A quiet day, the wind whistling through the leaves of Konohagakure. People were going about their business, running shops, moving in and out from houses, and talking. Ninja were going off to do missions and defend the village from what little threats currently posed to it. And right now, there was a genin, doing the exact same. Currently stood at the gate leaving Konohagakure, Izayoi was a short guy, standing at a mere five foot five. Clad in a blue and black combat kimono, his pale skin starkly contrasted with the colours. His hair, dark and long, was done neatly back in a ponytail, flowing backwards behind him in the soft breeze. His eyes, gazing the surroundings with a harsh calculating glare, are a light grey at the pupil and iris, the sclera a perfectly normal white. Covering his forehead, in a rather normal location for the thing, this genin wears his Konohagakure forehead protector, the symbol of the leaf village bearing proudly outwards, while at his left thigh was his weapon satchel, storing a rather average amount of shinobi gear; six senbon and one kunai total. A rather standard amount of equipment. This cold, calculating guy was Izayoi, an orphaned member of the branch family of the Hyuuga.

The red rooved buildings behind him, Izayoi gazed out past the gate, waiting like a hawk, eyes scanning the area. On this morning, Izayoi had his first proper mission, one that he intended on performing as best he could. Not only was it his duty as a leaf ninja, someone who is bound by nothing but destiny and birth to serve the village of leaves, or at the very least, his leaf village superiors, but it was also his duty as a member of the branch family of the Hyuuga. Were his parents still alive, they would surely kill him if he had thoughts of treachery. So, he has no treacherous thoughts. Everything must be for the sake, for the better, of the village hidden in the leaves. Furthermore, the mission was something that would go well for Izayoi’s long term goal, his dreams, his ambition and his motivation, so it was a no-brainer that he had to perform well. A well-known ninja, perhaps even a famous or influential one, from a nearby village, was requesting an escort. Supposedly, the reason for the hired escort is not so much for the ninja to be protected, as a renowned ninja likely doesn’t need protection, but instead, to better relations between the two villages.

After either ten or fifteen minutes of waiting, Izayoi regained posture, watching as the ninja he would be escorting approached. Clad in basic training shorts and vest, with a light flak jacket to protect her from being stabbed, she approached the gates of Konohagakure with a rather relaxed, casual posture, as if there wasn’t really anything that bothered her. Izayoi expected her to have arrived at the gate from within the village, but if they were to guess, she was the sort of ninja who didn’t really stick to one place for a long time, often on the move. Izayoi couldn’t understand those types of people, but regardless, the thought was irrelevant. So, instead of where the shinobi came from, Izayoi focused on the particular details about her, perhaps to recognise her at a later date, or see if there were any things he could determine and use as information for the future. So he looked, eyes subtly judging the ninja. Her hair was short, uniform, and a light brown, something rather unremarkable. Her eyes were blue, while the colouration of her clothing was a khaki beige with highlights of green and complements of brown scattered about. Overall, nothing that could perhaps hint at a bloodline limit, but Izayoi was fine with this. It just meant that she must have worked harder to become a famed ninja, or had a more… Concealed kekkei genkai.

With a curt bow, Izayoi turned to properly face and greet the ninja. “Izayoi of the Hyuuga, genin that has been appointed as your guard! Reporting for duty!” he announced, voice almost deceptively daft. With a grin, the woman dismissed his bow, Izayoi regaining his posture of being upright, but growing slack, trying to appear more relaxed and casual than his desire for formality. He had a façade to uphold after all, and he wouldn’t make people think he was cheerful and silly by being professional. Still smiling, the woman spoke up. “I’m sure you were already briefed on this, but my name is Aka Komahina, a ninja from the land of tea. You’re to escort me, and keep me company, on my trip back. It’ll be a long walk, but otherwise should be fine. Any questions?” asked the woman, Izayoi deciding to play up the persona of being rather slow. After all, if he could get his acted façade to spread to beyond the village, then he would have an alias to work behind. Nobody doubted the ditz. With an audible hum, Izayoi placed his finger to his chin, an overemphasis on the concept of thought. With a nod, he spoke up, having thought of a question that didn’t need an answer, but would scout what this woman expected of the mission. “If we end up under attack, what is the plan?” he asked, feigning ignorance, voice sounding as if it were a completely legitimate question. With a sigh, clearly deciding that such a question came down to the short person in front of her being a new genin, Aka answered as best and least patronizingly as she could. “Well, you see, our plan isn’t there. There is no plan for us. You however, are the one doing the work. I get to relax and have a nice time, maybe point out flaws in your poor technique. Okay?” Izayoi, at that, bit his tongue quite literally, fuming at her being so patronising and looking down to him. How dare she look down on him so much?

The question cleared up, Izayoi waited, watching as Aka Komahina stretched out, yawned, then turned back away from the village. Clearly not one for wasting time, she gestured ahead of her. “Well then. We’ve got quite the walk ahead of us. Shall we go?” she announced, quite cheerful in tone. A cheerfulness that already begun to grate on Izayoi’s mood. How could someone be so happy? The thought aggravated him, just as much as how much he was mad at her patronising attitude. Of course, none of this was shown by his rather calm, happy exterior. With a nod, he followed, striking a pose. Wow, how he hated to pose, but it further added to the silliness, the guise, people would associate with him and his name. The long walk back to the village she was from, then, began. A very long walk, but one that would, rather fortunately, not prove entirely boring. Majority boring, but not entirely.

The walk itself wasn’t challenging or taxing. A rather basic, perhaps even relaxing and therapeutic walk through the woodland area of Hi no Kuni, listening to the occasional sounds of birdsong, animals rustling through the bushes and shrubbery, and other things people would deem pleasant, and this woman was included in those that enjoyed it. Izayoi personally was indifferent, however they could not exactly show that, their persona presenting as someone who loved most things and was easily pleased. So, the walk happened, idle chit chat and conversation occurring, mostly on Aka’s end, but to keep up the act, Izayoi tried to keep up. No wonder this mission had such a high reward. While Izayoi had a rather antisocial disposition, even a normal person would probably suffer from this ninja’s talkative nature. How could she be so happy?

So, after what seemed to Izayoi like an eternity, they found themselves at a clearing. A long stretch, clearly walked often, that led to a gate. A village gate. It was smaller than the one at the entrance for the village hidden in the leaves, but perhaps that can be expected from it being a significantly smaller village. Unlike the vibrant red that Izayoi was used to with the leaf village, this place was a much duller colour, akin to a cream or a beige perhaps. To Izayoi, it was far more pleasant, a lot less of an eyesore than the palette of Konohagakure. So, with a grin that he put on for his façade’s sake, Izayoi stepped towards the village.

With a flash, the situation changed. Wind whipping up suddenly, leaves swirling around by something that Izayoi could recognise as ninjutsu, likely the body flicker technique, three ninja appeared, each with a different forehead protector covering their forehead with only one thing in common with the pattern of the village insignia displayed; a line, struck horizontally through the middle. Missing ninja, if Izayoi had to take a guess, not terrifying ones either. After all, Izayoi had heard many rumours that if someone is truly scary, truly powerful, that one can sense their malice. Izayoi however, couldn’t feel anything more than the breeze, eyes glaring daggers at the three. He was really, really hoping to get this mission over and done with, yet here were three things that would make it take a little bit longer. Of course, being as laidback as she had been before, Aka took a step back, shrugging as she spoke. “Well, from what you told me while we were walking, you’ve been working on your combat skills anyways. Plus, we did talk about this before we left, right? So, have fun with that, and try not to get too hurt.” As it had the entire walk, her voice grated on his ears. Oh, he’d grown to dislike this person, although he would of course, still respect her for her alleged strength and skill. So, stepping forwards towards them, Izayoi spoke out loud, dropping his cheery tone for but a moment as he declared now, quite openly and blatantly. “If you wish to live, you will leave now.” A pause, as he stomached his pride and spoke once more. “I have been tasked with escorting this person, and she was a great conversationalist. You will not hurt her” wow that hurt to say. Like, seriously, if words could hurt people, then right now Izayoi was stabbing himself verbally. For making him say such things, if they did not heed his warning, Izayoi would be stabbing the missing nin ahead of him. Although, of course, that would be literally, not verbally.

It was when the leftmost ninja, a small, lithe figured character nearly completely concealed by cloth, stepped forward, that Izayoi felt an utmost feeling of joy, although his dread expression remained the same. Finally, a chance, an opportunity, to take out his anger and frustration. Focusing chakra into his eyes, Izayoi stared ahead of him at the one who moved, veins appearing on the sides of his face, his byakugan active now. The one who stepped forward first, was of course the first to act, running forward at a sprint of a pace, and taking out a kunai from their sleeve they rushed forwards with intent on cutting and stabbing the Konoha ninja to death, angered by the taunting. Violence was clearly their silent retort. With a sigh, Izayoi simply ducked to the right, avoiding going on the offensive for the time being and being content to simply avoid the incoming attacks, finding the task simple due to the clumsy movements of the rogue. It was clear this person, like Izayoi, was new to the world of the shinobi.

The next to act was the shinobi to the right, a girl with a scar trailing all down the left side of her face, that sides eye completely shut, perhaps even missing said eye. A shame, but Izayoi made note to attack there if she approached too closely. That thought aside, she appeared more sensible than the one currently engaging Izayoi, instead opting to stand back and instead form hand seals. Several rocks on the ground rose and began to spin, before propelling themselves like shuriken towards Izayoi. Truly, it was fortunate this group was so terrible at co-ordination and teamwork, as Izayoi merely grabbed his foe by the arm, spun them around, and then used them as a meat shield from the weapons. Thwack, thwack thwack. With a clatter, the rogue’s kunai clattered to the floor, Izayoi deciding to take the offensive before the third ninja joined in.

First, the ninja pushed his recent meat shield in front of him, towards the girl who had used the tile shuriken technique. Then, finger catching the ring of the recently dropped kunai, Izayoi decided he’d be polite, and return that person’s lost kunai to them. Focusing chakra, he launched the Kunai at the ground directly in front of the trio of terrible missing nin, it clattering against the ground with a rather satisfactory sound. With a grin, Izayoi watched the confused expressions of the trio, caught within his genjutsu. Deciding that they would only be able to hear something now, Izayoi decided to afford himself the luxury of bragging, as soon they would be temporarily deaf. “You have been caught within my jutsu. A shame for you, but, allow me to say now. Welcome to Historia.” And at that, he rushed forwards, intent on finishing it rather fluidly. His first target, was the one who seemed most calm, the girl who had not moved at all, or used a technique. If Izayoi had to guess, they were in charge, or perhaps the weakest of the trio. Either way, defeating them would likely mess with morale, making the next kills, if they were daft enough to stay, a lot easier.

First thing was first, Izayoi wanted to make sure they were still within the world of Historia, spinning violently in front of the trio. Mid spin, with a click of his fingers, Izayoi caught the trio within his next technique, another of the Historia path he had been developing. To the unfortunate bandits that had chosen the wrong day to make a move, Izayoi appeared to shift two inches to the side, grinning wildly, manically, at those who tried to assail the duo. This technique, combined with his byakugan, would make this so much easier, so simple. He’d feel sorry for them, but really, he didn’t care. They were ants beneath his feet, and right now, he was taking a step.

The next few moments were akin to a blur, not so much for the famed ninja Aka, who simply watched with bemusement at the totally different personality the Hyuga displayed, but to the trio of ninja, caught within not one, but two genjutsu. Deciding he’d played about enough, Izayoi took his own kunai out from his weapon satchel, and prepared to end this combat, as well as the trio’s life. To the first ninja, who looked at him emotionlessly, and barely moved a muscle, Izayoi dealt a single, clean slice at the neck, the once unnamed assailant falling to the floor with a thud. The second, the girl who had used the shuriken jutsu, began to beg for her life, apologising abysmally, desperate to survive. Without hesitation, another clean cut, followed by another thud. The third, shrouded ninja, figured out what was going on, and with a panic, fled in an instant. The assailants dead, Izayoi sighed, finishing his mission swiftly. He didn’t bother explaining his behaviour, instead apologising, and making his way home. Wow, that was annoying. What a day.

2601 WC DONE
[EXIT THREAD]

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