With a heavy sigh, Fuu launched himself from atop the gates, his descent shrouded in darkness and his landing muffled with expertise. The man was no stranger to stealth, it had been built into since his first day in the academy, but today’s circumstances were different to say the least. The fact that he had to employ stealth so close to the village was disturbing, the sight of the thick gates shut tight only serving to put the ANBU further on edge. Crouching low to the ground, the robed man took a moment to allow his eyes to adjust to the dark of the mountain night.
The task was straight forward enough, with the closing of the gates and the expulsion of most mercenaries and foreign shinobi, there had been some disruptions. While getting the ‘refugees’ out of the gates was simple enough, getting them to leave the area was another matter. Only a few hundred yards from the massive pass a tent city had been erected, it’s tenants struggling against the bitter cold. At first they had been peaceful, but emboldened by a lack of resitance they quickly grew rowdy, cluttering the pass with trash and waste. A party had been sent out to suggest their relocation to a neighboring village, but they had been turned away with rude remarks and slurs. A second squad had been sent, this time demanding the group pack up and move, but they too had been driven off under threat of violence. To avoid a public incident, the group had fallen back and reported the pack of about thirty vagabonds would not be moved without force.
And so it was that Fuu had been called in, still struggling with the recovery process of his recent surgery. He had been assigned to a squad with two other Mempos, whose callsigns the ANBU didn’t care to remember. What mattered was, their instructions were simple. Swoop in during the dead of night and force the camp to relocate. As far as the young man knew, there was only one way it would be resolved. While only a handful of the collected mercs and refugees were shinobi, all were armed and able bodies, albeit a little cold and hungry. While the tactics were rough, all previous attempts had failed, leaving the military state of Kumogakure little choice in the matter. They were ordered to kill only if necessary, but the three ANBU had a feeling the night would prove fatal.
So, crouching low and hugging the sheer mountain wall, Fuu claimed ground as quiet as a ghost. In minutes he was on the outskirts of the small camp, the speaker in his ear clicking rapidly a few times before falling silent. ‘That was the signal, they’re in place.’ During the brief, the squad had come to the conclusion that they would give the vagabonds one more chance to submit and relocate before moving in with force, and that was where Fuu came in. As close as he was, he could hear the various happenings of the small tent city, a few men arguing loudly, a fire crackling and even the faint but familiar sound of a woman complaining. Biting his lip from behind his spider mask, the ANBU ran through the plan one more time before rushing through a set of handseals, his four Shadow Servants silently spreading out from him on both sides. Straightening up, the man strode forward confident, his long legs putting him with the bright inner circle of the camp in only a few steps.
For a few seconds, everything continued as normal. The group of five men seated around the fire barely noticed as the dark figure emerged from the shadows, their focus stuck on the warmth of the flame. It wasn’t until the young man cleared his throat the group looked up, bewildered by the mans sudden appearance. “What the fuck!” A man shouted, rising instantly with spear in hand. “You better get lost!” Fuu only shook his head, glancing casually from side to side as the refugees flooded out of their tents, armed and ready to investigate the source of the shouting. Raising a gloved hand, the ANBU spoke, his Shadow Servants stepping out in unison, two on either side of him. “I am here at the behest of Kumogakure. Begin packing now and we will help you with your journey.” Already a small crowd had gathered around the ANBU, over twenty of the thirty refugees. “Yea, and what if we don’t!” Shouted one of the men, his voice matching the general tone of the crowd. As the uproar ensued around him, the man simply raised his hand again, silencing the rowdy crowd for another brief moment.
“If you don’t leave willingly, we will force you out now. You will travel the long road to Raiden’s eye with whatever supplies you can salvage.” Pausing for a moment, he glowered from behind his mask, his gray eyes flashing in the light of the fire. In response, a bottle exploded near his foot, showering his robe in liquid and glass. In moments the crowd surged forward, the whole group clamoring to tear the ANBU apart.
What happened next was a blur. First, an explosion shook the air, scattering the crowd and raining debris and burnt flesh around the camp. Fuu wasted no time in leaping backwards, cursing audibly as his Shadow Servants met the head of the group, largely unscathed by the explosion. There were screams as projectiles flew threw the air, piercing into vagabonds left and right. If that wasn’t enough, the ground shook as spikes of earth protruded from the ground, puncturing into the now terrified vagabonds. “That’s enough.” The ANBU growled softly, watching as the crowd shifted from angry rioters to desperate civilians. “Orders are orders, do your job Doku.” Came the response, bringing a frown to the young mans hard face. He was no fan of foreigners, but this seemed a bit unnecessary, even to the cold blooded killer. Considering the recent events that had unfolded with Yuuto and the revelations that had been made therein, Fuu had no choice but to keep his head low and follow orders. ‘I will see an end to these orders, but for now...’
With a heavy sigh, he flew threw the familiar handsigns for the Ambience of the Forbidden, Blowing the now dwindling crowd and the camp sit out into the pass. Some fell straight over the edge, others were lucky enough to land on the trail and scurry away. All were removed from the area.
“Mission Accomplished. Lets pack it in.”
[WC: 1,111]
The task was straight forward enough, with the closing of the gates and the expulsion of most mercenaries and foreign shinobi, there had been some disruptions. While getting the ‘refugees’ out of the gates was simple enough, getting them to leave the area was another matter. Only a few hundred yards from the massive pass a tent city had been erected, it’s tenants struggling against the bitter cold. At first they had been peaceful, but emboldened by a lack of resitance they quickly grew rowdy, cluttering the pass with trash and waste. A party had been sent out to suggest their relocation to a neighboring village, but they had been turned away with rude remarks and slurs. A second squad had been sent, this time demanding the group pack up and move, but they too had been driven off under threat of violence. To avoid a public incident, the group had fallen back and reported the pack of about thirty vagabonds would not be moved without force.
And so it was that Fuu had been called in, still struggling with the recovery process of his recent surgery. He had been assigned to a squad with two other Mempos, whose callsigns the ANBU didn’t care to remember. What mattered was, their instructions were simple. Swoop in during the dead of night and force the camp to relocate. As far as the young man knew, there was only one way it would be resolved. While only a handful of the collected mercs and refugees were shinobi, all were armed and able bodies, albeit a little cold and hungry. While the tactics were rough, all previous attempts had failed, leaving the military state of Kumogakure little choice in the matter. They were ordered to kill only if necessary, but the three ANBU had a feeling the night would prove fatal.
So, crouching low and hugging the sheer mountain wall, Fuu claimed ground as quiet as a ghost. In minutes he was on the outskirts of the small camp, the speaker in his ear clicking rapidly a few times before falling silent. ‘That was the signal, they’re in place.’ During the brief, the squad had come to the conclusion that they would give the vagabonds one more chance to submit and relocate before moving in with force, and that was where Fuu came in. As close as he was, he could hear the various happenings of the small tent city, a few men arguing loudly, a fire crackling and even the faint but familiar sound of a woman complaining. Biting his lip from behind his spider mask, the ANBU ran through the plan one more time before rushing through a set of handseals, his four Shadow Servants silently spreading out from him on both sides. Straightening up, the man strode forward confident, his long legs putting him with the bright inner circle of the camp in only a few steps.
For a few seconds, everything continued as normal. The group of five men seated around the fire barely noticed as the dark figure emerged from the shadows, their focus stuck on the warmth of the flame. It wasn’t until the young man cleared his throat the group looked up, bewildered by the mans sudden appearance. “What the fuck!” A man shouted, rising instantly with spear in hand. “You better get lost!” Fuu only shook his head, glancing casually from side to side as the refugees flooded out of their tents, armed and ready to investigate the source of the shouting. Raising a gloved hand, the ANBU spoke, his Shadow Servants stepping out in unison, two on either side of him. “I am here at the behest of Kumogakure. Begin packing now and we will help you with your journey.” Already a small crowd had gathered around the ANBU, over twenty of the thirty refugees. “Yea, and what if we don’t!” Shouted one of the men, his voice matching the general tone of the crowd. As the uproar ensued around him, the man simply raised his hand again, silencing the rowdy crowd for another brief moment.
“If you don’t leave willingly, we will force you out now. You will travel the long road to Raiden’s eye with whatever supplies you can salvage.” Pausing for a moment, he glowered from behind his mask, his gray eyes flashing in the light of the fire. In response, a bottle exploded near his foot, showering his robe in liquid and glass. In moments the crowd surged forward, the whole group clamoring to tear the ANBU apart.
What happened next was a blur. First, an explosion shook the air, scattering the crowd and raining debris and burnt flesh around the camp. Fuu wasted no time in leaping backwards, cursing audibly as his Shadow Servants met the head of the group, largely unscathed by the explosion. There were screams as projectiles flew threw the air, piercing into vagabonds left and right. If that wasn’t enough, the ground shook as spikes of earth protruded from the ground, puncturing into the now terrified vagabonds. “That’s enough.” The ANBU growled softly, watching as the crowd shifted from angry rioters to desperate civilians. “Orders are orders, do your job Doku.” Came the response, bringing a frown to the young mans hard face. He was no fan of foreigners, but this seemed a bit unnecessary, even to the cold blooded killer. Considering the recent events that had unfolded with Yuuto and the revelations that had been made therein, Fuu had no choice but to keep his head low and follow orders. ‘I will see an end to these orders, but for now...’
With a heavy sigh, he flew threw the familiar handsigns for the Ambience of the Forbidden, Blowing the now dwindling crowd and the camp sit out into the pass. Some fell straight over the edge, others were lucky enough to land on the trail and scurry away. All were removed from the area.
“Mission Accomplished. Lets pack it in.”
[WC: 1,111]