Starring:
Date: January 4, 2016
Summary:
Hige and his team have their first mission as ANBU.
"Messy Merchant Massacre"
Land of Fire
The time had finally come. All that awesome off screen training in stealth and killing had lead up to this point. The first official mission for Hige's ANBU team. Notice had gone out, in code of course, to meet at a pre-designated location about a mile outside of the Village, well off the beaten path in the forest, and to come prepared. It could be days. No real details were given however.
Hige, for now known as Yasei, is there, dressed in standard ANBU gear minus the sword. He doesn't use them. His claws are as sharp as any blades. His mask unsurprisingly faintly resembles that of a wolf though the definition is left purposefully vague. Konsho, known now as Shiawase (hey, he's the one that asked for it!), was there as well though his fur dyed. No longer dark blue, his coat including his underbelly was a dark black, making him appear as almost a void. A happy void.
The weather is overcast and the hour is early morning. The sun is above the horizon though the clouds keep it from view. The chance of rain…well, it's there, but currently nothing falls.
Kurome is fairly sure that she totally botched up when it came to the stealth training. And also the killing training… She's a bit more geared for destruction at this point, though the woman also can help render the enemy useless if her teammates feel like backing her up a bit. Kurome took on the name Shiki, likely having picked the name from out of a hat or something… She managed to suit herself up in ANBU gear with mask and … no sword. Because she just doesn't, okay?! She shows up at the assigned meeting place, her own mask that of a rat/mouse. "So… what's the mission?" she wonders.
Adorned in standard ANBU gear as well, Hyuuga Yasuo, known as Akumu for now, arrives at the designated meeting area. The name, meaning Nightmare, is likely chosen for its correlation to what he was labeled in the underground lab he was held in, Project Akumu. His own mask resembles a tiger, though its colors are simply black and white rather than the other colors such as red that other ANBU might have tied into theirs. His incredibly long hair flares out as normal, covering part of the mask with its spikes.
Appearing just after Kurome, he nods to both her and Hige in greeting and then looks to Hige. Since she asked the question he would have, he simply remains quiet and awaits and answer.
As the others arrive Konsho gives them a normal, happy "Hiiii!" Hige just remains standing there, arms crossed over his chest, the mask hiding all but the feral eyes beyond. In an effort to assist with what the mask is for, even his hair has been somewhat tamed down with some sort of magic…probably gel…don't ask. A nod is given to the others as they arrive before he goes over the mission details. "A merchant and his family are going to be traveling through part of the Land of Fire on their way to the Land of Wind. This merchant has long been suspected and only recently confirmed of smuggling and selling children as slaves. We are to attack the convoy and make it look like raiders hit it. No survivors. Questions?"
Kurome nods slowly when she hears the mission and says, "This… is going to be interesting…" How the heck are they going to make this look like bandits did it? Well, maybe they should shove everyone off a cliff or something? Or maybe make it look like her flames are from raiders burning the bodies? Who knows! Either way, she doesn't have any questions. Just doubts! c.c;
Hearing the details of the mission, Yasuo remains silent for a bit while pondering. Making it look like a bandit hit shouldn't be too difficult, though maybe they should have all brought swords along for this in that case. "When you say no survivors, I assume that includes any 'cargo' he happens to be transporting, correct?" he asks, no sign of wavering in his voice, just a question for clarification.
RP: Hige transforms into KONSHO.
COMBAT: Hige focuses 6226 stamina to turn it into 8000 usable chakra!
"They aren't supposed to be transporting any goods on this trip. It should only be his family and guards. But in the instance that there is living cargo then yes, that includes them. Our involvement can't be known." Hige doesn't seem unsettled by this idea although Konsho doesn't seem exactly /happy/ about it. So much for his nickname. "We're going to move fast and hard. A small stash of common weapons and fire lightning instruments has been set up for us by another team if we need it to make things look correct. Let's go." With that he turns and starts into the tree tops, Konsho bringing up the rear as per usual. They move fast. Perhaps not Inuzuka top speed by pretty dang close!
COMBAT: Kurome focuses 6878 stamina to turn it into 8888 usable chakra!
Kurome nods slowly, frowning behind her mask. "Understood," she says. The woman follows after Hige, trying to move quickly. She's probably not ask fast as Hige (or Yasuo?), but she's decently speedy. Certainly enough to be sorta dangerous when it comes to hand-to-hand fighting. As they travel, her eyes go from black to a pale red so that she can keep an eye out for anything unexpected that might be traveling nearby. Then again, with Yasuo here, she probably doesn't need to do that!
COMBAT: Yasuo focuses 4561 stamina to turn it into 6000 usable chakra!
RP: Yasuo transforms into BYAKUGAN-I.
Yasuo nods simply to that response. It's about what he'd expected. He notes the bit about the weapons and brings his hands into a seal to activate his lowest level of Byakugan to keep an eye out while they're on the move. A brief glance is given toward Kurome as he somewhat wonders about her take on killing all of them, but no time for that right now. He takes off with them, being sure not to leave Kurome behind as they race toward their targets.
Yasei travels fast and hard, expecting his team to keep up since they are the best of the best. Or getting there. Otherwise they wouldn't be on the team. Still, despite that speed, it takes them nearly all day to reach the border, especially since they stop every few hours for a short break. Now that they're in place they can see where the shindig will be going down.
RPCOMBAT: Hige defends against with a INUZUKA-SENSES-II…61
Now the sun sets though through the thick clouds only the slowly darkening state gives any hint. The four are behind a tree line, on the other side of which is a wide dirt road that seems to be at least semi-well used. Yet with the threatening weather it's currently empty. The other side continues more forest another ten feet or so beyond the road, leading to a good place for an ambush. It'll also be expected.
"If they're on schedule they'll be here within thirty minutes. Keep your senses open. You two stay here, Konsho and I will take the other side. Wait for my signal before attacking." And then he's gone, moved off to the other side of the road and the trees beyond.
RP: Kurome transforms into SHARINGAN-III-MASTERED.
RPCOMBAT: Kurome defends against with a PERCEPTION-II…41
Kurome - Umm… Shiki… - nods a bit to Yasei when he says that he'll be moving in first. Her eyes take in what's going on near the road, hoping that nothing bad happens to the team leader »; That'd be bad. Though she knows that Hige is strong, and she and Yasuo would notice if bad things were happening! So she just sort of …. sits tight and waits for the signal. They trained for this!
RPCOMBAT: Yasuo defends against with a BYAKUGAN-PERCEPTION-II…41
Standing in his place, Akumu nods to Yasei about them moving in first. Since he can just watch to see what happens, he keeps an eye out with his Byakugan just in case things go south. It is a possibility that this guy hired someone like a rogue ninja or something to protect him, after all. Still, nothing to do now but sit and wait as they were told.
Time passes and the world continues to darken around the shinobi as they wait. And then it happens. Trundling down the road is a wagon with an escort around it and the house seal of the merchant they're waiting for. No signal comes as they close in on where the shinobi are, at least not until they start to pass. Only then does the dying light reflect off something metal in three quick successive flashes.
Yasei and Shiawase attack, knives being used instead of kunai as something that may be had by bandits. It may seem small, but minor details can give things away. The pup using his powerful crushing jaws to bite down on a neck, causing a strangling sound to emerge.
COMBAT: Hige attacks target 1 with SHARP with a roll of: 35
COMBAT: Hige attacks target 1 with SHARP with a roll of: 37
COMBAT: Hige attacks target 1 with SHARP with a roll of: 34
Oh, there we go! Time to attack! What the heck should she do… :| Shiki decides that she has to improvise or something. The woman just sort of ends up dashing into the fray, aiming punches and kicks. Also, she uses a random knife that she picked up from the small supply stash so that she could do something other than punch and kick. Yeah, she's not very good at this, really. It's a wonder she passed that initial training regimen.
COMBAT: Kurome attacks target 1 with PHYSICAL with a roll of: 20
COMBAT: Kurome attacks target 1 with PHYSICAL with a roll of: 27
COMBAT: Kurome attacks target 1 with SHARP with a roll of: 23
Noticing the signal, Yasuo moves into the fray as well. Since his more powerful jutsu would cause alert, he uses simple ones but aims for vital areas. What would look like simple finger pokes are aimed to wreak havoc upon the men they are aimed at. Of course, he'll have to stab them or something afterward to make sure it looks like a regular bandit killed them.
COMBAT: Yasuo attacks target 1 with JUUKEN-STRIKE with a roll of: 38
COMBAT: Yasuo attacks target 1 with JUUKEN-STRIKE with a roll of: 33
COMBAT: Yasuo attacks target 1 with JUUKEN-STRIKE with a roll of: 33
Despite the preperation the guards had in going to the point of possible ambush, they seemed to be highly unprepared for such a skilled attack. A cry of surprise goes up and weapons are drawn, but for many it's too little too late as a number are taken down by the shinobi within the blink of an eye. Those that remain do attack however while the carriage driver whips the horses into a gallop, leaving many of the guards behind while only a few hopped on to help guard the carriage itself. "Akumu, Shiki, the carriage," Yasei says, sending them after the carriage while he and the wolf remain behind to take care of the remaining guards. Of course chasing isn't so easy as a number of guards swing weapons, albeit poorly, towards the shinobi.
[NPC System]: Guards roll(s) Attack vs Shiki from 20 to 60 and get(s) a 52. - Rolled by: Hige
[NPC System]: Guards roll(s) Attack vs Shiki from 20 to 60 and get(s) a 29. - Rolled by: Hige
RP: Kurome transforms into SHARINGAN-III.
RPCOMBAT: Kurome defends against with a PREDICTIVE-DODGE…60
RPCOMBAT: Kurome defends against with a DODGE…41
COMBAT: Kurome attacks target 1 with FALSE-DEATH-TECHNIQUE with a roll of: 53
COMBAT: Kurome attacks target 2 with FALSE-DEATH-TECHNIQUE with a roll of: 61
COMBAT: Kurome attacks target 3 with FALSE-DEATH-TECHNIQUE with a roll of: 70
COMBAT: Kurome attacks target 4 with FALSE-DEATH-TECHNIQUE with a roll of: 55
COMBAT: Kurome attacks target 5 with FALSE-DEATH-TECHNIQUE with a roll of: 57
Shiki nods lightly to Yasei, dashing off to try and follow the carriage. Her sharingan shift from the pale red to a bright red with three Tomoe interrupting the color. She would make a few handseals, and then the bandits would notice death raining upon them in the form of fire. Sorta like a volcano spewed out all of its lava right onto the cartful of bandits! A pleasant way to die, right? This hopefully lets Shiki and Akumu catch up to the cart so they can take care of the guards and driver and whoever else is inside.
[NPC System]: Guards roll(s) Attack vs Akumu from 20 to 60 and get(s) a 23. - Rolled by: Hige
[NPC System]: Guards roll(s) Attack vs Akumu from 20 to 60 and get(s) a 26. - Rolled by: Hige
RPCOMBAT: Yasuo defends against with a JUUKEN-DODGE…32
RPCOMBAT: Yasuo defends against with a JUUKEN-DODGE…34
Just as Yasuo is pondering how to slow the caravan down while weaving in his pace toward the caravan he and Shiki both dash toward, Shiki seems to have quite a good plan for it. Since she's taking care of stopping them, his first action is to try and make sure they can't try to get away again. In a display of a jutsu even Kurome hasn't seen him use yet, he reaches out, stretching his arm well beyond normal forward to latch onto the wagon and swing himself over it to aim a knife he draws from a pouch directly at the back of the throat of the driver to drive it in before yanking it out and going to slash the throats of two of the others.
COMBAT: Yasuo attacks target 1 with SHARP with a roll of: 29
COMBAT: Yasuo attacks target 1 with SHARP with a roll of: 23
COMBAT: Yasuo attacks target 1 with SHARP with a roll of: 22
Oh sure you can kill the driver but that doesn't stop the already moving horses! They're afraid of the scent of blood now and aren't about to stop on their own. Two of the guards fall off, prey to Kurome's genjutsu though still technically alive. Akumu's knives find marks on the other two guards as well as the driver, but again the carriage still moves at a high speed, though now with no one to hold rein it back the horses only increase in speed. Shouts and curses come from inside the carriage at the major jostling.
COMBAT: Kurome attacks target 1 with FALSE-DEATH-TECHNIQUE with a roll of: 58
COMBAT: Kurome attacks target 2 with FALSE-DEATH-TECHNIQUE with a roll of: 50
COMBAT: Kurome attacks target 3 with FALSE-DEATH-TECHNIQUE with a roll of: 51
COMBAT: Kurome attacks target 4 with FALSE-DEATH-TECHNIQUE with a roll of: 62
Shiki whoops. Forgot the horses… Probably because she's focusing more on the bandits that seemed intent on knocking her and Akumu out. But now that /they're/ out of the way, she makes sure to shift her genjutsu to the horses! And maybe the loud-mouths within the cart if she can. Hopefully the horses don't get run over… c.c; Also, she totally saw Yasuo do that odd action is slow-mo thanks to the Sharingan, and she had to admit it was effective if not creepy.
While Shiki Genjutsu the horses, Yasuo pulls back on the reins in hopes to fully bring them to a stop. Knowing that's not enough, however, he reaches down to open the door of the carriage and swing himself into the carriage with that already bloody knife aimed at those inside, which he spied from above with his Byakugan after taking care of the others.
COMBAT: Yasuo attacks target 1 with SHARP with a roll of: 25
COMBAT: Yasuo attacks target 1 with SHARP with a roll of: 30
COMBAT: Yasuo attacks target 1 with SHARP with a roll of: 27
The horses don't know what's going on with the genjutsu but if anything it just sends them into more of a frenzy. While Akumu tries to pull on the reins it does nothing. If it weren't for the sturdy build of the harness system the horses would probably be going in different directions. Instead they run and stagger around as they try to get away before they finish dying.
More shouts would come then as the door opens and Akumu gets inside with the knife. Inside the carriage is a man, the merchant, as well as a woman about his age and a younger male in his late teens. "This is an outrage! Do you know who I am! You will be hunted down for these atrocities!"
"Maybe you'll be able to see it done from the afterlife," a dark voice rings out from behind the mask as Yasuo looks to the man and then the other two. Without hesitation he lashes out with the knife, going to cut each of their throats. "Suppose we should actually take some of their things and his money pouches so it truly looks like this was a robbery," he muses as he strikes, rather unaffected by all this somehow.
Shiki grumbles just a bit when the horses don't seem to stop when the genjutsu is on them. With this keeping up, she may as well just kill them… -.-; The ANBU initiate tries to think a bit. How to kill horses… 101..? Was there a class on that she missed? Well, regardless, she just tries to genjutsu the horses more to try and keep them from dashing forward even more. Whether or not this works, the horses are likely to be exhausted after her last attempt, so she would turn her no-longer-red gaze on the passengers that Yasuo is dealing with.
COMBAT: Kurome attacks target 1 with BINDING-ILLUSION with a roll of: 32
COMBAT: Kurome attacks target 1 with BINDING-ILLUSION with a roll of: 30
The merchant and his family weren't fighters. They just had big mouths. As such they fall under Akumu's knife easily enough. The horses start to froth at the mouth at the genjutsu and finally slow down some but now they're just starting to walk in random directions but are restricted by the harness. Yasei reappears, blood in various spots yet he's a lot less bloody than normal. A sword is in his hand, bloodied from where he'd gone through to make the deaths look like bandits. "Take anything of value. We'll leave it at a nearby village." He moves forward and with a quick movement cuts down the horses. "Clean up whatever's left and make sure the rest of these guards are dead."
Looking over his shoulder to where Hige is, Yasuo nods and starts to gather up some of the target's things, including his money pouch. He then looks around through his Byakugan to be sure all the guards and such have truly perished per instruction. Can't be leaving any unwanted trace behind, after all.
Kurome nods to Hige and Yasuo at their orders/suggestions and starts poking around to grab whatever jewelry and trinkets might be on people. You know… After she makes sure they're dead. Kurome would then glance up to Yasuo and/or Hige. "That everything?" she wonders, unable to see/sense as much as the other two. Seeing slow-motion stuff doesn't exactly help when the bodies don't move…
Once the deaths were assured and the team quickly went over to make sure there were sufficient stab wounds to make it look like bandits, Yasei and pup would lead the others away. Not back towards Konoha yet. Instead they would reach a village on the way to the Land of Wind where they'd hide the valuable items where they'd be easily found by a villager. Only then would they return to Konoha, stopping in the same spot they'd originally met as the sun begins to rise once again. "Well done team. I'm fairly certain I don't need to remind you this is off the books. It never happened. If you have any issues find me immediately. You are dismissed."
