The Abominable Snowman (SelfModded Team Mission)

[Ketsueki Satou]

The winds were heavy, the snow cold. All you could find on a wintery peak with heavy storms raging up on the mountainside high above their heads. The demon was wishing more and more he'd just stayed home and ignore the letter of participation in a hunt for some creature gallivanting around in the mountains causing a ruckus. The village of Kumogakure hired him on a hunt with an experienced hunter of sorts. Though Satou wasn't much of a conversation starter. From the short talk between the two shinobi Satou liked the guy's sense of humor. Yuuto, a man accompanied by a giant ominous looking guy in strange armor. Interesting to the demon, but he did'nt bother to pester the two men about themselves at the moment.

The small trio of odd looking sorts showed up at the Spire in good time. The sun was still high but blocked by the storms congesting above. Snow fall would be their enemy but maybe they would get lucky and the creature would be dumb enough to show its face and try and jump the trio thinking it could take on such a small numbered party. Having finished a cigarette, the gentle buzz floating in his mind washed out the smell of his partner. Being of demonic persuasion his little gifts of bloodthirsty hunger gave him an animal like trait of a bloodhound. If anything was bleeding in the area he would sniff it out.

The burning in his throat from the previous cigarette was replaced with an urge to feed. But like a good little Demonic creature he kept himself from giving his partner the crazed hungry stare. Living long enough in the face of adversities, you learn to hide that sort of pained look from others.

Upon arrival he paused and began sniffing the air, though with no luck. Bloodshed wasn't close. Absolutely nothing smelled off. Only forestry and the cold wind stinging his nostrils. "No scent of blood yet. The spot of the attack might be a bit farther up." He glanced around the ground, tracks would be near impossible with the snowfall, they'd have to get lucky for that. His eyes turned to the foliage. Looking at the tree's for markings or broken branches. If they were hunting a wild creature, it could have been some sorts of bear. In his mind he wouldn't go further then that. But the Scouts reported the creature was large enough to haul a fully grown man over its shoulder. Was it a bear?

He did feel a sense of thrill, maybe it was the thought of killing the creature that excited him the most. The thought of throwing himself at something got his blood pumping, a twisted smile on his lips formed as he talked in a hush voice. "So, how long have you been hunting?" He walked casually, ever vigilant. His glowing amber eyes glancing from the wilds to his companions.

 

[Enatsu]

Winds whipped against his skin, the only logical response was to pull his jacket in tighter. The floating silver spikes began to shift their element. The radiating electricity that was once around them was now turning into a different kind of energy. A low but concentrated heat would begin to emit and Yuuto would have two out of the three surround Satou. If the demon looked closely he would see that Juyomonji was walking firmly and unhindered by the cold, something was off about him, there was a certain looming eeriness of death around the man. The strange fur armor was barbaric in style, one would think he'd have been freezing. Yet the demon never asked, he was either patient or did not care to know. Either worked in the puppeteer's favor, the less questions the less answers he had to give out.

Yuuto did not question Satou's aura nor the odd appearance the man had. It'd be better to ignore that for now, as long as they weren't in the spirit of asking personal questions the pair could get along quite nicely. However the more they progressed the darker it seemed to get. While it was daylight still, the dark and thick clouds of the Lightning Country were blocking out the sun in this particular area. If this persisted until nightfall the creature would have the advantage of better eyesight. Satou for some reason began to talk about the scent. He remarked that there was no blood in the air and that the attack may have occurred a bit further up.

"You can smell blood scents?" Yuuto would remark in an inquisitive manner. He began to realize that there would be no luck trying to catch a scent least not in these conditions. For one water was usually a dampening for the sense of smell and these mountains were covered in snow, this high in Lightning seemed to always throw the weather out of shape. "Unless the blood you're looking for is fresh I doubt we'll catch onto it this soon. Maybe we should be looking for large imprints the snow hasn't covered yet. Maybe there's some snow around here that seems to be "filling" up something. That may be our hint." He would reach into his back holster and pull out an orb of some sort. It was metallic and had white and gold accents. Yuuto would begin to emit some chakra into it, and there would be an odd pulse of energy. The hand-sized orb would activate and then extend itself showing it's form to have bloomed a bit. "Ivory Lotus if you'd please, activate sensor mode." By using a puppet jutsu he could turn his drone into a visor that would enhance his eyesight and reaction marking. The Ivory Lotus would fit itself on Yuuto's eyes giving him a clearer view of their area.

However that would not be the end of the shinobi's tricks. He'd concentrate and a third eye would appear on his forehead. All three of his eyes would glisten and glow giving him a different kind of view as well. In addition to his newly acquired eyesight he could now see the auras of living beings and spirits within a short range view. "My vision has been increased by 40%, and additionally I can see life aura. If I'm vigiliant we should have a good chance of catching this thing before it gets too close." The duo continued up the mountain with the odd man slightly trailing behind now.

During their quaint journey the demonic man spoke up asking Yuuto a friendly question. "Hmm since I was a kid really. I mean before the Academy I have always been trained to hunt creatures and how to kill them or pacify them. It is the way of the Masaru Clan we are protectors of the people. While Shinobis face more threats, their cause is not always just. Defending a commoner from a beast that would decimate their village or take away their livelihood has more appeal to us." He'd smile remembering all of the training lessons he had and even some of the hunts. "I was shocked when they told me that I'd be working with someone. I thought it'd be a Masaru Clan gig, but it was my surprise only one of us was needed. I won't lie having an ally to fight beside is so much more appealing. Yet I can't figure out what made you want to do this gig?" Though they were having idle conversation, the closer they got to the top, the closer they were coming to the beast's territory. Unbeknownst to Yuuto and Satou the *Jotnar* was watching them.

[MFT]
[Dude I have the best idea for a mission arc for hunting with ya!]

 

[Ketsueki Satou]

Satou stood patiently by and watched the puppeteers actions, he was a bit weary of this man now. How powerful he could become and what his abilities extended to. He had to be careful not to make this individual his enemy. But inside he chuckled the thought of throwing himself at Yuuto in a blind fury of fists and feet. Thinking of ways this man would combat against him. This "Hunter" of sorts was well prepared. "If I pick anything up in the air I'll let you know. If we're looking for tracks we best watch our step." His hand raised, slowly his body lifted off the ground as he hovered in spot, moving his hand about caused his body to float forward.

As Yuuto turned his gaze to Satou he would see something rather perturbed. Satou's aura was massive in size, it covered a good few meters of the ground, but what was unsettling was the tendrils of blackened chakra that reached out from the mans body across the snow and even past Yuuto himself. As if the tendrils were searching out for something, moving and flicking about like a living creature. The chakra that covered Satou was forming something, but could never take true shape, it was constantly changing its shape around the well dressed man. Floating in the air as such, it gave him a more menacing appearance.

"My life has been surrounded by the wilds. I strayed from villages in my youth. Hunting animals for food, or simply waiting for them to show up out of spite. For something like myself wandering into their territory always pissed them off enough to come after me. Its always been that cycle. So sooner or later, if this thing is an animal, it'll have the urge to strike out at me and try to kill me. And when it does, I'll consume it from head to toe. I'm more or less here for a meal. I could care less about things like earning a paycheck. Though rent is due next week..." He chuckled, but underneath his laugh was a lower, blood curdling snicker that sounded nothing close to human.

He paused for a moment, hovering in the air for a few seconds, his head turned bout to look through the trees, it wasn't the sense of Yuuto watching him. But another killer was somewhere, looking at him. And the demon could feel it, the tendrils of chakra were shivering and writhing, soon they retreated back into Satou. Leaving only an aura of death that continued to change its shape and size. He let the sensation go, if he focused for to long it might scare the beast into hiding itself more. The less he care the more chances were that the beast would simply jump at him. And the thought of getting into a nice brawl excited that dark itch deep in his mind.


(MFT)