Forest of Death? How Fitting...

Age : 33 Posts : 308

After a bit of site seeing, in the otherwise lax unit that turned out to be the Fire Nation, he had finally set foot in a place known as the "Forest of Death" it was a place that was known for a place of training and also for its otherwise obvious nature of being an indirect entrance into Konohagakure... It was thought that the natural enemies and terrain would be enough to prevent anyone from attempting a large scale invasion from this area, however for himself, he wasn't an invasion, wasn't considered a threat, and any and all obstacles would be far bellow his level. Not only that, but he was surrounded by the medium that made up his own personal weapon... the vast amount of wood that made up the forest, when burned, became ash, and thus the entire forest was his weapon to be used. Konoha hadn't a chance when it came to fighting himself. In any case, he wasn't necessarily here to start a fight, only to set the conditions necessary to light the fire when the time came. Konoha had its advantages, but the one major disadvantage that no one had really taken into account. It was after all, in a center location of all of the great nations, and thus, had the most outward surface area to protect. It had never, as a nation, faced a war from multiple sides, and didn't, in his opinion, have the man power necessary to protect themselves completely in the case of a full frontal attack from two different sides. If Konoha ended up in a war from one end, Kirigakure would strike from the other... or so his ideal. But what were to happen if there was some sort of interal disturbance? If some level of enemy was already inside when this external factor presented itself? Chaos, first of all. There would be a quick and immediate struggle to fix the interal problem, and the invasion would come through before they could refortify any of their own defensive fronts. This was his idea, and what better such stimulus then himself? Not completely, but he would at the very least set it up. He wasn't trying to DIE for a cause after all, just make things a bit more difficult when the time came. He had yet formed any reasonable alliances, but that wasn't priority. He would be responsible for the burning down of Konoha, and then furthermore, the destruction of both the Uchiha and Senju clans...

He would start by placing and hiding explosive tags without the entire forest; strategically so that the explosions would be enough to light the place a flame the quickest; fire burns from the bottom up, and burns best where the wind is thick. There were a few wind tunnels, where the thick trees forces breezes to move about them, creating natural whirlwinds. The whirlwinds themselves were weak, but would sweep up and carry a flame like a mother carrying it's child. This forest would give birth to the most powerful flame in creations; a fire that would give the nation right to the name "Fire Nation" and afterward, he would claim the hidden village of his own as the "Hidden Ash" village. What a lovely dream to have. Then maybe there would be some peace to have for him. Then maybe he could bury the past in his ashes. And there was no one that would stop him... Ha...

Posts : 730

It had been a long voyage, but Saya had done well. In spite of her rank and tender age, she’d traveled beyond the water surrounding her lands, and into the deep forest of the Land of Fire. Appropriate name, really, considering the events soon to unfold in it’s depths. Saya was armed to the teeth, as she always is, but had cast her most cherished and loved weapon aside. The spear was simply to large, to bulky to be brought along on a mission based on stealth. In spite of that fact, Saya had brought her cloak.

Without her spear in hand, the think metal plates of her cloak would easily close around her, concealing the shape of her body, and the small armory she carried with her at all times. She has three swords, four axes, throwing knives, shuriken, chains and snares. All manner of defensive and offensive weaponry was at her disposal, and over her 14 years of life she’d come close to mastering them all. Saya went into battle more prepared than most people could imagine, the great weight of all her equipment almost rivaling the slight weight of the girl herself. Even with such a heavy load, however, Saya still moves with grace and ease. She leaps through the tree tops in silence, only the occasional clatter of metal plates scraping across metal plates would betray her location from time to time.

She had little doubt the Jounin she’d been following the past 2 days would be able to spot her. If he couldn’t then she has no need to even be here. She expected him to be a true elite from Kiri, and just watching him in action might gleam a few hidden strategies known by those who are masters of silent death, and the quick kill. Behind her cloak and mask, nothing is revealed of Saya. Her face is unknown; her gender unknown, even the weapons she was carrying remained unknown. The metal face plate that was her mask was fashioned into the visage of some demon, snarling and angry; waiting to claim more lives for the glory of her home village. Only the cone shaped, steel helmet over her head offered up clues to her obvious allegance. Like any Kiri ninja’s headband, the four waves symbol of Kirigakure was embossed on the front of her helmet in a matte black design that could be easily seen against the shining silvery metal.

Age : 33 Posts : 308

Before he had gotten to his destination there was a single kink that needed working out. He was almost certain that the Kirigakure government had no need to have anyone tail him and that there was no one at the Valley of Death besides himself at the time. So who was it now that gingerly followed behind him? In his movements he came to the ground, stopping for a moment as he brought his hand to the ground, kneeling over as he stood on a knee. A simple summoning technique, to poof out a pair of his puppets that were immediately attached to chakra strings and placed underground. Not too suspicious of an action and there were no delays or hesitations that would otherwise give anyone tracking him away to what he had done.

He then continued on his path, his left hand only in control of the two small puppets that trailed behind him, if he was being followed, then his puppets would be following the one following him. It took a second more concentration on his part, but no more of a strain then anything else he would have to do in this case. When the time was right, a decent 30seconds further, He turned his hand, the hand shaped puppets made to come about as he used the body flickered backwards, the hands to grab the individual in place while he himself would appear a decent 10meters in front of them. If he was successful; as these things would be simultaneous, he would have captured the individual by making them think that they were under their idea of cover, and then simply question them from that point. It wouldn't be difficult to end them at that point if need be, as he didn't need any lose ends to his plan and witnesses would be a real problem...

Posts : 730

Saya keeps her distance as she follows, always keeping the jounin in sight, but doing her best to remain hidden. No doubt the officer of Kiri’s military arm wouldn’t be too pleased she’d followed along without permission. Of course, sometimes knowledge has a great cost attached to it. She pauses, high in a tree atop a wide moss covered branch. She peers down curiously as Matoko pauses and reaches for the ground. This was certainly a curious turn of events.

As the jounin continues on, Saya remains still for a moment. After some ten seconds she leaps quietly through the air, and falls towards the ground. She twists her body in a slow turn, flipping forward once and landing in the spot he’d touched the ground previously. Curious as ever Saya levels her eyes on Matoko, and then lowers them towards the ground. A soft hand reaches out from the confines of her cloak to trace gently along the dirt and grass below her. What the hell did he just do, the ground looked like it hadn’t been disturbed.

After a moment she looks up once more, watching the jounin continue walking away. Now more confused than curious, she takes a few steps to follow. Of course, the sudden flurry of action easily catches her off guard. As the jounin vanishes, Saya was quickly prepared to make for the trees once more. She forces chakra down into her legs to power a strong jump, and the muscles in her legs ripple with power. A split second before she was able to leap, however, the hands both flew for her, catching her by surprise. Each one grips her arms, holding tightly to her biceps and securing her in place. She was squeezed within her cloak, and in spite of her struggles seemed to be held quite tightly.

She was caught, and she knew it. The jounin appeared behind her, and she swallowed softly. She speaks no words, hoping the large Kiri symbol on her helm would buy her at least a little bit of an explanation. Saya wasn’t extremely well known in Kiri, yet. Instead of socializing like the other genin, Saya tended to keep herself busy with training. Only those who’d seen her during such actions might recognize the girl.. but the cloak concealed all.

Age : 33 Posts : 308

It was a younger looking female, though he had learned not to take the idea of age for granted. Her clothing and yes, the crest of Kirigakure suggested that she was from his very same country, but did this mean that she had been tailing him all this time without him noticing? He almost released a sigh at the idea but quickly came to the next thought... why? Why was she following him, and trying to be stealthy about it at the same time? If they were ally then she would need no reason to hide herself, but seeing as though he had quite a few brushes with the government of Kirigakure as far as his research into technological and advanced weaponry/puppetry, it would make sense that they would have someone keep tabs on him at any and all time; especially if he was taking a long winded stroll out of the Nation.

He took a second or too to take in her physical appearance as he walked about to face her; keeping his distance as a precaution, though confident that what he had nabbed was in fact an original and authentic person and not simply a clone of sorts. After burning her image in his mind for future reference he raised his left hand, forming the 'release' sign. It was obvious so that she could see it, though he didn't activate it with chakra. He then spoke softly. "With this alone I am in a position to end your life; you had best speak truthfully, quickly and quietly in your response to my question. Who are you and why were you following me? I am only giving you the benefit of the doubt because of your emblem there." He said, referring to Kirigakure's crest.

His eyes flickered as he also took in his surroundings. The trees were still modest in size; nothing like the massive vegetation that made up the "Forest of Death" that was apparently made by the first Hokage himself. He made a habit of taking note of possible exits to situations, dodging points, corners, anything that he could take advantage of should he be ambushed. The Forest was a source for his favorite form of weaponry but it would be silly to an explosion at this point. Anyone within the area would easily notice and thus give away his position or at least bring a few curious shinobi his way. Shinobi were always so paranoid, though he was not necessarily any exception to that. This was a fact that might have spared her life as well, because if he wasn't being so cautious of his own actions, his first move would have been an aggressive reaction; when in down, burn it down. Not often fire waits for a reason to burn, but even something as destructive as a flame has some order to it.

Posts : 730

When she speaks, Saya’s voice lacks emotion. Indeed, she speaks with a cold callousness, and even tone, typically found in people far beyond her tender age. She addresses the jounin directly, holding no weakness in her voice, yet no edge of authority. She speaks with plain strength, albeit a little quietly. “I am Saru Saya, genin of Kirigakure. You are an elite from m village, it should seem obvious enough why I was following you. You are an experienced and skillful warrior, and I seek inspiration and experience. I could tell when you left that you were not simply stepping outside of the city to wander the forest, so I followed you. You have already lead me far from home, and for that I thank you. I will not ask you your intention in these woods, as I already have my hopes. In a fight is to be had, I am very pleased with my choice to follow you. To see a jounin in action, is why I have come.”

Saya speaks plainly, and when she’s finished her explanation she falls silent once more. Behind her mask her face is still concealed, however the opening in her cloak exposes enough of her body to make it clear she is a girl. She’s still developing the curves of a woman, but speaks with an emotionless voice closer to that of a soldier. Indeed, she does seem something strange for a shinobi, wrapped in metal as she was. She was armored and armed, carrying more weapons than four ninjas could hold at the same time. She’d come here looking for a fight.. but with who?

After a moment of silence, Saya speaks up once more, adding a small bit more to her previous words. “I would have asked your permission to follow, but I do not think you would have allowed. But now that we are so far from home.. it is my hope that you will allow me to assist you in your task, whatever it may be.” She adds, as quietly as before. They were in foreign lands, and talking too loudly just wouldn’t do. She continues to gaze at the older ninja, not studying her surroundings as his eyes are likely much more able to spot a threat than her own less experienced eyes.

Age : 33 Posts : 308

He looked on as she spoke. It seemed a bit harsh of a situation; to for sake of knowledge just jump out into the world like that. Either this individual was a poor liar, or they had an interesting spin on how they saw the world. For someone that appeared young in complexion she was most likely naive and innocent, and for her to travel behind him searching knowledge... well perhaps she was on a search for her own Identity. A critical period in the life of an individual, and it had stumbled upon him to be the influence. Of course, her life could easily be ended and the situations taken care of without consideration. Trust was a valuable commodity he couldn't simply distribute to every little girl that follows their way out of their nation. Basically a form of running away, but in any case, this little question-answer section wasn't necessarily over. He looked to her over once again. If he DID let her live, telling her to simply run off would be risky. After all they were both not only out of their element, but also there in somewhat illegal ways. If she was spotted or worse, captured, it would lead Konoha one step closer to himself and thus cutting down the time in which he could accomplish his goals in good time.

Then again, the idea of babysitting wasn't exactly appealing either, and there was no reason for him to not take her as the enemy, or a spy, or even a kirigakure official in disguise. If that was the case then he would most likely want to keep her close to prevent any loss of information but even then, her being with him would mean that she would have eye witness to his actions. What a troublesome situation that was just so much easier to solve with death...

...death... good idea!

"I have no reason to not believe you, though no reason to believe you. I suppose you can tag along, however the security that comes with an individuals life being on the line is one that I can take solace in..." He said, his fingers twitching as the hands crawled like an insect from her arms to about her neck, Lacing about her as if to strangle her; the fingers about the back and the thumbs meeting at front. "You can come with me, however you must keep up, should you fail me in anyway I will not hesitate to activate the bombs located in the 'necklace' you now wear and you will be dead. I will be able to keep track of you with my chakra strings to no fancy stuff, got it?"

At this point there was literally little she could do about her situation. He knew not that she was a genin, her name, or even her full appearance. He knew very little about her which probably contributed to his overall harsh treatment; though mild for his temperament. He however, wasn't at all interested in her to be honest. His main interest was his goal and if he had a little stole away on his ship, well he would make sure that they were taken care of as soon as possible in the most appropriate way. "And don't get your hopes up about helping."

Posts : 730

If only he could see the growing grin resting behind the demonic visage of her mask. It’s twisted and snarling mouth looked nothing like her own amused little smirk at this moment. Her voice comes out clean of any laughter, still cold, steady, and emotionless. “If that is what will make you feel safe, then I had no complaints to your particular type of insurance.” She says smoothly, with no hint of insult. Of course, an insult is easy to detect; as if a Jounin should have to do anything to feel safe from a genin. Oddly, there’s not a lick of fear in her voice. As his hands seek out her throat, Saya doesn’t even bat an eyelash.

Her head does tip a little curiously to the side at the strange actions, but she ends up only giving a slight shrug to the whole matter. What was a threat of death, to the glory seeking soldiers of the Ashigaru clan? “If I thought you had –needed- my help, I would not have followed you on my own. I came to observe. I came to watch, and see what sort of fighting style you use. I have yet to find any at home who are satisfactory enough in their use of weapons to impress me. It would seem there are far to many mice. To many are skittish, and startle easily. To many lack the will of a lion, and they squeak.. when they should roar. Perhaps, however, we should end this short conversation, and return to focusing on the task at hand. This is not Kiri, after all. I am happy to watch, unless I am needed. You will find I am a steady warrior, and a valuable asset on the battlefield.”

Saya falls quiet. She’d said her peace, and that was enough. She remains motionless, not even trying to back away from the jounin that was gripping her throat. She’d wait until she was excused like a proper soldier, and wait in the mean time. Of course, just standing here talking could easily get them found out. Her ears still listen for the telltale sounds of people traveling in the tree tops, but her eyes remain steadfastly focused on the shinobi in front of her.

Age : 33 Posts : 308

"Fine then. Watch."

He said as he turned and stepped off in the direction he was originally traveling. In truth he was already brainstorming a sort of test. There were many ways of making sure that those under him were indeed what he wanted; many of which involved either the threatening or taking of life; a blood bond was one that wasn't easily stripped from ones mind and for someone so young it would imprint quite well. He would make a clone and transform it into a konoha guard. After "capturing" it, he would have her be the one to "kill" his clone. He would monitor her reaction, especially her level of hesitation in her action as a measure of how well she listen to orders. It was an experiment he had repeated on many occasion and tended to have good results, however in this situation, in a combination of her words, his own laziness and his justifiable reason to conserve chakra, he decided against the facade. After all he did have his hands about her neck; it wouldn't be hard to keep tabs on her with the leash he had placed about her life.

He moved no more quickly then he had before, only now he had the twitch of the puppet along the string to pay attention to; monitoring the movement of the femme. What made the neck such a sublime area of the body was that all information of the human structure had to at some pint pass through the neck. While you can't read someone mind, you could easily read the body and with his puppet hands mimicking real hands almost perfectly, with the exception of texture, he would be able to keep tabs on her from just about... anywhere, and if something was wrong, well she had her chance; he wouldn't hesitate to blow her up.

"Well my weapons aren't necessarily those easily wielded, I'd argue that everything you see around you is a manner of MY weapon. You will soon see that there is hardly a wield that can fight an entire forest. Hehe... I guess you might get a chance to see." And with that he continued on; the two crossing over from the normal forest to that of the forest of death. Trees the size to modern sky scrapers, the ground; robbed of sunlight, was a swampy yet dry waste land. It wasn't necessarily an inviting place, and not for the clumsy footed. If she fell behind, she would die. As for himself, this is where it got serious...~

(Continued in the Forest of Death)