A man and his lion stood at the exit of the village, waiting on the arrival of their teammate and fellow Seven Swordsman, Dameon. A mixed pair of eyes pierced through the mist, still alert from the war that had just ended. There was nothing said between the two of them, as nothing needed to be said. It was Strafe's first official Seven Swordsmen mission, and excitement was present in his face. His white shirt and pants were accented by the deep blue trim around it and the symbol of the Aisu on the back side of the shirt. On his back sat two bo-staffs in an x formation. Blue shinobi sandals sat on his feet. He was ready to protect the village once again.

Things were different in Kirigakure since the Seven Bells War. It represented it's past nickname of "The Bloody Mist" far more than it had in recent years. People were not showing the joy that he once adored. Instead, the civilians and ninja alike showed nothing but strength and determination. A rebuilding project to replace what was damaged had been put into place. People were doing what they could to put the might village back together. This war did not shake the resolve of Kirigakure. No, it made it that much stronger. The mission that they were about to embark on was one that hit Strafe in the heart. For some of it's own ninja to just leave when war came was disgraceful. How these people lived with their selves was beyond him. They would pay for abandoning the village he fought so hard to protect. They would pay with their lives.

Wordcount: 280/3000

Pitiful, that was the word that had come to mind when he had learned of his latest mission. A couple of low profile Jounin abandoning their village at the time of need. It was disgraceful. This was officially a Seven Swordsman mission so he decided to not wear his Anbu gear favoring his usual attire. If he knew the traitors he wanted them to see his face as he cut them down for their treachery. Things had been much different or him since the war had ended. First off the war had ended abruptly for Dameon after waking up in a coma after the fight with Seven Bells. Secondly he had a home now and a squad of genin he was training, and to top it off he was now the ANBU captain in addition to a swordsman. What little time he had after training his squad was spent doing block ops missions and briefings as well as training those wanting to become ANBU. He was just glad he didn’t have to pay for the house; after all he never even got the chance to use it. He looked at the sky through the mist and knew it was going to be overcast and more than likely rain. This would be harder to track through for most people, perhaps that was another reason why he had been assigned to it.

He showed up at the meeting ground where the other Swordsman was waiting on him. Apparently he had been informed of the mission quicker than Dameon had. Dameon wore his usual attire, a brown jacket with straps up the middle and brown pants. He also wore black gloves and his belt loosely hanged at the waist. His brown hair was wet and less spikey in the moist air. He quickly observed the man and it seemed to him like everyone in the village that wanted to be a ninja was an Aisu these days. Once you met a few of them they were very easy to separate out of a pack of people. He had practically grown up with Keiko having been around here since they were both Genin and there were a couple others as well. It made him wonder if the village was controlled by the ice masters. If so they would really hate to know all he did was use raiton, their only real weakness elementally.

As he approached the man he extended his hand out to shake his hand, this being the first time to actually talk to him, and the first time he had seen the man since the ceremony. It seemed like the man was practically worshipped in the village while Dameon was initially an outsider that people stayed away from something that only added to the hidden sorrow inside of him. Hell the only woman he ever loved didn’t ever care to see if he was dead or not before she returned to her village and abandoned him. Perhaps things like that happened for a reason but it didn’t help him feel any better.

“I’m Dameon. You are…Strafe, if I recall correctly from the ceremony,” he said knowing he was probably the youngest person ever to become a Seven Swordsman and he wondered exactly how the man would take to being paired up with him.

“We should probably head out sooner than later. With rain coming it will hinder tracking slightly but that’s one of my specialties.”

574/3000

After a few short minutes of waiting, he heard footsteps approaching him. The duo turned around to see Dameon walking towards them with his hand extended. The ninja was wearing mostly brown, and seemed to be thinking deeply. Strafe immediately shook his hand with respect. This ninja had done so much for Kirigakure during the war. More than Strafe did. He had nothing but admiration for the new Anbu Captain. "Nice to finally meet you. This is Momaru." He spoke politely as he gestured to the large lion standing beside him. Dameon then spoke about wanting to go ahead and head out, to which Strafe nodded in agreement. "Momaru can track as well, so between the two of you we should be good. Let's go." He spoke calmly to the man before turning towards the gate. With a wave to the men guarding it, it opened. Once the large gate had finished moving, Strafe jumped up in the air and landed on the lion's back. "I'll let you take the lead while we travel, Dameon. You are probably a better tracker than me." The lion spoke with wisdom that always surprised Strafe.

Once Dameon had taken off, the duo followed him. They dashed off into the Land of Water with great speed. The faster they tracked and found these ninja, the better. Momaru stuck to the land, as it was much easier than jumping through the various trees in the area. Nothing was said between the duo, as they had done this too many times to require words. The majestic lion started putting his nose to use, searching for the scent of either of the men they were briefed on. So far, he had gotten nothing, hoping that Dameon had some success with his skills. Strafe sat alert on the animal's back, constantly looking around to try and see any ambushes coming. Between the three of them, he doubted anyone would be foolish enough to attack, but he was cautious none the less.

Wordcount: 617/3000

Dameon nodded at them both as a light rain began to fall as if on cue. Dameon had to use his very astute eyes for anything that seemed out of place compared to the actual environment. The biggest problem was that the trail had been cold and they could have literally been anywhere at this point. He had a very wide range in which he could detect people but he had no certainty that he was in that range. He needed to find a sign before he used any tracking jutsu otherwise he was just wasting chakra. As they continued to walk he stayed a good ten or so feet ahead of them as both a scouting party and to try and find any clues. He leaned down onto the wet grass just off the side of the road and pulled some of it up checking the wind and trying to see anything out of the ordinary. He stood back up and continued walking content that he felt like he was onto something but he still had no way of knowing for sure. Something though was definitely out of place. It was very slight in fact if it wasn’t for his eyes able to pick up the smallest of things and his brain power to process the information anyone could have missed it if they didn’t have his ace eyes.  The wind and rain had covered up most of it but a single strain of grass was out of contrast facing a different direction.

“They went this way, through the forest. This was made about twelve or so hours ago,” he said softly as he continued on through the forest. Following the ever so slight of a trail until it ended abruptly. A tree stood there where the trail ended. He placed his hand against the tree and brought his eyes closer to the bark noticing a small scratch. He leapt up into the tree the water of the rain displacing slightly forming footsteps from the minerals that had been on the bottom of one of the shinobi’s shoes. He must have looked crazy following the slightest of clues that would have seemed impossible to notice to nearly anyone else. He had developed his strong tracking sense from the years he had lived in the forest all alone for years. He walked on top of the tree branches stepping exactly where the other shinobi had stepped but not very quickly considering he had to make sure they hadn’t taken a different route. A couple hours of this later he leapt down from the tree finding a clear as day footprint on the ground that the others could see. The grass too far separated to be natural.

“They got lazy here. I would imagine they felt safe enough and started looking for a place to sleep for the night,” He said as he licked the tip of his finger and placed it to the ground. He looked sharply to his left as he sensed a group huddled in a camp just like he had thought.

“There are five of them in a camp approximately four hundred and thirty meters in this direction. None of them show signs of having a Kekkai Genkai at least none that I am aware of. Shall we?” He stated as he stood up and got more serious all of a sudden.

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270/300 Chakra

Spoiler:

1,139/3,000

Dameon immediately started to use his great tracking skills. It was truly impressive how he could notice such small details and pinpoint what clues they gave. It was a skill that was certainly useful to the mission. Strafe and Momaru followed him, while still being alert. With each stop and clue, the signs became more noticeable to the point that even Strafe could pick up the trail of the traitors. Once the trail became sloppy, Momaru picked up the scent of the targets. Dameon filled them in on the exact location of the group, to which Momaru nodded in confirmation. It seemed like the trio was perfect for the mission. "Great job Dameon. Without your abilities, this would have been much more difficult. Let's go pay them a little visit." Strafe said with a glance in the direction he spoke of. At this point, Strafe and Momaru took the point. They moved quickly, but silently as they approached the group, making sure that the element of surprise was still on their side.

Once they got two hundred and thirty meters closer, they slowed to a halt. A plan needed to be drawn up before the attack was made. This is where Strafe could prove his worth. "Alright, before we get in hearing distance of them, lets get a plan up. I don't feel they deserve having a chance to explain themselves, so a surprise attack is what we will be doing. Momaru will move in first, as he is not as well known as either of us are. He will be the first wave of attack, but also a distraction. Once he has moved in, you can attack next Dameon from the right flank. This will most likely send them into confusion. Once the first two waves are executed, I'll come in as support and defense to any counter attacks they try to use. I'll come in directly in the middle of where you two did." He spoke clearly and confidently as he explained the plan to both of them. Unless these ninja were gifted in strategy, the plan would most likely go well and possibly be able to eliminate one or two of them before they have a chance to respond.

"If you get injured substantially during the fight, get close to me. I can heal you with medical ninjutsu without having to make physical contact. Let's be alert and precise with our moves. Any wasted time could mean injury. Let's go." He finished explaining with a nod of respect to Dameon. The duo then went at a much slower pace for the remaining distance, so silence would be assured. The plan would be invalid if they didn't have the element of surprise after all. Once they got within a reasonable range to attack from, the duo split up, taking their positions without a word. Once Dameon got into his spot, the ambush would begin.

Wordcount: 1,110/3000

Dameon nodded in approval as he leapt off to the flank as he had mentioned. It was a sound plan though he really could do without getting injured after all he had only just gotten out of the hospital, again. Moving extremely quiet as he leapt from branch to branch he could now make out the camp and see just about everyone inside of it. Landing on a final branch he stood there against the trunk of the tree and observed. It was a small camp but not something you could make in one night. This was more of a base of operations and a new place to live. There were five tents used as living quarters and another tent housing a sort of meeting and war room where they had a list of plans and maps from what he could tell. All of the tents were camouflaged to the wilderness around them making it extremely hard to notice from far away. It was no wonder that they hadn’t been spotted until now. As he scanned the area he located some fishing wire extending around the perimeter of the trees. Booby traps, tons of them too. He hoped Strafe had been able to spot them as easily as he had.

Dameon made his way closer silently he needed to disable the booby traps and there was two ways he could manage it. He could either cut the lines and try to find something to hold the lines so they didn’t trigger the trap or he could disable the trap so the wires meant nothing. One was quicker than the other while the other was safer. Taking the safer approach he decided to follow the fishing wire to the source of the traps. Poison tipped senbon launchers; it was a nasty set up and the senbon themselves coated with poison could probably kill just about anyone it hit if they didn’t get immediate medical attention. Now that he found the launcher though things were only going to be more difficult. Pulling out his kunai Dameon inspected the launcher keep his kunai in his mouth as he pulled the side panel off carefully as to net set it off. Once he could see the inside of it he used the kunai to cut the spring loaded launching mechanism. Now if the wires were tripped they wouldn’t launch. He disabled as many as he could before returning back to his flanking position where Strafe would expect him to be before they launched the surprise attack.

Dameon kept his kunai at the ready using some of the fishing line to tie one of his smoke bombs to the looped bottom. This way he could throw the kunai and smoke would erupt giving them a shock factor and the ability to not be hit at long range as easily. He did this with two of his kunai and would throw them in two key positions to cover the whole base of operations in smoke the moment the distraction took place. Most people didn’t prefer this method to attacking because a smokescreen was a double edged sword but Dameon would easily be able to sense through it and he knew Momaru would have no issues sensing his way through it. He noted to himself though that he probably should have asked Strafe if he would be okay with a smokescreen but two out of three of them guaranteed to be fine in it outweighed the odds of Strafe not being able to, assuming he couldn’t. At the very least this meant when the enemy tried to run from the smoke and the attack they would be funneled right into Strafe so either way seemed fine to him. He sat there waiting for Momaru to begin the assault.

1,770/3,000

As the duo waited for Dameon to get into place, Strafe looked closely at the treeline surrounding the camp. through the reflection of what little natural light was present, he could see fishing line all across the area. It seemed that the group had set up some traps for any unexpected guests. He moved carefully, disabling them with a Kunai. He nodded to Momaru, who did the same with one of his claws. These ninja were obviously crafty, but it would take much more than simply poison traps to deter Kirigakure shinobi. Once that was taken care of, they returned to their positions. It seemed the time had come for the attack to happen. Strafe readied himself to jump at a moment's notice, but staying hidden behind a tree. Momaru dug his claws into the ground below in preparation to dash out. After just a few seconds, the grey lion made his move, bursting forth at incredible speeds as he made towards the tents. Using his nose, he was able to tell that they all happened to be in the makeshift war room.

After just a few short moments, Momaru stopped and aimed his head towards the tent. Suddenly, the dark mane that surrounded his neck hardened, sending ten senbon of hair towards the tent. it poked holes in it immediately, followed by the sound of a scream. It didn't take long for the five ninja to exit the ninja and confront the lion. Three males and two females were present, with the two oldest males standing in front. Momaru also noted that one of the females had blood running down her arm. "I'm sorry, did I hit you?" The lion asked trying to provoke the injured one into attacking. Her eye twitched in anger, though she did not move. She simply waited for the word from her leader.

Strafe watched with a slight smile as Momaru had been doing quite well. A random lion attacking them would be unusual for sure, but there was no reason to believe any ninja were with the beast. It could simply be just that, a wild attack from an animal, or at least in their minds. It was now Dameon's turn. He was curious as to how the man would handle the second wave. Part of the reason why he asked Dameon to attack second was so that he could see the fighting style he used. Better to have knowledge of that for later strategies.

Wordcount: 1,526/3000

Momaru Chakra 60/75:

Dameon kept watching the camp and with the war room tent just to his left he would be able to see anyone that Momaru flushed out of the tent. As the lion attacked to his surprise nobody had actually left the tent. He needed to be further right to see physically inside the tent but he couldn’t waste time without risking Momaru. Deciding quickly he launched the kunai out straight ahead and jumped to his right launching the second one. They would hit each other midair the second kunai causing the first to ricochet into the tent. The second kunai he had been able to see inside the tent and aim properly. The first kunai flew into the tent hitting the same female that had been hit with the senbon earlier, this time hitting into the center of her back. A few seconds passed and the smoke bomb exploded within the tent causing a blinding mass of smoke to erupt, the second kunai also landed on the other side of the camp after the ricochet and exploded as well effectively covering the other half of the camp. Dameon stood up straight as the smoke flooded the camp and breathed in deeply as he jumped into the blinding smoke.

He landed gracefully in the smoke and activated his electrolocation which spread out over the camp giving him effective sensing of every person within the invisible electrical field. Finding the already wounded kunoichi he snuck in behind her before he had a chance to react and pulled the kunai from her back and stabbed it into her brain stem finishing her off. He didn’t know who was leading the group but they effectively now could do one versus two between Strafe and Dameon. Ideally they would both get a Chuunin and a Jounin considering both females were Chuunin level. It was then in that moment as he took the kunai out of the back of the girl’s neck that he realized how much he had changed. The war had made him invulnerable to feelings he would have felt otherwise. Before he was at least a little hesitant to kill someone especially someone as defenseless as the girl he just picked off without any effort. Now he just felt nothing. He sighed as he used the same kunai to block one that had been thrown at him through the fog of smoke. He had no time to think, they still had a mission to do and kill the defectors.

The other female chuunin and one of the Jounin males chased after him through the smoke. They more or less reacting simply to the direction in which the kunai initially came from. They had to cross over the body of their fallen comrade as the chased after Dameon who had backed up out of the tent to separate these two from the two Strafe would most likely be confronting. He drew the midnight child’s blade from over his right shoulder. The small old dagger looking unintimidating as he waited for the opponents to make the first move. The smoke was to his advantage for now at least until one of them wised up and used a fuuton jutsu to clear it, assuming they had fuuton. He held his kunai in his left hand and his legendary sword in the right his raiton sensing out the whole battlefield, sure Dameon could use deception easily and kill them nearly without confrontation but he wanted to send a message to those who betrayed and left their people to die. The only downside to that was that they wouldn’t be alive to send a message.
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2,377/3,000
240/300 Chakra

Spoiler:

Strafe watched from the clearing as the teamwork of Momaru and Dameon brought down one of the enemies. It was time for him to jump in. He dashed out into the fog, remembering when Momaru was previous to it exploding. It took only a moment or two for him to stop beside his friend. Barely visible in the smoke, he could see two of the enemies heading towards them. Both looked to be males, one being a chunnin and the other a Jounin. "Let's give them a good show shall we?" Strafe looked to Momaru with a pleasant expression. He wasn't worried, to be honest. It would take a lot more to challenge the duo than what they had. "Let's do it." Momaru replied with a nod. Both men were now within a more visible range, eyeing the Sannin and his lion. Strafe moved his hand to his hurrican staff on his back, grasping it and pulling it in front of him. He didn't want to use it's ability yet, as the smoke would work in their advantage with Momaru's smelling.

Without warning, the older of the two man made a few hand signs, ending in the tiger hand sign. He brought his hand to his mouth to release a large ball of flames surging towards the Kiri ninja. Strafe simply smiled as he tow molded chakra and put his hands on the ground. A wall of Ice instantly sprung up from the ground, blocking it completely. With the complete loss of a visual, Momaru took the opportunity to attack. He darted around the wall with great speed, rushing the enemy shinobi fearlessly. He raised a paw armed with viscous claws, bringing it down on the chunnin. The poor guy tried to block it with his sword, only to be overpowered by the beast's strength. Blood squirted out, painting the ground below as the traitor fell backwards to the ground. He was not dead, but severely injured. The jounin looked in horror, running to hit the pet with a powerful kick. It was now Strafe's time to attack. There was no smoke left, as the combat had stirred it up and caused it to fade.

He moved around the ice wall quickly, molding chakra in his feet at the same time. He stopped about five feet from the man, giving Momaru enough time to retreat. Just as the lion got out of range, Strafe activated his next jutsu. Ice spears rose from the ground, impaling the chunning through his back and taking what life he had left. The jounin manage to dodge only, getting a small gash in his right arm. Momaru came to stand beside Strafe, preparing for the next assault, which would be the last. "You have done a poor job of hiding yourself and have been sentenced to death by Kirigakure. We are the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Prepare yourself." The Sannin spoke with no mercy as he slid into an offensive stance with his bo-staff. Momaru crouched down beside him, preparing to pounce on the man's body. The missing ninja simply stood there, waiting for the duo to make their move. Either he knew he was dead, or was so confident that he had no idea.

Wordcount: 2,077/3,000

Strafe Chakra 315/350:

Dameon watched the two of them through the smoke following their movements as they rallied themselves and prepared to attack him. If the war had taught him anything it was to act dispassionately, whether he believed they deserved to die or not it made no difference if the orders were to kill them. He was a valuable tool, an asset to the greater picture of the village. He knew this and it didn’t bother him at all. Perhaps this group of young rebels refused to accept themselves as such and that was why they had left to begin with. He sighed as the Jounin lead the attack knowing the Chuunin would be at a severe disadvantage. Instead their idea would be to go Jounin to Jounin and the Chuunin would wait for an opening. It was a sound plan if Dameon wasn’t already three steps ahead of them. Their plan was so obvious in a defensive tactic you could accurately guess it roughly ninety percent of the time. Dameon also had a big advantage in speed and reaction time. He let the Jounin approach through the smoke while Dameon simply stood there being a psychological threat to them.

The Jounin opened with a right cross, the attack would normally force an opponent to step to their right exposing themselves to the enemies ally. This however would be ineffective against someone that had a speed advantage and was well versed in Aikido. Dameon didn’t have to be a taijutu specialist to use the enemy’s movement against themselves. Seeing the cross Dameon stepped forward bringing his left arm up to block the cross but standing inches from the man effectively taking all the power out of the punch itself by forcing the trajectory to change last second. On top of this the Jounin was caught off guard forcing his body’s natural instinct to back off and retreat to safety, this loosened the man up and caused his footing to become unbalanced. Taking advantage of this fact Dameon lowered himself sweeping the leg of his opponent sending him into the air as he fell to the ground. The enemy was still skilled to an extent and caught himself falling and placed his hands down to catch himself and get back to his feet by giving a half back flip. The Chunin had apparently taken this time to attack Dameon but was unaware of Dameon’s sensing technique.

The Chuunin had approached from behind in an assassination attempt drew her kunai to stab him in the back of the neck. Using the least amount of movement possible Dameon bent over and placed his hand on his bokken to hold it in place at his hip. Since the bokken was resting on his hip when Dameon bent over the bokken had stuck straight at the Chuunin assailant and hit her straight in the throat. The Chuunin has essentially run into his weapon causing her to collapse to the ground coughing from her throat having been hit in such a fashion. The Jounin had collected himself for a follow attack but it was already too late as Dameon simply slid a kunai from his sleeve and threw it through the Chuunin girl’s eye killing her as the kunai passed through her skull. In a blind rage the Jounin attacked again. Dameon’s face was blank, emotionless knowing his plan had gone exactly as he had planned it. The Chuunin could have tried running away if he had disposed of the Jounin too quickly. Now however he could finish this up quickly.

The smoke began to dissipate as the Jounin approached Dameon simply drew The Midnight Child’s Blade and sent his chakra into it as he sidestepped the Jounin’s attack having anticipated his trajectory based off of his joint movement and feet placement. With the Jounin expose Dameon sliced the chakra blade through the man’s chest and followed it up with roughly fifty more cuts at blinding speed. The weightlessness of the blade allowing him to attack at super speeds. He deactivated the sword and sheathed it effortlessly as he walked toward Strafe the man falling apart into tinybit’s a few moments later.

“Done yet?” he asked in a teasing manor as he walked into the war tent to gather any intel that seemed important.
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3,093/3,000 [WC met]
93 WC for training

215/300 Chakra

-15 for Midnight Child's Blade
-10 for Electrolocation

Taking only a moment or two to prepare themselves, the Kiri duo launched themselves forward. Momaru took point, slashing at the man in a horizontal fashion. His claws were long a powerful. They could easily cut through a man if they connected, however they were fighting a jounin with a knack for battle. He jumped backwards to dodge the lion's straight forward offense. Strafe took that same opportunity to launch a follow up attack. Jumping over the lion, he aimed his staff at the man. With a bit of chakra pumped through it, he was able to use The Hurricane Staff's special ability. Fuuton chakra rushed off of it's surface in a whirlwind fashion, rushing towards the enemy relentlessly. The enemy landed just in time to try and dodge it, only to fail because of his lack of speed. It caught his legs as he tried to dive to the side of it, thrashing and breaking both of them in several areas. He would now be unable to walk and would be in extreme pain.

Strafe landed and scowled at him as Momaru walked up beside him. "Should I give the final blow, or would you like to?" The lion asked with a growl as he glared at his enemy. "I'll do it." Strafe said with a sigh as he put The Hurricane Staff back in it's place. He then grabbed the other staff off of his back. It was one of the legendary seven swords, and was more powerful than his other staff. He started walking over to the injured man, who could do nothing but howl and grit his teeth in pain. He was finished and even he knew it. "This is my legendary sword, Raidachi. Seeing as this is a mission for members of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, I think it's a fitting end to your life. Goodbye." These were the only words he would say before stopping beside the man. He gave the staff a quick spin and thrust it into the man's head. Crimson blood splattered on the ground around him and on the staff itself. The color quickly exited from the man's eyes and skin as he died. Strafe simply removed the staff from his head with a jerk and cleaned it on his shirt. Putting it back in his place, he heard Dameon's voice.

"I am. I take it your fight went rather well?" He said motioning for Momaru to follow as he entered the tent beside his comrade. He started to look through the belongings of the former rogue ninja. Most of it seemed like junk and essentials to living. Just as he was about to stop, he found a scroll with the official seal of Kirigakure on it. He opened it to see a report on the villages top ninja, including Dameon and himself. Even Momaru was included. This was dangerous information and he was glad it was recovered before it was used. "We are lucky we found them when we did. If someone else found this, Kirigakure could have been in more trouble." He said handing it to Dameon to look over. He would wait a minute for him to read it before walking out of the tent. "Keep it on your body. It's time to head back to the village." He spoke calmly as he looked to all the ninja that were slain in the battle. The poor fools picked the wrong village to leave.

Wordcount: 2,665/3,000

Strafe Chakra 300/350:

Dameon nodded in approval as Strafe tossed the scroll of collected intelligence over to him. He wasn’t exactly sure what else to say as he took a quick glance at it before sliding it away into his pouch. There were other things around the tent that seemed odd but familiar as he analyzed them individually. Maps with guard numbers, weak points for entering the village, and even a list of all the defectors who were now rebelling against the village following the war. Everything needed to plan a successful attack against Kiri was here. He collected the maps and rolled them up as well as the list of rebels. There were more than five people on the list and appeared to be around ten. Meaning the other five were still around in the village potentially gathering intelligence. They would eventually attempt to come back here to relay their information to the head of the group who was now indisposed. They needed to deal with this carefully. They needed to find these traitors and spies in the village and capture them or kill them quietly without raising alarms. He looked at Strafe and handed him the list of defectors.

“There’s a watermark on all the information here in the bottom left hand corner. Very faint, it could be nothing but it looks like fuuinjutsu so I don’t recommend touching it. I will take the map and the intelligence on us back to ANBU HQ to have it analyzed and see if we can’t find out who would know some of the classified intelligence that is in it. What I handed you is a list of people like these five except they are in the village relaying any new information to this base camp. This might be bigger than we initially thought. Everything else here we should burn including the bodies. If anyone of them comes back they will spook and should warn the others making them harder to find or even leave sooner. When I get back I can have a couple ANBU maintain patrols of the area they should be able to handle anyone if they were as strong as the people we just killed. What do you think?” he asked as he slid the other information into his pouch as well as he looked around for anything he could have possibly missed. Than it dawned on him something that was staring and slapping him in the face and he never thought to question.

“Strafe, why did the Mizukage assign us both to be out here? These guys you probably could have handled yourself they were small fry. She could have assigned a Chuunin as back up. Instead she sends a Sannin and the ANBU Captain that also happens to be the second seat of the Swordsman. I am not questioning her but she must have had another reason to assign us both to this one mission. Are you here to monitor me?” he asked finally getting off his chest what he was wondering. Dameon knew he had been a little different lately since the end of the war but his judgment hadn’t been clouded or compromised by anyone or anything. He might have been over thinking and analyzing but it did seem strange to him to assign so many high ranking ninja to a simple kill mission. He looked into Strafes eyes to try and find the answer to his question before he even spoke.

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576 + 93= 669 WC toward training.

Strafe stopped at the entrance of the tent as he heard his partner's words. He turned to take the list, which held information on each of the five other potential defectors. "This is troublesome. I'll make sure that Ayakashi knows about this as well. Feel free to send anbu after these people, but put emphasis on stealth. We don't want them to communicate and learn of the deaths of these out here. Quick and fast movement will be key in stopping this." He spoke very clearly as he closed the list and put it in his ninja tools pouch. It seemed that Dameon and himself would be seeing more of each other in the next few days. He couldn't believe that so many ninja would betray the village right after a war. It was unforgivable and none of them would be shown any mercy. Momaru looked into the Sannin's eyes to see exactly what was running through his mind. "Not everyone is as loyal as you two. Kirigakure is lucky to have you both." He said wisely and also to distract Strafe's mind. The Aisu clan member would turn and nod with a smile. He didn't know what he would do without him.

The next question that Dameon asked brought a slight smirk to the Sannin's face. He turned to look in his eyes with a friendly expression before responding. "You sure notice the little details. It's true I was sent along with you on this mission for a purpose. That purpose is not negative though, as big things are in store for you. We are looking to fill in the Sannin spot that is now open with the tragic death of Kaguza. You are one of the candidates. I was asked to come and see how far along your training has come. Believe me when I say you have impressed me immensely. You should be proud." He spoke with a genuine voice as he smiled. To think that Kirigakure still held such promise among it's younger ninja was refreshing. It encouraged him greatly. "He is right Dameon, you show great promise." Momaru chimed in with a nod of encouragement to the Anbu Captain. They would wait to see his response.

Wordcount: 3,000/3,000 COMPLETE
Training WC: 46

"You sure notice the little details. It's true I was sent along with you on this mission for a purpose. That purpose is not negative though, as big things are in store for you. We are looking to fill in the Sannin spot that is now open with the tragic death of Kaguza. You are one of the candidates. I was asked to come and see how far along your training has come. Believe me when I say you have impressed me immensely. You should be proud."

Dameon listened to Strafe’s words and didn’t exactly know what to feel or say. Most people he assumed would be ecstatic or overjoyed to hear such news but he couldn’t feel that way. With everything that had been happening since the end of the war he hadn’t had time to clear his mind of it all or even come to terms with himself or his feelings. He simply lowered his head and looked at the ground as he scratched the back of his neck, his hand trailing over the scar in the shape of his clan’s symbol. Why him? He looked at Momaru as he spoke too, Dameon’s eyes showing doubt as he turned to look away from them and stared off to his left as he leaned against the table in the enemies prior war room.

“Is there anyone else?” he asked softly somehow already knowing the answer. Since the war had ended shinobi of high level were scarce. He knew logically he was next in line for succession.

“I am honored and all but…the war is over. I feel just like I did before the war, alone and unneeded. Perhaps it is because I never truly made a friend in this village, maybe it’s because the first bed I have ever owned was given to me after the war and I haven’t even had a chance to use it, or maybe it’s because the woman I loved who is a medic didn’t even care to find out if I was alive or dead; but I don’t feel the same way anymore. When there was blood and chaos every day for a week at least I knew my place, I felt…respected. People on the battlefield felt hope when I arrived and acknowledged me for the first time since I was born. Now that the war is over I am lost, the same people that were happy to see me save their lives on the battlefield now spit on me for being a murderer. I had a purpose and a reason to live and it’s the only reason I am here today, but now I don’t and as such my reason to live has seemed to leave as well,” he said as he looked back at Strafe stuttering his words between sentences trying to articulate exactly how he felt making sure he could explain it the best way that he could.

“I don’t feel anything anymore. On some level you were sad or disappointed you had to kill these Chuunin and Jounin you once called brothers and sisters. Whether you were upset they had turned or upset because you knew you had to kill them even though morally you felt it was the right thing to do. In general people are not supposed to like killing. I feel nothing when I fight. I am so dispassionate and mission focused I don’t take a moment to take morality into account. I killed hundreds of men in seconds, their loves ones now alone, children without a mother or father, and I simply don’t care,” he spoke again as he continued talking.

“What do I have that’s left to fight for? I fought to protect the people that I thought were my friends and they turned on me the moment I opened my heart to them. What left have I to protect? I am just lost. I keep searching for an answer to these questions hoping to find fragments of my feelings I had given to others,” he said as he slid down the table till he sat on the ground and stretched his legs out.

Wc 691
wc 1360 total

As Dameon spoke, Strafe couldn't help but feel bad for the guy. Strafe had always been blessed in that area. He had never felt alone, partially because of his personality and in part because of his closely knit clan. Not to mention Momaru, who never left his side. He couldn't imagine such a feeling. Dameon was obviously hurt by the events he recalled. Strafe would listen intently as he let the man speak. He probably didn't get to vent about things often, so this was good for him. Momaru's face was one of understanding. He understood what the man was going through. Until the lion met Strafe, he had been alone for most of his life. After a few minutes, Dameon finished speaking and waited for a response. Momaru was the first to speak. "Dameon, I understand how you feel. Until I met Strafe, I had those same feelings and emotions. I was alone and depressed. My advice to you would be to stay the course. In time, you will find friends who make everyday a joy. I can say it because I know it's true." Momaru spoke honestly as his gravely baritone rang through the tent.

Strafe followed his comrade up with words of comfort. "You are appreciated and cared for, you just don't know it. Lord Solstice picked you not only for your abilities, but because you deserve it. You are a hard working shinobi who should take pride in what he's done for the village. Humans are a fickle species. They will often do the wrong thing and take people for granted. Don't let it get you down. You have friends now. Solstice, Momaru, and I all care and think highly of you. I'm always available to talk or just hang out. I mean that." Strafe's voice was calming and sweet. He truly felt every sentence of what he said. Most people would say their wasn't a mean bone in his body, and for the most part it was true. Unless you provoked him, he accepted everyone and wanted to help them. It was in his nature. He would sit down across from his new friend, followed by Momaru who laid down beside them. Dameon could talk and vent as long as he needed to. They would be there for him.

Training WC: 441

“I appreciate that but I don’t know if you know this because you’re my age. I am not originally from Kiri; I was cast out from my town when I was young. My parents and the village threw a seven year old into the wilderness. I walked from the furthest point in lightning country to the coast of the fire country. I survived on my own in the wilderness till I was nine. I have the scars from countless wolves and bears that tried to make me their next meal; I have been bitten by more snakes than I care to count all because I had to eat. Kiri took me in reluctantly and nobody had said a word to me till ten years later because I was an outsider. I am not used to this sudden fame and attention. Half of me feels like I don’t seven deserve it,” he said as he took out a kunai and spun it in his fingers at blistering speeds which is one of the ways he used to pass the time alone. He looked at the two of them not knowing what else to say.

Dameon stood up and put the kunai away and took out a metal lighter with a flip lid over the top of it and placed it on the table. He looked around as well wondering if it was best to burn the place down or leave it for the time being. If they created any smoke it would clearly be visible and alert the enemy within the village. He quickly placed the lighter back in his pouch as he searched for something to think about other than his past. He often avoided it and felt conflicted about it. He would rather strategize a war effort and mission than think about his past or explain it to others. He rested his hands on the table and leaned over it as he felt more and more depressed with it weighing him down. He couldn’t cry though as right as it felt his body physically couldn’t cry. He felt like emotionally something was wrong with him and broken. Emotions though he knew they were there and weighed heavily on them got no response from him like crying or happiness.

“What good is a sannin that can no longer feel emotions like sadness or happiness, love or hate? I was always socially disabled but now I can actually see how bad it is after having been around so many others in the war. Seeing them cry in pain from losing a friend or hatred for the person that killed them. I felt nothing and instead chose to just complete my mission. I associated missions with feelings. I felt I was normal if I completed a mission dispassionately and now I see that this is incorrect. I just don’t know anymore.”

1,836 wc