The Unhallowed Depths [Modded Mission]

[Kaen]

Absolutely dismal! Or at least that's what any normal person might have thought as they ventured outside of their respective homes. The sun had been swallowed up and consumed by the enormous black clouds that covered the entirety of Lightning Country's skies. As if Raiden himself were racing across the sky, luminous bolts of righteous electric fury pummeled the earth below, concussive waves of sound echoing throughout the country. Even a mere few seconds outside the safety and warmth of one's own house would result it total dampness throughout their body, the rain had grown unforgiving to say the least. Whether the dynamic duo were enjoying a hearty breakfast, up early to train or still snoozing in their warm beds, both of them would be greeted with a visage of feathers and ferocity. A dark hue invaded their eyes as a massive raven flew into sight. Upon its leg was a scroll embroidered with the seal that no ninja could mistake, there was a mission to be had!

Upon their arrival, the pair would be ushered into a smaller, dimly lit room where a single figure sat across from them. A miniature table was between them and the individual would be sitting there on his knees waiting for their arrival. He would slide a single scroll over to Tatsuo. "For reasons unknown to me, the have seen it fit that you, young Tatsuo, will be the leader of this mission. Inside that scroll you will find a map to the location and details as to what this mission entails. Take it and be on your way. And remember, don't fuck this up..." It was strange seeing that Tatsuo was a leaf shinobi performing missions within the realm of Cloud's territory. But a mission was a mission and for some reason he was allowed not only to participate, but lead the expedition with Hoshi as his cohort. The man gave a slightly sarcastic nod towards the pair and got up and exited the room, leaving Tatsuo and Hoshi to their pre-adventure thoughts and conversation.

Spoiler

Inside the scroll would be a map giving precise directions to the village along with writing upon the scroll that read:

Your mission is to travel to a small village by the name of Port Veritas. There you will meet with the village head, Tsuneo. From there he can go into further detail in regards to recent disappearances within the village and the more serious rumor of dead rising from the sea. A word of caution... Because of the proposed nature of such possibilities, this has been dubbed an A rank mission and should NOT be taken lightly, best of luck to you.

 

[Shouyu Hoshi]

Loud snoring and the light buzzing of a fan where the sounds in harmony early am at the residence of Hoshi. His body was distorted, one leg out of his blanket, his arms flailed in each and every way. A wide open mouthed snoring Shinobi awoke to the lightest tap on his window with a jump into the Jyuuken Stance.

"Huh? Oh, a messenger bird. It's too early for messages."

Hoshi rubbed the the corner of his eyes, freeing his pale hues from the excess eye boogers. He blinked sleepily and opened the window where a heavy rain would lose cadence and attempt to drench him for the slightest moment as he allowed the bird inside. Hoshi received the scroll from the Raven's ankle who titled its head at him. Slowly his fingers would unravel the parchment in front of him as he read the message it contained. It was a mission... Hoshi dropped his hands below his waist and lazily looked to the ceiling. He yawned once more and rubbed his eyes again.

He then nodded and opened the window for the bird to flee. He rolled up the scroll again and stuffed it into a wooden box that contained other messages of the sort. He walked over to his closet. His teammate was Tatsuo, and he was thankful, they had been working together a lot lately. Opening the sliding door to reveal his linens, Hoshi first removed all clothing except his boxers. He slid into a pair of thermal pants and long sleeve. He then put on a pair of slim fit hakama pants which gripped at his ankles and gave his legs a slight breathing room for mobility and comfort. Hoshi then donned a chuunin chain mail vest, which he slid another long sleeve dry fit over. Over the long sleeve Hoshi wore a cloak that was a water resistant wind breaker. It had a tall collar which would cover half of his face if needed but for now, he left the jacket unbuttoned to reveal his torso and face.

He grabbed two belt pouches filled with a variety of items. He prepared ninja wires, his head set which he attached to his right ear placing the bud inside. He also prepped water balloons, smoke bombs, stun grenades, explosive notes and energy drinks. Hoshi then placed on his gauntlets which helped funneled chakra to allow him access to taijutsu and ninjutsu easily. Across his back, he strapped the famed ninjato with a trick wired augment. Hoshi was ready now. He turned away, exited the front door locking the entrance to his home and headed to the destination to meet with Tatsuo.

Once he arrived Tatsuo was there and Hoshi would nod. He didn't say a word yet, there was no time for that. It was the moment where they would be debriefing the mission. They were lead down a corridor which lead to a smaller room. Hoshi sat at the table before the man who began to speak. He said that Tatsuo was elected mission leader, for some odd reason, but Hoshi didn't mind. He looked over to him and gave him a thumbs up and a smirk. There was scroll before them with more details on the mission. The man who seemed about sarcastic spoke directly to Tatsuo, giving a forewarning of success.

"Don't worry Tatsuo. We can do this."

Hoshi began to overlook the scroll. Port Veritas, Tsuneo, disappearances, and undead rising from the sea. Hoshi instantly thought if there was any correlation between this and the dreadnought he scouted before. The youth rubbed his chin and looked over to Tatsuo.

"Well, let's head to Port Veritas and meet with Tsuneo, and see what more we can learn. It seems pretty dangerous, but I am not worried."

Wc 632

 

[Tatsuo]

For a boy who always seemed so content, Tatsuo sure moved around a lot in his sleep. Kicking and turning, random shouts about his freshly learned technique. Every once in a while even bits of wood would grow from the boy, tearing holes in his covers. The only place he could truly sleep comfortably was high up in a tree, but that was a non option here in the freezing wasteland of the Village Hidden in the Clouds. As he tossed and turned, the door creaked, a bit of light illuminating the intrepid hero's face. There stood Kaji, sleepy eyed and unshaven. In his hand was a cup of black coffee, the steam still filling the air as he drank the coffee straight from the pot. Unfortunately the bird which was supposed to inform Tatsuo of the mission, got to Kaji first most likely interrupting the rare amount of sleep the diligent sensei-vice captain got. With a quick toss, he threw the scroll at the sleeping boy straight on the forehead. "Wake up kid, you've got work!"

Tatsuo had been sleeping in a pair of tightie whities as he immediately launched himself out of bed, hands in a defensive position ready to take on the world! Once he realized it was just Kaji, he quickly brought a blanket around him and shooed him away before taking the scroll. He rubbed his forehead as he looked at it for any clues. Kaji shook his head, probably embarrassed that he chose this boy to be his apprentice. Tatsuo figured he'd go to the mission center and figure out the rest once he got there.

He began to dress himself, this was the first real mission he'd go on after his fight with Kaen. He finally got a chance to wear his knew Chuunin jacket, someone in Leaf was kind enough to send him one as a promotion gift. He dressed himself in the traditional Leaf Ninja equipment. Even before he had the flak jacket, he would mimic the look of older shinobi from his village but with the flak jacket his look was now complete. A black shirt with a konoha symbol on the upper arm a matching pair of pants that went down to his ankles. Bandages wrapped on each of the legs with a kunai loader on one side and a small pouch containing a plethora of ninja tools ranging from ninja wire to smoke bombs on his hip. He finally placed his flak jacket on, taking a look at himself in the mirror. He hadn't worn it yet, he was waiting until he'd actually go on a mission but he grinned from ear to ear. He was so proud of himself for becoming a Chuunin of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Finally he placed his headband on his forehead, using it to hold up his dark hair. He looked at himself in the mirror one last time before heading for the door. As he passed the dining room he saw Kaji sitting at the table, sipping away at his coffee as he read some newspaper. He called out to Tatsuo and told him "Take care, kid." Tatsuo nodded and ran outside. The rain was pouring down, had it not been for his creative use of his wood jutsu to create a makeshift umbrella he'd have been soaked in a matter of seconds. He was so happy to get back into action, he'd been training despite the advice of doctors and nurses but the village wouldn't clear him for any missions because of his sustained injuries. This would be the first mission done by a member of the Blazing Spirit and he intended to honor not only his village but their newly founded guild!

Tatsuo spotted Hoshi walking down the street as he waited outside for the mission office to open for the morning. He ran down over to him, offering Hoshi his umbrella. He grinned from ear to ear, there was no one else he'd prefer to go on a mission like this with. However it was true, they hadn't much time to talk before the doors open and they were prompted to a hallway where they were given an eerie mission request. As Hoshi explained it, something about dead rising from the seas and harassing the locals. Tatsuo's stomach sunk as he thought back to the night with Keiji, he wondered if these things had anything to do with that creature he fought that night. It was now Tatsuo realized the true meaning of Kaji's statements, it did seem like there were now evil forces afoot, more than just the every day problems society faced. But with the members of Blazing Spirit, Hoshi especially, Tatsuo felt like he could take on the world.

As they entered the train, Tatsuo took a seat and began to speak over some of the details of the guild. "Do you think we should start looking for new members? I think we should definitely invite Ikko, he's a bit.. weird but I like him a lot he's a good kid and I think with a push in the right direction we could really ignite his Blazing Spirit." That last statement was supposed to come off as lame as it sounded, it was the best way Tatsuo could describe what he wanted to do. Ikko and plenty of others have faced a plethora of hardships, even Hoshi and Tatsuo faced their own problems but he felt like with enough camaraderie and a strong belief in the goodness in all people they really could help some of these shinobi. "Other then that, i'm thinking for the mission we split up in the beginning. I've got no idea how these people will react to me being a Leaf Ninja, but they might not tell me anything out of distrust, so if we're together they might not tell you anything for the same reason. But if you ask them alone they might ask. If I feel like they won't tell me anything, i'll just find us a room to stay and check out if they've got any ninja tool shops. Oh and I brought this." he said as he picked up a duffel bag, there was an assortment of things in there from clothes to toothpaste, but on top was a long sword. "I don't use it a lot, but I always bring it with me, it's not for fighting humans. It's made of silver, so it'll bend against any type of metal but it's got something in it that makes it cut through unnatural beings like butter. I bought it back in Konoha." he said taking the sword out of the sheath for Hoshi to see. The blade looked like like a normal Katana, the color seemed a bit off. It was razor sharp and oiled well. "I've got a few other things in here.." he said digging into his bag, producing a few different regents, a dust he introduced as moon dust and a small flask of oil. "That's specter oil." he said as he handed it over to Hoshi to sniff. "It smells really bad, but it lets you cut ghosts somehow."

WC: 1199

 

[Kaen]

Shortly after the wayward pair boarded the train, it gave a significant Toot Toot signaling its departure. The rain had yet to give up and the heavy droplets pelted the tin roofing that seemed to barely shield its passengers from the unrelenting weather. Taking the train was a much smarter idea than walking as time was of the essence here. But as Tatsuo began to go through his bag, he caught the attentions of some passengers that happened to be walking to and from various train cars. Evidentially seeing the sword within the hands of mere children had made a few people rather uncomfortable and they notified the attendee on board. You can't really blame them though, Tatsuo and Hoshi were shinobi and these other people were, well, just common people. And with the recent outbreak of prisoners from Kumogakure's prison, and the near destruction of their own gates, it had everyone on edge to say the least. A small framed women with glasses pressed firmly against the bridge of her nose approached the pair. She wasn't the most beautiful sort, and her eyes gave away her tell of old age. She approached cautiously and cleared her throat; "E-Excuse me, but I must ask you to please stow your belongings under your seat or in the overhead bin. T-thank you..." And with that she hurried away, glancing back to make sure they had done as she requested. Normal people were so strange...

As the train neared their destination, the strong aroma of the sea invaded their senses. The crisp salty air hung heavy on the air coupled with an even cooler breeze entered the numerous train cars. A few more turns and bends later, Tatsuo and Hoshi would be able to get a glimpse of the sparkling sea that laid next to the small village. The port was small, to say the least, and seemed only able to house one or two larger vessels. It seemed this town wasn't quite as well off as a port would be. Perhaps the recent issues at hand played a part in their drab existence? In any case, the train slowly chugged to a stop near a simple train station. A booming voice ignited over the speaker system notifying the passengers of their current stop. This was the time for the duo to exit the train. It was a busy hustle as passengers came and went, scrambling to board or leave. But they would find their selves upon the platform with everything they brought in tow. It was then that a peculiar gentleman approached them.

"AHH there you boys are, your grandmother has been worried sick about you!" The older man glanced around quickly before whispering under his breath. "Come with me, quickly..." The old man with the funny hat quickly turned and began to walk out of the small station, towards the town. Who the hell was this guy and why was he acting so sketchy and what was all that about their grandmother? The old man stopped for a moment to look back at the pair that were most likely very confused and unmoving. "Well come along now, don't want to keep the old lady waiting, you little rascals." Under his breath he would whisper again; "Take those headbands off!"He would then jerkily tilt his head towards the direction he was originally heading, a look in his eyes told the pair he REALLY wanted them to follow him. Assuming they did eventually agree (cuz you know, no RPG ever continued by saying no...) the old man would usher them through town. The smell of fish, both good and bad, was like a wall smacking them in the nose. The old man was silent for the part, occasional he would nod or wave cheerfully towards other villagers. Soon enough they would find themselves on an old shoddy, lackluster dock with a single small boat with just enough room for three at the end. "Hurry now, into the boat." The old man would wait for them to enter the boat, that or hear their obvious concerns. With so little information, how were they to really trust this stranger...

 

[Shouyu Hoshi]

Once aboard the ship Tatsuo quickly began inquiring about the new coalescence that he himself, Tatsuo, and Hirateuchi fundamentally developed together while under medical care. His encouragement to entice to Ikko to join was fairly disputable, Hoshi would nod and slide in a quick excerpt of his own personal thoughts.

"Ikko would prove a favorable candidate for the group. But Ikko is still young, but very promising. Let's give him a while to develop himself. From our last meeting, he still hadn't discovered a niche yet. Although, in one of our later tutoring sessions, he did express a rather compulsive quirk with suiton. His use of water jutsu is as fluid as his motion."

Hoshi went back to looking through the dusty mirror at the ever wavy surface of water they floated upon. The rock of the ship was a bit soothing, maybe cause his father would always go fishing, a reminiscent memeory was cut short at the sound of Tatsuo's voice again. Him catching Hoshi's attention he turned his head in response to give two ears to his words about the mission. He chuckled at first thinking that Tatsuo was a bit paranoid of him being a leaf Shinobi in these parts.

Before Hoshi could even give thought to his remark, Tatsuo continued by reaching for a duffle bag and pulling out some extreme ninja tools. A long sword, supposedly made of silver, and it appeared so, and apparently able to cut through any extra terrestrial beings with the slightest of ease. Next come oils, moon dust and Hoshi just rose a brow at everything he presented. After a light chuckle he'd turn his head away from Tatsuo, rejecting the opportunity to smell whatever he had.

"Tatsuo you may be overthinking some things here, heh. Ghosts and unnatural beings? If-"

Hoshi was cut short by a stewardess who recommended the Shinobi to put away their items and arms. Hoshi leaned back in his seat, removed the ninjato from across his back and set it beneath his seat. He looked over Tatsuo sarcastically who was probably fumbling with all his gadgets.

"Sorry Ma'am, we will take care of it, thank you."

The woman dashed off leaving Hoshi a bit perplexed. She seemed uneasy about the two, maybe it was the weapons. At that conclusion he shook his head and continued pondering, maybe it was because they were Shinobi? Either way, it was awkward, but Hoshi would shrug this off and continue. He. Would readjust focus to Tatsuo and the mission as the scent of the salty sea began to tease his nostrils, an indication of their near arrival.

"As for the mission, I don't think it will matter whether you are leaf Shinobi or not. The alliance is now pretty well known, but I do agree with splitting up. We can cover more ground faster that way. You brought a headset right doofus? Hahahah!"

Hoshi only joked, nudging Tatsuo with a light jab to his shoulder before reclining into his seat. Truly, he was just trying to fake out his own jitters. The last time he dealt with something undead, he faced an army with a team of s rank anbu Shinobi. They were well equipped for the worst then, but now with just him and Tatsuo, he grew a bit tense. The ship banked a final right turn before the port came into view with sparking waters. Hoshi immediately noticed the lackluster appearance of the village, plus the undermanned strength that normally, Port Cirrus would have. Hoshi would speak out to Tatsuo.

"This place... looks lifeless... It appears the village has the lost the burning embers of their spirit..."

Hoshi beckoned for him to look. He pointed out the ships, and even the sluggish image of the lifestyle here. It all seemed, hopeless, bland. Hoshi sighed as the voice over the radio proclaimed their arrival. With that, Hoshi wrapped his Ninjato across his back once more and made sure to exit the cart of the ship first. The crowd was unwavering and fighting in opposite directions like the current of the sea. Eventually the Shinobi found his way to an open space upon the platform next to Tatsuo. Not long after they were approached by a relatively short, old but lively man.

Hoshi rose a brow at him, speaking of some grandmother in relation to the two boys. Hoshi looked at Tatsuo, and back to the old man with a blank face and still pale white hues. The message underneath his breath which followed made Hoshi click his teeth at Tatsuo with a nod of his head in the old man's direction. If it was what it appeared to be, which was a covert mission, then it had already begun.

Hoshi followed Tatsuo who followed the man into town. The old geezer was still playing at the grandma act, while whispering another demand to remove their headbands. Hoshi rose his brow in response again, while slowly doing so.

"Whatever you say... grandpa..."

Deeper into town they traveled, bypassing intriguing and disgusting smells of the port. Their path continued until they reached a small dock and a small boat, being called to board on. Hoshi sighed for a second, looked at Tatsuo and then the old man. He looked around to see if there was any mixed company and still would say underneath his breath, just in case.

"Is this boat gonna take us Tsuneo old man? And why did we have to remove our headbands at your port? What's going on around here?"

Hoshi would look to the man sternly but clearly concerned. From the jump things were fast, and this underground port was more than likely riddled with malice and trickery. Hoshi would board the ship anyway, quickly taking a snapshot photo of the port. The scene including the old man, the boat, and a broad view of the dock.

"It's up to you boss," Hoshi said looking to the old man. He would then board the boat cautiously. Any chance he could get to remember the scene with snap shot he would utilize on anything important.

Wc 1019

 

[Tatsuo]

Tatsuo had begun to explain his adventures in the town of Ushani before being cut off short by the stewarding asking them politely to put up their weapons. His face turned beat red as, just as Hoshi assumed, shuffled with the random assortment of regents and the sword itself. He haphazardly stuffed it into his duffel bag before sliding it in under his seat. Most of the trains in the Lightning Country had special areas for shinobi, they must've boarded a civilian only train by accident. It wasn't a huge deal but he was a bit disappointed he couldn't explain all of the interesting relics he had for fighting the unnatural. Despite the year Tatsuo spent away from Kaji, he had picked up his knack for monster slaying and back in the Leaf he spent a lot of his time figuring out how to deal with some of the vile creatures haunting the Land of Fire's country side.

Tatsuo disagreed with his assessment of his nationality not mattering, while it was true, most shinobi were growing to the fact that the alliance was now underway. Civilians on the other hand were usually a lot less open to change, especially if that meant military access of their villages to people from different nations. But inside him he hoped what Hoshi said was true. With all of the trouble they were to face, it would be nice to have one less challenge on their plates but it didn't stop Tatsuo from preparing mentally for it.

When Hoshi began to explain his reasoning regarding Ikko, he couldn't help to agree. Both Hoshi and Tatsuo liked Ikko enough so they weren't worried about his character, but he had a point. Ikko hadn't yet learned to manifest his chakra in any meaningful way. Random uses of chakra were nothing compared to the potential a true shinobi could use. Just as Hoshi was blessed with his pale eyes that increased his dexterity tenfold, Tatsuo had been blessed with access to the natural energies of the world around him. Ikko had not yet unlocked his blessing and until then any type of enlistment would only hinder his progress with unnecessary trials and tribulations. It still didn't make Tatsuo any less eager for him to join, Ikko was a good kid, one that he love to fight alongside some day.

The smells of sea salt hit them like a crashing wave, he crossed his arms and grinned. It'd been a while since he had been to a port town, Tatsuo almost loved the ocean as much as he loved the forests, but both of them had been stuck in the village for weeks as they recovered they couldn't just fake going on a mission to spend a day at the beach. He stood up and leaned against the window as their train got closer, however once he could see the village he frowned. Hoshi was right, the village had lost it's spirit. The village looked worn down and defeated, like a tree waiting to fall.

He turned to Hoshi and grinned as he asked if he had a headset, he motioned to his bag on the ground and prayed he remembered to grab it. It'd be too embarrassing to say he forgot now, so that would be a question for later. As they arrived in the town, the train came crashing at a halt and Tatsuo retrieved his bag from under the seat and placed it over his shoulder. He listened to the elderly man, Tatsuo was too trusting for his own good and assumed that the man had his best intentions. He slipped his headband into his bag but he still stuck out like a sore thumb in his Konoha Flak jacket. He played along with the old man's muse calling him grandpa and asking how grandma was doing, generally enjoying the little roleplaying going on between the trio.

However when they stopped at the boat, he decided the game was up and listened as Hoshi asked his questions regarding the boat. Tatsuo had no such jutsu to take a snapshot of the scene but he was careful to remember any details as he could, but just before Hoshi decided to enter the boat Tatsuo said, "Wait a minute, we've got no idea who you are, you really haven't explained anything." he glanced around and lowered his voice that way no one else would be able to hear them. "Give us a quick run down of what's going and explain our mission back to us. I want to make sure this boat isn't some trick. I want fine details." Had Tatsuo been alone, he probably would not have cared all that much but being in the company of his closest friend reminded him of the importance of being cautious. Not that Hoshi couldn't take care of himself, but he would never forgive himself if he let one of his friends get critically injured on a mission.

He crossed his arms, glancing around the docks looking for anyone or anything that might garner concern from the Leaf Shinobi. Tatsuo was as stubborn enough to stand here all day if he had to, if the man was not willing to speak he would not be getting on the ship. However he was quick to trust, so as long as his explanation had no glaring holes he would assume the best and enter the boat alongside Hoshi.

WC: 1926

 

[Kaen]

As skeptical as the pair of young shinobi might have been, they agreed to go along with this old man, following him throughout the dank market area of the little village. They even decided to go along with his little façade by removing their village headbands and tucked them away from sight. When they all finally arrive at the docks, the young ninja were apprehensive about getting into a boat with a total stranger. While Hoshi was a little more eager to get going, Tatsuo would remain headstrong and vigilant until the inquiries he expressed were indubitably responded to in kind. The old man would let out an anxious and tense sigh before attempting to continue with his "bit". Looking over his shoulder to be sure there were no prying eyes or ears in the vicinity, "Grandma was hoping that her two favorite grandsons might catch us some fish for dinner!" Still the old man continued, but revealed part of his intentions soon after. "I'm Tsuneo, get into the boat and I will reveal all after we have casted off." Tatsuo and Hoshi would most likely give each other a peculiar look before both finding a seat within the confines of the shoddy wooden boat. After releasing a old, tattered and wiry rope that kept the boat tied to the dock, Tsuneo would join the other two inside the boat and cast off.

After they had drifted a ways away from the shores, Tsuneo would again look around to his surroundings to be sure there wasn't another soul around. Though this far out, their voices couldn't travel that far. "Right then, let's put on a good show shall we?" Tsuneo smiled as he talked, waving to some passing villagers on the shore. He would then pull up the floorboards to reveal some fishing poles, one for each of them actually. "We are going to need to get some fish, if only for you to play the part. We can talk and fish, if you two don't mind..." The old man would then pull a jar from his pocket and removed the lid to reveal a fully stocked jar of worms. The wriggled and writhed within the jar, a few attempted to make a break for it. But Tsuneo was quick to retain them and placed them firmly on his hook. With a gentle cast, the hook and bait sank into the dark, murky waters. "Well go on, don't be shy. Pick up a pole and let's catch some fish eh?" This old man seemed pretty set on playing out the scene he had displayed for any potential witnesses and would not give up his info until they did just so.

After both Hoshi and Tatsuo gave in to the silly request and had their poles in the water, Tsuneo would begin to talk, however quiet it might have been to avoid suspicions from onlookers. Sorry for the vague and impromptu greeting earlier, boys. Everything has gone to hell around here and I can't take any chances. As I'm sure you already know, many people have gone missing, including my wife, or your "grandma", throughout the town. What's worse is shortly after the disappearances started, some of the common folk have been making wild accusations of the walking dead." Just about then, Tatsuo's pole would begin to shake and bob about. It appeared Tatsuo had a fish on the line! With a surprised look in his eyes, he successfully retrieved the fish from the waters. It was sizable to say the least, maybe even a foot and half long! Tsuneo was already on standby with a net prepared. "HO HO, Well done my boy!" He shouted loud enough for the people on the shore to hear, but nobody really looked. For all they knew, it was just a grandfather and his kin spending quality time together. After putting the fish into a metal bucket and resuming his hold on his own pole, he continued. "As I was saying, after the recent incident in Kumogakure, the whole prison escape, the simple folk of this village have grown wary and suspicious of all chakra wielding individuals and have begun to treat them with much disdain. This is why I asked you to hide your headbands. The less they know, the easier it will be for you two to fully investigate this mess." The line on Hoshi's pull began to tug away from him, but he was quick on the grip and held on true. A fierce battle ensued, testing the very limits of Hoshi's blazing spirit. After what seemed like hours, but really was only maybe 30 seconds, Hoshi pulled forth from the waters a mighty... guppy... It couldn't have been more than 6 inches long. Tsuneo burst into laughter, as would Tatsuo most likely. "Ha ha ha, That's alright lad. There are bigger fish in the sea. Let's this lil guy go back." Tsuneo removed the fish from his hook and rebaited Hoshi's pole. and would continue his conversation.

Tsuneo had managed to catch a few fish of his own during their time spent upon the open water, his metal bucket was nearly full. His own normal sized fish, Tatsuo's sizable catch and... well I suppose Hoshi has yet to get something decent as of yet. But what's this?! A sudden jerk of Hoshi's pole caused the boat to rock a bit, something big was down there... With all his might, he pulled and tugged and... His pole snapped. "Well that's just some bad luck, if I do say so myself." Tsuneo consoled the most likely heart broken Hoshi and began to put away his gear. "I think that's enough relaxation for one day, lets head in and head to my house. We can discuss your plan of attack over our fresh caught supper. No hard feelings son..." He gave Hoshi a gentle smile in regards to his horrible luck. Steering the boat back to the docks, he retied it and waited for both of the boys to exit before setting out to his house. As they walked, he talked. He hoped their little fishing trip raised any possible suspicions the villagers might have had. "As you can see, the current state of affairs is bleak to say the least. After everything that has happened recently, things just took a turn for the worst. We're fisherman by trade, so the more fish we bring into market, the better off we are as a whole. But these damn idiots ran off all our best fisherman just because they utilized a little bit of chakra to catch fish. With the decreased fish, so too did the village follow suit. Ah, here we are!" It was a simple but humble abode fit for a pair of aging kind souls. Plumes of smoke exuded from the top of a small brick chimney signaling a warm fire within. Tsuneo opened the door for them and let them in. Tsuneo carried along with him the pail of fish, setting it on the kitchen counter. "Now then, any of you know how to clean a fish?"

 

[Shouyu Hoshi]

The old man introduced himself as Tsuneo, while maintaining the facade of grandmother. Hoshi would keep up with the old man’s charade and when it came to board he did so. He took a seat near the front of the boat and noticed some stuff in there, for fishing. The old man casted off the string that kept the boat from floating away, and float away it did. Slowly but surely the dock would become further away, and they were far into the water before the old man spoke up again. They would need to fish and supposedly keep everything about this discrete as possible.

“No problem old man, let's just get it going. The quicker we can begin, the quicker we can vindicate this lifeless port.”

He pulled out a jar of bait, Hoshi smirked. This old man seemed more than prepared for the trip and went through many ways to debrief the young Shinobi. Hoshi picked up his pole, lined it up with bait and throw the line in the water. Tsuneo quickly went in on the details about what's been going on. Hoshi calmly watched his fishing line while giving an attentive ear to his speech. Apparently his wife had gone missing, Hoshi sighed at the words and looked down.

“Have any of the so called ‘walking dead’, reported to be any of the missing people?”

He turned his head over to Tatsuo, he was like being tugged, the tip of his pole bending to the will of his catch. Hoshi’s eyes widened at the sight, it appeared to be a hefty guy from the force of the pull. Tatsuo struggled but found himself more than triumphant with a huge catch! Hoshi gave it out a light chuckle as his own pole gave a tug too. The old man was catching his own fair share while talking. He continued on about the current state of the port, and their distrust in those adept with chakra. Hoshi nodded, looking at the man intently. He thought to himself, ‘Someone has gone a long way to take advantage of the recent turmoil throughout the land. Who could be so greedy enough to starve this people and take the riches for them self? Also… I wonder.’ He shook his head just as his line was pulled. Hoshi struggled for a half of minute for a small catch. He laughed along with the old man at the sight.

Hoshi watched as Tsuneo dropped him back in the water, Tsuneo made sure not to hurt the poor little guy while removing the hook. Some moments later Hoshi had a stronger pull, one that made him stand up and grasp his pole. The fight was on as twisted and grunted and yanked until his pole snapped and fell back, rocking the boat. Hoshi was heaving, as Tsuneo deemed him unlucky. He looked over to him and agreed with a nod before sitting up. Tsuneo stated him unlucky and offered to talk about their plans over dinner at his home.

“That is a great idea. Something tells me… this will be long evening.”

He'd follow quickly behind the old man, and behind Tatsuo. The man would continue talking as they approached his home, Hoshi gave a decent look at it and shrugged. This place didn't seem too bad, he could see this place vibrant and alive full of alive in his imaginative mind. Tsuneo invited them in and Hoshi took the first gesture to enter. He took off his ninja sandals and set them aside at the door while Tsuneo went to the kitchen counter.

“I can. If you don't mind.”

Hoshi whipped out and twirled a Kunai around his finger. He walked over to counter, grabbed a decent sized fish and held it over the kitchen sink and running warm water. He flipped the fish over to reveal its underbelly where he cut an incision from the head down to its tail fin. Blood leaked as he trailed the motion and guts begun to hang out. Hoshi then pulled out the bloody mess into the sink and running water until his belly was free of all organs and gunk. He washed rinsed and repeated a few for more fish and saved some for later.

Wc 710/2460 total

 

[Tatsuo]

Tatsuo followed Hoshi and Tsueno into the boat, taking a seat. He really didn't understand the reason behind all the theatrics but he played along, plus, he never did know his grandfather. "Alright grandpa!" the boy said as he hopped into the boat. "I'm going to catch a big one!" Tatsuo had many years of fishing experience, he spent many of days in the deep forests of Konoha, living off fish from the creek and other assorted things he could find. It was a pass time of his and he'd say he even had a bit of a knack for it, within a few moments he was reeling back a big one. The fish shot up straight into the area, bouncing around as it tried to break free from the metal hook. Tatsuo's grip held true and he was sure to get his dinner that night, he hadn't had time to eat on the way here so the idea of eating some nice fish really got him excited. He shouted, "Look what I caught, grandpa!" he said as he brought the fish down to his feet. When he went to put the fish down he asked Tsueno, "Walking dead? Like zombies or something?" he said grinning as he thought back to the silver sword in his duffel bag. Ever since he had went to Ushani, he had always brought a silver sword with him on missions. While it would bend and break easily to anyone with any proper armor or weapons, it seemed to cut through the unnatural like a hot knife through butter and Tatsuo looked forward to testing it out on some zombies.

However not all of his thoughts were so cheerful, it hurt him to hear that this man's wife had been lost because of the potential attacks on the village, as he learned that someone had been taking advantage of the recent prison break in Kumogakure, which the boys knew too well, it made him clench his fist. Maybe this had something to do with Kaen.. Whenever he mentioned the prison break, Tatsuo immediately looked to Hoshi and mouthed, "Kaen." as if the words themselves were so vile it was not right to speak them out loud, but either way he began to feel his stomach drop. He assumed that zealot ran back to Suna before Kaji could track him down, but who'd expect him to go to a little distraught port town. He shook his head before trying to get that idea out of his head, he needed to focus on the task at hand. The two weren't ready to defeat Kaen yet, they probably wouldn't be lucky enough to survive twice either, but if it came down to that, he was happy to have Hoshi as his teammate more than ever.

Tatsuo hadn't had that long to reflect on his potential mortality on the mission for long, Hoshi had gotten a pull and struggled and fought for the tiniest of catches. Tatsuo grinned and stuck his pinky finger up, wiggling it around as he mocked the size of the fish. "Try and catch this Hoshi!" the playful teasing from him and Tsueno was brief but it sure brought him back into a better mood. No matter the foe, Tatsuo and Hoshi's blazing spirit would burn bright enough to illuminate even the darkest of spirits. However Tatsuo nearly died laughing when Hoshi seemed to get another catch, then had his pole snap like a twig. The intrepid hero couldn't breath for a solid minute as he gasped for air between haughty laughs at the misery of his best friend. He tried to gather composure of himself, as he listened to Tsueno explain the current situation and why the village looked so decrepit.

It made enough sense, the villagers grew paranoid and kicked out those who they thought were responsible for their unfortunate events, however those same people happened to be the very people who brought success to such a backwater port town. As Tsueno explained the situation Tatsuo would interrupt him before the question of cleaning fish, he boldly, but quietly as to keep their conversation private. "You've got the Blazing Spirit on your side, there's no chance this village won't be fixed by the time we leave. You've got my word!"

When they arrived to the simple house Tatsuo began to take notice of any details of the house, however he quickly entered alongside his travelling companions even though the thoughts of fighting valiantly against any what may face them shuffled through his head. The one thing that could distract Tatsuo from his heroic antics, was the mentioning of food. Especially when he was as hungry as this, just the mention of cleaning fish had him grinning and pulling out a small kunai from a loader on his leg. "Mhm! I've cleaned 'em for years. Lets cook them up! Maybe we can fry them.. or bake them over rice.. or cut them up and put it in soup..." Tatsuo spent a few moments imagining all of the different ways they could prepare the fish. As Hoshi began to start cleaning them, Tatsuo was quick to follow skinning them as fast as he could. Quick and clean cuts, for everything Tatsuo lacked in more academic skills he made up for in his use of what he felt like more practical skills, such as cutting and cleaning fish. It didn't take them long to clean all of the fish, as he discarded of the guts and other unappetizing bits of the fish, he looked to Tsueno, "So now, can you tell us where we should start.. while we cook the fish obviously.." he wanted to make sure they were not doing all this work for no share of the fish. He was hungry and if Tatsuo were to do anything, that hunger would need to be sated.

WC: 2907

 

[Kaen]

Ah yes, things were looking up. Two young eager boys excitingly cleaning the fish while a weary old man watches with admiration. Tsuneo had no children of his own, therefore no grandchildren either. It was refreshing to such lively spirits within his own home. "I can't begin to tell you how much this means to me, you two. Not just in the hopes that my wife will be rescued or that the town's well being will be better, but for the light your happy faces bring into my home..." The old man slowly walked over to the dimly lit fireplace and stoked it a bit before deciding to throw another log on top. With a deep breath and a long exhale, Tsuneo relaxed into an old beaten chair. You could tell it was fairly old and many jimmy-rigged patch jobs were strewn about its surface. But despite its rundown look, it actually looked inviting and comfortable. The old man would close his eyes and just listen for a while, not saying anything with just a simple closed lip smile struck across his aged face. The fire snapped, crackled and popped back to life and light was properly distributed across the area. The slight tinks and tangs of Hoshi and Tatsuo cheerfully cleaning the fish brought back memories of a time long since past when his own father was still alive. If you looked at a still shot of all this right now, you might just forget what you came here to do. Everything was so peaceful and warm, just... Happy...

But... As all things that go up must eventually come down. So too would this scene of merry cheer eventually come to pass and the dream would be shattered. For the world is a dreary place and if happiness and security is the morning sun, casting its rays of sun across a healthy earth, then misery and strife would certainly be the shadowy night that will always chase it away. Living is strife and torment, disappointment and love and sacrifice, golden sunsets and black storms. Among the truths of this world, this existence, everybody and everything is going to hurt you, cause you pain and grief. The trick, that precious silver lining... You just gotta find the ones worth suffering for.

"I suppose we should talk a little, while we wait for our supper to finish, eh?" Tsuneo spoke suddenly breaking the charm of silence. "I am old, boys. I am but a simple old man with a yearning for that which most dear to him has been lost. I pray you two have a plan of some sort to save us all." There was a look of disparity in his eyes, a hint of longing for the loving embrace. Something he surely would give his life for if he were more capable and younger. "To answer a few of your earlier questions..." Tsuneo cleared his throat and sat up in his chair staring into the fire. The blazing embers danced in his old eyes reflecting a sense of bitter dissension. "As of yet, nobody has been able to get a clear description of the people that rise from the waters, only that they looked grotesque and decomposed, partially. Anybody with skill enough to track them, hunt them and capture one have long since been purged from our village out of fear." Regret... A word that would hang heavy over that village. So little these simple folk understood about the way of chakra and ninja. If only they could have understood better, perhaps they would not have found themselves in such a predicament. Tsuneo suddenly stood up from his old chair and headed towards the fireplace where the boys had placed their catches of the day. Placing a single hand upon the warm bricks of the mantle and another scratching the back of his head, he continued to stare into the fire. "Alas I am no tactician, but the way I see it, you boys have only a few options. One, wait till sundown and confront these creatures headstrong. Or two, shack up here with me and you can set off to town at dawn to investigate and question the townsfolk..." Taking a deep breath through his nose, his dreary mood quickly turned itself around. There was always a silver lining to be had it seems. "But for now, it seems like supper's ready boys! How bout we just enjoy some damn fine company and swap stories. Afterwards you two can talk amongst yourself on how you really wanna go about this debacle. Sound like a plan?" The old man gave them a cliché type closed-eye-smile. For an old geezer, he really seemed alright. We can only hope Tatsuo and Hoshi fulfill their duty and bring peace and happiness back to this village and Tsuneo...

 

[Tatsuo]

Tatsuo himself was enjoying the idyllic atmosphere, with the passing of his mother, he hadn't really had any family type moments in a long while. But here he was, with his closest pal and some old man who was nice enough for Tatsuo to consider him a grandfather figure. In between cutting fish, throwing random assortment of fish guts at an unsuspecting Hoshi, and bantering around with the fellows it reminded Tatsuo of the happy times one could have with a family. For a while Tatsuo had considered the family unit a useless one, all he'd ever really known of family was a series of disappointments and abuse, but had he been born into a family like this, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. The boy was more than happy to sit and relax with Tsueno and Hoshi and share stories.

Tatsuo had taken a seat at the small table centering the room, bowl in hand he began to eat, once again burning his mouth immediately as he took no time to wait for the food to cool down. With an exaggerated motion to cool down his tongue he continued slurping down his meal as if it was the antidote to a deadly poison. With good food and even better company, Tatsuo felt comfortable enough to let loose despite the seriousness behind their reasoning for being here. Kicking back and crossing his arms he thought hard of any stories he could share. He'd usually share the one about his face, but if Hoshi ever mentioned anything to Kaji he'd tell them the real origin of his scar which would be a bit too embarrassing, even for someone as carefree as Tatsuo.

"Well, i'm not sure if it's really that interesting, but i've had a bit of experience with stuff like this. I didn't fight the walking dead, but I did fight a ghost." he said as he leaned back into his chair getting more comfortable. "It was in a small village in the western region of the Lightning Country, some ghost had apparently been harassing some of the locals. Apparently she started haunting the village after some lady died the day before her wedding. Her groom-to-be ended up marrying her best friend or something. They say that's why the ghost showed up, but I didn't really have the chance to ask her that when she was trying to blast my head off. The first night I fought her, had I not nearly sliced her into two, I would've died." For the most part everything Tatsuo had said up until now was true, but as all great stories go, there was a bit of exaggeration. "Well I wasn't able to kill the ghost the first night since she screamed into my ears, sending me to the ground but she had to retreat because of her wounds. Luckily one of the villagers had found me in the mud and brought me back to the inn I had been staying at. You know how village girls could be, this one particular one who was obviously in love with me showered me with attention and all that, she was a beautiful girl but you know, i'm a shinobi I can't be tempted by the sway of a woman's hips." Tatsuo nodded all sage like, trying to act more mature than he was, or ever would be. "Her heart melted with every word I said, ya' know? Despite my wounds, I was able to keep her off me as I went back to slay the ghost. It was a long hard fought battle, but this time I brought ear muffs to prevent it from shouting in my ear anymore. I slayed it and brought it back for my reward. The village elder was that girl's grandmother when I left she offered to give up her life to travel with the most handsome shinobi to ever live, her words, not mine. I told her no obviously, I couldn't have some girl bothering me when I was trying to save the world ya' know?" The situation itself was almost the opposite, the girl had Tatsuo's tongue tied in a hundred different directions, had she asked him to quit being a shinobi and stay with her he'd probably have done it in a minute, but he obviously couldn't say that.

After sharing his story Tatsuo got back onto topic and thought to Tsueno's proposed options, Tatsuo himself would prefer to go and face the enemy head on. Sneaking around wasn't particularly his forte, he lacked the patience for it, meeting an enemy head on was one of the tenets of the Blazing Spirit anyways so when it'd be brought up in conversation, Tatsuo would use that as a talking point. Even though he was technically the leader on this mission, Tatsuo respected Hoshi's word enough to listen to his opinion on the manner. He had more experience with the walking dead than Tatsuo did so any advice he had on the matter would be important to the boy.

With whatever option they decided to go with, Tatsuo would waste no more time preparing for the journey ahead. Reaching into his duffel bag he took his sword and tied it to his waist. It was a simple blade, other than the fact that it was made from silver. How Tatsuo came into contact with such a sword was a story for another day, but by the rough handle and cheap leather scabbard it would grow no more attention than that of a large butchers knife. He readied a few spools of ninja wire just in case they'd need it. This whole time, he would be casually conversing with Tsueno trying to ease his nerves on the whole situation, as a non shinobi he probably would be a bit uncomfortable with the fact of so many ninja tools and weapons being drawn and readied at his house. By the end of the preparation phase, Tatsuo would have had placed his headband back on, using it to keep the hair out of his face. His sword on his side where a hand rested on the hilt. A few smoke bombs were hidden in the jacket he wore over a simple pair of ninja chain-mail. Tatsuo was prepared for war, while the boy normally was aloof, slaying creatures like these did not harbor the same moral hesitation that other living beings gave him. Standing to the presumably equally prepared Hoshi, they looked like something out of an A-list action movie, as the heroes went to fight the bad guys.

Spoiler

WC: 4004

 

[Shouyu Hoshi]

It was a really, 'at home' feel at the moment. Dinner was being prepped in a nice home, perfect for a family. Hoshi took note of everything but it couldn't help this, fleeting feeling. In the back of his mind, he wanted solely to get started as soon as possible. To thwart the opposition before they even arrived but alas, the circumstances would not allow it. He thought this to himself in private, though outwardly he would express a smile and appear delighted. But in reality, he was stressing, feeling pressed for time. The old man, reminded him of his past father. And, hearing the loss of his beloved wife, it didn't phase his smile at all, but it struck his heart like a jagged blade.

"We will find her old man... one way or the other..."

Hoshi continued prepping the food, looking back to his work as he listened to Tsuneo explain even further. Seems the village denied the only help they could get and spurned expiation to the point where they are now suffering beyond belief. It made him think, that maybe it was a Shinobi was behind all of this, it was the only way. And as he cut, seasoned and fried, baked food he remembered that Tsuneo mentioned someone using chakra to fish. Dinner was just about done, he and Tatsuo were prepping the plates while Tsuneo gave two options. Hoshi responded immediately.

"Well the latter is definitely out of the option. As much as we love being here old man, we can't wait another day if we wish to bring back your wife and others. Time is of the essence."

The old man whipped around the same time the plates were hitting the tables. The steam from the hit scented food quickly filled the area and grew stronger from the fireplace. Hoshi's mouth even watered a little bit, it had been a while since he had such fresh fish before and he was dying try what delicacies the port had. Tsuneo offered to hear some stories, Shouyu went straight to chowing down, scarfing up every bit of food. Tatsuo then started talking about a story, the whole time food just kept piling up in Hoshi's mouth. A few times he had struggles swallowing the amount he bit off. He had to cough, beat his chest with a fist, and gulp as hard as he could for the big ball of mush food to travel down this guzzler. Instantly afterwards he would go for a drink and wash it all down with a gasping exhale. Tatsuo's story seem interesting as much as it was long winded. Hoshi had finished his food long before and was wiping his mouth to free his face of excess food its and crumbles.

Hoshi gave a large burp, excused himself and reclined into his chair as Tatsuo was just about finishing his story. The whole time he was talking, Hoshi was contemplating a master plan to engage the enemy tonight after everything was done. Hoshi would have been seen rolling his eyes as his friend Tatsuo emphasized a pretty girl who was supposedly, 'jocking' the young Shinobi. He even blew a raspberry and exclaimed, 'Trash' aloud, with a whole hearted chuckle. Although, his experience with a ghost was a new enemy encounter that's Shouyu had never been up against. He wondered if it was anything like supposed legends of those who earned contracts with spirits. Hoshi nodded and took that into consideration. After Tatsuo finished his horror story, Hoshi sat up and clapped his hands. Now was the time to get down to business.

"So, old man, where are the most recent, and most common sightings for these, undead?"

Tatsuo begun preparing his equipment, Hoshi need not to, for all he had to do was strap his ninjato across his back, which he'd do later. He then pointed to the table, his index finger meeting the finished wood. He wasn't pointing at anything in particular, just attempting to make a point. He cleared his throat as he proposed his tactics to engage the undead. It was true they would need to move and strike first, but it would have to be done cleanly.

"Simply put, I'll be the first to engage them. With my doujutsu, I'll be able to see all around and make it record of how many and their location. First, we subdue the undead, if they are linked to a chakra course, I could find it. When I am done rallying the dead, whoever has caused them to come will wonder where they have gone. Hopefully, they will reveal themselves. Or send more, and if they do, we can reverse track then hopefully to where they came from."

Hoshi strapped the ninjato across his back, rubbed his hands into each other to tighten his gauntlets, and pulled at the bandages to better grip his forearms. He would then too, don his Kumogakure headband across his forehead to guard the scar of a lighting bolt which lay above his right eyebrow.

"I'll give a signal when I have rallied all the undead. Make sure to have your communications on the right preset. Tsuneo, here."

Hoshi even handed one to Tsuneo, a headset ear piece to tune into the boy's while they were out. But not only for that, Hoshi had planned to use Tsuneo in all this too if he could.

"As you said, the villagers do not trust us. I leave it up to you, to ask around and find more info on who had been taken, their last reported sighting, and any new information we can use. You can communicate directly to us, Tatsuo."

He looked over to his comrade and smirked, he knew he was the leader but, that's why he had the most important role. A shadow, he was to reveal himself at the right time.

"Tatsuo, find the pinnacle of the port. Go to the highest point, a bird's eye view. Once I give the signal, it's up to you to locate the culprit... and engage him. I'll be out and about with more than several clones so... I'll attempt to be omnipresence. I won't be far away. Whoever this is, he can't take the both of us."

Hoshi stood up, he looked over to Tsuneo once more with his hand out.

"I know you have something that belongs to your wife. If I could have it, I could track it her down a lot easier."

If Hoshi was handed anything with her scent, like a garment, or a hair from her brush, he would cast the chakra sense anbu Ninjutsu upon the item. He would be able to locate her general area, and if she was still here, he could immediately confirm her whereabouts to Tsuneo. Shortly after, Hoshi weaved a set of seals, three poofs if clouds revealed streaks of lightning which solidified and formed three lifelike beings similar to Hoshi, Lightning clones. He wove another set of seals to reveal four shadows upon Tsuneo's floor. The shadow was like pool of black liquid which from it, grew four shadow servants. They had no face in particular, just black human like shapes, which appeared lively and responsive to the environment. Hoshi smirked. He brought his own squad with him.

"So this is it. I'll scout and deter. Tsuneo, you are the ears, find out what you can, and report to us. Make sure, you keep yourself clear of any places where we are engaged in enemy contact. There's eight of me now, so you can have one go with you. Tatsuo, you're our strong arm. If we can snuff the culprit out, you take him down... in one fell swoop. No questions asked. Unless, you got a better idea?"

Wc 1,297 + 2,460 = 3,757

 

[Kaen]

Wholesome goodness and kindhearted kin, that's what this evening contained. It was like a scene out of a bedtime story with a fairy tail like happy ending. But unfortunately this was reality and not everything had such pleasant endings. Who knows though, the future is uncertain which in turn means that anything Is possible. It was possible that Tatsuo and Hoshi save the day and everything goes back to its original prosperous ways. But then again it's entirely possible that they fail and end up leaving this port like village in worse standings than when they first arrived...

It seemed the duo was ready to head out immediately and not waste any precious time conversing and interrogating the locals. Despite a full understanding of the situation, a frontal assault would meet whatever was going on here head-on and might possibly alleviate any further disappearances. Tsuneo would nod towards Hoshi upon his request and walk over to a nearby coat rack and pulled off a long brown scarf. "This belonged to her, try to look past it's worn look. It really was her favorite..." Tsuneo caressed it a bit longer, rubbing the thick wool between his fingers. It was clear that he missed her dearly, two long lost soul mates torn asunder by unfortunate circumstances. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts of dismal thoughts, he handed it to Hoshi hoping it would serve him well. The rumors are that the sightings started near the docks, next to the boat launching area. From there you c--" Tsuneo would stop mid sentence as a blood curdling scream pierced the otherwise silent night. It was distant but distinct, originating from within the village. "Go, you must go now. Don't worry about me lads, I have an underground shelter I can lock myself into and bunk there till morning. That seems to be the key, daylight. For whatever reason there has never been any sightings after dawn. Now go, quickly!" Tsuneo urged his young friends to expedite their readiness and send them off to investigate the scream. Once they left, he would do as he said and lock himself within the confines of his basement dwellings and hold out till dawn.

Once they readied their selves and their equipment, they would leave Tsuneo's house behind and rush into the dark night. It was silent the entire way, an eerie feeling washed over their minds as it remained silent thereafter. Even upon arriving at the center of the village, not a sound would be hear save for the slight breeze that picked up every now and then. No people, no sounds, nothing even hinting towards a disturbance. The night sky was clear of clouds and the moon shined brightly even though only half of it was visible. It seemed like Hoshi had a plan of attack earlier when he conversed with Tatsuo. Perhaps now was the time to implement it. Or perhaps this scream was cause for a new route of attack. Either way, Tatsuo was the team leader here and would need to make an executive decision on when, where and how they would do this.

 

[Tatsuo]

Tatsuo scanned the roof tops as he entered the center of the village, he made a quick scan of the area before calling out to Hoshi. The boys had walked side by side, and as they entered the town square Tatsuo said "Alright, let's figure out what we're going to do here." the boy furrowed his brows as he noticed all of the thin roads and alley ways. "Alright Hoshi, I think this is what we'll do. You see those thin alley ways?" he said pointing to the few surrounding the town square. "I'm going to get on a roof, manifest some chakra. You stay down here, you're better in hand to hand than I am but we don't know how strong, or how many of our enemy there is. So what i'll do is be on standby, ready to create some wall to buy us time to escape if things go bad. I'll block off all the alley ways and then we'll just scale the buildings and figure out what's going on. Try not to kill whatever attacks us at first too, unless it's going to kill you of course. Figuring out what it is probably would be easier if it's still was alive. If you start to get over run i'll jump down. I've got my sword and my armor." The boy smirked "Oh and another trick up my sleeve, but i'll save that for when we need it."

Tatsuo extended his fist to give Hoshi a fist bump, a grin appeared on his face and said "I'm sure this'll be fun, too bad you're the one whose going to get to do all the actual fighting." Tatsuo joked obviously he didn't care too much who got to have all the fun, but Tatsuo's techniques were much less offensive than Hoshi's. What he lacked in offensive he made up in utility and defense. "Also, don't die, we've still got someone we need to beat."

And just like that, Tatsuo had run off to the tallest building to give him a better vantage point, the boy sat down and began to meditate and gather the natural energies around him. While walls weren't that difficult to make, creating a make shift arena where they could fight however many of whatever they were about to face would take a sizable amount of energy from him. And it'd take him even more to join the fight after. But there was no question about it, if Hoshi were to find himself in danger, it wouldn't matter. Blazing spirits burn brightest when they need to. Tatsuo could feel the energy surging up inside him, the natural energies of every living being in the village were offering their support, from the tiniest blade of grass to the largest oak. Tatsuo rarely tried to collect this much energy, as it wasn't often for him to be able to just sit around and collect chakra like this in a real battle but it made him feel powerful. He knew the two could do it, if two masters of the Blazing Spirit could not do it, who could?

The eerie silence of the village made every hair on Tatsuo's neck stand up like needles. As the moon crept up into the sky illuminating the village in a pale but dim light Tatsuo looked for anything that could be sign of an incoming attack from the enemy. Whatever it happened to be. After a short hour of meditating, Tatsuo had gathered a ton of natural energy, once he felt prepared he stood up from his mediating state and made another scan of the area, eyes peeled for anything that might alert him of an enemy. Activating his headset he first called to Hoshi, "Ayy Hoshi, all good down there?" despite being able to see Hoshi it was better to be safe than sorry. Switching channels quickly he called to Tsueno, "Gramps, how's everything at HQ?" Tatsuo had grown to like Tsueno and felt indebted to help him, but he also worried that he could get hurt in a mission like this. If the enemy was sentiment there was a chance they would target him for being an informant.

WC: 4703

 

[Shouyu Hoshi]

Hoshi would take hold of the garment. He felt it's worn fabric, brought it closely to his face and inhaled the scent. He had locked onto his target. It was at this moment, he would be able to tell her location, and if unknown, he could assume the worst. Hoshi then tied the jacket around his waist like some fashion understatement. The shriek went out, Hoshi’s eyes activated in response, the veins bulging around his pale hues. He nodded at Tsuneo’s sense of urgency. Hoshi jogged in place, his footsteps became silent, without a sound. Results of the concealed steps buffing taijutsu. Hoshi wove a couple seals, donning the active camo which would take base form of dark smoke spewing from the pores in his skin.

“Let's go Tatsuo.”

They were off, with Tatsuo taking the lead. When Hoshi was exposed to the night his camo would shift and accelerate the process of being hidden until he was in stealth and already separated from Tatsuo. His clones and minions dispersed, scattering all throughout even nook and cranny of the village. If one were to encounter and vanish he'd surely feel the lapse of energy from himself and conduct his own census of trouble nearby. Hoshi scaled the walls, nearer to the ground in order to make a move. Although the scream was heard, there was nothing to be found. Could it been, they had been tricked and in order to reveal their location? Hoshi purged his mind of those thoughts and fought to remain resilient at heart, focusing on his task. His minions dashed through every narrow alley, surveying each one diligently.

Tatsuo recommended a cause of action for himself, when Hoshi overheard from the headset he grinned. It was a beautiful plan, able to save his own skin and ensnare his attacks if need be. His morale increased as he pressed to the ear bud to respond.

“I know I can rest easy with your eyes from above. It's silent down here. Ya know, the old man decided to bunk in his underground hideout. Would you think these guys are busting into people's houses?”

Hoshi proposed the question as he stand hidden by several homes. Next to the door, hopefully still in stealth from his active camo, Hoshi would listen to the sounds of homes. If he heard any sound of the struggle before he would radio in, maybe even give a knock to see the response. He wouldn't just barge in and give away his location, his discretion was a key aspect to this commission. House to house, roof to roof Hoshi would travel. He would appear like a dark bird flying in the night sky, just a dash of sight if any.

Hoshi would take look around, his Byakugan extending a few thousand meters, so he'd be able to see any weird activity. His eyes were also in search of the sense of Tsuneo’s wife. Eventually Hoshi would perch upon a watchtower, waiting for a moment to pounce while his clones and minions ran through the town as bait.


Wc 3757 + 512 = 4269

 

[Kaen]

The almost supernatural silence metaphorically screamed with the intensity of a thousand angry house wives. A waxing moon dimly lit the earth below allowing for some semblance of visibility. The cool crisp air seemed to alleviate the previous "harbor" type aromas that had been present before, to much relief. It seemed Tatsuo had a game plan in mind and would utilize each of their personal strengths to their advantage. The leader would take to the roofs and relay information to his partner who was widely known for his elitist level of combat. For now it remained silent and Hoshi's tracker was picking up nothing. If Tsuneo's wife was alive, she was out of range or something was scrambling the signal. Their only solace was Tsuneo's voice over the receiver claiming that he was safe and undisturbed. However... the silence would remain for but a moment longer before their collective ears picked up a familiar noise!

"OH GOD, SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

It was the frantic and horrific cry for help. As one would expect, Hoshi's visual prowess would easily pinpoint the source and would make out the visage of a young women running for what seemed to be her life. She was already heading in their direction, so there was no need to run in pursuit. As she stumbled into the middle of town, plain as day to the two shinobi, she would again call out for help, fully unaware of the two ninja's presence. And then Hoshi would spot it... Sprinting at almost an unnatural speed, a crazed young man whose body would emit little to no chakra system reading, was barreling straight for the woman! It would be only seconds before the ghastly figure was upon her, they duo would only have a short amount of time to respond in kind. Hoshi could already hear the figure approaching. With each bound his rough and heavy panting grew ever closer and ever louder. "HURR HURR RURRRAH HURR URGH!" It was clear he was in a state or rage and would stop at nothing to reach its intended target. Though Hoshi might attempt to call in for aid from Tatsuo, his friend upon the rooftops would already be dealing with trouble of his own...

The sound of fingernails scraping violently upon the wooden siding of the buildings was enough to make ones skin crawl with fright. However fearless Tatsuo might have thought himself previously, the sight of what might have once been a cute, innocent school girl was not standing near the edge of the roof with her mouth open ajar. "Eeeeiiiiii.... Aaaaahhhhhggg...." If it were attempting to speak, it proved useless as there was no translation for what the hell she just said. For now she seemed docile, despite the horrific appearance she had been graced with this day. Though she had no apparent injuries, part of her race seemed to have rotted away leaving only open bone to glimmer in the moonlight. The little girl cocked her head slightly upon seeing Tatsuo and took a single sluggish step towards him, and then another, and then another...

It would appear that both the young men from each respecting village of Cloud and Leaf were at an impass and would have little choice than to act and respond. How was up to them, You see there is only one constant. One universal. It is the only real truth. Causality. Action, reaction. Cause and effect. They were faced with a choice on how to proceed and the resulting effect will find its way into their lives. But even they could not see what was coming... Hidden, masked somehow to Hoshi's visual prowess. Or perhaps he just didn't know what he was looking for just yet. Perhaps it had something to do with why it was difficult to see the strange figure that was racing straight towards the women, who can say. But none the less, something was coming and they might not be ready...

 

[Tatsuo]

Just as a pot about to boil, the natural energy surging through Tatsuo made him eager to use the gathered power. The hairs on Tatsuo's neck stood up like needles as he heard the scream off in the distance. His eyes darted to the source and watched as the girl plead for help, instantly calling Hoshi on his headset. "All cl--" he cut himself off as he noticed the maniac chasing after her, but before he could assist Hoshi he had his own problems to deal with. Turning to face his opponent, Tatsuo formed a seal, in which his whole body became enveloped in a mixture of vines and wood. Like chain mail, vines surrounded him from his neck to his feet. Thick and sturdy wooden plates shot out from his skin, as if they laid wait this whole time. The armor gave him a surprising amount of mobility for the sheer size he grew. It made the boy look like a tank, but despite his newfound weight he still moved agile as ever. Without missing a beat, he extended his arm and a large wooden hammer sprouted from it, almost immediately he went to slam down on the rotting corpse of the girl. Tatsuo's moral hesitation to take a life did not extend to things he considered already dead, in his mind he was doing the best thing he could for her and putting the body to rest. Unless the girl was faster or stronger than the average person, she would've been squatted like a bug under his hammer.

Retracting his hammer back into him, Tatsuo called back into his headset. "I don't think this is it.. make sure that girl is safe but don't let her get too close." Tatsuo called before starting his barrier technique. One by one, large thick wooden walls raise between all of the alleyways. Making an arena of sorts for the two to fight in, even after Tatsuo stopped feeding the barriers chakra, they would still be a few feet thick. "I'm coming down." he called once again to his headset, before calling to Tsueno. "Gramps, we've come in contact with the enemy. I've taken one down." the boy maneuvered his way down into the town square alongside Hoshi. Ready to assist him with the zombie. Tatsuo looked to the girl, trying to get a good view of her and looking for anything that might result in a betrayal. Sliding the silver sword from it's sheath, it gleamed in the moonlight like a mirror. The sword was created by an unknown smith in the outskirts of the village of Konoha, it was created to fend off unnatural enemies. It seemed that Tatsuo would need it today. Still in his wooden armor, the helmet shot down back into the wood and he spoke to Hoshi. "I don't think that's the last of them." he forewarned his comrade, before looking to the girl. "What's going on here, we're here to help. Anything you know might be able to help us fight them.

Tatsuo formed another quick hand seal, making himself lighter. While it was nearly impossible to see, he had lightened the density of his wood while still maintaining it's durability. It was a costly technique for the young Chuunin to maintain for long, but he needed to be quick on his feet if Hoshi and him were going to get out of here alive. Tatsuo brought his hands down before shouting, "Wood Style: Great Tri Barrier!" from the earth rose three barriers in trapezoid shape, space in between for the ninja to take cover while still taking ranged shots at the enemy. "Hoshi, if things get bad, you should escape with the girl." Tatsuo furrowed his brows, he knew there was no way Hoshi was going to run but they had to make sure the civilians were kept safe during this mission. Human life was and always will be the utmost priority of the Blazing Spirit and it would go against everything the guild stood for if they allowed this girl to get injured while under their protection. "I've got a trick up my sleeve, so if things get bad don't worry about me. I got a new jutsu i'm looking to test out." the intrepid hero turned to Hoshi giving him a cheeky smirk.

The boy then pursed his lips, waiting for the arrival of the enemy. If they all were like that last one he should be able to defeat them easily without the need to retreat but if there were enough he had his doubts they could always be overrun but Tatsuo's secret technique was something he was itching to show off. He hadn't a good chance to introduce it yet, but something like this would be the perfect moment for it. But wouldn't it just ruin the hype if he used it before things really got started. "Hoshi, give a quick scan of the perimeter, if you see any enemies give me a relative count in each direction, those walls are tough but if I need to reinforce any just tell me which." he said bringing his hands down to the ground, trying to access the chakra networks of the wooden walls. After Tatsuo made the wood grow, it still was living and breathing wood no matter the form it took on. While he directly maintained energy to it they were much stronger than any normal wood, he was able to re access the wooden structures at a moments notice and reinstall that previous strength.

WC: 5628

 

[Shouyu Hoshi]

It happened, from his perch he heard the sound of a scream just before the sight of a stumbling woman. At that moment Hoshi launched himself from the perch propelling towards the woman like a rocket. Mid flight he caught sight of a faint chakra signature, closing the distance at top speed. This one seemed crazed, against its natural physical will, already upon them the same time Hoshi stood in between the two. Hoshi reached for his ninjato with his right hand up to his shoulder.

The beast waved a rainbow haymaker which struck Hoshi across his left cheek as he was late to crossover, but still he did unwavering as he unsheathed the sword. A dash to his left and several swipes of his sword, followed another dash to the life, now to the zombies right who was tripped up and fell face first into the ground. Hoshi was swinging his blade in intricate motions though his blade never struck flesh or stitch of clothing. He was feeding wire from the hilt of his blade, where entangled wrist to ankles behind the enemies back. Hoshi tied it a secure knot, after circling all four limbs with wire to ensure that if there was too much struggle, the wire would decapite wrists and ankles around main veins. Hoshi stood up to sigh lightly, hearing and now seeing that Tatsuo had arrived.

“Tatsuo, why did you leave your post?”

Tatsuo proceeded to trap the four of them inside a wooden barrier. The monstrosity would be detained and able to be observed. Hoshi would take a decent look at the faint chakra signature, but everything else gave the appearance that this body was in fact dead, but reanimated somehow, with inhuman features. Hoshi rubbed his cheek where a light bruise formed. It was fast enough to catch Hoshi with a slick one. Before he could think of anything more, his leader instructed him to do more. Hoshi proposed a plan to keep his leader safe from any initial harm, yet he wished to lead the pathway to victory. Hoshi smirked, he could expect so much from Tatsuo, although he initially disagreed he would nod. With that being said, Hoshi turned to snatch up the woman and carry her like backpack, she'd be certain to wrap her around her neck, Hoshi held his chin down to chest in case she'd betray and try to choke him. The same time a flurry of one handed seals prepared a body switch if need be.

“It's okay miss, I'll get you away from this mess. Tatsuo, I'll get a vantage viewpoint from above. Stand tall my friend.”

Hoshi took off with a leap, focusing chakra in his feet to run along the wooden walls until the top. Meanwhile scaling the walls he also donned the active camo once more over him and the woman. The overcharge of the jutsu made both of them of a shadow of the night as he leapt cleanly to a roof top. He'd take a look to search around to see anything he could. He could see Tatsuo’s wooden chamber, though he could not see past the walls to view Tatsuo. He clicked his teeth, suddenly he gave out a whistle in a certain melody, like a bird call. The bird call was responded several times, which means his clones and minions were still about. Hoshi gave a coded message through bird chirps for everyone to rally to Tatsuo.

Hoshi would allow the girl to stand or sit if she wished. He'd then turn to her and look at her calmly. She seemed okay, nothing out of the ordinary, Hoshi exhaled lightly.

“Do you have any idea what has been going on out here? I understand this village against the help of Shinobi, but I cannot ignore or fail my mission. We are here to help, my friend and I. Can you please, explain to me how and where you encountered that person. We will be safe here, but only for a moment. I have no way to tell if another Shinobi like myself is behind this, and if that is so, our location could may have already been compromised.”

Hoshi turned around to face the fray, he stood stoic in the darkness of night. The light breeze swaying his long hair and floppy clothing. He'd tighten his fist, looking at the barrier. ‘Tatsuo…’ He would begin to worry, quickly he'd react and cancel those thoughts. He could see the clones and minions closing in on him now setting up a perimeter, Hoshi smirked, one even came to assist him, jumping up onto the rooftop the same time. The girl would probably be startled.

“Don't worry. It was only a clone version of myself. I am actually surprised you did not encounter them before the real me…”

He looked over to her, surely he was sizing her up again, but his looks outwardly would only display a smile and light chuckle. The Shinobi descended to one knee and continued to survey his surroundings, a three hundred and sixty view extended over three thousand meters in diameter.

“Tatsuo, I've nothing to report currently. I have the woman in safe hands. My clones are also surrounding you to give support.”

As he finished his report the clones would rush into the bunker. They saw the gaps and took posts, kneeling to one knee with right hand resonating the lightning element. Two clones on both sides preparing a barrage of storm bolts. The minions would surround the barrier from the outside, protecting the interest as a first line of defense. Hoshi smirked again from his vantage point feeling that he had regained the advantage. Although his crane formation had failed, and it seemed the two Shinobi had taken the bait, either way, the mastermind was sure to reveal himself or move his next piece.


Wc 4269 + 980 = 5249

 

[Kaen]

Tatsuo seemed to easily dispatch the wandering... walkers. Yes, I believe that would be an appropriate name for them for the time being. The slightly decomposed little girl easily collapsed under the weight and force behind his wooden hammer and an almost squeamish yet satisfying crunch would echo audibly across the area. Remorse was not within Tatsuo's agenda when it came to the supernatural and undead, apparently. As he left the grizzly scene of blood and crushed bones, there was no response from 'gramps' on the radio. The implications may worry the pair, but surely he was ok... right? Upon arrival down below, reuniting with his partner Hoshi, he questioned the girl to no avail. She was shaken to the core for her life, for good reason too! With no answer, Tatsuo continued his plan of action in erecting a large wooden barrier of sorts. Each alleyway would be sealed off leaving only one direction for any exit or entrance.

---

A few moments earlier...

A sickening crunch echoed through the streets as the walker's fist collided with Hoshi's face, crushing the bones in his hand in the process. Though he was strangely quick, its body was delicate and brittle. It appeared to have little to no effect on the young Hyuuga other than a painful reminder to dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge again when in the line of fire. But per usual, the young man, Lightning's Blazing Beast, was quick on his feet and mind. With finesse and skill, he expertly confined the walker to his personal area in a hog-tie fashion with a secret spool of ninja wire from within his weapon. With the beast contained and safe, for now, Hoshi would leave Tatsuo to his own devices and whisk the damsel in distress from the scene. Upon a rooftop nearby, Hoshi questioned the young lass while attempting to maintain his vigilance. "I-I-I Don't really know. It all happened so fast, Oh Momma!" The young woman burst into tears on her last word mentioning her mother. Whatever happened had disturbed her greatly and caused significant turmoil. "Papa... they got him, I saw it all. Oh dear god, why!" Still the tears flowed, threatening to flood the village if she kept it up. Or at least it may could be exaggerated to that level. "They're everywhere! Momma helped me escape, but I don't know how much longer she can hold out. OH! You're a ninja aren't you?! You have to help her, PLEASE!" The young woman reached out, on her knees, begging Hoshi to help her. She struggled to get a grip on his loose clothing, trying anything to keep him there with her in the off chance he would help her save her mother. With tear filled eyes, she looked upwards to the only savior that dared to stand against this plight, Hoshi...

---

Meanwhile back with Tatsuo...

Shortly after Hoshi left, the walker he previously left tied up began to writhe and struggle. The wires that bound him quickly dug into its flesh as it struggled to get free. For now, Tatsuo was safe, yet alone. If Tatsuo attempted to approach it, it would lunge out as best it could, to no avail of course, and attempt to bite Tatsuo. Upon inspection it would not respond if questioned and would appear to be acting on pure instinct, not unlike a feral animal. The struggle would continue for a short while before it went still and silent. A slight draft would pick up carrying another bout of silence with it. Tatsuo's radio would crackle to life suddenly, a welcome distraction in this time of eerie absence of noise. "How in the hell?! You damn bastards, get outta here or I'll... -CRASH- Shit, fuck... dear god, just how many are the--" Then radio cut off as the prioritized signal from Hoshi interrupted the broadcast from Tsuneo; “Tatsuo, I've nothing to report currently. I have the woman in safe hands. My clones are also surrounding you to give support.” And then silence. No further transmission carried over from Tsuneo. While there was no definitive answer for exactly what transpired back at the lodge, it was clear he encountered a bit of trouble.

The 'runner' Hoshi had captured stirred to life suddenly and let loose a ferocious roar that echoed throughout the village. It sounded less like a cry of rage and more a base plea for help, like a wounded animal in a trap. It grew silent once more, just as a few flashes of color zoomed into few and a small squad of Hoshis arrived on scene just as Hoshi exclaimed. Just in time it would seem, seeing as how a crowd was beginning to form outside Tatsuo's barrier, had this thing tied up called more to his rescue?! At first it was just a few, scraping lazily against the dome's wooden exterior. But soon after more and more began to show up until finally a sizable swarm were crashing against his defenses. Too many to count and as far as the small pathways allowed to see had been filled with these walkers. All appeared distinctly dead and rotting, far removed from what could be considered someone that resided within the village. For now It would remain clear that these were not the denizens of this village. But for whatever reason, no others seemed to be disturbed by the horde of walkers that crowed the streets. Why and how so many appeared so suddenly was outside their scope of understanding currently. But the conflict at hand was clear. A tied up thing inside, a plethora of walkers threatening to collapse Tatsuo's barrier, a girl begging Hoshi to help her rescue her mother and uncertainty in regards to Tsuneo's safety. It seemed the night was reaching a critical moment with more than a few routes to choose from but only two able bodies readily available. What choices would they make and how would they effect the end result? Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z! Only time will tell...

 

[Tatsuo]

​

Tatsuo could almost feel the excitement bubble under his skin, the thrill of battle especially against one where he didn't have to hold back. His Will of Fire began to blaze so brightly, both the girl and Hoshi could see a visible aura pulsating around him. Almost brought to laughter for how excited he was to begin fighting he slapped his hands together and roared for all to hear, "WOOD STYLE: GREAT FOREST EXPLOSION." In what could only be described as a stampede of nature protruded from around the boy. Trees sprouted from the ground, thick bushes would clutter the way making it nearly impossible for anyone to see where the intrepid hero was. Grinning from excitement Tatsuo drew his katana, the silver flickering in the small beams of light that shone through the thick forest around him. In this realm Tatsuo was king, the forest would bend to his will as if it was an extension of himself.

While some vines would attempt to trip and tangle enemies causing them to become easy prey for him. Tatuso had casted two jutsu in the moments before he began his onslaught. A series of vines moved through the forest like snakes catching an unsuspecting mouse and today they would have plenty to eat. As the wooden barriers collapsed due to the pressure, the zombies flooded into his forested realm. Tatsuo himself was like a kid with a new toy, he rushed past unsuspecting zombies and cut them to pieces. There were too many for him to kill, but with the assistance of his forest he could thin their numbers while supporting an organized retreat from Hoshi. Bringing his hand up to click on his headset, as he slashed through a tangled zombie, he spoke to Hoshi. "Sounds like Gramps is in trouble, i'm sending a clone up there to protect the girl. Make sure he's ok--" Tatsuo was then attacked by two zombies from two directions, he lifted his arm without hesitation and shot off a wooden tendril jutsu which pinned one to a tree. Then for the other, he brought his sword down cutting the zombie in half.

Tatsuo took a deep breath and from his back protruded a piece of wood which took on the likeness of himself. Most of the training he had done with Hira during their recovery was in order to master the wood clone whether he told Hira his intentions from the start. Tatsuo was aware that most people could create elemental clones of themselves, but he was never able to make a complete wood clone. Ones made from random plant matter, like the one he tried to catch Kaen with sure. But solid wood was different and it was more powerful. He was able to communicate with his wood clones telepathically, effectively giving him double the insight in a battle. With another click of the headset "I'm alright, just had to clean up a mess down here. The clone is inbound." And just like that, the clone scaled the forest and shot out to the roof top on which Hoshi was on. The clone looked to Hoshi and said "Go save gramps, I got this." The wooden clone stepped towards the girl and said, "You'll be safe it might be a bit stuffy though." The clone slammed it's hands onto the ground and from each direction grew wooden walls that created a closed box in which they should be safe.

WC: 6204/6000