"Well then, I suppose I should get my act together"
The room awaited in anticipation for the report on the mission and a formal briefing on the enemy that struck the village some days ago, the very same that left the village in ruin and chaos. His eyes pinned to the soon speaking Higetsu, as he would detail the mission that took place in the district of Rain.
“We went to the Rain District, then hit the Leaf District chasing a lead on the Shibuki.” he started. His eyes wandered, trying to grasp the scattered memories he held, to piece them together in the proper chain of events. “The previous wielder,” he followed, more sure in his voice now, “he wasn’t in his right mind. Kept mumbling about some ‘god’—a being with absolute power over darkness. Sounded less like a shinobi and more like a fanatic.” he finished then shrugging his shoulders and making a nonchalant gesture that truly didn’t ease the news of what he had to share. In the young swordsman’s estimation, the man who held the executioner's blade proved himself to be nothing less than a coward. He then leaned into his seat, bridging his hands and arms to support his head, covering his mouth and nose but allowing the story of his eyes to be told as the men in the room took further stock of the current events. Higetsu continued.
“If you ask me, I think the poor bastard was losing it. The kind of madness you don’t come back from.” Aōi then scoffed a chuckle, uncaring for how those within the room may perceive it.
“You dont say…?” The pink-haired Hozuki then followed up suddenly, as if he forgot the main reason as to why he
had to take a seat in the first place.
“Oh—and I also got the Executioner’s Blade from its previous wielder as well. The guy just… handed it over. Like he had no reason left to fight. No reason to stay.” His voice trailed off towards the end, nearly sounding understanding as to why he chose to,
retire?
The dread-headed shinobi then took some seconds to process the information shared. The murmuring within the room grew louder as the gap in speech grew longer in length, the elders deliberating amongst themselves as they tried to process the information and figure out a proper mode of action. His ice-blue eyes trailed the room until they fell to Umirama, who looked visibly upset at the news of the executioner's blade in particular, being left and abandoned like an orphan during war. His jaw visibly tightening but his mouth never moving an inch, he knew what that hot-head was thinking but he would need to temper his feelings and funnel them into how he swung his blade, that is where he needed to bring his attention.
The murmuring would come to a swift halt however, once the deepness of Yumaro’s voice cut through the room like a swordsman through an army, almost insulting his peers and superiors alike with the disgust in his tone.
“I hope you all are worthy of your resolve…” he said, with the eyes of the room soon following one after another to lock their attention to the ivory-haired warrior. Aōi in particular didn’t move, just his attention once the descendant of the Kaguya legacy decided to chime in. He wasn’t particular interested in anything he had to say, but it was important that he share what he knew so they all understood what they were up against, regardless of everyone's feelings of one another, they would
all At some point they need to work together to take down their common enemy. This was an order after all—a team of some of the most elite ninja within the borders of the
Mist District. Before speaking, he scoffed in true annoyance, but at the very least allowed himself to stand straight up when he looked to deliver the thing that they all needed to understand.
“The enemy we face…” he trailed off before continuing, “is beyond anything you can comprehend. And yet, look at where we are—fractured, unprepared, and still reeling from leadership that crumbled when it mattered most.” The journeyman-level ninja had difficulty denying that fact, as it was also an answer he had come to when he faced the same equation. This brought him some level of comfort, because it would appear that he was in fact not just a simple tool of destruction but also capable of cognitive thought, and appeared ready to plan a counter-strike. But it wasn’t without any vitriol or hostility towards his fellow shinobi, but allowed himself to be quelled as his emerald eyes scanned the room, Aōi’s eyes never left Yumaro as he spoke, and allowed his icy gaze to meet his, uncaring of what he would perceive behind them, but when he looked into his, he only found fear. A fear that was born from a distrust in his country and government, and who could blame him? With the level of turnover and constant change in leadership, the trust waned and the level of variance rose against the Mist District which was far from what they needed at this point in time. The Kaguya however wasn’t finished in his report.
“We’ve had one failed Mizukage after another, temporary or not. That is why the Mist stands vulnerable today. Disassembled. Disgraced.” the silence then grew more deaf, impossible to understand that as it may, but it didn’t allow for him to stop speaking
his truth to whomever needed to hear it.
“I don’t even know where to begin… but I’ll give you the necessary information.” “You mean….You haven't begun…?” was all Aōi could think. While he understood his clear frustrations, the time for airing a grievance about leadership will need to be had at another time.
“The enemy we face has struck Kirigakure not once, but twice,” his voice, for the first time in this meeting, began to run unsure, as if he struggled to wade in the words that followed next. “The first attack came under Kazuo Chinokawaki—predecessor to Isamu Chinoike. And when Kazuo vanished—whether by choice or by force—a second assault followed. Different leadership. Same failure.” The room once again, infamously sat silent. He continued.
“I have fought not only on Mist soil, but under the joint banner of our alliance with the Shinobi Union. I aided Konohagakure during their time of need. While stationed there, I joined forces with a samurai of the Land of Iron. Together, we defeated an Uchiha and a Hyūga in open combat.” Listing these accomplishments, impressive as it were, he still remained more interested in where his point was leading, rather than the journey taken to get there. He was starting to believe he just
may enjoy the sound of his own voice.
“But these were not ordinary shinobi. They had been compromised—body, mind, perhaps even spirit—by an influence not native to this world. Something otherworldly had taken hold of them.” He paused again, scanning the room for any turning stomachs or unwavering resolve, and once again, Aōi allowed their eyes to lock. He needed to have Yumaro directly understand that despite his age, or inexperience, he was a true native of the Mist District just like he was, a true son of the sword just like him and they would need to at some point pool their resources of strength together for the betterment of
their country.
He then continued. “This corruption… We've seen it here in Kirigakure too. These beings… they emerge from shadows, without warning, as if defying conventional logic. Teleportation, possibly. But after all I’ve seen—after all my failures against them…” as Yumaro’s toothy grin took shape across his villainous face the Chuunin’ eyes widened, as he for the first time saw the veil of arrogance drop and saw a glimpse of humility.
“Who’d have thought…” he spoke to himself.
“…I’ve come to believe they may not be from this world at all and that my strength alone may not be enough.” he finally finished, and just like that the arrogance was back.
“They appear sensitive to light—something we can potentially exploit. But don’t mistake that for weakness. The one Higetsu and I faced… his power rivaled that of a Kage. And he did not fall easily or rather fall at all. We had some civilians, and shinobi alike become abducted by the very horde which attacked us.” He paused again. The silence in the room now is different—uneasy, tense. But the swordsman stood unmoved.
“There’s more we need to know.” He took in a deep breath, steadying the mist beneath his words.
“There’s more the shinobi world needs to know,” he said, his voice low, edged with warning.
“And from what I’ve seen… the one who attacked us may have only been a lackey but without a doubt, one more capable swordsman and he would have been slain.” was all he left the room with. The murmuring continued as the elders seemed to have new problems placed onto their plate, concerning themselves with not only the villages security but also an artifact that's power was altered and partially missing was not only a security risk in itself but it also shifts the level of strength among the Five Great Nations and whether they would’ve liked to admit it or not, the village was vulnerable and weak. As much they may come to eventually disagree, Yumaro and Aōi agreed on one thing: Things needed to
change. The woman, Momo listened on with true intent, the young shinobi couldn’t get a proper read off of her demeanor and energy, appearing to be helpful but in reality could be a direct hindrance to what they sought to achieve. He could only hope she didn’t bring mediocrity or the order of seven swords.
“So, what are our next steps?” she would ask. Leaning back in her chair, relaxed at the news she just heard, with her slender fingers trailing the hilt of the weapon that accompanied her. He was confused as to how she could be so calm, it almost made him angry. She then followed up by asking,
“And are we going to take the threat of some ‘god’,” utilizing air quotes with her one hand while carrying on caressing her
ōdachi with the other,
“seriously?” she exclaimed, as soon as she finished talking, his eyes would sift back over towards the Mizukage, who had just lifted himself
The self-talk continued amongst the elders, with the swordsmen probably digesting the information given to them, it wouldn’t be long until their attention was turned once more as Kuro took a single authoritative step forward, and began to address his order.
“The past is a scar we all wear, some deeper than others. We've bathed this village in blood, called it tradition, called it strength. And yet, what has it brought us but ruin, betrayal, and silence from those we failed to protect?” he paused before allowing them to chime in.
“The old Mist is dead, and if it isn’t I’ll bury it myself.” taking another step, he began again.
"We are not just swordsmen. We are not just relics of forgotten wars. We are at the edge of the future. And that future doesn’t come with fear—it comes with power, purpose, and unity. The Seven Swordsmen will no longer be symbols of dread. You will be the foundation of a new era. One that answers to no legend but the one we carve ourselves.” he finished. The silence within the room took hold as the gears turned in everyone's head, maybe allowing themselves to be swollen with pride.
“So I ask you—will you stand as shadows of the past? Or will you rise with me and become the storm that reshapes the sea, we need to crumble what made us shake. Those blades once brought chaos to this land. It’s time they brought something else. Power… with purpose.” He then turned to Umirama and Momo, the two newest additions to the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. The elders refrained from their whispers this time, taking a good look at the new, young generation of swordsmen who are now set to protect the traditions and culture of the Land of Water. Aōi knew Umirama would prove himself equal to the task, but was unsure of the lady, not due to her gender or capability but for his lack of knowledge on her as a whole, and he would make it his business to find out more in due time.
“A lot to unpack…A lot.” the chuunin thought. Only seeing the amount of work required to rehab the village back to necessary and working order, white also preparing for the next potential assault. A lot of things to do, in such a small span of time, he too wondered about the actions needed to be taken, the specific personnel required for each mission and task. He wanted to know what his next assignment was and how soon he needed to leave the village. Removing his arms and hands from his face, revealing his handsome visage, he stood, not to get the attention of those within the room, but to ensure that what he had to say was made clear and heard as he didn’t intend for there to be any confusion.
“With what we know about our enemies, and given the information that has come to light about the, half missing Shibuki blade. I think the mode of action is clear, if you would please allow me to be frank, Lord Mizukage.” he said. Looking in his cousin's direction to gauge his face before speaking further, and assuming he had no issue with his taking the floor to speak his truths he would continue to carry on after a minor pause.
“The retrieval of the blade I think takes secondary priority, we can indeed send a team to locate it but the problem we currently face now is these creatures that emerge from the shadows. I would never go as far as to call them ‘gods’, there is only one I pray to and based on reports, he doesn’t look nearly as ugly as the one I know.” Slight giggles filled the room after that remark, Aōi then continued.
“We need to shore up the village's defenses before they arrive again, that much is clear. I know we were hilariously outgunned due to the lack of frontline ninja within the village, as I am one of them. My suggestion: We need to pull all active ninja off of missions A-Rank and below back to the village for proper defense, while we send the best and qualified ninja to look into more clues about these beings of shadow. We can also send a team to search for Hiramekarei, but as I said, that should take secondary priority at this stage. We need to understand more about what we are supposed to fight and how we can beat them. If the other nations have information, we should also confer with them and cross reference any data that's been accumulating up to this point.” he said. Concise in his words, yet clear in his message. He wasn’t the Mizukage but he understood the times that they were in and while they didn’t
truly understand the enemy they were up against, they needed to soon before more damage was wrought upon the Ninja World.
