[Kiri Thread] Blood in the Streets

[Ace Trainer]

Kohon stood before the chamber doors. Unlike his normal visitation which warranted little more than both his swords, Kohon stood in full kit. Armed to the teeth, battle ready, and an expression devoid of any emotion resting on his face. With a deep breath, Kohon recollected his meeting with the Mizukage this morning. The orders from the man Kohon had truly believed lacked a sinister bone in his body. From lips that smiled despite the serious nature of the conversation, and offered words of empathy, and relief, as the orders sunk into the jounin who's stoic nature failed to conceal his shock at the orders.

The council had tried...and failed to assassinate the sitting Mizukage. And Kohon had been given clear orders, return the attempt in kind.

Finally he stepped forward, pushing open the doors before him, and striding with his typical confidence into the chambers. Around him sat the 6 council members he had met with so often. The shining face of Lian, filled with a youthful beauty that attracted him to her without question. The demeaning glares of Hiroto, the careless restfulness of Subaru...the mechanical whirring of Karasu's breath, the impatient tick of Mi's fingers, the soft smile of Miki.

"The Mizukage stated he needed you to meet with us?", Hiroto grumbled.

Kohon nodded in response. Saying nothing.

Was he to attack outright? Give them warning? He knew little of their skillsets, if he was to be honest. An Aisu, some swordsmen? A genjutsu user? A prolific ninjutsu user. He knew general concepts of what they could do, but little of their strength. He was surely outclassed. The most advantageous move he could make would be to take them out as quickly as he could. Surely they weren't expecting an assault, even if they had plotted treason in this very room.

"Well?", Subaru growled.

Kohon took a breath in. He'd have to strike first. From his left to his right sat: Hiroto, Lian, Miki, Karasu, Mi, Subaru. Mi and Lian weren't shinobi, so they could be left. They'd be the easiest to dispose of. They could surely defend themselves, but no where close to the capacity that any of the others could. This meant if he wanted to take two, his only options were Miki and Karasu. as Hiroto and Subaru were both planked by his weaker targets.

"Kohon?", Lian's voice revealed her concerned.

His time was running out. The increased pace of Karasu's whirring mask revealed some level of impatience. Fear? Annoyance? He couldn't tell.

With a sharp exhale, Kohon stepped.

Both swords were drawn, and he let off with all his speed. Subaru was the first to respond, the thick flutter of his robe betrayed his movement. He'd sooner retreat than fight, no matter the circumstance. Were one of the councilmembers responsible for this? Was the Mizukage? Did Kohon have back up? Subaru would not stay to learn.

Hiroto was the second to respond, matched in speed with Karasu. They both stood, and Hiroto slid backwards as chakra revealed him channeling. Karasu reached to his side, but his hand fell off as the reality set in that Kohon had too much of an upper hand.

Perhaps Miki was too stunned. Perhaps she welcomed it. Perhaps she was simply too slow. But Miki moved not an inch, her shoulders dipping as she exhaled.

Kohon's foot met with the edge of the desk in his strike. His hands met with the hilts of his swords and he unsheathed them, striking forward in a crossing motion as they came out. The right crossed over to the left, meeting with Miki's neck and clearing through her spine in a moment. His left crossed over the right, cleaving into Karasu's stomach. Pivoting off the foot planted into the desk, Kohon ripped the sword through Karasu's stomach, cleaving open his gut as the shinobi fell backwards, slumped over the chair he had just stood from.

Lian let out a scream, Mi a gasp.

Kohon launched across the desk. His feet disturbing the papers set on them as he burst towards Subaru. He crossed the swords in front of him once more, dismounting the desk and scissoring the swords around Subaru's hips.

"Sorry boy.", Kohon would hear in his ears, like a snake on his shoulders. Suddenly Subaru's body turned to smoke and the room darkened.

Genjutsu

Kohon tucked the swords away swiftly, making a kai hand seal. How did Subaru get a genjutsu off so quickly? He rotated on his foot, whipping out a kunai and launching it across the room as Lian brandished a dagger, knocking it from her hand. Subaru came into his vision as the man practically floated across the room.

It was in this moment that Kohon noticed how much the temperature had dropped. Hiroto standing with his back to the wall, both his palms against the wall, chakra surging into it. They were going to quickly gain the advantage if Kohon didn't act. Subaru was closing in on him, and Kohon needed to respond.

As the councilmember sealed, Kohon took a step forward, brandishing yet another kunai and jabbing it forward as Subaru weaved out of his way. His seals finished and Subaru grabbed Kohon by both shoulders. His arms went limp as the kunai fell to the ground. What the fuck was the only thought that could run through Kohon's head. With a quick jerk of his neck, Kohon slammed his forehead into the bridge of Subaru's nose, then kicked his knee upwards into Subaru's descending chest. The man was old, and Kohon immediately felt the sternum crack as Kohon's knee met it. He took a step back, his flipped his body sideways, windmiling his leg into the air and slamming it into Subaru's back, sending him crashing into the floor with a heavy thud.

Then the arms whipped around Kohon's neck. This time Mi. Kohon's arms were still hanging at his side uselessly and Mi had successful bound them to his ribs with her legs as she locked them around his abdomen, in her hand a small metal pick. Squeezing Kohon's neck with all her strength, Mi released with her other arm, taking the pick and collapsing it into Kohon's chest multiple times.

The flak jacket he wore gave no protection to this weapon as it tore through the materal and into Kohon's chest. He gasped for air, as the pick broke into his chest cavity. Falling to one knee, Kohon threw his body forward, flipping Mi over his body and slamming her into the ground on her back. He then fell forward with his supporting knee, dropping it into her neck and crushing her wind pipe. A squeak escaping her mouth, but little more. She wasn't dead yet, but there was little that could be done without a medic.

Kohon let out a burdened heave as he felt the damage of Mi's multiple stab wounds. The room was freezing. Easily subzero temperatures at this point, Kohon closed his eyes for only a moment. Returning to his feet, he felt sensation suddenly return to his arms. Whatever Subaru had done, had turned. Hiroto was left.

He kicked forward once more, but as he took steps, Hiroto seemed to back up. Impossible in the room. He turned to his left to find Subaru standing mere feet from him, smiling. As he took another step, the same happened to Subaru, him seemingly getting further away. Another genjutsu.

Kohon went to make the kai seal, but the realization dawned on him as he did it. Hiroto had moved. As the genjutsu ended and the rooms dimensions fell proper, Hiroto stood now to Kohon's immediate left. He hand grabbed the back of Kohon's head, and Kohon felt a chill surge through his spine. Hiroto was freezing him. As he reached down to grab his sword, a black wisp of air formed, slithering around his arm and restricting its movement. Another genjutsu. He reached with the other, and the black wisp extended further, wrapping around his other arm.

This was it. He'd killed what...three of them? Not bad for one versus six. He was almost willing to forfeit to this reality. Could the Mizukage have expected much more? One jounin, even a skilled one, versus 4 of the most renown shinobi in the village due to their prowess and history, sitting at the highest seat possible to them outside of the grand seat itself? It was hardly a fair fight. He couldn't kai out of the genjutsu that was restricting his movement, Hiroto was freezing him. His mind searched through the flak jacket to think what could he do.

Then it dawned on him.

With a jerk of his neck against Hiroto's hand, Kohon grabbed the first tab sticking out the top with his teeth. He yanked it, the smoke erupting from the tab and enveloping him and Hiroto. He lifted his foot, slamming it down into Hiroto's, hardly enough to make him let go, but enough for him to shift his body. Slamming his chin into the second tab, his flat jacket fell feel from his body, and Kohon dropped his body with the descending weight, slamming his shoulder into Hiroto's stomach. The dropping weights was just enough with the smoke bomb, Subaru was blind. With his free foot, he looped it into the shoulder of the flak jacket and kicked it into the direction of Subaru. The flak jacket flew out of the smoke and knocked into Subaru's chest, the already fractured sternum erupting pain through the Hirohito's body.


Hiroto let go for just a moment and that was enough for Kohon who twisted his body, dropping his knee once more and swining his leg into the Aisu's knees, knocking them backwards. There was a pop, not enough for a tear of any muscle, but it was enough for Kohon to know he was in the right spot. The genjutsu broke and Kohon ripped out one of his sword, slicing it through the air to cross just abouve his own legs, cleaving through Hiroto's legs.

The council man let out an anguished cry. And Kohon stumbled forward back onto his feet. Breaking free of the cloud of smoke, Kohon could barely retain his consciousness. The blood draining from his body in his chest wounds, his skin blue from the freezing touch of Hiroto's hands. Kohon whipped his sword out, throwing it across the room, impaling Subaru, cleaving straight through his skull.

Kohon turned his eyes to Lian. Who had be slowly inching towards her own door towards her office. Kohon took slow, purposed steps towards her. He had only one sword, his flak jacket containing all his other weapons.

He closed the distance between them, his head heavy, his chest making labored breaths as he finally stood with less than a feet between the two of them. His eyes encircled with bags that seemed to signify that lack of life Kohon had left in him. He stared at Lian, empty, his eyes met with hers and she simply stared back.

She made a quick motion to slap him, but Kohon reacted faster, catching her hand and squeezing her wrist. He could have easily broken it in this moment, even with the damage done to him Kohon's strength overwhelmed the young councilwoman with ease. But Kohon was not a cruel man. He was simply a soldier carrying out a mission.

"I'm only following orders.", he muttered. With his free hand he pulled his sword from it's sheath and slowly thrust it forward, clearing straight through Lian's chest well. She let out of a garbled gasp as blood leaked from her lips, and her body fell limp. Releasing her, the corpse collapsed to the floor, and Kohon turned to review what had just transpired.

To his surprise, he found Hiroto, wounded on the ground, hands pulled back and a spear of ice forming. Before Kohon could respond the spear launched forward, impaling Kohon in the stomach. He let out a shudder, his body held together by nothing short of willpower. He took a few broken steps forward before lifting the sword up and driving it through Hiroto's back, he fell forward, leaning on the sword he'd just use to kill the Aisu.

Kohon had completed his mission, just in time as the life escaped his body.