Starring:
Rockpath (emitter), Hige, Hiei, Shinji, Kenta, Zori
Date: August 9, 2015
Summary:
Hige and a team finally go after Masa, a swordsman who abandoned his village and hurt many of his former allies.
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"A Mighty Sword - Disgrace to the Fallen"
Land of Fire
Masa… A swordsman of the leaf. A man who had worked his way to Chuunin by his skills with a sword alone. He had even challenged Hiei, Kage within the Land of Lightning, though he had lost that battle. He had reasons for betraying Konoha, of course… But they weren't really known among the village.
Masa was, Hige had found, the one who had cut down Uchiha Kyuketsuki. And now the Inuzuka had gathered a team to hunt down this enemy… The where and when was up to Hige in terms of when the team would gather, but one thing was certain: it was very rainy on the day that Hige decided to move out.
Hige had spent many a day searching out where Masa was hiding and, while it had been heard to not go straight for the man at the time, Hige was not (entirely) foolish. The chances of Masa having help would be high. So instead he'd gathered those who would be able to help to come along with him, going so far as to enlist the aide of the visiting Raikage. Once the messages had been sent, Hige and Konsho had went to wait at the gates, leaving little time for the others to properly prepare but at the same time not wanting to miss this chance. The two don't seem to mind the fact that they're soaked through with the rain, Hige not even having brought a cloak along to keep him partially dry. It's surprising the anger boiling in his blood isn't keeping him dry without the cloak…
Kenta is a cloud of grimness when he arrives. He bows to those that are already gathered. Kyu is his team mate, student and friend. There's no way that the medic-nin would have allowed Hige to go off chasing the one who put Kyu into a coma without him. It's one of those rare times when he would have considered going against the orders of a superior. Luckily, there's no need for him to do that, since he was allowed to participate in the manhunt.
Part of why Kenta's allowed to join might have to do with who else is involved in the mission. When there's a member of the party around that might turn psychotic at the sign of blood, it's always handle to have that person's medic on hand. Kenta's belt pouches carry some extra pills and ampoules of the anti-psychosis medication that he's developed just for this particular situation.
Uchiha Shinji had been very reluctant to come along on this mission. If the opponents were so strong as to demand the mighty team he'd heard the Leaf was sending, of what use could he possibly be? However, the decision was eventually made for him. An Uchiha had been cut down, and it was only right that an Uchiha be sent to see justice done. Likely, he was picked simply because no one else was available to go; just for propriety's sake, for show, or maybe because a half-blood was more expendable in the end. It leaves him in a bitter mood. Shinji arrives in his typical Uchiha garb, and though he certainly has Inuzuka traits for the unfamiliar, he looks more the part of his other bloodline today. "It's foolishness that the clan sends me for this," Shinji mutters on approach to Hige, "if the enemy is so great that it demands someone such as yourself /and/ a Kage to confront. I've no place among such a force. Kurome-sama seems the wiser choice."
Maybe the half-blood was just expendable enough to be sent for show without worry. On occasion, the thought couldn't help but visit Shinji's mind. He crosses his arms loosely against his chest, waiting patiently for further direction.
Never being one to let down an ally in need, Hiei arrives atop his massive warhorse Snake Eyes. The Raikage had a white cloak draped over him, the hood up to keep the rain off. He inclines his head to those gathered, knowing them already from previous battles alongside them. Hige was more than just a friend to Hiei. He was a brother from another mother. The Inuzuka had come to his aid on more than one account, and that means something to him. "Kenta. Hige and Konsho." He says by way of greeting. He understood why Hige was so upset. He'd been in his place more times than he could count. Most people would tell him that revenge would garner nothing but heartache. Hiei is not one of those people. He eyes Zori for a moment, having had long discussions about him with Atsuro. He'd keep his eye on him, but otherwise would stay out of his way. Shinji he doesn't know, but he offers the young man a polite nod as well.
Zori is in his jail cell laying down on the ground sleeping, hands folded behind his back. One of the Guards had received Zori's message. Walking up to Zori's jail cell, he shouts "Wake up!. Zori opens his eyes and stares at the Guard. "What? do you want?" The guard glares at Zori "Time for you to meet up with Hige, for a mission." With that the doors to Zori's jail cell open, Zori jumps up to his feet. The guard walks in grabbing ahold of Zori before he got the chance of doing anything. As the Guard pulls Zori out the jail cell quite easily being that Zori is still just a kid. Zori shouts "Wait i have to take my medicine!". The Guard gives Zori a deep stare. "Shouldve done that a long time ago." With that Zori is ushered out the police headquarters with Two Guards and over to the mission meet up point. Zori arrived with one Guard on each side of his body, holding his arms. The guard looks over to Hige a familiar face to them "Here he is..just like you asked."
Hige waits as the ones he'd asked for arrive. Kenta is given a grim nod of greeting while Hiei gets one of the same, though Hige adds, "Thanks for coming Hiei. I know you're just visiting, but we could use your help here." His gaze shifts to Shinji and he shakes his head slightly. "You're here because I asked for you to be. Of my team you're the only one who will be able to help which is just another reason." And then there's Zori. Hige nods to the police, dismissing him while his feral eyes fall on the other teen. "Are you ready for this Zori? If you aren't in control say so now."
With everyone there he looks over the group before speaking, feral eyes filled with subdued anger while even Konsho seems displeased as he sits next to Hige. "As you all know, Kyu was severely injured and nearly killed by a masked man a few weeks ago. Thanks to Shinobu and Tatsuo I was able to identify the man as Masa, a missing Chuunin of Konoha. I don't know why he's attacking people he knew, but I don't intend to allow him to live." He looks over the group again as he lets that fact simply settle in. "If you have any problem with that, you don't have to go. I expect he'll have others with him as he did before, so I have a feeling it won't be a cakewalk. It's likely to be dangerous. Again, I won't force any of you to go. There is no pay for this mission." Only revenge.
Kenta, of course, bows to Hiei deepest of all, the man being the Kage of Konoha's most important ally. He shifts his weight from side to side, which makes the wet ground squelch softly under his feet. The sound isn't really loud enough to overcome the pattering rain. Kenta tugs the hood of his water resistant cloak over his head.
The medic-nin steps close to Zori. "How are you feeling today? Did you take your medicine yet?" he asks the younger shinobi. Kenta removes one of his belt pouches, which he offers to Zori. "There's extra pills in here. There's also two syringes, in case you need a quick injection. You need to use them if you find yourself going out of control and you don't have enough time to swallow a pill." Kenta keeps some of the medicine back, since he doesn't completely trust that Zori would have the presence of mind for an injection in the middle of battle.
Kenta looks away from Zori and at Hige. "Masa… I vaguely remember him. We sparred him once and he seemed skilled. So the orders is to dispatch him and just bring his body back for analysis?" Kenta originally thought that the mission might be more of a capture for interrogating type of thing, but killing the person that hurt Kyu so badly is satisfying in a different way, as long as it's officially sanctioned.
Shinji lifts his eyebrows just slightly at Hige's commentary. "What makes you think I'll be able to help compared to what you have? You wouldn't gather people like this if the enemy was a soft target with a soft mind." Which is exactly what he needs to be effective. Still, the Uchiha lifts his shoulders into a shrug, adopting his typical expression of the displeased cynic. "If he needs to be put down, then he needs to be put down. My clan sent me to do whatever you thought was necessary. An Uchiha was wanted here."
Glancing sidelong after a moment, Hiei gets a look with the red eyes before the young man resumes looking ahead. "Well, my half-brother's own lord and savior," Shinji comments, acknowledging the Kage's presence less Kenta's respectful bow. Although his Inuzuka traits are less dominant than the Uchiha, he does bear some likeness to Takeo. Their cad of a father had a gift for passing on great potential, as well as his looks. It's unclear in his tone as to exactly how he feels about the whole thing.
Hiei dismounts Snake Eyes. He decided to go on foot so he's not the only one on a horse. As he stretches a little from being in the saddle, he comments to Hige. "It's not even a question. I go where you go. period." He then looks at Kenta. "I remember Masa. I sparred him as well. He is an excellent swordsman…and I would suspect that he's gotten even more skilled since back then. But he is arrogant in his belief that his skills are superior since he doesn't rely on chakra. That is his weakness and we shall exploit it."
Hiei then stares at Shinji for a long moment. "I know your face." He comments before walking up into the man's personal space for a closer look. His eyes widen slightly. "You're the brother of Inuzuka Takeo.." He frowns again. "And half Uchiha. Pity." It's obvious that the Raikage has no great love for the clan. "You definitely sound like one. Whining about how useless you are. If you think that way, then that is what you shall be. If you even had an ounce of the courage that your brother had, then you would embrace this as an opportunity to prove yourself to both your clan, and your village." He snorts. "Takeo was perhaps one of the finest shinobi I have ever had the pleasure to know. Careful that you do not dishonor is memory. Or I will be tempted to test your mettle myself." Hiei gives the man a hard look before turning to Zori. He just half-smiles at him before he crosses his arms over his chest.
Zori hears Hige when he says the word revenge. Zori grins, he likes that word. Expecially since Hige doesnt intend to let Masa live. Zori likes this mission even more, his grin widening a bit. When the police guards let go on Zori, Zori stares at Hige "You might want to let me take my medicine. The Guards acted like they were rushing for time to get here." Zori saying that should answer Hige's question about control. Zori eyes dart from Hige over to Hiei. Wait a minute…. i remember this guy. Zori starts to look Hiei over hard. Zori snickers. Yep thats him..Alright. Zori starts to walk up to Hiei. Arriving in front of Hiei he stares at him with a grin "Well.. if it isnt the cheater" But then suddenly out of the corner of his eye, he spots Kenta. Zori turns away from Hiei walking over to Kenta. Stopping in front of Kenta, he looks at him "Kenta..i need another one of your pills. The guard made me leave it behind." Zori holds out his hand expecting Kenta to give him something. His grin still on his face.
There's not going to be any survival at all if Hige has any say. "This mission is mine alone. We have the blessing of Konoha since he has been missing, but they have given me full say over what we do. I don't want Masa or any of his associates in more than a single piece by the time we leave." Hopefully that kind of removes any question on what Hige expects. While the others do what they do, with Kenta checking on Zori, Zori taking the pills, and Hiei and Shinji having their words and looks, he just waits for a few moments, letting them get it out of their system now. While he should care more about it, especially with the visiting Kage involved, right now he just doesn't.
"If you're all done, we need to move before they decide to find a new place to hide." And that's it. Hige turns without another word and jumps up into the closest tree to start off at a good clip. He takes the point while Konsho waits to be the rear guard, waiting for the others to go. It's a familiar traveling setting for the two. Despite the lack of cloak and the fact he's completely soaked, Hige doesn't seem to care or even notice. He's far too focused on other things.
Kenta shuffles his feet when he hears the exchange between Hiei and Shinji. It's a little awkward to be an audience of that. Finding out that Shinji is related to Takeo does make him extremely curious, so the medic-nin keep peeking at the Uchiha-Inuzuka half-breed from the corner of his eyes. He still needs to deal with Zori first, though.
The medic-nin slaps the pouch full of pills and syringe ampoules into his patient's hand. "Yes, medicine now. Ummm… Your guards should have known better than to not give you time to take them. If you lose control at a critical moment because of that, it could endanger the entire team." Kenta makes his statements a little louder than necessary. He obviously thinks that the guards are idiots this time around, even if some of them might outrank him. The Chuunin is learning some bad habits from Hige!
Kenta joins the formation as soon as Zori's all drugged up. Medic-nin often stay in the middle of the group when traveling, since that's usually the best protected position, so that's where Kenta tries to place himself. Even though he has a backpack full of equipment, the young man's spry and able to keep up with the rest of the shinobi. The most trouble he has is with the way that rain keeps dripping into his face, but that's a minor annoyance only. He anticipates finding Masa and paying the missing-nin back for Kyu's injuries too much to care about something that unimportant.
Shinji listens patiently as Hiei invades his personal space, but as the man begins to turn away, the old red eyes come out. Two tomoe. "If you want me to prove my courage, old man, then you have me before you. My Uchiha half has little want for your pity," the youth says. Maybe he's genetically more Uchiha than Inuzuka, but as he says the words, there's a bit of a snarl to bare his enlarged canines. "Maybe you've heard less of me because Konoha always obsessed over him. The great Jinchuuriki, the great Sage, so on. I can only go on rumor because he never bothered to come and meet me. Still, I seem to recall him often admitting that he was less great than he was made out to be, particularly in battle." The snarl turns to more of a taunting grin, teeth still bared, "The Hokage doesn't make a regular habit of exiling veteran shinobi, but I'm sure a cunning competitor would've been eager to snatch him up from the wilds based on reputation alone." In battle, it's doubtless that Shinji couldn't give or take much from Hiei, but there's plenty of bite returned in his words. "As for the rest? You sound obsessed with proving one's power, whereas I'm obsessed with success and unashamed to admit that my elders would've assured that. I would think a Kage would appreciate a tactician's logic."
He uphooks his chin as if to punctuate his retort, but in the moment, Hige intervenes with orders to move out. He spares the Raikage one more glance before his eyes turn black in a blink, and he shifts to move along with his team leader. "Pity that I'm an Uchiha, he says," the youth echoes to Hige. "The oaf insults one of the Leaf's great clans while he visits our own homeland. Oversteps himself. STill, the mission is the mission." That, perhaps, may excuse his own harsh words in his mind. Who knows? Shinji's never been celebrated for his attitude, just his talents.
Hiei listens to what the Uchiha hybrid has to say. A small half-smile graces his lips, despite some of the biting words the youth gives him. "Perhaps there's hope for you yet, Uchiha Shinji." Blue eyes stare into the red ones of the sharingan. There was a time when the boy's words would have given Hiei enough reason to cut him down where he stood. And he wouldn't even care. However, the years have allowed him to gain more control over the dark urges that plague him. He's no longer just a blood thirsty shinobi. He's a husband, and a father. His sons would not want their father to murder an ally. So he releases a breath. "And you insult the former leader of the strongest clan in the Land of Lightning, whelp." He points at Hige. "Out of respect for him, I don't break you in half. I will save my anger for the man who killed one of your own." When Hige turns to leave, Hiei watches him go for a moment before he looks at Shinji again. "You obviously didn't know your brother as well as you thought you did." And with those parting words, his body vanishes in a gust of wind, only to re-appear below Hige as Hiei runs along the ground. There are no trees in Kumogakure, so he is moving the way that is most familiar with him. And he'll easily be able to keep up with the group.
Zori responds to Kenta "They mustve been in a rush, atleast it seemed like they were" Zori then takes the pills that Kenta gave him. With the pills going in his hand. Zori pulls out one of the pills quickly and pops it into his mouth. Zori quickly runs over to a nearby lake and drinks from it allowing the pill to travel smoothly down his throat. About a minute later, Zori started to feel woozy for the moment as the drugs enter his bloodstream. Zori closes his eyes for a moment, his heart beating slowly. His body becoming relaxed. He opens his eyes with a sigh. "Thank you Kenta. Im ready now" with a calm tone. Tossing the syringe and the pouch of pills into his backpack that was on his back. Zori nods to Kenta , taking off with the rest of the team traveling from tree to tree.
Hige would lead the entire team to a spot directly north until they were between the Land of Fire, Land of Lightning, and the Land of Earth. With Hige leading, he hopefully has a decent trail to go by that would permit for such tracking, even if the scents are a bit stale. It was pretty obvious that Masa was constantly on the move, though he kept to the same lands.. Getting closer to the neutral land would reveal that they were on the right path, though. Masa's scent was easier to find as they get closer…
The good news is that there are no villages around where they are. So the team can truly let loose. However, the fact that there are many many people around (Hige can tell through his nose and Zori could potentially tell through his wires. Hiei's sensitivity to chakra would reveal a number of flames, and Kenta's ability to sense through medic techniques would permit them to know that it was far from empty in this area…) might be a bit nervewracking…
"Shinji, I'm only going to tell you this once," Hige says without stopping and without looking back after the Uchiha has spoken to him. "You'll treat Hiei with the respect he has more than earned as a Kage. Not only that, but we are brothers in all but blood and I don't take kindly to people talking light about my family, especially not right now." Feral eyes finally shift to Shinji and the malice that burns there is more than evident, though it's not all exactly directed at Shinji. "Despite not sharing the same blood he is my brother. You would do well to think on that for the blood you do share with yours. You may not have met him, and for who's fault that is you can argue it all you want, but he was still your brother. Because of what we've spoken about I forego discussing it with you and I judge you on your merits alone. Today has not been a good showing of those merits. I expect you to pull your head out of your wisdom and act like a shinobi. One that I would accept onto my team." For all the words there's no anger in them, that only shows in his eyes which move forward once again. He will continue to store his anger. He has a release for that coming ahead.
One might have expected Hige to stop there, but after a few moments of silence he continues. "With that said, I expect you to speak with Hiei while he's in Konoha. You two may find you have a lot in common. And as far as those who knew Takeo best, Hiei is one of them. I expect he'll want to test your mettle now that you've earned his attention. Try not to die." If Hige's words and general attitude wasn't enough to let you know of his current mood, the addition of the foul language and the, uh, 'big words' should make a poignant point to any that know the teen.
As they near the area he'd previously scouted he finally motions for the group to stop, dropping to the ground to land next to Hiei as his eyes scan the area, his nose telling him the story that is hidden out of plain sight. "There's even more than last time, but he's still here amongst them." He glances over to Hiei in a considering manner. "Looks like they're hiding out of sight. I'm going to guess they're underground. In all honesty I could care less about the rest, though the more we kill the better it will likely be in the end. I guess we should split." He looks to the group behind him until his eyes fall on Kenta and Zori. "You two go with Hiei to the other side of wherever this underground system starts. Remember my words earlier about survivors." Feral eyes turn back to Hiei then, giving the Kage a nod. "Three minutes and we're going in."
RP: Hige transforms into KONSHO.
COMBAT: Hige focuses 4503 stamina to turn it into 4500 usable chakra!
RPCOMBAT: Hige defends against with a INUZUKA-SENSES-II…52
Kenta doesn't let any emotion show on his face, except the grim determination that permeates all his actions. His hood would have covered things up even if he did show anything. Nevertheless, the medic-nin does catch the exchange going on around him. Takeo might have been exiled from Konoha, but he's still a great shinobi in Kenta's mind. The fact that this half-brother of his is maligning Takeo isn't putting him in Kenta's good graces so far.
The medic-nin becomes more alert as the group closes in on their prey. The fact that there' are multiple hostiles doesn't alarm Kenta too much, since that was already considered a possibility. They also have Kumo's Kage with them, so it's very unlikely that the mission wouldn't be a success. The only worrisome part is how many comrades might get hurt as a result of a battle.
Kenta looks a little surprised when he's placed with Hiei, since he has more working experience with Hige, but it makes sense that he'd be in the group with Zori. The young man nods slightly. "Understood. We're to eliminate all of them. Ummm… One second. I want to make sure that we can keep in contact." Kenta makes a few hand seals to activate the one Yamanaka jutsu that he uses the most. An imperceptible web of chakra spans out among the entire group to establish a telepathic link between every individual that doesn't resist it, with Kenta at the hub of the web.
COMBAT: Kenta focuses 7007 stamina to turn it into 10000 usable chakra!
RP: Kenta uses TELEPATHY-II.
"Any time you're ready, old man. Even after the mission. If you think so much with your biceps, I might well have a chance." Shinji actually smiles for once, though perhaps only his team leader would be in a position to see it.
"I don't need Hige to protect me from my choices, and you just insulted everyone up to Kurome-sama." Shinji says, still walking along with superior. He spares a glance over his shoulder to comment to Hiei, expression darker, "Don't be daft. Of course I didn't know him well; by /his/ choice, I didn't know him at all. Too busy living in his greatness, I'd imagine, though he never could hold onto one label for exactly /why/ he was great. Until the Turtle Clan came to his rescue, I've heard on good authority that he was broken with the loss of the Three Tails' power. Reminds me, are you going to name that new lake after him?"
Shinji's laid down the gauntlet, but at least he's postponed acceptance until after formal business is done. "Tch. You don't take kindly to people talking light about your family. I don't take kindly to him saying it's a /pity/ that I'm more Uchiha than Inuzuka. Seems we have rights to hold grudges all around, but take his side if it pleases you." That's all he has to say of Hige's chiding. The sense of tension among certain members of the team prompts him to one again manifest the Sharingan, that he may look around on a number of levels. Different sorts of chakra as well as its flow, Ninjutsu and Taijutsu yet to be unleashed. "Watching," says Shinji to Hige, "but I doubt I'll be able to crack his mind. Swordsmen and their watered focus."
COMBAT: Shinji focuses 3950 stamina to turn it into 5000 usable chakra!
RP: Shinji transforms into SHARINGAN-II.
Hiei hehs towards Shinji but doesn't say anything to him. If he thinks genjutsu was going to work on him, he'd be sadly mistaken. "Little boys and their delusions of grandeur. I'm going to hold you to that, kid." He listens to Hige as he's the one calling the shots. He nods once, indicating that he understood what was asked of him. He moves to stand with Kenta and Zori, the two he has been assigned with. Taking on a look of slight concentration, he prepares his body for combat as sparks of lightning dance off his skin. After that's done, he would look around with both his eyes and his senses as he tries to determine just where underground these people were hiding.
COMBAT: Hiei focuses 3346 stamina to turn it into 5000 usable chakra!
RPCOMBAT: Hiei defends against with a PERCEPTION-III…67
RPCOMBAT: Hiei defends against with a CHAKRA-SENSITIVITY…35
Zori stops in his tracks when Hige stopped. While Hige gave out orders. Zori took the time to place his wires on his wrists. Listening to Hige talk down to Shinji like the Uchiha he is. Zori lets out a "hmm" to himself as he begins thinking. Zori places one hand up underneath his chin , crouching. He then looks Shinji over, he never seen him before. Another Uchiha? Surely Shinji must be ready to take down Masa, with his Uchiha clanmate in a coma and all. Zori finaly speaks up to Shinji, with a blank facial expression "Hey, What is your name? My names Zori" is said in a calm tone. It would seem..that Zori is a totally different person. Zori focuses his chakra throughout his body, feeding chakra to his wires while they remain wrapped around both of his wrists.
COMBAT: Zori focuses 5839 stamina to turn it into 7200 usable chakra!
RP: Zori transforms into FRENZY.
Before the team can move out, there's an unexpected signal: a lightning bolt skyrocketing into the air. That's … bad, right? Apparently it was! As the lightning bolt goes up, a series of attacks come down! Zori would find a billion small fires coming in at him from almost all sides, as would Kenta. But then Kenta would also encounter lightning that was aimed at him directly. Hige and Konsho? Those two would have a smokebomb fall right in between them to try and separate the Inuzuka pair. THey got their strength from each toher, so it was best to separate them! Hiei was left untouched until the end, a single poison dart embedding the back of his neck if he isn't entirely aware of what's going on. Said poison dart would clench his nerves and cause enough pain that he might not want to be alive. It would also ensure that the Raikage wouldn't move…
Shinji… Now that was someone that the team of attackers wasn't expecting. More people than they had thought, and one of them with red eyes… Water needles would rain down on the boy, seeking to turn him into a pincushion.
[NPC System]: Hidden Enemy roll(s) Smoke Bomb vs. Hige (Stealth) from 30 to 60 and get(s) a 38. - Rolled by: Masa
RPCOMBAT: Hige defends against with a INUZUKA-SENSES-II…66
"I'm taking the side of sense. I think your Inuzuka blood is getting to you and making you speak before you think. If you want to fight him after we're done then do it, but don't continue to speak ill of him and Takeo. I told of one of those before today and I expect you to be able to hold your tongue, or your next lessons will involve it. Now isn't the time. You can tell Hiei what you really think after this is over." Whether or not Shinji survives that Hige doesn't care at the moment, he's focused on the task at hand. With the people they had the teams made the most sense.
Hige had multiple reasons for putting Kenta with Hiei and, by default, Zori just kind of had to follow along. Of course he wants the medic with the visiting Kage, for though he knew of Hiei's power, there were a large number of people hiding below and he expected the man to attempt to take on many at once. Everyone had their limits. However that wasn't the only reason. Kenta had mentioned before not wanting to see what Hige might do to Masa, and considering the current circumstances it was no longer a 'might'. He wouldn't subject the medic to that if he really didn't want to see it. And it would also keep Kenta out of the way of perhaps trying to stop Hige. Shinji he knew could take care of himself and, despite the verbal barbs, very obviously expected the Chuunin to continue to watch his back as he'd said he would before.
Despite those plans all in his mind there is no time to finish ennacting them as they seem to have been spotted. "Watch out!" he calls to everyone as the smoke bomb erupts. It would take a lot more than that to seperate the two Inuzuka at the worst of times, and this was far from one of them. The two walk forward out of the smoke, feral eyes showing a fire of his own as he slips down to all fours. "Hiei, Kenta, Zori, get to the other side so we can keep any escapees at a minimum. If you can't find an opening after killing these guys, make one." Simple as that. "Shinji, watch my back. I'll be watching yours." He'll be really watching to try and take care of the Uchiha for multiple reasons. But for now…there was some death to be delivered. The two vanish for a moment, reappearing in the air as they come spinning down in a blaze of lightning, fangs and claws to shred whoever is unfortunate enough to be in their way.
RP: Hige transforms into KONSHOS-BOND.
COMBAT: Hige attacks target 1 with LIGHTNING-FANG-OVER-FANG with a roll of: 66
COMBAT: Hige attacks target 2 with LIGHTNING-FANG-OVER-FANG with a roll of: 49
COMBAT: Hige attacks target 3 with LIGHTNING-FANG-OVER-FANG with a roll of: 45
COMBAT: Hige attacks target 4 with LIGHTNING-FANG-OVER-FANG with a roll of: 67
RP: Kenta transforms into VITAL-VIVIFICATION-SEAL-III.
[NPC System]: Fire Masta roll(s) Fire Bullet Barrage vs. Kenta from 30 to 50 and get(s) a 50. - Rolled by: Masa
[NPC System]: Fire Masta roll(s) Fire Bullet Barrage vs. Kenta from 30 to 50 and get(s) a 47. - Rolled by: Masa
[NPC System]: Fire Masta roll(s) Fire Bullet Barrage vs. Kenta from 30 to 50 and get(s) a 50. - Rolled by: Masa
RPCOMBAT: Kenta defends against with a BODY-FLICKER-TECHNIQUE…57
RPCOMBAT: Kenta defends against with a BODY-FLICKER-TECHNIQUE…63
RPCOMBAT: Kenta defends against with a BODY-FLICKER-TECHNIQUE…38
RPCOMBAT: Kenta took 200 damage.
Whoa! The sudden attack on the group wasn't expected, even though Kenta's trying to stay as alert as he possibly can. As the barrage of fire bullets rain blast towards him, the medic-nin barely has enough time to react. He should have kept some defensive tags in hand, but it's too late now. Instead, Kenta surges chakra through his limbs to energetic muscle and nerve. His body blurs several times before fire bullets can cut through them, but a few at the tail end clip him on the side to send him spinning. While it hurt, a quick assessment indicates that he hasn't received too bad of an injury.
<"Come on, Zori!"> Kenta thinks to the Genin. He darts closer to Hiei, prepared to make a break for the back entrance of the tunnel once the enemy out here is taken care of. He swipes several long spikes of metal from a holster on his right thigh, each wrapped with a tag. The medic-nin flings the spikes in the direction some of the enemy that attacked him and slaps his hands together. "Kai!" Fizzle! Poof! Clouds of noxious green smoke erupts from the flying spikes.
COMBAT: Kenta attacks target 1 with POISON-TAG with a roll of: 42
COMBAT: Kenta attacks target 1 with POISON-TAG with a roll of: 43
COMBAT: Kenta attacks target 1 with POISON-TAG with a roll of: 37
[NPC System]: Fire Masta roll(s) Fire Replacement vs. Kenta from 25 to 45 and get(s) a 43. - Rolled by: Masa
[NPC System]: Fire Masta roll(s) Fire Replacement vs. Kenta from 25 to 45 and get(s) a 34. - Rolled by: Masa
[NPC System]: Fire Masta roll(s) Fire Replacement vs. Kenta from 25 to 45 and get(s) a 34. - Rolled by: Masa
[NPC System]: Water Ninja roll(s) Water Needle Technique vs. Shinji from 15 to 40 and get(s) a 21. - Rolled by: Masa
[NPC System]: Water Ninja roll(s) Water Needle Technique vs. Shinji from 15 to 40 and get(s) a 38. - Rolled by: Masa
[NPC System]: Water Ninja roll(s) Water Needle Technique vs. Shinji from 15 to 40 and get(s) a 15. - Rolled by: Masa
RPCOMBAT: Shinji defends against with a FADE-II…42
RPCOMBAT: Shinji defends against with a FADE-II…50
RPCOMBAT: Shinji defends against with a FADE-II…36
Shinji, having gotten what he had for Hiei out of his system, actually finds time to look around through the lens of the Sharingan. "Wait. No disrespect, but you might want to be sure about your plans," the Uchiha notes to his team leader in a dull tone. "I'm seeing chakra everywhere, a /lot/ of it. Could be a band waiting to let loose once we split up, seeing as your swordsman takes pride in not using chakra." That's his assessment of the situation, anyway, but the eyes don't lie. With that said, Shinji drops the clawed, staying hand he'd upheld to cease their collective advance. The rest is Hige's call.
A glance is offered in Zori's direction. He'd noted the medical treatment seeming to be administered earlier, but largely ignored its purpose. "Uchiha Shinji," the youth answers, identifying himself by request.
It turns out that Shinji was right about the whole band of no-goods waiting to unleash their power, but his notice came at a delay. The Uchiha immediately turns his gaze in the direction of the water needles flying at him, which also filters out his opponent's location. Useful for later, but for now, he has to invest everything into evasion. Shinji disappears, so far as the water shinobi's eyes are concerned, three times over. Each time, his needles are made to miss. That's when the Uchiha seizes the moment to dig into the poor fellow's thoughts and, should he succeed, turn his blood to illusory lava.
COMBAT: Shinji attacks target 1 with BLOOD-BOIL with a roll of: 31
[NPC System]: Enemy roll(s) Self Inflict vs. Shinji from 20 to 40 and get(s) a 32. - Rolled by: Masa
RPCOMBAT: Hiei defends against with a BREVITY…68
With his mind focused, Hiei can hear the dart whistling in the air behind him and the dart seems to go right through him. However, as he had waited until the last moment to move, there was an afterimage left in his wake. Standing several steps to the side of where he was, Hiei takes a moment to consider how best to follow Hige's order. The Raikage takes off running towards the other end as ordered. And then he decides to make himself an entrance. The fun way.
Leaping high into the air, his body begins to spin like a top as lightning flows around his body and converges on the bottom of his foot. When he hits the ground, it has the impact of a tactical nuke. There is an earth-shattering KABOOM, and if he doesn't go all the way through the ground, there is a large sized crater where he lands. Should anyone be around that area at the time, they were going to have a very bad day.
COMBAT: Hiei attacks target 1 with LIGHTNING-CURB-STOMP with a roll of: 46
[NPC System]: Fire Masta roll(s) Fire Bullet Barrage vs. Zori from 25 to 45 and get(s) a 27. - Rolled by: Masa
[NPC System]: Fire Masta roll(s) Fire Bullet Barrage vs. Zori from 25 to 45 and get(s) a 32. - Rolled by: Masa
[NPC System]: Fire Masta roll(s) Fire Bullet Barrage vs. Zori from 25 to 45 and get(s) a 30. - Rolled by: Masa
RPCOMBAT: Zori defends against with a STRING-STEERING-TECHNIQUE…30
RPCOMBAT: Zori defends against with a STRING-STEERING-TECHNIQUE…51
RPCOMBAT: Zori defends against with a STRING-STEERING-TECHNIQUE…31
Zori hears Hige call out, making him aware of the barrage of fire bullets. Zori jumps back a bit while his wires lash out from his wrist moving in a pattern towards the fire bullets. Once close enough the wires then slap away all the fire bullets in a quick fashion. Once finished defending the wires then move in after the fire masters slicing and slashing at their bodies. Zori heard what Kenta said and responds in his head "Ok right behind you!".
COMBAT: Zori attacks target 1 with RAZOR-WIRE with a roll of: 34
COMBAT: Zori attacks target 1 with RAZOR-WIRE with a roll of: 32
COMBAT: Zori attacks target 1 with RAZOR-WIRE with a roll of: 40
There are a lot of screams of terror when various attacks come through. Hige is able to take out a number of guys that are around, and Kenta, with his poison, is able to gas out more. One guy is 'smart' enough to avoid the smoke, leaving a trail of fire that makes the place go *BOOM*. Well, there goes a bunch of other dudes! Zori is able to catch one guy in his wires, and Hiei kills that assassin with one good STOMP. Well, there's the end of that. And only the two Hs would feel a sword swishing down at them. Masa had appeared! And he stands right in front of the group, watching all of them. Especially Zori and Hige…
COMBAT: Hige defends against TRIPLE-SLASH(47) attack from Masa with a EVASION…56
There was that little bitty fire that had been smoldering in Hige's eyes over the past weeks and as they traveled. Even while he and Konsho slammed into the group of men they'd found it had been almost…half spirited. Sure the men were shredded into various pieces, but it was not with the boys normal visciousness. That holding back of his anger vanishes as soon as he feels the prsence of the swordsman, shifting back and away slightly to avoid the trio of slashes aimed at him. His eyes are feral in ways never seen now, looking like a wild animal more than a person. "Masa," he growls, the sound unnatural as it comes from deep in his throat. "I don't know why you left, and why you hurt Kyu, but you won't live to hurt anyone else." That was all he had to say on that matter. From one moment to the next Hige and Konsho vanish from their positions to circle Masa with great speed, claws and fangs reaching out at various times to rend at the man before they turn inwards in a breath to cross slash the swordsman.
Kenta tries to stick close behind Hiei, but the man's moving very quickly. He has to skid to a stop anyway when he sees what the Raikage is about to do. The young man plants his feet so fast that his arms windmill for one rotation before he can fully stop himself. Yet, that's what keeps him out of the blast radius of Hiei's jutsu.
Kenta recognizes Masa when the man appears, though barely. He had only met the guy a few times anyway. <"That's him for sure,"> the young man sends in a rather growly mental voice. Hige would have recognized the guy, but some like Shinji might not. <"Hige! Konsho! I'm about deploy the knockout gas"> Kenta warns. He doesn't want to risk Masa getting away if the guy manages to dodge the Jounin's combo attack.
Kenta removes a black pill from a pouch and pops it into his mouth. He immediately starts to go through a series of complicated hand seals. He plants his feet a little more firmer on the soggy ground. Then, he blows a long plume of white mist directly at Masa.
Shinji lets out an annoyed 'tsk' when the water shinobi stabs himself in order to cut short his genjutsu. In any other art, one can roast a man alive or pummel him to death and they can't take it back. With his art, all you need is a knife and the will to jab yourself. Nevertheless, he stepped around the volleys of water needles without issue, just in time to see Masa emerge.
He opens his eyes wide, baring his Sharingan at the swordsman. It should be message enough that he's here on behalf of Kyu's clan to dole out justice. The swordmsan's attention is elsewhere for the moment, so with his Sharingan fixed, he makes a few hand signs and attempts to dive into Masa's head. On the off chance that he should succeed, Masa would feel a crushing aura emanating from Shinji, such that it would force him to the ground.
COMBAT: Hiei defends against ARC-SLASH(44) attack from Masa with a LESSER-LIGHTNING-BLOCK…40
COMBAT: Hiei loses the roll and sustains 281 damage.
Hiei doesn't have time to draw his weapons when Masa attacks. Instead, he send lightning chakra into his hand and lifted it to block the blade. While it does turn most of the damage, some of it gets through, casuing a cut along the outside of Hiei's wrist. Blood flow has never bothered him, and he simply compartmentalizes the pain. He'd deal with it later. He hops back to give himself some room and reaches back drawing both swords. "I don't know why you turned against your village. Honestly, I don't really care. All I know is that you harmed an ally. And I'm about to show you why you will always be a second-rate swordsman." Hiei takes a step forwards and performs a three tiered slash that targets Masa's inner thigh, his abdomen, and then his shoulder. He takes an outside step and spins, striking out with both weapons at once. "But I'm not the one you need to worry about. He is." He lifts his chin towards the raging Hige.
Zori hears what Kenta said over the mind ..thing. <"Alright then, attacking him now"> Althought Zori never seen this person before, But hes not complaining. Hes just glad to get some fresh air out of jail. This is like recess to him. Zori's wires quickly toss Shurikens at Masa. The Shurikens are moving in at fast speeds aiming for Masa's chest.
RP: Masa transforms into TITAN-PILL-II.
COMBAT: Masa defends against SWIFT-WOLF-FANG(64) attack from Hige with a BREVITY…56
COMBAT: Masa loses the roll and sustains 807 damage.
COMBAT: Masa defends against TRIPLE-SLASH(50) attack from Hiei with a BREVITY…58
COMBAT: Masa defends against DUAL-BLADE(45) attack from Hiei with a BREVITY…58
COMBAT: Masa defends against WIRED-SHURIKEN-TOSS(36) attack from Zori with a BREVITY…67
COMBAT: Masa defends against WIRED-SHURIKEN-TOSS(46) attack from Zori with a BREVITY…69
COMBAT: Masa defends against SUBMISSION-AURA(4-) attack from Shinji with a SELF-INFLICT-II…66
COMBAT: Masa defends against GASEOUS-TORPOR(59) attack from Kenta with a BREVITY…54
Masa blinks. Hey, when did Hige get so strong? The man finds himself flying backwards, claw marks drilled into his chest where he was hit. But he gets up quickly, leaving an after-image for Hiei to slash, and Zori's attacks miss as well. Sadly, he runs right into the gas that Kenta released, and he's left coughing and hacking up a lung, though the pain from earlier injuries prevent genjutsu from taking over. Dang it.
Hige has no intention of allowing Masa to survive, and no intention of waiting around to talk to him. In the end he cares very little for the reasoning behind Masa's attacks and is instead only interested in making sure he pays for what he did. What blood dripping from his fangs and claws he stares at Masa. "This is for Kyu. I hope it hurts and you firing burn in forest." Again the two Inuzuka are suddenly in the air and they start spinning…in a different direction. Head over heel instead of sideways, allowing their claws and fangs to act as a saw blade instead of a drill. The two come down on Masa, intending to shred him into tiny little bits. Even Konsho is surprisingly into this and ready.
RP: Hige transforms into KONSHO'S-HEART.
Kenta watches grimly as Hige and Konsho spins towards the paralyzed Masa. He could have pulled his eyes away, but he doesn't, even though the results are sure to be messy. That's the man that injured his friend and student. That's the man that forced Kenta to perform medical procedure after medical procedure on Kyu to try to save the Genin's legs. And that's the man that sent Kyu into a coma so deep that no one knows how long it'll take for the Genin to wake again. <"Do it, Hige and Konsho! Show him why he should never have betrayed Konoha and hurt one of its most beloved shinobi!"> he sends in grim encouragement.
Shinji both loses and wins when his opponents take to that annoying method of stabbing themselves to break his genjutsu. Yes, they escape the illusion, but they have to do it by harming themselves time and again. Masa's so swift that Shinji knows spewing fire at him is a hopeless endeavor, so he instead favors continuing to assail his target with genjutsu.
His eyes, glowing red with the Sharingan, follow Masa's every movement with predictive accuracy. He tries to find a way to worm into their foe's head and set his senses ablaze, to create a fire flowing through his veins, prompting them to erupt.
While Shinji is assaulting Masa with genjutsu, Hiei takes the direct approach. He sheathes his swords. This was Hige's revenge. He would only help speed the man towards his death. He holds his hand out to the side, palm side up as lightning begins to generate around his body. The lightning flows into his palm into a ball and then as Hiei concentrates, he shapes the chakra into a disc shape. By the time he's finished it looks like a buzzsaw blade and it begins to spin at high speed. Hiei looks up at Masa and comments, "From Kyu with love, bitch." He spins and then launches it like a discus at Masa.
Zori watches while the duo Konsho and Hige attack Masa, it seemed they had stepped it up a notch. There movements becoming faster then before. Atleast to Zori's eyes there moving like some savages. When Hiei joined in and threw his lightning disc at Masa, Zori crosses his arms over his chest as he continues to watch the two go at it with Masa. Zori would join in but at the moment Zori is feeling rather calm about the whole situation considering the fact that this is the guy that put Kyu in a Coma. Zori yawns for a moment his facial expression blank gazing at them, quiet like a mouse..
COMBAT: Masa defends against FANG-ROTATING-FANG(81) attack from Hige with a TENSE…7
COMBAT: Masa loses the roll and sustains 2063 damage.
COMBAT: Masa ESCAPES from Kenta's stun!
COMBAT: Masa defends against BLOOD-BOIL(30) attack from Shinji with a SELF-INFLICT…35
COMBAT: Masa defends against LIGHTNING-DISC(58) attack from Hiei with a BREVITY…66
Masa is forced to take Hige's drilling attack, and he's obviously badly injured. And yet, he's able to fight through the pain. The man grimaces, stabbing himself before blurring away from the lightning disc, and a flurry of sword strikes are aimed at Hiei because… Well, he's the Kage. Also… "Second rate? I'll prove that I'm not! You ninja all think you're so great!" he yells.
COMBAT: Hige failed to interrupt attack number 1: ABSOLUTE-SWALLOW-RETURN from Masa against Hiei with a roll of 77 vs 86.
Hige is at least mildly surprised that Masa managed to survive two of his strongest attack. Most people aren't so lucky to come away with just some minor injuries. Seems like most tend to at least lose a limb. Hige and Konsho jump back slightly as Masa attacks Hiei, the bows teeth gritting angrily. Was he really so useless against Masa? If his strongest attack barely seemed to affect him he's not sure what else to even try. Without a word the two Inuzuka move again, slipping towards Masa in a raigatsuga, coming from either side to try and slam into him.
RP: Kenta transforms into VITAL-VIVIFICATION-SEAL-V.
COMBAT: Kenta defends against ABSOLUTE-SWALLOW-RETURN(86) attack from Masa with a DEMON-SEALING-TECHNIQUE…121
Kenta watches with disbelief when Masa makes it out alive after Hige's attack and even manages to repulse the disc that Hiei threw at him. It's like a splash of cold water into his face. One second to take it in. Then, the medic-nin releases the storage seal on his chest to the greatest level. Power floods through his chakra network from the open reservoir. Black chains of seal character race in a spiral up his neck to form two seal circles on his cheeks, one saying Yin and the other Yang. The air around him also distorts visibly. Another second. Kenta starts racing forward.
"Just have the decency to die… You… You… ummm… evil betraying monster… person!" Kenta yells as he runs into the thick of battle. The medic-nin sounds uncharacteristically angry, but still can't come up with any really insulting curses. "I don't care if you think that you're first-rate or second-rate or over-the-moon-rate! You hurt my student! You betrayed my village! You tried to kill us and the Kage of Konoha's closest ally. And all you care about is not being seen as second-rate? Go…. go to… Just die!"
Kenta skids to a stop and slams a hand into the ground. A flood of black seal characters flow out of him to spread across the ground in a rapidly advancing wave. As soon as it overlaps where Masa and Hiei are, the seals under them throws up a barrier of chakra that blocks off Masa's attack. At the same time, Kenta shoves off the ground with his feet to launch himself into the air. He pops a white pill into his mouth. Hand seals follow, molding chakra to dissolve the pill into a mass of highly toxic poisons. At the apex of his ascent, Kenta's head snaps forward and he blows a barrage of poisoned chakra needles at Masa. "DIE!"
Shinji has no difficulty keeping track of Masa amidst all of the fireworks and motion at the heart of the melee. Once again, his genjutsu is negated by way of a stab, but that's just as good as delivering the knife's blow himself. The Uchiha decides that this is the best, perhaps only way he can do any harm to the agile swordsman. As such, with red eyes bared widely, he continues his mental assault.
Time and again, Shinji alternates between the most potent genjutsu he has, out of the slim hope that the blade's edge won't be enough on one occasion. That's all he needs to leave Masa completely vulnerable. This time, he once again tries to project the illusion of a crushing aura meant to drive him to the ground.
RP: Hiei transforms into LIGHTNING-AURA.
Hiei employs a move just like the one that Masa used. And as he gathers his chakra in preparation to dodge, Kenta comes to his rescue. Hiei blinks, not expecting the medic to have that much chakra in him. However, he offers him a grin. "Thanks, Kenta. I appreciate it." One should never be so arrogant that they don't accept help from an ally. However deciding that he's had enough playing around, a lightning aura appears around his body as he begins running towards Masa. "You are a second rate swordsman. The difference between you and me? I don't turn my back on the people I am honored to call friends!" He leaps into the air as he channels lightning to his right foot. Going into a horizontal flip, he kicks out at Masa. At the impact of his foot, Hiei injects lightning chakra into Masa's body. If he's successful, it will temporarily shut down his central nervous system, casuing his entire body to seize up. "He's all yours, Hige!" He calls out afterwards as he jumps clear of the man again.
Interesting enough Kenta has transformed even further, the seals on his cheeks catch Zori's eye. Zori watches as Kenta pops a white pill into his mouth. Interesting… i wonder what that does. His question is answered when Kenta blows poison needles from his mouth. Then Hiei powered up also lightning aura all around his body as he moves in to kick at Masa. Zori doesnt feel the need to join in…but..why not? Zori's wire then lash out at Masa, with a quick movement of his fingers the wire branches out into many more wires in pursuit of wrapping Masa to a tree. This would allow Hige to move in and deliver the final blow if possible. Zori remains calm, facial expression blank. He doesnt say anything when he hears Hiei tell Hige to finish him off.
COMBAT: Masa defends against LIGHTNING-FANG-OVER-FANG(73) attack from Hige with a BREVITY…38
COMBAT: Masa loses the roll and sustains 846 damage.
COMBAT: Masa defends against POISON-NEEDLE-DISCHARGE(112) attack from Kenta with a BREVITY…48
COMBAT: Masa loses the roll and sustains 2139 damage.
COMBAT: Masa defends against SUBMISSION-AURA(36) attack from Shinji with a SELF-INFLICT…47
COMBAT: Masa defends against SUDDEN-SHOCK(96) attack from Hiei with a HYPER-SPEED-BLINK-DODGE…81
COMBAT: Masa loses the roll and sustains 358 damage.
COMBAT: Masa defends against WIRE-CAPTURING-TECHNIQUE(55) attack from Zori with a BREVITY…48
Masa probably gets a bit cocky, attempting to defend himself by 'no be there' and blurring… but he is struck by Hige and Konsho's lightning fang attack, bowling him over enough that he can barely avoid onslaught of poison needles. A lot of them make it into his system, even, and he gasps a bit as he can barely move. It's barely that he is able to stop the genjutsu, and then Hiei just makes things worse for the man. His whole body shuts down thanks to the zap to his system, and Zori is able to keep him properly in place. Which means that whoever attacks next… will probably deliver the death blow.
Hige and Konsho flip back after they connect with Masa, landing and skidding a few feet as they slow themselves down. He's still standing? How? At least he's stuck, at least for the moment. "I hope you had time to think about what you did, because you won't have any more time to regret it." Hige shakes his head sadly at Masa, "And after I tried to be your friend…" They're moving once more, the Inuzuka duo not even launch into the air this time as instead they charge towards Masa in a flash of speed, their spin starting as they near and tearing deep rutts in the earth as they converge on Masa, trying once more to shred him to bits right along with the tree and Zori's wires. Hige doesn't want any of it to be standing anymore.
Kenta's chest is heaving when he lands again. He's a big bundle of negative emotions, as proven by the way that he just started screaming earlier. As much as the Chuunin tried to stay calm, the entire situation with Kyu is one of the worst things that ever happened to him. He watches with bared teeth as Hige and Konsho move to finish off Masa. Later on, Kenta would probably try to forget what a fool he made out of himself.
What more can Shinji do here but continue to barrage Masa's mind with attempts to infiltrate? Of the various illusions he's attempted to cast, they've all been negated by the man's willingness to cut into his own flesh. It does, at least, wear him down a little bit more for the people who can actually do something substantial to him. Cycling back around, he invests the efforts of his glaring red eyes into weaving the sensation of boiling blood overflowing from the traitor's veins.
After his attack on Masa, Hiei leaps back to where Shinji is. He turns his back on the scene, already knowing that Hige would have his revenge. As he stands next to Shinji, the crackling aura round his body is dispelled. He says in a low voice, so that only he can hear. "You can continue to pretend to be the bad-shadow that you think you are. Or when we return to the village and have a meal with me. We can talk, or we can fight. It's up to you. But I offer you something that no one else has." He looks down at him. "The chance to know your brother as I knew him. To show you the kind of man that he was. Think it over." He states before he pulls out some bandages and wraps his wrist while moving away from him.
COMBAT: Hiei heals Hiei for 378 with FIRST AID.
Zori notices the heaving Kenta was doing. Zori turns away from the death thats more then likely about to happen. Walking over to Kenta, stopping in front of him. "Are you okay?" Zori asked Kenta. Did Zori just ask that?..Drugs is a powerful thing. Zori stares at Kenta blankly. Zori hasnt got worked up at all, during this mission. Maintaining a calm demenour.
COMBAT: Masa defends against FANG-ROTATING-FANG(79) attack from Hige with a TENSE…18
COMBAT: Masa loses the roll and sustains 1865 damage.
Well, there's no escape. Hige's little stunt had succeeded in turning Masa into a bloody pulp, and the screams of the swordsman (who probably shouldn't be called such. He's a disgrace to all sword-users) echoed around the area. And then he was dead… And nothing was left.
By the time Hige and Konsho are done they're both fully covered in blood and…other body parts. Hige finally stands again, wiping his mouth on his sleeve to help clear some of it away though it really just smeers. He looks around at the field, then at the others. "Well done everyone. You can all sleep well knowing you did well in ensuring this man and his group can't do any more harm. Thank you all for your help." Hige looks over each in turn, giving them a nod of thanks. If nothing else he'll have to buy them all dinner at some point. Hige sees little need in taking care of these bodies - let the wild animals have them and desecrate them. They deserve no more and no less. "Let's get back."
Kenta blows out a big breath when Zori approaches him. He visibly shakes himself, but couldn't manage to put a smile on his face. "I… I'll be ok," he tells the younger shinobi in a soft voice. He stands there staring at the bloody smear on the ground, as if he couldn't tear his eyes away. In truth, he really couldn't. While Masa's death is satisfying in a way, it also doesn't solve the problem of how to bring Kyu out of a coma. Kenta's going to be even more subdued on the way back to Konoha than he was on the way to this place.
"I realize you have no respect for my art," Shinji mutters to Hiei, "but it does take concentration." He continues to glare at Masa and barrage his mind with illusions until the swordsman is finally laid low, though thanks in no great part to the Uchiha's efforts. Hige's announcement that the mission is complete and no manner of burial shall be held seems to suit him well enough, and the young man turns to leave with his team leader. As the Uchiha goes, his red eyes fade and the two tomoe vanish with the hue, leaving inky pools in their place.
Hiei chuckles. "Not just your art. I have no respect for Genjutsu of any kind, kid. One of the hundreds of things that make me who I am." He walks over to Hige and places his hand on his shoulder. "It's over. Just know that should you ever need me again, all you need to do is just ask." He leans down to pet Konsho. "That goes for you too." He then nods to everyone gathered before making his way out, along with the team.
