There had been little time needed to prepare. Throughout the village Akkuma had small laboratories, while no where near as extensive facilities. They suited his purposes, what was important here was that in each of them he had various kits for situations he might find himself in. Since they had not been told what the S-Rank Mission was, but the Sennin Games had been halted to conduct it. So he had assumed the worst & grabbed three key items. The first a thin leathery bandolier strap, that holstered a series of small Summoning Scrolls & a series of small containers containing Soldier Pills. Inside the Scrolls were a variety of weapons he had crafted or received over the years. Ones used to slay all manner of creature from a variety of realms.
The second item he grabbed was a Large Summoning Scroll, tied to a singular thin strap aged leather. His hand had hovered briefly over a Large Summoning Scroll before grabbing it. There was something in here had yet to call on, because it could raise...questions should they be recognized. But depending on the direness of the situation he may need to call on them, with that he would grab the last item he needed. A small satchel containing a few days rations & sake. Although the rations weren't really for himself, for the Sage could sustain himself on the energy of life in the desert. No these rations would be for his comrades should the mission turn dire.
Another pause, who would they be? Or would this be a solo mission? He hadn't thought about it much he'd only really assumed, given the rank of the mission. Well there was only one way to find out, having grabbed the items he needed the Sage would disperse in another burst of Sand. When he re-appeared at the Bulwark he would be dressed in a fine black travelers cloak, the heat was of little concern to the demon. Yet he didn't know what he would be facing, how long he would be in the desert or if stealth would be in order. On that underneath his travel cloak was a modified stillsuit. A key piece of gear that aids in survival with features for stealth & agility. Crafted by skilled a team of his finest engineers, it blends into the environment with sand-colored material, protects against sand & heat.
It possessed advanced filtration systems that captured moisture from sweat, breath, even the surrounding air, ensuring a steady water supply. Designed in a way to enhance mobility & flexibility while facilitating swift movement, vital for stealth missions. These enhancements are achieved through a combination of engineering & chakra manipulation. Skilled engineers utilize their expertise in materials & design. While the chakra manipulation of the user enhances the suit's capabilities, such as improving filtration efficiency or imbuing it with camouflage properties. This fusion of engineering & chakra mastery results in a highly effective tool for survival & stealth in Sunagakure's harsh desert landscape. The filtration of the suit provided a respirator function, filtering out airborne impurities as well.
Those emerald eyes of his would fall upon Shin & then his brother. If Uziuke here then he was not at least going to be alone on this mission, he had his brother. It had been sometime since there last journey into the desert. Although with his brother here part of him worried, now he would have to ensure his attention was diverted. Having served multiple Kage, fought countless beasts, hunted shinobi, beasts & spirits alike. There were few prey the Sage hadn't been tasked with finding in his time. He had subverted shadow corporations seeking to overthrow villages, run with shinobi seeking to do the same. From education, medicine, military & off the books research. A sigh would escape him, what he had hoped would be a fun spectacle. Would now have to be a serious matter for the Sage. For he would not risk the life of his brother under any circumstances.
Once the group was gathered & Shin began to brief them Akkuma would will a wall of Sand up around the Mission goers as to minimize any passerby's overhearing the details. Not wanting to cast a black blockade jutsu so as to conserve his energy, not that he couldn't just siphon it back from those at the Gates. But that would do little to improve the situation at hand. The morsel of corrupted chakra he would gain from the civilians would not be worth it in such a short time, no he would wait until they were in the desert until he allowed his aura to start feasting unchecked. Who knew what they faced, he would need to gather all the strength he could while out there. Once the team had been briefed & said what they needed he would drop the sand wall he had erected.
Akkuma would turn to look at Harupia & give him a wink. They'd been unable to have a proper discussion in the earlier rounds of the Sennin Games. But the Sage had been eager to discuss the Sunaku bloodline with him. "Harupia, a pleasure to see you again." Perhaps on this journey they may get more of an opportunity. Next his gaze would move to Uzi who he would flash a devilish grin. "Uzi! It is good to see you. If only it were under better terms." he would say noting the seriousness of their situation. Turning to face Kohana now a shark-like grin would spread across Akkuma's face. He knew all too well that the Chikamatsu siblings could look after themselves. "All healed up I see Kohana..." he would say with a disarmingly playful & warm tone that hinted an underlying familiarity. No doubt an effort to tease her before turning his gaze to Shin.
"We'll find him. When we do no matter the situation I should have the Jutsu for the job." he said to the newly appointed Sennin in an effort to reassure any concerns there may be within him. For all their clashes Akkuma had wished Raizo no ill will, he had thought the young Kazekage to be too headstrong & foolhardy in his ideals. Not grasping the big picture, yet he had not faulted him for where many failed he was willing to stand for what he had believed in. After all he had banished the Sage, only one other Kage had been willing to do so. Although their relationship had been a much closer one & the loss of that friendship had hurt the Sage. This was different, he had hoped to see the young Ryuzaki grow. See the kind of Kazekage he would become, if he had been worthy of the chance at real peace. Now he wondered if this was it? Had the Kazekage's reign come to an end? Kageships had ended more suddenly & violently in his experience. They wouldn't know until hey found answers.
Akkuma found himself hoping not, that the Straw-Hat Kage was somewhere safe out here. That he hadn't met some untimely end at the hands of a shinobi or creature. He paused & found himself wondering where his Myakashi comrades were. No, if they had collected the hat they would have been obligated to tell him due to their agreement. Something was amiss here, what was this phenomenon Shin had mentioned there was little information & that was something the Sage didn't like. "What phenomenon? Do we have any reports?" he would ask wondering if anymore details had been gathered. If not who's department had gathered the intel he'd be having a word with them when they returned.
MFT
WC: 1277
