Fire at the North Pole - Iwa Strikes?! [Plot]

[Admin]

The Yondaime Kazekage paced back and forth in his office. He was confused. Why would Iwagakure choose to attack now if at all? What would possess the Tsuchikage to attack Sunagakure? As he pondered this, his eyes widened as large as large as a crystal ball. There was only one ninja would was strong enough and rash enough to be an issue in this situation. Gaara of the Desert.

The Kazekage quickly burst into a cloud of smoke. He reappeared atop the Kazekage building and tapped his foot on the roof. A team of ANBU surrounded him.

"Go and find Gaara, quickly! I won't allow that monster to incite the next Great Ninja War."

All but one ANBU scattered immediately after this order. She hesitated a bit, waiting to see if the Kazekage had any more orders.

"Hold. You will escort me to the border of Sunagakure so that I can meet up with the Tsuchikage. As we move tell any shinobi available to pull back and do not engage. If any Iwagakure ninja get in our way...kill them."

[seiyaru]

He loathed being summoned so matter of factly. Whenever his father asked for his presence it was never a pleasant one and only meant for his usage as a tool of bidding and war. He had heard the news, after all. Things were stirring up with the other villages, and in fact Iwa was probably heading this way. Ironic that villages on peace for so long were finally at the brink. Of course destroying the village of Iwa would be no problem for Sand; their Shinobi were superior obviously, and with him at the forefront of an assault Gaara could prove his existence meant more than some worthless village.

He obeyed the orders given despite the detest for his father, and as the wind blew, so did the sand amidst the air around them. As if materializing from literal air, the Ichibi's container formed out of sand several steps ahead of his father's position and behind the ANBU member that had been kneeling before the man. He remained quiet with arms crossed and simply listened for his orders. Without a doubt, there were going to be orders.

[Admin]

"Gaara!"

The Yondaime Kazekage's eyes widened. Had his son heard his words? Apparently not as he had not reacted in his usual belligerent manner. The simplest way to keep this under control would be to ensure that Gaara would not kill any of his opponents.

"Gaara, you, Temari, and Kankurou are to stay in the village. Do not go anywhere near our border to the north! That is an order. Now, you, come."

The Kazekage gestured towards his ANBU escort and disappeared in a whirlwind of sand and dust. The ANBU followed suit, leaving Gaara alone on the roof.

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Shouten was on the roof of his house when he heard the explosion go off. Though they weren't close, Shouten cared immensely for his team mates and his thoughts soared towards them. Were any of them at the center of the explosion? The young genin couldn't take any chances with their lives. He ran to the tip of the roof and jumped off, landing hard on the sand. It burned, but whatever. He was as solid as a rock. A rock who had no idea where his team mates were right now. They hadn't exchanged addresses and they weren't close enough to know each others' hangout spots. The boy could only look to his daydreams for help.

His mind wandered to where in the Sand Village his team mates could be. He pictured Daisuke at the academy, still taking lessons and thinking up strategies. What a nerd. Mizuki was at her house. Watching television or something. Do girls watch tv? Whatever, his mind was failing him. The last attempt, the location of Masami Saito. Shouten thought long and hard, but none of his guesses were worth saying aloud. Hell? The center of the Earth? A restaurant? His house? My house looking for me this second?

"That one!"

Shouten pulled a 180 and just strode back into his house. Surely Masami would know where they would all be and if nothing else, they could all locate the barracks of the Li Clan. The best plan of action was no action at all!

[walkerm]

BOOM!

She heard it before she felt it, a great roaring explosion that traveled through the dry air of the desert at lightning-quick speeds. She had startled slightly, her head lifting and swivling toward the source of the sound; it was so far away, she determined, yet, even then, it was far too close. The thought, 'what was it?' crossed her mind, and no sooner did it then it was replaced by 'that came from the north.'

As she stood and stared out in the direction she presumed the explosion had come from, the earth trembled and vibrated, a low rumble that recalled to mind the thunder of storms. A frown crossed her face; 'the hell?' she wondered. What this an attack of some sort? As if the doing so had prodded her into action, when the tremble passed, she was up and away, heading north, as were many of her fellow Suna nin.

She hadn't gotten far before she skidded to a halt, panting. It had occured to her, if she were to head out there, she would have to cross the desert. Again. It also occured to her that she was a part of a genin team... And as a team, she was supposed to work together with them. Right, then, to find her team!

She spun around and head back into the heart of the village, bent on location her fellow genin and jounin-sensei. As she ran, she wondered where the hell they even were; her mind moved at the speed of light, scrambling to figure out her next course of action. Who knew where Masami was. He was a jounin, it wasn't like he'd tell the likes of her where he lived. He wouldn't have told them if he were a genin, either, she suspected. Daisuke, nope, not a clue. Her other teammate, Shouten... He was a member of the Li clan. They had their own little complex, much as the Shiga clan did. Chances were, he lived there. But where was there, anyways?

Mizuki didn't know, but she was prepared to search all over the village for it, and so, with a single-minded determination, the girl bounded about, seeking the only teammate she was certain she could locate.

[seiyaru]

Stay here while a fight was going on in the north? If he was going to be of any worth in this time then there was no way he was going to stay here. Of course, he knew Temari was going to feel similar, not that he cared what she thought. Though she was much better at speaking with that 'father' of theirs than he was. It was bad enough he itched everytime he saw the man that he wanted him dead. With all the ANBU guarding him through the day however, getting at him was near impossible so he resisted that urge most of the time.

The question was Temari at the home or was she around the village. Glancing around there were a lot of people scrambling about, running for their homes and staying safe. All of them living worthless lives with no meaning for existence, he couldn't understand how they could bear it. Such monotony, and no interesting lives. If he wasn't ordered to not kill any of them he probably would have long ago.

He once again using Shunshin began searching the village for Temari, and Kankuro as well. If the two didn't show up somewhere, then he was going to go off on his own and head exactly where he should have been; right up front destroying those who threatened Sunagakure and in turn his own worth; and no one was going to do that without being shown who was the strongest existence in this world.

[Masami Saito]

Masami Saito was in Hell.

The day had been going at a seemingly predictable pace for the Jounin of Sunagakure. Spending his time alone, always alone, he did very little throughout the course of the morning; doing little more than staring blankly ahead and shuffling frantically through the memories that so haunted him. When he first began his life of isolation, he thought that perhaps he could one day come to terms with his past, and leave the guilt behind him. Perhaps he could fool himself into believing that their deaths…all of their deaths…were not his fault. It was pure folly, he should have known it from the start. He was damned, and he would spend all of eternity in torment. Regardless of whether or not there was some sort of life after death, or if each and every person on this planet just burned out like a dying flame, his life had done nothing positive in the grand scheme of things. He was a leech…a parasite that took all of his power, all of his joy, all of his will from others. Yet even still, he would continue on his quest…he would at the very least make sure that he left some sort of goodness behind when his end came…perhaps in the form of another shinobi…

Suddenly, there came an impact. Startled at the power he’d just felt, coming from the north, he snapped out of his trance and immediately grabbed both of his kodachi, ensuring that he was well-equipped, before bursting through the threshold of his door and out into the sand. He began moving north quickly, his pace as fast as any in the village, ready for battle, ready to prove his worth once more…if only to himself. Yet suddenly he stopped short. Something was missing. He looked back at the village and suddenly realized exactly why he had faltered. He had made a vow that he would train this team to its utmost, and make sure they knew the dangers and hardships of the life of a shinobi. As much as they may merely be shadows of his past…constant reminders of what he was and what he had done…they needed to come. Rushing back to the village, his pace still remarkably swift, he closed his eyes for a moment before heading to the Li Clan’s territory. He would go after Shouten first, and from there he would find Mizuki and Daisuke.

He needed to move quickly…he wasn’t worried that the sand couldn’t handle itself, but he wanted to be sure they at least had a hand in quelling this sudden attack. Besides, as a Sand Jounin, he felt at least a small amount of apprehension and even insult at this attack. It was as if the assailant had spit in the face of all shinobi who called Sunagakure their home, facing them directly and testing their powers. It made him sick…and he vowed he would make the attacker pay. He would protect no Kage, he would protect no fellow ninja…they had their own power, they could handle themselves. He would only take care of those under him…those three. He would not let harm come to them, and even if he believed that the strong should triumph over the weak, they were an exception.

No.

Shaking that thought from his head, Masami reaffirmed him motives. If those three failed, they would fall. He couldn’t protect them, they needed to learn to protect themselves, protect one another. He would push them from the nest, and if they fell to their untimely and sickening demise, they would only have themselves to blame. Nodding slightly as his pace slowed and he neared his destination, he knew this was the correct course of action. They’d told him they would face any trial he had for them…and in a way, this was yet another trial. Putting on a visage of brutal, uncaring honesty, Masami seemed all the more monstrous in his thoughts, and though he shrugged off the danger as if it were some exam, he found himself slowing more and more, perhaps unconsciously hoping that he found them when the battle was already won. Finally, however, he arrived at the entrance to the Li Compound, and walked to the door and opened it, standing in the doorway as menacingly as ever, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of life. He needed to find Shouten, first and foremost, and all others who might ask for privacy in their place of residence did not matter. It didn’t take long, however, before the Jounin found his student, a mere few rooms into the place, in the barracks of the Li House.

”Surely you know there is something happening.” He began, talking in his typical monotonous voice. ”We are going to aid in the battle, the four of us. There will be no objections, and if you feel the need to forfeit this chance, then you may as well forfeit your life. There is no room for cowards amongst the shinobi of Sunagakure. Surely your dear father told you this.” He turned his back to the boy and began making his way, once more, to the exit. ”Come with me. We will meet with the other two, and then leave, but we will make haste. I will not let this opportunity pass. Trial under fire shall be today’s lesson, so I suggest you ensure your wits are sharp and your blades are sharper.”

While this may have been a gruff greeting, Masami had no time for pleasantries…though he supposed he never took that time, regardless of the circumstances. Still, they needed to move, and he wouldn’t let the boy slow him down. Giving him a moment to prepare for the battle that was to come, he closed his eyes, his face in an almost serene expression. Although he had warned the Genin against being distracted by things outside of the battle, the Jounin himself needed to keep his thoughts in the present. After a moment, he opened his eyes, and something seemed to have been lifted from his shoulders. His slouch dissipated, and he stood tall, his dark eyes shining bright with killer instinct. Yes, that was it.

He was ready for battle, though he would make sure it was more of a slaughter.

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"Surely your dear father told you this.”

These words echoed in Shouten's head for what seemed like an eternity. He had just mocked his father. Nobody mocked Ling Li in front of his son and yet this man had done so with such audacity that it stunned Shouten. He felt his hand slide towards his weapons pouch, but he pulled it away. The Sand Village came first. There was nothing to gain by fighting with Masami now. The only thing the young Genin could do was salute.

"Yes, Masami-sensei."

He tried to force as much animosity as he could into each syllable. Shouten pictured each word flowing from his mouth and trying to strangle Masami to death. If he wasn't in Hell before he was going now. Despite his hope, Masami was fine. Shouten began to walk towards the exit before his mother stopped him.

"You're going, aren't you? Every ninja is going..."

Shouten could read his mother quite well. She was going to try to talk him out of it very quickly. Not only was she going to try and talk him out of it, she was going to succeed if he didn't cut her off quickly. His mother had a way with words and even more important, a way with guilt.

"I have to go mom. It's my duty to the Sand Village. This is my sensei, Masami. He'll be with me. I'm safe with him."

The boy still shot hate darts towards Masami, but he refrained from saying his name through gritted teeth. He wanted his mother to trust him after all. She looked down at the ground and bit her lip. She didn't want her boy to go, but she could tell that he was going to go with or without her blessing. Better for him to have it than not, right? She knew she could only say one word or else she'd try to pull him back in.

"Go."

Shouten smiled. He gestured to his sensei and ran off towards the border to the north. He remembered Daisuke and Mizuki were supposed to be finding him somewhere along the way. Or was he supposed to be looking for them? They really should spend some time devising a meeting spot for this sort of situation...

[walkerm]

For a place that she had lived in for so long, it was amazing how the Sand Village could easily turn into an endless maze with no clear path to the place that she wished to go. Honestly, the Li barracks couldn't be that hard to find - big area with lots of buildings inhabited by nothing but Li ninja.

So why wasn't she there yet?

It felt fair queer, heading away from the threat that loomed over her village. Cowardly, even, and that left a sour taste in her mouth. Several times, she almost threw in the towel and turned around to do what any ninja in the village should do, but the steadier, logical part of her brain kept her on her chosen path. She was committed to this, and that was that.

She was saved from further trouble when lo and behold, none other than Shouten and Masami came into view, running back the way she had come. Wordlessly, she fell in with them, as was right.

She couldn't help but notice the lack of Daisuke's presence, and she wondered where he was. Perhaps he'd already gone ahead...