|||| Kotai-u Gēto [Solid Rain Gate]

[Naitome]

固体雨ゲート
Kotai-u Gēto
<sup>______________________________ ★★★★★ ______________________________

SOLID RAIN GATE</sup>

It seems sinister, at first. As if it is a living, thinking thing that has contemplated only survival. . .

The boundary of shinobi village and rain-soaked countryside cannot truly be seen as hidden. It is a monument. A titan. The great machine wall that separates and protects its occupants rises like the time-ruined temple of an ancient god and is assaulted from all sides by water that seems to have fallen forever. It is a construction of ore protruding through the wet wastes, forced into form by architects who've made the process an art; 100 meters high and stretching out to hold the village itself like a secret, it stands against the fertile stretch of contested land once known only as a war zone with unyielding rigidity. It is a bastion of pilfered technology, made through synchronous slaving effort and designed with one goal in mind: refuge. The Solid Rain Gate leading to Amegakure No Sato will survive, just as its people have.

It is composed of pillars and grand plate steppes, ridges of granule rock-land compacted to create a man-made tor of arcuate mineral grit, invading the metal grain that is its base. It houses more than it appears to, and its appearance leaves much to consider.

The Gate is obvious.

The path leading to the Gate is not.

The area surrounding the Solid Rain Gate owes much of its aesthetic to the miles of interwoven power-lines running through an incomprehensible maze of pipes that define the village's main grid network. There are three pipe-ways which must be entered underground, that can lead to the gate itself; it is otherwise completely cut off from any outside access.

The labyrinth itself can be altered from a control tower within the gates themselves. The constantly monitored passageways which lead towards them can be moved, new passageways can be formed and old ones cut off. Serving as the furthest hub of the main grid, each passageway is wired with a complex DATA REMOVED system, which slowly drains the chakra of those who wander for too long. Only those who now call Amegakure No Sato home are capable of entering these passageways safely; when they are found, only the corpses of those who have tried to circumvent their security measures and failed are found with them.

RESTRICTIONS

[1] Of the three passageways that lead to the gates, only one is currently viable. The other two have been, from what can be gathered from study and at the cost of many shinobi's lives, destroyed completely. The remaining passageway still has an active grid. It is 500 meters in total length, and 10 meters in height, the largest on the network. There are two symbols on an upraised platform within the entrance-way to the pipe; these symbols indicate the Tenzo and Kekkai Clan crests, respectively.


• The first distinctive feature of the platform is a slot-like device, no bigger than a sheet of paper.
  
  
• The second distinctive feature of the platform appears to be a recess in its iron construction, in the rough size of a human hand.


[2] The location of the underground pipes themselves is not easy to locate. It cannot be done through blind searching; you must find someone who has seen the system before in order to discover where you'd need to go. Amegakure shinobi are trained to be able to locate these entryways by a process called DATA REMOVED, and though most of its techniques have been lost, those who were members of the village during its prime might still remember the way.

[3] There are no ANBU Guards, nor patrolling shinobi, as they would quickly find all of their techniques useless and their lives forfeit as the chakra was leeched from them merely by patrolling such an area. The inside of the village, however, is another story. Someone had to have reactivated these defense systems. Enter at your own risk.

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DEATH ENABLED

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[Messatsu!]

Through the dead of night, Masuyo lead 'the pack' across a great many miles, only to reach their infinitely coveted destination - Kotai-u Geto. While old, as the Solid rain gate eased itself into plain view through the incessant downpour with each furthering step the group took, Masuyo found himself at a lost with words. Along side Kureno and many others, he merely remained silent as his eyes locked onto the towering one-hundred meter tall gate that separated them from taking back what'd been rightfully theirs. Roughly 25 meters from the gates, Masuyo, without even a single word, removed the white haori from his torso, folded it, placed it onto the wet, moist earth, and finally sat upon its surface in a meditative manner.

Legs crossed and his eyes closed, his hands (curled into fist) connected to one another as he initiated the 'still' process of compiling Senjutsu chakra. For a moment, he became peaceful and submissive to nature; being of no threat to the environment and anything that inhabited it. For what seemed to be only a handful of seconds, Masuyo sat there, slowly gathering chakra from every possible living thing that surrounded him, everything that nature had to offer and then some.

Inconspicuous to the naked eye, large pulls of chakra from nature itself gravitated towards and soon encircled around Masuyo's very being. Easing itself into his own chakra network the Process had already reached its half-way point.

[Messatsu!]

All thoughts, all desires and burdens had been forcefully expelled from Masuyo's mental framework as he replaced it all with a blank slate, one that provided him with mental balance and solitude. The chakra drawn from nature's own wellspring began to slowly mix in with Masuyo's own, doubling its potency and capacity among other things.

By now, the process of gathering breached the middle-point and neared completion at an alarming rate. Although he'd still been relatively new to the process, after extended use and repetition, drawing out, combining, and stabilizing the chakra with his own seemed to have become almost as natural as breathing.

Hoping that Kureno caught on to his intentions and would have thwarted any potential attacks and / or distractions away from his brief moment of deep meditation. However, Kureno hadn't been alone and with all of the Kekkai (even tenzo) that Masuyo -without hesitance- placed his faith within, he feared nothing.

As more seconds of concentration and focused passed, it only meant that the process of gathering Senjutsu chakra had been complete. He was ready!

[Messatsu!]

As his chakra overflowed and 'released', its capacity doubled as well as his physical attributes. In tandem with the opening of his eyes, blood red ink surrounded them as he lifted and stood up from his now completely soaked haori onto both feet. Without so much as a backwards glance to the group behind him, bear-like eyes that screamed with the inclination to kill peered off into the distance as he continued his trek towards Amegakure's gates.

Not even a couple of Steps later, two separate single hand signatures heralded the summoning of 6 shadow clones. In a harmless, plume of smoke, all six clones sat meditatively [horizontally] a handful of meters behind the farthest person in the group, appearing as a 'road block' of sorts.

Regardless, each individual clone initiated their own gathering of Senjutsu chakra, accumulating enough so that Masuyo would've provided himself with a seemingly endless supply of Senjutsu chakra and the physically augmenting traits that its power entailed.

Continuing to advance towards the gates (via walking) he managed to successfully approach the entrance way where two faintly familiar symbols lay on an upraised platform, one resembling a slot for paper messages, and the other as a recess in a iron construction, namely the size of an average human hand. These two symbols were signs, hints that would've granted every gathered Kekkai and Tenzo access to the pipes which would've ultimately led them back home.

SPOILER: Click to show

Kage Bunshin (B)

Senjutsu [ 6 / 6]
Senjutsu Clones [6 / 6]
Senjutsu Clones charge [ 1 / 2 ]

Chakra: x5 Massive

[Yuu]

I stood a few meters behind Masuyo as he 'prepared' himself for what was ahead. The group mixed with Kekkai and Tenzo were ready to find their old village and take back what was theirs. The feeling of looking ahead and seeing the gates tower over us was surreal, I never expected to see this in my life again. I thought that Amegakure was lost for good, but this man that stood in front of me changed that. We had a chance to rewrite history, start a new village where both the Kekkai and the Tenzo were at the helm of the operation.

Once Masuyo was ready we began to move towards the gates. As we got closer I noticed familiar symbols on the walls and began to remember how I used to get in and out of this village when I was younger. The village was so complex that they had a series of locks and passages that lead to the village itself, but the hard part was figuring them out. I hoped one of us remembered how to solve most of these things, because as of right now I was in a stump.

"Be on the look out guys, regardless of how close we are to our goal you don't know what is hiding in the shadows." I whispered loud enough for the entire group to hear while I myself began to look around almost instinctively because of a sudden sound that I heard the moment I finished speaking. The darkness was a perfect place for one to hide, especially when most of the noise is canceled out because of the pitter-patter of the frequent pouring rain.

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[Taka]

It was finally time. Coming back home, it was finally a reality. Kiyoshi was curious about what they'd find. Logically he knew it wouldn't be much if anything at all but at least he wasn't alone in this. The medic was surrounded by family after all. Of course each and everyone of their intentions were undoubtedly questionable but at least they were currently united under one cause. At this point it didn't matter what history the Kekkai and the Tenzo had, that would only be a hindrance to the cause and the group really did not need that.

Kiyoshi followed the group keeping his senses sharp and alert. No one knew who or what the hell could possibly still be lurking in the area. While he wasn't much of a combatant, the medic still had his uses. Another thing that Kiyoshi noted was Masuyo's transformation and summoning of his clones. Looks like he's making sure that no-one attempts to turn back. Good. There were here for a reason after all. Once they approached the gate, Kiyoshi was in awe. At least it was still standing, what laid inside was all but a mystery. The two familiar symbols also struck the boy with slight nostalgia. Hopefully the Sennin still remember where to go.

"I agree but I get this feeling it's just us...at least for now." Kiyoshi whispered back still looking around at his surroundings.

[Mitternacht]

Home.

Home was the only thought that would rush through my head as I traveled the hundreds of miles to Amegakure. Kotai-u Geto was within sight, and I gasped. Home. The thought echoed again, and again, and again. The thought consumed me, before I shuddered, forcing my mind to control it. I looked up, flipped up my eye patch, water pelting my face, clouds blotting out the sky, lightning illuminating the sky.

I stared with both of my eyes.

Amegakure no Sato! Ahead stood the marvelous, immaculately designed gates. I personally knew a bit about them, but not every inner cog or mechanism. I knew they were ancient, their wrought metal much older than the metal of the armor I wore now or of the weapons I carried. I flipped down the eye patch again, covering the eye. I was silent, but I was awed by the gates after not seeing them for so long. My brethren surrounded me and I was sure they do held the same sentiment.

We were home.

I observed Masuyo's actions, knowing his plans without a word being spoken between us. I strode to his side, silently, composed. I no longer was baring any major weaponry, but my control of my special abilities had increased a grand amount. Masuyo was given not a second glance; my eyes scanned the horizons, alert for danger. He wasn't even granted a glance when suddenly six of him appeared, who all assumed the meditative state that gave him so much energy. Masuyo walked forward, traversing the twenty-five (25) meters in a relatively short time. He led the pack, he led us home.

SPOILER: Click to show

• All weapons, items, and armor on person.

[The Dude]

Having had a later start than the party of kekkai and tenzo who had so recently visited the shores of Mizu no Kuni, Kiyoshi Tenzo managed to follow in their wake using his sensor abilities to track the unique gathering of chakra signals. Slowly he had been gaining on them in their trek across most of the world and as he crossed to the border to the lain of rain he knew what their goal was. Masuyo Kekkai had traversed the world and been a beacon to any Amegakure shinobi he came across. A beacon of the hope and restoration of the once proud rain ninja to their former glory.



Having ran straight into the country without use of any sensor techniques anymore (as he knew full well where the band would be heading) Kiyoshi arrived on the scene as the band was preparing for whatever they had planned. One arm hung folded from the chest of his long heavy coat whilst his other clutched the handle of his massive claymore supported over his shoulder. His steps were large and solid, his glasses perched half way down his nose revealing half his eyes both the scarred eye and his crimson smoldering eye.

As he approached he looked past the group at the gates struggling inwardly to keep pent up emotions for his home within. Coming back here felt like a sicking deja vu. When you return home and you feel like you're going to walk through the gates just like the old days and go straight home where all your family will be waiting for you. The mind's habits plays emotional games on itself and false hope had no place here today. Kiyoshi was here now, Amegakure was not. The only good that could come of this now was bringing back the proud prestigious program that had been the village hidden in the rain.

"Be on the look out guys, regardless of how close we are to our goal you don't know what is hiding in the shadows."

"I agree but I get this feeling it's just us...at least for now."

"Almost alone, Kekkai." Kiyoshi growled quietly but passively as he came into the group. He did little to hide his disdain for the Kekkai clan itself. He had been raised during an age of conflict with the Tenzo and Kekkai and while he had often worked along side both of his family members he only seemed to do it under the village's direction. The village was now gone, but it's will endured and Kiyoshi knew for the sake of the village he would work professionally with these ninja as he had in the past. "And while you may not know what lurks in the shadows for us within I can at least offer my guidance and foresightedness on this matter."

Kiyoshi took more steps coming up to Masuyo, he raised his blade from his shoulder high into the air before laying it down flat on the ground between Masuyo and Kiyoshi. He knelt down in silence bowing his head slightly before the avatar of nature chakra that lead the party, "Kekkai Masuyo, my old student. You have at least one more Tenzo who will see you as the headship of this village if that is in fact you're lofty goal." He adjusted his glasses and raised his head to look up at Masuyo but did not rise to his feet. The young boy had grown considerably since Kiyoshi had last seen him. He had assumed the young boy dead but seeing the youth of Ame flourish and steel himself with determination filled the old shinobi with joy. A singled tear hidden behind his shades and collar rolled down his cheek as he grabbed hold of the claymore's handle tightly in his fist again. They had all been refugees for too long.

[Tenzo Jiro]

The wall was seen from miles out, bringing a new energy to Jiro. Having lived so much of his life in Amegakure, the sight made his eyes water. The journey over had been tough. Leaving his ox and carriage at the docks, the time spent of the boat had made Jiro sick. Never one for water travel, he was reserved to his own private quarters for most of the way. Upon arriving, the others had been kind enough to wait for him to acquire another carriage. He could have walked on foot, but the craftsman supplies he traveled with would have undoubtedly slowed down the others that were so eager.

Also, he needed to be fast through the tunnel. No stranger to the dangers of Amegakure's entrance, Jiro was especially concerned due to his age. Still, as they stopped, he promised himself something.

I will die on the other side of that wall.

Masuyo's meditations caught Jiro's attention. He leaned forward. While Jiro was no shinobi, he was old enough to have heard about a legendary “Sage form.” A certain primal nature seemed to grip Masuyo. Jiro looked down at his large collection of crafting equipment. The seed of an idea planted itself in his head as Masuyo began to move. Deciding to approach Masuyo about the subject later, he decided not to speak. He was too busy experiencing the homecoming. Jiro went the entire process without speaking. Perhaps he would have spoken aggressively to Kiyoshi, but his old age had made him unable to hear such quiet words. The group began to make their way to the gates.

While Jiro wanted nothing more than to see the resurrection of Amegakure, a frightened part of him hoped that no one was there already.

[Moeru]

Moeru had been more than ready for anything, checking through his garmets to see if he had all his ninja tools. Once confirming that he did, he headed for the gates of his former home. It had been exactly how they left it. Nostalgia coursed through his body, hitting him in the heart. Gazing into the melancholic clouds, he held his head up with a content smile. The would bring their village back to its glory, and the name of their people would be heard amongst all.

[Hronica]

After the troubles they seemingly had come across in the Land of Water, it was time for the family to finally return home. It had been so long that Yulo had trouble remembering the place. The place had completely changed as well. No longer was it the vibrant city of his childhood. War had turned it into a barren wasteland, removed of its essence of life; its people. But hope still remained, and with it came the idea of rebirth.

The Kekkai family had made it their clear objective to take back what was rightfully theirs; the Hidden Rain. Lead by the figurehead Masuyo, the family marched back toward the gates that they once considered to be their own. It had been found again, but this time they would not lose it again. There was quite a group within them, consisting of both Kekkai and Tenzo. The clans once enemies had seemingly conjoined in order to bring life back into the Hidden Rain.

But could they be trusted? That's all that Yulo thought to himself as he marched alongside them. He kept his eyes open and watched each of them intently. By now he also seemed it to be a good idea that he would remove himself from his ties to the Hidden Sand. It had been a good stepping stone for him but now he felt as if he was ready to reclaim old endeavours that he had once left behind. The Hidden Rain was his new home now.

He removed the forehead protector from the side of his jacket and edged closer toward Masuyo. He had to stick close to him. Yulo knew that if anything were to go down, as long as he was near Masuyo everything would seemingly be alright. This was unknown territory for him, as he hadn't been here in years. He was unsure of what the others knew of this barren wasteland either. Nonetheless, he kept his guard up at the ready for anything unexpected to suddenly come out.

The land was dead. But life still existed here. Unknown beasts and rogue ninja no doubt patrolled these lands. It was up to the Kekkai and Tenzo families to bind together in order to fight these adversaries. Everyone remained close and at the ready for something to occur. Yulo was well aware that his life was at risk on this day. He just hoped he would be able to see the Hidden Rain Village from within once more before he died.

[/justify]

[Nightmarish]

Home.

It'd been a place that Mu-Hyul called home for most of his life, all until the influence of war and corruption touched home. Forced to retreat and wander the world like stray dog, Mu-Hyul couldn't have wished for anything more than to drive the tip of his most trusted blade through every living being that aided the destruction of Amegakure. For years Mu-Hyul followed in Goryo's shadow as a proud and discreetly powerful tool used for the destruction of all the enemies of Tenzo. Tipped off by his respective head of the clan, Mu-Hyul followed and grouped himself up with the unusual mix of Kekkai and Tenzo.

Angels & Demons.

The ache and burn of his never-ending physical training became a mere afterthought as he hastened his walk to where he positioned himself to the rear and left of Masuyo. Examining him, he easily snuffed out the considerably large gap in power that separated him from the 'others' that followed him under the same cause. Although convinced that Goryo walked the earth as a god among men, Mu-Hyul envisioned Masuyo as the only one within the group worthy enough to even be acknowledged by Goryo.

Upon reaching the gates, Mu's cold, calculative eyes looked upon the platforms mysterious devices, questioning its existence and purpose.

[Śākyamuni]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][style=height: 20px][/style][style=width: 300px; height: 320px; background-image: url(http://colourlovers.com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/patterns/1462/1462099.png); border-radius: 50px; border: 1px dashed E98976][style=margin-top: -22px; font-size: 22px; font-family: georgia; text-align: center; color: E98976]leave it all behind

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'Home,'

It was a thought that was likely coursing through the neural processes of many of his genetically similar brethren. The instinctive recognition of a place that had memories of a particular brand associated with it's physical appearance. Emiya took a step forward, falling into line with those around him, a pair of bright orbs scanning the surrounding crowd, taking note of the bright pigmentations of the Kekkai, the darker void of the Tenzo.
Belonging to the former group, his own red hair stood out like many of the others.
And so much like the others, his face was set with grim determination.
Emiya had no illusions to his role on this field. To heal and play support, but that was of no consequence. Each cog needed to turn in order to spin the larger wheel. Emiya was content to play his role, no matter how small it may be.

Guided by the unifying force of these two groups, the one known as Masuyo.
While not a revolution, it was something of an exciting prospect, as many of the Shinobi around him bore the insignia of different Villages, some where even originally from the location itself. The slight scratch marring the tempered metal would soon be removed, and the band across his own persona would be replaced. Emiya did not actually wear his headband in any visible location, having felt no real call to his original accommodation in the first place. He identified himself traditionally by his profession and the oath he swore. To heal and protect. This sometimes clashed with his more overriding duties as a Shinobi, he had made the two work like others before and after him.

Now Masuyo came to a halt, the man making a small area for himself comfortable to sit, he then took a specific posture that seemed to be intentional, but without further knowledge, Emiya could make no further assumptions as to his actions.
But notice their effects, he did. The rain seemed quieter, almost listening, the ripples in the puddles seemed to gravitate towards the seated man.
This attraction of nature continued until it seemingly reached it's climax, and the man rose to his feet, a new presence shrouding his person.

'What alteration had he wrought upon himself?'

Mayhap this was why he was who he was. Curious, but not courageous enough or stupid to directly approach and question, Emiya pondered his next course of action. In the event that their community came under assault, he would be required to directly support the front line and hinder the enemy as much as possible. He had a few abilities within his arsenal that could be fettered to that category, so he removed the 'how' from the equation.
'Who,' was the next rational step. 'When, why,' having already been resolved by his environment and company respectively.

Deciding that a practioner of the physical arts would likely need the most support in such a situation, Loitering alongside one of the Tenzo who appeared to be one such person who could have the criteria applied to, Emiya took note of his features, rough gait and any physical weapons that were visible, before going back to observing the rapidly approaching landmark.

[/style][/style][style=float: left; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 10px; height: 100px; width: 100px; background-image: url(http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/111293830/38978102); -webkit-border-radius: 50px; -moz-border-radius: 50px; border-radius: 0 0 0 50][/style][style=float: right; width: 150px; height: 100px; background-color: FFFFFF; opacity: 0.6; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 10px; border-radius: 0 0 20 0][style=padding: 10px; opacity: 1.0; color: 000000; font-size: 9px; font-family: verdana; height: 130px; overflow: auto]song O Fortuna
notes let's do this ppl
tagging Nightmare[/style][/style][/style][/td][/tr][/table][style=font-size: 8px]made by KING of PRE & OTE[/style][/center]

[Shūrin]

The monolithic structure stood scraping the black sky with it's presence, and the sight of the dark walls sent a melancholy rolling through Shurin. He'd been a bit late to the 'party', but the feeling wasn't diminished for it; they'd made it back to their war-torn home, and those dark gates were surely the only reason any of them were still alive, and why there's any village to even go back to, regardless of it's state.

The deep thrum of the endless rain was an old song for his bones, perfectly played upon the landscape of Ame. Shurin ached to get inside of the great machine gate. The rain was a welcoming memory, but he was worried it could be doing damage to the scrolls he had carried with him, although they were on the inside of his jacket secured in pouches. He did not worry for the daisho pair on his hip, the steel was forged in this very rain, as were the trio of smoke grenades and the binoculars that occupied the satchel on his back.

But they'd have to make it through the grid. As Shurin stood with his family at the entrance marked with the symbols of the two branches of their blood, a slight compulsion came over him. His hand reached into the back pocket of his black pants, and pulled forth a headband of the same color. Scratched and chipped, it was clearly old and the cloth was practically falling apart. Shurin pushed his hair back and tied the band around his forehead. The old band felt rejuvenating in the rain.

[Tenzō]

The rainfall is constant, ominous. The dark drumming intervals between each drop echo through emptiness compounded with the blinking neon fray of lights flickering from power-supplies scattered miles in every direction. The assembled members of the two Noble Families of Ame crowd together in the gloam, each carrying hope born of being finally so close to home. They are overwhelmed with nostalgia, with memories of a place that is in truth no more welcoming than any other. But I do not share their hope. I bring only caution, a warning against the thick night air that clogs the distance between buildings. I fall from the sky, a black dot of oil pulling away from a screaming ocean of paper that has replaced the nearest cloud. I carry a package and a message. My fondest memories of Amegakure are overridden with rage.

Masuyo. . .

A pause. I have never before used the young man's name without the suffix -ko, a constant derisive jab at his age but not now...now, I address him as a man. As an equal. As the head of the Kekkai Ichizoku.

As one who I must deliver terrible news to.

Your brother...Yuu...Masuyo he's...

The Uchiha killed him, Masuyo. Yuu is dead. When I arrived at their battleground only...

Only this remained. I am...I am sorry.

I drop a leather sack at Masuyo's feet, and look away.

It contains the head of Yuu Kekkai, with the symbol of the Hidden Mist carved into its forehead.

A shuddering from my core moves chakra in a spiraling curvature that spans throughout the contours of my body and I rise off of the ground a few meager feet, columns of paper spread like wings out behind me. I have felt a disturbance, in the air itself that vibrates like a swarm of starving gnats, in the sheets of paper left casually out and over the barren steel landscape that was once our haven. I scan Masuyo's face for a reaction, for any indication of whether or not he can sense the truth of what has happened, but I also gaze towards the enormous metal wedges that are the Solid Rain Gate, and speak only when I am sure those gathered can all hear my words.

Our enemy has killed many of us, members of both Houses, Tenzo and Kekkai have fallen to him and we have been targeted and hunted like dogs. I have faced him before, this Uchiha who seeks nothing less than the total destruction of all we hold dear.

I will not allow us to be wiped away from the pages of history. I will not allow our future, and the future of Amegakure No Sato, to be defined by...

He has arrived. Like some cancerous growth against the night sky, our enemy stands atop the highest point of the Gates, a frozen glance of moonlight bathing him in unnatural glow, his red eyes bursting with power. Out enemy...the Uchiha...looking down at us with all the concern of a predator whose prey has lined up before its cave in offering. We are a sacrifice to him, nothing more. We represent a threat no greater than the impossible strength he long ago tempered within the same structure he now commands. The Village Hidden In The Rain. Our village. His village. From my vantage point, I see a slow, sadistic smirk spread along the contours of his youthful face as his hands begin a set of handseals, but the others...they did not expect him, do not expect this. I have fought him before. I know what his preparations mean and with a great sweeping of my hands and tersely shouted commands (..He's here! Back! Get back now!...) a wave of paper swells out from the wings which hold me aloft, forming twin tendrils that race forwards, towards him, and back towards the others to bloom into flower-petal-like half domes against the roaring flame the Uchiha sends our way.

Like the breath of a mythical dragon, the chakra infused fire washes down over us all, but the paper at my command is resilient, holds back this first stage of the onslaught as I fall, once more compelled by gravity to land with a sharp thud against the wet earth. The paper covering the others seems to have protected them thus far, and as it retreats back into my own body, preparing for the next stage of the Uchiha's assault...

...he is gone. And I feel a hand close around my throat.

He is in front of us. Holding me. A vice-like grip suggesting a strength it should be impossible for such a man to control but he does, effortlessly, and lifts me off the ground, only 5 meters away from the nearest of us to the Gates, an ornate sword pressed against my throat. WHY HAVE YOU COME HERE? THIS IS NO LONGER YOUR HOME. When he speaks, it is as if the earth itself is nervous to hear the words, and a rumbling in the ground shakes through the others while his own steps are still and unmoved. Paper has begun to form around my throat, and the Uchiha casts a leveling stare towards me as he stabs through and into my wind-pipe, an attempt to sever my head. It falls back slightly, then bursts into a conflagration of hardened paper sheets that reform into a man-sized fist, crashing into the length of his body and exploding with surprising force, knocking him back. But even as the explosion seems to interrupt his stoic reserve, space warps around him, and he is behind me suddenly, his hand raised and transforming before our very eyes into a pillar of flammable mist that thickens with the passing seconds.

A flood of chakra suffuses our surroundings, and before the others have had time to properly react, a tidal wave of paper cascades down and over the others, digs into the earth beneath them and spins like ivory saw-blades, hollowing out the foundation where they stand.

They will see the final light of a massive explosion before they fall underground, as my body glows with chakra, and I scream in fury, and every sheet of paper on the battlefield detonates with concussive finality.