Starring:
Kefka (emitter), Hige, Isura, Zankuro, Shugo
Date: May 27, 2016
Summary:
The Storm Brigade strikes again! This time, it’s Konoha (again) that comes to save the day.
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"Storm Brigade - Lightning Upon Fire"
Random Island
The attacks by the Storm Brigade seem to be getting more widespread and random. Their tactic is almost perfect for keeping numbers spread thin because there's no way to tell if a storm is natural or caused by jutsu without going to investigate. This has resulted in some false alarms that would cause shinobi to be sent places just to look around in the mud just in case there might be Storm Brigade members there.
Today's call for help comes from a village on the southwest border of the Land of Fire and Land of Rivers. Since this one is in Konoha territory, it seems it's their turn to look into it. The village began to have severe weather a few days ago, and it has yet to relent. Things have gotten to the point houses are flooding as of when the letter was sent, but, by the time the team arrives, most of the village is now underwater with people clinging to the tops of buildings and trees. Freak storm or mass jutsu, this one's definitely not a false cry.
Hige was starting to get annoyed with this whole Storm Brigade group. He'd been playing nice up until now but it was getting to the point where he was getting ready to start hunting them down. Of course this time they came to him. Or at least his land. Hige gathered up anyone he passed on the way to the gates, excusing them from any other duties they might have been doing and drafting them into helping. Poor folks. The trip would've been quick with Konsho giving a ride if someone needed it.
Once they arrive Hige takes a quick look around with his feral eyes before turning back to his team. "This looks like the Storm Brigade, so be mindful of your surroundings. They are a pain to deal with. Our priority is the people. Get as many as you can and take them out of the flooded area as quickly as possible." There's no room for questions as Hige turns himself and launches away, heading towards a further house with people clinging on it while also looking for the punks causing this mess.
Shugo had no idea why he felt like he was going to die in this mission, or why he suspected that rabid rabbits would be the cause, but he clutched his parasol a bit more tightly in hand as he moved along with those that were gathered for the mission. Dressed in his usual baggy trousers and sleeveless shirt under a black Haori covered with Spider-lilies decorating it loosely to break up the darkness. Keeping his hair pulled back in its messy tail at the back of his head, the lazy faced Nara rode on Konsho's back and leaned against the massive dog to try getting some beauty sleep.
The Nara wasn't going to be completely useless however, keeping one green eye open to quietly watch the trees and scenery as they passed everything by. Rather than being a pest to the annoyed Hige, Shugo would just go along with all of this in his own way, keeping his posture relaxed even as he focused his chakra and maintained his lack of a clear shadow beyond his form.
Zankuro had been one of the last to be recruited, and perhaps the least pleased by the sudden assignment. Sure, it meant dodging another troubling encounter with his sister, but Zankuro couldn't help feeling a frying pan was traded for the fire itself. He held his tongue, nevertheless, and followed behind the others (unless a formation was ever called for).
"Easier-… Said than done, and why do I even bother." The jaded chuunin gets out before shaking his head in exasperation. "I don't know if ya got any experience with the brigade kid, but if its all the same, watch out for flying hoodlums and raining lightning. Trust me… neither of those are good." He said to Shugo, lingering only long enough to make sure his words sink in. Afterwards, the man moves to follow in Hige's wake, ignoring dread spawned by memories of a similiar mission.
Isura on the other hand has been burning with desire to run up against the guy that savagely and effortlessly kicked his butt last time. Wasting no time catching briefly exchanging the information he gathered last time on his powers and abilities that he picked up either case he held a firm perception field to scout his area as they travel and made notes of the group in question. Something about this group made Isura feel a little better about possible contact. Isura surged with chakra but would halt on the transformation for now.
It seems at least one person has learned from previous encounters with these folk. The Inuzuka leading the group didn't,though. As Hige is the first to try to help the villagers get out of the predicament, he is naturally the first one for the Storm to attack. As Hige and Zankuro move in formation to try and help the villagers, the storm suddenly gets a lot stronger over the very house they're trying save, the rain turning into a pillar of water that comes down on top of it, intending to wash the people away and kill them while blasting the Konoha shinobi and trapping them in the water as well.
The perception of the shinobi wouldn't have to work too hard this time, as the familiar black cloaked figure rises from the depths to the center of the flooded island to stand on top of the water. It looks around at the shinobi with amusement, waiting for them to act.
RP: Hige transforms into KONSHO'S-SOUL.
COMBAT: Hige defends against GREAT-WATERFALL(97) attack from Shifty with a INUZUKA-DANGER-SENSE…123
Bah. Stupid Storm Brigade. Hige knew they'd come after him as soon as he moved to help, like they always did. But not acting meant more people dying and he wasn't going to sit around and wait for that. Instead as the storm increases he and his ninken push forward at near impossible speeds. As the water comes crashing down on the house the ground passes just under it in time to avoid the rushing water and grab the people. Hige had one on each shoulder, Konsho had a few on his back. With that done he turns to leave the other two with Konsho, the big wolf dragging them all to dryer places while Hige turns to face the figure. "Where's your buddies? Last time you only sent one he kind of died." Lightning flickers as Hige launches himself forward, lashing out with those lightning imbued claws at the figure.
RP: Shugo transforms into SHADOW-MANTLE.
"I thought we were on a mission, not sparring Hige." Shugo commented to that warning. It was sarcasm of course, but Shugo would at least push from his place on Konsho and slide off the Inuzuka to let him go along with Hige if he so wished. It was while the Nara started hopping roofs that he heard the crashing, splashing sound of the water pouring down and caught sight of the pillar of water that had just tried washing Hige as well as Zankuro away. Shugo would flick through a series of hand seal to build up his chakra while lunging along the roof tops. It wouldn't take long for the tendrils of shadow to extend from Shugo's Haori, the blackness being the Nara's missing shadow wrapped around his red Haori.
Longer and longer, the tendrils grew as the shadow receded from being wrapped around Shugo until the large mass settled beneath Shugo and landed in the water to float on the surface with Shugo stood atop the large creation. Kneeling down and letting his legs sink slightly into his shadowy beast, Shugo would work his hands through several more seals, sending the tentacles out to gather up as many of the villagers as he could while expanding his hold on shadows in the area. He'd not try directly engaging the enemy for the moment, wanting to get the civilians out of not only the storm and flooding… but out of Hige's way.
COMBAT: Zankuro defends against GREAT-WATERFALL(77) attack from Shifty with a SEGMENTED-IRON-DOME…65
COMBAT: Zankuro loses the roll and sustains 1432 damage.
Although Zankuro had expected the attack, it mattered very little in the end. The ball of iron he had prepared for any attack inevitably caved in places under the pressure of so much water. Dazed as he was as well from incidentally turning himself into a human pinball, Zankuro was "sensible" enough to reseal the dome. Now all he had to do was figure out how to reach the surface…
and to stop the world from spinning…
and why everything was growing so dark….
and why was there so much water…
Isura moved swiftly to front lines while swiftly charging up his chakra he could see the destruction that swiftly came upon the group and with a shake of the head he had to act now. Isura bolts passed and lands a few feet away from Zankuro as he swirled with chakra be prepared to unleashed his most powerful and devastating jutsu.
RP: Isura uses B-RANK-CHARGE.
COMBAT: Shifty defends against LIGHTNING-CLAW-II(99) attack from Hige with a CHAKRA-DODGE-IV…107
Well, well! It looks like Konoha came to play today. Rather than looking frightened with the ease with which Hige managed to avoid that, however, the cloaked figure only seems more amused. His cocky satement even draws a laugh from the figure, as if it's asking 'Did he now?' Which is a good question because, while the shinobi saw that figure disperse, they never actually saw a true sign that he actually died in masses of blood or a corpse. Still, this might be a different person or just the same one that's not playing around as much since it seems a bit stronger.
As Hige and his Ninken charge, the figure crouches on the water then leaps high into the air. It flips around as it moves its hands through a set of seals then points a hand down, sending a burst of lightning down upon the one of the houses with civilians atop it still, causing it to blast outward in a massive wave to try and destroy civlian and shinobi alike.
COMBAT: Hige defends against LIGHTNING-CRASH(98) attack from Shifty with a INUZUKA-DANGER-SENSE…89
COMBAT: Hige loses the roll and sustains 2029 damage.
Hige watches the figure jump into the air to avoid his attack and his gaze flicks to where he's going to attack next. "Rock." The Inuzuka move quickly but just aren't fast enough this time. While they reach the house and manage to knock people off of it into the water they can't avoid the blast themselves. After the explosion they fly back and skid across the water. Hige picks himself back up with a feral grin, eyes alight. "Hey, you're stronger than your buddy. It's about time." He wipes some blood from his chin as lightning returns to his form. It also flickers around Konsho and the two launch themselves at the figure, spinning as they come at the figure form either side with their piercing attack.
COMBAT: Shugo defends against LIGHTNING-CRASH(80) attack from Shifty with a SHADOW-MELD…73
COMBAT: Shugo loses the roll and sustains 1229 damage.
Shugo wasn't expecting to get pleasantly ignored buthewasn'ta expecting it to be as brutal as it turned out to be. Shugo wrapped the shadows around as many of the civilians as he could. That left the Nara as one of the few that wouldn't be protected. A final stretch minimized the damage Shugo would take. Singed and burned as he was, Shugo formed some final seals to send tendrils reaching toward the enemy. It was a cover, Shugo's other tendrils of his creation reaching away with the civilians totry moving them to somewhere safe. That was the extent to what Shugo could do while trying to fall back.
COMBAT: Zankuro defends against LIGHTNING-CRASH(88) attack from Shifty with a TENSE…7
COMBAT: Zankuro loses the roll and sustains 2211 damage.
Just as an inkling of hope enters Zankuro's mind on reaching the surface, it dies at the sight of the wave of electricity sweeping through the water. Precious air is released in a muffled scream of pain. Though in agony, Zankuro eventually manages to force himself to focus on the desperate goal of swimming to land, or the closest thing to it.
After leaving behind a good trail of burnt flesh and clothing — both of which the storm would sweep elsewhere — Zankuro finds refuge clinging onto a half-submerged tree. The only thing he has the strength left to do by that point.
RP: Isura transforms into SHARINGAN-III.
COMBAT: Isura defends against LIGHTNING-CRASH(74) attack from Shifty with a MULTIPLE-FIRE-CLONES…87
Unlike last time Isura had the newly acquired power of sharingan III to aid with more advanced attack perception as well as to him gave him the perception skills and analysis of selection to aided him avoiding the incoming attack. During that time a Isura formed into a ton of clone (eight) and slipped into the he background circled around Isura moved closers to figured and released a powerful wave of blazing hot heat towards him before checking on his fellow shinobi whom appeared to have been in much worse then him for a change.
COMBAT: Shifty defends against LIGHTNING-FANG-OVER-FANG(86) attack from Hige with a LIQUID-REFORMATION-II…84
COMBAT: Shifty loses the roll and sustains 796 damage.
COMBAT: Shifty defends against SHADOW-SEWING(61) attack from Shugo with a LIQUID-REFORMATION…60
COMBAT: Shifty loses the roll and sustains 493 damage.
COMBAT: Shifty defends against SEAR-II(62) attack from Isura with a LIQUID-REFORMATION…89
After flat out dominating in the previous moments, it seems the cloaked figure has gotten a bit cocky. Rather than throw up a defense or get out of the way, it attempts to simply take the attacks, which winds up sending it skidding across the top of the water and then bound down by the shadows that pierce its flesh. The only damage it manages to avoid with this method is the flames put out by the Uchiha, which simply pass right through it. Still, despite the rather precarious position it seems to be in, it seems to basically laugh at the Konoha shinobi still in its motions of looking around at them. Perhaps it doesn't fear death, or perhaps there's more to what's going on than the shinobi are aware of.
"Isura, get Zan out of here now!" Hige calls while he watches Shugo's shadows seek out and pin the man down. Good. He and Konsho are in the air and start spinning once more, head over heels this time like two vicious and deadly saw blades. They split and in a flash come down on the man hard as he is held with those shadows. With any luck he'll die just as his little buddy had before him. And then he needed to find the rest of them.
Shugo was surprised he managed to do something but rather than gloating, the Nara was quick to launch out a set if tags while forming seals toto activate those seals and their chakra sucking force. maybe he'd keep up this momentum.
RP: Zankuro reverts to his normal state.
"Just keep swimming… just keep swimming… just keep swimming… swimmming-…" The rest is drowned out by weak laughter from the Sarutobi. He might've gone on laughing for awhile if not for a weakening grip nearly resulting in his drifting back out into open water. Distracted as he was, Zankuro misses the command from Hige, but does recover enough to turn his attention to the ever escalating fight.
Isura felt anger as Hige ordered him to take care of Zankuro but eh what is he to do when he is totally outranked and matched by Hige, thus he swiftly moved into pick up Zankuro and with a swift twist of the feet blinked to a safer spot than before. "Hey try and patch yourself up some before returning alright I'll do what I can to hold him at bay but for an counter strike from you…Unleash hell when you can my friend." With that Isura blinks back to the battlefield and upon his sudden arrival he unleashed a powerful flamethrower assault on him while Shugo and Hige did their things.
COMBAT: Shifty defends against FANG-ROTATING-FANG(100) attack from Hige with a TENSE…20
COMBAT: Shifty loses the roll and sustains 2428 damage.
COMBAT: Shifty defends against CHAKRA-SUCTION-TAG(41) attack from Shugo with a TENSE…11
COMBAT: Shifty loses the roll and sustains 814 damage.
COMBAT: Shifty defends against CHAKRA-SUCTION-TAG(44) attack from Shugo with a TENSE…9
COMBAT: Shifty loses the roll and sustains 879 damage.
COMBAT: Shifty defends against FIRE-DRAGON-FLAME-BULLET(52) attack from Isura with a TENSE…11
COMBAT: Shifty loses the roll and sustains 1263 damage.
Blood and explosions! The cloaked figure still manages to stay quiet desite being obviously physically racked with pain so much that it almost looks like it's having a seizure between the shredding by the Inuzuka duo, damage done to its chakra and body by the tags, and the flames washing over it. When the smoke fades, it looks up and around, and a voice finally actually comes from it when it looks at Isura, andrognous but leaning a bit more toward female. "… You should've run when you had the chance," it utters before it sinks down into the surface of the water and seems to disperse. Just as it vanishes, bolts of lightning start to shoot up into the sky from all around the battlefield, beginning to charge the sky above with lightning that almost makes it look like day time despite the dark couds, charging more and more so it seems the entire area is likely to be obliterated. Were one to use chakra sense or a dojutsu, they would notice that below the surface of the water, though rather far down, what appears to be a battalion has made itself visible as it prepares the massive attack intended to annihilate this place.
RP: Shifty uses S-RANK-CHARGE.
This one again? Hige watches as the figure sings below the water but he's not going to just let it all go so easily this time. He looks to the clouds as they start flashing and mutters a curse. "Get everyone and yourselves out of here! Now!" he yells to the shinobi. Hopefully they can clear the civilians out in enough time. Hige? Hige wasn't going to let that little paper escape so easily. He and Konsho launch themselves high into the air, going up into the clouds themselves. Poor little Kizoku? He's dragging some kid by his shirt collar out of danger. When Hige and Konsho reappears they punch a hole through those clouds as their combined force comes crashing out of the sky and down towards where the girl had vanished. It may be under water, but it's going to take a lot more than that to stop this attack.
Shugo was disappointed he hadn't sucked out more chakra from that person when he had the chance. The enemy was out of sight and before he could try seeking out their location, Hige was barking out the retreat order. He'dHe'd have argued if he didn't recognize that height the inuzuka was leaping to. As he sank down into his shadow, Shugo spotted Kizoku and reached out with a tendril to wind around the ninken and pull him down into the shadows. The other end of the shadows was at the edge of the village, those Shugo could help having been brought there by his shadowy tentacles earlier. It wasn't as far as he wanted though and Shugo's first words to thethe civilians as he came out of a tentacle with Kizoku and the pup's charge if he'd managed to grab them were simple. "Keep going - RUN!"
Isura swiftly returned to Zankuro position and picked him up and flashed off once more being in the area with that amount of chakra was foolish and to see Hige staying behind reinforced his thought process before shifting his attention back on keeping Zankuro safe. Isura dashed off and heading back the way they came however sadly enough the results were the same as last time he didn't get any stronger nor with his visual prowless didn't grant the team anything special.
COMBAT: Shifty defends against HEAVEN-TWIN-FANG(97) attack from Hige with a NPC-A-NIN-DEFENSE…113
Staying behind out of pride or whatever desire the Inuzuka duo had to destroy the cloaked figure doesn't quite work out, considering they have literally pitted themselves against a battalion. The waves caused by the storm seem a lot more physical as they erase any evidence of where that figure might have gone, used by the small part of this army not charging the coming attack. Meanwhile the majority of them have charged that attack more and more until at last what looks like a village-wide sheet of lightning descends upon the land from the heavens to bring down Hell upon Hige, Konsho, and anything anyone left in the village, intent on complete destruction.
COMBAT: Hige defends against HELL-GATE(136) attack from Shifty with a INUZUKA-DEEP-SENSE…93
COMBAT: Hige loses the roll and sustains 5140 damage.
Hige was tired of the Storm Brigade and, while it might not have been very smart to stay behind he was going to try and chase that figure below the water. Where was a water user when you needed one anyways? Poor Konsho was just along for the ride. They hit the water and got a good ways down as well, but the little scissors had already escaped. It was something he'd have to deal with later. Without finding the group there was no real escape and Hige knew it. So with a last effort he shoved Konsho deeper into the ocean to save the pup the pain even as the strike hit.
Shugo heard the clash from the edge of the village but didn't run with tree civilians and instead, went inching back toward the site they'd left Hige. There was no way he could just run away without checking the damage done..
After that fierce wall of lightning crashes down to punish Hige and the village, the storm suddenly comes to a stop. Despite this likely being the best opportunity to take out the team, it seems the battalion is leaving. The physical storm has stopped, but the storm this group is brewing in the world rages on. Whatever their purpose is, it's rather hard to tell at this point if they succeeding or not…
