One Hour Prior.

Bai-hu, a massive tiger could be seen stalking the streets of Kirigakure, moving with a stealth unprecedented as he hid from even the village ninja, moving from roof-top to roof top with a skill and nimbleness of legendary Sanin as it observed the landscape, looking for certain ninja. One by one the Tiger would deliver his messages to his intended targets. The first being Strafe, the trusted Cousin of Ayakashi whom she would need in this up-coming mission. The second was a new factor, a wild card that Aya had intended in asking a favor for, there was a task that only he would be able to accomplish. The message would ask those who received it to come to the old Ruin of the Aisu clan, deep in the forgotten parts of the forests... Aya, nor Bai could have quite expected that there would be another residing with strafe who might first read the letter...

  The Mizukage was about to set up the first war-council that had been held in secret within the boundaries of her country for quite some time. Sitting at an old rustic table that had been set up among the long abandoned ruins of the Aisu house, standing beside her was her companion, Bai hu, a massive White Tiger which stood larger and slightly broader than some European war-horses, though not quite as tall. Ayakashi and her companion were fully equipped, looking like she once did in times of war, Ayakashi wore the mask in its half state covering her eyes though not her mouth so she would be able to express herself in full. Her shroud of the Mizukage also wrapped around her, but, unlike usual where she would wear it openly, instead, over it, she wore the armour of Tobirama Senju, a relic of past ages, which alone proved her seriousness in the matters at hand. The long tails of the shroud extending from the bottom of the chest-plate like a traditional soldiers garb. Accompanied with her long black canvas pants with leather combat boots bought to a near invisible mat black colour.

  The weapons in her possession were little more than frightening, the hooped thread of her rope dart at her left hip, with each of her two legendary hilts to the adjacent side. The top, the sword of Kusanagi, and the second, the legendary Raijin blade. Each of them powerful weapons to a fault, but neither of them were her particular favorite. At the small of her back was her Fuma Shuriken while situated directly above it facing her shoulder were two quivers, each of them loaded with arrows for changeling in its bow state, sheathed at her back like a traditional European blade. Each of the weapons were a work of art in their own right, but together, they created a warrior that was terrible for most to even imagine. Her companion also wore his full armour, a powerful double ended blade at his back while his tail, entwined with an extending appendage ending with a razor-sharp blade.

  What she had to discuss was of the utmost importance for the country, and herself. There was no way that she was getting out of this mess without the help of certain individuals and some intel. Information was the currency of victors, and she was sick of her opponents having the edge in every confrontation she had currently engaged in. To be fair, the Daimyo had extensive records which Ayakashi herself had supplied to them, records including those who worked under her, until this quarrel had begun, records of her deployments and military strategies, records of the numbers of ninja in the village as well as building plans for the many forts and checkpoints which could be found peppered across all of Kirigakure's roads. What little information she had not shared had likely been taken by the assassins whose ability to fight and reason rivaled her own, and any of her Sannin. Not even assuming the ability to interrogate those within their ranks as well as those who came under their thumb. The Daimyo had near limitless resources, so, it would stand to reason that anyone who was captured would ultimately reveal even their most dark and hidden private ordeals.

And so the Mizukage awaited her guests, each of them would be here shortly, Bai had managed to beat them all back, but likely not by long, his long white fur wavered in the wind keeping him warm as he curled up on the ground, closing his eyes but never the less staying alert and keeping his attention on the door for those whom would enter. Ayakashi looked down at what little map they had of the Daimyo estate, little more than its walls and several structures that Aya was able to remember as well as what they were able to see from the tree-line outside of it. They would need a more complete map, but such was just a matter of getting some more eyes on the inside or stealing one from the Daimyo's guards. Any of the Daimyo's generals or commanders would have a map for the needs of their patrols. Taking one of them would be relatively easy.

Then there was the matter of dealing with the assassins.

No infiltration would be able to go under their nose leaving only one possible option.

There would need to be a distraction.

But Aya had a plan.

And she and strafe were perfect for it....

[935 Words]


Missions

The sannin wasn't nervous as most would expect. Yes he was Sannin, Seven Swordsmen, and Legendary Medic, but if the situation were different, he would still be unaffected by those types of feelings. He felt nothing but focus on the mission at hand. While he expected to be a part of the next part of the plan, but things had already changed since that meeting with the assassins. Strafe had a daughter to think about, but she had been the first to find the damn note that Bai left. It's no one's fault, Strafe knew Solstice had no idea, but he couldn't help that now. He had to be the best ninja he had ever been. His daughter refused to allow him to come without her. It was too dangerous for him to go without her. He understood what she was feeling, and he didn't want to leave her alone. As long as she was with him, she was safe. However, now he had to live up to and past those words. He would not allow anyone to take her away or hurt her. That was out of the question. He would reveal all his tricks and aces to make sure of that.

These thoughts had him more ready than ever to be on the battlefield and eliminate the enemies of Kirigakure. He rode on Momaru with his daughter in his lap, holding her close as they walked to the the old Aisu clan building. It was a fitting place for the meeting, as this was war and the place reminded Solstice and himself of the past and what was at stake. He would look down at his daughter with his mind racing. She had never seen anything like this as a ninja, but he had to trust her. There were too many fighters on their side for them to be in too much trouble. "Honey, you are about to meet the Mizukage. You can be as friendly as normal, just remember to show respect as well. Even if we are family. Also, this is a war meeting, so if you have an opinion, speak up. Sometimes a fresh perspective can be revolutionary, or at least i've come to find." He said, remember how people spoke of him when he first rose through the ranks of Kiri. It seemed like so long ago.

The arrived at their destination. Strafe jumped off Momaru's back and landed on the ground gracefully. Both of his staff's were strapped to his back, his medic supplies on his right side, and other tools on the left side. He would wait for Kaia and Momaru to ready themselves before nodding and walking toward the entrance. He would open the door slowly and allow himself in the room. Bai hu and Momaru would have smelled each other from a distance, so he would already know if something was up. Such was privilege of of having such a great companion. It was funny that they both had one as well. "Solstice, Momaru and I are here. We bring someone else with us. This is my adopted daughter, Kaia Mai. Mitsuo adopted her before....Well she's here with me now, and she found your message before I saw it. She insisted to help." He spoke calmly as he introduced the young girl.

"Kaia, this is the Mizukage, Solstice Aisu. She is my closest friend and only main relative besides you and Momaru. We have fought together for many years, so I'm happy you two have finally met." He would wait for any reactions or words to be exchanged before continuing. "Now we are just waiting for the other person you referred to. I hope they received your message, as I had never heard of them before." He spoke in earnest as he remembered what was on the letter. Shitai was her name, but past that Strafe knew nothing. Whoever it was, if Solstice summoned them, they served a great purpose. He would sit down, pulling up a seat for Kaia beside him. Momaru would sit beside Bai Hu in that same guarding position. There was absolutely no way to be snuck up on at this point. He was just ready to get started.

Word Count: 714

.oO( Sorry for the wait, work is killing me until about Sunday when I finally get a day off. u_u )

An hour prior Kaia Mai had been the first to read the letter addressed to her father. Its contents had sparked a sort of fire within the ten year old female child: a spark and fire to help her father. She wanted to be useful, to prove herself to be more than just the little girl she resembled. She wanted to be able to be there for her father as a means of help rather than a burden to be looked after and watched constantly. She was a child, yes, but she was also a Genin and she wanted to be of use and of help. She felt she was ready.

So, she had quietly begged her father to allow her to come with, and had been rather surprised when he had agreed to it. She had been expected to be left home - perhaps with Demi watching her to keep her safe while her father was away - but that wasn't the case. Instead, dressed in her usual attire of blue colored leggings, black heel-less boots, and a long sleeved deep blue colored dress that went down to her knees: with what little weapons she possessed hidden in a pouch strapped to her thigh an hidden beneath her dress, she was riding upon Momaru's back seated on her father's lap.

She was utterly entranced by what was around her: she had never seen a place such as it before and was quite amazed as well as curious. She had a drive in her to always learn about things and this place... it caused that feeling to go into over-drive. However, while Kaia might have in any other situation bombarded her father with a multitude of questions, she kept silent right now: she was taking this seriously and this was the other side of Kaia - the work side of things. Kaia listened intently as her father began to explain things: she was about to meet the Mizukage. It was alright for her to be her friendly self but she also had to be respectful: Kaia could already feel her heartbeat increasing at the very idea - would the Mizukage be angry her father brought her? Her father went on to explain to her that this was a war meeting, and that if she had an opinion to speak up because a fresh perspective was always a good thing - it shocked Kaia a bit, but she nodded her head yes in understanding. she planned to do her best to be helpful, and to make a good impression.

She slid carefully off of the lion's back and landed gracefully on her feet before following after her father. She remained quiet as her father introduced her and explained about how she had found the letter first. She would give a small bow of respect to the Mizukage, her beaming smile in place as it so often was on her face. "It's nice to meet you." Manners, despite her age she certainly had them.

She would shift her blue eyed gaze back to Strafe before sitting in the seat beside him. Legs would cross in a typical indian style in her seat to keep them from dangling in the air - or her from swinging them around later. In fact, all in all she became quite still and once again quiet: both of which were part of her short upbringing. She was far from a normal child who constantly felt the need to be moving or making noise.

Wordcount: 602

An hour and thirty minutes ago, the female had been resting peacefully in her new 'home'. The female had come to the conclusion since her last encounter with someone in the wilderness that she would be better off inside the village. Sleeping out in the Bloody Cemetery was all fine and dandy, but when the odd ninja came through there, they seemed to only want to fight. The female figured that if she wanted to have some peace and quiet, she would have to go where there was none, ironically. And so, a building in the slums was chosen, the squatters and vagabonds kicked out lest they attempt to take advantage of her [ a foolish mistake on their part. None of her organs, especially those worked anymore, and he body was never even warm on most days despite being in direct sunlight]. The place she had chosen was an old factory, perfect for her; It kept the rain off her and it kept people out. While here, she could do as she pleased without worrying about people bothering her. Plus, it was perfect for her, as it made her messages to her 'kin' much easier to deliver. Despite the constant presence of people around, blending into the world around them was easy as could be; there was also less of a change of someone following a messenger out into the woods and intercepting the communications. No, hiding in a abandoned building was far more convenient; her living there was the perfect excuse as to why she came and went so often.

But for the bandaged female known as Shitai, the world was about to take a drastic turn. One minute, her cozy little apartment was empty of all life save for hers, and the next, there was a giant white tiger leering at her from less than an inch away, armed to the literal teeth with an assortment of armors and weapons. A scream filled the air as the bandaged female jumped backwards and her now shaking hands were filled with the weight of the Final Critic. Those cerulean eyes turned crimson as the aura of ashes and embers began to swirl and warp around her. What was this creature doing here? How the frick did it get into her home without her knowing? Who sent it? Was it here to kill her? Why was it -- why was it carrying a scroll?

As the bandaged female watched it carefully, the creature sat down on its haunches, watching her for a moment before lowering its head to the ground, and placing the scroll on the ground and nudging it towards her. Shitai picked up the scroll gingerly, noting that it bore no distinct markings on. Upon opening, and reading the message it contained, the color drained from her face, aura died down, and woman fell to her knees as the white tiger seemed to snicker somehow and vanish as quickly as it arrived.

The Mizukage had summoned her.

~~~~

And so, That was why she was trudging through the woods once more, headed to the location of this temple and what she could only assume to be her own execution. If it was indeed her own execution, she would meet her death with some sort of honor and she would go down swinging; though even with her Final Critic that she brought with , she doubted she would do much against the Mizukage herself. She was not afraid to die -- this time.  Death was not so bad -- and she had not done anything wrong since she had been brought back. Paradise would await her. But if she were not to die on this day, then she would more than likely feel like a dirty street urchin; she had nothing to wear for a formal meeting with the Lady Mizukage. All she had to wear was the hooded robe that she wore, and the bandages that covered her body completely from head to toe should she happen to venture into village. There was the dress that she had been buried in, but... no. That was waaay too informal for something like this. It would be best to keep the bandages on.

As she came upon the location of the temple, the bandaged female began to move slower, quieter for a moment, before the realization hit her that if she was indeed to die here, then attempting to hide and sneak up on this place was pointless. The Hidden Mist Village's ANBU were notorious for a reason. If they were indeed nearby, they would have spotted her long ago.

frick.

Taking a deep breath to calm her self, the female would make her way into the temple.

783

[The time had come]

Ayakashi watched and waited as the first of her people came through the door, it was strafe with his companion Momaru, though the two of them were not alone, the two of them had come with a third, Aya had been so pre-occupied with her thoughts that she had not felt and heard her breathing, her presence, her body heat as well as the soft whisper the wind made as the young girl moved through it. Aya had been blind, but the second there was a presence made known that she had not accounted for, her eyes shot up like daggers, only to soften at her cousins' explanation and introduction of his daughter. A girl whom Aya had no knowledge of... There were concerns, questions which ran through her mind as Strafe began to explain the predicament. But it was nice to see that Solstice was the one receiving the introduction first. stepping into the war room Strafe would not feel the cold of the village, in fact, few people here would, the Yuki clan members of the Aisu branch that Aya and he were, felt comfortable in frigid temperatures far below zero, while Shitai, was not exactly among the leagues of the living.

"Solstice, Momaru and I are here. We bring someone else with us. This is my adopted daughter, Kaia Mai. Mitsuo adopted her before....Well she's here with me now, and she found your message before I saw it. She insisted to help.... Kaia, this is the Mizukage, Solstice Aisu. She is my closest friend and only main relative besides you and Momaru. We have fought together for many years, so I'm happy you two have finally met... Now we are just waiting for the other person you referred to. I hope they received your message, as I had never heard of them before."

Solstice was intrigued, the fact that she didn't know about this little immigrant would definitely mean that the Daimyo had not, so, it seemed that there was little that could be done in this specific matter... So... The Mizukage did all that she was able to do, she nodded for now, and pointed toward a block of fallen stone that the child would be able to use as a seat for the mean time as they awaited their final guest. It would be good for the other young one to have some-one they were able to work with. Their skills would not doubt be essential for the tasks at hand... no matter how dangerous they would be... It would be some minuted before Shitai came through the room, and as thankful she was that her cousin had come to her call, she was not in the mood for pleasantries and such platitudes. Though as Shitai finally walked through the door, life sparked in the face of the Mizukage, driving her to address the room and the war council would finally begin, looking down at little more than a map of the surrounds of the Daimyo estate. Though she could not help but notice the bandaged visage of the Genin, something was off about them, no natural heat, though they could be a member of her own clan, though that had yet to be seen. The sensation put Ayakashi off a tad, but none the less, she had to continue...

"Now that you're all here, we can finally begin, now, Welcome Shitai and Kaia-Mai, Like my friend here stated before, my name is Ayakashi, this is my companion Baihu, and, like the address made clear, I'm going to need the help of every-body in this room. Some of you know this already, but the Ninja world in Kirigakure, has been under threat for some months now under the guise of the Daimyo. While the Daimyo controls a lot of the trade in the region, with the increase of strength of the ninja population and the self sufficiency of the country, tension has continued to increase to the point that attacks have been made on my person, and those around me... But I feel that these attacks are not entirely the will of the Daimyo Estate itself, but rather a foreign power within it that may be holding sway and usurping power from the throne... ... ... "

Ayakashi at that point placed down several artist renditions of men and women, each of which lined up with the Assassins she had already had the unfortunate experience of encountering. Ma Chao, upon his steed in full fury, the young girl Bao Sanniang, the shield maiden Xing Cai, the swordsman Guan Ping, but finally, above them all on a picture twice the size and in twice the detail an image of a man in full robes and a feathered fan in his hand bearing the Visage of Zhuge Liang, the Daimyo's adviser. Though each image bore the likeness of the individual, none of them were named, as Ayakashi had yet to learn any more about them than she had discovered in her many altercations with the assassins, few had ever given them their names or introduced themselves in any formal manner, attacking from the shadows at a moments opportunity... Ayakashi lay her open palms on the table overlooking the scenario and addressing the room.

"Now that you know our opponents, you are bound to me until this is over, but I will not force you to partake in a mission that is so dangerous. If you want to back out now, now is the chance to do so, but I believe that this with this one step, we can turn the tide of this situation and free the Daimyo of the influence of a tyrannical adviser. If you'd help me, three thousand ryo and my greatest of gratitude would be awarded to you. The favor of the Mizukage herself is a prize few are able to claim, especially at such a young age. This is the foundation of greatness, and Kiri is the nation where greatness is born. So, will you help me?"

Aya spoke hopefully, looking to Strafe, knowing that he would nod and agree to any task that Ayakashi put forward, hence why her address was spoken mostly to the two younger Genin, who, in truth would be partaking in just as much 'danger' as her or Strafe in this particular situation, but of a rather different breed. Ayakashi would listen to each of their responses in turn, should any of them reject her offer and leave them, Ayakashi would not stop them, though there would be a sense of knowing that from the moment that they left the Aisu temple, that they would have marked themselves for observation by the village ANBU until the ordeal with the Daimyo finally came to an end. Knowledge this volatile could mean the end of kirigakure as they knew it, and Ayakashi could not allow something as dangerous as knowledge to go unchecked in this instance. So she would wait, warping her face into a look of dissatisfaction before she began her address... However, if all participants remained in the room, Ayakashi would feel humbled, smiling broadly and feeling deeply satisfied that she had come to the right people for the mission. Be their motivations a willingness to help, or simply more ryo than a genin ought ever need, they were here, and it was time to begin.

"Okay, so the plan follows three parts before we can begin to make our move against the Foreign Adviser and his men, but each of those parts are equally important. The first, is a means to allow the group of you to move into position within the Daimyo compound itself, infiltration is easy, there's no way a Kirigakure ninja could enter that villa right now flying the hitiate of our nation. But you two genin... neither of you are known to the Daimyo to be mine, foreign factors, nameless. Each of you are capable of running through the front door in civilian attire and not attracting the slightest attention. So you will do so, and while you're within the area your missions are two-fold. Under cloak you are to steal information on the compound itself, this information will likely be found at outposts of the Daimyo's Samurai, as they use this map information to organize their patrols... The drawback is, each of these patrol houses likely contain only the information they have to, keeping records segmented keeps the Compound safe, so you may have to steal copies from multiple locations in order to comprise a full map.

The other option, is to take the master copy, which will be under lock and key at the Generals' outpost. It will be under high guard, but know this, I've both trained and trained with these Samurai, while they are skilled and powerful warriors they are not ninja, they are not expecting you, and will not be looking for you for the most part. They look for thieves and banditry. They have little control over their chakra save for the most basic of bukijutsu techniques, use that to your advantage, work together, think like ninja using craft, cunning, stealth, misdirection and distraction and you both will be fine, if you're really Strafes or Mitsuo's daughter, or ninja of this country, I know you'll be fine, but as an added note, don't harm the Samurai, we need them later...

The second mission after that is the one you're REALLY here for, and that is for information, using the maps you would have acquired at this point, you're to infiltrate the heart of the Daimyo estate, that means getting past the Daimyo's Personal-Guard and into the grounds reserved for the Family of the Daimyo and their most honored guests. Here I will need you to find a means of getting any and all personal information you can on the Advisor, the Daimyo, and the Assassins under their employ. Knowledge is power in this fight and up until now we have been powerless against these foreign invaders... The Personal-Guard are a different monster than the Samurai... Don't be spotted at all, they all know each other and every patron of that place down to the freckle... This mission will be hard, but, I have faith in the two of you, with those maps, there will be entrances that are not under guard that ninja like you can use that even I cannot."

Ayakashi spoke with a smile but an overall serious demenour, knowing the potency of the ninja bloodline that was Mitsuo, and how Strafe would have raised a daughter of his own. She would be honestly surprised if Kaia-Mai would be anything less than prodigious. Shitai however was closer to an unknown, but so long as Shitai was one of her Genin, she would most definitely be up to the task. Aya switched her attention to Strafe, the portion of this mission that was reserved to them and their companions was going to be the hardest part of all. Ayakashi knew that while the Samurai would not be on the lookout for ninja, the Assassins under the Daimyo's advisor would be, so, the deed was simple, they would need to make a two pronged attack on the compound itself, striking before retreating in order to divert their attention away from Shitai and Kaia-Mai.

"Which brings me to us Cousin, our Job is simple and to the point, we need to distract the Assassins in their entirety by striking at multiple locations of the complex, allowing the Assassins to see us and forcing them to throw their forces in our direction. So far it seems that there may be fewer more than six of them, and they seem to arrive in pairs, so, between you, me, Momaru, and Bai, we should be able to draw up to a potential eight assassins out of the compound, in case we have not seen them all, as well as whatever men they bring with them. I doubt in this conflict we will be able to eliminate any of the fighters, but, we 'have' to keep them distracted for the entire time Kaia-Mai and Shitai are within the compound... The strategy on our side is that they cannot raise the alarms of the Samurai, least the Samurai discover that a battle is waging between the Daimyo and the countries ninja, that discovery would plunge the Samurai camp into political chaos for days until their general united them... after all, his word is law to those men...

So, we have our plans, we have our missions, what says you all... thoughts? Strategies, now is the time to speak them. No idea is unfounded here, this mission is massive, each component alone would be an S rank mission undertaken by the most skilled Jounin... but sadly, those assassins, and those Samurai, they know all my Jounin... they don't know you."

Aya finished, awaiting their opinion.

[2207+935 3142 words. 1 S rank mission complete 3k / 3k

142 words moving on. ]

Strafe would watch as the last member of the party entered the room. His eyes fixed upon the wrapped individual. Every medic bone in his body was trying to get up and examine his condition, however he was not for that reason. A simple nod from himself would acknowledge this persons entrance. Once she was settled, Solstice began to explain the purpose of this mission. She explained the situation with Daimyo and what that meant for them. Strafe had also been attacked, making him look down at Kaia. The poor girl had no idea what Strafe was about to endure to keep her safe. These assassins were unlike anything most ninja had faced and were as strong as the Sannin of Kiri. In fact, a duel with multiple of them meant certain death. However, there was a plan on that. Once she finished explaining the need to know information, she laid down drawings on the table before them. Strafe's eyes darted to the spear mam they had defeated. He drifted his eyes accross each of them, making notes. The man that appeared on the horse was there, as well as others he had yet to meet.

He couldn't help but stare at the shield maiden. If she was what was described before him, she might be the only person alive better at Defense than he was, which was scary. This was certainly going to be an interesting day. Solstice then continued, making sure to note the reward for this clearly dangerous mission. A lot of ryo, which was nice, and the favor of the Mizukage was not a bad thing either. For a genin like the two in the room, this was a huge deal and they would be in good position should they succeed. Did he really want to let his daughter go? Did he have a choice? He could be distracted now. She was here and a part of this. It was time to get serious about making his part of the mission perfect. Solstice asked if they were in, to which Strafe and Momaru immediately nodded yes. Of course he would help his cousin and longtime friend. Ignoring this problem would only make it worse, something that might happen regardless of what they do.

He would wait for the other responses before looking back to Solstice. He knew Kaia would say yes, so the only wildcard was Shitai. Solstice then explained the two genin's mission, making sure to explain everything they might possibly know. Their mission was equally dangerous, and he couldn't help but worry. Kaia was capable and he knew that from their training session, so he tried to put it out of his mind. It wasn't long before Solstice turned to him and explained their part of the mission. It was as he expected. He was to be a distraction, albeit for quite a time, something he should be more than capable of doing. He had to also make sure the Samurai were not drug into the conflict. They weren't at fault here and Strafe didn't want to make things hard for them. She finished asking if there was anything they wanted to add or any concerns. Strafe could probably bug her with a hundred questions, but he doubted any them would make things easier.

"We need some kind of signal or sound to signal when their mission is over or if the assassins decide to send someone back. I don't want any surprises for our genin here." He spoke calmly before looking down and smiling at Kaia. Despite the serious nature of the discussion, he didn't want her to worry. He would be fine. "Also, there is something I want to say to both the Genin here. You are both brave beyond words and we appreciate what you are doing for Kirigakure. I've also seen these assassins, and they are worth this risk. However, Do not be a hero. If you see any of the people in these pictures, you run with the information you currently have. One of us will know and be there to assist you. This information is vital to the elimination of our true enemy, and the information is more important that any assistance you would give in battle." Strafe said this knowing that either would probably not do anything foolish, but some genin love to be heroes. He had seen it time and again be the cause of their death.

"Lastly, on high priority missions I use a code for injuries. We don't want to parade around our weaknesses in front of the enemy. One finger for a non-critical injury. That's simple things like severe bruising or sprains. Two fingers for a major injury. Broken bones, Concussion, or anything that makes you unable to defend yourself fully. Anything more than than that and it would probably take my direction attention regardless, and we will cross that bridge when we get there. Use this system to keep each other from unpleasant surprises. If you know which part is injured, tap it with the finger so I will know." He was a medic first and foremost, even if he was as capable as the next in a fight. He just wanted to make sure that they surrendered no advantage for these assassins to use. They were strong and he didn't want to add revenge to the list of motivations for eliminating these people, should he get that chance.

At this point, Strafe decided to let others talk, sitting back and listening to whatever they had to add. Momaru was quiet, staying alert for anyone trying to listen in. The lion was taking a risk here too, as any of these people would probably be a match for him. Strafe couldn't help but inwardly grimace at the thought of him facing two, but he insisted that he was able. He released the thought from his mind. They know what they are signing up for. He had to make sure he was alive for his daughter and family.

Word Count: 1020 + 714 =1734

In perfect silence, and near perfect stillness she sat. There was no fidgeting, no random noises, nothing that marked her as the young child she was. Kaia was a patient child, and she knew that this situation was important. So, there was no foolishness to be had. Besides, she didn't want to make a wrong first impression, or end up missing something that was of vital importance to what she was about to be helping with. With rapt attention she listened to every word spoken...

"Now that you're all here, we can finally begin, now, Welcome Shitai and Kaia-Mai, Like my friend here stated before, my name is Ayakashi, this is my companion Baihu, and, like the address made clear, I'm going to need the help of every-body in this room. Some of you know this already, but the Ninja world in Kirigakure, has been under threat for some months now under the guise of the Daimyo. While the Daimyo controls a lot of the trade in the region, with the increase of strength of the ninja population and the self sufficiency of the country, tension has continued to increase to the point that attacks have been made on my person, and those around me... But I feel that these attacks are not entirely the will of the Daimyo Estate itself, but rather a foreign power within it that may be holding sway and usurping power from the throne... ... ..." Kaia watched at that point as Ayakashi placed down several images, including one which was larger than the rest. They were not named, and she assumed them to be some of the people who were likely to be encountered in some form during the mission they were going to undertake.

"Now that you know our opponents, you are bound to me until this is over, but I will not force you to partake in a mission that is so dangerous. If you want to back out now, now is the chance to do so, but I believe that this with this one step, we can turn the tide of this situation and free the Daimyo of the influence of a tyrannical adviser. If you'd help me, three thousand ryo and my greatest of gratitude would be awarded to you. The favor of the Mizukage herself is a prize few are able to claim, especially at such a young age. This is the foundation of greatness, and Kiri is the nation where greatness is born. So, will you help me?" Kaia didn't budge an inch save for a nod yes of her head. She cetainly wasn't about to walk out. She knew what was about to be done would be highly dangerous - possibly the most dangerous thing she would be helping with during her entire life - but that was not about to stop her. She was going to get to help her father, she was going to get to help the Mizukage herself: she cared little about the money nor the favor, and simply over helping to make sure her new family stayed safe and sound. There was no turning her back on that. Of course, Kaia knew there was a chance she wouldn't be coming back from this - the thought lingered in the back of her mind like a constant whisper - but she was willing to accept the truth behind that and the risk involved. "I'll help.", Kaia would respond verbally, a quite serious tone to her young sounding voice: she knew this wasn't a game after all.

"Okay, so the plan follows three parts before we can begin to make our move against the Foreign Adviser and his men, but each of those parts are equally important. The first, is a means to allow the group of you to move into position within the Daimyo compound itself, infiltration is easy, there's no way a Kirigakure ninja could enter that villa right now flying the hitiate of our nation. But you two genin... neither of you are known to the Daimyo to be mine, foreign factors, nameless. Each of you are capable of running through the front door in civilian attire and not attracting the slightest attention. So you will do so, and while you're within the area your missions are two-fold. Under cloak you are to steal information on the compound itself, this information will likely be found at outposts of the Daimyo's Samurai, as they use this map information to organize their patrols... The drawback is, each of these patrol houses likely contain only the information they have to, keeping records segmented keeps the Compound safe, so you may have to steal copies from multiple locations in order to comprise a full map. The other option, is to take the master copy, which will be under lock and key at the Generals' outpost. It will be under high guard, but know this, I've both trained and trained with these Samurai, while they are skilled and powerful warriors they are not ninja, they are not expecting you, and will not be looking for you for the most part. They look for thieves and banditry. They have little control over their chakra save for the most basic of bukijutsu techniques, use that to your advantage, work together, think like ninja using craft, cunning, stealth, misdirection and distraction and you both will be fine, if you're really Strafes or Mitsuo's daughter, or ninja of this country, I know you'll be fine, but as an added note, don't harm the Samurai, we need them later..."

Well, it certainly seemed like a very good thing that she was so new. Her coming from Konoha was indeed a blessing instead of a curse like Kaia had originally been thinking. Because neither herself nor Shitai was known to the Daimyo it would be easy in civilian attire for them to waltz right in without issue. While inside they needed to grab either several pieces of information, or all of it at once - the latter sounding quite a bit more difficult than gathering it bit by bit. If they played their cards right they could act like a couple of kids playing and go about as un-noticed as was possible given the circumstances. Thankfully, the Samurai were on a different level than the assassin's and it would be easier to deal with them - though likely still difficult. Either way, Ayakashi didn't want them harmed, so they'd have to play it just right. Kaia nodded her head in silence to indicate she understood about not harming the Samurai, but otherwise remained silent as to not interupt.

The second mission after that is the one you're REALLY here for, and that is for information, using the maps you would have acquired at this point, you're to infiltrate the heart of the Daimyo estate, that means getting past the Daimyo's Personal-Guard and into the grounds reserved for the Family of the Daimyo and their most honored guests. Here I will need you to find a means of getting any and all personal information you can on the Advisor, the Daimyo, and the Assassins under their employ. Knowledge is power in this fight and up until now we have been powerless against these foreign invaders... The Personal-Guard are a different monster than the Samurai... Don't be spotted at all, they all know each other and every patron of that place down to the freckle... This mission will be hard, but, I have faith in the two of you, with those maps, there will be entrances that are not under guard that ninja like you can use that even I cannot." So, the first part of this mission definitely sounded easier than this, but she still wasn't backing out. Ideas were already blooming in her mind on how to get around the Personal-Guard since getting spotted would be an exceptionally bad thing. No, they'd have to definitely be stealthy, find a way to hide in plain sight, or an alternate means of moving around; one that couldn't be seen.

Ayakashi then turned her attention to her father, and began to speak of their part of the mission. Kaia reminded silent, and listened. Their part was the most dangerous of all - and from the sounds of things the faster her and Shitai moved and got their task done, the less time the Mizukage and Strafe would have to deal with the assassins. The longer they took, the longer they'd have to fight and survive so that they remained distracted. Shitai and herself would have to be quick, quick but thorough. Already Kaia's mind was coming up with alternative outcomes, ones that were quite nasty, but she pushed them aside. If she allowed herself to think these thoughts she would be distracted, and if she was distracted she wouldn't be able to do the tasks put in front of her properly.

As Aya finished her father began to speak, and Kaia gave to him the same rapt attention she gave to the Mizukage. "We need some kind of signal or sound to signal when their mission is over or if the assassins decide to send someone back. I don't want any surprises for our genin here. Also, there is something I want to say to both the Genin here. You are both brave beyond words and we appreciate what you are doing for Kirigakure. I've also seen these assassins, and they are worth this risk. However, Do not be a hero. If you see any of the people in these pictures, you run with the information you currently have. One of us will know and be there to assist you. This information is vital to the elimination of our true enemy, and the information is more important that any assistance you would give in battle." Kaia nodded again in understanding: she had no intentions of trying to be a hero and causing worse problems. She was smart enough to realize that attempting to help could backfire by becoming a distraction during a potential nasty fight for the Mizukage or Strafe himself. Her gaze lingered back onto the photos, memorizing as many details as she could about each individual present: she had no intentions of running into any of them if she could help it. "Lastly, on high priority missions I use a code for injuries. We don't want to parade around our weaknesses in front of the enemy. One finger for a non-critical injury. That's simple things like severe bruising or sprains. Two fingers for a major injury. Broken bones, Concussion, or anything that makes you unable to defend yourself fully. Anything more than than that and it would probably take my direction attention regardless, and we will cross that bridge when we get there. Use this system to keep each other from unpleasant surprises. If you know which part is injured, tap it with the finger so I will know." Again she nodded, absorbing this information like the sponge she had been since she arrived. It was a good means to have a way of communicating just in case something did happen and one of them were injured - though, Kaia was hoping it didn't come to that.

When it became their turn to speak Kaia looked over to Shitai seriously. "I'm sure we could easily play this to our advantage. Two kids playing. Most people don't bother giving children a second glance, and most seem to underestimate them." Kaia knew the latter bit from personal experience in the squad she was in back in Konoha. "I feel like we could go right for the master copy if we play our cards right... even under heavy guard. I always carry a little ball around, I could throw it, let it get away from me, and feign tripping and getting hurt. A crying, upset child, tends to catch the attention of most adults no matter who they are - and they'll have no reason to suspect I'm anything but that. While they're trying to consule me, or at least make sure I'm okay, as long as the opening presents itself you can slip in un-noticed and grab the master copy. I can easily play off being hurt to give you time enough to do so..." It was an idea at least, and she was open for suggestions. "When you're out and free, you could simply give me a signal to indicate you got it, and I could get up and 'walk off' whatever injury I was playing up. Unless, of course, you have another idea?" Kaia fell silent then, waiting for Shitai's response. This was Kaia the Ninja, not Kaia the Child: as if a completely different being had taken over. She was going to use her assets - being a young ten year old girl - to her advantages if it would prove useful - and in this situation it seemed like it might.

Wordcount: 2,160 | 2,762

So, a corpse walks into a bar... only the bar is a temple ruin, and the corpse was a ninja who technically was not alive, but still acted as if she was. It seemed like a setup to a bad joke, but as terrible as it was, this is exacly what was going on. She was walking into a temple, and quite possibly her death.

Once she was inside properly, her eyes rested upon the Mizukage herself, along with the great tiger that delivered the message earlier. There was another great beast -- a lion it seemed and a man that Shitai did not recognize. The female almost hesitated to step further in until she spotted a familiar face -- Kaia~Mai? Why was the little bird here? If this was to be an execution, why was there a child present? The bandaged female turned her attention to the Mizukage, about to inquire, but saw that she was about to speak. Shitai would remain silent out of respect, waiting.

"Now that you're all here, we can finally begin, now, Welcome Shitai and Kaia-Mai, Like my friend here stated before, my name is Ayakashi, this is my companion Baihu, and, like the address made clear, I'm going to need the help of every-body in this room. Some of you know this already, but the Ninja world in Kirigakure, has been under threat for some months now under the guise of the Daimyo. While the Daimyo controls a lot of the trade in the region, with the increase of strength of the ninja population and the self sufficiency of the country, tension has continued to increase to the point that attacks have been made on my person, and those around me... But I feel that these attacks are not entirely the will of the Daimyo Estate itself, but rather a foreign power within it that may be holding sway and usurping power from the throne... ... ... "

Oh dear... this was even worse than the badnaged female could have imagined; the Mizukage was involved in a clonflict with the Daimiyo of the Water Country?! This was most interesting indeed, and the kind of information that her.... 'family', the Iga clan, craved like a ravenous beast that was kept locked away and stareved. They would demanded this intelligence if they knew, as it would serve them greatly to overthrow the ninja world and bring about thier own version of peace. If they found out that Shitai was involved in with something like this, they would be furious with her for not telling them, and quite possibly attempt to have her killed; there were so many of them out there, already infiltrated into into the systems of the ninja world like a invasive, malignant species of weed. It would seem that she would now be required to play a triple agent rather than a double, nevermind how brief the third role was. Whatever information that she gained for the Mizukage the Iga would want for themselves as well, simply to possess and quite possibly use to aid thier cause should the oppurtinity arise. Releasing a sigh, the bandaged female looked down over the maps and pictures that lay upon the table; the maps she could understand, but who were the people in the pictures...?

"Now that you know our opponents, you are bound to me until this is over, but I will not force you to partake in a mission that is so dangerous. If you want to back out now, now is the chance to do so, but I believe that this with this one step, we can turn the tide of this situation and free the Daimyo of the influence of a tyrannical adviser. If you'd help me, three thousand ryo and my greatest of gratitude would be awarded to you. The favor of the Mizukage herself is a prize few are able to claim, especially at such a young age. This is the foundation of greatness, and Kiri is the nation where greatness is born. So, will you help me?"

So, this was not about her? A wave of relief washed over the female as the Mizukage spoke, but she was smart enough to not let it show. The bandages that covered her face and body would do well to hide her expressions and body lauguage -- mostly. She did not need to breathe, so there would be no change in breathing rate, no slightly twitches of her body; the female could become as still as a statue should she wish to do it. But this was not the time nor the place to stand about and marvel at the abilities of her body; there was apparently a mission to be done that the Mizukage felt that Shitai was perfect to perform. She would agree to aid the Mizukage; the favor of such a high ranking persona would possibly come in handy later in her... unlife. Perhaps if it ever came to light of her actions, she could use this moment as a proof of her loyalty to stay a slaying hand. A simple nod and bow would suffice as her reply.

"Okay, so the plan follows three parts before we can begin to make our move against the Foreign Adviser and his men, but each of those parts are equally important. The first, is a means to allow the group of you to move into position within the Daimyo compound itself, infiltration is easy, there's no way a Kirigakure ninja could enter that villa right now flying the hitiate of our nation. But you two genin... neither of you are known to the Daimyo to be mine, foreign factors, nameless. Each of you are capable of running through the front door in civilian attire and not attracting the slightest attention. So you will do so, and while you're within the area your missions are two-fold. Under cloak you are to steal information on the compound itself, this information will likely be found at outposts of the Daimyo's Samurai, as they use this map information to organize their patrols... The drawback is, each of these patrol houses likely contain only the information they have to, keeping records segmented keeps the Compound safe, so you may have to steal copies from multiple locations in order to comprise a full map.

The other option, is to take the master copy, which will be under lock and key at the Generals' outpost. It will be under high guard, but know this, I've both trained and trained with these Samurai, while they are skilled and powerful warriors they are not ninja, they are not expecting you, and will not be looking for you for the most part. They look for thieves and banditry. They have little control over their chakra save for the most basic of bukijutsu techniques, use that to your advantage, work together, think like ninja using craft, cunning, stealth, misdirection and distraction and you both will be fine, if you're really Strafes or Mitsuo's daughter, or ninja of this country, I know you'll be fine, but as an added note, don't harm the Samurai, we need them later...

The second mission after that is the one you're REALLY here for, and that is for information, using the maps you would have acquired at this point, you're to infiltrate the heart of the Daimyo estate, that means getting past the Daimyo's Personal-Guard and into the grounds reserved for the Family of the Daimyo and their most honored guests. Here I will need you to find a means of getting any and all personal information you can on the Advisor, the Daimyo, and the Assassins under their employ. Knowledge is power in this fight and up until now we have been powerless against these foreign invaders... The Personal-Guard are a different monster than the Samurai... Don't be spotted at all, they all know each other and every patron of that place down to the freckle... This mission will be hard, but, I have faith in the two of you, with those maps, there will be entrances that are not under guard that ninja like you can use that even I cannot."

So, this was basically an infiltration and intelligence gathering mission? That seemed simple enough to her, despite the obvious danger She was not afraid to die -- death was not so bad, at least to her. She could do information gathering -- she'd spent all this time 'gathering' information for her own clan, so why would she not be able to infiltrate and gather information from the Daimiyo's palace?

"Which brings me to us Cousin, our Job is simple and to the point, we need to distract the Assassins in their entirety by striking at multiple locations of the complex, allowing the Assassins to see us and forcing them to throw their forces in our direction. So far it seems that there may be fewer more than six of them, and they seem to arrive in pairs, so, between you, me, Momaru, and Bai, we should be able to draw up to a potential eight assassins out of the compound, in case we have not seen them all, as well as whatever men they bring with them. I doubt in this conflict we will be able to eliminate any of the fighters, but, we 'have' to keep them distracted for the entire time Kaia-Mai and Shitai are within the compound... The strategy on our side is that they cannot raise the alarms of the Samurai, least the Samurai discover that a battle is waging between the Daimyo and the countries ninja, that discovery would plunge the Samurai camp into political chaos for days until their general united them... after all, his word is law to those men...

So, we have our plans, we have our missions, what says you all... thoughts? Strategies, now is the time to speak them. No idea is unfounded here, this mission is massive, each component alone would be an S rank mission undertaken by the most skilled Jounin... but sadly, those assassins, and those Samurai, they know all my Jounin... they don't know you."

Oh... That was why. The little bird and the bandaged female would be on a timer, so to speak; the longer it took for them to aquire the information, the longer the fight that the Mizukage and her cousin Strafe -- not to forget Baihu and Momaru -- would have in thier hands. The longer the fight lasted, the more of an opportunity for something to happen, for someone to slip up and become hurt... They were all human, after all. Despite her condition, Shitai was still human as well -- mistakes could be made, and with a mistake would come a high cost; the default payment setting was one life, yours or a comrade's. For the moment, Shitai fell silent. She could see very well why the Mizukage chose her and Kaia -- Kaia's status as a new arrival to village could be taken as she was not formally on Kirigakure's books as a registered ninja. As for Shitai herself, her birth name was listed as deceased and KIA; she's taken to wandering the forests and the bloody cemetary in order to stay away from people. It would seem that word had reached the Mizukage of Shitai being an actual persona, rather than just a rumor. The young woman could not help but wonder if the Mizukage knew the truth of her; that she was a former shinobi that had been laid to 'rest'... For the moment, Shitai had nothing to say herself, but rather looked up when Strafe spoke, turning her atttention to him.

"We need some kind of signal or sound to signal when their mission is over or if the assassins decide to send someone back. I don't want any surprises for our genin here." He spoke calmly before looking down and smiling at Kaia and continuing. "Also, there is something I want to say to both the Genin here. You are both brave beyond words and we appreciate what you are doing for Kirigakure. I've also seen these assassins, and they are worth this risk. However, Do not be a hero. If you see any of the people in these pictures, you run with the information you currently have. One of us will know and be there to assist you. This information is vital to the elimination of our true enemy, and the information is more important that any assistance you would give in battle."

Shitai would nod to this statement; this mission was worth more than her -- doubly so, as she was already dead. If need be, she would do whatever she needed to ensure her and Little Bird's survival, up to and including giving everthing she had to Little Bird to ensure she made it out.

"Lastly, on high priority missions I use a code for injuries. We don't want to parade around our weaknesses in front of the enemy. One finger for a non-critical injury. That's simple things like severe bruising or sprains. Two fingers for a major injury. Broken bones, Concussion, or anything that makes you unable to defend yourself fully. Anything more than than that and it would probably take my direction attention regardless, and we will cross that bridge when we get there. Use this system to keep each other from unpleasant surprises. If you know which part is injured, tap it with the finger so I will know."

That was sound logic to follow; it would come in handy for the duration of this mission, and was quite possibly a code to adopt herself for the future. The bandaged female nodded to show her understanding; she had something else to add to this statement, something that would possibly put thier minds to ease somewhat, but it seems that the Little Bird Kaia would beat her to punch.

"I'm sure we could easily play this to our advantage. Two kids playing. Most people don't bother giving children a second glance, and most seem to underestimate them. I feel like we could go right for the master copy if we play our cards right... even under heavy guard. I always carry a little ball around, I could throw it, let it get away from me, and feign tripping and getting hurt. A crying, upset child, tends to catch the attention of most adults no matter who they are - and they'll have no reason to suspect I'm anything but that. While they're trying to consule me, or at least make sure I'm okay, as long as the opening presents itself you can slip in un-noticed and grab the master copy. I can easily play off being hurt to give you time enough to do so... When you're out and free, you could simply give me a signal to indicate you got it, and I could get up and 'walk off' whatever injury I was playing up. Unless, of course, you have another idea?"

Oh my. From the mouth of babes, indeed. It seemed that the innocent child that she had met before was gone, or at least buried for the purpose of the mission, and in its place was a rational thinking shinobi who was able to accurately assess and predict the actions and reactions of th adults around her. Shitai smiled and nodded to the child, deeming her plan to be the most sensible for the mission. For the first time since her arrival, the bandaged female spoke, her raspy voice resounding clearly in the area through the bandages that covered her mouth . "Your idea would be the best course of action, Kaia. We can prey upon thier natural instincts to console an upset and hurt child to purchase an opportunity for me to slip in and gather the evidence and intelligence that we require. If possible and with the Lady Mizukage's permission, I can attempt to to sabotage the remaining information for our purposes?" As she spoke, the bandaged female drew herself up, standing up straight and proper before turning her attention to Strafe Aisu. "As for injuries, I possess skill in medical ninjutsu; should Kaia or myself, if one of us becomes injured, then I can attend to our wounds efficiently , barring nothing life threatening. I admit to not possessing the same prowess with healing as you do, but I believe to possess enough to put your minds at ease and allow you concentrate on your task that much more." The female fell silent then, unsure of how to proceed from that point. What would they say to her opinion, or her statement? Time would tell...

2772 | 3555 TWC

Obtaining Evidence.:

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Map the Road:

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Distraction:

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It was relieving to see that all of the people that she had invited had stayed to listen to the full mission, none of them seemed to be outraged, perhaps they were here for the money, he favor, or they correctly assessed the danger of a rogue element as powerful as the Daimyo, but for whatever reason they had decided to stay, they had just became an asset in her fight against the tyranny that had overshadowed the country. The sapphire eye of the Mizukage, hidden under her mask could still be seen glowing behind her visor, covering the room in what seemed to be a pale blue light that flickered with patterns that resembled the dancing patterns that water reflected on a cavern roof. Ayakashi was always amazed at the support she received from her nation when push came to shove, each and every person she had met would rather rise to challenge a burden and an opponent rather than shy away from them. This quality alone made her proud to be the Mizukage of this country. It wasn't long after inviting discussion that Strafe began to interject.

"We need some kind of signal or sound to signal when their mission is over or if the assassins decide to send someone back. I don't want any surprises for our genin here. Also, there is something I want to say to both the Genin here. You are both brave beyond words and we appreciate what you are doing for Kirigakure. I've also seen these assassins, and they are worth this risk. However, Do not be a hero. If you see any of the people in these pictures, you run with the information you currently have. One of us will know and be there to assist you. This information is vital to the elimination of our true enemy, and the information is more important that any assistance you would give in battle."

"Lastly, on high priority missions I use a code for injuries. We don't want to parade around our weaknesses in front of the enemy. One finger for a non-critical injury. That's simple things like severe bruising or sprains. Two fingers for a major injury. Broken bones, Concussion, or anything that makes you unable to defend yourself fully. Anything more than than that and it would probably take my direction attention regardless, and we will cross that bridge when we get there. Use this system to keep each other from unpleasant surprises. If you know which part is injured, tap it with the finger so I will know."

Aya nodded, Strafe had taken the words right out of her mouth, she was glad she wasn't the only person doing all of the talking in this war council meeting, so far it seemed the lot of them had been open to the ideas of each other. Keeping an open mind was important, though it was not Strafe's opinions she was the most interested in, she knew how he fought and knew that the two of them would work out between themselves where their positions lay. But it was the two younger ones she was the most interested in, she wanted a definitive plan out of them before they rushed into this, because, without them, Strafe and herself would not have a clear knowledge of when ti disengage the assassins... which was a clear problem which needed to be addressed. Her Gaze moved to the Genin, focusing on them and how they were taking everything in. It was odd, but Ayakashi had seen multiple instances where it was the youth of the country which held by far greater power in the sway of wars compared to even herself.

She remembered the Seven Bells War, it had been the genin which prevented the entire front-line of the combined ninja forces from charging head-first into a trap which threatened to eliminate them all. Aya and her Sannin amongst them.

"I'm sure we could easily play this to our advantage. Two kids playing. Most people don't bother giving children a second glance, and most seem to underestimate them. I feel like we could go right for the master copy if we play our cards right... even under heavy guard. I always carry a little ball around, I could throw it, let it get away from me, and feign tripping and getting hurt. A crying, upset child, tends to catch the attention of most adults no matter who they are - and they'll have no reason to suspect I'm anything but that. While they're trying to console me, or at least make sure I'm okay, as long as the opening presents itself you can slip in un-noticed and grab the master copy. I can easily play off being hurt to give you time enough to do so... When you're out and free, you could simply give me a signal to indicate you got it, and I could get up and 'walk off' whatever injury I was playing up. Unless, of course, you have another idea?"

The idea was basic, but believable. Few samurai or even ninja would think twice about a girl as young as she was crashing into something or tripping but ultimately hurting themselves. To be fair even Ayakashi was surprised to learn that the girl who looked no older than nine in her eyes was, in fact, a Genin, soon on her way to becoming a chunin in a year or so, especially under the tuteledge of herself and strafe with the coming missions and surely more on the way. An ethical concern crossed Ayakashi's mind, but she could not discard the tactical advantage they would have with each of them. The mission and its severity had been stressed, and each of them had been offered a means out of the coming danger should they have wanted it to begin with. But, Ayakashi could not help but feel something missing, there was something wrong with her heart and her soul. Though it felt like an age ago there was a time before she was a ninja, a time in which that if she had watched this meeting unfolding as a spectator, she would have stood in horror at the prospect of a child being used as a weapon...

[how times had changed... Now...

"Your idea would be the best course of action, Kaia. We can prey upon thier natural instincts to console an upset and hurt child to purchase an opportunity for me to slip in and gather the evidence and intelligence that we require. If possible and with the Lady Mizukage's permission, I can attempt to to sabotage the remaining information for our purposes? ... As for injuries, I possess skill in medical ninjutsu; should Kaia or myself, if one of us becomes injured, then I can attend to our wounds efficiently, barring nothing life threatening. I admit to not possessing the same prowess with healing as you do, but I believe to possess enough to put your minds at ease and allow you concentrate on your task that much more."

It seemed to Aya that everything had unfolded as it was meant to, it was time to get everything underway, short of one, simple thing. While they were brainwashing, the massive white Tiger behind her moved, walking to a side in order to fetch something. What was there was another file, something she had been accumulating for some time. While there, Ayakashi had known many individuals, normal people who lived within its borders, farmers, servants, samurai and many others. The file that she dropped was a compounded file of names, family backgrounds and everything she was able to compile off the top of her head. There was no way that the children going into this would be allowed to go in without some form of cover. Ayakashi had trained these Samurai herself in some cases. She learned Kenjutsu from them. She knew they would be prone to this psychological assault, but if they didn't have an alias, a story, a history committed to memory when they went in...

[The Samurai would smell the sheep.

"This file contains everything I can remember about specific people that I had known in my time of running errands between here and the Daimyo's Palace, it covers people from all ranges of life and class. Construct an identity out of these files, going in as you are now will surely have you found out, while familiar names that are not too familiar will make you seem more trustworthy to them. There are about 100 names and backgrounds in that folder, it should be enough. But from my experience, it is better to plant roots with obscure stories, Samurai have close relationships with blacksmiths, so, it's best to avoid them. But farmers families can be extensive, they'll likely know where a farm is, but not everyone there by name and history... Especially if there are a lot of farms. Understand? You can read and discuss while we move.

Shitai, You're on Bai-hu, Kaia-Mai, you can ride with him to discuss strategy or discuss your travel with Strafe... We're moving."

...

However long it would take them to be ready, Bai-hu would stay behind to help with any amount of passengers which he would be taking upon his back. The Tiger, easily the size of a cart-horse, awaited their decision. Though Ayakashi strode out of the room, gathering her equipment which was not on her person and suiting up for the mission that was going to be at hand. She would spend little more than two minutes preparing before she simply vanished. At speeds that even strafe would have had difficulty sighting should he have been looking at her direction at the time... Ayakashi's mind was on the mission, she needed to be prepared for everything and anything so her mind was moving at a thousand miles a second, computing every possible outcome of her choices that could potentially come to pass, worst case scenarios first, and then moving her way back through the positive... were it anyone else, there was a very real chance that no-one came back from this mission alive. But with the people she had chosen... she knew they could win.

The City which bordered the Daimyo's palace was expansive, smaller in honest than the Kirigakure no sato due to the sheer sum of time and progress made to the country, but it was still sizable, and far more civilian. The palace however, was some miles seperated from it. The compound was a fortress, multiple walls dividing it as it got closer and closer to the palaces heart. The outer most layer, beyond the outer wall was nothing but farmland, peasant houses of those who kept the farms and rural workers / lesser servants who lived beyond the Daimyo's protection. Within the outermost wall was the true servants quarters. Patrols and stores, all free persons life was within this outer most area within the compound itself. The second wall would divide this commons from the barracks, the Samurai estates and location of their first mission. Few civilians other than the families of the Samurai themselves and merchants catering to them would be found here. Dungeons lurking underground with this area.

Lastly, the inner most sanctum, where at its heart rose the central building of the Daimyo himself as a twelve story tall traditional castle. The Inner Sanctum was home to the Daimyo and his family, an expansive zen estate which expanded from the tower at its heart. The houses directly around it belonging to cousins and other noble-men. Generals and officials as well as their families and honoured guests, including the Adviser and his assassins... Ayakashi looked upon the hundred acre estate adrenaline beginning to pump through her veins as she knew what she was going to have to do. Waiting for the others to catch up, she would await any final thoughts, and for the two smaller ones to begin moving before She and the others began their part of the operation.

[it was time.]

[2070 + 142 = 2212 Words]

"I'm sure we could easily play this to our advantage. Two kids playing. Most people don't bother giving children a second glance, and most seem to underestimate them. I feel like we could go right for the master copy if we play our cards right... even under heavy guard. I always carry a little ball around, I could throw it, let it get away from me, and feign tripping and getting hurt. A crying, upset child, tends to catch the attention of most adults no matter who they are - and they'll have no reason to suspect I'm anything but that. While they're trying to consule me, or at least make sure I'm okay, as long as the opening presents itself you can slip in un-noticed and grab the master copy. I can easily play off being hurt to give you time enough to do so...When you're out and free, you could simply give me a signal to indicate you got it, and I could get up and 'walk off' whatever injury I was playing up. Unless, of course, you have another idea?"

Strafe listened as Kaia gave her opinion on the matter at hand. Pride surged through him as she proved that her age did not define her abilities. She was strong and she had a good head on her shoulders. He would nod to her to reassure her. She was making a great first impression on Solstice, or so he would guess. Her plan was sound and he knew she could act well enough to pull it off. She was certainly going to do a great job.

"Your idea would be the best course of action, Kaia. We can prey upon thier natural instincts to console an upset and hurt child to purchase an opportunity for me to slip in and gather the evidence and intelligence that we require. If possible and with the Lady Mizukage's permission, I can attempt to to sabotage the remaining information for our purposes? As for injuries, I possess skill in medical ninjutsu; should Kaia or myself, if one of us becomes injured, then I can attend to our wounds efficiently , barring nothing life threatening. I admit to not possessing the same prowess with healing as you do, but I believe to possess enough to put your minds at ease and allow you concentrate on your task that much more."

Strafe couldn't help but be relieved by the fact that there was a second medical ninja. He would smile, knowing he could focus on his portion of the mission much more effectively. The shinobi known as Shitai seemed to speak openly with Kaia, making him wonder if this wasn't their first meeting. Regardless, he would show his thanks to the ninja once their mission was accomplished. He owed the genin that for keeping an eye out for his daughter. However, he stayed silent for now, allowing Solstice to continue the briefing. Time wasn't an issue here, but he certainly didn't want to build up any more nerves for the younger ninja.

"This file contains everything I can remember about specific people that I had known in my time of running errands between here and the Daimyo's Palace, it covers people from all ranges of life and class. Construct an identity out of these files, going in as you are now will surely have you found out, while familiar names that are not too familiar will make you seem more trustworthy to them. There are about 100 names and backgrounds in that folder, it should be enough. But from my experience, it is better to plant roots with obscure stories, Samurai have close relationships with blacksmiths, so, it's best to avoid them. But farmers families can be extensive, they'll likely know where a farm is, but not everyone there by name and history... Especially if there are a lot of farms. Understand? You can read and discuss while we move.

Shitai, You're on Bai-hu, Kaia-Mai, you can ride with him to discuss strategy or discuss your travel with Strafe... We're moving."

The Mizukage once again spoke, revealing their identities to them. Strafe would look at the files, making sure to note anything he would need to know. Strafe would watch as Bai-hai walked over beside Momaru to await their departure. Solstice walked out of the room and was gone with a flash of speed. She was on another level of power than he was, and he knew that. She would be key to this mission, whether she realized it or not. He would then turn to Kaia and Shitai. "Kaia, you are welcomed to ride on Momaru, as he can keep up with Bai-hu and you can still discuss anything you need. I'm gong to be with you guys on foot, leading the way from the front." He would get up, nodding to Momaru. The lion was already aware of how much better the Sannin felt, considering the second medical ninja. He would nod in return. "Once you two are ready, we can leave." He would go outside and make any preparations he would need for the battle. He grabbed Raidachi in his hand, making sure to be ready for any surprises.

He would wait for the four of them before setting off, heading in the direction of the samurai. The journey was not too long, though the compound it'self was pretty large. He didn't really speak much during the travel, making sure he was ready mentally for what he was about to have to pull off. He wove through the city on the outside of the palace, noting that he needed to avoid damages to this area. There were quite a few variables that he would need to consider if he was going to avoid civilian casualties. After a few more moments, Strafe would land beside Solstice gracefully, making no noise as he he looked to her. She was probably feeling the same way he was, which was ready for battle. Something about protecting the village did that to both of them. The genin and the animals would arrive behind him, but he gave enough distance to give him a chance to speak to Solstice.

"Good luck cousin. If anything happens to me, look after Kaia." He had to get that out before the little one got there. He didn't want to worry her, but there was a real chance that he could die on this mission. He just wanted to make sure he said it. She would not be left alone again, ever. Not that she is now a part of the Aisu family. He would then turn his attention to the place below, watching as little figures walked calmly through the streets. They were about to be in for a surprise. The two genin would need to head out before his part began, which meant these were the last few moments they had together before it started. He just hoped they were all together when it ended. He would turn to Kaia once she arrived, speaking in a father like voice. "Good Luck Honey, I'm already proud of you. Good luck to the rest of you as well." He made sure he said what he needed before awaiting orders to start.

He grabbed his second staff from his back, holding each in one arm. It was a new style he had been working on in his spare time, so hopefully it would give him an advantage of surprise. The assassins had yet to see most of what he could do, so he just hoped that gave him the advantage he would need to maybe even take down one. That would be icing on the cake.

Word Count: 1,311 + 1734 =3045. Fist S-Rank mission complete.
Words Remaining: 45

"Your idea would be the best course of action, Kaia. We can prey upon thier natural instincts to console an upset and hurt child to purchase an opportunity for me to slip in and gather the evidence and intelligence that we require. If possible and with the Lady Mizukage's permission, I can attempt to to sabotage the remaining information for our purposes? As for injuries, I possess skill in medical ninjutsu; should Kaia or myself, if one of us becomes injured, then I can attend to our wounds efficiently , barring nothing life threatening. I admit to not possessing the same prowess with healing as you do, but I believe to possess enough to put your minds at ease and allow you concentrate on your task that much more." Shitai agreed with her idea, and even thought it was the best course of action. It wasn't often she heard those words - she was slightly too used to being disregarded as a child in most cases, so it was a bit strange - but nice - to be regarded as an actual shinobi for once. Even still, she kept a check on her emotions and didn't allow it to go to her head - at least not right now - because they had a job to obviously do that was quite important.

Kaia caught movement out of the corner of her eye, the tiger going to fetch someting for the Mizukage. Before Kaia's curiosity could mount too much to the point of her asking what that was exactly the Mizukage explained. "This file contains everything I can remember about specific people that I had known in my time of running errands between here and the Daimyo's Palace, it covers people from all ranges of life and class. Construct an identity out of these files, going in as you are now will surely have you found out, while familiar names that are not too familiar will make you seem more trustworthy to them. There are about 100 names and backgrounds in that folder, it should be enough. But from my experience, it is better to plant roots with obscure stories, Samurai have close relationships with blacksmiths, so, it's best to avoid them. But farmers families can be extensive, they'll likely know where a farm is, but not everyone there by name and history... Especially if there are a lot of farms. Understand? You can read and discuss while we move. Shitai, You're on Bai-hu, Kaia-Mai, you can ride with him to discuss strategy or discuss your travel with Strafe... We're moving." Ah yes, it would only make sense they needed a good cover story - Kaia would likely be asked who she was when she pretended to fall and get hurt after all - though, pretending was such a strong word. Chances were Kaia was going to have to actually get injured, just a little bit but enough, to be able to pull this off. She didn't mind of course, not if it meant they could do this in the best and fastest possible way.

"Kaia, you are welcomed to ride on Momaru, as he can keep up with Bai-hu and you can still discuss anything you need. I'm gong to be with you guys on foot, leading the way from the front. Once you two are ready, we can leave." Well, that was a bit better. While she was pretty sure the other giant feline in the room wouldn't exactly eat, maim, or maul her, it was still an unknown entity and thus she was a bit weary. Momaru, however, she was very familiar with, and she was quite used to riding around on his back already. So, with a satisfied look on her face she climbed up onto Momaru's back with an ease that spoke of her being used to traveling like this. The Mizukage had already left, and should Shitai accept the ride on the other giant feline present then Momaru would quite easily indeed keep up, giving them a chance to discuss things. From the look at the files Kaia was getting she was coming up with a fairly decent idea of a cover story - one that should be quite believable.

"Hm... this man has... whoa. Ten children. That's a lot of kids. A lot of names to keep up with too. If I claimed to be one of his children it'd be believable enough. He's a farmer, so I doubt he's had much contact with anyone outside of other farmers. His name's probably known at least half decently, but I doubt anyone could keep up with someone who has all of those kids." It seemed as good a cover to Kaia as she was going to get, and it would also allowed her and Shitai to play freely because she could simply be her cousin - or perhaps just another 'kid'. If the idea worked then no one would likely think twice about it. It would give her a name to use, too, should someone ask who she was, or who her parents were, while she was attempting to play at being injured later on. Either way, Kaia would to hear Shitai's take on it before completely saving the information to memory to be used later on.

Riding on Momarus back, and arriving after the Mizukage and her father, she noticed him keeping a bit of distance from her - saying something to the Mizukage that Kaia couldn't exactly here. While normally such a thing wouldn't have bothered her in the current situation she had a feeling it was something she likely wouldn't have wanted to hear. Either way, she didn't ask about it as her father came over to her. "Good Luck Honey, I'm already proud of you. Good luck to the rest of you as well." Kaia nodded, unable to form a verbal response at that second: the situation had gone from feeling real to real and her focus was on the information she was memorizing as well as what had to be done. Was their plan solid enough to pull off? She hoped so since the faster that her and Shitai were the less time her father and the Mizukage would have to spend fighting.

Kaia looked then to Shitai, the question of being curious as to if she was ready or not plain in her blue eyes though she didn't voice it. Kaia herself was ready to get this over with...

Wordcount: 1,077 | 3,830 (1 S Rank Complete)
Remaining: 830

It would seem that the rest of the group were in agreement with her words; acceptance was won, in some minor fashion. The bandaged female smiled beneath her wrappings, quietly taking note of the file that was produced by the Lady Mizukage. What was this? More information for a ravenous monster? Curious eyes would look down upon it as it was explained.

"This file contains everything I can remember about specific people that I had known in my time of running errands between here and the Daimyo's Palace, it covers people from all ranges of life and class. Construct an identity out of these files, going in as you are now will surely have you found out, while familiar names that are not too familiar will make you seem more trustworthy to them. There are about 100 names and backgrounds in that folder, it should be enough. But from my experience, it is better to plant roots with obscure stories, Samurai have close relationships with blacksmiths, so, it's best to avoid them. But farmers families can be extensive, they'll likely know where a farm is, but not everyone there by name and history... Especially if there are a lot of farms. Understand? You can read and discuss while we move.

Shitai, You're on Bai-hu, Kaia-Mai, you can ride with him to discuss strategy or discuss your travel with Strafe... We're moving."

A list of names and identities? That was interesting to know. Shitai spent a moment confused; the Mizukage spent time compiling this information simply for this mission? Wow, it would seem that she was well prepared for this moment. As the giant tiger stepped over, Shitai eyed it warily, still somewhat unsure about the creature, as it had scared the life [unlife, perhaps?] out of her earlier. Cautiously, she would approach the great beast and clamber onto its back. She was about to say something to the Mizukage, something along the likes of "Where did you come across something like this!?", but it would seem that she had vanished already. Shitai did not even notice her leaving. Was that the power of a Kage? If so, it was leagues beyond Shitai's current level.

"Once you two are ready, we can leave."

Shitai would nod to the elder nin, fingers curling into the fur of the great tiger as it took her out of the temple and through the forests, no doubt following its mistress. As the moved, Shitai took a deep breath, savoring the scent in the air, and pondering her day so far. It had begun normally, and now, here she was, riding a giant tiger into what could possible be a mission that claimed her life. The thoughts were pushed from her mind as she heard Kaia speak.

"Hm... this man has... whoa. Ten children. That's a lot of kids. A lot of names to keep up with too. If I claimed to be one of his children it'd be believable enough. He's a farmer, so I doubt he's had much contact with anyone outside of other farmers. His name's probably known at least half decently, but I doubt anyone could keep up with someone who has all of those kids."

Ten children? That in of itself was cover. If this man had ten children, then surely Kaia and Shitai could transform themselves into appearing something similar to his children? "If he has ten, you can pick one, and I shall take the other. That way we have a reason to be near each other and keep an eye on each other. Its easy to keep track a family member's name, after all."

Even as she moved, she began to wonder to herself -- was this really the best course of action? This, entire situation. Was this really the best way to go about this? She needed guidance, and she knew exactly where to go for it. Should she survive this day, she would seek out her savior and ask for guidance... but now was not the time to think about that. She would continue on with Strafe, her and Kaia atop the great beasts..

687 | 4242

As they all had stopped overlooking the Daimyo's palace outside of the capitol city, Ayakashi would look to each of the people beside her, the two great beasts would no doubt kneel to allow their riders safe passage off as The Mizukage was already beginning her mental assault on the compound simulating every possible course of action that the assassins would take. She had known their tactics enough now to be able to somewhat predict which of them would attack in which manners, there were some who were far more straight forward, the man with the spear and the one with the massive sword to name a few, while she was certain that the girl with the shield and the girl with the throwing weapons will be close behind who-ever the front-liners were, but always at the ready to either make an attack of opportunity to sub in to protect one of their allies. Then there was the wild-card, the man on the horse, not to mention his horse itself. He had come to rescue the spear-man in the nick of time just before strafe and Aya finished him off once and for all. While he would be the one that Ayakashi would have thought would have had the best chance of diving in head-first, he seemed honourable.

The side...

With his speed he would by far have the highest tactical advantage of those who would be coming after them. He would likely take the wide route, cutting strafe and Aya off at any chance he got, flanking them and herding them to where he wanted them to be. He would by far be the most dangerous in this instance, catching up once with but a few men could mean the end of this conflict in the favor of the enemy.... Ayakashi frowned, then there were the almost two hundred men in red that she could see moving about the castle from where she stood, it was a daunting number of high ranking enemies, some of them were wild bandits, others of them were missing ninja, but with the combined threat of the Mizukage and one of her most trusted Sannin and swordsmen, they would definately empty their reserves in order to end the two of them swiftly and with deft resolve. These men were hunters who preyed on advantages, and sending in a dozen soldiers with all of the assassins, they knew would be far too close to an even fight for their own good...

they had this.

Looking back at those who were with her, Ayakashi would state plainly: "You all have your missions, you all know what you're doing. I have faith in you all, no matter what happens, I know that you all would have tried your best and I'm proud of you all for even attempting a mission of this magnitude. You all carry the heart of this country with you, but we're not the land of fire, remember, what categorizes ninja of the mist, is not their bravery or courage, it's not their resolve or composure, it's not their power to mold to situations like the sand of the desert... its our minds, and craft. Fight with your heads, think, assess and calculate before you act, and nothing will be able to stand in your way."

With her small final speech she would look to strafe, nod, and take a step off the small cliff she was standing on and falling into the canopy of trees below her, strafe knew the mission, be seen but only by those he was supposed to be seen by, until then, they were to be as ghosts... The fall felt nice, it was nice to move slowly at the speed of gravity for once, it was a respite no matter how short it would be... but eventually, she passed through the leaves, and her foot felt the strong beam of birch which caught her falling weight, kicking off the branch, Aya would barely allow her weight to register on the branch before she was bulleting towards her location like an arrow. Ducking and diving between the trees as she would run, every light step barely touching a branch as she zig-zagged through the trees, vaulting over branches that were chest height, before kicking off them once again and propelling her to the next branch. The Mizukage had become a guided missile, lowering toward the ground at an fantastically low angle until, ultimately, like a harrier jet touching down she hit the ground and took off at almost twice the speed...

The compound before her getting closer and closer.

It would be moments until she was upon it, running around and hugging the outside wall, looking for a point that she was able to enter without being seen by anyone other than whom she wanted to be seen by. It was at that moment that she had an idea, looking to a nearby tree she smiled, jumping up and landing on the final large branch of an impressive cedar tree, taking one of her famous arrows from her pack as well as drawing her bow changeling. what was once a sword was enveloped by its hilt becoming a long staff, Aya span the weapon around once in a single flourish which unclipped the spring-pressured bow-string as she crouched low, knocking an arrow and aiming for the building before them. It was at that moment, that Ayakashi entered her Sage mode... but not the sage mode which many considered the fefault, no, this was her sage mode: spirit. Ayakashi felt the three natures of her chakra combine like that of a normal sage, but rather than simply allow the amalgam of her chakra to happen, she controlled her body chakra and the more foreign nature chakra to be swallowed by her bodies natural spirit chakra, pushing its capabilities far beyond what was natural.

the result, was spectacular.

Aya could feel the senses which were normally rather restrictive from her sage mode extend almost as far as her eyes could see, allowing her to feel the charka, the life force, of everything within a massive arena. The sensation was almost surreal, almost overpowering, every blade of grass, every man, woman, child, animal and insect could be felt, singled out and identified by her while she was in this state. Taking a deep breath, holding her bow horizontally she lay an arrow on top, lifting it high and drawing the three hundred pound bow-string to her ear as she could see one of the Assassins on watch. She knew that she was well beyond the effective range of her bow due to the sheer size of the compound, but the arrow would likely still reach there. Exhaling slowly, Ayakashi let the arrow fly... The missile soared, penetrating the sky as it arced ever so slightly upwards before descending lethally in the direction of her target. A rogue wind managed to catch the arrow, dragging it slightly off course as it narrowly missed the assassin and embedded itself into a wall several meters back.

but he definitely saw it.

Ayakashi knocked another arrow, taking careful aim at the man in red who turned quickly, revealing himself to be hotheaded swordsman who had challenged Ayakashi and Dameon some weeks ago. For a moment the two of them locked eyes, as Aya fired her second bolt simply to get the point across. The graceful arrow launched, this time with true aim as it came down hard and fast for the intended victim as a statement. That Ayakashi, their target was not afraid of a single assassin, and was more than happy to attack them at the source of their pride. Emotions of anger and resentment were boud to rise up within the chest of a man like Guan Ping. A man who no doubt hated being underestimated or looked down on by an opponent. But as the huge white tiger bounded up after Aya into plain view, even he looked around for a partner to strike with, calling up a rallying cry as an expansive group of men began to group Around himself, as well as the shield maiden and the horseman. Looking around and spying her for a moment before Ayakashi disappeared back into the brush.

But that wasn't enough.

Alone with Bai, they would assume that taking the three of them and twenty men would be more than enough to handle the Mizukage on her own... And it would be nowhere near enough to secure the safety of those they needed to. It was up to strafe and Momaru now...

[2214 + 1470 = 3684 / 3000
Second S rank mission completed. + 684 words.]

Spoiler:

The six of them stood in silence as they awaited any last words the Mizukage might have before the mission began. It was a solomon few moments, as they knew the dangers they faced once it started. Strafe in particular was going to be in the thick of the fray, making sure to hold the enemies attention. He was pretty sure he could manage it. He couldn't help but glance again at the two genin beside him, especially his daughter Kaia. She was so young, to be put in this situation was rough, but she was handling the responsibility well. He just hoped this didn't turn out to be the worst decision of his life. He pushed the negatived thoughts from his head. Kaia was capable and if anyone could pull it off, it was her. He needed to be focused on staying alive, considering the amount of danger he was in as well. Suddenly, Solstice began to speak, causing him to turn with his attention on her. Both of his staffs rested on his back, ready for action at a moments notice.

"You all have your missions, you all know what you're doing. I have faith in you all, no matter what happens, I know that you all would have tried your best and I'm proud of you all for even attempting a mission of this magnitude. You all carry the heart of this country with you, but we're not the land of fire, remember, what categorizes ninja of the mist, is not their bravery or courage, it's not their resolve or composure, it's not their power to mold to situations like the sand of the desert... its our minds, and craft. Fight with your heads, think, assess and calculate before you act, and nothing will be able to stand in your way."

His cousin always did have a way with words. He was instantly encouraged, ready to take on this task without fear. He knew that he was smart enough for this mission, otherwise Solstice would have picked someone else. He would breathe slowly for a few moments, calming himself to be at his best. Solstice then nodded, and walked off the cliff nonchalantly. Bai soon followed, leaving the four of them on the wall. He would look at the genin one last time before giving a smile with his nod. He had faith in them. He had to at this point. He would leap down into the trees below heading a different direction than Ayakashi, with Momaru close behind him. He would land gracefully on the wooden branch before bouncing forward from tree to tree. He ducked and jumped over oncoming obstructions as he raced through the park like area. Solstice would soon be begining her part, and so it would soon be time to begin his. He continued to dart through the vegetation like never before, as his new found confidence seemed to push him to be stronger.

Momaru behind him would wisper "I've got your back brother, let's do this." He spoke honestly as Strafe would nod in response. Even if the Sannin could manage a response at the moment, he would rather focus solely on his mission. The clearing appeared up ahead, giving him a view of the wall. He stopped at the edge of the trees, making sure to stay out of sight. He looked around from side to side, taking in all the information the landscape had to offer. Seconds was all it took for him to make a informed decision on how to go about this. A quick flash of movement was all it took for him to be hidden behind a structure near the top of the wall. Momaru stayed in his position, as he was much more easily noticed. Strafe scanned the area for his target. He spotted the man's spear first. A flash of anger spread across the Seven Swordsman as he eyed the man who attacked two of Kirigakure's best warriors with no regard to the fact that he could lose. Such arrogance made Strafe's blood boil. Two more people seemed to be sitting nearby. He couldn't tell much about one, but the girl was odd looking. It seemed that she was the one they called Bao. Meaning the other figure was Zhuge. Good, all of his targets were in one convenient location.

As he started to hear noises in the distance, he activated his jutsu. Tiles from the wall started to peel off, raising into the air quickly and in number. A total of ten of them with sharp edges suddenly darted towards the trio. A quick glance from from Zhao was all it took for him to be up and breaking the makeshift kunai into pieces. The attack was too weak to hurt them, but it certainly got their attention. Strafe stepped out into the open, Momaru jumping up beside him in a blur of speed. The assassins gathered their men around them. Quite a few more than he had hoped, but he could work with it. It was about to be time for him to dart for the hills, leading them in wild goose chase while keeping them involved in the fight. Beads of sweat rolled down his checks as he mentally counted the men now about to chase him. He turned and darted back into the trees with haste, Momaru keeping pace behind him. Did he just count thirty five plus the three assassins. He just hoped that was enough as he lept up from a branch to see them flooding into the greenery after him. It was time to stay alive.

Strafe Chakra: 340/350:

Word Count: 952 + 45 =997/3000
Total Thread Word Count: 3997

The response of the enemy was swift, but not as swift as perhaps they would have liked, as Strafe and Ayakashi were able to dart back into the tree line, it seemed that the Honorable Zhuge Liang had other plans, as the advisor himself had been made knowledgeable of the attack, plans were about to change as the sleeping dragon became involved in the game. Calling the remaining men to him for a small council, he would advise the attack that was to come, each of the men would be splitting up into two teems to pursue the ninja on foot, snapping at their ankles, knowing full well that the goal of the enemy would be to evade and likely lead them somewhere that they would be at an advantage or have a trap or deception lying in wait for them all. But, in walling them and moving them, he would be sending reinforcement, looking to the horseman, he would order that he do all he can so support Zhuge's men, and the reinforcements that he would be sending as a flanking party to take their likely ambush by surprise, and if there was not something sinister lying in wait or reinforcements on the behalf of the Mizukage, then his additional troops would serve to hasten the woman's demise.

And so the orders were given and four of the assassins as well as nearly a hundred of their lower rank ninja would be sent after them all in two parties of fifty two, split evenly while the final assassin would walk with Zhuge Liang to the castle, calling to them the Daimyo himself, who, at the advisement of Zhuge, would order the honor-guard to follow the commands of Zhuge himself. Taking one hundred of the best soldiers stationed to be the guards of the Daimyo, they were ordered to the stables and to take up their war-gear, mount up, and go with his man to counter-attack the rogue ninja threat to the Daimyo himself, a task which would be entrusted to these loyal men and them alone. They would be informed that the agents in red, would be leading and pushing them to one of several pre-determined locations, and that it was the duty of these zealots to be the coup de graces of the engagement. They would be the hammer that bought down anyone who would dare oppose the Daimyo. But were anyone else to ask, this would be nothing but a training exercise, the people could not know of the risk involved.

The men gave a loud cheer in agreement, and sortied for battle.

Meanwhile, two genin would creep through the hostile environment of the capitol, slowly making their way to the castle by ground, their plan was sound and their identities certain, in the distance they could see the Daimyo's compound, getting closer than they were before than the cliff-top perch that they had been situated before as they had entered the valley. Nerves and adrenaline would likely be filling their veins as the gravitas of the scenario in which they had been placed would become apparent, but, steeling themselves their eyes would harden and their minds become focused on what they had to do, the first step was infiltration, the second, acquisition, the third would be reconnaissance, and the final would be apprehension of their target material, they had to complete these tasks twice, there was no time meandering around and taking portions of a map that they could acquire in one fell swoop, between the two of them, they had a method to accomplish their goals.

Breaking into a run, they would try to close the gap between them and their destination.

Ayakashi however, was now having an interesting time, there were fifty men on her tail and two of them were the Shield maiden and the devastating swordsman that they had encountered sometime before. Narrowing her eyes at the combination, Ayakashi knew that her advantage here was her speed and ability to attack rapidly from any angle, the two who were closing in on her were the heavy hitters, the tanks of the group, people who would break Aya with a single blow and resist anything she threw at them, but they were not the speedsters of the group, like the horseman and bao. Who would likely be on the tail of strafe, though their damage output would be much lower, so strafe's ability to regenerate in order to tank their damage output would be his greatest asset, but, by Aya's count that meant that her cousin would be taking blows and suffering, so, she would have to help him out wherever she could. Though, Strafe had momaru as well, he would not be alone.

Ayakashi began to slow down as she ran from the compound, so that her assailants would be able to catch up.

Guanping was the first of the group to break the canopy, not coming through the brush, but instead darting between the trees, descending on ayakshi from above as doton chakra flowed through his blade. Something bad was about to happen, Ayakashi in her sage mode, could sense the chakra moving, and its strength. Twisting her body and jumping to a side, She watched as the doton chakra which flowed through his blade hit the earth and triggering a massive earthquake which would resound, fissureing the earth apart as he cleaved it like the Gordian knot. Though, while airborne Ayakashi would not feel any of the devastating effects of the blast, drawing her bow to full tightness and knocking an arrow, pointing the tip square at the eye of the assassin who looked up in shock for a moment as he realized that Ayakashi had reacted, simultaneously planning her counter-attack before he had even collided with the ground. Like a hawk Aya had trained on her prey, her arrow as her talons as she let the arrow fly at devastating speeds.

Then there was a flash of light. And the Mizukage remembered the abilities of the shield maiden.

Effectively substituting with her ally, her shield prepared and risen, the arrow shot true before being deflected by the impervious shield Xingcai wielded, the impact slamming the shield with enough force to make the exchange sound like the toll of a gong or a bell. Narrowing her eyes as Xingcai drew her hooked blade, Stepping in with a swipe, Ayakashi hit the ground, falling to a low stance to avoid it. The veritable army of men coming into range of her senjutsu sensory ability as the Mizukage now knew that her chances of picking off one of the two had fallen to less tan five percent while the shield maiden was defending them... there was a consolation however... as Bai-hu, who had been lying in wait in the tree-tops descended upon the attacking fifty men like a meteor, hitting two of them in the chest with his powerful armoured claws cleaving them open and leaving them gasping for air. The sudden assault broke their formation as they prepared for the attack on two fronts, but, the tiger was already gone, bounding into the bush and forcing them all to split up once again.

Thirty men followed Bai-hu, while the remaining twenty focused on the Mizukage, who, smiling like the devil, and without a single word, set off once again into the underbrush.

[1255 words + 684]

A simple glance backwards was all it took for the Sannin to survey his enemies. Momaru was now by his side as they bounced from tree to tree, watching as thirty five low level enemies and two assassins followed him. Zhao he already knew well, and the man was fast too boot. The girl, Bao, he had read on. She was just as fast and had ranged attacks to boot. He had to act fast if he was going to avoid a quick death, though both seemed like the type to toy with their prey. A simple nod was all it took for Momaru to take off in a different direction, leading of twenty of the men followed the lion, while fifteen stayed with their leaders. Perfect, things were setting up nicely. Zhao and Bao were close on his tail at this point, and it was time to act. A swipe of the girl's war fan sent a blade of chakra at the Seven Swordsmen, but Strafe was prepared. With a staff in each hand, he would spin, aiming his Staff of the Hurricane's at Bao. A simple activation of chakra forced a whirlwind out of the weapon, taking out her projectile and flying towards Bao. Because of the reduced speed of Strafe's attack, Bao dodged to the left, staying back a bit as the two realized the Sannin had more abilities that they had no knowledge off.

Zhao then moved in, using a burst of green katon for speed as he quickly approached Strafe from behind. However, he knew that doing so could cause problems, as it had the last time they met. That ice jutsu was fresh in the assissin's mind as the charge was a feint. Zhao bounced up creating the Fire Style: Great Dragon Flame jutsu and sending it flying at the Sannin. A smirk flashed on the Sannin's face as he knew just how to handle it. He would not move, paying no attention to the dragon as it apporached. However, a wall of ice errupted from a tree branch, effectively stopping the katon jutsu without melting or breaking. It would also served as an extra obstacle to slow them down. Zhao scoffed as he continued the pursuit, meeting up with Bao. Strafe then activated the next jutsu. Creating water from nothing, his high level of suiton expertise showed it'self. Three water clones of Strafe, exact replicas, appeared beside Strafe. The four of them started rapidly crossing, causing almost anyone to lose the original Sannin.

Strafe's mind raced as he heard rustling to his left. Momaru's roar followed by the sound of tearing flesh made him question what had happened. Suddenly the lion appeared beside him with blood on his claws. "5 down, sir." He would say to no one in particular to keep his whereabouts unknown. Fifteen men joined the asssasins for a total of thirty. He had to keep going, at least until he could cross paths with the Mizukage. If they figured out how to pin him, he would be in trouble. Using his arrival to surprise the assassins, Momaru turned and roared in their direction. His voice mixed with chkara shot out, destroying limbs as it barrelled towards the oncoming assassins. They would manage a dodge, however five more of the soliders were not so lucky as cracks could be heard. Bones were breaking as they were sent into and even through the trees behind them. This was going better than expected. However, that soon changed. Zhao and Bao caught up both coming at them from above. Strafe looked upward in time to activate a counter. He swiped both of his staffs, creating 5 blades of fuuton chakra up at the ninja. The closer they got, the more he would assault them. The jutsu's speed plus their close distance might have been enough to maybe hit one of them. The clones and him would once again start switching until they lost the original. They would want to hit the clones to avoid doing work for nothing.

The duo continued forward, with Momaru taking the lead as he lead them to cross paths with the Mizukage. They just had to at the right time. He would look back to see who all was left. Both assassins appeared to be following still unharmed, which made the man grimace. All that chakra for not even a single hit? Luckily, he was able to keep all his clones for now. He just had to make a plan, unless he wanted to use his dojutsu. He would cross that bridge when it's time came. For the moment, he focused on staying alive.

Word Count: 1783/3000
Thread Word Count: 4783

Strafe Chakra: 280/350:

Momaru Chakra: 55/75:

As the female rode through the forest, her mind wandered once more to the task at hand. This, entire situation. Was this really the best way to go about this? She needed guidance, and she knew exactly where to go for it. Should she survive this day, she would seek out her savior and ask for guidance...

But she was trapped. She was involved in a mission, and she owed it to the mizukage to perform this task. But on the same note... she was already dead; her service to the Mizukage ended when she died, but yet she was still here. She was atop a tiger, riding into a battle that she had no business entering to save a country to which she had already paid with her life... The more the bandaged female thought of it, the less it made sense.

There had to be another way.

If there was, she would find it, but she was certain it was not here. Her savior would have the answer she sought. And so, before the tiger could get too close to the battlefield, the female removed herself from it, leaping to the ground and running off. She would leave the scene, headed towards the border of the country to make her way to her savior...


~Exit~

Ayakashi vanished, charging away from her opponents as the Tiger had with the very speed that she was known for, speed was key, and it was everything that she had, looking back she could see the men reform into their group of twenty with the swordsman and the shield maiden among them, their combined power was awesome, but it was something that the Mizukage was able to use, the swordsman was not a team player, many of his techniques were wide hitting to the point that he would not be able to use his jutsu if they had other men and women in the way. If they had any love at all for their own forces then that would hinder him a great deal. So, as the Mizukage charged around, she halted looking back at the group for a moment before taking to them head-first. Changeling in her hand, converting back into the shape of the swordsmanship hilted blade and its crossed guard as she readied her spare hand to deal with anything else that came her way...

This was going to be interesting.

Darting forward at full speed, Guan Ping charged chakra down his massive blade, leading the heard he would swing his weapon shaft into the earth causing a massive earthquake, the rock cracked and split like it was nothing in a massive ninety degree wave toward the Mizukage... A move, that was in essence, perfect. jumping so not to take the initial shock of the wave she darted towards them, so light on the ground that she would step so lightly upon the ground as it exploded all around her without disturbing the earth, and so quickly that she would never experience a full shake of the tremour. A feat that was almost impossible to believe for those who saw it as the Mizukage was already upon them, throwing a kick for Guan-Ping who raised the weapon which he had buried in the earth as a flat shield to protect himself. Ayakashi slammed into the weapon with all of her force, Guan Ping Resisting the blow with two hands and burying his feet into the ground so to match its might.

Rather than attempting to kick him backward, Ayakashi crumpled herself against the iron slate, allowing the force of her speed to force her up, pressing a hand to the blade she would go 'over' the assassin rather than face him directly, performing a full flip to his blind-side as she and he would meet eyes for the next time, her legs already crouched and ready to strike again with a lethal kick, surprise gripping the male as there was another flash of bright light, Xingcai was already there with her shield out, exactly as Aya had wanted her to be. Both of their positions were fixed in now, and she had the platform that she needed in order to strike, not them, but the force which at this point had only just managed to catch up to them. Using the 'art of reckless release' Ayakashi would kick off the shield with so much force that an explosion would be left where she once was, not effecting the shield-maiden in the slightest, Ayakashi would 'appear' within the forces of 20 men that had attacked her.

The explosion she left behind, blinding Xingcai with a cloud of dust.

Hitting the first opponent head on, her blade resting across his chest-plate while her other hand grabbed his sword, Aya used the strength and speed of her jump to flip over him, angling her blade more and more upward until it was across his neck by the time she was vertically opposite him, spinning as she would dismount the blade would draw itself across his neck, ending the life of the mercenary while simultaneously disarming him as she would enter a free-spin on her way back to the ground. Letting go of the weapon in midair with a single throw an arc of blood would explode from another soldier as it would penetrate his neck and send him flying backwards in stark opposition to the direction he was charging. Landing Ayakashi would spin to a side with quick foot-work, dodging a blade and ducking under another as she would whip her spare hand out to a side, coiling her fingers around a third blade. Pulling herself into and under the arm of her opponent she would use the hand on his weapon to block yet another, moving herself behind her grapple victim, breaking his arm with the sheer force of her movements.

Spinning with a round-house kick, still holding her victims arm she would use the shockwave of her movement to knock a few men back, one of their weapons in mid-swing flying above Ayakshi's head. Deciding it was time to let the man go, she kicked off the ground, rolling up the mans back and kicking the weapon in middair through the leg of a charging spearman as she would roll over the soldier she had gripped for some time, her other leg curled into her chest would let out like a spring, catapaulting the victim with a broken chest and sending him skimming across the ground with the force while Aya used the force of the blow to maintain her momentum, letting out a hand and cartwheeling back up to her feet just in time to block a man with her gauntlet while stabbing the pinned spearmen through with changeling. Ending yet another life ... It was at this point that the smoke from her shockwave against Xingcai had worn off, her vision no longer impaired as Ayakashi knew that it was time to get on the move again...

So she simply vanished from them all, leaving a trail of soldiers beaten and knocked around in her wake. Several of them having just activated techniques in order to fight her, but none of them getting the chance to use them as she was now gone. Ayakashi could hear the Roar of Bai-hu as he dealt with the men who were following him, knowing full well that those men alone without one of these assassins would have no chance against him and his devastating techniques. One of them in particular even Ayakashi found frightening. But she needed to check up on strafe, so, making her way for her friend, she could not help but notice from her sage mode that one of the children who should be completing the mission were no longer en route to their destination... something had happened, and led them to running back through the forest, abandoning his position... Something was wrong, and they needed to fix this...

[where strafe is]

Some time would pass as the men would continue following him, a girl managing to keep up rather happily with his speed as she would send hails of throwing weapons not for him, but in front of him, only to learn that the deadly cables which were attached to them were the true weapon, sharp enough to cut a man in two should he run into them unprotected at full speed... But just as she was to throw another hail, something would sparkle in her eye, forcing her to leap back in defense. Arrows of ice would stab into the ground where she would have been moments from now had she not seen them. Ayakashi exploding from the brush yelling 'twenty seconds! trade you!?' nothing more or less than the time she had before those chasing her would unite, so they needed to have traded forces or moved on by that time frame. As Ayakashi would come into play, her Ice arrows would turn on the ninja that were following Strafe also, though having lost the element of surprise, they were quick to raise a barrier which the arrows slammed against with force, but, doing so would likely place them in a predicament for Strafe, as well as give the duo what little time they needed.

"The Missions' gone south, we need to find another way to complete the objectives, Strafe, I need those skills of yours, Think a clone can get in and get them un-detected?"

Aya spoke quickly while the distractions were in place. Bukijutsu techniques now lines the blades of their opponents as Bao Sanniang glared devilishly at the due.

fifteen seconds left.

[3342 words]

Mission 3/3 completed.

The man and his lion barreled forward through the trees, and Momaru would nod signalling their approach on the Kage. A quick feint left then a dart to the right caused Strafe to miss another full volley of razor wire from Bao. She was getting better at reading him, which was not good. The Sannin knew there were still 25 men behind the two assassin, and had a plan on how to get them to back off. Zhao started to edge closer, while Bao only seemed to be faster as time went. Two of his clones suddenly broke off, taking Momaru with them as they went a completely opposite direction. The 15 of the men would follow them, allowing their leaders and a few reinforcements to do deal with the genuine ninja. After only a few seconds, screams could be heard as the two clones and Momaru ripped them to shreds. Simple Bukijutsu and Momaru's strength was all it took for them to be cut down in a bloody whirlwind. Using the tree's around them, the three of them make quick work of their prey.

However, Strafe moved without hesitation. He made sure to change direction, use plenty of fakes and even kept the two at bay by throwing more of the fuuton blades at the two assassins. Moment's later, Momaru and both clones appeared beside him. "Now" This word was quick, but welcomed as Momaru announced the arrival of the Mizukage. Ice arrows pelted the ground as the Kage used her element of surprise to create space for Strafe. A sigh of relief brushed his lips as he nodded to her. She spoke quickly, and a trade was more than fine for him. He wanted to meet this shield maiden regardless. A nod would allow her to understand that all was planned. Twenty seconds was not much time, but a quick gesture allowed two of his clones to be reabsorbed and with them, his chakra. However, he stopped the third at Solstice's voice. Watching her distraction serve it's purpose, she spoke.

"The Missions' gone south, we need to find another way to complete the objectives, Strafe, I need those skills of yours, Think a clone can get in and get them un-detected?"

The question was simple, and the ninja's heart sank at the words gone south. Was Kaia okay? Did something happen to her? "I think he'll manage." He spoke with a nod toward his clone, who darted off into the brush behind them and away from both crowds of enemies. Momaru sealed off his exit path with his own body, making sure none could follow. What in the world was going on and what happened with the genin. They had help on the way, if she could just stay alive until then. He would shake the thought out of his head as he surveyed his enemies. Not much longer until the other two assassin's appeared. Now was the time to set up any further jutsu.

[The Clone and Kaia]

The clone of Strafe moved extremely fast. Using the objects around it to hide itself, it avoided detection carefully as he caught up with young Kaia, who was nearing the objective. "Kaia, I'm here to help. I'm a clone, as Solstice sensed Shitai's departure. You are not alone." He spoke calmly as the continued forward. Kaia would nod, though it was obvious she was just as worried about Strafe as herself. "He is fine, I just left him. He is with the Mizukage and everyone is uninjured so far." The clone spoke with the same smooth and consoling voice that Strafe would use. Kaia steeled herself with determination. They approached the target building and it was then the Clone used a simple but useful technique. He would transform into a boy, or at least in appearance. He chose the shape of Iro, as he knew his son well enough to know what he looked like exactly, and the daimyo would have no record of him.

The two would approach the General's Outpost with caution. They did not have time to piece the map together, so it was time to go for the fastest route possible. Strafe's clone used his blazing speed to get past the guard, while Kaia created a distraction. She would fall, forward into plain sight and "hurt" her knee. Two Samurai rushed over in their honorable ways and offered help. Little did they know that a Sannin's clone was inside rushing by guards while they had their back turned. It took just a few moments for him to find the safe and open it, as locks were not hard to pick the natural way. A few more moments of whining from Kaia was all it took for her to notice Strafe's clone exit the building with no one inside the wiser. She stood up and brushed herself, faking bravery as she was rushed off to go back home. Once out of sight, the clone would return to her holding the information needed. Now it was time to invade the house of the Daimyo.

Word Count: 2646/3000
Total Word Count: 5646

.oO(I finally have a computer that can handle Saga! \ o / So I have returned my lovelies. <3 I apologize for being gone so long. x.x )

"... what?", came words muttered beneath Kaia's breath, her voice as soft as it was still lined with shock and a lack of understanding.

... Suddenly everything was going downhill and fast. Shitai was... leaving? Kaia's heart sank down to her knees and her blood felt like it was running cold. She watched as her friend had disembarked and simply took off in the oppsoite direction of where they should have been headed. No word was spared for Kaia, no explanation, no reasoning. Kaia had no idea where Shitai was going or why: was it fear of the task ahead of them? Suddenly Kaia realized she would likely have to undergo this task alone. Kaia had not been a fool when it came to realizing and knowing the very real dangers this mission held for her - she was young, and only a Genin, not experienced like her father and the Mizukage. But, she had at least had some ray of hope knowing that her friend Shitai was beside her.

That hope was now destroyed.

'How can I do this alone? I thought I stood a chance with Shitai's help but now... How am I going to do this all by myself?' Kaia thought to herself as a swirl of raw emotions surged through her: betrayal, heartache, sadness, fear, and anger. Betrayal that Shitai would leave without giving an explanation or a heads up. Heartache that she knew her friend was likely in more trouble than Kaia would even currently understand and likely would be severally and permanently punished for it. Sadness that such a betrayal would even happen to Kaia: certainly not something she had ever thought to expect to happen. Fear of not being able to complete her task, of letting her father and the Mizukage down, fear that this would cause both to be harmed or worse killed. Anger that Shitai had caused this all: that she was the reasoning behind it all.

Kaia was going to have to do this alone unless some miracle happened to appear to help her. Still, she wouldn't run away. She couldn't allow herself to do that: her father and the Mizukage were risking their lives to ensure that this portion of the mission was successful. If nothing else that was motivation enough to press on and continue: that was reasoning enough not to give in for her fear and run away as well. She couldn't do that. She wouldn't do that. She would make sure her task was completed even if it killed her - she just prayed and hoped that it would not come to that.

'Come on Kaia... you can't give in. Your daddy needs you. The Mizukage needs you. No matter what happens you have to complete your objective... even if you have to do it alone.' Kaia thought to herself, giving a much needed pep-talk to herself to continue. There was no way she was going to go back, to turn proverbial tail and run away.

However, not all was in fact lost. As Kaia neared her objective her father appeared - or rather a clone of him. Even before the explanation was given she knew it to be true: her real father was likely fighting beside the Mizukage at that moment. But, it also brought up a question as to how they had known something was wrong. How had they known that Shitai had suddenly bailed out on her and left her alone to face whatever was about to come? She didn't have time to ask questions and get answers, she knew time was important: the more time she wasted, the longer that this took, the longer that the Mizukage and her father had to fight for their lives against opponents who clearly weren't ordinary in their skill level, power, and abilities. No, she definitely couldn't take her time with this - thought she still had to make sure it was completed properly for her own safety.

"Kaia, I'm here to help. I'm a clone, as Solstice sensed Shitai's departure. You are not alone. He is fine, I just left him. He is with the Mizukage and everyone is uninjured so far." Well, that certainly explained how they knew Shitai had left - or rather how the Mizukage had known at least. She rather hoped her father didn't know as she figured it would only lead to him being distracted, and even at her young age she knew that being distracted on a battle field was a death sentence. She was also glad to hear that he was fine along with the Mizukage: both unharmed, uninjured. It was about as much as she could hope for so the news made her happy and only increased her determination to get her task completed quickly before the tides of fate would happen to have a chance to change.

Kaia, steeling herself with determination, nodded her head in response to the information. She didn't trust her voice yet to speak; it would likely shake with not only anger but the rest of the emotions she was currently trying to squash. She couldn't go into this thinking about Shitai or anything else, she had to have a clear head so that she could think clearly and stay on her toes. She knew she couldn't allow herself to get distracted either, or else she could end up in trouble she definitely knew she wouldn't survive.

As they approached the target building, Kaia still remaining silent and going over the plan she had come up with in her mind - wondering if it would still work or not. She noticed the clone of her father's change into an appearance that was quite familiar to her: her new brother Iro. A small ghost of a smile fluttered across her lips for a moment before all emotion was erased again in preparation for her task ahead. As she tried to keep her emotions squashed down, preparing herself for having to play the crying child, she couldn't help but wonder how long a ninja had to train to be able to do this at a moments notice - without spending time preparing for such a thing. It always seemed to come easily to the shinobi she saw around, yet with her she had to really work on what she called her 'poker face' to get it to work properly.

When they were close enough Kaia began to put the plan into action. She pulled out the little ball she always brought with her and threw it - making sure not to throw it too hard since she didn't want it to get that far away from her. She pretended to chase after the ball, acting like the normal child as she did so by smiling and giggling in feigned happiness. When she got close enough, knowing she had drawn the eye of several people already, she found her opportunity over a tree branch and took it: tripping and falling onto the ground. Her arms went out in front of her as they normally would have to break her fall and she felt her knees hit the ground - though not hard enough to even rip a hole in the leggings she was wearing. Thinking quickly, and using the recent sadness she had been feeling due to Shitai's departure to her advantage, she allowed real tears to begin to fall as she rolled over and sat on her butt looking down at her knees. One by one tears brimmed at her eyes and then began to trickle slowly down her cheeks to then drip off of the bottom of her chin. Her nose began to run and she sniffled as she simply sat there in a stunned like fashion for several seconds.

Just as Kaia was bringing her knee up to her chest, rocking forward and backward and letting out a soft cry of pain, she saw several individuals rush over to her to see if she was alright: she ignored her rapidly beating heart in her chest and the fact that she could hear the surge of blood in her ears as her adrenaline rushed. This distraction allowed Iro, or rather Strafe's clone who looked like her brother, to slip past with a great deal of speed completely undetected. Kaia took her time to play it up, sniffling softly and raising a hand to wipe away the tears that were on her cheeks. She felt herself being patted on the back gently, in a consoling kind of way, and slowly allowed it to seem like they were making her feel better: the tears slowly stopping and drying up. She was asked who she was, concern seeming to be on her being able to get home if she couldn't work, and she offered up one of the names she had chosen of the old farmer with ten children. Easily enough her story was bought and accepted allowing her act to go over without a flaw in the plan.

Just as she was sniffling her last she noticed Strafe's clone had made his way back out, still looking exactly like her brother. He had been successful, and it was time for her act to come to completion. She got to her feet, making it look like it was a struggle at first due to her knee injury, before she turned and headed off as if she were going home. As soon as she was out of sight Strafe's clone rejoined her again, and she finished brushing off the last of the tears that while being fake had also been very real.

Kaia paused a moment, to take inventory of herself: she was completely uninjured despite having made the fall look very real. Her knees had been protected by her leggings so there were no scrapes on them, and her hands which had already been toughened up by the training she so often did were likewise unscathed. She was ready for whatever else was to come, and willing to keep helping in any way possible.

Wordcount S-Rank 2:  1,700 + 830 = 2,530 / 3,000
1 S Rank Completed

As the message was sent, Ayakashi drew two new additions to her arsenal from her belt, the sheng biao that she had recently had made by her mother, the rope dart was an iconic weapon of the hunter ninja of the country, something that they would not be seen dead without, the asimorih spider thread that became the rope allowed the strength of the wire to be as hard as steel while having a flexibility factor that allowed it to be stored easily... The second of her weapons was the void shuriken at her back... The fuuma shuriken that she had long held had sucked in enough of her chakra over time, bathing in the power that was Ayakashi that the steel had become infused with the fuuton elemental nature of her body. The steel was easy for Ayakashi's mother, one of the leaders of the iron banner smiths to turn into one of the most devastating abilities that she had ever seen used in action. The forward phalanx of their opponents however, with their defensive techniques up would make a frontal assault impossible...

"Guard my back, wide angle jutsu to the rear in 5! 4!"

Ayakashi would give Strafe the timing as the Swordsman would come from behind them, coming through the overgrowth to see Strafe as well as the wall of men that were holding behind a defensive technique, should this hold out for any longer, Strafe and Ayakashi would be trapped and either as good as dead, or the mission would be an objective failure. Throwing the rope-dart out for a nearby tree, Ayakashi began to run, holding the rope as taught as it could possibly be she used the recoiling power of the rope to speed up her dash faster than she could have ever hoped to sprint, using the power of her arms combined with the pull of the rope to dash to the location, planting her feet on the trunk of the tree, crouching horizontally as her lateral G-force held her there for a few moments. Bao Sanniang keeping a close eye on Ayakashi as she hurled eight of her vortex death spinners at the tree she was on.

But having collected the rope dart in moments with her incredible sleight of hand, Ayakashi had already thrown it once again, this time at the ground, deep within the ranks of the enemy. Her hand reaching for the fuuma shuriken on her back as she would have effectively darted around their combined barrier, hitting their forces from the flank. Pulling the shimmering weapon from her side she would charge the weapon with twenty five of her own chakra, five more than she would ever need as it would catch the gut of her opponent. Twisting her body into an uppercut, the collapsed weapon would fling itself and the ninja that was attached to it spinning up into the sky, hewing the man in two as the weapon would begin to spin up into the air violently. Bao however, was clever, the eight death spinners that had been thrown for Ayakashi were now directly above her, with but a twist and a flick of her fingers, like the ancient art of hair removal the knot would tie and guillotines of wire would bullet down for Ayakashi at insane speeds.

Standing up, for a moment everyone would see Ayakashi stand, raising an arm in defense as the A rank followers around her would turn with their weapons. The arm ayakashi raised to defend herself in a satisfying, and equally deafening hiss would have a line dragged straight through it, separating it from her body in a single brutal moment... Microseconds later, the physical appearence of Ayakashi would begin to bend and twist, like it was being drained and ready to implode as the 'poof' of smoke would attempt to explode from where she once was, having charged her spinning fuuma shuriken with the chakra needed to substitute moments beforehand. Far up in the air now with her shuriken spinning in the midst of the enemy, Ayakashi would perform the one hand-seal that she needed to in order to activate the ability of her devastating weapon. The fuuma shuriken would begin to spin in over-drive creating a vortex within it that begun to draw in everything around it like it were a hole in a space-craft. The spinning blades that sat and hun in place like the world's fastest blender, making the ninja around it in their final moments horrifically aware of the intention.

Everything within a 15 meter radii of the weapon would be drawn into the power of the shuriken, enemies who stabbed their weapons in the dirt would find little reprieve as even trees smaller that ten feet in height would have themselves and their roots torn out of the ground only to be thrown into the blender that awaited them. As many as eleven men and women of the enemy forces immediately fell victim to the spin of her weapon as Ayakashi ended it, the fuuma shuriken shooting up into the sky in a long arc, meeting the hand of Ayakashi as she landed a long distance on the other side of their wall. Posing with the weapon, so quick was its spin that it didn't have the sleightest hint of blood upon it. Collapsing the wepon again, she would laugh, calling out to bao sanniang and the spearman to follow suit of they think that they could. Ayakashi quickly retreating back into the forest where strafe had come from in an effort to loose herself once again, slowly making her way around the outside of the Daimyo's estate.

'I have to stop taking these kinds of risks...'

Ayakashi thought to herself for a moment looking at her arm, a long red line etched across it, no more than a few milimeters deep, so fine that not a drop of blood had spilled out of it, but it was definitely a wound from Bao Sanniang. Her guillotines were a lot faster than Ayakashi remembered, it seemed that the girl was really trying this time, if Ayakashi had even been the slightest bit slower, then perhaps the after-image of her substitution may have been a reality. It was a fools move, but one that she would not have happen again. This was serious, and she needed to stop fighting these opponents like every other fight she had ever been in, she needed to fight this like she was back in the seven bells war, not like she was fighting her friends in training spars she had been for the last little while. It was not the time nor the place to be domestic about this, it was time to get mad, time to let the inner beast loose and truly wreak havoc upon these invaders, showing them what she was 'really' capable of!

Ayakashi in her mental processing had taken a turn that she had intended, leading her into a position that she had not forseen. Bao Sanniang and the jade spearman had managed to cut her off, anticipating her movements to stay in the vicinity of the Daimyo compound, they had headed off to meet her rather than simply follow in her footsteps like the men that followed them. It was the cry of effort with the throwing of the spear that Ayakashi heard a moment before the strike had landed. Breaking from her run and throwing her weight back, Ayakashi crouched into a slide across the ground, the spear cascading over-top of her as her two opponents dashed from the forest, the slender and lithe younger girl keeping her distance from the mizukage while the man dove in to reclaim his weapon, knowing that his back was well and truly covered. It was Bao that recognized the change of expression on Ayakashi's face, even under the mask she could feel that something was different about her, her posture seemed more tired, Ayakashi was making less fancy movements...

To the untrained eye, this would look like fatigue... But Bao saw it as clear as day.

Murderous killing intent, radiating from her like an aura of animalistic malice so thick it was palpable.

It was like looking into a mirror.

[1389 words]

"Guard my back, wide angle jutsu to the rear in 5! 4!"

As the Mizukage drew two more weapons, Strafe instantly recognized the fuma shuriken that he had faced in previous spars. She was deadly with the weapon, and he knew that she was planning something. He would turn in time and created several hand signs before finishing and rushing chakra into the moisture around him. This technique was fast, and a huge range. Ice and snow built before him before rushing like a wave of death. It barreled forward, rushing towards the swordsman, who had just just appeared out of the forest. While this technique could be used with Hailstorm Technique to a much higher effect, this was all he needed. He watched as the swordsmen realized what he walked into, but he didn't seem worried. They both knew the shield maiden was still around. Only a second after he thought this, she appeared in front of her comrade to block the attack. They both rose in the aid as she forced it to rush to either side of her. A shining on her shield told the Sannin that she was using some sort of enhancement technique to make annoying to her, but she wasn't struggling. At least not yet. Strafe would dart around the distracted duo, using the jutsu as cover to cleave through what men were still running with them. A simple twist of his body caused his staff to flurry. He would moved carefully, using the length of his dual weapons to his advantage. He could disarm them by slapping their hands with his bo-staff, then take their life with his legendary weapon. He took them down in quick, sharp movements as ten bodies fell one after the other.

He would look to the duo, who had already spotted him and headed his way. Strafe once again took off, darting back into the forest as his voice rang back. "If that is what you call defense, I suggest you follow me to see the real thing." He would add the slightest laugh at the end, knowing it would be enough to secure their attention. Sure enough, he heard their following footsteps and sighed. It was time to get serious and show then what a Sannin of the Mist was capable of. He would turn and immediately send a few more fuuton blades their way. They had yet to see the attack, and so it was a perfect distraction. He would dart to the side of them, following in their wake to flank as soon as the blades had their attention. This time however, the swordsmen stepped forward, taking out the chakra blades with simple swing of his own weapons. Perfect. Strafe would dart from the left side of them, aiming his bladed bo-staff at the swordsmen's head. The shield maiden was there in what seemed like a a part of a moment. Strafe planted the staff of the hurricane on the forest floor, using it to leap over her with the grace and elegance that only a bojutsu user could show. He would activate a medical ninjutsu within his body, a common jutsu that seemed to be made for someone like her. He would allow his right foot to make contact with her blade, finalizing the connection. Body Pathway Derangement was complete, and it would at least take her a few seconds to gather herself and figure out what was wrong. He would then use his foot to push off of her, sending her to the floor as he used the extra speed to clash with the swordsmen.

His blade was blocked by the man's sword, allowing Strafe to bring his Staff of the Hurricane's towards the man's mid section. He was aiming for a broken rib or more, but he his staff soon met metal with a clang as Guan Ping had used chakra to create an exact replica of his sword in his other hand. It seemed that things were really getting serious. Luckily, Strafe had more than just the first combo in mind. What this swordsman didn't know, is that Strafe was just as dangerous up close as he was at a distance. Even the Mizukage had not seen his full abilities, and so he was ready to show the world just how dangerous he could be. Their eyes met as they exchanged several furious clashes of metal. Strafe's staffs spun with precision as he blocked and dodged each with accuracy. His arrogance would be his downfall. Strafe's left eye sparkled cyan as his dojutsu was activated at it's highest level. Luckily, Guan Ping fell directly into his trap, but his face was not one of desperation. Strafe saw his blade at the last moment, noting the increase in speed as he moved his staff to block it. Alas, he was too late as it glanced off of his staff and cut into his shoulder. However, the man was now still as his body was locked down. Strafe jumped out of their range as Xingcai started to figure out how to move. The blade had stayed with the man's rigid hand, though the would it left was throbbing. Strafe was lucky, a few more inches and an artery would have been severed. Strafe would grimace as he finished looking at it. His whole body started to glow green as he began the healing process. A hand free technique was best for this situation, as he needed to be able to defend himself. They would be back soon and he didn't have very many more tricks to keep them busy.

[Clone and Kaia]

Strafe's clone stopped before they were in distance of the Daimyo's compound. "Without Shitai's stealth, we are going to have to find a different way of going about this. What do you think is the best way to go about it? I'm not sure that will work again...." He said as the clone racked his mind for ideas. Hopefully her fresh perspective would give him the idea he needed. He was still in the form of Iro as the young's boy's face scrunched in the deep thought. They would not let the Mizukage down. Iro looked down to see the Honor Guard walking and patroling the compound with trained and unwavering attention. This was going to suck.

Then an idea struck him, and his face turned into a smile. "What if I flood part of the building causing them all to come out.?" He would wait for her response before going any further.

2nd Mission Word Count: 3000/3000
3rd Mission Word Count: 758/3000

Ayakashi allowed her foot to catch in the ground as she slid, the force of the sudden stop of her legs caused her upper body to collapse upon it, her knee then bending as she would tumble into a quick shoulder roll before coming back up to her feet, gliding over her head was pinwheel after pinwheel of the deadly guillotines as Ayakashi skillfully avoided them one after the other. Coming up to a standing stance Ayakashi wouldn't stop, blade in hand she flurished the glimmering steel as with three loud clangs another quarter dozen of the deadly flying guillotines found themselves in the ground to either side of the mizukage. Leaning forward an unnatural amount, Ayakashi would make a mad dash for the bushes in which Bao Sanniang would find herself... but, it seemed that the maiden was not one to go without a fight. This ambush was not something that the Mizukage would come out of unscathed, with the spearman behind her having recollected his weapon. the best move was to charge the source of the trouble head on, Ayakashi was completely focused on the task at hand... yet still something wasn't right about her positioning in the shrubs so far away...

Ayakashi thought on some level that the ranged fighter would not allow herself to be isolated like this...

It was in that moment that Ayakashi could feel the well of chakra from the forest, the swell of chakra Ayakashi would immediately identify the elemental source of the technique as Fuuton in nature and it was coming for her, quickly. Bao's main weapons may have been the Vortex Death Spinners, but they were not the relic that was handed to her by the Daimyo, Having grabbed either one of the powerful fans that were in her disposal, charging them with an immense sum of chakra and swung them in Ayakashi's direction, a flurry of wind would be kicked up in a freak cyclone that would threaten to envelop the mizukage. The issue was, the tornado was not only quick moving wind fast enough to disorient anyone caught within it, the wire and death spinners that had been thrown were picked up by the immense ability, pulled into its walls making the entire fuuton stream a blender capable of shredding anything in its path...

Ayakashi knew that she wouldn't be able to defend against it head on.

Using her own chakra, charging her rope dart with the 5 that would be needed to throw the weapon with all the extra speed she needed grabbing the weapon just shy of the base as it was thrown. The chakra rocked propulsion was enough to drag Ayakashi in its wake with the force of her throwing it, pulling her arm hard as she released it in mid flight, landing a hand on the ground to route herself as she looked up at the opponents that were now all around her... 'body flicker' she thought to herself...' falling from one trap after the other the remaining forces of the red-coats had surrounded her, no longer chasing after their tiger... Something was dead wrong with this image, Ayakashi was trapped, tied down, she would not be able to fight off this dozen men and two of the assassins at the same time, not without help, they were too dangerous and too many. Entrapped, Ayakashi could feel the massive swarm of chakra building up in the mouths of the routed criminals.

There was only one recourse.

Drawing the true power of her hyouton into all of her tanketsu, she would release it in a black aura of cold that would begin to leak from her skin. What came next would be extreme, as breath type jutsu in their tens would be thrown in Ayakashi's direction from every angle, obscuring her from view as they exploded around her. The chakra around her intermingling and forming a chaotic mass that simply detonated. Every one of the B rank jutsu would be enough to cause severe damage, but with them all focused on a single location, it would be a miracle if anyone were to get out of them okay... Lasting several moments the techniques would come to an end. Ayakashi would break off her S rank defensive technique, barely saving her from the overwhelming source of chakra as she would grind to a halt from her spin, panting for once as the force and holding that technique for a tad longer than she was usually able was something she didn't like doing.

She needed a means to escape and cull the heard...

Changeling, though it was a versitile weapon, was not something that allowed her to chew through this many ninja, it was a weapon made to be devastating in one on one duels. As the Mizukage searched her environs for something that she would be able to use... something interesting came to pass. Whether it was a miracle or coincidence, a glint from the sun seemed to hit the copper sheen of something that had fallen from her coat in the aftermath of the attack, penetrating through the smoke cloud that began to clear from the epicenter of the explosion. What lay at her feet was none other than one of the scrolls used to summon one of the 7 legendary swords of kirigakure. Serpents Tongue. Why the scroll for this weapon seemed to so conspicuously fall from her at that moment, as if begging to be wielded, she could not explain, but the weapon was a solution to so many problems that were directly in play right now...

There was no way this was a coincidence. The blade wanted to be used.

Slamming her hand down for the scroll with enough force that the shockwave would unfurl it, blowing away the last of the cloud and revealing her presence. Ayakashi would happily pay the 5 chakra to summon the blade from the scroll. Power would crackle in her fingertips as blue lightning would begin to surge from the fuuinjutsu seals that bound the weapon. The weapon had chosen her as its master, it was as simple as that, the divine will of the seventh of Kirigakure's seven swords would be Ayakashi's to command here, possibly one of the greatest Bukijutsu masters in the world, history may have considered it a crime that she had not coiled her fingers around the hilts of one of these blades with a formal title attached to herself for doing so. There was a moment of hesitation and awe from the enemies around her As Ayakashi would clench the weapon tightly, allowing the needles in the weapon's hilt to taste her blood, creating the mental link between herself and the blue tinted steel.

The biting sensation would temporarily Dull Ayakashi's senses as she would happily flow a strong sum of chakra into the blade, enough to make a person drunk on the power of the demon ice witch, glowing brightly, the men around her would finally attack, charging chakra down their own weapons, some would lash chakra threads down for her, while others would empower their weapons with their own chakra, charging her from all angles. it would matter little, as not a single one of the B rank men around her would be able to react to the speed of her next attack, with a single flourish and spin the links of the short sword would seperate, creating a large whip that would completely encircle the mizukage in a ring, before they would pull away from the center of the sword all at once, flying at 60mp/s, more than one for every target that had simultaniously charged her, penetrating through their chests, necks, eyes and vital locations in a single bloody spread.

Ayakashi would stand tall, holding the hilt to her side as the pieces one by one would accumulate beside her. There was a new wielder of the seventh blade, and all of a sudden, ayakashi felt a lot more confident in herself...

Looking into the brush where she knew Bao to lay, Ayakashi motioned for her to come at her, it was time for the mizukage to fight the two of these assassins head on...

As The Sannin's green glow began to fade, His wounds were fully healed and he was once again at full strength. However, he moved to put his staff of hurricanes back in it's resting place. It was time to use his Raidachi to it's fullest extent. He immediately started to spin the weapon that few had seen used too it's fullest. It's metal surface started to crackle with raiton energy as he surged his chakra into it. While both had trouble moving or showing shock, The eyes of Guan Ping and Xingcai told the whole story. They both knew that the Sannin was completely serious and ready to fight to the death. He would then charge forth, knowing that Guan Ping was not ready to fight again. However, Xingcai would not be dsiabled so easily, as she then moved at her incredible speeds. Strafe would duck as she swung to block his path, followed by a quick spin of his legendary weapon. The result was it landing against the kite shield she was so famous for. He would grimace before flourishing his weapon again and bringing his center of gravity downwards. He would attempt to sweep her feet, but the woman was prepared. a pillar of doton rose up, saving her feet from the numbing strike. His staff simply bounced off before he continued to spin it in the opposite direction. The Sannin's face became a bit angry as he realized just how much she rivaled him in defense and avoiding damage. He however, was not alone alone in this fight as she currently was.

He would take a leap, allowing the height to be against her advantage as she was barely a few feet above his head. She would point the suddenly close tip of Raidachi at her side, though she pivoted to allow her shield to meet it once again. However, this was but a distraction as eyes glowed in a brush nearby. As soon as her attention was fully on Strafe, Momaru would pounce with incredible speed as he swiped at her back. He would make contact, while not penetrating her armour, and send her backwards ten meters. Strafe landed beside him with a nod as he looked to the maiden. Xingcai's expression was surprised, but she did not look worried. Did all this time of being invincible against lesser opponents teach her such arrogance? Surely he would have to adjust that view. The lion's eyes darted to Strafe's body, which did not have a scratch on it. Strafe hid a smile as he felt the pride of Kirigakure swell inside of him. He was doing well, and he was just getting started. Raidachi still spun at his side, waiting to strike in whatever manner the Sannin wanted.

She got up slowly, but Momaru had already lept forward, aiming another few swipes from the front. Her kite shield immediately responded, allowing her safety from the feline's gigantic paws. Strafe however had a different target. Guan Ping stood still frozen in his previous position, not forgotten to the Sannin's mind. To waste such a good opportunity to eliminate an assassin? He would never forgive himself. The Seven Swordsmen rushed forward with Raidachi still spinning as he aimed to end the man's life. However, Xingcai would not have it. As soon as Strafe started to bring down the blade at the end of his staff, her body appeared in a puff of smoke as it glanced off. Momaru was not far behind though as he used his incredible weight advantage to put more stress on her shield. He could feel her start to loose strength before she used the technique Strafe had only heard off. The pulse was sudden, however both Momaru and Strafe slid backwards as they were pushed away with pure chakra. The Sannin never lost sight of her as her eyes seemed to glare holes into them. She was proving to be annoying. They regrouped as she prepared herself for another onslaught of attacks.

The woman then surprised them by going on the offensive. She sent a burst of fuuton chakra forward that danced with blades in it's winds. The both of them dodged to either side, using the movement to close in on their opponent. Strafe would attack high as Momaru went low. They moved seamlessly as if they were one person testing every bit of strength and reaction timing she had. Strafe's legendary weapon buzzed with energy as it continuously moved and clanged off of her equally impressive shield. One slip up was all they needed, and they soon found it. With a furious charge, Momaru dropped his shoulder and used his strength to make her loose footing. It was then that Strafe charged in, bringing Raidachi down on the hand that carried her hook blade. While it did not slice it off, it cut deep before being yanked out. Her gasp was sudden, though the body part was soon numbed as it hung by her side. Her weapon on the floor, Xingcai was now in a desperate situation. She had no offense to match the duo's, and Guan Ping would not be able to fight for a bit longer. She was now the one with the disadvantage.

[Strafe's Clone and Kaia]

The clone furrowed his brow before realizing that there was a jutsu Strafe had yet used in combat. One that he had not tried on the field of battle, but now was the perfect time for it. Standing still, the clone spread chakra to the very outer portions of his body. Slowly, but surely, the clone started to fade until he disappeared from sight. "Kaia, I am still here, I won't be able to be seen or detected. I want you to stay here, as I will need a distraction to escape in case things go badly in there" He spoke honestly as he didn't know how long or how well he could keep up the jutsu at it's untrained state. With a nod from her, he would take off, allowing himself undetected movement past the otherwise unpassable guards. He would use his agility and speed to get up the wall silently and into a window that was open. He then froze as two guards passed the doorway in front of him. The clone mentally sighed as his small head looked around the room. It was fancily decorated and several portraits of obviously important men hung from the wall. A bed sat to his left and the doorway was directly in front of him. If the clone's guess meant anything, this was the room of the daimyo, but there was no way to be certain.

With his surroundings surveyed, the clone moved forward, looking around the frame of the door into a hallway. A pair of guards were at one end which lead to stairs. The other end lead into a room with several people in it. The first that caught Strafe's attention was the Daimyo himself. He seemed rather off and dazed as he looked around. Two more men sat in the room, one of them being the mounted assassin that saved Zhao from the Mizukage and Strafe. His eyes narrowed at the man, but he could not let petty angry get in the way of this mission. He would duck his head back in to allow the guards to pass before sticking it back out. He watched as the Daimyo seemed to start asking questions like who they were and why they were in his compound. All of this seemed rather strange as his symptoms were similar to that of a memory loss patient. However, all his questions were answered as the man in front of him used a strange jutsu on the man. The Daimyo's eyes faded as the life seemed to be stomped out of them. So he was being mind controlled the whole time? Strafe couldn't help but wonder how many others were under the same influence. It was at that moment that clone made a huge error. As he turned to leave, he bumped a table with his side, causing a vase to fall over and shatter. Both guards could be heard rushing out to the room as the clone ran and dashed out of the window onto the ground below. They would have known he was there now, and so he had no time to wait.

The clone would move back to where Kaia was as they watched the compound start to go into lockdown mode. Soon, they would realize the intruder was not there and begin to widen their search. That probably meant the other two assassins would join the fray soon. "They mission is complete, Let's go!" Strafe spoke to Kaia as he would pick her up and take off. The jutsu would fade as he had very little chakra left. It was time for them to get out of this place and use the information to form their next strike against the enemy.

3rd Mission Wordcount: 2283/3000

Jutsu being Trained:

Ayakashi had thought herself to stand her ground against the two assassins, the seventh legendary blade of the seven swordsmen at her side as she would stand tall and proud. One of her enemies stood behind her, while the other stood in the brush before her. Each of them had lethal blades at the ready should Ayakashi make her charge for either one of them... But one was a far better target than the other. While attacking the spearman and proving once and for all who the superior fighter was, was a tempting ideal, it would mean turning her back on Bao, which with her throwing weapon expertise, was simply not the grandest of ideas in the long run, allowing her to set up her traps and become even more of a nuisance than she already was. While attacking Bao head on, would leave the spearman to attack her from behind, chasing her, but that way the Mizukage would be able to engage them both at close range where she would excel. The plan was in place, even Bao at a distance seemed a tad disgruntled at what she was able to achieve with Serpents' Tongue at her side. Neither of them wanted to be the one who would take the twenty projectiles in point blanc range...

and who could blame them.

But, as neither of them moved, Ayakashi looked over her shoulder at the man behind her, she could see a grin stretched across his face... but for what? Ayakashi had no clue why this would be the case, something was wrong. Perhaps they were not attacking on purpose? Had Ayakashi fallen into a trap of their maniacal design? Or was it merely the grin of a madman staring down an opponent that he believed to be his equal? It was hard to tell, though Ayakashi's fears became realized when the ground began to rumble at her feet. Looking down she could see the stones beginning to tremble and rattle as they began to skip across the ground. Looking down at them quizically for a moment, the Mizukage attempted to think at what kind of jutsu they could be performing to have an Earthquake factor this far away from either of them... Her eyes looked up to survey the horizon as she saw the cloud approaching from the direction of the Daimyo's estate. The rumble wasn't coming from a jutsu, it was coming from reinforcements! As soon as the Mizukage realized what was happening, they were in her line of sight.

Hundreds of men...

The charging unit from a distance weren't running, but charging, each and every one of them mounted on a warhorse and wearing red cavalry armour as well as their red coloured shades. Even with the power of Serpents Tongue, Ayakashi would likely not be able to win in a head on confrontation with an entire mounted cavalry division. Each of the warhorses were armoured and outfitted. The men who rode them, many of them carrying naganata or short-bows would be a massive problem to the Mizukage, being able to effectively attack at all ranges without the need to pursue at her own speed. It was a clever tactic to be sure. The small bands of thirty that had been sent with the assassins were merely their own diversion to trap them for a coup de graces. Looking back over her shoulder she could see another plume of dirt rising, as it seemed this cavalry unit had long split into two, one for each of the menaces that were striking and running at the groups.

No doubt the Assassins had a plan to finish them off..

As Ayakashi made a move to dart in the direction of the foliage, the spearman behind were was already on top, taunting loudly as he would strike for Ayakashi's leg with the intent of keeping her in place. Ayakashi was forced to turn, somersaulting backwards from the plume of green fire which erupted from the tip of the blade as he barely missed his mark. Landing Ayakashi would retract Serpents tongue into its sword form, holding changeling in a form much the same as she would ready her defense, thinking the man would attack again... She was wrong. Whistling came from head-height behind her head as Ayakashi found herself instinctively taking a sliding step backwards and ducking to see four of the vortex death spinners of Bao whisk over her head straight for the spearman before her. Ayakashi processed the strike in a microsecond as she realized the danger of her scenario. They were trying to slow her down, and it was going to work... Yun with the skillful use of his spear quckly deflected the four spinners downward for Ayakashi's legs and to either side of her. The wires behind them reeling backwards to entrap Aya within then veritable net.

Taking the full step backwards, Ayakahsi would ignore the two that went to her sides, as it seemed to her at the time that they were solely there to prevent her from moving to either side. With the full step backward, the two spinners lodged deeply into the ground at her feet. It was only then bought to her attention that the two which had been to either side, had been on differing sides before they were deflected. Grimacing Ayakashi rose one blade high above her head, blocking the two tightening strands which would come down upon her, while she rose the second in front of her as the two wires before her crossed over, tightening for her waist. as the bladed wires of the deathspinners trapped their foe, even ayakashi could feel the chakra coursing down them... But if only that were the end of her troubles... Now tied, the spearman moved in to strike at her blind spots, while Bao behind them, had a trap of her own. The two to either side were thrown by opposite hands. Crossing the wires over to begin with, with a second tighten on her end, the wires would scissor shut behind aya, bisecting the Mizukage with but a flick of her wrists.

It was over...

Zhou charged from the front with a single lunge from the spear, the cavalry raging in from the side moving to encircle the Mizukage while avoiding the threads of Bao as she pulled them tight. Sending a guillotine directly for Ayakashi's back while she was pinned from the front and two sides... But it was the ear-pearcing impact which broke through the silence. As Bao-Sanniang came hurtling from the foliage through a tree which promptly split in two. The threads around Ayakashi immediately loosened, the loss of pressure allowing her to move her blades to swiftly parry the tip of the jade spear to a side, delivering an unexpected round-house kick to the side of Zhous' temple. Looking back to see that Bai, with his magnificent size and stature had slunk up behind the assassin, and with but a single swipe of his paw, launched her a dozen meters out into the open, sprawled out along the ground... Sadly Aya's kick, in quick desperation and follow-through was hardly her strongest. No more than likely concussing the assassin as with a single bound she out-sped the enclosing cavalry, charging for the bushes where Bai too retreated.

She needed to find her cousin.

Radioing him in, Ayakashi would call his name.

"Cousin of mine, the cavalry is here, literally. Do you have everything yet, this distraction is getting harder and harder to keep up. I'm fine, but I'm afraid I'm beginning to slow down. Get that map and evidence and get out!"

As Strafe would respond affimatively, Ayakshi would smile, performing her body flicker technique which would take her miles from the scene in an instant, allowing strafe to also make his way from the battlefield. The enemy would no doubt think they had won, but, now they had everything they needed. They had the means to turn the General of the Daimyo's army against their master, as well as a map of the compound. But also, the secret behind the techniques that the Daimyo's adviser used to control the others. Once they were back at their camp and talking over the responses to everything. Ayakashi would come up with her next plan, sadly, this was something she would have to do in other company, as strong as her cousin was, she was not about to let one of the people she loved die for her as some sacrificial lamb.

No, Ayakashi was going to need other allies, ones who she could use, and ones that she could bear to loose if she had to. Thanking her Cousin, Ayakashi would pay him the Ryo he was owed for the successful mission.

Now begins the finishing chapter.

[1308]