When the comforts of civilization begin to dull our senses, we must never forget that in the beginning, there was war. And war. And more war. Long before there were empires, there were humans consumed with greed and the hunger for power. Resources, territories, information—these were the forms of sustenance upon which we preyed. Today, we call such habits vices. Oh, how arrogant we have become! Are we not still impelled by those primordial emotions? Is the advent of war so far-fetched? But alas, for you to truly understand, we must dive deeper into this land’s half-forgotten past.
There was a time when might was the only law that humankind knew. Fearsome clans roamed throughout the land, seeking amenable grounds within which they could take root and opposing forces against whom they could test their mettle. Given the irregularity of nature’s bounty, certain regions appealed more than others, and dominion over such coveted territories became the spark that ignited the earliest inter-clan wars. These fierce, internecine affairs tended to conclude only when one side had decimated their competition into oblivion, and many clans of story were rendered extinct during this period.
The victors of war, having claimed their territories, often made truces with surrounding locals, offering protection in exchange for access to the yields of agriculture. Over time, certain communities emerged as more dominant than others, either due to numbers or sheer talent, and their rapid expansion would force smaller, neighboring communities to either collapse into their fold or be devastated. When the dust settled, humankind found itself divided into the five major territories that we are familiar with today. And was the bloodshed over? With our lands obtained and our bellies filled, were we finally content?
06/01/2023 June is for Juggin
We made it y’all, another month of OTA, and fresh off the press we have another promotion ready. Leaving behind the opening bonus sadly, we welcome the jugggggg! June is for juggin AKA working hard, so we are making it a double rewards month for every mission completed! Yes we said it's double rewards, now you all can really get into the thick of those builds if you work hard enough. And who knows what you might uncover in the process. AND all jobs are free to enroll no quest EXCEPT ANBU(Black Ops) roles.
Shinosuke’s eyes would widen with excitement and genuine interest when the teenager was attempting to actually formulate his own thoughts on what was said. While intently listening to the boy’s counter arguments, the samurai would casually and slowly drop back towards the ground kicking his legs inward in a cross formation. The samurai no longer felt the need to pay too much attention to whether his adversary beside him would attempt a betrayal in the temporary trust established. From the beginning Shinosuke had noticed some key points the boy had picked up on and handled expertly. To think that someone so young had the capability to understand something so complex speaks volumes about what the boy has already undergone.[break][break]
Shinosuke’s left arm rested on his hips as he let out a hearty laugh to the boy’s last comment. ”Precisely Xio of Kumogakure. If the samurai were so high and mighty, so far from the seemingly barbaric nuisances, why would a good portion of our own techniques derive from a tool entirely made to kill others? Regardless of some proclaimed origin of self defense, homicide in itself is not a good thing. Killing of any kind is innately wrong as all anyone is trying to do is live. I’m not against defending one’s self in the slightest as I carry these two katana myself, but you don’t always have to kill someone to defend yourself and even if you do it shouldn’t be celebrated as you just snuffed out someone else’s dreams and aspirations.”[break][break]
”My culture seems to have forgotten that aspect of life. Every life should be celebrated and our art form was created from something that does the exact opposite. How are we any different from their own perception of you all? I want to say that this popularized view of your culture has spread within our own because there’s more of you all than there are of us. Your use of chakra and techniques are more common than our own and it’s easier to point the blame for the fucked up world on the shinobi than own up to the roles that we played in making it so fucked up.”[break][break]
Standing to his feet once more, the man brushed the residue from the earth off his legs and continued his speech for a final time. ”Yes I’d argue he needs to interact with life a bit more as well but he’s a stubborn bastard that’s stuck in his own view points. It’s important to not allow the mistakes of our forefathers to become our own. It’s dangerous to blindly place your full trust in someone even if they are family. With that, I’m entirely over this philosophical conversation if you are as well. Politics isn’t something I always discuss with random people I meet as we’re not all this agreeable and mild tempered. If you would allow me though, I’d like to teach you another small piece of my culture since you were so kind as to show me a little of your own. I will note that it would require me to place my hands on my weapons in order to discard them.”[break][break]
Shinosuke’s father would disown him immediately if he were to find out about this entire interaction, but he wasn’t too concerned he would.
Shinosuke nodded in agreement, acknowledging the young man's rebuttal as he removed his own weapon from his person. "I wasn't necessarily going to be aiming anything at you per say nor does it utilize my own weapons, but I'm all for safety if you feel the need. Us samurai are extremely capable much like you shinobi. Many choose to be very straightforward and honorable, while some like to take a page from your books. I like to be a decent mixture of both, aggressive and bold but also capable of using tricks myself. This is part of the reason my father and I don't get along. The samurai are never ill equipped, even when disarmed and seemingly harmless. We are supposed to be masters of weaponry and hand to hand combat. Most people seem to think that when we lose our weapons, we are no longer a serious threat but to counter that we developed a way to stay in the fight. I myself, like to use it as a lure."[break][break]
The samurai dropped his katana from the sides of his hip and let them hit the ground with a satisfying thud. As they released, his hands would ignite with a roar of chakra as a visible sword would extend from both hands. As the chakra extended, the shape would concentrate and focus the rush of chakra from his palms. The chakra made katana extended slightly further than his own original weapons. "I can extend these weapons a decent range from even where we're standing, nor do they have to be katanas or swords. They can be any type of weapon, preferably ones that I or whoever's using the technique have profession in. I personally use this as a sort of lure where I allow people to disarm me, then find a way to get in close and almost 'ignite' the chakra into their bodies. What I mean by that is, I'll get in close or allow myself to be captured and then when they least expect it these bad boys are shoved into their chests."[break][break]
The samurai waved his humming blades of chakra around a bit and then rested them by both sides. He could show the young man some more like their ranged capabilities but Shinosuke was sure that was probably going too far. He wanted to say more as well and talk more to this boy who seemingly knew so much about life, but alas the man had more regions to see and people to meet. Plus, he was sure to be hung if he continued spreading information he wasn't cleared to give out to others. Shinosuke ended his performance by releasing the chakra and then waiting the boy's response. Maybe he had already seen what a samurai was capable of and this was nothing new, but he at least wanted the boy to know that even when an opponent seemed to be harmless they aren't always done fighting. The man liked studying different aspects of war and how people won different fights or battles. Often times, when you're seemingly defeated is the best time to strike.[break][break]
This variation to the Chakra Form Manipulation grants the samurai the ability of creating a chakra weapon out of thin air, whenever combat has rendered them without their normal armament. Taking the shape of weapon whatever the samurai desires, the user's pure chakra maintains the weapon as long as there is enough chakra to fuel it.[break][break]
Note: The maximum size of the weapon(s) the samurai may create is 3 meters, which can extend to a length of 8 meters.
Xio watched carefully with his scythe in front of him as the clad man dropped his katana from his side, a daring thing the lad thought at first while he continued to listen to Shinosuke but he would see why soon. Without any preparation of seals he was capable of manifesting his chakra in its raw form, it was quite amazing considering he’d just learned to walk on surfaces with chakra.
“Wow, that’s actually pretty amazing, you would’ve definitely caught me off guard.”
Watching as his new comrade waved the chakra swords around while further explaining his technique Xio couldn’t hope but to activate his Sharingan. ‘Samurai.’ He’d thought as he’d taken in the chakra properties that made up his friends Katana, realizing there was not a bit of elemental chakra in it he’d nodded his head.
“That type of thing would work perfectly against people in a rush, a lot of people don’t assess the danger of things before they jump in.”
The Kami spoke with his usual nonchalant tone as he shrugged his shoulders and refocused his eyes on Shinosuke person from his blades.
“I’ve been working to find more uses of my scythe and rely more on my taijutsu abilities because you never know who you might face and I have natural abilities for it luckily. But lately, since I’ve been back in the field my style has transitioned to a more prolonged med to long-range type of fighter.”
Xio felt relaxed around Shinosuke as he didn’t feel like he was after anything other than conversation.
“I could teach you some basic Ninjutsu that might help you out in a bind if you’d be down to teach me some new tricks with my scythe.”
Being a member of the clan, he hailed from he always believed in spreading the knowledge of Ninjutsu, it was a way for people to bond spiritually.
As he finished swaying the chakra made weapons around, the boy's eyes spiraled into a crimson hue. It was almost as if they were glowing with a fierce intensity. This was entirely new to the samurai. He had no knowledge of any shinobi being able to change the color of their eyes at a whim, much less what the color change even meant. So far, they seemed to fix their gaze upon his blades of chakra almost as if they were analyzing them.
Quite the technique...
The boy revealed his own preferred style of combat and how he wished he was more adept with his own weapon. On one hand, he wanted to encourage the boy to continue finding more ways to defend himself with the scythe and maybe even augment it. On the other however, he knew thinning oneself out between unfamiliar techniques could create a false sense of security. A jack of all trades and master of none thrive in all situations but fail to master even a single subject.
"Mmmm it's probably best just to know that there are weaknesses you have that you could improve on but continue to focus on the aspects that you're comfortable with. Again, I'm not sure I'll be using any of your techniques anytime soon even if they are quite useful, but I wouldn't mind understanding them. I'm sure I'll be unfortunate enough to have to deal with someone using them against me some time..."
Shinosuke avoided the fact that he was already privy to some of the basic forms of ninjutsu the shinobi practiced; his own father introducing some basic ninjutsu to him and his brother as a precaution. A father prejudiced against the ninja was sure to have at least taught them that much about their "foes".
"Like those eyes of yours. I noticed you glance towards my creations with them. What do they tell you? I've never seen them before, but I'm sure it won't be the last time."
Shinosuke's response resonated deeply within them, infusing their situation with an overwhelming sense of solace and connection. The duo's intentions aligned seamlessly, like two pieces of a puzzle coming together. With a deliberate and theatrical flourish, Xio skillfully swung his scythe, its wicked blade arcing across his back before finding its rightful place in the holster. Every movement seemed imbued with purpose and significance.
The air crackled with anticipation as Shinosuke's question about Xio's eyes hung in the silence, like a hidden trigger waiting to be pulled. Xio's mind raced, calculating the risks of revealing his deepest secret. With a momentary hesitation, he decided to cast aside his usual reservations. Today demanded something different. Today demanded drama.
"Simply put," Xio began, his voice low and tinged with uncertainty,
"they render me color blind... and so much more."
The weight of his words lingered in the air, creating an atmosphere of intrigue. A sudden intensity seized Xio's gaze as he locked eyes with Shinosuke.
"And to make it more complicated,"
he continued, his voice growing in conviction,
"they grant me the power to unleash laser beams from my very eyes." The words hung there, heavy and electrifying.
As he spoke, Xio's left hand rose, trembling with a mix of trepidation and pride. With a swift motion, he pointed to the three tomoe Sharingan adorning his eye, its crimson hue blazing like an inferno. It was a sight rarely witnessed and spoken of, especially among those acquainted with the Uchiha lineage. But Xio was no ordinary Uchiha; he reveled in defying expectations.
"The Sharingan,"
he declared, his voice filled with a blend of mystery and defiance. He knew he had thrown Shinosuke into a vortex of bewilderment, yet he couldn't resist the thrill of granting this enigmatic man a glimpse into his secrets.
"But alas," Xio murmured, his tone now laden with regret,
"my eyes are weary today, and I cannot demonstrate their true power. Yet, perhaps in the future, we could arrange a meeting... and you, my friend, would witness a spectacle that would leave you breathless."
His gaze drifted momentarily into the distance, as if peering into a future yet unwritten. With a sudden, deliberate snap of attention, Xio's eyes fixated on Shinosuke once more.
"However, for now, our paths must diverge,"
Xio proclaimed, his voice tinged with a bittersweet sense of farewell. Stepping backward, his form radiating with an aura of enigmatic power, he invoked an ancient jutsu, causing his body to dissolve into a swirling vortex of smoke and shadows. In an instant, he vanished from the shore, leaving behind only the echo of his presence.
As the dissipating mist settled, Shinosuke was left standing alone, his mind reeling from the encounter. The conversation had been more than he ever expected, a tantalizing taste of the extraordinary. And as the weight of the moment sank in, he knew deep in his soul that he had crossed paths with a being of remarkable power and mystery. It was an encounter that would forever linger in his memories, urging him to seek out the truth of Xio's captivating abilities, and yearning for the day their destinies would intertwine once more.
