Kyo Senju was a very peculiar person. She always seemed to have a dark aura around her, or so she was perceived by those around her. She almost always got odd looks from the people of Konoha, despite the fact that she was the current leader of one of its oldest and most important clans. In that sense, Kyo had always commanded little respect. She had always been left to her own devices, ever since she was a small child. Hardly ever was she paid attention to, hardly ever would anyone speak to her. And when they did... well, let's just say that it never ended well. She had the scars scattered throughout her body to prove that. Of course, those were always hidden beneath a set of bandages that most people assumed were just a part of her regular outfit. There were a handful of people who knew better, though. Even now when she walked down the streets, some people would turn their heads to look at her. They would whisper among each other as they looked at the young woman. The 7ft skeleton that followed her, moving on its own and dressed in heavy armor also attracted several looks. It trailed behind her like a puppy, which Kyo found adorable. She was probably the only one that found her pet - Skull Knight - cute. But Kyo paid no mind to the stares. She was used to such treatment already. In the rare occasion when the Senju leader ever did leave her house, she was always the subject of rumors and gossip. It had always been that why, which was probably why it didn't phase her at all. Maybe it was also because their critiques were the least of her worries. She knew that such things where whimsical when compared to the real tragedies that life could bring up.

So Kyo ignored them as she always did, keeping her expression stoic as it always was. She headed down the streets, away from the administration building. She had just received instructions for her latest mission. The task sounded simple enough. Besides, Kyo had always been fond of covert operations. She aimed to be a part of the ANBU, after all. However, she was being sent with someone, which was what made her rather... uneasy. She had never been all that good with teamwork, mostly because she communicated very little. But an order was an order and there was basically no way around it, was there? She just hoped that whoever she was being sent with had the good sense to read her body language enough to keep verbal explanations to a minimum. She came to a full stop near the designated meeting place. She read over the file once again while she waited. Skull Knight tilted his head to the side as if asking whether or not he could come along. Kyo could already tell what he tried to say. It took a few years, but soon enough body language was enough for her to know exactly what was in his head. "No, not this time," She said, to which the skeleton visibly slumped. "This is covert, your armor's too loud," She explained. He let out a loud huff and groan. "I know, we'll get you a new one when I get the money from this little ordeal, sound good?" She said. He looked at her one last time before he walked off, dragging his feet. "Stop trying to guilt trip me," She murmured, looking at the file once again. Now all she had to do was wait.

[Word Count: 601/1500]

Kyo stood there for a while, waiting to see if her partner would ever arrive. If he didn't, well, she would simply complete the mission on her own. She knew that was probably against orders, but as long as the mission was done and as long as it was a success, then she didn't see the problem with going over such a menial rule in order to get this done as quickly as possible. After all, she had training to do. With a heavy sigh, she continued towards the gates of the village. She had a rough sense of where she would be travelling, so best get this done and over with. She headed through the forest as quickly as she could. As far as she knew, she had to reach a small village that was infested with a group of assassins. Confrontation was definitely out of the question. She had to reach her goal as quietly and quickly as possible. She was to retrieve a scroll that described each and every one of the contracts that these men had. She had a fake one with her that she would replace it with. That would keep them from finding out what had happened for a while - enough time for Kyo to return the scroll to the Hokage and have these people dealt with. She would only focus on the covert part of the operation. She had a natural phobia of death. As much as she would try, she wouldn't be able to deal the finishing blow. She never could. In her entire career as a shinobi, Kyo had been unable to kill a single soul.

As she ran through the trees, jumping from one branch to another as quickly as she could, Kyo thought of Tatsumaru. She had never quite liked the boy, not after he suddenly decided to join her entourage of tormentors for reasons that she would likely never know. But still, she thought of him from time to time. He was only a few years her senior, but she knew that he had likely killed over one hundred people throughout his life. She had heard of his exploits from certain people gossiping about his greatness and his talent. She would only scoff. She knew what he was really like. He had no sympathy for those around him. He only craved attention. He would do anything to ensure his own survival, even if it cost him the lives of those closest to him. She couldn't help but compare herself to him every once in a while. They could almost be called polar opposites. She wondered how he would handle this, what sort of catastrophe he would leave in his wake. Kyo supposed that that was why she was given this type of assignment and not him.

Soon enough, the young kunoichi reached the edge of the village. A thick forest surrounded the area, much to her advantage. She placed her fingers together, making a single hand sign. A stream of chakra was expelled from her body. It soon began to turn into wood, which would come to take human form. She had made two wood clones. They were enough to survey the area while she hid in the tree tops and kept an eye out for possible threats. With a silent command, she sent them both on their way. She was able to receive the information that they both got, which was enough for her to tell who she was up against and where each of them were. The clones phased in and out of the trees in the surrounding forest, scouting the surroundings of the area. She located each of the assassins. There were eight of them in total. They seemed to have let their guards down. They were all drinking and laughing around a fire. Kyo shuddered involuntarily.

The young woman called both clones to her again. Placing a hand on each of them. she changed their shape and form to look like two innocent young girls. They would prove to be a decent distraction for the men while Kyo replaced the scroll with the one she had with her. The two clones once again traveled to the opposite side of the woods, away from the original Kyo so as to not arouse additional suspicion. They would pretend to be lost and would probably be taken advantage of, but that was what Kyo needed. It was an effective distraction. In the meantime, she would get to work.

The clones managed to get the thugs' attention. So far, the mission was proceeding smoothly. There were very few huts around the small village. She guessed that the one that held the information the group hid would look differently from the living quarters. She moved slowly and quietly through the forest. At this point, she could hear the very confused and desperate pleas of her clones. That meant her diversion wouldn't last that much longer. It was best that she hurry. Kyo finally located the small hut and entered it from the side door. She looked around, trying to spot any traps and seals that could be around the area. She was sure that she would be able to disable them once she spotted them. She had a good eye for these things and was a master of fuuinjutsu, after all. Fortunately, she didn't see any of them. She quickly replaced the scroll with the one she had brought with her and exited the building. Soon enough, she would arrive at Konoha with the scroll and report the mission as a complete success.

[Word Count: 1541/1500]