Starring:
Tsugumi, Suzu, Hinotori, Saori, Nonon, Aru
Date: October 22, 2016
Summary:
Team 13, with the addition of Hinotori to make up for an absent Rinoko, face one of their most unusual enemies yet: Farming equipment.
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"Trouble A Tractor"
Land of Fire
Puppeteers are not the only ones skilled at machine-work, though it's a lot harder to build complex machinery in this day and age, and normal machines aren't going to have puppet capabilities. In order to demonstrate the efforts of an inventor in creating an automated farming machine, he ran his demonstration in a farmer's field. But it seems something broke in his controls, because he couldn't get the contraption off of automatic mode, and now it's charging all over, chewing up everything in its path with chews and metal jaws and all of that.
Ninja have been called in to put a stop to it before it destroys everything and puts even more of a bad name to the inventor who made it! Or worse, someone gets hurt!
The assembled ninja arrive at the field to find the monstrous tractor/wheat catcher/harvester/WHATEVER THAT IS zooming around on a mix of treads and wheels. Since the controls aren't responding, it's unclear how to stop it without destroying it…
But they have to do something. So Tsugumi starts running to close the distance, and looking for any sort of weak point or vulnerability.
Fighting a tractor. This is a new one. Suzu also has little she can do to stop it without the usage of destructive force, but maybe if she thinks it through she'll come up with something. She runs along after her mother, with her Sharingan keen to any vulnerabilities. She wishes she could use Earth Release. Maybe making some kind of pit or something would be sufficient to trap it. "Saori-san, you can use Earth Style ninjutsu, right?" she asks as she runs.
This is a very odd mission, but hey, anything to help the people right!? The last machine he remember having to tackle was a war machine that was attacking Konoha during the Kiri and Konoha war. Hinotori watches, his Sharingan isn't active, still he watches trying to see where the tractor is going. Quirking a brow as he starts to move counter clockwise going the other way of Suzu and Tsugumi, thinking about wha the was going to do.
Saori has to work a lot harder to keep up with everyone, thanks to being rather short. Her stubby legs aren't made for covering great distances. But she at least has the breath available and the speed to stay within yelling distance as Suzu asks her question. "Suzuha-senpai, if I surmise correctly why you are asking, I most likely can not help. I know only a single Earth Style Ninjutsu, and its scale is very limited. It will not be sufficient to stop the automaton."
Though if any farmers are injured, she may be able to help there. If only her Lightning Style wasn't medically oriented… "Nonon-senpai. You are a wielder of Lightnin Style Ninjutsu, and your proficiency with it is much greater than mine. Perhaps you could interfere with its inner workings through electrical discharge?" She has no idea if the machine is electronic or uses a combustion engine or what, but might as well check, right? Just like Suzu was checking with her!
She also looks in Hinotori's direction. "I am unfamiliar with your capabilities. Do you possess any jutsu that might be useful in stopping the metal menace?"
Nonon believes she is the fastest one here when she uses her Kekkei Genkai. Maybe Hinotori is a bit faster. She could reach the tractor readily despite how fast it's going, she thinks. But what's she going to do when she gets there? "I can use Lightning Release. I can probably hit it from here. It's a big target. But I don't know if that would be effective. It would actually be better if it was intelligent to some degree so we could taunt it, but it's just an out-of-control machine we don't know the workings of. Trapping it first would be best. Then I could see about high-speed dismantling it with my special jutsu."
She does look to Hinotori to see if he has anything to offer. Maybe he can suplex the tractor.
Aru has absolutely no elemental chakra natures at all. Her Byakugan may do a better job of spotting weak points because she can see through the machine, into its interior, though of course there's no Chakra pathways to perceive there. She has developed her doujutsu to a level where penetrative vision is an option, and she has much further range than she once did, so she doesn't have to close the difference. She does have an idea from what everyone has said though. "I may have a plan. Tsugumi-sensei, if you can use water to soften the ground, I will use my Juuken repeatedly to make a hole big enough for the machine to be trapped in. Saori-san, I will be pushing myself a lot, so if you can stand by and refresh my energy levels once I start getting low, that would help me to keep going and save time. Hinotori-sama, you have a large degree of strength. If you could try to ram or divert or otherwise turn the machine towards the pit I am going to form, to 'wrestle' it on course, that will ensure it reaches the pit trap."
Aru looks to the lat Uchiha present. "Suzu-san, if you strike it from the other side and assist Hinotori-sama incase it starts to veer, that would also be beneficial, though if you can try to cut the treads so it can not 'climb' up to the sides as easily while Hinotori-sama restrains it, that may be even more useful."
Aru then looks towards Nonon and says, "Nonon-san, as you suggested, using your speed to rapidly dismantle the machine and remove or disable its motivating device would stop it faster than if we just tried to hammer such a large metallic structure until it falls apart. I can use my Byakugan to find its critical components for you. If this sounds viable, I am ready to begin."
Tsugumi listens to the others speak, proud of them for thinking, for checking with each other on what they can do instead of trying to take it all on themselves, for taking into consideration factors beyond the obvious problem before them. But what really surprises her is Aru taking charge like that, giving a solid plan of action that includes everyone and seems entirely viable, without seeming like she's trying to run the team or order anyone what to do. Tsugumi smiles a bit, glad to see how much Aru has grown.
"I think that sounds like a good plan. Unless there's any objections, let's get to it." Then Tsugumi skids to a stop in the farmer's destroyed field, forms hand seals after molding a large volume of Chakra, and then releasing a large volume of water from her mouth that spills out over the field, seeping into the dirt and blasting the soil forcefully to give Aru a head start. Tsugumi may have used a little bit TOO much water, with her Exploding Water Colliding Wave, actually… But it should serve its purpose.
Suzu is also glad to see Aru taking action. Ever since that mission to the cave, she's been different. There have been some very unusual side-effects from the head damage too. But coming out of her shell after such a traumatic mission and demonstrating the qualities of a leader… Suzu thought maybe she was approaching the point of being ready to become a Chuunin. But Aru has been showing those traits from the start. Especially right now.
She takes in a deep breath and lets it out. "I may not be as strong as Hinotori-kun, but my Fire Clones can help bolster me with the tractor wrestling part, and even speed up the cutting through the treads part. Count on me." Then she dashes towards the machine and calls out to Hinotori, "I'll let you lead us off, oh muscley-one!" She forms hand seals and breathes out two wisps of flame that form into replicas of herself, kunai already drawn.
Hinotori smiles a bit more to himself, "I'm actually seeing what you all have. If I go all out, will destroy the tractor." he laughs. He quirks a brow up at Aru, "You got girl." he says as he looks over to Suzu who tells him to leave. "Alright Suzu-chan." he says as he laughs and he flits forward, oh yeah, Nonon and most outside of Suzu and Tsugumi would know how fast he is without any chakra and well Hinotori is combine fast. "Get ready Suzu-chan!" he calls, "Let's do this!" he calls out to them as he slams his shoulder into the tractor as Tsugumi hit the ground with water, making it all muddy. He is already plowing into the tractor, trying to move it and he turns slightly gripping parts of the tractor and starts to move it towards the muddy area.
Saori nods and 'hn!'s to the plan of action proposed once Tsugumi gives the go-ahead. Saori slows down and stays nearby Aru, since she'll be supporting her and revitalizing her. If Aru is going to use the jutsu that Saori thinks the Hyuga is, then this is going to be messy… And she'll have to be ready to get right in there and recharge Aru the moment she stops. She holds her hands ready, Chakra flowing to them. Though, err… "…Will it be safe to use my electrotherapy when you are covered in water, Aru-san?" Saori asks. Sure, the Lightning Chakra is internal, but… Electricity doesn't stop there…
Nonon whistles a bit when Hinotori slams into the machine so forcefully. He's way strong, and very fast indeed. She's glad they have a plan, and one that seems so workable, but until the machine is in the pit, there's little that Nonon can do right now. Saori does raise a salient point though. "Tsugumi-sensei, could you maybe…?" She twirls a finger around at the water in the area. Maybe a bit too much moisture, yeah. Mud, at least, might help insulate Aru somewhat. But not standing in knee-deep water.
Fow now, she just molds Chakra and infuses it, so that she'll be ready to act when the time comes.
Nonon whistles a bit when Hinotori slams into the machine so forcefully. He's way strong, and very fast indeed. She's glad they have a plan, and one that seems so workable, but until the machine is in the pit, there's little that Nonon can do right now. Saori does raise a salient point though. "Tsugumi-sensei, could you maybe…?" She twirls a finger around at the water in the area. Maybe a bit too much moisture, yeah. Mud, at least, might help insulate Aru somewhat. But not standing in knee-deep water.
For now, she just molds Chakra and infuses it, so that she'll be ready to act when the time comes.
Indeed, this is going to be messy. Very, very messy. And poor Saori in all that white. Oh, well! Aru moves into the middle of the area Tsugumi prepared, only to pause right on the edge of the pool when that poignant question is asked. 'Does channeling electricity into you while you're standing in water sound like a good idea?' "…You have no other method?" Aru asks. Then she looks to Tsugumi, much like Nonon, hoping she can resolve the water issue. Assuming she can, Aru does as she prepared to, standing at the base of the pit in a Juuken stance, and then emitting Chakra from her entire body while spinning at high speed. "HEAVENLY SPIN!" she calls out, creating a dome of swirling Chakra that carves into the softened ground, rapidly lowering the level of the terrain beneath and around her.
Then she does it again the moment the stops spinning. Any mud or water on her that Tsugumi couldn't take care of will hopefully be thrown off of her by this motion, as she creates a pit by tunneling with her rotations.
"Not to worry." Tsugumi says as the water in the pit starts forming into shapely kunoichi that become another pair of Tsugumis. The remaining water forms into another pair of such, leaving Aru with a muddy pit to work with but not too much standing water. The rest will be taken care of with spinning. The Water Clones, meanwhile, charge forth to start carving into the ground with their arms, digging 'troughs' to trap the wheels of the machine in and help guide it even more surely into the pit. Tsugumi doesn't want to be working on that when the machine comes through with those big grasping claws and scythes in front.
With Suzu chopping through the tracks and then helping Hinotori, and Hinotori being incredibly strong, it's no big trouble to get the machine running into those troughs, and guided towards the pit. The Wate Clones can get smashed apart if they have to be with no ill effect. If Aru and Saori needs help getting out of the pit, hopefully, they can manage it with the help of Nonon before the thing arrives.
And then all that's left is to disable it.
Also the real Tsugumi is splattered heavily with water and mud from Aru's spinning. Ugh. She'll need a bath when she gets home.
Fire Clones chop and burn through the rubber tracks, causing the assemblies to fall off, and forcing the machine to run on just its wheels, guided by a mix of shaped terrain via Water Clone, and the combined efforts of Suzu + Fire Clones and Hinotori's raw power. Together they guide it towards the pit ahead of them, straining to keep tons of metal and pounding pistons and clanking inner mechanisms, and whatever guides it on its automated course, until they reach their goal!
Suzu really hopes no one is still in the pit when they arrive also, yes. She will be glad not to be covered in mud though.
Hinotori was impressed with the team, they were making this work. 'Aru-san did a great job.' he laughs to himself as he grunts and his muscles begin bulging more, sweat running down his his face and arms. "You better move now!" he calls out to those who may be in the pit as he digs in deep and with Suzu-chan's help and Tsugumi's water clones keeping the water going. "Let's do this Suzu-chan!" he growls and with a surge of raw power he lifts just a bit and the help of the fire clones from Suzu they push it more towards the pit.
Aru keeps spinning and spinning. Saori is almost buried under all the mud that goes flying as a result. She looks like a mud monster. A pile of moving ooze. But move she does when Aru finally expends all her energy, leaping down and using her Medical Chakra as a delivery system for an electrical stimulation to the Hyuga's body, revitalizing her and keeping her able to move and spin. Saori tries to get back up out of the pit again before Aru starts once more, but it's getting pretty deep. Once Aru is completely done with the pit, Saori isn't sure with her lack of Tree Walking or Water Walking if she can get them back up on her own. But hopefully Nonon can get her back up and then take care of her part. Saori scrambles away, not wanting to be at ground-zero when the machine falls in.
Now THERE'S something she can do to help. Right before the machine is driven into the pit by Hinotori and Suzu, Nonon flickers down into the pit, grabs Aru, and comes back up with her in a bridal carry. She sets her down quickly, now covered in some of the mud that Nonon was as a result of the Heavenly Spin, and then flickers again up on top of the machine. With Aru's guidance via the Byakugan, Nonon will use her Swift Release to rapidly pull apart and disassemble the machine, with an aim towards finding its critical mechanisms that let it run, and then pulling them out if she has to.
But she isn't going to stop until it's no longer a danger and the mission is done!
Aru exerts herself heavily to make the pit, even with the rejuvenation by Saori. Her stamina isn't her strongest attribute. But in the end, after getting rescued by Nonon, just as Aru was looking up, wide-eyed, with the machine careening over the edge of the pit, covering her in its shadow, she found herself being set on solid ground back up above in the field. She takes only a moment to get over the fear of being crushed she was experiencing, and tried fervently to focus on seeing inside the machine, finding its weak points, and calling them out to Nonon. She's no machinist or inventor… But she can see how the pieces fit together, just like the human body. And she can see how to take them apart.
And Nonon is the one who can do it quickly and efficiently.
Their combined efforts are what made this possible. Good work, team!
