Mission Sennin's Game: Finding a Kazekage!

[Sand Event]

The oppressive desert sun beat down on Suna as the news spread like wildfire. Raizo, the eleventh Kazekage known for his heroic aura and unwavering resolve, had vanished! Last seen entering his private chambers before dawn, his guards found them eerily empty, save for a single blood-red sandal abandoned on the silk rug. Panic gripped the village higher ups, had he not been seen at the Sennin Games? There was more than enough footage to prove that he had been there, but concerning the second half of the Games, those held by the newly appointed Sennin, they had only been visited by their maker. Was this a cunning political maneuver, a foreign power's audacious move, or something far more sinister? The chief guard on duty wanted to immediately expel the foreign shinobi present in the games immediately before conducting a full village search. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed by suggesting that Raizo was perhaps off on a secret mission. Suna’s enemies were numerous and when in doubt, the Ancients or sandworms could always be blamed. Starting an international incident by welcoming and then just as quickly expelling foreign delegates would very likely not go overt too well on the world stage. It wouldn’t take long for further clues to crop up that led to the belief that Raizo had ran off into the desert, but why now, and most especially why hadn't he alerted anyone to his plans? For now, Shin would be pulled from his games and forced to assemble a party to find Raizo.

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

Arriving at the Primus Bulwark Gates first, Chikamatsu Shin, the sole Sennin of Sunagakure, would await for who he believed were the strongest and most capable shinobi to help him find and rescue the Kazekage.

Uziuke, not only was he one of Shin's close friends, but he was an ANBU Captain meaning he had skills that could assist in tracking and information gathering. While Shin wasn't familiar with his Jutsu, he knew that his skills as a Captain would be needed.

Harupia, the Jounin of the Sunaku Clan. His innate mastery of the desert would come in extremely handy since Shin did not possess any significant Earth releases outside of Wood Style. The Jounin would be the perfect candidate to help the party survive in the desert for long durations if something were to be hunting them down.

Miroku Akkuma, the seemingly immortal walking corpse. While Shin did not approve of his jutsu, the Overseer knew that this man had the necessary stomach to do the unimaginable to acheive success in his mission. Additionally, Shin had recently appointed him as the new Medical Chief of Research and Develolment for the Omni Prime Medical Facility, so to say that Akkuma owed Shin a favor would be an understatement.

Now for Shin's Skills. As the previous Medical Chief of Research and Development, the Sennin has been a working Mednin and Physician since he was twelve years old when the Medical chief before him, Byalko Akujin, took the Yamanaka child under her wings. Additionally as a Sage of the Bird and Plant variety, Shin could soar the skies with Tetsuya to gain a better vantage point and he could gather all his necessary sustenance from the Sunan sun itself.

Along with what Shin possessed, his sister Kohana was always present if the Chikamatsu man was around. Twin souls sharing a single body caused strange phenomenon, but the most notable would be the summoning of her spectral form I to reality. While Shin focused on the mental necessities of his Mednjn position and his involvement with the Oracles Order, Kohana focused on her taijutsu. She was an excellent swordsman and she was a descended of the senju bloodline which granted Shin's body it's Wood Release.

Standing there impatiently, Shin would be donning his typical suit of armor with his righteous holy weapon at his side. Kohana would be standing beside him in her armor as well. The Chilamatsu twins were ready to depart.

Once all of the selected mission members would arrive Shin would give them a brief run down of the current events.

"Lord Raizo has not been seen for twenty four hours. This means we must treat this as a mission to recover a missing person. There are reports that strange events and phenomenon are occurring in the Land of Wind, but there's evidence to suggest that the Kazekage did not leave of his own accord. That being said, as your Sennin I am currently the highest ranking Shinobi in Sunagakure, but I do not plan on avtively leading this mission as I fear I may have the least amount of experience in this sort of task."

He paused for a moment and looked to Uziuke.

"This is something I believe that you would be better suited at. I will be providing support and medical attention as it is needed. Additionally, with Tetsuya I will be providing an aerial vantage point. Using my telepathic abilities I will be maintaining a synchronization of our senses so that what one person is observing the rest of this team can understand as well. Additionally communication will be available through this connection no need to use your headsets. Unfortunately the limitations of this jutsu comes in ita range. If you move more than a kilometer away from me with no matter between us, the connection will break. The more mass stands between you and me, the shorter that connection will be maintained. If you need to go somewhere where you believe our connection. Will break notify me first, that way I will know to be expecting the headset calls or so that Tetsuya may join you."

Shin made a few handseals to perform the Mind Thread Jutsu used by the Yamanaka Clan before summoning his Phoenix companion, Tetsuya. The red wing bird would fly high into the sky letting out a caw before Shin would look at his squad.

Bright burning wings would erupt from the Sage's back.

"Any questions before we begin?"

WC:747

 

[Uziuke]

Uzi looked to the sea of sands. The last time he scavenged the desert was with Raizo and the younger nin of Suna. He wasn't sure if they'd find Raizo out here, but with a team of solid shinobi, he knew their efforts weren't in vain. The boy often watched the sea of sand from the gates while on post, but being back out here gave him a disturbance. His mood was calm, though he knew something was afoot. He kept himself covered. He was all too used to going without food and water. The years he spent as a Mercenary, would keep the group standing tall. He looked to the skies, knowing that the sun would fall and the moon would have it's phase in the sky. Hopefully the search for the Kage wouldn't last long. He hoped for the best for Raizo. Though he didn't often give others the details of his mind, he knew Raizo was great. He probably went out without telling others of the journey he was taking. He didn't know if Raizo would be back or not, but he hoped that he would come upon better. It was the best solution Uzi could think of for his leader.

As Shin spoke, Uzi listened to the Sennin's words. He was the lead for this mission, and the only Sennin here at this point. Nodding as Shin spoke, he awaited orders, but to Uzi's surprise, Shin chose not to lead the mission. Instead, Uzi was given lead as the ANBU Captain on duty. He nodded, knowing that it was up to him to scout and search for the Kage's whereabouts. He wouldn't take things slow, but rather, he'd give his all in the search. A week tops, but if they came up with nothing, they'd have to leave. He couldn't take any chances with the shinobi that were here. A day on his hands would be nothing nice. Uzi once again nodded as Shin looked over to him, confirming that he understood.

Taking advantage of Shin's ariel point of view, he'd begin speaking. "If anyone wants to break off and begin their search alone, I require that you check in with the rest of the group within 24 hours. If not, we'll either search for you, or presume you dead. If you have any comments or suggestions during the search, speak up. Building a bond here is important. We need to know one another as we continue on this journey. Our bond can make or break us. I'm sure everyone here has trekked outside of the village before, if not, then this experience will be very beneficial for you. I don't plan on losing anyone on the mission, and I hope we solve this together as a group." He hinted that he didn't want anyone breaking off alone.


"Other than that, no questions." He looked back to Shin, giving a thumbs up. "While out here, we will search for Raizo's whereabouts. Any clues that we stumble upon should be shared with the team. This desert is harsh, and we may even run into troubles while out here, don't be afraid to ask for help." Uzi looked out to the desert, thinking of where to begin. "We can begin our search by looking for anything that stands out while taking our walk. Shin's Ariel vantage point can see farther than we can. If we see an upcoming a threat, we'll try to avoid it, as we don't want to tire ourselves out. Without much else, I say we begin our walk." Uzi looked back out to the sands, wondering if they'd come back alive and with Raizo.

[ WC: 610 | MFT ]

 

[Miroku Akkuma]

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

 

[Sand Council]

[Due to Out of Character choices that drastically change the reasoning for this In Character mission, Sand Council is canceling this mission]