M1: Way of the...Ronin?[PART II]

[Tamashi Seto]

M1: Way of the...Ronin?
Part II

Late Summer, Year 13
Early Afternoon

The battle was finally over, and any indication of a battle had been wasted away by his own accord. He had survived, he had kept his promise so far, and best of all? There wasn't a single scratch on him, but now came the hard part, a decision he didn't want to make, but one had to make regardless. Peering over the men that had helped him in the fight. He stared them down, and as he did, a tear formed at the corner of his eyes. Did they have to die? Was there no way for them to regain their honor? Yes, they were ronin, some of the lowest of trash, samurai who had abandoned their responsibilities and clan for their own selfish desires, but did that meant they couldn't be a given a chance to redeem themselves? He thought that and yet, he quickly ended up nodded his head once the idea sat within his mind. What was he thinking? Did he forget? Of course not....but deep down, he didn't want to admit it, that It was a sad but unfortunate truth that once you lost your honor, there was no going back, there would be no chance at redemption, no light at the end of the tunnel. You made your inner peace with your demon and accepted it, there was no going back. After a long pause, he closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose. Once he found himself centered, making himself as calm as he could be, considering the next action he was about to take, he rose his voice in a serious, almost cold like tone..

Tamashi Seto
"Enter the forest deep enough so no one will see...or hear you...and commit Seppuku....Whatever shame....or dishonor you brought before yourself and your family....are now gone, washed away by this sacrifice your about to make. May you and your families regain what little honor they can with your death's..."

With his order given, the hypnotized ronin that stood behind him, bowed their heads ever so slightly before they left his company, and began traveling into the forest they had came out of earlier. For a moment, he remained in place, momentarily closing his eyes, knowing full well what he had just done, before turning his head over his shoulder. With his crimson eyes, he peered into the forest but by than, the ronin were already gone from his view. He sighed, looking down. He was doing them a favor, or at at least, that's what he told himself. Though he gave the order, he was still uncertain about he had done. He didn't know why though, If felt wrong and yet, as the heir of the Tamashi Clan, and a samurai in training, this was how the real world worked for those whom broke their honor, though his mother may suggest otherwise. Standing there still, his legs unwilling to move now, he stood there waiting for several minutes, before deciding to move on, having came to the conclusion that the dirty deed had been done. There was no point on checking, he knew the power of his eyes, and only now, did he truly grasp what his eldest sister had been trying to tell him from the beginning. With these crimson eyes, they blessed him with great power, but also with great responsibility, a responsibility he could never forget, not even once, or else It It could bring disaster, not only on himself but others as well, especially those he cared about, but that just begged the question, should he even use this power, and If so, when and how? Such difficult questions and no answers. How troublesome....​

 

[Tamashi Seto]

HP: 1,000
Chakra: 8/15
Stamina: 5.5
Actions Taken
Rest

Several minutes had passed since he had made his first real decision, he had begun his pursuit of the lasting surviving ronin who had managed to escape, or really, he had allowed to escape. While his tracking skills as a Shinobi Samurai weren't exactly the greatest, especially within his own clan or even his prior academy class at the academy, they were more than sufficient for the task at hand. Since the bastard had ran away in a hurry, fleeing for his life, he left quite a mass in his wake, and this became more evident as he followed his trail into the forest. Between the numerous footprints, broken branches and deformed shrubs, no doubt he had ran through, It was child's play to follow the trail he had left behind. Of course, he kept his guard up as he followed suit, keeping his crimson eyes active at all times as he swung and leaped from one branch of a tree to another. Though the chances were low given the circumstances, he made sure to stay out of sight just in case the ronin had decided to lay an ambush or the off chance he run into more. Still fatigued from his last fight, having fought six ronin at the same time, he was in no condition for another fight like that, especially If he didn't have the element of surprise on his side. Regardless he pushed on, he had to, there was too much riding on him to fail. He couldn't afford to bring shame upon himself, the or upon the daimyo's heir. To do so....well, It would be better to be commit seppukku himself If he should fail, or worse, be captured by the enemy. He lamented the idea but there was no point in complaining. Shaking his head, he kept himself focused as best as he continued as he continued on. After another twenty minutes or so, the bloody trail left behind by the survivor finally came to a end when he saw a mildly sized hole in the side of a mountain at the edge of the forest. A cave ehh? He thought to himself. What would be the chances he asked himself. He than shrugged his shoulders. If there was going to be a bandit hideout, what better place than a cave? It was underground and and out of sight, not to mention, hidden. Only a hunter would probably have a decent chance of finding this place and it wasn't like they go exploring it now, not when bears often made it their home. Despite that however, that he most likely had found what he was looking for, he sighed. Right now, he was in no condition to go in, and certainly not by himself. Going against his enthusiasm to charge in with his blade swinging, he needed to rest first, much to his own disdain. So, after spending a few minutes finding a fitting tree on the tree line of the forest that would work best for him to hide in, he ran up said tree after infusing his chakra into his boots. Once he was in his self proclaimed safe place, he removed his training odachi from his back and rested his tired body against the massive trunk of the tree. He folded his one leg over the other and folded his arms behind his back, making them as a pillow of sorts for his head as he rest up against the tree. Once he closed his eyes, memories of Shizu came rushing to him, especially her smile. He smiled at the image in his head. He couldn't wait to see her once this mission was over. He had lots to tell her...

Action Summary:
Resting ​

 

[Tamashi Seto]

Several cycles later

HP: 1,000
Chakra: 15/15
Stamina: 15
Actions Taken
​

Deciding to keep one eye open in case of a worst case scenario, he tried his best to rest for what, several hours. Luckily for him, there wasn't any incoming or outgoing victors from the cave, no doubt due to his past actions. He couldn't tell If that made it easier for him or not, but once he awoke from his well needed nap, and stretched a little, he knew he couldn't afford to waste anymore time, not when they could be expecting them. He was sure the lone survivor had told his boss about him. If they didn't prepare any defenses for him, he would have been surprised. There was only one way to find out however. Leaping from his safe place once he made sure the coast was clear, he found himself landing on the ground below. With his eyes, he made a double check of the area before advancing. His paranoia was runing rampart right now, and he didn't want any surprises from his side of things. The cave itself would be bad enough. Once he he deemed the outside to be safe for the time being, he carefully approached the entrance of the cave, keeping his wars open and his eyes on target. Wanting to know what he could possibly be dealing with, he popped his head out. "Darkness....yeah, go figure, that was a given" He said within his mind. With his eyes unable penetrate the darkness, It seemed he was left with no choice but to enter the unknown. A scary prospect indeed, but he had no choice If he wanted to prove himself capable. He have to man up and do what's required of him. With a powerful exhale of air from his lungs, he calmed himself and cleared his mind. When he flashed his crimson eyes moments later, he nodded to himself before deciding It was time to venture into the unknown. As he began treading down the rocky path, and could see a few torches in the distance, hanged up on the wall, he kept his right hand on the handle of his Odachi in case he have to draw it. Being a hybrid shinobi now, he knew he have to stick to the darkness, especially If he wanted to survive. He may have been skilled for his age but he was still a Genin. He had to keep that in mind If he wanted to see Shizu again. He bite his lip as he continued slowly down the dimly light corridor....

Action Summary:​

 

[Tamashi Seto]

DM MAP

HP: 1,000
Chakra: 15/15
Stamina: 15
Location: A1(Map WIP)
Actions Taken


After traversing alone in the dark, something he was growing to hate, he could see no end in sight. He sighed at the sight, a never ending, long rocky corridor that was barely lit. Growing tired of this rather boring situation, he grabbed one of the torches imbued into the rocky wall and grasped it with his right hand as he left his other hand on the handle of his odachi. There wasn't any enemies from what he could see but he knew first hand that could change at any moment. He had to remain viligent no matter what. He pushed on, using his torch to lead the way, to destroy the darkness before him, yet the more he made his way down the corridor, it was simply more of the same. Although he knew better, his mind was hoping he come across a room or something soon, preferably without any enemies. Despite his warrior instincts urging him to charge into the unknown, he had to keep himself calm and collected. There was also the tiny, winy fact that getting out of this place would difficult to say at the least. He had to conserve his strength and rely on his wits If he wanted to make it out. He wasn't exactly dim by any means, but he wasn't exactly known for his intelligence or his knowledge on infiltration now. That was his eldest sister's specialty. Still, he try his best to live up to her as best as he could. He sighed at the thought however as he made his way still, lamenting that very thought. He was starting to miss his other companions at the moment. They would have definitely made this easier, that's for sure. Shizu would have enjoyed this in more ways than one, especially she was a practitioner of Bushido even more than he was. A smirk came over him. Oh, she would have loved to kill these low level scum with no honor. That's for sure...

Action Summary:​

 

[Tamashi Seto]

DM MAP

HP: 1,000
Chakra: 15/15
Stamina: 15
Location: A1 -> A2
Actions Taken

After stumbling nearly a dozen times thanks to the countless rocks littering the rocky corridor, he could finally a notice a end in the distance, amongst the darkness. He could barely make it out but he could definitely see it, making him sigh a little in relief. Finally, he was making progress or that's what he thought. It took a further few minutes of traversing through the darkness, using his torch to light the way before he finally stood at the entryway of a....empty room? His eyes full of disappointment, his head immediately show below towards the ground as the palm of his left hand landed on his forehead. "Seriously?.....Come on....I walk several minutes down a dark, barely light hallway, and this is what I find? A empty room?" His eyebrows nearly snapped together, his cheeks puffed up slightly. He didn't want to believe it, but after making a quick search of the room, swinging his head over his shoulders, he could see nothing in the room but a few pieces of two by fours, most likely from some crates that had been broken in. He sighed. They must of either already evacuated the cave, not wanting to deal with him, or the ronin here were simply busy. He didn't know for certain obviously but he had to know for sure. He still needed to find the next corridor leading to the next area within this cave. With that in mind, holding up his torch, he walked around the edges of the rocky cave until he eventually stumbled across two other entryways. He batted a eyebrow at this revelation. "Two hallways uh? Well I guess It would have been too easy If there was only path within this place." He placed his free hand on his hip. Looked like he needed to make a decision. he doubted either choice would be bad, but no one liked back tracking now, and he was no exception to that rather, long list....

Action Summary: A1 -> A2​

 

[Tamashi Seto]

DM MAP

HP: 1,000
Chakra: 15/15
Stamina: 15
Location: A2 -> A3
Actions Taken
Sharingan: Hypnotic Gaze

Luckily this time around, It only took a few minutes before he found himself at his new destination, this time another large, rocky room. As he quickly scanned his immediate surrounding's however, he began seeing numerous beds, a few chests and a long table with a few, wooden chairs. Amongst the rather lack luster furniture that was littered throughout the barely lit room, sat several dummies in the middle of the room. Upon closer inspection with his eyes, he could make them out to be training dummies. He batted a eyebrow. He didn't think ronin trained given their lifestyle, but he guessed a few were the exception to the rule. He was began to leave when he heard the groaning of a man sitting at a small table in one of the corners of the room. Not surprisingly, It was just another ronin. His first instinct was to strike him down with his second, being just assassinating him from beyond but he quickly shook those thoughts away. Why would do that when you were in the unknown? He needed intel on this place as well as a distraction so he move further in without possible detection. It wasn't a great plan but It was the best he was gonna get for now. To get the man's attention so he could do his thing, he picked up a pebble off the ground and threw it at his head, forcing a "FUCK!" to escape from his mouth before he got up and turned around, only to see you. It took but a total of five seconds for him to realize Seto was an enemy. Unlike the other ronin he had encountered in the forests earlier, this would still had bravery up it's sleeve, as indicated when he drew his blade from it's saya and charged straight for him. The consequence? As he drew near, Seto activated his eyes, immediately putting the man under his genjutsu, thus was under his command. "Find something, and draw me a layout of this place. I don't got time to waste." The ronin immediately bowed his head before he ran rampart through the room, looking for ink and a scroll. It took a few minutes but by the time he returned with a scroll, It contained a crude map of the cave's layout. This would certainly help him evade the remaining ronin while also letting him save any prisoners they may have here. "Alright, go cause a distraction for me. Lure your allies away, and make sure to do some damage." Again, the hypnotized ronin bowed his head before making his way out of the room, disappearing from his view. Hopefully, this make his job easier.

Action Summary: A2 -> A3 -> Sharingan: Hypnotic Gaze on Ronin A3​

 

[Tamashi Seto]

DM MAP

HP: 1,000
Chakra: 15/15
Stamina: 14.5
Location: A2 -> A3
Actions Taken

As the lone man ran off to make a distraction, he drew his attention to the scroll he had been given, a scroll that contained a makeshift map. It was simple enough to understand but he couldn't say the same for the man's writing. Between the dim lightning in the room and his poor craftsmanship at writing, It took a few more minutes than he liked for him to figure it out. Once he did however, his eyes beamed in shock. A torture room? His body stiffened up at the thought. The thought of stumbling into such a room and see....well, you get the jest of it. Apart of him didn't want to go down that hallway that led to the room, but he knew he couldn't sit idle and do nothing, especially when people could be in danger, or worse, injured. He wasn't that strong, being only nearly eleven, but that wouldn't stop him from dragging or carrying those to safety. Their safety was his responsibility after all. Despite the biting of his tongue, he mustered the courage he needed and began his descend down the next, dimly lit corridor. Much like the others, It would take a few minutes before he found himself at the end, revealing the room he didn't want to see, but he didn't turn away, knowing he probably have to deal with such scenes again later in his life. Once at the doorway, he made a quick room of the room for any danger. Again, the room sat empty. He wasn't sure where all the ronin or potential slaves could have run off to, but he wasn't going to complain. Continuing on, he looked around the room. Besides for a rather large, wooden table....stained with blood and chains, there sat a few cages that were empty, or so he thought. When his crimson eyes laid upon the final cell, his eyes blew up with fear and shock. It was a woman, no a girl, and not just any girl. That pink hair, and that white kimono, It was Yui, one of his female friends and a kinsmen of his clan. Now obviously overwhelmed, he ran over to the cell. He initially attempted to open the door, only to see a lock. Fustrated, he drew his Odachi from his back and proceeded to bash the lock with all the strength he could muster, countless times until finally, the lock broke. With the door blasted open he immediately dropped his Odachi and reached for his friend's body, first checking her pulse to see If she was ok. He sighed in relief when he could feel a pulse, but that only cause him to shake her body a few times to jolt her awake.

Tamashi Seto
"Yui! Come on already! Wake up! THIS ISNT FUNNY DAMMIT!"

Despite his attempts however, she wasn't budging. A groaned escaped him , indicating his frustration further, but now wasn't the time to freak out or panic. He had to remain calm and get her to safety. After he sheathed his Odachi back in it's saya on his back, he proceeded to pick up Yui's knocked out body and decided to carry her, piggy back style, after a few failed attempts. Was she always this heavy? Dammit Yui, she must have been hitting those rice treats again, he thought to himself. With another seventy pounds loaded onto him, this was going to be quite the journey. He hoped no enemies would suddenly appear. Fighting and carrying a girl wouldn't be easy now...

Action Summary: A3 -> A5 -> Carrying Yui​