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Have you heard of the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV? With an expanded free trial, you can play through A Realm Reborn and Heavensward expansion up to level 60 for free with no restrictions on playtime.
3 yrs ago
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Have you heard of the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV? With an expanded free trial, you can play through A Realm Reborn and Heavensward expansion up to level 60 for free with no restrictions on playtime.
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6 yrs ago
You know that feeling when you feel like you should be doing something, recognize that you're not doing anything, but then proceed to continue to do nothing? That's me. Everyday.
On an infantile world, a being looked out and saw a boring world. With a sigh, it breathed onto the land, and winds became energized with untapped potential.
The Inuzuka's mild irritation with Fukushu dissipated the farther the duo got from the Academy, as if leaving the scene where she became so frustrated in the first place was a balm to her emotions. When it abated enough that she had enough rationale to think things through, the brunette was a bit disappointed in herself with how she dealt with the situation.
"Sorry about that Tensai-kun," Kimura apologized, never letting go of the Uchiha's wrist as she half-led half-dragged him through Konoha toward the village outskirts where their new sensei said was the meeting place. "I don't really know what came over me back there. I just really wanted to leave for some reason!"
While she was mostly occupied with looking ahead, mapping out a path in her head as she absentmindedly moved through and around obstacles like stairs, alleyways and people, the Inuzuka gained a stunned expression as she felt Tensai stumble behind her. When she turned to look, however, the boy had already recovered, but the event in of itself was a shock to the brunette. Not once in her life could she think of a time that Tensai would stumble on his own, even during one of the many moments she would pull him along, similar to now. Kimura didn't usually pay attention to Tensai's actions, as he was skilled and acclimated enough to her antics that he would be able to deal with however she brought him along with ease.
Her suspicion rose, her eyes narrowing at the boy behind her as she mumbled low enough that only Guremaru would be able to hear to keep his eyes on 'Tensai', just in case the apparent Uchiha showed any other new developments that could rat him out as a fake. While she still kept up her guard the second time he tripped, only storing it in her mind as yet another strike against the would-be-spy, she could only feel bad about the subsequent ones. By the time Tensai stood his ground, the Inuzuka had almost expected it, worry wiping away the idea of any conspiracy at play in her mind.
For once, Kimura was silent, only waiting for her best friend to speak as he undoubtedly wished to do so. When the request came, she had already spotted a good alleyway where someone could lose them in the crowd before their escape could be noticed, and quickly led him over in a timely fashion. Despite the rising sun, the side path was covered in shadow as the young girl stopped to hear what Tensai had to say. The copious amount of sweat, the quick beating of his heart, the heaviness of his breath, all signs picked up by the Inuzuka's enhanced senses that pointed her to the fact that he was going to say something very important. Something that could very well be a well-kept secret.
When he snapped his head toward her general direction, though his gaze was fixated upon the space where Guremaru lay upon her hair, the glimpse of his glazed over eyes was all the proof she needed to know that his words were true. Her earlier misgivings about the validity of her friend's identity stabbed her like a cold knife to the gut, and it was that moment of dismay that allowed Tensai to break away from her and run toward the main street. But near instantly, the new information that one of her best friends, one who she'd sparred with and lost to hundreds of times before, was blind, forced her to act swiftly.
A kunai, wire already tied to the ring at the end, was thrown toward the wall, ricocheting to pull the wire in front of Tensai. As he wouldn't have been able to see the wire, he probably wouldn't have thought to stop himself from running into the iron thread, said thread causing the kunai to spin around mid-flight, wrapping him in even more wire until he was bundled up enough that it hindered his movement. Enough for Kimura to run up behind him and wrap him in a hug, pulling him away from the street and back into the alleyway just before he could run face-first into a passerby.
Though Tensai might have struggled, she continued to hold him down with all her might, the bound wire making up for their difference in strength as she pulled him as close to her chest as she could. For a few, long moments, she was at a loss for words, unable to say anything about what was just revealed to her. She had no idea how it happened, nor why, nor did she know what emotions he must be feeling and had been since whatever incident stole his sight. All she knew she could do was hug him tightly, her eyes wet as she realized that her friend might be unable to truly become a ninja despite just becoming a genin.
Location: The Thirteenth Training Ground, Konohagakure
A few moments after she had disappeared from the Academy, Matsuoka reappeared at the designated meeting spot for her team in a similar gout of smoke. With a hand to her temple, she attempted to smooth out her oncoming migraine as she reviewed just who exactly was in her team of misfits.
Two kids from some of the most prominent clans in Konoha, the Senju and the Uchiha, and a lesser clan known for their mind techniques. Even more than that, the daughter of her former teammate was under her wing, and she couldn't help but think how Kazuma Uchiha will react once he figures it out.
While none of them were clan heirs, the fact that this combination of brats is the first team she'd ever become the direct sensei of is not without stress. She would curse her superior out, if the Hokage were to somehow walk up to her at that specific moment, though in all honesty she would curse out the milky eyed bitch any day of the week anyways just out of principle. The sudden saddling of a greenhorn trio didn't help though.
With a sigh, the potential sensei observed the area around her, making sure the training ground was as she left it when she scouted it earlier that morning. A large clearing, surrounded on all sides by a large thicket of trees, with large boulders and fallen tree trunks littered across the dirt as makeshift cover and potential obstacles. A collection of shaven stumps were spaced evenly across the ground, encircling the clearing around its edge and numbering just as many as the training ground's number: thirteen.
Perfect. Matsuoka glanced through the trees toward the village proper, where not far away her three students would be approaching from the Academy. They were in for a rude awakening, if they thought her test would be an easy one. She would grind them into dust, light a fire under their asses, and blow them away.
But maybe, just maybe, if they had the guts and the drive to succeed they would understand just what kind of sensei she would be, and what exactly she expected from her would-be-students.
With that thought in mind, the Sarutobi crossed her index and middle fingers in front of her, perpendicular to each other as a loud "pop" filled the clearing.
When the trio finally arrived with Ria in the lead, their future sensei was perched atop one of the thirteen stumps in the training ground, the farthest one away in fact. Her eyes snapped to the academy students in a hurry, as if she had been focused on something else beforehand, and clapped her hands loud enough to echo through the clearing to catch their attention.
"About damn time, fresh meat!" Matsuoka yelled, hopping up from her slouched position to stand atop the stump with an annoyed glare. "If my genin test was to see how quickly you can move your asses, I'd fail you all on the spot!"
The brunette unlatched her long bo-staff from her back, twirling it around her body to the front before slamming it into the ground beneath, the staff long enough that she could still lean on it despite being elevated a foot or two above the other end.
"Unluckily for you dumbasses, I'm not nice enough to let you just walk away without drilling into you just how unprepared you poor bastards are for the ninja world! Now get over here before I have to drag you along the fucking dirt so I can explain this shit to you!"
Location: The Classroom of Hatake Toshiro, Konohagakure Academy
In a manner expected of the most volatile friend Kimura has, the blinding gold of Tsume's voice exploded from beside her as the fiery redhead made the disrespectful jonin know just how she felt about being insulted. While being forced to squint at the onslaught of color was something the Inuzuka girl didn't enjoy, she was happy to see that Tsume was still being Tsume, even toward a superior during what's essentially a promotion ceremony.
The one who wasn't quite as touched by the sentiment, however, was Guremaru, jolted from his drowsy state into full alertness from the sudden shouting so close to him. Scrambling to stand atop his black-haired perch, it only took the puppy a moment to realize what exactly caught him off-guard before slowly relaxing back down on his partner's head with a slightly annoyed bark.
"Aww, you shouldn't say that about a friend," Kimura chastised, stroking the grey fur atop his noggin to calm him down and help him return to his previous sleepiness. "Tsume-chan was just standing up for everyone. You know, like she usually does!"
The puppy merely replied with a low growl before closing his eyes, snuggling into his perfect napping place as the owner of said hair quietly giggled. Silly dog. Though he does have a point. At the very least, Tsume's potential imposter is doing really well with their acting today, though in retrospect this moment will probably come back to bite her should the Yakushi ever be placed under the authority of this particular sensei.
Said sensei apparently came to the same conclusion, as Kimura noticed a devious smile cross the woman's face before the final sensei showed up and drew everyone's attention with his english ivy greeting. A plain look, with no defining features aside from the rough stubble that graced his jawline. Someone she'd never seen in the village before. Suspicious, and fits with a capital T. If it wasn't for the pair of glares sparked with familiarity from the two other sensei, she might have called him out as a spy right there and then.
Sadly, the shinobi-to-be didn't get much of a chance to inscribe what she could of the man's physical appearance and other noticeable features before the Academy Instructor called everyone to attention, citing off names for the new jonin sensei as well as the students taught beneath them. A few choices catch her ear, Shunpei and Tsume being placed under the inconspicuous Kitanai, Ria under the firebrand Matsuoka, then Tensai and herself assigned to the crow-like Shinatobe.
While she was slightly concerned about her two friends being placed under the potential enemy agent, the interaction of Shunpei with Tensai worried her even more. The offered hand to help Tensai up, the focus of their overheard conversation, and the strange transition from a half-formed fist to a slightly awkward shoulder pat all painted a picture Kimura wasn't sure was supposed to be of.
The three of them were quite inseparable despite their contrasting personalities. No one would expect the local peasant boy to be friends with the noble top-dog of their academy year and the Inuzuka weird even by their standards, yet somehow they all stuck together and became close friends despite the strange mix they made. Yet, the unseen conversation happening between the two made it seem as if they were pivy to a secret she wasn't, and a sinking feeling made its way into her gut when she thought of the unimaginable amount of potential things it could be. It was almost as if...
Kimura slapped her cheeks to banish the thought that popped up in her mind. There was no way they were attempting to stage a secret coup on the sensei to instantly promote to jonin. She had absolutely no idea how her mind led her to that idea, but she quickly pushed it as far away from her inner psyche as possible. It was just dumb and stupid and impossible and oh geez how should she help them if it was true?!
Before she could let her mind wander even further, she focused her attention at the matter at hand. Her body must have auto-piloted to Tensai's side at some point, because she found herself standing by his side facing their potential sensei, Shinatobe Uchiha. When Uchiha Narumi was still alive, Kimura could remember the woman speaking at times of a sibling. Abrasive and unwilling to connect with Tensai and his mother, the few things Kimura had heard of the new sensei weren't exactly a vote of confidence.
The last teammate of the team being who they were didn't help matters in the slightest. Fukushu was one of the only classmates she considered to be dislikeable, and with two pairs of eyes staring at her friend with negative emotions behind their gazes, the Inuzuka couldn't help but feel somewhat protective. Her arms twitched as she kept herself from drawing a blade and stepping in front of Tensai to ward off their looks, but one close enough to hear could catch the faint grinding of her teeth.
As the sensei left the three students to work things out among themselves, Kimura didn't quite understand what the crow-like woman had had meant. Lead Tensai to the training ground? Was it a subtle hint that her fellow classmate was being targeted by bloodline thieves? The brunette didn't give it too much thought, and quickly grasped the boy's hand with her usual level of enthusiasm to pull him along, not giving the Namikaze more than a second glance.
"Come on, Tensai-kun! Let's give our new sensei a good impression by getting there quickly!"
In all honesty, if Fukushu didn't go along with them and just met up at the meeting point at her own pace, Kimura wouldn't be very torn up about it. She didn't much like the fact that the girl had broken off her friendship with Tensai and competed with Tensai in a non-friendly manner. The eggplant-haired girl would just have to cool down whatever feelings she had before Kimura would accept her as a teammate, no matter the team assignments.
The year is 3098, 286 on the Interstellar Calendar. Humanity has spread across the stars, settling on hundreds of planets in dozens of galaxies, exploring the cosmos far beyond what they once believed was possible... and combating an enemy that threatens their entire species.
Aberrants, an alien force technologically evolved to annihilate the human race, corrode the planets they settle upon, using both the soil and the beings upon it as fuel for their unceasing crusade.
And yet, in a universe where the encroaching darkness seems set to consume everything, a light continues to flicker desperately to survive. Those willing to fight against it.
Aberrants
The Bio-mechanid Swarm, the Scourge of the Cosmos, the Enemy.
Known by many names across the several galaxies under humanity’s control, Aberrants are an alien race both biological and mechanical whose apparent sole purpose is the extinction of all human life. Stronger, faster, and technologically more evolved than their competitor, within the past one hundred years they have taken over nearly 60% of the planets that were once populated by humans.
Everything within the alien army is an Aberrant. The soldiers, the officers, the artillery, even the spaceships they use to traverse the stars and the giant bases they form upon a planet’s surface called a Nest. Each and every one is sapient, and usually possessing some form of autonomy. The closer their bodies are to a humanoid form, the greater their level of intelligence, with the strongest of the Aberrants almost scarily similar to a human form.
Aberrants exist as a eusocial hivemind, with their leaders serving both as broodmothers and the head of command behind each individual action the species takes as a whole, with every other member of the species serving within a caste system that prioritizes the needs of the strong. Though their method of intercommunication is unknown, the transmission time has been observed to be near instantaneous, with lower caste soldiers immediately changing tactics under the orders of their betters, leading many researchers to believe that the alien threat operates with some level of telepathic or neurological link between units.
The caste system, with each rank of Aberrant named after chess pieces or medieval figures similar to their role in society, is as follows.
Pawns
The lowest caste within the Aberrant hivemind. This caste is comprised of mostly of Aberrants that are no better than cannon fodder, with a few exceptions, and make up the front line soldiers than are led by their higher caste cousins. Although they are individually weaker than any one higher caste Aberrant, they make up for it with sheer numbers and efficiency of production cost, capable of overwhelming even a Mech or Constellation with enough time and resources. Most of the Aberrants' infantry and come from this caste, and are incapable of deploying barriers.
Rooks
Heavily armored troops of usually large sizes, Rooks are the ground units responsible for fortification building, point defense, and heavy suppressive fire. With carapace hard enough that even without barriers they can shore up against sustained fire, military personal and mech Pilots alike despise seeing one on the battlefield, specialized armor-piercing weaponry created solely to deal with their presence. Ground-based artillery, base fortifications and enemy mecha fall within this category.
Knights
A category that covers all known forms of Aberrant transportation, such as drones, fighters, and spacecraft. Powered and protected by their cores, with those capable of interstellar travel laden with massive multi-core installations, they are the premiere threat that dominate interplanetary and air combat. An Aberrant invasion is always heralded by an orbital bombardment from a fleet of Knights, and in the best cases it takes five military spacecraft to sink only one Knight.
Bishops
The sole reasoning for the Constellations’ existence, they are what one would call the Aberrant equivalent of a Constellation in the colony. They are, in definition, strong. Born from artificial wombs similar to that of the Queens, the high-ranked Bishops are outfitted with miniature, compressed cores within their body. These specialized cores allow them to output power equal to a warship, generate personal barriers, and possess extreme mobility, allowing them to eliminate a multitude of enemies and take on warships despite their size.
Promotion
When an Aberrant has gained enough experience in combat, an intelligence is formed and adaptability can be made. The evolution they undergo is called Promotion, and Promoted Aberrants are generally more difficult to defeat than their brethren and bestowed a unique code name. Usually, it is not difficult to sight out a Promoted Aberrant amongst its brethren, as they are prone to create alterations to their bodies in order to stand out. This has caused researchers to assume that the Named have gained a greater level of individuality from the hivemind, allowing them to conduct actions and operations deviating from the norm. It is a lesser known fact that a Promoted Aberrant could become a greater threat than an inexperienced Crownguard, as the experience granted from their lifespan has caused their combat ability to surpass the natural power of a fledgling Crownguard.
Crownguard
The highest designation for an Aberrant, the strongest amongst the strong. A single Crownguard is capable of overpowering an entire human world, superior to their counterparts with their unique and advanced cognitive abilities. As the only types of Aberrants born directly from the Queen, herself, they possess individual intellect, ego, and free-will independent from the colony hivemind and the Queen that resides over it. Research and observation has shown that they are even capable of human emotion, as well as understanding the human language and cultural nuances, using this information as psychological warfare against their human counterparts, the Constellations. All Crownguard are named in order to identify the threat and spread information to counter it as quickly as possible.
Similar to humanity’s Anomaly powers, the Crownguard manifest unique abilities of their own, presumably from the direct birth from the Queen’s personal womb. Their equipment and weaponry are created to augment these abilities past the limits of their ability, and the most recent adjustments to the Numbered Swords have been an imitation of this trait. They are powerful enough to garner a Constellation the Singularity-class merely by defeating one, but thankfully they are few in number as their production cost is extraordinarily high compared to other high caste Aberrants.
Queens
The mothers of all monsters, and the ruling caste within the Aberrant hivemind. Through evolution, they have specialized in both a leadership role and a reproduction role within each colony, capable of communication with their progeny across an unknown limit of distance, with the farthest known message received five galaxies over when a Promoted Bishop ceased the invasion of a planet to protect the assault on their Queen's planet. They create their broods through the use of Erosion, a violent absorption of a planet’s nutrients and natural resources that can be used to adapt the environment to suit the colony and threats against it. As there is usually only one Queen within each colony, the most efficient way to halt the enemy advance is to eliminate its Queen, destroying the chain of command.
While very little is understood about Queens, what little is known is very frightening. Firstly, they have an unprecedented ability to adapt, capable of assimilating technologies and new experiences at a rapid rate, allowing them to create different types of Aberrants from these adaptations and modify their direct line descendants. Secondly, the Queens are known to be sentient, capable of higher level thought, enact complex battle plans, and even feel emotions. Lastly, each Queen has developed a unique ability, utilized not only by themselves but their Crownguard as well, requiring each bloodline to be tracked and studied as to not be caught unawares by a hidden capability. Thankfully, only five known Queens exist, with one already defeated at great cost to humanity's forces.
Princesses
The direct hands and feet of a Queen, they act according to her will and supply units on the frontline, effectively Queens themselves in their ability to erode planets and spawn lower-caste Aberrants. Princesses have their own core, similar to higher caste Aberrants, and their offspring will often emulate the same cores as their progenitor. For example, a Princess with an Epsilon-class core will produce higher caste Aberrants with the same class of cores. Their core also indicate the speed and productivity of their Erosion and reproduction rate, with most recognized and given the appropriate label to their relative power level within the first few hours of Erosion. Most defenses of human planets require finding the Nest of the Princess that had invaded and terminating her, as Queens only rarely attempt to invade planets themselves.
A semi-permanent, self-regenerating energy source comprised of an organosilicon compound, Aberrant cores are the source of many of humanity's problems, and paradoxically their solutions. The amount of energy that can be harnessed from a single core is massive, with an efficiency rate so high it defies science and lacking any notably harmful byproducts. In the current age, they are the only effective way to use barriers, particle beams, and even conduct space travel. Conventional sources of energy have been outpaced by the excessive demands of the newer and more advanced technologies.
The power output of a core is inherently linked to the core’s size. They are classified from Alpha (lowest) to Omega (highest) as a representation of their power, with Beta, Delta, Epsilon, Gamma, Sigma, and Theta in-between as relative hallmarks of power output. Cores emit a distinctive signature while activated, which allows them to be detected and tracked down with specialized sensors. Some cores even output an energy signal strong enough to act as effective EMP against human technologies.
Epsilon-Class cores and above are used within large-scale activities and only specialized infrastructure or space vessels have the capacity to equip them. The only exceptions are cores from Promoted Aberrants, which can deviate from known human understanding of cores and be small with a higher ranked energy yield. As of the current game state, there are no known technologies in humanity's smaller form arsenal able to withstand a Gamma-Class Promoted Aberrant's core.
A type of energy/particle-based defense mechanism that envelop an area in a translucent shell of energy, acting as a protective measure against potential damage to whatever is defended within its sphere of influence. Barriers provide protection through the deflection, dissipation, or absorption of energy in multiple forms (kinetic, radiation, directed, etc.) until the threshold of its defense is oversaturated. Barriers are classified from F (weakest) to SS (strongest), with B-Ranked and above usually reserved for space vessels with the exception of Promoted Aberrants
Barriers consume an immense amount of power in order to maintain their form, an amount that can only be generated by enabling instruments powered by a core. The use of a barrier for sustained periods of time is unadvised, as it is seen as a better idea to only activate them at an opportune moment as to not unnecessarily waste energy. Simply projecting a barrier can be considered an attack, as the stronger barriers can push the surrounding space with powerful kinetic force.
It should be noted that a barrier’s defensive ability is not absolute or entirely reliable. Unique materials (e.g. Anti-Barrier Swords) and phenomena (e.g. Anomaly) can negate barriers using their own special properties. Although not as efficient, sustained stress can drain the energy source or slowly chip away at the barrier’s effectiveness. A barrier once shattered requires a momentary rebooting sequence before it is effective once more, allowing conventional forms of firepower to take advantage of the brief window of opportunity.
Constellations
Humanity’s Final Hope, the Light in the Darkness, the Heroes.
Named after the stars that illuminate the vacuum of space, Constellations are the legendary figures that fight the most dangerous threats in the alien swarm. Tasked with eliminating the high-caste Aberrants that no normal human could match, they are an elite group of warriors made from the best of the best, talented among talented, and as supernatural as the enemies they face. To most of the human race, they are thought to be an unstoppable force, limited only by their number, adored to the point that they are treated like celebrities and at times worshiped like beings of mythos.
Despite their reputation, however, the truth is something that can never be divulged to the millions of planets until humanity’s control. To keep humanity’s hopes alive, propaganda portrays Constellations as near-invincible, that for one to die in the line of duty is a rarity during missions against the alien threat. The truth is not so. While they equal a single high-caste Aberrant, they cannot outlast a swarm of weaker Aberrants, overrun within minutes and defeated by exhaustion if not the overwhelming numbers themselves when not properly supported.
Those that are trained to become Constellations come from all across the many planets in the universe. People who had exceeded physical limitations, mutants, mosaic babies, or members of the warrior families. Anyone who may lay claim to the name of "prodigy" is invited to join the Constellations. All registered children are tested at a young age for their potential growth in the future through knowledge tests (comprehension speed, memory, retention, etc.) , blood tests (for Anomaly powers), physical tests (projected capabilities, hand-eye coordination, etc.), and other experiments before being given to a designated teacher, their notes and statistics given to their retainers who will mold their training to suit the potential Constellation. While there are some who attempt to join the Constellations later in life, most are drafted at the age of eight, and are immediately thrown into the level of training suited for their pre-existing level of experience.
Trainees are taught in the schools of tactics, firearms, martial arts, as well as subjects such as mathematics, anatomy, and physics in order for them to calculate strategies on the fly, and understand the equipment they use in the field. They eventually gain a Stardust-Class designation when one of three things occurs. One, they complete the entire ten year tenure of their training program. Two, they gain enough combat experience to qualify for the role before the ten years have completed. Three, they have accomplished a great feat, impressive even among the Constellations. The third option, of course, is the least likely, yet every year there are attempts to subvert the training regimen for a fast track to a higher rank. A handful of trainees have succeeded, many of whom had later reached the peak of their fields. Thousands more had failed in the attempt, leading most to believe that undertaking such a feat is indicative of a prodigy amongst prodigies, or insurmountable luck.
Constellations, after bequeathed their sword, are given a callsign for others to know them by. While some are unique to the person, others are passed down from generation to generation or from the previous user of the sword to the others, whether it be as a traditional right of passage, or to honor those that fell before. Callsigns are usually fashioned after a star from a known asterism, but not always.
Constellations, as powerful as they are, would undoubtedly be useless against the high caste Aberrants without their equipment and the powers they wield. The items and abilities listed serve to aid Constellations in the near-impossible task of stopping the extinction of humanity.
Anti-Barrier Swords
Not necessarily molded into the shapes of swords, the AB Swords are the main weapons of every Constellation, designed and forged by the mysterious Sword Mother in order to combat the natural barriers the high caste Aberrants emit. Rather than the weapon itself, it is the particles formed by the anti-barrier material mixed into the blade that allow the user to disrupt and shatter an enemy’s defenses. While most weapons are designed with durability in mind, the anti-barrier material mixed with various metals to keep the weapon usable after multiple engagements, even AB Swords with a high Anti-Barrier Quotient would be capable of withstanding blows that most conventional weapons would break from.
Numbered from the first to the last, eight-hundred and thirty-nine AB Swords were created by the Sword Mother, with more slated for completion as the limited materials required for them are gathered from all across the universe. Only around six-hundred are in active use at any one time, however, many lost in various conflicts, while some are kept for historical purposes or stored for safe-keeping until a suitable user can be found. Weapons within circulation are reforged for each wielder they’re passed down to, whether it be through an apprenticeship or after the original owner died in the line of duty. Most are made to be standard melee weapons, but those tailor made for Anomaly users are given auxiliary features suited for their needs.
Defensive Coating Coats
A lightweight, flexible, personal shielding system, DC Coats are the fine line between injury and death. While not as effective as other defensive measures that can completely negate damage, they’re capable of mitigating energy attacks, particle beams, and gamma radiation, as well as reducing the aftereffects of shockwaves that may come into contact with it. This protection comes at a price of weakening, or even completely restricting, the use of Anomaly powers by the wearer.
DC Coats are not always in the form of a literal coat, similar to AB Swords, crafted in the form of cloaks, suits, sometimes casual clothing or even armor. These alterations do not affect the power of the Coat, however, the material level of the Coat will. Ranging from Zayin to Aleph, with Teth, He and Waw as benchmarks between, the defensive ability and the restriction to Anomaly power increases with each level. Zayin level Coats, allowing complete access to one’s Anomaly power, is only able to protect the wearer from lingering particles and radiation. Aleph level Coats, which effectively disable one’s connection to phenomena entirely, act as heavy armor that can allow users to survive direct blasts from concentrated laser fire, albeit with debilitating, battle-ending injuries.
Anomaly
A genetic mutation caused by humanity’s expansion throughout the galaxies, Anomaly is just that, an anomaly that humans should be unable to possess. Powers not granted through training, but through a bloodline trait that grants family trees access to special abilities that no other is capable of. Every known Anomaly is one passed down from the original five, the Progenitors, either as a direct line ability or an off-shoot from mingling with other families with the genetic potential for Anomaly.
Even before the Aberrant threat, Anomaly had existed among humans, limited to small tricks such as lighting a candle with one’s finger or levitating a cup of coffee from the desk to one’s hand. It wasn’t until humanity faced their greatest threat, and came into contact with the mysterious anti-barrier material, that Anomaly displayed feats once thought to be mythical. Studies lead scholars to believe that both originate from the same unknown phenomena, as the AB Swords tailor made to support Anomaly users display drastically enhanced effects compared to what the weapons should be capable of.
Constellations, while related to humanity’s military, are not actually commanded by them. Instead, they are a self-relegated force with a ranking system relative to their ability and experience. These are those ranks, from the lowest ranked to the highest.
Stardust-Class
Trainees, while technically drafted into the Constellations, are not considered to be truly part of the force until they complete their training. When first entering the ranks of the Constellations, they’re first tasked to deal with the lower caste of Aberrants. Against various types of Pawns, then later Rooks and the Knight forms used on a planet’s surface, they are given a taste of what combat truly is like while slowly increasing their battle senses. This period of a Constellation’s career is usually the briefest, lasting on average around a year.
Proto-Class
A transitional period for most Constellations, experienced enough that they’re no longer seen as unbloodied yet not enough to be trusted with lives, a Proto-Class spends most of their time doing the same thing they had as Stardust-Class, albeit with a bit more authority. Fighting Bishops isn’t expected yet of a Proto-Class, but most at this point have a high chance of defeating one in single combat. While some stay in this rank due to lacking capability, or for the sake of leading a desk role, the maximum time that one will stay in this period is normally only three years.
Main-Class
Where the majority of active Constellations reside, and where most of them peak in their careers. At this stage, they are expected to be capable of fighting Bishops effectively, dealing with multiple over the course of a day’s work alongside a dedicated strike team. Most Main-Class Constellations partner up with a mech Pilot around this time, if not multiple, while some choose to stay solo for their entire tenure. After ten years of working in this position, Constellations are then given the chance to retire, an option few are willing to take bar a career-ending injury or overexposure to radiation. Without the proper achievements, a Constellation can spend their entire lives at this rank.
White Dwarf-Class
Retirees, both former and current, belong in this designation. While technically not a rank itself among the Constellations’ system, they’re thought of with higher seniority among those with a similar rank. A varied bunch that can range from those unwilling to face the perils of war and acting on-site as logistics members, to disabled veterans whose bodies would reject augmentations or regrowth projects, or even old warriors simply taking time off to meet with their families, Constellations are constantly reminded that a White Dwarf is still one of theirs, and that even a dying star still burns brightly.
Red Giant-Class
Only those willing to go above and beyond the call of duty reach this rank, an honor that very few are given the opportunity for. Red Giants are given the authority to form operations for retaking planets, putting together teams to push back the Aberrant threat before they can destroy their conquered world. Being capable of defeating multiple high caste Aberrants at a time is not just expected, but mandatory, carving visible paths through the enemy toward the Nests housing the alien leaders. A Red Giant is sometimes escorted by Main-Class Constellations instead of Pilots, effectively using them to clear Bishop chaff as they aim for the Named monsters.
Supernova-Class
The highest level a Constellation can reach, a name written on the stars themselves that acts not only as a weapon against the Aberrants, but a shining light of hope for humanity. The leaders of a Constellation Sect must, at minimum, reach this rank, and for one to fall on the fields of battle is a heavy blow to the force as a whole. Killing a hundred Princesses is what most consider to be the ‘baseline’ for someone to reach this height, but even among those that have, not many have been given this sacred position.
Singularity-Class
Similar to the White Dwarf in that it is not an official rank among the Constellations, it is a designation only given to the heroes among heroes. Defeating a Crownguard is a feat only few can lay claim to, as killing one requires the sacrifices of dozens if not hundreds of Constellations, but those given this designation were able to do so. While most of them are from the Supernova-Class of Constellations, there are three recorded incidents of a Red Giant landing the killing blow, and one of a Main-Class, all of whom had immediately been promoted upon completion of this feat.
Polaris
Named after the North Star that guided humans during their time on Earth, the Polaris or Top Sword is unequivocally known as the strongest Constellation. Having superiority over all but the leaders of the Constellation Sects and the Sword Mother, it is a position that garners respect and envy from all who know of it. Every five years, twenty candidates are chosen from the list of Supernova-Class Constellations for a special tournament held on Earth’s moon, broadcasted all across the known human-controlled planets to watch as they compete for the top spot.
With bloodlines possessing the gene that allows their families to generate phenomena, the children of warrior families comprise most of the Constellations. Varied in their cultures and native planets, they are unified only by their collective connection to the Progenitors. Off-shoots of the original five, while not beholden to the Progenitor families’ demands, grant them due respect, their powers the naturally strongest of the supernatural abilities.
Anomalies passed down through genetics aren’t guaranteed, with only one in five children that gain access to their power possessing the talent potential of becoming a Constellation. Children in warrior families that do not inherit the Anomaly or are incapable of using it for combat usually act as diplomats or support the fight through other means, with some families entirely built around a commodity to fuel the war effort regardless of their Anomaly capability. Transplanting an Anomaly through gene splicing or attempting to recreate it in cloned humans has a 100% failure rate, leading many to believe that the phenomena is a divine right or tied to the essence of one’s being.
While there are a multitude of families across the stars, only the Progenitors, their sects, and the power of their Anomalies will be listed below.
Solignis
A family that believes wholeheartedly in the symbolism behind the Constellations’ existence, leading the way as a guiding star through the endless darkness. Situated on the planet of Mars in the Sol system, every member of the family not lame or unsuitable due to age drafts themselves into active duty across the galaxies, only returning to their home planet once every two years for a festival that honors the dead. Their Anomaly is “Corona”, a flame-based phenomena that at the highest level can be focused into superhot beams that melt through spacecraft.
They lead the Southern Sect, their symbol being a vermillion bird in flight atop a burning landscape. Most of the attempts to retake the galaxy from intact Aberrant-controlled planets are led by the South, their hatred for the alien threat burning the hottest among Constellations and known for losing the most prospects among any of the sects.
Kholomica
Solitary and as cold as their Anomaly, the Kholomica are primarily responsible for the Constellations’ collaboration with the military, their strategists in a constant state of both cooperation and debate with the main force against the Aberrant threat. With a home planet of Venus, they intentionally live on a hotter planet to cultivate the strength of their supernatural abilities, with users of the power only allowed to leave when they can create a block of ice and maintain it for seven days. Their Anomaly is “Absolute Zero”, an ice-based phenomena that allows the user to create constructs of ice by freezing the atmosphere. The most powerful users can slow the particles it interacts with until they no longer generate heat, frozen in place and easily broken apart with any considerable force.
They lead the Northern Sect, their symbol being a black tortoise planted into the surface of a planet. In-charge of pre-emptively situating themselves on planets to retaliate against approaching Aberrants, the other sects perceive them as slow or cowardly as at times when they defend planets that the enemy doesn’t invade or arrive too late to prepare defenses.
Eorman
Wild and free, Eorman have no discernable home of their own, a wandering bloodline that settles on planets to create disciples regardless of their origin before sending them out to do the same. Growing their hair out as long as their record of battles, they are unofficially known as the family that helps spread propaganda, their actions indirectly fortifying the general public’s belief in the Constellations. Also unofficially, their home planet is Jupiter, a legend passed down within the family detailing a grandmaster that could walk upon the gas giant’s surface. Their Anomaly is “Proof of Self”, a body-enhancement phenomena which increases their bodily ability by hundreds of times at the cost of their lifespans.
They lead the Eastern Sect, their symbol being an azure dragon with its body curled around a golden orb. Most of the instructors for potential Constellations are trained by the East, though only few ever join the sect itself. Though intellectually known to have some of the strongest warriors, they are still considered the weakest due to several of their members being relegated to the backline regardless of rank or skill.
Symtropantos
Symtropantos are known for their works rather than themselves, the leading minds behind many of the technologies the current Aberrant-fighting force take for granted. Believing that anything can be explained with numbers and logic, the few that live on their home planet of Mercury do so for the sake of understanding their Anomaly under some of the worst conditions possible. Finding beauty in what most see as worthless data, the library carved into the metallic core of the planet holds every conceivable piece of information collected by humanity. Their Anomaly is “Ends Meet”, a powerful phenomena that manipulates the polarity of objects and things in contact with the user. Proficient users of the anomaly are known to entirely replace their bodies with mechanical parts, relying on their abilities to move around in ways that no human could reasonably recreate.
They lead the Western Sect, their symbol being a white tiger with claws clasped around a silver coin. Responsible for keeping track of the numbered AB Swords and retrieving them from battlefields, they’re thought of to be callous individuals who only care for tools and not the people that use them, in some cases claimed to be seen on standby during battles where their presence would turn the odds in humanity’s favor.
Hua
The information available on the Hua is few and far between, their efforts focused entirely on the retrieval of new anti-barrier materials. All that is known is that they are the only known warrior family that originated from Earth itself, and that they are heavily intertwined in the politics surrounding it. Their Anomaly is “Between Worlds”, an ultimate phenomena that gives them unparalleled control over the space around them. The current Polaris, leader of the Constellations, has been rumored to have cut a planet in half with a single sword swing, though no official records state as such.
They lead the Central Sect, their symbol being a golden beast. Central sort of has a hand in every operation, with their members filling whatever role is available. The highest ranked, however, are dedicated to deep strike missions to enter Aberrant- controlled space, searching for anti-barrier materials among the worlds they hadn’t had a chance to explore before the alien threat had destroyed them.
Pilots
Walking Tin-Cans, The Mechanized Arm of the Military, the Heralds.
The men and women that protect the protectors, Pilots are an invaluable resource in the fight against the Aberrants, supporting the Constellations as they attempt to surmount the alien menace. Expected to clear the path for their more fragile allies, their mechanized suits are armed with heavy weapons suited for cutting down hordes of monsters and at times supportive gadgets to buy times until they can be bailed out of a tricky situation by a Constellation or fellow Pilot. While their qualifications aren’t quite as strict as the Constellations, Pilots are taken from aces, veterans, and savants, people better than the average man and willing to do what is necessary for the sake of humanity’s survival. Their armored tools of war, standing up to sixty feet tall and towering over most if not all human-based land vehicles on the fields of battle, bring hope with their presence. Because wherever there is a Pilot, there is the Constellations.
Piloted mecha were originally created for the purposes of mining operations and construction on inhospitable planets, aiding in terraformation in situations where humans couldn’t walk on the surface normally and where impercise machines could ruin the operation. As the war against Aberrants developed, however, humanity’s expansionism quickly grinded to a halt, and the overproduction of piloted machines no longer had a reason for their use. Not until a team of civilians, emboldened by the sight of Constellations falling in the early days of the war, took their construction equipment into battle to protect their heroes from an oncoming swarm. While those brave pilots had died in the endeavor, it had given the Constellation the time they needed to finish the battle, and soon after the military had started a mass production order to retrofit existing mecha units for combat.
Modern mecha are nothing like their original counterparts, with mobility prioritized over defensive material as the transport of Constellations and the ability to avoid artillery fire became the general requirement for extended, pitched combat. While most only have two to four weapons, one primary and secondary for each arm, others have shoulder mounted cannons, missile silos along the legs, hidden blades, anything and everything that can be used to kill Aberrants. Powered by Aberrant cores scavenged from the alien threat while their Princess or Queen broodmothers were alive, their power output is heavily relegated toward their flight systems and sensory input, leading many to prefer ballistic weaponry over energy weapons despite the latter’s overwhelming power.
A mech Pilot can apply for the force as early as fifteen, brought onboard for a five year training program designed to beat out old habits. The program prepares the Pilot for the G-forces caused by the frantic nature of mid-combat flight, firearms training not only in the mech suit but outside of it, tactics, and the rules of engagement. Or rather, lack thereof against the Aberrant threat. When their training is completed, they’re initially given an enlisted Space Recruit rank, elevated to an Apprentice and later an official Pilot after a year of active duty, barring any limiting factors such as poor performance or lack of necessary hours working inside a mech. Their ranks then proceed in a similar manner to what was originally the US Navy, becoming a Petty Officer or later promoted to an officer role with an acceptable record.
Humanity
The Sapient Species. The Oppressed Masses. The Underdogs.
Only two-hundred and eighty-six years ago, the denizens of Earth hadn’t understood the true magnitude of the cosmos, larger than large, wider than wide, their small corner of the universe but a spec compared to the millions of stars within their own galaxy. But soon after, they began to expand, imposing their influence on outer space as they filled the emptiness with life. Terraforming lifeless rock into vibrant landscapes, dry deserts into manageable oases, worlds of water into planet-sized theme parks, utilizing the uninhabited, unused satellites that orbited the stars and shaping them to their amusement.
Until they found something they shouldn’t have. Life other than themselves.
The hostilities had occurred without warning, their first contact with the alien threat concluding with the debris of a merchant vessel spinning off into the vacuum of space. Unprepared for war, and ill-informed of their aggressors, had it not been for the timely discovery of the anti-barrier material, humanity as one knew it would be extinct. But even against a foe more powerful and advanced than they, humans adapted to their situation and evolved as a species. Though once separated by faction and the vastness of space between them, the planets under humanity’s banner coalesced into a singular entity. United against the threat of a race other than their own, the petty squabbles over resources had taken a backseat, the full might of humans banded together for a singular goal.
Destruction of their natural enemy, and freedom among the stars.
Over the course of human history, humanity had attempted to organize itself in a multitude of ways to stem the Aberrant tide, many of which had been unable to stand the test of time. What is left are the institutions that had gathered the majority of humanity, weathering the brunt of the space age and capable of standing tall within the confines of the human race. The biggest of which are listed below
United Affiliates of Sol
The central government in-charge of all human-occupied planets. Situated at the heart of the Sol System, it is run by a federal system of democracy led by a council composed of every known organization in the Milky Way Galaxy. Heads of corporations, diplomats, and the leaders of both the military and Constellations all have a say, every action taken put to a vote and prioritizing the survival of the human race above all else. While other plants, divided by their designation, have their own say on certain matters, it is the UAS council who have the final word on all happenings within human territories.
Sol System
The denizens of Sol, compared to every other planet and galaxy, live in constant luxury. Given benefits that no other system has by virtue of being where humanity originated from, they suffer from more resources than they could possibly need. Many of the denizens had only heard of Aberrants from rumor, and were it not for the Constellation and military involvement in government affairs, would’ve never known they existed at all. Aside from members from the Progenitor families, there are little to no applicants for the war from these planets, used to their easy lifestyles and inherent higher status compared to other members of humanity. To a lesser extent, the planets within the Milky Way Galaxy are of a similar status, albeit nowhere near such extremes.
Core Worlds
Made up most of the planets between Sol and the rest of the universe, core worlds are about what one would expect for a human-occupied planet. With their own central governments and systems in place, they defer to the UAS and Sol when the situations call for it, but are effectively their own bodies outside of that. Occasionally, an Aberrant fleet may wander its way into the territory of a Core World, but for the most part they are still considered ‘safe’ by human standards. Core Worlds further away from the Milky Way may have their designations changed at any time, the alien threat encroaching closer and closer to the heart of human life with every passing year.
Frontier Planets
The outer worlds in the direct line of fire, they are the most involved in the Human-Aberrant War. Constantly in danger, lacking resources as convoys refuse to draw near to Aberrant-targeted planets, and at a heightened state of alert at all times, many of the denizens despise the Sol system when they hear of it. Planets abandoned to flee an overwhelming Aberrant force are marked for salvage, with Constellations and Pilots sent to the destroyed worlds in search of anti-barrier materials that might have been lost in the conflict.
Mobilized Human Alliance
The combined military force of every planet and galaxy humanity has to offer in extinguishing the Aberrant threat. Composed of the infantry that deal with the low caste, Pilots who support the Constellations, and the officers that command spacecraft, they are the driving force that have kept humanity intact for so long. In disputes regarding interplanetary crimes and galaxy-hopping criminals, they also have the authority to act as a heavy-handed disciplinary force that executes the law when the planets are unable to.
The Five Constellation Sects
Five bases in strategic locations around the Milky Way Galaxy hold the five Constellation Sects, situated near where wormholes are frequently occurring in order to utilize warp technology and transport themselves to any star system that requires aid. The Sect Leaders have seats upon the UAS council, very frequently bickering with the MHA over what should be prioritized for the war effort.
Facing the Aberrant scourge brought about a new era of technological advancement, not only for the military, but humanity as a whole. While several of these are used in combat scenarios, these are some of the most impactful inventions used by humans in various facets of life.
Warp Gates
By siphoning the energy of opened worhholes within a designated area, a warp gate is capable of emulating similar effects, acting as a passage way to any open wormhole within a galaxy’s distance. Used to circumvent the large swaths of blank space between galaxies by “galaxy hopping”, they are also useable for shorter ranged transport between planets and nodes of communication. A galaxy wide alarm system is implemented in case of sudden inoperation, having the auxilary effect of alerting nearby systems of Aberrant activity when one is destroyed.
Nanomachines and Body Replacement
Affordable only by the wealthy and distributed to need-based organizations such as the Constellations, nanobots grant a level of robustness that was once thought unnatural. Promoting and aiding in cellular regeneration faster and for far longer than human bodies normally allow, minor injuries disappear within minutes and moderate injuries are repaired within a day. Additionally used in mechanical technologies such as prosthesis and the dispersal of information, it is difficult to find where one wouldn’t see nanotech in use than vice versa.
While rare, as there are few reasons to require it, mechanical implements used to reproduce human facilities are possible, able to replace not just limbs, but entire bodies with technology. Most prefer cloned organs, as they’re more stable and do not require upkeep, but others use replacements to elevate their natural limits. Constellations, however, rarely if ever choose a technological replacement over a natural one, as their body’s natural limits are far beyond the others of humanity and would be hindered by mechanical limits.
Cloning
As a solution to labor problems occurring with the continued destruction of human worlds, humanity researched and later began production of cloned humans. Using a sample of DNA from willing subjects, a replica can be formed with nearly 100% of the original’s attributes. However, an issue regarding the replication of brain tissue continues to stall progress in the field, with most clones retaining only 85% of the original’s personality and memories. The missing material could be as simple as forgetting what something tastes like to entire pieces of history and family, effectively making clones their own person rather than a copy of another.
Clones, while given the same rights and personhood as any other human, are mandated to always be tracked with a microchip containing information on their original donor, genetic status, and the company that had produced them. While rare, clones are known to have enlisted as Pilots or Constellations, although usually not as effective for the latter as replications are unable to generate phenomena and inherit Anomaly. Most are used as infantry, logistics personnel, or laborers, filling empty spaces when a society does not have the natural manpower for it.
Planetary Defense System
A planet-wide shell of energy that protects the surface from orbital bombardment, the PDS is a relatively new form of delay tactic to allow the military to react when Aberrants attempt an invasion. Projected by a space station which itself is defended by a layer of barriers, only a few dozen exist due to their reliance on high grade Aberrant cores to function. Specifically, those scavenged from spacecraft, which are the most difficult to salvage aside from ones taken after defeating a Crownguard.
IC 0
Start of the Interstellar Calendar. Warp Gates mass produced by various companies, beginning the Space Age.
IC 1
Planetary Organization of Sol (POS) is founded as a collective effort of the United States, Russia, the United Kingdoms, and a large portion of Asia. The POS began the exploration of resource-rich planets and asteroids. Planetary-scale terraformation development is finalized and the first tests begin.
IC 3
Mars and Neptune are terraformed and become viable for human living conditions. Mass space-bound emigration boom from Earth begins.
IC 6
Human spacecraft exit their original solar system, later designated as Sol. The POS became the head of government over a variety of solar systems that began to develop their own legal authorities. The Confederacy of Solar Systems (CSS) forms to support the POS
IC 10
The rest of the terraformable planets within the Sol system are colonized. Over the next few decades, the human population across the stars exponentially increases. To compensate, cloning and other technology begins development to meet labor demands.
IC 27
Human influence reaches the Andromeda Galaxy. Another auxiliary government is formed in order to continue the unified ventures of humanity.
IC 35
Colonies within the Andromeda Galaxy overthrow the auxiliary government. They form their own unified government named the World Governments of Andromeda (WGA) and announce their secession from both POS and the CSS
War of Independence - The WGA waged a galaxy-wide war against the POS and CSS, recorded as the first, true outer space war.
IC 43
Multiple solar system governments within the CSS undertake their own, smaller rebellions and branch off, forming the New United Governments of Sol (NUGS). The POS absorbs the remnants of the CSS. This War of Independence between the three factions lasts for another sixty years.
IC 113
A lull within the fighting emerges. Representatives of the the Planetary Organization of Sol, World Governments of Andromeda, and the New United Governments of Sol converge at a planet named Perche-3 within a neutral galaxy for a peace summit.
IC 113.06 - Both the POS and the WGA representatives are killed, with the NUGS representative absconding. An outrage is raised between all parties, and a new war begins in earnest.
IC 113.10 - Several mega-corporations across the multiple galaxies unofficially form the Union of Interested Parties (UIP), who begin to act as a neutral side that supplied all three factions with technologies for the war. Greater innovations continue to be developed, and many that have been invented became widespread.
IC 114
Over a hundred years of history lost to time, the brutality of the Human Civil War causing the destruction of many known locations of records. First sightings of the Aberrant threat are claimed to have occurred during this period, all unconfirmed or hearsay.
At various unknown points in time, many of the technologies that would later define the Human-Aberrant War are created.
IC 215
First confirmed sightings of Aberrant activity during interstellar travel. Observed from afar and caught as unknown spacecraft on scanners, but no direct engagement at this time.
IC 216
Human Civil War continues. The humanoid visages of Aberrants are discovered on newly discovered planets within the Messier Galaxy, as well as the beginnings of an Aberrant Colony. Information pertaining to the first contact is not recorded.
IC 218
Official contact with an Aberrant fleet and their rudimentary spacecraft. Systematically defeated by a defense fleet of the WGA and are forgotten for the next two years.
IC 220
Planet Othelos-8 within the Messier Galaxy becomes the first human world to be corroded. The Human Civil War begins to slow down in light of this threat.
IC 220.08 - Each faction begins to commit small defense fleets against the Aberrants independently of each other, suffering substantial losses from the Aberrant’s retaliatory invasions. With each incident, the other factions attempt to take advantage of their competitor’s deficiencies.
IC 225
225.09 - Arventi Galaxy, ally to the WGA, collapses from Aberrant invasions. Humans begin to realign their war efforts to solely focus on the Aberrants.
IC 226
The Human Civil War officially ends, the Human-Aberrant War begins.
Location: The Classroom of Hatake Toshiro, Konohagakure Academy
Matsuoka Sarutobi was in a bad mood.
This wasn’t a massive revelation in the slightest, as the woman infamously nicknamed the “Gorilla Princess” was usually in an unfriendly and hostile state of mind. In this case, however, it was much more than the front it usually was, to the point that she was contemplating the idea of dropping her assignment entirely and willingly taking the unavoidable demotion that would come with it.
She wasn’t thrilled in the slightest about her fellow sensei. Shinatobe Uchiha was someone with a similar temperament as herself, and though some might have said that would’ve made them capable of creating a bond on some level, Matsuoka didn’t think it was possible with this woman in particular.
The Uchiha have always held a stick up their asses, and she wasn’t going to go through the trouble of pulling it out to make the bitch any less annoying to deal with. The fact that her jab apparently didn’t even deign a response was somewhat disappointing as well.
On top of that, nearly every student in the classroom lacked what was necessary to be taught under her. When she asked Toshiro Hatake-san if the room she walked into was the wrong class, she had a slight hope that it was. None of them had any sense of presence, and while that was fine and dandy for a ninja, it was a likely signal that she was going to have to teach whichever kids she was assigned from the ground up.
The only bright spot in the class was a spunky redhead who immediately stood up for her classmates and attempted a retaliation. A flimsy wooden kunai thrown in her direction that she caught with a single hand, but it was enough to alleviate a bit of the cloud that brewed within her. Matsuoka wasn’t quite sure who that girl was, but she liked her. Hopefully, the kid would be one of the students assigned to her.
A wide, shit-eating grin spread across her face, but before she could ‘helpfully’ remind the student of the consequences of insubordination, the door to the classroom creaked open. When she turned to see who exactly was the poor bastard that would take up the mantle as the third sensei, her smile dropped.
A million thoughts rushed through her head at that moment, fists clenched and unclenched with a dry mouth and sweaty palms, eyes widened as various emotions racked her core. All of that within a single second, but the woman quickly regained control of herself and turned back to the class, nonchalant with a slightly disgusted expression on the surface even as a mini-version of herself began to cheer and rain confetti within her mind.
Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Eventually, Hatake-san called the class to order, and began to rattle off the names of students under their respective sensei. To the Sarutobi’s dismay, the redhead who was apparently named Tsume Yakushi wasn’t placed under her tutelage, but instead was sent to learn with the scruffy pansy that happened to walk into the classroom. She’ll make sure to catch the man with a few choice words after all these introductions were over. Only to rag on him for getting the student she wanted, of course.
For the moment, however, she got saddled with what was possibly the least enviable team available. A Yamanaka, who Matsuoka noticed had been failing at stealthily leering at herself and the other female sensei ever since they walked in through the doors, a Uchiha, who wasn’t doing herself any favors by mouthing off like a pre-school child in front of her potential sensei, and a Senju, who the woman couldn’t tell what was up with him, but she was certain that the fact that she didn’t see anything on the surface meant he was probably useless.
Before the black-haired member of her possible future team could embarrass the brunette any further, a heavy hand fell atop the young girl’s head, harder than rock as the fingers dug into her scalp and turned the Uchiha away from the blonde she was harassing to face the narrowed eyes of her sensei. “Hey, brat. Why don’t you close your mouth for a while and shut the fuck up, okay? Good girl.”
Intentionally making her voice as condescending as possible, Matsuoka let go of the girl’s head and pat her like one would a dog that didn’t understand simple instructions before turning her attention to the three students in front of her as a whole. “Training Ground 13. Fifteen minutes. Don’t be late, maggots.”
“Hatake-san, if that’s it, I’m out of here.” Not waiting for a response, the soured mood that tinged her voice was apparent in the Sarutobi’s expression as she flashed through the hand signs for Body Flicker, holding the second-to-last sign for a moment to convey her disappointment to the former teacher of her three brats before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Location: The Classroom of Hatake Toshiro, Konohagakure Academy
Students are usually expected to listen to their sensei, especially during what is essentially a farewell speech in which said sensei finally allows his students their first step into the world of shinobi. Had it been any other day, Kimura just might have, but on the day of her gradation the Inuzuka girl was seen focused on her notebook with not a single apparent notion that she was listening to a single steel grey word Toshiro-sensei was saying.
Her face nearly covered entirely by her little logbook, furious scribbling could be heard from behind the pages while her signature partner, Guremaru, released a lazy, chocolate brown yawn from his rightful place atop her head.
The reason for her frantic pace? The one who was called to stand, Tensai-kun, her friend who started sporting a new look since an unknown time before the Academy opened its doors that morning, his eyes covered by the locks of his hair which he usually kept out of the way.
At first, the conspiracist almost immediately jumped to the conclusion that someone had used the Transformation Jutsu to take his place, but her usual early morning tackle as a greeting shot that idea down when the disguise didn't break upon impact.
The speed of which he pulled away from her afterward however, which was noticeably quicker than usual, drew Kimura to the theory that he maybe he was rigged with an explosive seal by a foreign nin and he didn't want anyone getting hurt. A quick sniff with a chakra enhanced nose crossed that notion as well, along with the other speculation that a foreign nin was using practical effects for a disguise rather than a jutsu.
His crisp autumn maple voice cemented the thought that whatever was different wasn't because of any identity switcheroo, yet none of the other theories that began to crowd her head matched up either. Despite only a few hours passing between her seeing Tensai that morning and the current state of affairs, the pages of Kimura's notebook were covered with so many scribbles, flowcharts, and crossed connections that it started to look more like an investigation pin-board than a study notebook.
She thanked the kami for keeping everyone else relatively the same, aside from their usual ongoing problems that she had to check on like Ria-chan keeping up her facade as an "academy student" and Inokikue-kun's ever escalating attempts of shirking the duties of a shinobi in his strange, backwards manner. Had anyone else gained any notable changes, she might not have had enough of an attention span to give everyone the usual greetings she used as a surface level identity check.
The bothered girl's musings were cut short as the door to the classroom opened, drawing her eyes from the paper and ink to survey the two figures that entered.
The first to step forward carried herself with a great deal of confidence, the flak jacket she wore indicating she was at least chunin rank as chestnut brown eyes swept across Kimura's classmates with visible disappointment. Long brown locks spilled down the adult's back, divided by a staff longer than she was tall, and the signature Konoha ninja headband sat snuggly around her right forearm. The woman's scarlet tone echoed the emotions that seemed to play across her face as the ninja pinned Toshiro-sensei with a less-than-enthusiastic stare.
"Really? This is the gaggle of brats we're dealing with? Hatake-san, please tell me you're pulling my fucking tail and that this is just some first year class you took over for shits and giggles."
A hand was exasperatedly gestured to the direction of the class as the woman's pure red words were a direct insult to all the academy students as a collective waste of time. While she wasn't one to raise her voice in anger, Kimura's cheeks puffed with indignation at the blanket statement. Her friends and everyone else always tried their best to succeed in class, so to hear someone who hadn't even introduced herself just wave off their efforts within ten seconds of entering the room was more than a little frustrating to her.
"And with this fucking Uchiha as one of my fellow sensei to boot? Dear kami, I can only imagine how much of a dumbass mistake the last sucker must be thinking this job is. They didn't even try to show their face to this shit show!" The brunette then turned her attention away from the class to the woman who walked in with her, arms crossed and obviously unhappy with her current company.
Beneath the desk, Kimura crossed her fingers. She hoped that this person out of whoever was available wasn't assigned to be her new sensei. The Inuzuka could already imagine what sort of things she could unearth gathering info on a person with such a personality, and she didn't want anything to do with someone as unfriendly as another person she actively disliked.
“Eyes open everyone! My traps can’t tell the difference between good guys and baddies!”
Personal Dossier
Name
Inuzuka Kimura
Age
11
Rank
Academy Student
Origin
Konohagakure
Chakra Nature
Lightning
Attributes
Special Traits
Enhanced Senses: Much like their ninken partners, the members of the Inuzuka Clan are blessed with greater senses than a normal human, especially their sense of smell. If chakra is channeled to their noses, the capability is increased exponentially, able to track, detect, and even monitor scented targets across incredibly long distances. When combined with her twitchy nature and her quirk of Chromesthesia, Kimura can cover multiple avenues of keeping track of a target, as well as being relatively difficult to surprise.
Inuzuka Ninken: From a young age, the members of the Inuzuka Clan are paired with a canine partner, allowing the two to bond and become practically inseparable. Through this bond, they are able to pull off powerful Cooperation Techniques, as well as work with a high level of teamwork within any given task. Clan members are able to communicate with their ninken partners, able to understand their inhuman speech and translate it for others.
Kimura's own ninken is a large, grey puppy named Gūremaru, who acts as both a partner to fight alongside, as well as a her lifetime companion. In combat, he takes on a supportive role, distracting the target from Kimura's own actions, as well as taking ones of his own accord, using chakra enhanced jaws to rip through flesh and crush bone.
Character Focus & Skillset
Beast Human Taijutsu: Much like the rest of her kin, Kimura has been trained in the taijutsu style wielded by her clan. The style's marque feature is a four legged stance designed to emulate the Inuzuka's ninken partners. Basic techniques within this style include hit-and-run tactics using sweeping claw strikes and body blows, and pouncing attacks that transition into brutal groundwork. Furthermore, the basic techniques can be enhanced by the use of Imitation Beast Ninja Arts, such as Passing Fang and Four Legs Technique.
Bukijutsu: As a result of her father's paranoia and incessant attempts at "preparing her for the real world", Kimura has developed a strong understanding of shinobi tool use. Her ability is such that she can discover, discern, and dismantle most types of traps (including the human type). Not only that, but her talent with projectiles and wires allows her to rapidly assemble traps of her own. As long as she isn't distracted, a regulation-sized training field could quickly be riddled with a few dozen, relatively hidden traps.
Fuinjutsu: Many intermediate- and advanced-level traps incorporate sealing techniques into their mechanics, and as a trapper and survivalist, her father would have been remiss in not teaching her (firsthand) the advantages afforted by sealing techniques. Kimura has learned to create sealing formulae of her own and, while her talent is more than eclipsed by the likes of the Namikaze and Uzumaki, she could be considered her class' foremost specialist in the art (by default). The many sealing scrolls on her person are used to store her extensive array of traps and trap-related paraphernalia, as well as other, exceedingly situational forms of shinobi equipment. One can never be too prepared, after all.
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