Starring:
Date: November 7, 2011
Summary:
Team Hinotori is tasked to deal with a distrubance of bandit activity in the rice country. It has been rumored that ex mist shinobi had been wrecking havoc since the end of the war. Team Hinotori is faced with the task of finding the bandit base, dismissing the bandits and returning the goods.
"Team Hinotori First Dispatch pt. 1"
Fuuma Basin [Fuuma Alley]
The teamed had traveled quite the distance, taking several days to completely leave the the region of Konoha to stumble onto for some would consider unknown territory. They group would be wandering through a massive lightly flooded valley, right between the rocks venturing close to one another. The sun beamed through the shroud of clouds whichs captivted most of the sky, it seemed like it was going to another drizzly day for those that lived within the region..
Naru let out a tired sigh as she followed along with Hinotori, her hand seemed to be looking idly at their mission scroll as she boredly continued to walk along with them, questioning just when they would reach their destination.
" Hmmm.." She whispered quietly to herself, quietly reading the summary of the scroll to herself. The object of the mission was quite simple really, there seemed to be a insurgence of bandit robberies happening along the route from Konoha to the Rice Paddies, and from Konoha Intel it seemed to be a group of lower classed mist shinobi who defected from their village… The team was to set out and dispatch this small group of shinobi while returning the cache of goods stolen back to their owners… It was assumed that Hinotori would be the one to take care of them while the trio of genin do the luggage work…
For now it was just quiet with slippery steps… Perhaps the bandits would show themselves, or perhaps they would need to go looking…
This would be one of the few official missions Etsu would be attending and she isn't sure what to think of it. She was somewhat restless, but for the most part, calm. She kept her mind busy by thinking of new insects that she may run into in this area, but from the looks of the sky, it doesn't look like she was going to be encountering any, except maybe mosquitos and dragonflies. Perhaps an occasional moth or two.
"How many are we up against. Does anyone know?" She inquires to the group.
This was Ryo's first real mission beyond cleaning the class room. He was deeply excited. Especially at the chance of possibly being able to see combat. He had missed the war, though he did graduate during the final days of it. The boy looks between the two other genin.
Hinotori had been hard to get ahold of since the end of teh war, and once he returned he had been keeping to himself, checking on his team members every once and awhile and on Naru since her return from the final push of the war. With this mission being the first for Team Hinotori he is really expecting the best out of everyone. They haven't had a lot of training together and this mission would test Etsus and Ryos ability to listen to orders as well as performance. Allowing Naru to keep the scroll and lead the way Hinotori doesn't say much, but his eyes are always roaming.
"It doesn't really say in the scroll logs…" Naru spoke outloud to Etsu's question, she seemed to be rather excited, turning around and walking backwards along the path as she faced the group entirely, her eyes wandered along the scroll before offering a light smile to Etsu. "But it does say what they stole… Many things from food, clothing, weapon deposits, it seems like anything that can make it way through horse back… But if they can steal weapons they must either be stronger or plenty in the number…" Naru explained, turning back around her eyes began to scan the valley walls. " Unfortunately it doesn't quite say where they are either… So we might have to do a litle scouting… Or hope we get attacked…"
Etsu nodded understandingly in response to Naru's explanation. Seems like they've got their work cut out for them. "I don't like getting attacked. So, I'd prefer some scouting." She shrugged. "I don't know how strong they are and waiting to be a target is…kinda…yeah." She remarked and looked around. Considering they were dealing with Mist shinobi, water is her main focus and so she turns her attention to the ground and river.
Ryo listened to the two ladies confer with each other over details that were unknown. He shrugged his shoulders and looked towards Hinotori. He actually did not know much about the guy but that was okay. He then looked back towards Naru. "Scouting is cool. What type did you have in mind?" The boy asked. He half pondered if she would use her sharingan.
Hinotori doesn't meet Ryos gaze. He seems to be looking around for a moment, allowing the two women to speak about what was on the scroll and possibilities of what they could do. After a few moments, he looks to the group. "Scouting is good, but we also have many means of possibly tracking those individuals. Remember out meeting, we have two sharingan users and a Kiakichu Aburame." he pauses for a moment. "Ryo-san I do apologize, if you have awakend your eyes let us know, if not I know that even basic scouting and tracking has been taught at teh academy." he states. Crouching down he drops the henge hiding his eyes to show the full strength of his Sharingan has been on going. "Utilize this knowledge." he says. Looking to Etsu, "How well are you with sending your Kaikichu out to scout?" he asks. "Naru-chan." he says looking to her. "Now is good as time as any to begin fully using your sharingan, you wouldn't be able to tell enemies yet, but you would be able to tell a shinobi from a villager." he says. He then looks to Ryo, "Ryo-san, tell me a little about your experience with tracking and scouting."
A Naru carefully moved along, of course she wasn't using her sharingan so nothing seemed to look out of the ordinary… At least not without her sharingan. A yawn escaped her lips and she nodded to Etsu, perhaps it wasn't a good idea for them to wait around and wait to be attacked by this bandit group, but Hinotori could save them right? "Oh! of course, Hinotori-sensei," Naru perked up, and instantly she began to focus chakra into those eyes of hers, peering around as if trying to pick up anything unusual… After all they had been wandering aroudn for quite some time.
"I've actually been curious of the same thing Etsu-san… Your bugs can sense chakra if I remember right? So they might be able to find a little bit more right? Maybe a trail of blood or something?" Naru thought more on the moment and finally turned her eyes on Ryo, she smiled up at him. " Well i suppose I'll be doing some sight seeing… I honestly don't have a clue.. I wish i knew the area better… Maybe we can look around for hideouts within the rocks as well pass as well.."
Etsu chuckled. "I'm still learning to work with my kikaichu. So, I haven't used them for tracking quite yet." She admits. "So, my apologies. Though, they are capable of being used for defense and attack." She noted. "If there's a trail of blood to find or anything, I'm sure they could manage. If anything, this is my chance to learn to use them for the very measures that you all seek them for." A kikaichu crawled out of her sleeve and sat on the tip of her finger. She lifted it up to communicate with it, telling it to find whatever it could to identify a threat in the area.
Ryo listened to Hinotori. "My eyes have not awakened yet." the boy told him. He had only wished they had. The boy then gave a good glance around as if looking for some signs of anything. "I did learn some tracking at the academy but not much. I'll keep my eyes open." the boy states before glancing at Naru. He was slightly jealous of the eyes.
Nodding to each in turn and smiling at them all, hey it's a SMILE! Hinotori eyes then move and looks towards the water, "Good job Etsu, search the area in a 40ft diatemeter, try to have them sense the water and then move out to see if there are others with the same chakra." he says. "We are being watched, but keep acting as if nothing is going on and that we haven't noticed anything." Everyone would note that his voice has gone lower to only that they can hear.
Watched? How did he know they were being watched?" A sweat drop trickled down Naru's cheek as she began to ready herself for some possible combat, finding this was a wonderful time to put herself in preperation, Naru's hands lightly laced together as she focused her chakra, funneling it throughout her body while her eyes attempted to scan further, she was going to take Hinotori's word for it, carefully keeping track along with everyone else, she was more so curious to see what Etsu might have planned for her bugs… If there was anything a bout Etsu that creeped her own though was probably that chakra pattern of all those bugs… Either way Naru attempted to follow Hinotori's orders, staying alert perhaps the quietness of the valley was too quiet…
"Right." Etsu remarked as the kikaichu flew off to collect water on its legs then use that to see if there was anything that matched. "I'll send out a few more to be certain." She stated as more kikaichu crawled out from her sleeves and, with the message already communicated, sent them out to gather water and find matching sources. Others were told not to gather water, but rather search for other traces just to make sure the search was thorough. "Can you tell how many there are, Hinotori-sama? How many are watching us, I mean."
Ryo had noticed the water seemed to be rippling a little more than normal. He played it off as just a trick one's mind plays on themselves. That is until Hinotori states they are being watched. Those sharingan eyes of his. They must be good to be able to sense more than everyone else so easily. He slightly glances around though nothing major to tip anyone off. He looks towards Etsu and smiles. At least her bugs could be discrete about searching for others.
WHen he is asked he shaks his head because he didn't see anything but the chakra flowing through the water. "Lets move out, remember act as if you don't know they are here. Go back to your conversations you were having before." he says allowing his henge to come back up to hide his eyes again. "I think you all are doing fine, come on the break is over." he says loud enough to be heard normally. There is no change in how he was acting before they found out that they are being watched.
It was a test… Unfortunately Etsu's wonder bugs wasn't quite able to detect a trail, other then the loose chakra which remained in the water, everything remained silent, and each step within the water gave an impulse to whoever it belonged to, Hinotori could feel a slight spike in in chakra before slowly the ground began to shake, almost as if an earth quake began to shake the area.
"Hmmm what..?" Naru grunted outloud as she patted through the water to maintain a proper stance, it wasn't that crazy of an earthquake but what was to come was far more suprising, The twisting valley revealed an interesting surge up ahead, a maveloenty surge of water came through like an untapped river, rushing straight for the entire group to drown them out.. "Look out!" (21)
The kikaichu returned with little information about their environment, but it was alright. Etsu wasn't worried, though as she knew she needed a little more time with them to effectively utilize them. When they returned to her, they were engulfed in the swarm as she lifted her arms and allowed them freedom to gather around her in a column to block the wave of water that was coming towards her and the rest of the group. She could only hope that the others would be able to defend against the threat as well.
As the water rushed forth towards the group, Ryo vanished leaving only a piece of wood behind. It was the advanced warning from Naru that gave him the time to do it. He appeared on a nearby rock above the water level. His eyes scanned the water looking for his squad mates. He saw the bug column. That would be Etsu, but where was Naru? The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a kunai. He would wait a few moments to hear orders from the captain of the squad instead or rushing off to attack whomever caused the water wave.
As the team tries to act normal, the wave of water rushes towards them, with each member doing their best to escape, the same doesn't happen for Hinotori. Concerned about his team, Hinotori tries to keep tabs on each member but as the wave reaches him, it crashes hard into him engulfing and swallowing him. But high in a group of trees is where the real Hinotori is, keeping quiet and watching his team from high above. 'Show me how you work together.' He thinks to himself wondering how the team will react and if they would continue now that they've been attacked.
=
Naru disappeared as well, exploding into a puff of smoke until finally she could be seen, hanging from a branch twig along the side of the valley, quickly her eyes shifted and looked about, Ryo clinging to a rock, Etsu, flawlessly keeping out of harms way with her bugs and Hinotori…? She couldn't see him, cuping her hans along her mouth she called out to him, " Hinotori-sensei?!" Where are you?!" She went into defensive mode, especially with the valley filling out fast after the big splash… Not capable of water walking just yet put them at a disadvantage which quickly made naru think of other ways to get them to safe ground…
In just a few moments she began to holster herself up by stabbing a kunai into the thick valley wall, while tieing a wire along one end to toss in Ryo's direction. "Catch!" She shouts out, hopefully he would catch it and stab it into the other rock so he could move across… Perhaps Etsu was close enough to catch along too if she needed it," From the water though would come even more attacks, and finally a source could be recognized if anyone looked carefully enough, Deep within the rocks up ahead, almost a cavern like structure. Tendrils would strike up from the washing water and attempt to crash into Ryo before he can stablize himself. (16)
Now that she'd successfully defeneded against the water, she needed to get out of there before she was stuck and dragged away with the flood. She made it a point to swim for her life until she was able to cling to a branch to sustain herself with. Climbing atop it, she coughed up a bit of water that managed to find its way into her lungs from being washed over a bit, but she was otherwise fine. She lifted her hand to okay that she was fine to Naru as she wasn't close enough to catch the rope, though she appreciated the gesture.
With Hinotori missing, she began to look around for him, but to no avail. Instead, she began to focus her chakra to be utilized with her kikaichu more efficiently, hoping that Ryo would be alright. She wasn't prepared for battle and suffered for it. Now, she expected to change that.
Ryo had grabbed a hold of the wire though the tendrils caused him to slip from the rock. It was unapparent if they did hit him or not. It was simply that close. The boy holds onto the wire, though he is still in the water. As he looks around, he finally spots a tree. He lets go of the line just long enough so that the current carries him towards the tree. He moves his kunai into the bark of the tree and begins to climb it to escape from the water.
Not liking the way things are happening, Hinotori appears from another tree and direction all together. Moving to help both Etsu and Ryo, he sees that Etsu managed but Ryo was hit, with Naru calling out to him they are not focused. "Form up." he says. Then leaping from a tree above the group another Hinotori? can be seen gliding through the air towards a grouping of rocks. "Enemy located." is what the clone of Hinotori says as he points towards the grouping of rocks that Hinotori is advancing towards. Meanwhile Hinotori tries to quickly rush the shinobi, hoping to go unnoticed until the last moment.
Hinotori was under the cloak and dagger, undetected by the renegade mist shinobi who seemed to be in full view now, as Hinotori raced to cover the genin as well as, it became quite apparent that this shinobi was quite skilled, perhaps more skilled than the mission statement had anticipated. Luckily, the water that made up the valley now began to slowly reside back into the ground as it made its way further down the path, making everything quite walk about again, Ryo would most likely be washed up at this point, but definitely still capable.
The numerous puddles of water however would begin to develop, a masked man with long snow white hair taking form, his eyes an icly blue… "You picked the wrong day to venture in these valleys, Konoha-nin… " The man spoke with a wild grin, he bit into his flesh and spit blood into the ground. with a quick handseal he palms the floor beneath him and calls out. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Suddenly a mass surge of smoke bellows throughout the valley, the same Nin was now towering high above them, standing along the head of a mighty winged Walrus, with its wide framed body it began to take a deep breath before bellowing out a torrent of wind, only strong enough to hold them back…(18) Judging by the actual strength rather than the size.. it seemed to be a low level summon…
However it was a combination attack… If the group wasn't able to dodge the first attack the second was sure to connect, remains of the water rose up like stabbing ice shards from the sides of the valley, the master mind of the attacks was still engaged in the rocks…(25)
Naru herself attempted to maintain her composure, witnessing that Ryo had been struck to drown in the water once again, rather than staying on the brnach she felt to the ground, just in time for the water to begin to subsuide.
" Ryo-kun, are you okay?!" She shouts out, her sharingan remained trained, however as the summoning took form over the valley, Naru could only brace herself for the attack to come, the washing wind was enough to clapse in place and finally the ice shards stabbed deep into her body, blood beinging to ooze out from her body, there was no relilation for now… She was out of chakra… She focused and bit down, readying herself to help take care of everyone, and find out just exactly how they needed to defeat this summon… " Spread out!"
Etsu was soaked and her cloak was working against her a bit, but with enough kikaichu to cover her form and gather up the water, she was able to have it 'squeezed' out before they returned to her body to nest once more. She could now move with more ease.
Jumping down from her branch, she dropped to the ground, the earth splotching beneath her feet as it was saturated with water still. She then began to run forward, the kikaichu raising up from her cloak to defend her from the wind that was coming from the walrus summon easily blasted away, including etsu herself. She stumbled back and suffered an attack from the ice shards rising up in the area, penetrating her cloak and burying themselves in her skin. She hollered, her first reaction to pull them out, but they'd melted in her body heat.
In response, she was doing to suck the enemy ninja dry for attacking her and her team.
Ryo attempts to get behind something to block the wind, but he is blown from the tree. The ice shards stabbed him. He cries out in pain as they enter his body. There is a bit of blood. Needless to say he does not answer Naru yet. The boy manages to get back onto his stomach side before finding some slightly solid ground to stand on. The water was still rushing by him. He places his hands together and builds his chakra. There is a look of determination in his eyes.
Yeah, this was getting a bit too out of the realm of safety for his team. The Clone that was rushing the Mist shinobi took the hit from the first and suddenly explodes in a poof of smoke only to reveal another which suddenly comes out of no where grabbing Ryo, and Hinotori grabbing Etsu getting them both out of harms way. The Hinotori streaking in towards the mist ninja leaps and brings his hands together forming seals and ends with the tiger, "Great Fireball Techinque!" he calls out as he sends a large fireball that shows the power that he posses which is huge towards the Mist nin.
It quickly became apparent that this was going to be a two pronge attack, the first battle field was directly in the valley, the massive yet underpowered Walrus with the Water clone on top, while Hinotori was fighting the master mind of the mission, as the great fire ball came towards him he simply grinned, the massive ball surged and exploded against the rocky cavern, leaving a gushing pile of smoke, however as the smoke cleared the Shinobi seemed to be unscaved, did he body flicker? No… His body seemed to form up from a block of ice, it was quickly becoming apparent on who they were dealing with, a member of the shirayuki clan… " Its going to take more than cheap tricks to defeat me, Uchiha…" The exmist nin couldn't see through that henge of his, which made him quite curious as to why this senior member from konoha wasn't using his sharingan, either way with a raise of his hand a spear of ice began to form up, launching it out in Hinotori's direction to impale deep in his chest (33) Shirayuki were unique…Easily wielding the elements at their whim…
The second battle field continued to go on though, and with Etsu's first attack, it became evident what this summons weakness was, it took the attack head on, chakra being drained from its body sending it in a fit of rage, rather than use its techniques its stubbornness attempted to move about and slam into the others with its massive body, the mist clone seemed to be guiding it from above, every now and then sending wimsicle water strikes to remind the others just exactly who they were dealing with… However the strike continued, and the Mist shinobi leaped off the summon to get to closer ground, his eyes looked towards the clone and Ryo alike, grinning. " That boy there… has the eyes of a warrior…Too bad this is where he dies…. " With an outreached hand water began to gather up quickly in a sphereical motion to pull them in, "Suiton….Water prison no jutsu.." (30) The water vortex would suck the clone in hopefully, definitely the boy in the process… However if the main mist shinobi was to get killed perhaps all of the other jutsu would end…
Naru herself watched Etsu's attack, though she was being pulled away it was time for Hinotori to understand that his team was beinging to develop that team work. " Etsu-san! Hit it again! We can get it down with a barrage of our assaults if we attack together! Ryo…you too!" She couldn't see Ryo right now, her eyes were on the walrus and her own jutsu, "Katon! Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" A giant fireball leaves Naru's lips, cratering the massive flame right into the Walrus for maxmium effect!
Raising up from the ground, Etsu performed a quick dust off of here clothing before she grounded herself and allowed her kikaichu to escape her cloak once more. She had the mind to attack both of their aggressors and in listening to Naru, she pointed towards the walrus and sent the kikaichu towards it to drain its chakra once more, hopefully preventing the water prison in the process. With her other hand, she pointed out towards the mist shinobi and sent out kikaichu, filled to the brim with chakra and ready to spray a vicious corrosive mist at the guy.
Ryo looked directly towards the vortex before hearing Naru's voice. The vortex definately would hurt, especially in his current condition. His eyes then focused on the shinobi. He does up some hand signs before yelling "Fire bullet barrage jutsu!" He then curls his fingers around his mouth before spitting out multiple bullets. He was hoping to kill this guy quickly.
Having his attack nullified, Hinotori only grinned as the ice spear sailed through the air and IMPALED HIM! Then in a blast of fire Hinotori isn't there anymore, actually he's hiding. Looking to his team and how they are faring, he saw them working together, but he needed to take this guy out quickly. Allowing his eyes to follow and seek out this shinobi, he had to get him and finish him off. Smirking as he sees that he is on the right track, time to finish this shit now. Hinotori gathers his chakra, allowing it to building within him then with an burst of speed that should be full Jounin level Hinotori leaps up into the sky forming a long series of seals and as he nears his target he expels a blast of fire that quickly forms into that of a large dragon and crashes in twoards the mist nin.
