Aftermath [Finsihed]

[Sayomi]

Black.

The reapers shrouded cloak veiled the world in an immersive black. For days on end the sight of nothingness haunted Masumi, the smell of decaying, burned carcasses, bloodied earth and the bewitching screams of the dead plagued her. The few who were lucky to survive escaped into the underground pathways, some who were lucky enough to obtain light were on the better end, while Masumi herself was almost driven made by the darkness.

It beckoned her, and she it.

Though it was as if hell personally visited the young shinobi, this was her only protection-her only sanctuary until the outside world stilled to a calm. Her hands blindly, and clumsily fumbled around for support and footing, her body bloodied, beaten and bruised from conflict. She was tired, but she had to find an exit.

Within the eternal world of emptiness the tortured screams endlessly reverberated within her mind.

They wouldn't stop.

Their wailing, their horrifying, endless chorus of melancholic despair. No matter when she escaped her nightmare, the genin, age 14 known as Masumi Hozuki would be changed. Within the dark space her eyes lit up, her face though hidden from both the shadows and her dirtied blond hair, Masumi's visage was thankful. Her hands felt the familiar knob-a feeling she long since forgotten since she'd first entered approximately one week ago, but to her it felt like years had rolled by-centuries. And she looked it too. Twisting and pulling, she tugged at the door. It softly cried as if it hadn't been opened in years and her surmise was just that. Had she been the only one who used this particular passage? Those thoughts were cut short as the caressing shadows were fought away by the painfully bright amber sun perched high above.

Its oblique, shimmering rays danced their way down to her as she cringe, her lids fluttering quickly as she tried to adjust. A bleak expression of awe was etched onto the girls face.

"All of this happened...just after a week? When I had retreated as sensei told me to, we were doing bad, but t-this is beyond that of devastation"

The Village before her practically rested beneath the earth. Buried with the bodies and blood of her kinsmen. Where most would see a fallen village, she saw one flooded....

Drowned in a crimson liquid thicker than that of ink. It sickened her for a moment as her triumphant smile from her escape curled into a wry frown. Her fist tightened as the lingering flames of regret and sorrow quietly faded away. Broken support beams, eaves and structures adorned the massacred land in shambles. The bodies of the dead like flowers sprouted from the very earth itself. Dirty, thirsty and on the verge of starvation Masumi began walking throughout what should would soon find out to be the end of the world.

"This was no war...it was a bloodbath...."

Stepping over the piled bodies she made her way to the forests beginning. As a Shinobi of the Hidden Mist village, her pride, her beliefs and her lifestyle, left her with but a single choice. "Best be on my toes, enemy ninja might still linger..."

Restore Mizugakure no Sato!

Her brown, almost dull eyes ahead she looked back to the decimated village where so many laid slain, but there had to be survivors and the first thing to do was to search. Hunger and hydration could be fixed later. With her contemplations done she turned away from the forest, running to the leftover debris. "Hello?"

"Are their any survivors?"

She spoke loud enough for someone in help to hear, but soft enough so that she wouldn't alert nearby enemies who may have been leaving.
Her head band, scarped and worn dangled below her neck, her green shirt, torn at the sleeves from combat was filthy, stains of red adorned its once solid surface. The nets of her leggings were slit an tattered, but still her soft face wore a look of innocence, though that look only led to deceit. Masumi by far wasn't the strongest of her village, but she had a few talents hidden away, and was more than capable of handling herself.

"Anyone?!"

She cried out once more, ebony birds fleeing from a nearby carcass pinned down by a score of kunai, the cause was a noise from the other side of a building. What a sad fate she thought as she remembered to stay aware. For now no one was safe in a world where survival was forced. Just in case she flipped out one of the two remaining kunai she had, her eyes meticulously scanning the proximity. Holding the blade in a reverse grip she'd come around a corner of a half destroyed building. Poising herself she pressed her back firmly against the flat of the surface and stilled her breathing. Slowly she inched over, out the corner of her eye enemy ninja dead upon the ground.

There was nothing...

A sigh of relief exited her lips as she affirmed it was just a fallen piece of stone. With a flick she pocketed the kunai back, the sword at her back swaying as she sat down for a moment, her head tilted up at the sky.

"Are there no survivors?

Masumi thought to herself alone.

In this ugly yet beautiful world...

[Mamushi]

[/i][/center]

He kicked a rock off the edge of the roof and watched it fall.

He supposed it was nice that some of the village still stood, but he was loathe to be part of the rebuilding force. He'd been scouring the country for shinobi to make a better Mizugakure - he was far more inclined to let this relic wither and die and start anew than plant a new seed in the same old battered earth. And then something caught his eye - a flash of blond, dirtied to brown...

Ah... what have we here?

Hiromasa stepped to the edge of the roof, his shadow falling against the girls face.

"Yo!"

He jumped from the ledge, falling gracefully from the crumbling roof to the earth below, chakra slowing his fall and cushioning his landing. He turned to face the girl in one smooth motion, his hitai-ate the only truly clean part of him. His flak jacket bore oily like stains, and his pants were covered in splatters of mud. His hair was matted and dirtied, full of leaves and bristles.

"Woah, you look like shit." He sized her up with a quick glance. "Kawashima Hiromasa, at your service." The greeting seemed standard, delivered almost absently. "You'd do better leaving this place, kid. It's a shithole, and pretty much everybody is dead."

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[Sayomi]

A voice called out.

Startled Masumi's eyes quickly looked up, a jumping shadow casted upon her visage as a man leap from a decaying structure. Instinctively she slide back wit a quick jump retreating as she flipped a kunai, holding it firmly within her left hand. The man quickly turned around his hitai-ate easing her worries an doubts as her aggressive look turned into that of relief.

"You nearly scared me!"

The shinobi blurted out before the man could even muster words. A cursory glance he looked as if he was like her, blindly fumbling through the dark bunkers for safety, only to arise unto hell. Biting her lip she shot him a corrosive glare. "I could say the same for you!" Masumi spat back a witty retort, nothing serious or harmful in the least. "I'm Masumi Hozuki, and I'm no child!"

Her brows furrowed in distaste, how tragic she thought. "the first survivor I meet and he's an annoyance..." Masumi bit her lip again as she turned away, her backside facing the man. "This is my village and I don't plan on leaving, you should help me search for survivors so that we can began rebuilding as soon as possible." And ambient gust of wind rolled by, throwing her dirtied sun-kissed locks about as she began to traverse the debris ridden land.

[Mamushi]

[/i] amused, and it showed in the slight lift in the right corner of his mouth, the lowering of his eye and the relaxing of his brow. He further eased his stance, absently folding his arms loosely across his chest. Slowly, as if the most natural thing in the world, he tilted his head to the right.

Hozuki, ay?

He was surprised to find another genin so soon after the other, but he supposed there had been very many selfless sensei's in the former Mizugakure - he thought of his own commander's sacrifice as practical, since there'd been no escape anyone. With the captain's death, he had been given a smokescreen to escape and collect civilians. The catacombs had been unforgiving, but they'd survived.

And I've done especially well, he thought, thinking of the map in his breast pocket.

"That's what a Kage would be expected to do, right? Search for survivors." He laughed, grin becoming rueful. "What do you think I've been doing? This," and his eyes grew hard, the burning flames of anger crackling in their depths, "will never happen again. Not if I have my way..." He trailed off, eyes rising to the sky.

"I'll take to the rooftops, and I'll leave a Bunshin down here to help you." As he intoned his plan, his hands met in a brief dance, chakra rushing into the earth and solidifying it into a solid clone of himself. He crouched low then leaped into the air, taking car to land on the most stable part of the roof, leaving his Iwa Bunshin with Masumi.

"Yo." It said with a wave. "Lead the way blondie."

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[Sayomi]

As fast as his posture relaxed it tensed up, his temping flaring for a moment as its callous grasp took hold of his emotions. Masumi didn't give a reply to his statement, she only gave a grimace as her stare followed his.

To the azure skies.

Ivory clouds slowly advanced along it's serene canvas. The world was gorgeous above, but below it was ugly.

So ugly....

Hiromasa words were true and Masumi herself could feel them instill her with a wish.

A want.

A dream....

She'd never let her home be scorched by battles flames again. She didn't watch or wait she kept going as he created his clone, returning back to the rooftops, looking for any survivors or stragglers. She only gave a wave as she turned around the building she'd just past. "I...have a name you know!" Masumi replied to the clone playfully, hoping over a large culmination of fallen structures and miscellaneous

No matter how hard she seemed to look, or how far her sight reached their was always just death and its friends. Walking into a destroyed building, she cringed her nose rolling up from the abated stench that perforated the decimated structure. "What the hell? Whats this stench?" Slowly Masumi walked through its fallen ruins, into the eating area were things where cluttered and thrown about. "Finally some water!" Masumi mentally thought reaching for the bottle.

Though she didn't look it her throat was painfully dry and scratchy, but also because of her Kekkai Genkai she had to stay constantly hydrated, so this was a miracle within the dim of graveness. Unscrewing the dirtied bottles top she pressed it to her lips and graciously drink it all in a single gulp. "I needed that!" Masumi said aloud, some vigor in her layered within her voice.

"Nothing in here...."

Masumi whispered as she turned out from the shadow casted building. "Anything on your end Hiromasa?!"

OOC: Hiromasa hold off on posting gonna try and get an NPC for us

[souzen]

Knaves, rakes, rapscallions. The lowest of the low. They hid within their holes whilst the war ravaged their homeland above. And now, amidst the destruction, they prey on the survivors of this catastrophe. Three of them in a gang, friends since birth, united in their deprivations. Silently they would approach, until they lie twenty meters away from you [ Masumi.]. From their bloody and sanquine appearance to the harshness in their eyes, they are no mere brigands. Content to steal and pilfer. Nay, they mean to steal your life also, to hack your form into bloody ribbons. What now will you do?

[Mamushi]

[/ul]

[Sayomi]

from the rumble a small group of withered individuals rose, their faces dull, clothing tattered. Masumi's eyes squinted as she tried to make them out friend or foe. Masumi bit her lip as she slowly approached her, left hand flicking down for a kunai, allowing it to roll over her hand until she caught its grip.

"Hey there are you okay?"

She was looking for survivors, but she wouldn't take any chances, not with the world thrusted into chaos.
"Hey Hiromasa, i think I found some survi-"

As she stepped closer breaking the twenty meter distance into ten, she saw their faces, molded by an expression she'd seen plenty during the war-their faces were that of people who desired nothing more than to steal life. She swore under her lip as she realized it, hopefully Hiromasa was ready with back up, but as far as she knew it might have to be three on one.

Her body clenched as she locked her sights on them, digging her feet into the ground she awaited their move. Steely eyes refusing to falter she watched meticulously.

[souzen]

Tattered, ragged and grim beyond reckoning these knaves would not even give you the respect of a few last words before they attacked. Instantly they would move upon you [Masumi.]. Spread out, one to the right, left and center as far apart as the tunnel would allow they would draw their weapons. A dagger, truncheon and axe respectively. They had the seasoned skill and grace of soldiers, however none of the refinement of true professionals. It was obvious they had no aptitude for the shinobi arts. Therefore, what is your next move? Of course, they are unaware of Hiromasa and his bunshins, should he deign it upon himself to aid you.

[Mamushi]

[/ul]

[Sayomi]

Masumi watched with clear eyes as Hiromasa's clones leap into action with the hint of his aid coming she leap back letting three shuriken loose from her palm as Hiromasa backed her up. All three were aimed for one of the hostiles, just in case.

"Too bad indeed"

She gave a sour glare as she folded her arms. What a waste she though. Maybe everybody had fled somewhere safe, but more than anything Mizu no Sato needed to formed a structure of order within its providence or chaos was sure to swell an overtake.

"Hiromasa. Do you have any ideas. About restoring the Hidden mist village?"

She asked him out of respect for his seniority, her reasoned was that she refused to let her village fall to such a blunder.

[Mamushi]

[/i] our money, after all.

Then we'll need power. Maybe a Bijuu or two, if we can find them and seal them - no small task, I've heard. I wouldn't mind housing a bijuu...

And then we'll have to ensure that Mizugakure is able to stand against any and all threats... which can either involve some sort of ultra-fuuinjutsu to protect the village, or it can involve us wiping every other village off the face of the earth.

I haven't decided which I want to do yet."

He walked deeper into the city as he talked, almost oblivious to the destruction around him. He had a destination however, one that he had only just thought of, as he considered what it meant to wield power. How could I have forgotten?

The building probably no longer stood, but the basement should be intact, and therein lay the goal of his search.

"You know, you're not bad for a Hozuki, Easy on the eyes, not to loud or verbose, and you seem pretty quick on your feet." He looked over his shoulder and smiled, and failed to hold back the entirety of his laugh.
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[Sayomi]

After the battle and her quick question a awkward silence settled upon the two shinobi. Biting her lip, she folded her arms as he finally offered words back. Holding her tongue she'd wait to hear him out further, so she followed behind him, like that of an shadow. She gave a nod, of course she knew both civilians and shinobi alike would help, but his answer so far was a mere evasion of hers.

The soft tapping of her footsteps upon the earth creating an almost subtle melody as she followed behind, listening to Hiromasa speak. As they prodded depper into the heart of the city she just quietly stalked him not saying a word, but offering a quick nod or "Mhm"

His last remark surprised her, Masumi's face flushing florid with a subtle hue of pink. She gave a half smile, although his laugh at the end gave her doubts of his sincerity. "Am I really. I though i was loud!"She spoke vibrantly, her voice carrying enthusiasm laced into each cord. "I'll take that as a compliment"
Catching up to him she let her pace quicken so that she was slightly in front of. Performing an exaggerated spin by holding her arm out an her leg at the same time.

"Well since I'm just a little ole girl how about us two go to the Capitol and see what of the Daimyo? If your gonna rebuild Mizugakure, why do it alone? Im pretty capable as you've seen and besides Im not noisy as you said!"

Her words were concise carrying a playful tone to their sound. "As for the rest we could decide that later"

True she wasn't the strongest, but her swordsmanship skills were well toned refined. If only she could find a better weapon....

[Mamushi]

[/i] her - to combat it, he squeezed his eyes shut tight and broadened his grin, thoughts still on the future. It took a second for her words to register, preoccupied as his mind was.

"Meh, they might not take you seriously in the capital." He eyed her discreetly from closed eyes, gaze falling from the tip of her head to the soles of her feet, and rising up again. "You're tiny, and you don't look very intimidating. I'm not old enough to be your sensei..." he shrugged, folding his arms loosely.

"But we can go anyway, I guess. I just need to find something first."

He was silent for a moment, clearing his mind and focusing on the issue at hand.

'Tell me about yourself, Blondie.. what are your goals in this new world?"

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[Sayomi]

Watching him with curiosity she could tell his mind was elsewhere. Masumi gave a haughty laugh at his first reply, true enough he was right they'd over look her simply because she was a female, and just a simple genin. This fact though it didn't show on her face it lingered within the back space of her mind-she'd definitely rage over it later.

"Why not Masa`kun? You sure look it!"

Masumi would let her hands cup the back of her head, elbows out as she continued walking back. It of course was a joke, given both her and Hiromasa's rugged appearance from the wear and tear of their travels, trials and past troubles. "Sounds like a plan!" There was a hidden motive behind her reasoning for asking him to travel with her. Truth was she just didn't want to be alone after travel for a week in complete darkness.

"Aspirations huh?"

She casually raised a brow at the inquiry as she contemplated a brief response-one that'd be concise and to the point. "Well of course I wish to rebuild my home, but I also have a personal gain I wish to attain. The 7 legendary swords, I want them all. Before the war I was practicing my swordsmanship and would have tried, but war came and so I was put on the front lines. Now... all of those weapons are lost " Pausing she took a small breath.

"Thats about all, now how about offering me the same insight? What is it you wish to do?"