The Men and Women at the Wall

[Takahashi Aki]

Roku, Riyota, and Sousuke would be at the foundations of the new gate area. They were outside of the Toraono dojo, and Sousuke make a point of building around it first to enclose the dojo. If Kuro or any of his family were going to make a scene it was best to have it done here and now and not later when the gate was going to be almost done. Sousuke wore his metallic armour and seemed unphased by the heat. He stood with his arms folded behind his back as he watched Ken air lift the first part of the wall into place. The giant orange insect would land with a thud, and begin pushing the wall into place. Sousuke would remark about a slight angle change here and there. He would then make a few hand gestures and he would hold his hands up for the insect to stop. The next peice of the wall before it was changed to the new unnamed steel would be slotted into place. Sousuke would approach the wall and eyeball it he would even scale up the wall to make sure that there was no wholes present. The metal slabs sat tightly beside each other. Sousuke would climb down and he would walk over to the two being Roku and Riyota. "Are you ready to convert the next wall, or should we do an outline first and then convert everything after?"<i></i> He questioned the two of them. He would hold out his arm and look down at what seemed to be a time interface which was in his actual wrist armour section. "I'm going to call in a few extra hands to help us speed up the job along. The conversion technique is still a thing for us Journeymen. The precise temperatures time, and the likes, but lining up the wall is something ... I'd rather not exhaust ourselves on. My childhood friend Harupia, who Roku has seen at many parties should be coming in on his nimbus quite soon."<i></i>

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

The message had met him at a somewhat opportune time, as he was just finishing a round or exercise and heading to refresh himself. He guessed the timing for the warmup was quite an opportune one. He would quickly move to cleanse himself and put on some proper attire. he figured something fit for training and that he wouldn't mind getting soiled or tattered would do best, so he clad himself in a pair of somewhat baggy white pants and a sleeveless black shirt. And with that he ran through the courtyard of the Sunaku compound, sand forming under his feet as the nimbus lifted him into the sky and towards the Toranao Dojo.

He could see by the time he arrived work was already being done. He could See Sosuke enormous insect companion slotting in a heavy slab of steel next to each other. It didn't take long to spot the man who ave the call, along two other companions. One he was somewhat familiar with, the other that he knew, but never met. Or so he at least thought... Not wasting much time he let the nimbus carry him close before dispersing, landing in front of them with ease as he said "I hope I didn't hold things up for too long. Came here as fast as I could. Good to see you Sosuke, Riyota" he said offering his hand to both before coming face to face with Roku, offering the same while saying "I don't think we have ever Formally met...Sunaku Harupia. Looking forward to assisting in this endeavor... Given the situation, we have no time to waste do we now?"

 

[Ryu Hime]

As a member of the anbu that patrols the walls, Hakuren was well aware of some construction that was happening today. According to documentation the was to be some Journeyman working on the wall. Hakuren has done some research on them with in the Oracle's Library. According to her research they were capable of sealing the souls of their ancestors or other potentially powerful beings into weapons and armors. Hakuren believe she could make great use of this if the stories were true.

A black robed figure, Hakuren, would approach Sousuke. The hooded robe seems too large for Hakuren as the sleeves extend past the hands and the tail of the cloak slides across the sandy ground. The baggy robe easily disguises her figure making it impossible to tell her gender. The mask was quite different from what one would expect from the Anbu Corps. Often masks worn from such officers are shaped and painted to resemble an animal of some kind. Some anbu seem to almost flaunt their status with extravagant masks with intricate designs, but this one was beyond plain. The mask was completely flat and was lacking any markings other than the village symbol on the forehead, which was hidden by the oversized hood. The mask also lacked any holes for the eyes or mouth; it looks more like one put a piece of plastic on their face than a mask. However, the mask was indeed an official mask and thus had the usual equipment built on the inside. “May I ask if it is true that Journeymen are capable of sealing souls of ancestors into their creations?” The voice was distorted as Hakuren speaks through a built-in voice modulator.

 

[Miroku Riyota]

"Impressive!" Riyota would remark with a nod as the first segment of wall was placed. He was glad that they had Ken at their disposal to do the heavy lifting for them as, despite the strength of the three men whom had forged the metal, it would still have been an incredibly taxing job to move a segment of such tremendous size. The younger shinobi turned his attention back to Sousuke as he asked a question. Mulling it over for a moment, Riyota would give his answer. "I think perhaps an outline first would benefit us? We don't want to put all that work in and then find we made one too many or something along those lines."

It was a mere few moments after Sousuke announced the request for additional labour that the esteemed Sunaku Harupia came drifting in atop his nimbus. Haru would shake Sousuke's hand and proceed to offer it to Riyota who would happily accept. "Good to see you again Sir." He would greet the older shinobi with a smile before breaking the handshake. With the rather draining presence of Roku, it would be nice to have another friendly face on-site.

Then came the sudden, unannounced arrival of a third party. An ANBU whom Riyota, for obvious reasons, did not recognise. With a roll of the eyes he turned away, assuming Sousuke would call him if his assistance was required in that situation. He kept an eye out though, just in case.

Until further instructions were given Riyota would examine the wall they had so far. Tapping the tip of one of his blades against it and knocking his hand against it, feeling the immovable sturdiness of the new metal they had formed. Anyone able to get through this wall would be cause for concern.

 

[Raizo]

OOC: Don't wait on me; keep the thread a moving ^_____^

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The Steward had a small list of people who he considered to be his best friends. Roku and Harupia were tied for being his best friend. Sousuke had at one point considered, if he was ever married, to have both Roku and Harupia be his best man. A slightly awkward thing, but Takahashi Sousuke the third of his name was an awkward man. Roku was rough around the edges, and Harupia was far more gentleman like. Both Roku and Harupia were social creatures once upon a time, and the term playboy came to mind once upon a time. Both Roku and Harupia had endured hardships over the year, more so Roku than Harupia.

Harupia had greeted Riyota rather pleasantly. It was certainly different. Roku and Riyota didn't get along, but Harupia seemingly was going to? The Steward shook Harupia's hand and gave him a pat on the back. "Not overly too long."<i></i> He answered when Harupia spoke of hoping that things were not being held up. Sousuke would motion to Ken. "This is Ken. You've probably seen him ... somewhere or sometime before. He likes oranges. Alot."<i></i> Sousuke spoke as to make sure Harupia didn't go into a sort of trance over the fact there was a giant insect that was flying about and moving great slabs of metal about. In the background the insect could be heard chanting Harry instead of Haru. The Steward filed away in the back of his head the fact that the Haru and Riyota were shaking hands. That was encouraging.

The Steward at Riyota's remark of having an outline would nod his head. The Steward had a vast mind, but sometimes it would be best to share his vision with others. The Steward would reach for an item in his belt. He would produce a single paperclip. He would hold it out, and then flick it. Upon the motion paper seemingly conjured almost out of nowhere, but rather almost as if it was out of the paperclip itself. The Steward would then acquire an unfolding pen and begin drawing up the design. He would make a few copies of said drawing within seconds and would distribute them amongst the labourers. "Acquaint yourselves with the design. We'll ... do the artistic stuff later, but we just want the wall up first."<i></i> He spoke.

The Steward was approached by an Anbu who was wearing robes which were ... the opposite of form fitting. The plain looking mask did not give the Steward room to identify the speaker, toss in the void modulator that was probably at work. The question asked was a concerning one. They were at the gates of the village, outside, and who truly knew what ears were listening. The Steward folded his arms behind his back. He stared at the individual. "That is a secret amongst Journeymen. I will neither confirm or deny what you are asking in a public setting such as this."<i></i> A political answer, but it was a political answer that had to be given as the questioner was an unknown.

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

It was good to see familiar faces as he shook both the Stewards and felt his other arm on his shoulder. Good to know he was more or less on time. He Looked up at the massive beetle holding up the steam construction as he said "I see... He'll deserve a lot of them for the work he's doing here... He does seem in good spirit tho" he mused, hearing the slight chants coming from the massive creature... Almost sounded like some foreign name.

Then he greeted Riyota, probably the youngest of them all here. They had a brief acquittance for now, though one which was already had a fair share of adventure shared between them "No need to be so Formal Riyota! Good to see you as well" while he waited for Sosuke to offer his reply to his question. He wasn't sure how much they talked before he came here, but reporting the plan wouldn't hurt any newcomers...mostly him at this time. He observed as his friend produced an empty paper clip, which was soon filled with a single piece of paper, one the Steward quickly filled with how own drawings and writings. He accepted the copy and looked over the design with a nod saying "Makes sense...as much as I am a fan of a good ascetic it's more important to make sure were defended rather than if the walls look pleasing to those staring at them. I have to say you conjured some impressive drawing for how quickly you did these friend" he mused during he received the design. Perhaps his artistic side was also rubbing off on his friend to a degree.

They were joined by another person, who looked...quite mysterious compared to the rest. Though a brief observation did reveal why. It seems even the ANBU corps decided to aid them in the defense effort. This one seemed quite dedicated to secrecy..t.he bland mask and voice modulation were a preaty big giveaway. The question formed by the deregulated voice was a...bold one. With a catch, he would say "I can only speak of the Oracles from personal explain but trust me, the orders to keep their secrets tight to their chest. But as far as I'm aware they are always looking for new members, even from members of different branches". Perhaps a bit of an obvious statement, but given the person asked about an act that would raise the fear and sometimes anger of people, and could perhaps land you in prison depending where your talking, out in public and in front of potentially the second most important figure in the village... well he assumed to spell out clearly

MFT

 

[Ryu Hime]

Seems these journeymen weren’t going to play ball with her, “How odd you would not be forthcoming to a customer. You do sale your goods, do you not.” She figures that perhaps the mouth of the journeymen would be loosen if they knew money was coming there way. “However do not let that make you tell me…” Hakuren then tosses in a little reverse psychology into the mix, thus giving the illusion of it being there idea to tell her. “Besides it is a silly idea that I am not sure if it would even work. It would depend if the soul would still have the abilities it had in life” Hakuren would turn to face the wall. “I was thinking gargoyles along the wall with souls of Yamanaka sealed within them. There would need to be one per eighty feet of wall. That way they could form a sensory link with each other and to anbu within range without causing negative feedback.” One of the major disadvantages of sensor link that trying to link with to many people caused damage, however if one had a group of Yamanaka forming a network with their ability that risk would be significantly lower. “Through this Anbu can communicate to any other Anbu on the wall regardless of distance. An anbu might also use the gargoyles to send telepathic messages to the headquarters with the use of its Distant Mind Sync. I would like to phase out the use of radios along the wall; such methods of communication can be jammed or worse monitored.” This was likely Hakuren being overly proud of her bloodline, but she might still have a point.

 

[Miroku Riyota]

Riyota tutted but for the most part did his best to ignore the ANBU currently interrogating Sousuke. This person's presence was just re-affirming Riyota's disdain for the ANBU as an organisation, they were hypocritical at their core. They valued their own secrets and kept a tight seal on any information related to their business. Yet at the same time they would demand the relinquishing of secrets from other individuals or organisations that they deemed suspicious or, in this case, when the ANBU just couldn't handle not knowing something.

The figure was being manipulative, that much was obvious, that was always the ANBU way. It was obvious they were trying to get Sousuke to slip up somewhere and reveal more than he intended. Why this particular ANBU had such an interest in the affairs of the Journeymen, Riyota did not know. Although something about them did strike him as familiar. Perhaps the mannerisms, it made cogs turn in his brain as he was sure they related to something he had done before. However he was in no way close to truly remembering.

"Oh whoa uh...Hey Ken! Little to the left and back again please!" He would call up to the giant beetle, trying to correct his placement. If the creature complied Riyota would give a thumbs up with his prosthetic hand. "Fantastic! Thank you!" With that sorted Riyota returned to his general busywork. 'Wouldn't have been much of a wall if one of the segments was out of place.' He thought to himself.

Riyota looked over at the conversation between Sousuke and the ANBU once again. Unsure if he should call the Steward over to save him from the questioning. The younger shinobi waited for now. If his mentor looked like he wanted an out Riyota would shout him over to help with something.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The Steward stared at the Anbu hard. It was a legit look of disappoint, dismay, confusion, and or annoyance. Given that the expression was a dead panned expression with minute differences, it would be difficult for most people to know what exactly was going on with the Steward. Curiously a 'Hah' came out of the Steward. Laughter was something, even if it was a short one, was not something common place for Sousuke. "Serious customers don't come to me with an ANBU robe and a non-descript mask with the voice modulator on. I am not a hard person to find by any stretch of the imagination."<i></i> Harupia spoke up next, which was probably for the best. Sousuke might have said something quite sharp. Harupia spoke of how the Orders kept secrets under guard, and that was very much the truth. The Journeymen had their secrets and it was meant to be kept a secret. Sousuke himself was not fond of selling high powered weaponry to a customer who once in possession of said object would prove to be a danger to themselves. It was something Fuu told him about a long time ago. The voice of the Oracle played through his head.

Ken listened to Riyota and adjusted the wall. The insect would move it to the left, and then back. There was a clicking noise that went off. The insect would fly above the wall and look down. He would clap two of his many hands together when Riyota signaled that it looked good. The large beetle would hover about and circle the walls. He would then fly down and acquire the next large slab of metal and he would begin to move it, he awaited instructions from Riyota as Sousuke was talking to the ANBU at the time. The insect was looking to Riyota now.

As Ken and Riyota worked. The Steward was then given suggestions by the ANBU in question. The Steward stood there and absorbed the suggestion, which in fact sounded very sinister, and very cruel. Yes. Let's go and kill X about of people in the village, and stuff their souls inside of statues against their will. Then said individuals cheated of their life would willing communicate with the ANBU and the likes and give them information at will without being petty or angry that their entire existence has lead to this one particular fate of being frozen in time and in one shape. "I'm certain most ANBU wouldn't find it rude that another voice is popping into their own head and invading what one deems to be their most personal space. You're also forgetting that some individuals give off a white noise effect when their minds are read which is a self defense mechanic."<i></i> Some Yamnaka in the past had tried to mentally sync with the Steward, and the result was an overload. Sometimes they would cry out at the number of thoughts and calculations going on in Sousuke's head, others were blocked out by what they called white noise. "I would find it deplorable if I, a human, had my soul stuck in a rock. Wouldn't you?"<i></i> While Journeymen had the ability to put souls in blades, it was something rarely done. Sousuke had once made an agreement with Mikaboshi and had their pact take place in the form of the Black Blade. Suffice to say, things didn't exactly go that well for him, for a time when that backfired.

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Well, the tension was certainly thickening... As amusing as it was to her Sosuke Snark it was clear he was rather nonpulsed by the entire offer. Though at least as The Anbu spoke it seemed that there was a less..insidious agenda on their mind. Well, at least in terms of it being raised with the good of the village in mind, though the practice of using the souls of Shinobi who had already passed away could be...contentious if raised to a more public ear.

His attention was turned as Riyota called out to the massive Bettle doing the heavy-duty, correcting the positioning of the next section...actually yeah it was a bit misaligned. Though the beetle was quick to correct the mistake, and quite enthused to see Riyota confirm it was corrected "Making friends quick huh? Or have you had a chance to meet Sosukes aid before?" he asked somewhat matter of factly, trying to ease the tension a little bit, while looking at the wall himself, trying to form a scare with his fingers to ensure all the other sections were aligned well.

Though as he did so he listened to the conversation between the Anbu and the Journeyman, silently pondering the two positions. A conflict that tended to appear Shinobi quite often. And while he knew the dark image of the ANBU corps was in part an exaggerated stereotype, this thing seemed to illustrate it so well. The dark faceless force of Shadow, wanting to protect the village by any means. The man who, as much as he sometimes denied it, was of flesh and blood, a Shinobi who wanted to protect his people, even from themselves. Harupia was always like that... right until the Cabal struck That was quite a hit to...everything, really. His carefree idealism of grwoing stronger and doing his best to defend his village, shattered when seemingly forces from inside the village turned against them. While they won in the end, it was a costly victory.

His viewpoint was challenged, he was at a loss. A loss which led him to go on a year-long will chase for something to make him stronger. And as much as he was not one to use a dubious source of power in his chase to be better to defend the village... He sacrificed himself. He made a choice and risked only his own being, to protect his people better. And he still couldn't really tell if it was worth it. He could understand the Anbu's position, yet still saw it as flawed in a way. He imagined a different person could consider it a good thing their souls would be used to defend the land even after death... The question was where you would find the required amount of Souls. He knew communing with spirits is possible but he didn't know the specifics. And he didn't want to think about the option to say, gather the souls of people still alive. Yeah, this was something he imagined his friend or the current Kazekage to debate endlessly within the Kazekage tower with councilmembers... fun times for sure.

These thoughts bombarded his mind through the two conversing, with him scratching his left arm subconsciously along the way. To distract himself, and sensing a pause after Sosukes question he would ask "What should we do with the sections already standing? I would imagine you didn't bring me here only for my ascetic expertise. Perhaps a second layer of the strongest mineral the soil has to offer?" he said with a bit of a smirk. If anything, he and his clan did learn a lot about proper construction during the overground rebuild process.

MFT

 

[Ryu Hime]

Hakuren gives a hearty laugh at the man’s comment about her attire, “Touche.” She would likely be the same at her own shop, where she exchanges memories. “No, I dare say you would stand out in a crowd.” Hakuren continues to listen to what he had to say.

“Minds are read? How? Who and where can I find this person?” More than likely Sousuke had an off impression of the Yamanaka abilities. “I’m highly experienced in the Yamanaka abilities and I can’t even read a human mind. I can only receive information that it is projected to me through a link. I can’t just look at someone and know what they are thinking; they must allow me to know. It is more of a invitation than an invasion really.” Hakuren places a hand around the chin part of her mask. “White noise? Interesting.” The gears in her head begins to turn as attempts to deduce the cause aloud. “That could possibly be an unconscious projection of thought. The unconscious mind is not really that good at making clear communication so it could come off as white noise.”

“Personally I find it deplorable to be stuck in any single vessel, but most people are use to being confined to a single body. Seriously how do you keep from going insane?” Hakuren suffers from blindness and Chronic Anemia. Due to this she gets very little exercise and has a weaker muscular structure than most shinobi’s her age. Lifting something her own weigh would be very difficult for her. Her own body is a prison and her only saving grace is her mind transfer jutsu. “It’s like you are stuck in a cell with a single window. Your view of the outside world is so limited and yet you people are not only content with it, but find comfort in it. Would it really bother you if you were sealed in stone. From my point of view I don’t see much change from your imprisonment. I know it sounds arrogant of me, but the only differences I see would equate to drops in an ocean.” In truth Hakuren would never get an answer to these question because it’ll be like asking a fish what it is like to live in water; it is all they know and they have nothing to compare it to. “However we are talking about sealing Yamanaka ancestors so I see your point.” According to what she has read it suggests that journeyman are capable of sealing souls of the long since dead. Not even she would dare suggest killing people for this project.

Hakuren gives a heavy sigh for there goes that idea. “Just when I thought I could make a contribution.” Hakuren wants to aid the village. True her service to the village as an anbu helps the village, but she want to do something grand. “Is there anything I can do to help in the project? Something that does not require physical labor?” This would likely sound like she was trying to be lazy however due to her chronic anemia she is physically weak and is prone to fainting when she overexerts herself.

 

[Miroku Riyota]

"Back a bit! Slightly to the left! Small pivot! Forward and down! Excellent!" He would commend the large beetle once the next segment of wall had been slammed down. Turning his attention briefly to Harupia and listening to what the other man had to say Riyota nodded. "Must be my natural charm." He joked, double-checking the last segment to make sure it was correct. "He's a magnificent creature, I can only hope to one day have a summoning contract of my own." He remarked, admiring Ken's handiwork. "How have you been recently, any more major conspiracies?" He asked curiously, walking parallel to the wall and keeping an eye on the large beetle, assisting when need be.

Riyota always kept one eye on the conversation between Sousuke and the ANBU, he worried the Steward was accidentally giving away more than he intended to in his annoyance but Riyota had faith that he knew what he was doing overall. The ANBU for their part seemed to be trying to cover up their moral blunder and trying to justify imprisonment as a welcome alternative to the existence of some. "Give me a break..." Riyota murmured, shaking his head. He hoped they would not be staying much longer.

Seeing as he didn't currently have much to do except supervise Ken the young Shinobi decided to sate his curiosity a tad and take a good look at what they were working with. Manipulating the chakra in his feet and making use of his own affinity with metal he made his way briskly up the large wall. Making sure to keep a watch on Ken as he did so. When he reached the top he took a moment to take in everything on the other side of the wall.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The Steward said nothing at first when he was queried about who in fact read his mind. The Anbu then went to ask where could he find this person. The problem was that the person in question wasn't really a person, it was a demonic entity. The sheer concept of remembering that 'Inexcusable Horror' caused a slightly PTSD trigger to go off. The Steward broke eye contact and simply looked skyward. His mind decided to recall his time with that horror and how it spoke in his head and spoke of his past seemingly. It was difficult and not an easy encounter, but one that Sousuke endured as evidenced by the fact he was standing right here today. Harupia would notice the momentary lapse in the Steward as he froze for a few moments. His gaze would shift back from the sky and down to the ANBU in question. "I wouldn't recommend you meeting this entity."<i></i> He said and nothing more would come from it on the matter. There were things worth keeping mum about. This was one of them.

The ANBU went on to describe it being deplorable to be stuck in a single vessel. Humans were subject to that, and that is how the world wanted them to be. Yes there were notable exceptions to the case, like this ANBU here who was going on and on about the Yamanaka ancestry. A simple assumption to be made would be that this person was indeed one with such ancestry. There was little chance that this person hated Yamanaka given their attempt to push the virtues of this bloodline so much. At any rate it would see that the idea was going to be abandoned for now, which was indeed for the best. "I find comfort being in one body because this body is the most able. Surprising thing about being human, isn't it? I suppose luck has something to do with it. At least I have multiple windows to stare out of because I want to look outside."<i></i> The next question came as to what she or he could do. "Look for any notice flaws in the metal slabs, if so alert me so it can be fixed, and check for any holes in the plates being lined up."<i></i>

Harupia inquired about what he could bring to the wall. The Steward would look to it. "Got any fire jutsu, or anything have to do with heat? The plates we're having put in place are going to be converted to a different metal. First we just want to line up all the plates and form the wall itself."<i></i>

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

It seems this was indeed Riyota's first meeting with the massive beetle, and he attributed to good ole charm. Well he had to be doing something right if he had managed to gain the attention and favor of Lady Azusa...though he didn't mention that out loud. Felt a bit rude to bring up someone personal life during what was essentially work in a way. As he mentioned having a summoning contract of his own he chuckled a bit while saying "He is quite the specimen, though fair warning, sometimes gaining the favour of one of the animal clans can be a bit of a...harrwoing experience" he mused, feeling the stone he received from Aurdyn after that fateful day...they were still a few kins between him and the old hunter lizard...but if the time ever arises, he knew he would have a fine ally on his side. He let out a chuckle at the men's next words saying "I've been well. Had a productive conversation with some of the members of the Oracle order... And I cant say I've had any suspicions recently...I guess right now we have the luxury of knowing the enemies face for once" he mused, remembering the ordeal at Tea country... that was an odd situation to be sure.

He did hear Riyota mutter as the Anbu member spoke her peace, clarifying just how exactly the Yamanaka clans power worked. He could take a pretty sure guess they were part of the clan at this point... Maybe it was because of him being a softie, or maybe because of his own...issues with his body, the second part resonated with him slightly. They did cove their body quite... extensively. Much to big for the persons frame... a condition causing the body to be frail? Injury? He never felt quite like that, at least not for long. He was stuck in bed for a few days after they repelled the Cabal invasion, and the thought of it being permanent did cross his mind...and than there was the ordeal he went through out of the village... Though the fact remained that for him, a fully able bodied person, the iamge of being stuck in a stone statue for eterntiy, aware of being used as a tool...it sent a shiver down his spine.

And all talk of morality aside, it seemed the Sosuke did not want to do anything with the process. Or at least, whatever facilitated the process. He noticed Sosuke...shutting down for a brief second, for lack of a better word. Whatever memory was brought up in his mind, it had to be a harrowing one. He could only imagine how exactly the process may look like,.. the following comment seemed somewhat harsh coming from the Stewards lips, considering the possible state of the ANBU...but perhaps the though plaguing his mind had led him to retreat to his less social behaviors of the past...

Before he could Chime in to try and ease the situation, it seems it has been mostly glanced over, though he wondered how well the ANBU could assist with spotting flaws in the construction for the metal slabs. Seems Riyota was taking a closer look at them. As Sosuke spoke, his face soured a bit as he scratched the back of his head "Ehh, fire is the Element I have the weakest grasp of. I can generate heat and some basic fire techniques, but nothing really he the degree needed here."

Mft

 

[Ryu Hime]

۞​

Hakuren pulls out a kunai from inside the large sleeves of her robes. she has a few pockets in the sleeves to seeming pull things out of nowhere. Weapons, parchment, candy: she had a variety of things hidden in her sleeve to pull out like a magic trick. She pricks her index finger and places the kunai back into her sleeve. She begins to scribe a symbol on the wall. It was an eight pointed star with a circle in the middle. She then speaks in a demonic sounding voice, “hervorkommen.” Suddenly a small blue ball of flame appears before the symbol like a little Hitodama. However the flame quickly grew and took shape into a small five-tailed fox. With how its tails flickers in the wind almost gives the impression that its tails were swaying back and forth. “I got you covered with the fire. Just tell me what areas need heated.”

Before The Steward could respond to her question there was a screech of a hawk flying above. It was one of Hakuren birds that also services sunagakure as a messenger animal. Within the anbu she went by name of The Watcher and there was a reason for it. When she chose the name it was due to her talents in possessing animals and spying on people. Now that her powers have flourished and she can look into the memories of such beasts, she has many informants. Stray cats and dogs roam the village as her eyes and ears while birds fly around outside the village spying on the neighboring towns. There is a very few things that happen in Wind Country without her notice.

The bird soars down towards Hakuren, but what it was holding in its talons was no roll of parchment. The bird drops its package before swooping around and landing on the anbu’s shoulder. Hakuren catches the item and inspects it carefully with her hands and once she forms a link with her hawk, she could see it was a doll. The clay doll’s skin looks scorched and was naked and had no hair as if someone threw it into a hearth. “Explain.” The bird then reveals its memories to Hakuren of what it saw. It was a village burned to the ground as if it was attacked. This did not sit well with Hakuren and thinks this wall could not be built fast enough.

 

[Miroku Riyota]

The sight of the vast, sprawling desert greeted Riyota at the top. Endless sandy dunes as far as the eye could see, with some small villages and towns dotted between. Suna truly existed on the brink of civilisation and in that moment it was quite easy to see why the village had a large population of weirdos and powerhouses. Sometimes both those things were one in the same. The desert was home, but it was necessary for them to defend themselves from it. Riyota had seen with his own two eyes the things that lurked out there. He knew that he absolutely wanted them to remain out there.

Plonking himself down he let his legs dangle over the edge of the metal slab. He always kept one eye on Ken and would be sure to correct the beetle if there was ever an issue or a poor placement. However for the most part, he gave himself a small chance to breathe, letting the wind blow through his messy brown hair. He allowed his blood to cool and the stressful thoughts and struggles of his mind to cease for a brief moment. As of right now, most of his concerns were at the back of his mind. He could distract himself and enjoy himself by working on this project.

After his brief meditation he decided he should make a quick patrol of the top to ensure everything was looking present and correct with the slabs on the upper level. Before he did so however he gently pressed his hand to the cool metal and focused his chakra on that point, manipulating the atoms inside the metal he turned it into a substance that appeared to be liquid, but still held its integrity like a solid. Slowly he formed some of the metal into razor sharp spikes that slowly protruded outwards as an initial defence before the wall itself could be assaulted. Once he was done and had examined his handiwork he nodded. "Maybe something to try a bit later." He mentally filed it away before returning the metal to its original state. Once his experiment was concluded, he began patrolling the wall.

MFT

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Harupia revealed to the Steward that he lacked fire jutsu. It did not come as a surprise. The Steward wondered then if Harupia had any ice jutus, which is what was required then to intensify the new metal he had discovered with Roku and Riyota. No harm in asking, all the same. "Hm. Basic heat is better than none. Know any ice jutsu? If no... we'll improvise the heat."<i></i> Without Roku the ice jutsu might be a problem, however, there was someone who he knew that could help with that. It all depended on her mood, and if she was in the right state of mind. In addition to Ken, Sousuke had a pact with the Toads due to his experiences with Shouki. The Elder Crone of the Toads was a moody being. She was stark raving mad at times, and at others she was the most sane person in the room. What was not up for debate with her was her knowledge of sorcery and the arcane. The Toad Crone and the Steward had argued from time to time about 'magic' as it were. The Elder Crone, like others, made the claim that the Steward himself was a sorcerer in terms of metallic mastery. Sousuke made the argument it was merely science.

The masked Anbu stepped up to the plate and revealed, he or she, had things covered in terms of fire. The Steward's eyes shifted over when the Anbu spoke in a foreign voice, and in particular a foreign word. He looked at the fire born fox creation. He mulled it over in his head. There were those who simply used their jutsus as a raw force. Others molded their techniques into shapes. The Anbu was clearly the latter of the two types. A series of names began to disappear from Sousuke's list of people that this ANBU might be. Still would take some detective work to figure out who it was considering the non-descript mask and the voice modulator.

Out of the corner of the Steward's eye did he catch a bird coming into view. His eyes narrowed as he watches come down and deliver a note. The Anbu states a single word, explain, clearly speaking to the animal. The Steward would turn around and look up at the wall. The plates were moving in. So far so good. At this rate, over twenty-five percent of the wall was moving into place. "If anyone has any summoning contracts, now is the time to bring out your friends. Many hands make light work."<i></i> He called out to his fellows.

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Harupia turned with a slight surprise to see the fragile looking Anbu member take out a scroll and mutter a mysterious phrase, only amplified by whatever they were using to augment their voice. it appeared to be a summoning scroll which had put forth a petite fox with five tails. It did look...quite cute to be honest, though he would be the last person to underestimate the aid of such a creature. He knew all too well how mighty the animals roaming around the lands could be, especially those who were organized enough to offer their services and aid in such a manner.

He did feel a bit uncomfortable, with the Anbu preparing her fox companion and Riyota moving upwards to assist Ken in his work. If only because he didn't quite feel like he could contribute much...At least until his friend mentioned the word ice. He gave himself an internal facepalm as he remembered one of the conversations he had with him about forging, how you needed to heat metal to ludicrous temperatures before cooling it off rapidly. With a bit of a smile, he stretched his shoulder and cracked his knuckles gently, the crack being followed by sprinkles of frost erupting from his fingers in a theatrical manner as he said "Well now, Ice is something I can help with. Maybe not to the same degree as my control over sand, but hopefully it'll be sufficient"

After his friend mentioned bringing in more hands to aid he gave a bit of a chuckle saying "Ah...I actually made some strides in seeking a companion of my own...though I think at this point he might not react favorably when asked to aid in what I imagine he would see as a mundane activity. Also, I would assume well need a lot more hands in general on deck here, like workers and such...unless you have a plan to minimize the manpower needed here?" he asked, somewhat eager to start working a bit more actively on whatever needed to be done.

Mft

 

[Ryu Hime]

The sound of laughter could be heard approaching them. It sounds like someone must have told a darn right hilarious joke for one could easily here a group laughing and continued to do so for a while. As the sound grew closer those who are custom the the wildlife in the desert would quickly realize that wasn’t laughter they were hearing, but a pack of Hykal. Hykal are a canis-species mammal. This creature has been commonly likened to Sand Wolves, but these creatures are another entity entirely. While canine-like in many ways, the Hykal is a pack-oriented animal, making them significantly more dangerous than their peer the Sand Wolf.

“Way ahead of you.” Hakuren used her telepathic abilities to summon them here knowing they could use some help. Hakuren had made many pets and allies among the animal kingdom in the desert. This particular pack liked to roam around the village. They use to attack civilian merchants coming and going and were quite a nuisance. Hakuren took on them mission to rid such a pest and being the animal tamer she is, she broke them. “I’m sure you can think of someway to make use of these guys.” There were five Hykal in all, which was a typical pack. Contracts were normally animals so surely Sousuke had something in mind for them.