[Graded]Shadows of the Empire

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[Graded]Shadows of the Empire

Post by Taiga » Tue Apr 26, 2022 3:57 am

The mountain winds were sharp, cutting into Mariya with a level of cold she had been completely unfamiliar to. Her fingers cramped slightly as she checked all of her equipment, her heavy poncho opening up as she checked about her belts and bandoliers. Her scrolls were placed where she would expect them to be. Her winter flak jacket was straightened. Raising her hands to her googles to adjust them, the once special operative of Kumogakure's infamous Black Ops looked back to her compatriot in the cave. The Raikage had personally sent them here to investigate rumors of some dangerous, rogue Kumogakure shinobi who had terrorised a mountain town. So far all they'd seen was a grey, barren, cold landscape. Mariya stepped out the mouth of the cave, her sharingan activating as she peered out into the blinding snow, looking for anything, any kind of trace of ninjutsu.

I can't see anything past a few tens of meters... her eyes deactivated as she let out a sigh and retreated once more into the cave, joining a few other shinobi at a warm fire.

"I didn't pick anything up, least I can't see anything, Furumi, any luck?" she asked as a smaller, petite woman leaned against the cave wall and let out an even louder sigh. "Afraid not, I don't feel any chakra out, least not in the 2km radius I can feel for." she said leaning back, a bead of sweat rolling down her face. To expand one senses so far out was no trivial task, least not for most chuunin. A young man sat sharpening a stick on the cave wall. He had been quiet during this exchange, but spoke up, waving the stick. It was a little carelessly close to a fourth member of the squad- Kyoukan Chiaki's face.

"Well, I see we go out there and get whatever scumbags might be out there to come to us, give em a real good fight." he said as his eyes shot up to Mariya. He was clearly annoyed with the other girl practically having taken the lead, and also with the groups reliance on their sensory and staying back in the shadows rather than looking for head-on confrontation.

His lip snarled a little, revealing rather sharp teeth. His ears, dog ears, perked up. He was a member of the Ote clan. "I'm sensing quite a bit of frustration in you all." he said, letting out a laugh.

Mariya was cold- robotic really.

"Lord Raikage sent us, a sensory and support squad, for a reason, Naoki. To use our senses." she said crossing her arms before sitting down. "Chiaki, what do you think we should do?" she said turning to the oldest Chuunin among them.

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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Kanade » Tue Apr 26, 2022 6:26 pm

Having grown up in the mountains, Kyoukan Chiaki wasn’t as fazed by the cold as her companions seemed to be. Her eyes were rimmed with the frozen condensation from her breathing, making her eyelashes seem a stark white rather than the dark red that they usually were. Her orange eyes caught the movement of the stick in front of her face as she frowned at the stick waved in her face. She sat further from the fire than the others, as she didn’t want to become too accustomed to the warmth should they have to move out suddenly.

“The reason that we were sent here was to investigate, I agree with that -cha.” Chiaki motioned to the one waving the stick, “And not to make ourselves into nuisances. If we let them get away or regroup we could easily be overwhelmed. We don’t know what kind of support or backing the rogue shinobi have, so erring on the side of caution would be best. -cha.” She wrapped her blanket around her tighter.

She had a woolen blanket that she had stored in her backpack just in case they had to spend the night and wait out the shinobi. It would be folly to attack during the day, and she had expected that this would become a night mission. The fire would be risky too, as it would pin them inside of the cave when it grew dark.

“I am practicing to become a sensory kunoichi, but I believe the sensor that there is no one around within 2 kilometers. We are in an advantageous position to move when they make themselves known, and moving now would just increase the chances that they would see us, not that the fire is helping matters.” She scowled at the flames. While they had taken care ot use the wood that would smoke the least, in the clear mountain air smoke could be easily detected even by non-shinobi people. “It is best to avoid violence in the first place, so as to avoid having to use my expertise, wouldn’t you agree? -cha? We don’t have a leader, but what er-” Chiaki fumbled for the other Chuunin’s name for a bit, “Mariya-chan? Seems to have a level head on her shoulders.”

It was true that she was frustrated, but for a different reason. She wanted to make sure that all of her teammates got back to Kumogakure with the information the Kage wanted intact and undamaged. She had seen the ravages of war before, and had treated the wounds of those who had been torn apart from jutsu, only to live on as battle-scarred civilians of Kumogakure. These were patients of groups that didn’t have medical Ninja at their disposal, and Chiaki didn’t want to see the insides of her companions any more than her companions did.

She was frustrated that they were holed up in a cave, without any sense of a defensible location, trying to set an ambush for would-be ambushers. The frustration came from the calm before the inevitable storm.

Chiaki, under the blanket, was wearing the standard kumogakure chuunin uniform that was standard issue, her medical bag was hoisted onto her back and strapped to her waist and across her chest over her bosom so as to distribute the weight more equally. The blanket could be stored if they moved out at a leisurely pace, but she had a feeling that she would have to abandon it and pick it back up later should there be an altercation in the cave proper. Her medical supplies would be useless in a fight, so she was ready to use her jutsu, learned from the temple and the hospital, in the event of immediate need for medical attention.
~~My characters~~
Iwagakure Jounin: Kanade Enkouten
Thread Tracker for Kanade (previously Chiaki): viewtopic.php?f=105&t=8345273&p=4197389#p4197389
Kirigakure Genin: Achiyo
Heart Samurai: Kyudo-ite, Kasuri
Sunagakure Genin: Kouseki, Kagayaki
Sunagakure Jounin: Naegi, Aihachi

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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Taiga » Tue Apr 26, 2022 10:23 pm

Mariya shivered slightly, crouching down low and hovering her hands over the fire. The night was only going to become colder and sitting here just made the feeling of being cold mentally that much worse, it would be best to keep her mind busy. She didn't process emotions like the others so conversation was not always easy, especially if it wasn't just about the mission. As she listened to the others converse, she attempted to chime in. Her father, Hayate, had told her she needed to try and be more human. Befriend others. Make bonds.

Looking to the Kyoukan girl that was with them, Mariya nodded. She had shown a rare sense of leadership and pragmatism that surprised Mariya- a way of thinking more in line with Jounin than it was Chuunin. "I agree with Chiaki. We need to not open ourselves to attack. We know nothing about the enemy. We need to have the drop on them if we want not just tactical superiority, but to be alive by the end of this." Mariya paused. If she had anything to trace she would be able to find out more about the enemy, but so far there had been no leads. Mariya's mind lingered on what Chiaki had said.

By now the sun was rapidly setting and Mariya paced back to the mouth of the cave. Furumi gaffed. "If you keep standing at the front of the cave you're gonna get us seen, or worse, sensed." Furumi said, huffing. Mariya looked back at her. "I cannot be sensed- least, not in anyway that would let me look different from any other human." Mariya said, coldly. "I believe that, in addition to my sensory abilities, is why I am here." Mariya said. Her memories flashed back to her training with the BlackOps.

Her hand was bloody, the kunai she held plunged deep into the target as she slipped back into the walls and side streets of the bustling market. Banri had assured her she would never be found- and she was not. Shaking her head to break her memories, she looked out, just in time to smell something strange wafting on the powerful winds.

The Ote boy had been waving his stick towards Chiaki again- clearly picking up on how it frustrated her and acting like a five-year-old in preschool. It was clearly his way of fighting his boredom. Before she could figure out the smell, the ears of the Ote boy perked up as his nose began to sniff. "I can smell smoke" he said, exclaiming that fact and dropping the stick as he moved to the edge of the cave, almost like an animal controlled only by his impulses.

The group would become silent.

"Kill the fire- it's not our fire is it?" Mariya said quickly as the fire was put out by Furumi, spouting water from her mouth. If anything, they should put it out as Chiaki had pointed out anyways. The Ote continued to sniff.

"Naw- this smell is different. More than just burning firewood. There's other smells in it." he said... Mariya froze.

I can't see anyone... Furumi isn't sensing anyone... what would the fire be- where would it be from? Should we go in...

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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Kanade » Wed Apr 27, 2022 7:36 pm

4 ryo for staff,
Per Kabu Ryo total for this equipment is 2 Ryo for a medical bag.
60 ryo for stats

Chiaki nodded to the agreement and gave the ghost of a smile to Mariya before she had that gods-forsaken stick waggled in her face again. She was going to ram that stick somewhere unpleasant if he kept egging her on like that, so help her.

Tensions were building it seemed as the sensory Kunoichi, Furumi? She was rather bad at names called out to the leader impromptu that she was going to get sensed. It was true that she might be sensed, but it would be more detrimental if Chiaki were to be sensed or this Ote brat that kept waving his stick around. She had little to no control over how much chakra was pouring out of her pores at any given moment, and she knew that she would be detected in a heartbeat if there were any decent sensory ninja around. That just came with the territory of scoring last in your squad for the academy and barely squeaking a passing grade for a chuunin.

For all of her tactical knowledge, she was rather useless in a fight, and would have to rely on the strength of the others, which she hoped she could do rather readily, and be ready to aid them in the instance of an amb-

As soon as she thought of an ambush the Ote boy finally gave her respite from the stick by standing up stock still and sniffing the air. He said there was smoke? She dared not even breathed but the fire cracked and sputtered in the cave. Damnit, the fire was a bad idea.

Chiaki’s eyes readjusted to the dark as the fire was extinguished by a fountain erupting from Furumi’s mouth. The Ote boy said that it had other smells in it.

“What kind of other smells-cha?” Chiaki asked, standing up and tossing her blanket on the ground, cinching up her backpack and taking out her staff, comically big for her since it was an heirloom of the Kyoukan clan, there were two rings on it, signifying the people she had saved. “Is it meat, or some sort of food? If so we’re in a bit of luck, as people when they’re eating or when they’re done eating are more relaxed than most other times as long as their conscious-cha.”

Chiaki frowned and her forelocks fell into her face, obscuring her scar from the rest of the shinobi in the cave, “If you can locate them, and they’re eating this would be the best time to at least surveil them-cha.” She murmured, audible only because the fire was out and the wind had died down a bit. It was still snowing heavily, but at least they wouldn’t have to contend with the wind whipping around them for a bit.

Chiaki clipped the errant lock of hair back with a black hair-clip and gave a brave grin, or at least she hoped it was brave. She had only been on one mission which involved fighting before, and she rather hoped that this mission would just be recon. She was… to be fair to herself, she was frightened.
~~My characters~~
Iwagakure Jounin: Kanade Enkouten
Thread Tracker for Kanade (previously Chiaki): viewtopic.php?f=105&t=8345273&p=4197389#p4197389
Kirigakure Genin: Achiyo
Heart Samurai: Kyudo-ite, Kasuri
Sunagakure Genin: Kouseki, Kagayaki
Sunagakure Jounin: Naegi, Aihachi

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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Taiga » Fri Apr 29, 2022 4:43 am

All of his bravado and confidence faded as the Ote crouched down onto all fours at the foot of the cave. As Chiaki spoke questioning if it was food or not, he had no comment. And abnormally still, silent demeanor turned slowly to something else and it wouldn't take a doujutsu or sensor to figure it out... he was shocked, almost stricken with terror. The Ote's nose wiggled a little more before he stood back up and looked back to the squad. There was a knot in his throat.

"It's smells like flesh." he said with a grim tone as he looked back to his team, staring right at Mariya. Furumi looked back in absolute horror, stammering "Are you sure?" only to rush to the mouth of the cave. Mariya wasn't shocked, but surprised. It wasn't that she was a monster but she had been literally bred to be a killer. A cold-hearted weapon for the village. Nothing in her programming would have allowed her to react as the others did. She paused, then walked over to the Ote and put her hand on his shoulder.


"There's nothing we can do- we have our orders and we cannot alter the terms of our mission, or it's parameters." Mariya said, hoping to breathe cool-head decision making back into her team. Greater than the shock of his discovery, the Ote slapped Mariya's hand off his shoulder and looked back with what was now rage. "Fuck the mission parameters- it's our duty to protect our people." he said as he stepped in closer to Mariya, till his face was near hers, his bravado seemingly returned.

"Traps, strategy, getting the drop on them none of it matters- can you live with yourself if innocent die while we wait like cowards for the opportune moment?" he said, almost barking in Mariya's face.

She didn't know how to respond and stood there, quietly. Furumi placed her hand on the Ote's shoulder but offered no words or support. Truthfully, she didn't know what to do.

"They're outside of my range, but there is a village on the map south of here, which matches the direction the wind would be carrying.." she paused.

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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Kanade » Sun May 01, 2022 9:27 am

Chiaki stood still as he said the words, they rank in her head. “Flesh.” she murmured, and moved to the front of the cave as the two came face to face in the altercation. She stopped, as she was physically unable to make the two separate and watched with a cool expression.

Furumi stepped around her to step into the altercation and offered a hand. The Ote was actually right that she couldn’t let innocents die when she knew that she could save them as long as she had support. Damn the mission if it meant that citizens were dying.

“The strategy can change Nakajima-chan, even if the mission does not. We can go to interrupt their hunt. They’re slaking another sort of hunger and if they’re slaughtering people, I hate to admit it, but they’ll be less wary than they would be if they were lying in ambush for the people they’re slaughtering-cha.” Chiaki didn’t look at Furumi, nor Mariya, nor the Ote brat. She stared out into the growing dark and sighed. She was not a sensory ninja, and she wasn’t sure what kind of carnage they would find, but she would at least head out to see whether or not she could surveil the area, and perhaps stop the atrocity if they were attacked.

“I’m heading out and being cautious. You all can come or not-cha. This doesn’t change the mission, I’m just moving up the timeline.” Chiaki readjusted the straps of her pack and started to head toward the village to the south, looking first at the top of the cave, and then at her surroundings, just making sure that the 2 kilometer range of the sensory ninja didn’t lie. It would be far too long a range for any conventional jutsu, and if they were in range of a jutsu like that, they were already dead, but she would be cautious all the same, as she said.

After all, she would be no good to anyone dead..
~~My characters~~
Iwagakure Jounin: Kanade Enkouten
Thread Tracker for Kanade (previously Chiaki): viewtopic.php?f=105&t=8345273&p=4197389#p4197389
Kirigakure Genin: Achiyo
Heart Samurai: Kyudo-ite, Kasuri
Sunagakure Genin: Kouseki, Kagayaki
Sunagakure Jounin: Naegi, Aihachi

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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Taiga » Sun May 01, 2022 11:05 am

Mariya didn't understand her feelings and now certainly was not the time to try and digest what any of them meant. Waves of something hot flooded over her as her mind raced into every possible thing that could go wrong with the worst of it all being failing a mission. She could only think of Banri's disappointment. Unbeknownst to her, she was feeling frustration and fear. Her hand moved to her own shoulder as something else washed over her- a wave of cool relief as the touch on her shoulder mirrored that of the emperor... her father on their first fateful meeting. Her mind left the squabbles of the team and made its way into the past.

"From now on- you aren't alone Mariya. You're family. The whole village is your family, and family watches each other's backs." The memory instantly went further back to the infamous Bannin, Banri Tada. He shook his head in disapproval at the tank where Mariya was growing. She could read his lips. Failure. Mariya's hands rose to her head, grabbing it as if she had a migraine until she finally opened her eyes and peered out. Banri wasn't here. In fact, he wasn't even alive anymore. He died for his crimes and he couldn't be ashamed of her if he wasn't alive- but the Raikage, her other father very well could be.

Mariya's eyes wandered the room. Chiaki had already left and the Ote began to went after her. She cleared her throat, trying once more to gain control of the situation.

"If you go you don't just fail the mission- you'll die. Don't be fools." she said coldly, stepping forward. Furumi shook her head only for both her and the Ote to follow Chiaki, ignoring Mariya who stood at the mouth of the cave, frozen.

What was the right thing to do?

---

When the pair caught up to Chiaki, they'd instantly get to work. If anyone was going to be the leader of their team Chiaki had proven she was the right one. "Chiaki, follow me, I'll guide us." the Ote said as he dropped down low, his arms behind his back as he ran quickly through the snow and mountain paths. The group would be descending down towards the woods. Furumi would have one eye closed as she followed the two. "I don't sense anything yet..." she said, letting the group know she was keeping an eye out.

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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Kanade » Sun May 01, 2022 12:40 pm

Chiaki wasn’t surprised the Ote came, but her face couldn’t help but bring to light her blatant surprise as Furumi came behind her. “Thank you two, but where’s Mariya-chan? Are you both sure that she will be alright if we leave her at the cave-cha?” She didn’t want to split the group, but moving up the timeline would be the best thing for the village and the villagers. The people of Kumogakure were dying and even if they completed their mission, they would have to report truthfully that they had just sat there while they knew that the people were being hunted down by these rogue ninja.

Thank you, keep your surveillance up as long as you can. If you can lead us straight to the village at a comfortable pace for all of us that would be the most advantageous, as we don’t want to arrive winded and already spent when we’re expected to fight when we get there. Remember that this is a recon-mission, if we can capture them all that would be best, but if we can capture one or two that would still work-cha.” Chiaki didn’t feel comfortable with orders, but would give her opinions on what would be most advantageous. She had read, in her past, about strategies that went wrong and had seen the aftermath in the hospital of ambushes that were set for would-be amushers. She didn’t want to head headlong into a trap when she could have a 2 kilometer warning as to where the people were, if they were in hiding, and if they were surrounding the village.

“I just hope that Mariya-chan comes and is able to catch up with us, so let’s make sure that she can with our speed.” Chiaki amended. She was fond of the cool-headed girl, and she seemed to know the most about the battle that was going to come. She also seemed to have the most battle experience of all of them. She seemed to be able to handle herself and when she had heard about the flesh her demeanour seemed more like a Jounin or Special Jounin than a Chuunin that she was. She had seen some Jounin around the hospital that were Medical Ninja and had the same sort of composure as those ninja.

Chiaki made her way toward the village, more than 2km out was a stretch to make it in time before the carnage had already happened. In this weather, having a sensory ninja would be advantageous because they might get the drop on the people as they came out of the village. Or they might be able to detect innocents that had fled in fear from the village itself.

She would trust to the sensory ninja, and trust that Miraya would make the right decision. Perhaps she would be able to get help for them if she didn’t trust their combat abilities, or perhaps she would lend her killing skills to the other Chuunin as they made their way cautiously into the enemy territory.
~~My characters~~
Iwagakure Jounin: Kanade Enkouten
Thread Tracker for Kanade (previously Chiaki): viewtopic.php?f=105&t=8345273&p=4197389#p4197389
Kirigakure Genin: Achiyo
Heart Samurai: Kyudo-ite, Kasuri
Sunagakure Genin: Kouseki, Kagayaki
Sunagakure Jounin: Naegi, Aihachi

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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Taiga » Sun May 01, 2022 8:18 pm

Mariya sat, frozen in decision paralysis as she shifted through her own hardly understood emotions. What did it mean to be a shinobi if not to follow orders and prioritize the mission? She was certain in her Black OPS training that this was the way and yet when her comrades left her doubt had worked its way into her psyche. All three of them had sped off to go be damn heroes. Was this the “spark of lightning” her father had always spoke about? The moment where the decision made you a hero or not? But what was a hero if they sacrificed the mission? And worse, if they all died and failed to achieve their objectives they would be nothing more than a bunch of over zealous brats who not only failed to save anyone but got in the wag and got themselves killed. She looked to the wind outside and the snow.

This was not what her father would have wanted of her she was sure, but the question was which father? Banri was a criminal, sure, but he also was a figure that protected the village from the shadows. He was the reason they became an empire. Her mind lingered on that last thought- from the shadows. While she disagreed with the other three the only clear way to protect them and stay within their mission parameters would be to tail then and their opponents from the shadows. After all, she was unable to be sensed.

Mariya collected the last of her things then headed out the cave. She’d follow the groups foot prints in the snow. They probably would do best to cover them up, then again they were chasing the enemy not the other way around.


The Ote snarled defiantly back at Chiaki ”Who cares. For the daughter of the Raikage she sure is a scumbag- anyone who’d abandon their fellow citizens of the Empire isn’t anyone worth caring about.” he said. Though his passion could be understood, he was making a complex issue a little black and white. Furumi noted as much, ”It’s not that simple, but let’s focus on minimizing the deaths for now.” she said, still one eye closed as the group progressed forward.

They greatly agreed with everything Chiaki said, Furumi giggling slightly. ”you are a natural leader, yanno?”



The group would eventually be growing nearer to the village, but sense no enemy. The closer they approached the more they would realize that they were too late. Perhaps- there was smoke coming from the chimney of the main hall in the village, and two other buildings. For a horrific scene of slaughtered villages, why were there still fireplaces running.

The Ote paused in his tracks as his nose wiggled.

”Somethings off, the smoke here is too thick for me to smell right.” he said looking to Furumi, who closed her other eye and dropped into a meditative stance. It would take more focus to get higher granularity on her senses.

”The town hall has a lot of life signs- but theres two particularly powerful chakra signatures among them- but its hard to sense- they could be weak… I am really getting nothing beyond they are different.” she babbled off, very unsure.

Before they could continue they would hear a blast and the shrieking of women and children, maybe even some old men.

The Ote’s eyes filled with rage.

”They’ve got hostages- shit.” he said looking to the burnt corpses near him- hoes and farm tools in their hands. They never stood a chance against the shinobi. The Ote took off, at full speed towards the building as his emotions took control, just in time for the front doors to swing open revealing a mammoth of a man. His right eye was closed, scarred over, and a Kumogakure headband with a scratch though it was worn defiantly around his bicep.

He looked at the Ote for only a moment before a torrent of flames was released in his direction. The Ote grit his teeth and his lept back as fast as he could rolling through the snow as his burning vestments were extinguished. Though safe for the moment, seconds later the doors behind the man would slam as he leaped forward for the Ote, bouldering the ground where the Ote once was, who barely managed to roll away.

”well ya looke wut’we hab here ya? A bunch or right kiddos sent for is.” he laughed as he looked up at the other two, then lunged forward and grabbed the Ote by his ankle before flinging him back towards his comrade.

Dazed he’d land at Chiaki’s feet. Furumi would cancel her sensory, least in one eye, then stand.

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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Kanade » Mon May 02, 2022 10:20 am

The Ote brat was getting on Chiaki’s last nerve. The disregard for one person’s life and safety because others were in danger was just juvenile, bordering on stupid. She was about to open her mouth when Furumi stepped into the conversation and stated what she was thinking, more or less, but in a less heated way. The Ote’s sense of self-righteousness was going to get him hit some day if not killed.

The sensory kunoichi moved forward with one hand over her eye as Chiaki brought up the rear and she heard giggling as the girl moved beside her, almost in a camaraderie sort of way and stated that she was a natural leader?

She had never thought of herself like that before and it stopped her for a bit. “I never really considered it, since I am very low in the ranks of the Kyoukan in my temple. Thank you for the compliment.” She spent the remainder of the trip wondering whether or not she would be a good replacement for the head of the temple, and whether or not she actually wanted to be a good replacement for the head of the temple.

---

They approached the village and there was carnage.

A mother holding her child, both blue in the thick snow, already starting to cover them both. The wound had gone through the mother’s back and into the child. The mother had died in the act of sobbing and holding her child.

The next corpse was of a man who had the back of his skull crushed. Chiaki’s medical training kicked in. “Bludgeoning caused by a blunt instrument that crushed the occipital bone, Nuchal line, Mastoid process, and exposed the atlas and axis bones in the neck. At least it was a painless death. The protruding brain stem suggests paralysis and instantaneous shutdown of the autonomic response system.” She muttered to herself as the Ote said that the smoke is too thick for him to smell right.

A quick survey of the area. If there were survivors, they were already holed up and quiet. Or had fled and the assailants were still there. The smoke from most of the houses were black with soot and the windows dark. Something was amiss.

The girl, Furumi sat down and meditated as Chiaki noted the burned corpses of a couple of the villagers still too hot to have the snow properly blanket them. Her nose wrinkled in disgust at the treatment of human life, the wanton way that the shinobi appeared to have used them for sport.

“Different is all that we need to know for now-cha.” Chiaki nodded, “Thank you Furumi-chan. We better be rea-” She started as the Ote sped off with an expletive toward the sound of a blast of chakra and the roar of chakra-fed flames.

There was a mountain of a man that met the Ote chuunin in the doorway and after a quick exchange, the Ote was rather light on his feet. Or lighter on his feet than Chiaki would have been.

The Ote landed at Chiaki’s feet. He didn’t look too much the worse for wear, but it was time to start the real fight.

She knelt and put a hand to the Ote after weaving a series of hand seals and tethered him to her, as well as the girl Furumi. Then she wove another set of seals and said “Whisper to each other so that we can strategize without them hearing. You should be able to hear each other just fine and it will give us the advantage. It’s hard to believe that he’s working alone-cha. There has to be someone else here that we haven’t seen yet. You said two chakra signatures, yes Furumi?” She asked for clarification, hoping to test the whispering link between them.

Then she took three bounds back and readied her staff, hoping against hope that she would be able to stave off her attackers should they attack her.
jutsu usedShow

~Tenketsu Tethering: Communication
C-Rank Ninjutsu/Iijutsu
After a set of hand seals, the Kyoukan family member will activate the ability to pass communication along their link in the form of audio. This allows them to talk to and listen to their linked companions for up to 5 posts.

1. ~Tenketsu Tethering: Link Up I
D-Rank Ninjutsu/Iijutsu
After a set of hand seals, the Kyoukan clan member will make physical contact with their target by touching them. When they lift their hand a pink whisp of chakra will be extend out from the target to themselves. This tether can stretch up to [Control] x 2 meters and lasts for [Control]/5 posts. When stretched further than this range, the tether remains but will be unusable as a medium for tether techniques.
~~My characters~~
Iwagakure Jounin: Kanade Enkouten
Thread Tracker for Kanade (previously Chiaki): viewtopic.php?f=105&t=8345273&p=4197389#p4197389
Kirigakure Genin: Achiyo
Heart Samurai: Kyudo-ite, Kasuri
Sunagakure Genin: Kouseki, Kagayaki
Sunagakure Jounin: Naegi, Aihachi

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Taiga
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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Taiga » Tue May 03, 2022 10:24 pm

Furumi would have winked, but given her sensory technique winking with only one eye open was tough. Instead, she merely replied to her newfound comrade with a matter-of-fact statement, followed up by a giggle.

"Even low-ranks like us need leaders among us."

Jounin were an expensive resource to deploy and more often than not, teams consisted of Genin and Chuunin. Chuunin were the leaders in those kinds of operations. The fact they were all Chuunin meant for better or for worse they all had some capacity to lead. Even that annoying Ote, Furumi thought to herself.
---
Mariya had metaphorically dragged her feet as she tailed her teammates. She wasn't willing to directly engage in combat, at least not to the extent they were since it would risk ruining the mission, which was to report on the thread, but if the team met the opponents there would be no better opportunity to collect information than to be there and watch from afar. She straightened her goggles on her face as she soon after arrived at the village. The snow was blinding as it hit her goggles and quickly melted, leaving drops of moisture all over. She wiped them with her hands as she activated her Sharingan and leaped up onto a rooftop. There was thick smoke and ash everywhere, but her eyes could see through it. She noticed her teammates, unaware of what their conversation was though at this distance.

It seemed Chiaki had taken up the reigns of leadership and was assessing the damage done on the battlefield, as the two sensors looked for where the opponents were. Given the smokestacks and chimneys of the buildings were going- they were likely still here. Mariya too began to assess the situation. Though the village was littered with corpses, smoldering and bloody, the Chuunin was unphased. Focused on her task she made a mental note that it was clear that this was the work of former shinobi, as Kumogakure had suspected, and worse there was no one to stop them in this portion of the empire. Their power was unchecked.

As she continued to scan the field she heard an explosion to her left, and turned her head in time to notice a massive fireball and the lingering red-orange tracers it left in the air. Moments later, immense kinetic energy flew through the fireball as a large figure slammed into her teammate and then threw him. Her eyes tightened. From what she could tell, this individual was at a minimum, Chuunin level. The ease at which he transitioned between powerful Katon and taijutsu however made her think the individual might have been closer to a Jounin though than a fresh Chuunin.

For the moment, she would watch.

As Chiaki's bonds made their way to her teammates and the Ote stood back to his feet, shaking himself off with a groan, the large man would tighten his eyes and look right for Chiaki. He sniffled and nodded with an unsaid thanks to Chiaki. Furumi backpedaled, whispering slowly.

"There's someone to the side of us new- I'm not sure their power level. I can't get much of a read on them but my guess is it's a villager or survivor. Then, in that building the big guy came out of there is someone... powerful. He's different from this guy." she said slightly shuddering as she peered at the corpses of the mother and child nearby. Before she could add another thought, the Mountain of a man would spring forward, heading right for Chiaki. The Ote drew a kunai as he lept to intercept swinging at the man's stomach only for the man to "swat" him away with surprising speed, sending the Ote once more off his feet, though this time, he'd stick a landing.

The large man would swing at Chiaki with a heavy punch [15str] aiming right for her chest.

Mariya, still watching for the rooftop would pause for a moment, questioning if she should help.

There's three of them to one... they'll... be fine?

Leaping to the next rooftop, she'd make her way toward the large town hall building where the most smoke was coming from.

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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Kanade » Wed May 04, 2022 3:30 pm

Chiaki nodded to the Ote ninja and looked to Furumi, “You’re sure that they’re on our side-cha?” she said, looking to the side where Furumi had indicated. She had no idea what to do if there were three of these people that were on top of them. She was distracted long enough to hear a smack as the big man bouldered through ‘Ote’ and came straight for her. She wasn’t going to be able to dodge, nor was she going to be able to block him, and she knew it.

The best thing for her to do was, unfortunately, mitigate the damage. She could make hand signs with her ribs cracked. As the man closed in at a speed that she wasn’t able to match, she wove her quick hand signs and turned away so that his fist would graze her left side, the side with the least viscerae that could be punctured by fractured and floating ribs and heard a sickening snap as his fist connected with it, sending her sprawling a good 8 meters away.

What breath wasn’t blown out of her with the initial blow was thoroughly knocked out of her as she hit the hard ground. Chiaki placed her hand over her fractured ribs, feeling the pain of the blow throughout her left side like a shock wave. There wasn’t any internal damage, but it would be a lovely blossoming bruise for a good long while if she left it untreated.

“Gods, that hurts-cha.” She hissed through her teeth as she leveled a look at the huge man that had hit her. He was almost big enough to be a Kyoukan himself. No blood from her breathing, no weakness that would indicate internal bleeding.

Good.

The numbness took the edge off of the pain as she used the numbing technique on herself right where she was hit and moved to get behind the Ote Kumogakure ninja, perhaps able to put him between herself and the enemy.

As she moved, she heard a peal of thunder as she was hit in the left side and paralyzed by an enormous bolt of lightning shot from the inside of the doorway that the mountain of a man had come out of. He had aimed right for where the blow had hit her. Chiaki couldn't feel the initial pain, but the stunning radiating Raiton was all the more excruciating as it blossomed out of her numb side.

The man came out, a thinner, but wiry man he led three people by ropes around their necks, kicking them out in front of him with a swift movement that elicited a moan of pain from an elderly man on his left. The man fell to his knees.

The old man’s face was a litany of bruises, and he was dressed in finery that could have been because of his station in the town. The other two hostages were dressed in the same finery, two women, one was obviously the mother of the other. The younger of the two was sopping wet from the aftermath of crying, her dress torn in the front in many different places.

“Now now, no more trouble. We’re going to leave with the Ryo in this town’s safe. No one else has to get hurt.” The man that led the hostages on ropes smirked as the girl on the left, barely fourteen quailed at a yank as she strayed too far from him, effectively yanking the rope around her neck as she reached the end of her rope.

“Help us!” The girl sobbed. The trio were obviously of the same family, probably some of the locals that were of a higher social status in the town. “P-Please help us!”

The man howling in laughter yanked her back. The young girl's tongue lolled out of her mouth and her eyes bulged in her head as she clutched at her neck with her bound hands. He placed his open hand on her forehead and a surge of Raiton chakra came out of it, coursing through the girl’s body.

She kicked and convulsed, Chiaki could hear the girl’s gurgling breaths and teeth cracking from where she was as the lightning coursed through her. The girl wet herself and went limp. The mother cried out in agony before being silenced with a slap from her captor across the back of her head, “You’re not dead yet, you can make more of them. If you don't stop that simpering though, your husband will have to find a new young wife, just like he did with you.” He sneered at the mother who kept weeping, but stayed on her feet, scared for herself, and for her daughter it seemed.

Chiaki's heart thumped and the blood drummed in her ears in fear and hope, hope that he didn't see the girl's chest heave up and down in one ragged breath.

In one swift motion the captor stomped on the girl’s head, effectively finishing her off with a sickening pop, as if someone were to have broken a watermelon with their heel. He sneered once more at the girls' dead body, and the woman wailed and dropped to her knees, unable to even draw a breath as she silently shuddered in uncontrollable sobs. Chiaki couldn’t do anything but stare as she was paralyzed. The paralysis was wearing off though, she could move her fingers and felt her facial features convulse in rage.

"Kill that one-cha." Chiaki hissed through her teeth, keeping the links between her comrades and herself going. It was barely audible, but would have sounded like she was whispering directly into their ears.
jutsu usedShow
*[Iijutsu • Numbing]
C-Ranked Ninjutsu
This field-oriented technique is used in place of typical anesthetics when they're not at hand. After focusing chakra into the hands, the user will place them over a group of muscles. As the chakra is channeled through the chosen area, numbness will begin to creep throughout it, beginning with the flesh before seeping into the muscle below. Small areas of numbness require very little time, while medium-sized areas (equivalent to half a limb) require one (1) post to numb, and anything larger than an entire limb requires two (2) posts of concentration to numb. This numbing begins where the user has placed his/her hands and spreads outward until the hands are removed. The numbness can only cause pain equivalent to being stabbed with a kunai to be nullified. Once numbed, the effects last for four (4) posts before fading.
~~My characters~~
Iwagakure Jounin: Kanade Enkouten
Thread Tracker for Kanade (previously Chiaki): viewtopic.php?f=105&t=8345273&p=4197389#p4197389
Kirigakure Genin: Achiyo
Heart Samurai: Kyudo-ite, Kasuri
Sunagakure Genin: Kouseki, Kagayaki
Sunagakure Jounin: Naegi, Aihachi

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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Taiga » Thu May 05, 2022 5:12 am

Mariya scanned the battlefield but saw no sign of any other shinobi- there was no tracers lingering in the air except that of fire and lightning. A top the rooftop where she was perched, she scratched her chin as she pondered whether or not the large man could use lightning or if this had meant there was a second and potentially more sinister ninjutsu user among the enemy ranks. Yanno, evil folks were like coachroaches after all.

There was most likely someone else here. Her eyes shifted back to the squad as she began to check on their condition. Either way she needed to figure out what do do since her squad was getting beat up a bit. From the iijutsu like techniques Chiaki casted on herself she could tell that much. Only, if only, had they listened to her… her frustration leading her to mouth a silent tsk at the sight. Really at this rate they were only going to add to the body count. Careless really. Endangerment at best.

By her best guesses, they were dealing with two special jounin, maybe even jounin level missing ninja and there odds of winning were likely somewhere around 15%, conservatively. Emerging from the halls and interrupting her train of thought was a man with three hostages. With just three Mariya was left to hope that there were more folks tied up in the town hall- it had sounded like a lot more people crying when she first arrived. In the mean time however she would do well to get closer. This required moving with great stealth to a closer roof, doing what she could to avoid detection. Her new point however offered a much better vantage on the new figure. Yet, it was what she heard not what she saw that caught her attention. Out into the cold air the crackling of lightning screamed out, followed by gurgling and faint sounds of pain. Unbelievably, the man had shocked one of the hostages right off the bat, torturing his captive.

He was trying to make a point. To scare them or taunt them to be reckless- Mariya wouldn’t fall for that. She’d need to somehow get her message to retreat to her team.

But then things took a turn for the worst. The man smashed in the head of the girl with his boot in what was a barbaric act. While Mariya wasn’t horrified, she did greatly disapprove of his actions. As he did so, the larger man stopped his pursuit and turned to his comrade with a grin, slowly making his way towards them. Mariya dropped below the pitch of the roof to avoid his line of sight.

By now, Furumi had sensed all she could. She opened her eyes and walked up to Chiaki and the Ote, who was trembling, a single kunai held out in his hands as he put himself between the large man and Chiaki. As they had taught them in the academy a squads forward scout needed to defend the medic above all else when things got rough. Looking to the large man who mockingly turned back for a moment to stare down the Ote, he paused.

I agree but he has hostages. the Ote whispered, responding to what Chiaki said. Furumi would add I am positive it’s just those two- the other chakra signature is weird, maybe not a shinobi then there’s more signs of survivors hiding elsewhere in basements, definitely not shinobi given their minuscule chakra pools. as the three would box off.

Meanwhile Mariya racked her brain trying to come up with a plan. She needed to get to her team to tell them to retreat, but at the same time subconsciously she couldn’t shake the atrocity she had just seen. She winced as if she felt the pain of the hit, as if it was her own skull. Her comrades had already taken a beating… and then the man with the lightning brutally killed a young girl, probably close in age to Mariya, well, biologically. This called to something primal in her.While she didn’t understand the emotion of rage, it quickly washed over her as her whole body felt warm. That wariness turned to a searing, burning fire as she looked on towards the man. At this point she had collected all the intel she needed and it would be best for her team to retreat… and yet that burning feeling continued. It compelled her to do something besides retreating.

She thought long and hard.

Those hostages were as good as dead. Men like this didn’t keep promises. They would get away and cut the spares the moment they could… still, she couldn’t just let him kill the hostages. Biting her lip she formulated a plan. The only thing men like this cared about were their own damn lives. Attaching explosive tags to two kunai, and a smoke tag to another, she would rise from the roof slightly and toss them such that they would dig into the ropes around the hostages and then sail into the ground. It was a risk, but if the three hostages had explosives near them it would certainly cause the man to let go and make distance, hopefully. Of course she would never activate her explosives.

Wasting no time as soon as he could spot the explosives she would activate just the smoke before leaping down towards the hostages. They would be blinded by the thick smoke bomb, but she could see through it. If her plan worked and got him to drop the ropes she could get the hostages out of the way.

Both Furumi and the Ote would open their eyes wide at what had just happened, only for Furumi to finally get it. Back in the cave Mariya had said she was unable to be sensed- that had to be Mariya. The Ote nodded as his nose wiggled. I think that’s our backup. he said as his hair began to grow and his teeth and nails sharpened, his appearance becoming more wolf than man.

We cannot let the big one reach Mariya- I can hold this form for ten minutes he said dropping to all fours as he flung himself at the big man with renewed confidence, somehow managing to knock him to the ground, though the big man would be able to grab his shirt in the process and bring him down with himself.

The Ote would bite at his arm as the man howled in pain.

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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Kanade » Thu May 05, 2022 6:22 pm

The Ote ninja, Chiaki would find out his name, took the position to protect her as she shakily made her way back to her feet. She was still shaking from the leftover Raiton that was coursing through her. She was able to pick her staff back up. She leaned heavily on it.


“He may have hostages, but we’ll separate them I am sure of it. We just need a dist-” She was cut off by Kunai flying out from the top of the houses to the left and cutting the ropes. They had explosive tags. She was sure of it. The hostages! What reckless person would do that?

The ninja that had the hostages on ropes around their necks kicked the woman down the steps of the building and out of the way of the blast that he expected would be coming, apparently he had made a bargain with the old man that he wrapped up in his arms and dragged bodily back into the building with him. The blast never came though, but Chiaki was going to be ready for the blast should it come. Damn, what a reckless... wait, was it a diversion? The whole field went quiet.

“That’s our backup!?” Chiaki would say with horror, “That’s Mariya-chan?” She grit her teeth and made the hand seals to tether herself to the woman who had explosive tags to her back. The tags had at least separated her from her captor, and hoping against hope that she was aiming for the place where Mariya was going to be with the other tether that she sent out. It was quickly obscured by smoke, but she had tethered two people. Chiaki still waited for the tags to go off.

weaving the hand signs, she opened communication with the woman with her chakra who was sobbing with fear, and probably agonizing mourning. Chiaki was surprised that the woman was still conscious. Psychological wounds were just as deadly as physical ones, but this at least would get her the best chance to communicate and let out her psychological pain, even if it was just whispering.

"Are you alright miss? Are you hurt anywhere-cha?" Chiaki whispered to the woman.

Weaving one more set of hand seals she let the other person in on their conversation, “Is this Mariya-chan? Do you have a plan past this-cha?” She whispered on the link to the three of them.

In the meantime, the Ote ninja had bitten into the arm of the bigger ninja and Chiaki had been moving toward him, trying to see if she could get in a blow around the struggling two people.

As it stood, she couldn't see the old man captive, one was dead, the small girl, and one she couldn't see but had at least a loose communication link between her and the other ninja, the woman. She couldn't see the woman who had jumped into the smoke, as she was concentrating on the others now. But she hoped that she had landed her jutsu and was communicating with her ally.
Techniques usedShow
~Tenketsu Tethering: Link Up II
C-Rank Ninjutsu/Iijutsu
After a set of hand seals, the Kyoukan family member will make fire off a pink wisp of chakra from themselves at a target at a speed of [Control] and up to [Control] meters away. If contact is made, a tether will form. This tether can stretch up to [Control] x 2 meters and lasts for [Control]/5 posts. When stretched further than this range, the tether remains but will be unusable as a medium for tether techniques.

~Tenketsu Tethering: Communication
C-Rank Ninjutsu/Iijutsu
After a set of hand seals, the Kyoukan family member will activate the ability to pass communication along their link in the form of audio. This allows them to talk to and listen to their linked companions for up to 5 posts.
~~My characters~~
Iwagakure Jounin: Kanade Enkouten
Thread Tracker for Kanade (previously Chiaki): viewtopic.php?f=105&t=8345273&p=4197389#p4197389
Kirigakure Genin: Achiyo
Heart Samurai: Kyudo-ite, Kasuri
Sunagakure Genin: Kouseki, Kagayaki
Sunagakure Jounin: Naegi, Aihachi

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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Taiga » Thu May 05, 2022 7:33 pm

It would all happen rather quickly. Mariya peered at the scene with unobstructed vision thanks to her sharingan watching as the man kicked the woman down the steps and hedged his bets with the old man as the missing ninja dashed back into the building with one hostage. In that brief moment she had an option, multiple. She could take out the man and risk the hostage he held. Hell, she could just go for him as he blindly dashed for the doorway… or, she could save the falling woman. In that moment without thinking her body moved. It wasn’t the action of one infamous Banri Tada’s child, but rather that of the daughter of the Raikage. Landing, Mariya flung herself down the stairs grabbing the woman and taking her to a safe landing as she hit the ground with a thud instead. Panting, she’d look up to see the whisks of a Kyokunan wriggling through the smoke and would grab it with her hand, and motion for the woman to do the same, connecting them to Chiaki.

The woman would be silent. Stuck in horror and shock. Who could blame her. Mariya would then go to retrieve her two kunai with explosive tags.

”Not really… he hedged his chances and took the old man instead of splitting like expected. Least cut this one free.” Mariya said as she emerged from the smoke with the woman. They would need to get her somewhere safe. ”Furumi to me- you need to take her to a still standing building elsewhere and stand guard... I suggest we end that other guy quick… stand back wolf boy…” Mariya whispered as she peered back through the doorway, hoping she would see something of the lightning man just once more before turning her attention to the two wrestling on the ground.

The large man was punching at the Ote who dug his teeth deep into his neck now, clawing at his side and trying to hold on as the large man repeatedly punched at his side, until eventually the Ote himself, coughed up blood and fell off, unable to exert force any longer. He tried to get himself to his feet but winced in extreme pain. His ribs were broken and his shoulder sprained. The large man stood up, his face a bloody mess as he drew a kunai and prepared to finish of the dog brat.

Mariya wouldn’t let that happen. Using one of her previously retrieved explosive tagged kunai she would throw it at the large man from behind as she rushed towards her comrade. She’d activate the tag this time, the explosion having enough power to knock the mountain of a man off his feet and to the ground but being a basic exploding tag, lacked killing force.

He’s mutter some nonsense as suddenly a huge ball of fire exploded outward from himself, with the Ote still in range.

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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Kanade » Thu May 05, 2022 7:55 pm

Chiaki nodded, even though she wasn't able to see the other ninja, but that was Mariya-chan alright. She recognized the cool and even tones of the other ninja and she wove her hand seals once to see how everyone was doing, using her Status Check Jutsu Kyoukan jutsu. It seemed like everyone was at least a 3 or above for now, and that worked for Chiaki. 5 was best, but she couldn't pretend that the woman's elevated heart rate or hyperventilation was any surprise to her.

"The woman's going to pass out with the amount of BO2 she's getting. Just let her, don't try to calm her down or she might do something stupid and run away or something-cha." Chiaki added to the end of the orders that Mariya was sending through their communication-network. She enjoyed the adrenaline rush of the mission and then something explosive happened next to her that made her jump back a few paces and start hastily making hand seals to pump her healing into the Ote brat. He was being battered around like some sort of dog-like punching bag.

Chiaki poured her chakra into her strongest technique, hoping that this would allow the Ote to continue fighting as the explosive tag and fire erupted out from behind the big brawling man, and then from the big brawling man.

Chiaki continued to hold her focus, kneeling down on one of her knees and closing her eyes. She sure hoped that this would help him as she fought against the wounds that now covered the Ote's body. It was all happening so fast. Could her and the Ote ninja take the bigger man now that he was battered by the explosive kunai's blast?
Chiaki's used jutsuShow
~Tenketsu Tethering: Greater Heal
B-Rank Ninjutsu/Iijutsu
Requires: [Iijutsu]
After a set of hand seals, the Kyoukan family member will channel a generous amount of chakra into a specific tether delivering a pulse of healing chakra. This chakra is capable of healing small wounds or less instantly. Larger wounds like open gashes will gain a faster regenerative property allowing them clot and prevent further damage instantly and to heal completely within 2 posts.
"If you can hear me, get up. Please get up!" Chiaki hissed to the Ote ninja once more, "I know you're tougher than this you bastard, get up and get after him."

She was focusing on staying central to the group so they could use her as a tether, but now she was anchored, pouring everything she had into healing this brat.

-----

Meanwhile, inside of the building, the lightning user threw the old man against the safe, "Open it, or you die, after seeing your wife die. I'll make sure that she dies slow and me and my partner enjoy her agony to her last breath." It wasn't a threat, it was a promise.

The old man squeaked in fright and rushed over to the safe, shaking too much to get the combination right on the first go, the shinobi that used lightning wove hand seals, and performed
castle of sky jutsuShow
*Raiton • Castle of Sky
B-Ranked Ninjutsu
The user will first perform the correct hand seals before releasing a basketball sized orb of lightning 15m into the air. The orb will then cascade sheets of lightning down in the shape of a dome over the caster, with a 40m radius. This dome, apart from being exceptionally loud, forms a sort of protection against attacks. It comes into being at [Control] speed, and is able to redirect hits of up to [18] strength in a downward direction. These sheets of lightning also serve as a visual obscurity. This technique lasts for up to 3 posts depending on the user's discretion.
He grinned from inside of his lightning cage. That should give them the time that they needed to crack the safe, and perhaps enough time for his partner to finish off the brats without interfering.
~~My characters~~
Iwagakure Jounin: Kanade Enkouten
Thread Tracker for Kanade (previously Chiaki): viewtopic.php?f=105&t=8345273&p=4197389#p4197389
Kirigakure Genin: Achiyo
Heart Samurai: Kyudo-ite, Kasuri
Sunagakure Genin: Kouseki, Kagayaki
Sunagakure Jounin: Naegi, Aihachi

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Taiga
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User flair: Why saigen people?!?

Shadows of the Empire

Post by Taiga » Thu May 05, 2022 8:24 pm

”Roger that.” Mariya said as she emerged fully out of the smoke, the woman, freed from the ropes, in her arms. She took off to regroup with the others as the cage of lightning surrounded the town hall. She'd curse under her breath. They'd be unable to counter-attack the lightning guy for a bit- at least do it without injuring themselves. Though, tactically, it was a poor decision on his behalf because it meant he couldn't help his partner. With four chuunin and only one maybe special Jounin, the odds were now very much so in their favor. By her count, it was likely 60% in their favor now due to her opponent's poor tactical decisions- but it begged the question, what was in that building? Why was he so tunneled on the old man and that building?

Mariya would drop the woman off at a safe distance near an undisturbed cabin and leave a basic clone there to keep an eye on her. Furumi on the other hand was now on the move- she saw the fire and the earth lit ablaze... she was the one the squad needed for this.

Meanwhile, the Ote staggered as he spat up more blood. The fires were not strong- no, the mountain hadn't had enough time to channel enough chakra to get off a big burst, but still, it was a move meant to by him time and it had worked. The low-grade burns were painful and while Chiaki was pulsing healing waves into him, the fire burned on. Furumi quickly jumped to action as he hands sealed and her finger raised to her mouth.

Meanwhile, Furumi, would spring forth with her hands sealing. ”Water Style - Water Gun Jutsu!” she shouted as a wave of Suiton hit the Ote and the earth around him, putting out the fire and allowing Chiaki's heals to do some work. Steam from the extinguished flames would fill the air. She'd turn to Chiaki, who was nearby. ”You're going to run out of energy eventually if you keep healing this idiot.” she said jokingly to the Ote, who grinned. His whole body was in pain and he couldn't keep up his form much longer. ”The names Ren.” he said putting a thumbs up as he stood up and squared off, drawing two Kunai, as his hair shed and his nails and teeth returned to normal. He was back to his base form. He panted and stood very weakly in his stance.

Beyond them, the large man was now on his feet and covered in a burning aura of fire. He too was limping- his left leg severely damaged by the explosion. His right eye was claw out. His neck was gushing blood, the fire just managing to seer his wound shut as he let out a roar. Mariya caught up to the group and stationed herself next to Furumi, who looked to the group, and then to the man.

”Mariya, you go high. Ren. Go for his legs. I'll stop his flames” she said to the Ote as she anchored her legs and began a set of seals, two massive arms of water forming to the side of her. She stepped forward as one arm swung right into the man, more steam flying into the air, as her arms were evaporated on his flames. She'd swing the other arm, then the other, repeatedly as she lashed at the man, making sure his flames were spent dealing with the fire and not burning her teammates. The man would speed up pushing against the water arms, which were weaker, but along with his gimp leg, managed to slow him down. Mariya's sharingan would be almost spinning as she analyzed the scene.

The Ote would dash forward sliding under the water arms at the man's legs like a Soccer Tackle. The man would stomp down at him, but the Ote would manage to slam a Kunai into his left knee before the man stomped down on his arm, breaking it enough for the bone to exit the forearm. The Ote whimpered out, but before the man could finish off the Ote however, Mariya would leap over head, drawing three kunai and throwing them at him as she sailed overhead. She had always been strong at bukkijutsu. He would swat away the first kunai, then the second, but fail to get the third as it sailed downward into his right foot, going through it and into the ground as he howled in pain.

With that, Furumi would use her water arms to grab at his arm, pulling them back and immobilizing him, the steam rapidly going off of him. She'd grit her teeth and yell.

"All you- Chiaki-chan!"

Used NotesShow
Mariya - Basic Clone Jutsu (D-Rank)
Furumi - C-Rank Water Jet Jutsu, 5 Control
Water Arms
C-Rank Jutsu
2 giant pillars of water that taper off to tendrils at the end, 1 meter wide. Up to [Control] + 7 meters long. As long as seal is held, they can be controlled freely. (20 Control)


Bad Guy
B-Rank Jutsu
Fire Armor, 25 strength. Lasts 3 posts.

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Kanade
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User flair: Of a thousand jutsu

Shadows of the Empire

Post by Kanade » Thu May 05, 2022 8:44 pm

Chiaki growled as she made the hand seals again, and tried to heal the Ote as he moved towards the man, the red line between her and the Ote becoming visible with the amount of chakra that she was pouring into it. She moved as the other two did, and wasn't able to keep the arm from breaking for Ren, but as the big man was busy with swatting at the kunai and one of them found purchase in his foot, she knew that he was immobilized, and the flames were at a manageable heat.

She grit her teeth and used the butt of her staff to hit the man right in the vocal chords. She knew that even if she put in all of her strength into that area, she probably wouldn't be able to kill him, but breaking his vocal chords, and making it so that he was unable to breathe and would pass out was her aim.

She didn't care about the cage, or the one inside as she was concentrating on the one in front of her, but she was wondering why it was so loud, and why the light in the area was almost blinding. She jumped to the side and swung her staff a couple more times, aiming for the man's temple, his corotid artery, and his other eye.

"Why won't he go down-cha?" She hissed into the link as she tried to clobber at him. All of the areas she was aiming for were non-lethal, as she knew that the mission required one person to be alive, but she had no idea whether or not they would be able to take him in without killing him at this point.

------

Inside of the crackling lightning cage, the man that had performed the jutsu glared at the man who flinched audibly and overtly and messed up the combination again, "How long does it take for you to open that damned safe?" He roared at the man, raising the back of his hand to strike the man and then thinking better of it.

"How's about this, every time that you mess up, I'll break one of your legs. Then I'll move onto your toes, then we'll see if we get somewhere." He grinned with malice at the man opening the safe that quailed.

"P-please, just give me one chance." The man stammered out and with shaking hands he breathed deeply twice and set to getting the safe open. His fingers touched the dial numbly, and his tears, sweat and dry mouth made things almost impossible especially with the threat of pain looming over his head.
~~My characters~~
Iwagakure Jounin: Kanade Enkouten
Thread Tracker for Kanade (previously Chiaki): viewtopic.php?f=105&t=8345273&p=4197389#p4197389
Kirigakure Genin: Achiyo
Heart Samurai: Kyudo-ite, Kasuri
Sunagakure Genin: Kouseki, Kagayaki
Sunagakure Jounin: Naegi, Aihachi

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Taiga
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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Taiga » Thu May 05, 2022 9:00 pm

As Chiaki beat at the man who was restrained, Mariya had time to make a landing on the other side and draw some shuriken, deftly chucking them all into his back. Unable to howl with pain from his crushed in throat he began to gasp for air, as he pushed with all the might he had left in his arms to break free. With one mighty push, he broke free of the water whips and grabbed them, ripping into them with such force Furumi's jutsu was broken and she staggered backward. With an untold force he would grab at the girls staff, whipping it to the side with his left arm, and then with his right grabbing hold of her neck as he would begin to attempt to strangle Chiaki. In pain, Ren, crawling on the floor and now being burned more drew a kunai and shoved it yet again into the mans left leg, this time near his calf. His blood turned to steam as it burned on the fire, and his eyes grew large. He kicked Ren right in the face breaking his nose and probably damaging his eye socket.

Shuriken wouldn't work.

Mariya rushed at the man from behind and aimed a leg sweep for his left leg, aiming to collapse him, but as her leg collided with the man and the fire lept to her, she found only her own leg in pain. The man was strong. He was like a rock. Moments later he let go of the staff and swiped at her, managing to get her by the neck too as he raised both her and Chiaki into the air. Furumi was sealing furiously as if to cast the biggest jutsu she had ever casted in her life. Mariya gasped for air. Her sharingan faded as her eyes turned dull. And then, before he could finish the job and before Furumi could strike, the flames on the man disappeared. His expression went blank, and the massive mans eyes rolled back in his head, his grip loosened, and he fell over.

Chiaki- had she not resisted the mans attempt to grab and strangle her, and Mariya, would fall to the ground, free of the man's grasp. They'd see the Ote whose arm had been destroyed and his head bleeding holding onto a kunai lunged into the stomach of the man. Ren would look up to the two and smile, putting his thumb up before passing out from his wounds.

Mariya, rubbing her neck would look at the aftermath of the encounter.

”Stabilize Ren- but nothing more. You need to conserve your energy. We've got a little bit of time to catch our breaths and formulate a plan...” she said as she laid on the ground, looking up to the sky. ”We're down to 3 now and I have a feeling while this guy was physically superior to us... the guy in there is capable of ninjutsu we can do absolutely zero about...” she said, with a gulp.

Mariya was a one-trick pony. She was good at the basics, academy taijutsu, and getting the drop on people. Fuuinjutsu was going to be no help here... and those other jutsu... were forbidden. Chiaki was a medic. Furumi, who had the most offensive ninjutsu power of them all, was still just a chuunin and they were tiring out.

We need to stop that guy.

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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Kanade » Fri May 06, 2022 5:10 pm

Chiaki's staff clattered away from her as she had it batted away like she would bat away a child's toy. She was caught in an instant as the missing ninja broke free with herculean strength to glare at her and grab her throat. She saw, in his one un-ruined eye, the malice that would most probably end her life. She gave him a weak but defiant smile as he crushed, not her larynx as would have made her die then and there, but attempted to crush her whole neck.

She was aware of the rest of the fight with the big man, but wasn't able to take her eyes off of the malice in his one eye until he finally released her. Her vision was blurred by tears as she struggled to get breaths in, and the haze that came with being choked and lack of oxygen to the brain left her dazed and a bit confused at what was happening.

Shaking her head to try to rid herself of the flightiness of her own thoughts, she focused on the words that Mariya was saying, to stabilize Ren and nothing more. She looked to the boy and assessed his vitals. The only thing that was life-threatening was the bloodloss that he had from the broken nose, and from his broken arm. Easily fixed.

She set the nose by placing her hands on either side and twisting it outward before popping it back into place. She tilted her head from side to side, catching her breath and noted that he wasn't bad looking, all things said. Then she carefully and gingerly looked at his arm. It was a multiple fracture, but clean because of the way that it had been broken. At least there weren't any bone fragments that she could see, which meant that she didn't have to pull those out before it would become gangrenous. All-in-all, he was lucky to have survived the fight with injuries that weren't going to hamper him permanently, and when he woke up he could make his own way home.

She set his arm on her leg, reached for her staff and grabbed it, making a straight edge and violently pulled the arm so that the skin and muscle stretched as he was unconscious anyhow, and pushed the bone back into the skin and tissue. He would not be able to use his arm for a good long while. She wrapped it up and applied her healing jutsu to the arm so that it wouldn't get infected.

"Remind me to set it when we're done here-cha." She murmured to the others, getting up and stretching. She was covered in mud, blood, sweat, and was cold and damp. She wasn't going to be able to fight much longer at all, much less keep the others fighting.

-------

The man that was at the safe heard the tumblers snap into place, and opened the safe for the ninja. He waved the missing-ninja into the safe and as the ninja walked in, he started to shut the door.

In an instant, or what seemed to be an instant, the man who had the combination to a safe was on his back, eyes lolled to the back of his head and not moving. He took a shuddering breath and passed out. The missing ninja from Kumogakure sniffed his disapproval and walked into the safe.

There it was.

The bow was sitting in the middle of the room, on a stand that was specially made for it, except one thing, it did not have a bowstring. The man smiled in the darkness of the vault, and moved to the middle of the room, picking it up. The bow was made of some sort of dark wood that felt warm to his hands that were cold from the draft of the outside leaking into the large building. The coiled jade dragon around the bow snarled silently at him and he gave it a loving look.

His brother should have been done with the brats by now. After all, they were both Jounin, and He might be able to get his brother to tie them up and he could test out the bow on them as target practice. He channeled chakra into the bow and a bowstring of lightning leapt into being between the two ends of the bow, drawing it taut.

"So, the artifact that was stolen by Kirigakure, belonging to Kumogakure and on its way back finally has a rightful owner." He laughed. "You'll obey me now, and we'll go have some fun with those Genin."

He knew that these brats hadn't been sent to retrieve the bow. It would be too dangerous for them to handle, and they couldn't be trusted with such a priceless weapon. No, they were probably here to scout and see why he and his brother had been running amok all over the mountainside. Here it was, his prize. Now no one could stop the duo from taking revenge on Kumogakure no Sato.

He assumed they were genin, from the way they fought, and how easily he was able to hit the girl with his stunning lightning jutsu. Easy enough for him to clean up after he was done. Maybe next time they would send a real threat to deal with him and his brother.

Walking out of the building he let the lightning cage down and turned his baleful attention to the group, his hand tightening on the bow-haft.
~~My characters~~
Iwagakure Jounin: Kanade Enkouten
Thread Tracker for Kanade (previously Chiaki): viewtopic.php?f=105&t=8345273&p=4197389#p4197389
Kirigakure Genin: Achiyo
Heart Samurai: Kyudo-ite, Kasuri
Sunagakure Genin: Kouseki, Kagayaki
Sunagakure Jounin: Naegi, Aihachi

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Taiga
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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Taiga » Sat May 14, 2022 11:32 pm

Ren smiled faintly, barely conscious as Chiaki tended to him. Using the lul in the battle and Chiaki tending to ren, Furumi made her way to check on the mother- the one who had lost her daughter. She asked her to run far from the village, before making her way back to the squad where she immediately placed herself back in front of the other two, opposite Mariya in a guarded stance. They wouldn't know what came next. Mariya tilted her head as she tried to relax her neck, already visible bruises forming on it. They had lucked out. If there had been three opponents instead of two they would all be dead, adding yet another four bodies to the count total of their opponents. Mariya grit her teeth. This next opponent, judging by the complexity of the lightning cage ahead would be too strong for them. They would need five to even dream of taking him on and yet with Ren almost out of commission, they were down to less than that.

Where is Fuu?

She thought to herself patiently as she looked about. Before she could think much further the crackling of lightning began to fade and the massive six arcs of lightning to the front of the cage gave way. Mariya's eyes focused harder as dust filled the air, and more than seven meters ahead became increasingly hard to see. Her eyes focused as it became eight, and that became nine, and finally ten, and eleven, and twelve and finally at thirteen meters out within the dust cloud she saw something. It was the outline of a man, but he was holding something tightly.

"So, the artifact that was stolen by Kirigakure, belonging to Kumogakure and on its way back finally has a rightful owner." He laughed. "You'll obey me now, and we'll go have some fun with those Genin."

Mariya grimaced. They were after some kind of weapon, or something? AN artifact- assumedly the bow he holds in his hands. Mariya screamed the second she had visual.

"Dead ahead- he has a bow, Furumi!" she shouted as the other girl instantly sprang forth to create handseals.

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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Kanade » Mon May 16, 2022 8:30 pm

The man, looking at his brother bristled with rage, and the kunoichi that was kneeling down beside him was tending to her fallen comrade next to his brother's body. This was untenable. He drew back the bowstring with his hand and heard the lightning chakra whistle and whine in the night, a blue streak left his bow and hit the girl in the leg with the sound of a bolt of lightning hitting a tree.

Chiaki couldn't even react, much less cry out in pain as her muscles all contracted, making her jump from her spot and dash herself against the house next to her. She grit her teeth. This was why she was afraid of the Raiton chakra. The place where the jutsu had hit was badly burned, the skin had already started to blister and there was a char mark where the arrow had hit her, but no physical arrow.

"It amplifies Raiton chakra," She grunted along the thread of communication between her and her fellow ninja, "Don't let him hit you with it-cha it has paralytic powers." She couldn't use her legs effectively now, as her left leg hung by her side, all but useless for a good long while. She couldn't feel her toes or anything below the upper thigh on that leg. She wrapped a piece of cloth that she had around the wound so that the blisters, when they popped as she strained against the wall to right herself, wouldn't get infected.

Chiaki was breathing heavily and staring daggers at the man. She had lot her cool completely, her levelheadedness gone after the death of the daughter of the woman. "I can heal you both, but I am going to be useless in this fight. I'll try to get his attention again. If I can be a distraction for both of you, I believe that would be the best possible circumstance-cha." She sent again through the thread before shouting to them.

"I don't think that I'll be able to heal you anymore, We should retreat so that I can treat Ren's wounds." She projected loud enough for the man to hear, and loud enough for her companions to hear without the aid of their tethered speech. He was within range for her kyoukan tether, but as long as she didn't call attention to it, perhaps he would draw his bow on her again. She would have to try to dodge this one. She set her staff in front of her like a lightning rod and stood firm, a grim look of determination on her face.

"So I'll have to pick you off first hmm?" The man totally took the bait. She was a medical kunoichi after all, the longer she lived, the more that they would. Raiton chakra started to wind down his shoulder and into his arm, much more deadly and less of a quick-fire than before. He was readying a Raiton blast to kill. She planted the staff in front of her and hoped that it would work, her plan. Chiaki leaned heavily on it as he took aim at her, forgetting the other two, his look of malice all but freezing her blood on the spot.
~~My characters~~
Iwagakure Jounin: Kanade Enkouten
Thread Tracker for Kanade (previously Chiaki): viewtopic.php?f=105&t=8345273&p=4197389#p4197389
Kirigakure Genin: Achiyo
Heart Samurai: Kyudo-ite, Kasuri
Sunagakure Genin: Kouseki, Kagayaki
Sunagakure Jounin: Naegi, Aihachi

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Taiga
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User flair: Why saigen people?!?

Shadows of the Empire

Post by Taiga » Fri May 20, 2022 9:47 am

The sound of screeching lightning filled the air. The flash landing far before the sound boomed out- and to Mariya's horror, it hit Chiaki. She bit her lip. Chiaki was injured but hoping to use herself as a pawn or distraction to give the others a chance... but truthfully, Mariya had high doubts that they could defeat their opponent. In truth, they probably should be retreating... but, the truth was, by now, would they be able to? And audible tschk escaped Mariya's lips. What fools they had been.

She assessed the scene as if the world had stopped moving and seconds were minutes to her.

Two of their squad were injured, one severely. They'd managed to save, as far as they knew, only one person. There could be more in the houses or basements or wherever, or even those who ran, but still... all they had done was come here to throw their life away. And now bearing down on them was a shinobi far too powerful for their likes, and their medic, the key point of their team and most important asset was now injured and dangling themselves as bate. How could she have been so careless to let it come to this? She winced, as her hands went numb and she could so vividly imagine the burning pain of Lord Banri's hand and all the disappointment he would have had for her had she let this happen on a Black Ops operation... but at the same time, strangely, she could imagine someone else. Hayate, who instead merely said mistakes happened and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

Like a devil and an angel on her should, her nerves were momentarily calmed. Her hands moved on their own as they drew a kunai with a smoke tag on it. Her eyes closed and reopened, revealing their red doujutsu. As the lightning around the man's hand hissed harder as he dashed for Chiaki, Mariya threw the kunai with smoke tag out in front of her, and in the man's path, though not his direct trajectory. The smoke would fill the air quickly and obscure the vision of everyone there but her. Wasting no time as soon as he would be blinded, she would toss another kunai, but this time with an explosive tag, right for him. There's no way it would stop a person like him, maybe just damage him a little to slow him down, but it was all she could do.

Hopefully, his inability to see the incoming projectiles would give her the chance to land a hit. After the first kunai, she'd also toss shuriken behind and in front of aiming for the mans arm, aiming to hurt him. Furumi in the meantime would drag Ren backward, trying to get him to safety behind a shack or something. She had anticipated that.

If they left Ren there he would be the next target and unlike Chiaki, he couldn't move... they'd be put on the defensive.

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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Kanade » Fri May 20, 2022 4:40 pm

The brother indeed did get hit by the incoming projectiles, having tunnel vision when rushing at Chiaki the brother didn’t see the smoke, nor the explosive tag. The smoke filling his eyes, lungs, and a ringing in his ears from the explosive tag. He started to make a hand-seal to put up a barrier, but then got hit by a couple Kunai in his arm. He knew that his crimes were a death sentence for him and his brother, and now he was unable to make hand-seals. His useless drawing arm immobilized by the explosion and kunai, he cursed not training his endurance.

[color=#BF]“This isn’t over.”[/color] The man shouted into the smoke and started to run back toward the building. Chiaki growled her response into the link that she had with the rest of the team.

“I’ve got him.” She wove a couple of shaky hand-seals and substituted herself for the dead daughter’s body, she grit her teeth and snarled at the man, holding her staff in front of her. He changed his grip and whipped it at Chiaki’s head, hoping to snap her neck as easily as he had broken the girl’s head open. Chiaki lifted her staff and the bow hit it with a resounding snapping noise, her staff had taken the brunt of the blow but she got pushed back into the building, the man’s right arm was bleeding and lacerated from the explosion, and he had a kunai hanging out of his tendon, severing the movements there.

“He’s wounded, only has use of his non-dominant hand. I’ll keep him here as long as possible.” Chiaki grit her teeth and spit blood on the ground as she used her staff to steady herself. She had maintained the link and was waiting for Furumi and Mariya to back her up. She lifted her staff once more and grumbled at the man, “You think that Kumogakure is going to absolve you of your sins for murdering all of these people? If you give us some useful information you might escape death.” She stood on wobbly feet.

“Oh shut your trap you stupid
curse wordShow
cunt
.” The man snapped the bow across the space between them in a way that Chiaki hadn’t seen before and everything went black. Stunned, Chiaki stumbled backwards and used her staff as a crutch, the loosened grains in the wood making a snapping noise.

He bit down on something, sounded like a food pill or something. That wasn't good. It might restore movement to his right arm.

She had his full attention, now she just had to pray that the man would be stupid enough to keep her in his sights. She couldn’t see because of the lights swimming in her vision, and she knew that she was about to pass out, but she could at least keep his attention, at least keep his ire.

"At least you will accompany me and my brother to hell." His voice was still in front of her and she tried to fend off phantom blows, feeling the bloodlust radiating off of him.

“Big man, killing women and children.” Chiaki managed to get out, knowing that the next blow would probably end it, whether it was from her companions or from her enemy.
~~My characters~~
Iwagakure Jounin: Kanade Enkouten
Thread Tracker for Kanade (previously Chiaki): viewtopic.php?f=105&t=8345273&p=4197389#p4197389
Kirigakure Genin: Achiyo
Heart Samurai: Kyudo-ite, Kasuri
Sunagakure Genin: Kouseki, Kagayaki
Sunagakure Jounin: Naegi, Aihachi

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Taiga
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User flair: Why saigen people?!?

Shadows of the Empire

Post by Taiga » Sat May 21, 2022 11:11 am

Everything happened so quickly... her strikes had managed to land, wounding the man but before she knew it he was barreling off to make a run for it. Mariya paused for a moment- unable to move further than that. She watched as the man struggled to move, before getting his full speed as he made for a building. Her grip on her shuriken tightened. Perhaps she could hit his neck if she really went for it, and split the jugular vein or something... but then, she realized, it was futile. What was the point in continuing the fight? They'd scared him off and learned all the intel they needed. Just as she began to speak "Let him go-", Chiaki would put herself in harms way. Having not paid any attention to her, Mariya's eyes widened as she suddenly saw the traces of raw chakra across the path ending right before the villain of the story.... had... was she- what?

Scanning over she saw Chiaki in front of the man and heard her voice. Was she trying to get herself killed? How was she remaining so calm as she looked down at the man. The bow snapped and the lightning that followed was powerful. Mariya bit her lip hard enough that it began to bleed. For the first time since the group had landed with boots on the ground- for the first time in her shinobi career, her body moved without even letting her think. Forming a hand seal with her left hand, she held her kunai firm.

Furumi screamed as she came running, her hands sealing, but she wouldn't be fast enough. Everything went black for a brief moment as she stepped forward as the air hit her with tremendous power and her body rocketed through the air. Before she knew it, Chiaki would be where she had stood, and she would be where Chiaki was. But she wouldn't go down without a fight. In the moment the change happened, Mariya would jam her arm forward with the kunai aiming for where the man's neck would be, while throwing herself to the side hoping to get out of his blast range.

Both arms of Furumi's became enveloped in Suiton.

Her eyes had seen his trajectory and she would do well to remember it. Assuming she could at least avoid being hit herself due to her actions, she'd springboard off her palms and flip backwards, while making two clones. By then, Furumi would hopefully arrive.


Mariya- UsedShow
*[Basic Jutsu • Change of Body Stance Technique]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
After completing the necessary handseals, the user is able to quickly substitute his/her body with a nearby object that is at least 2/3rds his/her size, but no bigger than their body. This substitution allows the object to take the force of the attack that was meant for the user, additionally allowing the user to create distance between him/her and the opponent. The object used in this jutsu may not be objects that are imbued with chakra or controlled by it, and they may also only be single, solid objects within a 10 meter radius of the user. This technique may only be used a total of one time in a single thread, give or take how many times Shunshin no Jutsu has already been used.

*[Basic Jutsu • Clone Technique]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
After completing a set of handseals, the user forms a slight chakra 'body', thus creating a single, massless clone. The clone created from this technique is very basic and will dissipate when hit with anything. These clones do not possess vital signs or a unique chakra signature, meaning they don't disrupt the environment, and anything on their person is superficial. The clone has 1 in each stat. They are limited to basic movements.
Used FurumiShow
Water Style - Hydraulic Fists
C-Rank Ninjutsu
After completing a set of hand seals, the user will cover each arm in giant tear-shaped masses of water the extend out and around their back, almost like an exoskeleton. As long as they channel and hold the technique, the water can be controlled on their arms at [Control] strength and speed for a maximum of up to 3 posts.

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Kanade
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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Kanade » Sat May 21, 2022 11:35 am

Chiaki was breathing heavily, damaged and losing consciousness but she used her hand seals to see what the others were seeing in snap-shots and keeping her communication link up she could at least help be their eyes and ears if they were barreling into a trap or some other such thing. She kept concentration on these and her heartbeat fluttered.

“No…” She grit her teeth, “No I have to stay conscious-cha.” She breathed heavily and the snow felt colder around her knees as she dropped to them, the cold reaching up her limbs she continued to hang on.

The man had taken a cut to his neck and was bleeding from it. It had hit the jugular, but not the corotid artery, which meant that he had a good eight minutes to live before dying of bloodloss, and that was only if he didn't move and didn't have a bandage placed over it with proper pressure. He didn't know medical ninjutsu so he knew his life would be forfeit if that medical ninja died.

The man snarled at them and shouted, “Well if I can’t have it, no one can!” He let out a triumphant blast of chakra around him from the bow, and then the bow glowed a brilliant yellow color, growing brighter and brighter as he channelled dangerous amounts of chakra into it. Then he brought the bow high into the air and his injured arm seemed to work with the strength of the food-pill. His veins bulged and his muscles rippled to life as he brought the bow up over his head laughing. His knee came up to received the blow of the bow held by both hands, his eyes were wild and dead already. He had accepted his fate and rather than lose his freedom and possibly give away any secrets that he knew, he had chosen suicide.

He was going to snap it, Chiaki realized with clarity as she stared through Mariya’s eyes, He’s going to snap it and let out all of his chakra through it, bringing Mariya and Furumi with him.

“Get back and out of there-cha!” Chiaki whispered through numb lips, seeing through the others eyes, her own stared at the building, blank and unseeing. “He’s going to break the bow and release the chakra inside of him. Mariya’s able to see that much-cha!” Chiaki saw the man start to move towards the downward stroke that would mean certain disaster for the mission, for her comrades, for a good chunk of the village.
~~My characters~~
Iwagakure Jounin: Kanade Enkouten
Thread Tracker for Kanade (previously Chiaki): viewtopic.php?f=105&t=8345273&p=4197389#p4197389
Kirigakure Genin: Achiyo
Heart Samurai: Kyudo-ite, Kasuri
Sunagakure Genin: Kouseki, Kagayaki
Sunagakure Jounin: Naegi, Aihachi

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Taiga
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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Taiga » Sun May 22, 2022 12:21 am

Mariya felt a strange sensation trickle through her as she landed her acrobatics. It made sense moments later when Chiaki explained she was viewing the world through Mariya's eyes. Despite being in the heat of battle, that struck Mariya as incredible. Did this mean she also was seeing the world through the lens of Mariya's sharingan? Incredible. Chiaki was right too, Mariya's eyes could see the auras of chakra welling up around the mean, and the kinetic energy of his movement as he went to break the bow. Her hands reached into her bag drawing her shuriken. There was no way they'd be able to outrun a blast that big. The clones next to Mariya merely stood still. They would be of no use now- not even as the distractions they had intended to be.

Their only chance was to get the bow out of his hands. She released her shuriken, three for his hand, and five at the top of the bow looking to loosen his grip and use the force at the top of the bow to push it into a spin, causing it to toss out of his hand. If there was one thing she was good at it was bukkijutsu. Furumi in parallel knew what this meant. She knew the gamble they'd have to take and continued forward, thrusting with the immense force of both fists as the water hammered off of it into the man's torso. With any luck, she'd aid Mariya's attempt to separate the man from the bow before things hit critical mass. Or, at the very least, hopefully, send him flying several tens of meters back INTO the building and hopefully through it, given the immense force in her technique hit. If he still was holding the bow, at least he'd explode from within the wreckage of a building or behind it minimizing the damage to the rest of the group.

Mariya heart was almost still for a moment- would they die here, or would their gamble and teamwork pay off. Perhaps, the chuunin squad was truly something not worth messing with.

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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Kanade » Sun May 22, 2022 1:10 pm

The man brought the bow down and as he was about to break it with both of his arms he found himself thrown against the wall in front of him by a blast of suiton from behind. He had forgotten about the girl that was dragging the wolf boy away from him. He had assumed that she wasn't a threat. With the force of the blow, he landed on his battered arm, feeling it snap beneath his weight. The older shinobi grit his teeth and his chakra faltered, and failed as he lost consciousness.

"Thank goodness-cha." Chiaki's voice came in a tear-choked sob through the link and then Mariya and Furumi both would feel the bonds break as Chiaki slumped to the cold and wet ground of the street, her face planted in the snow-sodden mud below her.

The man had lost his grip on the bow, and it hummed down from the use of chakra and stayed lit like a flashlight in the dark of the room. A thunderbolt from the 'thundersnow' that was so common in the land of lightning tore through the night, screaming victory for the team of Kumogakure shinobi.

Chiaki's breath was calm, slow, and was mostly the result of her overuse of chakra than anything else. She had kept the tethers up as long as possible, and that sort of strain under the pressures of the night had jarred her enough for her to lose consciousness.

The snow started to cover her and Ren as the battle was over, the destruction of the village being covered in a fine layer of snow, almost as if nature was returning to the village the peace that had been shattered by the brother shinobi.

They had bested both, hadn't killed either, but had subdued both. What a victory for the hidden cloud village, and the land of lightning too!
~~My characters~~
Iwagakure Jounin: Kanade Enkouten
Thread Tracker for Kanade (previously Chiaki): viewtopic.php?f=105&t=8345273&p=4197389#p4197389
Kirigakure Genin: Achiyo
Heart Samurai: Kyudo-ite, Kasuri
Sunagakure Genin: Kouseki, Kagayaki
Sunagakure Jounin: Naegi, Aihachi

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Taiga
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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Taiga » Sun May 22, 2022 3:42 pm

Mariya took a deep breath as she stood still facing the building and the dust cleared, all the while gazing at the still mass of a man. He was far more powerful than them, but mentally they had done a better job. He had failed to prioritize his targets correctly and the trickery with substitutions by the team had allowed them to play him into traps and force him to fight on the team's terms. Alas, the battle was over. Mariya stared onwards with a feeling of darkness growing in her stomach- it tugged at her. "Furumi- get the other one fully restrained." she said calmly as she stepped forward, drawing a kunai. This man was too much of a risk to be left alive. She would execute him just as her black-ops training had taught her.

Furumi stared back at Mariya in confusion, watching the other girl slowly walk forward, the kunai revolving around her fingers... her face filled with a cold expression void of emotion.

Furumi's voice shook as she called out "W-w-what are you doing Mariya-chan?"

She continued forward until finally, she was standing in front of the man's incapacitated body. The kunai stopped its rotation around her fingers as it landed in a downward grip position and Mariya flung her arm downwards, the kunai plunging through the air in her hand and towards the man's heart. Her seals almost didn't make it in time, but at the last moment right before Mariya's kunai would plunge into his chest, a tendril of water grabbed at the kunoichi's wrist and tugged backwards, causing her to drop the Kunai.

Mariya turned her head in anger as she exerted more force, pulling against the tendril. Furumi labored at her seal and chakra control as she grunted out "That's not our way- we aren't cold-blooded killers... we take captives...." The two tugged a little longer before finally, Mariya let out a frustrated scream. She fell to her knees next to the man and merely stood still, her eyes turning to black as the sharingan shut down. And then she shook.

They'd seen such hours today- could she really justify letting this criminal level?

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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Kanade » Mon May 23, 2022 10:16 am

The next couple of hours were spent waking Chiaki and Ren up, Chiaki healed Ren to the best of her ability, but she would need to fix him up more when they got to the village. She said so to her other companions with a wince.

"I started to black out right after I did the body transfer jutsu. So what happened exactly-cha?" She asked, humming while she applied some ointment to the burns on Ren and tried to soothe his aching face from being kicked.

"It's not the best healing that I have ever done, but I am not in the best shape I've ever been. My robes from my order are ruined, but the vest kept me safe from harm at least-cha." She nodded and attempted a smile at Ren, Furumi, and Mariya.

"I want to hear all about how you defeated him, and what you did with him after. All I remember is waking up here and finding Ren beside me, so I thought I would give him some ministrations-cha." She tapped his nose once more with the ointment, it would sting, but not too bad.
~~My characters~~
Iwagakure Jounin: Kanade Enkouten
Thread Tracker for Kanade (previously Chiaki): viewtopic.php?f=105&t=8345273&p=4197389#p4197389
Kirigakure Genin: Achiyo
Heart Samurai: Kyudo-ite, Kasuri
Sunagakure Genin: Kouseki, Kagayaki
Sunagakure Jounin: Naegi, Aihachi

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Taiga
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Shadows of the Empire

Post by Taiga » Mon May 23, 2022 10:40 am

Mariya had awkwardly stood back to her feet and then promptly walked off. She did not understand her emotions, but she felt awkward. What she was feeling was shame. Shame that she had let her emotions bubble up and shame that in her frustration she had come close to killing the targets- despite the deep intel the two, as now-infamous criminals, probably could provide. For the next few hours, while Furumi took care of Ren and Chiaki, Mariya would keep to herself, keeping watch of their two new prisoners from afar. They'd be tied very thoroughly, gagged, and positioned by Mariya such that they were strongly pacified for their journey back to the village- though if the one who had wielded the bow wasn't treated soon, he might bleed out to death fully.

She couldn't face her teammates, not now, and worse, the dread of what Hayate would think of her when they returned was setting in. He would think them to be nothing but fools who got lucky, she was sure of it. If he was anything like Banri, she'd... she shuddered at the thought. Finally, off in the distance, she heard the sound of something moving quickly- its wings flapping with tremendous power as it released a screech into the air. It was Fuu- Mariya's owl companion, transformed into his spirit beast form.

Fuu had been tailing them for a long time, last Mariya's orders, and likely when the group first got into trouble he had gone to get help from the nearest outpost. Mariya squinted barely making out the color of white flak jackets on the back of Fuu. There was at least 5 kumogakure shinobi. The big bird would land just in time for the others to begin waking up.

Ren would look to Chiaki, beaten to a damn pulp and hold up a thumb, smiling as he winced through the burning and pain. "I knew we could do it." he said with a rather rough voice. Furumi nodded as she looked to the allied forces that had arrived and the massive golden bird. "Honestly, probably should of had your bird just stick with us, Mariya!" she yelled in a jovial, joking voice. Mariya didn't take it as a joke, and felt a little disappointed herself instead, but took it as a sign she should return to the group.

A medical ninja from the reinforcements would go right to treating Ren and Chiaki, after he had stabilized the prisoners just enough that the'd make it to an outpost. Another one of the reinforcement looked at the group in shock.

"These brothers are A-Rank criminals with a massive bounty on them- so I wonder the same thing... how the hell did you kids do it?" he said as he dragged the prisoners over to the group. Another of the reinforcements had put chakra dampening and stasis seals on them, making them effectively living corpses for the time being.

Arriving back the group Mariya would look down to Chikai and Ren.

"Those two took a beating- and in the end it was Chiaki's kawarimi usage that got us the win. It made me think to kawarimi with her to deliver a surprise attack, and well, from there we just overwhelmed him with more things to defend against than he could at one time..."[/color] Mariya said, parting her hair as she sat down next to the team. She'd fall onto her back and lay down, looking up at the sky.

"Took you long enough- Fuu." she said in an angry tone, then chuckled, along with Furumi and Ren.

End Scene.

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