Starring:
Date: January 26, 2016
Summary:
On the way back to Iwagakure after a trip to the Land of Tea, a brief fight with bandits keeps the Iwa shinobi on their toes and teaches them that bandits often use innocent to fight for them.
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"Trouble from Tea to Home"
Land of Rivers
It has been a few weeks of enjoying tea, and the time had eventually come that the shinobi who had arrived were to return to Iwagakure. The path they were to take involved sailing by ship to the Land of Rivers, and moving upwards through it silently, and crossing into the Land of Earth that way. It was a safe effective way of returning without sailing around the Land of Lightning, and not traveling by foot through the wretched auspices of the Land of Fire. Currently, that is where Tsuchikage was along with her genin escorts Akio, Kaneko, and Hotaru. Their travel towards the Land of Tea had been relatively uneventful, but unfortunately the land is populated with rediculous people who attack anything in sight.
This group of rediculous people were actually slavers, whom often moved to attack families and take children for slave work. Every once in a while a slaver finds a peculiar gem that is something that is worth keeping…
Hotaru was walking along, listening to the little bits of interesting information Juudai often wishes to teach the genin she selected to drag along for sightseeing. It wasn't the walk that she enjoyed, no… She hated walking at all. When it comes to walking, Hotaru is the least fit out of any shinobi in the village to do so. Armed with a cane to help support her weight, it is a most sad sight to see the girl stumbling around with her cane after many hours of walking. Without her Kekkei Genkai activated, which takes an insane amount of effort, she is restricted to being the most crippled ninja in all of Iwagakure.
As they moved along, Juudai would look back to Hotaru from time to time to make sure the girl had not stumbled or fallen. Either way, she was pointing out various items that might be good to know or areas which might be a good spot for an ambush. She would explain the importance of distraction for sneaking and the importance of all five senses for use in spoting potential ambushes. Even as they move, she continues to keep her own senses active.
Akio listened to everything, but ignored the part about the five senses. His best sense was his earth sense where he could feel the vibrations in the earth and in trees and nearby things like boulders. "Juudai. I wonder are there any uses besides spotting poetntial ambushes for those senses. Because honestly I am better with spotting traps and such with the vibrations I feel in the ground. My eyes don't see behind trees, and my ears don't hear that slight movement of a branch. My nose can't smell someone moving in mud. Though maybe that kind of sense falls under the sense of touch?"
Kaneko would help Hotaru out when the girl stumbled, unable to help but sigh with each. "I wish there was some way for you to get better T_T" she says unhappily. The girl would glance up and look around every now and then, not that it helped. She was … not very perceptive. Her eyes and ears and nose were all quite average, unlike - say - the Inuzuka and Maneshi. As such… She's a bit useless. She doesn't really expect trouble, either, so she's just going along on her merry way.
"Kaneko, a shinobi has to fight adversity!" Hotaru would say with a smile. "B-besides, this was Juudai's idea to make me walk like this… It's… Ano… It's training!" Hotaru would sigh, not exactly putting as much effort into searching the environment as anyone else was. Likely not until she is given the order, thanks to being worn out quite a bit. "Thanks for not leaving me behind. I think because of me… this trip has gotten a lot longer…"
It seems there are no signs of bandits right now. As words pass around between the shinobi, it seems that everything was calm for the most part…
RPCOMBAT: Hotaru defends against with a PERCEPTION…11
"Kaneko, a shinobi has to fight adversity!" Hotaru would say with a smile. "B-besides, this was Juudai's idea to make me walk like this… It's… Ano… It's training!" Hotaru would sigh, not exactly putting as much effort into searching the environment as anyone else was. Likely not until she is given the order, thanks to being worn out quite a bit. "Thanks for not leaving me behind. I think because of me… this trip has gotten a lot longer…"
It seems there are no signs of bandits right now. As words pass around between the shinobi, it seems that everything was calm for the most part…
RPCOMBAT: Juudai defends against with a PERCEPTION-II…55
Looking at the girl, Juudai gives a slight grin. The way Hotaru was acting was something to be admired. She looks then back toward the area ahead. She looks at the area up ahead and then frowns some as she considers before turning around and nodding, in a hushed tone she states, "You will pretend I'm saying something interesting but there are people up ahead hiding. Be aware." She then points in the direction of a nearby plant and then continues to walk.
RPCOMBAT: Akio defends against with a TREMOR-SENSE-II…36
Akio might've or might not have saw the people up ahead. Didn't matter as Juudai pointed them out. "Oh? You don't say Juudai?" He stretches. "Tell me more." He moved closer as if trying to hear the story as best as he possibly could, but in reality he was just doing as asked. Something interesting was being said, so he would react in that way.
RPCOMBAT: Kaneko defends against with a PERCEPTION-II…39
Kaneko would sigh lightly, glancing up. "I know it's training, but still -.-;" She didn't like it… The girl would just plod along, glancing over to Juudai with a tilt of her head. "… But if the pressure on the outside of the jar is … Wait, how does the imploding process work again? I got confused by what you were even saying v.v;" That's her pretending to try and be interested in Juudai's talk! c.c;
Pretend that Juudai was saying something interesting? So, lie. Got it. Hotaru would suddenly emit a rather fake-sounding laugh. "AHAHAHAAH! TSUCHI-KAGE-SAMA, YOU SURE ARE FUNNY!" Hotaru would rub her chin a moment. She didn't think she did it right. Apparently, there was rustle from the bushes, and soon enough a few individuals of rough background would make their way onto the streets. "The wha? The Tsuchikage? Yeah, I believe that one. You ain't the Tsuchikage, cause the Tsuchikage lives in the Land of Earth." The bandits all had big clubs and some had arrows. Yet, what might have been the most surprising is that one of the bandits actually had a small kid on a chain. That kid was on all fours, and he seemed as if he was just waiting for orders… "Well, well, well… If you really are the Tsuchikage, then you'll last more than two seconds against this little monster." The bandit would rattle the kid's chain, before walking up and placing a large rough hand on the kid's head… … "Your mother… If you kill these four travelers… I won't kill your mom. How does that sound, kid!?" The Bandit laughs and would unhook the kid's collar. "Kill them." The kid seemed as if his eyes were rathed dead, and as soon as he was unchained, he would assume a rather strange standing position. A very unique taijutsu stance. He reared himself up as if he were a wolf ready to strike… The bandit would step back and snap his finger… "Go on, kid! Don't brewin' loiter around!"
A few moments later the kid would lash out at Juudai. He would attempt to attack the Tsuchikage, hands stretched out and striking with piercing motion. This appeared to be the Confrontational Wolf Fist Style!
[NPC System]: Gifted Child roll(s) Twin Fang Claw Strike vs Juudai from 35 to 50 and get(s) a 36. - Rolled by: Hotaru
RPCOMBAT: Juudai defends against with a FEEDBACK-BARRIER…44
Looking at Hotaru, she sighs and shakes her head. So much potential and dashed upon the inability to act. Well, no stage career for Hotaru. Either way, she looks back as the people step out and she zeroes in on the kid on a chain. She barely hears what the men say even as the kid is talked about like some animal. She briefly registers the fact that apparently the kid's mother is in danger. She then looks back briefly to the others, "I want every one of them other than that kid dead. The big one, with the chain, is mine." She then raises up her left hand and one quick gesture. The kid's strike slams into her palm and she looks over at the kid, "Down boy." And her glare is enough to whither a forest as she stares down the kid and then proceeds to walk past him toward the large man who was holding that kid's chain.
COMBAT: Juudai attacks target 1 with PREDATORY-GLARE with a roll of: 56
Arashi simply nods to Juudai before instantly hopping to action. Seals formed in his hands and suddenly metal rose underneath all the people except for the one Juudai called for. THis was what he was going to do. Try to trap all of them if he could, and let Hotaru and Kaneko do the killing. "These people deserve what they get. Should we leave any alive Juudai? For questions?"
COMBAT: Akio attacks target 1 with BRANCHING-METAL-BINDS with a roll of: 33
COMBAT: Akio attacks target 2 with BRANCHING-METAL-BINDS with a roll of: 40
COMBAT: Kaneko attacks target 1 with STONE-DAGGER-RUG with a roll of: 27
COMBAT: Kaneko attacks target 2 with STONE-DAGGER-RUG with a roll of: 30
Kaneko would blink a bit when the group of bandits/kidnappers hopped out with a kid chained up. Well then… The girl would make a few handseals, and the very earth under the bandits would churn up into spiky rocks so that they can hurt for at least a bit. She wasn't particularly fond of these dudes that just suddenly appeared. And she would unleash a world of pain upon them later if Akio's bindings succeeded.
[NPC System]: Gifted Kid roll(s) Self Inflict II from 45 to 59 and get(s) a 53. - Rolled by: Hotaru
[NPC System]: Head Bandit roll(s) Evasion from 25 to 35 and get(s) a 34. - Rolled by: Hotaru
[NPC System]: Head Bandit roll(s) Evasion from 25 to 35 and get(s) a 31. - Rolled by: Hotaru
Almost all of the Bandits were easily captured, with the exception of the head bandit, whom was a little more quick on his toes than to be hit with Akio and Kaneko's ninjutsu. "Heh, real ninja. Well. Guess what! I happen to be a ninja myself. One with special abilities of my own. EAT IT!" He put his fingers in a seal. "Genjutsu… KAI!" And within moments the kid was free again. "Hehe, impressed yet… 'Tsuchikage'." He asks. The Bandit shrugs. "Now that you really are. Up, Boy! Kill the other kids. I'll take care of the fake Kage." The boy would look at Juudai close his eyes and nod his head, before he would attack Kaneko, Hotaru, and Akio. His attack was actually a rather advanced technique, one that would likely cripple a non-shinobi. His movements would work towards trying to knock the shinobi off their feet.
Meanwhile, the bandit leader himself made a seal. "How about, I kill all of your little ones. How would you like to see them die!" He would try to instil the illusion that the kid he released from Juudai's genjutsu would effectively kill the genin with his attacks. That might cause the Tsuchikage to pause…
[NPC System]: Bandit Leader roll(s) False Death Illusion, Everyone Else Edition vs Juudai from 35 to 55 and get(s) a 46. - Rolled by: Hotaru
[NPC System]: Skilled Child roll(s) Hunting Method Sweep vs Hotaru from 35 to 55 and get(s) a 51. - Rolled by: Hotaru
[NPC System]: Skilled Child roll(s) Hunting Method Sweep vs Akio from 35 to 55 and get(s) a 55. - Rolled by: Hotaru
[NPC System]: Skilled Child roll(s) Hunting Method Sweep vs Kaneko from 35 to 55 and get(s) a 53. - Rolled by: Hotaru
RPCOMBAT: Hotaru defends against with a WATER-CLONE…33
RPCOMBAT: Hotaru took 600 damage.
Hotaru, prone to being sweeped off her feet, would be the first to fall to the technique. Her poor little legs would be struck, and she would be on her back in moments with the wind knocked out of her, though she wouldn't stay down for long. She would make a seal while she was still on the ground and attempt to catch the kid. "J-juudai-sama, What do we do? He's just a kid!" Younger than she and her team!
COMBAT: Hotaru attacks target 1 with WATER-CHAINS with a roll of: 31
RPCOMBAT: Juudai defends against with a CHAKRA-PINCH-II…65
Looking at the kid as he moves off to fight the others, Juudai frowns some before looking at the leader. Even as he attempts to send that illusion at her, her chakra flow briefly reverses and she winces. She watches the illusion a moment before she looks at the man, "You think that's wise. You think angering me would be the best way to handle things?" She looks at the man, "You're very lucky that did not work." She then hmms, "I take it back, you were dead either way." HSe then looks to Hotaru, Akio and Kaneko, "Try not to kill the boy." She then rushes forward. CHakra whips over her hand as she sends it toward the man's chest. The burst of chakra would cause a sonic burst through the man's body if it hits. He'd be stunned long enough even as she'd take a step back, sending chakra over her elbow and palm before looking to the man, "Die horribly." She then would send both the elbow and palm right at him simultaneously.
COMBAT: Juudai attacks target 1 with SHELLSHOCK-STRIKE with a roll of: 60
COMBAT: Juudai attacks target 1 with BRUTAL-BLAST-STRIKE with a roll of: 39
RP: Akio transforms into SIZZLE-I.
RPCOMBAT: Akio defends against with a METAL-BARRIER…36
RPCOMBAT: Akio took 600 damage.
Akio frowned as he too fell onto the ground. "I will try to trap the kid I suppose." Suddenly Akio fell into the ground and grabbed for his ankles to try and pull him into the ground with AKio. Akio would then pop out nearby after trying and make metal come upwards to wrap around the kid. "Hopefully this gets him."
COMBAT: Akio attacks target 1 with HEADHUNTER-TECHNIQUE with a roll of: 35
COMBAT: Akio attacks target 1 with BRANCHING-METAL-BINDS with a roll of: 30
RP: Kaneko transforms into SHIELDING-METAL.
RPCOMBAT: Kaneko defends against with a SPINNING-METAL…64
COMBAT: Kaneko attacks target 1 with GRACEFUL-SLASH with a roll of: 39
COMBAT: Kaneko attacks target 1 with GRACEFUL-SLASH with a roll of: 39
COMBAT: Kaneko attacks target 1 with GRACEFUL-SLASH with a roll of: 41
Kaneko would draw her sword in one smooth motion, using it to defend against the incoming boy. She would then spin around to attack at some of the other people, mostly seeking to slice their throats. The ones that might have gotten trapped in Akio's bindings, mostly. Not any of the other ones that are still free. Those guys are gonna die later on.
[NPC System]: Skilled Child roll(s) Wolf Dash Step from 30 to 50 and get(s) a 31. - Rolled by: Hotaru
[NPC System]: Skilled Child roll(s) Wolf Dash Step from 30 to 50 and get(s) a 35. - Rolled by: Hotaru
[NPC System]: Skilled Child roll(s) Wolf Dash Step from 30 to 50 and get(s) a 45. - Rolled by: Hotaru
There was no chance the bandit was going to dodge Juudai's attack at his level. The rather stunned man might have been able to dodge the next strike, under normal circumstance, but what came before paved the way for what would come. His eyes wide, with the last of his energy he would try and give Juudai a rather rude hand gesture. He then turned into mush all over the roadside. A few bits of him here and there, and some on his captured comrades. It was just perfect to get pieces of their glorious leader all over them as Kaneko gracefully ends each of their lives, leaving only the kid alive. The kid with enough skill to keep Akio and Hotaru on their feet it seems, as each one of their techniques were easily dodged with precision. A flipping jump out of Hotaru's chains, and a sidestep to Akio's attempt to pull him underground. Quite skilled. He didn't seem to be aware that all the bandits were dead. He seemed to be fighting on autopilot, as if all the killing he has done to keep his mother alive had caused him to simply go to a happy place and unconsciously continue his vicious assault. This caused him to continue to attack the group. Since Kaneko was the only one unharmed, focused on her in an attempt to attack her specifically. He dashed forward and sought to fling her into the air with a knee to the chin, before jumping off the ground and applying a series of kicks. All to please a group of bandits who were not alive. He needed to be stopped and brough to his senses, or killed.
[NPC System]: Gifted Kid roll(s) Knee Uppercut on Kaneko from 35 to 60 and get(s) a 40. - Rolled by: Hotaru
[NPC System]: Gifted Kid roll(s) Wolf Combo Barrage from 15 to 30 and get(s) a 22. - Rolled by: Hotaru
COMBAT: Juudai attacks target 1 with INTERRUPT with a roll of: 43
COMBAT: Juudai attacks target 1 with INTERRUPT with a roll of: 50
RPCOMBAT: Juudai defends against with a FEEDBACK-BARRIER…46
RPCOMBAT: Juudai defends against with a FEEDBACK-BARRIER…53
COMBAT: Juudai attacks target 1 with KUPPUKU with a roll of: 25
COMBAT: Juudai attacks target 1 with KUPPUKU with a roll of: 39
Appearing to shake her head as she watches the man burst into nothing as she hits him, she turns her gaze back just in time to see the boy striking at Kaneko. Juudai rushes over to catch his knee with one hand and then just simply lets him strike at her though he only ends up hitting a thin seal that absorbs and returns all the force back into the attacks he sends at her. She then frowns and shakes her head, "Kneel!" She then points to the others, "Restrain him until he is calm, then he can see that his captors are gone and we can go about finding his mother."
Akio nods to Juudai and simply tried to bind him in metal again. This had to work well eventually right? Right? Well hopefully. Either way he would try once before looking to Kaneko. "Could you maybe get rope around that too? That might help a bit at least." He sighed and moved away just in case nothing held which it might not considering everything that has happened so far.
COMBAT: Akio attacks target 1 with BRANCHING-METAL-BINDS with a roll of: 34
RPCOMBAT: Kaneko defends against with a EVASION…29
RPCOMBAT: Kaneko defends against with a EVASION…40
Kaneko would gather just a bit of chakra and she'd point her sword at the boy in case he decided that he would avoid whatever would make him kneel. Thankfully Juudai saved her from utter defeat »; The Murasame would just keep her eyes on the boy, flicking her blade once to remove some of the blood that was still dripping down off of it. Stupid bandits ruining her blade :|
The Genjutsu was enough to finally cause the kid to calm down. He was stopped in his track by the genjutsu, and was forced to their knees. Once upon him, the child would finally close his eyes and accept death. He dropped onto all fours, face upon the ground in submission as he prepared for an honorable death. He was still not aware that the bandits were dead until Akio had him all wrapped up in metal binds. When he realized that the bandits were dead, he would whine the following statement. "Please… make it quick…" He would beg.
Hotaru would dust herself off as she witnessed the kid's defeat. To be honest, she didn't care, but it was clear they weren't going to kill the kid. "My legs hurt…" She says as she sighs leaning heavily on her cane. "That kid… That kid really caused us trouble." If it were one on one, Hotaru might have had to push herself to the limit not to be put into the hospital. "Are we really going to bother helping, Juudai-sama? This kid is from the Land of Rivers. We are in the Land of Rivers…" They aren't supposed to be here technically. It's just a walking route. Will Juudai help the kid out?
"Of course we will." Juudai states to Hotaru and then looks at the men over there, "Were you not just in a similar situation with some friends of yours?" She looks to Akio and hten Kaneko before looking to Hotaru, "Or should I kill both Akio and this boy then?" She hmms and looks to Hotaru with a hmm.
She would then kneel and look to the boy and tilt her head at him, "Where is your mother? I heard the fat one say something about that before he died."
Akio frowns to Hotaru. He was willing to do what they wanted to make sure Kaneko wasn't hurt, so he knew where this kid was coming from. Akio just had the will to fight it behind the scenes(and sometimes publically) "Hotaru. He may have been fighting us, but he was only trying to protect his mother. Wouldn't you do the same to protect Kaneko?" He looked to the Kid and Juudai and waited.
The boy lifted himself up in surprise as she looks to the older woman and would blink. "You'll… you'll help? No… You can't help. W-will you? M-my mom… She's at a cabin north of here…" Best news the kid had ever had.
Hotaru would look at Akio and scoff. "T-that's different! I… … I wouldn't betray my village to… …" Protect Kaneko? Would she? That's a sensitive subject. Sorry Akio, you just got ignored for the rest of the trip, but at least you got your point through with the hard-headed dragon.
So Juudai, Kaneko, Akio, and Hotaru would take a light detour to re-united the child with his mother. Though, there are rarely happy endings in life. When they returned to that cottage, the mother unfortunately was killed by the bandits anyways. The very least that the team did was to bury his mother. The child would likely have his own problems, sadly. Ones that not even the Tsuchikage could solve…
