Starring:
Date: September 20, 2014
Summary:
On a routine escort mission, a Kirigakure team encounters a small group of Silence that tries to get the drop on them, though it doesn't quite go as planned.
"A Silent Ambush is Quieted"
Land of Water
06/07/11 A.F. - Monday - Year of the PiG
Amata has called upon Yuriko, Kiji, and Naoya to join her in escorting a supply caravan to one of the outposts out on the edges of the island. The main reason for her to call upon them, however, was there was also another group of shinobi from Kirigakure who were at the same time supposed to be tracking down information about a small camp of Silence supporters in that area. This was going to either be absolutely nothing or a very dangerous mission. Either way, she wanted to make sure she had some Genin who were strong with her in order to be prepared for this journey. She hopes that this will be as simple as things could be.
Even now as they journey into the afternoon on their way out to one of their outposts, she looks back to the others as they escort the single man who is driving the ox who is pulling the wagon. Even now she has her spiders out around her person, moving through the woods around her as they walk. She glances to the east, the direction the others are supposed to be at. It seems so near even if it is a few miles away but it still has her on edge as they walk, "Be on guard." She nods her head.
Kiji arrived at the rendezvous point on time, her expression unreadable. She bowed to Amata and took a vanguard position in the escort. She opened her senses, looking for any enemies that might be lurking or tracking them as they went. She made a note of each person's chakra signature in the caravan and then looked for signatures that did not match any of those people. The Silence was not to be underestimated and apparently there was already a missing group of Kiri shinobi. This was not to be taken lightly. Her eyes were deep deep blue the entire time. She wore her new outfit today, a black silk tank and skirt that went to mid thigh with the symbol of her clan on it and her hair was in it's typical braid. Every now and then she would run her hand over the back of her hair but for the most part she kept focused on the task at hand… Keeping her senses open…
The young Okumo didn't try to wiggle out of the call to the task and went along with it quickly. Walking along with the others, Naoya's spiders were mostly out of sight, though at times a few limbs would poke out from his neck, tasting the air before withdrawing again. "Even quiet trips are tense now," was spoken softly but then a hand moves close to the wagon and knocks it lightly. The teen slips his hands into his pockets though he began to focus chakra onto the bottoms of his feet with a surge before seemingly disappearing from sight leaving a buff of dust in his wake.
Yuriko exhales a longer breath through her nose, but doesn't verbally respond to Amata's order. She was already on alert, her bright eyes scanning the landscape while her senses stretch as far as they can go. The Silence attacked when they were at their most vulnerable in their last mission, in Sunagakure, they might do the same thing here too. The Kaguya girl walks in silence beside the ox driven cart, occasionally glancing at the driver every now and then. Naoya breaks the quiet however, and it tugs a slight smirk at the corner of her mouth. "Whole new kind of game, huh?" Yuriko murmurs. "Kinda like hide and seek. Any possible moment someone could be right at the edge of your line of sight, but you don't even know it."
"Yes, except this isn't a game." Amata states even as they walk along, she looks to the right of the caravan, the area to the east being of the most interest to her. However, even as she is looking east, Kiji will find herself feeling and possibly seeing something else. To the west, there appears to be movement, one shinobi moving at high speed away from another trio chasing after that signature. They are set to cross in front of the wagon in the next thirty to forty-five seconds and even as Amata looks to the east, she seems unaware of this high speed chase. Naoya will be quite hidden and Yuriko simply moving along, "Just be aware, another group is out there, fighting right now even as we speak and could need our help." She nods her head even as the driver starts to look more nervous.
Kiji glanced sideways as Naoya seemed to disappear, following his chakra signature as he moved, keeping tabs on his location so she could keep herself aware of everyone's positions. Yuriko's comment about this being like a game got no visible reaction from Kiji, rather she simply turned forward again. Amata was right, this was no child's game. "You saw what these people are capable of." It was all she said and her tone was just a touch off neutral and toward hardness. Then Kiji's head snapped to the side, looking west and narrowing her eyes. "Amata-sama. To the west. Four signatures heading our way at high speed… It… it looks like a group chasing… one person… A shinobi by the size of their chakra." Kiji moved herself between the oncoming shinobi and the cart driver, an orange ring appearing around her irises, the dark blue shading closer to golden. "Orders?" Blood tendrils pierced through her skin at the wrists, coiling around her arms like vines, waiting for the order or need to attack…
Covering his mouth, the young teen suppresses a chuckle as he hears even this referred to as a game. Nodding lightly to himself, Naoya acknowledges Amata's reminder though he didn't come into the open. Glancing in the direction Kiji signaled, the young Okumo began to peek but he focuses back onto the path they were traveling, making no move or seeming interested in moving from the caravan. Those they could see where the teen was, would note that fibers began to fray around his limbs, webbing of some sort.
Despite what the Swordsman says, Yuriko knew it was a game. A deadly game, but a game nevertheless. With the highest stakes. And for a Kaguya that means the highest thrill as well. Kiji's murmur just earns another slight smirk from the small girl, her only reply as her bright blue green eyes suddenly blink westwards. Just as Kiji said, there was movement out there. While they wait for orders, and the emergence of those chasing, Yuriko shrugs back the hood of her yukata to prepare to defend the client.
Even as they walk along, Amata blinks as she hears Kiji and then looks off to the west with a blink. Even as she does, a Kirigakure shinobi bursts out of the woods in front of them and then she holds up a hand, "Everyone prepare. Driver, stop!" She then looks forward as the Kirigakure shinobi notes them and then races toward them, "They're coming!" And then behind him three figures in all black appear and then look at the group. They blink as they spot the group and then they throw three kunai at the back of the arriving shinobi, trying to take him down but Amata steps up to block the kunai with her weapons only to hmm as she passes by the Kirigakure shinobi. The three black clad shinobi then turn and start off into the woods.
"Get after them!" She calls out to the others here and points before looking to Kiji, "Tend to this one." She nods and it appears their fellow is hurt. He stumbles a few steps, blood coming from mouth and from his side.
Kiji crouched a bit, preparing as she could sense the shinobi coming at them. She kept from raining blood needles down on him wen she noticed his hitai-ate. Her eyes were up again as the three chasing him came out. Dressed in black as the ones had been in Kumogakure, her eyes narrowed, glowing brighter gold as she prepared to attack. Amata deflected the kunai sent at the Kirigakure shinobi and ordered her to tend to the wounded man. She turned, blood coming to bear. She paused, though, her expression unreadable. "Amata-sama. Two more coming from the southeast."
She turned to look at the 'wounded' man before her, coaxing him to the ground. "Lay still, now… allow me to heal you…" Her eyes were brighter yellow and orange now and rather than simply use an open wound to introduce her blood inn the man's system, Kiji separated a section of her blood and used her blood needle ability to introduce the blood to his system, effectively attacking him.
She could tell something was strange about the man but could not be certain what it was… Perhaps a henge. Her attack would prove that one way or another… The coil around her other arm unfurled and wrapped around the man's neck, supporting him like an arm might, but it allowed Kiji to keep some distance and if he should move aggressively, it would immediately coil about his throat. She waited to see if the 'attack' of her blood had any affect on the man's chakra…
Chakra wraps around the young teen's body with a thin haze to those who could see it, puppeting his body as he charges forward but also away at an angle. The webbing that has been loose, was now tense, focusing around the young Okumo's heels but also across his knuckles. The teen sucks in a sharp breath of air and makings a sharp turn, attempting to flank the group. Naoya rolling into a pair at quick jabs, aiming at his target's shoulder and ribs, not trying for fatal wounds but crippling ones. Just as quickly as he appeared with his first strike, he quickly tries to use a smoke pepper bomb to hide his tracks and back off out of sight again.
Yuriko smirks to herself and quickly dips her chin, though after the command was given the petite girl disappears with sudden speed. Alongside Naoya, they run after the three black-clad shinobi a short distance, attempting to cut them off before they manage to bound into the treetops. The wind whips all around her as the razor-sharp tips of her skeleton spike from her elbows, her knees, and other joints. Easily tearing through the fabric of her yukata as she laughs.
As Naoya moves to one side of the group, Yuriko positions herself on the other in order to flank them, though she doesn't plan on hiding. Her small smirk grows as what can only be mistaken as a young girl is so drastically altered in appearance with the many spikes. The sword that forms in both of her hands arcs as it builds, resembling that of a boomerang, only bladed. "Oh no you don't!" Yuriko barks, arms pulling back before she swings each sword and releases them, the power of the momentum and her will pushing the Camellia Swords.
Even as the three flee, both Naoya and Yuriko give chase. The three shinobi were meant to act as decoys and they thought they were doing their job well. However, they were so very very wrong. They only drew off two and one of which trips up the one of the right. Naoya coming up and the third one jumping over his initial attack only to fall to a knee on Naoya's second attack. He then looks up in time to be stabbed by a bone and then have his head chopped clean from his shoulders. He was not at all prepared and the other two end up having to move fast to try to avoid the attacks by Yuriko only to fail. Both taking two vicious slashes each and ending up coming to a skidding stop. They immediately whip out Katanas and go right after Yuriko because neither of them can see The now hiding Naoya as they race in to try to cut down Yuriko with a quartet of slashes of their own.
Back at camp, Kiji oh so carefully 'attacks' the Kirigakure shinobi only for him to grin wide and state, "Uh oh! Seems like I'm under attack! Whatever shall I do?!" He snickers and then goes, "Oh yeah, that's right. Boom." And then the shinobi in the bushes with the other, practically puppeting the very convincing shadow clone explodes! Amata races away just in time to avoid it but has no time at all to try to save Kiji. Even as she does race away, she turns in time to see the pair popping up from the trees and one throws a kunai at her that has a wreath of fire and then another is aimed for Kiji, retreat or not. Amata winces and looks over at the pair before looking to see if Kiji is alright before saying, "Kill them both!" She then looks off toward where the other pair went before suddenly she is whipping Nuibari out toward the kunai throwing Shinobi and then she races past the other shinobi, attempting to cut through him with the razor wire before yanking Nuibari back to her hand with it.
Kiji narrowed her eyes as the 'patient' got snarky and sarcastic with her. She was already bringing her second tendril of blood up to bear and between the two she managed to reduce the damage from the explosion. Bits of charred blood fell away from her whips and she stood up as she received Amata's orders to kill the two she'd just sensed. "Yes." She turned and brought up her hand, the reformed whip flicking the kunai aside as she moved headlong into the advancing two shinobi and brought up her hands, the whips leading from her wrists snapping out at the two, aiming for their jugulars, hoping to land a heavy enough blow to slice the artery. Her eyes seemed to grey a bit as she did so, like a cloud passing over the sun. "You will fall here today."
Constantly moving, the young Okumo circles around the remaining pair as they engaged the small Kaguya. Planing his left foot firmly behind the first of the two attackers, flanking with an open palm strikes low at the man's back, aiming at his spine. The second blow wasn't a punch but a pair of low kicks, trying to either break the man's ankles from behind or keeping him from having enough stance to keep up his assault. "I'll focus on this one, keep the other busy."
The head rolls as the body just drops, making the young girl smirk again to herself with some satisfaction. She doesn't get the chance to linger on it too long, as the two others turn their attention directly towards her. The girl picks up her speed, avoiding most of the blades, with the exception of a clean line of crimson that forms at her cheek. A giggle escapes her as she smirks, "I'm already one up on you, Naoya-chan." she replies, bright eyes sparkling with mirth at the one in front of her as another ivory blade had formed in her hand. The shift of her weight propels her momentum forward sword slashing through the in the air in an attempt to make her strike powerful.
Out in the woods, the one Naoya is fighting winces and is still barely standing as he stumbles back, wincing as one of his ankles is indeed sprained if not broken by those attacks by Naoya. He looks like he isn't sure what to do now with the attack from behind. He looks at Yuriko and then at Naoya before he takes his Katana blade, whips it up and then turns it quickly… a moment later he is driving the Katana up into his own gut and crying out as he commits seppuku. Meanwhile, the remaining one simply spits out a bit of blood, sputtering and falling forward on to Yuriko as he is impaled on bone and can't move at all as darkness clouds his vision.
Meanwhile, it isn't looking good for the two that were plotting this ambush. Sure, the Sergeant isn't really hurt much at all but his partner takes a needle like blade right through his gut only to a whip him across his neck. As the blade is yanked free he is now gushing blood from two spots, reaching out for his leader only to watch the clone poof from beside him. He drops to a knee then falls sideways to the ground gasping out like a fish. As for the Sergeant? Well, he's using his most powerful technique… his stealth techniques to get away. Amata menawhile looks toward Kiji, "You see him?!"
Kiji watched as her whip cut the man's throat and between her and Amata's attacks, they killed the subordinate and revealed the other to be yet another clone. Kiji growled low in her throat, eyes beginning to shade toward red as she took a deep breath and opened her senses, searching for the Sergeant's chakra signature. She frowned and shook her head. "I don't see him. Should I go deeper and try again?" She turned her eyes on Amata questioningly.
Taking a step back, Naoya watches as the man he had been assaulting guts himself without pause. "What the…?" Rather than move away, the teen moves closer to the man and steps onto his wrist which held the sword, making sure it couldn't move. "That… still counts. The first one's a draw anyways." the teen quickly begins to search the man after seeing the other one wasn't going to be moving anywhere, though at the same time the bindings of silk around his climbs don't relax, keeping tense. "This doesn't seem to be a bomb." Tilting his head up, he begins to look around towards the sides of the path, trying to make sure this was all of them.
Yuriko makes a face to herself and shakes off the body that's still through her blade, watching it fall to the ground. Bright eyes glancing up at Naoya, they narrow, "Oh, that so doesn't count. He killed himself. Big difference. So now it's two to zero." she smirks. When they turn their attention back to Amata and Kiji, the Kaguya girl is already stretching her senses out in the direction of the fleeing 'Sargent'. "We should go after that one too…"
Looking around herself, Amata doesn't notice the man anywhere and then finally blinks at Kiji and then shakes her head, "If you don't see him, we let it go. That's not our mission." She nods her head, "Our mission is to get supplies to the other shinobi that need it." She nods her head and gestures, "Quickly, tend to teh driver, see if he can be saved and if he can we need to get underway." She then turns and starts off quickly in the direction of Yuriko and Naoya, "You two, back to the cart, now. We need to get moving as fast as possible." She nods her head, "We have a mission still and our fellow shinobi are still awaiting our supplies. We can't delay that for one escaping man. There will be time for a hunt later." She nods her head and then goes to check on Kiji's progress with the cart.
