Mission Howling for a conflict (A rank)

[Chigokai Yuna]

Snow was lightly falling on the mountain range of the Spine of the World. Anywhere else, it would have been just cold enough for it to be just below the freezing point. But here in the mountain ranges, one would have to be covered from head to toe in layers to stay warm. Unfortunately for ninjas, too much layers can hinder their movements.

A single wolf would sniff around and its pack would catch up to it and they would rush off into the distance, avoiding something. Or rather, a group of people. Yuna was in her usual Anbu gear, fit with a coat that would both keep her warm along with not get in the way if she ends up fighting. Her blank white mask nearly would camouflage in with the snowy mountain. Her and her group that will partake in the mission have already passed the Gates and rendezvous with the first Anbu group and making their way up to the area where the known attack had taken place.

Yuna herself had prepared herself meticulously for this mission after she had left the office. Her own weapons is her blood and bone, so she already had those with her at all times. Her armor though, she made sure to wear it and tighten it to just a tad bit tighter than snug and had a quick meal. While she ate at Sileo Tempestas, she pored over files that could connect to the mission at hand. Looking back over the mission that Hon had went on with a couple of Main branch ninja along with files on all the other people that will be accompanying her on the mission. Most she has met before today, but Daigo is still an unknown to her. He was promoted a little while ago by Kazan, so she trusts that the young man knows a thing or two.

She just finished her food when an agent had come to her office to remind her an hour prior so that she could make her way to the Gates. Much after that was just meeting up with everyone and then heading out. The

Anbu agents would be in a formation around them as they made their way to their target destination. For this mission, she had also summoned a contract that she had in mind. Whilst he was annoying, Swimm Shady was the best one suited for this mission. Just imagine this. An eighteen-inch-long koi fish wearing sunglasses flip flopping and keeping up with ninja and anbu all the while rapping.

Yuna swears by Raiden if she hears "Can the real Swimm Shady please swim up" one more time.... She sighed underneath her mask. The main thing the fish has going for it is that it is an amazing support along with the ability to change other jutsus to water which could prove useful. She thought about summoning Noa, however she is best used for only supporting Yuna. And forget Jormungandr, he is too big and could very well just be in the way. Swimm Shady is the best Yuna has for this mission.

Her comms hummed to life as one of the other anbu groups in a different position on the mountain checked on her. Her right hand reached up and tapped the headset, "Copy, we haven't reached any issues yet. Keep up with the random interval check ins with the other groups as well."

With that she would stop and listen to the area around them. Out in the mountain ranges, the powers of a Chigokai, the listening for blood flows, really comes in handy. In the Village not just is there so many people around, but also different background noises that one would have to try and separate if they are trying to truly listen to a specific sound. But out here in the crisp cold air, the only interruptions that Yuna would hear are from normal wildlife. Of course, she was well aware of everyone else around her, being able to hear their blood flows as well. This power isn't an off and on feature, and she can't selectively listen to some blood flows and not others. It's just that if it is in range for her to hear, she will be able to pick up on their general location. She slowed her own breath to be almost nonexistent as she listened. The Anbu Sennin would definitely be able to pick up something. It....

She would raise a hand and then put a finger over where her lips would be, since she is wearing her mask. And whilst Swimm Shady loves to rap, once he seen her do that gesture, he stopped. Yuna would take the lead and walk quietly as she would climb up and see a grisly sight. Many people were dead. She scanned over their bodies, not really bothering to check if any are alive, her hearing of blood is enough to tell that. A dead person's blood sounds different since it doesn't flow like that of the living, many times it doesn't flow at all, but has a rather distinct sound that she can't put a finger on but can just tell. What she was scanning their bodies for were mainly signs of how they died. Some had been killed by weapons. While others were ripped apart. Many wore civilian or merchant clothing, while a small number wore clothing that would signify that they were part of a militia. And most damning of evidence of a fight had broken out was that there were several bodies of Lycans.

Her eyes flicked from one body to another until they rested on something approaching. It was probably due to his wounds being exposed to the elements and cold that made it hard for her to hear him coming. He had a nasty gash of three claws that seemed to have torn through his clothes and cut deep into his flesh. He put his hands up, and everyone would be able to see that his right hand is frailer than the other, as if it had aged a couple of decades faster than the rest of his body. "I think we both want the same here. And if you lot act cordial, I am willing to comply."

(welcome to your A rank mission have fun)
(small edit for grammar mistakes)

 

[Ryuu Nozomi]

She was early, that had been intentional.

Nozomi watched as the rest of the party joined in their fur coats and combat gear. She had tucked her hair deeply into an Inuit-style coat. It was colored slate blue, ivory white, and a chalk grey. All colors that would naturally blend into the mountainous terrain. The crew began their journey and Nozomi found comfort walking beside Rei as they made their way to the Spine of the World.

Snow crunched softly beneath Nozomi’s boots as the group crested the last rise before the rendezvous point. The mountain loomed around her in jagged silhouettes of black stone half-buried under layers of white. Snow fell lightly, lazily even, the kind that looked harmless until it soaked through cloth and leeched heat away from the source slowly. The wind here didn’t howl or cry, instead it whispered. It came calmly through ravines and over ledges with a patient, predatory persistence that promised continuation. It was a calm that was constantly broken by the 'singing' of this darn fish, if you could even call it singing at all.

Nozomi adjusted the scarf at her neck and rolled her shoulders once, settling the weight of her pack.

She had dressed for motion with reinforced shinobi layers that are flexible at the joints yet insulated enough to stave off numbness from the cold. She wore no excess armor or loose fabric. Clay satchels sat balanced evenly at her hips where her fingers brushed briefly over the familiar contours of her equipment just to ensure everything had come along with her for the journey. She had kunai, wire, and prepared clay charges that were stored in an inert state.

With everything accounted for she exhaled slowly, letting the breath fog and fade. It was in this moment, walking besides her fellow shinobi that she had to remind herself,

'This is not just theory anymore, this is not training.'

As they crested the hill she crouched near a snow covered rock outcropping and waited for anyone who was still trailing. From this vantage, she could see the narrow passes of approach between ridges and a steep descent that funneled movement into predictable lines. Tracks were everywhere if you knew how to look past the snowfall.

She began to note a broken crust with disturbed powder and the faint marks of something heavy being dragged downhill. Then, a more obvious tell, blood. She couldn’t hear it the way Abyss could, but she could see it. Stains that looked like rust barely buried beneath fresh snow. It was frozen nearly solid where it had splashed and smeared.

She took note of claw marks that had been gouged into exposed stone, splintered wood from shattered crates, and signs of a fight that had not been clean or quick. All three of Nozomi's jaws tightened as she came to the realization that Lycans had been here. As the group moved forward, the scent of blood grew stronger. Even in the cold there was a metallic taste in the air that felt wrong in comparison to the crisp taste previously.

Her eyes naturally locked in place ahead as she mentally catalogued the horror of what they were witnessing. She took time to Snapshot this memory, so that she may never forget this moment or the events to come. There were civilians, and a handful of militia mixed in, their weapons freezing over now as they were useless in defiance of the assault. There were even a few fallen shapes that resembled the description of Lycans with twisted limbs and blood-matted fur.

Nozomi slowed her movement and attempted to capture the full scene. Her eyes flicking to the periphery of her vision which allowed her to see him...

The figure approaching moved as if he was injured and snow crunched in an uneven fashion beneath his feet. She felt something 'Off' about his presence but couldn't put her finger on it. Nozomi wanted to speak, but thought better of it. One of the leaders of this mission would be best suited to confront the stranger, and so she would remain silent.

Her eyes would narrow naturally in suspicion and her stance shifted without thinking too hard about it. Her hands sat free around her sides towards the edge of her pouch where clay sat inert, but ready. She would glance to Rei for confirmation without words about the suspicion rising from her inner thoughts.

'He survived when trained militia died.'
'He approached rather then flee.'
'He is wounded but speaking as if he has the upper hand.'

She wasn't sure what to make of this interesting predicament. At the very least, she mentally classified him as 'Dangerous.'

[I'd like to cast Snapshot - C Rank - Mastered]

 

[Ryuu Rei]

Rei was early, and that had not been intentional.

Dressed in her usual, the Sennin seemed something like a sore-thumb compared to the others clothed in heavier garments. Save from choosing to wear more white than usual, the medical professional seemed over-exposed for the heights they explored. Yet the only thing seeming to ail the woman was a lingering weariness that seemed to haunt her always. Even as the cold rushed against her hair, blowing the green strands all over the place it did little to even cause a shiver. Her chakra coil was working a gentle cycle of moving heat to every inch of her body in a small steady focus; low enough, Rei hoped, to avoid the notice of either curse.

Yet laying in the depths of her eyes was a dull shadow to her normally sparkling ruby irises. The sudden promotion to Medical Sennin, having to quickly spend an hour restructuring the office and staff enough for the missions, and the remaining hour spent with her lover seemed all too fast to settle. The latter was what really tugged on her heart. She had meant to spend the entire three-hours of preparations with Shiro in their entirety. The Ryuu leader didn’t need to prep anything more than the serum used to keep her wolf at bay. So long as there was death and destruction to feed from, and with Lycans there always was, she would be more than prepared; she’d have an advantage. Despite this, time had been stolen from her again. Instead of spending what little time they had in embrace, they argued the importance of her being on this mission before a proper cure had been made.

The weariness in her eyes reflected Shiro winning most of the arguments.

But, she was a Sennin again. Which meant putting more than just a foot forward. Nozomi was the one delight in this mission now, as Rei tried to ignore the stinging truths laid bare by her lover to focus on a precious pupil; even as the damn fish tried to ruin even that. The teacher was proud to have such a promising student at her disposal once more. Passing on her techniques, her legacy, was something not considered by the woman before in her short-lifetime, but, a three-year coma can change a gal. Within the little blond child, she saw a chance for the Ryuu to change and a leader that could facilitate that. It also, to some shame, gave her a chance to study the curse in a way she hadn’t had the opportunity to do. Even her own adopted child had been afflicted with the curse before, she had done so. How much push would it take? Would it be fast? Would it be devastating? The possibilities seemed endless, and the knowledge produced tantalizing…

…even if it was at the cost of a child’s sanity.

Movement from Yuna ahead cut Rei’s thoughts to a immediate stop. The scent of death and blood wafted across her senses before she moved forward to crest the hill and take in the sights. Against her better judgement, the sennin nudged Nozomi and reminded her one more time,
“This is not just theory anymore, this is not training.”

As they peered over into the carnage, the mentor and pupil had different reactions. A pool of saliva began to well in Rei’s mouth, causing her to swallow hard as the smell of freshly rending flesh slammed into her senses. Her knuckles tightened with a quickened heartbeat as the wolf inside began to wake up. More than just death, another scent wafted over the rest: power. Virility. Something commanding and respected had been nearby or a part of the carnage though, if it had been the creature they sought or not was left up to debate. It stirred something uncomfortable inside of the Sennin as a film of sweat began to cover the flesh beneath her clothing. She wanted to rip it away and bathe in the destruction before her.

Instead, she crouched down and touched her gloved hand to the snow. Invisible traces of energy began slowly slither towards her from the corpses as she fed off the chaos of battle. Her color paled, but that was a good sign. The sheen of sweat relented, and her own unknowingly locked jaw loosened. It was like she had just tossed an arm to the feral beast within, and felt a hunger receding. The scent of a fresh wound, still bleeding, nearly broke the small peace she had afforded when the wounded man casually walked towards their group.

Unmistakably, Rei noticed the air of power surrounding him. There was no hesitation in his form, no fear of the shinobi he stood before despite the severity of his wounds. She shot a look to Nozomi to see her questioning features. Her left hand gestured at Yuna, suggestion she follow the ANBU sennin’s orders here; as for now she would exert her moment of command.
Carefully, Rei took some control of the situation for Kumogakure to the stranger’s presence. With a hand gently held out over the snow she called forth a small tree to rise, thicken, and then grow itself into a natural chair.
“I have no doubt, but before either side can decide what is cordial or not, the rules of war state no one be this severely wounded on either side before committing to parlay. Come sit, I will at least stop the bleeding; if our wills align, I’ll even regrow your flesh.”