Iwa-Aoi Estate

[Ugly Mazu]

The "Iwa-Aoi" Estate
The Aoi's Iwagaure Compound

During the rebuild of Iwagakure after the nuke sent by the dastardly Land of Demon's Empire, Mazu Aoi** established an estate with the help of fellow Aoi clan members and the approval of the residential staff & officials within the regional departments. Granted this area among the ruins, the Land of Earth bound Aoi clansmen worked to build a marvelous compound within the major village as to offer a expediate line of defense from one of the nation's leading royal families. While most Aoi clansmen prefer to stay upon "Mt. Aoi", others can be found walking the halls and dormitories of this enormous institute or its numerous adjacent structures. Affixed with the latest of Aoi clan defensive installments and the best arrays that Mazu Aoi, the current Tsuchikage, could offer - this compound is known as one of the safest and most protected areas within this particular region of Tsuchi no Kuni. Hundreds of bedrooms, dozens of kitchens, outdoor and indoor sport facilities & pools, gardens and farmlands, gaming rooms & playgrounds, and various other useful areas for clan use - the "Iwa-Aoi" Estate is one of the prized jewels of the Aoi clan. Originally built for not only their own people, but the youth of Iwagakure so that they might find refuge during the trying times they faced while they underwent their construction period, several areas of the "Iwa-Aoi" compound have been allowed to the public - however guards remain at the vigilant to ensure public safety and that nobody trespasses onto clan sanction properties.

**Mazu Aoi and his family can often be seen frequenting the halls of the "Iwa-Aoi" estate.**

**The "Iwa-Aoi" Estate is current closed to the public**


​

 

[Kami Shia]

Maowi Aoi

The warmth of the Iwa-Aoi estate was more than comforting. The young genin known as Maowi could be found inside relaxed lying on one of the couches in front of a fire place, reading a small hand book. The details within the book described the human anatomy of the average shinobi, learning about the body and chakra points and how they work. Peace and quiet set upon the Iwa Aoi estates, Mao was able to read peacefully with no distractions. The warmth of the fire being emitted from the burning wood canceled out the cold breeze from the outside. Moving onto the next page Maowi discovered where chakra flows and what areas of the body has the least amount of chakra activity. The boy was fascinated by the book he stumbled upon and continued reading. The silence in the room would bring anyone peace when reading the glares from the fire burning illuminated the room enough that electricity wasn’t needed to light the room. The sweet aroma that carried throughout the room was due to the servants expert cleaning skills. The joyous smell would allow someone to relax their senses and focus on whatever it is that had in mind.​

 

[Ugly Mazu]

“My blades cut through the stones themselves… Making a work of art out of you should be an easy task…”
アートは主観的、私のアートは秩序

Taking a leisurely stroll throughout the numerous open-labyrinthian corridors of the Iwagakurian Aoi Clan Estate, Mazu had much to think upon as the chakra generated lights, clean flowing waters, and heat radiating throughout the manor's gracious expanse and bringing life to the compound - marking that major points and cities within the nation were able to bypass the tragedies unfolding through careful preparation and the unity of their communistic state. It became almost normal to him to relay nonchalant and meaningless greetings or playful jaunts towards workers and servants to the clan as their benefactor and head, building a reputation as the beloved enthusiastic researcher of the people. After a few hours of enjoying the company of his fellow clansmen, as his many hidden golems and affiliates worked to ensure the safety and functionality of the state and populate, the true Kage attempted to maintain peace amongst his family - new & old. Entering the main family space to see Maowi sitting by himself in front of a lively Katon chakra generated flame roaring beautifully inside of a cobblestoned fire place, the patriarch of the Aoi clan thought to approach the coach from behind and lazily flip himself over its firm backing so that he might exuberantly place himself to the right & beside of his, clan-related, adopted "son".

It was adorable to see his boy deep within his studies once again, reading yet another book from the enormous reserves of knowledge found within the Tsuchikage's libraries. He was lucky... Many hadn't gotten such chances to study the workings and methods of the progenitors to their land, the heroes and villains found within their culture, or learn the sciences that grew to become their nation's foundation. His small eyes darted back and forth across the pages as Mazu had made his initial entrance, so there was little doubt in the Kage's mind that his abrupt landing at the side of the child would annoying the boy. Nevertheless, before he had a chance to speak up and announce his agitation, the Tsuchikage would add insult to injury by attempting to roughly place the synthetically calloused hand of his right prosthetic atop the boy's head - rustling his hair in an attempt to break him away from his dreamful vacancy amongst the pages of literature. A joyful smile, playful behaviors, and a happy expression to disguise the turbulence of emotion and calamitous anxiety building within their leader's torso, gripping at his heart and threatening to stop it in his very chest. The threat on the darkened horizon was terrifying just as much as it was intriguing to the young tsuchikage, only recently acclimated to his position, but... hope remained. Armed convoys sent to Land of Fire and Wind had yet to be received, as whispers that Land of Lightning moved to greet the Tsuchi-Ambassador and her convoy had been heard through the intelligence gathering units of the international SHOKI. Land of Water had only recently been sent word in form of Mazu's avian companion and best friend, Aello. only due to the strained previous relationship between the two countries. Only through the unification of the five great lands could Mazu see a way past the horrid state of affairs, working to set back to set back many experiments of Land of Earth back by months, if not years, if not for the quick thinking and actions of the higher officials of "Eto"...

Clearing his throat obnoxiously, as if his entrance hadn't been enough to make the boy notice his presence, Mazu addressed the youth in a lackadaisical, however mocking, tone. It wasn't as if he cared to be sarcastic or wished to be perceived as mean to the boy. In truth, he had just always found it amusing to find the normally exuberant and mischievous Maowi, sitting to act the role of the studious scholar. It'd been a few years since he'd taken custody of the boy after his cousins within the Aoi clan met their untimely ends to the hands of unaffiliated mercenaries from varying lands, and in this time he'd thought the two had grown to share a bond as guardian and ward...

"Hey, what's going on my little God of Shinobi? Jojo-chan & Katagawa should be here soon, so we'll all be able to see what we'll be doing together as the three leading families of the land..."

Reaching over to the child, the Tsuchikage would take lightly hold of the top-most rim of the child's book to pull it downwards towards himself, making sure not to exert enough force to take the boy's reading material, while being the utmost extra and demanding of attention that he could possibly be. Craning his neck comically, it'd appear as if Mazu just thought to monitor Maowi's reading habits, checking the contents of his choice and perhaps the page he'd been upon at the moment. Always the jester... Eventually, he'd flippantly remove the index finger that'd hooked onto the boy's possession, allowing it to snap back to it's original positions before making a comment towards the adolescent's findings. It wasn't as if he took the time to truly look over the page the boy found himself on, rather, he wished to simply get a reaction out of the boy he'd considered not only his son, but true friend. Awaiting the arrival of his wife from his dealings with the accompanying youth Itachi and entry of Katagawa Sozo & company - all the earth dragon could do was find ways to entertain himself...

"Whatcha reading? I never knew you took much interest in literature... I mean, you did take after the more... explosive... side of our clan...

~kukukuku~

You haven't gotten the chance to eat yet, right? I remember from my days training under Old man Aoi that too much study and not enough recreation leads to the stagnation of creativity... ~coughs~ Not that you should have that problem... Isn't that right, little spark?... So, are you feeling okay with everything that's going on?"

 

[JigokunoTenshi]

~ Optional Read ~

13 HOURS EARLIER

Chūjōhime was quite restless upon their return home. Mazu had handled the situation within the ruins before her arrival, and as such had left there no need for further action. Though the implications of the events that followed left her to wonder and worry of what her fiancée had planned, as she hadn’t had time to ask him yet. As soon as they’d returned to Iwagakure, Chūjō took to her lab and remained there for nearly two days. As needed, a clone would come meandering to the Iwa-Aoi Estate to assist Mazu in settling their newest addition to their family, but they both had much work to do. It was an incredibly unfortunate time to be adopting such a young child, but they at least had Maowi to help as well. They were both just children but their son was mature enough to handle basic needs or wants, and smart enough to come get them if they were needed. That was to say, they at least wouldn’t burn down the estate. There were many workers or servants of the Aoi clan around as well, but Chūjō had expressed to them that she’d rather be interrupted than to leave the care of her own child to someone else. She didn’t watch little Itachi or Maowi to grow up more fond of the help than their own parents like she had.

The Kagayaki clan was an uncomfortably cold one, and because of this she had servants she grew closer to than she had her own mother. Perhaps it was in part because they weren’t the ones forcing her into a marriage at five years old, but it still remained the same. Her distaste for her parents ran through her body as swiftly as her chakra, and her what’s worse was that her mother would be joining them for a meeting to decide how to put the Kagayaki’s resources to use for Iwagakure. If she knew her mother, she knew the first thing out of her mouth would be about single or abused mothers and their children. Plans were changing though, and as the minutes passed by it was looking more likely that the meeting would be postponed until after she and Mazu had returned from the summit. Which meant her mother lingering around the Iwa-Aoi Estate... This thought alone was enough to cause the kunoichi to groan loudly.

Chūjō stopped in the middle of her written documentation, lifting the ink well pen from the paper so that the ink didn’t run freely- this was special ink after all. She only used it for important documentation that needed to be done by hand, which hadn’t been very often due to technology. Without her computer, she had no choice but to write her findings down on the lines that plagued their lands thrice. A copy to keep for “Eto”, one for Katagawa, and one to store in Mazu’s office. She had tried to keep it as short and sweet as possible, but the documents ended up being over eight pages simply because she rambled in her explanations and couldn’t delete it as if it were being typed up. When finished, she slid all three of them into brown folders and sealed them shut.

Stacking the folders one on top of the other, she departed from her lab and went home.

~End Optional Read~

Chūjōhime stepped onto the estate with a bubbly smile, speed walking from start to finish to reach Mazu as if she were in a hurry- and she was. The sun had risen and the day was fresh, though the world was still at a standstill. It was time to deal with this crisis. With folders clutched to her chest, she made her way into the comfortable living space that Mazu and their adopted son sat lounging on a sofa. She couldn’t help but to stop in the doorway and admire her family, almost allowing the rumored baby fever to deep into her heart and whisper nonsensical things in her ear. It was most definitely not time to have a child of their own, and she wouldn’t even be silly enough to bring that up until everything was restored to normal.

She cleared her throat and walked into the room, sitting down on the arm of the sofa as she looked between two of her boys. “Good morning, you two. I think breakfast will be done soon, Maowi. You should go eat- and make sure you brush your teeth after~. Please do take Itachi with you. I think he’s still having trouble finding his way around.” Very obviously dismissing her child with a task, and for good reason he would most assuredly know, Chūjō sat two of the files against Mazu’s back and they disappeared in a wisp of smoke, sealing them away within his tattoos. The other that remained with her as she laid it out on her thighs had Katagawa’s name signed in large cursive on the front of it.

“The meeting will have to wait- it’s time to go.” Her tone was partially distracted as she caressed to side of Mazu’s neck, raking her fingers through his hair at the nape. “What a shame~ I was hoping we had some time for other things.” There was a purr to her voice as she stood up and walked off. She’d meet him before they departed and they would be on their way, but before that she placed the document in the hands of someone who would ensure that the Lady Sozo would receive it. Chūjō definitely wanted to leave before her mother got there.​

 

[Yon]

The room dreads ominous silence. Far down one of the halls of the estate lay a dormant hall. In that call, lay's a room. A room that constantly suffered an echo of "thuds" and "Bangs". It sounded as if someone was throwing giant darts at a dartboard. Other than that, the room fell silent. Small feet pattered against the floor of the room, slowly the noise of

"Patter--patter THUD, Patter--Patter, THUD"

This 'dance' of the feet seemed odd, especially for someone in a dark hallway inside a dark room. *Huff, Huff* spoke a weary tired voice from behind the door. It sounded young and determined. If one were to know who was in his room off chakra alone, they would come to figure it was known but the young "Itachi (0.2) himself. Shuriken practicing alone in the dark of the room.

In the young man's mind stood a dark figure watching him. This would be no other than "The Crow Man". The Crow Man spoke not, only when Itachi looked at him for approval would the "Crowman" speak. The Crowman and Itachi looked similar but didn't act similar. The Crowman was cruel and dark. Unlike Itachi, but this didn't make the Crowman bad...it just made Itachi cautious in his mind.

A shuriken would hit the window and bounce off, projecting towards Itachi, too slow to move from the area in time it would slice his shoulder. Wincing and, grabbing his shoulder Itachi would attempt to look strong.

"How weak... A shuriken loses momentum as it ricochets from surface to target...yet you still managed to get hit..." - Crowman (Itachi)

"Tsh..." was the only sound Itachi made, he kept his thoughts to himself then he turned to the Crowman, in his anger he looked at him. "You are only a mere figment of my imagination...Then I WANT YOU TO LEAVE". The Crowman would smile knowing he'd been getting on the young artificial Uchiha's nerve, however, he sought to push as far as he could. He closed his eyes before walking toward the boy leaving a 3-foot distance between them.

"Hmp..." he'd smile, "Your emotion is getting the best of you...however...if that is truly what you want...Make it a reality..."

"You see...in this world... one doesn't get what they want by spouting fruitless demands. If one wants to achieve a certain goal, it is they who are responsible for such idealogy."

 

[Tsukuyomi]

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

Sometime Before Her Arrival

"Where am I...."

Samiya's brain failed to process the speeds at which she moved as she appeared in a familiar hall, landing on a single knee, her eyes filled with confusion. She had instantaneously been transported from the battlefield to her own homeland. Just as fast as she had jumped into action, she was dragged away from her mission and returned to her place of origin. As she stood to her feet she rubbed her head, attempting to make sense of her instant transportation. She seemingly still had her belongings, as well as the spoils of her mission being the Tatarigami Scroll. Her mind instantly overlooked her own well-being, pondering on whether or not the child she jumped so fast to save was safe. Sadly, she was in no position to acquire that information. She pulled her phone from her pocket, attempting to make some sort of contact with her comrades but to no avail. Despite her urban location, her phone was useless, devoid of all reception and connection to her teammates. She dropped the phone back into her pocket, making her way down and out of the hall. Regardless of her feelings towards them, now that she was home, she had a new task. She needed to report back to her Tsuchikage on the mission and hope she could inquire about her teammates well being after.

Present

Samiya stood before the Iwa Aoi Estate, she tried her hardest to plaster a smile on her face, but her inner turmoil was all to visible in her face. As she arrived to the Tsuchikage's office a few moments prior, she was greeted once again with the realization that she had no home. Up until now, every time she had returned home she was greeted with a hug from her mother and a warm meal. However, she didn't have that, her home was a wreck and she couldn't even bring herself to return, assuming there was anything she could even return to after such devastation. She slung a small bag over her shoulder carrying what seemed to be all her belongings. Most of what she owned was either destroyed or still trapped in the wreckage of what her home used to be. Regardless, she pressed on, making her way into the location she was informed her Tsuchikage currently resided within.

"Lord Tsuchikage?"

She made her way into the grand estate. She couldn't help but stand in awe for a moment, the ceilings reached heights she could only dream of and the doors made her seem almost like a mouse in comparison to their enormous size. Hell, even the paintings on the walls were larger than her, it was truly astounding. As she made her way farther into the estate, further admiring its beauty and grandiosity. She peered through the crystal clear windows, her eyes falling upon the concrete utopia that is Iwagakure. She couldn't help but stop in her tracks and take in the sights, after fighting for her life surrounded by dead carcasses and fecal matter, it was more than a breath of fresh air. However, it would be a bold-faced lie to say it felt the same without her mother or the home she grew up in.

Just as she so desperately tried to avoid, her mind ran through the memories of her former home, pacing down the hall as the window extended as far as the eye could see. Before she knew it, she had unknowingly stood before Mazu and Maowi, however, she was so captivated by her past memories she failed to notice their presence. She peered into the clear blue sky, a sense of loss pounding in her heart, placing her hand on her chest as she recalled the countless memories of her once warm and sweet childhood. Though, in all her grief, she refused to shed as much as a tear. She knew her mother would want her to smile through it and be as strong as she raised her to be. For, even at her young age, she understood this was only the start of the long process she simply knew as "growing up".

​

 

[Kami Shia]

Maowi Aoi

The silence had finally been broken when Lord Mazu walked into the room, Maowi could hear his footstep echoing from down the hall. Mazu entered the room calmly asking the child what he was reading.

“I’m reading a book written by Lord Ohnoki, it describes the human body and how shinobi's can use chakra to do all sorts of cool things. They can even use chakra control their weight.” the young boy let out a slight giggle as he thought of someone using a jutsu to get fat and then instantly skinny.

Maowi closed the book for the time being as people started entering the room, his attention was drawn elsewhere. A girl with purple hair had seemed to be a bit out of it, by the expression on her face one could tell something was bothering her. The boy would stare at her as she looked out the window, he couldn’t help but to wonder what was going through her head. Her silence brought out Maowi‘s curiosity, however he would decide to hang back and see how things unfold, hoping the room would go back to silence so he could continue reading.

 

[Yon]

A few more thuds and bangs were heard from anyone listening outside the walls, but for the two who stood inside Itachi faced off against the phantom crow man. Itachi couldn't land nearly a hit on the man who seemingly dodged everything but would return a swift blow in return. Out of breath, Itachi took a knee.

The kindred phantom before him spoke.

Crowman (Itachi): "How could one ever accumulate to become an applicable shinobi when one can't even defeat himself?..."

Itachi's eyes widened.

"My...m-myself??..."

The Crowman would smirk. He'd then whisper to the young confused version on what he claimed was himself in front of him. "If you truly want to test your strength... you have to kill them all..." with this a blinding light shined behind the Crowman. This usually meant he was going to disappear.

"Always Remember...because they won't forget...you are an Uchiha...a mere weapon to them...as you were to Yonrochi, and Orochimaru...a weapon to be passed around and toyed with to anyone for any purpose, if you reject that reality...you will be left purposeless, wandering around the world as a nothing more then a petty rogue ninja...that no one wants. But if you kill them... you will prove your worth to this world as an individual."
With this, the Crowman disbursed into crows, whom them would turn to light particles.

The door that Itachi 0.2 trained in would open at a sliding thud. Itachi walked from the room visibly scuffed up and even still hurting from his self-inflicted shuriken wound. "Patter, patter" sounded his feet as Itachi walked into the room past Maowi on the couch and even the strange purple-haired girl who pestered him (Samiya).

Itachi poured himself a glass of water to quench his thirst and saw the Crowman's reflection instead of his own. Stunned and frightened Itachi had every will to thrown the glass to the floor but instead he simply drank it. (Symbolizing he'd excepted what he felt he must do)

He stood still drinking the water before walking to the bookshelf himself scanning for a book called "The History of Konoha". He Ignored everyone in the room, Mazu, Moawi, and even the strange girl Samiya who pestered them both with cluelessness. A deep Sigh fell from his being as he sat 'Indian style' on the floor and begin scanning the paged for anything about Crows, his name or Sharingan's in the history of Konoha, then he came across the first word...

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
OPTIONAL READ:

(Book "Chapter 2: Uchiha Madara and the Uchiha Clan."

We discussed Madara in chapter 1: not shall we forget Hashirama but of Hashirama's old rival Madara Uchiha. The Uchiha are known for their emotional responses that seemingly fuel them with power! This was seemingly the case for Young Madara who grew up one of five children. Madara and Izuna were the only survivors-- (The pages carry on to describe the blood-thirsty Madara and Uchiha clan.)

Itachi's eyes widened, and he read on.

--do remember The Uchiha are a clan of hate. They thrive off emotion such as Madara himself. A blood-thirsty tyrant, who slew anyone in his way, and manipulated everyone in his path with the use of the 'Sharigan'.

The Sharingan is an ocular tool used by the Uchiha for battle purposes, The Jutus range from psychopathic manipulation, illusionary Genjutsu, and even world and reality shifting techniques. Madara once used his Sharingan to create a planetary Illusion called--

 

[Ugly Mazu]

“My blades cut through the stones themselves… Making a work of art out of you should be an easy task…”
アートは主観的、私のアートは秩序

"The First~Class Prodigy", "The Virtuoso", and "Subject #3"...

Had it been but a coincidence for the all-stars out of this generation of Iwagakurian children to finally be gathered beneath the same roof & stronghold, after so long a respite from one another? With Chunnin exams, tedious wars, and village missions working to separate this era's most talented in order to hone and refine their individual skill sets and talents, such tribulations were sure to arrive in the lives of the average shinobi. Or rather, had to been some fated reunion destined by the great stars above to unite the future of this great nation together within the estate of the current Tsuchikage, hopefully to gain some form of tutelage under the scrutiny found within his, or his one of many vestiges, often whimsical, though sometimes outright tyrannical, methods of education. To the Earthen Lord's knowledge; Only the three Elders, those of the Draconic counsel, or possibly even some other Guardian of the sacred timelines of man could possibly fathom which of these to be the truth... Irregardless, he would find himself overjoyed by the sight of these little geniuses brought together in spite of the calamity their nation now faced. In their own right, each had his own specialty and talent they'd one day offer towards the good of the whole. It was, in the end, Mazu's responsibility to oversee that the fruits of their labors were made ripe and harvested with the strictest of diligence and gentlest of care...

Maowi Aoi, the adopted ward of a fallen brother-in-arms, had made use of these current events by exploring the compound, swotting up on the knowledge of his peoples and often collaborating with the Kage's mischievous trio of creations in attempts to "kick-start" his initial trainings into the "Sacred Pathways of the Aoi" - hoping to possibly even find a way to gain some of Mazu's very own secreted arts as the leading non-Kekkai bearing member of their clan. Already entuned to Maowi's intentions, the self-proclaimed "Earth Dragon" could only chuckle to himself while silently praising the meticulous efforts of one so young whenever he'd witnessed the child's efforts in passing. While anything deemed too advanced or precious had been efficiently and covertly hidden away within the catalogs of the "Grand Ishikawa Library" (Academy - Low class B rank Jutsu & corresponding informations) or safely stored inside the "Kage's personal study" (Mid class B - SS rank jutsu & corresponding informations), the boy seemed to have found one of the more elaborate studies found along the walls of the "Iwa-Aoi Estate". One of the very same Medical logs that the current Tsuchikage himself had once spent many hours pondering over in order to incorporate its findings into his own theories and experiments upon the battlefield...

"The Journal of Aging and Health: A clinical study of natural & unnatural chemical reactions" was the very same written by Mazu's predecessor, Onoki. Written whilst

under the tutelage of the great champion of Iwagakure, Mu, Onoki had catalog the various subtle changes taking place within his body during the training exercise he experienced beneath the second Tsuchikage. Though much of it was hidden away in secreted text and high level code, in order to ensure that none other than those chosen by this ancestors line could stumble upon these notes and truly learn of the Kage's secrets, it still bore much information in pertinence to the human body and chemical adjustments needed to take place within one's biology in order to achieve a unique variant of what had become known as the legendary: "Rock armor" technique. While many thought of the linear uses of this technique, what Onoki and, his predecessor Mu discovered through the uses of stone melding techniques, and the most important lesson Mazu could have gathered from these document themselves had been:

While its true...one must watch their weight!!! (Kukukuku, Senior Mu could stand to gain a couple kilos~ side notes of "O")
It is the existential bindings of the universe that tethers us to this world. If one day, we truly wish to soar amongst the Gods, we must reach inwards and change the most fundamental parts of ourselves, before ever thinking to reach for the skies above...

Devoid of abundances, we become "weightless".

"Oh is that so Maowi? So tell me, if someone tried to change their weight with the jutsu described, would they become REALLY BIIIIIIGGG? Or realllllllllly heavy? Well, we'll just leave gigantism to those in Land of Fire, because Kiddo the owner of that manual you are reading was one of the greatest Shinobi to ever walk... Or, I should say FLOAT across the many lands of Earth. Lord Onoki was known for being able to change the physical states and properties of matter with but a flick of his wrist. His extreme levels of chakra rivaled that of any from the other five great nations, despite his age, because he made use of his masteries of said chakra in order to shape the very world and battlefield around him. Where most saw an unmovable object, Lord Third only saw but a paperweight to be cast aside from his path. And through his mastery of the universe's principles, he and his predecessor even took it a step further...

But, that's a lesson for another time. Just remember kid: Patience, for the moss grows upon the rock regardless of how fast the rapid's torrent... Dont bite off more than you can chew and make sure to commit to your trainings. What can be found within studies amount to nothing without real world experience to observe your results."

The latter segment of Onoki's quotes had become nearly a mantra to the current Tsuchikage. Used whenever he felt threatened, angered, or placed outside of his element to remind him that no matter how strenuous the task, he must not succumb to the restrictions placed by the world, rather break through them to live amongst the stars. This, unfortunately, was a lesson that he only just noticed that he must impart onto his most recently obtained ward, "Ita". Despite his true name being "Itachi", Mazu had ordered for all documents pertaining to the child ongoing from the moment he had been accepted under the guidance of the Kage into their village to be marked classified under the alias(es) "Subject #3" when pertaining to medical or scientific studies, and "Ita" in relevance to any public circumstance(s). Affixed in such ways so that the child might go on to live a normal life within Iwagakure, away from those that might covet his DNA or information regarding his existence - Mazu thought that by placing the boy within the free housing units of the Iwa-Aoi compound, he might have the chance the grow up around those his age. With the world being pushed to the edge of an Ice age, it had been a shame that Mazu had not had more time to greet and get to know young "Itachi", cloned individual born of the DNA of a "Legend of the Leaf". Though, now hopefully, with Golem's taking the place of the young Kage and relaying information to their host in real time, Mazu would get the chance to finally warm the heart of the child whom had been used as a trading item or tool since he first opened eye to this cruel world...

As Ita entered the room, finally out from his own self-induced private seclusion, and ventured over to the shelves to collect reading material of his own; Mazu could faintly hear the sweet melody of his prized pupil, Samiya's, alluring voice calling out to him.

"Lord Tsuchikage?"

Unfortunately, the arrival of the young vixen with whom's parents he'd shared a life debt brought a cold pain into his heart. He correctly thought to signal towards one of his many employees hidden amongst the many rafters and columns of this stronghold to direct the adolescent towards their current locations. Recently the bombing of Iwagakure had taken away the girl's parents, forcing the Tscuhikage to either leave her to the state's care or to adopt her into his home in hopes to raise the child within a more nurturing environment. This most obvious choice resulted in the development and construction of the "Kanari Memoriam Auditoriums" in memorial to two of the land's greatest musicians and Mazu's childhood friends, whilst an elegant wing of the Iwa-Aoi clan compound had been cleared out and mandated as a living/training spaces for the young woman in mourning. A small gesture in the face of such loss, hopefully, later he could take the young woman on a possible venture to the ruins of her family's estate. Though painful, sometimes facing the ghost of memories passed is the only way to truly overcome the despair others have wrought within our lives... Allowing the hatred for another to taint the grief you feel for a loved one was a sin too great to allow this child to bear alone... And so, he would choose to act as her caregiver, such as were the responsibilities of one Kage, as he'd solemnly swore, in inauguration, to protect his all of people till death. He could no longer afford for the failures of his predecessors to consistently be repeated with the wanton loss & destruction of Iwagakurian lives, as it was his mission to final see through his ultimate ambition... "The (R)Evolution of all Shinobi~Kind"

Acknowledging the entrance of both, the vistage of their commandant remained seated next to the roaring pit in the center of the room, helping the to warm the bones of the young man he felt decades passed his true age. Leaning into the soft cushioning of the couch that he and Maowi had been seated upon, he thought to try to bring a bit of joy to the lives of his two anguishing wards. One cursed by a past he never lived, the other reminded of a future she'll never again have... His work had truly been cut out for him...

"Heeeeey, Ita and Samiya, its nice of the both of you two join us!!!
How has the estate been fairing you Ita? Have you learned of all its many passages, or are you still as lost as I? Hehe, three years in establishment and I've yet to figure out its many secrets myself. I do hope that you've enjoyed all the delicacies found within our great land, and later, I hope to show you even more.

And our little beauty Samiya, how were your travels back to the Motherland? I heard word that your mission had been a success and you've brought great bounty back with you from your journey. The two children that you sent ahead seemed highly dedicated to you and spoke highly of your courageous actions in the face of certain death. I apologies that our allies from other lands were not as equip to deal with such circumstances, but it seems that you found a way to come out ahead of the pack. A true prodigy true and true... They would have been... Tch.... We are all proud of you. Come, join us and tell us of your triumphs over the villainous rats and I'll reimburse you with the recalling of my recent battles with the King of the Sewer Rats..."

Pausing a moment for dramatic effect as he observed the girl's reaction to his claim, Mazu thought to continue this announcement of the capture of her parent's killer as an opening to greet her reception. While she had been out committing herself to her nation despite the tragedies her family faced, it was only right that those in charge of said nation stepped forth to challenge those that sought to harm their people. An eye for an eye, and a life for a life... Though this man could never truly repay the horrors afflicted upon this state. Continuing one before any of the children had a chance to interrupt, he thought to speak priorities with his prodigy before moving to lighter topics of discussion.

"Yes... That's right...
Shinde Ikiru...
The culprit behind the genocide of our people and destruction of our captial, is now within our grasp. Safely imprisoned and stored away for later questioning, surely soon to be announced to the world as our prisoner, as it has been mentioned as public knowledge within the international summit.

You've been away a long time my child, come and sit, share a glass with your sensei so that we may pay homage to those lost on our paths here... Such as the ways of the shinobi. Loss is inevitable, whilst victory is sweet and short. We should enjoy whatever solaces we find in such a cold world."

 

[ZimTheInvader]

After the sudden and devastating declaration by the being known as Madoguchi, it would seem as though as he had retreated into the chakra source as fast as he had arrived. Due to this sudden retreat by the alien threat, the world leaders have ordered all citizens' return effective immediately.

Time-skip Implemented
Zone 1 & 2: April 13, 1205 AH 9:00 AM
Zone 3 & 4: April 13, 1205 AH 9:00 PM​