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.
Kaminari no Kuni, A country both similar and drastically different than Mizu no Kuni. Throughout his initial trek, the naturally high altitude's tugged away at Chae's longs; forcing adjustments to have been made along the way to his patterns of breathing. Once accustomed, his breathing appeared normal and everything derived therein fell into place as a result.
Fortunately for Chae, geographically, the initial trip taken into the country itself had been without much resistance & difficulty considering the Land of Water and Lightning existed as near-neighbors. Departed from the Ōkina Megumi no Mizunomi-ba fishing port via boat filled with public passengers that carried them to the bottom ports of Kaminari's mountains.
Just four days into his travels, from one mountain path & village to another, Chae made his way through the country without any true destination mind besides one's he received along the way with questions about geographical points of interest and of course....Ramuh. As Expected, the villagers and Locals barely knew anything regarding Ramuh; at least nothing beyond his surface stories as a kumogakure war hero.
Covered in his soon-to-be iconic battle gear with all signs of kirigakure left back home, Chae found himself walking along a slightly upwards a dirt path, 10 meters in width, with mountainside rocks that gathered and slanted down the sides of the mountain. Within the center-most part of the path, Chae's steps came to a slow stop once he reached the the top where the ground evened out into an open area roughly 20 meters in diameter.
His eyes moved about as he visually acknowledged the lay of the land, mentally noting the steep series of steps that reached up into the upper-most structure of this particular mountain peak. It seemed to be a temple of sorts occupied by monks and individual's of faith alike.
There were worker's that seemed to upkeep the area while small shopkeepers set up for passerby's during their ascent. While not his usual crowd, with more questions than answer's, Chae had to make due.
"Hopefully someone here can point me in the right direction, anything at this point is better than nothing...But im going to find You Ramuh."
The Land of Lightning? Just another country I’ve seen before. It was an expansive, mountainous country that may have been as tall as it was wide. Regardless how many times I’ve visited, I still never got over how small such a place can make you feel. The earth was a rich and beautiful place filled with many countries just like this one. Maybe one day, it would be under Hidden Mists’ reign.
It was the first time I got to travel with my sworn brother – Chae-Yoon Kushinada. I was initially perplexed about why he had wanted to travel to such a place. He wanted to find someone. That was all I needed to know. I didn’t continue to ask clarifying questions, I trusted that he knew what he was doing, and that he would achieve his desired results. “This will be a marvelous trip, brother!” Whatever was waiting for us, we would tackle it head on.
Before we set out of Ōkina Megumi no Mizunomi-ba fishing port via boat, I made sure to let go of anything that would assign my allegiance to Hidden Mist. I was a proud Hidden Mist ninja, but a fool I am not. I decided to leave my traditional ninja gear behind, along with my tribal jewelry and katana. The only ninja tools I carried were the ones I could easily conceal (kunai, shuriken, explosive tags).
I sported a white long-sleeved tunic that revealed my chest with a button enclosure. Following that would be a pair of dark green cargo joggers, the pockets were necessary! And a pair of lighter green boots that stopped below my shins. There wasn’t anything unique about my apparel.
Once we reached the dirt path, I transverse the path behind Chae, about a meter or so behind him. I made a mental note of the environment and always stayed alert. Once we reached the top, I began to walk about and survey the area. I briefly glanced over at the temple and the people there, before turning my attention to Chae.
“I have a feeling we’ll get one step closer to finding that man. There are quite a few people here. Let’s divide and conquer.”
After accidentally partaking in the invasion on the stone fortress, Shinosuke’s pride and confidence had been severely shaken. Not only was the samurai useless, he seemed to have been forgotten. No one had teleported him away like the others, nor had anyone thought of his safety as the others had left. The man couldn’t even deal with the wind and fire that had scorched across the earth, let alone a giant demonic fox shooting balls of energy. Shinosuke had seen most of the fight, but didn’t stick around to find out if those two shinobi had managed to end the beast.[break][break]
With tattered and scorched robes, the man dragged along the various roads of the country asking for the whereabouts of various techniques. Not too many people were so eager to hand out knowledge to a raggedy nobody roaming the streets. Eventually, someone had taken a small form of pity on him and directed him to some monks who may of had knowledge of some various forms of hand to hand combat. While they may not boost the man to the level of destruction he had previously seen, it was enough to help distract him from his own inadequacies. He needed more and he was forbidden from practicing ninjutsu. He needed someone to show him something else, but that might mean he may have to go home.[break][break]
Rumors of the monks took him further into the mountains than he wanted to be; air got harder to breathe and he was tired of climbing the steps that never seemed to end. Shinosuke was paying no attention towards the steps ahead of him and those that also shared them. As he rose to an opening at the top of the path, two men also made their way forward. If they didn’t notice him, Shinosuke would abruptly push past them without a single thought. No words mentioned at all. He was on a single minded track that no one had interrupted yet.
"I'll take as many steps as I need to in order to find Ramuh, right now he's the key to the power i need in order to contest the threats to come."
Responding directly to Chiatsuki, Chae continued to scan the open area before him, aiming to pinpoint something or someone that stood out from the common mold he'd already seen within the first several days within Kaminari.
Willing to take more shots in the dark towards his quest of discovery, he stepped forward, or rather, would have had his action been interrupted by a shoulder bump from a man that brushed pass him.
Chae knew he hadn't been within the confines of Mizu no kuni; which included its culture. Acting accordingly had been imperative, Chae knew that and abided by it. Despite it all, the man seemed disgruntled, most evident by his tattered clothes covered in dirt & grime with the edges singed to a slight crisp. Something certainly hadn't been right. Senses operated within full alert, Chae continued with mild caution, knowing his brother had is back faithfully.
"Hey....your clothes..."
Chae's right hand reached out and cupped the man's left shoulder with moderate grip, enough to provide concerned resistance in an attempt to halt the man's unstable steps. Chae stepped forward ever so slightly in tandem with pulling the man's shoulder aside, turning him to face Chae had he not been met with resistance.
"Are You good? You don't seem to be doing so well, you're covered in dirt and you clothes are burnt to a crisp, were you attacked by something....or someone? "
While still slightly concerned, part of Chae's worry mustered from the potential though that by some miracle stroke of luck he would've had a clue towards his goal.
“Of course!” I reassured my brother. With that said, I was ready to get started. Ramuh? Ramuh? Just who might this man be and what was he capable of? Though this brief thought occupied my brain, I remained ever-observant. I could see, I could feel, a man approaching us direct at a decent pace.
However, it seemed for right now he meant us no harm as he brushed past us, causing Chae to react in a particular way. Because the ninja world is a chaotic place, I knew that I couldn’t allow the moment before us to absorb my total awareness. I remained vigilant as my brother questioned him; his given appearance looked like he went through some shit.
Probably smelled like it as well if I was as close as my brother. If no action impeded me, I would speak. “Hey, we all need to be mindful of our actions! What if you bumped into a child like that?” Whoever this man was, he was sure to get a scalding from me if he didn’t apologize! Ramuh? What if he knew of Ramuh?
As the man trudged through the stairway upwards, he indeed crossed paths with the two men at the top. He was deep in thought, replaying the events from before in his head over and over trying to find any way for him to impact them. He saw none. The demonic beast rose and he couldn't think of anything at his disposal that could affect such a thing. Sweat would roll down the side of his face. As he blew past the men, one of them decided to interrupt his thoughts and firmly yank him back to reality. A thoughtful Shinosuke was just previously thinking about the various threats he had faced, and the man messed with someone who had obviously been through some type of ordeal.
The combination of the samurai being lost to a time before and the quick turn immediately set off alarms in the man's head. Shinosuke had heard none of the dialogue the man said right as he touched him, his hand now guiding itself on instinct. He lunged for the sword resting on his left hip with his right hand, attempting to rip it from the sheathe in response to the pull. He didn't know if he was being mugged in broad daylight or not, but he wasn't going to wait around and find out. If nothing else impeded his movement, half the blade would reach out until it stopped dead in its tracks. Shinosuke would hold an extremely embarrassed look on his face as he realized the situation as he was completely facing the two.
The weapon would drop back into its sheathe as he raised the same hand he used to pull it to scratch the back of his shaggy head. A nervous smile surfaced as he responded back to the men.
"Ahhhhhh yeaaaa I managed to trespass somewhere I obviously shouldn't of been. I should be fine given some more time, but yea you could say I was attacked. Please excuse my irrational response to your concern, I was dwelling on something I can't quite get over..."
His voice would trail off into a whisper as his thoughts returned back to the assault on the fortress. He wouldn't dwell too long on it this time though, the other man also voicing his concern about Shinosuke. The samurai was getting a more animated feeling from the other individual as he spoke, sort of off-putting him a bit as he didn't get that from the other at all.
"Mmmm I would hope their parents or someone they were with would do the same your friend did before I brushed past them."
The samurai's smile switched to a slightly more devious one after the small bit of shade he threw towards the other man who could of prevented the encounter all together.
In a snap, Chae's suspicions became reality as the man's body acted and guided itself through PTSD and trauma. Having fought through man battles against the enemies of Kirigakure, the telltale signs provided him with all the information he needed. Instinctively the man's body reacted, enough so that it immediately alerted to Chae he -in some way- practiced a combative discipline as no normal civilian typically reacted let alone move with such poise.
The disgruntled man's hand reacted and snapped towards his hip, aimed to draw and arm himself. Previously alert and aware of the situation itself, Chae too responded with movement of his own. Where the man attempted to draw his blade, his incubated steel remained in that state, momentarily denied of its order to be drawn to life.
In reaction to the man's own movement, Chae's right hand sprung to life and reached down, his palm cupping and pushing against the surface tip of the blade's hilt. Having already seized the man's left should and on his left-most side, it went without say that Chae's positioning provided him an advantage in that situation. However, Chae refused to react and respond with violence, and after a brief pause, life & logic seemed to have returned to the swordsman.
Now aware of his actions and state of being, he spoke and naturally Chae listened intently. Still fastened into their position Chae's left hand slowly eased from the samurai's sword hilt while his right was removed from his left shoulder. Providing him with some space, Chae took a handful of steps backwards.
"If I'm able to ask, what was it that had you in such a state, from the looks of things it had to be something serious. You're clearly trained in some way and you saw something terrible...."
Chae cut a glance towards Chiatsuki with a nod, a wordless signal that informed him that the situation had been fine. Chiatsuki knew full well Chae could handle himself.
I continued to survey the undignified man before us. When Chae’s actions forced him to go through the motions of a trained combatant, he revealed that he could pose a threat in this foreign land. The way he moved was poised, calculated, and… serene?
Like a ninja, but instead of relying on ninja techniques, he placed his trust in his blade. Interesting. At the same time, it appeared that Chae couldn’t help his instinct as well. Brother had been through many grueling battles and had seen some of the most inhumane things in this world.
I would need to continue to pray for him and hope that it would never consume his heart. I listened carefully as the samurai responded and gave an apology. It was nice to hear, not many men in this world apologized for their actions. This would expose his good-natured disposition; it was an amalgamation of his actions up to this point that would lead me to believe so.
He was also a cheeky bastard. And I liked that. I couldn’t do much but smirk in reply to his comments toward me. I let it go, no need to unnecessarily build tension between us. Chae spoke and gave the signal that the situation was ok, and I nodded back in response. I was only here to assist brother – not thwart his path.
As the samurai instinctively reached out for his choice of self-defense, he was politely interrupted. With a swift gesture, the man previously holding onto his shoulder had forced down onto the hilt of his sword to prevent any unnecessary violence. His calm demeanor and action under immediate pressure was something not too many individuals were capable of.
Shinobi?
The thought crossed his mind but he couldn't be too sure. The opposing man wasn't particularly faster than him, at least he hadn't thought so with the movement he had just seen. He must have just been prepared for it. While the robes Shinosuke wore could have been representative of someone willing to attack, the confidence to engage with that person after they had pushed them was intriguing to him for sure. His eyebrows furrowed a bit, slightly betraying the thoughts he had for a moment. He wasn't the best at hiding his emotions, he wore them on his sleeves. The man conversated with him once more, questioning his behavior in multiple ways. He was quick witted for sure.
"The attack, right."
He didn't know whether telling the two the entirety of the situation was a good idea or not. While Shinosuke wasn't too much of a deceptive individual, he knew there was power held by information and the lack thereof. Although there had been a few times he's had genuine conversation and interactions with other people in this land, they weren't all good natured in heart. No he wouldn't give out all the information just yet, besides he had a sneaking suspicion they weren't all that they seemed.
"I was ambushed at a fortress not too far from here. Initially alone, some poeple showed up in an attempt to protect me but not long after they would vanish just at fast as they showed. I was left alone at the aftermath..."
It wouldn't be hard to tell he wasn't being entirely forthright with them, but they'd probably just brush it off as him being cautious.
Unless they also had been there? No, couldn't have been.
Shinosuke hadn't gotten a great look at everyone that had been there, but he didn't recognize these two at all. The second man hadn't interacted with Shinosuke at all really besides the small grin back. It seemed he enjoyed the small quip he let ring.
While Chiatsuki had been absent, away on his political endeavors in foreign lands, Chae -under Ichijin's command- set out to assist the forces of Kumogakure in a mission that posted more questions than answers. Hidden beneath his mask, Chae's face carried an expression of surprise as the man respectfully disclosed the information about his current condition.
Knowing that it couldn't have possibly been any other event than what the samurai explained, Chae reached to removed his mask & hood with a pace he hoped would be un-alarming to the man before him. His face, very young, still thrived well into his adolescence despite having witness the byproduct of Shinobi affiliation.
Meaning the man before him no harm whatsoever, the revealing of his face was meant to have been taken as a gesture to establish trust. And just like that he elaborated on further details the samraui withheld.
"You mean the Ishi no Toride fortress? where the mission failed and the nine tailed beast emerged? I'd never seen anything quite like it. You hear stories of course but up close. like that? there aint any words."
Chae's right arm folded sideways beneath his left while the latter's hand cupped his chin while his mind moved about.
"I don't think you were left, I was there, we were ALL teleported away from the area....I didn't know if there were survivors or not."