Starring:
Canis, Hige, Daisuke, Hiei, Atsuro, Kenta
Date: November 27, 2015
Summary:
Daisuke and team continue to try and complete their mission.
"Final Farewell - A New Request (Part 2)"
Land of Fire
Last time, on Daisuke's period…
Daisuke, Hiei, Atsuro, Kenta and Hige had gone to complete a mission given to the Hokage by his aunt who is hiding away, planning on doing some good or other. The mission had led them to a cave filled with odd creatures, odd creatures that didn't seem to quite be alive anymore. Zombies. Some more humanoid, others…random creations that had been twisted by whatever darkness was in the cave. Kazeshini, a blade rumored to have been used by the Shinigami itself. After wandering the cave system the group had arrived at an antechamber with six total exits. Of the five they hadn't come in creatures appeared, shooting elemental blasts at the five of different kinds, before they'd vanished back again. And so…
Hige turned away from the cave he'd been standing in front of once the creature's sounds had more fully retreated, growling still under his breath as he looks to the others. Luckily Kenta gave him a little lovin' and he's feeling better, even if he is still covered in various injuries and blood from the blows he'd taken. "Well, what the encore are we going to do now?" He asks as his feral eyes flick to Daisuke.
RP: Hige transforms into KONSHO.
COMBAT: Hige focuses 4553 stamina to turn it into 6000 usable chakra!
Daisuke watches the creatures head back into the darkness of the cave before he scans the group. "Everyone reassemble and let Kenta do a quick check. We push forward in five minutes." he says to the others as he keeps his cloak on to illuminate the immediate surroundings against the encroaching darkness. He stands next to Kenta as a beacon of light to guide the warriors to safety while they get checked out by Kenta and prepare for the push forward.
COMBAT: Daisuke focuses 7027 stamina to turn it into 11111 usable chakra!
RP: Kenta transforms into VITAL-VIVIFICATION-SEAL-IV.
COMBAT: Kenta focuses 6850 stamina to turn it into 10000 usable chakra!
"Umm… These creatures seem pretty dangerous. I doubt that medical jutsu work that well against these things, or I'd fill all the tunnels ahead with sleeping gas. It'll probably just end up being a waste of pills and chakra," Kenta comments in a worried tone. He keeps his glowing hands on Hige's back a little while longer until all the cuts and bruises that the younger shinobi's sporting fades some more. After that, the medic-nin looks over to Hiei to check him up. "Raikage-sama, I saw one of them strike you. Please stand still for a second. I know we don't have much time, so I'll hurry." Kenta is relieved when he sees that the injury doesn't look too bad and patches it as quickly as he can.
Before they head onwards, Kenta also increases the flow of power from his storage seal into his body. Twin seal character chains wrap up his neck in a helix formation to form solid black circles on his cheeks. The air distorts very slightly around him, barely noticeable in such a dimly lit setting. It's a drain on the seal and more taxing on his body, but this situation is getting more dangerous by the second.
COMBAT: Kenta heals target 1 with MEDIUM-HEALING-JUTSU with a roll of: 66
Once he's taken a moment to inspect the surrounding caves for any traps or other nasty surprises, Atsuro returns to speak with the group. Just in time to hear Hige's question. "We should continue to explore the cave when we're ready to move on. Just like we've been doing, except we're more careful about not being ambushed." With a meaningful glance to Hige, he adds, "By which I mean certain people either stop rushing ahead, or they rush so far ahead that they become our canary in the coal mine." He and Taizen keep their swords ready and keep watch over the area while they wait for everyone to finish resting.
RP: Atsuro transforms into PARTNER-TAIZEN.
COMBAT: Atsuro focuses 2320 stamina to turn it into 3000 usable chakra!
COMBAT: Hiei focuses 3336 stamina to turn it into 5000 usable chakra!
Hiei's muscles relax as Kenta heals the wounds he suffered from the creature. After he's finished, the Raikage offers the medic a slight bow. "Arigato, Kenta." He sheathes his swords and allows himself a few moments to rest per Daisuke's orders. He speaks quietly. "Hige. You can either be a hindrance or an asset to this mission. So far, you've been walking the line. Calm down.." He flashes the Jounin a smile. "Listen to your elders. I promise that I can't kill them /all/. At least not all at once. There'll be some left for you. There's no need to rush ahead."
He flexes a little before a bright blue aura surrounds his body. If nothing else it'll help provide a little more light in the darkness. "This cave is playing havoc with my senses. I can barely tell that we're even moving forward sometimes. Though the itch between my shoulder blades tells me that we are walking into a trap." He smirks. "Course, that's never stopped me before…but I felt that I should point it out at any rate."
RP: Hiei transforms into LIGHTNING-AURA.
"I'm still here aren't I?" Hige growls to Atsuro before throttling down his anger as well as he can and bottling it back up. He still looks ordered but he doesn't look quite so feral anymore. "There's five tunnels not including the one we didn't come in. Are we going into each one by one?" At this point he knows it's not really a good idea for him to make the decisions. Any decisions. He'll need to focus on staying calm and not doing anything (else) stupid for now. Instead he looks to Daisuke and waits for the decision.
Once everyone is recuperated, Daisuke addresses the group. "We've had a taste of what is down there. Pushing ahead smartly, like Atsuro insinuated, is going to be the key to victory against an unknown amount of enemies. If the Inuzuka and Hiei keep the front line strong, I will stay at range with Kenta and provide artillery and support for our medical ninja." he says, heading towards the middle tunnel the creatures skittled towards. "Let's head down one a creature went down, surely it will lead somewhere or we corner it and kill it. Hiei will provide light to the vanguard, while the Inuzuka keep their noses sharp." he says, waving the group on down the tunnel.
RP: Daisuke transforms into YONBI-FULL-RELEASE.
Kenta nods his head in agreement with Daisuke's orders. It's the sensible thing to do, with the make up of their group as it is. He stays in the middle of the group as best as he can, but makes sure to remain close to the Hokage. While Kenta's not sure that any of the creatures luring in these tunnels count as living any longer, he still tries to get a sense of what's around them by sending small pulses of medical chakra outwards and "listening" to the returning pulses for biological signatures. The jutsu doesn't reach that far and doesn't account for non-living creatures the way real sensory ninjutsu can, but it doesn't take that much power and may help him notice something that the others don't.
RPCOMBAT: Kenta defends against with a VITAL-SEARCH-TECHNIQUE…66
"That excuse works until the exact moment it doesn't," Atsuro tells Hige, "Smarten up before you do something you can't undo." He turns and listens to Daisuke's orders. "Got it. Whoever's bringing up the rear needs to watch out, though. We know that they're smart enough to try ambushes and coordinate our attacks. These are narrow passages and it could be a nightmare if we're attacked from both directions." He and Taizen head to the front of the group as Daisuke suggests, sniffing, watching, and listening for trouble.
RPCOMBAT: Atsuro defends against with a INUZUKA-SENSES-II…62
Hiei nods at Daisuke and takes point next to Atsuro and Hige. Now, he doesn't come close to having their kind of senses, so using the little light that his aura is putting off, he does his best to keep his eyes and ears open as they move up the tunnel. Blue eyes look over towards Hige as he silently wonders what's got him so upset. The Hige that he knows is aggressive, sure. It's a trait that he liked about the guy, but this was downright reckless and that /wasn't/ like the Hige that he knew. For now, he'd keep an eye on him, knowing that Konsho would do the same. Perhaps some idle banter to take the tension off as they go? "So, Hige. You got a girlfriend yet?"
RPCOMBAT: Hiei defends against with a PERCEPTION-III…69
The five (seven?) would travel down the middle tunnel, the one that the lightning creature had retreated into. The trip would not take long. After rounding the bend that the creature had taken there is very obviously a room not much further along. However, the darkness fills the room just as it continues to try and creep in on the shinobi. And it would succeed except for the efforts of the two Kage. Instead he almost seems to melt away as the light touches it, forever ready to reappear. While the creatures did not seem completely alive they did move enough, making slight sounds that Atsuro and Taizen would hear ahead. However there seemed to be more than one. Hiei's aura would be just enough so that the man would be able to spot the light shining off of those tough hides. Except only one was large. There were two that were much smaller.
Such an odd question! It definitely takes Hige's mind off of what's going on albeit briefly. "Huh?" he asks as he glances to Hiei before his attention returns to the direction they're going. "Oh…no…" Of course that's not saying he doesn't have something else! Ahem. Feral eyes flick around as they go. As for why he's a little more wild today…well, reasons. Konsho is keeping an eye on him too though!
RP: Hige transforms into KONSHOS-BOND.
RPCOMBAT: Hige defends against with a INUZUKA-SENSES-II…68
RPCOMBAT: Daisuke defends against with a TREMOR-SENSE-II…86
Daisuke walks with the group, hanging behind Kenta as they make their way down the dark tunnel, careful to mark both which tunnel they entered and their path along the way in case. If worse comes to worst, he could probably just blow a massive hole through the tunnel once they get into the room with the knife, but for now their options in the darkness were limited. Kneeling down for a moment as the tunnel begins to expand into a room, Daisuke places a palm on the ground, closing his eyes and sending his chakra out to sense what is nearby. Lifting himself back up, he motions to the group. "The tunnel is opening up. There seems to be a rather large creature ahead, with two younglings. As for the other, it seems to be slowly trying to flank us. Vanguard, be careful, I will focus most of my attention on the flanking one if it decides to get close enough."
"I wish I knew where we are in relation to the outside," Kenta murmurs softly. It's too hard to tell when one's underground and making turns. He quiets downs down instantly when the group detects enemies both in front and behind them. Kenta gnaws gently on his bottom lip. His medical ninjutsu isn't much use against these creatures, which means he's going to be half as effective as usual. He mentally prepares himself to go on the defensive at the least sign of attack. Thankfully, the unholy nature of the danger won't hamper him too much there.
Whatever light the Kages provide, Atsuro and Taizen are relying more on their ears and noses right now. "We should leave enough of a scent trail that we can follow it back," Atsuro whispers to Kenta. Admittedly, sight and sound can only be relied on so much with both the low movement of air and the narrow, echoing confines interfering. But visibility is even worse. Atsuro holds up a hand and stops as he hears that sound coming from ahead of them. He looks over his shoulder to Daisuke."I hear 'em," he whispers back, "Get ready, everyone."
Hiei listens to those around him talk and then nods at Daisuke. "Alright then…" He reaches back and draws one of the swords from his back. "I suggest we don't wait to let them attack us first." He holds his sword above his head slightly as if he was about to attack. He closes his eyes and murmurs, "One big one..two smaller ones. Ready…and…go." His muscles flex before he's gone in a gust of wind. Moving at high speed, he attacks the big creature and the two smaller ones before reversing course and sliding to a stop just in front of the group as he turns to face the direction he just came from. "3..2..1.." It would be right about now that they realize that they may or may not have just been attacked.
COMBAT: Canis defends against HYPER-SPEED-CHAIN-KILL(100) attack from Hiei with a NPC-A-TAI-DEFENSE…71
COMBAT: Canis loses the roll and sustains 954 damage.
COMBAT: Canis defends against HYPER-SPEED-CHAIN-KILL(71) attack from Hiei with a NPC-C-TAI-DEFENSE…53
COMBAT: Canis loses the roll and sustains 842 damage.
COMBAT: Canis defends against HYPER-SPEED-CHAIN-KILL(66) attack from Hiei with a NPC-C-TAI-DEFENSE…41
COMBAT: Canis loses the roll and sustains 860 damage.
The creatures up ahead in the darkness are highly unaware of what's about to happen. Hiei's aura doesn't even seem to move and it's a few seconds later that the creatures finally screech loudly. Of the three, the two smaller ones fall over and seem suddenly unresponsive. The large one, while now injured through it's thick hide, screeches louder when it's children fall before filling the tunnel with branching lightning sparks. As for the creature from behind…it makes it to the turn before it seems to sense the shinobi there and unleashes a firey torrent at those bringing up the rear.
COMBAT: Hige defends against NPC-A-NIN-ATTACK(71) attack from Canis with a FOUR-LEGGED-DODGE-II…62
COMBAT: Hige loses the roll and sustains 1805 damage.
Hige moves with Atsuro, Taizen and Hiei until they reach the point of where they stop. After hearing about the variety of creatures, large and small, approaching from both sides…well, he can only let out a soft growl. And then Hiei makes his move and Hige waits, expecting some kind of reaction. Where the fault came was the fact that the tunnel was too small right where they were boxed in to move out of the way…at least both Konsho and Hige. So Hige moves in front of the blast coming towards the pair while Konsho jumps back, the boy raising his arms in an 'X' in front of him. When he lowers them they are nice and smoky. His teeth grind loudly as he stares after the creature. After hearing the two little ones go down he launches forward, his own lightning sparking around his claws as he moves through the dark to slice at the creature. The lightning then flickers around his body a bit to keep the darkness at bay long enough for him to jump back to the rest.
COMBAT: Daisuke defends against NPC-A-NIN-ATTACK(63) attack from Canis with a MASTERED-BIJUU-CLOAK…82
COMBAT: Daisuke successfully interrupts attack number 2: NPC-A-NIN-ATTACK from Canis against Kenta with a roll of 109 vs 68.
COMBAT: Daisuke defends against NPC-A-NIN-ATTACK(68) attack from Canis with a MASTERED-BIJUU-CLOAK…86
Daisuke watches the attack commence with the Raikage's speedy strikes. His attention is mostly focused on the one flanking them, as he had stated previous, so when it decides to attack, the Hokage is able to stretch out his chakra cloak again to absorb the fiery assault aimed at both himself and Kenta. Once the attacks are defended against successfully, the Hokage sends out a handful of clawed tendrils towards the flanking creature in order to attempt to wrap it up and pierce it straight through.
Kenta hold still when the blast reaches the group, knowing that Daisuke's Bijuu Cloak is going to shield him from the worst effects. As the flames wash over the protective barrier, he sees Hige jump in front of Konsho to shield the ninken from harm. "Hige, no!" Kenta exclaims upon seeing the torrent of fire engulf the youngest Jounin in the group. He waits with baited breath for the blast to taper off and is relieved to find that Hige's still standing. After that, Kenta darts away from Daisuke without regard to his own safety. He reaches Hige and places both hands on the younger Jounin's back. Once again, medical chakra shrouds them in a glowing aura. "I think you should stay closer to Hokage-sama. You can't take more of this, Hige," the young man says, voicing his concern over how many times Hige has gotten injured so far.
COMBAT: Kenta heals Hige for 1456 with CHAKRA SCALPEL.
COMBAT: Atsuro defends against NPC-A-NIN-ATTACK(79) attack from Canis with a INUZUKA-DANGER-SENSE…74
COMBAT: Atsuro loses the roll and sustains 1799 damage.
RP: Atsuro transforms into COMRADE-TAIZEN.
For someone who relies on superior perception and maneuverability to keep out of trouble, this mission is far from ideal for Atsuro and Taizen, the latter only avoiding trouble because Atsuro gets in the way of the blast. The lightning washes over, leaving Atsuro standing there with charred clothes and reddened skin. With a low growl, he charges forward, Taizen just behind him. They raise their swords and the blades seem to come down all around the enemy. "Fuuu-uuu-uuck youuuuu."
COMBAT: Hiei defends against NPC-A-NIN-ATTACK(56) attack from Canis with a DANCING-FLOW…71
This mission reminds Hiei of the time when he was a Chuunin and he went on a mission deep underground in one of the mountains of Kumo. He went there to mine this special ore that he crafted his first swords out of before he got his hands on chakra metal. He remembered having to do battle with these mutant ants that called the place home. This was kind of like that. Only these creatures were worse than super strong ants. Hiei does a little shimmy, almost as if he's starting to break dance, and his movements allow the lightning to only just slide by him, leaving him untouched. Lightning encircles his arm and seems to flow down the entire arm, and into the sword he's holding. The lightning flows down the blade and then lances off the tip in the form of a large bolt, which he aims directly at the creature. "Hey, you used it!" Hiei exclaims towards Atsuro when he employs the Swallow Return technique. "Aw. We should have done it together. I bet it would have looked cool." Who says you couldn't potentially save the world and have a little fun at the same time?
COMBAT: Canis defends against LIGHTNING-CLAW-II(69) attack from Hige with a NPC-A-TAI-DEFENSE…68
COMBAT: Canis loses the roll and sustains 554 damage.
COMBAT: Canis defends against BIJUU-CHAKRA-GRAPPLE(63) attack from Daisuke with a NPC-A-TAI-DEFENSE…67
COMBAT: Canis defends against BIJUU-CLOAK-EXTENSIONS(51) attack from Daisuke with a NPC-A-TAI-DEFENSE…68
COMBAT: Canis defends against SWALLOW-RETURN(106) attack from Atsuro with a NPC-A-TAI-DEFENSE…59
COMBAT: Canis loses the roll and sustains 1759 damage.
COMBAT: Canis defends against LIGHTNING-STRIKE(52) attack from Hiei with a NPC-A-TAI-DEFENSE…56
The lightning bug is filled with a bit too much lightning as the claws hit it, and then the creature is cleaved into bits by the encroaching older Inuzuka duo. It falls over dead with pieces kind of sloughing off from the many cuts it took. The fire creature, however, doesn't seem to mind the Hokage's reaching attempts as it stays rather stoically in place, the darkness surrounding it actually seeming to eat the chakra and keeping it from taking a good hold. All it does is give the creature another chance to belch out more fire at the man.
Hige is even more recommended off now and it's just getting harder to control it the more he gets smacked around. Kenta's healing may help with the injuries themself but he's still getting worn down by the attacks and even more frustrated at the inability to avoid said attacks. It's a painful experience and he's ready to shred the custom things limb from limb. Too bad Daisuke is in the way of the fire breather.
COMBAT: Daisuke defends against NPC-A-NIN-ATTACK(66) attack from Canis with a MASTERED-BIJUU-CLOAK…97
Daisuke looks slightly annoyed as the thick skin of the animal prevents him from grappling it with his claws. If claws were not going to work, then Daisuke would just have to incinerate it. As the fiery assault comes towards Daisuke he is able to rely on his cloak while preparing his own fiery assault. Finally lifting a finger to his mouth after a series of complex handseals, the Hokage lights up the room, spitting out person-sized flaming molten rocks one after the other towards the beast.
First, Hige and now Atsuro. Kenta's stricken to see that the Jounin Commander also gets struck by one of the attacks. Even though his current patient's not completely healed, enough of Hige's burns have been treated that Kenta feels the rest can wait. The medic-nin rushes towards Atsuro, kicking off the tunnel wall if needed to reach his target quickly. The monster in front of them has fallen to the storm of blades, but who knows if more are going to show up. "Please stand still for a second, Atsuro-senpai," Kenta murmurs urgently upon reaching the Jounin Commander. He immediately starts to tend to the lightning-induced injuries.
COMBAT: Kenta heals Atsuro for 1609 with CHAKRA SCALPEL.
Atsuro steps back from the dead monster and shakes the black liquid from his sword. "Sorry," he says to Hiei, "Trying to fry me demands an immediate response. By which I mean I really wanted to kill it." He and Taizen scan over the area carefully, before Atsuro looks down at himself only now really noticing the sharp pains in his arms and legs. "Ugh, yeah," he says, "Thanks, Kenta." Taizen stands guard over the two of them while Kenta does his healing, just in case the enemy somehow breaks through the cover Daisuke provides.
Hiei waves a hand towards Atsuro. "No worries, man. I know how it is." He then turns towards the creature that Daisuke was in the process of barbecuing. He also stands vigilant over Atsuro and Kenta while the medic does his thing, just like he did with Hige earlier. Which is why he hasn't sheathed his sword yet. He'd give Daisuke a hand, but he's pretty sure he doesn't need it. "I'd love to drag one of these things back to Kumo. The head of my science department would have a field day studying this thing. I'd never get her out of her lab, but I bet it would be worth it."
COMBAT: Canis defends against SCORCHING-ROCKS(108) attack from Daisuke with a NPC-A-TAI-DEFENSE…85
COMBAT: Canis loses the roll and sustains 1770 damage.
Just as the lightning creature fell, the fire one is similarly destroyed although it's more on the burnt to a crisp side of things. After the creature dies, at least, there's no indication of other creatures coming at the moment and…well, besides the next in this room there's more tunnel on the other side. Where does that lead?
Hige watches as the other creature burns, staying near the Hokage while Hiei watches over Kenta and Atsuro. Once it's burnt up he looks back towards the room and the continuing tunnel that lies at the edge of the light. He ignores his injuries as he always done, leaving it to deal with when he gets back home. Or if…ya know.
Daisuke watches with a look of satisfaction on his face as the fire creature is burned, oh the sweet irony. Once the room is clear, Daisuke looks around to the others, Hiei easy enough to spot with all that lightning coursing over his body. "Alright Kenta, see what you can do for the others before we check out that tunnel." he says, motioning towards the tunnel at the edge of the light that comes from his cloak. "Anyone that needs a longer rest, please speak up, now is the time to do so before we move on into more unknown places."
Kenta nods his head slightly when Daisuke speaks up. He checks to make sure that the worst of Atsuro's injuries are healed. There's still some burns and reddened skin, but they're very minor. The treatment that he was performing on Hige and broke off earlier is a greater necessity now. "Atsuro-senpai, tell me if you suddenly have any trouble breathing or feel weak. I don't think the lightning damaged your heart, but make sure you pay attention to what you're body's telling you. I have to sooth more of Hige's burns. Those are likely to get infected or cause distracting pain otherwise." Kenta trots off to work on the youngest one in the group again.
COMBAT: Kenta heals Hige for 836 with LIGHT HEALING JUTSU.
Atsuro sits quiet while Kenta works on his injuries. Once Kenta indicates his work is done, he moves an arm experimentally. "Much better," he says, "Thanks, Kenta. My saviour!" Then he adds more seriously, "I'll stay aware of it." He shoot Hiei a grin, then looks over as Daisuke makes his announcement. "I'm still a little cooked," he says, "But I should be able to keep moving for now. Same formation?"
Hiei feels as fresh as a daisy. He lightly hops from one foot to the other. "I'm good, man. Ready to move out on your word, Daisuke." However, he'd still keep a lookout while Kenta finished up healing the others. "I don't see why we can't use the same formation. Seems to work for us, yeah?"
After the shinobi have recovered for a few moments they move on towards the next tunnel within view. With Hiei lightning the way like a brightly lit statue of liberty they make their way through the darkness to the tunnel. And down the tunnel. It's a whole whopping minute of travel before they see light and the darkness disperses. Light up ahead…fire? The shinobi would soon discover that Daisuke's Kage-sense had pointed them in the right direction to find the blade they were seeking. However there was a slight problem. The large cavern before them had a huge gap, through which the fire was visible. Lava. Very hot. The gap was gigantic, and on the other side waited robed undead figures that faced the cave, waiting for them. And beyond them, wayyyyyy the tune over there, emitting it's own odd streams of darkness, lies the blade.
