[Graded][Mission] I guess they got hungry again...

[Willoria]

Mission ScrollShow

Original Mission Request

As the morning dawned, Hibiki would be standing outside his shop. His big burly arms stained with dirt and soot from working, his hands rough from the same. His long black hair back in a single ponytail and his beard barely trimmed. He was awaiting his requested aid. His apprentice is not immediately in sight, being just inside, Hibiki himself wanted to meet his ninja aid before his apprentice did.

His shop had seen trouble recently and while last night was quiet, passing without incident, it wasn't likely to stay that way. He would need help, and here he stood waiting for that help. He knew nothing of who was to be sent, and had no idea what to expect.

[Ducks]

The streets of Daiura were hot, poorly constructed, and crammed full of smelling, seething, screaming crowds of people. It was enough to drive any sane person to insanity, and Kyo was not a particularly sane person to begin with. Fortunately, she was a rather tough one, and soon those around the opalescent chuunin came to realize that any shove, blow, or trip, intentional or not, would be returned with violent interest.

Cathartic violence aside, Kyo of the Kouseki was in a horrible mood. Not only had she been forced to trek across the blazing desert (though her skin provided her some respite from the heat), she had spent the night at a horrible old inn with an equally horrible old innkeeper who had only become passably genial when the impulsive kunoichi had put a dent in his counter with her little weapon. The same weapon, a crimson, crystal mace, now hung at the side of her beige tunic, warning passerby just what sort of woman she was.

Soon, she reached the prescribed place, spotting the man who was responsible for her being in this pit of a city. She sauntered up: "Heard you got bandits need bashin'. Mind if I have a go?" Her casual address and disheveled appearance contrasted strongly with her skin, which picked up the rays of the sun and scattered them into a hundred gleaming colors.

[Willoria]

Hibiki grunted in response. The man was still physically strong enough for his work, but he didn't like speaking much. He motioned for Kyo to follow him inside before leading the way himself.

Inside the building was dimly lit by a few lamps, their flames flickering and creating an eery feeling. It seemed Hibiki hadn't opened the windows yet to let the sun in. All around the room were various types of weapon of many makes, every single one was skillfully crafted and in it's proper place. The only thing that seemed a bit out of place was a stool in the corner on which sat Hibiki's apprentice.

The boy, named Osamu, sat quietly until he saw the two walk in. He would wait until Hibiki made a motion to speak. "Welcome." He said, his eyes fixed on Kyo. "Before you is my Master Hibiki, I am Osamu. As I'm sure you've heard we've had trouble with bandits lately and Hibiki-sama has requested your aid against them. He would like for you to know that you may make yourself comfortable, have your fill of food and drink, get to know this place as well as you like. The bandits will likely attack tonight after the doors and shutters close and lock for the night." It would seem that Osamu was, after a fashion, a translator for Hibiki. What Kyo might not realize yet was that it wasn't because Hibiki couldn't speak, he simply didn't care to.

As Osamu spoke, Hibiki turned and left the room and before long the sounds of metal upon metal rang through the building and Osamu finally stood from his stool. At six foot one the apprentice towered over the Kouseki as he approached her. "My Master also would like you to know that I am at your disposal. I know any and all information you may need and can show you anything you need to see concerning this place." Osamu glanced back the direction his Master had gone before turning his attention back to Kyo, awaiting her response to his words.

Osamu, as he had gotten closer would become more clear in the girl's eyes. His own eyes were a deep blue, his hair short and brown, spiked up but obviously had grown a bit too long as the front fell into his eyes. He was not weak, and rather strong both in appearance and reality. He wore at this point a pair of black pants and boots with no shirt seeing as working with the metal in this place was very hot work indeed. His chest was covered in several scars, most of them burns from his work and as he had approached Kyo, he had crossed his arms over this chest. His expression was not devoid of expression, in fact there was a confidence without cynicism in his eyes.

[Ducks]

The old man grunted, and as Kyo followed him into the house she grunted right back at him in a clearly confrontational manner; she was not in a mood to be trifled with or ignored.

However, as she stepped into the shop of the venerable blacksmith, the rebellious irritation visible on her face retreated, replaced by one of keen interest. Though not as agile or dexterous as many of her shinobi brethren, Kyo had always had a keen interest in weaponry, if only because she was liked hitting things hard. The magnificent spread of death on the tables rivaled the armories of Suna, though she still liked her little mace better than anything this civilian had to offer; at least, that was what she told herself as she tried not to let her gaze linger on a particularly attractive warhammer.

She noticed a young man in the corner, who she correctly surmised to be the apprentice, . At six foot handsome and shirtless to boot, he cut an impressive figure, better than many shinobi she knew. He was a stud, to be sure, but Kyo sensed something a bit off about him. For whatever reason, she doubted he was as tough as he looked, and when it became clear that he had awaited his master's signal to begin speaking, she was sure of it; the boy was soft.

"Hm." Was he response to his greeting, which she assumed was meant to count for both weaponsmith and apprentice. She made no further remark during the remainder of his speech, examining the room about her and somewhat rudely ignoring both of their gazes. When the old man left, her eyes followed him to the door, where they remained even when Osamu moved himself from his seat and approached her. "Something wrong with his tongue?" She inquired bluntly, for the moment ignoring the more pressing issues.

She turned to Osamu and looked him full in the face, shamelessly giving him a head to toe examination with her eyes. "Tell me about these cretins that I'll be putting six feet under. Garden variety scum?" Her tone was flippant, and her expression bored, but she was secretly developing a case of the nerves. There was little love lost between her and her master, but this was her first big mission this far from home. She was worried, and putting on a show to mask it.

[Willoria]

Osamu chuckled at the girl's blunt question concerning his Master's tongue. Perhaps he should have been offended, but obviously he was accustomed to all sorts of questions as to why his Master rarely spoke himself and instead used Osamu as his voice. Flashing a cocky and rather pretty smile he shrugged and yet nodded. "Well. Yes, in a way. There's actually a rather sizeable chunk missing out of Master Hibiki's tongue and as a result he can't talk right. It's very difficult to understand him and he tires of the endless questions about it so instead he chooses to let me speak and answer these questions for him. After all, I don't take the questions as personally as he does." he replied.

He watched her patiently as she noticeably sized him up and he didn't seem to mind one bit. Yet he didn't immediately answer her question about the criminals, instead thinking over his answer before replying. "They're a group of local thugs really. They fancy themselves big time criminals, most of the locals take them seriously, but Hibiki has seen enough of real war that he doesn't find them worth what spit he has left." Osamu glanced back the direction Hibiki had gone and, seeming satisfied that he wasn't listening in, judging by the rhythmic ringing of the steal, Osamu turned and stepped closer, to whisper in the girl's ear. "I know where they spend their time. I wouldn't recommend an attack there, but if you'd like, we could go there and you could get an idea of what kind of men they are at least. Give you an advantage later."

[Ducks]

"Oh." Was the only response Kyo could muster. She had been sure the weaponsmith was just a stuck up old man who considered himself too important to talk to commoners and youths. "What, he bite it off?" Was the least tactless retort she could think up. She was legitimately curious about the injury, though; her medical training had had the peripheral effect of instilling in her a morbid curiosity considering ailments and wounds.

As she listened to Osamu's description of the threat the three faced, she could not help but give a devious grin, though it was as much inspired by relief as anything else. Kyo had never seen "real war", as Osamu put it, but Shizuka had, and as her apprentice Kyo had heard her ranting about such people many times. Scum, who had never fought a fair fight in their lives, too worthless to earn an honest living, too brutish or too numerous to be resisted by the common man. But to real warriors, they were nothing more than vermin, to be hunted down and scattered or disposed of.

Still, Kyo had never pulled something like this alone, and worry made her uncharacteristically cautious. When given the opportunity to gage her opponents before the confrontation, she jumped at the chance. "Not a bad idea, but Kouseki Kyo-" She made a dramatic flourishing motion, indicating herself. "Would cause far too much of a stir. Her skin is awfully distinctive. However-" She made a hand seal and was briefly enveloped in a cloud of grey smoke. When it faded, the powerful, gleaming body of Sunagakure ninja was gone, replaced by a frail, sickly looking girl of thirteen or so. Her face was similar, and her skin was similarly grey, but the girl that stood before Osamu looked like she had never held a hammer in her life, much less a mace. "little Kyo is no threat to anyone. Care to take a walk?" She indicated the open doorway. As she went to exit the shop, she withdrew her mace from her side and deposited it carefully on one of the weaponry tables; it hurt, but carrying around such a conspicuous instrument of violence at her side would rather break the illusion of the innocent, helpless ingenue.

Jutsu UsedShow

*[Transformation Technique]
E-Ranked Ninjutsu
After completing the needed handseals, the user of this technique will be able to alter their physical appearance to match that of another person. By consistently emitting chakra throughout their body, the user is able to keep their appearance adjusted at the cost of their stamina draining over time. As this technique is quite strenuous to uphold, experienced shinobi may see more clearly through this delusive disguise. This technique lasts for a number of posts equal to that of the user's stamina.

[Willoria]

Osamu extended a hand as he chuckled, his hand an indication that he expected her to take it. "We'll play off that you're my little sister, it'll be the best way." he said with a sly wink. "Maybe when this is done we can drop the ruse and have a real date, when you're not pretending to be what you're not." he added.

Being the apprentice of Hibiki had it's benefits, one of those being his obvious physique which seemed to have put Osamu in a position to flirt quite often, to the point where it had become habit. As he would lead her towards the door he'd snatch up a simple dark shirt from where it had been discarded on a pile of boxes and pulled it on. At least he had enough manners not to go out without his shirt on.

"Now as for my Master's tongue, you're not far off. He actually lost a battle, his face placed against a brick and his attacker attempted to snap his neck with a kick. He moved to avoid the broken neck, but not the shattered jaw, and he did indeed bite off his tongue in the process. That was years ago though and you won't hear him talk about it, not even how he got out of that position or was healed as well as he has been."

Osamu would lead the way out of the shop and down the street to what seemed to be one of the only restaurants in town. It wasn't a small place and reeked of smoke. It would be full of those smoking from pipes, cigarettes, and even other less savory sorts of smoke. Osamu, true to character, smiled down at the girl. "Sorry for the smoke, little sister, but they do serve the best food in town."

[Ducks]

Kyo laughed almost gruffly, her deep alto momentarily betraying her disguise. She winked right back at Osamu, sly as he. "We'll see tough guy. Gotta warn ya though, I'm not nearly so nice when I'm off the job." What little decorum she bothered using on missions, she usually dropped as soon as she turned in her timesheet. That said, she didn't think the tall, broad-shouldered, musclebound, almost excessively masculine apprentice would much care. In spite of herself, she was beginning to like him. Still, she had a job to do.

Feigning meekness, Kyo took the proffered hand and wrapped both arms around it in an excessively girlish fashion. "But now I want to go for a walk." She looked imploringly up at her new "brother" and raised her voice an octave or so. "Can we please, Oniisan?" Perhaps the cutesy nickname was excessive, but, though a decent actor, Kyo was not a very subtle one (as was her nature). Perhaps she was a little disappointed by his donning of a shirt, but she supposed it couldn't be helped. The story of Hibiki's injury, made up for it. "Huh." She remarked, a little airily. She respected a man who knew how to slug it out. Maybe the old man was alright after all.

As the two left the shop and progressed through the streets of Daiura, she played her part well. She practically clung to Osamu, glancing timidly about at the harsh, harsh world about her. When they approached the restraunt, she made as if to shrink back from the smoke and filth, even giving a weak little cough for effect. Her lying eyes studied the building carefully; ostensibly, she was merely a scared little child surveying an unknown environment, while in reality she was carefully examining the place. Every escape route, hiding spot, and unsavory character was noted and tucked into the back of her mind.

"If you say so, Oniisan." She gave another little cough, and clung a little tighter. This was going to be fun.

[Willoria]

Osamu chuckled as he led his "little sister" back to a corner table, making sure to let her sit where she would have a good view of the entire place. He turned and looked around as if looking for a waiter, but in reality she was getting a quick idea of how things looked before he turned his attention to Kyo again. He reached across the table and took her hands in his, hoping to give the impression to any who were watching that he was merely talking to his sister, maybe explaining something to her. "To my left you're going to notice a large table of guys smoking. That's them, the one at the head of the table is the boss. Though he's not the only one, he's the one in charge of what's been going on at the shop." he told her.

He turned his attention forward again as the waiter came and Osamu ordered some hot tea for himself, allowing Kyo to order whatever she wanted. Though part of him was now already second guessing bringing her here. Would she stick to just watching these men, observing behaviors just like she had promised? Or would she try something stupid.

[Ducks]

The clingy "little girl" clung to her "older brother" as they entered the smoky den of scum and villainy to "eat lunch". Well, perhaps they were going to eat lunch, but that wasn't going to be the only thing they'd be doing. Little Kyo gave a slightly sinister smile. Not if I can help it.

She shot a quick glance at the table pointed out by her guide, though it would be difficult to pick it out from the various quick glances she was shooting across the room as part of her scared little girl act. Her observation supported her prediction. Garden variety scum. She saw no signs of shinobi training among them, but that could be; if that were accurate, the job would almost be too easy.

She slid daintily into her seat. When the waiter came by, she just gave a frightened little smile and spoke in a high-pitched voice: "I'll have that, too." Once the waiter had moved on, she leaned in towards Osamu, giving a conspiratory glance at the ruffians. "So, Oniisan, how do you know the big meanies won't take you out back and add a few more lines to that chiseled chest of yours? Do they only talk to big boss Hibiki? Or are they too silly to know that they're being watched?"

[Willoria]

Osamu grinned as he leaned forward as well to answer her. "They assume I'm too weak to be concerned with, as well as being cocky enough to not care if we observe them." he replied, getting close enough that his breath would brush the girl's cheek before he leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, allowing Kyo full view of the idiots without him being in the way. However he still wore a mischievous grin as he watched her.

It seemed the would-be thieves and vandals were oblivious to their presence as several remained engaged in a game of dice, with a couple of them walking in circles around the group and laughing every time the dice were thrown. It sounded as if someone was losing badly and wasn't long before one lunged at the other and a fist fight broke out. The other patrons didn't seem to notice the sounds coming from those back tables, as if this were a normal occurrence along with the cheering and sounds of blows landing.

[Ducks]

"Mm." Kyo intoned airily. She was now only half-pretending to listen to her supposed sibling, instead casting frequent glances at the rowdy game in the back that was quickly escalating into a full out brawl. A failed bluff there, an acerbic tongue there, and in an instant one idiot had leaped across the table to grab another, sending them tumbling to the ground while their erstwhile friends cheered them on. Kyo felt contempt for the fools, and yet she also desired to join them. To grab her mace and go flailing about the cretins until everyone of them was laid flat out with a bloody nose and busted head.

The little girl sitting opposite Osamu reached a hand to her side and started to slide out of her seat before she stopped with a start. No. She had left the weapon at the store, because this wasn't the time. Making an angry expression that didn't look quite natural on her otherwise innocent visage, she swung both her legs back on the chair and contented herself with glowering fiercely at an innocent salt shaker; sometimes, she wasn't sure what separated her from the thugs she so despised. "Any of them to look out for in a fight? Professional soldiers, special weapons, shinobi training? Her voice was low and serious, lacking any hint of the playfulness she had earlier affected.

[Willoria]

Osamu nodded and for a moment became visibly nervous, as if trying consciously not to turn around. "There's at least three to be wary of." he told her. "Two of them may be nothing to you with your training, but on either side of the brawl you'll see a serious looking pair. They are there to guard against anyone trying to step into the area who is not a part of the crew." he told her, explaining finally why the group was able to be out in public and yet feel so secure. "Anyone who tries to get too close is dealt with swiftly by one of them, either left in an alley for dead, or left unconscious if you're very lucky." he told her.

Osamu leaned back as the waiter came by, ordering himself a bit of miso soup and rice with green tea before motioning that Kyo should order whatever she liked. He simply sighed as he waited and would not speak again until the waiter had gone. "The one to be most worried about is the man at the back of the crew. He's only one of the leaders, but by far the most dangerous. Most of what I know about him is rumor, but as grandiose as the rumors are, I'd guess he has ninja training." he told her. "He's always the serious looking blonde in the very back of the group, hard to spot when they get rough like this." It was obvious from the way Osamu spoke that there were plenty of rumors about this guy, but that all of them seemed too much to be true and he was watering down whatever was said of him to Kyo right now.

[Ducks]

Osamu got serious. Good; Kyo was growing tired of the act. She noted the two men he had pointed out, pretending to weakly into her arm while she stared directly at one, then the other. They looked tough enough, but nothing above her pay grade; violent and cruel, and doubtless very frightening to an unarmed, untrained citizen, but not necessarily anything for her to be worried about. If anything, Osamu's narrative inspired anger in her. Despite her violent. antisocial tendencies, there was nothing she hated more than a bully, and that these pricks would feel free to assault and kill whomever they felt threatened or angered only fanned the flames of her rage. These two would feel pain tonight. She stopped coughing, and nodded weakly to Osamu.

Annoyingly enough, the waiter chose this time to return to their table, and the Kouseki was forced to sit back and smile blithely as the undercompensated, overworked young man took far too long to take their orders. When given a chance to order her own course, she once again smiled and asked for the same thing Osamu had, if only to get the fool of waiter to leave sooner. When he finally did, Kyo, staring cheerful daggers into the back of his head, heard Osamu's description of the third man. "Hm." She made as if to sip from her drink while she searched the brawlers for the blonde. It was difficult to pick anything out in the chaos, but she caught a few glimpses of a figure near the back of the group leaning against a wall, a dirt yellow mop atop his crown.

She turned back to Osamu. Her expression was placid, her voice steady."Tell me everything you've heard about him. I can pick out the truth out from the crap." Maybe she could, maybe she couldn't. But it was better to have an exaggerated idea of what your opponent than none at all.

[Willoria]

Osamu sighed heavily and nodded to indicate he would concede to her point and tell her of the legends of this individual, the ridiculous rumor. To someone like Osamu, there was no way they were true, right? "The villages whisper about him all the time, it makes me sick really. They say he can summon metal weapons from the earth and lightning from the sky like some kind of god. You can always tell when someone was killed by him, the bodies disappear quickly as no one wants to see, the only exception was another shopkeeper that defied him. I didn't get to see it myself but they said the shopkeeper was pierced with multiple metal rods, the body showing signs of lightning damage."

Osamu sighed again and looked across the table at Kyo. "They say a single touch from the man is torture, so most people give him any and all information he wants without any provocation or even a threat. They think he can kill them where they stand. It's ridiculous if you ask me." Osamu fell silent, but the way he looked at Kyo betrayed something, a hint of fear. He spoke like he didn't believe a word of it, but his eyes spoke a different story. It wasn't about believing it, he was scared at hell at the possibility that this could be any kind of true.

[Ducks]

Her expression devolved into an outright frown as Osamu related the various circulating rumors concerning the leader of the merry band of thugs. Whatever show of skepticism he was trying to project, she clearly took the rumors quite seriously. The metal reference could indicate Jikiton or Koton use. The idea of summoning metal from the ground definitely sounded like Koton, but Raiton use was more closely associated with Jikiton. Whichever it was, it meant it was very likely that the man could perform a super release, and not a local one, either. Could this bum really be a high rank missing-nin from another village? This just got more complicated. A bit more fun, too, but mostly complicated.

She probed for more information. "So, these morons have pulled this crap before. What's their M. O.? Do they go for a direct invasion, or less direct methods, like setting the place on fire and jumping whoever stumbles out of the smoke?"

[Willoria]

Osamu didn't miss the seriousness in Kyo's face and he himself had a hard time hiding his fear now. If she was worried, did that mean the rumors could be true? Instead he tried to focus on Kyo's question, only pausing as the waiter brought their food and Osamu waived him off. He watched the man walk away before finally turning back to Kyo. "They tend to branch out, they start out harassing people, sometimes setting fires, but with Hibiki they've been taking a direct approach. They feel he's shown them so much disrespect that they want to make an example of him and I." Osamu said with a sigh.

He glanced down at his plate but didn't seem to have much of an appetite as he ignored the food and looked to Kyo once more. "Last night there was just someone trying to destroy stuff, I'm not sure what tonight will bring." he told her.

[Ducks]

OOCShow

Sorry for the wait.

While Kyo's head had cooled a bit, she was far from relaxed. As the real danger of the situation began to dawn on her, her ninja training began to set her on edge. Her glances away from their table and around the room became more frequent, first at the brawling buffoons in the back, then at the door and other possible entrances and exits, and then back at the thugs, to make sure the more dangerous members of the gang hadn't made any dangerous movements since her last sweep. She wasn't about to go over and start smacking fools, but she felt the need to do something. The smell, the sound, the atmosphere of the bar was suffocating her, and it was showing; she had started to tap her foot rapidly, and her lips were curved in an ugly frown.

"Unless you've got a real good reason to stay, I think it's about time that we made our exits. I've seen what I need." It was possible that their leaving before their food arrived would be seen as unusual, but Kyo wagered it was worth the risk. The longer they stayed, the more chance there was for an altercation to break out. She didn't care what Osamu said; even if the bandits didn't consider him a threat, he wasn't invisible, and bullies didn't need a reason to pick a fight.

[Willoria]

OOCShow

No worries, I've been taking a few days off myself and am only just starting to get back into things slowly.

Osamu nodded, obviously not too eager to stay in this place or around these people. He stood suddenly and rushed to Kyo's side as if reacting to something. "Little Sister, you don't look so good!" he said, obviously beginning to a quick cover to 'explain' why they would be leaving suddenly. His face showed concern and one hand rested against the side of her face. "Come, I don't think you're ready for this, I should get you home or father will have my skin." he told her.

If Kyo let him, Osamu would 'help' her to stand, wrapping an arm around behind her back to 'support' her as they walked from the restaurant. "Do you think we have a chance tonight?" he asked her in a whisper.

[Ducks]

She understood his intent almost immediately, and fell back into character. She put two skinny wrists in her lap and stared at them, shivering visibly as she let what little color her facade presented fade into whiteness. Her ostensible brother moved gallantly to her side, and she pathetically allowed him to examine her and escort her her hastily from the den. "Thank you, Oniisan." She whimpered faintly.

As soon as they had emerged and traveled beyond visible range from the bar, Kyo extracted herself from Osamu and walked upright. She maintained her juvenile form (so as not to attract attention with a transformation in the middle of the road), but the assumed weakness and timidity had vanished. Her movements were sharp and purposeful, and her eyes were set and fierce; flecks of color played in her white orbs' cloudy grey, revealing her shinobi ancestry. At Osamu's question, she gave an incredibly non-petite snort, as if his question was so ridiculous he was a half-wit for even considering it. "Don't be dense," She chided roughly. "If anything, it's that trash that should be making arrangements with the next caravan out of this dump. Sunagakure no sato, the great shinobi Village Hidden in the sand, didn't just send me armed with my feminine wiles. Now, is there anywhere else of interest for us to visit while we are out? Otherwise, we should get back to the shop and start getting ready."

Was this what it was like to be a master? To put on a show of bravery and security, when she was just as worried as he whom she meant to encourage? It sucked.

[Willoria]

As Kyo removed herself form Osamu, he crossed his arms with a heavy sigh, angling his head towards her as she spoke once more. He wasn't fully looking at her as she spoke and they walked back towards the shop, but he was certainly listening. "Honestly that's the only place they are at regularly. Though I'm not sure if they consider that their headquarters, I never see them anywhere else, unless they're trying to bully or attack someone."

He turned to lead the way back to the shop, obviously deep in thought as they went, turning to look at Kyo once more. "How do you do it? I mean, you must face guys like this all the time. No offense, but I never imagined a girl as pretty as you doing something like this."

[Ducks]

"Hm." Was all the response she gave. Like most people, shinobi and civilian alike, she had her vanities, and under less stressful circumstances might have enjoyed the compliment, but she had never given much thought to being "pretty". Growing up in a large, rowdy family in a large, rowdy compound, she had learned to be tough, not pretty. She had done miserably in most all her special kunoichi classes at the academy, and was only passed with the warm recommendation from her sparring instructor and an equally fervent request from another that she never step into his flower arranging class again. "Someone's gotta do it." She forced herself to repress the weakness inside her that made her wish it could be someone else.

[Willoria]

Osamu looked at her and sighed, glancing around the room at the various weapons his Master and he had made that had yet to sell, or had yet to be picked up by their owners. It'd probably be smart to use them, Osamu himself wasn't sure he could handle this fight, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try.

"So what's the plan?" he asked Kyo, turning to look at her with a serious expression on his face.

OOCShow

Sorry for delay, muse has taken a hit lately.

[Ducks]

As they re-entered the small building, Kyo scanned the interior and sighed quietly. The array of sabers, battle-axes, mauls, and polearms that lay evenly scattered across every available flat space was truly impressive; it was a small wonder the bandits so desired to lay hands on them. And yet, without ready arms to wield them, they were useless liabilities. She glanced back at Osamu, naked skepticism on her face as sized him up. He looked strong and capable, yes, but could he actually fight? Doubtful. Kyo strode over to her crystal mace and scooped it up by the strap, swinging it for a few easy revolutions before returning it to the clamp at her waist.

"We need to make this place defensible." She made a wide, sweeping motion with one arm to indicate the weapons. "It's time to close up. We need to stow these away somewhere they can't be seen, stolen or used. I'll also need a sizable amount of stone; several boulders, at least." An odd request, but not an unreasonable one; surely it would not be too difficult to find rubble in a dump of a city like this; most of it was practically rubble already.

[Willoria]

"You got it." Osamu replied, turning to lock the front door before moving to the back room to let Hibiki know what was going on. It was moments before Kyo would hear Osamu swearing from the room. "You stupid son of a bitch!" Osamu soon emerged alone and immediately began carrying weapons back to the back room to lock them away in various trunks.

He was obviously pissed as he came back for the second load. "Stupid bastard is passed out back there, drunk off his ass no doubt. He's not going to be of any use to us." he told Kyo.

[Ducks]

"He's WHAT?! Kyo dropped the hand scythe she had been trying to fit into a bundle of small weapons. She had been trying to be mature, calm, and reasonable; she really had. But now? Now she was pissed. "You didn't tell me the useless relic was a damn alcoholic!" The weapons she had been holding clattered to the table as she stormed off into the back room.

When she found the object of her ire, she would begin prodding it none too gently with a bare, dirty foot. "Wake - up - you - stupid - old - husk - of - a . . THING!" The last prod was the least gentle of all, and when she was through with it she turned, exasperated, to Osamu; had her skin been of the pale and fleshy sort, it would have been flushed red with temper. "Can the drunk even lift a sword anymore? Maybe we should just roll him in a bundle and shove him the back with the weapons so he can't ruin anything else. How does someone so useless even put his clothes on in the morning?" She was mad, and reason was beginning to elude her.

[Willoria]

Kyo might be surprised to learn that not only did Osamu have a temper, but the extent of that temper. When she turned towards Osamu after kicking his master, the man would suddenly grab the front of her shirt and pull her to him, her nose inches from hers. "Don't you DARE touch him like that again!" he snarled. "That man's demons are far worse than you can know and he's raised me for years. Yes I've been covering his work! I've worked my ass off to make sure no one knows he has a problem! You don't know shit about him, so don't pretend to! Hell you don't know shit about us or about life outside your precious village!"

He would suddenly release her clothing and start striding towards the front, his entire body tense as he moved. "If I have to defend this place myself I'll do it! Even if you won't!" Osamu's rage was clear, he was determined to protect the man who had raised him, no matter what faults he had.

[Ducks]

For the first time that day, Kyo was caught completely off guard. She had been so caught up in her little tantrum that she hadn't, as usual, given much thought to her actions. Osamu was mad at the old man, and she was mad at the old man, so why would he get mad at her for expressing her frustration? She had certainly done worse to her own master, though that never ended well.

What did this man - no, this boy - think he was doing? He was the one who was going to be dead on the street in a few hours if someone who actually knew something about fighting stepped in to save the ignorant whelp. The look of surprise quickly vanished from her face, replaced by cold anger. It was well Osamu out her down when she did, else he might have found himself with a broken arm. As the young man strode away from her, his muscled body practically quivering with outrage, she spat on the ground, and spoke in a harsh, commanding voice: "STOP." Assuming he managed to restrain himself from actually walking right out the front door, she would continue, now somewhat calmer than before but just as angry.

"You wanna play the hero, kid? Fine; I'm sure the old man will be eternally grateful for your noblenesss, though he might be hard to hear from his new home six feet under the ground." She spat again. "Tomorrow, say what you want about me; tell all your friends about how the mean lady ninja didn't understand how hard life is in the ghetto and how she kicked your alcoholic father figure. But today, you play by MY rules, or it'll be you two end up in a muddy alley with metal poles sticking out of you. Yeah, those tall tales about summoning lightning and metal? Probably not so tall. Now get me some damn stone, or better yet, tell me where and I'll get it; I'd hate to have you trip over your self-righteousness and drop it. The transformation was complete. Minutes ago, she had been amiable, even teasing towards the young man, but now all hints of friendliness had vanished from her appearance. Hopefully, Osamu would be discerning in his response, lest the situation spiral even further out of control.

[Willoria]

Either Osamu wasn't listening anymore, or he simply wasn't paying attention as his feet carried him towards the front of the entrance. Oh if only he had been listening, then maybe he wouldn't have been so close to the door. He had no idea what hit him, literally. The door swung open and Osamu barely managed to stagger back out of the way, only to receive the end of a swinging metal staff to his face which sent the man sprawling to the floor.

"Honey, I'm HOME!" Came a mocking voice. "Oh, Osamu, I didn't see you there, friend!" It was the blonde man from the bar. At this closer distance, Kyo would be able to see not only the metal staff in his hand but the piercing across the bridge of his nose, snake-bite piercings in his lower lip, and one above his left eyebrow. His blonde hair was spiked forward almost in his eyes and the man stood at an impressive six foot three. His clothing was simple, black pants and a dark red shirt with some kind of emblem across the front of it. Every word the man spoke, he was laughing.

"Come now, Osamu-san, I heard you had a visitor!" He reached down and yanked a dazed Osamu to his feet before shoving him against the wall. "Come on, Sweetheart, where are you?!" he called, clearly looking for Kyo.

Jutsu UsedShow

*[Metal Release • Steel Staff]
C-Ranked Ninjutsu
After the necessary seals, the ninja places their hand on the ground and pulls out a staff that is up to 5 feet in length. The staff is able to take damage up to 5 strength. Lasts for eight posts or until destroyed. At the end of eight posts, the staff becomes brittle and rusts into smaller pieces.

*Note: Jutsu was performed outside the door, quoted here to show the source of his weapon.

[Ducks]

If Osamu hadn't at that moment been assaulted by the potent combination of door-and-staff, Kyo would have probably given him worse. Her short patience had already been worn thin by stress and the boy's petulance, but if there was one thing the ungracious kunoichi loathed, it was being ignored; growing up in a sprawling family of nine in a sprawlinger compound of who knows how many, the pugnacious youngling had quickly learned to fight, scrabble, and squirm for attention and approval; anything less was an insult.

Be that as it may, she had sense enough to put personal pride aside for the moment when the enemy of the hour came knocking on their door. She did not, however, possess sufficient sense to hide. Scarce sooner had the intruder pressed the boy against the wall and called out mockingly for Osamu's "little sister", then he would find the female in question flying towards his face, mace arm cocked behind her head, to strike him square in his impudent grin.

[Willoria]

The man was still grinning as he released Osamu and dropped to the ground, rolling out of harms way. "Shame your friend is shit for protection, Osamu." He said in a dark, low tone as he formed a single handseal and ran his hand down the staff, suddenly lashing out with it at Osamu. The crimson spray decorated the wall and Osamu fell to the ground, thrown by the momentum of the move.

The man before Kyo now was grinning like a wolf from the darkest of places, seeming to relish in the blood that now decorated his face. "Tell me, what did dear Osamu tell you about me?"

Osamu hardly was hardly able to struggle, barely rolling over on his back as he struggled to breathe, a pointless effort as the man's blade had slashed a gash in the man's throat severing the main arteries there. It was only moments before Osamu was gone, and for the moment Kyo was alone against the blood-stained beast.

Jutsu UsedShow

*[Metal Release • Stealth Blade]
D-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: [Metal Release • Steel Staff]
After performing the Steel Staff technique, the user can form a single handseal before running their hand down the length of the staff, causing the staff to turn into a blade, which can then be used in the same fashion as a long sword, surprising unprepared opponents.

Stat InformationShow

Stats

• Ninjutsu: 5
• Taijutsu: 6
• Genjutsu: 3
• Stamina: 8
• Control: 5
• Strength: 8
• Speed: 7
• Wit: 4

(Fully trained Chunin level opponent)

[Ducks]

No

Where had she gone wrong? She didn't really mean those things she said to Osamu. She just wanted to keep everyone safe. He knew that, right? As Kyo spun around after her hasty strike, she hesitated dumbly for a moment, looking first at the sputtering, bleeding wreck on the floor who had been alive and arguing moments ago, and flirting mere minutes before that, then at the blood smeared monster (there was no other word for it) before her. Fear swept through her like a sudden sheet of freezing rain, but not for herself. It was as if she was a mother who had let her son wander too close to the woods, and could only scream in futility as the wolf swooped in to feast on the youngling's tender flesh.

An instant later, she was moving, not with the cold, practiced movements a seasoned warrior fell back on in times of dire need, but with the jerky, desperate violence of a wounded creature backed into a corner. Sealing faster then she ever had before, she formed a small hunk of Shouton chakra in her palm and threw it wildly at the monster; anything to get it away from Osamu. As soon as that was done, she was by the boy's side forming another series of impossibly quick hand seals and placing a shaky palm on the boy's neck. She tried, she really did, but there was so much blood, and her abilities seemed so meager and pathetic against the horrible reality of the wound.

Jutsu UsedShow

~Crystal Grenade
D – Ranked Ninjutsu
By doing basic hand seals the user is able to create a walnut sized crystal in their hand. This crystal is infused with a small amount of chakra and can then be used like a grenade. Upon impact the crystal will explode with the force of 1 exploding tag and cause shrapnel to fly in a radius of 3 meters.

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

[Willoria]

Shiro, the blonde whose name had yet to be spoken, saw her seals and her throwing action, diving out of the way as best as he could. He was forced to drop his staff with the action and immediately covered his head to avoid the shrapnel as he rolled to a stop on the other side of the room. He was unharmed, but successfully away from the pair when he finally pushed up to kneeling position and a devilish grin on his face as he watched Kyo's attempt to save Osamu.

But for Osamu it was too late, too much blood lost in too short of a time for the coagulation to take effect in time to say him. The man's last action was a small attempt at a smile as his eyes landed on Kyo, his hand rising just enough to barely touch her arm in what was a silent 'thank you for trying' before his hand fell to the ground and his eyes became unfocused as life left his body.

Shiro was clicking his tongue as he rose to his feet. "I always knew the coward would die without a fight." he snarled, still grinning at the girl, and suddenly having to duck as a spear slammed into the wall behind him. As he looked up his eyes went to the doorway on the other side of Kyo where Hibiki now stood.

The smith didn't say a word, he stood leaning against the doorway with another spear in hand. It seemed his inebriation didn't inhibit his aim. Hibiki's eyes fell from Shiro a moment, looking at Osamu's body with a mixed expression before looking to Shiro again. "He ishn't alone, gurl." He said quietly to Kyo, trying to warn her that Shiro's solo presence within the building did not mean he was without back up. It was a rare moment where the old warrior was visible in the old man, his ability to seemingly disregard the corpse of the boy who had been like a son to him, in favor of keeping the situation at hand in mind.

A true warrior fights now, and mourns later.

[Ducks]

She tried. She tried so hard. But a few moments of bloody struggle later, and the youth was gone, with only a ghost of a smile and a pathetic gesture of thanks to mark his passing from the world. After his heart stopped beating, she knelt by his side for a short time, staring dumbly at the warm, slippery ichor that colored her grey fingers an ugly red. As she sat there, she remembered the first and last time she had lost a patient. Then, she had known the poor youth only as a dying man, and he slipped into the abyss before she had the chance to remove to open her med pouch. What did I do next? She couldn't remember.

The monster snarled, but Kyo could no more understand its words then could she commune with the beasts of the desert. The monster moved suddenly, and a spear appeared in the wall where he had been a moment ago. Turning to look for the source of the attack, she saw the "useless drunk" standing in the doorway, spear in hand and warning on his tongue; so, the monster had brought friends. Suddenly Kyo remembered what she remembered what she had done next. I killed him. They all died.

Kyo nodded vacantly, though her focus was no longer on the old man. She wiped most of the blood from one hand, then slipped it into her medic pouch, drawing out a little blue pill that she placed in her mouth and swallowed; it tasted of blood and tonic. With the effects of the pill muddying her already confused thoughts, she grabbed an oversized longsword from a nearby bench and hurled it recklessly at Shiro, then sprung forward herself, swinging her mace in a brutal two handed downward strike. Death was on her mind.

ConsumedShow

Golem's Draught
D Ranked Poison
A pill filled with dark blue liquid, developed for augmenting physical combat. Upon ingestion, it sends a surge of chakra to the muscles, noticeably enhancing the user's power (+2 strength). However, this sudden flood of chakra disrupts the user's chakra network, causing a temporary loss of control (-2 control) over chakra using techniques. This pill takes effect within a few seconds, and last for three posts before the user's body returns to normal.

[Willoria]

Shiro, the monster of Kyo's nightmares, spun away from the thrown longsword with a laugh, still grinning as she tried to strike him. The strike was hard and would've seriously hurt him had it hit. But he ducked under it and placed a hand on Kyo's wrist as he suddenly kissed her, stepping back with another derisive laugh.

"I see why Osamu was so distracted by you." he said between laughs. "You have a sweet taste to you girl."

Hibiki himself was picking up a katana from a nearby rack and watching for an opening. "Leave the gurl out of thish." he snarled, fighting to talk around his issues.

"I'll get to you in a second, old man. I want to see this girl fight her way into my bed first." he said with a wink.

[Ducks]

Shiro was teasing Kyo as one would a wild dog, and the girl was playing right into his hands. With each evasion, each failure, her fury and despair grew, making her only more malleable to his manipulations. When he dodged in to almost literally steal a kiss, she fell back for a moment, breathing harder then she ought to have been and staring at her antagonist with a strange blend of terror and fury. She felt dizzy. She felt sick. She hazarded a glance back at Hibiki, and was struck by what she saw. He, whose only friend and surrogate son lay dead on the floor, stood composed; old and angry, but composed. Leave the girl out of thish.

Who was he, that would defend her? A feeble old thing, half crippled by age, alcohol, and grief? She glanced back at the monster, leering face spattered with the blood of a fresh kill. The rogue ninja (for that's what he was, nothing more, nothing less) would kill the master even as he killed the apprentice. Then the store would be his, and how many more would die by the weapons they plundered? Unless someone stopped him.

Kyo spat on the ground. The shinobi was not a monster to be feared, but a vicious cur, to be violently to put down. His leer was not the mask of an evil spirit, but the idiotic grin of an evil boy who does not realize the punishment about to come crashing down on his head. She spat again, ignoring Shiro's jibe. Her face was now defined by dark, cold fury, and his words meant less to her than the howling of a wild dog. Forming a short series of hand seals, she slammed one hand against the stone floor of the shop, forming a sizable deposit of flickering off white crystal. With a grunt, she removed a huge brick of crystal from the ground. She ignored Shiro as she began making hand seals to shape the element into useful form.

Jutsu UsedShow

Crystalization
D – Ranked Ninjutsu
This jutsu is the primary foundation for the crystal clan’s abilities. After the proper seals this allows the clan member to turn an amount of stone into pure crystal. This amount can go up to the size of a basket ball.

[Willoria]

Shiro tilted his head to the side as he saw the Kouseki girl form the mass of Crystal, but as of yet she didn't appear to be doing anything with it. "Come now, girl don't get so boring now." he told her, forming a few seals and stomping his foot on the ground, sending electified spikes towards the Kouseki girl even as she worked with her crystal.

As he spoke one of his men opened the door to step inside, an act which did not end well for him as a spear flew across the room and landed in his check with a sickening sound. As he looked up from the wound he saw Hibiki standing on the other side, picking up another spear even as the man fell back, dead, with a small puddle of blood forming underneath him.

Jutsu UsedShow

*[Lightning Element • Ground Spike Technique]
D-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing a string of hand seals and stomping on the ground, the user emits five bolts of lightning in a line. Each bolt is two yards apart from the one before it (giving the jutsu a total range of ten yards from the user), rising 3 feet into the air from the ground in succession, starting from the farthest one with a speed equal to the user's control with a maximum of six. These bolts are pure energy; they aren’t solid so they aren’t effective in stopping objects. The shock created by the jutsu, however, causes the targets body to jerk and sends a mild pain equivalent to getting stabbed in the hand throughout the body for a brief second. This technique isn’t very devastating, but it’s useful in stopping charging enemies.

[Ducks]

This time, she heard and understood the shinobi's jibe, but made no response. It wasn't for lack of material; several biting remarks, mostly revolving around the evil man being impaled on a spike, came to mind, but they died before they reached her tongue. Taunting and insults were for sparring, contests, even brawling; this was real, real as death and blood and steel.

She had begun forming further hand seals even as Shiro's missiles flew at her. Her first instinct was to block the projectiles with the slab of crystal, but she realized the folly of the idea quickly enough for her to duck behind a table and finish her hand seals while the buzzing bolts passed harmlessly overhead. Kyo had ever been a poor student, but Shizuka had been a relentless teacher, and eventually Kyo had learned against which elements to throw up a shield, and which to simply evade.

Kyo slammed her hand against the crystal deposit, and it came to life. Tiny shimmering molecules detached themselves from their neighbors and flew up her arm and over her body, forming a light, flexible shell that hopefully save her skin from any full force attack.

A light rush of air indicated the door had been opened, but before the kunoichi could do anything about it a spear flew overhead and landed with thunk, followed by a thud. Apparently, the old man could still take care of himself. Pulling a kunai from her thigh pouch, she turned and vaulted over the same table she had been using as cover. The kunai she flung, with much force but little skill, at Shiro, followed by a leaping attack, same as before. This time, however, as she neared Shiro in the air, she hurled her mace at his smug face at point blank range, with a flying kick also directed at him should he not move from his original position.

Jutsu UsedShow

Geode Shell
C – Ranked Ninjutsu
Kyo forms a short set of hand seals, gathering a medium amount of crystals to her pectorals. When the hand seals are completed, the crystals shoot out to cover the rest of her body, forming a light, flexible suit of armor. There are sizable gaps at her joints and midsection, as the jutsu is designed to give her some degree of flexibility; however, these gaps also leave portions of her body vulnerable to attacks, particularly bladed ones. Her feet, hands, neck, and head are untouched by this jutsu. This jutsu can be broken with a hit of five or higher; however, as the armor is segmented, each piece must be destroyed or removed individually.

Golem's Draught: +2 strength, -2 control -- Last Post

[Willoria]

Shiro rolled away again as he formed the seals, grinning from ear to ear. He was very much impressed with the jutsu Kyo had used and wished to test it's capabilities. He focused the chakra in his mouth and as he rolled up to one knee he was facing her and spit a small cloud of steel pellets at Kyo (speed of 4). He wanted to see how many of the pellets would actually get through against the Kouseki girl.

Jutsu UsedShow

*[Metal Release • Pelletstorm]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
After the necessary seals, the ninja will focus chakra into their mouths and spit a small cloud of steel pellets at the target at a speed of strength/2. The pellets can easily break skin and are hazardous to soft areas like the eyes and throat, although they can cause more serious damage to average humans. The maximum distance in meters these pellets travel is also determined by strength/2.

[Ducks]

Kyo hit the ground hard, a grunt of exertion and frustration escaping her. She was sure she had had him that time. Am I ever going to hit him?. Despair threatened to creep in once more, but she quickly shoved it down as she snatched up her mace by the loop and turned to continue the assault; if there was one thing she had experience with, it was driving thoughts out with action. Even so, the sudden feeling of weakness, accompanied by a sharpening of her senses, informed her that her drug had worn off, and if she did manage to land a blow it would be a weaker one than she would like. But what choice did she have?

Shiro formed a quick series of hand seals, but Kyo paid no notice; dodging had never been her forte. The pellets that struck her on the lower torso, fingers, and even face stung, but the majority of the petty projectiles reflected cleanly, scratching and chipping the armor, but never breaking it. She aimed to take advantage of the time spent sealing by attacking with heavy, downwards stroke of the mace, aiming to strike the nukenin clean on the crown.