"They fight because they feel they have no other option, Yakoul. Mercenaries make a living by fighting for others, and my Empire has put them out of business." The Empress turned to her self-proclaimed 'pet' bodyguard. Yakoul was an oddity, for sure. Besides it's strange appearance and ambiguous gender, it had a small number of pastimes that bordered on the more 'insane' variety. However, Shoko saw the potential inside Yakoul, it was an adept ninja and one of her most loyal soldiers. Shoko placed a hand on top of it's head and gently ruffled it's hair, She knew it enough to know how badly it wanted to tear into the enemy army below. "Keep your ears sharp, alright?" She said, pulling her hand back just as Ra spoke up. She lived up to her position as adviser, as she had something to add in on the situation even now. "Survivors? I have little doubt some of them will survive, and as their loyalty is only to their coin purse I am sure we could pay for their services. However, I have no need for soldiers that do not believe in our cause, perhaps you could 'convince' some of them to join us, Ra?" Shoko said, her words full of sinister implications. As a master of genjutsu and manipulation, Ra could very well turn the minds of any weak willed captor. 

The battle was unfolding as she had predicted, and it wouldn't be long before the entire army was defeated. Shoko turned from the scene of the battle, her gaze glancing over Namine for a moment. Namine was better served inside of the castle for the moment, as her sensory abilities were some of the most impressive she'd ever come across. She was also quite fond of prying into people's feelings. It was of no concern to her, as attempting to snoop into her mind would yield nothing, and those that tried to force their way in always ended up in... poor shape. The Empress began to walk into the castle, in that moment, a large, round shadow was cast upon her. Looking upwards, she saw that a boulder was flying directly towards her. "Catapults?" She mused, she did not see any large contraptions from where she was standing. "Some of them must be acting as siege weapons themselves, clever." The boulder came crashing down towards her, she reached out her right hand through her oversized sleeve, preparing to intercept the large chunk of earth. "Hm?" Right before the boulder struct, it vanished, and in it's place appeared to be a girl. She seemed to be around 14 years old, with short purple hair and matching eyes.

"I have you now, foul Empress!" The girl screamed, brandishing a dagger as she fell. Shoko stepped to the side, avoiding the assassination attempt and causing the girl to tumble across the ground, landing on her face. 

"That is most assuredly the assassination attempt of the month..." Shoko said, clearly amused. The girl was still for a moment, though it was obvious she was still conscious. "Oh my, is she dead? What a shame, Yakoul, you can do as you wish with her." The girl's entire body quaked at the mention of Yakoul's name, She leaped to her feet, tears streaming down her beet red face.

"I-I won't be eaten! I am the leader of the Grand Victorious Dragons!" She screamed, holding her dagger out as more of a barrier between herself and others, instead of a weapon. Shoko glanced back to the forest below, there was no sign of anymore boulders being flung at the castle, the girl must have acted alone. Her crimson eyes moved back to the girl.

"Is that the name of the army you hobbled together? I never would have guessed they were led by a child, though hearing that name I can believe it."

"I am not a child! I am eighteen years old!" The girl protested, looking around her with panicked eyes, she now saw that she was surrounded. "Awawawa~ Y-You'll never take me alive!" She turned the dagger towards herself, pointing it at her neck. Black chakra poured from Shoko and yanked the dagger from the girl's hands, shocking her and causing her to fall to her behind.

"You won't be dying today. Tell me, what is your name?" She asked as the dagger was vaporized in the grasp of her chakra. Her chakra dispersed, and Shoko moved closer towards the girl. "That was an interesting jutsu you used, it would be wasteful to simply kill you. Why not join me?"

"My name is Ryuza... Wait what? I just tried to kill you, and your people are killing my soldiers as we sp-"

"Your soldiers?" Shoko interrupted. "I know how mercenaries work, they are only fighting this battle as a means to gain wealth. Do you truly believe they are following you out of loyalty? Tell me, why have you come for my head?" Shoko said, Ryuza remained silent. The Empress turned to Namine. "Escort her to the prison, we will continue our discussion once this battle is finished."

[center]~~~[/center]

Standing in her room in the Uchiha compound, Natsumi was changing into a more comfortable set of clothes. She had been wearing a cotton kimono today, it was quite baggy and stifling. To mix things up, she put on a red silk kimono. She let out a sigh, stretching her arms and legs. She wanted to tend to her garden before the sun set, however she was told to stay in her room by her mother, which was odd, now that she thought about it. Her mother often spoiled her, and trusted her to stay up as long as she wished. She thought about her walk through the village, and how eerily silent it was. It was as if everyone but her was in on some joke. Nikuya's words echoed in her mind, the rebels were up to something, and she had a feeling that they were going to make their move tonight. Why couldn't they trust her? She wasn't weak, she had completed plenty of dangerous missions herself. She flopped down on her bed. "Heh, maybe I am an idiot..." She mumbled to herself. She was prepared to lay down, but shot up when she heard footsteps approaching. "Kaede!" She shouted as she saw the young Hyuga walk inside. As per usual, she nearly tackled Kaede with a hug. "How are you? Do you want some tea?" She asked, glad to have a friend here to spend time with.