ANBU: Age of Shinobi (IC)

[Aidannadia]

"Lord Hokage, I respectfully ask that you reconsider." A cloaked figure with an obscured face genuflected. The Hokage's pipe swirled smoke around the room.

"Souma, you have always served Konoha. Now, your village calls upon your in service once more, and you question the decision? It is unlike you."

"Lord Hokage, you have read the reports-"

"And I know you. You will not fail." The Hokage took a long inhale from his pipe.

---

Souma grimaced as he left the Hokage's office, his cloak and mask hidden in his knapsack. Even though most familiar with him had reason to suspect he was a member of the ANBU, he always hid his identity. It was a habit. As he walked through the streets of the village, he considered the files given to him based around his new squad.

They may be strong, but they are hardly ready. He inhaled once more and stared into the sky. I'll have to call her. See if she has the clearance. He continued to his room.

"Oh yeah. I should probably drop a note for each of them." He chuckled to himself, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, then disappearing into the night once more. Each member would find a note somewhere in their home the next morning.

Report to the cliff northeast of the village with the stone that curves to a 60 degree angle at the top.

When read, the note will burn into ash immediately.

[Britanania]

Kimiko Taira

Taira Clan Compound

The beautiful young kunoichi awoke early, as was her style. Kimiko enjoyed the downtime between her missions, but it had been a few weeks now and she was itching to get back into the field, and staying in the compound always filled her with strange emotions. In her childhood, the Taira Household was a bustling place, but now Kimiko's ancestral home held little more than ghosts of the past.

One day I'll return us to our proper glory, Kimiko thought as she sat up from her shikibuton and lightly touched her head. With a sigh, the jounin threw the blanket off, stood, and stretched before she sauntered over to the full-length mirror. Despite being of average height, Kimiko was slender--some might say too thin. As she looked at her self, Kimiko understood that perspective. Her frame had changed little since her genin days, with only the slightest hints of hips or bosom, and despite her delicate features if she wore her hair any shorter she could easily be mistaken for a young boy.

I could still make a good match, though, Kimiko mused. If Itachi were still here...

Kimiko shook her head as if to dissolve the thoughts, and she soon donned the usual flak jacket of Konoha shinobi. Satisfied, the scion of the Taira clan made her way out of her bedroom and through the mansion before she ran into one of the family servants. After exchanging apologies, the servant reached into her pocket and handed Kimiko a small slip of paper.

"M'lady, this was left at your door." Curious, Kimiko took the note and she quickly read the message before it burst into flames.

"At the cliff, huh? It could be a trap for all I know, but it is better than doing nothing."

Kimiko soon left the family compound and made her way over to the meeting place. Kimiko took her time; the note didn't indicate any sense of urgency to her and it gave the young woman an opportunity to think about the possible senders.

An enemy? I don't have any that I can think of, and even if it were someone to get at the Taira there are easier ways than sending for me. From the Hokage? Possibly, although not his style I think. The note said to report, but that could mean anything. Could it be Itachi? The last thought filled her with a bit of hope but she quickly suppressed the feeling.

As she neared the spot indicated by the note, Kimiko caught sight of a slightly older man, only a little taller than herself, smoking. She raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything at first. For a shinobi, any appearance could be deception, but as Kimiko looked around she did not sense any danger. True, that did not mean she wasn't in danger but her inner warrior told her otherwise. Still, the young woman did not relax her stance and remained poised to engage if necessary.

"Good morning," was all she said.

[Aidannadia]

[...]
"Good morning,"

The man looked up, apparently having nodded off for a moment before she had gotten there. "Morning." He tossed a kunai in her direction, but it landed at her feet just in front of her instead of actually targeting the woman. At the base of the knife, a note was attached

"Kimiko Taira." He inhaled deeply, studying her from his perch atop the curved stone. "You're the first to arrive it seems. Attached to the kunai is a summons from the Hokage. You've been chosen to work on an ANBU task force, along with several others. I don't like to repeat myself, so we'll have to wait for the others before you get the full picture." He inhaled again, flicking the cigarette over his shoulder and down to the bottom of the cliff behind him.

"I am Souma Kangosotsu." He got down from his perch, pulling a scroll from a pouch on his belt, unraveling it, and summoning a small campfire with a tea pot and several other utensils. "Would you like tea?" He said, beginning to prepare the kettle to boil.

[Britanania]

Kimiko Taira

Summons from the Hokage...ANBU task force. Kimiko replayed the man's--Souma Kangosotsu's--words in her head as she knelt down to grab the kunai and the attached note. The note had the Hokage's seal and the same information Souma relayed to Kimiko, so the young woman pocketed the note and knife as her mind went to work.

Why would the Hokage want me in the ANBU? I've done some high-level missions, of course, but am I truly the best qualified? Is there an ulterior motive, perhaps to monitor the Taira further?

There were simply too many unknowns for Kimiko to work out, so she put that line of thinking away. She thought it best not to refuse Souma's offer. She recognised the clan name. He was dressed in civilian attire, but it was likely he was an ANBU operative despite her not knowing any of the Kangosotsu becoming shinobi. Kimiko kept a close eye on him as he went about his moments and she followed every gesture with a cold, detached gaze.

"Yes, sir, I would like some tea," she said formally. Kimiko remained at attention, both to wait for the others and to keep reading the situation.

[American Pere Housh]

Izumi had just got out of the shower and was drying off when she heard a knock at her front door. She quickly got dressed in her Jounin Uniform and went to see who it was. Izumi opened the note and read it telling her to meet at the cliff northeast of the village. She went back into her bedroom where she changed into her ANBU uniform and put on Kitsune mask. Izumi gathered up supplies for a possible mission and sealed them in a storage seal she had her arm then shushined to the location mentioned on the note.

Izumi appears in a water shushin at the cliff when she noticed 2 other people already there. One was a man who appears to be smoking a cigarette which made her frown and the other is a girl who is a few years younger than Izumi and is in a ready fighting stance. This made Izumi smile because here was a kunoichi who took her training seriously and she wasn't a fangirl.

Izumi greets everybody in a friendly voice, "Morning everybody."

[Aidannadia]

"This tea is a secret Kangosotsu recipe. By which I mean, my grandmother made it." Souma chuckled to himself, pleased at his own joke. He didn't look up from the kettle, testing the fire on occasion. The air was still and quiet. Almost too quiet.

[...] "Morning everybody."

"Izumi Uzumaki. A clan back from the brink." He took a glance at Kimiko, but continued talking to Izumi. "Tell me, how is Kushina? It's a shame to have had to retire so young. Such talent." The kettle began to bubble at the tip, and Souma took the opportunity to grab the pot, pouring out several small cups of the light green liquid, the sweet aroma of the drink wafting to their noses. The heavy calluses on the shinobi's hands became apparent as he did not so much as recoil on touching the teapot.

"The Hokage has chosen you to join a task force in the ANBU. Naturally, given your strength of course." He lifted a cup and offered it to her. "Come sit. Talk. Drink. The others will be along soon."

[American Pere Housh]

"This tea is a secret Kangosotsu recipe. By which I mean, my grandmother made it." Souma chuckled to himself, pleased at his own joke. He didn't look up from the kettle, testing the fire on occasion. The air was still and quiet. Almost too quiet.

[...] "Morning everybody."

"Izumi Uzumaki. A clan back from the brink." He took a glance at Kimiko, but continued talking to Izumi. "Tell me, how is Kushina? It's a shame to have had to retire so young. Such talent." The kettle began to bubble at the tip, and Souma took the opportunity to grab the pot, pouring out several small cups of the light green liquid, the sweet aroma of the drink wafting to their noses. The heavy calluses on the shinobi's hands became apparent as he did not so much as recoil on touching the teapot.

"The Hokage has chosen you to join a task force in the ANBU. Naturally, given your strength of course." He lifted a cup and offered it to her. "Come sit. Talk. Drink. The others will be along soon."

Izumi answers Souma's question, "Sensie is doing just fine. She is busy taking care of little Naruto who is a bundle of energy and loves pranking people and proclaiming that he will be Hokage one day. Sensie said she hopes to come out retirement when her son becomes a gennin." She sits down and pours herself a cup of tea before continuing talking, "I'm happy to have been chosen for this taskforce." Izumi turns her head to the girl sitting next to her and introduces herself in a cheerful voice, "Hello I'm Izumi Uzumaki, what your name?"

[Britanania]

Kimiko Taira

Kimiko remained stoic as Souma continued to work on the kettle. The young woman was still going over the ANBU situation in her head.

It is a high honour, certainly, despite the potential risks. Perhaps this is my chance to rebuild the Clan's power? Whatever motivations the Hokage has, I can at least make the best of things.

The sound of the boiling kettle reminded Kimiko of what was going on in the present. Kimiko heard footsteps and turned to see another woman arrive in ANBU attire. Souma mentioned her name.

Izumi Uzumaki...a relative of the Fourth Hokage's wife it seems, from their conversation. Kimiko followed the pair's movements. At present, it seemed that this meeting was indeed a legitimate ANBU event. The Taira daughter waited for Izumi before she took a cup of her own. Kimiko sniffed the green leaf juice, and not detecting any toxins took a sip before she replied.

"My name is Kimiko," she said to Izumi.

[American Pere Housh]

Kimiko Taira

Kimiko remained stoic as Souma continued to work on the kettle. The young woman was still going over the ANBU situation in her head.

It is a high honour, certainly, despite the potential risks. Perhaps this is my chance to rebuild the Clan's power? Whatever motivations the Hokage has, I can at least make the best of things.

The sound of the boiling kettle reminded Kimiko of what was going on in the present. Kimiko heard footsteps and turned to see another woman arrive in ANBU attire. Souma mentioned her name.

Izumi Uzumaki...a relative of the Fourth Hokage's wife it seems, from their conversation. Kimiko followed the pair's movements. At present, it seemed that this meeting was indeed a legitimate ANBU event. The Taira daughter waited for Izumi before she took a cup of her own. Kimiko sniffed the green tea juice, and not detecting any toxins took a sip before she replied.

"My name is Kimiko," was all she said.

Hmmm... A quiet one here but a little paranoid as well judging by her sniffing her tea like that. I wonder how Kakashi is doing right now.looking at Kimiko in thought and frowns. Izumi takes a sip of her tea before speaking, "This tea taste good Souma. Kimiko, you need to stop being stoic like that and smile a little bit. Kami, your acting like Kakashi when we were younger." Putting a little chakra in her feet and legs, Izumi jumps onto a large tree branch and sits down humming to a song.

[The Twelve Isles]

Yukiko "Kami" Kurokarasu
The Origamist, Jonin
Ninja Registration: 009888

Yukiko pulled herself up the stairs to her little apartment,holding her sword in one hand and the railing in the other. Her vest was unzipped, her shirt un-tucked, and her hair flopped around in sweaty strands. She needed a shower, and to sleep. It had been a long mission, and far from a successful one, much to her chagrin. With a sigh, she made it to her floor, and nodded at the sweet little old lady she was neighbors with, fumbling with her keys as she tried to open her apartment door.

"Oh my," said the little old lady with a chuckle, "you sure seem like you've seen better days."

"That I have," said Yukiko, unlocking her door and turning to face her neighbor. "I just got back from a long mission."

"I can certainly see that," said Yukiko's neighbor. "And that poncho of yours is looking quite ratty. If you need a place to wash your clothes dear, I would be willing to lend you some coins to use the washing machine's downstairs. I know you like to take them to dry cleaning, but it'll be much cheaper in the short term."

Yukiko looked down at her poncho. It was long, reaching down to about her knee's and covering her arms, soft and supple from years of use. The edges were frayed and muddy, while the rest was littered with holes and starting to turn from its original brown to a pale grey. Yukiko tried to hide her indignation at having her favorite article of clothing called ratty, even if her neighbor was technically correct. "Oh, well, Im sure I'll think about it," she said. "But right now Im really just trying to sleep. Im sorry if that seems rude, I would love to catch up sometime tomorrow, but right now I just need to rest."

"Oh, no dear," said Yukiko's neighbor, "please dont let me keep you I understand completely how you feel. I still remember my shinobi days, the time after a mission is always a weary one."

"Thank you for your understanding," said Yukiko, turning to enter her apartment. She closed the door softly behind her, flicking the lights on and leaning against the door for a moment. With a grunt, she pulled her poncho off over her head with sore arms, and pulled her vest off after, hanging them both on the hook that she had nailed to the door. She made her way for her bathroom, kicking off her sandle's as she went, already dreaming of a warm bath. She began to take her shirt off as well when she noticed her window was open. The breeze from outside blew her curtains inside, and a couple of papers from her coffee table were on the floor instead of where she had left them. In the center of her living room, with an aloe vera plant holding it down, was a note. Yukiko never took her eyes off it, and reached behind her to pick up her sword from where she had left it against the wall, drawing it and holding it lightly but ready in her hand as she crept closer to the note. She watched it a moment, before using her sword to peel it up off her carpet and check the underside of it. Satisfied it wasnt a trap, she leaned down and picked it up and read it over, before grimacing in frustration. She just wanted to take a warm bath and a nap, and now she was being called upon.

When she finished reading, the letter burst into flame, and Yukiko jumped back in surprise, watching as it burned up before it even reached her floor. Now she would need to sweep as well. Satisfied that there was no traps laid for her, she re-sheathed her sword and put her sandles back on, before winding back to her room and picking up to hair sticks. She pulled her hair back, using the hair sticks to keep it in a rough bun so it looked at least a little more professional, and made a mental note to get a haircut soon. Returning to her living room, she put her Jonin vest back on as well as her poncho and headed out her back door onto the little patio that came off of her apartment, and leaped onto the rooftops. She looked around at the cliffs surrounding the village, picking out the one she was directed to report to, and quickly began to leap her way across the rooftops toward it. She was tired, but she made good time, and soon enough she had reached the cliffs, finding her way to the top and looking for the rock with the 60 degree angle, and making her way over. She saw a small gathering of people sitting around a little fire, tea kettle boiling happily away on it. They seemed serious. She stood a little ways back from them, looking the group assembled over with critical, stoic eyes, her poncho blowing in the wind.

"I was told to report here," she said. "I hope this is something good, Im too tired to deal with something unless there's a good reason for it right now, if Im being completely honest with everyone here right now."

[Sil Arion]

Himura “Battosai” Hyuga
The Swordsman, Jonin, ANBU
Ninja Registration Number: 010800

“Message received and acknowledged,” Himura whispered to no one as the paper in his left hand burned to ash. He turned to the small crimson swallowtail butterfly flitting beside his hand and spoke lowly, “Thank you, Hitomi-chan. You may go now.” The sound of tinkling laughter like little bells and chimes reached his ears as Hitomi disappeared in a burst of red sparks and smoke as he stood from his small dining table.

Quickly, Himura unsealed and donned relatively nondescript attire personally woven of Shinobi Ageha chrysalis silk; black sandals, tan trousers with black cloth belt, a beige blazer emblazoned with the spiral of Uzushio on the lapel in fine crimson thread over a plain ochre collared polo, black fingerless gloves, and a light red scarf tied loosely at his neck. His hands braided and rolled up his red hair atop his head with practiced movements, securing it with carefully placed hairpins shaped like tiny blood-red butterflies. From a side table, he lifted a black beret adorned with a steel Leaf cap badge and set it to hide his hair. Finally, a pair of fitted, swept-back black sunglasses.

Glancing to the wall mirror, Himura examined himself. He nodded, instantly satisfied; none of his fuinjutsu tattoos were visible, nor his eyes. Only a few subtler hints to any observer of his identity.

That done, Himura then turned his gaze towards the cliff.

Lightning Release: Byakugan.

Chakra bloomed like flowers and flowed like water across his field of vision as he felt blood and chakra rush to his eyes as blood vessels and chakra pathways bulged and burned on his face. His brain was flooded with new sensory information as thousands of people moved about midst countless flora and fauna around, above, and below. After a moment of adjustment, Himura focused his sight on the cliff, fine muscles in his eyes straining as they magnified the picture by spacing of telescopic organic lenses.

One.

Distance, two-decimal-five-six-zero kilometers. Elevation, sixty-three-decimal-two-four meters. No significant flora or fauna in vicinity of objective. Four subjects in vicinity of objective: one man, three women. All shinobi; awareness and stance corroborates. Non-hostile, friendly, first impressions; electrical impulses in nervous systems corroborate.

Two.

The man: identity Souma Kangosotsu, likely ANBU Operative “Okami,” new superior and squad leader; awareness, appearance, stance, breathing, and gear corroborates.

Three.

The first woman: identity unknown, ANBU call-sign unknown, new teammate; average-height, slim, blonde, dark-eyed.

Four.

Second woman: identity Izumi Uzumaki, ANBU Operative “Kitsune,” new teammate; appearance and gear corroborates.

Five.

The third: identity unknown, but likely ANBU Operative “Kami,” new teammate; sword and four kanji for flower, love, life, and death on left-hand fingers corroborate. Squad near full strength; optimal or maximum? Possible additional subjects inbound.

Very well then. Release. With a slight sigh of relief, he felt his body relax as the burning strain in his eyes and face rapidly subsided. Satisfied, Himura walked around his apartment ensuring every intended point of entry was secure. Turning to his east-facing window, opened it, climbed outside. After securing it again, Himura Body Flickered up to the roof first before traveling over to the cliff. Landing in a final brief little flash of red lightning, he stood stiffly at attention.

“Good morning, sir, ladies,” Himura greeted, bowing formally to the assembled group before looking to Souma as he saluted, “ANBU Operative 'Battosai' reporting for duty, sir.”

[Aidannadia]

Within the time frame of a long sip of tea, Souma saw three more shinobi arrive, and he greeted them respectively after giving a satisfied sigh at the end of his cup.

"Yukiko Kurokarasu. Himura Hyuga. Amariki Ketsueki. It seems that all of us have arrived. Come. Sit. Drink. Let us begin the discussion." Souma made motion for everyone to gather around the teapot, and although most resisted at first, the smell of the tea draws you in. On your first sip, you savor the flavor, somehow the perfect balance of bitter and sweet without overpowering the palate. Something doesn't seem quite right, but as you take your next sip of the liquid, you begin to feel very whole and at peace with the situation.

"You all have been chosen for your expertise to serve under the direction of the Hokage in a new squad of ANBU operatives." He pushed a summons in front of each new ANBU member with the Hokage's seal in plain view. "I will be the leader of the squad, but you should know." His expression hardened and you felt a chill breeze whisk by as it did.

"I've never been part of a squad that wasn't nearly wiped out in its first mission."

"So the task has fallen to me to... thin the herd as it is sometimes said." He looked down at his glance, considering it for a moment. "In your first test, trusting your squad leader, you have passed. In your second test, trust no one, it seems you have all failed." You begin to feel the passage of time slow, then quicken as the sun seems to set over the horizon. Souma's voice seems distance but clear.

"You have one final test. You see, the tea I had all of your drink right now; I was not lying when I said it was an ancient Kangosotsu recipe. My grandmother indeed made the drink for many a important occasion. In my time at the ANBU, I studied many of our jutsu's secrets, and have discovered the secrets of this tea in particular."

"You see, it frees the mind. It opens your brain up to possibilities even you could not see before. And in doing so, it renders you completely unable to gather the chakra to disable a genjutsu, making the experience even more complete and real for you."

"With the help of a specialist, I have devised specific scenarios tailored to test the limits of your mind based on the information I have in your file." He chuckled. "Of course, I'm only telling you this now because you'll forget it until you wake up."

"Meeting dismissed." You stand to go, the landscape around you melting into the path you take home, and then the front door of your room. You look around, feeling how odd the day had been. Had it not been morning just a moment ago? What was it that you had been doing again?

You feel your eyes begin to get heavy, and you shamble into your room.

This is not your room.

---

Your name is Kimiko Taira.

Wind chimes play. A brook babbles nearby. You look around, confused for a moment, and find your old friend, Itachi Uchiha, armed and looking at your with those beady, distant, eyes. "Kimiko. You betrayed us. Your family let my clan die." His voice was as monotone as you always remembered it. "What else should I expect from the hive of rats." His expression went malicious, the sharingan showing itself in full force.

"Do you have any last words?"

---

Your name is Yukiko Kurokarasu.

You see a masked man. He is silent, but his blade is bloody. The vague sent of smoke, and a violent plume of ash is seen in the distance. You are confused for a moment, but then you recognize this man. He has haunted your dreams, and much of your waking hours.

This is the man who killed your father. Your time for revenge has come at last.

---

Your name is Amariki Ketsueki.

You panic for a moment, your body just now remembering how to breathe in liquid. You look around and place your had on a translucent barrier. You know this place. It has been in so many of your nightmares before.

This is your pod.

The liquid suddenly spills from the pod, and you again are forced to let your lungs learn to breathe fresh air again.

"Hello, Amariki. Welcome home." A voice that makes every hair on your back stand on end speaks and you know immediately who it is. You look up to see him. The one. The legend. The Sannin Orochimaru himself. Your father.

---

Your name is Izumi Uzumaki.

"Izumi, whatever you do, don't listen to him." You looked up from a daze to see your master, Kushina Uzumaki, kunai to her neck.

"Listen to the lady. Had over the scroll, and no one gets hurt." You look to your hand and see the scroll of sealing, an important secret text of the village hidden in the leaves.

---

Your name is Himura Hyuga.

You look around. The trees are tall. The forest is dark.

You try to activate your Byakugan, but you remember that you haven't awoken it yet.

A yellow flash darts in front of you, and you turn to run.

Another flash of light, and you see the fourth Hokage standing before you, his expression dark and malicious. "I have decided to rid the Hyuga clan of their worthless halfblood and spare my wife the trouble of having to be related to you of all people."

"Of course, I could let you live. If you only agree to activate those little Hyuga eyes for me."

[Britanania]

Kimiko Taira

Kimiko ignored Izumi's comments about her needing to smile and took another sip of Souma's tea. Something about its taste didn't seem quite right to the kunoichi, but her thoughts there interrupted the other initiates began to arrive. the next to appear after Izumi was another you woman who looked like she just returned from a mission. She recognised her as Yukiko Kurokarasu, a jounin a few years older than herself. who equally did not seem at ease with the situation.

The next arrival was a young man whom Kimiko did not know. The other newcomer appeared in a flash of red lightning and addressed himself as an ANBU operative. Kimiko looked the man up and down.

Another ANBU, so this isn't going to be a team of newbies?

Something about the situation filled Kimiko with anxiety and she felt very "off." The young woman pushed the thoughts out of her head, as didn't have much time to dwell on the matter as Souma began to explain the situation. Evidently, they were all new transfers to a squad headed by Souma, a mix of veteran and greenhorn ANBU. As Souma continued to talk, Kimiko became aware that something was very wrong even as the veteran shinobi admitted that he poisoned them.

She dropped the tea cup but instead of hearing the porcelain vessel shatter Kimiko felt another presence. As she turned the landscape had changed and she was standing face-to-face with a ghost.

"I-Itachi?" Kimiko suppressed a gasp as she covered her mouth. She had trouble concentrating as the supposedly dead Uchiha accused her of betraying him.

"No, I did what I had to. The Uchiha were wrong, and I would not have sit idly as they brought my clan down with them. Left with the choice, would you have acted any differently?"

[The Twelve Isles]

Yukiko "Kami" Kurokarasu
The Origamist, Jonin
Ninja Registration: 009888

Yukiko felt. . . off as she drank. She tried to push it out of her mind, but couldn't shake the feeling that her decision to sit and drink hadnt entirely been her own. She knew little of genjutsu, but the farther she got into her tea, and the more she looked into the mans eyes, the more she felt like this might be genjutsu. She smelled smoke in the distance. But that couldnt be right, she was right here, with the others drinking tea and listening to the man in front of her. She tried to ignore it, but the more she tried the more the mans voice seemed to fade out. Or rather, not fade out, but seem to come from farther and farther away. She knew he was saying something, but couldn't focus on what, though she could tell it was explaining something. She breathed in, trying to calm her nerves, and felt cold air hit her nose. She looked up. Ash fell, fire burning in the distance and the sounds of fighting rose and swelled. A man stood in front of her, and she picked herself up off the ground, feeling the snow between her fingers. He was familiar somehow, though he wore a mask. He had asked who she was, and why she had come for him. She knew him. She knew him well. He didnt even know she existed, but she had spent what felt like every waking moment for the last ten years searching for him. It was the man who had killed her father, the rogue ninja turned bandit who had cut a good man down in cold blood.

"You dont know me," said Yukiko to the man, "but I know you. You killed my father many years ago, and now Ive come to kill you. Im here for you Eiji Of The North, and I will succeed."

Yukiko's eyes narrowed, and she felt the wind pick up. It would be a blizzard soon, she could see the storm clouds in the distance and could feel the cold growing deeper. She placed her hand on her sword beneath her cloak, the black of ANBU contrasting with the brown of her ratty old poncho, worn over top. She had discarded her mask, the crow like beak stuck deep into the snow. As she glared into his eyes, waiting for him to make the first move, she felt blood drip down the side of her face and fall into the snow, making marks like little red flowers.

[Sil Arion]

Himura “Battosai” Hyuga
The Swordsman, Jonin, ANBU
Ninja Registration Number: 010800

Himura listened as his new superior greeted him and the two women whose identities he previously knew not: Yukiko Kurokarasu and Amariki Ketsueki. Cataloguing that information, Himura stepped towards the array of teacups around a teapot centered amidst their group and directly in front of Souma.

Himura grasped a teacup in left hand and raised it up in a formal toast to his new teammates, listening as Souma continued his informal briefing of their selection. Swirling the light green tea in the cup, he breathed in as its sweet aroma wafted to his face in a meandering little column of white vapor. Aroma indicated quality of tea equal to sort served in Hyuga main house. But unique; possible connection to Souma? Kangosotsu clan known for Moxa-based medical techniques. Likely Moxa leaves, unknown effects upon consumption. Effect likely medicinal, benevolent, non-malevolent; sharing tea provides opportunity for easing first contact with new teammates corroborates purpose of use. Still need to test tea.

Himura discretely palmed three toxin testing strips in his right hand as he sat down on a stone outcropping. Still holding the teacup in his left hand, he slipped the tip of each paper strip the size of a nail cuticle and marked with miniscule seals into the tea as he stirred it with a finger. With eyes hidden behind his sunglasses, he examined the results; all three showed no signs of toxins.

So he drank. First a little sip, testing its test and savoring its flavor; an apparently perfect balance of bitter and sweet without overpowering the palate. He’d ask later if Souma could allow him more samples to brew. Simply wonderful tea. Hm. Yes. What wonderful – wait.

What –

He felt – off. Time seemed to slow, a moment passing like an eternity as the world appeared to pause. He pulsed chakra through his pathways to dispel the illusion – or tried to. Nothing happened because he couldn’t gather the chakra to do so. He tried again. Failed. Thrice. A final failure.

Lightning Release: Byakugan!

But nothing. His chakra wouldn’t obey his will.

Blink.

Pause.

Blink.

What is –

Then his perception shifted again as the time lurched forward and the sun set in an instant, but Souma’s words still ring clear in Himura’s ears. He tried to Body Flicker away. Failed; some of his muscles felt like jelly and others stiff as stone. But none would obey.

What is this –

The answer came as Souma continued. A genjutsu created by ingestion of a chakra-sensitive plant. Liquid solution ensures faster absorption by body. Effectiveness: absolute. And the specialist. Likely member of Kurama clan or elite jonin. Possibly Kurenai Yuhi.

Scenarios? Another test. Very well then. Himura prepared to –

A wave of drowsiness swept over him and he swayed in his sitting position. He needed to – to go home? Yes. He needed to sleep. Yes. Sleep was needed. Rest before – mission tomorrow? Or was it –

Time passed. Or did it? Scenery flashed past him. Or didn’t. Then Himura staggered into – a room?

Darkness.

He woke with a start, lying on a soft bed of fallen leaves and cushy moss. Flipping up into a defensive stance, Himura glanced around a forest darkened in a moonless night. He was on a massive tree branch near a hundred meters above the forest floor. It felt familiar. He knew this place. But he still needed to – run? Yes. That was it. He needed to run.

Byakugan.

Or tried to. And failed. As Himura stared down at his small, child-like hands and short limbs, he realized it then. He’d not Awakened his eyes yet. He was still a child. Still a freakish half-blood failure. Still the greatest living stigma to his clan. And still alone. But now he knew where he was.

The Forest of Death. Where he ran away to all those years ago. Where he almost died if not for –

Yellow light flashed before Himura.

No.

He spun on a heel, preparing to leap away. But yellow light flashed again in front of him.

You can’t be here.

A figure stands there, tall and strong in a flowing white battle robe. Blond hair. Blue eyes. It is a man Himura knew. Or thought he did. For the man’s face is twisted into something dark and malicious – something he’d never seen on his hero and role model.

You’re dead.

The Fourth Hokage spoke then. Himura staggered at his words, each like a sword thrust into his soul. His vision blurred and he felt a lone tear trail down his face.

Why?

How could he say this?!

Then he heard his hero’s command. One he couldn’t obey. And all the pieces fell into place.

“I’m sorry, sir,” Himura replied softly, barely above a whisper as he closed his eyes, “But I can’t obey that order.” Then he forcefully dislocated his left pinky finger and felt the genjutsu's hold on him shatter like glass.

[Aidannadia]

"No, I did what I had to. The Uchiha were wrong, and I would not have sit idly as they brought my clan down with them. Left with the choice, would you have acted any differently?"

Itachi gave that indignant hm that gave his father so much ire. "Let's see what I would do if it was your clan." He said, his sharingan changing into a shape you hadn't seen before. The scenery changed again. You were home. But the screams of your family were nothing like home. The fear is overcoming you. You need to help them.

---

"You dont know me," said Yukiko to the man, "but I know you. You killed my father many years ago, and now Ive come to kill you. Im here for you Eiji Of The North, and I will succeed."

The swordsman rushed towards you, but his stance is sloppy. You know the exact way to kill him. You know the very spot that would drop him. As he advances towards you, some twisted part of you enjoys the anticipation. Your mission in life finally realized.

---

[b]Himura “Battosai” Hyuga

Souma looks up from preparing the rest of the test for the participants, and notices Himura almost waking.

"Kurenai. There's no way he's finished yet. I need you to put him back under."

"To weave a genjutsu of that strength? I'd need more time than we have."

"Repurpose the layer of genjutsu that got them to drink the tea. We'll have to skip the fancy parts but at least it'll give us time to prepare."

You awaken. And then you are back to sleep once more.

You are in a wagon, tied up, your finger still throbbing from earlier. "You punched me rather hard back there, but you should know better than to tango with the Yellow Flash. No one can stand up to me."

"It's all the more frustrating that I wasn't picked to become Hokage." The words feel so wrong. You know it in your core.

"But either way, the Mist will thank me kindly for my gift; The Byakugan, the kekkai genkai of the Hyuga, and finally mine."

The worry and panic sets in. You know you have two options to save the wretched vilage of your youth, with every angry adult and ruthless kid.

You can kill the Flash. Or... Gulp!

You can kill yourself.

A spare Kunai sits in the trunk, perhaps fallen from the Flash's pouch when carrying you over.

---

"Is he staying down?" Kurenai nodded.

"Good."

"But I don't know how much longer I'll be able to hold them."

"It's fine. Everything is prepared."

[The Twelve Isles]

"You dont know me," said Yukiko to the man, "but I know you. You killed my father many years ago, and now Ive come to kill you. Im here for you Eiji Of The North, and I will succeed."

The swordsman rushed towards you, but his stance is sloppy. You know the exact way to kill him. You know the very spot that would drop him. As he advances towards you, some twisted part of you enjoys the anticipation. Your mission in life finally realized.

---

Yukiko lowered herself into a combat stance as the man charged, hand on her sword, preparing to strike. He came wildly, uncoordinated even. In all her years of research into him, everything had always indicated that he was talented and powerful. How else would he have managed to evade capture for so long? Even as him and his gang raided and stole all across the Wind, Earth and Fire Countries. He must have been getting old. . . Or cocky. If the latter was the case, he would soon learn that Yukiko wasn't just some upstart looking to prove herself, she was a force to be reckoned with.

As he came closer, paper began to lift off of her and float away in the light wind, forming into shuriken, senbon and kunai around her. As he passed, Yukiko sidestepped his strike, unsheathing her sword in a swift, smooth motion in a counter attack. She swung her sword at him straight from the scabbard, in the style used by the Samurai, fast as lightning and with the force and rage behind years of pent up aggression and obsessive hunting. At the same time, she let fly with her paper weapons, showering them down around him in a two pronged attack, so that he would have no chance to counter on his own. His only choices she hoped were to run or die, keeping the advantage in her court. This was the day, and he would not escape.

[Sil Arion]

Himura “Battosai” Hyuga
The Swordsman, Jonin, ANBU
Ninja Registration Number: 010800

He awoke to a throbbing pain his left pinky and a forest canopy running overhead, his body bouncing up and down and back and forth across hard wood weathered smooth.

He’d been captured. He didn’t remember how but tough cords wrapped about his wrists and ankles prevented any meaningful movement. Couldn't stand swiftly or silently. Hands tied behind back mitigated offensive and defensive capabilities. Tight wrapping but not too tight. Hands and feet not numb; retained full sensation and circulation, minimal tissue damage.

Captor identity unknown; likely veteran shinobi, treat with extreme caution. Location unknown.

Glancing about, Himura found himself lying on the bed of an open-topped wagon as it trundled down an old, rough gravel road winding through a forest. His captor sat atop the driver’s seat of the wagon, dressed in nondescript clothing of browns and greys with a broad-brimmed, veiled kasa on his head. But broad-shouldered and relatively tall, if slim and athletic.

Captor identity unknown; likely male. Location unknown.

Himura listened to the loud rattling and squeaking of the wagon as a strong wind rustled in the leaves. Listening closer, he discerned the cries of seagulls overhead and even waves crashing nearby.

He examined the trees passing by. All deciduous, mostly old-growth. Mix of maple, elm, and oak. He looked about the bed of the wagon. Scattered across the four massive wooden trunks squared up against the wagon’s sides were scores of fallen leaves. Leaf shape, size, and color indicate species native to only the Land of Fire.

Location likely southeast coast of Land of Fire near –

Then his captor spoke.

He felt his hairs stand on end as adrenaline course through his body at his captor’s words – the Flash’s words. His greatest hero was – was a traitor? And was betraying him to an enemy village?

If the Mist captured him – if they took him alive – they’d have the Byakugan. They’d drug him. Force him to copulate and produce a generation of Byakugan-users loyal to an enemy of the Leaf. And once he’d done that, they’d kill him.

He wouldn’t allow that. He couldn’t. It’d be betraying the Leaf. He couldn’t forsake the Will of Fire, no matter that everyone else in the village had forsaken him first. No matter that he was a living stigma to his clan. No matter his existence as a freakish half-blood failure.

He was all those things. But he was more than that. He was a loyal ninja of the Leaf.

So he’d escape, or attempt to. Failing that, he’d kill himself to destroy his eyes via the Cursed Seal.

But first, he’d kill his captor.

He assessed the Flash’s posture. Reins held in both hands. Eyes forward. Slouching in driver’s seat. Right leg crossed over the left. Body bouncing loosely with wagon. No weapons or scrolls in open except a single kunai lying on the trunk behind the driver’s seat. As if it slipped out of the Flash’s waist-back equipment pouch, which had a hole at the bottom where the tips of three kunai protruded.

Himura examined the loose kunai. Appeared standard-issue. Forged from one piece of blackened steel. Twelve-centimeter blade and twelve-centimeter hilt with open pommel. Hilt wrapping was worn but well-maintained. Edges were chipped but the tip appeared sharp.

It would suffice.

The Flash forsook the Will of Fire. His hero was a traitor to the Leaf. No time for regrets or hesitation. Simply one more target. Just one more objective.

One last task before the end.

Yes. There was only one fate for traitors. Only one course of action Himura could truly take.

Slowly and almost silently, Himura adjusted his seated position in the wagon. He glanced at the road ahead of the wagon, watching, waiting for the proper moment, and preparing for the pain.

One.

In time with a very loud and jarring bump, Himura used the tension of his bonds to forcefully dislocate his left shoulder.

Two.

Suppressing an urge to groan, he rotated his arms over his head while relocating his left shoulder in time with another loud and jarring bump.

Three.

He silently reached forward and grasped the kunai atop the trunk behind the Flash’s seat as a third bump rattled the wagon.

Four.

He thrust the tip of the kunai through the cords about his wrists on a fourth bump and carefully unwound the rest without a sound.

Five.

On the fifth bump, he repeated the same procedure with the cords at his ankles.

Six.

He stood up, quietly setting his feet in an offensive stance as he gripped the kunai in both hands.

For the oath he swore. For the Leaf he loved. For the Will of Fire he bore in his soul.

For the Hero he once adored.

I’m so sorry.

Seven.

Himura lunged forward and thrusted up with the kunai. In one swift, smooth movement, its tip first pierced the medulla oblongata, severing the brain’s connection to the body, then continued unimpeded by slipping up below the occipital bone and deep into the cerebrum with flawless execution. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid flowed from the instantly fatal wound as he withdrew the kunai which now shown a bright, burning red as Himura stepped back.

It was a clean kill. He knew that well. But it didn’t stop his vision from blurring as the Flash’s corpse toppled backwards, head lolling and landing in the crook of Himura’s shoulder, face up towards the forest canopy. Himura caught the body, arms gently softening its impact as he knelt on the wagon floor. He held the body of his hero close, looking at the lips locked in a soft, ever-so slight smile and the eyes left wide open, staring sightlessly at the sun high above. With two fingers outstretched, Himura closed his old hero’s eyes.

It was then he heard movement in the forest all around him, at least a dozen bodies crashing through the underbrush and branches at high speed. Too many to escape from. Too many to fight.

Time to do his last duty as a loyal ninja of the Leaf. Time to pass on the Will of Fire.

Time to die.

Himura braced the kunai against the wagon bed. Then he threw his head down, temple to its tip.

And as a lone tear trailed down his cheek, the world around him shattered like glass.

[American Pere Housh]

Izumi notices she is in a genjutsu and tries to break it but fails then she remembers the tea she had drank. She looks over and sees an unknown shinobi holding a kunai to her sensie's throat threatening to kill her if I didn't hand over the Forbidden Scroll. Crap, think Izumi think,what to do. Ah that it i need to distract him somehow. Izumi pulls a kunai out and says, "Let her go immediately or suffer the consequences. I will not surrender the scroll to you so if you want you it, you will have to fight me for it."

[Britanania]

Kimiko Taira

Kimiko took a step back when Itachi activated his Sharingan. She was well aware of the Uchiha clan's Kekkei Genkai and the danger she was in, and Kimiko realised this would not be a fight she could win easily. As the kunoichi entered a battle stance, however, the scene changed and as Kimiko blinked she realised she was standing at the gates of her family compound well into the evening.

I'm...home? she wondered to herself as she took a step forward. Kimiko knew something was wrong, as the gate was in fact open. As a shriek pierced the night air, Kimiko's fears manifested themselves and the young woman rushed towards the main house, kunai in hand, to find the source.

Something is seriously wrong.

Kimiko slowly opened the door to the dark house and walked silently through the halls of the Taira clan mansion. She didn't utter a sound, not even to ask if anyone were there.

I must not fear, she told herself. Fear is the mind killer. If I keep calm I can figure this out. Kimiko looked around as she talked about the house looking for any sign of life.

[Aidannadia]

"Let her go immediately or suffer the consequences. I will not surrender the scroll to you so if you want you it, you will have to fight me for it."

The man shrugged, and sliced clean through Kushina.

Before Izumi could react, another figure appeared in the man's grasped, kunai ready to cleave through the target. The setting shifts a second, the forest temporarily appearing wavy.

You gasp as you realize who the next captive is.

The bushy bright yellow hair could only be the son of the Fourth, Naruto Uzumaki. "I'll give you one more chance lady. Give me the scroll, and no one gets hurt." He gave a villainous heheheh at the end of his demand.

---

Kimiko Taira

As you make your way through the house, the floor creaks. The wind whistles by.

Another scream. This time not far from your own room. You rush over to check what had happened and find yourself standing before the corpse of your father, Matsumori Taira. A single shinobi stands over him, spiky white hair and shortsword bloodied, his face hidden by the darkness. The ninja lunges towards you, blade in hand, but just as you go to dodge, the Itachi's genjutsu fades, and you find him coming from the exact opposite angle he had been, catching flesh wound on your flank.

"How does it feel?" He said. "Face it. You're no match for me. And you know what-"

His form shifted and appeared behind her, lips just a hair's length from her ear. "And you never will be."

Just then, noise from outside the home. Some of the voices sound familiar. Itachi makes a displeased sound with his tongue.

---

This was the day, and he would not escape.

The man continued his advance, and your strikes land true. His body at first stands still, as if the slash through his form had not affected him, but then he falls and the blood becomes that much more obvious on the snow.

His body rolls slightly across the snowbank, but you are confused when you see the face. This is not Eiji.

Then it becomes clear.

The man's face you see if your father's. You look to your blade, his blood across the steel. How could you have been so blind? How could you have been such a fool?

[The Twelve Isles]

The man continued his advance, and your strikes land true. His body at first stands still, as if the slash through his form had not affected him, but then he falls and the blood becomes that much more obvious on the snow.

His body rolls slightly across the snowbank, but you are confused when you see the face. This is not Eiji.

Then it becomes clear.

The man's face you see if your father's. You look to your blade, his blood across the steel. How could you have been so blind? How could you have been such a fool?

Yukiko watched as her opponent fell heavily in the snow as blood began to seep out. She felt a sudden sense of both completion, and vague disappointment. It all felt off. She wiped her sword on her cloak, studying the dead form of her fathers killer in front of her, when it began to roll down a small embankment created by a snow drift. She spat, and leaned down to pick up her ANBU mask as the body came to a halt, and she stopped in her tracks. As it rolled, the mas the man had worn had come off, and she got a look at his face. It was not the man she hunted for. It was anything but. Staring up at her, through empty and lifeless eyes, was her own father. Older and more weathered, but it was him. His hair was even parted in the right direction. He had a look caught somewhere between fear, sadness and peace on his face. Yukiko could not stop looking. She wanted desperatly to look away, to never look again, to just return home and pretend this had never happened. Images of her father flashed through her mind, from when she was little. Him teaching her origami, taking her to a play, and reading her bedtime stories. She remembered sitting on the too big chair in their kitchen island, swinging her legs back and forth while he cooked her her favorite meal and told her an old legend about the Senju and Uchiha clans during the Sengokku Jiadai.

Yukiko dropped her mask, letting it plop lightly into the snow, and felt tears run down her cheeks for the first time she could remember in a long time. She sat in the snow, her knee's giving out under her and not carrying her any further, and she crawled over to the body of her father. She was an adult, a Jonin. She had mastered the art of summoning and the mysterious Paper Techniques. There were names for her, spoken in respect in her village and in hushed tones in the villages of enemies. But here and now, she was suddenly reduced to a little girl again, crying softly when the man from the Military Police had come to tell her and her mother that her father was dead. She held his hand, feeling how it was already starting to go cold, and quietly whispered his name and that she was sorry. She stayed like that for a long time, until long after it was dark and when she knew she could not stay out in the blizzard any longer without freezing to death.

Pushing herself up on shaky feet she sniffed and wiped her nose, untying her headband from where she kept it tied around her neck. She put it on her fathers chest, crossing his hands over it and closing his eyes for him, before weaving together a series of hand signs and burning his body. She tried to wait for him to be gone, but couldn't bear the smell. She had smelled burning flesh before, but it was different now. Turning on her heal, she picked her sword up from the snow and sheathed it, before setting off down the road again. She would continue to server her village, when they needed her, but she would never return there again for long periods of time. Whatever had compelled her father to fight her had forced him, he would never have acted in such a way otherwise. She would find the person who had done this, and she would make them suffer. She would dismantle everything they held dear, and make them watch. And the first person she needed to find for those answers was Eiji Of The North.

[Aidannadia]

*snip*

Himura was the first to wake. Once his eyes were open, he would find a note atop a satchel, with a new mask and uniform, as well as a bingo book with updated faces.

The note reads "Your visions may be a genjutsu, but that does not make them any less real. The mission of this squad is dangerous, and you should consider it carefully before accepting your position. You have the rest of today to decide. Eat a good meal. Maybe grab a drink. Report back here tonight if you accept the position."

The sun was almost directly overhead. Souma is nowhere to be found.

*snip*

"You're the second to awaken." Kurenai spoke from atop the rock, her focus still on the rest of the squad. "Don't try to wake them please. It can upset their health at this stage."

In front of Yukiko, there was the same note and supplies, but with extra folding paper included. Partial linen, quality material.

[American Pere Housh]

"Let her go immediately or suffer the consequences. I will not surrender the scroll to you so if you want you it, you will have to fight me for it."

The man shrugged, and sliced clean through Kushina.

Before Izumi could react, another figure appeared in the man's grasped, kunai ready to cleave through the target. The setting shifts a second, the forest temporarily appearing wavy.

You gasp as you realize who the next captive is.

The bushy bright yellow hair could only be the son of the Fourth, Naruto Uzumaki. "I'll give you one more chance lady. Give me the scroll, and no one gets hurt." He gave a villainous heheheh at the end of his demand.

---

Kimiko Taira

As you make your way through the house, the floor creaks. The wind whistles by.

Another scream. This time not far from your own room. You rush over to check what had happened and find yourself standing before the corpse of your father, Matsumori Taira. A single shinobi stands over him, spiky white hair and shortsword bloodied, his face hidden by the darkness. The ninja lunges towards you, blade in hand, but just as you go to dodge, the Itachi's genjutsu fades, and you find him coming from the exact opposite angle he had been, catching flesh wound on your flank.

"How does it feel?" He said. "Face it. You're no match for me. And you know what-"

His form shifted and appeared behind her, lips just a hair's length from her ear. "And you never will be."

Just then, noise from outside the home. Some of the voices sound familiar. Itachi makes a displeased sound with his tongue.

---

This was the day, and he would not escape.

The man continued his advance, and your strikes land true. His body at first stands still, as if the slash through his form had not affected him, but then he falls and the blood becomes that much more obvious on the snow.

His body rolls slightly across the snowbank, but you are confused when you see the face. This is not Eiji.

Then it becomes clear.

The man's face you see if your father's. You look to your blade, his blood across the steel. How could you have been so blind? How could you have been such a fool?

"No no none of this is real. Its only a genjutsu." Izumi whispers. She silently does a Kawarimi with the boy with a shadow clone henged as Naruto. " The answer is still no. If I give you the scroll, I would be betraying the village that I have come to love. Unless you want a slow, painful death, you let go now."

[The Twelve Isles]

*snip*

"You're the second to awaken." Kurenai spoke from atop the rock, her focus still on the rest of the squad. "Don't try to wake them please. It can upset their health at this stage."

In front of Yukiko, there was the same note and supplies, but with extra folding paper included. Partial linen, quality material.

Yukiko opened her eyes, slowly, and felt warm sun on her skin. She looked around, trying to get her bearings. She had just been in the north, in the cold. But it was warm here. Something about this was wrong. She felt a tear fall down her cheek, when suddenly fight or flight kicked in and she leaped to her feet, hand going to her sword as she looked around for threats. Someone must have placed her in genjutsu, just as they had done to her father. She wheeled around, seeing that there were others in a rough semi circle around her, sitting upright but with their eyes close. She had to get out of this genjutsu, and quickly.

A voice spoke from behind her as she stared at the other people with her, coming from on top of the rock they were under. "You're the second to awaken," said the voice, "Don't try to wake them please. It can upset their health at this stage."

Yukiko looked up, and saw Kurenai. She knew Kurenai, though not well. She wasn't much older than Yukiko was, and seeing her caused Yukiko to calm some. She was starting to remember. This was not the illusion, the world where she had killed her father was. She didn't respond, but untensed herself, her body seeming like a coil unraveling. She took her hand off her sword and wiped the tear from her face. As she came to terms with what had happened, she felt angry. Souma, or whatever that mans name had been, had certainly left a bad taste in her mouth after that little stunt, one she would not soon forget. She ran her hands over her face and through her hair, taking a deep breath to keep her anger at bay. She looked down from where she was standing, seeing a little pile of neatly stacked clothes in front of her. On top was a mask, holding a note in place. She crouched down and picked both up, examining the mask, and turning it over in her hand. It was the same as the one she had seen in her genjutsu dream. Pale white, two circles for eyes and a beak reminiscent of a crows. It seemed this Souma knew far more about her than he let on, judging from the mask given to her, and the box of fine folding paper that rested next to her new uniform.

Standing back up, she read through the note. It was quick, a brief set of orders for her. After reading it, she put it in her pocket and bend to pick up the rest of the uniform. She found a black cloak, a few sets of pants and shirts, and a grey flak jacket. Folding them up inside the cloak, the tucked them under her arm, and looked over at Himura, who had woken around the same time as her. "I suppose we passed a test of sorts then," she said to him. "What sort of mission do you think it is we've been selected for?"