Mist District

After a few more moments of traveling the young empowered shinobi finally reached the shores where he now witnessed the scene of his fellow Mist shinobi battling against a towering foe. Through all of his years as a ninja and the teachings of his origins, the power of this foe was something indeed quite powerful and while this being was quite large, he paled in comparison to the monstrous beast he fought only weeks prior alongside his sensei and Mizukage. Mellow was only recently promoted to chunin from genin only hours ago, but the feast that had been presented to him was enough to put him far beyond the level he should have been. Approaching with a slow pace and a confident look in his eyes, he gave a crooked smile to the situation as he strolled forth. His dark mist-like breath hung in the air as his chakra flowed while he analyzed the situation and spoke. The scent of death clung to the battleground, blending with the sweat and exertion of the ongoing struggle.
​

His words being spoken as his comrades unleashed their techniques and Mellow was only a few feet away from Gabimaru and the others. With each step, Mellow channeled chakra into the ground beneath him, manipulating its soil and properties to create concealed snares. The range of this technique had already been stretched to a good proportion as he walked to where his cousin was upon arriving. The look on his face showed no worry or care as if he wasn't even acknowledging the strength and power of the foe they were all facing. Essentially mocking the very man they were all fighting, not with words, but with the sheer confidence that exuded through his expressions. His head tilted slightly to the side as his eyes narrowed, locking onto Kagaya with an intensity that seemed to unravel his very soul. Mellow's smile widened, revealing an almost playful arrogance. Furthermore, his hands were within his pockets the entire time, a silent taunt that transcended words.

While on the surface it may not have seemed like Mellow had been plotting something, it was definitely far from the case. Whatever move his enemy made was going to be checkmate.
​

Location: Mist District shore
Posting Order: Kagaya -> Yumaro -> Higetsu - > Gabimaru - > Mellow
Post Time Limit (PTI): 3 Days
Skip Points: ll​

Shambolic, that was the nature of the battlefield currently. The mist swordsman that found themselves initiating the clash with Kagaya. He seemed to be enthralled in the idea of laying this entire village to waste but alas even good invasions come to an end. He could feel in the very fabric of his being as things began to unfold in front of him. A man of his ilk knew not of the pain of loss and he wasn’t going to learn of it today either. The shinobi that found themselves at end with him had come from far and wide to test their mettle and yet it proved to be of little worth in the eyes of a warrior such as himself. Kagaya’s battlefield awareness seemed to be on another level entirely as those in the distance and even arriving on the battlefield found themselves joining the fray they could find a sense of unease about it all. It was as if the enemy they faced even under the onslaught of what would normally be overwhelming odds was as rocksteady as a surgeons hands. The blade of his axe made contact with Yumaru and Higetsu in their own respective ways meaning things would begin to unravel before their very eyes. Yumaru being sent into the distance some hopeful leagues below the surface tension of the water could find that despite the entities that dwelled within him hoping to consume the eager essence of chakra that the shinobi world called its own. Kagaya had turned the human body into a magnet and foremost he himself like a tuning fork for the essence of man the very thing that made up the human body’s himoglobin, iron. Kagaya would exercise his influence over the very metals that made up the human body and seemingly bring them to a standstill Yumaru would find his descension into the water more like a crawl with each piece of wreckage he passed by. It would like come as no surprise to him at all that the foe he had been clashing with was more than masterful at the ritual of combat as soon he could find that the few pieces of metal he passed by were now aimed to assault him even as he got his footing and began his own counter attack. These piece of wreckage would come after Yumaru as shackles aimed to simply fetter his movement. Higetsu could just as equally find that as Yumaru was sent into the depths of the nearby sea water his clone had achieved its hopeful suspension in the air however it wasn’t amid the mist at all. Kagaya had effectively created a pocket of sanctuary upon release a roar into the open moonlit air. Even has the oceans began to surge and the metal that Yumaru inevitably passed on his way down had begun their assault everything seemed to be panning out in their favor. However, Kagaya stood with one half of Hiramekarei in his grasp and the other suspended in the air. The Hozuki boy could in fact find it struggling to return to his gelatinous form as it had come to be. This was in part due to Kagaya in fact magnetizing the very make up of the blade itself upon making contact with it like rubbing a nail along a magnet to give it a magnetic charge. What the young Hozuki could find was that moments after their clash he could find Kagaya’s roar escaping his maw. He could find his water gun meeting its mark but not in the way that he hoped. Kagaya’s vision was momentarily obscured in this instance, effectively being met with explosive force but upon closer examination and the dust in turn being cleared by the new found intervention of the shadowy creature. Everything seemed to be panning out in their favor or so they hoped…

Meanwhile on a nearby rooftop
There sat a masked figure, his form atypical even among shinobi as he appeared more monastic than suited for combat. His form seemed to be vibrant with life as he danced across the shingled roof with no hesitation at all watching the battle between Kagaya and the shinobi of Kirigakure unfold. He soon after could be found planting his butt upon the roof's edge placing one hand on his cheek and the other gesting to a shadowed position next to himself under the purview of a chimney. In doing this he would call upon the shadows his own form being engulfed in its dark essence as he was pulled within and just as the shinobi on the battlefield found themselves seemingly getting the better of Kagaya the hulking figures form would just as quickly disappear. Kagaya’s form on the battlefield revealed itself for only a moment to be far more hulking than when it started clad in a tainted crimson hide before being swallowed into nothingness or so it seemed. A hallowed voice could be heard in each of the young shinobi’s heads as if to commend them. Its tone disembodied, sounding as though it were thousands of voices at once.

“Thats enough fun for today… We of the shade will be seeing you…. We’ve gotten all the information we needed…”

Kagaya’s form now removed from the battlefield, his influence on the world around him seemingly ceasing to exist. Except in the presence of two individuals, Xuan and mellow both could find that amidst their attempts to join the fray something was amiss. Those revenants they had devoured had done much more than simply provide their cursed bodies with sustenance but in fact they had become influenced by the shadows themself. Just the same as when Kagaya’s form was removed from play they too could find their bodies being removed from existence seemingly engulfed by the shadowed blood of the enemies they so chose to devour. They could find in turn that their forms were transported to the shadowrealm before the same masked figure that removed Kagaya from play standing as an envoy of sorts. Upon closer examination they could find the world they had been transported to was a mirror of their own, the ruins of Kirigakure’s outskirts laying before one and the shores laying before the other. The masked figure in question would lean down over Mellow in particular and speak with that same disembodied tone each of them would have heard moments ago.

”My, my what an impressive addition to our collection…”

The shinobi of Kirigakure could find that their subsequent call to arms was one that would easily be worth merit. They had driven their enemy away for the time being and as such the last of what they would have to deal with was that of the remaining revenants. The stragglers of Kagaya’s will and merely the precursor of the battles to come for the shinobi world as a whole proving nothing more than just how much they needed to grow. The battle they had just faced was nothing more than the shadow realm's way of testing the waters of a single village and likely it wouldn’t be the end either.​

The Osadex, dedicated and diligent, faithfully carried out their obligations, responding to the beckoning call of their host. Under their tireless service, he found safety, liberated to some extent from the iron clutches that sought to ensnare him. These remarkable beings excelled in various tasks and offered a multitude of utilities. However, the trajectory leading to the wreckage he now found himself entangled with was purely accidental. Descending beneath the water's surface, his vessel cleaved through the metallic remnants, inadvertently altering his descent. Though this did little to impede his downward momentum, it did have the consequence of further demagnetizing his craft as it collided with the scattered debris.

Navigating through the treacherous remnants, the Osadex within him positioned themselves to counter the impending damage. His own actions were not entirely of his own will, as he resembled a corkscrew amidst the destruction. The opposition thwarted his maneuvers, subjecting Yumaro to a barrage of assaults beneath the surface. Each blow threatened to crack iron and could easily mutilate any other warrior, yet Yumaro pressed on. The strength of the wreckage, amplified by Kagaya's chakra, continued to magnetize Yumaro, creating a struggle for control. The Osadex within him tirelessly countered, engaged in a battle for dominance that would eventually tip in their favor with Kagaya's disappearance from the battlefield. Emerging from the water after a tumultuous struggle, Yumaro landed on solid ground. The voice of another reached him, signaling the conclusion of the engagement. Hesitation gripped Yumaro as he pondered the purpose of this retreat—had the enemy achieved their goal, or was this merely the opening salvo of a larger assault?

Anger surged through him, propelling Yumaro towards the remnants of Higetsu. His battered and bloodied form spoke of the intense battle, yet he paid no heed to Higetsu's state or the missing part of the legendary blade. Head lowered, Nuibari in hand, Yumaro stood with a rising bloodlust, determined to cleanse the land of the lingering revenants that dared to challenge his strength.

"I.... cann..... lose? iiIIIIIII diiiid noTTTTT LOOSSEEEE"

Location: Mist District shore
Posting Order: Kagaya -> Yumaro -> Higetsu - > Gabimaru - > Mellow
Post Time Limit (PTI): 3 Days
Skip Points: ll

The unsettling tension pervaded the entire village in the wake of the villain's disappearance, seemingly accompanied by one more mysterious comrade. Despite the wavering consciousness, what gripped him was the mention of the word 'Shade' by the disembodied voice. This realization etched itself upon his expression, causing an awkward contortion of his teeth as if he were in disdain. A solitary drop of sweat traced a path down his face, and his very body seemed to melt like candle wax.

"To think... It's not just that bastard...." He ruminated to himself. A sudden epiphany struck him, prompting his eyes to dart towards the retrieval of the blade. "Wait... Where's it!?" His expression shifted from confusion to controlled anger as he tossed things into the air, frantically searching through his belongings. "Goddamn it," he exclaimed in frustration.

"GODDAMN IT" he continued. This all occurred while Yumaro appeared to be engulfed in his blind bloodlust.

It was as if Hozuki existed in a world of his own - each member of the present 7 Swordsmen group was consumed by a fit of anger. Clutching the remaining half of the blade, he bellowed with intensity, causing the chakra to surge outwards. The extension of his chakra-infused blade cleaved through the revenants alongside Yumaro in not-so-sync. His once cotton candy-pink orbs shifted to a stark white as he became engulfed in a furious rampage, skillfully cutting down the revenants with the razor-sharp edge of his water-charged blade.
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As the battle seemed to come to a conclusion, and his swarm of lamprey continued to make work of the remaining remnants by consuming them, those which had finished their task would soon find themselves dissipating, dissolving into the blackened night. This leaving Gabimaru atop of the building where he remained during the battle, fell to a knee, chakra being drained from the rapid use of the Darkness Release Dark Saboth, his scarlet eyes would have bared witness to Mellows capture; such a notion that left a nuance of anger bellowing inside his gut. He failed his best friend, letting him be captured in such a notion left yet a foul taste in his mouth. his left hand being placed over his left eye and portion of his forehead, the Chunin watched the frustration in each member who was in this battle, some for not finishing off the target, another for loss of part of the mists sacred swords. The tension in the air was all but stagnating, as if at this very moment time seemed at a stand still...

Location: Mist District shore
Posting Order: Kagaya -> Yumaro -> Higetsu - > Gabimaru - > Mellow
Post Time Limit (PTI): 3 Days
Skip Points: ll​

A young beautiful woman with red to black long hair that settled above her ankles, had blue eyes that some may find captivating due to their hue and unique kanji written in them of course this compliments her tanned skin, was sitting on a rooftop nearby spectating the last few moments of the battle on the shore of the mist district. She found upon seeing two wielders of the seven swords particularly obliterated by an unknown guy that disappeared.

Seeing the carnage that was left Toshimi went down to investigate and help them. On her way down she toasted the remaining undead warriors that were still left down there as well done it on the beach side. Toshimi approached Yumaro and Higetsu, the two that looked like they are pissed one of them looking brutally beaten to death,

"My my and thought you boys were one the strongest in the mist."

She semi-mocked them as she saw the state of Yumaro and as well as seeing the cocky Higetsu, she stared at them for a few seconds helping to destroy the last remaining revenants with Higetsu. That's when she felt another presence nearby but she couldn't work out who or what. She had a horrible gut feeling about one of her brothers however she couldn't be for sure as she didn't see her brothers anywhere so she presumed they were out of the village or back at their home. She looked into Higetsu's eyes are blinked as she smiled and said in a cocky tone,

"Are you just going to stand there or what?"

Toshimi rushed towards Yumaro the male with white long hair who wielded the number. Placing her hands in a triangle and over to the nearest limb to her she started to focus her chakra to her palms and a green chakra light appeared and she started to heal some of the wounds of Yumaro, that's if he let her. In a serious manner, which was out of character for the Tomogui female who's known to be a very dictating woman and as well tends to be flirty she questioned.

"So what happened here?"

Location: Mist District shore
Posting Order: Yumaro -> Higetsu -> Gabimaru -> Toshimi
Post Time Limit (PTI): 3 Days
Skip Points: ll​

He was blind for a moment, angered by the circumstance which befallen the water district - as a result of his own incompetence and vulnerabilities on the battlefield. If he was only able to comprehend the situation faster, act more efficiently, he should have been able to defeat the enemy. The name of the individual was lost, and with the quick disappearance there would be no way of finding out. It didn't matter - for what was done needed to be corrected. The last of the remnants were being handled by the village shinobi, which continued to plow through the forces and those recently converted. It was an embarrassment, visibly upset about the physical condition he was in. He experienced no physical pain but his body showed signs of damage, as his skin began to heal and repair itself - soon assisted by Toshimi boosted the recovery process. He did not answer her verbally, instead, he maintained his same posture while notably resolving his breathing to a more common pace before he would utter another word.​

In the shroud of perpetual mist and the haunting wail of distant waves, an eerie presence dwells upon the Isle of the Sea Goddess, known to locals only in hushed whispers as Umi no Megami no Shima. It is a place where the living dare not tread, a desolate isle forged from the wreckage of doomed ships drawn into its mysterious depths.

At the heart of this spectral domain, amidst the wreckage of maritime tragedy, sits Suikotsu, a solitary figure veiled in shadows. The ceaseless rhythm of the ocean waves, like a sinister heartbeat, accompanies his silent meditation. His keen gaze pierces through the perpetual fog, fixated on the abyss below, where legends speak of a skeletal legion that guards the secrets of the Sea Goddess.

Amid this nautical graveyard, Suikotsu's stoic silhouette moves with a spectral grace. His massive sword, the harbinger of countless fates, cleaves through the air in a haunting symphony of deadly precision. It is said that those who gaze upon him, training amidst the wreckage, witness a dance of death choreographed by the ghosts of the sea.

Amidst the skeletal remnants of dismantled ships, a peculiar structure emerges — a house fashioned from the skeletal remains of vessels that dared to defy the enigmatic forces surrounding the isle. A garden, nurtured by the eerie maritime soil, blooms with twisted vegetables, and a makeshift pen houses pigs that seem oblivious to the ominous energy that permeates their surroundings.

The isle itself, encased in the perpetual gloom of its cursed nature, mirrors a nautical Bermuda Triangle. The scattered remnants of ships act as haunting relics, telling tales of voyages that met a grisly end. Every creak and groan of the decaying vessels seems to echo with the anguished whispers of those who once sailed the now haunted seas.

Suikotsu's contemplative solitude is interrupted only by the occasional arrival of those lost at sea, seeking refuge or treasure. Yet, none who set foot upon this isle ever return the same, if they return at all. The isle, a cursed sanctuary, guards its secrets fiercely, with Suikotsu as its silent warden, a sentinel of the abyssal depths and the skeletal legion that awaits those who dare disturb the sanctity of Umi no Megami no Shima.



Today, Suikotsu stands as the waves happen to be unruly and wild today, As if the one who slumbers below, is awakening.



Location: Umi no Megami no Shima ( Isle of the Sea Goddess.)
Posting Order: Suikotsu -> ???
Post Time Limit (PTI): 3 Days.
Skip Points: ll[/hr][/hr][/hr]​

The blood of his victims could never reach his face, as his chakra blade could be used to sever the heads of those revenants left behind. What didn't help Toshimi was that she expected either of them to respond on a conscious level, as they had succumbed to the blinding wrath almost in tandem with the symbol of Kirigakure. "I...." The Hozuki rasped as his lungs expanded loudly, with the blood trailing off his lips as the fog reassimilated into his body like a vacuum. The appearance of Higetsu seemed to be melting like candle wax - it was clear that his body structure was different due to the Hiden of the Hozuki Clan, granting him an unusual body structure more akin to slime or jello, made of water. "I......" He placed the imperfect Hiramekarei against the surface, digging until its tip was positioned; almost as if he was collapsing against the hilt, the body continued to engulf the blade almost on a subconscious level - as if he couldn't let go of the remaining half. "I... " The bloodlust exerted by him was intense; anyone could feel the contained wrath. His teeth dug into his lips, allowing blood to leak from his mouth. His eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes intensified as they submerged in an unbridled bloodlust.

"I....." He struggled to even muster a single word out until the words themselves were finally uttered, allowing his wrath to concede. "Failed."


Location: Mist District shore
Posting Order: Yumaro -> Higetsu -> Toshimi -> Gabimaru
Post Time Limit (PTI): 3 Days
Skip Points: ll​

Deep within the profoundness of the Isle of the Sea Goddess, which foreigners knew of only by the regaling of hushed lore in seclusion, cloaked in the obscurity of hysteric waves, Azuresato Ryu endured it's unsettling churning. Perched on a single bed of coral, she persisted on analyzing every intricate detail of the turbulent current on the floor of the ocean both as a protector and yet, by her own choice, a prisoner. Brought into the world as a high ranking member of the Funato clan, she was the sole inheritor of the sea’s power but she had refuted the decisions of her kin as it pertained to freezing themselves in order to sleep until there was such a time that the atmosphere on the surface became habitable once more. They spoke of it as if it would be a nap, sweetly tucked in with a glass of milk on the side inside the workings of a miraculous coffin.

Each patient was given monitoring systems to keep track of vital signs and the leading minds in charge professed the utmost efficiency in both safety and comfort for those who chose to undergo the procedure but, to the technologically averse woman, the very idea seemed existentially vile. It was not the bells or the whistles that earned the utmost of her disdain but it was the uncertainty of it all.
There was no guarantee that those who succamb to this slumber would in fact wake again as she had taken the initiative long ago to perform her own personal research into the project. While yes, most of the population would have likely survived, the mere possibility of uncertainty of successful revivement repulsed Azuresato. Instead, She dived to the extent of the perfect crystal waters and traveled to the depth of the sea, considering the crushing bottom her refuge from a world she could no longer sustain herself in or recognize.

As she roamed the ocean, her existence remained a solitary one watched over by Suikotsu, a silent sentinel amidst the nautical wreckage. The communications between the two were rare, for although the world appeared to be capable of fostering life again, the way her celestial silhouette of long untamed hair shrouded by Kirigakure’s thick mist would have given any unauthorized eye the impression that she was nothing more than a dreadful spectre haunting the cove of maritime destruction; a lover who had been waiting for her soulmate to return to her from his voyage.
He’d have always believed she was more akin to a mirage or a spirit coming to and going from the Isle. She never drifted far, only really unvieling and actively stifling herself in order to tend to the bountiful medicinal plant life that surrounded the Isle. At first glance,she very clearly had much on her mind and so, she noticed that he made it a point to avoid bothering her; something she desperately appreciated.
In her perview, he was content with the fleeting opportunities in which he could bear witness to the woman gliding around in the fog twirling in the abundance of rare medical herbs that grew only in this sacred place. However, she noted that she found solace in his presence for it served as an indication that she was not truly alone in her soundless surveillance.
"Great Azuresato."

One day, a pod of collosal whale sharks floated as near as they dared, having taken a large liberty to come so near their queen unbeckoned. Not long after that, a chorus of voices, some speaking to her and some to the others, arose from all directions. They were not of human origin, but of those belonging to all present aquatic life. Passing fish and crabs hurried toward her, their movements synchronized in an urgent dance,and reverberated the water with their frantic whispers.

"We come to you with a grave message from the world above. Disaster looms on the horizon, threatening not only our home but yours as well."

A school of shimmering fish swam forward, their scales flashing in the dim light the murky depth’s could not blind.

"The waters grow turbulent, and the balance of life is at risk," they chimed in unison. "We implore you to take action, to use your gifts to protect the ocean, the world and all who dwell within it!"

Azuresato listened, her heart heavy with the weight of their words. She knew that she could no longer remain hidden in the depths, sheltered from the world above with which she shared no relation. Even so, utilizing the rhythm of the ocean as her guide and the power of the sea coursing through her veins, A figure of myth and reality, she emerged from the murky depths.

All perception of her own chakra remained heavily surpressed as this was common practice for her so that she is able to travel the short distances she does without attracting unwanted attention. In addition to this, all remnant of her scale covered form retracted away and showed now Azuresato 'Funato' Ryu in all of her timeless iridescence. Electric orbs fixated themselves on the path that would bring her to Kirigakure no Sato ready to confront the looming darkness that was coming and to protect the only home that she had ever known or loved. This was to be expected, after all in her experience, rarely did the great nations find peace and were able to maintain it but something in the environment and the urgency in the words of the sea life who had come to council her made her consider that the threats she'd be facing would be extraordinarily outlandish. Furthermore, as pearlesque white scales slithered ever so close to her cherished gardens and her exclusive location, she was not certain whether or not one such threat had already made her their target. Expressionless and silent, Azuresato did nothing for she would wait for her guardian to act and observe what or whom her enigmatic fate had brought to her so soon after her reintegration into this cursed world she had known and that she loved.


Location: Umi no Megami no Shima ( Isle of the Sea Goddess.)
Posting Order: Suikotsu -> Azuresato Ryu ->???
Post Time Limit (PTI): 3 Days.
Skip Points: ll​