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Kumo, Iwa, Kono and Suna veterans from each of the villages entered the bar respectively. Their hardened faces, if not some what grim, brought about a silence to the bar as heads turned to greet them – the briefing was about to begin. Isaak remained reluctant to ease into the abrupt silence but a stern hand grasped his shoulder and a cold, warning, gaze from Mikhail kept his words to himself albeit with a pout.

“Attention,” came from the leading jōnin – a Kumo shinobi. “I will now be explaining the details of our assignment, I will like you all to bear through it as we are lacking adequate supplies at the moment.” There was a brief pause as tables turned, and the bar tender moved to handle other business despite a rather longing, thirtsy, gaze of Isaaks'.

“Our target is a base fortified by shinobi of amegakure within the borders of amegakure. We are tasked to be the decoys of a much larger army that outnumbers us ten to one. Because of the number difference the ambush will happen within two hundred to three hundred meters of the base. It is because of this number difference that our attempt may not be sucessful in luring the enemy, as well, it is this difference which means we must engage the enemy until the ambush is successful.”

There was a pause, and a low murmur among the shinobi that indicted there were many questions on their mind. However, not a single hand nor voice was raised – though the action to speak out and inquire had crossed Isaak's mind, but Mikhail(now on his feet and hovering over him) didn't – wouldn't, allow any questions. His grasping hand on Isaak's shoulder continued to tighten, retricting – discomforting him.

“Information on the enemy shows that the majority of their numbers are comprised of taijutsu users, practitioners of the Tenjoken – unique to the village, that is all we know. The rest are expert ninjutsu users with a few adpt a genjutsu. That is all, we will departure in five.”

The jōnin finished and without haste exited – there was no time for questions, and apparently no one had any qualms with this. Following suit shinobi lifted from their seats and filed out while finishing any drink they had.

Only a fool could conquer the world; the world was a fool's game. Any could attempt to conquer the world, any could dream of being its ruler – yet, who would be so privledged to actually sit on its throne? Kouketsu Uchiha? The name was just an omen to many whose features spelled death. There would be hardly be anything separating one from death, but among these shinobi how many would perish nameless?

“There is a fool – remember this well, shinobi like him will die first. Feel no regret, no burden nor remorse, for he will die just another nameless tool of war, the first of any of us.” Said a husky voice who had risen to spirits enough to let out a chuckle after his words.

“Nameless?” He questioned. “My name is Isaak – if I do die, I'll die with a name, we all will, haha.”

“A fool, indeed. Good for morale, good for the heart.”

“I'm not a fool either, mister.”

“If I recall correctly, in the academy, there's always a fool – how do they even manage to graduate?”

“They don't graduate, they're passed for the better of the army. The best way to inspire an army is through the acts of a fool, humor is good for the soul.”

“I'm not a fool!” He said with a raised voice, not only were they talking about him, but ignoring him too!

“Hey, fool-(“I'm not-”) Isaak, right? Yeah, how'd you graduate?”

“What's the sense in asking him that, we already told you – look, see his spear("It's naginata"). He's one of those brutes, no brains in that head.”

“Haha.”

Laughter came in unison, in harmony from the shinobi shadowing the words of the veterans who, at this point, were beginning to quiet down. There words going ignored and most of the attention centering around Isaak and others.

“Well, if you're going to die nameless, you should at least know my name, I'm Mikhail.” The shinobi to his left, owner of the rapsy voice.

“Same here, call me Sion, sonny,” a husky voice for a man with a rather bulky frame.

“I'm Riburo, sorry about ealier. . .the vomit, I mean.”

“I'm not going to die and not without a name, either! But still, it's nice to meet you all – and hey, look! Listen, the geezers, they're finally quiet.”

“A fool's a fool.”

Had war not been enough the first time? The first great war had initiated between the village he represented proudly, Sungakure, and Konohagakure, it was amazing how that one village had such an impact on the world, on the nation. “People never learn,” said the elders, veterans from the previous war, with hanging heads and weary eyes. To the youth they spoke cryptically, foreboding, “War is never what you read, and never what you know. . .even when you live through so many. . .” Those icy words gripped and clutched the shinobi hearts, so many felt their knees shake and tremble, others felt their stomarchs lurch and churn while those with weaker stomachs upheaved their insides all among the sands, into the ranks.

“Ewww!”

Exclaimed a boy, young and energetic, whose morale was higher than any other, without a doubt. He stepped out of line, out of file, green eyes looking horrified at his feet, where to his disgust some of the puke had splattered on him.

“Disgusting! Man, if you're going to puke--”

“Shinobi! Back in line!” Shouted a superior officer, a joūnin.

“But, joūnin, there's--”

“No excuses! You're holding everyone up, back in line!”

“Uhh,” he whimpered shifting his gaze to his shoes, breakfast was eggs, disgusting.

“In line! NOW!” The joūnin's voice raised, and with a last pathetic look at his shoes, he, although reluctant, stepped back in line. Standing on his toes, so that least no more of the vomit(currently underneath his soles) would get on him.

“Sorry, man, I just couldn't hold it. . .”

Came a miserable voice from behind him, a fellow brother of the arms – the shinobi of Sunagakure, but he wasn't mad, not mostly at him.

“No worries, no worries, just wish those old geezers would keep it down. Jeez, as if war isn't enough, they're trying to weaken us before we see combat. 'Sides, it's only war, we'll be fine.”

Isaak, seven years ago, a carefree smile plastered about his face as he, and suna shinobi, marched out to a small town along Sunagakure's border to rendezvous with allied shinobi from Iwagakure, Konohagakure and Kumogakure.