Under the Star-filled Sky [Contract Search]

[Kiri]

Kiri was glad that Kazuo was feeling better, but now that there was danger nearby, he got more worried. If more hunters were nearby, it wasn’t just a danger to the animals but a danger to the villagers as well. These people often left traps that could be detrimental to the land and its people, and should they be operating without consent or going beyond the permitted limitations, they would need to be arrested. Pausing, Kiri let down his arm for Tomo to ride on before he looked on at Kazuo, feeling sympathetic to his cause. “Wait, I’ll come along,” said Kiri, giving the large guardian a pat on the side.

He would accompany Kazuo, making sure he was physically able. But then, as they reached near the encampment, Kiri grew equally serious. He saw the deer being dragged and could feel Kazuo’s rage. He had a feeling that if he wouldn’t do something then a great tragedy might fall this night. Nevertheless, as a shinobi of Kumogakure, he couldn’t allow any unwanted events to unfold.

“A hunter’s guild? It would be troublesome if they have the proper permissions,” started Kiri as he would try to reason with Kazuo, “After all, humans need to hunt for survival. However, if they are beyond the jurisdiction of the permission, it falls under poaching, to which they must be apprehended.”

Sighing heavily, Kiri wanted to think of a way to go over this situation, but it would just not be in his personality to stick around and observe. Even though he was debating internally about having to act maturely, he was also not yet convinced of the diplomatic choices. Sighing one last time, he would start a smoke with his cig and then give the deer guardian a tap on the side. “Don’t worry, though. I’ll handle this. I don’t like troubling my superiors either, so best to get this done and over with.”

As such, there was a surge of chakra pulse before the abysmal harbinger was summoned with its deadly blade ready to strike. And another chakra pulse surged to cover his entire body in shadows. “We don’t need to hold back. I feel your rage, but more so, I have a rage of my own. I’m sorry for the unsightly visage or what’s to come. But just so you know, I was never a saint to begin with.” And with that, Kiri drew out his blade and together with his harbinger, would begin to attack the encampment from the dark. The goal was to rescue the dear and release other captive animals.

 

[Suika]

And so Kiri had made his choice.

Nodding his head firmly, the stag prepared himself for the battle ahead. He was wary of the sinister aura within Kiri's jutsu, but felt it a necessary evil to protect his kind from the treacherous hands of those who hunted them. "During my long years on this earth, Kiri, I've learned that the fate of saints usually lead to martyrdom. Such is a noble path, but for the sake of my people, I have long forsaken such extremes." With that, he galloped into battle alongside his new shinobi friend and his creation to defeat the band of hooligans.

As soon as the group emerged from the coverings of the forest, the hunters were alerted. One screamed out as he was instantly bashed by Kazuo's mighty antlers. Kiri and her creation would meet backlash for their assault, but would find relative ease with knocking out (or killing) the hunters one-by-one. As soon as the front of the compound was cleared, the gates of it closed as members of "Hunter's United" scrambled for weaponry and prepared themselves for a counter-strike against their new foes. Kazuo didn't pay much mind to them. Rushing to the doe's side, he attempted to lift her with his head. She was badly injured.

"Kiri, Tomo, please heal her." he requested. It was in that moment that the injured deer, whose eyes shown she understood the tongue of man, spoke out herself. "Forget about me... my babies. They are in there with those... those monsters!"</B><i></i> She cried out as her bloody body trembled. Clenching her teeth as her eyes began to dull, she managed to utter her pained request. <B>"Save... them." Her eyes closed. Luckily, if Kiri checked, she'd still have a heartbeat. She was alive and still had a chance to be stabilized, but now there was another pressing matter.

“I'm going in, Kiri. They are now alerted, so this may potentially be a suicide mission, but there are children in there. My soul will seldom rest if I did not at least try saving them. Again, I do not mean to burden you, so feel free to flee the scene. It is not my wishes for you to fight against your kind for the sake of my own.” The guardian stag nodded at Kiri with an assured look. If Kiri chose, he could either forego this mission, attempt to convince Kazuo to take a breather, or confront the hunters and save the young fawns. If the latter, Kiri could either ride in on top of Kazuo or besides him. Once (and if) they hopped over or rammed the fence, they would be greeted by several traps, arrows, and angry hunters.

What will Kiri do?​

 

[Kiri]

Going into battle so suddenly made Kiri’s blood rile up. Adrenaline shot through the roof. He joined Kazuo as they stormed to the front of the camp, laying waste to the hunters abound. His harbinger followed suit, taking the lives of the scum with ease, its shadowy figure blurred into a haze with each strike that fell. As they rescued the doe, they would soon come to learn that there were more inside, her fawns to be precise. Almost instantly, Kiri felt the anger from within the guardian’s soul as Kazoo readied to ram the gate. The shinobi knew that what awaited on the other side was probably a trap and more weapon to slaughter them.

“Wait, I’ll come along. I’m not one to do thing half-assed,” said Kiri as he would then direct Tomo to stay with the doe and heal her up. The orange slug would nod its head and begin to spread the slime all over the doe’s body, letting the soothing feeling fall onto her skin.

As Kiri would follow Kazuo, he jumped and rode the latter with his harbinger following from behind. He then brought his hands in front of him as he began to gather his chakra before sending it out before them. It formed into a giant mass of water in the shape of a dragon that by the moment Kazuo jumped over the gate, the water dragon swirled around them like a barrier, stopping any known onslaughts. Then, jumping off of Kazuo, Kiri landed on the ground, sending an eerie aura into the air that made the blood of the few curl. Instantly, ancient samurai warriors appeared from the darkness and began to attack the hunters. Void of any expression, these warriors of the past were nothing more than reinforcements meant for harassing the enemies.

And joining him by his side was the soul of his brother, materialised into a mortal man as he stepped out from the boundary of the temporal and the spirit realms. Drawing out a sword, Eishin would glance at Kiri briefly before understanding the current situation.

“Hold them off, Aniki. I need to look for something,” said Kiri as the pale-blonde haired warrior would nod in response. Knowing no limits of the mortal man, his brother would let his prowess as a swordsman be known to all about him. Meanwhile, Kiri ran further into the camp, searching for those captured fawns.

[WC: 406]
[MFT]

 

[Suika]

As the doe was stabilized, the duo was off! Despite his previous injury, Kazuo mightily leaped into the air and over the gate. He was no fool - he knew jumping blindly into enemy's territory warranted possibly injury and death, but he also had faith that the man riding him, Kiri, had a few more cards up his sleeves. The stag was right to place his trust in to his intuition, because the white-haired shinobi delivered just that and more. As they made their way over the barricade, both Kazuo and Kiri were shielded by the shinobi's water jutsu. Instantly, many arrows and traps were repelled off the group. Now, it was time for the true battle.

As Kiri hopped off and summoned fallen warriors, Kazuo briefly scanned the area as he fended off several hunters. Where would the poachers be harboring the young fawns? His search wasn't too intricate as men left and right lunged themselves at the stag. He had enough. Gathering some of his own chakra, Kazuo stomped on the ground and caused the earth around him to shatter. Luckily, he wasn't too near Kiri or his summons, so they were unaffected. The men sank into the ground and were now subdued. The others, thanks to Kiri's efforts, were preoccupied with his summons. Noticing the white-haired shinobi pressing forward, Kazuo nodded to himself and trailed alongside him. It was time to find those fawns!

Suddenly...

As the two found themselves in the middle of the camp, they would notice a large building in the center before them. It was almost a small tower as it had a pointed top. Kazuo and Kiri would instantly notice a man perched on top. He was shrouded in darkness as his aura radiated cursed energy. The man quickly formed seals as an Ebony Dragon, empowered by his bloodline, burst downward toward the group. He, alongside his creation, confronted the duo with a steady blade in hand.</FONTFACE>

<FONTFACE fontface="georgia">


His expression was blank, but it was obvious to both the stag and the shinobi that this man was skilled unlike the previous hunters they encountered. With a closer look, they would recognize a mark on his attire that indicated he was a mercenary of some sorts. "Going somewhere?" he questioned menacingly. Kazuo stepped in front of Kiri and puffed out his chest. Allow me to handle this, Kiri-san. Please make your way to that building... I believe the fawns may be in there. It may not look it, but I can take him. This old stag still has a few tricks." It was then that the deer gathered more chakra and released another earthen stomp. This was Kiri's cue! Would he attempt to make his way inside the central building or will he stay and fight? What is Kiri's choice?!

[OOC: CHALLENGE ALERT!

The fawns are inside the pointed building. Kiri has exactly 3 rounds to save them before IC consequences occur (mostly for said fawns). Take this as a challenge. Note, if Kiri tries to make his way,
the mercenary will try to stop him and he may encounter more dangers. I am using a rolling system for this, but also giving Kiri advantage thanks to Kazuo's jutsu (If Kiri tries to navigate around).
Your personal actions can also increase modifiers based off interpreted effectiveness and creativity. 1st round to save fawns starts with your next post!]​

 

[Kiri]

Rushing further ahead, Kiri would see that there was something strange going on in the air around him. It had a malicious feeling, making him all the more perceptive and cautious. But that didn’t mean he would be abandoning his objective. Soon enough, a shinobi would make himself known and perform a jutsu, creating a shadow creation that was almost akin to man. Armed with blades, it would soon dash out to confront Kiri and the deer guardian. But time was of the essence, and the longer they stalled, the more danger those fawns would be facing.

Kiri smirked at Kazuo’s words. The noble guardian was showing his pride and strength. Though Kiri would have preferred to have done it all on his own, he was quite the troublemaker and facing off a horde alone was always something in his repertoire, he knew it was time to make compromises for the safety of the fawns. “I’ll take your word for it,” said Kiri before he gathered his chakra on his hand and patted Kazuo on the leg, seemingly transferring some energy into the deer. “Leave the rest to me.”

With that, Kiri engulfed his body with chakra to emit an anti-gravity aura around him, lifting him up for quicker movement as he rushed straight on towards the central building. In addition, he was building up something on his hands, his chakra pulse surging with power before he lets out a large torrent of water in the form of a large dragon to clear a path before him. And should the hunter pursue him, he had prepared to body switch with a kawarimi target in order not to be derailed.

WC: 280
[MFT]

 

[Suika]

Kiri, with his affinity for both gravity and water jutsu, made his way toward the main compound. Naturally, the shadow user attempted to shake off the large stag and intercept Kiri. Forming quick handseals, he shot out a wave of shadows at Kiri.

It failed!

Either he was completely distracted by Kazuo, or Kiri was that masterful in evading such jutsu. Nonetheless, the shinobi reverted his attention back at the mystical deer and frowned. Kazuo brushed his hooves on the soil and prepared himself for a dangerous battle. Hopefully, he thought, Kiri would find no problem saving the fawns. Kazuo had faith that Kiri could do it.

As Kiri neared the entrance, he would find himself in the company of no one. The front door was unlocked and the white-haired shinobi would find no issue in entering the building. The building, inside, appeared a bit mechanical. There were all sorts of metal machinery and pathways. Most notably, there was a mechanism ahead that appeared to take whoever was in it to an ascended level of the building (think of an elevator, but older. Kiri has to pull himself up via attached rope). If Kiri chooses this route or whatever means to get to the next level of the building, he would instantly see three fawns tied up about 10 yards from where he ascended. Next to them, and holding a blade over their throats, was a man wearing a bandana around the lower half of his face.

“Get anymore near, and these deer are dead meat! Even flinch, and I’ll slice them right up!”

What will Kiri do?
​

 

[Kiri]

Able to get past the few obstacles that were trying to stop him, Kiri would soon find himself entering a building. He could feel the chakra pulses of the fawns from within, but he could also feel something else. He wasn’t one to blindly charge in unprepared, but he was also racing against time. Thus, he stormed in from the bottom, and as soon as he entered, he saw the mechanical lift which was telling of how linear this ending was seemingly becoming. Should a trap be sprung from the top, he would have no means of resisting without so much of a preparation, especially for the young fawns.

He clicked his tongue and as he raced towards the wall and let the anti-gravity aid him along with his chakra on his feet to scale the walls. He didn’t have time to go up by the lift. In fact, it might just end up alerting whoever it was there about his presence. And to have a grander entrance seemed more apt, possibly surprising this unknown poacher.

But as soon as he arrived, Kiri’s eyes sharpened deadly as he saw that the man had the fawns upon the blade. It was one thing he was angry, but at that very moment, he was more than just angry. He was a known predator and to test his patience when those he hold dear would be going too far. Before the man could finish his threat, chakra had already gathered upon Kiri’s hand and without moving, there was a sudden pull of immense force. The man would not realize what had hit when he would suddenly be lifted up from the ground and away from the fawns before he would be slammed with great power onto the ground. And as if that wasn’t enough, the spark in Kiri’s eyes would speak of the interlaced chakra pulse he cast as another great wave of unknown force would suddenly repel the man towards the side and potential hitting the walls or breaking through it from sheer force.

[Used: Graviton (M) and Shinra Tensei (M) with combo to lace them together]

 

[Suika]

As Kiri confronted the desperate, violent poacher whom held his blade over the fawns, the shinobi was quick to activate his mastery in gravity ninjutsu to separate and propel the man away from the deer with great force. It was a success… sort of. As the man was pulled away from a force beyond his control, he chucked his blade last second as his sword pierced one of the fawns through its leg. It cried out as blood splattered on the metal platform below it. Luckily, its damage didn’t appear lethal, but it was clear that it was bleeding out.

Nonetheless, the immediate threat over the fawns was now gone thanks to Kiri’s efforts and aggressive assault. As Kiri would enact whichever following course of action, he would hear clanging and banging outside the facility. Kazuo, the great stag, was still in a heated battle. Whether Kiri chose to stabilize the young deer and escape with them, or anything else, the noises outside grew increasingly more violent-sounding. Kazuo was giving it his all so Kiri could accomplish this mission.

What would Kiri do now? The fawns were currently in his care, but they weren’t completely free from danger yet. A great battle ensued outside and there were remnants of poachers scattered in the area. Kiri would need to be careful and intentional with his next approach.

​

 

[Kiri]

Kiri didn’t care for the poacher he had dealt with. Instead, his eyes set upon the fawns, and began to let out a spike of chakra to wash over them with medical jutsu. He was not a great medical shinobi, but he was effective. He made sure to stop the bleeding and mend the broken tissues with his chakra acting as guards. Soon enough, the fawns would feel a surge of energy entering them, seemingly washing away their exhaustion and even erasing any hint of fear or panic as they would feel a calmness.

At that point, Kiri could sense that Kazuo was giving his all from the outside. But what could he possibly do now that things have gotten far too wild. At that point, he could only think of one thing and that was to clear the fawns from danger while also not compromising Kazuo’s safety. As such, he he knew this would be tricky but he gambled on it. Letting out another heap of his chakra, he would form a medical assistant clone of his liking, to which he would leave the fawns with so that the treatment could continue while the clone would possess enough of his capabilities to assist the fawns in escaping.

Then, he would jump out the hole he created after he swung out the poacher from earlier and breaking through the wall with gravity jutsu. Once outside, he let his eyes observe what was happening outside before he came to a decision. A chant on his lips and a handseal, soon he was ready to charge with his chakra that came to life in flowing into the ground before the earth upheaved and collapsed onto the poachers that were trying to surround Kazuo. Trapped underneath, they would have to focus for their own safety.

“Kazuo, this way!” called out Kiri as he gestured towards the back exit he had let his clone lead the fawns at. Then, looking at the abysmal harbinger whom he had summoned earlier, he made a mental instruction to keep the rest of the poachers at bay as they would make their escape. Should Kazuo come near, he would add, “There’s no use killing everyone. Death only brings more death. For now, we’ll leave with what we have in mind. I’ll notify the Raikage of this encroachment of theirs and that should settle any future problems. But at this moment, this doesn’t have to be your fight nor your grave.”

[Used Medical Assistant, Chibaku Tensei]

 

[Suika]

Thanks to Kiri’s efforts and expertise, the young fawns were stabilized and following his clone to the exit. Meanwhile, outside, Kazuo was having the battle of the century. The old stag used his jutsu prowess to fend off the shadow jutsu user. The fight was almost neck-and-neck, but the deer guardian had the slight advantage. With Kiri’s sudden appearance, the stag sent forth one last devastating jutsu before galloping with Kiri towards the back exit. Thanks to Kiri’s affinity for gravity ninjutsu and quick-thinking, this provided them the necessary space to escape unharmed.

And that they did.

Reaching the outside of the camp, the fawns were reunited with their mother. Hopping gleefully, the children embraced the now healthy doe (thanks to sluggy!) as she returned with reassuring nurture. Shifting her focus at both Kiri and Kazuo, the doe bowed her head. “Thank you, both, for saving my children. I am eternally indebted.” Shaking his head, Kazuo replied humbly. “No need for debt, miss. I am only fulfilling my duty as guardian. Kiri, on the other hand, well…” The stag bowed his head. He was showing utmost gratitude and respect for the white-haired shinobi. “Thank you, Kiri-san. Not only have you earned my trust, but I now consider you a friend.”</B><i></i> In that moment, every ungulate in the area bowed their head toward Kiri. Despite the chaos that preceded this moment, everything was still for a moment as a quiet breeze shook the nearby trees and flowers. It was a beautiful sight.

If Kiri decided to, the group would relocate to a safer location and away from the conundrum of the poacher’s camp. Their new residing point was unlike the rest of the forest… was Kiri still in Lightning Country? The plant life appeared more exotic as the greenery of the background was colored more brilliantly. As they entered a clearing, ungulates of all kinds made their appearance as another, which was more serene and beautiful than the rest, approached the group. All the animals in the area bowed in reverence to her. Was she their leader? “Kazuo-san… who is this mortal you bring?” Her tone was a bit snobby, but it was almost hidden in her decadent look. It was then that Kazuo explained to her all the happenings of the day, from when he had first met Kiri, to the time Kiri saved him from a trap, and all to their recent rescue mission. The doe, surrounded by her fawns, affirmed his words.

“Interesting. And do you find him worthy, Kazuo-san?”<i></i>

<B>“Yes, m’lady, with all my being and with my reputation as guardian.”

“Then so be it.” Stomping her hooves into the ground, a flower stemmed from the soil. It was unlike any flower Kiri would have seen – it boasted many different vibrant shades and hues. It’s petals looked alien, but prettier than the plant life seen by man. Picking the flower with her mouth, she passed it on to Kazuo. Kazuo then approached Kiri and bowed his head. “Kiri, it’s not necessary that you accept, but if you’d like, we want to offer you a pact with my people. You are my friend and a hero to us. You knew nothing of a reward, yet, you offered your aid and wisdom constantly. With this contract, we promise to serve you in battle. There may be times when we need to call upon you, but for the most part, we are here for you whenever you’d summon us. Do you accept, Kiri?” If Kiri accepted, the female ungulate behind the old stag would stomp her hooves once more as tablet erupted from the ground. There were a small list of names. “This flower is one I personally picked from the tallest mountain – the Flower of Tranquility. At the bottom of its stem oozes an ink that can never be erased. Sign your name on the tablet and the pact will be complete.”

If Kiri signed, he would now have full access to summoning Ungulates whenever he saw fit. Kazuo, the old stag guardian, was also accessible to him, too, if need be. So the question remains: does Kiri accept?

[OOC: CONGRATS, KIRI!!! On behalf of me and the Contract Team, we would like to offer you to sign the Ungulate Contract? Do you accept? Once you RP your answer and accept/sign the contract, you will now have access to this contract and can request your Custom Summon. Kazuo, the stag guardian, is available to you if you want to use him as a summon. Again, congrats and great work!] ​

 

[Kiri]

It wasn’t long before they would manage to get away from the poacher’s camp and be reunited with he doe and her fawns. Kiri didn’t really mind being thanked to, though he was happy to see the mother in high spirits. Tomo was proud of his treatment and dashed towards Kiri to get his timely pats. The orange slug would then perch on Kiri’s shoulders as Kiri would follow Kazuo through the woods.

It was strange, tranquil and definitely no longer the forest and the mountains that he knew of as they began to pass by different trees. He was a keen observer to have noticed the difference of lichen that stuck on the trees as well as the vibrant life colors that spread through this forest. It was almost as if he had entered a mystical place.

This assumption would be confirmed no sooner as they reached a clearing. Standing next to Kazuo, Kiri eyed about him, feeling those unknown presence before them until he let his eyes fall onto a beautiful ungulate who pretty much had an aura of nobility about her. He tone, regarding him, was quite telling of who she was and the way Kazuo and the others approached this scenario, Kiri was hoping there wasn’t a need for drama. Ah… but it did remind him of that time when he brought Moro to Sakuna’s Forest, and though it was a solemn moment due to his friend’s death, it had easily become a memory he would hold dear.

Much like that, Kiri was surprised when Kazuo defended him and together with the doe, would vouch for him. Soon enough, the regal deer would stomp her hooves, bringing life to the clearing. Kazuo picked up a flower and gave it to Kiri, explaining what was happening as well as inviting him to join them as allies. Picking up the flower, Kiri could only recall the same thing that happened before and he glanced over to his shoulder to find Tomo looking back at him wit eagerness.

He smiled to the small slug before facing Kazuo once more. “It’s hard to come by friends who’d stick with you forever, and much more difficult to find others of different race to be in understanding with. I just hope that I would be able to be there in times of trouble for you all,” said Kiri as he stood before the tablet that magically rose from the ground and then signed his name. “Kazuo, I’ll show you around my house next time, okay?”

And with that, he would accept the ungulates as they would accept him.

[ACCEPTED. SEARCH FINISHED]