The voice caught Orin off guard, and sent a shiver down his spine. Luckily, his clan insignia had been torn off, and he looked like some ragged peasent.
"Me? Leave? Oh, no Master! You have it all wrong! I am here to clean the horses, as I need to pay my debt back to the Moto! I am now their trusty servant!"
Please work, please work... He prayed silently, in his head.
Kuro-u summoned her own servant to her quarters after going through a somewhat difficult night, the young woman who'd served her for several years now seemed afraid as she entered her mistresses room. It was upon seeing the look in her servant's eyes that Kuro-u herself became worried. The burnt mark on her left arm that was usually covered was not so this morning and she leapt upon the young woman, covering her mouth and clenching her own jaw in frustration, leaning down and whispering in the woman's ear calmly, "Listen to me...in 3 years of service you have never seen this mark and for a reason, I am not of the enemy I was found in this village at the age of 9...I do not know how I retained this mark but I assure you that I am loyal to this village and no other. If I release you will you speak out against me?"
Calmly the servant woman shook her head, that was good enough for Kuro-u who instantly released the woman.
Her servant looked across at her mistress, a little tear in her eye, "Mistress forgive me...I..."
Kuro-u's kind smile silenced her and she smiled in return, "No you must forgive me for my rough attitude toward your reaction, I cannot afford to have anyone find out that I was not born in this village, well...no one outside my own home and ofcourse that of the councellor who raised me." She paused, "You understand?"
The woman nodded and Kuro-u sighed, "Good, now please ready me for the day...I have had little sleep so perhaps it is a good thing you arrived at dawn."
The young servant woman seemed to find that amusing and bowed to her mistress, hurrying off to run the ice cold bath.
Tomoko woke up and stood up. She opened the door and saw that the next room was empty, she walked outside to the garden and started practicing with her sword. After that she practiced some of the movements that the Utenzaki had shown her, doing fast and gracful movements. she suddenly stopped and looked at her arm. The Utenzaki mark she had been given when she was little and she looked at it for a moment.
- "I have to cut that thing out" - Tomoko said.
After bathing, Kuro-u was wide awake. Thanking her servant and dismissing her, she made her way to the garden and began to watch Tomoko in her practices. Over hearing the young woman's concern over the mark she rolled up her own sleeve and displayed the same mark on her left arm, "It's nothing but a mark Tomoko."
Originally posted by Sora The Brave
The voice caught Orin off guard, and sent a shiver down his spine. Luckily, his clan insignia had been torn off, and he looked like some ragged peasent."Me? Leave? Oh, no Master! You have it all wrong! I am here to clean the horses, as I need to pay my debt back to the Moto! I am now their trusty servant!"
Please work, please work... He prayed silently, in his head.
Nakamura smiled as his forces had made it to the outskirts of the Inuzuki town, the Utenzaki forces could clearly make out the castle. His generals sat next to him, the troops had been ordered not to make fires, they needed to make this a sneak attack. Nakamura and his eight leading generals looked over the map of the main town one last time, a knife lay implanted where the castle was. They discussed the plan one last time, "Now, we will be dressed as common villagers... we will not be suspected by the Inuzuki troops for some time. Now, our stealth troop will move in the town first, eight of them will have carts, with a crossbow located inside of it. All you need to do is a pull a level on the back of the cart, and the bow will fire. Now, there is a hole in the front of the cart where the arrow will fly through and hit the target. Don't miss." He added as his generals laughed at the statement. The group broke up into their units and a flag waver signled the stealth troop to enter. Nakamura was in charge of that.
The troops moved silently through the town as the cart "movers" walked along the streets. A villager spotted them and was about to warn two guards, when his throat was slit, and he was thrown behind a house. It didn't really matter if he was found, the town would be taken over in a matter of time anyways. The plan was that a fire would be lit, and the main force would storm the town. Nakamura grinned, things were going smoothly. He watched from an alleyway as the cross mechanism took effect. While inside the cart, the crossbow was nailed to the sides, and all the soldier had to do was a pull a lever that was on the rear side of the cart to fire it. The arrow was poisoned so the target would be killed either: From the wound, blood loss, the hit, or the poison. Either way, it wouldn't be a swell way to go. The guard shuddered before hitting the ground, a stream of vomit lay coming out of his mouth. Nakamura could only hope for more success.
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Back at the Utenzaki Castle, Horjo had called together a meeting with the remaining officers and troops. The meeting had discussed new tactics at how to increase security within the castle. All troops were ordered to carry their weapons while in the castle. All officers were also ordered to be accompied by at least four guards within the castle as well. Horjo had guards stationed at every corner of the castle, and shift changes occured every hour... if there was a ninja here, they'd be caught soon enough. Horjo sat in his room, painting a picture of a cherry tree. His brush swam across the paper in a slow rhythm. Perhaps tonight he'd be able to get some sleep... after all, his tactic was unbeatable.
- "Your secret is safe with me my lady" - Tomoko said and the bells were heard. An alarm was raised that signaled the incoming of Utenzaki troops. The lookout on the city had spotted them from his tower and sounded the alarm to get every single samurai to his or her post.
- "My lady sounds like they need assistance" - Tomoko said.
Originally posted by Sora The Brave
Orin sighed, and would probably have to do his 'Ninja Vanish' technique."Ohj' Ni Gah!"
He shouted, and dust rose up from the ground. Orin darted inside the stables, chose a horse, and darted back out, the horse moving super fast.
"Byee!"
Orin shouted.
Zabuza eventually caught up to the horse (Horses get tired eventually),pulled Orin of the horse, drug him back to the stake, took the Knife, and tied him back on the stake. "Now, don't move or you die." Zabuza said and left to guard the stables, accidentally droping the knife at Orin's feet.
I Know This Hurts, It Was Meant To...
"NekoOoOoO-chan!!!"
Lips trapped a small wheat stem. The tip blowed softly in the wind, tickling the atmosphere with the fuzzy seeds. Two amber eyes stared out across the rice fields. They were filled with wonder, curiosity, betrayal, hurt... So many emotions contained in the eyes of another. That is the soul of someone. If you wish to know what someone is feeling, gaze deeply into their eyes. See past that sea of milky whiteness, passed the colored ring, passed the single ebonite marble. Look into their very heart. Look at what they've been through. From there, you will understand said person. The same goes for the male. That strong figure stared at the moonlight, flickering on many of the pools.
The sun had just gone down, only a few streaks of red piercing the night sky. Slowly, the velveteen blanket would consume them. Darkness would reign for a few hours, before the sun regained her throne. Stars speckled around him, some brighter than others, some losing their glow but still holding their gaze upon the world. Millions, billions, trillions of eyes... They all looked down at the small world. It made the young samurai feel slightly as if he was trapped in a play. It was like a geisha. He felt like one, only used for the entertainment of another.
Donning the strong male came an onyx-filled kendo jacket. It flowed freely in the breeze of the wind. The cloth was very light, making it very easy to move around in. Beneath that, a white han juban lay there. Normally, such attire would be worn on a kimono, not under a kendo. However, he wasn't one to follow traditions. An obi tied his long, ivory colored hair into a loose ponytail, keeping most of it from his face. A pair of white flared ju-jitsu gi pants covered his legs, making him seem rather foolish looking, but he was never one to care for appearances. Upon his feet lay white tabi socks. They were warm and strangely clean. The samurai liked his clothes neat, washing the socks continuously. Standing on his zori shoes he felt strangely unable to sense the earth beneath him. Yet, it was better to not sense the dirt under his feet, than to walk on a thorn and make yourself vulnerable during a fight.
His skin was a ton of toffee. It was neither cream colored, nor tanned. It was in fact a mix between the two. Toffee seemed the best noun to describe such skin. His face was untouched, angelic almost. He held no scars, no cut ears, no missing eye, no slash along his nostril... It was still perfect. His lower body, however, was like a scratching post. Samurai clan tattoos decorated his forearm, and his sword scars became popular along his back and chest. His abdomen was sliced, as he remembered a kunai knife jabbing at him, trying to gut him like a chicken hanging in a butcher's window. Each scar told a story, but none would hurt so much than the one right above his pelvis area. It stung the most, but not because it was not yet healed - For it was - but the emotional scar left there would forever burn him like a fire.
His eyes scanned over the moonlit puddles, watching as the reflection gave way to the small rice plants poking up over the water's surface. It seemed so tranquil. Never would these farmers know the horrid bloodshed of the samurai. He envied and admired such innocence. He had taken the wrong path years ago. He would give anything to be a regular traveler, not someone carrying a sword. He gazed at a campfire, burning clearly across the fields. His eyes saddened slightly. He had no clan, thus he had no allies. He was a loner. He had not enemies, nor friends. What he wouldn't give to see her face again. Mizu--
A rustling in the grasses made him grab the handle upon his beloved katana. He tensed his muscles, his eyes focusing on the rustling. He snapped his knuckles, preparing to draw at anytime. His eyes narrowed as the grasses parted, making him quick as lightning draw the sword. He aimed, and swung.
The sound of sword hitting dirt sounded. He frowned. A black cat proudly carried a dead field mouse in its jaws. It twitched its tail at him in greeting, bringing the mouse to his feet. He scooped it up, taking his sword from the ground and chuckling to himself. He'd fallen prey to one of the cat's tricks. Yet again it appeared. He held the dead creature in his palm, staring at its lifeless body for a moment and handing it back to the cat, who scooped it up and began to nibble on the flesh.
"You keep it, Neko-chan. I'm afraid such a parcel is too small for me to consume. We'll find food in the next village I am sure. Until then I'll wait. You eat though. You'll need your strength."
The cat licked its whiskers, purring in content and nibbling on the flesh once again. Digits came down to stroke the black head, lovingly petting the only companion the young samurai had. His eyes melted warmly, giving the cat a scratch behind the ear. He stared over at the fire once more, staring at it longingly. A fire would seem nice, he realized, looking at the sky and seeing no more red streaks. The night had finally come at last. They would need to travel now, or else meet up with some unkindly men. It wasn't as though it mattered if a thief may come, but all the same he would not like to waste the small energy he had. He had not eaten since that morning when a kindly old woman had given him a bowl of rice.
"Come Neko. We must be on our way. There is nothing left for us here."
He sheathed his sword, gazing down at it for a moment. The cat swallowed the last bite of the mouse, leaving the cracked bones and torn fur behind. It pounced onto the strong shoulder of its human friend, rubbing its face against his, receiving a soft chuckle from the man. He petted the head of his feline companion. He took a deep breath, beginning to walk along the side of the road, keeping to the shadows, the only thing visible would be his pants, white but well hidden in the large reeds of bamboo. He was heading towards the nearest village, but had no idea of what he would find along the way...
Jiang Tai rode his horse into the distance looking for Orin "i cant believe that i have to find him" Jiang moaned to himself "Why can't he be normal like the rest of our clan and listen to instructions" he could see a village in the distance where a man had pulled someone off a horse "whats going on their" Jaing got off his horse and went to the village on foot
"Jiang Tai!" Orin whispered loudly. He looked down and all around, and noticed the small glint of metal near his feet. Perfect... Orin scooted his feet far enough down to grab it, and toss it to his mouth, wich tossed it to his hands. He began cutting the rope slowly, and then finally he fell to the ground. He rubbed his wrists and smiled. After a moment of regaining composure, he darted off towards Jiang Tai's location, swiftly and silently.