Kzaru Yatoma my father. Alina Yatoma my mother. Tonight is the night we take the fight to the Empire. I only hope I keep the memory of our clan alive this night through my actions. Our clan prized honor and respect and family above nearly all else and I hope that this night that I can keep that memory of what we were alive. I no longer possess a family but I will do my best.

Karela looked down at the graves of her parents and the rest of her clan and let a very rare, very small smile form on her face. Despite all that she had been through, she still remembered helping bake with her mother and training with her father and learning the way of the Shinobi at the academy before the Empire had attacked Konoha. She remembered the good times with her clan and for a brief moment, a tiny bit of doubt clouded her mind.

Was this what they would have wanted for her? To fight continuously? To cherish revenge above almost everything else? What would they have thought of their daughter if they could see her now? What would they think of her if they knew of the things she had done?

But they couldn't see her now. The Empire had killed them. She thought as she remembered the night of the massacre and thought of how the Empire had shown no mercy and the smile faded from her face and was replaced with her usual neutral expression.

Tonight was the night. Tonight the Empire would be driven from Konoha.

The smirk that etched itself on the conniving snake alarmed Heihachi. Knowing ultimately nothing about the snake in front of him, he overestimated his authority on the matter. To be truthful the snake had every advantage over the sage at this precarious moment. Heihachi silently punished himself for letting things get this far. No matter. It had been quite a while since Heihachi had a good fight. His old limbs needed this to get the blood pumping. Luckily for Heihachi, he had activated sage mode before entering the room. His vision had changed, not in the sense of old age, but something was off. He saw seijuro rocket out of position, dashing towards him, yet the sound didn’t match the picture. Tentacles emerged out of Heihachi’s body, floating all around him. Thanks to Shokushu his tentacles were able to sense the genjutsu that he was put under and break it immediately. He had enough time to begin his counter attack.

Quickly forging hand seals, Heihachi opened his mouth, “Suiton: Bakusui Shōha!” from his mouth water exploded outwards towards the snake. An alarming amount of water spewed out of his mouth with enough force to crush and swallow up most ninja up within immediate vicinity. However, this snake was no ordinary ninja. With the rusted room quickly filling with water, Heihachi rode the water as the level rose. If he wasn’t fast enough already the water quilted his speed even more. Weaving more hand seals Heihachi slapped his hands onto the water below. “Mizukurage” while his tentacles perceived the event around him, microscopic jellyfish began to impregnate the water filling the room.

"They fight because they feel they have no other option, Yakoul. Mercenaries make a living by fighting for others, and my Empire has put them out of business." The Empress turned to her self-proclaimed 'pet' bodyguard. Yakoul was an oddity, for sure. Besides it's strange appearance and ambiguous gender, it had a small number of pastimes that bordered on the more 'insane' variety. However, Shoko saw the potential inside Yakoul, it was an adept ninja and one of her most loyal soldiers. Shoko placed a hand on top of it's head and gently ruffled it's hair, She knew it enough to know how badly it wanted to tear into the enemy army below. "Keep your ears sharp, alright?" She said, pulling her hand back just as Ra spoke up. She lived up to her position as adviser, as she had something to add in on the situation even now. "Survivors? I have little doubt some of them will survive, and as their loyalty is only to their coin purse I am sure we could pay for their services. However, I have no need for soldiers that do not believe in our cause, perhaps you could 'convince' some of them to join us, Ra?" Shoko said, her words full of sinister implications. As a master of genjutsu and manipulation, Ra could very well turn the minds of any weak willed captor.

The battle was unfolding as she had predicted, and it wouldn't be long before the entire army was defeated. Shoko turned from the scene of the battle, her gaze glancing over Namine for a moment. Namine was better served inside of the castle for the moment, as her sensory abilities were some of the most impressive she'd ever come across. She was also quite fond of prying into people's feelings. It was of no concern to her, as attempting to snoop into her mind would yield nothing, and those that tried to force their way in always ended up in... poor shape. The Empress began to walk into the castle, in that moment, a large, round shadow was cast upon her. Looking upwards, she saw that a boulder was flying directly towards her. "Catapults?" She mused, she did not see any large contraptions from where she was standing. "Some of them must be acting as siege weapons themselves, clever." The boulder came crashing down towards her, she reached out her right hand through her oversized sleeve, preparing to intercept the large chunk of earth. "Hm?" Right before the boulder struct, it vanished, and in it's place appeared to be a girl. She seemed to be around 14 years old, with short purple hair and matching eyes.

"I have you now, foul Empress!" The girl screamed, brandishing a dagger as she fell. Shoko stepped to the side, avoiding the assassination attempt and causing the girl to tumble across the ground, landing on her face.

"That is most assuredly the assassination attempt of the month..." Shoko said, clearly amused. The girl was still for a moment, though it was obvious she was still conscious. "Oh my, is she dead? What a shame, Yakoul, you can do as you wish with her." The girl's entire body quaked at the mention of Yakoul's name, She leaped to her feet, tears streaming down her beet red face.

"I-I won't be eaten! I am the leader of the Grand Victorious Dragons!" She screamed, holding her dagger out as more of a barrier between herself and others, instead of a weapon. Shoko glanced back to the forest below, there was no sign of anymore boulders being flung at the castle, the girl must have acted alone. Her crimson eyes moved back to the girl.

"Is that the name of the army you hobbled together? I never would have guessed they were led by a child, though hearing that name I can believe it."

"I am not a child! I am eighteen years old!" The girl protested, looking around her with panicked eyes, she now saw that she was surrounded. "Awawawa~ Y-You'll never take me alive!" She turned the dagger towards herself, pointing it at her neck. Black chakra poured from Shoko and yanked the dagger from the girl's hands, shocking her and causing her to fall to her behind.

"You won't be dying today. Tell me, what is your name?" She asked as the dagger was vaporized in the grasp of her chakra. Her chakra dispersed, and Shoko moved closer towards the girl. "That was an interesting jutsu you used, it would be wasteful to simply kill you. Why not join me?"

"My name is Ryuza... Wait what? I just tried to kill you, and your people are killing my soldiers as we sp-"

"Your soldiers?" Shoko interrupted. "I know how mercenaries work, they are only fighting this battle as a means to gain wealth. Do you truly believe they are following you out of loyalty? Tell me, why have you come for my head?" Shoko said, Ryuza remained silent. The Empress turned to Namine. "Escort her to the prison, we will continue our discussion once this battle is finished."

~~~

Standing in her room in the Uchiha compound, Natsumi was changing into a more comfortable set of clothes. She had been wearing a cotton kimono today, it was quite baggy and stifling. To mix things up, she put on a red silk kimono. She let out a sigh, stretching her arms and legs. She wanted to tend to her garden before the sun set, however she was told to stay in her room by her mother, which was odd, now that she thought about it. Her mother often spoiled her, and trusted her to stay up as long as she wished. She thought about her walk through the village, and how eerily silent it was. It was as if everyone but her was in on some joke. Nikuya's words echoed in her mind, the rebels were up to something, and she had a feeling that they were going to make their move tonight. Why couldn't they trust her? She wasn't weak, she had completed plenty of dangerous missions herself. She flopped down on her bed. "Heh, maybe I am an idiot..." She mumbled to herself. She was prepared to lay down, but shot up when she heard footsteps approaching. "Kaede!" She shouted as she saw the young Hyuga walk inside. As per usual, she nearly tackled Kaede with a hug. "How are you? Do you want some tea?" She asked, glad to have a friend here to spend time with.

"A gouger, no, but I might have a panther who would love to meet you." Matsuka's face was deadpan, but her mouth quirked upward just a little. She finished her ramen and pulled out her wallet, tossing some yen onto the counter but making no moves to leave.

Raising her hands so they were blocked from Ryozan's veiw, she started talking in sign language. "what is the situation?" she asked, nothing showing on her face.

Seijuro's movements were fluid like water, and just as Heihachi's first surge of water spewed forth Seijuro darted to the right side of the water, as a mindful Sage Heihachi would feel the flow of his Ryoukei-Ryu guiding Seijuro's movements around his water technique, as if two streams of water were running side by side. Seijuro's dual threat of raw speed from his Shinsoku combined with the fluidity of his Ryoukei-Ryu decreased the distance hastily as he dragged his right blade through the water, splitting its flow around his body. As he ripped through the high-pressure water technique his face was painted with sheer determination and concentrated willpower. As one of the deadliest swordsman of his generation he only became so due to the intensity of his character and the passionate nature he holds for the way in which he lives his life. And it is this passionate determination which he brings about him to each and every encounter with another individual, and gauges their passion for their cause and the determination they carry to reach the goals in which they set for themselves. In short, Seijuro wanted to know if this old man's still fuckin' got it, or if the legends speak of a man whose flame has already been blown out.

In his left hand, his Ozorou was resealed into his wrist only to have one of his Akumu no Tachi replace it. His speed allowed him to close the distance before the full amount of water was expunged from Heihachi's Bakusui Shoha, greeting the Sage with a swift strike toward his torso from Seijuro's right with his shortsword, dragging the water with it to splash him in the face to create a diversion which would allow for him to come upward from the left with his longsword, aiming across Heihachi's body swiftly after the diversion with his shortsword. Neither of the attacks were made with true murderous intent, though his will backed each of his strikes. They were precise and thorough, and at the speed and power in which they were thrust, if Heihachi didnt react accordingly to both of them he'd be lucky if that old bag of bones of his made it to the hospital without bleeding out.

His body would then duck down, arms crossed with either sword on the opposite side of his body, he would kick forward with his Shinsoku, darting around Heihachi in concurrence with his short-longsword combo, appearing behind him. However, even if Heihachi were to look behind him he would not find Seijuro visually, activating his Meisagakure no Jutsu to conceal his presence. The snake eyed his prey from the shadow of his jutsu, analyzing his quick reaction skills and split-second decision making that the old man utilized upon realizing the ambush. It was quite admirable that he was able to perform a defensive technique in such a short window. Seijuro did however take note that the old man underestimated Seijuro's Shinsoku, the ebb and flow combined with the raw speed made him skilled at disrupting Jutsu before they can be cast by assaulting the enemy before they can even finish hand seals, a tactic employed by samurai from the Land of Iron that Seijuro had taught himself.

The hornet flew for a full minutes before she made her way towards the Empress' fortress. She circled over the party as an incoming warning before she landed lightly a meter before the Empress. She bowed her head respectfully before she spoke, "Lady Empress. I hope this day grants you a swift victory. Your 8-Tailed soldier is taking a small break to gather her mind. Is there anything you wish to direct her towards?" Odiah asked before looking towards the woman. She was speaking through via her mandibles, a strange sight for those unused to it. Her antennae twitched before they pulled back, showing that the hornet meant no harm. She was as loyal to the Empress as Remi was, only Remi and her own mother-the Queen of Hornets-were held in higher esteem for the large summon.

---

Remi sat beneath the tree, eyes closed and head against the bark of the tree behind her. She was elsewhere, her mind deep within itself as she communicated with Gyuuki.

How are you feeling, Young One? The gargantuan beast laid in the mindscape of the chaotic young woman. The mindscape was little more than a wide open, grassy field with a constant cloudy sky. A few trees were scattered along a lake with a trickling cerulean stream. Currently, the bull/octopus beast laid on his belly, his head laid on his massive hands and across from Remi. Remi laid on her back as she stared up into the sky, inadvertently looking at Gyuuki due to how he was looking at her.
I don't know. My belly...it feels like it will explode. It stinks, fire and flesh. But...I don't think I care about it. I...It is a...um...the people...a lot dying. She went silent in frustration.

Gyuuki was quiet for a few seconds, A slaughter?

Yes. That. Slaughter. And...I feel like when Mamma makes Meat Buns.

It brings you joy, Young One? Hmm...that is strange. Killing has never brought you this before. Me on the other hand...It is possible that I may be influencing you. It took long enough. The bull snorted, the warm air managed to pull a small giggle as it hit her in the face. This is good and bad. Good, for it means you are growing. You've allowed me in your mind, and you are finally accepting a part of me as you. It is bad though, since it is my aggressive bloodlust that you've taken on. Your empress will want to see this, I am sure.

Empress Shoko is too busy. Won't bother her with this. The girl replied as she ran her hand over his massive muzzle.

She is more benevolent, you know this. She will care to know this. Deception is not in your character.

Not deception. Just, not bothering her with small things.

Ha! You are her jinchuriki. One of the few we know of. Nothing is small when it comes to your emotions. Especially since you harbor so few. His tone was matter of fact, and sort of harsh.

I will speak with Mamma Neferti. If she...says it is important, will tell Lady Shoko. The girl bit her lip and took a deep breath before she ran her fingers through her hair.

Fair enough. Go, Odiah will return soon. Your turmoil will reside in the tide of battle. Remi blinked up at the beast in confusion. Right. Your mind will calm itself. Just keep fighting.

Ok.

Land of Rivers

Every single syllable pronounced by the empress was treated as divine commandment by Yakoul, thus its enhanced listening skills whenever its powerful hearing could pick up the leader's harmonious voice it would devote all its focus to it. But this time it seemed even more carried by the soothing sounds emitted by the woman, for she was addressing Yakoul personally. This made the cat creature blush a light read on both its round cheeks and a childish, cat-like smile of self-satisfaction appeared on its face. Upon scratching the back of its head as a way to take back the silly things the empress didn't hesitate to debunk, though it seemed as though the powerful woman understood it was only a way for Yakoul to express its inner desire to finish this all by itself, despite it being rather difficult for one individual. It's ears would perk upwards as the empress gleefully caressed the monster's head, treating the bodyguard as if it were truly her pet, a guard dog ready to devour anything opposing its master.

As the head of the empire took the decision to walk over back toward the castle, a giant boulder would befall the group of higher ups who were always near the empress. Upon seeing that thing that thing before the rest, Yakoul had readied its claws in order to release a wind slash with one quick swing. However, upon quickly checking the menace, it could see it appeared a bit light for a falling boulder, like how heavy things fell faster than lighter things, you didn't have to be a genius to realize that, hence someone like Yaoul could detect that. Instead it waited for it to show itself, and the empress seemed unfazed by the upcoming obstacle, actually her body language made it obvious. Yakoul could easily make quickly conclusions upon peering over her an instant before glaring back at the falling mass. As its job was to keep an eye on everything that approached the empress, it quickly caught the ability to translate different motions, especially from the woman it was supervising every day of the week. She was calm, as if she was telling Yakoul it wasn't worth a reaction.

Suddenly the boulder became a person charging toward the empress. Yakoul instead readied its tail in order to slap the individual away, but its superior simply took a step to the side before the young assailant became harmful, allowing Yakoul to quickly switch to a more defensive position, its tail swaying near the downed assailant. Yakoul's expression from surprised/worried would turn to overwhelmed with excitement and impatience as the empress have a Shoko gave the order to do as the monster pleased.

"Oooooohhhh yeah m'lady. I'll make sure to make this one goooooo-... What."

At first the monster would be preparing for a feast and a possible sexy time with the remains, but then as the female started to speak obvious nonsense, the empress decided to spare her by having her imprisoned. Upon hearing the order to have this done, Yakoul's expression sudden sunk into a more pseudo-depressive one. In order to compensate, the swinging tail would immediately slap the young female across with brute force, as the tail held the abnormal strength of being able to lift an entire body without effort. The recent assailant would be sent flying a couple of meters to the right and knocked out cold. But Yakoul's need to release some steam wasn't over. Before picking up the wasted ninja, Yakoul would give a violent dose of tail abuse to the messenger hornet after it gave its boring speech about the Jinchuuriki taking a break.

"Pfffffff, crappy bugs can't talk to the empress without their master. Nooooooo respect for the divine~"

Said the monster as it proceeded to wrap its tail around the attacker's neck and lifting her up with ease. Yakoul would turn its attention to Namine who received the order to escort the now unconscious being. A little mischievous smile was very well apparent on its face as it stared right into the individual with the emotion sensing abilities' eyes. Namine would see all the malice in Yakoul's soul, its inner desire to rip apart this individual and violate the possible remains after a gory feast.

"Sorry I got carried away, if you want I can carry it back to the dungeon with you. Unless you want to lift her up? I can assure you, she sure has a nice bust in case you're into that~ I won't tell anything to the boss..."

The words of Yakoul were whispered to Namine, as if it was purposely testing her patience and reaction toward such dark and bland humor from a thing everyone considered a sick monster. Though not insane, everyone could feel the malice in this thing's look, you did not need emotion sensory to capture that.

Death... It was so unfathomable that in one moment she could be standing here observing the beauty and danger that is life and in the next the conscious independent soul that claimed her identity could no longer be tethered to this realm. Her skin crawled as the battle ensued, an uneasy tension overtaking her. The number started at over five thousand; over five thousand unique individual souls moving toward their position. They may have been hired goons working for the highest bidder, but they were human beings with a soul. Namine sensed it all. Every inch of the battlefield was hers, from the surges of electrified water to the Senju's crushing roots to the tentacle monster rambunctiously impaling everything with a heartbeat. The Empress would be pleased, but Namine was sick to her stomach. She sensed the light of every soul disappear as it happened, she sensed the painful desperation of the wounded survivors trying to free their half-dead comrades who were crushed in between the Senju's roots. Another part of the forest was lit ablaze where Namine felt each and every moment of intense agony felt by the mercenaries as they burned alive.

All of this death, all of this pain, all of this hatred, and those who served the Empire were made to believe there was a jsut cause behind all of this? Namine was simply following orders, and had grown so accustomed to dealing with scenarios of this nature that there were no indications from her facial expression or body language of her discontent toward the situation whatsoever. She looked over to the Empress and searched as deep as she could... just what were her intentions behind all of this?

The affection the Empress displayed toward Yakoul, was it even real? Did she truly value this sick beast as anything more than a simple bodyguard? The question flowed through Namine's mind as Shoko seemed more focused on Ra and her suggestion. Namine marvelled at Ra's ability to manipulate others, not to say she was manipulating Shoko in any form as such efforts would go wasted, but her ability to turn the hearts of men to their side was a very potent ability indeed. Namine wondered for a moment why Ra was so complacent where she was in life...

Shoko glanced over at Namine and for a brief moment the two locked eyes, almost as if the Empress was sending a clear-cut message to Namine about the depth of her sensory abilities. Namine's bright blue eyes held a deep seated love for this world, though this love was buried in sadness. Namine turned away from the Empress's gaze and felt a strange presence coming their way. "Catapults?" The Empress assumed as a large boulder appeared to be coming their way. Shoko already had her hand out to block it before Namine could get a word in.

"That's not..." Namine began but stopped herself. It was too late and her words would fall on deaf ears anyway. She could sense the intense feelings of revenge coming from the boulder before it transformed back into the kunoichi. What stood out most was the fact that boulders didn't usually come with the will to murder the empress, though the young girl lacked a true intention to kill. Namine allowed the situation to play out with the Empress until she gave the order for Namine to bring her to the prison. Yakoul had been quick to guard Shoko who had never lost her full control of the situation even for a moment. Namine quickly sensed the displeasure from the beast as thoughts of sexual perversion floated through her mind, obviously coming from Yakoul. As it lifted the poor girl by the neck it gazed into Namine's eyes. Namine firmly believed that eyes were the windows into the soul, and within Yakoul's soul there was an ocean of pure, unbridled malice that was met with an unconditional love from Namine. Her eyes moved away from Yakoul's onto the girl.

The sick creature's open invitation to rape the poor girl's unconscious body repulsed Namine, though again she made no visible expression of her displeasure. "I'll be fine by myself. Thank you, Yakoul." Namine stated as she retrieved Ryuza's body, looking the creature in the eyes as she did so before carrying her through the castle to the prison. There she placed the girl's body inside one of the cells atop a cot. Namine rolled up her right sleeve to reveal an intricate tattoo full of seals. She could sense the pain and dissatisfaction coming from Ryuza even though she was not conscious. Namine waved her right arm over the girl, covering her in a warm, white light. The girl would awake feeling refreshed and healed. The pain and physical damage Yakoul inflicted would be gone entirely. Namine's Shiyuuto no Uwan was a marvelous technique.

"How are you feeling, Miss Ryuza?" Namine would ask the young girl once she awoke. Namine maintained a warm smile and a very pleasant, genuine tone. Though the circumstances were grim, Namine manageed to keep up a compassionate aura wherever she went. And although this girl was jut on the side of the mercenaries and trying to assassinate the Empress, none of that mattered to Namine. She simply saw a young girl in need of guidance.

"Of course, your Grace. I will wait in the prisons until you have use of my talents - if it pleases you, I shall also probe your would-be assassin's mind for reasons. I should have extracted any information necessary by the time you are ready to speak with her." Came the reply, formal as ever, as she gave a brief, solemn nod to indicate that she had finished speaking. With a level of grace that few in the Empire could hope to achieve, Ra turned on her heel and begun to walk down, following slightly after Namine and the unconscious form of Ryuza.

Her position in the Empire was a precarious one at best - but her motivations for having joined them were, in essence, fairly simple: Shoko radiated a raw power and elegance unlike anything she had ever seen in another person, and with that power she had dominated the entire world. It was fitting that Ra had joined her, for no matter what happened in the future, her time spent in the Empire would put her talents to use in more ways than she had otherwise anticipated. Of course, she had mulled over the inevitable thought process of betrayal to achieve her own ends - but deep reflection had found that she had no such desires. The Empress was perhaps not academically superior to her (then again, perhaps she was - it was a possibility she entertained), but she was far more powerful. Her presence inspired a deep sense of devotion, and Ra knew that there could never be another ruler of the Empire, deep down, that could compare to Shoko.

Still, for all of her qualities, Ra did not find Shoko worthy of her complete and utter devotion. She was devoted to the Empire, yes, but not to its Empress as a person. She was the model leader, a being that was truly meant to rule, but Ra's standards for the ever-so-elusive emotion that was often called "love" were even higher than anything that the Empress could have hoped to attain. That fact spoke much about the Empress, yes, but it spoke even more about Ra. It was an obvious vulnerability to those who knew how to look for it - and fortunately, Ra knew how to look for those who knew how to look for it. If Namine was nearly as perceptive and insightful as she seemed to be - and on this Ra had no doubts that she was correct - she had at least briefly entertained the ideas and sown the seeds of future growth in her mind. What that future would be was a mystery, but it would be a pleasant experience to watch it unfurl.

As she began to descend down the stairs, slowly, she turned once again to look at the fleeting scene before her before it disappeared from sight and into memory. Yakoul's mere presence - and earlier suggestions - sent waves of revulsion through Ra. She knew better than anybody alive the thrill of domination and how intoxicating it could be - but the act of taking someone sexually as a display of dominance was abhorrent in all forms of the word. Murder has long since passed having an effect on her, but there were some acts that even she could find no pleasure in - and the thought of that was almost enough to make her want to remove all of the foul urges from Yakoul's mind. It was not something that she would ever do, but the thought was there.

Thoughts, for people like Ra, were rich, complex, and immersive - they were what they had based their entire ways of lives around, and for all of the importance that they held, they were still fleeting; still as ephemeral as a single life among the great vastness of the cosmos. As she turned back around, the thought was gone, snuffed out, and it would perhaps be reborn another day - but she had different things to focus on now. The descent down the stairs seemed to take an unnaturally long period of time, various thoughts flooding into and out of Ra's mind. When her foot hit the bottom step, she was shaken from her reverie, and the world swam back into a lucid state.

After Namine had completed her brief healing of Ryuza, she saw it fit to speak.

"Say the word and I'll remove all thoughts of rape from the fragments of Yakoul's mind."

It wasn't much, but there was a true sense of disgust deep inside her at the thought of such things - and in the presence of Namine, an emotion spoke more clearly than a hundred thouand words.

Natsumi was normally quick to react to the presence of a dear friend, and even faster for family. It hadn’t taken very long for her to hear the steps of Kaede, who was surprised with how quickly she popped her head out of her room. The arrival was met with excitement and, in common fashion for the Uchiha, rushed to Kaede and welcomed her with a very tight hug. Kaede braced herself preemptively, and returned the hug with her own.

“It’s good to see you, I’m doing very well.” Tea sounded good, as there was plenty of time before things were to begin. Agreeing to some tea with a nod of the head, Kaede watched her hurry off again, excitement brimming from her green-haired head. It was no secret to Kaede that Natsumi was eager to help with the rebellion’s efforts, after all her mother was taking part and her father was heading it. It took a great deal of patience and understanding to lead some overeager band of people. The Empire’s reign hadn’t been easy on Konoha; some blamed the Hokage and Mizukage for being too weak to defeat the Empress, but that opinion was unpopular and beaten down quickly by others. With the Tsuchikage, Raikage, and Kazekage killed in combat with her by report, a combined attack by the Mizukage and Hokage was hoped to have done the job. As the 4th Hokage had regretfully put things, they nearly had her until help had arrived, and the counterattack was so swift and brutal that the Mizukage didn’t return from that mission, sacrificing himself so that the Hokage might escape.

Nikuya, the Empire’s top occupant in Konoha, was one of the people that had interrupted the maneuver that was sure to defeat the Empress, and according to the Hokage’s reports she was one of two survivors that the pair couldn’t defeat before succumbing to fatigue and drastic loss of chakra. The details were kept to a minimal; it was no secret that those two were very close friends since their days as chuunin, and it had to have been even worse for the Hokage to inform his wife who had resided in Konoha herself. 5th Mizukage Shinji Yuki is lived on by her, and two children that are in Kirigakure, but no amount of words could fill a void that large. The Empress had caused much grief for both villages that day, and that was the failure that saw the villages of Konoha and Kiri occupied for the past six months.

Taking a seat at the table in the Uchiha Estate’s living room, Kaede admired the atmosphere of a warm and welcoming home in spite of tonight’s efforts. Chizuma, Natsumi’s mother, appeared to be out right now and helping prepare in her own way.

“I can never get over how nice your home is, Natsumi.” Kaede remarked, genuinely impressed considering the nature of both mother and daughter. The 4th was a strong man for enduring so much love from both of them, and as she understood things her grandfather was still out. Though it wasn’t common knowledge, Kaede knew that Takeo Watanabe had departed for Kiri days ago for this joint uprising, and should return later today.

“Do you think your grandfather will be back? In time, I mean.” Kaede lowered her head, but kept her eye over towards Natsumi. “You ...know what’s happening tonight, don’t you?”

-

‘Yeesh, things are so bad no one can take a joke very well anymore.’ Takeo lightly shrugged his shoulders at the pair. The young man was uninterested in any jesting, and Matsuka was apparently not in much of a mood either. Seemed that he’d need to get someone drunk with him to laugh a bit, but perhaps these two were just too tense and unexpressive to have much meaningful socialization. At the mention of Matsuka’s panther and the ‘love’ of it meeting him, Takeo had let out a single small chuckle of amusement in his throat. He wasn’t sure if she actually believed anything she summoned would make him sweat, or if that was her own joke and she just had poor delivery. In any case a meal was on his mind more than jokes, but Matsuka needed to work on that. With Teuchi coming around to collect the currency Matsuka dropped, Takeo happened to turn towards the girl again, only to see her with a very odd attempt at subtle communication.

‘What in the world…?’ Sign language? Sure, Takeo could recognize it by the hand signals alone but she was kind of stretching things by assuming he could understand what exactly she was asking him by doing it. He already understood well enough; the kid next to her wasn’t to be trusted with the matters that both he and Matsuka were familiar with, but Takeo was already capable of assessing that himself. If he didn’t recognize them as rebels, he kept his mouth shut, didn’t even imply a single thing linking him to them. Before Takeo could even think of how to convey how suspicious she was looking, Teuchi had cleared his throat and returned with a bowl of chicken ramen. Simple dish, filling but not too much, just as he wanted.

“Here you are.”

“Smells great Teuchi!” just before Takeo could break apart the chopsticks, Teuchi had beckoned him with his hand to come closer, and Takeo had moved in to listen to what exactly it was Teuchi was telling him. Between the two, it seemed that Teuchi had some words of his own, and Takeo shared the same sentiment. Takeo’s eyes traveled to Matsuka only once, and then returned to Teuchi.

“Thank you, old friend. Good to know.” Rather than take a seat, Takeo had taken the bowl in his left hand, and the chopsticks in his right. Breaking them apart expertly with just enough pressure in his thumb to separate them, he took to eating the noodles in silence, and stepped outside. Teuchi and Takeo had been friends long enough for him to step outside and do this without much fuss, and for that he was thankful. He had been gone for almost several days, and he understood how difficult it was for Kenji to keep track of every boneheaded subordinate, but reprimanding would come later.

“Matsuka, have you been keeping up with your Kendo training? I remember it being a hobby for you.”

"Yes I have, but I recently broke my sword. I've ordered a new one just yesterday." Matsuka was faintly disappointed that he hadn't seemed to understand her question, but it didn't show on her face. She moved outside the stall with him and pulled out a cigarette, putting it between her lips. For a second she didn't light it, then shrugged with a 'what the hell' expression and struck a match, holding her hand in front of the flame as she brought it close to the end. She blew out a stream of smoke with a sigh and looked into the darkening sky.

"What do you think's going to happen to us?" She asked suddenly, keeping her voice low. Her eyes looked uncharacteristically sad as she thought about squat had to happen tonight.

Ryozan breathed a sigh of relief as both of the diners stepped outside, though upon seeing Takeo's demeanor, he didn't think the man was in the mood to take any hostile actions, regardless of whether or not he was a rebel. From his demeanor, Ryozan never would have even suspected him were it not for his association with Matsuka. But now the beastmaster sealed his suspicions, heading outside for a private conversation that was uncharacteristically quiet given the scenario; people didn't typically respond to jesting friends with secluded discourse. Takeo hadn't done anything suspicious, and in fact seemed to have brilliant camouflage in that he seemed like he was an integral part of the social environment he took part of. The one chink in his armor was his comrade; Matsuka revealed him as a rebel by association. The question now was: did Takeo know that Ryozan suspected him, and if so, would he act on that knowledge? If he brought the identities of two rebels to the Empire's attention, he could certainly secure himself a good position. On the other hand, the rebels may be inclined to nip the possibility in the bud. He stared down at his empty bowl of ramen. There was no point in staying here much longer, but he didn't feel safe just leaving the situation as it was. Perhaps there were some parting words he could give them that would ease their concerns...

Remi opened her eyes and stared into the still burning pyre. She knew she was strong on her own, but with Gyuuki...

Gyuuki was wise. Not as wise as her Mamma, but she considered his counsel. She'd still talk it over with her Mamma, but she believed that she'd do as he said she should: she'd tell her Empress of the new development. Or...she'd try. She might meet Odiah to translate...

A good bowl of ramen was doing wonders for his nerves, and in spite of how much traveling he had done since the early morning Takeo was feeling refreshed through consumption. Ichiraku Ramen was one of the finer establishments in Konoha and rarely did Teuchi and his daughter receive complaints. The family took pride in their service and dedicated themselves to pleasing their customers as much as possible, and because of that dedication Ichiraku has secured itself as one of the most successful businesses in the Land of Fire. Quietly savoring every set of noodles he drew into his mouth, Takeo had soon realized he’d need to move on quickly. Matsuka had come out to join him and had done a very poor job in the only role she had to fill in until today; be casual, and keep your head down. That boy in there may have been seventeen, but odds are he wasn’t dumb enough to miss how painfully obvious Matsuka was making her association with a group behind the scenes.

The kid wasn’t the primary issue; he was young and for that Takeo didn’t think much of him, and if he wanted him dead he’d be dead. The problem was that a subordinate in the rebellion, Matsuka, was failing at a simple job of blending in. She was too cautious, too eager to speak with him even if the guise was under a ‘good friend’ and it was growing harder and harder to carry the weight of this immaturity. Any top associate of the Empire would’ve been able to pick up on this and determined who they are, but from what Teuchi had managed to whisper to him it seemed she had found struggle in remaining a simple ninja getting some lunch before heading out again. Instead the subtle hint of hovering a hand around her scroll would’ve been hint enough that she was overly cautious. Few men in the Empire were foolish enough to go against the will of the Empress, Nikuya’s occupation made certain that rules weren’t to be broken, only necks. He could ask himself why such a genin-level job was so hard for this girl, or he could try to recover even if she had likely destroyed any cover he might’ve given for her.

Swallowing another set of noodles, Takeo let out a sigh of enthusiasm and looked to the girl beside him. She wasn’t capable of a very simple task, and the rebellion didn’t get this far by holding onto people like this. At the very least she could have spoken to the owner of this fine establishment, or expressed how long it had been since she had a cigarette and excused herself, but when he stepped out she followed without hesitation. How in the hell did this woman reach Jounin?

“You know that’s bad for you, the smoking I mean. You won’t be practicing your kendo for very long if you’re too busy gasping for air. Better get some gum.” Takeo had a lot of enjoyment with casual drinking, but he didn’t do it in abundance, and it didn’t pose a long-term health risk like smoking did. At the very least this served to make them what they were meant to be; people in an everyday situation, having coincidentally met at Ichiraku. Ninja knew each other in the same village, which was nothing new. For her sake, he ignored her a second time when it came to ‘what was happening’ even if she kept her voice low. Too eager, and showing inexperience and foolishness with every action she had taken. Having a verbal exchange of intense words with a hand near her weapon of choice, all with a boy half her age? Maybe she wasn’t cut out for this. Bringing his head through the decorative curtains, involving that kid in the conversation kept things reasonable, and no hushed talk would be suspected.

“What do you think young man? Shouldn’t she find a new means of killing time? Like …I don’t know …that kendo training?”

Takeo honestly didn’t care about how much the boy would’ve figured out, because any probable profit would probably be met with laughter. Nikuya was a savage one, but it wouldn’t have been hard for her to process probable rebels, the issue was proving it, and if she would even bother to. A lot of desperate people across the nations had tried to sell false information to the Empire in order to make a profit, and for that when they were discovered, the punishment was agonizing and made to last. Without considerable proof, there was minimal chance any Imperial higher-up would take information seriously. But it wouldn't really matter in a few more hours, the occupation was coming to an end.

‘Better learn fast, girl …you’re slipping…’

Keiko had taken out over several hundred of the shinobi with her underground roots, and they were still going, ready to ensnare anyone unfortunate enough to walk over it. But, she had already grown bored of ending the lives of nameless shinobi. She wanted to retreat back into her flower shop and relax with a nice cup of green tea. Now that her area was cleared, Keiko found that plan even more appealing and left to go do so.

"Oh? What's this?" Keiko said, curious as to why there was smoke in the distance all of a sudden. She glided through the air and hovered over the opening where the fire was burning. Scanning the area down below, Keiko saw the eight-tailed jinchuuriki resting underneath a tree with a heaping pile of bodies burning. She hummed quietly and lowered herself toward the ground until she was directly in front of Remi.

Keiko's eyes lit up in amusement. "The trees don't like fire, you know." She said, circling her index finger around the girl's face slowly, before pressing it against the tip of her nose.

By the time Namine had completed her healing she had reasoned with herself about the nature and origin of Yakoul's invitation. Their worlds, Namine's and Yakoul's, were of two opposite ends. Was it possible for the cold world of carnal desire to meet with the world of compassion and love? A foolish, younger Namine would say no. She would say that there is no justification for the actions born from hatred. A wiser woman would know that love and hatred form a middle ground, and that one cannot be without the other. One finds balance at the heart of that paradox, a resounding balance that comes from within projected outward into the world.

To force onself on another, to dominate their will and impose your own onto them... That was a realm devoid of love. The young girl stared off into a dark corner of the prison as Ra spoke to her back. She looked down at Ryuza, feeling the conscious energy come to life like a flame in her mind. She looked back at the corner of the room again, losing herself in her thoughts... Her eyes glowered for a brief moment, her mouth wound up tight as she mulled over the possibilities in her head.

"No... That won't be necessary.." Namine responded softly, her tone seemed distant as her mind was lost in the sea of emotion that surrounded the situation. "It is only natural, despite how disgusting it may be to have such intention. The lust for power and control is reflected in all of us, somehow." She was silent for what seemed like a long moment. The image of the Empress stroking Yakoul's head affectionately flashed into Namine's mind. She turned away from Ryuza to look Ra in the eye. Her eyes were full of emotion, glossed over so much so that she appeared to be on the verge of tears, though Namine was more in control of her emotions than it seemed.

"How is this justified...?" She hissed, her eyes narrowing in passionate defiance. Gritting her teeth, she searched for answers in Ra's eyes, knowing of her clear-cut devotion toward the Empress and the Imperial cause in general, but would she stand for a cause that facilitated and enabled a rapist to express his intentions freely? How was it so that the Empire's cause was righteous because they brought stability and unity but at what cost? Did the ends justify the means, even when the means meant employing the services of a rapist? Just because the army they were facing were greedy mercenaries it meant that their lives held less value than the Imperials? This ideology of social darwinism was a recurring theme throughout the history of shinobi and Namine questioned if its place in their society was truly valid.

"Are we so self-righteous that the slaughter of thousands is justified because we deem them not fit to participate in this Imperialistic experiment? And Empress Shoko is to reward those of Yakoul's nature for their duty to her just as long as they follow orders, regardless of the ethical issues of their character? Is their no moral standard for her to hold us to, her subordinates? Is her mission to conquer the world by any means necessary?" Namine rambled on, allowing her emotion to pour forth from her onto the company of Ra. She took a deep breath to balance herself as her feathers were just a tad ruffled at Yakoul's invitation.

She hung her head for a moment. "Don't get me wrong, Ra... There is a fine line between the two sides of this war, and one must always know there they stand. And there is no question where I lie here, but can these kinds of questions go without answers?" Namine raised her head as she spoke to look into the eyes of the woman who stood on the same side of her. Perhaps Namine needed reassurance that she was in fact walking the right path in life. To be on the same side as a rapist, it was an unsettling factor of her disposition.

Remi relaxed quietly before she smelled a pleasing, aromatic smell. She opened her eyes and came face to face with the flower woman. The girl gave a tiny smile, more of a reflex than from a feeling of happiness.

"I see." she shrugged and extinguished the chakra fed flames. The smoldering remains were nothing more than ashes and burned bones. "Better?" she questioned even as her eyes followed the woman's finger. Her face and nose scrunched as she went cross-eyed to watch the finger touch her nose. She merely blinked and looked at it in confusion.

Izari stood in the middle of a huge amount of bodies and he was breathing heavily from killing so many mercenaries. He had killed hundreds of them thanks to his bloodline technique and also transforming into his Ragulhu form to finish off the last of his opponents he had engaged in combat with. HIs kamas' blades were dripping with fresh blood and his clothes were stained with the crimson liquid as well. His face was also splattered with the blood of his enemies and he knew that his god would be pleased with his bloodletting. Because he had used his Seal of Ragulhu technique, Izari had used up a lot of his chakra and was now weaker, he needed to have a break to try and regain some of his energy. He decided to find the others and he headed in Remi's direction. He saw that she was with the girl Keiko and came over to them.

"I see that you wto have slain many foes. are also you both resting from this battle as I am?" Izari asked, curious to know. He wouldn't mind having some company while he regained his strength and by being together in a group, it meant that they had a less likely chance of being ambushed and attacked while they were vulnerable.

Ryozan placed a few coins on the counter as he searched for the words he would use to assure the pair outside that he was no threat. But, his train of thought was derailed by Takeo sticking his head back into the stand and asking him about kendo. Takeo's tone was somehow disarming. The man had such a cheerful and, frankly, likable demeanor that Ryozan felt practically obligated to answer. Furthermore, he had landed on one of the few topics that Ryozan enjoyed discussing more than tactics. "Kendo is certainly a wholesome activity," he said, standing up and turning to face the man. "I spend quite a bit of time practicing it myself." He patted the katana on his side to underscore his words, and his stoic expression began to crack, revealing the beginnings of a smile. "It is a good way to keep your fundamentals refined. No need to worry about chakra and trickery. Just reflex and technique. In a way it's kind of relaxing..." Ryozan trailed off, forgetting for a moment why he was even talking to this man about kendo, but then quickly recovered. "But, yes. I think kendo would be a fine way for anyone to kill time."

Keiko laughed quietly at the woman's reaction and lowered her finger. "Much better." She said in her usual baby soft voice. With a wave of her hand, the giant flower petal broke into a million little pieces. Keiko landed on the ground as graceful as a gazelle right in front of Remi as the petals danced around them. "Did I interrupt your nap?" Keiko asked, uncaring of whether the jinchuuriki was actually sleeping or not. She just felt like making conversation since the bug girl was already there, and now Izari, the red-headed tentacle boy.

"I'm not tired at all, I didn't confront anyone head on." She said to Izari.