"I lose my breath more easily, and my calls are off due to this!"
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A's POV (Cloudless Plateau - Hidden Cloud Village)
Morning
"You think age is a proper excuse for this pathetic display? I could accept such if you were using your full ability…"
"I am my Lord, I assure you! I would not dare to offer you anything less during the morning drill!" he cried out, terrified.
"So you suggest I am lying?" A asked incredulously.
"Of course not, Lord!"
"Then am I mistaken?"
"I—yo-you. No, my Lord, such is not possible…" The man trailed off, having realized the folly of appealing to A. A inwardly smiled at the man cowering before him. This was what true power looked like…
A allowed a brow to raise. "Then you realize what you daring to do such means…" The man cried out in fear and dropped into the lowest bow A had ever seen. His face in the dirt and utterly demeaning himself in an attempt to appeal for mercy.
"Please, Lord, I did not mean anything by it. Spare me!"
"Spare you?" A asked rhetorically. "That would suggest I am sparing you from some form of punishment or suffering. I merely offer you to display the power within you. You should thank me for offering the chance to redeem your honor among your peers. Especially after such a shameful display…"
"T-thank you, my lord." The man said pitifully, tears streaming down his face. A finally remembered who the man was. Royama Yari is a veteran Jounin and member of the Yari Clan. A powerful clan of the Cloud which wielded the unique Static Bloodline.
"Then you know what must be done. Stand and prepare yourself for this endeavor." A ordered with no empathy for the terrified man. The weak could not elicit such from him, if a man or woman choose to be weak they had no right to complain when the strong did as they wished. As the man slowly and with shaky legs raised to his feet, A smiled openly. The drill was good, but this was why he indeed did it. A show of force was great for keeping his men in line. So, for those A found failing, he had a particular exercise for them. A spar with their Lord, one A would ensure stayed with them and everyone watching. The man trembled as the others stopped working and formed around the two. Whenever a spar was necessary, A always had them pause and watch. All the better to ensure they received the lesson he taught the victim.
The man nervously drew a kunai, his nerves causing him to drop it and clumsily pick it up from the ground. A cracked his neck, released his robe, and left it to fall to the ground. He removed his undershirt but kept his weights on. He wouldn't need the extra speed…
"I am ready Royama, this sanctioned spar between us for the morning drill will now commence." A ordered silence filled the plateau at the decree. Royama flinched but did not move, fearfully staring at A.
"Lord, please… I surrender; I could not bring myself to-"
Royama could not finish his lie as A's fist buried itself into his ribs with an audible crack, A could feel at least three ribs shatter from the blow. Royama could only groan in pain as he collapsed against A's fist with his full weight. "Enough with your bullshit. If you are man enough to fail these drills, you are man enough to face your Lord earnestly." A told the man with a giant smile.
A shoved Royama back quickly and backhanded him so hard he tumbled across the plateau in a ball, nearly careening over the edge from the blow. A appeared in his path before he could, kicking him in the back with such force he flew back to the center of the crowd. The crowd parted to avoid Royama flying through the air and A slowly marching to him. Royama scrambled to his feet quickly and threw his kunai desperately for A's head. A caught it easily and spat at the man hatefully as he drew close. Blurring behind him, A stabbed the kunai into the back of the man's knee, dropping him to both with a scream from the man. Royama cried out in pain and shock as A calmly placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I find people who allow themselves to be weak like yourself can only learn from the best of teachers, pain. Remember this feeling and embarrassment today. The way it made you feel and the way your peers looked upon you. For whenever you fail as you did today you subject the Cloud as whole to the same." A lecture to the man. Royama shook violently either from pain, fear, or shock.
Ryoma recovered with a gasp. His wild and fearful eyes met A's own. They were filled with desperation and fear. Despite how much he feared A he had submitted to him at this moment all the same. Now to ensure he was too fearful to ever go against him…"Lord, I am sorry; please have mercy!"
He spat again to hide his smile. "I offer you better, redemption… IRON CLAW!" A closed his grip with his full strength. He felt his hand wrapped around his vertebrae, he felt the bone shatter as he used his full grip strength, and he felt his fingers punch through his skin like it was paper, blood coating his hand as he gripped. A had to stop his glee from showing on his face.
Royama's scream of pain was more of a shriek; it died out, however, as the man succumbed to shock. His arm fell bonelessly at first, then the rest of him as he passed out. A stared down at the maimed man before he kicked him across the clearing toward the medical tent near the other punished. "Heal him up and get him going with the others. It's clear he needs it." A marched back through the crowd as they continued as if nothing happened. They knew better than to speak out; instead they continued on after thanking A, utter loyalty…
A, Mabui, and his Anbu Commander all walked over to the side out of earshot of the others. With that little display over the workout was good to continue without him. Whenever he did so brutally they always spent the next few days working extra zealously.
A walked to the edge and stared off into the forest as the other two waited for his word. "I feel prepared for the day. Let's discuss some matters; how have things progressed regarding our missing spies?"
The Anbu commander answered, "They, as expected, never reported back. We decided to investigate the matter and sent several Anbu to do so secretly. They found evidence of disposed-of bodies at the sight the Leaf had been during the exams. While it is impossible to be certain who they were, considering it was the last place we know they went, it is more than likely they were discovered and dealt with."
"A shame but not an unexpected outcome." A answered with a frown. The Leaf had always been like that, a persistent thorn in his side that refused to be dealt with. He would ensure they paid; in fact, he already had. "All the same, our next move will work despite that failure. Did the Bounty Offices approve of my request, Mabui?"
"They sent back correspondence with the rest of the mail this morning. They initially resisted but relented upon giving them the bribe, as you had suggested. "The noted participants from all five villages' details and rewards were given and received by them as you asked. Including one of our own…" Mabui trailed off purposely.
A smiled to himself at such. Likely, his captain had the same question when he had received the order, but he had been much too cowardly to raise it. Mabui, despite being weaker, had the gall to do so, without openly questioning him, "Perfect. With those new bounties in effect, our enemies will be pressured now more than ever. And while I catch that you are unsure of our own being included, it is necessary. Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Gaara of the Sand, Fuu of the Waterfall, Kurotsuchi of the Stone, and more. These cooperative exams gave us one thing we can use, an extensive list of the most promising future prospects of the Elemental Nations. With bounties out on them, the villages must safeguard our concerns. And with me allowing Samui to be marked, they will never know who is responsible. Making a play without outing ourselves… Soon, the Cloud will be what it was always meant to be.