Why does a shinobi complete missions? Is it for honor? Is it a feeling of duty that pressures them to strive for their village? Well. Sometimes yes, but today it was not. Even shinobi had to eat and that is why Tatsuo was here today at the mission office. It had been a long time since he had completed a mission at the service of the Leaf Village. He had completed many tasks under the banner of Kumogakure, adding to their own economy with a small stipend sent to Leaf and then some left over for himself. He was much stronger now and he forgot to transfer over his mission records, so it took some convincing to prove that he could take a task more difficult than fending off some bandits. After providing a long list of things he was capable of and showing of a jutsu or two finally the mission proctor begrudgingly gave him something a bit more difficult.
“Alright, son. There have been reports of a militia attacking some of the settlements in the southern border of the Fire Country, considering that is an area of great wealth in the region many of the locals have come together and pooled money to request a shinobi of Jonin rank. Considering most of them are on high alert considering the recent disappearance of Lord Second, so be sure to not talk about your rank all that much. If you’re really as skilled as you say this shouldn’t take very long.” The man said with a confident smirk, trusting in the abilities of the returning Shinobi.
Tatsuo bowed politely, “Thank you, sir, I’ll get to that right away.” Tatsuo was wearing a typical Chuunin gear, a headband tightly wrapped around his head. On his torso a long black shirt that went to his wrists. A green flak jacket with plenty of slots to keep equipment dotted the uniform. Stitched into the shoulder of the shirt was a Konoha symbol. He had a few pouches at this hip, containing a couple of things but overall he packed light. Staying in the country did not call for that much, despite his usual over preparedness. Afterall a mission needed to be completed quickly and he could not waste that much time with a group of raiders roaming the country leaving havoc in their wake.
He was out of the village just as quick as he got his mission, they said south so it would be about a days travel. It shouldn’t take him longer than a day especially if he hurried. His only regret about missions like this was less time to enjoy the Fire Country and her beautiful scenery. The rivers, forests, and mountains all made a giant playground for the man. He loved every moment of it and wished he could stop and smell the flowers, but with people’s lives in danger he had little chance to enjoy his surroundings. Opting to avoid the main road, he jumped onto a large branch on the edge of a forest and began to jump from each to each. At this pace? He’d be there by sundown.
Racing from the leaves he did try to enjoy some of the scenery he saw, birds, trees, the smells of the forest and the occasional lake or other monument hidden by the trees just as his village itself was. It was amazing just how much could be hidden by trees and forests. After continuing through the forest for a few hours he finally arrived in the region where he needed to be. He had only been here a few times in some of his extended adventures through the forests but he could tell almost immediately by the change in the air. He could smell the salt from the Gulf all the way here. The Fire Country’s peninsula was nearby which fed into a large gulf that then went into the large ocean that surrounded ShinobiLand.
When he finally made his way to what looked like a settlement, where he would ask for more pinpoint directions to the village that was requesting help. Immediately the hairs on his neck stood up, he could tell something wasn’t right. While it was getting a bit late the village wouldn’t be quiet. But just as soon as he realized it was quiet a scream pierced the air, sending the young shinobi into action. Dashing through the streets as fast as he could, he saw a large crowd of armored men surrounding a small crowd of civilian looking types. No one noticed that Tatsuo had arrived, but he stood back a bit to figure out what was going on before throwing himself into the conflict. “By the orders of his Imperial Majesty, the Daiymo of the Sun, Bearer of the Blackblade, Slayer of Shinobi and leader of the New Fire Country-- this village has been sentenced to mass execution due to their crimes against the NFC and supporting the sinister and rebellious nation of Konohagakure. Let his King’s glorious mercy forgive you in the afterlife.” The woman began to sob as her father was being pulled into the town center. The elderly man was knocked over onto the ground, over a small block obviously for chopping heads. “First of all, your leader will be the first to die. As Mayor of Kobakitoshi he has been directly involved in helping the shinobi despite fair warning by his Imperial Majesty and his diplomats. FOR DENYING HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY’S MIGHT, YOU SHALL DIE.”
Just as the metal flashed down to slice the man’s neck, Tatsuo slapped his hands together. The clap loud enough to give away his position to the many armed samurai in front of him. A branch shot out from the ground above the man, catching the man’s halberd in the wood with a audible chunk sending splinters flying. “A SHINOBI, MEN! HANKIRA STANCE!” A small platoon of men, maybe ten left the ranks of the executioners squad. Joining in a rank a spear headed by one man, with three lines of three behind him they charged at Tatsuo swords at the ready. The ‘announcer’ continuing his shout. “You will now see why the samurai of the New Fire Country are superior to the shinobi of Konohgakure. While Tatsuo was faster than them, they closed the distance between them much quicker than he expected and if they were this fast he wondered if they could keep up with him in one on one. Not wanting to find out he slammed his hands into the ground, a giant wooden barrier emerging in the street blocking off him from the charging group. A few of them crashing into it, momentum is one hell of a thing.
The announcer man continued to yell obscenities about Tatsuo, calling him a coward for hiding but Tatsuo knew he wasn’t hiding. Just preparing of course. Bringing his hands together into a seal he created a wooden clone in which grew from out of his back. He needed to even up the numbers a bit, one to five seemed better than one to ten. His clone instantly jumped onto a roof of a nearby building. As he did he extended his arm shooting off a few wooden tendrils which rushed towards the group. He could see one smirk as he drew his blade and shouted. “KASAI STRIKE!” As he slashed his blade, fire rushed out of it tearing through the wooden clone’s tendrils. In unison another samurai slashed his sword yelling “KAZE RIPPER!” A gust of wind shot behind the fire enraging it and sending it crashing towards Tatsuo’s clone. The fire and wind combo was nasty and sent him flying through some laundry in the roof tops.
Grimacing Tatsuo prepared his next course of action as the men began to cut through his barrier with similar elemental strikes. One particularly strong water strike cut through it like a knife through hot butter. By that time Tatsuo had hidden himself in an alley as he formed another set of handseals. “Great EXPLODING FOREST!” from the ground sprouted trees that covered the area in a thick forest providing him greater awareness of all of the enemies inside and giving him a layer of stealth the only way he could realistically take on so many enemies. Despite the great forest it wasn’t long for the samurai to begin cutting through the wood with similar techniques as before. Somehow they managed to collect great amounts of chakra into their blades and fire them off on command. From what it seemed they could only do one element, so perhaps it was a special type of smithing in the swords? He really didn’t have a lot of time to think, the longer he waited the more time they would have to cut through his cover. Jumping above the tree line, he looked to the area where all the prisoners were being kept and if any of them were killed he could never forgive himself. Saving them all was his first priority. While the kill squad was out looking for him in the forest he could probably defeat all in the center. While there were even more in there they seemed weaker and playing a role to just bolster numbers.
With a quick succession of hand seals he made a series of walls grow from the path that the men had went through to chase him. It would buy him some time, hopefully enough to deal with the men in the center. Withdrawing a kunai from a pack on his side he rushed into the center and immediately the announcer said “Ah, you see the Shinobi will not--!” he was cut off by Tatsuo making a series of vines grow and trapping him as he went to dealt with the actual combatants. A few men jumped towards to him with blades, as they attempted to strike down, wooden armor grew from Tatsuo’s body and stopped their blows. Without forming a seal he produced wooden tendrils in which shot out and bound the two men to the ground. “Three down..” his eyes scanned the open area, he had to be careful he couldn’t just fire off ninjutsu willy nilly or he may harm a civilian there were too many for that. “Three down.. Twenty five to go.” he smirked hoping they would all be that easy. However all the strong ones were separated from the group, however he didn’t have much of a priority in dealing with those as much as getting the civilians out of dodge. Yelling to the crowd he said “I am a shinobi of Konoha! Run to your homes, I will make sure no one harms you!” That was more than enough to get the crowd running, the woman going to pick up her father and running to a nearby home in which she was huddled in with a small group.
He had to win now, all of the people in this village were depending on it. If he were to fail now they would all be killed and for what? For providing a meager tax to the Country in which they lived in? No amount of money is worth an individual's life. Tatsuo could feel himself beginning to get angry, his wooden armor grew and continued to grow in a frenzy. He HAD to win! “AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Rushing into battle he could feel the intensity of the fight, everyone in the town could feel it. His wood tore through their armor, pinning the men down easily. He never killed a single one, but that was not to say many of them were not bruised and taken out of the fight, but even if these men were to slay everyone in cold blood that gives him no excuse to do it himself. As he continued his rampage through the town square he could hear his last barrier breaking. The real fight was going to start soon, as these men were only the useless fodder.
wc:2021
“Alright, son. There have been reports of a militia attacking some of the settlements in the southern border of the Fire Country, considering that is an area of great wealth in the region many of the locals have come together and pooled money to request a shinobi of Jonin rank. Considering most of them are on high alert considering the recent disappearance of Lord Second, so be sure to not talk about your rank all that much. If you’re really as skilled as you say this shouldn’t take very long.” The man said with a confident smirk, trusting in the abilities of the returning Shinobi.
Tatsuo bowed politely, “Thank you, sir, I’ll get to that right away.” Tatsuo was wearing a typical Chuunin gear, a headband tightly wrapped around his head. On his torso a long black shirt that went to his wrists. A green flak jacket with plenty of slots to keep equipment dotted the uniform. Stitched into the shoulder of the shirt was a Konoha symbol. He had a few pouches at this hip, containing a couple of things but overall he packed light. Staying in the country did not call for that much, despite his usual over preparedness. Afterall a mission needed to be completed quickly and he could not waste that much time with a group of raiders roaming the country leaving havoc in their wake.
He was out of the village just as quick as he got his mission, they said south so it would be about a days travel. It shouldn’t take him longer than a day especially if he hurried. His only regret about missions like this was less time to enjoy the Fire Country and her beautiful scenery. The rivers, forests, and mountains all made a giant playground for the man. He loved every moment of it and wished he could stop and smell the flowers, but with people’s lives in danger he had little chance to enjoy his surroundings. Opting to avoid the main road, he jumped onto a large branch on the edge of a forest and began to jump from each to each. At this pace? He’d be there by sundown.
Racing from the leaves he did try to enjoy some of the scenery he saw, birds, trees, the smells of the forest and the occasional lake or other monument hidden by the trees just as his village itself was. It was amazing just how much could be hidden by trees and forests. After continuing through the forest for a few hours he finally arrived in the region where he needed to be. He had only been here a few times in some of his extended adventures through the forests but he could tell almost immediately by the change in the air. He could smell the salt from the Gulf all the way here. The Fire Country’s peninsula was nearby which fed into a large gulf that then went into the large ocean that surrounded ShinobiLand.
When he finally made his way to what looked like a settlement, where he would ask for more pinpoint directions to the village that was requesting help. Immediately the hairs on his neck stood up, he could tell something wasn’t right. While it was getting a bit late the village wouldn’t be quiet. But just as soon as he realized it was quiet a scream pierced the air, sending the young shinobi into action. Dashing through the streets as fast as he could, he saw a large crowd of armored men surrounding a small crowd of civilian looking types. No one noticed that Tatsuo had arrived, but he stood back a bit to figure out what was going on before throwing himself into the conflict. “By the orders of his Imperial Majesty, the Daiymo of the Sun, Bearer of the Blackblade, Slayer of Shinobi and leader of the New Fire Country-- this village has been sentenced to mass execution due to their crimes against the NFC and supporting the sinister and rebellious nation of Konohagakure. Let his King’s glorious mercy forgive you in the afterlife.” The woman began to sob as her father was being pulled into the town center. The elderly man was knocked over onto the ground, over a small block obviously for chopping heads. “First of all, your leader will be the first to die. As Mayor of Kobakitoshi he has been directly involved in helping the shinobi despite fair warning by his Imperial Majesty and his diplomats. FOR DENYING HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY’S MIGHT, YOU SHALL DIE.”
Just as the metal flashed down to slice the man’s neck, Tatsuo slapped his hands together. The clap loud enough to give away his position to the many armed samurai in front of him. A branch shot out from the ground above the man, catching the man’s halberd in the wood with a audible chunk sending splinters flying. “A SHINOBI, MEN! HANKIRA STANCE!” A small platoon of men, maybe ten left the ranks of the executioners squad. Joining in a rank a spear headed by one man, with three lines of three behind him they charged at Tatsuo swords at the ready. The ‘announcer’ continuing his shout. “You will now see why the samurai of the New Fire Country are superior to the shinobi of Konohgakure. While Tatsuo was faster than them, they closed the distance between them much quicker than he expected and if they were this fast he wondered if they could keep up with him in one on one. Not wanting to find out he slammed his hands into the ground, a giant wooden barrier emerging in the street blocking off him from the charging group. A few of them crashing into it, momentum is one hell of a thing.
The announcer man continued to yell obscenities about Tatsuo, calling him a coward for hiding but Tatsuo knew he wasn’t hiding. Just preparing of course. Bringing his hands together into a seal he created a wooden clone in which grew from out of his back. He needed to even up the numbers a bit, one to five seemed better than one to ten. His clone instantly jumped onto a roof of a nearby building. As he did he extended his arm shooting off a few wooden tendrils which rushed towards the group. He could see one smirk as he drew his blade and shouted. “KASAI STRIKE!” As he slashed his blade, fire rushed out of it tearing through the wooden clone’s tendrils. In unison another samurai slashed his sword yelling “KAZE RIPPER!” A gust of wind shot behind the fire enraging it and sending it crashing towards Tatsuo’s clone. The fire and wind combo was nasty and sent him flying through some laundry in the roof tops.
Grimacing Tatsuo prepared his next course of action as the men began to cut through his barrier with similar elemental strikes. One particularly strong water strike cut through it like a knife through hot butter. By that time Tatsuo had hidden himself in an alley as he formed another set of handseals. “Great EXPLODING FOREST!” from the ground sprouted trees that covered the area in a thick forest providing him greater awareness of all of the enemies inside and giving him a layer of stealth the only way he could realistically take on so many enemies. Despite the great forest it wasn’t long for the samurai to begin cutting through the wood with similar techniques as before. Somehow they managed to collect great amounts of chakra into their blades and fire them off on command. From what it seemed they could only do one element, so perhaps it was a special type of smithing in the swords? He really didn’t have a lot of time to think, the longer he waited the more time they would have to cut through his cover. Jumping above the tree line, he looked to the area where all the prisoners were being kept and if any of them were killed he could never forgive himself. Saving them all was his first priority. While the kill squad was out looking for him in the forest he could probably defeat all in the center. While there were even more in there they seemed weaker and playing a role to just bolster numbers.
With a quick succession of hand seals he made a series of walls grow from the path that the men had went through to chase him. It would buy him some time, hopefully enough to deal with the men in the center. Withdrawing a kunai from a pack on his side he rushed into the center and immediately the announcer said “Ah, you see the Shinobi will not--!” he was cut off by Tatsuo making a series of vines grow and trapping him as he went to dealt with the actual combatants. A few men jumped towards to him with blades, as they attempted to strike down, wooden armor grew from Tatsuo’s body and stopped their blows. Without forming a seal he produced wooden tendrils in which shot out and bound the two men to the ground. “Three down..” his eyes scanned the open area, he had to be careful he couldn’t just fire off ninjutsu willy nilly or he may harm a civilian there were too many for that. “Three down.. Twenty five to go.” he smirked hoping they would all be that easy. However all the strong ones were separated from the group, however he didn’t have much of a priority in dealing with those as much as getting the civilians out of dodge. Yelling to the crowd he said “I am a shinobi of Konoha! Run to your homes, I will make sure no one harms you!” That was more than enough to get the crowd running, the woman going to pick up her father and running to a nearby home in which she was huddled in with a small group.
He had to win now, all of the people in this village were depending on it. If he were to fail now they would all be killed and for what? For providing a meager tax to the Country in which they lived in? No amount of money is worth an individual's life. Tatsuo could feel himself beginning to get angry, his wooden armor grew and continued to grow in a frenzy. He HAD to win! “AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Rushing into battle he could feel the intensity of the fight, everyone in the town could feel it. His wood tore through their armor, pinning the men down easily. He never killed a single one, but that was not to say many of them were not bruised and taken out of the fight, but even if these men were to slay everyone in cold blood that gives him no excuse to do it himself. As he continued his rampage through the town square he could hear his last barrier breaking. The real fight was going to start soon, as these men were only the useless fodder.
wc:2021