It was night, and there were three white orbs which loomed over the desert compound of the Monzaemon clan. One was the moon, but the other two belonged to a man that at current time hovered almost a mile above the compound, his form invisible via the camouflage technique, his chakra virtually indistinguishable from the natural energy of the world around him, barely even notable as a bird, no, an insect flying in the night sky. Just as he had planned, he repeated to himself mentally, just as he planned, do just as was planned. He remembered well what the man's instructions had been: "Stay Hidden, I will fascilitate your movements. Only kill one, then leave. Make it brutal. Make it...unforgettable." Finally, having heard no alarms and seen little movement, he slowly drifted down towards the ground, his face covered by the shadows of his hood and, within it, the mask of some wild demon with the motif of a black fox. He landed at the entrance to the caverns, which lay in the side of a cliff--luckily, he could fly. Still invisible, he slowly waltzed past the guards, who had no idea he was there at all. Smiling beneath his mask, the mercenary continued to make his way through the caverns, knowing exactly where the center of the compound was via his own methods. It had been incredibly easy to figure it out. He could feel the adrenaline and excitement beginning to boil his blood, and he loved it. Eventually reaching the center of their compound, having slipped past all defenses with ease gained from many assignments, he waited. Briefly his eyes closed, then opened wider as if to allow more light into them. Taking in a deep breath he gathered his chakra, then flowed it to his hands and channeled it throughout his body, enhancing his senses and movements drastically. He then silently moved into what he ordained to be a form of lab. Various plants and liquids were everywhere, all neatly in vials, or even vats at times, some upon shelves waiting for use. He exuded a small amount of chakra over the entrance and weaved a light sight and touch induced genjutsu. If someone were to look at the entrance they would see the lab untouched. If they were to walk through the field of chakra they would fall unconscious. While he was no genjutsu master he had enough of an understanding of the art for such a simple technique. Having that in place, he flicked his wrist, exuding a small amount of fire chakra into his hand, which proceeded to flout, cushioned by wind. Preforming several handseals he released a light breeze of wind chakra throughout the room and then unleashed the flame, turning around and walking through the chakra barrier, unaffected by the jutsu it contained. The barrier would keep all sound within it as well, in addition to the fire that was now burning down almost the entire poison storage of the Monzaemon clan. Smiling he turned and headed for the nearest building and entered it. There lay, comfortably in bed, a sleeping shinobi, who would soon find himself quite maimed, not to mention dead. It took the mercenary several minutes to complete his work, but when he was done the room was covered in blood and entrails. Only the head was intact and it was placed on a table, which he had position several feet from the doorway. The first one to walk in would know exactly what had transpired, or at least that his clansman was dead. He then departed, walking back out the way he had come after which he flew up to the top of the cliff where he located a seal hidden beneath a layer of dirt. Activating it with his chakra, the mercenary vanished...and was gone. Not that anyone knew he had ever been there in the first place. Poor them. Uemura woke with a start. He felt something very wrong that night, and with his impatient personality, he immediately jumped out of bed. "Whatever this is, it had better be important." He couldn't put his finger on it, but something was wrong with the night. Taking only a moment to 'insure his immortality', he ran from his secured bedroom into the cave halls of his clan. As he continued, he saw a trickle of blood at the border of one of the doors. Normally, he didn't like interacting personally, but something was very wrong. He kicked open the door, and saw a grisly sight. He examed the scene for a matter of moments before he concluded it wasn't someone from his clan who had committed it. If it had been a member of his clan, the body would barely be touched.... but this? It took longer to identify the man than it did that it wasn't from the clan, Eiki Sanada, a protegee of the Bunraku branch. The more troubling part was that it was recent, but he didn't hear anything in the echoing chambers of the cave.... had he come in, murdered Eiki and ran out? He turned quickly, finding a member of his clan nearby in awe, who was shocked to his reclusive leader, he almost didn't recognize him. Uemura grabbed him by the collar. "Start assembling the clan now. If anyone objects, they're free to become one of Masaru's experiments." Anger coursed through his voice, though his face showed very little. Rare events had happened. Uemura never called clan assembles, he delgated almost all of it to his brother Kawatake. He muttered to himself. "Someone has attacked the clan. They've sent a very clear message. They want war... they shall have it." Entering their meeting place, the mercenary glanced around for a moment before his eyes settled on the only other soul in the room. He waited for his words to speak, as the fellow was paying him, not to mention he was one of the few he admitted he had some respect for--a rare thing. A voice attended as the assassin returned, in the darkness sitting in a chair holding a wine glass. "I'm assuming another success, Viper? Was there as much trouble with this one as there was with the Tatasuko Clan?" The Viper smiled slightly, "Hardly, I destroyed their poison stores and mutilated one of theirs, just as you suggested and without being detected. Those damn Tatasuko are something else though. Good thing you didn't hire some unattentive idiot." He smirked, it had been a fun night. "Strong, but small. Still, I see them as a powerplayer, while no-one else might. Monzaemon, Tatasuko, Uchiha, we've got all the makings of a war, and I stand to profit." The sponsor of the assassin through a key to the assassin behing him. "Your pay's in the regular place, I've already had it arranged. The clans are way to peaceful for my taste. They don't see eachother as a threat yet. By the time I'm done, they will name the era after the wars. The ninjas will be too weak from attacking eachother to respond to it." He finished the glass, and flicked his wrist to dismiss Viper. He smiled, "I look forward to that day," he bowed his head then turned and walked out. There was nothing more to do tonight, but the wheels had been set in motion, and there was no stopping them now. War was coming.

Hato Uchiha - White Wing Hato "Hato!" A young Uchiha called madly while running up to him. The boy's hair was plated with blood by his left ear, his face bruised by a strong punch. Hato leaned off a tree with haste and got to his feet. "What's the problem, Rin?" "My father is in a brawl again..." He bent over to catch his breath. "I tried to calm him down but he's not listening. Please help." "I'm heading off. You stay and rest. When you wake, everything will be okay." Hato nodded firmly before placing a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder. Dashing through the clan he found his way to the conflict, several Uchihas were caught up in the madness, the chaos was something akin to a massacre, perhaps its distant cousin. Hato raised a brow as he walked from between the ruined tents and scorched lumber. They were all attacking it each other with serious intent. What the Sage had Rin's father done? The conflict was out of hand, so much in fact that killing blows were being thrown. With a quick shushin, he appeared between two kunai slashes, Shinkyo's sheathe blocked the first and a well placed wrist stopped the ascent of the other. The two men backed off once they realized the interference. "White Wing..." "Hato! out of the way!" "Kyoumu, Avin, stop this now," he uttered, glacing between the activated Sharingans of the two men.

Ito had always been a morning person. He woke up at the crack of dawn and slept extremely lightly, even for a ninja. It was raining heavily, but the sun glared through, resulting in a shimmering rainbow and bright haze. However Ito didn't have time to meditate upon the beauty of nature. A ninja from the land of the wind struck was unleashing a hail of blows against Ito using a blade cloaked in wind style chakra, a jutsu he had been caught off guard by before. However having ascertained the reach of the technique Ito was able to float just outside of it, being caught only by the spray of rain it created. He calmly waited for his opponent to overextend, and place himself off balance.This opportunity came as his opponent made an aggressive lunging strike. Ito slid past the attack, as fluid as water, and into extreme close range and then unleashed hell. First a solid blow to the jaw connected with his opponent, spinning him further off balance. This blow was followed almost instantaneously by a water shotgun technique from his other hand, that tore holes in the unfortunate enemy. Ito finished him off without hesitating by drawing and decapitating the staggered opponent in a single motion, using the Shibuki's razor sharp cutting edge. Lately there had been an increase in this kind of fighting for Ito. An increase in the number of burgeoning clans meant more competition. More competition meant more desperation and when desperation set in morals went out the window. As such many of the new ninja clans were turning to bandit activities to 'supplement' their income. It made travelling more dangerous for most but so far most of the clans who had to resort to this behaviour were the weaker ones who were being pushed out of business. Not the opponents Ito was looking for. Ito was quickly growing bored of these encounters. He didn't understand why the seven swordsmen weren't using their name to its full extent. A company with their reputation should be able to quickly gain political and economic influence through organised activity on the battlefield. However the nomadic nature of many of the members, and the lack of the binding influence of the clan meant it was difficult for them to mobilise or coordinate. This problem wasn't helped by the fact they didn't have a 'leader', or any infrastructure at all to speak of. They were just good at fighting and perhaps little else. Still a hunger for fighting with his life on the line had been growing, deep and hot in Ito's stomach. He set out looking for Rachi, his current travelling companion. Rachi's sellsword nature would hopefully mean that he's be game for hunting bigger prey.

Tataruki was leaning on the table, seated on a simple chair directly across from another person. She wore a bubbly smile, and her feet were tapping away on the floor to an inaudible rhythm. The room was a bare one but well-lit. "Now, Hanyou-san, did you or did you not try to feed our clan's private intelligence files to other enemy clans?" Tataruki's voice seemed playful and inviting. Taken out of the current context, one would suspect she was casually talking to a friend about any pointless topic, and not to an accused traitor. Something about the subtext, the particular emphasis she put made her words carry the slightest bit of an intimidation factor. The man across from her shook his head, not willing to talk. Whether his silence was caused by nerves, fear or simply unwillingness to obey, Hanyou had been communicating solely by nods or shakes of the head, which was beginning to wear down Tataruki's patience. "Don't be so difficult to work with. You're only going to make things worse for yourself." Hanyou just shook his head even more fiercely, effectively answering 'no' to Tataruki's question regarding his accusation. "Is that so?" Tataruki seemed disappointed in his answer, "Then, I guess, all the accounts of people catching you in the act are false? Is that what you're saying?" Tataruki pulled out a file from under her; she had been sitting on it. As she opened it up, she revealed countless of accusations and pieces of evidence from a variety of sources. The quantity of the evidence was readily apparent; now, whether all of the evidence was veritable was another thing. Regardless, the file did it's trick and the man broke. "OKAY!" he cried out, exasperated and cornered, "I did it! I tried! But I did it as an act of vengeance! A payback! Those two blind, ignorant brothers that we call our leaders are fools! They are leading our clan down a dark path, saturated in blood. With them as our superiors, the Monzaemon clan will never know peace; we will fall apart!" Tears of passion began to roll down the man's visage, as his eyes were colored red in irritation and his face took on a burnt-red hue. "Well, on the bright side, I can see you're finally telling the truth," Tatruki began, giggling a bit, "Unfortunately for you, that was the wrong answer." And with that, Tataruki waltzed out of the room, allowing two other shinobi to apprehend and subdue the man. He would be executed on the count of treason, and Tataruki would be doing the execution. Fortunately for him, executions only ever happened in the mornings, so he had to whole night to contemplate his life and death. As Tataruki made her way out of the discipline center, having conducted her last session of the day, she found herself meandering the clan territory instead of heading straight home. Tataruki rather enjoyed strolling in the night. The stars were always a marvel to her, being so bright and enthralling but at the same time, so far. Hitomo had been waiting outside the discipline center for her, and as soon as she appeared from the building, the fox walked alongside the kunoichi. While she was walking, she heard a call from one of Uemura's assistants, ordering everyone to rally. Curious as to what they were being called for, Tataruki glided over to where everyone was meeting. As Tataruki neared and the crowd increased, she instinctively called Hitomo into her arms, cradling the fox to keep it from being overwhelmed by the mass of people. She wondered what could be going on, hearing whispers and gossip that were foreboding and ominous.

As the ranks of the Monzaemon swelled in the meeting hall, none would know that Skall was among them. His face lightened with makeup and his clothing entirely neutral, he took on the persona of one of the low ranking ninja that had died some days ago. Although not killed by Skall, he had been the only one to witness the death of the sluggish and undisciplined shinobi with an indifference that practically incriminated him. It was through the eyes of these nobodies that Skall lived in the open, as none here save for the clan heads knew of his existence let alone his face. Skall moved through the room a half-step at a time, never moving with enough purpose that anyone would acknowledge him. Sure, there was a glance here and there and even moments where someone would wholly make eye contact with him but there was never an exchange of words. He was like a grain of sand in the desert, a coyote hiding in the ranks of wolves. The purpose of this meeting was already known to Skall. There was little that happened within these walls that he didn't know about at least through whispers. Direct orders from Uemura would prevent him from acting on anything as of yet and he would instead choose to ghost through the room and sniff around, absorbing rumor and whisper as a sponge. Skall's unique place in the clan, that of a Kabuki branch member controlled solely by the head of the Bunraku, meant he heard things from both sides and knew most secrets of the general populace. What he did with the knowledge was solely at Uemura's discretion however, and Skall would not present information to his surrogate father unless relevant to the man's interests or needs. For now, he wandered through the clan hall in an entirely uninteresting way.

Air filled Izumi’s lungs like water into a sinking ship as she awoke from her erratic dreams. She gasped for more air and pushed it out of her keeping a rapid pace as her pale green eyes adjusted to the scenery around her. Torches were lit outside and the angry cries of her clansmen could be heard. She immediately grabbed a vest threw on a pair of pants and stormed out of her tent, hell reflected through her eyes. ”What the hell is going on?” Izumi roared at the gathered crowd, all of whom surrounded two of her clansmen. The embers shone against the leaves that surrounded them, Izumi’s doing it helped keep bandits away when they couldn’t be seen. Two of her clansmen turned to her and quickly moved out of her way; one to her left another to her right. The rest of the clan followed suit as they noticed the others, slowly and one by one the circle opened up revealing one man with a kunai to another’s throat. ”I caught him stealing some food from the wagon, it was plain as day.” The man addressing Izumi lacked charisma, that was assured through his speech patterns but he clearly had the attention of the clan as some muffled concerns swept through the crowd. ”It’s for my mum, she’s been growing ill over the past few months, I’m not sure she’ll make it if I don’t give her some more food and that’s why I’m here.” The younger man said on the other end of a kunai. There was a hint of desperation in his voice, not too noticeable, but just enough to convince the clan what he was saying was true. ”But if that’s the case, someone else will go hungry; someone else will starve in place of your mother!” The older man retorted, this time a few more clansmen mumbled their agreement with the man. ”Let him have the food.” Izumi said walking towards the two men and retrieving the older man’s kunai. ”If you’re worried about the clan going hungry, go hunt.” Izumi said cocking her head to the side to meet the older man’s eyes with her own, fire blazing in her gaze. ”And you, you will be joining me in the hunting party regardless of your own will tomorrow, do I make myself clear?” Izumi threatened throwing the kunai beside her own foot lodging it into the ground. Both men nodded their heads, swallowing their pride and the rest of the clan began returning to their tents when a woman’s scream could be heard. ”This is going to be a long night…” Izumi sighed. ”Again Yuen.” Her mother ordered. Yuen’s heart was pounding in her ears and she could feel sweat moving down her rapidly expanding and compressing chest. She reached to her side and withdrew two shuriken and a kunai, each with some metal string attached to them. She inhaled deeply before beginning her assault. She opened her eyes, the Sharingan whirling as it obtained its target. Yuen launched a shuriken and kunai to the right and left of her mother who did not even blink. As Yuen threw her second shuriken she pulled on the kunai’s cord propelling the second shuriken faster than ever but it was deflected by her mother. ”Your form is weak, pitiful for a woman your age.” Her mother lectured, untangling the kunai and shuriken from the trees they were latched onto and handing them back to her daughter. ”You’re done for today, go see if you can’t figure out what’s going on.” She spat with a disgusted tone ringing clearly through her voice. Yuen just nodded, placing her tools back in her pouch. There was some kind of commotion, the scale of which wasn’t clear until Yuen rounded the bend. There she realized it was a full blown battle, or at least, had been. Hato, a boy a few years older than herself recognized as a prodigal child amongst Uchiha standards, which said a lot. He held a high ranking amongst the Uchiha clan and many people respected him. Yuen glanced around, missing some of the words Hato was saying, something about stopping this nonsense. Everyone in the crowd seemed enraged but there were two men who looked to be the center of the argument, Avin and Kyomu. Yuen glanced towards the rest of the group and she could see what looked to be a secondary argument starting to Hato’s left. Before she kenw what she was doing she found her feet carrying herself forward. ”Are you not all members of this clan? Have you forgone your brotherhood to each and every member? This fight ends. Now.” Yuen decreed, seemingly channeling a portion of her mother’s attitude. The two men who had been starting the secondary argument quieted down and nodded, Yuen glanced over to Hato’s area. ”What started this?” She asked.

The sounds of people chatting over their morning dumplings faded behind the trio as the stand got smaller and smaller over their shoulders. The smell did not recede with the voices however, as the three wanderers carried with them their own preferred dumplings. Goro had finished his first skewer already, the pointed stick protruding from his teeth as he chewed on it thoughtfully. The remaining two skewers he had now were wrapped up and stored in his satchel for later consuming. For now he strolled at a steady pace with his hands resting upon his belt sash, grunting in contentment now and then at the recent memory of his treat. Yue's focus was currently divided into three pieces. The first piece was on the consumption of the sweet Mitarashi dango that was his breakfast. The second was keeping up with his much taller companion Goro. And the final piece was on the surrounding area. You could never be too careful even during a time of relative peace. There was no such thing as true peace when you were a traveling ninja. Especially when people mistook you as a woman. While hilarious to his companions, it wasn't quite as funny to him. But just barely, it was still pretty funny. His companions had teased him before about dressing him up as a woman if they ever needed to disguise themselves. Yue dreaded the day it would actually happen. While his two companions were walking further ahead, Isha walked at a much slower pace occasionally moving in a slow circle. Most days he would do his best to keep pace with Goro and Yue, they were the main powerhouses of the group and he relied on them heavily to keep him safe. Today though he was taking his time to admire the world around him after sharing a delicious treat with his friend he was in even higher spirits than normal. "We really should stop and take in the sights more often guys! I mean it feels like we haven't stopped moving in fooooooorever!" Isha's voice cleared the distance between him and his companions, dropping into an almost childish whine near the end as he spun with his arms out to his sides. As if caused by Isha's sudden outburst, Goro paused abruptly spinning on his heel as his armored boots dug into the lightly-gravelled road below. His eyes indicated a complex thought process and the flaring of his nostrils indicated that he was sampling the air. With a furrow of his brow and a muffled cough, the sturdy beast finally spoke: "We stink." It was quiet and concise, but got the point across despite being entirely anticlimactic and not appropriate for the situation. Goro had a bad habit of over-dramatizing himself even with the slightest of thoughts. "Baths. There has to be some....there." Turning he pointed ominously at a plume of smoke rising from somewhere far down the road in the Land of Grass as if divining something from a world beyond their own. Yue smiled at the antics of his companions. Isha's almost child-like behavior was refreshing when mixed with his own, more serious personality, and the reason he had give the younger man the pet nickname Little One. Though Isha was an inch taller than Yue. Goro's mentioning of them stinking didn't concern Yue. But the plume of smoke he pointed to did. "Yes, I believe we should head there next." Yue said with casual smile on his face. Though at the same time he unconsciously reached for the tessen hanging from the sash around his waist. It was too much smoke to be a simple campfire. Something had happened wherever that smoke was. Isha quickly stopped his spinning to gaze off in the direction that the behemoth Goro had pointed in. Tilting his head a bit to the side he shrugged. "I don't see any reason not to go that way." Pausing for a moment he suddenly jumped a bit with a bright smile on his lips. "Oh! Maybe they will have new books for me to read! It has been a long time since I got anything new to read." Just before he began to move he noticed Yue's hand dropping towards the fan on his waist causing Isha's smile dropped into a bit of a frown."You don't think that we will have to fight right guys?" Chewing for a moment upon the dango skewer between his teeth, Goro shrugged before snapping it between his teeth. "They had best hope not." The shinobi spoke, ever brief in referring to those that may oppose them at their destination. There had been so very few that stood in their path that had truly threatened or challenged the trio so far. Goro's confidence was not without a subtle caution however. "Having a change of heart?" He inquired to either of his companions before removing the broken skewer from his mouth and walking steadily toward their goal, already knowing that neither of them were going to back down as long as they all had one another's backs. If Yue hadn't known his companions as well as he did, he may have mistook Goro's confidence for arrogance. But he knew the caution that lay underneath. The Peaceful Warrior too held a quiet confidence in the trio. Though they lacked a bit in the ranged attack department, they were still strong enough, at least to defeat the opponents they had come across so far. "Of course not." He said in reply to Goro's next statement, his loyalty to the group ever unwavering. His hand moved away from the tessen at his waist, in order to give the youngest of the group a little more peace of mind. He had other ways to fight than just the fan. He began walking again as Goro did, with a quick glance behind to make sure Isha was keeping up with them. Even after four years Isha still felt uneasy at the prospect of fighting. It wasn't that he doubted his comrades abilities, nor did he question his own, it was simply the fact that prior to leaving his village he had never even seen a fight. It came as quite the shock to discover that most of the rest of the world everyone was always so eager to fight. With a quick shake of his head he cleared his mind of any trepidation before flashing a bright smile at both of his companions. "Like my heart could ever change Goro! I just hope that if we do have to fight they actually know what they are doing, that last group didn't and I couldn't get a replacement for my Dead Soul Technique. So could one of you try to keep one in good enough condition?" He knew that both Goro and Yue were aware of Isha's good heart, but that didn't change the fact that in battle he would back them up no matter what. With a destination set, and the potential that things could turn sour, Isha quickly picked up his pace to catch up with his friends as they headed towards the rising smoke.

Yoshiro Uchiha -- Uchiha Village, Mid-day

The Uchiha clan had been keeping to itself as of late, aside from the usual scouting missions and espionage. They had done no harm to any neighboring clans nor did they show any signs of aggression, everything they had done was passive. So why then did someone feel the need to attack? It made little sense to everyone in the village, including those in positions of power. Sure, not all clans got along, but something akin to am armistice had been agreed upon, so fighting had ceased. What clans would have reason enough to attack in spite of this? The Gaharo clan maybe, though they neither had the manpower nor resources to stage an attack. Besides, the attack on them hadn't been unfounded; trespassing on a clan's territory and stealing from them was simply unforgivable, that was one thing any clan could agree on. It couldn't be the Gaharo then, meaning someone else had perpetrated the attack. But who? The astonishment of their kinsman's death had waned some over the following day, but tempers were still high. As there was no way of knowing who had committed the crime many people were on edge, and some were even accusing their brothers and sisters of having slain one of their own. An absurd notion, and one that the head family was hastily working to dispel. Nothing was worse than infighting within a clan, especially if that had been the goal of this assassination to begin with. They had to maintain order above all else while working to sort this issue out. Easier said than done, with manpower being stretched as thin as it was. Most of the clan's Jōnin were out on missions, leaving only a handful plus the head family to oversee affairs. Not the worst of stations, though hardly an enjoyable one. Scrutinizing those who you grew up with wasn't easy, nor was facing the fact it really could be one of them. Yoshiro hardly savored the task assigned to him but understood the necessity of it. Espionage and combat were his forte, and while he loathed to think he was spying on his own he was suited for the job. Of course, what he was doing at this very moment might scarcely be classified as "spying"; it was a lovely evening out and he would be hard pressed not to enjoy a walk through the village. Perhaps that was just an excuse to avoid taking on the unsavory task, as he really wasn't too inclined to try incriminating someone in the village. He would get to it, he always got to his work when assigned, just some jobs took a bit longer than others. Besides, there really was not very much information to work with just yet, investigations were still under way. Aside from questioning the Chūnin who had found the man and investigating the scene itself there wasn't much to be done just yet. The crime itself may not need to be addressed, but that didn't mean there weren't other matters to attend to. As usual directing the clan's daily activities, from hunting to missions and everything in between all fell to the head family to coordinate. Well, them and a handful of advisers, which truth be told Yoshiro wouldn't mind a few more. Less work for him meant more time out on the field, and that was all he really wanted right now. Being bothered with mundane, every day tasks was dull, and there seemed to be no end to them. Some were trivial, like a neighborly quarrel or a misplaced item, while others were noisy, violent and potentially problematic. Some in particular might involve two morons getting into a fight with one another, only to have someone break it up before things escalated. Oddly specific? Perhaps, if Yoshiro weren't staring at the very scene this moment. That was just the tip of the proverbial ice berg, as matters had really gotten out of hand. What had begun with probably a minor disagreement had escalated into a brawl involving two families it seemed, with the fathers at the center of it. Now was not the time for clansmen to be fighting with one another; the death of a fellow Uchiha took precedence over any petty squabble. Tents were easily replaceable, and lumber was more than plentiful if not time consuming to replace, so Yoshiro hardly cared for that. What he was more concerned with was the spectacle that his fellow Uchiha were making of themselves, and at such a poor time too. Hato was well known in their clan, and hardly someone to ignore, but he didn't necessarily carry the weight that the head family did. As soon as Yoshiro had walked into the fray and begun to push people aside the brawling began to simmer down, and for good reason. Most of the people here were Genin at best, and didn't have a whole lot of combat experience. Though he loathed to be involved in a brawl he could certainly fight, and as a Jōnin it was a safe bet it wouldn't go well for the other party. Pushing aside a pair of boys he sent a glare their way before going into the center of the mess. There he found Hato trying to keep two other members of their clan, Kyoumu and Avin, from tearing one another's throats out. What a bothersome evening this had turned into. Aside from Hato, there was another taking the initiative to try putting an end to the fighting. Yuen, if he wasn't mistaken. Not an overly remarkable individual far as he knew, but at the very least she kept her nose out of trouble. Letting out a sigh the Jōnin approached the group in the center, a frown marring his boyish features. "I'd love to hear the reason why you're all acting like barbarians as well," Yoshiro interjected, looking between Kyoumu and Avin disapprovingly. Two grown men at the middle of such an embarrassing display, how annoying. Before either of the two men could answer he then turned his attention to Hato and Yuen, nodding in appreciation for their help. "Thank you, though I'm a little disappointed you two couldn't show up sooner. Ah well..." he mused, shrugging his shoulders dismissively. "Now then, you two, talk. What's going on?"

.

"Sir, we have secured the borders and scanned the land. No evidence has been found. A clean sweep." A cloaked Uchiha stood behind the former head of the Uchiha Clan, red eyes peering into the sky and gleaming from the setting sun. Toyotomi eyes scanned over the village from the top of the tallest tower. His eyes held the same gleam from the sun making it glow a bright red as his sharingan was activated. Wind slowly swept across his body, chilling his skin, blowing his hair out of place, and touching the very core of his soul. The wind currently represented the bitter and chilling realization that someone was sending the clan a message. Someone was sending a message to them and Toyotomi couldn't figure out why or what the message meant. A sigh echoed from his voice and he could only think of what clan had the means to do such a thing without notice. "Is there anyone we know off that could get in and out of this village without any notice?" Toyotomi asked the Uchiha with a hint of dismay in his voice. While it was quite possible for a ninja to get in the village stealthy but to kill a member in silence with no resistance and escape meant that person had to be far more skilled then most members of the clan. The cloaked Uchiha voice cracked a bit as he responded, "No sir. There is no one. We could think of from any clan that could get in here and out with no problems." Toyo turned to face the Uchiha, placing his hand on their, giving a very warm feeling to the man younger then him. "Go back and tell my daughter of the news. She'll need to know to figure the Uchiha coarse of action." Toyotomi only smiled at the man before he left to speak with the Clan Head. Toyotomi placed his hand on his chin to signify he was thinking heavily on the situation. He had been around for very many years and experienced so much. His mind went through the various scenarios he had ever been apart of, giving a very sinister thought to it all. "Hopefully this doesn't bring a clan war. This land needs peace more then anything."

Hato Uchiha - White Wing He spotted Yuen as she dashed onto the scene, her own heroics helping to stop the small skirmish. He smiled as she revealed formidable presence, ceasing the fighting between her charges and his own. The two warriors retreated a few feet, glancing down at the ground in shame, their cloaks flowing in a dust filled wind. It was easy to admit that he was glad he didn't have to commit to assaulting his clansman, he deplored combat without cause, and found himself battling far more often than he liked. He sighed before raking his hand through his curly chestnut hair, his eyes looking to Yuen. "Thanks for the help," he told her, looking over towards Avin and his three comrades. They were now mere shells of the rage beforehand. "Avin," he reprimanded harshly. "What are you doing? Rin is hurt you know, did you do that?" "The lad got in the way on accident, I was trying to save him." "From?" "Kyoumu," he said, nodding towards a smug Uchiha with five others holding bloodsoaked weaponry. "He talked ill of my late wife, I could not allow him to leave unharm. Even if we are clansman." Hato thought about the situation before rubbing his temple. "What do you think, Yuen? These small attacks are happening more and more frequently between these two. They'll end up starting a blood feud. "

Uemura sat at the front of the gathering clan infront of him. His hands together infront of him. Kawatake wasn't there yet, but that was alright. For once, he was going to speak. He looked around to see many surprised expressions among the clan at seeing him. The crowd was abuzz with rumors, gossip and talk. What was it their leader was going to tell them. He shook his head, he hated public speaking. He felt impatient, especially with the anger he had towards the unknown assailant. The reports of later damage hadn't helped. "QUIET!" He slammed a Sai against the wall behind him to get everyone's attention, standing up to get everyone's attention. Whoever was late could be filled in later, he didn't feel like waiting any longer. He stared at the crowd, making sure he had their attention. "This is enough to tell the rest of the clan. We have been attacked, an act of war. The assailant broke through out guards, and destroyed the poison stores of the clan. That means no poison will be added to anyone's weapons until we procure some more." He heard many disappointed comments from his Bunraku Clan. "Why I'm bothering to tell you this, and why I take this seriously is they left a calling card, one member, Eiki Sanada, was brutally murdered, and left as as sign. The brutality of it, while interesting, is mocking our clan, and asking for a response. If they want war, they will have it. I will not tolerate this clan looking weak! We've all done too much building to lose that all. I don't yet know who did this, but rest assured, we will have a puppet with his likeness by the end of this. Now, I don't expect morale boosting cheers, that's Kawatake's job. What I want is revenge. I expect all of you to prepare yourselves for war..... Now, assignments..... any assassins who may or may not be in the sound of my voice, it would be convient if Gobi was raided for any plants we use in our poisons. Tataruki, you are going to that town as well to interrogate anyone who might have information on who did this. I'm ordering your lord, Kawatake, when he gets here, to go with you. If anyone here thinks they are getting off easy with our enforcer gone, I'M handling all traitors personally while she's away." To say that Uemura was pissed would be an understatement. One thing was on his mind. He was not losing clan face to this. He was going to find who had done this, and he was not going to let them go. He was slightly paranoid as he went through what clans in the area were capable of doing this. He was going to have to talk with Zushina later about this.

Having gotten word of the terrible incident in the middle of the night Kawatake had been at work since the moment he'd been awoken. Now, exhausted and annoyed from his lack of sleep, he entered the gathering that his brother, strangely had called. He wasn't sure what Uemura would say, but he had an idea that it would likely have something to do with revenge. As his elder brother called his name he rubbed his temples, a smile touching his features briefly before he banished it, his normal seriousness returning. The man was quick to act, that was for sure, and he'd picked the right people to send, but that didn't mean he wanted to go anymore. Nonetheless, Uemura was the clan head, so he'd obey, especially since times were now so...troubled. “Understood, Uemura-san,” he called out to his brother before glancing through the crowd to find Tataruki. “Come, we're needed elsewhere, preparations must be made before we depart,” he waited for her response, and once he got it he began making his way from the gathering. He would hit Uemura later, now wasn't the time. No, instead it was time for war, something that he neither relished or despised. With the way of the Monzaemon as it was, not to mention his hand in keeping it that way, he could hardly feel either way. Shaking his head and turning his mind back to the mission he stopped outside of the gathering, several buildings away, and waited for Tataruki to catch up. It was going to be a long week, he knew. She'd been quietly enjoying some time in bed, before one of her kin had rudely awoken her from her thoughts, for she hadn't been sleeping—contrary to the beliefs of most—but rather considering what was to be done about the current state of affairs in regards to the clan. The truth was, they didn't have nearly as much territory as she would've liked. Still expanding meant intruding upon the lands of other clans, some smaller, some of equal power, and some who might even rival them should they get the chance. Having heard there was trouble of some kind from the aide, she had began dressing herself, doing so quickly and efficiently. It was when she'd just finished her make-up, not that she needed much of it—having inherited her mother's stunning beauty and all—that the messenger from her father arrived. “There's been a killing,” she could hardly believe what she was hearing even as she rose to greet the man. Instead a look of rage briefly came over her features, before she took a deep breath and let it fade into a dangerous fuel. Keep it contained, keep it controlled, deal with it later, she thought to herself, merely giving the man a nod as she exited the large building—the largest in the compound. It had been built for the head family, and thus was her birthright. “Tell my father to meet me in the gathering place. I will send out messengers to the rest of the clan and those on missions as soon as I've spoken to him. Oh, and have someone fetch my brother,” she added the last bit hastily even as her mind turned from that issue and began to figure how to tell the clan what had happened without instilling the same rage that she now buried in the pit of her stomach. She'd make her conclusion once her father arrived, he'd debrief her, then things could progress. With this in mind she headed towards a nearby forest, intending to go to the location where her mother's body lay. She simply called it Solace clearing and it was the place that the clan gathered when they needed to. This was where Toyotomi would meet her and where she would be when he got the message. In the meantime, she would have to think of how to suitably deal with this issue, for even without the circumstances or knowledge of the culprit, this could not go unpunished. Her people were not to be made light of, she would have justice, perhaps if it was the last thing she did. Hopefully it wouldn't be. Stealing from the rich to kill the poor and rich both. It was a wonderous prospect, Shinku thought to himself as he neared another town. He had heard there was a diplomat here, heard from a client that was. The diplomat had been troubled by a series of gangs and needed assistance, and so this was where the rogue Hyuga found himself. First he would find somewhere to stay, somewhere that the diplomat did not know well, then he would locate the man, his funds, and scope out his estate. It was a matter of course, he needed to know how to be in and out of the man's home should the fellow fail to amuse him properly—a fatal occurrence for the guilty. Humming a tune, Shinku spun a pouch about his finger, it was filled with coin from several jobs quite well done. They'd been enjoyable too, though he didn't quite like work for the client, nor the others who'd assisted him in the effort. Still, he'd been promised more work at a later date and the sum had been plenty to briefly satisfy the Hyuga's greed. Grinning he glanced about, his white eyes piercing everything before them as he did so. People shrunk from him as he past them, as if they knew the malice he held in his heart—as if they knew he was a killer, no, a predator just waiting to tear out their throats. The truth of the matter? He was...someone just had to offer him the right reason, or the right price, and he'd do it. It didn't matter whom either. Neither the victim or the client mattered, he'd do it for the money. However, if the client wanted to keep their life, then the victims, and the method by which he was to deal with them, or the reason that it should be done, mattered very much indeed. Yes, Shinku was tricky for there was a rule ever unsaid, but easily noted, to his trade. Amuse me and you'll live. Don't, and the same fate will befall you as befell those you paid me to prey upon...and none will be the wiser—and none will be fool enough to pursue me. No one was. Not yet. He liked it that way. Why? Because it meant that he wasn't just a predator, but instead that he was the predator, and he was at the top of the food chain. Man was it luxurious, his life that was. To any who fell beneath his eyes, well, they weren't nearly as lucky. Poor poor them, eh? A single member of his people eliminated, while not a grave loss, was one that he did not enjoy seeing. He stood over the body, eyes looking down at it, observing each detail. Still, he could not detect a hint of chakra, not a hint of leftover blood or biologically material from the aggressor. No means by which to track the individual so he could tear from him the truth, followed by the man's organs—one by one starting from least necessary and going up the chain till death. Yes, Zume did not like to see his kin die, he did not enjoy anyone's death, typically, the very idea of killing was often repugnant to him. However, in a world such as this one, it was also necessary at times, even if it was detestable. Sighing he turned to one of his kin and shook his head, before turning entirely away from the scene and moving to exit the cavern. Before he could his fellow Tatasuko spoke, “So what are we to do? We cannot let this go unpunished, can we? We are few in number, but we are strong. Could we not wipe out whomever did this, or at least demand they sacrifice one of their own as compensation?!” There was anger in the boy's voice, but Zume did not turn to him. He did not need to, instead all he said was, “Yes, we could.” He then departed, only to hear the boy swear and slam his gauntlet covered fist against the stone wall. The shade shook his head as he headed to the central chamber of their current base of operations. They'd be moving again soon. They never stayed still for long, and now, after an attack, was not the time to remain stagnant and easily traceable. No, the only reason they remained was because of his own expertise and the word of the Elder council, which he was now heading to join once more. With his deductions figured, he knew that not just anyone could have done this. It had to be someone who could sense chakra or at least track reliably. Perhaps someone who utilized earth jutsu could map out these caverns and detect them, perhaps someone with their own kekkei genkai gone rogue. That did happen sometimes, they were not perfect, no one was. Sighing lightly, he put the thoughts aside as he entered the central chamber, joining the council of seven elders, plus one. The eighth man in the room, ever silent, ever watching, but without opinion. He did his best to ignore him. “Nothing. Not a trace. We should move, perhaps send word to the other clans.” One of the others scoffed, ”What good will that do, but show our weakness and lack of understanding.” Zume did not look at the man, but continued as if he had not heard him. “I believe this was not an isolated incident, but a planned attack. A provocation meant to instil violence and hatred. With the culprit unknown the clans are left to figure whom did it on their own, through emotion and hatred.” Another elder spoke, “Would contacting others not incriminate us further? Perhaps make them think we an easy target? I see no reason to reveal our location, it only puts us at greater risk.” The man was right, but Zume had expected resistance, in fact he'd prepared for it. “I never said any of you ought to send the message, nor did I specify the messenger,” his abyssal orbs met each of theirs one by one, before settling on the small fire in the center of the room, which they sat about in a circle. “I will go.” The elders exchanged glances, then after a long moment, nodded in agreement, “I will send word if I cannot return immediately. Feel no need to inform me of your movements, I'll find the clan when I need to,” they all nodded once again as Zume rose, turning to leave. A chill touched his shoulder before he could leave, and there he was, the silent member of their council, the eighth man. “Your efforts to maintain the peace are fruitless,” he said, no emotion or feeling evident in his voice, his breath chilling upon Zume's back in a way that had little to do with temperature. “I can try,” he heard the man scoff and his hand lifted, at this he left the room. From within he heard the shuffle of the eighth man's foot steps, heading in the opposite direction, disappearing into the caverns they called home. The caverns that the eighth man had discovered to begin with, the man who had been his brother, Shougaku. Glancing at the rocky ceiling he preformed several handseals even as he entered his small home and donned his straw hat, its black cloth dangling past its edges to cover his face...and his eyes. “So it begins again,” he said quietly to himself before the portal opened, his form stepping through it where it disappeared. The world was turning once more. A new order, a new era, had began to crawl. It was past its infancy. The question was, what would it become?

The shadows stretched and twisted, expanding and thinning. The sun shined brightly with the morning and into the eyes of the duo that occupied the Nara Compound’s courtyard. Heavy breathing filled the air as they stared intensely at each other, dark eyes clashing. “You seriously think you can beat me, Shikako?” The barely-a-man huffed, his hands clasped together as he controlled the shadow that clung to his cousin’s. Shikako felt a surge of envy in her chest, ready to explode into a heat of anger, and she desired most to jab a fist into his face. Alas, she could not move – immobilized. “No, I don’t think I can beat you because you’re the great, amazing Shikashi.” “Save your sarcasm for someone else, bitch.” Shikashi hissed, standing up and strolling towards her with his hands in his pockets, forcing her to do the same. “Wow, you’re such a nice guy. Fit to be a leader, yeah?” Shikashi nearly hit her. Shikako grinned. “And you are?” Shikashi spat from the corner of his mouth. Shikako didn’t say anything; deep down, she knew she wasn’t fit to be the head of the clan. Nevertheless, she smiled cockily, especially when she knew that his shadow technique had reached its limit. Like clockwork, the shadow that connected the two quivered and began to recede. Now free to move, Shikako stretched her arms over her head and popped her back. Her smugness dispersed quickly when the presence of the two strongest shinobi in the Nara clan appeared. Shikayo and Shikaro stared down at the duo with unimpressed looks on their faces, a distance between the two making it clear of their anger towards each other. “Is that all you got, Shikashi?” Shikayo asked rhetorically, bearing his teeth and crossing his arms. Shikashi deflated, hunching his shoulders and glanced at the ground like an admonished puppy. Shikako almost laughed – and then she saw her father’s unimpressed glare, staring over her. “Let’s go, Shikako. We have things to do.” Shikaro said instead of reprimanding her like Shikayo did. Shikashi felt his heart burn with shame and anger, his hands clenching into fists in his pockets. “I’ll beat you next time.” Shikako called over her shoulder as she left the courtyard and Shikashi hissed incredulously under his breath.

Yuen glanced over at Kyoumu her eyes moving like a crosshair, meeting his eyes. No Sharingan was present in her gaze, instead it was something much worse; a signal nothing threatening, just the confirmation of destruction should he react in a way unsuitable towards Yuen’s situation. “Kyoumu, you boast your weapons with some pride it seems. I do as well,” she said raising her kunai up in the air. “The only difference between my weapon and yours is the lack of my clansmen’s blood staining mine. Do you think it wise to be boasting your bloodied weapon by the time Lady Kimiko gets here?” Yuen said putting her kunai back into its pouch. Yuen allowed some air to enter her lungs as her chest expanded into her shirt beads of sweat slipping down into her shirt from off of her neckline. She pushed her hair out of her eyes matting it back, the curls spooling down all the way to her lower back. She looked over at Hato, her eyes now friendly and kind. “I say we leave Kyoumu and his thugs for Lady Kimiko, it is not our place to pass judgment on someone’s actions, just to defend our people. We know their names, there is nowhere for them to go, so unless they plan on fighting their way out of this clan, Lady Kimiko will deal with them.” Yuen walked over to Hato from where she had been standing and put a hand kind on his shoulder. “It’s over now; do you know where Rin is? He should get some medical attention pretty soon.” Yuen gave Avin a sympathetic gaze, her eyes reading something along the lines of we’ll help him.   Four men surrounding one small girl, each man boasting a large weapon, one an axe, two swords and another a cudgel. They all bore smiles on their faces, though none grander than the girl’s. She was wearing a cloak that covered the majority of her body, shielding it from the great desert sun during the day and the harsh sand-carrying winds during the night. Mirai, feeling like a bomb ready to burst inside her cloak, could feel the bristle sand with her tail which was moving in slow deliberate circles, ready to act. She could hardly contain her excitement as he largely black eyes glanced at the two men she could see with ease and her well-adjusted ears listened to the two behind her. Her hands came up in a slow deliberate motion, forming one seal, in an instant a shadow clone-looking copy of Mirai appeared beside her. Mirai then buckled forwards, as if she was exhausted. Little girl I’m afraid you have no way out of this situation. One shadow clone isn’t going to be enough to get you out of this one. He said to the entertainment of the other men around him. Laughing he walked up to the clone and seemingly exhausted Mirai and casually gripping his weapon on his side. As he reached the clone his left fist tightened and he sent his meaty fist straight after its throat. The clone instantly disappeared in a cloud of white smoke as the other three men laughed hysterically. But from the white smoke they did not hear they friend. An air of tension spread over the vast desert expanse as all of them waited for their friend to chime in. But instead out from the white smoke blew a mass of black smoke, traveling towards them, growing exponentially in size paralyzing the three men. Before long, they were swallowed up by the black smoke which continued to barrel past them. First sounds of confusion would be heard, as one man claimed it smelled of ash, another claimed it felt thick and it could feel it gathering on his skin. They all would begin walking towards Mirai and their partner’s last known location. But before they could make it five feet, the faint sound of teeth clicking would be heard before a deafening explosion would be heard echoing across the great expanse. ”Is it too much to ask for a challenge every once in a while? Huh?” Mirai asked the now statue standing beside her frozen in time, leaning on him and sighing deeply, her tail receding into her lower back and her iris’ expanding pushing the black lining out of her eyes. The girl exited sage mode with a needlessly deep sigh. ”Well at least I’m here.” Mirai said looking not one hundred feet in front of her current position was the Monzaemon clan gates. I hope I can find work, this walk was a bitch. Mirai thought to herself approaching the gates and giving an audible knock on them, waiting for a response.

Kao Dorobo Land of Fire - Just outside Nara Compound - Morning Kao watched curiously from outside the compound, sitting upon a tree he climbed. He saw two people fighting, and an oddity happening with their shadows. After the weird thing with shadows the two mimicked each other perfectly. It was bizarre to see, and even weirder to see two others appear and act like the shadows acting as they did was normal. Though the two new appearances split the original two, "Maybe they were fighting, why would they be fighting? This place isn't anything some kind of arena is it...? I guess theres only one way to find out." Kao thought to himself hopping out of the tree. Quickly he ran towards this place he had come upon. Going straight to what seemed to be the entrance, "HELLO IN THERE.... WHAT IS THIS PLACE?" He waited for a short time, hopping someone opened up or at least answer him, he didn't want to intrude... but oh well if no one answers its not his fault.

Hato Uchiha. Uchiha Compound - Night He glanced over his shoulder at Yuen than returned his gaze to the sky with a sigh. "Yea," he agreed softly. "Come with me, I'll take you there." His dash earlier was slower now, steady. Yuen and himself had solved the issue before them and now they had only Rin to worry about. Poor kid, the child was only trying to stop his father from shedding blood. It was admirable, especially for one so young. With a quick action, he scratched a sudden itch in his head and let the arm drop back to his side. "Did it take you from anything important?" he asked out of the blue, remembering that Yuen was following behind him. The trail back to the tree was laid out before them now, his cloak billowed as he crept over a gravelly incline, allowing the wind providence over his clothing. He eye'd the future kunoichi with a type of ease that he had everyone else. She was young but powerful, sweat dotted her clothing that couldn't have come from the skirmish, so he figured she was training earlier; which spoke volumes. "The fight that is."

Nara, Shikako Land of Fire - Tea Room, Nara Compound, Morning “Shikamoe was murdered last night.” Shikako felt her heart break under her chest and her fingers twitched against her thigh. “Oh.” Shikaro stared at her with lazy, searching eyes and she felt him digging into her soul. He was waiting for her to burst into tears or throw the table across the room. Instead, Shikako sat there in seiza, fiddling with her hands in her lap. Shikamoe was a close friend, very close, and Shikako didn’t have many of those. Actually, she had none. Who wanted to be friends with deficit Nara heir? Well, a lot would, but ever since people began looking to Shikashi as the next leader, her list of friends had shrinking. Shikamoe was probably the last person who was truly her friend, if Shikako was honest with herself. Shikako has had people die in her life before; she is a shinobi, after all. However, every time was different. One time she might have thrown a fit and punch a hole through the wall and another she might have cried until her eyes were puffy and red. Both of those instances had been in different times of her life, though, and this time, this moment, was in a different time as well. In this time, Shikako was used to sorrow and disappointment. In this time, Shikako just felt numb. Emotions did not swirl in her belly and thoughts didn’t devour her mind; no, all she had was the numb static sprinkled across her limps and soul. After a long moment of silence, Shikaro seemed satisfied with her reaction and nodded to himself, taking a sip of his tea. “Good, Shikako. Now, we must proceed with how we should handle this. What do you think we should do?” Shikako glanced up from her lap and into the eyes of her father, the man that once coddled her with the warmth of fire, but now seemed like a distant silhouette with the icy grips of conviviality. He acted friendly and warm at times, polite and respectful, but he was nothing more than acquaintance to her. He had been nothing more than an acquaintance since the clan discovered of her insufficient chakra control. “We question the other clans of their participation in the killing of Shikamoe while continuing an investigation.” Shikako answers, picking at her nails nervously. “No, you are thinking politically. What should we do strategically?” Shikaro prompted, his tone hard and calculating. Shikako felt anxious sweat drip down her face and slip into her eyes. She had to blink multiple times to get the saltiness from her vision, lest it irritate her more. What was the right answer? If she is thinking politically, what would be the strategic answer? The Nara Clan had strong jutsu, indeed, but it didn’t have as much strength as the other big competitors and only had an average amount of members, not enough to swarm. The only thing that made the Nara Clan a worthy opponent was its skill in strategy and war. If they didn’t have numbers or strength, they couldn’t offend the other clans or make Shikamoe’s death public, now could they? “We keep quiet about it. We conduct a quiet investigation and increase security. We must remain on the defense until we discover the culprit; and when we do, we quietly and surreptitiously slaughter him in the most gruesome way we can in order to spread the message that no one messes with the Nara.” Anger, pulled from deep within Shikako’s gut, so deep she hadn’t noticed it, rises into her voice. It wasn’t the simmering rage that Shikako has felt when faced with Shikashi’s taunts. Instead, it was the cold fury that freezes and freezes in one’s heart, living and living until revenge is dealt. “Correct.” Shikaro murmurs, leaning back and taking another gulp of his tea. He sets it down and levels his eyes with Shikako, his intense gaze burning and scorching her. “But Shikashi would have gotten it on the first time.” Nara, Shikashi Land of Fire - Nara Compound, Morning Shikashi slowly stood up and crossed his arms, glancing at the newcomer with a suspicious gaze. Shikayo glances at the newcomer as well before tossing a nod to Shikashi and leaving. “This is the Nara Compound and you are intruding.” Shikashi hisses, hunching his shoulders and baring his teeth. “Leave, now.” Shikashi readies his chakra in case the intruder doesn’t leave peacefully and his muscles tense in preparation. However, nobody would notice it unless one knew Shikashi like the back of one’s hand.

Nara, Shikashi Land of Fire - Nara Compound, Morning Shikashi slowly stood up and crossed his arms, glancing at the newcomer with a suspicious gaze. Shikayo glances at the newcomer as well before tossing a nod to Shikashi and leaving. “This is the Nara Compound and you are intruding.” Shikashi hisses, hunching his shoulders and baring his teeth. “Leave, now.” Shikashi readies his chakra in case the intruder doesn’t leave peacefully and his muscles tense in preparation. However, nobody would notice it unless one knew Shikashi like the back of one’s hand.

"Well then... this is awkward," Kao said looking at the owner of the voice. "I'm nothing threatening just a puppet master" he spoke as he summoned up Scythe Master Liando, "They aren't scary unless you look them in the face... don't worry they are meant to be like that. "So are you sure I can't come in? I've been traveling the world and need, but a bit of rest"

As Uemura finished his address to his clan, he quickly dismissed them, glaring around. Something would tell most sane members of the clan not to talk to him.... which unfortunately probably left 3/4 of the clan left. He sighed as he got up, mulling over what was going to happen to the clan. They would send as many statements as needed, but it nagged him why. The Monzaemon were not well liked, but they were respected, why would anyone dare do anything to them to attract their whole attention? As he walked away from many people coming up to him, acting oblivious to them, a knock sounded, just barely loud enough for him to hear amid the not so hushed talk of the clan that had erupted since he'd ended. He didn't bother telling someone else to open it, walking up to it, and throwing the door open, the chill of the desert night breezing through the hall. "What do you want?" He saw a woman beyond the gates, and his eyes narrowed, wondering if she was part of the earlier murder