Ninpocho Chronicles

Ninpocho Chronicles is a fantasy-ish setting storyline, set in an alternate universe World of Ninjas, where the Naruto and Boruto series take place. This means that none of the canon characters exists, or existed here.

Each ninja starts from the bottom and start their training as an Academy Student. From there they develop abilities akin to that of demigods as they grow in age and experience.

Along the way they gain new friends (or enemies), take on jobs and complete contracts and missions for their respective villages where their training and skill will be tested to their limits.

The sky is the limit as the blank page you see before you can be filled with countless of adventures with your character in the game.

This is Ninpocho Chronicles.

Current Ninpocho Chronicles Time:

Mission First Hand View

Nanjirou Soku

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It was a simple enough request and one she hadn't taken before. The frazzed looking merchant, a grey-haired blacksmith by the name of Kuno had bombarded her desk over and over with missives until the Sennin had taken it upon herself to confront the man and ask just what in the name of Raiden and all the gods above was he planning on doing. As it turned out, Kuno did not have any intent to disrupt her rather stressful office duties or at least, he hoped not.

It was a simple request really. They were to serve as the advance party for one of Kuno's caravan carrying precious ore and basically act as the eyes and ears. She had seized this chance to snag Toshi and HIkaru as well as this would be probably be an once in a lifetime experience. Soku barely got out in the field these days so it was a welcome change so after sending Kuno on his way with some carefully worded threats not to overwhelm her assistant with any more letters, she took on the request.

An ANBU had been dispatched to inform both Toshi and Hikaru of the details and to meet Soku at a prescribed location as the Sennin had already set ou ahead donning her old battered ANBU vest and mask, her sword strapped to her back. After all, the villagers would surely wonder where the Sennin was heading out at such a time and that would warrant attention, attention that she didn't need.

That would really be the first aspect of seeing if this misson went to plan, to see if Hikaru and Toshi could pin her down. She had no worries about HIkaru knowing she was more than capable, she'd brought the girl along as backup just in case, it was mostly Toshi she was keeping an eye on since he had such an vested interest in the organization that dealt from the shadows.

"Fresh prints too." She muttered to herself kneeling down to poke at the dirt, her eyes following a trail of steps that couldn't have been more than a day old. Clearly, someone had been down this path more than once and while the caravan was following close behind, it left an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

This was one of the backwoods path rarely used so if someone was down here, they were either traveling or camping. There was hardly anything else to do there well except prey upon unsuspecting merchants which is exactly what they had been dispatched to prevent. She'd heard reports about a rather notorious bandit group roaming about in the area, maybe this would give them the chance to get rid of that particular thorn.

First however, she needed to link up with her other two shinobi, it would be quite en embarassing display to Kuno if their whole plan fell apart simply because of some logistical issues. It had happened before and she was not planning on re-visiting that, the rumors that would start in the village that the Sennin of the Leaf Village couldn't even perform a measly escort mission would leave her shuddering for days.

Better to think on the postive and hope that some bandits showed up, they were the cowardly kind, strike fast and retreat instead of standing their ground. Well, that was if they ran into any as her eyes scanned the treeline, for all she knew, they might be tucked away watching her but better not to give away your prescence if you weren't sure.

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Toshi

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Toshi asked Hikaru a few questions on what he should have prepared for the upcoming mission. Of course it sounded rather simple, but the fact that it was his first mission kept him on his toes. He wanted to experience the mission for himself, so that he knew what to expect from there on out. He stayed up most of the night, sitting indian style on the pond of the Sakurako Clan House. He kept himself afloat, careful not to drift off when those brief moments of comfort were upon him. Keeping his mind blank, he awaited the morning sun to arise before he opened his eyes.

Toshi knew the day would bring a lot of work. If he wanted to make a great impression on Soku, the former ANBU Captain, he would have to bring his A - game. It felt as though shinobi life was full of tests. He liked that his shinobi way would be tested. It was one thing to prove yourself, but to survive the obstacles that came your way was yet another thing. He wouldn't lose honor fighting for what he believed in. Doing what was dishonorable would throw away his name. He knew he was not in this alone, there were others that he fought for as well. There was a lot at stake here, and he wouldn't let the enemy overcome him.

Putting on his shroud, he walked out of the front door of the clan house, awaiting Hikaru. He looked to the Hokage monument. Upon seeing Asuka-San's face, he thought about what she said to him in her office. He knew that he was worth something if he chose to be a soldier of the village, but there was much more to that. He kept his mind focused on the day's goal: Success.

Upon the arrival of the ANBU, Toshi took mental notes of what the opp said. The mission sounded simple enough, but the fact that these precious ores were being carried was enough to keep Toshi on his guard. There would probably be those that wanted to rob these ores. It sounded like they would sell for a good amount of yen. The news only excited the boy. He double checked with Hikaru before they departed. He wouldn't stress her with any of his premission jitters. He wanted to show that he had what it took to be a full fledged ninja.

Arriving at the outter areas of the village, Toshi observed his surroundings. If it wasn't for the ANBU's direction, he wouldn't have found the path that he was to meet Soku on. Seeing her in her ANBU vest and mask made this mission seem fiormal. He felt as though he wasn't properly dressed, but he continued to hold a bright outlook on what was to come. He approached her slowly, calling her name and afterward, taking a bow. "Toshi and Hikaru reporting in." Toshi said, the slight grin on his face giving away his excitement. He hoped to remain in his excited state, even if things got tough. His determination and will would keep him going on when things became fierce.

[ Topic Entered ]
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Sugihara Aki

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Hikaru rose early in the morning- today was mission day. She hadn’t been on one of these in a while, likely because of her… recent complications, what with adapting to sharing her consciousness with Ukabu and slowly figuring out how she could continue to be useful to the Medical Branch. She grabbed the remedial supplies she had prepared the previous night. It didn’t seem like too difficult of an assignment to come back to, especially since she’d be accompanied by Toshi and Soku, but you could never be too careful she supposed.

The young woman borrowed some of her jinchuuriki spirit’s chakra for sight as she stepped out into the main courtyard of the Sakurako house, spotting her teammate on his way. “Morning,” she nodded to him as they departed, falling into step with the genin beside her. It was Toshi’s first mission, she was aware; she had answered his questions about preparations earlier simply, repeating what he probably would have heard from old Academy instructors and Soku herself. From experience Hikaru knew that one’s first assignment could just as easily serve as a test as it could a guarded learning exercise, so she didn’t want to ruin it by saying too much.

A member of the ANBU branch flitted by to deliver the details, including the location they were supposed to meet Soku: one of the narrower paths around the village, certainly one she hadn’t used often. The premise was familiar enough to her, so while their messenger elaborated she watched for Toshi’s reaction out of the corner of her faintly glowing eye. He seemed to be taking it seriously enough (despite the fact that his first-day jitters manifested as excitement rather than apprehension).

When they had received the full briefing, she responded to the genin with a smile in the affirmative, and the two of them set off for the route. All the while Hikaru let her teammate lead the way to make sure he had listened well to the directions. Though she had miraculously never had an overly judgemental client for an escort mission, they were infamous for bogging down otherwise successful missions with criticism. Which would make for a good learning experience for Toshi, perhaps, but she personally didn’t want to get chewed out for failing a low-rank mission as a Medical Chief.

She spotted Soku on the pathway; the genin seemed to have no trouble recognizing her as well, which was a start. Hikaru mirrored his bow with a nod and a smile. “Whenever you’re ready, Captain.”

[Entered]
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Nanjirou Soku

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As it turned out and thank Raiden for it, Toshi and Hikaru did indeed to find the elusive former ANBU Captain scouring over the prints as her head jerked up at Toshi frowning at his grin. He was excited which was understanable but there was a thing as being too giddy and overdoing things as she simply nodded her greeting. "You've already made your first mistake." She informed the boy to let him process, it was always slightly amusing to see the younger ones struggle as they tried to figure out what they did wrong before Soku finally took mercy on the boy and told him.

"It's okay to be eager but remember this is a real misson, don't let your eagerness get in the way of the purpose." She paused as she turned to Hikaru frowning as well. "Call me by name, you calling me by a senior rank gives the enemy the impression I'm the shinobi in charge and as such, they'll see me as a bigger threat and try to take me out first before they go for you guys." She let that sink in before adding on to add in a bit of light humor. "Unless you hate me that much, didn't know I was such a pain."

She hoped not. If the two shinobi were here, that meant Kuno's caravan was not far behind and that was a flag for them to get moving. The treeline on either side provided plenty of cover and any smart thief would probably know better than to mess with an gang of three Leaf shinobi especially when they had an ANBU with them but then again, most bandits were not very wise and from what she' heard, they had gotten quite comfortable out here so maybe they were used to scuffling with shinobi every now and then, not a thought that sat well with her.

She nodded towards the tracks which carried down the path. "Fresh footsteps, this is not a path that is used often and if it is used, it is for merchant caravans like the one we are in charge of today. It's not that dense which means whoever came through here is on foot as opposed to a merchant convoy made up of wagons and horses."

Bandits did not travel with wagons, they traveled on foot and she had put that calucations together given a few seconds. Her expression grew serious as she beckoned them closer. "One more thing, both of you. I'm in charge of both of your's well-being, especially your's Toshi. That means if I give an order, you must follow it." Her eyes flitted across their expressions, her next words coming out grave.

"That means if I tell you to leave me and run, you will do so. Sometimes, missions can go terribly sideways and things happen, I don't say this to scare you but it's a reality, I've seen it happen before."

Her missing arm was evidence enough of that glancing down at the metal limb fashioned and designed by one of Konoha's brihtest medical innovators, thank the gods for Nao.

"Right then, Toshi, you want a taste of the ANBU, right? Let's see how good your tracking skills are, pretty easy, just follow these footsteps down that path. Hikaru will bring up the rear and as for me-" A smile, almost terrifying crept onto her expression if they could have seen her face covered by the mask.

"I'll have a friendly converstation with anyone who gets too close."

That was the biggest lie she had told herself.

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Toshi

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"oh?" Toshi's grin turned into a clueless expression as he was told he made his first mistake. He didn't expect to mess up so quickly. The mission had only begun, it was a rough start, but he wouldn't quit. What exactly did he do? He wondered as he awaited to hear Soku's case. She explained that his hype was over this charts. This was a mission, not a surprise birthday party. Focus was key, and sometimes that meant overcoming the zeal that lay within. Toshi nodded, now looking determined as he was ready for the mission. She also noted to not call her by her rank. Toshi took this to the head as well. There seemed to be a lot more to learn, the Academy couldn't teach one everything. Field work was definitely a need.

As she told the two that this mission could be dangerous, she told them to follow every order given. It was a strict code to keep the safe. Toshi understood that he was still green. Just a grasshopper in this giant leafy territory. She didn't have to tell him twice. She then told the do that if she ordered them to run, that they should do so. Toshi wasn't so sure about this. Even though he nodded and gave a straight face, he wasn't entirely sure he could leave someone behind. Even if it was a Sennin of the village, a former ANBU opp as well, but running away just didn't sound like the answer. Of course, Hikaru could probably pick up on his vibe, sharing the same Clan House and all. He was told to lead the way.

"This should be a piece of cake." The mission sure sounded simple, and with Soku there, the boy was sure he wouldn't mess things up. He wondered if his trainings would be enough for what was at hand. Toshi looked to the tracks that he was to follow, stooping down and taking note of the sights. He rubbed the dirt, wondering when the tracks were made. "Hmm." The boy stood back up. He clutched the forehead protector that was around his neck, kissing the Konoha symbol. 'Let my first mission be a success. This is for the village.' He let go of the forehead protector, beginning his way down the path. He made sure to keep his eyes open for any problems down the way. If he saw anything out of the ordinary, he'd be sure to inspect it. He knew he would have questions as they went on with the mission, but he'd ask at the proper time. Until then, he stayed alert, keeping himself ready for anything.

Tracking was a skill the boy picked up while working on his battle strategy. Learning to fight while the area was disguised in a deep fog, confusing the enemy, and then striking when least expected. "I'll try to stay safe as I lead the way." He folded his arms behind his head, taking to a slow stroll as he moved in front of the group. He was careful as to what he was saying. He knew that if there were any stealthy eavesdroppers nearby, he didn't want them to have the upper hand from conversation. Note 1 that he took from Soku.


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Sugihara Aki

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Hikaru’s face reddened as Soku pointed out her error alongside the Genin’s. “Right,” she winced, “what should we call you instead?” While not encouraged, Toshi was at least allowed to make mistakes- she on the other hand was a trained Captain of the Medical Branch, and perhaps more importantly than her rank she was the team’s medic for this mission. She at least appreciated the humor from their Captain, though mentally she had to kick herself for forgetting. She wasn’t a stubby Genin anymore; it wasn’t immediately obvious to potential attackers who to target first, and they certainly didn’t want to give them any hints.

Following that train of thought led Hikaru back to her role as the med-nin of the team- if there was someone they didn’t want to be targeted, it was her. Under normal circumstances, anyway (she was head of the Combat Division after all, she had a few tricks up her sleeves). Soku was the Captain for this mission, though, so final authority below duty to the village fell on her. She hadn’t been on a mission herself since her ‘medical complications’ after the tournament anyway.

She surveyed the treeline around them as Soku examined the tracks on the ground. Hikaru nodded expressionlessly when she brought up their duty to listen to her- she was very familiar with the finality of orders, it was one of the many things she’d had to practice during the early transitional period of her status as Medical Chief. Making impossible decisions with others’ lives at stake was a very real part of her job, one that she understood the reasoning behind from both the side of the one giving those orders and the one receiving them.

Toshi led them off, and she brought up the rear of the team, her ears prickling with every rustle of a bush within her enhanced senses’ range. She wondered whether they’d really run into trouble on this mission while she listened. Escort-related assignments like these always attracted bandits, though it would be a little strange for a small group of them to outright attack a caravan guarded by three Leaf Shinobi.

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Nanjirou Soku

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"Soku." The kunoichi told Hikaru simply. "Tempest in front of strangers, I seem to have developed a most unforunate reputations with bandits after what I did with the last gang that dared to show their faces in such a brazen manner."

It had been a while since there had been an organized attempt and last time, they hadn't been after monetary gain or anythin gof the sort directly speaking. They had been after the visual prowess of the Uchiha clan hoarding the eyes intending to sell them on the underground market before Soku and Hoheto had disposed of them in quite a brutal manner as she recalled.

Word had gotten around of the young kunoichi who had laid to waste the bandit's operation and it had been some years since then but she wasn't taking the chance that one might happen to know her by name.

For the most part, it was quiet as they followed Toshi's guide and he was doing good for the most part but Soku's frown was back on her face as she double-checked his work. "Something's wrong." She said quietly so only the two of them could hear coming to a stop so that she could inspect the tracks.

It wasn't Toshi's fault really for a novice tracker but to an ANBU like Soku, she could make out the discrepancy quite easily kneeling down to eye the dirt more closely before glancing up to where her two ninja awaited, eyes alert ready for any sign of the enemy.

"These tracks are too obvious, it's like they want us to follow them." That of couse did not bode well, they could being lured into a trap or being directed off course, it was a false trail laid to cover the real one as she walked around before her eyes caught something glinting in the sunlight.

Among the greenery, the black fabric stood out fluttering on a branch as she picked it up feeling it. "This is thick, rough clothing designed for the outdoors and looks like it's been cut from something and intetionally left."

One question was bothering her, why lay the false trail? Who was worried about being followed, no one else other than the merchant caravan should have the knowledge that three shinobi would be serving as the vanguard and if some budding thieves had prior knowledge, that could only mean one thing.

"An informant." She whispered cursing softly.

Names could wait as she straightened nodding ahead. "Odds are they want to lure us somewhere and ambush us."

It was quite hurtful really how obvious they were being, it was an insult to her intelligence, they had been alerted before they had even set out as she nodded, a plan settling in her head.

"And that's exactly what we're going to do. If we stop following this false trail, they'll know the gig's up and get a move on before we even catch wind of them, this way, we can give off the impression we're none the wiser and that'll catch them off guard."

A ring of steel against leather as her sword cleared it's scabbard. "Weapons out and stay focused, I have a feeling we're about to run into our friends very soon." Soku threw cheerfully over her shoulder nodding for Toshi to resume tracking while the Sennin begin to scan the forested treeline on either sign of them for any flicker of movement.

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The bearded man looked up angrily as the scout entered his tent tired and weary after a day in the saddle.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt you to knock, would it, Lumari?" The scout otherwise known as Lumari made a pretense of lookign around for something to knock on in this canvas tent, his lip curling in contempt at the bandit leader settled in front of them with his meat and water.

"Pardon me but I seem to have misplaced the door knocker, Kurai." Lumari felt no sense of deference to this man, he had been hired on as a merecenary, an enforcer of sorts to those who wanted to become an thorn in the bandit' gang's side spearhead by Kurai.

They had made a good haul so far and with their inside man giving word of another merchant carvant traveling this way, their purses would be heavy. Lumari poured himself a cup of water from the pitcher before settling down in front of the bearded letter.

"Our informant was right, we're being followed."

Kurai looked at him expectantly knowing the man had brought more information raising an eyebrow in mock surprise.

"Three Konoha-nin, two of them look like they'd rather be at home writing letters." He let a deep laugh erupt from him at the thought.

"The third?"

He allowed himself a pause at that, that was the crux of the matter. "She could be a problem, seemed very well acquainted with the outdoors but they still fell for the false trail." His lip curled again into the sneering expression, these Konoha nin really were nothing, even a fool could have seen beyond the fake tracks.

Kurai wasn't taking any chances though, the last thing he needed was the village folk nosing in on his buisness, one more haul and they would be out of here. He reached into his robe fishing out a pouch of gold coins flinging it at Lumari.

"Kill them." This far from the village, it would be a while before anyone found them and by then, Kurai and his little cronies would be far, far away from the Fire Country.

Testing the weight of the pouch, Lumari nodded satisfied as he stood. "Consider it done." Stopping by the entrance of the tent, he grabbed his crossbow and his quiver of bolts before exiting, a killing gleam in his eyes as he set out to do what his profession entailed.

Sometimes, Kurai thought, having a paid assassin on your side could be a very exceptional tool as long as you didn't tick them off.

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Toshi

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"I want to be, the very best, that one ever was! Dun dun dun dun! To catch them..." It was the third time the boy looped the song. That one popular manga was on his mind. It reminded him of Kaliko, who took a liking to roaming the clan house. He let the cat roam on its own, very rarely did it visit his room anymore. It wasn't like he was lounging around most of the time, but rather, he was out training. Sometimes all day and night. Furthering his shinobi studies and trainings is what prepared him for days like this.

It wasn't until Soku mentioned that something was wrong, that Toshi stopped his singing. "Hmm?" Toshi looked to to the mission leader, wondering if he missed something along the path. Soku explained that the tracks they were following were misleading. As she picked up on the clues, she came to the conclusion that the team could be headed into a trap. Now it was apparent that the trio would run into trouble. The boy pulled on his gloves, both hands now resting in his fighting attire. He cracked his knuckles, he'd be prepared when confronting the enemies. The fact that they would engage in combat didn't scare him. He knew to keep his mind calm and to stay prepared for anything.

As Soku nodded for the boy to continue on, Toshi stayed alert, moving along the trail once more. "To catch them is my real test! To train them is my cause! Dun..." He continued singing, but it was just another traffic. He figured if the enemy saw the younger boy singing, they'd think he was just a pushover. Truth be told, it was Toshi's strategy to get the enemy to underestimate him. He kept his focus on his surroundings, and what was up ahead. If he noticed anything out of the ordinary, or any traps that lay set, he would point it out to Soku and Hikaru.

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Sugihara Aki

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The forest was quiet as they went, eerily uncertain in a way she hadn’t felt from Fire Country land in quite some time. Soon enough, Soku signaled that there was something wrong, and began to more closely examine the tracks left in the ground- moments later, she revealed that they were probably decoys. Hikaru scanned their surroundings as she continued. The conclusions a trained ANBU could come to from such seemingly little information were incredible, but although they mirrored her own aptitude with identifying treatment for battlefield wounds the two subjects had little topical overlap. So she let the professional do her thing.

As it turned out, the trail had indeed been predetermined. Hikaru nodded- their captain’s logic was sound, of course- and watched Toshi for his reaction to the news. Both he and Soku readied their weapons in expectation of a fight. Likewise, though she didn’t have a physical weapon on her person, the Medical Chief internally prodded her jinchuuriki spirit to be ready. She hadn’t truthfully been expecting combat so soon, but she hadn’t been afraid of a fight since she took the job of braving them. Hikaru maintained the same pace as the others, giving no outward signs that anything had changed.

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Nanjirou Soku

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If Soku wanted to be honest, she didn't like the idea of playing right into their enemy's hands but they were being forced to do so, manipulated like a puppet. She knew the instant they veered off this decieving trail and started carving their own way, their unrevealed observers would know the gig was up. If Soku was alone, she perhaps might have taken this risk but with two young shinobi who were her sole responsbility, the retired Captain was not about to take that chance letting Toshi lead the way though her one good arm kept clenching and unclenching the hilt of her sword as if waiting for something nasty to reveal itself.

"Remember." Soku muttered out of the side of her mouth as if afraid anything louder might break the peace and tranquility of the trees around them. "If we get into a situation and things get hairy, you must do exactly as I say even if..." She trailed off not quite wanting to finish that sentence. "Just follow my lead and we'll be alright." Soku amended glancing at her prosthetic arm, the metal glinting in the sun as they continued deeper but still with no sign. It was almost like they wanted to test the Konoha-nin's patience and when one of them made the one mistake, that was when their adversaries would strike catching them off guard.

Soku was no rookie though, she'd learned loads of patience over the years, years of stalking, hunting and following rogue shinobi had seen to that as her eyes flitted this way and that way. All three would fail to see the figure in his dull green cloak which merged perfectly almost with the treeline flitting in and out of the trees following behind at a safe distance, his crossbow strung and a bolt fitted to the string. Lumari knew that Kurai would not accept failure and failure meant no payment as he unslung his crossbow calculating wind speed, distance and his desired target.

It was often the very obvious rule, cut off the head of the snake and the rest of the body would be ground to ashes. In this event, the snake's head was the Sennin, the ANBU who had once dealt swift justice to an entire warehouse full of bandits hoarding Sharingan eyes, the tale was well-told through Konoha but it had little effect on this band of robbers who hired professional assassins to do their dirty work for them and the thought of being the reason one of Konoha's revered Sennin fell was a very appealing thought indeed.

He smirked as the bolt glowed with chakra before springing off the string and began to fly towards Soku aimed center-mass and if it hit, she certainly would be out for the count.

As luck would have it, Soku turned at that moment to check on Hikaru to see if anything remotely interesting had popped up from the rear but trees, trees and even more trees greeted her until her eyes caught a glint of something metal. Something metal and flying as she squinted and then her eyes widened. She caluclated all of this in her head in the span of a few seconds as Soku roared an order to her two shinboi. "DUCK! NOW!" Two hands shot up shove them to the ground as Soku dropped flat just as the crossbow bolt whistled above her head slamming into the ground a few meters from where she had just been a couple seconds ago.

If she had been any later, they would be having a funeral instead of a battle. "A ranged fighter and a crossbow at that with uncanny aim, whoever this is, they know what they're doing." Soku muttered as she didn't dare to move a muscle in case even the tinest flicker of movement caused another one of the projectiles to be hurled their way.

"Very astute, Lady Sennin. It appears your intellect is just as sharp as it was in your prime." The foreign voice rang out as Lumari stepped out from a fallen log in his greenish cloak holding his crossbow with another bolt leveled at her as his eyes scanned the three of them, his expression curled into a mocking sneer as he gestured for them to rise. "No, rest assured, I will not shoot you down like an animal. I like an good challenge though I doubt the two ducklings will be of any interest."

Slowly, Soku rose her eyes on the archer as her sword cleared it's scabbard as she twirled it once before resting it in her hand. "Where are the rest of your cronies?"

"So direct and yet so wrong." Lumari sighed making a show of it as well. "They are no companions of mines, I do not meddle with such petty people althought I will admit the incentives were appealing."

"A paid goon then, doing their dirty work then?"

"Took you long enough, Lady Sennin. Now, I'm afraid that you've reached that conclusion that I can allow you to deduce no longer. The question really is who do I start with? Perhaps I want to save you for last, enjoy the real fight unlike these irrelevants you've dragged along."

In response, her hands flew into hand seals and before long, lightning chakra sprang from her hands onto the ground and before long, a panther formed entirely of lightning chakra with glowing eyes and a snarl began to pace in front of her waiting for an instruction from it's master to devour but for the moment, Soku spoke one word. "Hold."

"Is that all? Surely, you can do better. Allow me to convince you." He had barely stopped talking when he let the bolt spring off for a second shot at Soku and without pausing to see what happened and with incredible speed, he managed to fire off two more shots respectively at Hikaru and Toshi. It would be fatal if the bolt just touched them as Lumari had dabbed them with a fast-acting poison.

"Move! Find cover!" She yelled gesturing at some of the thick greenery and logs that made up the forest as her sword swung through the air to slice the bolt in half that had been aimed at her.

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Toshi

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It was obvious Soku was worried about something. Toshi wanted to ask her what she was about to say after her sentence trailed off, but he already knew the answer to the question. He promised himself while training with Nao, that he would let no one fall while by his side on a mission. That training taught him a lot about his shinobi life. He didn't plan on letting his words flutter by with the wind. Instead, he would carry out the duty, even if his life was on the line. He wasn't careless just because of his new rank, or stature in the shinobi world, and he sure wasn't going to take a tally of failing a mission either.

He continued on, he stayed focused, using his ears more so than his eyes, listening for any disturbance that would catch the trio off guard. It wasn't until Soku yelled duck, that the boy's eyes widened. The shove to his back caught him off guard. He fell forward, catching himself in a sort of push up position. Quickly, he pushed himself up into a forward flip, landing on the flat of his shinobi sandals. He spun around, looking to Soku. He noticed an arrow of some sort on the ground near her, and was shocked that an enemy caught him off guard. His face showed a serious expression as the enemy revealed himself.

Toshi clenched his fists under his shroud as he heard the words of the crossbow wielder. He kept his composure, knowing that acting on impulse could get the three in more trouble than they already were in. The boy took a stance as their target enticed the trio to attack. Soku flew through a few hand seals, unleashing some sort of large cat made of electricity. It glared at the enemy listening to Soku's command.

The enemy only smirked, shooting another bolt at the three. "Fssshh", Toshi committed the sound of the bolt leaving the crossbow to memory. Thinking quickly, Toshi materialized an ice mirror before Hikaru and one before himself, attempting to deflect the bolts path of attacking the two. His ice mirrors were sturdy, and could take an attack or two before being broken. Afterwards, the boy would nod at Soku's instruction, moving quickly into the thick of the trees nearby.

'Then we have to be quick about this.' Though it was said that he was working alone, Toshi knew that there could be others about. To even the playing field, Toshi would have to work with what he had. He would resort to his favorite fighting style, Silent Mist, a fighting style of his bloodline. The Yuki worked well under the guise of the thick mist that began to roll in. Covering the immediate area would give his team enough stealth to work as silent ninja, hopefully enough to take down this unknown foe. He Found stealth behind a few trees and climbed to the top of the branches, keeping the edge by watching from higher ground.

Using his tracker abilities, Toshi would use his ears to find his target. He would listen out for the sound of the bow once more. He also zeroed in on Soku's location, listening out for the sound of the electric panther that she summoned. If he kept his ears open, he could trace the Panthers movements to find Lumari's position. If timed correctly, Toshi would materialized a few ice needles, making a called shot, to target Lumari's wrists. He aimed to disable the enemy from using his bow altogether. He knew to move after the attack, weather he got or missed, otherwise he'd be a sitting duck for Lumari's next attack.

WC: 610 [ MFT ]
WC: 2,005/7,000
 

Sugihara Aki

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Hikaru continued along the path in formation, keeping an ear out for updates from her captain or teammate. Concerningly, something was gnawing at her instincts, an odd presence that kept dancing around the range of her blindsight… it was bothering her because her jinchuuriki eyes could detect no such thing. Not willing to take the risk, she mentally prodded the now-sleeping Ukabu to turn her vision back off again…

Naturally she was a few seconds too late. Soku let out a sudden shout and dragged them to the ground just as a steel bolt whistled past them, pinpointing the type of weapon and their expertise as she did so. Hikaru kicked herself inwardly- she needed to figure out a better balance between eyesight and blindsight if she wanted to be able to detect attacks like that. As it stood, she had just missed her role as sensory-type.

Ukabu delivered quickly, motivated by her adrenaline, and the colors faded from her eyes as her mode of perception changed. She ‘saw’ the surrounding 15 meters spread out in a bubble around her, everything that moved down to every minute detail from every angle. Including a cloaked figure with a crossbow, who stepped into the path’s clearing, curling his lips into a sneer as he addressed them. Her sightless eyes narrowed- at last, someone who was right in front of them. This made things easier, at least. Her medical combat training kicked in: she briefly flushed her chakra network, paying close attention to what her captain did to look for an opportunity to use a jutsu. As much as she might like to rush in and let her ghost dancers loose, her teammates’ health came first; that was her duty.

As the Sennin and the intruder traded words, the former drawing her sword, Hikaru got to work. The medical chief whistled a low note soft enough to easily be drowned out by their voices- Soku and Toshi would notice a silvery-blue chakra seal forming on each of their forearms. It was a safety precaution, one that could be triggered manually or automatically if they were injured enough.

Their aggressor didn’t seem to think very highly of her or Toshi, which truthfully was fine with her. The element of surprise was sharper than any weapon- that was why they taught battlefield medics to punch through boulders. Soku, to her credit, responded quickly by summoning a panther made of coursing lightning chakra.

Unimpressed, the bandit wasted no time loosing bolts at all three of them. As soon as he fired the first one, hissing chakra began to spin around Hikaru’s palm, but before the bolt could reach her it smashed into one of Toshi’s ice mirrors that had erupted in its path. Soku shouted for them to find cover as her younger teammate disappeared beneath what felt like a rolling mist- the mednin acted quickly as well, propelling herself into the cover of the trees with a burst of wind.

Toshi was within her range as she hid- she could ‘see’ him and everything around her that moved or created vibrations- but the clearing where she’d left their captain and the first of their enemies was outside of her 15 meter bubble. She’d have to rely on her other senses… unless she could figure out a way to use both blindsight and Ukabu’s regular eyesight at once.

[MFT - 582]
TWC: 1,542 / 7,000
 

Nanjirou Soku

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There was a saying people had adopted over the times, always look out for the silent ones. Lumari was more of a talker yet his skill was scaringly good, much average than that of a local bandit one would typically encounter within the Land of Fire and that could be mainly thanks due to the border units that Konohgakure employed to man the boundaries between with their neighboring villages and the encounter of coming across these highly-skilled units was not too far off the bat yet somehow this group had managed to avoid them altogther.

That meant only one thing in Soku's mind, this Lumari character knew what he was doing and that made for a very dangerous foe indeed.

Most people went after them for a purpose, money, a political agenda or some other villanous scheme but from what she had picked up from her brief exchange of the converstation, the crossbowman wasn't pursuing them for his own personal gain, he would profit off their murders from some other third party, a fact that digusted her and ticked her off at the same point wincing as a bolt slammed into the tree trunk she was shielded behind.

Not to mention, he certainly knew how to make his shots count.

"Come now, Konoha, this is what your training has taught you? Take refuge instead of facing your obstacles, I see the village really has declined ever since then." His deep, guturral laugh was enough to make her want to rip his throat out right then and there but Soku issued a sharp command to her fellow team members picking up on the trick that the man was trying to achieve them, a rookie move for her.

"He's trying to lure you out there, stay put and wait for an opening."

She heard the sound of metal meeting something foreign as a chakra bolt split one of Toshi's ice needles clean in half before hurtling forward to slam into the tree shaking it with the sheer force of it as the man laughed yet again. "How cute, thesen aren't your run of the mill weapons, boy! They could run circles around those amusing abilites you call ninjutsu. Really, Lady Sennin, what you have been teaching your students?"

They couldn't stay like this forever as she dared to tilt her head making eye contact with their feline guardian buzzing with electricity as she spoke. "A just meal awaits, go forth and feast."

A roar of approval as the panther sprang forward from it's position as Lumari had stooped to reload his crossbow covering ground in just a matter of seconds pouncing, it's paws flashing down as the assassin leapt back, a lightning crack sounding as the bow splintered in two.

That was the distraction Soku needed spinning out from behind her cover charging the tempoarily unarmed man, instructions spewing from her mouth as she did so. "Toshi, cover me and keep him away from that bow at all costs"

main-qimg-841a82651c618fecc2da24bb44ba6560-lq.jpg

Her sword was a blur as the assassin attempted to counter with his own short dagger, the steel sliding up Soku's sword as the two blades locked in a duel of death, effort and sweat racing through their expressions as one sought to get the better of each other.

The plan was simple, the Sennin would try to keep him occupied so her fellow shinobi could try to immobilize him while he was focused on her.

Of course, that was dependent on whether he was the only cronie around.

The kunoichi ducked as the dagger thrust at her which the man used to gain some distance but for some reason, he didn't seem all too interested in disposing of her. "Do you know to make sure your prey doesn't take flight, Lady Soku?"

"Humor me." She snarled and the panther almost sensing her change in mood growled a threat as it turned it's attention away from the now destroyed crossbow flicking it's tail in a challenge.

"Simple. You clip the wings." He said his hands working and the Sennin withdrew knowing something was coming but even she could not be prepared to know what exactly this assassin had in terms of his plan of attack. "Dust Style: Crop Dusting!"

Soku's warning to Toshi was drowned out as suddenly, her body was racked with a series of fits and coughs as the air around them became thick with dust, the sky darkening using Toshi's mist to add to the enviorment as the jutsu spread to encircle both the Sennin and Toshi. "You have my thanks, boy for your little ninjutsu." His voice boomed out but where it was coming from.

Hikaru for the most part was safe but she could see the sphereical shape of the dust storm that had circled the three shinobi, Soku's eyes welling up at the sheer onslaught of the dust storm as the Nanjirou struggled to speak. The foreign particles in the air flooded her nose and anywhere it could enter clogging her lungs as the woman tore off a piece of her flak vest wrapping it around her mouth.

"Now, I see only two of you, come and join the party, won't you?" The assassin's eyes could easily make out the bright, crackling shape of the lightning cat as it charged howling it;s outrage at seeing it's master brought down but the assassin simply shot out a hand to touch the creature speaking as he did so.

Purpleish chakra begin to flow from his hands corrupting Soku's lightning creature and it's eyes seemed to flicker before suddenly, it turned growling a challenge to the shinobi it had previously served. "How.." Soku muttered seeing this take place as her sword darted this way and that trying to see through the dust storm just exactly where the crossbowman was located.

"How did you that?"

In response, Lumari simply issued a command to the panther. "Seek out our straggler, will you?" Purple, glowing chakra making up the entirety of the predator's chakra body and equipped with a keen sense of smell, it turned it's heads towards where it's scent of smell was taking it toward's Hikaru and took off at a steady jog to seek out it's new foe and subdue them wherever the med-nin might be.

The Sennin could risk a blind spot but she risked hitting Toshi, she'd have to play her cards carefully, the cloth tied around her mouth as she slowly rose to her feet, her eyes squinting as the dust howled around them. She didn't know how the man had managed to take control of her lighting creation and turn it against them but there was very little time to worry on that.

She had to put a location on him. The woman glanced for a moment at the seal that had appeared curiously enough on her forearm hesitating for a moment but shaking her head, time to discern later but now, she had to focus. "Right then, go and seek." Soku spoke through the cloth looking down at her sword which seemed to glow in response to her commands.

A second later, chakra creations shaped like several little daggers shot out of her sword dancing around her for a moment before zooming out into the thickened dust to hone in on their enemy. Soku would know if he took the bait and if he did, he was just a flicker away though her main concern was about Toshi and Hikaru who was now going to have to deal with an ally turned enemy.

Surely, this couldn't keep on forever, a jutsu of the scale Lumari had cast surely had to be taking a toll on him.

Word Count: 4,447/7,000
OOC: Lumari uses A Rank Dust Jutsu: Crop Dusting to create a heavy dust storm targeting Soku and Toshi
Lumari uses A Rank Poison Jutsu: Touch of The Accursed to use Soku's lightning panther to attack Hikaru
Soku uses a bloodline technique creating four Living Blades to seek out Lumari's location and attack him
 

Toshi

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Lumari continued to try and provoke the trio into attacking while enraged. His taunting reached Toshi's ears, but the boy was all too aware of what was going on. He wouldn't let such banter get to him. Toshi noted that Lumari was experienced, considering that his ice needles was taken out without much trouble. 'So this is what it's like fighting a real shinobi. Always alert, looking for the advantage, and keeping note of the opponent. He's probably already got us figured out.' Hiding behind a set of trees, Toshi was now close to the battlefield. He peeked from behind the tree, keeping cover as he watched Soku and the enemy engaged in their dance, careful not to give away his position.

As Soku asked for cover, Toshi lifted his arm to manifest an ice mirror that moved alongside Soku, acting as a shield for any incoming attacks. That's when he noticed the seal on his forearm. 'What's this?' He thought to himself. Suddenly dust started to spread throughout the area. The boy's eyes began to tear up as it felt like his pupils were receiving sharp cuts. 'Not today.' Thinking quickly, Toshi rushed through a few hand seals, creating a gust of wind to blow the dust out of the area, and away from the Konoha team. This would, however, blow away the mist that concealed everyone's figure. An eye for an eye as they say. He would be able to view his opponent again when both the dust and mist cleared, taking away Lumari's advantage over the Konoha team.

Toshi knew this wouldn't be enough to put the enemy down. He moved through a few hand seals, creating a dark cloudy sky overhead. Heavy rain started pouring down in the area. He would change the water coming down above only Lumari into ice shards. Dodging drops of rain from a rainstorm was smooth, but dodging a hail storm of sharp ice shards would prove difficult, and probably would give the Konoha team the opening they needed to gain a step towards victory. Having to worry about Soku's swords, and his ice shards was definitely going to slow Lumari down enough for the boy to come up with a plan.

The rain came down everywhere else in the area as water, only drenching the shinobi wet if they didn't have a way to dodge it. Maybe the downpour would make enough pitter patter to give Hikaru some eye sight, as the electric panther was headed her way. Perhaps the rain would even slow down the enemy possessed panther somehow?


Edit: [ WC: 2,435 / 7,000 ]
-------
Ice Mirrors
Rank 1/2/3: The user generates two Ice Mirrors that each have HP equal to 5% of the user’s Max CP. The user may have a maximum of 2/3/4 Ice Mirrors. While inside an Ice Mirror, the user gains the following benefits:
- To shield Soku from incoming attacks

Wind Scythe
Master: The user slices the air, creating a wind current that deal 1770 Damage at -1 Accuracy. This has a 18% chance of inflicting the 'Wind Slice' effect.
- Use to blow away dust and mist in area.

Rain Dance
Master: Creates a downpour in the area, giving all Water jutsu -15% chakra cost and +6% chance of activating secondary effects. Fire jutsu have an 18% chance of dealing -15% base damage, and Lightning jutsu have a 24% chance of causing 20% backlash damage to the user.
- Turns rain above Lumari into shards of ice. Water downpour everywhere else.
- Sound of rain may give Hikaru better vision of the scene?
- Help slow down electric panther?
 
Last edited:

Sugihara Aki

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Hikaru crouched in place, listening as carefully as she could for any indication of other enemies or a distress call from her team from beyond her short detection range. Now that she’d lost track of Toshi, though, this wasn’t cutting it- again, the medical chief alerted her Jinchuuriki spirit, who flooded her eyes with chakra once more. Her omnidirectional detection faded, replaced by more or less normal eyesight. What she saw, however, was concerning: bubbling up from the misty trees ahead of her was a growing dust storm, a trademark of Particle release ninjutsu. Whoever they were being attacked by had no shortage of dangerous tricks up their sleeve.

Dust style meant that in all likelihood they were dealing with a wind release user, like herself. She could probably dispel or at least counteract the jutsu with a strong enough wind style, but her primary goal for now was to remain hidden. The medic was an essential part of any team, certainly too valuable of an asset to be charging into battle, despite how much she could or wanted to. That didn’t mean she couldn’t get closer, though- in fact, if the conditions of the battle kept changing like this, she needed to be close enough to keep her senses trained on the fighting.

She began to move silently closer to the action, aware that attacks could still come from any side. As she did so, the dust churned and parted for a gust of wind- it looked like Toshi had the same idea that she did. Next came rain… they would have to be careful, disrupting the terrain this much could draw unwanted attention and have unwanted effects.

A familiar sound suddenly streaked towards her. As she looked, she saw it was accompanied by a purple flash- Soku’s panther charging for her, colored an unnatural purple when they were in the presence of another wind release user. The dots connected in her brain very quickly- she’d mastered dust jutsu herself just like all of wind release, including poison. It wasn’t impossible that their enemy could be versed in multiple elements of wind.

She probably could have assumed as much with the discolored panther now charging straight for her in an open clearing, but the extra few moments of realization allowed her to prepare exactly what jutsu she wanted to use. Chakra burst from her arms, forming a glasslike shield in front of her that quickly erupted in churning, singing winds. Her and her jinchuuriki’s element of choice, Sound, wasn’t very conducive to remaining undetected (nor was is very conducive to most medical activities, save for when it was applied to medical jutsu) but it was extremely effective for its raw power and disruptive ability. The lightning panther would meet a powerful shield of gale force winds enhanced by her sound affinity, capable of cancelling the jutsu placed upon it as well as just tearing it apart altogether. She was lucky to have met an opponent with the same element as her- wind beat lightning, after all.

Since I accidentally forgot to add this last round: using Nature’s Guard: Wind to intercept the panther, converted to Sound as well.

TWC: 2,049 / 7,000
 

Nanjirou Soku

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The elements howled their approval as jutsu met jutsu in a clash of colors and destruction that would leave even the most grizzled veteran awed. For the most part, Toshi and Hikaru focused on attacking from afar with their ninjutsu but as for the Sennin, she preferred a more hands-on approach that involved the usage of the blade evenly balanced in her hand humming with a sort of energy although the effort to make out where Lumari would strike from next would be next to impossible.

She had to give the rascal credit, he had pulled it off well. He had cloaked himself in essence and was using that as an excuse to target them although she came to the realization that he must not be able to discern them as well so all of them were throwing out blind shots and hoping to strike gold. It was all a matter of who got lucky first and Soku sincerely hoped it would be her because in this scenario, there were no do-overs.

A fact all of them had picked up earlier ago.

Before long however, the dust cutting away at them was suddenly blown away revealing all three figures all ensared with their own combatants as Lumari stood there, a look of annoyance on his face that his plan to dispose of these ninja quickly and efficently had been ground away as he scoffed. "Persistent ones, are you? I was planning on giving you the luxury of a quick exit from this world but since you insist, I have no qualms in putting you through your paces."

Soku raised an eyebrow at that resisting the urge to snort at that. "You murder for a living, there is no luxury in that."

"We are not so different in that regard, Lady Sennin. As I recall, you served in the ANBU Corps at one point, no? We are guilty of the same crimes then except only one of us has embraced our methods while the other has rejected it and ground it into the dirt like some gutless worm."

The more he talked, the more Soku wanted to pull all of his teeth out and feed them to him one by one. "That's where you're wrong. You kill for profit, we do so out of necessity if needed, the difference being is that we aren't anyone's pawns." That certainly got a rise out of him as his face darkend for a moment, his eyes narrowing as the rain storm started to wash out the area helped along by a few of Toshi's personal contributions.

Soku was hoping to goad him into making a mistake, he didn't seem like the type to fall so easily for that though as the man let out a yelp of pain as the ice shards began cutting into his skin. Behind her, the woman would hear a roar of pain followed by silence as Hikaru blasted it with her own winds, the chakra form of the panther shimmering in and out of existence as it attemped to claw at the girl but to no avail.

They had an advantage and they were pressing it as Soku slammed the tip of her blade into the ground as lightning chakra sparked from her sword into the ground funneling towards Lumari who had taken to laying prone in a attempt to ward off the ice shards slamming into him. Despite this, all three of the Konoha-nin would feel something, something warm and hot coming from the thicket of trees ahead of them.

It was almost like they were being cooked alive and as the Sennin peered in front of them squinting in time just to see the huge fireball blasting towards them diminishing the ice jutsu into puddles of water as it tore up grass and dirt alike but instead of going for the two in front, it went for Hikaru using the grass to add to it's lapping flames and growing bigger and bigger by the moment.

"Hikaru, move!" She shouted shooting a glance towards where Lumari lay prone perhaps injured slightly by the shards that had cut into him, who had saved his bacon just in the nick of time and the realization become clear as more figures from the trees emerged hurrying to encircle them with all sorts of weapons while a taller, more broader man stood behind him reaching to help Lumari up raising an eyebrow as he looked at the assassin.

"I told you not to overdo it."

"I did not need your help." The assassin growled pushing away the offered hand in assistance.

"No? It seems to be you were about to bested by none other than children at the very best, I daresay."
The new-fashioned man said as he turned to look at the trio, his lip curling into a smirk as he did so simply shaking his head.

"We can't have that, now can we?" Soku began counting off the various bandits in her head, they were untrained relying on physcial means while Lumari and his comrade wree the more important ones here, they knew how to manipulate the elements but as to who they were or they were doing this was anyone's best guess really.

"Attack."

The order came calmly almost like swatting a fly as with a cry, the group of thieves and bandits closed in on Soku and Toshi cutting and thrusting at any part of them they could get to and as for the new arrival, he took no part in the chaos, his eyes instead seeking to land on the rear of the team walking forward almost as if the chaos in front was of no particular interst to him.

"Over here, buddy!" Soku's sword came darting out to poke him in the rib but the man moved with lightning quick speed grabbing the Sennin by her wrist and for a moment, it seemed like the chakra was being seeped out of her as the blade fell to the ground as her chakra was pulled from her to manifest in his hand in a glowing orblike figure.

"Such strength, join the party, will you?" He reared his hand back and slammed the palm containing the Sennin's chakra back into her chest, the momentum causing her to fly backwards several feet as she felt her back hit a tree near Hikaru's location tumbling to the ground as she did so groaning in pain as Soku did so now unarmed feeling the footsteps of the man get closer.

The clangs and shouts of his men closing in on Toshi was all too apparent as he walked closer dusting off his palms as he did so.

"Now that I've seperated the babysitters from the apprentice, the question is which one do I play with first?"

Word Count: 5,562/7,000
 

Toshi

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Toshi knew the cut from the ice shards would be enough to slow this Lumari character down, but he didn’t expect him to have help arrive. Hearing the roar coming from behind him, Toshi assumed Hikaru had taken care of the electric possessed panther. He’d keep his eyes on his foe, but the feeling of incoming heat began to distract him. ‘What’s this heat? I know the sun couldn’t possibly emerge from behind those clouds. It has to be something else, but what?’ His eyes widened as he looked for the source, taken aback by the giant fireball that he gazed upon. The heat was a bit too much, as the boy began squinting and shielding his face as though that would stop the heat. ‘I thought that guy was down for the count, when did he have time…‘ His thoughts trailed off as he searched for an answer. He knew he didn’t have long, watching as the land was torn apart by the ball of fire. Snapping out of it, he noticed it moved not towards him nor Soku, but towards Hikaru. Soku’s shout reaffirmed his accusation.

It a matter of seconds they were surrounded by a number of the villains. Toshi’s expression became serious as he looked around for an opening. They quickly approached the duo on command, Toshi now swaying to evade the incoming attacks. He delivered a couple of gut punches to a guy that approached him with a ball filled with spikes. He doubled over in pain, Toshi clasped his hands together, slamming them into the back of the head of the guy as he hit the ground. Another guy aimed a punch at Toshi, wielding a dagger in his other hand. The boy couldn't managed to dodge, the punch connecting with his nose. He felt a bit of pain as a bruise graced his face, but he knew he had to keep moving. He ducked under a swing of the dagger, spinning around and tripping his foe backwards while staying low to the ground. A hammer-like weapon came down, aiming for his head, but the boy rolled backwards, pushing himself upwards and landing on the shoulders, startling the would be attacker. Another foe took a swing at Toshi while on the guy’s shoulders, the boy reached down and took the, still startled, foe’s chain weapon and used it to block the incoming attack. He wrapped the chain around the sword, pulling it away and disarming the villain, and then whipped him in the face with the chain, sending him wailing backwards. By this time the guy holding Toshi on his shoulders had enough, and grabbed the chain and pulled Toshi to the ground. He hit the ground with such force that he bounced before sprawling across the grass. He rolled over to look upwards to see the group begin to close in on him. It didn’t look like Soku was around, so he’d have to figure a way out of this one himself. Hopefully Hikaru managed the giant fire ball, as he didn't have time to aid her while facing his own troubles.


There was only one thing left that he could do to defend himself. He hadn’t mastered this technique yet, but he’d give it a shot if it meant saving his skin. The boy become enshrouded in a puff of smoke, taking the crowd by surprise. He reappeared as a taller version of himself, though his appearance had changed completely. Letting out a heart stopping screech, the boy watched at how his foes were affected by his shout. They seemed to be a bit off balance. Now standing, Toshi took advantage of the enemies being off balance. He conjured up four separate ice mirrors to corner in the enemies he faced now alone. To the naked eye, it seemed he took each opponent out with one quick swipe, but the trained eye could catch a glimpse of Toshi backing into the mirror closest to him and move between each mirror, merely making a called shot with a few ice needles, to each villains' temple to knock them unconscious. He'd make sure each villain was down for the count before looking over to Soku and Hikaru.

Soku seemed to be the closest, the tall man that came to help Lumari now standing over her. It looked as though Soku was backed into a corner. Hikaru was also in the area, if she couldn't aid Soku in time, he'd attempt to himself. "Aye, you don't seem to realize that you have more than one opponent out here. Toshi kept calm. He knew that while in his transformed state, he'd lose control if he lost his cool. Though deep down, he was confronting a guy that took down his Sennin. How was he supposed to take on a guy like that? Even in Sage Mode, it'd seem tough, but he wouldn't give up as his teammates' health was now on the line. He remembered his promise to Nao back when he and Tsuki took on Jibrill. 'Maybe I can buy Hikaru some time to come up with a plan.' Toshi grinned at the guy, keeping his composure. "I doubt you and you're other lame friend that we took down have no chance against us." Toshi looked away casually, taunting the guy into moving away from Soku and attacking him. With his four ice mirrors still behind him, he knew he had a method to save them some time, but it's all he would be able to do without a decent plan. After mentioning Lumari to the taller man, Toshi noticed he lost sight of the crossbow villain. He dropped his grin, looking around while staying alert. He hoped he didn't let that guy get away. If he managed to slip into the bushes, it could create a disaster for the Konoha team.

WC: 3,413 / 7,000
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  • Used basic strikes to combat against circle of villians,
  • Once down, activated Archsage Kinjutsu
  • Activates Sage Mode Ability: Gains Jutsu, Ability, and Special Move of Feline Contract
  • Activates Caterwaul to disrupt and knock foes off balance [ Excludes Hikaru and Soku ]
  • Used Ice Mirrors and Ice Needles along with the Called Shot Ability to down the foes.

Caterwaul - Feline Contract Senjutsu
There are few noises more ear-splitting in the natural world than the plaintive wailing noise felines make when greeting each other. Craft cats like those within the realm of the contract spirits have learned how to weaponize this horrible sound.

Effect: All within the battle that the user does not choose to exclude from the effect lose -2 accuracy/dodge and -3 awareness. Those affected are also afflicted with the 'Disruption' effect.

Ice Mirrors - Ice Ninjutsu
The signature technique of the Yuki, conjuring a beautiful mirror of ice that can only reflect themselves while within it, allowing them to move between mirrors for a deadly surprise attack. The ice mirror also provides protection for the Yuki, concealing them within this defensive layer of ice.

Rank 1/2/3: The user generates two Ice Mirrors that each have HP equal to 5% of the user’s Max CP. The user may have a maximum of 2/3/4 Ice Mirrors. While inside an Ice Mirror, the user gains the following benefits:

  • The remaining Ice Mirrors count as Reflections of the user, following all Clone technique rules.
  • The Ice Mirror the user occupies provides temporary HP equal to its remaining HP and the user takes any excess damage if destroyed.
  • Secondary Effects are not applied to the user while this temporary HP remains.
  • Temporary HP gained this way is not lost at the end of the round.
Cost: 2 AP and 400 CP, 200 CP/rnd.

Icicle Needle - Ice Ninjutsu
A dangerous secret technique passed down through generations of Yuki, this technique is performed by simply freezing the moisture in the air into needle-like icicles that are nearly invisible to the human eye. Combined with the Yuki's deadly precision, they can incapacitate foes without retaliation.

Rank 1/2/3: Strikes a target at +1/2/3 accuracy, dealing 610/765/920 Elemental Damage. When used while in stealth, this does not reveal the user.

Cost: 1.5 AP and 250 CP

Called Shot said:
This ability teaches where all the good spots to aim are. With this ability, you can more easily disable someone, make precise shots, and restrict movement. The 8 types of called shots are: Arms, Legs, Head, Hands, Feet, Neck, Heart, Weapon.

Information:
Prerequisites D Rank

Effect:
- Called Shots only take half the usual accuracy Penalties.
- +5% Called Shot chance.
- User can inflict Broken rank debuffs.
 

Sugihara Aki

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Silvery blue chakra spread out from Hikaru’s arms into the air in front of her, crystalizing into a thick, glassy wave that stood between her and the oncoming lightning panther. The barrier churned with the force of the wind that she had put into it, its whistling and hissing nearly drowning out the sounds of battle from the clearing nearby. As the controlled creation charged straight for her, it slammed into the wall of wind, letting out electric screeches as it tried desperately to crash through the Medical Chief’s last-minute defense. The noise that was being emitted by the clash was intense… just like she had thought, Hikaru assumed her location had pretty much been given away by all of the chakra hissing and screaming. That meant that she was going to have to move once she was free of the panther’s attack, unless she wanted to get targeted with many more.

Soku’s now purple-tinted jutsu continued to lash out against the fierce currents of her ninjutsu, but it was simply no use- no matter how hard it tried, the panther’s wicked claws couldn’t break free from the vortex to make contact with their target. With an otherworldly screeching roar, the lightning eventually dispersed into the ground, taking the mysterious assassin’s controlling jutsu down with it.

Hikaru took a deep breath, slowing the churning winds to a halt with a wave of her hand. As much as it might be more effective for her to remain hidden in the forest, as a combat division medical ninja she couldn’t afford to be this far away from her teammates without being able to detect them passively and keep a metaphorical eye on them at all times. What’s more, until she figured out a consistent way to switch between her eyesight and blindsight quickly and efficiently, she was as vulnerable to attacks from any direction in the forest as a regular ninja would be. She had to take a different approach to this battle than hiding in the trees.

She thought about her options for the few brief moments she allowed herself- even though she was moving, stealth was still one of her first priorities, since she didn’t know how many enemies they were truly dealing with nor where they would be attacking from. That meant that sound jutsu of most forms were strictly off the table; although, she did have a few new techniques up her sleeves that made use of a frequency that was imperceptible to human ears. Hikaru dismissed that idea too, though- once again, she didn’t have very much information on their opponents at all, and there was always the off chance that one of them had enhanced sensory capabilities like the Inuzuka. Her high frequency techniques actually happened to have a similar effect to a dog whistle, which while interesting, did not make for very effective stealth.

If she couldn’t use sound jutsu… then she had better fall back on one of her old specialties. Hikaru had thought many times that, if she had never been selected as a vessel for Ukabu, never become a jinchuuriki, and never explored her Hashigaki heritage and sound affinity, she would have explored and experimented with clone jutsu much more. Besides the element of wind, she felt that cloning techniques came the most naturally to her of any type of jutsu- growing up with more chakra than normal, she had practiced and eventually become very good at dividing it up amongst multiple copies of herself. Her clones had also developed somewhat of a personality, too- she used to rely on them so much for training and managing workload that she could start to almost tell them apart.

At that moment, though, Hikaru felt the temperature of the surrounding forest area suddenly begin to shoot up rapidly- she heard a shout from Soku to move out of the way, and her instincts kicked in. Without forming a single hand seal, three identical copies of the Medical Chief appeared in a triangle formation around her, shimmering from a greenish blue color to her normal hues. Medical combat tactics and techniques often had a lot more to do with confusing one’s opponents rather than directly attacking them, though there was plenty of that too; in this situation, creating the clones masked her escape and made a potential follow-up jutsu much more difficult to land. The four Hikarus leapt away out of the path of the fireball, two landing back in the clearing with Soku, Toshi, their opponents, and the remains of the dust jutsu and Toshi’s rain and mirrors. The other two disappeared into the thick of the forest once more, potentially luring more attacks or attackers- the thing was, instead of having her real self retreat again, Hikaru’s original body now stood in the clearing alongside her teammates and one other clone.

A new figure had arrived, who was probably the one who had launched the ball of fire at her: another opponent. They were joined by a number of other bandits as well, wielding weapons likely rather than advanced chakra techniques, so they would be easier to deal with although their sheer numbers could make them a nearly equal threat. Meanwhile, the taller man exchanged words with his associate, also berating him for falling to a group of children which they most certainly were not. Perhaps it was a difference that stemmed from living in the Hidden Leaf Village for her whole life, but Hikaru never judged someone’s strength based on their age, instead going off of factors such as their rank or actual demonstrations of their skill. Toshi, for example, was progressing very quickly in his mastery over chakra thanks to his unique ice-oriented bloodline which made him a tricky and difficult combatant to deal with. In the world of bandits, chakra development and strength were probably much harder to come by and much rarer, making those entrusted with its secrets older and more experienced on average.

Before she could follow that train of thought much further, however, the new chakra-wielding arrival gave the order to attack. The armed bandits closed in around them, but to his credit Toshi powered up and began dealing with them very effectively. Hikaru and her clone fought a few of them back as well, slicing close-range or long-range with thin, pressurized blades of wind that they guided with two fingers almost like a martial art. However, since most of the bandits seemed to have appeared here in the clearing rather than remaining hidden in the forest for any longer… Hikaru mentally directed her two clones who were concealed there, if they hadn’t been interrupted or caught, to position themselves around the perimeter of the area of the fighting in case anyone tried to escape.

Sorry for the wait!! Posts should be more regular again now :)

TWC: 3,181 / 7,000
 

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