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 Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2021 9:01 pm
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Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2021 10:03 pm
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"Just like always, the day started as it usually did. I was given my task by Kammamitsu and expected to follow it to the tee, just like always. Scout out a nearby village that possibly had supplies that we could use moving forward for ourselves and make sure to not get caught. If I was, I left no survivors, even if that meant the entire village had to die. I didn't argue cause I knew there wasn't a point to it. Just took my orders, packed myself for the trip and got my s**t together as quickly as possible. I make sure to pack light since this wasn't going to be a mission that required too much. Not unless I did something to ******** it up. I moved out and was on the village by nightfall. Watching from the shadows and checking just how much they had to offer. It was said really, because the place was garbage. They weren't going to be happy and because of that these people would probably suffer. Looked like hunting was low, more than likely the fault of us having moved into the region a little more than four or five months ago. Their crops weren't baring much fruit and that alone made the place pretty s**t. Couple that with villagers coughing nonstop and you've got yet another place being sucked dry by the presence of my so called guardians."
Another entry in his little black book down Koga leaned back on the tree he sat in overlooking the village below. Calm, cold eyes watched the inconsequential existence of the little life that did move around on the skirts of huts below.. There left little to wonder why they didn't just up and leave. What was the point in staying on dying, or even, dead land? Nothing to bare from what he could tell and it wasn't like their population stopped them from heading out to find something better. There could've been more to it. Possibly something he didn't understand given he never stayed in one spot for too long. Always following the wisp of the wind along with his merry troop of killers who had no regard for what they did. Only living for themselves and becoming fat off the land they leached. It was disgusting. Still this was the life he followed. It was all he knew. No point in changing something that isn't broken and had helped in keeping him alive for years now.
". . . Tch."
But even he knew it wasn't right. Having a dry moral compass that only pointed in one direction never helped his thought process and wanting to share that process with others? That was just stupid. Neigh, it was better to keep all this locked away in his little book til it withered away with the rest of what he might've believed was his sense of what was right.
What was right. . ? What really was right?
There wasn't a right just like there wasn't a wrong. The people who were right were right only to themselves and the people who thought something was wrong were only projecting their own sense of self, just like those who thought they were right. It was always a belief thing that baffled him the most while he sat, the calm of crickets and night life soothing a lull the drifted the hues lower. Slowly putting the pen to pocket Koga brought his feet up from dangling to be assured he wouldn't be seen, knowing sleep was going to claim him sooner than later. Taking another once over of the area his eyes finally closed for the final time that evening, lost to wonderland in all but a few seconds after. Gentle was the air and the feeling brought a solace to him unlike being at that rowdy camp. This was much, much nicer.
Well, good things only last so long.
"Mm. .?"
Ticking open the eyes only a few hours later to a scene of absolute horror. Flame danced on the brim of his nostrils as burning wood and grass told a story that he didn't understand. How had this happened? Just a few hours he'd been sleep, but not long enough for something like this to occur and him not notice at all. It was all absolutely terrible to view, but Koga made no immediate motions and continued to scan as he always did. Time would give him an answer and just as he predicted he figure hoisting a tied up woman came walking through the flames. It was his encampment boss Okkotsu.
"What? I didn't even give a report. Why're they. . ?"
"Oi oi. Koga. You gonna play in that tree forever?"
The voice didn't surprise him. Menma was here too and probably the entire bad. Not moving a muscle he continued to watch, but did respond in his usual bland tone.
"Why're you all here? I didn't give a report yet."
"Boss got tired of waitin' to be honest. The land been going to s**t so he decided it'd be nice to make this our last hurrah before we get to movin' again. There's at least some food and women here we can enjoy before hittin' the road."
Oh. . That made some sense. Head moving up to watch the chaos unfold in unison with his body rising, Koga tapped the edge of the katana at his side while trying to figure out what was going on with himself. For some reason he was bothered by all this, when it was unlike him. They'd done this plenty of times before. Killed and plundered and pillaged to their hearts content. Not so much he himself but he was the one who did all the scouting so he wasn't exempt from the crimes that'd been committed here. Yet, this village in particular. This scene that painted in front of him and the smell that came with it. This one wasn't going to be one he'd forget anytime soon.
"Hmm. . "
Dropping from his spot above to the still wet ground below Koga placed the palm of his hand on the pummel of the blade hilt - the typical pose when he was preparing. Okkotsu recognized it often and only smiled as he walked up next to the much smaller Shinobi, patting him on the back..
"You look riled up. Ya' gonna join us in the hunt this time? Apparently there's a bunch of villagers who ain't been accounted for yet."
SLINK!
In a flash of silver, crimson blanketed the edge of Koga's blade just as he started to walk towards the embers dancing in his field of vision. Face unchanging as he went, wondering to himself why he felt so much anger in these few moments. Why was he mad? Why did he care about this village as much as he did. Stopping on the edge of a home nearly turned to ash he noted the body of a woman laying inside and badly wounded. Standing above while looking down, the clear dejection on his expression painted the scene perfectly. For a moment she woke, fluttering to life to look up with tears beginning to stream down the sides of her face. Gasping for air as a hand meekly went to his foot, touching it with a finger.
"P-Please. . Please save. ."
What? Save you? Was that it? She wanted him to save her from this clan of killers? He was going to slaughter them all anyway but he didn't like being asked to. Then it'd be like he was doing this for someone else and not himself.
". . my daughter. . Please. . Please save her. . Please. ."
For a long time he just sat and stared. Not moving but thinking far more quizzically than before. Her life held little meaning here but her daughters? She'd beg for her daughters life rather than her own? Had she given up on living?
"Is that your dying wish? Is that the last thing you want out of this world before you pass on? Your daughters safety? Even if I save her, she'll be alone, right? You're going to die here and she'll have no one. Wouldn't it be better to just kill her so you both can move on together?"
There was barely any life left in the woman but even so, she vehemently shook her head. Through the last of her strength she gave her final words.
"She. . . is all I had to live for. . She was everything to me. . . She has more life. . to live even if it is without me. Her name is Aoi. . Please. ."
Koga watched her last plea before the woman fell silent, body going limp as her eyes went dark. He only stared on for awhile longer before going down and shutting her eyes with a free hand then turning away, moving towards where he saw people gathering in the distance. With hand back to his pommel he released a sigh, not understanding why he was doing this. This wasn't like him.
"Stupid old woman. If you're going to die like that then even I can't ignore it."
xCOMPANY: Mercenaries.
xMOOD: Angered?
xLOCATION: Land of Steel; Aurora Fields
xCONDITION: 100%
xOBJECTIVE: Fulfill a dying wish.
xEXPERIENCE: 5,000
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Liberal Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2021 12:18 pm
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{{Chakra: 400 - 400 // Insects: 750 - 750 [500] // Stamina: 200- 200}}
The mist surrounding the shore was more dense than usual at this time of day. It was fairly visible as part of the air and not just some foggy mirage in the distance that dissipated when one got close enough to touch it. It lingered, hanging heavily in the air as if it were placed with a purpose. Wisps of vapor swirled into small hurricanes at the feet of the boy who stepped off his boat and onto the boggy mud that traced the outline of the land he was visiting. His eyes readjusted to the change in light, and even though the world was blanketed by the sea's aerial tide Hikaru could see clearly through the suspended water. The sloshing of the water against his boat was the only sound he heard among the stifled breeze and patter of raindrops against the tide. It was oddly quiet for being so close to a town.
Hikaru paused once he had gotten far enough up the trail he washed in on for the mud to have become dirt. The air was saturated with the smell of cinders and ash. A harsh whiff of smoke made him exhale quickly as he rubbed his nose. A couple of small beetles scurried across his hand and retreated back into the sleeves of his jacket. The insects with him began to buzz, creating a small sense of fear for the surrounding area possibly being scorched by whatever produced the flame that he could smell. Somewhere down the road, beyond the edge of the trees, there was a faint orange glow that colored the horizon. It was easy to put the signs together and come to the conclusion that the town ahead was burning.
Hikaru let out a hard sigh and stretched before continuing on his way. His pace was a bit more hurried than he was wanting it to be, but the urgency was brought about from panic. "I must have confused the days...surely they wouldn't have started so early." The fledgling Aburame's son was supposed to meet with a group of thieves to help stop a supply run into Aurora and scavenge what they could from the caravan. With the land dying around them, many people needed the extra help and unfortunately for them, it meant an increase in bandit activity. Fortunately for Hikaru, he has made his way into the criminal world and was able to profit from it -- even if it was only slightly.
However, what was waiting for him as he turned the corner around the trees had not been some simple overturned merchant train. Instead what he found was the town itself engulfed in chaos. Leftover chaos brimming in the wake of what had already happened an hour or so before. There was no screaming, no sounds of clashing weapons. Only the crackle of fading fires in the midst of the falling rain. There were a few cries for help in solitude, but it seemed that he had stumbled upon the aftermath of someone's plunder. This...is not what I signed up for. Knocking over a mobile relief cart was one thing...actively butchering a small village was another. Hikaru looked from one burning house to the next, looking for survivors of any kind. Off to his left, there was a couple clinging to each other behind what looked to be a bunch of furniture stacked in their doorway...from the outside.
Hikaru moved towards the home in question held out his hands. The rain near the home began to concentrate toward the building, building up into a much stronger torrent as the fire was quenched around the front door [Water Manipulation | Rank D]. Simultaneously a swarm of insects flew from the wanderer's sleeves to begin moving the debris from the entrance to the home. "Well? Are you going to run or not?" He called out to the people trapped inside the building, motioning for them to make a break for it. It only took a second for them to realize that he wasn't after them in some way before they bolted as quickly as possible from their burning home.
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Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 11:34 am
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The scene was as painted as macabre as you might think it'd be. Typical bandit activity. Bodies littering the floor as buildings burned after being ransacked by them all. Koga had scene this scene so many times at this point that it didn't phase him anymore, but for some reason this one in particular gave him a wry itch. People died everyday just as they were born everyday; that was the logic he told himself to balance out all the deaths he'd seen in his lifetime, but something in him spurred him to this new outlook. It wasn't that he justified wanting to kill them or wanting to stop them - the only person of the entire village he even gave a damn about was the pitiful woman who'd begged him to save her daughter. That alone wasn't enough to change his perspective, but he'd taken it upon himself to be sure that it got done.
Wading through the flames to arrive at the front with the rest of the group that'd already gathered, Koga blandly walked past a few of them to the front. All around they spoke of their escapades of the pillaging and how they enjoyed doing what they did. At first he'd make excuses for them. The world had been unjust so they had no choice but to be this way, but now he knew they did this of their own enjoyment and volition. There was no ignoring what kind of scum these people were.
But he was no different. He was raised by them, so shouldn't that make him the same scum as the rest,
"Koga. . "
A gruff voice spoke out, sitting atop a tree trunk that'd recently been made and holding a gourd of sake. A tall, rough looking man with a single ponytail who had to be in his forties. This was the leader of their band, Gojin Myunsuna. He was the one who'd originally taken Koga in as a child and raised him to be just another wandering sword to hire. Taught him to kill or be killed, no matter the situation and that fighting was the only way to tell if you were truly alive. If your blood doesn't spill how're supposed to know its there, he'd say.
". . I sent Okkotsu to find you earlier. Guess you were too busy to come help us out, huh?"
"I didn't send in a report. Why did you attack?"
There was a silence between them as Koga stared him down. The rest of the camp slowly turned to watch, not ever seeing Koga question his stand in father.
"The hell do you mean why? This shitty village wasn't worth much and we're movin' regions. Decided it didn't matter anymore and to just take the village regardless. That a problem with you brat?"
Again, a silence. The cold stare grew sharper as Koga's fingers tapped his pummel in avid irritation. Just doing as he pleased without a care, as he usually did. No matter the consequence or what was lost, as long as he was satisfied at the end of the day.
"There's a girl in this village known as Aoi. I'm looking for her. I know you all like to keep the women alive so where do you have them collected?"
Now this was getting even stranger. The entire group turned to look Koga over and Gojin's eyebrow raised in confusion. Never had he asked about a woman, no matter how hard they'd try to give him one. Now, out of the blue, he was looking for someone in particular?
"Did the kids nuts finally drop?!"
"Aoi huh? Sounds like a sweetheart~"
"If the kid is lookin' for her she's gotta be somethin' nice to look at. Maybe I should pick her up first."
Gojin raised from his seat, walking over to Koga before leaning down to stare him in the eye.
"First you come in here questionin' what I'm doing. Then ya' go lookin' for a woman, two things you ain't never done brat. What's goin' on in the head of yours?"
There was a silence that swept through again followed by a gasp as Gojin's attention changed from being right side up to upside down. A splash of red filled the air as before he knew it his head was sailing through the air while Koga sat, un-phased and placing his blade back within the confines of its sheath. A bloodied body hit the floor in absolute quiet, the only real sound heard were flames blazing in the distance behind them all. Not one person moved, but breathing was heavy and haunted. Koga had just killed his own father without warning.
The silence was cut by a thud of the head hitting the ground as they all realized what'd happened. Kneeling, Koga gripped the skull by the hair while staring it down, eyes filtering to a slow reddish hue with a single tomoe swirling about within them. His Kekkai Genkai that he never even cared for and had little idea was active. Finally one of the others shouted out while stomping forward.
"Y-You killed boss Gojin?! Koga you b*****d!"
"W-What do we do? Do we-"
"We kill em'. What's there to discuss mates? After the kids dead we'll figure out what ta' do next."
Koga's head turned to look back at them before tossing what remained of their leader to their feet. Some moved back in fear and others gritted their teeth in angst.
". . Sorry. I outgrew you all. I don't see a reason for your all's existence in this world anymore. All I've ever seen is you kill and take. None of you do anything purposeful. I've reconciled to kill you and. .maybe even myself since I've done nothing but the same. ."
xCOMPANY: Mercenaries.
xMOOD: Resolved
xLOCATION: Land of Steel; Aurora Fields
xCONDITION: 100%
xOBJECTIVE: Fulfill a dying wish.
xEXPERIENCE: ???
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Liberal Conversationalist
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Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2021 2:07 pm
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{{Chakra: 390 - 400 // Insects: 730 - 750 [500] // Stamina: 200- 200}}
Once the people escaped the building, Hikaru let the structure simply collapse. Ember and smoke billowed into the sky, and the insects who were clearing debris scattered before returning to their host. He took a moment to assess his colonies, each one losing a mere twenty insects, and decided to allow them to rebuild on their own accord. He cycled the ones in his body to the gourd on his side and allowed the ones in the gourd to take some respite within the safety of his cloak. The warmth from the fire was sending the kenchūl into a rapid fluttering. The sound they made was a low hum that emanated from Hikaru's body as the smoke began to overwhelm the area. Three people were all he had found on the outskirts. The rest of the small village was already engulfed, and the light rain did little to dampen the rage of the yellow light. Something felt off here, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it.
The insect keeper turned to the broken family he had saved. They were huddled, attempting to comfort the older woman who was weeping loudly. The younger couple that he had ushered from the now completely decimated home was trying to silence her. They mentioned something about the group who did this coming back if they knew that there were survivors around. "Who attacked you? Where did they go?" They didn't answer him. They sat, silent, kneeled before the crying woman, and stared at him as if he still couldn't be trusted. "Was it uh..damn. Some big guy. Name starts with an O?" More silence from the people as they began to get up and walk away while Hikaru struggled to remember the man who hired him.
Then suddenly, there was a noise. Coming from the front gate of the village away from where the destruction was more thorough. It sounded like yelling. Not from fear, but from anger. Then came the sounds of fighting. What one would have expected when first coming upon a ruined village rather than towards the end of it. Still, it was someone that was defending themselves against an assailant, and if there was anybody still here fighting it had to have been the thieves group -- or a rival. Either way, he would get some information, and probably some kind of reward. He wouldn't mind turning in the people who murdered an entire small town.
Hikaru took off towards the sound of the scuffle, avoiding collapsing buildings and a fallen tree that had been caught on fire before the rain started. The smell of smoke was stronger where he had entered the village from, but the smell of burning bodies was much stronger towards the middle. The acrid scent of burnt hair, boiling blood, and crackling skin becoming ash came out from beneath the still raging rubble of what used to be homes and shops. It was only noticeable among the smell of burning kindling because of how putrid it was. Had he thought about it long enough, he would have realized that this was the first time he's smelled that now recognizable scent.
However, the only thing on his mind was getting through the village without succumbing to the same fate as the villagers. It was odd, he thought, that he hadn't run into anybody yet. Even his insects weren't reacting strongly to anyone coming up on him, or to anyone that may be laying in wait. Hikaru felt uneasy as he came up to the clearing at the head of the village, and as he walked up to a building that was still in good shape he paused when he actually heard someone talking; they were deliberating killing someone. Gojin is dead huh? Well, that's gonna put a damper on my pockets... The next thing he heard was a voice in response...someone planning a murder-suicide it seemed. He didn't recognize that voice.
He chanced a peek after taking in a few breaths and saw the beheaded form of a man he believed was Gojin. He also saw a few other faces he recognized, but couldn't remember their names. They were a mix of confused, scared, and pissed off. The man who addressed the group -- whom Hikaru assumed performed the quick and bloody murder -- was facing him. His deep red eyes pierced the air. The first thing Hikaru noticed was the solemn dedication with which he looked at the group. For a moment, Hikaru thought he was noticed and he pulled back to press himself against the edge of the blackened wall. Surely the man was too focused on the group of thugs in front of him.
The Nara took a moment and weighed his options now. He could turn back and leave the way he came. No danger, but there was also no pay in that option. He'd have to brave the dying fires and chance being discovered by the unknown killer or Gojin's men, but they'd likely fight each other long enough for him to not have to worry about it. The other option would be to hop in on behalf of the raiders. Gojin wasn't the most infamous in the region, but he was known, and sticking with his men might get him some word in with the group...if he survived the encounter. The man who killed Gojin seemed skilled, though that was just based on the fact that he was able to walk up to Gojin and drop him. It looked like there was little resistance, and though the black-haired man was outnumbered, he seemed fairly confident that he would be able to take them all down. Not to mention the defending opponents seemed frightened. They weren't highly skilled -- but neither was Hikaru.
He took a minute to weigh his choices. Thinking over the ramifications of each, and going two or three steps ahead of the outcomes...then he formed hand signs, and the rain began to slow around him. The air thickened, and the fires produced a glaring light from the resulting mist that was beginning to form around the armed men [Hidden Mist Technique | Rank D].
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