[Yamakira Takeshi]

Power corrupts. Absolute power is kind of neat.

The woman finished tying up her wish and turned to her shadow. "Won't you tie your own wish?"

The disheveled white hair swayed in rhythm of his head shaking. "I don't get wishes."

That made the woman hum before turning around and putting another piece of paper to the bamboo. With that done she returned to young man and grabbed him by the arm "Help me with the shopping, Takeshi."

A click of the tongue was all the response she got but she knew he would have come along even if she didn't ask. She fought back the sad smile that threatened to form on her face and instead hoped that the rumors about the bamboo granting wishes were true. That and her wish for him would come true, to move on and find happiness.

OWL

[Kuronmeru Yosei]

The boy in front of the bamboo wasn't quite sentimental enough to care for wishes, letalone something as poetic as a haiku. So he stood in front of the bamboo, the tanzatu tags flowing in the warm breeze, his sleeveless shirt finally comfortable on the island he lived on. He probably wouldn't have come if it hadn't been requested, another Kuronmeru practice to keep up appearances, to show off their superiority. As his fine red, silken scarf was evidence of. Still, these things, traditions of sentiment, he didn't care nearly enough about these. Yet, he couldn't deny he did have one wish.

He wouldn't sign it, not with ink. Instead he'd wander to find a dried bamboo stalk, the bamboo nearing the end, and pick his finger. After a few tries he'd get what he wanted. Black ichor, blackness that he'd stain the tanzaku strip with. And he'd only have one wish, that he felt no shame in voicing aloud, company or not.

I want to drown the world in blackness.

To have his blood flow strong and freely, that was his wish.

[Kyuumu Suzaku]

The fiery head was unmistakable even while he was in these stalks of green and wearing black. Though he didn't have many people to relate with, ever since the Chuunin exams he'd kept even more to himself. Which was an impressive feat, even if it was unhealthy. Though, it was at least par the course for his reclusive clan. It felt like the only part of their legacy he was living up too.

And he sighed staring at the tanzaku strip. Just what should he write? To become a chuunin? There were suggestions, hints from the few people he did sometimes see that if he met all the requirements he'd likely be allowed to reach that goal. But...That felt unsatisfying. Which wasn't very practical, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to try again. To succeed. Is that what he should write? That didn't feel right either.

You might as well wish for success with your luck. As if reading his mind, one of the crows on the bamboo stalks spoke up. Wishes should be simple. Wish for food. The second spoke up, giving an argument the first perked up at. Ohh. Fatty food specially.

As the two chirped and cawed over just what food should be wished for the boy rolled his eyes before deciding on what to write. Not a wish, but a haiku.

Chattering buffoons
Birds brains the whole lot of them
I wish I had fish

[Nakahara Yuushi]

Yuushi really liked this bamboo, it was so pretty. It was almost like a mini forest of its own. But like all things, it was ending, and soon from the looks of it. It was tragic to see, and the nature loving teen hated seeing it fall. He grabbed one of the tanzaku tags, caressing the stalk it was on and, perhaps impulsively, chose a wish. Not for himself, or others, but for simple things and beauty.

I wish the bamboo didn't have to die.

While all things must end, Yuushi really did hate endings and goodbyes.

[Hatake Shinde]

When met with the burden of otherwise leading her clan with her father more or less out of the picture, but acclimating well to the duties expected of her, she'd decided to pray for strength.

"I wish for greater power within the Hatake Clan. And to see exceptional members fill its ranks. For us to grow and show the power of Konoha as we once had." Resting her hands, she proceeds to clap her hands, and would leave her charm and tie it firmly as many others did.

[Para-para Ume]

As the month came to a close, Ume had grown accustomed to the newly born bamboo forest and the countless decorative wishes that adorned each stalk. She hadn't bothered; sappy shit wasn't her thing, but there was a sense of longing as she passed the collage of colorful papers, like she was missing out on something big. With a steady sigh, she gave in. Grabbing a rather unimpressive slip of paper, she scrawled a mess of words that could maybe be understood as the girl's wishes. I just wanna be me Losers're always trying to shut me and people like me up, but I'm going to be free wether whether these assholes like it or not I don't need to wish for shit to make it happen, but I'm not opposed to some help along the way. A bit embarrassed by how honest her wish was, Ume crumpled the note up and shoved it into her pocket. Walking away, she cursed herself for being so stupid as to even entertain the idea that tying a piece of paper to some creepy bamboo stalk would amount to anything. But, late into the night, Ume returned to the scene of the crime. That very same wish, the paper which held it now wrinkled and slightly torn, was taped up on a towering length of bamboo. And again, she made a hurried exit, unwilling to take credit for the moment, however brief, of vulnerability.

[googlefont=Roboto][googlefont=Reenie Beanie]

[Okami Shizuka]

Wolf of the Infinite

Finishing the touches on their Tanzaku, the nekoshounen would flip the small piece of paper over and over again in his hands. The wish it contained was a simple one, yet knowingly impossible:

Shizuka, I miss you.

A simple plea of longing, yet the message was clear. For the boy wished for nothing more than for their sister to return.

OWL

[yamaguchi daichi]

Too much. Too much too fast too soon; too many developments in too short a time for Daichi to give the bamboo forest more than a passing glance in idle curiosity, his skin buzzing with anticipation and joy and dread and hope all in equal, agonizing measure. It made people happy, though. If not happy, then hopeful; if not hopeful, then wistful, determined, introspective in a way that people so rarely allowed themselves to be in their day-to-day lives, lest the machine keeping them going falter beneath their feet. Not so for Daichi. Ruminating was his favorite hobby. Perhaps this was why that it was only as the bamboo was starting to wither and fade that he finally made his way to the grove, cerulean paper in hand. Give me the strength to weather the storm, it said in perfectly blocky handwriting. I know my path. I just need to walk it.

LAIKA OF THQ

[ayase saki]

This was not the first, nor the second, nor even the sixth bamboo grove that Saki had passed through over the past month; they had cropped up everywhere, it seemed, and she just couldn’t escape that bioluminescent glow, luring her in with the promise of peace, safety, sanctuary.

They were almost completely withered by the time she gave in, and tied her wish to the bamboo; less a wish, and more a statement, a promise of the reality that she wished to manifest into being.

Kyodai Ayaka is dead.

[hirana kizumi]

Kizumi avoided the bamboo grove like it had been personally responsible for the Plague, right up until the very last moment, right as it seemed that the bamboo was going to crumble into dust and she would surely never have this chance ever again; it was then and only then that she slipped out in the dark of knight, stiff fingers clumsy, intoxicated, groping in the dark to tie her selfish desires to dying bamboo.

Let me get laid, it said, like more than one time per calendar year, and make Yaki stop watering down my liquor cabinet, it was funny the first three times but it’s not anymore, and please keep my family safe, give Katsuo the backbone he needs to grow out of his brother’s shadow, and let Natsuo step up and be responsible for once, and give Suzaku the courage to stand up for himself, and let Kouki achieve everything he wants to in this new life of his, and let Eri find that purpose she’s searching for, and give Orbei safety and family and love, and let Yamatsu grow into his own, and please stop punching down on Shosuke, and Akihiko needs a braincell, and Chuya is bored so a sea monster for her to fight would be nice, and Risi is so close to promotion, and Takame just wants to fly free, and Matoi is so capable, and Shirai just wants her family, and Sora needs connection, and Momura has his faith, and Mitsumi is so brave and so fierce…

It went on and on and on, over dozens of tags, all sloppily tied, a wish for every beloved shinobi she’d ever spoken to, even in passing—a wish for all their wishes to come true.

[Yoritomo]

I just wanted to tell everyone thank you for being here for this big moment. A lot has happened over the last ten years. I've even had an old member message me saying they were so surprised we were still going, that they've since gotten married and had kids, but that the site helped them through a stressful period of their life. So I'm happy this place has been somewhere people could relax and decompress from the stresses of their life. I know there have been rocky patches as well, but I can only hope the good will always outweigh those bad moments. In the end let me just say that I hope we have another ten years and that you'll all continue to enjoy one another's company while writing fun stories together.



Now for just a boring staff book keeping part. All participants have been paid out a thousand experience on their characters. I've personally gone through and paid it all out, editing your posts here (but not actually changing anything) to show that I paid it out. For those who did not have purchase threads for me to record your gains in, you will be listed below just so if your character's xp has to be calculated in the future you don't lose out on this 1k. I highly encourage when you do start your purchase thread you link to this post so there's a record there.

Minamoto no Akari
Gurē Reiashi
Tenchi Amane
Fujiyama Orbei
Futago Yua
Tantetsu Tsusho
Souzouteki Sogo
Inōe Josuke
Arai Shimako
Yutakako Takara
Senju Subaru
Futago Chichi
Shippai Tsuneo
Nakajima Taro
Ha Chuya
Tetsumaki Kai
jūryoku izure
Miyake Mikio
Oborozuki Sei
Kyodai Yuriko
Fuji Naoko
Nue Toru (Yes, even I'm here)
Namikawa Suisei
Okada Tetsuo
Enkō Kuromi
Kuronmeru Yuuto
Urano Shun
Yasuda Jin
Maboroshi Masato
Katsue Koki
Yūgao Yusaku
Uchiha Jūkō
Funato Yuzuki
Warai Ameko
Shindera Mori
Hokkyokusei Kasasagi
Ha Tsuru
Shimamoto Miyo
Susanō Akari
Kurata Yakeru
Shinmen Takeshi
Kazama Fuu
Mikami Kouki
Yutakako Katsurou
Nakahara Yuushi
Okami Shizuka