[≈ ≈] Bakufu - The Waterfall.

[Arsinian]

Rank: Mizukage
Village: Kirigakure

Zerus watched Tsukiko as she left and when she was gone, he redirected his attention back to the chuunin. He noticed that Edegaru was also there with them. "Well, now that you're all here, I can tell you what you're doing." He put his hands behind him and straightened his back. "I have gathered intel that has proven to be quite useful. Apparently there is a large mass of stone, settled in the middle of the Land of Earth. By what we know, there is a ruined city atop this mass of stone and inside this city is something that is very valuable. Now before I tell you your mission, I want to make it clear that it is S-Rank and top secret. If this information is leaked to anyone, it will lead to severe punishment." The look on the Mizukage's face was as serious as ever.

"Within the city, there is a temple. And inside this temple, resides the Zero-tailed Bijuu. Now, from what we know, this beast feeds on the negative emotions of people and produces something called 'Dark Chakra' as waste." As he said this, Zerus pulled a small canister from his back pocket and held it out with his right hand for Edegaru to take. "This canister is specially made by our scientists in the village to collect and hold chakra of any kind for long periods of time. I want you three to infiltrate the city and gather as much chakra as you can. I have two more which need to be filled also." He pulled out two more in his left hand for Marciel and Akismae to take. "The coordinates of the city are 207.31.796. I need you to leave as soon as possible. You should brief at the ANBU headquarters." He said, looking at Edegaru. "That is all, you are all dismissed." He stood and waited for them to take the canisters and disperse.

 

[Mordred Killian]

Edegaru took the canister that the Mizukage had handed to him. He examined it quickly. It had markings on it and was cylindrical in size. Edegaru then nodded at the Mizukage's words. He took out a scroll from his back pouch and his pencil that he always carried around and wrote the coordinates on it. He then put the scroll and the canister in his pouch. They were almost the same in shape and felt almost the same in weight. He put away his pencil and looked up at the two Chunnin. This was their first S ranked mission for sure and he wanted to see their reaction to the mentioning of the Bijuu. This did not shake Edegaru, years of experience in the field helped him lose the fear of the unknown. Whatever would get in his way of his mission, Edegaru would remove.  

[Mana_ecl Zetsuya]

MarcielSuigestsu]

Chunin

How very bizarre this seemed to be. The need to head for the Land of earth in secrecy for a reported worship of a tenth bijuu with no tail? Feeding off of negative emotion? He understood why it was important to remain silent about this above all else, but that jonin was still here. That bit was quite unnerving, and the thought of another bijuu was quite disturbing. He shook his head in disbelief. Keeping control was important though. He wasn't quite entailed in the mission, thinking of the sudden dispersal of the team they'd had for the past three years. Regardless of this fact, it was all about following orders. Grasping the canister, he nodded.
"Are we to rendezvous at the bridge, sir Edegaru?" Marciel managed to blurt out.

 

[Lanfaer]

♠≈*∞*≈♠ Strike Fast, Strike Hard ♠≈*∞*≈♠

Aki didn't even think about the mission, really. A bijuu? That feeds on negative emotion? Akisame didn't believe he had any negative emotions at all, and facing a Zero Tail was bound to be easier than facing Sanbi on a daily basis, thus he had no fear of it. However, he thought of the team. They needed a healer, and someone who he trusted and knew well. Anyone else would take too long getting used to, and thus he wasn't going to sit by and just accept this mission without at least SOME comment.

"Mizukage." Oh, s**t, he was going to say something serious. When Akisame decided to be formal, it always preempted an asking for something not normally given. "Sir. I request that Tsukiko come with us. For this kind of mission, we'll need a medic, as well as someone we know will fight well alongside us. No offense to Edegaru, but he's never faught alongside me before, thus I doubt we will be anywhere close to synchronous." s**t! He was even using fancy words! This was for him him what begging would be for others. Of course, he also valued her friendship, and he did NOT like the way she stalked off.

Akisame bowed, hoping against hope that she would be allowed back in.

♠≈*∞*≈♠ Never Give Up, Never Surrender ♠≈*∞*≈♠

 

[Arsinian]

Rank: Mizukage
Village: Kirigakure

Zerus sighed and looked at Akisame. "Unfortunately, it is an S-rank mission and genin are not permitted to partake in missions ranked B and above." He paused for a second and gave it some thought. "But....she is one of the best medical ninja at our disposal right now and you three have a lot of experience together. So I will permit her to go with you." He smiled as he finished speaking. He noticed that Marciel looked confused and also saw that he was looking at Icchiro. He knew what he was thinking. "Don't worry Marciel, he has the same conditions as you three. If even a word slips, he will be severely punished." He waited for Akisame to take the last canister.

 

[Lanfaer]

♠≈*∞*≈♠ Strike Fast, Strike Hard ♠≈*∞*≈♠

Akisame smiled behind the face mask, and he saluted with fist to heart. That done, he took the canister and stuck it into a fold in his suit. "Thank you, sir." With that, he inwardly threw a fist into the air in victory. Of course, he also wondered how she'd take the sudden switch-a-roo again. Looking at Marciel, he held up a fist, the back of the hand facing him. It was the universal symbol for readiness and a sense of purpose. "We will return victorious, Right guys?!" He was almost bouncing with the sudden need to be moving, right then and there. It was something marciel would recognize, of course, for every mission began the same. With a sudden burst of speed, and a long rest later on. Always.

♠≈*∞*≈♠ Never Give Up, Never Surrender ♠≈*∞*≈♠

 

[Mordred Killian]

Edegaru looked at Mizukage a bit surprised at his leniency. He did not show his surprise but instead nodded at his decision. He looked at Akisame and at Marciel and said "You two should make preparations for the mission. Meet me then at the village's gate, the beginning of the bridge. I will go to my office and chart out a map of the way." Edegaru then looked at the Mizukage and bent his body in a bow." Mizukage." He said before walking down towards the village to his office in the ANBU building.  

[Mana_ecl Zetsuya]

MarcielSuigestsu]

Chunin

It was a good thing that Zerus had deemed her worthy enough to go with them, though it seemed her rank as a medical shinobi in training was what let her scrape by. Regardless, he smiled. Zerus was always such an understanding person.
"Thank you, sir. I'll make sure these canisters, and Tsukiko make it back alright," the chunnin grinned wide, as he turned to Edegaru and nodded briefly. "We'll go get Tsukiko and be there once ready. Come on, Akisame."
And he was already moving, booking it for the Mizukage's office, just as relieved as Akisame was. They would be moving and moving quick, considering the rank. Aki's energy would help them for the time being, so long as he could stay quiet.

[Exit]

 

[Lanfaer]

♠≈*∞*≈♠ Strike Fast, Strike Hard ♠≈*∞*≈♠

Marciel was getting slow. Akisame was already booking it when he turned to tell him to come along. Without a second thought, he was going to tell Tsukiko the good news, mostly because it was the nice thing to do.

(exit to kage's office)

♠≈*∞*≈♠ Never Give Up, Never Surrender ♠≈*∞*≈♠

 

[Arsinian]

Rank: Mizukage
Village: Kirigakure

Zerus' hypnotic eyes sensed someone barging into his office. He watched the individual stab a kunai into his desk. Zerus could clearly see that it wasn't a bomb so there was no urgency. He watched the man as he left the village and transform in the middle of a crowd on the bridge that lead to the village. He imprinted the young man into his mind, being sure not to forget him. His vision then returned to normal and he looked over at Icchiro. "I'm sorry to cut this short but I must return to my office. When your genin arrives, please make your way there." He then turned and seemed to disappear in a blur.

 

[chrissy b e a n]

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Arriving at the Waterfall, seemingly at a casual pace, none would bother to notice the telltale signs of angst and stress streaming out of Tsukiko through her body language. Her facial expression was dull and uninterested, even as she stood before one of her favorite places in the village. She used to come here way before her time in training just to watch others who used this area as a training site. Gradually as she became a genin she frequented this place, meeting Marciel and Akisame around the same time. It was inevitable that they would be placed in the same squad. Fate was twisted and sick. Her squad, her 'friends' were more divided than anything now. Eyes cast to the ground, she walked towards the lip of the pool that had collected at the base of the waterfall and took a seat by the rim, her shoes and pants rolled up. The water was frigged as it lapped at her toes, the burning sensation numbing them instantly. It was something she was used to already and actually liked. Still, that sickly feeling in the pit of her stomach did not go away. Too many bad things had accompanied their completed mission. Her mind was frazzled from everything she was trying to process, leaving her more tired than anything else. Normally a girl would cry but she was not most normal girls. She held it back, bringing her knees into her chest and resting her chin on her knees as she tried to garner a sense of herself. The water was soothing but not enough to sedate her rampant feelings. There was nothing left for her here in this village, nothing to protect. A Kunoichi without drive and aspirations was useless. What a disgrace...  

[Lanfaer]

♠≈*∞*≈♠ Strike Fast, Strike Hard ♠≈*∞*≈♠

Pain was starting to become a constant torture. Pain of the flesh. Pain of the mind. It was all the same endless feeling of numbness that purveyed the life of a certain young shinobi, especially where his comrades were concerned. Akisame, as was per usual, rested at the bottom of the waterfall, beneath the churning waters. Where once others would only guess at how he could breathe under the heavy liquid, now others would know that it was because of the Sanbi within him. Many would forsake him, as he knew they would, and many already had. Tsukiko, the one-time love of his life, hoe feared and loathed his existence. The terror and horror that had filled her eyes when she looked at him let Akisame know full well that she was remembering the beast he had become to save their lives. That his powers, his secret truth were what had caused her to suffer so tore him up inside to the point that even now he wept, his silent and unseen tears mixing with the water around him. How could he ever speak to her again, knowing her disgust for him? For what he had always been? None had asked why he had the four arms, probably because they sought to believe for themselves that it was part of the Sanbi. Would they still feel the slight regard for him they had now if they learned that he had been born this way? Flexing his arms under his clothes, Akisame wept, his body silently quivering from the innumerable sobs that escaped him.

Above the water the sky was becoming overcast, almost to the point of rain. Whether it rained or not was a question he could not answer, for at the moment Akisame was too swept up in his own grief and remorse. The pain of his memories still flowed through him, the memories that had awakened there before the Reibi. That creature had unlocked so much pain within him that he had transformed prematurely into his Jinchuuriki state. What was he to do now, he thought? The answer, however, was silence in the extreme. The only sound was that of something small entering the water, but Akisame did not pay attention. Not then. Not when his emotions were too far gone into their own little world. After a moment, though, he sighed. This sigh, oddly, was mixed with a bit of chakra, and suddenly the entire waterfall froze. Oh, not too deep, and not the pool, but there was suddenly a two inch thick tube of frozen water around the waterfall.

♠≈*∞*≈♠ Never Give Up, Never Surrender ♠≈*∞*≈♠

 

[chrissy b e a n]

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Being depressed had robbed her of her sense of awareness. It wasn't until she had settled into herself that she was alerted of someone else being in the clearing. The crackling of hardening water was what got her immediate attention. A waterfall was a very deceiving part of nature. If you were a traveler and walked towards the echoing roar of it you would end up walking for miles until you found it. The sound was amplified, being so close to the source. Getting to her feet quickly she scanned the area around her, coming up short. Looking up, she tensed. She knew what or who was up there. She didn't need to see to know. Moving towards the shore, she let down her pant legs and hurriedly pushed on her shoes. Confrontation was not her thing. If she could avoid Akisame for now, it would probably be the best. There was nothing she had to say to him that would make this situation any more pleasant, not when she had such a negative feeling towards the monster within him. Well, not the monster so much but the history and power of those creatures. Nothing good came from them. They were more a curse than anything. Dusting herself off quickly something fell out of her pocket, causing Tsukiko to look down to inspect. The shriveled flower that Akisame had given Suki earlier lay there. A sign within itself. Reaching down, she picked it up, moving it towards the edge of the pool. The eb and flow of the water took the flower from the girls hand as she offered it to the water. Looking up, she looked a little exasperated as she turned her back, deciding it was better to get as much distance between the two as possible. Sorry Akisame...You wouldn't understand...  

[Mordred Killian]

Far above, where the water poured out over the edge and fell, stood a figure. The height of the waterfall kept him hidden from natural eyes below, at the fall's end. It was Edegaru who stood at the very edge, above the turbulent waters. It was through flawless skill in the field of chakra control that allowed for such a thing to be possible. He stood straight, arms crossed as he looked over the village, the mist, making way. The clouds above had seemed to pull it away, not entirely, but enough to reveal the village in detail. Edegaru stood firm, strong. His eyes displaying either a lack of sleep or boredom. All signs of weakness seemed to have disappeared, almost as if he was actually a clone of his true self yet this was not the case. Edegaru held out his hand in front of him and in it was the black and violet colored canister. It glowed in a pulsing light as if alive. A heartbeat. Edegaru had kept the canister with the Reibi's Dark Chakra for himself and had given Marciel, his empty one, to give to the Mizukage. Now he held the very thing that Mizukage had sent for. Edegaru returned the canister to his pouch. He waited. The Mizukage, Zerus, the only person who had taken such an interest in Edegaru's life. Who had entered his life without permission or remorse. It was now that Edegaru understood Zerus's part. What had happened there, in the very spot he stood, long ago. Edegaru's being was cold. It resembled the surrounding waters that tried desperately to consume him. The very skies were covered by dark clouds that would serve as a veil that would keep what was going to occur, out of sight from Heaven. Only the gods of thunder and lightning would be present that day. Edegaru could already hear the beating of their drums, their arrival soon approaching. He closed his eyes as he crossed his arms again, awaiting his Kage.  

[Royal Taorito]

((Sort of awkward posting after not posting for forever and a day, but I'm trying to make my comeback. I'll make a post format when I have more time.))

Below the sound of the waterfall, there was a subtle flap of wings, and a small sparrow landed on the wide, low branch of a great, old oak near the pool’s edge. The sparrow glanced around with small black eyes, making sure it had and would remain unnoticed. It then proceeded to change, to transform into a shape more humanoid before becoming fully human in appearance. A young girl now took its place, the colors on her anything but the dull grays and browns of the bird.

Kyiera perched lightly on the branch, peering at the activity below. There wasn’t much of it. She could only see one person, and she wasn’t the person Kyiera was looking for. Instead, another girl sat at the water’s edge, her back to where Kyiera hid. Kyiera didn’t recognize the black-haired girl so she could only assume this was the female member of the squad that had returned. Though it had been five months since they left, Kyiera clearly remembered that wherever this girl went, so did the boy she was looking for.

Five months earlier, Kyiera had bumped into a boy, a chuunin named Akisame. Kyiera had still been in the academy at the time. He had made fun of her for acting more like a guy than a girl; she had quickly come back at him with her own witty, degrading comment. However, that’s not what had made a connection between them. Something—whether it was something in his defiant attitude or in his strange demeanor, she didn’t know—told her they were the same. She wasn’t sure what exactly was the same about them either. After all, they had only met that once. The next time she went to find him, the squad had already left on their mission. She was determined to find him now to confirm her thoughts. She wanted to know if he had a strange ability like hers: she could change her form at will. Shape-shifting, she believed was the term.

Kyiera swept her red bangs from her eyes, tucking the strands neatly behind her ear, and leaned forward a little to get a better view of the shore of the pool. The air around the place didn’t feel quite right. Had something happened?

She didn’t have a chance to ponder it.

The mist from the waterfall became frigid suddenly, and a loud crackling filled the air. Kyiera’s green gaze turned toward the waterfall. A fine layer of ice now covered it. But how? It was too warm for water to freeze, let alone freeze that quickly.

Movement below drew her attention back to the girl. The unusual event must have startled her as well; she quickly got up and left.

Kyiera slid off the branch, her body hanging in the air a moment before her feet touched the ground, her knees bending slightly automatically to dispel the shock of the impact, and moved closer to the frozen waterfall. Water still roared behind the ice, which made even less sense, but the ice was definitely there. What had caused it?

She rubbed her arms, trying to warm from the sudden chill, and sighed. It didn’t look like Akisame was there, but she wasn’t ready to go back either.