[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

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Kabu
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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Kabu » Mon Jul 25, 2016 8:27 pm

It had been more than half a day that the pair had been walking through Wind Country, having talked a lot about what had happened since their academy days while they travelled, slowly being able to interact more naturally as they learned more about each other. Megumi still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about this mission an that it was about to go horribly wrong but the conversation was helping a lot to ease her nerves.

The sun by now was at it's highest point, something that she had grown to learn by now that Mako didn't really seem to care for, whereas she had always loved sunshine in full force. It was just really relaxing to take a nap in the sunlight and she couldn't understand how anyone could hate it. It was however beginning to get a bit hard to walk given the unbearable heat and they would need to take a rest soon. Luckily there was an oasis village not too far from their current location that would be the perfect spot to not only rest but also to begin looking for information on their target.

"It's so hot. It always surprises me just how much worse off the open desert is compared to the village." she spoke, lowering her hood and taking a moment to push her bangs, dripping with sweat, out of her eyes. "I've thought so for a while now but you're bad with the extra heat aren't you? I love it, myself." she added, looking over towards Mako. For a moment she considered voicing her fears over the mission but she quickly looked away, choosing to remain quiet about it for the time being, not wanting to seem crazy or lower their morale. Maybe she would bring it up if she had a valid reason to suspect foul play but for now it was unfounded.
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Trucro » Tue Jul 26, 2016 7:39 am

The sun was almost unbearable. Mako was drowning in sweat beneath his hood as he trudged along through the sand beside Megumi. He reminded himself that the day would only get cooler from this point on, but he still was clearly suffering. Megumi seemed to pick up on this, asking him about the heat. He scoffed as he heard her question, turning towards her as he answered. “Yea… the heat is not my favorite thing about living in Sunagakure.” He sighed as he kicked through the sand. Trying to take his mind off of his suffering, he spoke to Megumi.

“It probably makes sense,” he began, pausing only to take a deep breath. “That we both know a little about each other’s abilities. We haven’t even had contact since we were in the Academy; we definitely need to be aware of all the tools in our arsenal. Don’t you agree?” As he finished, a gust of wind flew into Mako’s face. It was welcome as a refresher, but it also suggested trouble in the near future. While the deserts always tended to be windy, a gust with this strength suggested an oncoming sandstorm. While Mako couldn’t see anything yet, he knew it was coming. He hoped they would make it to the oasis village before the storm hit.
CharactersShow

Akiro Jouchaku; Jounin; Kirigakure No Sato #007AA5

Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

Mako Notaramu; Jounin; Sunagakure No Sato

Inozu Yamanaka A-Rank; Missing Nin #AF2626

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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Kabu » Tue Jul 26, 2016 8:22 am

Megumi was a little surprised as Mako mentioned learning about the other's abilities. She actually hadn't even thought about that, but he was absolutely correct. For some reason.. it was actually a little embarrassing to say out loud just how much effort she had put in towards not really having to make an effort though.. "I'll be honest, I may be a Jounin but while I'm not too bad in a fight my arsenal is mostly built towards avoiding combat. My main skill is in Genjutsu but I also use Raiton Ninjutsu and have recently begun learning Doton as well." she responded with a quiet sigh, pulling her hood back up as yet another strong gust struck, kicking up a large amount of sand. There was definitely a nasty sandstorm coming and she wasn't looking forward to it one bit, hopefully they would reach shelter before it came, though she figured that it should be safe as there weren't any visible signs yet and the oasis village wasn't too far from their current location. As they went further though.. her bad feelings only got worse, she needed to distract herself but luckily she had the perfect avenue.

"And what about you?" she asked, hoping that he had actually built his skillset with combat in mind, otherwise they could have trouble later on. Not that her skills couldn't be used for combat, she just preferred not to fight if she didn't have to.
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Trucro » Tue Jul 26, 2016 10:20 am

Mako gave no signs of emotion while listening to his teammate’s abilities, but on the inside he was happy. A genjutsu user was extremely valuable in undercover operations, and it was an area in which Mako was notably weak. With properly deployed genjutsu, Megumi would be able to eliminate targets without being caught, or even stun their target to reduce any real fighting that might otherwise be necessary. Mako’s own skills tended to cause quite a commotion, meaning most of his jutsu were off-limits in public areas.

“I mostly rely on Kuuton for my attacks,” he began. Mako actually considered himself a bit modest in that simple description; he always figured he was the strongest Kuuton user in the village. He wasn’t about to brag, though; he didn’t have the desire or the energy at the moment. “But I’m also quite adept at sensory ninjutsu.” It was this skill that Mako felt made him particularly useful for this mission. All they’d have to do is get in the general vicinity of their target, and Mako would do the rest.

As they spoke, the two of them began to make their way up a rather large sand dune. This made their trek even more difficult, but Mako reminded himself that they had to be close to the village. Once they reached the oasis village, they could relax; they’d already made good progress by not taking any breaks on their journey. Mako’s face was dripping with a mix of salt and sand, and he couldn’t wait to clean himself up.
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Akiro Jouchaku; Jounin; Kirigakure No Sato #007AA5

Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

Mako Notaramu; Jounin; Sunagakure No Sato

Inozu Yamanaka A-Rank; Missing Nin #AF2626

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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Kabu » Tue Jul 26, 2016 11:21 am

Megumi tilted her head as she listened to Mako, showing no outwards expressions at the moment but inwardly feeling very happy about her partner's skillset. With Kuuton and sensory along with what she could do there was a good chance that they may be able to avoid combat entirely, or at the very least keep it to a bare minimum. The only problem was that if it actually did come down to a real fight they would need to make sure that there was nothing around that could get hurt by backlash.

She let out an audible groan as they made their way up a large sand dune, their progress being noticeably slowed by the climb, Megumi beginning to pant from exhaustion. She liked the heat but this was crazy, it was so much hotter than usual and the thought of the impending sandstorm only made it that much worse. She was tempted to remove her cloak but then she would lose her one source of protection from the sand and wind so she just had to deal with it. "The village should be just on the other side of this hill." she said, mostly in an attempt to reassure herself that soon they could afford to relax for a while. They hadn't taken any breaks yet and were both nearing their limit. She was sweating like crazy and it felt incredibly gross but soon she would be able to clean herself up and take a rest before they continued onwards, their best bet likely being to wait until the next day to move further due to the risks presented by the incoming sandstorm, it just wasn't worth taking the risk.
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
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Trucro
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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Trucro » Tue Jul 26, 2016 6:24 pm

Mako fought back a groan as the two continued to climb the dune. It was helpful that this was their final obstacle before a rest, and Mako focused on getting a bed somewhere safe from the sand. He reached to his forehead, wiping away a bead of sweat that was dripping dangerously close to his eye. He glanced over at Megumi and was happy to see she was just as uncomfortable as he was. They had been traveling for some time in the blistering heat, and had they not been training their strength and stamina above that of normal human limits, they would not have made it this far so quickly.

As they reached the top of the hill of sand, Mako looked out over the desert. The dune was large enough to give both of the ninja a view of miles out. Not far from them was the oasis; a patch of water that looked small from where he was, but it was likely that the buildings surrounding it were hiding much from view. It wouldn’t take them thirty minutes to get there, and if they ran it would be even sooner. Mako was relieved.

To the right of the village, however, was a large, messy blur. It was the sandstorm, only a few miles out by the look of it. The dark, twisting sand was something that all those who lived in Wind Country knew well. Sandstorms were incredibly dangerous, which was something that most outsiders don’t understand. Getting caught in one is not like being caught in a rainstorm. The sand cuts, and grinds, and gets caught in every crevice, eyes, mouth, and nose. Many travelers are often found suffocated from the sand after being buried in a sandstorm. While many shinobi have abilities that protect them from that fate, it is always better to find appropriate shelter. Luckily, the oasis village would provide just that.
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Akiro Jouchaku; Jounin; Kirigakure No Sato #007AA5

Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

Mako Notaramu; Jounin; Sunagakure No Sato

Inozu Yamanaka A-Rank; Missing Nin #AF2626

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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Kabu » Tue Jul 26, 2016 6:53 pm

Megumi couldn't help a relieved sigh as they reached the top of the dune and she saw the village not far off, maybe anywhere between ten and twenty minutes off depending on how fast they moved. With tht said though she kept at a normal walking pace, not really wanting to tire herself out anymore than she already had. Frankly it was impressive that they had made it this far considering that they hadn't stopped for more than a couple minutes at a time, never long enough for an actual break. After all, over the years she had learned that it was best not to be taking breaks in the middle of the open desert, there were far too many risks. This wasn't the first time that she had had to travel across the desert and it definitely wouldn't be the last and she would need much bettre stamina if she was going to do this on a regular basis.

As they walked the final stretch, her gaze wandered over to the large messy blur that indicated the sandstorm wasn't that far off. She wasn't sure why.. but something felt off about it. It didn't seem entirely natural, almost as if someone had created it themselves... Of course there was always the chance that it was nothing and she was simply being paranoid from the heat and exhaustion but still it frightened her for some reason. Either way, it was best for them to reach the village quickly without exhausting themselves and wait the storm out. Their target was likely still in the country which gave them time to take a break.

"We should hurry, I really don't like the look of that storm. It might just be my imagination playing tricks on me but it's somehow menacing. Moreso than usual.
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Trucro » Tue Jul 26, 2016 8:52 pm

“Hm…” Mako responded, more to himself than to Megumi. He hadn’t noticed it, but the sandstorm was moving pretty quickly. Of course, that was not unheard of. Sandstorms had quite a bit of variance in their speed and size, so it didn’t strike him as weird. He wasn’t certain why Megumi was worried about it; perhaps she just had that personality. He was still getting used to her. Paranoia did seem to be a common theme; Mako was surprised he was the one “underthinking” things for once.

As they approached the village, the storm was only minutes away. They were just on the precipice; a heavy wind was kicking up, and Mako had to raise his arms to protect his face. This made walking more difficult, but they were able to use the buildings as protection from most of the wind. It was some sort of karmic fate that just as they reach the easiest part of the day’s journey, another obstacle rose in their path. It didn’t surprise Mako; he had never considered himself to have good luck. It was beginning to look like this trip was going to be no exception.

Judging from the edge of the storm, this was going to be rather intense. It was necessary, no longer strongly suggested, to find shelter. The village wasn’t huge; in fact, there were probably not many more than a dozen or so buildings around the oasis. This was actually beneficial, as it took Mako and Megumi almost no time to find the local inn. Generally, these were places that would offer food and beverages in their first floor, with rooms for booking in the floors above. Mako wasn’t sure what to expect; the inn could be entirely empty, as it was a rather small village and a nearby sandstorm might have delayed travelers, or all nearby travelers could have changed their routes so as to find shelter.

Mako grabbed the door of the tavern first, pulling it open to allow Megumi entry before him. Still covering his face with his free hand, he stepped in after his partner, pulling the door closed behind them.
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Akiro Jouchaku; Jounin; Kirigakure No Sato #007AA5

Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

Mako Notaramu; Jounin; Sunagakure No Sato

Inozu Yamanaka A-Rank; Missing Nin #AF2626

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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Kabu » Tue Jul 26, 2016 10:08 pm

Maybe I'm just being paranoid. I'm probably just exhausted and overthinking things. she thought to herself, hoping that that really was the case. She actually was beginning to feel quite exhausted and the heat wasn't helping matters at all. Luckily shelter was right up ahead, and it wouldn't take them mere minutes to get there.

With that said, she barely had time to brace herself as a sudden heavy wind kicked up, bringing a great deal of sand with it and causing her to bring up her arms to protect her face, breathing heavily as they fought their way through the wind. It got easier as they entered the village as the buildings were able to block most of the wind but still she couldn't believe their luck one bit. They had almost reached shelter and then the storm just snuck up on them, a fact that wasns't helping with her worries one bit. This mission was definitely looking to be a lot more difficult than had been originally anticipated, with even the forces of nature getting in their way.

They needed to find the inn fast, the wind getting heavier as the storm got closer and closer. Luckily thanks to this village being fairly small, simply being a few buildings centered around the oasis, it took no time at all to find it. She wasn't really sure what to expect though as they hadn't seen any people, though the locals could have all just been inside and travellers were likely interrupted by the storm.

Anyways, as soon as Mako opened the door of the tavern and held it open she gave him a quick nod and hurried inside, letting out a relieved sigh as they had finally reached shelter. "That was far too close. Who would have thought that the storm had been so close? It had seemed a bit farther away than that... Maybe I just misjudged the distance." she spoke, muttering the last part to herself.
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Trucro » Wed Jul 27, 2016 7:24 pm

Mako nodded to Megumi as he followed her into the inn. He pulled the door shut as quickly as he could to prevent the sand from entering the building, but from the looks of it, it didn’t really matter. The room wasn’t as big as he expected, maybe 15 meters by 15 meters. The cracks between the wooden floorboards were entirely filled with sand, probably what travelers tracked in as they entered the building. At the far wall, across from the door, was a long, wooden counter that stretched about one fourth the length of the room. There were another six tables for customers in the room, all small with a varying number of chairs at each, between two and four.

The first thing Mako purposely focused on was the people. There was an aging man behind the counter; Mako estimated his age between 50 and 60. He had a notable grey mustache that covered his face, and dark brown eyes that were so bland that had he not purposely made a note of the man’s eye color, he would have missed it. At one of the tables sat two men in grubby, old looking clothing, not unlike what Mako wore. They were both tanned, suggesting that they had spent a lot of time outside as children. They didn’t strike him as merchants, but they could have been some sort of travelers, or friends of the shopkeeper behind the counter. At another table were four figures, all huddled around tightly. At least one of them was a woman, but the group was on the far side of the building, and huddling together as they were, it was difficult to make out their unique features. They wore similarly bland clothes. Because of the commotion of opening the door during a storm, the entire group was looking up at them. Nine people in total, Mako counted to himself.

Just as he had finished count, another figure entered the room, this time from a doorway to their left, presumably leading to another room in the building. She was a middle aged woman, probably the wife of the owner, with gray hair but a surprisingly unwrinkled face. She had a smile across her face that was uncharacteristic of the rest of the room. Her presence seemed soothing, as if she brought an air of calm into the room.

“Hello there, you two. Welcome,” she reached out her arms as she spoke in a welcoming fashion. “My name is Tsukima; can I help you?” Mako hadn’t even lowered his hood when the woman introduced herself, and she appeared oddly friendly. He saw the old man behind the counter roll his eyes as the woman spoke, and he made a note of it. He didn’t respond to the woman, instead allowing Megumi to do the talking. She was the talker, after all.
CharactersShow

Akiro Jouchaku; Jounin; Kirigakure No Sato #007AA5

Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

Mako Notaramu; Jounin; Sunagakure No Sato

Inozu Yamanaka A-Rank; Missing Nin #AF2626

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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Kabu » Wed Jul 27, 2016 8:56 pm

Something is a bit off here.. Megumi thought to herself, frowning as she looked around the room. Paranoid or not she definitely didn't feel entirely comfortable in this place. Her danger senses were tingling more than ever, and she almost wanted to risk the storm instead of sticking around. She had confidence in her ability to defend herself though so even if there was danger she was confident that they could handle it, that thought visibly relaxing her.

Now relaxed she took a close look at the people gathered around the room, taking particular note of the group on the far side of the building, along with the elderly man behind the counter. The other two men appeared strange as well but for the time being at least they didn't really strike her as particularly noteworthy. Overall though.. she was feeling that for the time being at least she could let down her guard, at least enough to interact with the others.

At that point another figure entered the room, a middle aged woman who really... didn't look all that old. If not for her gray hairs she would have been mistaken for at least ten years younger, her appearance along with her strange friendliness gave off a calming aura, which was actually a bit unsettling given how much it seemed to contrast with the rest of the room.

Lowering her hood she stepped forward and bowed to the woman, smiling yet keeping a close eye on the actions of those within the room. It seemed that she couldn't completely let down her guard, no matter how she tried. "It's nice to meet you. My husband and I are merchants and we were on our way to Pebble Country to meet with a business partner when we were suddenly caught in a sandstorm. It was too dangerous to continue so we came here seeking shelter until the storm passed. I certainly hope that we won't be a bother." she spoke, making sure to include at least a half-truth in there. She had been mentally rehearsing for a while, so she could only hope that it seemed natural enough.
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Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Trucro » Thu Jul 28, 2016 4:40 pm

Mako fought the urge to roll his eyes as Megumi spoke to the innkeeper’s wife. Megumi just let rip the entire backstory the two of them had created. A less uptight person might have laughed at it. Mako himself was more worrier. However, it was better for Megumi to make the mistakes now, get them out of her system, before they crossed the border into Pebble Country. While there, something like that could be dangerous. Luckily, the innkeeper’s wife seemed clueless.

“Ah, yes of course! Aren’t you two cute!” the woman said, shaking her hands in false excitement. She grabbed Megumi by the hand, and led her across the room to the wooden counter, where her husband waited. Mako followed patiently behind her. The innkeeper glanced over Megumi’s shoulder at Mako, shooting him a look that he was supposed to be in on. Mako assumed it was the “wives eh?” look. Mako didn’t respond, choosing to ignore it. Meanwhile, the woman began talking about the details of a room they had, that would for some reason be just perfect for the two of them.

“…yes, yes, it’s our most newly furnished room. Just at the top of the stairs over here, and to the end of the hall!” She paused as she motioned across the room towards a door that Mako assumed had stairs leading to the inn’s rooms. The woman reached across the counter and grabbed a key from the other side. She carefully placed it in Megumi’s hand as she looked up at the young woman’s face. Tsukima closed Megumi’s hand with both of hers, and she smiled as she continued. “I’m certain you’ll enjoy it!”
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Akiro Jouchaku; Jounin; Kirigakure No Sato #007AA5

Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

Mako Notaramu; Jounin; Sunagakure No Sato

Inozu Yamanaka A-Rank; Missing Nin #AF2626

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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Kabu » Thu Jul 28, 2016 5:05 pm

Megumi actually hadn't been aware herself that what she had done was a mistake, she had just done what she had felt best. Either way, it was too late now. She would realize soon enough that she should have been much more cautious, as her instincts had originally told her.

Anyways, soon enough the woman took her hand and led her to the counter, seeming to be acting a bit strange... almost as if she had seen through her lies but wasn't actually showing it. Well, she had been acting strange before but now it was doubly so, and for some reason Megumi felt that itching in her chest again, the instinct to run away and not look back, before something bad happened bubbling to the surface. Lightly shaking her head to clear it up she focused her attention back on the woman, who was talking about a room that for whatever reason would be perfect for the two of them.

That's the door that woman came out of earlier. She thought to herself, her gaze drifting towards where the woman was motioning towards. Of course it had to be where the stairs leading towards the upper floor were located. She wasn't sure why the woman was talking so excitedly.. they should have just been another pair of travellers coming here for shelter.. but that wasn't the case. The woman was acting strangely excited about them in particular... but at the same time she could have just been excited about having a couple staying with them, though strangely she didn't feel as if that was it at all.

Carefully watching the woman's face, she took the key deciding to simply wait and see before making any rash moves. "Thank you so very much! We'll try not to be a bother!" she thanked the woman before turning towards Mako.

"I'm going to go check out the room first." Is what she seemed to say with the look that she gave him, turning around and heading towards the rooms, beyond ready to just plop down and relax for a while.
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Trucro » Thu Jul 28, 2016 5:35 pm

Mako nodded towards Megumi before she headed off towards the room. He wasn’t certain why she wanted to go to the room alone, but he guessed it had something to do with getting all of the sand out of her clothes. He wanted to do the same, but he would have to wait until she was done; women first, and all. Instead, as she left the main room, Mako grabbed his stomach. It made a growling sound that he hoped no one else could hear. Giving up the ruse, he turned to the innkeeper.

“Can I buy a hot meal here? Mako had plenty of salted meat in his pack that was slung around his shoulder. Nevertheless, he yearned for a hot meal. He hadn’t had a real hot meal, not counting the meat bun Megumi made, in some time. He was secretly hoping they’d have some sort of freshly cooked baked goods, but that was unlikely. He would settle for some sort of stew or soup.

“Sorry, young man,” the innkeeper began. “We don’t even really have a kitchen here. Even if we did, no cook would be working in a storm like this.” Mako must have been pretty clearly disappointed, despite the fact that he was still strictly controlling his emotions, because the innkeeper continued. “I apologize.” Perhaps he was just being polite, Mako thought.

“Hm…” was all he said. He wondered how he would know when Megumi was ready for him to come up to the room. Would she come back down? Or was he just supposed to wait the requisite amount of time? He figured he’d give her a few more minutes, and then head up himself.
CharactersShow

Akiro Jouchaku; Jounin; Kirigakure No Sato #007AA5

Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

Mako Notaramu; Jounin; Sunagakure No Sato

Inozu Yamanaka A-Rank; Missing Nin #AF2626

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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Kabu » Thu Jul 28, 2016 6:12 pm

Megumi cautiously looked around as she climbed up the stairs and made her way towards their room, they key tightly grasped in her clenched fist. For some reason she was beginning to feel somehow agitated or maybe apprehensive would be the better word, and she couldn't manage to calm down. For a while she had had the distinct feeling that coming here had been a mistake and it only grew worse over time. The inkeeper's wife had been acting very very strangely. Nobody was that friendly in this day and age, she knew that despite being fairly friendly herself.

It took some effort but she finally managed to push the darker thoughts to the back of her mind and let out a quiet sigh. Really.. she was getting all worked up over nothing, she needed to focus on what they had come here for, relaxing. Once they were suitably well rested they could get maybe hunt for information and then leave just as soon as the storm cleared up. There was no reason for her to be so worried.

Finally having convinced herself she arrived at their room, unlocking the door and stepping inside to be greeted by a fairly spacious, well furnished room. It wasn't really all that fancy but all things considered it was a very nice room. There was only one bed though.. but she had expected that much, after all she had introduced them as husband and wife. Letting out a deep breath she threw her bag on the bed and removed her cloak, hanging it over the back of a chair for all the sweat to dry. 'I'm exhausted." she muttered to herself, undressing in order to change so she could get the sand out of her clothes. Her stomach growling as she did. Man, it was definitely mealtime. Hopefully this place had some good food.

It didn't take long for her to get dressed again, her outfit this time being a simple dress, and she exited the room, soon enough re-entering the main room where the inkeeper, his wife, and Mako were waiting. Without pause she walked up to them and turned towards the elderly couple. "The room is very nice, again thank you so much for your hospitality." she said, her stomach rumbling again. Damn.. she really was starving.
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
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Trucro
Posts: 615
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2015 8:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Trucro » Thu Jul 28, 2016 7:47 pm

Mako was surprised at how quickly Megumi returned to the entrance room of the inn. It wasn’t that she didn’t take a relatively long time, but rather, he had expected her to take longer. She seemed happy enough now that she was wearing clean, sand-free clothes. Now that it was safe for him, Mako nodded to the innkeeper before heading towards the door. He wasn’t sure whether or not Megumi would be following him; she hadn’t said anything to him that might make him think she was coming with him rather than staying in the entrance room with the innkeeper. When her stomach rumbled, he figured she’d be asking for the same thing he just had: a warm meal.

With that off the table, Mako was quite excited to get to the room and pull out some of the food he had with him. The sooner, the better, and he didn’t plan on waiting for Megumi. He walked over to the door without saying a word, only looking back at her over his shoulder as he grabbed the doorknob. He swung the door open, and began his way up the stairs to the room. He was oddly excited to get out of his clothes. The wind bellowed outside, and Mako could hear the building creaking underneath its weight. In fact, it was making quite a bit of noise. The sandstorm was really going now, whipping grains of sand in twisted shapes as it smashed against the side of the building. Mako ignored it, however, only thinking about changing his clothes and eating some food.
CharactersShow

Akiro Jouchaku; Jounin; Kirigakure No Sato #007AA5

Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

Mako Notaramu; Jounin; Sunagakure No Sato

Inozu Yamanaka A-Rank; Missing Nin #AF2626

User avatar
Kabu
Posts: 7945
Joined: Thu May 09, 2013 8:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Kabu » Thu Jul 28, 2016 8:26 pm

True enough, Megumi had asked for a meal though unlike with Mako, once she had asked the innkeeper had disappeared through a carefully hidden door behind the counter and currently she was waiting at an empty table, listening to the storm howling outside. It had been gradually increasing in intensity, the building seeming to be barely standing as the wind and sand continously smashed against the side. It had been intense before but this was on a whole new level.. How on earth could it have gotten so strong so quickly? Something was very wrong, though she didn't have much time to think about it as soon the inkeeper came out and placed her meal on the table. The smell alone was enough to make her forget about her concerns and focus just on the food for the time being, her stomach rumbling in agreement.

"Thank you. It looks delicious." she said, too focused on the food to notice the atmosphere in the room going cold. If she had been more observant she may have stopped herself from eating at all but her hunger won out, and she scarfed it down within mere minutes, blinking as a strange sensation suddenly hit her."Damnit I knew I wasn't being paranoid." she panted as she fought back the sudden pain, exhaustion,and nausea, or at least tried to. It was evident that it was a losing battle yet she kept trying, her situation only getting worse as she struggled against it.

Unfortunately she soon passed out, the two grubby men that had previously been at the table next to her's, watching and grinning as she collapsed. With their goal having apparently been satisfied the men nodded to the inkeeper and grabbed the unconscious woman, the group then making use of the commotion caused by the sandstorm to stealthily make their escape through the back, tossing their captive into the back of a wagon. If that all wasn't bad enough, the storm strangely began dying down once they had made their escape, dispersing unnaturally quickly once they were well on their way.

"I told you that this country was ripe with women. It was worth coming to this dirtback town and threatening those inn workers to help us nab girls. This one will likely make us rich. We should thank that girl. What was her name? Takuya was it? one of the men spoke, grinning. His partner only nodding in response. It turned out that they were in cahoots with the missing ninja that Megumi and Mako were sent after, though obviously neither of them would know that at this point.

Meanwhile back inside the tavern the innkeeper and his wife looked at each other, frowns on each of their faces. They didn't want to do it but times had been tough, and really they had had no other choice.. Their very livelihood had been at stake.

Hopefully it wouldn't take too long for Mako to realize that she had just been kidnapped, and come to rescue her. Though who knew if he would make it in time, or even if her safety would be put above the mission.
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
Kabu's Test Thread

User avatar
Trucro
Posts: 615
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2015 8:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Trucro » Fri Jul 29, 2016 6:33 pm

Mako entered their room with gusto. It was larger than he thought it would be, although still not all that spacious. There was only one bed, which was to be expected. It would make for an interesting night, but he’d worry about that later. At that moment, Mako just wanted to get out of his sandy clothes and relax. As he began to change, he noticed that Megumi had left her bag on the bed.

“Of course,” he muttered to himself. This girl was a Jounin, and she just left her stuff lying around. He needed to keep a better eye on her, and make sure she didn’t make more mistakes. Although this really wasn’t a mistake, it just bothered him. His mask on the ground, he started patting down his clothes, making sure all the sand was released from them. Yawning, he put his clothes back on. They were far more comfortable, and he let out a relaxed sigh.

Now feeling a bit better, Mako went into his bag. He pulled out a piece of salted meat and began to chow down. His stomach had been growling for some time, and he quickly began to recover from his hunger. The salty meat made his mouth very dry, however, and it was dangerous to be dehydrated in the desert. He took a few sips from his canteen, but there wasn’t much left. Sighing, he put his shoes back on. He would have to check if the inn had any water. He leisurely made his way into the hall, empty canteen in hand, and walked down the stairs.

He reentered the main room, and quickly noticed that Megumi was nowhere to be seen. He paused as he noticed her absence, but decided to get some water before worrying about her. Mako made his way over to the counter where the old innkeeper stood, patient as ever. “Can you fill this with water, please?” He handed the innkeeper his canteen, and the innkeeper took it. The old man turned around to a barrel beside him, and bent down, pouring water into the canteen. As Mako waited, he looked around the room. He noticed that the two grubby-looking men were gone as well, but found no clues as to Megumi’s whereabouts. What a ditz, he thought to himself.

“Here ya are,” the innkeeper said, handing Mako his canteen. Mako took it from the old man, and made eye contact preparing to give his thanks. The innkeeper refused to meet his gaze. He was confused; the old man was nothing but friendly until then. He looked over at the inkeeper’s wife, who was just a few feet to his side, nervously washing some dishes. As he looked closer, however, he saw that the woman wasn’t really washing anything, just playing with the dishes. Still trying to figure out what was going on, he looked back at where the grubby men were sitting. It was just then he noticed the vicious sandstorm had stopped.

“God damn…” he said before he took a long drink of his water. He let out a refreshed sigh as he finished his drink before turning to the innkeeper. In one swift move, Mako shot out his arm behind the inkeeper’s head. Grasping the old man’s head with his hand, he pulled forward and down. The inkeeper’s head was smashed into the countertop, and he dropped to the ground with blood dripping from his forehead. His wife let out a shrill scream as she dropped the dishes she had been playing with crashed to the ground. She took several steps back, bumping into the wall before stopping.

Mako leapt over the counter top, and began slowly walking toward the woman. His face showed no emotion, in strong contrast to the woman, who was hysterical. Tears and snot were dripping from every orifice as she feared for her life, or her husbands, Mako wasn’t sure which. But he didn’t attack her. He simply reached out his hand and placed it on the woman’s shoulder.

“What happened to my… wife?” The woman didn’t respond however; she just continued bawling into her hands. “Tsukima, that’s your name right? Unless you lied about that too. Anyway, look at me, look at me.” Mako spoke very calmly to the woman, and it seemed to be calming her down. She dropped her hands, and looked up, showing him her scrunched up, red face. “Good. I need you to tell me now, what happened to the woman I was with?” The woman paused, as if she was going to answer, but she didn’t begin to speak quickly enough. “Tsukima, it’s very important that you tell me where she is.”

“I…” she responded as she looked away. “I don’t know where they took her…” the inkeeper’s wife paused for a moment, looking back at Mako. “We weren’t in on their plan! They forced us to… to...”

“Tsukima,” Mako cut the woman off. “I don’t care why you did it. I’m not going to hurt you. You need to tell me who took the woman.” The woman didn’t answer, but simply reverted back to bawling into her hands. Frustrated, Mako began talking a bit louder. “Was it those two men who were sitting just there? Was it them?” he asked, pointing to the table where the two grubby men sat. Still hysterical, the woman managed to nod in the affirmative. Mako sighed as he released the woman’s shoulder, and stood back to his full height. The woman began pointing towards a door situated in the back of the room, and Mako made his way over. Opening the door, he was back outside. It was a sunny day, with no sign of a sandstorm ever having been there. It was definitely some sort of trick.

Mako raised his hood as he carefully analyzed the seen. There were no immediate tracks either way, but a few yards away he could see what looked to be carriage tracks, although they were beginning to be filled in by the wind and the sand. The trail wouldn’t last much longer; he’d have to move quickly before it dispersed entirely. He pushed off the sand, running in the direction of the tracks. As he did, he realized his mask was, loose, being dragged in the breeze behind him. As he ran, he repositioned his mask, covering the bottom of his face, protecting it from the floating sand. It would also look rather scary, although he didn’t expect these slavers, kidnappers, or whatever they were not to know who he was. What a pain this whole thing was going to be.
CharactersShow

Akiro Jouchaku; Jounin; Kirigakure No Sato #007AA5

Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

Mako Notaramu; Jounin; Sunagakure No Sato

Inozu Yamanaka A-Rank; Missing Nin #AF2626

User avatar
Kabu
Posts: 7945
Joined: Thu May 09, 2013 8:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Kabu » Sat Jul 30, 2016 2:32 am

Megumi's head was throbbing as she finally began to wake up, having been unconscious for a long while. She was still feeling nauseous and groggy but definitely much better than earlier. The only question was.. What had happened while she had been unconscious?

It was as she tried to stretch that she began to realize something was off. For some reason she couldn't really move, further inspection revealing that she had been bound at the hands and feet, ropes painfully biting into her flesh. Even to her somewhat tired mind, the situation was easily comprehended... She had dared to let her guard down and been kidnapped as a result. After falling unconscious she had been bound, gagged and thrown in the back of a carriage for transport. Of course she had no idea where she was being taken but it was clear that an elaborate trap had been set up and she had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.

With nothing else to do she scooted forward upon hearing voices, noting that they must have belonged to her captors, pressing her ears tightly against the walls to listen in, managing to resist letting out a surprised gasp as she recognized the voices of those two grubby men from back in the inn. The very same men who she had ignored as they had been the least suspicious of the bunch...

"...Once we get to the base we're going to lock the girl up and you're going to stand guard while I contact the brothel. It's kind of a shame though, I almost want to keep a woman like that for myself."

With that she pulled away, unable to bear hearing anything else, her face going pale as she thought about what she had just heard. She had been captured only to be sold off as a prostitute.. and there was nothing that she could do about it by herself, being unable to move or even scream. No matter how much she struggled she couldn't break her bonds, plus she was still feeling the effects of that poison from earlier so even if she did break free there was no way that she would be able to fight back and she would only get caught again, or even possibly killed. All she could do was wait for Mako to find and rescue her, if he even tried that was. A very small part of her feared that he would ditch her in favor of the mission, though she quickly chased it away just as soon as it came up. He would definitely come for her but for now all she could do was sit and wait.

Knowing full well there was little that she could do at that point she adjusted herself so that she was laying on her back and went back to sleep, unaware that the carriage soon came to a full stop and she was carried into a large building.
Meanwhile, Mako would eventually find himself on the outskirts of a small, seemingly abandoned village, the tracks coming to a stop at the entrance. He could either check it out or pass it by, though it was often in places like these that all sorts of ne'er do wells set up shop, so it was likely that she was being held somewhere in the village
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
Kabu's Test Thread

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Trucro
Posts: 615
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2015 8:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Trucro » Sat Jul 30, 2016 7:50 pm

Mako had been dragging himself along through the sand for a few hours when he came across the village. It wasn’t a large village; he could see what he thought to be every building from the sand dune on which he was standing. The buildings did not look to be holding up well. It appeared they had long been abandoned. Mako could see some of the cracks from as far away as he was. The sandstone buildings would have been a bit hidden from his view had he been much further back; they had a knack for disappearing in the desert, as they matched quite perfectly with the sand.

Mako sighed in disappointment as he realized that the tracks he had been following disappeared. They had been his best tool in his investigation, now gone. All he had left was what he knew about Megumi, and what he could remember from the faces of the grubby-looking men back at the Inn. He took another sip from his canteen as he began walking towards the village. He was thankful to have the water, but he realized that he had left his food at the inn. The sun had long since disappeared, which was beneficial to Mako who was enjoying the cool breezes that filled the desert at night. Their first day on their mission sure went about as poorly as it could have gone; a teammate missing, stolen, no less, and a distraction from their time sensitive mission.

Mako carefully looked at each abandoned building as he made his way through the village. He had decided not to actually walk through each individual building in the interest of time, and rather use his sensory ninjutsu to locate Megumi. In order to do that, he would need to be within range. If she was in any of the abandoned buildings, he would need to be in the center of town to maximize the chance she was within his range. But that didn’t mean her captures couldn’t have laid a trap for intruders, so he remained vigilant. He was becoming increasingly tired, and he hoped that Megumi’s kidnappers were equally exhausted. It would make for a quicker fight.

As Mako reached what he figured was the center of the village, he sat down in the sand. Crossing his legs beneath him, he closed his eyes, concentrating on his chakra. He went through a set of handseals quickly, before searching through the village. It took him a few seconds for him to reach his full range, but when he did, he found what he was looking for: a small group of chakra signatures on the opposite side of the abandoned village. Other than that, it seemed entirely empty. Mako rose to his feet, and began heading towards the edge of the village. He rolled his eyes, thinking about what a waste of time this was, and how much food he had lost. He tried to move as quietly as he could so as not to announce himself to Megumi’s captors.
jutsu usedShow
*[Sensory Style • Broad Sense]
B-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisites: *[Beyond Senses], Ninjutsu/Control/Instinct stats of 20
This jutsu is an extension of [Beyond Senses]. With this jutsu initiated, a sensor can focus on individual chakra signatures to get a precise idea of where their opponents are at up to 25 yards. A general sense of the direction and number of chakra sources can be determined at about 50 yards. It should be noted that this jutsu requires intense concentration, often making the user shut their eyes so they can focus on the jutsu solely. Even with high levels of Chakra Control and Instinct, this jutsu can be mentally taxing as it requires the user to sort through the individual chakra sources in the sensor’s range.
CharactersShow

Akiro Jouchaku; Jounin; Kirigakure No Sato #007AA5

Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

Mako Notaramu; Jounin; Sunagakure No Sato

Inozu Yamanaka A-Rank; Missing Nin #AF2626

User avatar
Kabu
Posts: 7945
Joined: Thu May 09, 2013 8:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Kabu » Sun Jul 31, 2016 6:11 pm

By the time Megumi woke up again her head was still throbbing but she otherwise felt much better. The poison had probably worked it's way out of her system by now. Truthfully she had been hoping that the whole incident had been some kind of bad dream but between the dark cramped space she was contained in, the ropes binding her wrists and ankles, her gagged mouth, and her throbbing head... well needless to say her predicament was definitely all too real. She had most definitely been captured and if not rescued soon would be sold off. She had been stupid and let her guard down, and now Mako was probably wasting valuable time looking for her. If she could have sighed she would have, she was beyond disappointed in herself and she was sure that everyone else would be as well. And they had made it so she couldn't even help herself so all she could do was sit and wait as there was no real use in struggling besides wasting energy.

Other than a few guards located at the entrance of a single building on the far side, the village was empty, the sole inhabitants being a group of freelance thugs, a group willing to do anything for a buck.

Anywho, the building rose above the rest and was in better shape, obviously being used as a base. The front door while unguarded was blockaded, however if one were to walk around the back they would spot a window on the ground floor that they could climb in through if they chose not to mess with the door. Other than their leader the group was fairly unorganized so it would be easy to sneak in either way, the problem being that the inside would be much more heavily guarded so one would have to be careful when actually making their way through, if only due to a large number of potential opponents.
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
Kabu's Test Thread

User avatar
Trucro
Posts: 615
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2015 8:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Trucro » Mon Aug 01, 2016 7:52 pm

As Mako approached the building in which he had sensed a group of chakra signatures, he noticed that it was taller than the others, and in significantly better shape. It was clearly being maintained, unlike the other buildings in the village. For some reason, though, the front door appeared to be boarded up; he assumed this was because the people using it for whatever purpose they stole women for had a secret entrance, or at least were discreet enough to use the back door.

Mako didn’t approach the building head on, instead choosing to hide behind other abandoned buildings as he made his way towards it. He did this so as to not be seen by any potential lookouts scanning the horizon for potential invaders. Mako wasn’t convinced there would be any lookouts, as he had only sensed what seemed like a couple more than a half dozen; he wasn’t going up against much more than a gang of a few bandits. Despite his confidence in his own abilities, he still wanted to go about retrieving Megumi carefully. While he believed there was little danger to him, he was worried that his teammate was in a more precarious position. What was worse, if she was seriously injured, he’d likely have to return her to the village, allowing their target to escape. Or else, he’d have to leave Megumi to die… also not a favorable option.

Mako was now hiding in the shadow of an adjacent building, and was just meters away from the door. Still, he wasn’t particularly fond of the idea of breaking through the door; he had the power, sure, but it would cause a commotion that he would rather avoid until the opportune moment. It would be better to infiltrate the base unseen, and then plan an attack from the inside. In the interest of infiltrating the base, Mako decided to have a look inside. He calmed himself before weaving a set of handseals. He closed his eyes as he focused his chakra again. As he did, he began to sense the individual chakra signatures of the people inside the base. He counted them carefully, reaching 11. That meant ten enemies, and Megumi, most likely. He made a mental note of where each individual was in his mind, superimposing them over a three-dimensional model he imagined in his head. Of course, without the knowledge of the individual rooms, he could just approximate the situation, but it was better than nothing.

Ending the jutsu, he stuck his head out around the side of the abandoned house he was using for cover to look at the building. Having made the decision not to go on the front door, he looked for other potential entrances. Finding none suitable, he began to circle the building, all the while in the cover of abandoned houses surrounding it. Reaching the backside of the building, he spotted a window that was large enough for him to crawl through on the ground floor. Immediately as he decided to do it, he made his move. He swiftly flew along the sand, low to the ground, before leaping into the window. Folding his body up, he smoothly fit into the tiny window, landing inside the building.

He carefully looked around the room he had entered. It was small, very small. It was a little box with not much more than a pile of papers against a wall, and a door. The walls, made of sandstone, had large cracks that were likely symbolic of a structural problem with the building, but he assumed the tenants didn’t care. It did make him wonder, though, how all the abandoned buildings remained standing if this one was having trouble.

Mako paused and listened carefully for any others around him. Hearing nothing, he slowly opened the door. It creaked rather loudly, and Mako immediately paused again, reluctant to take any risks. Realizing it was his only option, he tapped the door lightly, allowing it to swing open on its own, as iff pushed by a gust of wind. As it opened to about a 90 degree angle, Mako heard footsteps crunching along the ground, heading towards him. Hiding behind the door, he waited until he could hear the person’s breath before making his move.

Fluidly pulling a kunai from the pouch on his rear, he swiped at neck level without looking at the man. He had guessed the person’s height quite accurately, cleanly cutting across his neck. Mako didn’t pause with that, however. He quickly pulled the kunai back and, placing his weak hand on the butt of his weapon, he jammed the knife into the man’s eye. The man quickly dropped to the ground, without a making a sound. As the blood began to seep out onto the ground, Mako began working on his plan to get his teammate. Megumi seemed to be lower than he was, from what he could remember, which meant there had to be a floor below the ground floor. He began moving from door to door, looking for a staircase leading towards the basement.

He had forgotten about the rest of the men, however, accidentally opening a door to find four scruffy looking men in a closed off room. One of them looked familiar; he had been one of the two men at the inn. The men all wore baggy clothes; about half of them carried a scarf around their neck that was presumably to protect themselves against the sand. None of them were appeared all that old, at least from the quick glance Mako got from them. For a moment, Mako stared at the men, and the men stared back. It didn’t take long for them to figure out what had happened, however, and they reached for their weapons.

Mako spun around quickly, slamming the door shut and immediately beginning hand seals. Having completed them, he shot out his hand. The closed door, along with a good portion of the wall was sent flying forwards, breaking apart from the weak molding and crashing into the far wall, smashing everyone in the room. This left a decent sized hole in the wall, and made quite a noise; Mako’s cover was blown. What was worse, the shaky foundation of the building was likely further destabilized, meaning Mako now had an unknown time limit.

Pulling out his kunai once again, he prepared himself has he began to open and shut the remaining doors. On his second try, he found a stairwell leading to the basement. Two men were running up it, however, blocking his path, one in front of the other. Luckily, they were startled by Mako’s entrance, which gave Mako the advantage. He cut across the closer man’s chest before kicking him backwards. The first man tumbled backwards into the second, and the both of the crashed into the floor at the bottom. Mako wasted no time, leaping down the steps all at once and digging his kunai into the chest of one of the men on the ground. He was keeping a tally in his head; there should be three more.

Mako turned to see two of them, standing in front of him. Both had masks, or scarves rather, covering most of their faces. One held a knife, the other, some sort of curved blade. Both had taken offensive positions. Mako pulled out a second kunai for his other hand, and stared the two men down carefully. He needed to incapacitate them quickly and without harming himself as best he could. He decided on a tactic very quickly, and set it in motion.

He took a step forward, giving himself momentum before dropping low very quickly. He extended both arms, using each kunai to deeply cut into each man’s leg. As he rose, he swung for one man’s face, catching him in the neck before sending the poor man to the ground. As he stood, he noticed a shallow cut on his right shoulder; he couldn’t remember where he had gotten it from, but assumed it was a complication of his most recent encounter. Returning focus to the battle, he dodged the remaining man’s assault. One of the man’s legs had been pretty well cut, but he still seemed to be managing, waving a sword with a curved blade at Mako. Mako quickly blocked one of his strikes with one of his kunai, before reaching over with his other, sticking it into the man’s chest. The man cringed as Mako twisted the blade before he collapsed to the ground.

Having defeated all the immediate enemies, he began looking around the room for Megumi, but he didn’t see her. By his count, there was one more enemy as well. Both kunai still in his hands, he began to look around the room for doors that might lead to another room. There was only one. Mako took a deep breath before grabbing the knob, and pulling the door open.

jutsu usedShow
*[Sensory Style • Broad Sense]
B-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisites: *[Beyond Senses], Ninjutsu/Control/Instinct stats of 20
This jutsu is an extension of [Beyond Senses]. With this jutsu initiated, a sensor can focus on individual chakra signatures to get a precise idea of where their opponents are at up to 25 yards. A general sense of the direction and number of chakra sources can be determined at about 50 yards. It should be noted that this jutsu requires intense concentration, often making the user shut their eyes so they can focus on the jutsu solely. Even with high levels of Chakra Control and Instinct, this jutsu can be mentally taxing as it requires the user to sort through the individual chakra sources in the sensor’s range.

*Kuuton • Heavenly Push
C-Ranked Kuuton Jutsu
After performing the necessary hand seals, the user selects a single object within 15 metres of themselves. They are then able to cause it to be pushed away from them using vectors with a strength of 10.
CharactersShow

Akiro Jouchaku; Jounin; Kirigakure No Sato #007AA5

Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

Mako Notaramu; Jounin; Sunagakure No Sato

Inozu Yamanaka A-Rank; Missing Nin #AF2626

User avatar
Kabu
Posts: 7945
Joined: Thu May 09, 2013 8:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Kabu » Wed Aug 03, 2016 9:21 am

Megumi found herself lucky that due to the circumstances behind her kidnapping, her captors couldn't really afford to rough her up. She really wished that she didn't have to deal with this headache but otherwise she was perfectly fine, if . Sure she was tied up in a closet in what she assumed to be the basement level but still she was holding out hope that someone was coming for her, her face lighting up as she began to hear noises coming from the ground floor. Her savior had arrived and it seemed that he was managing to fight his way through fairly easily and was very quickly approaching her location.

Mentally she let out a deep sigh, relieved that she wouldn't be in here much longer and that he didn't seem to be having any trouble. Honestly she had been a little bit afraid that he would end up being overwhelmed by sheer numbers and it would have been her own fault for letting herself get caught, but luckily that wasn't really a problem.

The door that Mako walked through would indeed lead down to the basement level, being only a single room and a closet. Megumi herself hadn't quite noticed Mako's approach just yet but it seemed that her guard had, the man immediately springing up into action, clicking his tongue in annoyance. It had been supposed to be simple enough to grab the woman and take off without being followed. It seemed though that they had obviously made a mistake somewhere. They also hadn't expected anyone combat capable to come after them, another mistake it seemed.

Of course the intruder didn't have more than a few light scratches so it was apparent that he didn't stand a chance but the least he could do is stall for time.. probably. Well anyways, he grabbed a knife from a nearby table and slowly walked forward, waiting for this intruder to make the first move.
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
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Trucro
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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Trucro » Fri Aug 05, 2016 9:15 am

Mako stepped through the open door, tightly grasping the kunai in each hand. He quickly analyzed the situation. The doorway lead to an even further underground room, which Mako found to be redundant but he supposed lesser minds considered it safer. The staircase ended at a small room that was entirely visible from the top of the staircase. Megumi, or what he assumed was Megumi, was in the corner of the room, restrained and unmoving. He hoped that it was Megumi, and that he hadn’t just gone through all this trouble for some random woman. Beside her stood his next opponent; another thug wearing similar attire to the others. The man held the knife, but in a way that led Mako to believe he didn’t know how to use it. Mako figured he could take the man with ease.

He began walking down the steps quickly; he didn’t know how much time the building had left, as he was almost certain he blew away some of the house’s support. As Mako reached the bottom of the stairs, the man stepped forward, swinging his dagger over his head. Mako shot his right hand up, catching the attacker’s dagger with his own kunai. Immediately he struck with the kunai in his left hand, cutting deeply across the man’s stomach, opening it up. The man grunted loudly before Mako sliced across once more, this time cutting the man’s windpipe. Mako’s opponent dropped to the ground.

Mako made his way over to Megumi and began removing her restraints. He wasn’t certain how she was captured, but he assumed they used something to sedate her; how else could idiots like these capture a Jounin? She appeared to be awake now, but Mako wasn’t certain what kind of state she was in. As he removed the final restraints he realized something; he had just saved his teammate. He hadn’t even considered leaving her to her fate and continuing the mission. Why hadn’t he considered that option? It was odd for him to make a decision without considering all his options. He was a bit worried, but remained quiet as he looked at Megumi, his face the same as always.
CharactersShow

Akiro Jouchaku; Jounin; Kirigakure No Sato #007AA5

Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

Mako Notaramu; Jounin; Sunagakure No Sato

Inozu Yamanaka A-Rank; Missing Nin #AF2626

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Kabu
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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Kabu » Sun Aug 07, 2016 7:54 am

Even with her hands and feet untied and the gag removed Megumi remained quiet and unmoving, her head hung. She was unsure of what to really say. What could she say? As far as she was concerned she had gotten captured due to her own incompetence. As a Jounin she really should have known better than to let her guard down for even a moment.

"I'm sorry... I let my guard down and they poisoned me. They bound and gagged me and brought me here for holding. They... were going to sell me off to a brothel." she finally quietly spoke, finally raising her head to look up at Mako as she explained what had happened. Honestly, part of her wanted to cry from shame. Because of her they had lost a lot of valuable time, their target now likely several hours ahead of them. She wa happy that Mako had come to rescue her but... she wasn't sure if she could forgive herself if the target got away because he came after her rather than continuing the mission. Of course she didn't know how much thought he had put into his decision but she was positive that it had been a tough choice to make, a thought which only served to increase the mixed feelings of joy and guilt.

With that she went to stand up, being forced to use the wall as support and grimacing in a mix of pain and annoyance. Her head was still throbbing and on top of that just standing was exhausting, though she should have expected as much. She had gone so long without moving that her legs felt entirely numb and her arms weren't much better though at least she could actually move them. "Damnit.." she swore under her breath, it being clear as she stood to her full height that while physically fine she wasn't exactly in prime condition either. It shouldn't take long for her to recover but for the time being there was no way that they could make a decent pace with her like this.

"Mako... I'm sorry but I'm going to need your help a little longer." she quietly spoke, a slight flush crossing her cheeks both from shame and a bit of embarrassmen. She didn't want to say why so she could only hope that he could figure out the situation on his own. It was just too embarrassing to think that her legs had fallen asleep on her.. making standing, much less walking incredibly difficult for the time being.
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
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Trucro
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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Trucro » Sun Aug 07, 2016 12:42 pm

“Mmm…” Mako said softly to himself as he looked Megumi over. She certainly appeared wobbly, which wouldn’t allow them to make up the distance they had lost. What was worse, he had spent nearly the entire night following her and her captors; he would get no rest if they were to make any sort of reasonable time to the border. He had left his food back at the inn as well, and he knew it was likely Megumi didn’t have any either. But perhaps there was a remedy to that. He looked down at the man he had just killed, noticing a small bag that hung from his waist. He bent over, grabbing the sack, and opening it to find a few bites of bread. It wasn’t much, but it might just hold them over.

But for now, he would have to focus on another problem: Megumi wouldn’t be able to walk. He thought about the best way to make her mobile again. He could give her some support, bit it was likely she would just be able to limp, and that would slow their travels to a crawl. He could perhaps fashion some sort of wheelbarrow, or perhaps find the carriage, but that would take more time than they had as well. Besides, they most likely didn’t have long before the entire building would collapse. There was really only one option.

Mako spun around and knelt to the ground, sticking both of his arms out behind him, suggesting that Megumi climb onto his back. It would be a pain for him, but it would do the trick. “Let’s hurry,” he said without emotion, weakening his statement. “The building could collapse at any moment.”
CharactersShow

Akiro Jouchaku; Jounin; Kirigakure No Sato #007AA5

Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

Mako Notaramu; Jounin; Sunagakure No Sato

Inozu Yamanaka A-Rank; Missing Nin #AF2626

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Kabu
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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Kabu » Sun Aug 07, 2016 3:58 pm

Megumi bit her bottom lip as she looked at Mako, offering her a ride on his back. She didn't want to do it, it was embarassing... She knew that she didn't really have a choice though. She couldn't move on her own and they had to at least cross the border before sunrise. Reluctantly she climbed onto his back, wrapping her arms around him and leaning her head against his upper back. She hadn't noticed it before but he was so much bigger than she was. It was somehow comforting at a time like this, to have someone so big and strong supporting her in a moment of weakness.

Wait, what was she thinking?! She lightly shook her head, chasing away those thoughts as they came. This wasn't the time to be thinking thoughts like those, as true as they were. Now that this detour was over they had to focus on the task ahead of them...

"Thank you, for coming to rescue me. " she said as they began to move, both to distract herself and because she had just realized that she hadn't thanked him yet. So far she had only been apologizing, the thought to vocally thank him hadn't even crossed her mind. Yet.. as she thanked him she began sobbing., unable to control it anymore. "I'm a sorry excuse for a Jounin. I knew that something was wrong but I still let my guard down and I was so scared that I may have been abandoned.. and at what my fate would have been had you not come." she spoke into his back, the full shock of the situation only settling in now that it was over. Hopefully he wasn't too mad at her for what had happened... Honestly, now that what she was scared of, that she had made him mad or possibly annoyed him.
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
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Trucro
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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Trucro » Sun Aug 07, 2016 8:00 pm

“Mmm…” was all Mako said in response as he leaped up the stairs. He was definitely irritated by the distraction, the waste of time, and the fact that he wouldn’t get a rest before reaching the border. He wasn’t angry, however. Normally, he would be, and he felt that he should be. But for some reason, he wasn’t filled with rage at having to save his teammate. So, he acted as if he were indifferent, which was probably as close to the truth as it could be anyhow.

Luckily, Megumi really wasn’t all that heavy. Mako had little trouble making his way out of the building. He turned, looking over his shoulder and almost shaking Megumi off his back to see the giant hole in the foundation of the house that he had created while fighting Megumi’s captors. He didn’t look for long, turning back around and running off, away from the abandoned city, heading north.

Knowing he wouldn’t be getting any sleep until they reached Pebble Country, he tried to conserve as much energy as he could. As such, his speed was brisk, but measured. He kicked up quite a bit of sand as he moved, but he wasn’t really working about being spotted; anyone who saw someone moving as fast as he was would certainly not want to pick a fight. While he ran, he began to wonder about the specifics of Megumi’s capture. He decided to ask.

“So… how exactly did you get yourself captured?” he asked in his normal, apathetic tone. She was on her back, so he couldn’t exactly look at her. Nevertheless, he spoke loudly enough that she should be able to hear.
CharactersShow

Akiro Jouchaku; Jounin; Kirigakure No Sato #007AA5

Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

Mako Notaramu; Jounin; Sunagakure No Sato

Inozu Yamanaka A-Rank; Missing Nin #AF2626

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Kabu
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Joined: Thu May 09, 2013 8:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Kabu » Tue Aug 09, 2016 8:44 am

"Shortly after you had gone up to the room I had asked for something to eat. I got it but.. my food had been poisoned." she began in response to Mako's question, chewing her bottom lip a moment as she considered how best to say it. "After eating my whole body was suddenly wracked with pain and a sudden sense of nausea and exhaustion. I resisted at first but it soon became unbearable and I fell unconscious. Even now I still have a blistering headache." she continued, sounding more pathetic by the second. This had all happened because she had ignored the warning bells going off in her head, telling her that something had been horribly wrong. Though.. the premoninitions that she had been feeling all day had probably been linked to the event, not that made her feel any better. If anything it made it all that much worse.

"Anyways, when I woke up I found myself in the back of a caravan in the state that you found me in, bound gagged and otherwise helpless. They transported me to their hideout for holding until I could be sold.. and you can probably guess the rest." she finished, resting her head against his back as she fell quiet.

Suddenly as if a switch flipped she raised her head, her eyes growing wide as she remembered something that she had vaguely heard while regaining consciousness. "I think that we still have a really good chance to catch up!" she suddenly called out. "It's a bit hazy since I wasn't fully conscious at the time but I vaguely remember hearing that my kidnappers had been in contact with Tatsuya, she was the one that had given them the idea to kidnap Wind Country women. She's waiting for them in a village in Pebble Country. Apparently she's a part of their group but she couldn't afford to go back to her home country for obvious reasons." she continued, knowing full well that the information was unreliable but it was also their best chance at this point.
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
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Trucro
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[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Trucro » Tue Aug 09, 2016 12:28 pm

Mako remained silent as she listened to Megumi’s story, and he found it very interesting. He had actually asked for some food and was rejected at the inn; Megumi must have been targeted, probably because she was a woman. Either her capturers figured she would be easy to take, or they were taking her for some sort of sex trade. He only thought for a second about the chance he would have been poisoned, but put the idea out of his mind, reminding himself that he would never fall for a ruse so obvious.

The information about Takuya, their target, was fairly interesting. What exactly was the nature of the Sunagakure Chunin’s relationship with these kidnappers, and why had she contacted them at all? He was certain that Megumi didn’t have the answers, and he wasn’t so sure that she hadn’t made it all up. She was under the influence of what appeared to be a powerful poison, so perhaps it was a dream, or her imagination. If it did turn out to be true, though, they were headed in the right direction.

They continued in that fashion, with Mako quietly carrying Megumi on his back, for several hours. As the sun began to rise over the horizon, however, Mako was beginning to get tired. He was out of breath, and had slowed down to a brisk walk. “You think you could walk on your own?”
CharactersShow

Akiro Jouchaku; Jounin; Kirigakure No Sato #007AA5

Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

Mako Notaramu; Jounin; Sunagakure No Sato

Inozu Yamanaka A-Rank; Missing Nin #AF2626

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Kabu
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Joined: Thu May 09, 2013 8:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] The Oasis City

Post by Kabu » Tue Aug 09, 2016 5:24 pm

"I think so, my legs don't really seem to be all that numb anymore." she said after a moment's thought, her head tilted slightly to the side . She waited for him to stop so that she could get down, testing her footing as she touched the ground. She was still a bit wobbly but at least now she could feel her legs so she should be completely fine after walking for a bit. "Yeah, I should be fine. I feel a little wobbly but it's not enough to really prevent any movement now that I can actually feel my legs. Anyways, we should hurry, the border isn't too much farther and she could get tired of waiting and start moving again any moment." she spoke, lightly bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet as a quick test. Yep, she was already improving. Of course the movement wasn't really helping at all with her headache but even that had gone down to a dull throbbing and she had a feeling that it would likely be gone within the hour, by morning at the latest.

With that she started walking forward, happy to be back on her own two feet after first having spent several hours tied up and then that piggyback ride. Part of her missed the piggyback but she ignored it, instead focusing on the relief that she felt at actually walking around on her own.

More importantly she just hoped that the information she had just given on their target was accurate.. and that she hadn't gotten a headstart on them. Oh well, they would find out shortly, after all the border was quickly growing near and then from there they would be able to find information, or maybe even come across the woman herself.

Either way, all would become clear soon enough.
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
Kabu's Test Thread

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