Mission: This mine is my mine!

[Mino]

Mission ScrollShow

C Rank Mission Contract
For 2 Chunin or 1 Jonin
From Hame, Kotoru of Iwagakure no Sato
Requesting Three rather small mining companies have pooled their resources and laid claim to a large deposit of minerals. Ninja are needed to investigate the mine itself to ensure safety, as the crew has reported creatures on lower levels, as a statement to larger companies that they are protected, and to ensure that each company gets an equal share. The proceeds of this mission will be shared with the village (or person) who assists without question.

The Ko, Shu, and Xi companies have all be rather cut-throat competitors for the Country's small-end mining contracts for years. After what one could consider feuding to rival gangs of larger countries for nearly a generation, it was decided a peace gesture was the only thing that could stop these companies from destroying each other, and themselves. When the Natumi mine was found- these three decided that the riches would be enough to sustain them all- and even be the start of a larger alliance. If these three companies can join forces, they would have enough resources (with the success of this score) to rival the major players.

Therein lies the problem.

Who to lead? What shares to give? Will the companies really be able to work together, and also under the radar of the larger, more cut-throat agencies who may interfere? This is why ninja were called to aid. Your contract is a simple one: ensure things are going smoothly. Defeat any monsters impeding progress (and catalog them, if able) protect the workers from both outside and inside threat, and retrieve the minerals untainted.

Good luck.

[Trusted Grader]

Amaya hurried to the meeting place with Wana close by, today they where going to leave the city and help out by some mines. This seems like a diplomatic mission. . Hmm. . I wonder if Akane is a talker. . Hmm. . I wonder if she is even ready for a mission. By the looks of her file it seems like she became a chuunin. . She has my weakness as her strength Amaya frowned as she flipped the page of the file. Damn. . She might be a good ally. . Or a dangerous foe. . Don't think like that

Wana barked as she scurried next to her master. "Yeah, you're right! No time to be stuck in my own head, it's mission time" The Shoshiki jumped up to a roof and then continued one after another until she reached the gate. Reaching it just before the hyena , slid up to the guard, stopped before pulling up a mission file to be allowed to exit the village. Once she took a breathe outside the harsh cold open area the chuunin smiled at her pet then rushed to the meeting place.

"Hope she is there, otherwise we have to wait in this cold weather. And that would be a waste. . Of mission time that is" Amaya tried to talk with her pet but it just ignored her. She was busy focusing on protecting Amaya that she sometimes forgot to listen, like the time they faced a giant lizard. Amaya knew that it wasn't conventional to take care of an exotic beast but she couldn't leave it to die alone out there.

She arrived at the meeting place then either presumed to wait until Akane had turned up or apologized for being late then continued to point out where they going to head. Hopefully this mission would go over as quickly as possible. Once they started moving she would start to talk to Akane. "Shoshiki, Amaya, H.N.K squad leader. I understand that Katashi has set up this little mission for us. That should probably mean that this is most likely your recruit mission. . But before I can allow you to join, you have to prove yourself. Since we are the same rank that shouldn't be a problem", Amaya looked Akane up and down, She can possibly take me down faster than I could set up a defense, although I have fought an Enkouten before. . Ness. . , Amaya smiled as she continued along the way with Wana by her side.

[Willoria]

Naturally, Akane had arrived early, as was her custom. By time Amaya had arrived, she would still be waiting, her hood up and part of her face covered by the wolf's muzzle. She hadn't spoken a word except the incline her head in greeting. As they walked however and Amaya spoke, Akane still didn't seem inclined to speak until the org was mentioned.

Akane tilted her head in the slightest sign of interest before looking over and fixing her orange eyes on Amaya. "I don't recall being contacted about any such organization." Akane replied simply.

Most of Akane's thoughts were kept to herself, she had observed the obvious fact of which clan Amaya came from and was surprised by the presence by the animal, though she had to be slightly impressed by it's presence as well. She didn't see many Shoshiki supplement their weaknesses with such a guardian. It was something she had meant to speak to her good friend Hoten about.

[Mino]

I will take this mission overShow

Please PM me when you've assembled everyone and are going to set out. No rush.

The mine itself was surrounded by three distinct camps, clearly bannered and flagged for each company. Each camp came complete with armed guards, though none of them looked able to handle themselves as well as a shinobi could. The mine workers lolled around, each group with a slightly different uniform displaying their company's symbol.

All camps seemed fairly equal in power, and as of right now no carts hauled anything from the mine, all was quiet on that front. However, what was not quiet at all was a small cleared dirt circle, where many bare-chested men stood (even in this cold) around three fighters.

All three men were pretty bloodied, but none showed signs of stopping. Haymakers, kicks, and strange grappling dominated the three man brawl- all akwardly done in the eyes of two trained shinobi. The men around the circle cheered company names, urging the men to come to some sort of resolution.

Meanwhile, no work was getting done.

[Trusted Grader]

She had no clue what she was talking about, this would mean that she had gotten her Katashi was playing a little prank on her. Damn you old guizer. . , Amaya chuckled as she waved her arms, "Eeeh, sorry. . I thought wrong. . ", and right on time her pet hyena would start laughing, at first the Shoshiki frowned and looked at her for making a fool out of her master, "Hey! Who told you-", but once she turned around she quickly noticed that she had backed up to the mines.

What was her vicious pet laughing at you might ask? A bunch of buffoons fighting over something stupid. Probably, Amaya pushed the men standing in the circle in order to inspect the area, naturally being shorter than the average person made it even harder for Amaya to push through. That plus her Shoshiki curse. "Official ninja business, knock it off gentlemen. .", she stopped once she saw another man without a shirt. "Come on. . Put your shirt back on. . No one wants to see half naked man. .", Amaya said before noticing that no one was listening. Which prompted her to whistle.

This in turn would let the hyena know that she was going to intimidate the miners into listening to her master. So she began barking and running around them in a circle, edging closer and closer until they would either disband or hear Amaya snap her fingers. "People. . Huh? They never seem to understand when you are serious. . ", she would say to Akane as she crossed her arms. Once they would disband she would snap her fingers to soothe the hyena before asking. "Why the hell are you all fighting? And who where is in charge!?". The Shoshiki chuunin had a grin on her face but deep inside she was furious over the childish behavior these grown men have been showing.

[Willoria]

Akane did not say a word, remaining beside Amaya as she watched the Shoshiki try to disrupt the fight. She had been about to intervene until the woman got her animal involved, at which point Akane returned to her normal stillness. Her arms were crossed, her hood still down with part of her face covered by the wolf's visage.

As Amaya spoke to her, Akane simply looked over at the girl before turning her attention back to the group of men. At this point with Amaya jumping in to do all the work of disbanding them, Akane had no reason to speak nor any reason to act.

[Mino]

Reacting to the animal more than the two nin, the group surrounding the men parted: clearly turning their attention toward the two women. Three men stepped forward in unison, scowling at each other as they did so. Kneeling before them in unison as well, the first man spoke: "I am from Xi. I have authority here." Quickly speaking second, another voice popped forward. "I am from Ko. I have authority here." Lastly, the final man stood and smiled warmly. "I am from Shu. You have authority here." This drew the other two to stand angrily- clearly the third showed them up. Both Xu and Ko were getting ready to start a fight, but Shu simply smiled and motioned to the two ninja- it was enough to calm their rage.

Xu shook his head and took a deep breath. Attempting diplomacy, he stated "This is why we called on your organization. There is enough money for all of us. Xu has found this mine, and should take lead. Shu has the most workers, and insists they take lead. Ko has the finest equipment and insists they take lead. We are at an impasse."

Ko waited until Xu was done and spoke: "There are.. monsters in that mine- we can not risk our workers- So we stay out here and fight like dogs because we can not fight what is down there."

Finally, Shu flashed that smile again and stated: "Lastly, we are all too small to keep this hidden for long from larger companies. They have their own workers, muscle.. machinery. If they find out what we are doing.. it will be the end for us." He motioned to his companions, and shook his head. "I agree with Ko. We fight up here, because we are frustrated. There is bad blood between we three, spanning long before this. How can we proceed if we don't trust each other?"

Clearly they were in need of some help.

[Trusted Grader]

Amaya face palmed as the men kept blaberring, her hyena wasn't happy about seeing her master like this neither. But before the exotic animal could growl one man stepped forwards and told her that Amaya was in charge, which prompted her to snap her fingers, "That's correct", then remove her hand from her face. She would now take them serious for the first time, since their first introduction wasn't what she would call professional and if there where something she hated was being unprofessional when there was a job at hand.

"Forget about the monsters, you guys have to shape up! For crying out loud if you guys hire Iwagakure's soldiers to help you out then at least act like adults", Amaya crossed her arms before shaking her head. She didn't want to deal with this drama and bullshit that would insue, frankly she was getting sick and tired of getting back burner missions. Which would either deal with her almost dying of cold, fighting hideous monsters, missing nins or straight up bafoons. She pushed passed the men and started walking towards the main entrance, her hyena would follow suit.

"Akane, deal with the. . Gentlemen. . I'll go and scout a head and see what kind of-", Air quoting, "monsters", sighing, "we are dealing with". With that the Shoshiki would enter the mine, her hyena would dash up front and take lead as she entered deeper. What would she find in her? Probably nothing, scared grown men. . Pfft!, at this point she wasn't afraid, or maybe she was trying to show how mighty she actually was?

[Willoria]

Akane listened to what Amaya had to say and watched her begin to go. "Be careful, don't get into too much trouble without me." she replied in even tones before turning her attention to Wana. "Let something happen to her and I'll skin you into a new pelt." she told the animal, pointing at her cloak made of the wolf pelt. 'Gotta keep the teammate safe, right?' she thought to herself, as if needing to explain her own concern to herself.

She turned her attention back to the men before her, reaching up to pull back her hood and fully revealing her face, her orange eyes, and her hair like fire that was pulled back into a braid. The look on her face was serious with a certain sternness to it, but did what she could to keep her expression from being too dark, lest she frighten the men somehow. "So then, you three." she said, motioning to the three men who had spoken up already. "I am Akane, please, one at a time, I'd like to know just what it is that keeps you three from working together. Each of your groups has the best in one arena of your work, it sounds to be like you'd be the perfect team, so why the tension?"

Akane had never had to play peacekeeper before, but she had a feeling that her ability to hide her temper and push it back for a period of time just might come in handy. So long as they didn't hit one of her sensitive buttons and piss her off.

[Mino]

Amaya

Standing around like scolded children, the men listened without objection to Amaya's critique of them. None so much as batted an eye lash in retort as her tirade lashed all three companies. When she quoted "monsters" however one of the Ko members angrily began to speak, but was shushed by the leader with a gesture.

The said no more, and watched her leave.

The mouth of the cave yawned ominously at her- it was startling just how dark it got so close to the cave's mouth. Carts and railroad tracks littered the entrance, and for the first few yards, all was quiet. The cave itself was enormous- if she knew anything about mining, there was enough of a hint of mineral here to suggest more further down- most of the veins up here were picked clean. Seemed like someone had been working down here at some point- but that obviously wasn't happening anymore. The walls were gouged and slashed- presumably from pick-axes of the crew.

After the first few yards there was a corner to be turned, and beyond there, was nearly impenetrable darkness. She wouldn't be able to see a foot in front of her, it was nearly impossible to discern a path without following the feeling of the tracks underfoot.

Would she continue deeper into the darkness?

---

Akane

"We could have warned her.." Shu was visibly concerned for a moment, but turned his attention from Amaya's walking away to Akane's questions. These Iwa soldiers were no-nonsense, and so he figured the woman wouldn't take kindly to anyone telling her how to do her job. Instead, he would answer questions asked, and do it with a smile, regardless how painful or embarrassing. "The Shu have only one reservation- and that is history. We've all been competitors, Akane-dono. The mistrust is years reinforced by a bloody history."

"We have spilled blood, and been wounded by each other's hand. This is hard to put to rest for the sake of progress. Especially when one demands precedent over the other. Our companies are like warring tribes- we have tried to be dominant for so long, to coordinate our efforts now feels like... " The leader from Xi struggled to find the words, putting his head in his hands.

"...Like turning our backs on our ancestors, who built these companies. As leaders, we have long upheld the convention that we personally would not raise hands.. this means our workers fight with their lives, but in the mine and against their sworn enemies. It has always been."

"And it will always be. That's what we are afraid of." This produced sagely nods from the other two. Their explanation set, the leaders turned to their squadrons of men, giving orders to ready themselves to enter the mine the second it's clear.

"If your friend is as strong as she is strong willed, she won't be bothered by them- my men are not ninja. We've all suffered losses in the past few days, from fighting, and from the mine itself. What is down there.. " He shuttered.

By this time, 90% of the men begin the process of loading their equipment into their carts and preparing to set out. Seeing that their men began to move, the three glanced toward each other and sighed. "Who will lead us?"

[Trusted Grader]

Darkness wasn't something Amaya was afraid of, no not after the two missions she had previously gone on. Where she basically threw herself into the action just to regain Iwagakure's respect, and she was making good progress, so now "monster" would stop her from achieving what she had been struggling to get for so long. "Don't worry I've got my pet, right Wana?", she looked over her shoulder before continuing into the maw of the cave. She waved for Akane before disappearing.

Wana on the other hand laughed at Akane's threat, as if she understood what she had said, before shaking it's head then mad dash to her master. She wasn't going to let Amaya get injured, otherwise she would be turned into pelt. Yikes. "Welcome to my new crib Wana", said the chuunin half jokingly, trying to cut the tension as she continued deeper into the mine. It was clear that they had once been working here and left in a hurry. As she could tell by the sloppy lighting, this cave was funded by lower budget and she could tell.

It wouldn't take long until she reached the end of the road, or at least the part that was lit. "I guess we have to be careful from here on out", started forming a set of hand seals before spewing out large amount of glass, she continued for a little bit before starting to shape them into mirrors. She would place the mirrors in the position use the light to reflect down the dark path before she would head into the darkness. Placing them along the way so that it would not only lead her back but bounce light forward to reveal her path.

"Nifty right?", her hyena ignored her before continuing before her. I guess my skills don't amaze you anymore Wana, your getting older. . , Amaya sighed as she shook her head.

---

JutsuShow

~[Glass Element • Mirror Creation]
D-Rank Ninjutsu
After forming the needed hand seals and flooding a nearby piece of glass with chakra, the user will cause it to have reflective properties, much like a mirror. This may only be used on glass within 5 meters of the user.

~[Glass Element • Glass Creation]
C-Rank Ninjutsu
After forming the needed hand seals and flooding their mouth with chakra, the user will begin to create molten glass. The glass may then be spit out and formed over the next post as it cools and hardens. This technique makes enough glass to cover the user's body.

[Willoria]

Akane sighed as the men spoke. The story they told was not unfamiliar, especially to a hunter, and most especially to a ninja. "You're not alone in your story. Do you know how many clans and families are within a ninja village? At one time we were all enemies and yet now tied together under a single banner and expected to behave. My family, and Amaya-chan's family, as example, are polar opposites. If I wanted to take her down in a single move, I could, simply because my abilities allow for it." she began, looking at each of the three men in turn.

"Trust is hard to have after blood, so don't trust. But that does not mean you cannot work together and as a team. Each of you excel in different areas, the only thing you need to trust is your knowledge that the others excel in that area. You three need to lead your men together, if you three can work together, than so can your men."

Akane looked around at the men as they moved and they fidgeted. "These men don't need leadership from one, they need leadership from a team, they need all three of you."

[Mino]

Amaya

The glass creation jutsu successfully stretched what little light there was, providing a dusky cast to the cave systems. Sparkling walls also aided the strained light along- allowing her to go deeper into the recesses of the mine. The majority of the walls were stripped decently well of major deposits of ore, gouges in the framework of the mine suggested that the best pieces of the mine were already picked through. As she went deeper, the gouges that were on the walls also appeared more consistently on the floor and ceiling as well.

It was then she heard a shuffling. It sounded like movement- a grating of claws against rock, the gnashing of sharp teeth. The workers were not lying: something or somethings drove them from the deeper parts of the mine. Maybe a better descriptive word for this place was a lair. Echoes made it difficult for her natural hearing ability to discern how many were in the area, once she heard it, it seemed to come from all around her though the thin light source revealed nothing in her immediate area.

---

"She speaks the truth. We can handle the expenses and spoils of this work equally. We need each other. I need you both." He spread his hands, a gesture of compromise. "If we can't come together here, we might as well leave this for the larger companies to find- and hang up our claim."

It was then, as if summoned, the larger company presence was felt.

A man came darting toward the group of four, leaders and ninja together. He was clearly bloodied and out of breath. "Sirs, the south perimeter guard has fallen. We have been infiltrated! A group of men fell upon us- we had no chance. They are coming this way! I've only escaped because I was sent to warn as soon as they were spotted- but the way they moved, they could have snuck up on us without a problem.. they wanted to be seen. Your orders!?"

The three men visibly fought to stay calm and directed their gaze at the ninja, clearly deferring to her judgement on this.

[Trusted Grader]

Amaya could clearly hear that there where something in the dark, but at the same time couldn't see them. Her pet had no problem picking up their scent, although it had no clue what the hell they where dealing with anyway. All she could tell from her hyena's growling was that there was something bad out there. This is the first time I see her act this way, she took a step back before forming a set of hand seals that would enhance her smelling. Hopefully she would be able to pick up their scent, she formed another set of hand seals once she finished.

She released molten glass from her pores, which quickly shaped into her senbon shooter, Amaya narrowed her eyes before taking a whiff. "What do you think it could be?", Amaya took a look around the cave before she started to take another step back. This place doesn't smell like the rest of the mine, this. . Is a natural cave? Shit, Amaya had been in other monster filled caves before but this one, was different.

She didn't have infinite senbons but would not be afraid of attacking whatever was out there if they stepped into her sight. I wonder if they need to go this deep in the cave, otherwise i can seal this place off. . Damn! I wonder If Akane has settled the stressed men?, as if she had time to think about what other people where doing, not now. She had to stay focused, Amaya shook her head to snap out of her thoughts. There simply weren't enough time to think about someone else.

---

JutsuShow

-:-Because you can smell it.
D-Rank Ninjutsu
Amaya forms a set of hand seals, then focuses chakra on to her nose. This will grant her the ability to pick up smells where she could not before, this works well for both hunting and for times when the ninjas eye sight is blocked. This jutsu allows her to be able to pick up smells that are not older than four posts up to fifty yards, this jutsu holds for as long as the ninja has chakra but if this jutsu is canceled this jutsu would need two posts cool down.

-:-Garaton • Zenpaku Itu v.2 [Glass Element • Forearm Shooter v.2]
C-Ranked Ninjutsu
After forming a set of hand seals, Amaya start to produce molten glass from her forearm. Either from left or right arm, the glass is half an inch thick and able to shoot glass senbons at speed of six. This jutsu will last for four posts or until she shoots eighteen senbons, she is able to shoot six at the time.

*Sighting
D-Rank Taijutsu
Prerequisite: Wit 4
After many hours of training with ranged weaponry, the user is much better able to estimate distances and track moving targets in hectic situations. Such assessments become completely instinctive, allowing the user to change targets seemlessly without losing time between attacks. This technique forms the basis for many of the other techniques in this style.

[Willoria]

Akane's sigh sounded more like a low growl as the men turned towards her for guidance. She immediately started walking the direction the man had come to get a good look at this foe. "Tell me everything." she demanded of the man, her orange eyes like fire as she fixed them on her destination. "I need a good view of what's happening. What tactics did you notice? And was there a clear leader in the group?"

Ninja or not, Akane couldn't take on too large of a group solo, but if she knew who the leader was, she could take him captive or make example of him in the interest of stopping the rest either by killing their morale or pure intimidation. Either way, this was what she'd have to deal with quickly. The men were just about ready to compromise, and now this. She needed to bring this 'attack' to an end if the men were going to work together at all.

[Mino]

Amaya

The cavern in which she stood was fairly large, making the noises of gnashing and crumbling seem like they were coming from everywhere. In the dim light that her mirrors afforded her she could make out shapes easily, but colors were not apparent. These shapes were low to the ground, akin to the size of her Hyena. There were groups of them, no less than 3 to a group, all standing around a mineral deposit. She could see 3 groups in the room so far- but she couldn't see the entire room.

Luckily these creatures were distracted, as it seemed each group was crowded around something and from what she could tell, eating. The gnashing of claws and teeth were against rock. The mineral deposits were being eaten!

---

Akane

"They were warriors- more skilled then we are.. probably mercs from one of the large companies. They came out of the brush quickly. They demanded that we leave. We refused. They attacked us without mercy. They fought with blades, fists.. some used powers I've never seen before. It just happened so fast.. As soon as the fighting started, I ran to tell you. To warn you."

Assuming the men were delayed at all by the fight with the guard, Akane didn't have much time to come up with a combat strategy. The men looked weary and afraid, but none spoke. If any voiced complaints or concerns, they risked loosing power in the group- losing face here could mean that one mining company became subservient of the other two. They did their best, putting on a brave face.

[Trusted Grader]

Amaya was getting furious, she didn't like to feel that she was out of control. It all reminded her too much about the previous mission, truth be told she hadn't fully recovered from the traumatizing experience which had gained her a new phobia. Herpetophobia. A shiver went down her spine before she looked at her heyna then nodded. She signaled her companion to bite one of the dark shades and pull it back. "Go!", she would shout as Wana would pull whatever it was with all of her strength, if it was light they would dash closer to the light source to first find out what it was and secondly staying this deep in the cave was starting to creep Amaya out.

She could feel her stomach rumble before taking a gulp, she wanted to kill whatever was causing trouble but stepping into totall darkness was just suicidal, a point in life she had yet reached but always been so close to entering. This is the fourth time I have done something risky. . What does this say about me, for a medic she was kind of head strong, which may seem like strong leader properties but truth be told it was not.

[Willoria]

Akane hated delays such as this, and she especially hated dealing with assholes and right now she felt surrounded by them. "Shout down the cave and let Amaya know. I don't know what she's facing in there but if this threat is the worst of the two I'm sure she'll come to aid." she told the man. "But do not step into the cave after her! Your voice will echo and I won't have you placing yourself at risk or risking her by distracting her too much." Akane was not a strategist by any means, she was not so much into battle tactics as she was into hunting.

So she'd have to go at this like a hunter.

"Time to say hello." Akane snarled, reaching up and pulling her hood up over her head once more. To any who viewed her now, her face would barely be visible within the shadows of the wolf's visage, only her bright orange eyes showed in the face of the wolf whose pelt now comprised her cloak. Immediately Akane started striding towards the fight. "Run ahead! Intimidation will be necessary here. I want ALL the men to part down the middle to make way for me and step back. I want your mean to treat me as if I am Rage herself come among them!"

On the outside Akane was confidence and rage, on the outside she would be seen as strong and knowing she could tear these men apart with her bear hands.

In the inside she was begging whatever gods may be that this would work. At the very least, get her an audience with the enemy leader.

[Mino]

Amaya

The squeal that erupted was near deafening, echoing off the walls and nearly shattering the glass Amaya had conjured. However the hyena would not be deterred, and before long, she emerged from the darkness, tugging along a rather mediocre looking reptile. It was brown, but had a silver tint to its scales, and it was a bit smaller than Wana but it's claws and teeth seemed more than adequate. Wana had expertly handled the snatch, grabbing the lizard behind the neck and tugging it back to Amaya to view.

In other circumstances the little guy might have been cute: it was blind, of course- and the screech was purely Defensive. It did not put up a fight, merely tried to wiggle from the hyena's jaws, and squeal.

It was at that time, after the second set of squeals, Amaya would note the stark contrast: the ear shattering screech followed by a heavy silence. She could hear her heart beat, in her ears- hear Wana's paws against the stone floor- but the gnashing of teeth stopped and the feeling of being watched took hold over the ninja.

The little lizard squirmed and squirmed, but to no avail. Wana didn't crush it, merely trapped it and awaited orders. A yell came down the mineshaft, explaining the situation outside. Amaya had a choice to make. Deal with the creature- or go assist with the outside problem.

As that yell echoed down deeper into the Cavern- a rumbling answered it: something from the depths was coming. The rumbling got a bit louder as time elapsed, and the screeching resumed- not echoed by all the lizards in the area. It was simply devastating to the ears, even Wana whined and covered her head as the noise intensified.

The little lizards were calling to something.

And it was about to answer.

---

Akane

Within minutes, the group was lined up as they were ordered. Into a clearing not too far from the mouth of the mine, four men sauntered out of the brush, steady eyes swiveling to take in the scenery. They were garbed in gear befitting a ninja, however they wore no sign or mark of a Hidden Village. Akane's keen eye could pick one of the four who formally trained- the others were fighting men, but lacking military precision. They sauntered on the scene with the swagger of triumphant men, men who'd soundly defeated a foe and had no fear.

This was until they saw the procession.

Hastily reforming ranks, the four walked two by two: seeing the workers lined up but not aggressive. The leader stood before the front of the line and watched Akane approach. Her visage hidden by the wolf's maw- her bright eyes conveying a sense of wilderness, and perhaps even a hint of feral aggression. They remained tense, but inactive awaiting her words.

[Trusted Grader]

Amaya couldn't believe her eyes, No! It's not possible! NO!, the Shoshiki closed her eyes but could still smell the small beast. Phantom pain started to creep back to her, she felt her right arm twitching and shaking as a light headache started to "poison" her mind. You see, Amaya suffers from Herpetophobia, which basically means that she is afraid of Lizards and these bastards where larger than your averaged sized ones. No, no, no go away!, she shook her head before hearing how wimpy it sounded next to Wana. Who was excited that she had captured a foe but equally confused over her masters behavior. The hyena made sure to yank its head left and right to hit her master with the lizard to force Amaya to take control of the situation, for her life might depend on it.

With a gulp and a minor pain to the shin, thanks to her wonderful beast, the Shoshiki was back in action. "Your right!", she said before nodding. But whatever courage she had mustered up disappeared as she heard the ear deafening screech that responded from the depths of hell. Her head quickly turned but her body stopped functioning, Wana on the other hand started growling before trying to bury her head in her foe to mute the sound. She was still pissed though, the hyena not the master. She was still in shock. No! Not another monster, no I can't do this again, not alone! Not without Jinsei, Amarante or Ishi. I am all alone deep in the caves of he-, she reached to grab her head but a human voice came through her thoughts. A voice that warned her that something else was here to destroy them.

AKANE!, Amaya woke up, she realized that even if she feared for her life it wouldn't be fair to unleash this beast upon her comrade. No, she was going to stop it. Wana knew what was going to happen, she could read her masters body language, so she pulled the lizard back and stayed behind her master. With a quick set of hand seals the ninja spewed out molten glass that would cling to the floor and walls. Acting like makeshift glass caltrops, some shards where small but others where large enough to pierce an elephant. She would cover ten yards ahead of her and the molten glass would be able to provide minimum light. Hopefully she would be able to see ten meters ahead of her, to see if there where other small ones, because the big one was coming. She could feel it.

Amaya formed another set of hand seals, she took a look around and realized that she wouldn't be able to use the next one completely but should be enough. She hoped, Amaya finished the set with a clap before turning sideways with her left facing front. She raised her arm as molten glass would escape from her pores, creating a makeshift skeleton glass arm as large as Amaya, which provide some very needed last minute light. The skeleton arm came with it's very own "senbon" shooters, if senbons where 1 foot long. But it was only equipped with four shots, which meant that if she wanted to kill it she would have to aim. But then she thought about other alternatives, which prompted her to reach with for the lizard being pinned down by Wana, then grab the area where it was bitten. She applied pressure while Wana let go. Amaya signaled for Wana to rush out and see what's happening on the outside, hopefully Akane was still safe.

---

JutsuShow

-:-[Glass Element • Greater Caltrop Field]
C-Ranked Ninjutsu
After forming the needed hand seals and focusing chakra to her mouth, the Amaya will form molten glass. This glass is not as thick as most of the other glass that is made, and can be spewed out in a spray, landing on the ground across a ten meter radius. Once the glass has landed, it will harden into shards of glass shaped into caltrops. This can then be dangerous for people to walk on, causing their feet and shoes to be cut.

-:- Garaton • Tsuwamono no Megami [Glass Element • Warrior of the Goddess]
B-Ranked Ninjutsu
Prerequisite:Garaton • Senshuken no Megami [Glass Element • Champion of the Goddess]
This is an improvement of the glass armor jutsu. Amaya forms a few hand seals then ending with a clap, holding it for a second. Then Amaya forces out a large amount of molten glass from her skin, then it suddenly appears as a coating around her entire body. Covering the outside of the Goddess arming, granting it two skeleton arms made out of glass. Wielding a sword on the right and a senbon shooter on the left, fitted for its size. Shooting out 1 foot spears, although it only has four. They fly at the speed of 8. The blade is six feet long, one foot wide. Each arm move at the speed of [Ninjutsu + Control]½ up to the speed of ten. When struck with a strength of seven or greater, it will break at the point of impact, allowing whatever struck it to go through. If the arms are struck by flesh, however, the broken glass is more than capable of shredding flesh on the way through, doing even more damage if attempted to be removed. The armor follows Amaya's movement but it uses a lot of chakra so this jutsu auto cancels after average of Ninjutsu and Stamina in posts. Although using this jutsu comes with a price, it slows Amaya down by -1 speed.

[Willoria]

OOCShow

Just because it's what's playing while I post. xD
http://youtu.be/EFLCvL4PXcE

Akane walked with her shoulders tense, her entire body half ready to leap on the first person she saw, all the convey the building rage within, the rage she would let show in these moments. "HOW DARE YOU?!" she bellowed, snarling and spitting out the words in an animalistic rage. She let herself be like the very animals she hunted every day, allowing her rage to exude from her very being that others might think she was liable to leap for their throats at every moment to rip them apart with her teeth and leave them bleeding.

As she strode towards the group, her orange eyes alight like fire, she watched each and every enemy carefully. She had to know who was bold, and just how good this leader was. How would they react? As of yet she refrained from showing her Youton, or her red hair, in case this man had any kind of information on ninja villages. But what she did do was she lifted her bow and just barely it rest upon her elbow before the obsidian arrow flew. She did not aim to kill, she did not aim to maim, her only aim was for it to barely miss the leader. If he did not move, it would barely scratch his cheek, a warning, and his reaction would tell her more than most words could about this man.

"Just who the hell do you think you are?! she bellowed, hoping to install a fear into her enemy, but if that didn't work, she could always make one of them die screaming as an example to the rest.

Jutsu UsedShow

*Prediction Shot
C-Rank Taijutsu
Prerequisite: Sighting
Relying on the ability to discern distance and track targets, the user makes a ranged attack on a moving target. Assuming that the target's speed and direction remain the same, shots made with this technique "lead" the correct amount to almost certainly strike true.

[Mino]

Amaya




The rumblings increased in volume and soon, a rather large lizard burst out of the darkness screeching an incredibly foul-toned screech, that vibrated Amaya's very core. It's eyes were non-existent, having never developed in the darkness. It's mouth was a collection of jagged, rock chewing teeth, its claws gouged deep into the cave floor as it stepped. It was a hulking creature, unable to really navigate the small caves in distress- and it looked as though it were in great distress. The rumbling didn't come from it's feet as much as it came from the great, swaying tail that knocked into walls as it scurried to see what it's offspring screamed about. It'd done this more than once recently, as strange fauna invaded their homes, and stole their food. The lizard bellowed once more, an ear shattering thing, perhaps a challenge to Amaya. It stopped pointedly short of the glass trappings laid on the ground- bowing its head to sniff at one before turning it's head and biting down, crushing the glass in it's powerful jaws. Could it be the strange fauna was trying to feed it?

---

Akane

The men took in the visage of the Enkouten and visibly shook. The visage of the wolf working exactly as it was meant- three of the four men shifted uncomfortably, though they attempted to hold their ground. The leader didn't flinch. That's how Akane knew he was in charge. He was the only one trained to deal with this situation, and diplomacy wasn't exactly part of his skill set. His eyes didn't waver as the arrow was loosed- his men however, dove pointedly out of the way, curse-words and shouts breaking the silence after Ren's aggressive action.

It was a funny thing that happened, then.

The leader's face tightened, and a small piece of metal glinted from his right palm. It was quite obviously a projectile of sorts, though it was hard to determine what exactly perhaps senbon? The motion wasted no effort- it was a quick release expertly target.

The glint of metal caught light right before they sunk into his three subordinates, hitting vital areas without fail. The men, surprised by the betrayal had no chance to defend themselves. They died without a word- perhaps a gurgle from a man was all these poor creatures were afforded.

Turning back to Akane, the man spoke simply. "I am a man, who does not tolerate weakness." This visibly shook the men standing with Ren, causing the newcomer to smirk. "Do you speak for these workers? This contract will be taken over by my employer. Will they step aside, or be pushed?" His voice grated at that last, issuing a challenge to Akane.

[Trusted Grader]

Amaya was once again cast into shock once she saw how big the actual beast was, but once she figured out that it didn't have any eyes she exhaled. At least we have that, I cannot deal with a perfect predator again, her confidence surged once again as she readied herself to shoot the beast but stopped once it started eating her glass. What the frick!? How is. . What is!? Damn this is bad!, Amaya panicked before shooting the beast in it's right leg twice. Hoping to wound it in order to slow it's running speed.

She let go of the lizard before smearing it's blood on her vest, Hope this works! Because IT IS TIME TO MOVE!, Amaya started dashing towards the only light source. Meanwhile Wana would dash out of the cave maw, it barked loud before turning around and started whooping a sound Akane hadn't heard before, and the fact that this wild animal had her back turned against the antagonist would be a sign that whatever is in there seemed bad. Wana did not feel comfortable being away from her master as those roars sounded like it belonged to a monster.

Amaya dashed for dear life, skipped and jumped over anything that was would prevent her from making her way towards the exit. Hope nothing will stop me, she knew that the glass arm would slow her down and that the exit wasn't exactly close, This is not how I die!, Amaya made sure to keep an eye out on the monster, unless she wanted to die.

[Willoria]

Akane crossed her arms as she stared at the man, not reacting to his murder of his own men. It was something that wasn't unheard of, especially from someone who obviously was capable of brutality. "Neither." she snarled. "You want this contract? Then you'll have to get past me to do it." She had intended to take the man on, to duel him then and there but then she heard Wana's call, and found herself conflicted. If things within the mine were that dire, she would have to end this fast.

She couldn't give him a chance to even accept this duel.

She formed the seals quickly and made a spitting motion, resulting in the Youton wave she hoped would immediately destroy her target. She didn't have time for him and needed to get back to Amaya as quickly as possible

Jutsu usedShow

*Youton • Molten Sheet Technique
D-rank Felsic Ninjutsu
Performing several hand seals and then making a 'spitting' motion the user creates a 4 speed burst of 2 strength lava in the shape of a one foot wide, six inch tall wave that arcs over twenty feet. Lava rains down on the target area but also splatters down on everything below it, completely saturating the area in the molten earth and burning anything it touches almost immediately with first degree burns, everything within a few feet of the lava suffering scalding pain. The lava hardens after one post into brittle obsidian and rock.

[Mino]

Amaya

SpoilerShow

Str: 8 Sta: 10 Nin: 1 Gen 1 Tai 5 Speed 6 wit 2

The smaller creatures moved behind the larger, cowering instinctively. They too, ate the glass Amaya left on the floor with little difficulty. Not that the female nin would see any of that, with her running. The bellowing of the large lizard followed her as she ran from the cave, trying desperately to make it out unharmed. So far, nothing was chasing her but those pounding sonic waves coming from the beast within the darkness of the Mine. As she created distance, the bellows got quieter, until she burst from the cave, to behold what was happening aboveground. (Amaya will enter at the end of Akane's post)

---

Akane


The man arched an eyebrow and jumped back as soon as her lips puckered to spit- though he didn't think she possessed such a powerful technique. He tossed a few senbon at her that were eaten by the traveling lava, and decided momentary retreat was the best option. Continuing to withdraw, he cursed and spoke. "This isn't over yet, Lava Girl. You'll have to enter that mine sometime.. and when you're focused there... "

SpoilerShow

Wana's exit from the cave was perfectly timed, startling the nin into turning his attention to her. He loosed a needle in her direction thinking she was more of a threat that she really was, and that was Akane's opening.

[Trusted Grader]

Amaya kept running to the point where she could see the light, once she broke out from the darkness she would toss herself on the ground next to Wana. Curling up during the process. "No, no, no more", her giant glass arm tried to push her up but Amaya's body didn't want to stand up. Her entire body was shaking, it seems like that momentarily bravery would soon fade. Wana pushed Amaya with her head, she wanted her master to rise to her feet.

"I. . I. . I can't. . ", she covered her head in shame before continuing to shake violently, Wana whooped before gazing over at Akane to see if she needed assistance. Just because her master was acting like a coward it wouldn't mean that this brave animal would act the same. If Akane needed assistance then she would work in unision to not only avoid the lava but try to create an opening for Akane to take that bastard out so they could figure out what to do about the monster inside the cave.

[Willoria]

Akane could hear Amaya, but she also saw her chance against her target and took advantage of it immediately. She brought her crossbow up and fired, aiming for the man's heart as she hoped to end him here and now. It wouldn't be until he dropped, if he did, that she would rush back to Amaya's side to check on the Shoshiki.

Jutsu UsedShow

*Sighting
D-Rank Taijutsu
Prerequisite: Wit 4
After many hours of training with ranged weaponry, the user is much better able to estimate distances and track moving targets in hectic situations. Such assessments become completely instinctive, allowing the user to change targets seemlessly without losing time between attacks. This technique forms the basis for many of the other techniques in this style.

[Mino]

The man's attention was taken just long enough for him to fall to Akane's shot. He did react to the crossbow being drawn, but it was too late: the bolt sunk into his chest and with a gurgle, he went down.

The other men let out a cheer as Akane had, in their eyes, done the impossible. She felled a mercenary of a larger corporation with a single shot. Some of them hugged each other, some dropped to their knees, finally exhausting their resolve just standing in the presence of powerful people.

The duo had time to regroup, and possibly discuss the challenge that awaited them. How would they tackle the problem facing them in the depths of the mine?
Amaya would notice that the bellowing she heard down below was faint and nearly inaudible here.

[Trusted Grader]

Amaya continued to twist and turn, she was stuck in a psychosis state, her glass arm tried to push her up but her body refused to stand up. Meanwhile her pet Wana was excited that Akane was strong enough to take down a foe. It was showing good progress in the beasts eyes, she even snuggled up against Akane until her attention returned to Amaya. She whooped and then looked at Akane before whooping again.

[Willoria]

Akane took no time to celebrate, as Wana seemed to show affection, Akane rest a gentle hand on the animal's head. But her concern now was Amaya. "Get up!" If she had to, she'd force Amaya to her feet, moving to cup the girl's face make her look at her. "Come on, Amaya. We're almost done here. You cannot show this weakness in front of these men. Fight now, fall apart later." she told her.

Akane was not accustomed to comforting anyone, and this was no exception. She took one hand and pushed her hood back. "I'm going in that cave, Amaya. Are you going to come with me?"

[Trusted Grader]

Amaya was forced up to her knees but her eyes where disconnected from her brain. She saw nothing and couldn't hear nothing at the moment. She was terrified from the depths withing her heart, her fragile glass shard that beat the blood around her system had shattered and her minds shared the pieces. She was lost, a ghost of her former self.

[Willoria]

Akane wasn't getting through to her, and she desperately needed to. She glanced over at Wana and then at the cave, knowing she'd have to go alone at this rate. But she wasn't willing to give up on Amaya just yet.

She barely knew this girl, but she remembered something her brother once did to get a teammate to snap out of a similar situation. She remembered him saying it was awkward as hell afterwards, but if it worked, why not?

Akane's hands were on either side of Amaya's face, and suddenly the girl leaned forward and kissed Amaya on the lips, pulling back and staring at her as she waited to see if it worked.

[Trusted Grader]

Amaya was lost in transaction, Why am I being pulled back into the mirror of reality? What's keeping me here?, she could see herself standing in her minds eye. She was standing in front of a mirror that reflected Akane, it was the only thing standing in front of her. She hadn't really seen this girl for long but there was still something. So when she kissed Amaya, it prompted the Shoshiki to slowly wake up out of her comatose, without control the Shoshiki would also pull Akane closer as she responded the kiss, but after a couple of seconds the Shoshiki would wake up by the cheers from the perverted men.

"WHAT THE!?", Amaya pushed away with the glass arm before scratching the back of her neck as her face turned tomato red. "I-I-I mean what was that fo-oor?", Amaya then heard some minor echo from the cave, she quickly turned around before swallowing her cowardice. "What ever that was we can deal with it later. . ", Amaya shook her head, what had really happen?

[Willoria]

Akane couldn't help laughing out loud at Amaya's reaction as the Enkouten stood and reached out a hand to offer Amaya a helping hand to her feet. "Let's go then." Akane said, turning and leading the way towards the cave.

Hopefully Amaya was following because Akane wasn't about to miss a beat. She wanted to kill this thing and sort this out already. But it was at the entrance she paused and waved to one of the leaders of the miners. "Question before I go in there, will lava cause damage to what you're trying to mine out of here?"

She needed to know if her jutsu was going to cause more damage than good in here.

[Mino]

The men were flabbergasted twice. First at Amaya's entrance, her unsure nature- her start terror: but moreover at Akane's reaction. Ninja.. just didn't.. do that!

Some men grunted appreciatively, others averted their gaze, fearful that by just noticing this intimate moment was enough to sign their death warrants. Shu was the only one who didn't miss a beat, answering her question without pause. "My men haven't tested melting points, but I don't think Lava inside the mine is a good idea. If it pools around the wrong areas.. it can mess with the entire mine's integrity. If it catches the supports on fire..." It was a risky move, using lava in the mine without a way to control it. Knowing that the mine slopes down, it would be difficult to ensure that the lava remained wherever it was spat out, and that it would not collect or pool in certain areas. However, lava in any situation had it's advantages...

The bellowing got a little louder, and something deep within the earth shook. It was a slight rumble to those standing near the mouth of the mine, but it suggested something much more foreboding down below. What would the duo do?

[Trusted Grader]

Amaya cancelled her jutsu as it had started to drain her stamina before turning towards Akane, "This time we will get the monster. . Be weary though. . I saw It eat my glass". This got the Shoshiki to think, what if she truly just was a burden? She wiped the tears from her face before snapping her fingers. Her beloved Wana ran up to her leg before she pet it. "Sorry about earlier. . I don't know what that was", Amaya shrugged before the hyena ran next to Akane. "What? Why!?", Amaya shook her head before cursing "Damn dog" under her breathe. She then entered the mine first and would continue until they where close to the darkness or close enough to hear the monster.

[Willoria]

Akane thanked the man, unable to contain her smile as she turned to follow Amaya and Wana ran up beside her. She pet the animal on the head a moment before prepping her crossbow with another arrow and heading inside with Amaya. "So it eats glass... is it armored?" she asked the Shoshiki girl quietly.

Akane was hoping at this point that she could take the beast down without her Lava, especially after what she'd been told by one of the miners, but she also knew that she might not have that luxury.

[Mino]

The mining companies were unsure as to what to do, so rather than stand around like fools, they began to ready themselves for an excursion down into the depths of the mine. The Ninja would go and clear out what was down there, and once that was done, they'd have little time to lay claim to the mine before whoever set the assassin was alerted of the failure and decided to try again.

This meant they'd have to be ready. There was no aruging or bickering as they readied themselves, there was even some light banter between companies as they adjusted their protcols to make it easier for more knowledgable pieces of the alliance to do what they did best. It was all rather harmonious.

However, as peaceful as it seemed outside of the mine-

the Earth shook once more around the entrance, and a bellowing came closer to the cave mouth. Whatever it was Amaya had shot- was free.. and angry.

[Trusted Grader]

Amaya shrugged before taking a deep breathe, she didn't know if she truly had the confidence to face her fears but ultimately knew that she wouldn't let anything bad happen to Akane. Especially if it where to be her fault. She took another deep breathe before continuing down the dark path. "Yeah, it ate my glass but I can't tell you if it's armored or not. We could use your lava as a way to light the way or burn this fuckers feet off. . ", Amaya sighed, she didn't really believed that her glass would be able to damage her foes but in the end they would kill anything that would stand in their way. Especially if they worked together.

[Willoria]

Akane wrinkled her nose at the statement. "My lava might have a glow to it, but it's not enough to light our way." she replied, knowing that the small glow from her lava really wouldn't be enough, and besides, there was something else to consider. "And I'll have to be careful, my lava could destroy whatever it is they're after here in the mines. If we kill the beast but destroy the mine, our mission is still a complete failure."

Akane would make her way slowly and carefully, knowing that if they got too far she'd have to use a lava technique anyway, if only to get what little light she could from it to see their opponent.

She could certainly hear it well enough.