Thunderstruck! (Flashback)

The twins were sad Shimiko had not been chosen to be the Kage but Ryuko was quite worthy, it was a choice they fully accepted. They would make sure to give her some ice cream afterward to cheer her up, they knew despite her cheering her pride would be hurt and would comfort her when they could. They would cheer as Rini was mention as becoming a Chuunin, she deserved it having advanced as far as she did. Unlike themselves, they stopped the fight to save Miyu something they did not regret, in fact they would do it again if they had to. This was when a huge shock came, suddenly they heard their names, as Ryuko said for them saving a comrades life they were being promoted to Chuunin.

They both appeared shocked as Yua would hug Yui and cry some with the pair taking the stage, of course, some in the crowd offered boos and disgust most cheered them on. They had no idea what to say but they were asked to speak by Ryuko so they would choose to do so. Yui would move up to the microphone and clear her throat, she had no clue what to say but what was inside her heart.

"I... can't believe we have become Chuunin, we don't feel we deserve this nearly as much as Rini however with that said you don't refuse your higher-ups promotions. We promise we will help make this nation a great and prosperous nation, a nation in which the poor or underclass will feel safe and happy. We will help change the nation, no the world to become a place of happiness for all."

Suddenly a man would move to rush Yui with a knife in his hand, as he would lunge at her she would simply allow the man to stab her arm before he was tackled to the ground. She would simply smile and look toward the shocked crowd.

"You see living a life full of hatred and resentment will not change the world for the better, no we forgive him and everyone else that hates and despises our existence., We will change the world so people never again feel this sort of hatred and animosity toward others, we will have a great and wonderful nation under Ryuko, a nation that is for the people."

Yui would pull the knife out of her arm as her wound would begin to close shocking all that watched, was she some sort of god they had no clue but they felt kindness from her toward the stranger, not anger. A loud cheer would fill the air from the Jashin and those that could not believe how kind she was. She even went to the man and offered him to his feet motion for the guards to not beat on him, she would open her arms and hug the man before he would begin to cry, she was so kind even though he had tried to kill her yet she accepted him to who he was. She would wipe his tears and smile as she would wave the crowd. He was then carried off but she would make a note not to kill the man and release him later.

He stared at the crystal ball, stoic and numb, as the events rolled across the sphere. Familiar faces flashed over its hemispheres, always looping back to Lady Ryuko who stood in gleaming, ornate armor.  Once again, the cameras were on the move, flashing across Mort, then to an assembly of Orthodox Jashinists--no doubt flocking around Mora. He knew Shimiko and the Twins were rarely far behind.

"--Now I know that some of you are concerned that as an authority figure in the Church of Hakkin that I will make worship of my god mandatory but I can assure you that couldn’t be further from the truth. Tis very important to me that people have the freedom to choose for themselves what to believe in.”

Fingers crawled over the teal blanket for the small IV button. He pulled it close, tapping it lightly as Ryuko's words swam from the sphere, and flooded the room. She spoke of change, of freedom, and the more of her words her drank in he allowed himself to sink into the morphine-drip; he wanted to pretend, even through the agony, grafts and bandages, that just for a moment everything had fallen into place. That this was all happening in another time and place, outside of reality. Perhaps he'd be there with the others-- celebrating with Mort and Niko.His head lolled to the side, resting on his shoulder as he sank into the pillows, smiling faintly through withered and scarred lips.

"--We all need something to fill that void, To make us feel like we exist for a reason. For some people, that’s family. For others art. But some of us need a god to fill that void, to make our lives feel like they mattered. It’s ok if you don’t, Science is probably better at telling you what to believe. Religion is more about what you need to believe--"

The morphine slipped through his veins, enveloping each and every frayed nerve and mangled cell. One by one it moved, nerve by nerve, softening their fury. Distantly the machines continued their steady beeps. Heavy eyelids closed, swallowing up the florescent light, and opened to new voices radiating from the sphere.

There was jubilation in the air, a chorus of cheering and clapping.

"I... can't believe we have become Chuunin," the voice gasped, and bloodshot eyes focused on the figures of the Twins, Yui and Yua. Slowly, he felt the morphine falter, its hold on his nerves loosen as he sat upright. "--we don't feel we deserve this nearly as much as Rini however with that said you don't refuse your higher-ups promotions. We promise we will help make this nation a great and prosperous nation, a nation in which the poor or underclass will feel safe and happy. We will help change the nation, no the world to become a place of happiness for all."

Through the morphine stupor, his mind could only numbly comprehend as a man rushed the stage with a knife. In a movement nearly too swift for the cameras, the assailant was disarmed and tackled. Jubilations turned to screams and exclamations, the coronation twisted into an uproar, and all the while, the Twins regarded the moment with surreal cool.

"Forgive....?" He echoed, watching the moment unfold as the Twins preached.

"--You see living a life full of hatred and resentment will not change the world for the better, no we forgive him and everyone else that hates and despises our existence--"

"Yua...Yui..." He rasped to himself, "The void does not forgive. Jashin does not forgive. And you two most of all, can never be forgiven."

[exit]

Edit: Attached exit.

blah blah blah

Rini was pretty bored. All the speaking was more or less just a pointless demonstration for the masses. This kind of stuff was all pomp and circumstance. Really, nobody needed to actually be anywhere near here. Everyone just wanted a nice little party, but she wasn't like them.

“Next is Rini Nakamura. For Reaching the finals and your display of unwavering determination against overwhelming odds I declare you Chunin! Do you have any words to say to our audience?”

Ryuko had beckoned Rini towards the stage, and Rini wheeled herself to the podium. All eyes were on her. Rini's throat felt like it was closing up, and she felt her face flush red. Pulling her hood over her head, she grabbed the flak jacket that was handed to her and rested it on her lap. "Kinda sucks when one of your main choice for promotion is a girl in a wheelchair. Not really any determination against overwhelming odds, just most of the competition wasn't that special."

She then spun her chair and wheeled off stage to the back, leaving that as all she had said. There really wasn't any reason for her to be here anymore, but she couldn't leave until she was dismissed, so she just focused on her puppet, opening up some of the hatches on it and began to see if anything was out of place and needed to be restocked or replenished, touched up, fixed, or otherwise improved. Of course, there wasn't any change from the last time she'd done that, but she repeated her process a lot. Rini was never 100% certain that someone hadn't tried to tamper with her things, and any miscalculations could be bad.

Nariko was amused by the response of the Rini girl. It was unprofessional for sure, but that girl's intellect was unmatched, and her skill was undeniable. It was rather clear to her that anyone below her in terms of skill was probably lumped into that "unremarkable" category. There was no real tact in the way she spoke, but it was clear that she wasn't very comfortable in front of people or being the center of attention.

The Twins were up next, surprised that they were given a promotion, although it shouldn't have been that much of a surprise. They were the host of a bijuu, for one, and they weren't exactly weak. The fact that they were a viable host for Shukaku alone was a decent proposal for their candidacy.

From her post by the podium, Nariko had a good view of the crowd, and her reaction skills were nothing short of legendary. Having been no stranger to assassination attempts, she was quite able to pick out someone in a crowd that was about to try something, and so as the man broke onto the stage, Nariko was one of the first ones to act. Of course, the ANBU around them would have been attempting to as well, but the former Raikage was a hands on type girl. He never stood a chance of making it to the twins and was halted almost immediately.

In an instant, the air around Nariko lit up into a lightning shroud as she activated LRA. To most people, her movement wasn't even seen as she appeared in front of the man, her hand grabbing his wrist and taking his weapon as he attempted to climb. A second unseen movement as Nariko's second hand chopped into the side of his head, knocking the would be assassin unconscious. Then she would move back to her place by Ryuko's side, and deactivate the shroud around her. The ANBU could do the clean up and interrogation, but for now, interruptions like that could be avoided pretty easily.

-
Stamina: 240/260
-20 LRA v2 (Raiton reduction)

Spoiler:

Strength: C -> B [LRA v2]
Constitution: B -> A [LRA v2]
Stamina: A
Speed: B+ -> S+ [LRA v2]
Coordination: B -> S [LRA v2]
Intelligence: A
Perception: A

Tamwyn would watch and listen as the woman who had all so suddenly become his sensei was introduced to the stage. Ryuko's armour was immaculate, as would be expected of someone of her new rank of Raikage. Lady Ryuko Shizu Von Rose, he hadn't expected to become one of her students on that day behind the administration center. To be honest, if he hadn't accidentally walked around it to find a quiet place to train he doubted she would've even noticed him. Him, a simple genin, with great talent in lightning chakra mind you, but a simple genin all the same. Her speech of religion was certainly different from the norm, at least in regards to the spew that those cretins in the Jashinist church spewed. He quickly pushed himself away from such thoughts however. As he couldn't let himself become overcome with anger toward the institution that killed and sacrificed his parents to their sick and twisted little god. If he did people might think he was angry at Ryuko for her talk of religious freedom, which couldn't be further from the truth.

No, he was quite pleased with her steps in that direction. Although he couldn't afford to show that much either, lest some overzealous idiot in the church of jashin decide to attempt to sacrifice him while he was in the back of the crowd. Boy wouldn't that be amusing? Regardless, Ryuko's speech would continue on to Chuunin promotions. Tamwyn's heart felt a yearning to be on that stage now. To be recognized by the entire village as having distinguished himself in a tournament to prove one's prowess. Alas, such things were rare, and he doubted when his time came to be promoted it would be so quick, and so public and flashy. To be honest, that in itself had its own drawbacks. As such a public promotion put the spotlight on those who had been. Life would become more difficult for them as the eyes of the village were upon them to watch their progress.

The first to be promoted was absent, an odd decision, given that a promotion ceremony was to celebrate your achievements so to be absent from your own promotion ceremony was quite odd. It was like being absent from your own funeral, what was the point? The second was there however, and Ryuko would announce her. Should she come out, Tamwyn would blink in surprise. A wheelchair? She got to the finals of the Chuunin exams, in a fucking wheelchair? 'Girl must be a beast..' He would think to himself, cute too. But that was entirely beside the point.

The final promotion was to a couple of Jashinist as far as Tamwyn knew, they hadn't exactly been subtle about their religious affiliations after the practice had been made legal and as such Tamwyn couldn't give less of a shit about this, Yui and Yua. She'd never met them personally and didn't want to. However then something absolutely shocking would occur. Someone would attempt to rush the newly promoted duo. But Lady Nariko would suddenly crackle with lightning chakra and disappear. He would see her standing there one moment, and then disappearing the next, reappearing where the man had begun his charge. Then she would disappear again and be back where she was, lightning gone. Tamwyn, a genin who wanted nothing more than to become the ultimate master of Raiton, was thunderstruck and he desperately wanted to learn what that was. Perhaps he could ask Ryuko-Sensei, or if the opportunity presented itself, Nariko herself.

Should Yui still give her little speech of forgiveness and the drooling idiots in the crowd still taken by Tamwyn wouldn’t believe a word of it. No, she was a filthy Jashinist and any kindness from them was just them trying to make you feel at ease before sliding the knife between your ribs. Tamwyn wasn't stupid enough to follow the crowd, and had no intention of cheering for the girl as the crowd seemed to want to do. He would clap though, he couldn't appear too unkind toward the church of jashin and it's members lest he become a target of their ire. They were low and base enough to try to have him killed if they saw such behavior. Especially if they noticed it in a student of the Raikage herself. They would probably see a potential threat if he was left alive, giving Ryuko his thoughts on the sickening acts the Jashinists did in the name of their god. He couldn't allow that, he had kept himself emotionless thus far, to continue to do so and clap would make him appear as if he simply didn't show emotion much, which wasn't untrue. So he'd have a reputation for it, personal hatred of the religious order that had been a massive thorn in Kumogakure’s side for years now hidden? Check.

Darkseid had expected a quite ceremony. A few surprises here and there. Ryuko was properly readied for this job when she stepped out. She went from being thrown at death's door, to becoming Raikage. Now she strode out on center stage. With an impressive armor set, she looked the part for sure. It was a shame he would serve the Thundercats for only a little while longer. But he would help protect their legacy. Ryuko gave a great speech. Though Seid was there for mostly security. Then he heard some surprising announcements.

There was going to be a few promotions. Rini whom was exemplary in the Chuunin exams had made rank. The Twins whom had been trying effortlessly to make Chuunin now finally did. In his Chuunin exams, they had been interrupted. So they were able to do a test by Nariko's choosing. He went against a Tatsuda and the Twins. He was a step above them and came out on top. Now he was there to finally see them pass.

Then all of a sudden during his praise of the new Chuunins. Someone tried to rush the stage. Moving impossibly slow, it would be trivial for them to interrupt the man. And thats exactly what Nariko did. To the naked eye she seemed to move as a blue. Lightning caked her body as she moved in front of the man and knocked him out. And brought the man back from the stage.

Seid was still impressed with the former Raikages prowess. She was still one the deadliest fighters in Kumo. Seid would quickly make his way down. Another ANBU member appeared at the sametime. They both would grab the man and move him out of the way. Disappearing as fast as they came. Taking him away for interrogation. Seid had a place in mind.

The newly minted Raikage had to fight the urge to facepalm as Rinn made an unexpectedly smarmy comment. They hadn’t exactly rehearsed this for various reasons, partly to keep some things a suprise but even if they had there wasn't really stopping anyone from going off script.

For someone as supposedly smart as Rini was supposed to be you’d think she’d be able to read the mood of the event a bit better. This wasn’t the time or place for self depreciation. Just because she was in a wheelchair didn’t make her a cripple. What was seen by many as a sign of weakness could if fact become one of her strongest strengths if she put it to use properly. If they were foolish enough to look down on her because of it then she could turn their arrogance into a weapon and turn the tables.

Still what Rini had done was nothing compared to some idiot who got the bright idea to try and pull a knife which Nariko quickly put a stop to. She wasn’t sure how he’d managed to smuggle one inside to begin with but maybe security was slightly more lax than normal today. This was the first time they had allowed so many people into the royal palace at once leaving the guards less time to do thought checks at the gatehouse.

Considering the number of elite ninja present not to mention the presence of two entire squads of royal guards whose job it was to blend into the background and prevent trouble you’d have to be either nearly braindead or have balls of solid adamantium to try and pull a stunt like that. He’d never stood a ghost of a chance of succeeding.

Stepping back from the prodium Ryuko held her arms out allowing her lady in waiting Sophie to slide the new Raikage cloak onto her. It was white with golden yellow lightning bolts emblazoned along the bottom rim with the word Raikage emblazoned on the back in Kanji. It was more of a jacket without sleeves and worn over her armor making her strongly resemble a feudal warlord.

However instead of her stepping back up to the podium Oda shuffled back over instead once more taking her place to make one last final announcement during his career as daimyo. He stood strong and dignified. One word from him off script here and he could sow the seeds of conflict once more but all the fight he had left in his old bones had long since left and he wasn’t about to throw away the last shred of pride he had to stick it to Ryuko now. Not when it would be equivalent to throwing the second chance she had given him away and put his family at risk.


“Today is a great one as this is far more than the inauguration of a new Raikage but the birth of a new nation. For the last several years we have treated the Land of Frost, a territory we control as a separate sovereign land. Now we are taking it and the Land of Snow which had recently been gifted to us and merging them into one greater country. As of this moment this is no longer the land of lightning but the Kingdom of Thunder.” he declared to a thunderous applause.

He could do this because there were no daimyos of those lands to oppose his decision. The lord of Frost had been taken out by Nariko. Conquering a nation by taking only one head was in the grand scheme of things about as clean as a coup could go. As for the Land of Snow it’s Daiymo had abdicated his throne when he turned over the territory.

“However it shall not be I who will be ruling over you. For too long I stood idly by while a massive crime syndicate grew under my nose. My failure to bring them to heel sooner allowed far too many of you to suffer and for that you have my sincerest apologies. In order to avoid repeating my blunder I now yield the throne to Lady Ryuko, the woman responsible for correcting my mistake.” he said much to the shock of the crowd.

Ryuko slipped off her village headband then stepped forward and knelt before Oda. Kneeling like this was a symbolic act of placing oneself closer to the earth. Royalty was supposed to be a step closer to heaven and above doing such things but she was doing this as a display of humbleness with the full intention of never having to kneel to anyone else in her life ever again. Taking out a golden tiara that had been prepared in advance Oda placed it on her head then stepped away allowing her to rise up.

“All hail the queen!” He barked feeling relief that for the first time in decades the weight of a nation was no longer on his shoulders.

[4]

All the Cameras were on Rini as she rolled up to the podium. Her speech if that's what you want to call it, was less than expected but nonetheless was said and then she would roll off the stage. Damien would smirk at what she had said, it was clear she didn't want to be here either. Still he would not let it interfere with his task, Ryuko would step up and make the surprise announcement of the twins advancement. A drone quickly finding them within the crowd to show their shock to the world, filming them as they took the stage and began their speech. Though what happened next was a blur to Damien the cameras would catch it all, the man charging the stage, the previous Raikage sudden charge of the man knocking him out. Damien would simply look in shock as one moment the former Raikage stood next to Ryuko and the next she was on top of the man in the middle of the chamber, the male was glad he had it all recorded so he could watch it later at a slower pace to see what had truly happened. As the Anbu took the man from the chamber, one of the twins would speak of forgiveness. Damien laughed at the thought, had someone attacked him like that he would see to it that they suffered beyond measure. Still with the twins now promoted Ryuko would step back from the podium and Sophie would place the Raikage Robes upon her, and then something else that Damien didn't expect to happen happened. The old man Oda would return to the podium, Damien half expected him to object to Ryuko being the Raikage with the way he rushed to the podium. Instead he made a bold statement, announcing the Kingdom of Thunder to the world. Hearing the man's words Damien almost couldn't believe his ears, yet the man wasn't done he would go on to tell about how he failed the land and wouldn't be leading this new kingdom but instead it would be Ryuko leading them. A wide smile would form on Damien's face, it would seem his connections within this village just got a lot more pull than she had before. She went from the Raikage's assistant to the Queen of the kingdom, of course this meant her rule would include Moonspire and he was now her subject. Still with their business relationship already in place, Damien hoped she would still respect and allow him his freedom as otherwise it could jeopardize his other business ventures.

As Oda placed the tiara upon Ryuko's head one drone would watch it from above while the others panned the entirety of the chamber, they could always edit in the reactions and if anything else happened Damien could easily switch the feed, but for now the only thing on the screens from the live feed would be of Ryuko. Oda would step back and shout out all hail the queen, Damien would clap and Zhu Li would let out a cheer. Damien would look to her in shock at such an outburst from his usually quiet assistant, but would turn his attention back to the drones just as quickly. Wishing to ensure that nothing from this gathering was missed, he would talk about the unprofessionalism of that kind of behavior later.

Rini's statement was rather off-putting. Shimiko frowned and shook her head as the newly minted Chuunin passively insulted both her village and her fellow competitors. Disgraceful! She assumed that Rini was bitter about being handicapped but that was no excuse for her rudeness. She'd need to have a word with the girl later.

Shimiko watched with pride as her twins to the stage to accept their reward. The moment was almost perfect. Almost. From the corner of her eye, she saw a man shuffling forward. It was as if he wasn't even trying to hide himself. Shimiko's smile faded as the man rushed forwards. A dark rage consumed her spirit as she tracked the man's path towards her precious children. Judging from the way he moved and handled the knife, she could tell he was a civilian not a shinobi. It would be child's play to stop him before he reached them but part of her wanted him to get close. She didn't want his intentions to be excused or mistaken. Shimiko restrained herself from ripping him apart with her blood and allowed  him to scramble onto the stage and towards Yui and Yua. Before he could get to close though, her hand shot out and she unleashed five needles from her senbon shooter. The Senshichi Needles zipped towards him, guided by her freeform blood manipulation. The projectiles slammed into his spine at targeted intervals rendering him totally paralyzed. Nariko-sensei took it from there. She used Lightning Release Armour to knock him out. When he fell down, ANBU swooped him in to catch him. A black bag was placed on his head and he was carted away from the arena so quickly you'd think that he'd never been there at all.

Seid walked down to escort the prisoner out of the arena and to the interrogation rooms. As he walked by, Shimiko made eye contact with the man and nodded. She'd join them shortly and when she did she'd make him experience a hell that not even Jashin could fathom. The only reason she had not tortured him on live television was because this was the Twins' moment and not his. She did not want to steal the spotlight from them and so she managed to control herself. Although it was obvious by her facial expression and posture that she was nearly overcome with rage.

The woman knuckles were white and she was standing fairly still, like a predator waiting for an excuse to pounce. Shimiko began to soften as the twins preached forgiveness. Shimiko didn't agree but she suspected that this was all just an act. The Jashinists had a bad reputation for being blood-thirsty and she assumed that Yui and Yua were trying to mend it. Shimiko wasn't concerned with the opinions of heathen meatbags but if it was important to her darlings then she'd support them. She clapped at the end of their speech and gave them a genuine smile. She was glad that they were safe, happy, and above all else successful. She could worry about taking her vengeance later.

Shimiko turned her attention to Oda who was now to crown Ryuko as the Queen of the country. None of this was a surprise to the Chinoike as she had been there when they twisted his arm into giving up power. He had made the wise choice in transferring power to the Vestal. Putting the unpleasantness of the assassination attempt behind her, Shimiko clapped and cheered for her friend. It was a good day for the Lightning Country. Notably, none of the Jashinists were clapping. Her speech had rubbed them the wrong way.

The redhead's choice of words were...odd. Somehow it was an insult to both herself and others, yet by insulting herself she had put herself above the competition. While Mort himself didn't enjoy it, Id found it fascinating. But there was more to come in the form of the twins. As they spoke their mannerisms put off Id, like looking into a strange mirror of how they acted when messing with Mort. But the fun was just beginning as a man stared to move to the stage.

They weren't sure whether to be shocked or relieved when the man who tried to go after the strange duo had stopped as something appeared for a brief moment and the man went down, then dissapeared like nothing had happened, with the ANBU cleaning up the issue in a matter of moments. It was times like these where he was glad that he was a ninja as it could let him see things not many could, but even her blinding fast speed was like two glimmers of light: enough to make out that something had moved, but since he wasn't trying to a threat it was almost like a teleportation, but he could tell it was human, that's for sure. Probably an ANBU.

And yet things kept getting weirder as instead of the newly-dressed Kage going back up, someone Mort vaguely knew as the Lightning Daimyo. Mort and several other Kurama would slightly tense up at the mention of Land of Frost, and continued to show faces of concern when it was being merged with Lightning and Snow. While he himself didn't have much connection to Frost as he spent little time there, the clan was going through some unrest due to some disturbing information about lost scrolls possibly resurfacing, though those were just rumors right now. There was also the fact that while the Kurama didn't consider any place truly their own, Frost was the closest thing they had to one, and if those scrolls were to be real, it would be a very sour start to the Kingdom of Thunder and mess up the main clan's attempts at establishing themselves more in Kumo. In fact Hoki Kurama and his next-in-line had willingly missed coming to the coronation as the Clan leader felt the nature of the scrolls possibly threatening the Clan's agreement with Kumo was more important then the possible insult of missing this important event.

Even with all the concerns building up, those worries were lost when the unexpected happened as Ryuko also became the Land of Lightning's new Daimyo. It would take them a few seconds as the information set in, but both those of the Kurama Clan and those they took in would show their support and clap for Ryuko. Mort though, despite her being his teacher and mentor, couldn't bring himself to clap as the implications of Church, state, and military were now combined. Sure Ryuko was smart and knew not to mix them, but what about the next-in-line? In a rare moment of compassion (or possibly just being swept up in the passion of their clanmates), Id took over and did the clapping instead.

The twins moved quickly over to the man they had forgiven for making a move to assassinate them, it was clear it was the churches doing, the power struggle had begun and they were targets for elimination due to their influence over the church. They would say their speech before Ryuko took the stage as the pair listened to her words they could see the Jashinists begin to look worried and anger crossed their faces. The head of another religion was now in power and her words she spoke felt like she would be making a move on them. The twins would wait for the speeches to end before smiling and suddenly yelling as loud as she could to get the Jashinist attention.

"YOU ALL SHOULD BE GRATEFUL, Ryuko is a wonderful woman and she would never harm or punish anyone that did not deserve it. She is a trusted person and someone you can rely on, any move you dare make against Ryuko will get our wrath. We forgive attacks on us but we will not forgive attacks on Ryuko or her religion. I will take this time to call out the one who forced this man to attack us, we all know who it was Mora. We have gathered plenty of evidence of you conspiring to not only kill us but possibly others. Lady Ryuko here are the documents and testimonies of her orders from within the church, you also were a target."

The twins would hand over a stash of papers they had inside their dress to Ryuko the empress of the kingdom of lightning. The twins would simply stare at more and give just a slight smirk if she had not figured it out they had completely outsmarted her and their ploy of being loyal to her over the years had greatly paid off. The twins would step to the back of the stage to let Ryuko read the documents herself and indeed there was no doubt it was Mora it even had the church seal to prove it was her signature on the documents. The orders were for the execution of the twins, Ryuko and Nariko, as well as several higher-ups in Ryuko's church, it also had plans for when they wanted to seize power and take the country for themselves. There was one final document that also had them wanting to banish Shimiko from the land of lightning because they felt she would not cooperate with their plans.

[OOC: Skip me]

Tamwyn, one of the students of Ryuko in the room would feel his eyes widen at the announcement of the Daimyo, or well, in this case the former Daimyo of the Land of Lightning. With Ryuko given the power of both Daimyo and Kage the Land of Lightning and those nations under it's banner just became an Autocracy. This would make this day a historic moment indeed. Thoughts of the future would give Tamwyn concern however. Any 'Kingdom' could survive it's first generation of ruler, but the second one would be the most endangered and so far as Tamwyn knew, Ryuko had no heir. Even with one, the Kingdom of Thunder would be on hard times should she ever retire, or god forbid, the unthinkable occur. Simply because those who stayed under the Kingdoms banner under her rule would be there because of Ryuko herself. Their loyalty to that ruler, and not to the rulers line or to the Kingdom itself. It took generations of servitude and allegiance to build a sense of loyalty to a Kingdom. That meant that while this first generation would probably do well, because Ryuko herself was well loved and respected. The next ruler would have a difficult time holding things together because those who followed Ryuko would not necessarily follow 'them'. So without that sense of loyalty to a Kingdom that came with two or three generations of tradition it would make things all the more difficult.

Tamwyn certainly hoped that eventually change to a new ruler, be it happily or sadly, would not throw their home into disarray. One thing was for sure, if the Kingdom of Thunder was his sensei's desire, then Tamwyn would do all he could to ensure it's longevity for as long as he was alive. It was his duty as student, and more importantly, as loyal follower to the new queen. Of course, then the twins would start screaming something. 'Leave it to a Jashinist in Kumogakure to always try to take the spotlight..' He would think to himself as she began talking about betrayals within the Church, apparently Lady Mora had ordered the assassination of a few of Kumogakure's shinobi.

'Do they actually think this will end well?' He thought to himself idly as he considered these implications as well. Formally announcing the treachery of a leader of a prominent religious order within the village so publicly would not go well overall for the Orthodoxy. No matter what the twins intentions were bringing this up so openly it and so publicly would cause the Jashinists to literally have to go underground in order to survive. Because with the treachery being at the highest level within the church there was no way to know how many of her personal followers there still were in places of importance within said church. Those who publicly served Jashin would suddenly find themselves very much unwelcome in the eyes of the public Tamwyn wagered. Especially after the recent...complications..the church and village leadership had during Nariko's reign.

What the twins should have done was brought that proof to Ryuko personally, so that the new queen could act on it with the very forces that were trained to handle such issues. Observation was necessary to see who was loyal to Mora and would want to carry out her wishes even after her removal. Now with this very loud and very public announcement those within the church harboring ill intent toward Mora's targets and loyalty to the crone herself would have time to get underground and hide. Potentially causing difficulty for years to come. No, bringing this so openly and publicly was not the proper play. Not to mention that it directly undermined Ryuko's rise to the seat of Raika-No, her coronation to the title of 'Queen'. To speak well of her, yet undermine what was probably one of  the most important events to herself as well as in the history of the Land of Lightning was not good for the twins image. This was someone who was Chuunin now? Tamwyn wouldn't doubt that they might have the potential to warrant the rank in terms of raw power. However mentally it was clear to even him that perhaps what had happened here was a hope that they might grow into the mentality needed of a Chuunin. So far, it didn't seem to be going well.

'She'll be quieted down shortly..Maybe even taken away. This isn't the time or place for this kind of thing and now with a crowd of Jashinists Ryuko will have to act quickly in order to prevent potentially massive casualties..' He thought to himself as he prepared himself to assist if necessary. Lightning chakra would coalesce through him and his eyes would become an even brighter yellow as he watched what was happening, priming his body to move to help if necessary.

Everything had been going so smoothly for the most part with the minor exception of Rini’s somewhat sour statement that Ryuko was starting to believe the rest of the day would go as planned as well.  Of course no sooner did she think that then things quickly started going sideways in the most unexpected of ways as the Twins began making a rather unexpected statement.

At first it seemed innocent enough as she threw her support behind the newly minted queen which would go a long way towards mending relationships between the two churches but then she went over the line by publicly calling out Mora, the person Ryuko had suspected as being behind the recent civil war in the first place.

“Flark” Ryuko muttered to herself as she made a motion of her hand for Damian to see signalling him to cut the broadcast.  She never felt more grateful for the foresight she had to put some safety measures in place in case the event went awry.  On the surface it was supposed to be live but the truth was that it was actually a deferred broadcast.   If someone said something they shouldn’t like what the Twins had just done it simply wouldn’t be sent out.

For a brief second she wondered if Nariko always had things this hard, then she began to wonder where she had gone wrong.  When she’d woken up and found out about the Civil war she’d just narrowly missed she’d been set to take down the Jashinist church herself until the Twins had talked her out of it.  They’d vowed to clean up the church themselves removing the corruption that had led the country to the brink of disaster.

Her mistake had been thinking they’d do so quietly. Moving in the shadows to clear out the garbage so the village wouldn’t have to air their own dirty laundry for the entire world to see.  She had never thought they would be impulsive enough to do so in such a public matter.   That one act was enough to make her slightly regret that she had promoted them in the first place if they were going to pull these kinds of stunts.

She thought she’d known them well but apparently two years apart had changed them more than she could have anticipated.   She still loved them dearly as members of her extended family but she was frustrated by their unwarranted actions just the same.  The only question now wasn’t what she should do to reprimand them but how to salvage the situation as she gestured to Shimiko to get her kids off the stage and get to the bottom of this.

Was the evidence real or fake?  Did it even matter when she knew that Mora had it out for her?   Either way it was a real shit show since they’d have to arrest Mora regardless and investigate.   Was this simply a pretext so she had an excuse to execute Mora or one to get the civil war to resume where it had left off.    

Ryuko’s brain felt like it had gone into overdrive trying to answer so many questions. Smoke practically oozing from her ears as she desperately tried to overclock it and come up with the optimal solution to move forward. One wrong move here and she’d trigger Civil war 2 Electric boogaloo.  The kingdom would crumble before it even got off the ground.

Mentally she turned to Rafaela for help only for the first Vestal to shrug and tell her that she’d warned the Priestess to save the forced opening of halo mode for an emergency.   Instead she’d blown it in an attempt to patch things up between herself and Shimiko in an attempt to talk Shimiko out of her bloodrage for Nozomi.

Now that she had to deal with this mess she was one her own. Or was she?   Hadn’t everything Rafaela taught her already shown her the path forward?  Hadn’t the Twins own words about forgiveness light the way?  With another gesture two of her Royal guards swooped in behind Mora. “This way please mam.” They asked as they escorted her to the stage.   As long as she didn’t resist they wouldn’t lay a finger on her.  

The others remained on guard. They knew who the ringleaders of the Jashinist were and stood with their hands on their weapons almost as if daring them to make a move.  For a moment silence reigned in the audience chamber as if the entire world was waiting with baited breath to hear what the queen would have to say next.  Mora stood quietly with her back straight, defiance burning in her eyes.

“Your silence is wearing Mora so it falls to me to summarize your achievements.  Under your reign as the Lady Superior the Civil war you sparked left the infrastructure of the village lying in tatters, Your worshipers reduced to  begging for scraps.” Ryuko said with a sneer speaking only loud enough for the people still on stage to hear but not the crowd.   To say things had not gone well for them was an understatement.   It was a minor miracle that the believers hadn’t been rounded up already and put into concentration camps and the ring leaders executed.

“Here we stand on the cusp of the day when you could have had almost everything that you wanted.  Nariko reluctantly allowed you to worship but you’ve never been recognized one a state level by the powers that be.”   That was why they had started the civil war in the first place.  Being allowed to worship openly without fear of prosecution wasn’t enough for them.

“But you had to get greedy didn’t you? It wasn’t enough to have SOME of the worshipers you had to have ALL of them.  At any point when you were plotting to kill me, Nariko and the Twins, did you ever stop to consider the costs your victory would bring?  Without our mightiest warriors how were you planning to defend the country when the combined forces of Konoha and Kiri inevitably came knocking?    How would you stand against the might of Honiko and the Society?” she asked scathingly.

Shimiko the champion of the church was undoubtedly strong but she would be one woman up against the entire world.  Ryuko had little doubt that the death of all those closest to her.  Her mentor, her sworn sister and her children would have a detrimental effect on her mental state leaving her vulnerable.   Heck for all she knew Shimiko would simply be the next person on the list having completed the task of rising Mora to supreme power.

Glancing at Shimiko’s clone that had been left behind she silently looked into her sister's eye, begging her twin tailed companion to trust her, to trust that what was about to happen next was nothing but a mere show for the benefit of the people still present even if it wasn’t being broadcast.    Then without a word of warning she drew her sword The Hakkin’s fang and swung it in one smooth motion holding the tips to Mora's neck threatening her.  

“By all rights I should have you executed for your crimes. I could send you to meet your god but no I don’t think I’ll give you that satisfaction just yet.” said Ryuko as she looked away from Mora and turned her back on her. Taking the sword away from her throat but keeping it handy just in case.   If the country wasn’t in such a precarious situation she would have been tempted to inflict the ultimate humiliation by having Mora put to death the same way a condemned Vestal was but now was not the time to indulge in petty grievances.

“There’s a reason I have kept you around for so long.  You are a competent warrior who’s bullying and intimidation keep those below you in check.  Your venomous aspirations define you as a threat but also one I can predict.”   Ryuko feared not the knife she knew would be coming but the ones she did not.

She could count on Mora to attempt to undermine her.  She knew the old bags tricks in and out and at this point in her life she was unlikely to be able to learn and adapt in ways the much younger Priestess wouldn’t be able to manage.   It was the younger fanatics that were much harder to predict. Fanatics that until now Mora had always kept in line.  The loss of her arm suggested that she was beginning to slip in the department however meaning her usefulness was coming to an end.

“Tis the thought of you in charge that kept me alert.  You see Leadership is not something I fear losing.  Tis something I dreaded you gaining.  In the moments when destiny lies ahead of me, you reminded me of the need to watch my back.  That was your importance to me Mora.” said Ryuko speaking in the past tense as if to confirm that was no longer the case.

“But that was then and this is now.   Let it be known that if the dogs of war were not on our doorstep that I would END YOU!  Further Division will not be tolerated”  warned Ryuko firmly as she finally put her sword away.   She was an idealist but she wasn’t soft.  

If Mora was going to say anything or not would never be known as Ryuko to cut her off since she still had more to say.  “Do not thank me. It is your own incompetence and poor judgment that have saved you this day.   Instead repay me.  Your all consuming hatred?  Use it!  Tired of the bone-deep chill of losing?  Then stand WITH me for it has never been a better time to be a member of kumokagure.” said the Queen firmly.    Whether or not Mora agreed she would have the files investigated and dealt with accordingly.  

According to their church Mora was Jashin's representative on earth but that didn’t mean she was above reprisal.  They just had to go about delivering though the proper procedures. If she really was guilty of treason she would consult with Shimiko about how the Church dealt with traitors.   She had a feeling given their bloody nature it would be a lot worse than excommunication.

Motioning for Mora to be taken back to her seat Ryuko returned to the podium to resume her speech as the camera’s began to roll once more. “To expand upon what I said about faith earlier, in this country up until now every person, ever clan has worshiped whatever gods they pleased. In addition to the faiths with the most believers, those being The Divine Church of Hakkin and  The Orthodox Church of Jashin there are those that worship buddisum or the godbeast said to protect the Unraikyo Valley.”

“There are also those who worship sea and mountain gods, as well. We all come from different clans and have grown up in different environments, so it’s very natural that things have turned out this way.” The people who lived in inland cities, in mountain villages, and in seaside towns all nodded in agreement with her words.  They lived in different places so it was a given that the things they feared and the things they worshiped would be different.

“This is a multiracial state. In our country the customs of many different groups have melted and mixed together, creating new forms of culture every day. I believe faith should be the same way. What this kingdom needs isn’t unity under one god. I think it’s the harmony that comes from recognizing the freedom of individuals to choose what they want to believe in. Just as you have beings in which you believe, so do others. I would like for all of you to accept that and to please be tolerant. If you are, I am sure that others will be tolerant of your beliefs as well.”

The people only half-believed what Ryuko said. In this country where the internet had not yet developed, they had limited knowledge of other religions. Basically they had no idea what was taught in the churches of other faiths. That was why they were doubtful.  Suspicion gave birth to monsters in dark places. Even if a group were simple mountain worshipers, those who were suspicious of them might think they were a secretive evil organization.  Ryuko being well educated was well aware of that.

“What do we need in order to cultivate that tolerance?” She asked. “Mutual understanding. No matter how I tell you to be tolerant of other faiths, we can’t accept evil religions that do things like sacrifice virgins in order to summon devils. I won’t ask you to be tolerant of such religions. However, I’m sure it’s hard to tell if another person’s religion is good or evil from the outside.”

Here Ryuko paused, and stressed  “And that’s why we’re nationalizing religion. I want the representatives of each faith-based organization to register their religion with the country. If you pass the examination, your religion will be recognized as a state religion, subject to further investigations once every few years.”  Of course it went without saying that the Church of Hakkin as already registered as well as the Chuch of Jashin thanks to Shimiko.

“The examination process is simple. You need only pledge not to engage in illegal activities such as killing, robbing others of their possessions, or engaging in sexual violence in the name of your religion.  Harming people is generally against the rules too, but some religions out there might engage in self-harm.”  

There were special provisions in place for the Jashinist similar to the terms that Nariko had given them. There would be no murdering of random homeless people off the streets.  That sort of stuff would not be tolerated.  Any Jashinest caught doing so would be held accountable according to the full extent of the law.

“For questions about the specific details, such as whether giving someone a tattoo constitutes harm, please consult your local authorities. I’ve provided them with specific guidelines, such as accepting things when people ask for it on their own.  But forbidding things when they are forced on people who don’t want them so please follow their directions.” she asked.

“If any religion can’t make this pledge or refuses to register, they will be dealt with by the authorities so please be aware of that. Our people would have trouble sleeping at night if people who follow such dangerous beliefs were allowed to live near them, I’m sure. I want you to understand this.” With all of that said, Ryuko took a deep breath. Then she continued on, as if speaking to each of her people personally.

“Finally, I believe that faith is something that exists for the living, not the dead. In order not to drag our sadness with us to live through the pains of our daily lives and to live our lives as good people, we should have faith. I pray that no person will be harmed by that faith.” she said reverntly as she cupped her hands before her face, closed her eyes and took a minute to actually sincerely pray.

I pray that no person will be harmed by that faith.  This was the thing that the new Queen most wanted to say.  Ever since the Honiko had appeared and burned down an entire village the people had had no end of  things to worry about.  

In times of turmoil like this religion became more active as the people’s hearts relied on it for support. When religion grew more active conflicts between different religions arose. The people’s support would turn into something that hurt them as seen in the recent civil war.  There might not have been many people in the kingdom who fully understood that. However with any luck her words would stick in their ears.

“The time for recriminations is over.  You are needed, ALL of you no matter your race, clan,  orientation or faith.   Only by working together can we build a better more prosperous future for ourselves and our children”   she said to close out her speech which received a warm round of applause.

As if trying to change the mood Ryuko clapped her hands. “Well, that’s enough serious talk for now. Now that every religion that registers will be becoming a state religion, we have a little event planned to celebrate.  Shimiko will explain.” said the Queen as she stepped aside from the podium to let her best friend take the central stage.  By starting with a Jashinist festival and making it a public holiday she hoped to heal the divide that been caused by the civial war and unify the new nation.  

[5]

Rini was in the back of the stage and could hear a little bit of what was going on. She closed her eyes and frowned. Always some sort of drama going on. These things couldn't just be normal without someone reaching for a station that they could never touch. It made sense that people would want to, but the Jashinists didn't have the power to affect change in Kumogakure unless they used someone actually strong enough to do something, and a normal person had no hope. Ryuko, Nariko, Shimiko, and Seid were among some of the strongest people in the world, let alone the village.

On top of that, Kumogakure's military was something former Raikage Nariko focused on heavily, rebuilding the nation from its plague losses with a military focus so that the nation remained relevant on the grand stage of the Major Nations. Today was not the day that a coup would manage to take hold. The whole thing reeked of a set up. Some sort of ploy from someone trying to take down the Jashinists, placing blame on them. Of course, Rini didn't care all that much. It made things easier. If Jashinism had taken a full hold of the village, she'd have participated in self interest, but it was much easier to just go about her day as a normal person.

ⵀⵓⵎⴰⵏⵙ ⴰⵔⴻ ⵉⵏⵜⴻⵔⴻⵙⵜⵉⵏⴳ ⵛⵔⴻⴰⵜⵓⵔⴻⵙ.

Chel appeared from Rini's wheelchair pocket. They seemed to be quite intrigued by the progression of events, unlike Rini. Despite how intelligent Chel was, they also knew that sometimes humans were unpredictable, and seeing how these things played out was always a joy.

ⵉ ⴷⵉⵙⴰⴳⵔⴻⴻ. ⵜⵀⴻⵢ ⴳⴻⵜ ⴱoⵔⵉⵏⴳ ⴰⵏⴷ pⵔⴻⴷⵉⵛⵜⴰⴱⵍⴻ. ⵎoⵙⵜ oⴼ ⵜⵀⴻⵎ ⴰⵔⴻⵏ'ⵜ ⵙⵎⴰⵔⵜ ⴻⵏoⵓⴳⵀ ⵜo ⴱⴻ pⴰⵔⵜⵉⵛⵓⵍⴰⵔⵍⵢ ⴻⵏⴳⴰⴳⵉⵏⴳ.

Chel shrugged at her response.

ⴻⵠⴻⵏ ⵙⵜⵉⵍⵍ

Nariko wouldn't have made the same decision, but she had enough tact to not disagree with her right away. Questioning Ryuko's first decisions as a leader could further split the nation, and it would need to be a private matter to talk through. They could discuss her decision to not give Mora any punitive measures later. She thought it was high time that the Jashinists had new leadership. The woman Mora tended to try and push her luck at any opportunity that presented itself to her. A person like that couldn't be trusted or relied upon when push came to shove.

From there, Nariko more or less remained silent, acting more as a security officer than anything else. Her time as Raikage was over, so she was able to focus a bit more on the practical things than the political things. Of course, she still needed to be fully aware of the political landscape, but she no longer needed to fully dedicate all of her efforts to it.

What was perhaps one of the best days of Shimiko's young life was quickly turning into the worst. Shimiko's smile faded when the Twins accused Mora as being the culprit behind the attempted assassination. Shimiko's jaw dropped. She was unable to hold back her shock even as thousands of people were watching. For a moment, the Twins' mother was frozen. She was caught between her heart and her God. It was as if she was in a trance. Shimiko watched as the twins handed over their "evidence." The sight of the paperwork was what made it all real to Shimiko. This wasn't an illusion, her Ketsuryagan was now active and she would be able to discern Genjutsu. This was reality. Years of ANBU training kicked into gear as Shimiko's body went on auto-pilot. In the blink of an eye, she zipped onto the stage moving at her maximum speed. The ANBU's movement would register as teleportation to the vast majority of viewers. She aimed to snatch the papers out of the Twins' hands before they could successfully turn them over. Shimiko wasn't sure what the hell was going on but she knew she had to deal with this before a Second Civil War was sparked.


Protect the Twins
Protect the Church
Protect Ryuko & Nariko
Protect Mora
Protect Kumo
Protect Myself


Her entire career Shimiko had tried to balance these commands. They were often contradictory but never before had they been pitted against each other to such a degree. She wasn't sure how she'd resolve this madness but she knew that she couldn't have the country watch what was about to happen. Shimiko pressed the Secret Service style microphone in her ear and stated: "Kill the feed" if she did not possess such items or technology then she'd give her ANBU subordinates a hand gesture that essentially meant "Shut it down." They'd be smart enough to know what she was referring to.

Ryuko had given the order before her so she expected the CEO to comply, but if he was resistant then the ANBU guards would approach Damien and instruct him to immediately terminate the broadcast. If he failed to do so in a timely manner, Shimiko would loose a bolt of black lightning at each of the drones. She'd then need to speak to Damien privately after all this was over. A conversation he ought not look forward to. Assuming the broadcast cut to commercial, blacked out, or did any of the things commonly associated with state suppression, Shimiko would then whisper another order:

"Do NOT move on Mora. That is an order. HOLD YOUR POSITION"

Shimiko would look at Ryuko and without exchanging a word each knew what they had to do. Shimiko would need to trust Ryuko not to do anything rash and in turn Ryuko would have to trust Shimiko to find out what the hell had gotten into her children. The kunoichi cast the Shadow Clone Jutsu and two copies of herself poofed into existence. Shimiko Clone 1 remained on the stage, armed with two Sai while the original Shimiko and Shimiko Clone 2 exited stage left. They wouldn't be leaving alone. Shimiko Clone 2 had grabbed Yui by his arm and practically dragged him away while the original Shimiko did much the same with Yua. The twins were then led in separate directions.

Clone 1 stayed behind and watched as Ryuko's Royal Guard approached Mora. The second they arrived, several Jashinists stood out of their seats and placed a hand on their ceremonial daggers. The daggers were mainly for show. They had been permitted entrance with these effects on the grounds that they bore religious significance. However, honorary weapon or no, they would use that and every tool in their arsenal to defend the Lady Superior if they had to. Mora's expression during the Twins' outburst was placid. She had not expected the sudden accusation and yet she did not appear surprised. Part of this was years of experience running an underground death cult and part of this was because she had expected the Queen to make some sort of play during her tenure. Mora just didn't think it would be so soon and so public. The Lady Superior turned her head to the Royal Guard squadron and waited a moment. Eventually, she rose out of her seat, exited the aisle, and walked down to the stage. She turned back to look at her fellow Jashinists as if to say Its alright.... She raised her hand slowly and lowered it as if telling them to sit down. The mass of ritual murderers obeyed but nearly all had a hand on their blades and a few had already formed seals. Shimiko watched her religious leader march down to the stage where Ryuko was.

The clone was ready to pounce should anyone make any unwelcome moves. She noticed that Mora did not appear angry, afraid, or even troubled by the sudden turn of events. She knew that Mora had learned how to keep cool under pressure but this level of Zen-like body language was unusual even for her. When Shimiko made eye contact with Mora, she tried to read the woman that had been like a grandmother to her.

.....Its not true right? It can't be....tell me its not!

She could get nothing from Mora's expression.

The whole affair was confusing. None of it made sense. Shimiko knew that Mora liked to push the envelope but there's no way that the Superior Sacristan would attempt so feeble an assassination of her darlings. And then on top of that to leave a paper trail so obvious that a pair of genin could acquire it? It was laughably stupid. Shimiko didn't want to fight but if Mora commanded her to take her away from the arena then the Chinoike was bound by the law of God to do as she said. The Seikyōkai was clear on this matter. No authority be they King or Commander out-ranked the Superior Sacristan. They were Jashin's voice on Earth and when they spoke the faithful listened. She wasn't ordering Shimiko to attack nor was she indicating that she was innocent. She was being totally silent and Shimiko guessed that Mora had a strategy in mind.

Shimiko had noticed the look Ryuko had given her. Like the Ecclesiarch before her, the Queen had an agenda of her own. When she drew her sword it took all of Shimiko's willpower to not instantly attack her best friend. To even threaten a Sacristan was worthy onto death. The only reason Shimiko did not act was because after all they had been through, after all they had sacrificed, Ryuko would not destroy their project before it began. This was supposed to be a day of renewal for the people of Lightning Country and Shimiko trusted Ryuko to preserve the original purpose of this celebration. The Jashinists were not so sure. They were now whispering amongst themselves. Some wanted to attack here and now. These hawks wanted to dislodge the heathens from power and complete what Sacristan Lee-hei had put into motion months ago. The more moderate among them urged caution and that a fight here and now would be the end of not just the Lightning Country but the Orthodoxy as well.


Meanwhile, the subject of attention didn't flinch at the presence of a sword so close to her neck. She eyed Ryuko as the girl chastized her for her greed and fanaticism. Mora was unmoved. Ryuko followed a strange God whose glory paled in comparison to her own. She had no idea what was going on but she suspected the Queen to have a hand in it. She had gotten to the Twins somehow. Judging from her disciple's concern, Sihimiko wasn't involved. She had practically schooled that girl in the faith. She was hopelessly dependent on Mora for spiritual fulfillment. She had gotten her hooks into Shimiko from a young age and ensured that every aspect of her life: love, work, family were all filtered through the prism that Mora had constructed for her. No....you are innocent my Defender....although I suppose it doesn't matter. Whoever is trying to frame me has roped in your Twins which makes you just as dangerous as if you really were my enemy. Mora guessed that Ryuko would let her go after a bit of a show. Both Jashinists on stage knew that after the Twins' revelation there was no way that Ryuko could let Mora walk away without a reprimand. She had just been declared Queen and if she allowed an accusation like that to stand then she might as well overthrow herself. She was projecting strength and that was the thread that held back the might of the Orthodoxy. Once the posturing had ceased, Mora would be excused. The woman would walk back to her seat without fanfare or emotion. When she sat, the Jashinists leaned in waiting for her to speak on what was to them a clear declaration of war. Mora's reply was quiet and uttered so low that only one of the Jashinists heard it.

"Someone is using our dear Twins and I know who.....守鶴. It will be dealt with in time."

Shimiko let out a sigh of relief as her religious leader walked away without a scratch on her. If Ryuko had drawn so much as a nick of blood then that would have been the end of it all. No Jashinist would forgive a direct assault on the Superior Sacristan's person. The Queen had played her hand just about as well as anyone could have. That didn't mean the outcome would be perfect. Of course the Orthodoxy would be livid. She had made them look weak and ineffectual in front of the whole country. Livefeed or no livefeed, word about this would spread across the country, across the continent even. Shimiko and Vik had barely cooled the Church's passions after the Civil War and this stunt was like rubbing hydrochloric acid in a fresh wound. Shimiko had no idea what Mora was thinking but she could guess that it was somewhere in the ballpark of revenge. It was a scary thought but she could deal with that. She had done so before under Nariko's request. What she could not deal with was an immediate hot civil war breaking out over unvetted evidence. The worst had been avoided and now it was up to her and Ryuko to keep the peace.

The rest of Ryuko's speech was conciliatory. She planned to give elevated status to religions that registered with the State. The Jashinists were loathe to share power with Buddhists but they could be sold on the idea if it meant acquiring more influence over the government. The proposal was sound and would hopefully unite the country's various religious sects. Shimiko had endorsed the plan when Ryuko had first pitched it to her but given the bombshell accusations of the past few minutes, Shimiko wasn't sure that it would be enough.

As if sensing her thoughts, Ryuko closed her speech and invited Shimiko to address the audience. She expected that she'd have to say a few words at this event about Kizzy Zikr but the recent ruckus had shaken her confidence. The clone desperately wanted to poof itself away from the situation and find out how the interrogation with the Twins was going. Unfortunately, Shimiko also knew that she could not leave her friend hanging at a time like this. She was the highest ranking Jashinist in the Kumo military. If she left now then there'd be little chance of mending the rift between the Orthodoxy and the Royal Government. She took a deep breath, said a quick prayer to Jashin, smiled, and stepped up to the podium.

Shimiko had always been a cute and charming girl. She wasn't the best public speaker in the world and politics were not her strong suit but she knew how to win people over. She gave her most genuine smile and tried to push past the doubt.

"...I'll keep my remarks brief. I think we've had more than enough excitement for one afternoon..." hopefully the crowd would laugh because if not then it'd be painfully awkward. Regardless of the result, Shimiko would project confidence in her voice as she held her head high and addressed the rather unpleasant business that had taken place in front of them. "The Lightning Country is a nation dear to my heart, my father helped found this village and my brother served as its Second Raikage. As a child, my one and only dream was to fight for this country....but my own ambition wasn't enough. It wasn't until I found my faith in God.....my faith in Jashin that I was able to stand shoulder to shoulder with some of the great shinobi on this stage..." Shimiko turned and gestured to her kin. They were all she had left in this world outside of the Church. "Nariko-sensei....Ryuko-sama....I don't know what just happened but I swear before Lord Jashin that I will not rest until the truth is uncovered. I've known Lady Mora since I was a child and I know of no woman of more pure character and fierce devotion to this country. I believe she is innocent.....but the people of Kumogakure deserve more than just my opinion. They deserve the truth. And they will have it....as God as my witness, THEY WILL HAVE IT."

Shimiko had to walk a very fine line. She was loyal to the Church but as ANBU Captain she could not appear to be biased. She had beaten both sides back into line after the Civil War. With Seigi's help, she had squashed those Jashinists that had refused to abide by the negotiated peace and she had slain the bigots that had aimed to harm her Church. She knew that many of the die-hards in the Orthodoxy such as Lee-hei would not be pleased with her milquetoast defense of Mora but the smarter ones would understand. Their faith was not popular and right now she was the best chance they had at a fair trial. Mora would understand as well but when Shimiko looked at her spiritual guide, she felt guilty. As if she had let the woman down. Shimiko faltered for a moment and found her place.

"....But today is not about conspiracies and assassinations. Its about a brighter future. Together. As Queen Ryuko Shizu Von Rose has stated the Kingdom of Thunder will enter a new period of religious pluralism and Her Grace has decided to honor the Orthodoxy by selecting Kizzy Zikr as the inaugural religious holiday of the new royal government!"

Many of the Jashinists were rather surprised at this. Some did not know what to make of this move. The Queen had given them the Land of Hot Springs one day, threatened their leader with a sword the next, and now was declaring one of their holy days a state holiday. Usually the cult was rather united in their response to events but for the first time in a long time there was genuine surprise and discord amongst them.

"For those of you who do not know, Kizzy Zikr is a holy day of gift-giving and friendship! Many of you might be skeptical but contrary to popular belief our faith is one of love and camaraderie. On the day of Kizzy Zikr we embrace our neighbors and encourage them to shed all fears. Fear of Failure, Fear of our enemies, Fear of Death. On this holy day we do not buy or sell weapons....rather we give them to each other as gifts." Shimiko conveniently left out the historical and liturgical reason for why Jashinists were not permitted to buy and sell weapons on Kizzy Zikr. "We feast, dance, and make merry thanking our Lord for each day he gives us but not fearing the day when he finally calls us home. To kick off this celebration, Blood, Blades, and Beyond will gift a weapon to any Kumo shinobi who asks regardless of the quality! We will not take one penny from you even the cost of the materials shall be covered! An armed shinobi is a strong shinobi! So let's come together and celebrate the birth of a new era for the people of Kaminari! God bless you all and God bless the Kingdom of Thunder!"

Shimiko smiled, bowed to the people whom she served, and walked off the stage. Once the clone was out of sight, she'd poof herself. She trusted Nariko and Ryuko to handle things from here. It was time to find out what had gotten into the Twins, and more importantly, whether it could be gotten out of them.

Exit

They were not shocked by the reaction of the crowd, however one thing did shock them, Ryuko having a promise to allow any religion to become a state one, this was the true goal of the twins, they knew the church could never be accepted the way it was. No it had to change but they also knew Mora and the leaders would never agree to change, in fact they would wage a war to prevent changes. This is why they made such a public accusation against Mora, they had to make it clear they did not stand with her or the leadership of the church. They had to make it clear they were not the same sort of monster she was, no they were quite different and knew in order to save Shimiko, in order to save their religion they had to destroy part of it.

As they were preparing to say something Shimiko quickly grabbed them and began to escort them out of the area, as they both had suspected she was angry but she likely would completely be wrong as to why they did this. She would think they betrayed the church and herself but in reality, they were doing everything to save both, in order to save Shimiko they would become the devil himself.

The pair were quickly gone, with all the commotion they had caused many likely hated them now, they did not care they had to do this, to save what was most important to themselves.

-Exit Thread-
EXP:50X5=250

Things turned interesting quickly. Assassination attempts, risk of civil war, drama over religion... Seigi would take a deep breath in from behind his mask.

"Chaos." He would mutter, shaking his head. The Lightning Kingdom was not off to a good start, or so Seigi first initially thought, but Shimiko would quickly take over the situation, dealing with the broadcast and announcing a new holiday all seemingly in one fell swoop.
"God, I don't know how she's kept this village together for so long..." Seigi would mutter to himself, chuckling at the thought. Placing his hands on his hips, would watch as Shimiko would exit off stage, the disguised ex-kage following her, but as she rounded a corner out of sight, she would disappear into a plume of smoke. Cursing under his breath, he would turn around, returning to his spot, continuing to watch Ryuko and make sure everything went well, but made a mental note to check on Shimiko later. He had a feeling that they had some business to take care of soon.

Damien could see the situation going dark the minute the twins cried out, by the time Ryuko had given him the signal to cut the feed he was already doing it knowing that this wouldn't end well. Ryuko had been smart in her suggestion of a deferred feed for mishaps such as this, the broadcast feed would cut off just before the twins outcry. All the drones would go to standby mode, rising higher into the air away from the people below. The live feed may have stopped however the the drones would continue to record from the safety of the rafters as the events transpired below, if for no other reason than for Ryuko to have her judgment recorded for any legal action she may take later. Damien couldn't help but smile when he saw shimiko press a finger to the earpiece, he had supplied Ryuko with the communication device that he had used in their first meeting. They were meant to be discreet, nearly invisible to the eye unless you were actually looking in the person's ear. Pressing her finger to it would do nothing but draw attention to the device, when in reality it was always active, every word said while the device was on would be heard by all the others on the channel. Of course he had given Ryuko a private secure channel that no one except those who she gave the code to would be able to access, not even him without some hijacking, so he wouldn't know what was actually said however when two Anbu showed up in front of him he knew exactly what she said. The male would point to the drones up in the rafters, "the feed was cut before the twins outburst, I will resume the feed only once Ryuko has signaled me to do so. Until then viewers will be seeing adverts for all the latest Darhk Industries designs." Damien's voice would hold a slight confidence, he wasn't speaking to the Anbu in front of him. He was speaking to Shimiko, who he knew could hear his words thanks to the devices her men wore.

With that situation handled Damien would turn to watch Ryuko and what happened next as while he can stop the rest of the world from hearing what the twins said, there was no way they could stop the people within the chamber from having heard it. He wondered what was going to happen next, but ultimately he would just lean against the wall until Ryuko gave him the signal again and he returned to the broadcasting the continued events. His stomach would turn at Shimiko's announcement of a holiday, great another event I will get dragged too the male thought to himself with a sigh.

Relaxing as the situation swiftly became handled and the twins were escorted from the room without anyone doing anything particularly fucking stupid. Tamwyn would lean against the back wall next to the door. His yellow eyes remaining wary and his body ready to move at a moments notice just in case. Ryuko's announcement regarding Kumogakure stance on religion, while some who knew him might think would make him angry. Actually did quite the opposite. His parents were killed by jashinists during the brief time they had been homeless years ago. He couldn't prove that of course, but there weren't many other reasons for them to have suddenly disappeared, and rumors of what the church had been doing were easy enough to hear about when you lived in the slums. The rules stated in the requirements for becoming a state religion clearly stated that harming others was not allowed. Although exceptions could be made for those that chose to harm themselves.

So let that bunch of psychos start sacrificing each other for all he cared. He'd be busy trying to make sure the homeless and the orphans weren't taken by them instead. Working to make sure they remained safe. After all if those rumors about what they had done when their religion wasn't legal were true. They might go right back to doing it given this turn of events. He'd listen to the nearby crowd as he leaned against the wall, one foot bent at the knew and against it. Listening to the whispers, the cheers, the laughter at Shimiko's joke. At the announcement of some kind of holy day named 'Kizzy Zikr' he would shrug. He wasn't about to accept a weapon made by one of them. He'd rather pay for one from someone he could trust.

"With the announcement of her new position, the promotions from earlier finished, and now the announcement of this holiday that's probably going to be it." Tamwyn would say to himself as he considered what to do. As one of Ryuko's students, he wasn't actually sure if he was allowed to leave right after the ceremony or if she'd want to talk to the team or not. He'd probably just end up waiting and seeing. It wouldn't take too much time either way and it would ensure he wasn't rude to his sensei and the new Queen of Thunder.

What in the ever-living hell was going on?

By now both Id and Mort were shocked, many Kurama were shocked, and unfortunately none of it was due to an electrical discharge. Those twins made some big claims, the jashinist head matron was accused and brought up for...well not a trial but a pretty clear warning. And then Shimiko and her taking the twins and her saying Kizzy Zikr was now the official holiday and Mort's brain was not able to keep up with all of this bullshit.

Taking several moments to assess the situation, he'd look to his fellow clan members. Next to none of them were happy by this development, even the ones who had ties to the orthodoxy. Having a religious holiday become an official part of a multi-religious state could lead to an imbalance between church and state, which could spark something very dangerous. With their new home nearly completed, they'd need to make preparations for this, just in case.

With Mort having finally sifted through what happened, he did wonder if he should accept the weapons being offered by Shimiko. He probably would just to have it, but it felt like a bribe, and he'd have to take a deeper look into the holiday after all of this was said and done. But he wouldn't leave the auditorium yet, no. Even if things had gotten a bit nuttier then normal, he was still a shinobi and a student of Ryuko. If he left now it'd show bad on her new rule.

El slipped from her spot near the back of the theater, finally growing frustrated by being stuck behind a few particularly freakishly large people and stepped outwards. She had seen and heard everything so far, but she was not about to try to draw attention or anything, and wanted to keep it that way. She noted Mort and Tamwyn, giving them a small wave now that she was in view finally, simply acknowledging them and then turning her attention back to center stage. She was still training to get better, stronger and more capable, but she was making progress, and respected them each in their own way. Things had started definitely getting better overall since she joined the team, and she was thankful they were able to put up with her antics enough to see that underneath it all, she was fiercely loyal, strong willed and dedicated to making the team better.

Turning her attention back to the stage, she waited patiently, immensely respectful to the proceedings and Ryuko herself for her achievement. It was nice to see how hard work was being rewarded, and gave her hope that despite her unique personality, she could one day reach the heights of the hierarchy in the Village. She didn't even dream of the trouble of a Raikage position for herself, but she definitely thought it was possible to make her way up to a position to be valuable to such a person. She hadn't had much ambition before joining the team, only focused on making it day to day and helping her mom to be able to put food on the table and repair the shack they lived in so it didn't leak too much when it rained. Now she was a valuable member of a team headed by the Raikage herself, and had dreams that she hadn't thought possible beforehand.

Listening closely to the proceedings, she could wipe the smile off her face, as hungry and predatory as it might have looked to others.

“Thank you for your kind explanation of Kizzy Zikr Shimiko.”   said Ryuko as she retook the podium once more.   “Tis is but the first of many celebrations to come.   In the coming days we will have many festivals and reverlys from other religions as well! “    She wanted them to know this wasn’t just favoritism.  

They were starting with the Jashinist because of the civil war and to heal the rift but they wouldn’t be neglecting other faiths.  They couldn’t do every holiday for every religion officially on a state level because if they did work would never get done but by cherry picking most interesting and fun events her people would have opportunities to  blow off steam and relax which were essential for a balanced lifestyle.   Plus drinking and partying had the added benefit of building commerady and bringing the community together.

“Before we bring this coronation to a close I have a couple of non exam related promotions to announce.    Tamywn and Mōtimā Midori-Okō Kurama please come forth” said Ryuko as she summoned her students to the stage.  She felt more than a little guilty for leaving Eli out but the truth was that the girl was a little bit behind the boys physically and would need some extra training  before she could be let loose on a higher level mission on her own.

“For your strength and ingenuity I declare you Chunnin!  Do either of you have anything you wish to say?” she asked as she stood to the side and gave them a platform to speak.   After what she’d said to them about setting a good example she was sure they wouldn’t say anything that would come off as rude like Rini had or Hakkin forbid pull a stunt like the Twins.

Once she was done she snapped her fingers and a curtain behind her was pulled back to reveal her lady in waiting Sophie sitting at a pair of drums.   Her other assistant Sister Washi scrambled over clutching a white Mandolin protectively in her arms that she held out for the Priestess to take.

“Thank you everyone for watching.  For the closing ceremony I’ve prepared a bit of light entertainment for you.” said the priestess as she began to strum her instrument and sign while Sophie provided an accompaniment.  It was a song more fitting for a Kage then a Queen but seeing as Ryuko was now both the sentiment behind what she was trying to say was the same.




Once the song was safely finished,  The queen handed off her guitar back to Sister Washi and opened up the Hakkinst bible that she had preplaced upon the altar. “To complete the day let us now discuss the meaning of love.” As was fit for the ending of the ceremony she spoke about how love was portrayed in the bible.

“Love is ultimately compassion for your partner. Tis is a splendid emotion. However, not all forms of love are ideal. Sometimes love can take ill forms. There are yanderes and Stalkers who have no compassion in their so-called love and thus only hurt others in the end.” The sad tales of love that  those types of people had brought about had been discussed in prior masses, so devout followers of Hakkin were very familiar with them.

“Love is splendid. Tis due to how splendid love is that there are many cases of lovers being so blinded they lose sight of their surroundings.  We must be thankful for the failures of our forebears and we must not repeat their mistakes. Always be compassionate for the one you love, do not lose sight of your surroundings. If you find yourself being consumed, find the opportunity to take a break. If you hold these lessons true, you shall find love to be a wonderful thing without any fault. That is how love should be, May your love be blessed.” At that Ryuko flashed a bright smile full of the love of her people.

“Love is compassion with a warm, enveloping embrace. Love brings about peace. Love is the source of power. The love of a parent protecting their children. The love of a guardian protecting the peace. The love of friends sharing their joy and laughing together. The love of a couple seeking each other. And finally the love of two who have been married, those who spend their lives together through the highs and lows.  Love is everything, Love is All!”


With that final declaration the ceremony was complete and a series of fireworks began to fire off in the sky as the light on the stage dimmed to signal that the show was now over and the crowd was free to leave and exit stage left.  Everything might not have gone exactly according to plan but it had been a historical day.  Ryuko briefly wondered how the other nations would react to the news.

[6]

Tamwyn would be struck silent for a moment as Ryuko sensei summoned him and Mort to the stage, citing the need to grant two more promotions. The pale haired lightning user obviously knew that they would be promoted to Chuunin then, for their sensei had all but said it would happen after their first meeting. Stating that both were far too talented to be wasted on simple D rank missions. Tamwyn himself had managed to actually hurt her with his opening salvo, although her poison had swiftly rendered his chakra inert and left himself on the verge of passing out. That was to be expected of course, she was head and shoulders stronger than him. Or at least, she certainly had been at the time. She probably still was, but he had certainly not been slouching since then. Already he had learned and mastered the techniques she had given him access to. He had even designed a few techniques himself that he hoped would surprise her the next time they sparred.

For now though, he had been called to the stage. Moving from his spot upon the wall by the door, Tamwyn would begin to walk down the center aisle toward the stage. His pace measured as the crowd turned toward him. Some would undoubtedly turn toward Mort as well. However he had to maintain a regal poise as a student to the newly named Queen Ryuko. He was expected to be stronger than others, expected to be better than others. Was expected to be worthy to be her student. No, now that his name had been announced here like this, everyone would be watching him and Mort, not just now, but always. He would have to be sure to always act with courtesy and dignity. He already did that mind you, but he would have to take extra pains to ensure he continued to do so. As he moved up the stairs to the stage, he would stride toward Ryuko and give her a respectful bow. At her question on if they had any words to say, in front of the countless people in the room, Tamwyn would give a bit of thought to it before nodding to himself.

If their eyes were going to be on him anyway, why not give them something to see?

"Yes my lady, I do." He would say himself, before turning to the crowd after taking the spot ceded by his sensei. "Many of you are only just hearing about me at this moment. Are only just seeing me for the first time, at this moment. I greet you, my name is Tamwyn. I have no family name. I'm an orphan from this village and have dedicated my life to it's service and protection." He would say, beginning his words with a greeting and small introduction about himself. "My goals are to rise into legend, and to become one of the great pillars that support this village and country. This country is changing, this day, this very event, proves that. I understand that change is frightening to some. I want all of you, every one of you, to understand however. That no matter what happens, no matter how frightening of a change this might be to some. That I, and others like myself will do all in our power to help you, guide you, and defend you through it. I accept this promotion, knowing that doing so will require me to go into more dangerous situations, for the betterment of the village and country. For those living within it's borders, relying upon those like myself, to guide and defend you. I will throw myself against the tide of your fears. I will stand dauntless guard for all that need it. I will stand, as a light for all who fear that dark tide." He would say, his words becoming quieter toward the end. During a brief moment of silence, he would activate one of his newest techniques.

It was a personal jutsu he created shortly after his teams formation. If they were 'Team Seraphim' then he decided that maybe he should have a jutsu that was themed to fit that aesthetic. The technique, once activated, would create six angelic wings of lightning from his back. Three pairs of two, the top most pair, would be three meters long. The middle pair would be two meters long, and the bottom pair would be one meter long. They allowed him to fly, and could strike things nearby as if they were extensions of his own body, only with more force behind it. Aesthetically, they were truly a sight to behold, and he used those visuals to maximum effect as he effectively cradled himself in the wings, wrapping them slightly around to show them off effectively while still keeping himself visible. The wings would truly make him appear to be a seraph, if without the halo that angels tended to wear, and the white uniform, since he wore almost exclusively black.

"Watch me." He would say now, his voice breaking any silence that might have settled. "Watch me, and those like me who defend our home from those who would see it fall to ruin. Watch us as we fight that fear that all people have within themselves. I, Tamwyn, 'The Seraph of Lightning' will do my part, will do all I can, to protect all who need it. Will do so until I fall, and someone else rises to take my place. I do so for my country, my home, for you, and for my Queen." He would say the last, turning to face Ryuko and dropping to one knee, becoming the first of all to kneel before her. His wings would move back and up, as if ready to propel him into the air, but he would of course make sure they didn't hit Mort, or anyone else who might be nearby. "My Queen you have honored me, by making me one of the first shinobi you've promoted during your reign as 'Queen'. I shall repay that kindness, by being the first to kneel before you. Hail Queen Ryuko!" He would say, the last being cried out with passion for any others to join in.

Once that was done, he would stand, dispersing his technique, the wings disappearing from existence, leaving faint arcs of electricity where they once were. He would listen to anything Mort might have to say before he would bow once more to Ryuko before stepping down from the stage, removing himself from the obvious view of everyone so that he wouldn't draw any attention from Ryuko's post ceremony entertainment. In fact, he would move right back to his previous location, striding up the aisle and leaning once more against the wall of the room, just inside the door. His yellow eyes scanning the crowd before settling back upon the stage as Ryuko was singing. He listened, to the performance, enjoying it but not outwardly showing any emotion. He had a lot of work ahead of him if he was going to fulfill those words he had said up there, and he couldn't wait to get started.

He would listen intently during her speech, taking in the words as he considered them and wondered whether or not he would find love. What he had with El so far was nice, and fun, but he wasn't sure it was love, would it become that? He didn't know, only the future could decide that. At his thought of her his yellow eyes would move to find her, if successful, they would linger on her for a time before moving off of her. His thoughts now turning to what his duties were now that the fireworks had begun. The first would be to ensure that Ryuko didn't need him for anything. Then he would get out there and train, as hard as he could. Moving back down the aisle when the ceremony was officially over. He would move over to the side of the stage and wait in the wings for her to have a moment for him to approach, wherever that might be. Once he had that moment, he would move toward, respectful before stopping and giving her a small smile. "I hope I did alright Ryuko-sensei. Do you need anything from me before I go train?" He would ask, his tone as always, polite.