The Helm-Splitter.

[Yox]

It was a cold night, especially for Konoha. The full-moon perched itself in the sky and illuminated the world below. It was the perfect night for the creatures of the forests to hunt. Whether they were animals or assassins, there was no doubt that there would be activity on a night like this.

On a hill outside the nearby village stood a man on his own. His long blonde hair waved in the wind as the rest of his body was concealed by a heavy cloak. He was seemingly not doing much other than watching the land below him. It was unknown as to what he was looking at or for. But he simply stood there, motionless with the light wind blowing against his body.

The boy's name was Kohaku. He was one of the many genin from Konohagakure. Tonight he was tired of the atmosphere of the village. He needed to escape from it's walls for a while. Out here was the best place to clear your mind from all the troubles of the world. He had found a place of serenity that differed to the irritating village life that remained in another world to where he was. It was tranquility at its finest.

Though he could sense some activity around him. The area was unsettled, however he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. It intrigued him and made him want to stay longer. He had originally opted to stay out here for only half an hour. It had been at least two hours now. What was out there? Kohaku was unsure of what to make of it.

Something was out there.

[/font][/justify]

[xu]

young girl
name unknown

"Hey! HEY!" She cries, hurtling out of the trees nearby. She dashes up towards you on the hill, out of breath and disheveled.
"H-Help.. please! You gotta help me! My dad, they took him, t-the sword!" She pants, panic in her eyes and desperation in her stance. There are tears growing in her eyes, and she's gesturing frantically back in the direction she came from.

"You're a ninja, right? Right? They're gonna kill him!" She all but screams at you.
"Please, now!" And with that, she stumbles back down the hill, pausing only to look over her shoulder to see if you follow.

It's clear she needs you.

♥

+ Who is this girl? Does it matter right now? She needs your help!

+ Attempt to get more out of her, learn more, or follow her. She appears to have no time to explain.

Begin!

[Yox]

The silence of the night was suddenly interrupted. The screams of a young girl edged closer and closer toward the unsuspecting ninja as he stood atop the cliff top. Immediately he turned around, looking down to the girl as she came closer to him. He looked out into the trees in which she had come from. Darkness.

Tears were streaming down her face. Kohaku could face himself to turn away. Although he did not often dedicate himself to tasks that did not affect him personally, tonight he had felt different. He was a ninja of Konohagakure, and this meant that he had a certain duty to uphold. "Lead the way," he hissed to the girl whilst look down upon her. A kidnapping had taken place so it seemed. It would be an interesting night after all.

He followed briskly behind the girl as she lead him, keeping his eyes fixed side to side. If something had indeed taken place, both of their lives could possibly be in danger. How the little girl had escaped; he did not know. "What happened?" He posed the question to the little girl though it would possibly be answered soon enough. He did not know where the pair of them were headed, placing all of his faith into this little girl.

It was somewhat stupid when he thought about it. This girl could easily be leading him into a trap. It was something that crossed his mind just before something caught his eye ahead. He kept his wits about him. Things were about to get interesting.

[/font][/justify]

[xu]

young girl
name unknown

The relief at you following her is easily apparent as she leads you onwards, through the trees, keeping a quick, yet slightly clumsy pace that proves easy to follow.
"My dad, they came for him, for the sword.. They've come before but, these guys were way stronger! But he's okay, he's okay... he's got to be okay..." She babbles, throwing herself through shrubbery in her haste to return to her father.

"Dad, DAD!" She cries, bursting through some trees into a small clearing. There's a small, old fashioned house, opening onto a blacksmith's yard. A beaten dirt road leads away from the area. Leaning against an anvil, is a man, bleeding heavily from a multitude of wounds. The girl runs to him.
"NO! No, no, no, Dad, listen! I brought help! We can get your sword back, we can... Please be okay!" She's obviously in intense distress at seeing her father like this. But he does seem to still be alive. For now.

"HELP HIM!" She shrieks, oblivious to the difference between medics and regular shinobi.

♥

+ What happened here is still unclear. There may be clues around the area.

+ The man doesn't have much time left. Maybe there's something you can do to help him?

+ The girl hasn't explained enough. She definitely knows more. But is now really the time?

Continue!

[Yox]

The girl continued to hammer on about a sword. Kohaku was completely unaware of what she was alluding to. Perhaps her father was a treasure hunter and had found himself with a prized possession? Was this the reason why he had been attacked? Kohaku attempted to form a connection between anything that the girl had said. For the moment though, that wouldn't be achieved. He needed to acquire more knowledge on the girl's plea. The shrubs opened ahead. Soon, his questions would be answered.

The house the pair had come across was typical of what existed out in these lands. The anvil in the yard, alongside various other tools, made it clear who the man who lived within was. It seemed to be the home of a craftsman. On closer inspection of the yard, Kohaku noticed a single man leaning against the anvil. He rushed closer alongside the little girl, inspecting the man as they came closer. He was suffering from a series of wounds. Unfortunately, Kohaku's experience in the medic area did not exist. The girl turned to him, begging him for his help.

What could Kohaku do? He had no medical supplies on him and had no knowledge of techniques to perform in order to heal the man. All he had was his basic first-aid knowledge that he had acquired during his training within the ROOT. "We need him to sit down. There's no need for him to be standing up. He needs to rest," the genin announced whilst looking around the area. "We need something to bandage his wounds up with. Go inside the house and fetch me something so that I can apply pressure to his wounds. If we don't stop the bleeding quick, he could die."

Whether the girl would listen to him or not was a different story. Kohaku took hold of the man and gently pulled him down toward the ground. He attempted to locate where the bleeding was coming from for each of his wounds. It would make it easier to strap up once the girl had come back with something to wrap them with. "You're going to be fine..." Kohaku lied to the man as he held him. "Tell me... what happened to you?" Kohaku hoped the man could speak. If a single person, or many, were out there hunting down helpless farmers that lived in the countryside, it would be Kohaku's job to stop them. He was a ninja of Konohagakure after all. He had a duty to uphold.

[/font][/justify]

[xu]

young girl
name unknown

She nods, scrambling away to fetch what it was you required. The man coughs in your arms, blood dripping from a corner of his mouth.
"Th-thank you, kind sir...." He murmurs, eyes rolling back in his head. But he doesn't seem able to answer your questions just yet. You can hear the girl returning behind you, yet her footsteps are slow and deliberate, as opposed to her frantic dashing from before.

"Passed with flying colours." She murmurs behind you. The man fades in your arms, disappearing in a puff of smoke.
"Not once did you ask about the sword i so often mentioned. Nor did you question. You simply... wanted to help." She giggles.
"I apologise for the deceit. And i apologise in advance for my next test."

Her handseals have been in progress since she left your vision to return to the house. Finished since she returned, ready to be executed at any moment. There's no time to prevent them.
"I think you'll be just fine." Are her last words, before the world around you falls away, moving and shifting, unnatural colours and a sense of freefalling.

A genjutsu, that much should be obvious to you. Yet it doesn't seem particularly malicious. You'd find yourself set upon a path, with a sign post up ahead. The forest all around you is brimming with colour and life, imaginary flowers and animals, capering around you.

What is your next move?

♥

+ It was impossible to avoid her genjutsu, but that doesn't mean you can't escape it! Yet will the traditional methods work?

+ She said it was a test. Maybe proceeding through the genjutsu will return you to safety?

+ The signpost ahead points in three different directions, to your right, your left, and straight ahead.

'The Queen's Court' lays to the north.
'Gardens of Folly' to the east.
'Mad King's Arena' to the west.

Continue!

[Yox]

Kohaku's own eyes widened as the old man's rolled toward the back of his head. All hope was gone. The man was now dead. Yet, so it seemed. It was until he disappeared into a cloud of smoke when Kohaku turned his head to the girl, now more suspicious than ever. He pondered to himself as to what just happened. Had he fallen into a trap? His thoughts would soon turn into reality as the world as he knew it faded around him, transforming into some form of acidic wonderland.

Genjutsu. It was obvious to the adolescent. He was a practitioner of the art himself. He knew when his senses were being toyed with. However, this one seemed not to be threatening upon his life. He had various techniques up his sleeve to combat genjutsu. But, he felt as if he should let the events play out in front of him. Kohaku intended to find out what the girl really wanted from him. If he broke the genjutsu now, she had the chance to potentially escape his grasp. He had to play into her trap. Wait for her to let her guard down like he had so foolishly done previously. Then, he would strike.

He rose from the crouched position he had been in prior to the transformation of the surrounding environment. Ahead of him was a single path, leading to a lonesome street post. There were three directions to head in. Kohaku inspected the post once he moved in closer. Which one of them really appealed to him the most? He was unsure as to what each of the places meant to him. Kohaku was playing the game of the child who had deceived him. He had no idea of what she was capable of. But his mind remained alert, and he had made up his choice.

The Queen's Court. Perhaps this 'queen' was the ruler of this newfound land. He could potentially find answers there. However, there was the chance that guards and other possible threats stood in his way. He shrugged his shoulders. Kohaku was under a genjutsu spell after all. Everything around him was an illusion - including his potential threats. He moved north, edging toward the court of the queen. "What do you want from me?" He spoke out aloud to the world around him, thinking that the girl could hear him. Where were his answers?

[xu]

young girl
welcome to wonderland

"I tested your heart..." The voice echoes around you, with no origin to speak of, yet seems to speak within your very mind. As you move forwards, taking the path towards the Queen's Court, you find the way well tended, flowers in orderly lines alongside the path. Soon enough, the path turns into a small brick road, and through an archway lays a beautiful garden, the road winding through it towards a courtyard, where you can hear shouting and commands.

"Now i must test your mind..." That same voice from before. If you've continued on the road, through another archway, you'll enter the very court itself, an open air area with seating and benches scattered around the brick courtyard. A tall, rather fat woman presides over those assembled, sitting in a throne at the far end.

"The sword is that of brute strength..." The voice seems quieter now, as if giving way to the people you're approaching.
"Yet its wielder must be so much more..." All but a whisper. The Queen, for that must be who sits in such a throne, shouting, cuts through the strange voice.

"Late! LATE! Who DARES be late to their own hearing!" She screeches, as guards take your arms and lead you towards a small podium, in the very middle of the court.
"You are sentenced with THEFT and MURDER and ROBBERY and ARSON and INDECENCY!" She cries, going quite red in the face as she lists your supposed crimes.

"HOW DO YOU PLEAD?"

♥

+ Although all an illusion, this place seems so vivid and real. It's entirely possible real repercussions could befall you here.

+ The Queen seems to think you a criminal, arriving to her judgement. You could always explain otherwise, it's a mistake afterall, right?

+ The court is large and spacious, with the Queen's throne at one end, and the archway you passed through at the other. A multitude of bizarre looking individuals line the benches at both of your sides, and guards stand behind you.

Continue!

[Yox]

Testing my head? The girl was doing a good job. The reality that was now around me was confusing. It was as if I was trapped within the dreams of a prepubescent girl. Rows of flowers edged the path I walked down. Ahead of me was the courtyard. I looked to the individuals lining the various benches and my eyes eventually lead to the plump lady that sat upon a single throne. The Queen.

Before I could realise my bearings I was grabbed from behind. Guards had flanked me as I had studied the area in front of me. Although this was a genjutsu, my mind would often drift from that fact. Everything had been so real. I had never experienced a prolonged effect of genjutsu on my mind before. It was something that I had trained to inflict, never to receive. I shook my head side to side. I had to focus on what was occurring before I lost my mind to the illusional world. The screams of the queen also assisted my mind from not wandering. Her accusations were heinous on the other hand. I had not been in this world for an hour and already I was being accused of committing various crimes.

"Nice to meet you... your majesty. I believe you've got the wrong guy though. I've just come here and have committed no crime." I stopped speaking to study the queen before continuing. Her face was glowing red with fury. I wondered whether she would actually listen to my claims. Perhaps anger would just takeover her mind. Wait, what was I talking about? This was a genjutsu. No one here was real. I looked around and studied each of the individuals in the courtyard, then to the guards behind me. What had I done to deserve this? Ah... my mind slipped again. "I will help you catch whoever has done this. I give you my word."

Yet again, I continued to slip back into this world of dreams. For some reason I kept believing that everything around me was real. This was a powerful genjutsu. My mind was playing tricks on me and slowly it was getting to me. I hoped things would kick off soon before I was driven into insanity. I was living in a world that looked so real... but was an imaginary land. From time to time I would remember this. But at other times it faded from my thoughts. It was truly irksome.



What was going on? I hoped the queen would listen to my plea. Again... why? Release me.

[/size]

[Yox]

Exit! Thread cancelled due to inactivity bloody Daisy <3

[Naitome]

Yox: +42
Xu: +28