1 Familiar. [Bokuden/Private] Fri Dec 27, 2013 12:01 pm
Misoka
D-rank
No matter how you look at it, it was truly a fleabag hotel, in which she spent her second night. However, with the little money she had taken from Taku’s lifeless body, she couldn’t afford anything more glamorous, and from what that stranger had told her recently, most hotels and inns were full either way.
Besides, Misoka didn’t really mind. A cold shower, a little bit to eat and drink, a “bed” which consisted of a simple mat laid out on the floor in a room stained with dust – this all sufficed perfectly, at least compared to the possibility of sleeping outside during times of war.
It was early morning when she left the hotel, ready to go to the harbour and check whether the ferry had returned. The longer she stayed in Kirigakure, the higher would be the risk of being pursued again. The clan leader must know to which country Taku had dragged her and undoubtedly, he also knew of the war raging here.
Misoka drew a deep breath, tasting the fresh air and watching as brilliant orange poured out of the sun and across the horizon. After a long, cold night the daybreak brought glimmers of warmth, not enough to prevent the clouds of steam from escaping her lips, but somewhat soothing nonetheless.
The way to the harbour seemed to be the first and only thing related to the village that concerned her and which she had learnt by heart. She didn’t plan to become part of this war. She’d never planned on travelling to Kirigakure in the first place.
Upon arriving at the harbour, Misoka didn’t take long to figure out that there was no ferry to be seen. The other day, she had missed it and now she would probably have to wait another few days for it to return and allow for her departure.
Time was a luxury; it had always been over the past years.
But complaining wasn’t going to get her anywhere at the moment. She sighed. What now? Back to the fleabag hotel? Keep standing here and eventually lure out some Seven Bells shinobi who thought she was easy prey?
Oh well, the former it was then.
The moment she wanted to turn around, however, something caught her eye. Something that made her heart skip a beat.
…A ship! The ferry, perhaps? So she would be able to leave this village today after all! The distant ship drew closer and closer, a grey shape against dark waters.
She could make out about three people standing at the railing. The other passengers must be in their staterooms, then.
The joy she felt at that sight almost prompted her to raise an arm and wave, but she knew this would look… stupid or well, desperate. What surprised her was the fact that no-one else had come to the harbour yet, just like she had. But then again, who could have anticipated a timetable change? And who, other than her, would have nothing better to do than pay the harbour a visit every day in hopes that exact thing would happen?
Minutes dragged by with the ship continuously approaching. From this distance, Misoka could see that the three people at the railing were men, one of them most probably the captain.
There, he pointed at her. “Yes, I’ll be one of your next passengers,” she would have almost liked to call out to him and had to refrain from laughing.
Then the arrow came. The buzzing sound filled her ears, the missile aiming at her heart before her instincts kicked in and she leaped away. Almost too late, she had to admit, when half of her cloak’s right sleeve got torn apart.
“YOU MORON!” someone shouted. Misoka's gaze jerked to the voice’s owner as she realized that a person aboard the ship had shot the arrow. One of the three men, the one who was bending the bow once again, the one who had just been insulted by the supposed captain.
“I told you to aim at her leg! We need her alive, you fucking idiot! Now, hurry up!”
And at that moment, she knew. This was far too familiar. This was what she had dreaded for the past two days.
Apparently, the clan leader didn’t waste any time in getting her back. They still hadn’t given up on her.
The hunt restarted. Like a sick game. But no. This happened every day. Hunters, ready to shoot. The deer, ready to run.
And she wouldn’t make a difference. She would run as well.
It was too risky to stay and fend off three shinobi whose ranks she couldn’t be certain about. All she knew for sure was that they were in the majority.
Another arrow flew towards her, but she dodged it and began to haste in the opposite direction.
However, their voices wouldn’t leave her, revealing their whereabouts and that they were still within earshot.
“Quick, let’s dock the ship and go! We can’t lose her!”
Misoka jumped up one of the rooftops, making her way through the village. Her mind was racing. Why hadn’t she disguised herself? Right, Sanosuke had taken her mask. But… she could have at least worn the hood! How could she have been so careless? The short period of freedom must have gotten to her. Now she paid the price.
Quickly, she threw a glance over her shoulder, just in time to see one of her pursuers weaving hand signs. Alright, two ranged fighters then. The third might be one, too.
But even if he wasn’t, it didn’t exactly raise her chances. Furthermore, judging from their speed and the fact that they stayed on her heels, their shinobi ranks must be at least equal to hers.
No weak Chunin to defeat this time.
The man who she’d seen forming hand seals before started firing off air bullets. She listened to the hissing wind and evaded one bullet after another, but the deep concentration slowed her down slightly.
She couldn’t outrun them. Still, there had to be… something she could do.
Jumping on the next rooftop, she suddenly came to a slithering halt and whirled around. Her pursuers caught up to her few instants later. Misoka took out a kunai.
When they prepared to rush towards her and probably render her unconscious, she raised the weapon. Not to defend herself, though. Instead, she lifted her chin and held it against her own neck, perfectly visible to all of them.
“Stop!”
They were obviously too confused to argue. With a simultaneous gasp, they halted, surrounding her.
She examined them briefly. None of her clansmen, just some other shinobi who worked for Akihiko.
The archer let out a chuckle. “Why would you kill yourself? You’re bluffing.”
He grasped another arrow and bent his bow.
Misoka’s eyes darted back and forth between the three men. Just a little longer. Her chance would come sooner or later. But in order to escape, they would first have to believe her threat.
“Put your bow down,” she commanded, but he only smirked at her.
Fine. “So you think I’m bluffing?”
In a blur of movement, Misoka pressed the kunai against her skin, until a small stream of blood trickled down her neck. “Do you still not believe me? I can go further,” she said calmly, ignoring the pain when she continued cutting her own skin. Not too deep, but deep enough to put emphasis on her previous warning.
The men staggered back. The leader of the small group snapped at his comrade,”You heard her. Put your bow down!” Then he raised his hands as if to calm her. “It’s okay. We’re not moving. Drop the kunai.”
Misoka shot him a glare, her lips curving up into a somewhat sinister smile. “I wonder how much money the clan leader will make with my dead body.” Her voice grew louder. “How much money would someone pay for a dead wife? Because I’d rather die now than spend the rest of my life in captivity!”
It worked. Panic started creeping into their features; they exchanged worried glances; the archer let his bow drop.
And still… there was one huge problem. The moment she would turn and run away, they would know her attempt to kill herself was nothing but show.
She had caught them off-guard. She had wiped the confident smirks off their faces.
In fact, this was the perfect time to strike.
If only she could be absolutely certain that she would be able to knock out all of them.
Training Ninjutsu S->SS 1455/9000
Besides, Misoka didn’t really mind. A cold shower, a little bit to eat and drink, a “bed” which consisted of a simple mat laid out on the floor in a room stained with dust – this all sufficed perfectly, at least compared to the possibility of sleeping outside during times of war.
It was early morning when she left the hotel, ready to go to the harbour and check whether the ferry had returned. The longer she stayed in Kirigakure, the higher would be the risk of being pursued again. The clan leader must know to which country Taku had dragged her and undoubtedly, he also knew of the war raging here.
Misoka drew a deep breath, tasting the fresh air and watching as brilliant orange poured out of the sun and across the horizon. After a long, cold night the daybreak brought glimmers of warmth, not enough to prevent the clouds of steam from escaping her lips, but somewhat soothing nonetheless.
The way to the harbour seemed to be the first and only thing related to the village that concerned her and which she had learnt by heart. She didn’t plan to become part of this war. She’d never planned on travelling to Kirigakure in the first place.
Upon arriving at the harbour, Misoka didn’t take long to figure out that there was no ferry to be seen. The other day, she had missed it and now she would probably have to wait another few days for it to return and allow for her departure.
Time was a luxury; it had always been over the past years.
But complaining wasn’t going to get her anywhere at the moment. She sighed. What now? Back to the fleabag hotel? Keep standing here and eventually lure out some Seven Bells shinobi who thought she was easy prey?
Oh well, the former it was then.
The moment she wanted to turn around, however, something caught her eye. Something that made her heart skip a beat.
…A ship! The ferry, perhaps? So she would be able to leave this village today after all! The distant ship drew closer and closer, a grey shape against dark waters.
She could make out about three people standing at the railing. The other passengers must be in their staterooms, then.
The joy she felt at that sight almost prompted her to raise an arm and wave, but she knew this would look… stupid or well, desperate. What surprised her was the fact that no-one else had come to the harbour yet, just like she had. But then again, who could have anticipated a timetable change? And who, other than her, would have nothing better to do than pay the harbour a visit every day in hopes that exact thing would happen?
Minutes dragged by with the ship continuously approaching. From this distance, Misoka could see that the three people at the railing were men, one of them most probably the captain.
There, he pointed at her. “Yes, I’ll be one of your next passengers,” she would have almost liked to call out to him and had to refrain from laughing.
Then the arrow came. The buzzing sound filled her ears, the missile aiming at her heart before her instincts kicked in and she leaped away. Almost too late, she had to admit, when half of her cloak’s right sleeve got torn apart.
“YOU MORON!” someone shouted. Misoka's gaze jerked to the voice’s owner as she realized that a person aboard the ship had shot the arrow. One of the three men, the one who was bending the bow once again, the one who had just been insulted by the supposed captain.
“I told you to aim at her leg! We need her alive, you fucking idiot! Now, hurry up!”
And at that moment, she knew. This was far too familiar. This was what she had dreaded for the past two days.
Apparently, the clan leader didn’t waste any time in getting her back. They still hadn’t given up on her.
The hunt restarted. Like a sick game. But no. This happened every day. Hunters, ready to shoot. The deer, ready to run.
And she wouldn’t make a difference. She would run as well.
It was too risky to stay and fend off three shinobi whose ranks she couldn’t be certain about. All she knew for sure was that they were in the majority.
Another arrow flew towards her, but she dodged it and began to haste in the opposite direction.
However, their voices wouldn’t leave her, revealing their whereabouts and that they were still within earshot.
“Quick, let’s dock the ship and go! We can’t lose her!”
Misoka jumped up one of the rooftops, making her way through the village. Her mind was racing. Why hadn’t she disguised herself? Right, Sanosuke had taken her mask. But… she could have at least worn the hood! How could she have been so careless? The short period of freedom must have gotten to her. Now she paid the price.
Quickly, she threw a glance over her shoulder, just in time to see one of her pursuers weaving hand signs. Alright, two ranged fighters then. The third might be one, too.
But even if he wasn’t, it didn’t exactly raise her chances. Furthermore, judging from their speed and the fact that they stayed on her heels, their shinobi ranks must be at least equal to hers.
No weak Chunin to defeat this time.
The man who she’d seen forming hand seals before started firing off air bullets. She listened to the hissing wind and evaded one bullet after another, but the deep concentration slowed her down slightly.
She couldn’t outrun them. Still, there had to be… something she could do.
Jumping on the next rooftop, she suddenly came to a slithering halt and whirled around. Her pursuers caught up to her few instants later. Misoka took out a kunai.
When they prepared to rush towards her and probably render her unconscious, she raised the weapon. Not to defend herself, though. Instead, she lifted her chin and held it against her own neck, perfectly visible to all of them.
“Stop!”
They were obviously too confused to argue. With a simultaneous gasp, they halted, surrounding her.
She examined them briefly. None of her clansmen, just some other shinobi who worked for Akihiko.
The archer let out a chuckle. “Why would you kill yourself? You’re bluffing.”
He grasped another arrow and bent his bow.
Misoka’s eyes darted back and forth between the three men. Just a little longer. Her chance would come sooner or later. But in order to escape, they would first have to believe her threat.
“Put your bow down,” she commanded, but he only smirked at her.
Fine. “So you think I’m bluffing?”
In a blur of movement, Misoka pressed the kunai against her skin, until a small stream of blood trickled down her neck. “Do you still not believe me? I can go further,” she said calmly, ignoring the pain when she continued cutting her own skin. Not too deep, but deep enough to put emphasis on her previous warning.
The men staggered back. The leader of the small group snapped at his comrade,”You heard her. Put your bow down!” Then he raised his hands as if to calm her. “It’s okay. We’re not moving. Drop the kunai.”
Misoka shot him a glare, her lips curving up into a somewhat sinister smile. “I wonder how much money the clan leader will make with my dead body.” Her voice grew louder. “How much money would someone pay for a dead wife? Because I’d rather die now than spend the rest of my life in captivity!”
It worked. Panic started creeping into their features; they exchanged worried glances; the archer let his bow drop.
And still… there was one huge problem. The moment she would turn and run away, they would know her attempt to kill herself was nothing but show.
She had caught them off-guard. She had wiped the confident smirks off their faces.
In fact, this was the perfect time to strike.
If only she could be absolutely certain that she would be able to knock out all of them.
Training Ninjutsu S->SS 1455/9000