Starring:
Date: October 29, 2012
Summary:
Berii is given a C ranked mission and some back up to go investigate strange animal attacks in case things are not what they seem.
"Night of the Beast pt.1"
Small village within the Land of Fire
Another day another dollar, this time it was to take care of an apparent animal scare in an outlying village of the Land of Fire. The pay was insanely high for the job, as the client mentioned it being a large beast and nothing more. No apparent intelligence or anything along those lines. So, off they went. A whole team of two, Berii and Daisuke just happening to be free during the time of the client showing up and requesting the mission.
While Berii should be sent off alone for something like this, her luck with missions that should be easy has always turned out bad. D-ranks often turning out to be C and C's becoming B's. So a Chuunin Senju was added to tag along. "Hmm, awmost thewe, neh?" Berii looks over to Daisuke, just the two of them the client seemed very fearful of actually returning to his village until the beast was dispatched.
"Neve' seen someone so fweaked out by an animal, hnn. Must be some sowta bewe that ate too much o' something. Hehe." Berii's walk was very casual, hands behind her head with a straight legged walk.
Daisuke hadn't been doing much besides training in his secret facility lately and he bets his aunt had suggested him for this. Either way, the red-headed Senju wasn't mad. It was nice to get out and stretch your legs once in awhile. He had every confidence that he and an Uchiha would rock this low ranked mission and make it home without issues.
The trip was mostly quiet, though Daisuke did have some experience with Berii, teaching her a few fire techniques and occasionally trying to scare her off a roof. It was Berii who brings up the fact that they were getting close, 'waking' Daisuke up from his lull as they were walking through the same old scenery so much that he was beginning to zone out. "Hm? Yes it should be close. I guess when the pay is nice they send in the best, huh? Should be a breeze." he says with a smile, turning to Berii. After all, Daisuke had wrestled giant dinosaurs, pandas, and birds, what is another wild beast to the King of beasts?
Daisuke chuckles at Berii's joke and nods his head. "Often times clients who are paying -that- much aren't just scared, they are terrified. It works well for us in the end."
Berii looks Daisuke's way, "Neh, I guess we showd avoid tewing them how easy this is in the end." Berii sighs as they enter the very, dead village. Mostly because everyone was hiding in their homes at the time. The sun was beginning to set, if you're under a monster scare it'd probably be best to avoid creeping around at night. "I guess we knock s-" Berii is quickly cut short by a scratchy but, somehow booming elderly voice.
"AY! Y'must be the ninja Sanji went lerkin' fer! Welcome t'ar humble abode!" If they look they'd spot an old bald man yelling out from the second floor window of an Inn with the word, 'INN' lazily painted on with red paint. The wooden structure not looking to be the most sturdy but, it was obvious this village wasn't doing too well. The money offered for completing this mission may be all they have. "Jus' a minute kiddos!" With that he disappears from the window and… wasn't kidding about the time frame. What should've taken someone a few minutes to perform, the elderly man shows up at inn's entrance about two minutes later. The door creaks open to show a shriveled man, wobbily held up by a wooden stick made to be a cane. "C'mon in! Our future heroes are good to stay fer free, I'd reckon." Toothless grin follows as he gestures for them to come in.
Berii looks to Daisuke and then shrugs, heading towards the building. She really hoped that they wouldn't have to stick around long enough to make use of the room.
Daisuke got the same impression as Berii, wondering just how this village could afford such a price on it's mission tag. He sighs inwardly to himself, already expecting that he won't be making any money off this as his sense of 'right' was kicking in. As they were greeted by an old man, Daisuke looks up at the window where the man was calling them from and offers a smile in greeting. "Yes, that would be us." he says to the man before he disappears into the home/inn and Daisuke takes the opportunity to poke the side of the door frame to see if it is going to fall apart.
"As the man beckons them inside, Daisuke looks appreciative and enters the house first, looking around the place by quickly scanning everything in sight. "I'm thankful for that offer, but we should be done here long before it is time to sleep, so you don't have to put yourself out." he says, clearly not keen on staying the night either.
"Eeeeyeah I'd hope so. Thing is, this beast is a tricky lil feller." The old man mentions as he gestures to some fresh tea, to which Berii waves her hand in dismissal. "Maybe with yer ninja doodads y'can find it nice and quick like but um, have some decent trackers here. Say the trail just cuts off. Can never find where it comes from, an it's too terrifyin to wanna follow when y'do see it!" He nods seeming to speak from experience. "It already got two of our villagers, shame relaly. Good people! A doctor that was strollin by happened to come across them, almost nursed em back to health. Didn't work sadly, looks like they were layin aroun' with them wounds fer too long. So now he's stickin' roun til another attack happens, maybe he can save em he thinks! Since then the beast's been attacking, but, we're all sorts of prepared now so no deaths since with all them.. precautions and what not. Sadly that's all I can tell ya, the attack are so random, can't even tell ya where t'look!"
Berii smiles and then nods, "No wowwies, hnn. We can figuwe it out." Berii thinks over the info, "So, Daisuke-san. How bout we tawk that doctew, neh? Maybe we can gain some info on what we'we deawing with, fwom the wound info."
Daisuke listens to the tale the old man tells, making mental notes of a few things as he does. He also declines the tea, waving a water bottle and saying "I'm good, tea would just make me sleepy." After the tale, Berii makes a good suggestion and Daisuke says the thanks and farewell to the old man after asking for directions. Soon again, the duo is off heading to the doctor's place to knock on his door and find some things out.
"Hnn, gonna wet you do that. Be whiiite back." Berii slips away just as the doctor opens the door, looking much more well off than the old man. Not from here, as they said. Tall, in great shape, a healthy look and a nice suit. Hair stark white, the rest of his appearance made him appear to be middle aged. He appeared to be, grim, to say the least. "Ah, I heard mention that there was shinobi coming this way." His deep gravely voice gave a hint to the smell rolling out of his room to be tobacco.
"I take it you want to question me young man? I am quite busy so make it quick." He goes over to a desk, a few vials set up, some things over burners all kinds of sciency stuff! Yay science. Anyway, he settles in front of a microscope, adjusting it as he grumbles, "Don't mind me working, I'm listening."
Daisuke blinks as Berii suddenly leaves him alone to deal with the doctor, not something he was exactly comfortable with. "Ah er yeah, I'm from Konoha, I'll be quick as to not waste your time." he says as he walks inside and looks around at all the science stuff. "I'm here for your analysis on the wounds suffered by the villagers you found. If you know what kind of beast this is it will make the hunt all that much easier." he explains, before waiting for an answer from the doctor.
"Yukinari Okido, Doctor Yukinari Okido." Is grunted out as he makes a few more adjustments to the focus. "Hmm. Well, not much more helpful than these villagers. All the evidence point to this being a large bear, a particularly grumpy one." He sighs, whatever he was looking at doesn't seem to help much. "The cuts in the body appeared to be claw marks, which makes sense because of… what I saw running off recently. I tried to avoid telling the villagers to stop them from panicking but, word is getting around and it's not doing the people much good." He leans back.
"I stuck around not to just heal whoever was its next victim. No, I wanted to figure out what /really/ was assaulting this village. That was… no simple big bear. As much as the clues I've picked up are telling me that it was exactly that. I know I saw a demon. Insanely shaggy, saber like teeth… eyes that burned like fire." He turns around.
Fingers laced and rests under her chin. "Konoha ninja. I trust you are very capable but, this may be something you'd want to turn away from. Its presence alone is enough to stop people in their tracks out of sheer fear. I wouldn't be surprised if it came out of the depths of hell themself." He laughs, and lets off a stressed sigh, "As ridiculous as that sounds. As a man of science. I'd like to think, that was not the case."
The turns back to his work. "I take it you won't heed my advice and leave though. So, have at it young man."
Daisuke listens as the doctor speaks, adding new information to his mental list of notes. A bear, a saber-bear, a demonic saber-bear, maybe it is also human? Daisuke's manga obsession kicks in a bit and forms this crazy mental image in his head which just motivates him to move faster. "I will be fine, as will my partner. The client is paying well and they got some of our best. Could you let me know what direction you saw the creature run off in before I go?" Daisuke asks the doctor, ready to leave and meet up with Berii again.
"Hmph. Well if you need anything else, I'll most likely be here. You'll be the first to know if I find anything else out." Leaning back, he points out his window, "Headed that way, it's why I chose this room. The window is looking out directly where I saw it run out, so I'm on look out you could say." Okido chuckles and when Daisuke heads out the door is instantly locked along with some incoherent grumbling.
"Heya, Dai." Berii pops back up, looking more bothered than anything. "Hope you got something usefew. I tawked to someone who was attacked. I think he's… wost it." Berii points to her head, "Didn't give me much of anythin' Appewentwy it's a supew beaw though, hnn." Well at least that matched up. Berii would listen to what Daisuke had to say as they headed back out, heads poking out to get a glance at the two ninja. Berii leaves the next move to the Chuunin.
Daisuke thanks the doctor and turns to leave only to find Berii again, giving her an eye. "The doctor confirmed that and went a few steps further, large hairy bear with long teeth and flaming eyes. Demonic, almost, which is nice for me." he says as he cracks his knuckles. "He said the bear went off into the woods in the direction the doctor's window is facing. From all the warnings he gave, he certainly doesn't mind being in the direct path of the bear. Shall we go take an evening stroll in the forest?" he says as he wanders over around the structure towards the forest.
"I wouldn't mind no'mawy but, when you add demon beaw. This stwoll doesn't seem to gweat." Berii pouts as they head towards the forest, surely she wasn't buying this whole demon bear nonsense. "Neh… /why/ is that nice fo' you? You have some histowy with beaws fwom hewl?" The Uchiha herseld doesn't seem too eager to go in as the forest line gets thicker, slowly shifting so that Daisuke completely took the lead. Daisuke may pick up on large paw prints, from something quite heavy. Very heavy, to make such an indentation on more or less solid ground. If he follows he'd find that they eventually just disappear! Yes, Demonic Ghost Bears seem to be their target of choice today.
"Not exactly, but you don't have to worry about that. I really don't want to stay in that depressing Inn so I'm super pumped to get this over with in one shot. Therefore, you may see some odd things." Daisuke says as he pats Berii on the head. He halts their walk as he spots the footprints, pointing at them for Berii to see. He also notices that eventually they just stop. "Hmn." he says, looking up into the trees and around the area of forest. "What do you think? My suggestions are a little radical and I could use some potentially common sense as to why deep footprints in such solid ground just vanish." As he waits for Berii's answer he summons a perfect Shadow clone of himself to send out in the direction the paw prints were headed, ordering a complete scan of the area in a circular radius. At least if there was a giant bear he can leap out of the dark woods at a clone.
Berii looks up to the hand patting her on the head with a scowl but, makes no comment. "Odd things?" Berii looks down to the tracks and instantly her dark eyes shift to a dull red, three tomoe swirling in. "Aye, why is it so big?!" She complains, her foot easily fitting in the tracks with much room to spare and then it just vanishes a little after Daisuke mentions the tracks stopping. The Sharingan analyzes, whatever it can and the rest is left to Berii. The Uchiha can only assume her bizarre thoughts are the same as Daisuke's so she takes a moment to think of something logical. "I have, two suggestions. Atsuwo-sensei can combine with Taisen into a giant two headed dog… awot biggew than this but, who says it can't be smawwer, neh?" That doesn't explain why it just disappes though, she could assume they canceled the transformation and took to the trees, so she leaps into the air and lands but, she doesn't see much hints in the trees above of someones/things leaping through then.
"Hnn, nope. Second one is something I heawed of… peopwe can summon powe'fuw giant cweatuwes. I dunno how twue that is though, neve' saw it. But, I guess I don't eve' see them because they can appawently just pop up and disappeaw. Wike this." Berii points to where the tracks end.
"I was thinking more of a were-bear type creature. One of the villagers perhaps. It's fairly common in typical horror who-dun-it mang-…" Daisuke says before clearing his throat. "stories… in books…book stories." He regains his composure as his clone continues to look around the forest. "My reasoning is similar to yours and both of your suggestions. Like Atsuro changing into a wolf and back, his weight changes and this solid ground does not leave foot prints for regular humans." he says, tapping the ground with his foot. "Now here is something that has been bugging me. Villagers were attacked and left laying on the ground close enough to the village buildings that Doctor Okido was able to find them and attempt to treat their wounds. There are no drag marks so they were either carried, or attacked right there. A normal beast wouldn't leave dying prey, they would eat or take it back to their cave or home. The doctor says he saw the beast run off into the forest, and gave enough of a description that he had to be pretty close, but why would the beast run away from the doctor when it had just killed two villagers?"
Berii had, never questioned that. "Huh." Her Sharingan gains color as she takes a closer look at it all, no trace of drag marks at all. "Huh. Eh, wew they did say he's a doctow. Maybe he just, faiwed to mention he's a medic-nin? Pwobabwy did something to at weast fweak it out, neh?" Berii looks around there didn't really seem to be much to go on, and the clone would just continue to go on out until it couldn't any more without anything of interest.
"Anothew odd thing." Berii looks at the tracks. "Unwess they just stood thew and took the attack, hnn… No sign of the beaw stwuggwing to get them. But… I guess, maybe they wewe too scawed?" Berii looks back to the inn in the distance, it looked like there was someone in the window in the distance but, the window was so small from this distance it was hard to tell. Maybe the doctor was making sure they were alright.
"Hnn, doesn't seem to be much ewse to go off of. Did the cwone find anything?" It may be best to poke around the village more the search out here just made things more confusing.
Daisuke releases the clone and shakes his head. "Nothing, not even a broken branch. This is all very suspicious." he says as he follows Berii's gaze towards the Inn and the shadowy figure in the window. "As spooky as it is, maybe our doctor is a mad doctor. His room is filled with vials and science things and he was really intently staring at his microscope. What if he knows something else? Oh man, what if he is the beast!" Daisuke's imagination carries him away a bit but he returns to normal and clears his throat. "We should stake out his place for the night, from the branches. His window is large enough that we can see in, and we can sleep in shifts. Let's go."
