[OOC: This is an event mission tied into The Kings and Queens at the Wall. Mission was requested here.]
"Everyone, please!<i></i> Form lines and stay in your line! Hey! I said no shoving! People, please, there's enough room for everyone, but we can't get you all in like this!"
Chaos was spreading. All throughout the country, the effects of the Unbent was staggering. Overnight, it seemed, the entirety of Wind Country had been upheaved from its routine life and been placed into...well, chaos. Homes had been destroyed. Villages abandoned. Entire peoples, with generations of history tying them to the land and places to which they once belonged, had been uprooted and moved. Still, it's better than the alternative. Rather to be a wayward soul than not to have one in the first place.
Sunagakure had extended refuge, within the safety of its walls, to all who might need it. People from all over Wind Country, groups which once could have been seen feuding over arguments started generations ago, came together in order to survive. We either band together, or die separated. Kazu thought a lot about the problems facing his home, these days. When on break, while training, and even during missions — like right now! From atop his perch of a sand-filled barrel, overlooking the throngs of people approaching the Primus' Bulwark, Kazu was overseeing the safe entry of citizens into the village and, to put it bluntly, was on crowd control. Even a group with a simple single purpose in mind, like trying to form a line, was difficult when a single elbow out of place was liable to start a brawl over, what seemed to be, limited resources: to a panicked mind on the run, space seemed a scarcity — Kazu could almost see the wheels turning in so many faces over whether they'd be able to make it in or not. It was Kazu's job to assure them they'd make it in, keep them moving, and handle any...complications...that may arise.
"My family! Please, have you seen them? They must be here somewhere, can you please help me find them?"
"What?! They've got a kid running things here? Why did we even come here?! These idiots clearly don't know what they're doing!"
"It's the END TIMES! We're all DOOMED! We can RUN from our RECKONING, but MOTHER SUNA HAS DEEMED US ALL UNWORTHY!!!"
Every request was more panicked than the last. When uncertainty was the rule of law, anything was subject to happen. People lost touched with what bound them together. They began to see monsters behind every corner, shadows in even the lightest shade, and demons within everyone. The fact of the matter was, no matter who had been managing them right now — be them a Jounin or otherwise — there still would have been panic. Accusations of incompetence were standard. They can think all they want. Call me whatever you will. Kazu's eyes hardened as he scanned over the tops of heads, searching for anything abnormal, then went back to scanning the land around them. I will keep you all safe. No matter what you say, or do, I swear I'll protect these people. Kazu knew what was out there. He'd fought them once, but had had quite the helping hand then. This time, he was on his own. This time, he would sink or swim on his own merit.
"Everyone, I know you're anxious to get inside! I know you have loved ones you're looking for. I know you're probably scared, but right now we need to work together as a unit — as a people! I promise, I will not leave anyone outside these gates! Now, I need everyone to calmly-" Kazu froze. There, just out on the horizon, just a dot against the beige sandy background, was what he was afraid he'd see. Not as bad as I thought it could be, but...
The Unbent, a mindless swarm of half-human undead monsters under the command of Dominus, had appeared. They seemed to move in packs, or groups, somewhere between a dozen or so up into the hundreds (sometimes). This group, rather small looking, seemed to number no more than ten. Manageable...but they'll still cause a panic. The civilians of Sunagakure could not stand up to these monstrosities; even one was enough to unhinge a normal person in terror. That's why Kazu had to do it. Already, people in the crowd had picked up on his sudden stop in speech and were turning to look in the same direction he was. Most wouldn't be able to see anything, but almost all of them seemed to have vivid imaginations.
"It's those things again, come to get us! I saw them devour an entire village in a matter of minutes — they're going to eat us all up!"
"That's just a herd of Sandrunners kicking up dust! This place can't tell an opportunity from an omen; I bet there's not even any actual danger!"
"WE ARE BUT MAGGOTS, WRIIIIIIITHING IN OUR OWN FILTH! MOTHER SUNA HAS FORSAKEN US ALL!!!"
Thankfully, chaos had not infested every person yet in the crowd. Most still milled forward, absently taking one step after the other, not even bothering to turn around to look. It seemed there was still a hint of order left. but for how long? If there's one thing Kazu was beginning to understand, it was that he needed to be the one spinning the story of the crowd; if he didn't, someone else would take up the spot and turn this meandering crowd into a roaring mob. They needed to know that someone else was in charge — that things were being handled. And that someone, right now, is me. I have to tell them what to do. Steeling himself, Kazu's voice projected out into the crowd beautifully.
"Keep moving forward, calmly! Sunagakure shinobi will direct you once inside! Keep calm! Everything is being taken care of!" The few gawkers fell in line, which only left one more thing for Kazu to do. Time to go hunting. He simply had to wait for an opportunity to escape their watchful eyes, slip away so he could handle this one little issue and...there it was, the last large group to get through. Peeking back, the Unbent had gotten a little closer — just enough to be able to start noticing them for what they were — but still had a decent ways to go before reaching the village. My time to shine.
Kazu threw on a cloak that seemed to match the color of the sand around them. Effortlessly blending into the background, Kazu snuck through the countryside with grace and purpose — he knew these lands well, as he often was made to run through these very dunes for training and errands. Applying that to combat was simply a matter of purpose. Laying low, Kazu positioned himself ahead of the slow and ambling path the Unbent were taking. He was the trap; they were going to walk into it without so much as a thought to the contrary. These things really aren't that dangerous once you figure out how they move. Perhaps he was too confident?
All the same, Kazu made quick work of the mindless creatures. Summoning up a surge of chakra, he forced the bone in his arm to grow longer, harder, until he had a sharp short sword made of bone in his hands. The unarmed swarm, relying purely on overwhelming numbers and brute strength, didn't stand a chance. Though the didn't quite bleed like any other person would, they still produced a sort of dark-red jelly-like sludge that left his bone sword smelling absolutely awful. Can't help it. Gotta make sure they're really done for. Decapitation was a sure-fire way to kill an Unbent. So was simply stabbing them through the head, though that risked leaving them partially "alive" if one didn't get all the vital bits. It was always an option to simply immobilize them by removing their legs, or to neuter them by removing their arms and lower jaws, but that wasn't really a long-term solution. If I knew how to make a Fire Jutsu, I might even want to burn these things. For now, simply disposing of them was enough.
It took no more than a minute or two for Kazu's sneak attack to be completed. All around him there were nine Unbent, one less than he'd estimated, laying headless and motionless. With one last push of his energy, Kazu drove his bone sword into the ground in-between where they lay. A memorial, to my victory. A warning, to those who will come after.
Sunagakure was being protected. Not by Kazu, alone, but by all the citizens of Wind Country. "This is our home..." Kazu thought aloud, "...and we'll protect it, or die trying." Today, the victors were clear. But tomorrow? Who knows what the future holds? Kazu, still thinking on it, returned to the village gates the same way he'd come. Hardly anyone saw him leave, and just as many saw him return. This truly was the environment best suited for Kazu; freedom, and wilderness, ran deeply in his blood.
"Everyone, please!<i></i> Form lines and stay in your line! Hey! I said no shoving! People, please, there's enough room for everyone, but we can't get you all in like this!"
Chaos was spreading. All throughout the country, the effects of the Unbent was staggering. Overnight, it seemed, the entirety of Wind Country had been upheaved from its routine life and been placed into...well, chaos. Homes had been destroyed. Villages abandoned. Entire peoples, with generations of history tying them to the land and places to which they once belonged, had been uprooted and moved. Still, it's better than the alternative. Rather to be a wayward soul than not to have one in the first place.
Sunagakure had extended refuge, within the safety of its walls, to all who might need it. People from all over Wind Country, groups which once could have been seen feuding over arguments started generations ago, came together in order to survive. We either band together, or die separated. Kazu thought a lot about the problems facing his home, these days. When on break, while training, and even during missions — like right now! From atop his perch of a sand-filled barrel, overlooking the throngs of people approaching the Primus' Bulwark, Kazu was overseeing the safe entry of citizens into the village and, to put it bluntly, was on crowd control. Even a group with a simple single purpose in mind, like trying to form a line, was difficult when a single elbow out of place was liable to start a brawl over, what seemed to be, limited resources: to a panicked mind on the run, space seemed a scarcity — Kazu could almost see the wheels turning in so many faces over whether they'd be able to make it in or not. It was Kazu's job to assure them they'd make it in, keep them moving, and handle any...complications...that may arise.
"My family! Please, have you seen them? They must be here somewhere, can you please help me find them?"
"What?! They've got a kid running things here? Why did we even come here?! These idiots clearly don't know what they're doing!"
"It's the END TIMES! We're all DOOMED! We can RUN from our RECKONING, but MOTHER SUNA HAS DEEMED US ALL UNWORTHY!!!"
Every request was more panicked than the last. When uncertainty was the rule of law, anything was subject to happen. People lost touched with what bound them together. They began to see monsters behind every corner, shadows in even the lightest shade, and demons within everyone. The fact of the matter was, no matter who had been managing them right now — be them a Jounin or otherwise — there still would have been panic. Accusations of incompetence were standard. They can think all they want. Call me whatever you will. Kazu's eyes hardened as he scanned over the tops of heads, searching for anything abnormal, then went back to scanning the land around them. I will keep you all safe. No matter what you say, or do, I swear I'll protect these people. Kazu knew what was out there. He'd fought them once, but had had quite the helping hand then. This time, he was on his own. This time, he would sink or swim on his own merit.
"Everyone, I know you're anxious to get inside! I know you have loved ones you're looking for. I know you're probably scared, but right now we need to work together as a unit — as a people! I promise, I will not leave anyone outside these gates! Now, I need everyone to calmly-" Kazu froze. There, just out on the horizon, just a dot against the beige sandy background, was what he was afraid he'd see. Not as bad as I thought it could be, but...
The Unbent, a mindless swarm of half-human undead monsters under the command of Dominus, had appeared. They seemed to move in packs, or groups, somewhere between a dozen or so up into the hundreds (sometimes). This group, rather small looking, seemed to number no more than ten. Manageable...but they'll still cause a panic. The civilians of Sunagakure could not stand up to these monstrosities; even one was enough to unhinge a normal person in terror. That's why Kazu had to do it. Already, people in the crowd had picked up on his sudden stop in speech and were turning to look in the same direction he was. Most wouldn't be able to see anything, but almost all of them seemed to have vivid imaginations.
"It's those things again, come to get us! I saw them devour an entire village in a matter of minutes — they're going to eat us all up!"
"That's just a herd of Sandrunners kicking up dust! This place can't tell an opportunity from an omen; I bet there's not even any actual danger!"
"WE ARE BUT MAGGOTS, WRIIIIIIITHING IN OUR OWN FILTH! MOTHER SUNA HAS FORSAKEN US ALL!!!"
Thankfully, chaos had not infested every person yet in the crowd. Most still milled forward, absently taking one step after the other, not even bothering to turn around to look. It seemed there was still a hint of order left. but for how long? If there's one thing Kazu was beginning to understand, it was that he needed to be the one spinning the story of the crowd; if he didn't, someone else would take up the spot and turn this meandering crowd into a roaring mob. They needed to know that someone else was in charge — that things were being handled. And that someone, right now, is me. I have to tell them what to do. Steeling himself, Kazu's voice projected out into the crowd beautifully.
"Keep moving forward, calmly! Sunagakure shinobi will direct you once inside! Keep calm! Everything is being taken care of!" The few gawkers fell in line, which only left one more thing for Kazu to do. Time to go hunting. He simply had to wait for an opportunity to escape their watchful eyes, slip away so he could handle this one little issue and...there it was, the last large group to get through. Peeking back, the Unbent had gotten a little closer — just enough to be able to start noticing them for what they were — but still had a decent ways to go before reaching the village. My time to shine.
Kazu threw on a cloak that seemed to match the color of the sand around them. Effortlessly blending into the background, Kazu snuck through the countryside with grace and purpose — he knew these lands well, as he often was made to run through these very dunes for training and errands. Applying that to combat was simply a matter of purpose. Laying low, Kazu positioned himself ahead of the slow and ambling path the Unbent were taking. He was the trap; they were going to walk into it without so much as a thought to the contrary. These things really aren't that dangerous once you figure out how they move. Perhaps he was too confident?
All the same, Kazu made quick work of the mindless creatures. Summoning up a surge of chakra, he forced the bone in his arm to grow longer, harder, until he had a sharp short sword made of bone in his hands. The unarmed swarm, relying purely on overwhelming numbers and brute strength, didn't stand a chance. Though the didn't quite bleed like any other person would, they still produced a sort of dark-red jelly-like sludge that left his bone sword smelling absolutely awful. Can't help it. Gotta make sure they're really done for. Decapitation was a sure-fire way to kill an Unbent. So was simply stabbing them through the head, though that risked leaving them partially "alive" if one didn't get all the vital bits. It was always an option to simply immobilize them by removing their legs, or to neuter them by removing their arms and lower jaws, but that wasn't really a long-term solution. If I knew how to make a Fire Jutsu, I might even want to burn these things. For now, simply disposing of them was enough.
It took no more than a minute or two for Kazu's sneak attack to be completed. All around him there were nine Unbent, one less than he'd estimated, laying headless and motionless. With one last push of his energy, Kazu drove his bone sword into the ground in-between where they lay. A memorial, to my victory. A warning, to those who will come after.
Sunagakure was being protected. Not by Kazu, alone, but by all the citizens of Wind Country. "This is our home..." Kazu thought aloud, "...and we'll protect it, or die trying." Today, the victors were clear. But tomorrow? Who knows what the future holds? Kazu, still thinking on it, returned to the village gates the same way he'd come. Hardly anyone saw him leave, and just as many saw him return. This truly was the environment best suited for Kazu; freedom, and wilderness, ran deeply in his blood.