A new day, a new mission. Aya received a mission to go out and investigate an incident between a merchant, and bandits. This was a two-parter because she was to escort the merchant after the bandits had been apprehended. She agreed to take these missions, since it would mean time to herself, well at least the first part. Ever since her team basically ditched her on what was supposed to be their first mission, she had been distancing herself from them. She was fully willing to be apart of the team, but she got the impression they didn’t want her. So she was going to do her own thing, after all, she didn't need anyone else. She was strong by herself… It's always been like this, joining the village changed nothing.Aya set off early in the morning, with the location at hand. She had all her gear, her pouch, armor, and explosive notes. She didn’t know why she carried those… she’d trade them in later for something else maybe. Aya made her mask was on tight and started her snapshot jutsu before she met with the Merchant to get the details she needed. Thie snapshot jutsu made it easy to keep records after all since she could just file the memory into the ANBU archives. The merchant was a handsome young man with white hair, and blue eyes, and probably in his late 20's. If Aya wasn’t an ANBU on a mission she’d tried to sweet talk him maybe. But She chose this, so she didn’t complain to herself. She wasn’t interested in romance or dating, it was something else she wanted. She’d blame puberty.
It’d been a few days so any evidence would probably be hard to spot. Aya made sure she stayed out of sight in the trees. She wanted to make sure not to spook the bandits away in case they had eyes on the road she was tracking. Though their hideout was probably a ways away, if they were smart that is.
Once Aya got to the location she would take a look around. This road was less traveled, making it ideal for bandits. But it was the fastest shortcut - for citizens - to get to Bear country. The merchant trades jewels, and glass made from the rich and fine sands of Suna, it was valuable, but not super rich. His stuff was probably already sold by now, but Aya would still have to find the guys either way.
This path was less traveled because it was not suited for wagons, and had a few steep hills, but it was quicker, the main road zigzagged to avoid steep hills, and had more pick pots there. So smaller roads with backpacking merchants were a better choice if they were in shape enough to make the climb.
After Aya scouted the area, she could find no evidence of anything. "They probably have eye’s elsewhere, making sure they have a target before following them..." Aya thought to herself, She would have to draw them out, so she took a trip back to the main road, and reformed the body transformation Jutsu. She transformed into the merchant who requested this mission. She would act as a bait and get them to come out. Her mission was to capture them, and with some interrogation, she’d find out where their hideout was. This was the best plan since she had nothing to go off of.
Aya made her way towards the path, making sure to walk in plain view of the nearby inns and pit stops. Most would have an eye out, and this merchant liked to show off his wares by wearing some of his own jewelry. It had target written all over. It would be a little risky to take the same path again after being attacked so many times, so she wasn’t sure this would work. But it was better than running around with nothing.
Aya wasn’t sure if the description of the bandits she was given was accurate. Three men, one with dark hair, the other two had brown, Dark eyes, and they wore green scarfs. It was a basic description, but she’d just have to go off of it. Aya prepared two other mud clones so she would be able to catch all three at the same time, though if they ran, she’d catch them quickly.
Aya felt eyes on her pretty almost instantly after she left the main road. If she was right, then she’d be jumped soon. Bandits didn’t normally have ninja skills, maybe a few knew some ninjutsu, but that was rare.
A few minutes went by, the main road was far behind now, and the small road was inside dense trees and steep hills. Plants would grow anywhere if you let them, and if it was the right temperature.
Soon enough out of the woods popped out three men, matching the description she was given earlier. They were holding knives and smirking. “What an idiot, you came here again?! You know the drill give us your money, we know you stocked up before leaving the village.” The one with black hair demanded, he seemed to be the leader.
Aya moved in a flash using her seikon abilities to seemingly teleport next to the one with black hair to grapple him. The two clones she had popped out of the trees to grapple the other two and disarm them. “What the fuck!” One of them yelled out, Aya ended the transformation justu and sighed.
“Oh crap its a shinobi!” the other brown haired man yelled.
"Shut up, lead me to your hideout, and I might not hurt you." Aya stated. "Though I only need one of you..." She stated then her clones hit the brown haired men in the back of the head hard enough to knock them out, but not hard enough to kill them. They’ll have one hell of a migraine when they wake up though.
The black haired man widens his eyes then grinded his teeth. He was silent, which made Aya tighten her grip on him to hurt him. "I know how to put you in a lot of pain without killing you, so you can talk, or you can let me have some fun." She whispered to him, smirking under her mask.
The man tried struggling, but with no luck. Aya made sure she was stronger than any other man, at least normal man. She was far from being the strongest shinobi /kunoichi around.
“Ow ow! Okay, I’ll show you, just don’t break my arm!” He yelled.
Aya nodded, she lifted him up. Her clones tied the other two up already, tight bind that even a trained shinobi might have a hard time getting out of. She’d leave her clones with the other two.
The man showed Aya to their hideout, it was a few miles from that path in a cave, it was grimy and damp. It looked like they hadn’t sold the merchants bag full of stuff yet, maybe a few things were missing out of it, but it was better than nothing. Aya made a third mud clone to carry the stolen goods. Her clone searched the place and tossed it up before they left. There wasn’t much just a few bags. But it’d have to be processed and such to make sure that the merchant was getting his things, and not someone else's.
Aya went back to the village to bring the bandits to the jail. She placed the items in the evidence lockers, so things could be processed. It would take a bit, so she would go have lunch in the meantime. The merchant had his own things to take care of in the village, once he was ready, she would be ready. She made sure to stay nearby though.
[WC: 1308]
[Part two will be posted later]