Welcome to Gaia! ::

Several candles burned brightly on silver stands scattered throughout the room. They shed a meager light, just enough to illuminate the tightly locked-down room's contents. There was a threadbare armchair, one of its legs broken and roughly repaired with twine and nails. An enormous table, easily large enough to provide room for twenty. And upon that table were stacks upon stacks of books, scrolls, maps and other pieces of information. The centerpiece was a large map, held down at its four corners by a quartet of tacks tamped into the wood of the table itself. Obviously whoever had affixed the map was concerned more for convenience than for caring for such an antique table; those gouges would never be buffed out. The map itself showed the entirety of the known lands, each country or region colored a unique shade that had little to do with terrain or climate. Instead, the colors were a reference to the political climate, showing the various alliances that had formed between many of the assorted nations and villages.

Also on the map were a scattered of small wooden tokens that resembled chess pawns. Extremely plain, each bore a single band of color to match the nation they were affiliated with. Some were set upon their own nation's lands, others had encroached on a neighbor's, regardless of friend or foe status. What was intriguing was that this was a completely up to date representation of the current relations of the villages, along with their military deployments. What made this interesting was because there was nobody around to move the assorted pieces, nor was there any obvious way in or out of the room. There were no windows, nor a door. The candles were still burning bright, but there was enough excess wax gathered at the base of their stands to be the remnants of hundreds, if not thousands of candles.

The table, already impressive by the sheer wealth of data it offered, was only a pale shadow against what was the predominant feature of the room. That being an enormous craggy mass. Roughly seven feet wide and tall, it was a crude sphere, covered in a thick, scaly material that resembled nothing so much as immense scabs. The material would be cool to the touch, and a thick gathering of dust had formed on it, enough to prove it hadn't moved in quite some time. Yet, as unappealing and worthless as it seemed, this odd mass was actually quite important. Or rather, its contents were what was important. After all, it was the final product in an experiment that had taken generations of careful study and precise calculations. Decades of waiting, tempered only by momentary periods of frenzied activity, only to return to stasis once that time had run out. It was almost akin to a cicada's life span, repeated over and over again through the years. Indeed, that was precisely what it was supposed to be, though the interior did not house an insect.

One of the only other objects of note inside of the sealed room was an immense grandfather clock. Like the table, the clock was well-maintained despite seemingly being within a sealed room. It was easily eight feet tall, peeking just slightly over the top of the large cocoon. It's weights moved up and down rhythmically, even as it's pendulum swung back and forth in an easy, controlled arc. What made this clock so unique was that it was so much more than just a simple clock. Normally, the face of a clock was marked with twelve numbers, and an assortment of notches along the edges to mark the individual minutes beyond that. This clock's face was notably more complex. Several compass roses and what appeared to be graphic representations of geolabes covered the four quarters of the face. Each of them bore a single slender hand that hugged the face's surface, to slide under the minute and hour hands when in conflict. What they actually meant was impossible to determine, though as they bore minuscule symbols related to the Western Zodiac, their symbolism might be linked to the phases of the moon and the time of year.

Their meaning, while unclear, seemed to have great significance. For it was at that very moment that the clock started to chime. a deep, bass tone rolled out from it, much louder than any clock, even one that size, should properly produce. Likewise, it continued chiming, over and over, far past whatever hour of the day or night it actually was. Only when the chiming had grown loud enough to rattle the scattered pens and markers on the table did any real change occur.

The large cocoon shuddered, pulsed and then began shifting. As if something inside was now trying to break free. Not terribly fast, but insistent. Soon, several thin cracks appeared in the craggy surface, cracks that allowed the shell to buckle and break. As time passe4d, the cracks grew into fissures, soon causing large plates of the cocoon to break off and fall to the floor. Within was a thick layer of some kind of gel, a green the same shade as tree moss. Without warning, a hand broke through the sludge, fingers outstretched as if attempting to pull the rest of the body to freedom.

Over the next several minutes, a humanoid form managed to work it's way free of the cocoon it had been trapped within. Not an easy process, and certainly not a clean process. Thick gobs of the muck dripped off of them to pool and gather on the carpeted floor, likely ruining a priceless antique rug beyond repair. The still unknown figure paid no mind to their surroundings, instead they methodically worked at shucking off as much of the sludge as possible. Indeed, their movements were overly precise, as if their limbs were numb or especially uncoordinated. Eventually that coordination would stabilize, but not today. Today was reserved solely for cleaning up and fully waking up. After all, this nameless figure had been asleep for years, in a state of suspended animation. During which the world had gone right on spinning, without regard for it's errant passenger. Red eyes glittered with pent-up curiosity. Over what had happened to the world, and what was about to.

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It had taken some time, but eventually the freshly-awakened form had gained control of their movements. Once they had, they stretched, groaning at the feeling of tension in the small of their back. It made no difference that they had been in stasis rather than just sleeping, they still felt a deep-seated need to stretch their muscles and yawn hugely. Moving to the table, they looked down at the map, a hand reaching out to trace the assorted boundaries between the villages. They could easily spot the changes that had appeared since the last time they saw the map, enough to get a rough feel for the political climate even before moving on to the written reports.

Finally, they moved to the chair and took a seat, ignoring the small cloud of dust that arose from sitting down. Picking up the first sheaf of papers, they got started reading them without a word. After all, there was nobody around to talk to. As well, there was a very good chance that the last people she had spoken to before going to sleep were already dead. Either by old age or dangerous living, it didn't matter. They knew that human life was generally short, a mere blip when compared to the history of the lands themselves. A history they would use to full effect in their plans.

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Mayu sighed and leaned back in her chair. It had taken a full day to process all of the reports that had been prepared for her. She had no idea who was currently in charge of Project Mayfly, but they were keeping up with their duties well enough. Project Mayfly had been started back in the early days of the Great Ninja War. It had been put in motion shortly after the founding of the Hidden Sound. Rumor had it that Orochimaru himself had put forth the idea, but nobody knew for sure. Regardless, it had continued in secret, even many of the village's own citizens unaware of the project.

The project itself was centered on the innate potential of members of the Kagerou clan. Normally, their clan bloodline, or kekkei genkai, had them take a 'larval' form during the majority of their life, and only transcending to their 'mayfly' form for a brief moment. Many of the members of the clan only ever took that form once, due to the excessive strain that came with accessing such power. From that had come the goal of finding a way to make that form easier to access, and to survive to access again.

The infusion of data from the Curse Marks had led to a shocking development. A ninja who was 'infected' with a Curse Mark similarly gained a transformative state, and access to surprising power. Finding a way to use that to develop a hybrid of sorts, that had been the final goal of Project Mayfly. Mayu was only one of several experiments to that extent, and as far as she knew, the only one to have survived. And that, that was only due to the unusual extrapolation of the project's data that covered her specific experiment. That being to draw more heavily upon her clan's bloodline, to artificially amplify its presence in the hopes that it would then prove apparent enough to make the application of Curse Mark data more stable.

It had worked, to a certain degree. She did seem to have gained an impressively accelerated manifestation of her clan's abilities. Instead o just a larval form and a mayfly form, she had gained several interim forms. Each one released more power than the one before, each one tapped into the core of that almost unlimited power. But such power was not without cost. In fact, there were two major drawbacks that rendered her unsuitable for the project's purposes. The first was obvious, in that she had just emerged from it. Her clan was obviously similar to a cicada, and that extended to a long hibernation of sorts. At least for her. That was the primary reason she held no value to the project. Before she was considered ready for battle, she had entered her own hibernation. And as time passed, she showed no sign of emerging. But the project endured, even as its scientists and researchers were replaced. During that time, her progress was monitored with greater or lesser attention as times changed.

Even as times changed, the researchers maintained the lab that had been shut down and converted over to her storage. Current data was continuously funneled to the table, so that whenever she did awaken, she could get started on her true mission. That mission, of course, being to win the Great Ninja War. A war that had ended decades before. That didn't stop her, she merely shifted her priorities. In order to win the war, she had to ignite it anew. To do that, she needed as much accurate data of the various countries as possible. Only when she was sure of the various nations' loyalties, only then would she move into action.

Which brought her second flaw to light. This second flaw was considered relatively minor, as it would eventually be overcome, with proper training. Due to the successive layers of her limiting transformations, her agility and dexterity were lowered by a noticeable degree. To put it bluntly, she was slow. The first time she had emerged from her cocoon, she couldn't have outrun a paraplegic. Her initial form was so limited that she could barely move beyond a casual stroll, and even that taxed her efforts. But as she grew and matured, her later transformations would lessen this debilitation, and in time, she would gain a reasonable mastery of herself.

Which brought her to where she was now. No longer was she in that initial form, she had grown. Not to her final form, but closer. She could move at something akin to normal speed, enough that she could at least survive an actual battle. Now she could go out and fine-tune her knowledge even as she tested herself, to better prepare for her true calling. But first, first she had to finish digesting all of the data that had been left for her. Even if the earlier data had been converted into shorter notes in favor of a focus on current affairs, she was still processing several decades' worth of troop movements, conquests and defeats, political coups, successors and replacements, assassinations and elections, and everything else that made up the history of all the lands. It was an enormous amount of data to take in, but she was prepared for it. After all, it was what she had been created to do.

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The next day, she finally emerged from her sealed room. That was a process in and of itself. After all, due to the top-secret nature of Project Mayfly, she couldn't be held anywhere that was even remotely accessible to the outside world. Fortunately for her, a detailed guide to how to leave and return was included in the mountain of data she had been left. To leave, she had to access the hidden door built into the side of the room farthest from the table. This was done through a loose floorboard, which revealed a pressure-sensitive switch. That switch released a catch that kept the hidden door sealed, but only for a moment. She had to slip through quickly or she wouldn't be able to try again for another week. Now that she had gained more speed and agility, that was not an impossible task.

From there she had to maneuver down a completely dark hallway, working her way past several turns and sets of steps. The next step was a blank stone wall, which seemed resistant to any damage. Indeed, even if she were to use the Kagerou clan's strongest skill, it would barely crack the stone's rough surface. Instead, she had to follow a precise set of hand seals, and application of small bursts of chakra in certain locations. If done properly, this would cause the implanted jutsu to temporarily phase the stone out, allowing her to pass through and access the final step. If done wrong, she would pass through the stone, but only partway, before the jutsu would instantly revert. Such a fate would be undoubtedly lethal, having much of her insides forcibly merged with stone.

The last step was relatively easy, when compared to all the others. It was a metal security door, triple-hinged and reinforced, more akin to the door to a bank vault than anything else. It's only access panel was a simple metal box, one side covered with a slightly tacky square of a bluish-green substance. This was a scanner, designed to read the print of someone's entire hand. It also checked their chakra signature, to prevent an attacker from cutting off and using an authorized person's hand. There were not very many authorized personnel, only five at any given time. One being Mayu, of course.

Finally, Mayu emerged from the last step, and looked around. She was now in what seemed to be a simple peasant's hut, built into the side of a mountain. The mountain itself was almost completely hollow. Both from the sprawling complex devoted to Project Mayfly, and also to a limited section reserved for a mining operation. There were several rich veins of iron and gold, along with at least trace elements of other rare metals. It was mostly a cover for the complex, but it did provide some raw materials for the village's purposes.

She blinked as she stepped out of the single room cottage, finally feeling the sun on her skin for the first time in who knew how long. The air was fresh, she could tell it had rained recently, the distinctive scent filling the air with the aroma of fresh green things. After being cooped up for so long, there was nothing she would have liked better than to simply take a walk, to go out and actually experience the world itself. She would have a chance to do just that, but she'd have to stay devoted to her mission. Stoking the flames of warfare until it was a raging conflagration that would go on to consume all of the nations. At the same time, she would stay in contact with Project Mayfly, to monitor their preparedness for the second half of the plan. After all, they needed soldiers to win the war. Project Mayfly was hard at work, both recruiting and creating, more soldiers for the reserves of Hidden Sound. They would have the element of surprise, and the sheer weight of numbers to make the most of it. When the other nations became weakened from fighting each other, Project Mayfly's forces could swoop in and roll over them all, in one fell swoop.

For now, she merely had to work at putting together a web of contacts, to better initiate her plans for instigating hostilities between the nations. Find people who had their finger on the pulse of a nation, and she would find the prime moment to strike. Not that her efforts would ever be so bold as a straightforward attack. She would work from the shadows for the most part. Her own power would be best served as a method for eliminating anyone who became too close to her, or one who found out too much about her true purpose. She simply couldn't afford to leave any loose threads lying about, for an enemy to pick up and deduce what she was up to.

For now, though, there was only one thing on her mind. Food! She was starving, now that she had woken up and begun moving around. Part of the materials she had been left included a set of travelling clothes, and a fair amount of pocket money. With that taken into account, she looked like any other traveler, wandering into the village. She would be able to move around freely, unless someone was especially perceptive. So she set out, orienting herself on the village proper, eager to find a diner or restaurant, or whatever, as long as she could get a good meal.

The village was only a few miles away; she would get there before noon easily. As she proceeded, she marveled at just how fast she could move. Fast, compared to the crawl that she used to travel at, anyways. She enjoyed the feeling of a slight breeze as she continued at a brisk pace, and soon enough she could see and hear the village. The sounds of life, the sight of smoke coming from chimneys and farmers in the fields. A pastoral scene, one that would inevitably change to a more martial one when her plans came to fruition. But that would not be for some time yet.

After wandering the village for a time, she eventually found a bistro, an open-air cafe. Several small wrought-iron tables, each accompanied by a trio of chairs, were clustered around the building where the food was prepared. She was hungry enough that she didn't care to keep looking for another place, when she had found one that was perfectly suitable for her purposes. It wasn't too busy, only a few of the tables were occupied. At this time of day, it was too late for the breakfast crowd, but too early for the lunch crowd. That suited her just fine, she was more focused on filling her stomach, rather than eavesdropping on potential political dissidents.

She received an odd look when she placed her order, but she paid it no mind. As long as they served her meal, she didn't care if they thought it unusual that a single person had ordered such a large meal. She was just that hungry, and whatever she didn't eat now, she would save to eat later. So she got her tray, loaded with enough food for four, and took a seat, tucking in without delay. While she was ravenous, she didn't try to immediately gorge herself. Not just manners, that was just common sense. Choking on a half-chewed croissant would be a horribly ignoble way to die, regardless of her status as the hidden weapon of Hidden Sound.

All the same, she gradually became aware of a muttered conversation at an adjacent table. Keeping her focus on her food, she nonetheless attuned her hearing to the conversation, eavesdropping with no qualms. At first, it seemed to be ordinary gossip, but she didn't stop listening then, a decision that would prove to have far-reaching ramifications.

"Didja hear? There's been some kind of war games going on over in Hidden Mist, but they aren't supposed to be games at all! I heard that Mist is gearing up to attack some other village, no clue where. Hopefully not here, though!"

It took a noticeable act of will for Mayu to not react. Such a fortuitous twist of fate, for such valued information to fall so neatly into her lap. Oh, she was aware of the risk in believing information without getting it verified. She wouldn't act on it without looking into it herself. But merely finding a good avenue to begin her search was valuable in and of itself. Now she knew where to go next, and what to look into. With that decided, she dug into her meal once more, still working on satisfying her hunger.
[3624 + ??? = 3624 out of ??? ]

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Drago_the_Blackrose

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Drago_the_Blackrose

I could have sworn I posted this. D: