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 Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2021 1:44 am
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Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2021 1:19 pm
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 Katsumi Hogosha[Hogosha Clan][Zaishin Samurai][D-Rank]
[Bloodline Class][Scholar Class]
[Strength: 0][Speed: 0][Agility: 0][Endurance: 0]
"Trying to hunt Seiryuu is stupid." The young man's voice spoke up over the loud council of people whom had gathered. Sitting in a large room quite off in the distance away from the table of elders, family heads, warriors, priests, monks, and more. The large group of gathered Hogosha all turned to look towards the voice. The quite young looking male with heterochromia stared down the large group as they all stared at him as well. Some with disgust on their face, others intrigue, but one in particular spoke up. Dressed in traditional samurai garb that seemed virtually mixed with that of a monk's garb. Standing from his seat.
"Quiet boy, we told you to stand there and not speak before we even came here. You will bring dishonor to us like we all expected." His hands slammed into the table in anger. Clear hatred in his voice that cause quite a few people of the Hogosha meeting to shift their attention to the shouting man. Looking at it now he stood out a bit from the others. There were various people that looked of various ages but this man seemed nigh normal in his age so to speak. Many Hogosha remain young in appearance as they age but this man seemed almost to not have such a thing happen. It was like that for a few others here as well but most of those gathered looked young. As if none of them had been over thirty. Regardless...
He returned to his seat, and the boy with heterochromia simply sighed. He didn't look upset, he didn't even really seem upset from the sigh. Perhaps just annoyed, that was it. The look on his face was clearly that of someone annoyed. He moved from his position in the corner of the room and began to leave. Followed quickly by two others that happened to be in the room as well. Perhaps younger than him? Maybe his own age? Probably younger than him he was a bit more special in that regard. The three of them left the room and the girl spoke up. Dressed in a fairly traditional shrine maiden outfit with a spear strapped to her back. "Wow Katsumi, your father's scary." She said, covering her mouth and sort of giggling. The other boy would add to the girl's words. He was dressed in traditional samurai garb as well. "Yeah, is that why you left? Did your daddy scare you away?" He mocked the boy with a laugh.
Katsumi didn't even stop to look at the two. He was sure they were just being them. They seemed like children, as they probably were children. He was always paired up with children...or at least people that acted like children. Another sigh escaping his lips as he spoke. "He's not scary, he's just an angry old man. Who likes throwing temper tantrums at me cause I am his son." Katsumi clarified. "Akari, Niko...If you decide to keep mocking me I will hurt you." He said to the two pretty plainly as they kept walking. The two seemed to practically ignore it, although they did not press the current matter much more. Cogs in Katsumi's head turned as he slowly came up with plans.
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Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2021 11:14 pm
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Katsumi Hogosha[Hogosha Clan][Zaishin Samurai][D-Rank]
[Bloodline Class][Scholar Class]
[Strength: 0][Speed: 0][Agility: 0][Endurance: 0]
A few days passed, closer to a week or so maybe. Katsumi was approached by his father in their home. Katsumi was simply sitting and drinking tea alone when it happened. The man's brash and loud words echoed through the originally quiet room. "KATSUMI, You'n your friends are going to hunt Seiryuu." Katsumi looked up at his father from his position sitting and simple spoke. "Okay." He said, finishing his tea and placing it back down upon the tray he had with him. "Ungrateful child, I don't care if you don't want..." His father started out yelling but slowly faded into that of a normal then quiet voice. He was dumbfounded and unsure what to say.
Meanwhile Katsumi grabbed his bow sitting in the corner of the room. Lifting the tea from the table and moving to take it to place it to be washed. Walking by his dumbfounded father once more with a nod. His father's anger practically grew. "Are you mocking me boy?! You better do this right! You better make up for that stunt you pu-" Before he could even finish Katsumi had already left. No longer able to hear his father's voice he began to make his way along the path leading out from their fairly normal looking house for a clan member, heading to the gates of Zaishin.
Eventually meeting with the other two, Akari and Niko had just gotten there and were about to leave. Surprise drew across their face as they saw Katsumi walking to them. "Come on, lets go." He would say to the two of them as he continued onwards. They looked at each other and shrugged. Continuing on and heading out alongside Katsumi. The two of them talking while Katsumi stood between them. Typical of how they took on missions.
After a while of travelling the group of them came to a forest on the outskirts of Zaishin. It wasn't particularly known widely but that was exactly why the three Hogosha were here. "There're probably some Seiryuu here." Katsumi said. Cutting the conversation between Akari and Niko mostly to just get them to pay attention. Seemingly their conversations had nothing to do with Katsumi the entire time they were coming here, their immediate next moment of speech was to speak to him. "Why are you even here mister 'hunting them is dumb' you don't even want to do this." Niko said, adjusting his sword at his side to be more comfortable.
Akari added on to it. Seemingly this was a common occurrence. One said one thing and the other said something else to add to it. Katsumi was probably use to it, and they probably knew that. But they did it anyways, if only to annoy the man with the child-like appearance. "His dad probably yelled at him and forced him." She spoke with a giggle. Quickly added to again by Niko. "Well he better not get in our way." He said with a glare as they all walked into the forest.
Katsumi had ignored them for the most part. He didn't care much for what they had to say. And secretly he didn't care much for the mission he was given either. He had his own agenda coming here, a plan that he would set into motion soon. One that would shake the fabric of this twisted friendship as his father claimed this was. The wind blew through the trees of the forest. The leaves rustling making a sound familiar to those who liked the outdoors. The group of them began searching, each separating from the other and spreading across the forest. The group of Seiryuu they heard were here were not said to be extremely capable fighters. Most of them would have likely been at the same ability of the three that came at best.
Katsumi of course had a bit of an advantage over the other two. The other two searched out of duty and Katsumi searched out of his own will. But in all honesty no, he actually just got more information about this before hand. He knew about this before they did, he talked to various people before they did. He got more information out of those who were less willing to talk in order to protect those who had done nothing wrong. A small cave in the forest among the trees that Katsumi approached and found exactly what he was looking for. A small group of Seiryuu, all children actually. "Of course we'd be hunting Seiryuu kids..." He said with a sigh as he entered the cave. Two of the kids, probably the older two and oldest two of this group in the first place quickly jumped up and posed themselves in front of the rest of the group. There were how many of them...Katsumi counted in his head. "Twelve, and you two can't be any older than 10 or so huh?"
One of the two Seiryuu boys standing in front of Katsumi shouted. "I'm 12! And if you step any closer, w-we'll kill you kid!" He said holding a rusted and chipped katana towards Katsumi. The other kid spoke nothing but held a katana that was also rusted and had about half of it's blade broken off. "Calm down, stay here don't leave until I come ba-"
"AH! AKARI HE FOUND'EM." A loud voice rang out behind Katsumi which he sighed about. The young looking male stood and turned his back towards the Seiryuu to look at the opening of the cave. Of course there stood Niko, blade at the read and walking closer. Akari showed up behind Niko pretty quickly spear at the ready. "Wow, for someone who didn't want to hunt Seiryuu you sure did a good job." She giggled as she moved into the cave. "Yeah, must'a been the fear from his dad. What'd he do threaten to exile you? You'd probably like that though wouldn't ya?" Niko laughed nigh in Katsumi's face.
Katsumi sighed again, seemingly a common occurrence for this man as he would grap his bow in one of his hands. "You both remember right? What I said about mocking me?" Katsumi said, closing his eyes for a moment. Niko continued to walk closer smile on his face. "Yeah yeah, you can't hurt nothin. What you gonna d-" The boy was suddenly cut off and quickly as well as Katsumi formed a singular hand seal with one hand. The earth quickly rose into spear like spires that would pin Niko to the ceiling of the cave with one spear just barely pointed into his neck. Niko's sword fell and he found himself...trapped...stuck.
Akari looked in shock and anger and began into the cave. "Akari, I know you are not stupid. I am at a great advantage here for many reasons. Most importantly being that your style of fighting is not designed for enclosed spaces. You can corner me but you'd never be able to hit me in this cave." Katsumi explained to her, to which Akari stood, standing and holding her spear up and in a less offensive position. "Then I'll just leave, tell the elders and your father that you're betraying Zaishin. You'll be hunted and killed just like all the Seiryuu." Katsumi blankly stared at her. "And you'll be down two partners then." He said as the spear pointed at Niko's neck who was pinned and unable to move got closer and closer until it's tip was right on his flesh. Tears flowed from his eyes and fell upon the cave floor beneath him.
Akari collapsed to the ground, dropping her spear and crying. "F-Fine, what do you want." She shouted loudly, her voice echoing through the cave a mixture of cries and anger. Katsumi stepped forwards, placing his bow on his back once more. Forming a similar hand seal to before which caused the spears to disappear. Stepping under Niko just in time to catch him out of the air and safely place him on the ground.
He would then turn back around, moving over towards the Seiryuu kids who all seemed a combination of scared, confused, and relieved? Katsumi snatched Niko's blade from the floor and would hand it to the 12 year old Seiryuu kid. Grabbing it's hilt still confused. "What are you doing?" He asked confused. Katsumi would simply speak plainly to him. "You're good with a sword, unlike your friend who's blade is snapped in half you made sure that your rusted blade didn't break like that while defending these kids. It takes a smart swordsman to fight like that. But also this cave isn't the safest place for you, nor is this forest. You can't swing a sword around in a cave. It doesn't work. Me and you are going to make it through the rest of the forest and meet with a friend of mine. He will protect you until everything blows over." He explained, turning and beginning to head out ushering the children to follow him. They obliged and began to follow him out of the cave.
Katsumi didn't stop moving with the children as he spoke to the two crying Hogosha. "You two are to stay here until I return. If any other Hogosha showed up you are waiting for me here as I told you this was the best shelter for us. Our mission was a success, we killed a group of Seiryuu in a fight where Niko lost his blade. I went off to find the sword from you." Taking a quick moment to stop, move to the kid with the rusted snapped in half blade and ripping the kid's shirt off. Holding his hand out and creating an arrow out of chakra which he would puncture the shirt multiple times with. "Here, this is the only proof we have if they ask for any. I buried their bodies out of respect and honor. I'm sure anyone you tell that to will believe you. If I get back and you are gone...I will make sure to hunt you down. The first one of you I find I will kill and make sure to show the other one that I did it. I will take on the entirety of the Hogosha just to kill one of you and throw their corpse in the other's face." He said finally leaving the cave with the Seiryuu kids.
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2021 12:18 am
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Katsumi Hogosha[Hogosha Clan][Zaishin Samurai][D-Rank]
[Bloodline Class][Scholar Class]
[Strength: 0][Speed: 0][Agility: 0][Endurance: 0]
The forest was small but dangerous. Katsumi was well aware of the reason behind why the children stopped where they did. Many dangerous Yokai riddled the forest, and it was by no means something untrained children with bad weaponry could handle. Katsumi was sure the yokai around here might not have been extremely dangerous or a threat to a trained samurai but they were dangerous none the less. The seiryuu kid who now had Niko's sword was attentive and alert. He was very unlike Niko was was pretty brash and never looked around him. It was like he expected Katsumi to be the entirety of the group's eyes and ears. It was nice to have someone not like that.
Katsumi head rustling, stopping and turning to make the group of children stop too. However the two older kids had already done so. It was great, nice. Katsumi grabbed his bow from his back and readied it. He had no arrows, which probably confused some of them who didn't remember what he had done back at the cave. The kid who would be fighting by the child-like man's side was well aware however and that was all that mattered.
Katsumi began to focus, trying to determine what was out there right now. Vibrations and chakra moving through the earth and trees now to pick up on whatever it was that was doing this. Accompanied by the sound of stretching wood? Roots moved through the ground. Katsumi's eyes widened in shock and he quickly spoke. Loudly without shouting but with clear urgency. "Run!" He started to move, slowly at first waiting for the children to begin to do as he said and run in the direction they had been going. As they did roots burst forth from the ground moving towards the group in a quite large number.
Katsumi began running, quickly making his way away and in order to try and get as far away as possible. "Jubokko..." He uttered as he ran keeping himself behind the children. Bow once more placed on his back in order to prepare himself better for what he would have to do. Arrows were for sure not going to work in this situation, and it seemed from the amount of roots moving through the ground there were quite a lot of these yokai. He really only had one option, and after he hoped they'd be out of the forest quickly.
Katsumi formed a single handed string of hand seals. His chakra flared up, exploding forth from him and practically draining to what was likely nearly nothing. The earth around him rumbled, and shifted color and composition. Rising into a wave of salt which would wash itself over the away they were running away from. The roots receded backwards as the wave of salt hit them and screeching could be heard from the deeper parts of the forest which they just came from. They continued running until coming out of a clearing. A large lake and waterfall that was quite beautiful. A man standing on the water in the middle of the lake made his way towards the group.
"Katsumi! I see you've brought me the Seiryuu I asked about." Katsumi looked at the man and simply nodded. The man was dressed in what seemed to be a combination of monk and samurai garb. However it was much different from the kind that the Hogosha wore. "Good, follow me everyone." The kids looked towards Katsumi who nodded, breathing heavily after using the amount of chakra he did. "You told me about the Yokai, but not it was a Jubokko Forest..." Katsumi said to the man, who turned and looked at him in surprised.
"I only knew of a single Jubokko and a few kitsune..They must have multiplied somehow." The man said walking along towards the waterfall. Katsumi calmed himself, and made himself appear fine and normal. "Actually that makes sense. If clans have been hunting and killing Seiryuu in the nearby forest in the deeper parts then many Jubokko could be easily made...this is all stupid." Katsumi said thinking about this. Looking a bit angry in fact about it all. "Yes, but Katsumi-kun, there are plenty of people like you and I taking action. In many different ways. Everything will turn out fine. In fact I think you'll find this a great moment. If you had any doubts they will soon be washed away." A smile grew on his face as they reached the water fall.
Katsumi looked at the man. "Why did you want me to find these Seiryuu specifically anyways? You didn't tell me they were a bunch of children." He said. The man looked towards Katsumi, hands raised and then parting causing the large waterfall to open revealing a cave. Standing at the head of it waited a group of adults. Probably around double, maybe a little less that of the children group. Tears began to fall and cries of joy filled the air as the adults all ran towards the children. Grasping certain ones into their arms in happiness.
Katsumi watched, it took him a moment to register. "They're the kid's parents." He said. The other man nodded. "They got separated on the way through the forest nearly a week ago. They're unsure how exactly, I think it may have been an illusion that messed with their senses and only affected the children. The parents made it here, fine but didn't even notice the children weren't behind them. You reunited them, you brought a bunch of children back to their parents." Katsumi looked at the man. A smile grew on his face as he realized that the man was right. This washed away any doubts he had about what he was doing now. He walked forwards towards the kid who he had given Niko's sword. "I need the sword back. Thank you for your help."
The boy gave the sword back to Katsumi and smiled. "How are you so strong kid?" He asked Katsumi. The boy's mother laughed a bit and would pat the boy's head. "Excuse me, he doesn't know." She would say. Katsumi laughed and nodded. The boy looked at both of them confused. "Know what?" Katsumi would look at the boy. "I'm not a kid, I'm probably around the age of..." He looked around for the closest adult to his age. A female who looked to be about in her late 20's with a very small child. He pointed at her. "Her."
The boy looked between them, and shook his head. "You're lying." His mother would pat his head. "He's not. But that's actually a surprise. I thought you'd be in your teens, usually someone looking so young for so long doesn't happen." The woman said. Katsumi looked at her. "I'm just special I guess. I should get back." Katsumi said, nodding to the man whom he helped and heading back to where he left Niko and Akari.
On the way he thought about the situation he was in. Would they understand? They were suppose to be his friends even if they were assholes. They had to understand, at least Akari would right? Niko didn't understand much anyways. He was sure if he explained it....no he couldn't explain it. It was pointless, they wouldn't listen to him. No one ever listened to him. Why would they.
It took a bit, but Katsumi eventually returned. Akari and Niko were waiting at the cave entrance. Tears gone, looking towards Katsumi. Katsumi would hand Niko his blade. "Come on." He said to them, they looked at each other and then at Katsumi. "Why did you help them?" Niko asked, "They're traitors." Akari said. Katsumi stopped and turned towards them. "What if it was us?" He asked them. A genuine look in his heterochromic eyes. The two looked at each other in confusion for a moment. Katsumi sighed, caving into previous thoughts.
"What if our Clan Head decided to betray the Shogun? What if we were the ones who's clan was forced to leave their homes and everything they knew? Should we all be hunted and killed for the folly of our elders? Of our leaders? Us aside, what about the Hogosha Families we have that are mere shrine maidens, blacksmiths, armorsmiths, civilians? Those that have no combat abilities what-so-ever. Should they be hunted and killed too? You are not thinking, the elders are not thinking, my father is not thinking. They are just acting rashly, maybe some through hatred maybe. Maybe some just because they look at it as sport. It's wrong, and they all either know it and are ignoring it or they don't know it and are dumb. Do as you will, make sense of what you will. I won't do what I said to you earlier, I just needed to scare you. I have no intention of killing either one of you for doing what you believe in. I only ask you not damn me for doing what I believe in as well." He explained to them, finally continuing onwards towards Zaishin.
The two of them looked at each other and then at Katsumi. They quickly caught up to him and spoke. "We're sorry." They said in unison. "What can we do to help?" They asked. Katsumi looked at them, smiling and then would speak to them. Explaining how they could help him and the Seiryuu and how to go about it. It was nice...it'd be nice to have some help from them. Well at least from Akari, she was a smart girl. Niko was determined. They worked well together.
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2021 12:46 am
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