Mission Forest of Invasive species

[Koga Akane]

The power that surged through her veins granted Akane the similar euphoria that a surfer gliding through a tunnel of water often experienced. And like water Akane suddenly disappeared and crashed back with overwhelming force into the Lycan. Everything happened so rapidly through her glowing wispy eyes that she hadn’t even dodged out of the way of Cyborg's body screaming past her. With trained footwork Akane slipped past each claw and ferocious bite. Her Divine Sunderer pierced through the beady frantic eye of the beast then with a killing blow her divine radiance thrust though its throat. “Hell yeah! Now lay there and die!” A boisterous roar bellowed from the gladiator's lungs. ‘Another devil toppled by my hand! Watch out bitch, I’m coming!' A picture of her sisters flashed into her memory for a split second.

In that time frame a guttural scream pierced her train of thought. The Lycan had gone berserk. Akane dodged back quickly. ‘What?! Still shaking?!’ Again she moved toward the Lycan with ehr spearhead focused in on its weak points. Adrenaline continued to push her drained body forward but her exhaustion began to overwhelm her. The beast kicked gravel and shook the ground to evade her barrage. Her momentum carried her into a massive tombstone and with an audible crack her spears light faded in and out before stabilizing. ‘F-fading? Sh-shit..!’ A gift from the gods and yet she still could not wield it properly.

The crazed Lycan foamed from the mouth, snarling wildly as its large claws swiped out at her. Chakra welled up on the soles of her shoes and with a hearty kick back Akane disengaged away. She relied on her momentum to carry her back. Tucked into a ball Akane had somersaulted away to reposition with Hon. Now the trio surrounded the Lycan. Readily available to intercept and strike in sequence. Golden wispy eyes noticed the spike in chakra from Dr.Robotnik. The lightning that coursed around his arm grew larger by the millisecond. “Tch! Last stand! It’s cornered!” Her words were foreboding as the fight or flight truly kicked the animal instincts into overdrive on the brink of death. Calloused hands coiled around her spear. Sweat rolled down the side of her face, one breath at a time to steady her heart and lurch forward at the sound of shuffled gravel beneath Robotos’ feet. It had to end here.
​

Spoiler: Actions

Targeting Veteran Lycan
Cast Rank B, Basic Strike(s) (1x) .75 AP
Cast Rank B, Kill Driver, 2.25 AP
Cast Rank B, Million Stabs, 2.25 AP
Cast Rank B, Pressure Thruster, 2.25 AP
Cast Rank B, Executioner, 2.25 AP

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Together, the three of them knows that if they synced their attacks, it won't matter how much they miss, the others will give the monster very little to no breathing room. They had all moved as one. Hon was the first to act. A monster made of lightning, that looks almost like the monster the trio is fighting right now, came into existence from Hon's jutsu as it crashed into the mutated lycan, bit at its throat, and dug its lightning claws into the real monster. But it had eventually faded away. Genshin would see that Akane was closing in for some multiple strikes, so he had forced the Amaterasu to stop so that she won't accidentally be engulfed by the black flames.

Akane would see this opportunity and close in for some really heavy duty type of strikes starting with Kill Driver landing seven of her ten attacks. It would be, both at this time that Hon and Genshin would try to both fry and burn the monster, both would fail as a Chidori spear and flaming Rasengan would fly over its head as it ducked down with inhuman speed. Akane would use this to her advantage since it might be slow enough to not be able to reposition itself. She layed out on it with the Million Stabs technique, this time, only landing three, of the eight hits, as it felt the first three attacks and managed to dodge out of the way.

The mutated lycan would bare its teeth before rushing and giving a shoulder check to Akane in her gut, sending her flying back a few feet. Genshin would act once again, performing a perfected flaming Rasengan and then coating his own arms in fire to try and attack the monster. The lycan, which was focused on Akane, dodged and switched targets to Hon, swiping at him to get a hit on him, but he had moved far enough out of reach.

It let out another guttural roar and focused back onto Akane, who was still on the ground. It charged at her fast. The girl would try and perform the Pressure thruster technique, but it dodged out of the way. She would then try the Executioner technique, aiming for the neck area to try and cut off the monsters head, but it had merely pushed her weapon out of its way with such ferocity that Akane would feel her weapon arm dislocate. It would slam one of its paws ontop of Akane, pinning her to the ground. Close up, she would see all the damage done to it, and she could feel its mangles claws piercing into her skin. Genshin and Hon were too far away, there is nothing that can be done...

Akane would feel in her good hand, something sharp. Looking, she would see a shard piece of her weapon in her hand. She had just enough energy, and time, she would think, to give off two more attacks. Two measly weak attacks... She tried once, but she is in a lot of pain... Focusing, knowing that her life could end in a mere second, she fought through the pain and drove the shard piece into the monsters skull with a sickening crunch. Was it her imagination or when it exhaled its final breath, it had said, "Thank you...." Only she might know for sure. Akane would feel its claws retract from her body and it fell off to the side, dead.

Hon, now seeing the sight of the monster dead, would now be able to focus on the surrounding area. He would soon find Miyazaki in the clearing of the hunting grounds. But... He was laying on the ground with a pool of blood around him, dead lycans all around.

(WC: 4539/5000 B rank mission since Akane is B rank
Make sure you both have 5k words as we wrap up this mission within the next round or two of posts
Congrats! you have killed the mutant lycan
All that's left is to deal with the aftermath, sweep everyone almost dying up, and head back to the small village and deliver the news)

 

[Honnou]

Its fight or flight instincts were otherworldly, allowing it to even evade his Chidori Spear as well as a Fire Release Rasengan from the Uchiha at the same time. When it tried to brace from Akane’s spear Taijutsu, Hon closed in on it along with the Uchiha who attempted to perform the Rasengan a second time – the former’s steps must’ve been heard echoing from the ground, for it caused the creature alert and allowed it to switch its attention back to him.

But it missed. Hon’s evasive skills were spiking up in this dire time, but the creature was still far more agile than he was. It had already went back to attacking Akane, and before the Hyūga could intervene, it had pushed her down and was trying to tear her apart! “AKANE!!!”

To his own surprise, her spear hadn’t disappeared… but a fraction of it, perhaps, remained in her grasp. And it was shanked right through the creature’s skull, ultimately killing it. Still, he stood near the corpse of the beast, his right hand coated in Lightning Release chakra as he was readying up an ordinary Chidori… but it didn’t move, so he cancelled the Jutsu slowly. No need to waste more chakra right now.

“…” She didn’t want his help with any wounds, so despite the tension from the last moments, he found it very hard to give her even a hand – especially after her snarling comments earlier. Still, at this point, he… couldn’t blame her. Adrenaline must’ve choked her veins out at the moment… but speaking of the Uchiha. Hon was too tired to even want to think about his situation – but he’d really helped them out here. “… Thank you.”

The creature’s chakra signals went up in smoke, and poof – it was dead. He could confirm that. This also meant that he could focus more, and his field of vision expanded to even reach the hunting grounds. “…” Much against Akane’s desire, or so he thought, he’d weave a handseal and create two Elemental Clones of himself before picking up Akane by her functioning arm with his original form. Her arm over his neck, and his hand around her waist, he’d comment before he’d give her a chance to snarl at him again: “Your wounds are deep, so shut the fuck up, and hang on tight. Miyazaki’s in bad shape too…” And without waiting for the Uchiha, Hon darted away in a flickering blur along with Akane.

…

The two Hon-Clones would reach Miyazaki’s location first. Immediately spotting Miyazaki lying on the ground with a pool of blood around him, they went into a panicking alert and rushed to his side, checking for vitals, shaking him, speaking up: “Miyazaki! Miyazaki, it’s me! Can you hear me?! It's Hon!” They’d begin checking for wounds and attempt to patch him up, even if they had to use pieces of Miyazaki’s own cloth as bandage. They just hoped that he’d wake up… he managed to finish things here on his own, further paining Hon’s sense of incompetence. He couldn’t afford to let Miyazaki die.

The real Hon would arrive at the scene too, with Akane’s working arm over his neck to support her. “Miyazaki… Akane… I’m… I’m so sorry…” Despite being able to sense chakra from the both of them, their visible wounds were his responsibility, “Akane, will you please let me patch you up? I won’t take no for an answer again…”

WC: 574
TWC: 5133

 

[Koga Akane]

Heels dug into the ground to lurch forward. With all her might and ferocity the gravel stone and grass kicked up behind her in a show of speed. The trio closed the gaps between the Lycan. Sparks of electricity darted all around its body while twisted eyes crazily observed its surroundings. Those mutated eyes moved differently than humans, off in different distances and depths like chameleons' they locked into the targets. A guttural roar cried out and the fight was on. A loud crunch here, the scream of the parties' mighty blows filled the air. Flesh sizzled and burned as the black flames licked the lycans body, disappearing in the knick of time. Akane jumped into the air to bring her spear down onto the Lycan from all directions. A barrage of blows had been dealt. She twisted her arms violently to send out a slashing torrent of strikes from her Killer Drive. Onlookers could easily mistake her for a twister that struck a weapons cache. However, even with her enhanced chakra and speed the Lycan still had enough reserve energy to dodge her.

To her amazement brown hues watched the two high level ninja miss their attacks. Just how the hell could they call themselves ninja when she landed the most hits. ‘Never send a ninja to do a warrior's work.’ She sucked her teeth in annoyance. She let out another barrage of attacks to taunt the Lycan. Its rage encompassed its loud snarl. From a sliding halt the Lycan’s own heels dug into the ground to bolt towards Akane. The beast's speed grew fast as a blurred image of it lingered behind it coated in lighting. ‘Hayai!’ Brown hues stared at the after image. Thankfully through her training she was able to bring her Divine Sunderer close to her chest to absorb the full body check the beast delivered. Akane had been shaken and slow to the draw. A powerful check sent her flying backward through the cemetery. A new type of useless sunk into her gut as she was unable to gain her footing swiftly enough to accurately counter attack the beast. With a loud crack her head hit the ground and she skidded to a halt. Through the fog her eyes slowly opened and without a moment to breathe the Lycan had been back on her case.

The bloom of radiant chakra faded again then came back. Each time the intervals between her powers grew longer. A telling sign she was at her limit and Seisei would stop feeding her power. Her Divine Sunderer pointed its tip at the beast. Her head felt like a feather. Dipping and bobbing her head tried to stay upright. Akane could faintly see her stance was weak. ‘I-I can’t…’ Her weapons swayed in her hands and as the lycan swiped its massive claw at her; striking her weapon down with enough force to pop her right shoulder of its socket. Air filled her lungs to let out a loud shriek of pain that could break wine glasses. A sharp pain radiated throughout her body. With another strike she fell to the ground with the lycan atop her once again. Her heart beats quickened while Seisei’s eyes closed in her soul. She was powerless and the other two shinobi could even hit a barn from 10 feet away. The lycans rancid breath seeped past its barred teeth and now Akane was the mouse back into a corner. Without another thought, hell breathing was hard as is... now she had to critically think with a concussion, a hand frantically patted the ground.

Lady Luck was on her side. Her Divine Sunderer had shattered in her hands. ‘H-how.. When did… When did you break.. How did you… am I unworthy…?’ Her left hand searched the ground frantically for her weapon. In that act she sliced her hand on the spear point that lay just barely in reach. Tightly the blade dug further into her hand but that didn’t stop her. She chose to fight before she died to a monster and not one of her own. With the last of her strength the spear point darted into the soft temple of the beast's head and into its brain. The once alive lycan, very much unalive. A moment of respite rolled over her body and a faint whisper slithered out to her. Yet all she noticed was the considerable weight now on her chest as the lycans body gave out on top of her.

Her mind faded in and out. Her chest rose frantically yet her body had no energy to move. Her shoulder had been dislocated and her head felt like a feather and suddenly like a boulder. But that never erased the smile of victory that painted her lips. Through dazed eyes she could see the black silhouette of a figure in the distance. The ring of pain in her ears drowned out most of his nonsense. “Roboto-san…” 1… 2… 3… Painfully she was brought to her feet. Most of her body felt limp but the energy that radiated off Honnou began to revitalize her. Her attention had been brought back into focus, eventually she gained the ability to walk somewhat normally with a pained limp. As swiftly as she allowed the duo moved across the cemetery and into the fields where Sunshine had been.

The fog in her head cleared and what she saw before her brought back the memory of defeated classmates in the arena. With less blood and mangled gore. The scene mimicked a warzone and in the center lay Miyazaki, surrounded by a pool of his own blood. Hon called out to him and with a clone began to mend his bandages and hers. As she was being bandaged Akane noticed the blood soak into the bandages faster than normal on Miyazaki’s hip. Her arms moved up to weakly make a sign to give him medical care. Only after she realized her right arm didn’t react to her demands and another torrent of paint rang throughout her body. “Stop.. his bleeding with.. Medical ninjutsu… Tell me you can do that at least…” Annoyance and impatience coated her words. Even on the brink of death she still managed to shit talk to her superiors. She sat on her ass propped up against a tree trunk. There was naught more she could do to help. Her mind traced back over the memory of her battle. Brown hues that no longer had their radiant gold glow looked around for her spear. ‘Seisei… my weapon…’ She struggled to maintain a thought as her adrenaline began to lower and her body reacted to the pain receptors. ‘Stay awake.. Stay awake..! I’ve seen what happens to those in the arena who hit their head… all they can eat is mush through a straw now…!’​

[WC: 1141]
[Grammatical edits.]

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Genshin would follow the pair to the hunting grounds. Whilst they had checked on their friend, the former revolutionist would check to make sure that the beasts were in fact dead. They were. Once he was satisfied, he would start to drag the bodies of the lycans off to the side of the clearing and would start digging into the ground.

Akane would notice a dead horse and a cart a couple yards away, and from where she was sitting, a body further away from the cart. She would see that the dead person had worn military-like attire, hinting at her that this may have been one of the former revolutionists that have been helping this small town every now and then. She would also notice a small frail old woman that she would recognize to be Elder Mika. She had two guards with her as she came upon the pair.

Hon, would have absolutely exhausted himself of his chakra, though physically, he is in a better shape than Akane, energy wise, he doesn't have enough fight left in him. And to his surprise, he would be unaware of granny Chigokai until she was right beside him watching him patch up Miyazaki.

"Hm. The young swordsman is bleeding dangerously a lot. Kita, Yu. Take the boy back to town and prep him for surgery." The guards would nod and gingerly pick up Miyazaki, putting pressure on some of his wounds to keep the boy from bleeding out. Mika would look towards the three people and do a head gesture indicating that she wants them to follow her. Genshin would help Hon and take Akane's other side, being careful not to hurt the girl any further as they would begin walking. "Once we get you all patched up, we'd like to discuss what had happened."

(twc: 4841/5000
Akane, you see the dead guy in hunting grounds, Hon, you do not.
All that is left now is to get patched up, discuss with Mika what happened,
And Akane, plz post what your total word count throughout the mission was)

 

[Koga Akane]

The situation looked dire and Hon's hands refused to move. His conditions inflicted from battle were all shown on the inside, not out. As expected, Akane believed in Robotnik’s ability to remain alive and well, but his situational awareness and help struck a nerve in her. ‘All that combat prowess only to be outshined by an outsider.’ Her head had fallen in front of her. Exhaustion overwhelmed the young teens body and the wounds she had were healed yet ached with every heartbeat. Through her dejected demeanor her smile couldnt be erased from her lips.

‘A genin. Outsider. Foreigner. Is this the best Kumogakure has to offer…?’ A sharp pain rang throughout her chest with each huff of laughter. In pain she still couldn’t help herself. A moment of ominous laughter had passed before her ears perked up at the sound of shifting gravel and grass. Orange tresses shifted slightly as she peered through her blood soaked hair to notice the Elder with multiple village soldiers at her side. “Oh thank the pope… we’re not going to die.” Another giggle erupted out of her and another sharp pain radiated throughout her body. If she could move her arms she’d cheer. From the corner of her eye she watched the strange man over over to each body to inspect them. Kill after kill confirmed but one corpse shook Akane’s brain hard enough to wince in pain. ‘That cart.. That man… one of the shepherds…’

Before she could move a few village soldiers helped her carefully to her feet. As fast as they could safely move she had been escorted away from the tractor. ‘Get.. who.. The cart guy… wait…’ Her body ached and their rush to get her to safety had been more concerning than the cart owners dog tags. ‘I’ll come back…’​

[WC:302]
[TWC: 4718/5000]

 

[Honnou]

The bandages didn’t work… so he proceeded with Acupuncture. It was an old Gentle Fist Technique that his Father had taught him, but the technique would work best on seconds-old, fresh wounds – not what Miyazaki found himself in. At the very least, Hon could try and stop the bleeding here and now, not actually having mastery over any other Medical Jutsu… he’d spent too much of his time practicing Elemental Ninjutsu and Taijutsu. The last few years were specifically spent training the secret ANBU Ninjutsu… but he wasn’t a Medical Ninja, so why didn’t he let himself teach a few Medical Jutsus for good measure? Was he that stubborn? That didn’t sound like him, he couldn’t be that dumb…?

Oh fuck, he was helpless. What good had he been in this damn mission? He wished he could just hide under a rock and die…

But instead of that, the world seemingly wanted everyone to bear witness. His face widened in shock at the arrival of Elder Mika and her fellow villagesmen, who quickly picked up Miyazaki so he could undergo surgery. Honestly, his Acupuncture might’ve been completely useless, but he did as much as he could in the short time he had…

He didn’t know if Miyazaki would make it. Even while returning to Akane’s aid, he couldn’t help but feel his heart ache and his face grimace, darkening at the aftermath of his leadership. What a mess he’d made… this entire ordeal overshadowed Akane’s blatant insubordination, the latter barely phased him anymore. Silently, he followed Elder Mika's lead along with the Uchiha's help...

WC: 264
TWC: 5397

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

As the group walked, finally both Hon and Genshin, the groups awareness boosted prowess finally kicked in and would hear Akane speak out. "Here." The Uchiha would say before carefully shifting Akane's weight onto Hon. Once done that, he himself would inspect the body. Should the duo take a closer look, they would notice it was a boy, barely older than Akane. "Yosuke... He was one of the good ones... Supported our cause but didn't want to be part of the fight. He was part of the faction that regularly would transport valuable resources to towns and villages that need it..." The former revolutionist would grip the cold dead body in his arms, it was quiet for a while before he had spoken up once more. "Resource transports never travel alone, which means," He looked over at the freshly made graves. He never finished his sentence, but Akane would be able to remember how some of the lycans were dressed in the Cemetery. It wouldn't take a Nara to piece together what had happened.

The Elder Mika would walk up by them and would say, "Take as much time as you all need, I'll meet you all back at town when you are done." Without waiting for a response, the old woman would walk off back in the direction of town.

Should the duo stay with Genshin, they would wait in silence as the Uchiha sat there, almost staring off into space, before getting up after five minutes have passed and started to bury the body. Afterwards, he would look over at the cart, that still had a lot of non-spoilt food and medical supplies in it and start pulling it by himself after detaching the reigns from the dead horse. "Get in." He would simply say to Akane.

If the duo did not, they would get back to town and see Miyazaki in bandages, with Mika standing over him, applying different types of medical jutsus. Soon, they would see Genshin appear carrying a cart full of food and medical supplies.


Either way, whichever route is chosen, as the three find themselves in the medical bay of the town and Mika explains the situation. "Even with all the new medical supplies, and my extensive medical jutsus, it is hard to know if your friend will make it out alive with all those wounds." She would pause before speaking once more. "There is one way though, a bloodline jutsu exclusive to the Chigokai clan. It would take your friend out of the danger zone, butall that pain and wounds have to show up on someone else. I am not willing to inflict harm on my own townspeople even if it is to save someone that helped with the lycan problem. And in each of your states, it would be hard on you, but I can heal you. Except you girlie, you are up next for medical attention. I'll leave the decision up to you two." She said, indicating to both Hon and Genshin.

(5341/600)
(wc req changed due to new mission rules, lmao
you two choose oocly with each other which route to take, as you get different lore or info.
Along with that, choose who gets transferred rank 3 bleed from Miyazaki to either Hon or Genshin. Akane, you can't afford to take instant rank 3 bleed transfer)

 

[Honnou]

Something important was spotted by Genshin, which prompted Hon to carefully hold Akane’s side as she’d been entrusted to him. There was… that body. Hon carefully led Akane towards it, thinking that she’d want to take a closer look… and the Uchiha identified the corpse as belonging to a man named Yosuke. A part of the Uchiha’s old faction, and a non-combative one at that. A good one, as Genshin himself referred to him as.

That, combined with the graves, meant that one of such resource transports from his faction had fell victim to the lycans before their arrival. It must’ve been… heavy for the Uchiha man to see. The Elder Mika assured them that they could take as much time as they needed, so Hon nodded in acceptance and stayed with Genshin and Akane.

Hon looked like a man disturbed by his own existence. This was likely why he excelled in the ANBU so much – wearing a mask made things so much easier, didn’t it? He wasn’t able to add input into the scene… nothing but a prayer.

…

He would help Akane up on the cart if need be. Their way back to the village was heavy with the breath of mourning that they had to take earlier. Miyazaki… he was still being treated. He hadn’t woken up yet. Hon couldn’t allow him to die like this…

But there was still hope. According to Mika, the Chigokai had access to a Bloodline Jutsu that would save the lightning-bladed boy, but it would work by transferring the pain and injuries to someone else. Upon hearing her out, Hon had already decided – this was, ultimate, none of Genshin’s concern. Genshin’s men had been killed, he had mourned enough. This was Hon’s responsibility.

He’d taken more for less before. He’d endured a lot. He was strong. He was powerful… he could take it. He could take it and live. If not, then all of that confidence was for naught. Then his Sennin and the Raikage had entrusted him for nothing. “I’ll take it.”

WC: 342
TWC: 5739

[Stayed with Genshin until Yosuke's corpse was buried, then put Akane on the cart to take back to the village >]

 

[Koga Akane]

The people that carried her stopped momentarily. That mysterious man Genshin halted without a word. Red eyes turned to glance over at the body and even identify them. ‘Yosuke…?’ To her surprise the dead cart driver was about her age. The man who traveled with her and her mother into Kumogakure was much older but the same size. ‘Damn eyes are all blurry…’ Each squint was an attempt to refocus her vision but the damage to her head made it near impossible to see who exactly lay face down in the dirt road.

After a moment of respite Akane’s last known sight was the movement from Hon. His hands clasped together and he bowed his head. ‘Prayer…?’ Those words fumbled around her brain. A symbol of faith and a ray of hope encompassed what praying was to her. Yet, was she still able to pray even though her own kind had been eradicated. Her faith in Tenouza and the pope was ripped from her by the Ninja of Kumogakure, not to forget her own abandonment of her faith at the site of her village painted in glass. Even with Seisei within her she still felt lost without a purpose to fight for other than material things. Wealth and fame meant little to her but was faith something that would wake her up in the mornings, hell even from this daze?

Without another thought she passed out next to Hon. The cart began to move towards the village. “Miyazaki… pray for him if anythi…” A half hearted cough erupted past her lips. Helplessly she leaned against Hon until they were thoroughly taken care of at the village.

[wc:275]
[Sorry for the delay]​

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Both Genshin and Elder Mika would look Hon up and down, the Uchiha wanted to protest, but... it felt like he caught himself and let Hon do what the anbu captain wanted.

The elder of the Village would perform handseals that would be unknown to all that are not vastly familiar with the Chigokai bloodline. Before everyone's eyes, the deep cuts and wounds that were on Miyazaki would nearly dissipate, leaving smaller cuts and wounds. This would give town medics that were on hot standby to go and clean the wounds and apply fresh antibiotics and gauze over the wounds. All in all, the lightning swordsman was now out of the danger zone. However, once the major wounds have disappeared from Miyazaki, they had reappeared on Hon. Deep cuts all around his torso, leg, and shoulder areas as blood started to pool out of his body. Another set of medics grabbed Hon and threw him onto the surgery table next to Miyazaki and restrained him to make it easier for the Elder to safely cast medical jutsu on him.

Finally, there was Akane. She had a lot of injuries, but the worst one would have to be her dislocated shoulder. Mika flipped through some handseals, to cast skeletal fortification. The girl would feel her shoulder pop back into place, along with a very loud Pop! After everyone was taken care of, the Cloud trio were allowed to rest in the town for a couple days until the Elder deemed them ready to travel.

It was on their final day of rest that the three were brought into the central area of town where Mika stood by a memorial. Hon and Akane would see the familiar face of Yosuke, along with several other people, all of which had worn similar type of clothing that the lycans they had fought. "A couple of things. The Uchiha that was with you. He had left a couple of days ago, saying that he needs to right the wrongs of the past. While you all were recovering, we had sent people out to take a look at the hunting ground and the Cemetery. And whilst some people are not happy that the gravestones of their loved ones were smashed to pieces, we are all very grateful. And because of that, we have some gifts."

Akane would notice one of the gifts first. It was wrapped in very fine cloth, smooth to the touch. The item was given to her. Once she unwrapped the cloth, she would find her weapon, Divine Sunderer, fixed and polished to give off a mesmerizing gleam. It would almost seem as if the weapon wasn't even used for battle yet, though the sharpness of it would guarantee battle ready. Take care of your weapon, girl, and it will take care of you."

To Hon, a small case was presented to him. Upon opening it up, he would find a pair of razor-sharp gloves. It looked like it would serve well for hand to hand combat along with dealing piercing type damage to an enemy. It would also prove useful for him to be able to use handseals freely with these gloves on.

And finally, to Miyazaki, he was given a stone. Akane would know the significance of this stone as it wasn't an ordinary one. It was usually called the blacksmith's stone, a rock that for centuries been used to sharpen the edges of weapons so that they never dull. "I know it isn't much, but this community scrounged up what we could for you all and made the best out of it." Her face would then turn to be more sad, "One last request. Would you three wqalk with the procession to the cemetery? The Uchiha had went back to the cemetery and buried the ones that had died there."

 

[Koga Akane]

What went on for an hour felt like a flash in her mind. Dazed eyes opened to see the village guard walking beside the cart that carried them to the village. In a blink she found herself being held steadily by two nurses. In the midst of trying to collect her thoughts and whereabouts a strong aura coalesced on her shoulder. “Where.. Am I-AAAAA! GOD DAMN IT TO HELL!” Her relocated shoulder sent a shockwave of pain throughout her bruised and burdened body. The sense of pain eased quickly as her young body felt the normality of her shoulder back in place. With a few physical movements of her arm it felt like a million yen again. Her outburst granted her a few annoyed glances but she had been too focused on her arm to notice.

The days in rehabilitation felt like years to the young teen. To be bedridden for three days felt unproductive to Akane and even worse was the food and lack of entertainment. ‘Some village! No electricity to charge my phone! Can’t even watch Douyin…’ Her head fell back onto the pillow. Brown hues stared up at the ceiling while her mind drifted to the events at the cemetery. The thought of killing a large lycan forced a cheese grin to overcome her pink lips. If she could single-handedly take down a beast like that her sister would be no problem. So she hoped.

After time in the hospital the Elder walked the trio out into the center of the village. Before them stood a monument of Yosuke, and a few other members of the resistance beside him in clothing that mimicked what the lycans wore. The dots connected however Akane shrugged with a callous demeanor. She remained callous even when the Elder spoke of the village's annoyance of broken tombstones. ‘As if a few tombstones can’t be remade. We killed the village's murderers for the Pope's sake.’ Her train of thought and tone shifted quickly. Akane’s brown eyes focused on the gift presented to her. “My Sunderer! Look at her!” Her eyes sparkled with glee as her weapon sparkled with a pristine polish. Her eyes lined up the craftsmanship, taking note of the brilliant work, sharpness and durability of her newly crafted weapon. “Sheeeesh! Where’s the blacksmith?! I have to thank them! The gods would tremble at the craftsmanship!” Another round of compliments had been given to the village and villagers. A rare display coming from the angsty teen.

From the corner of her eye another twinkling object caught her attention. A stone used to sharpen weapons had been given to Miyazaki. The whetstone was not an ordinary sharpening stone, just from the radiant gleam it spoke volumes of its invaluable price. Her attention turned to the Elder who wished for them to follow her back to the Cemetery. ‘Ehh…’ As much as she wanted to turn tail and actually eat solid food from Kumogakure and charge her phone, another force compelled her to follow. Surely Hon would keep her in line too. ​

 

[Honnou]

Hon watched closely as the Elder performed such unique handseals never seen by his eyes before… and see the change in chakra in her and Miyazaki. The latter’s wounds began to dissipate, growing smaller and smaller as if tissue was covering them over time. It was so relieving…

But veins pressed out of Hon’s skin. His eyes reddened and his voice grunted in pain, until he coughed up blood. All the muscles in his body tightened so painfully, and his white Tai Chi shirt began drenching in his own blood. He almost dropped on his knees if not for the helpful medics pulling him to the table and the Elder casting Medical Jutsus to heal his fresh wounds immediately.

And the world began growing darker…

…

The three days went by in a flash, thanks to Hon using most of the time to perform the Mental Infiltration Jutsu on himself. Within his mind, he replayed that night’s attack on the lycans… and reviewed his choices. His moves. What he could’ve done otherwise… and what it likely would’ve led to. His Byakugan covered a near 360-degree angle of the battlefields, so there were many factors to consider. He hoped that, should he encounter a similar enemy in the future, then he’d fare much better than this.

They were led to the central area of the village where the villagers were holding a memorial. Hon immediately recognized the clothing… so many of them, including the one known as Yosuke. Similar to the lycans made Hon fear that this lycanthropy issue… wasn’t solved just yet. There was a chance that others remained out there, preying on other victims…

The Uchiha had left a couple days ago, according to Elder Mika. From what she said, it appeared that a sense of atonement and responsibility drove the Uchiha to move out – something that Hon could relate to, in a sense. He felt so confused regarding that certain Uchiha, his chakra signature and… his involvement with the Revolutionists. Friend or foe…

Mr. Roboto scratched the back of his head with his prosthetic hand at first. He was mentally exhausted after having to deal with Akane in this mission, but Elder Mika expressed her gratitude and the villagers’ gratitude despite them having destroyed a couple tombstones in the process of their mission. “Forgive- oh…”

A small case, along with two other presents for Akane and Miyazaki, were presented. Hon opened the case handed to him with curiosity, being greeted with the sight of a pair of razor-sharp gloves. His eyes slightly widened, looking back up towards Elder Mika as if he was a child who just got a soapbox cart for Christmas. “This is too much…!” he expressed his gratitude, along with a quick bow towards her. However, while Akane’s spear looked so brand-new, he knew little about the stone that Miyazaki was handed.

“… Of course. I hope it’s alright with the other villagers if we follow,” Hon decided, throwing very sharp glowing glances at Akane. Somehow, he could tell that she wanted to get the hell out of here as quickly as possible, but he wouldn’t want any of that – consider it revenge for disobeying orders and trying to feel all good about landing the killing blow on the lycan that had brought him so much trouble because of her insubordination. Damn it, she was a brat through and through.

Like that one annoying as all hell little sister that many brothers had to deal with. Either way, he’d follow Elder Mika to the cemetery, tugging a little on the bandages covering his previously deep wounds. A lot of his self-loathing feelings from his subpar performance had waded, but… he knew that he could always get stronger. Faster. Smoother. Deadlier.

It was to be expected of him, and he wasn’t planning to let anyone down again. “Miyazaki… and Akane… forgive me for my previous lack of performance. Had I been any bit more competent, then neither of you would’ve gotten hurt…” Hon’s face was darkened with a mixture of embarrassment and grief, “I’m not ready to have Akane’s annoying ghost haunt me for the rest of my life… and Miyazaki. You have such greater heights to reach – I saw it myself today. Just cling on to life a little longer, trust your skills, and you’ll surpass me by a longshot. I’m sure of it.”

WC: 729

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

The procession continued on into the cemetery, where the town's residents have left flowers and candles not just at the graves of those lost to these creatures, but also those who have been long gone. It was quiet, but... It would also feel as if everyone was now at ease, despite how horrendous their time may have been dealing with the lycans.

After about a couple hours, the trio were ready to pack up and go. They had made it to the town exit when Elder Mika had stopped them one last time. Turning around, they would see the entire village cheering them on, throwing flowers their way and giving them compliments. Even the guards that they had initially ran into had pat them on their backs in a friendly way and thanked them for all that they had done.

Miyazaki would wave back at the crowd, "Thank you! Thank you for having us!"

Elder Mika shook her head, "No. Thank you for showing us that we can still place faith in the Cloud ninja. It's something that these people all needed to see."

The yellow haired boy would smile brightly and turn to Hon and Akane. "Well then. Let's go home!"

And with that, the group would make their way back to Cloud Village to give the good news.



(OOC: notes)
(Mission complete!)
(Good job guys!)

 

[Koga Akane]

The group made it to the cemetery only to see in the distance a crowd of villagers. As they approached Akane could see the mound of flowers, gifts and mementos placed with purpose around different tombstones. Her eyes twinkled with grievance but not for the villages or those who died in this village. They swelled up in pain at the thought of her own village. They were trapped in glasses, frozen in time with no rite of passage to the next life. ‘At least the souls here can walk toward heaven with ease…’ Jealousy overwhelmed her grievance. From behind her a woman she recognized gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

Startled, Akane jumped slightly but noticed the woman immediately. The grandma from the village where the Rot Devil had harassed. Her old smile chipped away at her jealousy and grievances and before she knew it the woman sparked conversation with her. Surprised to see the young teen again. Another village was saved because of her team and her actions. Her cheeks turned rose, unfamiliar with compliments and true human connection.

After many hours of remembrance and socializing the group connected once again. Sunshine. Mr.Roboto. Akane. Akane turned to face Hon with her arms up with her hands casually placed behind her head. “Robotnik. Make sure to spice up our report, yeah? I’ll make sure to make you look good.” One final jab at her superior, at least with them she didn’t suspect to be beaten. A cheeky smile painted her lips. With a nod of approval toward Miyazaki, Akane walked beside him. “Sunshine! You’re crazy! All those beasts killed by you? I want you on my team all the time! That big ass lycan we fought… I shoved my spear so far…” Her words trailed on as the group moved to Kumogakure. A shower, hot meal and well needed rest were in order.

[Mission Complete.]
[Topic left]
[That was a blast! Thanks Yuna for modding and thank you Hon for putting up with Akane! >]​

 

[Toraono Michino]

Mission Accomplished
x2 Word Count Rewards earned for each participant
Please remember to post this in your Training Threads so the Global Mod Team can reward you for your hard service to Kumogakure!​