The hillside was quiet as usual for the night. It always was except on the rare occasion where someone or something trespassed on its tranquility. The sky was clear out as the stars were shining with the centerpiece being a full moon. The air was crisp and cold as was expected with the coming of winter. But all seemed to be at peace. It was surreal through the treeless hill slopes that gently rose and fell like waves of earth. It was as if no war or battles were a part of such a place anymore. Such marks grown over and reclaimed by the land over the years. The country side itself was utterly breathtaking. With the moon hanging directly overhead it seemed like this was the natural state of things. Peace was a natural state and anything to ruin it was truly a monstrosity upon the moments in life was a poison and a blight upon all. But not all things were given a choice. After all there was always wickedness in the world and to fight it good people must be willing to leave peace behind. They must be willing to venture out with all their might and preserve such places. Give up their own peace so future generations could know something of a natural life for a while instead of having evil thrust upon them.

The last time Rippa had been here those had been his thoughts. Before he had escaped from those who pursued him only to be chased into Taki. With some help he had managed to deal with a few of his would be hunters there. But now he was returning home. The exams were over and it was time to set aside his travels and return home. Face what would come. But he had barely crossed the border when he found they had been waiting for him. Now as the breeze blew the grass across the hills a dull roar could be heard in the distance growing louder. A light seemed to shift like a beacon into the sky as it grew louder. Suddenly over one of the larger hilltops a wicked motor cycle erupted over it soaring through the air with the sky as its back ground. Its tires hit the grassy hill with a thud before its engine roared with renewed ferocity and took off down the rest of the hill. Riding the motor cycle was none other then Rippa himself. His coat and white hair fluttered wildly as he drove at full speed one hand on the accelerator. His left hand on the other hand held onto a chinese sword. His medical scroll was tied to the small of his back and his Konoha headband was stitched into the left shoulder of his red trench coat. His pants and shirt were both black and from his neck dangled a silver necklace with angel wings on it. However his blue eyed gaze kept shifting from the path in front of him to the sky above him.

It only took a moment to see what he was searching for. The ones who had been pursuing him. A flock of black crows burst over the hillside after him like a dark cloud. Splitting into the three parts and soaring after him at a startling pace. The center of three parts flickered as men in dark cloaks wearing the masks of birds. He was being pursued still but not by ANBU. Who ever these people were their chakra felt dark and unnatural. The crows they hid within were not even made of natural chakra. Instead the entire flock was made of dead crows of different levels of decay. This was some sort of dark puppetry. And the sense of killing intent that washed over the hills was clear. They were after Rippa. For what reasons Rippa had a guess or two. Likely his uncle.

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Rippa was racing to get away from the three individuals pursuing him. If he could just get within sight of Konoha they would have to break off or risk having to answer some questions. He wasn't certain he could take three opponents at once so that was why he was evading them rather then facing them. After all there was more then just three targets. If he had to guess he would say that the puppets could be used as shields too. Those dark strings blended in too well with the night for him to actually target them. Still he was outpacing them for the moment. Each hill however seemed to drag them closer to him. He wasn't sure he would make it at that rate but he would at least try. He wasn't going to just give up because the odds were against him. Still when his headlights suddenly picked up another dark figure with a bird perched on his shoulder he gritted his teeth. The grip on his sword tightening as he expected an attack. Instead the man stepped out of his way in the last second. A bystander? Shit! Already Rippa could see one of the three breaking off from him to handle the stranger. No witnesses of course.

Rippa fought with himself as he let off the accelerator. His cycle slowing down as he looked over his shoulder. The stranger was being dragged into his Bullshit just for being there. While he didn't know why someone would be wandering the hills at night he couldn't just let them be attacked for being there. It was his duty as a Konoha shinobi to go back and handle it. As his bike slowed down one of the remaining two clouds zoomed over him and turned abruptly. Rippa's blue eyes watched them pass overhead and then saw the individual turn to take him head on. Releasing the the throttle Rippa grabbed the brake and yanked it with his right hand. turning the bike and hitting the brake at the same time sending the bike into a slide as the horde of dead crows skimmed overhead. At the last moment Rippa sent out a pulse of chakra as the man at the center passed over him by barely a meter. With it he wiped out the mans chakra for a split moment and the crows and the man both lost control and dived into the ground. Crashing to a stop. It wasn't enough to finish the man off but he was hurt.

Still Rippa kicked off his bike and broke from the slide launching into the air as the remaining one flew after him. He sailed high as the bike slide away. As he did so he turned and opened his mouth. With a roaring sound the night sky turned red as a huge wave of blood erupted from his mouth. The cascading waterfall slamming into the one flying after him and knocking him away for the moment as Rippa intended. The ground below splashed now with blood as he landed on it. The sounds of his boots slapping the liquid was audible. With the one he hit with the rush of blood still breaking away from the hit he turned towards the one he had made crash. He was feeling his chakra seeping from him from doing all this but he needed to be quick. With a dash he covered the distance and with his sword he plunged it deep into the mans gut. Gripping the handle tight as he ripped it out. He looked over to see if he could make it to the stranger in time as the one he hit with blood had recovered and was between them now. The one that had gone after Shibirin was charging him intending to use his puppets to tear him apart with little pecks.

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