Mission name: Political Prisoners.
Mission rank: B-rank.
Objective: Free prisoners from village camps.
Location: Border-camps.
Reward: 500 ryo + 3EP.
Mission Description: “A number of Wind Country nationals associated with resistance groups are being held in village camps. Many will pay handsomely for their return.”
Mission Details: Completely 100% innocent political prisoners who employers have assured shinobi are not involved in anything even remotely suspicious have been held captive and are going to be transported to prisons. Through infiltration or force, hired ninja are asked to release them and return them to their allies in the sand. Being caught or engaging village shinobi will result in combat with an A-ranked ANBU captain with three chakra natures and all library techniques for them who leads a group of five to eight B-ranked non-ninja NPCs.

Mission is invite only

Verdandi was ready for her final task as a mercenary. To free some prisoners from a Kumo prison convoy. The intel was very clear about how there would be a lot of resistance. Verd equipped herself with a large wooden bat. Nothing special. But it would do the trick of remaining within non-lethal force ranges. Once more she dressed as hunter, once more she put on her mask. The last mission, to infiltrate and map the kumo camp was a though one. But this time she would be approaching a high security target. ANBU personal was bound to be around. Verdandi managed to move into the place where the pick-up would happen. For now, only normal soldiers could be seen. Implying that the dangerous person in question was probably hiding in the shadows. Verd realized that getting into the whole caravan or convoy while the ANBU was lurking about would be difficult. Hence this time. She would make sure that facing the enemy would happen on her accord instead of theirs. Verd properly prepared a tent. A large one with an entry hallway. Verd fixed the multitude of items in her equipment to the room. Smoke bomb. Flash bomb. Stink bomb. Feet traps. She made sure to hide four of her shadow clones in each corner of the tent. But also knew this wouldn't work out the simple way. Moving one of her clones to a different tent. Preparing the ground with suiton chakra to suit her second, Plan B trap.

Once all was ready. Verd just had to wait until the convoy moved out. Slowly revealing more and more of her presence in the camp. Luring the ANBU's attention in. As expected. This kind of invitation didn't go on deaf ears. The ANBU bluntly stepped into the tent and stared at Verdandi who casually sat on a throne like chair. Her mask giving away that she wasn't here to fuck around for funnsies. In contrast to the lower ranked enemy she had faces last mission. This one didn't require to boast around. In contrary. He said nothing. Checked what he could sense within the room. He bowed politely as if to say that he accepted Verdandi's challenge and quickly tossed a kunai towards her. His speed was remarkable. If it wasn't for Verdandi's preparation she would have no chance here. The traps went off. The stink bomb and flash bomb specifically had well effects. His shoes however guarded him from the feet traps. Soon a multitude of senbon went flying into the smoke and hit the ANBU multiple times along his skin. However, his armor was fairly able to deal with quite some basic damage projectiles. It wouldn't take long until the first fireball was exhaled into the tent. Forcing the clones and Verdandi to retreat. A large fire shaped dragon exhaled forward. A multitude of Water gunshots was necessary to hit the dragon and put out the fire. The last gunshot hitting the ANBU on his back.

Despite the rather clear vulnerability. His endurance was remarkable. He didn't even flinch when he got hit bit the gunshot. Instead, pulling out his kunai and tossing them at each apparition of Verdandi. He directly confronted one of the clones and sliced his blade through her body. In her last breath the clone would cast an ice prison technique that started to grow from the ground below. While the ANBU was busy tossing fire at his own legs to melt down the incoming ice. Verdandi and her remaining clone tossed all remaining senbon and kunai at their target. Adding exploding tags to the last one would massively injure the ANBU, but also blast the ice prison off his legs. Verdandi then quickly moved on to the area of Plan B. However, the tent she was supposed to hide in got hit by a large thunderbolt. Electrifying the clone inside and destroying it. Two of five were gone. But the ANBU, stepping in front of Verd once again was heavily injured. Most of his armor ripped apart by the explosives. He however didn't make any sign about how he was going to stop and so he didn't. Launching forward at full speed. Verd could barely parry his sword and got kicked into her gut, flying backwards into the dirt. A large water wave appeared and threatened to swallow Verdandi. Only a sudden exhale of thick ice in form of her frost armor could protect her. Verdandi quickly infused her kunai with a kawarimi chakra and tossed it towards the ANBU.

The water, colliding with the ice, quickly turned into frost as well. ANBU evaded the incoming attack swiftly. But got surprised by the fact that behind him another clone appeared to catch the kunai. The next clone moved in and exhaled a gale palm up against the ANBU, whom in turn casted a fire breathing technique and used it to combine it with the wind to blast the clone behind him into oblivion. However, before the clone dispersed. He had sent the kunai back towards the ANBU. Verdandi's real body already started to inhale and form a massive amount of chakra in form of her Rasengan in her palm. The next clone jumped in to distract the ANBU and try to hit him with her blade. Then Verdandi determined the incoming kunai was close enough. Swapping positions with it and instantly shoving her Rasengan into the ANBU's stomach. The surprise was perfect. She aimed for him to impact on the Plan B trap and so he did. The massive injuries given by the rasengan's detonation left a bloody wound in his chest and just about when he wanted to get back up, Verd activated the erosive lake technique. Letting the wounded soldier fall into the trap. Burying his body except for his face into water and sand. Stunning him. Immobilizing him. The battle was over. He was knocked out from the massive damage received. Shocked by the pain and blood loss.

Verd dispersed her remaining clones. Regaining some chakra as she formed the ice prison tech around her target. He would get picked up soon. Verd shortly sent signal by a raven to her Kiri boys. Another prisoner of war for them. A pretty strong one at that. Verd was out of breath. This guy had taken more energy than she could think about. On equal grounds he would have beaten the shit out of her. Once the pick-up crew showed. Verd took a short break. She started to inspect the camp she just trashed. No one else but a few civilians, luckily not injured, were around here. Their men, seeing how Verd had fought 'the oppressors' would offer some water to Verdandi, allowing her a break for now. Once that was over with. Dandi shortly slipped into the appearance of the ANBU she had defeated and made herself to be on her way. It took a while to catch up with the prisoners convoy. But Verdandi was still exhausted. The chakra surge on her had been huge while fighting that A-Ranked enemy. She needed to be clever about the remaining mission. Eventually she decided to scout ahead and figure out what she could do from within. Moving into the group to the surprise of the 5 guards that were probably appointed to the ANBU as his squad. The saluted to Verdandi and tried to give report about the status and how everything was going fine. Verd just nodded. The fact that he wasn't a talker was now useful to her, as neither of the soldier found it rude when she didn't answer them.

Verdandi followed the convoy for a long time. Once she was nearby an oasis. Verd would 'command' the men to take a break with some simple gestures. Searching the area. Dandi wouldn't find what she was looking for. A sandstorm. Some quicksand. A nice large dune to bury the soldiers below. Usually the territory worked quite nicely in her favour. But this time it was giving Verdandi a headache. Within around one day's time, they would reach the Kumo camp. So Verdandi decided to go about it the old-fashioned way. She would lure her guards, one by one away from the convoy. At the oasis the first one would be pulled into the woods. Knocked out by Verdandi's wooden bat in an attempt to show him something… like a pretty swamp flower or so. The second one would be pushed into the muddy swamp and held with his head under water until he went k.o. and the third would be surprised while he was taking a shit. Ambushed by Verd and knocked out. Dandi at least had the decency to pull up his pants. She would leave the three of them nicely tied up in their respective places. But fate wasn't on her side today. By the time she returned, 3 new soldiers had joined the convoy. Supposedly scouts that were just temporarily away from the group. Verd shuddered.

The convoy moved out. They probably expected that the 3 missing ones were going to do the new scout duty. But Verdandi was still lost on how to get rid of the remaining five. She figured a new plan had to be made. During her walk, she started to seclude one of the prisoners away from the rest, making sure none of the guards was around them when she actually started to talk with him. Verdandi tried to shortly explain to the certainly suspicious guy, that if he wanted to live and do so freely. He'd have to take these kunai, this exploding tag and spread the weapons among his men. They would have to cause a ruckus at their next oasis stop, so Verdandi would have a proper chance to get rid of the remaining guards. She didn't really care if he believed her or not. But she sent him quickly back to the troops. She could see how, every time they stopped for water, he would start to share his items with the rest. One of their leaders probably taking the exploding tag with him. Verd would follow them silently until they hit the next oasis. Waiting until night time. As the soldiers were on guard duty. Verdandi once more started another spree of taking them out one by one. The first one was knocked out when he was sleeping on guard duty. Verd simply pulled him in a bush and left him there.

Once back at the camp, Verdandi could see how the prisoners were undoing their shackles as well as possible. Soon the explosive would go off and Verd would openly attack the very first guard that was near her. The prisoners, now armed with kunai would swarm out to directly attack the remaining soldiers. After knocking out hers, Verdandi would quickly move between the remaining ones. Trying to hit them with her bat while they were busy defending themselves against the mob. The first one went down swiftly. But Verd realized that arming her prisoners was a bad idea. As they obviously started to try and kill the guards. Verd had to move in between the first ones. Pushing them away before hitting the guard in the gut with her bat and knocking him out with a second hit to the head. Facing the mob, she'd bluntly speak. "No killing" before she jumped forth to the last one. Again, she had to chase away the angry prisoners first. Before they let her fight one on one with the guard. He had his spear ready that already slightly injured one of the attackers. Verd moved in, grabbing his spear with one palm as the other swung the bat to his nuts. He quickly sunk to his knees, so Verd could hit him again to let him drift off into the land of dreams and fairies. At last. All guards were dealt with and Verdandi could slip back into her normal appearance, still masked in her own outfit however.

She would calmly explain herself to the mob and why they weren't allowed to kill the guards. Commanding them to bring the unconscious men together. Verd would lift they chain keys from one of the guards and undo any remaining chains from the prisoners. Using whatever cuffs were still intact to chain up the guards instead. Once they were dealt with like that. Verd let the prisoners go and get some water from the oasis pond. Slowly organizing them together and also collecting her kunai back to make sure none of them suddenly came to any deeply revengeful ideas. She made sure that the injured one was taken care of. His slightly wounded neck bandaged and made ready for moving out. The lot of them would hence travel to the meeting point that was scheduled with the mercenary HQ. Letting the former prisoners slowly join one by one into the caravan that would take them back into suna territory. Verdandi was given her reward as well as another recommendation for her work. Before she finally headed back to the merc camp. With this final recommendation, Verd could finally meet with the guy that was handing out all the jobs she was commissioned with lately. However, Verdandi's final goal had never been to just meet and drink tea with the guy. But to actually apprehend him for the Kiri administration.

Once they were alone together in their tent. He was curious about how else Verdandi could be of use for the mercenaries. But instead of indulging into it. Verd would form the hand seals for the temporary paralysation technique and hit the guy right in the gut with it. Once he was out cold. Verd would gag him and slowly slip into his appearance. Properly knocking him out with her trusty wooden bat. She'd bag him up and prepare him for transport. In his disguise, Verd would step outside the tent and tell the guards to take a break. Making sure no one would follow the fact that she was stealing this guy away from the tent. Verdandi would make her way home to the Kiri camp. Presenting her final gift to the kiri administration for her inside-job in the mercenary guild. Hoping they would be able to get some useful information out of the guy, considering all the trouble she went through all these last weeks in order to get to him. Verdandi would receive her reward and add it to the rest she had already cashed in for the merc job. She would most likely not be welcome anymore at the merc camp, considering that the 'guy in the skull mask' was now known to them as the 'guy who kidnapped the merc leader' or well, just the middle man between the sunaan and the mercenaries. Verdandi was pretty sure he didn't have the most valuable information at hand. But maybe he could lead the kiri ANBU to a person that might be of further interest to them.

[EXIT]

2530

Chakra 50 / 350:

WC Usage: