[Misson D-Rank] Grounds-keep a Church! (Suika)

[Shieo]

Mission Title: Grounds-keep a Church!
Type: Solo Modded Mission
Participant: Suika
Moderator: Shieo
Rank: D

Concept: The Academy has been requested to assign some students or Genin to look after the grounds of a Church in a off the beaten path Church, found in one of the smaller regions of trees near the village. While the premise is simple, make sure the grounds are clean by the end of the night-shift. Make sure there are no intruders; and if there are to report it to the authorities, it is advised against non-combatants to try not to confront any break-and-enters unless they're confident it can be dealt with. Otherwise, make it through the night maintaining your duties!

Disclaimer: The Academy is not liable for any injury that is perpetuated by the Student or Genin

What are the rewards for Solo Missions?
D Rank: 2,250 Yen and 40 stat points or ASP (Mission Moderator gets +10)

What is the required word count for each participant in modded Missions?
D Rank: 3,000 Words

The sun had just cracked from the long-nights of the winter-seasons of Kumogakure no Sato. While there were still birds of rugged living about cawing and cooing at the sounds of the light; young Suika would find herself awoken by the sounds of her window clanging by a carrier pigeon tapping it's beak against it over-and-over until it was addressed; loomed around its neck was a string carrier for a scroll, which too was equipped with what appeared to be a message.

When and, hopefully if Suika decided to open her window the the chilled cold air from outside to retrieve whatever the contents was. She would come to find a seal from the Academy and her name professionally stamped on the scroll; Upon unraveling the scroll it would detail the needed presence of Suika at a Church, the whereabouts were left with a hand-drawn map, of some rather impressive detail; perhaps the most striking oddity is why it required a map drawn. It directed the mission-doer; whom she figured was herself at this point. To a secluded Church in a dense forest on the outskirts of Kumogakure no Sato. Beyond that, it listed some rather simple tasks, the mission itself wasn't anything notably remarkable. Maintain the grounds of the Church, clean-up, dust, organize their stock rooms. It did however, make note that if in the circumstances of trespassers, break-and-enters or the like to handle them carefully; and to notify a nearby policing station about twenty-minutes out from the Church and not to engage unless the attendant is aptly trained in combat in-case there is conflict.

Given the nature of the mission she was assigned, and how early it was. It seemed she had plenty of time to not only get ready, but to get there; seeings how her duty is to watch over it throughout the night.

Up until the time she made her decision to depart the day would have gone rather swimmingly, it ebbed and flowed like the usual dreary day to day excitement. Upon making her due departure to the destination, she would have had to go through the village check-points and provide the mission scroll as valid proof and the to be screened to ensure there was nothing criminalizing occurring through the covers of a mission; not that a young-hapless girl such as Suika could be the root of any sort of sinister plans like such. But, a village can never be too cautious.

During her short-travel which amounted to something of about an hour and a half; she had arrived at the entry to the forest that housed the Church. Truthfully, it seemed a bit sketchy, given that the area had a rather scarce population to begin with. But from the tree-wall, she could make out the Church in the distance. It wasn't terribly far, but it helped that the trees themselves weren't dense enough to truly obscure her vision.

As Suika came into sight of the Church, she was met with gates and an elderly man awaiting her arrival it seemed. "Greetings, you must be Suika. I'm relieved to see you made it without any troubles." As the Priest spoke, he was unlocking the gate and opening it up. "Come come, my name is Shiranai. I presume the Academy had explained the responsibilities of the mission. I don't imagine anything troublesome happening, good for practice and recognizing responsibility at a learning age such as yours." Reaching into his robes, he had pulled out a rather old looking key and offered it to Suika. "This will get you into the Church and the stock-rooms. Since night is closing I'm going to head to the town, don't wish to have any run-ins with the wildlife-- And don't you worry about wild-life in here, the walls and gates will keep them out." The elderly-man's voice carried confidence and sincerity with his choice of words. He stepped out and started to close up the gate, placing the pad-lock on the gate; judging by the key he used to unlock it earlier, it was the same one he had given you.

Throughout the early stages of the dusk everything appeared rather simple, you got into the Church without a hitch- provided you tried. At a first glance at this point, there were a slew of doors that spanned across the old Church. In-fact at closer inspection, everything seemed rather run-down; seemed funding was fairly low- even the bricks were chipping away and everything looked like it needed a solid dusting.

What do you do?

[WC = 756/3000 | Post 1/?]

 

[Suika]

'Peck peck peck'

The girl rolled over and rubbed her tired eyes.

'Peck peck peck... peck'

“Hm?” Suika slumped out of bed and slowly made her way to her window. Upon opening it, a pigeon fluttered in, dropped a scroll, and flew right on out. Such an occurrence used to startle her, but one grew accustomed to this within the world of shinobi. Bird messengers were all too common, especially when it came to delivering letters and mission scrolls. Her vision cleared from her dreamy daze as she opened the document to unveil its directions. It was indeed mission time. “Guard a church tonight? Doesn't sound too difficult.” She hopped back onto her mattress, wrapped herself in layers of blankets, and fell back into a deep slumber. She now had time to kill, after all.

It was midday when she prepared herself for the mission ahead. She geared herself in her traditional kunoichi garments as she tied her village's headband around her neck. She pat herself on her face. “Ready to go.” Just as she was about to head out, a quiet 'meow' erupted from the shadows of her closet. She smiled as she held her hand out. A black cat, now months short of its first year, leaped on her hand. In then ran to her shoulder. “Silly Blackberry,” she coo'd, “you know you can't come with. You still need a bit more training until I can register you as a certified shinobi's pet. Until then, you have to steer clear of missions, or else I'll get in trouble.” The cat brushed his furry head onto hers. She squealed. Ever since she saved those boxed kittens, her life at home was a lot more fun. She gave the two white ones away, but she kept the darker one, the runt of the litter, to herself. She couldn't resist. “Cya, Blackberry!”

Suika leaped from building-to-building until she met some ANBU at the gates. She underwent the usual clearance and its formalities. After her scroll was validated, she was approved for her travels to the church. She respectfully bowed to the officials and made her way. Sooner than not, the kunoichi was surrounded by dense forestry. It reminded her village's very own Ancient Forest, but the plant life was definitely more scarce here. It wasn't too long that she caught sight of the church. Suika finally arrived.

In response to her tactful arrival, a priest by the name Shiranai greeted her and further explained the nature of tonight's mission. The priest handed her an odd-looking key to the premise that she carefully accepted. She simply shot him an assured nod as he left for the night's errands. After the gates were locked, she opened the doors to the temple and strolled quietly inside. The girl observed her surroundings and noted each door and crevice in the building. She took her time to acquaint herself with the place as she made a mental checklist of entrances, rooms, etc.. Everything appeared a bit dusty and old – it was clear their funds were insufficient for upkeep. As long as this holy place was safe, right? “Okay. Keep the grounds clean and free from intruders. Time to get to work.”

Suika experimented with an alert system she learned during her time in the Academy. Reaching into her pouch, she grasped a handful of bells that were stringed with ninja wire. She'd cover every entry point in the vicinity to ensure she was equipped with an audial awareness. If someone were to attempt to trespass, her bells would be quick to warn her. She also tied them in spots that disguised the shinobi tools with the shadows of the night. No use in having a system that was easily disassembled. Feeling content with her work, Suika formed ethereal binoculars and stood watch at a vantage point that she deduced gave her best view of her surroundings. She kept to her wits and leaned on her otherworldly senses, as well. No one would trespass – living or spirit. Not on her watch.

[WC = 680/3000 | Post 1]

 

[Shieo]

The night was early, with dusk only lingering for a little while longer over the horizon. Suika was quick to act and took advantage of the ability to see in the meantime; during her scouting of the interior of the Church, she would have noticed a number of things. Perhaps the first and most apparent was the longer she skulked about to identify everything the darker everything seemed to get, there was no torches lit and no electrical lighting to be found anywhere; although the church had a plethora of sconces scattered around the walls- With no torches in them mind you. Expanding from that, when she had initially done her scout nothing out of the ordinary seemed to catch her eye.

In her second passing through the Church during her preparations in setting up the alerting traps; her eyes took notice that every door in the facility was unique; not so much in the sense that they were of course crafted from different woods and the like. But every single one was etched with extraordinarily fine markings in repetition in each door; some swirls, others hexagons, some with what somewhat resembled pentagons. So fine however, that they could have easily been passed off as the simple texturing of the wood from the tree. While the discovery bore no major effect in her preparations aside from perhaps mild curiosity; it was nevertheless, strange.

Upon finalizing her trap galore across the Church as if creating a defensive bunker on the Church; she was found with no opposition in any of her efforts. It wasn't much longer that the darkness of the winter night cast over the lands; and everything took a near pitch-darkness hue, with the small exception of the moon-light that coalesced through the church's windows. Finding herself up on a ledge near the podium; in retrospect a Church with better funding may have populated where she was with an organ and a painted glass depiction of Raiden. And there she sat with her ghost-busters binoculars for some time, it felt like hours although she could swear she had only been sitting there for half of one...

If only she had a clock-- 'TWAAAAAAAANG' and at that moment, a deafening eruption of the chimes of a... Grandfather clock began crashing each hour-mark- One... Two... Three; only three? Clearly, something seemed- off, if it meant three in the morning- There was a rather large gap of time uncounted for. Beyond that-- Where the heck was that clock? She had checked around and there wasn't any sign of a clock anywhere.

Once- and if Suika had begun looking around; she would inevitably come to look behind herself. When she initially perched herself there was nothing but stone-wall behind her; however revising her searches would reveal a rather gargantuan clock of wispy blue energy where the wall once held- and it certainly showed the hour hand at three a.m... Why did that time seem significant? and where did all the time go?
It was then, that something started to feel- unwelcoming. Intuition told her to put her guard up, while nothing had happened yet- There was a pressure that filled the air.

'Ring-ring-ringringringring....' A clashing of tumultuous bells erupted throughout the entire Church, every single bell-trap she lay started bursting into a crashing of force. As if whatever passed through them did so with little regard of being subtle. Peering through her binoculars would reveal a layer of ectoplasmic mist that slew across the floor- there was no shapes of what would be described as 'ghosts'. But she felt something was near- And each of those unusual doors were now displaying very apparent glowing sigils that filled those markings she saw earlier.

It was the she remembered.. from a book no less-- It was witching-hour.

[WC = 1,388/3000 | Post 2/?][/quote]

 

[Suika]

Thriller. Thriller night.

The young mystic kept to her dutiful watch as she peered through the lens of her conjured binoculars. The church, as the night, was masked with dead silence. She yawned as she set her ethereal tool down for a hastened second. Another dull mission. The concept of being combat ready was emphasized to her constantly at the academy, but her assigned duties thus far proved quite the contrary. Were Genin bound strictly to mundane workloads? Not that she would ever complain; being free from the grasps of imminent danger was not in her immediate to-do list. Suika, however, was bored. Was there a better way to kill off time? The girl was stumped.

“Hmm?” A common phrase would ring true within these next moments: be careful what you wish for.

For reasons unknown to her, the kunoichi underwent some sort of time warp. What is it an actual one? She was uncertain. Time passed by slowly and such was apparent; however, the elongated timespan also felt short. Maybe she overthought it. Then the sound of a tolling clock reverberated throughout the church. Trouble was afloat. With heightened awareness, her eyes darted every which way as she thoroughly scanned her surroundings as to discover its source. One flip around, she was confronted by an eerie and ghastly grandfather clock. The time it read was 3-in-the-morning. A mix of emotions sparked in her at that moment, but the opportunity for a sufficient mental process and subsequent reaction was interrupted by another strange occurrence. The gypsy's strategically-placed bells rung simultaneously. Chaos ensued as her otherworldly-senses rang wildly. Taking a speedy, instinctive glance into her binoculars, she noticed an ectoplasmic mist hovering throughout the premise. It then hit her. “3 AM... its the demon's hour.” Read from past tales, she recognized this time as the witching hour. She interpreted the lore as mythology, but she, for good reason, was significantly more open to it now.

Holding out her arm, Suika transformed her binoculars into an ethereal blade. “Haru no Tamashi!” she commanded as its shape shifted within an instance. She felt the presence of some type of being nearby. She didn't feel fear. In fact, her aura was filled with focus and determination. It was her duty to protect the premise; she'd accomplish this no matter the force that opposed her. She sharpened her presence as she stealthily made her way to the incoming presence. It was best, in her opinion, to take on whatever it was head on. She prepared to counter with a cancel if she was made aware of some illusion or a body switch if she was hit head on. Aside from that, she was willing to strike and slice through anything she deemed a threat in that moment. Of course, she was to carefully identify her target first before doing so.

If she were to encounter nothing in her venture, she was to cautiously explore the premise with her faintly lanterned blade. She made note of the odd carvings and their supernatural glow. None of those symbols were any she recognized. Despite her gifts for the realm of spirituality, she possessed limited experience and, with that, warranted ignorance on the subject. Her best bet, at the moment, was to rely on quick-thinking, intuition, and the shinobi skills and protocols taught to her during her time in the academy. She was to also look for a channel of communication, too, just in case she had to contact authorities if this matter happened to not be supernaturally-related.

[WC: 589 | Post 2
Total WC: 1,269/3,000]

 

[Shieo]

As Suika stood there for some moments assessing the situation, the mist continued to roll with a lingering ethereal form while her sensors of the presences nearby were still flaring, she couldn't quite make out the source- Or what it was that was causing the huge spike of sensation around her. The room was almost elusively lit with the ectoplasm that gave off a dim blue tinged-lighting to the entire area; if it weren't for the concern of the surroundings it may've actually been a pleasant sight-seeing spot.

Given the circumstances and the time, such was not an ideal actuation to pursue. Although at the time she drew her blade, something shifted carefully in the mist- it moved like something was there but not quite. Something both foreign and surreal to someone that was so keen on the happenings of the other-side... Beyond that, a few moments passed until one of the many doors that sprawled around the main-chamber of the Church swung open, with a loud 'CRACK!' the door remained in piece; however she recalled that the doors symbols looked similar to spirals, when they glowed each one was a different shaded gradient of the color spectrum.

After awhile Suika had made her descent down to the main-floor of the Church, upon making first contact with the ectoplasm it didn't do anything; as she started investigating the surroundings the mist would drift and lull away from her carefully- obscuring the distant flooring and pews. Beyond that- nothing seemed extraordinary, other than the eerily slammed open door- That she eventually found herself cautiously stalking towards. From afar, she could tell the other side looked exactly as it did earlier in the day when she first did her perimeter scouting- all but the glowing scribed sigils on the door.
Upon careful inspection, and some heightened senses on the young Genin's part; she was able to discern a strange air being hushed into the room- it was subtle and didn't affect the ectoplasm, or the air of the room she inhabited.
If she decided to get closer, the sounds of air being sucked in began to slowly sound more like heavy breathing -- But at that point it was too late; as a banshee-like shriek filled the room and a vacuum of incredible energy drug her in, without relent. While she had the opportunity to surpass the force, it would take a great deal of effort.

Where does she find herself? If she fails.

The land she found herself in; would be best described as a landscape of ... Surreal skepticism- Everything was in bright, powerful colors; everything in the world was contorted and appeared as if it were from Alice in Wonderland. With a great deal of exaggerated qualities of the mid-day world; she felt out of place as one should.

Within' moments of her presence, storm clouds rumbled in the great distance. They created a centralized point of where she was, as if she stood in the eye of a developing storm. Shortly a clack of feet against stone- despite the ground being grass- You think. Came an interesting form; they appeared human, but what surrounded them was certainly not- It looked like a horror from story books, slithering and crawling around the body. One would best make the assumption, whoever this person was, was unaware of what had been crawling around on them.

They had stuck their nose high, and in their macabre make-up job; spoke in a pitched tone, they sounded royal. "Pya... What do you think you're doing in MY lands peasant?!" She had begun tapping her foot impatiently. "Come now! Answer me quickly!"

If Suika, had managed to find herself outlasting the violent torrent that gained to drag her in. It took only moments afore the door came slamming shut hence. The ectoplasmic mist would slowly wither away at the sound of a wooden stick against the stonework flooring of the Church- a wheeze and crackled breath was heard from a hallway closer to the entrance of the Church- It sounded human. And it sounded as if it was gaining some distance from Suika's position, she recalled a stairway that lead up to the Church's bell-tower. But during her search never encountered another person...

[WC = 2,094/3000 | Post 3/?]

 

[Suika]

An eerie sight. A night of fright. What would Suika do to combat this blight?

As the young kunoichi cautiously tread within the grounds of the church, she kept a keen, investigative eye on her surroundings. The aura was tainted by some type of supernatural affliction; a blue ectoplasmic mist hovered around her. She wasn't able to identify this as genjutsu yet, so the possibility of something otherworldly remained in her scopes. She did not like this one bit. The hairs on the back of her head stood as she held her ethereal blade defensively. “Whatever is in here, they just couldn't resist giving me a hard time tonight...” Regardless of who was responsible for these ghoulish occurences, she'd make them pay for it. “One way or another.” Recognizing she lacked the time to entertain her vengeful musings, she continued her inspection of the area. That is when she discovered a door familiar to her. That door was plain from earlier observations, but now was adorned with sigils and other odd markings. Her senses revealed to her a type of airy wind behind the door. Was it breathing? With careful approach, she neared the entryway only to be startled with a loud, ominous shriek. She covered her ears and prepared her defenses, but it was too late. She was vacuumed into the door with tantamount force and transported to a peculiar world she'd rather not reside in. And, oh, what a weird visual It was.

“Where am I?” The transition from that plane to this exuberant one was instantaneous. Suika had no time to shake off the shock of her unexpected travel nor truly absorb the sights of her flamboyantly colorful environment; it all happened too quickly for her to emit a typical reaction. Not before long, a far-off storm centered around her as she stood middle of its eye. It was thunderous and loud, but she seemed currently safe from its wrath. A clanking of stone, despite the grassy terrain, also caught her attention as the grotesque sight of some humanoid creature confronted her. This being was covered in slimy serpents, but appeared unaware of its vile garments. It also wore heavy makeup. “Kinda looks like Ringo.” she joked for a split second in her head. The thought brought forth more enjoyment than she anticipated. Suddenly, it called out to Suika with a snooty and displeased tone. The girl's expression slanted. “I don't got time for this.” Suika was usually a careful girl whom generally thought of a formulated plan before reacting. In this case, time was of the essence. Was this an illusion? Were the spirits messing with her? She could speculate all day and entertain whatever this creature was, but she had to get a move on, snap out of whatever spell she was under, and guard that stinkin' church. This was her duty; she did not take this lightly.

Suika reflexively casted her Cancel jutsu while exuding her determined willpower as the creature spoke. This was subtle and without sign due to her mastery. If this proved not to be an illusion, she would get down to the nitty-and-gritty and get down to business. Channeling the power of her mystical blade, Haru no Tamashi, she'd cast a genjutsu on the being before her. Her chosen illusion was Verse of Darkness. If hit, she'd advance on the creature and slice through it as she made path for an escape. If this failed, she'd launch a prepped smokebomb and use its covering to stealth herself as she cautiously searched for an exit. She'd also prepare a body switch with a kawarmi target for good measure. Suika was prepared to strike anything that came her way and utilize her arsenal of illusory attacks as well. She carried a stance of no mercy.

“I don't have the luxury for going on wacky adventures with zany characters. Something is happening inside that church and its my job to handle it.” Looking back, and unbeknownst to her, she took heed of all her lessons at the academy. In the past, she revealed hesitance, thanks to her conflicted morality, on landing a killing blow on her sensei in the instant she was commanded to. At the time, she overthought his instruction and rationalized her reasoning for not striking him with the intent to kill. While, in her view, she still held a type of perceivable justification, there was definitely a lesson to be had. In cases where it mattered, she wouldn't make that same mistake; she clearly revealed this with her recent course of actions. It was in that that she was slowly shifting into the killing machine Shieo warned her about. And maybe, in some cases, that wasn't such a bad thing.

If somehow she found herself transported back into the church, she'd verbally challenge whatever it was that aimed its sights at her. “Reveal yourself, whatever you are. Enough of the games and face me.” It was a brash and no-nonsense approach that she seldom executed, but her patience was tested and she was ready to face this thing head on. With her ghostly blade readied, she prepared herself to bust through this ghost (or person) and reclaim the sanctity of this church. The mystical kunoichi was assigned its guardian for the night, and that's exactly what she'd do. The sooner she accomplished this, the sooner she'd receive pay, return home to Blackberry, and buy more matcha green tea pudding. She was aware of her priorities.

[WC: 915 | Post 3
Total WC: 2,184/3,000]

 

[Shieo]

"Weeellll~?!" Spoke in a hurried shrill tone, while Suika spent her time in wonderment and observed the strange and unworldly looking woman. It was any wonder where she found herself; but despite the surrealism that surrounded her in every nook and cranny, it was clear that the world seemed about as real as it could get- Not that it bore much weight on the ghost-walker, given her past and the developed experience the fluctuation of chakra in her system in-fact stopped and would have sufficiently collapsed any existing Genjutsu.

Yet, the world remained true. The dark encroaching clouds continued to close towards her position; existing almost as a beacon to designated Suika as an intruder, or an anomalous entity herself in the alien lands. With the intuition to act quick on her feet, it seemed to leave the ghostly slithering mess aware of some shady work at play. Upon the moment of Suika funneling chakra through her ghostly weapon; the ghostly love-craftian creature that swarmed around the women seemed to react reflexively to the genjutsu that was directed to the woman- and in-turn the mess. While it was always risky knowing if a person was being affected by Genjutsu- Suika could sense subconsciously that it seemed to have seen past, or felt past her attempts at putting the woman under a spell of illusion.
With her mind set on a conclusion that the youth aimed for; she was quick to follow-through with her motions. The smoke-bomb launched and plummeted to the ground between the two; leading the woman to shriek out in both fury and confusion, "You slimy wretch! Show yourself and be punished for assaulting the Ruler of this land!" it was almost fairy-tale directed with how the woman reacted. Of course, minus the eldritch mass that Suika could hear slithering now that the area was plumed in a well-timed and placed smoke-bomb.

Finding herself slinking towards a bush nearby the area she fell to, it granted her the grace of safety on her side. Even as the smoke cleared into the whirling storm many kilometers in the sky. It revealed that both the slithering mass and the woman were unaware of where Suika had brought herself to. It appeared without the need of violence, while some moments passed in prepared silence; Suika found that the storm that roared above that closed in more and more. Had begun to siphon towards the young girl, even in-spite any attempts at evading it- or the woman the clouds formed what could best describe as a tornado out of the eye and crashed down into Suika. Perhaps shock would be all that she experienced, as no pain came of it.

Following- Was just darkness. For what felt like minutes, her senses were detached but her mind aware of her living state. All until she was rather suddenly, launched out across the stone-work of the Church once more. The world while blurry from disorientation was very much so comfortably real. In the realization of the ectoplasm being gone, her adrenaline took roots and she erupted into a commanding shout.

“Reveal yourself, whatever you are. Enough of the games and face me.”

With no immediate response, Suika couldn't help but notice- By a brief blinding realization that the sun was cracking over the horizon- and in turn the scarce treeline, through the window it was clear she had been gone for quite sometime. It was then, she heard a voice from around the corner; near the entrance that would have led to a hall to the Church-tower.

"You have quite the set of fangs my dear child." A gruff, aged voice; it sounded as old as the dust that littered all over the Church. Walking out to reveal himself, he adorned what could best be described as a fantastical attempt at looking Sagely wardrobe. Situated with a saddle-brown cloak and cowl that was pulled low to guise his eyes, leaving only a chest-length salt and pepper beard to be the most discerning feature. "It also seems- That the doors know of your aptitude to the afterlife; it drug you in and something in that particular door--." The old man stroke his beard a moment, "Seems to have kicked you out." Regardless of Suika's brandished blade of ghostliness; the man walked towards her with cane tapping the stone each step as it aided him balance his weight.

"I think we could use your fangs though. You see, each of the doors here with the markings are-- Best described as a tunnel. Only a select few are able to actually walk through the tunnels. Like you." During his speech, he had reached into his cloak and withdrew a small pendant; he didn't seem like a holy-man, but the pendant itself was a cross with a variety of colorful gems embedded into the metallic form. He had reached out and offered the pendant to Suika. "I'll offer this to you, if you'll take it. I mean't it when I said we could use your fangs. The doors, while fascinating; bare great sin, each one represents a state of the after-life that festers ill-emotions and residual hatred into the 'worlds', like I imagine you saw. Unfortunately, the owner and myself are too old and ill-fit to try and cleanse the lands and allow the Church to return to a state of peace and holiness." Jingling the pendant afterwards, to indicate the attention to be drawn to it. "This, will help buy you time to reside in the doors. At least, long enough for you to discern the source of the worlds existence and often times, destroy it; or convince it to repent to peace. Of course, you're welcome to refuse. No ill-feelings or harm will come of you for doing so."

Still holding out the pendant to the girl, he seemed curious enough to see what she does- or says in response.

[WC = 3,078/3000 | Post 4/?]

 

[Suika]

Strangely enough, this world, in fact, wasn't a genjutsu. Further, her extra-sensory perception confirmed to her the tangible reality of this dimension and that it was, indeed, a true one. “I don't think I'm in Kumo anymore.” As the gypsy girl advanced on the wicked mass that adorned itself with some type of royal wear, she caught sense that her illusion didn't work as she intended. It was time for Plan B. Suika reached to her pouch and tossed a smoke bomb. With clouded concealment, she hid herself within nearby bushes as the creature angrily cried out to her. The pride it exuded... its wrath. The girl's body was covered in chills instantly. Yes, this foul being was definitely a mirror of Ringo.

Before she was able to formulate her next plan of action, the storm clouds that centered above her formed more viciously as its thunders rumbled with an aggressive bass. It centered on her as a massive gust of wind encircled her general vicinity. This world's mother nature was closing in on her. Her heartbeat, at this point, matched that of a hummingbird's flutter as she gritted her teeth in fearful anticipation. She realized there was nothing she could do to stop this occurrence. As it enveloped her around her, she closed her eyes tight to shield her anxiety with darkness.

As the sound faded alongside the sensation of incoming catastrophe, she opened her eyes. She was greeted with more darkness. Where was she now? She was instantly soothed and felt no true worry; thanks to her extensive mental training with Shieo, the lack of any light source or discernible images didn't concern her much. If anything, she was more curious as to what was happening. After some moments entertaining the possibilities, she was was transported back to the Church. Her launch was met with some subtle disorientation. “What was that about?” That is when she shot out her bold call to whatever entity was responsible for this unnecessary chaos. Her hasty demands were met with no answer. She called out again – nothing. Suika's expression slanted as she caught glimpse of the sunrise. How long had time past? Suddenly, a raspy, old voice erupted from the coverings of the shadows.

An aged geezer made his sudden appearance alongside his sagely get-up and walking cane. Already fueled by caution, Suika fortified her defensive stance and readied herself for anything. Her eyes fixated on him as her ears were listening in on anything in her surroundings. Did he have accomplices? What was his intent? These questions circled as she listened to his mystical spiel.

From what the ghostly gal has observed until this point, some truth rang in the content of his words. This temple definitely had a bit of hocus pocus going on; something in her told her to run far from it as possible. Another part of her, as earlier, was filled with peculiar wonder. Her magenta eyes glowed in suspicion as he held out the pendant, but her focus was still on the figure before her. So this Church was some pathway to the supernatural? It partially explained what just happened to her, but something still felt off. Maybe it was her general mistrust, or perhaps it was the indifferent nature she battled from time-to-time, but she then shook her head in response. Her next reply was one with careful and purposeful articulation; this situation required honesty and firmness.

“You know, it's difficult to accept a request from someone who hasn't even told you their name, but the answer would be the same regardless. As you mentioned, I definitely sense an unnatural disturbance in this Holy Place, so that I don't disagree with,” she delivered her verdict, “but I will not accept. In fact, I will need to escort you off the premises immediately. The owner should arrive any minute and the authorities are on standby. Please comply, Old Man.”

She gestured toward the front door while keeping a watchful gaze on the man. Hopefully this didn't result in conflict - that would truly be a headache. “I apologize if you are who you claim to be, but the owner can confirm that when we see him. Until then, I am tasked with guarding this place, and that is exactly what I will do. Anything that hinders that goal will be treated appropriately, peacefully or not...” she held out her ethereal blade which then burst with more fiery aura. “...and let's make this peaceful. It will be if you are who you say. Again, my apologies.” While she didn't mind delving into a supernatural adventure, her main assignment was to watch over the church and see off any intruders. She wasn't forewarned about the presence of another in this Church. It was either that the owner was clumsily forgetful or that this sagey look man was, indeed, an intruder. Regardless, she was to scope out his reaction and react appropriately.

If he showed the smallest hint of resistance in this process, she was to channel an illusion she had on standby midway her speech, Petrification, and follow that bind with a tangible one - ninja wire. She was to immediately alert the authorities, keep a watchful eye on any potential accomplices, and carry the man outside of the Church. If somehow her attempt to trap him in a bind failed, she was to take a more physical approach. It wasn't her preferred method at the moment, especially since the man originally appeared nonviolent, but she had to do what was necessary.

Contrary to this, if the old man complied, she was to escort him outside the Church and await the arrival of the priest as they were greeted by the morning's sun. Her senses were alerted to the presence of any other person and to the old sage before her. If he pulled any funny moves, even as the owner arrived, she was to proceed with the actions noted above.

Lastly, and if something more supernatural occurred, she was to react in accordance to mission guidelines and make sure the optimal security of the Church. At this point, the sanctity of this mission was all she cared for. There was certainty and stability in that; if the owner or this old man yearned for further service, they would have make another request for her through the Village. She weighed her options out and, to the kunoichi, was the most logical and efficient approach.

[WC: 1077 | Post 4
TWC: 3,261/3,000]

 

[Shieo]

It was no wonder Suika had made the actions in the way she did. And the expression of the old man resounded the same sentiment, figuring it may have been a bit too forward for such an occurrence; it was clear he had some semblance of understanding of what she went through- When she made the demands of complying he dipped his head, acknowledging her show of authority. "Of course, it would be rather foolish of me to make any attempts to resist a walker such as yourself." Given her directive, the elderly man had slowly hobbled towards the entry-way doors and creaked them open. He continued to wield the pendant, and cane ultimately to make sure he didn't run the risk of falling over- One would hope she had the decency to allow him such requirements.

At the first crack of the door opening, a gentle warmth of light touched the indoors of the church directly; and caressed the young girl's skin only then giving attention to just how cold she really was. Nevertheless, the newfound warmth was something of a godsend. Finding himself standing at the front of the Church with both hands rested on his cane in-front of him. Figuring Suika would find herself nearby him during the whole time to watch the rising sun over the horizon. "My name is Rowan, missy." He commented gently, sparing her a furtive glance. At that he didn't make any further comments.

In the distance the two after a few minutes came to notice the same Priest coming down the road. At first sight, the Old Man hobbled towards the gate slowly to meet the man. As Shiranai, the Priest started unlocking the gate he caught sight of the robed man and greeted him with a gentle smile. "Good Morning Rowan, I hope the young Genin didn't trouble you too much." Met with a quiet cough, Rowan stroked his beard and continued their conversation; "She was pleasant, but I fear you may've forgotten to mention my presence." The gate opened at the will of the Priests hands; "Oh my, I am terribly sorry; I could have sworn I spoke of him- I sometimes think he is a part of the furniture most days." At this point Shiranai had been granting Suika the depth of his attention.
Up until Rowan had wandered by him and reached out, placing the pendant in the Priests hands. Whispering into his ear, afore starting down the road slowly that the Priest came. "I will be back later tonight Shiranai."

Shiranai had taken a moment of silence to examine the pendant, only to look at Suika with a bit more sharpness to his gaze. "I see..." Stroking his chin, adding emphasis to what appeared as conflict to the Priest's aura. "I suspect you've encountered the doors then, I gravely apologize for the events that must have transpired." Stepping towards Suika to off-set their distance some, he worked on softening his expression; perhaps he himself taking in the potential of what occurred, but he very clearly knew what the young girl had encountered. "I suspect Rowan had informed you of the nature of this, he is a bit zealous when others can interact with the Church's... Underbelly for a lack of better term." Turning over the hand that now wielded the pendant, he observed it himself laying atop his palm. A faint glitter struck in his eye as he did so, one could only feel that there was a connection of sorts between the two. "Suika, right? I believe that is what the reply from the village noted. If you ever feel like you wish to try and fix an old-man's problems; please feel free to contact me, and I can arrange a request of your presence at the Church." Closing the pendant in his palm, he tucked it into his garbs. "However, until then. You have fulfilled your end of the agreement between the village and us; while I suspect you may've missed some time in cleaning." Finishing his side of things to say with a smile, he reached into the other end of his garbs and drew out a letter. Offering it to Suika, "This holds signature of completion; and please make sure that a lady by the name of Yuii Kagetsu hears of what you encountered today." After such, he bowed and stepped to the side. Being cognizant of both formality, and figuring she may have more to say. To see her out and if she didn't, he would eventually depart into the confines of the Church.

[WC = 3,841/3000 | Post 5/?]
[Mission Complete; Total WC Complete for both parties]

 

[Suika]

The old man, now identified as Rowan, peacefully agreed to Suika's instruction and was escorted by her to the gates. To anyone, it'd look like a grandfather walking alongside his precious granddaughter... well, minus her brandishing of her ghostly sword. It was convoluted for sure, but she had to accomplish what she was hired to do.

Finally, Shiranai made his appearance and showed an instant recognition to the old sage. Suika gave an assured nod as he apologized for his forgetful negligence. “It's fine, Shiranai, it was better to be safe than sorry.” she then shifted her gaze toward the old man, her stance more relaxed as her blade dispersed into flowy spiritual particles. “Hopefully I didn't give you too much of a hard time. See you later, Rowan.” As the sage exited the scene, Suika accepted the priest's letter of completion and took heed of his words. So her services were required in the future. And Yuii? Wasn't that the Main Branch Sennin? Many questions flowed through her mind, but they were better asked later. The sky was fully awake as the sun blazed lightly; it was time to return to the village.

“It's been a pleasure, Shiranai. I have a feeling we'll see each other very soon.” With that, she was off. Another mission complete.

[WC: 218 | Post 5 | TWC: 3,479/3,000]

[Mission Complete and Topic Left]