Grey Guard

*"I am the blade in the shadows. I shall walk in the darkness and strike swiftly. No one will stop me in my hunt. May Lord Akumu receive his sacrifice soon."*

The vow that each Grey Guard make before venturing on an assassination operation. For the Grey Guards are the spies, assassins and secretive force of the Hon clan. Before the Unification of the Hon clan, the Hon Houses were no strangers in training and deploying shinobi-esque operatives. In those days the various shinobi organisations funded and operated by the various Hon Houses worked for just the gain of the House they served. After Hisho Hon managing to unify the Hon clan, the various shinobi organisations and units would be moulded and shaped into a general one.

## Hierarchy

The leader and chief commander of the Grey Guard is the clan leader. Though it was hard to establish that the Grey Guard wouldn't work for one House but for the clan leader it eventually managed to slip into the organisation. The clan leader gives orders for operations and tasks that the Grey Guard has to accomplish. With almost a zealous fervour they commit themselves to the task until they can return with success or proof of progression.

Below that are the various commanders that oversee smaller parts of the Grey Guard within the Hon heartlands. These masters are responsible for picking a team of operatives fitting for the task. Other than that they manage the training grounds in which the Grey Guards educate and train their novices.

Underneath the masters are the captains that lead the missions. They are veterans and know the ropes of their occupation from the inside and outside. These captains also function as trainers and advisers when not deployed on missions and errands.

## Equipment and Skills

The Grey Guards are known for their dark grey uniforms. Each individual Grey Guard has tools and gear that resemble some of the generic shinobi, such as kunai, tags and wire. But each Grey Guard is also trained in various weapon expertise, allowing them to also function as a functional unit on and out of battles.

Most Grey Guards do tend to prefer bladed weapons that aren't too large or lengthy, such as short swords or daggers. Some of them are also trained and experienced in using various herbs for both medicinal and poison objectives. In regards of ninjutsu, it varies heavily with each Grey Guard. Much like the Shinobi corps of the countries, the Grey Guard don't just pursue one or few fields but have over time collected all kind of information about various fields.

All members of the Grey Guard are tasked with training to develop the ability to disguise and vanish into the public spaces, stealth and various techniques as abilities relevant to the skill and free-running. Both with and without chakra.

## Recruitment and Training

The way how Grey Guards are recruited diverse from the usual Shinobi organisation. Volunteers are accepted to a certain degree, as there are firm regulations and background checks to make certain that there is no threat of infiltration from other organisations. Then the recruit will become a novice and will undergo a harsh training regime. There is little room and time left for free time and hobbies as dedication, discipline and determination are demanded of the novices. Once they are trained and considered ready, the novices have to accomplish various tasks and tests before they are allowed to call them rookies.

Rookies are basically the genin ranked operatives of the Grey Guards. They are trained and mentored by captains and veterans. In order to be no longer considered rookies and members of the Grey Guard, they have to perform various missions in a flawless succession and given the title of Grey Guard.

    The Grey Guard have various sites where they employ as train their members. Most of these sites are located within the heartlands of the Hon clan. But various sites are used within the Frami province as the region of Pinedale. Recruits are taught skills such as blending with the crowd, stealth and subterfuge. Parkour is also considered essential for urban orientated missions but survival in rural areas is considered of equal paramount importance.

For this reason, members of the Grey Guard aren't just stationed in one site of operation for a long time. Becoming acquainted with various areas as regions allow them to learn more about the locals' habits, becoming more efficient at their tasks.