Starring:
Rain, Netsumi, Yuki, Shindou, Ryoji
Date: March 11th, 2010
Summary:
A small contingent of the Takokujin head to docks in fire country to secure a vessel.
"Takokujin: Preparation for a Voyage"
Location
The walking… it was something that many were used to, but it was still something that was uncomfortable for those who have been shinobi. Why do they walk? Because i'ts inconspicuous compared to flying through trees. Why not take a train? The untread path was usually faster… but in this case it was because… trains usually didn't turn out well. Especially with Yuki or Odo… they didn't have the patience to move while staying still. Thus… the walking.
The group finally arrived at the little port town that was going to allow them access to the land of water. In this case however, there was an unknown request waiting for them that would cut both their time and expenses. While some may prefer to just get a boat and go… Rain didn't like spending money for no reason, nor wasting time in the long run. So at the very least, the request would be heard first. Rain took a moment to allow the rest to check their equipment and catch their breaths before he would move to the rendezvous, slowly creaking the old door open to the unlit light house. It was day time, but the interior have narrow beams of light, and that was about it.
Walking! It was something that the Yamayuki preferred! Why waist all that time jumping (clumsily) from branch to branch when you could just walk! Yeah.. it's a bit slow.. so what. It beats smashing your face into strategically placed foliage.
Shindou slows his approach as he spots the lighthouse, a stoic expression emblazoned upon his marred features. He wasn't much of a talker as the man could barely speak legible basic, so his distant gaze might go unnoticed all together. It's not until Rain begins to enter the lighthouse that Shindou's attention snaps back to the present and he follows, awaiting instructions like a good follower. He can't help put peer towards the coastline, a somewhat curious expression on his face.
Ryoji falls in tiredly behind rain after packing up his very few wordly possessions into an simple brown over the shoulder bag. Although, what its craft out of is questionable considering the sublte pattern etched into its side. He takes one last extended yawn before asking rain, "So why exactly didn't we take the train sir sexy?" A brief moment is taken to crack his neck loudily then turning his attention elsewhere… 'I wonder if they left any lines this far—' His trail of thought is cutoff in the form of running into the lighthouse outerwalls. And with a loud thud he falls onto his back.
Yuki didn't enjoy trains, or boats - but she also hated walking. A girl of her intellectual genius, forced to walk everywhere? Madness, she thought. They should carry her. Her thoughts wandering, Yuki was wearing a slightly annoyed expression as she follows along with the group, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her labcoat. "Last time we took a train, we had a bit of an incident," Yuki said to Ryoji, rolling her eyes as she remembered it. As Rain entered the lighthouse, she moved in closer to him, unsure of what to expect. She leaves Ryoji alone, quietly snickering to herself.
Rain would begin to climb the spiral staircase as the hollow echoing of his footsteps were heard. The dankness of this seemingly abandoned lighthouse had a bit of a sour stench to it like moldy sea air. A voice would be heard bouncing off of the walls from the top of the lighthouse. "Ah your here! Want to see your vessel?" it would ask in it's distant sounds voice. It seemed to be a man of some age, perhaps middle by the tone of voice. Arriving at the top, Rain would look around sharply as the burly man would almost head lock him in an embrace of is shoulder as he yelled "There she is!" pointing his thick finger out of the broken window of the lighthouse. Rain just kept his eyes on the man, not caring about the boat at the moment.
Shindou follows Rain up the stairs to a certain point before slowing his ascent. If others decide to follow the Uchiha further, Shindou will find himself at the back of the group. He leans against the wall for a long moment, yawning into the back of hand. He keeps his ears open however, allowing all sounds to mesh in his ear.
Natsumi follows wordlessly after Rain as they climb the long, spiraling staircase, blinking her milky, sightless eyes as her senses look over her surroundings, curious of the architecture of lighthouse. The almost sour stench distracts her keen sense of smell though as she makes a face, partially covered within the shadows of her hood. When they arrive at the top, she takes in a deeper breath, relieved to be away from the smell for the split moment before her attention instantly snaps at the chakra of another. Her expression darkens, shoulders tensing slightly as the man openly embraces Rain, slender fingers tightening subtly on the shaft of her staff, though she simply moves to the side, allowing others to emerge while also keeping her focus on the man dangerously close to losing his arms.
Ryoji slowly picks himself up and feels around. "Note to self: NEVER close what few senses I have to the world… And I heard that yuki-chan!", He yells after her before stepping in himself. "Yuck! Even the air tastes funny in here. I think I'm just going to wait outside for now if you don't mind." He states before quickly stepping back outside and leaning next to the open door. "*sighs* It not like I would be much use in their with all that.. *shudders*.. I don't even WANT to know." The iga yawns once more and slumps his head to pretend being asleep. All his other senses on the otherhand remain on full alert.
Rain would close his eyes and sigh. "I see that you haven't learned to bath before you meet with me… Chow Wen Dao." Rain would say as he'd seem to focus chakra with a flash of a hand sign done just as he shooed away the man. Chow Wen Dao seemed to suddenly slip and lose his footing as Rain slipped free of his burly grasp. "Well, you know the storms are the only shower man enough for the likes of me!" he would reply as he picked himself up, brushing off his knees a bit. Rain wouldn't even speak to him as he gazed at the skiff. It was light and fast alright. Certainly wasn't meant for battle or cargo, but it would slip through the waves quite easily as long as there wasn't a storm. "What do you want…" Rain would ask as he continued to look at the boat. Chow would grin before saying, loudly as usual, "It's simple my old friend! I need you to get the ignition key for that boat down there 'fore i let you take it out for a spin!" Rain would look
over his
shoulder. "Ignition key?" Chow would laugh, VERY loudly. "YES! THE IGNI…!" he would get out before Rain would already be there, clamping his hand over his big, putrid mouth. "Never mind… is that all?" Show would nod his head before Rain would let his mouth go. "Shinbou, Natsumi, start scanning the area as we leave this light house. Ryoji, take an eye to the top of the light house and survey the area from there as well, you will act as out over watch. Yuki… try not to blow anyone up…"
The man's voice seems to boom with laughter before Rain clamps his hand over his mouth, though Natsumi winces from the sheer volume he was using. Her ears were an extremely important assets. Thankfully Rain cut off his words with quick movements. With a slow exhale, she quietly shakes her dark, hooded head, shifting her grip on her walking stick. At Rain's words, she narrows her attention on him before lowering her chin slightly in acknowledgment. "At your word." Natsumi murmurs.
With a nod, Shindou descends the stairs rapidly, just barely managing to avoid tripping over his feet. He had remained in the hallway afterall, so he takes the initiative, perhaps not processing exactly what he meant. The stench had been enough to cause him to take notice, but he had lived in quite sour situations himself, so it wasn't too putrid for the young man, but it does give him reason to move. Shindou doesn't quite exit the lighthouse until the others begin their descent. He is however the first to exit, taking solace in the salty air.
Upon stepping outside into the fair breeze of the sea, Shindou clasps his hands together in few rapid seals to no visible effect. He is either totally crazy or has some control over some unseen element. His eyes close and he stands totally still, taking the echoing waves and filtering them with a keen mind. What exactly he is looking for? Who knows, he can only tell if something is near and moving.
Sometime between puzzling over the mysterious of the universe and keeping watch over the area, ryoji literally fell asleep for a few minutes until his name gets mention. "He wants me… to climb to a high place.. and keep LOOKout….. Well that's better then nothing", He mutters before taking a few steps away from the tower and peers up. 'Hm… another conudereum' He rolls his neck around to work out the last kinks, spits a thick filmy substance on his hands, then charges at the tower…. and ducking into the door and up the steps. 'Pfft! Like I'm actual gonna scale a wall!' He thinks and after reaching the top floor gives rain a quick head bow.
From there he pauses to hold on to the nearby windows to help steady himself from the echoes caused by his run inside the tower. However upon finding the window already damaged Ryoji wastes little time in clearing away the rest of the glass before squeezing through and scaling up to the roof (the spit from before working as a temporary adhesive).
When he finally finds a frim enough perch on the roof he flashes through a short set of handsigns before hacking a spewing up a few wads of fleshy material. Said fleshes quickly morph into eyeballs that roll down the roof and fall; only to catch the wind through the thin excess of membrane falling trailing off the back.
Rain would step from the light house and consider things for a moment. "Chow Wen Dao has a terrible memory for people he does not learn the name of. There are a few kids that always mess with him because of it ,because they can do things to him and he'll forget it in a day or so. Shindou, stay here… we'll route them back towards you. Natsumi, come with me, you'll be able to track them in buildings better than I can once we find them. We'll route them to Shindou who will capture them, and this should all be over quickly." Rain would state as he'd begin to walk in to the town proper, which wasn't all that much, but it was densely packed and lots of crates and things as well places to hide. Ryoji of course would be able to spot them running out in the opening easier than most.
"Yes sir." That is all that is said as Shindou remains in his militaristic posture. His thumb fidgets in it's position, but it is the only source of movement on his entire being. The black of his clothing was meant to help him blend in with his surroundings. With a few well placed steps backwards, the Yamayuki submerging himself in a large area of vines, blanketing his person in utter darkness.
Yuki seemed repulsed by the grimy, unwashed man; so much that she wouldn't even look at him. She frowned as she was ordered not to blow things up - something she enjoyed doing!. Given no further orders, she took it upon herself to keep an eye on Ryoji, climbing to the top of the lighthouse from the outside and looking out towards the town. She then reaches into a pouch at her side and pulls out a handful of mines, tossing them into the air. Each mine activates and begins to float, moving towards Rain and the others, keeping a safe distance above them, but remaining always present - just in case.
Following and emerging from the lighthouse, Natsumi lifts her chin slightly and turns her head to glance to Rain, merely listening as her brow furrows slightly with a mild frown. Lowering her chin slightly, wordless before turning her head forward again beneath the hem of her hood. "Sounds reasonable enough…" she murmurs, "Is there anyone or anything you want me to keep a look out for…" With a slow exhale, she poses her staff over her shoulders and slips a free arm beneath her cloak, pull out a dark piece of cloth a moment later. Wordlessly she ties the dark sash around her sightless eyes, only seeming to further emphasizing her blindness. "The should go smoothly, should everyone do what they are supposed to do…"
"Che..Winds picking up… Ou! Hello Yuki-chan. Mind if I borrow couple of those?", Ryoji asks before returning some of the eyes to a shapless mass and having them latch onto to the sides of yuki's airborne devices before reforming into a miniature pair of the originals. The rest however are either left to drift across the sky or drop to the ground and into the empty shadows. Despite falling such hefty the hieghts ryoji still manages to maintain enough control over them to reform them and have them roll silently and carefully after the others. A few shoot off in other paths just in case ,but only within a limited range. "So many perspectives and so little mind..Reception breaking. Better charge up abit more energy." Ryoji switches and maintains the hebi(snake) seal before focusing a bit more of his chakra. "Quick question. Aside from the usual unlucky thugs who would try to ambush the others. Do you know what else are we supposed to keep a look
out
for?..Also, how was your day?"
Walking over towards a near by empty store house, Rain would casually glance about the area as he answered Natsumi's burning question. "Track the ones that run first." he would say as if it answered everything she needed to know. Rain would began to loudly tap at the crates that were along the wall outside of the warehouse, becoming more rapid as he draw closer to the entrance. The streets were a little busy, and there were a few people in the warehouse and around it doing business and what not. A few glancing at Rain oddly for his antics. After making a bit of noise and startling some of the towns people, he would then sharply yell, "Damn you kids! Get back here!" just after taking hold of Natsumi's ears and covering them. The voices sounded quite similar to Chow Wen Dao and suddenly shadows and forms began to scramble about, three in total, trying to get in to a window of the warehouse of the left side of the building. Rain hear a bit of the
scuffling to move, but he couldn't exactly locate it with people around.
Natsumi remains silent, not even nodding in understanding as he answers her easily. Nothing out of the ordinary. She passive feels her surroundings, blue chakra pulsing brightly over everything with movement and life. Lifting her head slightly, her focus tightens just after Rain's abrupt yelling. "Three." she murmurs lightly, only loud enough for Rain to hear. "Into the window on the left side of the warehouse." A dark brow arches slightly above her blindfold with a subtle turn to him, waiting for his signal or movement.
Yuki leans against the railing of the lighthouse, watching down below, focusing on keeping her mines close enough to strike, but far enough not to be noticed. She looks over to Ryoji, giving him a strange look. "… gross," she comments before looking back to the town. "See if anyone tries to flee the town. Hopefully Rain doesn't frighten them enough that is comes to that, but you never know. He can be pretty scary sometimes." She shakes her head, quietly focusing on the task at hand and ignoring Ryoji's small talk.
Shindou remains perfectly still, shrouded in the billowing darkness from within the utterly pitch black shadows cast by the vines that grew over the mound of rocks and Earth just behind him. After a few long moments of surveying with his echo location, the fisherman changes seals with a single twist of his fingers. Blue chakra bubbles from his diaphragm as he forces raw energy into chakra while awaiting the chance to achieve his goal.
Ryoji simple smiles at yuki's words before returning his focus on the task at hand. "Move a few of them to the left side. I think I saw something… wait. Pfft..just one..two? Bah! Bombs away~" He singsongs while dropping a few into the paths before the runners. The moment the eye hits the ground it splatters, reforms, then multiply into nearly a thick slippery puddle of eyes that spread throughout the path and cause them to slip upon them. A few are even fired out and latch onto their leggins as they try to recover and keep going. If any of his allies however, make their way through the eyes would quickly shirk away if not erode as the chakra used to power them runs out.
The ones flow on the breeze and rolling on the ground however continue to case the place both within and without. "Hm… looks like a might've missed a couple though. MAYBE if a certain someoe would've had them fly a little lower things would've been… simple." He states after returning to back to his original handsigns. 'All these perspectives… stressing everything as well…'
"Route them as they move around towards an exit. Force them towards our trap." Rain would state before he'd move aroudn the building and slip in to it as well, forming a hand seal before becoming Chow Wen Dao as he would crash about a bit aggressively. The kids having slipped caused them to be easily seen by his perceptions and he'd say, "HEY WAIT! STOP RIGHT THERE!" in the loud tone of the burly man before he'd semi jog after them, befitting his lumbering form. They would race through and over boxes, shoving a few workers out of the way before diving out of a closed window and trying to help the first one through up. They would be easy to see from the sky now, out in the open, and Natsumi likely had their only other exit blocked by this point. Obviously they could have just knocked them out of killed them, but then they would have a reputation that wasn't befitting their standards.
Natsumi lowers her chin slightly, wordless as she pushes her strength through her legs, sprinting with sudden speed as she quickly rounds her way to the front of the warehouse. Soundless, she twists the door, bracing it so that it locks, at least from the inside. the corner of her lips tugs with a hint of a smug smirk from beneath the hem of her hood. They certainly wouldn't be scurrying through this way. Turning casually and calmly, she walks around the corner to where the legs of one kid are wiggling through a window, falling outwards and onto their backside while quickly trying to get up to help another through. The dark smile remains, unhurried as she takes a few steps, staff held in hand while the other lifts. Gathering chakra in her hand, the glow of blue looks menacing, "I suggest you run…" the blind woman murmurs.
Yuki chuckles to herself as she watches the escapees try to flee. "The mines are low enough. I don't want to startle them any further, it's already like watching rats in a maze," she comments quietly, slipping a lollipop into her mouth. "Aren't they cute though? Trying to run away." She calls the majority of her mines back to her and puts them away, leaving only a few to hover over the area. It was a good thing Rain didn't choose to take her along; she wasn't good at chasing and subduing, at least not without blowing things up.
Shindou stood absolutely still. Nothing disrupted his sound waves so he doesn't have any desire to move just yet. He prys an eye open, peeking out of the shadows with a curiosity, maybe a bit of boredom! What happened after they got the key!
"Well maybe he just meant for you not to blow up the targets ,but too each his own. Uh, let me grab that one right quick" Ryoji peels off one of the remnants of an eye off the mine before see puts it away. "Noooow, let's see…ah! Is that what he has planned?" He mutters before surfing through each viewpoints. "Doesn't really looks like the ones on the inside or gonna be much help ,but the outside…. no. They won't make it in time either. At the very least I can lead them down that path", He mutters under breath before stopping a few of the shadow walking eyeballs to stop and be prepared to multiply to deter any escapees from a splitting up without consequences.
The kids would be scared out of their wits, panicing, not thinking, and running out in to the open full tilt towards the area of the light house just to get away from these crazy adults. Rain would, even as that large man who smelled far more pleasant thna he did in reality, climb the the window easily and walk after the children after slightly squeezing Natsumi's shoulder. The trap just needed to br sprung and it was game over for them. Rain would come along and get the keys for the fancy boat with an on board custom engine apparently, and they would be out of there and headed for Kirigakure as simply as that, free of charge. Certainly it was worth a little walk around the port town and a few kids scared straight in the process.
