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.
☆ Name: In The Shadows Rank: A Repeatable: -- Description: A new criminal organization has been bubbling in the far south of Kaminari no Kuni, that’s gained enough notoriety to catch the Raikage’s attention. The group has been reported carrying out various heinous activities along trade routes and small villages with money as their motivation. We haven’t been able to pinpoint the exact location of the base, but we’ve received general coordinates of the base please find its location and report back your findings to the Raikage.
Reward: 400 EXP and 50,000
“NOW you finally got me something I'm good at?”
If it were any other day, Hyouka would've taken this mission happily without complaint. However, the recent happenings told her that something like this was too good to be true.
“Alright, 'fess up. What's the catch?”
"You're taking the Kamis with you."
“I knew that much. Now 'fess up. What's the real catch?”
"I don't think you heard me properly."
“Of course I did, I'm taking Xio wi--”
Pause.
“Kamis. Plural. There's more than one.”
"You didn't know?"
“Of course not! You think I'll waltz into their compound just because I brought him along for a few missions? What do you take me for, his mentor?”
"You kind of looked the part..."
“We all know I don't meet the minimum requirements for that. Look, if Son Goku's influence sends him on a rampage I'd happily give up my life to stop him. But that's where the problem lies: Even if I sacrificed myself, I cannot stop him. Do we, Kumogakure, lack people?”
"I feel like we've done this argument before?"
“Because you wouldn't answer the fucking question. Do we, Kumogakure, lack people?”
"...We lack people who aren't ANBU."
“Very good! See? Was that so hard?" Hyouka's condescending tone hinted at just how long this situation had been going on. "Addressing the problem begins with admitting you have a problem. Now, I'm sure Xio is worth at least one guy taking off his mask to teach him, right?”
"He is, but... the guy is busy doing a secret mission for the Raikage."
“There! By the Six Paths, why couldn't you have said it earlier? I'd at least have been more understanding if y- No, wait, this isn't just an excuse is it?”
A few hours later, Hyouka returned a wheelbarrow and buckets she borrowed to the Senju compound. She wore a rather satisfied expression as she grabbed some traveling gear and her sword from her house, put on her usual jacket then went to the designated meeting spot.
It was an early day for the sun was just peaking over the mountainside that shielded Kumogakure no sato, the village was barely alive but there moved Xio. Dressed in his usual attire with the addition of the gourd his father recently made him, he bounced his way through the village seldomly, with a plethora of things plaguing his mind. ‘I wonder what happened to Hitora that day?’ he thought while moving from rooftop to rooftop gracefully. Although Xio barely knew the Uchiha there was a little discomfort about his sudden disappearance, he continued to move as he cycled through a few possibilities in his head before he finally dismissed the thought.
“Fuck it, It’s not my business.”
Speaking to himself he was finally a few feet from the gates of the village, recently he was assigned another high-ranked mission with Hyouka. ‘Ehh, I hope this works out.. I know I’m already a lot to deal with, and Hyouka doesn’t seem like she’s the most interested.’ Finally arriving at the gates, he would give the guards a wave as he continued past them, the door would begin to open allowing the genin to make his exit outside the walls of Kumogakure.
“Okay, let’s see how this all goes.”
As he exited the gates, he could see Hyouka at the end of the bridge waiting, for once she had beat him to their meeting spot. ‘Different.’ He nodded as he continued to close the distance between them it would only take him a few moments before he arrived in front of her on the other side of the bridge.
“Good morning Hyouka-sensei, I hope the mornings treating you well. Sorry, bout the tardiness I have a lot on my mind this morning.”
Taking a deep breath, the genin would poise himself.
“I know you heard the news, but Jin will be joining our team from this point on… I know what you’re probably thinking, but trust she’s different you might like her a little bit more than me ya know? I’m sorry they’re burdening you with my clan.”
From their last couple of missions, he was able to gather that his mentor hadn’t fully been informed of why she had been selected for her role. He expected to be teamed with Hitora, but it was clear that wasn’t going to happen at this point as Hyouka and he had been on a plethora of missions already without him, and seemed like Jin would be his replacement instead of an addition from the paper she shared during their last mission together.
"Hoora, I'm this way!" from one position to another, Jin strikes different poses with her new shuriken in front of a mirror, using her fresh imagination to find out the best ones for showing off in missions. She's already garbed in her ninja gear, the tips of her spiky hair and short scarf dancing together with each pose she strikes. Her pair of ninjatos are already strapped to her waist, and a small scroll on her bed. Her apartment is somewhat bare and old, but it's the best she can afford right now.[break][break]
"Right, gotta check the missive...!" as soon as she touches one of her scrolls, the shuriken disappears in a puff of smoke. The brunette then walks towards her bed, where she sits and unravels the scroll. Good, as expected, the information within is well organized, curt and to the point. In all the time she has spent undergoing missions so far, she has yet to find an error within one of them. Her hazel eyes continue scanning the contents, taking in the information, analyzing it and mapping it within her mindscape until they land on the designated rank.[break][break]
Rank A.
Oh. She actually found an error. Wait, no-[break][break]
"HUH?!" the kunoichi's eyes almost shunshin out of their sockets as she stands up aghast at the rank. "What do you mean A-rank?!? I- I've never even done a B-rank mission?? What are they thin-hngh!" regardless of her newly acquired frustrations, time does not stop for the Kami Kunoichi. The sun peeks out, its rays strategically flooding the poorly lit room with light through the old and rotten wood crevices. One of them lands straight on her eyes.[break][break]
For a moment, she tries shielding herself from the rays to continue reading, until the proverbial pieces of the puzzle fall together within her mind. [break][break]
Sun.[break][break]
Mission.[break][break]
Early morning?[break][break]
"Oh f---!" [break][break]
[...]
[break][break]
The wind blows like a hurricane against her features from the sheer speed she's moving across the village. A few bumps on people along the way followed by many apologies and after jumping from one building to the next several times over, she finally reaches the village gates. The guards laugh at the panting mess of a girl before them, making the check easier so she could move along to the cell's rendezvous. Soon enough, her cell mates would see her figure showing up in the distance with one arm raised and waving towards them.[break][break]
"Sorry... for... late!" She arrives shortly after Xio, stopping besides her fellow clansman. Panting her lungs out, the kunoichi rests her hands on her knees to catch a breath.[break][break]
"I'm Jin, Kami Jin. I look forward to working with you, Hyouka-sensei!"
As expected, the first to come was Xio himself. The other times, Hyouka was caught up arguing at the office and thus unable to make it to the spot before he did. While this time was no different, Hyouka set out a few hours in advance. Hours she used to execute her revenge.
Right now, away from the gathering point, a bunch of kids were probably gathered around for a post-breakfast dessert. Or maybe a bunch of adults were going at it delicately with some sharp tools. Anyway, it was no longer her concern.
“I'm not sure what you think I'm thinking, but as far as you're concerned, my beef is not with you but with them. Also, the Raikage hasn't granted me an audience recently so it's going to be a lot faster for you to ask her.”
As if something outside her vision had caught her attention, Hyouka turned her glance away from Xio. It wasn't difficult to find the source: Hyouka could swear she was seeing a cloud of what seemed like dust approaching from the distance. Okay, this might be the Cloud village, but this one was clearly man-made. And making a beeline for them.
In no time at all, a young girl appeared, panting from the exertion. It was clearly the other Kami that Hyouka was informed about: Kami Jin.
“So you've heard of me already. Xio probably told you."
Hyouka decided to keep it short since Jin was in no condition to listen to any kind of lecture.
"We're headed for the south coast, so this is going to be a bit of a long travel. I'd rather you be late than have you collapse or falling off a cliff midway there. Rest up a bit and we'll start walking. I trust you two have your travelling supplies ready?”
Jin arrived, Xio relaxed and even more so as Hyoka addressed his concerns from earlier the genin could feel a light weight lifted off his back. ‘sheesh.’ The look on his face would spell out his feelings a little before he caught himself and straightened up, his sensei would quickly move on to the next topic addressing the travel they had ahead of them.
“Yeah, I think I’ve got everything. Food, and money for our journey. I figured I’d get new clothes as souvenirs if needed while we travel. PLUS we have jin, she’s always got extra stuff in those scrolls.”
Speaking with his normal monotone voice the genin was sure he’d gathered everything for this ride, it would also be the first time he’d taken his new gourd out. Strapped around his back he could feel a little bit of chakra being pulled into the container, it was much different than the scythe he usually carried, and he was interested in how it would work in battle.
“I’ve even got this new gourd my dad made recently.”
He would adjust the gourd before looking to Hyoka, the gourd was a deep black color and gave off a fairly intense amount of heat in his general area. To Xio things didn’t feel any different, but to the people around him the temperature would rise a couple of degrees.
“But I think I’m ready to go. Although.”
He would turn to Jin.
"First I’d like to say welcome to the team Jin, I’m happy to have you become a part of our squad. I think this might be what you need to figure out your next moves with your ninjutsu, there’s nothing like some pressure to get you going right?”
"Yup, I've got some supplies with me. I sure as heck don't... have any souvenirs in my scrolls... phew!" with her composure regained for the most part, Jin responds to both parties with a light-hearted chuckle. She feels relief in realizing that her sensei might not be as strict as she expected, considering her cousin's previous description the other day. Even so, the Senju's straight to the point nature kind of reminds her of this morning's missive. Jin suddenly finds herself holding back a chuckle as the intrusive mental image of a scroll-headed Hyouka pops up in her mindscape. Mentally scolding herself, she straightens up --this is her first step into becoming a proper kunoichi who can actually help her village beyond the menial tasks. [break][break]
This is serious business. Probably.[break][break]
With that said, Jin notices that even after catching her breath the heat of the moment still lingers. Wiping the back of her hand across her forehead, the brunette speaks up, "Is it just me or it's kinda hot to- oh." just as Xio introduces the new addition to his arsenal. Her amber eyes glance up and down, noticing and scanning all the embelishments it has. There's an intense concentration within the kunoichi's eyes, as if a matrix of numbers crunch against one another while her brain tries to figure a most pressing question:[break][break]
How many shuriken could she buy with that gourd? Holy shit.[break][break]
Xio's welcome pulls the kunoichi back to reality, and she finds herself laughing nervously in response. Pushing the rampant and greedy thoughts to the back of her mind, she thanks him. "Thanks! I'll be in your care. I'll try not to get in the way too much!" her right hand reaches for her hair, twirling it with her index. Every time someone mentioned her skills, she would often feel this way--[break][break]
Inappropriate, that is.[break][break]
From her nonexistent fire release,[break][break]
To the sharingan,[break][break]
And so many other things.[break][break]
But this isn't the time for that. She has to push forward.[break][break]
"Hmph, bet you didn't know I've got a new jutsu in the making!" she crosses her amrs, feigning some confidence on her own abilities. There's no special jutsu. "Anyways, I'm all ready Sensei!" she chirps with excitement, awaiting Hyouka's initiative.[break][break]
After confirming that the two of them were appropriately prepared, Hyouka nodded in approval. The gourd on Xio's back radiated heat, so Hyouka didn't even need to peek inside to know what was in it.
“That's good. Let's go, then."
Like that, she started walking down the mountain with the other two in tow. As it was going to be a long trek and they did not urgently have to produce results, Hyouka decided not to run, especially since Jin had not recovered.
“So, just to recap: what we're doing this time is searching for the stronghold of a newly sprouted criminal organization. For now they're pretty much acting like a group of bandits, which I'm very used to dealing with. However, the fact that this mission has an A rank stuck on it means the enemy has multiple people capable of using ninjutsu. Worst case scenario: all of them can use ninjutsu. In most criminal organizations like this, the ones doing the actual banditry should be grunts picked up off the street who want to do some robbing."
Hyouka turned to glance at Xio and Jin.
“And, for better or worse," Hyouka paused. “Raikage-sama wants it done the old fashioned way: We report everything and ask for further instructions each time. There could be a variety of reasons for this, including but not limited to Xio's safety."
“Oh right, and before I forget: Xio, in your opinion, what are Jin's strengths in combat?"
Hyouka would wait until Xio finished talking, before asking Jin a similar question:
“Jin, in your opinion, what are your own strengths in combat?"
‘New Jutsu?’ He’d thought as he listened to Jin, he wasn’t sure how serious she was but he was always happy to hear about her growth because he knew what she was capable of. Those thoughts wouldn’t last long as Hyoka dragged his attention away from the younger girl and back to herself as she further explained the mission briefing in more straightforward detail. The young Kami nodded his head in recognition of what she was saying as they finally began to pace off along the path that led to the elevator that would take them to the bottom of the mountain to exit the village.
“Oh right, and before I forget: Xio, in your opinion, what are Jin's strengths in combat?"
Just as they got going on the road Hyoka would fire off a question that would make him feel a little tense, which would cause him to sigh.
“Jin, in your opinion, what are your own strengths in combat?"
Before he could answer Hyoka would ask the same question of her causing Xio to relax a little, at first he figured she could be saying he was coming off a little condescending, but it was more of a general question considering she didn’t know much about Jin.
“Tactfully, I’d say she’s definitely ahead of the freight. The style she’s elected to use takes a lot of careful planning and setups to be useful in intense battles on the frontline. Even I myself while training with her have questioned my own abilities of foresight.”
He would look to his cousin as he spoke highly as ever before looking back ahead to the doors that were opening for the freight elevator. The trio would find themselves walking into the largest elevator in the village, it was dimly lit as the ones you usually see, but more than 10x the normal size.
“Also, potentially, because she’s a Kami, anything possible, I’m surprised she hasn’t learned to utilize an advanced release yet it’s the more common on her side of the family.”
As Xio spoke he boarded the elevator with his teammates.
“I think her grit, and wiliness to figure shit out no matter the circumstances is her strongest ability as a teammate.”
She bites her lower lip, fighting the urge to blurt out 'none' to her Sensei. Jin knows that burdening her team with negative self-talk is not the way to go. Despite the whirlwind of thoughts racing through her mind, Jin observes the tension emanating from her cousin, Xio, and notices a faint blush coloring her cheeks. It's always nice hearing positive feedback about herself, but as always, her inner self-doubt demons gnaw away at the compliments she receives as they enter her mindscape.[break][break]
A faint smile tugs at the corner of her lips as Jin glances at Xio and musters the courage to speak up, her voice tinged with a hint of nervousness. "You think highly of me, but thank you... ahaha," she chuckles softly as her fingertips idly twirl a lock of hair around her index finger. Their footsteps carry them towards the massive freight elevator, and as they step onto its sturdy platform, Jin's eyebrows raise and her mouth falls open in awe. The realization hits her like a ton of bricks—this mission isn't just her first assignment as a ninja belonging to a cell, but it also marks her first departure from the village.[break][break]
A sudden heaviness settles upon Jin's shoulders, causing her to stiffen. She silently thanks the sturdy elevator, fearful that the weight of her realization could break the thing and plunge them down to god knows where. [break][break]
Right, the question, the question, out with you and out of your head, Jin![break][break]
"Uh, uhm!" Her mind snaps back to reality, and she glances between Xio and Hyouka, trying to regain her composure. "I suppose, in addition to what Xio mentioned, I'm fairly skilled in ranged combat. I can utilize my scrolls to strike distant targets, and I can cover a considerable area of effect with some of my jutsu..." Her voice trails off momentarily as she ponders her next words.[break][break]
Meanwhile, if either her cousin or her mentor activates the elevator, a loud mechanical thud reverberates through the artificial floor beneath their feet. The hum of machinery fills the air as they embark on their gravity-defying descent. Jin takes a breath, gathering her thoughts, and continues her response.[break][break]
"But, as Xio said, my fighting style requires tactical foresight. I can't simply rely on mindlessly launching kunai and hope for the best." She is reminded of the steep cost of the shageki-ha scrolls, a burden she must bear alone. If shuriken are her bones, then bread is her blood—a metaphor that encapsulates the significance of these tools to her identity as a ninja.[break][break]
As she glances outwards, her eyes widen in response to the scenery painted before her eyes. They are amidst the majestic mountain range where rugged peaks reach towards the heavens where time seems to stand still, allowing one to immerse themselves in a world of awe-inspiring beauty. The air is crisp, carrying the subtle scent of pine and fresh dew. Towering cliffs, draped in lush greenery, serve as the guardians of this pristine landscape. Waterfalls cascade down their weathered faces, their cascading streams a symphony of nature's melody. The crystalline waters tumble from great heights, creating a mesmerizing display of shimmering liquid, which catches the sunlight and scatters it like a thousand diamonds.[break][break]
"What about you, sensei?" she asks, the sudden pep in her voice hinting at the curiosity behind her question. "Is it true that you have an ice slash attack that makes popsicles??" she knows it's an absurd stretch, but she can't help and ask after overhearing villagers saying that so many times.[break][break]
The two returned very different answers, a demonstration of how they thought differently. Xio talked about Jin's mentality and approach to battle. Jin talked about the actual techniques she used in combat.
“Both are valid answers, but to be honest, what I really wanted to know was in Jin's answer. Xio's answer is good to know before teaming up, but this was assigned by the Raikage so we really don't get to pick teammates."
The scenery revealed as the elevator doors opened was nice to look at, but Hyouka was already numb to it after seeing it so many times. How many times had she set off and come back with her outfit muddied and her sword caked in blood? When she turned around on her return trip and watched this scenery disappear, all she could think of was jumping in the bath, submitting the reports and going to sleep.
Ironically, despite running a popsicle store that did decently well, Hyouka didn't have any intentions of retiring within the next few years.
A sudden question shifted her thoughts and threw them into orbit.
“Huh? I? Uh, wha?"
She had trouble answering and shut her mouth, exiting the elevator as she thought of an answer.
“No, I don't. Popsicles are for eating, not killing. Not to mention the amount of chakra control required is inconsistent with the payoff you'd get.
It's a bit like your chosen battle technique: Shageki-ha. It uses ninja tools, majority of which are single use. You cannot improve the weapons themselves, so you either have to improve the wielder or the quantity of them. The most famous techniques spend money like flowing water... In a way, you could say you crush your enemies with the power of money. But, how much money do you need? If the opponent practices Wind Release or even any defensive technique, the number of tools you require, even if just for putting up a feint attack, causes your costs to increase drastically.
In fact, my popsicle store clerk, Amai, is a retired Chuunin who used to practice it. If you'd like, you can talk to him and see if you can learn anything from him."
Hyouka had seen him use the discarded popsicle sticks as non-lethal projectiles more than once. Considering they were often dumped due to not being reusable for hygiene reasons, she let him do whatever he wished with them.
