The request was . . . not quite what Makoto had envisioned.
"Oh, I . . ." He glanced at the young girl who, before so bold and firendly, now went red at the face and hid at the mere mention of her own name. Makoto felt a tinge of red creeping into his own expression, but managed to suppress it. "I suppose that I cou-, I mean, yes, of course, but . . ." He glanced past the carriage at the bridge, now only a few hundred feet away. "I would rather see us safe across the bridge first." Akira squawked cheerily (he seemed to be staring at the girl who apparently held such an interest in him) as Makoto bowed and withdrew from his position beside the carriage.
In truth, he wasn't particularly worried about an ambush at the bridge, especially considering how lifeless the surrounding area seemed to be.
But it's best to be safe right? After conferring briefly with his fellow guards, he gave the all clear and took up his position at the rear. For most of party, it was an entirely uneventful crossing. For Makoto, it was ninety-five percent uneventful, five percent dearheavensabovewhathappenedtothebridge.
As soon as the carriage had passed over, with Makoto mere feet behind, a roar shook the bridge, and firm ground became suddenly a good deal less firm. Not taking the time to fully consider his situation, the Hyuuga formed a single handseal and jumped, soaring gracefully over the carriage to land lightly on a foot, a knee, and a hand, on the other side. As he got to his feet, a few questions shot through his head in rapid succession.
What happened? Glancing back, he saw that the bridge had, indeed, been powderized.
Are the civilians safe? A quick glance back at the carriage confirmed they were, at least for the moment.
Am I going to get to hit someone now? A Byakugan sweep of the surrounding woods located three figures,, at first far away but rapidly converging on their position at a speed unreachable by your average bandit.
"Three figures, ninja, rapidly closing on our position from the north-east. Prepare for battle." He pointed, and began rapidly forming handseals.
"Arriving in five, four, three, two, one." Moments before the masked man appeared from the trees, he formed the last hand seal, and a warping of air appeared above the carriage, near where Kuodachi might still be sitting. As their accoster stood before them and stated his demand, the warping expanded and took shape, a ghastly
wraith hovered above the carriage. Anything that threatened the vehicle or its occupants would face its cold, impassive blade.
Makoto himself made no further move nor reply, leaving it to his comrades to bandy words if they would. Had he performed seals for an offensive ability, he may have simply tried to blow the bandit away the second he stated his outrageous demand.
The girl? Why the girl? It was confusing to be sure, but that was neither here nor there. These outlaws threatened their empliyers, and for that they would be dealt with.
"One on the left, one on the right, parallel to the one in the road." He advised his comrades quietly, though the head bandit might have bee able to hear as well. Makoto shifted his position to the left of the carriage, ready for whatever followed.
*[Jump]
D-Ranked Nintaijutsu
The rudimentary technique of the High Style, Jump requires the user to first perform a single handseal, followed by focusing chakra into the feet. When the user jumps, be it at a standstill or with momentum, the chakra will release in a burst, sending him/her a distance that depends on the amount of chakra placed into the technique. This boost is purely in vertical distance; horizontal distance depends on the user's momentum when this technique is performed, meaning it causes higher jumps, not longer ones. The maximum height that can be gained using this technique, no matter that amount of chakra placed into it, is 30 feet, while the minimum is 5 feet. Each jump with this burst counts as a new use of this technique, and thus requires handseals to be reactivated.
Wind Element • Wraith
B-Ranked Ninjutsu
Makoto forms a series of hand seals, ending on the ram seal. Somewhere within a ten foot radius of his body, the air within a roughly three foot diameter begins to warp, creating a soft hissing sound. After a few moments, the air takes the shape of the roughly humanoid shape of the Wraith, as outlined by the rushing wind that composes it. Its midsection resembles that of a human, as do its upper arms and left forearm, but has a three foot long wind blade in the place of a right forearm. In place of lower body, it has roughly conicular tendril that terminates in a point roughly two meters below its waist. Its head bears no facial features or hair. It is capable of flying, and can travel up to one quarter of a mile away from Makoto. It cannot speak, but it can understand simple commands and carry out simple tasks.
Taijutsu: 3
Speed: 5
Strength: 2
Stamina: 3
Steady Stance
D-Ranked Taijutsu
A classic, neutral stance often utilized by practitioners of the Gentle Fist. The user crouches slightly, and extends his right arm forward, bent at an approximately 30 degree angle, while the left arm, bent at a ninety degree angle, is positioned about half a foot to the left. Both feet point directly forward, with the right being about one foot ahead of the left.
