Starring:
Date: September 15, 2014
Summary:
Rise and Michiko are assigned what was supposed to be a pretty straight-forward supply delivery for one of the Land of Lightning's more exclusive Doctors. Following a dance across a mine field and the destruction of a home, the duo find themselves roped into so much more. The exact what, however, has yet to be seen…
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"The Most Timely Delivery Pt. 1"
Base of Mt. Nori [Land of Lightning]
The mission was pretty straight-forward and simple. Using whatever means desired by the duo, Rise and Michiko were to make their way to the base of Mount Nori to drop off supplies of the rather reclusive doctor. Outside of perhaps a few occasional land hazards, the three day trip itself would be uneventful. Throughout it all, Rise was less than sociable, and evasive if prodded on the why for the most part. The only change to her demeanor having been the last day itself. A sense of dread about her that remained even as the two eventually step out of the surrounding forestry and see the run-down shack of a home that was their destination.
Michiko sensed something off about her friend, so the most prodding she did was during the first few minutes of the three-day journey. After that, she melt melt of the conversation to whatever could be considers business this mission. The girl constantly was on the lookout for danger, sending chakra through the earth to try and pick up on tremors in the earth and such. Finding none up until now, she's rather content with just moving the supplies to the doctor. "That's the destination, then, Rise-san?" she asks, pointing out the shack right in front of them.
Rise doesn't say anything at first. She just stares at the shack with great trepidation in her eyes. Once Michiko's question finally sinks in a minute or two later, the girl shakes her head rapidly, clearing it of distracting thoughts. It still takes a deep, measured breath for her to regain any real composure. "Yeah.." She replies, but still makes no move to step any closer. Not unless forced to by Michiko, or a few minutes more pass. In the latter case, she would break whatever silence might be between them with a "Mine as well get this over with" before stepping forth.
Aside from the home being in natural disrepair, nothing would seem all that out of the ordinary. That is, except for the fact that the area was far too quiet…
The girl takes a bit so she can absorb what's happened to the house in front of her. It doesn't seem very livable, but this was the correct place, right? That awkward silence happened, the Iwata making no move to send Rise forward. When her friend speaks up, Michiko nods slowly, moving to follow after Rise. But there's something… "Rise-san, watch out!" she exclaims, pulling the older kunoichi back so she doesn't fall into the trap. At the same time, she starts to focus some chakra, knowing now that something is very wrong. Especially if there's traps about.
For a fraction of a second, Rise almost acts on impulse and tries to throw Michiko down for touching her. Thankfully for both of them, aside from that brief moment of resistance, the older teen is yanked away in time. "Tch! Of all the lousy times to go forgett'in.." Rise murmurs underbreath. "Thanks, Michiko-san. I…" She trails off with a thoughtful look about her; only to just shake her head and re-adjust the straps on her backpack. "Just follow my lead.. If Natsuki-sensei still doing things like this, then the pattern should be the same." She says as she navigated a course for Michiko to follow. A few of her movements may seem complicated or even goofy near the end, but another scan might show just why that is. Upon reaching the clear area just a meter away from the house itself, they can both breathe a little easier.
But Rise isn't the type to waist a good lungful of air, or time if she can help it. So…
"NATSUKI-SENSEI!!" She calls out.
Michiko nods a bit and follows after Rise, making whatever those complicated movements are and trying to copy them. Certainly she feels silly, but it's better than getting her head chopped off… Finally they make it past all the traps, and Michiko breathes a sigh of relief… right when Rise decides to shout out for the doctor. A small wince at the loudness of that voice, but she straightens, recovering quickly and just keeping watch for now.
Nothing. Not even the shuffling of someone trying to hide. Something was definetly felt off now. Rise could practically smell it. But then, why weren't the traps disturbed? A glance back doesn't reveal anything out of the ordinary with the set-up as far as she was aware. The same could be said of the home itself. Rise chews on her lips a little before finally letting a sigh escape from them. "Guess we got no choice, but to going in and check things out." Rise says, and yet, lingers long enough to see if Michiko might have a less risky idea before heading to the front door.
Michiko can't really sense anything beyond the traps. There's too many, and it's likely confusing her senses… "I think that's the best option here, Rise-san…" she replies, though she doesn't like it. This whole house is giving her bad vibes. Slowly she makes way with Rise towards the house, still keeping an eye out. Her movements are wary and hesitant as the pair continue on in their mission.
"I was afraid you'd say that." Rise says. Perhaps if they weren't technically on a tight time schedule she might've tried to delay things with further exploration or sitting around to see if Natsuki would be returning soon. Instead, Rise gripped the straps of her book bag tightly and blazed on ahead. Circling around from their starting point, the duo eventually find themselves at the only entrance/exit to the shac-ome. It even came with a mat in front that said both Welcome and Sayonara. Again, Rise just about blunders into another trap. Thankfully, she manages to catch herself in time, and warns Michiko not to step on the mat. The door itself is unlocked, but loud as heck.
"I was afraid you'd say that." Rise says. Perhaps if they weren't technically on a tight time schedule she might've tried to delay things with further exploration or sitting around to see if Natsuki would be returning soon. Instead, Rise gripped the straps of her book bag tightly and blazed on ahead. Circling around from their starting point, the duo eventually find themselves at the only entrance/exit to the shac-ome. It even came with a mat in front that said both "Welcome and Sayonara". Again, Rise just about blunders into another trap. Thankfully, she manages to catch herself in time, and warns Michiko not to step on the mat. The door itself is unlocked, but loud as heck.
No matter who opens the door, the nose draws a wince out of the Shirokiri. It also prompts her to grip the combat knife at her side and give Michiko a warning glance before they proceed any further. The inside of the house is an almost disorienting opposite to its outside. Larger whereas the other seemed small, lived in looking but still relatively clean, and just not so dismal looking by comparison. The entrance also places the duo in what seems to be the main room/kitchen. Towards the left they'd see another room; its door closed.
Upon entering, Michiko looks around a bit, noticing something in the earth as she enters the room. "Well, it /looks/ fine…" she comments idly, making sure her senses are being accurate before reporting anything. "I think there's a tunnel, but I can't quite make out what's at the end of it… Too far. And then there's a person too? I'm not sure…" She frowns slightly as it gets too far away for her to detect accurately.
"So did the outside." Rise said sarcastically as she too stretched out her own senses. It was a futile effort though. The main sense she relied on at times like these, smell, only picked that disorienting chemical smells found only in hospitals. If not for Michiko having spoken up, she might of very well made some excuse to step outside rather than deal with the overpowering stentch. "And I'm guess'n both are behind door number two there." She gestures to the door. Rise takes a step towards it, hesitates, then growls guttural before forcing herself to continue on forward. Locked or not, the door is nearly ripped off its hinges in the process of Rise making her way through; allowing what can only be best described as a lion roaring with a cold the freedom to spread into the other roomsource? As impossible as it may look, it is none other than the occupant sprawled out on of the sole piece of furniture in the room with nary a concern for the waking world. "… See if you can wake her." Rise says a little loudly just to be heard over the snores. Wordlessly, the rather livid looking girl makes to leave outside of the house altogether.
Meanwhile, Michiko would be left to her own devices. If those said devices entail actually following through with Rise's suggestions, the Iwata may find that easier said than done.
Michiko nods a bit. "Yes, that's true…" She considers for a second, the smell not too horrible for her, at least. Though she does decide to take a strip of cloth from her pouch and tie it around her nose and mouth so it's dampened. Then the girl follows after Rise, staying a couple feet back in case something comes flying at them. There was little to worry about, though, as the door reveals only a heavily-sleeping woman. "Well, that was a bit anti-climatic…" Michiko murmurs mostly to herself. Then Rise gives the orders, and she's left alone in the house. Wait, what? The Iwata eyes the sleeping person and nears, giving the woman a bit of a nudge with her foot to see what happens. If that doesn't work, she pats the woman's face lightly (and very carefully, trying to make sure she can jump back just in case).
Michiko truly is left on her lonesome. Apparently despite Rise's earlier air of dread about her, seeing the sleeping woman has removed or helped suppress it somehow. Either way, none of Michiko's tactics elicits more than a few startling moments in which the bed's occupants murmured something in her sleep, or turned a little. The Iwata was also in luck, for scarcely three minutes after Rise left, she returns with a bucket filled with what can only be presumed the coldest water imaginable. There is hardly any warning to move except her sudden appearance before the entirety of the buckets contents rains down on the sleeper.
Natsuki jolts up, sputtering, gasping, and cursing whenever she found a moment to breath. Her task complete, Rise drops the bucket, alerting the water soaked Medic to her intruders. "You two had better have a tick good reason for doing that." She stated as she parted the drapes that were once orderly bangs.
With neither tactic working, Michiko is left to think of another method. She had just thought of getting water when Rise seems to have timed it perfectly. The Shirokiri dumps the water just as Michiko steps back, which means only the genin's feet get cold and wet. "Well, I don't quite know what constitutes as a good reason, but we do have something to deliver to you, I believe? That and we wanted to make sure you were doing well," Michiko replies with ease. "Leaving the supplies at the door seemed like a bad idea with all the goons wandering about the land. We wanted to ensure the package reached you, is all."
If the excuse is heard, it doesn't appear enough to lessen the hostility behind her glare at the duo. On the one hand, her silence could be interpeted as a good thing. Just Maybe? "I see…" Natsuki murmurs. An awkward silence falls in the wake of those words. Unable to stand it, Rise shifts to speak. With just a glance, Natsuki silences her before even a word can leave her mouth, and even prompts the girl to nervously look avert her gaze. "While I can certainly appreciate your work ethics, I'm gonna need you two to hold on those supplies for a little longer."
"Why?" Rise murmurs, gaze flickering back and forth between the ground and Natsuki. "Just.. ugh.. just step out for a bit until I'm ready for them." She replies grumpily.
Michiko shifts slightly in the silence, though doesn't do much else. She can wait pretty well sometimes, and this instance is a good time to test out her patience. How far can it stretch? Well, for longer than Rise's, it seems. "Alright, then. We can do that for a bit longer, I suppose." She glances over to Rise. Perhaps it's just because she's clueless, or maybe Michiko just has a really good poker face. Whatever the reason may be, Michiko doesn't seem very affected by Natsuki's presence. "We'll stay outside for a bit, then? Or should we come back another day?" she wonders.
Rise is… hesitant to comply, to say the least. A fact that doesn't apparently go unnoticed by Natsuki. Her scrutiny of the disturbed genin is set aside quickly once Michiko speaks up. "It'll only be for a few minutes. I'll be outside myself when I'm ready. Now scoot. Both of you. Before I decide to return the favor for that little wake-up call." Natsu says, smiling sweetly. Her eyes on the other hand conveyed a different message entirely…
Michiko skedaddles out of the room quick, a combination of not wanting to disobey a client and a sense of dread if she stays any longer pressing her on to escape. "We'll be outside then," the genin calls out behind her. She keeps her wits about her, too, knowing that there are still traps in the yard. Dashing into one of then would not be the highlight of her day for sure.
Rise is less quick to follow the command. But after a warning look from Natsuki, she takes out without so much as a word. If either them had bothered to look back, they'd see Natsuki waving them goodbye.
"Always the same damn thing with her." Rise abruptly states once their safe outside. Frustrated, She even begins to pace dangerously close to one of the lesser disguised traps near the home. Thankfully, none of her paces set them off. Yet. But in the state she was in, it was all a matter of time. "Tch! We should just drop at her steps and be done with this."
Michiko just waits patiently for Natsuki to come out, the girl idly watching Rise pace back and forth. If Rise happens to get to close to a trap, the Iwata looks ready with a hand sign, at least. "Well, we /could/ just leave the supplies here. There's no guarantee that she would get them, though…" Michko idly says. "And if she doesn't get the supplies, then we're just going to have to come back again later…"
Rise frowns and opens her mouth to speak. Unfortunately, she couldn't think of a single counter argument that wouldn't be beat in the end, so she growled guttural before turning away from Michiko completely. After a few minutes the Shirokiri is tapping her foot impatiently, and considering setting Natsuki's house on far in the hopes of hastening her arrival outside.
Luckily, it doesn't come down to that…
"Come on you two, times a wasting." Natsuki says as she briskly left her home and made a bee line for the surrounding tree line. Unless physically stopped, the woman doesn't pay much mind to either of the genin's attempt to slow her down or give her pause. "What the tock is that s'pose to mean?!" Rise yells after her, forgetting the dangerous mine field or uncaring.
Michiko just continues to wait patiently, even bringing out a book to read. She manages to get through a few pages before Natsuki suddenly appears and starts walking toward the trees. Well, that was sudden. Michiko follows after the doctor while finishing a line of her book, eventually tucking the words away into a pouch she typically has on her. "I guess we should follow her, Rise-san?" she suggests lightly. The girl's guard has gone up quite a bit, but it's difficult to tell seeing as she looks relaxed. Her steps are fairly careful as she maneuvers around some of the traps that she notices.
"Just what it sounds like." Natsuki replies with without looking back, tripping one wire after the next as if they are not even there. "Looks that way, Michiko-san." Rise answers grumpily before following after the wayward client. Unlike Michiko, Rise shadowed Natsuki's foot steps to the best of her ability; seeing as how not one of the traps were triggered along the way. Luckily, her gambit pays off.
Only once all three of them were gathered at the tree edge did Natsuki finally stop and pulled out what looked like an hour glass. "And it should go right about….now." The final word has hardly left her mouth before her home explode into column of flame, scorching the earth nearby and sending chunks of itself flying everywhere. Either by design or luck none of the shrapnel actually reaches the trio, but the suddness still leaves Rise taken aback.
"I think I'm going to miss that home the most." Natsuki said off-handily as she regarded the flames.
Michiko has reconnected.
… Well, that was unexpected. Michiko isn't too sure why Natsuki blew up her own house, but the doctor must have had a good reason, right? "It was a rather nice house, yes…" she comments idly, watching the flames from afar. "So, do you still want the package?" she wonders, glancing between Natsuki and Rise with a slight tilt of her head. The girl leans back against a tree for now.
"Hm? Oh right, yes. Yes I do, actually. Just… not here. The coordinates for the delivery was a little off you see." Natsuki replies. Rise snaps out of her shock at those words, and levels a glare at Natsuki. The elder woman pays it no mind what-so-ever; but instead, refocuses her attention on Michiko. "And seeing as how I was intending on visiting this friend as well, Why don't we just travel together for awhile yet, hmm? C'mon! I'm sure he'll have something for you two as well for helping me out as well, so what do you say?"
Michiko gives a small sigh. Who the heck put in the mission request that the coordinates are off? She's pretty sure they aren't only a few degrees off, too… The girl glances to Rise. "Well, Rise-san… Should we continue along with Natsuki-sensei? I feel like we ought to just because we're still technically on a mission." Even if the mission has gone on for far longer than it should have.
