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.
Kurome had been hacking away at missions for her Raikage, first assisting in the capture, or really execution, of a rogue Hyuga who had been threatening the murder of kunoichi he held captive. She had set up a false perimeter of trees around the compound he resided in, to give her a broader range of scouting and also later used as a trap. Catching his guards with the element of surprise in the dead of night she massacred the lot of them before moving onto him. Through a hard fought battle, she honestly believed she might die for a moment, she managed to end him and take his corpse back.
Next, she had helped out a member of the Nekojin clan who had self-esteem issues and who had somehow managed to lose some specialized catnip for her ninneko. Kurome felt attached to the younger woman, Natare, and felt inclined to sort of mentor her while she was there. The search was exhausting and they hit more than a few bumps in the road, she had inadvertently hurt the girl's feelings, they had managed to regroup and complete the mission flawlessly.
That being the case, today there was a much different vibe in mind for her today. Dressed in a chartreuse and cobalt, striped shirt and a knee-length, chartreuse skirt with her hair up in her two signature pigtails. Kurome was currently packing a travel bag. Her destination? None other than Hi no Kuni, known to contain Konohagakure no Sato somewhere within. She had no intent to find the village, she couldn't care less about the location, she had heard rumors of a Kyudo master residing somewhere near the Floral Coast.
She fastened her forehead protector with her Kumogakure symbol around her thigh, and strapped a small bag with some tools on the side of her. Her bag had been filled with snacks, repellents, lots of water, and a compass. She didn't know the exact location, but she figured that with enough exploration and understanding of the areas then she could proceed smoothly. Stepping into some fur-lined, leather boots she tied the laces and ran out of the house only pausing to say goodbye to her family.
"I'll be back as soon as I can, so you all keep up the good work! Make me proud while I'm gone. Mom, Dad take care of everything, when I come back I'll be way stronger!" she was in a great mood, almost uncharacteristic for the young woman as she hugged and kissed all of her kin.
"Please, be safe! Not everyone is going to be friendly to a foreign shinobi," the warning came from her worried mother.
"Take care of yourself. Make sure you come back as strong as you say you will," her father spoke casually, though normally doting the years had taken a toll on him and morphed him into a rather angry and despondent man. He started to care for strength more than anything and that was something that sickened her to no end.
Smiling uncomfortably at the two of them, she waved the whole of her family off before setting off into the unknown. Sprinting through the gates, she performed a string of handseals before paper wings formed at her back. Walking was fine and all, but it didn't make sense when she had the ability to cover large distances quicker - and the stores of chakra to sustain it.
Kaminari no Kuni was absolutely stunning, beyond breathtaking honestly with all of the various mountains and rock formations. Some trees were scattered around, very few really, and many rivers cut through various sections of the stone. Thankfully, Kumogakure was very close to the border so she reached it rather quickly although she wasn't enchanted by the idea of traversing the huge desert that marked the end of Kaminari and beginning of Shimo. Though, she figured that she preferred the heat more than the intense cold that it would transform into.
Chakra Usage - x2 Mid Remaining Chakra - x2 Massive, x3 High, x2 Mid Jutsu Used -
Pepa Tenshin no Kami (Paper Angel Wings) Rank: D Range: Close (0m ~ 5m) Type: Supplementary Handseals: 4 Chakra Consumption: Mid x2, Low (upkeep) Grants the clan member wings that allow them to take flight. After a few simple seals, the clan member can utilize their paper in order to create a flurry of wings meant for stable flight. The wings created by the user can be be any color, size, and type they wish, and will carry them across even the greatest of distances and chasms - as long as the user has enough chakra to continuously power it.
Note: The user can fly at speeds comparable to level 4 speed
The great desert, in the middle of the day, was incredibly hot beyond belief. Kurome had formed a paper visor, and the wind pushing against her skin as she flew like a bird through the sky definitely helped. Despite the heat being only a side factor, another issue was the intense amount of sand that filled the area haphazardly flying into her face. She could block her eyes, but then she could easily crash and, at worse, kill herself. So every so often, she stopped and allowed her vision to clear while simultaneously resting her sore body from maintaining the same posture for hours at a time.
Before long, the intense heat that had tanned her skin was just a relic of the past and was replaced by a near bone shattering chill. The sand, if it was still there, was replaced by a thick layer of snow covering the trunks of several trees. The sun had been setting as Kurome flew through the desert, so she was sure that by now it would be much closer to night time. Covering a bit more of a distance, the kunoichi swiftly decided that she would need to make a temporary shelter for the night.
Ordinarily she would simply craft a makeshift home out of her paper, but the snow would simply dampen the substance and make it useless. Additionally, her wings were already somewhat falling apart and wouldn't last much longer. Flying closer to the ground, her visibility was nearing zero, she made out the shape of a large, log cabin. Upon closer inspection, with her incredibly glorious luck, was an inn! Landing outside, her limp wings turning to mush and falling apart, she was glad that she had decided correctly. Entering, she was greeted by a roaring fireplace and a smiling, middle-aged woman at what appeared to be a check-in desk.
"Well hello, hun, looking for a room for the night?" she said and, upon a glance at the amount of keys behind her, decided she was happy to have a customer.
"Yep, and some food. I have money for both...not too many travelers pass by?" she broached the topic in her usual straight-forward way.
The woman's smile did falter a bit, unhappy with the lack of customers coming through. While she answered her, she grabbed a key from behind the desk and handed it to her. Small and bronze, it had a large, wooden tag attached to it with black lacquer forming the numbers '01'.
"I have some leftovers I can warm up, I'll tally it up and charge it all when you leave. And...yes, not many people come by now-a-days but I'm happy for every single one that I do get,"
Kurome would have to remember to leave her a sizable tip, for her enormous hospitality and to show her support in her business. If her stay was wonderful, she would even recommend it to anyone she met travelling later down the line. Confirming that she did, indeed, desire those leftovers it only took a moment before she brought out her dinner - she brought out a soup based on fish and some cloudberries mixed with fat.
Thanking her, she clasped her hands together before digging into the meal before her. The soup was rich and flavorful and she found herself destroying it quickly, using the extra bread provided to soak up the broth before consuming it. The berry mixture was much closer to ice cream than she had expected, and had such a beautiful, complex taste that spread lightly across the tongue. The combination of the two had been unbelievably delicious, and she finished quickly. Thanking her hostess, she made the decision to retire to her room.
Unlocking it with the provided key, the first thing that greeted her were the floral notes emanating from the fresh bouquet in the center of the room. It was both rich and intoxicating and yet gave her body a bit of an energetic jump. Taking advantage of the amenities she took a shower, before settling into the bed that was actually really comfortable and allowing the darkness to take over as she went to sleep.
Awakening the next morning, Kurome felt divine and refreshed and ready for the next leg of her trip. She was surprised by how well put together everything was, even the small toiletries looked to be hand filled. Everything about this lovely little inn hidden within the Land of Snow was calling out to her, and she'd have to be sure to come back again. Plus, if anyone needed any help finding good lodging then she'd recommend the place in a heartbeat. Her estimation of where it was, was nothing more than a guess based on how close she had been to the border.
Preparing herself with another shower, she prepared all of her belongings and headed downstairs to settle up her brief tab with the wonderful owner. Today, she was greeted by two smiling faces one of whom she didn't recognize but assumed was the proprietress' husband.
"Thank you so much for the wonderful stay, I'm going to tell anyone I meet to come out this way so they can enjoy a grandiose evening like I did," she smiled, placing the key down along with a more than generous amount of ryo. She had enjoyed the stay and they did a wonderful job, so why not tip handsomely?
"Oh sweetheart...thank you so much. Please come back again, and I hope your travels are safe," she thanked her, along with her husband, as Kurome exited the inn and was smacked in the face with a blistering cold wind. The snow was still falling massively, so she knew that she wouldn't be able to fly. Taking out her compass, she figured out whichever direction was West and then followed that path. Wrapping herself in a paper cloak, she proceeded through the storm sluggishly. This time, what she needed was to stay warm unlike her earlier issues.
Thankfully her boots were insulated, at least, and every time her paper cloak became too saturated she would remove it and reform a new one. The time spent traveling was, as expected, much longer and much more grievous. Twice she had to stop and gain haven in the top of a rotted tree while her legs and arms got a chance to warm up. The cold bit into her skin and soaked every ounce of her being, not being used to the cold didn't make matters any better. Because of the slow progress, she was forced to explode part of a tree and make a home for the night. It was horribly uncomfortable, something was constantly crawling on her, and she had no room to move around. On the plus side, the firm wood and bark provided stable resistance for any future back problems. Spending the next day traversing, she finally found herself hitting warmer climates.
She wasn't actually sure what land she was in, she was told that Kaminari no Kuni bordered Shimo no Kuni but that was as far as the geography lessons had gotten. She needed to map out the area but World Recorders were so goddamn expensive, so she only brought the compass to help guide her. She didn't know it at all, but she had arrived in Yu no Kuni and was in for quite the time.
Finally on solid, dry ground once more Kurome was finally able to soar into the sky once more. In front of her was an immense sea of trees that allowed little to no light throw underneath, thankfully it was still day time and some stubbornly broke through. Because of that, she wanted to get a bird's eye view of her surroundings. Her fingers had twitched for a moment, before a pair of paper wings formed at her back. Utilizing the increased speed, she soared into the sky quickly and flew right through a cloud.
Descending a bit, she noticed that the sea of trees wasn't as large as she had thought, though there were several forests sitting around. The main geographical marker that she noted was what appeared to be a large mountain, though shaped oddly. Across the landscape, steam rose in different locations and further confused the Genin. Was she in Hi no Kuni already? They were the ones most notable for the immense surplus of flora and fauna surrounding them. Not much else was known, honestly.
Moving forward, she decided to inspect one of the steaming locations to understand where she was and where she needed to go to get to her location. Arriving she landed at what appeared to be an inn, confusing herself and startling someone nearby.
"Sorry about that! I wasn't really watching where I was going," she said, rubbing the back of her head before extending an arm and helping the man back to his feet.
"Ahahah! You scared the life out of me, who are you?!" he spoke, seemingly amused by the events but confused as to who she was.
The headband wrapped around her thigh, she extended her leg and pointed at it. She was never one to beat around the bush. "My name is Kurome, I'm a kunoichi from Kumogakure. I'm on a journey to Hi no Kuni to learn from a legendary Kyudo master," she says openly, garnering surprise from the man who hadn't expected all of that.
Upon further conversation, she learned that he was the owner of the establishment that she was checking out and that it tied in to where she truly was. Yu no Kuni, and she was at an inn that had a very large, and popular, hot spring. Curiosity got the best of her and, having held the man in decent regard, she entered his business. It was much more simple in design than the one she had rested in back in Shimo, but it also held a very home comfort vibe.
Buying a room for the night, the room was much smaller and the decor less ostentatious but things were still clean and incredibly orderly, something that she appreciated. She set her stuff in the room and spent the nights drifting among the hot water bliss. It was a delicacy she hadn't expected, but it was definitely one of the best nights she had ever spent.
The next day she paid for her stay and bath usage, as well as another generous tip, before she asked if they knew what countries surrounded their own.
"You mean you didn't know? Hi no Kuni borders us, you're very nearly at your goal - that's why the landscapes are so similar," the man said, confirming her suspicions from the night before. Armed with the knowledge and general direction, she was ready to head out when they informed her of a possible detour. Apparently, in their other bordering country Ta no Kuni was currently advertising a large, and wonderful circus.
She took this knowledge and decided, why not? She wanted to make her trip as enjoyable and informative as it could be, so what could be the harm? Thanking them, she formed her wings once more and traveled into the air westward as they directed.
She soared into the sky, but she still had quite the sizable distance of travel to accomplish before she could even see the landscape change once more. Thanks to the speed given to her by her wings, the length was shortened immensely and she arrived withing moments at Ta no Kuni, noticeable for many more meadows instead of forests, and of course the rice paddies they were named for.
The startling part was what was happening in the area she was in, as large, billowing columns of smoke roared into the sky in several different areas. Passing by overhead, she noted that several small villages had been set ablaze and the smell of putrid, burning humans was filling the sky, Below her, men and women alike were in combat as they attacked one another with bloodlust simply oozing from them.
She wasn't sure if the people from Yu had lied to her and sent her to her death, or if this was simply a horrible coincidence, she didn't know. She was worried about landing and getting involved with whatever brutality was happening underneath her and so she shortened the trip and made a hasty retreat south west. From what she could see in the distance, there were more trees to the south and it truly didn't matter as long as she escaped.
That truly was her intent, until a large fireball descended from the ground below. Evading it, just barely, one of her wings was lit aflame. Instantly removing it, her body began to plummet without the extra help. Descending sloppily, the moment she touched the ground half of her body was pulled into it. Weaving seals, she began to form paper shurikens around her when a sharp kick to the back of her head instantly knocked her unconscious.
"You'll...regret...that..." she managed to sputter before the world went dark.
Awakening in a dark, dimly lit room she was strapped to a chair. A piece of cloth had been tied around her mouth to silence most of her screams, and she felt the wooden chair had iron locks around her arms and legs. Suddenly, the barely flickering flame was extinguished and a door was opened, before lights were activated. The room she was in was incredibly small, a square, and was lined with seals and strange inscriptions that she couldn't decipher nor understand. Her eyes were both glowing, red and blue, equally defiant and outraged as a tall, thin, extravagant man entered the room with several hooded figures.
She spit profanities at the group and screamed to vent her anger, as she attempted to remove her bindings, to no avail, in the end just bouncing around the chair. The man didn't even acknowledge her, simply turning away and turning his attention to one of his minions.
"Hurry with the sealing, they'll be here soon and we'll have to leave my latest experiment behind," he said, causing Kurome to become silent and send her brain into overdrive. There was no way, at all, that she would ever let her life end in such a demeaning and pathetic manner.
The hooded figures all extended long scrolls that formed a pentagram around the young woman, before they all began inscribing seals upon the blank canvas while the man was weaving seals incredibly slowly. Normally shinobi worked to move fast, so that was an oddity to the Genin. But, more importantly, she questioned just who the fuck these people where and what were they doing to her?
Numerous scenarios entered her mind, and she began removing them one at a time via the process of elimination. Her rage filled eyes were also focused, watching each of them carefully. Before they could finish, the building they were in shook dangerously, as if it had been hit by a large explosion. Dust scattered around the room from the stone and lamps that were around the room.
"Tch, let the 'Knights' handle it while we finish up here. We're so close, that I can taste it!" he declared, his eyes showing only depravity and hunger.
Meanwhile, Kurome had long figured out how to escape but that only created a new problem. Once she did, there were six people in the room and she wasn't sure how to take all of them out at once. She decided to play the act of the unwilling victim for just another moment, until she could take advantage of an opportunity. The building shook some more, much to the irritation of the leader, and he sent two of the subordinates away. She was closer, but she needed some sort of advantage that would turn the tides quickly.
After several long minutes of silence, screams and explosions could be heard from within her room. This was exactly what she needed, with them worried about who would get there she simply needed to act. Using her Hijutsu, she allowed her whole body to transform into sheets of paper so that she could escape the chair. Reforming around one of the hooded figures, she utilized the pieces of paper that composed her chest cavity in order to suffocate the person. She ensured his death by twisting him about with a sickening crack.
Their leader was unfazed, simply continuing his slow hand signs and it was at this point that she believed that she had underestimated what was going on. She formed numerous shuriken in the small area and split up their flight patterns. Each was sent in groups toward the remaining enemies, impaling them while they refused to move. The grunts had sustained lethal injuries, but the lanky man had simply blocked any vital spots.
Becoming desperate, she pulled the shuriken out of the two they had killed and launched herself toward him. Using physical force, she struck him with the shuriken and left them sticking out of him like a porcupine. He barely stumbled, let alone said a word, but instead began to smile. Still weaving slowly, the room had began to glow a grotesque purple and all of the writing and blood on the ground matched it.
Chakra Used - x1 High Chakra Remaining - x2 Massive, x1 High, x3 Mid Jutsu Used - Serufu Hatoronshi no Kami (Self Crafting Paper Skill) Rank: D Range: Close (0m ~ 5m) Type: Supplementary Handseals: - Chakra Consumption: Mid per transformation This jutsu allows a Shikigami to transform themselves into paper. The Shikigami forces their chakra into the corresponding limb or area, transforming the flesh and bone into paper with strength comparable to steel. While this does pose some relatively high risks, the pay off is equally substantial. Due to the malleable nature of paper, the user is capable of transforming any morphed limb into whatever construct they desire.
Note: The user may convert their entire body into paper a maximum of five times per thread. However, the user may convert one appendage (and arm, leg, head, or the torso; converting two limbs at the same time will count as two separate usages) into paper a total of ten times per thread. Due to being able to transform themselves into paper at any point in time, all Shikigami are nearly impervious to non-elemental physical strikes, but are extremely susceptible to Suiton and Katon. Any and all Katon does a critical amount of damage on Shikigami, and when hit with the element they are unable to disperse and shift properly, even potentially lighting up in flames. Likewise, any and all Suiton reacts adhesively with the paper-infused chakra of the Shikigami body, thoroughly sticking the area the jutsu comes in contact with. It should be noted that Shikigami are not made of paper, but instead simply possess a genetic disorder which allows them to revert their entire bodies into such. When knocked unconscious or extremely exhausted and\or low on chakra, the user will revert to an immobile mound of paper. This grants the user a Natural +1 to their defense level.
Pepa Shuriken no Jutsu (Paper Shuriken Technique) Rank: C Range: Close (0m ~ 5m), Mid (5m ~ 10m), Far (10m+) Type: Offensive Handseals: 2 Chakra Consumption: Mid-High A simple yet effective paper technique. The user can take paper creations of their own and turn them into deadly shuriken. Retaining their infamous strength, these shuriken are sent flying by the user's will, resulting in a deadly barrage of projectiles.
Note: 3 shuriken can be created with the initial Mid cost, and by stacking on another Mid each, up to 12 can be created per use. This technique has durability comparable to level 2 defense, and slicing power comparable to level 2 strength.
The usually pensive and intellectual Kurome was now wild and bloodthirsty, an ominous feeling creeping into her as her body warned her of the danger. Taking one of the paper shuriken that had been stabbed into him once more, she ended things by marking his throat vertically with the sharp bladed edge. For the first time since she had awakened, he looked her in the eyes and smiled before lunging out and grabbing her. His entire upper body wrapped around hers, the glowing within the room climaxed to the point that it filled her entire sight and she needed to close her eyes in order to avoid ocular damage.
Once the light subsided and she could open her eyes, the man was nothing more than a bloodied corpse on the ground, the smile eternal. Shuddering she began to leave the room, when she felt a burning inside of her stomach. Kurome fell to her knees in pain, as it felt like someone was branding her stomach with a hot iron.
She needed to escape before she got involved in whatever action was going on outside, and she didn't have the time to play too nicely. Opening the door, she heard the distant fights within the establishment but didn't see or hear anyone else around. Forming several more shuriken, before lacing them with explosives and hurling them at the wall. The building shook and she took cover in the hallway behind the door, giving the explosion a couple of seconds to settle before she weaved several more seals and formed her paper wings behind her.
In the air, she traveled hard and fast expending a ton of energy on a speedy exit away from them. The seal they had placed on her activated, searing her stomach several minutes later. The unexpected pain caused her to lose control, and she plummeted to the ground smacking several tree limbs on her way downward. Smashing her head against the ground, she should've dissipated into a pile of papers as she normally had - but she didn't. Instead her body lay there, in the country that she had been so desperately attempting to reach.
Chakra Usage - x1 High Chakra Remaining - x2 Massive, x3 Mid Jutsu Used - Paper Wings Paper Shuriken atoronshi Bakuha (Crafting Paper Explosive Addition) Rank: C Range: - Type: Supplementary Handseals: - Chakra Consumption: Mid As its name implies, the clan member is able to imbue their paper creations with explosive properties. When lit, the effect can spread over a mass amount of paper sheets; when combined with other clan jutsu, the explosive additions result in a truly terrifying offensive combination.
Note: This technique allows the Shikigami to create explosive notes at their will, up to three per post. Likewise, they can also convert a single Pepa Shuriken no Jutsu cast (all of the shuriken associated with the single cast) into explosive rounds. These abilities cannot be used at the same time (you either make notes or turn the shuriken into explosive shuriken). Furthermore, the cost of converting the paper shuriken stacks with the cost of making the shuriken. This technique has explosive power comparable to level 2 strength