Forced Entry I’m Back!

[Ryujin Akira]

The gates stretched before me once again except this time, I found myself marveling at its beauty. I couldn’t appreciate it before but it would seem I have matured a bit since then. Once, this was simply a giant sand castle to me… but now, it’s a giant sand castle that I call home. It was nice to see the gate guards had missed me. Shouting and wagging their fist like before. They were shouting “get out of here!” I recently learned sarcasm and it’s a way to say the opposite of what you truly mean but to your friends. I simply waved in return. I didn’t remember any of their names.

I strolled through with my new souvenir. A massive sword slung across my shoulder. Almost embarrassed to say, I am glad to be home.

[mft]
[Force Entry]
[Half the Time Card]
[1 hour]

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

The gate guards were still shouting when Shin materialized at the top of the Bulwark wall.

He hadn't rushed. He'd felt the disruption at the perimeter the moment it was flagged and walked to the overlook with the unhurried pace of a man who had already made his decision before he arrived. Below, the figure strolled through with a massive sword across her shoulder like she was returning from a market run, waving at the gate guards hollering at her heels.

Shin looked down at her for a long moment.

He recognized her.

That almost made it worse.

"Ryujin Akira."

His voice dropped over the wall like a stone into still water. Not loud. Not angry. Just present, the way a wall is present.

"You walked past my guards. You ignored the perimeter protocols. You entered Sunagakure without clearance, without documentation, and without permission."

The golden fractures along his collar pulsed once in the torchlight. He hadn't activated his chakra mode. He stood with his hands at his sides, looking down at her with the kind of stillness that wasn't calm so much as it was decided.

"I don't know where you've been. And I don't particularly care right now."

He stepped to the edge of the wall.

"What I care about is that my village was attacked. My people bled. And I have spent every day since making sure that nothing and no one enters these walls without my knowing exactly who they are and why they're here."

His eyes found hers and held them.

"So you're going to stop walking. And you're going to wait. And we are going to do this the right way—because the alternative is me treating you like every other uninvited presence that's approached these walls recently."

A beat of silence.

"I'd rather not do that. But I will."

[Stopped]

 

[Masaru Yuuto]

Yuuto had spent the better part of the morning drifting through the village, quietly dissecting the clockwork of Sunagakure. His desire to connect with the local youth had led him to a simple request: he wanted to walk in their shoes and experience a day in their lives. To facilitate this, he had dispatched a formal letter through the village's main branch system to Ryuni, asking the boy to meet him at the gates for a full tour of the perimeter. When the first lift carried him up to the edge of the village, he was greeted by an landscape of sunburnt rock and shimmering heat. The metal of the gates was so intensely hot that it felt capable of melting skin upon the slightest contact, distorting the very air around it.

While he waited for Ryuni to arrive, Yuuto remained a silent observer of the village’s daily operations. Everything seemed to be functioning with relative ease until his gaze snagged on a glaring error at the entrance. The gate guards were making a precarious mistake, looking almost indifferent as they allowed someone to pass through without the proper scrutiny. Yuuto let out a heavy sigh because as much as he had come to appreciate his stay among the dunes, it was clear their security was lacking. It was easy to see now how the Barons had managed to infiltrate the walls when things were being handled with such a lax attitude.

Fortunately, the Kazekage was never far from the action. Shin appeared on the scene with his usual timing, causing Yuuto to smirk. Even though Shin could be a pragmatic asshole, he was undeniably a man who stood on business.

"My kind of guy." Yuuto muttered under his breath. He gave a small scoff and a nod to Tenno, the six-eyed chimeric simian who followed his master with a quiet, watchful intensity. Together, they sauntered down from their post to approach the Kazekage and the unknown intruders.

Yuuto wasn't close enough to hear every syllable of the exchange, but the sheer gravity of Shin’s closing words reached him clearly. The Kazekage’s warning was cold and final: "So you're going to stop walking. And you're going to wait. And we are going to do this the right way because the alternative is me treating you like every other uninvited presence that's approached these walls recently."

It was exactly what Yuuto had expected to hear, especially considering how recently Sunagakure had been under siege. He stepped forward toward the leader of the sand.

"Greetings, Twelfth. I didn't expect to see you at the gates again so soon." Okay, Shin didn't know who Yuuto was, based on his appearance and the stark change of Cursed to Divine chakra, but there'd be no mistake of the monkey next to him. He offered a brief nod and then fell into a deliberate silence. The sharp lecture he had intended for the guards was no longer necessary, as their own leader was already delivering a much more effective brand of discipline.

[Topic Entered]

 

[Toraono Michino]

The noon was reflected in the false sky overhead. Michino stared up at the glorious invention of his uncle, wondering what it was the man would tinker up for the village next. Reaching into his pocket, the Toraono lord removed a round timepiece and gazed at the intricate design. A special watch given to him by Sousuke, that always seemed to be far more accurate that most watches. His thumb slipped over the notch that pushed down into the metal, releasing the mechanism that kept the watch’s face fully covered. Beneath, pristine glass revealed two hands ticking, moving towards the start of a new shift.

The shouting caught his attention. Swearing, knowing this was going to be an interesting day, and he was just starting his shift, hating every second of it. From the upper parts of the old Bulwar’s battlements, the ex-Kazekage lowered himself down via the grace of the false winds produced via the chakra crystals. His feet landed with barely a sound as he shifted through the remains of the upper world’s sands towards the problem at hand.

“Excuse! Are you aware exactly of what you’re doing? Our village is currently in the middle of the war, and your actions is not in the category of neutrality. You have two choices: continue to move forward and face the consequences there of, or turn around. I beg of you to take the latter option.

Then it hit who he was talking to. Their eyes met and the panther god roared within him. He had always wondered where she had went after his humiliating defeat, but had not questioned it due to a wounded pride. Now they were back again, walking through with more jaunt than the Daimyo. Michino clinched his knuckles tight as he slowly walked up to the group already apprehending the Mercenary. The wind began to stir around him with small vicious gusts reflecting his growing anger at their audacity. Surely they had not missed the war enveloping the entire country right now? The propaganda spread to every watering hole by the Twins? Had this person really chose now, to step through an ant hill? His eyes turned to the 12th with some concern. The man was still healing, if he even could. Now this, when everything else was already moving.

This needed to be handled quickly. There was no longer any time for nonsense.

[Stopped/topic entered]

 

[Yamashiro Ryuni]

​

Alas, there would come a time in many shinobi's lives where they would come to grips with the ideals from which they would go about to protect their village. Their people. However, today wasnt one of those days. Ryuni, getting the letter from Yuuto to meet him. This was becoming something for Ryuni, after their fight Ryuni noted that he along with Kyuji were apart of the group that saved his life. He would be beholding to the idea that he would definitely owe him. More than just his life but his respect and diligence. So, with the idea that he would be going to see this man at the edge of the village. 'Was it time for Suna to emerge again?' the boy would think as he'd find himself moving closer to the edge.

He was still bandaged and hurt, but he was clear for his training to begin again. He wasnt as strong as he was previously... but he was smarter now. That would do him much more than any amount of chakra he would draw for his flames. With a smile on plastered on his face, the boy would emerge behind the group. Yuuto was there, another male who zipped by him and called out... and the Kazekage? Along with a woman... what was going on?

"...oioi! Yuuto-san! Am I late to the party or something?" moving his hands behind his head, he'd tuck them between strands of hair. A Crimson headband covering the seal on his head, and his typical clothes... village attire. Nothing fancy. But everything felt tense. Felt.... off.

"...Why is everyone here like this?"

[Stopped/Topic Entered]

 

[Sabaku Rika]

Rika was on her lunch break. The day had been slow and boring. She was near the gates. She was just wrapping up some business with a nice toasted sandwich when she heard shouting. Any sort of drama caught Rika's attention, then, and naturally, guarding the gates was within the job description. By the time she reached the area, Shin was there. Rika recognized her Kage; the woman, on the other hand, she didn't know. Rika stepped up and wiped her hands on her pants.

Whether the Kage was there or not, she was still going to see what was up and see who had the gall to try to enter and ignore the guards posted. Rika saw two other men approach, but she would be there. "Man, I guess I'll stay on the sidelines," She mumbled to herself. She stopped behind the group and rested her hands on her hips, shifting her weight to one side. She was much shorter than the three men she stood behind, but she could still get a good look.

Ryuni showed up, and Rika turned to look at him. "Yo Ryuni, looks like a party now," Rika said with a smirk. She then took a few steps back.

'I should have eaten my sandwich more slowly, then I would have had food and a show,' She thought to herself. Maybe this person didn't seem like the smart type, so she was sure something would happen. If it did, she would have to go get medical and let others know the gates were under attack. She didn't mind, she'd do it fast so she could come back to watch.


[Topic entered/Preparing to leave if combat starts]

 

[Ryujin Akira]

“Ryujin Akira.”

The voice gave me pause, drifting down from the top of the wall like a bad omen. I squinted, searching for the source until he finally stepped to the edge. Why was he hiding? Was this that game the children played—hide and seek? If so, he was winning, and I hated losing. He started rambling about things I’d missed: a village attack, casualties, the usual. Damn it! I missed a perfectly good fight! He then started droning on about "gate procedures" and needing to verify my identity.

“You already know who I am! You just said my name! Now I am confused?”

I had to shout; the altitude clearly wasn’t doing his brain any favors. But then, a familiar face appeared near the gate. “Michino!”

The world around me ceased to exist. I slammed my greatsword into the sand with a heavy thud and launched myself forward, leaping into his arms with the force of a falling boulder. If I ever had a friend, Michino was the closest thing to it. We were practically family. In fact, we’d already planned to have several illegitimate children together the last time we met.

“MICHINO!!! How is my favorite little kitty!? I heard the village was attacked while I was gone. You must have been soooo scared. Don’t worry, Akira is here now to keep you nice and safe.”

I wrapped my arms around as much of him as humanly possible, squeezing until his ribs gave a polite little crack. I briefly turned my head to glare back up at the wall.

“Ugh, what does he want now? Whatever.” I turned back to Michino, cupping his face with hands that still smelled faintly of greatsword steel. "Don't mind the mean man on the wall, kitty. He's just jealous of our bond. Now, tell me everything. Who attacked? Did you hide under the bed? Did they steal your shirt? Are you poor again? I can’t leave you alone for five minutes, can I?”

Fixing him with an awkward, unblinking stare, I leaned in to affectionately attempt to shove my six-inch tongue down his throat. It was a classic greeting—efficient, heartfelt, and deeply invasive. It was our thing.

[mft]
[If kiss is successful, valentines badge please]