[h2][center][color=silver]The Elemental Nations[/color][/center][/h2] [h3][i][color=silver]The Tailed Beast's Last Stand[/color][/i][/h3] Every nation could now breath easily now, as the now former Jinchuuriki of the Rokubi was finally struck down by the combined forces of Iwa and Kiri's hunter nins. What could have been a great victory, however, was tarnished by the theft of the freed demon's temporary vessel by unknown individuals the following night. After having put an end to Kamon Hyosuke's bloody trail through the Elemental Nations, however, and with no one stepping up as the culprit, the matter was left for a latter time until the land and peoples had time to heal from the ravage caused by the crazed rogue Jounin from Iwagakure. Many civilian towns and villages were wiped off the map, and both Iwa and Kiri have suffered heavy losses, both in their populace and their infrastructure. The wilderness itself was also damaged by the last few months' events, forests burned to ashes, numerous bodies of water burrowed under a thick layer of cooled lava and a great numbers of craters of all sizes. As a result of the betrayal of a Jinchuuriki still fresh in the world's mind, harsher security measures have come into place for the sacrifices still controlled by ninja villages. Those bearing a tailed beast in their body are also confronted by heavier persecution, the general populace terrified of another such incident happening again after all the destruction it has bought forth. [h2][center][color=red]The Land of Fire[/color][/center][/h2] [h3][i][color=red]The Festival of Flowers[/color][/i][/h3] The yearly celebration in honor of the blooming of the nation's prized medicinal and aromatic flowers has commenced, the Fire Daimyo attending the celebration in the capital and giving a grandiose speech to those present for his public appearance. With the increased demand for skilled guards due to the expensive products sold and the important visitor present, a great number of shinobi were hired from all nearby village in order to reassure all attendees of their own along with their products' safety. [b][color=gold]Konoha's Village-bound Shinobi decreased by 25% Konoha's Coffers increased by 2 000 000 両 Fire Nation's Morale increased by 20%[/color][/b] [hider=Village Hidden in the Leaves][center][h2][color=green]Konohagakure no Sato[/color][/h2][/center] [color=beige][b]Coffers: 10 940 500 両 Morale: 95% Martial Status: Peaceful[/b][/color] [h3][color=green]A Festive Beginning[/color][/h3] Delicate paper lanterns painted in a great variety of flowery patterns illuminated the lowly brightening sky as the hidden village that was known as Konoha awoke to a brand new day, the Festival of Flowers making the whole community cheerful despite the main events being held in the capital, a few days' walk north of the military settlement. Today, there was no longer any stray demon to worry about and to damper the mood of the populace, giving way to festivities and the eager start of the Academy's new school year. All over the village young hopeful young shinobi and kunoichi were getting ready for their first day of the school year, many having awoken extra early in the excitement and eagerness to know more about the ninja lifestyle. Parents watched fondly as their children hurriedly ate their breakfast and got ready for their 'big day' while talking a mile a minute about their hope and dreams for the following year. Soon enough, the streets leading to the small yet well kept building were filled with young children on their way towards their respective classrooms, some huddled in groups and talking excitedly and other alone and full of nervous eagerness. As the sun peeked over the Hokage Monument, a Chuunin opened the gates leading to the Academy, allowing a steady trickle of students to enter the schoolyard for the daily morning assembly. It was when they would all be sitting in the area usually used as a sparring ground that they would be told of their new sensei and led to the classroom that would be theirs for the following year. As such, when every student was accounted for, the small group of eight Chuunin responsible of the Academy's day-to-day activities standing in a half circle before the gathered children. Two by two, the Chuunin called the grade they were responsible for, leading their new charges through the Academy's front gate and through the various corridors leading to their classroom. The youngest members of the student body, Grade 1, were the first to be called. Each child filled behind the two ninjas until they were ushered in a medium sized room with various colorful cushions acting as makeshift seats on the floor, the fluffy squares seeming to face a set of two desks. “Good morning, students! Please take a seat on one of the cushions provided for your use and we shall get started. I am Kaede-sensei, and this is my assistant, Aoki-sensei. I will be primarily be teaching those of you that are girls about how to be a proper kunoichi, while Aoki-sensei will be teaching those of you that are boy about being a proper shinobi. While your classes may differ at time depending on your gender, most lessons will be taught by the both of us, allowing you all to get to know the class as a whole. Now, once you are ready, please introduce yourself and tell us about your goal for your future career as a proud member of the Konoha Shinobi Forces,” Said a kunoichi with lavender hair pulled in a loose bun by a set of white chopsticks. She had almond-shaped golden eyes and purple lipstick, her Chuunin uniform neat and crisp over her athletic frame. Beside his companion, the other Chuunin, this one male, picked up a scroll on his desk along with a fountain pen, getting ready to write down each of his new pupils' names as he made his way behind the wooden desk as sat down in order to gain enough support to write on the thick parchment properly. His dark green hair was kept short, the strands clumping up naturally in what looked slightly like a canopy of leaves on his head, his slanted dark brown eyes intent behind square silver-rimmed glasses. When the man was ready, Kaede-sensei leaned back on the front of her own desk, smiling softly and encouragingly at her young charges, waiting for one of them to speak up. Outside the noise of walking feet and excited whispers quieted down, the last of the students having finally reached their proper classroom.[/hider] [h2][center][color=plum]The Land of Wind[/color][/center][/h2] [h3][color=plum]A New Wind Daimyo[/color][/h3] The whole nation mourn the death of it's daimyo, Choukichi-dono, due to a mysterious illness last night. All is not lost, however, for the venerable lord's eldest son, Keitaro-dono, has now taken his late Lord Father's place as the new Wind Daimyo! Moreover, Sunagakure no Sato has also reason for rejoice, for the restriction imposed on the hidden village's fundings have been lifted, hopefully bringing a new era of prosperity to the nearly destitute village! [b][color=gold]Suna's Coffers increased by 5 000 000 Suna's morale increased by 5%[/color][/b] [hider=Village Hidden in the Sand][center][color=orange][h2]Sunagakure no Sato[/h2][/color][/center] [b][color=beige]Coffers: 8 745 500 両 Morale: 50% Martial Status: Wary[/color][/b] [color=orange][i][h3]Hopeful Dawn[/h3][/i][/color] The early morning's air was filled with the sound of various workers going about the grand renovation of the village, the sudden influx of ryo allowing the Kazekage to finance the long needed repairs to the village's infrastructure after years of the sandstone buildings and walls being assaulted by the unforgiving desert wind giving its name to the land it ruled over. The noise, along with their own nervous anticipation of the day ahead, urged many academy student to wake before dawn. Along with their jittery children, the parents of the hopeful ninjas sleepily exited the realm of dream and entered the one of the living, slowly starting their day by making breakfast and trying vainly to calm down their children. It was two hours later that the Chuunin in charge of the Academy discovered a surprisingly large amount of children already impatiently waiting for them to let them in. Quickly doing so, most of the staff led the way to the inner courtyard, one sole ninja remaining at the gates to greet the students that had yet to arrive. It was another hour before every child was gathered, four Chuunin standing before them, each adult looking over each hopeful critically before calling out for their respective class and leading the way to their classroom. Such was the case for the youngest of the students, the small group huddling together and being ushered in a small circular room with its only door leading to the inner courtyard itself. The man that was to be the children's new sensei made his way towards the largest of the blankets laid down on the sandy floor, his gaze sharp like a bird of prey yet of an unfathomable black color deeply set against his lightly scarred face. His hair was mostly hidden by a creme-colored turban, only a few strands of dark blond hair to be seen on his brow. As he lowered his powerfully-built frame on the blanket in the seiza stance, eyes fixed on the children still standing before him. “Two student by blanket, and sit in a proper seiza stance if you know what's good for you,” he finally said, his voice like a snapping whip as he ordered his soon to be pupils to take place before him. After they did so, he nodded sharply and continued his speech. “You will show me respect at all time and call me Noritaka-sensei, for I shall mold your young minds and body into the state they will need to be to have even the faintest chance of surviving as a ninja of Suna. State your names, and we will start your first lesson.”[/hider] [h2][center][color=blue]The Land of Water[/color][/center][/h2] [h3][i][color=blue]Disastrous Repercussions[/color][/i][/h3] The rogue Jinchuuriki's rampage through the land and the subsequent damage incurred by his capture and subsequent execution has destroyed most of the nation's crops, thus hurting both the economy and harvest of the land. As a result, many of the angry and demoralized peasant class of the nation have turned to petty crimes and banditry in order to survive. The Daimyo has been turning a deaf ear on his people's plight, and those merchant who could afford it have increased the amount of mercenary they hired for their protection along with that of their goods. [b][color=gold]Kiri Coffers increased by 7 000 000 Kiri Village-bound Shinobi reduced by 50% Kiri Morale reduced by 15%[/color][/b] [hider=Village Hidden in the Mist][h2][center][color=cyan]Kirigakure no Sato[/color][/center][/h2] [color=beige][b]Coffers: 12 300 100 両 Morale: 25% Martial Status: In Cold War with Iwa[/b][/color] [h3][i][color=cyan]Monsoon's Bounty[/color][/i][/h3] The muddy streets of Kiri were nearly empty of pedestrians as this year's batch of ninja hopefuls quickly made their way towards the Academy, trying in vain to shield themselves from the cold rain and howling winds soaking them to the bone. What should have been a time of feasts and time huddled in cozy houses with family was instead a time of hunger and desperation as most of the expected harvests supposed to fill the village's food storage was destroy in the mere few days when the previous jailer of the Yonbi ravaged the countryside. It was thus with growling stomachs and miserable faces that the children accepted into the Academy shuffled into the dry, if chilly, shelter provided by the building. Each child was hastily pointed to their proper classroom as they arrived, the youngest group of the bunch finding their way in a long, rectangular wooden room with a pulpit and a blackboard facing a set of stretchers built upon the hardwood floors. Behind the pulpit was a tired-looking kunoichi with loosely-braided bluish-black hair and ice-blue eyes bruised by apparent lack of sleep. The Chuunin did not bother acknowledging her students until all were sitting in their chosen seat, her clear voice cutting short the whispers of the children as easily as a knife would cut butter. “Welcome, children, to my class. I am Yuzuki-sensei, and I will teach you the foundations of the ninja skills and lifestyle for the following year. Now, introduce yourself and we shall get started.”[/hider] [h2][center][color=yellow]Land of Lightning[/color][/center][/h2] [h3][i][color=yellow]Brewing Storms[/color][/i][/h3] Rumors of inner strife among the Daimyo's court are now widely spread in the relative anonymity of sake and tea houses, gambling establishments and in various red light districts around the Elemental Nations. The Lightning Daimyo is an unpopular man after his successful coup to overthrow his much beloved uncle, and it seems he has not managed to completely purge his court of dissenters. Is this the dawn of a civil war? [h2][center][color=brown]Land of Earth[/color][/center][/h2] [h3][i][color=brown]Bittersweet Victory[/color][/i][/h3] The Land of Earth, being the homeland of the deceased traitor, Kamon Hyosuke, has been the most affected during the last months, its lands ravaged by the Jinchuuriki's fury and its reputation heavily wounded by their inability to keep the vessel of the Yonbi in their control in the first place. Their is words that the Earth Daimyo is now considering retiring his support from the shamed Iwagakure no Sato.