger bird for Takigakure no Sato. The water beneath him stirred, as if it had also heard the call, and a dark figure bubbled up to the surface, careful not to break it.

“Must be trouble,” Jinpachi mused. The grey parrot was only used in times of emergency.

Placing his fingers to his mouth, Jinpachi whistled a unique tone, and the parrot turned direction and flew down to him. It landed on his outstretched arm and he gave it some grain from his pocket before removing the scroll tied to its leg. The messenger bird hopped to his shoulder, and Jinpachi unrolled the scroll.

The cigarette slackened in his mouth, and at that the dark figure in the pool fully emerged. A dragon’s head--robed in sapphire scales and carrying a pair of large, twisted antlers--emerged and fixed Jinpachi with an inhuman glare.

What is it? Ao Guang demanded, his voice booming in Jinpachi’s head. He winced in reply and rolled the scroll back up.

“Looks like we’re being invaded. Sixty years go by and one guy dies and all of a sudden hell breaks loose. People these days…”

Invaded?! Is the message true?

Jinpachi could only nod in reply as he placed the scroll on a stone and pulled out another from the bushes. He bit his thumb hard enough to draw blood and scribbled something down on the parchment with it before wrapping it up and throwing both messages at Ao Guang. The dragon opened his mouth to swallow both.

“Oniisan put me in charge of this quadrant for a reason, so I guess I’ll do some scouting and handle things. Take that message straight to the village.”

Won’t that fat pig in the capital get mad that you superseded his authority?

Jinpachi scratched his chin at that and shrugged. “Fuck it. If we’re already being invaded, Oniisan is in charge now regardless. Daiymo is pointless. Do as planned.”

There was a flicker of amusement in the dragon’s eyes at that, and Ao Guang exploded from the pool, becoming a blue streak in the sky. He was one of the fastest dragons ever born, and it wouldn’t be long before Seiichi got the message. Until then…

“The things I do for this country,” Jinpachi sighed out as he performed a short series of kata. He blinked once, queuing his eyes to gild themselves over, the pupil’s becoming long slits. He flexed his hands several times, and then his arms, getting used to the crazy amount of strength flowing through his body. “Time to get started.”

And with that he was off, blasting through the air at a speed beyond comprehension.

---

Thunder crackled in the heavens as storm clouds stitched over the pale blue of the noon sky. The thousands of sakura trees, despite the ominous blackness of the heavens, glowed a pale white, and their blossoms fluttered gently on the sighing breeze.

Standing in the center of the main road from Kusa to Taki was Kamizuru Kireme, the Stinger that Crushes. His dark brown hair tousled lightly in the wind, and the deep green and red cloak covered everything from his nose down to his feet.

He looked from the sky, to the blossoms, to the road, and then back to the sky. The weather had been unpredicted, but in a land as mystical as Taki no Kuni, unpredictable things happened. Kireme didn’t like the country. He didn’t like the people. He didn’t like the religions. Spiritual things scared him; and after they scared him they made him angry; and when he was angry, he had a habit of killing things. The Lady didn't’ want him killing things, though.

At that reminder, the bees inside of his body squirmed. One even got bold enough to sting a vein by his heart. Kireme winced in annoyance and turned his gaze back to the squadron of men before him.

By his count, there were only two shinobi. Two shinobi meant to protect the entire border of Kusa no Kuni. The rest were just armed men, mercenaries, and others who had been posted here. The gate behind them was barred shut.

“I won’t repeat myself,” the woman at the head repeated for the hundredth time, “you will tell us the meaning of your request, or will you be forced too!”

The woman made Kireme angry. The bees inside wanted desperately to lash out, to overtake her and obliterate her, but they held back. Kireme’s control over them was too strong for their simple minds to overcome.

When he spoke, his voice was a smokey rasp. “In the name of Iwagakure no Sato, and Empress Tsuchikage Yun Luan, I will ask you one more time, envoys of Taki no Kuni. Let me through.”

“And I will say again, under the authority of Lord Taki Baien and Lord Eboshi Seiichi, you will not pass until you state the full meaning of your visit! You have one more chance to tell us the reason for your request, or we will take you in by force!”

When the Taki-nin finished speaking, the other shinobi drew a katana, and the men behind the duo readied their weapons. Kireme only shook his head in disgust. The Lady had told him this exact situation was to happen, but he never really thought the people of this country could be so fucking stupid!

“Then so be it, children,” Kireme whispered.

A bee flew from beneath his cloak, its little wings beating hard to keep abreast in the coming winds of the storm. This was the one that stung its heart, and this was the punishment it received for being foolish. It went as high as it could into the sky, far above the sakura blossoms and the gate and the guards. Once it reached the zenith of its quest, its life came to a final climax; an explosion of yellow smoke spread out from its body, clear for all to see on the black backdrop of the sky.

Over half the men in the guard opened their mouths or dropped their weapons as the sound of a million, milllion beating wings could be heard. The buzzing of bees was louder than even the thunder of the coming storm, and the shadow cast by the Kamizuru clan was far more evil than any cloud. They were in the trees, on top of the gate, and emerging from the ground itself.

The woman dropped her hands in a wordless surrender and sunk to her knees.

Kirme walked slowly up to her. The men behind her backed away from him, but the second shinobi stood as a wall between the two. Kireme fixed him with a black glare, ready to tear his throat out, but he held back, all for the sake of his Lady.

“Do you need any more meaning behind my request, children?”

---

“Three Yun,” Jinpachi repeated to himself, “and only one looks hurt. Really?”

The scene he had found was probably the most depressing thing he had ever personally seen. Four dozen men and three shinobi all soundly defeated, and from the looks of it, only one of the three Yun had been hurt in the scuffle. He had probably taken them all out by himself.

Jinpachi hung his head low and mentally scolded the three meant to protect this gate. Takeda, Himiko, and Kenji were supposed to be the dynamite trio of Takigakure. Sadly, only one of them had any real skill, and even then, Takeda was too old to actually put it to any use.

“Poor Takeda, if he’s still alive he’ll probably kill himself after this,” Jinpachi mused. How depressing.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have the time to be depressed. His enemies were battle ready, and they were passing weapons between the three of them. No doubt they were skilled; the Yun were well known for their elite abilities, and it was unlikely these three had been chosen for no small reason to storm the gate.

But they were young and green and had no knowledge of war. Taki no Kuni had been in a war for two decades before Seiichi reunited the clans. No doubt these three had beaten the guard with just raw talent alone, but Jinpachi hadn’t been chosen to govern this quadrant of the country for no reason. His hands came together in a flurry of seals and he jumped from his branch and landed squarely in the middle of the road.

“Yo yo yo yo yo, Yun-sans!” The three gave him a cold glare, and Jinpachi’s smile only grew wider at that. “I see you guys brought some nice gifts for us all.”

“He’s a loud one isn’t he, Zhou?” The girl asked.

Zhou nodded in reply. “Not very subtle at all.”

The third said nothing, and his hands tightened on the weapons taken from the create.

Jinpachi’s Dragon Eyes was careful to nitpick every detail of the three. It was obvious the silent one was going to watch from the sidelines; the pulse in his neck and the smell of his hormones indicated that he wasn’t interested in fighting just yet. The other two were another story. The little girl was battle ready and more than a little thirsty for blood, and the boy was reaching behind him and into the crate to grab some weapon.

Jinpachi smiled. “You know, if you kids really wanna’ learn how to throw a party, I can show you how.”

The girl cocked her head at that and Jinpachi snickered before shooting his left hand forward. A kunai rocketed through the air, moving far too fast to have been thrown by a normal shinobi. Despite its demonic speed, the two younger Yun separated to dodge and then exploded forward themselves. Zhou held a pair of tiger hook swords in his hands, and the girl came in barehanded.

“Guess kids these days need a good spanking, eh?” Jinpachi muttered. The two were on him in an instant.

---

“Thank you for your service, Lord Ao Guang,” Seiichi said with a bow.

“It is of no consequence, Ao Eboshi. What do you plan to do now?”

The dragon had appeared with grave news, and Seiichi had both scrolls unrolled across his desk. Kneeling before his desk were his four ANBU, each one cloaked and kneeling on one knee.

Seiichi shook his head as he sat back down in his chair. “The Yun would only make themselves known if Iwagakure had already made their move. There are surely enemies already within our borders, and we don’t know their movements or their plans.”

Ao Guang nodded. “You humans are in the dark.”

“As a result, I’ll be mustering up Takigakure’s forces to scout. You four,” Seiichi said, motioning towards the ANBU, “will scatter across the land, find the enemy, and report to me their movements. Send lizards back to me.”

The four ANBU each gave out a resounding “Hai” before disappearing in puffs of smoke.

Seiichi turned back towards Ao Guang, but the dragon was oddly silent. There was fear in its eyes; fear that only a master Eboshi could see.

“He’s in danger?” Seiichi asked.

“Yes, Ao Eboshi. Excuse me.”

And with that the dragon was gone in a puff of smoke.

Seiichi rubbed his temples and sighed. Sixty years. Sixty years of peace between the nations, and in that time he had managed to rebuild the broken Takigakure no Sato. Now they were being attacked. Without even a tenth of the power they used to have, the country was a sitting duck ready to be conquered. His ancestors were surely shaking their heads at this.

Seiryuu, Seiichi thought.

In his mind, a deep rumbling filled his thoughts. It was heavy and dark, like the storm, but full of life and wisdom, like the forest. A word bubbled up from this maelstrom of emotions, curious in its response. Yes?

I have need of you again. Taki no Kuni is occupied by the enemy. Muster up the blood dragons.

[Yun Li Rin]

[atrb=cellpadding,10,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width, 460, true][atrb=rules,none][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background-image: url(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v303/WholeLottaChaos/asian-rice-paper_zps6ad0fe3b.jpg); -moz-border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; -o-border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; -webkit-border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; border-bottom: #101010 solid 6px; border-right: #101010 solid 6px; border-left: #101010 solid 6px; border-top: #101010 solid 6px;][atrb=style,padding-top:10px;][atrb=align,center] “We only know victory. We only know victory. We only know victory.” Yun Li Rin prayed her clan's mantra would drown out the sounds of conflict that thundered in her skull. It didn't. The village was but a smaller one, an isolated town more inland that held a vantage of being settled along a major waterway in Taki no Kuni. She found the nation oddly beautiful in the short time she was here. Knowing only of the rocky plateaus and sparse grasslands of Tsuchi no Kuni, to see so much wonder, rolling waters that glistened in the hanging sunlight, stirred an excitement in her that she wished to cherish. Yet, the wanderlust was discarded like an unwanted step-child. She couldn't recall why conflict erupted though it was expected by her mentors, but the hiss of steel and battle shouts through everyone into the haze of battle. “We only know victory. We only know victory. We only know victory.” Yun Li Rin was at first shoved, then tossed into the fray, a row of spears, swords, and malice greeted the young child as she exploded into a barrage of delicate maneuvers and martial tumbles. Her fists were elaborate blurs, fighting off soldiers with pikes while the enemy shinobi were occupied by the more experienced senior warriors. All around her, the air was filled with the clash of steel, battle cries, the shattering of bone-the shouts of Iwa's forces against Taki's. Bloodlust saturated the air, yet the orders from the Tsuchikage explicited demanded that they stay their hand. Unfortunately, the natives had no such limitations. One of the soliders lunged towards her. Li Rin moved far more swiftly, his pike finding at first the air, then planted into the solid ground. The Yun child fluidly stepped along the stuck spear, slamming a chakra laden fist into his armor plates. They both cried, she in the frightful panic of battle. He, in the pain that drowned ever sense he possessed until he was silenced when the clay walls stopped his trajectory across the horizon. An electric sensation crawled along her spine, Li Rin spin around, immediately ducking under the pike that still managed to take a sliver of her ebony tails. A palm strike, the signature 'clap' of energies from her martial art, and the shaft of the spear snapped like a twig. Her opponent gasped in disbelief-and then, he gasped from the air being kneed out of his chest. His world becoming a haze of white flashes before the black of unconsciousness pulled him away finally. More twinges, her awareness of everyone, the flowing energies that possessed all, drew her into a level of alert that few could rival. She grabbed a spear, the shadow of arrows descending upon her, a sprint and a twirl, the missiles were knocked away in a blitz of broke heads and cracked shafts. Yun Li Rin's mastery of a polearm was exceptional, displayed in the singing chorus as it whipped through the wind, shattering arrows and spear alike from the many that foolishly surrounded her. She felt another prickling feeling to her right. She moved fluidly to-- A heavy torrent of water slammed into her lithe body. How many walls she had gone through, she couldn't count, but the village inn her small body tore through already threatened to topple down upon her. Pillars cracked, moaning under the stress whilst the foundations shook from the strain of the conflict that now invaded their walls. “Not bad for a kid...” Li Rin shook her head, soaked body aching from the flight through the many sections of the tea house. While her senses swam about, she regained enough presence of mind to register that the Takigakure shinobi that approached was preparing another jet of water. Painfully, she willed herself to stagger and stand, glaring as defiantly as she could muster. “I am no kid...”she coughed. “I am Li Rin...of the Yun.” “Then Li Rin of the Yun,” the Taki ninja chuckled, weaving the final signs of his jutsu, his chest puffed out while the Suiton chakra swelled within. “Forgive me...this may sting.” The torrent of water rushed from his mouth, ripping apart the flooring, furniture, and everything else unfortunate to stand in its way. And Li Rin, balled fist, the seal of her Ox branding activated and crawling to her face, charged forward without hesitation. There was a girl, Inaba Keiji had witnessed, was was nothing short of beautiful to behold. He couldn't approach before his comrades in battle lept ahead of him. Keiji swore beneath the grunts and pants of battle. He wanted to warn them, to explain the sickening feeling he possessed when this child-like lady appeared on the battlefield. Though he had always been the supersitious sort and his fellows frequently dismissed his beliefs, just one time, did he hope that his battle brothers would heed him finally. They didn't. So his fellows encroached upon her, weapons in hand and even mockingly asked her to surrender. And Keiji couldn't shake he guilt he felt, when her sword reflected the low sun when it was drawn. The radiant steel blindingly whipping around in murderous arcs. Her hair, almost as brilliant silver as the swords she carried, caught the air in elaborate strokes, akin to a serpent. By her small feet, two Iwagakure shinobi fell, the third clutched his side-joining them all in a clump of bodies. Inaba Keiji, saw a girl, who he found beautiful to behold, even if the maturing feeling of vengeance coursed through his blood. His awe did not still his sword-but as the girl moved far more swiftly-he found out, it clearly did not matter.

[Eboshi Seiichi]

The Yun were as swift as lightning and a hundred times as deadly. Each blow came whirring past Jinpachi, with Zhou’s swords whistling and the girl’s fist biting. None of their blows found purchase, however. The chakra of dragons flowed through his body, empowering his limbs and sharpening his eyes. He saw each attack as they came and reacted with the speed of a god of war; they had no way to hurt him.

But he read something in their movements that surprised him. Jinpachi ducked under another sword swing and then rolled forwards to dodge an axe kick from behind. When he jumped up, narrowly dodging a second sword swing that would have torn through his leg, he did so with a flip. Both of his golden eyes fell onto the two Yun, and though one was bloodthirsty and the other brutally efficient, neither was going for the kill.

Jinpachi landed on one hand and kicked outwards with both feet as the two Yun came back on him. Zhou blocked with his swords and the girl with her arms, but the force was enough to send them flying backwards into the trees. With a flourish he landed back on his feet and stood up slowly.

“You know, if you want to win a war, you gotta’ fight like you mean it. Do the Yun teach nothing to their kids anymore?”

“The Yun know nothing but victory!” the girl yelled as she sprung back at him.

Jinpachi noticed that her hands were both wreathed in cloaks of orange; flames burning brightly. His eyes went wide and he performed a series of hand seals, but it was too late. A dozen flaming feathers exploded from the flicks of her wrist, barreling down on him. “Year of the Phoenix: Melting Flap!”

“Water Release,” Jinpachi yelled while strafing to the side. A flaming feather struck him in the shoulder and burned right through, causing him to wince in pain. “Water Dragon Bullet!”

A pond beyond the trees suddenly sprung to life as the water began to bubble and rise. Without hesitation, a serpent of twisting waves came roaring from the trees, slamming through the remaining feathers before going high into the sky. Jinpachi grimaced, knowing that if this jutsu hit, it’d be catastrophic for the kids. But in war, there was no holding back, and the Eboshi Ichizoku were as fierce as the dragons they summoned.

With one last roar, the water dragon careened into the ground, the young Yun just barely spinning out of the way. A tsunami washed over the area, and Jinpachi jumped into it, his hands a flurry of motion.

A small lake formed, five feet deep and extending through the trees. The newly born mangrove was almost dead silent, save for the hurried breaths of the two Yun standing on the water. The force of the wave had carried them away from the main road, and they couldn't see their brother through the thicket.

Jinpachi had them right where he wanted them. He was the Dancing Dragon of Waterfalls, known throughout Takigakure no Sato for his expert use of the body flicker. He exploded from beneath the surface, his knee coming up to smash the girl Yun in the stomach. His actions had been perfectly telegraphed, and she blocked with ease, grabbing his leg and turning to slam him into the nearest tree. Only when he hit the hard trunk, his body exploded into a thousand little droplets.

“Wha-”

“Behind you, Mei!” Zhou shouted.

She turned, but a second too late. A droplet of water turned into a boot that came crashing into her jaw with a sickening crunch, sending a limp body flying through the mangrove. Jinpachi landed in a perfect stance, his golden eyes raised to meet Zhou’s. The boy opened his collar, revealing a tiger tattoo just below his throat.

“Oh shit.”

The supersonic roar that came from Zhou’s threat shattered one of Jinpachi’s eardrums, and he stumbled back both from pain and sudden vertigo. Before he knew it, the Yun was back on him, his tiger hook swords burying themselves deep into the flesh of his arms and chest. Before his hand had been stayed by some mysterious reason, but now Zhou was fighting to avenge what he thought was a dead sister.

Again, Jinpachi smiled.

Sorry, kid.

The water underneath Jinpachi’s feet bubbled just before the counterattack went off. Zhou noticed and tried to retreat but it was a heartbeat too late. A thin blade of water pierced his left lung and cut upwards, slicing through the soft flesh and birthing a spray of red. Zhou screamed in pain, but the water clone jumped in the air and landed a spinning kick directly to his throat, sending the limp body smashing into the tree. One of the two tiger swords followed a second later, impaling his arm to the bark. It’d be a bitch to treat the wound, but it’d keep him from drowning.

“If you hurry and take them for medical attention, I’m sure they’ll be just fine,” Jinpachi said as he rose from the water.

Sun Jian stood there calmly in the trees, watching from above. In his hands was a single spear, the tip nicked from recent use. His eyes were dead, and Jinpachi shivered at the sight of them.

“The Yun do not back away from any obstacles,” he stated plainly, “and our Lady Tsuchikage has given us a directive.”

Jinpachi frowned. “And that’s to smuggle in weapons and get to the captial, yeah?”

“Correct.”

With a sigh, Jinpachi scratched the back of his head. The dragon pearl inside his body was running low on chakra, and it’d be impossible to sustain the Dragon’s Strength and the Dragon’s Eyes for much longer. Things needed to end as soon as possible. “Sorry, kid. You look as young as these guys but if it’s really come down to this, I can’t pretend to cut loose anymore. I really have too now.”

Sun Jian said nothing. His eyes were still dead.

---

There was a stillness in the forest uncanny in nature. No bird sung and none of the strange, striped horses of the land dared to move. It was as if everything, from the clouds in the sky to the trees themselves, were all cardboard cutouts; a backdrop used to thinly disguise the brewing action.

The Awaikage were suspicious of this. They had been deployed first, as always. And as always, they had successfully infiltrated Taki no Kuni. They were close to the capital, and thus close to forcing the Lord of Takigakure out of his hidden village.

But Seiichi was no fool, and he had prepared many plans for invasions. He hovered above the forest, and behind him was the great extinct volcano that housed Taki no Kuni’s largest lake, the Nijiro, and the capital, Nijiro Kirijou. Even from this distance, nearly a mile away, the sound of the waterfalls plunging down eight hundred feet was deafening. A dozen rainbows stretched out from the volcano, touching down at random points throughout the forest. If it wasn’t for the grim matter at hand, Seiichi would have liked to enjoy the sight.

The Awaikage’s plan was simple. Split into four groups, and then break those groups up into smaller cells. From there, they would approach the mountain from all side, sneak up it using the Nijirio’s waterfalls, and then secure the capital, allowing in the Iwagakure forces as they came. One of the Awaikage looked up, however, and there they saw the levitating body of Eboshi Seiichi, Lord of Takigakure no Sato.

“Impossible,” one whispered, “there’s no way he could be at the capital so fast.”

Unleash them, Seiryuu.

Unbeknownst to the Awaikage, the mental command spelled the end for their mission. Suddenly the cacophonous roars of a creature unknown to man filled the forest. Loud and shrill, the blood dragons emerged from the mud and the lakes. There were more dragons than Awaikage by nearly two to one, and they flashed through the forest like brilliant red lightning bolts. Their scales only reflected the color of blood, fitting given their purpose in the ranks of dragons. True to their namesake, they could smell the blood of any living creature, no matter how well hidden. Few jutsu could escape their nose, jutsu the Awaikage did not have.

The dozens of cells approaching the capital of Taki no Kuni were stopped dead in their tracks. The blood dragons surrounded them, breathing fire and creating prisons to keep the advancing shinobi in. Even from his perch in the sky, the sweltering heat could be felt, and sweat began to bead on Seiichi’s brow.

Deep within his mind, the ancient presence stirred again, and the dragon Seiryuu spoke. What is your plan now?

Seiichi closed his eyes. He didn’t like this next part. We’ve been infiltrated from the Kusa border and the Iwa border. These shinobi in the forest had already been here. There’s no hope for repelling, and as far as I’m aware, Taki has received no casualties. This is not a war Tsuchi no Kuni is waging, it’s a statement they’re making. They think if they really wanted too, they could crush us at a dime.

At that the presence flushed with happiness, but it was sadistic and scornful. So what do you mean to do to prove them wrong?

The host from Kusa will be met with enough force to slow them down. The host from Iwa will be allowed through. The shinobi in the forest are already contained; the blood dragons won’t let anyone out. With this strategy, we can grant the Yun what they want.

And that is?

An audience with me and Lord Baiken.

And it would be an audience that would end this invasion, one way or another.

---

Ao Guang lay on his side, his breath heavy and his blood freely flowing. Three spears extended from his gut, each one laced in fuuinjutsu and poison. The blows weren’t fatal, but they were crippling. He could not move, he could not speak, and he could not mold chakra.

Thus, when Jinpachi was ran through by the spear and cast down in a bloody heap, Ao Guang was unable to listen to the cries of his heart. He was unable to lash forward and bite off the evil Yun’s head. Though his partner’s life continued to thrum on, no matter how quiet, the wound he had suffered was truly crippling. Large tears dripped down from the dragon’s golden eyes as he struggled to move, but not a muscle so much as budged.

This Yun was different from the rest. He had a power that surpassed that of the two children Jinpachi had handled. It was divine, almost, and Ao Guang hated to admit it. But in the face of such power, there was nothing the dragon could do. There was nothing Jinpachi could do; Jinpachi, the Dancing Dragon of Waterfalls, the fastest shinobi with he, Ao Guang, the fastest dragon. Together they had an offensive that could blitz any defense. Only Seiichi had been able to repel it. Only Seiichi.

Yet this Yun Sun Jian had crushed them as if they were ants, and with their defeat, he had been given passage into the depths of Taki no Kuni. With the rest of the nation at war, there was nothing stopping his advance to the capital.

[Yun Luán]

[atrb=cellpadding,10,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width, 460, true][atrb=rules,none][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background-image: url(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v303/WholeLottaChaos/asian-rice-paper_zps6ad0fe3b.jpg); -moz-border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; -o-border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; -webkit-border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; border-bottom: #101010 solid 6px; border-right: #101010 solid 6px; border-left: #101010 solid 6px; border-top: #101010 solid 6px;][atrb=style,padding-top:10px;][atrb=align,center] The footmen on horses, the shinobi took to the trees, Rei lead in a maddened pursuit towards the capital. “Look!” She called, pointing to the sky, alerting her fellow champions of Taki no Kuni. “Lord Eboshi fights back!” The forest erupted in cheers, welcoming the marvelous sight of the lord of Takigakure and his Blood Dragons, decisively repelling the barbarians of Iwagakure to and forth. Since the skirimish at the border, Rei and her forces did what they could to stall, but not directly advert the invasion powers. Yet, reuniting en masse, perhaps then, with the unit she led fiercely, could they stand a real fighting chance. The nation's mythical protectors waring in the heavens was ignited hope in everyone. But they needed more than hope. “Quickly!” The order was barked and the drums of footsteps, hooves, and acrobatic lunges pushed harder, Nijiro Kirijou still bright in the distance. Or rather once bright...because as night began to loom over the jewel of the nation...suddenly every light, every twinkle that spoke life in the center place of the Water Fall nation-went out in a violent snuff. ~The Evening Before...~ Oda Kempachi lay in the bed of the room he rented as the night hung over the capital of Nijiro Kirijou. The jewel of the waterfall country was illuminated by the sterling pearl in the heavens, neatly embraced by the looming volcano walls that cast growing shadows as the moon waltzed in the blackened sky. And like any capital city, the center of the nation was brilliant with life and splendor as the town's people moved about, creating the ambient rhythm of chatter, shop keeps, and entertainment that made up its unique city life. Kempachi rolled from his mattress and placed his face within his hands. Emotions, muddled thoughts, the whole collage of uncertainty, raced through his mind. The love of his life, Kachiko, or more accurately-who the 'thought' was to be the woman of his dreams, seemed to do nothing but scorn him. For what, remained almost entirely elusive for this Takigakure shinobi. In the time period of little more than a month, the radiance of her smile devolved into sneers. Her laughter, the mirthfully chorus that ignited the Sun within his heart, shifted to curses, slander, vehement insults that he felt unwarranted and unfair. The gifts he bestowed upon her in a testament of his affections lay shattered by her feet, tossed out to the urban piles as she discarded them with brutal nonchalance. His senior officers knew the emotional turmoil that befell this young shinobi and in a gesture of both sympathy, yet militant stratagem, transferred Kempachi to a brief tenure in the nations capital. Replacing a routine at the watch post for the excitement of the city may do the sir some good and Kempachi knew that his captain was saving his own face, than keeping a liability stationed at the gates. “What do I do now..?” His whispers were far louder than he realized in the chasm of the inn room. But the thoughts were not surrounding Kachiko. Though the situation with her waged a war of attrition within his heart, the shinobi's mind desperately tried to make sense of last night's antics. As the grief, hurt and alcohol left him-the visions penned themselves a picture of frightening definition. His lips joining with another woman's. “Kasumi...” Her name thundered in his conscious and he fought against the urge to mouth the words in the chasm of emptiness as the night lingered on. Their meeting was so unorthodox, he felt and the circumstances befitting a fantasy. Weeks ago, in his stupor into one tavern to another, they bumped into each other-her silken, yet innocent smile that forced him to sober up in pure infatuation. Kempachi couldn't feel but drawn to her, Hiromi, who seemed so vibrant with excitement and wanderlust. She was no shinobi and was in immediate awe in their childish antics of racing roof tops, enjoying the displays of street performers, and sharing the tales of childhoods of long ago. And when they stood under the moonlight, so terribly familiar to this one, his eyes falling to her gaze of intelligent brown...their lips meeting in an embrace that forced time to still. By the time Kempachi realized what had happened, his reaction bordered violence. He pushed Kasumi away and vanished into the city. It had been a day since that all passed and since he saw Kasumi last, taking a room at his favored inn to wallow in embarrassment. Everything had gone notoriously wrong. Wrong because of the mistakes he habitually made. Before he had enough time to finish his sigh of frustration and shame, a knock on his door shattered his musings as abruptly as it came. Swiftly, he rose to a stand still, shaking himself, albeit terribly, from the emotional daze that clung to his chest. “Who is it?” The handle creaked, along with the door, as it slowly swung open, and a familiar curvaceous silhouette glided in, greeting Kempachi with a devious, but teasing smile. “Kasumi! W-what are you doing here?!” Kasumi held up her hands apologetically, laughing nervously. “Well, I, after last night I just asked around. You're a very popular guy you know?” She played with smoothing out the hugging fabrics of what was already fairly provocative traditional wear, still maintaining an inviting smile. “Popular? How?” He asked flatly, still biting back what was a mixture of disbelief, embarrassment, and anger. “You're the most depressing looking bloke here.” A wink, Kasumi stuck out her tongue jovially as she approached. He would have scoffed a retort, but the Takigakue ninja barely had enough time to do so. She was upon him in a friendly embrace, hugging close. “I-look, Kasumi...” the words died in his throat as he felt her soft chest upon his. No amount of shinobi training could educate him where it was safe for he to place his hands. Instead, he opted to hold Kasumi's shoulders gingerly, pushing some distance between them and their gazes met. “I, I'm sorry, I just don't think we should be seeing each other right now...” A gentle, well manicured finger along Kempachi's lips beckoned him to silence. “Don't say that,” Kasumi spoke softly, a minute plea in her voice. “I...I feel the same way.” “No,” the shinobi tried to protest, as futile as it was. “It's too soon and...well, there's still.” Her lips and his conquered every argument he intended to muster. He swore he could feel Kasumi's own heart thumping past the bountiful mountains that made up her chest. They held their passionate embrace, a moan of longing and lust nearly overlapped the shuffling of feet as Kempachi was neared to the bed once more. He put enough space between them to watch Kasumi. She stared at him intently, though far from biting back her desire as he did. Thick shimmering black locks hung by her face in long rivers and she, as if were the most common thing in the world, began to loosen the ties to her clothing. “I-um,” Kempachi's mouth quivered, opened for words and none came out. The willpower used to keep his gaze fixated on her face was nothing short of legendary. And though his face was clearly hot, a twinge of crimson forming at both ends of his cheeks, Kasumi looked far from displeased. “Maybe this isn't a g-good time...I uh...have to be somewhere soon.” Kasumi continued to near him to the bed. “Then darling,” she cooed, applying a lick to his bottom lip before winking slyly, reaching to her back. “We'd better be quick...” His resistance was all but dust and shambles at this point. And why not? She wanted him and he couldn't deny his own desires. Kasumi was all in his vision. Her inviting lips, silken hair, hips that sway in their gentle approach, a chest rejoicing to be freed from the crimson fabrics that now threatened to fall off her shoulders. He could lose himself in the throes of passion. No one else but their own pleasure would matter. Just what he need. Just what he deserved. In his throat, a final rebuttal wormed it's way up, yet Kasumi's body was more persuasive than a room full of courtiers. Still, he couldn't shake the flash of Kachiko's smile before his eyes. Kempachi's legs bumped to the edge of the bed and he almost collapsed. “I don't feel all that comf-” Kasumi's palm touched his chest gently-and then she slammed into him. Kempachi was in mid descent while her other hand came up. Before the shinobi could react, Kasumi was straddling him, her hand coming from behind her back in a vicious arc. His back hit the matress, her knees pinned his arms to his sides, one hand had a violent grip around his hair-the other a knife to Kempachi's neck. “Comfortable?” Kasumi snickered, finishing the sentence for him. The dagger was pressed tightly to his neck where it only required just the slightest of pressure, or rather, simply for Kempachi to breath or swallow too much, for the steel to bite into his skin. Her grip on his hair was nearly tight enough to rip a full clump of locks into her palms. He was startled, but training directed his confusion into a sharp blade of intent and focus. “Who do you work for?” “Now, now dear,” she purred. “Don't give me a 'reason' to kill you.” Toying with the knife by applying pressure to his throat all the while. “Kachiko speaks so highly of you. I don't want to end up telling her after this is all over that you're dead...” Kempachi cursed himself inwardly though Kasumi's words made little sense. “What is her involvement in this?” Kasumi grinned, but avoided his question. “The power generators and communication hub of the capital is blocked off by a particular seal that can only be opened by another fūinjutsu. You have it. Where is it?” The Takigakure ninja chuckled joylessly. “Whether I tell you or not, either way, I am as good as dead. “He wanted to laugh more, but her pressing the blade to his neck in annoyance robbed him of a sense of humor. “I choose the route that doesn't betray my nation's secrets...” Her grin was wicked, though genuinely amused. “Fair enough, but if you're benevolent enough to tell me what I need to know-I promise I'll be kind enough not to leave your head by Kachiko's feet...then I promise to be creative with her afterwords.” The cruel sincerity in her gaze was enough to bring Kempachi's will to shambles. “My flak jacket, second pouch to the right, on the smaller scroll. You will need to place both seals together when the guards let you in to see the offices.” He betrayal was a venom that burned every iota of his being, nausating feeling that continued to evolve into hot fury at the woman who straddled above him. “Flatter me. Is your name really Kasumi.” She smiled and blew a kiss towards her pinned prey. “Awaikage Kasumi, and if it is any comforting to you...I really did enjoy our time together.” Kempachi began to form more questions. But a prickle to his neck, the sight of a small scorpion crawling to his chest, and then a quick fade to black was all he knew. ~Hours later...~ Awaikage Kasumi dropped Kempachi's unconscious body into a closet at the inn's basement. Next to him, was also the sleeping heap of his lover Kachiko. Though she was remorseless in the things she did in the name of her country and clan, there was comfort to be taken in the scene of Kempachi waking up, knowing that his lover still was sincere in her feelings and the spite from before was worth it to bargain for Kempachi's life. Upstairs, she offered a knowing smile to the innkeeper. Whether he was cooperative because of the amount of coin the Awaikage offered or the fact his family's life hung in the balance, was indescribable. Perhaps a combination of both. Nevertheless, upon seeing Kasumi, he knew exactly of his next task. Reaching underneath the counter, he handed Kasumi a set of scrolls which she took fluidly, moving from the lobby to the dinner hall. Before her, a lofty entourage of ruffians, noble folk, and commoners, all in their respective quarters of the tavern. A commotion of laughter, insults, and dinning filled Kasumi's ears. She smirked at the unruly, but lively display, a collage of passions that danced about where she felt the most home. Gracefully, she moved to the center, raising her hand up. Few, but not all, looked her curiously, some dismissively as they went back to their buisness. “The clouds over tall mountains cast ominous shadows.” The room was immediately silent. And as if something else possessed them, nearly all those within the dinning hall, moved robotically. Efficient, fluid, a level of precision that was clearly trained. Men, women, young ones opperated in the space like clockwork. Weapons were pulled from underneath tables. Those dressed as noblemen tore away their elaborate robes, revealing armored vests and deftly placed blades. The assembly line of arsenal moved about, turning the melting pot of vagabonds, nobles, and merchants, into an armed forces. Few, less than a handful, Kasumi knew, were shinobi. The overwhelming majority were bandits, disenfranchised opportunists that were promised a myraid of rewards for their task. Weeks of pushing into the border, months of planning, of creating faux raids and filling up prison cells was for this moment. Persuading trade cartels, the deliberate increase of taxes that made a legitimate living all the more harsh and fruitless, the careful bargaining with mercenaries... Her brief, but pleasant love affair, with Oda Kempachi... It all amounted to this moment, where the mountains towered over the waterfall. A firm hand gripped Kasumi's shoulder. She snapped around, only to peer at the two narrowed slits of brown. The rest of his face was covered by the ornate masks that her clan favored. “Rinnosuke-sama, everything is continuing as planned.” The elder Awaikage did not seem assured. Though beyond his mask it was hard to discern what emotions where moving behind the veil of such an elaborate face guard. “Do not grow over confident,” he said commandingly, taking the scroll from her hands. “I will move towards the communications array. You lead the others to the generators. The bandits will cause enough commotion in the city when the time is right for us to strike..” “Hai.” Her head dipped to an affirming nod and a sly smile. Rinnosuke did not seem to notice. Both pivoted in opposite directions. Kasumi taking the clothing handed her, Kempachi's Takigakure uniform, as she left the inn discreetly. Rinnosuke, with armed thugs in tow, draped in heavy civilian’s clothes, moved excited from the front of the inn. They fanned out like a field of locust, purpose in their steps as the moon bore witness of the madness to come from their malicious intent. “Dragons...can someone tell me why Dragons were not listed on the intelligence report?” “It is of no consequence.” Azuma Jiro spat out his disapproval as he lowered the spyglass. “Was it because you did not know, or did you feel that critical bit of info was beneath me Matsuhide?” Though Jiro was stealthy and possessed a level of cunning that his counterpart, an Awaikage, recognized greatly, he did not feel at home in the midst of agents who did not bat an eyelash even to betraying each other-if it bore fruit. Awaikage Matsuhide acknowledged with what was too minute to even be recognized as a shrug. “The Dragons only slowed the battalion's march and forced the hand of the Taki Lord,” Behind the full wrap covering his face, Jiro swore he saw the Awaikage smirk. “The best way to defeat an opponent is to convince him he's already won.” Jiro, who also needed convincing, was far from assured. “It is out of my respect for you and your clan that I'm bidding my anger Matsuhide, but if you have a plan that I was not told of, I suggest you disclose it now. The Tsuchikage placed me in charge of this infiltration. Any detail leading towards its success is paramount.” Matsuhide remained as stoic as ever, arms crossed while he faced the display of fire and poison rip across the horizon. Finally, he pointed to the horizon, where the nation's capital lay as the sun was falling into the horizon. “You are mistaken, Captain Azuma...we are not the infiltration.” Jiro frowned, taking a threatening step towards his Awaikage lieutenant. “What are we then?” He asked begrudgingly. Matsuhide once again moved with his shoulders that barely counted for a shrug. “The distraction.” “Tend to your wounds. Then continue the advance.” These were the last and only comforting words Yun Sun Jian offered to his kin, leaving Mei Xiang, Zhou, Jinpachi, and Ao Guang behind. His blitz through the forest was just short of vicious, possessing a speed that the wind barely kept up. A vacuum of whispered curses which only leaves and dust left a disrupted trail in his pursuit towards the protected capital cherished in this country of waterfalls. A look to the horizon and the sun threatened to fall from the sky, inviting the sweeping black of night to wash over the land. It was a serene backdrop, a heavy contrast to the chaos the nation was engulfed in. The silhouette of the volcano was painted in the distance. And with that, the waltz of fires and suffocating poisons wrapped the colors of conflict across the evening canvas. Sun Jian's advance wasn't halted, though he took note of the now announced alerted guard force. Takigakure's response was-notable-far faster than what the Tsuchikage had suggested. Yet, as a Yun, he invited the challenge. Another footnote to add to his families legacy. Another testament to the will of their nation. Dragons danced in the sky, breathing maliciousness and destruction upon the invading forces. He admired their splendor, magnificent beasts both fearsome and renowned, the type his clan revered so highly. So it must have been fate when one dropped from the sky and issued a challenge in a booming roar. Sun Jian slid to a halt, his robes rushing in front of him as the wind followed in kind. His spear dug into the ground, planted. To the audience, he appeared to be little else but a wounded nobleman, yet oddly nonchalant in the presence of such a towering monstrosity. The dragon slammed a mighty claw into the ground, issuing tremors and once again, bellowed a fierce roar that nearly blew the Yun away. Sun Jian's gaze remained empty. “I feel guilty,” he then replied dryly, pulling his spear from the ground and leveled a martial stance before the towering beast. “to raise a sword against my own brother.” The summoned deity's brow furrowed in perplexity, though he flashed tooth and claw before the perpetual insect in comparison. And to Yun Sun Jian, the tattoo of Shen Long crawled from his back and mirrored the dragon's fearsome visage to the side of his own face.

[Eboshi Seiichi]

The waters beneath Taki no Kuni’s capital rippled ever so slightly. There were no fish in the crater lake and no boats in the water; and yet, the water stirred. There was life in the volcano.

Seiichi landed by one of the four massive waterfalls. His golden gaze rested woefully on the battles unfolding below. The sun had long since set, and many of Takigakure’s forces, coupled with mercenaries and dragons, had engaged the Iwagakure host below. These were just skirmishes, however. What happened in the forest was of no consequence to Seiichi, for he knew there was something amiss.

The water stirred again, as if to confirm his thoughts. The Awaikage of Iwagakure were known for their unrivaled abilities at stealth and infiltration. If they had really wanted too, the capital would have long been compromised by sleeper agents. The Tsuchikage was rumored to be a scheming snake in the grass, and snakes always watched their prey before moving.

With a hand to his temples, Seiichi sighed. If Takigakure had been the village it used to be, there would have been ANBU at the border and in other countries gathering intelligence; intelligence that could have been used to know just how deep this invasion went. But they were weak. Against a nation as great and old as Tsuchi no Kuni there was no hope for such a young village. This invasion was already over, and from her perch in the mountains, Seiichi knew that the Tsuchikage knew this as well.

The water stirred a third time, and with it a great voice invaded Seiichi’s thoughts. Ao Guang is defeated. The Yun has challenged another dragon.

Seiichi didn’t move, and his face was a hard mask. Every emotion he could have felt had been suppressed and replaced by a cold, calculating mind. Command the dragon to stand down. Let the Yun pass unmolested.

Do you not seek revenge for your kinsmen, Seiichi? There was a hint of confusion and derision in the ancient’s thoughts. But Seiichi knew that his decision was right.

There will come a time for that later. Let him through.

---

Ten’Yuu was as silent as a ghost, and he moved through the trees as if he were a leaf on the wind. There was a deep silence in the heart of Taki no Kuni, and every animal and insect was hiding in the shadows. To Ten’Yuu, whom had spent his whole life in this forest, it was obvious that the ill feelings in the wind affected these creatures. Tonight they would not hunt, and they wouldn’t for many nights after. Not when dragons freely roamed the land.

But that just made things easier to handle. Ten’Yuu came to a stop on a large branch, and the chakra in his feet muffled the sounds that would otherwise be produced. He was garbed in all black from head to toe, and only his eyes, a pair of blue jewels, were visible. They, too, had been muted--a pair of black contacts turned Ten’Yuu from human to apparition.

The moon high above had just turned from full, and the waxing sliver provided almost no light to the jungles below. The stars were also hidden, as large clouds had began to spread from the Kusa no Kuni border. Blackness had overtaken the land, brought on by war and evil schemes. Ten’Yuu couldn’t help but think that things were fitting like this.

Behind him, another leaf moved quietly on the air, bounding ahead of him and towards the Tsuchi no Kuni border. Soon the rolling hills and stunted cliffs of Taki would grow to become mountains. The territory was more perilous there, but Ten’Yuu saw no challenge in traversing it. Perhaps one day he’d be able to confirm his thoughts, but for now, there were other plans to be had.

The moment the second shadow shot ahead of him, Ten’Yuu began his true mission.

Awaikage Shirami, the dragon’s had thundered. Do not let her reach her destination.

Ten’Yuu didn’t understand what was meant at first, but things had become clear now. There were five pools in Taki no Kuni, each one small and discreet, that lead to the underground village of Takigakure no Sato. If it was compromised, then there would truly be no hope for the countries defense.

Shirami stopped suddenly. Ten’Yuu knew why. She was said to be the Scorpion Caller, the Awaikage’s most powerful practitioner of summoning. Likely she had scattered her insects well ahead of her, so that their eyes might watch over her from every tree.

The Awaikage turned on him from the distance, and a black kunai whistled through the air. Ten’Yuu’s eyes turned gold underneath his contacts, and the weapon flew past his ear. He was careful not to let it touch him; a scorpion’s poison could spell doom for him here.

Around Shirami the night deepened, and when things became clear again, she was gone. Ten’Yuu came to a stopping point where she had been, his hands coming together in a long series of kata. When he finished, he place his ear to the tree branch.

I see her, a voice whispered.

Bind her and bring me there, Shen Yè.

In a puff of smoke Ten’Yuu was transported through space, and he stood up to clear it away.

Awaikage Shirami was a woman slight of frame, but anything else beyond that was impossible to detect. She too was garbed in all black, and her eyes just as dark as Ten’Yuu’s own. A dragon of slithering midnight scales wrapped around her. Shen Yè’s mouth was opened, and his fangs carefully placed on each side of her head.

“How did you know?” she asked. Her voice was deep, and frustration had burrowed itself deep.

Ten’Yuu sighed beneath his mask and gave a look to the dragon. Its body turned into smoke and flowed into her ears, nose, and mouth. Shirami convulsed for several seconds before falling to her knees, arms limp at her side.

When she spoke next, her voice was an inhuman whisper. “I have the information.”

“Good,” Ten’Yuu nodded, “send them to Seiryuu then leave her body with no chakra. Seiichi told me not to kill her, so I won’t, but we won’t give her the option to move anymore.”

The possessed Shirami nodded as she closed her eyes and sent the information gained to the elder dragons.

---

‘One, two, I’m coming for you,” a voice sang out. “Three, four, I’m at your door~”

Onwa came to a stop just before the heavy metal door that separated her from the generators. A gloved hand carefully traced its way down the deep grooves along the side before sliding back up into the bellowing white sleeve it came from.

From behind, the chakras of several of the invaders made itself known. She smiled a malicious smile, and when the first one stepped out, robed in red and a sword in his hand, Onwa turned to face him.

“It’s rare to have Awaikage moving so openly.”

Rinnosuke did not move. His grip tightened on the katana until his knuckles turned white. Onwa’s smile grew even wider.

“The Waterfall’s Black Sword,” he spat out. “How did you know we’d come here?”

Onwa barked out a harsh, biting laugh at that as she turned around to face him. A soft wind blew over the city, ruffling her haori and hakama. In her left hand, just like her Awaikage counterpart, was a sheathed nodachi. “Did you really think Takigakure was that weak?”

Rinnosuke was not amused. His eyes shifted slowly from Onwa to the shadows at her side. They stirred in response, a motion that did not go unnoticed.

“You have less than five hundred shinobi, and what you do have are mainly genin. With a village as young as yours, there should be no way for you to have been able to see through our plans.”

At that, Onwa cocked her head. “Oh please, Awaikage-kun, you wound me. Well, you wound us really. If Lord Eboshi wasn’t able to have countermeasures in place to defend this country, do you think the five great clans of Taki would have bowed their heads to him?”

At that, Rinnosuke’s eyes seemed to sneer. His hand’s didn’t move, but his chakra readied itself. Onwa’s smile returned in full.

“But that’s enough stalling, Awaikage-kun,” Onwa plainly stated. She grabbed the hilt of her nodachi with her right hand and gently tugged it out of its scabbard. An inch of blade had been drawn, but there was was no glint of steel. Instead black sludge flowed forth from the lip of the sheathe, spilling over and dripping to the ground below. “If you want to shut down the power of Taki no Kuni, then you’ll have to get through me. And I’m sure someone who knows my moniker also knows of my jutsu.”

Rinnosuke drew his sword in a flash. It was the only signal the hidden warriors needed, as they all lashed out at the same time.

Onwa’s smile became deranged as her chakra raged freely.

“Akudeichi.”
_{lit. Wickedness Bog}

---

“We’ve been compromised.” Seiichi spoke the words hard and truthful. Lord Baien had not liked that.

His plump face turned red at those words, and his hand came down like a hammer on the arms of his throne. “What do I pay you useless maggots for if not to prevent this kind of thing from happening?!” When he yelled, spit and food went flying. Seiichi was careful not to let it touch him.

Lord Baien was the dayimou of Taki no Kuni, and he had long since been the greatest enemy of Seiichi. He had been fine with abolishing the shinobi village, as they had brought nothing but headaches to the fat man’s overly simplified life. When Seiichi had sought to recreate the village, it had taken more than just convincing and money to get the lord’s approval.

“He’s right, Lord Eboshi,” Youei chimed in. If there was anyone Seiichi hated more than Baien, it was this man.

Youei was a spear of a man, tall and lanky and hard. He had no hair on his face or his head, and deep wrinkles carved even deeper lines into his aged face. Magnificent robes of flowing greens, greys, and blues denoted his status as the head priest in Taki no Kuni. He was the true ruler of this country, with the people’s love behind him and the spiritual fuel of a hundred religions.

“Whether he’s right or not has nothing to do with the situation, my lords.”

“It has everything to do with it, you imbecile! What is the point of a shinobi village that can’t even do its job, huh?!” As per usual, Lord Baien was to hear nothing of reason.

Seiichi’s hands balled up into fist underneath his cloak. He was careful to keep the anger out of his voice. “Ten squads of genin, their ten jounin heads, and two thousand armed forces are out in the forests below this mountain fighting the Iwagakure host. That leaves two shinobi in the capital: me and Hyakkaseihou Onwa. Forces have already infiltrated, and we cannot protect the nobility while fending off the the enemies as well.”

“You useless pieces of-”

Youei cut Baien off with a hand on his shoulder. “What his grace means to say is, how do you plan to repel the invaders with just the two of you? The tales of your ability are great, but surely you cannot fight an army.”

He sees through your lie, Seiryuu stated. The hidden dragon was growing discontent with the politics.

Even if he does, he knows that there is truth to it still. Outloud Seiichi said, “The dragons are giving me their full might, and Onwa is capable of fighting a thousand men before tiring. Together, we can repel the invaders from the capital and regroup.”

Lord Baien motioned to speak, but an explosion rocked the castle, and the lights flickered on and off just breifly. Seiichi didn’t need his dragon eyes to see the soiling fear in the spoiled daimyou’s pants.

“Perhaps, Youei, we should seek shelter…”

The grimace on Youei’s face was sweeter than honey to Seiichi. “Perhaps we should,” he echoed, his eyes shooting daggers to Seiichi.

Lord Baien turned his small, malicious eyes to the shinobi. “Men, gather my kin and take us to the shelters below! Seiichi, you go and do your job for once, and see to it that my money is used for something good. Dismissed!”

Seiichi didn’t need to hear another word to let himself out of the audience chamber. The courtyard beyond was empty, but it wasn’t dead like the city beyond. As the war raged on beyond the mountain, the remaining forces had seen to it that the civilians were escorted to the many underground shelters. Using a system of metal pipes, the people of Taki no Kuni were able to escape into the depths of the volcano that housed Nijiro Kirijou. With them taken out of the equation, and the lords going into hiding, there was nothing stopping Seiichi from granting the Yun the audience they desired.

And if it comes to it, we’ll destroy the entire city, Seiryuu stated. His voice wasn’t filled with any sort of mirth, but with anger at the potential sacrifices. Seiichi agreed with the sentiment.

With a quick hop, he landed on top of the castle walls, and looked over the ghost town. In several quadrants the power had been turned off, and only a few lights remained. Smoke bellowed up from the power generators in the eastern section of the city, and the sounds of water dragons being summoned and explosive tags detonated told Seiichi that Onwa had yet to be defeated. But she had failed in her mission to defend the generators.

The water around Nijiro Kirjiou rippled again. The blood dragon escorting the Yun was fast approaching.

[Yun Luán]

[atrb=cellpadding,10,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width, 460, true][atrb=rules,none][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background-image: url(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v303/WholeLottaChaos/asian-rice-paper_zps6ad0fe3b.jpg); -moz-border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; -o-border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; -webkit-border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; border-bottom: #101010 solid 6px; border-right: #101010 solid 6px; border-left: #101010 solid 6px; border-top: #101010 solid 6px;][atrb=style,padding-top:10px;][atrb=align,center] Yun Sun Jian had accomplished many things in his life, short of thirty years. Destined for greatness by the Dragon emblem of his birthright, the Yun since his days as a babe to his tenure of a man, was littered with achievements that shook the definition of marvelous. Riding a Dragon as now among them. Through the night sky, as the whipping winds in altitudes that loomed over the willowy forest below, Sun Jian was vastly approaching the center place of the Waterfall Nation. Save for the moonlight that cast a chilling blanket of white and the flickers of orange that waltzed in the same spotlight, the rest of the capital was black, the shroud moving through the city like a cancer-threatening to snuff out the last remnants of light that stood defiant. Sun Jian scanned the bustling city, engulfed in conflict, from his obscene vantage point, holding on tightly to the Dragon's horns while the sharp winds beat against him, pulling his robes in a streak of crimson. The beasts behavior, he noted, was extremely curious, the dragon's massive shift in intent from before was nothing short of peculiar. It tried to speak to him, or so Sun Jian thought, the language crashing into his thoughts in muddled whispers and groans that he possessed no will to understand. Still, the Yun assumed he gauged the beasts intent correctly, or hopefully as they hovered over the mouth of the volcano where the capital resided. “Here,” Sun Jian spoke, pointing with his spear towards the emptied square of the city. People ran in all directions, scared citizens doing their best to flee the disaster that had invaded through the walls. A perverbial virus of malvalonce that carried the banners of Hidden Rock, turning harmony into discord, and which the champions of Taki no Kuni struggled desperately to repel. A thought slammed into Sun Jian's mind, but it wasn't his own. A sentiment of confusion, a protest. The beast questioned Sun Jian's intent as they hovered still hundreds of feet above the city. Sun Jian tried to make out whatever words it may have spoke, but his head was swimming in a torrent of emotions that was foreign to him. “Yes, here.” Sun Jian spoke once more to the Dragon-and the slipped off. He was a but a moving dot in the shadow of a dragon and the twinkle of moonlight, hurtling towards the hub of civilization in a blitz of burgundy. A tuck, a flip, then a slam, Sun Jian hit the concrete paved streets in a thunderous crash. Chakra dispelling the energy from his free fall into the ground, caving the surface in with a series of spider-web cracks, penning an elaborate pattern from end to end. From the smoke, he stood, taking a glance back at the dragon who glared at him fiercely before he lost the mythical beast to the clouds that loomed over head. The wind blew, as if to beckon his attention to where the highest peak of the castle walls. Only to meet the piercing gaze of Eboshi Seiichi that loomed in the distance. The Yun stomped, the earth moaned before succumbing to the pressure that shot Sun Jian into a speeding bullet. As if the earth itself shrunk, bringing him closer to his destination, the Iwagakure warrior closed the gap filled with castle gates and a massive courtyard-until he stood in the illuminated spotlight of sterling white. Issuing a determined stare to the Lord of Takigakure. “I come here to speak with the Lord of Takigakure and the leaders of Taki no Kuni. I speak as the voice of our lady Tsuchikage Yun Luán.” An explosion licked the sky in the distance, sending tremors where he stood, but the man remained indifferent to the chaos. “I must have my audience.”

[Eboshi Seiichi]

A thundering crash heralded the arrival of the Yun, and Seiichi sighed. How dramatic, he thought to himself as he made a hand sign. His eyes surged with power and turned gold, and the pupils lengthened into slits. The dragon eyes looked up just as the Yun appeared over the wall, boring into him to divine his intent.

What the Sun Jian spoke was the truth. Seiichi’s eyes made it almost impossible to lie before him, and from just a glance he knew the boy was both earnest and fearless. If the intelligence gathered by Ten’Yuu had been true, than he had a right not to fear the Taki lord. Sun Jian was a prodigy in his country, and had yet to meet any serious obstacle.

His arrogance smells familiar, a voice rumbled in Seiichi’s head.

Seiichi didn’t say much at first. Explosion after explosion sent tremors through the city, and if one looked closely, it was as if the night had come alive to swallow the buildings whole. Seiichi looked over his shoulder, sighed again, and then turned back to Sun Jian.

“I am the leader of Takigakure no Sato and Taki no Kuni, Eboshi Seiichi. Your audience will be with me, and only me. Now,” Seiichi paused to extend a hand from his cloak. In it was a silver pocket watch. “You have five minutes to tell me why you’re here and to send summons for the Tsuchikage. After those five minutes, we’re going to stop these war games and handle things like the nobility you Yun claim to be.”

[Yun Luán]

[atrb=cellpadding,10,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width, 460, true][atrb=rules,none][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background-image: url(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v303/WholeLottaChaos/asian-rice-paper_zps6ad0fe3b.jpg); -moz-border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; -o-border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; -webkit-border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; border-radius: 20px 20px 20px 20px; border-bottom: #101010 solid 6px; border-right: #101010 solid 6px; border-left: #101010 solid 6px; border-top: #101010 solid 6px;][atrb=style,padding-top:10px;][atrb=align,center] The Dragon of the Mountains remained stalwart in the presence of Takigakure's own serpent king. A sharp stare, his eyes narrowed in a brief flash of scrutiny, it was only after the Yun felt the undeniable energies of Eboshi Seiichi's chakras, a class far more superior than those he had encountered thus far, did he need no further convincing that this man was the one who commanded. Thus the Yun dropped the spear he held in his hands, the weapon clanging across the ground and rolling to the series of steps in abandonment below. Despite the thunderous drums and chorus that told the tales of struggle surrounding the nation, Sun Jian remained ever placid, and if anything else-noble. Bending at the waist in a shallow bow, he dipped, placing a fist to his chest as he spoke with all the sincerity and decorum nearly signature to a people who held themselves as the pinnacle of culture. “I am Yun Sun Jian, courtier and diplomat to the house of Yun. Lord Eboshi, I come to you on the orders of our esteemed Lady who wishes to broker an alliance between our nations...” – In the gardens of the Yun clan district, flowers still bloomed, regardless of the encroaching chill and mountains that made such an assortment of colors nearly impossible by native means. Beyond the district, there was mostly stone, an earthen embrace that strangled out the elegance of flora beyond vines and forced paddles of rice. The Yun however were insistent that their quarters erupted with life, a serene paradise from the individual flower petals to the winding path that the vine bushes took. Each detail orchestrated to embody the wordless virtues of the people who aspired to perfection. From the balcony of her estate she watched with a placid smile. In the same garden, nobles from the Daimyo's court whispered and laughed, playing their favorite game of bargaining support and favors. All underneath her calculating gaze, they moved with other emissaries of clans and figureheads owned to the nation, escorted and swayed by the Yun's best masters of the court. Oddly placed in the scene of schemers, children cased a puppy in the gardens, adding genuine laughter into the atmosphere of politics and falsehoods. “Lady Tsuchikage?” A voice ushered her attention away from the portrait of commotion below. A handmaiden, one of many that she recognized was often in the service of her mother. The Tsuchikage, Yun Luán, cast a glance over her shoulder, offering a smile that was better fitting for a snake than man, and ushered the lady forward. “Yes, what is it?” The handmaiden declined her head. “Your mother and the Daimyo send their regards from the capital. Lady Yun is looking forward to hearing the results of the campaign in Taki no Kuni, as per her missive.” “Ah,” Luán replied cooly, extending a glance once more to the scene below. The guests of the house were now among the children, seemingly offering lectures to the younglings that watched the elders with wide eyes. “And my appointments for the coming week? Have they been deferred?” “Yes, as per your trip. Carraige awaits you in the morning. Shall I prepare your coats? Given the season, a chill should be sweeping through the lands of the waterfall country.” And Luán belted back a laughter. “No my dear...I imagine at this peculiar time of month, things should be fairly heated...” -end