Starring:
Date: January 2, 2013
Summary:
A simple food delivery mission turns into a fight with a marauding ninja.
"Gopo Smash"
Jagged Narrow Path [Land of Lightning]
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The narrow path continues up the mountain for some distance, sharp rocks and narrow paths up steep slopes, all dangerous. The distant roar of water can be heard as one of the few waterflows in the area is nearby. To the west, the dangerous trail continues downwards into the distance, boulders and the side of the mountain concealing its exit.
To the north, the path continues upwards, on and on towards the distant peak of the mountain. It is not quite as dangerous as before, and is nothing more then a steep and narrow path, actually covered with dirt and not rocks.
To the east of that trail, the sound of rushing water can be heard, and faint mist is floating down the trail from that direction. It is an easy walk in that direction, it is very rare because it is level, no longer an upward climb. In that direction lies another mountain, the peak rising up just short of the on to the north.
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It's a simple mission this time. Take a cartload of rations to a farming village recently struck by a mudslide and distribute them to the citizens. Of course, at the same time they have to make sure that the supplies are correctly and authoritatively distributed, so they sent a jounin and a chuunin, Jon and Ayumo. That should be plenty to see things through.
The cart winds its way through the mountain passes with the ninja walking alongside it and guiding the mules. "We should be there pretty soon," Jon remarks. "Now might be a good time to review the handout procedure written on the mission slip."
Ayumo would nod in confirmation to Jon, checking the slip of paper with it's info dutifully as told. He was out of the village, which wasn't something he normally did, but he was actually glad to be of assistance. Frowning at the paper, he'd look from it to Jon. "Hey.. uh.. are we.. like.. going to have to actually do this? I mean.. they probably all need help.. are we really gonna have to uh.. stop some from getting resources if they need it? I can sorta understand needing to organize it.. I just feel bad stopping those from needing help to actually get help, yeah?"
Jon chuckles. "That's one of the realities which those in authority have to face, it's impossible to deal with everyone on a case-by-case basis. We can't tell who really is that desperate and who's just scamming for extra, so we have a set of rules to follow that makes things as close to fair as can be without knowing everything about everybody. Sometimes, though, you can rely on the local authorities to help you weed out the — "
Just then there is a rumbling sound from further up the mountainside. It never really is that simple, is it? >.< Missions like that get a montage at best. A wall of mud comes racing down the slope, much like the mudslide which was reported to have wiped out the village's crops. "Get to high ground!" Jon orders. "I'll protect the cart!" Jon forms some handseals, and a multitude of clones appear. They gather around the cart and — ! Are promptly buried underneath the mudslide. x.x
"Puny ninja!" chortles a voice from above. A stocky, iron-clad man slides down on the last of the mudslide. "Gopo's plan not involve ninja coming to give food to village. Village must go hungry a while longer. Ninja must disappear now!" Gopo, if that's his name, forms some handseals and spews a couple lumps of earth in Ayumo's direction.
Ayumo would scatter the instant Jon said to, dodging to a tree to get higher up. He'd frown as the jounin got buried.. but then again, he was a jounin. So entirely possible that he's ok. As for Gopo.. His attention focused to the man, chakra gathering as his eyes turned a softly glowing blue. Intense, he'd center that chakra and with a clap of his hands towards the lumps of earth flying his way, would shatter them into harmlessness with the concussive force. "Lookit.. whoever you are.. I don't want to hurt you. I'm sorry your friend's plans are going awry.. but it's going to fail.. so.. leave, or you're going to get hurt." Ayumo would pull two kunai, one looked plain, the other was oblong, with a small package tied to it as he'd ready for the fight.
Gopo frowns. "Gopo not scared of puny ninja! Gopo SMASH!" Gopo punches his fist into the mud, then pulls it out with a huge glob of the sticky stuff melded to it. The ball of earth forms spikes as Gopo leaps at Ayumo and swings it down hard at his head.
Ayumo was caught off guard, stumbling back a step, to be smashed by the harden glob of mud, falling to the ground below the tree with a thud. Cursing himself for letting the guy get close, Ayumo would scramble to his feet and move, that first kunai, the one that was regular thrown.. to Gupo's left? Another one, thrown much harder, would hit the first one with a ring of metal on metal. That first kunai would impact either in Gupo, or next to him, the metal kunai exploding on impact to catch the enemy in the concussive force. While the man dealt with that, the hunter did what he knew how to do so well.. go into hiding. He couldn't take too many hits like that and he wasn't going to provide the man the opporunity to try!
Gopo grins at his hapless opponent. "Ha ha! Puny ninja aim like — " *BOOM!* Gopo's armor protects him from the main force of the blast, but it knocks him out of the tree to the ground below. "Owwww! Puny ninja fight dirty!" Gopo picks himself up and looks around. "Where puny ninja go?! Come out and face Gopo!" >(
The flash of light on the edge of a kunai might be the only thing that gives away that throw. Above where Gopo was at, the other kunai that Ayumo had pulled would be seen. A second one striking that first, caused the explosion to happen above Gopo. Within the smoke of the explosion, a sudden dozen nets was launched outward, covering a wide area around Gopo to wrap him up within them. His bow pulled, Ayumo would appear outside of melee range of the enemy, an extra long arrow drawn on an over-pull, an obviously dangerous strike. "Give up, or I will hurt you while you try to get out of the nets, Gopo-san."
Gopo peers upward on hearing more explosions. "Huh? Gah, sun in Gopo's eyes! What that — hey!" Gopo waves his arms as the nets fall over him. "Puny ninja use puny tricks, hah! Not stop Gopo!" Well, he can say that, but all his thrashing is doing little more than entangling him more tightly. e.e "Gopo rip puny nets like…puny tissues! Gopo smash puny ninja!" Even after falling over and rolling into a twisted bundle, Gopo continues shouting threats like this. >.<;
*CRACKOOM!*
A brief hail of dried mud is suddenly blasted upward from the area where the cart is buried. Jon climbs out of the hole, waving away the ozone smell from his expended lightning clones. "Phew. Well, looks like you managed things pretty well up here. Good work. Come help me dig out the cart, the mules are pretty wired." :P
Ayumo would eye Gopo and as he remained stuck, a small nod was given, arrow put away, the bow unstrung and settled into that quiver, he'd do just as Jon asked, getting ready to help with digging the carts out. "Too bad we couldn't talk Gopo into helping us out.. I don't trust my explosive ability to not potentially hurt the carts.."
