Kidunapping [Part 2 - C-rank]

[Kogami Ayumu]

Last time on ANBU MissionZ Otome and Hoshi met up with Tsumugu on the rooftop of a building in Port Cirrus. Their mission was to locate the child of a noble in Lightning Country who had been kidnapped and rescue him. Tsumugu had tracked the child to a warehouse on the seaside. They discovered that the warehouse was heavily guarded in the front but not so much on the roof. Taking the initiative, Hoshi rushed the rooftop with a clone, hoping to take out the two guards but narrowly escaped revealing their presence there when one of the guards saw him. Fortunately, Tsumugu was a crack shot with his rifle and took the guard out before he could utter a word of warning to anybody else as Hoshi took out the remaining guard.

Entering the warehouse, they found more guards within. While Hoshi remained within the warehouse itself to keep their escape route clear, Otome and Tsumugu transformed to take on the appearance of the two guards from the rooftop. With their disguises they made their way to the lower floors, Otome taking the second while Tsumugu took the first. Before long, Otome located the boy in a room on the second floor of the office area with the intel Hoshi overheard from the guards in the warehouse. Hoshi was currently watching one of the guards steadily climb to the roof where his clones and the guards the team had taken out where waiting. Tsumugu, on the other hand, had gone radio silent on the first floor where he had moments ago believed he might have found the boy.
[spoilername="Otome"]The room was empty save for the boy who was sitting on a chair. There was a little bit of light provided by a nearby lantern, enough to see the boy's face. He squinted and then seemed to recognize that Otome was one of the guards. "What are you doing in here?" he asked, his voice without any apparent fear. He wasn't restrained in any way, nor had the door been locked or guarded. There were no guards between her and the door to the catwalk, but Hoshi had mentioned a guard making his way to the roof whom he intended to take out once they reached the roof. Tanto, on the other hand, had not said a word since mentioning that he had found something below.

*Note: Had to make a change to the boy's reaction (if you had read it in the previous thread). I had forgotten that Otome was transformed to look like one of the guards.[/spoilername]

[spoilername="Hoshi"]The man making his way to the roof had reached the upper level of the catwalk and was now headed towards the ladder leading up to the hatch on the roof. Unimpeded, he would take the latter and reach the rooftop where he would discover Hoshi's clones in place of the guards originally on the roof.[/spoilername]

 

[Shouyu Hoshi]

"His reaching the top! I am engaging!"

Hoshi's eyes were widening, as the guard was already up the ladder to the hatch where Hoshi was just some feet away blending in with the darkness of the area. He held his breath, but his heart was thumping like the thunder plains of lightning country. The guard had opened the hatch and Hoshi would follow in a sweeping shadow to reveal himself the same time the guard would spot the clones.

The clones caught off guard peeking over the edge would turn their heads with an awkward face, a huge thick droplet of sweat sliding down their face with their mouths agate. They had been caught, but Hoshi's quick reaction time lead him to respond the instant the guard could decipher all of this mentally. Hoshi would strike the guard with rock(right cross), paper(leaping right round house kick), and then Hoshi would feint a right mid side kick into left palm aimed to connect with the guards chin line, potentially suppressing him if a full hit.
Upon success Shouyu would reveal ninja wire from his sleeve and grappled the guard with the wire, tripping him to his feet where Hoshi would begin to detain and gag him. If his Janken didn't connect, he would still try to slip in some tricky ninja wire in the midst and try to capture the guard in his movements and proceed to detain him.

The clones meanwhile would awkwardly continue their march around the rooftop perimeter as if to play the part of everything being a okay from the bottom looking up. It would be teamed by poor whistling tunes and an inadequate military march, both of them would sneak peaks at the impending action hoping it wouldn't take a turn for the worst.

Hoshi would only hope to have a chance to detain the guard if not, he would prepare himself for further combat by entering the Jyuuken stance.

 

[Ginyama Senshiro]

"This is too easy . . . " Otome thought to herself as she entered the room, noticing that the boy was neither guarded nor restrained by any means. He didn't even seem to be afraid of her even with her disguise as one of her captors.

"Something is definitely not right here!"

Her eyes widened momentarily as she debated on what to say now that she had encountered their target--or at least someone that was impersonating him.

"They paid the ransom," Skull Kid finally lied, hoping that the vagueness of her response would enable her to gain additional information without much of a hassle. However, should the need arise, she still had her kunai strapped to her thigh.

[MFT: 120]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

The boy looked confused for a moment and then shook his head. "What? That's impossible... the ransom was supposed to be impossibly high. What are you playing at?" the boy asked, standing up from the chair he had been sitting in. He looked Otome up and down. "Weren't you supposed to be on the roof...?" he asked, studying Otome with suspicion. It seemed Otome's intuition had paid off, something was not quite right about the boy before her. This would only be further confirmed in a moment.

Suddenly, Tanto's voice came through on the team's radio. "Skull Kid, listen to me. I don't know what's in that room, but I have the kid! Skull Kid, are you there? I'm coming up the stairs we discussed with him now!" Tanto informed her with a hint of worry. Fortunately, the one before her didn't seem to hear her radio. "White Fox, you have to make sure the exit is clear. I have a feeling we're going to need to make a hasty exit," Tanto added.

By the time the guard recognized that the fully grown men guarding the rooftop had turned into identical boys, it was too late. A three hit combo knocked him silly thrice before Hoshi quickly began wrapping him with ninja wire. Unfortunately, before he could gag the man he let out a brief yell which echoed through the night. A quick glance down through the skylights would tell Hoshi that it had not gone unheard. Though nobody outside of the building had stirred, the group below was looking around and then one of them pointed up. The patrolling group had reached the group in the corner and the four of them seemed very interested to find out what they had heard coming from above, though they hadn't seen anything. As a unit, they made for the bottom of the stairs to the second floor intent on heading up.

 

[Shouyu Hoshi]

The guard let out a yell before Hoshi could successfully apprehended him. He cursed underneath his breath, hen signaled for his clones to check things out. Each one traveled to separate corners of the roof, peering over the edge. Once they had views and clarified they were okay down below, Hoshi would give a sigh of a relief. He opened the hatch, and left it open, for the quick escape. Just then, he heard the updates over the com.

Apparently there was some trickery, Hoshi cursed under his breath again for feeding his comrades falsified information. He shouldn't have been listening from out of context, he could only hope this blooper wouldn't endanger skull kid. Shortly after Tanto's report, Hoshi would respond.

"Let's make it quick! The roof top is clear! Skull kid, high tail it back!"

Hoshi's Byakugan caught sight of moving chakra signatures. He zoned in on them, four guards, the patrollers from the first floor were making their way toward the ladder to the second floor, and up to the catwalk. 'No way! Not now!' He clicked his teeth and reached for the com again.

"Four guards on their way up, let's hurry! I'm setting ninja wire on the stairs to the second floor to stall them for you skull kid!

Hoshi descended into the catwalk, at some points placing a short line of ninja wires that would crisscross and entangle anyone stepping into the pattern. Several of these were set along the cat walk by the stairs, and every other step of the stairs were set with another trap. Hoshi, now by the second floor had set traps here as well, before the guards could notice hopefully, he would ascend back to the top sticking to the shadows of the warehouse. His heart was racing, hopefully they'd make it out.

 

[Ginyama Senshiro]

"Well . . . shit . . . " Skull Kid thought as the extraction had already commenced while an impostor was staring her down. This particular person knew more about the abduction than the grunts did, and as such was already interrogating her without knowing it.

"Well, somebody had to tell you," Otome remarked as she shrugged. Although she had only the memory of the mission briefing aiding her bluffs, she had a knack for manipulating people. With allies she inspired them but with enemies she had a much wider of range of options.

"I guess other lords are using this chance to get in with the brat's dad." She paused for a moment, hoping her answer was good enough for him before turning to leave.

"Sorry for wasting your time, boss, I'll head back to the roof."

[MFT: 139]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

The "boy" looked a bit skeptical as Otome explained that others had chipped in to pay the ransom, but he still couldn't see past her disguise. At the very least, it seemed that he believed she was, in fact, who she was claiming to be. Seeing no point in continuing the charade he had been playing the "boy" released the transformation he had been keeping up. A puff of smoke obscured the quick change back into his actual form. Before Otome stood a fully grown man, not a boy, armed with a sword and weapon pouches at his hip. There was little doubt this was the suspected shinobi hire.

Otome made her bluff and went to leave, walking through the open door back into the hallway. Meanwhile, her ear was blowing up from the warnings coming from Hoshi who was doing his best to keep their escape route clear. As she exited, she would spot Tanto headed her way with the seemingly unconscious real boy carried over his shoulder. Unfortunately, their exit would not be so smooth. The shinobi was not entirely convinced. Otome would hear a heavy sigh behind her as the shinobi started towards the door.

"This wasn't the plan... I guess I'll have to go figure out what's going on for myself then," the man said, his voice reaching Tanto fortunately who stopped and ducked into an open door in the hallway just before the shinobi followed Otome out of the door. He was unfortunately now blocking the way back to the warehouse. Tanto reached for his headset as the shinobi rudely shoved past Otome, making for the door back into the warehouse.

"No choice, Skull Kid. He's in the way and we're out of time. Make the first move, I'll back you up. Hang in there White Fox. Keep that catwalk clear," Tanto spoke through the radio in a hushed tone. He prepared himself, quietly summoning his rifle once more.

Hoshi's ability to see the chakra signatures moving below alerted him quickly to the movement below. He dropped back to the catwalk once more and sped down the stairs with the speed of a shinobi. Before the guards could reach the stairs, he had already set a number of wires up to block their path. The wires were extremely difficult to see in the dark, but unfortunately for Hoshi it wasn't that difficult to see him setting up traps when the guards were headed straight towards the stairs.

"Hey, who's that?" one of the guards asked, pointing towards Hoshi. "HEY, YOU!" another shouted. They began running towards the stairs and tried to make their way up but quickly found themselves ensnared in wires which impeded their path. "What the hell is this?!" one shouted, pulling at the wire which was keeping him from ascending the stairs. "It's some kind of wire! Cut it!" another shouted back, pulling a sharp knife from his waist and beginning to cut away the wire stopping them. If they managed to ascend this one flight of stairs, they would be in the way of Otome and Tanto escaping with the child. To make things worse, the shouting from within the warehouse drew the attention of the guards outside. Doors began to open and confused faced peeked inside, then the guards began to rush in, their numbers too great to count.

 

[Shouyu Hoshi]

His head jolted upward, his right brow arched high on his forehead. A set of voices let him know he had been spotted. Communications lead him to believe Tanto and Skull Kid's situation had gone sour too. Hoshi was alone now, given the task to make their retreat as clean as possible. Now the stakes were getting high him being caught on the lower levels. The guards quickly began to proceed up the stairs tripping and falling, swiftly making the decision to cut the wires and curse the young Shinobi. He watched with wide and serious eyes. 'No, they can't proceed! I will make the stand here!' He thought to himself as he prepared to attack.

Hoshi would jump directly into their level rather swiftly if they were slow to recollect themselves after the set traps. He was in Jyuuken stance fusing his palms with static current of lightning chakra, utilizing his Thunder Fist [Mastered], prepping his assault. His eyes would identify the four guards with their chakra coils. A split second later Shouyu sent a barrage of eight palms, sending two to the torso of each guard, Hoshi's rendition of the Roaring Combination [Rank 1 with Special Action to target multiple enemies.]

If this barrage was successful he would hope it was enough for the job to knock out the four. Whatever course it took he would begin to pick up on multiple chakra signatures flooding the doors in high numbers.

-If Hoshi's barrage was unsuccessful he would choose to basic strike the four guards until an opportunity to knock them over the stairs, and proceed to the ground floor.

-If Hoshi was successful he would immediately proceed to the ground floor, reporting to the com.

"Tch! I won't let you down guys. It's clear from him, but they are all flooding in!

Hoshi quickly reacted by digging into his pouch bag with both hands revealing a water balloon in each. A second later they were tossed purposely at the floor before the guards splashing and spilling around the entrance. Hoshi wasted no time after hoping he could make the escape up the stairs himself. If the guards didn't slip to deter their path as Hoshi made his way up then he would turn around while ascending the stairs. A swift set of lightning style hand seals coated his hands in a flurry of bolts of which he tossed like shurikens at the first floor, not particularly aiming for the guards but the wet ground to conduct a wide range of shocking to anyone in the big puddle of water. He'd hope this last effort would be enough.

Hoshi knew every move was crucial so he planned a trump card if he was ever caught and apprehended. Upon any contact to hold him up he would immediately body switch with a clone on the roof top.

If his escape was a clean would, upon approaching the second floor, Hoshi's last action would be simultaneously tossing a set of smoke bombs to give him and his team cover, Hoshi would proceed to reach and clear the top, only hoping Tanto and skull kid were okay.

 

[Ginyama Senshiro]

"Now we get to the fun part!" she entertained the thought of slicing this cold-blooded bastard to ribbons. After discarding her disguise and readying her kunai, her heeled footsteps echoed through the square of corridors as she simultaneously pursued the man and tested the acoustics of the office space, hoping that the former would not notice her change just yet and that the latter would give Tanto enough information about where everyone was at any given time.

"You know," Otome began taunting the shinobi just as he was about to exit to the warehouse, "for the mastermind behind all this, you really are an idiot."

Normally, she would have simply remained rushed in and lashed at the man with a stealthy, yet hasty attack, but she knew damn well Hoshi couldn't handle both this guy and the mob of guards that were already pouring in. As such, her goal was to keep the man preoccupied until Tanto was able to incapacitate him somehow, and what better way to start than to make it painfully obvious that his own mission was in jeopardy.

Of course, doing so would more than likely draw his full aggression upon her, so she was ready to strike should he try to flee and to defend should he try to retaliate.

[WC: 215]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Unfortunately, the echo of the footsteps and the threat was enough to alert the shinobi of Otome's impending attack. As she came after him with the kunai he wheeled around drawing his sword and the two blades connected as they both struggled to overpower one another. The man's weapon and overall strength seemed to overwhelm Otome slightly, but fortunately for her she was only trying to keep the man's focus on her for a moment. Resting against the door frame, Tanto steadied his aim as Otome clashed with the shinobi, thankful she had not positioned herself in the way of his shot. He hadn't had the time to silence this one, so the shot rang out as he fired. The percussion alerted the shinobi but he couldn't move quickly enough to dodge and the bullet struck him through the torso.

A puff of smoke surprised both Otome and Tsumugu as the shinobi was replaced with a Kawarimi Target and the man himself was vanished. "Shit!" Tanto cursed, looking around for the shinobi but not finding anyone. Otome couldn't see where he had gone either. "Forget it, we have to go, just go!" Tanto shouted, slinging the gun over his shoulder and picking up the child under his arm before running down the hallway. The two of them were unimpeded as they ran, reaching the door back to the warehouse quickly.

Hoshi, determined to get the guards out of his comrade's way, dropped to the second floor to draw them there. Still unaware of the two in the second floor offices, the guards' only focus at present was Hoshi. Having cleared the wire, they rushed up the remainder of the stairs after Hoshi. The young trainee prepared himself as the four guards surrounded him, closing in. Of course, given that he was a child, they were quick to underestimate him. The flurry of strikes he unleashed caught them off guard, but even if it had not been a surprise a shinobi's speed was that of a god's to a normal man. The four were knocked back by the impacts and two of them fell over the railing immediately. After a series of punches and kicks the other two followed them.

Wasting no time, Hoshi took to the first floor to deal with the guards flooding in before they reached the second floor as well. Dropping the water on the ground he returned to the second floor with a leap before electrifying the water and those guards who had run unsuspectingly over the wet floor. Those who hadn't followed suit were now thinking twice and instead pulled their pistols to begin firing upon Hoshi. Not finished, Hoshi drew his smoke bombs and laid down a screen of smoke to obscure himself and his comrades as they exited through the door from the offices.

Otome and Tsumugu burst through the door to find Hoshi already on the second floor and a smokescreen obscuring the warehouse below, but more importantly hiding them from the guards who were firing blindly now. Tsumugu rushed to Hoshi and shoved the boy into his arms, freeing himself to utilize his rifle once more. He dug in his belt pouch for a split second and drew a small red gem which he inserted into a slot on his rifle before staring down the sights at the stairs to the first floor. A loud shot rang out and when the bullet hit the stairs it exploded, destroying the only route to the second floor from below as well as prompting terrified yells from below. Shrapnel from the explosion spread to the shelves and crates which began to catch fire.

"Go, go!" Tanto yelled at the two trainees as he took the child back and followed after them, running to the roof and taking a few pot shots with one hand at the guards below as they ran. As they climbed back to the roof, Hoshi would realize suddenly that his clones up top had been taken out. Reaching the rooftop, the team would find the shinobi from before waiting for them.

"Dammit. We can't risk letting the kid get hurt in a fight. You two will have to hold him off for a minute. Once I've got the kid out of harm's way I'll come back!" Tanto said, moving to leap off the building to the unguarded side before he even finished speaking (the rest would be audible via headset). There was no time to hand the boy off to one of the trainees or have any discussions, any time wasted would give the enemy a chance to stop him. Predictably, the shinobi made to try to follow after Tanto and the child. Now the trainees were tasked with fighting him so the child could be taken to safety.

[Ok, firstly I'm not a bmod and this isn't a bmod fight, but post actions kinda like you would if it were (except no need to PM). Mainly just make sure you stick to jutsu you have and don't use more AP than you'd have in a round. It's not a real mod, though I may do some rolls.]

 

[Shouyu Hoshi]

Hoshi had cleared the stairway. Luckily these were just drunkard guards men, probably without any real combat experience. They were dispatched quickly and went over the rails wailing. Hoshi stared his descent to the lower grounds where his next actions had worked for the most part. Although as he ascended the stairs tossing smoke bombs, a flurry of bullets filled the air, shot after shot ringing through the warehouse loudly.

He retreated to the second floor, meeting up with Skull Kid and Tanto who appeared to be okay. Tanto tossed the boy over to Shouyu and easily caught the child, looking over to Tanto who was preparing a shot, once it let off, goodbye stairs in a explosion where Hoshi braced himself, then looked once more surprised whispering to himself, 'Incendiary rounds?!' That thought was short lived as Tanto grabbed the kid and rushed for the exit beckoning the trainees to follow!

At this time, Shouyu felt an 'Energy' return to him. He was slightly confused at first, but it all went to wind as they reached the rooftop. His clones dispersed, and the hired hand was waiting at the rooftops. Shouyu cringed, biting down clenching his jaw as he prepared himself in the Jyuuken stance, this was reactionary, prepping for battle.

Tanto cursed and began fleeing with the child giving Skull Kid and Hoshi they're final duty. Although, he didn't know how strong this Shinobi was, from his chakra signature Hoshi could tell, this guy has pools of chakra. The ninja was rushing over to catch Tanto and the child, that's when Hoshi reacted with a flurry of hand seals and slammed his palm into the ground.

[6 ap for the round.]

-Hoshi uses C Rank Ninjutsu, "Shielding Tempest Rank 1." [2 ap]

-Creates a wall of storm chakra with 1,215 HP. Hoshi would conjure the wall at the edge of the roof, sealing its edge, causing the Shinobi to forcefully go through the wall while Hoshi would close the distance and engage him.

"Skull Kid, I'll open him up, you strike hard!"

Hoshi's remaining time would be considered, now within range of the man he would let loose the flurry of Tenketsu strikes. Hoshi would close in, palms ready, he would send simultaneously, followed by four, then eight, then sixteen, followed by thirty two, then sixty four, a whopping hundred and twenty eight, finally two hundred and thirty six palms attempting to strike him. Hit or miss, Shouyu would attempt this flurry twice!

-Hoshi uses Tenketsu strikes Rank 3, twice. [ 3 ap]

-If Hoshi connects the first barrage, combo the second barrage by using Hachimon Bandage Pull [.5 ap] to make it a combo.

That would be Hoshi's final move, hit or miss he would try to create distance between him and the njnja to create the opening needed for Skull Kid.

 

[Ginyama Senshiro]

Battle Template (Information and Actions)
[col]

Skull Child
HP: (60+lvl) x stamina
CP: (35+lvl) x chakra control
Class Bonus: +1 Crit; 1 Class Point reserved for later use
High: Melee Accuracy
Average: Evasion (Dodge); Genjutsu Save
Low: Ranged Accuracy; Ninjutsu Accuracy; Genjutsu Difficulty

Minor: Earth; Explosion
Major: Fire
Advanced: Explosion

|

OoC Rank: C-Rank
PL: 510
CL: 3
HP: 5355 / 5355
CP: 3230 / 3230
AP: 4.00 / 4.00

Agility: 105/175
Stamina: 85/175
Ninjutsu: 65/175
Taijutsu: 105/175
Genjutsu: 65/175
Chakra Control: 85%/175%

[/col]
[col][spoilername="Ninjutsu"][E] Transformation (Mastered) [LINK]
[E] Body Switch (Mastered) [LINK]
[D] Combination Transformation (Rank 1) [LINK]
[D] Crystal Eye (Rank 1) [LINK]
[D] Cancel (Rank 1) [LINK]
[D] Spirit Lantern (Rank 1) [LINK]

[D] Critical Exposure (Mastered) [LINK]
[D] Mask Summon (Rank 1) [LINK][/spoilername]|[spoilername="Taijutsu"][E] Charge (Mastered) [LINK]
[E] Grip (Mastered) [LINK]
[E] Fleeted (Mastered) [LINK]
[E] Block (Mastered) [LINK]
[D] Shadow Play (Rank 1) [LINK]
[D] Eagle Vision (Rank 1) [LINK]
[D] Muscle Control (Rank 1) [LINK]
[D] Brandish (Rank 1) [LINK]
[D] Basic Safeguard (Rank 1) [LINK]

[E] Slash (Mastered) [LINK]
[E] Arcing Slash (Mastered) [LINK]
[E] Dynamic Slash (Mastered) [LINK]
[E] Overhead Strike (Mastered) [LINK]
[D] Full Circle (Rank 1) [LINK]
[D] Cross Rip (Rank 1) [LINK]
[D] Crimson Flash (Rank 1) [LINK]
[D] Gasher (Rank 1) [LINK]
[D] Heavy Tow (Rank 1) [LINK][/spoilername][/col]
[col][spoilername="Genjutsu"]None Yet[/spoilername]|[spoilername="Puppet Jutsu"]None Yet[/spoilername][/col]
[spoilername="Abilities"]Initiative [LINK]
Bloody Mess [LINK]
Defensive Technique [LINK]
Fearless [LINK]
Martial Artist (Free after 5/25/2017)[/spoilername]
[spoilername="Nanjirou"]BLC: 504 [LINK][/spoilername]
[spoilername="Kinjutsu"]None Yet[/spoilername]

---

The clashing of metal on metal caught Otome by surprise, and her eyes widened as the man slowly yet surely began overpowering her.

"No!" she remained determined as she struggled to keep the man's sword at bay. "I will not fail!"

Fortunately, her perseverance paid off as Tanto shot once at the man. Unfortunately, the bullet struck a wooden kawarimi target instead of the man himself.

"Shit!" she cursed along with Tanto before following his lead. But after a failed search for the shinobi, they had little choice but to begin their escape. The two burst through to the second floor catwalk, the kunoichi too busy trying to compose her thoughts and feelings to notice the passing of the boy until Tanto fired an explosive round at the staircase and destroyed it.

"Tanto isn't giving up. . . . " she noticed as the three made their way back to the roof, only to meet a familiar face. Instinctively she readied her kunai and assumed a more guarded stance than before, accepting her final task with a simple nod before Tanto fled with the boy. Of course, the man attempted to follow, but White Fox was quick to block his pursuit with a peculiar barrier jutsu.

Hoshi's apparent confidence int her ability to land a potentially killing blow against a seasoned shinobi, although unfounded, bolstered her resolve and summoned a wicked grin across her features. At this moment she abandoned the calm facade she had put up for her fellow trainee in the past; now she just wanted blood.

"I thought you'd never ask!" she joked with Hoshi as she struck at the man's legs a total of four times, hoping to make it more difficult for the man to escape again. And when given the opportunity, she would aid Hoshi with his bizarre sequence of palm strikes by kneeing the villain in the groin.

[WC: 315]

---

[col][spoilername="Current Equipment"]

Name: Bloodstained Kunai
Description: One of the staple weapons among shinobi for generations, the kunai is the go-to weapon for its versatility in both melee and ranged combat. This one in particular is favored by Otome, as if the caked blood along its edges wasn't enough of an indicator.

Damage Type: Slashing - Chance to Inflict Bleeding Naturally
Base Damage: -10% Base Damage
Base Accuracy: +2 Accuracy
Augments: None Yet!

Kawarimi Target (LINK)

Kawarimi Target (LINK)

Kawarimi Target (LINK)

Micro Chakra Bomb x2 (LINK)

Makibishi Spikes x3 (LINK)

[/spoilername]|[spoilername="Strategy Prep Slots"]None Yet![/spoilername][/col]
[col3][spoilername="Maintains"]None Yet![/spoilername]|[spoilername="Actions"]0.50 AP Cost; 0.00 AP Timing - Enter Defensive Stance with both Initiative and Defensive Technique, trading -1 Accuracy for +1 Dodge

• Defensive Technique - [LINK]
• Initiative [LINK]

0.00 AP Cost; 0.00 AP Timing - Use Battoujutsu (Rank 1) to equip Bloodstained Kunai and empower her next attack

• Nanjirou
• [LINK]

1.25 AP Cost; 1.25 AP Timing - Use [D] Cross Rip (Rank 1) as a called shot targeting the shinobi's legs

• Cross Rip - [LINK]

1.25 AP Cost; 1.25 AP Timing - Use [D] Cross Rip (Rank 1) as a called shot again targeting the shinobi's legs

• Cross Rip - [LINK]

[/spoilername]|[spoilername="Conditionals"]1) When Hoshi goes to attack with his Tenketsu Strikes the first time, Otome will use [D] Critical Exposure (Mastered) modded directly before Hoshi's attack

• 1.00 AP Cost; 0.00 AP Timing - Critical Exposure - [LINK]

[/spoilername][/col3]
[spoilername="Notes"]None Yet![/spoilername]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Thinking quickly to stop the shinobi from chasing after Tanto, Hoshi summoned a barrier which would prevent the man from passing without harming himself. Recognizing the clear danger, the shinobi stopped and turned just in time to see that Hoshi was giving him no time to think with Otome right on his heels. The barrage of tenketsu strikes took the enemy off guard and he was struck several times with surprising force, each hit landing harder than the last. The enemy shinobi tried to counter in the moments between the strikes but the wild slash he made with his sword was deftly avoided by Hoshi who continued his assault.

"Bah, damn you! Fine, I'll take care of you first and then find your friend and the kid. We've already got others going after them so don't think they'll get far!" the shinobi bellowed. Meanwhile, Otome was taking advantage of the distraction caused by Hoshi to launch attacks of her own. Brandishing her kunai she slipped into the shinobi's blind spot and slashed at his legs, hoping to cripple him. Sadly, the wounds were not deep enough to hinder his movement, but he felt the pain all the same as four slashes tripped the poor man's trouser legs to shreds and drew blood. He seemed to shrug off the minor bleeding and focused his attention on Hoshi, taking another more focused swipe at the boy. This attack found its mark leaving Hoshi with a cut across his left arm, though nothing too serious.

Thus far, the battle seemed to be leaning in the ANBU's favor. Commotion from the nearby hatch to the warehouse would draw the Cloud shinobi's attention as three guards climbed out, apparently having made their way through the office stairwell to reach the top and jump into the frey. The drew their guns and took aim. Though not shinobi, they were still a potential threat while facing the dangerous foe already present.

Not going to be as detailed as a real battle nor adhere super strictly to the battle rules. I'm taking RP into account somewhat too. I'm keeping track of HP and damage and such secretly. The enemy shinobi raised his sword and prepared to attack with his newfound backup.

1. Hoshi's Tenketsu strikes hit 8 times and do some pretty hefty damage.
2. Otome's Critical Exposure misses. Both of Otome's other attacks hit and do decent damage, no luck with called shot.
3. Enemy attacks Hoshi twice, misses once and hits once... roughly 20% of your health.

General idea of how the battle is going:
So far you've output a lot more damage than the enemy has managed, but he's still got a good bit of HP (not gonna say how much, but it's more than either of you, at least for now ). The new guys aren't shinobi but have a pretty good chance to do some damage, though nothing major. Still need to be taken out-- their HP is around 500 just to give you an idea what you're dealing with.

 

[Shouyu Hoshi]

The ninja would attempt a strike but a slight bob and weave of Hoshi's upper body avoided the attack and continued his assault which struck true. Although, he took a wound to his arm which bled rather loosely. Hoshi didn't bother to look focusing. Skull Kid had struck true as well and Hoshi grinned until he heard the hatch open revealing more guards who made it passed all the obstacles.

"Skull Kid, they are all you. I'll take this guy, we must get back to Tanto and the Kid."

Hoshi slid into the trademark stance once again. This time he would burst with raging chakra, unlocking three of his gates immediately, the aura burst itself would come outward at the Shinobi causing a blistering shockwave that could stifle him. [Open Gate 3]

Hoshi would then dash and attempt to basic strikes in the form of jabs with his palms, left and right. This would be followed by him summoning an immense amount of chakra cackling like an electric current in both hands. [Thunderfist Mastered] Hoshi would then follow with a four hit combo, four palms colliding into the man's chest.

With or without striking his target Hoshi would retreat to assess his next set of movements and determine his opponent's reactions. His eyes would slip by to Skull Kid and check her situation.

-Hoshi Opens Gate 3. [1.5] AP
-Hoshi does two basic strikes. [1.5] AP
-Hoshi uses Thunder Fist. [1] AP
-Hoshi uses Dragon Assault. [1.75] AP

 

[Ginyama Senshiro]

Otome nodded as she turned her attention towards the grunts somehow entering through the hatch and greeted them with a smug grin; she was more than confident in her ability to eliminate any fodder that stood between her and the success of the mission.

"Don't worry boys," she taunted them as she instantaneously began channeling a hefty amount of chakra through her body to her bloodstained kunai. "I'll make this as quick and painless as possible!"

The operative then lashed out at the three, darting back and forth between them while striking out in rapid succession before attempting to finish each of them off with far less intricate attacks.

"Perhaps . . . " her mind wandered for a moment following her assault, "I wasn't meant to fight on even terms." She pondered about how she had been able to slay hundreds of minions such as these guards with ease, yet, somehow, couldn't manage to defeat a little boy, her grin faltering for a moment. Her eyes wandered over to White Fox for a moment, wondering how he could fend himself against a grown man before returning her attention to the task at hand.

Should she succeed in incapacitating them (or better yet, running each of them through), she would experiment with her newfound affinity by slamming the hatch shut, forming a volatile bomb of chakra, planting it where the ladder met the roof, and praying to Lord Raiden that she wouldn't get caught in the blast radius, however small it may be.

[MFT: 253]

---

[col][spoilername="Current Equipment"]

Name: Bloodstained Kunai
Description: One of the staple weapons among shinobi for generations, the kunai is the go-to weapon for its versatility in both melee and ranged combat. This one in particular is favored by Otome, as if the caked blood along its edges wasn't enough of an indicator.

Damage Type: Slashing - Chance to Inflict Bleeding Naturally
Base Damage: -10% Base Damage
Base Accuracy: +2 Accuracy
Augments: None Yet!

Kawarimi Target (LINK)

Kawarimi Target (LINK)

Kawarimi Target (LINK)

Micro Chakra Bomb x2 (LINK)

Makibishi Spikes x3 (LINK)

[/spoilername]|[spoilername="Strategy Prep Slots"]None Yet![/spoilername][/col]
[col3][spoilername="Maintains"]Defensive Stance with both Initiative and Defensive Technique ( -1 Accuracy for +1 Dodge)

• Defensive Technique - [LINK]

Wielding Bloodstained Kunai[/spoilername]|[spoilername="Actions"]1.00 AP Cost; 0.00 AP Timing - Activate Wrath Seal (Rank 1) with Initiative

• Nanjirou -
• [LINK]
• Initiative [LINK]

1.25 AP Cost; 1.25 AP Timing - Use Full Circle (Rank 1) with Dancing Blade to attack all three guards at once

• Full Circle - https://ninpocho.com/viewtopic.php?p=14889#p14889][LINK][/url]
• [url=https://www.ninpocho.com/viewtopic.php?f=130&t=5521][LINK]

3x0.75 AP Cost; 3x0.75 AP Timing - Use [E] Arcing Slash (Mastered) three times, targeting a different guard each time.

• Arcing Slash - [LINK]

[/spoilername]|[spoilername="Conditionals"]1) If all three of the initial guards are KO'd, close the hatch then plant a Micro Chakra Bomb near where the ladder is

• 0.00 AP Cost; 0.00 AP Timing (!) - Micro Chakra Bomb - [LINK]

[/spoilername][/col3]
[spoilername="Notes"]Potentially sealing off the entrance and exit to the warehouse with a conditional RP action as discussed via Discord.[/spoilername][/quote]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

The duo made a quick decision to split their focus on the enemies, Hoshi taking on the shinobi while Otome was tasked with quickly wiping up the small fry. Trying to shrug off the damage he took, Hoshi planted his feet firmly on the ground and opened the Gate of Life, accelerating his body's natural healing slightly. Wasting no further time he dashed into close quarters with the enemy shinobi once more jabbing twice with his palms. The first connected with the enemy's chest but the second was sidestepped and followed with a counter attack. The shinobi swung his sword, unleashing an intense wave of heat which collided with Hoshi-- painfully.

Meanwhile, Otome had turned her focus to the thugs who had climbed to the rooftop. Quickly closing the gap between herself and them, she swung her kunai in a circle slashing each of the men deeply in one fell swoop. The sheer speed and strength of a shinobi proved overwhelming yet again as the three had no time to react as Otome swung three times with her kunai, cutting each of them down one by one before they could even fire a shot. To ensure this was their last interruption, Otome planted a chakra bomb to destroy the hatch and ladder, the explosion detatching the catwalk entirely from the roof as pieces of it fell to the warehouse below bringing a few of the guards down with it.

The force of the impact from the enemy's last attack had pushed Hoshi back and, conviniently for the enemy, placed him near enough to Otome to set the sword wielding shinobi up for his next attack. Nimbly swinging his sword around in a flurry of slashes the shinobi came after Otome and Hoshi both at once. Hoshi took another slash which caused him to begin bleeding, but ducked a second attack thankfully. Otome was not as lucky, being slashed twice as she was unable to avoid the surprise attack.

Gritting his teeth and bearing the pain, Hoshi focused his chakra and summoned lightning to his fists. The enemy took this as a moment of distraction and took a wild, powerful swing at Hoshi. Hoshi punished the lack of aim with a nimble dodge and counterattack, channeling his fury into an electrified four hit combo which drove the enemy back temporarily. The enemy had gotten his payback this round, and to make matters worse the growing fires and the explosion from the chakra bomb seemed to be weakening the integrity of the roof they were standing on which groaned ominously. As the two sides stared eachother down, a brief pause in the action, the Kumogakure team's headsets delivered a message from Tanto.

"You guys alright? I was able to evade the enemy and have dropped the kid off somewhere safe for the time being-- I'm headed back your way to join the battle but... the mission objective has been completed, if you see a chance to get out of there, take it."

Attacks:
1. Otome hits all three thugs with her Full Circle attack and then finishes them off easily with three Arcing Slashes.
2. Enemy thugs never get the chance to attack... they're incapacitated.
3. Hoshi lands one out of two of his basic strikes for minimal damage, casts Thunderfist to buff his next attack, this lands all four hits of Dragon Assault for decent damage.
4. Enemy shinobi lands a hefty attack on Hoshi (about 24% of your HP)
5. Enemy's two-target attack hits Hoshi once (about 10% of your HP) and Otome twice (about 47% of your HP)

Standings:
Hoshi: 43% HP Remaining
Otome: 53% HP Remaining
Enemy: 53% HP Remaining

Notes (what I figure your characters will have worked out by fighting him, so far):
This enemy hits pretty accurately and very hard, preferring slashing techniques.
He's pretty sturdy (clearly has more HP), but isn't the best at dodging.
So far damage exchanged between him and the Kumo team has been about equal, but this round was a big comeback for him as far as damage exchanged (though Otome was focused elsewhere).

Final note: It comes down to fight or flight now. If you decide to escape, you forfeit attacking the enemy directly. Escaping won't be like a normal battle, though-- it won't take you multiple rounds of attempting to run. Your chances of giving the enemy the slip will instead depend on your characters' exit strategy and actions (your RP basically).

 

[Shouyu Hoshi]

Hoshi dashed after his power rip striking true the first, but the enemy proving to be nimble on his feet stepping away. Instantly, Hoshi felt the stinging burn of heat and another slashing wound that seal itself by the burn still drawing a quart of blood before it did so. Hoshi recollected himself and his eyes grew wide.

An explosion in the distance caused Hoshi to stumble and look, when his eyes returned the Shinobi was closing in. Hoshi took the first slash, spilling blood once more, but this time with full attention Hoshi lowered himself and ducked the following strike.

Hoshi then executed his lightning empowered combo. The four kicks which started with a spinning roundhouse, to the opposite direction, and repeated with the opposite leg.

Spoiler

This seem to cause the Shinobi to stumble back as create some distance while Hoshi overheard the good news from Tanto. This guy was proving to be a tougher opponent than Hoshi anticipated. A quick decision from him was to escape, but he would need to set it up nicely for him and Skull Kid to flee. Hoshi then quickly performed some fire seals when finishing a whistling sound of his chakras activating as he inhaled sharply. When he exhaled he spewed a cloud of crackling ash that would burn and obscure vision of the Shinobi. Hoshi immediately began performing some earth hand seals, he then slammed both palms into the ground, shifting the already unstable roof into a thick mud. Hoshi would then cover himself in a veil of darkness, blending in with the night time shadows and the natural darkness. From there Hoshi would respond and attempt to flee from the building immediately.

"Copied! White Fox is is retreating! Skull Kid follow my lead!"

He hoped the the ash cloud would obscure the vision well enough, if not the mud would cause the Shinobi to slip. If all else failed, after Hoshi had leapt from the rooftop to a more stable and safe building, with Skull Kid, he would snap. This, detonating the smoke cloud and clearly not helping the deteriorating building.

-Hoshi uses Scalding Ash Cloud.
(Special Action as Conditional. 2(3) ap.
-Hoshi uses Earth Flow River
-Hoshi uses Active Camo
(Special Action to overcharge camo and enter stealth.)

 

[Ginyama Senshiro]

"Copy that," she whispered into her headset as the ash from White Fox's jutsu obscured the two operatives and slowed the hostile shinobi down. But as she went to leave, a devious idea popped into her head, prompting her to turn around.

"You go on ahead, White Fox," she told Hoshi as she faced the villain for the last time. "I have to make sure these bastards don't try this again."

The kunoichi was ready to cover their escape route herself by creating another volatile bomb of chakra and tossing it high into the air above the roof and towards the shinobi. But she wasn't counting on the bomb hitting him; no, instead as the explosive neared its impact point, she would jump off the roof itself before swiftly drawing her kunai and unleashing twin waves of energy towards the bomb, hoping to detonate it prematurely so that the man couldn't react at all. Regardless of whether she succeeded in triggering the explosive, she knew that its collision with the unstable roof would surely cause the whole structure to collapse upon itself and those within.

[WC: 185]

---

[col][spoilername="Current Equipment"]

Name: Bloodstained Kunai
Description: One of the staple weapons among shinobi for generations, the kunai is the go-to weapon for its versatility in both melee and ranged combat. This one in particular is favored by Otome, as if the caked blood along its edges wasn't enough of an indicator.

Damage Type: Slashing - Chance to Inflict Bleeding Naturally
Base Damage: -10% Base Damage
Base Accuracy: +2 Accuracy
Augments: None Yet!

Kawarimi Target (LINK)

Kawarimi Target (LINK)

Kawarimi Target (LINK)

Micro Chakra Bomb x1 (LINK)

Makibishi Spikes x3 (LINK)

[/spoilername]|[spoilername="Strategy Prep Slots"]None Yet![/spoilername][/col]
[col3][spoilername="Maintains"]Defensive Stance with both Initiative and Defensive Technique ( -1 Accuracy for +1 Dodge)

• Defensive Technique - [LINK]

Wrath Seal (Rank 1)

• Nanjirou - [LINK]

[/spoilername]|[spoilername="Actions"]0.50 AP Cost; 0.00 AP Timing - Sheathe Bloodstained Kunai with Initiative

• Initiative - (LINK)

1.50 AP Cost; 1.50 AP Timing - Draw and prime Micro Chakra Bomb

• Micro Chakra Bomb - [LINK]

0.75 AP Cost; 0.75 AP Timing - Attack the roof itself with Micro Chakra Bomb using ranged accuracy

• Micro Chakra Bomb - [LINK]

0.00 AP Cost; 0.00 AP Timing - Use Battoujutsu (Rank 1) to equip Bloodstained Kunai again

• Nanjirou - [LINK]

1.25 AP Cost; 1.25 AP Timing - Use Cross Rip (Rank 1) with Energy Slash as a Called Shot to attack the Micro Chakra Bomb

• Cross Rip - https://ninpocho.com/viewtopic.php?p=14890#p14890][LINK][/url]
• [url=https://www.ninpocho.com/viewtopic.php?f=130&t=5521][LINK]

[/spoilername]|[spoilername="Conditionals"]None[/spoilername][/col3]
[spoilername="Notes"]Burning down the (ware)house![/spoilername]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

The decision to escape rather than battle further was made and both of the trainees were in agreement that it was time to go. Weaving through handseals, Hoshi used a technique which enabled him to exhale a large billowing cloud of scalding ash. The main purpose was to obscure the enemy shinobi's vision, which it did well. The shinobi attempted to run through the cloud to find Hoshi but instead found his feet caught in a thick mud which hindered his movement and attempts to locate the trainees even further.

The sound of Hoshi calling for a retreat reached the enemy's ears as he managed to pull his feet free of the mud and attempt to reach Hoshi. Unfortunately for him, when he reached the location where Hoshi had been a moment ago, the boy was seemingly no longer there. A hint of motion caught his eye as he realized Hoshi had cloaked himself, but something more pressing drew his attention away.

"Oh, shit!" the shinobi cursed, turning and running from the bomb as he realized what the intention was. The explosion was more than enough to bring the already crumbling roof down onto the warehouse below, the debris hitting the flames almost enough to smother the fire, though not quite. Through the cloud of smoke and dust along with Hoshi's ash cloud, it wasn't clear whether the shinobi had managed to escape or not. Hoshi and Otome, however, had gotten away in the nick of time.

Somebody was sure to be pissed about that warehouse collapsing, but nobody would know of the ANBU's involvement. As a result of the ANBU team's actions, the child would be returned to his father safely and Kumogakure would be paid handsomely. Naturally, a small portion of that reward would even end up in the trainee's pockets as payment for a successful mission.

[Mission Complete]