Something worth fighting for? [private/mission]

Age : 28 Posts : 46

mission specs:

Mission Title: Bandit Troubles
Mission Type: Custom
Mission Location: Fire Country
Shinobi Requirement: Genin+
Mission Rank: C
Mission Objective: A group of bandits have grown increasingly dangerous over the past couple of weeks. The bandits have only previously performed acts of vandalism and petty theft, but recently a traveler was found murdered while on his way to Konoha, and we have reasons to believe that they are behind it. This murder cannot go unpunished. The mission is to deal with the bandits by any means possible whether it be by capture or death. The number of bandits is believed to be around twenty, all of whom possess basic combat knowledge. Their leader however, Taro, is said to possess skill equal to an upper-level genin Shinobi. Be careful!
Min Post Count: 4

Name: Bandits
Letter Rank: D
Clan: none
Affiliation: Bandits
Specialty: Taijutsu, Weaponry
Elemental Affinities: none
Combat Style: Random combat styles
Special Characteristics: none
Description: Common bandits who use their fists and some minor weapons such as knives and swords to fight.
Jutsu: none
Weapons and Equipment: Katanas, Kunai knives, and Shuriken

Name: Taro Umi
Letter Rank: C
Clan: none
Affiliation: Bandits
Specialty: Weaponry, Taijutsu
Elemental Affinities:
Combat Style: Taro utilizes slow powerful strikes with his giant hammer mixed with his endurance to fight off opponents.
Special Characteristics:

enhanced endurance:

Description: Taro is a tall muscular bandit with a large scar over his right eye. His hair is short and black with a blank dark black headband crossing his forehead. He has mildly tan skin and often wears no shirt. He wears dark black pants and average everyday sandals. His large war hammer is mostly wooden with some metal screws holding it together.
Jutsu: none
Weapons & Equipment: A large wooden war hammer about five feet long in total length made of oak that is riddled with metal screws holding it together.

Receiving a new mission and finally having something to do came as a relief to Shi. After his training session with his sensei had ended a few days prior, he hadn't really done much except for training his chakra capacity and learning how to perform single handed seals. While this came as an accomplishment to him in a way at the same time he still wished he had more to do in his free time. He read and re-read the scroll containing the mission specifications a couple of times, studying it closely so he knew what he needed to do. The scroll relayed the following: A new mission has been requested for Senju, Shi and Wakizashi, Meiko. A group of bandits have grown increasingly dangerous over the past couple of weeks. The bandits have only previously performed acts of vandalism and petty theft, but recently a traveler was found murdered while on his way to Konoha, and we have reasons to believe that they are behind it. This murder cannot go unpunished. The mission is to deal with the bandits by any means possible whether it be by capture or death. The number of bandits is believed to be around twenty, all of whom possess basic combat knowledge. Their leader however, Taro, is said to possess skill equal to an upper-level genin Shinobi. Proceed with caution and good luck! Along with this brief description of the basic mission itself the scroll also contained a small amount of info about the bandits and about their leader, Taro. "Finally, an interesting mission and one that may actually challenge me. A mission with a little action like this one is just what I was hoping for." It also appeared that his sensei had received the same mission, this was also something Shi had slightly hoped for as spending more time with his sensei would strengthen their bond and allow them to work much more closely on later, more difficult, missions.

Shi immediately packed up everything he thought he would need for this particular mission, which ironically enough, was pretty much every piece of gear he owned. He patted down his clothes to get some dust off of them that had lingered and after getting fully dressed he attached his leg pouch that held his assortment of ninja tools. Considering his sensei was a weaponry specialist, he most likely figured that she would bring most of her equipment as well. Just as he was about to leave Shi got to thinking about something that he hadn't yet put any thought into. Perhaps along the way he would pick up a bento-box for Meiko or something just to show a little appreciation. Shi was no slob, he knew how to be well mannered with said situation called for it. His sensei was a unique kunoichi, she had such a small physique but even so her physical strength was unbelievable, possibly even greater that Shi's own. Her raw strength complimented Shi's speed though, as if they focused on different stats such as this they can open themselves up to more devastating speed and strength combinations.

He left his home at a fair time that morning not wanting to head out too awfully early. Shi’s home rested near the center of the village so the walk to the gates took just about the same amount of time as the walk to the administration building did. He left a little earlier than he figured Meiko would so he could pick her up the bento he had decided on back at home. Stopping by one of his favorite restaurants, he was greeted by name as he walked in. He quickly placed his order for the bento and once he had received it, he tipped the waitress and left in a slight hurry. His bento of choice for her was a simple yet delicious breakfast themed bento. The bento consisted of a small bowl of miso soup along with warm, short grain rice, furikake, scrambled eggs and some seasonal fruits. The way he had prepared it was delicate as well; it was wrapped very neatly and nicely with a red colored ribbon, almost like it was a present.

Arriving at the village gates around 10am he noticed that Meiko was not here yet. He figured she would be on her way shortly so he decided to take a moment and be sure he had everything that he would need for the mission. In his pouch were a few basic ninja tools such as Kunai, Shuriken and etc. Shi was no weaponry specialist like his sensei, preferring to fight with his body when in close quarters, was but even he knew how to use all the basic tools such as these. ”Meiko should be here any second now as long as she received a summons like I did. If they assigned the mission to both of us then I have no doubt that she did. Hopefully she arrives soon so we can set out and get done what needs done.” He thought as he awaited the arrival of his sensei.

Posts : 811

It had been some time since her last mission. Lately Meiko had been neglecting missions in favour of training herself. She had been appointed to the rank of Jonin and felt that before she took on anymore dangerous missions, she would make her body as strong as it could be. Granted, her training had hit a bump. Even with the advanced equipment, Meiko could feel her progress had slumped. Currently the red-head was in the middle of increasing the difficulty of her regimen when the letter came to her door. Some bandits were growing bold just outside the village and had murdered a travelling merchant. The thought of it disgusted her, scum like that already prayed upon the weak and many a business had been ruined by raids. The taking of innocent lives was just a pointless evil that they believed gave them status. Instead all it had done was mark them by the village and it was time to put them down before anyone else was hurt.

For this mission, her student Shi would accompany her. Meiko still needed to set a date for their next training day, but she wanted to prepare herself first before that happened. On the bright side, this would give her the opportunity to better analyze her students skills in a real battle. Of course, she would never let anything bad happen to him, that would be foolish. Still, according to these estimates, these bandits should be well within his skill level to handle. She would allow him to do the majority of the work, stepping in when needed. Still it was no reason to go unprepared. Her training schedule would have to wait. Heading upstairs, Meiko donned her armour and grunted as she was buckling the chest plate. It had been tight lately but today was the first she had real difficulty buckling it. "Time for new armour I guess..."

It was a sad thought, this armour had been with her since she graduated. She had made it herself, alongside all her other weapons. It was a part of her, a second skin and one she sadly needed to shed. Still, it would due for one last hurrah. Put some bandits away and she could retire it. Besides, she had several new weapons in the forge right now and currently had no means of carrying them. A redesign was greatly needed. Once her equipment was together, Meiko stepped out of her room and was greeted by Shade. Her little gray dog, well 'little' meant she stood just above knee height. The dog knew what that armour meant and she could see in her eyes the pup did not want her to leave. Meiko crouched down and gave Shade a big, long hug before kissing her head. "It's alright baby, I'll be home soon. I promise. Then we'll go out to the park." She had wanted to say walk, but Shade had long ago caught onto the meaning of that word. Accidentally let that slip in her presence and the dog would go nuts until you took her out. Park was also starting to catch on and soon it would become another forbidden word.

As she reached the village gates, Meiko spotted Shi rather easily. The sullen look that was eternally plastered on his face was a dead giveaway. Granted, that was simply his neutral expression and gave no hint of his actual mood. It was difficult to get emotional rises out of him, but one surefire way was to invoke his clans' honour. His pride would not let him stay completely neutral on that subject. In his hands, he had a small box wrapped in a bow. "I wonder what that's for?" She wondered as she appraoched. "Hey there Shi, you're early. Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long." Her voice was as soft and chipper as ever, she even gave her student a friendly wave.

"So, I assume you also got a letter detailing the mission details?" Meiko would ask after all the pleasantries were done. "So you know what we're up against. A group of bandits led by a large man with a warhammer. I know this may be intimidating for you, but remember that I have your back. I will also be using this mission to judge your skills out in the field. Training is all well and good, but until someone is faced with a real situation, they can never assume they will act accordingly." She would wait a moment to hear his response, or lack of. "Now, I don't want you going out of your way to impress me. These are real bandits and they have already committed a murder. If they see there is no way out, they will not hesitate to kill. That said, I would prefer to take them in alive if possible. Kill only if it is an absolute last resort. I know orders are dead or alive, but these are my orders." Meiko remembered the promise she had made with Mana, she would avoid killing at every possible opportunity. If her magician friend could go this long without drawing lifeblood, so could she.

"If you're ready, we'll head out. Their camp should not be too far, just a few miles out of the village. Likely in the trees somewhere to hide their campfires."

Age : 28 Posts : 46

The wind blew ever so slightly, the breeze shifting around Shi's long hair as he awaited the arrival of his sensei. It wasn't long before he noticed her approaching. She was clad in the same armor she had been wearing during their training session and had a confident look about her. A C-rank mission such as this would probably be of no problem for her to handle all on her own but, even so, this was most likely a test of Shi's skills in a real world confrontation with her just as back up. She spoke, stopping in front of him, her voice as soft as ever "Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long." Shi took a small step forward so he was just ever so slightly closer to her but still not within her personal space bubble. "Of course not, I had only been here a couple of minutes before you showed up. Oh, and if you were wondering what it is that I have with me, its a bento-box. I decided that perhaps I would pick one up for you, just as a token of kindness and appreciation." As he spoke he allowed his voice to become just slightly softer, handing her the wrapped bento-box. After the pleasantries had been dealt with she went on to give him a short little talk about the mission and how she would be using it to test his abilities against real opponents who won't hesitate to kill. Shi was never one for killing his opponents but in the right scenario, he would not hesitate, even for a moment.

From the way his sensei spoke however, he couldn't help but think she was underestimating him a little. She stated some simple information that Shi already knew, they were up against a group of bandits whose numbers are estimated to be around twenty. They are led by a man named Taro who wields a large warhammer. "Actually sensei, I'm really not intimidated at all by these opponents. Most of the bandits will be pretty easy to dispatch and while Taro won't go down easy, it is unlucky that his opponent is going to be me. From what the scroll said, Taro is a large man wielding a large warhammer. These aspects lead me to believe he is a slow-strong type of fighter while I have my speed which is something to factor in." As he said this, he retrieved the mission scroll he had received and went over the info that it had over Taro and the bandits to be sure what he was saying was accurate. After a few seconds he returned the scroll to his pouch and continued speaking to his sensei. "Don't worry sensei, i'v never been one for delivering the final blow. However, at the same time I am not against it, so, if the situation calls for it I will do what I feel has to be done."

Meiko stated next that they should get a move on, which Shi nodded to in agreement. She stated that most likely, they would have a base camp in the trees somewhere to disguise the smoke that would be coming from any campfires if they chose to have them. A few miles off the village gates seemed like a perfect spot. He figured they would keep some distance between them and the village as to avoid easy detection but would stay fairly close so they can ambush merchants and other travelers heading to and from Konoha. "I agree sensei, they can't be too far. Considering their numbers, I think it would be wise to scout out their camp once we find it rather than just rushing in. Taking out a few while avoiding detection will decrease their advantage in numbers if only ever so slightly." While these bandits, individually, offered little threat to Shi and Meiko, their numbers could pose a problem as they are facing nearly 10-1 odds.

Posts : 811

The first thing Shi did after Meiko had introduced herself was present the object he was carrying. From a distance it had looked like some sort of gift, but now she could see what it was before he had even spoken. Meiko could not help but smile at the gesture as her hands extended to accept the bento. "Thank you Shi, I'll be sure to enjoy this once the mission is complete" Meiko then made sure to secure the bento to her waist, beside her kits. For this, she used a good length of her wire and tied several knots to ensure that, no matter what kind of movements she made, it would not dislodge itself. Only once it was firmly secured did Meiko begin her briefing of the mission at hand. This had a bit of an unexpected effect on Shi, while his face remained a blank slate, Meiko was starting to learn how he thought. There were other tells people had, even those who could turn their faces into a blank mask could miss other tells. It was jut a matter of finding them. Anything from a twitchy finger, alternated breathing patters, or in this case, a change in his eyes.

It was faint and quick, but something passed through them. Annoyance was her guess, or perhaps anger? Something about her briefing had caused him some bit of distress. When he started speaking, she knew immediately. The boy wore his clan on his sleeve, it was his pride and because of that, he held himself up to a much higher standard than others. This wasn't a bad thing, but it did mean that his pride could be easily wounded at times. Right now, it appeared as though he thought that Meiko was thinking little of him. To this, Meiko smiled and gave him a short laugh. "Sorry bout that. It's kind of regulation. Gotta make sure everyone knows every detail of the mission before we leave. So if it sounds redundant, then you're doing your job right." Shi had also given his own early observations given the mission description. "That's a good assumption, Warhammers are not known for their speed. They're meant to break through an enemy's armour so everything about them is focused on power. Speed is good, but if you encounter him without me, I would suggest not engaging him with your taijutsu. The report says its a two-handed warhammer. Which means it has one important advantage that, even with your speed, you'll have a hard time countering. Reach. Never underestimate a weapon's range. Even melee weapons have different areas of threat. Underestimate that for a second, and you'll find yourself in a world of pain"

That little speech was not to lecture him, Meiko just had a habit of rambling on when it came to weapons. Originally a hobby of her's until she started her shinobi career, it was hard to find people willing to listen to her about it. So when the chance came, she found her tongue hard to hold. At the very least though, Meiko was relieved to hear that Shi was not the type to go for the killing blow unless absolutely necessary. Honestly, that reminded Meiko of herself. That had originally been her belief until she had spoken with Mana. Currently the village thought her dead, but Meiko refused to accept that. The magician was out there, somewhere. Going at some secret mission alone again, ignoring the advice Meiko had given her countless times. Whenever she came home, Meiko would be waiting, and she would give Mana the biggest slap across the face for making everyone worry like this.

Back to the task at hand, the two had begun to proceed down the road exiting the village when Shi spoke up again. He agreed with her assessment of their possible location and hoped to approach them quietly enough to perhaps take out a few outlaying scouts. "That would be best. They will likely be untrained, but their weapons are real and one must never underestimate the strength of numbers." Even the greatest ninja can be overwhelmed if there were simply enough opponents attacking at once. "With that as the case, we should make for the treetops before going any further. Should a scout happen across two ninja walking down the street, they'll go into hiding and we'll never find them until they grow bold again." Looking to the tree lines on both sides of the road, Meiko thought for a moment before turning back to Shi.

"We should each take one side of the road, I'll go left, you right. that way we have the best chance of finding them. Stay within a hundred meters of the road, that way we shouldn't get separated. Keep a steady pace, not too fast. Regroup every hour to make sure we haven't strayed too far. If you find something, throw a kunai at the road. That should get the other's attention." With that, she would break with Shi and begin the patrol.