the Temple Destroyed: Mission Topic (Closed)

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This was the second time in as many months that the Shinyounin temple had come under the assault of unknown ninja. While reports were sparse, contact had been made previously. As Saya rushed outwards towards the forest of fog she quickly recalled the previous events that had unfolded at the temple. While she had been resigned to just managing the clean up operation before, she would certainly take a different role in the matter this time.

The temple was deep within the forest, but by sticking to the skyline of treetops, Saya was able to make great time. It was only a few hours of running before the clearing the encompassed the temple was visible through the haze. Unsurprisingly the clearing had grown in size. Several more trees had fallen, and some of them were older, and large. As Saya finally set down on the ground she was better able to fully assess the true damage dealt to the temple.

Large blast marks charred the ground, evidence of some obvious force used in the recent days past. Five or six explosions had rocked the the temple, and the building itself was in shambles. Behind her mask Saya winces a little, as this was not going to be a simple after noon of clean up. Amongst the rubble strewn about the clearing, amongst the fractured walls of the temple and the fallen trees of the forest there was also a good number of monks.

Among the monks, several were injured. Most were frightened, but all were still alive. “Who is in charge here?” Saya asks in a loud and even voice. She didn’t sound angry or distressed, she simply sounded stern. This was a tone people tended to respond too. The demonic mask, scale cloak, and plentiful weapons usually got her the answer she needed. A familiar man with a balding head and round nose was the one to answer. He raises his hand but before he can speak Saya points at him and continues. “Good.”

“I am going to need you to take some initiative here. Kiri is in short supply of warriors to be protecting every temple in Kirigakure’s borders, and you must soon learn to better defend yourself against the predations of outside forces. Of course Kiri is here to protect you, but you must also learn to be self sufficient. As such, I intend on assigning you a mission for this task, and one I expect to be completed fully. There is much to be done. Do you think you are up for the task?” she asks in the same voice. Behind her mask the monk can not see the girl’s face, and he swallows nervously.

“Uhm.. .. yeah, I think I can.” Is about all he can manage before Saya cuts him off again.

“Good, then listen very close. All of you.” She begins, pausing for a moment, just to add drama to her speech. “This is not an isolated incident, and this temple has been targeted more than once. What knowledge the opposing shinobi seek is still unknown, so we must take preventative measures. Because the temple has been damaged enough to be indefensible, we are going to have to pack up, and move everything we can away from this place.”

“I will leave the details of the relocation to your new foreman.” She says, and motions towards the head monk that had spoken up previously. “We can think of this area as a battle zone, and as such each of you needs to be prepared to defend yourself against attackers. Use your axes and shovels, and swing for the vitals. If anything does happen, I will leave protection with all of you. I am going to investigate the people who are responsible for this attack.”

The head monk nods, and look to the others. He begins to motion the others around, issuing orders to his subordinates to get things moving. The temple held a great many treasures, and all of them needed to be protecting. Sacred relics, objects with powerful seals on them, and scrolls of unknown wisdom all rested in the temple’s vaults, and any of them could have been a possible target. Saya takes a few steps back from the group as the foreman begins to assemble teams of the left over monks.

She reaches beneath her cloak and draws one of her kunai. She pushes her glove up some and cuts a small knick across her forarm, just enough to draw a little blood. She smudges it across the tips of her gloved finger tips and works through a quick series of commonly known hand signs. For Saya, surprisingly, the summoning jutsu was as easy as walking on water. She places her hand against the ground and forces chakra into the blood offering. When the resulting cloud of smoke settled, the surrounding monks were in for a horrifying surprise.

Two little bird like things stood in front of Saya when her summons was finished. The dinosaurs of the Deathwind tribe did resemble birds to a certain extent. They had feathered arms that looked something like wings, and crests of feathers on their heads like a bird, but the similiarities did not carry far enough. Like some spawn of hades, the monsters had scaley skin on their legs and hands and face. They had no beak, but narrow, long snouts filled with razor sharp teeth. Looking upon them they were unmistakably not birds. They were clearly dinosaurs, and they looked hungry.

If they had been any taller than three feet, the monks may have just fled the spot, but the relative size of the dinosaurs gave them a slightly less horrifying appearance. Each only stood about waist high to Saya, and she was ordering them around well enough. The reddish dinosaur was the one she commonly spoke to, and addressed him as Kouga. “You will remain here with these monks. They will be working, and it will be up to you to collect evidence of what has happened. I need a good nose to lead me, so Shikaze is coming with me. I will trust you with the lives of these people only because you are the greatest of your kind, and the wisest. Only your experience could keep these people safe from enemies, if they attack while I am gone.”

The buttering up was not just for the dinosaur’s sake. Speaking of the dinosaur’s power aloud also eased some of the troubles on the monks’ minds. Of course, the compliments also did well to ruffle the feathers of the elder raptor, and made him more willing to acquiesce. She turns her attention to the other dinosaur now, the younger looking one that still hadn’t grown out of his down feathers. “You, Shikaze, will have to find me the trail. I know you are capable, so find it, and show me where it goes. We don’t have a moment to spare.”

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Saya and Shikaze remained with the monks for only a moment longer. Once Kouga took his roost on top of the ruined tower and began is watch over the busy monks, Saya simply left. Rebuilding the temple was an important job, but simply one that had to wait. Though Kouga had managed to find the camp of the villans last time, Saya was forced to rely on the more inexperienced Shikaze this time. Like all dinosaurs, the fledgling demonbird had hatched from his egg with a full set of razor sharp claws, and fangs, he simply lacked experience in putting them to use. Though he was young, the demon birds of the Shikaze tribe are deadly and swift at almost any age.

Neither Saya nor the dinosaur has any trouble maneuvering through the trees, the young black raptor leading Saya almost as fast as she can keep up. The beasts were simply made for climbing and jumping, and moving through trees was like second nature to them. “Thiss way.” hisses the black feathered dinosaur, his voice just a little squeaky. “I can smell food in the distance.”

Saya only smirks behind her mask. She had only barely won the respect of Shikaze’s grandfather, the tribal leader. Food for the tribe was just about anything that couldn’t outrun them. Saya didn’t outrun them, but they quickly learned that Saya was no ordinary sort of prey. Though the velociraptors had been the first to try her mettle, it was the larger utahraptors that had been the most difficult to overcome. Had it not been for Shikaze’s older brother, Kusamaru, Saya would never have managed against them. “Remember, Shikaze, when we find them, we can not attack right away. The first rule of hunting is to time your attack just right. We will take a moment to figure out their weaknesses. We must know which order we wish to kill them in, so that we will use the least amount of efforts for our trouble.”

“You have to always remember that you are not only hunting for yourself. The entire tribe depends on you being able to find prey, and kill it quickly. If you end up injured while attacking your prey, your whole tribe will only end up suffering for it.” Saya says as she follows behind Shikaze. She was speaking loudly, honestly unafraid of any prying ears that might have been listening. Approaching Saya would only put a quick end to this whole situation, and she’d like that. Besides, this verbal lesson was needed. Saya had been entrusted with teaching the young dinosaur something about warfare, and to help make him tough. Shikaze was, as of yet, untested in battle. “Depending on the number, we kill the weaker ones first. If there’s too many, we kill the leader. Knowing who to attack when, and why, is key to winning.”

Lessons she could teach him with words were few, but keeping a leash on the creature was best, for now. She didn’t need him getting her into trouble. They were both following along one of the few rivers that wound through the swampy forest, the same her prey had used for their escape. Unless they could fly, Saya would catch up with them eventually. As she travels she thinks back to Kouga and the temple she left him at. Hopefully they were well under way getting the valuables in the temple packed up. There was a great deal of work to be done there, but none of it required Saya’s attention. Her main focus was now fully on finding those responsible for the assault, and assuring they see justice.

Finding their camp would take Saya some time. Even with the keen nose of Shikaze leading the way, they were pursuing ninjas who had both a head start, and a clear path to run along. Using the rivers as a highway through the forest was a smart move on their part, but a dangerous one as well. Some of the Forest of Fog’s apex predators, including it’s alligator and giant snake population, lived in and around the slow flowing water supply. It was due to the giant alligators that even Saya herself had stuck to the shrub covered bank alongside the river. Getting in or on the water was just an unwise move this time of year.

After about two hours of sprinting through the woods, the small feathered dinosaur finally stops. They’d just cleared a short waterfall, which spilled into a small, but splendid looking lake. The sound of frogs was heavy in the air, along the sound of the rushing waterfall behind them. It’d been only a drop of eight feet or so, so the landmark had hardly even been noticed. After a few moments of watching Shikaze sniff around, Saya finally speaks up. “What is it? Have you lost their trail?”

“No.. no, not that. It just ends here.” replies the dinosaur in a squeaky and hissing voice. “It’s just ends. It does not go into the water, or into a tree.. it just stops.” says the dinosaur, clearly confused. While it was used to tracking more animal like prey, ninja’s had far more clever of tricks than that. Before the dinosaur can continue, the sound of metal cutting through air catches Saya’s ears even over the bugs, frogs, and water fall.

Saya lifts her right hand quickly, moving only just fast enough to deflect the speeding Kunai with the metal plate on the back of her gloves. The paper tag tied loosely to the handle of the knife, though, was something she simply couldn’t do anything about. Just as she blocks the knife, the note explodes. The shockwave and impact of the blast tear past Saya in all directions, and engulf her in a cloud of fire and smoke. Shikaze leaps back, shrieking and snarling as a panicked dinosaur will. Everything in the blast zone is torn asunder, leaving little more than a smoking crater on the ground.

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Back at the temple, the monks were working hard. Under Kouga’s protective gaze they had amost finished packing all of the precious scrolls away into boxes. The move was no simple feat, and great care was taken with each piece of sacred knowledge. Amongst the uncounted and unrecorded scrolls of the Shinyounin was a hundred forbidden jutsu, the names of spirits and demons, and details on clans through out the world. Untold lore in unknown languages sat waiting to be deciphered, and learned.

Though the monks were not quite the warrior type, they had hidden a great deal of their lore. Deep in a dark and wet cavern under the temple was a hidden vault, in which the target of all these attacks rested. Their target could have been one of many things, from weapons and armor, to jutsu, or even worse things still. Everything contined in the secret vault was simply too powerful to be left in the normal world. Everything in there was just considered Forbidden.

Though the monks had already loaded the large cart present beyond capacity, they were still trying to pile on more. At last the dinosaur intervened, and hopped down from his roost on the half collapsed roof of the temple. The beast soared through the air, and then landed quite lightly on the frame of the cart the monks were close to overfilling. “Ssstop, you foolss, sstop! Thiss iss enough.” hisses the creature, its voice low and dangerous. Most of the monks simply back away from the creature and remain silent. Before any of the monks can continue, Kouga continues.

“Thiss is enough for one trip. Send the horses into town now, and prepare more for the next shipment. If you over load the cart you’re just going to end up destroying the artifacts we’re trying to save. If any of these scrolls are hurt during this relocation I will be sure you are all held accountable. Now tie this load down, put the larger chests there on top, and send it on it’s way.” Kouga was clearly not to be trifled with. His beady red eyes stare balefully at the head monk, like they’re just waiting for a reason to eat the man. After a good stern look, Kouga turns and hops away.

There was still a great deal of work to get done at the temple, and it wasn’t moving quickly. Limited supplies and limited time pressured the monks to work faster, and Kouga wasn’t the sort of boss to just let slackers sit by the waysides. He’d been driving the monks to work for the past few hours like an unreleting cattle driver, cracking a metaphorical whip with each baleful gaze of his predatory eyes. Even as he walks away now the dinosaur is muttering under his breath. “Good for nothing monks and their loads of scrolls. Hording things and being weak. A trio from the fire shrine could move this temple in an hour.”

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After the large explosion had ended, an eerie silence had overtaken the scene around the waterfall. The sound of rushing water still pervaded the area, however the birds, bugs, and frogs of the surrounding forest had gone deadly silent. Inside the slowly clearing cloud of smoke, and figure could eventually be seen, and it was still standing. “Shikaze!” Saya’s voice calls from inside of the cloud. “Return to base. Inform Kouga what has happened, he will know what to do.” She says as she waves some of the fading smoke away from her face.

When the smoke full fade, Saya’s glistening silver scale armor remains unscratched. Beneath her cloak her body was still safe, and unharmed. Much to her opponent’s surprise, Saya was much tougher than the other shinobi they were used to dealing with. Behind her mask Saya watched the waterfall. The shine of the sun made it impossible to see through the surface of either the small lake, or the moving wall of water that was flowing into it. The surface of the water just shimmered and danced with sparkling light. A shame she didn’t have Demo’s Byakugan.

Her opponents had still yet to be seen, but she knew where they were. When she blocked the flying kunai she could read its trajectory, and it was trailing at her straight from the flowing wall of water that’d been behind her. Either there was a cave behind the waterfall, or her enemies were water users. Her dinosaur partner, still shaken from the sudden explosion, uncharacteristically obeys the orders Saya gives him, and scurries off into the under brush. After only a few seconds the dinosaur has escaped the area, and Saya is left alone

“Show yourself.. bloody cowards.” She says, assuming there is more than one. Behind her mask she scans the area with her eyes. Her cloak still remains as a protective skin, so she was prepared for another attack. Saya moves slowly though, reaching behind herself with her right hand. She opens her ninja pouch and pulls out of her own kunai. Tied to the handle was a piece of paper with an explosive seal on it.

Though she was wearing heavy weights, and heavy armor, Saya attacks have little slowing them down. In a single fluid motion she flips her cloak open and throws the knife. It flies straight and true towards the waterfall, and her cloak falls back into place to protect her. The knife breaks through the showering waterfall, and unsurprisingly doesn’t bounce off a stone wall beneath it. When the explosive tag ignites, the resulting explosion all but destroys the small cavern that had been hidden behind it.

The explosion rocked the small cave, cracking the stone walls and collapsing the ceiling in upon the inside. The cave in lets the river rush into it, and the whole thing is left as little more than a crumbled pile of smoking rocks and debris. Even that is covered a moment later, when the waterfall forever claims a new course in its travel.

With nothing left of the cave, Saya simply stands there and observes. After a few moments the place returns to normal, and the birds and bugs begin their noisy songs once more. Saya watches the water, and listens. Behind the sound she picks up on no splashes or footsteps. She hears no broken twigs or voices, or breathing. She hears nothing but the nature around her. She scans the surface of the lake, and sees nothing disturbing it. Though the thick jungle called the Forest of Fog had fifty places to hide in any one given location, Saya could spot no one trying to keep themselves hidden.

Because she can spot no one, Saya continues to wait. She remains standing where she was when the Kunai was thrown, and simply waits. After a moment she takes a deep breath, and holds it. Saya was renowned for her endurance, and she’d be waiting for quite some time. A single breath of air could last Saya almost 5 minutes if she was forced to push herself, but she didn’t plan on going so far this time. After 3 or 4 minutes, Saya sighs and shrugs a little.

With her enemy gone, she had little reason to remain. She could only assume she had scared them off, because not even a genin would be taken out with only a single attack. Saya turns for the forest, and moves to depart. Within just a few hops she’s up among the tree tops, and on her way back to the temple. She had no doubt that Shikaze would still get there before she did. A panicked velociraptor was one of the fastest things Saya had ever seen. By the time Saya returned, there should be little left to do.

The sun was setting already and night would be on them. Unlike her, the monks would insist on sleep. The next day she would have to work the monks twice as hard to move the more precious of the loot into the carts, and she herself would serve as the guard, transporting it to a nearby, larger temple. There the relics, scrolls, and other treasures would be safe for the time being.

Saya’s mission report would claim that the temple was openly attacked for the second time, in a war like fashion. She would state that enemies were conspiring against Kirigakure, and that something in the Shinyounin Temple was a target of enemy attentions. She’d recommend that a team of scribes sort through the temple’s contents and identify the possible targets of the assault. She states that further investigation is required to identify the shinobi responsible, but that the ninjas who did this are willing to kill, are dangerous, and should be spared no mercy in battle. She warns that another attack is certain, and even adds a personal note requesting that she be permitted to lead the counter offensive to be waged against the offending shinobi.