subterranean endeavors [P]

[KID GAMBINO.]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420,true] ¤ THE HUMAN SANDSTORM OF SUNAGAKURE! ¤ [ OOC: This thread is a part of the "April is for... Adventures!" monthly promotion, and will continue from this thread, from Ikki's second entrance post onward, as counting toward the overall posts needed to receive the rewards. This thread is reserved for me, Ikki, Kenchiro, Adrianna, and the GM. The posting order will be established as the order we enter. Have fun, gaiz. ] Countless minutes escaped into the past as we traversed the desert terrain that engulfed the majority of Sunagakure. Immediately upon exiting the verdant section that was a rare sight to witness in the village, the sounds of steel-toe boots and shinobi sandals clashed with the dirt pathways that guided us, although I surely wasn't one to fret. The natural, soothing tone that the colour green possessed couldn't be denied of it's importance, but throughout every part of my composition, I was destined to adhere to the invulnerable, solitude minerals of the earth, straight to the core. The frequent sandstorms kept the anxiety within me at bay, the mistress known as Mother Nature reassuring my mind that the complex aura of the desert was a force to be feared, and I was the human equivalent of that sole belief. The youngster that accompanied me toward the Sunagakure Cemetery was indeed a specimen with hidden talents, but the fact that he had hidden talents wasn't what thrilled me, but to what extent these talents could be determined? Was it possible... that through my training alone, this shy-appearing, prepubescent boy would evolve into a dominant combatant, one who's ambition and strength would exceed my own? Several times, I contemplated this within the moments of silence we were granted, and a sudden chuckle would slip from my mouth, startling the teenager with curiosity, but I refused to elaborate. Eventually, through the few exchange of words we gave one another and the attention we focused inward mentally or outward into the environment, we came to halt at the destination. "Well, here we are. The Sunagakure Cemetery. Don't worry though, we won't be disturbing any corpses, haha." The gargantuan, earthen structure that was the border of the village caged us into the established territory with it's extremely dense frame and a height that couldn't be climbed by the bravest of ninja. The spacious river that ran directly through the hulking wall into the village was our main supply of water, and transported the necessity from a mountain upstream. Not only did the rocky barrier act as a dam of sorts for the incoming river, but also housed one of the village's indoor cemeteries. However, it wasn't the cemetery that exactly held the key of ignition to what I had in mind. The challenge was much deeper than what the cemetery offered, much deeper. "Fucking shit, I made sure we moved as slow as molasses and these slowpokes still aren't here?!" Examining the area from left to right, which was apparently devoid of life except me and the kid, I was moreso concerned with pushing this little examination along before it got too late, because I actually had a determined bed-time so I could get a night of well-rested sleep, tyvm. Noting the position of the Sun in the horizon, despite it still being quite bright outside, it wouldn't be long before we would be enveloped in darkness. Impatiently, I waited alongside the blonde-haired Genin, Ikki Sanada, at the base of the structure's massive staircase, the gourd still strapped to my back with every secondary item I possessed at my hip. Time was being wasted... where the hell could they be?! ¤ smexy template made by renni of nrp ¤

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[Kenchiro]

The graveyard? What could possibly be here that would be of interest to a Chuunin? Aside from the obvious, of course. Still, it seemed illogical, coming to a graveyard to pay respects to the dead during or before a test. Maybe they were just here for the free space. Kenchiro thought for a second about the possible tests that might be done here at a moment's notice. A simple spar seemed like the most logical choice. He nodded to himself in affirmation. If that was the case, then the best thing he could do is groom the field in his favor beforehand.

He saw a pair of dots approaching the gate; the others, no doubt. Quickly, he took off his cloak and hung it on a nearby flag pole. He made a note of its location; in a pinch, it might make a handy substitution. He also took a moment to note a few especially large tombstones. Handy hiding spots, if the need arose. Of course, he could always use the Cloak of Invisibility Jutsu against a wall or the floor if he really needed to hide. With as much preparation as time would allow out of the way, he set about sneaking back out of the graveyard.

Through a window he went, sidling across and back towards the entrance. Waiting until the others passed, he hopped onto the pathway and began to stroll into the graveyard. "Hey! Did I keep you guys waiting? Sorry, you know how it is with ninja tool stashes. Those locks get me every time." As was mentioned previously, he had always had his ninja tools on him, so there was never any need to go home and get them. Of course, he figured he cut a dashing figure in his "impressing folk" clothes, with his tools on a belt and his trusty ninjato lashed at the small of his back. "So, what's this test you wanted us to see? I gotta say, I'm pleasantly curious."

[Exar Kun]

She was the last to arrive, honestly. She could see the three figures ahead if she squinted and forced her vision to distinguish their ink-blot forms against the equally black backdrop that as the desert horizon. The sun had long since gone down since Adrianna had first parted with her new company, replaced by the cold and distant moon. A chilly breeze was in the air, causing Adrianna to shiver as she walked. Her new attire was better suited for the weather, but not by much. The padded leather cuirass did wonders for her upper body, but her legs were exposed to the elements. It was the price one paid for optimal mobility.

With a burst of speed, Adrianna used nearly every muscle in her body to propel herself forward, near instantly covering the remaining thirty or so meters that was between her and the group. She slid to a stop just as she came close, kicking up a cloud of sand. The harsh movement warmed her up, which was a good enough justification to do it in the first place. She would be less inclined to admit that she mostly just wanted to make a big entrance.

Adrianna gestured at each of her comrades in her turn, but otherwise said nothing. She had been able to faintly hear them talking amongst themselves when she had been approaching. She was curious to get up to speed on the conversation.

[Ikki Sanada]

The young pugilist was a very excited, but a little bit nervous. As he and Rokuto made their way acroos the huge city of Sunagakure toward their eventual destination, the boy noticed how there were less and less people. It seemed they were going into a part of town that was not visited very often. This was probably normal for cities but Ikki had no idea.

Where they had started from there were plenty of people. Ninja and regular civilians moving back and forth going about their daily lives. Ikki could see ninja coming back from missions, dusting the sand off of their clothes and taking a deep breath of relief that they were finally back in the city they worked so hard to protect.

In other places Ikki saw ninja meeting up together, strapping up their protective vests and making sure they were ready. These were the ninja heading outside the gates for perform some task. Some may never return.

As the boy moved forward alongside his new friend Rokuto, his mind wandered. When he realized this fact he shook his head to dispel the wandering thoughts and focused on the task ahead. There was going to be a test. Rokuto had thought something up that would certainly test the Genin's ability and his skill. The young pugilist was sure that he was up to it, until they reached their destination. Then he started to get a little nervous.

It was a cemetery. "Well, here we are. The Sunagakure Cemetery. Don't worry though, we won't be disturbing any corpses, haha." Rokuto said, as if to calm the nerves of the Genin.

it helped a little knowing Ikki wouldn't have to deal with any old bones. But still he was unsure what kind of challenge the boy would be up to. Rokuto and Ikki stood facing the gates to the cemetery, waiting for their companions to show up. The boy hoped they would get here soon, but for two different reasons. On one side Ikki wanted to start the test and show Rokuto what he was capable of. On the other he wanted to get out of this place as soon as possible.

"Fucking shit, I made sure we moved as slow as molasses and these slowpokes still aren't here?!" Rokuto exclaimed, breaking the silence.

Just as he spoke Kenchiro showed up. the boy entered the graveyard and looked around. Ikki surmised he was thinking the same thoughts. Namel why their test would be held inside a graveyard.

"Hey! Did I keep you guys waiting? Sorry, you know how it is with ninja tool stashes. Those locks get me every time. So, what's this test you wanted us to see? I gotta say, I'm pleasantly curious." Ikki listened as the other Genin about his age spoke, then nodded his head as if in agreement. He hoped Rokuto would explain things soon.

Then the girl ninja showed up, making a huge entrance as Ikki was starting to believe she really liked doing. He saw her just outside the cemetery before she jumped into the air, propelling herself forward toward the group. She landed and slid forward a few feet into ther conversation, kicking up dirt and sand. Ikki raised his arms and waved them around, trying to get rid of the particles in the air.

"So I guess we're all here. Should we get started? I can't wait!" Ikki said excitedly, trying to hide his nervous feelings.

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OOC: Sorry guys, I had a teaching job interview this weekend and I was spending all my time preparing. Should be posting regularly now.

[KID GAMBINO.]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420,true] ¤ THE HUMAN SANDSTORM OF SUNAGAKURE! ¤ The luminescent orb of blazing gases slowly came to descend from the sky, as the appearance of the first shinobi faded in from the distance. From the shape and height I could clearly discern that the approaching human definitely wasn't the curvaceous kunoichi that I had a short beef with for her earlier comment, but I couldn't deny preferring her existence than not. This person, other than the female shinobi, had to be no one other than the arrogant blonde who called himself "Kenchiro", the one who held a sense of pride within himself, and this was undoubtedly a trait I admired. "Hey! Did I keep you guys waiting? Sorry, you know how it is with ninja tool stashes. Those locks get me every time. So, what's this test you wanted us to see? I gotta say, I'm pleasantly curious." Just as he came into reasonable sight, I scanned his figure, noting the attire and several equipment that he decided to bring along. With a slight release of a chuckle, I contemplated my words carefully before bursting with rage at his tardiness, but suddenly the glint of another figure spawned miraculously from behind the Genin. From the range alone, I examined a being dressed in skin-tight armour that didn't replicate what the kunoichi had donned earlier. This gave birth to assurance as the former spec came to reveal itself as the woman, Adrianna. A reminiscent smirk appeared as the quadruple squad reformed once again, and with the kunoichi finally coming into audible-reach, the preparations would be met. "So I guess we're all here. Should we get started? I can't wait!" The anticipation seemed to be great in this one just as myself, and indefinitely this would be a perfect sign of his eventual dedication to my teachings and guidance. With the three of them close enough to hear my subtle words, I turned toward the hulking structure that was Sunagakure's protective walls, and adjusted the technologically-advanced goggles that rested upon my head, the thought of beginning this adventure spurring intense emotions deep within me. "Hehe, you're damn right! Let's get this started already. Follow me!" The "random four", or what I would prefer to exclaim as "Sunagakure's hope", stood in the shadow of the gargantuan earth, and unhesitatingly I trudged toward the staircase, without a single hint of exhaustion. Embedded into the stone was a doorway right at the base of the earthen barrier, and the intimidation of the numerous stairs probably convinced the other three that I planned to ascend them, but they would eventually be misled. Instead, I opened the base's door and continued forward, leading the three through a narrow hall that seemed to be aged and rotten with cracked earth. The passageway was direct and lacked any other exits except the entrance and our destination, which means it only served a single purpose. Several minutes and a dozen meters later, we came to a staircase that had an opening in the center, which granted them a glimpse of what remained at the bottom. The stairs were layered in a rotating, spiral design, and upon descending nearly twenty meters into the secluded terra, the threshold would finally be crossed. The architecture and platform that loomed before our eyes was drenched in a degenerate, ancient presence, and threatened our squad with the thought of nearly crumbling at any moment, but what the feeble mind that conjured this thought failed to understand would be that this underground cavern stood much longer than all of our years combined, and could be described most obviously as Sunagakure's "sewers", but the expansive territory held much more than that. Stepping forward a few meters onto the extremely-high platform that hung dangerously over a soiled creek, I couldn't help but respond with a devilish snicker as I spread my arms out wide, withdrawing the wonderful, enigmatic aura of the construction. This is where it would begin. "Aahhh, this place just makes me tremble with passion every time I come down here. This underground channel is just the beginning of the Sand Village's drainage system, and this is where your test will be held." Gradually, I turned about-face to examine the expression of the woman and teenagers' faces, expecting it to be shattered with complete awe and inspiration. Standing nearly five meters in front of the group, I spoke with a stern voice, assuring that this field trip was about to get real serious, starting now. "You ready, kid?!" ¤ smexy template made by renni of nrp ¤

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[Kenchiro]

If Kenchiro had any disappointment about having his plans upset, he did not show it. Sure, he was in an unknown area (he had devoted his training to the top of the city, not its underside), one which smelled less than pleasant, to boot. And sure, now he was sufficiently far enough away from his cloak that he could not consider using it as a substitution. But, such was war. "Sweet digs, Rock. A few nick-knacks, some contemporary paintings, maybe a little incense, and I'm sure it would be almost habitable." He made a framing gesture with his hands, as though he were pondering the placement of the aforementioned furniture. In reality, he was taking a mental inventory of the place.

It was open. Not a lot of hiding spots that did not involve swimming in who knows what below. Not a lot of loose objects, either. At least it was darker than above ground. Any ninja worth his salt could use darkness to their advantage if they needed to. Maybe it was more promising further in. He made a mental note to be on the lookout for jars or other such lightweight objects. Still the question remained; what were they planning to do here. There were hundreds of places around the village where they could have sparred, if that was the object of this little excursion. What was so special about this place?

"I'm ready, for what it's worth." Casually, Kenchiro pulled out one of his kunai and spun it round his finger. "So what's the game? Capture the Scroll? Rat Hunt? Ooh, how about Monkey See, Monkey Henge?" One of Kenchiro's most grating personality traits at times was his tendency to treat everything as though it were business as usual. Sure, just looking at Rokuto's face, he could get a feel for the gravity of the situation, but it just was not in his nature to get serious. He let his fellow ninja worry themselves into oblivion.

[Exar Kun]

A brief smile flickered on Adrianna's face at the Genin's facetious comments, but otherwise she remained silent, content to simply examine her surroundings. Rokuto described it as a large irrigation system of sorts, like a sewer. It certainly matched the description. The dank smell that slow moving water tends to emanate over time was oppressive; having invaded Adrianna’s nostrils from the moment they’d begun to descend the spiral staircase. The creek running beneath them was mostly jet-black due to the poor lighting in the chamber, but where a ray of light struck the water, it took on a brown, oily texture. The chamber was drafty, and a moistness hung in the air. All in all, it felt like a tomb. The likeness was disturbing.

Embarrassingly enough, Adrianna had never considered that Sunagakure possessed anything in the way of a proper sewer system, despite the fact that almost every building in the Village had plumbing. A sprawling underground system seemed like the perfect place to hide. She wondered why there were no guards outside its entrance. She was about to voice her musings, but paused when a thought occurred to her: maybe there no guards outside because there was no reason to keep people out. Maybe, there were things inside the sewer that persuaded people to stay out. Surely, such things as sewer monsters existed only in works of fiction, but the idea made her skin crawl all the same.

Not wanting to focus on such thoughts, she tried to lighten her mood with a bit of teasing.

“Is this where you live, Rokuto?” She asked, smiling coyly. “I can’t imagine why you’d want to come here, aren’t you worried you might… fall in?” While Adrianna had made the comment in jest, a part of her really did wonder why someone with his “condition” would want to be around so much water. She was aware of his Kekke Genkai. His unique composition was one of the reasons why she had essentially avoided him when they were younger. The idea of a man made out of sand was creepy. Now that she was older, and wiser, and had seen her fair share of “creepiness” throughout her ninja career, the bloodlimit no longer bothered Adrianna. But all the same, she was curious about his relationship with water. Did he even need water to survive? How intriguing.

[Ikki Sanada]

As the group stood in a huge underground cavern, Ikki went back into his mind and tried to replay exactly what had brought him here. He remembered the group of people standing together in the middle of a cemetery overshadowed by the gargantuan walls of Sunagakure. The young pugilist had come to this place of bones with his new friend Rokuto, soon to be Ikki's sensei he hoped, who had spoken about some sort of test. Ever the cool and confident one, Ikki was always ready for a test.

Once they reached the cemetery and then started to descend into the earth, the boy wasn't so sure. Joined by a Genin named Kenchiro and a Chuunin named Adrianna, Ikki and Rokuto started toward the Sunagakure walls. When they reached the sandstone of the walls, Ikki could see a staircase rising up toward the top of the wall. The boy, thinking they were going up, was surprised when Rokuto flung two wooden doors open and walked inside.

The young pugilist walked forward, following behind the Chuunin with bright crimson hair. As they moved toward their destination, the air became more and more humid and dusty. Ikki coughed once, as his lungs started to get used to the air. The boy and the group reached another set of stairs, this time they were a spiral set that led downward.

After what seemed like hundreds of steps down, Ikki and the group finally reached the place that they were standing in now. A huge underground palace.The boy looked around, almost not hearing his teammates speak at all. He was amazed. Ikki had heard of sewers beneath the city, but he never dreamed they were this large.

Then Rokuto spoke "Aahhh, this place just makes me tremble with passion every time I come down here. This underground channel is just the beginning of the Sand Village's drainage system, and this is where your test will be held."

Ikki looked at him as he said this. The boy's mind started to race. What could they possibly be doing down here? What kind of test would they have to face? After the small bout of nervous energy, the young pugilist mastered himself and calmed his nerves. He had to stay cool or he could lose his nerve and really get hurt down here.

Rokuto turned to the group and seemed to speak to Ikki only, "You ready, kid?!" He spoke with an extremely serious tone.

Ikki Sanada looked up at him and with an air of the collected and mature leader he was, nodded. "I'm ready."

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OOC: "Sunagakure's Hope" is a great team name, but "Random Four" is just hilarious.

[KID GAMBINO.]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420,true] ¤ THE HUMAN SANDSTORM OF SUNAGAKURE! ¤ [ OOC: lol, yeah, despite being formed quite randomly, "Sunagakure's hope" sounds like a good team name, since we are the most active thus far, aside from the Kazekage. Maybe we can ICly establish this team name later on, but not be a bonafide "always together team", kinda like "Fairy Tail's Strongest Team" from FT? Just a thought, rofl. Anywho, expecting the GM to be posting asap, so don't be thrown off if he abruptly posts in the middle of the order, just keep this energy rollin'! ] "I'm ready." With a simple nod and a fold of the arms, I stared into the soul of this child as I determined that inflicting life-threatening harm was undoubtedly out of the question. Instead, this test wouldn't be purely based on one's physical might, but his mental capacity as well. Through the sufficient display of these traits, I would proudly break the mold of avoiding education for Sunagakure's adolescents and announce this blonde-haired Genin as the first student I entrusted the knowledge I had within. "Sweet digs, Rock. A few nick-knacks, some contemporary paintings, maybe a little incense, and I'm sure it would be almost habitable. I'm ready, for what it's worth. So what's the game? Capture the Scroll? Rat Hunt? Ooh, how about Monkey See, Monkey Henge?" “Is this where you live, Rokuto?

[/b][/right]Heh, these two were something else. I raised a curious eyebrow as I watched the Genin replicate a box-like shape with his fingers, sculpting the grungy sewers with his imagination while he exclaimed that the underground cavern could be "almost habitable". In an almost tag-teamish formation, the female Chunin responded with another teasing remark, as if I would dare live in such a place. The vibe I must have portrayed seemed to suggest that I actually lingered in this cesspool like a filthy critter, but they misunderstood where my excitement stemmed from. Despite the intense stench of the threatening waters below, it was the mysterious and expansive history that could be unraveled from just this hidden location alone, and it would be this concept that would help teach the lesson I had planned for them.

"Wha... are you two serious?! Of course I don't live down here! I wouldn't expect you to easily comprehend... it isn't the smell of the air, the taste of the waters, the touch of the weakened earth, the sound of the eerie droplets, or the sight of this ancient canvas. This isn't a matter of assessing the cavern based on your five senses, you have to delve beyond that, and once you've realized it, only then will the secrets of the world be revealed."

These words more than likely held zero importance or meaning for the remaining three as I examined their expressions, hoping at least one of them would burst with an epiphany and understand that what I desired was the revealing of the unrevealed, to bring to the light what lurked in the darkness, and to become acknowledged for discovering some of the greatest mysteries in the world. However, this was moreso a personal endeavor, and the allusion I was attempting to convey to the teenagers was that unlocking their hidden potential would be impossible without understanding the fundamental paths of the mind, body, and spirit. Could this possibly be too much to request from such a shinobi of their age? I could only dream, and based on the extent of his finesse during this trial, I would determine if I held the fate of a true prodigy in my hands.

"Hmm, let's start with something simple, a test of might. The two of you Genin against me and Anna, this will help me access whether or not you are even worth the effort."

With a head gesture alone, I motioned Anna to accept the challenge by standing alongside me, hoping that the two teenagers had the courage to at least agree to a friendly combat session. Once the kunoichi made her decision of joining or rather watching the duel, I would begin the match with a nonchalant phrase.

"Well then, shall we begin?"

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¤ smexy template made by renni of nrp ¤

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[Kenchiro]

Yep. Just as he predicted, there was going to be some fighting going on. And here he was without a concrete plan of attack. Kenchiro could not help but sigh. Such was war, he supposed. It was not like he doubted his ability to outfox the lot of them, or at least keep them on their toes enough to prove that he was actual ninja material. He continued to spin the kunai by the finger ring. "So, me and Sanada here versus the two of you? I've had more unfair match-ups in my time. Why not? If Sanada here is in, I can't very well leave him to hog all the spotlight."

He had a temporary escape plan in his mind as he took his stance, kunai firmly in hand like a knife. He was looking for dark corners and blind spots even while he was posturing. "What's say we make it more fair to you guys? One hand behind our backs, or maybe blindfolded. Whattaya say? We could totally take these two as we are now, can't we, Sanada?" There. With a plan in place, he could find a way to evade any sort of up close and personal nastiness unless it was on his terms. Or unless they had managed to outrun him, which was always a possibility.

[Exar Kun]

The Sunagami’s heartfelt reply to Adrianna’s jesting caused her coy expression to shift into one of amusement. Rokuto’s statement was so melodramatic that she had initially assumed that he was being sarcastic. It was only after examining his face, and waiting for a punch-line that never came, that she realized he was being serious. Wanting to avoid any unnecessary tension, Adrianna decided to let the matter drop, so she remained silent.

But in her mind she considered his words. Examining the settings around her, Adrianna saw nothing but a dirty old sewer. The only thing it represented to her was an engineering marvel and a cesspool for disease. Was Rokuto was looking into things too deeply, or was she not looking deeply enough?

"Hmm, let's start with something simple.” His words caused her to stir and blink herself out of a slightly glazed-over state that Adrianna wasn’t even aware she was in.

“-a test of might. The two of you Genin against me and Anna, this will help me assess whether or not you are even worth the effort." Adrianna frowned. That wasn’t exactly fair, was it? Even if they were only sparring, Adrianna didn’t think that the two of them sweating the Genin out was very conducive toward evaluating their skills. Not for her, anyway. Rokuto might have preferred such a gauging technique, her own teacher certainly had, but Adrianna wouldn’t be able to actively observe either of the boys if she was engaged in the fight.

"So, me and Sanada here versus the two of you?” The blonde haired kid said. “I've had more unfair match-ups in my time. Why not? If Sanada here is in, I can't very well leave him to hog all the spotlight. "What's say we make it more fair to you guys? One hand behind our backs, or maybe blindfolded. Whattaya say? We could totally take these two as we are now, can't we, Sanada?" He had a lot of spunk, Adrianna thought; an easy confidence that one couldn’t help but admire. She also couldn’t help noticing how much he shared that attribute with the man he was trying to get to be his sensei.

The other boy was much more timid, by comparison. She wondered what his thoughts on all this were, and more importantly what abilities he possessed. She’d keep an eye on him throughout the course of the test.

“Beating up children sounds like the type of thing you’d enjoy, Rokuto.” She finally said out-loud. “But personally, I have a bit more class than that. I think it’d be a lot more fun for all of us if you fought both of them while I watched. Besides,” She leaned back against one of the sewer walls, and a playful grin began to grow on her features. “How do you they’re not the only ones on display here?”

[Katsumaru]

Man has often delved into the deepest of territories. Therein he found challenge and growth – but that is not all, for these shinobi were not so fortunate. Dread awaited them. Complete and utter terror…

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The skies darkened as the sand roared, fierce wind creating a storm, the sound penetrating even into the depths of the sewers. Tiny grains whirled in the skies, damning those foolish enough to wander the deserts – beasts skulking through the dunes, eager to sink their fangs into the unwary. So great the dangers were. That mattered not, for beneath, a horror was but moments from unfolding.

Standing upon the path, looming depths lurked beneath the group, wretched shadows that seemed to reach out for them, quivering with their every breath. An eerie silence spread across the sewers, the only sound that of voices. But that silence came to an end. Steps rung, echoing along the walls, the sound bouncing, exact location impossible to pinpoint. One step. Two steps. Three steps. Step after step. Something lurked in the dark, fury filled gaze upon them. But they could not see.

And surely they would know that they are being watched, for man recognizes such instinctually. Countless eyes rested upon the backs of the courageous shinobi, ostensibly unshacken gazes that followed their every step. Yes, yes, yes, the band would surely know they are being watched. But by what?

Blood dripped onto the pathway, the crimson liquid gathering into a pool, the sound of the blood flow akin to light droplets of rain plummeting from the heavens. From the ceiling, a body fell onto the pathway, bones cracking loudly from the clash. It belonged to a young man no older than twenty, raven black hair and hazel eyed with an angular chin. With arms and legs twisted, that victim was surely dead – a miserable death, for its eyes hinted at an unimaginable pain – a truly heart wrenching suffering. A closer inspection revealed what befell the victim. Numerous deep, infected cuts spread the bare chest of the body – the wounds delicately carving the peace symbol – the index and middle finger shaped into a V.

That was only the beginning…

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[Ikki Sanada]

Rokuto, Adrianna, Kenchiro, and Ikki Sanada stood in a huge underground cavern far below the surface of the Sand Village. The sun was gone, the warmth that it gave their skin was gone, the air was humid and musty, there was no breeze, and now Rokuto had suggested a sparring match.

the young pugilist was always ready for a fight. Being picked on and being the protector of those being picked on in the Academy, the boy had his fair share of fights and more. But he had never been inside a place like this, before being in this place he had never even realized this place existed. His eyes made their way toward Kenchiro who seemed not to notice their surroundings, he was focused on the fight. The young genin spoke confidently, and it gave Ikki enough confidence to stand a little taller.

It might be cold, dark and clammy down here but he could still list his fists, and that meant he could win. Ikki Sanada shuffled his feet and moved slowly toward Kenchiro. Putting himself and the other Genin on one side while the two Chuunin were on the other. Ikki imagined a line between them, a line in the Sand as it were. The boy lifted his arms, stuck out his thumb, and swiped it across his nose as if to bait Rokuto or Adrianne into attacking.

All of this bravado and confidence seemed to melt away when the young pugilist noticed something. He could feel eyes boring into his back. He could hear the flutter of footsteps from somewhere but it was hard to tell with all of the echo down in this cavern. Adrianne said something about stepping to the side and watching the battle but as she spoke a sound rang out.

It was small at first but Ikki noticed it because he was unlucky enough to be looking in the right direction at the perfect time. He saw a liquid drip from the ceiling. It caught a glint of the low light and the Genin saw it was red, blood red. The boy dropped his arms as more and more blood dropped from above them. It formed a pool that started to expand towards them.

The blood was joined then by something else. The boy heard some more shuffling and then he looked up to see something large falling down to land on the pool of blood. With a splatter the object landed and splashed the blood. The Genin was horrified to see it was a body. A quick examination gave Ikki the impression that this man died with terror in his heart.

They weren't alone down here.

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[KID GAMBINO.]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420,true] ¤ THE HUMAN SANDSTORM OF SUNAGAKURE! ¤ The anticipation was building as the running waters below demanded our attention within the ghostly sewers, and I honestly fought to conceal the anxiety I had for this match. The surrounding area was already familiar to me, the sky-scraping bridge lingering nearly five stories above the disheveled stream, which could easily murder each and every one of us if we were too careless. The ceiling was just as extensive, harboring dozens of pipes that pierced in and out of the ancient walls, but the dim lighting caused these far corners to be bathed in a grim darkness. From pure observation, unless one was to leap from this four-meter-wide overpass, there would be no where to run, except through which we came or toward where we could continue. "So, me and Sanada here versus the two of you? I've had more unfair match-ups in my time. Why not? If Sanada here is in, I can't very well leave him to hog all the spotlight. What's say we make it more fair to you guys? One hand behind our backs, or maybe blindfolded. Whattaya say? We could totally take these two as we are now, can't we, Sanada?" Certainly, the teaming suggested was quite unfair, but I planned this deliberately, hoping that the disadvantageous situation would withdraw more ability from the two Genin. Not only would the request have contributed to increasing the difficulty of their test, but it gave me an initial scope of whether courage and determination remained in their hearts and minds, even when faced with great adversity. And pleasantly so, it succeeded. Well, at least from one of them, it had. Just as the other Genin, the one with an ambiguous potential that I hoped would respond valiantly, appeared to muster the words from his mouth, Adrianna subtly interrupted and flawlessly ruined the fun I was planning to induce. “Beating up children sounds like the type of thing you’d enjoy, Rokuto... But personally, I have a bit more class than that. I think it’d be a lot more fun for all of us if you fought both of them while I watched. Besides, how do you know they’re not the only ones on display here?” Abruptly, an outstanding cackle echoed from my core as the kunoichi dared to question the extent of my capabilities, especially since she was completely aware of what tactics I inherited. However, it had surely been a while since we both had seen one another fight, and I suppose the same could be said for herself. Although the new suggestion was one that would've placed myself in a handicap, such misfortune in reality didn't exist since this would be two Genin versus a single Chunin. With the protective element of sand at my disposal, upholding a consistent, absolute defense while measuring their teamwork and individual worth simultaneously sounded splendid. Without further adieu, a single hand reached for the gourd's cap, readied and curious of the eventual outcome... *CLINK! CLANK! CLUNK!* In the midst of commencing the fateful battle, the impromptu sound of fairly-large objects maneuvering throughout the environment's pipes caused my eyesight to shoot toward the looming shadows, leering with investigation as the conclusion that something was there became apparent to the four of us. The presence of an eerie, murderous entity caressed my bodily essence of sand with a single tremble, which was abnormal because I was never known to display traits of fear, regardless of how gruesome the situation was, but the mysteriousness and malignant vibe that radiated from the isolated cavern demanded otherwise. Movement shuffled between the indiscernible and it felt as if the walls had eyes, and suddenly, the tenor of a dripping liquid forced me to rotate an entire 180 degrees, coming to bare witness to a daunting sight... "What the fuck...?!" Crimson liquid streamed from above into a thick puddle several meters ahead of me, the distance between me and the strange occurrence being the least of the four, and thus what occurred next rung louder than a sonic boom at point-blank range. From where the tainted blood rained down came a corpse to intensify the morbid fixation, thumping against the gathered liquid pool and causing a wave to stretch outwards from the collision, but not enough reach those that stood behind me or myself. In the instant that I recognized what laid before me, utter denial shrouded my thought process, but the seriousness of the event became overbearing and with a questionable murder on our hands, the Genin's test would have to be postponed. Cautiously, I stepped a few meters toward the corpse, hoping to examine the creature that caused this death, but an extensive height and pitch-black darkness sheltered it's appearance. The demonic personality that was hidden within my own soul started to influence the composure that was progressively wavering, strongly believing that whatever this was beyond normal, and would have to be apprehended or killed for this reprehensible crime. "Holy sh... what the hell just happened?! Whatever the case, this is stone-cold murder, I have to do something..." Spiritual energy began to gather expeditiously as I focused on the areas that had insufficient light, especially the ceiling, the commanding tone within my voice aspiring to return a counter from whatever lurked there. "ALRIGHT, WHATEVER THE HELL IS THERE, SHOW YOURSELF!" ¤ smexy template made by renni of nrp ¤

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[Kenchiro]

Kenchiro was prepared for a fight. He was prepared for ninja tools flying every which way but loose, chases, and perhaps a few unnecessarily flashy jutsu showed off. What he was not prepared for was a body dropping in from the ceiling. At first, he could not identify what it was. Mistaking it for an attack, he leapt back and readied his kunai. "Nice try, bu-what the heck is that?!" It hardly looked human. Kenchiro turned around, and was sick over the side of the walkway.

Wiping his mouth, he was suddenly aware of the eyes on his back. It felt like he was being watched by any number of things. "How did I not notice this?" he muttered under his breath. He had scoped out the entire area; sure, he was not looking for this specifically, but he should have seen signs. This sort of ambush did not happen to a Nagakin. He stood up, eyes up to the ceiling. "Guys, I think we're gonna have to take a rain check on that match. We need to get out of here. Like, now!"

Without waiting for an answer for the others, he made a break for the stairs headed back up. Unfortunately, that's when he heard the winds whipping around outside. The sandstorms of the Land of Wind had the capacity to kill those foolish enough to get lost outside during them. Finding his way back home in it would have been suicide. "Of course it'd happen now..." Cautiously, expecting a knife in his back every second, he rejoined the relative safety of the group.