Starring:
Date: March 22, 2016
Summary:
None given.
"The Simplest Missions, the Worst Outcome"
Winding Road [Land of Fire]
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Stretching further and further away from any towns the landscape is replaced with a long twisting set of pathways providing little to no detail. A simple stone road with longish grass and the odd trees. The pathway tends to be so uninventful that walking here for a short while feels like a decade. There is the odd hut along the road, one most notably being an item shop selling interesting wares such as food, drink and toiletries. Further along the road there is a small farm hosting some animals.
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Warm is the air, but thick is the fog, casting a wrap over the world, muffling and distorting sound and making it hard to see one's hand in front of their own face. Despite familiarity with the setting, Yoshi could not care less for such conditions. Memories gnawed at the forefront of his mind, threatening to blind him of his objective. If not for the timely sound of a carriage and horses traveling down the road, the mercenary might've very well had abandoned the mission. As things stood however, the giant remained hidden among the underbrush ahead of the carriage, patiently waiting for the prey to grow closer….
The mission could not have been more simpler. Although normally a full team would be assigned to protecting the client, time and resources left the responsibility up to Uchiha Isura. Besides, it wasn't as if the man, one "Daomi the great", as he often kept saying during the trip, had any particular enemies to worry about. Thus, one shinobi seemed sufficient enough to guard him, his daughter, and by extension the carriage driver this day.
There are a million and one things a young Uchiha boy could be doing and it seems like he's stuck baby sitting. Heavy sigh escapes his lips and he ran along the side making sure to keep pace with little to no effort he scouted the area before speaking. "Perhaps we should rest for a quick moment and give your horses more water and a small meal?" Is asked as he ran he wasn't in the best of moods a fight with Nobu on their last mission left a bad taste in his mouth however it was a solo one thank the heavens he yawned as he tossed the bad thoughts from his mind and thought about the concept of shadow clone. "The act of making clones without fire chakra eh…sounds easy but its hard….either case I need to do this before Zankuro." Is said softly to himself.
Before Daomi can even get a word, the driver says, "That's actually not a bad idea sir'rah. Fog as thick as me mother's soup—" The man shakes his head in exasperation. "Always hides all sorts of trouble." He goes on to say. "Trouble? Hah! So long as we have this good gentleman here with us, why, trouble means no-…" Daomi can get no further before a nudge from his daughter draws his gaze downward. Upon meeting her doe-eyed gaze Daomi lets out a light sigh, then motions for the driver to come to a stop. "Have it your way then. What's an extra hour on the road for my darling?" He asked, grinning broadly.
While she does smile back, it doesn't quite reach her eyes to the observant. Nonetheless, the carriage comes to a stop. Unless barred in some way, the merchant doesn't hesitate to get out and begin stretching out. His daughter and the driver aren't far behind, tending immediatly to their duties or straining their eyes to see back the way they came.
Isura came to a stop and started to examine the carriage before following in the Daomi footsteps he slowly and lazily yawned before settling down for a quick rest himself he took a knee as they allowed the horses to drink and eat. Isura himself had a 'Isura Bar' which was a personally energy bar that he made himself for times on the road he took a bite and instant energy course through him. For now he waited for a little time to pass before yawning again, "we should get going yeah?" Is asked as his hands were tucked into his pockets.
While the client and his daughter did not possess what one might call an extravagant lunch on hand, what as inevitable brought out by the driver certainly made the Isura bar seem a paltry meal in comparison. Most of which is devoured by the merchant within a matter of minutes, not that his daughter seemed to care much for any of it. Her focus kept shifting back down the road they came from, or to their forest surroundings until her father broached the subject. After flashing a brief smile and shaking her head in dismissal, the girl returned to her share of the food, leaving her father to continue looking on worriedly.
A half-hour goes by without a change in sight. The dreadful fog persistance however meant there were few complaints about the suggestion from Isura. "Come along now." Daomi calls back to his daughter, blissfully as ignorant all except perhaps Isura of the threat rapidly creeping its way into position. Once there, all would be caught flat-footed trying to stop a living blur from scooping up the man's daughter in passing, and taking off back the way they came.
Isura perceived nothing which was rare for him either case he kept pace once they got back on track Isura however swiftly slipped in and out of view before pausing from time to time checking on the things around them. A heavy sigh he would simply recommend a increase in pace to make up for the lost time. The fog wasn't the best for natural perception and being caught out here during night time could spell doom for the Damio and his daughter.
Catching up is easier said than done, to say the least. Fortunately, the daughter was not content to just let herself be taken away by some stranger. He would hear her complaining loudly ahead now that the initial shock of the moment has passed by. Eventually, Isura is able to come close enough to see what appeared to be some sort of mummified giant of a man surprising struggling to maintain a grasp on the girl thrown over his shoulder. Sure, she did kept wailing at his back, but should that really have slowed him down by much?
Distracted by other things he allowed his sense to dull and another figure a giant if you will slip by and grab the girl. Luckily she put up a fight or he might've gotten away with it. Isura face calm and ready he observed the man before tapping his foot onto the ground he thought about ever tiny detail until he saw it. The opening he needed he dashed forward and struck with inner thigh kick the knock the huge man off balance. Hit or miss though he had no other choice be try a flurry of palm thrust to break her free once successful he grabbed her and dashed back and sat her down as be peered at him in the eyes. If he failed he would display a smug expression rather than panic before he spoke "that was a test run…now let her go or else you'll have to eat your next meal through a straw.
Even distracted as he was, the man is able to react in time. A short leap away spares him from one strike, and using the sheathed o-katana in hand, the flurry is just barely deflected. The fact remained that the girl's struggling forced Yoshi to do a bit of back peddling, and awkward maneuvering to avoid the attacks. A growl comes out unbidden after the exchange. "… No choice then." He states, turning about the peacebonded weapon to make use as an awkward club. "Your funeral, shinobi." The words could not have left his mouth more than a second or so ago before Yoshi approaches, trying to sweep Isura's legs out from under him with the sheathed weapon. Immediatly after, he pivots, and either brings his foot down into a fallen's Isura's gut or chest should he remain standing.
Isura ducked under the first strike and then simply evaded the last at this time Isura sighed as he glowed with chakra and sighed "very well then you leave me with no other choice then…I will destroy you once and for all," Isura slowly rose his hand and waved him to bring it as if begging him to engage him in close quarter combat. "Well what are you waiting for a invitation in the mail?"
"An Uchiha?" Yoshi shook his head lightly in exasperation. "Great." He adds sarcastically, casually shifting his stance towards a more agressive one. Using just his thumb and teeth, the peace bond is removed, making it easy enough for the blade to slide free. Oddly enough, the merchant daughter has grown still since the last exchange. It was possible she sense the murderous intent of the two adversaries, and passed out from the pressure. But then, neither cared to find out. Yoshi only concner now was to defeat the younger man before him.
As quick as lightning, Isura is forced to deal with one heavy handed swipe after the next, followed by an abruptly more focused slash across the face.
Isura sharingan granted him insight that allowed him to for see the incoming attacls before they occurred and thus he side steps the first and then the second. The last attack would be evaded swiftly by back bending out of the way of the strike while in that position Isura strike with a backflip kick to the arm that held onto the girl before twisting his wrist and flashing behind him from there Isura would strike with a powerful elbow strike to the neck as he stood there he spoke "this is your last chance."
The ease at which Isura evaded Yoshi's attacks might've unnerved any aggressor… but not Yoshi. The man has been through far too many life and death battles to lose himself so easily. When the time came for defense, hammered and batted away any attempt to dislodge his grip with the flat or butt of his sword. It would seem to matter little what angle were the attacks, for instincts and sharp reflexes protected him.
But for how long?
"Tell me Uchiha… While you issue warnings and threats here, what do you think is happening back the way we came?" He asked, bandages straining from muscles tightened and strengthened. "Tell me." He adds, stabbing his blade into the ground at his side. A second or two is all he gives for thought before the same speed he demonstrated earlier is put into close the distance. A giant hand strikes at a float rib, then immediately follows up by tugging on a length of steel wire. In a matter of moments, the blade is back in hand and brought down in a powerful sweeping arc.
Isura failed to get the seal up in time and is thus struck so hard his body tensed it was the second him that knocked him clean off hia feet and sent flying back. Wincing and spat up a little blood the Uchiha boy returned to his feet and smirked as he whipped his mouth "and here I thought the job was going to be too easy…" Isura flashed through seals and erupted into a barrage of clone as they each struck trying to get the girl free.
Yoshi growled under breath, knowing not whether madness or arrogance fueled his opponent. Regardless of which, Yoshi doesn't fail to stand his ground. Clone after clone are struck down with such brutal efficiency that only one at most manages to get within actual hands reach of the girl; only to be cut down just the same. That is not to say the Uchiha had not shaken the giant. Every clones explosive death required extra effort to waft away, or a turn of the body to withstand any potential concussive force. "This madness. Ends. Now." Yoshi's gruff toned words are quickly followed by another burst of speed uncommon for most mercenaries or would be swordsman. If given the chance to get a hold of the Uchiha this time, Isura would find himself flung away hard by the head or arm, and sent sailing into a tree. A stunning blow meant to buy the giant enough time to get a good head start.
The huge bulky man did grab an Isura but it wasn't the right one as it was flung and hit the tree. Isura dropped to a knee and closed his eyes and sighed "I agree this madness ends now." With that he started to focus a large amount of chakra the likes he has yet to use before he was ready for an all or nothing stand this huge gentlemen would need something stronger to put him down than what he had on hand…For now he focused as his clones stood between the duo. "You guys have your orders now get it done!?"
"Tch!" Yoshi emitted, eyes flickering from one clone to the next. A rumble from within gives consensus to a silent potential plan, but the giant all but immediately dismisses it with a open growl. "No-…" With another tug on the steel wire, the blade discarded to grab 'Isura' is held once more. "Not yet… I hope your holding on guppy, or you might not get home."
Though the girl flinches in his grasp, Yoshi doesn't stop to consider what the feeling might mean for long. He takes off, charging cutting down any clones that refuse to remove themselves from his path with great one-handed sweeps of his sword. The moment an opening presents itself, Yoshi seems ot vanish in the blink of an eye.
Isura clones were defeated in one swoop and once he had the chakra to use his jutsu the huge man vanished sighing he would attempt to chase but it too was in vain…Isura had to now shoulder the stings of defeat and a sound one too. Taking a moment to bandage his wounds he would have to return with bad news so like a man he went and told the Damio the news that his baby girl has been kidnapped. Isura thought long and hard before speaking for he didn't wish to make another mistake "fear not the man objective wasnt to kill your daughter that being said I will track her down and bring her back." Isura make sure ti stay away from alive or dead cause he didn't know the scope nor the details of Yoshi mission that being said he motion the last of the group to push forward as he would try to regain some of his lost stamina in the exchange.