Catch of the Day [Private Mission: Elsa & Mugen]

Age : 29 Posts : 614

Mission Approval Details

Spoiler:

Although he had trained extensively within the bounds of the village’s high walls, he had yet to go on any excursions into the world beyond. There were so many things that he had longest to see; things that he had only heard about from others or read about in books and scrolls. For as long as he could remember, he dreamed of lush green forests and plains of waist high grass. His mind seemed to create the illusion of smell when he slept; he could smell the heartily fresh crisp and sweet scent of the grass as the wind wafted the fragrance into his nostrils. His mind reflected images of grand lakes of clear blue water; seemingly endless oceans, and endless massifs; some snow-capped and others barren. All the plants he knew he could learn about outside of the village genuinely excited the young boy; while he had learned about them in the academy, there was a great difference between reading about plants in a book and interacting with them. Many had known to have either died or been poisoned by eating foliage which was inedible, others had even found ways to survive solely off the land, and there was more knowledge abroad than Kumogakure could offer exclusively by itself. It was the mark of his first mission as a member of the Kumogakure shinobi force, and the start of his own personal journey for growth.

Upon being assigned the mission by the Raikage, Naraku learned that he would be working along two other genin; Valrogue, Kurogane and a young genin who simply went by Mugen. The parties were to convene at the Fisherman’s Port so that Naraku and his team could safely escort the merchant to the Daichu District to unload his supplies. It was Naraku’s understanding that the single most reason they had been tasked with the escorting mission was because there was a supposed trove of bandits who sought to rob this shipment of kunai. In the back of his mind, Naraku came to wonder if kunai were all that this man was bringing into the village. From all that he had learned, he knew that people did not take action unless there was a benefit that outweighed the cost; kunai alone did not seem to be overwhelmingly beneficial by themselves, not to this young Kousen.

The merchant’s name was Yakazami, Aso. Apparently he had originated from the land of waves; traveling and selling his wares had become his own personal trade. His trade with Kumogakure was not authenticated until the third Raikage had been ushered in and it seemed that he had been providing quality wares for the village ever since from time to time, and to date, there had never been one sort of odd occurrence when it came down to selling his stock. The dossier which had been provided to Naraku detailed an elderly man who was forty four, six feet tall, fading light brown hair which was worn in a drawn back ponytail which hung effortlessly down to the middle of his back, strong but illusive dark brown eyes, and a slightly outgrown mustache which bore over his top lip by a fair amount. Not much was known about the man socially, probably because he was a nomadic merchant, which left the village to only judge him off the rapport he had established with village officials and local traders.

The morning’s sun had only just started to ascend into the sky when Naraku woke up from his light sleep. Surges of anticipation anxiety had been fluttering through his eager young body all night; he had caught less than four hours of sleep in total that night. It was a risky move, not sleeping before a mission, but the boy could not begin to contain his excitement- it was his first mission ever. What shinobi could say they ever forgot their first mission? It would be the task that much of his early perspectives would be shaped around and he had every legitimized desire to perform the best he could, no matter how grand or mundane the task was to be.

It was going to be a beautiful day, Naraku was sure. As he peered out his window, he could see the pink and orange of the morning sky projecting itself onto soft white clusters of clouds on the horizon. The mountain birds cawed as they spread their wings to ascend to new heights that morning. There were no scents in the air yet as the villagers were only just beginning to prepare themselves for the day; every bit of oxygen the young Kousen inhaled was crisp, clean, and all natural, and it was so overtly satisfying to him. As a ray of warm and tender light shone upon Naraku’s face, he could not help but smile in his state of bliss. These were the things he was protecting as a Kousen, as a shinobi. He protected the liberty of others to enjoy such beautiful sights without fearing about wars and invasions; he kept them in a state of euphoria.

After he had finished with his routine of showering, getting dressed in his fully combative mission attire, eating, and brushing his teeth, he was ready. He made his way down the stairs to exit the house with a sense of exuberant alacrity. Walking towards the door, the boy was greeted by his mother. ”Leaving without saying goodbye? Such a child we’ve raised.” A crooning grin worked its way up the young man’s lips as he heard the usual pitch of sarcasm in his mother’s voice. Truthfully, he had not taken the time to even see if his parents had awoken.

”Sorry mom! But you know I’ve got my first mission today!” he chuckled as he turned around to embrace his mother with a hug and a kiss on her cheek.

”Yeah, yeah. I know. You’re all grown up and you’ve got important things to do now. Just promise you won’t forget about us!”

”I think that’d be impossible since I’m still living here.” he gave a warm smile.

”Alright, well, you just be safe out there. I’ll have dinner on the table by nine. Get back as soon as you can, and remember to always do your best.”

”I will, I will. I always do.” he attempted to reassure his mother, trying to sooth some of her own parental anxiety.

”Oh hey! Where’s dad? There’s something I wanted to ask him.”

”He went up to the hospital for something. He’ll be back by dinner time.”

”Darn. Alright, well I’ll try to make it back by then. No promises though! Bye mom! Have a good day.” he blurted out as he opened the door and exited the building. Having thought nothing of the fact that his father was at the hospital, Naraku went along with his day breathing easy about life. It was eight o’ clock in the morning, and the three genin were to meet the client at eight thirty. If he wanted to be on time, he would need to do some hurrying, some serious running.

Dashing through the empty streets, hopping up and down rooftops- over gates and fences, the young and energetic Kousen made his way to the port to meet with all of the involved parties. When he had arrived, it seemed that he was in fact the first. Before him stood the man whose image he had looked at. In truth, he seemed quite move lively and personable in the flesh than any picture could ever justify. Taking a moment to breathe away his excitement and bring himself into a diplomatically level-headed nature, he approached Aso to introduce himself.

”Mr. Yakazami, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kousen, Naraku. I will be leading the team that will be escorting you and your goods. The other members of my team should be arriving soon. We’ll be leaving as soon as they get here. Do you have any questions for me?” he finished, extending his hand out for a firm handshake.

Meeting Naraku’s right hand with his own dry and cracked hand, Aso gave a firm shake. In a relatively gravelly and gruff voice, which was entirely unexpected by Naraku, Aso gave his calm response.

” Greetings, Mr. Kousen. That’s quite a handshake you have there, young man. I’m not entirely in a rush, so long as we leave before the sun falls.” he gave a curt yet shaky chuckle.

”I do look forward to our adventure today, I hope it will be a nice one.”

With a slightly nervous partial smile, Naraku nodded. ”As do I.”

As do I.

Age : 33 Posts : 718

In stark contrast to the way his Kousen cousin started his day, Mugen's morning began alone and with a sense of dread. The 15 year old genin would have seen it as just another day. Just another mission. Were it not for the fact that the briefing he'd received listed a member of the Kousen clan as one of his two teammates. The name "Naraku" was unfamiliar to Mugen, but it didn't matter. If he were from the Kousen clan then it was likely Mugen was in for some less than enjoyable attention. Were it not an official mission, Mugen would likely have ditched out in favor of sparing himself the ridicule that was sure to come. Alas, dedication to the village came before his personal feelings about not wanting to deal with socially awkward situations.

The sobering tone was not the only way in which Mugen's morning began differently however. The young Kousen awoke with a stretch atop a tree branch. He'd failed to save enough money to afford lodging for the night leaving him to spend the cold evening in one of the many trees scattered about the Kumogakure training area. Dropping to the ground, Mugen yawned as he reached into his pocket only to pull out a bit of change. Not nearly enough Ryo for a proper breakfast. But thankfully, Mugen knew where to go to find the next best thing. In a few minutes, Mugen found himself standing outside the back door of a late night restaurant. They had been closed for hours but it was around this time that the left over food got tossed. When the door opened, Mugen greeted the shopkeep with a smile and friendly salutations. He'd done a favor for the man a while back and was told to come here if he ever needed an early meal before a mission.

After filling his belly with stale dumplings and a meager soup, Mugen gave his thanks and departed the village gates to begin the trek to the Fisherman's Port. Mugen couldn't help but feel somewhat judgemental of this "Naraku Kousen" fellow as he leapt into the trees and began a speedy dash through a highway of branches. Mugen didn't know how experienced of a leader the Kousen was, but Mugen felt it was a blunder to have them meet at the port. There was no telling what could happen between the safety of village gates and the distant port, especially since the mission details warned of bandits in the area. Thankfully however, the trip was rather uneventful and Mugen made it to the port without incident.

Scanning the busy dock for the face of the merchant described in the mission doc, Mugen eventually found him talking to an unfamiliar individual with a Kumogakure headband on his upper right thigh. Seeing the light complexion and dark hair, Mugen mistakenly assumed that this was the non-kousen member of the team. He approached with a friendly demeanor and introduced himself to the two with a bow. "Sorry I'm late. I'm Mugen, I look forward to working with the both of you."

Age : 93 Posts : 369

Catch of the Day [Private Mission: Elsa & Mugen] Kuro1_zps09b4c215

Promotion

The brink of dawn brought a slight crack in the darkness known as night. The recently promoted Chunin observed the distant horizon from his bedside window, reminiscing the two years he had been in Kumogakure. He was no native to these lands, but he was already classified as a B-rank shinobi of the village. It felt nice to have a place to call home as well as people to call friends.

Kuro had already prepared himself for his mission; he just had a quick pit stop to make before he headed out to the meet up spot. He grabbed his katana and made his way to the Raikage’s office for the quick briefing before he would meet up with the rest of his squad mates. This was a last minute mission given to the red-eyed boy to see how well he could look over a pair of youngsters. One was more experienced while the other would be experiencing his first mission. Having his fair share of experience, Kuro figured the task would be no problem.

Two guards at the Raikage’s office entrance greeted Kuro before they opened the doors into the room. Inside were none other than two of the village elders, who had taken the place of the Raikage while he was out on important matters but they expected him nonetheless.

“Kurogane Valrouge, I believe you know of your task today.”

The elder woman spoke with a raspy but firm tone. The look in her eyes sent slight shivers down his spine. She oddly reminded his of his grandmother.

“Yes ma’am. I am to look over Kousen, Naraku and Mugen as they complete their mission. I am to make sure the package is remained untouched by enemy hands and that my comrades are unharmed.”

The old woman studied him, watching his breaths enter his lungs, and exhale unevenly. She approached him and felt the cloth that made his cloak, feeling the material as she spoke.

“It’s a shame you chose not to wear the vest. It would have fit you nicely. Very well, good luck on your mission and make sure the Genin remain unharmed.”

Kuro bowed and headed out of the room. He wouldn’t be caught dead wearing the vest given to ninja when they reach Chunin. It was such a dreadful looking thing. He didn’t understand why anyone would want to wear that.

Kuro walked nonchalantly towards the meeting spot. From a distance, he could spot his two teammates for this mission along with the client talking. The two ninja looked rather short in comparison to Kuro but they looked like they could hold their own for the most part. It looked like this mission would be a breeze as long their weren’t any surprises. The Chunin kept most of his body hidden behind the cloak that surrounded him, keeping his tricks up his sleeve until they would be needed. One of the two Genin who stood before him was named team captain of the mission before Kuro due to his late placement. By his knowledge, he was quite sure they were unaware of his ranking due to how recent his promotion was. Not much to brag, Kuro just thought he would go with the flow. Finally approaching the three men, Kuro smiled and introduced himself.

“ I assume we’re introducing ourselves to one another. I’m Valrouge, Kurogane. A pleasure” Kuro did a small bow before awaiting orders from the team captain. From his report, it was the grey haired kid that stood to his left. He’d follow his lead for the time being.

Age : 29 Posts : 614

Once both Kuro and Mugen had arrived, the party of four set out on their way to the Daichu district within the village’s walls. Although he had not thought about it before hand, he had never really heard of a genin leading a team. Village policy was that each team was to be headed by someone of at least a Chuunin rank, for protection sakes. While he could have chosen to take this to his head, and allowed himself to believe he was ready for such a task, the young ambitious Kousen knew he was not- not yet. Being that it made no difference at the time, since his mission had already been assigned and the parties had already convened, Naraku made a mental note to question the Raikage upon his return to the village.

As they began to walk, Naraku took to the back of the walking formation; his favorite part. It allowed him to do what he enjoyed best- observe. Not only would he be the one most likely to spot an attack from almost any direction, but he would also be allowed to watch his team members as well as his client- a client that Naraku didn’t entirely trust. They began walking along the dirt road, which was primarily used as a trading route for the village, as white billows of clouds drifted over them, occasionally obscuring the sun’s beams.

What seemed to bother the young man’s mind the most was the fact that he knew essentially nothing about anyone that he was traveling with at the moment; not even his own comrades. While patients withholding information or surprising shinobi was not entirely unheard of, there was a whole different set of potential problems that came along with being in a squad with which he was unfamiliar. First and foremost, it meant that should battle break out, he would need to spend more time in the back learning his opponents as well as his teammates- a task which seemed herculean in nature. Another issue was that they had not had time to properly train with one another. Not only did training help establish an understanding between two shinobi, but it also cultivated a deeper sense of trust. Without being able to trust and be trusted on the battlefield, a shinobi faced a far greater set of dispositions. Naraku could not be sure than neither Kuro nor Mugen would attempt to break formation in attempts to be valiant and prideful. Such acts were dangerous, not only on an individual level, but for the entirety of the team.

Deciding to help himself quell some of his personal anxiety, Naraku began to open up a line of conversation with his comrades, as well as Aso, should he have had the desire to speak. ”Kuro, Mugen, do please tell me somewhat about how you two approach combat. I’ll also need to know what elements you are capable of utilizing. Being the medic on this team means I’ll need to account for these things real time, since we’ve had no time to work on our dynamics as a team in the past.” He hoped that whatever information he was able to extract from the two would be adequate, given that anything could happen at any moment on the mission, especially since bandits were rumored to have been tailing Mr. Yakazami.

Age : 33 Posts : 718

There was a brief and sudden look of surprise on Mugen's face when Kuro arrived and introduced himself to the group. The white haired genin did a double take looking back and forth between Naraku and Kuro feeling somewhat taken off guard. Realizing he'd made a premature assumption, Mugen began staring at Naraku as the many conflicting feelings surrounding his clan and exile began to surface. As soon as Naraku gave a look in Mugen's direction however, the teal eyes with their brilliant golden halo were cast aside and Mugen tried to pretend like he hadn't been pinning a lingering gaze onto his cousin. So this was the Kousen of the team. Mugen knew there were members within his clan that lacked the signature skin and hair color but he rarely interacted with any of them so he was unfamiliar with Naraku. Thankfully, it seemed as though this distant blood relative didn't recognize Mugen either. At least not from the way he acted amicable and the obvious lack of insults.

Until now, Mugen had found a number of reasons to be grateful to his father for stripping the "Kousen" name from him, but this was the first time where it paid off in the manner Mugen had initially suspected it was intended to. To grant Mugen some degree of invisibility from the clan which had come to see his name synonymous with "murderer" and all the stigma that comes with it. Counting his blessings, Mugen would make no efforts to undo the secrecy of his clan lineage and remained mostly quiet for most of the trip. When asked about his combat habits and elements, Mugen jumped like a startled mouse. Even the idea of sharing that he had the elemental natures to generate ranton struck a fear into the boy that he couldn't shake. "O-Oh! Me? Uhhh..." With some quick thinking, Mugen decided to tell a half truth. "...Well, I'm not very talented. All I know is Suiton." Rubbing the back of his head and forcing a smile as he spoke, Mugen hoped that the water element would be enough detail. "As for combat, I don't really fight on the front lines if I can help it. I'm better at supporting from a moderate distance."

Feeling tense from having been lest than fully open and honest with his team mates, Mugen's back was straight and stiff as a board now. Oh how he hoped the mission would end so he could escape the awkwardness of the situation he was perceiving.

Age : 93 Posts : 369

Fish

The White headed ninja seemed to be taken back from Kuro’s arrival, but it was something he thought little of at this present moment in time. Shortly after introducing himself, The squad headed out beginning their mission. The weapons merchant was pushing his cart filled with ninja tools while the Kousen member covered the rear. Kuro proceeded to lead the voyage at the front end while Mugen traveled on one of the sides. The group travelled in silence while the winds of the open ocean blowing gently on the Chunin’s face. It was quite a nice day for once in this scorching country.

The silence was broken from the rookie ‘captain’, who spoke up wondering of the each individual’s combat style. The boy himself was a medic, who would probably assist in battle from the sidelines. The other member of the group seemed uncertain of his own abilities, only being capable of one of the natural elements as well as also playing a support role within the team. Kuro hoped they could at least take care of themselves once the time came. He was directed by the village elder to make sure the Genin would get through without a scratch to their heads as well as protecting the client and his merchandise. A task given to him to test his abilities as a recent promoted Chunin. Not taking any risks, Kuro began to form hand signs while speaking to his teammates.

“Seeing as you two will play support, I’ll play the offensive role in this mission. I’ll trust that you guys will cover me when the time comes.”

To Kuro’s left, an ice clone slowly formed from the feet up before taking position to the opposing side of Mugen to make sure they had all sides covered.

“I don’t think the extra protection is quite necessary.”

A nervous laugh escaped the client’s lip as he spoke.

“I’m not taking the risk.”

Something was off about this man. He had seemed on edge since the moment Kuro saw him and seemed to refuse any extra precautions that could be taken to ensure his safety. Something smelled fishy and it wasn’t the fish being brought in from the dock.

“ I specialize in Suiton, Fuuton, and Hyoton as well as Kenjutsu.”

The group was distancing themselves from the port and onto the road that would lead them into the village. Their path was filled with high mountaintops as well as low ones with few greenery to decorate the landscape. The Chunin hadn’t gone down this road often during his time in the Lightning Country and was just getting familiar with the environment. The journey had remained rather peaceful and it would be a rather nice gift from the gods if it stayed that way, but it was only a matter of time until all hell broke loose.

Age : 29 Posts : 614

Despite the fact that their mission had just gotten under way, it seemed that things were already beginning to shape up. It was interesting the way each person seemed to be establishing themselves in the situation. The merchant, Aso, seemed to be somewhat obscuring the entire truth about his visit as well as why the bandits were tailing him, Kuro was establishing himself as a well-trained shinobi, and the one named Mugen seemed to think too little of himself. Their elements aligned quite well with his own, although he was aware that they each utilized their elements in unique and individualized styles. In order to cover the single most blind spot in the formation, Kuro brought a clone into the folds; from what Naraku was able to extract from what he had seen, the black haired shinobi had conjured some sort of deviant of the suiton element.

” I specialize in Suiton, Fuuton, and Hyoton as well as Kenjutsu” It was clear, directly after the boy had spoken, what his third element was: ice. It full well made sense to the young Kousen. Although he had never seen the element in use up close, he knew that the Yuki clan was known for their abilities to manipulate ice. Despite the fact that this boy looked nothing like a Yuki, and did not carry the clan’s surname, Naraku knew there was no way to fake one’s own heritage. He could only assume that the boy, like him, was a mutt; a mutt who had so graciously received the fabled abilities of his lineage.

Looking at the sparse foliage around him, and the cascading mountain ranges that lied before them, Naraku knew that there was very little opportunity for any bandits to attack in an uncoordinated fashion. If they were to attack, they would have had ample time to play out their ploy. The single most advantage that a Kumogakure shinobi possessed in such times, was generally their profound knowledge of their home territory. Naraku knew that he had never traveled outside the bounds of the village wall prior to this mission, so he was not one to inherit that advantage. While he could hope that either of his companions might be familiar with the terrain, there was absolutely no guarantee.

Struggling very much to see any potential upper hand that the three genin might possess, Naraku began to prepare himself for the reality that they very well might have been in over their heads. No, no, no, no, no. That is a horrible mentality for a team leader to have, you idiot. If I start to think there’s no hope for us, then where will be no hope for us. I gotta stay calm and optimistic, for all of our sake.

The squad of three, plus the clone addition, pressed on through the mountain. Within another fifteen minutes, they had come to a rift between a high mountain and a medium size one. The ravine they were about to enter into was no wider than twenty feet and stretched on for what seemed to be half a mile, if not more. Choosing to enter this route brought great risks: they could be flanked from both ends of the chasm, assailed murderously from above, or the entire length of the gulley could be laid with a good amount of traps. Going around the rift, however, meant that travel would be extended by an exponential amount of hours; hour which they did not have. Their mission parameters had been quite clear, the merchant needed to reach the village by night fall. In other words, they had no choice. Whatever horrors the path in front of them might hold, they had to press on. They had to separate themselves from fear of death- that was what the mission called for; what every mission he might ever go on called for.

With clear blue skies allowing the sun’s vibrant rays of light to flourish down upon them, the young Kousen took a relaxing breath. ”Kuro, since you’re at the front, I want you to check for traps and keep your eyes on the exit ahead. Mugen, monitor the ridges for enemy activity. I will be watching our backs as well as the ridges for any additional movement.” He announced in an affirmative and cautious tone. He knew full well that his team members would also be aware of the present dangers before them. If they were not all fully focused and on guard, they could very well not make it out alive.

Deciding that he needed to be able to engage his opponents from a distance, should they be looming near, the dark grey haired genin withdrew his short bow from his back, down into a resting position, and nocked an arrow upon it’s string as he turned around, leaving his back towards Kuro, Mugen, and Aso. His left hand was in the center of the front of the bow, ready to aim at any target. His index and middle finger of his right hand were placed at the tail of the arrow, ready to pull back and launch.

Relevant Character Components:

Spoiler:

Age : 33 Posts : 718

Lost in his own thoughts, Mugen likely would never have even noticed that one of his team members mentioned possession of an advanced element which Mugen had never witnessed before. Mugen was always a sucker for new experiences and discoveries. They lit a flame of manly romance within his young chest that burned on a fuel of bottomless excitement and endless wonder. Thankfully, there was a demonstration to make up for the boy's deaf ears. Curiously turning his attention to Kuro as he noticed a hand seal being performed, Mugen's eyes opened wide as the icy clone came into being. Uwaa~ That's amazing!" Brought into a state of awe, much of the tension Mugen had been holding melted away from his body and he relaxed considerably. With his mind no longer stuck on clan drama, Mugen's ears were receptive to Kuro's mentioning of suiton, fuuton, and hyouton. "So that's the combination of water and wind, huh?" Mugen asked aloud more so to himself than to Kuro. Realizing his tone suggested some knowledge over advanced elements Mugen quickly broke into a nervous laugh as he tried to sound jealous over the fact. "Hahaha, it must be nice having a unique power like that. I wish I could use two elements at once! Hehehehe...."

Smooth, like butter.

Then things went quiet for a dozen minutes or so, something which did not particularly make Mugen feel socially competent. Had his poorly executed facade killed the conversation? This thought hung over Mugen like an invisible dark cloud but he tried his best not to let it show. Instead, Mugen focused on observing their surroundings on the look out for bandits until they came upon the ridge and he was given orders to keep an eye on the ridges. Perhaps Naraku simply meant for Mugen to stay by the cart and look upwards for signs of danger, but Mugen took it another way. To the young ex-kousen, it was an order to go ascend the cliffs and scout them out personally. Something for which Mugen was thankful. "Roger." Mugen affirmed plainly as he brought his thumb to his lips. Now was a good time to make use of his new partner. The genin's teeth bit into his flesh coaxing blood to his skin's surface only to draw it across his palm and perform a set of hand seals. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!" The name of the technique was declared as Mugen placed his palm onto the ground and a poof of smoke billowed forth as a result.

"Hm?...Oooh~ So this is what the outside world looks like."

A small female voice sounded from inside the smoke. It was a tiny cute voice, but one that was clearly not human from the way it vibrated and squeaked. "Mugeeeeeeeen!~ You finally summoned me~" The smoke cleared and an unnaturally large ant appeared. She was about a foot long in size and had a kumogakure head band around her thorax and various weapons strapped to her body denoting her as a shinobi ant. The creature jumped from the ground landing on Mugen's head perched so she could look down to face him. "So, what's the job?" Suddenly, her voice became somewhat stoic as Ariko got straight to the point. Mugen looked slightly perturbed that she had chosen his head of all places to settle, but he didn't bother snapping at the insect. Who tells at ants? Crazy people, that's who.

Pointing up at the cliff ridge to the left, Mugen gave his summon their task. "Listen up Ariko, we're going to scout out the top of the cliff and make sure there isn't any danger for this little caravan of ours." The shinobi ant had no other words to speak finding human tongue difficult and annoying. She simply nodded and leapt off Mugen's head to begin ascending her side of the cliff. "We'll let you know if we find anything." Mugen said as he handed a set of Ear-Piece Mic Radios to his team members before equipping his own and moving to the right cliff wall. Mugen began running up the side of it at a casual pace with application of the Act of Tree Climbing jutsu. Ariko had already reached the top by the time Mugen was about halfway up the sheer wall. She peeked her head over the side briefly to find two men standing there with weapons in hand. A glance to Mugen's side told her there were another two there waiting for him and while the ant had gone unnoticed, a human running up the side of a cliff was not so inconspicuous.

Not allowing danger to befall her summoner so easily, Ariko climbed over the edge and drew her Ninjato and performed a Swift Cut in a single swift movement that brought her past one of the bandits feet. A pained howl left the man as his achilles tendons were partly severed unexpectedly. The other man on Ariko's side looked down to see what had caused the injury only to find the odd sight of a sword wielding ant jumping towards his face. A single slash brought injury to the bandits left eye sending him into an agonized recoil. Hearing all the commotion above, Mugen reached up and activated his mic to contact Naraku and Kuro below. "It sounds like we've got company up above." Mugen said quietly as he neared the top of the cliff himself. The two bandits on his side had been distracted by Ariko's actions, but it was clear that they had been prepared to intercept him with a rope and gag in hand. Clearly they wanted to take him out quietly so the rest of the team would enter the chasm.

With better eyesight than his insect companion, Mugen could also see far beyond these two men where another four bandits were waiting in position for an ambush. "We've got about a dozen hostiles up here." Mugen stated calmly, his voice revealing that he was already up top to the two other bandits. They turned to face the boy and threw their rope and chloroform-cloth aside and took up swords instead. Mugen drew a kunai in each hand and moved to begin engaging them hopeful that his allies would be quick about backing him up.

Mugen's CP = 64/70
Ariko's CP = 22/25

Stuff Used:

Name: Kinobori no Waza • Act of Tree Climbing
Rank: D
Type: N/A
Range: N/A
Element: N/A
Description: This technique allows the user to balance themselves on trees and vertical walls by focusing a constant and steady stream of chakra to the user’s feet. Gravity can easy be defined if this technique is mastered, allowing people to even stand upside down. If too much chakra is exerted the user will be pushed away; bark breaking and causing the user to then fall. If not enough chakra is exerted the user will lose their footing and fall.
Chakra Cost: 1 (1 per post)

Name: Kuchiyose no Jutsu - Summoning Technique
Rank: C
Type: Ninjutsu
Range: N/A
Element: N/A
Description: A powerful jutsu, Ninpo Kuchiyose allows a ninja to summon animals and objects to fight on their behalf. The ninja normally signs a blood contract with the animal species, which allows them to summon different size and skill levels of creature. Signing this contract also allows the animal to reverse summon the human ninja to their location.
Chakra Cost: 5 (C Rank Summon), 10 (B), 15 (A), 20 (S)

Name: Ariko
Rank: C
Appearance:
Catch of the Day [Private Mission: Elsa & Mugen] Semut-peluru

Catch of the Day [Private Mission: Elsa & Mugen] Semut-peluru

Ariko is relatively small among the ant summons, her total length from end to end being a mere 1 foot. But even so, this shinobi ant is terrifyingly larger than the common cousins of hers one will find scurrying around on the ground. Her exoskeleton is a dull red color that easily blends in with the greens and browns of a forest. She has a small headband wrapped around her thorax with the symbol of Kumogakure on it. Flanking either side of her abdomen are pouches filled with ninja tools.
Personality: Ariko is the silent type at first glance, but she simply prefers not to speak human tongue if she can help it, despite a fondness for humans. Ariko enjoys human company and finds their individuality from one another to be an interesting contrast to the spartan brood of her kind. She has the capacity for compassion, but rarely lets it show save for in the most subtle of ways. More than anything, Ariko's stoic seriousness and dedication towards her work as a shinobi displays itself in her moment to moment reactions.
Contract Type: Formal
Species: Ant - Oecophylla smaragdina(Weaver)
Speciality: Weapon
Elemental Affinity: N/A
Summons Jutsu:

Summons Weapons:

Name: Ear-Piece Mic Radio
Rank: C
Type: Main -Primary/Accessory
Quantity: 5
Description: The short range radio is capable of keeping ninja in contact up to 10 miles. The radio can accept multiple frequencies and is activated to talk by pushing a button on the neck attachment, making it simple to use even in the most dire of situations. With a durable carapace, it is designed to withstand water damage and even the pressure of extreme altitudes.

Age : 93 Posts : 369

Protect the Merchant

Kuro’s demonstration of his unique ability seemed to catch the gleeful eye of one of the Genin. A half smile crept up on the Chunin’s face. No one had ever been in awe from his Hyoton abilities and impressing someone with his own abilities actually felt pretty good. For a moment, he felt like a complete bad ass. Kuro was glad that he was leading the pact at the front so they couldn’t see his egotistical smile that was smacked across his face. He brought himself back to reality and let his face relax back to its natural state. Though, Kuro did find it a bit odd that the Genin could only use one element. Part of him felt like Mugen was hiding something, but at the same time, he couldn’t think of any reason that he would have to lie. Kuro turned his head to get a quick glimpse of the white headed ninja before focusing his view on the road ahead.

The journey between the four had been a quiet one after Mugen’s last remark. They had made some great distance from where they had gathered near the port, which meant that the calms winds of the sea had gone and been replaced by the full force of the scorching sun. Kuro could feel the sweat starting to protrude from his pores underneath his cloak. The road they followed greeted them with mountains to both of their sides, which opened an opportunity for any bandits to attack them from above. Kuro observed the mountains above looking for any unusual activity, but was only greeted with the site of an eagle taking flight from the mountain on the left. Kuro’s lips parted, ready to give out orders to his fellow comrades right before Naraku finally spoke up.

”Kuro, since you’re at the front, I want you to check for traps and keep your eyes on the exit ahead. Mugen, monitor the ridges for enemy activity. I will be watching our backs as well as the ridges for any additional movement.”

There it was, orders from the “leader” of their current mission. The Chunin was reminded that his leadership was to remain hidden unless under extreme circumstances. Though, the boy wasn’t far off from the order Kuro was going to give himself. Before heading off, Kuro reached into his ninja kit and pulled out a kunai from under his cloak, hidden from all to see. From behind him, he heard the famous summoning words. He turned to his back left and witnessed a giant ant jump on top of the white headed boy. Kuro flinched at the site of the giant ant before he forced himself to temporarily look away. He wasn’t a large fan of insects, especially abnormally large ones.

“Roger that. I’ll take a look up ahead.”

Kuro finally responded to Naraku’s orders as he placed the earpiece into his right ear. Kuro gave a quick glance to his clone that stood on the left side of the merchant before he sprinted off up ahead to spot for any traps that they might run into; his clone taking his place to the front. While glancing at his clone, he had gotten a glimpse of the ninja ant making its way up the mountain. A jolt of shivers went up Kuro’s spine; he didn’t know if he’d be able to get used to the view of that thing.

Kuro carefully made his way up the road to check for any traps that could possibly be in his way, keeping his eyes peeled to make sure he didn’t run into any himself. His pace slowed down to a steady walk as his eyes gazed from left to right, and then upwards towards the mountaintops looking for any signs of danger that could befall him and his team.

“It sounds like we got company”

He heard Mugen’s voice through the radio in his right ear loud and clear. Kuro turned around to face his teammates who stood over a hundred meters away. Kuro took a few steps to head back towards his teammates before explosions went off above him. The Chunin flicked his head upwards to witness the sight of large boulders coming crashing down towards him.

“Tsk”

Kuro jumped up, preparing himself for the first large boulder that approached him. As it neared closer, Kuro twisted his body so that the large rock missed him by a few inches. The Chunin used the kunai he pulled out earlier to impale the rock, latching onto the huge boulder that was making its way towards the ground below. Having a hold of it, Kuro moved his body so that he was on top of the boulder and proceeded to use it as a stepping-stone to make his way up towards the top of the mountain. He continued to use each boulder that came down as another opportunity to make his way up before he finally found himself on the mountaintop on the right. He took a quick second to regain his balance from a shaky landing before he looked up ahead and saw Mugen as well as a few other bodies that must have been the company he was talking about.

“I’m on my way.”

Kuro formed a single hand seal with his free hand before a light snow began to kick in. Kuro dashed towards his comrade, pulling out another kunai out of his ninja kit and flicked them towards the centre of two of the bandits’ spines. One of the bandits on the opposite side was able to warn them before the projectiles made contact, giving them enough time to block the attack. They looked at Kuro and began to dash towards him in an attempt to strike him down while the other two stayed focused on Mugen.

The bandits came at him side by side, both wielding short swords, one held it horizontally while the other came sprinting with it vertically, gripping it with both hands. Kuro smirked before he stopped and placed his left hand on his katana and his right on the base of his sheath. He waited until the two bandits were close before he let his blade show through his cloak. Waiting for the last second, Kuro block the two incoming attacks, only letting his katana partially out of its sheath. He fully unsheathed it before bringing his sword down on the bandit on the left while the other tried to regain his lost footing. The bandit was able to bring his sword up in time to meet Kuro’s but was met with the sheath, which he held in his right hand, using it as a second blade. The black holster smacked the bandit across the side of his face, bringing him down to his knees momentarily as the other bandit was now coming towards him. Not even trying, Kuro let the man’s blade swing towards him before he blocked it and used his free hand to counter attack his blow. The bandit was sent back a meter from the impact, leaving him near the edge of the mountain and open for a follow up attack. Not letting the opportunity pass him, Kuro used his sheath to jab at his chest and sending him off and to the bottom of the ravine. The Chunin took a moment to watch the man fall to his death, feeling no pity for the criminal. The other bandit tried to catch Kuro by surprise and charged him. With a swift movement, Kuro spun on his heel and brought the edge of his hilt towards the back of the bandits head, knocking him unconscious.

A weird fire burned in Kuro’s eyes for a moment as he stared at the unconscious bandit that lay before him. The Chunin had no remorse for this low life filth that dedicated their lives to hurting and stealing from others. Scum like him have taken away so much from Kuro, and just looking at him made the red eyed boy filled with rage. He gripped his katana as hard as he could before he slowly jabbed it into the heart of the young bandit. He watched as the dark blood began to ooze out of the man’s skin. The Chunin pulled out the blade quickly and didn’t even bother to check on the man who went off the cliff. Kuro was almost certain he was dead. He turned to face Mugen to see how he wash holding up and began to run towards his direction.

Meanwhile, Kuro’s clone stood ready at the front of the merchant and his goods with the Genin at his rear. He watched from a distance as the original made his way up the mountain using the rocked that had crashed down. It wasn’t long before snow began to fall from the clouds above; it seemed like Kuro had opened the door to the easy use of his hyoton techniques. The clone took two steps forward before he pulled out his katana from under his cloak.

“Keep you eyes open, there may be more.”

Jutsus used:

Sc Used: Evasiveness B, One Handed Seals C
-2 Kunai
Total Cp used: 16
Cp: 1/50
Clone Cp: 0/50

Age : 29 Posts : 614

Poof! and then a low and sweeping swoosh followed the boy’s, Mugen’s, completion of the summoning jutsu hand seals. As the accompanying white billow of smoke began to clear, from no particular direction, Naraku could see an above average sized ant, which seemed to be equipped with oddly ninja-like weaponry. It seemed to carry a Kumogakure headband, swords, as well as ninja tool kits on either side of its small frame. While it was relatively intriguing, Naraku was aware that there were several shinobi through time who had risen to fame with their speaking summons, as well as summons who utilized ninja arts. Naraku continued to watch on as both the summoner and summon scaled their way up the side of the cliff to their left after distributing ear-piece radios to the remainder of the team; a piece of technology which was quickly inserted into Naraku’s right ear.

For a good deal of second the genin boy listened silently, hearing faint wails of pain from atop the cliff. Something was going on up there but there was no way to tell exactly what, all Naraku could do from his grounded position was wait for some sign from the white haired comrade. If there was enemy interaction above, it would mean an entirely different set of circumstances in the gulley. Sure enough, only moments after Mugen had ascended to the top of the cliff, he relayed information of enemy contact- about twelve hostiles by Mugen’s count.

While Mugen had made his way up to the top, Kuro had done what Naraku asked of him and began to search for traps set ahead of them. Not a second too soon after Mugen had declared enemy engagement, a trap went off over Kuro’s head, causing both sides of the canyon to burst off into large heaps of crustaceous earth. To Naraku’s surprise, Kuro was quick- and not quick like other kids who were genin. The way he had managed to evade the chunks of rock and use them as stepping stones to reach the top of the right cliff was impeccably precise, and Naraku knew the amount of training and precision such a task would require. Despite his amazement, he had to keep his attention on the task at hand, any questions he had about his companion’s training would need to wait for the time being. Shortly after watching the young black haired shinobi jump the entirety of the gap between the cliffs, Naraku watched as a body fell limp onto the road in front of him. Every bone in the man’s body was shattered, his body laid in a continually growing pool of blood which was undoubtedly seeping from multiple exits from the body, in fact, his body seemed almost deflated. While most might be scarred by such a sight, Naraku only winced at the sound of impact; everything else he acknowledged as things he was bound to see as a medic at one point of another, grimacing at the sight of a broken body seemed to be fearfully weak, and knowing he had no room for weakness, he could not concede to showing fear at the sight. Naraku looked back up the cliff to see if another body, Kuro or someone else's, would fall to another perilous end, but only saw snow beginning to fall from above. Knowing that his companion had an affinity for the ice element, Naraku could only assume that the sudden flakes of frozen water could only be the result of a technique utilized by Kuro.

Understanding that there seemed to be a decent amount of unidentified offenders, Naraku, and the clone of Kuro as it would have seemed, prepared themselves for any action which might occur within the gulch. Not surprisingly at this point, three more bogeys flanked inward from either side of the opening to the path. Being that there was no way out, but up- which had already been covered by both Mugen and Kuro, Naraku understood his imminent engagement with enemy forces in order to preserve the merchant. Using his withdrawn bow, Naraku launched three arrows in the direction of the three oncoming targets in rapid succession. Being that his aim was not entirely superb, there was a pretty sizable margin for error when it came to hitting his mark. The only factor that seemed to be in Naraku’s favor was the formation which they had decided to use in order to attack. They were running a point formation; the first target being in the center and in front of the others, the other two spread out by about five feet from either side of the formation leader and positioned slightly behind him.

The first arrow he had fired was aimed for the left most attacker, but missed, and managed to slide the arrowhead right against the center enemy’s right arm, creating a somewhat deep gash in its wake. Not a moment after the first had made its mark, the second arrow found itself lodged in the heart of the center offender. He staggered backward and veered to the left and right as his hands jolted upward to the arrow to attempt to remove it. The look on his face was of confusion; Naraku was sure he was contemplating removal, and his chances of survival if he did so. His final arrow soared upward ever so slightly, most likely misguided from the young Kousen’s bow as he had aimed for the torso, and found itself ripping through the esophagus of the right bogey, the arrow’s shaft visible from his neck only by about an inch on either end; drops of blood fell silently to the dusty earth from the arrowhead, which was protruding from the man’s neck. Upon impact, his body fell backwards, limp, to the ground with an audible thud.

With the left shinobi being the only remaining combatant, Naraku rapidly slung his bow back around his arm and withdrew one of his serrated iron tactical knives into his left hand, leaving his right surging with medical chakra. As he did so, his final opponent, most likely emboldened by a sense of invulnerability, pulled a sturdy steel katana from its sheath upon his back. While Naraku could hear cluttering behind him, most likely from Kuro’s clone and his own group of three bandits, his attention could not be drawn from his current target to make sure things were okay. Watching the way the mercenary brandished his blade as Naraku came within striking range, he pivoted outside and to his right in a rapid rotating motion, only nearly avoiding a downward chop of his opponent’s blade which rang callously as it collided with the earth. Just as he brought his face up, he was met by Naraku’s right hook, which he had bolstered forward, enhanced by his human skinning technique, and into the man’s left cheek. As it swept from right to left, leaving his face, the resulting visible gash sputtered blood into the air; the vibrant red droplets of blood that shimmered under the sun’s vibrant ray fell effortlessly to the ground, only to become browned by the dust on the earth's surface. Using the moment he had gained with his counter-attack, the young genin boy, with his left shoulder facing inward from his spin, launched the blade in his hand ferociously downward and diagonally across the man’s jugular and windpipe, which was left wide open as a result of the boy’s punch. Rest in peace.

While the boy was not quick to show mercy upon his foes, he was a medic, and if saving lives was his mission, then he felt taking one should merit a small deal of respect, no matter how indignantly they had lived. As far as he was concerned, being able to show some small deal of compassion to anyone was commendable given a shinobi’s line of work. Having concluded business with his triage of oncoming hostiles, Naraku whirled around to see what had become of the merchant and Kuro’s clone, grasping at his ear to transmit a message as he did so.

”Is everyone okay?”

Relevant Character Components

Spoiler:

Remaining Chakra: 36 (50-14)
Remaining Equipment: 27/30 Arrows

Age : 33 Posts : 718

Despite being outnumbered two to one, the young boy smirked fearlessly at the two sword wielding men. Even if he was exiled, Mugen was born and raised among the Kousen clan. Fighting with a bladed weapon came as naturally to him as breathing in the air itself. The fact that his opponent's had chosen to wield blades against him allowed Mugen to challenge these thugs with unwavering confidence.

Armed only with those two kunai in hand, Mugen already had the initiative from rushing in towards the bandits. They had only just drawn their swords but Mugen was already charging them head on. A spirited cry escaped Mugen's throat in the form of a yell to put emphasis behind his first strike as he slashed his kunai through the air to attack the bandit on his left. The blow was blocked, but this had been an expected result. The point of Mugen's attack was to shake up his foes and seize control of the battle flow. Enhanced strength swelled behind Mugen's attack sending the first rogue's sword into a recoil as the second tried to attack thinking he had found an opening.

Cold steel sliced through the air only to meet forged metal rather than flesh. Mugen drew two kunai for a reason and his other hand rose to intercept this attack just in time to save himself from being cut. Sparks flew and Mugen twisted his wrist while applying force on the sword to redirect it away from his body simultaneously to a kick directed at the first bandits gut. The kick landed, but it was a sloppy connection as the bandit turned his body preventing it from being a clean hit. Several clashes of similar nature occurred back and forth between Mugen and his foes. The boy constantly bouncing back and forth between offense and defense.

Mugen may have been a prodigy of weaponry thanks to hours of training in the clan compound, but he was still a mere child facing down a pair of older men. While he was able to hold them off well enough, he lacked the skill and power to deliver a decisive blow and thus remained caught in this pattern of dealing minimal damage to his attackers. At the very least, things were going in his favor for now. Mugen could see snow fall begin near by as Kuro joined the fray and intercepted the other bandits in the distance before they could gang up on Mugen. Glad to know his team mate was supporting him, Mugen struggled on in his exchange of spark inciting strikes.

Meanwhile, the small ant summon was faring much better against its prey. Because Ariko was so tiny compared to a human while possessing the speed and strength of a shinobi, the bandits on her side of the crevice were simply unable to keep up. They tried to kick and slash at the ant, but by the time their attacks were in motion, Ariko was already on the other side of them delivering a small but painful cut to their bodies. By the time Kuro arrived atop the other side of the ridge, the first two bandits Ariko engaged had fallen, unable to stand from the many injuries the shinobi ant had inflicted upon them.

The other two bandits on Ariko's side were cautiously approaching the pint-sized threat with weapons at the ready, but they would never make it close enough to pose any danger. Ariko could see far enough to know Mugen was struggling and that enemies were coming closer to her as well. She sheathed her ninjato and removed a legfull of nails from a pouch before throwing them into the air. The ant made a special hand seal unique to the ant species and the nails become covered in chakra as they fell to the ground and began moving through the earth. Once the two bandits after her entered range, the nails shot up from the ground to pierce their feet. These renegades would be far from defeated, but for a while they were nailed in place and wouldn't be walking away any time soon. This freed Ariko up to turn her attention towards her summoner. Drawing her bow and an arrow, Ariko took careful aim and loosed a small projectile into the air.

The assistance from Ariko was exactly what Mugen needed to secure the tide in his favor. Just as one of the bandits was about to attack with a powerful vertical slice, Ariko's arrow lodged itself into his neck. While the bandit made howl of pain and grabbed the arrow, Mugen blocked a slash from his partner and performed a swift stab into his gut. Mugen tore the kunai through intestines and other organs spilling a bloody mess of the bandit's insides onto the ground. Then he jumped and performed a simple round house kick with the back of his heel landing on Ariko's arrow. The strike drove the arrow in deeper and sealed the enemies fate to gurgle blood until death took him.

With four foes down and two immobilized, Mugen waved to Ariko in thanks not knowing he was a blurry blot in the distance to her eyes. Then the boy turned his attention towards Kuro to see if the boy needed help as he responded to Naraku's question over the radio. "I'm fine. Ariko and I took out half of them."

Mugen's CP: 64/70
Ariko's CP: 15/25

Stuff Used:

Age : 93 Posts : 369

Taking Over

Clone

Just like the clone predicted, more bandits had appeared out of thin air coming at them from both sides of the two-way ravine. The Kuro copy looked behind him to see the rookie “captain” taking aim at his incoming opponents. it seemed like he could take care of himself for a while until the clone took care of his batch. Forming a set of hand seals, an ice dome surrounded the unusually relaxed merchant and his goods, keeping them protected from the dangers of the outside world.

“DIE!”

One of the bandits had finally reached the clone, who ducked underneath the criminal’s incoming blade and struck him in his gut with his elbow. The man grasped for air but was left choking on his own blood once the clone had risen up in a quick, swift movement and cut his throat. The false Kuro kicked the clone down to prevent the blood from getting all over him. The other two bandits stood in slight fear, questioning their next move. They both reached for an extra blade that rested on their backs, giving them a small edge over the clone making it a four to one blade battle.

Only holding his katana with one hand, Kuro used his free one to form a few hand signs as the enemies grew closer to his current location. From right under their feet, a layer of thick ice formed from right underneath them causing them to lose their balance. They both slipped and fell on their backs, sliding towards the clone. With a pair of hand seals, spikes about meter high pierced through the body of the bandit on the left hand side. It had pieced through his left thigh, his stomach, and upper chest. Blood spewed through his mouth before the light behind his eyes dimmed forever. The other bandit witnessed the quick series of events and tried to remove himself from the ice rink beneath him after each attempt, he just collapsed again. The clone removed three kunai from his pouch and launched them towards the struggling man. One of the projectiles found its way into the heart of the criminal, killing him instantly as he now laid peacefully on the ice. The clone turned to find Naraku had already finished with his three bandits.

Kuro

Before Kuro could reach Mugen, he had already taken care of his group of bandits. It seemed like they had taken care of the group for now. Kuro approached the edge of the cliff and looked down toward Naraku and company. They had been flanked too but had taken care of themselves quite well. It was a good thing he had made the clone after all.

“Good job everyone. Naraku, you’ve done good, but I’ll lead from here.”

Kuro leaped off into the ravine, free falling for a short time before he formed a single hand seal. A glyph in the shape of a snow crystal broke his fall about half way down. He took a second before jumping off the stepping-stone and landing a few meters away from the group. He reached into his back pocket and tossed a scroll to the possibly confused Naraku. In it contained the mission briefing that was given to Kuro prior to the mission, which would explain everything, as well as the Chunin’s role in the mission. The red-eyed boy placed two of his fingertips towards to base of the mic, and spoke through it to reach his two teammates.

“Mugen, you and your summon stay on top and patrol the upper areas, I’ll continue to scout out ahead. Naraku, you stay close to the merchant and watch our rear.”

The ice dome around the merchant melted away as did the ice rink that had brought an end to two of the bandits but the snow continued to fall just in case if any more bandits came. The clone took position in front of the merchant while Kuro sprinted ahead about forty meters before slowing down to a walking pace. He observed the boulders that were now blocking their path from the bandits that tried to crush him. When he got to it, he’d pull out two explosive notes and blow the boulders up so they would be easily passable

“If you see anything, report it.”

Jutsu Used:

Kuro CP: 5/50
Clone CP:9/50

Age : 29 Posts : 614

The short lived ambush came to an end at the hands of Kumogakure's forces. It brought great pride to the young Kousen child, to be a member of such an elite military force and have the privilege of serving at the hand of the Raikage. For a moment, after he caught and read the scroll that Kuro had tossed to him, Naraku lost his inner gears. It makes no sense for the Raikage to need to keep a recently promoted Chuunin's rank unknown. There's absolutely no tactical advantage. Ugh. Sometimes Lord Raikage, sometimes.... Unfortunately there was nothing Naraku could do in such a situation; he had been given the will of the Raikage, and he was to obediently follow whatever orders were given.

While Kuro gave Mugen proceeding orders, Naraku kept his eyes affixed the ice dome which had encapsulated the client and his property. As it's structure began to crumble, Naraku saw a glimpse of the merchant rummaging through his wares frantically before snapping back into an appeasing demeanor. While the young boy remained weary of their client, there was nothing he could do at this point that wouldn't break the terms and conditions established by the village. If, however, this man were to ever do business with Naraku again, there would surely be some snooping done, and some communicative fact-finding. Even though there was nothing to be done to the client, Naraku would make sure to reveal his observations to both Kuro and the Raikage once he returned to the village.

"Ahhh! I'm glad to see everyone out here is okay. Are they gone? All of them?"He pestered, his voice ringing with a false sense of routinely practiced fear.

While the man's tone was shrill upon Naraku's honed mental fortuity, he could do nothing but reciprocate an honest answer, although the sarcasm wasn't entirely beyond him. "No. I think there's still a couple coming for you....But don't worry, we eliminate any threat to our village appropriately." The moment Naraku's words sank in, Naraku spotted the slightest change in Aso's face. His eyes had narrowed ever so slightly, and his brows furrowed; it was the look of frustration and subliminal anger.

The moment Kuro had blown the boulders that obscured the path, the group pressed on. "We should get moving. Lets keep our attention focused on watching our surroundings from here out. Silence would be preferable." Having just faced a good number of opponents, no matter how unskilled they were, might put anyone on the fritz, especially because it meant either their path had already been calculated, or they were being watched from someone beyond their sight. As they pressed on for the proceeding hour, there were very few words exchanged. Naraku's eyes scanned the once again broad landscape, making sure to watch for unusual movements along the treeline as well as on the ground. When he was not sweeping his gaze from left to right, his eyes were burning a steamy hole into the back of their client's head, somehow attempting to gain a better understanding of the man's motive. If it were to be something that put the village- his home- at risk, Naraku would not hesitate to make an example out of him. Something about such espionage and betrayal manifested a great deal of rage to swell within the boy, it brought out the darker side of him, the side that wouldn't mind making a medical experiment out of such fools.

As they drew close to the village's gates, the man piped up once again, seeking to gratify the group for their valiant efforts within the gulch. "Ah! Wonderful! We've made it just in time. I must thank each and every one of you for your efforts in keeping me safe today. I apologize for the run in earlier, but I can only assume it's because everyone wants Kumogakure's wares, right? They are the best after all."

There was no fooling Naraku at this point, but he needed to keep the man's mind at ease so as to not tip him off. If he was conducting improper business in the village, he would need to be watched, but would be less likely to do so if he thought he was being suspected of anything. "You're very much welcome. We are glad you have enlisted our services...You're right- they are superior.. I can see how that would inspire some to resort to thievery."

Once they broke the gate's threshold and the client began to walk forward into the village, without the three shinobi, Naraku broke out in conversation to alter the group's true leader, Kuro. "There's something going on with him Kuro. It'd be to our benefit to have the guards or some shinobi monitor his time in the village. He was looking around in his cart rather oddly when he was inside your ice dome. I caught a quick glimpse of him as your dome melted." A smirk grew upon his face, because now that he thought about it, his job was done. Since he wasn't the true leader of the mission, he wouldn't have to spend as much time informing the Raikage about the mission. "Well, it's your duty to sway the Raikage on that one, Team leader Kuro."

He began to walk forward, apart from the rest of the group before he turned around and began walking in reverse as he spoke looking back at his teammates. "Seriously though, great work today team. Hopefully I get to work with you guys again. C'ya Kuro, C'ya Mugen." Just like that, an exciting mission drew to a close. As he walked home, his mind wandered off on re-evaluating the mission and everything that happened in only one day's time. He sure hoped that he was able to follow-up with Aso at some point. More than that however, he wished to work alongside both Mugen and Kuro again in his future; something about their teamwork was impeccably cohesive, and without any former training as a solidified unit. It was something for him to be proud of.

[Character Exit]

Age : 33 Posts : 718

With all of the would-be-thieves defeated or dead, the threat to the teams charge had been eliminated. Mugen was busy looking around for more targets when Kuro gave the order for him to remain on the high ground to keep an eye out. Since he was already doing so, Mugen gave affirmative response over the ear piece mic and continued to watch over his team. It seemed like there was some kind of conversation going on down below, but Mugen was too far to overhear what Naraku and the client were speaking about. Paying the merchant little attention, Mugen turned his gaze to the end of the canyon and signaled to Ariko that they should move on ahead a bit to make sure there wasn't yet another ambush waiting for them on the other side. He continued like this for the rest of the trip, scouting ahead of the team and keeping to high ground whenever possible.

Once they were nearing the large bridge that led to Kumogakure's main gate, Mugen decided that he had taken up enough of his summons time and called her over. "Alright Ariko, thanks for your help. You can go home now." The boy said expecting the ant to leave right away. However she lingered and inched closer to him looking at Mugen expectantly. He looked down at the large insect and for a moment he didn't understand why she was sticking around. It was hard to tell any kind of emotion in the face of an ant. They were the most expressive of species after all. However something about the look in Ariko's eyes told Mugen that she wanted to be praised for her good work. Mugen let out a sigh and shook his head before kneeling down and petting the ant on her head. "Well done today. Now go get some rest. I'll be calling on you again soon." The ant made a happy squeal and then vanished in a puff of smoke seemingly satisfied with Mugen's appreciative words.

"Alright...time to wrap things up." Mugen said to himself before going to rejoin the group. Naraku seemed somewhat on edge and Mugen thought that it might have been due to Kuro's revalation that he had secretly been the team leader all along. Mugen didn't care either way, but felt that he could understand the frustration of having been deceived into thinking you were in charge. It was likely unpleasant when the paper detailing the true nature of Kuro's rank got waved around in Naraku's face just before Kuro took charge. But there was nothing anyone could do about it now. Besides, the mission was almost over. The just had to cross the bridge. Mugen led the group in past the village gates and hung around long enough to hear Naraku's suspicions regarding the merchant, but he had little interest in it. Mugen figured that his cousin was probably just being paranoid. After eavesdropping on that short conversation, Mugen took his leave silently, not wanting to get dragged in to a discussion with another member of the Kousen clan lest the nature of his own shame came to light.

-Exit-