[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/bhqtzbZ.png[/img][/center] It was night, and there were three white orbs which loomed over the desert compound of the Monzaemon clan. One was the moon, but the other two belonged to a man that at current time hovered almost a mile above the compound, his form invisible via the camouflage technique, his chakra virtually indistinguishable from the natural energy of the world around him, barely even notable as a bird, no, an insect flying in the night sky. [I]Just as he had planned,[/I] he repeated to himself mentally, [I]just as he planned, do just as was planned.[/I] He remembered well what the man's instructions had been: [I]"Stay Hidden, I will fascilitate your movements. Only kill one, then leave. Make it brutal. Make it...unforgettable."[/I] Finally, having heard no alarms and seen little movement, he slowly drifted down towards the ground, his face covered by the shadows of his hood and, within it, the mask of some wild demon with the motif of a black fox. He landed at the entrance to the caverns, which lay in the side of a cliff--luckily, he could fly. Still invisible, he slowly waltzed past the guards, who had no idea he was there at all. Smiling beneath his mask, the mercenary continued to make his way through the caverns, knowing exactly where the center of the compound was via his own methods. It had been incredibly easy to figure it out. He could feel the adrenaline and excitement beginning to boil his blood, and he loved it. Eventually reaching the center of their compound, having slipped past all defenses with ease gained from many assignments, he waited. Briefly his eyes closed, then opened wider as if to allow more light into them. Taking in a deep breath he gathered his chakra, then flowed it to his hands and channeled it throughout his body, enhancing his senses and movements drastically. He then silently moved into what he ordained to be a form of lab. Various plants and liquids were everywhere, all neatly in vials, or even vats at times, some upon shelves waiting for use. He exuded a small amount of chakra over the entrance and weaved a light sight and touch induced genjutsu. If someone were to look at the entrance they would see the lab untouched. If they were to walk through the field of chakra they would fall unconscious. While he was no genjutsu master he had enough of an understanding of the art for such a simple technique. Having that in place, he flicked his wrist, exuding a small amount of fire chakra into his hand, which proceeded to flout, cushioned by wind. Preforming several handseals he released a light breeze of wind chakra throughout the room and then unleashed the flame, turning around and walking through the chakra barrier, unaffected by the jutsu it contained. The barrier would keep all sound within it as well, in addition to the fire that was now burning down almost the entire poison storage of the Monzaemon clan. Smiling he turned and headed for the nearest building and entered it. There lay, comfortably in bed, a sleeping shinobi, who would soon find himself quite maimed, not to mention dead. It took the mercenary several minutes to complete his work, but when he was done the room was covered in blood and entrails. Only the head was intact and it was placed on a table, which he had position several feet from the doorway. The first one to walk in would know exactly what had transpired, or at least that his clansman was dead. He then departed, walking back out the way he had come after which he flew up to the top of the cliff where he located a seal hidden beneath a layer of dirt. Activating it with his chakra, the mercenary vanished...and was gone. Not that anyone knew he had ever been there in the first place. Poor them. [center]- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -[/center] Uemura woke with a start. He felt something very wrong that night, and with his impatient personality, he immediately jumped out of bed. [I][color=#78866B]"Whatever this is, it had better be important."[/color][/I] He couldn't put his finger on it, but something was wrong with the night. Taking only a moment to [i]'insure his immortality'[/i], he ran from his secured bedroom into the cave halls of his clan. As he continued, he saw a trickle of blood at the border of one of the doors. Normally, he didn't like interacting personally, but something was very wrong. He kicked open the door, and saw a grisly sight. He examed the scene for a matter of moments before he concluded it wasn't someone from his clan who had committed it. If it had been a member of his clan, the body would barely be touched.... but this? It took longer to identify the man than it did that it wasn't from the clan, Eiki Sanada, a protegee of the Bunraku branch. The more troubling part was that it was recent, but he didn't hear anything in the echoing chambers of the cave.... had he come in, murdered Eiki and ran out? He turned quickly, finding a member of his clan nearby in awe, who was shocked to his reclusive leader, he almost didn't recognize him. Uemura grabbed him by the collar. [I][color=#78866B]"Start assembling the clan now. If anyone objects, they're free to become one of Masaru's experiments."[/color][/I] Anger coursed through his voice, though his face showed very little. Rare events had happened. Uemura never called clan assembles, he delgated almost all of it to his brother Kawatake. He muttered to himself. [I][color=#78866B]"Someone has attacked the clan. They've sent a very clear message. They want war... they shall have it."[/color][/I] [center]- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -[/center] Entering their meeting place, the mercenary glanced around for a moment before his eyes settled on the only other soul in the room. He waited for his words to speak, as the fellow was paying him, not to mention he was one of the few he admitted he had some respect for--a rare thing. A voice attended as the assassin returned, in the darkness sitting in a chair holding a wine glass. "I'm assuming another success, Viper? Was there as much trouble with this one as there was with the Tatasuko Clan?" The Viper smiled slightly, [B]"Hardly, I destroyed their poison stores and mutilated one of theirs, just as you suggested and without being detected. Those damn Tatasuko are something else though. Good thing you didn't hire some unattentive idiot."[/B] He smirked, it had been a fun night. "Strong, but small. Still, I see them as a powerplayer, while no-one else might. Monzaemon, Tatasuko, Uchiha, we've got all the makings of a war, and I stand to profit." The sponsor of the assassin through a key to the assassin behing him. "Your pay's in the regular place, I've already had it arranged. The clans are way to peaceful for my taste. They don't see eachother as a threat yet. By the time I'm done, they will name the era after the wars. The ninjas will be too weak from attacking eachother to respond to [i]it[/i]." He finished the glass, and flicked his wrist to dismiss Viper. He smiled, [B]"I look forward to that day,"[/B] he bowed his head then turned and walked out. There was nothing more to do tonight, but the wheels had been set in motion, and there was no stopping them now. War was coming.