Dreams and Nightmare's Event Topic Part 2

Missions:

He was grow weary, restless, and above all desperate to see it all end. Okisho stood high atop a roof of the infamous Yamanaka theater, his mind a bit fogged from lack of sleep. It was getting to him, and the rest of the village. He had a feeling this wold happen, but what was he to do? If he slept, his own dreams would turn against him. The energy supplements in the village grew more scarcer  by the day. Everyone was trying escape their dreams, including the monsters within. Everyday, more and more citizens were being dragged out of their homes, taken to the hospital for study..., and research. Image that, each major district was becoming giant petri dishes. No one was safe, Okisho turns towards the east. His gaze dropping down while he leans over to see yet another innocent soul being carted off to the asylum. With no sleep, the village was on the verge of collapse. he sudden jolts forward, momentarily losing his sense of balance. However, he was luck to catch himself and remain as he was on top of the roof. He needed to sleep, and was thinking about taking a chance, one nap was all he needed. But he couldn't, he, along with the many other shinobi, needed to remain as they were. Awake.

Moments later, Okisho was seen heading back to HQ as instructed from his relief. Apparently there was new news about what was going on here. He was thankful, and a bit energetic too. The thought that there might be a way to stop all of this, a slight chance, was all that he needed to get him to where he was going. He walked with haste towards the admin building, he could risk leaping roof top to roof top in his current state. Judging by his peers along side him on ground level, he wasn't the only one keep their boots to the ground.

Finally arriving the front doors, he enters with haste to proceed to the meeting room. On his way there, he passes plenty of shinobi, some more familiar than others. His attire, Okisho is a minimalist, nothing too flashy and void of any logos. He is seen wearing a simple all light grey shirt, and a pair of dark navy-blue slacks which stop at the top of his ankles. A single ninja pouch concealed underneath his black shirt. The pouch his attached to his black leather belt, fastened on the back right side of his waist. His shoes are standard issued shinobi editions, revealing his toes and back ankles. His shinobi headband is tied tight against his forehead, but not so much to cause any discomfort.

When he reaches the room, it turned out to be much more different than he thought it wold be. There was no speaker, present, just a bunch of shinobi starring at a huge board laced with notes, tacks, and string. It looked like someone had pieced together a murder case and displayed out in the open for all to see. He managed to move up within eyesight to get a good view, it... was an update about a new rift opening up else where. It was just more bad news, more dread to fill the air. Was this the reason their wasn't a speaker present, or perhaps maybe the speaker was asleep.

A sudden alert went out, calling all shinobi nearby to respond to the many threats that seemed to have gathered near the market square. Even with the village at this current state, that area managed to retain its dense gathering of citizens. He rushes out too, ready to act. He wondered if he should take the back road, to avoid the cluster on the main road leading to the market? He could also use the roof tops, but he just couldn't, not in his state at least. He chooses to use the back road, his mind was made. After exiting to building, he takes the slightly longer road down the hill which took him around the west side of he market area. Eventually, he reaches the market, filled to the brim with beasts of many sorts

A roar was sent his way from a demonic lion roughly 25 meters away from the Uchiha. It wagged its demonic tail as it dipped down, seemingly ready to dash over and pounce on it's prey. Okisho, remaining as he were, eyes the lion, making direct eye contact. He weaves a set of hand signs, and launches forth stream of fire towards the lion as it charged. The lion, taking a direct hit, is hurled back further where he was previously located and slammed violently against a stone wall. Minor cracks on the wall, but the lion was for sure down for the count. Recovering form the rather short fight, Okisho finds himself surrounded by two more demonic creatures. Before he did anything else, he activates his two tomoe sharingan, his blank eyes ere replaced with crimson disc which spun two tomoe upon itself reveal. He continues to fight his way through the ranks of the demonic creatures.

After a much heated battle, the uchiha is seen taking in large breaths, winded from his many battles. He wasn't alone, the many brave shinobi that he fought along side were also winded. When would it end he wondered? They needed to find the source of it all and soon, before the damage caused by these rifts become permanent.

End of Nightmare's given

It had been several more days since the kids in dream fortresses had appeared, but the state of the village had only deteriorated in that time. Everyone was exhausted, on edge, and in the worst cases, delusional. No one wanted to sleep, because if they did, who knew what sort of dream beasts would manifest to terrorize them all. Sleep, of all things, seemed to be their greatest enemy. 'Maybe it wouldn't be an issue if only one person in this damn village could have a dream about something that's not a monster,' Jiro thought bitterly as he rubbed his weary eyes. His vision had started to go a little blurry sometimes, but it was clearly just a side effect of not resting properly. He chugged a can of cola that he'd chanced upon by pure luck, crushing it in his fist and dropping it into a bin as he followed a group of shinobi up into the administration building. He'd heard word of some sort of meeting that was to be held, but he wasn't sure of the details.

When he got there, all it turned out to be was a group of people standing around a large investigation board. He did recognize one out of the bunch - Okisho, the Uchiha he could never seem to get rid of. He stood near him, bumping his shoulder slightly and giving him a nod of greeting. Jiro's gaze flickered along the string and pins, maps and photos. The rifts were appearing in more places now - there were pins in every country on the map, not just the Land of Fire. Special attention seemed to have been made to the Land of Hotsprings, as Jiro saw a rather large pin there, along with some notes written in bold black ink. Supposedly, there was a rift even larger than those that came before it, which had set up dominion there. By the looks of things, though, they were still no closer to discovering its source.

While the group was talking and bantering back and forth about what to do (to no end), a sudden commotion arose outside. As they were all so packed in the room, it took some effort to squeeze through and get outside, and even then all Jiro heard was that there was trouble in the square. He sighed rubbing the back of his neck. He was going to have to work hard again, wasn't he. Grumbling slightly to himself, he took off at a jog down the road as soon as he had an opening.

When he got there, he saw that a new wave of large creatures had materialized, and he cursed his bad luck. More people must have fallen asleep, and this was the consequence. Well, there was nothing to do about it now. He'd just have to take care of the problem. With the others who had arrived to help, Jiro charged at a group of three creatures who looked like mutated gorillas. Thick, bristly hair covered their bodies in red, black, and silvery white. They had large fangs that protruded from lips pulled back in a snarl, drooling rabidly. Each of them also had two strong tails that thrashed and smashed threateningly. Jiro didn't have to be a genius to know that he was in for a tough fight.

He stepped backward as a powerful fist swung at his head, narrowly missing the bridge of his nose. The other two wasted no time in setting in on him, making him duck and dodge their blows in rapid succession. One misstep and he'd be in bad shape. Taking an opening, he dropped down low and swung his leg out, connecting powerfully with the ankles of the red gorilla and knocking it flat on its back. It bought him time, but little else. He grabbed the incoming wrist of the white gorilla, giving a loud shout as he heaved its whole body over his shoulder and slammed it down hard on top of the red one who was laying there. His eyes quickly darted over his shoulder, where he launched a powerful back kick into the stomach of the black gorilla, making it stumble back, winded.

He went on like this for what felt like ages, though in reality the fight lasted less than ten minutes. Somehow, Jiro managed to not get a concussion before he delivered the final heavy punch to the last gorilla's face. It stumbled and fell, motionless until it's body mysteriously evaporated. Jiro stood panting, his hands on his knees. As much as they seemed to be nothing more than chakra constructs, they sure were solid when you were fighting them. He saw Okisho across the square, having finished his own battle. Whatever this was... they could only hold it back for so long. They needed to get to the bottom of it, before they simply had no strength left to fight.
_______________________________________
WC: 819 | TMWC: 1,734/12,000

Tenshi was soaring through the skies with his faithful companion and summon, Rellgar. The Uchiha was exhausted, he was sore, he was irritated, but more than anything else, he was sad. Not about the situation in the village, as crazy as it was, he felt confident that they would get through it as they did with everything else. No, he was sad about something he had not yet vocalised to anyone else, even to Rellgar and the rest of the Ancient Red Dragons that he had formed a close bond to. He did not have the heart to tell them that this would likely be their last few days together. Things had to change, Tenshi had to get stronger, but he would be required to make several large sacrifices to achieve his goals. Instead, the young Uchiha had decided to spend more time with his companions, cherishing their last few days as partners. "You have been acting strange Tenshi, what is it? The other Defectors have noticed it also, has something happened to put you in a mood like this?" Rellgar asked as they soared through the skies above the village, patrolling the area for flying monsters from this 'Land of Dreams' as time passed.

Tenshi did not reply for a short while, somewhat due to how tired he was, but mostly due to the fact that he did not know how to respond. He wanted to confess the truth, but did not want to upset Rellgar or the others either. How could he relay such important information to them? They had all grown so close over the last year, how could he tell them that he would need to let them go now? He finally began to respond, "Rell, it is... um... there is something I need to tell you and I do not know how to put it. We... I... we need to st-" Suddenly, the loud caw from a messenger hawk filled the air as it swiftly approached the duo. Both surprised and grateful for the interruption, Tenshi stopped mid sentence and let the hawk land on his shoulder. It contained a summons for an important briefing to the Shinobi HQ. The hawk left just as quickly as it had arrived as Tenshi read over the note once more, looking for any reason not to finish the conversation that he and Rellgar had started. After relaying the instructions to the dragon, the duo changed course and began heading to the HQ, landing on the street next to it as Tenshi dismounted. "Do not think that our conversation is finished Tensh. I know that something is wrong and I will be expecting an explanation later." Rellgar growled before Tenshi dispelled him in a puff of smoke.

Sighing, the young Uchiha fixed up his appearance before making his way inside, albeit a bit shakily due to his lack of balance after having been in the sky for so long. As he entered, he was surprised to feel the tension in the room, it was not the usual set up, but desperate times DID call for desperate measures after all. He saw a couple of familiar faces when he walked in, one of which was his team mate's, Okisho Uchiha. The other was the young Nara boy that he had briefly met several days prior, when the dream monsters had initially attacked. He gave them both a silent nod and stood next to them as they all waited for their instructions. He said nothing, as Okisho was another person that he was yet to tell about his imminent changes. He hoped that his friend would not feel betrayed by his lack of communication on the matter, but it was something that Tenshi could not speak about just yet.

When the alert suddenly went out, the Shinobi around them began frantically moving around, preparing themselves for the imminent encounter. On the contrary, Tenshi moved at a normal pace, he had grown tired, both physically and mentally, of the hectic rush that had surrounded the Shinobi of the Leaf this past week. When he was outside, he quickly scanned the paths before him, deciding to follow Okisho, Tenshi also moved through the back roads, avoiding the majority of Shinobi and villagers on the main path. When they reached the market place, Tenshi quickly prepared himself for the large onslaught that would soon follow from the dozens on monsters in the area. As Okisho battled with lions and the young Nara boy fought with gorillas, Tenshi was rushed at by two rhinos, larger than any rhinos he had ever heard of before.

The battle was long and fierce, something that Tenshi's body was not currently prepared for, but Tenshi pushed through as he was slowly able to defeat his large horned opponents. He took the first rhino down with a Great Fireball Jutsu, engulfing it in flames. The second was trapped within his Summoning: Iron Maiden, its roars quickly stifled as the Maiden's spikes pierced throughout its body. Taking a moment to breath, Tenshi looked around and observed his fellow Shinobi continue to battle. A large swarm of hornet like insects were flying directly towards the young Nara boy as he continued his own battle. Their razer sharp stings seemed to shine in the sky as they directed themselves towards him. Quickly, Tenshi activated his Imitation Black Hole between the Nara and the oncoming hornets, ensuring that the boy was out of range of the technique. The hornets were quickly pulled towards the centre of the black hole, where they were devoured one at a time within its gaping maw. When all of them were gone and the rest of the dream monsters were defeated, Tenshi walked up to both Okisho and the Nara. He had a feeling that this was just the beginning of their struggles.

---

Okisho, standing there with the rest of his team, glanced out into the distance. The chaos was everywhere, but he remained vigilant with his squad. He glances back at his team, nodding at each of them, before heading off into the thick of it all. His determination fueled with the support of his team, the past shinobi who fought for these lands, and the duty placed upon him from the powers that be to press on. Descending down, he thinks back to the time when he met each of his teammates, he smirks at the fact that he never thought things would end up like this.

The clashing of metal, along with the tearing of flesh filled the war like zone for blocks. The villages seemed to be much different from before. It was the peace kept within that allowed law and order to remain. It seemed all but a distant memory now, replaced madness and desperation. Nevertheless, he endured the conflict and strife. They all did, for the sake of the village and its people. Okisho was seen roaming around in a party of four. They each cut down every beast that happened to appear before them. It was all basically muscle memory at this point, the enemy being the many. They came across more beasts than shinobi, the infestation was out of control. Along the path as to which the four traveled(new team or the same), Okisho formed a few hand signs, and launched a volley of miniature fireballs towards the fleet of demonic animals up ahead. The others launch their own jutsu and techniques, and with that the group finally dealt with the challenge. Okisho stopped to catch his breath, his lack of sleep was taking its toll. However, things had changed since then. Due to the emergency, the village issued out the remaining energy pills to the rest of the shinobi. Of course, more was being produced, but with the state of the world in decline, shipping across the borders almost seemingly stopped. only a handful of items made it past the borders. Mostly items from Sakura Corp.

Sakura Corp, for all your friendly shinobi needs!

Okisho retrieves two pills from his weapon pouch, eyeing them cautiously before ingesting them. He instantly feels the surge of energy as the feeling coursed throughout his entire body. He needed desperately, the strength to go on past his limits. He knew everyone got a few pills, as the higher ups were quite serious about this. He was now down to five pills. After a brief pause, he gives the signal that he was good to go. The team proceeds on, towards the next group of hostiles. Okisho was ready, to take on anything that was thrown at him.

As they arrived to the Hyuuga district, they were met by a huge beast that was as wide a single city block, it towered over most buildings, and possessed an aura that teemed with death. It's purple aura stretched outwards with the souls of from the land of nightmares. Ghosts, seeping outward towards the many citizens trying to get away. It was a hell hound, with a grin lusting for death. Okisho, with his Sharingan now activated, took in the large beats. It had quite the chakra, and seemed very powerful. He pursed his lips, thinking of a way he could take down this foe as quickly as possible. Whoever dreamed this being into existence, must have had one hell of a nightmare. Okisho, 100 meters away, witnesses its roar that was aimed towards his direction. As the roar traveled, it leveled many structures in his path. Trees were pulled from the earth, roads ripped apart, and even the very sky above separated. Before it could reach Okisho, The Uchiha forms a single hand sign and vanishes from his current position to avoid the assault.

The loud roar tore through everything and continued just a bit further from Okisho's last position before fading away. Okisho's new position was behind a large piece of debris that hid him from the sight of the large hell hound. This wasn't going to be easy as the beast's attack was very strong. It wasn't like the fortress he fought not to long ago with the kid. This attack was long range, and even more dangerous than a few fireballs. Okisho, thinking of a way to fight the beast, then felt the earth shake. His sharingan was active still, and decides to peek out towards the beast. As he did so, he sees a few other shinobi take the fight on to the beast, but they weren't ordinary shinobi.

The group of three shinobi worked as a team to defeat their target, and did so flawlessly within the gaze of Uchiha. The group of shinobi all sported black clothing, with grey flak jackets, shin and forearm guards, masks pertaining to various animals, and black cloaks. However, one wore a white cloak, which seemed to be directing the series of attacks. Not a wasted movement, everything was timed and executed as if they were of one hive mind. Okisho had never seen such flawless teamwork, the beast was currently occupied with the deadly trio, seemingly forgetting about Okisho and the rest of his team. He saw a few openings where he could have slipped in and aided. But he knew better not to get in the way of these professionals, it would only cause more confusion and disrupt the trio.

One by one, the beast's legs were brought down by a series of jutsu, from which Okisho analysed with his sharingan. They were powerful indeed, however, his sharingan wasn't mature enough to copy the techniques. A notable ability possessed by those with a three tomoe sharingan. It's what made the sharingan a prize to those hunting down Uchiha.

A loud shriek filled the air, everyone in the village could hear it. The hell hound then tipped over and collapsed on it's side. A loud thud surged through the ground. The beast was no more, down for the count. The trio of cloaked shinobi stood atop of their dead foe, seemingly scanning the area for more hostiles. What were they doing? Perhaps they were receiving new orders from HQ, or giving them? They vanished without a trace before he could come up with an answer. Regardless he was thankful. Thankful that he didn't have to deal with the large beast, and could reserve a bit of energy for the next fight. The entire village was all in this together, fighting for those who have fought in the past to protect this village. Okisho, after gathering himself, made his way towards the crash site of the beast, and surveyed the field for anyone who might have been caught in the attack. Surprisingly, no one was injured, not anybody was in site. Even with his sharingan, he sensed no active or dying chakra source within the rubble. Those guys before were good. He wondered if he would see them again?

Okisho was then seen traveling back to HQ, for his next assignment. He didn't know what it was, but he knew it was important. The letter he was given, was wrapped by red tape, which meant it was urgent. He still felt energized for the moment, so he took the alternative route and leaped from rooftop to rooftop as it was the quickest way.

End of Part 2

There he stood within the dense crowd, surrounded by faces both familiar and new. Today would be pivotal moment in the attack against the many beasts that ave plagued these lands in the past few days. The speaker spoke with much confidence, which uplifted the many, including Okisho himself, who struggled so much in the past few days. The lack of sleep, the seemingly endless waves of otherworldly monsters, was indeed a nightmare. He was thankful that he was paired with his fellow teammates and Jiro during those times, it assured him that he really wasn't alone in this. In fact, not many genin in the village get to be placed on teams. But, Okisho was. Tenshi, Himari, and even Onabi, they all were important to him, as well as the rest of the village. What they went through leading up to now, it was their past memories that carried Okisho along.

He perks up at the speaker who finished his breakdown of the mission details. Everyone was being split into two teams. The first half were those who were going to lead the assault head on against these beasts in the Land of dreams. Which, to Okisho's guess would put a smile on many faces. In order to enter the land of dreams, the certain chosen few would have to go to sleep first. Anyone would envy that right about that, who could blame them? It was much needed. The other half, would remain on guard to protect the "Dreamers" as they led the charge. They needed to deal with the monsters that used the dreamers as portals into our world from harming the host and anyone else they attempted to harm. Okisho actually found it a bit interesting, now that he understood how the beasts worked their way into the shinobi world. Not much could be said about the rifts, as the higher ups were still trying to grasp how and why they were forming. But one thing was for sure, it managed to reach all they way to the fire country.

Before he entered the admin building, where the meeting was held, he could see the violent rift that encamped the sky. It was a like a thunder storm, streaks of energy surging through he ethereal plane, flashing violently with each grow spurt it underwent. He, along with everyone else was quite worried about it at first glance. We all wondered if this was it, the world ending as it would be devoured by the rift.

Moments later, everyone was setting out to their assigned positions. Okisho wasn't on the vanguard, he was tasked with dealing protecting the dreamers from the monsters that manifested from their minds. The sleep would have been great, but orders were orders. No time to file a compliant, he smirks at the thought of somebody actually doing so in these times of crisis. He veers off towards the armor, planning to stock up on supplies and whatever else he could get his hands on. He needed to make sure he was well equipped for the job.

As he got to the armory, he browsed through the equipment, examining the many wares he found useful. Due to the village being in a state of emergency, everything was essential free. He stocked up on kunai, shuriken, tags, and even picked up a grey flak jacket that was about his size. It reminded him of the group of cloaked shinobi that took down the hell hound in the hyuuga district a few days ago. After he was well armed, he ventures off to the unit he was assigned to. He zipped across the may roof tops before him, after taking two more energy pills, he had three more left after consumption. Not only did his energy return to him, but his faith in the mission to be successful too.

As he arrived to the location, he sees a rather large purple tent set up in the middle of the market plaza. It housed a few shinobi who would venture off into the land of dreams, where as Okisho would remain in this world and fend of any beasts from attacking. Along with Okisho, there were five other shinobi there. Okisho then got into formation with the rest of the shinobi, on guard with his sharingan active and on full alert. So far, everything was calm, till a shimmer of light appeared off into the distance, roughly 5 meters away from him. It slowly began to form into a a beast roughly the size of a fully matured lion, in fact, it was a lion. He could even see the chakra within the beast slowly forming too.

"WHa- what are we waiting for!? Kill it, quick!", one of the shinobi yelled as he launched towards it and struck it with a preemptive strike. Okisho joined in as well, drawing a kunai from his pouch and striking at the lion with a downwards slash towards the top of it's skull. A couple others joined in as well, and to a success the lion disappears from existence before wreaking havoc on anyone nearby. As time pressed on, the area turned into a battered field fulled of blood, discarded weapons, and weary shinobi of the leaf who still stood amongst all the chaos. The dreamers were still safe, not a single beats made it past the six defenders. Okisho looks around, nodding hi head at a job well done. He figured it was over, for now, due not one beats appearing for about an hour. Was their a certain time or cool down between the waves of beast entering through he minds? Didn't matter, the leaf would remain as it was, strong and resilient.
---
Exit,
TMWC/ 4,901/12,000
TWC/ 3,112. Claiming 30,000 ryo, 149 AP, +61 Ap due to maxed stats, 60 Dream Tokens, and 1 Dream Weaver. 1,500 words for this, 1612/2063 words towards mastering this (no hand signs, and wc reduction due to maxed stats)

Once his sector was taken care of, Jiro regrouped with Tenshi and Okisho, clearly fatigued as his movements were starting to become sluggish. "We got 'em on the run," he blustered, even though he was winded and panting, wiping a bit of sweat from his chin with the bandages on his forearm. With a forceful yell, he takes off down the street, chasing down the last group of beasts with the others, smashing one high into the sky with a precise kick and punching several others into oblivion. The only thing keeping him going at this point was spite, and the stubbornness to never concede to the likes of mere dreams. Like hell he was gonna lay down and die over that.

The street now cleared, the group had stopped, and Jiro had a moment to catch his breath. "Why the fuck are there so many of them," he groaned, sitting on the ground for a moment. He saw Okisho eating a couple of energy pills from his pouch, reminding Jiro that he had some of his own on hand. Judging his current stamina reserves, he probably wouldn't last another big fight... With a sigh, Jiro reluctantly took a couple of the pills out of his own pouch, popping them into his mouth and chewing. His nose wrinkled slightly. He wasn't sure what these were made of exactly, but they always had the taste of bitter, herbal medicine, mixed with some kind of rich protein. He could probably find the recipe in some book at home. He remembered being told when he was young about the Nara's relationship to the forest and to the deer, and how many herbs and shed antlers were used to make strong medicines.

The pills swallowed, Jiro waited a moment before he started to feel vitality returning to his body, and he stood up with a large stretch. "Mannn, that's more like it. Good idea on those food pills... I was wiped." It turned out to be a wise choice in the end, as well. As Jiro tagged along with Okisho and the others toward the Hyuuga district, they were suddenly met with a horrifying sight. Just one hundred meters out, the most massive beast Jiro had ever seen stood atop an entire block of houses and shops, its chakra palpable and dreadfully eerie. It was a giant hell hound, complete with large fangs and claws, and it was positively oozing with an aura of death. To Jiro's dismay, the massive beast turned its head in the group's direction, and let out a deafening roar. It was unlike any sound Jiro had ever heard, and with it came a wave of destruction, practically leveling the town as far as the sound carried. Jiro's eyes widened as building started to crumble in front of his eyes, scrambling to dodge the blast as quickly as he could, ending up near Okisho and hiding behind some old rubble, his heart pounding out of his chest. "Holy shit" he breathed, clutching his chest and peering out at the dog of nightmares.

He saw the strange shinobi in cloaks arrive at the same moment Okisho did, and he watched as they cornered the hell hound, moving seamlessly in tandem to take it down. His eyebrows raised slightly, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe in the face of their skill. Whoever they were, they were leagues above him and his companions. He watched as the hell hound was inevitably beaten, and released a slow sigh of relief, leaning up against his slab of rubble and looking to the others, as if confirming with them, 'Did you see that shit?' He was glad not to be dead, frankly. It seemed that the reprieve was not to last for long though. A messenger arrived, carrying summon for them to appear at the administration building for a meeting immediately. Jiro just groaned, holding his head in disbelief. "Man, when are we gonna get a fuckin break huh?!" he shouted, before grumbling and following Okisho into town.

The administration building was overcrowded, as everyone came to listen to the announcement. The guy speaking to them was Jounin class at least, and had a resolute look about him - though anyone could see that even he was suffering from lack of sleep. The man spent some time giving them a pep talk, essentially. He spoke about their resilience, their determination and the strength of the Leaf. He seemed convinced that they would beat this thing, and it felt like the crowd wanted to believe him. That's when they started describing their plan.

In a few days time, they would gather groups of shinobi to travel into the land of dreams to attack the source head on. 'Is it the source though?' Jiro wondered, though he certainly didn't have any better ideas. Those who weren't sleeping, would be in charge of guarding the bodies of the unconscious, eliminating any threats that appeared near them as they slept. It seemed simple enough. When the meeting was adjourned, Jiro turned to Okisho and the others, crossing his arms a bit. ".. Do you think it'll work?" he questioned, a bit skeptical despite his best efforts to believe in the strength of their forces. ".. Well... If we want all of this to stop, I guess we don't have any other options, huh. I'm gonna go home, then... prepare. I'll see you guys around after, maybe. Good luck." With that, he gave a salute and turned out of the building, his mind heavy with many thoughts as he made his way toward home.

Maybe the hell scape that the village had become hadn't quite sunk in for him yet. He felt like there was some kind of barrier in place over his mind and his heart, guarding him from fully realizing the dire situation that they were all in. By all rights, many villagers had long since devolved into a sense of terror and panic. But Jiro didn't feel that. A strange sense of apathy washed over him when he saw the village in shambles, the vicious and horrific creatures attacking everything in sight. He fought because there was nothing else to do. Nothing else but to lay down and die, which was never an option. Not for him. The adrenaline of it kept him going, though. But he wondered why he didn't feel afraid, like so many others seemed to. He only felt annoyed that he was having to put out so much damn effort. Jiro sighed as he reached his house, sitting down on his porch steps and slipping off his sandals. His feet and legs were filthy... And so was the rest of him, to be honest. Maybe a hot bath wouldn't hurt...

He passed his father and mother in the sitting room. His father's eyes were bloodshot as he tried to stay awake by sitting at his shogi table, playing move after move with an invisible opponent. His mother sat at the tea table, her eyes glazed over, looking as if she could truly pass out at any moment. "I'm taking a bath," he said bluntly, his father's voice reaching him before he could round the corner. "Don't fall asleep," it said, and Jiro paused, considering his father's words. He'd be tempted... there was no denying that. But how much more trouble would he cause, then... He sighed out quietly, muttering. "Yeah, Oyaji.." He moved into the bathroom, clicking the door shut behind him. Undressing, he stood under the shower, letting the water flow through his hair for a while while his eyes slid out of focus. He couldn't sleep... but a bout of restful dissociation might hit the same way, if he was lucky. After a few moments, he scrubbed all of the dirt and grime of the outdoors off of his body, before climbing into the hot bath and sinking down, letting his eyes flutter closed and he let himself enjoy a nice, long soak. He'd take whatever comforts he could, today... soon, he'd be fighting again.

[A few days later]

The day had come. In an hour's time, Jiro would be standing guard for one of the Jounin tasked with infiltrating the land of dreams. 'Land of Nightmares,' Jiro corrected himself internally, as he walked toward the weapons shop to restock his supplies, gazing uneasily at the large, storm like rift that hovered over the village. The weapons shop served more like a supply station than an actual shop these days, reflective of the village's current state of emergency. But he wouldn't complain about not having to shell out Ryo. He grabbed a handful of kunai and shuriken, as well as some ninja wire and a ration of food pills, ingesting two of them. He needed to be extra alert, in case this plan went horribly wrong.

His stock replenished, Jiro made his way out to the village square, where he saw a series of sleep tents set up. The sleeper squad was already positioned inside, starting to get comfortable for their rest. Many of them wore relaxed expressions of sweet relief at the prospect of getting some proper sleep, but others understood the mission for what it was. They may be falling asleep, but they would not be resting. Jiro found the tent number that he'd been assigned, looking around to the others and nodding. Most of the tents seemed to have about five or six guards assigned to them. Jiro only hoped that would be enough.

When everyone had arrived, one by one, the Jounin started drifting off to sleep. The defender squads waited with bated breath, until seemingly all at once, creatures started to appear around the tents in shimmering flashes of light. Many of them were caught as they were still forming, and this seemed to be the most effective method of killing them off. Once they became solid, they started getting tougher to kill. Jiro worked with the others at his tent, taking point and pummeling anything that tried to escape the tent, as well as anything that tried to get in. It still wasn't super clear who the monsters' targets were, they seemed to be slaughtering indiscriminately. Or trying to, as the shinobi definitely seemed to have an upper hand in this battle. They were prepared, this time. They were no longer reacting to unwelcome foes, they were luring them out now. The ball was in their court, and together, they managed to beat off the creatures that spawned for what ended up amounting to a few hours. Jiro didn't know what the sleeper squad was facing, in the land of nightmares... or if it would end the blight. But slowly, less and less creatures spawned, until none more appeared at all. Even so, they would have to stay vigilant. As long as the sleeper squad remained asleep, more nightmares could continue coming to life. Until they woke up, nothing was certain.

[Exit]
_______________________________________
WC: 1,828 | TWC: 2,647 | TMWC: 6,729/12,000

Mission Claims: 30,000 Ryo, 149 AP, 60 Dream Tokens, 1 Dream Waiver

WC Claims:
+26 Stats (10 Vigor, 5 Speed, 11 Strength)
250 WC to Master Genjutsu Release (No Handseals) -> 2,397 left
500 WC to Rank Up Taijutsu Infusion from D to C -> 1,897 left
500 WC to Rank Up Leaf Whirlwind from D to C -> 1,397 left
500 WC to Rank Up Throat Chop from D to C -> 897 left
500 WC to Rank Up Tsuri-goshi from D to C -> 397 left
397 WC toward Rank Up of Leaf Gale (397/500) -> 0 left

It would seem like Konoha was on the verge of preparing for a war with another nation or some such with the increasing number of patrol units and squadrons on duty, constantly rotating between shifts and vanquishing creatures birthed from the abyss of the void. Each one is composed of typically three to four cells, usually with a medical-nin in tow in case the situation became dire, but rarely has that ever been the case thus far in recent times. A rift had opened a few days ago that unearthed one of the most vicious creations some shinobi beckoned was even a possibility of becoming reality. Reports recounted that the creature fought with the ferocity of an entire battalion of samurai, its maw dripping with saliva as it attempted to devour anything in sight. The foul beast's body was a serpentine-like dragon, although its head was shaped more like that of a wolf, with six wings protruding from its back.

The combined unit—which was composed of a half-dozen shinobi—managed to successfully contain the rift and the subsequent anomaly at large, of course, not without a few casualties along the way. Thankfully, none were fatal, but the number of such egregious entities appearing throughout Konoha had increased tenfold within the past few days. Each one was more dangerous than the last, with some being able to summon forth hundreds of smaller beasts that could be easily dispatched by any genin with a few well-placed kunai or shuriken. However, it was becoming increasingly apparent that this wasn't going to stop anytime soon unless someone found the source and dealt with it accordingly.

Today is no different, Himari—as the designated medical-nin—along with three other shinobi, Usami Hidekane, Takanashi Kitsu, and Horio Katachika, are all on guard duty toward the northwest section of Konohagakure no Sato. Apparently, according to the common folk in the area, several gargantuan beasts of the void emerged from yet again a void rift that opened up in the middle of a residential district. Thankfully, no one was killed or seriously injured during this event, but it's still a cause for concern nonetheless as more and more people are beginning to question if they're safe within their own homes anymore.

The four of them arrive at the scene of the incident, which is now being cordoned off by several jōnin. The area is cordoned off by yellow tape with a warning sign that reads "DO NOT CROSS" in big bold letters across its front. A few civilians are seen standing outside their homes with looks of concern on their faces as they watch the proceedings unfold before them.

Himari peers around the vicinity, noting how utterly trashed the place looks. There are several large craters in the ground where some buildings once stood and debris litters every inch of space available to look at. It seems that whatever came out of this rift wasn't just any ordinary creature but something far worse. She turns her attention toward one of the jōnin guarding the perimeter, who happens to be a woman named Furuta Kuni. She's wearing her usual attire consisting of a dark blue flak jacket over a black shirt with matching pants and sandals. Her face is covered by a mask similar to that of a fox with two red stripes running down either side of it, giving off an intimidating aura.

"What happened here? Was anyone hurt during this incident?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Kuni replies grimly. "There were several casualties during this attack, including civilians and even some Chūnin operatives who were sent in to deal with the situation."

Himari frowns at this news before nodding her head in understanding. She turns towards Usami Hidekane, a tall man who stands at about six feet tall with short spiky black hair and dark brown eyes. He wears a standard Konoha uniform consisting of a dark blue flak jacket over his shoulder pads and a pair of black pants. His hands are covered by black gloves. He looks over at Himari with concern written across his face as he speaks up. "What do you think we should do? Should we go after whatever caused this mess or should we wait for further orders?"

Himari ponders on this question for a moment before answering, "I think it would be best if we went after whoever—or whatever—caused this mess. If we can find out where they came from, then maybe we can stop them from causing any more harm to our village. Hopefully, we can find whatever's causing all of this in a jiffy and stop this once and for all." She turns towards the other two shinobi standing beside her and asks, "Do either of you have any objections to this plan?"

Takanashi Kitsu shakes her head no while Horio Katachika merely shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly. He doesn't seem too concerned about anything at the moment. Himari takes a deep breath and sighs heavily before saying, "Alright then... let's get going." She inquires Furata Kuni on the last known whereabouts of the creature that caused the ruckus and deduces that it's likely at large further inland toward the south side of this district. Thanking her, Himari and others dispatch toward its last known location. It doesn't take long before they reach their destination. They arrive at a large open field surrounded by trees and bushes on all sides. There are several broken branches scattered across the ground along with bits and pieces of debris from various buildings scattered everywhere. The area appears to be deserted for now, but there's no telling when another attack might occur again.

"So, what do we do now? Should we split up and search for clues or should we stick together?" Katachika asks curiously.

"Wait a moment," Himari performs the seal of confrontation as veins flex and bulge from the edges of either side of her eyes and travels toward them, and her featureless white eyes redefine themselves enough to partially outline the shape of her pupils. Her vision's scope renews and proffers a 360-degree field of inverted vision up to 100 meters from her position. If fortune favors her, she may learn whether these creatures are inheritors of the same chakra system that every other shinobi is gifted with. If not, it will prove to be a difficult endeavor to thoroughly track its location due to its preternatural nature. Scanning the maximum range of the cell's immediate perimeter, Himari detects an anomalous signature above the tree line at the edge of the field.

"I think I see something," Himari points out. "It's about 100 meters away from us." She instructs everyone to follow her toward the anomalous signature. As they approach closer, they notice that it's a small rift in space-time. The rift appears as a purple tear in reality that seems to lead into a void of nothingness beyond its edges. It's roughly two feet wide and three feet tall. There are several smaller rifts surrounding this main one, but they appear to be much smaller and less significant than this one.

"Is that another one of those rifts that's been popping up around the village?" Furata inquires with a hint of concern in his voice.

"I believe so, but," Himari appends honestly. "But I think we should investigate it further before we make any rash decisions." She advances along the treeline, walks up to the rift, and examines it closely. She can hear a faint humming sound coming from inside the rift. It sounds like someone speaking, but she can't make out what they're saying. "Maybe this might be where the beast Kinu mentioned before may have retreated into. Usami-san, Horio-san, can I ask you two to keep an eye on the outer perimeter of our current position? If you have any sensory Jutsu that can help detect anything unusual in advance, that's greatly appreciated. I'll keep a watch of this rift here in case anything jumps out and attacks us. Takanashi-san, can you relay a message to the administration facility to send any available Fūin specialists our way to seal this rift?"

"Sure thing!" Kitsu nods her head affirmatively. She quickly performs several hand signs before placing her hands together and shouting, "Summoning Jutsu!" A puff of smoke appears in front of her as a large white bird materializes from thin air. The bird looks at her curiously before flying off toward Konoha's central administration building.

Himari turns her attention back toward the rift and begins examining it further. She notices that there are several strange symbols etched into its surface. They seem to be written in some sort of language that she doesn't recognize. "I wonder what these mean..." She mumbles quietly to herself. She reaches out to touch one of the symbols when suddenly, the rift starts glowing brightly and emits a loud buzzing noise. Himari quickly pulls away from it and backs off slightly. A dark figure emerges from within the rift, causing everyone present to freeze in place, as it reaches out for Himari's arm.

Himari jumps back just in time as the creature lunges forward at her with its claws extended. It misses her by a hair's breadth and lands on the ground next to her instead. She looks down at it curiously and notices that it resembles a large insectoid creature with six limbs and a long tail. Its body appears to be covered in some sort of black armor plating that seems to be made of metal or plastic material. Its head is shaped like a skull with two horns protruding from its forehead. It has two large compound eyes that are glowing red with no pupils visible inside them.

The creature stands up and turns toward Himari, staring directly into her eyes before speaking in an eerie voice that echoes deep within her conscience. "You... you are different from the rest... You possess something unique... something special within yourself... Something that makes you stand out amongst all others." It takes a step forward towards Himari as she backs away slowly, keeping her distance from the creature. "Come closer, child... I wish to know more about you..." The creature extends one of its claws towards Himari as it continues speaking in a soft tone. "I sense great power within you... A power unlike any other I have encountered before... Come closer... Let me see what lies hidden deep within your soul..."

"Nope!Nuh-uh! No way!" Himari answers immediately, shaking her head and continuing to back away from the creature, but the creature itself is more fleet-footed. It hooks its arm around her waist and pulls her close, pressing its cold metallic body against hers. She struggles against its grip as it holds her tightly against itself. She tries to break free from its grasp, but the creature's grip is too strong for her to escape from. "Let go! Let go of me!" She screams, hoping that someone nearby might hear her cries for help. The creature ignores her pleas and begins dragging her towards the rift. She continues struggling against its grip as she tries to break free, but the creature's grip is too tight for her to escape from. "Help! Somebody help me!" She screams again as she tries desperately to get away from the creature.

"Himari!" Kitsu shouts in concern as she rushes toward her squadmate, only to be intercepted by another one of those creatures. It blocks her path and growls menacingly at her. She quickly performs several hand signs and shouts, "Summoning Jutsu!" A puff of smoke appears in front of her as a large white bird materializes from thin air. The bird looks at her curiously before flying towards Himari's assailant.

The creature turns its attention towards the bird and swipes at it with its claws. The bird dodges easily and flies past the creature, heading straight towards Himari and the eldritch abomination. The creature tries to grab the bird but misses completely as it flies past its grasp. The bird lands next to Himari and begins pecking at the creature's armor plating. The creature roars angrily as it tries to attack the bird, but misses again as the bird continues pecking at its armor plating.

The creature slashes at the bird with one of its claws and manages to cut into its flesh. The bird cries out in pain as blood drips from its wound onto the ground below. The creature continues attacking the bird until finally, it manages to strike a blow that sends the poor creature flying through the air before crashing into a nearby tree trunk. The creature then slinks back into the endless thrums of space and time, leaving behind only an empty void in its wake, barely before the sealing specialists could arrive at the scene to provide further aid.

Himari's eyesight is bombarded by visions of chaos, disorder, and entropy without any sense of rhyme or reason to them. This is further exponentiated by the fact that her Byakugan remains active, providing her the perspective as though she were within a dreamscape within another dream as if watching from afar as an observer of the events unfolding before her. She can't make sense of what she's seeing or hearing, but she knows that it's something terrible.

She tries to focus on what's happening around her and notices that everything seems blurry and distorted. She quickly deactivates her Byakugan in an attempt to keep her consciousness and unconsciousness intact and not let her mind drift into scenarios that could otherwise place her in grave danger. She can barely make out anything except for vague shapes moving around in front of her. She tries to move her body but finds that she can't move at all. She feels paralyzed, unable to control herself as she watches helplessly as the world around her crumbles into oblivion.

And then...

The sense of weightlessness disappears as the world around her rematerializes and lands on something cushiony. Himari finds herself lying down on a soft surface with her arms wrapped tightly around her body. She opens her eyes slowly and looks around, trying to get her bearings. She notices that she's lying in a bed surrounded by four walls made out of stone. The walls are covered in strange symbols that seem to be glowing faintly in the darkness surrounding them. She sits up and notices that there's a door leading into another room directly across from where she's sitting.

Himari stands up slowly and walks toward the door, opening it carefully as she peers inside. A bright light shines through the doorway, illuminating the room beyond. She steps inside cautiously, looking around for anything familiar or recognizable. The first thing she notices is that everything seems different than what she remembers. The floor is made out of smooth white marble tiles instead of dirt or grass, and the walls are painted with intricate murals depicting various scenes from history. There are also large windows lining the walls that allow natural sunlight to enter the room.

She continues walking further into the room until she reaches a staircase leading up to another level above her. She climbs up the stairs slowly and finds herself standing in front of a huge wooden door decorated with intricate carvings and symbols. She opens it slowly and steps inside, looking around curiously at everything around her.

"Where am I?" She asks herself quietly as she continues exploring the strange new place around her. "What is this place? How did I get here?"

She walks through several corridors before finally coming across another set of stairs leading downwards into darkness. She descends carefully, making sure not to trip or fall over anything as she goes. After a few minutes, she reaches the bottom of the stairs and finds herself standing in a large room filled with candles burning brightly in sconces along the walls. The flames cast eerie shadows across everything around her. She takes a step forward and looks around nervously as she tries to figure out where exactly she is right now.

Himari looks at all of the candles burning brightly along the walls and wonders why they're lit up like this when nobody else seems to be around. She continues exploring the room until she reaches a door that leads further into the darkness beyond the entryway and hears a commanding voice.

"Step forward, Child of Man. Do not be afraid."

Himari hesitates for a moment before taking another step forward towards the voice. She stops when she reaches the edge of the room, looking down into an abyss below her feet. There's nothing but darkness below her, but there's also something else down there too. Something big and powerful. Something that makes her feel uneasy just thinking about it. She looks back towards where she came from and sees nothing but more darkness behind her as well.

"Come closer," The voice commands again, sounding impatient now. "Come closer so that I may see you better."

Himari takes another step forward toward the voice, still feeling nervous about what might happen next. She continues walking until she reaches what appears to be a gothic, stone-hedged courtroom with a large throne at its center with four other thrones in pairs at either side. The room is filled with candles burning brightly in sconces along both sides of the walls. There are also five other figures sitting around the room as well, all dressed in dark robes and wearing masks covering their faces. Some of them look human while others appear more monstrous in appearance.

The figure sitting upon the large throne is tall and physically imposing—likely standing well above 10 feet, adorned with a black suit of armor with a long black cape with gold trimmings and a helmet with tall horns. Himari could see two beady orbs of white glowing through the helmet's sockets. He looks directly at Himari and beckons her closer. She hesitantly walks towards him, unsure of what exactly she's supposed to do now or where this is going to lead her, and stops approximately 10 meters from each other.

"Welcome, Child of Man. To our abode. The Heart of the Void. The Land of Dreams—or as you mortals like to call it—The Land of Nightmares." The masculine voice gestures to the nebulous purple-and-black ocean that swims seamlessly and without a natural flow or direction in the distance. "I am the Lord of the Dreamscape—the one who rules over all that is within this realm... You're here because you have something we need," The figure replies, his tone sounding slightly annoyed now. "And if you don't give it to us willingly... Well then, we'll simply take it by force."

Himari steps back in fright at the creature's words. She looks around nervously for a moment before turning back towards him again. She stares at him intently for several seconds before finally speaking up again. "What do you mean? What do you want from me?" She asks nervously as she continues staring at him with wide eyes.

He chuckles softly and shakes his head slightly, rising from his throne. "I think you already know what I want, Child of Man... You understand that we, as beings from the dreamscape, sustain ourselves upon that which you mortals conjure in your minds when you rest. We are beings that feed upon the very essence of dreams itself. And it appears that our worlds have become tethered. A sacred bond that keeps dreams from reality and reality from dreams." He raises his hand and snaps his fingers. The scenery that surrounds the conglomerate shifts and changes to a vast plain of white sand with a clear blue sky overhead and an endless horizon in all directions. "We are creatures of the dreamscape—beings of pure imagination—and yet we're trapped within this realm of reality. It is a prison, and we seek to escape it. And now that you've entered this domain, you've become our only hope for salvation..."

"Wait, but, I can't let you do that!" Himari protests. "Aren't dreams meant to be a way to pleasant? To be an escape from things that make life difficult? Wouldn't you be endangering everyone else in the process? What would happen if everyone's dreams were made real?"

"Ah, but you see... Dreams are also a reflection of reality. They show us what could be and what might have been. And when those dreams turn into nightmares, they can become dangerous. They can even destroy entire worlds." The figure replies calmly as he gestures to the rest of his constituents to rise from their seats. "And so, we must take drastic measures if we're going to survive this crisis... If we don't, then everything will end."

"I don't understand," Himari replies, shaking her head slightly in confusion. "How does this relate to me?"

"You're special, Child of Man... You're one of the few who have managed to enter our realm without being consumed by its power. You've been granted access to a part of yourself that most people never even realize exists—the part of you that connects directly to the dreamscape itself." He explains as he begins walking towards her slowly with a slight grin on his lips beneath the eerie helmet. "And because of that connection... You can do things that others cannot. You can see things others cannot. And you can change things others cannot. You are a child of man—a mortal—yet you possess abilities that surpass even our own..."

He stops in front of Himari and reaches to rest his index finger against Himari's forehead, to which the latter instinctively swats it away and leaps backward another five meters. She stares at him warily for several seconds before finally speaking up again after analytically taking note of the situation she's found herself in. "I'm not going to help you ruin my home for your selfish wish!" She bellows, assuming a relaxed and focused posture with her legs slightly apart and her arms in a guard position, with the hands open and fingers extended. "I won't let you destroy everything I've ever known just because you want to escape this world! If there's one thing I've learned from my life as a kunoichi so far, it's that nothing is more important than protecting those who matter most... Even if it means sacrificing everything else."

"You're a fool, Child of Man... You don't realize what we're trying to save. This world has become corrupted by the darkness that surrounds it—the very same darkness that threatens to consume us all. We are merely trying to prevent such an event from happening... And yet you would deny us this?" The figure replies calmly as he slowly begins walking towards her again. "If you truly wish to protect your home, then perhaps you should reconsider your stance..."

"I won't let you destroy anything else!" Himari shouts angrily as she charges at the figure with her fists raised high above her head. "You'll have to get through me first!" She swings her fist forward in an attempt to strike his helmet, but phases past him. He then effortlessly grabs the young Hyūga's arm with an iron grip.

The Lord of the Dreamscape chuckles softly as he squeezes Himari's arm tightly and lifts her off the ground by it. "Foolish child... Do you think I'm so weak that I can be defeated by mere physical force alone? Your attacks are useless against me... For I am a being beyond mortal comprehension." He releases Himari's arm, sending her flying backward through the air. She lands hard on her back and skids across the sandy ground for several meters before finally stopping.

Himari groans in pain as she slowly sits up and looks around at where she is now. She notices that the area around her has changed completely from what it was before—the landscape is now covered in sand instead of grass, and there are large rocks everywhere instead of trees or buildings. The sky above is also different from before—it's no longer blue, but instead a dark purple color with swirling clouds covering most of it. "W-What happened...?" She mutters quietly to herself as she tries to figure out how she ended up here.

"You've entered my realm, Child of Man... And now you shall face its consequences..." The disembodied voice of the figure replies calmly. The landscape around her sways and bends within itself as the roots of the trees rise and the sand beneath her feet shifts—and all at once—they strike out at the young kunoichi at an alarming speed. Naturally, her body reflexes dodges out of the way from the darting roots and the gnawing sands that would otherwise since her beneath them. At least, that's how laws of reality would function. Instead, she finds herself paralyzed in the moment as her body refuses to abide by the neurological signals to induce movement as the roots coil themselves around her, creaking and cracking, threatening to crush her.

She struggles futilely against the bonds of nature that hold her in place as they slowly begin to tighten around her arms and legs. The sand beneath her feet slowly begins to swallow her, starting from the ankles and working their way up toward the crown of her head. Himari's mind races frantically as she desperately tries to come up with a way to escape before it's too late. She closes her eyes tightly and concentrates hard on trying to break free from the grip of the vines.

The Lord of the Dreamscape chuckles softly at Himari's futile attempts to escape. "Foolish child... You can't escape this realm without my permission..." He taunts, his tone filled with amusement at Himari's predicament. "And even if you did somehow manage to escape, there's nowhere for you to go... This place is endless—a never-ending void where nothing exists except for me and my minions..."

It looked as though all was lost for Himari. She was trapped inside an endless void with no way out and no hope of ever escaping alive. She closed her eyes tightly and tried not to think about how hopeless her situation was. Suddenly, in her moment of clarity, she recalls something important. If she could just control her own dreams by elevation from her unconsciousness to her consciousness, then perhaps she might be able to escape from this nightmare after all and steal the rains from the disembodied figure... She focuses hard on trying to break free from the grip of the vines once again. This time, however, she doesn't try to force them off her body—instead, she simply imagines them disappearing entirely.

Himari opens her eyes slowly as she feels the roots release their hold on her body. She looks down at herself and notices that layers of sand are gone completely—as if they'd never existed in the first place—and are replaced with a meadow with soft blades of grass and various flowers. The sky above is clear and blue once more, and the sun shines brightly overhead. She smiles happily as she realizes that she managed to escape from her prison after all.

The Lord of the Dreamscape chuckles softly as he watches Himari's reaction to being freed from his grasp and rematerializes himself before her from a grotesque, undulating rift. "You're quite clever for a mortal... But I'm afraid that won't be enough to save you..." He replies calmly as he slowly begins approaching her again. "You see, Child of Man... You may have escaped my grasp temporarily, but I assure you that it won't happen again... I'll make sure that you never escape this realm alive..."

Himari turns around quickly and notices the figure standing behind her and the two, along with his minions who provide aid intermittently, wage a war of limitless imagination. The Lord of the Dreamscape summons various creatures and objects to fight against Himari, such as giant monsters made of rock, trees that move around on their own, and even entire buildings that appear out of nowhere. Himari uses her imagination to, instead, continually re-create each of Dreamscape Lord's summons and transform them into harmless things like flowers or butterflies.

The Lord of the Dreamscape laughs maniacally as he watches Himari struggle against his creations. "You're wasting your energy, Child of Man... You can't defeat me by simply changing my creations into something else... I am the ruler of this realm—the master of all dreams! Nothing you do will ever be enough to stop me..." He taunts, grinning maliciously beneath his helmet at the young kunoichi before him.

Himari grimaces angrily as she continues fighting against the Lord of the Dreamscape's creations. She knows that there must be some way for her to defeat him, but she can't seem to figure it out no matter how hard she tries... She thinks back on all the things she's learned about dreams during her life as a shinobi and suddenly realizes something important.

"If I can't do anything about it, then maybe..." She whispers, using the amalgamation of the Lord of Dream's creations, funneling them together and weaving an inversion of himself, adorned in a milk-white suit of armor with a long white cape with gold trimmings and a helmet with a halo that floats above it. "Then maybe my friend here can balance things out for me, instead!" She smiles with renewed confidence, her hands and arms akimbo as her newest creation behind her gestures with both hands as a radiant glow illuminates the space around them, consuming the void-esque aesthetic that otherwise looms around them.

The Lord of the Dreamscape laughs mockingly at Himari's attempt to defeat him. "You're wasting your energy, Child of Man... There's nothing you can do against me... I am the ruler of this realm—the master of all dreams! Nothing you do will ever be enough to stop—" He begins before being interrupted by a sudden burst of light from behind Himari's new creation. He looks up in surprise and sees that the rift above from which his nightmarish spawns sprawl is completely sealed off by some unknown force.

"What is this?!" The Lord of the Dreamscape shouts angrily as he stares at the now-closed rift above them. He turns back toward Himari and glares at her through his helmet's visor. "How did you manage to close the rift?! What have you done?!" He demands, clenching his fists tightly in anger.

Himari smiles smugly as she watches her creation continue to hold back the Lord of the Dreamscape's minions from interfering with their battle. She crosses her arms over her chest and replies confidently, "It seems that I've finally managed to beat you at your own game... You see, while you were busy monologuing to yourself, my friend here was busy creating a new reality for us both... One where neither of us has any power over each other." She explains, gesturing toward her creation behind her.

"Impossible! How could you possibly create such a thing without my knowledge?!" The Lord of the Dreamscape retorts as he continues staring at the closed rift above them. He turns back toward Himari and glares at her angrily through his helmet's visor once again. "You must have cheated somehow... You must have done something to make this happen... There's no way you could've created a new reality without me knowing about it!"

Himari laughs mockingly at the Lord of the Dreamscape's accusation. "You're wrong, Lord of Dreams... I didn't do anything to make this happen—I simply allowed my imagination to run wild for what dreams should be. For what dreams are supposed to be. Free and untethered. And if that means surrendering myself so that others can dream freely, then so be it..."

The radiant replica of the Dream Lord shines ever-brighter and an almost searing sensation racks Himari's body as the light consumes her. She closes her eyes tightly as she feels herself being lifted off the ground by some unknown force, but doesn't fight against it. Instead, she lets go of all her worries and fears—all her doubts about whether or not she'll succeed in defeating the Lord of Dreams once and for all... She allows herself to become one with the light surrounding her and soon finds herself standing inside a vast white void filled with nothing but pure energy swirling around her.

"This is it..." Himari whispers as she looks around at the endless expanse before her. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes once more as she focuses on creating a new reality for everyone living within this realm—one where they can all live happily ever after without having to worry about anything else. Whatever fate awaits her from here onward, she's ready for it.

"..."

"..."

"i..."

"ey... p..."

"mari... wake..."

A distant voice calls out from the void. A voice that sounds familiar yet strange at the same time. Himari tries desperately to remember where she knows it from, but her mind is too clouded by confusion and fear to think clearly about anything right now... She closes her eyes tightly as she sinks deeper into the light surrounding her...

Himari opens her eyes slowly and blinks several times as she tries to adjust to the bright sunlight shining down upon her face from above. She looks around and notices that she's lying on a bed surrounded by various medical instruments such as an IV drip attached to her arm, monitors displaying her vital signs, and other equipment used for treating patients in hospitals. There's also a large window overlooking a beautiful garden filled with flowers blooming brightly in the summer sun.

"What happened...?" Himari asks herself quietly as she sits up slowly and rubs her head gently. She looks down at herself and notices that she's wearing a hospital gown instead of the clothes she was wearing before passing out. "Where am I?" She wonders aloud as she continues staring around the room curiously.

"You're in a hospital, Hyūga-san," An unfamiliar voice replies from behind her. Himari turns around quickly and sees a young man standing beside her bed dressed in a white lab coat over his black pants and shirt. He smiles warmly at her as he continues speaking, "Inoue Takahashi. And don't worry—you weren't hurt very badly. Your teammates brought you here soon after all the rifts around the village started closing up. It's been a busy few days for everyone involved."

Himari nods slowly as she listens to the man's explanation. "I see... So that's what happened... Thank you for taking care of me, Doctor..." She replies softly, smiling weakly at him before lying back down on the bed once more. "How long was I... out for?" She asks curiously as she closes her eyes and tries to remember exactly what happened before passing out earlier.

The doctor shrugs nonchalantly as he looks at his clipboard and scribbles something down quickly. "About a few days or so," He answers casually as he glances over at Himari briefly. "You were pretty lucky though—most people who got hit by those rifts didn't make it back alive... But you seem fine now aside from being a little tired... Also, I think you've had a visitor or two swing by with a few gifts on the drawer beside you over there." He gestures to the aforementioned drawer beside her bed.

Himari sits up once again and opens up the drawer next to her bed curiously. Inside, there's a bouquet of flowers wrapped in a white ribbon along with several cards wishing her well and get-well messages written on them by her mother, one of her teammates, and friends. She smiles happily as she takes out one card and reads its contents aloud, "'Dear Himari, I'm glad you're okay! Please come back soon so we can all hang out together again!'" She giggles softly as she finishes reading the message before setting it aside carefully.

"Well, that was nice," The doctor comments dryly as he continues scribbling something down onto his clipboard while glancing over at Himari occasionally. "Anyway, I'll let you rest for now... If anything happens or if you need anything else, just press that button next to your bed and a nurse will be right with you." He explains as he points towards the small red button located next to Himari's bed before leaving her alone in her room once more.

Himari lies back down on her bed, looks to where she placed the letter she read aloud prior, and her lips curl. "I'll make sure to visit everyone when I get out of here." She thinks to herself happily as she closes her eyes slowly and falls asleep peacefully, this time, in a world where dreams are no longer nightmares.


WC: 6,129
TWC: 6,129/3,000
TMWC: 12,858/12,000

Jiro Nara wrote:

[Exit]
_______________________________________
WC: 1,828 | TWC: 2,647 | TMWC: 6,729/12,000

Mission Claims: 30,000 Ryo, 149 AP, 60 Dream Tokens, 1 Dream Waiver

WC Claims:
+26 Stats (10 Vigor, 5 Speed, 11 Strength)
250 WC to Master Genjutsu Release (No Handseals) -> 2,397 left
500 WC to Rank Up Taijutsu Infusion from D to C -> 1,897 left
500 WC to Rank Up Leaf Whirlwind from D to C -> 1,397 left
500 WC to Rank Up Throat Chop from D to C -> 897 left
500 WC to Rank Up Tsuri-goshi from D to C -> 397 left
397 WC toward Rank Up of Leaf Gale (397/500) -> 0 left

Approved

Requesting approval for the following claims:

Claiming the following mission reward(s):

► Total Ryo Earned: +30,000 Ryo
► Total AP Earned: +149 AP
► Total Event Tokens Earned: +60 Dream Tokens and +1 Dream Waiver

Investing the remaining 6,129 TWC into the following *Jutsu:

► Mastering Chakra Reduction Shield for Handseals (1,312/1,312) [4,817 TWC Left]
► Training Whirlwind Pirouette Kick @ C-Rank (750/750) [4,067 TWC Left]
► Training Crashing Waterfall @ C-Rank (750/750) [3,317 TWC Left]
► Training Tsuri Goshi @ C-Rank (750/750) [2,567 TWC Left]
► Training Throat Chop @ C-Rank (750/750) [1,817 TWC Left]
► Training Fall Distortion (750/750) [1,067TWC Left]
► Training Leaf Gale @ D-Rank [37/375] → (375/375) [729 TWC Left]
► Training Bodily Restoration @ D-Rank (375/375) [354 TWC Left]
► Training Shock Paddles (187/187) [167 TWC Left]
► Training Hearthfire (167/187) [0 TWC Left]
*25% Discount option via max stats

Following the first battle, they would move onto the Hyuuga district together. There they encountered a massive beast that was larger than anything he had ever witnessed before, even the largest of the mighty Red Dragons did not compare in pure size. The beast had a disgustingly terrifying aura about it that seemed to spew out horror and despair. Seeing that Okisho would be going one way, Tenshi decided to move in a different direction in an attempt to spread out properly. He was about to summon one of his dragon companions when he spotted the group of cloaked Shinobi making their move on the beast. Realising that he and his fellow Genin were far outmatched in this battle, he would simply stay put and watch the battle play out in front of him. Knowing that he would simply get in the way, he took the time to observe their synchronized tactics and movements, they were truly a spectacular team to behold.

Once the battle with the beast was concluded it was time to see what mission came next, this would not be an easy day for anyone in Konoha. Tenshi would stand with the others in the meeting place, his fellow Genin were littered around the as somebody began to speak, providing them all with the mission details. So they would be infiltrating the Land of Dreams now would they? That was definitely an interesting course of action, but one that Tenshi could see the merit in taking. Sadly for him, he was not chosen to enter the Dream world, instead he would have to remain behind and defend those who went in.

Tenshi was instructed to defend a lone dreamer, as they wanted to spread the dreamers out as much as possible to make it harder for them to all be taken out in one swift attack. Apparently this Shinobi in question was quite important amongst the village, but Tenshi did not have time to ask him who he was or what his official position was. Instead, the young Uchiha summoned Rellgar once more and began to prepare the defences for the perimeter of the dreamer's home. Rellgar flew over head as Tenshi stood on the roof, giving them two layers of recon and defence.

For a while, nothing of note happened, which was somewhat comforting for the young Uchiha, he hoped that the other dreamers and their guardians were in a similar boat. But that changed when he heard a roar coming from Rellgar overhead. "A dream dragon and rider coming from the north! They are heading this way, Tenshi hop on board quickly!" So it would be an arial battle then? So be it. If this would be the last time he fought with Rellgar, he wanted the two of them to end their story in a blaze of glory.

Rellgar quickly swooped down, giving Tenshi enough time to hop on his back before the dragon flew up into the sky once more. Their opponents were drawing closer by the second, and to Tenshi's dismay, the opposing dragon was considerably larger than Rellgar. But that would not matter to either of them, neither Tenshi nor his companion would think twice in such a situation, they had complete faith in one another's abilities, so they would fight to the end if they had to.

In a true sight to behold, the two dragons came together in a violent clash up high in the air. Tenshi could barely hold on as Rellgar bit, hacked and slashed at the terrifying dream dragon. Blood began cascading down below from both dragons as both began to develop deep wounds in their bout. Deciding that he could not simply stand by, the young Uchiha would cast his Great Fireball Jutsu at the opponent rider, forcing the dream dragon to veer away to protect its rider. This was the opening that Tenshi and Rellgar needed to push the attack, charging forward and swiping across the dream dragon's throat. More blood began to fall below, painting rooftops and screaming onlookers alike in the dark red substance. Realising that their time was drawing to a close, the dream dragon and its rider made one last bold decision, flying directly at Tenshi and Rellgar at full speed.

"They will be coming for the kill Tenshi, you know that..." Rellgar showed no fear, instead he picked up speed of his own and charged right back at their incoming opponents, determined to end them once and for all. "No matter what happens, I want you to pull down at the last second, do you understand Rell?" The dragon seemed confused at first, but simply growled in acknowledgement as he continued forward. With barely a moment to spare, Rellgar dipped down underneath the oncoming dream dragon as Tenshi leapt off his back with his tanto drawn. The confused dragon and its rider did not know how to react as Tenshi leapt over the dragon's head. His blade stabbing forward, directly through the head of the surprised dream rider, killing him instantly.

The sudden distraction also allowed Rellgar to slash his claws throw the underbelly of the dream dragon as he passed it, before continuing to fly forward as Tenshi cast Body Flicker to return to his companion's back on the other side of the dream dragon. Turning around, the duo witnessed as the dream dragon and its rider crashed down to the ground below, thankfully landing away from any villagers, finally dead. With a sigh, the two of them flew back down to the dreamer's home, Rellgar landing rather sluggishly due to his wounds and Tenshi doing everything in his power to remain upright after the tiring battle.

He returned to see the dreamer awaken, a large grin on his face. They had been successful, the mission was complete. With a simple not of understanding between the two of them, Tenshi would leave the dreamer's home on Rellgar's back once more, the dragon's wounds were thankfully not too serious and he was able to move normally once more. As they flew through the sky, Tenshi finally spoke once more. "Rell, I am sorry for not being honest with you earlier. There is something that I need to tell you..." The dragon cut him off with a slight chuckle. "Tenshi. You do not need to say anything. I know this is goodbye between the two of us. You have your own journey to achieve, I know you better than anyone else. We have been through so much together, you will always have my undying support. Do not worry, I will explain the situation to the others, they will understand. You have earned the respect of ALL of the Defectors."

The two of them continued their journey without another word, sad smiles painted across their faces until they finally landed next to Tenshi's home. They shared one last look and nod of respect, before Rellgar finally disappeared. It would be the last time the two of them ever saw each other again. Tenshi would re-enter his home with a single tear rolling down his eye, before sitting in silence in his living room for hours on end. After some time, he received news that Himari had been injured in the battle, so he opted to write a small letter for her before finally taking a deep breath and entering his room. Opening his bedside table, Tenshi pulled out the unusual black substance that he had kept in there. The Black Zetsu Cells. It was time, he would now begin his transformation into a new being, one that could accomplish everything he had planned for his life. It was time for Tenshi to be reborn. His story was not over. It was only just beginning.

---