[SSM] Revenge against the Heartless

[Trusted Grader]

For our country and OUR people!
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The sun had recently risen over Kirigakure no Sato, the morning dew was still fresh and the scent that the mist spread was as powerful as ever, though today he was certain that the scent of blood in the near future be the dominant odour. Yuuto didn't know whether he should tell his father that he had been summoned or go about his business on his own for he knew that if he declined a mission then his father would make sure that he would remember that day.

Yuuto was running between the tree lines before he leaped up on to one of the branches and stopped and crouched down, a sigh wanted to leave his breath but he knew that today wasn't going to be one of those days were he would complain, no, he had been directly contacted to save people, Yuuto was needed, and that was more than enough for him to put his life on the line.

He performed a front flip and landed on the beach before pushing off on top of the water and out towards 'Ocha Provinence, he knew the direct path towards it as his father had taken him on countless trips around the borders of Water country, even the new ones that for some reason was being tested. See, what Yuuto didn't know was the reason why someone would attempt to take what wasn't theirs, which was ironic because when Water country expanded he made sure to not interfere in global politics, but when it came to taking what was theirs and causing mass refugee spikes, well, then the situation was different.

Yuuto cared little for border disputes but would certainly get involved when lives were at stake, so from the perspective of the pacifist, the Shogun Fuhen was the tyrant, which was yet another ironic thought pattern that ran through his mind, for only if he knew of the actions his father had performed or even worse, if he knew who his mother was, then he'd probably view the Shogun with a different mindset. Nevertheless, he wasn't having it, the Seven Swordsman prospect wasn't going to let innocent people down!

So with Judgement and Amendment strapped to his hips, he would rush up the beach and back on to the branches, he knew that if Mondai had accepted the mission then he would meet him ahead, where they would discuss how they continued the mission, seeing as he was just a dagger and his brother in arm was a full fledged Swordsmen member, but if Yuuto had been left to his own devices then he'd still make sure to rescue as many people as he possibly could.

[Mre-face]

Mondai received a scroll through his window. It seemed that war was at the brink again. A border dispute by the tyrant of Heart empire, The grand shogun known as Fuhen had decided to attack territory of the Bloody mist. Mondai knew better than anyone the tyranny that Kirigakure was capable off, which he thought was slightly hypocritical regardless Mondai owed his life to Kirigakure even if he was untouchable and treated unfairly especially after his contributions to the war he was still honor bound to defend his country. He was raised here, he became strong he could feed his family, he was still grateful what he was granted. The lowest ranking swordsman grabbed his massive blade, strapped it onto his back, grabbed his family sword and shield hugged his sister and mother at the door and got ready to get to work.

Earlier they had to meet with the Headhunter division Captain for mission briefing, a ruthless bunch he viewed as his rivals. The mission was to "engage in sabotage operations to seek out and destroy enemy supply lines and camps. Deny the enemy the resources—medical and food supplies, materials, weapons, transport and support staff, et cetera" Seemed simple enough Mondai was a deadly swordsman of bloody mist, Samurai he could deal with it wouldn't be the first time either. Mondai fought in many battles as a solider in the great war. His shield style gave him an advantage as his style was uncommon, and it also helped that Mondai were strong and deadly in battles. He was still weaker than he should be... He was struggling to pick his habit back up to train consistently, it was honestly quite pathetic. How could he let this get to this point? At this point, the daggers would surpass him, which his pride could never accept.

As he made his way towards the beach, onwards towards he had discussed with his dagger and more importantly best friend son of Shiv and an unknown mother. Karagata, Yuuto all he knew was that they were to discuss it was likely that their missions differed slightly. Regardless, Mondai had Yuuto under his personal supervision.

[Trusted Grader]

As planned, Mondai would arrive ahead of Yuuto so when he leapt down from the tree canopy it wouldn't come as a massive surprise for Mondai, but just incase the young man was jumpy, he would whistle before leaping. Yuuto landed in a three point stand before he pushed himself off the ground, his eyes were still on the ground as he thought hard for himself, he wasn't sure what to feel about this mission save for his single focus on saving people, yet he wasn't certain his brother in arm would be given the same mission as they weren't the same rank, in fact they hadn't been given the same briefing, yet they both received the same temporary seals.

"I don't know what your mission assignment is, but, I have this gut feeling that we aren't going to be doing the same task, huh? ... I was given a rescue mission where I should focus on making sure that the refugees are safe... You... With your weapons, skill and rank must have been given a different task." Yuuto's eyes slowly moved up from the sandy beaches to meet Mondai's, he wasn't sure what the right move would be because he could careless about stopping Heart empire, especially when lives were at stake, yet he knew that stopping them would create far less refugees, which was the catch 22.

Yuuto hated combat but he wouldn't shy away from doing his best to stop others from hurting people, it was just when it came to choosing between saving and harming he would nearly always choose saving, unless he was convinced otherwise.

[Mre-face]

Mondai thought Yuuto would arrive ahead of him, but it appeared he had managed to beat him to the punch. Mondai turned around to the whistle behind, seeing that it was Yuuto who wanted to inform him. A small smile creeped on Mondai's sour face.

"Yeah, ya guessed right, got intel n' supply sabotage. Take outta a few camps along the way as well. After that, I'm supposta' help evacuate and assist refugees, so I guess I'll be back and help ya in no time!" He said half enthusiastically his rougher and "improper" untouchable accent was on full display in front of Yuuto a testament to how close he and Yuuto have gotten, while he didn't care for hiding it as much as he got older and more influential and power, but he did try to clean it up for proper meeting and with nobles but with Yuuto that didn't exist.

Mondai knew he wouldn't like the answer, the pacifist was truly a shining beacon in the dim bloody mist. But this was Mondai's duty to his family and country. He couldn't back out, if that meant that those on the other side of his shield and sword had to die, then so be it.

Mondai never doubted Yuuto's abilities in combat, he saw more potential in him, more so than even his own father Shiv and Shinjiro. The death of the Mizukage left Kirigakure vulnerable, and he knew Yuuto had the skills to assist if it were to ever come to that.

[Trusted Grader]

Yuuto never cared about the difference in their status, nor did he care that Mondai was a tougher kid than he was, in fact the only thing he cared was that he was morally sound, because he had witnessed first hand what happens to a ninja who loses their morals and becomes nothing more than a weapon. They become a shell of a person, a dangerous one nonetheless. Yuuto grit his teeth as he didn't like what he was hearing, he couldn't believe that he was given the chance to save people yet choose to do things in reverse, It figures, Mondai has always struggled with the idea of being accepted by the powers that be... Yuuto looked away as he didn't want him to see how disappointed he was, yet after a few seconds of contemplation he would sigh.

"Fine, I'll come and assist you so we can save the refugees together. I would've personally done it in reverse, make sure that there are no refugees around and then take out the supply line as there could be untold consequences from the action we perform against heart, but seeing as you are the Swordsmen and I'm your dagger, I shall follow you orders... Mostly because you are my friend and I won't let you go up against a foreign invading army on your own. No matter how tough you think you are, you don't regenerate like I do, meaning once you die, you are dead. " Yuuto hated the idea of having to go to Mondai's funeral, especially if he had the power to make sure that it wouldn't happen.

With that he would gesture with his hands for Mondai to lead the way, he would follow him yet always glance towards the path that would lead them to the refugees, not as a way to signal to Mondai but because he couldn't help but to worry about peoples safety, that was the kind of guy the pacifist was, he was someone who would always choose action as the last choice until it came to protecting the ones in need and the ones he cared about.

[Mre-face]

The untouchable could feel as he spoke that the pacifist didn't like what he was hearing as he spoke. Knowing Yuuto he would like to do it in reverse. Yuuto looked away, which also caused Mondai to cross his arms as he felt the uncomfortable air. Was it right for them to go to attack first? Yuuto didn't want Mondai to turn out like Shiv and Shinjiro. Weapons to be pointed in a direction. Their mission was to protect water country citizens, after all? Regardless, Mondai was the Sword and Yuuto was the dagger, what he said was mostly absolute.

However, what Yuuto said was true, Mondai was tough and strong, and he had experience of going to battle, but he couldn't sustain injuries the same way Yuuto did. He even bisected his own stomach for Mondai and walked out of that with his life intact. Yuuto's regeneration meant that injures he sustained wasn't as dangerous and long-lasting. Mondai even earned a few scars because of this very reason. Regardless, he was glad that Yuuto had toughened up a lot since the first time they meet.

The war and Yuuto getting older, wiser and stronger made him more willing to do things he didn't particularly like. But this made Mondai respect the bastard son of Shiv's morals even more. That despite the battles and fighting and living in and for Kirigakure. He held on to who he was and his pacificism, it was a rare sight to see. Yuuto wasn't one to compromise on this matter, at least so far.

Mondai sighed and rubbed his messy locks as Yuuto explained how they would take this on. "I thought ya were gonna go on yer own and I assist ya later but I Spoose' yer right."" As they walked, Mondai's energy was pretty blue after Yuuto's reaction even if he didn't tell him directly, The swordsman felt the need to make them right somehow "Oi... Yuuto. I promise ya we'll do this as clean as possible, and we'll get those refugees to safety. I owe it to ya as a friend." One day they would do it Yuuto's way, but today wasn't one for them, they had orders to follow and they both needed to prove themselves.

[Trusted Grader]

Yuuto wasn't really here to make Mondai's day worse, they already had issues enough with Heart Empire invading them, no, what he wanted was that his friend began to think about the consequences of just following orders and what they could lead to, a heart of darkness. "Don't worry about it, what's important is that you can morally justify these actions for yourself, because one day you will look back at your own life and I hope that you'll smile..." Yuuto pushed off faster as he wanted to get to the supply line faster.

His gut bubbled as if he was getting a bad feeling, as if he had chosen the wrong path, yet he still mustered through it, he wanted to protect his brother in arm and make sure that they made it home in one piece, which to him was almost, almost, as important as saving peoples lives as he couldn't see himself looking back at this point in life if Mondai died doing something what Kirigakure would find heroic and he chose to leave him to his own devices, no, Yuuto knew that he had little choice other than to fight.

His love hate relationship with the sword was growing everyday for he still hadn't manage to find a way to convince people to relinquish their urge to kill, maybe via genjutsu? Or maybe he should try to work under some diplomat for a while and learn the way of the tongue, either way, he knew that with time he would be able to convince people but as of now he only had once choice and that was to protect, with his mind, with body and with his soul.

[Nick]

WELCOME TO THE NEWEST SECTION OF THE HEART EMPIRE, BITCHES.

The attack on the land had been rather sudden, and as with any war, not everyone would be happy with the changes, though given their origin, [19%] of the populace of Tea Country, not some weirdly named province, were in support of their 'invaders.'

As for the pairs mission, things might be complicated... Or very simple, depending on how they approached it. The most heavily guarded areas of supply would be nearest to the mainland where the mighty Sunflower class airships would be carrying large amounts of supplies to be distributed by the incredibly fast and flighty Tulip class airships to individual areas as needed.

Sunflower class ships carried as many as 500 soldiers with associated supplies, and their landing places were oppressively guarded, making them both the juiciest targets, but also the most likely to result in the untimely demise of any shinobi trying to strike them down. Tulip class ships contained as many as 50 soldiers with associated supplies, making the impact of taking them down lesser, but more realistic.

Troops traveled in groups of no smaller than five samurai, each of which would contain a minimum of one casting specialist, whether ninjutsu or genjutsu to provide support to the rest of the fighters, though the fast acting academies would show that some were half, or even completely full of casters of half-casters. Each troop would also have one "pack mule", a strange form of puppet with a soldier directly inside who carried their supplies, leaving the rest of the unit able to move more freely in a moment of combat, though the mules themselves are also trained in combat, able to drop their loads and enter the fray.

Camps would mostly be set up within or very near important tactical points, towns, valleys, backs to hills, et-cetera. Most camps would contain no less than fifty samurai, usually on assignment from a specific Tulip Class ship. Each camp would also contain a marvel of technology -- Unbeknownst to anyone outside of the Empire at this point, these marvels of technology, "Boosters", greatly increase the range of the Heart Empire Samurai's communications devices, allowing messages to be sent instantaneously over incredible distances.

Good luck!

[Mre-face]

Mondai kept quiet, heeding Yuuto's words as they went along, he wanted to do right by Yuuto he wanted this to be quick. But Mondai had no idea what the heart empire was capable off. They were up against a massive force, which was likely why they sent Yuuto and Mondai. The sword and his sharpened dagger were sharp and strong. They were capable of handling more than their fair share of opponent, more so Mondai, but Yuuto had grown past his status as a 'wimp'

As they closed in on the 'Ocha' Province, massive air-ships filled a truly a marvel of technology which made Mondai hold up a 'halt' gesture signaling to Yuuto to slow down.
"By the sun and moon and all things holy! Ya seein' this Yuuto?" After seeing the massive 'sunflower' and 'tulip' ships re realized they would have to move more carefully, the main land was being supplied as the spoke and with the airships it was clear that they were to be heavily guarded. This was unlike anything Mondai had ever seen before, it was unfortunate that they were on the opposite side.

Mondai said in a slightly awed voice yet quietly so only Yuuto heard. "We're gonna 'ave ta figure out a way to take care of these supplies. They 'ave ta be carryin' a shit ton of supplies. What's the approach, Yuuto?" Looking towards the gentle spirit as he suggested his own idea, readily to listen to Yuuto's more gentle approach to such a bleak situation.

"Big boy ships are way big, but if we take out a few of da smaller ones, we can hurt 'em and work out the way from there? What d'ya think?"Mondai thought this would be relatively quick in and out and on to rescuing refugees. However, that seemed too simple for a swordsman, he should have figured this would be a dangerous mission.

Mondai drew his sword and readied his shield, he knew that things would get ugly soon, and he wanted to be prepared for it. This was the true start for their mission.

Mission: Revenge against the Heartless
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[Trusted Grader]

Yuuto's eyes widened as he saw the flying ships, something he never figured he see before, what even were they made out of? Shaking his head, Yuuto would focus on what his comrade was saying. This was bad, he knew that the situation could escalate rather quickly if they didn't handle the situation correctly, logically it seemed that they were overwhelmed, but due to the way they saw themselves they knew that it was within the realms of possibility, that or the mission giver had lost his damn mind, nonetheless, they're part of the legendary Seven Swordsmen, meaning that they should always complete a mission that has been given to them.

"I see it, this.... I can't explain what I'm seeing, are those... Flying airships?" Yuuto wasn't even sure how technology had advanced to this level yet, but it made sense now that he thought about it, war usually carried with new technology as the warring factions always tried to one up each other, a grunt escaped his breath, if only peace brought forth technology that made wars harder to start then they'd never be in this mess to begin with.

"The answer is right in front of us, we just got to find the right perspective. We have to figure out what's driving these... Air... Ships? We have to figure out the mechanics and then destroy them because just like any ships once the element that the hulls keep out enter them then they become useless."

Was it air that the hulls tried to keep out? Most likely, but how would someone go about destroying the sunflower ship? That massive thing had to have something else going on the inside, it couldn't be as easy as just shooting an arrow at the hull. Either way, he wouldn't make a choice that his sword master wouldn't agree upon, this was his mission and he was here to make sure that they got out in one piece, that's all.

[Mre-face]

Even Yuuto was taken aback by the airships, for some reason Mondai had some kind of idea that Yuuto would be less surprised due to his noble and quiet nature. Mondai wouldn't be surprised if Yuuto had at the very least read about them. Mondai rubbed his chin in curiosity and came up with an idea. "Maybe we could take out what ever is makin' these things ta fly?" Mondai moved in closer, he wasn't one for stealth, so even if he moved subtly it was rather rudimentary and his equipment made noise as he moved.

Mondai spotted a Tulip ship landed not too far away from them, close enough to intercept their supply delivery and potentially stop further supplies from being delivered. Mondai brainstormed a rather straight forward plan, going through the squads one by one until they reached the ship. It wasn't an approach Yuuto would like, but it was the only option the way Mondai saw it. "See that smaller ship ova there? We can take that one out at the very least. It won't be easy, tho. Looks like they brought a sizable chunk of their army and the supplies ta' boot. Damn..." Mondai was getting annoyed as the scale of this mission had ballooned to a great size than he had anticipated. He thought it would be a hard yet straight forward mission. A simple "Clear camps, then rescue refugees" but the airships had complicated the situation.

Mondai rolled a cigarette over his lips, not lighting it, however, as he knew the smoke would gain the samurai's attention. It was a bad habit he picked up during and after the war. One that he had no intention of quitting as of right now. He looked towards Yuuto and lowered his tone slightly as he got more tense at the idea of fighting the samurai forces of heart. Mondai tried to sight away his blue mood, but it didn't really help.

"Aaaaight ere's the plan, we move forwards 'twards the ship. Take care of the squadrons one by one, use the environment, element o' surprise to our advantage anything. We can't afford to take too much damage since the ship is our final target. That shit it'll be guarded up the ass." Mondai said in a joking manner, but the sheer amount of forces could not be exaggerated. Even the smaller ships were no joke, they had to be careful if they were to be successful

[Trusted Grader]

Yuuto wasn't combar aversice, he just loathed the idea of having to kill when not necessary and even though they were invading their country he was certain that they were all operating under orders, meaning that their lives did not mean less than his. He wasn't sure Mondai thought like this, Yuuto couldn't blame his friend for thinking in this way seeing as he was raised in the slums and has fought his way up to the status where he was actually getting respect.

The silver spooned boy wanted to be better without being judged as some hero wannabe but around these parts it was nigh impossible. Yuuto sighed as he listened, violence was always the way it seemed, sure, there was no way the dagger could convince them to leave this country but now that they had chosen to attack rather than save, he knew that things would just escalate from this point forwards, so it was very important that they handled everything correctly.

"Fine, lead the way boss." This was the clearest "I don't agree with this." message he could send him, while still showing that he was loyal to both the Seven Swordsmen and his friend. Although deep within he knew that once he ranked up to a full-fledged member he would start making different decisions, not that Mondai's was wrong, it just didn't suit Yuuto and his style of handling situations.

[Mre-face]

Mondai huffed out at Yuuto's response. Both as an annoyance but also in an almost apologetic manor. It was irritating but it also wasn't something that Mondai took pride in doing it "his way" or scoffed at the hero's approach. it was expected that he didn't like the way Mondai conducted this mission. His was a very direct and warrior like path. The kind of mentality that the seven deadly swordsmen needed. A mentality that had disappeared as his jadedness took hold of his life. And Mondai wanted it back. That's why he wanted to crush the enemy to avoid casualties that way. Whilst Yuuto's was more akin to what was expected of the gentle spirit. Focus on protecting the refugees instead of facing the enemy head on. Avoiding casualties in that way instead. In a way they both were correct. You could either kill every enemy and never save anyone or save everyone yet fail because the enemy was never confronted.

They were seven swordsman and dagger alike they could, nay they must do both. Mondai's inner pride led him to the desire to prove that they both could be correct. He knows that they could do both but the airships were in Mondai's eyes a bigger threat. So as soon as they got close enough or dealt with one of the ships they could focus on saving the refugees or split up if needed.

He lead the way forward in his crouched position after spotting a troop on patrol who had come from the airship. It was a cloudy afternoon meaning the trees could be used to move on the outskirts avoiding the gaze of the troops so they could possibly get the drop on them. As the troop of heart samurai approached closer. Mondai started devising a plan which he hopped Yuuto would follow and execute with precision. "Komatsu quit complaining Pack mule! It's not far and all of you already know your orders and I expect you to follow them well..." The "packmule" was a marvel of technology never seen before but even better It appears as though they had found the leader of this troop as his stern voice echoed as they crept ever closer to the sword and dagger.

Moving up a tree to better avoid the samurai's sights. Mondai then gave a subtle signal and rattled of his plan. "Oi Yuuto see the one that talks like he's the shit? That's the leader I'll take care'o 'im you take care'o the other Samurai. Got it!?" He nodded before waiting on Yuuto to confirm this approach to the plan. "Then the "packmule" last... Approach with caution. We've no idea what they do!" Mondai approached before awaiting Yuuto's position. Before signaling a countdown before going on the offensive.

As soon as Mondai gave the signal Mondai dropped down with his shield falling on the samurai on top of his head immediately knocking them out. if it were up to him he would have ended him then and there but he wanted to do this clean just like he promised. If yuuto managed to get the drop on atleast one it would make this fight a three versus one.

Almost immediately after rising leader rushed in before drawing his blade with lightning speed and kicking Mondai back as he managed to block both attacks. This was to try to lock them in a fight whilst the hero fought the other two. But Mondai was smarter than this an used his superiour defense to regroup with Yuuto and act accordingaly. The packmule a samurai and the commander all readied themselves, drawing their blades and the contraption removed it's massive pack to prepare for the coming fight. Now the mission had truly begun.

Mission commence!: Revenge against the Heartless
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[Trusted Grader]

Yuuto knew that things had been brewing between the two brothers but that was an issue for another day, today they had chosen the action route and would proceed accordingly. It wouldn't take long before the duo found themselves a wandering pack of wolves entering the fertile lands of Kirigakure, their heavy steps wrecking the beauty they had sowed, this ground belonged to them and these invaders had to go. Yuuto crouched next to Mondai and listened in on his Sword, his eyes turned to the three samurai he knew he could take down, he reached for Amendment and launched himself the second Mondai gave him the go.

He landed with a downward slash that missed his target before he spun around and hit him with the sheath in the stomach, fortunately, he was protected by armor but that didn't stop Yuuto from continuing his onslaught, he twirled his sword and positioned himself to block the incoming sword slash, which was met with his mirror shield. A kick to the shin and then to the head was the counter before Amendment connected with his head, sending him flying into his comrade, leaving Yuuto to deal with the final samurai, he kicked low and then canceled a mid-second kick to strike him in the chest, this was meant to force him forwards and allow Yuuto to reposition himself and strike him in the back of the head, bouncing him off the ground.

Yuuto rested his sword on his shoulder as he heard one of the samurai rise from the ground, he turned around and sighed, he didn't want to hurt him but if he didn't stop then he was left with little choice. He dodged his first strike then cleanly shielded the second before he bashed him with his shield then kneed him in the head, knocking him out cold once and for all. "I'm done over here, how about you?" Yuuto turned around to see how his partner was doing.

---

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Wappack!
B-Rank Maneuver Taijutsu
Yuuto positions himself next to the target, if they are bent forwards Yuuto will smack them in the back of the head, aiming to knock their lights out. If the users Endurance is higher than the targets Endurance then they get knocked out.

Deflect Step
B-Rank Maneuver Taijutsu
Prerequisite: Deflect
This is an upgraded version of Deflect, where the user side steps as the deflect the blade away from them. Allowing them to step away or enter the target's guard.

Knee Crack
B-Rank Maneuver Taijutsu
This is an upgraded version of Knee Smack, where the user utilizes more power in the strike hoping to crack the knee bone in order to fracture the targets knee. If the users Strength is higher than the targets Endurance then their knee will fracture and cause severe pain (-3 Endurance, -3 Speed) until they have healed their knee.


Guard
D-rank Taijutsu Stance
This is the basis of guarding, the user has the shield close to his body at a slight angle to the right completely defending right side and torso. The user is able to swiftly calculate where the strike can come to attack and can block the lower part of the body up to their head.

Heroic Guard
D-rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: Guard
After extensive training he has learned to keep the shield in away to protect as much of his body as possible even when attacking.

Heroic Bash
D-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
The user takes a step forwards and pushes their shield to bash their enemies, causing them to either take a step back or open them up for a following attack.

Double kick
D-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
It's a simple kick combo where the user kicks the targets leg or hip then delivers a second kick to the targets head to daze them.

Cancel
D-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
A simple yet effective technique that allows the user to cancel mid combo and switch up to another form of attack, whether it's a following kick/grab or weapon/shield strike.

[Mre-face]

The plan worked, for the most part, Yuuto took out his enemies even the pack mule who tried to put up heavy resistance as it readied itself to battle but was outmaneuvered because of the lack of heavy machinery and armor. However, the samurai Mondai was battling clearly demonstrated more power. "Oi, Yuuto help me ninja! " Blocking another diagonal slash from his opponent and countering back however his own counter was countered back. The commander started backing away using his katana to keep his stance before doing something with a strange device on his head beginning to touch the dial which Mondai wasn't going to allow any time soon.

Charging in with a push to attempt to push the Samurai back successfully interrupting the samurai but the commander responded by pushing off the shield and staying ready for Mondai's second attack this time fainting his attack to bait out the counter where he swiftly moved in with his shield to catch the counter slice pinning the blade which followed up with two pommel smashes to the face and giving Yuuto a chance to finish the leader off with a follow-up attack.

"That guy was a lot tougher than I thought he would be. This the samurai that spoke like he was top dog and it turns out he was!" Mondai pointed to his flower-shaped dog tags which allowed him to discern that this particular soldier was of a higher rank compared to the others. "Look out if they wear this or they start barking at the others. These guys are no joke"

"Come in, Patrol Mori!....." A faint echo could be heard from the commander's device. "Mori respond!" A small panic made Mondai pick up the device and try to imitate the man known as Mori trying his best to replicate his voice. "Yeah yeah, I hear ya! The device is jammin' for some reason but all is good here!" Stopping to talk. "Alright try to get that fixed ASAP can't have you going radio silent on us.." "Radio silent" was a strange phrase but he could make the connection on what it meant. "Yeah I'll try to keep in touch but no need to worry about me. We'll be fine here."

Mondai looked visibly nervous. "That was a close one bring those weird devices with us. We'll get some valuable info." Mondai threw another one of those strange devices to Yuuto before following the path where the patrol came from likely leading them to where the airships were coming from. Considering they got the drop on the samurai this time and one of them gave a tough fight this mission could spell their demise if they were spotted and alerted. Fighting one or three was fine if they approached carefully but an army would no doubt cause the entire mission to be aborted.

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Charge!
D-Rank Maneuver Taijutsu
Usually done from a distance he lowers his head puts the shield in front of his body at an angle and charges toward his opponent he then slams the shield over his enemy's torso in an attempt to knock him over. if he has more strength over his opponent the opponent will be knocked down.

Sword breaker
B-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Because of the unique design of the shield, he will attempt to catch a blade in the spaces between the blades and the shield and then apply pressure to the foible (weak) of the sword between the middle to the point this requires 5 more strength than the opponent's sword or other bladed weapon.

[Trusted Grader]

Yuuto was shocked to see his sword was suffering, his side of the battle wasn't exactly easy but the pack mule wasn't what he had expected and if Mondai was struggling then this war was going to be a lot harder than he expected. The dagger was quick to grab his sword, he lept in the air the second Mondai asked for help, pushed the blade to the ground and thrusted it with such a force that Yuuto could stay airborne for a much longer time, clearing the long distance between the two Kiri ninjas.

He spread his legs and grabbed the mule by the neck and used his momentum to swing around, the change in balance for the mule was too great and since the kind hearted had planned for this move the next incoming attack would surprise the heart samurai. Yuuto planted his hands on the ground and then pushed the mule with a kick to his chest that would send him flying into the nearby tree, the pommel strike that Mondai had landed on him was enough to daze him and the bounce off the tree was enough to knock him out.

Yuuto sheathed the weapon yet again before he turned to face Mondai, who was clearly shocked by the sounds coming from the strange device on the mule. Yuuto, a scholar, had heard rumors of such an item, at first he had believed them to be fairytails but standing next to one made him realize how much further Heart had evolved, he inspected their dogtags before he caught the device tossed by his sword. He placed the dogtag inside his pouch then began to inspect the radio.

"I don't know, father had told me that there were these devices called radios, that allowed one to speak into the air, anyone with another radio could pick it up and communicate. To me it sounded like Fuuinjutsu with extra steps but seeing them with my own eyes makes me wonder if we are even capable of dealing with a country that is further up the technological steps..." Yuuto sighed and followed his sword, things were getting interesting now, luckily Mondai was a great improvisor, otherwise he was sure that they would have to deal with reinforcement.

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708/680

And away you go!
C-Rank Maneuver Taijutsu
Prerequisite: Pole Jump
Yuuto pushes off the ground with his blade before spreading his legs and grab the target around their neck, the unsuspecting target will then have to struggle with Yuuto's second move, which is to use the momentum to swing around and then kick them off in an opposite direction, if this jutsu is used towards a wall then the devastating blow is capable of knocking the wind out of the target.

[Mre-face]

The plan went along somewhat as he expected a little bit of improvisation was needed but nothing out of the ordinary in a fight. Yuuto took care of the packmule while Mondai attacked his own samurai before being able to count and set up an attack for Yuuto to take out the strong captain. For a pacifist, Yuuto was a capable warrior able to adapt and switch the "killswitch" when needed. Yuuto managed to improvise a new move to knock out the captain. It was clear that the young philosopher was the son of one of the most deadliest ninja in all of Kirigakure even if he was a "bastard."

Lucky for them Mondai's hasty improvisation worked and the sword gained new knowledge on the devices, ever the scholar Yuuto displayed his knowledge which made Mondai feel embarrassed somewhat over his own intelligence. Mondai was a warrior at first but even still he felt like he could improve on his more scholarly side.

'The society that separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting by fools.' Mondai remembered an old quote that his father told him about an ancient philosopher, it was unequivocally true but Mondai found studies boring much to his late father's dismay. Enough thinking they had a mission to do.

"The hell they figure that shit out? This fast, those flyin' ships. Let's hope they ain't got more surprises!" Mondai started walking the outskirts of the path that the Samurai came from keeping a low profile and finicking the device to get some additional info. "We have taken this village and it will act as a small base and buffer against these genocidal mist ninjas. Rest up stock up refuel, and then we get the clear we move from there!" Several "clears" could be heard before the faint murmurs of a group could be heard.

"Why do we gotta wait for us to take OUR home back we should run in and kill these fuckers." The steps grew ever closer the heavy clanking of the pack mule as the other two followed suit following up with their frustrations. "Yeah, it sucks but orders are orders man besides probably isn't that smart. Remember they are big five. We gotta play this smart if we want our motherland back. " Mondai thought if it was a fight they wanted then it was one they were gonna get. Giving a subtle nod to Yuuto spotting the outline of a Samurai's flower tags noting that one while quite unremarkable had the higher ranked dog tag meaning he would be a problem as compared with the others.

"We are getting real close Yuuto. Shit will get really shaky as soon as we are in that base. Might hafta go lethal, if I slip up because I focused on not takin em out. Then we might be the ones tooken out." A grunt followed immediately after which did show that Mondai wanted to stick to his word as much as possible the sheer amount of forces in that base made him fear that he would need to change his plan of action.

They could do this with any level of success by getting close enough if they could get past these guards then that would mean they would be in a perfect spot to destroy their supply lines and even more devastating for their airships but it needed perfect execution otherwise this would be their last fight for the bloody mist.

[Trusted Grader]

Yuuto scratched the back of his head, then the front, then his shoulders, then began to get somewhat frustrated. In all his years he never expected a small samurai country like Heart to advance ahead of Kirigakure, but that was to be expected, they say limitations creates imagination and Kiri was far from limited. As one of the big five, Yuuto knew that innovation had stagnated, worst was the rumours of the "locomotives" or whatever they had been called that had been installed on the mainland.

"I have read that there are other fascinating vehicles out there, one of them can haul hundreds of people across vast lands, so maybe we are the only ones that haven't truly innovated..." Yuuto wasn't typically this pessimistic, but at the same time he wasn't usually the one that was sent to fight neither, he was usually sent out to protect, back up or act as escort for high value clients, but seeing as this was an invading army plus that he was part of the great seven swordsmen, he knew that he couldn't decline this job.

Fascinating... I can't believe that they are this far ahead of us when it comes to technology. I wonder who their main inventor is... If we manage to find any information about this person and their wareabouts then I am certain that we could learn a lot from them... Though I fear that Kirigakure will torture the information out of them... Shame... Flying ships sounded like pure magic but then again, ninjas pulled that everyday so it wasn't too far fetched. "I don't know, this all seems a bit out of control if you ask me, I think we should focus on taking out their-" Yuuto stopped speaking as the device began to release new noises, multiple voices began to speak through the radio and confirmed his worst nightmare, they had managed to take control of the village he wanted to protect.

A sigh rolled out his breath and visible annoyance took over the pacifist, he had warned Mondai that this would happen, meaning any deaths caused within the village would be on their hands now as he could no longer blame the sword for he too was standing here. "This is not good, we need to start making progress before we lose the villagers respect, we can't let them believe that we have abandonend them." Yuuto grit his teeth then pulled out a scroll his father had handed down to him.

I know this is a bit unconventional Mondai, but trust me on this, we have to pull out any stops as you said, I refuse to kill but that doesn't mean that I refuse to innovate. Let's just hope that there are some good techniques within this scroll. Yuuto wasn't much for cursing but if he was, then this would be the perfect spot for him to do so.

This wasn't the right spot to do this but he had secretly been training for this day, when he had to deal with multiple enemies, when his taijutsu would reach a point where he would draw too much power fighting instead of utilizing the abilities he had. He unravelled the scroll for a second, then nodded as he quickly scanned through the set of hand seals, he took a deep breath then peered over at Mondai.

He placed the scroll back in its spot before a set of hand seals were formed, he turned corner then began then rounded the tree, he dashed towards the first samurai, who took a step back as Yuuto reached for Amendment, right as the samurai reached for his blade, a shocking relevation would occur to him, the edges of Yuuto began to swirl and appear as if the boys aura was stronger than he actually was.

Father told me that I would never be able to manipulate elemental jutsu for some reason, he told me that my blood was cursed, he told me that I needed to find my path to greatness. Mondai has thought me much in the ways of taijutsu but I always seem to find myself lacking in that department... The way of the mind has always been my true power, or so I believe... Yuuto leaped into the air and performed a round house kick that sent the first samurai flying into the packmule, it would give Mondai enough time to reach the other foes.

As he landed he his hands would fall into another set of hand seals then reach for his shield as the third samurai would attempt to strike Mondai, Yuuto would use his mirror shield to block the incoming strike, the light reflecting from the shield would not only blind his foe but help hide the trigger, which would be the sound of the sword clashing with the shield. In the samurai's mind, Yuuto would just stand there and clash with him, this turned out to be a genjutsu clone, while the real Yuuto would spin to the side and then flip over the samurai, bonking his head midair to make sure that he passed out.

I can't believe it worked! Now I just have to try to make sure that we get out of this in one piece! Yuuto wanted to chuckle but felt that it was innaporpriate for the time being, seeing as he might be immortal, but his partner wasn't, besides, this was no laughing matter, Heart needed to be dealt with immediately. Yuuto tried to visualize the next jutsu, this time ignoring to form a set of hand seals as both of his hands were busy, luckily he was almost as good at channeling chakra as he was fighting with weapons.

He took a step forwards, blocked a strike, slid back then performed a backflip before he would again rush forwards, he shouted as if he was about to strike the target, which caused him to see a version of Yuuto leap into the air, ready to strike the foe, though the attack left him wide open which the opponent took the opportunity to strike the boy. His blade cut Yuuto's head clean off, a gruesome sight that was immediately removed from reality as the real Yuuto had ducked down, he slammed his shield into the samurai before he swung around and slammed Amendment into the head of the foe, sending him flying into a tree.

The samurai was out cold before he even hit the trunk. Damn, these jutsu are far more taxing than I expected! Father never prepared me for this, although considering that he is a monster of a man I expect him to have the same expectations of me, stay vigilant and you shall get through this... Yuuto twirled his sword before he raised his shield, the sunflower tagged soldier smacked it hard, causing Yuuto to lose balance for a second before the second one sent him flying.

He would slide back towards Mondai and cover his back. "How we doing boss!?" Yuuto had only managed to knock two out, but learned how to perform three new jutsu, one genjutsu was still active and would help them in the long run. He hoped that Mondai had at least taken out two of the enemies, which would leave them to deal with the samurai under the influence and the packmule.

---

1225/1200

400 x 3

Magic Aura
D-Rank Illusion Genjutsu
After channeling or forming the correct set of hand seals, Yuuto will then attempt to rush down their enemy, if they spot him running towards them then the genjutsu will initiate, within the genjutsu the users aura will grow more powerful, causing the enemy to both see and feel that Yuuto is more powerful than the actually is. Lasts for 3 posts.

Magic Protector
D-Rank Illusion Genjutsu
Prerequisite: Shield
After channeling or forming the correct set of hand seals Yuuto will block an incoming strike with their shield, if a weapon strikes the shield and the target hears the metal clash then the genjutsu will be initatied. A clone of Yuuto will stand in its place as if he is still ready to shield a strike, this genjutsu is perfect for a follow up strike. Last for one post.

Magic Jump Attack!
D-Rank Illusion Genjutsu
After channeling or forming the correct set of hand seals, Yuuto stomps and then shouts as if he is about to jump attack, if the target sees this action then genjutsu will initiate. Within this genjutsu a clone will be created in his place, it will jump attack the target, its strike is wide open and is created for the target to attempt to strike it, only to find out that it was an illusion. Lasts for one post.

[Mre-face]

Yuuto looked deep in thought before getting flustered and was met with a confused eyebrow at what Yuuto was thinking it kinda looked slightly silly from the outside but maybe that's what everyone looks like from the outside as someone else tries to look in as if people are mere colorless windows of see-through knowledge. Yuuto began speaking about the things that he had read which amazed Mondai as Yuuto's ability to seemingly pull bits of information that he had read about was incredibly useful.

Hearing about how the world has adapted and advanced forward with technology and chakra was slightly worrying as they were seeing vast progress and were willing to try new things and Mondai wasn't sure if Kirigakure was willing to do the same. Their response would likely be to pump up a massive amount of soldiers, send in cannon fodder, and spread fear through carnage. "Kiri doesn't want to innovate, their answer is always the same. Kill the other guys better."

"We'll take 'em out trust, we just really gotta focus up." Yuuto then pulled out a scroll which naturally raised Mondai's eyes but Yuuto had time and time again showed that he was capable so Mondai trusted that whatever he pulled out of his magic hat it would be worth it.

Yuuto read his scroll for a moment before they went on the offensive maybe he needed a refresher to truly make sure that these new techniques would be done perfectly.

Yuuto would kick a samurai into a packmule which gave Mondai an opening to follow up with an attack of his own. Rushing forward and bashing into the kicked samurai effectively smashing into the packmule twice however surprisingly the samurai that Mondai ran into wasn't defeated, damaged sure but he still had fight left within him the samurai quickly glowed before blasting Mondai backwards catching him off-guard Ninjutsu!? Since when? The samurai was presumably the commander seeing as he commanded the packmule to keep Mondai occupied so he could continue his more long-range chakra assault.

The packmule went to attack but was met with a swift counter by Mondai blocking it's fist before cutting at it's leg as an attempt to disable it which wasn't successful immediately which Mondai sought to fix by following up but was interrupted by a flash of chakra crashing into him which came from the long-ranged Samurai.

Immediately after the packmule would hound Mondai as the caster was then caught by Yuuto's genjutsu deciding to target the pacifist because of the genjutsu's influence likely shooting at a ghost but it did give Mondai a second of relief. "Doing bad! These heart samurai know ninjutsu be careful!" Mondai ducked under the pack mules sword slash before bashing it's leg to break it's posture before lifting it up slightly of the ground which took all of Mondai's strength before slamming it down on the ground with his shield bashing it again to hopefully as the finishing blow.

The caster samurai would perform a sweeping cut as the confusion of the genjutsu had him bewildered and thus responded accordingly in a kind of scorched earth strategy Mondai then took advantage of the confusion sliding under the sweep before attempting to uppercut the samurai only to be met with a grounded blast that forced him to dodge.

If this kept going they would surely be discovered the fighting would attract attention and if he could keep the both of them off he could easily alert the nearest base about their presence. The mission was ramping up as the captains had shown greater competency in combat then the two of them could have ever expected...

Knowing this Mondai took the initiative charging in yet again this time anticipating any counter giving Mondai the chance to dodge in between the attack allowing Mondai to bash the strong samurai's caster helm into bits knocking him unconscious from the flurry.

"Oi Yuuto we can't keep fighting like this these Samurai commanders are strong! We got's ta move!" Mondai barked closing in close to the compound moving with haste finally getting close enough to the compound to be able to properly move in on their mission objective. One or two correct moves and the mission they were sent to assign would be completed.

[Trusted Grader]

Yuuto and Mondai were lucky, had they managed to "call" it in then they would probably have had to deal with the entire encampment on their own, and with the rate of frequency that they spotted different guards alerted Yuuto to the reality of the situation, This is basically a suicide mission. They both knew that there had to be a reason that they were entrusted with this mission and that was either A) They were capable of completing this mission or B) They were a great sacrifice to save the village from a massive headache, the unsung heroes.

Yuuto frowned, he had upset himself but changed his train of thought when he spotted Mondai leading them closer, once they cleared a set of bushes the camp revealed to be a makeshift airstrip, they could tell from the top of the branches that the various smaller warehouses held either valuable goods that they needed for the war or more airships.

Yuuto was still taken back by that visual, he had never in his life thought that he would be at such a disadvantage, he still believed that their village had a stronger military force and would be able to push them out, but he also believed that if we didn't at least eradicate or copied their technology then the game could be changed in the future, and that was one of the paths he wished to pass by.

they would be able to see multiple tents set up for the small platoon to sleep, while guards kept an eye on it as of now, the airstrip was filled with workers and samurai alike. Fortunately, the trees covered a lot of the background, giving them multiple entrances, they both knew that they would have to destroy. "I think if we at least destroy three of their warehouses then it should at least cause them to lose valuable resources. We could sneak up from the forest, although

What do you think?" Yuuto peered over at the airstrip, from what he could tell there were at least 12 guards, others could be in the warehouses which due to the hot sun would be quite flammable, though that could lead to a lot of deaths, something he personally wished would be taken off the table. He hoped though that they could find a better solution but as of now things seemed quite dire. This is not good.

---

403

[Mre-face]

Luck had been on their side up to this point. They avoided alerting the bulk of the army during their mission, but it was beginning to look dire as the compound looked like it would be impossible to breach and complete their mission. None of them were adept in stealth or disguise they couldn't even pretend to be heart samurai if they tried their absolute hardest. They both maybe didn't speak it but their mind was synced perfectly as they had the exact same thought. This is basically a suicide mission

Mondai looked toward the outpost and the entire thing looked crawling with soldiers, everything from regular samurai to pack-mules and likely stronger officers making sure everything was in order. ordering the heart samurai around and directing them to their positions and routes it seemed like an endless colony of ants. Everywhere you looked there was another enemy crawling somewhere but they had a mission to complete and he wasn't dying here.

Yuuto went over a potential plan which was sneaking from the forest and then working from there to destroy the warehouses. Mondai liked the obvious thing of attempting to burn down the warehouses but Mondai doubted that it would be that easy seeing as they were surrounded completely which didn't didn't raise confidence in Mondai.

The idea of using stealth did pop into his head yet again but to try to disguise himself as Heart Empire samurai wouldn't work either it was pretty obvious that they were from Heart and would likely be revealed immediately so going directly into attacking their supply lines directly with the element of surprise would be their best path for victory.

"I like your suggestion actually I say we do that and approach from the forest but it's too many for a direct attack. I say we don't focus on the warehouses and instead destroy one of the airships. Can't supply the armies if they can't transport 'em right? " Mondai looked over to Yuuto to see him assess his reaction to the suggestion before continuing. "Look man either way 'wer in a shitty spot but we got this fair didn't we?"

Mondai then immediately made way with Yuuto going around the treeline to get as close to the base as possible before going on the offensive. "On me GO!"`Mondai then rushed at complete full tilt going as fast as possible rushing towards the smaller airship Tulip which wasn't at full capacity as they were not fully readied for flight yet but they were gearing up meaning that that 12 soldier number could quickly grow.

If they were going to succeed in this mission now would be their best chance.

[Trusted Grader]

It was almost as if the two of them were in perfect synch, they seemed to think alike but there were always differences in their philosophies, yet who would know that this mission would be the last one where they shared this clear head space, that life would forever alter after this day, that Mondai would become a new man, not because of this mission for what was to come days later.

Yuuto nodded at his sword and followed suit, he truly didn't want to burn down the buildings for he could risk burning people to death, instead, he would choose something dumber it seems, they would attempt to destroy one of those flying ships, which meant that they probably would have to work fast, once Mondai told them to go they rushed. It wouldn't take long before they were spotted and guards started running toward them.

" All right, this is the end for all of you, reinforcement is on its way and so is the full force of The Seven Swordsmen! Run while you can or fear losing your lives in a fruitless fight!" Yuuto attempted to bluff, if it wasn't for the fact that they were behind enemy lines and outnumbered then he would probably have chuckled, if they were truly lucky then at least they could buy some time, but that would require that Mondai assisted in the bluff as he was the only one known out in the world as a Seven Swordsmen.

Luckily the first set were weaker samurai which the two of them took care of on the fly, but with that came another issue, the backup was on their way while the Tulip was making its move to leave the ground, fearing that the ninjas had come here to destroy it, which was indeed correct. "We need to hurry up! The airship is leaving its dock!" Yuuto blocked an incoming strike and kicked the soldier down then looked at the warehouse entrance, Shit we have to hurry or else... There! The rope!

Yuuto backflipped and landed next to the barrel, he tossed the rope at Mondai. "Use this with your spear!" Yuuto was surprised over how fast the Tulip was moving, fortunately, the other flying airships were busy dealing with other Kirigakure ninjas, otherwise they would probably be swarmed before long, but if they let this one go then they would surely fail their mission, for their mission wasn't to stop a hand few, but destroy a supply line.

Blocking and dodging had become his middle name, for Yuuto made space for Mondai to prepare for the next move, whatever he did he would follow suit, arrows soon started to rain towards them, but due to their superior skills, they managed to block or evade most of them. Mondai had to make his move now or fail the mission with his dagger. I am with you to the bitter end my friend! Yuuto wasn't someone who felt fear, for he truly believed to be unstoppable, but if he had to choose how he died then he'd die fighting with his friend.

---

518

[Mre-face]

The two of them had the exact same thought despite their completely different upbriningings and philosophies, yet that likemindedness is what gave them the advantage whenever them were in combat together. Shiv paring them up together was either a stroke of drunken genius, or perfect coincedence both complementing eachother perfectly. Perhaps it was fate? Regardless soon that likemindedness would soon be fractured because of furher circumstance but perhaps it could be forged back stronger…

Yuuto ageres to the plan despite his own worries but if done correctly it could be just the win condition the two of them needed. And if they operated fast then the refugee camp would be less likely to be in any danger allowing the two of them to complete both of their missions.

The two of them rushed in Yuuto put up a tough front to strike fear into the army of samurai but for that to work Mondai would have to assist him. Rushing close behind Mondai would draw his greatsword with one hand then slide behind Yuuto and point his blade he spun round not only threatening with the point but also showing the sheer size of the sword. Before smashing it to the ground and drawing a line in front of himself.

“Ya ‘ered ‘‘em! I am Mondai the seventh sword and this ain’t be the first time I’ve spilled samurai blood… Anyone wanna get chinged up me then try us and cross that line!” The bluff seemed to work as the reputation of the seven swordsmen alone was enough to send fear into almost anyone. However the bluff wouldn’t last long as two went to attack. Yuuto would take care of one and then Mondai would take the other. Swinging his massive blade around and utilizing the flat to bat the samurai away. Before spinning on his heels and using the momentum of the massive sword on the spot to threaten anyone else from getting close, giving Yuuto the time to gather the rope.

The emerging army made it more and more difficullt to stay om the non lethal route, he couldn’t keep fending them off at this rate. He needed a distraction. Mondai would twist om his heel and bat away a samurai before finding a torch used to light up the camp. Mondai would grab the torch and light a tent on fire before throwing the torch towards a packmule’s supplies. The supplies would detonate into a fireball causing a massive fire to break out giving them the distraction they needed.

Sorry Yuuto but ain’t dying to spare guys tryna kill us!

Mondai immediately realized what the idea was which for him seemed possibles but the risk was also immense. "Bro are ya mad? " Mondai said before grunting in frustration, griting his teeth in frustration as he realised that they didn’t really have a choice at this point. Placing the sword on his back quickly as he did his best to use his shield and greatsword as two shields to protect him as he tied the rope to the harpoon.

The second he got done tying Mondai would shoulder barge a samurai using the forward momentum as wind up. "Aaaight ‘er goes nuthin! " The harpoon stuck thanks to the extra teeth hooking into the ship’s material. Grabbing it with a single hand as he signaled to Yuuto to get ready.

"’Ang on! " Screaming to Yuuto as his feet slowly lose footing as he felt the immense weight of the ship begin rising to the air. They were in the deep end now and there was no turning back, they could very well fall and die or come out victors if they would be the latter then they had to preparert since this was just the beginning. Whichever the case then it would be done with his brother in arms.

[Trusted Grader]

Mondai moved with such grace and speed that Yuuto could barely keep up with his movement, especially since he was busy focusing on fixing the rope, but once he spotted the torch in Mondai's hand he knew what his plan was. Their lives are still... Crap! Yuuto looked away for a second but then took a deep breath and realized that this was war, of course, lives would be lost, just like when they stormed the beach in Oasis. It was around that time that he learned the art of accepting, he knew that he would never be able to convince everyone to stop killing, so all he could do was focus on making sure that his record was clean.

The explosions rocked Yuuto's core and kicked his adrenaline into second gear, the following screams did not help soothe his mind but instead turned it to next level, he was sharp and focused. The dagger defended his sword while he tossed the spear, once he heard the signature 'Thunk!' sound of the harpoon connecting with the aircraft he knew that his time on the ground was up, after all this crazy scheme was all his idea. Yume ran along the rope as he continued to defend his sword, for at least out of the two he was the one capable of regenerating, though that didn't mean that he didn't have to eat a couple of arrows along the path, once he felt that the rope was too short for anyone else to follow would he leap and grab on to it.

His weapon would be sheathed while his shield would be armed to defend himself from further incoming arrows, he made sure to protect Mondai's underside while he inspected the destruction created by the two Swordsmen. The black smoke from the infernal fires drowned their eyes in tears while their throats itched for fresh air, the dancing blaze almost screamed as loud as the engulfed soldiers, while the zipping arrows that whistled as they either flew past them or just shy below them, a bunch were deflected by their shields, they where now at such a range that the arrows barely scratched their shields meaning that they were still intact for what was about to come.

The boys thought that destroying their airport camp was all that the mission was about but they were soon going to find out that they merely completed the first half of it, for what was in store would forever alter their brotherhood and truly test their convictions and see if there is a true bond, for the greater good of Kirigakure, nay, The Seven Swordsmen, not exactly, the Karagata family, perhaps, their friendship was the most important part, for these two had survived through thick and thin, so this mission would be just another trial for them, that was what the "invincible" boy hoped, well, we shall see what comes next.