[Land of Earth] Immovable Stone; Incredible Gale

Time was of the essence, that was the one thought that kept reverberating through Fei's mind as she glanced down at the clockwork timepiece that was quietly ticking away in her hand under the light of the quarter moon. Hardly the ideal time for an attack to be sure, but circumstances had dictated that they move swiftly, lest they be again overrun with Ishida ninja. The intelligence division had actually been on the ball for once, warning her forces of a pending attack from the Land of Earth that could wreak some serious damage if left unchecked. It all reminded her too much of a few years ago, when she'd been the one in charge of procuring the information and had been too slow to save her home from the terrible onslaught that had followed. She wouldn't allow that to happen again, this was too personal for her to fail again.

A flicker of movement to her left caught the Kaze no Shuchō 's attention, breaking her out of her reverie as she turned to regard the new comer. A moment later the rather unique form of Qin Li Sheng emerged from the shadows of the forest, leaning against a nearby tree as he regarded his leader in silence. As one of her most trusted subordinates, Fei had personally tasked him with doing the initial reconnaissance of the Ishida defenses, his unique blend of speed and stealth making him ideally suited for the assignment. Closing her watch and returning it to the inside of her shirt, the head of the Sanjuro Clan tossed her hair back over her shoulder and addressed her associate, ”So what's the news from the front? Everything as we expected?”

The elite jounin's furry little ears twitched as she spoke to him, belying to her trained eye the tension he was feeling despite the air of casual joviality he was trying to project. A victim of an unfortunately humorous genjutsu accident during the early days of his ninja training, her friend had been cursed with certain feline attributes that served as a rather unique portal into his emotional psyche... assuming you knew how to read it of course. In keeping with his usual persona, her counterpart merely shrugged and made a thumbing gesture towards the Ishida compound in the distance. “Nothing out of the ordinary that I was able to spot while doing the usual rounds. Although I did find an amazing teriyaki joint that we might want to check out while we're in town. Place smelled heavenly... almost as good as that noodle shop we saw over in Hi no Kuni awhile back.”

Doing her best to suppress a smirk at his jests (and failing miserably), Fei turned to look in the direction Qin had indicated and narrowed her eyes slightly. She'd have expected to see some extra patrols about or something if the Ishida forces were as close to invading as she'd been led to believe. So where were all the extra troops hiding? They'd have noticed them if they were already on the move... so did that mean her forces were able to arrive ahead of them, or were they laying in wait for her to make a move? Sleight of hand wasn't normally Seiji's style, but there was only one way to find out for sure. But was she ready to commit to the attack with so little information to work with? Maybe her other scouts would have more useful information, though that was highly unlikely given the situation...

The smell of the mountains was ever present, despite having descended into the valley below their home. The thick blanket of clouds moved slowly through the region. A light drizzle began to fall upon the area, making the night air even cooler. The Ishida forces were growing more and more anxious, especially with the turn of the weather. Their minds were set on battle, though they perhaps had no idea of the power their foes possessed. Their Shuchō Ishida, Seiji knew all too well. It was for this reason that their march was halted. Forward scouts had been sent ahead, but they had yet to return. The man had not heard the sounds of a skirmish and this made Seiji cautious, which was most unbecoming of him. The initial reports from the border patrol had observed a force of Sanjuro shinobi making their way into the Land of Earth in the middle of the night. It was by no means a small force and Seiji was quick to act at that time, but here on the battlefield he felt that there was something else.

Her.

It is as if I can smell her. Though this was not true, the events that had led up to this point seemed to affirm his suspicions. This force was large and had not aimlessly wandered into his territory with the intent of a head-on strike. That might have been the way of her predecessors, but this woman was far more clever. Sanjuro, Fei... They had gotten this close to the compound without conflict only because Seiji had called his forces back. It was a ploy and one that he had hoped would sew even the slightest bit of doubt in their ranks. This was the way of things and though the Tsuchi no Shuchō would have rather been more blunt in his tactics, he could not afford such brash thinking when the enemy was so close to home. He had taken a huge risk in letting them get this close without retaliation and he could only hope it payed off. It was then that one of the forward scouts returned, battered near to the point of death. Seiji cursed inwardly as he received the man's reports. Their scouting team had come upon a forward squad and were all but wiped out. It was clear to Seiji that this man had barely escaped with his life in tact. Dismissing the young man, Seiji turned to his captains and prepared to give the order. "Rush the oncoming foe. At the last moment, divide yourselves and attempt to flank them. Be quick, be ruthless. Go!" Receiving their orders the captains turned about, passing them down the chain of command. Seiji proudly watched as the Ishida Banner forces moved forward to engage the Sanjuro. Turning to his right, he spoke to the remaining Shinobi surrounding him. Four soldiers in all. Of these, two were female hailing from the Kamizuru Clan and Iga Clan respectively. The remaining two were young males of the Akiyama Clan. All were Jounin in rank. Seiji beckoned them to follow and thus the five set out along a slightly different path, though they too were heading to engage the Land of Wind's forces.

The brown colors blurred as the rocks, cliff sides and mountains moved past. Izumo and his four Jounin companions swiftly moved across the land with two of the Jounin breaking off to scout the path. The two shinobi scouts were of the much rumored Yotsuki, special scouts tasked to find the tailed beasts while the remaining two were kunoichi from the Fuma and Kurama clans respectively. Several clusters of half battalions were behind him spaced to operate seperatly of join at a moments notice. The colors of the surroundings muddled together the world fading like fog into thoughts of what prompted his mission several days ago.

The shucho's office was cool as breeze moved through the tall open windows of his office. He had just read the request from Takeda which for all intents and purposes were orders. Inazuma shrugged on his vest and clasped it shut as he moved around his metal desk approaching a wall holding a sheathed sword with an orchid blade. The sheath glimmered a lacquered black with hints of purple swirls from the sunlight.

“Raimei,” he considered taking the blade for a moment, raising a hand, but dismisses the thought”It looks like all this fighting is going to escalate more. The Ishida must have perfected the sealing techniques to gain a sealed beast, as far as we know its still stable. The Daimyo wants their secret and I agree that now is the time that we must equal this field, then exceed it.” The Shucho turned away from the blade rack securing his gear, “Wish me luck.”

The world returned to Izumo as he slowed to a plateau overlooking the earthen landscape of the Ishida territory. The air was chill, the moonlight illuminated the mountainous valley. The Shucho mused the idea of incorporating these lands If the opportunity presents itself, there was a kind of pleasantness. However he had other things to do, like wait for his scouts to return. They would get thirty minutes. Though the Yotsuki returned in twenty-five interrupting a conversation with the Fuma and Kurama kunoichi.

“Shucho.” They spoke in unison. “We have completed surveying the immediate area.”

Izumo smiled “Don't leave me in suspense.”

“There are indications of heavy scout parties as if the Ishida are on high Alert.” one reported.

“In addition there has been movement of bodies as if there were kills made, however this could be the result of civilian hunting.” stated the second.

The Inuzhuma Shucho's eyes narrowed, “Hm, if they had spotted us we'd see more than implications.” He knew of no intelligence indicating another force here, of course with the state of things there were always Senju or Uchiha that may have attempted a recent skirmish. It was then that there was a small disturbance in the distance visible from the natural platform, the first Yotsuki brought it to his attention. It was clear that something was afoot, but there was too little information. He decided on a course of action, one that would require the most of his shinobi.

“Alright my clansmen.” He spoke up, “Unknown factors are clearly in play here, however we are shinobi of Kaminari no Kuni. We adapt to anything presented and like the most fearsome bolt we are quick and thunderous. Battalion leaders maintain your half status and designate a commander for the other forces. You are to stay five minutes away from your other half, everyone one is to move through the valley to strike the compound along it side and aft. Remember our mission and that there are plenty of skilled Kurama for support. I and these four here will investigate the disturbance. This day we will see the Ishida secret is our own!”

With his speech completed, orders given he once again sped off into the Land of Earth with his Elite Jounin heading towards the disturbance, but this time he had a low rank Bunshin no Jutsu three minutes ahead for each of them waiting for the unexpected.

A faint drizzle rustled the trees overhead as Fei looked out over her assembled forces, taking a few last precious moments to formulate what could possibly be her final words to them. They hadn't planned for this, and the rain was going to make things far more interesting... especially for a sand specialist like her. Still, they couldn't just abort an operation this big for a little bad weather, no matter how much it may or may not inconvenience her strike team. Almost a full third of her forces were already lying in wait for her to give the word to ambush the Ishida, and the other two-thirds were now kneeling before her waiting for some sort of motivational speech.

Steeling herself for the inevitable, the Kaze no Shuchō took a step forward and began to address her assembled troops. Her soft spoken kansai accent somehow managing to cut through the sounds of the night, despite her not having raised her voice, "You assemble before me waiting for some final words of encouragement, but alas I have none to give. You're the best and the brightest Kaze no Kuni has to offer, and each and every one of you have earned your place here at my side, staring down the shaft of our opponent's arrows as we prepare to storm the gates of their toughest stronghold. Our mission is of vital important, as every Ishida we defeat here will be one less that can move against your loved ones back home. But with that said, I want no excessive heroics this time. This is a hit-and-fade assault, not a full-on invasion, and I don't want any of you taking any more personal risks then you have to in order to accomplish your assigned tasks."

She paused for a moment to let that sink in, realizing that it went against the philosophy her family had been instilling in these people for the last several years, yet at the same time meaning every word of it. Noting the encouraging nod Qin gave her with her peripheral vision, Fei took that as a sign to continue. "Many of you have noticed that our enemy is behaving strangely this evening, so keep your eyes open and your senses alert. Now be swift like the wind, and strike like a desert storm!" Her final words were met with a silent salute as the men and women of Kaze no Kuni rallied to her call. They then turned in unison and vanished into the night, flickering through the trees as they moved down the mountain towards their target.

Feeling a light tap on her shoulder, Fei turned and found Qin standing at her side holding a storage scroll. "Ya did good chief, but you seem to have forgotten something. The old man sends it along with his best wishes, and wants me to remind you that you better come home in one piece."

Taking the scroll with a wan smile, the Kaze no Shuchō shook her head at her own forgetfulness and then gestured into the darkness. "Thank you kitten, shall we?"

The first signs of a skirmish had rooted themselves several kilometers away. A great explosion lit up the night sky and Seiji mused that one of his many Akiyama brethren had been the cause of this. Bringing his attention pack to his own traversing, Seiji and his squad of Jounin rushed across the valley; They grew ever closer to the base of the mountain and it was clear now that the Sanjuro forces had poured down the mountainside. Dangerous and filled with malicious intent, Seiji likened them to spiders as he could now clearly make out the troops as they pushed forward to clash with his own. The Shuchō's squadron moved in a wide V-formation with Seiji taking the lead. Under cover of the trees that littered the valley, they were able to slowly approach the Sanjuro forces from the east. Cover was sparse in some areas; The valley was full of stone and clay as one got closer to the base of the mountain and the only trees that grew this far out tended to be evergreens. Seiji would often study these trees in his free time, making notes on the knots of their shaven bark, the smell of pine and cedar, and the girth that some of them possessed. They were stalwart, unmoving. It was as if these trees wished to be stone, if a tree could wish such a thing. Yet now was not the time for such idle thoughts, for Seiji felt a tug within his gut.

Turning to the Iga Clan member, who made up the sensor of his squad, Seiji nodded in her direction. It took only a few moments before she spoke up. "There are so many targets to the west... it is hard to distinguish between theirs and ours." Hesitation was ever-present in this woman's voice, but this time it seemed to be overcoming her. "I think there are handful of targets approaching us as well, but I can't discern their numbers... I'm sorry, sir." Seiji merely turned back to face west and made no sound of acknowledgement. It was his way of expressing annoyance and disappointment with the Iga woman. He kept his group in the heights of one of these great evergreens for only a few more moments as he scanned the immediate area around them with his eyes. If the Iga wench was correct in her assessment, then they could be facing another squad rather soon and something told Seiji that the Kaze no Shuchō would be among them. Deciding not to wait any longer, he pointed at the two Akiyama males with both hands and then slowly swept his hands inward, indicating the direction he intended to go. These two were extremely reliable and would know that this was an order for them to take point with him while the other two fell back. Mere seconds later, Seiji and the two males took one great leap from the branch above and came to land several meters from the base of the tree before breaking out in a tactical sprint. "Fan out." Seiji immediately leapt behind a rather large cropping of rock and would place himself there, hoping to pull of his feint and alert any incoming opponents to his presence.

The Inazuma Shucho zipped from tree to tree following behind the intangible clones of himself and his four companions. With the sounds of battle echoing in the distance it was clear that there are other forces here, large forces. This was becoming something far more than just a raid for secrets. This was on the perciface of choas and mass unknowns. Izumo didn't like to be this in the dark about opposition and the feild of battle, but these things happened.

"Perhapse the Senju want land to plant more trees?" The Shucho thought as the clones raised a closed fist. This stopped the following team of real shinobi.

"Yotsuki and Kurama pair of and get an angle on the suspicous activity, be ready to support eachother if things get stange." the command was quiet as he stayed several trees back. The Yotsuki clones thought they noticed someting moving in the trees, one made landfall to act as bait, but nothing came from the leaf veiled darkness after minets of waiting. Perhapse it was nothing, though the Shucho clone wasn't so sure.

"We must of just missed something." the lead clone stated.

"I think we were perpenticular to someone's path, caught the side." The second Yotsuki clone speculated.

Izumo waved for his clone to come closer, "Lets adjust to follow, We'll be parallel to you, while your team follows behind."

"Really." The like clone stated, "Tossing us away that easily, hmm?"

"We all comback to the same place don't we? But I think that's enough banter, lets move." The clone team moved to follow the supposid path of other shinobi while the real team stay several trees to the left, keeping pace.

There was some larger operation in progress and there was a very real possibility that traps meant for one group might hit another. All of these trees, rocks, they were plenty for seals, donton jutsu and what ever other plans the Ishida had for their planned enemy. Izumo keps his senses peeled, even a genjutsu maze might be around the corner.

Jutsu Used

Spoiler:

The sounds of battle were deafening to all who heard them, the agonized screams of pain mixed in with the shouts of triumph or the din of various orders and the squad leaders tried to make headway in one direction or the other. Fighting had only been going on for a few minutes, yet the ground already ran red with the blood of the fallen. The rain causing it to travel in small streams and rivers as it made its way down the mountain to the running waters below.

Amidst the chaos stood Fei; her long elegant hair damp with the rain and starting to clump due to a mixture of earth and blood, the formfitting material of her combat outfit clinging to her body like a second skin as it absorbed the moisture from above and the sweat of her recent exertions. Yet despite all that, she still maintained the poise and elegance that attracted so many to her. Looking more like a goddess of death, then a hardened grunt trying to survive the night. The field of battle was her's to do with as she wished, the other participants just didn't realize it yet.

Her eye in the sky revealed that the Ishida were beginning to surround her attack force, a development that under most circumstances would have spelled doom for the invading army. Her's however was not just any invading army, and unlike her counterpart on the opposing side, she actually knew a thing or two about toying with the realities of a situation. Pointing her finger skyward, as single bolt of flame was fired into the air. On cue, her forces immediately disengaged their enemy and began fleeing back into the night, their movements seeming wild and erratic. As if they were in a panic and had been routed by their opponents.

The retreat lasted several minutes, eventually finding the Sanjuro forces on the wrong end of a boxed canyon-esque recess in the mountainside. With nowhere left to run, the Ishida moved to block the entrance as they slowly moved in for the kill. But this was the moment the Kaze no Shuchō had been waiting for, her chakra levels spiking for a moment, before dozens of Wind-nin emerged from the earth behind her assailants. Effectively trapping them between the mountain and the Sanjuro, reversing the earlier advantage in her favor.

Sadly Seiji did not seem to be among the now confused defenders, but Fei knew he would show himself eventually. This was definitely going to be a moving battle, and given his level of obsession with her, they should be tripping over each other shortly...



Jutsu Used:

Spoiler:

A well-played feint occurred on both sides of the battlefield, but the Sanjuro's happened to be on a much wider scale. Caught in a pincer, the Ishida forces fought off their enemies from both sides and it quickly became apparent that they were at a major disadvantage. The Sanjuro Banner forces claimed life after life and the Ishida forces dropped like flies for the briefest of moments. Blood stained the rock and rushed away with the rain, seeking larger bodies of water. The aesthetic was haunting and a kind of hushed awe enveloped the battlefield at this moment; The tension was as thick as the heaviest fog. Parry for parry, jutsu for jutsu. None of it mattered for the briefest of moments and it was here that some of the Ishida Shinobi sought a kind of clarity. Some pushed on in their futile attempt to break through the offensive wall of the Sanjuro. Others merely wanted the challenge to continue and died trying to take as many of the enemy down with them as possible; They didn't care if they made it through or not. Their stubbornness was predictable, but it would get them no where in this dire situation. The tide of this battle had taken a turn for the worse already, but the stubbornness of the Ishida forces had purpose behind it. Fueled by the desire to protect their families and loved ones, the Ishida Banner forces continued to fight back regardless of the outcome. Indeed, it seemed that all was lost...

The second feint was also a success and managed to draw out the Sanjuro forward party consisting of several trap-setting puppet users. Immediately attracted to Seiji's maneuver, they rushed the Ishida Shuchō with their puppets. Either they had not recognized his face or thought that he was alone and thus, that they possessed the upper hand. The two Akiyama that had taken point with him manifested trails of explosions that rocketed across the ground, tearing the earth and stone asunder as they intersected and caught two of the puppeteers in the blast. Their puppets fell lifeless as their chakra threads dissipated. The remaining three opponents pushed forward, sending their puppets sailing over and behind the outcropping that Seiji had taken to putting himself behind; They sprayed the area with a deadly mist of toxins, while showering the rock with senbon from built-in launchers. The puppeteers smirked and nodded together, confident that they had taken the Shuchō's life and thus turned to move onto the two Akiyama opponents. With a split second they forced their puppets' trajectory to change, but were then quickly interrupted. The strike was quick and brutal, yet it went undetected as it caught the Sanjuro puppeteers off guard. Having previously melded with the earthen material upon which they all walked, Seiji now erupted from below the opponents in a shower of dirt and mud. Graceful and brutal, Seiji used his incredible strength in conjunction with the element of surprise to grab the closest of the puppeteers from behind in a head-lock. Squeezing the neck of the woman caught in his grip, he whispered into her ear; His voice held an intimate, yet deadly tone. "You aren't the first puppet user to cross my path, lovely. I know by now to get in close and take what I want." His free hand slid down to her breast, as if he meant to violate her. Yet Seiji was beyond that and where the woman had expected to be felt up before her death, she instead felt the sharp, cold metal of a kunai bury deep into her chest. Seiji tightened his grip and closed off her esophagus, forever silencing the wench. His tactic had caught the other two off guard and their fear immobilized them. It was thus that the two Akiyama guards moved in and simultaneously launched their Explosion Chakra through their fists with a point-blank punch to the abdomens of the opponents. Blood and gore splattered all three of the companions as the Iga and Kamizuru females that had taken up the rear moved in to seal the bodies away.

It was only a few more moments before Seiji realized that this Sanjuro squad had been moving toward the rest of his force. Puppeteers needed somewhere to lay their traps and this couldn't be done where the opponents were least likely to go. Something seemed off and Seiji wandered what it was that had caused the battle to seem to grow quiet. Calling upon the Iga woman's skills once more, accompanied with a threat, the situation became all too clear. His forces had fallen for the set up and were now caught in the midst of a hellish slaughter. He had only little time to act lest they all fall in combat, but he wouldn't make it in time. Turning to the Kamizuru guard he instructed the woman to use her insects to send word of his plans. Thus, it was only moments before the tide of battle would turn, hopefully for the better, though Seiji knew that much life would be lost on both sides.

The Ishida forces continued their defensive position while simultaneously attempting to push through the enemy forces. Pinned against a rock and a hard place was something they often enjoyed making their opponents endure, but the forces of the Land of Earth did not have much experience being on the receiving end of such a maneuver. Their spirits were beginning to wane, yet their hearts yearned for the heads of the enemies. The Sanjuro had caused such pain to the Ishida on numerous occasions and the men and women of the Land of Earth were always quick to respond in kind. It was impossible to discern from Shinobi from the Land of Wind of the Land of Earth which side started this long feud, but the hatred of the Sanjuro was buried deep within the hearts of every Ishida from birth. They could not die here, caught between the stone and surrounded by their opponents on both sides; They could not die here without first taking as many of these bastards with them as possible. Yet, salvation came in the form of messages from their leader via the Kamizuru clansmen among them. It was time to bring this charade to an end. in one movement, the Akiyama Clansmen on the front lines that had previously been pushing forward, retreated and allowed their Iga and Kamizuru counterparts to fill the gaps. Mere seconds later and chains of simultaneous and gargantuan explosions enveloped the entire area. The mountainsides caved and an avalanche rained down on the combatants below, friend and foe alike. Several Doton-barriers were erected at the last minute by various Shinobi on both sides, but on the whole both forces would find themselves buried in the rubble and destruction that the combination explosion techniques had caused. Large dust clouds enveloped the area and caused everyone's field of vision to decrease. Those that had lived were perhaps in awe of the devastation and the insanity that such a tactic had caused. Now the tables were turned and evened out, but who had survived? From afar, Seiji watched the ash plume rise ever higher into the sky and knew that many of his comrades had been lost. Speaking to no one in particular, he insisted that his group move on. "Our reinforcements will sweep in now and assume the assault anew. Have the captains send word to survivors to regroup under secondary battalion assignments." Thus, the Ishida Shuchō moved on with his four Jounin comrades, pushing deeper into enemy lines and heading for the area of the devastation.

Spoiler:

A swift wind darted through the tree's of the Land of Forests. A strange wind to be sure. It had an ominous feel to it. One that was all too familiar with Kaizu. This was the wind of war and death. Kaizu had been out on patrol with a group of other shinobi from the Land of Forests. They had split up to cover more ground, but the rest of his group wasn't far away. Kaizu approached the border of the Land of Forests. He leaned up against a tree and looked out over the land. He could tell something was amiss, but 'feelings' were not helpful in this situation. He could only wait and see if anything would transpire from this patrol.

Kaizu's suspicions were well founded after all. A scout found Kaizu and reported to him with haste and exasperation. The young shinobi; trying to catch is breath, quickly divulged his urgent message. "Sir... we-we have a... a situation. We have spotted a group of Inazuma Shinobi within our borders. They seem to be heading out and going towards the Land of Earth." Kaizu perked up at this information. He knew this would happen on his watch. "I guess I am just that lucky," Kaizu mumbled. Kaizu then turned his attention to the scout, "Go back and report this to the higher up's. Tell them to send reinforcements along the northern border. I will follow these invaders and see what they are planning. Tell the reinforcements to meet at the southern border of the Land of Earth. I will meet up with them when they arrive." The scout left with post haste. Kaizu, would soon seek out the invading party of Inazuma shinobi.

Kaizu was speeding towards the Inazuma shinobi with great haste. He wanted to learn of their plot as it could be more than just a 'polite visit' to the Land of Forests. Kaizu didn't wish any harm on anyone, but he had to defend his home and his clan no matter the cost. Kaizu quickly caught up to the Inazuma. He stayed hidden in the shadows and at a safe distance keeping pace with them. He wasn't going to engage them, but he was prepared if he had to defend himself. Kaizu had no idea how many Inazuma shinobi were ahead of him, but he did have a good estimate. As he followed them, he heard the resounding sounds of explosions in the far distance. This was more than just the Inazuma involved, for he could tell the explosions came from within the Land of Earth. Kaizu stayed his distance. He was just gathering intel. after all and wasn't about to engage an unknown number of shinobi in a foreign land.

As the tailing continued the trees parted with the team and clones taking up two distinct area overlooking a boxed canyon where a large battle was taking place. Ninja from both the Land of Earth and Wind raized the small area, it was like a calculated frenzy. In the choas Izumo spotted Ishida, Senji the Shucho of the land of Earth. The man was savage on the battlefield, he saw Seji grab a puppeteer from behind in a head-lock then the man's free hand slid down to her breast, as if he meant to violate her. Izumo was shocked at the sight, but then swiftly relived when the sharp, cold metal of a kunai buried deep into her chest. Still what the Earth Shucho did came close to crossing a line, was the Shucho of the Wind any better? The Inazuma hadn't heared of anything so vile from that end of the land, was the Wind kunoichi even here? The Lighning Shucho's eyes gazed through the field once more and found her, the Shucho radient even in battle, the maiden of the burning sand.

"Lets wait until the Shucho get closer." ordered Izumo. He and his team distanced themselves from their clones a bit mnore and withdrew into the tree cover enough to hide, but peer out onto the field of destruction below. The clones staying in hiding as well to decoy. He hadn't decided which to side with if any, but he wanted the two other leaders closer before he struck out.

For once Fei was thankful that her ears were ringing, as it allowed her to block out the moans of pain and cries of the dying as she extricated herself from the pile of rubble which had just tried to swallow her army whole. She mentally kicked herself for allowing that to happen, as she had seen what the Ishida forces were up to in time to stop it, yet had hesitated from the shock of watching them setup their own demise. While the Kaze no Shuchō was hardly a virgin to the concept of a suicide attack, she had never seen one executed so poorly or on such a grand scale. Why were these people willing to follow a leader so ready to throw away their lives on an attack that would only serve to cripple his own forces? With his last order, Seiji had practically handed her victory. There was no way he had enough able troops remaining to move on the Land of Wind like he'd been ordered to. Even if he still had forces in reserve, they would now have to remain at base in order to ensure one of his neighbors didn't get any bright ideas. Had he finally allowed his obsession with the Sanjuro's leader blind him to the tactical realities of his situation? If so, then she needed to find a way to exploit that quickly.

Now that she was free of the debris, Fei was able to take stock of the situation. From what she could tell, her raiding party had been reduced to a third of their original starting strength, and of those only half were still able to fight. The defending Ishida however, seemed to be in a similar bind. Though they seemed to have taken slightly higher causalities due to the fact that they'd been closer to the initial blasts, in addition to getting caught by the secondary rock falls caused by her own forces assembling their protective domes of sand, earth, or wind.

She herself hadn't even escaped unscathed, as she was covered in various cuts and abrasions that marked her moment's weakness. Her combat attire was torn in numerous places, showing of hints of her supple skin, yet still covering the important bits enough for her to feel comfortable. The over-shirt that went with it though was a total loss, and she tossed the orange rag aside in disgust as she surveyed her surroundings for the cause of this calamity. His men might not want him to answer for his crimes against humanity, but somebody needed to call him to account.

Making her way through the broken remains of the battlefield, seemingly oblivious to the men and women on both sides of the conflict who were slowly popping back up out of the ground like moles after a long winter, the Kaze no Shuchō called out to the mountain. Her soft accent somehow being carried by the wind, despite her not seeming to have shifted her voice in either volume or pitch. "Seiji, it seems that you've miscalculated slightly. All the same, I must thank you for achieving my objective for me. If I'd know y'all were gonna be so accommodatin', I wouldn't have needed to invite so many to the party. Why don't you be a dear, and come out now to apologize to the men and women you've just entombed due to your blind hatred and impulsiveness?"

The sound of whispers on the wind...

He was sure that his ears had rang true. That voice: a woman's whisper, tainted with the slightest hint of disgust. The subtle vocalizations fluttered in and out of auditory range, further compounding the confusion. Ever-present in the distance, the screams and wails of the dying and the injured nearly drowned the whispers out. There was something ever-so familiar about the tone, the grace, and the accent. A sense of urgency spread throughout him, consuming his mind for the briefest of moments before petering out and dissolving altogether. He swore that the whispering wind was beckoning to him and yet there was a sense of foreboding. Something else within the man told him to stay clear of the whispers. Thus, he at first brushed them aside; Ignoring them was the best course of action in his mind. Yet, a whisper, though hushed often draws much attention and it was thus that Seiji halted the group for a moment as he decided to ultimately focus on the whispering. Coming to a stand still, the area where the explosion had just occurred was not far away no and the ash plume was still towering above the scene. Seiji caught the whispering once again and this time it seemed closer, clearer, and more intense. And so Seiji instantly recognized whom the message was from this time around.

Fei...

His demeanor went from night to day and at once he became more alert, as if he had already walked into a trap or genjutsu of some sort. However, his Iga Sensor had not reported anything nor anyone in the vicinity so it seemed that it was merely the Kaze no Kuni Shuchō's way of trying to draw him out. He aimlessly came to rest his hands in the pockets of his flak vest as he stood mulling over what course of action to take next. Fei was a tough opponent and though Seiji had no intention of keeping her waiting much longer, he wasn't entirely sure he had caused enough havoc on the battle field just yet. After a few moments, the Ishida Shuchō mused that not showing himself when called out would only serve to complicate his plans further and thus it was that the man beckoned his guards come with him. Slowly they ascended what was left of the ridge overlooking the destruction below. The debris clouded the immediate area around them, but Seiji was now clearly able to see the extent of the damage caused to both sides. He smirked, and while some might have thought this insensitive, this assumption would have been far from the truth. His eyes glanced back and forth slowly as his group finished their ascent. All around them, men and women from both sides were still digging themselves out of the rubble and forming their respective squads and battalions. Small skirmishes were already underway, but it seemed that most Shinobi on both sides were allowing the others to form their own lines. Though Seiji couldn't speak to the Sanjuro's forces reasoning, he was well aware of the Ishida's for such a move: respect. Though their rivalry was bitter and ancient, the Ishida Banner had come to respect their mortal enemy on a near-intimate level. It was then that Seiji caught sight of the Hime no Suna Nenshō: Sanjuro, Fei. She stood in all her elegance and glory before him and their paths had crossed once more. Her own handful of guards accompanied her and Seiji noted that each of them seemed like worthy opponents as well. Her message had reached him and here he was, battle-ready and certain that his skills would be tested just like they were every time he crossed paths with Fei. Though in the back of his mind he could not help but find himself attracted to her, wondering what things might have been like in a different time had they crossed paths. Alas, these thoughts were pointless and now was certainly not the time for them.

Seiji raised his left hand nonchalantly to greet the Kaze no Kuni Shuchō, a smirk once again creeping into his face as he spoke to his long-time foe. "Your Highness, you call out to me and I can't help but respond. Welcome to Tsuchi no Kuni. I surely hope your stay thus far has been pleasant. I see you've noticed the warm welcome my comrades prepared for you!" He spread his arms wide, gesturing to the destruction below, and then continued after a brief pause. "As you said, we are always striving to accommodate Lord Tokugawa's dogs." This elicited several hushed laughs from his men, but they were quickly silenced as Seiji made an over-exaggerated exclamation. "Oh! Forgive me, Your Highness. I've brought you a gift! Where are my manners...?" It was here that Seiji raised his left hand skyward, his index and middle finger pointed to the sky before shouting at the top of his lungs, "Time to take care of our guests, men!". Where there had been dead Ishida Banner-men before, a large number of them were replaced with puffs of smoke, revealing stones and other debris to have taken their place. Many of the Ishida Banner Shinobi had utilized the Kawarimi no Jutsu in order to switch themselves out at the last moment and thus they lived to fight further. While the strategy became apparent, it was clear that the Ishida had still suffered a decent amount of casualties, though no where near the amount that had been assumed prior to now. Without a word, the renewed Ishida forces rushed the opponents and the large-scale fighting resumed just as a small battalion of Ishida reinforcements ascended the ridge and immediately leaped into the fray. As the battle ensued, Seiji and his guards turned back to Fei and her's. The Ishida Clan Leader called out to her, a smirk spreading across his face as he spoke, "Shall we dance, Fei?"

It sounds of pain, anguish, and death filled the air. Countless had died in the matter of an instant. Kaizu was a bit taken aback by this turnout. He hadn't expected such a travesty. Although war was nothing new to him, he still never got use to it. He hoped the day would never come in which he would be use to war and senseless death. He knew that mankind was a war-full species and cruel most of all. It was saddening, but a truth that was inescapable.

Kaizu continued his pursuit of the trespassing Lightning shinobi. Kaizu and his quarry had delved deep into the land of Earth a long time ago. Kaizu was a bit uncomfortable in a foreign land but it couldn't be helped. It would appear; by the screams and explosions, that a battle was raging. He was wondering who was attacking the land of Earth? Was it a terrorist attack? Was it the land of Lightning? Or maybe, perhaps, it was more complicated than that. Either way, Kaizu would find out for this information was needed for the protection of the land of Forests.

Kaizu stopped abruptly, for the Land of Lightning shinobi had stopped. They were observing something. Kaizu decided to get a better view, one that would allow him to see both his quarry and the events that were unfolding. Kaizu moved a about a hundred yards away and looked over at the destruction that had taken place. Obviously, this was the area of the explosions. He could see bodies littering the ground. Blood stained the soil as it started to turn a deep red. Kaizu then saw a few remaining shinobi among the chaos. He couldn't make out who they were. "Well, guess I better take a closer look. This may come to bite me in the ass though," Kaizu thought to himself. He then maneuvered himself closer to the surviving shinobi. It was the leader of the land of Wind. Why were they here so far into the land of Earth? Kaizu then saw the Earth leader rise from the rubble. They were calling each other out. Kaizu knew this was going to get violent quickly, but he had to observe for intelligence purposes. He would just try and stay out of the way as much as possible.

Tricks upon tricks, rocks upon bodies, death amongst the rain. It seemed that the battle Izumo saw would never end as the Ishida seemed to be gaining more or renewed forces. Though Sanjuro's tactics seemed up to the task Ishida had the more men. This would circle and circle until the end time if it weren't stopped. Peering through the steady rain and raging earth he saw the Ishida Shucho raise his hand and glare at the battle warry and damaged Kaze no Shucho. The Ishida was muddy, as far as the Lightning Shucho could tell, was still mostly intact aside from the rain and dirt there didn't seem to be much injury on the twisted man. Sanjuro, Fei on the other hand was covered in various cuts and abrasions. The Kunoichi's attire was torn in numerous places, showing of hints of gorgeous supple skin, yet still covering the important parts of the woman's modesty. It finally appeared that the two would be directly encountering each other and provide Izumo the chance he wanted.

However this fortune wasn't enough for him as the Leader of the Inazuma had to see the big picture. He and his deplyed band of battalions were here for the secret of Ishida's seal mastery over the demon beast and whatever else of importance was here. With that in mind he'd need to take out Seji, demon of mountains, first. This would require him to help the Hime no Suna Nenshō, Sanjuro Fei. In principle he didn't mind this, the rather young and attractive leader appeared to be more conscious of her own force's well being than the swift efficient killer that was her opponent. With that thought cemented he wouldn't put the Kunoichi above his own people, wouldn't go out of his way to protect her. His eyes again shifted over to the master Ishida. Setting aside Senji's depraved actions his ruthlessness was his strength. Someone who had the forces to overwhelm and the tenacity to fight no matter the cost was someone not to be trifled with. They would perform tactics that would surprise in their brazen and reap maximum damage at the cost of themselves of part of there forces.

"When the two Shucho engage each other we'll join the battle." Izumo gave a moment for his men and clones to focus on his words. "We'll focus on the Demon of Mountains first. Once he is dealt with we'll discern the compatibility of the Sand Maiden." His eyes didn't leave the battlefield. "The clones will go for a flanking attack on the Earth Shucho while we come from behind the Wind in a more direct assault. With any luck he'll be distracted enough by our swift appearance, his foe, and the clones that we can get a decisive hit in during his fight with Miss Sanjuro."

One of the Kurama women spoke up, "Shucho, I would like to amend your plan." Izumo nodded, "We," with reference to her clan-mate, "Should stay back and use our genjutsu to its fullest." Izumo smiled and respond. "I thought the two of you would enjoy Genjutsu in the fray, we can manage with just your support from afar. Keep out of sight my shinobi." With that all it would take was time. The real group moved off around the box canyon, getting to good place to swiftly engage from while the clones flickered off to flank Senji when the time came. Once the Shucho of Earth and Wind were joined in mortal combat thunder would rain in.

Jutsu Used

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Tantalizingly seductive indeed...

Seiji had fallen for the illusion, enveloped by the woman's seductive prowess for only the briefest of moments before he was able to snap himself out of it by releasing the illusion. Yet, that had required coming to the realization of the illusion and that was the trickiest part. It was unfortunate that Fei was aware of Seiji's inner desires and often used them against him. By the time the Ishida Shuchō had broken the illusion, the area below him had been covered in sand. She had devoured most of Seiji's reinforcements, thus evening the playing field once more. He was actually surprised to find that the main bulk of his forces had found means of avoiding her sand, but his dismay was present and angered the man. This woman had always been the thorn in Seiji's side and this particular situation was no different. With his upper hand taken right out from under him, the Ishida Shuchō watched as the now evened numbers renewed their assault on the Land of Wind Shinobi. His anger was evident, but he kept a tight reign on it for now as he merely stared the woman down before him. He little tricks had always been a hindrance, but Seiji had his own methods of combating them.

Keeping his gaze locked on the woman before him, Seiji's left hand went for the small blue scroll at his waist. Holding it out, the Iga woman in his guard took it from him and unraveled the scroll as she took up the rear. Releasing the seal after placing the scroll down, a ten cubic meter mass of gold dust appeared behind a cloud of smoke. The mass of gold glittered in the soft, overcast light and spread out from it's original massive mound before finally settling behind Seiji and his squad. "Go." Following his words up with a quick hand seal, a large portion of the gold dust rushed forward in the shape of a massive wave. The two Akiyama Clan members leaped onto the rushing mound of Gold, riding the wave as Seiji created moving platforms for them to stand on. The wave of gold rushed toward the Kaze no Shuchō and her group, seeking to cover and envelope them. Getting closer, the wave spread out at the behest of Seiji's Jiton Chakra Nature. The two Akiyama Clan members stomped their golden platforms, releasing chains of explosions that rocketed toward the targets through the dust, spewing gold dust every which way. Seiji kept most of the mass rushing toward his opponents and by this time it was closing in and the two guard's Bakuton chakra wreaked havoc as the explosions launched forward to the ground and at Fei and her escort.

Spoiler:

Kaizu continued his observation of the suing battle. He wanted to make sure that he got ever detail down. Any information that he could gather would be essential to the Uzumaki clan and by extension, the Senju banner itself. As he had distanced himself from his quarry earlier for a more advantageous position, Kaizu could not accurately asses their actions or intentions to a high degree. This; however, was not a big issue as they had yet to attack and thus must have been waiting for something. Weather or not they would leap into the fray was still a mystery; however, Kaizu would be ready the moment they did.

Kaizu continued to monitor the actions of the Shucho from both the Earth and Wind countries. They appeared to have some history together, or at least some form of familiarity. This was not surprising, but instead it was expected. As Kaizu understood it, Shucho were often in talks and in battles between one another. This was the ninja way; however, Kaizu believed it was inefficient. This mattered little, as battle was all that the shinobi knew. They were born, bred, and raised for war and nothing would stop that.

Kaizu stayed hidden, until he felt the presence of someone. He wasn't sure where or who, but he could feel someone watching him. Kaizu then heard the foreign presence approach all but a few moment's before he made his appearance. Though Kaizu's senses were keen, this shinobi got closer to him that most ever did before Kaizu could notice. This feat alone was enough to boast of the shinobi's prowess. Kaizu was not going to take the new-comer lightly. Kaizu always tried to be cautious, but this was different.

Kaizu stood up and turned as the man spoke. The red haired shinobi put his hands in his jacket pocket as a sign of someone who was more relaxed. Kaizu didn't want to fight anyone; but while knees deep in a battle field, it was more than likely. Kaizu was a bit offset by the shinobi's appearance. He bore some resemblance to a feline. A bit odd to be sure, but that matter would have to be pondered upon at a later time. Kaizu smiled for a moment as the new-comer seemed to an easy going person. It almost seemed like a facade, and thus Kaizu would play tounge and cheek with this new shinobi. Playing nice was appropriate for the moment, but Kaizu had a plethora of counter measures if the shinobi did decide to become hostile.

Kaizu looked at the shinobi and responded politely to his comment and inquiry; "Yes it is a fine night for a stroll. Too bad it solace of the night is ruined by screams of pain and death. Although, this wouldn't be the first night stained with the blood of innocent, nor will it be the last. Unfortunate how man's one singular desire is to destroy itself in the most inventive ways possible. I prefer nights of silence where one can hear their own heart beat. This is the closest we find to peace while alive." Kaizu had rattled on yet forgot to introduce himself. A tad rude, but the new-comer didn't seem phased by it as he failed to do the same. Kaizu snapped out of his rant and looked at the new shinobi; "I am sorry. I failed to introduce myself. I am Kaizu. I am sure you can tell by my insignia that I am of the Uzumaki clan. So, what faction do you represent here if you don't mind me asking." For a battle field, Kaizu was being very polite, even for him. A fight would draw unwanted attention to himself and with reinforcements miles away; a fight would be disadvantageous. Even so, he had a fall back plan, but that would be a last ditch effort.

The Shucho looked on the rai drenched battlefield. The embattled beauty, Sanjuro decimated her enemy with a well concealed attack, one that almost got past Izumo's trained abilities. The storm of particulates buried, crushed and forced retreat. However to his surprise Senji retaliated with glimmering death, choking on small shiny particles, slicing of flesh, of blood. Explosions decimated the area, this was indeed a battle not just between skilled shinobi, but mortal enemies. Which ever side the Lightning Shucho even temporarily aided the other would give him their ire. Regardless it was time to move as the two targets would undoubtedly be coming closer together.

"Ok, lets blend in." After transforming into Wind ninja and Earth ninja respectively the two teams start down into the raining, particulated boxed canyon who's walls were stained with bodies and blood.


Jutsu Used

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