We Begin at the Top [open]

[Takahashi Aki]

(The idea of this thread is to begin a settlement on the surface as the storm has finally stopped, and so ... let the building begin!)

It had bit a little over ten hours since the storms had stopped. Judori and Sousuke awaited Harupia and his father Shiego. It had been a while since both fathers and sons were in the same place. Sousuke looked a little worse for wear, considering he hadn't really slept or recovered. His sandworm arm had been removed and placed in a jar for studying. In its place was a metallic skeletal arm like the one he had made for Okibi now going back a few years. Both son and father were looking grim. Both son and father were tired. Still though Sousuke had to follow through on his plans to bring Sungakure top side. To begin construction of a minor settlement both had reached out to House Sunaku. House Takahashi and House Sunaku were old allies. Both of them and others would see to the development and creation of topside residences. Areas of settlement had been scouted ahead by Judori and his puppets, and a favourable location had been found.

"Do you want to talk about that arm of yours?" Judori queried. The older man was concerned for his son. He had grown used to Sousuke looking beat up. This of course was something else. His son had his armour broken, fractured, dented. "You know you are allowed to have a ... break." Judori said as he looked at his son. Sousuke said nothing. "You can't prove a point to people if you're dead on your feet."

Sousuke looked down and finally spoke, "I can't sleep dad. I've disappointed too many people. I have to make this right. The storms on the surface have stopped, and it is expected of us to return the surface. It has to be done and done now."<i></i> He finally answered his father. There was a sort of somberness in his tone.

Judori shook his head, "You do the best you can. A lot of people would have just killed the Cabal instantly. The fact they've been alive this long means something, and... surprisingly their information was most resourceful. Good to know Kaito isn't a liar. Whether or not you get them to repent and work for us is something else entirely. You're in a difficult spot. Katuso won't take the throne, and that in itself is something even I have difficulty in handling." Judori patted his own head with a sigh.

"And... so... we rebuild."<i></i>

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Harupia found himself in that weird position once again where he couldn’t really tell how much time flew by. It seemed all like ablur…the classes he tried to organize in the academy, the whole encounter with Shouki, him trying to aid Sunan’s and his own clan members best he could…then he learned about Sousuke and a few others heading for a mission, apparently to the heart of the storm…and now a letter splattered in blood, from the steward himself came to him not long ago. Summoning him and his father to the surface. With news of the greatest magnitude. His father scratched his beard in a hasty manner, dressed in his black robe as they spoke “It seems the Steward have been quite busy…but could this be really true?” to which Harupia replied “Sousuke may be eccentric father… but he is not to weave fairy tales from such serious matters… Nor a men who would succumb to madness, even in the most dire of situations”. Of course there was the slightest, most faint possibility the weight of everything that happened made the Steward snap…but he refused to believe it. Even if what he wrote was to marvelous to be true…it had to be.

There wasn’t much of a hassle going through the Dojo, now the main route to the surface with the destruction of the lift. And once they stepped out, they felt the blaring hotness of the sun…and that was it. Only a barely felt desert breeze…no shards of stone and minerals and sand ravishing the surface, no need to done their desert walker cloaks…the Maelstrom was gone. Harupia stared up into the clear sky, not an unfamiliar site since he was in Soon’s Haven not that long ago, but now…from his own home he could see it. Shigeo looked up in silent contemplation with his son, as Harupia spoke “All these years…all of our attempts with no success…and now it’s gone” The Sunaku heir felt his father firm grip on his shoulder as the elder men spoke “So it seems. Such a weird twist of fate, that us desert dwellers fought to keep the caverns whole, while other’s saved the land above…”. With a chuckle, Harupia said “We’ll have plenty of time show our mastery of the desert now father…there is much work to be done” to which Shigeo nodded as they started moving, him saying “And here I thought I would be able to rest a bit” to which his son replied “I find that hard to believe” in a somewhat teasing tone.

It didn’t take long for the Sunaku pair to find Sousuke, who also was accompanied by his father. Harupia smiled widely at the sight of his friend…but then noticed his general state. His armor was in horrible shape, and his hand…or more like a skeleton. Was the artificial? Hastening his step Harupia spoke up “Sousuke! Are you all right? You look…I mean…what happened out there?” His father wasn’t far behind him, speaking in a calmer tone “If he is able to stand proud on his feet, and chooses to do so, there is little need to worry my son. Though it is life has taken great toll on you Steward-San…and yet you stand tall now, and the Maelstrom has been silenced… and for that our people will be forever grateful” he paused giving Sousuke a respectful bow before saying “Well met Judori. I see you weathered the storm of filth that ravaged our village as of late…Is the rest of your family safe?” he concluded, his tone somewhat dry, though there was an accent of the long companionship they shared in the past. Harupia spoke right after him “Yes, good to see you safe and sound Judori-san. And you too Sousuke…But what in Suna’s name happened?”

Mft, Wc= 632

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke was silent for a moment before he answered Harupia. "It's a story that even I am having difficulty in believing. All medical reports have confirmed ... I have not suffered massive brain damage, and my memories have not been tampered with."<i></i> He started with that much. "The Cabal leader Kaito, he revealed to us that there was a center of the storm and we investigated it... and at eye of it was a man. He was controlling the storm."<i></i> Sousuke remembered seeing snow. That was something he still had difficulty in grasping. "It snowed."<i></i> He simply said. "This individual... had control of the weather, it wasn't just simple manipulation of diamond sands. There was a wall of lightning we journeyed to... there was... rain."<i></i> Sousuke shook his head. Doubt grasped at him. When Shiego spoke to him of standing tall, Sousuke's shoulders drooped slightly "Whether we like it or not the Cabal had a hand in putting us here. I don't feel so tall myself."<i></i>

"Don't forget the sandworm that ate your arm while you were ripping plates from it." Judori piped up. The smaller man patted Sousuke's fake arm. "Sandworms hiding down there. To think my boy not only did he manage to participate in the end of the storm, but he also had his arm bitten off. Stories will be told about that one for a while!" Judori chuckled trying to make his son feel slightly better about the situation. No such thing appeared to make Sousuke feel better. "What can I say Shiego, I can't complain much. My wife is still a firecracker, her mother is insane and doesn't get along... and... now the sun can bask in the presence of my bald head. I think the sun may flee in terror from my good looks."

"I summoned the two of you here to begin the layout of a new residential outpost on the surface."<i></i> Sousuke motioned to the lands before them. "Word will travel amongst the villagers... and we will need a smooth transition. We will need to populate this surface realm with steel, stone, bone and glass. I require your help in completing this new undertaking of mine. Will you help me to lay the foundation for this new age?"<i></i> He held both his hands behind his back as he turned to regard Harupia and Sheigo. "Let us combine our skills and begin construction. The time has come to return to the surface, and with it our ways."<i></i> With the wave of his hands Sousuke with some effort began raising a large platform of stone from the ground. The great stone platform strectched out unto the horizon. "Our common ground on which we build on. Not steel. Not diamond. Simple earth. We all come from the earth, and it is from the earth that we will build upward."<i></i>

 

[Toraono Kuro]

A Hyou and a Byakko watchmen spotted Sousuke after the storm had suddenly ceased and the Byakko warrior noted that Sousuke was indeed injured. The message was passed quickly and an ANGRY, WORRIED, ELATED, TORMENTED AZAME and her lead medic Sunaku Sashi the crimson sands distant cousin of Harupia and Doctor Daibatsu Toa family surgeon came marching to surround Sousuke with a customary bow from Sashi, a handshake from Toa and a kiss upon Judori's forehead from Azame, she did what Sousuke's birth mother would have done this moment as Sousuke's spiritual mother. As she grabbed him about the waist and picked him up as if he were a child and of course in Azame's eyes she would always see a thin, wiry, boy diligently applying her swordsmanship lessons while playing with her once chubby son Kuro. "SOUSUKE CHAN!!! HOW DARE YOU GO OUT THERE FIGHTING!! AND LOSING YOUR ARM!! AND DESTROYING YOUR ARMOR!!! WORRYING ME TO NO END!!! AS YOUR SPIRIT MOTHER!!! I WILL NOT HAVE THIS!!!"<i></i> ((looking at Judori while still holding Sousuke like a child at her hip, eyes full of tears and heart hammering she addresses Sousuke's birth father with a serious but nearly calm anger...)) "Judori... you tell him to get his skinny arse down to the infirmary right now so that his wounds can be addressed and the abomination of tissue grafted onto him can be removed and a proper substitute set for my child..." Looking into Sousuke's beautiful eyes hers began to glow with the terrible power of a mother scorned as she sought consolation that Sousuke was okay at but she could not be consoled. Sousuke was literally her last little boy, the final male child she could and would ever have any hand in bearing and she would not lose another child, not a son or a daughter. They were all too precious to her, elders knew that if Sousuke were not the Steward he would probably be locked away in training with Azame forever such was her terrible love and protectiveness over her children. She had even placed her eldest daughter under lock, key, and a special fuinjutsu/genjutsu just to keep her power and presence hidden during the Cabal attacks. "Finish your talks with your supporters Sousuke-chan and the moment you are done, Sashi and Dr. Toa will escort you to the infirmary... DO YOU HEAR ME SOUSUKE?! THIS IS NOT A REQUEST... I am so proud of you, I know you will always worry me, but for now... allow your second mother some peace of mind... please."<i></i> Tears streamed openly down her face as she hugged Sousuke before releasing him from her righteous mother type bear hug. Setting Sousuke down she hugged Judori and Shiego before leaving in a royal hurry to not have to gaze upon Sousuke's injuries. Kuro had been alerted and as such he had his medical and hunter aspects already prepare a proper transplant after Akuma Kuro set the wards, and seals for surgery requiring both mystical and modern medicine. Sousuke would always emerge superior if the Toraono Clan had any say in it.

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Haru was silent as Sousuke spoke about all the transpired. A man in the center of the storm…causing it all. Something he had heard of… as more words came Harupia placed his arm on his friends shoulder saying “Perhaps they did…but given that their goal was wiping us of the face of the earth, and they now assisted us in our growth, Its clear who eventually come on top…though they sure do seem proud of how much damage they have done” his tone getting a bit more somber by the end. As Judori started speaking about what exactly happened to Sousuke he couldn’t believe what he was hearing…all of this would make for a fine tale indeed. Perhaps something even more…already he was getting ideas, though he wasn’t sure how well Sousuke would take being a model for a sculpture…especially with all the circumstance sounding it.

Shigeo chuckled a bit, something Harupia himself didn’t witness often. Though he always noted how his father seemed to soften up just slightly when next to the former Steward. Shigeo himself responded to Judori “I’d like to believe the sight of us would be refreshing to the Sun. It’s been a long time since we could gaze on it so openly…Members of my family have weathered this storm well, though there have been casualties still… Even my own wife had me worried for a second…” the elder Sunaku rose his hand towards Harupia, silencing his son who had a surprised look on his face as he spoke on “Your mother is fine son…She just went missing for a few hours a few times around the time we start to push back against the cabal…I feel she might have a hand in dealing with some of the explosives…Just as you have my son. You fought valiantly to defend our city form the inside…and honestly I’ve never seen you so eager to get out of bed as from the hospital right now…” Harupia chuckled a bit nervously “I really can’t afford to be lazy at this point, can I now father?”. His body was well by now, a bit sore and exhausted but nothing to serious. His encounter by the gates with Kuro and the gift he received helped in the regeneration process… he still needed to speak with the sage about that more in depth.

Soon after Sousuke started talking. About plans. Grand plans. Rebuilding the surface, moving everyone here…He was slightly supersede as he spoke about their ways. As far as he was concerned Suna never lost its way…But that wasn’t the important thing now. Now was the time to make things as they should have always been. Before Harupia could respond, another set of people came by to the gathering. Lady Azame, doctor Daibatsu and Sashi, a distant cousin of his. Lady Azame seemed quite distressed over Sousuke state, basically ordering him to report for healing as soon as possible. Shigeo returned the ladies hug, and once she walked of he said “You can always count on the Toranao’s being…energetic”.

Harupia then said “We can’t really blame her…my first instinct was to try and convince you to heal up Sousuke. Any lesser man would probably feint if he just rose such a great land mass…” he mused looking at the platform. He then said "Earth is more than just stone…every mineral in our world comes from it. Metal, crystals, everything we need to make our new home strong and beautiful is right here, just at the tips of our fingers. And if I may speak on the Sunaku clans behalf…” he paused turning to his father, who, while a bit bemused, nodded to him, after which he spoke on “we have waited years to step on the desert soil without fearing for our lives. My clan roamed through the deserts, and then joined the Sunahoshi to rise our great nation…and I will be our, and my, honor to help build it again. We’ve been through the darkest night. I’ll be glad to help lead my people to the dawn” he concluded finally, a confident smile on his lips. Much to be done, and not much time…but he was ready to pour every bit of his energy. He still needed to settle some things…but he had something to look forward to as well.

Shigeo coughed a bit before saying “Well spoken…perhaps your more fit to take the place as the leader of our clan then you want me to think” earning a sheepish head scratch from his son as he spoke “Still, as the current head of the Sunaku Clan, I want to ensure you my feelings are the same Steward-san. Me and my family will do our in our might to rebuild Suna, and follow as you lead us into this new age we have before us…” ending with a deep, respectful bow. Shigeo always felt a bit doubtful of Judori’s choice to let his son become Steward…but now he could see that in spite of any oddities, Sousuke was a great warrior and a brave leader. Perhaps he could even teach his son a thing or two about being one.

Mft, Wc= 858

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Would Sousuke do anything that Lady Azame demanded him to do? Not really. As the giantess made her way from the scene, and the unfortunately very embarrassing situation he had just went through, Sousuke brushed himself off. There was work to be done. He had to see to this. The first new subdivision and living space. He turned to regard Harupia and his father. "You should be able to use the diamond sands. Think of it like this. Sand is your realm of power. Sand is under your command. What was fighting you wasn't the sand itself. It was the weather. It was the wind. Again another revelation of the Cabal ... and something my cousin had mentioned to me."<i></i> Shiori in her infinite unknown wisdom was what led to this theory. He motioned for the father and son. "Try it. Without the wind, your powers shouldn't be facing a conflicted nature."<i></i> Sousuke placed his hand on Harupia's shoulder and he squeezed it. This hopefully would put his good friend in good spirits about their newfound abilities, or rather abilities that were now not limited by other factors.

Shiego mentioned about his wife having went missing for a few hours. Judori chuckled at that. "Your wife too? I think the girls just wanted to have fun." Judori tried to keep the medical facility from falling apart. He had been healing people with his puppets of all shapes and sizes. Most of his patients were giving their puppets tenders a hard look. It wasn't often you had a spider puppet knitting your wounds together. "Never underestimate the female gender young Harupia. You may find yourself stuck with house work... like I have." He gave Shiego a sly look. What was most important was left unsaid. The two old nin had their fair share of the experiences with women. "The surface may be safer now than before, but all manner of life will return to the surface too. Good or evil. Holy or Demon. What comes next? We must defend what we build. It is rather pointless to have a victory in one place, only to lose it to other foul ends." Judori warned. What struck him as odd was that sandworms were living under the surface. Had they not the skin to endure and survive the storm? Maybe not. "Enemies like Magentica will multiply and come to take their stake in the land." A sobering thought indeed. The bald headed man's seriousness would come to an end as a grin escaped his features. It was infectious as Sousuke too was grinning. "Let's take it as it gets thrown at us boys. For the time being ... we best do as the ancestors did for a time. Away with the tools of war, and forward with the building." Judori would remove from his pockets a scroll. He opened the scroll and summoned a half dozen puppets. Sousuke summoned more earthen walls and the puppets began to work picking up the walls and plasma sealing them to the ground. The first home was underway.

"I should have brought some paint... maybe later."<i></i> Sousuke spoke up as he watched the puppets work together. More walls were summoned and together father and son worked to form the first floor.

 

[Takahashi Hiruma]

Hiruma's eyes were squinted as they scanned the horizon.

Could this really be it?

Would Suna finally be able to reclaim her place in the light? He casually took notice of each footstep he made. His mind kept telling him these sands should be ripping at his entire being, yet they lazily gave with each footstep. Conversation was happening, but Hiruma only half paid attention. His focus was on the wonder of the horizon he could see. To him, it wasn't natural for the biggest worry to be the heat of the sun out here.

A glint from Sousuke's arm caught his eye and brought Hiruma's mind back to the task at hand. Hiruma nodded to the cousin he'd not seen in forever and a day, and shuffled his feet to the higher end of a dune. He had little to offer in terms of mass construction out here, but his eyes could find what the group needed as well as cover their backs. Hiruma's eyes briefly darted towards the older men at the mention of Magnetica. Away with the tools of war...is that even possible anymore?

Hiruma witnessed as a crew of puppets materialized into being and quickly assembled the foundation of what would be first structure since the Storms had began so long ago. Kneeling down to casually grasp a handful of sand, his eyes watched it carelessly slip through his fingers and blend in with the surface. He'd spent most of his recent time twisting the minds of lower Cabal members in order to make them more apprehendable. But this...sand. It was lifeless, yet animated. A few simple hand seals conjured an eye from the sands he knelt before. It quickly adjusted to the light of the sun before rising several feet above the group to scrutinize the area around them more closely.

"Do you guys really think we can re-anchor ourselves here on the surface? I don't want to be pessimistic, but being up here like this seems so...surreal."

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Aa Judori spoke Shigeo moved in closer to him as he said “Not the best of times to have fun…but I guess it all worked out in the end. And Judori is right son…though I guess we both know not to underestimate even the most gentle of women” he said with a chuckle, to which Haru simply nodded, in a somewhat matter of fact manner, not really focusing on it. He was leaning down, undoing the bindings on his sandals. Shigeo nodded simply as Judori spoke, sighing a bit as he said “You know me Judori… I always felt comfortable with either tools of the hunt or the tools of combat…I guess I shocked the entire clan by the fact I turned out to be a somewhat competent leader, given the circumstances… Who knows what lurks out there? More Djinns or other demons? More madman like the Cabal or the magnet wench?” he mused as he took out flask form under his robes, taking a sip of it and letting his body shiver from the fiery contents within “I’ll be here to face them…but I think I’ll let my son do more of the building. He might have the patience to make the walls sturdy and not half bad to look at, hehe” he conclude offering Judori a sip from the flask.

Haru chuckled to himself, his sandals now on the ground as he stepped with bare feet on the desert sands. They were hot of course, but it was a familiar yet so distant feeling…he was truly connected to the sand on the surface. What Sosuke spoke of made sense…the Diamond Maelstrom had to be ore then mere sands…But now it was all gone. As someone new came to them, someone younger, asking if it was really true, Harupia said with a smile “It feels surreal indeed…but I can feel the warmth of the sand, the breeze of the air. This is all true…though I hope your faith in my control isn’t misplace Sousuke” he finished a bit more gloomily. After all, they tried for years to control the diamond sands…would it really work this time. Shigeo simply said “If anyone can do it, it would be probably the Sand Artisan of Suna, would it now?” electing a small chuckle from Harupia. Taking a deep breath, digging his feet into the sand, he directed his hands towards the vast expanse and started to rise them. Slowly but surely, mounds of Sand rose under his command. Vast amounts, as if the whole desert was under his command. Yet he knew it wasn’t quite what was need…he could see the normal sand, the heavy black sand, and the sparkle of minerals and diamonds…but it wasn’t quite what they were looking for. He dug his feet deep, trying to reach for the sands they needed…the ones which ravaged the surface for so long, and now hopefully would be used to make their new home stronger…but he needed to dig deep.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Hiruma's presence was not missed by Judori or Sousuke. Hiruma was Sousuke's senior by a few years. The relationship had always been there, but it was something in the background. His question was an important one. Sousuke's eyes shifted skyward to the clear sky. There was an eerie sense in it. No darkness in the sky, at least not yet. No humming of chakra crystals. "It will take time, and we will adapt accordingly. That is what makes us different than most species, the potential of man and woman to adapt to their surroundings. We adapted to the underground, molded it with us, so... we will do the same with the surface. The good thing being that we're now ... not so limited in terms of space... and I don't have to tend to the roof either."<i></i> He blinked and turned his gaze down.

Judori let out a slight 'hrmph' over his companion's remark about the his clan having put him in leadership. "Well. I suppose there is a whole lot of stuff of the evil nature on the surface. I'm counting on you to do what you do best... not lose hair and maintain that stiff upper lip." Judori was half joking of course. The game was only going to get harder here on out. The sky was the limit, and defending that sky was going to be its own challenge. "At least you're not drinking as much as my mother-in-law. I think her liver may have failed already. She thinks a war is coming." He joked only slightly. This change was going to echo, and some parties may not like the echo it would have. Judori's fingers shifted ever so slightly as the puppets continued to work about.

Sousuke watched Harupia work with the sands. It was something to behold. "I don't know how it feels to be able to do that. To draw upon the earth like that. I can conjure gemstones and great forms of heat. Does the different layers of sand ... convey different levels of power?"<i></i> Sousuke watched his friend with interest.

He motioned for Hiruma to join them with his mechanical hand. Strangely enough given all the work he had done for Okibi's hand, his own seemed more natural to him than the sandworm arm. This was the sort of thing he was used to. "I suppose..."<i></i> He paused awkwardly for a moment as Sousuke was prone to do. Harupia had over the years helped Sousuke to get over his social awkwardness and tendencies , but even so it lingered. "Hiruma this is Haru. Haru this is my cousin Hiruma. He's blood related unlike Shiori. It has been a while hasn't it?"<i></i> There was a pause in between, Sousuke trying to make the small talk that one needed to do."I suppose it makes me a bad cousin, that the only time we meet is due to a ... grand ... situation to ... uncover like this."<i></i>

MFT 493

 

[Miroku Riyota]

Riyota was lost. That much was certain, he had gotten bored somewhere in the sand and had completely zoned out as his legs carried him to...wherever he was now, he had absolutely no idea how he got here, and even less of an idea of how to get back. Well this is just...great. He sighed to himself, running a hand down his face, exasperated. He scanned the area around him for any hint at all of where he was, but there was absolutely nothing about the place that he recognized. Ok, let's focus on what I do know about this place. He cast a curious eye around the area. Well...it's here. That was a start, if he worked his way up from there, he would get back in no time. And...And...I got nothing else. He sighed. Yup, he knew it, he was lost.

Until he heard voices, although faint, they were most certainly there.​

This is either the best thing to happen in this situation, or something that is going to end up going horribly, horribly wrong. He knew there wasn't really many other options, so he brushed his hair aside, made sure he could reach his axe easily and began walking in the direction that he think he heard the voices coming from.

It was quite a long time walking but he eventually made it to where he needed to be, when he turned the corner. He recognized exactly one face. Sousuke-sensei He thought to himself, slightly relieved, but also slightly worried, he was watching somebody, and the whole thing looked very important. After debating for a few minutes over whether or not it was a fatal decision to interrupt, Riyota slowly walked up to Sousuke and the people with him. With a small grin working it's way onto his face Riyota cleared his throat.

Hey...Whatcha doin'?​

<i></i>

[MFT]
[308 Words]

 

[Takahashi Hiruma]

Hiruma's attention slowly moved from the wonder of a danger free top side to the one gifted with the blessing of sand control. Though his cousin's initial words did not escape his ears, it did take a moment to register. That's how new all of this was to him. All of them. He politely smirked at Judori's interjection, but said nothing. For being of Takahashi blood, he'd been rather...disconnected from the clan's personal relations, mostly due to the line of work as well as the skills he had honed.

His interest peaked when Sousuke had questioned the sand mover's method. Though he had a general understanding of ninjutsu accompanied with a few techniques, his training had simply not taken him down that path. As he listened, he stepped in a bit closer as Sousuke introduced him. "Haru, it is a pleasure to meet you. I wish I had abilities to assist you in this task, but a handle on the elements escapes my grasp. I'll try to help with what I can." Sousuke was not the only one in the clan who'd needed social conditioning to overcome awkwardness. His facial expression was amicable enough, but his eyes not once wavered from Haru's. Finally catching on to his natural fault, intentionally turned his vision elsewhere while listening to Haru as well as Sousuke. His comments on being a horrible cousin pulled a slight chuckle from his lungs.

"If that makes you a bad cousin, we're in the same boat. Our clan seems to be known more often than not for being married to our work, after all." He thoughtfully brought a finger to his chin as he began to contemplate the support surface life would need. "Though if this life in the sun were to anchor here, our glorious Steward would be exposing himself to danger in the open, and therefore need a guard....versed in dealing with threats at a distance." Hiruma smirked slightly as he crossed his arms, tapping on the pommel of a gun under his arm.

Before he could say anything else, a newcomer had wandered out towards them. He seemed young, and inexperienced with the way he walked. Not only did there seem to be little worry of what was around him, there was even less effort to hide it from what one could generalize as "predators."

"Hey there. We're trying to reclaim what is ours. Got a name?" The crystal eye he had formed slowly descended next to his head, focusing on the new person before him.

MFT, WC 422.

 

[Akamaro]

Akamaro had asked his parents if he could leave the house for a bit. He told them he would stay near but this was not quite what happened. Akamaro figured that if he was to train to be a shinobi for Sunagakure then he had better get to know his city as well. The boy strolled through the city taking note of each area. As he walked he tried to make a mental note of where every place was. He made his way through the high wealth, the middle and the poor areas of the city. Akamaro's eyes scanned each building and street making sure to try and remember all the little details of his city. He made sure to see the medical facilities and of course familiarize himself with the place he would be spending most, the Shinobi Complex. He got butterflies in his stomach when he thought about his training and his future in Sunagakure.

As he made his way out of the complex he decided to get a little more adventurous and visit the areas he believed were recently under conflict. He wasn't too sure what was happening but he knew it wasn't good. Akamaro headed to the area where the Kazekage tower and other facilities stood. The sight was quite a shock for the boy and his butterflies returned. These weren't butterflies of excitement and anticipation, they were those of fear. Rubble was scattered about and it was quite clear that this destruction cost the city greatly. Akamaro thought of the lives that were likely lost here... he thought of those who were sent to protect the area. Could Akamaro actually become someone who could help? One thing was for sure... he would try. Those who swore to defend Sunagakure were able to repel the threat. If he was trained to be like them then surely he too could be of use! Akamaro left the area feeling slightly better, but you could see his hands were still shaking slightly from nervousness.

Continuing his journey Akamaro strolled through areas he wasn't quite as familiar with. As he usually does Akamaro was busy thinking and dreaming. He was lost in thought and was imagining being a full fledged shinobi of Sunagakure. Flailing his hands in the air he threw punches at invisible targets. Surely shadowboxing could help him train. As he fought the shadows and walked he could eventually hear and see a large earth platform rise out. It was large, huge even, especially to the young boy. He could see others standing around and made his way closer to the group while still maintaining a hundred feet or so of distance. These guys are the real deal<i></i> he thought to himself. True Shinobi of Sunagakure! Akamaro watched the group, not paying attention to their conversation. He could see one man who he knew was likely important. He was the one who made the platform rise. The... Kazekage? Akamaro was stunned. He wanted to rush forward and learn all he could from these men but he was far too nervous. Another boy seemed to wander up to the group. Akamaro was jealous of him. He wished he could approach such people directly. He knew he shouldn't be nervous. After all these were the people he would train to stand by! But he simply couldn't help it. The boys life as an only child made him a tad bit shy around new acquaintances. So the boy stood a bit away, looking at the group and then looking away to the platform when he felt he had been staring too long.

[Marked For Training (Word Count: 605)]

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Shigeo let out a soft sigh as Judori’s words saying „Indeed…we got a few of these rascals from the outside in our village and look what happened…though one begs the question just how outside this attack was…I saw some of the bomb’s and their plans, they couldn’t have installed them over night…and they knew how to enter and exit without us seeing…The outside world is quite scary indeed…And I look forward to reaching the skies once again…but we still need to take care of the fundaments after all” he mused taking another sip. It was a bit of pride speaking, but still, this all went to well for the Cabal initially…they had to have people on the inside. And now that things were settling…they would need to clear that up. As Judori spoke about his mother he said with a slight chuckle” I’m sure you’ll be able to install some contraption to help her cope, may her liver rest in peace. And who knows who’ll try to crop up now that were on the surface… I bet the Daimyo is already rubbing his hands thinking about how his attack dogs managed to dig themselves out…and he didn’t even need to rise a finger” he mused as he cast his gaze around, noticing a child come up to Sousuke…and watching intently how his son was doing.

Harupia said “Ahh, Sosuke’s cousin? And yet I can’t recall ever seeing you, even in the more formal gatherings we had…perhaps my memory after a drink or two is worse than I imagined” chuckling a bit nervously, still focused on the task at hand. As to Souse’s question he replied “Your selling yourself quite short my friend after you rose that rock that will be the foundation of our new home, hehe. And you could say that…though it’s hard to talk about layers of Sand. The earth, the soil deep down layered itself over the centuries, pockets of gems and ore being quite separate. Sand mixes it all together…centuries of earth, minerals, ores grinded into dust by time and the elements. Of course, using just any sand doesn’t lead to the best material for any purposes...” he tried to explain, his brow furrowing as he worked the sands.

He seemed to be pulling it down from under the desert dunes, and one could see large clips of more solid forms being grinded down into dust ”The Black Sand are simply put metals grinded down into a more powdery form…much heavier, but more durable. Also, I try to single out the minerals, crumbs of gems, giving it an extra sharpness…Yet still, it doesn’t feel quite the same as the maelstrom. It’s not only the lack of the storm but it feels different…can you tell me more about what you’ve seen? In the Eye? Who did you face, what sort of power did he command? What was he doing to make the Maelstrom so deadly?” As he spoke the sand he gathered started to crawl over the horizon and towards the stone wall’s made by Sousuke. He was missing something…but what could it be? He was primly focused on the task, his feet digging into the sand, not really noticing the gathering crowd...though he was attentive to people talking to him, as he was waiting for what Sousuke was to say.
Mft, Wc- 554

 

[Takahashi Aki]

"Work needs to be in short, a woman or the opposite gender, pending the one married to it. You would think that one if married to their work entirely would be..."<i></i> Sousuke paused. He was trying to make a joke about this. He snorted. This had been better in his head. His cousin made a remark about protecting him. "Well. I welcome that."<i></i> By this time his student had joined them. Sousuke would turn his gaze to the structures building and then back to Riyota. His cousin had answered for him. Sousuke placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "We're building a new future."<i></i> He answered another answer. It was the sort of answer that would leave people to their imaginations. The sky was the limit here... and while financials were a big part of it sure... there was room to grow.

Sousuke listened intently to his good friend speak of what he was doing. This was what a Sunaku's true mastery was. To have such power, and to make use of it without something fighting you. Sousuke could not fathom how Harupia felt right now. Harupia asked him what it was exactly at the eye. "A single man of ... a weathered age. He commanded the weather. At one point it snowed, and I grew disturbed. I did not want a force-event to occur. Sand would have been frozen. He seemed to control all manner of weather. It was a disturbing notion... "<i></i> He paused for a moment. "I assure you this was very real. Three other individuals will go on the record to assert the same."<i></i>

Sousuke again formed hand seals. He brought up more plates of earth. He then formed another set and created a summoning circle. "We might want to move back a bit. He takes up some room."<i></i> A large beetle creature would appear. The stalwart ally of Sousuke's known as Ken. The giant Hercules Beetle looked down. He waved at each and everyone individually. Sousuke taking time to explain most of them to his giant friend. The beetle seemed to have it in his head that Hiruma was somehow related to Shiori. It then took Sosusuke several extra seconds to try and explain to him that his cousin's name was Hiruma, not Hiru.


"Little Steward call Ken? Ken always looking forward to oranges."<i></i> The giant rumbled. Sousuke in response summoned a burlap sac of oranges and tossed them to the giant who gobbled them down without trying. "Ken see Steward's friend. He has many. What Ken do?"<i></i> Sousuke explained to the giant to help them out by moving some of the stone slabs to sit on top of the structures he had already made. With that task going on, Sousuke would begin plasma sealing what would be the roofs to the first homesteads.

 

[Miroku Riyota]

[I've noticed my character isn't exactly necessary for this thread, and I also recently introduced a friend to the site and I need to show him the ropes, however this thread is taking up a slot I need, you can come up with your own reason why my character isn't here anymore, sorry for any inconvenience.]

[Topic Left]

[Edit: My friend has just informed me he doesn't have the time to rp currently, so that is no longer a factor of why I am leaving, but I am still leaving because my character serves no purpose here.]

 

[Miroku Riyota]

[Back because SOMEONE pouted at me]

Riyota popped his head in again to spy the action, having disappeared for a little while to explore the area, upon returning he saw the humongous beetle. I could've sworn that wasn't there when I left. He thought to himself, gazing up at the beast. Hi! he waved at it, showing no fear as he grinned at the large insect. Oh, Oh Sousuke-sensei, do you have a job for me? Can I do something, please,please,please,please,pleeeeeeaaaase. The child smiled at his Teacher, he wanted desperately to help out and feel 'all grown up' so he begged Sousuke to give him a task to complete to help them do...that thing that guy said they were doing.

[And so I'm back, because that person informed me it was important that I be here, lookin' at you Pouty McPouterson XD]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

(Okay so... let's wrap this up since... some people seem to have fallen off)

Ken looked down at Riyota the beetle very carefully. The giant insect shifted his gaze ever so slightly. He wasn't used to being spoken too. The giant beetle, rumbled a greeting of sorts. One would assume that this was the giant speaking in his native... tongue? The truth was that Ken was somewhat shy? When he spoke in his native tongue, it was the tell which Sousuke knew about. The Steward patted the giant on what was his ankle. The giant very carefully picked up the child and brought him to his eye. "Hello little one."<i></i> He greeted properly. The giant rumbled once again. "Does little one like oranges too?"<i></i> He inquired of the boy.

Riyota then turned to Sousuke and asked him to assign him a job to do. The Steward stroked his chin. "Well..."<i></i> He said lingering slightly. "I do have a task in mind. You're good with axe chops and precession. Ken ... has great strength, but his eye sight is not always the best."<i></i> Sousuke remembered the giant beetle punching through a wind storm created by a sky siren once. He was virtually punching through a tornado... sort of. "I was thinking of having Ken cut through some stone slabs, but he needs someone to make the calls, and then following that he would have to align them to make the structure."<i></i> He paused, "Ah! Then I would need to put more cuts through the slabs for doorways, and windows. With two hands on board, the job would go much quicker."<i></i>

It was time to go to work here. Sousuke would turn to the gathering before him. "Alright everyone. Let's continue to make progress here. We've in a literal position of building from the ground up."<i></i> He paused for a moment. He knew his father was listening, and usually having to deliver an inspiring speech was his father's ... specialty? "We are making history here this day. Children will be living above on the surface, while the underground has been our home for a long time, it is time to expand, and reclaim the lands of our forefathers and mothers."<i></i> Judori gave his son an approving nod. This was it. It was time to make a difference.

[Topic left]

 

[Miroku Riyota]

Riyota pondered the question from the giant beetle for a few seconds, I-I'm not too sure, I've never had one before. He smirked slightly. He listened to the job that Sousuke was assigning to him, he was excited, getting a job to do made him feel important. And he was going to get to use his axe! You got it Sensei, I won't let you down. He gave his teacher a salute. After waiting for the motivational speech to finish, feeling proud that he was a part of this. He followed his teacher onward to...wherever it was they were going.

[Topic Left]