A-Rank - Recovery - Part 1 - Assembly

[Junan]

A-Rank - Recovery

Description: A team of shinobi have been caught in an awkward situation. They got a message out to Kumogakure letting the village council know that they are held up in a cave, the directions given. At the time of the message this cave hadn't been found by their hunters, but it was only a period of time. One of them was badly injured and moving him any further was near impossible.

The council have requested Kushin assemble a team. Their primary mission detail was to retrieve the statute that was in the teams possession. Secondary objective was to heal the wounded shinobi and bring the team home if possible.

Kushin has decided to take a trainee alone in this mission. If they're lost then at least it's minimal damage to the village. At least that's the reason he gave the council.

Combat: Likely, if there isn't it'll be due to good management than anything else.

Leader: Kushin
Members: Keiji

Kushin had been debriefed by the council on what had happened. He'd received information on what it was that the other squad had been doing. A retrieval mission where they had needed to infiltrate and steal an object of value. A statute which had once stood in Raiden's Eye's temple of Raiden but had gone missing during the early, messy, stages of the civil war.

The object had been rumored to be located in Ryu's fortress to the east of Lightning Country. The beauty of the attack was that they'd never report the object being stolen as THEY stole it initially anyway. The issue was that Ryu's forces were not to be taken lightly and likely had a few missing ninja in there. However if there were any they were weaker than Kushin, or were restricting their jutsu use to taijutsu, otherwise there'd have been more recorded reports of supernatural events taking place during combat.

As it was though this squad was cornered and had suffered wounds. The medical branch needed to respond appropriately. Yet Kushin decided that he would take this one personally. There was a trainee who he had in his possession who could well become a great asset. Kushin needed to keep developing him, keep working on him, continue placing the pressure on the boy that misdeeds placed.

Keiji. The first student of Medical Sennin Isaki Kushin was about to be born.

 

[Keiji]

The letter had been received a few days prior to the meeting. To speak the truth, Keiji was pretty excited. He had only met Kushin once before, even if the circumstances were unique and might not have exactly been in his favor to people not knowing the entire story.

He remembered clearly the first time he met him, he was caught. Caught for stealing a chicken for his family, family his thoughts returned to dark reaches of his mind for a second as he continued walking.

*Bump!* His face hit the door to Kushin-senpai's office, with the large letters "MEDICAL BRANCH SENNIN OFFICE" His head turned up and examined the large borders around the door. Keiji felt small just staring at the vastness. Insignificance stirred in his mind, it felt almost as if the door was twice his size, if not more. It felt larger than any other door, he had ever seen before. He lifted his hand, closed his fist and knocked on the door with heavy and slow knocks.
Knock!.. Knock!.. knock!.. knock!.. knock!

He didn't know what to expect, he had no idea what horrors, fears and dangers he is stepping into just by initiating this very knock. Waiting for a reply behind the door, he readied himself to open the door and walk in. Holding his hand on the door handle.

 

[Junan]

The knocking on the door told Kushin that Keiji had arrived. Enter. The word was so small yet so significant, like the entering of a lair.

The young boy entered and Kushin gestured to one of the chairs.

Welcome Keiji. As you know you're here to perform a mission with me. Now it will be out of the village and it is an A-Rank mission which means that if you don't obey my every command when it is given there is a chance you could die. If we are engaged in combat you will get behind me and do your best to stay there. Running away will mean your likely death as I wont be there to protect you should someone chase you, and if you attack then you'll be out of my protective zone. Instead the way you will help me will be to take opportunities to create barriers or use medical jutsu to heal me. Do you know any of either of those types of techniques?

His eyes stared unblinkingly at Keiji. There was no emotion there, this was business, nothing more, nothing less.

 

[Keiji]

Keiji felt the stare as he entered the room, the cold forbidding nature of the situation was apparent as soon as he had taken his first step into the office of Kushin-senpai.

He walked in holding his arms tight together in front of him holding them low, after he closed the door facing Kushin as he began his speech, Keiji took two steps to the office table, and sat himself steadily and with dignity.

The nature of it all seemed threatening at best, chilling down the spine. He listened intently as Kushin explained the reason behind the letter, the mission, the objective, and the danger behind it. A slight gulp could be heard from the his throat, a drop of sweat could be spotted from his forehead as the dangers were proclaimed to him.

"I-I.." He took a short breath trying to maintain his focus. "I can do the b-basic healing jutsus.. But I am afraid.." He gulped again as the sweat dropped further down the side of his face "That's the extent of my defensive jutsus.."
As he sat and went over his own words in his mind, he took a short, deep breath as he tightened his fists. "I have trained offensively for the most my life, Sensei. So if I am needed in that regard, just say the word." He looked down in slight disappointment to what is expected of him. "But if that is not required of me, I will stay behind you at all times, and stay on the supportive side." His fists tightened even more as he almost shouted "You can count on me!"

 

[Junan]

It always amazed him when dealing with the trainee's and low ranked shinobi of today how much they focused their training on offensive jutsu. It was like they dreamed about having legendary fights with high ranking shinobi, and despite their disadvantage them somehow coming up trumps. That was something for TV shows, something like in that horrid show Naruzo. No Genin was ever strong enough to do what he did, even though he had some stupid demon in him, Kushin had fought with shinobi with demons in them. They were a joke. Something to be led around by the nose till they were low on chakra and then when they were forced to let down their true powers you attacked, and they couldn't do so much as defend themselves.

Pathetic.

What youth needed to be taught was defense. No matter who you were, how strong you were, defensive tactics would be useful for the entirety of your career as a shinobi. Perhaps he needed to go and teach an academy lesson.

As you are now you're a match for a Genin, you could give a Chuunin a run for their money perhaps. Down below, in the world of non-shinobi this means you could combat their skilled fighters. Yet what many shinobi forget, and constantly underestimate, is how despite their lack of training in chakra they still have chakra. The more skilled they become the more subconsciously honed their chakra skills are. This is perhaps even more dangerous than us shinobi who are aware of our chakra and go about training our use of it to a fine art. This makes the finest fighters below faster at their version of taijutsu that a shinobi. He took a breath. He wondered why he was going into such detail. Maybe it was because he was taking a low level shinobi on an A-Rank mission. A low ranked shinobi who he wanted to see if he was worth keeping around.

We need to be heading off as soon as possible, however when we return I will tell you the take of Akira Saito and the Farmer. For now I'll let you know what the situation is.

A squad of shinobi were dispatched to retrieve a statute from the fortress of the Daimyo Ryu. This statute was one which had been stolen from the temple of Raiden in Raiden's Eye. They were to steal the statute back, and return it. We received word yesterday of their troubled situation and I have been asked to organize a response. Normally I would ask a separate group to deal with it, however I have decided that I am going to test you. You and I will be going on this mission instead of a squad of Jounin and Chuunin. We will need to try and sneak past patrols and get to the squad to heal them and help them back to where we can receive aid from the Shogun's armies, where Ryu's forces wont go.

Kushin looked at the boy.

You understand why I picked you? We need to be quiet, we need to be subtle. I saw these qualities in you when you stole those chickens. It is the skills which you developed just to survive that we require. If we end up in a fight then you will be fighting people who managed to cut down a Chuunin, seemingly with ease, and forced other supporting Chuunin and a Jounin to retreat.

 

[Keiji]

A drop of sweat fell from the side of his chin, as he listened closely to every word spoken by Kushin-Senpai. Feeling a little shamed by his sudden outburst, he began thinking to himself. I need to learn more supportive skills.. To be better at assisting his senseis. It was weird with the fashion Kushin spoke to him, it was almost as if he truly wanted Keiji accompanying him. Was it trust? Friendship? Something else? Keiji couldn't think of either being the case. But he wanted to help, be of assistance and show Kushin his worth.

As Kushin described the core of the mission, what it was they had to do, Keiji feared the dangers for a split second, the risk of dying, the risk of getting captured. He tightened his fist as soon as the thoughts crossed his mind. I trust Kushin-senpai. I must.. I have to! He looked at Kushin as he went on and remained intently listening closely. Sneaking? Should be easy enough, I'm quick on my feet! He admittedly didn't understand the political situation, who this shogun, or who this Ryu guy was, it sounded more like rabble, it merely seemed to him how important it was that he kept training, enemies were around, and there was always a need for a capable fighter, even if he was only fifteen of age. He gulped slightly.

As kushin described why he chose him he couldn't stop to think to himself. Why? Why? The chicken?! A slight grin appeared on the side of his lips, Many things can apparently be traced back to that chicken.. Heh. It's almost like reminiscing a comedy. He nodded in agreement "I am ready sensei!" He gulped loudly and bit his lips then opened his mouth again "My bloodline might also be of assist in some way?" He pointed at his eyes with his index finger.

 

[Junan]

Standing he gestured silently for Keiji to do so as well. They were going to head out on the mission, but it seemed that the boy had much to learn. Kushin didn't have time to teach him everything he needed to know. He'd just have to do the best he could, and everything else would be learned the hard way.

Never rely on your bloodline. Especially when it's an obvious one like the Hyuuga or Uchiha. It's on your face, anyone can see it. If they're experienced they'll know how to counter it and then what good will it do you? Predict your opponents moves. They were at the door now and Kushin opened it. It was time to leave, and when traveling Kushin didn't like to talk much, it took up too much energy and it gave away your position.

What would you do if you were fighting a Hyuuga? It was the last question, the last word, but before Keiji could give an answer Kushin moved swiftly down the hall, yet at a pace he knew that Keiji could keep with.

As they exited the hospital he said one last thing before they would get to the gate That is what you need to fight against.

Then they were on their way to the gates. To save some lost shinobi.

[topic exited]