Suutei wasn’t surprised by the idea of him being considered for a mission, and he would finally get the chance to kill something.  Emotions swelling up inside him he needed some way to vent, but as per usual there was always one annoying addition to his life.  Apparently the Village of the Sand has requested a Native Shinobi accompany him, though it wasn’t much of an option he got over it quickly.  Their rendezvous point would be the famous, Meeting Cactus.  Suutei often questioned others ignorance, and this was one of the moments.  ”What makes a damn Cactus so special anyway...Its just a cactus…”  Approaching the so called Meeting Cactus, he was dressed in the clothing provided by his small reindeer companion Chopper.  Personally designed and made by Chopper his attire consisted of:  A white turban with a black and yellow stitching near the edge, followed by a blue and yellow striped scarf wrapped around his neck and top of his head under the turban and draped behind his right shoulder, black harem pants fastened to his ankles by his black sandals, underneath the white shawl he wore was a black high raise shirt with yellow trim, and for dazzle two gold metal band wrapped around below the crevice between his bicep and forearm, as well as a gold metal waistband around his waist with the Leaf symbol engraved on the center.

The sun was beginning to set over the sun and Suutei was growing impatient, his partner was not late it was just Suutei who was short tempered.  Usually he preferred completing tasks on his own, but what more could he do.  ”No partner...No Mission...No Mission...No Ryo…”  Suutei sat down in the sand crossed legged as he stared at the orange iridescent night sky, the stars blanketed the heavens.  Suutei became dazzled by the spectacle above, he’d never took the time to admire let alone look at the stars.  It was peaceful making him feel nice on the inside, not hating the world for once.  ”Man they sure are beautiful…”  Suutei propped himself up on one hand, and his other resting on his knee that he brought upwards.  Now patiently awaiting for the arrival of his partner, ”That guy has one thing coming for making me wait for so long…”

388/1000

Akarui yawned as he made his way across the desert sands. It was things like this which really irked him about Sunagakure. He was fine with having to accompany foreign shinobi on missions just in case they royally screwed up, but the least they could do was give him more than a morning’s notice. He was lucky enough that he had remembered to don his light white cloak to keep the wind and the sand out of his hair; truly nothing irritated him more than having his own hair flapping against his face like some sort of adversary. As the mission orders had specifically requested that he be identifiable as a Suna nin, Akarui had uncharacteristically tied his forehead protector around his neck rather than tying it around his leg. As much as he disdained having to change his style for the good of the mission, he at least recognized that walking miles into the desert would have been uncomfortable with it tied there anyhow. That was not the only thing new about his outfit, however, as the new sword he had received from the Tsuchikage was fastened on the small of his back. Well, that wasn’t entirely true; it was anything but a new sword. It was old, rusty, and poorly treated, but it was new to Akarui at the very least.

As he came up over a ridge he saw that who he could only assume was his intended target was already waiting for him by the large cactus which stood tall over this part of Kaze no Kuni. It was not every day that Akarui met someone who was more punctual than he was, though eagerness was an entirely different story. In his mind Akarui thought this could be a quite interesting meeting, though as he approached he could see that the other boy seemed somewhat miffed. As he came closer to the blue-haired boy he couldn’t help but utter a slight chuckle at his outfit. He seemed to be prepared for travel in the desert for sure, but his sense of style was more than a little bit out there. Even with his odd clothing choices, Akarui was pleased to see someone who at least attempted to dress with the local weather in mind. As he made his final steps toward Suutei, Akarui lowered the hood of his cloak, revealing his deep red hair. Before saying anything to the konoha nin, he retrieved a small scrap of paper and read it over.

“You are the shinobi from konoha I am supposed to meet, no? If not I would assume you are one of the bandits we are supposed to eliminate, though I doubt it with an outfit as expensive as yours.” Akarui looked to Suutei once more, making sure to keep a close eye on his actions. He did not entirely trust the foreign shinobi yet, though he knew they would have to play nice if this mission was to succeed. It was all about the ryo after all, wasn’t it?

510

After awhile of star gazing Suutei founded himself slowly drifting off to sleep, but not before he felt the presence of another within the area.  Tilting his head back and his vision now flipped upside down, he could see a boy with lavish red hair approaching him.  It wasn’t unusual to see someone with red hair, taking into account that his hair was blue.   The boy gave him a pleasant vibe the closer he got, Suutei didn’t want to seem like much of a pushover and stood at eye-level with the boy.  If his memory served correctly the boy was named Akarui, from the Koga clan or something like that.  Judging by his appearance he seemed like a decent person, his posture showed him as laid-back.  Ironically casting prejudgement wasn’t his kind of thing, he brushed the sand off of his hands and lowered his scarf to speak to Akarui.  ”Well I wouldn’t call this outfit expensive, just a bit suitable to the weather conditions.  You can’t be too well prepared after all.”  Smiling to the boy he wanted to attempt to relieve the tension between the two, he couldn’t hate somebody without trying to like them first.  

The moon began to rise and the stars were at full light, Suutei and his partner Akarui stood in the glow of the moon.  ”Woah it looks so big out here!  I have never seen it up close before...Oops.  Haha got a little side tracked there.  If you're ready we can head out right now.”  Suutei chuckled and turned away from Akarui blushing slightly from embarrassment, he adjusted his scarf over his mouth covering up a bit of his red face.  Not usually the type to humiliate himself he grabbed the note that was delivered to him earlier that day.  ”I assume you know the area much better than myself, I’ll let you take lead.”  Suutei wasn’t the type to follow behind someone, let alone volunteer to take the backseat.  Either way he may enjoy this time with Akarui, unless he was able to ruin it and then be hated for the rest of his life for his crime against Suuteis morales.  The payout for making a new friend as well as slaughtering bandits wasn’t so bad.

His face no longer bloodshot red he look over to Akarui, he liked the boy so far and he would like to see where things would eventually go for the two of them.  Maybe if he was lucky, he would like to accompany him on his travel to Kirigakure.  There next stop would be Iwagakure and he wanted someone to actually converse with, aside from Chopper.  He even heard that there were a lot of nice girls in Iwagakure, who knows he could maybe even find himself a good girl.  A bit excited now for the possibility of a new person to talk, he had to suppress his joy.  Suutei would come off just a bit too peachy and ruin it for the both of them.  Suutei felt a bit giddy the moon radiating beauty bathing the two Genin as they journeyed through the endless sand to intercept their targets, a group of three bandits committing crimes raiding and murdering tourists.

937/1000

Akarui could not help but offer a smirk to Suutei as he raised himself to his full height. He did not seem as small as he had originally thought, though Akarui did have to recognize that an entirely weak person would not have been sent on a mission to take down a group of bandits. The boy was certainly cheerful enough to put Akarui in a better mood, even though he had misjudged his previous state of mind. Akarui had been tempted to offer Suutei a hand to get up off of the ground, though it seemed the boy was so overflowing with energy and confidence that Akarui had thought an offer of help might have been taken almost as an insult. “It’s always good to be teamed up with someone prepared. I just hope you’re as prepared to fight as you are to dress nice.” Akarui was reassured by Suutei’s smile. He seemed to him like a nice enough guy. Backstabbings would probably not be something Akarui would have to worry about. It was not until the boy looked up at the unusually large rising moon in amazement, however, that Akarui was unable to hold back a wide grin. “Do you not have a moon in Konoha? Maybe you should have gotten some sightseeing out of the way before you started doing missions.” Akarui sighed, looking up at the moon. It wasn’t every day that he took the time to stop and enjoy the beautiful place he lived in. Even as Suutei flushed in embarrassment at his own unprofessionalism, Akarui was still amused. He did not seem unnecessarily professional nor was he too rowdy and rambunctious for a mission. Perhaps it would finally be something pleasant to do. That is, besides the killing nomadic bandits and all. Damn, he had almost forgotten about that part.

“Well, if you’re ready to go, follow me.” Akarui pulled the hood of his cloak back over his red hair and made for the ridgeline. “Our intel says the troublemakers should be passing through the next valley sometime today. If we’re lucky it won’t be too much of a stakeout and we’ll be done with this soon.” Akarui adjusted the katana latched sideways across the small of his back. Hiking with it was something of a pain but it had to be done, considering how fast they might change from walking to running to fighting. As the two of them came to the ridgetop, Akarui lowered himself to the ground, shading his eyes with his hand to get a better view. Down below in the valley three robed figures stood around a woman. The largest of the three bandits wielded a kusarigama, the chain of which was tied around the legs of the woman. As he said something, though it was much too far away for either of the shinobi to hear, he cut her throat with his scythe blade, and she fell to the ground. “Damn, we’re too late…” Akarui crinkled his nose as the other two bandits searched the woman’s corpse for loot.

521 + 510 = 1031
Mission (1000/1000) Complete!
31 words remaining

Suutei raised an eyebrow at Akarui, asking if he had a moon back in his village.  Suutei tempted to respond a bit rudely to the boy, fighting the urge he opted not to comment at all.  It appeared Akarui was ready to head out when he placed the hood of his white cloak over his head.  After he briefed him on the objective of the mission, he was almost saddened by the fact that the mission would be over.  In fact he liked this time they spent together, but the saying is true after all.  ‘All good things, must come to an end.’  What a stupid saying…  Suutei followed his partner Akarui who concealed his deep red hair, he was beginning to admire this boy in a strange way.  This would also be an opportunity for him to observe his skills. as well as show off his own skills.  Suutei got over the obsession with the boy, it was evident that the two of them remain focused.  Adjusting his scarf now over his nose to keep his identity secure, he wished he could say the same for Akarui.  Though he highly doubted that after killing the bandits anyone would hunt the two of them down...Probably

Approaching their checkpoint Suutei noticed the sword on Akarui’s back for the first time, only from him adjusting it on his back.  The strap across his back did seem just a tad bit uncomfortable.  Suutei was always interested in using a sword, but he felt like just kicking someone in the face would suffice.  Reaching the ridgetop he saw Akarui lower himself to the ground, Suutei followed by simply squatting down with one knee touching the ground.  Much like Akarui he noticed four people stood blow, and one of them was a woman surrounded by the other three.  The three were dressed in all black robes similar to those worn by ANBU members.  Highly doubting that the three were ANBU members, he could see one of them speaking.  Attempting to read the man’s lips since the distance was too far for him to hear, he was unable to make it out.  Unexpectedly the large one took his Scythe Blade and slit her throat, Suutei flinched slightly at the sight of her blood splattering and her lifeless body collapsing.  Suutei clenched his fist together, hearing his partners statement of them being late was the least of his worries.  An innocent woman was killed like a fly, right before their own eyes.  Suutei took matters into his own hands, he stood up and ran down the side of the cliff face preparing his favorite technique.

The two bandits were forced to leave their looting of the woman's body when they saw Suutei running, at the time they were planning to intercept the young Konoha nin the larger bandit threw the chain end of the scythe.  Suutei somersaulted over the chain that was injected into the rock face.  Diving now preparing to strike one of the smaller bandits within a couple of cm of his fist Suutei vanished, then reappeared behind the bandit kicking him into the other.  Vanishing again he then reappeared with a jumping double kick, knocking both the smaller bandits into the cliff face.  Landing he now stood staring at the larger bandit, ”If you want to be a successful villain, I suggest finding yourself stronger grunts than those two.”  Suutei pointed with his thumb at the two grunts with their blood seeping from their head, after colliding with the side of the cliff.

1530/1000
Mission Complete

Akarui sighed in dismay as Suutei ran down the cliff face. He obviously was not one for planning things out and observing like Akarui. Even as he lamented the possibility for strategy being thrown out, Akarui recognized that it was too late to change anything about that now. Almost immediately, it seemed, the bandits noticed Suutei, due in no small part to his wall running. Despite what Akarui assumed to be over eagerness, he was impressed with the boy’s athletic skill as he somersaulted over who he assumed to be the chief bandit’s kusarigama chain. He could let Suutei have some fun, couldn’t he? As long as he didn’t get himself killed, Akarui supposed it did not really matter whether or not he stepped in at this moment. Maybe he would even learn a lesson, or perhaps Akarui might learn more about his partner’s abilities. Before he could tell what was happening, however, Suutei had already taken down two of the bandits. Akarui simply sighed as Suutei looked to the largest of the bandits with determination in his eyes. Finally, Akarui hoisted himself over the ridge, pulling his three shuriken from the pouch on his side, aiming for each of the large bandit’s shoulders and neck, one in each. Letting them loose as he ran towards the bottom of the wall, he pulled the rusty gift from the Tsuchikage from its sheath on his lower back, making a simple handsign before imbuing the blade with the Flying Swallow jutsu, causing it to flare with bright blue chakra with a deadly edge. As Akarui took his final steps towards the hulking robed figure, he pulled his kunai from his pouch, before loosing it right at the middle of his torso. Pulling back his blade in both hands, he prepared to lunge at the criminal’s torso.

311 + 1031 = 1342
311 + 31 = 342

Suutei saw three shuriken fly over his head, and pierce into the bigger criminals shoulder.  Only one was able to hit, the bigger bandit took his kusarigama and flung the chain end at Akarui attempting to stop him in his tracks.  Suutei stepped in front catching the chain and letting it wrap around his forearm, then tugged hard on the chain.  The bandit fell off balance he knew that Akarui was planning an attack and would need to help the best he could, the two would have to work in synchronization.  Akarui somersaulted from the cliff face exactly like he did, Suutei ran towards the bandit before he could attack.  Kicking him in his jaw making him raise his head to the sky, and the kunai thrown by Akarui pierce into his chin through the bottom of his jaw.  Akarui slashed downwards with his sword, its blade shrouded by a sharp razor wind cutting his neck. chest. and abdomen as blood spewed from his body.  Suutei unraveled the chain that was wrapped tightly around his forearm.

”Hehe, well I would call this Mission a success.  What do you say?”  Waiting for Akarui to turn around, he expected to see his face and cloak covered in bandit blood.  It wasn’t anything that would cause Suutei to freak out.  In fact he thought that blood on his face made Akarui look more masculine, adjusting the scarf around his  neck to make increase the exposure of his face.  ”Okay so what should we do now, go turn in the mission report or just wait until morning.  It’s kind of late and I am starving you know any good places to eat.”  Suutei could never pass up a meal, his athletic figure fooled many and he liked it that way.  Flopping down on his rear end he waited for Akarui to respond while the moon and stars captured his attention once more.

1850/1000
Reaction Time C-0 ~> C-1 575/575

Blood painted Akarui from his face to his waist as the bandit fell before him. In one swift motion the boy wiped both sides of the now normal blade clean on his cloak before sliding it across his lower back into its sheath. With a stoic expression, Akarui turned to Suutei, who he was amused to see was already asking about food and plopping down on his butt. “We can stop at a late night ramen shop on the way through town.” Akarui said, wiping his face with the long back of his cloak. “Nothing too fancy though. I don’t want to sit in this blood too long and I don’t imagine they’ll like serving someone dressed more in guts than clothes.” Akarui trudged over to Suutei, lowering himself to sit next to him and looking up at the moon. He had a long night ahead of him, he realized. Akarui had to clean his sword and take a bath still. But perhaps he had time to take a break and hang out. That was what friends were for, wasn’t it? “Hey, Suutei, was it? You’re alright.” The boy laid down on his back, resting his head on his hands and looking up at the stars.

211 + 1342 = 1553
211 + 342 = 553
Strength D-2 -> D-3 (450/450)
153 words waste