Starring:
Arika, Hiei, Yume, Hiroto, Hango, Takeo, Okochi, Miyu, Itami, Kiji
Date: September 8, 2016
Summary:
A team made up of Sunagakure and Kumogakure shinobi assault the Brigade base together.
"The Storm Brigade - The Electric Winds Crash In"
Ocean - Storm Brigade Base
For the past while, the Storm Brigade has been the Great Villages' biggest nightmare. They've been striking a number of random places, many of them being neutral and small island/coastal villages that end up getting flooded. Whole (smaller) villages have been wiped out thanks to the Brigade, and the Shinobi of the world were largely unable to save innocents. The Brigade even had the gall to attack the Hidden Villages, striking the Sand, the Mist, and the Leaf. The latest attacks have proved that the Brigade would stop at nothing to gain members, even going so far as to kidnap a number of higher ranking individuals. And a rando.
Despite all that, the shinobi have worked hard, banding together to defeat this menace once and for all. Certain items were planted on Brigade members, and a few of the kidnapped targets had tracking devices within them. These devices were located through a secretive means that ultimately divulged the location of the Brigade's hideout. The compound itself was expansive, as well as … in the middle of the ocean … ?? Well, that might explain why they were so hard to find ._.; The compound was also several miles underwater, which truly doesn't help matters at all. Multiple entrances were scattered across nautical miles, so each of the villages chose to launch their own forces against the entryways. Some of the villages stuck together, some of them mingled with others.
This particular group was made up of both Kumogakure and Sunagakure shinobi. Leading this particular force was a Jounin from Sunagakure due to the fact that there were more Suna-Nin here. We'll call her Ninja Jane >.> Ninja Jane basically told Hiei that he was in command if they ever reached the point where more than half of the combined forces could no longer continue on towards rescuing their targets and bringing down the base. So in all likelihood, Hiei will have more of a say on things once they hit the water…
For now, though, the force are on large ships. Suna and Kumo's combined naval forces allowed for three ships' worth of shinobi to make their way to the X on the map. Half of the ninja knew water release in one form or another. A good amount were medics. And all of them knew how to put up a decent fight. Ninja Jane would yell out an order, which was picked up by the different ships. It basically was: "All water manipulators at the ready! All sensors keep on your toes! All fighters prepare to dive in!"
Ikitara Arika was aboard this ship. She was more than ready to fight, too! The dang Storm Brigade had flooded her home, *HuFF*, so she was gonna make them pay >:| ~I just want to destroy things.~ 'Well, I guess our goals fall in line this time around.' The young girl had a great deal of chakra focused, knowing that the upcoming battle, if it was anything like the Brigade attack on Suna, was going to be long and vicious. "*HUFF* D'you sense anything? Why don't I get water from you? That would'a been helpful… Aren't you s'posed t' know water stuff if yer a squid?" she would say aloud to no one in particular. Maybe she was directing that at Hiroto, who is likely standing right beside her. Totally. ~I'm not a squid, I'm an octopus. And just because I might know water doesn't mean you automatically get that knowledge.~ "Would've been useful…" she just grumbles, even as she peers over the side of the deck.
COMBAT: Arika focuses 6603 stamina to turn it into 11000 usable chakra!
After having gone through the proper channels to get his medicine so he wouldn't be barfing the entire trip to the base, Hiei's stomach is still a little queasy, but it's mostly under control thanks to Amani's drugs. The Raikage heard the order of the Suna Jounin and hops up to the side of the railing. He may not like boats, but he was an excellent swimmer. As the time for the assault drew near, he closes his eyes for a long moment and begins to channel massive amounts of chakra. So much so that small sparks of lightning begin to play across his skin. He stares down at the water, the only thing on his mind at the moment was getting his people back and making the fools who took them pay with their lives. The expression on the part of his face that's visible is grim. He's wearing his black armor with his lower mouth covered up. Those from his village would know it as his battle armor, and know that he is /so/ ready to kick some butt.
COMBAT: Hiei focuses 4799 stamina to turn it into 7000 usable chakra!
RPCOMBAT: Hiei defends against with a CHAKRA-SENSITIVITY…33
RPCOMBAT: Hiei defends against with a MASTERED-PERCEPTION…77
Yume would sit in silence while her hands grip around her cane tightly as she sits and waits for the inevitable. While there were some familiar faces, the ship was filled with many that she had never come to know, that hailed from places a lot further from even her clan's village to the north. This added to her tension, but even though nervous energy can destroy a person, she knew that sometimes the adrenaline brought on by it could help hone and strengthen her senses if she allowed it to. When the call for alertness is rung over the rest of the ship by their leading force, she manages to pry her fingers from her cane to reach behind her and start to untie the bandaging around her eyes. She hisses in some discomfort as the unrestricted sunlight reaches her burnt up eyes, but Yume found that it made what she was about to tap into far easier to reach without the limitation. She knew that she had to give it her all today and there was even less room for error than usual. She gathers a deep breath and closes her eyes for a moment, only to open them with some more clarity in them than before. She blinks her eyes slowly, as if adjusting to something new, but soon she tries to reach out with her chakra to try to pick out any sources that are out of the ordinary. A moment is taken to look over in the direction of Hiei from where he stands. Even though her traditional sight was still very limited, it was the first time that she had ever seen him in such circumstances and it is enough to inspire some awe in the Genin.
RP: Yume transforms into NEJIGAN-II.
COMBAT: Yume focuses 2613 stamina to turn it into 3000 usable chakra!
RPCOMBAT: Yume defends against with a CHAKRA-SENSITIVITY…33
RPCOMBAT: Yume defends against with a ECHO-SENSE…35
Hiroto was here for one major reason of his own. Get revenge for them flooding his village. That didn't mean he wouldn't be here also for more, like saving the kidnapped Shinobi. Including in fact the most important of the kidnapped, overall, Michiko. Sunagakure obviously has none kidnapped of their own otherwise that would be a big thing for him. There was only one bird here with him. Literally only one that was actually combat ready when it mattered and the only one he would even risk being here. "Tenshi. Stick to the top of the ship and keep a look out for us." Tenshi flew up top and would wait. They liked boats and the open air, but they were not as okay with going under water.
Hiroto looked at Arika and blinked a bit. "Hmm? Shh. I don't know how it works, but there is no need to speak on it." Hiroto and Tenshi both begin to look around over the water now. It was a lot they had to take in. Luckily eyes with some very enhanced vision meant they could get a lot of info over open water. Much better than if they were in mountains at least. "Arika. Ya see anything at all tell us. And….. Well if the other one sees things too I would like for him to help out. Especially since it seems he will get a lot of chances to have some fun here."
COMBAT: Hiroto focuses 4040 stamina to turn it into 4050 usable chakra!
RP: Hiroto transforms into TENSHI'S-EXPERIENCE.
RPCOMBAT: Hiroto defends against with a HAYATO-SENSES-II…61
Hango had been drawn here, along with his charge from Kirigakure, for the operation against the Storm Brigade. He stands behind the Arika and Hiroto, peering over the edge of the ship, before pulling his attention away at the call for Sensor Nin. He pushes his glasses up his nose with his right hand, left hand ready, displaying his natural ambidexterity instead of covering it by appearing left-handed, as he usually does.
His mind's eye expands as his physical senses partially retreat, moving into a semi-meditative state that slides up his slick, semi-irregular chakra, taking in the chakra signatures of those on the three ships approaching the Storm Brigade. Then, with a rolling feeling in his stomach, he directs his sensations forwards and downwards, placing his left hand on the railing aside his ship. He's silent for now, feeling his upper back and the back of his neck stand up on edge at the fear of hidden, unknown danger. This is his first time on an actual mission for Hidden Village, although it is not the first time he has risked his life. He knows this feeling, his whipcord teenage muscles tightening beneath his beige flak jacket. "Sensor Style active," he reports to Hiroto and Arika, chin tipped downwards.
RPCOMBAT: Hango defends against with a CHAKRA-SENSITIVITY…16
Takeo is present, of course, for several reasons. He's the Supreme General of Kumogakure, summoned at the request of the Raikage to be at the man's side. Furthermore, he probably has the most to do with water manipulation than any other, between the Wave Manipulation retained from his years as a Jinchuuriki and his status as a sage of the Great Turtles. Lastly, Takeo had played a large role in helping Sunagakure recover from its flood, so he was familiar with many of its Shinobi.
"You know, it's usually the case that the battlefield /doesn't/ suit my talents," he comments to Hiei, lowering his voice in faint amusement. "Still, I don't look forward to the experience of drowning again. This is going to require some care." He hears orders being shouted out from this Ninja Jane, and then looks to the Raikage, as if questioning whether his role here was subordinate to someone else.
Whatever the case, he needed to prepare. Takeo nods his head aside to a tiny, spikey-shelled turtle perched upon his shoulder. In response, the reptile crawls under the neckline of the general's many layers of robes, attaching himself between the shoulder blades. A swell of power can be felt about him, probably best by Hiei, as he gathers natural energy into himself via the conductor now upon his back.
COMBAT: Takeo focuses 6447 stamina to turn it into 8679 usable chakra!
RP: Takeo uses IMPERFECT-SAGE-MODE.
Okochi has spent a fair amount of time in Sunagakure before the call to action was posted. In her time as a 'liason' to Sunagakure, she helped coordinate Sunagakure's attack by not only reporting the location of Kirigakure's medical division, but also supplying Sunagakure with a large amount of medical herbs that Doihara Akane had sealed away herself. Perhaps these preparations will help honored allies of Kirigakure with the push needed to tackle this particular push into enemy territory. Okochi, as a result of her mission, joins her allies amongst their rank and file.
Clad in a black coat with a lower hem reaching her ankles and sleeves hanging past her wrists, her hood would be lowered to cover her eyes which only let the lower half of her face be seen and the long locks of long cornsilk-yellow twintails would appear from the edge of her hood, reaching her knees. The Umihe Clan had a particular dislike of a similar clan from the Land of Lightning, and knowing that the possibility that a member of that clan would be present here made her all the more wary.
Anxiety was starting to settle in, and Okochi would slowly stroke one of her long locks of hair, stimming with it as her body quivvered. This was war, wasn't it? War alongside unfamiliar people from unfamiliar places. At least, as a shinobi of Kirigakure she was prepared to dive and most of her clothing was waterproof. She currently stood by Hango, and as she passively senses the air, she can smell some of his fear. It was good she was not alone. There were many shinobi standing on the same vessel who seemed to jump at the idea of possible death. "Are you as worried as I am, Hango-san?" She asked, wanting verbal confirmation to what her senses were picking up as she slips up to her hood to pull it down further over her head.
RP: Okochi transforms into YAMARU.
RPCOMBAT: Okochi defends against with a PERCEPTION…19
Swimming is not Miyu's strong suit, as one might surmise, from the cat-ear like hair protrusions on her head and her being a Cat Fist Kemonoken. The current head of the style, infact. She isn't BAD at it. There are cats that actually PREFER water, not even getting into tigers and such. But it's not something she has devoted much time to practicing. Even so, occasionally when she has aided Kumogakure in the past, it has been necessity she has had to swim.
Thus, she is at least prepared to do so this time as well as she rides the boat to their destination. The dark-skinned woman is seated on the side of the ship's mast as though it were horizontal, meditating quietly and ignoring gravity. She is not a sensor, she is not a water-user, and while she is a fighter there is not much preparation she needs to make. Her body and her mind are her greatest weapons. So she remains aware, but, from appearances, seems to just be cat-napping on side of a wooden pole.
She's very much awake though.
COMBAT: Miyu focuses 1155 stamina to turn it into 1350 usable chakra!
Those that are sensors would not be able to tell much, admittedly. For several reasons. Any weaker sensors (D rank) would be overwhelmed by the fact that there is a /lot/ of chakra flaring up along the ships. It happens to be the sensors that are a bit stronger (B-rank) that are able to tell the difference between 'friend' and 'foe'. The good news about being on a ship for a decent amount of time: you get to know people aboard /very/ quickly and perhaps a bit more intimately than one would like. *Ahem*
Now, with all that being said, a few people in particular with different sets of skills would, naturally, be able to note different things. Chakra sensors are not the only types of sensors aboard, after all. Sunagakure and Kumogakure both have their interesting share of sensor-types, including people from the Hayato clan, the Hebisuuhai clan, the Yamayuki clan, and the Iga clan.
Hiei, aside from the massive amounts of chakra aboard the ships, would be able to maybe sense something in the water. Maybe. It would be difficult to tell apart from allies at this point, though. What worked better than his chakra senses happens to be his eyes. The Rhikage's eyes were experienced enough that they might be able to notice something 'odd' about the water. The water itself was moving 'differently', but it was… honestly hard to describe. Truthfully, there was just something STRANGE about it. Maybe it was how the water was flowing. Maybe it was how it was /not/ flowing. Whatever it was, there was something 'off'.
Yume's echolocation-type senses would be able to better pick out the sounds of the calls along the ships. There were warnings about an incoming storm that might be the Brigade. Or it might be natural. Yume could, with the help of her Nejigan, likely tell that the storm incoming is very sudden. She would only be able to tell that it was a bit unnatural if she has experienced storms with this particular sight before, though.
Hiroto and Tenshi would, with their enhanced sight, be able to figure out that there were a few shapes in the water. Without the ability to sense chakra, it might be difficult to tell if the shapes were fish or not, but the longer the two stared, the more obvious it would be: those shapes were NOT Fish. In fact, they were anything but… >.>; Uh-oh. Looks like there might be some trouble brewing. That being said, if they aren't disguising their presence, then maybe they are overly confident. Or maybe these are the dregs of the Brigade.
Hango would see what many of the other sensors would 'see'. That is to say, there is the bright chakra sources along the ships and there are some duller chakra signatures down below. His senses are not as accurate as some others' senses, though, so it could be easy for him to attribute that as overflow. Or perhaps he would hear the other calls that directed people's attentions to the water below. Either way, there is definitely reason to be on guard like he happens to be.
Those who know Takeo, and a number of Suna-nin would know him well after his help with the floods, would help instruct him in what he was doing. "Remember, as soon as we're in the clear, we need to create a sort of tunnel-like construct for the other shinobi forces to head down. Not all of us would be able to survive the immense water pressure, and more of us would drown before it happened. It requires concentration and control, naturally." Those were the instructions for the Turtle-Sage. Nifty. Sounds like the assault is well-planned!
Those near Okochi would idly comment to the girl to 'please put your hood down so we don't mistake you for an enemy'. While Okochi did not bear specific markings of the Storm Brigade, many of her fellows tended to attack only those that wore 'similar' outfits that mark the enemy as such. Black cloaks with hoods up and faces covered fall under 'enemy', and so Okochi just might accidentally be mistaken for one if she isn't careful. Hence the warning now. What she would sense is merely salt water and the unique scents of other people. Her eyes would not detect anything of note.
A few of the people not from Kumogakure would give Miyu a bit of an odd look. Was she… asleep?! Well, they really hope not… None of them felt particularly like bugging her right now because they all had their own duties to attend to, but one particularly new Genin would approach her. His hitai-ate marked him as a young member of the Hidden Sand. "Miss, we're all getting ready. Are you awake?" he would ask, tone polite as he poses his question. She seemed like someone you didn't want to mess with, after all… So he was really trying to be polite.
Arika rests a chin on the rail, the girl not actually a sensor. Technically, the one within her was, but he couldn't tell much with how many people were flaring their own chakra at the same time. "We can't sense much of anything," she would tell Hiroto with a small sigh. At least they were all getting ready and all that. "Ne, Hiro-kun, d'you see anything super interesting?" she would ask, peeking up at the Hayato with a slight tilt of her head. When Hango and then Okochi come over, she peeks over at the two for a moment and would offer a nod to Hango. She remembers him! Sorta. Something something Shun teasing Something something … Suspicious. Something. Yeah, she didn't remember him all that well. "Hai!" she would tell him either way, noting the genin's prep work. That was one of her jobs as a Chuunin, after all. To make sure the others were all on the right track. "Let us know if you spot anything~" she says cheerfully.
Despite being a Chuunin, though, Arika really doesn't look the part. The girl is wearing what one would consider her 'usual' clothes. Her hair is tied in a single braid down her back instead of the two pigtails that fell on either side, but she bears no mark of a Chuunin vest or flak jacket. She is also probably not wearing water-proof clothes… Poor thinking in advance? Probably!
Hiei replies to Takeo. "Our roles are reversed this time. I don't have tons of experience fighting underwater. My movements will be slowed because of the resistance. So this time, you have the advantage. I'll follow your lead because of that." He glances over at him. "You're a water user, if you drown, you should be embarrassed with yourself." His nose crinkles as if he might be smirking but it's hard to tell because of the mask. He then moves away from the side of the ship suddenly. "I can sense something down there. Nothing specific, but the water isn't moving around the ship the way it should." He places a hand on one of the swords around his waist, before speaking loud enough for everyone on the ship to hear. "Everyone, prepare for contact. I believe we're about to have company!"
Yume frowns quietly to herself as she tries to process the information coming in about the chakra, and would figure out that trying to rely on it at this point would be pointless. Too many sources from people she knew to be allies, and nothing that particularly stood out among them. She does manage to pick out something more interesting though and starts to rise to her feet from where she was sitting before. "Those aboard the other ships are warning of a storm coming from the north, sir." Yume calls over to the Suna's female shinobi, Ninja Jane, leading their charge.
She would be from all appearances relying on a more militaristic form of address given the situation, rather than addressing someone by a certain gender. "And I can tell you that it will be upon us very soon. I would suggest bracing the ship down as best as we can before it hits at full force." She personally didn't know the first thing to do with such naval measures, but she hoped that more experienced troops would have a better idea of where to start. She does hear the warning given to Okochi, and does her best to pull her hood down as well to keep from adding to the potential confusion. When Hiei addresses the ship, she nods her head once strongly, "Hai, Raikage." Yume sounds, gripping her cane tightly.
Hiroto and Tenshi were both looking around at the others, but the main thing is… What is that in the water? Those could be fish right? Tenshi would fly down real quick and landed upon Hiroto's head. 'There is something in the water that isn't supposed to be in the water.' "Hmm… Get back up top Tenshi. Quick." He said before turning to face Arika and both Hanga and Okochi. "Arika come with me. You two just…. Stay away from the edges." He didn't want to alert those in the water if he could help it. Slow there attacks at least a little bit. He made his way quickly to the Sunagakure Jounin that was leading this as well as Hiei if he was close.
"There are things in the water I think. Shapes and they are not…. Normal to the water. Not fish or anything. I believe it may be the Storm Brigade but I am not certain." Hiroto said as quietly as he could. Takeo would likely be next to Hiei so of course would hear it as well. Once he alerted them he got to moving back to the middle of the ship before quickly attempting to climb up to where Tenshi was. He hopefully could get the best view for firing arrows from up there. And it helped that he had tree walking. Of course even now they kept their eyes out. It was important they didn't get caught off guard by anything.
RPCOMBAT: Hiroto defends against with a HAYATO-SENSES-II…76
Hango's trepidation continues, not out of something he senses, but instead his relative blindness in the company of so many chakra users charging. He looks up to Hiroto, nodding, before his glance slides to Okochi. He raises his left hand, all fingers extended, and gestures for them to move inwards on the ship. "Let's go." Turning about slowly and cautiously from the ship's railing, in case he's being watched by something beneath the waves, he slowly moves along. Closer to the inner edge of the ship, he focuses his uneven chakra to a faint surge, as he bends forward and removes a piece of chakra paper from his thigh pocket of his fatigues. It has a blue ink kanji on it, and he quietly plays with it with his fingers, facing the side of the ship he just retreated from. He slows his breathing with a deep inhale, forcing himself to remain calm. There's a worried glance cast towards the prow of the vessel, and the incoming storm.
COMBAT: Hango focuses 1187 stamina to turn it into 1000 usable chakra!
Takeo's transformation into Sage Mode gradually takes place as the small turtle attached to his back funnels natural chakra into him. He grows larger in both height and bulk, clad now in large muscles coated in symmetrical sections of turtle shell, the most prominent being an upside down triangle upon his brow. The black hue of his hair bleeds away to white, with his eyes instead inheriting the darkness. Their surrounding lids take on an icy blue hue. Ultimately, he does look like something half man, half Great Turtle, and still part Inuzuka due to his claws and enlarged canines.
"Yes, the water's strange," says the general as he stares down at it, his voice now considerably deeper following the transformation. "You won't have to worry about water pressure or swimming, though. I'm going to peel away this little fortification of theirs and provide a clear path down. It'll hold for as long as I can hold it." His decision is, perhaps, prompted by the need for haste with concerns surrounding the oncoming storm.
Takeo lowers both of his large, clawed hands and draws a breath, focusing yet more nature chakra to the fore. Gradually, the ocean before them begins to quivers at the surface as he makes a single hand sign and then splays his digits. The sage slowly pulls his hands upward, as if he were trying to lift something of great weight, and the ocean itself starts to rise in the direction of the stormy horizon. A secondary blockade.
Takeo roars information to the ships surrounding, so as to make the situation clear and avoid alarm. "I'm about to tear back this barrier of theirs and give you all a clear path down. If you can't make the jump, you can skip down upon the surrounding walls of water. If you can't do that, find someone who can and hold on tight. Oh, and make it fast!"
Still, the sage struggles, but the ocean is losing the battle. It rises further and further until at last it's peeled away from the base, ascending into a great tidal wave directed toward the storm. Takeo remains on deck with his claws splayed and held forward, as if he were placing all of his effort into keeping the wall of water from falling back into place over the base.
RP: Takeo transforms into IMPERFECT-SAGE-MODE-TURTLE.
RPCOMBAT: Okochi defends against with a HEBISUUHAI-SENSES…29
COMBAT: Okochi focuses 1787 stamina to turn it into 2000 usable chakra!
Clear skies turned cloudy rather quickly, as far as Okochi could tell. It only added to the terrible ambience that made her young heart sink deeper into anxiety. Now, it was clear that the shinobi around her, Kumogakure and Sunagakure shinobi alike, were ordering her to remove her hood. Her hood, the only thing really hiding her linneage. "Hai…" Okochi would say as her sleeve-covered hands reached up to pull her hood off. Slowly. Once the hood was completely off it revealed more about the girl she would have rather kept secret. Things like her Kirigakure Hitai-ate that was worn upon her head like a hairband. Furthermore, her autumn-orange eyes with slitted pupils much like many shinobi from Kumogakure had from a certain clan.
Her anxiety spiked, and she squeezed one of her twintails softly as Arika would greet Hango. She remained… silent. As a result of the anxiety spike she sort of inched closer to Hango, as if relying on him to cover her, even if he doesn't give her a word on his current level of fear. Instead, an order… "Of course…" Was her reply as she followed the Suna shinobi closely. As they reach the center of the ship, however, one of the Kumogakure's Four Great Ones would show his prowess as he quite literally parted the water off the base. She stepped to Hango's side, leaning to his ear and whispering. "… Should we… Take advantage of the opportunity presented?"
COMBAT: Miyu focuses 2458 stamina to turn it into 3000 usable chakra!
RPCOMBAT: Miyu defends against with a FELINE-AWARENESS…25
"I am awake." Miyu responds promptly, without hint of annoyance at the interruption by the Genin. "I ready my mind. A mind is like an attic cluttered with useless things. If it is not sorted properly, then when one seeks something important in a hurry, one is liable to trip over the accumulated mess. In a crisis, that delay could be fatal."
Once people begin moving to act, however, Miyu opens her left eye, and gazes down upon the waters surrounding them. Her right eye has a scar over it, and does not open. She examines the oddly stagnant waters, trying to see if she can determine a cause for it. But with the waters being 'peeled back' to allow the ninja to bypass the need for swimming to the base, it seems as though it's a moot point.
Hopefully there were no enemies lying in wait in those stagnant waters. She didn't notice anything out of the ordinary either way, that others hadn't already noticed. The preparations of others all around are taken in, and then Miyu stands up on the side of the mast and drops down to the deck.
She lands lightly on her feet and proceeds to dash and leap over the side of the ship, and out onto the water. She rides the displaced water down, using Water Walking to 'ski'. She doesn't necessarily intend to 'take the lead', but the Raikage should not be the first one into a dangerous enemy hide-out. He is not replaceable, strong or not. It would be better if someone like her is already on the ground for when scouts arrive, both to defend them, and to deal with any initial hostile response.
The few around Okochi did not seem to care at all about the Hebisuuhai being aligned to Kirigakure. Maybe it wasn't all that uncommon for one clan to not fully be allied to a village. Maybe they just truly didn't care because of the situation. Regardless of the 'why', the point is that Okochi had very little to worry about in terms of her appearance.
The genin that approached Miyu would seem to brighten a bit when there was a lack of annoyance in the Beast-Fist user's tone. The genin would offer a quick nod, as if that all makes sense, before he would skitter off to prepare with some of his other friends. Part of that particular genin's work was to pass along messages because he was not fully battle-ready, but he could keep himself safe and useful.
As a better analysis of the situation travels across the ships, the people onboard might realize something: Sadly (or maybe not), the Raikage's warning is not without merit. The storm that Yume indicated (along with the other shinobi) was more than just a normal storm, and the more experienced fighters of the Brigade knew this. There was a bit of scrambling as people better-prepared themselves, but … It was really a bit too late for anything of note to happen. There were no magical seals that suddenly raised up to protect the shinobi from the incoming attack. No, this was true war, in a sense, and this attack was truly one that caught several people off-guard.
The assault starts with the boats rocking rather violently. Those with sea-trouble like Hiei are probably less than pleased about the rocking ships. There are a few unlucky Genin, too, who lack the skill to keep themselves 'glued' to the deck, and they happen to tumble right off into the water. Several water manipulators work to try and steady the waves, but there is an obvious force opposing their attempts. Even Takeo's mighty wave would find itself being 'oppressed'. The Sage would try to move the water from the Brigade's entrance, but any who attempted to move down the now-open path might be lanced through. A few people might even be crushed by water that was peeling itself away from Takeo's efforts thanks to the Brigade's forces fighting back. Miyu, in particular, would find a rush of water lances incoming. They would try to pierce through her middle to stop her descent. That was not the only thing she had to contest with, though. Miyu would also find a rather huge wave of water, which had been wrested from Takeo's control, crashing down upon her and likely breaking some bones if she didn't move out of the way fast enough.
The assault does not stop with the aquarian efforts, either. The winds seem to pick up and acquire an edge as well. Blades along the gales are … very painful, as well as difficult to avoid. Again, it is primarily the newer genin that happen to fail against these attacks from both Kumo and Suna, but their older peers are able to assist in defending against these strikes once they realize it. The same can't truly be said for our PCs, but … Well… They are also a bit stronger than the average genin c.c; *GM waves a dismissive hand and then puts the fourth wall back up*. The ones affected the most by these gales would be the Hayato and their falcons, really. Tenshi would discover that the winds that had picked up were both difficult to fly through, as well as painful if he didn't angle himself just right to avoid them. Sparring with Arika would be good, if he has any experience or recollection of such, because she has a few moves that utilize similar attack strategies.
What comes last, but certainly not least in terms of pain, is the third item that the Storm Brigade is known to wield: Lightning. The element would rain down from that storm cloud even as torrents of water splashed down from the sky. What was initially struck happened to be the masts of the sails, indicating there was some natural lightning in the mix as well. However, many of the blasts were also aimed specifically at the shinobi. A lot of lightning just crashing down upon the deck, some of the strikes even sparking a small fire here and there. It was the Raikage that might have the most fun with the incoming bolts of lightning. Several of the Brigade Members recognized him for what he was, and there were a number of more powerful lightning strikes that were aimed at him. The fires that were created were quickly put out, of course, since waves were crashing up and over the sides of the ships.
Arika would blink a bit at Hiroto and offer a quick nod, following the Hayato with a little hop and a small skip in her step. She was keeping a bit away from the edges of the ship because Hiroto said that to the other two, and she figured it would be good to follow that advice even when it didn't apply. His news brought a small frown to her face. "That doesn't sound good…" she says, tone surprisingly serious despite her usual cheerful demeanor. "Mebbe…" she says with a small nod, letting him continue on towards the upper part of the ship while she keeps a bit close to the ground. She was more useful down here.
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Crash vs. Hiei from 30 to 60 and get(s) a 47. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Crash vs. Hiei from 30 to 60 and get(s) a 45. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Crash vs. Hiei from 30 to 60 and get(s) a 55. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Rocking the Boat (Yume) from 10 to 25 and get(s) a 18. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Hiei defends against with a LIGHTNING-NEGATION…72
RPCOMBAT: Hiei defends against with a LIGHTNING-NEGATION…47
RPCOMBAT: Hiei defends against with a LIGHTNING-NEGATION…69
COMBAT: Hiei attacks target 1 with YANK with a roll of: 38
Fortunately for Hiei, he has done battle with the Brigade before. On a boat, near and island off the coast of the Land of Lightning. So he is familiar with their tactics, which is why when the storm hits, he plants his feet on the deck using chakra and when the lightning comes, he simultaneously grabs Yume and pulls her close to his body as he lifts his hand towards the sky. A dome of lightning surrounds his body as the strikes hit it to no effect. "Be careful, Yume. These dragons are sneaky." However, when Takeo opens up a path towards the base itself. Hiei comments, "See you at the bottom." Taking a running start, he leaps from the side of the ship and then tucks his arms close to his body as he flies towards the ground like a rocket with his ponytail flapping in the wind behind him. Miyu had good intentions of being the first one down, and she may beat him yet, but only those who know Hiei know him as the adrenaline junkie and daredevil that he truly is. There is a yelp of almost glee as he falls towards the surface. It was almost as fun as diving off Raiun Falls.
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Drizzle vs. Yume from 10 to 25 and get(s) a 11. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Drizzle vs. Yume from 10 to 25 and get(s) a 11. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Drizzle vs. Yume from 10 to 25 and get(s) a 14. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Yume defends against with a SOUND-WAVE…38
RPCOMBAT: Yume defends against with a SOUND-WAVE…41
RPCOMBAT: Yume defends against with a SOUND-WAVE…29
Yume would immediately start to wobble and shake on unsteady footing as the ships rocking gets progressively worse, and the strong winds are more than enough to send Yume flying to the edge of the ship. She cries out in surprise and fear, flailing in a desperate attempt to grab ahold of anything she can when she feels her feet leave the deck. She knew that landing in the waters at a time like this would be close to a death sentence for her with the storm getting as bad as it was. She winces and looks up at Hiei as she mumbles gratefully to him, "Thank you…I still can't find the right balance of chakra for my feet."
She swallows nervously, feeling guilty about having to explain herself, but she doesn't have long to think about it. As she feels the static of the lightning cutting through the air to sporadically land around the ship, Yume frowns in concentration and forms a seal before letting out a short and solid shout to send sound out to the source in an attempt to disperse it from her immediate direction at least. She pants quietly and looks over to where Hiei leapt down, nervously looking around for someone she could hold onto. Not finding anything, she just gathers up a breath and goes to jump with the Raikage and others rather than remain on deck where she could get pushed down at a moment's notice. There was no telling how long Takeo could manage to keep their way open as it was.
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Rocking the Boat (Hiroto) from 10 to 25 and get(s) a 13. - Rolled by: Arika
RP: Hiroto uses TREE-WALKING.
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Bladed Winds vs. Hiroto from 20 to 45 and get(s) a 40. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Bladed Winds vs. Hiroto from 20 to 45 and get(s) a 21. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Bladed Winds vs. Hiroto from 20 to 45 and get(s) a 25. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Hiroto defends against with a INTUITIVE-ACTION…39
RPCOMBAT: Hiroto defends against with a DODGE…44
RPCOMBAT: Hiroto defends against with a DODGE…37
RPCOMBAT: Hiroto took 500 damage.
Hiroto was just about to start climbing when the ground started rocking. "Snake… Arika we just need to get off these boats and into the base. Preferrably unharmed." And then as Tenshi decides to come join him they are both hit with some wind but luckily both stay on board the ship as they sit up against the railing with Tenshi in Hiroto's lap. "Uhh.. Yeah we just need to get to the base. It may be underwater, but it isn't ON water. They won't flood their own base as long as they plan to keep it." He stood up. "Arika. Quickly follow me. Clear the way for anyone that needs help if you can. I know you can do that and I wouldn't be surprised if the other one wants to play a bit too." He said with a slight smile before he ran to the front and hopped right off and into the water he would go. He was gonna do what Miyu did and slide along the side. As he fell he pulled multiple arrows free and would fire them though these were just warning shots not meant to do much harm as much as give them room and make people back off.
COMBAT: Hiroto attacks target 1 with QUICK-SHOT with a roll of: 32
COMBAT: Hiroto attacks target 1 with QUICK-SHOT with a roll of: 24
COMBAT: Hiroto attacks target 1 with QUICK-SHOT with a roll of: 32
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Ocean's Defense vs. Hiroto (32) from 20 to 45 and get(s) a 36. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Ocean's Defense vs. Hiroto (24) from 20 to 45 and get(s) a 33. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Ocean's Defense vs. Hiroto (32) from 20 to 45 and get(s) a 41. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Rocking the Boat (Hango) from 10 to 25 and get(s) a 10. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Hango defends against with a DODGE…17
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Drizzle vs. Hango from 10 to 25 and get(s) a 22. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Drizzle vs. Hango from 10 to 25 and get(s) a 11. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Drizzle vs. Hango from 10 to 25 and get(s) a 13. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Hango defends against with a CLONE-TECHNIQUE…21
RPCOMBAT: Hango defends against with a CLONE-TECHNIQUE…27
RPCOMBAT: Hango defends against with a CLONE-TECHNIQUE…16
RPCOMBAT: Hango took 250 damage.
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Rocking the Boat (Okochi) from 10 to 25 and get(s) a 22. - Rolled by: Arika
COMBAT: Hango attacks target 1 with YANK with a roll of: 16
As the storm slams into the boat, Hango's long platinum hair curls about him from its position swept back over his head. The boat's sudden shifting as waves crash against it causes him to briefly bend his knees, before he leaps into the air backwards with a burst of wind beneath him from his disintegrating parchment that expels its chakra charge.
He lands in a crouch, then swings his head upwards to view the incoming lightning strikes. He bounces off the ship with a cartwheel, only for the lightning to strike him and cause him to burst into pieces of paper, then a second Hango cartwheeling through the air in the opposite direction and bursting into paper. A third clone bursts upwards, but the lightning finds him below it, and the clone disappears as Hango is sent reeling from electricity that causes his body to tremor and buck with a sudden undulation. He wishes he hadn't worn his flak jacket.
Hango looks at Orochi, remember her words, and jerking out as he moves to get closer to her. "We have bigger fish to fry!" he says, his right hand stretching out for her as he extends himself across the deck to her, his left hand clasped onto an ornament of the wooden ship.
"Pigs," mutters Takeo as he feels resistance against his wave. He comments to Hiei, "They're trying to push the water back. Must be in it, themselves. Either we stay the course or we find another way, not that I won't keep fighting. Piggy, sure, but mine are bigger!" He grins at the Raikage, enlarged canines bared, before curling his splayed digits and grounding his clawed footing against the deck. Taking in a breath, the sage pushes his hands forward, keeping the roiling wave from falling back over the fortress for now.
When the winds strike him, the general makes the decision to endure whatever harm they may inflict so that he can keep a path open for the greater whole. Knocking him down isn't so easy a thing, though. Tree Walking, the weight of his transformed figure, not to mention the toe claws digging into the wood of the deck!
"Let's hurry it up! I'm going down there, too, and that wave's coming down the moment I jump!" Takeo's in general mode at the moment. He hasn't had many opportunities, but it seems he's found his voice in the role, somehow. Who knew the carefree exile would eventually become a leader? Standing at the edge of the deck, he looks down with pools of black for eyes at the destination below, keeping track of how many have descended to the base and how many have yet to go. He needs to know when he can let go, after all, and actually swimming down will be no problem for him. For the time being, though, the struggle continues. Buffeting winds cast back from the wave, along with the outpouring of chakra he's using, send many outer layers of his robes fluttering back from his half-human form in a cascade of blue, silver, and white.
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Rocking the Boat (Okochi) from 10 to 25 and get(s) a 22. - Rolled by: Arika
COMBAT: Okochi attacks target 1 with YANK with a roll of: 25
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Drizzle vs. Okochi from 10 to 25 and get(s) a 12. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Drizzle vs. Okochi from 10 to 25 and get(s) a 24. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Drizzle vs. Okochi from 10 to 25 and get(s) a 10. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Okochi defends against with a DODGE…27
RPCOMBAT: Okochi defends against with a DODGE…33
RPCOMBAT: Okochi defends against with a DODGE…26
RPCOMBAT Okochi took 200 chakra drain.
Hango was right, diving in right now seemed foolish given they were barely able to keep their footing. The bigger fish must have been the incoming wave. During the initial, less harsh rocking of the ship, she was able to keep on her toes. A Umihe's natural flexibility means that they were quite able to tarry between the droplets of charged water particles that, slipping behind and using cover to her advantage which ultimately brought her close to Hango as he was quite literally visibly contorting due to the lightning in his system. Okochi reached out, placing her sleeve-covered hand upon his shoulder as she siphons some of the electricity out of his system using her limited mastery of lightning.
Then the ship starts to do a tumble, and Okochi would seemingly slip and tumble off the ship. There wasn't anything to hold onto within her general vacinity, until Hango's hand reached out. Okochi was given an opportunity to remain on board, and thus she reaches out and grasps his hand to keep from sliding off as the ship tosses in the water. "… Doumo…" She says meekly, as she hangs on tightly.
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Water Lance vs. Miyu from 25 to 50 and get(s) a 50. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Miyu counters with HUNDRED-CLAW-STRIKE…41
RPCOMBAT: Miyu took 700 damage.
RP: Miyu transforms into GATE-OF-OPENING.
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Water Lance vs. Miyu from 25 to 50 and get(s) a 37. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Water Descending vs. Miyu from 25 to 50 and get(s) a 29. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Miyu defends against with a FELINE-AGILITY-MOVE…38
RPCOMBAT: Miyu defends against with a FELINE-AGILITY-MOVE…66
Miyu rushed in, and got a face full of water lances for her trouble. She tried to form Geki claws on her fingertips to slash the water away and send lengths of flexible Fierce Ki shredding through her attacker, but got nailed before she could finish her technique. Well, she didn't get not a face full. The first one slams into her mid-section. Rock hard abs are not literally rock hard, and high-pressure water jutsu bruise her ribs and almost knock the wind out of her. As she is knocked off balance, and sent tumbling down the wall of water, barely managing to avoid falling under the waves thanks to the Chakra coating her hands and feet, she gets the impression the waves are coming back down soon.
Time to move then.
She flips a switch in her brain and her muscles begin straining and tearing as she blasts towards her enemies and attempts to use that technique again, positioning herself to where she can lash out at everyone in front of her all at once.
"Hundred Claw Strike," she intones, as claws form on her fingertips and she begins slashing repeatedly, ten times with each hand, sending blazing, slicing claw slashes carving through the enemy. Hopefully, at least. The pain she is dealing with is considerable, and exhausting, but she will be nowhere near her limit afterwards. And this mission is too important to give up over a little bit of muscle tearing.
COMBAT: Miyu attacks target 1 with HUNDRED-CLAW-STRIKE with a roll of: 62
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Water Wall + Ocean Defense vs. Miyu (62) from 35 to 70 and get(s) a 64. - Rolled by: Arika
Should … Should the Raikage have just jumped so casually into the storm like that? Well, not necessarily the storm, but he did just dive straight into the water that was trying to crush Miyu even now. Hopefully he's okay. … What Miyu had experienced moments before would be what Hiei experiences on his way down: several lances made of water trying to spike him through as he descends towards the 'bottom' of the 'ocean'. Furthermore, with the Brigade still attempting to fight Takeo and the other water users, he would find random blocks of water crashing downwards to try and destroy him. Really, it was probably an unpleasant experience, and not many would seek to emulate the Raikage in this particular moment. However, the Daredevil of a Yotsuki would probably find a bit of a thrill in the imminent dangers that are trying to eliminate him.
Yume experiences much of the same thing, though it's really at a lesser extent than the Raikage. The reason, of course, being that the Brigade felt the threat coming from the Leader of Kumogakure, and they weren't entirely thrilled with him. As such, Yume would only get to find bursts of cutting wind slicing upwards at her, likely cutting into skin and clothes as she falls down towards the bottom of the ocean. She was one of the braver souls, really, as there were still a number of Genin and even some Chuunin that daren't travel where the Kumo-nin went. They weren't trying to be traitors, nor were they truly being cowards. They simply knew their own limits and they tried not to be a burden. After all… Beyond the surface, the fight would only grow more and more difficult…
Slowly but surely, the number of PCs on the ships were dropping like flies. Not because they were dying, but because they were taking advantage of the opening that Takeo had created. As Hiroto and Tenshi descend, their arrows would warn off a number of the Brigade members that would seek to attack them. Perhaps they felt the Hayato wasn't worth it… Whatever the reason, they did not move to strike him. Rather, they simply let the arrows fall into the water surrounding them and focused their assault elsewhere.
What Hango experiences, along with the rest of the people who keep to their ships, is a continuous barrage of lightning and wind. Less water, as the water-users of the Brigade are focusing on countering the efforts of the incoming strike-team, but it almost seems as though there are far more people that are a part of this assault. Okochi, being close to Hango, would also be finding herself a bit too close to both lightning and wind-strikes from the Brigade. The dangers of being atop the decks of the ships, though, are probably nothing like it is within the depths of the ocean.
Takeo gets to experience the constant push and pull of the Brigade's Suiton user's against himself and his allies. This battle for supremacy basically places the lives of his friends and comrades and allies in his hands… claws… Whatever appendages he has. It's a good thing that almost everyone that could is almost through. The group has almost reached the bottom. It's just a matter of time. 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 …
The strikes from Miyu do not go unnoticed in the short amount of time left between the 'free fall' and hitting the 'ocean' flood. The Brigade members that surround her would use a combination of water and just slinking back into the ocean to avoid her attack, though a few of them felt the air whistle past them. Phew, that was too close c.c;; To retaliate, the Brigade seems to use wind to try and slice and dice the Kemonoken.
Arika would sort of peer up at Hiroto, but then he chose to slide back down. The girl would blink a bit at him, and then what he said would finally register. "Hai!" she says quickly, following the Hayato once more. Hiroto be in charge! Yep~. Thankfully, she didn't fall off the deck when the boat was rocking, and any attacks meant for her would sort of be avoided somehow, likely by running around so much. The girl moves to the side, and the she hops over the rail of the boat, slinking down down down into the water. She would quicken her descent with a bit of wind chakra pushing downwards, but otherwise she stayed focused on the matter at hand. To Hiroto, she would shake her head and tell him when she could, "'m not gonna use him until it's needed." After all, this was going to be a rough battle, and she needed to last for as long as she could…
The girl would land on the ground, wind buffeting her fall so she didn't break a limb. Probably not as flashy an entrance as the Raikage's or anyone else's, but it would do. Her eyes quickly spot the rather obvious steel door that marked the entrance to the compound… And she would point it out to those surrounding her.
RP: Arika uses TREE-WALKING.
RP: Arika uses WATER-WALKING.
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Water Lance vs. Hiei from 35 to 70 and get(s) a 42. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Water Lance vs. Hiei from 35 to 70 and get(s) a 40. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Crushing Water Pressure vs. Hiei from 35 to 70 and get(s) a 56. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Hiei defends against with a ACROBATIC-DODGE…40
RPCOMBAT: Hiei took 450 damage.
RPCOMBAT: Hiei defends against with a ACROBATIC-FLOW…41
RP: Hiei transforms into LIGHTNING-AURA.
RPCOMBAT: Hiei defends against with a FLOW-OF-BATTLE…66
As Hiei descends rapidly and the attacks come at him, he spins about in the air, the first water lance, grazing him and scratching him along the arm. He angles his descent towards the wall of water, flipping end over end, and planting his feet against it, only to push off and angle himself towards the outer entrance. This movement allows him to get into position and dodge that last attack of water. Now feet first, his body begins to spin as an aura of lightning surrounds his body. He tucks his arms in close to his body and begins to rapidly spin. Kumo nin have seen this technique before, and Hiei is aiming to make an entrance, and hopefully catch anyone who might not be expecting him.
COMBAT: Hiei attacks target 1 with LIGHTNING-CURB-STOMP with a roll of: 56
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Slicing Wind vs. Yume from 15 to 33 and get(s) a 18. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Slicing Wind vs. Yume from 15 to 33 and get(s) a 31. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Slicing Wind vs. Yume from 15 to 33 and get(s) a 31. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Yume defends against with a SOUND-WAVE…24
RPCOMBAT: Yume defends against with a SOUND-WAVE…30
RPCOMBAT: Yume defends against with a SOUND-WAVE…37
RPCOMBAT: Yume took 350 damage.
For what little of her vision her budding Nejigan returned to her, it was centered on Hiei's falling shape as she too focuses on surviving the fall down. Her instinct was stronger than her fear and the only thing she knew was that their Raikage was in more danger down there than she might have been up on the ship, and that would not do. As the wind sent her way gets stronger, she winces and attempts to form the necessary handseals before she screams to compensate for the air rushing past her ears. Hopefully it would cut and part through the sharper winds and give her less resistance on the way down. That wasn't all she tried to do, and another seal ushers in another harsh scream from her throat that sends sound waves to return the gesture to any enemy in her path or in the parted waters around her.
Another shout helps to slow some of her momentum, allowing her to land among the others in a roll. She grimaces and picks herself up from the fall, making a mental note to work on landing from heights as part of her training. She wipes some blood away from her face and looks up at the impressive once underwater fortress. She watches Hiei silently as he prepares for something that might allow them a means of entry.
COMBAT: Yume attacks target 1 with SONIC-SCREAM with a roll of: 30
COMBAT: Yume attacks target 2 with SONIC-SCREAM with a roll of: 26
COMBAT: Yume attacks target 3 with SONIC-SCREAM with a roll of: 29
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Water Barrier vs. Yume (30) from 15 to 35 and get(s) a 24. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Water Barrier vs. Yume (26) from 15 to 35 and get(s) a 18. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Water Barrier vs. Yume (29) from 15 to 35 and get(s) a 29. - Rolled by: Arika
Hiroto would slide all the way down unattacked and just did a nice flip then a tuck and roll to arrive right into the door it seems Hiei is breaking. Well after he breaks it and it is all cleared away of course. Welp now water is going to come flooding in. Should get in that middle room and try to block it off quickly. "Everyone alright?" He asked just to make sure and then his eyes drifted to Arika. "Makes sense. I am going to try and sit back some too instead of wasting energy on these ones. Though Arika…" He would gesture for her to come closer. "I actually am very certain I won't last as long as you do in there. So once we get into the heat of battle you don't worry about me alright? I am certain you can handle yourself and I want you to try your hardest to bring an end to the Brigade. And how you see fit." He just had Tenshi sitting upon his head as he had swooped down with him, and they were both waiting for people to collect here. He couldn't open the door on his own at all… Sooo… Waiting.
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Drizzle vs. Hango from 10 to 30 and get(s) a 17. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Drizzle vs. Hango from 10 to 30 and get(s) a 19. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Drizzle vs. Hango from 10 to 30 and get(s) a 13. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Tearing Wind vs. Hango from 10 to 30 and get(s) a 30. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Tearing Wind vs. Hango from 10 to 30 and get(s) a 25. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Tearing Wind vs. Hango from 10 to 30 and get(s) a 10. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Hango defends against with a DODGE…16
RPCOMBAT: Hango defends against with a DODGE…14
RPCOMBAT: Hango defends against with a DODGE…14
RPCOMBAT: Hango defends against with a DODGE…8
RPCOMBAT: Hango defends against with a DODGE…16
RPCOMBAT: Hango defends against with a DODGE…11
RPCOMBAT: Hango took 800 damage.
As the boat stops rocking, and there seems to be a calm in the storm, Hango pulls Okochi back from the edge of the boat she'd falling over, with a grunt and a little muscle. "You're welcome," he offers to the Kirigakure Nin with a rakish smile, before he turns his head to the side and upwards, hearing the wailing winds grow from the storm above, and the crackle of electricity. He springs backwards away from the allied village's Nin as he's blasted off his feet by a sudden massive field of voltage cracking around him. He stumbles backwards as he appears to almost dance, his teeth clenched and his muscles spasming. The final insult is the gale of wind that sweeps him off his feet and sends him careening across the deck, slamming him through the ship's wheel well's wooden structure. He weakly crawls out, smoking from the amount of damage he's taken and his glasses uneven. He spits out blood, before he slumps forward, too wounded to continue.
Takeo remains at the edge of the ship's deck for as long as is possible, holding back the tide. Layers of his robes litter the deck behind him, torn off by water and wind, and sections of shell which had replaced flesh have been torn away. The sage remains the pillar that the assault force needs, nevertheless, suffering great harm in the process. Eventually, he's satisfied with the numbers he's seen descend to the bottom.
"That's enough! Let's bring it down!" Takeo shouts out his intent to the Water Manipulators supporting him as he slowly pulls his hands back, allowing the wave to crash in first from the top, rather than the bottom. This approach buys those down below a few extra water-free moments to get into the complex. As well, it affords Takeo the chance to dive straight in as soon as the water curls back toward him.
With surprising speed, the general swims toward the bottom, webbed claws and toes propelling him downward as he rides the most advantageous currents of the collapsing water wall. He may be injured badly as a result of his heroics, but this wouldn't be the first time he'd died underwater. This time, better to go down while helping to lay waste to the Brigade's fortress.
Happily, this might be the one occasion where being a Great Turtle sage has proven more an advantage than an oddity. It's not long before he's dropped down to Hiei's level. His blood colors the water, but he pays it no mind, and a claw waves off any concern expressed about it. "Got a few seconds before the rest of the water settles back into place," Takeo says, "and the only thing I can do to crack this place open would probably breach the entire complex." So, Takeo leaves that to Hiei. He's done his part, best as he could.
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Drizzle vs. Okochi from 10 to 30 and get(s) a 19. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Drizzle vs. Okochi from 10 to 30 and get(s) a 16. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Drizzle vs. Okochi from 10 to 30 and get(s) a 10. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Tearing Wind vs. Okochi from 10 to 30 and get(s) a 25. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Tearing Wind vs. Okochi from 10 to 30 and get(s) a 23. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Tearing Wind vs. Okochi from 10 to 30 and get(s) a 27. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Okochi defends against with a DODGE…34
RPCOMBAT: Okochi defends against with a DODGE…16
RPCOMBAT: Okochi defends against with a DODGE…34
RPCOMBAT: Okochi defends against with a DODGE…27
RPCOMBAT: Okochi defends against with a DODGE…20
RPCOMBAT: Okochi defends against with a DODGE…28
RPCOMBAT: Okochi took 200 damage.
Only with Hango's help did Okochi not get thrown overboard, and she honestly might have been out of the fight without his help. Spending a few moments to shake the rain out of her coat, she would take a deep breath as she prepares to join the shinobi down below. "Now we should join our comrades down bel-" Okochi would slip behind the mast as electrified rain patters down upon the deck, and as she stepped out from behind the thick wooden mast, and invisible blade of wind would strike her. It had enough force to cause her to skid backwards, and ended up cutting into her coat. It wasn't entirely that damaging, but the impact did hurt a fair bit. Forget her, though. When she attempted to see whether Hango had successfully dodged the rain and wind himself she saw him come crawling out of the wood work. Though her skill in medical ninjutsu was… as of yet untrained… she would decide to drop the idea of descent in order to prevent casualties.
Okochi would drop to her knees, taking a deep breath as she slips her arms beneath Hango's underarms and slowly tugged him out onto the ship's deck. Slipping Hango onto his back. "… This is called… Repaying the favor for catching me… … I suppose… Try not to move." Okochi slipped her hands into five seals, and dispersed an electrical current. This is certainly not direct healing, but will assist in long-term healing efforts. The best she could do given her level of skill. "… Your injuries here saved you in the long run. It is likely that those who go below will run into far more resistance, and the possibility of being wounded are greater. Sometimes it is better to recognize and commit to retreat when a combat action creates more casualty than gain. That was from a Kirigakure tactics manual." Okochi knew the location of Kirigakure's medical division that was situated behind enemy lines, it was a location divulged to her by Akane before she even had arrived in Suna prior to the attack. All the shinobi wounded in the initial attack will likely be gathered into one ship, before being sent out those locations.
COMBAT: Okochi heals Hango for 0 with BASIC COMBAT ELECTROTHERAPY.
RP: Okochi reverts to her normal state.
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Slice 'n Dice vs. Miyu from 25 to 50 and get(s) a 50. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Slice 'n Dice vs. Miyu from 25 to 50 and get(s) a 33. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Miyu defends against with a FELINE-AGILITY-MOVE…42
RPCOMBAT: Miyu defends against with a FELINE-AGILITY-MOVE…37
RPCOMBAT: Miyu took 500 damage.
Miyu has not seen the Raikage's technique before, though she has heard of it, and how it has been passed down from its original creator through a rare few Yotsuki who have proven themselves to the Clan. It is a legendary technique, on par with the Mangekyou Sharingan and the Eight Gates or Sage Mode.
But she has little time to admire the electrified warrior he has become as she fails to dodge one of the slicing wind attacks, the pain of the Gate of Opening as she relies upon instinct and reflex interfering with seeing her through to safety. She manages to duck and flip out of the path of the next set of wind slices, however. But she can feel her body already worn out and torn up from the injuries so far combined with this forbidden jutsu.
A wise warrior knows when to retreat. Miyu is no warrior, but she knows when it's time to go. But she can still contribute one last thing, since she has failed to provide any real aid thus far.
She forms Fierce Ki claws on her fingers and toes, forming them into large constructs of Ki that build up around each extremity until they become shaped like over-sized cat paws, if cat paws had ultra-lethal death-sabers protruding from the digits. Then tenses her body, feeling more things snapping and breaking inside of her as she crouches down, prepares herself… And begins shooting around the area at high-speed, shredding the ground beneath her as she does so, in an attempt to tear through as many enemies as she can, or at the very least wound them. Once she has done this last thing, she will attempt to get to the surface before she is drowned. With the combination of the Gate of Opening and Water Walking, she should be able to propel herself up through the water crashing down on her in enough time to survive, at least. But she'll be in a bad state for awhile at the end of this no matter what.
"Good luck, Raikage-sama. Everyone. This is the last I can do. The rest is up to you," the lithe, dark-skinned monk offers as parting words as the claws about her hands and feed disperse, regardless of effectiveness.
COMBAT: Miyu attacks target 1 with THOUSAND-CLAW-STRIKE with a roll of: 77
COMBAT: Miyu attacks target 2 with THOUSAND-CLAW-STRIKE with a roll of: 55
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Water Wall vs. Miyu (77) from 40 to 80 and get(s) a 71. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Water Wall vs. Miyu (55) from 40 to 80 and get(s) a 62. - Rolled by: Arika
RP: Itami transforms into DRAGON'S-MIGHT.
COMBAT: Itami focuses 4005 stamina to turn it into 5100 usable chakra!
'Down?' Itami caught that part, but what was comig down? She wasn't entirely sure, but it became apparent as she flew through the storm. It was difficult, given all the wind, blinding rain and lightning strikes. 'Oh, bother…' she thought to herself as she watched the water fold over from the top. Now she has to fly through a tunnel?! She picked up the pace by streamlining her approach, hoping she could make the proper corrections to get herself in the quickly approaching pinch.
'Really don't want to be my death to be drowning…' She thinks to herself among many other things that are running around her mind. The water closing in causes her tail to skip along the water as she reaches the final leg of this race. She'd managed to get past the ships, past the bodies, saw some familiar and unfamiliar faces and now this! This is it!
She slips through the entryway and spots the others ahead, taking quick note of the water that was soon to be rushing into the place. She decided to put her jutsu to good use and raise a barrier of glass to create a watertight barrier that would keep the rest of it from coming in and affecting this daring operation.
RP: Itami uses GLASS-MANIPULATION.
Thanks to the Raikage, the initial entryway to the compound is literally smashed open. Bits of glass shattered from the force of the impact, though the glass was probably more harmless than any of the jutsu that had come the group's way. Really, it was probably the least-damaging thing they encountered thus far! Good fortune smile upon them, or something like that. Not actually… The broken glass was more of a pain in the butt than anything, really.
Yume's screaming was absolutely dreadful. The Brigade wanted no part in it, but the water doesn't actually do much to shield them from the effects of that awesome singing. Only those further away from the 'Banshee' were able to survive without much bleeding in the eardrums. While the members of the Brigade would probably like to retaliate, they do not. Instead, they seem to retreat a bit, preferring to let those that are stronger within their fortress take down the shinobi incoming…
When the Rankoro falls, a number of Genin that were on the ship seek to help him. Some of them had basic first aid training and were able to bind some of the slices made by the wind while others moved quickly to gather the help of the medics onboard. There was a single ship that was dedicated to taking the badly-injured back to a medic-based ship provided by Kirigakure, at least, so Hango would be placed upon it after the medics saw to his healing. He would survive, though his time in the hospital would probably be a week or two given how many injuries he just suffered. They were small, but they were also pretty deep.
Okochi's healing helped the Rankoro recover, but it did not heal his wounds. The more experienced medics would take over from there, directing the Hebisuuhai to the appropriate area. She would be kept on the current ship rather than get sent back to heal due to her medical prowess, as poor as it might be. This was primarily because the team going down would need all the help they could once upon resurfacing. Even with the help of Kiri-medics nearby… After all, the ships needed to spread out their resources to other shinobi allies.
"Yes sir!" some of the water-users said. Takeo's group and his suiton assistants would release the water slowly, allowing it to flood back into its natural place. The water would rush in, passing Takeo in a great wave. The people down below would also get to see it. It was as if they were watching the Red Sea come down after being parted. … Or however that worked.
Miyu's barrage of claw strikes is painful to the Brigade Members that have to suffer from it. The water that they hide within begins to show traces of red where some of them were injured, though some of them were able to escape the fate of being clawed. Scratched or not, though, the Brigade members continue to retreat for the time being. There are smaller fish to fry out upon the ocean. The numerous members of the Brigade would heal their wounds before they set off to join their comrades in arms in other places…
And then ENTER THE DRAGON! The mighty Itami has appeared and actually helped a bunch. Just as the water from the jutsu began to collapse upon the group of shinobi collecting near the entrance of the compound, Itami put up a barrier of glass … More accurately, it was a dome that would permit them to survive without the water crushing them. Or drowning them. How thoughtful of the dragon! Itami had just enough time to slip into her creation, too!
Arika would step over towards Hiroto when beckoned, the girl peeking at him a bit. She would frown a bit, but she also nods slightly. "Hai…" she says with that frown, not entirely happy that Hiroto might not be able to continue towards the final stages. Regardless, she would do her best here! She would look fairly determined, and then she realizes that there is sort of something crashing down … *stares upwards* … Uh-oh… The girl sort of flails a bit and tries to prod Hiroto and gives him a sorta 'whatdowedo????' look when suddenly the water crashes down. She closes her eyes, but … nothing happened. ~Stupid lizard interfering…~ grumbles that voice within her, to which she blinks her eyes open. "Itami-Chan!~" she says happily, waving a bunch with her arms rather wildly. "Ne! Ne! You came just in time!" she says excitedly. "We 'bout t' storm in and go all RAWR! on 'em!" she says rather proudly. Even though she hasn't done much … The curse of GMing c.c;
[NPC System]: Glass roll(s) Shattered Pieces vs. Hiei from 10 to 25 and get(s) a 16. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Hiei defends against with a DODGE…39
Hiei brushes the fragments of glass out of his way with his hand as they come flying up. He stands up from the crouch he landed in and rolls his wounded shoulder a little. Deciding that it was only a love tap, he turns to Itami after she comes in and erects glass so they don't all drown. "Hey, it's my favorite dragon. Glad to see you've joined the party, Kazekage Itami." He motions to the door in front of him. "They already know we're here, how about I knock real loud for them?" He curls his right hand into a fist and kneels down, striking his fist on the ground. His forearm is wreathed in flames as he stands up and slides a foot forwards before shooting his fist towards the door. "Faaaalcooonn Punch!"
COMBAT: Hiei attacks target 1 with FALCON-PUNCH with a roll of: 46
[NPC System]: Glass roll(s) Shattered Pieces vs. Yume from 10 to 25 and get(s) a 17. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Yume defends against with a TRICKY-WEAPON-BLOCK…13
RPCOMBAT: Yume took 50 damage.
Yume looks up and around the glass creation surrounding them now, marvelling at it quietly as it comes in just in time to rescue them from the crushing ocean's water and secure their entrance into the fortress safely. She can't help but breathe out a sigh of relief before drawing in a deep breath as she tries to summon up more courage for their trials ahead. There was no telling what sort of shinobi were actually within the base, and she felt lucky to have even made it this far with little more than a few scratches that shouldn't require stitches.
As the glass from Hiei's technique starts to fly through the air, she tightens her grip on her cane and does her best to swat some of the larger, more dangerous pieces out of her way midair. While she manages to swat some aside, a few manage to scratch into her. She frowns to herself and does her best to brush them away or pick them off of her while she shakes her cane off to make sure no embedded pieces are lingering in the wood. After Hiei punches a larger hole in the door ahead, she follows the others inside, her attention remaining deligantly on Hiei and Takeo both as she tracks behind them leaving them a more than reasonable space ahead of her.
COMBAT: Yume focuses 1307 stamina to turn it into 1500 usable chakra!
[NPC System]: Glass roll(s) Shattered Pieces vs. Hiroto from 10 to 25 and get(s) a 10. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Hiroto defends against with a TENSE…7
RPCOMBAT: Hiroto took 150 damage.
Hiroto just nods slowly and gives her hair a little ruffle before standing up in full and… Well firstly glass was flying about and he was stabbed a few times by it. Ouch. He idly picked those out as Itami showed up and put a wall up for them. Made out of glass. Sweet. "Arika do you have any medical skills of your own yet? Or at least First Aid? Probably could get a little patched up before we head in." He chuckled lightly before giving a nod of his head to Itami. "Itami. Good to see you have finally joined the fight. Ready to pay them back for flooding our village I assume?" He grinned. Though she seemed focused on finishing that glass dome of sorts. It was a good thing she could do that. Something he might want to learn in the future. He was just counting his arrows and setting them in specific slots again as he waited for Hiei to break through the last door. "Any ideas what we should do once inside? I figure a top priority is freeing some of the prisoners correct?" He asked. "At the very least I don't know how well I can do against their strongest fighters. Me and Tenshi could very quickly search for prisoners and I could take a few with me in search of that if you think it neccesary to split up." He paused. "Though in their base I assume it is highly dangerous to do such."
[NPC System]: Glass roll(s) Shattered Pieces vs. Takeo from 10 to 25 and get(s) a 12. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Takeo defends against with a WITHSTAND…55
Takeo's inside by the time Itami conveniently shows up to seal off the complex with glass. As for the shards headed for him, he focuses body and chakra alike, coating himself briefly in a manner of armor unseen to the normal eye. It deflects the glass as he exhales slowly, grinning with fangs at Hiei despite being quite well beaten and bloodied already. The Brigade tried their level best to stop him from holding up that wave, that much is for sure. "See? Told you I could do taijutsu," the general proclaims, even though the Raikage's in the process of showing him up about a hundred times over.
Ah, and then there's Itami. He looks to her and is probably recognizable, even though he's in his half-human Sage Mode state. "Kazekage," Takeo says, "it's good to see you again, and so soon after I left. I hope things've gone well at home since we dealt with the flooding issue." There's always time for small pleasantries while Hiei's Falcon Punching the next door in.
"We'll have to be careful about what we go crashing through in here," notes Takeo. "There's no telling whether a wall leads into another room, or out into the ocean, and I can't pull that trick off twice." He tilts his head left to right, popping his neck, and inhales whilst picking away a few shattered pieces of turtle shell from his flesh. "That aside, let's kick some goat."
[NPC System]: Glass roll(s) Shattered Pieces vs. Itami from 10 to 25 and get(s) a 16. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Itami defends against with a TOUGHENED-SCALES…75
"Glad I could make it in time. Had a close brush with death out there, thought it might be the same for you all," Itami responded as she settled in, looking back at the glass seal. "I plan to cause as much damage as possible. As for what to do, I am not familiar with this compound. We'll need some to use their abilities for scouting ahead. Whatever senses you have, use them to your advantage. I'll assume that the majority of the elements we will face are those that we were against before. I wouldn't place it past them to throw others into the mix, so always be on your guard. If we intend to rescue, we can't afford to bring too much damage to the facility around us or at the very least, use our abilities with some amount of caution. Admittedly, I feel like they'll be less inclined to be as cautious unless there's something to protect around here," she grumbled. A few pieces of glass were plucked from between her scales as they were starting to become a bit annoying.
Hiei's strike to the door is technically enough to smash it open. Actually, it really isn't… But it is enough to garner the attention of the Storm Brigade that are inside the base. Hey, the room was designed to stand up to the pressure of being below several miles of water… What would you expect? Honestly, the door doesn't even look a little dented. The good news (?) is that Hiei's knock resulted in a clanking sound on the other side. Someone was opening the door for the shinobi? How sweet…
Not sweet! NOT SWEET! As the door swings open, the Brigade seems to have prepared a lovely surprise for the people just outside: a massive amount of lightning all concentrated into one major blast that would probably injure the weaker ones to the extent where they need to fall back and get out quick as a flick. Or whatever that expression happens to be. Naturally, Hiei is gonna take the brunt of that initial lightning cannon, but the others would get a fair amount of zappage heading their way.
Takeo is closest to Hiei, probably just because of being a general and all that. Because he happens to be so close to the Raikage, though, that puts him in a pretty bad spot. The lightning that doesn't completely blast Hiei is gonna go through Takeo, meaning the Turtle Sage gets the second-worst part of the attack zapping his body. He might feel not-too-good after it passes by unless his shell is pretty thick…
Arika and Hiroto are the next ones to experience the incoming lightning, but it's a lot easier to dodge now that part of it has dissipated thanks to Hiei being right there, as well as Takeo. There's also the fact that it just naturally dissipated across the distance between the Brigade members and the two Sunagakure Chuunin. Lucky them.
The luckiest of the group, though, happens to be the Kazekage and the Kumogakure Genin, who are furthest in the back of the 'room'. Area. Basically, they get the dregs of the lightning attack, and it's probably barely a tickle. Given the fact that it was the remnants of a single attack, though, it might bring second thoughts to whomever is down here and not at High-Chuunin level at least…
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Blast vs. Arika from 30 to 60 and get(s) a 59. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Arika defends against with a WIND-STEP…56
RPCOMBAT: Arika took 500 damage.
Arika would try to move, but … Well, the lightning blast was coming at her surprisingly fast, and she couldn't quite gather the wind to herself fast enough. The girl winces a bit when she got zapped by the lightning, though it didn't take a lot of energy to recover from the injury. "Itai…" she would grumble… ~Next time, you should pay closer attention,~ sighs Gyuki from within. 'Hai, hai' she would say dismissively, trying to get a better look at who the people were at the door. There were two people before Hiei just down the hall fully visible despite the fact that the tunnel itself will be very winding down the road. "Hnnnnn… Why's this gotta be difficult…" she grumbles.
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Mega Lightning Cannon vs. Hiei from 60 to 100 and get(s) a 60. - Rolled by: Arika
RP: Hiei transforms into YOTSUKI-CONDUCTIVE-ARMOR-II.
RPCOMBAT: Hiei defends against with a LIGHTNING-NEGATION…69
As the door begins to open, Hiei knew it was a trap. That's why he wanted to spring it in the first place. The black armor around his body begins to glow slightly as it is activated by his own chakra. Hiei casually lifts a hand as a dome of lightning surrounds his body and cancels out the shot from the cannon. "Amateurs." He glances over his shoulder. "Arika, Hiroto and Yume. Search this facility for our people." He grins as he draws his sword. "Takeo, Itami, and myself will hold this room." And then his body simply vanishes as he attacks as many people and items as he can get to before appearing back in his original spot. Time of entire manuver? Three seconds.
COMBAT: Hiei attacks target 1 with HYPER-SPEED-CHAIN-KILL with a roll of: 98
COMBAT: Hiei attacks target 1 with HYPER-SPEED-CHAIN-KILL with a roll of: 87
COMBAT: Hiei attacks target 1 with HYPER-SPEED-CHAIN-KILL with a roll of: 101
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Barrier Wall vs. Hiei (98) from 50 to 100 and get(s) a 96. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Barrier Wall vs. Hiei (87) from 50 to 100 and get(s) a 96. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Barrier Wall vs. Hiei (101) from 50 to 100 and get(s) a 91. - Rolled by: Arika
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lesser Lightning Blast vs. Yume from 20 to 40 and get(s) a 28. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Yume defends against with a SOUND-WAVE…38
Yume would frown quietly when it would seem that Hiei's attempt to break in didn't do much to the fortress at first. Thankfully the enemy doesn't seem too opposed to let them in despite that! Not without their welcoming gift, of course, but the resistance was to be expected. A quick reaction causes Yume to form two seals and she lets out a short yell that deflects the lightning sparks away from her. She looks up at Hiei, her eyes growing wide with some disbelief at the man's order. She remains stuck in a stunned silence for a few moments before forcing out a nervous, "Hai, Raikage. As you say…" She looks over at Arika and Hiroto and takes a deep breath to muster up something close to confidence before attempting to get across the room while the other three take care of the initial threat. As she does so, she tries to use the sound from her feet hitting the ground as she runs to listen to how the sound reacts to the space around her. She also remained focused on the sources of chakra around her, so while her technique is probably not quite advanced enough to pick out familiar sources, she'll be able to hopefully see any other potential threats coming their way.
RPCOMBAT: Yume defends against with a ECHO-SENSE…35
RPCOMBAT: Yume defends against with a CHAKRA-SENSITIVITY…33
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lesser Lightning Cannon vs. Takeo from 45 to 90 and get(s) a 61. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Takeo defends against with a MULTIPLE-WATER-CLONES…56
RPCOMBAT: Takeo took 1000 damage.
Takeo is always close to Hiei, of course. What sort of general would he be if he wasn't positioned to take the killing blow for his lord? Of course, he's always so monkeyed fast, that makes the job a little difficult! The Turtle Sage makes a hand sign and generates several water clones of himself ahead of the door opening, arraying them to form a barrier between his true self and harm. Unfortunately, the blast which slips past Hiei also lights the watery creations up (water does make a fine conductor!) before striking the sage. He endures the force of the blast and remains upright, but it's obvious that he's taken quite a sum of injuries between his heroics on the ship and the surprise attack down here.
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lightning Blast vs. Hiroto from 30 to 60 and get(s) a 39. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Hiroto defends against with a INTUITIVE-DODGE…55
Hiroto watched the lightning coming his way and he flipped to the side before pulling an arrow free and nocking it in the bow. "Arika are you alright?" He asked as Tenshi flew over towards her to check on her before he fired an arrow at someone that maybe wasn't being hit by Hiei. It would catch them in place by the ankle before a spiked arrow flew right at them and would hit them if they didn't avoid the other one. "Itami. Lets try to move as quick as possible. Well quick and efficient. We want to quickly end them before we are stuck here and waste needed resources on non threats." He said to Itami since they are the one he single handedly looked up to as a leader.
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Lesser Lightning Blast vs. Itami from 20 to 40 and get(s) a 26. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Itami defends against with a TOUGHENED-SCALES…54
RPCOMBAT: Itami took 200 damage.
Itami did wish to be careful and with the opening of the door, she sees the welcoming party has greeted them with a blast of lightning. She stood her ground and took the last of the lightning as it jumped from person to person and ran through her body. She grumbled just a little as she felt the tingle of it across her muscles and shook off the effects once it had run its course. "I was going to suggest that we move ahead. If we are to expect more attacks like that, it would be better we take the lead. Who knows what may be greeting our shinobi if this is what we were faced with at the door," she spoke. As Hiroto presented his suggestion, she nodded and considered for a few moments. "Raikage, I suggest we move ahead of our own troops. This should give them the opportunity to search the facility and with our combined might, we should be able to take out the majority of the threat," she states, with understanding that Hiei is concerned with getting to his people.
COMBAT: Arika heals Arika for 407 with MINOR REGENERATION.
RP: Arika uses SHADOW-CLONE.
RPCOMBAT: Arika defends against with a INK-SCOUT-II…48
The few men that were behind the door would gather themselves, creating a seal and then allowing a barrier of lightning to come between themselves and the blade Hiei wielded. Of course, it was a bit ridiculous that they'd be able to defend properly, but one of them was fortunate enough to escape injury. That one that was still alive would, now that he was the only one standing, start to flee, hoping to gather some reinforcements to handle the incoming group.
Yume would be able to properly navigate through the tunnels system, at least, though she might find herself getting more bruises than not because the trail itself enjoyed winding. Her Sensing, in this case, would only be useful in sensing the enemy. Of course, that is a good thing in its own way. It would allow her, Arika, and Hiroto to know what paths to avoid. What it wasn't good for was finding the captured/kidnapped allies…
Arika would offer a nod to Hiei and then a glance at Itami as she wonders if she should follow his orders. With Itami's orders not contradicting the Raikage's, she would turn to Hiroto and say, "I'm okie. Promise." Then she makes a single handseal, and a second Arika would appear, the clone stretching idly. "So, shall we go?" it asks in a tone that is not at all like Ari's despite being the same voice. Arika would offer it a nod, and then say, "Hiro-kun, le's go with Yume-chan! Hayaku (hurry up!) ne!" Then she turns and sprints down the way, giving Yume a small tap to indicate she was following. As she made her way forward, a number of ink beasts would skitter down from her, dropping from fingertips and appearing seemingly from her clothes. All of them would race forward to seek out any prisoners that might be allies. Or at the very least, shinobi…
Hiei murmurs to himself. "I considered creating a shadow clone to scout ahead, but I don't need to divert my strength like that right now." He sighs, "Then again, Jinchuuriki. What can you do?" He turns to Itami. "Agreed, Itami. Let's get out ahead and soften these guys up for the others. Hiroto! Take care of my shinobi…I leave them to you." He takes a moment to look for a path before commenting to Itami. "That boy has leadership written all over him. He's going to be a good one when he gets a little older and more experience." He glances back at Takeo. "Cover our escape. You're not looking to hot, buddy. No need to get carried away here. The Kazekage and I can handle the rest." And with that, he hops up on Itami's back, katana drawn in one hand, and the other holding on to a scale. "Alright, Itami. Lead on."
RPCOMBAT: Hiei defends against with a MASTERED-PERCEPTION…92
Unfortunately, Yume was already following her orders before Itami made the suggestion to Hiei and he changed his mind, so she would wind up leading the way through the tunnels to start her search. She looks over her shoulder at Arika when Arika taps her shoulder and she offers her a grateful smile as she focuses on navigating the twisting, winding tunnels. "I'm really glad that you're here, it wasn't looking like you two were coming…I was debating on turning around and not following orders. There isn't much that I can do on my own." Thankfully there's not much danger of Yume bumping into walls thanks to her heightened awareness, and though her sonar doesn't extend beyond the walls or water yet, she still does what she can to help direct Arika and anyone following to try to avoid the tunnels that posed the most danger.
"Jinchuuriki?" Takeo hears the word and immediately looks around, a reflex reaction. By now, his robes are torn enough to occasionally show his old Jinchuuriki seal upon his stomach, a raised scar devoid of ink but perfect in form. The moment of surprise passes without the sage attempting to learn who among them, if anyone, is of that state. Better to avoid a personally painful experience, particularly when he doesn't need to be distracted.
Setting the matter to the back of his mind, the general straightens himself out and prepares to advance with Hiei as plans are laid. "I hope you're not asking me to stay here and sit on my ox, Raikage," Takeo says to the man, his shell-covered brow furrowing. "Let them take me a piece at a time if they like, but I'm not so cowardly as to hide. Death has to take me /one/ of these days." He sounds serious, but still manages to slip in a little jest about how many times he's dodged his ultimate demise. Still, Takeo seems less than pleased with the idea of anything other than taking up the rear but accompanying the others.
"It's just a little lightning. Well, and the barrage while I was on the ship, but I knew they'd be ratted when I lifted the water from the base. Nothing I didn't expect and invest in. I'm fine!"
RPCOMBAT: Hiroto defends against with a HAYATO-SENSES-II…65
Hiroto stretched a tiny bit before looking around. Hiei had asked him to scout about so Tenshi had already began to move it seemed. He only stopped to fire an arrow the last time because he couldn't very well scout to his best ability with one tunnel blocked. He moved to follow Yume as Arika did once Tenshi started flying off some. His eyes shift once more to Hii now and he nods. "Alright Raikage. You keep our Kazekage safe if she can. She tends to be reckless when focusing on the fight in front of her." He gave a quick nod. He looked at Yume for a moment and pondered a thought. Seems she was using sound for various things. "Yume was it? If you see anyone that we haven't notice first could you tell me? I can maybe attack them if aimed right. I can bounce this forked arrow off a wall because of the way the arrow works. Would allow me to trap a limb before taking them out." He gave a quick smile and nod to her even before looking around himself. Tenshi and him could only 'see far' and in… Well curved tunnels it rabbited a bit for him. "And Yume. I trust that if you needed to that you could step up and do what was needed. You are a Kunocihi of the Hidden Cloud. And I have learned they can be… Very strong." Either way he led onwards. Him first(Or Arika which he would be fine with)to keep others safe from harm. Especially any sensors or medics.
RPCOMBAT: Itami defends against with a CHEMICAL-IMPRESSION…68
"Thank you. I trust my shinobi very much and he has shown great promise, more than he likes to realize at times," Itami smirks as she regards Hiroto. "We must proceed forward. I am glad you have decided to move ahead with me," she nodded at Hiei in thanks. As Hiei took mount, she made her way forward without hesitation. She admittedly was ready to kill for her village and this was a long time coming. After what the Brigade did to them, she had to repay them somehow.
She flicked her tongue and sniffed out the area to see what was coming for them. The chemicals in the air ought to reveal a thing or two about what they're about to face.
Arika, Hiroto, and Yume would get to travel. It would first be Arika's ink scouts that found someone. Then they would get to see the person herself: Okumo Kiji. Kiji was, at this time, bound. Her hands were behind her back, wrists tied to the elbows to prevent any usage of jutsu. That might be a bit redundant, of course, given the fact that she has seals on her wrists and possibly ankles that remove her ability to use chakra in any significant amount. The girl is dressed in a white 'dress', and it looks like she was beaten up a bit. Her back is to the door, meaning they don't get to see her face.
As Hiei, Takeo, and Itami continue forth, they would get to run into a cloaked figure. …. Well, that's a lie. The cloaked figure is not present, though Itami might have been able to smell him at one point. Then, they might notice the ground shifting. Itami more-so than Hiei. The ground itself seemed to open up its huge maw, swallowing both dragon and rider into an abyss. … Also, Takeo might get swallowed as well.
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Ground Devourer (Hiei) from 50 to 90 and get(s) a 64. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Hiei defends against with a BLADED-SELF-INFLICT…72
Hiei is canted forwards a bit as he rides along on top of Itami. He asides to Takeo. "Very well, then. But be careful, I swear if you die on me again, this time I'll personally make sure it's permanent." A grin before he looks ahead again, only to see the ground opening up in front of him. Taking his sword, he makes a small cut along his arm as he yells out. "Genjutsu. It's not real!" He sheathes his sword quickly and forms hand seals before lifting his open hand in the air. "Let me show you how a real lightning master conducts business." The air is ionized with the coming strike as Hiei seems to call lightning from the air itself as multiple bolts crash and strike towards the cloaked figure. "No problem Itami. You had the better plan. Let me soften this guy up for you guys some.."
COMBAT: Hiei attacks target 1 with LIGHTNING-CRASH with a roll of: 64
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) False Memory vs Hiei (64) from 50 to 90 and get(s) a 88. - Rolled by: Arika
Yume would note Tenshi flying nearby after he reached them, but wouldn't react too negatively. She recalled that Hiroto had a bird companion and assumed that he was working to catch up with her and Arika. She glances over at him to listen to him before nodding her head, "Yes, that is my name. And I will try to, but I will warn you that it was meant to originally help us take the path of least resistance, and it may be more difficult trying to help you plan out your trajectory." She does offer a brief chuckle before nodding her head uncertainly, "Yes, there is no doubt that I will try to the best of my ability, and nothing less."
She watches as he starts to run ahead of her with Arika, but she still tries to warn them both of the path and dangers ahead to the best of her ability for Hiroto's benefit. When Arika's clone leads them to Kiji, she'd follow and looks around before she hurries over to try to work on undoing the woman's bindings. "We're here to free you, do you think that you can walk, miss?" Yume asks Kiji, briefly trying to look her over for obvious wounds.
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Ground Devourer (Takeo) from 50 to 90 and get(s) a 56. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Takeo defends against with a SELF-INFLICT…36
Takeo comes from that generation of Inuzuka who were, well, absolutely horrible in dealing with genjutsu. When he's warned by Hiei that the maw opening in the ground isn't real, his first reaction is to reach for his little-used kunai and slide the tip under a patch of turtle shell, into his flesh. With luck, the pain would distract his mind from the illusion … but, he's not lucky, of course. This is what he gets for letting himself take so many blows before even reaching the fortress.
"Real enough for my brain," says the sage as he pulls his kunai free, drawing a breath and closing his eyes. He has the logical awareness that the illusion isn't real, but every other part of him tells him that it is. He's taken into the trap. "You know," he says in a dull tone, "a permanent end to a life this unfortunate might not be so bad an idea."
Hiroto quickly raised his bow with an arrow nocked. "Be careful Yume. I don't know if it is in the Storm Brigades style, but we don't know for certain that this one is a friend." He waited for a moment. He didn't want to be rude but being careful was a priority. He was to protect these shinobi. He took a moment to consider her and then noticed her jazzed up shackles. "Why do your shackles look so nice for a prisoner?" He asked quickly. "This isn't a trick to make us think you are a prisoner is it?" He asked but he was calm. It was an honest question rather than one that was accusing. He didn't believe either one yet so had to make sure. "Tell me. What is your name and what village are you supposedly from? And if there is anything you can say that proves you as a friend rather than a foe just from the get go then why don't you tell me. I don't want to keep you tied down if you are a friend." He at the very least seemed to want to believe her to be a friend. As did Tenshi as the bird flew in and landed next to her. He just stared at her a tiny bit with a tilt of his head as if he was judging her.
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Ground Devourer (Itami) from 50 to 90 and get(s) a 78. - Rolled by: Arika
RPCOMBAT: Itami defends against with a SELF-INFLICT-II…88
COMBAT: Itami attacks target 1 with FIRE-DRAGON-FLAME-BULLET with a roll of: 61
[NPC System]: Brigade roll(s) Memory Loss vs. Itami (61) from 50 to 90 and get(s) a 72. - Rolled by: Arika
"Genjutsu, well ," Itami grumbled to herself as she struck her arm and dug her claws in deep. She hissed and growled at the pain, but it kept her focused and perhaps a bit restrained. She could get a little reckless when battles were around, that much was true. With Hiei firing off lightning above her, she followed it with a flame that took the shape of a dragon. "General, how are you holding up?" She inquired of Takeo, hoping he was doing alright. She could relate to the pain of having to fight genjutsu. It wasn't really present in her time, as well.
Kiji hadn't moved at all when the shinobi entered her cell. She was laying on her side, her back to the door, white hair splayed across the floor around her. The bed in here had been a simple futon on the floor. Not uncomfortable but nothing special either. The girl's pale blue eyes opened as she heard them come in, then turned her head a tad to peer at them. She was in a sleeveless white dress made of simple fabric, it was something that perhaps a dancing girl would wear between shows. But she also had her wrists bound to her elbows.
The hitai-ates Kiji could find were from Kumogakure.. Not an enemy yet not exactly an ally either. And how many of them had falled to Hatsu?
She sighed softly, accepting help to sit up. Her shackles, wrists and ankles, had indeed been noticed by Hiroto and the girl turned her head as if to glance over her shoulder. And that was when the light hit her throat. Blackened bruises covered her neck. Someone had nearly crushed her throat and it had made talking a bit of a challenge as well. There was a cut on her arm and what would look like a spider bite… that is if the spider was as big as a grown man…. Kiji opened her mouth as if to speak and.. only managed a strange wheezing sound before she was launched into a coughing fit. Kiji's eyes at the start had been pale, but blue. By the time that she was choking on air… her eyes had gone completely white. There wasn't even enough color in her eyes to denotewhere the iris began… She looked like a shell rather than a shinobi.
COMBAT: Arika heals Kiji for 885 with LESSER BIJUU CHAKRA HEAL.
COMBAT: Arika attacks target 1 with WIND-SLICE with a roll of: 52
RP: Arika stops using SHADOW-CLONE.
Arika was largely following the group, though when they got to Kiji's cell, she would blink a bit. It took a few moments, but Arika /did/ recognize Kiji, especially once her face was turned in her direction. "Kiji-chan!" she squeaks, surprised. She tries to remember if Ishino had specified who got kidnapped, but she honestly doesn't remember, so the girl would just grumble a bit and whirl on Hiroto while her shadow clone approached Kiji. In a rather calm voice, it'd say, "Kiji-san, do you remember me? It's … Ikitara Arika. From Suna." The clone would show Kiji the hitai-ate around its arm.
The real copy would huff at Hiroto. "I's not 'n enemy, Hiro-kun! She's 'n ally from Kiri. She's Shimizu Kiji!" She explains. Of course, Arika doesn't quite know about the adoption. And admittedly, the only reason she was grumpy at Hiroto was because he was acting all suspicious. Suspicions do not suit Arika at all…
Meanwhile, the clone (player proceeds to apologize for bouncing back and forth) would use a kunai sharpened with wind to break Kiji's binds if allowed. Then it would use a rather dark, sinister chakra that Kiji would now be able to sense. In all likelihood, the sensor would know it was a Bijuu's chakra, but instead of /hurting/ Kiji, it was gifting her with energy and healing some of her wounds. "Che…" she grumbles before disappearing. ~I hate acting like you.~ 'You do a poor job at it, anyway.'
Now that the smaller group of Chuunin/Genin have found Kiji, though, they should really retreat a bit and leave the Kage and Takeo to do their thing. So this group is casually kicked off the stage and into their own scene … (to be continued … )
As Hiei and Itami each break themselves free of the illusion, they would see a figure cloaked in the Storm Brigade's uniform before them. He would sigh softly and shake his head, though that would be difficult to see with his hood up. "If you two could cooperate, I'd be a bit happier to do my job," he says with a frown from beneath his hood. As Hiei and Itami both launched their attacks, they seemed to forget where he was and missed completely. They might even forget that they attacked at all. "Let's see …" he muses aloud. "The pleasure of meeting the great Kage of the Cloud and Sand. Excellent. I'll be rewarded. And then there's some … Pest…"
The man would draw his hood back, revealing himself to have spiky grey-blue hair. The hair itself was arranged in such a way that it was short in the back, long in the front, and most of the longer strands happened to cover the right half of his face and beyond his chin. That hair covered one of his two icy-blue eyes that might seem to pierce through people. The next thing he does might be unexpected, though. There was a book in his hands that he opened, a finger tracing idly along the page as though scanning its contents. "The First failed… I suppose something different should be attempted," he would muse quietly to himself.
With a soft sigh, he makes a single handseal, and the book itself would begin to glow as chakra pulses through it. Then, his hand crackles with electricity. Said electricity gathers, and it continues to do so until he aims his palm at the group of shinobi. Once that was done, the lightning would burst from his palm to strike the group of shinobi. This lightning, though, was special. An illusory match to the Thunder Cannon that had previously blasted them, though it would only drain their will to fight. Not their health.
COMBAT: Hiei defends against NPC-A-GEN-ATTACK(51) attack from Rockpath with a SELF-INFLICT-II…68
Hiei feels the chakra surge from the guy again, and knew another genjutsu was coming. He presses his fingers to the previous wound he has, further damaging himself, but using the pain to keep his head clear. Then he compartmentalizes it so he can keep on fighting. "I'm sure no one has ever told you this before…" He growls slightly as his aura changes to a bright aura with lightning circling around his body. "…your genjutsu roosters. Won't work on me. And I don't plan on letting you live long enough to do it too many more times." He draws his second blade as he dashes forwards…he moves so fast that he circles around the man, feinting and striking so that it creates the illusion that he is everywhere, yet nowhere all at the same time.
RP: Hiei transforms into LIGHTNING-RELEASE-ARMOR.
COMBAT: Takeo defends against NPC-A-GEN-ATTACK(70) attack from Rockpath with a SELF-INFLICT…23
"Oh, dog it …" Takeo was brought up in his youth surrounded by Inuzuka who cared little for genjutsu, and that does return to haunt him from time to time. He sees the mysterious figure at work and pulls his kunai flee, stabbing it once again into flesh beneath a section of turtleshell. Unfortunately, the pain inflicted does little to distract his brain from the illusory lightning. He feels the cannon when it strikes him once more, albeit falsely, gritting his teeth and baring enlarged canines whilst he suffers through the sensation of pain. Even as the current depicted in the genjutsu passes and dissipates, he retains that feral expression, yanking the kunai free of his flesh.
Takeo growls through his fearsome maw, "I'm the pest, am I? Might as well live up to the role." He draws moisture from the air, surrounding himself with a ring of flowing water. "Your genjutsu's pointless against them, and all it's doing to me is horsing me off more and more. A little further and I'll cut this place open to the ocean, and I don't need to aim to do it, whatever you make me see or feel. Our people might get out, might not. I doubt you can imagine your way into breathing water, though."
Takeo snarls with those last words, making obvious that his isn't an empty threat. He might look more the part of a Great Turtle right now, but that Inuzuka beastliness is apparently still alive within him.
COMBAT: Itami defends against NPC-A-GEN-ATTACK(65) attack from Rockpath with a SELF-INFLICT-II…93
"No static in the air…" Itami grumbled to herself as she dug her claws into her skin. "Again with this." She had to recover from the previous genjutsu where her mind was scrambled just a bit and she had difficulty determining if she attacked or not. Given her opponent, though, she assumes she wasn't just sitting here this whole time. "Raikage, I'm going in close," she warned him as she launched herself towards the enemy, claws extended.
COMBAT: Rockpath defends against SWALLOW-RETURN(99) attack from Hiei with a NPC-A-GEN-DEFENSE…93
COMBAT: Rockpath loses the roll and sustains 1375 damage.
COMBAT: Rockpath defends against HYPER-SPEED-CHAIN-KILL(71) attack from Itami with a NPC-A-GEN-DEFENSE…108
The grey-haired man would sigh softly. "I forgot something. I knew it…" He tried to shift a bit to avoid Hiei, though his illusion to mask his presence failed, and he received multiple cuts on himself. A glance was spared at Taeko, and he just shakes his head. "And you're planning to drown your allies as well? There are people fighting… And we know how to get to our base without fear. But do your allies? And the ones that we took?" He was obviously hinting at the four Jounin-level shinobi.
The illusion at least worked on Itami, and she would attack naught but air with her claws, though the man seemed not to move a step. She might not even recall that she was just attacking him. "It truly is an honor to be fighting two Kage, though," he offers, lightning forming once more. It was lesser, obviously, than his genjutsu, but the lightning would form all the same into an orb that he threw. When it neared the group, he makes a seal, and lightning explodes outwards at the three High-level ninja.
COMBAT: Hiei defends against LIGHTNING-ORB(59) attack from Rockpath with a LESSER-LIGHTNING-BLOCK…47
COMBAT: Hiei loses the roll and sustains 769 damage.
Hiei surges lightning chakra into his palm and extends it towards the ball of lightning. It should have stopped the attack, but the lightning overwhelmed him, causing him to hiss and withdraw. "Dammit, he got me." His arm continues to shake and quiver, which makes him unable to attack. He backs away out of melee range for the moment. "Kazekage, we need to neutralize this guy quickly. The longer this fight goes, the worse off we're going to be.." He didn't even seem concerned that he was fighting two Kage. That kind of worried him a little. "Hit him with whatever you got, Takeo…"
COMBAT: Takeo defends against LIGHTNING-ORB(65) attack from Rockpath with a MULTIPLE-WATER-CLONES…60
COMBAT: Takeo loses the roll and sustains 856 damage.
Takeo has to survive before he can throw his best at the unknown shinobi, and in an effort to do so, he makes a hand sign. Multiple clones of himself congeal from water in the air, forming a defensive line which lights up as it conducts the lightning orb. Unfortunately, some of the electricity passes through and strikes the sage. Still, even on the brink, he stands resilient.
A line of blood seeps from the corner of Takeo's lips as he speaks, fangs still bared at their attacker. "I'm a Supreme General these days. Generals have to make difficult calls," he growls. "In this case? Yes, I'd let them all die. A small number of lives lost in order to take out you, your allies, a base that's threatening the mainland. By the time I'm finished, I doubt your escape route would still be intact."
Takeo massive shoulders rise and fall visibly as he takes now labored breaths, but he refuses to go down. If he endures just a bit longer, he may well give Hiei exactly what he requested.
COMBAT: Itami defends against LIGHTNING-ORB(81) attack from Rockpath with a DRAGON-ARMOR…131
Itami hissed and a deep, gutteral rumbling was building up within her before it was silenced as she regained her composure. They went ahead for a reason and if they couldn't deal with this enemy, then their initial plan will be unsuccessful. She can't permit this to take place. "I understand Raikage. I am doing what I can, but there are limitations that work against us here. We will get through this," she emphasized.
Takeo's words shake her up a bit, but she says nothing for now, instead taking the brunt of the lightning and redirecting it out through her tail as she lashed it out to reach for and hopefully snag this opponent. She's been tricked by his position numerous times, but the effects are temporary. "I do not…believe that will be in your best interests, General…" She raised her concern. "The battle is difficult, but I do not think this is where the Brigade ends. In these cases, it rarely is with groups of this nature…"
COMBAT: Rockpath defends against TAIL-LOCK(84) attack from Itami with a NPC-A-GEN-DEFENSE…100
It was Takeo's threat that brought the silver-haired man to strike them down with lightning to paralyze the muscles and force the water to splash harmlessly to the ground now that Takeo couldn't exactly move. "Bringing death to allies so that you can wipe merely me out… I see your worth. You truly are nothing more than a pest." He would look at the other two, touching a cut that the Raikage made along his cheek. "You two, though… Truly entertaining. Perhaps I will want to play with you again later, if you survive this…" The man makes a handseal, and then lightning would spark up once more before it would strike all three of the group before him. It would also make a blinding flash of light, allowing him to blend in a bit with the shadows. He wouldn't run away … yet. He wanted to see what would happen next, though. And he may run away if they don't catch him. After all, he had done his job.
COMBAT: Hiei defends against THUNDER-CANNON(53) attack from Rockpath with a TENSE…8
COMBAT: Hiei loses the roll and sustains 1733 damage.
Hiei had no choice but to take the hit head on. After the resounding explosion, he is standing there while breathing heavily. His skin is singed and bruised, but apparently his aura protected him somewhat. He doesn't look all that bad. "Hey. Your ninjutsu roosters too." Now that he could move again, he utilizes his tremendous speed, moving at little more than a blur. As lightning surges down his arm, it makes the three fingers on his hand light up. "I actually felt that. Too bad I get hit with one just like it all the time." He thrusts his three fingers towards the guy's throat.
COMBAT: Takeo defends against THUNDER-CANNON(66) attack from Rockpath with a TENSE…18
COMBAT: Takeo loses the roll and sustains 1835 damage.
Takeo parts his jaws wide, immense canines almost protruding as his half-human visage directs itself toward the unknown shinobi. Water in the air begins to gather at his mouth, condensing into a pinpoint. Those who've witnessed this before have seen him use the jutsu to cut fortresses to the ground, and he seems fully intent upon doing just that to their foe.
Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. For the moment, the enemy's prior jutsu had wearied his body, leaving him without the stamina necessary to muster a jutsu of such power. As well, without the means to defend himself against the cannon of electricity. After weathering countless attacks to part the ocean, and many more to get through the fortress' interior, the Turtle Sage is at last brought down. His claw drags against the wall as he slides down and the falls forward with a heavy crash.
Now unconscious, Takeo reverts to his normal form, robes torn and torso left largely bared - along with his many torture scars, as well as the scar left by his Jinchuuriki seal. Death and pain have apparently been quite the element in his legacy, and the Brigade shinobi just added to it. He might not even be alive.
"Don't be so quick to speak about being a pest. You must be one to identify others as the same," Itami snapped back at the shrouded figure. She made an effort to launch forward once more, seeking to damage the target by tearing him apart. She hadn't had the opportunity to touch him and exact revenge for what took place in her village, but further, to proceed forward with this mission. They needed the leverage to ensure their shinobi could follow up and rescue those trapped here. In finishing her attack, she'd head back to gather up Takeo in hopes that she could keep him close by. No need to lose him here.
COMBAT: Itami defends against THUNDER-CANNON(47) attack from Rockpath with a DRAGON-SHEEN…82
COMBAT: Rockpath defends against THREE-FINGER-NUKITE(80) attack from Hiei with a NPC-B-GEN-DEFENSE…100
COMBAT: Rockpath defends against HYPER-SPEED-CHAIN-KILL(100) attack from Itami with a NPC-B-GEN-DEFENSE…64
COMBAT: Rockpath loses the roll and sustains 1220 damage.
Hiei's attack would fail, hitting the wall and making a sizable hole in it. Fortunately, it's just a wall … Itami had more luck, at least, claws scoring down along the man and drawing more blood. Knowing that he probably would end up dying, the man would cast another Genjutsu, making it seem as if he was completely gone despite the fact that he was just moving away very stealthily and deceiving their minds.
COMBAT: Hiei defends against SLY-MIND-AFFECT-TECHNIQUE(67) attack from Rockpath with a BLADED-SELF-INFLICT…66
Hiei once again felt the genjutsu come for his mind, and this time despite his actions, it takes hold. He shakes his head as he leans down to toss Takeo over his shoulder and then climb on Itami's back. "We've done our job. The others should have had ample time to make it out with the hostages by now. Time for us to take our leave." He forms handseals rapidly, as a crimson bolt of lightning strikes his location and he is suddenly gone…along with Itami and Takeo…should they be alright with that.
RP: Hiei reverts to his normal state.
COMBAT: Itami defends against SLY-MIND-AFFECT-TECHNIQUE(51) attack from Rockpath with a SELF-INFLICT-II…73
Itami was tired of using her claws to bring harm to herself, but it was a necessary harm in order to break free of the constant stream of genjutsu being unleashed against them. While she did have the urge to attack, she felt it better to retrea along with Hiei. Once Takeo's body had been gathered and the distracion put in place, she utilized the opportunity to disappear and return them both to safety.
