Invite: Zetsume Zix

Kumo central city. The sun was setting behind the buildings, throwing its last rays through the streets where possible. Most other streets were already in the grasp of long shadows, and most people had returned home or left the district in favour for hot spots such as the Sky Bar or the Golden Horn Casino. A serene quietude was slowly settling in.

Since it had been dry weather for a change, Mizuki had decided to go for a little walk after having taken a bath. Feeling refreshed, the quietude and the cooling temperature of the day was welcome. She had been training all day, missing the opportunity to enjoy a dry day outside, and had decided to quickly pick up the last sunrays. Since she had left the baths, her attire was rather simple as she didn't feel like spending too much time undressing before going to bed. Her long black hair draped loosely over a purple shirt with a tiny pink hearts, under which she was wearing a knee-length black pleated skirt. Naturally, her katana rested on her hips, swaying with every movement - she'd probably go to sleep with it, if only she could sleep comfortable then.

As she strolled through the streets, she caught the sound of something crashing. Inquisitively, she turned around the corner and saw a figure grab a handful of glittering things from behind a broken window. A burglar? Now? As she approached, she could clearly see the man filling a sack with various ornaments - rings, armbands, necklaces, trinkets... various small items of little and huge value disappeared into the sack.

"Hey, you!", she shouted out, feeling bound by duty to watch over Kumo's streets. As she ran towards the burglar, he left the rest of his treasures for what it was and started a spring direction escape with the bag on his back. With an annoyed frown that someone was spoiling the little few leisure time she allowed herself, Mizuki sprinted after the man who seemingly had the idea to run towards the slumps, most likely to reach a district he was more familiar with.

He was rather fast though, and the way he used his environment to hamper her pursuit only showed how used the burglar was to doing his job. Unfortunately for him, she was a kunoichi and therefore not exactly obliged to run through the streets. Focusing chakra in her feet, Mizuki ran up the walls to avoid the burglar's attempt of her slowing her down and created a clone of herself before running all up to the roof to stay out of sight as good as possible.

The burglar, in a rush to escape his chaser, didn't seem to have paid attention to Mizuki running up the walls as he still believed her to be in hot pursuit, but as  he came to realise no sound followed after all his antics, he dared to take a peek nonetheless. Upon seeing there was no one behind him, he slowed down, looking somewhat confused first before grinning to himself.

At that moment, Mizuki and her clone dropped down and positioned them before and behind him, head tilted slightly and a frown that betrayed her lack of amusement.

"Please, be so kind to comply to your surrender. I'd hate to take you down forcefully."
"Please?", he smirked. "What is this? A joke?"
"I can assure you I have no intention of joking. You are given one chance to surrender. If you fail to do so, I'll be obliged to take on a less diplomatic approach."
"Tsh. As if."

Bursting away, he knocked over the clone with a well placed shoulder and ran for freedom. A second later, blue/white ropes of lightning had wrapped themselves around his wraist, yanking him to a halt and with another yank, the burglar tumbled on the floor unhappily, the bag with goods falling next to him.

Chakra 130/150:

wc: 657

Repede gave a long and slow yawn as Zetsume finished his drink. The two of them were away from their secluded home to get a quick bite to eat within the village. One of their favorite spots, was a steak house that the two frequently went to. The people were friendly and the owner knew Zetsume well and would prepare the two a masterpiece of a meal. It was a perk to be a Jounin in the village, it seemed everyone knew him or had heard of him at some point or another. Not that Zetsume had ever wanted such publicity, it was hard not to be recognized by civilians. Repede grew weary of watching his owner finish his food, the dog wolfed down the food in almost one bite. Zetsume was different and would savor the flavor which sort of ticked Repede off. As Zetsume was wiping his mouth clean and paid his bill, a loud noise was heard. It was the sounds of something breaking and the two of them were quite curious who on their right mind would cause any trouble near him. May whatever gods they pray to have mercy, because Zetsume was not a kind man when it came to the threat of his village. He had been known to use any dirty trick in the book to get the job done and would do it again in a heart beat if need be. With a quick jump to the rooftops, the two of them went to the noise that was not too far off since the two of them could hear it. Zetsume formed four arrows from his Lightning Bolt in preparation of what may or may not come.

By the time Zetsume got there, the burglar was already in pursuit by another Kumogakure Shinobi. At first, Zetsume had thought that the one trying to catch the man was the child of the store, until she effortlessly jumped to the roof and used a clone. It was at this moment that both Repede and Zetsume knew that a ninja was on the hunt.  Not wanting to steal another's thunder per say, Zetsume trailed a little far behind. His eyesight was good, and he would keep within optimal shooting distance should the situation turn dire. Repede.... was a different story. The moment he saw the young girl in combat he attempted to follow before Zetsume grabbed the dogs tail which forced the dog to stop.

"I need you to get down there and be a shield for her should things go bad. I will stay here and keep watch. Dont get hurt buddy", he said to the dog before giving him a small pat on the head as the dog jumped from the roof and crept close to the action. Both the Kumogakure shinobi and her clone confronted the man one behind and one in front cornering the man and even attempted to coerce the man into giving up to no avail. It was a noble sight, but the man did not have such intelligence to know when he was defeated. With two shinobi and a well trained dog, he lost before he even knew it.

The man thought it was a joke that this girl thought she could stop him as he bulldozed through her clone and made it a few feet before being yanked to the ground with his precious stolen goods crashing down next to him causing most of it to spill out. Zetsume was still watching with the intent of not intervening as he hates being in the spot light. Everyone that heard what was going on was peeking outside to see the commotion. Zetsume was just about to whistle Repede back who was quite close to the action, until the man did the dumbest mistake of the night. Sure, stealing was bad but it was not as bad as what he was about to do.

With a shine of metal in the light, he pulled a small dagger hidden in his coat, with a loud scream he charged at his pursuer with intent to kill. While any shinobi could handle the situation, Zetsume and Repede were decently strong and felt obligated to intervene. Both Repede and Zetsume went into action at that moment. In but a moment, Zetsume formed his Luminous Shard (弦光電歌, Genkō Denka). With a small shine, his bow appeared as he drew back an arrow, expending chakra to enhance it. Aiming his sights, he shot towards the man's knee. The arrow pierced his knee, shattering the bone as Repede lept forth and bit down on the man's arm as he dropped the dagger instantly. Repede dragged the man by his arm away from the dagger and away from the other Kumogakure shinobi. Zetsume knew this was over, the man could not run nor fight back in his current state, and if he did. Zetsume would not show mercy. If it was not for the fact he felt like this man was from Kumogakure, he would have aimed for a vital spot instead of a crippling one.

Repede was yanking the mans arm back and forth tearing the man's muscles and skin. By the time Zetsume jumped down from the roof tops to make his presence known, the man was already crying and begging for the dog to stop. Zetsume in a calm tone spoke to his dog, "That is enough Repede, he will not be bothering another anytime soon."

Repede let go of the man's arm quickly as Zetsume walked past the shinobi. First he would address the man before the ninja. He had to make sure the man knew the severity of his transgressions. Kneeling down, he spoke to the man in a low tone. "You see, this is my village." Pausing to look at the other ninja before looking at the man after correcting his my to our "Our village. Stealing would have slapped on what, a few years? Attempting to kill an anointed shinobi from this village means I can kill you and no one will bat an eye, but I hope a few do because you chose to run this way. Who or where were you running to?"

The man smiled a grin that held animosity in it, spitting on Zetsume's face before his voice spoke. "I'm telling you nothing dog of Kumo!"

Wiping his face, Zetsume calmly stood up and walked away from the man on the ground. With a motion of his hand, Repede knew to attack again as the dog jumped forward and bit the man's shattered knee cap. With a yell, Zetsume tried to drown his cries out as he would greet the shinobi with a bow. The reason he left the man was because people were easier to talk to if they were closer to death. He could not lose much more blood and he needed to make sure that the people including this shinobi were safe.

Standing back up, he gave a warm smile and to this new face. He had not taken a look at her really until now. She was a pretty girl with long black hair, her katana was an interesting note to him. It was nice to see a fellow shinobi that held her head high and faced danger for the good of the people of Kumogakure. With a kind tone, he tried to drown the outside noise out as he spoke to her.  "Sorry to interrupt, really I am. My name is Zetsume Zix, a jounin from this village. And the fellow over there is Repede, my friend. Quite the skill you have there. With that blade and the ability to catch enemies, I am sure now that you had this situation under control. May I get your name?"

He gave a motion to Repede to come greet the shinobi. Repede walked forward and sat next to Zetsume with a tail wagging. The man was hurt, but he would survive. With any luck if he had friends he would talk. In Zetsume's experience, they all talk.

WC:1352

Jutsu/Items Used 240/255:

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you run away.", Mizuki stated as the man cursed under his breath for failing his escape. A bit clumsily, he stood back and eyed the lighting rope with a frown, then eyed Mizuki with narrowed eyes. Even though so far he had not succeeded in outrunning or outsmarting her, he guessed there was just one option left: outfighting her. He pulled a small dagger from his coat and charged at Mizuki, who reflexively let go of the jutsu, crouched in a stance and grabbed the hilt of her katana. Iaijutsu. Unlike petals and raindrops, this target could not and would not be missed.

However, before she could draw her katana, the man's knee suddenly burst with a sickening snap and a dog leaped to bite the arm with which he wielded his dagger. The dagger dropped, and the dog played with the man like he was nothing more but a ragdoll, tearing on his arm until it was in a rather sorry state. A bit surprised, Mizuki wondered what this was all about. She found it a rather needless show of violence for a foolhardy thief, not to mention she could handled the situation herself, and looked around to see who had commanded the dog to attack.

Her question was answered when a man about her age, perhaps a bit older, appeared. Black jacket, black jeans and black shoes, with the only colour on his attire being the fur of his jacket and the silver chains. Brown hair, a scar and a no-nonsense face, Mizuki wasn't too sure what she had to think of him that didn't relate to trouble. Then, after telling his dog to calm down, he walked straight up to the thief without so much a glint in her direction and started to state his business as if she wasn't even there. Rude.

"You see, this is my village.", he began, then corrected himself with a look in her direction to acknowledge her as Kumo-nin, and explained why he had intervened. The way he spoke with seeming lack of care as he stated how he could simply kill the thief without reprisal, then straight-forwardly interrogated him, shattered Mizuki's approach in a matter of seconds. So far for diplomacy, she guessed.

When the man refused cooperation despite his wounds and spat in Zetsume's face, Mizuki felt a shiver as the man's quiet confidence yet lack of reaction betrayed the danger he truly was. Giving the bandit as much as nothing return, he stood back up and allowed his dog to ravage the man instead. Mizuki felt almost sorry. Such a treatment was just overdoing it.

Breaking the screams of pain and terror with his calm voice, the man faced her, apologised and introduced himself. A jounin, huh? That explained a thing. Much like she worked hard to be stronger, she considered a jounin would have to work hard to tone down his strength a little. Still, when he assured her that she had, in fact, everything under control, she could only wonder why then he intervened? Was his sense of pride this strong, or was it something else? She'd have hard to believe a jounin would be out to prove himself towards a genin like her.

Nonetheless, Mizuki bowed and returned his greeting with a smile, "I am Raiu Mizuki, genin of Kumogakure and member of the Panther squad. A pleasure to meet you, Zix-san. Your assessment of my skill is correct. I had the situation under control, indeed."

The screams stopped, and Mizuki could see the dog return to sit next to his master, tail wagging happily. She flashed Repede a smile and bowed towards the dog as well. Even if this dog could be just as dangerous as Zetsume, her heart usually warmed up more for dogs than people.

"While I am grateful for your assistance, may I inquire why you intervened, Zix-san? This looks hardly the level of threat to bother a jounin of your skill with."

She hadn't seen the arrow at all until it shattered his knee, so she concluded he had shot from a place she couldn't spot him or from a distance that her eyes couldn't perceive properly enough to identify him or his weapon. Not exactly surprising, since he was a jounin.

Chakra 130/150:

wc: 736 + 657
= 1393

((Heh. I used to be an adventurer like you... :> ))

Zetsume brushed the hair from his face and to the side to be a little more open to her. He felt that he might have gone a little over board as she was almost patronizing him like he shouldn not be worried about smalll theifs. Zetsume was bred to kill, his family never showed mercy or any ounce of sympathy towards any one that would cause his village harm. Zetsume got his scar from his own fiancé that he shot down. What a wild world it was, while it did not bother him at all for what he had done, it appeared this shinobi was not all accepting of it. Zetsume will do whatever he feels necessary so he would not have to see good people hurt. This man would not die from these wounds, but he also would not be harming anyone for quite a long time. Zetsume had a quick thought of just ending him then and there, but information was key. In the thiefs current state, passed out due to excessive pain and lack of blood would yield no information. Zetsume will get the answers he seeks if there were any.

With a half cocked smile he replied to her, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. While you may have had the situation under control, I take no chances. Anyone who bears arms against my people will not be given mercy and I should not have to explain myself for doing what I did especially to a genin. Had you not been here, I would have snuffed his pestilence kind out in many different and inventive ways."

Zetsume motioned for a bystander to come to him, he told the person to get the nearest doctor. After handing him a somewhat large amount of money, the person ran off to do as told. While Zetsume really wanted to kill him, he would not do it. He could not validate his killing potential and thus deemed him to not be worthy of a death. Zetsume walked back to the genin to speak again,

"Thank you for standing up though against criminals. It is a hard task for genin to accomplish such a courageous act, and I respect you for that. However, had I not been here, would you have slain him? Perhaps disarmed him? My reasons for stepping in are because I cannot live with myself if someone got hurt and I stood back watching with the ability to help. If you thought this was bad....."

His voice trailed a bit off as he thought of the criminals he had made look like Swiss cheese. Not too long ago a criminal made it through these walls and killed many people. Zetsume had his fun with killing that man, oh what a delight. He decided it was best not to tell her that, And instead changed the sentence he had originally had.

"You should see the recent death counts here by criminals that were not executed because their crimes were not that sever at the time. We let go criminals after what a few years and expect a change? At least he can't hurt anyone and will remember this pain for many days to come. Now excuse me but I have business to attend to." with a small bow he walked off to the thief he had just shot. Grabbing the mans other side of his shirt, the side without large amounts of blood and tore off a long piece before handing it to Repede to sniff. He needed the kind of scent that had been saturated in a house living with criminals. Undoubtedly they don't seem to shower often and thus scent would be easy for Repede to follow. The dog gave a small bark in a direction before sniffing the ground to make sure it was this way. By this time many doctors and people came to the mans aid. Some gave glares at his but he paid no mind to it. He would do it again and again if need be without a second thought. Zetsume went back to the genin in hopes of trying to attain some sort of friendship.

"As I thought, we are close to a hideout of criminals. You may follow if you must, Repede would enjoy the company. Do not worry about him he will be processed and helped. So either you can follow me and we can discuss things along the way or you can go back home. Either or doesn't phase me, but the fact that the possibility of a hideout worries me to death."

Zetsume then motioned Repede to keep searching, the walk would take a little while to find the right house that gave the man the smell. With any luck, he could end this before it started.

Wc:805
Total:2157

((He used to be a criminal, till that arrow in the knee stopped him. Also sorry for all the talking))

Mizuki listened to his explanation and felt her cheeks colour a little red. Partially in annoyance because he openly told her he'd just have wiped out the man's existence if he had been alone, like a pest, uncaring for the life he represented, and partially out of shame that she had asked a jounin to explain his reasons - he was right. He did not have to explain himself to a lower rank like hers. He had earned his position as jounin for a reason.

"My apologies. You are right, I should not have asked for your reason of actions.", she replied with a slight bow.

Zetsume proceeded to ask a passerby to bring the man to a hospital, paying him royally for the deed and returned to speak to her. He explained how he felt about crime, the pride he fell someone else had stepped without so much a hint of hesitation, and how criminals, despite their punishment and sentence, often returned with a vengeance to cause even more disaster. To hear how such criminals had slain several innocents... Mizuki came to understand why Zetsume was so hard on them. Even if it was not her way of handling things, his harsh approach came from his love for the Village.

As he mentioned he had other business, she bowed to him, saying, "I understand. Thank you for explaining, Zix-san." She decided she'd wait for someone to pick up the criminal, matter of being sure no one or nothing would interfere at the last moment, since Zetsume was already walking away to execute the next step of a plan unknown.

As the doctors arrived, Mizuki explained the situation about the burglary and how the man had been unfortunate enough to cross the path with a jounin of the Village. Even then, they felt the need to shoot Zetsume a few glaring glances for the brutal way he had handled the man. And though she felt relieved she was not the only one thinking as such, she apologised on his behalf nonetheless. After all, she had been the one to start this pursuit, so all responsibilities fell on her shoulders.

Surprisingly, Zetsume returned to her and offered her a continuation of the job. The dog had caught scent and Zetsume assumed a hideout of sorts, which was a very likely situation considering the direction the man was running to. She looked at the dog with a smile, and felt somewhat happy the two had shown up in the end - the idea of being able to root out the source of this problem thanks to the good nose of a dog appealed to her.

"Thank you for your offer. I'll gladly accept it.", she bowed once more. It wasn't exactly the way she had envisioned her evening, considering the clothes she had picked out, but since the thief had already spoiled her stroll she could just as much see this through to the end. If anything, she could perhaps pick up a thing or two from Zetsume's combat style or investigative abilities as she assumed the jounin would make short work of the den even without her help. At least this time, she was prepared for whatever outcome.

As soon as Zetsume gave Repede the go, Mizuki followed the trail Repede picked up which seemingly lead to a less savoury part of the city. The buildings looked dirty, defiled with graffiti everywhere, boards and whatnots barring the doors and the windows of seemingly abandoned houses, here and there a local beggar sat down eyeing the shinobi suspiciously, some of them taking a swig of watered down alcohol to drown their miseries. The slums, where a large amount of the financially unfortunate resided was not the prettiest of sight and yet, it was hardly something that could be removed from a city - every society had people like this, no matter how hard they tried to get rid of it.

"What's the plan, Zix-san?", she asked him along the road. Since he was the more experienced shinobi now, she defaulted to his expertise much like she did when on a mission with her squad.

Chakra 130/150:

wc 697 + 1393
= 2090

((No worries. It's fun to have the serious one talk most of all =P))

To his surprise this genin wanted to come along. It brightened him a little to see a determined person to see it through till the end. That lone gave him hope for the friendship the two would have. While he was just a simple jounin, a man of little importance, he would hold respect for this Raiu Mizuki and her courage. Repede would make sure this shinobi was safe before Zetsume would. While they both dearly love the people, Zetsume was somewhat ostracized from others due to how he was. Regardless, this ninja would not get hurt. Her safety was both of their top priorities. Nodding to acknowledge her answer, the three set off to hopefully find the source of this man's will to steal. After a brief walk, they were in the slums of Kumogakure. A part of town Zetsume hated to walk through. For him, he saw their poverty from a lack of will to try. Looking around at building that had markings of graffiti and boarded up could be used to house the homeless. Walking by the beggers and low-lifes, he felt a certain disgust and sympathy. The odd emotions that were circling his head would not distract him from the source. There was a chance that gangs have overcome this small almost excluded part of town. Not many came this far, because not all came back from making it this far.

Despite taking the lead with his nose, Repede made sure that the genin was close by. Perhaps it was his weakness towards females, or the fear of losing a fellow Kumo ninja was beyond the dogs thought. All he could focus on was the scent and keeping her withing protecting distance. Mizuki spoke to Zetsume asking of a plan, and he had one though a tad bit risky. When Zetsume stopped looking around to make sure none were following or around, he replied as Repede stopped when he heard them stop.
"You're not going to like this but,I need to use you as bait.", Repede turned around and nipped at Zetsume's hand but the man ignored it and kept speaking because the dog did not let him finish speaking. "I am going to transform into the bandit using the transformation technique, except with one difference, the appearance of a wound. I will stumble around near here since we are close due to Repede's recent body movements closer to you.
If he has friends they will come to his aid, I need you then to make an appearance claiming to capture me. Like anyone who cares for another they will shield themselves and then we have them cornered. No one gets hurts I hope. Whenever I give the signal, which that I will collapse on the ground and they check me, make yourself known till then hide. Repede will cover you from anything else I am sure. I do not need him at the moment so keep him company please. He is a good dog and friend."


He meant it when he said it, it was pretty much his only friend. A loyal dog with infinite love and rage. As he finished he used Transformation Technique (変化の術 ~ Henge no Jutsu) to turn into the man with a cut on his side. The wound was not bleeding, but instead as if the blood had already stopped bleeding from him and closed his wound. Like that he moved away from her and walked around a corner holding his side. Giving a quick look around to see if anyone was around he began to hobble down the road as if he was really hurting. Zetsume had to really sell the act if any fish were going to take the bait. After acting like he was struggling to walk and hoping that Mizuki was watching and following, three men of large body frames and muscles came rushing from a nearby building shouting at him with apparently this guys name. They called to him and ran to his aid as Zetsume. The three strong men grabbed Zetsume and carried him inside believing their friend was hurt. Bingo

On the inside of a large warehouse with windowed roofs, perfect vantage point for Mizuki to see. Zetsume would have to keep the chakra intact while they carried him. He was quite proficient at the jutsu and used it often to trick people. It was a simple jutsu that can have impressive results. The place had became one of a chemical warehouse. Aside from the three large men, another man was in there sitting down. The scent Repede picked up was because of the place, it used to weld and make metal. The dagger the thief had earlier must have been made here. They were manufacturing illegal weapons and selling them to criminals. The three large men carried Zetsume in front of what seemed to be a ring leader. The man, looking concerned asked Zetsume what happened and Zetsume would do just that while pretending to be hurt struggling to speak with each breath.

"A.... genin...shinobi with a sword....", giving a hard cough, he spoke again "She caught...me off guard..."

And like that, Zetsume collapsed on the ground. He waited for Mizuki to make her appearance. He purposely spoke of her rank. Anyone who is anyone knows that they are the weakest and sometimes can be over powered. It would give them the false sense of victory which he would use to orchestrate their demise. While they would be focusing on attacking and defending what they think is their friend, the two ninjas would have them boxed with Zetsume being closer. What better way to catch someone than to use their loved ones as a trap. Perhaps... This was why he kept his distance. To avoid all use of tricks, but he knew that was a lie. He would lose all sense of morality should Repede die. Repede, would follow Mizuki staying closer than a foot at all times. The dog knew better than to let a fellow ninja from Kumogakure get hurt. On the ground Zetsume laid motionless as the people ran to him, shaking him and asking if he was alright to which he would not respond.

WC:1040
Total:3197

Chakra 235/255:

Zetsume explained the plan, and indeed, she didn't like it. Not that she was too surprised to hear it, as the Raiu had always been one of the front fighters during the entire Kumo history, but that didn't mean she liked the idea of being bait. Nonetheless, a genin as bait would work much better than a jounin.

As Zetsume transformed into the bandit, she created a copy of herself and nodded that she was ready. Zetsume looked around to see if the coast was clear and stumbled around in his act, looking to find the allies. Mizuki shadowed the 'bandit' from corner to corner until she heard the noise of people calling out and rushing to his aid. She allowed herself a smile, knowing that Zetsume's plan had worked and that the bandits were in huge trouble now - they had taken in a jounin.

Once she heard no more sound, she peeked behind the corner and seeing no one around, ran up to the door with Repede and her clone by her side. She wondered how she'd take this on, when an idea sprank up. She guessed that, considering his marksmanship, Zetsume had to have sharp eyes, and Repede, being a dog, could rely on his nose to find his way. Even if she'd have to blind herself with this jutsu, she trusted the two others to be just fine whereas the bandits would at least be confused, if not entirely helpless.

"Just stay back for a while, Repede. I'll send in a clone and summon mist.", she explained her plan, hoping the dog would understand he did not have to follow the clone.

Placing her ear on the door, she could barely hear a thing. Muffled words, sounds of metal. Too useless for her to be used. She switched quickly to a small dirty window, peeking inside to see Zetsume drop just in time. The signal. Mizuki kneaded her chakra and summoned forth a concealing mist as she kicked in the door to allow her clone run in and make 'her' appearance, katana drawn and ready to strike.

"Found you.", the clone yelled out at bandit Zetsume, only then taking a look around at the whole environment and acting as if she had foolishly run in a viper's nest, much to the amusement of the leader who allowed himself a smirk. As the clone backed slowly, the bandits walked towards her to encircle her, taunting and sneering as they did so. Just a little more and Zetsume would be left alone, able to strike them from behind and out of sight. Just a little more, and Mizuki could run in, bringing in the mist to cover the whole interior.

And there it was. As one spotted Repede at the entrance, and another attacked Mizuki's clone, only to see it vanish in a puff of smoke as it got hit, a mist bank blew in faster than could have been possible, blinding all but the most perceptive as the mist filled the room. As the bandits looked around, startled, some cursed the clone, others seemingly panicked.
Mizuki crouched, remaining as still as possible since she knew movement could potentially still be seen in the mist, and hoped Zetsume would not strike her down. Still, in her current position with her hand resting on her katana, she'd still be able to cut down those foolish enough to come too close. If there was one thing iaido had taught her, was that she should not rely only on her eyes to strike a moving target.


wc 603 + 2090
= 2693

Chakra 115/150:

((Spoke with Alwen concerning mentorship since we had an agreement, and sorted a few things out. Feel like teaching Mizuki kyujutsu? If so, Alwen will be her ninjutsu/elements teacher instead since she has raiton and suiton herself))

Repede stayed close to Mizuki as promised by Zetsume. The dog would make sure she would not take harm even at the expense of his own. Otherwise...Zix would be devastated and Repede would feel responsible. Repede listened as Mizuki told him not to follow the clone.

Zetsume gave off a smile when Mizuki made her grand entrance. While he knew that using a genin as bait is sort of a bad idea, there were many factors he included before choosing such a route. Most lie within man's pride, especially ones that lived in a violent world. What seemed like Mizuki appeared at the door making a convincing act if he could say so himself. When Zetsume could hear the men walking towards her he opened his eyes to see their backs turned away from him. Everything was going according to planned. Mizuki had made a clone, but almost gave Zetsume a heart attack when one of the encircling men swung for a punch. A blast of mist covered the area and Zetsume laughed a little. While is plan worked well, she managed to improvise and keep herself out of harms way. His perception and keen eyesight helped him see through the mist, some were walking with waved arms stumbling over things. Zetsume was looking for his prey. One of them, was clearly bigger and the leader. He held alpha dominance over these men using them as puppets to orchestrate his wrong doings. In a sense, Zetsume felt sorry for people who could be brain washed into such a world. There were many places to run to, to seek help. Perhaps even they enjoyed hurting others. Zetsume found his target standing closest to him, maybe he had a connection with the bandit Zetsume impersonated. Though, more than likely he was hiding behind his lackeys like a true coward. Real leaders lead the front of the war, not hide in the back. After dispelling the transformation, he pulled a Kunai from his jacket, Zetsume grabbed the leader figure from behind and held the kunai to his throat, pressing it hard enough that the tip drew blood. Zetsume spoke in a calm but very sinister way, "Do anything not told, I will kill you. Tell your men to lay down and do not resit.
Please, do not make me kill everyone starting with you first should you disobey."

Repede was caught in the mist screen. A bandit noticed him, but Repede just backed up towards Mizuki. He stood in a low stance with his body against Mizuki to make sure she was close while focusing on the enemy. Even though the dog wanted to attack the man, he knew to keep close to Mizuki. Her safety over his instinct to fight. A loud voice came from within the smoke, a whimpering tone and Repede's ears perked up.

"S-STOP FIGHTING! LAY DOWN BEFORE THIS MAN KILLS US ALL! HE SAYS LAY DOWN AND WE CAN LIVE!"

The fumbling men stopped moving for a moment as they heard the same voice they have been following for too long. One by one they all laid down, and Zetsume let go of the man as he laid on the floor with his trousers soiled. Zetsume walked towards Mizuki to thank her for such a good job. His ears, would be focused on them to make sure they would not try anything. Worse comes to worse, he would just shoot all of them all for disobeying. Zetsume tried to be more... sparing to such things. Perhaps the whole earlier incident was getting to him. Repede when seeing Zetsume stopped being hostile and began wagging his tail as if saying, SEE SHE IS ALIVE! Zetsume smiled and spoke to Mizuki in a friendly tone, "My, My Mizuki,
I can honestly say I liked your way more with the whole mist. I was just going to break their kneecaps. Kinda hard to fight without legs huh?"

Zetsume waited a bit peering at the men to make sure they were not moving. Zetsume turned his attention to his ever loyal pooch, "
"Good job boy, now I need you to go get Mr. Chan, he will know what the deal is. Remember two barks means multiple subjects in custody."

The dog barked twice and ran to do as told. Zetsume would have to stick behind to keep eyes on these men. He could not let them escape even if their crimes were just of illegal distribution of weaponry, possible theft no evidence, and attacking marked village shinobi. They would not like their sentencing but at least they will get no pain than a small prick on the leaders neck. With Repede gone, he just stood there looking at them for any signs of movement before addressing Mizuki again.

"You have made your village and me proud tonight. Not many genin would step up to the task like you did and perform so admirably.  Mind for a little chat while Repede gets people down here? Tell me, what do you want to do with your life? Since we have little to do at this moment, might as well have a conversation eh?"

WC:863
Total:4060

(((Yea should be easy to convince Zetsume to do that. You have his respect and from his village.)))

Mizuki could only wait for all of it to unfold. She heard the people stumble about, some hitting the ground face first, others unsure what to do, and one trying to find her? She could hear the shuffling of feet, but could not see who it was. Hearing Repede back up and growl at something in the mist, she'd have to trust the dog's instinct to strike whoever was threatening him, and so she rested her hand on her katana, gripping it firm and ready to strike down whoever showed up.

Just as she was about to strike, a loud voice commanded a cease-fire, shamelessly expecting his life to be spared. Did Zetsume catch him? She assumed so, considering he was a jounin. To him, this mist was most likely just an annoyance rather than a real pain as it was to her. In any case, since the leader had surrendered, she allowed the mist to dissipate. The mist cleared and soon enough she could see everything again. An amusing sight, considering how some had ended in a most uncomfortable way by slipping over whatever debris that littered the room.

Seeing Repede closeby, she gave him a friendly pat on the head since he looked so excited and, well, he had followed Zetsume's commands to the letter - as far as a dog could even do that. Seeing Zetsume approach, and compliment her for her way of taking care of things, she gave a genuine smile and bowed towards him to thank him for his compliment, pushing back the lesser appreciated comment he gave about the kneecaps of the bandits. This man... he certainly knew how to ruin a good ending.

As the dog ran off, Mizuki watched over the bandits just as Zetsume did. They seemed rather hesitant to run away, so whatever Zetsume had done or said must have been terrifying enough for this gang to follow so obediently. While she preferred not to think about how he had achieved this, she assumed he had mentioned their kneecaps in the process. For some reason.

"Thank you for your compliment, Zix-san. The experience was an interesting one. As for my goals...", she wondered if she'd have to mention she was looking for a kyujutsu mentor. Kneecaps aside, she wasn't too sure if there were many others in Kumogakure that had such skill with the bow. "I... just wish to become a respectable kunoichi. A guard and diplomat to the Village. Father is teaching me kenjutsu and the traditional Arts of Execution, Lin-san is my squad leader and hopefully future Iryo jutsu teacher and I was hoping to find myself a Kyujutsu mentor so as to add the option of ranged assault and support for my team."

She liked to cover it all. The more options she had, the more options she could bring to the battlefield, the more useful she'd be to the Village and the better she could represent the Raiu. Even if some said she was far too responsible, she felt like she had to make up for the gap her sister had left behind.

"What of you, Zix-san? You must have achieved great things already as a jounin. Are there other goals yet to reach?"

Jounin rank was still quite some time away and though she wanted to reach that rank in time, she also wondered what came after it. What did the world of a jounin exactly consist of, aside from duties and reputation?

wc 588 + 2693
= 3281

Zetsume could not help but to have a wide grin when she spoke about finding a Kyujutsu mentor. He was indeed, probably the best archer within the Kumogakure ranks as far as he knew. For most of his life he had been practicing the art of archery since he could even hold a spoon. Learning how to read the wind, change angles to hit moving targets, and always keeping distance was the kyodara life. One that Zetsume abandoned long ago due to trivial matters that were serious to Zetsume. Most members were just living the comfortable life they had inherited from their ancestors It was the Kyodara way to be an expert in archery second to none, or so Zetsume would like to think. Mizuki did mention of a person that Zetsume had recently met, Lin. It was no surprise that Mizuki would be taught by such a skilled shinobi. He himself, had no squad nor took many students. Zetsume preferred it this way, than the other way. Trying to teach and train others usually resulted in Zetsume shooting them... Something he quite would not forget anytime soon. He gave a small thought to Kaekio the shinobi he had shot long ago by mostly accident. Zetsume hoped that the shinobi was doing well, despite having minimal to no knowledge of where she was or what she was doing. Zetsume stayed out of politics and the nonsensical debates that lead no where. For him, it was by far much easier to slay his foes rather than trying to reason with them. He knew that from a young age that it is the winners of wars that write the histories for the next generation to learn. The ends always justify the means in his eyes, even if he had a corrupted sense of justice and morality that mostly held bias-ism towards Kumogakure. These people were all he knew, they were all he could love. To try and fantasize about a world with infinite peace was just an illusion kids conjure in their minds to cope with the realities of the world. There could be no such thing as peace so long as humans ruled the earth. Every and all humans were demonic and angelic at the same time due to their nature. Zetsume had seen first hand what happens when a man who vows never to harm gets pushed into a corner. In the case Zetsume saw, he would fight like a rabid animal trying to find some sort of meaning to their fighting other than simple survival, but that is indeed what it was. The human mind had many instinctive measures placed deep within the roots that always held more power than reason of thought. This is why, humans will never truly find peace. They will always worry of the other human because they know deep down what kind of darkness can be produced by just a simple bad day.

The most perplexing thing she spoke about though was when she asked him of his goals and plans. Zetsume does not strive for useless things such as a Raikage title, or perhaps something of the sort. All he had ever done his whole life was try to keep the people within his village safe and happy by any means necessary. For one with so much blood on his hands, he had no right to be of any importance really. Even the villagers did not respect him, they feared him which was totally different. While a few did indeed respect him for what he does, others would ridicule his methods saying they are to unorthodox. Zetsume will always do what he feels is right and necessary to achieve what he really wants which is peace and stability for his village. No amount of blood being shed would stop him from striving for that, it was all he knew. It was all he had left to live for. Should his village cease to exist, so would Zetsume for his purpose in life would be gone. In a sense, he lives for his village and dies with it too. Zetsume stood there motionless for a few minutes before replying to her in a friendly manner, "Speak little of this because I have disowned my families name and my title towards leader of my clan, but I am from the Kyodara clan. We specialize in Kyujutsu and we are very versed in this area since we have been training since basically birth. As far as goals and dreams I have none, they are wasted on one like me. If there could be a goal that I have it would be the well being of the ones that reside here. As you quite well know, I will do anything to make sure kids can see their parents again or perhaps lovers can stay in one another's arms for another day. I will gladly shed as much of my own blood or others to see that happen. Speaking of which, seems our buddies over there are looking around. I do not like that, it makes me uneasy."

Zetsume summoned his chakra bow and shot one of his three previously stocked arrows towards a man that kept looking up at Zetsume as he told the man to stop looking around and keep his eyes on the ground. The arrow was shot close enough to graze the mans cheek and land just mere inches from his face. If he was less skilled, he probably would have really hurt the man. Though scaring was just what he wanted to do, to ensure they would not move. He kept his bow intact as it gave off a small brilliance of light. He could change the bows elemental composition at will, while currently it was Raiton infused. Small sparks of lightning would come from it but would not hit or touch anything. It was just cosmetic that the bow would send a few sparks due to the violent nature that was Raiton. He would let Mizuki look at it momentarily before dispelling it. He could summon it at will and dismiss it at will. Zetsume scratched his head and spoke to her, "Ya know, I could try to teach your the art of Kyujutsu. While I may not be the best of teachers, I can at least show you the ropes and you can go on from there if you're interested. It is far too late now to start such a thing so we would have to do it another day if that is fine. Once Repede gets back I will have to make an official recording of what happened. You wont have to since I witnessed everything."

Repede came back within half an hour with a group of people that were all shinobi within the village. Zetsume gave a point to the men and they were detained and taken away. One of the shinobi was on the scene from earlier and gave a death glare to Zetsume but he shrugged it off. He needed not the approval of others, even ones in his village. The only thing he needed was to keep his people safe by any and all means necessary. After explaining the whole situation to an official that came along, he let out a long sigh as it was finally over. Zetsume gave a small pat on the dog's head as the dog walked to Mizuki hoping to get affection. The dog just wanted attention, and he would strive to get it. Zetsume had second guesses if the dog was actually a combat one. A small part of him was envious of the dogs ability to swoon people to him. It was something that Zetsume had the opposite effect of. Most stayed away from him, but would love to pet Repede. Even young kids were told to stay away from Zetsume and his bad ways of attacking. Some saw it as one without pride but the dead are just that, dead. If he fought more with more 'nobility and honor' he would surely be dead by now with his fragile body. Even he knew how susceptible to damage he was and thus would always keep his distance.

"So Mizuki, what do you say. Want to learn Kyujutsu under the strongest archer in the Kumogakure ranks? I can tell you I will not be easy and nice even if you are from my village.
You hold the final decision, either or does not bother me."

Repede's ears jumped and the dog seemed happier than a moment ago. The dog wanted Zetsume to socialize more in hopes that it would lighten him up. Even being a dog he could sense that Zetsume was under a lot of pressure to be something or someone that could actually protect his village. Repede looked up at Mizuki in hopes that she accepted the offer that Zetsume had given. It was unlike him to offer to be a teacher to anyone, usually he was forced into such a thing.

WC:1509
Total:5569

After she had asked the question of his goals, Zetsume seemed to be sunken in thoughts. Minutes trickled by as he overthought his mind, and Mizuki watched the bandits while she waited patiently. They were a sorry bunch. No discipline, no spine, relying solely upon numbers and shady deals to make themselves feel better. To give them some value. If at least one of them had bothered to fight back, stand up and defend what he believed in, Mizuki would have been able to respect them. But instead, they all had given up, letting go so easily of what they seemingly had worked for so hard.

She turned her head again when she heard Zetsume talk about his lineage, his clan and his skill. Kyodora? He was a member of the Kyodora? That certainly explained his skill with the bow, for the clan was quite reputed as being the better marskmen in Kumogakure. This immediately explained why she hadn't seen him shoot yet saw the arrow hit the man's kneecap like he stood right next to it. With that precision... even Mizuki wasn't sure she could match that with her katana just yet.

Once more, he disrupted a fine stream of thoughts by suddenly acting out of place, summoning a bow from chakra in and shooting off an arrow in the direction of a most curious bandit. The man whimpered like a beaten dog, and looked back to the floor. Seriously... what was with this man and shooting at everything on a whim? She frowned briefly, but kept her thoughts otherwise with the bow he had summoned. It had been too swift to be a simple jutsu like hers. Was it a higher rank? A KKG? Something else still?

Then Zix mused about how he would be able to teach her. When he said he might not be the best teacher, she chuckled softly. Yes. She didn't really feel like losing her knees in the process, but if he truly was of the Kyodora, there would be few others that could match the quality of knowledge he had available. It was a tempting offer. One she'd certainly keep in mind.

When the dog returned with reinforcements, the place suddenly became quite a busy place. The shinobi started to assess the situation, drag the bandits with them, shoot Zetsume a glare?, ask a bunch of questions to the two of them almost as if they were the criminals in the situation, started to clean up the place, and expected a report. If this was how jounin business was, she already thanked the fact she was not a jounin just yet.
Somewhere in all of that, Repede kept himself busy until everything quieted down, until he then ran up to Mizuki, expecting pats for all his hard work. Mizuki kneeled, smiled at the dog and stroked him over the head and the ears. Dogs were lovely animals. So honest, so trustworthy. She certainly preferred them above cats, if anything, but they suffered some rivalry from birds.

When Zetsume asked her if she was willing to study under him, she stood back and performed a series of hand seals, clapping her hands together when she finished. Sharp light, typical to ranton, appeared between her hand, and as she pulled her hands away a bow with the luminescent colour and glow of the moon rested in her hand.

"It would be an honour, Zix-san, but please refrain from shooting my knee.", she answered him with a bow.


wc 589 + 3281
= 3870

Chakra 110/150:

Now this, was something Zetsume had yet to see within another Shinobi. The possibility of it all was there, but to see it from a Genin was something else. Right before his eyes, this genin names Mizuki made a Chakra bow out of some element. Zetsume was not quite familiar with what the element was. Due to that he brushed it off as her blood technique. Zetsume looked in awe as another shinobi mimic'd his clans ability. Though it was clearly of sub par level. Despite it being a knock off though, Zetsume was actually interested with wide eyes and a brightened facial expression. Repede was not even the slightest interested in the bow, he was still wagging his tail and looking up at Mizuki. The earlier petting were not enough, then again it never was. The pooch loved the attention and loving, perhaps due to being a stray. The simple fact that he can get love now is perhaps the reason he strives so hardly for it.

Zetsume frowned on the inside when she agreed to be his student. It would not show on his face but deep down he did not want to train people or get an attachment to them. This is mostly due to the fact of losing loved ones. To lose the love of a fellow Kumogakure villager hurt, it did not equate to the pain felt if one had connections with said person. Repede, without missing a beat jumped into the air and gave a small yelp of excitement. For the dog, it meant more chances to try and get attention. The complex reasoning behind Zetsume's choice to keep distant was an impossible feat for the dog to comprehend. Unlike Zetsume, Repede prefers to enjoy the people while they are alive instead of closing off. Zetsume leaned up when she said that placing one hand on his hip while the other one rubbed his chin. His mind ran in a panic mode as he was almost hoping for a no. Still, she was of his village and it was his duty to help train not only his skills, but also the ones around him. Mizuki not only proved her worth to Zetsume, but also the ability to follow leads and adapt to situations. The sheer fact that she had a chakra bow was like the icing to the cake. Zetsume spoke in a friendly tone after he was done being fascinated with what she just did. "Alright Mizuki it would be my pleasure to teach you the things I know. Repede, if you have her scent then we should be off now. The night is getting late, Good bye Raiu,Mizuki. Repede will come to see you whenever I have the free time to teach you. Till then, be safe. If you need anything, feel free to seek my out. I do however, live outside the gates. Anyways bye!

He gave one long look as his mind was trying to wrap around what that bow was capable of. Ultimately, he would shrug it off and move on. Those matters can wait, it was indeed getting dark and the travel from here to his house was still quite far. After Repede got his attention if there was any to be had, he followed Zetsume who was making a rather fast run onward. He would slow down for Repede once he left the walls. Zetsume spoke to the dog outside the walls, "I swear I will try to not come off as rude okay? Although I cannot promise I will hold back. If she really wishes to help Kumogakure then I will make sure she gets the help she would need to strive for such a goal."

The dog was purposely lagging behind so that Zetsume would ultimately have to look at the dog glaring at him. He knew how to get Zetsume to take it easier on her than some of the others. While his heart was big, his archery was a whole different story. To be raised like he was, it was always training to manipulate in which kill shots can be made. As he grew, this made astigmatism of fighting in a way people would call cruel or even sometimes inhumane because sometimes he did not really care for others that wish to cause harm. It was almost like his heart was calm until threats, and he will always shoot first. Not just for his sake, but also the people Repede and Zetsume care about. With the dogs current mood, Zetsume would try to be reasonable on how he would train. Before he could sleep, he would practice with his Katon abilities. While he was decently profficient in the element, he could not sleep until he trained until his bones hurt. When he got inside, his mind raced about all the possible outcomes of this encounter, hoping that she could become a renowned shinobi. Till then, sleep was soon to be had.

[Exit Thread]

WC: 831
Total:6400

Training (WC Usage):

Zetsune had accepted to be her mentor, unlocking a smile from her side. With him as a mentor, her road towards perfectionism had taken a new turn. A new art to be learned and used for the benefit of the Village. This evening couldn't end any better.

She allowed the ranton bow to dissipate as she released her control over the chakra that formed it. The jutsu that had persuaded her father, and now pleasantly impressed Zetsume. The training for this jutsu had proven to be fruitful already.

As he said his goodbyes, Mizuki bid him goodbye as well, bowing once more. Repede, however, expected a more intimate sort of goodbye and lingered around, eyes full hope to receive a last petting before he had to leave. Mizuki giggled and petted Repede one last time before she too would return home. "Go on now. Don't let your master behind."

As she watched the dog disappear from sight, Mizuki walked back home as well. The team that was here to assess and clean would still be somewhat occupied, but with the reports given, there was little she could do but stand in the way. She could feel some fatigue nudging in the back of her mind, both from using her chakra as well as the previous training at day, and decided that it would suffice for this evening. The only thing she'd do this evening is take a cup of hot cocoa, sit in the sofa and watch some TV before going to bed.


[Exit]

wc 256 +3870
= 4126

Training: