Starring:
Loki (emitter), Suterusu
Date: July 22, 2013
Summary:
Suterusu investigates the noises the caravans hear at night, only to find more mystery
"Desert Wars - A Deeper Look"
Fertile Plains south of Fort Zaru
With the escalation in odd disturbances, Suna is getting worried enough to send a jounin out to investigate. The chuunin/genin team's finding of a large, insect-like corpse was detailed in Suterusu's mission brief, along with the team's concensus that they were ill-prepared to handle it. But when the follow-up team arrived, the carcass was gone. Since that time, no other remains could be located, though several areas looked blasted by unknown forces. The latest one, in fact, just south of Fort Zaru, was the one they decided to send Suterusu to investigate. The orders were simple, check the site out, try to determine what happened to who, and make a report to the Fort. As Suterusu arrives in the area, several large holes in the ground could be spotted on an unowned part of the plains, closer to the fort.
That figure was silent in his travels. He travelled with.. well.. himself, a shadow clone used at the minimum, normally more while making it to that location. Once there, he'd summon the full crew of his own clones, they'd scatter immediately to investigate and a few would find those holes quickly enough. Ranging out, he would seek a sense of chakra either from something in the holes, or how they were made, figuring with at least two of the clones sent into the holes, he'd be able to gather some information. Thus, with 2 clones on the surface searching, 2 going into the holes and one staying with that figure himself, he'd start his investigation. Bugs. Big bugs. Well.. that could be a problem.
The first thing that becomes obvious is that this definitely was a battle-sight. The holes are not evenly spaced, and seem haphazardly placed. In fact, in one case two holes appear right next to each other, close enough to allow one to partially collapse into the other. They're also of varying depths, and the ones that the clones are investigating have residual chakra traces. Chakra-related effects were definitely used to make these holes. Furthermore, some stains could be found near the holes, some dark red, others dark black.
Blood? Two types of blood. One clone would check the stains, the other would continue searching holes. Maybe this is the escape vector the insects use. Contemplating a moment, he should maybe look at that too.. hmm. An idea filed for later contemplation, that figure continued the work. Ranging further, those four clones that were searching would spread out some. He had up to a mile they could go out and he's become very well aware of what that distance is, due to constant use of clones in his patrols. He's having to do slow and detailed work, but it should work out while scanning the place. If.. well this was a battle sight.. if he can find a something that fought, then maybe he can help to open the situation up.
Upon closer inspection, they are indeed small, dried spots of blood. The two distinct colors indicate something odd, as neither one is the correct tincture for dried human blood. The black blood in particular denotes something of insect-like origin. The other looks darker red than dried human blood, as if coming from some other kind of animal. Indeed, there are paw prints near the redish blood, half-obscured from obvious skidding probably from the hit that injured them. The black pools tend to show something foreign to most, with very small holes, about an inch across, dug deep into the ground. Six in all, this isn't a spider, but it is large, very large. About the size of a horse large. And the partial paw prints? Equally large. Tracks fade away rather quickly form the site though, both sets of prints disappearing a few mere meters from the battle-field. In the meantime, the clones with the holes discover that some have been eaten away as if by some kind of potent acid, while others seem to have been blasted by some kind of fire-based attack.
Facinating. Confusing too. Chakra based attacks, between insects and.. animals. On top of that, they're effecting the terrain immediately around the site of combat. It doesn't seem to spread out, the clones going to that full extention from where the figure was at, then poofing away to bring the information instantly to him. Contemplatively, he'd eye the holes, then the prints. Finally getting out some paperwork to make a rough scetch of the prints that he can gather, as many of them he can gather. Then it's the drawings of the holes. Nothing perfect, but it's at least something and in the sands of Suna, everything is gone soon enough. A small nod was given then. Obviously something big happen here. Time to go see if those in the fort would know what happen and if any of their shinobi were part of the cause.
Nothing much else could be found here, as the site seemed for the most part quickly cleaned. He gets drawings of several partial prints and holes, but nothing he can put a finger on indicates what could possibly cause this. The one thing that is blaringly obvious though, is that so far the battlefield is away from the nearest human settlement. The trip to the fort shows little in the way of further clues however, as the winds and the sand are apt to bury anything left behind after the sweep.
That figure gives it up as not getting anything else out of the wilderness for now. While he's decent at hunting people, his specific work tends to be on a more personal scale. Pondering, a small nod was given as the trip to the fort. Once at the fort, he'd find out the next shipment out and would shadow them to try and get more information. This location was obviously not the first, but he was going to have to find what was actually happening out there, before he could give much more of a report other than just bugs and some animal. There had to be something else, he just had to keep looking.
Unfortunately the next caravan was not due to go out for a couple of days, and the same time, the next caravan scheduled in was a day or so out. The biological experts asks to look at the drawings, and if shown, would point out that whatever each was, they were not winged, but that was about it. Really, nothing further can be derived from the clues given.
