video | 003

[ura_no_ura]

[Video]

[ When the video first goes on, the screen is covered by a glove-covered hand, but after a slight shaky moment as it's set down on some sort of ledge, the hand retreats, revealing Kakashi standing outside. A few trees, still droopy with melting snow, can be seen in the background. Those familiar with the terrain might recognize it to be near Flame Building. ]

Hello, Luceti.

[ Kakashi dips his head in greeting, since he's addressing all of Luceti. ]

My name is Hatake Kakashi. Some of you may be familiar with me. For those of you who aren't, I'm a shinobi from a village called Konohagakure -- or Konoha for short -- in a country called "Fire Country." I am also the Commander of the Third Division, which is primarily a short-to-mid-range combat division, of the Allied Shinobi Forces. Many of you may be acquainted with or might recognize my comrades, amongst whom include Uzumaki Naruto, Nara Shikamaru, and Rock Lee. [ The names Kakashi lists aren't at random, but selected based on his observations of how recognizable those names would be. ]

The reason why I reach out to all of you today is simple. While things in Luceti currently are peaceful, and it appears we have nothing to worry about, the ever-present threat of the Malnosso and the Third Party remains. Kidnappings still occur, with seemingly no conceivable way to stop or fight them. Should there be an attack on the enclosure, at present, there is no organized force that can fight in concert to protect the enclosure and ensure the safety of civilians who might not be able to fight back. While some of us may be used to working together due to missions and drafts, as far as I am aware, no formal training or maneuvers are ever held to ensure all parties working together are using the best tactics and strategy. And from what I know, there are no formal safety measures in place to protect civilians or evacuate them to safer ground should a fight break out, as it did a few months ago.

On behalf of Konohagakure and Fire Country, by order of Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage-sama, I would like to formally extend an invitation to anyone who has military training, unique or magical powers, or immense skill in battle strategy, espionage and intelligence-gathering, field medicine, hacking, or other specialized skills to join us in forming an alliance. This alliance would not only give those of us from different worlds a chance to meet and discuss our shared interests in protecting Luceti's inhabitants, but would also give us the opportunity to learn and adapt how to fight with and against those with different training or powers. By conducting shared training sessions, maneuvers, disaster simulations, and taking missions together, we can share resources and power, as well as develop strategy.

As for who's in charge... seeing as we're all from different worlds, it would make much more sense for us to establish a council of leaders from different worlds. We invite leaders from other worlds who might have similar shared interests to contact us, and open a line of dialogue.

We look forward to hearing from you all.

[ Speech finished, Kakashi bows to the camera again, then reaches out and turns off the feed. ]


[Action | Flame Building | Afternoon ]

[ Yup, that sure is Kakashi walking vertically up the side of a wall. Just strolling along like it's no big deal. ]


[ Text | Filtered 100% to fellow ninja, written in extremely formal language ]

By order of Yondaime Hokage-sama, the Konohagakure Jounin Exams will soon be held for all qualified Chuunin. If you are interested in participating, a sign-up form has been placed on the door of Yondaime-sama's place of residence. Direct any questions you might have to Hatake Kakashi.

[ Text | Filtered 100% to Shikamaru ]

Shikamaru, I've nominated you for jounin promotion to Yondaime. Though we've decided to hold jounin exams, I've requested a special exception for you. However, if you would like to take the exams in the interest of fairness, you are still welcome to do so. - Kakashi

[ Text | Filtered 100% to Naruto ]

Naruto, I just wanted to let you know that I nominated you for jounin promotion. However, because you are still genin, it will be necessary for you to take the exam. - Kakashi

[ Text | Filtered 100% to Sakura ]

Sakura, I've nominated you for jounin promotion. Usually, this means immediate promotion, but because your peers don't have anyone to nominate them, we've decided to hold exams this year. Let me know if you would like to compete in them. - Kakashi

KONOHA JOUNIN EXAMS	LUCETI ALLIANCE DISCUSSION		ACTION
Kushina & Lee Kushina & Kakashi Kushina & Ino Kushina & Minato Temari Sakura Sasuke Lee Neji Naruto Ino Mikoto Shikamaru	Aang Adela Billy Bones Deadpool Eleytheria Elizabeth Gai Ginia Ikki Iroh Jean Johanna Karla Kirk	Law Loki Luke Masaomi Minato Peggy Riku Rogue Saleh Saori Steve Teddy Thor Vegeta Yuffie	Erwin Lea Sasame Trunks

((ooc: Since this is a call for discussion, feel free to thread-jack and hold your own conversations throughout the post. Kakashi will try his best to answer all comments. Also, feel free to comment on this post even it's super late. As long as we're within the 3 month bracket, we're cool!))

Comments

[windandrain]

Mostly?

[She pauses, suddenly curious.]

Forgive me for changing the subject a moment, but this sounds intriguing.

[And he should know by now how much she loves stories.]

[ura_no_ura]

Well, you see... when I said we were fighting against a couple people, really what I meant is that our opponents had unbelievable powers. We were not only up against a man-made created army of clones that were over a hundred thousand large, but also, they had resurrected some of the strongest shinobi of all time in an undead form using a technique called Edo Tensei...

The strongest of them all is Uchiha Madara, who was considered one of the strongest shinobi of all time, while he was alive...

[ It's actually far more complicated than that, but this is the jist of it. ]

[windandrain]

Oh, Neji mentioned that. Ninja...necromancy, yes?

[A ridiculous concept.]

And this Madara was an undead copy?

[ura_no_ura]

Yes. He apparently single-handedly not only wiped out five of the kages who went to battle him, as well as thousands of shinobi, but also rained two meteors down on them.

[ It sounds almost impossible saying it aloud, but he'd heard it from Naruto, who'd recounted what happened. ]

[windandrain]

That sounds like my uncle when he's in the mood for war. I can certainly see how you'd see that as godlike.

[Because seriously, it sounds so ridiculous.]

I...do not think you'll be fighting that sort of battle here, though. And if you do find that to be the case, Vegeta, Goku, Trunks, or I will handle that.

[ura_no_ura]

Hopefully, Madara never turns up here. If he does... the kind of devastation he can cause will be on an unimaginable scale.

[windandrain]

He will be dealt with. Don't worry about that.

[She gives him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.]

When did you want to start? And do you want personal training, as well?

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi smiles at that suggestion. Training with Saori would not only be rewarding, but also a great way to spend time with her. ]

Mm, I'd like that very much.

[ A pause. ]

Did I ever tell you that my primary elemental affinity is lightning?

[windandrain]

You did not.

[She gives him a warm smile.]

I'm afraid I don't know what that means for a shinobi though. What can you do with your chakra?

[ura_no_ura]

It means I can produce different lightning-based techniques.

[ Kakashi explains as he raises his left hand (as Saori's arm is looped through his right) and focuses, concentrating on gathering chakra in his hand to activate Raikiri. Within a second, a burst of vivid bright white, crackling lightning forms in his hand, so condensed that the very edges are tinged with blue. ]

Like this.

[windandrain]

[She looks at it as it forms, smiling gently as she reaches out with a finger and touches it, a spark of her own leaping from her fingertip as it contacts. A bit of her own divine Anima, the sacred power of the gods, flows along that current and into Kakashi. A being sensitive to energy would note a sudden, subtle charge flowing between them. One part lightning, one part blessing, and one part siphon, she simply diffuses the edge of the Raikiri like it was a barrier between them and touches the edge of his finger. She seems stronger the moment they touch, and Kakashi will feel a tingling sensation throughout all of his chakra points as she mingles her energy with his for a moment.]

I knew another mortal here who could do that. A young girl named Pao-Lin. A friend of Barnaby's from his home.

1/2

[ura_no_ura]

[ Before he can even stop her or deactivate the jutsu, she'd reached out, and for a moment, everything in his mind whirled to a scream as he started to yank his hand back, to try and pull her out of harm's way because if she touched it, it would slice her fingers right off, burn through them the way it always burns through flesh and gristle and bone and hearts. But before he could even react, there was a shift in energy, some sort of charge flowing between them, something of a burst, and he watched, almost in slow-motion, as her hand went right through the lightning, fingertip touching his own.

She doesn't burn.

There's just a tingle of sensation, a sense of her power growing stronger, her chakra sizzling against his own, and Kakashi's not even sure what he's supposed to think when the rules of the world he's from dictate that this shouldn't even be possible. All Raikiri has ever been to him his entire life was a weapon that put out lives and soaked up blood.

And here she is, completely unharmed, touching him through it.

Smiling, even.

Kakashi doesn't even properly hear the words that come out of her mouth at first, when all he can hear is the condensed screaming of birds and the echoing crunch of bones and his name in the distance of seventeen years past. ]

[ura_no_ura]

[ He jerks his hand back, jutsu flickering out as his gaze snaps off her face.

Tries to compose himself as he looks away, shoving his hand back into his vest pocket. She'd said something, hadn't she. Something about Barnaby. Something he should've heard, but it hadn't properly registered.

He should say something, shouldn't he. ]

[windandrain]

[As her finger touches his and she smiles, it's hard not to notice that his breath has stopped and his heart has begun racing. Generally, she'd take that as a sign of fear or worry, but she can't even begin to understand why. It never even occurs to her that something like his ability is even capable of hurting her. She's a god, a being so intrinsically tied to the element that he's calling on, and that's really as simple as that. She is lightning as much as she is flesh and blood, after all.

When he pulls back, her expression grows worried and she steps back, unlinking arms. One hand reaches for his shoulder and she shakes it.]

Kakashi? Kakashi, is something wrong?

[There's a bit of fear in her words, a worry that she's done something that hurt him.]

You put away your lightning. Did...you not want me to touch it? Or did I share too much with you?

[ura_no_ura]

[ It hadn't even occurred to him that Saori might not have been hurt by Raikiri; that being a goddess would somehow allow her to overcome even the very basic laws of nature itself. But then, a divine being transcends all natural laws, and Kakashi should have expected it.

Even with that knowledge, fear had shot up through his chest and panic rocked his body when she reached out.

He thought he was going to hurt her.

And yet.

Her hand slid through Raikiri like water.

He shakes his head, exhaling a slow, careful breath. ]

I wasn't expecting you wouldn't be hurt by Raikiri.

[ Said after a moment, though he still doesn't look at her just yet. ]

Everyone who's ever had a direct encounter with it has died.

[windandrain]

[She quirks her head to one side, a gentle smile slowly playing across her lips. Taking him off guard was rather not what she'd expected, but then, there were times that such simple truths did surprise mortals. The laws of nature were beneath the beings that called them into being, and to her that was as simple a truth as saying the sky was blue.]

Ah. Well. Kakashi, I...think that you may find that there are a lot of things you consider truth, fact, or evident that simply don't apply to me.

[She reaches for his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.]

Lightning will never harm me, and you'll find that many other things you thought were impossible are simply untrue. You'll never have to fear your...Raikiri...harming me. I promise you that.

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi still finds it a little difficult to believe despite having just witnessed it. Despite knowing full well that the laws of nature don't apply to her. Her squeeze does help ease some of the tension that had accumulated in his shoulders, and he finally looks at her, sighing a little as he nods. ]

I guess that makes you the only one.

[ He can't help but wish Rin could have been just as lucky. ]

[windandrain]

[The implication is there, that someone he cared for had been hurt by this, and his reaction suddenly becomes a lot clearer. She steps closer, folding her arms around him.]

No, not the only one. But the only one here.

[She pulls back from the hug a moment later, and nods again.]

Were you able to feel my Anima? What...I understand you call Chakra?

[ura_no_ura]

[ Her "anima." That must have been what he felt when he sensed her chakra disrupting his own. He nods. ]

I wasn't expecting it.

[ But he did feel it just the same.

He wasn't expecting her to suddenly hug him, but hadn't exactly pushed her away or anything either, though his hug back hadn't been all that great. ]

[windandrain]

[Well he's clearly in shock, or just being Kakashi...]

No? Well, how did it make you feel, when it did touch you?

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi hadn't exactly been focusing on the sensation of her chakra, far more concerned with everything else that had been occurring. But now that he thinks back... ]

Hmm, I suppose it was a bit tingly.

[windandrain]

Tingly? [She lets him go with a laugh.]

Did you feel stronger?

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi's downright shaken.

Whether or not he feels stronger isn't something he can easily focus on when Rin's face had just flashed right before his eyes. He takes a breath, lets it out, then focuses, realizing that he does feel...stronger.

He nods after a moment. ]

A little.

[windandrain]

[She takes a step in front of him, pulling him into her arms again.]

Good. That means I can empower you on the battlefield. And...I'm sorry if I worried or upset you. And...I am sorry about your friend.

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi lets her hug him, returning the hug a bit loosely. ]

I'm fine, don't worry.

[ He doesn't say it's okay, because it's not okay that Rin's dead, and it'll never be. ]