Starring:
Noab (emitter), Shizuo, Ryuunosuke
Date: October 26, 2012
Summary:
A team of Konoha nin is sent to deal with a thieving group of rogue ninja on a sea-going fortress.
Poster's note: Foul language filtered in obvious places.
"Floating Fortress"
Coastal waters of the Land of Fire
Konoha chuunin Dukei Adrian is feeling in better spirits than usual. There's some pensiveness to his mood as well, to be sure; he's at the helm of a small rowboat rather than a proper sailing ship, his 'crew' consists of two other ninja from Konoha (granted, likely packing a lot more weight in a battle than ordinary sailors, but Adrian suspects they wouldn't know a jib from a yardarm e.e), and it isn't pirates per se they're out to deal with, but rather a rogue shinobi group that just happen to be based in a floating fortress. So it certainly doesn't compare with Adrian's glory days as a pirate hunter. Still, it's good to be out on the sea again for a little bit.
Adrian's nautical knowledge comes in very handy for this mission. He steers the tiny craft under the belly of the rogue ninjas' artifical island of metal, using purely natural fog as cover. Once the boat is tied to a jutting spar, Adrian speaks quietly to those with him. "All right, once more before we disembark. We are here to recover some widget or other which is supposed to make mechanical flight a possibility. I'm skeptical as to how practical it is, but if command cares enough to send us on a voyage out here for it, I'm certainly not going to argue. The group we are facing are not reputed to be exceptionally skilled, but they do qualify as shinobi, so remain vigilant. The target is likely to be located in the hold. If we can manage to find out who hired these brigands, so much the better, but getting the target back intact is a higher priority. If there are no questions, then…" Adrian lifts his gaze up to the railing of the fortress's low-level deck, where a couple of guards are patrolling without paying a great deal of attention. "…you may make the initial foray, gentlemen."
This would be the first time that he was drifted to this squad however it appears that mission was simple enough to say the least. Gather Intel and retrieve a widget without being spotted, using his clan natural abilities Shizuo would have a rather confident smile on his face. Bring down his voice to that of a whisper the young man flashed through a couple of seals "Byakugan." With that he would scan their current location before speaking softly again "clear." Shizuo would be more than ready to move out where everyone else was and he would make sure to keep his chakra levels up just in case the group comes across hostiles. "You guys can call me Hyuga Shizuo or Zuo for short."
Ryuu sat crouched in his own little ball as they traveled to the fortress by boat. "Nice to meet you Zuo…" he grumbles feeling a bit squeamish as the waves continue to rock the boat on their voyage to the floating fortress. "Ughhh how close are we to actually boarding the fortress? I feel like my stomach is switching places with lungs." Ryuu can only mutter out short phrases and sentences after that. He shut his eyes and tries to fight the rocking of the boat. He had no idea he could get sea sick but it was good to know now. Too bad he could've found out sooner before this mission.
Adrian rolls his eyes at Ryuunosuke's pitiful state. Landlubbers. e.e "Perhaps you'd best remain here for the moment," he mutters, climbing up the underside of the fortress. Shizuo's armor-piercing sight allows them to detect precisely where the guards are and when they have their backs turned to each other. At a signal from Shizuo, Adrian hauls himself over the railing behind one of the guards and pitches him over the side. An inelegant solution, but quite effective, leaving only a brief yelp and a faint splash. e.e The other guard, meanwhile, finds out what the Hyuga clan's trademark juuken style feels like at Shizuo's hands. x.x The guards in the immediate area downed, the team is able to proceed undetected for the moment. "Come on, you'll feel better with a bigger vessel under your feet," Adrian calls down to Ryuunosuke.
Once they're all aboard and hopefully feeling a bit more combat-ready, the team faces the challenge of finding the target while avoiding a wide-spread alert. Adrian's instincts regarding ship layout lead them toward the center of the floating fortress, where a tower-like obtrusion sits with a large door. There are plenty of routes for sneaking over there, from climbing along rigging to diguising as a crew member and simply walking over. Adrian opts to take the high road, climbing a mast and walking a swaying line high above. How the other two get over is up to them.
Once again he would scan the compound for and once again he would relay the layout to the squad before Ryuu was able to join their ranks. "So what's the plan there seems to be more guards west then east." Shizuo would be waiting for further orders before he started to build chakra to defend him and to launch attacks as well. Shizuo would be enjoying his tracking abilities and he would be thinking to himself that he has become stronger even though his bloodline is thin.
Once again he would scan the compound for and once again he would relay the layout to the squad before Ryuu was able to join their ranks. "So what's the plan there seems to be more guards west then east." Shizuo would be waiting for further orders before he started to build chakra to defend him and to launch attacks as well. Shizuo would be enjoying his tracking abilities and he would be thinking to himself that he has become stronger even though his bloodline is thin. However the group would now be trying to get over to the open door without being caught and thus he would enter stealth mode as he tried to go into hiding. (Repose)
Ryuu nods as Noab suggest he stay below while the check if it's safe to board. When the guard's down Ryuu joins them at Noab's signal. He feels a little better but he still has to work off the nausea before he can get into action. Ryuu taps Zuo on the shoulder "Uh looks like he's headed for that tower." He points. Ryuu decides that each one of them would have to find their own way over. He decides to try and follow Noab's route but he's still a little wobbly and ends up drawing some attention to himself. "Oh…did I do something wrong?"
Adrian feels the tremors in the rope he's walking and glances back incredulously at Ryuunosuke. "E'gads, lad, have you no sense?! You were seasick not five minutes ago and now you're trying to walk a slackrope ten yards above the deck?" o.O; A shout comes from down below, one of the crew pointing up at them. Shizuo's stealthiness proves to be lacking as well, as he is spotted from one of the higher perches in the fortress. "Well that's torn it," Adrian mutters, drawing his fencing saber. "Senju-san, you may wish to get a good hold on that rope."
The reason for Adrian's recommendation becomes clear a moment later when the keen blade slices through the rope, sending Adrian swinging downward into the midst of the foes. The sword which was once the terror of pirates along the coast of the Land of Fire sings its deadly song once more, inflicting crippling wounds on the genin-level rogues. Shizuo and Ryuunosuke soon find themselves beset by a few opponents each as well, weilding kunai and basic elemental techniques.
After getting spotted he would sigh before allowing himself to fall from the wall he would shifted for a moment as he tapped his foot onto the ground before dashing into action. "Well it appears I have to clean this mess up since I was the reason we got caught after all." Shizuo would start off with three Juuken strikes aiming at three of the guards this strikes we well placed at the pit of the stomach it they hit the guards soon found themselves without air.
Ryuu blinks at Adrian "I'm fine…I can barely feel the waves rocking back and forth in a perpetual motion…left and right…up and down…oh man." he starts to get a bit sick once again. "Oh this was a bad idea after all." he says looking down at the deck below. It looked a little distorted but he could see that they've been spotted. Ryuu then barely catches Adrian's advice. "Hold on the what?" then the robe snips and Ryuu instinctively grabs on and flies over the deck below. That just made him feel worse. He lands on the deck below surrounded by foes. Ryuu tries to focus and concentrate some chakra. "Uh…ok…wow. All of you just …stay…" he gags a bit and stumbles forward. "I'm ok…I'm ok." Ryuu then arms himself with his trench knives. He starts off a bit sloppy but he actually manages to go straighten up and deliver some devastating attacks. With wind chakra augmenting his blades he slashes at every hostile that got close enough.
Shizuo's opponents find themselves quickly incapacitated by his swift strikes. They hit the deck in crumpled heaps, clutching their midriffs. x.x Ryuunosuke doesn't fare quite so well. Two of his foes go down with heavy gashes, but a third manages to dodge and fires back with a small ball of flame. >P Meanwhile, the commotion draws attention from below decks…specifically, from somebody dangerous enough to lead this ragtag band. The door of the central tower slams open, and a burly man with a long beard steps out. "Arr, so they've sent steel rather than coinage to retrieve their geegaw, have they? I'll dump it into the deep before you lot can lay hands on it!" Adrian sweeps his sword in a downwards arc, flicking drops of blood from it. "You can surrender now and face trial for your theft, or resist and be slain as enemies. I'll give you no better bargain for the safe return of the device, precious though our client seems to regard it." The rogue captain gives a barking laugh. "Don't talk so sure of yourself, pretty boy!"
The captain draws a wicked-looking cutlass and charges at Adrian. The air soon rings with the sounds of sword upon sword as they duel, the enemy hacking and bludgeoning fiercely, Adrian parrying and sidestepping deftly. Several others come out from below decks as well. A couple of somewhat more competent-looking ninja, probably lieutenants of the gang, assault Shizuo with a chain-scythe and a spear. Two more grunts also come forward to join Ryuunosuke's remaining opponent.
Shizuo would dashed forward smirking as the strike was coming in, as simple sway would as closed the distance between the two. "Hey there well come to the thirty two palms." Striking the bandit thirty two times before swaying again this time dodging the spear tossed his way lucky for the bandit that Shizuo moved him out of the line of fire before giving him a little head-butt before shifting about to a woman bandit holding a spear linked with a chain. "Well this is the first time I seen a bandit that I didn't want to hurt but kiss." winking towards her he would dip into a Juuken Stance "too bad you don't feel the same way though."
Ryuu thought he was doing pretty well given the circumstances until he felt the heat of a fire ball at his back. He leaps quickly out of the way. He landed against the railing of the ship and heard the soft roar of the see below him. Ryuu grimaces and hunches over. "….bleh." he says softly as two more shinobi join his remaining opponent. That makes three against one. Ryuu liked thosee odds, under the condition that he wasn't sick to his stomach. Still he managed to return to his feet and grin. He draws back a fist and channels his chakra. The young Senju then releases a powerful cyclone with one punch. In the chaos of the storm he moved to take out one of his opponents with a swipe of his fist. All the while he can hear the sounds of scandalous swashbuckling over by the tower. "The longboat is that?"
The rogue whom Shizuo targets manages to display an impressive propensity for dodging the thirty-two palms. "Hah! Now you meet the one bla — owpf!" All that to be caught by a headbutt. x.x The woman scowls at Shizuo. "No, I don't, especially considering you just busted my husband's lip!" >P She flings the weighted end of her chain to try and wrap it around Shizuo's arm, then stabs at him. Over at Ryuunosuke's fight, one of his opponents is sent spinning and crashes into a pile of crates. The other punch is blocked though, and retaliated against with a knee aimed at the stomach while the fire-user starts welling up a large amount of chakra.
Adrian continues parrying the enemy captain's strikes with unenthused calculation. "Your swordsmanship is above average for a ninja, sir, but still rather lacking. Were this not the most stimulating match I've been able to have in years, I would have ended it several times already." The captain gives a sour smirk. "For a ninja, huh? Yeah, I guess ninja don't need to be perfect swordsmen when we can do stuff like THIS!" His sword suddenly blazes with lightning chakra as he takes a strong swipe. Realizing that his prized saber would not hold up against such an attack, Adrian quickly bends over backwards to avoid it and scrambles away. "Ah, you have my undivided attention now." e.e;
Shizuo would blush slightly before smirked as he blocked the first attacked and dashed towards the group before another subtle sway allowed him to be face to face with her. "Sorry I guess I have no other choice but to put you down like the rest." Shaking his head he strike at her with the thirty two palms before twisting about and striking at her with a twist palm strike to the jaw to knock her out. Shizuo could notice that Adrain battle was going south and Ryuu just needed help so once he finished up here he darted over to aid Ryuu.
Ryuu manages to blow black the knee to his gut with a wind block which he then used to turn the man's force against him then finishes the blow with a blow to the sternum. His fist was augmented with his wind chakra. My head's clearing up finally. And…." he turns around to look at the fire user and flourishes into a roundhouse kick which he then uses to unbalance the man and finish him off with a slash of his trench knives. He extended the blade with wind chakra to make the wound deeper and possible fatal.
The battle goes well for the Konoha nin. Shizuo manages to clock the remaining lieutenant, putting her down for the count, and Ryuunosuke's opponents are blown away by his wind strikes. The fire-user, comically, belches out a large gout of flame up into the air after being hit by Ryuunosuke's kick. x.x Finally, Adrian, who has been tumbling this way and that to avoid the lightning-infused cutlass, spots an opening when his opponent raises his sword high for a downward chop, not realizing how much he's slowed down from repeatedly swinging the heavy blade. Adrian slides between the rogue captain's widespread legs and stabs backwards, scoring a critical wound to the man's liver. x.x Afterward, the team is able to find the targeted gadget stowed away in the hold, and what members of the rogue crew are still alive are secured for trial and interrogation. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
