Starring:
Date: March 23, 2013
Summary:
A mysterious town appears in the desert of the Land of Wind, almost overnight.
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"Won't You Take Me to Puppet Town?"
The Northern part of the Desert of the Land of Wind
The mission seemed fairly simple, if not a bit weird. Out in the northern reaches of the Land of Wind a town seemed to appear out of no where. Now, given, this area isn't highly patrolled due to its lack of tactical importance. If someone were to attack from here they'd be seen long before they made it to anywhere. However, the town seems like a fully functioning little place according to the patrol that did spot it. Just to be on the safe side, and to give a couple of genin some experience, a mission was whipped up with Suterusu as the leader of it.
The whole idea of it is that the group is to go and make contact with the village leaders, find out where they came from and assess any dangers. Suterusu is given directions and sent on his way with Chitose and Satoru in tow.
Upon arriving near the village, they can crest over a dune and see what appears to be an oasis that several buildings have popped up around. It appears there's a large building in the center, possibly a village center along with a large number of buildings all built around it and the oasis that could be anything from homes to shops. Dots of people are seen milling about in this mid morning hour.
"Alright, then. I mean, this is no big deal. Some patrol probably was just napping on the job, and missed a town being built. So we just go in and tell them how it is when you set up roots in the Land of Wind." Satoru states. BBaizo makes a sound. "Oh, yeah. Sure. You can do that, I guess." Satoru replies. "Just a quick look, though." The bird takes flight, flying directly about the village and circling it from all directions, searching for any signs of danger or hostile intent.
That figure was silent as they approached the town, cresting the dune, he'd study it intently from where they stood. Glancing side long to Satoru, he'd raise a brow at the off hand comment. "So…" That soft crooning tenor would reach out, "The hayato do not know how to patrol then.. for that number of buildings to be built like that, it would take about a month. For it to happen so quickly, there must be a trail where all the materials was brought in. They missed that whole thing?" He'd shake his head then, starting forward. "Keep alert. We need to be on high alert. So it's just a matter of finding out how and why it happen and what we may have to do about it." He continued that shuffling, sliding gait, leaving no discernable trail on the sand as he made his way towards the town. Time to find out what's going on.
There is no trail or signs of any type of construction. The place looks a lot like it sprung up out of the sands around the oasis. It is very similar in a lot of ways to a small Sunagakure. Baizo will only sense one weird thing. Once a single person spots the flying hawk, they all start to look up at the hawk. There's little communication between the people milling about the town on their daily business other than what one might expect but then one looks up and spots Baizo. Then they all look up and spot Baizo. They all stare for a while before they all look in the direction that Baizo is flying. After a moment of eerie watching, they all go back to normal daily town business.
Chitose, for her part frowns and shakes her head, "I don't even see what looks like signs of construction taking place." She looks at Suterusu, "Not that I know a lot about that but it kinda looks like it did just appear." She shrugs and then follows after Suterusu though not leaving as lacking in a trail as he does, she is decent at her job though and leaves little behind. She smiles at Satoru though, "What is Baizo seeing?"
"So it was a really long nap," Satoru mumbles stubbornly. He falls into step behind Suterusu, trying to imitate his gait. He said it involved the same principles as tree walking, rihgt, how hard could it be? Harder than it looks, evidently. Instead of leaving no trail, he leaves over that looks like something was dragged across the desert rather than walking.
Meanwhile, Baizo flies back to Satoru. "Huh. That's weird. Usually he'd just send me a single." As Baizo lands back on his shoulder, he cries softly into Satoru's ear. "What?" Baizo repeats. Satoru turns to the rest of the group. "They- the people… They're all acting in sync. They all looked up at Baizo at the same time. The exact same time."
Frowning behind that wrap, the figure gave a small nod. "There is something else going on then. Potentially a genjutsu." He was silent as he kept walking for a few moments, after a moment, he'd glance back at Satoru, "How wide can you get a signal back from Baizo-san? I'd like a wide sweep, if you can go greater than a mile, it'd be prefered. We need to see if there is any surrounding information.. I also do not remember this particular oasis.." Shaking his head slightly, he'd look between each of them. "High alert. Consider this a hostile encounter.. Do not attack first." He'd focus himself a moment, those three clones pulled up and immediately vanishing into the surrounding terrain. He was not going to get caught off guard it seems. A final nod once they looked ready and would lead them to the edge of town. Of course, he wouldn't actually talk to anyone here. That is, in part, why they send genin with the figure on missions, afterall.
As soon as they get near to the town, there is already three people coming out to greet them. The well dressed portly man with his two muscular guards walks straight up to the trio and then bows, "Hello!" He declares and stands up, his large mustache hiding his mouth behind its bushiness, "Welcome to Mutan." He nods, "Are you expected?" He asks as he looks from Chitose to Satoru before finally falling his eyes upon Suterusu. The two men with him simply stand there looking strong and tough while the large man speaks.
There's something very off about the man though that being off would only be visible to those who are good at sensing such things. Those who are good at sensing chakra. To anyone else, he just seems perhaps a bit too mechanical.
Chitose, for her part simply looks over at Satoru and his trail, grinning as she does. When the man approaches, she glances at him and then at the large men that are flanking the portly man on either side. Chitose creeps to the side some to try to edge closer to town and get a better look at this 'Mutan'. However, as she does one of the large men turns slightly toward her and growls, flexing up his big muscles.
"A genjutsu? Who would be powerful enough to strike anyone that came close and maintain it the whole time?" Satoru shudders at the thought. Whatever is going here, 'someone powerful' still seems like a strong possibility. Even as he worries at what might be lying ahead, Baizo takes off. With a shrug, Satoru explains, "As long as I can see him, he can send me signals with his flight path. A mile we can do."
Upon entering the village, Satoru eyes the three men cautiously, giving special attention to the muscular men. He waits for someone else to speak first until he realizes that isn't going to happen. He shakes his head. "Not expected, exactly. We're from the village of Sunakagure hoping to establish a- uh- relationship with Mutan. How long have you all been here?" As the man growls at Chitose, Satoru hesitate, then side steps, putting himself between the large man and Chitose.
Red eyes narrowed on the three before them, that sense picking up what was causing everything to be odd. It did click now. Although for that many people. At a signal, a subtle gesture, the ground behind the three, the two muscular men and the 'mayor' would shift, the melting giving way to the three clones coming up behind them. Each one had a loop of wire, and as one, they would all flick that wire up and over the heads, the wire turned garrotte was quickly applied to cut off air, as each clone pulled up a daiclave from the ground and would shred the body before them. This was all done in relatively quick and efficent order. The real figure simply stepping back with a motion to both Chitose and Satoru to step back as well. Once he was sure the bodies were useless, the clones would again go into hiding as those red eyes turned to the two genin. "Puppeteering. We need to find the source.. those three at least, were puppets."
The Mayor-like figure would wiggle a finger at Chitose, "Sorry, we cannot allow you into town until we establish who you are." The man then turns and smiles at Satoru, "Well, that is a good thing. We would love to establish more ties with Sunagakure. If you would…" And then the Mayor turns quickly as do the men only to be shredded into pieces and chunks. Parts fall to the ground in a heap and the slightly hollowed wooden sound is familiar to anyone who has dealt with puppets prior. Moments later, what appears to almost be glowing strings suck back into the sand and vanish into it.
Chitose stares with wide eyes, loooking then to Suterusu and then back at the town. "That was unexpected and weird." She states and moves a step forward to peer closer at the broken puppets. Even as she does, she looks up as she hears…nothing. She stares, "The town just got really quiet." She nods her head and stares at it. Indeed, it appears as if all the people in town have just stopped. Then there's an odd sort of sound, kind of like a wooden wind chime clinking in the breeze.
Satoru's mouth opens and hangs there as Suterusu slaughters the trio. His mouth continues to hang open as Suterusu explains that there were only puppets before them. He looks over to Chitose. He looks back to Suterusu. He looks down at what remains of the three that greeted them. Slackjawed the entire time.
"Close your mouth. You'll get sand in it." The soft tenor hissed at Satoru was almost flat. He'd also note the lack of noise. "Yes. I probably just Punched off the puppeteer. Afterall.. they know the strings have been cut." Looking about, red eyes were intense, focused as he'd study the surroundings. "They are former people. Puppetized. So the people had to come from somewhere. Prepare for a fight, that trick will probably not work again." He'd look to each of them with a small nod, before that silent step, leaving no trail behind it, started him into the village. Yeah.. the figure of death was knocking on the door of Mutan. Of course, if there was anyone left alive in here.. they would be the targets to capture. Anything else was going to be removed, it seems.
There's more jingling in the town as something seems to spoke the puppets but then it all comes to a stop again. As the trio enters into the village, they'll find it is far more quiet than it was before and all of the people seem to have vanished. As they move though, they'll suddenly find a kunai flying at them at random intervals. They'll need to quickly move their feet and bodies if they intend not to get stabbed at random. Luckily, the kunai aren't poisoned. However, as Suterusu gets closer to the town's middle, suddenly the sound of movement is all around them as puppets of the villagers come flying out of the ground, the door ways and then windows, all flying at the trio.
For her part, Chitose only gets cut a couple of times, and both are superficial. However, when the villager puppets attack, she lets out an ack given there are now roughly 20 puppets coming at them at once. Chitose is forced to dodge to the side and gets seperated but she is holding her own as she dodges attacks and sends a twisting punch through one of the puppets, breaking it in half, her arm stretching far further than it should and then bending in the middle of her forearm to back hand into another puppet and send it flying, "Judy! There's a lot of them!"
Satoru's jaw snaps shut at once at Suterusu's command, and he falls into step behind the figure. As the kunai come flying, his reflexes serve him well at first, managing to side step a few with reflexes and smart timing. "Well, I was impressed at first, but if this is all that's coming our way-" Speaking too soon, another kunai grazes his arm. "Ow!" He exclaims, leaving the rest of his thought for dead.
Then the puppets arise. Eyes widening, Satoru ducks this way and that as he punches at the puppets, trying to break as many as possible. As he notices Chitose is seperated from the other two, he tries to move in that direction, but the mass of puppets he still has to defend against makes it difficult.
That figure would avoid the kunai nimbly. It didn't take much to dodge the attacks coming in. He was expecting the trap of course. Where would he attack at? the middle of the scenario that he set up, the strong point. So it was that when the puppets came out, he was already ready. That wire mesh of a shielding defense started. He'd pull more and more wire into it and from there make a bigger and bigger shield. He'd stop most of the puppets from getting to him, that daiklave the clones had used being turned on those who could get through the mesh. He knew the plan was unfolding, his counter attack would be soon. They had to figure out where the source of these puppets was at. Looking about as was his ability to do such with that sensory style, he'd try to track the strings to a source. There should be some where they all go to. If this was one puppeteer, then the strings would be connected to that puppeteer somewhere. That was the weakness of puppets.
There is one point, sort of. It appears to be one point with three points going out from that one point and then more coming out from th ose three points. Everything, though, is happening in that city hall looking building. Whomever or whatever is controlling all of this is in there. As the trap that Suterusu is coming near to its fruition, six of the puppets suddenly stop and seem to notice something off and begin racing toward the city hall building, opening the doors and trying to get inside even as Suterusu begins to prepare to spring his trap. It seems they might have sensed it but it is possibly too late.
Meanwhile, Chitose is taking a few serious hits but isn't doing bad as she sends a spinkick into the villager puppet that hit her. She then knocks down another. The remaining puppets are also quickly being destroyed by Suterusu and Satoru. These puppets, while numerous were not that scary. It's almost like the control over them is clumsy at best.
Satoru has taken a handful of blows himself, making bruises and welts over his body, but not seriously threatening his life. As he gets closer to Chitose, he nods at her. "Come on. Lets follow those ones," He points over to the city hall where six of puppets have already retreated. "Besides, knowing Sensei, he's about to do something really ugly to these puppets. We don't want to be standing in the middle." With that, he weaves his way through what is left of the puppets as he makes his way toward the city hall.
You paged Suterusu with 'And yes, that's your cue that your trap is ready to be sprung as the puppets attempt to go save their puppeteer.'
"Stay here." Would be the only command given to the other two. That figure let the daiklave go, rapidly going through his own set of seals before planting both hands to the ground. Out on the edge of the town, there was a mirroring of those actions by the 3 clones. All together, that soft tenor would croon. "Shadow Clone: Metal Wire Trap" And the earth beneith the entire village would erupt. Where Chitose, Satoru and the figure was at, was left alone. Everything and everywhere else was a sudden massive swirling group of metal wires. Those wire would grapple and rip into everything, the metal bits lodged within the steel cable efficent in ripping apart buildings, latching on to puppets, or just about anything that moved. The center, that city hall, was of course where the thickest part of the metal wires was at, the massive uncoiling seeking out those 4 points, the source, the three sub parts and anything else in there, shoving them if grappled through the roof to be suspended in that mass of metal wires above where the trio of Suna shinobi were at.
The puppets are destroyed, the buildings ripped apart and hanging above the group are three shinobi who appear to be bleeding from the wires but aren't crying out or even acting as they are trapped within the wires. Attached to them still are chakra strings that lead back to…a puppet? A strange looking small puppet, perhaps 3 feet in size with a tiny nin-outfit on, is floating in the wires behind the group. It seems old, its hair all haggered and its body riddled by time. It is twitching in the wires, its little fingers attempting to move still. A croaking sound coming from it that sounds almost like a groaning whisper. The three shinobi? They have no village markers, likely wanderers who wandered into the wrong spot.
Chitose looks up and around, staring around herself as she watches the scene take place. She seems, well, surprised as she stands there, too cautious of what she is seeing to reach out and try to touch the wires everywhere. "Wow…" It's the only word she has for all that she is seeing.
Satoru stops his efforts to get to the city hall at once on the figure's orders. The last thing he wants is to get caught up in a trap of Suterusu's making because he failed to follow directions. As the trap explodes, Satoru shudders. Finally after the wires have caught all they are going to catch, Satoru stares at the small puppet that the wires lead back to. "How is that even possible?" Satoru asks in confusion.
You paged Suterusu with 'If he is using his chakra vision to see it…it almost looks like the puppet was puppeteering the three shinobi who were being used to puppeteer the town…almost like chakra batteries. The puppet itself? It almsot looks like an incomplete chakra network is in the little thing.'
That figure would narrow those red eyes at the smaller figure that seemed to be the source of the puppeteering. Shaking his head, he'd give that second signal. Once more that set of seals was blurred through. "It is an old puppeteer.. that attempted to continue living. That disrupts the order of the world, so it must be removed." Once again the figure would plant his hands to the ground, mirrored by unseen shadow clones on the outside of that village. "Shadow Clone: Metal Forest." The ground would shift, shuddering as suddenly a massive metal spike would launch up out of the ground. Aiming to pierce the middle of that small puppet, the studs within the spike would suddenly launch outward, trying to pierce those three puppets that were connected to the smaller one. Then the multiple other spikes would erupt out of the ground, shredding everything as they came up, slashing, burning and basically destroying the place. The three of them were untouched, but the rest of the village would most likely be in rubble now.
The three who were attached the smaller puppet are a bit more…messy than the other puppets. Seems those three shinobi weren't completely dead and hollowed like most puppets. However, they're gone now. The main small puppet screams out in pain as it is hit, ripping to shreds as well. Within just a few seconds, it is all over and all gone. Chitose stares up at what she is seeing and then looks over at Satoru before letting out a slow breath, "Well, that was just…gruesome." She nods and then clears h er throat, "I guess it is over now." She nods her head and then looks back to Suterusu, "Mission complete."
