Escort the merchants:

Harichimo sat at the rest stop as the morning was dragging on. He was waiting for a caravan of merchants to finish their paper work so he could escort them through the bandit territory that was seeming to become much more active. Multiple reports flooded the missions office of a group of bandits raiding and destroying cargo from caravans leaving and coming into the village. Obviously this was bad for business and word of these attacks can't reach the outside borders or future caravans might be turned away. So when Harichimo had seen this group standing in the mission hall yesterday, he personally offered his services which was gladly accepted. This caravan was shipping out medical supplies and some random weapons that had not been sold in the village. A nice target for a bandit group to fall upon. Harichimo leaned back in his chair as he read over notes he had compiled for the mission. Just bits and pieces of information he deemed important from the reports of the other merchants. The bandits were not afraid to rush the carts and debilitate them. Making them not able to move from the spot and force the merchants to run back to the village or face a beating. Simple bullying tactics and Harichimo felt he had a handle on it. Except this caravan was made up of six merchants so there would be multiple carts they might want to rush if Harichimo couldn't make them focus on him. He just closed his notes and put them back into his coat pocket as he laid back and waited for them to arrive.

Soon he could hear the rumble of the carts coming up to the gate to leave the village. He would quickly get up and out of the chair and out of the rest stop to see the carts neatly packed and ready to head out. The lead cart waved him down and he was quick to jog over and hop onto the passenger spot. Harichimo would wave up to the guards to open the gate which opened up to the wilderness with a grandeur. The caravan would then take off with a jolt and the train of carts would rumble out of the village and into the wild. It would be a while before they would reach the spot that other merchants report as the source of the attacks. Harichimo decided to take advantage of the time and head into the back of the cart and find a spot to meditate and get his mind in order. The first mission he has taken up since his return was giving him back the feeling of being needed again. Making a difference for the better of his village.

"Shinobi we are coming up to the spot you may want to get up here and see if you can spot them before they can do their damage." It had been an hour of relaxation for Harichimo but now it was time to be on look out as he took his post again on the passenger spot. The caravan was going to cross a huge bridge that would leave them the most vulnerable on the entire trip. Harichimo would keep his eyes all over as the lead cart would start to crawl over the bridge. He couldn't see any sign of movement or life out here until a glint of something shot him in the eyes making him wince. When he reopened his eyes he saw the glint still shining from a small rocky outcrop that was waiting at the midway point of the bridge. He was quick to signal to the lead merchant who brought the cart to a halt. Harichimo would hop off the lead cart and take a few steps forward facing the outcrop. "Now for some reason you think you all are bold and unstoppable enough to just come out in the open and try to ambush us without your weapons sheathed? By the order of the Tsuchikage get out from behind there now and maybe I will make your deaths more honorable and swift." He didn't have to wait long as four bigger looking bandits stood up and tall from their hiding place. They may not have brain but they have some brawn to them. Play it safe, they have the numbers game but you are the student of Akira. You have every tool you need to beat any opponents.

The bandit leader of the group would just let out a deep laugh as the group seamlessly cleared the gap to the bridge and face down Harichimo with a wall of mass. And with a menacing glare the leader unsheathed his battle axe from its restraint on his back. The other three would follow suit as all seemed to brandish the same style of battle axe. "They should have sent more of you. You just signed your own death warrants bringing those supplies through here and now you try to get in between us and the cargo? No one gets to leave alive, this time kill the merchants boys after we deal with this hero over here. Go show him what happens to heroes out here you two." The leader pointed his axe to Harichimo and the two on the end came at him with axes held high. Harichimo would simply take his stance and activate his preying mantis technique. As they rushed him he forced his chakra into his joints in an instant to increase his reaction speed and become more precise int he four on one scenario. They would both reach him at the same time and both brought their axes crashing down. Harichimo was able to side step onto the bridge railing as their axes dug into the bridge boards. And with this opportunity Harichimo made his leap and would land a superman punch to the head of the closest one making them fall over and with a fluid motion his off hand drew a senbon from his pocket and quickly sheathed it into the neck of the second bandit aimed to severe the spinal cord and puncture the jugular. The bandit quickly fell from the attack and laid as he choked on his own blood. Harichimo stared at the last two bandits and with a defiant look he gave the second bandit a proper death with a senbon through the side of the neck to quickly shut down the brain. He saw the leader visibly recoil from the ruthlessness of the display and gave Harichimo the sign that this encounter was drawing done. Harichimo took off like a bullet and aimed to take the both of them out at the same time. The two prepared for him and would unleash a coordinated swing to try and cut the shinobi in half. Harichimo could see them aiming low and with a quick burst he would jump and flip over the axes and land behind them. Without a second thought Harichimo drew a second senbon and turned to deliver twin needles into both of their necks as they dropped like bags of bricks.

Harichimo took some deep breaths to get his systems back into check as he would wipe the blood from the bandits off his tools. He would have to clear the path so the caravans could get through. After some time he was able to take the four bodies and take them to the end of the bridge laying them in shallow graves. He looked back to see the caravan making its way across the bridge unhindered now and the lead would stop in front of him. "Thank you for your service today shinobi. I will be sure to tell the merchants in the next village that this pass is safe once more. And here is your letter of completion for the mission. Now go take a horse off of the last cart since it is the lightest and we will just hitch the last one onto another cart and tow it." Harichimo would nod and with the help of the final merchant he would have the horse unhitched and ready to travel back to the village. Harichimo would watch as the caravan would start to rolling on down the trail and leave the village territories unscathed. It felt good to be back in the flow of things and be needed to create more good for the future of the village. Once the last cart was out of sight Harichimo whistled for the horse to turn around and he began the short ride back to collect his reward. It would be high noon by the time he reached home. He would wave for the gate to swing open once more for him to enter. With a creak and jolt the gates would open and welcome him back like they always did. He dropped the horse off at the rest stop stables so the village could do with it as it needed. For now Harichimo would have to get back to the mission hub and find another mission to take on so he could keep his plans moving forward.

1527
Mission 1500/1500
Remaining WC: 27