Starring:
Date: August 7, 2013
Summary:
Keichi, in his bid to attract the favor of Kirigakure, acquires a Genin and a Chuunin of the Land of Mist to aid him in a mission. Hibiki, however, takes advantage of his shinobi partner's tardiness, and escorts Keichi alone to the Land of Red Beans.
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"Double & Dragon Pt. 1"
Land of Red Beans
Keichi finally mustered up the courage to go to Kiri. He was there for one reason. To meet Ishino and ask him to teach the tricks of the trade. To do that however he figured he needed the loyalty of the village, so after some asking around, getting permission and that sort of stuff he was approved to take a Kiri nin along on a mission he needed to do anyways. Obviously the majority of the payment goes to the village. A village chuunin and genin were ordered to join him at the gates for a briefing. The mission itself however was not mandatory, the ninja could refuse at their own discretion!
Keichi was waiting by the gates, idly playing around with a little bug it seems, letting it crawl over his fingers. There were no mission details provided yet.
Such is the glamor of punishment, that a low-ranking ninja may be assigned some duty which would certainly only be carried out with perfunctory desire. Thus, dragging his feet, Hibiki arrives at the place - and the time - by which he was scheduled, though certainly his face reveals the disgust of having to do whatever it is he has to do. His Chuunin escort - the other picked to aid in this mission - is not yet to be seen. Hibiki approaches the distracted man.
"Are you Keichi?"
The boy looks tired, his eyes sleepless and long, black wings curled beneath them.
"Is this gonna take a long time, or do you just need some help finding something?"
Hibiki certainly does not seem in a pleasant mood.
Keichi nods at Hibiki and throws him a pleasant smile. He has merely heard of the way Kiri operates, and dismissed it as rumour! So he sees the kid that's about to help him and tries to greet him with a cheery smile. Boy, if only he knew! "It takes as long as we need, and it's a little more complicated than that." Keichi explains. "Shall I explain on the way, it's in a small country not far from here, in the land of red beans." Keichi says calmly while getting onto his feet. "It's about a days travel, if you can keep up." Keichi grins, looking past himself and Hibiki in the direction they're going.
"A day's travel!"
The youth swirls back to look behind him, as if there were someone there to be looked for, or the distant place able to be seen.
"No one said anything about that."
How bad could the punishment be if he refused? Would he be whipped again, or would there be som-
"Fine, fine." His escort would be left behind. Perhaps an opportunity to achieve alone.
Hibiki tightens his coat about himself, wrapped in the fat layers of gray. No sense in bringing undue punishment just because of laze. Though some rest would have been good.
"Just don't get us killed. We have more work to do."
"Getting us killed?" Keichi blinks pointing between the two of them before flashing a cute smile. "I eh, I don't intend to get us two killed." Keichi frowns at the notion of having more work to do. Does he? He doesn't realize Hibiki isn't talking about the two of them! He shrugs and begins running before taking to the treeline. "I think I know my way out, the mist is…. unsettling." He explains. Matching Hibiki's speed while travelling. "We can take a break in about six hours if you like, get some sleep." He explains. "You look like you need it." Keichi blinks a few times and considers his own health. No he can do without sleep for a little while.
"So, the mission." Keichi pauses. "One of the nobles under the Bean Daimyo, who controls the southern fortress has been deemed unloyal. While it is very obvious, he is popular enough that the court won't convict him." Keichi pauses. "That's where we come in, we need to come up with a plan to destroy his popularity with the people, so the jury will rule in the Daimyo's favor. He says in the name of law, I personally doubt that, tempering with the jury and all." Keichi shrugs. "Then again, I'm a ninja for hire." He chuckles. "T'is what I do!"
"Wouldn't it be easier just to dispatch him?"
Hibiki shakes his head.
"Politics are but for snakes and scoundrels and the retired. Must we waste our time?"
The stranger and the other pace their way through the countryside, away from the Mist, away from the Genin's question, toward some unknown land where killing is not an answer, but law is — where words mean more than the edge of a sword. Such places are not the realm of shinobi, particularly those young and unversed in such diplomatic ways.
"Hibiki thinks you may regret acquiring our service."
Keichi looks at Hibiki and smirks. "Oh don't worry, the edge of the blade still plays a major part." Keichi explains. "No the point is, he needs to be publically convicted and executed as an example!" Keichi nods. "We'll probably need to take a few heads here and there to begin with." Keichi sighs. "Not that it's my style, but if what I have been told is true, they deserve it." Keichi looks at Hibiki. "Did you just call yourself by your own name?"
Hibiki shakes his head, his feet pedaling away from the earth, catapulting him forwards into lands and lands unknown and far gone.
"No," says the youth. He is quiet otherwise, the only sound the tenor of softly skipping sandals. He lags a moment, but quickly regains pace, in fact doubly so, the boy's eyes wider now, more alive and alert, though sallowness still clings to his cheeks like an empty day not forgotten.
COMBAT: It is now Hibiki's turn.
COMBAT: Hibiki focuses 2500 stamina to turn it into usable chakra!
RP: Hibiki transforms into DYOU-I.
COMBAT: Hibiki finishes his turn.
COMBAT: It is now Keichi's turn.
Keichi rushes forward now, staying silent for several hours. When they're about halfway Keichi slows down. "Do you need a break?" He asks Hibiki with a lingering calm of a monk. Even though he most certainly doesn't look like one! Keichi looks around the clearing they made it too. "This looks like a great place." Keichi checks with Hibiki. If he says he can continue, Keichi would simply nod and continue for the last 6 hours of their journey.
The boy slows, stops, panting slightly. Though his chest rises and falls with the exertion of what it takes to move for so long and so fast, he shakes his head, his voice like cold water.
"Not particularly. Hibiki still has quite a bit of energy."
The boy grins, as if in jest to himself, and then chuckles, to nothing in particular.
"We would both much rather arrive and do, then tarry and not."
Both eyebrows leap upon the forehead.
"Don't you think?"
"Fair enough!" Keichi picks his speed back up. Another few silent hours pass, and they find themselves in a town, covered in red clay tiles. "Ah, the land of beans!" Keichi smiles at Hibki and looks around, pointing at a fortress on a hill nearby. "That's Naguma fortress, the noble who lives in there is named Kawichoi, his last name is Oromi I think, but I'm not sure." Keichi glances around the town. "People here love him, bread and games kind of stuff." Keichi sighs. "Though apperently he scaled off the ruler of this land, plus… he is rumoured to be not what he pretends he is." Keichi points at the fortress again. "We could do two things." He pauses. "We can break in, see what we can find and unveil something about him that he doesn't want to have public.." Keichi then grins at Hibiki. "Or we put on a big show, full of propaganda." He looks around. "Which one do you think we should do?"
COMBAT: Keichi focuses 4900 stamina to turn it into usable chakra!
Hibiki is certainly fatigued by now; even for a shinobi, traveling a full day at pace is not an easy nor wanted task. The boy glances around, huffing a last few solid breaths, taking in the red clay tiles and the slight tamborine of the city itself, churning away as cities do.
"Hibiki suggests that perhaps we rest and eat first. Obviously, we are not impeded by time."
The boy's eyes scan further, pointing to a thing which seems to be a business in which people come to and stay and laugh and talk.
"Perhaps there."
"Wise decision." Keichi was trying not to show any real weaknesses, so he figured he would wait for Hibiki to make the first move. And he was happy he did. "Lets go eat there then, dinner's on me." Keichi smiles and walks both of them to the place, sitting down by the food-bar. Before ordering some sushi between the two of them. "I assume you're okay with sushi?" Keichi asks, while peering around a bit.
Hibiki calmly hefts his chopsticks, and begins flicking pieces of sushi into his mouth until every piece but one remains. His chewing is fat and broad.
"Yesh," he mumbles over the mouthful mound of food.
"Bt wre gna neid moar."
Chew and chew does the youth, away and away goes the food, until his mouth is empty, and his grin wide. Color begins to return to his cheeks, but the deep lines of fatigue still plague his mein.
"That is: we will need more."
The boy grins, relaxed a bit now, casual, leaning his chin onto his elbow and cocking a glance at Keichi.
"Hibiki's laughing; thinks maybe not the best idea to offer dinner."
Keichi grins and doesn't seem to mind. "Money's no issue." Keichi calmly says. "I don't value material things so much, by all means." He orders another batch, only eating a few while letting Hibiki munch away the rest. Meanwhile his own stomach twists. Not because he didn't eat enough. But because the kid was right! There goes all his cash! Cash he could be spending on new clothing! Wingit … You and your stupid altruistic ideas! Keichi smiles and tries to hide his thoughts. "So, did you decide on what our approach should be yet?"
The youth tucks a tug of sushi between his cheek and teeth.
"Oh, most certainly the break-in and discovery. Much, much more amusing. And perhaps-"
Hibiki finally chews, mashing the soft fish to nothing between his teeth.
"-we'll find something worth it."
The boy laughs, choking a bit on the still-being-masticated fish, and claps himself on the chest, swallowing the remains with watery eyes.
"Quite the shinobi, no? Dead fish almost conquered me. You sure you still want my help?"
Keichi chuckles at the little display, clapping the boy on his back. "Quite the shinobi, yes.." Keichi shakes his head and relax finally. "Great, well stealth isn't my strongest suit. So we'll need to go in via a ruse." He looks at Hibiki and flashes a sadistical smirk. "And I think I got juuuust the thing!" He then looks past Hibiki at the waitress. "Can I have the cheque please?"
The camera zooms out of the bar, which suddenly begins shaking: "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT"
Hibiki is the first to leave the shaded entrance of the bar, a toothpick clasped between his fingers, plucking away at his teeth, a soft shake to his head.
"Hibiki did warn you."
The youth looks up into the fading distance of the fortress so far removed from the people it lords over. He pulls his coat closer about his shoulders, shrugging himself deeper into it.
"Well," begins the Genin, still gazing up into the fortress.
"Any ideas then?"
Keichi begins walking towards the fortress. "A bunch." Keichi grins and slips out his scroll, opening it up to show his dragon showing up. "Meet Mandoreku." Keichi explains. "He is going to assault the fortress, and you're going to save the lord from the evil napalm spewing dragon while I sit back and hide.." Keichi pauses. "Then, hopefully the lord will want to thank you.." He pauses. "You get in, take a peek, bring out anything useful, and we'll go from there." Keichi smirks. "Sounds like a plan? Good, because it's starting!" Keichi twitches his hands, so his dragon comes up flying high! "OH MY FANG, ITS A DRAGON!" Keichi says with a bit of a fake voice in the middle of the crowd, pointing up and making Mandoreku swoop down barely over the crowd, making a show. "Oh no, its attacking the palace!"
RP: Keichi transforms into MANDOREKU.
COMBAT: Keichi finishes his turn.
Hibiki listens as the plan unfolds; watches as the dragon takes to the skies; sighs as it swoops over the crowded heads of those gasping idiots called villagers. The Genin watches a moment more, letting some intensity build u- nope. Pushing from the boy's shoulders come two arms much like his own, the hands flashing together to punch through seals, until with a puff of breath, several fat wind blades gash the sky and dash for the wooden dragon. A hero at last?
COMBAT: It is now Hibiki's turn.
RP: Hibiki transforms into DYOU-III.
COMBAT: Hibiki attacks Keichi with WIND-CUTTER…37
COMBAT: Hibiki finishes his turn.
COMBAT: It is now Keichi's turn.
COMBAT: Keichi defends against WIND-CUTTER(37) attack from Hibiki with a MANDOREKU-BLOCK…37
COMBAT: Keichi wins the roll.
Keichi rushes into an alley to find a nice roof he could hide on while he remote controlled his dragon. He winced at the idea of having to rebuild it, so he made an effort to block Hibiki's first strike. Luckily that worked! He grunts and makes the dragon rush at the Daimyo's castle, opening its mouth while spraying napalm over the front gate and guards. Or at least, trying to! Then, the dragon swoops down to crash into the wall and chip some off. Just make a show, make panick, create something for the hero to beat!
RPCOMBAT: Keichi attacks with MANDOREKU'S-NAPALM…44
RPCOMBAT: Keichi attacks with PHYSICAL…12
COMBAT: Keichi finishes his turn.
COMBAT: It is now Hibiki's turn.
Hibiki throws a glance to where Keichi was, but the stranger is there no longer, annoyed eyebrows dangling over the Genin's eyes. With the other gone, the boy turns his attention back to the wooden dragon, which is now making a break against the fortress. Certainly, the guards are aware of the intrusion. Hmm, perhaps…
The youth tucks himself into a corner, casting a glance from a secluded view. Some destruction and disorder first — no one's a hero if the threat never got the chance to be. If no one needed saving!
COMBAT: Hibiki finishes his turn.
COMBAT: It is now Keichi's turn.
The dragon swoops down, picking up a female guard while flying to the top of the castle with her in his coys. She screams, screams in fear, screams for her life. Keichi wasn't planning on letting her drop either. "Come on Hibiki!" He says, not knowing where the boy is, he counts to thirty and then lets go, causing the woman to fall thirty feet… to her death, unless a hero were to save her!
COMBAT: Keichi finishes his turn.
COMBAT: It is now Hibiki's turn.
Hibiki watches as the dragon curls through the sky, through the churning cloud, a woman clutched in its claws. Suddenly, the release, and hurtle to the earth does the girl. Yet Hibiki doesn't move. He just watches, and watches, and watches, a slow grin clicking into place on his cheek. She gets closer and closer still to the ground, each beat of the heart an eternity for the screaming lass. There is no vengeance without death. No hero without purpose.
COMBAT: Hibiki finishes his turn.
