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.
Jin's fist hits the poor duck-shaped clock like thunder strikes the earth.[break][break]
"I swear I'm gonna break you some day..." It was the same stressful tone every morning, and in every single damn one of them, she always threatened to toss the thing away but failed to do so miserably. Sighing, she turns around and lies on her bed, her eyes staring up towards the ceiling. [break][break]
"OOooohayoooowwnnn...!" she yawns out, but there's nobody around in particular to receive her good wishes. Her small apartment (a room, really) isn't too tidy nor is it a mess; the largest object in the room is a bookshelf with many scrolls lined up, with a couple of them also unrolled on the creaky wooden floor. Within her grasp was a small blue-colored scroll, which she raised high in the air with a smile drawn on her face. That was her newest official assignment to a ninja cell, the fruit of her hard labor thus far.[break][break]
"Ittekimasu!" She's quick on her feet to get herself ready for the day, announcing her leave to nobody in particular before shutting the door behind her.[break][break]
With a slice of bread tougher than a brick in her mouth, Jin is quick to go through her early morning jogging routine in the mountain range before returning to the compound. Usually she'd spend the day taking on minor jobs, but today was special—a day off! As she jumps from one house to another, the fresh and brisky early morning air blows past her features. In the distance, the massive trees and decorated design of the founding family's residence could be seen already. After greeting the heads of the founding family outside, Jin makes her way around the house, expertly opening the window to one of the rooms.[break][break]
There, she finds snow white a young man with white hair soundly asleep. She blinks a couple of times before her lips curl up in a smug expression. After removing her sandals, she jumps from the window and over the bed, silently landing on the other side.[break][break]
...As shadows obscure her eyes, the kunoichi weaves handsigns. Chakra floods her veins as her hands summon forth ninjutsu, the art used to kill many a shinboi in the course of time and history. And then finally ---[break][break]
"Ninpou! Secret Bed Flipping Technique!!" She grabs the bed below and flips it upwards. It spins several times on the air at high speed with Xio on it before landing with a massive thud on the floor while still keeping him on top of it.[break][break]
"Wake up, samura- I mean, wake up, ouji-san*! It's sunday! You promised you'd help me pick up some new shuriken packs, remember?!" [break][break]
It was earlier in the morning and for once the genin didn’t find himself up at the crack of dawn, he was exhausted from his latest mission with Hyouka-San. So much he didn’t get a chance to eat before he went to bed which left him in a strange dream that caused him to fall into a deeper state of sleep than normal. Without any warning or a chance to react Ichizoku had crept into his room like an ANBU op and positioned herself to the left of his bed. As she started to wave the hand seals the genin’s eyes slowly crept open out of curiosity, but once he was able to realize who it was she was already flipping his mattress while screaming.
"Ninpou! Secret Bed Flipping Technique!!"
Xio mattress would flip rapidly while he stuck to the mattress for a few moments before it fell to the ground with him under it causing him to let out a loud grunt. ‘got dammit. I forgot about Ichi this morning.’ Despite being surprised this wasn’t something he wouldn’t expect from her, he would grunt lightly as she sounded off once more.
"Wake up, samura- I mean, wake up, ouji-san*! It's sunday! You promised you'd help me pick up some new shuriken packs, remember?!"
Her voice was enough to get him moving a little bit, despite being slightly irritated he didn’t complain as he rolled over flipping his mattress on the floor.
“Shit, well this is one hell of a reminder ay?”
Speaking with a raspy voice as he just woke up, the boy would wipe the coal from his eyes before getting out of his bed to the left of his friend. He would make his way over near the same window she came in to reach his wardrobe, pulling a few things from it he would start to get ready for the day.
“So they don’t even stop you at the front any more huh? They don’t love me .”
Xio would take the clothing he grabbed and make his way over to one of those stand-alone shades that he could stand behind and change. He spoke playfully as he understood the relationship they had because there weren’t many Kami invested in the ninja arts nowadays. They were two of the few that had been sent off to the academy recently, so elders didn’t really hold them to the same standards as everyone else.
“But it doesn’t really matter, maybe I was too aloof, or maybe I let you do that ?”
The Kami boy didn’t take long to change into his regular attire, he wore a black shirt, and black pants, and black closed-toe shoes. The shit usually bore a medium-sized Kami Insignia on the front left side of his shirt that covered his heart, and the pants were plain cargo. Stepping from behind the shade he would make his way over to his closet where he kept all his mission gear to continue to get ready to step out, today would be the refresher on how things were before he’d got the Yonbi sealed.
“So what have you been up to Ichi, where’s the shop we’re heading to today?”
As her fellow white-haired clansmen lay grunting under his bed, Jin's lips curl up in a light smile following his reaction. "Heh. Bet you were dreaming about something to do with bacon, weren't you?" she says resting her hands on her hips before taking a quick glance to the window. It's clear outside, so she couldn't miss this chance today.[break][break]
As an enthusiast of all things ninja tool-related, it would be a fruitless endeavor for Jin to go on shopping sprees alone. Due to all the weapon choices available, the kunoichi would often waste way too much time picking her tools, so having someone else tag along helps her pick the ones she would need faster. Her hazel eyes watch Xio as he moves on to change, and so she decides to hop on the windows again, sitting there and facing outside to give him some modicum of privacy. As she put on her shinobi sandals again, she continues listening to him.[break][break]
"... or maybe I let you do that ?"[break][break]
Jin pouts in response. [break][break]
"Wow, rude!" Says the rude bed-flipper herself. "It wouldn't hurt to acknowledge my stealth skills, you know?? Hmph." Despite her words, her tone is just as playful as her fellow clansman. She remains silent for a bit, dangling her legs as she waits for him to get ready, until he asks her about their destination for today. But before that...![break][break]
"Oh yeah!" Reaching out for her rear satchel, Jin picks up the blue-colored scroll and leans back into the room for a bit to toss it towards Xio. Had he failed to catch the scroll, it would fall dead center on top of his head. Totally not intentional. "Check that out, hehe!" Her animated giggles make it clear just how proud she is of her achievement. [break][break]
"Guess who got assigned to your ninja cell? I'll be counting on you from now on, Xio-senpai." She speaks the last word with a teasing lower pitch, implying he's the more experienced, elderly one between the two. [break][break]
"And we're going to Totonki's! They've got the new [Hangetsu Shuriken]! I wanna know how that thing even manages to fly...!"[break][break]
It wouldn’t take long for Xio to gather his things from the closet. The first thing he grabbed was his tool bag that was on the top shelf, it was already filled with everything he usually carried. Next, he would grab his scythe and place it into the loophole on his back allowing it to be held with little movement.
"Wow, rude! It wouldn't hurt to acknowledge my stealth skills, you know?? Hmph."
Xio would chuckle lightly under his breath lightly as he pulled away from his closet, he was fully dressed and prepared to start the day. ‘Damn, it’s early.’ Turning his attention to the window Jin sat in he could see the sun barely peaking over the horizon, ‘it’s been a while.’ He thought.
"Oh yeah!"
Without much of a warning, the young woman pulled a small scroll from her bag and tossed it in Xio’s direction, with much effort he would reach out and caught it with his left hand.
"Check that out, hehe! Guess who got assigned to your ninja cell? I'll be counting on you from now on, Xio-senpai."
The genin would open the small scroll wear it had a few names listed.. ‘Hyouka squad captain and Jin along with me are being made an official cell. That’s crazy.’ While Xio read over the paper he worried a little bit because lately Hyouka had been taking him on a mission way outside their rank, and it was of course because of special circumstances. ‘Shit.’ Xio would grimace slightly before he would shake off the worry, stilling himself he would roll the scroll back up and place it on the desk beside him.
"And we're going to Totonki's! They've got the new [HANGETSU SHURIKEN]! I wanna know how that thing even manages to fly...!"
The sound of her voice pulled the young Kami back to reality as she got excited about the ninja tools in a way that couldn’t be faked. Xio would offer a light smile as began to make his way toward the window, where she sat.
“Well, isn’t that cool, I thought another kid Hitora was gonna be with us as well but I guess shit happens. But I’m happy they finally let you off the compound completely, Hyouka and I have done some pretty cool missions. Dangerous, but nonetheless exciting.”
The window where she was sitting wasn’t super wide but it was wide enough for him to stand alongside her looking out at the Kami compound and beyond.
“But that sounds exciting I guess, I know how you feel about new weapons… Why don’t you become a blacksmith, I can see it now. Sweaty Jin beating hot iron over anvil creating the best weapon ever forged!”
Xio spoke in a taunting tone as he spoke with Jin.
“Anyways, let’s get on the roll you can lead the way to their shop.”
Without a doubt, one of Jin's major traits is her ridiculous intuition.[break][break]
When his features contort into a grimace, regardless of how slight, the kunoichi is quick to pick up on it. Usually, the brunette would be vocal about these kinds of things, preferring to be clear on any issues and worries that might arise in a given situation, but this time she feels as though it is in her best interest to let it rest. There's no denying her curiosity, though; did Xio think she'd be a hindrance in missions? It's a question she bottles up and keeps to herself. Her smile never left her features, and there are no visible outward signs of what is going on in her mindscape.[break][break]
"A blacksmith, huh? I wonder if I could save some ryo that way..." To no one's surprise, a ninja-tool specialist has to spend an absurd amount of coin to sustain their fighting style. While Xio's suggestion makes perfect sense, the issue is --- "I think I'd need a recommendation letter from my parents. And about that, you know how things are between us... Ahaha..." She's a little bit embarrassed, given how her relationship with her parents hasn't improved in years.[break][break]
She stands on the window alongside him as the fresh mountainous breeze blows softly past them. Raising her arms up, the brunette stretches herself in anticipation of their trip to the weapon store.[break][break]
"Either way, let's go!" She jumps out, landing safely with a quick roll despite the massive height until the ground—a feat the average person definitely can't pull off. She'd wait a brief moment for him before sprinting towards the village in classic ninja style. As they approach the founding family's gate, she jumps towards nearby walls to propel herself above the gate and beyond.[break][break]
"To be honest, I've heard about Hyouka. She's a jonin that uses a sword and does ice stuff, right?!" As she runs, the brunette waves her arms around as if wielding an imaginary katana, despite literally having two sheathed ninjatos hanging from her waist.[break][break]
"Being capable of using an advanced release sure sounds nice... Hitora doesn't ring a bell, though!" From this point on, the kunoichi doesn't stop to check if he's following her anymore. It would take some time until they reached the village, as the Kami clan compound is within the mountain ranges; therefore, the fewer stops they make, the more time they'd have left to spend today.[break][break]
Once more Jin displays the dexterity typical of a ninja by swiftly running up a tree and propelling herself from there to atop a house, where she resumes her sprinting. Moving from one house to another like this saves time, yet another benefit of mastering the basic ninja arts.[break][break]
"What's Hyouka-sensei like, anyway? Is she a super strict jounin?"
The duo hopped from the window seal in the direction of the aforementioned shop, it wouldn’t take long for them to make their way off the Kami compound and into the village. Xio followed closely behind Jin as she lead the way, because it was early there weren’t a lot of people crowding the streets making it easy for them to traverse the city. Listening attentively to Jin he’d take note that he didn’t know Hitora, it was odd he actually made a visit to the Kami Compound but then again, she was rarely there nowadays.
“Well Hyouka-san is pretty strong from what I’ve gathered from our last few missions, I’ve tried prodding her to get more information bout what she’s known for but she’s hella straightforward if that makes sense. Kinda like downplaying what she’s capable of, most of the time she’s complaining about taking care of me and why she got the job.”
Xio chuckled a little as the duo could finally see the shop off in the distance, it wasn’t too much further along the path they followed.
“I think you two will get along, but don’t expect to be coddled by her I don’t think that’s her lane. She wants to see us win, but not without deserving it. She’s motivated me to try harder, I don’t know if you know but I figured out my AR. Can you guess what is?”
Considering it was public knowledge that he’d been sealed with the four tails recently he assumed she hadn’t known about his new abilities.
Due to her speed, the wind rushes past her face. Jin reflects on the information shared by her fellow clansman before turning to glance at him. "So I guess she's the kind of cool type, huh? Pun intended, hehe!" She chuckles, displaying a playful attitude despite not receiving much information about their sensei, which is not Xio's fault.[break][break]
As they continue leaping from one house to another, the hidden cloud village starts to come alive. People from different walks of life, whether civilians or ninjas, begin their activities on the streets. Jin never paid much attention to it before, but now that she is officially part of a ninja cell, the scene before her carries a different weight and meaning. She is now responsible for protecting the country's well-being through missions, and this realization makes her feel a sense of gravity.[break][break]
However, Xio's question about his advanced release brings Jin back to reality. She looks back at him, raising an eyebrow in a somewhat incredulous manner. This lasts only for a brief moment before her she snaps again, as if recalling something important. "Hehehe... Let's take a little detour!" She accelerates, intentionally jumping down between two tall buildings. As she descends, her feet crash against the buildings, propelling her in a zig-zag motion towards the ground. Once she reaches the ground, the kunoichi continues running towards the main road, specifically approaching someone who is setting up their vending spot.[break][break]
"Oji-san, I'll take one!" Her hand swiftly reaches out to grab a newspaper, one of his main products. Jin also flips a valuable coin to pay for it. "Check this out!" she says, tossing the newspaper back to Xio while maintaining her running pace. If he manages to catch it, he would find that the newspaper has cursive Kanji written across the title, and below it is a clear depiction of him carrying two criminals.[break][break]
She looks back at him to gauge his reaction once again. "So, what does it feel like to be famous, Kami-sama?" The honorific is used ironically. "I dunno what's your Advanced release, though! What's it like? Some sorta ultra Sharingan fire?" Although her response is a bit off the mark, she tries to answer his question honestly.[break][break]
Soon after, they finally reach the weapons shop, but something feels off. There is a denser crowd outside than usual, and a large man with a massive sword is demonstrating taijutsu moves to onlookers. Not far from him, a confident blacksmith sits at a table for a contest. There is an empty seat beside him where his opponent should be, but above all, Totonki's shop is still closed even though it's already the busiest hours.[break][break]
"Strange..." she mutters to herself, but loud enough for Xio to hear. After glancing between the man showcasing his skills and the door of the weapon shop, Jin approaches the entrance and knocks on the wooden door. No response. "Totonki-san, is everything alright?" She continues knocking. Again. Once more. Until...[break][break]
"GO AWAY!" Someone from inside bangs on the door in response. "I've told you I have no sponsor! I've lost! Go bother someone else already!"[break][break]
Jin glances at Xio with a grimace, as if asking what they should do next.[break][break]
Catching the paper while he continued to follow behind his companion, Xio would see a decent-sized picture and article on his recent mission. ‘Damn Hyouka was right.’ The press was already started to cover the missions they’ve completed, ‘I wonder what the Raikage has up her sleeve.’ He thought to himself. The genin wouldn’t spend much time on the paper though, he would toss it to the side because he figured his parents already had their copies somewhere in the house.
"So, what does it feel like to be famous, Kami-sama? I dunno what's your Advanced release, though! What's it like? Some sorta ultra Sharingan fire?"
Xio would chuckle a little as Jin poked fun at his seemingly new status. Over the years Xio grew used to her playful banter when it came to anything being the opposite of himself at times.
“Well, something like that, more like I’ve got the Lava release now. It’s hella weird especially because I haven’t learned any doton. But I don’t think it’s enhanced by my sharingan”
He would say before he burst into a bit of laughter.
“I’m surprised you haven’t unlocked yours yet, if I remember correctly, your senju side is more prevalent? And that’s like a norm for them.”
The white hair shinobi kept his pace while questioning Jin, it seemed like they were getting close to their destination there seemed to be a dense crowd surrounding the building they were heading for. It appeared to be a circle around a large ruffian wielding a fairly large broadsword, ‘I guess it’s a sword show today?’ He pounded quietly. Pushing through the crowd the duo found themselves at the doorstep of the store Jin was excited to visit, but as she knocked the man screamed back something about a sponsor.
“Hmm”
Xio would look around for a second taking in his surroundings, it seemed they were waiting for something to start. This crowd couldn’t be all for that new weapon they were here for after a few moments he would look back to Jin.
“Go ahead, let’s get to the bottom of this I got your back.”
He would say calmly as he could feel the intensity of the crowd growing behind them.
Among the many things she had to go through when growing up, Jin certainly dislikes the same question that often pops up between clansmen. Those eyes, the way they talk, and the way the question is delivered often makes her bite her lip in frustration; yes, her sharingan. Only the sage of six paths could really tell when or if it'd ever awaken in her case, specially when they haven't awakened even after witnessing the end of the two most important people in her life. Even so, she knows Xio means no harm with that question, and she's quick to shake her head and nervously laughs off his comment. When they reached the shop and his words of reassurance make it to her ears, she sighs in frustation.[break][break]
"Alright, I guess..." resting her hands upon her hips, her sigh is a telltale sign that she knows where this is going. The truth is, regardless of whether she is within a ninja cell or not, she's still a genin. Dealing with problems like this is expected of her rank, and in a way, this also counts as protecting the village...probably. God damn it, she just wanted some cool new shurikens and not solve problems on her day off! [break][break]
"Don't be like that, Totonki-san. It's me, Jin! You know, the weird girl that like, buys a ton of your stuff! What's going on??" on the other end of the closed door, there is but silence for a brief moment. Both Jin and Xio can feel someone approaching on the other side, before finally, he speaks up.[break][break]
"...Ah, Jin-chan. Sorry, I didn't mean to. It's just..." [break][break]
"HOOOOH!" before he could continue, Totonki is interrupted by the large man's booming voice. Near the crowd, he pulls yet another stunt and rolls the dangerous, massive blade around his neck as if he handles a toy, all without injuring himself. [break][break]
"Tch. Koutarou, that son of a gun... Today wasn't the day we agreed to do this." The man on the other side mutters to himself before continuing, "Anyways, come on in. I'll explain it to ya inside." He opens the door before them, ushering the duo of genins inside. Soon after they enter he quickly closes the door, as if embarrassed for having not stepped up to the event going on outside.[break][break]
Jin notices his behavior; one that is uncommon for the old man. "What's that big guy doing out there anyways? Never seen him before." Jin displays a certain familiarity as she starts questioning the situation at hand--she walks up to one of the many shelves lined with shurikens neatly packed with rope and bamboo, checking out the new shurikens she mentioned at the start of their journey. The store is somewhat small, and as such, things are well placed in order to make the best use of space without feeling like a cluttered mess. The wood is old and creaks beneath their feet, but that almost feels like it just adds a touch of familiarity to the whole place. There are a myriad of weapons in display, and all of them give off a feel of quality and reliability from the sheen rolling across the metal.[break][break]
"Well, the thing is..." with a long sigh, he scratches his head.[break][break]
"... So, to sum it up, you agreed to a challenge, but your rival played dirty and told everyone the wrong date to get you when you least expected." the brunette says, tossing the strangely shaped shuriken at the straw dummy for testing. It flies to its target perfectly. "Talk about getting caught with your pants down, Totonki-san!" Jin chuckles with a light smug drawn across her lips.[break][break]
"Tch! You know my wares would kick that guy's ass fair and square." he crosses his arms with an annoyed sigh escaping his lips; an anger vein can be seen on the man's wrinkled countenance. Pulling on the tip of his white beard, he speaks up again.[break][break]
"So, ya good with weapons innit Jin-chan? How about being my sponsor? I'll make sure to reward you well! Consider a job for a kunoichi." In response, Jin chuckles nervously. The image of the stunt-pulling man pops up in her mind. Surely that guy isn't all just show, right? Today is supposed to be her day off![break][break]
"Uhm, I'm not sure about that. The guy representing your rival looks kinda strong, haha... and besides, it's not like I'm that famous...-" throwing the last shuriken, she turns around to look towards Xio and Totonki but suddenly stops as the pieces of the proverbial puzzle within her mind fall back into place. The newspaper flashes back within her mind.[break][break]
"Ooooh!" she rushes behind Xio, giving him a light push towards Totonki. "If you've gotta have a sponsor, you need someone famous. Turns out you've got the perfect guy for the job!"[break][break]
Totonki raises a single eyebrow in doubt. "Hanh? That wimp ain't lookin' that great... I mean, he's tall, sure, but..." the old man strokes his beard again, looking Xio and up and down. His eyes suddenly widen at the realization that - "Wait, is this guy the one in the newspaper??" He steps forward, his old hands resting on Xio's arms. [break][break]
"Please, help this old man get out of this situation, won't ya?? I'll make sure to compensate you!"
"Please, help this old man get out of this situation, won't ya?? I'll make sure to compensate you!"
Just when Xio thought he was a ride along he was being volunteered to scarp with some random guy for Jin’s favorite weapon shop, he would sigh lightly. Up until this point, he thought he was doing a good job being a shadow. ‘Shit.’ Before he could even say yes or no Jin was already pushing him forward, it was clear he didn’t have a choice in this matter.
“Alright, I’ll do it. Although I honestly do believe this would be easier for Jin.”
As he spoke he would look over to his fellow clansmen with a taunting glance before he turned back to the worried old man.
“So what weapon am I running with, are there any special rules I should be looking to follow??? Are we just fighting outside?”
