Starring:
Ishino, Akane, Yoichi, Kazumi, Naoya, Taree, Yuuka
Date: August 21, 2014
Summary:
A village is laid to waste as an example
"Destruction of Mau"
Mau a village to the north
It hadn't been long after Ishino returned with Akane and the genin that he was going back. An addition having been carefully added to HARPS to allow Akane, busted leg and all, to come along for the ride, at the Mizukage's request. Which meant order. Ishino looked to the others as they formed up outside of Kirigakure. "The village is Mau. They assaulted the other village that had asked for our assistanced. Almost killed a genin and harmed two others, along with the lead medic of Kirigakure, Doihara Akane." Ishino paused, looking at them. "We're going to destroy the village. Kill everyone, level it to the ground and leave it as a reminder. Rather the Mizukage is visible or not, Kirigakure is strong and you DO NOT.. harm Kirigakure." Shifting on his feet, Ishino pulls out his pocket watch to look at it, nod and snap it closed, putting it away. "Any questions?"
Akane's expression was schooled, her reflective glasses keeping her eyes from view as she sat on HARPS. Her bearing was stiff, tense. She was not a happy person. Most of her wounds were sealed already, the visible ones anyway. Under her leather pants her leg was still bound and the bone was still fusing properly. But she had been ordered to come along by the Mizukage. Facing her captors and exacting payment for the three genin caught up in the problem along with her. Two of them were int he medical center still, the third had a broken arm and while the medics had seen to it, it took time for bones to knit. So Akane was here, riding on HARPS. As Ishino laid out the orders, she listened and took a slow breath, silent but still readying herself.
Lead Medic? Interesting title. Well, marrying into power has its perks, even for potential spies. In Yoichi's opinion, they're probably overreacting a touch just because it's Akane. After all, there is no fair play in war, no matter what village you're fighting. Still, orders are orders. "… If you want it completely annhilated, I can practice a new jutsu I'm working on here, but you'd better be clear of the firing range once I launch it because it's experimental and I can't guarantee full control at this point. Some sort of seal or stone barrier of something non-conductive would probably help." Leave it to him to have some sort of full-proof plan of being sure NOTHING escapes the village alive. There'll probably just be a giant crater where the place used to be… if Ishino decides going with that jutsu is the best course of action.
The pink-haired boy, for once, didn't look as jittery as he normally does. Still nervous! Oh so very nervous… but he wasn't looking around as if expecting someone to jump out at him. At least not yet. Kazumi looked up at the injured medic sitting upon the puppet, offering a slight smile if she even looked his way, which he doubted very much simply because she was a focused woman and her attention was ahead, not to the side. Taking a deep breath and letting it out through his nose, he focused on Ishino and shook his head. No questions. It was all pretty clear.
'Watch your step,' he hears in the back of his mind after Yoichi speaks his piece, causing the boy to sweatdrop just a small bit.
The young Okumo would tense his right leg before shifting weight to the left, letting the tip of his boot tap the ground a few times lightly. 'Mau', was echoed under his breath before he nods briefly to Ishino. When Akane is mentioned, his gaze shifts to her for a fleeting moment before returning to their original target. Naoya would begin to raise his right hand but then slips it into his pocket with a grumble. "How many? Do we have a head count to make sure we manage to not miss one?" was asked soon after, the voice some what dulled from his usual tone.
Taree had never heard of the village of Mau. And she guessed by the orders that were slowly working their way throught the village nobody ever would, except as a gross reminder to the world what happens when you go against Kirigakure. Even more surprising, at least for Taree, was she was given a set of orders to join in the destruction. Grimacing at the site of the orders and their inner meeting. You have never killed for the village, the orders a chilling reminder of her percarious position as a Okumo experiment. Stepping out of the village quickly to the biolumenence lake Taree would step to the waters edge and quietly gathers some of her slumbering brood at the bottom of the lake. Smiling to herself as she hurried to the staging area. "Lets just bring the new children to play"
The blade of Kubikiribocho is silent at she listens, arms loosely crossed over her chest, the dark hue of her kimono that of the shadows of dusk while the enormous Butcher blade is strapped to her back, making the petite Swordsman seem that much more intimidating. Though normally soft and gentle, Yuuka's expression hardens at news that their own have nearly been killed. Not surprised in the least that Kirigakure would meet such retaliation with such brute force. Her bright eyes blink slowly as her gaze drifts to Akane, seeing no injuries but it's suspect that there are more hidden beneath.
Exhaling a long breath, Yuuka rolls her shoulders and lets her hands fall to her sides, one finding a hip as she smirks. "Yoichi-san, you're a little over eager." the Kaguya murmurs. "We have plenty of shinobi, not to mention three Swordsmen. There shouldn't be any problems." Still…
Her bright eyes turn towards the Genin, narrowing on them with a stern look of a mother. "For some of you, this is the first mission like this you've had, where you need to kill everyone. I will remind you that this is not only an order from the Mizukage, but a test of you as shinobi. Killing everyone, including women, children, even infants, will not be easy, but it must be done."
Ishino shakes his head slightly. "No. No count. I was preoccupied with extraction from hostile territory to count specifically." He walks towards HARPS then. "We might do it after everyone is dead, Yoichi-san. Afterall, the place is to be leveled.. and we both know how effective you are at that." The cockpit pops open for Ishino who hops up into it. Closing and sealing in behind him as the unit stands up. "It's a 4 hour walk. let's go." HARPS could make it in two.. but too many people for him to carry safely.. and this was a show of force. To the village and the world. Ishino lead the way there, a path that had been travelled by HARPS already. He made sure that he was careful of Akane in her riding chair.
Akane kept her head up, yes but she looked around at those gathered. It was a reminder for her to try not to be in these situations again. On the other hand Mau had forced her to nearly heal herself into a coma. She shook her head lightly, looking around. She spotted Kazumi and the offered smile. For a second she looked like she did not comprehend then she relaxed a little and nodded to the pink-haired boy. Behind her glasses her eyes flickered over Naoya as he asked a question that proved he hadn't been on such a mission with three of the Seven yet. There would be little doubt that every life was snuffed out after this day. It was a point Yuuka emphasized for the genin. Akane kept her eyes forward after that, silent.
The village was not protected by a wall or any other major fortifications. It was mostly huts and houses, a large tent at the center of the village held wounded and sick. When the shinobi arrived at the outskirts of the village, it had already reached them that a force was heading thier direction and all of the warriors of the village were already out and ready, forming a wall of human bodies. At the core ws an old man with his face painted, the elder that had spoken to Ishino last time. He spoke in a voice that belied his age. "I see you have come to make an example. But we will not simply lay down our lives for Kirigakure's version of Justice!" The men around him cheered and pounded thier weapons against the ground or thier shields, ready to spring into action at a word.
However, they were buying time, trying to get the women and children out into the surronding forests while the men kept the shinobi busy. From atop HARPS Akane saw this and tapped the bubble around Ishino. She pointed at the back of the village.
"Not sure that's the word I'd use," Yoichi says, cutting a glance at Yuuka, voice remaining stoic. "I'm simply offering a means to the desired end. Nothing more. Nothing less." He then looks back to Ishino, shrugging his shoulders and nodding before simply following behind the giant contraption of puppetry toward the village they are soon to annihilate. Normally he takes care of the task at hand quickly an efficiently, but better to test the younger shinobi here to see who might actually be worthy of being in the Chuunin Exams. He doesn't even seem to take note of Kazumi's nervousness simply at the sound of his voice, though he's likely already just familiar with it. Though the man is speaking to Ishino, Yoichi's voice would ring out in his dark, stern tone a simple question, "Does justice or injustice truly matter in the wake of annihilation?" With that he'd move through a quick set of hand seals to begin to cover the village as a whole in a dense mist that hides what's going on around as well as the incoming shinobi, at least those that don't charge. The Swordsman himself, however, isn't hard to find as he spins in a Kaguya-esque motion that is almost blinding to even watch with both arms extended into long blades intended to main, eviscerate, behead, and otherwise annihilate anything in his path with a rain of blood pouring through the mist into an ever-growing pool below him. Forming a wall of flesh isn't always the best idea. Sometimes it just makes you vulnerable.
Getting even that little reaction from Akane made the teen quite happy. It meant there was /some/ kind of connection there, whether that just meant she was semi-comfortable around him or even, more than that, an actual friend, he wasn't sure entirely but it wasn't important. What /was/ important… was proving himself in whatever little way he could here. Proving himself to Ishino, who'd done nothing but attempt to help him since they met. To Yoichi, who just took him on as a student… And to the village as a whole. He watches as his 'sensei' — that still seemed weird — heads in immediately and there's that sweatdrop again.
'Stop thinking about it so much. You don't need to compare to the Swordsmen. Focus on what /you/ can do.'
Nodding his head to himself, he closed his eyes and went through seals before extending his hands and throwing several orbs of acid which splash and sear anything they touch… skin, wood, ground, it didn't matter. A nice hissing sound would emit among the enemies as the acid ate away at whatever it could.
Glancing to the side, he felt unease but also someone familiar, soon turning to Yuuka. Closing his eyes, Naoya dips his head towards her once before nodding. "Ending the life of the infants and small children is a kindness. A quick death rather than a drawn out struggle or starving. Every student and older is a threat to the village and must be dealt with." The young teen's voice never once filled with vigor but was unwavering, likely trying to convince himself as much as reply to the swordswoman.
Naoya fishes his tongue under his closed lips, running them over his upper briefly and gives Ishino a silent nod. Looking around himself, the young teen begins to focus on each face, taking note that for once he recognized each one. During the travel there, the young Okumo would begin to touch his wrists before spinning thin layers of silken threads around his knuckles before preparing several shurikens with a similar thin coating.
When the group was lead to the village which was quickly masked in a thick sea of mist, Naoya turns his focus away from the village's center and focuses on the roads leaving the village. Wading into the mists, he draws back his right hand briefly before whipping it outwards, sending a trio of blades fanning outwards and towards the upper left sides of villagers trying to wade out and into a clearing.
The ring of painted warriors before the village made Taree nod her head, a drop of respect for the village. Such defiance in the face of death had to be as least had to be admired. Before she would even know it the swordsman's assult would start. The mist climbing all around the village ringing them in a circle. Taree would run forward and up the nearest tree, taking to the area above the village.
Concentrating the mist areound the village would start to change. Growing and thickening to something very different than what it was. Near Yoichi a sound off in the mist would echo softly "Thank you for providing the effort Yoichi you are really making this to easy." Traveling around to the side around the back of the village Taree would concentrate further and hand sign. The sounds within the mist starting to grow distant and silent. The sounds of battle shifting direction making everybody fleeing the village think they were going the wrong way trying to run them in circles. Getting to position at long last feeling all the movement with the mist Taree would take a seat in a tree and Hand sign once in a while. Drawing water from the mist as needed firing wave after wave of fine water needles into the people fleeing.
The walk was long, almost tedious, but it couldn't be helped. Their steadily approach brings the fortified village into view. A literal wall of bodies, average everyday men holding shields and swords, putting their lives on the line to protect their homes. It's not like Yuuka couldn't sympathize. Exhaling a small breath, she gently shakes herself and reaches up to the collar of her dark yakuta, tugging at it gently and slipping it from her shoulders. The arms fall free and the upper half of the garment falls around her waist, revealing the protective, skintight ivory armor that was underneath. "I think, when it comes to laying down your lives, you don't have much of a choice in the matter." Yuuka murmurs in reply.
The subtle smirk touches her lips as the Kaguya reaches up over her shoulder, though instead of reaching for Kubikiribocho, her fingertips touch at the base of her neck, piecing through flesh and muscle to wrap around her spine. With one smooth pull, the length of a long, whip-like spine is pulled from from it's fleshy sheath. As she does this, Yoichi rushes ahead, already enjoying himself it seems, followed by several Genin. Yuuka couldn't help the subtle smirk of approval. It's rather reassuring to see everyone so enthusiastic after all.
With one step, the Swordsman pushes off with sudden speed, blurring as she slashes through several bodies at once, shields and all.
The blood flowed.
Ishino nodded to Akane and motions for her to go after those trying to flee. It wouldn't take long. Those who were effient were with him. Those who were going to die were before him. The blood flowed. As the shinobi did the work the Mizukage ordered, plenty of men died. The massive assault of Yoichi quite effective at taking down most of the defenders, the added attacks of the others adding to the din of the dead and dying. People screamed and the blood flowed.
Ishino brought his own system online. The massive launchers on the shoulders of both side of HARPS coming up, launchers slotting into place as those shuriken, coated in that poison formula that Ishino knew and Akane was working towards tinting them all green as he'd hit both launchers to add to the death and dying. "As has been said. This is your end. Although we Shinobi respect you for your choice to stand on your feet. You die all the same."
Akane nodded and jumped down carefully landing on her good leg and promptly disappeared, using her speed to get around behind the fleeing pedestrians. Her attitude darkened and behind her glasses her eyes shifted. This had to be done. She cut around behind the village quickly, cutting off a group of young teens and children a woman and a few babies. She flashed through several hand seals. "Forgive me." She inhaled and brought two fingers to her lips before exhaling a giant fireball at them, aiming to cook them instantly. A fast death for the innocents….
With the others quickly following behind him in attack, Yoichi would slow the spin down to a stop. However, this doesn't mean he's becoming more merciful. On the contrary, he's decided to negate any chance most of them have of survival completely. He reaches back to grab the Kiba blades, linking the blades together to spin them around, causing the sky to suddenly start to go black and lightning to strike down on him, surrounding his body in an aura of lightning. This doesn't stop growing, however, as whips of lightning start to extend from the blades in his hands by the dozen to be whipped back and swung with control so expert in scorching and stunning the crowd to almost make a young puppeteer jealous as buildings caught in the striking of the whips would start to blaze behind the defenders in the horrific light show spreading out from the Swordsman through the mist.
Well… this was a… 'nice' little outing. Kazumi is all the more glad he's somehow managed to avoid Yoichi's training up until this point… and doubly dreading returning to the village now because there is no chance of escape now. The pink-haired boy simply turns to stare at him for a few moments. Yuuka too, but even as crazy as her pulling her spine out /is/, he hasn't been forced into training under her.
'Focus, boy,' he hears, causing his head to turn back toward those that are running. He's not really that quick, but he manages to catch up enough to send more balls of acid at the retreating figures. He makes a bit of a point to aim at the adults, since they are theoretically quicker… or at least that's what he tells himself. In truth, the Genin is just happy for the chaos… If any of these individuals had tried pleading with him… he's not sure if he'd be able to do it.
The young Okumo continues to wade through the mist until it began to fade with an intense heat and the crackles of lightning, giving him further reason to stay close to the edges. Rather than stay at range, Naoya rapidly begins to close range with several who managed to stay away from the center of the village. The young teen tightens his fists, striking at their exposed backs. 'Just accept this..' was muttered through clenched teeth, his second strike aiming at a fleeing girl a few years younger than himself.
With the herd of fleeing people starting to be severel thinned out it became much easier for Taree to read the mist. Turning starting to move along the tree line Taree would ignore all the fire and lightning focused on what really needed to be done. Spying one of the few remaining survivors she would drop from one branch to another and hand signs. Inhaling deeply she would spew forth webbing from her mouth slathering the poor woman in the back with webs. Jumping down pulling the web with her Taree would pull till the woman was lifted off her feet. Walking over to her Taree would look into the womans terrorized face before she would wrap the end of the web around the womans neck and pull a little more to tighten the web. With outing blink she would walk away and let the woman meet her fate. Racing off to another movement in the mist.
The dozen of bodies in her wake, Yuuka straightens and quirks a pale brow as she glances at the village around her, the other already chasing after the rest of the villagers that were trying to flee into the forest. Not many, she knew, but enough that they would be chased. Like prey. Taking a hard leap, the Swordsman lands on the nearest house and look outwards, stretching her senses to feel the bodies of chakra moving. "Well that was short lived. Three Swordsmen is a little bit of an overkill for a village this small. Oh well." Gently shrugging a shoulder to herself, Yuuka leaps from the rooftop and begins to follow the others into the forest at a casual pace, holding the whip over her shoulder.
"Agreed." His voice comes out of speakers in the shoulders of HARPS as the launchers would slide back into place behind his shoulders. Ishino looks around at the place, giving a nod as he'd agree that no one was left alive. HARPS kneels, setting in place and the gremlins would scatter from HARPS, vanishing outside of the village as one would find Akane to help her recover, the others seeking out any last potential targets. Those would be found, consumed. The savegry of piranas were on land with those last few kills from the buzzing gremlins. Ishino nodded to Yoichi. "Alright. Level it." While the HARPS wasn't active, Ishino was at least insulated in it.
Akane stood up from the fireball and watched as a teenager managed to avoid her first attacks and sprinted off after them. She gathered her fire again, aiming for the fleeing teen's back and spitting several flames at her. She fell and the sound that came after made her blood run cold. A baby had been in her arms. But Meruin had said everyone died…. The gremlin would come upon her as she used her sword to end the child's life, cutting it's throat fast. Then she would allow the gremlin to lead her off and out of Yoichi's way, silent and lagging. Her leg making her a bit slower now that the slaughter was mostly over.
"Pretty much," Yoichi says with a shrug of his shoulders to Yuuka before looking up to Ishino and nodding simply. With that he'd move back to the edge of the village as a trio of clones literally sprout from his back and move to the other three polar corners of the village. "Take care of it and get moving," all four call out simultaneously as the move into position, each taking his set of the Kiba blades and stabbing them into the ground before raising his hands to the air and sending bolt of lightning into the sky. The four bolts collide in the clouds, darkening the sky even further, only to have it begin to be lit by clouds that begin to glow with massive amounts of electricity surging through them and charging toward one massive strike. Thunder begins to ring out through the sky, getting louder and louder as if counting toward Doomsday as each of the Yoichis charge more and more chakra into it.
Kazumi sighed as he noted the last two that were fleeing. A child, he guessed no more than ten years old, and a girl he figured had just reached adulthood.
'You know it has to be done.'
"I know… Shut up," he muttered aloud to himself before he hurried to catch up to the kid. A boy… who begun immediately trying to beg for mercy… That's precisely why Kazumi chose to head him off instead of the woman. He could relate more… and it made this more difficult. He was forcing himself to learn. This type of thing would need to be done again, he knew… and so, distress clear on the teen's face, he formed seals and lifted a hand, allowing acid to splash over the boy's face and head, hoping that would be quicker than elsewhere. He wouldn't sleep well tonight… not with that boy's scream in his ears.
'Well done, kid…' It didn't help.
Naoya draws a short blade from along his hip and slashes at the throats of the pair fallen in front of him, confirming their deaths before looking away and around for other runners. What catches his attention is the flashing display of lightning pouring into darkening storm clouds. The young teen didn't run when he sees the display but stands there, more than a little dumb founded at exactly /what/ he was watching. "Just.. what is he shaping?"
By the looks of the lightning starting to glow from the village all the talk about a crater was soon to be much more than just talk. Turning away from the village Taree would extend her senses along the mist one more time. Search for the last few survivors, if there was any. Moving back around to the other side Taree would keep cover of trees between her and the soon to be vaporized village. Sending her thoughts across the mist making the soft echo of moaning sound come out near ishino's Harps. "Genin Taree reporting all clear. Nothing left alive." Continueing to move Taree would soon find herself back near Harps. Wondering if she should really watch what would happen next to the village.
A pale brow faintly lifts as Yuuka gives Yoichi a sideways glance, a smile naturally tugging at her soft lips as she chuckles. There was no need to reply. Her arms loosely cross against her chest as the clones that had sprouted from his back leap towards the village. Clouds darkening, the distinct static electricity and oncoming thunder is something of an alarm. Giving Naoya a small glance as the boy asks what's going on, the Swordsman pauses before looking towards the village again. "A giant lightning strike, using the Kiba blades at the corners. Rather genius…" Yuuka murmurs lightly. "Alright, let's clear out! I don't want anyone near that jutsu when it hits!"
The thunder begins to get loud to the begin the ground seems to shake each time it rings out, the light in the sky getting brighter and brighter amongst the darkness until at last a simple phrase is spoken. "Oblivion Gate." With that an enormous pillar of lightning strikes down on the village, branching out in nuclear fashion to annihilate everything in its path. The ground shakes violently, a blinding light ringing out as what was once a village is erased from existence altogether. When the light finally fades and the dust settles after a few minutes, there is literally nothing where the village once stood. No houses. No shops. No bodies. Nothing. It is has been quite literally erased and left as nothing but some acreage of scorched earth with only the Swordsman remaining after the strike so violent it erased even his clones with the town. A thorough annihilation, yet his face tells no story, bearing that same stone-like expression as ever as he simply observes the carnage to measure the effect of his jutsu for a few moments before turning to walk to meet the others as he ponders on what adjustments he needs to make to perfect the jutsu for normal use.
Ishino watched passively as the world, at least this section of it, was reduced to dust and ash. The gremlins were quick to get everyone behind HARPS. The massive unit engaged in a full defensive array to allow it to stop any stray lightning that might arc their way. It was fully grounded and the systems all shut down, the perfect passive conductor. Ishino watched from the cockpit. Waiting until Yoichi was done before he'd finally start packing up, the gremlins storing away within the depths of HARPS after Akane was assisted back to her chair. "Mission over. Successful completion." Ishino glanced to the others and started that 4 hour walk home. Already his mind was on paperwork.. There was no count of bodies.. as there were no bodies left.
Akane followed the gremlin back to HARPS and allowed Ishino to lift her up again. Her face was set in a harsh line, a bit of blood on her cheek and top. Not hers. She watched from HARPS as Yoichi called down enough lightning to level the entire place. For a moment she wondered if it wouldn't have been faster to simply do that in the beginning. No matter. She shielded her eyes from the blast then let her arm drop. She would be silent for the return trip unless someone engaged her.
Kazumi does not speak a single word to anyone as he is kept behind HARPS to avoid injury from the lightning nor as they all head back to the village. He… hated himself. He'd become what he wanted to protect his family from… Once, he turned his head to glance back over his shoulder at the now-barren spot of land.
'This is different,' he hears, causing him to physically shake his head for no /apparent/ reason to his travel-mates.
Maybe… but not different enough, he thinks.
Naoya made a mistake, in his curiosity of what was unfolding he never once looked away from the village until it was too late. A seething hiss escapes from his clinched teeth as his head lowered down to his palms, covering them as he squeezes his eyes shut. The young teen was well into the outskirts of the village, and well from the radius of the destruction. It would take him several moments to regain his vision and even longer until he was able to look around the remains of what was 'Mau'.
When the long walk back home was started Taree would break off from the rest of the group. She had one more thing to do. Heading toward the river nearest to the village she would walk to the water edge. Outstretching her hands her brood would start to interweave out of her hair. Silverly thread of silk drifting down out of her hair as the traveled into the water. Going deep her spiders would start to dissapear into the depths of the water. Blinking a few times to herself to collect her thoughts trying to remain focused, and not on the horrors that just happened. Looking down at the water Taree would quickly take to the trees trying to catch up with the rest of the group.
The walk home will be along one, Yuuka knew. Already the silence engulfed the team as the younger shinobi realized just what had took place. How much blood was spilt and how many lives were taken. Some even innocent lives. And she knew it would be hard for them, just as it was for her. Still, Yuuka gives them a gentle, worried look as her arms slip into the sleeves of her yakuta, her motherly instincts taking over at such a moment. But now is not the time for it. "Let's go home." she murmurs quietly. That's all that's needed.
