Reitemu, Shijima - Tsuchi no hokkyokusei

With the arrival of the Empress and the subsequent sealing of the Shukaku, Shijima withdrew what chakra he could from his technique and headed back for their base of operations, no longer holding any interest in the events at hand. He had played his part and if he were needed he was sure the Empress, or one of the many who served her, would contact him. Beyond that he thought it would be peaceful enough to meditate, or simply rest, upon the wall. However as he neared this location, traveling in his usual method, he found it occupied by a beast and Remi. One of the two bothered him however, the presence of both likely meant social interactions, and rather bothersome ones at that. Nonetheless he made his way up the wall, utilizing a growing pillar of earth to elevate him properly till he simply stepped off of it and onto the top of the wall, distancing himself from Yakoul and then promptly sitting down and closing his eyes. If the creature bothered him he might consider casting it from the top of the wall, it might be ever so slightly enjoyable to toss the rabid monster from its perch.

Tetsujin, Iyana

Mildly impressed by the Empresses' power, Iyana still scoffed and headed away from the battlefield, noticing everyone else dispersing as well. It seemed the situation had been taken care of. Boring she thought, almost completely disregarding the fact that she'd been internally terrified when faced with the Shukaku. Now that the combat was over she found herself quite bored even as she flew back to the base. Sighing to herself she smiled a bit, feeling proud of herself for the damage she had done to the Shukaku, even if it was fairly pointless at the end of the day.

Eventually flying over the wall, Iyana noted Remi and the Empresses' little pet, Yakoul, before she headed to her own secluded little training grounds, one she had gradually made herself. In this case she would try working out a way to streamline the use of the technique she'd used against the one tails. That would be a worthwhile ability, and quite the secret weapon against most adversaries.

Yakoul's unwarranted presence in the dungeon offset Namine a smidgeon. She cocked an eyebrow at him as his words accosted the very backbone of what she stood for. The lack of compassion in his voice.. and the way he spoke of the concepts of war and of the lives of human beings in such a careless, casual nature. The creature boasting its selfish lifestyle to a woman of great empathy with such an apathetic tone, this creature was clearly lower than the worms in the dirt around which the blooming ideologies of the Akizakura supplanted Yakoul's foul delusion of turning children into drones devoid of sentience. The manner in which he spoke of the rebels as less than human, as nothing more than beast, she looked down upon him for such ignorance. This condescension was quickly erased with pity, knowing full well that a simple-minded creature of Yakoul's caliber was not capable of understanding these things.

At this point Namine silently welcomed the Empress's presence knowing full well that her questions would be given proper answers. It was never her intention to insult the woman's grace or character but given the circumstances Namine could not help but be swayed a certain way by her emotions. The arrival of their model leader dispersed the tension which fogged the room, and her simple presence created an orderly atmosphere just as she released her black aura upon them. Namine's eyes widened as her mind caved inward and was absorbed into the experiences presenting themselves to her from the dawn of man. They cycle of suffering battered her mind though she was all too familiar with its embrace, Namine's eyes met the Empress's. "A noble cause, yes?" The visions ceased as her aura receded back into her body. These visions reminded Namine vividly of the oppression the Akizakura clan felt and rekindled emotions brought about by the death of her mother.

Gently, her hand covered her mouth as her fiery eyes looked over the Empress. The effect the visions had on her cut deep, her views on the Empress differed slightly under these circumstances.. She wanted to cry out her emotions, to unleash her deepest concerns of the matter. A daunting presence dragged her focus elsewhere... a beast of raw power and anger amassed itself beyond the walls of the castle. Ryuza's words matched Namine's senses, her attention being pulled away from the scenario at hand out into the world. Her eyes looked distantly beyond the walls of the castle as an uneasy feeling caused her legs to tremble. She fiercely grounded herself as the weight of the next moment nearly brought her to her knees.

Shukaku was tearing its way through the forest toward the castle. Namine had a feeling this was not the cause of her unease. The feelings resonating from Shoko did not reflect this, as her calmness seemed to show her confidence in her control of this situation. It was a vibration coming from the entire world... it seemed a vast unrest was coming, and it was coming now. The death of hundreds resounded all the way to the Empress's castle as it overtook Namine, she could feel it en masse from Konoha and Kirigakure. The death was much more swift in Kirigakure like a knife quickly being jabbed into Namine's spine. It was Konoha in which the conflict was being dragged out, twisting the knife that already afflicted her. She gripped her stomach as nausea set in, the feeling of widespread suffering almost bringing her to the point of vomiting.

Namine was left alone with Ra where she could finally hear her colleague out, although the tumultuous storm of emotions continuing to pelt her mind until an emotional bolt of lightning struck her spine. She stood tall as a massive oppressive force followed the civil unrest among the two villages. The oppression came from none other than the Empress herself as she tamed the will of the sleepless beast and sealed it into... Ryuza? Shock overcame Namine, the feeling of Shukaku being driven into the girl amounted to an incredible amount of suffering. The pain in which a human being felt undergoing the process of becoming a Jinchuuriki... she had never felt such a thing before. The feelings of suffering conjured by the Empress's aura swept back into her mind as visions of the future berated her. Namine looked to Ra with deeply saddened eyes in the way one would look to a friend in need, but before Namine could reply to Ra she was hitting the floor with a thud when Shukaku was sealed into the poor, unknowing Ryuza.

“If he fights the Land of Water he will die, and the Hozuki clan will become like the Kaguya: A memory.” His sister’s concerns were reasonable; The Land of Water could take care of him, and the Land of Fire’s support meant there was zero chance of his clan being able to function outside of the lands. A hole was dug and Sangetsu would now need to lie in it, for with his outrageous claim and disregard for the man whom the Land of Water and other nations called a hero he had killed his future opportunities entirely. Kotomi was smart, so he understood her desire to make certain her brother of all people understood the position Sangetsu had just put the Land of Water under.

“We’ll act as we need to. Allow the Hokage time to get that message …maybe he’ll humble him.” While Kotomi felt that the peace treaty complicated the war effort, Takeshi didn’t believe much had changed. The Empress had acknowledged that her forces were not superior to the rebellion’s finesse and variety of skills. This was likely just a means for her to save face, but there were a few uncertainties to that opinion too. Takeshi wanted to believe this, but Jinchuuriki were still a big weapon for the enemy. Was this ‘peace treaty’ a legitimate wish or merely an attempt to lure the rebels out and wipe them out en masse?

Takeshi looked towards his sister and forward once more. A future needed to be secured for their people, but he didn’t see a world where the Empire didn’t abuse them.

“She killed our father, Kotomi …I won’t soon forget that. And neither should you.”

To be specific, it wasn’t the Empress that did it, but her reinforcements overwhelming him. Sangetsu wasn’t there preparing to give his life for others so he couldn’t understand the meaning of sacrificing oneself. Nikuya who was currently monitoring Konoha had been one, but compared to the second she was almost entirely irrelevant. There were rarely people in the world his father had been concerned with on a fighting level, one being the Hokage …and the other ...

He’s still out there …

-

Kaede didn’t agree with Dren’s desires but understood that as a priority target she would need to be watched carefully. Happening to be outside of the village during the attack six months ago was not a fault but a cruel circumstance; she understood the feeling of powerlessness but didn’t believe that holding it inside as if he intended to miss the battle was the right answer. There wasn’t any time to console her family member, as more and more that took place in her surroundings became clear. It had been a long time since she was exposed to the harshness of battle, and while her actions prevented the fatalities of many comrades throughout the forests surrounding Konoha she could see and feel much of the life being extinguished around her enemies.

Within sight of her a kunoichi had taken a severe blow and had hit the ground terribly hard. The Imperials that were against her had begun to close in with no mercy or hesitation in sight, and with everyone focusing on their own battles it seemed no one was seeing her being surrounded nor coming to her aid. While she couldn’t make out what she was saying from this distance, she could tell that she was in trouble. Her injuries were severe, and was unfortunately one of the few poor souls who didn’t have her seal. If Dren refused to take action, then this was up to her.

“Follow me! Only engage in self-defense!” Kaede ordered rather heated at Dren; when a life she could save was on the line, the gloves of politeness were often relaxed in order to bring clear communication between her and another. No one had moved to this girl’s aid, and she was in a position to both heal her injuries and save her life. Accelerating through the trees at a surprisingly quick pace, the main family’s prized heir had jumped between Karela and the Imperial soldiers. They had flinched in surprise and had begun to consider their options, recognizing the girl’s Byakugan and knowing of the Hyuga clan’s fearsome reputation. Of course they could also figure that there were more of them than there was of her. Kaede had several options of ending this fight quickly, but instead knelt down and placed her left hand over the center of the burn on her face. Releasing chakra and scattering it across her face to cover the area of injury, Kaede’s eyes darted around to the soldiers that surrounded her. They were puzzled and still aggressive, but were still watching this go on, which gave her more time to work.

Within seconds of her chakra emerging from her hand, Karela’s pain around her face was diminishing to the point the injury almost seemed like an illusion. The skin began to mend, her chakra swimming throughout her skin with the sensation of a moist, cool rag.

The Empire soldiers were captivated, but upon noticing that the wound had begun to be healed in a matter of moments they had grown concerned. The enemy wasn’t letting up, all that they did was quickly becoming healed, and that talk about a ‘Guardian Angel’ in the Leaf Village had made more and more sense. In the several seconds she had arrived, they felt an odd sensation of peace and calm from this young woman, and it was enough for them to pause. She was …dangerous as a Hyuga, perhaps more than that, but they couldn’t bring themselves to land an attack on her. She didn’t appear to be a willing enemy like so many others who butchered their comrades.

“Please go, while you still can.” Kaede mumbled to the several surrounding her in an act that surprised them. The opponents they faced had all been merciless, but here one was offering them a chance to regroup. Looking to each other and knowing that with the way the battle was progressing they weren’t certain to defeat the rebels. They contemplated doing what she had said silently, and only until one of them turned on their heel and retreated did the others follow. Kaede watched until they were certainly out of sight before lowering her guard, her idle right palm was prepared to intercept any hostility. Breathing easy, she smiled and looked to Karela. She believed she may have seen her in the village once or twice, but didn’t know her name or origin, and was too busy to say hello.

“What’s your name?” She asked silently, hoping to get her talking as she saw the silhouettes of her comrades rushing by. The men she instructed to flee had a chance at escape, for if they stayed here they certainly would’ve been killed one way or another. Moving both hands over to her arms together, she began to soothe the burns scattered on them and mend the skin in a short process. Concentrating her efforts on a single person helped her ability to mend wounds, but it didn’t take away from the others she was simultaneously restoring across the forest. All her training and dedication had her serve as a huge boon to the forces of Konoha for a long time, and it was her duty to help her comrades however she could.

-

Kenta Akimichi had emerged from the centermost barracks, watching the pillars of smoke and explosions that rattled the forest. Clutching his fists together he had proceeded onto the main road; shortly enough a small amount of men, no more than fifteen, had rushed up to him. Some of them had been scathed in combat, while others appeared fresh and had avoided it well enough. They appeared shaken and concerned, there was no blame to pass onto them for how things had transpired. All they needed was one more day to get this to the Hokage, and perhaps the blood wouldn’t have flowed as it was now. Though inside he was wounded from this sight, on the outside he was stone and watchful.

“Sir, we need orders. The rebels are closing in and—“

“Those of you who want to stay, remain with me. Those of you who want a better chance at surviving …start making your way to the Land of Rivers. Try to ensure Nikuya can escape, but if you find that order impossible to carry out, save each other and get back to the castle.” Kenta’s order was firm and without hesitance, something other shinobi and soldiers could hear and believe in. It wasn’t suicide he was ordering, but instead a chance to fight another day offered by the subcommander of the Imperial occupation. He could see that Konoha’s rage was as strong as it had been six months ago, and the men and women of the Empire were too used to peace. It had all begun to make sense. “They’ve too many more resources at their disposal. With the majority of the Empress’ strength with her, there’s minimal chance we can successfully fight them off and secure the Land of Fire. Pass this along, and quickly ...we're short on time.”

Even now he could feel the drums of battle edge closer and closer; slowly but surely the rebel’s efforts were paying off and if his old comrade and the Hokage had been behind things, it meant Nikuya was in absolutely no position to turn this around with her ‘beast’. This was a downhill battle, and unless a couple of the Empire’s finest were creeping up behind him there was nothing more that could possibly be done. Those that wanted to stand and fight for what they believed in, to the death, were to remain with him.

The soldiers looked among each other worriedly before scattering, obviously uncertain of whether they’d stand in a battle their commander didn’t believe they’d survive, or if they should live and carry on with their lives.

With the dismissal, Kenta had traveled down the road, heading towards the battle. Only taking several steps he paused, noticing that things would be different starting now.

“Come to finish the job yourself, old friend?”

Takeo’s blade was surprisingly light on blood and it was instead his knuckles that were a little on the red side. He had focused on breaking through the tightest of the enemy lines and had his own personal objective; see that the highest-ranking of this base were eliminated before they were allowed to escape. Although the seasoned warrior was familiar with ‘expect the unexpected’, an old comrade from his short ANBU days was the last thing he had expected to remain here. Kenta Akimichi was one of a shameful small amount that had openly defected from the Konoha they loved for the Empire, finding their ideals and goals beneficial to themselves. Takeo didn’t like traitors, couldn’t stomach those who turned on what they once stood for in the most cowardly way possible, but at the sight of Kenta he stood at ease.

“I figured you would’ve been rotated out of here Kenta... anymore upper-class soldiers around here I should kill before getting back to you?”

“I'm the only one. You know Nikuya liked to keep a tight grip on things. The only reason I’m a ‘sub commander’ is because I shut up and let her do things her way …within reason.” Turning around, the Akimichi sucked in a deep breath, eying his comrade with some sadness in his eyes and emptiness in his gut. “If only you’d have waited one last day. This could have been prevented.”

“Not likely.” Takeo shook his head in disagreement. Things had been boiling for some time, and the rebels attack was the chance they’d have to release all that anguish after stomaching the position they were in. This was an unavoidable outcome, and Kenta must have realized it as well. The Akimichi tossed to him a scroll that was idle in his hand, unlikely a trap as Kenta wasn’t an underhanded kind of person. Rare of a shinobi these days, but the man was honorable until he had dropped Konoha in favor of the Empire. Catching it with his right hand casually, Takeo looked at it, appearing no more than an average scroll with a seal representing the Empress. This meant it had come from the very top.

“What is this supposed to be?”

“Peace.”

With Kenta's orders being passed around to the Imperial forces that still remained, the Empire had begun to make a cautious retreat back towards the barracks. Some of them were certain of their decisions already, but others were not as quick to decide on their probable fates. The rebels had, minus one, not been very merciful or opting to hold back. As a result, only the most dedicated wished to remain behind for a massacre on this scale.

“Follow me! Only engage in self-defense!”

"Understood Lady Kaede!" Dren answered. He watched as Lady Kaede began to heal the woman while keeping an eye out for any opportunists who might have taken advantage of this opportunity. "Wait. I recognize her. I saw her earlier today near the graves."

“What’s your name?”

Karela had been prepared to die. She knew that there was a good chance that she could die in the attack tonight and she had been prepared to accept that. But then as she had lain on the ground, Imperial solders surrounding her preparing to end her life.

And then the pain had begun to vanish, leaving Karela to believe that for a very brief moment that she had died. She opened her eyes a moment later expecting to see the members of her deceased clan standing around her only to see a woman looking down at her. A beautiful woman that Karela swore had the features of an angel. A woman with the legendary white eyes of the Hyuga clan.

"Karela." Karela whispered. "Karela Yatoma."

Dren looked down at her for a moment and his gaze softened as he heard her last name. "Yatoma. That's your last name?" He asked gently as Karela nodded. "I thought the Yatoma clan was wiped out after they staged a protest against the Empire."

"They were." Karela said quietly as her voice caught for a moment. "I'm the last one."

Dren turned to Lady Kaede and motioned at Karela. "We can't leave her alone out here." He said quietly. "It's...well, it's hard to explain. I know what this woman is feeling because for a short time I felt the same thing. She fought this battle not expecting to survive. And she didn't care."

He turned to Karela and then back to Lady Kaede. "I think we should bring her with us."

Heihachi cracked his neck while the snake and jellyfish just stood in a narrow pathway carefully evaluating each other, especially after that mini battle that had. The snake spit his tongue out again ready to lavish him with some more conveying words. He already knew about the rebellion and when it would start, but who didn’t at this point. He did possess valuable information though .If he stuck with the snake maybe he could extort some information that would lead him to take the empress down. The snake slithered his way up to the surface, didn’t he want to keep his presence a secret? Regardless Heihachi didn’t even know of this man, so how would anyone else recognize him. Whoever he was, if he was seen mingling with Heihachi, no one would question it. The Jellyfish promptly followed the snake up the manhole and back onto the dark streets of Konoha. The rebellion would start any minute.

”A mask?” Heihachi realized this man was a snake, but he didn’t need a mask to conceal that fact. “So far I know just as much as you do. If I’m not certain, you may know than you lead on snake. For one before we help each other we need to find the senju among their ranks.”

Walking through the ravaged forest, Shoko spotted Remi and Yakoul in the midst of a conversation. Though considering these two's personalities, it was a stretch to call it a normal dialogue. Creating a shadow clone, Ryuza was handed off to be carried back to the castle, while Shoko's real body stayed. She approached the two Empire soldiers, her eyes on the woman bound by Yakoul's tail. Maybe she should just cut that thing off after all, though she knew that wouldn't solve the root issue. She noticed that her bodyguard was smaller, looking more like a child at the moment. Shoko glanced at the castle ramparts. For such a self proclaimed idiot it was quick to think of a loophole to circumvent her order to stay put. Shoko recognized the emblem etched into her headband, it was the mark of a small group of mercenaries that had devolved to blood thirsty bandits when she had begun her campaign. the Empress didn't feel the need to attempt to spare the life of such a person. "Another toy, Yakoul? I suggest you savor it, as you will soon find there to be a scarcity of sinners to punish." She said. Yakoul's orange and apple morality would need to be dealt with later.

As things were, her plans were coming to fruition. The world was in her grasp, and with the last of the mercenaries annihilated, she could move on to the next step. That is what she wished to discuss with her soldiers today in the castle. "Yakoul, do what you wish with that woman and reform your body, I have much to discuss with you all." She looked to Remi, paying mind to the fact that the young woman would have trouble keeping eye contact with her. "Remi, come with me." She said, intending to walk back to the castle at a slower pace with her. "You wish to keep a woman as a pet?" Shoko was surprised to hear such a thing from Remi, though the girl was odd this bordered on a few troubling lines. "Remi, people are not dolls, you know this I am sure. What is it you wish to get out of keeping a woman captive?"

~~~

Natsumi had been careless. While fighting, she had chanced upon a group of enemy ninja attempting to provide backup to their comrades near the entrance of the village. She chased them down, and had let them lead her far out of sight of Kaede. Now, she found herself behind enemy lines, with the group she had been chasing supported by at least seven more ninja. Her back was against the wall of the village, she had no choice but to fight her way out. Katana in hand, she blocked a fuma shuriken, glancing it off the edge of her katana and letting it spin into the wall at her back. A split second later, she found herself facing a torrent of water. She jumped backwards, landing on top of the shuriken in the wall to escape the flood of water. The water was hardly lethal, the most it could do was wash away an unsuspecting foe. However, Natsumi's lips quivered like a caterpillar at the mercy of a hawk. She hated water with a passion that burned hotter than any of her jutsu. For starters, she couldn't swim very well, any large body of water with even a hint of a current was like the River Styx. Another ninja sent an arc of lighting towards her, it was easily avoided with a jump, but the axe of another foe was waiting for her above. Most other ninja would be helpless in midair, but not her. Igniting the flames around her body, Natsumi curved like a crescent moon above her attacker, and drove her blade through his chest. He didn't die right away as she hoped he would, instead he grabbed a hold of her blade and forced her to follow him to the ground, where the body of water was waiting. Natsumi manged to yank the blade free, but it was too late. The Phoenix splashed into the water, sizzling like a pot ready to boil over. The water had turned to steam, and Natsumi's body looked as if she were a steamwork machination on the fritz.

Her flames had gone out, and like a soaked lighter it would take some effort to ignite her body once more. A single soldier ran towards her, primed to strike as she sat on her hands and knees panting. He was but a meter away when Natsumi lunged upwards, and lit him aflame with a deadly baptism of fire from her mouth. No hand signs were needed, as she had kept a small chakra wrapped ember of fire in her mouth to use for such an occasion. The man screamed as he burned, helplessly rolling about the ground until he died. Natsumi wanted to vomit, she could taste it in the back of her mouth. The smell of burning flesh was starting to get to her, she wondered if anyone would laugh, knowing that the girl known as the Phoenix was sickened by her own handiwork.

She forced the nausea away, and focused on the remaining ninja around her. Sweat rolled off her cheeks, she had really screwed up this time.

"MOTHERLY RESCUE JUTSU!"

An excited voiced came from above, causing Natsumi to form a relived but embarrassed smile. Her mother Chizuma had arrived. The woman with long dark green hair and matching attire landed beside her daughter. "Get down, I'm going to use... it." Her mother said, in her best 'cool' voice.

"It? What is it? You always say that but that doesn't mean anything! Every time you say that 'it' could be anything." Natsumi responded like a by the books straightman.

"You'll see~" Chizuma said, holding out her arms horizontally as if she were holding something. In a puff of smoke a massive blade appeared, at least thirty feet long and a foot wide. Natsumi's eyes widened as she recognized the blade. She ducked for cover right away, it was too late for the stunned group of ninja around them however. The blade was far too heavy for any sane person to even attempt to wield, however Chizuma did not simply wield this sword. On the back side of the butcher knife like blade were holes of some kind, and as soon as it was summoned they were put to use and emitted flames as it exploded. The force caused the blade to rotate counter clockwise rapidly, turning it into an unstoppable slab of death traveling at the speed of sound. Chizuma's body rotated along with the blade once, and the hunk of metal was unsummoned, Chizuma spun at least five more times from the inertia, though Natsumi knew she could have counteracted the inertia if she wanted to. The enemy ninja had been torn apart, and blown about like rag dolls in a hurricane. "Nice save, eh?" The woman smirked, feeling proud of herself.

"P-perfect score, mother."

Apparently the rebel attack had gone favorably, for before long the Imperial soldiers began retreating. Those poor souls that had no clue how to defeat Ryozan were only to happy for an excuse to flee, but for most of them, engaging Tōketsuha had sealed their fate. "Kōri Kasui no Jutsu!" Ryozan made a few quick seals, and a dozen spikes of ice emerged from the ground. The soldiers were correct in thinking that they could outrun him so long as he wore that macabre armor, but they were mistaken in turning their backs to him. With a single gesture, the spikes flew out of the ground, and into the backs of seven fleeing soldiers, which served as motivation for their comrades to flee a bit more quickly. And that was the end of the battle for Ryozan. He could see some shinobi giving pursuit, but he decided not to join them lest he interfere with a sensitive operation and earn himself a permanent exile.

With a sigh, he released his Seiryu no Kawa and began walking back to the entrance to the village where he would wait for Takeo to give him his answer. The ice melted off of his skin, leaving a bloody puddle beneath him. As he returned to what he hoped he would still be able to call home, he leaned against the wall next to the village gate and awaited the Jounin commander. If Takeo wished to hear him, Ryozan would be in plain sight.

Karela Yatoma.

Kaede was tending to the final set of harsh burns centered on her legs and manipulated her potent chakra to gather there. Her ears were perked listening to the two communicate, but her eyes were still heavily focused; her Byakugan had taken on a more lavender tone rather than the pure white, which tended to happen when her medical abilities had taken shape. Things for this girl were going to be okay, and in just several moments of making absolutely certain she had not missed an injury to mend Kaede had successfully tended to the burns she sustained in recent combat. It was then that Dren had made mention of who this girl really was, the last of her clan, a sole survivor after a protest had gone wrong. Imagining herself alone in the world was too much for Kaede to bear, and she could only imagine what Karela must have felt charging into these fights all on her own without any care for a comrade at her side.

Looking up to him, Kaede agreed that Karela shouldn’t be running off on her own anymore, especially with how much trouble she had found herself in. Focusing her energies onto the girl’s chakra circulatory system, Kaede had intended to stimulate it as a whole to help her begin replenishing her own reserves as well as offer her some of her own. The transferring of chakra wasn’t a flashy process; the body grew warm with comforting energies used to help relax the body, nurturing it after rigorous activity. Karela was fully capable of walking again, arguable able to run a few miles at her fastest before she came down to earth again. She never associated her chakra as giving one a ‘high’, but her cousin Makoto disagreed and rarely refused the offer of her treatment after training.

“You’re right. Karela, you can stick with us if you'd like.” Kaede offered, standing up and extending a hand for her to take and get up on her own feet. As one of her village’s medics and praised as ‘the most promising of her generation’ even without a focus on combat, Kaede hoped to further the importance of medical ninjutsu to aid others rather than use the skills as a cruel, cruel weapon. She had dreams of her own, and perhaps she could help Karela find a new dream without anger behind her. As the sole survivor of a clan that engaged in a peaceful protest it was natural for her to resent the people she was here to kill, but there had to have been a better way for her to let go. The position she was in was a difficult one, relating was even more difficulty. Kaede hoped to never experience that level of pain and hate in her lifetime. “I can see from here that things are almost over, all this fighting can stop soon.”

In spite of the injuries she was capable of passively healing, she knew that before she could rest tonight there were going to be much more than several bodies to look over. Some hadn’t received her seal, leaving them vulnerable. Kaede’s confidence in her allies skills were not to be underestimated, but even so things happened and people still got hurt. As a ninja she had to accept that violence was sometimes a necessary answer, yet as a young girl with a big heart she wanted to believe that the Fifth Mizukage’s dream didn’t die along with him; that world peace could be achieved if they opened their hearts to one another.

“Oh!” Kaede blinked, completely forgetting that while she knew Karela’s name, Karela might not have known hers. “This is Dren Hyuga, and I’m Kaede Hyuga, it’s a pleasure to meet you by the way!” her cheeks reddened, feeling embarrassed for her horrible manners. On the assumption that she was standing fine and was willing to stay with the pair, Kaede had begun to enter a sprint and leaped into the treetops above to follow the others to a rendezvous point ahead. People were still dying, but the enemy was still working hard to retreat and covered each other as they did so.

Remi hummed yo herself quietly. She noted the others returning, but didn't bother to really acknowledge them. She was too deep in her mental thoughts on the best way to maximize her hornet's genealogy. Her expression didn't change when her empress approached her. Nor did it change when she was ordered to walk side by side with her.

Remi followed obediently as she listened to her Empress' questions. She frowned a little bit and tried to explain. "I...change Hornets. Bring back natural suzumebachi, but my strain." she smiles a bit. "One already done. Hornet with stinger like a scorpion. The venom is potent and can cause necrosis. File is on your desk." she gave a tiny little smile.

"But girl...girl is for hug. To feed, and read to me. She can be in the gardens, or in the kitchens, or just sleep in my bed. I...dont sleep much. I don't want my bed to be lonely. You call Yakoul pet. I want pet." she shrugged, it was the best explanation she could come up with.

Her eyes lit up when she felt the hornet on her ear, "Oh! Problem in Konoha." she let the hornet crawl onto her finger and looked at Shoko's face but not her eyes. "Konoha no bachi. Nest is made within urban areas, see coloring?" she points to the red orange and yellow stripes. "This mating drone. He never leaves the hive. If he leaves, he can't mate queen. See this?" she lifts it and points to a spot on the abdomen. There is a very minor discoloration, "This means it is mating season. Drone was forced from his hive, then separated from the rest. Pheromones mean Escape" she frowns again. "Konoha no bachi are not found in trees. They adapted to survive on Synthetic materials like cloth and in darkness." she pursed her lips and blew, but no sound came.

A few seconds later, three larger hornets landed on her finger and she stared at them. All four flew off together. "He mate with South Colony Queen. One of the brood will carry Konoha no Bachi's ability to track via fabric. North colony has a few hundred young workers and drones with two sets of mandibles. I separate them after you give your speech." she hummed. "Then mate those with the Scorpion Hornet specimens and a chakra specimen. A family of hornets carry their own chakra! An amazing find, and in the rock gardens. In a few weeks, that crop will be the first Shokobachi: A race of Hornets bred and cultivated for battle. Since they have chakra, I can make a contract with them. Well...theoretically."

"Huhuhuhu... I just might, Sage..." Seijuro responded to Heihachi pertaining to his brilliant deduction that Seijuro knew more than he let on. Just as the two men surfaced and the snake hissed an explosion would go off not far from their location. He looked back to Heihachi giving him a knowing look. Seems like things are going according to the Rebels' plan... how predictable.. He thought to himself, crossing his arms as thoughts engulfed him. He seemed to be pensively absorbed into his analysis of the situation. He turned to his new partner and said something rather peculiar. "It's almost as if the Empire allowed this revolt and Kirigakure's twin to occur..." He said it with a bit of doubt in his voice, knowing full well he could be dead wrong on the matter. Yet he spoke of it as if it had simply been something on his mind. He recoiled back to the mission at hand, darting away from the subject.

After a moment of thought Seijuro was dragged back into the moment as he heard the stampede of Rebels storming the barracks and the subsequent rebuttal from the Imperials. This was now a nonfactor to the neutral-toned Seijuro. He had come to Konoha on a leap of faith that the Sage would accept his offer. But a snake was a snake, and Seijuro had done his research on the old man's past. The lineage of the Senju wasn't hard to trace so a bit of digging would allow one to know that their clan had been at least partially divided by the Empire's presence. As such Seijuro had his suspicions in coming here that one of Heihachi's main concerns was his kin and their unity. Though the cunning serpent would rather withhold his cooperation in retrieving the Sage's kin from the talons of the Empress for later, he had had a feeling that this would be an early demand of the Sage. Seijuro was certainly no stranger to how business was done.

"But of course, Senju. You will lead the way to your kin, seeing that there is nothing here for us to remain for. The Rebels' success seemed to be a forgone conclusion, more or less, so we shall depart immediately." Seijuro pressed forward and began to walk. "You will appear to travel alone. Anyone who questions you, you are capable of coming up with something." The snake faded into obscurity as his form dissipated. Only his lips remained hovering visibly for a moment as he spoke. "I am your cover from the shadows until we arrive at our destination, so don't expect any trivial small-talk. If anyone should ambush you from behind, well, let's just say they won't." His mouth would vanish from sight, leaving Heihachi with those words.

After the battle had started, Katsu found himself in a corner with three enemy shinobi in front of him. His sharingan active, he looked at the three who were avoiding direct eye contact. All three of these enemies were somewhat formidable. He knew it would be quite troublesome to take all three of them altogether and he couldn't afford any major injuries. He raised the sword, alerting the shinobi. They all made hand seals. One of them shot a stream of water towards Katsu's feet, making him leap into the air. The second one shot a flurry of wind towards the boy, knocking him back. The third shot an tigre-shaped lightning attack at the boy which had seemingly contacted with the boy but it was hard to be certain with the rising smoke. A fuma shuriken cut through the dust with ease, surrounded by a larger blue chakra, shaped like the shuriken itself but on a larger scale. It spun violently and flew towards the shinobi at a great speed. They all leapt out of its way and looked over to where the attack had come from, seeing no one in that direction.

As the shinobi looked around, trying to find the boy, they kept their blades up. A shuriken surrounded by a well shaped thin layer of wind smoothely cut through the tree he was on when he had disappeared, flying towards the lightning user. The man tried to block the shuriken at the last minute but the shuriken cut through the steel of the kunai, proceeding to decapitate the man. Katsu flew out from behind the tree, two more shuriken like that spinning on his fingers. He swung his hands, sending the shuriken flying at the two enemies. The fire used a fire attack, at least an A-Rank, sending several large fireballs in mere seconds, each stronger than the other. The shuriken flew back at him, now covered in fire. Katsu made five quick hand seals (Fire Release: Hellfire) and pillars of flame flew up from the ground, making the fireballs explode and launching the shuriken high. He landed on a small pond inside forest they were fighting in, the giant trees bent over it. He skidded backwards and took heavy breaths, holding his sword backwards, his arms resting on his knees. The water user ran over and made four seals. In the mean time, Katsu ran over at the man. Just as he was ready to slash the man's neck, water rose around him, blocking his way out. These were definitely high caliber techniques, Katsu realized that. He was lucky with the first attack, being able to take the lightning user by surprise.

The boy slashed at the wall around him, trying to cut through it, but its pressure was too high. The moment the blade contacted it, would be repelled. After a couple of seconds, he felt a jolt running through the water up to his feet. He let out a loud cry, alerting anyone nearby. The sword in his hands dropped into the water. The shock stopped and he used that moment to move his aching arms to create the seals for his "Thunder Charge" technique, something he took pride in. After it was done, he put his hands on the water and the next jolt of lightning was used by the enemy, running through his arms and strengthening his lightning chakra. He spotted the two chakras and raised his arms, making the Dragon, Monkey and Hare hand seals for Inazuma, extending his arm and shooting a strong current of lightning straight at them, shocking the water and recycling some of his energy and hitting the water user in the chest, stopping his heart with the shock. There was the fire user left and Katsu was already quite tired. He hoped that someone had heard his cry and decided to help out.

“You’re right. Karela, you can stick with us if you'd like.”

Karela smiled. She couldn't help but smile. She was feeling better. Much Better. "I...I...Thank you." She said quietly. "I don't know what to say."

“This is Dren Hyuga, and I’m Kaede Hyuga, it’s a pleasure to meet you by the way!”

"It's a pleasure to meet you." She said as she successfully fought back a single tear. Now was not the time to cry. They weren't tears of anger and rage anymore. These were tears of relief and joy. She jumped up on the treetops behind Kaede and Dren. She didn't know what to say to the two of them. Kaede had saved her life and had managed to do so without harming any of the solders that had been about to kill her. Karela didn't think she could have done that. For so long now she had been filled with rage and hatred. Was it possible that there was another way? Could she somehow let go of her hatred? She didn't know yet and now was not the time to think these thoughts.

She's my guardian angel. And in return I will swear my life to protecting her and the rest of her clan. She decided after only a moment of thought.

Izari was glad the battle was over and he wasn't expecting the empress to get involved with subduing the One Tails. Now that the fighting was done, he had to go back to the castle and wait for further instruction. But first he took a moment to catch his breath from having to fight so many enemies and the exertion of trying to bind a Bijuu with his tentacles. A shinobi's life was very hard in the empire and if you aren't strong enough or quick enough then painful death was almost a certain thing. After about a few moment, he decided to go find Remi and see how the host of the Eight Tails was fairing. He looked around and eventually saw her walking with the empress herself. Izari was curious to know what they were talking about and he decided to follow behind them, trying to listen to what was being said, maybe it was complements that was being given to them for prowess in battle.

He knew that it wasn't a good idea to be eavesdropping in on the empress but for once his curiosity got the better of him. If the empress gave them honorable mentions then Izari's clan would be very proud of his achievement in getting the empress' favor. He noticed that Remi still had her hornets near by, it looked she was of those ninja that liked to have their summons close by. Izari didn't know why he hadn't started using his summoning on a regular basis, maybe it was because the Ragulhu Spawns could be annoying as hell when not in the midst of battle but he might get use to it eventually and have creatures that could help him with his shinobi work.

The battle had only begun and Keiko was already exhausted from using her underground roots technique on such a massive scale to restrain Shukaku. She could at least revel in the fact that her wood jutsu presented an opportunity for her comrades to take him down before he got too far, and that the Empress had chosen to make an appearance during their battle.

Afterwards, the roots retreated back into the ground and everyone seemed to lower their guard. That put Keiko slightly at ease. She heaved a sigh of relief and dove toward the group, her flower petal hovering quite a distance above the Empress and her comrades. She was so high up that no one would assume Keiko was trying to eavesdrop, which she wasn't. In fact, Keiko didn't really want to hang around much longer. With most of the enemies dead and the sealing of the one tailed it was about time to retreat back to the base for a bit of rest.

Keiko gave a final glance at the group before flying off into the sky. She wanted to get back to the base as soon as possible, though she could stand to practice her Mokuton a bit more. The new jutsu she had been working on for the past several months would have definitely come in handy during the Shukaku fight, especially if the others weren't there to attack. That thought was enough to convince her that training was a bit more important than relaxation. Keiko abruptly changed course, headed for an open area in the forest that she had grown to call home. She had spent many nights and days there training. It was the safest place she knew, and as far as she was concerned, no one knew about it but her.

Yuganori, Kinuko

The stillness that had previously covered Kinuko's senses had long since lifted itself, and the world resumed itself at a blurred pace - the clashing of swords and flurry of handsigns sure to occur in any battle shook Kinuko from her brief reverie, and she began to survey the battlefield with more precision than she had previously. Even with the small scale that she was working with, it was obvious to Kinuko who the primary targets in the battle were - the Rebellion was lead by Takeo, but he was not the most important target on the battlefield. The Rebellion's members fought with a pent-up fury that was rare to behold, and it seemed from a cursory glance that they were not following an actual plan - it seemed that they were going to allow their more primal emotions to lead the charge. It was a motive that she could understand, but it was not one that she could support. Giving in to the fury and allowing bloodshed to cloud one's mind was a great disadvantage - and there were those that could take advantage of an unfavourable position like that in order to turn the tides of any fight. Even if she were to ignore the complications introduced by not following a clear plan, the potential swings in the grand design's balance would be unprecedented and incredibly dangerous. It was always best to avoid such things wherever possible.

It seemed that the Hyuuga, Kaede, was among the most valuable of the Rebellion's members. Her presence did not need to be seen to appreciated, for the more skilled Ninja would feel her chakra at work from a considerable distance if they knew what they were looking for, but it was nonetheless one of their most valuable tools - one that they seemed eager to keep as hidden and safe as was possible. It was an intelligent tactic, if nothing else. Kinuko briefly considered her options when it came to dealing with the Hyuuga - she seemed to keep a support network close by, and while it would not be an issue to dispatch them if necessary, Kaede gave off an air of importance to the balance of the world that Kinuko could not ignore. Today was not the day that her cycle ended. It seemed like she would be an interesting person to talk to at some point before the battle was truly over, if only to gain a balanced view of the motivations of the Rebellion.

Turning her gaze away, Kinuko looked upon the metaphorical fodder slaughtering one another with no hesitation, and she could only think of what a senseless loss of life had occurred. There were those destined to die, and their passing was not sad, but it was those who had not yet reached their time that died that brought sadness. Though her mind filled rapidly with the lamentations of the people that had died needlessly, her face showed none of the emotion that she felt and her imperturbable gaze searched onwards once more to find the ample opportunity to strike. As she was scanning, she noticed the form of a young Uchiha (she gathered he was an Uchiha by the way that the men around him were avoiding eye contact at all times) beset by three assailants simultaneously. He managed to deal with the initial two fairly reasonably, but it did not take him look to ask assistance of his allies, only to find that none were responding in a punctual timeframe. Perhaps it was just the sadness, or her uncanny sense of balance, but Kinuko felt that it was not his time to die, yet, and that she could help if only briefly.

Amidst her pensive thoughts, the chaos of the world continued, and it did not take long for a stray member of the Rebellion to wander too closely to her, beset by two members of the Empire. His first reaction was to shout for help, but after finding Kinuko unresponsive to his pleas, he did the only thing that he could - direct the battle towards her in the hope that she would fight to stay alive. With a swift roll backwards, he brought the attention of the two guards towards her, and seeing the chance to dispose of an enemy and a potential enemy simultaneously, the pair of Empire ninja performed handsigns in tandem, preparing to launch a great fireball at the two foes before them. Exhausted and out of chakra, the Rebellion ninja prepared himself for his fate, but he would find that death did not come for him at that second as Kinuko suddenly sprung into action.

With a swiftness and grace that few in the world could claim to possess, Kinuko begun her movements. It would not be practical for her to attempt to disrupt the pair before they completed their techniques, but it would be easy enough to disrupt the technique as it was formed. Her right hand instinctively grabbed the hilt of Hanashi, and with a single, fluid strike befitting an Iaijutsu user, the hilt was drawn forth and blade created simultaneously, imbued with Kinuko's Fukyōwaon no Inkan [Seal of Dissonance]. The motion completed just as the duo prepared to launch their attack, but was intercepted as Kinuko stepped forwards, bringing her blade through the chest of the first ninja. The cut was shallow, but the abnormal pulse of chakra from the seal disrupted the formation of the Great Fireball as it began, only singing the blade, before the silk disappeared entirely. Before the soldier could recoil in shock, a small pivot to her right and a single movement forwards resulted in the now-empty hilt of Hanashi being placed on the wounded soldier's chest, on top of the cut. Tensing her leg and she prepared to pivot, Kinuko drew the soldier's entire volume of blood through the sword with a single stroke, twisting as she did so and bisecting the second Empire-affiliated soldier with a sword made of the first's blood.

The rebel looked on in awe, and his mouth opened to thank Kinuko, but before he could do so the same sword of blood had been driven through his chest. Her face gave nothing away, but Kinuko could not help but feel a great sorrow for the act that she had just committed. By intervening, she had threatened the balance. It was this man's time to die, and it was her job as a sacred guardian of the balance to ensure that it happened. It was not pleasant work, but it was necessary.

Kinuko looked upon the battlefield once more, before throwing a Kunai with a silk tag attached to it emblazoned with another seal - this time the Shōshū no Inkan [Seal of Convocation]. The Kunai was flung quickly enough that it whizzed past Katsu and straight towards the last of his assailants - he dodged the projectile fairly easily, but as his eyes scanned for where it came from, they opened and bulged slightly in shock as the blood-red tip of the sword that Kinuko had just created protruded from his chest, piercing one of his lungs, and she emerged from behind him. Rather than finish the kill quickly, Kinuko allowed the blood that comprised her current sword to resume its normal liquid form, splattering through the soldier's armour and on to the floor as his own blood joined it, and his body crumpled to the ground.

"It is not your time."

And as quickly as the words were spoken, Kinuko turned away from Katsu, and began to walk towards the centre of the battlefield where the most actions were taking place - she could only observe so much from the outskirts, and the battle had waned enough that she was safe to walk slightly more into the thick of things. Still, if things were too hectic for her, she could always leave at any time - but that was a route she was hesitant to take when the balance was at stake.

Hearing Remi speak was always interesting to Shoko. The young woman usually had difficulty engaging in casual conversation, unless the topic happened to be hornets. Thankfully her prowess in battle was not affected, which made her a prime candidate for the eight tailed beast. Of the rambling Remi did, she only barely attempted to answer the question given to her, otherwise she went on about hornet breeding. "Shokobachi?" The Empress repeated the name Remi had decided to give the new breed of hornets. In any other context she would find it odd to have an insect named after her. Hornets meant a lot to Remi, so Shoko had to consider what it meant to have her name a prized new breed after her. Shoko smiled, a subtle gesture she rarely expressed. "That is very sweet of you Remi. I look forward to seeing them in battle."

They continued to walk in silence for a short while, Shoko thought of the shambled answer to her question. Remi was clearly pinning for affection, and the comfort of another, that much was obvious, but to seek it in such a strange manner? She could not claim to know the inner workings of Remi's mind, nor did she know the specifics of her upbringing. However, that did not mean she could not empathize with her. Shoko knew what it felt like to be alone, as her childhood had not been kind to her. Perhaps she could give Remi some advise, as someone who was once a hopeless romantic.

"Remi, are you a virgin?" Shoko asked bluntly. Remi was known to be lascivious, but the Empress was not want to pry into her soldier's sex lives for no good reason. "Humans are hardwired to seek a life partner, without one we can begin to feel as if something is missing. Is that what you are feeling, Remi?"

Shoko did not voice it, but she was concerned as to what happened in Konoha to cause the hornet to flee. The troops were spread thin at the moment, as Nikuya was the only noteworthy soldier stationed there. If something serious had occurred, Nikuya had the means to contact her right away.

Perhaps she should hurry things along.

Remi caught the smile on her Empress' face, and couldn't stop the one of her own. She was not one to understand the meaning of such a smile, it was not charged with sensuality, nor malicious in intent. In other words: it wasn't a Ra smile or a Yakoul smile. It was just...a Shoko smile: serene, understanding, and rare. It was pressed upon the young woman's mind in a way she wouldn't ever forget.

"Me too. We won't fail your vision." she vowed and continued to walk with the Empress. Her face scrunched slightly when Shoko asked her question. Virgin...such a strange word. A word that Remi had never learned until the queen told her of human mating habits. When... "...No..." the girl shook her head rapidly and placed her fingers over her ears. "No. I not. But...mate? No mate. I...not normal." she looked up at Shoko, meeting her eyes for the first time. Those piercing eyes were full of loneliness and sadness. "Not beautiful enough. Not good enough wife." these weren't even her own words. Someone who had spent time with her could tell. "Too stupid. Care too much for Bees. But, not bees. Hornets sting multiple times and don't die. Mine eat meat when grown, honey when large. Not bees...But...no mate for Remi. No one dumb enough."

The Sage shrugged off the snake’s response, Heihachi was old, he wasn’t one for back sass. If anything Seijuro was just a dumb kid on his lawn. An explosion echoed in the background ripping through the sky. Seijuro looked back to him with his face as readable as a picture book. “The Empire leads on more than they should. We shouldn’t make it too easy for her, I’m a native of Kirigakure, born and bred. Once we get our hands on Keiko, we should make our way to the MIzukage.” Heihachi scratched at his scruffy rough pricks of hair on his chin.

The explosions of sound were muffled by the sound of the rebels and imperials ravishing each other in battle. “The only problem is she’s in the hands of the empire and most likely perched inside the Empress’s castle. If you want to use the front door be my guest, otherwise the rest is up to you. I can track her easily once I sense the use of her mokuton.” Heihachi listened tentatively as Seijuro instructed her. His conditions were made clear while Seijuro seemed to do what he was best at, slither away. Heihachi felt an odd sense of comfort from the darkness, for some reason a little foundation of trust was beginning to construct itself in his mind. “I was never one for small talk anyways.” Heihachi smirked before walking towards the large castle that was known as the Empire.

The acceleration of Kaede’s physical form to the front line as more and more shinobi and kunoichi both surged forward to pursue those that fled hadn’t distracted her from others who had remained behind. Isolated engagements were still occurring with small pockets of Imperial soldiers who had chosen to remain behind whether willingly or forced, unable to turn their backs against the foes they faced. The terms for this battle were simple: no prisoners. Kaede’s recent act might’ve labeled her incapable of being on the side of the rebellion anymore, and should someone important to the cause find out like Takeo …

The cry of another from a short distance caused Kaede to remove herself from those saddening thoughts and the focus of her Byakugan was brought to a young man who appeared physically spent and desperate in the face of a single soldier. Kaede’s first instinct was to turn on her heel on the next tree limb she leaped from, but discovered that the presence of someone she couldn’t determine as either friend or foe had saved the young man. Having pulled off a maneuver that the Hyuga only expected from someone like the Hokage or even what she knew of the Mizukage when she had seen him in the past, the rapid flanking maneuver was too quick for an ordinary soldier to comprehend or expect and had resulted in an early demise. Offering words that Kaede could only guess were good, the woman had departed towards the exact location she and what one might call her ‘team’ were going. That still left the young man alone; the chakra reserves he used were spent, yet he could still stand. As far as she could tell that woman had no obligation to the rebel cause and might have saved that boy out of the goodness of her heart, only caring enough to make sure he lived without being an escort for him.

Come to think of it …that boy seemed familiar…

“Katsu?” Kaede muttered under her breath, coming to a sudden stop and wondering how he had found himself so alone. From the looks of things there were no Uchiha out here looking after him. It both did and did not surprise Kaede; from what her own clan spoke of Katsu, the Uchiha apparently believed him responsible for the death of a man who was regarded as the oldest of the Uchiha clan. While Kaede didn’t want to believe that was true, she had been taught by her own father that this world was full of what could be considered despicable people and how power had made them that way. The Angel of the Leaf had no reason to shun Katsu for she had barely known him as a person, and the circumstances surrounding his Sharingan had not earned the respect of the Main Family. He was an outcast and quite clearly not many were sticking around to be certain he had backup, all except that woman. Predicament faced, Kaede looked forward towards the peak of the battle and the retreat taking place simultaneously, and then towards her immediate left. Katsu was effectively a twenty second sprint away from them, but …

“Karela,” Turning to a new comrade, she could accept that Dren wouldn’t let her out of her sight, but Karela had no such obligation and could leave her for a short time, “There’s a boy a little west of us, an Uchiha named Katsu. He doesn’t appear too injured, but I would greatly appreciate it if you looked out for him for the time being.”

It wouldn’t have taken too long to do it personally, but there were other comrades in questionable condition that hadn’t received her seal before the battle had taken place. Those connected to her were reasonably healthy and the chakra reserves within were replenished fairly quickly due to the downtime of combat. Katsu was considerably better off than others ahead of her, and she’d rather not see them in pain any longer. Karela seemed to be kind and might be eager to ensure others were taken care of as much as she just was, and Dren refused to leave her side. As things were, Karela was currently the only one she could count on to make sure he’d have someone close by.

“I know it might be a little much to ask since we just met …but I hope you could do me this favor. People say bad things about him, things I don’t want to believe. Can you just let him know that there are still people he can count on, for me?”

Although Kaede believed Karela would do this for her, there was also the chance that she didn’t want to leave her to. Very apparent in the active Byakugan of Kaede, her eyes were soft with concern for the wellbeing of the boy she hardly knew anything about. As long as Karela could understand how important this was to her, there was a chance that this could be done. And so, with a heart hopefully not too heavy, Kaede hoped to proceed forward without any regrets. She entrusted Karela with this task, surging once again towards the deeper center of what battle remained throughout this forest.

There were lives to save, and so many more to change.

Karela could be just the start.

-

This scroll was well written in spite of what it intended from the rebellion; a complete cease fire from both sides with benefits tailored almost strictly to the Empress. Takeo wasn’t enthused with what was laid on this parchment, yet read on he had, jaw tightening a little more with each line. For starters, shinobi and kunoichi both had the option of joining the Empire’s ranks and enforcing the laws put in place. There was little to nothing regarding those that chose not to fight to enforce the world she intended for them all to live in, which seemed to mean shinobi had minimal opportunities outside of working with them. Then there were jobs; ever since the Empress had come about holding a job was mandatory, and now she seemed to be revoking that. You could choose not to hold a job, but should you not hold one you’d be taxed as ‘incentive’ to do something with your life. It seemed no better than keeping the law the exact same, as without taxes a village couldn’t very well function. Not paying a tax meant repercussions, and the Empire’s repercussions usually included severe time in a prison or death for much more severe crimes.

Trying to start a village anew was entirely against her wishes, and doing so would be illegal and likely punishable by death. This was to stop the possibility one would hope to create an independent new nation or society not bound by the Empire’s style, and the punishment seemed as severe as one could expect. Perhaps the most interesting part of these terms was that the villages would no longer be separated by name; each and every single village would share the same government, the Empress still at the lead no doubt. This might have cut out the idea of war for land and resources that went along with it, territorial disputes would be a thing of the past …but what about independency, the desire to happily represent the Land from which you came? Takeo closed the scroll and lowered it, looking at Kenta without hate, only neutrality.

“You buy into what she promises?”

“There’s nothing to be ‘bought’ Takeo. Her methods were a little rough, but all in all this could benefit the world altogether. She’s putting an end to what we’d struggle with until the end of time.”

“It only took her stepping on the corpses of thousands to make this world so ‘ideal’, didn’t it?” Takeo might’ve spat on the ground had he wanted to waste the saliva. Kenta wasn’t stupid, only desperate. Like many fathers did, he wanted the best for the family he had, even if they had shunned him for so long. Takeo couldn’t blame him fully for desiring this world the Empress put into his head, but her methods were as cruel as the world she was trying to bury. As things were, he couldn’t change his mind about this.

“You won’t listen at all, will you?” Kenta frowned in disappointment. His former comrade was strong in mind and body, sometimes too strong. Once a man had his mind set it was often difficult to change it, and Takeo, like him, was a little stubborn sometimes when it came to a difference in opinion.

“I’m listening …I just don’t like what I’m hearing. She’s still on top Kenta, and these ‘terms’ benefit her more than the world that wishes its independence.” Takeo looked over his shoulder, hearing the approach of a certain fast-talking daughter and the fleet-footed granddaughter of his approaching. As with them getting by, the soldiers of the Empire that remained were also retreating, some deflecting weaponry and avoiding dangerous jutsu combinations. Chizuma and Natsumi joined beside him, and if they got behind the enemy lines that could only mean that others would soon join them. Quickly the Imperials took a defensive formation surrounding the barracks and the small skirmishes throughout the forest remained, otherwise all was beginning to grow quiet. “I should kill you for having gone along with this, but for the sake of the friendship we once had I’ll let you make your case to the people you abandoned.”

“I never abandoned them Takeo, I only made the choice everyone else was too blind to make.”

“Let them decide that…”

Kenta turned to look at the heavy approach of men and women he once called friends, even able to pick out some Akimichi clan as well. Those that picked him out of the Imperial soldiers were quick to spot him, but didn’t show kindness in the stares. Takeo was giving him a chance to express his side of things; he wasn’t the most charismatic man, but maybe this could prevent the slaughter he was expecting.

Katsu watched as the water user was shocked and the chakra in the man's body was starting to stop its flow. The dying water shinobi suddenly felt a fading sensation of pain in his chest, being the last thing he would remember. His fall was only accelerated by the attack. The Fire using shinobi fell just as quickly, even though that was the only attack necessary to end the battle. Katsu's eyes opened wide and he looked at the woman who'd helped him. There was someone else...? Without thinking, he pushed himself back on the water and skidded away from her a couple of meters. He deactivated the Raitoninguchāji ("Lightning Charge"), cautiously eyeing her. He opened his mouth to ask who she was but before he could, she spoke.

"It is not your time."

She faded from Katsu's sight, leaving him confused and alone. He shook the questions away, knowing that he had to concentrate on his surroundings. He could see many sources of chakra towards the east. The closest battle was probably there, but he was already low on chakra. Should I go? I could still help but I would have a lower chance of survival. If I go before my chakra's at least half-replenished, I'll just be a burden. His gaze was now locked on the shiny blade of his sword below him, inside the water. I almost forgot... He quickly dove in under the surface, swimming towards his sabre. The moment he clutched it in his palm, he rushed upwards in order to get out as fast as he could. He stuck his head out and took a deep breath, panting and gasping for air. After a moment, he opened his eyes and swam over to the edge of the pond as quickly as he could. Leaping out of the water, he emptied the water in the sheath of his sabre and headed east towards the other sources of chakra with a quick pace. I can act as support, at least. He reactivated his sharingan, looking out for anyone nearby.