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.
I had always known that brother was in the mix, but not even I would have guessed he had encountered a Tailed Beast. And not just any Tailed Beast it was the Nine-Tailed Fox! Just how lucky could he be, eh? Regardless, this was an information dump I needed all the details on.
There is quite possibly more than Chae and this nameless man had to spill. This… Ramuh person… a famous ninja from the Hidden Cloud. I’m guessing he must have caught this name from a previous visit.
“Hahah, it seems I am the least informed here!”
Spoken with a light-hearted chuckle. Why were the Nine-Tails here? And, who stopped them? I had heard before that it had been sealed away. Just what is unfolding in this world? Whatever it was, it seemed exciting! Hopefully, these two could enlighten me on what was going on.
When Shinosuke finished his explanation of why he acted the way he did, the man began to remove his mask and hood from where they sat. However, upon further inspection of the face before him, the samurai realized the person that stood in front of him was no man at all but another kid. To have removed his hood and mask was a risky move at the very least, completely endangering his own identity. While Shinosuke was still slightly wary of the pair, he wouldn’t dwell too much on it noticing that the second individual had not concealed his identity initially.
Just as he the boy had taken Shinosuke by surprise, he did it once more in quick succession. After revealing his face, the boy readily detailed the exact event he had previously taken part of. The samurai shifted his weight back a bit and folded his arms across his chest in confusion.
These fuckers were there?!
The samurai couldn’t remember their faces at all, let alone imagine a child fending off so many opponents to include the gigantic beast that erupted from the fortress. The child’s nonchalant demeanor and perfect description of the events meant he had confidently engaged the force that had ambushed Shinosuke. The kid must of had exceptional skills to have been allowed to be on that battlefield, possibly skills that surpassed even the samurai.
“I’m not sure about any mission but yes that particular one. I don’t think there’s shit I could’ve done about that beast. Not yet anyways. I don’t know if there were any survivors either. To be honest with you, I wasn’t affiliated with anyone that tried to protect me. Once they- er well, you all had been teleported out, I left shortly after.”
The samurai’s eyes returned back to the other man when he laughed, almost forgetting he had been there in the short dialogue he exchanged with the kid. It looked as though he had not been with the boy after all. Another testament to his skills.
It'd been obvious that the information Chae used to reinforce his claim to being present struck a chord within the Samurai, evident by the slight shift in his weight with a mind that clearly roamed free. Some what weary from his travels, a calm hand rose to rub away the feeling fatigue that gathered within his eyes. Arms folded thereafter, Chae listened carefully, listening to what the Samurai had to say regarding his perspective of what transpired.
No mission. The thought of the man stumbling upon the situation by mere stroke of misfortune was a wild phenomenon to Chae, enough so that he raised a slight brow. When not existing within the cold demeanor instilled in him by Kirigakure's training methods, Chae often times had been an expressive person regarding his face.
"To have not been there on any type of official business and still found your way into the thick of things is almost like a divine comedy."
Momentarily Chae started to slowly pace back and forth.
"Honestly...there wasn't anything any of us could've done against that wretched beast. Honestly that's one of the many reasons i'm here. Not just searching for answers but new power or just something that can be used to fight something insane like that."
He paused, hard stopping his steps in tandem with his words. A quick glance cut to meet gazes with Chiatsuki before he continued.
"If we encounter something like that We're not ready, I said the same thing to Ita, and thats why i'm here because something is telling me this isn't the last time we're going to see the nine-tails let alone tailed beast as a whole, not to mention any assholes in between."
Towards the samurai, he turned.
"I don't know how long you've been here, but by chance do you know of an old war legend by the name of...Ramuh."
Realistically, Chae doubted, however, he needed to make sure every chance had been exhausted.
The information that Chae and the swordsman continued to share enlightened me. The original plan about coming here revolved around my brother. But the idea that there could be something I could uncover myself began to bud. Question upon question. They continued to build up, and it would be a shame if I left the Land of Lightning without anything useful for the Hidden Mist.
First, I needed to figure out what was most important. It was only a week ago or so that I returned to the village. So much had changed in so little time. Someone had started spinning the threads of fate. It would only be a matter of time before another incident occurred. However, I had known that when that important thing was found, I could begin a more thorough investigation.
This would sort of get in the way of my own plans of expanding the Hidden Mists’ influence, but at the same time, maybe it went hand in hand. For now, it appeared that Chae and the swordsman were in the middle of it all. By chance, I was here to witness at least this. It must have been some random stroke of luck – whatever it was, it was in my nature to capitalize on it.
My brother would briefly catch my gaze as he continued. The Tailed Beasts were something of significant might to many, surely something to be feared. And those who pulled the string. The Stone Fortress…
“Yes… we’re looking for any details we can gather on Ramuh! Apparently, their name is synonymous with the thunder itself.”
I followed up behind Chae. It was worth it to ask, you never who had known something. But it was likely that we would need to venture to the Hidden Cloud itself. I also felt like it was time to get to know the swordsman a little better. I had a nagging suspicion about him I couldn’t get over.
“Also, sword-man-ya, why do you still look like that? Some time has passed by since that event—do you not plan on returning to the village?”
I would begin to move forward, though my gait was slow and unimposing. Though, I remained prepared as a ninja would. If he had been a native of this land, unlike Chae, he could have refreshed himself by now. But if he had been from a faraway land, it would make more sense as to why he appeared the way he did still. Just who were we dealing with? I expected the uno reverse from him, but maybe he had been cleverer than I gave him credit for.
Tailed beast as a whole? There’s more than just one of them?
Again, Shinosuke’s eyes would narrow at the mention of the beast and return to normal when another name was spoken.
“Ramuh? No I wouldn’t know of anyone by that name nor would I know of any wars that happened recently. If he’s a shinobi I wouldn’t of paid much attention anyways I think. His name being synonymous with thunder is an interesting idea though.”
The samurai came into question once more. These two people were definitely the definition of more than meets the eye. They used questions to bait out answers they probably already knew. His own question had given it away when he said some time had passed. No one who actually wanted to know the answer to those generic type of questions would lead it so hard. Shinosuke likened it to when his mother would question whether he had completed his chores with his brother when she already knew they hadn’t finished. Often times, she would be particularly specific to notify the two she was two steps ahead of them before they even answered.
“I do not belong to any village.”
The man’s tone would shift to something less casual than the conversation had previously permitted, slightly annoyed from the man’s question. The samurai had to remind himself that it was he that initially attacked them after he let out a small sigh.
“The most any village would get out of me is mercenary work. I’m not after a home. I’m on something we samurai call a ‘Warrior’s Journey’. Unless the villages intend on helping me face things like that beast, I’m not currently interested. I also don’t appreciate the insult to my intelligence. Why ask me a question you seem to already know the answer to? You sound like a woman.”
While the samurai wasn’t ignorant of the games some people liked to play with others, he was usually a straightforward person and preferred people were direct when they interacted with him. He had much more respect for those that could announce what they were after rather than beat around the bush for it.
A slight sting of disappointment coursed through Chae's mind as the samurai's words eased into Chae's ears. It seemed as though no one in particular new of Ramuh on a personal level outside of campfire stories that emphasized his power.
Within that decisive moment, Chae realized that he needed the assistance of Kumogakure and its historians, otherwise Chae's efforts would've continued to be rewarded with unanswered questions and ambiguous stories.
Snapping back into the moment, Chae looked between the verbal engagement between Chiatsuki and the samurai and even laughed softly in response to the samurai's remark about Chiatsuki's navigation of questions.
"Well, it seems as far as answers regarding that fortress and what I need about Ramuh, it seems we're over due for a trip to Kumogakure itself. Just have to find it. Tsk, more searching..."
Despite not looking forward to searching for Kumogakure, Chae knew what needed to be done in order to find the answers he needed without wasting additional blocks of time. Turning toward the samurai once more, arms folded, he offered a proposition.
"This request might seem weird, but how much would you want to be our body guards while we search for Kumogakure? If its affordable, I will certainly pay it."
Woi-oi. I seem to have struck a nerve with the swordsman, who revealed themselves to be a Samurai. It was amusing that he mentioned I sounded like a woman, with his emotional response.
“I like this guy! He’s a good man, I can tell!”
I said with a hearty chuckle. I was done busting his balls over the small things. And it appeared that brother was ready to get the ball rolling again. Motion was better than no motion. He proposed an offer to the Samurai, who, we don’t know all too well, to be our bodyguard in this foreign land. The Samurai didn’t know much of us either, which kind of made it fair.
“Oh, that sounds like a great idea. How about it, Samurai-ya? Why don’t we put ourselves on more formal terms? Too much mystery puts creates uneasiness. My name is Yohru, and I am also not from this land.”
I introduced myself first and slowly raised out a palm to the swordsman, gesturing for a handshake. Because of our slight back and forth, he might not be too interested in such a thing. But, as an honorable man myself, I wouldn’t overlook the small details when it came to acts of comradery.
I didn’t know if my brother would approve of my actions or not, it had to be glaringly obvious we weren’t from here. It could be our dialect, how we looked, etc. What was important though, is that we meant no one harm. It was easier to say it than show it.
To have been asked to guard the two men was an oddity to be sure. Shinosuke got the feeling these two men were fully capable of protecting themselves and had a better grasp at various combat then he did. Their general attitudes and calm demeanor were more than enough to give that away.
"I initially came here to seak for some knowledge on the monks here, but if this 'Ramuh' you speak of is of considerable talent I don't mind delaying my visit with them for some time. I don't really need the money either I'm just a fuckin' cheapskate. I've got some money to help us if you need it."
Another grin manifested itself on the man's face.
"Well lead the way then you two. I'll catch up with the monks some other time I suppose. Again, apologies for the rude introduction, I've been a little on edge since the fortress."
The samurai would step to the side to allow the two to continue their progress forward and continue to watch their behaviors. Such a weird gesture to ask for help from someone when you yourself were obviously superior when it came to combat skill. He would make a mental note of the interruption the boy made when he attempted to pull out his weapon. It was a neat trick indeed.