It seemed like Seiryū was hyped to see how squad 2 would turn out. It was like third time he mentioned ''working together'' and stuff like that. When graduating the academy, it's pretty obvious that you will have to work in a team. And when you are assigned a team, it's even more obvious that you will have to cooperate with your teammates. Maybe it was harder than it seemed and every team just ignored it? Or perhaps Seiryū had had a bad experience with teams and he felt that squad 2 could turn out bad.

Sun didn't have to be told twice to start moving. The approximate coordinates were clear and it shouldn't take them long even if they walked. But there were children lives at stake, so obviously it was advised to hurry. Chiaki couldn't hear even if Sun said 'Let's go'. So she didn't bother and just started running towards north-east. There was no point to stand around and wait on Seiryū to encourage them to start moving. The mission could be solved by attempting it. And that's what Sun started. Even if she took the lead right now, they ought to change somewhere during their mission (placing Chiaki and Futoshi in front to detect the criminal). It would be way easier if a squad could think like a hive-mind - no need to speak to make the plan obvious to others. Perhaps Sun could develop a jutsu like that using her Kyoni. It would be a huge help for communication with Chiaki.

When she was a few meters ahead of everyone, she looked back at the rest of them. She had kind of lost her childish and playful mood. Her grimace was serious and cautious. Maybe the others weren't following her yet, because she had forgotten something serious. Maybe there were some precautions to take and now they knew how inexperienced Sun actually was.

The desert sand wasn't hard ground. It was hard to move very swiftly around even if you were born in Sunagakure. And you had to look out for quick-sand of course. Sun hadn't had experience with quick-sand, so she wasn't exactly sure what it looked like. If she had given it a thought, she probably would be more stressful being the one in lead now. But she didn't pick up her pace either - if others wanted to get by her, they easily could speed up a little and catch up very soon. Especially Seiryū and Futoshi looked able to close the gap in less than a second.
441

Chiaki watched intently as their sensei spoke again, missing a couple of words here or there. It was a nuisance, being incapable of hearing, but lip reading made up for it on the most part. It seemed to Chiaki that Seiryu was looking forward to seeing their teamwork. Chiaki was as well, although a yawn from the non-binary ninja would have said differently. It wasn’t that they were bored. Far from it. This was important. It’s simply that as it was right now, the concentration required to lip read was… Tiring. A lot of minute quirks and pronunciations to pick up on, failing to do so resulting in a misunderstanding. Having just done a rather disrespectful yawn, Chiaki nodded as a response to Seiryu, trying to convey understanding, before turning to face the rest of the squad, only to find that Sun had already rushed on ahead.

With a groan, they began running after her, quite easily the slowest of the squad. Not only that, but they were uninclined to sprint right from the start just to catch up. They would catch up when Sun made a stop to look around, or at least that was the intention. Following Sun’s footsteps, having concluded that it was proven stable footing, their mind thought up what was perhaps best for the situation. Currently they were looking for a target with no leads, or information about what the target looked like. Only that they had kidnapped children, and that the children needed saving. Sighing to themselves, after arriving just behind Sun, Chiaki decided now was a good time to use their sensory jutsu.

Upon reaching the same point as Sun, Chiaki opened their eyes wide, the normal deep blue of their eyes fading into a pitch black. From this pitch black, a glow of red seemed to emanate, a pattern of scythes in a wheel being created by the black silhouetting and separating the red. This was Chiaki’s Dojutsu. This was the Onigan. Putting their left hand to their head, they focused intently on the ground, small black and red orbs dropping from their eyes. Quickly, they moved their right hand to catch these orbs, letting them form and merge together in the hand. These orbs continued to form and merge, shifting in place as the shape of the Onigan formed. Coughing slightly and shaking their head, Chiaki held their right hand in front of them, letting the newly formed eye float ahead of them while their left arm returned back to their side. They sent this eye out ahead of the group, at a moderate pace, moving next to Sun and announcing, a bit louder than usual, but quiet as ever. “I will send this summon out ahead of us, so that I can detect either danger or the target, unless someone does not like that idea.” It wasn’t a super powerful sensory technique, but it allowed them to have something as a way of seeing further ahead than usual. Only slightly, but it was better than sticking a person up front and putting them at risk. So, without waiting for a response, they already began to send the eye ahead of the group. Worst case scenario, if nobody wanted the eye in use, Chiaki could just get rid of it. After all, they were the one who summoned it.

558

Chakra: 140/150 (-10 for D rank jutsu use)

Jutsu used:

Seiryu had implicitly stated where the mission target was, which eliminated much of the ground work that might've been otherwise required of them in this particular task. A kilometer and a half to the north-east from the current location. They were all new to this whole thing. It was no surprise that they all sort of lingered a bit when making the decision on what to do first. Futoshi quickly gained his bearings and formulated what was the best first move. They weren't going to be able to do anything from here, so moving quickly to the location was going to be a good first step.

Chiaki presented the rather dark and colorful doujutsu summon, the same sensory eye they had used on the prior mission they had done together. It would indeed be useful, but Futoshi couldn't help but wonder if there was a particular reason the kidnapper had been able to detect the negotiators before they even reached the bunker.

"Based on what Seiryu sensei has said, stealth isn't going to be much of a possibility with this mission unless one of you has a stealth implication in your kit. This man is detecting negotiators before they can even reach the bunker, meaning he will detect us genin with ease, regardless of how he's doing it. I feel that this operation might need to be a blitz. We may need to do some risky maneuvers in order to get the child away unscathed. This man will obviously not be above hurting the hostage for leverage. Either way, no amount of planning will do any of us any good until we arrive at our destination and see what sort of bunker it is we are dealing with. Let's move out, quickly. Chiaki, I don't know the range on your eye but if it works out, and the target doesn't detect it somehow, it could be useful for getting a visual on our target without his realization. I have no objections on using such a technique. Sun, I trust in your healing. Be ready to use it, I have a bad feeling about this, and someone could easily get hurt here."

Futoshi never really saw himself as much of a leader, but in that same way he had never been introduced to a situation in which he had the opportunity. Maybe it was a reflex for him, or maybe his comrades didn't see him as much of a leader at all. Either way, he said what he meant and held back nothing. At this point he knew moving out was the best idea. He wanted his team to know he believed in them.

Post WC: 453

It put Sun at ease that the squad was indeed following her. The biggest fear (and the most absurd) was to be left alone. It would feel so awkward if the rest of them didn't follow Sun and instead sat down to discuss something that wasn't entirely relevant. 'Priority is saving the kids, we can think of strategy on our way' Sun thought about getting the tactics done on the way. And both Chiaki and Futoshi were already step ahead.

Chiaki used a jutsu - she covered her forehead and something or some things started to leave her eyes. At first Sun thought Chiaki was bleeding. Blood from eyes could permanently damage eyesight, but Sun wasn't educated enough to treat eye wounds. Thankfully, it turned out to be a jutsu. Chiaki explained it well - she had summoned a scout for the squad formed from the things that left her eye. "Are you okay?" Sun inquired anyway, worrying about the state of Chiaki, but again forgetting that Chiaki can only read from lips. And of course Sun wasn't facing Chiaki, but instead focusing on the summoned eye. "Do these things live inside you just like Kyoni?" she was reffering to the worms that lived inside her feeding off her chakra, but also helped a lot when it came to medical ninjutsu. The most experienced Bulate could even summon giant worms that would serve as warriors in combat.

Futoshi on the other hand did more theoretical thinking of tactics. It was easy to tell that the pace was too slow for him if he could speak for such a long time without going out of breath. They could sprint all their way towards the destination, but it could exhaust them. And what if they have to fight immediately on arrival? They would be in their top shape. Futoshi's suggestions consisted of using no decoys but fighting. He did look like a guy who would want to get straight to action. Sun even wondered if Seiryū judged what Futoshi said as good or bad. She didn't have the guts to look back and look at Seiryū's expression while Futoshi talked. Maybe their sensei would try to stop them from fight and instead force them to search for other methods to resolve the conflict. But it was true that no one (as far as Sun knew) had any kind of stealth abilities.

Some time had passed since they left the meeting cactus. The running in hot climate was exhausting and the girl was getting sweaty. She did have some water in her first-aid kit, but it was just medicinal water - not something that would taste good when drunk. In hindsight - they should prepare some basic provisions when going out on missions. And if neither of their squad mates felt the same, she was ready to take water and some energy bars with her next time. She didn't let anyone know that she was thirsty. But she did want to slow down the pace, because it was about time they should start noticing some evidence of kidnapping. Maybe some dragging traces in the sand? Footsteps? Dropped items? "So does your eye see anything yet?" Sun asked, again forgetting to face Chiaki or at least tap on her shoulder so she would turn around. "Like buildings? Or some man-made caves underground?" there were no buildings in plain sight yet. And there weren't many places to hide. Some bigger hills of sand were the best hiding places, but the sand was unbearably hot, even if you got in a shade. If you didn't get in shade - the sun was burning your skin from above and sand from below, if you decided to lie down.
628

The eye wasn’t the most efficient sensory technique in the world. It was basically just another perspective. After all, it was literally just another eye. It moved as fast as Chiaki, saw as much as them. As such, some might deem it a waste of time. But safety was important, and sometimes in life, all you needed to do was look at things from a different perspective. That thought process would have sounded deep, were it not just an excuse Chiaki’d never be bothered to use. As expected, there wasn’t a lot in the desert. Sand and sandy hills. The latter being where they directed their eye technique. Of course, it’d be a waste of time if they just sent it off and did nothing else. So, Chiaki decided to turn around to face their team, or at the very least, Futoshi, as it appeared Sun wasn’t looking. Helpful. They found themselves turning just in time to catch Futoshi talking. They’d missed the beginning of his tactical talk, but at least caught enough of it to get the gist. A blitz. It could work, or it could lead to danger to the children. Yes, the children were in danger, but rushing in and presenting a reason for the kidnapper to harm them would only make things worse. With a sigh, Chiaki just decided to keep the explanation brief. “While I send my eye over the hill to scout, we should work on an actual strategy. While a charge could work, it’d put the children at further risk than they already are. At least let us wait until we have some sign of the target, no?” Their words were slow, methodical even, Chiaki taking the time to make sure not to mispronounce anything, to best get the point across. If the final verdict was a full on frontal assault, then of aside from being slower, Chiaki could assist. But seeing as the kidnapper was mostly an unknown, it was in their mind that it was best to take it steady.

As the eye reached the peak of the hill, Chiaki would hum slightly, more to give themselves the physical sensation than to actually make the noise it would make. It would appear that there was something to go on. Not a lot, but a sign of at least some form. Faded footprints, two tracks that were small, and one set that was nearly gone, likely a lighter step. It could’ve been anything, but it was something. Something was better than nothing. Ceasing their humming, Chiaki pointed behind them, at where they sent their eye. Once more in a methodical, cautious tone, they spoke. “It’s not much of a lead, but I found a few faint footprints. I’ll leave my eye there, so we can get there, then follow the tracks ourselves. When we reach them, Futoshi, if I place my eye on your clothing, I can see what you’re saying, or at least try to, while looking away. Alternatively, I could leave it with Sun, although she appears to have gone quiet.” They shrugged at the last bit, beginning to walk backwards in the direction of the eye, the eye still focused intently on the trail. It was really handy to Chiaki to be able to see in multiple places at once. Of course, they couldn’t do it forever. It took chakra to use techniques after all. But every moment they used it was never one wasted. Information never makes a wasted moment.

583 + 558 = 1141

Chakra: 135/ 150 (-5 for maintain)

Sun didn't like Chiaki much when they first met this morning. And the situation isn't getting any better. Chiaki chose to openly ignore (from Sun's perspective) everything Sun said. However the misunderstanding was fixed later when Chiaki started to talk a little more. At first Sun put up a pissed grimace and didn't respond to Chiaki either. At this point Sun had completely forgotten their objective. In fact - she clearly missed that Seiryū could notice her behavior even if he was a few meters behind the girl. This wouldn't leave a good impression of Bulates.

Although Chiaki hadn't heard Sun's questions, she still managed to partially answer them. Even if Sun was acting mad, she can't not-hear this information. First Chiaki proposed a stop and unwillingly Sun had to stop running and face her teammembers again. While they waited for Chiaki's summon to scout ahead, Sun didn't ebolarate any kind of advice or plan. She even didn't care much for what Chiaki suggested. Only after a while, rethinking it all, she finally understood how bitchy she was acting. Chiaki had said that she was deaf. Sun totally forgot this inability of her teammate. This made Sun feel bad. Chiaki had done nothing wrong (although it still could seem like she was taking interest in Futoshi) and there was no reason for Sun to act this way.

Therefore, she apologized, although it didn't seem right:"Sorry for this," first making sure that Chiaki could see her lips, of course. This apology could be interpreted any way Chiaki liked. Now Sun felt good and cheerful again, she stopped being ''quiet'' and proposed:"Good job finding the footprints! I''m positive it's a lead. Let's go check it out!" and Sun gestured Chiaki to take the lead. After all, Chiaki discovered this and she should be the one to lead the team towards her achievement.
327

A rather confused expression spread across the genin’s face at the words they assumed Sun had just said. Who was she saying sorry to? Was there something going on behind Chiaki? In terms of people who knew what Sun meant, Chiaki was not one of them. Regardless of whatever menial thing had caused Sun to feel that she had caused someone upset, the rather upbeat girl made a suggestion that, honestly, Chiaki felt didn’t need saying. Regardless of if anyone else deemed the find any interest, Chiaki would investigate. After all, the children needed to be found, as soon as possible, but as safely as possible. And while footprints in the sand could be anyone, it was more of a lead than looking around like a headless chicken. So, nodding to themselves slightly, as if reassuring themselves, Chiaki stepped forwards after the footprints, continuing to send their eye ahead of the group. Although a glance back told Chiaki that it seemed Futoshi had begun to fall behind. Was something on his mind? Perhaps fear at the seriousness of the task ahead? Regardless, this wasn’t a task they could wait for him in.

The footprints continued, Chiaki leaving behind footprints of their own as they made their way forwards, not wasting time covering their shifting tracks due to the need to find the children alive. They kept moving their eye ahead of them, focusing more on the sights of the summon than on their own pair of eyes, nearly stumbling on a patch of sand as they progressed. Why was this man so insistent on hiding out in the desert, a place so open, where all it would take is for someone to get within eyesight range to begin sneaking up behind them… Someone, or something… In the distance, far enough away that if it could, the summoned eye would be squinting, there was a sight. A silhouette, shaken and blurred further by the intense heat of the desert sun. No features could be made out. Just a rough, small, collective lump that seemed to shrink ever more so. In reality, the distance was about 130m, roughly, the details all obscured by both distance and heat. Straining their mind, Chiaki sent the eye further forwards at a faster pace, picking up the pace of their movements as well. Looking behind them with a glance, Chiaki spoke up once more. “Something in the distance. Unsure of if it is the target. Best to check. Unsure of distance.” They said the facts they had together, continuing to move. The hunt had begun.

429 + 1141 = 1570

Chakra: 130/150 (-5 for maintain)

(OOC: Due to inactivity, Futoshi has been skipped. Furthermore, at Seiryu’s request, he has been skipped for now. If Futoshi comes back and wants to rejoin, he can do so and catch up via their footprints. His IC reason for falling behind is up to him)

Chiaki didn't seem to take any notice of Sun's rude attitude during the last few minutes. It made Sun feel more at ease and focus on the objective, though it still created remorse. Nevertheless, it could be resolved later.

Upon getting closer to the footprints, Chiaki informed the team about sightings of ''something'' in the distance. It was a weird report, since Chiaki used term ''something''. Was she seeing unclearly? Could she be seeing a tree or a bigger boulder in the distance? However, the footsteps were leading that way, so it was worth checking it out. "Let's go," she tapped on Chiaki's shoulder and pointed ahead. Before starting to advance, Sun also looked behind her to see if Seiryū and Futoshi was still here. Their sensei appeared to carelessly just follow the group around. "Shouldn't he be mentoring us more?" she quietly mumbled.

Since the target was unidentified, the girl proposed a slow approach by simply starting to walk forward in a slow pace. The team was used to this kind of desert's heat. Maybe their target was a foreigner and he has fainted due to the unbearable heat. Sun was now keeping in mind that Seiryū was closely watching them. It was obviously unwise to storm off here and it would be so embarassing if they ended up discovering just a tree trunk or something that wasn't a part of their mission at all. Therefore, a casual approach was the best in Sun's opinion.

As they closed in and the shape of a person appearead in the distance, Sun tapped on Chiaki shoulder again and inquired:"How close can you get your eye to him? Can you provide any more information about who we are facing?" Sun was also looking for other silhouettes around, but she found nothing. While Chiaki was looking through her third eye, Sun wanted to discuss a plan after gaining Chiaki's full attention again:"Either way, we should confront this person. He might've seen someone else suspicious going around with children. What do you think?" Sun actually wanted to her Ciaki's opinion here. Sun wasn't a figher, so in case that Chiaki sensed danger in this situation, there wasn't much Sun could help with. And they couldn't rely on Seiryū either. He would probably only step in when both girls were almost beat up.
404

Chiaki looked to Sun as they spoke, continuing to send the eye forwards. Had Sun already forgotten the reason Seiryu Imada had given for his observing? He wasn’t exactly subtle with his announcement of plan, so much so that even Chiaki knew. And Chiaki’s deaf. Was this was it was like to hear things? Because if people were just as ignorant with the ability to hear, if not more so, well, then, Chiaki would never really care to gain the sensory stimulation. But, that thought was a tangent as they approached the figure in the distance, an unneeded tangent. The one ahead of the two, three including their sensei. When they got within 100m, Chiaki’s eye now at a distance of about 50m directly behind it, moving at a speed and size that it is all likely that, were the man to know it was there, he’d think it nothing more than a desert insect. From this distance, there was no mistaking what Chiaki could see. Three figures.

The first and most prominent was a man, rather tall and average in build. His hair was long, dark, and surprisingly neat, the latter end of it done neatly up in a ponytail. The strangers clothing was practical, clearly having been acquired in Sunagakure, or at the very least, the land of wind, an intricate design of white and black, a monotonously bland pattern. His posture was firm, and it seemed that he was aware of presences other than his own and those of the ones next to him, turning to look behind him. Pale grey eyes stared intensely at Chiaki’s summon, before slowly, the man’s hand reached to his side, throwing a Kunai into and then through the summoned eye, the sensory summon dissipating into tiny little hell flames as the bladed knife hit the sand. Chiaki, having just experienced the stimulation of watching a knife go through their vision, stumbled for a moment. Clearly, this guy wasn’t a huge fan of being followed.

At his side, one on each side, were two, much smaller people. Children. To the left a small child with long, brown hair that seemed in a mess, clothes seemingly pyjamas, not meant for going out and about in. They were shaking, head dropped low, posture seemingly shrunken back, withdrawn. Contrary to this, the child on the other side of the man seemed a lot more active, albeit still in line. This one, seemingly younger, or at least shorter, than the other child, turned with the man, curious as to what could provoke a response from him, perhaps full of a fleeting hope for something. Freedom perhaps? Escape? Regardless, the blonde, short haired child looked just as unprepared for being out in the wilderness as the other.

Still, Chiaki knew two things from the destruction of their summoning. The adult was hostile, with two young or small people, something which would seem to fit the vague knowledge of whomever it was that the target was. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly for Chiaki, was the eyes. A dojutsu? Judging from the man knowing the exact position of the summon, it was likely sensory in nature, but regardless, the mission had grown more difficult. This information was much direr to let their team mate know than the footprints. Speaking, eyes now transfixed ahead, Chiaki spoke, unable now to see any response, having to rely on their own eyes now to keep a visual on the stranger. “I believe that is the target. A man with two children. Target has a dojutsu, I cannot identify what it is, but I believe it to be sensory in nature. My summon is gone, so I will not be able to see what you say, if you say anything at all. Man is hostile, and threw one kunai. Still unsure of distance.” It was a lot of things to say, but as always, Chiaki’s words were methodical, thought out, and almost emotionless. Despite the reality of the situation, they didn’t yet start running, still continuing their walk, eyes fixated tensely on the target. They had to formulate a plan.

The man didn’t notice the summon until it was close to him, likely suggesting it had a short range. While in reality, this range was fifteen meters, if Chiaki were to guess, they would say it was twenty or twenty five meters. While a generally short distance, Chiaki was best at close ranges, at least for techniques that wouldn’t also injure the hostages. It’d be a bit of a drain, chakra wise, but that wouldn’t be needed yet. If possible, Chiaki would like to preserve chakra, although depending on the type of jutsu this man used, that might not be a possibility. The presence of a dojutsu is perhaps what made Chiaki not wish to be hasty most. After all, dojutsu had a reputation for being some of the most powerful in some cases. As a dojutsu user, Chiaki knew this as well as anybody. So, with a sigh, Chiaki spoke up once more. “We need to get closer. Follow me.” They announced this, before running forwards, keeping quiet as their feet skipped over the shifting sands. Of course, they’d go back to walking when they were about fourty meters away from the target, not wishing to alert him to his presence. At this point, Chiaki raised their hand to stop. Silent, distant observation. Of course, the man was aware of their being there, and any moment he could turn around and attack, or put the hostages at risk. So, in preparation for that, Chiaki felt into their weapon pouch, taking a hold of their kunai. At a moment’s notice, the real battle would begin.

966 + 1570 = 2536

Chakra: 125/150 (-5 for summon maintain)

Seems like Chiaki indeed got something. She noticeably stumbled, probably a side-effect from the usage of that summoning jutsu. Hopefully these side-effect won't happen during the encounter with their target. That would be really unfortunate if Chiaki were to slip or stagger when directly facing their opponent. "Does it hurt too when your..." Sun wanted to ask a silly question, but then immediately reminded herself that Chiaki can't hear this unless she is facing Sun. Here come minus points from Seiryū again.

Soon after Chiaki seemed to have regained full control over her balance, she also were able to answer Sun's first question. Chiaki believed it was the target. She sounded reliable, therefore Sun took it for granted. Especially after hearing that there were two children too, Sun's mind started to be slowly altered into serious combat mode. Also Chiaki noted that her summon was now gone, it kind of relieved Sun since she had no idea how to treat an injured flying eye.

Sun didn't favor the idea of developing a plan. She'd rather be instructed for action (sadly Seiryū wasn't there for it). Sun was used to simple work in hospital, where she was needed to treat a specific wound and she was previously told, how exactly to do it (and not mess it up). But luckily, the other squad member did instruct Sun. After a brief preparatory warning, Chiaki sprinted off. Naturally, Sun followed without asking any further questions, and stopped only when Chiaki indicated to stop by raising hand.

Now they were close to their target. Sun too could now distinguish three figures, precise enough to see two children and a male. They seemed too close. Sun was a bit confused - were they going in for attack now? Or was this an okay range for just looking over their target? 40 meters were definitely too close to just stalk. If this man was to look back, he would definitely notice the rescue squad. And the man wasn't the only problem - if one of those children looked back, they might get the idea to scream for help, definitely alerting the man of squad's presence. Plus Chiaki's gripped kunai made Sun even more jumpy to initiate an attack. It would be a shame if she clumsily gave away their location.

Mabye it was too late to discuss the plan, but Sun had a more elegant execution in mind. It was unfortunate that Chiaki now had to take her eyes off the target in order to read Sun's lips. But Sun kept her watch on the target after tapping on Chiaki (Sun just hoped that Chiaki truly was reading her lips, since Sun was just looking at the man. It was too risky to leave him without any surveillance). "What's the wather report for today? We can easily ambush him if the wind picks up." To her the plan appeared flawless. Suna ninjas were comfortable in sandstorms. Utilizing the weather sounded grand. Since the kids were under Sun's watch, they were almost safe. Now the squad could use all the time they needed.
529

A tap on their shoulder. Chiaki was impressed with Sun actually attempting to communicate with them like that, it made it easier. Turning slowly, keeping the target in their peripheral vision but watching Sun’s lips, Chiaki began to listen, or at least, equivalent of listen. Weather? Did Sun already forget what Chiaki had mentioned about the target? Whatever the targets dojutsu was, it was sensory, meaning it was highly likely that an attempt like that would fall flat. With a sigh, they copied what Sun was doing, looking directly at the target, tapping her shoulder, and then after a seconds pause, mouthing, not speaking, clearly wishing to be silent. “The target has a dojutsu. It is likely sensory in nature. I do not think a sandstorm would help us any more than it is now.” With a quiet, silent sigh, they continued. “We just follow for now. No hasty movements.”

The situation was, of course, less than optimal. Dire would in fact, probably be the right word. The target had unknown skills, and two children as hostages, both within arm’s reach. On top of this, the target had a dojutsu that was sensory in nature, and the two that were currently pursuing him were both not combat specialists. All it would take is for the target to turn around once, or either of the hostages, and not only would the duo be spotted, but likely, the targets dead or even closer. The target was likely aware of pursuers due to having destroyed Chiaki’s summon, so it was only a matter of time before they looked behind them. With a sigh, Chiaki carefully, quietly, put the kunai back in their weapon holster, instead taking out two shuriken. There wasn’t a lot of options, and realistically, they had to make a move.

Putting a shuriken in each of their hands, they tapped Sun on the shoulder, eyes maintaining visual of the target as they mouthed once more. “We have limited time. Targets movements are predictable, likely to conserve energy. I will aim a shuriken at their biceps, one to each, so as to cause him to need to respond and move. Hostages will be too far to use as hostages for an attack that high up, meaning target will either be hit, or have to move to dodge. Either way, the instant the shuriken fly, I need you to run to grab the child to our right. I will go to grab the one to the left. Move as far away as you can, and use your body as a shield if you must. It’s not the best strategy, so, if you have one that is better, please, say so now.” They sighed. It was without a doubt not the best strategy. A terrible one, in fact. But the target was on to them, and Chiaki’s priority was getting the children out of the way. They stifled a yawn. Today was a long day, and going to get even longer. A shame. Continuing to stare ahead, Chiaki began to think to themselves. Now would be a good time to read a book.

520 + 2536 = 3056

Obviously, Sun wasn't too familiar with dojutsus. She had never posessed one. She had no idea how they work. Was Chiaki hundred percent sure that sandstorm wouldn't mess up the targets dojutsu? If a sand grain gets in the man's eyes, would he still be able to freely use the dojutsu? Sun would be totally up for testing this theory on Chiaki, but this wasn't the appropriate time for that. Chiaki only proposed keeping the distance without hasty movements or attacks. It's not like Sun had any kind of ranged abilities she could deploy (although she could try screaming at the man).

After a while of constantly watching over their target, Chiaki finally came up with a plan. During this time Sun didn't even consider any action, she just followed Chiaki's lead. It was true what Chiaki said about target's movements. Sun too had noticed that this man moves in an average pace without any sudden movements. Quite weird for someone who knew they were being traced. "I don't agree to all that," Sun answered without paying any attention if Chiaki was lipreading her, and after a brief pause she explained: "do the same thing, just wait a bit." Actually it wasn't much of an explanation. It seemed like Sun had no idea how to put her idea into words.

Without further explanation or warning , Sun plucked a hair out of Chiaki's head. Turning away from Chiaki, Sun performed reflection clone jutsu. The clone looked exactly like Chiaki did. It probably didn't have a voice too, but Sun wasn't thinking about so much details of the clone. What she wanted the most in this clone were the same shurikens that Chiaki were holding. The clone immediately started to quietly move away from the squad, taking a position around the same distance from the target as girls, but also some 30 meters away from the girls. This plan should be self-explanatory.

"Now," she quietly murmured and the clone threw the two shurikens at the target, just like Chiaki had suggested. Of course, Sun expected Chiaki to throw the real shurikens too (for the clone shurikens wouldn't be much of use). But without waiting an action from Chiaki, Sun started to rush off for the child on man's right. The Chiaki's clone didn't stand in place either. It started running forward for the man too.
411

jutsu. Chakra: 135/150:

Chiaki felt no tap on the shoulder. Surely, of course, that would mean no questions or better plans. So, the deaf ninja prepared to throw their weapons- Ow! Biting their lip so as to not make a startled, pain provoked noise at the sudden plucking of their hair, Chiaki turned around with an intense glare, the red and black of the Onigan looking at Sun who had just plucked their hair without warning as if to stare daggers at her. Of course, they would lose the anger in their eyes as Sun went about using a jutsu, a replication of Chiaki appearing next to Sun. So, that’s what it was. Still, it was a terrible idea to do something that could be deemed an attack to an ally. Regardless of how they felt, Chiaki watched as their clone walked a distance away from the stranger, wincing slightly and hoping it didn’t get in the way, or at a bad angle that’d mean it’d be at the stranger’s periphery vision. To their delight, no such thing occurred, the man clearly focused on directly ahead of them, perhaps believing an ambush would assail him from ahead?

Regardless, Chiaki watched as the clone threw the shuriken, mimicking the action and doing the exact same, the real shuriken flying through the air not long after the imposter projectiles escaped the clone’s hands. As predicted, the man prioritised his own safety, detecting the shuriken not long after they had approached and jumping forwards, turning so as to face his assailants. By this time the trio of course had already begun their course, Chiaki rushing at a sprint towards the child on the left, Sun headed towards the right, intent on getting there to become a human shield. Chiaki had to admit that it was impressive that Sun decided to create a clone of Chiaki as a deterrent so they could get the children away before engaging the target. Of course, the mission didn’t specify the target needed eliminating or capturing. Just that Chiaki would feel a lot better if someone who kidnapped children wasn’t left out and about. That just seemed to them a terrible idea. Of course, this tangent aside, Chiaki couldn’t afford to be defenceless when the man inevitably destroyed the replication. In the brief moment between running and grabbing the child, Chiaki took their kunai from their satchel once more, looping it on their finger and spinning it around, ready. They had to be ready for a counter attack, and since they were a weapon specialist, it would be terrible to be caught unawares, or unarmed. So, after a few seconds of sprinting as fast as they could, weapon at the ready as the man prepared to counter attack, not sure of which of the Chiaki’s was the real; after all, Chiaki had a dojutsu that many wouldn’t know, and so did the clone as a result of that.

Whom the man targeted for his retaliation could be anyone, dependant as each one seemed a different reason for priority. The real Chiaki was the slowest of the three, and so that could make them a potential target. The clone meanwhile was targeting the user, so perhaps self-preservation would be his priority. Or lastly, Sun, who out of the trio was the one who currently was not armed or an immediate threat. Whoever he targeted was up in the air.

567 + 3056 = 3623

(OOC: Left the last paragraph as a more option thing, since so far I’ve been directing a lot of what happens, so, you can choose how this little bit goes~)

While Sun was concerned with the confused and scared children, the enemy could not focus on getting his victims back to use as captives. The clone, having only one objective planted in it's mind, instantly launched an attack. Being unarmed, she was little threat, but the man didn't underestimate the clone (perhaps he wasn't even aware of two identical assaulters (so much for a sensory jutsu)). The clone managed threw a right hand punch and left hand punch immediately after, but both times blocked, therefore not doing any direct damage to the kidnapper, not even mentioning knocking him out. The little brawl then ended, it took only one kick to the face by man to turn Chiaki's clone into a puff of smoke. Perhaps Sun should work on what ideas to give clones - not only attack, but defend too.

During these few precious seconds Sun managed to approach the child on right. "Are you okay?!" she asked this kid. The kid was too scared and confused to answer. Even the sight of Suna-nin headband on Sun's forehead didn't encourage the boy to cooperate verbally. The kid was easy to manipulate physically of course - with a gentle push, the boy started running off towards Seiryū who was staying back from the action. Before chasing after the kid, Sun first took a moment to look at how Chiaki was doing. It didn't seem to go along the plan at all.

Seeing that Chiaki hadn't done her part so quick, the man went after the remaining child. He still was unarmed and managed to get his hands on the child. Pulling the child back with himself, he slowly made a retreat while facing the rescue squad. Only terrified eyes with tears in them could be seen in child face. Too scared to scream or cry out loud. Nothing sharp was touching child's neck, therefore an attempt to attack the kidnapper could be made. However, Sun had no weapons in her arsenal and absolutely no ranged jutsus. It was time rely on Sun. "I'm not running away!" Sun shouted in order to notify Chiaki that Sun wasn't sticking with the original plan - to move as far away as possible. These words were in vain, however, if Chiaki wasn't looking at her (which was very unlikely in this scenario).
397

Maintaining jutsu. Chakra 130/150:

Crap. They weren’t fast enough, and before they knew it, the man had reached the child before them. Chiaki skidded to a halt on the spot; they couldn’t risk the man injuring the child due to their haste. With a frown, Chiaki looked at the situation, then glanced to the kunai in hand. They couldn’t approach, as doing so would just put the child in even more danger. The target had a perfect hostage situation, a sensory dojutsu of some description, and the pursuers no longer had any element of surprise that was previously held. Joy. Unbeknownst to Chiaki, Sun had already begun to make her move. While the target seemed unarmed, Chiaki didn’t want to take the risk. He clearly had a dojutsu, what if he had another form of jutsu? Point blank jutsu would be terrible for the child. Chiaki sighed. As long as the target had the advantage of a hostage, there was no hope. So, all Chiaki had to do was make it so he didn’t have the hostage advantage.

Chiaki spun the kunai in their hand once more, spinning it several times around while taking a step towards the cautiously retreating man. One spin. Two spins. On the third spin, Chiaki subtly used the puppet string technique, placing the thin, fine chakra thread on the loop of the kunai, and a second wire on the blade, so as to allow them to adjust the position of the blade, and the location of the kunai mid-flight. Then, to cover up the usage of the technique, Chiaki spun the kunai two more times. With a sigh, they shrugged, deciding to speak directly to the target for once, voice overly loud due to the ninja not being able to tell how loud their voice was. “You think you can get away because you have a hostage situation! I do not care! This kunai will go through your throat, hostage or no!” another sigh as Chiaki resigned themselves. They were likely going to get told off for the action, but they had to make the target believe Chiaki would actually risk the child’s life.

A pause as Chiaki let the words register in the mind of the man, then the kunai flew, quickly going through the sky towards the man, Chiaki staring, Onigan active, as the kunai made its way. Of course, the man was self-preserving, dragging the child so as to use them as a meat shield, doing so when the kunai was on the latter end of its path. A predictable move of self-preservation. The subtlety no longer there, Chiaki suddenly moved, striking their right arm from the right to the left and down, the kunai suddenly swerving. A twitch of their middle finger, and the blade began to adjust its position, tip of the knife continuously focused on the man. He kept moving with it, spinning in the sands and holding the child in-between the weapon and himself, but to Chiaki, this was fine. They kept moving the kunai, arms and fingers drastically moving so as to prevent the weapon from clattering to the sands. Perhaps they’d have to work on making a technique for this situation, but for now, it was enough. After all, his attention was focused on the kunai. Chiaki sighed. This wasn’t subtle at all. Sun better be able to deal with him now that he was busy focusing on the kunai.

570 + 3623 = 4193

Chakra: 120/150 (-5 for Puppet Strings)

Jutsu used:

While the man with his hostage was slowly moving back, Sun was just standing there helpless switching her eye focus from Chiaki to the man with kid and back. The rescued boy hopefully had made his way to Seiryū. Sun had no idea how Seiryū was with kids. The little boy could be frightened just by the seeing Seiryū's weapon. Or the sensei could be comforting the boy and making all precautions to avoid traumatizing kid (although this experience was already traumatizing for them).

Chiaki on the other hand appereared to have some kind of plan. She took out a kunai and started to spin it around in her hand. This was definitely not the time to show off the tricks you can do. And what concerned Sun even more was the threat that Chiaki made - she was ready to hit the hostage. No, Sun was not allowing this. This child will not be wounded by a Suna-nin (especially from Squad 2). Sun was ready to sprint ahead and take this kunai herself. She already took a few steps closer to Chiaki.

However, Chiaki's throw was unpredictable, especially by someone as inexperienced as Sun. The young medic wasn't capable of reacting fast enough to catch this kunai mid-flight. In fact, there was no need to do it. Sun realized then that Chiaki was the one controlling this kunai. It almost stopped mid-air and followed Chiaki's moves. Even the most subtle ones.

Previously Sun didn't show much knowledge of sensory dojutsus. During this time she hadn't learned much, and she was ready to execute a technique that will definitely be seen by someone who can see in 360 degrees around himself. While this man was focused on evading the kunai, Sun used this time to duplicate herself. She already had her own DNA in her hands, so a clone of Sun immediately appeared. Now it was three against one. Easy to flank. Sun sent her clown behind the man to do the flanking. It was neat for Chiaki now could lipread the clone that was behind the target. It didn't have to speak with voice, just moving the lips were enough:"I'm the fake one." At least sun thought this information was essential.

No idea if this shinobi had any idea which was the clone and which was the real. If he could lipread, he might as well know it now. Clone charged at his back - even a clone could take down someone if they didn't fight back at all. However, this was not the plan. Clone was only a distraction to make the man turn even a little bit away from the real Sun. The girl was ready to show what her clan was made of. Literally. Both Suns now rushing at the man with a plan to just touch him. Naturally, he first attempted to block the clone's attack (while keeping the kid tight in his hands, ready to use it as a meat shield). But the victory was decided when Sun touched the man. It took him another 20 seconds to realize what had happened. First he started to feel only unwell. Next was the obvious lump of blood in his hand he had blocked it. Then started the panic after he had released the kid from his grasp.

"Hey, Chiaki!" the clone speaked with lips only, facing Chiaki who too might not understand what had happened, "Knock him out, will you? We are taking him to Suna." The real Sun first looked after the kid, inspecting his physical appearance and asking some questions like "Do you need some water?", "Do you have any bruises?" And Sun was ready to release the criminal of his suffering as soon as he was knocked out.
638

Used jutsus. Chakra: 100/150:

Chiaki watched almost bemusedly as Sun walked behind the man, not sure what exactly she was planning and not seeing her form the clone. Of course, as the clone spoke, or mouthed, Chiaki couldn’t tell which, suddenly the identity and reason became clear. A not bad way of flanking, although Chiaki deemed it needless considering the target’s current position. As the clone charged at the target, the target spun once more, moving the hostage of a child in-between once more, Chiaki taking the time to withdraw their kunai; it was obvious Sun had a plan, and the knife would only get in the way. This thought was confirmed as the real Sun also ran at the man, from a different direction. In a moment, it seemed to be over. The man blocked the clone, then Sun touched the man and just… Stepped away. For a moment, nothing. Chiaki waited for several seconds, surprised by nothing happening. It was very… Underwhelming. But after roughly twenty seconds, something suddenly happened. The man looked to his hand, panicked a bit, and then retreated with a step backwards, releasing his grip on the child.

After this, both Sun’s stepped away, the clone mouthing for Chiaki to knock out the panicking target. They shrugged, stepping forwards at the panicking target, who began to curl up on the ground, clutching their hand. Chiaki thought for a moment, looking for the most efficient way to knock them out. With a shrug, they decided the boot was the best, leaning their foot back, then kicking forwards into the man’s face at full force, breaking his nose and knocking him unconscious. With a sigh, Chiaki turned to watch Sun console the children, the one who had just been released from the man’s grip looking at Chiaki as if they were just as bad as the kidnapper. Not that the non-binary ninja could blame them of course, after all, Chiaki had announced they didn’t care about the child’s life. A bluff, but why would the child think it anything other than truth? The next concern was, of course, to keep the guy trapped, or at least his hands bound, so he couldn’t do anything when he woke up… Ah, of course. Chiaki unclipped their right sleeve, removing it from their attire and leaving their pale arm bare to the sun. Then, they rolled it up so it was like a rope, and began tying the man’s arms. Not the most secure of bindings, but enough until he was actually bound.

420 + 4193 = 4613

This kid was a little bit more cooperative to Sun's questions. Apparently, the kid recognized Sunagakure's shinobi. The only thing worrying kid was Chiaki's threat. With a suspicious glare, kid retreated back to comfort the boy who was getting used to Seiryū's company. It's good that this criminal didn't hurt Sunagakure's youth.

Sun now was ready to relieve the man of the pain from inside. Actually, he couldn't feel while being unconscious, but the kyoni under the man's skin was still eating away flesh. All it took was to place her palm near the affected body part - man's neck in this case. She didn't even held her hand long in that place, the worm retreated almost immediately. This didn't affect Sun in any way - her chakra didn't get unbalanced due to merging with someone else's, but it didn't give her any power either. It's a shame actually, she would've loved to test out a dojutsu.

"I guess that's done," the girl said aloud with a pleasant relief in her voice, again forgetting the fact that she needs to face Chiaki. Of course, it immediately hit her, she turned around and looked into Chiaki's eyes with a smile on her face and closed happy eye, "We did it!" she celebrated the mission's completion again. It's miraculous that they all made it through without damaing themselves. It all started so bizzare - a mission that put Sun's mind at unease, a mission she wanted to rush through without a decent plan.

Sun didn't want to carry the bounded man back to Suna. It was a job for someone more built for that. Or someone who was slacking off - Seiryū for example. Of course, Sun didn't have the guts to say this out aloud, even as a joke (she didn't mean it as a joke though). The girl still had hard time figuring out what her sensei was like - a super serious person who would punish her for making lame jokes and acting bitchy (like she had done previously). Or one who would let her go no matter what kind of bad things she does. She will ask her parents when she gets back.
385

[Exit thread]
Total WC: 4160
Training:
Strength : D-2 to D-3 450/450
Speed : D-0 to D-3 1175/1175
Perception : D-2 to D-3 450/450
Paying for D rank jutsu ''Paralyzing Touch'' 750/750 - using these as words and not paying for jutsu with mission.
Leftovers: 1335