[attr="class","pwf1body"] Yousei skidded to a halt as their attacks collided, readying her blade without hesitation. It seemed he'd dismounted his horse willingly, but that didn't seem right; why would he so easily surrender such a major advantage? [break][break]
The way he'd flown off his steed was unusual too. She'd heard of Earth Release techniques that could allow one to fly, but he hadn't performed any handseals. And then there was that creepy horse. Since when did a horse need goggles, anyway? Something fishy was going on, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was yet. [break][break]
"Your ways?" Yousei gritted her teeth at that statement, knuckles going white around her blade as she felt a familiar sense of malice growing in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes were like daggers as she stared him down, her killing intent so intense that it could practically be felt as it permeated the atmosphere around her. [break][break]
Unflinching in the face of his sudden attack, she stepped forward into his strike without hesitation, the hate sharpening her focus as she deftly parried his blade with a rising slash from below, her own sword now covered in a glowing outline of neon white chakra, offering nothing in the way of range, but greatly enhancing the steel itself. [break][break]
Then, she followed through by pulling her blade back in the selfsame motion, switching gears from defense to offense as she converted perfectly into a forward thrust aimed at slipping past the Taiyou's destabilized guard and piercing straight into his core. [break][break]
His style was also strange, she noted. He was wielding one of the most famous iai blades in the history of the samurai, yet he treated it like a normal sword, and attacked her with ordinary kenjutsu? He did look like a samurai, and use the techniques of a samurai, but beneath the surface, it almost felt like he was just meant to seem like a samurai, when in reality he was just a convincing facsimile. [break][break]
[attr="class","pwf1body"] "Well, aren't you well mannered!" Gama responded, laughing heartily at the young girl's proposal. "There's really no need for all that, but if you're offering, then I suppose it wouldn't be so bad to have someone else do the cooking for once! Hahaha." [break][break]
"I love tamagoyaki!" Yousei chimed in gleefully. The plucky redhead had always been a big fan of eggs for breakfast, especially in the omelette configuration; tamagoyaki, omurice, you name it! There was no better way to start the day. [break][break]
"Oh, it's no trouble! The terrain can be pretty tough to navigate, especially if you didn't grow up here. Merchants and travelers get lost all the time; search and rescue is actually one of the most common missions you see people getting assigned as genin! And that's not even mentioning how complex and decentralized the layout of the Sound Village itself is. It can be a real nightmare if you don't know where you're headed." [break][break]
It was true, the topology of Otogakure had been designed from its inception to be as singularly confusing as humanly possible; a confusing network of caves and tunnels, split up and hidden across every corner of the wilderness known as the Northern Fire Country. [break][break]
Strategically, this offered them a considerable advantage when fighting in their home territory, and greatly bolstered the efficacy of the guerilla tactics that they were known to employ against invaders. [break][break]
Sure made it a pain to get to the grocery store, though. [break][break]
Yawning deeply as the excellent meal and the day's exhaustion finally began to hit her with their combined assault, Yousei sprawled out in her chair unabashedly, having herself one of those blissful stretches that were so elastic you could feel your fatigue just melting away. [break][break]
"We should probably go to bed soon." She said drowsily, slumping back in her seat like a puppet with its strings cut. "Will you be okay sleeping alone? Need a bodyguard or anything? I don't really know much about geisha sleeping arrangements." [break][break]
[attr="class","pwf1body"] "Ehehe..." Yousei rubbed the back of her head with an embarrassed chuckle at Izumi's sudden praise. She wasn't really used to compliments, so it was always a little awkward when situations like these came up, mostly because she just didn't know how to deal with them. [break][break]
"That's our Yousei for you!" Gama cackled, as he made his way over from the kitchen and sat two steaming hot bowls of oshiruko down on the table. "She's always had a way with words, this one; been a natural born storyteller as long as I've known her! You know it's going to be a good night for business when she comes in and starts regaling everyone with her latest exploits." [break][break]
"Oi, you don't have to frame me like some sort of local celebrity!" She shot back, her cheeks flushing as she pulled the bowl closer and started trying to drown her bashfulness in the comfortingly familiar taste of red beans and mochi. Big dummy, ganging up on her like this... [break][break]
"You said you were from Kaminari, right little miss?" It was Kusari speaking this time, his question clearly directed towards Izumi. It's quite a trek from here to the Land of Lightning, and it's already well past light to boot. Why don't you spend the night? I'll get you set up with a room once you're done eating, on the house. Any friend of Yousei's is a friend of ours!" [break][break]
Yousei, in the meantime, had emptied her bowl faster than one might think humanly possible, steam still rising from her breath as she sat back with a satisfied look on her face. [break][break]
"Good idea! I don't need to be back in the village until tomorrow afternoon, so I can stay too and guide you back to the Land of Hot Water in the morning. Should be easy to find your way back from there!" [break][break]
[attr="class","pwf1body"] "Ah, the Fall of Konoha is a tragic tale indeed..." Yousei replied somberly, as the tables around them turned their attention to her in anticipation of the story that was about to unfold. This was the Hundred Tales Inn, after all; stories like these were always in high demand, and with such a diverse crowd there was never any shortage of them to go around. [break][break]
"Over 70 years ago, the Land of Fire was widely regarded as one of the most powerful shinobi nations in the world, thanks in no small part to the might of the Hidden Leaf Village. But for fear or ambition, three certain countries hatched a plan to undo them. Together they launched a three-pronged attack against Konoha, using armies of so-called samurai that even now continue to disgrace the reputation of our order, and whose forces were bolstered by corpses of the dead, desecrated and reanimated through dark and forbidden techniques." [break][break]
The other patrons were on the edge of their seats. It was always so chilling to hear about the Fall of Konoha, especially from someone so personally invested in the history behind it. [break][break]
"Caught off guard by the sudden attack, the Leaf Village fought valiantly to repel the invaders, but they were ultimately defeated. The minor countries of Hi no Kuni then fell in short order, standing no chance against a force that was able to bring even Konoha to its knees, and soon the Land of Fire had been conquered in its entirety. The three nations that had spearheaded the invasion would then combine to form a single power, known today was the Taiyou Empire, with one ruler consolidating sovereign authority the Emperor, while the others became his subordinates as the daimyo of the Land of Rivers and the Land of Tea. It's said that the ruins of Konoha now serve as the seat of the Emperor's power, but even after all this time, details from inside the country are still scarce to say the least." [break][break]
Yousei leaned back in her chair with a sigh. The Empire had always been a frustrating subject for her; just the thought of those no-good thieving usurpers was enough to get her blood boiling. [break][break]
"After that, the refugees from the invasion fled here, to what we now call the Northern Fire Country, and settled in the then-fledgling Otogakure. Skip ahead about 30 years, and here we are." [break][break]
Updating the description of Yousei's Shape Transformation again, to reflect the recent change of Barrier Ninjutsu being incorporated into the proficiency.
Shape Transformation [Journeyman]: A cornerstone of many traditional samurai techniques, Yousei is quite skilled at the art of applying shape transformation to raw chakra. While she most commonly utilizes this proficiency in conjunction with her kenjutsu, lately she's begun exploring several other potential avenues for its application as well, including one technique in particular that she's yet to perfect.
Yousei also has a particular aptitude for the creation of barriers; most commonly in the form of rapid defensive wards, though she can also produce barriers with slightly more complex effects like detection, albeit on a smaller scale for the time being.
[attr="class","pwf1body"] "Ah, now there's a story! See, back when I was still a chunin, one of the very first assignments I ever got was dealing with this group of bandits that had been causing trouble up here in the mountains. Well, as it turned out, those same bandits had gotten the jump on Kusari and captured him that same day before I arrived at their hideout. Had him locked up in a cage and everything; apparently they were planning to sell him on the black market!" [break][break]
"Wager they would've gotten a fair price too, for a weasel this handsome!" Kusari chimed in, getting a round of raucous laughter out of some of the patrons, who'd paused their conversation to listen in on the tale. Yousei just rolled her eyes playfully as she continued. [break][break]
"So I sprang him, of course, and the two of us gave those bandits a serious ass beating. Put an end to the whole little operation they had going. Then Kusari told me about the inn, and invited me back here to meet his brother and celebrate; and the rest is history!" [break][break]
She began tearing back into her food in short order, scarfing the fish down with such reckless abandon that she nearly choked when Izumi asked her if she drank. Kusari, for his part, nearly died laughing. [break][break]
"Oh, no no no! Not me, I never touch the stuff. Last time I tried drinking alcohol...well, let's just say I've steered clear of it ever since." It's not like she cared if Izumi drank or anything, she new it was a popular pastime and all. It just, uh...wasn't for her. [break][break]
Regardless, Kusari wasted no time slinking off to the bar, leaving the ladies to talk for a bit as he prepared Izumi's drink (he was also the resident bartender, as part of his front of house duties). [break][break]
"Traveled? Not as much I'd like! Not outside of the Northern Fire Country, at least. Being a shinobi is busy work, especially ever since I got promoted to a jonin last month. I'd love to see more of the world someday, though! What's become of Konoha and the rest of the Land of Fire, especially." [break][break]
It wouldn't be long before a certain mustelid appeared once again, planting a rocks glass full of golden liquid squarely in front of Izumi. "Umeshu, on the rocks!" [break][break]
[attr="class","pwf1body"] Yousei wasted no time plopping herself down unceremoniously at the nearest empty table. Despite being pretty much the only regular customer that was actually human, she'd somehow ended up fitting right in, and the place was practically a second home to her at this point. Everyone needed a place like that, in her opinion; a place with good food, and good conversation, and talking animals...now that was comfort! [break][break]
"So you're a geisha too, Izumi? Wow! It must be pretty tough, balancing your samurai training with a serious profession like that. Sounds like you have all sorts of rules you have to follow, too. That's super impressive! I bet I'd be tapping out in no time." [break][break]
Youei had never really been one for high society (the closest she usually got to the fine arts was her weekly manga serials), so geishas weren't exactly her area of expertise, but it sure sounded like a huge pain from what Izumi had been telling her, especially if she was trying to be a samurai too! [break][break]
"And no adzuki beans! I couldn't imagine." Just then, the chime of a service bell rang out from the kitchen, followed by a tell-tale shout from Gama. "Order up!" Kusari had the food at their table in no time, the scent nothing short of mouth watering, and the dishes no less a feast for the eyes. [break][break]
"So who's your friend? Don't think I've seen her around here before." The large weasel inquired, glancing at Izumi and giving a curious sniff in her direction. [break][break]
"Ah! Just met her today. She's a traveler from the Cloud Village; got lost on her way back from Yu no Kuni, and ended up here in Oto. Thought she might be in need of some good food, I know I am!" Kusari gave a hearty laugh at that, nodding his head vigorously as Yousei snapped apart a pair of chopsticks and wasted no time diving into her fish. [break][break]
[attr="class","pwf1body"] "That would be awesome! I'd love to visit Kumogakure. Hopefully one day open borders and cooperation will be the standard for everyone, and the whole ninja world will be able to get along for once. Wouldn't that be rad?" It sounded like a pipe dream, and maybe it was, but Yousei still dared to dream that with any luck they could make it a reality. [break][break]
"Oh! Gama's special is fresh caught river trout, and he also makes the best oshiruko I've ever tasted, hands down. You haven't lived until you've tried it!" And she definitely wasn't just saying that because she was an absolute fiend for anything made with sweet red beans, no sir. [break][break]
"The battle? Ah, it hasn't actually started yet! The Imperial forces are still a few days away, so while the Hokage and her strategists are finalizing our defense plans, I've just been out here training. You can never be too prepared, after all! [break][break]
When the pair reached the top of the hill at last, the sight that greeted them was the welcoming light of a traditional mountain inn. Even from here, the tantalizing aromas and the boisterous sounds of what seemed to be a surprisingly large crowd within would start to reach them. Was this place really that popular, even in such an out of the way location? [break][break]
As they stepped up to the door, Yousei slid it open without hesitation, before brazenly announcing herself. "Yo, everyone!" A voice from behind the counter, no doubt the aforementioned Kusari, then shouted back as if on cue. "Ah! Yousei!" The entire room soon followed, erupting in various Yousei!'s of their own. She certainly seemed well known around here! Must've been a regular. [break][break]
Now, this is the part where we should probably clarify something. You see, there was something rather unusual about the staff and clientele at this establishment, as Izumi would soon come to realize; namely, they were all animals! Not the normal kind of animals either, but talking ninja animals of all shapes and sizes! [break][break]
"Oh, is Yousei here? I'll get the usual on! Hahaha." Another voice chimed in, his furry face peeking out briefly from the door that led to the kitchen. Assuming that was Gama, it seemed Yousei's description of the brothers had actually been quite literal; they were, no doubt, two of the biggest weasels that Izumi had ever met as well, standing in at over five feet tall! [break][break]
"Make it two! I've got company today." Yousei replied, getting a quick hand gesture in the affirmative as Gama ducked back into the kitchen. "Come on, Izumi! Let's grab a table." [break][break]
Her complete nonchalance in a setting like this was really astounding, like chilling with a bunch of talking animals was completely normal. Just how long had she been coming here to get acclimated like this? How had she stumbled across it in the first place? All excellent quetions, but that would be telling, wouldn't it? [break][break]
[attr="class","pwf1body"] "Now that's what I like to hear!" Izumi definitely seemed a little more on the reserved side, but the way she agreed so readily to Yousei's invitation made it obvious that they were kindred spirits in having empty stomachs, which was one of the most sacred bonds to be sure. [break][break]
"Onwards!" She gestured dramatically into the distance, before taking Izumi by the hand and pulling her merrily down the mountain pass, as though they'd been friends for years. "This place is a little off the beaten track, but the best places are always the hardest to find, right? Trust me, I bet you've never been any place like it!" [break][break]
Then it dawned on her that in all the excitement, she still hadn't introduced herself. "Oh, right! I'm Yousei, by the way. What's your name, samurai-acquaintance-from-a-distant-land-who-I'm-currently-using-this-really-long-nickname-for?" That was a Yousei-brand nickname alright, spot-on as ever. [break][break]
It probably took them close to a half hour, but after crossing a few streams, climbing a few hills, and navigating the absolutely labyrinthine layout of the trail network that seemed to run to every obscure nook and cranny of the region, the pair finally arrived at the foot of a winding path, where a makeshift signpost had been haphazardly erected. [break][break]
It read: "The Hundred Tales Inn". [break][break]
"Almost there, now! Our destination is just at the top of this rise. Oh man, I can almost taste Gama's cooking already..." Practically drooling at the thought, Yousei started up the path with some pep in her step, as she turned to Izumi with barely contained excitement. [break][break]
"Gama's one of the owners of this little establishment, you see! He mans the kitchen and makes all the food, while his brother Kusari runs the front of the house and deals with the customers. Two of the biggest weasels I've ever met, those guys! Hahaha." [break][break]
[attr="class","pwf1body"] "Sure is! You're currently in the real, genuine Village Hidden in the Sound, located in the scenic Northern Fire Country. To your left you'll see...uh, rocks! And to your right you'll see...more rocks! And a black pine, I think? Sorry, I'm a samurai, not a botanist! Hahaha." [break][break]
She laughed with all the innocence of the year's first snow, nearly doubling over at her own silliness. Yes, Yousei was indeed a samurai, though it would probably be hard for Izumi to believe it, but the exquisite blades she wore at her hip would certainly help give credence to her claim; one sheathed in brilliant white, and the other in midnight black. [break][break]
"Oh, you haven't heard? The Taiyou are sending this huge force to attack a city called Onomichi way far south of here, so Mai-..." [break][break]
It was a running gag, at this point. [break][break]
"...so the Hokage sent out a summons to all the nations, asking for shinobi to come to Oto and form a united front against the Empire! We've had quite a turnout, too. It's been pretty lively around here with all these new faces! You said you were from the Land of Clouds, right? That's double awesome! I'd love to hear all about-" [break][break]
Growl! [break][break]
No, that wasn't some wild beast or demonic creature readying itself to pounce, that was just the very empty stomach that Yousei had forgotten about. [break][break]
"Oh, right...I forgot to bring that bento I made, so I haven't eaten since this morning..." She'd been so focused on her training that she'd totally forgotten that she was starving, but now the cumulative hunger pangs were hitting her all at once. "Hey, wanna grab something to eat? I happen to know this great little spot nearby. Promise you won't be disappointed!" [break][break]
[attr="class","pwf1body"] As still more cavalry began approaching in the distance, Yousei had been braced to deal with yet another wave of cannon fodder with Seiichi, but it seemed that Tsubaki's clever plan would be sparing them the trouble. [break][break]
The riders flocked to the rising smoke signal like moths drawn to a flame, their attention diverted completely from the two jounin as they galloped off into the forest. Hopefully Tsubaki had an exit strategy in mind, but Yousei couldn't see her doing something reckless like this without a plan, so she'd likely be regrouping with them soon. [break][break]
In the meantime, that left Yousei and Seiichi staring down the commander, whose attention they certainly seemed to have attracted from the look of things. Honestly, that suited Yousei just fine; no more distractions, it was time for the main event. "Alright, Kuma-san. Let's teach this guy a lesson. Remember, try to find a way to get him off that horse, if you can. Getting him on foot should make things a lot easier for us." [break][break]
Indeed, the sword Hatori drew was not unfamiliar to Yousei; she recognized it immediately as Kurosawa, a blade once crafted for the legendary swordsman now heralded as the father of iaido itself. To see such a blade in the hands of the Empire set Yousei's blood alight. Did their defilement of the samurai name truly know no bounds? To tarnish a relic of their proud history with such corruption...it was unforgivable! [break][break]
So kill him~ [break][break]
Her fingers tightened around the hilt of Hatsuyuki. For once, she actually agreed with that unwelcome voice in her head, though she wouldn't admit it. [break][break]
Sheathing her family's sword in preparation, she gave a nod to Seiichi before dashing forward, rapidly closing the gap between herself and Hatori while circling around to his flank, staying just out of range of his sword as she once again let her blade fly free, casting off a crescent blade of chakra aimed not at the rider, but at his horse's legs. [break][break]
In the meantime, Seiichi would be free to conduct his own half of this two-pronged assault. Hopefully, by splitting the samurai's attention one of them would be able to find an opening and exploit it. [break][break]
[attr="class","pwf1body"] Score! Ms. Tsubaki was officially on the team. That was easier than she'd expected, honestly. Now she just needed one of the people on this list to be a ninja bear, and the dream JRPG party would be complete! What were the chances of that though, right? I mean come on, a ninja bear just coincidentally being part of her squad? That would be some crazy RNG. [break][break]
"O-oh, no, it's just..." It was hard to find the right words to explain how she was feeling. "I still don't have much experience as a leader...and I don't want to let you down, or make you look bad or anything..." [break][break]
Aw, isn't that adorable~? But if letting her down is what you're worried about, then I've got a simple solution for you. Just don't! Kakaka... [break][break]
"I won't!" Yousei snapped out suddenly, her cheeks flushing as she realized that she'd said that out loud. Quick, follow up, follow up! "N-no matter what, I...I won't let you down, Mai." [break][break]
... [break][break]
Her face was on fire now; like, she was approaching spontaneous combustion levels at this point. She'd just been trying to cover up that little outburst so she didn't seem like a weirdo, but somehow she'd only managed to dig her hole even deeper! [break][break]
"A-anyway, you don't have to worry about me! I'm sure you have enough on your mind, already; it can't be easy, coordinating this whole coalition effort. But don't worry, we'll definitely teach those Taiyou bastards a lesson! You can count on it." [break][break]
[attr="class","pwf1body"] Ichinose hadn't expected the Uchiha to be hiding his true speed, the air bullet just narrowly missing its mark as he accelerated and leapt into the air, offering him an excellent vantage from which to launch a counterattack; and attack he did, loosing a fresh kunai down over the traitor's defenses with deadly precision. [break][break]
Ichinose had little time to react to the sudden reversal, dodging out of the projectile's way, but noticing only too late the explosive tag that had been attached to it. The blast that followed would've dealt some serious damage, if more than a simple log had been left behind where the treacherous jounin once stood. [break][break]
However, with such a hasty substitution, it seemed that some of the damage had managed to get through before the swap, with minor bleeding and gunpowder burns along Ichinose's left arm, and the left side of his uniform that much the worse for wear. Now he was getting pissed. [break][break]
His hands were a blur as he began to weave an impressive number of handseals, chakra bubbling up in his lungs as billows of steam began to pour from between his clenched teeth, before a massive, scorching gale suddenly erupted from his mouth, aimed at the section of forest where Anotsu had darted for cover just moments prior. [break][break]
The form of the technique was similar to Futon: Atsugai (Wind Release: Pressure Damage), but the air itself was incredibly hot as a result of being infused with Shakuton, causing whatever flora or fauna it came into contact with to rapidly wither away into burnt-out, lifeless husks, and even drying out the soil until it degraded into sand, effectively terraforming the landscape into a barren wasteland (hence the jutsu's name). [break][break]
If the Ame-nin wanted to play hide and seek, then Ichinose would just destroy all of his hiding places at once, even if that meant rearranging the local eco-system a little. [break][break]
Meanwhile... [break][break]
Yep, that was a chainsaw. Kaneshige had surrounded his blade with a fucking chainsaw made of chakra. That was like, the worst thing to happen so far in this fight; Yousei would even go so far as to say that it was super not good, which was definitively even worse as far as rankings went. [break][break]
But she would have little quarter to try and formulate a plan, as the lieutenant soon began swinging his blade with impunity, casting off numerous bladed rings of chakra, each edged with a row of razor sharp teeth that would constantly spin about their perimeter, with enough force to tear through the earth and stone of the shrineyard like paper whenever they touched the ground. [break][break]
Yousei managed to dodge the first few by a hair's breadth, but the last one she had to block, the projectile forcing her back several feet before she finally managed to parry it off the side with some effort, throwing it off into the nearby forest, where it cut down several trees before finally dissipating. [break][break]
Kaneshige wasn't about to give her a breather, though. Seeing his opportunity, the samurai bolted forward with impressive speed, attempting to rend her asunder with the blade itself as he carved the air with a mighty slash. Sparks of chakra scattered from the impact as Yousei managed to intercept the attack, but it was little more than a stopgap measure; even the veil around her own blade concentrated as finely as she could manage, there was no way she could actually repel this. [break][break]
And sure enough, a few moments later the force overwhelmed her and she was once again swept off her feet entirely, sending her flying back into the shrine itself, where she ended up slamming straight into the offering box. Ow! [break][break]
[attr="class","pwf1body"] "Oh?" There were footsteps approaching, what a surprise! Who could have possibly predicted such an unforeseen turn of events? The ambiguous, disembodied narrator perhaps, but certainly not Yousei. After all, it's not like her life had been unfolding like the plot of some weekly manga serialization lately or anythi- well, I mean... [break][break]
"A traveler!" She exclaimed enthusiastically, as the figure slowly came into view up the mountain pass. Looked like it was a girl around her age, probably a few years younger? Kind of unusual to see someone that young traveling alone, especially way out here. Judging from the direction she was headed, she'd probably crossed the border into Oto from the Land of Hot Water, but this ridge was a ways off the main trail. Was she lost? [break][break]
Skipping up to the girl with a gait so carefree that it was surprising a trail of flowers wasn't springing up behind her as she went, Yousei waved her down with all the genki energy she could muster. "Hey there, person-I've-never-met-before! You're kinda off the beaten path here, did you get lost? These trails can be pretty tricky if you don't know your way around. If you need help, I'd be glad to give you directions-" [break][break]
Wait a second! Now that she got a closer look, she'd recognize this girl's demeanor anywhere; she had the bearing of a samurai, no doubt about it! She definitely didn't seem local though, judging by her attire, and she didn't give off the same vibe as one of those Taiyou pretenders either. A foreign samurai, wow! That wasn't something you got to see every day. [break][break]
"Whoa! You're totally a samurai, aren't you?" Her eyes were practically twinkling with barely contained excitement at this point. That's awesome! I haven't gotten to meet another real samurai in like, forever! What brings you to the Sound Village? Are you here to join the coalition?" [break][break]
[attr="class","pwf1body"] The soft glow of the setting sun stained the horizon in shades of orange and red, its vibrant light accentuating the figure of a lone samurai as it cascaded down upon the solitary ridge where she now stood, blade in hand. Her body flowed with practiced ease through the motions of ancient katas that were now second nature to her, the radiant glimmer of her blade carving a mesmerizing path as it sailed through the air with perfect form. Then, with one final cut, she transitioned flawlessly into a chiburi, before at last the blade was sheathed. [break][break]
Yousei wiped the sweat from her brow with an exhausted sigh. She'd been at it all day again, honing her skills in restless anticipation of the soon-coming battle with the Taiyou. It wouldn't be long now, just a few more days until the enemy would be at their door, and she could finally teach those Imperial bastards a lesson for trying to set foot in the Northern Fire Country. [break][break]
But where was she today, anyway? Well, I'm glad you asked! On this fine evening, Yousei found herself in the northeastern reaches of Otogakure; a mountainous region of twisting trails and rivers, that also served as one of the main entry points into the country for merchants and travelers from the Land of Hot Water, and more recently shinobi from Kumogakure as well. [break][break]
The Sound had become a veritable melting pot of new faces, ever since Mai had sent out that summons for the formation of a coalition to defend Onomichi against the Empire. They'd had people of all shapes and sizes turn up to answer the call, from every village and nation you could think of: shinobi, wanderers, mercenaries, and even some missing-nin, she'd heard! It was really something else. [break][break]
But what were the odds that she'd be having a chance encounter with one of those visitors mere moments from now? Well, uh...pretty good, actually! Enter Izumi Niijima. [break][break]
