Starring:
Date: April 11, 2012
Summary:
Ryo is delivering a negotation letter for a merchant. Daomi is on a mission to make sure it does not arrive.
"Neither Snow Nor Rain Nor Heat Nor Spider Bite"
Mountain Pass
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The narrow winding road descends into a valley between to jagged mountainous peaks. The road is well worn, but relatively smooth except for a few ruts are carved into the lower parts of the road where carts had passed during the rainy season and the tracks had dried. Occasionally, a farmhouse could be spotted somewhere in the distance along with an open meadow for the grazing of livestock. Towards the east, you can see the terrain begins to seem to become less mountainous, though to the west, the peaks tower above the landscape.
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Contents:
It is near noon as Ryo moves across the mountain pass. He was heading towards Fort Kyuusen. The boy is moving on foot and with some fairly decent speed. He had rested up earlier in the day before he hit the neutral zone. He was transporting a letter from one of the more successful merchants in the Land of Fire. He knew it was some sort of buisiness venture, though he was unsure exactly what was riding on it. He had little idea that the letter was actually a negotation to steal buisiness from the Land of Water and replace it with goods from the Land of Fire.
His eyes look up towards the sun as he runs. A little longer and he would be able to see the fort in the distance. He was making good time. "A little further and I'll be able to relax a bit. Nothing like visiting a foreign land."
Not surprising or maybe it was, that the Land of Water would hear about the intent of a wealthy merchant to attempt and take their business. Clearly some one working for the merchant was double dipping. Working for both sides to gain as much profit as possible. Those that are greedy and gain riches in ways that could be viewed as 'wrong' tend to attract followers that are no different from them. In this such instance it worked out for Kirigakure, but instead of simply killing the merchant out right. First…they wanted to deal with the 'messenger'. Breaking a past time well known to some that you should not do.
Unfortunately though, Daomi was tasked with dealing with the messenger. As all others were currently involved in other missions or even dealing with the floods. It was unknown if the messenger was a shinobi, but through sources gathered, they were delivering the letter alone and quickly heading toward Fort Kyuusen. Having been there once before Daomi wasted no time, not that he could and left as soon as he heard the news. Caught a boat and then trekked up to the Mountain pass that lead to the fort.
Once there, the boy deployed his spiders and communicated with those that are in the area. Gathering what information they would share. To what the arachnids have noticed, no one of importance has been this way in days. Leaving Daomi to question if he was too early or too late. That is, until the call of one of his brood goes out. Informing him of a shinobi quickly approaching his way.
Wanting to be done and over with this, Daomi stepped out on to the path, clutched his cane tight in one hand and raised the other one in a gesture for the boy to stop before him.
Everything was going so well as Ryo approached the Fort. That is until a boy stepped out into his way. Ryo came to a quick halt and looked the boy over. "Sorry, but I am on official buisiness. I cannot stop to help you. Please move out of my way." Ryo stated. He had no reason to be mean to this boy. He was not sure who he was at first glance. Then the boy spots the forehead protector around his waist. "Oh.. well, that changes nothing. Please move out of my way." the boy asks nicely. He did not want to fight but if he had to he would. His hand instinctively moves to the hilt of his shin gunto blade.
Eyeing the bald headed boy, that easily looked a few years younger then he, Daomi could only wonder what Konoha would be doing sending out someone so young. It made him quickly compare the two villages and wonder if any took consideration to the saftey of others or just cared about the success of a mission and the money it may bring in. "We're both on official business." lowering his hand and placing it on top of the other one that rested on his cane.
He knew a fight was going to brew. There was no way around it. Two shinobi, both with opposing goals and from constantly warring nations…Daomi shook his head as he focused his chakra before extending it out to the younger childs mind. "What?" He glanced down at his forehead protector, a constant reminder of where he belongs to and a constant headache on top of that. "I see." Titlting his head back up to eye the other and look for the package he is to retrieve, watching the boys hand move toward a weapon of sorts. "Please, we can settle this without violence. Simply say the letter was stolen and be on your way. In no way am I challenging you and in fact, I'm practically harmless."
Ryo did not feel the link take it's place. From the moment Daomi stated it was official business, Ryo knew there was a fight coming. "I am Uchiha Ryo. I refuse to go against my mission. It simply is not in the cards. Once more, please step aside." Now the boy's eyes were filled with the sharingan. He only had two tomoes, but it was enough to read and possibly copy jutsu.
Ryo, unlike Daomi did not wonder if his village would send him into something simply for money. He believed them to pick missions he was suited for. That is with very few exceptions, like the mission where Kuroji and the secondary chuunin leader had died.
"So you're an Uchiha?" Daomi canted his head to the side, watching the eyes change shape and the tomoe appear. Quite impressive for someone so young "So you must know Naru?" It wasn't a question that needed an answer. It would be surprising if an Uchiha within the village didn't know one another. This was simply to see how the boy would respond. "Her and I…" Trailing off, before shaking his head. Another possible bait were Ryo to take it.
There was silence from Daomi as he waited, watched. Trying to catch something off the other that can be used. At the same time, the spiders that were in the area were slowly encroaching on the two and some even burrowing underground. All of this, if concentrated enough, could be witnessed via the sharingan. Then again, even the spiders within Daomi could be spotted. "No, you're right. The cards laid out before us are completely different then what I had hoped. Though I still can't step aside. Not just yet."
"Then let us not waste any more time." Ryo's hand moves from the hilt of his blade to his pocket. He pulls out a folded up shuriken and flicks his wrist. Once the fuuma shuriken is unfolded. The boy tossed it towards Daomi. Then in a single motion he draws the shin gunto from his side and aims a precision slice towards the boy before dashing back. The shuriken was now on its way back towards Daomi. Ryo raises his hand up to catch it.
The boy had mentioned Naru. Ryo did indeed know her. He also knew she excelled in genjutsu. It would be interesting to see what this shinobi was capable of.
Daomi was a bit, stunned by the actions of the Uchiha. The aggressive nature reminding him so much of the Kaguya, but even they had their limits he was sure. To attack someone that was sickly and pale, even wielding a cane without so much as a second thought. It was perplexing to say the least. "…If you insist." Watching the shuriken unfold from within Ryo's grasp only to be quickly hurled in Daomi's direction and quickly followed by the boy advancing himself.
Despite his own skills in genjutsu, when it came down to it. Daomi was slow and had very little stamina for long drawn out battles. So when the attacks came, he was already influencing the other. Fading from one attack, only to be caught by the sword that slashes through his silken kimono and reaches his flesh. Instantly though, the kimono closes back up, but begins to turn red from the blood that still flows. "…" The words were going to come, but there was no need to speak. The child was only interested in combat now.
Wanting to oblige, Daomi raised a hand, instructing his brood to come forth and attack. First by the waves upon waves that came out of their waiting spots and quickly advanced on the child and secondly by the ground opening up near Ryo and webbings spraying forth to try and catch their prey.
Ryo was watching the boy's hands and waiting for a jutsu like some form of element. It surprised him when spiders began to swarm the boy. He felt some pain as they bit him. He was able to dodge and get away from them before they did too much damage to him. As he reached his freedom from the spiders, he moved towards the boy once more. It was almost like Etsu's kikaichu. He pondered if he was faster than the spiders were. Then again if the boy kept them on himself, speed might not matter.
The boy moved to slash at Daomi, attempting to make it the other side of him. Quickly the boy drops his blade and makes some fire style hand signs. He holds his hand to his mouth and blows out a large cloud of embers and smoke. Then he picks up his blade once more and attempts a second, much harder slash on the boy. "Give up and leave. I will not back down."
Daomi exhaled a deep breath, feeling the fatigue of the fight even though it's only just begone. He felt some comfort, in the fact his spiders could and would do most of the fighting for him, but it wasn't going to be enough. Not if he had to do the defending by himself. When the first attack came his way, he attempted at making a clone, but that required letting go of his cane and perhaps losing a balance. So instead he was cut once again. The second attack that came around, he simply drew from his chakra reserves within and faded away, using that extra time to make a clone and quickly regain his balance.
For him to keeup up like this, to retrieve that letter for Kiri's sake, he was going to have to push himself past his normal limits and deep into exhaustion. This time around, he'd spend it focusing, so he'd last a bit longer. Would the boy need a pit stop as well or simply continue on. All of this were factors that would determine the victor of this fight.
Ryo saw the boy fading. He had seen that technique before and now he had seen it with his sharingan. Using his eyes the boy was able to push the genjutsu from his body. This time he sheathed his blade and the hand signs went ahead again. This time as he curled his fingers to his lips a giant fireball moved to engulf Daomi.
Though he was not feeling fatigued at the moment, the boy could see Daomi's chakra was nearly blinding. He had a rather large reserve of it. This boy was a genjutsu user. He probably had zero taijutsu techniques. It was new for Ryo to be able to use his eyes this way. He was enjoying the information.
As if standing on a tightrope and it suddenly being cut from the other side, Daomi instantly felt the chakra he was using as a link be forced out of Ryo's body with ease. "Interesting." That was something he doesn't even think he'd witness Naru do before. Could she do it and just didn't? He would need to see how much she's progressed lately. If she's still able to keep up with him or nearly leaves him in the dust behind.
Still, with the link being cut off, it didn't mean Daomi couldn't defend himself. So when the giant fireball came hurdling his way and collided with his form, it nearly kept going through as the image faded away and Daomi came walking in from another direction, leaning against his cane. Silently he stared at the boy, wondering how much further the child would push, "The letter, please." Raising a hand once again, allowing the spiders to seek out their meal from whichever way they wanted.
There was quite a bit of shock as Daomi continued to fade with the link broken. Was fade really a ninjutsu? The boy had little time to wonder. Now Ryo was moving faster and faster as he evaded the spiders. He did not feel the genjutsu take place again. Soon the boy comes to a halt and and builds his chakra again. "Lets finish this." There was a slight curl in the boy's lips. He was enjoying the fight. Perhaps not as much as a Kaguya, but he had finally found someone that would allow him to practice for Naru.
No response. Daomi shook his head. The two of them seemed relatively equal in combat, though he figured that in most of the matches he was up against. Slowly he continued to approach Ryo, taking one step after the other as if not afraid to confront the child and reach out and take the letter himself. "It's already been decided." The Okumo comes to a stop, lifting his arm up once again, the same way he has all before. Though this time, as the spiders came to seek their prey, there was far more of them. Shadows and waves of them that seemed to appear from every possibly crack and corner. Pouring out of Daomi's mouth and even falling from the sky in an attempt to wrap up the child. After which, the ground opened up and webs shot forth to grab Ryo.
The eyes were watching the technique. Slowly Ryo moves his hand to his pocket. He presses the tip of the fuuma shuriken into his leg and the spiders begin to vanish. "Perhaps your right. It has been decided." The boy then pulls his hand from the pocket and draws the blade. He lunges forward away from the spiders attacking and makes a slash at Daomi's chest. He follows with a cross slash for his arm followed by one more aimed at the crippled boy's legs. His own stamina was starting to go and he needed to end this quickly. The boy was in a similar spot. That much he knew.
The Uchiha was pressing on, but with each attack made, it only met with a fading image of Daomi. "Well.." Raising a free hand to his mouth to cover a yawn he couldn't help but let out. Not from the fight, no. The fight was interesting. The yawn was from his body trying to speed up the boys heart rate and flow more oxygen through his blood stream. "Your movements are slowing. That much is clear." Shifting his body and turning about, "However, if I were to keep up this fight. It would be relying on luck instead of skill and as you can see." Holding the cane up before pressing it back down, "I don't have much luck. You can keep your letter and turn it in. The mission goes to you, but the fight…." Leaving that to linger as his form faded away.
Ryo had no intention of trying to follow the boy. The two were not far off. He might have been right. It probably would have fallen to luck and at best both boys would have been in a near vegatative state. "Phew." There was a bit of sweat forming on his bald head, though in his mind it was more relief. He continues to walk down the path, his sharingan remains active as he moves. Though he would be drained by the time he got to the Fort, he would be safe once inside it's walls.
The boy places a hand into his pocket and feels the letter. He grasps it for a moment before removing his hand from the pocket. Another mission looking like a success. He had a few questions he was going to have to ask Naru. Then the boy starts to ponder where exactly she met him. Was he in the war that she fought in, or was that part of her vacation… Ryo knew so little of those around him.
