Four down, four left. That’s all that stood between them and getting down from this tower. It was soon setting alight and the flames were slowly burning up the ladder and licking the their hot flames against the trapdoor beneath their feet. It was likely they wouldn’t be able to stay on the tower for too long but it gave them a great defence from the close quarter samurai and slavers below them. Though they showed themselves to be quite proficient with projectiles.
Three slavers and one Samurai were all that were left, they were all hid behind the well and were quite well covered. The Samurai seemed to be making gestures and giving orders Yoru couldn’t quite make out. Then it happened all so fast, Yoru barely had time to react. The Samurai stood up wielding a long bow, his arrow was incredibly thick. It was pulled back and launched directly at Yoru soaring towards him. Yoru simply grinned holding out his hand ready to catch the large arrow. It looked as though it would be handy, as Takeo could fire it back with his own bow for maximum damage.
Yoru opened up his palms and wrapped them around the large arrow stopping it just before it struck him. Dragging him across the floor with such a force, his eyes widened in shock. He needed to be careful with this technique, if the Samurai had of being any strong it was likely Yoru would be dead right now. Whilst all this was happening the Samurai withdrew his Katana and took the lead in a triangular formation as the other three slaves stood behind him all with buckets of water. The samurai had already shown he was capable of knocking back their projectiles and he intended to do the same and protect the slavers as they put out the water.
Yoru placed his hand into his pouch withdrawing a Kunai, readying to throw it. He paused however as he heard the sound of a mechanism moving. The arrow on his hand exploded launching shrapnel everywhere. Yoru flung his hands out in front of his face to protect his eyes, dropping the arrow as he leaped backwards trying to avoid the explosion. He winced as some of the shrapnel ripped through his jacket into his chest, legs and arms. The explosion sent him backwards landing on the ground with a loud thud and smacking his head against the stone flooring beneath his feet.
The young Jounin was dazed as confused, as he scrambled on the floor. He hadn’t expected to take an explosion at such close quarters, he was glad he’d managed to cover his eyes at the last moment or it would likely he was blinded. Yoru had let himself down, this was the second time he’d taken a fatal wound on this mission. Blood was trickling from his wounds as he placed himself against the short wall around the tower. He hated to do it, but he’d have to let Takeo take over for a moment so he could at least catch his breath. Though it was likely even Takeo was hit by the shrapnel he doubted Takeo had expected the arrow to be rigged either. Yoru had never seen the Samurai use such technology.
[Graded][Mission] There is a light that never goes out
[Graded][Mission] There is a light that never goes out
Takeo noted the advancing flames, his defensive tactic was turning on them and if they didn’t clear a path in the next few minutes they would have no choice but you abandon the tower less succumb to the increasing smoke and flames. As the samurai exposed himself to fire a large arrow Takeo tracked the trajectory and trusted Yoru to be able to defend himself against the attack while he immediately responded with a loosed arrow of his own. The samurai staggered under the impact as he deflected the shot once more. The bearded warrior was already drawing a second arrow as Yoru slid across the floor after making his catch. It seemed between the three of them they were all evenly matched in strength, a remarkable accomplishment. Though with his sheer power he doubted the Samurai’s blade would be able to hold out much longer. If he kept up the assault something was bound to break. If they could just take out the Samurai from a distance the others would be easily dealt with once they leapt out of the tower.
The hunter’s ears perked up as he drew back his bow. There was an unnatural sound coming from the arrow Yoru had caught. It was enough to break the warrior’s calm focus and divert his attention away from his target for a moment. He barely had time to register what was happening let alone warn Yoru. All he could do was haphazardly loose his arrow before dropping the bow and raising his arms to shield himself. As a reaction to the sizable explosion Takeo instinctively leapt to the only safety he could find, over the edge of the tower, shielding himself partially from the blast though still being blown backwards. Shrapnel pinged off his arm guards and sliced into his right shoulder. His legs were tucked close to his body as he had made himself as compact and as small of a target as possible. Cannonballing over the edge the man quickly focused to regain his awareness. His head rang and a few shards of metal had nicked his eyebrow, cheek and jaw, causing blood to stream down his face.
Reacting quickly the skilled warrior assessed his speed of descent as he braced himself for a proper landing. His feet touched down first, immediately bending his knees to absorb the impact as he threw his upper body forward and tucked himself into a roll. The force was distributed across his shoulders as he skidded through the dirt and sprang to his feet, taking a handful of quick steps to mitigate the last of the concussive energy. Cracking his neck the man stretched out for a second and for an instant he felt a pang of concern for Yoru. He had been at much closer range though he was sure he would have survived. He didn’t have any further time to think on the matter however as already the samurai had broken off from the charge, turning his path directly towards Takeo, sword readying for a single lethal strike while the others continued on to douse the flames. In an instant Takeo had drawn a kunai with his left hand, flinging it in the same motion towards the samurai as his right hand readied his dagger to defend himself. The kunai was enough of a distraction to cause the samurai to block and slow his advance.
That was all the time the Jounin needed to turn the tables. Another kunai was drawn as he surged forward, kicking up a cloud of dust into the samurai’s eyes just before he came within striking range. Dodging to the side his left hand came across, using the kunai to deflect his opponents sword as his right came across for a slash intended on splitting the samurai’s jugular. It was evident however that his opponent was a remarkably seasoned warrior. The moment the kunai touched the Samurai’s sword he spun and crouched low, aiming a blindingly fast slash at Takeo’s legs. Instinctively the Jounin leapt over the blade, though only just barely. His legs moved in a bicycle kick fashion, gathering momentum and strength before delivering a stone shattering knee to the samurai’s jaw while his right leg stomped down hard on his sword, pinning it in place. The samurai’s jaw was broken and most likely the man was unconscious though Takeo would never know for certain, he couldn’t afford to let an enemy of such caliber live. Both kunai and dagger plunged themselves deep into the man’s neck, severing his spine and slicing open both the carotid artery and the jugular vein simultaneously. He used the kunai as leverage to pull his dagger free, leaving the throwing weapon lodged in his neck as the body slumped to the ground, blood soaking into the earth at a rapid rate.
Takeo crouched, wiping his bloodied dagger and hands clean on the pants of his fallen adversary. The man was breathing heavier than usual, adrenaline coursed through his veins as he breathed deeply to calm himself in the wake of narrowly avoiding death. It wasn’t quite fear he felt when combating samurai though there was certainly a sense of apprehension, one could never know just how skilled or fast a swordsman might be and Takeo knew that if he didn’t utilize such unorthodox and dishonorable tactics against such opponents then he would surely be killed. They were some of the few warriors that could truly cause the man to risk his life each time he met one in combat. After taking a few moments to center himself Takeo wiped his face of blood, wishing that he could utilize his ninjutsu to cauterize or slow the bleeding of his wound. He glanced around quickly, hoping to spot the fuuinjutsu user though it seemed she had retreated, likely falling back to the barn with the prisoners and whatever other slavers were still alive. It was possible they were attempting a retreat or perhaps grouping together for another attack of sorts. Whatever the case may be he doubted it would be long before himself and Yoru caught up with them and ended this assault.
The Jounin’s head had cleared now and as he stood over the body of their impromptu leader one of the slavers stole a glance towards him, his grimy and bearded face growing pale at the sight. No doubt the man Takeo had killed carried some weight, if not in leadership then at least in status as a warrior. The brawny slaver quickly gathered the attention of the others and together they drew weapons, moving away from the smoke and the flames to slowly advance together in a tight formation. They were wary and cautious though it seemed they possessed enough wits to know to work together if they wished to have any hope of defeating the shinobi of Konoha. Takeo stepped over the body, staring down his adversaries like a wolf protecting its kill from fellow predators. His legs tensed as he bent at the knees and then charged with all his might. The ground rumbled from the thunderous impact, even the tower shook audibly, causing several beams to groan and crack. The slavers swayed and struggled to keep their footing while awkwardly attempting to remain on guard, though to little avail. In a flash of speed Takeo slid low, severing the leg of one man before springing to his feet and parting the head from shoulders of the man whom had initially spotted him. The last warrior barely had any time to react, stumbling backwards as his mind froze for a moment as he processed whether he would be best served turning to retreat or staying to fight. In that instant Takeo had thrown his dagger, spinning in the air to lodge itself deep in the man’s chest with enough force to send him flying back 10 feet before harshly landing on his back as blood spurted from his mouth.
The man with the severed leg screamed in immense pain, a haunting sound that pierced the air and could be heard across the entire camp. After 15 agonizingly long seconds the sound was mercifully ended as Takeo retrieved his dagger and plunged it into the man’s heart. Kneeling the Jounin slowly removed the weapon, again wiping it clean on the clothes of his fallen enemy before finally sheathing it. Blood was spattered across his own clothing and again it was streaming down his face and gathering in his mouth. He spat a clump of blood and wiped at his face with his sleeve before applying pressure to the cut on his eyebrow, hoping to help clot it. “Yoru! They’re all dead. You can come down anytime now” he shouted, his tone was grim and serious at first though it lightened and became more casual as he rounded out the sentence. Assuming Yoru leapt down the man would turn his head to meet the fellow Jounin’s gaze. “I hope you weren’t taking a nap up there” he said, smirking half-heartedly. It was difficult to be completely light-hearted in the wake of such death and gore. He glanced at the carnage before him, his heightened sense of smell knowing the scent of blood all too well. “I know, I made a mess again” he added grimly. While at times he gained a rush of blood lust and a fervor for combat he took no enjoyment in the gruesome aftermath.
Before long Yoru descended from the tower, scraped and bruised, bleeding but able to continue. The men exchanged glances and pressed on, taking up positions on either entrance to the barn doors. A handful of traps had been placed though in this section of the farm their chakra was undisturbed, perhaps a sign that the ffuin user had retreated after all. Luckily Yoru was skilled in Fuuinjutsu and was able to disarm the seals before the team breached through the doors, splintering wood to find nearly 100 men and women chained together and against beams, whatever slavers had remained had apparently decided to cut their losses, retreating with the fuuin user and forced to leave behind the large haul of human cargo. With so many people to free they would have enough time to escape as Takeo and Yoru set to breaking the chains and ensuring that there were no further traps. By the days end the prisoners would be escorted back to their town and the shinobi would return to the village but not before setting fire to the farm, cleansing the area more for Yoru's sake so that whatever memories laid there would finally be put to rest.
The hunter’s ears perked up as he drew back his bow. There was an unnatural sound coming from the arrow Yoru had caught. It was enough to break the warrior’s calm focus and divert his attention away from his target for a moment. He barely had time to register what was happening let alone warn Yoru. All he could do was haphazardly loose his arrow before dropping the bow and raising his arms to shield himself. As a reaction to the sizable explosion Takeo instinctively leapt to the only safety he could find, over the edge of the tower, shielding himself partially from the blast though still being blown backwards. Shrapnel pinged off his arm guards and sliced into his right shoulder. His legs were tucked close to his body as he had made himself as compact and as small of a target as possible. Cannonballing over the edge the man quickly focused to regain his awareness. His head rang and a few shards of metal had nicked his eyebrow, cheek and jaw, causing blood to stream down his face.
Reacting quickly the skilled warrior assessed his speed of descent as he braced himself for a proper landing. His feet touched down first, immediately bending his knees to absorb the impact as he threw his upper body forward and tucked himself into a roll. The force was distributed across his shoulders as he skidded through the dirt and sprang to his feet, taking a handful of quick steps to mitigate the last of the concussive energy. Cracking his neck the man stretched out for a second and for an instant he felt a pang of concern for Yoru. He had been at much closer range though he was sure he would have survived. He didn’t have any further time to think on the matter however as already the samurai had broken off from the charge, turning his path directly towards Takeo, sword readying for a single lethal strike while the others continued on to douse the flames. In an instant Takeo had drawn a kunai with his left hand, flinging it in the same motion towards the samurai as his right hand readied his dagger to defend himself. The kunai was enough of a distraction to cause the samurai to block and slow his advance.
That was all the time the Jounin needed to turn the tables. Another kunai was drawn as he surged forward, kicking up a cloud of dust into the samurai’s eyes just before he came within striking range. Dodging to the side his left hand came across, using the kunai to deflect his opponents sword as his right came across for a slash intended on splitting the samurai’s jugular. It was evident however that his opponent was a remarkably seasoned warrior. The moment the kunai touched the Samurai’s sword he spun and crouched low, aiming a blindingly fast slash at Takeo’s legs. Instinctively the Jounin leapt over the blade, though only just barely. His legs moved in a bicycle kick fashion, gathering momentum and strength before delivering a stone shattering knee to the samurai’s jaw while his right leg stomped down hard on his sword, pinning it in place. The samurai’s jaw was broken and most likely the man was unconscious though Takeo would never know for certain, he couldn’t afford to let an enemy of such caliber live. Both kunai and dagger plunged themselves deep into the man’s neck, severing his spine and slicing open both the carotid artery and the jugular vein simultaneously. He used the kunai as leverage to pull his dagger free, leaving the throwing weapon lodged in his neck as the body slumped to the ground, blood soaking into the earth at a rapid rate.
Takeo crouched, wiping his bloodied dagger and hands clean on the pants of his fallen adversary. The man was breathing heavier than usual, adrenaline coursed through his veins as he breathed deeply to calm himself in the wake of narrowly avoiding death. It wasn’t quite fear he felt when combating samurai though there was certainly a sense of apprehension, one could never know just how skilled or fast a swordsman might be and Takeo knew that if he didn’t utilize such unorthodox and dishonorable tactics against such opponents then he would surely be killed. They were some of the few warriors that could truly cause the man to risk his life each time he met one in combat. After taking a few moments to center himself Takeo wiped his face of blood, wishing that he could utilize his ninjutsu to cauterize or slow the bleeding of his wound. He glanced around quickly, hoping to spot the fuuinjutsu user though it seemed she had retreated, likely falling back to the barn with the prisoners and whatever other slavers were still alive. It was possible they were attempting a retreat or perhaps grouping together for another attack of sorts. Whatever the case may be he doubted it would be long before himself and Yoru caught up with them and ended this assault.
The Jounin’s head had cleared now and as he stood over the body of their impromptu leader one of the slavers stole a glance towards him, his grimy and bearded face growing pale at the sight. No doubt the man Takeo had killed carried some weight, if not in leadership then at least in status as a warrior. The brawny slaver quickly gathered the attention of the others and together they drew weapons, moving away from the smoke and the flames to slowly advance together in a tight formation. They were wary and cautious though it seemed they possessed enough wits to know to work together if they wished to have any hope of defeating the shinobi of Konoha. Takeo stepped over the body, staring down his adversaries like a wolf protecting its kill from fellow predators. His legs tensed as he bent at the knees and then charged with all his might. The ground rumbled from the thunderous impact, even the tower shook audibly, causing several beams to groan and crack. The slavers swayed and struggled to keep their footing while awkwardly attempting to remain on guard, though to little avail. In a flash of speed Takeo slid low, severing the leg of one man before springing to his feet and parting the head from shoulders of the man whom had initially spotted him. The last warrior barely had any time to react, stumbling backwards as his mind froze for a moment as he processed whether he would be best served turning to retreat or staying to fight. In that instant Takeo had thrown his dagger, spinning in the air to lodge itself deep in the man’s chest with enough force to send him flying back 10 feet before harshly landing on his back as blood spurted from his mouth.
The man with the severed leg screamed in immense pain, a haunting sound that pierced the air and could be heard across the entire camp. After 15 agonizingly long seconds the sound was mercifully ended as Takeo retrieved his dagger and plunged it into the man’s heart. Kneeling the Jounin slowly removed the weapon, again wiping it clean on the clothes of his fallen enemy before finally sheathing it. Blood was spattered across his own clothing and again it was streaming down his face and gathering in his mouth. He spat a clump of blood and wiped at his face with his sleeve before applying pressure to the cut on his eyebrow, hoping to help clot it. “Yoru! They’re all dead. You can come down anytime now” he shouted, his tone was grim and serious at first though it lightened and became more casual as he rounded out the sentence. Assuming Yoru leapt down the man would turn his head to meet the fellow Jounin’s gaze. “I hope you weren’t taking a nap up there” he said, smirking half-heartedly. It was difficult to be completely light-hearted in the wake of such death and gore. He glanced at the carnage before him, his heightened sense of smell knowing the scent of blood all too well. “I know, I made a mess again” he added grimly. While at times he gained a rush of blood lust and a fervor for combat he took no enjoyment in the gruesome aftermath.
Before long Yoru descended from the tower, scraped and bruised, bleeding but able to continue. The men exchanged glances and pressed on, taking up positions on either entrance to the barn doors. A handful of traps had been placed though in this section of the farm their chakra was undisturbed, perhaps a sign that the ffuin user had retreated after all. Luckily Yoru was skilled in Fuuinjutsu and was able to disarm the seals before the team breached through the doors, splintering wood to find nearly 100 men and women chained together and against beams, whatever slavers had remained had apparently decided to cut their losses, retreating with the fuuin user and forced to leave behind the large haul of human cargo. With so many people to free they would have enough time to escape as Takeo and Yoru set to breaking the chains and ensuring that there were no further traps. By the days end the prisoners would be escorted back to their town and the shinobi would return to the village but not before setting fire to the farm, cleansing the area more for Yoru's sake so that whatever memories laid there would finally be put to rest.
Techniques UsedShow
*[Toryu • Dirty Assault]
B-Ranked Kenjutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 15 Instinct, 25 Speed, 25 Taijutsu
Using their surroundings to their advantage with a bit of quick thinking, the user will charge at their opponent from a distance. Then, Just before getting within range to attack the opponent, the user will dig the toe of their shoe or foot into the dirt and kick up a large cloud of dirt to obscure the opponent’s vision and as a result, the user’s position. If no dirt is available, such as being inside, the user should instead use a bit of dirt on their person, though this is less effective as the cloud would be much smaller and is instead meant to simply blind the opponent. The user will then make a quick dash to either side of the opponent and reach for their arm, giving them a quick jerk to set them off balance and bring them closer before delivering a quick slash to the opponent’s jugular.
*[Toryu • Subversion Grappling]
C-Ranked Kenjutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 15 Taijutsu
One of the more utilized techniques in the arsenal of the style, it involves the shifting of offense and defense, specifically utilizing the sword as a defensive weapon and the hand as the main weapon; by blocking far off the center of the clash (to the side, above, below), the user opens up an opposing swordsman or weapon specialist to punches, quick closes and even more complicated maneuvers simply by forcing their sword back for a moment. The downside of course is it lessens the overall effectiveness of the sword.
*[Toryu • Earthshaker]
A-Ranked Kenjutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 35 Strength
A devastating dash attack known for its ability to cause tremors in the earth, the user will take a brief moment to ready themselves, digging their foot into the ground and building up power in their leg. Then in a burst of movement, the user will kick off into a dash so hard that the force they put into the earth actually causes the ground to rumble with tremors radiating out to 15 meters, causing anyone with a Taijutsu stat 10 or more underneath the user’s strength to struggle with standing or moving even at a walking pace. This makes the perfect cover for the Toryu user to charge into battle headfirst as it makes it more difficult for those who aren’t taijutsu practitioners to retaliate against their advance.
B-Ranked Kenjutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 15 Instinct, 25 Speed, 25 Taijutsu
Using their surroundings to their advantage with a bit of quick thinking, the user will charge at their opponent from a distance. Then, Just before getting within range to attack the opponent, the user will dig the toe of their shoe or foot into the dirt and kick up a large cloud of dirt to obscure the opponent’s vision and as a result, the user’s position. If no dirt is available, such as being inside, the user should instead use a bit of dirt on their person, though this is less effective as the cloud would be much smaller and is instead meant to simply blind the opponent. The user will then make a quick dash to either side of the opponent and reach for their arm, giving them a quick jerk to set them off balance and bring them closer before delivering a quick slash to the opponent’s jugular.
*[Toryu • Subversion Grappling]
C-Ranked Kenjutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 15 Taijutsu
One of the more utilized techniques in the arsenal of the style, it involves the shifting of offense and defense, specifically utilizing the sword as a defensive weapon and the hand as the main weapon; by blocking far off the center of the clash (to the side, above, below), the user opens up an opposing swordsman or weapon specialist to punches, quick closes and even more complicated maneuvers simply by forcing their sword back for a moment. The downside of course is it lessens the overall effectiveness of the sword.
*[Toryu • Earthshaker]
A-Ranked Kenjutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 35 Strength
A devastating dash attack known for its ability to cause tremors in the earth, the user will take a brief moment to ready themselves, digging their foot into the ground and building up power in their leg. Then in a burst of movement, the user will kick off into a dash so hard that the force they put into the earth actually causes the ground to rumble with tremors radiating out to 15 meters, causing anyone with a Taijutsu stat 10 or more underneath the user’s strength to struggle with standing or moving even at a walking pace. This makes the perfect cover for the Toryu user to charge into battle headfirst as it makes it more difficult for those who aren’t taijutsu practitioners to retaliate against their advance.
Karagata Shinjiro - Kiri Bannin; Jinchuuriki, Overseer of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Kintsugi
Haziwara Youji- Iwagakure Chunin
Takeda Ichiro - A-Rank Waterfall Country; Black Wake, Chishiki, Setsuzoku
Hyuuga Takeshi - Konoha Special Jounin; Anbu
Jouchaku Shigeko - Kiri Genin; HHD