Mission RRV - Healing Hurdles & Hidden Hostilities [Akio & Shun]

Akio leaned in, his body craning forward as he looked over a series of blood samples that the Medical Sennin had laid out. Each small glass vial bore his own name, handwritten in Nao’s now-very-familiar script. Ever since he'd awoken from his coma, the young Senju had been trying to piece together what exactly it was that had happened to his body, why he was able to have awakened naturally when so many others still laid asleep. And now here he was, tasked alongside Ashikawa Shun, his med-nin colleague, with creating a vaccine for it themselves. Nao seemed to believe that his blood might hold important clues, and he had requested both Akio and Shun to assist in analyzing the samples.

Setting aside his initial apprehension, Akio pulled on a pair of sterile gloves and laid out several slides on the lab’s countertop. Akio had never been great at the meticulous parts of being a med-nin, the real science behind the fancy healing jutsus. After all, he was a naturally emotional and impulsive young man. But he'd also trained under Sennin Nao for long enough that he knew better than to ignore the protocol. The fluorescent lights that were overhead buzzed softly, lighting up the quarter-filled glass tubes and the various pieces of equipment the pair would need to use in their analysis of the samples and synthesis of a vaccine. He retrieved one vial, swirled it around to mix the contents, then placed a careful drop of the liquid onto the first slide. After covering it with a thin clear strip, he slid it beneath the scope, leaning in to focus the lens.

"Yep, clear." He said, moving the slide around in the microscope a bit just to make sure he didn't miss any virion hiding. "Guess we should probably check out one of the victims samples. Maybe mixing the two would cause a reaction? At least then we'd know if it was something in the blood." Turning his attention back to the microscope, Akio turned the focus ring, pressing his eye up against the scope. Under the lens, tiny cells floated in slightly off-clear fluid. He could already spot those faint anomalies, the virus visible within the blood cells. Leaning back up to take a syringe and carefully drip a drop from one of his own blood samples into the current one, he watched to see if they reacted.

Yes, they'd reacted alright. Almost as soon as the fresh, untainted blood from Akio's sample met the virally corrupted one already on the tray, he'd be able to see the results. Leaning over the scope again, Akio watched as the virus quickly attacked his own blood cells, spreading faster than any normal virus would. "Well... not the blood I guess."

He looked across the lab, aware that he was not the only person working through the backlog of samples and data. Shun too had been asked to help with the procedure. He'd been left, by Nao, a parallel set of tests that focused on finding any markers that might have been influenced by the remnants of the virus or by any dormant chakra-related effects. Nao had notes that he'd outlined after his initial tests of Akio's blood, positing that the virus may be related to chakra somehow, as ninja seemed to have slightly differing effects and a lack of the general heightened immunities they normally enjoyed over less physically honed civilians. Akio offered a brief nod and a smile to acknowledge Shun’s presence, then asked with his usual upbeat and cheerful tone, "How's it comin' along on your end, Shun-kun?"

[WC | 603 — Total WC | 603]

It had taken Shun some time to get himself back together. Nao had assigned them a mission shortly after his meeting with the ANBU branch - something to keep their hands and minds busy while the weight of recent events still hung in the air. Thanks to Nao’s extensive medical knowledge and the care he'd personally provided, the worst of Shun’s physical injuries were behind him. But the wounds beneath the surface - guilt, hesitation, self-doubt - were proving more difficult to treat.

When he first stepped into the sterile research lab, the energy of the room hit him like a wave. Researchers moved quickly between stations, murmuring in hushed but urgent voices. The clink of glass and the low hum of equipment filled the space with a tension that kept his nerves on edge. It wasn’t chaotic, but it felt like standing at the edge of a storm - everyone knew something was coming.

Akio had already arrived before him, thankfully. That familiar presence - already buried in the search for a cure - offered a strange sort of comfort. Shun didn’t have to explain the heaviness in his chest; Akio already understood, even without words.

His head was still clouded when he first approached his station, but as his hands moved, sorting through files and scanning over the notes left behind by Nao, that mental fog began to clear. It always helped to focus on a task when he couldn’t trust his own thoughts. Even if his knowledge in this side of the medical field was limited, his knack for picking things up quickly gave him an edge.

He dove deeper into the research, eyes skimming over terminology he didn’t fully understand at first. Several textbooks had been left stacked on the side of his table, well-worn with sticky notes jutting out from their pages like flags on a battlefield. He didn’t have time for a full study session, but cross-referencing a few key terms gave him just enough traction to start forming a picture in his head. A fragile framework - but a start.

After about twenty minutes of silent work, Shun moved over to the spare samples left at his station, sliding one beneath the microscope. He adjusted the lens with practiced care, admiring how the chakra-enhanced dye flickered softly through the blood. It reminded him of threads of starlight caught in liquid, beautiful in a way that didn’t quite match the situation. But beneath that beauty was something twisted - something wrong.

Shun adjusted the fine focus slowly, watching intently as the viral agents began interacting with Akio’s blood. His brow furrowed. Not immune. Not at all. In fact, the virus tore through the sample faster than he'd expected. But there was something else.

Something missing.

He scribbled a few quick notes, piecing together the fragments in his mind, before finally looking over at Akio with a soft, thoughtful smile.

“It’s definitely reacting, just… not in the way I thought it would,” he said, tugging off his gloves with a practiced flick before moving to sterilize his hands and put on a new pair. “Your blood isn’t resisting the virus directly. In fact, it’s being overwhelmed just as fast - maybe even faster than a civilian’s. But there’s this… secondary shift that happens right after infection sets in.”

He moved back to his work station, tapping the side of a marked file with his pen, the rhythm of it grounding him as he spoke. “It’s subtle, but your cells start to change behavior - not like they’re fighting back, but like they’re anticipating something. Waiting for a trigger. It’s almost as if your recovery didn’t come from the immune response at all.”

He stepped over to the centrifuge, carefully extracting a chilled vial from the tray and holding it up to the overhead light. The liquid shimmered faintly, cool and still, like it was holding a secret just beyond reach. “Maybe it’s not the blood itself... but a reaction that only happens inside your body. A hormonal cascade. Neural stimulation. Chakra pressure. Whatever it is, it doesn’t exist in the isolated sample. It needs you - alive, breathing, conscious - for the change to occur.”

He turned back toward Akio, a note of curiosity lifting his voice. “Do you remember anything strange when you first woke up? A shift in your chakra? A dream, maybe, or a moment where something felt... different?”

He paused there, hesitating for only a breath before flashing an almost sheepish grin.

“Sorry. I know I’m probably grasping at threads - but I don’t think we’ll find the answer in the blood alone. Something else helped you wake up. We just have to figure out what.”

Post WC: 767
Total WC: 767
MFT

Shun speech
Shun thought

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Akio frowned thoughtfully, tapping the side of the microscope as he listened to Shun’s analysis. The idea that his healing had not come directly from his immune system but from some other hidden factor made a surprising amount of sense. If the virus could rip through his blood so easily, then something else must have cause it not to when he was laying comatose. But what could it be? What would work when he was sleeping?

He moved a step closer to his fellow mednin's workstation, sliding another small sample into place. “Good thinking Shun-kun! You're smart! Maybe... Grandpa's technique could've had something to do with it.” He furrowed his brow in though as he remembered the lessons he had learned from his grandfather about weaving Natural Energy into his own spiritual flow, how it took an enlightened almost meditative state, but could cleanse plants and animals of rot, fungus, and disease. “When I was a kid, Grandpa used to have me sit out in nature, and just... let the flow of energy go through me.” He hesitated, then pointed to a container of distilled water on the table. “Could you hand me that?”

After carefully mixing a fresh drop of the virus sample with one of his own blood, Akio closed his eyes and let himself remember the tranquility of deep meditation. He felt a gentle buzz in his veins as he coaxed a small current of Natural Energy from within. Then he channeled that energy through his fingertips, letting it trickle into the dish. Then, carefully, he used a dropper to drip a bit of the Natural Energy-infused liquid into the corrupted sample. Through the microscope, he and Shun watched in tandem as the virus’s rampage slowed, then partially reversed. Akio’s eyes widened in quiet amazement.

“That's it!” Akio exclaimed, voice excited and optimistic. “It’s not my blood at all! My body must have flooded itself with Natural Energy when I was on the brink!” He turned the dish, taking one more look at the fading virus cells and smiling as he showed Shun. “If we can replicate that, maybe we can make a vaccine that sets up the same kinda reaction in normal patients!”

Akio moved to jot down details in the log, pulse thrumming with excitement, a big goofy smile on his face. Yet before he could scrawl a single word, the door to the lab banged open. A masked figure lunged inside, quick as a striking serpent. There was no warning. In one fluid movement, the masked and non-descript intruder knocked aside Akio with a harsh shove, seized the single successful sample, pocketing it before he hurled the remaining vials to the ground using some sort of air-based jutsu. Glass shattered in a spray of shards and wasted serum, leaving their entire afternoon’s progress in ruin.

“Stop!” Akio yelled at the man as his body reacted to the surprise, scrambling to gain his footing. The figure twisted past him, moving with uncanny speed, then darted toward the hallway. Akio’s eyes flicked from the broken shards on the floor to the single stolen vial of living sample in the stranger’s grip. A cold knot clenched in his stomach. Whoever this person was, they had clearly been watching from the shadows for the perfect moment to strike.

He threw a quick glance toward Shun, concern burning in his now-very-wide eyes. "Shun! We gotta catch him!" Akio yelled to his friend. They had found the key they needed, but now it was quickly slipping away. In the hallway, the echo of retreating footsteps signaled the assailant’s escape. Akio clenched his fists, forcing down the frustration rising in him. They had no choice but to follow and try to recover what might be the only hope for stopping the virus.

[WC | 631 Words — Total | 1234 Words]
[OOC] Please use up to 10AP of "Actions" in the upcoming chase scene. These actions will be rolled to determine the chance of success. Base success is any roll of a 10 or higher on the dice, however this can be modified by your own cleverness and actions, as well as the circumstances of the scene. Good luck!

Shun listened with sharp intent as Akio finally broke the silence, his voice animated as he launched into an idea that had clearly been brewing beneath the surface. Shun blinked. Natural energy? That wasn’t a path he would’ve thought to follow - not with everything they'd already tried. Still, there was something compelling in Akio’s tone, a conviction that sparked a new kind of hope.

Shun handed over the container of water without a word, watching as Akio infused the liquid with the energy he'd learned to manipulate. It was a miraculous idea, one he wouldn't have thought of alone. As soon as Akio cheered his excitement, Shun slid in to get a good look as well and couldn't help a laugh of relief. "We found it!" The room, once thick with tension and doubt, now buzzed with cautious hope. As Akio cheered in triumph, Shun felt an almost foreign sensation rising in his chest - relief. Real, tangible relief. He’d braced himself for another week at least, maybe more. Yet here they were, on the verge of something monumental.

That joy was short-lived.

Shun’s heart jumped into his throat as the glass exploded without warning, a sharp crack splitting the air. Shards scattered in every direction, catching the sterile overhead lights like tiny falling stars. Time seemed to slow as his eyes locked on the empty space where the sample had sat just seconds ago, then shifted to the retreating blur of a masked figure already disappearing through the far exit. For a split second, all he could do was stare - at the ruined work, at the empty spot where the sample had been. But Akio’s shout grounded him fast.

“I’m on it!” he barked, already launching into motion. His legs moved before conscious thought could catch up, chakra surging to his limbs. He vaulted the workstation in a fluid leap, glass crunching beneath his boots as he hit the ground running. Shun sprinted into the hallway, footsteps echoing against tile as he locked onto the fading presence of the thief’s chakra. His breath came in steady rhythm, but his mind raced. They couldn't have known we were this close to reaching a cure. They must have had someone tail us.

He narrowed his eyes, activating his bloodline style. The chill that ran through his veins was a welcome familiarity. “You’re not slipping away that easy…” he murmured under his breath. Shun knew they likely weren't working alone, and they had taken more than a sample - they’d stolen a lifeline for the village.

Up ahead, the intruder darted around a corner, but Shun didn’t let up. The second he got within range, his hands began to move, forming a rapid sequence of seals. The temperature dropped sharply. Frost crept along the walls of the Byoin, racing behind him like a ripple of ice through water. In a heartbeat, jagged spikes of frozen chakra erupted into the corridor ahead, slicing into the air like crystalline spears.

Even if he didn’t hit, Shun hoped it would slow the chase for a moment.

He didn’t stop there, however. He funneled chakra into his palms, letting it spiral outward into a spinning orb of compressed wind, laced with razor-fine ice shards. The sphere split mid-air, three condensed missiles launching toward the intruder in rapid succession. A clone split off of him, whether or not his strikes would land.

We have to find a way to subdue him. At worst, Shun could repeat his actions from their prior battle, but his current mental state would not allow him to think of that as anything other than a last resort. He and his clone crossed paths in their pursuit, attempting to confuse Shun's opponent as they took out their kunai. Shun shifted himself into the form of one of his kunai the next time his clone passed in front of him, his clone throwing him forward. The moment he was near his target, he dispersed his transformation jutsu and attempted another strike.

Post WC: 669
Total WC: 1436

Shun speech
Shun thought

Spoiler: Actions

Actions:
AP Start: 10 | AP Used: 8.25

.5 AP | Entering Silent Mist - Bloodline Style

Spoiler: Silent Mist

Silent Mist - Bloodline Style
This ancestral technique emphasizes the Yuki’s natural abilities to create a frozen mist around them, blending in seamlessly with the environment. Focused on silently tracking down their foes and finding the right moment to strike from the mist. With this technique a skilled Yuki can end a fight before it even begins.

Rank 1/2/3: When the user casts an Ice Technique, the user generates a "Clone" with HP equal to 10% of the CP used and -4 of their secondaries. If the “Clone” is destroyed, the remaining damage from the attack targets the user at -0/-1/-2 accuracy. The user may also enter any active Ice Mirror when a Ice Technique is cast.

2.5 AP | Ice Transmutation
1.5 AP | Air Bullet Special Action - Air Barrage (converting to Ice using Flash Freeze - Bloodline Passive)

Spoiler: Flash Freeze

Flash Freeze - Passive
A Yuki's ability to manipulate ice and cold gives them an edge, but they can’t use that edge if they do not have ice to manipulate. They naturally possess the ability to freeze water, and even the air itself, into ice.

Rank 1/2/3: May convert Water and Wind Techniques into Ice Techniques by paying +20%/10%/0% CP. May use One-Handed Seals for Ice Techniques at no additional cost.

0 AP | Equip Blessed Kunai
1.5 AP | Combination Transformation
2.25 AP | Shadow Step Strike

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