[Graded][Mission] There is a light that never goes out

[Lacarix]

[quote=Mission Scroll] Rank A
For Desired Participants Aizawa, Yoru & Natsuki, Takeo for Mamorinuku
From Tei, Kawa of Fire Country
Requesting That the pair of you travel to a farming district in the northern territories, this district is the farm where Aizawa, Yoru was born. It was cleared out many years ago, however we have heard that a slavery organisation is using it as a basis of operations. You need to infiltrate the camp, free any slaves that have been enslaved and clear out the camp by any means.
Time Limit for Mission N/A

[Izanagi]

So it had finally come to this. Takeo awoke in the Mamorinuku headquarters, his mind was heavy with all that had happened in the past month. He had allocated more time to sleep as of late though seldom did he feel any more rested than he had even during the height of the aftermath. Often he awoke in the dead of the night, shocked awake by gripping phantom pains in his stomach and images of crows. Other times it was thoughts of his student Minoru that kept him awake at night. The boy continued to lay in a coma, weak and decrepit, an insult to the memory of the vibrant and ambitious young shinobi he had been. So much suffering and misery, it had been enough to drain the man of his ambition and sour his thoughts for several days on end. At least until he was reminded of his duty and what he fought for, how important the shinobi of the leaf were to the civilians of Fire Country.

Yoru had come to him, the sole student from his first attempt at mentorship. They had grown together over the course of 8 years, performed missions, trained and became best friends. Now they considered one another as brothers held in the same regard as true family. He recalled in great detail the first time the boy at the time had told him about his scars and of his life on the outskirts of the fire country. The torture the slavers had put him through and the massacre of many of his countrymen. When Yoru, now a man and a Jounin came to him with information about a recurrence of the same slaver group, Takeo agreed to accompany him without question.

It hadn’t taken the man long to dress; a black and brown haori worn loosely in order to expose his chest. Only the left arm was sleeved, exposing a bare right shoulder. Bandaged wrappings covered his forearms and shins, their purpose to provide protection in hand-to-hand combat. So too were there black metal grieves covering his forearms as well as a dense leather guard covering his left shoulder. His shorts which consisted of a light gi-like material extended just past his knees, ending where his wrappings began. Ultimately the outfit was quite cool in the summer heat despite the darkness of the garb and while extremely light it offered protection where necessary. Weapons were secured in a kunai holster on his left leg and a hip pouch at his lower back while additional compartments and scrolls were located along a utility belt, the front of which baring a metal plate inscribed with the leaf insignia, much like the forehead protector across the man’s head.

The Jounin leaned against a tree trunk outside of the gates of konoha. He was content to wait under the shade until Yoru arrived. He wouldn’t be long he knew, likely his student was eager to get the mission underway. He had always been the impatient sort and in this instance Takeo couldn’t blame his reasoning for haste. He would require Yoru to take the lead in locating the village, it had been his home many years ago. If they’re back then they’ve likely enslaved other villages as well, hopefully we make it in time to save them he mused. Many of the slavers and civilians alike had been killed last time, clearly some had survived though; perhaps they were only one part of a larger organization? It would be ideal to take the leader as a hostage and torture him for information, the rest could be killed. I wonder how Yoru will fare? the Jounin wondered, Yoru had grown far more callous to death in recent years but still he had a soft heart and suffering always took a toll on him. He was the type to kill efficiently and only in the midst of combat whereas Takeo saw only threats that needed to be disposed of by any means necessary.

[Lacarix]

Yoru slowly walked through the forest, he glimpsed up at the sun through the gaps of the trees, as it poured through the branches and glistened upon his pale skin. The placement of the sun gave him a rough idea of what time it was. He certainly would need to get changed, his clothes had been burnt his hair crisp at the edges from a variety of Katon attacks from his new band of students that he’d just been training. They’d caused him a little more bother than he expected, he was worried that one of his ribs may be broken. It would be a pain if it was, it would set him back quite a bit on his mission. Though he’d check it out thoroughly when he got home. He held back far too much with his newly formed squad, he hadn’t quite expected for them to be so strong, they caught him by surprise. He was glad of it though.

Working his way through the forest he headed towards the village, the large green gates of Konoha were just out in the distance he jogged forward to a parting of the trees that led to a road. Placing his feet upon it he continued forward and his hand ran across the grooves of the green gate. He came to his home, to freshen up. Once he arrived at the ranch a pigeon was waiting for him with a note wrapped around its leg. He pulled it free and stroked the pigeon on it’s breast, it cooed then flew off into the mid-afternoon sky. He unravelled the scroll and began to read the words written across it. His eyes widened, the paper slipped through his fingers onto the ground below. It was a mission, he’d be working alongside his sensei in the north-eastern sector of the fire country. He was to travel to the farm of which he was born from and where he’d been enslaved. There had been reports of slavers banding there again and using it as a headquarters. His hands balled up into fists, his teeth clenched down in anger. It had been years since he’d been there, could some of the same slavers still be there? Surely not, they’d been wiped out once Konoha came to their aid.

He pushed open the door of the ranch house and hurtled up the stairs to his room, slamming the door furiously. His parents wouldn’t hear, neither of them were in. His fist hurtled towards the wall, ripping through it as though it was made of paper. Why would the village send him back there? Sure he had knowledge of the land in that area but surely that wasn’t a good enough reason to send him to a place where he’d suffered so much turmoil. Either way it didn’t matter now, he could let his personal feelings get in the way of this mission. He turned to his dressed and picked up a wooden comb, which he dragged through his hair getting rid of the burnt bits. Pulling off his clothes he threw them on the floor, then redressed in a standard konoha garb. Wearing a black undershirt and trousers and simply finished off with a green konoha flak jacket. He refilled his pouches and holsters with tools, then headed to the bathroom and washed his face, removing any marks and blemeshsies had had arisen during the training with his students.

Bounding down the steps as quickly as he could, he hurtled through the door of his home and out into the village. Heading back towards the gates he hadn’t long been since, stood his sensei with his arms folded. He was so glad Takeo was coming along on this mission with him, Takeo wasn’t just stronger physically but emotionally. He’d be able to guide Yoru in the right direction on this mission. “Oi, Takeo!” he yelled loudly waving at his beloved sensei. He put on an act, trying not to show that he was worried about the mission. This was their first mission together in quite some time, he was glad to be working alongside him. Pushing his hands into the pockets of his trousers he walked over slowly “Punctual as usual hmm?” he grinned a wide smile, he’d be giving his sensei quite a bit of crap over the mission. “So, shall we head out? I don’t see any point wasting time.”

[Izanagi]

The Jounin closed his eyes as he waited, taking the time to enjoy the nature around him. It was a relaxing habit of his which he could find comfort in regardless of how much stress and grief had occupied his life as of late. He inhaled deeply, his adept nose sorting through the variety of scents in the air. Flowers, cottonwood, grass, dirt, sap, even the faint scents of various wild berries; all flowed with the breeze, mixing together in a pleasant aroma that only the most skilled could sort through. So too were there sounds and he heard them all; several species of birds, finches, chickadees and sparrows namely all singing happily in alternating patterns. It was one of the most natural sounds of the forest and oft used as an early detection system for danger. Nearly every species of these woods were known to the man, not only of animals but also trees, shrubs and berry bushes. The only time he felt truly as peace was alone in the wilderness, the forest feeling more a home to the man than any other he had known. His other great joy came in the form of combat, namely hand-to-hand fighting. Fortune favored him for on this day he would experience ample amounts of both.

A loud voice broke through the melody of the forest. A smile emerged on his previous tranquil face and his eyes shot open, fixing themselves on a pleasant sight that warmed his heart and lightened his burden even if only a little. The man nodded in acknowledgement as he abandoned the shadows, stepping forward into the sun to meet up with the vermillion haired shinobi. He seemed quite himself, arriving precisely when he meant to and expecting to depart without delay. He simply smirked at Yoru’s comment, he was looking forward to their usual banter, few shinobi were as convivial or lighthearted as the young man and their exchanges made working with one another all the more enjoyable. “Just like old times eh?” he stated, smirking slyly as he recalled all the grand adventures they had embarked together on over the years. Despite the particular weight of this mission he was looking forward to working with his student and he knew that nobody else could substitute for the bond the two men shared.

Turning towards the road Takeo made a few quick checks to make sure everything was fastened properly. Neither men liked wasting time. “Yeah, let’s get outta here” he agreed before smirking at Yoru playfully, he knew Yoru would see through this and rise to the challenge. He wondered if Yoru had gotten any faster in the nearly years’ time that they had spent apart. Takeo certainly had. He took off in perfect unison with his student, starting off at his normal top pace which no doubt his student would match. And then he switched gears, ramping up his speed and blazing along the trail. It would be foolish to maintain such a breakneck pace throughout the whole Journey of course, he simply wished to burn off some excess energy and stretch his limbs before slowing down and settling into a travelling pace. Moreover he was curious to compare his newfound speed to that of Yoru’s. After all it was not often that Yoru had an opportunity to travel at his top speed for fear of leaving his comrades behind. “Try to keep up Yoru” he teased, grinning widely as he weaved around trees, occasionally leaping between branches or propelling himself off of tree trunks.

[Lacarix]

“Just like old times.” He echoed his sensei, a smile crept across his face. He was sentimental and rather pleased to be working back alongside his sensei. He’d enjoy joking around with him, it made missions more fun. Yoru easily bored of those without any humour and got quickly discouraged with working with them again, despite if they were efficient or not on those very missions. Takeo took off almost without warning, his sensei sprinted off at full speed. Yoru took it rather casually he’d have no trouble keeping up, his sensei was slow in comparison or so he thought.

Yoru took off running as quickly as he could and as fast as he could as his sensei told him to keep up, his eyes widened with shock. He couldn’t bridge the gap between the two his sensei was just too fast. Yoru hurtled himself forward pushing himself, trying to get himself past his limits but he simply couldn’t move any quicker. His sensei had obviously been speed training since they were last together “Fuck.” Yoru mumbled under his breath to himself. That was one thing Yoru had always prided himself on and that was his speed. He met a samurai not so long enough who was even faster and now his sensei was just as quick as him and even managed to slice his chest.

Yoru shook his head in annoyance, he had been training while he was away but he’d been working on strength training. He was probably just as strong as his sensei now physically so at least he could bridge that gap. As soon as this mission was over Yoru would work on his speed training, he had no intention of been slow. Maximum speed was the only acceptable route for him. His sensei decided to clamber trees to propel himself off, however Yoru kept to the ground and lowering his head to make himself as aerodynamic as possible. “You’re pretty fast for an old man!” Yoru yelled loudly. He hoped they wouldn’t keep this speed up all the way, they’d burn out before they even got there at this rate.

[Izanagi]

Takeo chuckled as he glanced backwards, noting Yoru’s difficulty in keeping up. As usual he had overestimated his own speed and ability. It was an incredible feeling to finally bridge the gap between the two, it had been several years since he had been as fast as his student, though he knew he would never actually be faster. The celebration would be short lived. After this mission Yoru would train his speed and nothing else until he reached a new precipice, such was the way between the two men, constantly pushing each other past what they imagined possible. For now though the Sensei and student were on more equal footing than they ever had been before. “You should know better than to underestimate me Yoru” he chastised cheekily. He was simply trying to get a rise out of him as he knew there was no reason for the young man to suspect Takeo had gotten faster, while speed was integral to his fighting style, strength had always been his primary advantage.

As usual Takeo opted for the cover and maneuverability of the trees whilst Yoru opted for the straight and flat path. Their preferences spoke volumes to their personality types and fighting styles; Takeo ever tactical and analytical compared to Yoru whom preferred to overwhelm opponents with sheer speed and power, taking them out directly before they had a chance to counter him. Both preferences had their own unique benefits and drawbacks and as time had been the witness, their styles complimented one another marvelously. Takeo smirked, looking down on Yoru who was almost in stride with him, his route through the trees was slower by comparison but much more fun and it served to conserve energy as he periodically glided through the air after a great and powerful leap. “And you’re pretty slow for a young guy” he retorted, knowing that he would pay for that remark later. He would savor this feeling while he could for he knew that Yoru would become as fast as the Hokage one day, a potential that Takeo simply didn’t possess.

After a few more kilometers, which was little more than a minute’s time to men of their caliber, Takeo began to gradually decrease the pace he had set. He jumped down next to his friend, continuing on without breaking stride. They shared a glance, no doubt acknowledging that they didn’t want to tire themselves out racing one another and as such fell into a moderate pace that would conserve energy. The Jounin’s breathing slowed, his heart rate was only marginally elevated from the brief sprint and soon it would be at a comfortable resting level, even in the midst of what a normal shinobi would consider a fast pace. They were making good progress and although Takeo didn’t know precisely where they were headed he figured it wouldn’t take more than an hour or two to reach their destination.

[Lacarix]

Yoru snarled a little in annoyance as his sensei said not to underestimate him, he however did. He had expected to just run and be quicker, but that wasn’t possible. He didn’t mind losing normally but he very much hated losing something he normally excelled in. Yoru had a habit of boasting about been one of the fastest shinobi’s in all of Konoha. His sensei had increased his speed an incredible rate, they both worked on their flaws during this period apart. But Yoru wouldn’t be slower for much longer, he’d be the fastest soon again.

Luckily for him, his sensei took the high ground giving Yoru the advantage on the straight path. He came directly beneath his sensei. Takeo called him slow, now that really ground his gears. What a thing to say to the previously fastest man alive! Or so Yoru thought of himself. He’d get his sensei back for showing off his new found speed and mocking Yoru’s. The young shinobi placed his foot on a tree and leaped forward through the air using his strength to propel him forward, he soared in front of his sensei. He turned in mid-air a grin fell across his face, as he flicked his foot out to knock his sensei backwards before landing on the ground in a roll. Whatever happened, his sensei was soon along-side him and their pace started to slow.

Yoru was glad of the slowed pace, Takeo’s stamina was a little better than his own so he wouldn’t be able to keep it up for as long as him. Though he’d never admit that to his sensei, he’d act as though he was fine. When in reality he wanted to take a good deep breath. They continued at a decent rate through the fire country, it would probably take no longer than an hour at the speed they were going “It’s to the north east, not too far from the rock country border.” Yoru took the lead, only by a hair just so he could direct his sensei in the right direction.

“So Sensei, what have you been doing for the last eight months? Apart from crying everyday, while missing your favourite student!” he laughed loudly, however this laugh was cut short when it dawned on him that Takeo of course had other students and even another squad. Then Mino came to his mind, did Takeo know about the young Genma? He wasn’t sure if he did or not, though he wasn’t sure how to bring it up in conversation. Would he just out right say it? He’d give it a few moments then try to slide it into conversation.

UsedShow

*[Shoulder Kick]
C-Ranked Taijutsu
When performing this technique, the user will generally approach from the diagonal or from the side of the opponent's position. As the user approaches, s/he will jump behind the opponent, twisting his/her body to kick the opponent on the other side as s/he passes by. This has the advantage of making the opponent look to the right when the attack will come from the left, and vice versa. The most frequent area of contact while using this technique is the shoulder.

[Izanagi]

Takeo knew his student would be getting annoyed at this point, it was all in good fun but still he was always the more emotional of the two and he took great pride in his abilities. Sure enough he soon made a display of his ability, catching up and cheekily flipping over the man as he lashed out with a kick to his shoulder. The seasoned shinobi smirked at the display, instinctively he guarded against the kick yet still the momentum was enough to send him reeling backwards. Rather than stumble and fall he went with the force, flipping backwards and softly landing on the ground, again releasing the momentum in a backwards roll. Acrobatics weren’t his strong suit nor his preference but he was competent enough to at least do that much. He chuckled, entertained by the antics. He had been set back a fair bit though and there would only be one way to catch up to him now.

Without hesitation he rushed forward once again, his hands forming a quick set of seals as a surge of chakra flowed into his legs. This time he stayed on the bottom path, sprinting ahead as fast as he could muster. In only a few short moments he managed to close the gap but not without difficulty, he glanced over at his student, chuckling and shaking his head before nodding to him, a conceding gesture indicative of his desire for a truce. And then the pace slowed and he allowed the chakra to dissipate. If they had kept up that top pace, even Takeo would have been exhausted by the time they arrived. He nodded in understanding. Of course Yoru actually meant the North West as the east would bring them towards the lightning country but he wouldn’t make a point in mentioning it. He knew Yoru struggled with education and made slip ups every now and again but he trusted his navigational skills regardless.

It was unexpected when Yoru asked about what he had done in their time away from one another. Typically Yoru didn’t care to ask much into his past or his many adventures, though in this instance perhaps it was simply more relevant. “The last couple months have been pretty boring honestly, I’ve been doing a lot of research on Missing nin as well as compiling lists of our strongest and most promising shinobi and such” he chuckled sardonically, “I was going to put together an elite task force to hunt down enemies to Konoha, seems they found us first.” It all seemed rather pointless now. It was clear nobody in Konoha could stand against the threats that roamed beyond their walls. It would be foolish to send anyone after those two or anyone of their league that they may associate themselves with.

No doubt he would shift his focus to defense for the time being; perhaps he could revisit his idea when Konoha was more stable. “Before that I had spent most of the Fall and the Winter off in Frost Country, spent most of the time freezing my ass off and eating donkey meat. I had a lot of time to practice my Katon ninjutsu though and even formed a pact with another summoning creature.” He realized then that he wasn’t sure if he had told Yoru of his venture into mastering fire. He had scarcely began his training when they had last seen one another, it was a sensitive subject with Yoru however, as far as Takeo was aware he still hadn’t quite overcome his fear of the element.

Jutsu UsedShow

*Speedster
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
A technique focused on boosting the user's speed, Speedster begins with a set of hand seals. After they are completed, the user will focus chakra throughout their legs to stimulate them. With this extra stimulation, users are able to run more quickly (+1 speed) at the cost of their control over other techniques (-1 control). This technique lasts for three (3) posts.

[Lacarix]

The pair jogged at a decent pace to the north east just as Yoru said, he was wrong when he said it was near the border of the rock country. He had mistakened slaver ravine which went through move of the top of the country and the actual border of the land of earth. The slavers from the rock country used these passage ways to travel from their own country to fire rather quickly and undetected. The farmer wasn’t too far from there. “Ah missing nin? I met a young woman who went by the name of La Bruja on my travels. I had to leave though, I was out numbered. It was obvious I’d lose my life.” He sighed loudly “One of them, I don’t remember his name took on the appearance of a snake and started killing civilians because my presence angered him. It’s all in my report though if you want to read it.”

“An elite task force would be great, we need strong men and women who can iscolate the threat before it becomes a danger to us.” He chuckled at the thought of his sensei freezing in the cold and eating donkey “Katon and another summon? Impressive.” That was something Yoru still hadn’t managed to do, sign a pact with a summon. Perhaps one day he would, but he didn’t know how to go about it, it seemed it fell onto people rather than them chasing after it.

“So what’s that now, suiton, doton and katon now? Two left and you’d have the full set.” Yoru had no intention on trying to develop anymore element’s he was happy with suiton and ration plus he had acid which was almost an element in itself. They pair kept running through the forested area until they came to a large gap in the earth which was normally crossed by a rope bridge, but it was hanging down. The drop between the Cliffside had to be at least 200 feet “Shall I fly us over sensei?” he suggested using his flying barrier which they’d used in missions before. It had often come useful in getting over things they couldn’t normally cross. Even though they were the same rank now, Yoru would let Takeo take the lead. He was his sensei and would always consider him as his leader.

[Izanagi]

Takeo listened intently at Yoru’s recount of his travels. His words bolstered the sentiment he had been feeling. Clearly they were incredibly powerful to make Yoru fear for his life, he wondered just how many elite A-Rank and S-Rank missing nin there were out there. He had turned up a handful of potentially powerful ex konoha shinobi but that was no doubt only a fraction of the potential. Many escaped the villages notice, finding their way separate from the village without being on any record and then of course there were shinobi from the other villages, all of which Konoha had little knowledge on. Ideally he would like to work with the special task forces of each of the respective villages and create a universal bingo book in which they would all be cleared on engaging if their actions and status called for such action to be taken. The man nodded, “They sound quite powerful…and dangerous, I’m sure there are many more like them which is exactly why we need to gain as much information about them as possible” he pondered, it was unlikely the other villages would cooperate which meant that the only other way to gain such intel was to question some of the targets themselves. “I wonder, how did you escape?” he knew Yoru was fast but he wagered that if their intent was truly to kill him then it wouldn’t have been so easy to evade them.

Takeo nodded again, smiling knowingly as Yoru approved of the idea. The red haired Jounin would be the first one he would ask to join when the operation got off the ground, there was no one he would rather have by his side when he confronted targets of such caliber. Perhaps if he could track them down he would even start with the ones Yoru had already encountered. If they weren’t openly hostile, perhaps they could collaborate to an extent. Any such truce would be tentative at best but it could serve to benefit both parties if he could find the right angles to strike a deal. Entering such a situation would be incredibly risky however and would require a great deal of training in order to ensure that both were at the top of their game before such an undertaking.

The bearded man chuckled, mastering Katon had taken nearly a year and required a great deal of self-discovery. He doubted he had the right mindset to unlock Fuuton and Raiton was his natural opposite, it would take several years to surpass his boundaries enough to harness that power. It was an investment that simply wouldn’t be worth the time or effort. “I don’t think I have it in me to be honest and besides that’s what I have you and Makoto for!” he said smiling and then the realization dawned on him that he had a third student. One whose talent would likely forever be lost, there would be a constant gape in the team, the boy had so much potential, mastery over the fusion elements could have solidified their position as one of the strongest squads known to shinobi. Alas that was a dream that would no longer be fulfilled. Takeo’s face grew sullen and suddenly he was very quiet. It was obvious that he knew about the unfortunate circumstances revolving around Mino. It was a conversation for a later time however. For now Takeo resolved himself to steeling himself with resolve for the mission ahead.

Soon the duo found themselves staring across a ravine. If he was alone the man would likely have to resort to using Doton ninjutsu to create a bridge of his own, a particularly strenuous option given the circumstances. Luckily Yoru was by his side. Naturally Yoru came to the more efficient conclusion given his skillset, offering to use his barriers to traverse the canyon. “Do it” he agreed and as he stepped onto the platform he would make a note of observation. “It’s likely that the slavers cut the rope to keep others from crossing and interfering with them, they probably have scouts stationed nearby to watch for people like us” he speculated. Of course it was entirely possible the bridge was simply old and worn down, he didn’t know exactly how close they were to the camp nor had he gotten close enough to properly examine the bridge. His instincts however and many years of experience dictated that he err on the side of caution. From here on out he would be on high alert, scanning every detail of his surroundings constantly and searching for warning signs that might indicate an ambush.

Jutsu UsedShow

Situational Awareness
C-rank Taijutsu
Prerequisite: 8 wit
Takeo has developed a keen sense of awareness of his environment. His innate attention to detail allows him to memorize the layout of an area or building as well as having a knack for identifying the entrances and exits as well as the positions of any other people in the area and even important details about that person. This grants the man almost a sixth sense in combat situations and his constant readiness allows him to more easily detect and escape from ambushes.

[Lacarix]

“The one who went by the name of La Bruja had physical strength I’d never seen, made me look like a twelve year old girl.” He chuckled, though the chuckle seemed forced and not genuine “The second was called Yaksha, if I recall now. He looked almost snake like and spat acid at innocent civilians killing them.” Takeo asked how Yoru escaped “I just walked? To be honest they were both pretty slow if they’d of taken chase I was pretty sure I’d get away.” he admitted, that was the truth he did he just walked away “They didn’t really seem interested in killing me to be honest, I think it might have to do with me telling them if I died they’d be seen as an immediate threat and they’d have the full force of Konoha on them.” He chuckled nervously “Yaksha wasn’t a konoha nin, that was for a definite he seemed crazed and unsure of why he was doing things.”

It still struck fear in him, the woman who had skulls carved into her face wielding a scythe and her wounds healing like magic the other a giant of a man, who seemed snake like, who could rip the flesh from your bones. Yoru knew if they truly wanted to they could of killed him, he started to understand the dangers of a shinobi. He’d always been sent on missions with other shinobi so he’d always had a lifeline, Takeo and Haru were there to save his skin more times than he could count “Going alone, that was a grave mistake.” He muttered softly “I hadn’t expected the second one to come, it’s almost as though he came out of nowhere.” He didn’t plan to leave the village anytime soon alone unless he felt he had to, certainly not if he were chasing missing ninja.

He laughed as Takeo admitted that it was unlikely he’d learn both fuuton and ration, it was nice that he saw his students as an extension of himself, they filled the gaps where the others had weakness it worked quite well. Takeo seemed a little sullen, the usual smile across his face was washed away. Yoru didn’t bother bringing it up, if Takeo wanted to talk about it he would. Takeo told him to create the barrier and he did just that, he weaved a set of seals as the small barrier formed beneath him. It wasn’t exactly large but it was big enough if Takeo clambered on and held on. Assuming Takeo did that the barrier would come to life and the pair would be flying over the mountain. An arrow soared through the air striking Yoru in the shoulder, he winced in pain “To the right!” He yelled to his sensei as he tried to look where the arrow came from.

UsedShow

[Advanced Unstationary Stand]
B-Ranked Supportive Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: [Unstationary Stand]
After creating the *[Stand] barrier or any jutsu of a similar nature, the user performs a string of hand seals allowing them to move the platform. Once they make contact with the barrier, they channel minimal chakra through it allowing them to move around without the use of hand seals and allowing them to create other jutsu. It also has a wider variety of movement, not stuck to vertical and horizontal lines. It can travel at a speed equal to their control to a maximum of 10 and no higher than their speed stat.

[Izanagi]

The impact of Yoru’s words were significant and concerning. It seemed like these opponents shared similar traits to themselves, only enhanced, a powerful taijutsu user and a mid-range specialist who utilized acid, confronting them would be a perilous test of their own limits and abilities. The one saving grace seemed to be their speed, or lack thereof. Though he wagered that they would work to remedy their faults after the encounter. “We’ve come so far, further than I ever thought possible of us and yet there are still so many that outclass us” he observed wistfully. They had entered a new league of shinobi and at this top level there were many contenders but it was there duty now to ensure that they became strong enough to defeat them and protect their village. It was important to remember where they stood and not let ego get in the way, even if they became the strongest in Konoha the world was a large place and there would always be someone stronger or possessing of a talent that would exploit their weaknesses.

He nodded at Yoru’s assessment, “That’s good, it seems despite the attack many still respect Konoha’s power enough to be wary” it was a relief though he wondered if they truly had reason to be afraid. It would be best to ensure that they did before they decided otherwise. He was sure of it now, they would both train until they were more skilled than ever imaginable and then they would confront La Bruja and Yaksha again. The note about Yaksha was taken into consideration, ideally it would be best to confront La Bruja when she was alone, though this seemed unlikely as MN had a tendency to travel in groups and form organizations with one another. “We’ll confront them again. Together” he announced firmly and with great conviction. If they could bring a third party whom was strong enough to not pose as a liability then they might even bring another as well. On this occasion though and as much as he hated to admit it, Haru wouldn’t suffice. Kawa was strong though in honesty Takeo didn’t approve of his tactics, he was too brash and headstrong and likely wouldn’t follow Takeo’s command.

As the barrier formed Takeo stepped on, crouching to the left of Yoru and focusing mostly in front and to his side, even scanning into the cavern itself. There was a great expanse of nooks and crannies, crags obscured in darkness and ledges where an archer or a scout could conceal themselves. Almost halfway across the ravine as flicker of motion caught his attention out of the corner of his right eye. He wasn’t in position to block or avoid the incoming projectile, as he had nowhere to maneuver nor any control over the barrier. He didn’t have to however as Yoru was the target of the attack. As such he paid it little mind, already scanning for the archer whom had loosed the arrow. Yoru gave him a vague idea of where the trajectory originated and a moment later Takeo spotted movement as the assailant reached to notch another arrow. He was dressed in brown, hidden in an alcove just under the ridge of the far side of the cavern. The Jounin withdrew a kunai, launching it reflexively towards the man with his left hand. His skill with projectiles however was rather lacking for a man of his rank and throwing from his non-dominate hand further decreased his accuracy over such a great distance.

The Kunai struck the rocks several feet to the left of the attacker, sparks flared up from the impact and a sizable chunk of rock broke off. “There!” Takeo announced, narrowing down the location of the archer. The man had dipped in behind a rock for cover after seeing the incoming projectile, though surely he would begin his attack again soon. Meanwhile a pigeon fluttered out of a nearby crook, it seemed there was another man who acted as messenger while the first took duty of defender. “Yoru, the bird!” he instructed, hoping that Yoru would strike it down, he knew his student was an expert with projectiles and shouldn’t have any difficulty with it. Assuming the pigeon was killed the messenger slaver would turn tail and run, exiting a makeshift bunker and emerging at the top of the canyon. It was rather foolish to try to outrun shinobi on flat ground though apparently the man overestimated his speed and ability. He was fast, slightly faster than the average Jounin and against many his speed would have been sufficient enough for him to reach the base camp. These Konoha shinobi however wouldn’t allow that to happen. “Take us in closer” he ordered and assuming Yoru brought them over towards the ridge Takeo would form seals before spewing forth a sphere of suiton that broke into several smaller spheres, two of which finding their way through the opening in the camouflaged bunker. He would then jump off into the rocks and form an additional seal detonating the orbs and covering the inside with sticky liquid. He waved Yoru ahead, signaling for him to take the runner. Whether or not he took the man alive was up to his own discretion.

Jutsu UsedShow

Sticky Scattershot
B-Rank Suiton Ninjutsu
After forming seals Takeo will spit forth a large ball of sticky water, roughly 5ft in diameter and traveling at a speed of 8. After traveling 10-15 feet it will then break into three smaller spheres, each 2 feet diameter and spreading apart as they continue on, for a maximum of an additional 30ft. At Takeo’s command or upon contact they will each detonate with 1 1/2 exploding tags worth of force and cover everything in the blast radius with the syrupy substance. The syrup requires a strength of 6 in order to break free and significantly impedes movement, capable of sticking limbs and weapons to each other and when applicable against surfaces.

[Lacarix]

Blood trickled from Yoru’s wound down the sleeve of his black under shirt, he winced in pain it had gone in with quite some force. Over his years of leaving his village and going against slavers, bandits and samurai he had noticed that they focused heavily on their physical skills. They were almost unmatched, perhaps it was the fact that many of them didn’t or couldn’t manipulate chakra to create both ninjutsu & genjutsu they knew to compete with shinobi they had to be stronger and faster. The blow from the arrow was so hard it almost knocked Yoru off the platform made of chakra “He’s strong Sensei, very strong.” He informed.

He followed the line of his sensei’s projectile, missed. Damn it, he had forgotten that Takeo wasn’t as skilled as himself when it came to long ranged attacks. They complimented each other in that way, filling the gaps of weakness the other had. Yoru not bad at close ranged attacks, he was nothing in comparison to his sensei he trembled at the thought of ever having to fight close quarters with Takeo. Yoru favoured long ranged attacks and he’d gladly oblige in taking out these attackers. His ears perked up as his sensei yelled for him to strike the bird. He followed a line in the sky, as he caught sight of the pigeon if the pigeon were to escape it was likely reinforcements would soon be on their way. His hand grasped around the arrow in his arm, his fingertips taking a gentile but however firm grip on the shaft pulled out the arrow. Blood spurted from the wound and it one fluid motion the arrow had left his arm and flung from his fingertips as it soared up through the air and ripped through bird in an explosion of blood and feathers.

The pigeon fell from the sky between the ravine into the water below with a splash. As instructed Yoru brought the barrier even closer to the ridge. Takeo nodded him to go after the runner, which he did without question. He jumped from the barrier, placed his hands together and the barrier dissolved into thin air. Yoru took of sprinting as quickly he could, he caught up with the runner with ease. He pushed off the ground throwing himself in the air, his arms flung around the runner tackling him to the ground. Yoru’s strong hands flung around the runners throat choking him, his face turned scarlet in colour, his eyes almost popping out of his skull. The runner slipped out of consciousness, Yoru’s powerful hands finally let go.

He clambered up and quickly scouted the area for any other attacks, he found none. Though he wasn’t a sensor so he couldn’t be sure, he’d wait for his sensei to do that. Leaving the passed out man he lightly jogged back to his sensei’s last location “How’s it going over here Sensei?” he asked, not wanting to rush in and get in the way.

[Izanagi]

Takeo shook his head in stunned amazement as Yoru managed to throw an arrow with such force and accuracy. He would have to chastise the man later for being struck at all though his ability to fight seemingly un-phased by his injury was impressive. Perhaps Yoru was simply becoming careless, though that indifference, especially if born from overconfidence could be a damming habit to find oneself accustomed to. In his own mind every attack had the potential to be fatal and he always assumed the worst, if by some chance that arrow had been laced with a deadly poison Yoru could have been in a grave and serious condition by now and likely the barrier would fail and they would have found themselves plummeting into the canyon. The chances were extraordinarily slim of slavers using high grade poison but still Takeo always erred on the side of extreme caution, it had kept him alive through countless scenario’s and would ensure that no matter who his opponent was that he would survive with minimal injuries to himself or his comrades. “Take out the other one and then I’ll patch that up for you” he instructed before leaping off of the barrier.

The sticky scattershot exploded inside the rocky alcove, immediately followed by a variety of curse words as the archer found his hands, the bow and the arrow that had been strung all sticking to one another in a rather aggravating mess. His legs to were stuck to the ground and although he proved strong enough to rip himself free, every time he touched anything it would stick once again, greatly inhibiting his movements and proving to be a rather troublesome inconvenience. Takeo meanwhile leaped through the opening feet first, kicking into the slavers chest as he stood in an attempt to draw back his bow. The brutish man stumbled backwards a few feet and then tossed aside his weapons with enough force to overcome the sticky liquid. It seemed he had realized in such close proximity he had no choice but to fight hand to hand. This suited Takeo quite well and rather than drawing his own weapons the rugged Jounin opted to meet the man’s challenge. He circled his target cautiously, fainting and backing off, gauging the other man’s reactions and tendencies as well as forcing him into position. Every time Takeo made a faint jab with his left hand the man moved to make an overhand right. He could use that. And so when he positioned the brute with his back to the wall he darted in, fainting a jab with enough conviction and close enough proximity to spur the slaver into throwing his heavy overhand right.

The moment his opponent committed himself to the power strike Takeo deftly retracted his quick punch, bobbing and ducking under his opponents arm as he simultaneously drove his right hand into the man’s solar plexus before immediately following with a heavy left cross to his jaw. The man staggered from the combination, dropping forward slightly and seeming dazed for a moment, Takeo was simply too fast and skilled for him to compensate. Takeo’s hand darted in cupping the back of the man’s head and delivering several lightning fast knees to his face and jaw. The slavers knees buckled as he slipped momentarily out of consciousness. Stepping in Takeo spun the man to the left while sweeping his right foot back, knocking him off his feet and throwing him into the ground as he landed harshly on his back with Takeo laying across his chest. The slaver sputtered, coughing up blood and Takeo took the opportunity to smack him in the face to garner his attention, “You’re going to talk.” He informed the man. “Fuck you” he responded immediately, spitting forth a spray of blood which spattered Takeo’s chest. Suddenly Takeo moved, grasping the man’s arm and pivoting to swing his leg over his head as he wrenched down on the slavers elbow. As an added measure he pulled back one of his fingers. “Where’s your base of operations? How many men?” he questioned. As per standard tactics he made sure to ask at least one question he already knew the answer to so he could gauge whether or not the captive was being honest with him.

The slaver groaned, “Fuck you..I aint telling you shit” he repeated, though with notably more desperation and difficulty than he had before. Takeo’s lip curled into a smirk, he was making progress, even if the slaver didn’t know it yet he would be speaking soon. The finger snapped and his questions were repeated, again and again until each finger had been broken. “A old farm town” he panted. “Good, which way, how many men?” he repeated, relaxing his grip on his fingers for a moment. “Tha way” he gestured North, “Too many fur you” he answered smugly. In truth the numbers mattered little to Takeo, the important bit was that he had begun to break down his will to resist. Now he could start asking the questions that really mattered. “Are there any civilians, any hostages?” he questioned, tightening his grip once again. The slaver closed his mouth, smirking “Of course we got a few locked up, we’re fuckin’ slavers” he chuckled, wincing as Takeo strained his arm near to its breaking point. Pain however wasn’t the only interrogation tool in Takeo’s arsenal, he was also skilled in reading inflections in tone, facial expressions and gestures. 'There’s something else' he realized. “You’re using them…like before?” he speculated. The man became silent then, a flicker of masked anger showing itself across his face. That was it, while no doubt they had captives at the main encampment there were others that were being forced into providing food and supplies for them.

He heard Yoru’s voice then and casually snapped the slavers arm before responding. The muscular archer hollered out in pain, groaning and gritting his teeth, breathing quickly and heavily before slowing, trying to calm himself down. “Just getting to know my new friend here, turns out he’s got a lot to say” he answered casually. Takeo wondered for a moment what Yoru would think of his Sensei, seeing him like this. Yoru knew Takeo had been a part of an elite recon, capture and interrogation squad though he hadn’t seen just how brutal his tactics could be. It would be up to Yoru’s own discretion whether or not he entered and took part in the interrogation or simply left it up to his Sensei. Sitting up and driving his knee into the man’s chest Takeo promptly took control of his left arm, wrenching it around and forcing the man onto his stomach while putting pressure on his shoulder joint. His right arm already hung useless, his elbow shattered and every finger broken. The slavers face was a bloody mess, several teeth had been knocked loose and blood poured from his clearly broken nose.

[Lacarix]

Yoru entered through the cave, his hand gently stroking across the rocky surface. Blood trickling down his arm, he winced from the sting of air rushing to the wound. Now the chase was over the adrenaline had worn off now and the pain came rushing back to him. He stared forward towards his Sensei, watching him torture the slaver. This had no effect on Yoru, he had hardened over the years and had even had to perform tortures himself to gain information. Roughing up a slaver was nothing more than breathing to the young man.

“A lot to say huh?” Yoru titled his head “How about I help you out a little Sensei, save you wasting so much energy.” He tapped on his ears, gesturing for his sensei to block them. If he didn’t he’d be affected by the genjutsu though it really didn’t matter if he was. Yoru gestured for his sensei to stand up and come away. His eyes closed and he began to channel chakra trough himself. He felt a warm sensation pour through him as the chakra coursed through him. He weaved a rapid set of hand seals in a flurried motion.

Once the set of seals had finished, his eyes flickered open “Trust me.” He whispered softly, the slaver looked up at Yoru in a dazed state “You won’t attempt to harm myself or this man here, if you do you will die.” The slaver looked down at himself, clutched at his hear, whimpered and nodded to confirm he understood “You will answer every question my friend and I have, you will not lie. If you do… you will of course die.” His lips curled up in amusement, this was the first time Yoru had used this genjutsu and it seemed to be quite effective. All he had to do was tell someone something and they would believe it.

Yoru stepped forward, he crouched down over the slaver who looked at him with fear “PLEASE! Don’t touch me!” he scrambled on the floor, Yoru simply chuckled he extended out his index finger and wiggled it as though to be threatening the slaver “Musubi Ranch, is that where you held up?” The slaver nodded, Yoru’s nostrils flared with anger “My home.” He muttered to Takeo, it was confirmed the Ranch of his childhood was now yet again under the control of slavers “He’ll be a lot less aggressive with his responses now Takeo, care to take over?” he gestured towards the slaver as he leant against the wet walls of the cave and folded his arms. Yoru was struggling to hold back his anger, how dare these slavers do this again? Did they not care about human life at all? It was apparent that they didn’t. Yoru's fingertips wrapped around the wound on his shoulder trying to clot it. He'd have to wait for Takeo to finish before he was patched up.

UsedShow

[Genjutsu • Trust in Me]
A-Ranked Status Genjutsu
After using the required hand seals and when the user says a statement ending in “trust me” anyone who has heard this statement will be under the effects of the genjutsu. Those effected will trust the user wholeheartedly, they will believe everything the user says and take it as fact, they are also unlikely to try and cause physical harm to the user. They are also unlikely to keep any secrets and will answer the users questions honestly, making it perfect for interrogation. The genjutsu lasts for 6 posts.

[Izanagi]

It relieved him to see how nonchalant Yoru was about the situation. Where once he wished for his student to preserve his innocence he knew there was a fine line that shinobi often needed to traverse or even cross. Weakness and sympathy could result in fatal consequence for innocents and fellow shinobi alike. While Yoru was still rough around the edges in terms of tactics proper procedure he was no doubt an effective and efficient shinobi with an immense amount of talent. Takeo stood, kicking the slaver harshly in the ribs to ensure that he would stay down before backing off and covering his ears. Genjutsu was his weakest skill and while he valued the efficiency of Yoru’s solution it was far from his preference. Perhaps the man was set in his ways, a habit of many years of training himself not to rely on chakra to remain efficient in all areas of combat, survival, subterfuge, and interrogation. He knew for many shinobi it seemed foolish not to utilize the simplest solution, though Takeo knew that one day there might come a situation where harnessing chakra was not an option and only practical skills remained and when that time came Takeo would thrive above all others.

Surely enough the slaver was trapped in Yoru’s Genjutsu. Takeo lowered his hands from his ears when it became apparent that the jutsu was complete. Yoru seemed to have a good handle on things though already he could see flaws in the technique. As much as one believed Yoru there were many whom held no fear of death and as such required pain and suffering to bring forth the truth so that death could come as a welcome reward when all was done. Moreover part of himself truly enjoyed instilling fear into his targets through his own volition as well as disabling them himself so that there was no chance they could escape. Genjutsu just seemed far too lazy of a solution but each man had their own ways of doing things and both worked well for themselves so who was he to argue Yoru’s preferences. Together their diversity made for an incredible balance of skills and tactics. The man nodded as Yoru handed the reigns over to him once again. “That’s almost too easy, where’s the fun in that?” he mused aloud. He enjoyed breaking his targets down, seeing the fire and passion in their eyes, their bravery and resilience. Witnessing such a strong individual being reduced to a brainwashed husk felt somehow disrespectful to the warrior spirit, an odd contradiction considering how honor was the last thing on his mind when engaged in combat.

Takeo approached the man again whom now had scrambled back against the wall of the cave, clutching his broken arm. “How many men do you have” he repeated and this time the slaver answered without hesitation. “Don’t know fer sure, about 40 at the farm, another 10 at the village to keep an eye on em” The Jounin’s face remained stern though there was a twitch of interest as his suspicion was confirmed. “What village?” he practically growled, he didn’t have to remind the slaver of the consequence for withholding information. The slaver gulped, “Small Fishin’ village, we took tha men and pretty girls and women, any that would fetch a good price on the market, left the old to fish and grow crops for when we’s hungry.” He answered before letting a glob of blood and saliva drip out of his mouth and onto the cold stone. “Where?” he demanded, growing rather impatient. “Off of a big lake not 10 miles from the farm, can’t miss it” he stated. Takeo nodded, he had just about all the information he needed. “Last question, how long until they’re expecting you to check in?” The slaver grumbled and then conceded, “About 2 and a half hours” The Jounin nodded, his mind calculating distances and estimating how long it would take to dispatch their targets.

He turned, glancing back at Yoru, “I think we’re done here” he said simply, forming a short set of hand seals if the man had no further questions himself. If uninterrupted a spike would shoot out of the ground on a 45 degree angle piercing through the slavers chest and pinning him to the wall as he slumped over, making a sickening gurgling noise as blood flowed out of his mouth and chest cavity. He could have easily slit the man’s throat but he had taken upon himself to leave a sort of trademark, impaling at least one opponent helped to provide a sense of fear amongst any survivors who came back to discover the body. “We don’t have much time, which do you think we should head to first?” his question was a test, he knew precisely which route made more sense logically and ensured the fewest casualties, already several plans of attack were being processed. He approached Yoru, his hand already glowing with green chakra and as he pressed it to the man’s wound the blood began clotting. “You were careless to get shot like that, he was strong but you should have seen it coming, should have blocked or evaded.” He chastised in a neutral tone. He knew Yoru was his equal now but that didn’t mean his tactics were perfect and if he were to have Yoru at his side when confronting S-rank Missing ninja he wanted to ensure that the man was at his best and didn’t make reckless mistakes.

Jutsu UsedShow

*[Earth Element • Earth Spike Creation]
C-Rank Ninjutsu
After forming the needed hand seals, the user will raise solid stone spikes from the ground. The user can summon up to six spikes, five feet in height and a foot in width, within ten meters of him or her. If these spikes were to be raised beneath an opponent, it could cause serious, even fatal injuries. This technique is more often used to obstruct the user's opponents, and even to harm them while they are distracted. The speed at which the spikes rise from the ground is three.

*Blood Clot Technique
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
This highly useful field technique is applied to bleeding wounds to help encourage the coagulation of the blood. After focusing chakra into his/her hands, the user will hover them over the bleeding wound and begin to channel chakra through it. The chakra will began to thicken the blood, causing it to clot. Wounds must be dealt with one at a time, and the number of wounds that can be tended to within the three (3) posts that this technique lasts depends on their size. Small wounds take very little time to clot, while moderate wounds take one (1) post of concentration to clot, and large wounds take two (2) posts to clot. Although this technique stops the bleeding, the wound remains vulnerable and will require further care after this has been performed.

[Lacarix]

Yoru chuckled loudly as his sensei asked where the fun in his intel gathering process “You know, it’s quite fun winding them up. Plus he’ll answer our questions no matter what, at least he will mine. He trusts me whole heartedly.” Yoru had to lie to him and say that if he didn’t answer Takeo’s questions he’d be killed, bit if the fear of death didn’t scare him Yoru could simply ask him the questions himself and perform as a catalyst to carry Takeo’s questions.

Yoru listened into questions his sensei asked and the information the slaver gave, forty men? That seemed quite a lot, if they relatively weak they would be able to take them on with ease, but if they were all well trained men and women that would be a different outcome all together, it was likely they’d fail if they went in head first. Another ten men posted in a small fishing village wasn’t going to be much help either, they only had two hours to get there before they were alerted.

Takeo said they were done and Yoru nodded in agreement, showing that he had no questions himself. He offered out his arm as his sensei channelled chakra into his wound to close it up, his sensei scolded him for being struck “I know, I’m sorry.” He muttered, like a naughty boy at school being told off “I’m sorry, I was focusing on the barrier and just getting us across I hadn’t even thought about slavers cutting the bridge.” He knew he had to be more careful, he had a habit of just running in without really thinking.

Once the wound was healed up he began to thinking about the best course of action “Well we have two and a half hours before they are alerted of our presence, if he doesn’t turn up they will know something fish has happened.” He had to think whether they should save the fishing village or not “We have enough time to get to the fishing village then head to the farm, but… what if we run into trouble there and it takes out a huge chunk of our time? If forty well trained men are on alert we’ll struggle to get in undetected.”

“Perhaps we could send out another squad to check out the fishing village once we finish up?” he suggested though he really wasn’t truly sure what to do, if they didn’t save the fishing village they could be killed, anything could happen. Yoru wondered if Konoha had waited any longer to save his farm would he of survived? He felt bad but a decision had to be made “I think we should head straight for the farm, we don’t have time for the fishing village.” The colder more practical side of Yoru was slowly emerging. He’d learned that shinobis can’t think with their hearts and make decisions based on emotions.

[Izanagi]

Takeo nodded, he certainly could see a great deal of potential with the versatility of Yoru’s genjutsu and he was determined to improve his own skills with the illusionary arts, though his focus would be mostly supplementary, adding to his array of interrogation and scare tactics. It simply suited him better to do things the longer, more methodical way. It was for that reason that Takeo proved a better leader than Yoru, his tactical mind was rivalled by only a handful of other shinobi in the leaf. Yoru had proven an effective leader, though his plans were often not without flaw, Takeo hoped to remedy that to an extent. In dire situations however he hoped he would be by Yoru’s side and so his student could simply follow his lead, an arrangement that worked almost perfectly given their combined skills.

The Jounin chuckled at Yoru’s response, he hated chastising him and made sure to keep the mood as light as possible whenever he did. “You’re lucky you have me around, honestly I don’t know how you manage without me” he teased. “It’s easy enough to be careless with simple bandits and slavers but one day just charging in without thinking is bound to get you killed, every fight, every scenario I plan like it could be my last. If you prepare like that when it doesn’t matter then you’ll always be ready when it does…and trust me Yoru, and I know you know this. There are men that could kill us based off of the slightest mistakes and before long we’ll be the ones to seek them out. We have to be ready, not just in our ability but also in our mind” he explained calmly, it was evident in the way he spoke that he cared a great deal about Yoru and that was why he was so critical of any mistake. He couldn’t imagine losing his closest friend over a simple matter of hubris, it was his responsibility as his Sensei to protect him and ensure that he was ready for any mission they were to embark on together. Even his own life could depend on it. He knew without question that if the time called for it he would sacrifice himself to save Yoru and he didn’t want him to have to live with that guilt.

The wound had clotted itself at this point and so he stopped to form a brief set of seals and then touched the top of the wound on either side, repeating the motion as chakra strings sewed the wound shut. Afterwards he quickly sterilized the wound and bandaged the arm, tying it off to prevent any infection. He listened intently at Yoru’s thought process, he had a pretty good idea of what Yoru would say and while he was not entirely wrong it also wasn’t the best option. When he was finished Takeo made his thoughts known “If the slavers are ready for us when we get there then we resort to geurilla tactics, surround them, create panic and chaos and draw them out, picking them off slowly, 40 men may sound like a lot but even as one man I’ve managed to take out just as many. They won’t kill the hostages, any that they have at the main base would have been deemed quite valuable; it would be foolish to kill them when they have us outnumbered. The civilians at the fishing village however are expendable, too old or too young. Vulnerable. They would kill them without a second thought once they heard the main base had been defeated.” He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in. His many years of experience dealing with these types of scenarios was beginning to show.

He wasn’t angry at Yoru for suggesting they abandon the fishing village, though he was somewhat surprised given what he had endured as a child. “Even if we took out the main base, freed the men and women where would they return to if we didn’t liberate their home?” he spoke more softly now, there were so many angles to consider things from and it was impossible to predict every outcome. He knew Yoru didn’t have quite the same capacity as himself but perhaps his explanation would shed some light on what type of factors he should consider in the future. As two of the forefront shinobi of Konoha the two men held a great deal of power and their decisions influenced many lives, there was never a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to approach a mission, in the end as long as they completed their primary objective they passed but Takeo knew that there was so much more to a mission, there were times to be ruthless and cold and there were times to make risks to save others and that sort of intuition was difficult to discover and varied greatly from person to person. “We’ll go to the Fishing village first, it shouldn’t take us more than an hour to find it and eliminate our targets, they’ll have an outpost or two so as long as we make sure they don’t get any birds away then we should have plenty of time to get to the farm and come up with a plan of attack” he instructed, a lake would be easy enough to find and as they came closer he was sure that he would be able to find roads and tracks leading into the village.

Jutsu UsedShow

*[Iijutsu • Chakra Stitching]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
When traditional stitching supplies aren't available, *[Iijutsu • Chakra Stitching] truly shines. After performing a short set of handseals, the user will gently place his/her index finger at the base of the patient's wound. Once this is done, the user will lift his/her finger and touch it to the other side of the wound, causing a visible 'stitch' of chakra to appear. This is repeated until the wound has been pulled together. Although precision is key, this technique can still be performed relatively quickly. Small to moderate wounds take very little time to stitch, while large wounds will take one (1) post of work to mend. This technique drains a minuscule amount of chakra from the person it is attached to in order to keep the stitches going, theoretically, ad-infinitum, and can be cancelled at any time by the user with a single handseal. Any intensive or strenuous movements will cause the stitches to break.

[Lacarix]

Yoru chuckled at his sensei as he said what would he do without him “I’d do just fine.” He lied, he couldn’t even consider the thought of losing a man he cared so much for. He truly would be lost without him, he perhaps relied on him too much. Even though he was on his way to become a Bannin he still felt like a young genin, ready to learn from his Sensei, hanging on to his every word. Takeo lectured him a little more about being careful on missions and paying attention to his surroundings “I will sensei.” He grumbled, like a little boy who’d being told.

“Forty men, average me we can handle. But there’s a good chance they are more than that, I think you are perhaps underestimating them Takeo.” He suspected that these slavers were stronger than the average slavers and bandits they came across. The physical force that came from the arrow still hurt, it had hit with incredible force. If this was the kind of man they sent to cut the rope of the bridge imagine how powerful the man that guarded their leader and their slaves were. His wound now sewn up he nodded to his sensei “Thank you.”

As he started to walk away, his sensei disagreed with his choice. He was puzzled why Takeo asked him to make the decision just to disregard it. He felt like it was too big a risk, they had to get to the fishing village, release the slaves there and stop any slavers then get to the farm and stop the slavers there in less than two and a half hours. It seemed unlikely, they’d be cutting it fine. He didn’t argue with his sensei though, he made the decision and he was happy to follow it. Takeo said there would be plenty of time, he rolled his eyes at this comment. He was relying too much on his own assumptions.

Yoru hoped that his sensei was right, the pair came out of the cave and clambered back onto the grassy surface. He walked towards the runner and unsheathed a kunai, he didn’t quite fancy a dramatic killing as a calling card like his sensei. He lowered himself down and plunged the kunai in the man’s neck, he didn’t want him waking up and alerting the farm. Pulling out his kunai he wiped the blood on the runners trousers then placed it back in its “Let’s go then.”

The pair took off, running through the grassy fields that surrounded the area. They leaped over dry stone walls that penned in sheep and cows. They were entering farmland territory, his hand stroked across the coarse hairs on his freshly shaved chin. He had a rough idea where the farm was which gave him a rough location of the fishing village “I remember swimming in the lake when I was a child, don’t remember a village though.” He admitted and why would he? The pair continued to run for a good hour, uninterrupted. The village just in sight “We’re nearly there Sensei.”

[Izanagi]

Takeo’s face became grim, “Perhaps” he conceded, true 40 elite soldiers would be difficult opponents, though it was unlikely more than a handful could utilize chakra and as such they would always be at a massive disadvantage against the combined mid-long ranged prowess of the two men. Just one A-rank technique could cut down scores of men at once if used properly. No matter what odds he faced Takeo always had a contingency plan in place and a way of adapting his strategy in order to compensate; with the combined skillset of Yoru he could think of few scenarios aside from facing off against S-ranked opponents that the two would be unable to handle. Yoru was immensely powerful in his own right though he had a habit of underestimating himself. It served as yet another factor that the two men balanced one another out in.

He was prepared for Yoru to disagree with him, he had a habit of rushing through missions and considering the end-goal as the primary objective, caring little about anything that occurred in between. While it may have seemed unfair to present the young man with the illusion of choice the question was posed as a test though Takeo would not endanger the lives of innocent people if he chose opposite of him. The way he saw it 10 men would be easily dealt with, especially given that only the weakest would be assigned with the duty of managing a village consisting only of the weak and elderly whilst the more hardened soldiers would be reserved for searching out new villages and transporting the valuable and more dangerous of the slaves as well as protecting the leader and the main encampment. Moreover these 10 men would surely have valuable information as to the layout of the main base as well as details about the leader.

There was no time however to explain this to his student, he doubted Yoru would change his mind regardless though at least he respected his Sensei enough to abide by his decision. That in itself displayed the fact that even in his years commanding his own missions Yoru retained humility. Exiting the cave Takeo causally glanced over as Yoru killed the other scout. He wondered why he had spared him in the first place, perhaps like Takeo he had kept him alive to be interrogated if need be. If that was the case however he should have brought the man back into the cave in case he had woken up. It mattered little now though, the man was dead and dealt with, leaving the two Jounin of Konoha to proceed with their mission.

It had taken slightly longer than anticipated to reach the village, the men had to be careful to stay off of the path as much as possible less they be spotted by other scouts. Luckily Yoru knew the location of the lake which brought them close enough for Takeo to spot a dirt road marred by tracks of wagon wheels, carts and horses. Villages, even small ones were relatively easy to find if one knew the general area they were located. It was quite possible that it had been constructed only in the last 12 years or so. The semantics mattered little however as soon they would be within the small fishing village, which as it turned out was little more than 2 dozen houses, a harbor, a few fields and a handful of other buildings and shacks used for storing equipment. Takeo darted off into the cover of trees, pausing for a moment to form hand seals before closing his eyes, they were no more than 50ft from the closest building and soon his sensory range expanded into the village, chakra signatures flared up in his mind’s eye.

After a minute or two Takeo had a full count, “Twenty-six, probably a couple civilians out fishing on boats, most of them are outside in gardens and fields, a couple in houses” he kept wading through the signatures, doing his best to determine which ones were likely to be hostile. “There’s a watchtower just through the trees, 2 hostiles, the rest of the slavers seem to be patrolling the streets individually with two more watching the docks. I’m picking up 9 in total that seem to be hostile based on their movement patterns. Last one is probably in a building somewhere but we’ll know for sure soon enough” he assessed, making sure to point in the direction of the watchtower. “We should sneak up and take out the two in the tower at the same time when their backs are turned to us. Then we can split up and kill the men doing patrols one at a time before meeting at the docks to take care of the last two. The more we can kill before alerting the others the better and also it will be easier to kill them if they are caught off guard.” He explained, ideally he would like to eliminate them all undetected though likely there would be at least a handful that they would have to engage in open combat. Likely Yoru wouldn’t think it possible to complete the operation so smoothly though Takeo had done so many times before and had no reason to suspect that these opponents would be any different. Even trained Chunin or skilled samurai could be killed relatively easily when ambushed by an elite operative; in comparison a handful of slavers should offer little resistance, at least until they reached the main base of operations.

Takeo would then nod and move towards the watchtower, crouching low and moving quietly through the foliage. He would guide Yoru into position, checking in with his sensory jutsu to ensure that they wouldn’t be seen and then when they came into visual range he would crouch behind a tree before quickly darting out underneath the structure. It was a simple raised platform, 20ft high with 4 pillars supporting it and a wooden guardrail that went around the top, waist high that connected with other pillars that supported a cloth covering that stood at a height of about 10 feet, offering some shade and cover for the two men that periodically moved to different sides of the tower. They were armed with bows and kept a small cage with 2 pigeons and a set of parchment and ink. A ladder was fastened against a small opening in the center of the platform. The Jounin waited until each scout took position against opposing walls, their backs to one another. He waved Yoru towards one of the pillars and then quickly began to ascend the opposite one, channeling chakra into his feet but keeping himself upright and using his hands as well to scale the pillar while keeping his body streamlined and flush against it.

Once at the top of the pillar he kept his body closer to one the vacant sides of the platform. His target was scanning the tree-line, searching the distance and as soon as his gaze turned to the left Takeo moved. Slowly he edged his way towards the scout, being sure to keep his fingers away from the lip of the edge, he even went as far as to have part of his body obscured under the platform so that he could easily dart under the platform for cover if he caught a glimpse of the man about to peer over the edge. He hung there for a few moments, waiting he could hear their voices as the occasionally chatted to one another and then shuffling as his target turned in preparation to rotate positions. The moment he moved Takeo deftly darted up the side of the platform, smoothing drawing his dagger, holding it in a reverse grip as he leaped over the ledge, tackling the scout as he drove the blade into his neck, severing his spine and killing him instantly, his other hand cupped the scouts mouth and jaw in order to stifle any sound he made in the last instant of his life. With any luck Yoru would be able to eliminate his target near simultaneously and if not Takeo could distract him for the moment or two it took for Yoru to act.

Jutsu UsedShow

*[Broad Sense]
B-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisites: *[Beyond Senses], Ninjutsu/Control/Wit stats of 7
This jutsu is an extension of [Beyond Senses]. With this jutsu initiated, a sensor can focus on individual chakra signatures to get a precise idea of where their opponents are at up to 25 yards. A general sense of the direction and number of chakra sources can be determined at about 50 yards. It should be noted that this jutsu requires intense concentration, often making the user shut their eyes so they can focus on the jutsu solely. Even with high levels of Chakra Control and Wit, this jutsu can be mentally taxing as it requires the user to sort through the individual chakra sources in the sensor’s range.

[Lacarix]

Yoru slowly walked forward towards the tree his sensei had clambered up, the young man rested his hand on the tree trunk awaiting his sensei to scope out the area. Yoru not a sensor himself, did however have a good way to scouting the area. As a practitioner of highstyle he could leap high above the trees and take in his surroundings, though it was no-where near as reliable as using a sensory technique. He had to rely on his eyesight alone and without a dojutsu it didn’t mean much.

His ears perked up as his sensei started to talk, Yoru threw himself upwards landing next to his sensei on a branch. It groaned against both of the men’s weight. Yoru listened to his sensei taking in the Intel and his sensei’s plans for the approach. He wanted to take a slow approach sneaky approach, not entirely Yoru’s forte but he could manage it. He’d become quite a different shinobi since he and his sensei worked together, he wasn’t same brash shinobi he bounded in with pure force. Sure that side of him still remained, but he could work in a stealthy approach when needed.

“Agreed, the two in the tower will be easy enough. Though I’d rather we just ran in and kicked the crap out of them.” He chuckled softly, while shrugging his shoulder. Though his smile was soon washed away as his sensei Nodded, it was time to spring into action. Yoru’s entire demeanour changed his brow narrowed, his lips pursed together. He leaped from the branch onto the ground below with a soft thud, though it looked as though he’d stepped down from a flight of stairs.

Yoru lowered himself down, bent at the knee so that he’d be harder to be seen. He placed himself on his tiptoes and rotated his feet to the side, so he could move much more quietly. Almost in silence. They came to the base of the watch tower, he watched as his sensei ascended. Yoru focused chakra towards his feet, placing them gently on the pillar he was gestured to. He could see two caged pigeons, he had no intentions of them being left alive. He wouldn’t be surprised if they had some kind of distress beacon.

He withdrew a senbon, gently rubbing the steel needle between his fingertips. Weaving a short set of seals he fused chakra into the senbon. Once perched near the top, he kept low edging towards his target alongside his sensei. When they were close enough, Yoru let the senbon fly from his hand towards the two pigeons, soaring through the bars of the cage and ripping through both pigeons in a burst of blood and feathers, it soared back towards him. Yoru grasped the scout around the mouth pulling him backwards with his superior strength, the senbon soared back ripping through the scouts abdomen and straight into Yoru’s hand. He clutched onto the senbon, quickly plunging it into the scout’s temple, killing him.

It was a rather flamboyant takedown and very much flashy, but Yoru didn’t want to risk the pigeons getting lose. This allowed him to take down both the pigeons and the scout in one fluid motion. Perhaps it was the fact his sensei was here, he wanted to show off. That certainly had some factor to it. With a total of nine slavers to be taken out there, two had being taken down and another two were at the docks. That meant five slavers were patrolling the streets. Yoru looked up at his sensei, unless he had anymore orders he stood near the edge of the platform to the village “I’ll meet you at the docks.” He said with a wink, falling through the air and landing on the ground with a soft thud.

He was apart from his sensei now, the pair decided to split up and take down the patrolling slavers. He doubted they’d pack much of a punch, so he wasn’t too worried. He darted as quickly as he could whilst sneaking, so it wasn’t particularly fast. He placed himself against buildings, peering through corners. He didn’t have the advantage of sensory like his sensei, so he had to rely on his own vision. Once continued to make his way through the village towards the docks, when he saw one of the slavers wielding a Katana pacing up and down in what appeared to be the centre point of the village. It was a wide open space, there wasn’t anywhere to sneak. He’d have to get the slaver to come to him.

Lowering himself down, he wrapped his knuckles against the wall making a loud thudding noise. The slaver turned towards Yoru’s direction, who was now focusing chakra towards his feet walking up the building so he had the vantage point and wouldn’t be seen by the incoming slaver. There he waited as the slaver withdraw his Katana, and came peering round the corner. His eyes narrowed as though to be looking, though nothing caught his eye. Perhaps he thought it was a dog running by or a child? Either way it didn’t matter to him, he dropped his guard and holstered his katana. Yoru took his chance and leaped from his vantage point. Dropping down and snapping the slavers neck instantly.

He sighed loudly, looking down at the dead body. The body count was rising, they’d killed five people between them in such a short space of time. It didn’t bother Yoru too much, he’d come accustomed to killing on missions. Though it niggled at him slightly that this was the best way to save people. Nevertheless it had to be done. He hoisted up the dead slaver over his shoulder and dragged him to an alleyway where he wouldn’t be seen, just incase someone passed by and alerted the guards. He took off again through the village looking for his next target.

UsedShow

*[Ninjutsu • Boomerang Projectile]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
Typically used on projectile weapons with a less than stellar range of use, the user of this technique is able to have his/her weapons act like a boomerang through use of chakra. After completing a short set of handseals, the user will imbue their weapon with chakra before throwing it. The weapon will move at a speed dependent on the user's strength, and once it reaches its peak distance, the chakra will slowly disperse, bringing it back around toward the user at two less speed than it was thrown. If the user does not catch the weapon, it will travel for 15 yards past its starting point before stopping. Weapons included in this technique can be no larger than kunai.

[Taijutsu • Clutching At Straws]
C-Ranked Taijutsu
Prerequisite: 5 Wit
This technique allows the user to catch incoming weapon projectiles in both hands meaning that they can catch up to two objects in a single use. The users (Taijutsu+Speed)/2 has to greater than or equal to the speed of the weapon being thrown. This technique requires little concentration, just simply enough to known the weapon is being thrown. However with basic knowledge of tools and understanding where to catch the incoming weapon, the user is able to catch the projectile without being harmed.

[Izanagi]

Takeo chuckled at Yoru’s statement, “It’s precisely that attitude that makes 40 men a lot more daunting to you than me” he said, smirking knowingly. Even for Takeo 40 men at once would be overwhelming though when utilizing proper tactics numbers truly meant next to nothing. Through stealth and hit and run tactics they could be picked off one at a time until their numbers dwindled to a more manageable force. There were even advantages to fighting such large hosts, such as utilizing battles of attrition where supplies were concerned or taking advantage of mobility issues do to such a large force. An elite squad of 5 Jounin under Takeo’s command would likely be able to face off against several hundred men with the proper conditions in place. So long as direct confrontation was avoided there was always a way to outsmart and find advantage against such opponents.

Blood gushed from the neck of the scout as Takeo yanked his blade free. He nodded in approval and great praise as Yoru deftly eliminated the other, simultaneously removing the threat of the messenger pigeons as well. He was impressed. Yoru was beginning to display quite the aptitude for stealth and efficiency and his awareness of tactical situations had improved drastically as well.'Good, perhaps he’s ready after all' he reflected, smiling proudly as he used the slavers clothes to wipe off the blood that stained his blade. The smell of blood was all too familiar as was the sensation of piercing through arteries and spinal cord. It had all become little more than habit now, his body reacting without thinking. Takeo smirked in response to Yoru’s wink, sheathing his dagger as he stood and walked to the opposite edge, he turned and nodded and in unison they leaped from the platform. Yoru headed left, closer to the side of the village that opened up into fields while Takeo went right, into the streets of the more residential area, with the forest tucking itself around right up to the edge of the lake positioned directly ahead.

It didn’t take long for the Jounin to find his closest target. He moved efficiently, uses his mind’s eye to determine if an area was clear though regardless he kept close to walls and darted quickly down alleyways and side paths, staying away from windows and open spaces and often using reflections in nearby objects or windows in order to see around corners rather than sticking his head out and around. Soon he was able to confirm that the closest target was in fact a slaver. The man carried a deadly looking mace attached to his belt, upon closer inspection one would be able to discern bits of blood, hair and skull clumped within the spikes. He looked alert and itching for a fight his mangled hair, long beard and muscular body indicated that he cared about little else. He walked along a dirt path, pacing up and down between the tree-line and the first of the quant wooden houses. Takeo crouched under a window, peering through the terrace of a small garden, it seemed each of the villagers grew their own herbs, fruits and veggies to supplement whatever grain and other produce the farmers harvested in the fields. There was even a small hut with chickens, used for producing fresh eggs.

He wouldn’t be able to sneak up on this man in a traditional man in a traditional manner, though he had other ways of being discreet. Promptly a short set of seals was formed and Takeo sunk into the earth. Another set of seals were formed and he began to feel the vibrations of the man’s footsteps. Moving quickly through the earth he soon found himself beneath the man, whom as much as he surveyed his surroundings was caught completely off guard from an attack coming from beneath him. As one foot left the ground Takeo reached out and grabbed the supporting foot, yanking the man down firmly after softening the surrounding earth. The slaver had been strong, nearly enough to escape Takeo’s grasp, even his reflexes were impressive; his hand was already on the hilt of the mace as Takeo’s dagger plunged into spine. His left arm now wrapped around his targets neck, strangling the life out of him as the dagger twisted, snapping one of the lower vertebrae and rendering the man parlayed. The slaver groaned and gurgled and Takeo could practically feel the intense fury and rage in his eyes despite being unable to see them. It would take nearly 30 seconds to kill him in such a way and instead Takeo opted for a quick death. As the man began to slip into unconsciousness the dagger was pulled from his back and brought around under his ribcage, piercing into his heart. Takeo dropped to a knee as the carcass slumped and the hot blood gushed from the man’s chest. Again the dagger was pulled free and wiped clean on the slavers pants. The blood drained itself into the soil which greedily absorbed the abundance of flowing crimson. Takeo’s tactics were efficient though almost always bloody, a drawback of always targeting the major arteries and vital points as well as favoring a dagger in close quarters.

He emerged behind cover before continuing to move through the village above ground. While moving beneath the earth was undoubtedly the better option for stealth and ambushes he had to make a visual confirmation that his target was in fact a slaver and not a villager before he would commit himself to killing the target. He knew there was at least one more likely slaver within a 75ft range of his current position, he had to eliminate him quickly before he noticed the other was gone. Sure enough he soon found the man, strolling out from one of the winding paths between houses. He was headed back towards the watchtower. Takeo moved into position, arching around and following behind him, swiftly making short bursts as he moved between cover in order to close the gap. The slaver, thinner than the last though equally dangerous noticed even from a distance that nobody manned the watchtower. Dual swords were drawn as he held his position, his head on a swivel as he looked cautiously around. It seemed he was debating whether he should make for the birds to send a letter of distress or fall back and gather reinforcements. “Where the hell is everybody!?” he shouted, loud enough for an elderly woman carrying an infant to peek her head out of the window of her nearby home. Luckily as of yet there were no slavers close enough to hear the shout.

Without any further delay Takeo submerged himself in the ground, hastily approaching the man from below. Though as his arm shot out to grasp the slavers ankle his opponent reacted, narrowly avoiding the grasp and immediately slashing at Takeo’s hand which had quickly retracted back into the earth. His opponent was remarkably fast and aware of his surroundings, he would be difficult to eliminate quickly now that he was alert. And yet the Jounin had no other choice. His hands were quickly forming seals, even as the man shouted at him to show himself and then he did. Jumping forth from the earth as he spewed a stream of thick water aimed at his opponents legs. The dual wielder jumped backwards but already the water was quickly expanding, chasing after him at a speed faster than he could move in the air. As the slaver landed water was all around him, he made to charge Takeo whom was standing still, his hands clasped together in a single handseal. He seemed vulnerable, an easy target and yet the slaver soon realized his mistake. His legs struggled against the adhesive water which was quickly moving up his ankles, thighs, waist, enveloping him in the substance. “Screw you, coward” he spat, his arm moved back to take a swing at the gel-like liquid and in that moment Takeo charged. His dagger was drawn in an instant, plunging itself up and into the man’s heart as his left side was exposed. His free hand grabbed his opponent’s wrist, blocking his other sword hand. Blood oozed from the man’s mouth as his eyes went wide. He had made the foolish mistake of underestimating Takeo’s sheer speed and strength as well as diverting his attention away from his opponent and leaving himself open, even for only a moment.

Without a word Takeo stepped back, the chakra encasing his feet allowing him to walk across the liquid unhindered. Slowly he lowered the man to the ground, allowing the weapons to fall from his grip. The adhesive liquid dampened any sound and gathered the blood that spilled across it. Quickly Takeo skirted away, back to the earth as he crouched and formed a hand seal, focusing the liquid into the hole he had emerged from. With it the body, the blood and the short swords were dragged into the hole. It made a sickening squelching sound as it all plopped down against the earth. At least a single hole was less noticeable than a body in plain sight.

The Jounin glanced around, quickly spotting the woman who had been watching. She seemed shaken but recognized the headband across Takeo’s head and smiled nervously, nodding with gratitude before dipping back into the cover of the room while holding the baby tight. With any luck the child would soon be reunited with its mother whom had been captured and taken to the main encampment. Takeo proceeded onward, making his way closer to the docks, out of the 5 total patrollers he had eliminated 2 and it seemed the rest were closer to Yoru’s position than his. He trusted that his accomplice would soon meet up with him however and perhaps if Takeo was lucky he would come across the straggler whom had alluded his sensory technique thus far.

Jutsu UsedShow

*[Earth Element • Mole Hiding]
C-Rank Ninjutsu
After forming the needed hand seals and flooding the earth below them with chakra, the user will dig into the ground. The user can then dig through the earth with the use of chakra. In the first post, the user may only move into the earth. In the following posts, the user can travel underground, up to ten feet deep for up to 4 posts before needing to breathe. The maximum distance the user can travel is equal to the average of the user’s ninjutsu and control times three meters. The speed at which they travel equals the average of the user’s ninjutsu, control and speed. Using this technique does create a tunnel of sorts, allowing the user to create a series of tunnels for various purposes.

*[Feel of the Earth]
C-Ranked Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: Control 6
After doing the needed hand seals, the user stamps on the ground, flowing their chakra through the ground in around them. The user’s chakra travels at a speed equal to the user’s control, up to 30 yards. This allows the user to feel the vibrations from the earth. At this level, it doesn’t allow for pinpoint movements, but it does allow for the user to sense direction, amount of pressure, and distance.

*[Earth Element • Double Suicide Decapitation]
D-Rank Nintaijutsu
Prerequisite: [Earth Element • Mole Hiding]
After first initiating Mole Hiding, the user will travel beneath the ground at a speed equal to their control up to 6 until they are beneath their target. They will then reach up through the ground and attempt to grab onto the target's ankle, pulling them into the ground up to their neck if the user's strength is higher than that of the opponent. The target is then trapped in earth, unable to move if their strength is not greater than 4. The farthest the user can move underground with this technique is 15 meters, and lasts as long as Mole Hiding allows.

Entrapping Syrup Field
C-Ranked Suiton Ninjutsu
The user forms two hand seals then spits out high-viscosity, chakra infused water, aimed at a surface of wide scope. This is a stream of sticky liquid which can be used to form an adhesive trap that can inhibit a person's mobility. One can effectively reduce their enemy's area of activity with this technique, and has the effect of being able to take complete control over the battlefield. The normal scope of this technique is normally just a few metres, but if prepared, it is also possible to make an entire pond of starch syrup. Being caught in the technique can be avoided by channeling chakra to one's feet allowing one to walk upon it uninhibited, beforehand. The stream travels at a speed of 6 and requires 5 strength in order to break free of once trapped.

Climb
D-Rank Suiton Ninjutsu
After forming a hand seal or maintaining the last seal of the syrup field jutsu Takeo can manipulate the adhesive liquid to defy gravity to a limited extent, allowing it to move up an ensnared opponent’s body or weapons. This technique can also be used more strategically, allowing Takeo to maneuver his syrup field up the sides of walls or vertical surfaces or even onto a ceiling, allowing for a new dimension to his capturing tactics. If Takeo releases the seal or if his concentration is interrupted the substance will slowly drip away from the surface it is on. The substance moves at a speed equal to Takeo’s control to a maximum of 6.

Containment
C-rank Suiton Ninjutsu
Focusing additional concentration into his syrup field Takeo can increase the strength of the hold to be equal to his control for as long as he continues to channel chakra into the technique, requiring a higher strength in order to break free. During this time Takeo cannot perform any other jutsu and he must be within 25 feet of the area of increased strength. Interrupting Takeo's concentration will return the syrup to its baseline strength. Due to the high amount of chakra it takes to reinforce an entire syrup field with chakra Takeo can only maintain the technique for posts equal to his stamina/2. If he focusses specificity on an area of less than five feet in diameter however he can maintain the technique for posts equal to his stamina at a much more reduced chakra cost.

[Lacarix]

Yoru darted through the streets of the small fishing village, weaving as quickly as his lowered stance could manage. The buildings were now becoming far between, as he was heading towards the fields. He glared forward, the sun bursting through the clouds in the blue sky. It was taking a little longer than the pair had expected, perhaps they should have headed to the ranch first? He didn’t have time to think about that now though, he had this to deal with.

The young man wasn’t sure how far his sensei was to the docks, it was starting to irk Yoru not having a sensor ability. He never really imagined himself become a fully-fledged sensor, it was just something that didn’t suit him. He considered maybe learning extension sensory one day, so he could at least track a little better. He sometimes felt alone and clueless out in the field, lost without a hope of finding his enemies and his allies. There was something that Yoru yearned for, the Byakugan. The mystical eye that the clan of his village possessed would allow him to see anything he sought after. Though that was nothing but a pipe dream, there were very few Hyuuga nukenin he could hunt for, even if there were he doubted it would go down well with the Hyuuga clan.

There were no houses now, just field as far as the eyes could see. He was crept behind a small hut that was used to store supplies. He peered round the corner, seeing what the field had to offer. Farmers stood in front of him shackled, harvesting food for the slavers. They were cladly dressed, their clothes if any at all were just rags hanging off them, grey worn and even burnt. Their ribs exposed, as though to be trying to rip through their own skin, cheekbones sticking so far out they were almost as sharp as kunai. Yoru’s nostrils flared, his cheeks turned red and his teeth clenched down in frustration. His eyes began to water, blobs of hot salty liquid fell from his eyes.

How could they keep doing this? The slavers were disgusting people, he hated the Rock country for not doing more about the overflowing slavery issue that crept into the fire country. He’d have to speak to the Hokage when he got home and see if something could be done to prevent this from happening. He had no intention of sneaking around anymore, he intended to walk up the slavers and kill them there and then. No messing around, not anymore. Two slavers seemed to be patrolling, armed with katanas and whips. He remembered men and women like them who whipped them just for the fun of it. His hand edged towards his back, fingertips stroked the lashes on his back. That was it, he was done. These two men were going to die.

Yoru dressed in his Konoha uniform bounded forward, his chest puffed out like an animal fending off its predators. His brow narrowed, his hand moved towards his holster withdrawing a Kunai. One of the slavers caught sight of him and started to run as quickly as he could to what seemed to be a small hut, most likely with a messenger bird. Yoru flung the kunai through the air, it buried deep into the slavers back. He dropped down onto the floor with a thud.

The second slaver turned to face Yoru, his eyes widened as the young shinobi moved closer and closer. The slave pulled back his whip flinging it in Yoru’s direction, who quickly grabbed it. Overpowering the slaver he yanked him forwards so that he fell on the floor. The slaver scrambled backwards, Yoru simply towered over him, his eyes much darker than usual, almost…. evil. His leg raised from the ground bringing his foot down onto the ankle of the slaver crushing it beneath his feet.

The slaver screamed out in agony, he tried to pull himself up but to no prevail. The shinobi took the katana from around the slavers waste and moved to the closest slave, he cut through the metal chain like a knife through butter. The chain connected all the slaves together, so one cut was enough to free them all “You are free.” He told the slave, he said it again “You are free!” This time louder so the others could hear. He pointed to the slave “Do with him as you wish.” Like a pack of dogs that had being told to hunt a fox, the slavers all dived at the slave ravishing at his bones, thud their fists against his skull, their feet cracking his ribs. He was probably already dead, but it didn’t stop them from attacking.

Yoru cocked back his head, his lips crept into an ominous smile as he watched the flesh be ripped away from the slaver. He turned on his heels and headed to the docks, five was the target, assuming Takeo had taken down they should be meeting at the docks soon. Moving though the village he bounded over to the docks as instructed, at the end of the pier stood another two slavers. He wouldn’t attack, simply wait for his sensei and he certainly wouldn’t tell him what had happened, though he was sure he’d read it in the report. Yoru crept down waiting by the docks, his sensei would soon be here or perhaps he already was waiting in the shadows.

[Izanagi]

Takeo laid across the roof of a small fish and tackle shop, peering over the dirt paths and across a small rocky beach. A 4ft high stone wall separated the beach from the village. It was only about 15ft past the base of the building and would offer some cover but after that the beach was wide open, only a small trail went through a gap in the wall and lead down to two wooden docks which stretched out into the water about 50ft past the wall. One could sneak all the way around and attack from the water but it would be a long detour and not worth the effort. They would have to approach directly. It didn’t seem they had any messenger pigeons nearby though he could be wrong, there were several crates dotting the docks and blocking his view, no doubt with various ropes and other boating accessories, stored close by for easy convenience. At the end of each dock stood a man.

The one to the left was a tall man, strong and well-built carrying a spear, with a rack of back up spears in front of a docked boat. The other to the right was stockier and shorter with a bald head and heavy stubble. He wore a leather vest customized with many holsters for throwing knives as well as a belt with many hand axes. The two men stood, watching mostly towards the water at the several canoes that bobbed in the water, the furthest no more than 50 feet away from the end of the dock. Each had a length of chain connecting them to the harbor so that the slaves couldn’t escape. Not that they had the strength to anyway, they were gaunt and frail looking elderly folks whom had been tasked with fishing, though with such a limited range it was difficult to bring in many fish day after day though the slavers cared little, all they wanted was results and enough food to sustain themselves, no matter what the cost.

Occasionally one of the men would glance back towards the village or take a seat on a crate so that they looked across at one another with the village and the boats in their peripheral vision. It seemed they were rather bored of their post and were almost hoping that the slaves would try to escape when they thought they weren’t being watched so that they could put their deadly accurate aim to the test. In the early days several had tried to escape and had paid the price of a spear lodged through their chest or a throwing axe in the back of their skull. Lately however it seemed the will to resist had been stripped away, much to the dismay of the slavers who quite enjoyed the target practice.

The Jounin glanced up at the sun, they didn’t have time to waste, barely an hour left to get to the head base and begin their assault. He tapped his finger impatiently as he calmed his breathing. He couldn’t afford to worry about whether or not he made the right decision. All that mattered was the task at hand. Soon they would be able to move on to their primary objective, though the missing slaver was putting him quite on edge, a thought that he couldn’t overlook. They wouldn’t have time to search for him. What if he had sent off a message without them noticing? Or ran ahead himself. Even if he was simply asleep they would have no way of knowing when he might discover his fallen comrades and send word to the main base. If he didn’t emerge by the time these men were killed they would have to do their best to draw him out in a quick last ditch effort in locating him before moving on.

He detected a hint of movement, Yoru crouching into position behind the wall and peering out at the slavers. The Jounin let out a low, quiet whistle to alert his friend to his presence. He didn’t want to startle the red-haired Jounin and have him attack him by mistake. He then moved low across the roof, making sure to double check that the slavers weren’t looking in his direction. Sliding low over the edge of the building he landed softly, crouching to minimize the impact. He joined beside Yoru at the wall. “I took out two, you get the other three?” he confirmed first and then nodded as Yoru verified. “Still one in hiding then or out on patrol, can’t worry about him now though. There’s no point in taking these last two by stealth, we don’t have any time to spare and it would be nice to draw out the last one anyway” he decided. Unless Yoru were to object or propose a strategy Takeo would make the decision. “I’ll take left" and then he raised his head ever so slightly, peering over the edge to determine the optimum time to strike. “On three” he decided. The bald man was sitting, staring at the water and twirling a knife between his fingers and the other was standing with his back faced to the shinobi, staring out at the distance and looking for any sign of movement. “One." He propped himself up into a crouching position, his legs tense. "Two." His hand dipped into his pouch, withdrawing a kunai laden with an explosive tag. "Three." The Jounin placed a hand on the wall, leaping over it deftly in one smooth motion and immediately bursting into a full sprint. It didn’t take him more than a few strides to reach his top speed. The bald man was the first to notice their movement, standing quickly in order to throw his knife at Yoru or deflect an incoming projectile if Yoru had thrown one. It would be an interesting contest between the two as the slaver was nearly equal in skill with Yoru in regards to projectiles.

Takeo’s opponent caught sight of the motion made by his fellow slaver and almost immediately he turned, catching sight of Takeo and launching a spear without wasting a single movement. The man was strong, the spear launched towards him at nearly the same speed he was moving, he quickly darted to the side, bringing up the kunai to help deflect the spear, the strength of the impact was equal to his own and he found himself only barely able to block. The reverberation shook through his arm and nearly deflected his own kunai back into his face. Continuing his motion Takeo darted forward once more, launching his kunai at the man as he reached for a second spear. The man was fast and the weapons collided in mid-air with a loud explosion as the tag was detonated. Takeo took that moment to throw a flash bang grenade and duck behind a crate. Already the distance had been closed to a mere 15 feet.

The slaver held his spear defensively, his vision blurred and ears ringing. A kunai was dawn and thrown at the slavers thigh, it sank into the meat of his leg and immediately the spear was launched in Takeo’s direction to which he narrowly avoided by rolling to the right on an angle towards his opponent. His dagger was drawn as he emerged from the roll. Already the slaver was beginning the regain his senses, enough so to blindly grab another weapon and step forward slashing out in front of him, his instincts anticipating with great accuracy where Takeo had emerged. Takeo shot in, getting under the tip of the weapon and blocking at the wooden neck of the spear. The spear cracked and recoiled with the impact. His dagger had been fortified with chakra and was far superior in quality. Standing abruptly Takeo surged forward, slashing upwards from the pelvis to the chest while holding the weapon in a reverse grip and then quickly switching grips and slashing across the man’s exposed throat, spraying blood across the dock and pattering into the water.

The corpse landed with a thud and Takeo took a deep breath, his breathing had been elevated. The slaver had proven a more dangerous opponent than he had anticipated, requiring every bit of Takeo’s speed and strength in order to defeat him and even then only his clever tactics had managed to give him the advantage he needed. He turned to Yoru, expecting to see a similar scene. “Konoha has come to aid! We will free all those that have been captured and see them safely home!” he explained to the shocked onlookers from the boats. Some teared up, overwhelmed by emotions, other seemed too stunned to react. He didn’t have time to waste to smash the chains though surely they would be able to paddle themselves ashore and release the boats on their own accord. He crouched, wiping the dagger and preparing to sheath the weapon before hastily moving on. What he failed to see were the expressions of fear that soon emerged on the villagers faces. A looming figure towered over the stone wall overlooking the beach, the leader of the group assigned to defend the village. It seemed they had been successful in drawing out the final slaver.

[Lacarix]

Yoru ear’s pricked up as he heard the low whistle, he turned to follow the sound. His eyes set on Takeo as he slowly made his way over to Yoru’s position of cover. Yoru nodded as his sensei asked if he got three “Yup, took down three. They were surprisingly weaker than I thought they would be.” He had expected these slavers to at least pack a punch, they had being held up in the fire country for quite some time, so he expected them to have a stronger defence at least. A smile poured across Yoru’s face as Takeo said they didn’t need to sneak anymore “Good, I get bored of hiding in the shadows.” He said with a snort, Takeo chose the one of the left, the larger, taller one of the pair “Aww, you get all the fun sensei. So selfish of you picking the best one.” He joked with his sensei.

Once he heard the word ‘three’ leave from his sensei’s lips it was time for them to attack, Yoru placed his hand into his holster withdrawing a kunai and charged forward, hurtling at his top speed. He and his sensei ran alongside each other in almost perfect unison, it was strange to be physically so equal. Takeo usually the stronger of the pair and Yoru the quicker, now they were on equal footing in every sense.

Yoru’s slaver the short bald one flung a projectile towards him, Yoru could tell at a glance it was coming towards him with quite some strength. Yoru wouldn’t be able to simply catch it like he usually would. He flung his own kunai, that soared through the air and met the other projectile in mid-air, with a clang and a flurry of sparks. The slavers own projectile turned and shot directly back towards the slaver who simply shifted his shoulder, letting it soar past him.

‘Fast and strong huh?’ thought Yoru, this didn’t matter too much to him someone simply with the ability to throw a decent weapon didn’t scare him. The slaver withdrew an axe in either hand and flung it in Yoru’s direction in one fluid movement. Yoru rolled across the floor letting it fly past his head, he sprinted forward his eyes glistening at the prospect of finishing this man. He moved closer and closer the Slaver heaved up his axe ready to swing it at Yoru. The young man wasted no time, his fingertips gripped around arm of the slaver stopping him mid swing “Ah, you aren’t as strong as I thought.” He smirked as the slaver squirmed trying to pull his arm free. Yoru twisted and yanked at the slavers arm ripping it clean off and letting it fall to the ground with a thud.

The slaver screamed out in horror, blood squirting from his stump like a fountain. The blood trickled onto Yoru, he seemed to revel in it. He edged forward, the slaver retreated backwards his hand trembling “Please, please… mercy.” Yoru’s brow narrowed “Mercy? You dare beg me for mercy!” he screamed angrily, his hand clutched around the man’s throat, lifting him up from the ground “Did you give these poor men and women mercy when they begged you?” he slaver eye’s widened, he knew his life was about to come to an end. Yoru’s fingertips pushed even tighter ripping through the mans throat and ripping out of his neck. Letting the slave fall to the ground with a thud.

Yoru turned to his sensei, looking over his shoulder to see if he’d killed his guard. He’d done just that, he was now yelling about konoha coming to their aid. He followed the eyeline of the slaves who were staring in fear and shock at a large silhouette that stood in front of the sun and on top of a high wall. It leaped from the wall landing on the sand with a thud so hard it almost shook the earth beneath their feet. Now he was out of the sun, they could see him clearly. He had to be almost seven foot, his shoulders were almost the size of barrels. He had two Odachi which appeared to be normal sized Katanas in this mountain of a man’s hands. He turned to look at Takeo, tilted his head and raised his brows at his sensei “I think he might even be stronger than you Takeo.” He chuckled, they’d most likely have a decent fight on their hand.

Yoru looked closely, the man seemed to be wearing a jewled necklace with a fuuinjutsu seal printed across it “His, necklace… it has a seal on it sensei.” Yoru weaved a flurry of handseals and focused chakra towards his eyes, he felt a warm sensation pour through him towards his eyes. He could now read the fuuinjutsu and understand it. His eyes widened and he shook his head in disbelief. “It… it can’t be.” He didn’t believe his eyes, the seal seemed to specialise in chakra. He needed to test it, weaving a short set of seals he channelled ration chakra towards his mouth as an orb of ration flung from his mouth towards the gigantic man. The fuuinjutsu on his necklace glowed a bright yellow and the chakra heading towards him was swallowed up by the necklace.

The large slaver titled back his head and cackled loudly, withdrawing his Odachi he charged towards Takeo and Yoru “Genjutsu & Ninjutsu won’t work on him Takeo!” he yelled loudly, he was probably both stronger and faster than Yoru and Takeo. They’d have to outnumber and outsmart him, breaking his necklace was their best bet. Yoru waited for a moment, ready for Takeo to yell his orders.

Slaver StatsShow

Ninjutsu:1
Taijutsu: 11
Genjutsu: 1
Stamina: 11
Control: 1
Strength: 11
Speed: 11
Wit: 8

UsedShow

Ricochet Shot
C-Rank Taijutsu
Prerequisite: Minor Ricochet Shot
By using the same spiralling momentum from rotation shot, this allows the user to cause the tools they throw to ricochet off hard surfaces, such as concrete and stone. This will allow the tool to bounce or skip off a surface to the desired position, this only has two bounces and has a maximum change of 45 degrees per bounce. This cannot be done on soft surfaces such as grass or dirt but unlike its counterpart this can be bounced off trees & due to the tool losing its momentum its strength will reduced but unlike its counter part will only be by by 1/3, per bounce.

[Taijutsu • Grab, Snap & Rip[color]
B-Ranked Taijutsu
Prerequisite: 6 Strength, 6 Speed & 6 Taijutsu
A technique that relies on both speed, strength & taijutsu. If the user has higher or equal (Taijutsu+Speed)/2 of an incoming strike the user will grab the appendage of their attacker. They will then grasp it firmly in a locking position and push or pull in the opposite direction the appendage is supposed to bend. If the target has equal or higher strength they can break clean of this with ease. If the users (Taijutsu+Strength)/2 is one point higher, than that of the user it will cause a fracture, if it is two points higher it will break, if it is four points or higher the targets appendage will be ripped clean off.

*[Fuuinjutsu • Perfect Seal Sight]
B-Ranked Fuuinjutsu
Prerequisite: *[Fuuinjutsu • Advanced Seal Sight]
By doing the needed hand seals, the user channels chakra to their eyes. For the next eight posts whenever they study a seal within 30 feet of their body, they are able to tell the complexity of the seal and if the seal has any traps on it.

[Lightning Element • Electrical Expectorate]
D-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing a string of hand seals, the user will create a small orb of ration in their mouth roughly the size of a marble. It is then spat from the user’s mouth up to a distance of twenty yards at a speed of 4. Once the marble connects it will disperse with a force of a singular explosive tag and some slight shock of where it hit.

[Izanagi]

Takeo grimaced at the spectacle before him, Yoru had ripped a man’s arm off; a skill that even to him seemed brutal. He had severed limbs many times before but had never ripped one off with brute force. He imagined it would be immensely more painful. He wouldn’t dare intervene of course, Yoru’s business was his own. These slavers deserved to die and he had no right to judge his friends methods, seeing as how his own were often equally questionable. It simply caught the man by surprise to witness Yoru in such a state. He wondered if perhaps Yoru had grown too much like his Sensei for his own good, ‘No, he needs this’ he realized, as long as Yoru could keep his bloodlust in check it would be the ruthlessness he needed to survive and that was what mattered most wasn’t it? He remembered years ago when the man would weep for his fallen victims, even since becoming a Jounin Yoru had changed. He was finally ready to take his place at Takeo’s side as an elite operative of ROOT or whatever organization Takeo decided to transition the task force into.

At least despite his brutality Yoru maintained his humanity, he cared about the civilians and that was a crucial saving grace. The body fell to the ground and Takeo met Yoru’s eyes after speaking to the civilians. He was going to give him a grim nod but then he saw that Yoru’s gaze was distracted. On high alert he shifted, turning to face the man whom approached. For a moment Takeo felt a flicker of fear. “Damn” he muttered. He was massive, bigger than any person he had encountered before and something told him that he was every bit as strong as he looked. “You’re right, we’ll have to keep our distance” they would have to rely on high level ninjutsu to take down this threat. But then Yoru spotted the necklace, once Takeo had skill in Fuuinjutsu but he had long since neglected his studies in the art, luckily Yoru had maintained his knowledge. He would wait until Yoru assessed the seal and then adjust their plans accordingly depending on what he managed to discern. His eyes never wavered from the target, already his hand dipped into his holster, drawing a kunai in his left hand and holding the dagger in his right in a defensive position in case their opponent rushed them. Until they knew how fast he was it was risky to start a high level chain of seals.

Yoru attacked, seeming to be testing something and sure enough the chakra dissipated harmlessly. “Well shit” he muttered, half in disbelief. The slaver stood for a moment, perfectly still and closing his eyes. The calm before the storm, Takeo considered charging in at that moment but thought better of it, it would be reckless and foolish against an obviously powerful adversary who clearly was confident in his skill. And then the behemoth of a man opened his eyes, withdrawing his weapons swiftly as he charged. Takeo ran forward, towards the end of the pier, hoping Yoru did the same. He didn’t want to get split up too much from Yoru. As he ran he called out orders, “Keep your distance. Mid-range and hit and run tactics, I’ll open him up” he decided quickly. Naturally Takeo gave the more dangerous position to himself, though it simply made more sense for him to keep the man occupied in close quarters. He wasn’t sure if he could hold his own against such a foe but he would have to if he wanted to survive. In this match all of their lives were on the line, one slip up and either of the Jounin could be killed. They were fighting as equals at the highest level and needed to be in perfect synch with one another if they both hoped to come out of this alive.

As the Jounin stepped onto the rocky beach the slaver leapt into the air, spinning wildly as he aimed to maul Takeo in a rapid array of sword slashes. The Jounin leaped to the side, utilizing every bit of his strength to move out of the way in time, the blade missed him by a mere inch and he rolled smoothly back to his feet, already turning to face the slaver. His blades had torn up the ground from the strikes, spraying chunks of rock and sand everywhere. His speed was incredible and his technique flawless. He left no openings or chance of counter. Already he was upon Takeo, slashing with one hand and then the other, already pivoting and striking again after each block. Takeo channeled chakra into his blades but with each strike the amulet drained the chakra. He was only barely able to keep up, doing everything in his power merely to defend. Sparks flew as he backpedaled, staying mobile and trying to move so that the slavers back was to Yoru. He kept spinning, twisting and pivoting however, keeping almost no distance between him and Takeo. Another strike and his kunai cracked and his arm buckled, he was stronger than him and faster. It was evident that Takeo wouldn’t be able to hold him off for more than a few moments at a time without back-up.

Slaver TechniquesShow

*Zantou • Effect Focus
D-Rank Taijutsu
Prerequisite: 4 Taijutsu, 5 Wit
A technique requiring just as much mental focus as the ability to control one's body and a core technique of it's style, the user learns to plant their feet in unison while setting their shoulders and lifting their sword, drawing all of their thoughts away from anything but the opponent or target. This technique is meant to be complimented with drawn out breathing practice and meditation to create a state, temporarily, where the senses are narrowed towards a specific goal.

*Eishin • Twin Draw
C-Rank Kenjutsu
Prerequisite: Two katana or similar Japanese blades, Eishin • Single Draw Block, 6 Taijutsu, 6 Strength.
With training and practice the user of this technique is able to advance on the initial technique of this style, drawing two swords at once with the technique. By drawing two blades, the user's defensive and offensive range increases. The two blades can also focus on one target to repel an attack of greater strength. The technique's true potential, however, lies in the user's ability to opperate both offensively and defensively.

*Eishin • Drawn Claw
C-Rank Kenjutsu
Prerequisite: 6 Taijutsu, 6 Strength
Drawing their blade, the user pushes off the ground, pivoting into a flip in the air horizontally. With the user's own weight combined with the weight of the sword, the user's torque and spinning velocity increases. This creates a spiraling slash aimed at a single foe or object with heavy power, capable of breaking stone with proper strength.

*Zantou • Brutal Wind
D-Rank Kenjutsu
Prerequisite: *Zantou • Effect Focus
At a diagonal angle before or after any other attack the user draws back their blade an extra inch or so than would be normally expected and when they execute the attack they pivot on their feet as they move, executing a moving slash around their body and at the same time twisting the blade to an opposite position. Utilizing this movement they can then continue to make revolving, mobile slashes that cut in arcs around them to either dice unsuspecting foes or repulse foes as they move.

Takeo’s TechniquesShow

*Chakra Infusion
C-Ranked Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: 8 Control
By channeling chakra into their weapons, the users of this jutsu are able to make their weapons more resilient to ninjutsu. This also involves a boost in the weapon’s physical structure. Users are able to resist physical and ninjutsu techniques.

[Lacarix]

Yoru’s mouth crept into a smile as Takeo said swore and seemed to actually have some concern. He felt a little bad for actually smiling in such a dangerous situation, he wiped it away as quickly as it came. Though he couldn’t help but be excited, he had never seen his sensei ever truly show concern in a battle, even when they were fighting giant monsters made of lava. This confirmed to him that this battle would be a difficult one. Yoru revelled in the idea of fighting an opponent that even scared a man as powerful as Takeo.

He grimaced as he was told to keep his distance “As selfish as ever Takeo! You get all the fun.” The pair charged off, his sensei withdrawing his weaponry and Yoru did the same, unleashing the kunai from it holster. Holding a kunai, with an explosive tag in either hand or the sound of their feet clunking on the wooden pier beneath them. Leaping off they landed on the rocky beach, Takeo charged forward going in straight for the attack. Yoru charged around the slaver, trying to flank him. Yoru watched as his sensei attempted to ‘open him up’ he could see the pure force the slaver had, Takeo buckled beneath his strike and the kunai shattered.

He had to help Takeo, he couldn’t simply stand and watch. The two kunai flew from Yoru’s fingertips, they cut through the air once they were in range Yoru placed his hand together and performed kai. They lit up for a moment, then diminished quickly. Even fuuinjutsu didn’t work? Yoru’s teeth gritted in anger, the two kunai carried on hitting their mark. Though to mammoth sized slaver they were nothing but bee stings. He grumbled, looking behind him for a moment to take in Yoru’s postion. He swung around his blades and shouted out loudly in attempts to knock back Yoru.

This beast seemed to be focused on Yoru now, readying himself to swat the bee that dared to sting him. He charged forward with incredible speed, closing the gap incredibly quickly. The slaver swung his blade and rotated on his feet, continuously swinging. Yoru withdrew a Kunai letting it clang against the blade, it crumbled into pieces and fell from his hand. His eyes widened in shock, the slaver swung his blade yet again but in a horizontal slash. Yoru leaped up using his acrobatic skills, he span in the air and landed on the flat part of the steel blade.

Yoru lifted himself up on his tiptoes, readying himself to strike a roundhouse kick while using the blade as a stand. This was short lived, Yoru’s foot was met by the slavers hand who gripped around his ankle after he dropped the blade in his other hand. He hung Yoru up like a ragdoll, he was punched squarely in the stomach. Yoru yelped out in agony, the slavers fists were the size a large metal mallet and felt just the same. He was tossed through the air, the winded Yoru attempted to correct his positioning by performing a tuck in the air but he was in so much pain it didn’t quite go so well. He landed on the floor and skidded on the loose rocks beneath his feet.

He gasped loudly, as he tried to get some air back into his lungs. If they could destroy the necklace around the man’s neck Yoru could get him under a genjutsu and end this fight right now. But getting close enough seemed impossible and the seal on the necklace was far too advanced for even Yoru to dispel. The large slaver continued running towards Yoru again, he’d barely had chance to catch his breath. He withdrew a kunai and his reel of steel wire. He attached it around the ring pommel and flung it forward. The slaver paused for a moment as though he was going to deflect the incoming projectile but it soared past him by quite a bit. The slaver laughed at what he thought was a terrible throw. Yoru darted to the right running as quickly as his legs would take him, running in circles around the beast. He hoped Takeo had understood what he was trying to do, the steel wire followed Yoru, going around the beast in a spiral, until the spiral got so small it gripped around the slavers ankles and dropped him down to the floor with a thud.

Yoru seemed somewhat smug in his victory as the large slaver laid on the ground for a moment “Easier than I thought it wou-“ his sentence was cut short as Yoru who still had hold of the reel was dragged forward. The slave ripped through the wire as though it was string with his blade. Yoru let go letting him take the reel “F*ck sake!” he yelled loudly.

Slaver JutsuShow

*Zantou • Ripping Wind
B-Rank Kenjutsu
Prerequisite: *Zantou • Resounding Focus, *Zantou • Brutal Wind
Utilizing the focus granted by their kiai shout the user is able to enhance a basic technique to a much more damaging degree. Performing the signature mobile tilting slash of Brutal Wind, the user lets out their kiai shout at the exact moment of contact while following through on the slash in such a way that it is not only more effective overall but the force generated can actually stir up dust, debris and light objects caught in the path of it; An unprepared opponent can not only be cleaved by such an attack but knocked off their feet or off their guard. The user can also, through the basic twisting and turning of body and blade, repeat this motion afterwards to continue the moving slash.

*Zantou • Brutal Wind
D-Rank Kenjutsu
Prerequisite: *Zantou • Effect Focus
At a diagonal angle before or after any other attack the user draws back their blade an extra inch or so than would be normally expected and when they execute the attack they pivot on their feet as they move, executing a moving slash around their body and at the same time twisting the blade to an opposite position. Utilizing this movement they can then continue to make revolving, mobile slashes that cut in arcs around them to either dice unsuspecting foes or repulse foes as they move.

UsedShow

*Ochiba • Dance Detour
D-Rank Bukijutsu
Prerequisite: 4 Strength, 4 Speed
Much like a floating leaf being swept away by the wind, the user will attempt to slap away an incoming melee strikes or projectiles with a weapon. Just as long as the user's speed and strength are equal to or higher than the opponent's and depending on the distance from which they detect the attack, they will be able to deflect the strike with the weapon, thus avoiding damage.

[Taijutsu • Acrobatic Rectify]
D-Ranked Taijutsu
A technique used for being knocked backwards through the air, rather than falling flat on their back the user will use their own centre of gravity rectifying there footing giving them a steady stance. This is done by an aerial flip, tuck, layout or pike.

[Izanagi]

The slavers attack persisted for a few moments as Takeo fought to keep his opponent occupied. His kunai snapped in half and immediately Takeo backhandedly threw the remnants towards the enemy whom easily slashed it out of the air, controlling its angle enough that it nearly deflected back and struck the man whom it was belonged to. Without hesitation the massive man continued his assault and the Jounin was forced to desperately parry the slashes with his dagger as he backpedaled as quickly as he could manage without losing footing. His instincts urged him to counter attack but there was no opportunity, their opponent was simply too fast and skilled to leave himself open. He continued to spin and attack from a variety of angles and Takeo found himself relying also on his arm guards for defense, redirecting slashes as they glanced against his metal grieves.

Luckily Yoru was quick to come to his aid, anyone else and the kunai would have been easily dispatched though it seemed the elite Jounin had found a pattern in the circular slashes as two kunai were thrown with expert accuracy and lodged into the attackers back. Though unfortunately, even with Yoru’s incredible strength the attacker was nigh inhumanly resilient. This revelation only made Takeo’s course of action all the more clear. The Jounin took a moment to collect himself and catch his breath as the swordsman turned on Yoru. His hand formed seals as chakra gathered in his chest, the jutsu would be rendered useless but he could use the distraction and perhaps the amulet could only absorb a certain amount of chakra at a time or had a cool-down period before it could be used again. Already Yoru was being thrown through the air, there was no time to discover the full extent of the amulets power. The slaver was toying with them, he could have killed Yoru in that moment but decided to punch him instead, if he got serious it would be enough to end either of their lives in an instant and that was not a reality Takeo wished to endure.

Yoru began his counter attack and Takeo rushed in to close the distance. The moment the wires wrapped around the slaver Takeo exhaled, releasing a massive cone of blazing fire aimed directly at the amulet, though at a distance of about 20ft it would completely encompass the man and in an ordinary case burn his opponent down to the bone. Sure enough the wires were sliced with ease, just a moment before the fire overtook him. The slavers eyes went wide, he had never encountered such a powerful ninjutsu before and for a moment he wasn’t sure if the amulet would be enough. Sure enough however the flames quickly began to dwindle. Takeo knew what this meant and before the jutsu had been completely absorbed he charged forward, already channeling further chakra into his chest and upper abdomen.

He lunged forward, knocking away one of the slavers blades with his own as he reached for the amulet with his free hand. The seal glowed red, apparently not quite being able to absorb the entire jutsu as the man was covered in light first degree burns and singed hairs. The slaver however reacted quickly, taking advantage of the opening and stabbing Takeo through the midsection with his free blade as the man’s hand grasped the amulet. The necklace was yanked from the chain and crushed in his hand before being tossed aside, all the while the Jounin was howling in pain. His right hand held firm on his dagger, keeping pressure on the man’s sword and keeping it away while his free hand now grabbed the swordsman’s wrist, holding it in place in his stomach as blood pooled in his shirt. “Yoru now!” he yelled frantically. His maneuver had been risky and he knew the likely outcome, already his wound was clotting and the damage being healed as best as possible considering the sword was still in place. The amulet had been overloaded just enough to not absorb the chakra circulating through his own body.

This was only a solution to one problem however, their opponent was still quite deadly in his own right. Yoru would have to make good use of the opportunity to once again use ninjutsu and genjutsu. Takeo had risked his life to give the man this chance and even still his life hung in the balance, sacrificing himself to protect Yoru, though he hoped that it wouldn’t come to that. He trusted Yoru enough to take advantage of this chance and save his Sensei.

Jutsu UsedShow

Fire Element • The All Consuming Dragon Fire
A-Rank Ninjutsu
A devastating technique capable of decimating landscapes and suppressing powerful foes, the all-consuming dragon fire is initiated with a series of hand seals and a massive buildup of chakra, culminating in Takeo’s chest. Holding the final dragon hand seal Takeo will exhale a cone shaped stream of blazing fire. The stream extends 60ft in length, covering a 15ft wide area at the focal point of the flames. The heat from this attack is so intense that it can crack stone and reduce full trees to ashes. Any who is caught in the direct flames will suffer from intense 3rd degree burns. Takeo can maintain this technique for up to two posts and can turn his head to change the angle of the attack accordingly. During this time Takeo must hold the final seal and is limited to minimal body movement. The speed the flames travel at is equal to his control to a maximum of 12.

*[Iijutsu • Secret Healing Injury Destruction]
A-Ranked Ninjutsu
An advanced technique that requires both quick reflexes and prediction, the *[Iijutsu • Secret Healing Injury Destruction] technique is highly formidable due to its effects. In the event that the user is aware that they will be hit in a specific place, s/he may attempt to focus chakra into that area before the strike connects. If successful, any damage to the damaged area will immediately begin to regenerate, be it a bruise, small fracture, or a small-to-moderate cut. These wounds can take up to one (1) post to heal fully depending on their size and severity, where fractures and moderate wounds would take the entire post. However, during this regeneration process, users are not rendered immobile and can continue to fight while their wounds regenerate. This technique can only be used a maximum of three (3) times per thread.

[Lacarix]

Yoru gasped for air, breathing heavily. His chest inflating in and out at a rapid rate, his breath sounded broken and raspy like a dog on a heavy day. The large slaver heaved himself from the ground, tripping him up with the wire seemed to have no effect at all. He was glad that Takeo was now taking his turn, giving Yoru a moment to catch his breath. Though this moment was just that, his sensei had the slavers large blade buried deep into his stomach.

Yoru’s eyes widened in shock “TAKEO!” he screamed in anguish, not realising that his Sensei could repair his own wounds. He knew Takeo could heal others but had no idea that his sensei could heal his own wounds with such ease. He heard Takeo yell ‘Yoru Now!’ but he didn’t react he was frozen in place. To him his sensei was likely to die, his eyes welled up as warm salty water poured down his face, his teeth clenched in anger, his palms turned to fists as his nails digged so deep into the palm of his hand so that it broke the skin. Yoru’s world was crumbling around him, the man he cared so much about was dying infront of his eyes, or so he thought.

The young Jounin placed his hands together, channelling ration chakra towards his right hand. He felt pins and needles pour up and down his arm to the tips of his fingertips as he weaved a set of handseals, one after the other as quickly as he could “I’m going to gut you like a f*king pig!” he screamed angrily, spit falling from his mouth, his voice raspy and broken as though yelling hurt his vocal chords. The sound of chirping birds screamed from his fingertips as blue ration chakra soon followed it.

He took off as fast as he could, small pebbles crunching beneath his feet as Yoru charged towards the large slaver a trial of blue ration chakra behind him. The slaver push Takeo away, leaving his sword inside him. He wasn’t worried about Takeo now, there was little he could do in this state. Yoru edged and edged closer as his hand hoisted back, he drove it forward towards the slavers chest readying to rip through his flesh. His eyes widened in shock as he stood still, not able to move. The huge slaver grasped his hand around his wrist squeezing on it so tight that Yoru’s wrist almost broke from the force.

No, it couldn’t end here. Yoru wasn’t going to die, their mission couldn’t finish here. His left hand edge to his holster withdrawing a kunai at a blinding rate and dragging it up, as he stabbed the slaver in the eye, pushing it in as deep as he could. The slaver screamed out in agony, his hand moved from Yoru’s wrist to his own eye, clutching at the kunai trying to relieve the pain. Yoru took his chance, pulling back his arm for a second time, thrusting it forward as his first ripped through the slavers stomach and out the other end.

The slave slumped over, leaning on Yoru as blood poured from his mouth covering Yoru’s back. Withdrawing his arm, that was covered in blood and innards he let the slaver fall to the ground in a clump. Yoru gasped loudly as the ration chakra dissipated from his hand, he ran to his sensei. Tears still in his eyes, his hands were shaking “Takeo.” He whispered softly, Yoru had always associated his beloved sensei as a brother, that was wrong. Yoru had a father of his own, but Takeo was a second one. Now he was seeing his father figure die, he drooped his head down and closed his eyes as he whimpered in anguish.

UsedShow

*[Lightning Element • Thousand Birds]
A-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisites: 7+ Speed
By focusing chakra into their hand, the user creates a mass of blue Raiton chakra. The collection of Raiton chakra makes a loud noise, similar to the chirping of thousands of birds at the same time. By running as fast as they can, the user will use the Raiton chakra and thrust it into their target. If used by somebody with 7+ speed, the Thousand Birds can pierce through almost any material and most defensive jutsu. This jutsu can’t be used by people with less than 7 speed. The downside is that this jutsu causes temporary tunnel vision due to the speed and concentration required to use it effectively, leaving the user more prone to attack from the sides. Being hit by this jutsu results in a large fist sized hole being created on the target while also causing a very painful electrical shock. This technique is linear and will only pierce a single defense, unless the defenses are lined up. If this jutsu isn’t used to attack, the blue chakra can be kept at hand for 5 posts before dissipating.

*Ochiba • Single Finger Draw
D-Rank Bukijutsu
Prerequisite: 4 Speed
For this to work the user must have their kunai placed in a kunai holder, this allows the user to place their finger through the lip of the holder and into the ring of the pommel, flicking it up and out quickly catching the kunai, allowing for a swift draw.

[Izanagi]

Takeo dropped to his knees, breathing heavily and in a great amount of pain as Yoru screamed out and the slaver released his grip on the sword, turning to face the remaining threat. With both hands the Jounin gripped the sword hilt, gradually pulling it out, only an inch or two every few seconds to allow his chakra the most time to heal the wound as the sword was extracted. He gritted his teeth, every motion jarring motion of the blade sent a new wave of pain firing through his body and ripping through his organs. He hoped Yoru would be able to handle the swordsman on his own though if not he would have to get back in the fight as quickly as possible. He had sacrificed himself to save his student and couldn’t let the immense pain he was in be in vain. He realized though how much emotional pain he had inflicted on his student and immediately his heart ached, he wanted to re-assure Yoru that he would be all right though in that moment it was best for Yoru to harness his fury. He could empathize with his pain for he knew that his own reaction would be the same if roles were reversed.

As Yoru charged Takeo embraced the raw emotion and energy in the air, bracing himself as he lurched the sword forward so that the tip was now mid-way through his body. The exit wound healed immediately and then the muscle seams bound together once more while his organs that had previously been sliced through began their repairs, blood seeped through the front of his shirt, though clotting was hastened exponentially and the newfound surge of blood was short-lived. He needed a moment to rest, less push himself too hard and force himself to pass out. He wanted to force it out in one smooth motion and charge in to Yoru’s aid, though he knew that if he were to assist without being at full capacity then it would mean his death for real. Nonetheless his legs tensed and he was prepared to do just that when Yoru’s arm was gripped. He decided to at least pull the weapon free with a pained groan. Blood stained the cold steel, appearing akin to a slick rust that began to pool at the hilt and drip onto the ground and stream across his fingers. The blade was well forged, nearly 4ft long and 2 and a half inches wide, surely without his medical ninjutsu he would have been killed. His left hand grasped at his wound, applying pressure and immediately feeling slick with blood. The entry wound began to seal itself shut and Takeo moved to stand, though this caused an immediate tearing pain in his stomach, there was still healing yet to be done.

With his own dagger sheathed now Takeo held firmly onto the bloodied sword, his grip tensed as Yoru countered, he stood hunched and grimacing, though every moment the pain lessened and if he needed to he could suppress the pain and come to Yoru’s aid. He nodded, smiling proudly though grim-faced as Yoru pierced through their opponent’s stomach, it was a gruesome sight but it meant Yoru was alive and if Takeo had of been killed he could have rested at ease knowing that Yoru would avenge him and more importantly live on. As Yoru rushed over Takeo switched his grip on the weapon before stabbing it into the ground, he wouldn’t have any need for it anymore. For a moment he leaned on the weapon, allowing it to support him as the last of the damage to his organs were repaired. He had been fortunate that the blade had not struck his heart or spine as he would have been killed instantly despite the medical chakra that had been flowing through him. The weight of knowing that had a slight alteration to a number of factors would have meant his death had not been lost on him. It took the man a few moments to collect himself, his breathing was slow, deep and deliberate. “I’m alright Yoru” he said softly, slowly pulling open his haori to reveal his bloodied stomach and though a mark remained where the sword had pierced, once he wiped away some of the blood it would become obvious that the wound had been healed. “I’m not that easy to kill, I may be getting old but I still have a couple tricks up my sleeve” he forced himself to smile and allow some sense of humor into his voice though it was short-lived. He swallowed hard, doing his best to remain strong. In truth he had been prepared to die and had no idea whether or not his plan would work. “I’m just glad you’re okay” he said, fighting back a feeling of sorrow and grief. He didn’t want to imagine losing his dearest friend, the man was closer to him than even his own family.

The Jounin straightened himself, steeling his emotions. He knew though he wouldn’t be able to fool Yoru, he had been fighting by his side for many years now and knew he could easily read him. Though he always remained strong on the outside it was clear that the man was soft at heart and cared deeply about others. “Come on” he said gruffly, though his deep blue eyes glistened with a wealth of emotion. His gaze turned skyward, the sun was beginning to dip quite low, another hour or two and it would be dark. “We don’t have any time to spare, let’s get to the farm and save the rest of the villagers.” Ideally he would have liked to interrogate the swordsman and formulate a detailed plan of attack, though he had proven far more skilled than he anticipated. He would be forced to improvise and it was entirely likely that they would be already on guard by the time they arrived. There might be some leeway for late check-ins though at the least it would raise some level of concern. “We should assume they’ll be ready for us, it’s unlikely we’ll be able to make any kind of stealthy approach” he noted, and that suited him just fine, after such a close call he was apprehensive and the best way to remedy that was to let loose and instill fear and panic in their enemies.

[Lacarix]

Yoru’s eyes welled with tears as he glared at his blooded sensei, the anguish that he felt was incomparable. He looked up as he heard his sensei say he alright. His eyes widened in shock as he saw the wound had healed “You idiot!” Yoru barked angrily, punching his sensei firmly in the shoulder. “I thought I’d lost you!” his voice switching quickly from anger to sadness, as he whimpered through his teeth. Wiping away the tears from his eyes he sighed loudly, nudging his sensei in the shoulder again.

He began to ponder how his sensei had gained this self-healing ability, he’d met a woman who before who could do something similar. Though this seemed somewhat different, Yoru was sure Takeo wasn’t immortal whereas this woman could seem to reattach her limbs and even stick her head back on if needed. It was a rather interesting ability and Yoru would put some research into it when they got home. But that was neither here or there, they had to focus on their mission.

The pair took off at a blinding rate, they were almost blurs as they soared through the forest. Yoru couldn’t help but keep his gaze on Takeo he seemed saddened and not himself. What was it? Did he expect to die when he took the blow or was it something else? Yoru would ask later, Takeo was a strong man and could put away any issues he had for now.

They continued towards Yoru’s childhood home, Musabi Ranch. He wasn’t looking forward to this, would he be able to put his emotions to the side and ignore them? Or would he go on a rage filled killing spree. All Yoru knew was that he’d finally be putting a close to this chapter of his life. “Takeo, we’ll be there soon.” He said loudly as they leaped from tree to tree, getting there was quickly as they could.

“That talisman of his set us back quite a bit, I won’t be surprised if they don’t have more at the ranch.” He hoped they wouldn’t, but he expected that they would “They may not be expecting us, there were no pigeons released and we disposed of all the slavers. If we have to take them on without ninjutsu sneaking is our only option.” These talismans gave the usually physically powerful samurai and slavers quite an advantage.

[Izanagi]

Yoru’s pain resonated with the man, “I know” he uttered softly, it was all he could do to voice his compassion and understanding. He clasped Yoru’s shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly as he so often did. “It’s a technique I can only use sparingly, a sort of last second trump card if you will but I got lucky that the blow wasn’t worse, I can only heal so much.” He explained, giving some slight insight on the jutsu. It was dangerous to reveal too much about one’s techniques though he knew he could trust Yoru and besides any skilled medical shinobi would recognize the jutsu anyway. It was however the first time he had needed to use the technique in a true life or death scenario and now more than ever he was glad that he had been developing his medical skills lately.

If they were to be successful in dispatching the rest of the slavers however Takeo would have to rely on far more than IIjutsu to get him through the battles ahead. With any luck he would be able to test his newly developed Katon jutsu. He was eager to display the raw destructive power of the element. It was an aspect of his arsenal that he had sorely been lacking until recently. By the time they arrived at the ranch dusk was setting in. The sky was a glowing orange behind the trees as the light slowly began to fade in the horizon. He listened intently to Yoru’s words as they settled into ambush position. For once he decided to heed Yoru’s advice, he was a Jounin in his own right and despite being Takeo’s student his assessment was always taken into account and treated with respect. He nodded, considering the possibility, he wasn’t wrong, the likelihood was high, too high to risk. “You’re right, as much as I hate to admit it there’s a good possibility that there’s a Fuuinjutsu expert among them, if that’s the case our ninjutsu might be useless and opening with a powerful barrage would expose us and put ourselves and the hostages at risk.” His chin rested on his hand as he spoke, perhaps nearly dying had made him too hasty, he had assumed the swordsman had acquired the talisman of his own volition rather than through association with a comrade.

Taking into consideration this new possibility he realized that Yoru’s plan would be the best suited after all. If Yoru was wrong they could always change tactics part way through without creating any risk to themselves initially. “Alright Yoru, we’ll do it your way. You can take the lead on this one” he offered. He had been subtly testing his friend throughout the course of the mission and he had proven himself capable thus far. It was time to see how effective he could be at implementing his own strategies and taking command. He would follow Yoru’s instructions this time around, he had decided to put his faith in the young man. It wasn’t often that he relieved himself of command though rather than being apprehensive he felt rather comfortable and curious to see how Yoru would handle the situation.

[Lacarix]

Yoru looked back over his shoulder towards his sensei as he spoke, he was surprised that Takeo would agree to his idea. Not that Takeo was stubborn, but the fact Yoru wasn’t much of a tactician his ideas usually fell short. Without a second thought they kept moving through the forest towards Musabi ranch, they were close to Yoru’s childhood home, trees swished by as Yoru and Takeo weaved through them with ease. The young man, as he was leading started to slow down assuming that his sensei would follow suit. His hand shook nervously, he wasn’t quite sure why he was so nervous. Blobs of sweat poured down his palms, his nostrils flared and his cheeks filled with air as he sighed.

“It’s been years since I’ve stepped foot here, I thought I’d left all this behind.” He whimpered softly, he was terrified what he’d see just over the horizon. He was so confused why they’d use the same location twice, though perhaps it was a different slaver organisation it wasn’t as though there was just one. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep check of my emotions Sensei, I’ll really need you to keep an eye on me.” He planned to sneak around, but he’d already lost it before literally ripping a man’s arm from his body, powered by almost pure aggression.

“I’ll keep myself calm though, we don’t have time to waste worry about my emotions.” He coughed to clear his throat, his tone turned much more serious. He lowered himself down into a crouching position, slowly weaving his feet in and out he edged through the grass carefully treading as to make sure not rustle the grass and not to break any twigs, though as if Yoru would be such a cliché to do that. The farm had a large fence of spiked logs surrounding it and what appeared to be a large watch tower in the middle. This was constructed when the slavers first came to Musabi Ranch, it barley resembled a farm anymore. He darted through and leaned against the fence “Takeo, can you use your sensing ability to take a look around?”

[Izanagi]

Takeo observed his student thoughtfully, he understood all too well the pain Yoru was in. The bearded warrior approached closer, staring ahead as he moved directly alongside his friend. “One day our people will no longer be vulnerable to slavers, together we’ll ensure that no child of Fire country has to suffer through what you did. And today will mark the last day that slavers set foot on Musabi ranch” there was a passion and conviction to his words. The man utterly disdained slavers and would use whatever influence he had in Konoha to rid them from their country. Already their borders were strengthening with the aid of Mamorinuku and strikes against Slaver operations had been increasingly successful and yet it still wasn’t enough. The slavers held no fear of Konoha, the opportunity to profit was simply too great and for too long their operations would continue before they were met with interference. In order to stop them they had to instill fear, make an example of their leaders and scatter any operations before they took root. Perhaps if they could gain increased assistance from Iwa their operations could be further disturbed, namely in the locating and sealing of the multitude of hidden passageways that ran between the two countries.

The rugged Jounin nodded knowingly as Yoru asked him to watch out for him. There was no need for words, Yoru already knew that his Sensei would always be watching his back. Takeo was the rock that anchored his student and his ever flowing emotions. As always he would remain level headed, rational and supportive of his friends. Winding through the grass came naturally for the lifelong hunter, even as a child he had learned to sneak up on deer with his dad and such a skill had been honed tremendously in the years serving as an expert tracker of shinobi. “I believe in you Yoru” he whispered softly, he knew that the young man wouldn’t let him down. “Maybe you can let loose when we get to the leader” he conceded. As gut wrenching of a feeling as it was to watch Yoru lose control, it might be therapeutic for him to have an outlet to release his pent up rage and despair. Moreover the man was his equal now, an elite killer in his own right. It would be an insult to judge Yoru for his methods when Takeo himself was every bit as ruthless, perhaps even more so.

As the farm came into view Takeo found himself somewhat surprised by the layout. It wasn’t anything like the childhood farm Yoru had described, instead it now appeared remarkably akin to a military prison camp. Takeo crouched next to Yoru at the edge of the fence. The man nodded as he formed a set of seals and closed his eyes. Chakra signatures lit up like stars in the night sky. Too many to bother counting out, though he could offer a few rough estimates. His mind’s eye darted around the camp, judging distances between the bright chakra auras as well as determining a basic idea of what sort of structures presented themselves. “Sentries spaced out about 20ft around the inner perimeter of the fence, at least 10 in the watchtower, handful of others in a few smaller structures. Prisoners are pent up in the barn, well over 50 signatures in there, can’t say how many of them are hostile.” He assessed. Even if they each took out the closest sentry it wouldn’t be long before the others on patrol discovered the bodies and if they split up and took out each one of the guards by the fence then surely the men in the watchtower would spot them or at the very least notice that the sentries were missing. Takeo pondered it for a moment, he had given Yoru permission to take lead though given the situation perhaps it was better for Takeo to give direction after all.

The Jounin glanced to his comrade, wondering if Yoru had a plan, if he seemed content to hear Takeo’s assessment he would speak up. “We should sneak past the sentries and take out the slavers in the tower then spread back out and kill the guards around the wall. From there we can make plans to approach the barn.” He suggested. Assuming the plan was good he would begin forming hand seals. “We’ll approach from underground, that way we’ll know immediately if our ninjutsu stops working as well as keeping us out of sight.” Without further ado the man would sink into the ground before promptly reaching up and pulling Yoru into the tunnel that would continue to expand as they walked towards the tower.

Jutsu UsedShow

*[Earth Element • Mole Hiding]
C-Rank Ninjutsu
After forming the needed hand seals and flooding the earth below them with chakra, the user will dig into the ground. The user can then dig through the earth with the use of chakra. In the first post, the user may only move into the earth. In the following posts, the user can travel underground, up to ten feet deep for up to 4 posts before needing to breathe. The maximum distance the user can travel is equal to the average of the user’s ninjutsu and control times three meters. The speed at which they travel equals the average of the user’s ninjutsu, control and speed. Using this technique does create a tunnel of sorts, allowing the user to create a series of tunnels for various purposes.

[Lacarix]

Yoru looked over his shoulder from his crouching positon, he listened to the speech Takeo gave. He was a great man who gave inspiring speeches. Once he’d finished, Yoru almost welled up “I plan to stop them stepping a foot anywhere, not just Musabi Ranch.” Yoru detested the Earth Country and Iwagakure for not doing a single thing about it, how could they encourage the enslavement of anyone? It was a disgusting way of creating labour, specially as the country certainly wasn’t poor and could easily hire a strong able work force for minimal cash, but they seemed to be nothing but monsters. Yoru hated them for that.

“Perhaps you put too much faith in me Sensei.” He whispered back, he wasn’t quite sure if he’d be able to hold his emotions together at least his anger. Yoru almost smirked at the idea of letting lose on the leader. Though he wondered if he’d be able to, surely the leader of a notorious slavery would be incredibly strong and even Yoru wouldn’t be capable of taking him on, specially if h had a talisman like the last giant of a slaver they just fought. “But I will control myself as much as possible, we can’t afford to give our location away.” If there were as many slavers as Takeo was saying, they’d be dead in a matter of moments. They needed to be incredibly careful, a single mistake could lead to disaster.

He listened to Takeo’s plan, he wasn’t as experienced with things like this as Takeo was and he couldn’t see the entire field ahead of them. If he could see the layout he could attempt to create a plan of his own. He needed to become adept in sensory himself. He nodded in agreement with Takeos plan, as they submerged into ground. Yoru followed his sensei through the tunnel he was creating as they continued to move forward “I don’t think we should split up this time, I know we’d cover my ground but if we get caught alone out there….” He paused for a moment worried that his concerns were making him seem cowardly, but he shook his head and these thoughts away. Concerned with preserving his and Takeo’s life wasn’t cowardly “I think we need to stick together, most defiantly and watch one another’s backs. Especially if we can’t use ninjutsu.”

[Izanagi]

Takeo locked eyes with Yoru, they shared one another’s conviction and would not stop until their dream became a reality. He nodded once, affirming that he would join Yoru in his crusade against slavery. Together they had the power and influence to make changes that could protect the entire country. He doubted Iwa would change their policies on slavery but at least they had to try and if not they could find allies elsewhere and do whatever it took to abolish the flow of slaves from Fire country into the territories of Iwa and Kiri, even if it meant war, though he hoped it wouldn’t come to that. At least if it did however it would be for a just cause.

The Jounin could sense Yoru’s inner conflict, he knew the young man as well as he knew himself. It was what made them such a formidable team as well as inseparable friends. “There’s nothing wrong with channeling one’s emotions in combat, the trick is to do so without acting recklessly or endangering yourself or your allies. Emotion can enhance our senses and our battle instincts but it can also blind us and dull our awareness if one allows their anger to consume them fully. It’s a fine line to balance that takes a great deal of experience to master.” He lectured, if ever the man acted hypocritically it was only because he knew the differences in how each of them handled situations. As always Takeo possessed far more control and experience than his prodigy. If Yoru could learn to harness his emotions and master them in battle however he would be a terrifying force that would surpass even the primal side of Takeo in his battle fury.

Moving into position the seasoned warrior listened carefully to his student’s whispered words. He stopped and turned upon hearing the trepidation in Yoru’s voice. “I’ll always have your back Yoru” he confirmed as he clasped the man’s shoulder. “We’ll fight side by side and finish this together, I wouldn’t have it any other way” Takeo was confident in their abilities but each relied heavily on ninjutsu in battle and it was clear these slavers were exceptionally skilled in armed combat, with their massive advantage in numbers they would surely be overwhelmed if they didn’t fight together. The pair continued towards the tower until they were directly beneath it and then Takeo formed a short set of seals before pressing his hand against the roof of the tunnel.

His chakra surged through the earth, pinging back chakra signals whenever a movement was felt against the surface. This also allowed him a general sense of the layout of the tower. It seemed the tower was well made, crafted of stone and wood with an underground storage room as well as a spiraling staircase that led up to the circular viewpoint. In their current position they were directly under the storage room and above them were five men seated around a table, presumably playing poker and drinking from the sounds of them. Two others had taken position along the staircase, perhaps keeping watch through small windows while a remaining 4 men kept watch at the top of the tower. 'Doesn’t look like we have a choice, going to have to take them by storm, at least our ninjutsu is working for now, if we can clear out the tower we should be able to defend this position' he mused. Glancing back at Yoru he made a signal for silence and then indicated 5 targets above them followed by pointing at himself and then the targets again while making a fist which quickly spread into an open hand, indicating an explosion. He knew it was a change of plans and hoped that Yoru would understand the necessity. If the storage room had been empty they could have proceeded with stealth though given the situation there was no other way around it. The Jounin backed away a few paces before his hands flew into seals culminating in him stomping the earth and causing a sizable boulder to rise up in front of him, crashing through the stone floor directly beneath the enemies.

The men were flung back, scrambling for their weapons in surprise though they didn’t have more than a second to react before the boulder exploded into an array of shrapnel, peppering them with deadly shards of rock. The room fell silent for a moment and then the panicked shouting of the other guards could be heard. Takeo surged forward, they would have to act fast while they still retained the element of surprise. Emerging from the newly created hole the storage room would be littered in body parts, blood, stone and splinters of wood. Barrels of weapons, beer and grain had been utterly decimated with everything scattered throughout the room, highly damaged and mixed with blood. One of the slavers sputtered his last breaths as a shard of stone lodged in his jugular claimed his life.

Takeo however paid the man no mind, he was already forming his next set of seals as he kicked open the door leading up to the staircase. He could still sense the positions of the other slavers, three were descending the staircase, moving into position. The one furthest back had an arrow notched and drawn as the closest men approached with a dagger and a maul. However as the door was sent flying from its hinges Takeo did not follow, instead a surge of brown movement snaked around the corner, prompting the release of an arrow to no avail. The Jounin’s hair had been elongated and strengthened, acting almost as its own entity as it moved to quickly wrap around the winding staircase, entangling all within. With another hand seal the strengthened hair formed itself into spikes, impaling each of the men from all directions before promptly retracting. Their bodies slumped as blood streamed down the stairs, pouring from a multitude of orifices. Finally Takeo waved Yoru forward, trusting his comrade to eliminate the final three bowmen.

Jutsu UsedShow

*[Feel of the Earth]
C-Ranked Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: Control 6
After doing the needed hand seals, the user stamps on the ground, flowing their chakra through the ground in around them. The user’s chakra travels at a speed equal to the user’s control, up to 30 yards. This allows the user to feel the vibrations from the earth. At this level, it doesn’t allow for pinpoint movements, but it does allow for the user to sense direction, amount of pressure, and distance.

Earth Element • Boulder Blast
B-Rank Ninjutsu
After forming the necessary hand signs Takeo will stomp on the ground, causing a large 3ft diameter boulder to rise up from the ground and launch itself in a linear trajectory. The boulder moves at a speed of 8 and can travel a maximum distance of 50ft. With an additional hand seal Takeo can detonate the boulder, causing it to explode with the force of 5 tags, effectively creating a 5x5x5m blast area of deadly shrapnel.

*Wild Lion's Mane Technique
B-Ranked Ninjutsu
An advanced ninjutsu technique, Wild Lion's Mane Technique utilizes one's hair in order to subdue foes. After forming the necessary handseals, the user will lengthen their hair at a speed equal to his/her control (capping at 10) to a maximum of 20 feet. This hair can entangle the foe, subduing them as it wraps around their bodies. If the user manages to trap the opponent within their hair, the strands will change structurally into spikes, impaling whatever has been caught. If the opponent's strength is equal to the user's control (to a maximum of 9), they are able to break free from the hair. This technique lasts for two (2) posts.

[Lacarix]

Yoru was so glad to hear his sensei say they’d fight side my side, he was so worried that he would come across cowardly. But he knew that they’d easily be overcome if they didn’t work together. He looked down at the hand placed on his shoulder, Yoru’s fell atop of his and patted it “I’ll always have yours Takeo, let’s get this done with.” He said with a soft smile. Both in agreement on the plan of action they continued to walk through the tunnel, staying fairly quiet so as to not arouse any suspicion. They weren’t that deep so any loud noises and they’d alert the guards above and that would be a disaster.

Once they came to a stop, Takeo indicated that he was going to destroy the ground above them with an explosive force. Before Yoru could make a suggestion it had already happened, Yoru turned away his face so no shrapnel got his eyes. He followed Takeo as he surged forward, Yoru leaped upwards landing on the ground with a soft thud. The smell of blood flooded his nostrils, he turned to look at the suffering man. Normally he’d end his life for him, so he wouldn’t have to go through the pain but they didn’t have time. Takeo had made quite a bit of noise. He watched Takeo kick open the door and perform the hair trick they were both capable of doing.

Yoru followed Takeo’s orders and withdrew four Kunai from his pouch clasping them between his fingers, the stairway was quite narrow which made it quite easy for Yoru. He flung them against the wall then quickly rolled back around to take cover behind the wall incase one of the archers took a shot. The Kunai bounced at incredible rate, ricocheting off the walls into the each of the three archers with ease, and the fourth finally fell to the floor with a clang. That last final clang gave Yoru the indication that it was over and they were likely dead. He peered round the doorway to see that the threat had being extinguished. Yoru paused for a moment and looked around “You’ve made quite a mess Takeo, I was going to say… I could of just burn through the flooring with acid… SILENTLY.” He rolled his eyes and chuckled, shaking his head. Though his comical disposition soon slipped away, as the sound of bells ringing could be heard from the top of the tower of which they stood. He groaned “Well, it seems sneaking has gone out of the window.” He grinned, slightly excitedly.

The young Bannin charged up the stairs, a door infront of them which he assumed led directly outside and a ladder with a trap door on top which had being flung open. The sound of the bell even louder, Yoru flung himself up the ladder and the trap down landing on the ground with a soft thud. A young slaver was ringing the bell as hard as he could, dragging on a piece of rope that connected it to the bell. The sound could be heard through the entire ranch. Yoru charged forward, he flung his shoulder into his back knocking the slaver directly off the tower he landed on the ground with a cracking thud. He certainly wouldn’t be getting back up. Yoru placed his hand on the bell, which stopped it in its tracks and the sound traveling. It didn’t matter now, it was far too late everyone was aware of them.

An arrow soared towards Yoru, his eyes locked on to it as his hand quickly swung up grasping it firmly. He followed it’s trajectory and saw it came from behind an old well in the middle of the farm. He weaved a short set of seals, channelled chakra into the arrow and flung it towards the well. He waited for the explosion, then continued to wait. For nothing, it didn’t go off like he’d expected. Another arrow came towards him, yet again Yoru caught it. This time he simply flung it upwards in the air, it soared back down and a yelp could be heard as the archer was killed. A young woman came hurtling out from the well, wielding a large scroll and what seemed like pots of ink. She moved to fast and had already gone down an alleyway “Takeo, keep track of her.” He yelled out, he sighed with annoyance “Fuuinjutsu, I can’t manipulate chakra that arrow I threw should of exploded.”

UsedShow

Master Ricochet Shot
B-Rank Taijutsu
Prerequisite: Ricochet Shot
By using the same spiralling momentum from rotation shot, this allows the user to cause the tools they throw to ricochet off hard surfaces, such as concrete and stone. This will allow the tool to bounce or skip off a surface to the desired position, this only has three bounces and has a maximum change of 65 degrees per bounce. This cannot be done on soft surfaces such as grass or dirt but unlike its counterpart this can be bounced off firm surfaces such as trees. Allowing the user to throw multiple weaponry, a total of 6. It also has the capability of ricocheting off other projectile tools and changing the direction of those hit & due to the tool losing its momentum its strength will be reduced but unlike its counterpart will only be by 1/4, per bounce.

*Bursting Shot
C-Rank Nintaijutsu
The user performs the necessary handseals, channeling chakra into a projectile weapon as they draw it. The weapon flies normally, though it will appear to glow faintly with visible chakra. Upon impact, any damage the ranged attack would normally inflict is augmented with the force of 1.5 exploding tags.

[Izanagi]

As the last of the Kunai clattered to a halt Takeo relaxed somewhat, bodies littered the stairs, creating a slick river of blood. His highly acute nose puckered at the familiar scent of blood and intestines. No matter how used to the scents he became it was still rather unsettling at times. Yoru easily released the tension with his comment. The experienced Jounin chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, “What can I say, old habits die hard. At least we caught them by surprise, probably took out just as many as we would have with stealth anyway.” When it came to infiltrating buildings Takeo had a penchant for the shock and awe approach, reserving stealth for the more open fields where sentries and patrols roamed. Still he should have given Yoru more heads up to the change in plans. Regardless they didn’t have time to waste thinking about what could have been done differently. Alarms were sounding, pulling both men back into action.

From here on out the slavers would be on full alert forcing the men to take a more defensive position within the tower. They now had the advantage of altitude, clear lines of vision and a narrow staircase to single out attackers. Takeo stabbed a handful of explosive laden kunai into the door leading outside before following Yoru up the stairs. An additional tag was placed on the nearest body, preparing a nasty surprise for whomever was the first to infiltrate the tower. He arrived just in time to see a slaver falling over the edge of the guardrail. The Jounin carefully peered over the edge, “Ouch” he muttered, smirking as he looked down at the prone body. To an outsider his cold humor in the face of death would appear concerning though Takeo simply felt no sympathy for slavers. He had long ago learned to share a sense of humor and optimism with his closest comrades during the brief interludes a mission often presented itself with.

No matter how many times he witnessed Yoru’s skill in action Takeo was still impressed by his ability to handle all manner of projectiles. Scanning the area around him the Jounin searched out the enemy positions, though with dark quickly setting in there were sure to be a few hidden from view. His hands moved to seals, luckily he had developed a perfect technique to remedy such a situation. Chakra flowed into his hand, being fired off from his fingers in a plume of brightly glowing flame. It hung above the tower illuminating the ground below them, but only for a moment. Fuuin seals spread out from the base of the tower, pre-drawn and now flooded with chakra. It seemed the woman had planned ahead for such a contingency. Likely there were other seals in place all throughout the farm, all she had to do was activate them. Takeo’s flame dwindled away, confirming that their chakra was rendered useless while within the fuuin’s domain.

“Damn, spotted at least 8 slavers, probably more in cover or on their way.” He reported, quick movements could still be seen within the growing darkness though it was becoming more difficult to discern from the height of the tower. The Jounin ducked back into the staircase returning with a bow and a quiver full of arrows. The weapon felt comfortable in his hands, he hadn’t used one since hunting trips with his dad as a boy though his skill with the weapon was enough to come back naturally. “Guess we’re going to have to do this the old fashioned way” he chuckled, as he looked around the tower for something to provide light with. Sure enough the watchtower came equipped with a large oil based lantern of sorts that would illuminate the grounds around the farm when lit.

A smirk played across his face when he discovered the barrel of oil the slavers had ready for the coming night. There was plenty there, enough to burn for the duration of the night. “We’ll deal with that woman soon enough, first let’s take care of these attackers." Effortlessly the man lifted the 30kg barrel, pouring a portion into lantern construct before igniting it via the flint he carried in his survival kit. There was a glass door on the lantern fixture, allowing him to open it to access the flames directly. The man kept the door open as he quickly tore some shreds of clothing from the bandits, wrapping it around the tip of his arrows. All the while arrows were whizzing by his own head though he trusted Yoru to handle the defense while he made preparations. There too were slavers fast approaching the door, swords in hand. With his modified arrows stowed back in his quiver Takeo grabbed the barrel once more, splashing its contents down across the bottom section of the stairs and coating the door. Surely Yoru would catch onto his plans by this point. “Might get a little warm in here, unless you’ve got any other ideas.” He warned. He knew Yoru wasn’t fond of fire and admittedly the prospect of setting fire to their own tower did sound risky. Though the tower was largely composed of stone and it would take quite a while for the flames to reach them, granting them a near impervious defense while they picked off targets from above. When required they could easily survive the jump off the tower, even without ninjutsu.

Jutsu UsedShow

Fire Element • Signal Flare
D-Rank Ninjutsu
After forming a brief set of hand seals Takeo will focus chakra to his hand and raise his arm in the air, firing off a 1ft long plume of fire that travels at a speed of 4. If aimed at the sky it will hover for a maximum of 4 posts, the maximum distance this flame can travel is 30 feet, though due to its concentration being on maintaining itself and producing its bright light it is unable to cause burns or set anything on fire. The light produced is noticeable from a great distance though not enough to blind anyone unless perhaps they were to stare directly at it on a dark night. In such a case it is capable of illuminating a 30ft diameter in a soft red light.

[Lacarix]

Yoru looked at Takeo return with a bow and arrow, he didn’t seem that confident with it. Yoru moved over to his sensei and knocked his shoulder up “I hope you don’t totally suck with that thing, I can’t take all these on myself you know. I doubt I have enough kunai!” he exclaimed, he watched Takeo take off again through the trap door. There certainly wasn’t a need for both of them to head down. Yoru leaned against the side of the stone tower looking over, withdrawing a Kunai he was ready to attack.

After a few moments the sound of Takeo yelling up made Yoru look down the trap door, he saw the oil everywhere “Go for it, we can easily jump down if it gets too bad.” Yoru had gotten over his fear of fire, well that wasn’t entirely true. It put him on edge but nothing else, he’d learnt to control his fear and could simply ignore it. Assuming Takeo continued with the plan, the crackling sound from the fire erupted up through the trapdoor and the flames would start to sprout. Yoru would hold his hand up, knowing Takeo would soon be back up the ladder, hoisting him up.

Just as Takeo suggested eight slavers came running towards them, though two were wielding Katanas and full samurai armour. Yoru sighed loudly “I don’t think these are your normal slavers, looks like we have some trained samurai.” Yoru flung a kunai directly at one at a soaring rate, however the samurai stuck the kunai with his sword like a baseball bat and the kunai came soaring back towards Yoru. Yoru tilte his head back letting it soar past him.

“Well he’s strong, that’s for sure.” Yoru grinned with delight, the rush and adrenaline filled him with excitement for a good fight. One of the Samurai started sprinting forward as fast as he possibly could he was almost a blur, pushing his way through the door. He quickly leaped back as the flames erupted out “GET WATER!” the samurai yelled loudly, they were after all infront of a well so it shouldn’t be too hard for them. He then leaped up and stabbed his blade between gaps of the stones in the outpost and started to drag himself up. Yoru withdrew a shuriken and jumped upwards through the air to the left as he threw the shuriken at the Samurai’s ankle, it ripped through the soft material that his footwear was made from and ripped through the achilles tendon. The samurai screamed in agony as he fell from the side onto the floor. He tried to drag himself up but couldn’t manage it, Yoru withdrew a senbon and threw it towards samurai laying on the ground. It made it buried deep into the Samurai’s eye and the back of his skull as he died instantly.

“One down, seven more to go.” A couple of the slavers headed towards the well “Sensei! Set the well alight!” he yelled as Yoru withdrew yet another Kunai flinging it towards the slaver, piercing him in the back of the head as he fell on the floor in a clump. Yoru certainly would need to pick up his weaponry after this was over, specially if they couldn’t use ninjutsu.

UsedShow

*Crippling Shot
B-Rank Taijutsu
Prerequisite: Sighting, Wit 6
Utilizing knowledge of anatomy and the ability to execute exacting precision, the user makes a ranged attack that leaves a target hampered. Crippling Shot is treated as a normal ranged attack, but it strikes an area of the body such as a hamstring or tendon. For five posts following the attack, the target is -1 Speed and -1 Strength. During these five posts, the target takes minor damage (the equivalent of a Strength 3 slashing attack) if they move at more than 1/2 their Speed.

[Izanagi]

Takeo chuckled as his student teased him. “Well I can’t do anything crazy like rebounds and trick shots but even as a kid I could drop a deer at 50 yards, from this vantage point anything in a straight shot should be easy enough.” While as a child at the age of 11 his accomplishment had been something to be proud of given their current skill level it seemed akin to boasting about being able to perform a basic clone jutsu. In the area of projectiles the experienced Jounin knew he would never be anything more than average by the standards of a shinobi. Regardless with his sheer power an arrow shot by him was still very much lethal.

With his preparations set and Yoru giving the all clear all the man had to do was wait for the right opportunity. He notched an arrow and waited. With the first samurai smashing a crack in the wooden door the arrow was drawn and loosed in quick succession, thudding into the explosive tag attached to the door. The chakra within destabilized and detonated, blowing back explosive force and shattering the door in a burst of wooden shrapnel. The friction was enough to ignite the oil and soon the other tags were set off blowing flames back out through the opening and knocking back the attackers. Several would suffer from burns on their faces and hands as well as the occasional shard of wood lodged in one of the weak points in their armor. Flames began to spread up the stairs, desperately clinging to the walls in an attempt to progress across the stone and wooden support beams.

Bow in hand Takeo quickly approached the trapdoor reaching out with his free hand to be hoisted up before the door was promptly shut behind him. From there he could assess the attackers along with Yoru. He fired his own arrow towards the second samurai whom in a flash drew his blade and swatted the arrow out of the air as he moved out of its path. It seemed projectiles would be of little use against the samurai; each were too strong and fast to be taken down so easily, though if they layered their assault it was possible to overwhelm them. The Jounin switched targets to one of the slavers running for water. With his back to him he made an easy target. The Jounin drew back the arrow, tracking the speed of the man’s movement as he followed his path, exhaling slowly the hunter relaxed his muscles and sighted in his target. The arrow whistled through the air, rotating in a rapid velocity and after a hundred feet it met with its running target. The slaver was struck in the spine at the base of the neck, collapsing suddenly into the dirt as his life was instantly ended. Takeo made a face; a mock smugness as he looked to Yoru. Perhaps he should take up archery again after all, at least in his spare time. It was clear he had more talent with a bow than he did with kunai as projectiles.

Having taken out the fastest of the trio making for the well Takeo had a few moments to make preparations. “On it!” he acknowledged in response to Yoru’s idea. Quickly the man coated each of his wrapped arrows in oil before sealing the barrel and hoisting it up with two hands. The Jounin took a few steps back from the edge and sighted in the well, a distance of about 120ft. In a few running strides the man launched the heavy barrel of oil into the air. It tumbled ungracefully though remained on target, smashing down at the base of the well and spilling its contents in a 10ft radius around it. The slavers ducked down, startled by the sudden impact. One of them decided to ignore the oil and proceed onward though the other was more wary and held back for a moment. A fortunate decision for him as Takeo had already drawn back a clothed arrow, setting it aflame from the lantern as he aimed the shot high. In an arching motion the arrow gracefully soared towards the well, dropping down a mere foot from where the barrel had landed.

Instantly the flames ignited, surrounding the slaver whom had rushed in and setting him ablaze as he screamed in panic before throwing himself into the well in a desperate effort to douse himself. The bucket was ripped from its rope as it tumbled down with him, banging could be heard as he smashed his head against the stone walls before plunging into the water. The third slaver stood in stunned horror as he heard the gurgling of the burned man’s drowning. He didn’t have to stare in anguish for long however as Yoru’s kunai promptly found its mark, burying into his skull and dropping him instantly. “Looks like that’s two each” he commented, “I really am getting pretty good with this” he noted proudly. He was still nowhere near as skilled as Yoru in terms of skill or accuracy. The red haired shinobi had an uncanny ability with throwing weapons, even going as far as being able to throw arrows with the same accuracy as his knives, senbon, and shuriken. Nonetheless where he lacked with throwing weapons Takeo seemed to make up for with his natural skill in archery; after all a bow was a hunters weapon and had been his father’s trademark skill.