Part One: The Premise
There was an incident in the village of Kumogakure. Something was astray as many of the people who once lived here in peace were now fit with unrest. Lately there had been disappearances in the village, three that could be accounted for. Kaizen Yamato, Akamichi Goju, and Tahara Uni. These three people at some point or another had been reported missing within the Cloud Village. Each last known whereabouts were in the Ancient Forest. Yamato had gone missing probably over half a year ago, but no one knew what happened. He was a loner and didn't keep much contact with his family, but he had a decent job at a restaurant as a chef. While he didn't keep many friends he made no effort to hide his personal life. Everyone knew that Yamato had a fascination with flowers and plants of all kinds; he liked to dress his dishes in them, giving it more beauty and fragrance as he called it. On a Full Moon, he had expressed his plans of going to the Ancient Forest to check out a rumor he heard about. However he didn't want to say what this was, because if anyone else got to it before him he'd be upset. After this night his restaurant never heard from him again.
Uni was a Chuunin in the village; she was something of a low ranked shinobi. Her skills were subpar she'd probably never make the Jounin cuts, but she was at least competent enough to do her job. She frequently worked in the vaults of the library showing promise as a scholar more than a shinobi. Uni had been writing a thesis on the effects of the Moon. She wanted to prove that the light of the moon delivered energy much like the sun. She wanted to prove that the energy provided could be used to empower Jutsu and enhance Chakra much like how some Shinobi have been able to draw energy from Solar rays. It was her theory of Lunar Rays, and for some unknown reason she believed the answer lied in the Ancient Forest. Uni believed that the new moon would bring her the most power for her theory, since the Sun and the Moon were close. She claimed she had a way to collect both energies and separate them but how was still unknown. After her adventure the kunoichi was never seen again. Another mystery swept under the rug although the village did look slightly but she was soon written off, seeing as she was another who lived alone.
The most recent incident is what brought this to the attention of the village as a repeat incident more possibly an offender abducting these people. Akamichi Gojin a simple civilian who belonged to the Akamichi Clan. Rather than becoming a shinobi he chose to be a doctor and not a medical shinobi seeing as he didn’t believe in Kumo’s shinobi system or any military function at that. His girlfriend Susumu Megami, however did believe in the shinobi and became a Medical Shinobi. They had been together for three years and friends since childhood. The two were engaged and had their anniversary in the Ancient Forest. A picnic under the moonlight of the Full Moon, it was bound to be romantic. However something happened. Megami came back to the village missing an arm and an eye. Her body was scarred and she seemed to have lost all common sense. The injured girl could only mutter about the primrose and the moonlight. She was insane now something far beyond help.
Gojin’s disappearance was only 3 months old, and Megami was institutionalized. Things were very awkward with the families of both victims, one believing Gojin the killer and the other believing Megami was the one however this did not bring either closure. The whole incident was odd but the details matched with two previous cases being Uni and Yamato. It was by chance that Masaru Yuuto had come across this open case while seeking bounties, and other jobs to present to his clan. This whole entire case did not sit well with him as he had seen similar abnormalities. Things where people went missing without a trace but this most recent disappearance unsettled him the most seeing as one girl came back mutilated. If Gojin really was the criminal he was hiding about and needed to be caught. However he believed this could be something else entirely, due to the pathology.
Part Two: The Discovery
Since seeing the disappearance of Akamichi Gojin and attack of Susumu Megami case, Yuuto immediately began to search through his clan’s records and accounts. There were many creatures that worked under the dead of night but few who followed a pattern with the moon. There was the family of “Were” Lycans, Neko, etc creatures whose strongest transformations came directly from the power of the moon. You had Lumen Merms, sea creatures that came out most at the full moon due to the shift in the tides. There didn’t seem to be any recorded information about other land creatures that attacked during Moon Phases. The Were family were more brutal and the mutilation fit them but those burn marks on Megami did not. Since there were no clear answers he confided in his mother hoping her expertise would prove to be some form of useful.
“Mother, Mother? Hey mom, if you’re around I need your help” Yuuto would call out inside of his house hoping to get word from his mother. Even though he wished to speak with Asuna another voice would ring through the house in response to him. “No son sorry she’s not home. Come here I may be able to help.” It was the voice of Kira his father and while a genius with shadow manipulation the young one firmly believed his mother was the better hunter of the two. Even so he was a smart man and could possibly help.
“Hey dad, I was looking for mom do you know where she is?”, a shake of his head would give the young Masaru the answer he needed. “Sorry kiddo Asuna’s went off on a job hunting a transformed human. She believes it to be the work of a Curse Seal, I offered to go but you know how your mom is. She needs to test her strength on her own sometimes.” A chuckle would be shared between the two pair before Kira would speak again. “Maybe I can be a decent substitute for her, what’s bugging you?”
“Well I was going around the job boards seeking bounties for the Clan and what not. I came across this case about a girl named Susumu Megami who had come back mutilated from the Ancient Forest. She went with her boyfriend Akamichi Gojin. Both medics, the girl being a medical shinobi. Gojin’s family believes Megami to be the reason their son is missing, but the Susumu’s believe Gojin mutilated their daughter. Regardless of their feelings she’s incapacitated. What struck me most odd was the report of her attack and the pathology it followed. It’s following the moon cycles and attacking in increments of time between. Who knows how many more potentially fell to this but these were the three reported. I think there may be a creature at work here but the damage done to Megami doesn’t make me think “Were-Person” and seeing as it was a land attack I doubt a Lumen Merm, could have done this either.” Yuuto would spread out the scrolls in front of his father who promptly looked over them.
“Hmm yes this is quite odd I don’t think I’ve seen this either. Hmm her eye and left arm were missing, she was severely burned and exhausted. Her body was covered in sweat and she’s currently being detained at an asylum. Unresponsive and seemingly crazy, this girl is exhibiting signs of mental trauma. It’s possible Gojin’s a killer and did this to her but that doesn’t explain the glaring similarities with the other two cases. We don’t have anything in the directory about these kind of wounds from a moon driven creature. Definitely something you may need to further investigate son. There are new creatures popping up all the time. I’d say you should try to meet Megami, maybe call in a favor with the medical sennin if you have to in order to see her. Tell them that this may lead to the discovery of her attacker.”
Yuuto nodded and began to head out from the room waving his dad thumbs up. Even though Asuna was preferred for this, Kira gave him very solid advice so solid that he only thought of following the suggestion heavily. However the new Anbu refused to go through all the red tape just to locate Megami instead he’d use his status as an Anbu and utilize the open case as an investigation.
-At the Hospital-
Garbed in his Anbu attire, Yuuto was very serious at the moment. He approached the receptionist and spoke in a very business-like tone.
“Hello, I’m Anbu operative Zenku and I’m here to speak to a Susumu Megami. Her case is still wide open and while she’s been here a few months we still have no leads. We believe Gojin her boyfriend was responsible of this crime but we need concrete evidence so I have an idea to get communication out of her. I understand her mental state is still fragile so I won’t prod deeply. I just need a simple task done by her.” The receptionist seemed hesitant but understood this was to solve a greater matter. While being an Anbu didn’t mean you had precedence over everything it did give you leeway on certain objectives.
Yuuto was led to a wing, and then to a specially crafted room. It had rubber walls but had a bed, desk, books, and a radio. Megami sat squarely on the bed rocking side to side facing a window and looking at the world. The nurse who brought him began to explain her current state of mind. “When it’s daytime she’s chipper and always rocking back and forth humming a song. We try to take her outside but if she goes near any flowers or plants she completely freaks out. It gets so bad that we have to sedate her because she becomes violent. When the moon is out she sits in a corner but on the Full Moon or the New Moon she cries a lot. Like she wails and hides under her bed. Poor girl something bad must have happened to her, damn that Gojin if this was his doing.” The nurse would promptly leave Yuuto and Megami as he now had time to speak to her.
“Hello Megami, they tell me you don’t like to speak. That’s alright I just want to ask you some questions. Do you remember what happened?” There was no response from her. “Do you remember why you’re here?” Still there was not a response. “Do you remember… Gojin?” She would stop rocking now, shuddering slightly at the sound of his name. Yuuto would inch closer and examine the wound where her left arm used to be. It looked like burns but more acid than anything. Like her skin had been melted off and the arm with it. He eye was wrapped so there would be no observing of that. “Megami… I don’t know what happened, I don’t know why you’re like this but I know Gojin didn’t do this to you. If he did I’m pretty sure, just hearing his name would institute fear and not sadness. You’re crying and trying to hide it, and your eye… it says it the most. Please if any of this is getting through to you? Please show me what attacked you.” Yuuto dropped some papers and crayons on the bed waiting for Megami to move forward. It took her about ten minutes until she touched the crayon. She began to draw a very large bulb like plant, with vines coming out. She tried to make little stick figures who appeared to be trapped in the vines. A green fluid like substance flowed through the center as if it was acid.
Yuuto immediately understood the picture, she was creating the creature and the more she drew the more things came into focus. Megami made a forest and the moon shining down on it. However there seemed to be a pattern of darkened moons and white ones. It was the cycle of the New Moon and the Full Moon. With wide eyes and many thanks Yuuto immediately left the Hospital and headed to the Ancient forest, tonight he would catch his prey.
Part Three: Moonlit Dance
He had to wait a few more days before he could begin his plan. Having missed the New Moon already Yuuto had to settle on the Full Moon. He prepared himself well armed with Ninja Wire and Oil as much as he could carry. Based on Megami’s drawing this creature was like a large flower with teeth and acid. Those vines would be a problem but his blade would see to that. The shadows would have to unveil their true nature today if he had any hopes of defeating this monstrosity.
The plan was to search for the patch of primroses that people so fondly spoke of. The Moonlight Primrose a rare flower that only grew in the light of the moon. It was what so many came to see but the rumors of people disappearing on the night of the New and Full moons scared them away. The hunter had carefully combed the forest searching near areas that had direct view of the sunlight, and near a source of water. When they found Megami she was drenched with water, it probably helped get off the creature’s liquid which was likely a slow acting acid.
When night fell and the full moon came far above the skies Yuuto began his search. He had narrowed it down to three places but did nothing to pre-plan the attack seeing as it would be quite hard to recover the materials he was going to use. The first location was a bust leaving nothing more than the normal clearing it did, but the second location was more of a give-away. He observed the clearing from above finding a patch of flowers, clear and shimmering due to the moonlight. This was his Moonlight Primrose, this was his creature.
The monster slayer would get close to the flowers close enough to grab them. However any sudden movements would probably make them immediately violent. Instead he’d have his shadow produce more of itself turning it into multiple shaded hands. These hands would caress the flowers, and gently grasp them. It was then that Yuuto’s eyes flickered and his intent changed. His chakra began to emanate showing it’s radiance. A shadow flae would soon begin to takeover making his shadows look more fierce as if it was a dark flame. “Fire Style, Blaze of the Salamander” he would mutter to himself as the dark flames wreathed themselves. The shadowed hands would begin to grasp much firmer and pull at the flowers that were tightly dug into the ground.
Yuuto would jump to a tree as the earth below him would begin to shake and billow as if it was in a frenzy. The creature was going to reveal it’s true form and taking no stops in his movements a pool of shadows would begin to show itself as behind him as he reached in and pulled a blade from it. This was not the black and crimson blade Nosferatu, no it was something else. This sword was shaped longer and sharper, the blade itself being made of gemstones. Silver ran down it’s center keeping true to the monster hunter theory that silver was the best weapon for any creature. Yuuto would begin to push Chakra into the gem blade, bringing the same dark flare that was over his body. A vine shot out of the ground intent on hitting the slayer but he was faster swiftly cutting it burning a portion of the creature’s vine. Immediately two more shot up with ferocious power. One of them was stopped by this blade while the other made contact and knocked Yuuto down. However the Masaru clansmen was not done as he responded with a giant bundle of shadows that all shot out and pierced the ground. Green blood began to seep from the earth as he knew his jutsu made connection. The ground became more unsteady as the flower beast broke through to reveal itself.
Upon inspection it was worse than he had originally imagined the creature being twice the size of his predictions. While observing and taking notes of the recovering beast he saw a disturbing feature one that brought more anger to his soul. There were human bodies slightly deformed and recreated in the plant’s image. This creature was not only feeding off of the people it was turning them into a part of it’s very being. These bodies were sticking out on the multiple parts of the Primrose monster’s bulb. He was sickened by this and mortified they didn’t catch on sooner.
“I will not let you take another victim… I refuse it you damned foul abomination.”
With a flick of his wrist more shadows would come from beneath and wrap his sword in the Ninja Wire. Yuuto would sheathe the gemsword back into the shadows and begin to retreat from the area. The rampant Primrose, would follow suit thrashing trees trying to catch the slayer while he prepared more seals. After finishing the preparation for his Jutsu a dark portal would open, where a giant flamed hand would come from within punching the Primrose back. A body would begin to pull itself from the shadows, towering at half the size than the giant creature. It was made of fire, but augmented by the Primordial Shadows. It was Yuuto’s Abysmal Harbringer but in this form he dubbed it the Shadow Herald. “Giant Plant thing meet the Shadow Herald. Shadow Herald kick it’s ass.” As the creation went to work another portal would open from behind the Primrose where a smaller creature a little bigger than Yuuto would also come out from. This was more like a serpent created from the depths of the Primordial Zone. It was the Ebony Nightmare jutsu, something close to an evil snake for his purpose. This creature would flank the Primrose utilizing a dark flame to blast the creature with.
The assault was proving to be effect but the creature began to emit an acid like goo, which started to melt the Ebony Nightmare. Shadow Herald still strong and sturdy continued to pummel the creature, but the Shadow Snake was slowing down beginning to melt away. “I cannot let this chance escape me” he said defiantly. The gemblade would be withdrawn from the shadows allowing him a chance to attack. He would fling the blade using his power to guide it and strike the target. Hundreds of little shadow hands would be produced from this blade and hold down the creature another technique known as the Iron Point Prison. By using his blade he could trap an enemy but the shadows helped hold this creature down. He’d daringly rush in with two jugs of oil throwing it down the creature’s sharp teeth hoping it’d break on the insides. The final piece of his plan was coming into play.
“Power of the Primordial Zone heed my call. Let my shadow’s radiance be shown to all who oppose it. Burn away at this pariah and end the nightmare for all.” He was charging his chakra chanting at the same time to give himself peace at mind and focus to the objective. When he released this jutsu it was sure to destroy the creature, it truly had to.
Pools of darkness would appear beneath the creature, and then pillars of the dark fire would shoot up crashing into the creature at high velocity. At that same moment the Herald would reach into the creature’s mouth burrowing the top half of his body inside and then exploding. The primrose was being burned alive shrieking and flailing as its insides and outer shell were being reduced to nothing more than ash. As it burned he noticed that the once human bodies on the bulb were beginning to smile and cry as if they were finally freed from a curse. He saw Gojin’s body and without hesitation used the shadows to grab the flower formed body and bring it to him. Eventually it was going to turn into nothing more than ash but that was okay for there was a woman who needed this more than anything.
Part Four: The Aftermath
The creature was dubbed the Moonlight Primrose and all data Yuuto was able to collect was given to his clan as well as the village. Since the case had been finally closed it was appropriate to inform the families of each victim something the young Anbu planned to do himself. Before any of that he would visit Megami, who sat in the hospital staring at her window still. He came without the Anbu gear this time feeling the need for it was dull in comparison.
“Hello Megami, it’s me again. I just want you to know I found it… I found that monster and I understand everything now. However I want you to know Gojin’s not stuck there anymore he’s free. I got revenge for you, him, and all the victims. I just want you to know when it was over he was smiling and happy. He was able to say something to me before it ended; he said that he loved you eternally. I brought you his ashes I think they belong with you.” He would leave the silver urn on her bed and begin to head out the room. He had felt bad lying about her fiancé’s final words but it wouldn’t do her harm to know love even in death. Yuuto turned back once more to find a tearful Megami clutching the urn tightly and staring at him. She was crying heavily, but they were tears of joy. All in all this was more than a mission success, it was a true blessing.
[WC: 3700]
[Solo Mission Complete]