[P] Unite or Disband

[Big Black Fish]

Trying to recall the words spoken on the battlefield is difficult as it comes to me in a vague fog. I do remember hearing that he wanted us to return to the Village, so I'll wait here, just outside the Gates until he passes them. There is a lot on my mind that I wish to relay, questions unanswered, decisions to be made, so I'll stand here until his arrival. Hopefully he arrives soon because I desperately wish to express my sorrow on behalf of the Village and to hopefully to grasp whether the allegiance is not scarred from my inability to spare the Tsuchikage's life. It has become evident that the surrounding nations are no longer, if they ever once were, searching for allegiance in Earth, and I need to understand why this might be and where Kumogakure's tent will be pitched in this definitive act of war.

This world has received a mortal wound from the War, and it festers with poison through acts of hostility. Nations are rising up against other Nations, linking arms with others in hopes to obliterate the opposition from existence. There is no stagnation any longer, no agreement to disagree or neutrality in this life any more. It boils down to friend or foe as expressed descriptively through the assassination of the Tsuchikage. Obviously Earth is on the black list and is being targeted. But why? What is determined here will explicitly affect the future of our Nation and many others as well. Where is the man of the hour?

[/blockquote]

[¤ SFS ¤]

// ENTER

Kage Tower Surveillance
Rank: B
Ninja needed: 1-3
Mission info: Because not all things are too shiny and bliss in the streets of Iwa the tsuchikage has made it important for there to be a watchful eye amongst the tower at night. Because of the rising suspicion of an attack this mission has become a high priority.
Special Info: Can be repeated indefinitely.

They just didn't make water hot enough these days. Try as he might he couldn't scrub the blood from his hands that had soaked in while handing the remains of the Sandaime and getting them to ANBU forces and Medics. They would go through their own jobs of identifying the body but he knew already what they would find. The small roadside water pump he was cleaning his hands with was just inside the Village Gates and the moment he realized water alone wouldn't clean his hands he looked up to see a familiar face. The face of the Uchiha who most certainly did defended the Sandaime in battle as compared to the Mokuton user who was probably just trying to stop the fight on both sides. He approached the Uchiha calmly enough, as he seemed to have something on his mind. Sen wondered what the hell the two of them were doing all out in the open

[/b] like that. The only reason he didn't think it was a set up or that the Uchiha was an enemy was due to their alliance with Kumogakure no Sato.

Still, Uchiha and Kage or not the both of them were fools to have been caught up handling whatever business they were handling in an unsafe place. It had cost of them their lives and in that, it cost a village their leader. If he felt guilt over that then he was good man, but there was more to be worried about. The circumstances meant that Kumo's ally had been weakened and thus, Kumo itself was a tad weakened. There was no telling in an alliance between them would even be upheld after this.

The unassuming genin kept his hands in his pockets, his face was stoic, but still draped in disappointment.[/blockquote][/justify]

[Big Black Fish]

A discouraged figure drags through the Village Gates approaching a pump on the roadside. My eyes with their acute sense of perception detailed him to be the man I was searching for. Though I barely got a glimpse of him on the field, with what little information I acquired through my eyes, I pieced together information through common sense. He carried the remains of a body and handed them over to a guard. Unless it was a strange coincidence, that was the body of the Tsuchikage and this man was clearly whom I sought out. He approached me and now I know it is him. Hands concealed within his pockets his energy is similar to mine by the outcome. No greeting would be expressed, no shake of the hands or friendly words of encouragement really... we are not children and we know the reality of the loss, words of optimism really won't help my cause.

"I don't want to sound scripted, so the formality ends here. Look, I know you were out there... and what you saw may be a bit confusing seeing as how you came for the tragic end of it all. But know this:" I pause here, considering my words carefully because I did not plan for the conversation to go this way, but sometimes what we expect to say and what we actually say are two entirely separate things. I guess the moment got the best of me.

"I gave all that I had in efforts of keeping the Tsuchikage alive, even if that meant sacrificing my own life. I killed one of the assailants but She died shortly after by the other, I could not help her at that point and in any other ways than I did. It is fucking horrible, the loss is, I know that, and believe me when I say that I'm truly sorry for your entire nation for the way it turned out, but this is all I can offer to console your spirits if that is what you need."

I pause to reflect, maybe to let it sink in for him know the sincerity of my words, or maybe even to let it sink in so I can know the sincerity of my words. I usually don't feel attached like this in such a way, but my mission was a failure and that is what truly affects me. "I need to understand why Iwagakure was targeted. You may not be the man to ask but I will ask all the same. Why was the Tsuchikage there, out in the open like that? It was almost as if it was planned; I get that strange feeling. No protection except for me, and I had no idea the potency of the situation until the enemies arrived. So why was Iwagakure targeted, and why did she make herself so vulnerable out in the open like that?"

It truly made no sense.

[/blockquote]

[¤ SFS ¤]

The Kumo Uchiha gave his apologizes and his condolences and Sen could only stand there and listen, after a moment he even closed his eyes to better focus on the words of his would-be ally. There was honesty and integrity in his words and he had questions similar to the ones Sen himself had. It was actually bad news since if the Kumo-nin with her didn't know why the hell she was out there he doubted himself along with the rest of Hidden Stone would ever know.

"Umeko, Anemone... Akegarasu Clan." His words probably had no meaning to the Kumo-Uchiha before him but for Sen the words held a specific meaning. They were both the sum of what he knew about the Sandaime, as well as the last words she spoke to him. "Umeko Anemone was only recently appointed to the position of Sandaime Tsuchikage, our interactions were extremely limited and she traveled very often from the moment she was nominated as Tsuchikage. I assumed her power to be far superior to that of my own if she, as Kage still traveled so boldly outside the village but it turns out that while she was bold, her power was not equal to her bravery." Sen recognized the opposite problem in himself, he had power and he managed to gain more and more everyday but his bravery remained as mild as it had always been since the day be became genin.

He couldn't find a definite answer when he asked himself which way of living was better. Bravery with a lack of relative power or power with a lack of relative bravery. The young man was no coward but had he been Sandaime he would have never left the village to roam so care-freely. Still, though her life had been cut short she managed to accomplish more with her bravery than he had accomplished with his power. However at the end of the day, she was dead and he was not so it seemed both their methods had flaws.

Stepping forward his right hand escaped his jacket and came to rest on the Uchiha's shoulder as he came to stand at the man's side. "Save your consoling words, I appreciate them but have no need for 'em. You can hold your head high to your Raikage when he asks you of the fight as he surely will. You did as an ally should have done and helped the Tsuchikage in her final hour, something no other shinobi of Iwa was able to do, myself included. Although her talents as a ninja were comparable to your own she was the one with rank and stature, no fault or blame falls onto you for what happened. Throw away your guilt if you have any, and be glad there's still hope for our two nations to act as allies. If it falls on Iwa to carry the loss of a Kage in battle than so be it. We can't do anything more for her now than a proper burial and prayers of respect."

[/justify]

[Mad-Rock]

[/style][style=color:FFEFD5; text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px #444444; font-family: georgia; margin-bottom: -8px; text-transform: lowercase]Kade | ^{creator & destroyer}

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[/i]."[/b][/color] A serious expression shown on his face Kade glanced to the slightly blood stained hands of the Stone shinobi, which caused him to look at his own. Dry and almost flaking, the blood meant nothing to him, but a reminder of how pathetic civilization was becoming.

"Stone shinobi, what will your people do now, hm? Who will rise up as your new leader?"[/color] The thought then crossed his mind that perhaps he should stay and turn his allegiance to the village and begin a new reign within the shinobi world. The world needed a new outlook on life..., but he and the idea of such peace would never be accepted.
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[Big Black Fish]

The calm words of the Iwa-nin was reassuring, it made me feel the alliance has been rendered unscathed in the loss and actually empowered further. But I knew with absolute confidence, today, reassurance would not linger for very long. That wood user who proved to do nothing himself but sit and watch like a weak-kneed recreant had an uneducated opinion that he so desperately needed to voice. Like a child I could sense his fear, his desire to present an air of confidence when in reality he acquired no understanding of who he was and so a pompous nature is revealed. I would laugh somewhere in between a chuckle and a guffaw at his futile, short-lived logic.

"Please, don't talk so boldly without any knowledge of what went on out there. I should not have to explain myself to a fool like you, but I will flatter myself. I meant to meet with her at her Office, but she was not in. So I was escorted to speak with her outside the Village upon the cliff where the battle took place. Only, I had no idea a battle would be imminent. Even the AnBu guard who escorted me disappeared, I hadn't even thought about that until now. Interesting. Anyways, I approached her, spoke my piece, and then the enemies came. She would have been alone to fight them anyways, therefore, she wanted to be there on her own freewill. She planned to fight. So I'll sum it up, if I was not there, she would have fought anyways. It was planned. The whole thing, she meant to fight them. Me telling her to flee like a coward would not only upset her pride, but would also fall on deaf ears because she wanted to fight. Why else would she be there with no protection? And how did the two enemies know she was there? And even if I did tell her to run, there was two of them, and one of me. How in hell do you think I could have stopped both of them while she ran away, let alone one of them being a Chakra Gate user; faster than the speed of sound? Do you think a Chakra Gate user would have been stopped in his tracks by a bow and arrow? Think before you speak, it will benefit you in the future."

I realized now that my monologue defending myself was barely spoken to the wood user at all, but actually directed towards the Iwa-nin. Minus the negative remarks of course. I felt as if I needed him to know what went on personally so we could better understand the enigma of her presence there. It made no sense, why she was there. "I understand there is anger in the air, and I don't need an enemy between us so let us leave our emotions aside. The main issue here, and relevant question is, why was the Tsuchikage outside the Village where protection was not, and two enemies spawned and two more shinobi watched, perched, enjoying a show?"

[/blockquote]

[¤ SFS ¤]

He listened to the Mokuton user, cast blame and criticism to the Uchiha and the Uchiha defend himself while mostly directing most of his explanations and body language at Sen. He must have really felt guilty over what happened. The Mokuton user seemed generally distraught but since he seemingly didn't know anyone else on that battlefield, dead or alive, it meant distraught was probably his natural state at the moment. What village was he from and what the hell had him so worked up over the loss of a Kage that was not his own?

"-Everyone acted in a manner that they chose to act in, for better or worse. I'll only say this one more time." The intensity of his crimson eyes were as piercing as any Sharingan could be, Sen only lacked the Uchiha blood and tomoe in his eyes. His baritone voice boomed as he spoke, audible thunder escaping his lips. He wasn't yelling, only speaking firmly and in that firm speaking, he stated his own opinions as if they were facts with complete confidence and no resentment whatsoever. "NEITHER of you are to blame for what happened to the Sandaime today. Everyone who picks up a kunai or katana and accepts a headband is responsible for their own fates in this Ninja World we live in. That goes double for someone who decides to pick up the mantle of Kage."

[/b] His gaze fell upon the Mokuton user first taking in his rugged looks and short hair cut, the man looked like he needed a good night's sleep above all else, maybe some rest would relieve the tension he was giving off. "Throw away your blame..." Next his eyes shifted over to the ally from Kumo, ANBU, Uchiha, archer and Hachimontoku user. He was a man of many talents and skills which he had displayed first hand in his attempts to protect the Sandaime. Was it because he had so many rare talents that his guilt wouldn't allow him to see past his failure? "...and throw away your guilt." There would be no alternatives to his advice for each of them. They had no right to squabble and argue nor cast blame, to each other or anyone else present.

If anyone was allowed to be pissed it would be him, it was his home that lost a leader and his home that would continue to suffer until it found stability. By now, the genin had almost broken into a scowl, though he hadn't meant to. He wanted nothing more than for these two men to rest and be regarded by his people as allies but their bickering had struck a nerve. If he wasn't playing the blame game, then no one would. The Mokuton users wouldn't be allowed to blame the Kumo-Uchiha, and the Kumo-Uchiha wouldn't be allowed to blame the other Uchiha. "The other two you spoke of who watched were neutral parties. One of which is a personal ally of mine, I didn't have the time nor will to question him and point fingers on the battlefield and I won't allow anyone else to do it here. The fact of the matter is that if they had gotten involved chances are whoever stood in their way would have been dispatched in the blink of an eye. No matter what side they joined on. Why they didn't intervene is a private matter, one that I'll be following up on and I'll leave it at that."[/b]

While it was true that the Kumo-nin was only trying to help, Sen himself didn't want the man questioning the wrong things. "I won't slander a fallen leader but as I've already said, she was only Sandaime for a very short amount of time and she took many risks in her frequent travels during that short amount of time. She lived brave, and she died the same way." The past, though still fresh in the minds of some, was still the past and Umeko Anemone's death couldn't be undone. Worse yet, it created many many new problems that needed to be faced now. There was no time to look at the mistakes of the past. Turning to face the Mokuton user once more he would answer the question aimed at him. "I don't know what Iwa is going to do. Leaders come few and far in between here and leaders I'm willing to serve come even fewer and farther." In times long ago, in his infancy and before his birth Iwagakure had been stronger and greedier. He knew the history of his home well and knew the day Hidden Stone went back to it's war-mongering policies would be the day he left it behind.
[/blockquote][/justify]

[Mad-Rock]

[/style][style=color:FFEFD5; text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px #444444; font-family: georgia; margin-bottom: -8px; text-transform: lowercase]Kade | ^{creator & destroyer}

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[/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify]
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/exit
/retired

[KEITH]

retirement approved.
+15 exp @ Sharkk

[Big Black Fish]

A tight grip would be slapped upon the man's shoulder, speaking "I don't know what Iwa will do either as I cannot speak on their behalf. But I can say this -- even though it's no one's decision to make but the Raikage -- I know Kumogakure will retain its allegiance with Iwagakure after my return and I spread the news of your loss. Kumo is not the kind of nation to turn a blind's eye on a friend in a time of need, or in any time at all. We are a loyal nation, if we still have not lost the ideology of our previous ancestors in this dark time."

I felt my composure returning to me like the fresh season of spring overtaking the winter, melting its icy grip on the land. My heart was cold, chilled with this blundering calamity; but now it seems the Tsuchikage's death did not go in vain, restoring the life within me. Now it seems things have fallen into place, a death in sacrifice for a cemented alliance. I realized that through the hardship of the Kage's death, my outgoing charm had eluded me and so I'll look to bring it back.

"We've been so distracted by our loss we have forgotten ourselves. Let us not focus on the tragedy but look to it as the beginning of a new age, a new bond between Kumogakure and Iwagakure; that's what Anemone would have liked us to do. And it starts with you and I." With a large grin, my free hand that is not tightly fastened on his shoulder extends to meet his, an amiable gesture of a greeting. Honestly, it should have been the first thing I did. "Uchiha Fusion, Chuunin of Kumogakure and ally of Iwagakure --"

And so, through the shrouded despair of a terrible loss, I found myself, and found myself a bud. "Pleased to meet ya'!"

[/blockquote]

[¤ SFS ¤]

It was an old-fashioned gesture but the genin would comply and offer his own hand in a shake as a sign of comradely. He could only look on in disappointment as the Mokuton user began to walk away. He'd actually grown to like the cut of the man's jib and would have liked to get to know more about him. He didn't seem much interested in leaving the village just yet but he'd apparently had enough of the two of them. The ANBU of Iwa would surely tail him for some time, possibly even until the day he left the village but the longer he stayed the longer he ran the threat of becoming one of them, a ninja of hidden rock, a shinobi of stone.

Turning his attention back to the Uchiha whom had by now announced had announced himself by the name of "Fusion". It was a strange word in and of itself and it was even moreso as a name. Sen quickly decided that either the man's parents had dropped the ball or 'Fusion' was a nickname, maybe even a code name. The man was ANBU after all. Of course his ANBU standing meant he was no genin like Sen and that allowed him the right to take on higher tasks without the need of specific approval from his superiors. Such rank and privilege would be of great use to Sen and in return what the genin used the Uchiha's rank for... well that would be of great use to the Uchiha. "Sen... Tokomaru Sen." His hands were strong and his grip firm, now more than ever he needed to show that the loss of the Sandaime hadn't resulted in the loss of any of his strength and resolve on a personal level. "I can't really say I'm 'pleased' at anything right now... but it's good to know and see that we still have allies at a time like this." Only the slightest of grins came over his face and even then the grin was also half a frown. Though his face was solemn, he was happy to have another ally but he just couldn't smile yet...

...not yet. "Uchiha Fusion..."

[/b] By now the medics had arrived and began doing a job none of them looked keen on doing. Syringes were taken from kits and vials of blood were filled again and again and again to ensure the blood they took belonged to the corpse and not to anyone else. Before long a large and muscular man wearing the standard medic's uniform arrived on the scene and all the other medics gathered around him. In his hands was a vial and the blood in it was poured onto a scroll of some sort then all the blood samples taken from the corpse were poured onto the same scroll. From over their shoulders the genin could see a light flash as they crowded around the scroll and when the light faded so did the eyes of the medics. He assumed whatever they had done had given them confirmation that the remains was truly that of Umeko Anemone. Were before they pulled out vials now they pulled out more scrolls on which they began to write, but when no seal came as well he knew what the scrolls were for. A positive I.D. had been made on the remains and now they were writing records, making it official and on paper that the Sandaime was dead and one of the culprits had been a ninja of Kirigakure.

It wouldn't be long now before the word spread and village began yet again to face their future without the safety of a leader. It would not be the first time it happened to Iwagakure and a rising anger filled up when he was unable to bluff to himself that it wouldn't be the last either. He hoped like in the past he village wouldn't fall into chaos and riots in the coming hours but there was never any telling. In the meantime however, he and Fusion had work to do. "I know the perfect way to christen this renewed alliance." With that he began to head west, deeper into the village of Hidden Stone.
[/blockquote][/justify]

[Big Black Fish]

I suppose this is what categorizes me as a near heartless individual, I am over it. The defeat, the death, the whole disaster, over. If I'm being honest, I never was guilty about the death of the Kage herself, it was sad for the people of Iwa, but for me it did not affect me. No one would know this as my appearance would be disguised as affliction through death, but I was definitely more guilty of my failure than of Anemone. Death did not affect me as it did others. Death is a natural part of life, but what deterred my mood was my duty as a shinobi to protect the Tsuchikage and my inability to carry it out. I am indignant of my performance, behaving as an amateur in protection when I should be like a shield tightly wound around Anemone's arm. The black rain cloud that previously hovered over my mind was that of feeling inferior through my error, but the death of Anemone was only a byproduct of my anger.

I'm sure Tokomaru and I differ on that aspect.

Now that it seemed that my failure did not cast a shadow upon our alliance and consummately procured a stronger bond, no longer did the chains of dejection hold me down as the defeat passed over and victory arose to present itself. The alliance was being established as we speak, manifested through our personal relationship. Tokomaru Sen appeared to have a plan, and would begin to venture off towards the heart of the Village. Without reluctance, I would follow, genuinely rather eager of this circumstance as a myriad of different paths were presented in my future. Options were beginning to unfold, doors beginning to open between Kumogakure and Iwagakure. I only hoped that when I returned the Kage would accede to this our noble allegiance. Nipping at the heels of Tokomaru, I would follow like an eager puppy in his shadow satisfied to have an elected leader of our new journey!

[/blockquote]

[Mad-Rock]

SLADE SJOERD SVEN

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^{THE BANNER-BURNER ENTERS!}

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---

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[/b][/color] Letting his words sink in and stick he'd continue after a short pause. "But, the vote has already been carried for the next Tsuchikage...And that individual is me. Slade Sjoerd Sven, Yondaime Tsuchikage."[/color]

With his grin slowly returning by now he'd let his next web of words grab hold of the two men. Folding his powerful arms he'd look the two of them over while his mind pondered on how to deal with the foreigner. But, the pondering would be short lived. "Now, foreigner, what is your name?"[/color]
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[¤ SFS ¤]

From the distance the two men of allied villages made their way west. There were always routine missions of B-rank that needed to be taken care of in Iwagakure and there was never a limit on how much help they would accept for those missions. It was true that there was a such thing as too many helping hands on such missions but not on a night like tonight. Their symbolic leader was no more and the village was open to threats both foreign and domestic the veteran chuunin would take every hand of assistance they could get.

He would go out on a limb and make a mental wager with himself that the vets of those B-rank missions would even be happy to see him. His name was spreading like wildfire throughout the village hidden in the stones, he was one of the most powerful/talented genin it had ever created though he doubted the chuunin knew that in detail. They just knew he was a monster at D-rank missions and pulled more than his share of the weight as a shinobi of the village. He wasn't so much younger than them that they were unfamiliar with his history and some of the younger vets even attended Academy around the same time as him.

Missions like guarding the Kage's Tower, Iwagakure's gates or patrolling the borders of Tsuchi no Kuni were always in effect and always in need of an extra body or two each shift. Sen had no doubts that if he were able he would partake on such missions regularly, if not every day. His ranking of genin however, denied him such an opportunity. As ANBU Fusion was undoubtedly chuunin rank or higher which meant if he was along for the ride B-rank missions were just fine.

Arriving at the Kage tower however the two men would be quickly approached and greeted by yet another young man who had already gotten the run down on the incident he and Fusion had just returned from. The speed at which the elders had chosen Anemone's replacement made him both relieved and sick. On the one hand the villagers and civilians would have nothing to riot about if by the time they learned the Sandaime had fallen in battle they would next hear that her successor was already in power. It was unsavory however that the powers that be shelled out another trial Tsuchikage before the body of the last one was even cold and in the dirt. He announced himself as Slade Sjoerd, Yondaime Tsuchikage tough he had yet to earn that title.

He knew the genin's name as well and commended his actions but being patted on the back for bringing home a corpse hardly felt like an accomplishment, let alone an act of bravery. So withholding any comments or thoughts he would simply move forward into the Kage's Tower, to start the next shift of guard duty sighing inward at all those to scrambled to make adjustments and records in their respective departments regarding the abrupt shift leadership.

[/justify]

[Big Black Fish]

They made a decision within the hour of Anemone's death. Surprisingly fast. Efficiency of communication apparently did not lack in this Village. Her body was obtained by the guards, examined by the medics and an election was made by the Council in no time at all. Not to mention, the successor now approached us as the reigning Tsuchikage. I notice a strange silence from Tokomaru towards the newly elected Tsuchikage, but I don't focus too much on it because we are now moving towards the Tower. Then the Iwagakure Leader would address the conversation directly at me asking me a simple question.

"I am Uchiha Fusion, Chuunin AnBu of Kumogakure. It is an honor to meet with you." I realized at this point that all efforts to "handshake" an alliance were offered up to limp hands, as our union was only conditional through word of mouth, no proof or documentation. The Kage whom I expressed my allegiance to was now dead, and the only one who knew of this allegiance was Tokomaru. That wouldn't fly. An opportunity had vividly presented itself with the appearance of Slade; thus, I would seize the moment.

In actuality, I could just as easily be perceived as an infiltrator to the Village in the new Tsuchikage's eyes. I was a shinobi of Kumogakure who just returned from battle with the now deceased Tsuchikage, with no proof of alliance, armed and dangerous. Now more than ever I need to strongly elucidate my case on why I am here otherwise the death of Anemone would ultimately be rendered an absolute failure. "We have many things to discuss before the night falls, Yondaime Tsuchikage." As it were, the sun was beginning to slip its face behind the range of mountains that stood stalwart over Iwagakure, saying goodbye to the day, hello to the stars, and ready to spread its rays tomorrow over the dawn of a new era.

Long live the Tsuchikage.

[/blockquote]