Starring:
Asao, Akechi
Date: July 9, 2012
Summary:
Merchant hires a Suna and Kumo nin to guard his wagon in a cross country trip
"Suna and Kumo trading mission"
2 days out from Kumogakure
Asao was assigned to escort a merchant's wagon from Suna to Kumo. Trade was ever important for the large villages and this was no different. The mission itself was ranked at C, as while there was not expected to be any opposition on this trip, they still had to leave Suna and meet a Kumo nin along the way to finish getting the goods to the Land of Lightning. So with that in mind, it was just after lunch time the 2nd day of travel that the wagon was approaching the meeting point. Asao was sitting up on top of the wagon, reading what looked to be a manual on clocks and how to repair them. There was a single man sitting in the seat of the wagon and it was two mules pulling the wooden wagon. The surrounding area was pretty flat, simple grassland before the hills of the land of Lightning that would turn into the mountains where Kumo was at.
Kumo has selected Akechi to be the one to take the mission, as he was walking down the path he would have his nose in a scroll taking in the combat exchange with him and Rise the other day. As he notice the time it took his seals to form, and the speed inwhich he went throught hand seals as well as his chakra molding. He notice in order for his seals to be truly effective he would have to become better at molding chakra. Shifting around he would notice the wagon heading in his direction and thought that it had to be it. Waving it down he spoke "HEY!" is stated as he started to approuch the wagon and sighed. "Kumo-nin Uzumaki Akechi nice to meetcha."
"Ah, hey there young fella. So you the other one that is suppose to guard over my wagon then?" This was the driver talking, an older man with a friendly enough smile. He'd point up and back at the roof of the wagon. "The suna shinobi is up on top of the wagon. He hasn't said much, but I'm still glad for the assistance all the same. Do you want to hop up so we can keep going?"
Asao glanced up from his book finally to look over at Akechi, studying his fellow shinobi for a moment before a small nod was given in his direction. Still not saying anything, his eyes went back to the book, although there was a sense that his attention was still on the surroundings.
"Hey there old timer, naw I'll be fine walking along side of the wagon just give me a moment to study and seal up the goods." Taking a moment to take over the area and than the other nin he smile and went to work. Making his way to the back of the goods his hands would started to glow as he flashed through seals. Ending in the ram formation he smirked and spoke "SEAL!" just than an inscription would move over the cargo as it was sealed up. "Alright shall we get going now?" Looking up at the other nin he would yawn as he jump on top of the wagon "so you have a name?"
With the inspection of the wagon, Akechi might notice what looked to be a puppet under the wagon that was holding on to the frame while it 'hid'. Asao would close his book and put it in his back while Akechi sealed the wagon, a small nod given to the kumo nin, he finally spoke, almost surprising the driver. "Yes. I am Asao, Suna shinobi assigned to this mission. We are to deliver the materials to Kumogakure and then I am to head back to the land of Sand." Straight forward, there didn't seem to be much emotional inflection at all to his words, although those eyes continued to study Akechi intently, almost like he was trying to figure out how the other nin ticked.
"Asao, I take it the other guy belongs to you?" Shifting in stance as he looked at Asao, waving his hand as he sat down and rested for a moment taking a scroll out of his pocket, Akechi would unseal it and study what was inside of it. "Hmm is that right, perhaps having the tags drain out other chakra that is forced inside of a target via a genjutsu user attacks." Nodding his head he would shift in stance as he sat and wrote down more. "Do you do a lot of studying Asao?"
"Hai. I created Tokkan by hand, using the clock work making that my father is famous for." He'd shrug his shoulder as he studied Akechi for a moment more. The driver watched the two shinobi size each other up before giving a shrug of his shoulders and starting the mules on their way again. "Tokkan is mine and he's set in a location for defense, if needed of the wagon. The driver had not noticed it when he looked over the wagon either." Asao would muse for a moment, before nodding to the seal items that Akechi had. "So you are a seal expert I guess?"
"For the moment yeah, you can say that. Its more than seals to be honest with ya, it just my research isn't done yet to advance my abilities." Laughing as he rerolled the scroll up. "SEAL!" is stated before placing it back into his pocket, 'well I set up the cargo to blow if its open the wrong way." Nodding his head as he looked up at the sky "man this year went by pretty fast, what you think?" Yawning slightly as he allowed himself to relax a tab bit more before scratching his chest and smirking.
Asao would shrug his shoulders slightly. "It moved exactly as any other year does, one day at a time. I have spent plenty of it working on Tokkan. I only just recently got promoted to chuunin, so I am still adapting my function to the increased requirements of the rank." Looking around, Asao would frown for a moment. "Did you scout the path we are to take from here to Kumo, so we don't have to deal with any potential hostiles on our way between here and there?"
"Yes I did, I also put up a protective barrier around the route and the wagon itself, just in case." Smiling slightly as he focuses on the wagon and then Asao; Akechi would yawn "the barrier has a timer and it can be broken by a skilled ninja, however normal nin won't be able to break the binding spell. Akechi would relax even more now but still have his eyes scouting the area. "What about you? Where you followed?"
Asao would shake his head slowly. "Of course not. Any potential hostiles that may of been after this cargo were removed before they could potentially threaten the wagon itself." Asao would motion towards the bottom of the wagon. "Tokkan and I are able to remove potential issues from the surroundings without much issue."
Smiling as he released his held breath he would get into a mediation stance "good the less I move from this moment on the better." He would have his eyes closed as he focused on the barriers around them. His focus would really be on the wagon though.
Asao watched Akechi for a moment before giving a small nod. Akechi was ignored pretty much from that point forward, the wagon rolling along the path was quiet, the seals that Akechi had put along the way made it so they did not have to fight anyone as no one could get on that path to interrupt them. It was nice to be able to relax for a while, but Asao never really relaxed fully, afterall he wasn't sure what might potentially break through the seals.
After a moments of a peaceful mission Akechi cringed as he spoke "this isn't right…I think someone has made it through the barrier…I think it's about three of them in all…My sensory skills are greatly lacking, but I'm learning a little bit." Nodding his head he would smile softly before focusing even more on the seals he placed over the wagon. "This is rather troublesome."
Asao glanced over at Akechi, a nod given in response. "Very well. If they are strong enough to get through the seals, then we may have a fight on our hands." Asao would focus himself, the chakra strings glittering briefly in the air as they would connect to Tokkan. He'd nod towards Akechi and become fully alert again. "Let us prepare for what is coming. We shall need to combat them as needed."
With the swiftness of a ninja Akechi would knock two scrolls from the back of his pouch into his hands as he flashed through seals. Akechi would start to leak chakra as he shifted and poured his chakra into a barrier sealing scroll, "here they come." Just thank three Kumo nin would come into the clear. As Akechi eyes were still close at this time he would sense something off.
Asao watched the ones coming, standing up smoothly on the top of the wagon. Going by what Akechi said, they were going to be the enemy. He ignored the symbols they had on their band, instead he'd focus himself, starting to go through a series of hand signs before he'd pick back up the chakra strings. "Stay back, or prepare to die. This is your only warning."
Just than Akechi would slowly start to open his eyes taking note to the head bands he would narrow his eyes, "state your business, I know not why you're here for I asked the Raikage to make sure these roads stay clear for the mission sake. There go you have no reason to be here!" Shifting his weight around as he started to slowly open his scroll just a little bit to show the man that he meant business. After a smirk the men would transform back to normal. Afterwards they would break into a Circular Formation around the wagon. "Give us all the cargo and we'll let you leave with your lives." Two of the man would pull out swords while the last (Leader) would wield dual spears.
"You had your warning." With a surge of clicking like what would be heard from a clock, Tokkan suddenly blurred out from under the wagon. The two non-leaders were charged at first. Blades would click out from Tokkan's arms, extended forward so that as the puppet reached the men, it would slash and stab, going for the vitals and leaving poison behind even with a simple scratch to their skin. Asao stayed focused, watching as he'd take on the two men but he'd say aside to Akechi, "You can deal with the would be leader, hai?"
"Dual wielding spears? That's sure is something you don't see every day," Taking a moment to notice everything Asao is doing he knew he had to get flashy; Akechi would place a smile on the ground as well as unroll a seal and release a barrage of senbon. The spear wield would be ready as he prepared himself, but a smirking Akechi would be under his guard in an instant. "Well well, it appears the pro-type works. The Spear wielder would be hit with an uppercut strike done with Akechi palm to jolt his face into the sky; Akechi would extend his arms outward to knock the spears down before blurring from view using the body flicker technique to allow his pervious senbon to strike.
Tokkan finished up quickly with the other two, blades stabbing enough into them that the poison would quickly over take the would be thieves. Leaving the two in the dirt, Asao and Tokkan turned to face the leader as Akechi flickered away, leaving the enemy to take the brunt of the sebon shot at him. A small nod was given and Tokkan would move in as well, both blades stabbed into the chest of the enemy and withdrawn, Asao shifted chakra along the strings to send jolts of lightning into Tokkan. The plates along Tokkan suddenly sparked to life as it proceeded to beat the leader with lightning strikes from it's fist to make sure the man stayed down.
Seeing the ruthlessness of Asao Akechi would act and move to defend the beaten man from Asao attacks as he looked at him he would smirk, I can't allow you to kill this man, I have to question him to get an understanding of how he knew about the transport and how he got through my barrier so please call off you puppet and stop this ruthless behavior." Standing there smoking from have taken the lightning attack Akechi would thank his Uzumaki blood for being able to stand from the assault from Asao.
Tokkan would withdraw after the first strike at Akechi. Asao raised a brow as he watched the nin take the shot, a small shrug of his shoulders given. Tokkan would flicker back over to stand by Asao, who would lean on him lightly. "You could of said to save one at the start. I figured we were just removing them so we could finish the mission."
Akechi would start to pull out another scroll and wrap him up into scroll and sealed it as he shifted about he spoke and bow towards Asao "I'm sorry about that Asao-san." Is stated as he picked the man up and tossed him into the back of the wagon. Can you have your friend keep him in place and inject him into with a little poison please to make sure he won't leave or worst try something stupid." Akechi would sigh as he move to the top of the wagon and spoke softly "your skills are great to be honest, and you have a lot of skill with that puppet." Smiling as he relaxed and placed another barrier over the wagon. "I'm ready to move on if you are." Shifting just a bit as he rested and got back in his stance to focus on the barrier seal.
Asao would nod in response to Akechi, once the enemy was sat on the roof of the wagon, he had Tokkan sit on top of the guy and lock into place to pin him there between the scroll and the puppet. "Move and Tokkan will slit your throat." It was simple enough for Asao to make sure the man didn't do anything foolish. The driver would nod to the shinobi and take off once again, heading for kumo as the mission dictated. "I just know Tokkan very well, so it gives me the required skill to have him act in my place."
