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.
A clear blue sky shone proudly akin to the greatest of sapphires around, dotted by the most wonderfully fluffy clouds - that was exactly what Miu pictured was above yet obscured by the thin veil of constant fog that had enraptured the land of water. There weren't many things that could grab the interest of the Kamizuru scion, on the contrary she was rather aloof in her daily interactions, but there were a few things - or people - that would motivate her just the tiniest. Today was one of those days that she had been pushed, metaphorically, into leaving her manor and heading out into the world. [break] The reason was her childhood friend, and someone with whom she held feelings for, also the heir to his family - Chiatsuki Yohru. They had known one another since before they had become Genin, and became fast friends. The average story of boy and girl next door was the cliche they had endured. They had been best friends before growing up and having the feelings develop, though she was unaware of his feelings. He had managed to rank higher than her, being promoted to a Jounin already, so it was somewhat a blow to her yet she couldn't help but be excited by it. [break] Today he had called her out, and asked for some assistance while they took care of some rogue ninja that had been causing trouble nearby. Dressed in one of her favorite dresses, it was simple in design and yet the outcome was undeniable. A lovely red velvet reaching down to her thighs, hugging every curve she had to offer. The top covered her ample bosom and then continued upward toward her neck ending in a frilled collar. Her headband was wrapped around her waist with her various tools hung onto it and her clan's signature hive was mounted on it as well, dangling around her hip. [break] Meeting him out in a clearing among the trees, she waved out to him. [break] "Yohru-kun? Sorry to keep you waiting. How're you doing today?" she apologized before she inquired to her friend.
It was a brilliantly mizzle day in the Hidden Mist! And I just couldn’t wait to get to it today. I was going to meet up with a good friend of mine, maybe more than that, if I was being honest. This friend—Kamizuru Miu—was an excellent ninja! Capable of killing any man with her bees or her looks.
I reached out to her today with a job. Recently, a ninja from Hidden Mist had gone AWOL and is believed to be connected to a crime ring with some ruffians from the outside. Personally, this mission pained me, as one of our own had become the enemy.
But this was the world we lived in, and I had a duty to fulfill, I wouldn’t allow emotions to sway my judgment. I also wondered how long it would’ve taken before the Mizukage personally took action on this. It didn’t seem like something Mochizuki would let go of for too long.
Excited about our mission today, I made sure that I was early and booted up for the job. I had adorned my usual tribal jewelry of stone earrings and a necklace. I wore a black spandex short-sleeve shirt, and the collar came over my trapezius, revealing my upper chest a bit.
Over the black shirt, I had worn a dark brown bear fur haori with garnet-colored square patches upon the elbows of the jacket and as pockets on the sides. They were big enough to fit both of my massive hands inside and sink into them. Over the black shorts, I wore another pair of garnet-colored shorts.
Though a bit shorter than the spandex ones which came just above the knees. Carried my ninja tools in a back pouch that was covered by the haori which came to my knees. On my feet, I had standard black ninja sandals, and my headband was tied around my left bicep. I waited outside of the village with details of my location left to Miu.
I waited in a clearing of trees, leaning against one with my arms crossed. My eyes were closed, while I waited, I entered a trance-like meditation to get me right before today’s mission. We were going to hunt down this rouge ninja and put an end to his treachery.
Before I had known it, she appeared, though I would have felt her presence coming from miles away.
“Good morning, Miu-chan!”
I greeted her with a warm and welcoming smile as my glare sat upon his visage. She hadn’t looked like she was prepared for a mission, it looked like she was ready for a date.
“Whoa! You sure you can fight with that on? Without worrying about what may slip out?”
I started to fantasize a bit as I thought about such a reality. Her womanly figure was stunning, and surely could entice any man or woman. Let me re-center myself.
“Are you ready to go hunting? Seems like we have quite the mission on our hands today. But it shouldn’t be anything you can’t handle.”
{B-RANK MISSION}NAME: This Is a Stick Up - Part II RANK: B REPEATABLE: Once per PC DESCRIPTION: With the recent robberies having had happened and the criminals caught, information has finally reached the village's ears, which will hopefully put an end to the reign of terror over the village's people. Apparently the group of bandits are being lead by a Missing Nin whom left the village of Kirigakure. While no information can be given on the shinobi, he must be stopped. But it won't be as easy as simply eliminating him. Bringing him out of hiding will prove to be a difficult task as well. Be careful, as he won't be alone. OBJECTIVE: Hunt down the leader and capture or eliminate him.
She smiled lightly, not fully reaching the corners of her mouth, but enough to show that she was indeed pleased to see him. Miu was always rather cool and distant, but because of his forward nature they were able to form a rapport. His appearance matched his personality in extravagance, but it was in a way that did look good on him. And she was more than glad to be able to get some good exercise out of the encounter, it had been quite a while since she had done some meaningful work. [break] He greeted her before being astonished by her choice of attire, causing her to chuckle silently to herself. People often misunderstood the way she dressed and, most of the time, she didn't bother to explain anyway. The dress was nice and tight, and didn't constrict her legs in any way. In addition, most feeble minded men would go soft and distracted at the sight of her allowing her bees to move unobstructed, or have them fall prey to a noticeable trap. [break] "It helps muddle the mind, especially if something slipped out, and it is easy to move in, but I do appreciate the concern,"she spoke politely, always the perfect princess and foremost a practical kunoichi. She had gotten promoted precisely because she does whatever it takes to get the job done. [break] "Yes, let's take care of this traitor scum. Though, I'm sure you could've easily handled it alone," she winked at him in response to his grin, before indicating that she'd allow him to take the lead on it.
As she spoke, his teasing grin would turn into a gentle smile. Her voice was soothing to the soul. I could feel it echoing all the way to my core and reverberating within me.
It appeared that she had worn the outfit for three reasons today. But overall, she was ready to embark on today’s mission with him.
There had been a string of robberies that were said to be linked to the rouge ninja. It was up to Miu and me to do some detective work before we would be able to capture our guy.
“In all seriousness, you’ll be vital to our mission’s success today.”
I said as I retrieved a small scroll from one of my haori’s pockets, unraveling it before the female ninja and reviewing some details we do have that were gathered by victims and witnesses.
“It seems the perpetrator is into picking on women, as they’re his primary victims. He may even tend to go further than just robbing them.”
I handed over the scroll to Miu so that she could look over it as well. It looks like our destination would be Unga no Machi, a small canal town near the southern border of the Land of Water.
“Let’s go.”
I would vanish into the mist without a trace and with great haste, we would head toward Unga no Machi. It wouldn’t be long before we come across the great canal which ran through the town. We couldn’t see where it started or ended.
But we could see that it was populated with small boats and people traveling through it back and forth. It was about fifty meters in width and had a very gentle current. On a few of the smaller boots, there was musicians playing and people dancing, eating—just having a great time in general.
It was nice to see, as it was the type of life that was foreign to ninjas. I would turn to Miu as I removed my headband from my arm and placed it in my pocket.
“We should do away with our headbands for now. We may need to blend in with the people here to capture this guy. We’ll also need to see if anyone has any clues we can go off.”
We stood upon a grassy terrain covered in flora just a few meters outside of the town. The mist here had been almost non-existent, allowing everyone to see clearly.
{Spoiler}NAME: This Is a Stick Up - Part II RANK: B REPEATABLE: Once per PC DESCRIPTION: With the recent robberies having had happened and the criminals caught, information has finally reached the village's ears, which will hopefully put an end to the reign of terror over the village's people. Apparently the group of bandits are being lead by a Missing Nin whom left the village of Kirigakure. While no information can be given on the shinobi, he must be stopped. But it won't be as easy as simply eliminating him. Bringing him out of hiding will prove to be a difficult task as well. Be careful, as he won't be alone. OBJECTIVE: Hunt down the leader and capture or eliminate him.
Once they had finished their pleasantries, brimming with all of the awkward flirting, they were able to move onto the specifics of the mission in question. She had been left in the dark concerning the specifics until this moment, so she was pleased to be able to get those details now. [break] Unfurling the scroll, she was surprised to see that she had already known this particular location. Coming from a wealthy family, and having such a high position within, she was both well traveled and well learned. So the traitors had fled to Unga no Machi? That was rather disgustingly uncouth, sullying such a beautiful city. One of the few to be spared from the ever present mist. [break] "If that's the case, it was a stroke of luck on my part. And this is my specialty," the scion mused to herself, as a slow genuine smile spread across after a moment of thought. It would be nothing for her to lure him in and capture him, but they wanted to defile such a location as well as further disrespect Mochizuki further than they already had? She wouldn't stand for it. [break] They took a bit in order to travel to their destination, mostly difficult due to the limited visibility that always surrounded them, but they would finally arrive at the scenic destination. Had it been any other reason she would have been elated. The mist had parted, miraculously, and people could be heard singing, seen dancing, and just out and enjoying themselves. This is why Miu fought, so that they could enjoy relative peace. [break] Agreeing with her comrade, she wordlessly exchanged her belt for another one that had all of the same clips for her hive and tools, back from her academy days. She always had one just in case something happened to the other one, and she understood the sentiment. "So should I go dangle the bait? Or should we do some recon first?"
“Great suggestion, Miu-chan. I think it’ll be best for us to dangle that bait out there and put an end to this guy sooner than later.”
I turned from her and continued to walk along the canal. The weather felt so nice here—much warmer and inviting than the Hidden Mist. A gentle breeze from the west swept down over us, ruffling my hair and clothes. I could see why someone would come here to relax and get away.
Perhaps being here too long would be a detriment to a ninja’s lifestyle. The music was quite pleasant as well, and I’d glance back over at the canal and the people dancing on the boats. There were some curvaceous women, but alas, their physics paled in comparison to the female ninja.
Not only that, Miu was a princess, and there weren’t many women in this world that could rival her. I moved from the canal and back to Miu with a slight turn of my head.
“This is the plan. We’ll separate, I’ll let you go about and explore the town and I’ll keep watch from the distance. You’ll need to act like a tourist of sorts. Surely, you’ll draw his attention quickly.”
I turned my head back to view the path ahead of me. There was some uneasiness putting the princess in the line of fire. But she was a ninja and fully capable of taking care of herself and she had her bees.
“I’ll also ask questions as we make our way through the town. Let’s begin.”
I would then flicker away from Miu’s side, leaving her to fulfill her portion of the mission. Some time had passed since we started the mission earlier this morning. The sun now was directly above us, as if it was watching our every move.
I reappeared in an alleyway in the town and walked out to the streets as Miu would enter the town. I would travel no more than twenty meters away from her and always kept a watchful eye on her. I encountered several individuals in the town, though they had known of the robberies, they had no idea who was behind it.
Going off the reports, the robberies started occurring on the way toward the town, not within it just yet. If the rouge ninja had felt so bold, he would surely make an appearance in the village. I couldn’t fathom how some people thought they were untouchable.
{Spoiler}{Spoiler}NAME: This Is a Stick Up - Part II RANK: B REPEATABLE: Once per PC DESCRIPTION: With the recent robberies having happened and the criminals caught, information has finally reached the village's ears, which will hopefully put an end to the reign of terror over the village's people. Apparently, the group of bandits is being led by a Missing Nin who left the village of Kirigakure. While no information can be given on the shinobi, he must be stopped. But it won't be as easy as simply eliminating him. Bringing him out of hiding will prove to be a difficult task as well. Be careful, as he won't be alone. OBJECTIVE: Hunt down the leader and capture or eliminate him.
There was mutual respect between the two Shinobi as their skill levels were similar, though it couldn't be denied that he was a bit stronger than she was, and also a mutual esteem of their appearances. Miu was definitely attracted to him, though she would and likely could never admit it. [break] That was only to say that she respected his decisions and deferred to him in a mission environment because of his rank. It also didn't help that she was normally rather lazy and had someone make decisions for her. And that was the right decision as, after her suggestion and him surveying their area he decided that he would watch from afar while she initiated her act. Her long, auburn locks normally swayed at her sides but in preparation for this mission she had it done into an intricate bun showing off her delicate neck. [break] "Alright, watch over me well, Yohru-kun," she said mischievously before he disappeared, leaving her alone on the canal. [break] Thanks to them already concealing their headbands, she had a pretty good cover the only thing was to utilize one of her most amazing talents: acting. Miu would begin to travel through the city, keeping the mission in the back of her mind as she genuinely enjoyed herself. She chatted innocently with the locals, obnoxiously mentioned how much money she had on her, and made sure that she played a very convincing dumb, rich, heiress. It wasn't too far off from the truth, which made the lie all the more believable. [break] She was sure that her entire fishing endeavor would prove bountiful quite soon.
Post by Sōsuke, Itada on Jul 11, 2023 10:48:32 GMT -6
[ GAME MASTER ]
Ibata was no fool — he had been an integral part of Kirigakure’s militia for years, using the skills and knowledge gained from the Sea to maneuver through the country, of Mizu No Kuni, knowing full well that Mochizuki would not have taken his defection lightly.
This town, Unga no Machi, had served as a perfect hub for the nukenin to act out his endeavors. Filled with normal people, townsfolk, musicians, sailors, ect - it was incredibly simple for the rogue ninja to slip in and out, and take advantage of the townsfolk in the form of special privileges as they believed him to still be apart of kiri’s ninja force.
Normally, bandits would not be allowed in such a place, but because he claimed to represent the village, the town tended to turn a blind eye to his associates. Luckily for the two, he had sent them all on a reconnaissance mission for their next target.
Even more lucky for himself though, he thought he recognized the Princess as she strolled through town enjoying herself. In truth, he was finishing up his purchase at the butcher shop when his innate ability to hear(better than most) would pick up the chatter the princess chose to indulge. She spoke like an idiot, and at the mention of the ryo she had on her person, Ibata could not help himself, despite his lackeys being away at the moment.
Even with them gone, he was not alone.
She was about 12 meters across the clearing of one of the town’s circles, and without any sign of hesitation, Ibata moved to close the distance between the two, making a hand signal behind him as he began. Upon reaching a distance where there would be no question to whom he was speaking too, he let words fly from betwixt his lips.
”Well, well .. if it isn’t the princess of the Kamizuru….”, he goaded.
Her appearance was different, but without the use of the transformation technique, the color of her hair, the tone of her skin, and the voluptuous curves of her body resonated with what he’d remembered of her from his days in the village. Even if it wasn’t her .. he moved forward with the idea that it was.
What a catch she was — he could both have his fun with her, and receive a shitload of Ryo via ransom. If not the village itself, the Kamizuru would surely pay a hefty sum to ensure that the heir to the family be returned home.
She may have, or may not have recognized him. His hair was shorter, but his teeth still were sharp as a shark, and marks on both his cheeks would give up his identity if she remembered him.
It mattered little — this was his town, and in his mind, she’d be incapacitated before anyone could blink an eye.