The notice board at the Aurora Eruditio Academy was already thinning by the time Ruri arrived, most of the more interesting slips long gone. She scanned what remained with a practiced eye, dark brows knitting slightly as she filtered out escort work, supply runs, and anything involving paperwork. Her gaze settled on a single posting tacked near the bottom.
Ruri tore the slip free without hesitation. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was honest work. Find. Fight. Kill. Deliver. Simple, and more importantly, it was a good chance to test herself without instructors breathing down her neck. The Dragon Tooth Pass loomed like the open jaws of some colossal beast, jagged stone cliffs rising on either side of the main gate in sheer, unforgiving walls. Wind screamed through the narrow channel, carrying the sharp scent of stone and height. Ruri crouched near the base of the cliffs, pale eyes flaring as she activated her Byakugan... There, three chakra signatures clung to the rock face above her, moving with infuriating ease along narrow ledges and near-vertical slopes. Crag goats. Thick-bodied, horned, and built like the mountain itself. One wrong move and they’d vanish higher up the cliff, where even kunai throws would be useless. Ruri exhaled slowly and moved though the first struggle came quicker than she'd have liked. The moment she climbed high enough for her presence to register, the goats scattered, hooves clattering against stone as they split in different directions.
“Figures.” she muttered, jaw tightening.
She gave chase to the nearest one, channelling chakra into her feet and sprinting up the cliff face. The movement felt smoother than it had weeks ago, more natural, less forced. The memory of slipping on bone and steam flashed through her mind, and she adjusted instinctively, keeping her chakra steady, her steps light, but the goat wasn’t as stupid as she'd thought. It turned suddenly, lowering its head and charging along the narrow ledge with a guttural bleat. Ruri barely had time to brace before it slammed into her. The impact drove her backward, feet skidding dangerously close to open air. She dropped her center of gravity, twisting with the blow and letting it glance off her shoulder instead of taking it head-on. She answered with a strike of her own, her palm struck deep into the goat’s shoulder, precise and heavy, chakra snapping into its tenketsu. The beast staggered, muscles locking for a heartbeat too long. Ruri didn’t waste it. She stepped in, delivered a second strike to the neck, and the goat collapsed, legs folding beneath it as its body shut down.
"One down." She exhaled.
The second goat proved worse. It took to near-vertical stone, scrambling higher with maddening speed. Ruri followed, breath steady despite the climb, trusting her chakra control and the lessons hammered into her through pain and repetition. At the top, the goat tried to leap past her, an escape gambit. Ruri met it mid-air. She twisted, seized its horn, and slammed her heel into its chest, releasing chakra on impact. The shock disrupted its internal flow instantly. Both of them hit the ledge hard, but only one of them stood back up.
The final goat waited. It stood its ground on a broad outcropping, watching her with dark, unblinking eyes. When Ruri approached, it charged without hesitation, head lowered, horns angled to gore. This time she didn’t dodge, She stepped into it. Two rapid Gentle Fist strikes landed in succession, chest, then throat, each precise and lethal. The goat collapsed at her feet, body intact, exactly as requested. Ruri stood there for a moment, chest rising and falling, wind tugging at her clothes. Below, the village gates stood quiet and distant. As she began the careful process of retrieval, she felt a small, rare flicker of satisfaction.
Not because the mission was easy, but because she was getting stronger, and fast at that.
[WC - 664]
[Topic Completed/Left]
| Fauna Subjugation – Crag Goats. Location: Dragon Tooth Pass. Quantity: Three. Condition: Clean retrieval. No missing limbs. |
Ruri tore the slip free without hesitation. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was honest work. Find. Fight. Kill. Deliver. Simple, and more importantly, it was a good chance to test herself without instructors breathing down her neck. The Dragon Tooth Pass loomed like the open jaws of some colossal beast, jagged stone cliffs rising on either side of the main gate in sheer, unforgiving walls. Wind screamed through the narrow channel, carrying the sharp scent of stone and height. Ruri crouched near the base of the cliffs, pale eyes flaring as she activated her Byakugan... There, three chakra signatures clung to the rock face above her, moving with infuriating ease along narrow ledges and near-vertical slopes. Crag goats. Thick-bodied, horned, and built like the mountain itself. One wrong move and they’d vanish higher up the cliff, where even kunai throws would be useless. Ruri exhaled slowly and moved though the first struggle came quicker than she'd have liked. The moment she climbed high enough for her presence to register, the goats scattered, hooves clattering against stone as they split in different directions.
“Figures.” she muttered, jaw tightening.
She gave chase to the nearest one, channelling chakra into her feet and sprinting up the cliff face. The movement felt smoother than it had weeks ago, more natural, less forced. The memory of slipping on bone and steam flashed through her mind, and she adjusted instinctively, keeping her chakra steady, her steps light, but the goat wasn’t as stupid as she'd thought. It turned suddenly, lowering its head and charging along the narrow ledge with a guttural bleat. Ruri barely had time to brace before it slammed into her. The impact drove her backward, feet skidding dangerously close to open air. She dropped her center of gravity, twisting with the blow and letting it glance off her shoulder instead of taking it head-on. She answered with a strike of her own, her palm struck deep into the goat’s shoulder, precise and heavy, chakra snapping into its tenketsu. The beast staggered, muscles locking for a heartbeat too long. Ruri didn’t waste it. She stepped in, delivered a second strike to the neck, and the goat collapsed, legs folding beneath it as its body shut down.
"One down." She exhaled.
The second goat proved worse. It took to near-vertical stone, scrambling higher with maddening speed. Ruri followed, breath steady despite the climb, trusting her chakra control and the lessons hammered into her through pain and repetition. At the top, the goat tried to leap past her, an escape gambit. Ruri met it mid-air. She twisted, seized its horn, and slammed her heel into its chest, releasing chakra on impact. The shock disrupted its internal flow instantly. Both of them hit the ledge hard, but only one of them stood back up.
The final goat waited. It stood its ground on a broad outcropping, watching her with dark, unblinking eyes. When Ruri approached, it charged without hesitation, head lowered, horns angled to gore. This time she didn’t dodge, She stepped into it. Two rapid Gentle Fist strikes landed in succession, chest, then throat, each precise and lethal. The goat collapsed at her feet, body intact, exactly as requested. Ruri stood there for a moment, chest rising and falling, wind tugging at her clothes. Below, the village gates stood quiet and distant. As she began the careful process of retrieval, she felt a small, rare flicker of satisfaction.
Not because the mission was easy, but because she was getting stronger, and fast at that.
[WC - 664]
[Topic Completed/Left]
