Gavin

[SIZE="1"]Sorry about the delay, I really intended to post sooner but got pretty caught up in one of my own projects. I probably could have included more of the actual battle, but to be honest, I wanted to leave that for my next post when my mind isn't quite so exhausted from writing six and a half thousand words between two posts. Heh. ^_^;[/SIZE]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/daedalusavatar.jpg[/IMG] [/CENTER] [indent][size=1]It had been the Gallant, a scouting craft which had first spotted them, the collection of mismatched and converted airships which had made up the Underdog Fleet. With haste, the loyalist crew had radioed the Sentinel, it's comm. officer, a young man who Daedalus knew by the pitch and horror in his voice had never expected to see real combat from his tiny ship. His few frantic words had been cut off mid-sentence by the enemy missile barrage which had consumed the Gallant and it's eight crewmen in a fireball which had for a moment seemed brighter than the setting sun. Panic had not swept the bridge, nor the fleet thankfully, only a mild feeling of distress for their comrades and the battle they were now going to face. Daedalus' own orders had been sharp and concise, ordering as many troops as he could spare from the surface to return to the fleet, they would not have full crews, but neither would they be fighting on skeleton crews. It all seemed so familiar, except things were playing out of order to his memories. The first blips had shown up on the radar about ten minutes after the Gallant's contact, although Daedalus clearly had the advantage in terms of numbers and firepower, he was still limited by the fact his fleet had to be spread out to try to prevent the Underdogs from simply levelling High Czenoble from the air. At their current speed, it was predicted the enemy fleet would arrive in less than eight minutes, which would hopefully be just after the last of the recalled crew had arrived back. "[b]Air-General sir, Fleet Command reports that His Highness and the other VIPs have been moved successfully to the secure bunker. His Highness wishes you luck in the coming battle, and to remember that you fight for all Czenovia holds dear.[/b]" His expression had contorted unconsciously into a scowl with the last few words of the message. "All that Czenovia holds dear" ? No Highness, from your perspective I'm fighting for all that you hold dear, your power, your wealth, your status-quo, all the lies and treachery which you and your family have proven so adept at to hold on to the secure lease you have around the people's throats. If I fight for anyone Primas, I fight for the normal citizens of this kingdom who have not turned to madness or murder in an effort to remove you. "[b]Lieutenant, tell Fleet Command that we are bolstered by His Majesty's sincere words of encouragement, and that as long as I command this fleet, I will allow no harm to befall the citizens of Czenovia from these traitors.[/b]" Might as well answer insincerity with insincerity Daedalus thought with a small smile, though hopefully to his crew who had bought into his response it would seem to be one of determination and give them some more confidence, Gods know, they would probably need it. Although Major Gast maintained an almost omniscient presence on the bridge with the Air-General, Daedalus couldn't help but note how many of his officers were what he would classify as being "green" in that certainly looked as if they'd never seen combat before in this life, and a trial by fire was not the optimal way of smoothing off those raw edges. "[b]General. The dock officer has just reported Colonel Almagest has arrived back onboard and in enroute to the bridge. All the crew should now be at battle stations, we're ready to fight on your orders.[/b]" Daedalus wasn't sure whether or not Gast's statement had been intended as a personal report for him, or whether the Major had just been professional in reporting the return of his senior officer, perhaps it had been measures of both. Off-handedly he wondered why Gast was still only a Major, from what he'd observed of the man in his capacity as an officer, it was clear he could have qualified further in his career. The first thing Daedalus noticed about his son when he strode through onto the Sentinel's bridge was not the dirt and blood on his cheeks and uniform, no doubt earned during the ground counter-assault on the Underdogs, but rather it was the satisfied grin on his face, as though he was only too eager to fight this new threat head on. Locking eyes with his face, the smile faded a fraction as he began self-consciously trying to straighten his uniform. "[b]At ease Colonel, I don't think the Underdogs have a dress code for battles.[/b]" A small ripple of laughter echoed round the bridge, not at the Colonel's expense, but rather the concept the Underdogs might be offended at the idea of fighting someone with a dirty uniform. Saluting Dwalish, Gast dismissed the Lieutenant who'd been manning the weapons control console before taking the empty seat. The levity quickly melted away as the enemy fleet became clearer and clearer to the naked eye, most of them were retrofitted, but one or two of the ships looked like they were built specifically for the battle. Evidently someone in Brigit Town hadn't accepted their loss forty years previously with good graces. "[b]Two minutes to weapons range sir !![/b]" "[b]Steady helm. Lieutenant Fulbrook.[/b]" He'd remembered her name at least, if only because probably calling just lieutenant on his bridge would draw more than one person's attention. "[b]Is the Fleet fully prepared ?[/b]" "[b]Aye sir. The other Commanders report their ships battle-ready and willing to engage the enemies on your orders.[/b]" Fulbrook's tone showed no fear, good, he'd need her to have a level head to redirect the fleet as the battle changed. "[b]...Sir, we've got an incoming communication from the Underdog Fleet, apparently their commander wants to speak to you personally.[/b]" To his credit, Daedalus hadn't instantly shown his surprise, his brow furrowing slightly after a moment as he tried to work out exactly why they were being contacted. Was the enemy trying to work out which ship he might have been on to focus their attack ? Pointless, he'd been in command less than a week, and the status reports of the other commanders showed them to be capable of operating equally well whether or not he issued them orders. So what could it have been ? "[b]Comm. Put the Underdog Commander through to the bridge, I want to hear what he has to say.[/b]" The old man's voice might have been a shade too quiet to be reassuring. "[b]Aye sir. Patching him through now.[/b]" There was a momentary lapse of static before the voice came through, it was rich, amused and instantly recognisable to just about everyone in the 1st Fleet. Daedalus' eyes widened as he realised his mistake in putting the man through. "[b]Well, well, still warming my chair Daedalus ? How's everyone on the bridge ? Dwalish, how's it feel working for dad ? And you Jennifer, asked out that nice lad from Engineering yet ? Thanks ever so much for putting me through.[/b]" "[b]...Litheway ?[/b]" "[b]The one and only. Now Daedalus, let's try to be gentlemen about this. I have the clear advantage here, I know the exact capabilities and strategies of your entire fleet, because it's really my fleet, I built her practically from the ground up. I'll accept your surrender in the next two minutes, after which we will engage one another and you will lose. Please do not force me to kill so many good crews in saving a morally bankrupt monarchy from the sweeping tide of democracy.[/b]" Daedalus had to admit, he was now on the back foot. If Litheway was half the General Daedalus had assumed him to be, the rest of the fleet likely knew they were facing him as well, which probably in itself killed half their morale to fight the battle. Just the idea that Litheway was a traitor was almost impossible for him to believe, the man was aristocracy without a shadow of a doubt, so why was his supporting the Underdogs ? Seconds ticked by. It made no sense. Worse still, he hadn’t bluffed anything he’d said, he did know the fleet better than Daedalus, it’s commanders, it’s crews, it’s strategies. But that still wasn’t enough to guarantee him victory, he’d need something more to be able to stand up to the Sentinel... “[b]BRACE FOR IMPACT !!!!![/B]” The roar came as the huge chunk of the port side of the ship was blasted away into a cloud of steam and molten metal. Lights and consoles showered sparks down on the bridge crew as screams ran the length of the ship. Damage reports flew in immediately, key systems have been lost but were being rerouted as best as possible, damage control teams were already moving throughout the ship, the medical bay was prepped and ready for the injured. His voice was raw from shouting orders after only moments. ...The cannon, he should have seen it, should have known it all along, it was the only thing which could have given the Underdogs the audacity of attacking their fleet head-on. Everything made sense now, Leonhart’s kidnapping, the other alchemists kidnapping, they’d been trying to restore the cannon, but how could they have known it needed an Almagest to prime it ? Or had they simply grabbed Leonhart and been fortunate ? Daedalus had never revealed, not even to Mideus the cannon needed an Almagest to fire it, it was too destructive to ever be used, and he could simply have lied and said it was beyond repair. “[b]Still alive Daedalus ?[/b]” The voice was partially distorted by the damage to the radio systems, but still recognisable, and still smug. Grabbing the transmitter piece from the comm. station in a grip that threatened to break the piece of equipment. “[b]So much for your wonderful care about your former crew Litheway.[/b]” He‘d growled it out, staring into the wide blue eyes of Lt. Fulbrook as she struggled to press down on the chest wounds of a nearby ensign who‘d been struck by some of the shrapnel from the explosion. Her hands were already slick with blood as the young man‘s breathing came faster and shallower with every passing second until at last his eyes glazed over and rolled back. She whimpered as tears began to spill down her cheeks and dapple her bloodied uniform. Dwalish was issuing orders from another console to the repair teams... everything seemed to be moving in slow motion to Daedalus, just like the day he‘d thought he‘d lost Leonhart. Reactivating the transmitter, he‘d switched the frequency to that used by the 1st Fleet, although doubtlessly Litheway would be listening. “[b]This is Air-General Almagest, all Commanders are ordered to engage the Underdog vessels as closely as possible, get right into their teeth men !![/b]” It was gamble there was no doubt about it, he couldn‘t be sure Litheway or the Starks wouldn‘t risk hitting their own ships in order to destroy Daedalus‘ fleet, logic or sanity seemed to be in extremely short supply among the Underdogs. “[b]Major Gast, do we know where that blast came from ?[/b]” “[b]Negative sir... We have a rough estimate, but even then, that strike disabled our ventral heavy guns, even if we could see whatever delivered that strike, we couldn’t retaliate.[/b]” Frustration literally bled from the Gast’s voice... Gods know what they were left to do now...[/size][/indent]

[FONT=Verdana][COLOR=Black][SIZE="4"][CENTER][B]SHINOBI BATTLE CONFEDERATION[/B][/SIZE] [SIZE="2"][I]Fight with Honour, Fight with Courage, Fight with Heart.[/I][/SIZE][/CENTER] [LEFT][SIZE="1"]In the old stories, they talk about the shinobi and the Hidden Villages. I don't really know how old the stories are, they've been passed down for so long, through so many generations at this point that a lot of the stuff is dismissed as myths or legends, at least, for the most part... The part everyone agrees on, the part which has never changed through it's countless reiterations, is that because of the Hidden Villages our world was nearly destroyed. You can still see the damage if you look hard enough, remnants of old towns and cities, ruins swallowed up by time and nature, as if the planet just wanted to forget they ever existed in the first place. Maybe it?s better this way. Some knowledge, some bloodlines are just too dangerous to be allowed to continue, at least, that?s what we?ve come to accept. How many people died in the conflict ? Nobody knows for sure, estimates vary wildly from thousands to tens of millions and there?s not a whole lot of evidence to prove either side right. It?s sad I think, that so many people could have died and we don?t even know for sure if they existed at all or not Ordinary people never knew what was happening they say, who they are, I don?t really know either, it?s just what people say. They say that the shinobi had become so enamoured by their own power that they stopped thinking in terms of right and wrong, and that some terrible, evil people came about because of it. Some names not even history can wash away completely, they live on in our memories, and the nightmares of children to this day. Pein... How true that last part is depends very much on who you ask. Plenty of people will say that all the shinobi were out for themselves, that even if it was another shinobi who defeated Pein in the end, it wasn?t because he was a good guy or anything, but because Pein was just in his way. But for every one of those people, someone else will more than willingly tell you the opposite, that the man who finally stopped Pein did it for everybody?s sake, not just for himself or his village, but because he was a hero, and because it was the right thing to do. I have to admit, I like the latter explanation myself. I think it makes more sense. People tend to forget with these stories that the shinobi were just like us too, just normal people, well, as normal as folk who can do that kinds of things the shinobi could do can be. What I mean is that, by thinking of them as all the same, you?re pretending they weren?t real people, that they each didn?t have their own reasons for fighting, their own ways, or wills, and I don?t believe that can be true for even a moment. But I guess maybe my view on the matter is coloured a bit. After the war, and really, we call it a war because the level of damage makes us assume it was a war, we really don?t know for sure what Pein did, or how the hero stopped him. Anyway, after it, the people who were left decided that concepts like ?Great Nations? or ?Hidden Villages? were too dangerous to keep around. Maps were redrawn, borders abolished, as much out of necessity as nobility. People needed to trade with each other to survive, water, food, clothes, everyone had something everyone else needed, so you couldn?t try to shut yourself in. Progress back was slow. Judging from the ruins, it?s been hundreds of years maybe, again nobody has facts or dates to be sure. Towns and cities are back, roads and railways, radio and TV. I guess it has to be similar to what things were like back then, maybe a bit different because cultures aren?t so separate and defined. Most people go about their daily life without thinking about history, there?s no point, we can?t change the past, but we can try to make sure it doesn?t happen again in the future. This may come as a shock to you, but even the shinobi are back. Well, they never really left I guess, some of them survived the war, and they just tried to fight back into society. Not too many people were keen to have shinobi around then, they were considered a bad omen, so they took to wandering mostly. A few became bandits and starting causing trouble, then people offered money to other wandering shinobi to get rid of them like they used to. As I said though, people weren?t eager to have shinobi around, often they did the job, took their money and left. They say somewhere along the line, some businessman was in a tea-house somewhere when some shinobi started fighting. Again, yeah, there?s a lot of vagueness there, because there?s a hundred different stories. So, this businessman see the shinobi fighting, and something clicks in his mind, he?s terrified by what he sees, but he?s also pretty excited at the same time. Afterwards he approached the survivors and offered to employ them. Obviously they assumed he wanted bodyguards and they start naming their terms, but then he tells them his idea, he wants to turn the shinobi into professional fighters. Men and women who?ll fight for their own glory, and their own income more importantly in matches against other shinobi for the entertainment of people. Now, maybe he was lucky, because I imagine saying something like that might have caused a particularly honour sensitive shinobi to take offence to the idea of his way of life being transformed into a form of entertainment, or maybe it was because not scraping by for a living appealed to the remaining shinobi. Whatever the truth of the matter was, before anyone realised it, the Shinobi Battle Confederation had been established and was drawing crowds in by the hundreds in the towns and cities where they held matches. Things were a little rougher and a whole lot tougher then, you didn?t have the different divisions because there weren?t enough people, sponsors were rare and reserved for only the best, which further polarised battles to one side, and a lot of matches ended with someone getting killed, either by accident, or because one of the competitors took things too far. To remedy things, and really, to keep the fledgling SBC from imploding under it?s own weight, the SBC board decided to introduce the current regulations and divisions. But more than that, they offered a lot of money to their most skilled members to train kids at special schools the SBC had set up across the world. I guess they?re sort of the spiritual successors to the old academies of the Hidden Villages, though because they?re all run by the SBC, I guess the academies are more friendly with one another, although there are still some rivalries. The SBC has been running about a century at this point, although not a lot has changed between now and then. Successful graduates still go on and enter the league, either joining teams or competing individually in the different divisions. There?s a lot more sponsors now, and businesses specialising in supplying to competitors is common, although the elite still have the pick of the best. I guess this is where I come in, my name?s Tetsuhiko and it?s my first year in the SBC league. Heh, I know, I?ll bet you?re trying to work out how biased the history lesson I just gave you actually is, but truthfully, I tried to be as honest as possible. I?m in Division-C, which is pretty good for an Academy graduate in their first year, though, there are of course people who?ve graduated higher than me, but plenty of people who started out in the D too. I?m not part of a team yet, mainly because teams are either formed back in the academies from groups of friends, or you get an invite once you?ve impressed a team who?re looking for members enough. For someone green like me, that?s a while away yet. My goals ? Make enough money to live comfortably, maybe earn myself a decent reputation at the same time. Find a decent woman to settle down with afterwards, raise a bunch of kids and die a happy old man. Anyway, I?ve got to go, I?ve got a few interviews for sponsorship deals that look promising. Thanks for listening so patiently, I hope I?ve been a help to you. ||||| Well now, welcome to my latest RPG. As you might have guessed, this is a Naruto RPG, although you only need a really basic understanding of the series to take part, actually, I suppose, this has more in common with Zoids: New Century Zero than it does with Naruto, at least plot wise. As you might imagine, in this, you?re going to be playing a member of the SBC like Tetsuhiko, though whether or not you're a new competitor like him, or an older more veteran one is up to you, though I will be deciding on the actual divisions people are placed in, because otherwise we're just going to end up with a bunch of S-Ranked players, which would be a little dull. I suppose before I go any further, I'll need to give more info on a few things. Some might be unnecessary for the majority of the RPG. [u][b]The World[/b][/u] At the moment, the world is pretty similar to the world of Naruto, with the exception of course that the Hidden Villages are all gone, and the old nations don't exist any more. Population wise, there's about forty or fifty million people, about three-quarters of which are urbanised in the planet's major five major cities and twelve towns. The other twelve million are spread out between them in the countryside in small villages and farms. Government is democratic, at least in intention. To be able to get into politics you need to be fairly well off and have connections, so it's not as if anyone can just walk in with good intentions and get elected. Elections take place every four years for the two hundred seats of the Ministry, which then among themselves elect the Prime Minister by a majority vote, who then choose his Ministers to run the different national departments. The current Prime Minister is Iwamatsu Makoto, a big fan of the SBC and a popular ruler among the people. Currency, the Zen, although it's got a few nicknames too is made up on notes and coins of a roughly similar denomination to actual major currencies, like the Euro or the Dollar. Zen comes in note denominations of 5 to 500, with coins making up the smaller values. In appearance, Zen notes are a pale gold with the value marked at the corners while Zen coins are silver with the value marked in the centre. However, due to the inordinate amount of money that passes between the major corporations, various credit and electronic systems are also very commonplace. [U][B]Sponsors[/B][/U] These guys are really important, as much the lifeblood of the SBC League as the Shinobi themselves, as they keep the guys in the extra income they need to try and get an edge over their competition with better swords, armours, jutsu, training whatever. Without the sponsors, a lot of people wouldn't be able to keep competing, because SBC pay isn't what you'd call excessive. The sponsors themselves can take a lot of shapes, but usually they have some tie to the SBC that makes the cost of sponsoring their fighter worth it. Major corporations make it their business to sponsor the best, or to find the up-and-coming and get them before their competitors can do the same. Smaller businesses usually sponsor people from their own area, as they can't really match the spending power of the bigger companies. This is by far the most common way of getting sponsorship though. Of course, you don't have to have a sponsor, if you're wealthy enough, you can forgo the whole thing and just spend your own money to do it. But not a lot of people can afford to do that in the upper divisions where the price of a good blade really does make a difference. One of the most enforced rules of sponsorship in the SBC however is that no corporation may sponsor any more than one person or team per division, to prevent any chance of sponsors unduly influencing League matches. [u][b]The Corporations[/u][/b] Spoken a bit about these guys under sponsors, but they have a lot of importance in pretty much every aspect of the world. Most people in the cities and towns are employed by the various companies, or if they?re not, then they have some kind of a business relationship with them. Larger corporations, made up of several sub-divided companies have come to wield significant political power due to their economic clout, case in point, Iwamatsu-san was a previous director of the board of Nakatomi Bank before entering politics. The darker side ? Rumours persist that in exchange for sponsorship in the SBC League, many shinobi have conducted missions for their sponsor company against rivals. Although this has never been proven, many people would be quick to point out that the very essence of a shinobi is not to get caught while performing such espionage. The following companies have the biggest influence in the SBC, either through sponsorship, or as major suppliers to the shinobi themselves: [list][*][size=1][font=verdana][b]Tensho Corporation[/b] - Specialises in manufacturing weapons for the SBC. Holds a neutral stance within the League, sponsoring nobody. It?s master smiths are known to be able to produce blades which have proven almost unbreakable, the only known breakage occurring in an Division-S final between two of their best swords. It?s range and prices run throughout the length of divisions, although obviously it?s highest quality products are found in the higher divisions.[/size][/font] [*][size=1][font=verdana][b]Koukawa Breweries[/b] - One of the best known sponsors of the SBC, it is the current sponsor of SBC Division-S champion Ishikawa Hideki, as well as sponsoring several other highly ranked contenders in the other divisions. It?s drinks, particularly it?s sake range, is a world-wide favourite, though the company itself is diversified into many different business sectors. [/size][/font] [*][size=1][font=verdana][b]Suzuki Communications[/b] - Specialising in broadcasting, communications and media, as well as postal and delivery services, Suzuki is responsible for televising the SBC's matches, as well as interviewing it's more famous competitors through it's various means. A highly successful company, Suzuki sponsors no less than nine different League teams and individuals, though it has yet to take the prized spot of S-Rank Champion away from it's rivals.[/size][/font] [*][size=1][font=verdana][B]Ichiraku Enterprises[/b] - Ichiraku is something of a treasure to the SBC, because of Ichiraku's proven link to the Hidden Village of Konoha with it's ancestor ramen restaurant. These days, Ichiraku is one of the major players in the medical and humanitarian sector, owning several city hospitals, dozens of medical centres, research sub-divisions and involved heavily in reclamation and rejuvenation projects around the world. Current Ichiraku sponsors the current A-Division Team and Individual champions, as well as providing cheap medical services to all SBC competitors.[/size][/font] [*][size=1][font=verdana][b]Yamashita Industries[/b] - Nicknamed the Iron Giant for it's foundation in heavy mining, which is still the company's biggest source of income. Yamashita has a symbiotic relationship with Tensho in that it supplies the latter with it's highest quality refined ore in return for lowered priced Tensho products which it then supplies to it's sponsored shinobi. This has allowed Yamashita to advance it's shinobi through the ranks more quickly than it's rivals.[/size][/font][/list] [u][b]The SBC League[/b][/u] Governed by the SBC, the League is sub-divided into five divisions named after the old shinobi mission ranks, D, C, B, A and S in which shinobi compete for prestige and financial reward. Divisions are themselves sub-divided further into team and individual competition, of which members of the latter compete in trios in the former. More detailed information can be found under the following headings. [b]The Shinobi[/b] To actually enter the SBC League, one must either qualify from an SBC run shinobi academy or one must apply directly to the SBC to be considered as a candidate and accepted or denied based on performance in a SBC standardised test of rudimentary shinobi skills, this is however a rare occurrence and the vast majority of shinobi come from academies. Based on one?s performance in the final academy exam and the judgement of the academy master, a shinobi will enter the SBC League in a particular division based on their skills. Shinobi are assessed on five major points of skill, or the five primary jutsu as they?re also known. [list][*][size=1][font=verdana]Taijutsu - Unarmed or hand-to-hand fighting techniques.[/size][/font] [*][size=1][font=verdana]Ninjutsu - Use of moulded chakra and hand-seals.[/size][/font] [*][size=1][font=verdana]Genjutsu - Illusionary techniques.[/size][/font] [*][size=1][font=verdana]Zanjutsu - Use of bladed weapons, such as kunai or swords.[/size][/font] [*][size=1][font=verdana]Shunjutsu - Agility, speed and movement techniques, such as shunshin no jutsu.[/size][/font][/list] Summoning and sealing techniques are not unusual, but considered as failing outside of the five main jutsu and subject to personal development if desired, same to be said for medical jutsu. Most shinobi in the higher divisions, typically high B, A and S master each of the five areas, with S-ranked shinobi often mastering nearly if not all five for combat. Kekkai Genkai or Bloodline Limits are believed not to have survived the war, either as a result of the families being killed off during the war, killed after the war, or choosing to seal away their Kekkai Genkai permanently after the war to fit in with society again. Rumours do exist of those who continue to wield Kekkai Genkai, but they occur only very rarely and have never been proven. [b]Matches[/b] SBC matches are relatively straight-forward affairs, although their effect on rankings in the league are anything but straight forward. Matches are always one on one, regardless of whether or not a match is between individuals or teams. Victories are decided at the behest of SBC referees, usually highly skilled retired-shinobi based on knocking out their opponent, or otherwise leaving them unable to continue fighting. The last part has led to some shinobi assuming that the death of an opponent is an acceptable method of ending a match, doing so purposefully however has resulted in severe penalisation or expulsion from the League. Matches are themselves arranged by the SBC particular to a shinobi?s skill and division with a two advanced notice to both participants of the venue and their opponent. Most shinobi use this time to train and study their opponent. Usually a shinobi will receive no more than one match a month. [b]Teams[/b] Teams are relatively new to the SBC, having only entered the League about ten years ago. Made up of three individuals, along usually with a ?Taicho? or Team Captain who oversees the training and development of the team and acts as a go-between for the team and the SBC. Proponents of teams believe that not only does this lend more legitimacy to the SBC in mirroring Genin training, but improves the quality of the shinobi produced within the divisions. Opponents however present the opposite argument stating that teams are usually made up of several already highly skilled individuals and that those who are not in teams face a disadvantage at not having the extra training and mentoring of a Taicho in individual division matches. Team competition occurs within normal divisions based on the average skill of the three-person team. Matches are conducted one on one between members of opposing teams, with winner by majority of victories [2/3 or 3/3]. Competing in teams has become very popular in the SBC, with most divisions having several teams in competition with one another. S-Division is something of an oddity in that it does not have teams, this is because usually by the time a team reaches S-Rank, it?s individual shinobi no longer need the benefits of team-membership. Financially for the shinobi involved, being on a team is a very good thing, as successful teams are quite publicised within the media, leading to usually more sponsorship deals to choose from. [b]Divisions[/b] [INDENT][B]D[/B] - The starting point for the majority of shinobi, and the third largest division after the B and C divisions respectively. It's competitors are characterised by young men and woman aged between 15 and 18 usually with still developing skill. Division D is also referred to as the ?tumble polisher?, due to many of it's youngest shinobi learning the difference between academy and league life through bruises. [B]Current Individual Champion:[/B] Yoshida Mai. [B]Current Team Champions:[/B] Great Wave of the Future. [B]C[/B] - Although being the second most populated division, the C is something nobody aspires to spend their career in. D it?s reasoned has the least skill due to the rawness of it?s members, and thus at least retains some semblance of respect. C-Division has no such luck and thus is home to the fiercest competition of the five Divisions in the hope of advancing to the B. Many combatants aim to spend as little time in the C as possible, and as such, shinobi typically spend between one and two years in the division, which in the lifetime of their career is quite little. [B]Current Individual Champion:[/B] Katsumoto Jidanbou. [B]Current Team Champions:[/B] The White Eagles. [B]B[/B] - The largest of the five divisions, B is home to mid-level fighters of various ages and disciplines. Some fighters careers only reach this point, while future S-Ranked shinobi are often categorised by starting in the Division. [B]Current Individual Champion:[/B] Ogawa Kimiko. [B]Current Team Champions:[/B] Koukawa Dragons. [B]A[/B]- Qualifying to the A-Division is an achievement not to be snuffed at. Although it lacks the overall status of the S-Division, A is still home to some very skilled shinobi. The majority of academy instructors and referees for the SBC come from here, having spent usually many years honing and improving their skills to their peak within this highly competitive Division. [B]Current Individual Champion:[/B] Miyamoto Akira [B]Current Team Champions:[/B] Konoha's Pride. [B]S[/B] - The elite of the league, S-ranked shinobi are by far the smallest division, but doubtlessly the most prestigious, even reaching Division S is enough to secure the celebrity of many competitors to the end of their days. One of the most important traditions of the S-Division, something believed to have been revived from the ancient shinobi is that on entering the S-Division, a competitor will be given a new name or title to be used in addition to or instead of their own name reflecting that particular shinobi?s skills. For example, the title of the current champion, Ishikawa Hideki is [I]Suijin[/I] or [I]Water God[/I], reflecting his mastery of Suiton-style jutsu. [B]Current Individual Champion and SBC League Champion:[/B] Ishikawa Hideki[/INDENT] [b]Advancement Through Divisions[/b] When the SBC was first set up, nobody could have envisaged the difficulty that would come about not from competitions within the League, but in actually managing the movement of shinobi between divisions, needless to say, even a century later, there are still some kinks to be worked out before the system is completely streamlined. Current, when a shinobi enters a particular division, they are given a divisional ranking relative to their position in the division against it?s current champion who holds the number one ranking. This ranking along with the SBC-issued ID number of the shinobi enables the SBC to arrange matches according to a shinobi?s level of skill, as well record his/her victories and defeats and issue higher ranks accordingly. Actually advancing between Divisions is a difficult process and is not as simply as just beating the current divisional champion, although that is a prerequisite. To move into a higher division, a shinobi must compete to the point where they are ranked high enough in a division to face the champion in a sanctioned match authorised by the SBC itself. If the shinobi is successful in defeating the champion, their skills are then assessed against the standards required for the next division, if these are acceptable, the shinobi moves on into the next division and is issued a new divisional ranking. However, and this is where things get even more complicated, if a shinobi?s skills are not up to the par of the next division, they are required to fight the champion again and if successful in defeating them for a second time, the shinobi will become the new divisional champion. After this, they must fight at least five matches as champion before being assessed again for advancement. Of course if they fail to defeat the champion the second time around, their ranking is changed to reflect their standing in the division and they must wait for another match against the champion to try to advance again. Of course defeating a champion is no simple matter, they?re divisional champions for a reason, and thus the majority of advancements between divisions are by champions, though there are a minority who have advanced through sheer skill alone without being champions. Many would comment that the best way to get into a higher division is probably just to qualify into it after the academy. Relegation from divisions is uncommon, but not unheard of. Shinobi who suffer a string of successive defeats in the lower portions of one division may be subject to further evaluation after which a decision may be taken to demote the shinobi back down to a lower league. Phew, well that took a while, hopefully it also answered a lot of the questions people might have had. [u][b]The Sign Up[/b][/u] Now this is where things get a little different from most RPGs here on OB. Instead of just giving you a bunch of fields to fill up and submit a character, instead I'm going to provide a couple of character outlines, eight in total, of which people choose one and finish it with extra info. It's not a case of first come first serve, but if there's already three sign ups as one, obviously picking another might give you a better chance of being selected. I'll post my own character in a day or so, after I recover from writing all this. ^_^; [b]The Lucky 8[/b] Nakamura Asumi - Slender build, red hair, taijutsu user, fiery. Asano Jirou - Dignified, steel-grey hair, zanjutsu user, honourable. Koga Yuudai - Broad, black hair, mixed jutsu user, patient. Yamamoto Haru - Pale, dark brown hair, ninjutsu user, quiet. Shimizu Sayuri - Lithe, golden hair, shunjutsu user, tactical. Inoue Miku - Petite, silver hair, genjutsu and summoning jutsu user, idealistic. Matsumoto Hayate - Tall, black hair, mixed jutsu user, frugal. Hayashi Yoshirou - Average build, blond hair, taijutsu user, lazy. As for the form the sign up should take, I don't really mind, it can be a sample post from your characters perspective, or if you're more comfortable using a traditional sign up format, you can do so too. Whichever you choose, be sure not only to expand on what I've already provided, for example with Asumi, expand on what red hair means, in terms of length, shade, whatever, also providing some info on your characters background, their specific skills, weapons and their sponsor if they have one. Don't mention teams or divisions for the moment, as that's something I'll be assigning you. Just one last request guys, I've tried to make it subtle but obvious in the story, but I'd like people to create original characters in this, i.e. no descendants of shinobi from Naruto shinobi. Same goes for any signature jutsu like the Rasengan or Chidori techniques and Kekkai Genkai as I believe I've said already aren't around any more either. Anyway, hope you have some fun with this.[/LEFT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[quote name='Raiyuu']There's no way Soul Society would accept Grimmjow as an ally. Any Hollow influence is an automatic red card - remember the Vizard are exiled for precisely that reason? We won't see him joining a squad, but I can definitely see him helping out as part of Ichigo's ever-growing ryoka gang. I was dead against the idea of a Grimmjow defection when I first saw it on the horizon (when Ichigo first protected him from Nnoitra, very similarly to how he healed Ikkaku after their first fight). I didn't think it fit at all with KT's concept of Hollows as feral, instinctual, and the natural enemy of the Shinigami. But since then we've had some really interesting philosophy from (ugh) Zommari, about how unfair it is for Shinigami to just slap Hollows with the 'evil' label and hunt them down without mercy, and from (yay) Neriel, about how the reason for removing their masks and accepting hybridisation was to gain exactly the kind of higher reasoning that would allow Grimmjow to switch sides.[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Heh, I was kidding about Grimmjow joining the 11th, obviously they're anti-Hollow policies aren't going to change any time soon. Him joining Ichigo though, I don't know, I just can't see him doing that, mainly because Grimm seems too cool to just become another ryoka, who knows though. Hollows have definitely become more interesting in the last while, that for sure. Poor Zommari, if not for his absolutely crap released form, I think he might have been one of my favourite Espada.[/SIZE] [quote name='Raiyuu']On a completely different note, I was thinking the other day that the Shinigami aren't actually very good at their jobs. Their purpose is to cleanse Hollows in order to maintain the balance between Soul Society and the Material World, right? But there are millions on billions of Hollows in Hueco Mundo. Aaroniero was 33,000 Hollows all by himself, and I have to assume since he was a Gillian and all the other Espada are Adjuchas or above, that each one of them contains even more Hollows than he did. Then take the Vasto Lordes, which must be a million or so Hollows each. Soul Society's looking increasingly lazy![/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]That's a very good point actually Stu, the only thing I can think that might explain it is that from what we've seen from the latest chapter, Shinigami can't just break through into Hueco Mundo the same way that Hollows can into the Real World and Soul Society, so obviously they can only hit the Hollows which enter the real world, who seem to be the weakest of them all, judging by Rukia's reaction to the arrival of a Menos at the start of the series.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"][YOUTUBE="Filipino Jail Thriller Dance"]ZJD1jxfZIKE[/YOUTUBE] Major kudos to friends of mine in school who clearly have nothing better to do than find stuff like this. Heh. ^_^ Longer version of the Thriller one can be found [url=http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o&feature=related]here[/url]. Also, Acerburner, that Boot to the Head was just awesome.[/SIZE]

[quote name='TwistedChick']Kenpachi and Grimmjow fighting side by side would be quite a sight. Even if there was a tenuous alliance formed, I wonder who'd be the first to snap and provoke the other to a fight. Two egos that size couldn't help but rub each other the wrong way, well actually, to them, it might be considered the 'right way' if it leads to conflict. ^^ I think it would be an interesting twist to see the current #6 jump the fence. He has the potential to turn traitor; perhaps he will. Of course, then you always have to worry about him turning back...[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]I'd actually think Grimmjow and Kenpachi would get on really well with one another because they're so similar, and of course they both want to beat/kill Itachi for defeating them beforehand. But it would be seriously interesting to see him switch sides, either to Ichigo's or to to the 11th directly, as I don't imagine the Gotei 13 will be too welcoming to Espada members.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Raiyuu']The more I think about it, the more I think Aizen could succeed in destroying Karakura and creating the Royal Key. I mean, the important characters would probably all evacuate in the nick of time (convenient Urahara Garganta portals?), but I doubt KT would have introduced the concept of the Royal Family, and their hidden realm within Soul Society, if he didn't intend to take us there at some point. I mean, Aizen's just demonstrated, once again, his ability to think circles around everyone else in the series (perhaps bar Urahara). He's obviously confident he can deal with the Captains he's facing. The only things that might throw off his plan are the remaining members of the Rockin' Future Seven, and maybe Isshin. There's no way he doesn't know about the Vizard, he definitely knows about Urahara and Yoruichi (if only from Ulquiorra's eye-cam); if Grand Fisher was an experiment in Arrancar strength, it's a safe bet he was monitoring him, and that he knows about Isshin too. I can't believe that Keigo, Mizuiro and Tatsuki, the only fighters Aizen may not have considered, are strong enough to tip the balance. At most they'll be ones to keep his eye on, like Ichigo after Soul Society. Of course, it could be a different story if Grimmjow defects and opens our Hueco Mundo squad some portals into Karakura. He's presumably been lying there unconscious all through Ichigo vs Nnoitra and Kenpachi vs Nnoitra, and presumably heard Aizen's Tenteikuura tell everyone who's listening that he and the other Espada were a mere distraction, a decoy. Plus, who knows what'll happen when Ulquiorra pops back into reality? Everything's in Aizen's favour, but there are just enough unknown elements to make me uncertain and excited about what comes next. Yay for KT curveballs.[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]I think that's definitely a possibility, really only a handful of important characters have been established from Karakura and they're all either strong enough to take care of themselves, like Isshin and Ryuuken or they're under the care of characters who could take care of them such as Tatsuki's group. Even if Karakura is destroyed though, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Orihime's rejection powers grow to the point she's able to reverse something as massive as the destruction of a city. As often as it's said her abilities far surpass that of any human, you'd have to wonder is there more to her than meets the eye. As from Grimmjow's side-switching, I wouldn't rule it out by a long shot. He's never had the same level of respect or reverence as displayed by other Espada, and Ichigo has always been of more interest to him than Shinigami at large, similar enough to Kenpachi actually. Heck, maybe 11th Squad's Captain is going to get a new pet kitty with this arc. ^_^[/SIZE]

[quote name='TwistedChick']And finally some old man action. Sweet. [/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]O_O ...Yeah, obviously you didn't mean it in that context TC, but still, I did a double-take before I realised what you'd meant there. Heh. ^_~[/SIZE]

[quote name='Kei'][color=darkblue][size=1]And we've just seen that Sasuke isn't all steel and badassery as he tried to make himself out to be. During the last half of that chapter, we saw the old Sasuke, that scared naïve kid who just doesn't know what to do. That's proof enough that he's not exactly in the best mindset right now. And I have a strong inclination that Itachi has just enough strength to tell Sasuke the truth (providing the Madara theory is true). Next chapter will definitely be good times.[/color][/size][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Yeah, those two steps backwards he took when Itachi was walking forwards really reminded me of their talk over their parents bodies when Sasuke begged Itachi not to kill him. Of course, that was all Tsukiyomi genjutsu, so we have to wonder, was that really Itachi, or could it have been Madara ? As morbid as it is, I wonder will Sasuke take Itachi's eyes, getting the Mangekyou as it was intended, from brother to brother as a gift, as opposed to taken forcibly. Of course, all this Itachi was really a good guy stuff is about as water-tight as a sponge at the moment. But we can hope.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]Just finished for my Easter break today, so happily I should be able to resume posting in this very soon. [/SIZE]

[quote name='Memphis'][COLOR="DarkRed"][SIZE="1"]He is Superman (with a brain) afterall, so it is possible... I guess. :)[/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Awesome, I'm not the only one who noticed that heh. His plans so far have been brilliantly laid out, even if it does turn out that he simply imprisoned four of the more useful captains, while the second part didn't go completely to plan.[/SIZE] [quote name='Memphis'][COLOR="DarkRed"][SIZE="1"]Oh dear... Not Hitsugaya again...[/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Yeah, but there are plenty of other captains there too, hopefully it won't focus on him too much.[/SIZE]

[quote name='TwistedChick']I didn't want Itachi to go out this way. I didn't want him to go out at all. But, it is so exceedingly preferable than having Sasuke be strong enough to kill him that I can't help but be more relieved than angry.[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Yeah, that really does sum up my feelings on the ending of the fight. Going back to the forehead poke, I don't know, I've always been hoping for Itachi's redemption at some point, far more so that Sasuke's. Maybe he fought Sasuke to prove to him how strong a Mangekyou could be, and how his real enemy is Madara, as opposed to Itachi. I'll be willing to bet that Madara was actually the one who killed their parents as opposed to Itachi. Hopefully we'll get some more info next week.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]Well, unlike TC, I'm afraid my initial reaction was anger, or more so a complete "WTF ?!" moment at the end of 393. Yes, I did enjoy the idea that after all he's sacrificed to get the point of being able to fight Itachi, Sasuke wasn't the one to actually kill his brother, it seems to make everything he's done rather pointless. It's odd, but actually, I'm convinced the poke to the head in the second last page wasn't just Itachi groping blindly and missing, or his realising that he didn't have enough strength or life left to take the eyes, I think that poke had a lot more significance than either of those two ideas. Meh, this chapter I think is really summed up by Kishi realising Itachi was too popular to be killed by Sasuke, but not popular enough with Kishi for him to win the fight. Sasuke's reaction next chapter is going to be interesting though. [/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]As long as sixteen years of parenting hasn't left me with a bald spot and a pot belly, which seems to be hereditary in my family, it's great to see the next incarnation of the Hell series. Heh, just kidding D, I'm really pleased to see you've decided to continue writing this, although I am slightly worried about what's going to happen to us now we can't be all free and irresponsible, dare I say it, we could become boring.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]Wow, very emotional D. As much as I enjoy reading you mangle and murder people in new and exciting ways, I have to say, these more subtle ones are among my favourite. Another awesome job.[/SIZE]

[quote name='TwistedChick']That's what Ichigo is saying by leaving without explaining himself. His friends know good and well what their strengths are and it wouldn't take much of a demonstration for Ichigo to show them they'd be useless in trying to save Orihime. All he needed to do was tell them she was in trouble, show them he is a shinigami possessing great skill, and let them know he will handle it. That would be affording them the proper dignity and respect they deserve. Keeping people in the dark is selfish. It makes things easier for the one in the know, but that's all. What you don't know [I]can[/I] and often [I]does[/I] hurt you. If he let them in on everything, at least they could get acquainted with Urahara and perhaps learn how to protect themselves, or simply stay under his protection. All in all, I side with Tatsuki. Ichigo deserves to be slapped even though he wouldn't see it that way.[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Yeah, and I can completely see where you're coming from with your point TC, but we all know how much Ichigo worries about his friends' safeties. I wouldn't call what Ichigo did selfish from his point of view, he's a very private person, remember with his mother ? He never said anything to anyone, just walked the bank for hours and hours, it was only by luck Tatsuki found out. This is the same thing, he didn't want to risk putting them in danger by involving them in what he perceives to be his mess. Obviously yes it was selfish from Tatsuki's point of view, and the same for Asano and Mizuiro, because Ichigo had them worried about him and what was going on. Tatsuki was damn near heartbroken that he didn't seem to trust her any more, though I don't think that really fully clicked in Ichigo's mind. Despite being an elite Captain-level Shinigami, the boy still practically oblivious to other people, otherwise I'm pretty sure Byakuya would have a orange-haired niece or nephew irritating the hell out of him.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Solo Tremaine'][COLOR=#503F86]Hah, moi aussi, bien que j'ai eu un peu plus six ans. J'ai observé les videos de Muzzy. Ils étaint trés utile pour moi.[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Ah oui ? J'aime les films de Taxi avec Samy Naceri par Luc Besson, ils sont tres amusants et tres bon pour dire la longue comme un Français. Tu les dois regarder mon ami. Peugeot, la fierte de la France.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Solo Tremaine'][COLOR=#503F86]But at the same they already [i]know[/i] that something is up. For Ichigo to disappear without any explanation when they're aware of some degree of the situation is probably worse than them being spiritually dense and oblivious.[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]True but Ichigo doesn't know that, or at least, doesn't seem to know it, and we all know how oblivious that boy can be sometimes. All he thinks is that after he brings back Orihime safely, he can explains everything to them properly as opposed to doing it beforehand, which would likely involve the three trying to accompany Ichigo and co, which in turn would likely lead to their deaths. At least, if I'm looking at it from Ichigo's correct perspective. Also, I cannot wait to see Tatsuki react to Kon, that's only going to be hilarious.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]J'etais edutier le français pendant un peu moins six ans. J'aime la longue, mais bien sur je prefere ecrire et dire en anglais. C'est plus facile a mon avis. I know there's no accents, I decided if I couldn't use all of them, I wasn't going to use any. Heh, a lazy cop-out from the Irishman. And yeah, pomme-frite is "french fry/chip", not "apply fry", though as Hugo also pointed out, 13thMan's line would be translated as "I am french fry" as opposed to "I am a french fry", funnily enough, I always thought pomme-frites were spelled always plural. Fun thread. We should plot taking over The Lounge in French so Beth has no idea what's going on. Heh, I'm just kidding Beth. ^_~[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]Not much really to be said on it, just a tragic case of kids having fun gone badly wrong.[/SIZE]

[quote name='TwistedChick']Something he will [I]so[/I] deserve for being stupid and not just explaining himself to his friends, causing them to be worried sick about him. That boy needs a good kick to the head and I'm sure Tatsuki would be more than willing to deliver it. This just goes to show that you should never anger someone that you're not allowed to fight back against.[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]I actually couldn't disagree more, I think for Ichigo he didn't tell them because he was trying to protect them. Of his friends, the three with spiritual awareness have faced the prospect of death a few times now, and because Ichigo is more powerful than all of them, I just think it was his nature to try and protect them by not having them aware of what was going on in his life in case they tried to get involved.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Solo Tremaine'][COLOR=#503f86]Doesn't matter how powerful you are or what realm of existence you originate from, you can always be clobbered by a girl.[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]So true, Ichigo will return to the real world after finally beating Aizen in about a hundred or so chapters and Tatsuki will still kick the crap out of him.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Raiyuu']Fingers crossed Mizuiro, Keigo and Tatsuki are all training in Urahara's basement right now.[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]God help Ichigo anyway, Tatsuki gave him enough of a beating without Shinigami powers, if she actually does develop some, I'm thinking 11th Squad might just have one more person who wants to fight Ichigo to the death every time she sees him. Keigo and Mizuiro are definitely going to become the next Ikkaku and Yumichika-style team. ^_^[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]Definitely Labrador, I've been around them since I was a kid and they're just such a loyal, friendly breed of dog. Of all the breeds I've been around, and living in the country that's quite a few, I'd never be worried at all to leave any of my young cousins around them.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Rachmaninoff']If someone you love and vice versa is willing to kill you, I'd say you're past that true love point. It's one thing to die for someone you love, but to just let them kill you? Unless there was something else going on that was forcing them to do so... I would not just let them kill me.[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Agreed, if it came down to a kill or be killed scenario, I don't think I'm Jedi enough to take the hit.[/SIZE]