A relatively fortified temporary camp used by some very unsavory sorts for the trading and keeping of a number of slaves, all of whom carry powerful kekkei genkai within themselves.
Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2020 11:51 pm
Tsubaki "The Carrier of Hope"
Tsubaki slowly awoke in her wooden cage, feeling the rough grain of the wood on her almost bare back. Her captors had put her in a wooden cage so that she couldn't use her bloodline techniques to break free, at least as easily. However, she felt morning was coming. She could feel the slow rise of the chill breeze as it blew through the camp. It was just yet another day for the poor girl, another anxiety filled day. Over time, she almost became comfortable with the constant anxiety. It just... stopped bothering her, after a while. She'd been in this state for roughly ten years, being traded back and forth like an animal. Correction: At least the dogs were being treated better than she was, they got to sleep on something that wasn't hardwood.
Slowly, she sat up in her cage. At the very least, there was enough room for her to sit; and maybe crouch, but not much else. It may have been almost twice her length, but it was less than half her height. The reason for this is rather simple: She didn't always have the cage to herself. At one point, there was another girl in the cage with her. However, the poor thing was sold off to a rather large man with an ostentatious mustache. She never saw her again, and only occasionally wonders where the poor girl ended up. The reason for the inconsistency is that, while Tsubaki has awakened her bloodlines, she is still beaten almost daily; and so rarely has time to herself, if at all. She is incredibly tough however, in every sense of the word. Physically, she shrugs off most blows as if she were wearing full armor. Mentally, she seems to be able resist some of the worst punishments imaginable; and she lives through all of it.
Looking around, she could see a few of the other captives waking up as the temperature changed. However, this also means that the guards are going to wake up soon; which means the "keeper" is going to wake up soon. Almost everyone who has anything resembling will left has a terrified look on their face, and the others... well, their faces are almost as smooth as glass. While the guards may be pretty bad, the keeper is much much worse. She is an evil woman who feels no remorse for her actions, and seems to almost enjoy her job.
A light breeze wafts through the leaves of an oak tree, one among hundreds that made up the forest in the wilderness of the Land of Fire. A single leaf flutters in the wind as a black figure darts past it, leaping from treetop to treetop with incredible grace and speed. Upon reaching the upper branches of a rather tall evergreen, Shigen looks out over the sea of trees, scanning the horizon for any signs of smoke or any indication that someone was nearby. Lifting his right hand, he gripped the handle of the greatsword on his back and unsheathed it, it's blue metal gleaming in the sunlight. Shigen swung his great blade around, and drove it into the thick bark of the branch he was standing on. Leaning against it, Shigen closed his eyes and seemed to freeze. After a moment, his eyelids lifted and his Sharingan glowed red in the shade of the leaves lightly covering his face.
"The report said that they were last spotted in this area. All I need to do now is find them." Shigen said aloud to himself. Ever so slightly turning his head, Shigen continued to scan the trees for life, but this time using his Sharingan in an attempt to pick up any chakra signatures. He knew there was a reason Lahlil picked him for this mission; it requires a single-man team, stringent stealth, and to ascertain the location of an unknown group of kidnappers that were spotted crossing into Fire territory. Upon finding nothing but the average bird or squirrel, Shigen wrenched his greatsword free from the tree, and sheathed it. While his Sharingan were immensely helpful, the range of his visual prowess was still limited and he needed to continue to move.
If he didn't know any better, Shigen could have assumed Lahlil selected him for this mission specifically to hone his visual skills. Possible reasons aside, Shigen began heading forward, deeper into the forest. Leaping from tree to tree, he kept scanning the area for chakra signatures that didn't fit in with the rest. A few birds, a bear, a family of deer; so far nothing seemed to have been around any of the wildlife recently. That's when he saw it - a small broken branch lying on the ground near the trunk of a tree. "Excellent. I'm getting closer." Shigen thought as he surveyed the scene.
Landing with nary a sound, Shigen crouched down and inspected the branch, as well as the ground surrounding it. After a few moments, Shigen stood up and turned his head toward the east. "They're close by... I need an extra pair of eyes." Shigen said to himself as he looked up toward the canopy. A finch sitting on a branch was singing it's song, hopping along one if the branches. Shigen began to whistle, softly and in short, quick calls, he attempted to get the bird's attention. When the finch's gaze met Shigen's, his Sharingan went to work. The bird froze, an imitation of Shigen's Sharingan replacing it's iris. Almost immediately the finch took off, flying high above the forest toward where he believed the kidnappers had gone.
With a beat of it's wings, Shigen's enthralled bird rode the air currents as it scanned the forest below. Shigen, meanwhile, was seated cross-legged against a tree on the forest floor, eyes closed holding a single hand seal to maintain concentration. Using his dōjutsu to see through the eyes of his temporary animal companion, he made sure to keep the bird high enough to evade suspicion, but also to stay close enough to see chakra signatures. After nearly ten minutes, he finally found what he was looking for - the kidnappers hideout. "Found you." Shigen thought as his eyes shot open and he released the finch from his technique.
Kujaku’s experience was a different one. She wasn’t in the so-called comfort of her cage, like a lot of the other prisoners in the camp. The blue haired girl and a few others had been out all night for a special training session, one headed by the dreaded keeper herself. The Keeper was a tall woman that usually dressed in a purple dress that hid her slender frame, which only further hid her physical strength. But despite her size she was always really fast and nimble. Training sessions usually consisted of the woman beating the prisoners senselessly, or pummeling them with jutsus. They weren’t allowed to stop, they weren’t allowed to collapse or they’d be dead. Sometimes others died anyway; it’s not like she held back. It seemed easier that way, anyway. Quicker.
Kujaku was hunched over, her fatigued and famished frame beaten and bruised and burned. Her rags passed as clothing were frayed and torn. The girl had one eye swollen shut and her own blood dripped from her forehead. And in the ground between her and the Keeper before her was a giant trench, a dozen feet wide and caused by her last jutsu. “Again.” The Keeper simply said. Her voice was stern but her face… a face that had too much fun was something burned into Kujaku’s nightmares. The woman formed seals and immediately Kujaku rose to attention, fear on her face. She had to act fast! “Raiton: Lightning Bolt!”
At the same time, Kujaku formed handseals as fast as she could. “Doton: Ten Thousand Ri Wall!” Her normally quiet voice rang out as she slammed her hands to the ground. Her chakra poured out and the ground responded by creating a large wall of stone: twenty feet tall and twice as wide. The Keeper, at the same time, let out a large breath. Kujaku didn’t need to be able to see it to know that it was a massive stream of lightning shooting in her direction. What Kujaku wasn’t ready for, however, was for cracks to appear on her side of the wall. Fear rose within her just as the lightning bolt exploded through the rock wall! The lightning hit her square on the chest and filled her with hundreds of volts of electricity. Her body spasmed and as her head lolled back, Kujaku was absently able to see the sky fading from black to blue. Dawn was coming. Soon.
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Ishiba Satomi
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 2:24 am
Tsubaki "The Carrier of Hope"
Tsubaki could hear the "training" the keeper was doing with a few of the others, and it didn't sound pleasent. While she wished she could do something, anything, to help: She couldn't. She was stuck in a cage, and with utterly no training in any jutsu. She was stuck, and helpless. And she hated it, but there was nothing for her to do. She just had to wait until eventually she, too, was sold off.
Across the camp, and a little bit into the surrounding woods: Hiroku, the Keeper, was "training" a few of the other captives, but she was being especially violent to Kujaku. After the lightning bolt struck Kujaku in the chest, the woman began to laugh. Her voice booming into the nearby forest. "Hah! Is that all, whelp? Stand up before I break your arms." She said, her voice as nasty as her "training". She started to move forward a moment, but then heard something. One of the birds from the forest flew overhead, directly overhead. Either the thing was stupid, or someone who shouldn't be here is. The Keeper quickly looked around, now anxious for whatever visitor she has.
Keeping her sense actue, she turned back to look at Kujaku; who was still laying on the ground. She gave a little nod, acknowledging that the girl didn't move; and waited. She just knew something, or someone, was coming. And she didn't want to miss whatever they had to say. Not because she wanted to listen, but because she wanted to see them squirm underneath her.
Shigen knelt down on the branch he now found himself, Sharingan active as he peered through the trees down towards the camp he had finally reached. It had taken him only a few minutes to arrive, but up close the camp seemed much larger than he expected. How had he not found it sooner? Trying not to blame himself as well as staying focused on the mission, he shook his head and scanned the tree line, which couldn't be more than fifty feet in front of him. He detected multiple chakra signatures of varying strengths inside the camp; lackeys he assumed, but there were much smaller ones that could only be children. While the idea of children being kidnapped didn't sit well with him, he couldn't make a move yet. Before he could finish surveying, he heard the crack of thunder and heard the voice of a woman - laughing. Turning his attention in that direction, he noticed a handful of chakra signatures glowing only a few yards into the forest on his right. One was obviously brighter than the others, of which some signatures were faintly even visible. That's when he realized what they were, and his stomach flipped - they were children.
From what he could tell, they were isolated - separated from the bulk of the camp. If that was their leader, or simply the strongest of the group, he needed to plan his move carefully. If he went straight for the woman, there was a good chance the bulk of the lackeys would back her up, making it much more difficult to complete the mission. If he went to the camp first, he could eliminate the reinforcements, but then he risked being too weak to face the leader. After a few minutes of deep thought, Shigen decided his first move.
Landing in the faint dirt pathway winding between the trees, Shigen turned toward the camp and began to walk, his eyes back to normal - no sense in giving away information to the enemy. His stylized cloak rippled in the wind slightly as he walked, the wind tousling his white and blue hair. He needed to be careful not to exert any chakra to remain undetected by the leader who seemed to be a decent enough distance from the camp. As he neared the wooden walls if the camp, a guard who was leaning against one of the poles got up and hailed him. It was time to begin.
"Hoi! You! Get out of here!" The man shouted. "What are you, deaf? I said turn around!" Shigen continued walking toward the entrance, unbothered by the man's warnings. As he neared even closer, the guard drew a flimsy looking sword from it's sheath and held it aloft, pointing towards Shigen. Before the man could utter another word, Shigen suddenly stopped only yards away from the guard and addressed him. "My name is Shigen Kōha of the Hidden Leaf village. You are trespassing in our land, and I have been sent to deal with you; kidnapping is a serious crime."
The guard, seemingly taken aback, doubled over and started laughing. "You're not serious are you?!" The guard managed to get out between fits of laughter. "They only sent one of you? Boy, they must not know who they're dealing with!" Shigen merely stood his ground, eyeing the guard. When he seemed to recover from his fit, Shigen replied. "I do not care who you are. You are a criminal, and worse, you kidnap children. That's all I need to know. Release all of your hostages immediately, or I will show you how mercy. I will not ask again." Upon finishing his sentence, Shigen raised his right arm and gripped the handle of his greatsword, but didn't unsheath it. It was merely a show of intention; if they wouldn't comply, he would resort to immediately, deadly force.
Kujaku quietly laid on the ground as smoke rose from her slightly burnt body. If she wanted to get up, the girl wasn’t even sure if she could. That lightning bolt hit her pretty hard and made her muscles stop working for a few minutes. But even that, her body was just so weak and frail that Kujaku wasn’t certain that her arms and legs could support her anymore. So the girl didn’t even bother moving. Kujaku knew that that choice would end her life then and there but… what was the point? Just for Hiroku to beat the crap out of her day and night, all in the hopes of making her stronger? Just to be a weapon? She felt a burning sensation well up in her eyes as tears started to form. She hated this life, and maybe being dead would be better. Just let her do it… Kujaku thought. Despite that thought, she held back her tears. Maybe it was out of reflex, or maybe it was she knew she’d die if they got seen and part of her wasn’t ready yet.
“...Give him this whelp.” The Keeper’s harsh voice brought Kujaku back to reality. Just in time for the woman to dig her fingers into her blue hair and lift her off of the ground by her tangled and dirty locks. The girl looked around with her one good eye and saw a random guard running away from the two of them. Maybe he brought her bad news…? “Listen, you.” She hissed, getting real close to the Kuajku’s face. “There’s a man here, and since you’re out we’re going to make you useful.”
A few moments later Kujaku found herself walking to the main gate, where the commotion was. As she got closer she found herself thinking back to what her orders were. “Lie to this man.” Hiroku had told her. When the young girl reached the gate, she saw the man in question: he stood out like a sore thumb. Blue and white hair? Giant sword? Gaudy cloak? Yeah, no doubt about it. This was the man that The Keeper had been warned about.
“Hello, sir.” Kujaku’s quiet voice came from behind the guard at the gate. She seemed meek and timid, as she normally was with...anyone really. She tried her best to give him some semblance of a smile. “I apologize for my coworker's intensity, he’s just trying to protect us.” She said with a polite bow. “And I’m sorry to intrude. I couldn’t help but overhear the commotion and I wanted to try and clear the confusion. Shinji here is just over confident in his ability, so he’s surprised that only one man was sent to investigate us.” As she began to speak, Hiroku’s voice echoed in Kujaku’s mind as she prepared to say what the Keeper told her to say. “We’re just a traveling band of performers, nothing more. We had a lot of kid runaways, and people like to think we kidnap them. But I assure you that everyone here is safe and sound.” The smile was as pleasant as she could make it. But deep down Kujaku wanted to scream at the top of her lungs: SAVE US!!! THEY’RE KILLING US!!! This man was the only small flicker of hope the young girl had had in almost 10 years, and she desperately didn’t want him to leave. But if she didn’t lie to him, right here and now, The Keeper would not only kill her but Tsubaki too...
Base Jutsu: Ten Thousand Ri Earth Style Wall Location Bonus: Ninjutsu Bonus: Water Manipulation Ninjutsu Bonus: Water Clone Technique Bloodline Bonus: Intermediate Formula: Barrier of Conservation Bloodline Bonus: Advanced Formula: Particle Beam Ninjutsu Bonus: Waterfall Basin Technique Ninjutsu Bonus: Water Chain Technique Ninjutsu: Water Demon’s Appetite Ninjutsu: Water Prison Technique Raiton: Control Loss Suiton: Bursting Water Collision Wave
Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 7:48 pm
Tsubaki "The Carrier of Hope"
Tsubaki could hear every word of what Kujaku was saying, and it hurt. She knew that Kujaku was being forced to say that, and that only made it hurt more. Angry, frustrated, and unable to put up with this anymore; Tsubaki began to focus her chakra into her hands. The sudden surge of energy would literally fill the air with glittering silver sand, though the substance itself seemed to be nothing but a mirage. However, the seeming aura of it was palpable; and it tinged the air with the smell of deep earth, and electricity. Tsubaki is, in short, pissed.
In the next instant, a loud roar that seemed to come from the earth itself shot through the air in the middle of the camp. Suddenly, Tsubaki slammed her hands into the bottom of her cage; utterly blowing through the wood and making contact with the ground. A surge of energy burst through the ground as a number of silver spikes shot up from it, utterly destroying the cage Tsubaki was in. To the people who could see her, she practically looked like a demon clad in silver armor. Her body had suddenly been wrapped in the silver metallic substance, giving her the appearance of wearing a breastplate and bracers. The guards nearby didn't even have time to react before Tsubaki started to move, smashing open a number of the other cages; letting their occupants free. One of the guards attempted to swing their blade at her, and when it made contact she didn't even flinch. Instead, she stomped her foot and four more of the silver spears shot up from the ground; impaling the man.
Hiroku could hear the commotion from where she was, and she had a feeling she knew who was making the fuss. "It was going to happen eventually... I suppose I just need to beat some sense into her a bit sooner than I intended." She said, and then turned into a bolt of lightning as she rushed into the camp. "Inform the Council of what has happened here." She said, smashing into the ground nearby a man fully covered in dark colored cloth; revealing nothing but his eyes. He then vanished, heading off to some parts unknown. Hiroku then turned to face Tsubaki, who she could see from across the camp. Her face broadened into an manic grin as she drew her massive sword. "That was one step too far!" She shouted at Tsubaki. The sixteen year old girl didn't immediately react, instead she just glared at Hiroku. Her face stern and determined.
Shigen stood, hand on his greatsword as a young girl was brought before him. She seemed younger than him, but what caught his eye was her hair; it was a spectacular blue similar to his own. Refusing to remove his hand, he listened without shifting an inch as the young girl dressed in what seemed to be a filthy old potato sack spoke. Nothing she said made sense. Why would a guard so vehemently deny his approach if they were simple circus folk? And why send a dirty child to explain their business, instead of freely showing him? As Shigen contemplated how to respond, he heard an explosion of some sort inside the camp, followed by a blood-curdling scream.
Without skipping a beat, Shigen sprang into action. With a swift step forward, Shigen reached out with his free hand and grabbed the young girl by the hem of her "clothing", and quickly yanked her so she would fall behind him; the last thing he wanted was for a child to be in the crossfire. As soon as the girl was past his central point, Shigen unsheathed his greatsword and swung it with ease as if it weighed no more than a bird's feather. The large tooth near the top of the blade impaled itself in the guards chest with a loud squelch.
Shigen wanted to check on the child behind him, but he needed to focus on the mission and hoped that the girl would simply flee, but that wasn't certain. The woman who had been at the gate had flashed away into the camp at the sound of the explosion, and Shigen knew he had to follow suit. The woman was clearly versed in Ninjutsu, and as such the half-hearted lie forced on the child became ever more evident, and it made his blood boil. Using children as pawns to save your own skin? How craven. Wrenching his sword free of the guards chest cavity, he followed in pursuit, leaving a splatter of blood behind him on the ground.
After striding into the center of the camp, Shigen could see the woman starind down another child, except she was clad in a shimmering armor, tears streaming down her face, yet she didn't look sad - she looked angry. "This doesn't add up... They're supposed to be kidnappers, but this kid knows Ninjutsu. Why would they..." Before he could finish his thought, it struck him. They weren't kidnappers - they were slave traders.
"You! Whatever your plan is, it won't work. Give up, NOW, or you will not leave here alive." Shigen shouted at the woman, hoping to turn her attention from the girl in front of her and to himself. If she made a move on the girl, he would have to intercept before she was hurt. Holding his greatsword aloft, the tip pointed directly at the woman in purple. Time was short, and the situation could become chaotic with other prisoners running about freely. He would have to be very, very careful.
Kujaku watched the man as thoughtfully as she could. She was conflicted. On one hand she wanted him to believe her. Maybe this man would be able to save them and finally free them from this fresh hell and torment. But on the other… he could very likely die and the girl didn’t want some stranger to die doing… whatever he’s doing. Was it to rescue them? And if he was trying to save them, everyone in the camp would just get killed or punished even more than they already were. Kujaku wasn’t sure she could handle another lightning bolt like last time. Please go away… She prayed. Tears started to well up in the corners of her eyes formed from a heart wrenching combination of sadness, frustration, and fear. Someone who could save them and she wanted him gone. That was when it happened. An explosion that shook Kujaku down to her very core brought her back to life. What...just happened…? She thought to herself. Was there another training session going on? Or maybe he’s just the ditraction and that came from his allies. It was impossible to tell because those things seemed random: just whenever they were the least convenient. The girl had hoped that the swordsman in front of her didn’t notice, but no that’d make things too easy, of course.
The man with the dual colored hair yanked her from her feet like she was a toy. For a rather long instance, Kujaku felt fear as quickly as if it were a reaction. She shut her eyes, squeezing her lids together tightly as a built in response to years of torture. But what came next wasn’t a blow or a slap, but a pull. Enough to move her out of the way but… something felt off. Kujaku cracked an eye open and got a good look at the man’s face. He wasn’t even looking at her which made her feel better about whether or not he was going to hit her. He was looking forward, steadfast in his decision to go to the camp! Kujaku hit the ground behind him just as he killed the guard. Wait… killed the guard… Oh no.
He was going to get them killed.
Feebily Kujaku rose to her feet. The rest of Hiroku’s instructions rang out in her memory, accompanied by her twisted smirk. “And if he does come in… turn him into dust!”
She was already exhausted from her session with The Keeper, but she had to at least try! She weaved a handseal and soon after, a ball of white light and energy formed in her cupped together hands. “Jinton!” She yelled. “Sphere of Destruction!!” The ball of energy fired from her hands like a canon and grew in size as it traveled, disintegrating the very ground in its path to the man in the cloak. Regardless of how it happened, the girl missed her shot. Panting, she looked at the man with tears in her eyes. “I...I can’t let you in..” she managed to choke out. “They’ll kill you and all of us if I do..”
Base Jutsu: Basic Formula: Sphere of Comprehension Location Bonus: Ninjutsu Bonus: Crimson Earth Spider Ninjutsu Bonus: Bed of Fire Technique Bloodline Bonus: Intermediate Formula: Barrier of Conservation Bloodline Bonus: Advanced Formula: Particle Beam Ninjutsu Bonus: Ten Thousand Ri Earth Style Wall Ninjutsu Bonus: Shadow Clone Technique Ninjutsu: Electric Explosion Ninjutsu: Wave of Inspiration Raiton: False Darkness Suiton: Breathing Underwater Technique
Kujaku didn’t even wait to see the effects her words had on him. She had to try again, and keep him going until his allies were taken care of or he couldn’t move! Kujaku slammed her hands together as the morning sky started to fill with clouds and thunder. Rain started to quickly pour down all around them as she gathered her chakra. The girl formed more and more seals. “Ushi, Saru, Oo, Nae, Ee, Tori, Ushi, Uma, Tori, Nae, Tora, Inu, Tora, Mee,” she muttered as her hands formed the corresponding signs. It was almost captivating, like a song as she weaved them together. “...Jin, Nae, Ee, Tori!” With a clasp of thunder and a flash of lightning, Kujaku finished her signs. “Water Style!!!!” She yelled out with as much power as her feeble body could muster. The large amount of chakra she had been building up finally rushed out of her, the mystic energy grabbing at the rainwater around her. It coalesced in a large sphere at first, a large ball of swirling and rushing water. Sudden;y a pair of glowing yellow eyes formed in the sphere that was followed by the formation of a gaping jaw with razor sharp teeth! Then, all at once a serpentine dragon unwound itself from it’s spherical prison, with its sights set on the intruder! ““Water Dragon Jutsu!!!”
Base Jutsu: Water Dragon Projectile Technique Location Bonus: Ninjutsu Bonus: Low Air Pressure Technique Ninjutsu Bonus: High Air Pressure Technique Bloodline Bonus: Laser Riding Bloodline Bonus: Laser Bolt Rain Ninjutsu Bonus: Poison Mist NInjutsu Bonus: Dragon Fire Technique Ninjutsu: Water Manipulation Ninjutsu: Stone Avalanche Raiton: Electric Snake Suiton: Water Clone Technique
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Ishiba Satomi
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 12:31 am
Tsubaki "The Carrier of Hope"
Hiroku watched these proceedings with a smug and bemused face, though given the sudden shift in lighting it looked somewhat twisted; what with her scars now standing out quite visibly. "Hah! Give up? What for? This is my livelihood, my job! Why the hell would I listen to what a little s**t like you has to say?" Hiroku paused the briefest moment to laugh. Then, she looked down at the ground. "Heh... Your bravery is certainly something to commend, I'll give you that Shinobi. But you've made a bad decision." Hiroku watched as the water dragon dashed it's way towards Shigen, her smile broadening into a unnerving grin.
However, Tsubaki had noticed an opening. The Keeper was so distracted with Shigen, that she seemed to completely forget about her. However, she had a horrible feeling about that water dragon. It didn't make sense as to why Kujaku was attacking this man, but it must have been a plot to distract the keeper. Taking the oppurtunity, Tsubaki stomped her foot on the ground; causing four of the same silver spikes from before to shoot up from underneath Hiroku. She was suffciently distracted, that they made full contact with her legs.
Hiroku suddenly stumbled backwards, the spikes driving themselves into her legs. Her legs themselves seemed to have turned partway into silver, and her whole body shook slightly as rather easily visible sparks and bolts of electricity arced across her body. "You'll pay for that, b***h!" She said, pulling out her sword which was a bit bigger than she was. (Think an overlarge Nodachi) She suddenly dashed towards Tsubaki as the water dragon closed in on Shigen.
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