Starring:
Kanami, Imota, Namu, Ryoji, Natsuki
Date: May 29th, 2010
Summary:
While the Jounin attempt to infiltrate the Second Tower, the Genin are left to map out escape routes and watch for reinforcements that their enemies may be sending.
"Broken Memories Pt. 1 - Collapse"
Canyon of God's Tears - Land of Waterfalls
This is a major mission of high importance. No matter the Village, the goal is likely the same. Secure the tower and take what is within, or, at the very least, make sure no one else benefits from this structure's appearance. However, the actual entering of the Second Tower, and the securing part, has been left to Kuoroke, who lead this mission. The Sunagakure Genin were ordered to stay behind and secure escape routes. If the Council Member finds what Sousa wants, there's going to be an immediate need to vacate the premises. To that end, the massive canyon, partially-filled with a vast volume of water that streams from countless waterfalls that surround the canyon, is the target of the Genin. They are merely to scout the canyon, find a good way to get out of there, and watch for interlopers. With the huge number of Takigakure ninja in the forests that surround the canyon, it will be hard to travel through the woods unnoticed. But the canyon… For some reason, it is not guarded quite as well. Almost as though the Takigakure ninja have taken for granted that no one would dare to plummet all those thousands of feet just to have to climb up more than a mile while expending Chakra the entire time, in order to reach the tower atop the pillar.
In most cases that would be a reasonable assumption. But these Genin were probably helped to one of the grassy cliffs that stick out between waterfalls by their Jounin leader. So now they are to wait and watch and scout the area. All without being seen by the hyper-vigilant Takigakure ninja that are abuzz with new activity.
Mune would have asked Ryoji to stay behind and watch for trouble makers once she and he joined up with the Tao Shih. So the Takokujin member is left with Kanami — a new face to Ryoji — and the two are to interfere with any reinforcements that any Village may be sending.
Natsuki would have been tasked with making sure that the escape routes for Kirin, Kuki, Hinotori, and Yuzuna stayed open. It may seem like a big job for a Genin, but she is obviously trusted. Maybe her skills outweigh her rank. The dense forests surrounding the canyon may be swarming with Takigakure ninja, but they are also thick enough to hide in. Likewise, there are many ledges and platforms down in the canyon itself that one can be concealed on, not to mention various nooks and crannies in the cliff faces. All in all, it's hard to spot even a Genin under these circumstances.
Trying all his might to stay hidden, Imota, would have been flying through the surroundings well. Trying to keep sight of Namu at all times, had not been as rough as finding an efficient escape route. Maps for this place, from Suna's archives, had been quite old. Alot of the landscape, and its many channels, had been quite different, and for Imota, this would mean winging it. But thanks be to Kuoroke, whose intelligence was well chosen for his role. The cliffs they now waited, would hide them well, as the Takigakure, whose staggering numbers surely would mean hell for the two genin, search on the ground below. "This area, truly has an expanse beyond that of any visited or seen area. I am sure that we will definitely need to stay hidden here, or else our mission and lives end at this point." Imota would look to Namu, making sure to stay in range of him and keep his voice down.
Of course the canyon had been quite the area to hide, Takigakure's presence, not seeming to even take in consideration the geography and it's quality hiding spots. The work to get there, was evident, but the rewards far outweighed the effort. The only question Imota had, was, what had been so important about the tower, and had Kuoroke been safe within. Sure this man had been a council member, but even Imota could surmise that for to move through untread territory, meant risk for ninja of any ability.
With things slowing down on his end, Ryoji takes to the little 'side' mission of his group almost joyfully…at least for him. Even the bit about seeing the having to deal with a new face out of the blue barely gains more then a raised brow from his otherwise unnaturally nuetral expression.
As a safety percaution, the Iga refuses to rely on his families more pronounced traits to keep 'watch' over the canyon without breaking cover. His lips tremble to break the silence with questions about kanami ,and so he takes to chewing lightly on the strange stringy substance falling from his mouth and digging beneath the earth.. Ever bit of his focus is put on reading the vibrations in the ground as well as any sounds carried over the canyon by some fool hardy traveler dropping something. However, if anyone should pass a certain marker, the genin would be left truly blind by too many faint heartbeats of the takigakure ninja's hiding in the forest along and beyond the wall.
What was the point of being dispatched at the last moment to assist Kirin when she is stuck back in the woods as a rear scout? Sheesh, how pathetic could it be? How much could she learn about being a good shinobi if she was stuck out of the action sitting in the woods? It was relatively clear, Natsuki wasn't enthusiastic about her position. "Yeah, just leave me behind." She muttered, poking at the ground with a stick. As she prodded at the dirt and underbrush, she uncovered a long dead carcass of leopard. She frowned, "Poor thing." She said softly, examining it. The remains were mostly intact, though some drying of the skin had pulled back at its muzzle and revealed its teeth. "It may come in handy." She said idly, partially covering it back up before looking over at the tower. "Wonder where this girl's den was. Perhaps it would be large enough to take cover in should it be needed." She said idly as she looked around the area.
As per usual, Namu is dressed in one of his many full-body suits, this one carefully colored to camouflage him against the walls of the canyon here, however his usual forehead protector was no where to be seen on his body. Connected to the straps of one of his pincer weapons is a tightly bundled scroll and small calligraphy brush. Once settled on a suitable cliff with Imota, Namu would crouch down and unravel his scroll. Taking the brush he began to sketch several possible escape routes, making notations on why certain routes should be chosen over others. Not one for speaking during a mission, Namu ignored Imota's comment as he began to roll his scroll back up and bind it once more. Silently moving back into an upright position, the small genin would then start to survey the surrounding cliff for any useful nooks and possible routes to climb up the canyon wall to higher ledges.
Kanami waits with Ryoji on a cliff, not too far down the canyon walls. She has already ventured down to the bottom, where the water surges from the constant influx of yet more water from the falls that stream down the cliffs. She found something there. In the base of the massive stone pillar. 'Amuro' now knows about it. So, aside from making sure no one else shows up to mess with the plan, she is free to do as she wishes.
Ryoji not speaking to her simply makes her assume he is quiet. That or he knows the value of not being loud on a mission. Either way, the woman is presently dressed in a kimono that appears to be made of white snake scales. There is some black inbetween the scales, but mostly it is white. She would have liked to change out of the wet garment, but with the amount of moisture being thrown up into the air by the waterfalls, she would have been quite damp in her new clothing as well. So she simply stays in her snake-kimono. Two Noh-style masks hang from ornamental chains on her obi. One is the mask of a woman's face, the other of a monstrous white snake that may even be half-human.
Watching the canyon from her perch, she observes Ryoji sending strings of flesh or something into the ground. It's an interesting Jutsu. She's not as disturbed or grossed out as most other women probably would be. Turning her yellow-irised eyes back on the canyon, she tries to spot any inconsistencies… Anything out of place or moving that should not be. Finally, she says in a subdued tone, "This place is not sufficient for observing from. We will need to relocate." Then she turns and strides across the protruding ledge to leap down to a different one a couple hundred feet below. She doesn't jump QUITE yet, but she's getting ready to.
The tower had truly held Imota's curiousity in hand, like putty. Obviously seeing that Namy was busy, he would look to the boy's scroll, and then look to the area. Escape routes. Multiple ones. Namu, and he had been alike it seemed. But Imota was not to be out done. Four small caves, just along the eastern portions of the canyon. Imota would only feel where one had been making way to an open draft, meaning that if air had been coming through, then an exit had been at the end. The only possible question had been where it led. Imota would look to Namu, and gesture to the nin. Labeling it with a small marking, Imota would move on, and keep up the search. Two more routes would indded be found before he would see about regrouping and briefing Namu on the circumstance. Though Namu had not been a talker per say, Imota, knew the usefulness of communication, and was sure to use it.
Natsuki stood and looked around as much as she could through the dense jungle like forest. The ground was moist, but with the humidity being so high, that wouldn't be completely surprising. It seemed the terrain rose ever slightly over to her right where one of the cliff faces were. She began moving towards that area, figuring the cliff could have some gashes in the rock or some other debris that would make good cover as the shinobi from the Land of Fire came out of the tower. Perhaps something was up in there, I mean, how often do you heavily scope out the way you leave a place?
Ryoji's nods lightly in response and cuts the line with few hassles. A part of him sadden by his people still refusing to leave behind more 'lines' in such out of the area ,but not enough to condemn them….yet.
Before they move on, the Iga makes sure that his new set of clothing "felt" right on him before moving to crouch beside Kanami. An altered version of a traveling monk is worn to better remain a little inconspicious. And of one who might've suffured severe burns if the bandages about his entire body is any indication of it. Ryoji's stomach's does flips inside of him at the feeling of great emptiness settled before him. Although the shadows of the loose and somewhat damp bandages would hide his eyes, his inclination towards Kanami would say "ladied first" before he would descend carefully after.
Once the found a new place, hopefully without getting spotted, ryoji would hand over a small scroll with simple yet coded instructions of what he would like to try out should she agree.
/IF/ that is to be the case, a few bandages a pulled away from his mouth a little more so that he could let a few wads of flesh drop onto the ground and crawl off else where.
If not, he would simply return to his original scouting for now.
Noticing a particularly thick groove in the enge of the cliff, as if it were a frequently used passage for something or someone, Namu slid onto his stomach and slowly crept across the ground to get a better look at the possibly useful discovery. However, upon reaching the groove, the ground would suddenly give way, causing a large chunk of ground to break free from the cliff and tumble toward the rushing waters below. Unable to do much more at this point than keep himself rooted in the tumbling hunk of rock, Namu would pull out a kunai with a small scroll attached to it and send it flying to the opposite canyon wall, the glinting metal sure to catch the attention of any actively watching the canyon as it sails across the gap. Satisfied with this effort, Namu would dislodge himself from the stone to plummet into the waters below and vanish into the murky current.
Kanami drops down to the next cliff by leaping in a white and black blur from other, smaller cliffs and rocks, until she reaches the target one. When Ryoji joins her and offers a scroll, she tilts her head slightly and smiles. Then she accepts the scroll, unrolls it while scanning the area with her yellow-irised eyes, and momentarily focuses on it in order to read its contents. "Hmm…" she then nods her assent.
A moment later, she glances up sharply. In the distance, the a chunk of earth appears to have broken off from a cliff and begun to fall through the air. Focusing intently, she notices there is someone standing — or at least clinging — to the boulder as it falls. The churning waters below welcome the large rock and swallow it — rider and all — into the depths. Without seeming to have noticed the kunai thrown, she prepares to leap down and check for the boulder-rider. Or, failing that, his or her body.
She pauses though, and says, "Someone just fell into the water, incase you did not notice. He or she threw a kunai with something attached. It landed approximately 560 feet above us. If you could potentially see if you can find it, please do so. If you can do it without moving from this spot, that would be even better. I am going to look for a survivor, and see if he had any friends with him."
Meanwhile, as Natsuki continues to investigate the area, a patrol is headed closer and closer to her. One of the Takigakure ninja says, "Over here sir. I found the carcass over here. No scavengers have touched it, even though it has been dead for awhile." Another voice, even closer, says, "That's not normal… Maybe some strange poison?" They're heading in Natsuki's direction.
And in just Namu fashion, he both impresses Imota, and then mystifies our poor Sasaki nin, yet again. Imota would see the boy fall from the cliff, rock and all, and clinging steadfastly, only to be sent of in a stream. Imota knew well that this meant he would have to go it alone, and would think to seek another position on the cliff with not a second wasted. But then Namu, would throw something. A scroll attached to kunai. It would dawn on Imota just as quickly as it had been thrown, what it had been. The map of escape routes!! Imota would know that if he had not gotten it, two possible things would happen. It would be found, which would make escaping difficult for he and Kuoroke. Looks like he had to take a risk. And it would have to be a move of stealth for someone, had been near there location, at least about 500 feet away!! Moving to handseal, Imota would look to the place, and with all he could muster, Shunshin no jutsu, in to grab the scroll, and then out again, picking a different place nearby, to hide, about a 30 meters away from there primary location.
As Natsuki moved towards the slightly higher ground, she quickly ducked down behind one of the many trees and listened closely. She had heard the voices coming from around where she just was and they were venturing closer as the mist slowly began to thicken. She wasn't sure how that happened, it seemed unnatural. She pressed her body closely to the tree, one genin vs a ninja patrol would not be a pretty battle. Well, not for her anyway, with any luck, they would not spot her. If she managed to duck them, she would attempt to move parallel with them and try to figure out what they were up to, however, she knew it would be a risk.
It takes a few moments for ryoji to respond thanks to his perspective between keeping a look out and manipulating the other eyes into position. When he does, he speaks in a hurried whisper, "Will do" then disgourges one last lingering wad of flesh to crawl into the area.
Unfortunatly, by the wad would get there, the scroll would be already gone. A troubling thought, but not one that would fool Ryoji's other senses tracking the ninja down.
Once found, he gives the order for it to slink it's way higher and well above the Imota's position before multiplying rapidly and unleashing enough acid tears to melt down the rocks above; hopefully crushing the poor Suna nin. This same acid would also work to hide the damage done by him by destroying the eyes in the process.
As this is going on, a faint grin would appear on his face before a reminder of his work still to come. A mental note is set aside for ryoji to investigate the area personal and soon to gather up the note itself… a maybe the remains of the shinobi as well.
Kanami dashes along on top of the water, even as the mist becomes thicker and thicker. This is no natural mist… Especially with it now being late morning. The fog should have been burned off by the sunlight heating the water by now. So she pauses in place and considers her options. Proceed while blinded, and try to find someone who may be dead or a decoy, or make sure no one is going to screw around and get to the tower while she is on watch. So… She makes a decision.
She turns to the nearest cliff she can see through the fog, and starts to run up the rocky wall. She doesn't see Imota, or what happens to the scroll. What she DOES see is that there are a metric ****ton of Takigakure ninja converging on the canyon, leaping down the walls, and similar. All headed for the center of where the dense mist is emanating from.
She quickly ducks into a natural alcove and tries to hide. She can't warn Ryoji from here. She'll have to hope he can detect all the incoming ninja and hide himself as well. But that rockslide will probably draw the attention of even more Waterfall ninja. Maybe it will be passed off as natural, and maybe not. But being out in plain sight is a Bad Idea right now.
Natsuki goes unnoticed for now. The Chuunin seems to be worried about the possibility of poison-using ninja, and the Genin just aren't looking for an intruder right next to them. So Natsuki goes unnoticed at this exact moment, as the ninja turn their backs on her (except for one of the Genin, but even he is looking down at the leopard corpse), allowing her to get out of there if she needs to. She also is likely to notice the fact that a giant column of water went up into the sky a bit ago, and now a bunch of ninja are heading to where it was. Her own right-there-next-to-her patrol notice after a moment. "What the—!? What was that!?" one calls out. The other two glance over as it seems like every ninja in the country starts leaping down into the canyon, running along the cliff faces, etc. Bad news bears for whoever is down there.
The scroll had been gotten successfully. But Imota would have the weirdest feeling, one which had been quite apparent as he would seem to look at the scroll, once and then twice. However Imota would not seem so interested, as he would first feel a pebble or two drop down… and then a rock. Before long, an avalanche would have descending on the boy, whose eyes would widen in amazement before he would seem buried by corroded rock. However, a block of wood would take the brunt of the attack, as Imota, would then be in a nearby rock, trying to figure out was was going on.
"Acid…so this wasn't accidental. Looks like, I've been noticed." But he thanks to cloud cover of mist that would grace the canyon, Imota, would have other things to worry about. He would have to be more careful. With a deep breath, he would began to accelerate the flow of chakra through his network, and before long, began to move to observe. If anyone had been looking for the scroll still, it would seem that the boy, in his escape, had dropped it in his rush to evade.
As the patrol seems to not even notice Natsuki, she feels a small bead of sweat drip from her forehead. That was a close one, she thought as she slowly crept away as carefully as she could. She was no more than 10 feet away from them when the column of water shot up into the sky, her eyes moving towards the pillar as the sound of rustling enveloped the woods around her. She could make out a few silhouettes of shinobi all heading towards the pillar. Curiosity killed the cat, a saying she knew all too well as she turned towards the direction of the towering column of water. She moved towards that direction, but knowing she was alone, she moved a little slower, her focus on being as unseen as she could be. Of course, there was no guarantee of that.
