Housefires: Damage Control(Mini-Event/Open)

[Kuroba Ken]

The sun. There was really nothing like it. After spending all 8 years of his life stuck underground with nothing but fire and artificial light to see by, being able to spend a lazy day sprawled out on the warm ground with a good book underneath that glorious sun was breathtaking. It's not that the sun was a lot brighter than the lights underground (with all the raiton lights the Grand Palais gave a passable imitation of daytime), but there was a certain warmth... A certain life in the sun that the glow of a bulb just couldn't replicate. Of course there was also the matter of the fresh, breezy air and blue skies as well. Those were aspects that always seemed secondary to the light when it came to descriptions in Ken's books, but being outside for real it was something you just couldn't ignore. It truly made a difference, and Ken wondered how he had ever survived. He didn't know how anyone could ever leave it, knowing they might not ever see it again. It gave him a newfound respect for the men and women who uprooted their lives and moved underground to protect the safety of the village.

Ever since the storm ended and the general population was allowed to visit the surface, Ken had been spending a great amount of his time here. Most of it he used to read, as per usual, but a lot of it was spent exploring the budding residences. Today he was doing the latter. He shimmied up the side of an unfinished building, gripping the sandy bricks with calloused hands and eventually tossing himself onto the roof for a better vantage point. he sat with his legs hanging off the side of the building, gazing with awe at the beautiful view before him. Beyond just the sun and sky, he was admiring the community itself. Suna was really working hard, acting as one to build a new life from the ashes of its fallen heritage. Everyone had a part, seeing the people of his village working so determinedly and tirelessly filled Ken with the inspiration to redouble his own training efforts. A happy smile was plastered on the young boy's face, he was truly proud to be part of this village.

BOOOOOM!

A terrible, thundering noise jolted Ken from his levity. The shock was so great, both physical from the quake and emotional from the fear, that Ken nearly tumbled from his perch on the building. He was soon able to right himself, however, and he turned his concerned attention toward the source of the uproar. His searching eyes didn't have to look for long, because a few blocks away there was an event that couldn't be ignored. A massive fire had broken out, and it was spreading. If this thing wasn't contained it could threaten to set Suna back months! Leaping from the roof, Ken tucked and rolled onto the ground, dispersing the impact of his landing and rising into a sprint toward the blaze. He had to hurry, had to do something to help, before things got out of hand!

((OOC: I'll keep this thread open for a bit, hoping someone joins in for some rp. Looking for one or two partners for this one.))

 

[Yamamoto Ayame]

Ayame was enjoying herself in the open air of the outside world. Out here, she was able to forget being the overshadowed child at home and being the awkward one at the academy. She was just Ayame for this moment. Having been born underground and spending all her life down there, she never truly got to enjoy this feeling. The sun warmed wind caressed her face as she walked. The sounds of shinobi voices and construction filled the air. Suna was starting to feel alive again. No longer being oppressed by the storm, Ayame was excited to see what kind of city Suna could be.

BOOOM

The noise was so loud, it jolted Ayame from her thoughts. The ground began to shake, almost causing her to fall backwards on the ground. It was quiet for a second and then shinobi from all over started rushing towards the sound, from rooftops and from the ground. Ayame was desperate for a better look. She started to climb the closest building. Her adrenaline kept her from losing grip even though she was shaking like a leaf. She was able to pull herself up over the ledge of the roof. Shaking, she was able to finally get on her feet. What she saw, terrified her.

A huge fire, with flames licking the sky, was engulfing buildings. Buildings that were just constructed for the rebirth of Suna. Ayame watched in awe as the fire continued to roar and eat everything in its path. She had to do something. A motion off to her left caught her eye. Ken, the boy from her class, was taking off towards the fire. They were only academy students just learning jutsus for the first time. How could they be of any help? Continuing to watch Ken running towards the monster of a fire. She decided she couldn't just do nothing. Admiring the child's bravery, Ayame took off after him.

 

[Sand Council]

OC: Do you mind if I join? Will keep this one short in case I am not welcome.

IC:

Kaito​

The village was going to be OK. The Kazekage had everything under control. These people were not nearly as worthless as he thought they were. OK, so FINE then. Let's leave them to their devices. Now the village is on fire. How did these villagers ever survive? It was a wonder that he would likely never fully understand. Kaito, formerly the lead of a treasure-hunting group in Wind Country, it was not until rather recent that his dealings took a criminal turn. Forbidden practices never deterred him or his partners. He pulled a cancer stick from his shirt pocket and lit the fag off of a burning building. At least this disaster was useful. He flicked the embers aside as he sauntered away from the raging inferno. This was a pretty awesome day.

Ahead he saw a pair of kids, a pair that did not seem to have the sense to run away. "Kids, get away from that... it is dangerous." He called to the students. The building next to them erupted in flames. The stifling heat of the flames was choking out the air and black plumes of smoke were starting to blot out the sky. The blistering heat would soon grow overwhelming, not only placing the structures that remained at risk but the lives of the few who have not already fled.

 

[Toraono Kuro]

Still in the area from dispersing an earlier fire at Sousuke's

Chouryoku Kuro arrived wearing shades to hide his semi active eyes. Due to his Rinnegan he could open his eyes and see when needed but in this form he performed best when he simply listened. "To hear Kaito warn children this is a wondrous event, I will begin to generate another large mass of water, would you all care to help me disperse it in a manner that will claim the life of these flames?" Kuro had indeed wanted the man dead but after dealing with his fellow Cabal member he had a change of heart in regards to outright killing the man and besides with the way he smoked he was going to take himself out in a far worse fashion than Kuro could currently imagine.

 

[Kuroba Ken]

Ken arrived on the scene, sweaty and out of breath from the sprint and the intense heat. Taking stock of the situation, he could see that while the current predicament was certainly not ideal, it may not have been quite as bad as he had originally feared. It seemed some higher level shinobi had already taken care of the worst of the damage from the explosion epicenter, which just left the remaining fires to be snuffed. This was no small task however. The destruction had left patches of flame everywhere in the vicinity, and if they weren't put under control quickly the blaze could spread. Ken couldn't imagine what could have possibly caused such damage. The citizens of the village weren't working with any kind of materials that would lend themselves to dangerous explosions, certainly not here where the community was only trying to build. It seemed that someone must have orchestrated the event, but who would do such a thing? Ken was at a loss, but he didn't have time to think on it too much. There was a lot to do.

Behind Ken arrived Ayame, the girl from his academy class. She seemed to have the same idea as Ken, arriving on the scene to lend whatever hand she could to the firefighting. Before Ken could acknowledge the girl, however, he was interrupted by the words of an adult who had been making his way through the area. The eyepatched man warned the two children, ordering them to flee the scene. As he did so another building nearby the trio was consumed, the insatiable flame spreading to and engulfing it in fire. The situation was dire, and in the wake of the new development yet another villager arrived. This newcomer commented on the event, and from his words it seemed he had a history of some kind with the other adult. In light of the current situation, Ken didn't have time to greet the men and women on the scene, instead moving into action. The most recent arrival offered to generate a large pool of water, which would be invaluable in dispelling the flames. Ken nodded in response to this and bolted off, making a beeline for the nearest bucket he could find. He had no other way of transporting any amount of liquid to an enflamed area, so it was his only option for now.

 

[Yamamoto Ayame]

Ayame arrived just after Ken. Covered in sweat, the ash from the inferno started sticking to her skin. The adrenaline was still pumping in her veins and it caused her to want to act almost immediately, but what could she do? Trying to catch her breath, she looked around the scene. It seemed the worst of the fires had already been dealt with and the remaining flames were just leftover collateral damage. The shinobi in the area were running around yelling instructions to each other. Water was scarce in the vicinity considering there had only been construction a moment ago. What could the shinobi do? The ones that knew water jutsus started to weave signs and threw water on the flames. Lucky for her, she just learned her own water jutsu in class. What worried Ayame was how did the explosion happen? There's no way it could just be an accident.

Ayame heard a man behind her call out. Turning around, she saw a man with an eye patch and a cigarette in his mouth yelling at them to evacuate the scene. She hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should comply to the older man's orders. A building erupted next to them in flames, almost as if proving the man's words that this place was indeed dangerous. The flames were almost hypnotic as they danced their way through the building. Another shinobi's arrival broke Ayame from the fire's trance. The new arrival was calm in face of this disaster and made Ayame feel relaxed enough to where she could hear her own thoughts again. The man wanted to create a pool of water. Ayame faced the man as Ken ran off. "I have a water affinity. Please let me use that to assist you."

 

[Sand Council]

OC: Well, I guess I am welcome.

IC:

Kaito​

The village was writhing in anguish. Sheets of crimson and orange flames leaped from the burning buildings and threatened to consume the buildings adjacent. Kaitos eye watched the kaleidoscope of flames, his hand hovered over his patch that kept the other obscured. Kids were running into danger rather than away from near certain death. The biological impulse to flee in times or peril seemed lost of most of these shinobis, something that should not be a surprise to him considering how easy it was for them to trap them inside their little holes by clogging the escape routes. But now it would appear that they, himself included, were trapped. As the building caught flame, a ring of fire essentially surrounded them. The heat possessed such a radiant intensity, it threatened to consume them all before the actual flames ever reached them.

The stone buildings had started to liquefy, the earthen walls seemed to resemble lava more than clay and rock. The walls bubbled and burst, hot molten fire moved skyward like geysers with a fiery intensity. The sky had already grown dim, ashes and smoke choked out the light. Despite the growing darkness above, the flames had to fight with the lingering smoke that would make it hard to both see and breathe even on the ground. "Well, shit," Kaito muttered as he took another drag from his cancer stick before he tossed it into the ever-consuming inferno.

Not one for the role of damsel, there was something worth knowing about Kaito -- he had no water jutsus at his disposal. Still, he seemed to be more than up for the challenge. At worst case scenario, he would never have to worry about needing a light ever again. He had one trait, just one that he did not demonstrate during his surrender at the gates. He lifted his eye patch up and his eye possessed the legendary sharingan. Things seemed to move slower, more purposeful even if in all reality the word was in chaos and all things were random but such true-sight was maddening. It was a skill he had since he was a young boy, a natural Uchiha he did the opposite of what most would and took his own eye so that he would not have to see. Replaced with that of a cadaver's, the world grew dim and beautiful as a result. Much like now, the splendor of these flames and their many hues dim enough to make one forget for a moment that their life was in peril. Then the second eye opens and there is a new word to see, one of anarchy, waste and chaos.

Chouryoku Kuro arrived, speaking to Kaito as if he knew him. He gave the madman no heed. He had met Sanryokyougan Kuro and Mouko Kuro at the gates, but not this form. The children also undeterred, he watched them breathe and their underdeveloped muscles tense and move beneath their clothes. Their minute twitches and their fine motor movements, so slight and precise it would be easy for most to overlook. He would overlook it if he could, if he did not have to see. If he could not see. "The fire is too large to fight it with water alone," Kaito reasoned. "We won't survive long in this heatbox,"</B><i></i> he warned as he looked about himself. The water would turn to steam and evaporate before it made any difference. And besides, the water had to come from somewhere. There was water in the air and in the earth, that was most certainly true and it was from there that the water used in ninjutsu practice was taken. However, this was an arid expanse and moreover what limited water that did exist was likely being consumed. <B>"Girl, wet this," he instructed as he ripped the sleeves off his jacket and handed them to her. A wet cloth over their nose and mouths would be unpleasant but it would keep the soot and ash out of their lungs. It would not save them from the carbon monoxide poising they all would soon and rather quickly suffer, but that would be a concern for later and one for perhaps a medic to deal with.

"Boy, do you know any fire ninjutsus?" Kaito asked. Regardless of the answer but he would have assumed 'none' regardless he would comment, "well now is as good of a time as any to learn." Kaito was primarily a taijutsuist himself, despite his demonic bonds, however his heritage had a kinship closer to the flame (Will of the Uchiha). Kaito's legs parted and he took a low horse-stance, his hands faced the ground as he ran through a series of handseals. Was that a dragon seal? This madman was about to try to fight fire with fire.

 

[Yamamoto Ayame]

The man ripped off his sleeves and handed them to her, telling her to wet them. Looking back up at him, she saw that he was surveying the area with his sharingan. This being the first time she's seen one in person, she stared at it in awe, forgetting about the task at hand. So many questions ran through her mind that she was dying to ask. The eyepatched man continued to ignore her as he turned towards Ken asking if he knew any fire jutsus. The man then bent over in a stance and began weaving signs. It appeared as if he was going to use fire to try and fight fire. Was this even possible?

Ayame suddenly became aware of the cloth in her hands and remembered that what the man had asked her. Shaking her head, she called forth her jutsu in her hands and the cloth began to dampen. Is the smoke starting to get to me? Satisfied, she began to hand out the saturated cloth to the three men around her. She tied her own around her face, feeling the fog in her head disperse a bit, but doing nothing for the burn in her eyes. Looking around the heated clearing she noticed that the fire had raged around them, leaving them no escape. Ayame, once again, began pooling her chakra in her palms. She couldn't destroy all of the fires with her chakra control and stamina, but she could create a break in the fire so they had a means to escape when the time came. Feeling the familiar cooling sensation of her chakra, she used her Water Gun jutsu to began wetting the ground beneath one section of the flames. Hoping that she had the energy and the time to finish her task, she worked diligently during the chaos that was erupting around her.

 

[Toraono Kuro]

Kaito was right the flames here were far stronger than the initial fire that had begun at Sousuke's residence. What they had underestimated was Kuro's access to the aquifer that was undersea and the were still within range for him to pull water from it. "I see you are going to redirect the flames with flames, that might work I will keep us from burning in the meanwhile by summoning a mass of water from Undersea. Kuro performed two handseals and then began to speak actual seal words he was literally vocally solidifying the chakra necessary to pull another vortex of collected water from Undersea. The pipes beneath the bubbling walls and molten floors became a massive release valve as steam and mist burst from the ground beneath their feet as Chouryoku Kuro's water jutsu fought its way through the molten elements. Kuro wished he knew ice jutsu at this moment but water would have to do, maintaining his concentration he slowly began to open his eyes as power flowed through his Hashigaki body. The air began to cool as he maintained his pull and concentration on the water elemental chakra within him. The markings on his body began to glow with the surge and strain of actions as he fought against the ravaging elements of fire and lava until a massive outpouring of water emerged to drench their immediate area so that they were no longer in danger of death by flames or heat exhaustion.

Spoiler

Mystical Pond
A jutsu that allows one to turn the area beneath them into a large body of water, and all except for the user fall into it. This water is infused with the user's chakra and normally prevents anyone from walking upon the surface, while at the same time making the water lighter. Because of its light state, the human body's natural buoyancy is negated, and anyone caught in it must be making a constant effort to keep their head above water, or risk sinking like a pile of bricks and drowning. This jutsu is excellent for crowd control restraint, though the user must constantly maintain this technique, or it becomes a pond of normal water.

Information
Prerequisites: B-rank, 4 Mastered Water jutsu

Rank 1: This technique creates a lake beneath the user that causes up to two targets to fall within at -3 Accuracy. While submerged, the victims have a 14% chance of suffering the 'Suffocation' effect every action they perform. Additionally, all targets have a 14% chance to lose 1 Ap each round.
Master: This technique creates a lake beneath the user that causes up to two targets to fall within at -2 Accuracy. While submerged, the victims have a 14% chance of suffering the 'Suffocation' effect every action they perform. Additionally, all targets have a 21% chance to lose 1 Ap each round.

Special Action: The user may increase the CP cost of this jutsu by +20%. Doing so allows them to target one additional target, however, it gives this jutsu an additional -2 Accuracy against all targets.

Rank 1 Cost: 865 Cp to initiate, 420 CP/rnd
Master Cost: 1080 Cp to initiate, 540 CP/rnd

Notes:
- This jutsu may be maintained up to three rounds.
- All must make a Ninjutsu check against the user at the start of each round to determine whether they can surface above the water or are still affected. Additional escape attempts may be made for 1.5 Ap.
- Ap lost by this jutsu is treated as suppression.
- The 'Suffocation' effect increases a jutsu's Cp cost by +20% and lowers its accuracy by -2. Each time suffocation takes effect after the first during the same round, the victim take 1% Max Hp damage.
- If the user uses more that 15% of their max Cp during a round, this jutsu is dispelled.

Kuro once again summoned a massive pond but made sure nothing but flames would be drenched or smothered by directly controlling the density of the water. His next effort would be a controlled flood but for now they could fight flames in relative peace without true risk of becoming cinder or kindle themselves. where the water met the molten rubble the area bubbled, fizzed, steam and at last claimed the heat of the stone. If Kuro didn't know any better he would have thought he had just discovered a new way to make a massive amount of soup.

 

[Kuroba Ken]

Things were quickly going from bad to worse. The fire was spreading, ravenously consuming all in its path. It was a destructive force of nature without empathy or reason, its sole purpose to eat away at the world until there was nothing left. The heat radiating from the bright orange flame was unbelievable. It seemed as if the area had turned into an oven, baking those unlucky enough to be caught into a blackened crisp. New buildings, having seemed so solid not a few minutes earlier, were unable to withstand the onslaught. Stone cracked and melted in the intense blaze, and a thick black cloud of smoke billowed from the scene turning the sky to ash. Worse still, it seemed that Ken had led the group straight into a perilous position, fire spreading to surround them and prevent escape. They would have to fight this fire if they wanted to survive.

This didn't change anything for Ken, he wasn't planning on leaving until he was sure the village was safe. His options were limited, however as he had to find something to carry water in the immediate area. The boy was thankful that there were more experienced ninja here to offer their assistance, he wasn't sure how much help he'd have been in this all-consuming blaze alone. He silently wished he had learned some kind of water jutsu, but even if he had he was sure any amount of water his inexperienced chakra could produce would be quickly outmatched by the heat and intensity of the encroaching fire. A few meters from his current position he spotted a wheelbarrow, still half filled with bricks. It seemed it had been abandoned, most likely its owner evacuated in the wake of the explosion. The wheelbarrow was of a decent size, and filled with water it could provide enough of a suffocating effect on the flames to serve some usefulness. Ken took note of it and was about to grab it when the eyepatched shinobi made his own observation. He expressed doubt that water alone would be enough to quench the inferno, and added that the heat would likely kill the group if they didn't act to address it quickly. To this effect, he tore the sleeves from his own jacket, instructing to Ayame to moisten them with her water jutsu. Ken nodded in thanks as he took the now wet cloth Ayame was offering him, tying the mask around his face. The damp sleeve slightly restricted his breathing, but it was better than breathing in hot ash and fumes.

After directing the girl the man turned his attention to Ken, asking if the boy knew any fire jutsu. Ken shook his head in response. At this stage in his training the young ninja had been focusing on taijutsu, honing his body and practicing hand-to-hand combat. His elemental chakra manipulation was unpracticed, and general ninjutsu proficiency all but nonexistent. This was a glaring hole in his ability as a ninja, but he felt that his ability to generate and manipulate non-elemental chakra combined with his close quarters combat capability could carry him through most situations he would face at his level. Unfortunately this wasn't most situations, and without a solid grasp on ninjutsu he would have to work twice as hard to be useful against this blaze. It was only when the man dropped into a low stance and began his handseals that Ken processed what he had been asked. Fire jutsu? Ken was taken aback, but it quickly dawned on him that the man was going to attempt a very dangerous solution to this issue: a backfire. By creating a controlled blaze of his own, the man would be able to burn through the fuel in the path of enemy fire. The two flames would compete for fuel, and with neither one getting the energy it needed they would both be snuffed out. On the other hand, there was the possibility of the meeting flames growing out of the creators control, actually increasing the destruction.

Ken looked the man up and down, trying to see if he could trust this ninja's ability to pull off his gambit. Ken was young and lacked experience, but he wasn't afraid to speak his mind if he didn't agree with a superiors opinion. In this instance it would behoove him to exercise that dissent if it seemed the lives of those in the group were in jeopardy. Looking at the man, Ken realized his eyepatch had been removed. Around the pupil of the now exposed eye spun a distinctive tomoe, the trademark of the Uchiha clan. It followed then that the man would have some affinity and experience with the element of fire. The Uchiha's penchant for fire control was well known, though they were most famous for other reasons. Confident that he could trust the shinobi's ability, Ken turned his attention to the other man in the group. The muscular ninja expressed his approval of the sharingan user's plan, then formed the required handseals to enact his own. The tattoo-like markings on the ninja's bestial body glowed as he gathered his chakra. From beneath Ken and co.'s feet bubbled a massive influx of mist. The cooling effect was instant and appreciated, though with the newly generated humidity Ken was sure he would soon be drenched in sweat. The mist condensed into a torrent of water, soaking the area and creating an immense pool of liquid to quench the surrounding flames and protect the group from being consumed. Steam hissed from the heated rock and dying fires, releasing a cloud of warm water vapor into the air. Just like that, the group's immediate area was safe, and they could now focus on fighting the fires rather than keeping themselves from burning alive.

Sufficiently protected thanks to his facemask and douse of water, Ken sprinted over to the wheelbarrow he had seen previously. Grabbing it by its handles he tilted the device violently to its side, spilling the remaining bricks from its bed. He wheeled the contraption over to the closest source of the muscular shinobi's water, dipping the wheelbarrow in to fill it to the brim with liquid. Muscles strained taut and teeth grit, Ken forced the now full wheelbarrow toward a nearby fire. Sweating from heat and effort, the boy squatted down and set the handles of the wheelbarrow on his shoulders. With a grunt he stood fully, lifting the handles up above his head in a sloppy but recognizable squat press. The wheelbarrow tilted forward, spilling its contents over a fire and creating a a soaked section of earth that was temporarily impassible for the blaze. It was a small contribution, but it was what he could do. Placing the wheelbarrow back down, he dragged it back over to the water as quick as he could manage, dipping the device inside to start the process over again.

 

[Sand Council]

Kaito​

The girl complied, sharing her life-sustaining gift with the young boy. That would keep them alive a little longer. Katio nodded approvingly at the young girl, it was good to keep ones head in a situation such as this. "Girl, do you know your science?" Kaito queried as the tomoe of his infamous sharingan started to mutate. The Mangekyou was almost painful to call forth in this way and with how it whirled about his vision started to momentarily spin. "Water... your affinity is made from hydrogen two. Oxygen one," he huffed. "Draw what water you can from the air and take it away from here," he instructed. His hands continued to run through a frenzy of handseals, "Fire needs to breathe... even more than I do," Kaito huffed, the carbon monoxide in the air was making it hard for him to get enough air.

For all those science buffs out there. Carbon Monoxide is CO - a single carbon and single oxygen, a product of burning. This Carbon Monoxide binds to blood in place of oxygen, so while someone is in fact breathing they are not getting enough useable oxygen to sustain themselves as this carbon monoxide progressively binds to the red blood cell carriers. This is what makes Carbon Monoxide poisoning so dangerous and so lethal.

Kaito was right, a fire needed to breathe and if the girl could pull enough oxygen from the surrounding atmosphere to thin the air and simultaneously endanger them (the students and the Sennin) as well as starve the fire perhaps the flames would die down. Spending a few years alongside a woman like Fuu had its advantages but who would have thought it would shine in a moment such as this. "I will create a fire of my own that will not burn us and continue to consume what oxygen remains," he explained as his hands finished the final seal.

6C₁₀H₁₅O7 + Heat ==> C₅₀H₁₀O+10CH₂O
Wood becomes gas and char. Then the gases from the flames react with the atmosphere to create the carbon monoxide.
CH₂O + O₂ ===> H₂O + CO₂ + CO + C + N₂​

In this exothermic reaction, there were only three options: to cool the heat source, to remove the fuel source or starve the flame of oxygen. A wall of black flames erupted if the young girl complied or not. Known as the Amaterasu, a fire that could burn for days it had been said. These jet black flames reached for the heavens, one of the only things that could consume everything - even fire. A single bloodied tear ran down the side of Kaito's face as he maintained his Mangekyou.

The Sennin had another idea entirely, a traditional attempt to stop the flames. A giant pit of water, some harvested from the air but most from the undersea created a great lake beneath a large part of the city, simultaneously dousing the flames but also inundating the structures the plot of land formerly possessed. The Sennin did in fact halt the flames, but at what consequence to the rest of the village. A pit of water where the charred remains of the buildings sunk to the bottom.

The young boy had spunk, sadly lacked skill. With the energy only a child could possess he attempted to manually snuff out the flame one barrel-full at a time. It was a fool's errand truly, thinking he could do much more than barely delay the inevitable. The fire was consuming the city at a rate that would outpace any of their individual efforts. He dipped his wheel-barrel into the lake and take the water he had recovered in a brisk, wobbly manner that was still impressive for a young boy of his size to carry such weight even over such a short distance to squelch the flames that still surrounded them on three sides. Kaito's Amaratsu receded, there would be too much water for even a prodigy to try to move away now and by extension too much oxygen that would remain. "I guess you got the right idea kid," Kaito admitted.

"You might as well do it again," Kaito called, referring to the Mystic Pond that Chouryoku Kuro manifested. "A city underwater is better than a city burnt to ashes." The water would not last for long, once the Sennin's hold over the water was relinquished the water would evaporate or seep back into the earth. The damage would still be done in terms of what or who had already been burned and what or who had drowned, but perhaps with the later there might be something left that could be salvaged.

 

[Yamamoto Ayame]

The eyepatched man asked if Ayame knew science. She has read numerous scrolls and books, of course she knew science. The man instructed her to take oxygen from the environment and create water that way. She knew his objective when he first asked about science, she needed to suffocate the fire. The man's attention was directed somewhere else and Ayame was left to her task. She looked down at her hands, unsure of how to start. Time was of the essence so she just dived right in. Ayame closed her eyes and pictured that there was microbeads of water in the air, attached to oxygen molecules and floating through the air. She locked on to those and started forming her chakra in her hands, feeling the moisture in the air flow towards her. After a few moments, she felt the air around her thin. Too many things in the area were drawing the oxygen out of the air. She wasn't sure how much longer she needed to do this for, but much longer and the people in the area might pass out from lack of oxygen. Then who knows what the fire would do unchecked.

A flicker of black off to her side caught her attention. Careful to keep amassing water, she diverted her attention. The famous black flames, Amaterasu, had ignited around the orange flames of the inferno. Looking over at the man, she saw blood running from his eye. So that's how they were started. The man turned to Ken and told him he had the right idea by using the wheelbarrow to move water, but Ayame couldn't help but think how effective it could be. The air, by now, was noticeably thinner and she had a harder time catching her breath. Refusing to stop, she kept pulling water from the air. Every now and again, she had enough to use on the flames around her. She did start to notice that the lack of oxygen in the air had its effect on the flames as they were a fraction smaller, if not slightly more so. The man had turned to the other shinobi in the area and told him to use his jutsu from earlier and douse the flames once again. The Amaterasu had faded into nothing.

 

[Toraono Kuro]

Kuro heard Kaito's explanation and expanded his concentration, "Don't worry Kaito, I made sure this water is breathable, no one will drown in this, and as far as taking the air away from the flames I can do that without endangering anyone. Young lady you have strong affinity for water I am going to give you access to my chakra so you can hold onto all the water I have summoned without tiring yourself. All you need to do is grab my tail and concentrate. Young man I need you to take Kaito' hand and allow him to protect you from the flames I am going to create a dome around the largest fire and take all the air away from that area in a brief surge. I will need Kaito to make sure no one is trapped in the area before I do so. I can hear heartbeats and breathing everywhere but with no time to focus I can't find them as quickly as he cane. I am also going to summon spirits, to aid us in moving any people to safe zones already established. Let's get this show on the road!!"<i></i> Using his connection to Undersea Chouryoku Kuro summoned more water but this time he summoned a larger pond above them that fell like a torrential rain for a brief moment before he pulsed chakra through his tail to Ayame so she could hold on to the water jutsu as Chouryoku hummed his spirits responded to his song while his hands directed his telekinesis to encircle the largest flames that Kaito could point out with no people were inside or trapped around.

 

[Kuroba Ken]

The fire blazed on, its intense heat radiating through the air. Ken's efforts were not lacking in energy, but they were certainly lacking in effectiveness. Compared to the fire's rate of spreading him and his wheelbarrow could do nothing but slow the inevitable consumption of the city. Worse still, his physical state was being adversely affected by the conditions. The heat, mixed with the smoke and fumes was making the boy lightheaded. He coughed violently despite the protection of the facemask, and silently he wondered if he would have even survived the ordeal this long without it. As he worked he could see the more experienced ninja making their own much greater contributions. The Uchiha spoke to Ayame for a moment, instructing her to draw water away from the air in order to consume the oxygen and starve the blaze. In the meantime, he quickly began forming his own handseals. He explained that he would generate a fire to burn away the rest of the oxygen. As he finished his seals, an intimidating wall of ebony flames sprouted from the earth. Ken didn't know what it was, but he could feel it's dark, forbidden power. The boy looked at the sharingan user and saw a lone tear of blood run down his cheek. This power must come at a price.

The black blaze ate away at everything it touched, a ravenous monster set to hunt another monster as prey. Ken didn't know which inferno was more frightening, the uncontrolled original or this black beast. The fire was doing it's job, though. It, along with Ayame's water control, was pulling oxygen away from the orange force of destruction. The fire could no long spread without any oxygen to fuel it, and it was even beginning to recede slightly. This boosted Ken's resolve, granting him a surge of energy. He could still feel the tingling of smoke tainting his lungs, but he would have to ignore it for now. There were more pressing matters at hand. The Uchiha's shadowy fire faded away, nothing but charred remains standing where it had been. On the bright side there was no way a fire would be able to spread passed that point, there was absolutely no fuel left to burn in that blackened strip. With his jutsu dismissed the man called out to the other shinobi, asking him to summon his sea of water again.

The beastlike man answered with reassurances that his water would not drown anyone. He then claimed that he would be able to remove the oxygen from the fire without putting others in danger. First, he directed Ayame to grab his tail and draw from his chakra. She was to use this to manipulate his water without harming herself through chakra exhaustion. Next the man turned his attention to Ken. He told the young boy to take the hand of "Kaito," which Ken assumed was the name of the Uchiha. Kaito would protect Ken, and he was to inform the other ninja of the locations of survivors. The man would then summon spirits to aid in evacuating citizens from the area. Done explaining his plan, the man gathered his chakra, summoning another pond. This time the water he generated formed above the group's head, holding briefly before raining down onto the scene in a dense downpour. As the water fell, he hummed an ominous spiritual melody, drawing disembodied spirits to the area.

The man's power was unbelievable. He could create such varied effects and draw upon such large amounts of chakra, Ken couldn't imagine himself doing such things. He had only just learned to manipulate Non-Elemental chakra. He was still improving his hand to hand combat, and his ninjutsu abilities were quite lacking. How could he ever be useful to the village if he had to keep relying on others to protect him? Dejected, Ken quickly moved next to Kaito, obliging to the muscular ninja's directions. He didn't, however, take the Uchiha's hand, since it didn't seem there was any point to that. "Point out where the people are." the young boy requested to Kaito. "I can help get them out of the way so this guy can kill the flames."

 

[Sand Council]

Kaito​

The fires had started to cool, the voracious appetite of these flames would never be sated. They would only continue to consume until there was nothing left. Part of the village was inundated in water, the charred, skeletal remains of those structures hissed and cooled beneath bubbling waters. The wicked sky, still black from a thick layer of smoke that hung ominously low. This great calefactor sent heat out in stifling waves on three sides. The mystical pond to their front and the wildfire to their backs and side. Within these homes, many already empty as the civilians had already fled upon the onset of these encroaching flames there were perhaps few who still remained. Huddled in a corner of a darkened closet or unaware of the peril that surrounded them while they slept in their bed.

"Don't worry Kaito, I made sure this water is breathable, no one will drown in this, and as far as taking the air away from the flames I can do that without endangering anyone. Young lady you have strong affinity for water I am going to give you access to my chakra so you can hold onto all the water I have summoned without tiring yourself. All you need to do is grab my tail and concentrate. Young man I need you to take Kaito' hand and allow him to protect you from the flames I am going to create a dome around the largest fire and take all the air away from that area in a brief surge. I will need Kaito to make sure no one is trapped in the area before I do so. I can hear heartbeats and breathing everywhere but with no time to focus I can't find them as quickly as he cane. I am also going to summon spirits, to aid us in moving any people to safe zones already established. Let's get this show on the road!!"

The Sennin announced, not that Kaito knew him as even a shinobi. There was no regalia that would differentiate him as such, with the number of forms he had taken his face would also not be as famed as his name. There was no way for Kaito to know where those hidden men and women might lay, the stifled cough or the dying breath of those trapped in this fire would not be found easily by him. "If they are in those flames, they are dead already," Kaito debated. He was likely right, if he was referring to the places where the flames had already engulfed a home, the blistering heat and the thick, black smoke would have already taken their lives. "Corpses will not mind," he announced.

"Point out where the people are."

The young man requested. "Don't put yourself in an early grave to recover a corpse," Kaito warned. He had seen a lot of good men, or rather boys die in the line of duty. A number of boys who died too young. It was also beyond Kaito's power set to identity who and where someone might hide, he was a natural-born Uchiha, not Hyuuga. he did not have any particular emphatic ability, nor did he have the keen hearing of the Hashigaki clan. He was a man twisted into something no longer quite human, but also not quite a monster. But he could lie. "There," Kaito announced as he pointed towards the largest and the hottest of the fires, directly to their backs. "Not a living soul within that quarter!" He bullshitted with his finger outstretched.

"I can help get them out of the way so this guy can kill the flames."

The boy insisted. Kaito tried to ignore him, to counter his curiosity and his ambition before it got him killed. "There," he lied pointing to one particular home that was on the fringe of the created lake from moments before. "Someone might still be alive in there," he conceded. With a lopsided expression on his worn face he extended his hand to the boy. "Let's work together."

If the boy agreed, they would move towards the fire. The house would be empty but perhaps by luck or by providence one of the homes immediately adjacent would have the signs of life within. A puppy, a child, the huddle mass of a family, all of the above? If noted, Ken should make the decision on what was there and how it was discovered.

 

[Yamamoto Ayame]

The man instructed the three that his water would not drown them. Well, the water may not drown them but the remaining ravenous flames were very capable of finishing them off. He then instructed Ayame to grab his tail as she would be able to keep up her chakra without becoming exhausted. She must have looked as tired as she felt if he was offering her his chakra. Not wanting to become a liability to the small group of firefighters, she obliged. He then turned to Ken and told him to hold Kaito's hand and inform other shinobi of the locations of survivors. Assuming the eyepatched man was Kaito, Ayame turned to see him look at Ken warily, almost like he was sizing the boy up. Testing to see how courageous this boy really looked. The shinobi then said that he would call forth spirits to help aid them in their search. Would they really find any survivors in this hell hole?

The man called forth his chakra and a massive body of water formed over their heads. Ayame looked up, her eyes widening as she took in the size. She could only imagine that she would be able to use her chakra to being forth something so massive and help Suna. The water then began to fall as rain, causing the inferno to hiss and roar as the flames continued to shrink. Ayame, almost thoroughly drenched, tentatively grabbed the man's tail, instantly feeling new energy flow inside her. Using her newly replenished chakra, she continued to take oxygen from the atmosphere to help douse the flames. Off to her side, she noticed that Kaito was pointing in different directions, clearly trying to tell Ken where they should look first. Unable to hear their conversation over the rain and the man's spirit summoning, she hoped they would find survivors.

[MFT WC:309]

 

[Toraono Kuro]

Chouryoku Kuro had very strong hearing and sound capabilities, even if Kaito could not spot living energy with his strange version of Sharingan, Chouryoku could at the very least detect the presence of heartbeats with his advanced hearing and use a sonic pulse to locate people beneath rubble. Humming a song to send his three summoned spirits around in an ever expanding search circle Chouryoku Kuro focused his breathing and hearing till he could hear little more than other people, breathing, and heart beats. Dimming the sound of burning materials, pushing aside everything but his spirit song and the sounds of life in others Chouryoku Kuro found a few trapped people, that were by all accounts unconscious. His spirits easily extracted them fading right through the stone and rubble before batting it aside to free & recover them. A mother and two children whom had hidden in a bathroom, Chouryoku Kuro's chakra began to expand with his emotions. This would not be allowed to continue, a telekinetic field of energy encircled a large area of flame before perfectly enclosing it. With a flicker of energy the flames killed themselves devouring the oxygen in their small telekinetic bubble. Dozens of flames flickered out as telekinetic bubbles trapped each moderately sized set of flames.

 

[Kuroba Ken]

The inferno blazed on, though the groups efforts were making a noticeable impact. The massive ponds of water had done enough to douse large sections of the village, leaving them blackened and steaming, but very much fire-free. Despite this, there was still work to do, the fire was still raging around them. Seeing the state of the soaked area before him, Ken couldn't help but wonder if anyone could have survived the monstrous blaze. The area was a graveyard packed with the seared corpses of homes, and Ken couldn't help but think that the new homeowners would be in a similar state inside. Shaking himself, the boy refused to allow his mind to wander to that. There could be no advantage gathered by giving in to despair. All Ken could do was make an effort to help those who hadn't already met their own fates.

Kaito seemed to share Ken's misgivings about the citizen's survival. The Uchiha spoke frankly, pointing out that those in the blaze had likely perished. When Ken asked him to point out survivors, the man waved the boy's request away. He warned Ken not to waste his life, then turned his attention to a large patch of fires behind them. He directed the other ninja to use his abilities to stop those fires. The beastlike shinobi obliged, gathering his impressive chakra. As he did so, the 3 spirits summoned with the man's ominous song went to work. Phasing through burning stone and smokey debris, the ghostlike beings extracted unconscious citizens from the danger. Meanwhile, Ken could see Ayame taking hold of the man's tail. Whatever that tail was doing seemed to work, because the young girl was all but tireless. She was able to generate more water than ever before, pulling much needed oxygen away from the flames and forcing them to shrink away. Ken was impressed, and seeing the everyone else's ability to preserve life reinvigorated his own desire to help.

On Ken's insistence, Kaito begrudgingly admitted that there may be survivors, pointing out a home on the fringes of the flames. He held his hand out for Ken to take, stating that the two should search as a team. Ken nodded and took the man's hand before sprinting off in the direction he had designated. The boy's clothes and mask were still soaked through, having so recently been doused by the muscular shinobi's downpour. Ken was thankful for this, because even though the area he was approaching wasn't nearly as blazing as some other areas, it was still unbearably hot. Smoke hanged thickly in the air, clinging to Ken's body as he dashed toward the house. The boy kicked the door open with a grunt, shoving the plank of wood from its hinges with a heavy strike. "Hello? Is there anyone there?" Ken called out into the crackling heat. Silence was his only answer, so Ken entered the home and rushed to search for unconscious survivors. "If you're in there, say something! We're here to help!" The boy continued to call out as he frantically searched, occasionally breaking into a fit of coughing from the smoke. After what seemed like an eternity, but was more likely closer to a couple of minutes, Ken had to concede that the house was empty. "We're clear. Let's move on." the boy wheezed, trying his best to stay positive in the face of such adverse conditions.

It took Ken a couple of tries to kick the door of the second home down. He was tiring, the heat, smoke, and fumes putting a visible strain on his young body. If the boy's partner were to point this out and try to get him to take a break from the search, however, Ken would stubbornly refuse. There was no chance the boy would waste time taking a breather when these conditions could spell death for an unconscious person trapped in one of these homes. His voice becoming hoarse from dryness and continued yelling, Ken called out into the home. "Hello!"This time, much to his surprise, there was an answer. A high-pitched squeal emanated from a room on the other side of the home. The sign of life energized the young boy, and he dashed out to provide assistance. Reaching the room that held the sound, Ken's eyes darted about frantically. Through the smoke and haze, it was difficult to make anyone out. "I'm here, where are you?" The boy's voice wavered, fearing what he might see. In response, a defeated whimper sounded from the far corner. Squinting, Ken made out a huddled figure cowering on the ground. He hurriedly approached the figure, crouching down to see what it was.

It was a dog, a mangy retriever, with golden fur stained black with soot and patched with burns. The dog's breaths were shallow and rapid, and its tongue lolled out from its mouth as it panted. Ken reached a hand out to pick the hound up, but the poor beast recoiled in pain and fear. "Ssshhh... It's ok... It's ok..." Ken whispered, trying to calm the creature down so he could lift it. "I'm gonna get you out of here." The dog obviously didn't understand, but Ken's tone seemed to soothe it a bit. This time when Ken moved to pick it up it let out a pained whimper but didn't resist. Carrying the dog in his arms, Ken turned to exit the house. Suddenly there was a terrible crash. The sound of splintering wood and cracking stone filled Ken's ears, and he realized with horror that the fire was destabilizing the building's structure. "We've gotta go!" the boy coughed out, hoping his search partner would understand the urgency with which the two had to leave. As the walls came crashing down around him, Ken made a beeline for the exit. Seeing rubble blocking the doorway that had been their entrance the boy had to improvise. He tucked his head and leaped back-first, crashing through the adjacent window into the relatively clear outside air. Shards of glass dug into his back, but he ignored it as he rolled away from the collapsing building. The smell of dust, smoke, and a little blood filled Ken's senses. "Kaito!" He called out through the chaos. He was unable to see if the Uchiha had made it out okay.

 

[Sand Council]

Kaito tried to talk the young man into giving up. That surely there was no chance that he would be of any assistance even if he could find a survivor but the young man was bull-headed and idealistic. The worst kind, usually the first to die in battle and usually for no 'good' reason. It was the worst kind of dying. They might have entered the soot-laden blaze but the boy broke away once he got close enough to an empty home. He would find nothing but char and corpses. The first house had nothing. The second had something, he heard the cry as well and was drawn towards it but he lacked the youth of Ken. The boy kicked the door open and barged inside. Kaito called after the kid, actually begging the young lad to turn around but the boy was noncompliant. Kaito let out a sound only a parent would know as he entered the burning structure in search of the one salvageable -- the kid.

He called out several times but there was no answer. Unbeknownst to the Cabal Leader, the boy found the source of the cries: a dog that was going to soon need a new home and likely be forever grateful to the young man who risked his life to save that of a dog. Known to be 'man's best friends, Ken has likely found a life-long associate. While the heat would still be terrible, the air outside the house would feel cool in comparison. The still damaged and terrified canine's tail started to way weakly and it let out a low whimper as he rested his head against his tiny savior.

Kaito, on the other hand, was not so fortunate. The house rocked and the beams crackled, they snapped and broke in twain. The exit was blocked by the fallen, burning barrier. Kaito let out a cough. The fire stung his eyes and throat. It burned. There was only a wall to the other sides, he was cornered in this inferno. "Shit."

Oc: Posted from phone. Will add the pic when I get near a PC. Sorry for the wait and poor post.

 

[Toraono Kuro]

Sorry about breaking the posting order...


Chouryoku Kuro had centered himself his spirits had saved a few unconscious individuals and soon he would have to call on Sanryokyougan Kuro to begin healing people one by one and then he heard the young one calling for Kaito his heartbeat racing, he had saved a dog, and then he heard Kaito's faint wording and hard breathing... ((SH@T...)). All 3 of his spirit allies raced through the debris phasing through flames and burning walls eliminating the flames and heat as they passed through them. Such was the nature of spirits, as one grabbed Ken and his newfound friend and dropped him beside Chouryoku Kuro... ((("One safe with an extra friend, now for Kaito)))<i></i> The other two demon spirits shattered the walls that held Kaito when focused their spiritual energies struck with great ferocity. If Kaito was capable of movement he now had an exit, if he had fallen, passed out, or was too delirious from heat the spirits would fly him back to Chouryoku Kuro. Careful in his efforts, controlled in his movements and chakra capacity Chouryokou Kuro prepared to summon the healing blade avatar Sanryokyougan Kuro. He carefully and calmly pulsed normal chakra into the young lady that held his tail in order to keep her able to perform her oxygen exchange jutsu without tiring. On this action at least he was certain she was indeed okay.