The Bear Necessities [Mission. P]

Age : 31 Posts : 177

The sun's rays blasted through the clouds as they began to depart. Walking through the streets of the village was a boy who was ready to fight. His gear divided among his pouches and his outfit sharp as a nail, he was ready for the task ahead of him. It was just a few hours prior when that courier arrived at his house, the moment of shock when he heard the news. "Are you Nakamura?" The courier could not have been any older than Ryuto, the genin nodded his head. It wasn't the right thing to do but he couldn't help it. "I have a letter for you sir." He reached into his bag and handed an envelope to Ryuto. The courier nodded and ran off. Ryuto looked at the enclosed letter, like any it gave the address and village of Ryuto's house but it was the return address that caught his eye. The name said Waizu. Memories flashed in his head of the elder man who helped him find the Jofuku flower. Was he in trouble or did he just want to see Nakamura? Ryuto pondered this as opened the letter, it read:

Nakamura,
I'm afraid I have some troubling news. The local wildlife has begun to be more hostile, even the herbivores. I believe it may have something to do with the bears. My people have suffered multiple different attacks by such animals, one in particular that had scars along its body. I write this letter to you old friend for we are farmers and not warriors. I understand you only take the big risk and big reward missions but I was hoping you could do this as a favor to me. We can only afford to reward you with that of a much lower rank mission. I hope you have not changed to much and can understand our situation.

Your friend,
Waizu

Ryuto put the letter into his pocket, his father was away on another mission. Maybe the genin could help the village out. The letter had mentioned a bear with scars all over it. Could it be the bear that Ryuto fought with last time he was in the area. The genin knew that the battle had left cuts and bruises all over the bear, maybe the result was scars and a increased hostility towards humans. An uneasy feeling settled in Ryuto's gut, it was the feeling of guilt. Could he have been responsible for this? If so it was this young man's responsibility to help this village. Although they called for his dad, he believed that anything his father can do he could also do. The genin gathered his gear and headed out the door.

The memories of the previous hour flashed through his head as he approached the gates. His ninjato was firmly secured on the left of his body. His windmill shuriken was held up by a strap on his back. He wouldn't pack any food or a map for this adventure, he knew where he was going and how to get there. The travel will take up to four hours if he walked it. Hopefully between the courier delivering the letter and the time it would take Ryuto to get there nothing worse would happen to this small town, The memories of his last visit still filled the genin with emotions of pride and joy. The old man Waizu was a wise man, and he helped Ryuto through something that he didn't wish to confront. The lessons helped Ryuto become a better shinobi and it was time to pay him back for it. The head band around his forehead claimed he was a shinobi, and there was nothing that could stop him.

The gates stood high against the sky. The place was crowded with people both walking in and out of the village. Ryuto walked towards the gates, the crowd of people made it hard to make out anyone but luckily he did spot the a guard. Ryuto always wanted to double check with the guards to make sure there wouldn't be any confusion. Also so he wouldn't get in trouble. The guard made eye contact with the boy and looked him up and down. "Well if it isn't Nakamura's little boy. How are you doing young man?" Ryuto nodded. "Fine sir, unfortunately I have some bad news. A friends of my father's has a bit a problem I intend to fix." The chunin ranked guard looked him up and down. "Oh? What would that be?" Ryuto shrugged, "Just a few bears." The man nodded at the boy. "Ah, that village down by the ocean, yes I have heard about that." Ryuto looked puzzled, the courier had delivered the letter straight to his house, "Yeah I believe a young man came by. He had to deliver a letter regarding that village. I had just started my shift and…" Ryuto zoned the man out as he began to ramble. He wasn't trying to be rude but he needed to go. His attention snapped back to the chunin at the end of his monologue. To some up what the man was talking about was that the courier had to tell the guards what he was delivering. This made some sense to the young man. "By the way wasn't there suppose to be more than one ninja going to the village?" Ryuto's breath stopped. "Wait, what?"

Age : 34 Posts : 590

Yoru was walking through the shopping district of konoha gathering up reading supplies when he received the letter. Ever since becoming a chuunin Yoru became used to receiving letters at random. Usually it was from courier ninja but this time he received the letter from a raven. Reaching up and taking the letter Yoru looked over the envelope, stamped on the envelope was the symbol of Konoha. Letting out a sigh Yoru began making his way home knowing for sure that it was going to be a mission and he was not in the right uniform. Unlocking the door Yoru entered his tiny apartment and began preparing for his mission. Once Yoru was fully clothed in his uniform Yoru placed his signature weapons into place.

Finally taking the time Yoru opened the letter he had received and began to read it over. "Yoru you are to hook up with the Genin Tahashi, Ryuto and Chuunin Wakizashi, Meiko at the gates. You are then to head to a village and deal with violent bears that are attacking villagers and livestock. Scare them away kill them whatever works is to your discretion." Letting out a sigh Yoru shoved the letter into his pocket. "Great Wakizashi, Meiko just the person I would want to run into." It wasn't that he hated her it was just that he felt a bit embarrassed losing to her. Exiting his apartment Yoru made his way towards the village gates.

Jumping from roof to roof Yoru made his way to the gates of Konoha to make his way to the village. Thinking over the mission that was about to happen he began to wonder what he would expect from the bears. He knew that they had claws and that they had fangs but some animals were known to have chakra infused claws. It wasn't normal for Yoru to think all the worst things that could happen during a mission but when dealing with bears one couldn't be to careful. Finally Yoru could see the gates coming into view which made Yoru a bit nervous.

As Yoru approached the gates he saw a young man speaking with the gate guards, though Yoru would normally just ignore what was going on in front of the gates but he was supposed to meet up with a Genin. Now at the gates Yoru began to pick up the conversation the young man was having. "By the way wasn't there suppose to be more than one ninja going to the village?" Said the guard. Judging by the reaction of the young man he wasn't expecting more to shinobi to go with him. Walking up to the gate guard Yoru spoke up, "Hey guys I am looking for Tahashi, Ryuto have you seen him?" Yoru already knew Meiko so he would know her at first sight.

Posts : 811

It was a cloudy morning this day as Meiko approached the village gates. The air was mildly humid and threatening rain. People ran about their business quickly before taking shelter, either from the heat or the impending rain she couldn't say. She was never one to enjoy the heat either, always preferring the cooler weather. Then again, Meiko had long accepted she was different from others. As a child she was always the rowdy one, getting into trouble and getting dirty. When other kids spent time at home playing with toys, she was sharpening blades. Even in the academy she was different. her skill with Ninjutsu was almost non-existent, to the point that she had only graduated with the barest of marks. Since then, everyday of her life had been devoted to either work or training. For one with such a limited skill set, it was far too easy to fall behind and become simply a liability to her team. Indeed, it was only recently, thanks to help from her friends, that she could finally look beyond her past failings and start to push forward. Her lack of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu skills had plagued her thoughts for months since her time at the academy. With her recent defeat of Yosuke and the encouragement she had received from her friends over several occasions, she had finally shed those chains.

The square by the gates was rather bare, few people had business around here when the weather was threatening like this. Other than the two Chunin stationed at the small booth to the left of the Village entrance, anyone coming through or leaving moved with haste. Allowing herself a loud yawn, she made her way over to the two shinobi while producing a piece of paper. "Hey there" She called out as she approached. "I have a mission out in... I can't quite pronounce the name. Seems they have some bear trouble though and need someone to take care of them". Sliding hte letter across the desk, the two Chunin took a moment to read it over and check it's authenticity. "There should be two others joining me, Yamamoto, Yoru and Takehashi, Ryuto. If they come by, let them know I'm just a ways ahead. I'll be waiting outside the gates". The shinobi only nodded and returned the letter. It was still rather early and the two looked rather tired, likely they'd have their wits about them soon enough. Honestly though, she couldn't blame them. While the station was important to the Village's security, it was quite the boring post most of the time.

Walking down the road leaving the village, Meiko covered a little over a hundred meters before turning back to the gates "This should be far enough". Checking the trees around her current location, she spied one that fit her needs perfectly. Right by the roadside, this tree had a single outstretched branch that had yet to be cut down to keep the road clear of hazards. This branch, while several meters up the tree, stretched out alone from it's brethren and had a strong, thick base. Standing underneath it, Meiko estimated it hung about four meters from the ground. Stretching her legs out, she clapped her hands together and crouched down. Launching herself upwards, she reached forth and grasped the branch. As Meiko pulled herself up, She pulled her feet up and planted them on the branch. Above it were some low hanging branches that prevented her from pulling herself completely upright. Throwing her feet over the opposite side of the branch, she grasped the bark with the back of her thighs and let her torso fall so she hung upside down. She then placed her hands behind her head and proceeded into a set of sit-ups. Each time she allowed herself to fall, her multitude of weapons clanked and clattered against each other.

As she worked through her exercises, she had some time to get lost in her thoughts. Her muscles knew the motions and would continue through them automatically, leaving her mind free to wander. Meiko had received the letter only a few hours ago as she was preparing for her morning training. The call to a mission however, had shoved those plans aside. After getting ready and a large breakfast, she found herself here, waiting for her companions. It had been quite some time since she had participated in a team mission. The last one she recalled was hunting down some bandits with her squad... Well they were her squad. Since their Sensei had stepped down from her position as Hokage they weren't really a squad anymore. Just as her teammates now weren't a squad, just three shinobi working the same job and would go their separate ways upon returning. At least she knew one of them, if only slightly. Yamamoto, Yoru was a boy she had encountered a short time ago. There wasn't much to say about their meeting, they ran into each other at the training fields, had a quick spar and she had won.

The rest of her time there was lost as she delved further into her mind and increasingly pointless thoughts. It was not until the sun started breaking through the clouds and striking her on the face that she came back to reality. Shielding her eyes, Meiko could only wonder how much time had past. A few hours at least considering how much overcast there was when she had started. Releasing her grasp and allowing herself to fall, Meiko flipped her body so she landed feet first. Her metal boots clanging hard on the stone road. Her abdomen was rather sore from the overly long exercise. "Guess I'll relax for a bit, they should be here soon". Meiko then sat herself at the base of the tree and allowed her eyes to close, but kept her ears open.

Sc Used:

Spoiler:

Age : 31 Posts : 177

Ryuto's attention snapped back to another male walking to both him and the guard. This guy looked roughly the same age as Ryuto but he seemed to be a few inches taller, although it was hard to tell to do Ryuto's spiky hair. What caught Ryuto's attention about this guy was his equally messy hair. The big difference was that it was as white as snow while Ryuto's was black as night. The next feature that caught the eye of the genin was this guy's red eyes. He asked for a Tahashi, Ryuto. The genin slowly raised his hand, his face still a cross between thought and disappointment. Could this be another one who was to accompany him to Waizu's village? Was it so dangerous that they had to send someone else. But on the other hand maybe a pack of bears was too much for one person to handle. Ryuto looked again at this guy. His red scarf matched his eyes. 'Could he be a member of the Uchiha clan?' The thought was there however it was quickly shot down. The Uchiha clan was known for their black hair. Even if this guy wasn't a member of the fabled clan he looked as if he has seen combat, what have the genin this idea was the scar on his face.

"I am Tahashi, Ryuto." The young man extended his hand to shake the hand on this guy. "It's a pleasure to meet you." If the white haired man met his hand then Ryuto would have gladly shook it, however if he didn't Ryuto would take away his hand before things were awkward. The guard mentioned that another shinobi passed through not too long ago that was also headed to the small village right outside the Jofuku Forest. Ryuto looked back at the guard and nodded. "Well it seems you and I are working together as well as another dance partner." He turned to leave the village and head towards his destination. Before he passed through the gates of his village the guard mentioned the name of the other shinobi. It was Meiko. This name caught the attention of Ryuto. 'Meiko? Why does that name sound so familiar. Maybe my father might have mentioned her? No wait that couldn't be it. The only people he mentions are the ones who he defeats in battle. The only two other people I really talked to was that shinobi from Kumo. What was his name again? And of course Mana.' His eyes snapped back to focus. His friend had in fact mentioned the name Meiko. They use to be on the same squad. But would that mean Meiko is of jonin rank as well?

Ryuto continued his walk through the gates and made his way on the path. He did not know if the white haired shinobi was going to walk with him or run off ahead. The sky was beautiful as the cloud parted even farther from each other and the light really brightened up the day, it was one of those days where Ryuto was happy to be alive. After a few short minutes walking Ryuto noticed a red head resting against the base of a tree. Her eyes were closed but there was something about here that made him feel as if her guard wasn't down. Considering that she and Mana were on a squad there was no doubt that this Meiko would be prepared. 'I guess I better walk towards her and introduce myself.' He made sure there was at least three meters between the two. "Hello there, my name is Ryuto. I understand you will be joining both myself and another on this mission." He had hoped he didn't come off as to strong. Ryuto examined her choice of attire. The color of the outfit was as red as her hair. The odd trimming of the suit left her cleavage exposed. The naïve and innocent Ryuto could only think about how little protection that offered. 'I wonder if she is aware of this flaw.' Most likely she was but why someone choose this flaw was beyond him.

Ryuto waited for anything this girl might have said. He didn't want to give the impression that he was rude. "Have you or the white haired guy been to this village before?" He awaited their answer but continued to explain the situation and give them the piece of a story. "The village grows various vegetables and grain. They also live next to the Jofuku Forest. Which is home to a very potent plant that cures quite a few diseases. They are led by an elder man by the name of Waizu. I am afraid that the situation that they are in is my fault." Ryuto stopped talking for a moment. He didn’t know if either of these two really cared. He figured that if they didn’t either of them would tune him out. However if they did then he continued his story. "On my way to the village I briefly drove off a bear that was trying to eat kid. I not only left the bear alive but healed its wounds." Ryuto stop for a moment. "I feel that this is my fault if it is the same bear." Ryuto finished his small story. The important part was that he wanted to see how they would react.

Age : 34 Posts : 590

Taking the young boys hand Yoru nodded, he wasn't really in a talking mood so he decided to keep his mouth shut until there was something worth saying. As the two began to move outside of the village the guard mentioned Meiko, which only caused Yoru to only sigh inwardly. Now making their way towards where the guard had indicated that she had gone Yoru kept his eye out for her while resting his left arm on his sword. Yoru was beginning to wonder if she was going to be able to remember him sure they had fought but that doesn't mean it was memorable to her.

As they began to approach a wooded area where Yoru saw Meiko lying against a tree. Though Yoru saw her eyes closed he knew full well she was not asleep. Though the oddest fact was that even though she was not asleep she looked peaceful and oddly enough beautiful. "Did that thought really just run though my head?" Yoru thought. Shivering Yoru approached her as she was lying there still remaining silent. Looking her over he saw the same outfit she had worn when the two of them had fought only this time his eyes quickly looking around for her favored weapons. Though there was no sign of them he knew she had them somewhere.

As Ryuto walked over to speak with her Yoru decided to keep his distance while the two of them talked. It was at that moment he heard Ryuto asking if the had met. Sending a small nod to Ryuto and a wave to Meiko though at the same time gripped his new sword in impatience. At the moment Yoru really was wanting to move on and get the mission going not that time with other shinobi was annoying to him. Yet here they were standing around with half introductions since Yoru already knew Meiko. Yet Yoru continued to stand there while Ryuto relayed over the mission. As he spoke of his run in with the bear Yoru frowned ,"He probably should have killed it, then we might not have had to head to this village and deal with this." He thought. Though really Yoru couldn't judge since he didn't know the way that Ryuto thought. Yet all the same Yoru kept his outward appearance hidden from his teammates. Yoru feeling it was time to speak up turned two his comrades, "We should get going then last thing we need is to spend the night somewhere." With that regardless of his comrades following or not, Yoru began making his way to the village.

Posts : 811

It was hard to tell how much time had passed since she closed her eyes. Harder still to know the actual time of day. The sun was breaking through the clouds now, but there were still many pockets overhead. Occasionally blocking out the light and darkening the world once more. It wasn't all bad though, in fact it was quite relaxing. Leaning against the tree Meiko had found a little indent in the bark that contoured well to her back. The grass was still slightly damp with dew and was cool to the touch, a nice contrast to the humid air. If she wanted to, Meiko could easily fall asleep here for several hours. Alas, she had no such option. She had a job to do and her teammates should be arriving any minute now. In fact, only a few minutes later did she hear footsteps approaching her location. Two sets coming from the direction of the village. If they were her team, Yoru would certainly recognize her and have them stop. If not, they may speak with her, but would continue on their way. As luck would have it, the approaching duo was her team. The footsteps stopped about three or so meters from her and an unfamiliar voice called out to her.

Ever so slightly, her eyes opened. "Hello Ryuto" She said as she raised her head to face the boy. Immediately her eyes jumped to his hair. The black tangled mess looked more like a rodent's nest than anything else. She kept that to herself however, something like that said upon a first meeting could sour the relationship fast. Taking a deep breath, Meiko pushed herself to her feet, wiping the back of her legs to remove any stray bits of grass or dirt that clung to her clothing. As she stood, Ryuto asked her if she or this 'White-haired person' had been to the village before. Stretching her back out before she answered, she turned her attention to the other person in question. Recognizing Yoru, she gave him a soft smile "Hey Yoru, you're looking well. I'm guessing the leg healed up just fine?". For a moment, her mind went back to when she first met the white haired boy. They had fought each other in a training spar that ended with her victory when her arrow pierced his leg. In his stubbornness, Yoru had torn the arrow from his leg rather than carefully removing it, leaving a nasty hole. Looking at him now, it appeared to have fully healed without any repercussions.

Turning back to Ryuto, she simply shook her head as she spoke "Unfortunately I can't say I have nor to my knowledge has Yoru. Then again I only met him once so it's not my place to say. If you happen to know the way, then be my guest and take the lead". Smiling at the raven headed boy, she stepped aside to allow him to take the lead before stealing a glance at Yoru. So far he had not said a word. The only motion he made to acknowledge her was a small wave. Other than that, there was this impatient glare in his eyes and his hand was constantly gripping the hilt of his blade. Her attention was drawn back to Ryuto as he began to describe the situation in the village. The boy blamed himself for having mercy on a bear the last time he was there. He was under the impression that it had returned with others to get revenge on the people. Yoru continued his silence, but Meiko only shook her head. "It's not your fault. Never blame yourself for doing a good deed. It's not your fault if those you help choose to waste your charity. If it is the same bear, then we shall put it down and chase off the rest". Patting him on the shoulder, she then turned to the road, ready to head off. "Whenever you're ready, we can head out". As soon as she had finished that sentence, Meiko blinked several times in rapid succession as a thought shot through her head. "Oh crap I'm sorry!" She suddenly blurted out and turned back to Ryuto "I completely forgot to introduce myself. I'm Wakizashi, Meiko, please excuse my rudeness".

Age : 31 Posts : 177

As he talked with Meiko, Ryuto couldn't help but noticed that the white haired guy, who's name happened to be Yoru, didn't seemed pleased to be on this mission. Meiko also commented on how Yoru's leg seemed to look fine. He didn't know what that meant. 'Since she knew his name that means that they have met before or at the very least heard of each other. It was that or maybe they both recently went on a mission together. That would explain how she knew about some sort of a leg injury.' Ryuto was lost in thought over this simple sentence. 'They might have fought, but if they fought then wouldn't they want to be on separate missions then?' The genin scratched his head, various other scenarios ran through his mind but after a few minutes he just let it go. If there was to be a story about it than he would ask later. No point in bringing up the past. There did seemed to be some sort of history between both Meiko and Yoru. Hopefully what ever happened between these two wouldn't have any effect on the current mission.

Meiko stated that she had no clue where the village was. This wasn't that surprising, the village in which they needed to go to was in fact a small unknown community. Ryuto had only learned the location from his mother only a few months earlier. "Well the village is only a few hours away, seeing how we have roughly six or seven hours before dusk if we hurry than we could make it there and back in time. But in order to do so we would need to keep almost a constant jog for the first half of the trip." For those who train their bodies and have discipline this first task would be simple and not to challenging to keep. However to those who were out of shape or who lacked the discipline to push themselves might find the jog a bit too much. Ryuto had confidence that his two teammates for the mission would be able to keep up the pace. Yoru left no time and began walking towards the village. Ryuto had no clue if this shinobi knew his way to the village but he did seem confident. The raven haired genin couldn't help but feel as if Yoru really didn't want to be on this mission.

Ryuto couldn't help but smile when Meiko mentioned how the genin should never regret his actions especially the good deeds. There was a certain way she talked that made him think that she is more experienced then the young genin. Before it was simply the fact that her and Mana were in the same squad and with Mana being a jonin it was easy to assume Meiko was around the same level. There was a wisdom tot these words, a wisdom that was not lost on Ryuto. Ryuto and turned to followed Yoru. He seemed to know where he was going so Ryuto just followed. The genin knew exactly where the village was but didn't want to steal any of Yoru's thunder. He already didn't look happy. The reasons why that might have been swam through Ryuto's brain. 'Does he think he is to good for a simple mission like this? Maybe it does have to do with Meiko. Do the two hate each other? I don't think Meiko hates Yoru, she smiled at him when she mentioned his leg. Maybe the two dated and Meiko dumped him. Usually when one person ends a relationship the other is sour.'

The genin didn't want to say anything but knew he would have to in case Yoru really didn't know the location of the village. "So I was wondering, have either of you fought a bear before?" He let the question linger in order for them to respond either way he would continue after a few moments. "When I fought that big brown bear it was almost like a tank. I ended up using explosive to try and scare it but it was one brave animal. The damage wasn't too severe." He stopped talking for a moment to think about that battle. Should he have finished the bear off? The animal wasn't in anyway malevolent or at least that was the genin's opinion. As far as he knew it wasn't the same bear, hell he didn't even know if the bear he fought had scars. His teammates now knew though. Either way one said that he shouldn't be guilty while the other walked in silence. The raven haired genin did not why Yoru seemed so distant. Meiko was much more open and was like a little bit of sunshine. "So had any good fights lately?" Ryuto was desperate for an ice breaker.

Age : 34 Posts : 590

Walking along the road Yoru made his way towards the village listening to the Ryuto talk. When he asked if they had ever fought a bear Yoru turned his head back and replied, "No I have never fought a bear but I am pretty sure." Grabbing the handle of his sword to his right Yoru drew the crimson blade from its sheathe. The sword almost seemed to glow a blood red in the sun light, "My dear friend V here will be able to make short work of at least one." Yoru was trying to show off in some ways. He was proud of the sword his master had given him as a gift for achieving Chuunin rank.

Sliding V back into its sheathe Yoru continued to walk along resting his left arm on the hilt. He had showed the sword off mostly to Meiko because he knew she had knowledge of weapons. However if she didn't know of this sword he would be extremely excited to show off its abilities. Yet at this point Yoru continued walking along thinking over his plans on how to fight a bear, they are very large with strong claws and their mouths could do some serious damage.

Yet Yoru also knew that with their size they lacked in a certain amount of speed which could give him a small upper hand. He was just going to need to plan his moves perfectly if he was going to not get mauled by a bear. Rubbing the insignia on the pommel of the sword Yoru continued to think over his plans for fighting the bear. Had Yoru not been paying attention he would have missed Ryuto's question. It was almost as if he knew the Meiko and Yoru had a sparring match, along with his loss against her. Though feeling that it would be better to just say it out loud rather than pretend it never happened as such it lead Yoru to only say what happened.

"Not that long ago Meiko and I sparred against each other. I would like to say it was a close match but an arrow sticking out of my leg kind of signs me over as a loss." Once again looking back at the other two Yoru said, "Though now I think I might be able to win against her. Especially with my new sword in my hands." Looking over at Meiko he gave her a challenging look, it wasn't a glare just a look that said he wanted to have a rematch against her feeling he stood a better chance then last time. Yet Yoru once again faced forward focusing on the destination. To his companions it may seem like he is trying to get the mission over really it was to hide the fact that he was starting to blush. "I will have to fight her again. Maybe beating her will help me clear my mind of these odd thoughts." Yoru thought still fingering the insignia on the pommel of his sword.

Posts : 811

Just before they began down the road, Ryuto informed them that they could reach the village and, assuming the job did not take very long, be back before nightfall. That is, as long as they moved at a jogger's pace. It would be a good workout for sure, but Meiko was confident in herself that such a pace would be easy for her to achieve. It appeared that Yoru was also confident in himself as he took off before the rest of the group. Again, not a word was uttered from him, he simply turned and left. "I wonder what's up his butt?" Meiko mumbled as she and Ryuto followed after the impatient white haired boy. Proceeding down the road their pace quickly increased from a walk to the jog they needed to sustain. Silence hung over the group like a thick gray rain cloud. Threatening to storm over them if they were out too long. It served only to push them to move faster as none really enjoyed this atmosphere. For whatever reason, Ryuto had allowed Yoru to lead even though he had given no indication he knew where the village was. Well, that mattered little. If they strayed from the path Ryuto would inevitably correct them.

Finally, it appeared Ryuto could not take the silence any longer and posed a question to the group. If either of them had ever fought a bear before. Much to her surprise, Yoru finally decided to speak. Turning his head to peer over his shoulder he stated that he had not before drawing the katana he held at his waist. Holding it to the sun he named it V. The blade was blood red in the bright sunlight and he appeared quite proud of it. Upon seeing it, Meiko whistled loudly "That's a cute blade you got." She said but got no reply. He simply returned the sword to it's sheath and continued on his way. Losing himself in whatever thoughts had preoccupied him before Ryuto's question. Ryuto then divulged into a short story about the bear he had encountered before and the one he believed was causing trouble again. He had managed to wound it the first time with an explosive, powerful enough to down the bear but not kill it as he had healed it and sent it on it's way.

Silence fell over them again as Ryuto fell into thought. Likely over the mission at hand. The boy placed too much responsibility on himself for something out of his control. Then again, Meiko did the same quite often, as did her friends Kiyomi and ESPECIALLY Mana. "Heh, maybe it's a shinobi thing" She thought to herself with a small giggle. Ryuto eventually broke himself free of his thoughts, having taken notice of the return of the thick atmosphere and tired to change the subject. Asking the two if they had any good fights lately. Immediately Meiko had to laugh as the memory of her spar with Yoru came to mind. The spar was on Yoru's mind too as it seemed, he wasted no time turning and quickly summarized the fight into a short sentence. He then turned his head to look at the two, but specifically his gaze fell on Meiko. Stating he felt confident he could defeat her now with his new sword, his glare was one of challenge. A smile crept over her face and quickly turned into a grin. "Really now? Those are fighting words you know, best not say anything you'll regret. And don't think that little toothpick is gonna save you." Laughing slightly to show it was all jest, Yoru turned his head to once again focus on the mission. "You take everything too seriously." She mumbled once more as they continued down the road to the village.

Age : 31 Posts : 177

Ryuto listened to Yoru has he answered the genin's question with a no. The young man figured as much. Bears were common place in the lower half of the country but unless someone was traveling to another country or village then it was unlikely to run into said beast. However Ryuto did find it interesting that after answering no Yoru immediately commented on his new sword. The boy did not know if Yoru had an old sword or why he found it was so important to show the blade. Ryuto's father once said that those who show off their weapons had no idea how to use them. Whether it was true or not was yet to be seen. 'If my dad were here he would want Yoru to show what he knew about his blade. Maybe it is best that he isn't.' His thoughts continued. Meiko did not answer his question however. Maybe in fact she did have experience facing the beasts and didn't want to share it. A more believable reason that she didn't answer might have been because she didn't hear Ryuto.

The genin however did hear Meiko reply to Yoru's comment about his sword. She called it a cute blade. The boy was no expert but he knew she was poking fun at him. The was something between the two, an event of some sort had to have transpired between them. Someone normally wouldn't have been that comfortable talking to another person in that manner unless the pair had met before or Meiko was somewhat of a bitch. But Ryuto already had a hunch that Meiko was not so malevolent. It was Yoru who mentioned their spar. He confessed that it was a close match and he lost by the point of an arrow. He also claimed that his sword would help tip the scales so that next time both he and Meiko sparred he would come out the victor. To the genin it seemed Yoru felt like he was less of a shinobi because of the loss. While that may or may not be true it was childish to be hung up on one single loss. Then again there was no room for the genin to speak about being hung up on losses. He too was hung up for the longest time on a single spar. Yoru had only spoke as if his new blade would make all the difference in the world. 'If the blade was the only thing that changed then it would be stupid for him to reveal that. Maybe he grew more and picked up a few tricks. If not then all Meiko has to do is subdue his sword and the match would likely repeat.'

It seemed Meiko couldn't help but make another comment. Ryuto would tell she was being playful however it seemed that Yoru took it to seriously. 'That guy needs to lighten up. Being to hard on yourself or strict will drive you nuts. Maybe he is just to shy to relax.' Some people just don't feel comfortable to relax around others, Yoru might have been that type of person. Whatever his deal was the mission had to take president. They needed a game plan for the bears. Luckily packs of the beast weren't big. Maybe three to five bears at most, although each bear would make the fight that much harder. Personally Ryuto wished there was another way and maybe the three could find it. However Ryuto must plan for things to get violent. He tried to recall the battle he had last time he was in the area. That bear absorbed all of his hand to hand techniques. Which was troubling since he was mostly a hand to hand fighter. He still had his windmill shuriken and ninjato to use. Other than that Ryuto knew medical ninjutsu also known as eijutsu. Hopefully his teammates had more of an arsenal to work with.

Now was better than ever since no one was talking, "Listen guys. Maybe it would be for the best if we talked strategy. Between what Yoru said and not receiving an answer from Meiko it is safe to assume that between the three of us we have one bear fight under our belts. I figured it would be best if I gave some pointers before things got serious." He cleared his throat. Talking in front of people was never Ryuto's strong suit, however since the mission might weigh heavily on what is and what isn't said the genin felt like it was his duty to reveal what he knew. "Like I said earlier, they can take hit. All of my taijutsu felt like it had little to no effect. While they are big they can also move. If the bear is pissed off at you it will try anything to kill you." Ryuto let that sink in. "However there is a more then likely chance it won't have an interest in us, instead they will most likely target the livestock at the village." Ryuto felt that he said what he needed to say. "Anything else you guys can think of." If they had questions then now was the time to ask.

Age : 34 Posts : 590

Yoru heard what Meiko was saying and he almost felt like he was excited with the thought of fighting her again. Yet at the same time it was not the time for him to be picking a fight. Yet as they continued along through the woods Ryuto began speaking about fighting a bear. Yoru continued to listen to what Ryuto was saying, while it was true that and angry bear was not something that they wanted it may help. When Ryuto mentioned that the group would probably not be the main focus of the bears it gave Yoru an idea. From what Yoru could understand Ryuto was a Genin which meant he might not have very strong jutsu. Meiko on the other hand was also a Chunin so it was easy to expect she had strong jutsu.

Taking in what he knew about Meiko Yoru knew she was strong the only question was she stronger than a bear. He didn't know anything about Ryuto's skills so it might help to ask him what his skills where. "So I am to understand you are skilled in Taijutsu. However I must ask are you skilled in other areas? I know Meiko was stronger than normal since we sparred against each other. Also are either of you skilled in strong or wide area ninjutsu?" Depending on their answer would help him formulate a plan that could possibly work. He was no strategist yet he felt he may be able to formulate a plan good enough to work against bears. Still fingering the pommel of his sword Yoru began formulating plans that could work against the bears.

"Meiko is skilled in weaponry and I know she is stronger than most, though I am sure she is stronger now than when we had last fought. I don't know your skills Ryuto besides Taijutsu, based upon my thoughts weaponry may be the best bet in this fight since they can cut into flesh. Meiko I would more suggest you to use your bow against them, I know you are very accurate with them. Ryuto since you are skilled in taijutsu I think you and I will be able to face them in a forward combat. With Meiko at our back watching for any more bears and taking them out as best she can. We can either finish them off if she doesn't kill them or we can take out what is left over." Yoru said, he felt it was a decent plan but if Ryuto ended up being skilled in other ways he may be able to adjust the plan as needed.

Posts : 811

"Well, that is true" Meiko responded as Ryuto began speaking once more. He was informing the two about his experience fighting the bear the first time he encountered it. A self-professed Taijutsu specialist, he spoke of engaging the bear directly. No small feat considering the boy was still a Genin. Engaging such a beast directly took a lot of courage and for that, Meiko respected him. It came as no surprise however when he spoke of his blows having little effect. Bravery did not always equate to strength. Bears were masses of muscle, or if winter was near, masses of fat and muscle. Easily dwarfing even the tallest of men, it was not often wise to fight a bear with your bare hands. Ryuto also stated how if the bear had you in its sights and was angry, it would stop at nothing to see you dead. He took a moment to catch his breath and let his words sink in. "From the sounds of it, you were quite lucky to escape with your life." Meiko complimented, flashing him a quick smile. He then continued, stating that so long as the bears were unaware of them, it was likely they would have their focus on the livestock. Easy food was every wild animal's dream.

There was a moment of silence between the three as Meiko formulated her own answer. Before she could speak however, Yoru was once again stating his thoughts. Asking Ryuto if he had skills outside of Taijutsu, namely Ninjutsu. A good question for certain. Ryuto wanted to talk strategy and knowing each other's strengths was the first point in forming a battle plan. Meiko from her experience, knew that Yoru was experienced in both weapons and Ninjutsu to the point the boy could perform them with a single hand. A rather infuriating thing to combat against for certain. If Ryuto's talents were anywhere near that level these bears may prove to be but a simple obstacle. However as Ryuto said he had engaged the bear directly, Meiko had the hunch that he did not possess much skill in Ninjutsu. If one had the option of either punching a pissed off bear or standing back spitting fire at it, many would choose the latter. The fact that Ryuto had not mentioned using any Ninjutsu gave credit to her theory. His specialties may lie elsewhere, such as in Genjutsu. It would be understandable that illusions would have little effect on a raging animal. They relied more on senses beyond their eyes compared to humans, plus their brain chemistry was different so illusions may affect them differently.

Meiko did not answer Yoru as it was a question more directed at Ryuto. After the boy had given his answer, Yoru would continue to speak, suggesting that even if Ryuto was skilled with Taijutsu, weapons would win the day. Meiko's own personal bias to steel over flesh had her agreeing with him silently. While a blade was guaranteed to inflict more damage than a fist, the question remained; was Ryuto more skilled with small arm weapons? Or did his fists prevail? A fool with a knife may be dangerous, but a person skilled with their fists may be more deadly. It was best not to force something Ryuto was inexperienced with in a fight. She could not reply yet however as Yoru was still discussing his plan. Suggesting that Meiko use her bow to keep any extra bears at bay while providing supporting fire. From the sounds of this plan, Yoru was planning to exterminate as many bears as possible, a prospect that Meiko was not entirely pleased with. She'd rather find a way to scare them off, if not relocate them to a place where they'd not harm people anymore.

With Yoru's plan said and done, Meiko decided to place her own input. "Yeah, I guess I could support you guys with my bow. I'd rather not kill the bears unless we have to. This many bears together is rather unnatural. They're not pack animals. If we can take down the leader, the rest should scatter and no longer be an issue for the village." Turning to Ryuto, she gave the black haired boy an inquisitive look "As for you, do you have more confidence in your fists than your steel? Having weapons is nice and all, but if you're stronger without them, then that's the course I'd recommend taking. Right now, you should stick with what you're good at." Personally, Meiko felt she would be stronger on the ground with them, but could see the logic in using a bow. She'd be safe on the high ground and could sit on lookout for other approaching threats. Plus she'd be able to support both Ryuto and Yoru simultaneously without the risk of being caught up in her own melee. Looking to Ryuto expectantly, she waiting for his input on the mission and their possible strategy.