Tangled Strings

Date Started: 5/3/24 
----Date Finished': 
----Previous Role-Play: None
----Next Role-Play: None
----Timeline: May 1050 SE
----Setting: Land Of Wind
----Characters Involved:
*Daichi Shirogane
*The Sandsingers
*Unnamed Missing Nins
----Characters Mentioned:
*Yoshitsune Bushida
*
*Shingo
----	 	
Participants 	Participants	Participants
User:Silent Xebec	 	
In the heart of the Land of Wind, amidst the vast deserts and swirling sandstorms, a hooded figure, Daichi Shirogane, a skilled puppeteer from the Hidden Village of Sunagakure, wandered around the endless dunes around Sunagakure seeking someone or something. His mastery over the Puppet Technique, an art passed down through his family for two generations, allowed him to treverse the sands without a worry. As the day soon turned night, he found himself seeking shelter, and luckily for him he found a small cave to seek refuge in and take shelter from the sandstorm.
The night would slowly grow longer, as the light from his campfire within the cave would attract a hooded group of who Daichi assumed simply to be travelers or merchants, but Daichi would quickly know who they truly were.
"Look what the storm has brought us boys." a member of the group spoke out, the one who seems in charge. Daichi not even paying them much attention simply replies with "Keep moving, I am not in the mood for anymore of this."
"Oh come on now, this cave has enough room for all of us doesn't it?" as the group moves closer to the entrance of the cave, now the amount of people clearly visable, a group of three. With Daichi still not paying them much attention and simply attending to the fire. "*Sigh* very well then, but I will be leaving as soon as this sandstorm is over."
As the hooded figures settled in by the warmth of the fire, Daichi couldn't shake the feeling of unease that struck at the back of his mind. Their presence felt like a bad presence amidst the howling winds of the desert night.
The leader of the group, a man with a strong gaze and a voice like gravel, seemed undeterred by Daichi's indifference. He leaned in closer, his hood slipping back to reveal his face, weathered by years of struggle and living in the sand for so long.
"You're a puppeteer, aren't you?" he remarked, his tone had a hint of curiosity behind it.
Daichi glanced up from the fire for once, his eyes narrowing slightly as he regarded the stranger with interest. "What if I am?"
The man chuckled. "We've heard stories of such a Technique recently, it's not every day we get information from the big city all the way out here but the new is a master of that Technique correct?"
Daichi's gaze hardened as he thought about the current Kazekage, a fellow Puppeteer whose actions had left a bitter taste in his mouth. "Yes, the Kazekage himself wields the Puppet Technique," he said, his voice had a mix of frustration and resentment. "But he is unworthy of inheriting of the great !"
The leader of the group raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by Daichi's words. "And why is that?"
"Because my family, the , have a rightful claim to that legacy," Daichi explained, his voice carrying a note of conviction. "It was my ancestor who aided Monzaemon in creating something called the , a single puppet said to rival that of the Chikamatsu Collection. Yet, the current Kazekage has neglected our family's contributions and squandered the legacy of Monzaenon for his own selfish gain."
The man nodded, his expression unreadable. "I see. So, you seek to reclaim what is rightfully yours?"
Daichi lets off a slight chuckle, "I don't want it for myself, I simply wish my family would get the recognition they deserve." He pauses for a second and continues "And if I can find that Master Puppet it would give my family that spark which they lost."
The leader of the group nodded thoughtfully, understanding the weight of Daichi's words. "Recognition is a powerful thing indeed, especially when it comes to honoring the contributions of one's ancestors. We Sandsingers understand the importance of preserving our heritage. Our ancestors have passed down their jutsus and traditions through generations, and it is our duty to honor their legacy. And if you ever need assistance in your quest to find the Master Puppet, know that the Sandsingers stand ready to aid you!"
Daichi reaches out his hand towards the leader. "Hm, name's Daichi by the way. A pleasure to meet you all."
The leader of the Sandsingers reaches out and grasps Daichi's hand. "And my name is Kenji, the pleasure is all mine."
As the night wore on, the group settled down by the fire, their conversation turning to lighter topics as they shared stories amidst the warmth of the cave. Daichi found himself drawn into their tales of life in the desert, his own worries and goals momentarily forgotten in the company of his newfound companions.
When Daichi awoke the next morning, the sandstorm had passed, as well as the Sandsingers without a trace left behind. Daichi wasn't surprised, as he had felt left behind his entire life and this wasn't the first time. Daichi packed his things, prepared his puppet, and headed out the cave. The daylight and warmth of the sun hit him in the face as the morning started anew. To his surprise, as he emerged from the cave, he was greeted by the sight of the Sandsingers preparing to continue their journey towards their destination. Kenji caught Daichi's eye and offered him a warm smile.
"You can travel with us if you like Daichi, we are headed back to our oasis. It's not far from here. We would be honored to have you accompany us along the way."
Daichi joined the Sandsingers as they set out across the desert sands on foot, their destination shimmering like a mirage on the horizon. As Daichi and the Sandsingers trekked through the vast desert landscape, their journey was abruptly interrupted by the sudden appearance of a group of shadowy figures blocking their path. Clad in dark clothing and bearing the markings of Sunagakure, traditional signs of rogue ninjas.
Kenji tensed at the sight of the approaching ninjas, his hand instinctively reaching for the instrument on his back. "Trouble ahead." Daichi's grip tightened on his puppeteer's scroll, his senses alert as he prepared for the inevitable confrontation. "Stay behind me." Daichi readied his puppet for combat, it's blades glistering in the streaks of the sunlight.
Before they could react, the lead missing nin stepped forward. "Well well, what do we have here? Travelers wandering into our territory uninvited."
Kenji's jaw clenched at the missing nin's sentence. "We mean no harm, only peace." he declared, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. "We are the Sandsingers, simply on our way home."
The missing nin's smirk widened into a feral grin, his gaze flicking over the group with undisguised malice. "Peace, huh? Well, you won't find it here. Not with us around." The missing nin all starts laughing as he says so.
With a sudden surge of movement, the missing nin launched themselves into action, their movements swift and deadly as they closed in on the group with lethal intent. Daichi's heart pounded in his chest as he faced down his opponents, his mind racing with strategies and counterattacks. In a flurry of flashing blades and swirling sand, Daichi and the Sandsingers met their attackers head-on. As the missing nin closed in, Daichi's puppeteer instincts kicked in and with a swift motion of his hand, he summoned forth his trusty puppet, floating beside him. With a flick of his wrist, Daichi sent his puppet charging forward, its blades flashing in the sunlight as it engaged the leader of their opponents.
Meanwhile, the Sandsingers also sprang into action, their voices raised in a haunting melody harmony as they unleashed their jutsu towards their oppononts. With each note sung, waves of chakra surged forth, enveloping their opponents in a swirling whirlpool of musical notes, constricting their movement.
Kenji's voice rang out clear and strong, his hands forming intricate seals as he channeled the power of the seal into a devastating jutsu. A burst of energy erupted from his palms, sending shockwaves rippling through the sand as it collided with his targets, sending them tumbling backwards.
At the same time, another member of the Sandsingers unleashed a barrage of sound-based attacks, her flute sending out piercing notes that sliced through the air like razor-sharp blades. The missing nin tries to evade the attacks, however their movement still constricted by the musical notes surrounding them.
While this was happening, Daichi found himself locked in a deadly duel with the leader of the missing nin, a strong opponent whose skill and strength seemed to match his own. Daichi's puppet moved with extreme speeds, its blades whirling through the air as it sought to gain the upper hand against its opponent. But the leader of the missing nin proved to be a talented foe, as he was able to counter most attacks done by Daichi's puppet. With a swift motion of his own, the leader countered Daichi's attack with a powerful Jutsu of his own, performing the Ram hand sign with his hands as he uses the Jutsu. He summons a gust of wind that forms several small tornadoes, which picks up the sorounding sand into it, and engulfs the puppet, disrupting the chakra threads used to control it.
Daichi gritted his teeth as he felt the connection to his puppet fade as his puppet went limb, yet in that very moment Daichi used the opportunity where his opponent was distracted to weave hand signs of his own. Snake → Ram → Boar → Horse → Bird, as Daichi claps his hands together as he uses the technique. He rushes forward, going as far as entering the sand tornados to reach his opponent, its rough texture scraping against his skin like a thousand tiny needles, as he faces his opponent head on.
As Daichi closed in on his opponent, his eyes shined with determination as he unleashed the full force of his Gale Palm technique. A powerful blast of wind surged forth from his palm, tearing through the swirling sand tornadoes with unstoppable force as it raced towards the leader of the missing nin. His opponent's eyes widened in surprise as he found himself caught off guard by Daichi's sudden attack. With only a second to react, he raised his arms in a desperate attempt to shield himself from the oncoming attack, but it was too late. The force of Daichi's Gale Palm slammed into him with a hard impact, sending him hurtling backwards into the sand as the sand tornados quickly subsided.
Daichi quickly reaches his hand towards the direction of his puppet, as chakra threads fly out of his fingertips into the puppet, and with a flick of his wrist reanimated it once again. He launches his puppet towards his fallen opponent, halting merely inches away from the opponents throat. But before the missing nin leader could make a move, Kenji stepped forward, his voice calm but firm as he addressed their fallen opponent. "It's over, your companions over there have been captured." His gaze met the missing nin's eyes. "Surrender peacefully, and we will spare your lives."
The missing nin leader hesitated for a moment, his gaze flicking between Daichi's puppet and the determined face of the Sandsinger before him. With a resigned sigh, he raised his hands in defeat, a defeated expression crossing his face as he realized that he was no match for their combined strength and skill. "Okay relax, we surrender alright."
Daichi's control over his puppet loosened slightly as he watched the missing nin leader's surrender. Beside him, Kenji nodded in approval, his expression softening as he regarded their defeated opponent with a measure of empathy. "Good choice." Kenji said, his voice carrying a note of compassion as he stepped forward to address the missing nin leader. "Now, if you and your companions would kindly leave this place, we will allow you to leave unharmed."
The missing nin leader nodded, his expression grave as he acknowledged their terms. "Understood." He replied, his voice tinged with resignation as he gestured for his comrades to follow suit. As the missing nin left in a hurry and as they disappeared into the distance, Daichi turned to his companions with a smile. "Thank you." His voice filled with genuine appreciation as he regarded Kenji and the other Sandsingers. "It would have been tough without your guys' help." He stopped for a moment to collect himself. "That is quite a technique you guys have I must say."
Kenji returned Daichi's smile with a nod of understanding, his eyes warm with camaraderie as he clasped Daichi's shoulder in a gesture of friendship. "We're all in this together, Daichi. No matter what challenges lie ahead, we'll face them as one." He starts to gesture towards the direction they were heading. "Now come on, our home isn't far away."
The Sandsingers and Daichi resumed their journey towards their oasis, their bond now strengthened by the battle they had faced together as a team. And as they walked, Daichi knew that he had found not only companions, but true friends who would stand by him through thick and thin.
As the adrenaline of battle began to fade away, Daichi's senses remained sharp. It was then that he noticed a small lizard darting amongst the rocks with glinting eyes that seemed to watch their every move. "Kenji." Daichi said, his voice low as he leaned in closer to Kenji, trying to make it as nonchalantly as possible. "I think we're being watched."
Kenji's body language tensed, he scanned the surrounding terrain for any signs of danger and notices the lizard as well. "Watched? By who?" Daichi continues "You really don't hear much out here do you, I have heard of a Sunagakure Shinobi named Shingo who specializes in summoning lizards. He's known for using them to gather information and spy on his enemies. If he's trailing us, we'll need to stay one step ahead of him."
Kenji's expression hardened at the mention of the Shinobi, his hand instinctively reaching for the intrument on his back. "Shingo, huh? Do you think we need to be concerned?"
"As far as I am aware, as long as we aren't a threat we should be alright. But let's keep our guard up and be ready for anything." Daichi says as Kenji nods, getting ready to continue their journey.
As Daichi and the Sandsingers treks through the vast desert yet again, the sound of the sand dunes was suddenly broken by the distant sound of music and song drifting through the air. Kenji's face lit up with a smile as he turned to Daichi, his voice filled with excitement.
"We are close." He announced, gesturing towards the source of the music. "That's the sound of our oasis. We're almost home." And as they drew nearer, the music grew louder, its haunting melody echoing across the desert sands. As they crested the final dune, the oasis spread out before them in all its beauty, a paradise nestled amidst the harsh desert landscape. The sight took Daichi's breath away, his eyes widening in awe as he beheld the beauty of the Sandsingers' home. The many musical intruments played in a beautiful harmony.
"Welcome to our oasis." Kenji said, his voice tinged with pride as he gazed upon the scene before them. "This is where we belong."
As Daichi and the Sandsingers stepped into the oasis, they were greeted by a bunch of activity. People bustled about, going about their daily tasks with the air was filled with laughter and chatter, mingling with the soft strains of music that seemed to drift from every corner of the oasis. Everywhere he looked, there were musicians playing various instruments, their melodies seeming to weave together in harmony. From the gentle plucking of strings to the sound of flutes, each note added to the unique atmosphere of the oasis. Daichi found himself drawn towards a group of younger Sandsingers who were gathered in a quiet corner of the oasis, the younger Sandsingers eagerly set to showing Daichi the basics of using a biwa, a traditional stringed instrument using by the Sandsingers. They patiently guided him through the proper technique, showing him how to hold the instrument and pluck the strings with precision. Daichi felt a strange connection and similiarity to playing this instrument, a feeling that reminded him of the Puppet Technique, of the way he would manipulate chakra threads with precision and skill to control his puppets with ease. But here, with the biwa in his hands, it was strangely different, controlling the strings directly. 
Interested by his progress, the younger Sandsingers began to teach Daichi the fundamentals of using jutsus through the biwa. They showed him how to infuse the instrument with chakra, telling him how using the power of sound can manipulate the world around you as you channel your chakra through it. At first, Daichi struggled to master the intricacies of the technique, his fingers stumbling over the strings as he tried to channel his chakra with precision. But he slowly began to make progress, as Kenji watched it all go down.
"Very impressive Daichi." Kenji remarked as he returned to Daichi, his face shining with amusement as he watched Daichi's efforts. "With a little more training, you could be just as good as I am." As he laughs. Kenji approached daichi, learning against a wall and sayy "Our elder has asked for your presence, they want to speak with you in person." He said, gesturing towards a nearby large tent. "Oh, I am honored Kenji." Daichi said, handing the biwa back to one of the Sandsingers, only for them to gesture back for him to keep it as a gift. Daichi walks over to the massive tent, the inside floor covered with rugs of different unique designs and sitting atop a large pillow, Daichi sees an elderly man dressed in a long pale robe with sleeves that covers his hands, and a noticeable bald head. It was clear from the air of respect that surrounded him that this was no ordinary member of the Sandsingers. 
"This is our elder, he is the one who taught us all how to use jutsus and channel chakra through our instruments." Kenji explained.
Daichi nodded in understanding, feeling a sense of awe wash over him as he regarded the elder. "It's an honor to meet you." Bowing respectfully before the elderly man.
The elder simply smiled at Daichi's greeting, his eyes crinkling with amusement. "The pleasure is mine, young one." He replied, his voice soft but filled with authority. "I've heard much about you and your talents as a puppeteer from my grandson Kenji. It seems you have a gift for channeling chakra through your chosen medium, much like we do with our instruments."
"Thank you, elder." Daichi replied, feeling a swell of gratitude towards the man who had welcomed him with open arms into their community. As he said so, the elder raised his hand as the people within the tent left except for Daichi and Kenji. "You possess a rare talent, young Daichi. The ability to channel chakra through your puppets is a skill few possess, and even fewer can master."
"There is much you can learn from us, and much we can learn from you as well." He said, as he hesitates for a second before continuing. "We are willing to teach you what we know, in exchance we are curious about the way you use your medium as you do."
"I would be honored to learn from you, I understand that your way of life is secret among these sands, and I will keep them hidden from the rest of the world, mark my words." Daichi replies.
The elder nodded and says "Then it is settled." His voice carrying the weight of authority. "You shall become our apprentice, and we shall become yours. Together, we shall unlock the full potential of our respective talents and forge a bond that transcends mere teacher and student."
"Thank you elder. I am ready to begin my training." Daichi replies.
With that, Daichi started his training under the guidance of the Sandsingers, as he guided them in the ways of the Puppet Technique. And as he delved deeper into the secrets of chakra manipulation, he knew that he was on the path to becoming a true master of his own craft.
category:Silent Xebec
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