People's heads would turn.
They would stare and point watching open-mouthed at the Main Branch Sennin dressed in her clan robes, her sword by her return as she stood outside the estate of the Santaru clan, her few loyalist by her side as she looked up the place that Soku had called home. It had once been her seat, a place that had been entrusted to her and just like, it had been torn away for a nefarious purpose but it would not do to stand idly by while these imposters disgraced the clan name.
Miyuki and Okoto stood by her side, weapons at the ready as Soku stepped up to the gates as two spears were thrust forward armed by members of the Levin Corps glaring her down. Faithful guards of the Santaru, they were now turned against her as as Soku's eyes leveled to meet them looking at them before speaking quietly.
"Do you not recgonize your Shokku, solider?" Soku said quietly.
In response, the man merely thrust out his chest barring her way inside almost sneering at her as he spat words that the Sennin disliked to hear. "By order of Santaru Inaha, reigning Shokku of the Santaru, Nanjirou Soku and her loyalists are forbidden entrance to the grounds pending charges of desertation, dishonor and treason."
The words hung in the air as Miyuki and Okoto tensed beside her but Soku merely smiled looking at the man before laughing.
"The audacity of that man, bribery and influence do not buy positions, morals and justice does."
Something she would do well to remind those who now stood against her as her sword cleared it's scabbard slamming the hilt into the chest of the spearman sending him tumbling to the ground as Soku looked at the gates stood in front of her barred to outsiders as they had been for the past few years since being ousted but Nanjirou Soku was back and she was no longer that inexperienced child, she was a Sennin of Konoha who had made her mark through sacrifices, something Inaha would not understand.
It was time to end oppression. "Begin."
Her hair flapped in the wind as Okoto swung her dragon spear at the gate sending out a burst of lighting chakra that blasted the gate into smithereen's as she heard the alarm bell began to clang as guards and clan members alike ran to respond to this incursion of rebels. Well, rebels to some but not to all.
Her little rabble of warriors roared their approval as they assualted the clan grounds flooding in as Inaha's members desperately tried to rally but driven on by purpose and a sheer will, they were cut down as Soku's sword flickered in and out like a snake striking reigning down punishment and destruction.
"Soku-sama! Leave some for me."
She glanced up smirking to see Santaru Nibachi wielding his spear swinging it this way and that engaged in sword-play with a few of the guards as if daring them to come closer
Soku smirked watching as he made short work of the supposed guards, her lips curling in contempt. Inaha had really let this person go the dogs, it was almost hurtful seeing just what he had done. "I think I should be asking you that."
She laughed bumping her sword hilt with the butt of his spear as the man grinned at her running a hand through his hair. He had been an inside operative for the past few weeks feeding her information and weak spots that her former spymaster did not have knowledge of and Soku had acted on that information.
Miyuki and Okoto were carving their way through the swarm of guards as Soku nodded to the audience hall. "Let's go make ourselves acquianted, shall we?"
"Gladly."
They moved through the crowd weaving this way and that, the Nanjirou leading the way with her sword dancing this way and that flickering between foes before finally, they reached the door as the Sennin placed a tender hand on it shaking her head. "So long, I have stayed away from you but rest assured, the true keepers are here."
With that, the door was flung open with a earth-shattering kick as Nibachi and Soku strode in locking eyes with Santaru Inaha, a ugly look on his face surrounded by three of his honor guard as the woman strode forward, Nibachi by her side.
"A pleasure to meet, Inaha. Wouldn't want you miss out on all the fun now, would we?"
The man at the head of the audience hall slowly pulled back his robe to reveal his metal hand attachment loaded with needles, a fast-acting poison in each of them as he blinked once, twice before shaking his head very slowly. "You are no longer the Shokku, Soku. Your era has come to an end, it is time to accept that."
The words almost made her bristle as she clenched her hand around the hilt of her sword staring death right in the face, the woman knew if he fired any of those needles, she would be out cold or worse before she could even move an inch.
"Yeah? What about your era? As I recall, you aren't exactly the fan favorite around here, now are you?"
"I advised you against your course of action when the Shepherd attacked, Soku. But you, brick-headed and blinded took this clan towards a route that would spell death, just look at what has been done here and you expect us to sit idly by. Surely, you would know this would happen."
The kunoichi tilited her head as if thinking about his words before dismissing it. "The only death that has happened has been at your hands, do not make me the scapegoat here. I'm no longer the girl in over her head, I know what I was doing and it starts with you being brought to rights."
In response, Inaha's metal hand tool began to whirl and click as a few needles shot out hurtling towards Nibachi and Soku. "DUCK!" Nibachi roared grabbing the woman by the scruff of her vest throwing her backwards as the needles thudded into the wall behind her.
"Dispose of the spearman, bring the girl to me."
As he turned to make his retreat not too keen on sticking around, the sound of shattering windows made his head jerk back around looking in disbelief as Miyuki and Okoto swung in, their weapons stained with blood.
"Soku-sama, you go on. We'll keep our guests busy."
"Thanks, Miyuki. Now, Inaha, where were we?"
The spymaster's expression turned from confidence to utter fury at this. He had expected one or two irrelevants but Okoto and Miyuki were not irrelevants and if they were siding with Soku, this could prove problematic as he drew his dagger, the blade humming with chakra as he beckoned Soku forward with it. "Your funeral."
The duel of death began, the Santaru clansmen facing off against each other while the Sennin confronted the rival Shokku in battle with an unparallel skill in her swordplay raining down blow after blow as Inhaha swung wildly at her, his expression one of desperation and anger wanting nothing more than to be rid of her once and for all.
It was a brief but bloody battle as the robed man yelled out as her sword cut across his metal contraption sending the pieces into bits.
"That's enough of that."
Her sword now pressing against his neck, the female slapped the dagger out of Inaha's hands sending it bouncing to the floor as she looked up at him shaking her head as she whispered up at him. "I never trusted you. I tolerated you though but even I did not think you would go to such lengths, Santaru Inaha."
The man simply glared down at her well aware of the fact her blade could spell his end if he twitched but he had not lost the power of speech.
"You did not slay the beast, you kept him! My parents! My home! You call yourself a leader?! You reap what you sow, Soku!"
In response, her blade turned in her hand so the hilt was facing Inaha slamming it into his face as the man crumpled to the ground knocked out as Soku stood over him shaking her head. "I kept him alive, Inaha because it was not the beast that slew your family. It was trying to protect them but you fail to see the bigger picture as always, you and I both know what the real truth is but you keep justifying it with your lies."
She glanced back at where Nibachi, Miyuki and Otoko had finished off the last of the cronies nodding her approval as she jerked at the unconcious man. "Take this scum to the prisons and keep him chained, perhaps he will sober up."
"As you command."
For the most part, the fighting had stopped as Soku and her loyalists had succeeded in storming the clan grounds and rescuing it from the hands of tyrants as the woman walked out to the plaza to the assembling crowd as cheering broke out as she raised her bloodied sword for silence. "Santaru people!" Her voice boomed out over the crowd silencing them.
"Know this, your Shokku is here. She is watching and she will act. Today was not what I wanted but when my people are being used as pawns in a game, I do not sit idly by. I act, you have witnessed that here today."
The Nanjirou said pointing at the various huddled forms of the prisoners being forced along to the prisoners by her forces before returning her attention to the crowd.
"Rest assured, things will return to how they were and we will prosper. For now, process what has been done here and let this serve as a reminder to all who seek to trample us, careful you don't trip along the way because the outcome could be deadly."
With that, the newly re-instated Shokku bowed her head to the crowd assembled and turned to retreat inside the audience hall followed by Nibachi to the sounds of cheering behind her. Soku was here and she had returned, the clan would would see itself restored to it's former state as she took her seat on the cushioned seat at the front.
"We're home, Nibachi."
"That we are, Lady Soku."
WC: 1738
They would stare and point watching open-mouthed at the Main Branch Sennin dressed in her clan robes, her sword by her return as she stood outside the estate of the Santaru clan, her few loyalist by her side as she looked up the place that Soku had called home. It had once been her seat, a place that had been entrusted to her and just like, it had been torn away for a nefarious purpose but it would not do to stand idly by while these imposters disgraced the clan name.
Miyuki and Okoto stood by her side, weapons at the ready as Soku stepped up to the gates as two spears were thrust forward armed by members of the Levin Corps glaring her down. Faithful guards of the Santaru, they were now turned against her as as Soku's eyes leveled to meet them looking at them before speaking quietly.
"Do you not recgonize your Shokku, solider?" Soku said quietly.
In response, the man merely thrust out his chest barring her way inside almost sneering at her as he spat words that the Sennin disliked to hear. "By order of Santaru Inaha, reigning Shokku of the Santaru, Nanjirou Soku and her loyalists are forbidden entrance to the grounds pending charges of desertation, dishonor and treason."
The words hung in the air as Miyuki and Okoto tensed beside her but Soku merely smiled looking at the man before laughing.
"The audacity of that man, bribery and influence do not buy positions, morals and justice does."
Something she would do well to remind those who now stood against her as her sword cleared it's scabbard slamming the hilt into the chest of the spearman sending him tumbling to the ground as Soku looked at the gates stood in front of her barred to outsiders as they had been for the past few years since being ousted but Nanjirou Soku was back and she was no longer that inexperienced child, she was a Sennin of Konoha who had made her mark through sacrifices, something Inaha would not understand.
It was time to end oppression. "Begin."
Her hair flapped in the wind as Okoto swung her dragon spear at the gate sending out a burst of lighting chakra that blasted the gate into smithereen's as she heard the alarm bell began to clang as guards and clan members alike ran to respond to this incursion of rebels. Well, rebels to some but not to all.
Her little rabble of warriors roared their approval as they assualted the clan grounds flooding in as Inaha's members desperately tried to rally but driven on by purpose and a sheer will, they were cut down as Soku's sword flickered in and out like a snake striking reigning down punishment and destruction.
"Soku-sama! Leave some for me."
She glanced up smirking to see Santaru Nibachi wielding his spear swinging it this way and that engaged in sword-play with a few of the guards as if daring them to come closer
Soku smirked watching as he made short work of the supposed guards, her lips curling in contempt. Inaha had really let this person go the dogs, it was almost hurtful seeing just what he had done. "I think I should be asking you that."
She laughed bumping her sword hilt with the butt of his spear as the man grinned at her running a hand through his hair. He had been an inside operative for the past few weeks feeding her information and weak spots that her former spymaster did not have knowledge of and Soku had acted on that information.
Miyuki and Okoto were carving their way through the swarm of guards as Soku nodded to the audience hall. "Let's go make ourselves acquianted, shall we?"
"Gladly."
They moved through the crowd weaving this way and that, the Nanjirou leading the way with her sword dancing this way and that flickering between foes before finally, they reached the door as the Sennin placed a tender hand on it shaking her head. "So long, I have stayed away from you but rest assured, the true keepers are here."
With that, the door was flung open with a earth-shattering kick as Nibachi and Soku strode in locking eyes with Santaru Inaha, a ugly look on his face surrounded by three of his honor guard as the woman strode forward, Nibachi by her side.
"A pleasure to meet, Inaha. Wouldn't want you miss out on all the fun now, would we?"
The man at the head of the audience hall slowly pulled back his robe to reveal his metal hand attachment loaded with needles, a fast-acting poison in each of them as he blinked once, twice before shaking his head very slowly. "You are no longer the Shokku, Soku. Your era has come to an end, it is time to accept that."
The words almost made her bristle as she clenched her hand around the hilt of her sword staring death right in the face, the woman knew if he fired any of those needles, she would be out cold or worse before she could even move an inch.
"Yeah? What about your era? As I recall, you aren't exactly the fan favorite around here, now are you?"
"I advised you against your course of action when the Shepherd attacked, Soku. But you, brick-headed and blinded took this clan towards a route that would spell death, just look at what has been done here and you expect us to sit idly by. Surely, you would know this would happen."
The kunoichi tilited her head as if thinking about his words before dismissing it. "The only death that has happened has been at your hands, do not make me the scapegoat here. I'm no longer the girl in over her head, I know what I was doing and it starts with you being brought to rights."
In response, Inaha's metal hand tool began to whirl and click as a few needles shot out hurtling towards Nibachi and Soku. "DUCK!" Nibachi roared grabbing the woman by the scruff of her vest throwing her backwards as the needles thudded into the wall behind her.
"Dispose of the spearman, bring the girl to me."
As he turned to make his retreat not too keen on sticking around, the sound of shattering windows made his head jerk back around looking in disbelief as Miyuki and Okoto swung in, their weapons stained with blood.
"Soku-sama, you go on. We'll keep our guests busy."
"Thanks, Miyuki. Now, Inaha, where were we?"
The spymaster's expression turned from confidence to utter fury at this. He had expected one or two irrelevants but Okoto and Miyuki were not irrelevants and if they were siding with Soku, this could prove problematic as he drew his dagger, the blade humming with chakra as he beckoned Soku forward with it. "Your funeral."
The duel of death began, the Santaru clansmen facing off against each other while the Sennin confronted the rival Shokku in battle with an unparallel skill in her swordplay raining down blow after blow as Inhaha swung wildly at her, his expression one of desperation and anger wanting nothing more than to be rid of her once and for all.
It was a brief but bloody battle as the robed man yelled out as her sword cut across his metal contraption sending the pieces into bits.
"That's enough of that."
Her sword now pressing against his neck, the female slapped the dagger out of Inaha's hands sending it bouncing to the floor as she looked up at him shaking her head as she whispered up at him. "I never trusted you. I tolerated you though but even I did not think you would go to such lengths, Santaru Inaha."
The man simply glared down at her well aware of the fact her blade could spell his end if he twitched but he had not lost the power of speech.
"You did not slay the beast, you kept him! My parents! My home! You call yourself a leader?! You reap what you sow, Soku!"
In response, her blade turned in her hand so the hilt was facing Inaha slamming it into his face as the man crumpled to the ground knocked out as Soku stood over him shaking her head. "I kept him alive, Inaha because it was not the beast that slew your family. It was trying to protect them but you fail to see the bigger picture as always, you and I both know what the real truth is but you keep justifying it with your lies."
She glanced back at where Nibachi, Miyuki and Otoko had finished off the last of the cronies nodding her approval as she jerked at the unconcious man. "Take this scum to the prisons and keep him chained, perhaps he will sober up."
"As you command."
For the most part, the fighting had stopped as Soku and her loyalists had succeeded in storming the clan grounds and rescuing it from the hands of tyrants as the woman walked out to the plaza to the assembling crowd as cheering broke out as she raised her bloodied sword for silence. "Santaru people!" Her voice boomed out over the crowd silencing them.
"Know this, your Shokku is here. She is watching and she will act. Today was not what I wanted but when my people are being used as pawns in a game, I do not sit idly by. I act, you have witnessed that here today."
The Nanjirou said pointing at the various huddled forms of the prisoners being forced along to the prisoners by her forces before returning her attention to the crowd.
"Rest assured, things will return to how they were and we will prosper. For now, process what has been done here and let this serve as a reminder to all who seek to trample us, careful you don't trip along the way because the outcome could be deadly."
With that, the newly re-instated Shokku bowed her head to the crowd assembled and turned to retreat inside the audience hall followed by Nibachi to the sounds of cheering behind her. Soku was here and she had returned, the clan would would see itself restored to it's former state as she took her seat on the cushioned seat at the front.
"We're home, Nibachi."
"That we are, Lady Soku."
WC: 1738