- ooc:
- Any who post in this topic are volunteering themselves as active participants of newest site event. See Here for more details. Let's do Iwagakure proud, eh?
The bird had arrived and interrupted Hozuna’s sleep in the middle of the night, probably some time after midnight. There was a full moon hidden behind the clouds that had rolled in while the Tsuchikage slept but candlelight allowed him to read the notice just fine once it had been decoded by his bodyguard Tojiro. Groggy eyes saw the need for expediency and immediately wrote a letter to be copied and sent to every shinobi in the village. By dawn, each and every shinobi would receive a hawk with an invitation to the front gates of the village with requests for full load outs and preparation for armed combat.
The Ninth Tsuchikage was not one to often chase after fairy tales or wild geese, but the Land of Tea was not one to exaggerate something like this. A meteor full of gold and bandits swarming to claim it for themselves were simply something that Iwagakure could not allow. It was a chance to show not only their military might but also fill their coffers with the valuable material. Any benefit to Iwagakure was a reason to make the moves necessary to claim such a meteor and thrust out ne’er-do-wells from the Land of Tea.
By the time he had gathered his belongings and made it to the front gate, first light was breaking over the mountaintops. And with that first light came a horrendous downpour and storm clouds that threatened to extinguish that light altogether as they did their best to mask the rising sun behind a wall of fluffy blackness occasionally broken with the flash of lightning. Not exactly his preferred weather, but his cloak would keep most of the chill off of him this morning.
He took a spot on a small podium at the top of the gates as he reluctantly donned the Tsuchikage Sugegasa, that dreaded ceremonial hat that he felt made him look more a clown than a soldier. It was an appearance and one that needed to be made not only as a soldier but as a leader. Hozunda would bear it for that purpose and the inspiration it might inspire in his faithful troops. Once gathered, he would begin his speech.
”Fellow shinobi, I have summoned you here with dreadful news and a purpose worth fighting for. Our allies in the Land of Tea have been overwhelmed by bandits. With their military unable to force these locusts out, Iwagakure has been called upon to provide assistance and force this blight from their land! The payment for this task, beyond the glory of showing the world our might, is a fallen star laden with enough gold to help every family in Iwagakure live just a little better. So I ask you to volunteer today and come with me to not only do what is morally right and just… but make the lives of your friends and neighbors better. Do it for your families, for the families of those who died in the Land of Tea. For those who gave their lives to defend their home and the riches we will bring back to our land, I ask you this morn to come and fight. Any who desire to risk their lives on this affair will be welcome to stand by my side as we begin to reclaim our rightful place in the history books. As a nation of doers. A nation of loyalty. A nation of strength. A nation no longer held back by the apathy of our leaders but inspired to reach out and make a better world. Through whatever means and opportunities we can find!”
With his piece spoken the Kage would turn and lead those who would volunteer out into the downpour. That blackness would hopefully see many shinobi seeking to support their kage in this venture and allow for a very rewarding experience. The rain would do little to slow down such zeal and determination, and other nations be damned should they try to stand in the way of the Village Hidden in the Stone and their prize. All enemies of the Land of Earth would be crushed beneath those stones, and the shinobi that had trained amongst them for a moment just like this.