Rhys sat there at the edge of the dune looking down at the poachers' camp. He had been watching for about an hour and so far he had seen three people milling about. There were five tents and one of their members were already dead, so Rhys figured there was at least one other person somewhere about.

   There was a series of cages about 10m away from the encampment. Every so often Rhys could hear a whimper or a howl carrying across the winds. Just fuel to the fire that was burning inside of Rhys. He studied his prey as he planned his assault.

   Two of the poachers were busy digging a deep hole on the far side of the camp. Rhys assumed it was for their fallen comrade. The other visible target was perched by the cooking fire turning some poor creature with the metal spit. There was no sign of any other life, and they were all preoccupied. This was Rhys's chance to strike.

  The large man stalked his way around the circular encampment so that he was directly behind the backs of his targets. He then made his way down the sand dune as stealthily as he could. Luckily for Rhys, the soft forgiving sand worked to muffle his footsteps. He was out in the open in broad daylight, but he was able to advance silently.

  Rhys gradually made his way down the embankment of sand, his footsteps hushed as he planted one foot in front of the other purposefully. He had made it to the base of the dune and was mere meters from his targets. Now that he was closer he could take better stock of his prey. The men were adorned in various animal skins, all of which acted as a natural camouflage because the animals of this region were colored to fit in with the desert surroundings. These were not shinobi, Rhys would not have been able to kill one so easily if they had been, and a true shinobi would never run at the first sign of trouble. These were opportunists who killed weaker beings strictly for profit. Rhys had no remorse for such trash.

  He crept up to the back of the closest tent. His view of the targets was completely blocked so he had to act fast. He unscrewed the cap of the metal tube on his back, the magnetic black sand rose into the air surrounding Rhys. He made a series of hand signs and channeled his magnetic chakra to cause the Mag-sand to form into constructs of his choosing. A pair of black tonfa took shape in his hands. They were not as durable as the real thing but they were just as strong.

  Rhys inhaled deeply through his nose. He cleared his mind as he exhaled all others thoughts away through his mouth. He rose up and walked out from behind the tent.

  The closest enemy was the one turning the roasting spit. Rhys could smell the charring meat from here. He strode forward picking up momentum as he closed the gap between them. He was steps away from his target when he raised the tonfa in his right hand. He let out a bestial tell as he smashed down on top of the unknowing target's skull. A loud cracking of bone rang out. The figure crumpled at the blow and fell forward into the fire knocking the metal spit over.

  The sounds of combat alerted the two remaining targets that had been busy digging the shallow grave. They turned in surprise to see what the commotion was. Rhys was already on the move. He charged forward as if he were one of the animals He was fighting to protect. He was closing in on them but still had some distance to go when they dropped their shovels. Each of them went to draw something out of their pouche. They each went to throw a kunai when Rhys made his move.

  Rhys flung the tonfa in his left hand at the assailants, this caused one of them to flinch, his kunai flying wide and to the right. This was just a distraction, the tonfa burst into sand grainules once it left his hand. The projectile turned into a mass of flying Mag-sand. The second kunai missed as well when the sand flew into the enemy's eyes. The two opposing combatants were thoroughly caught off guard as Rhys finished his charge with a powerful cry. He jammed the front of his remaining tonfa into the nose of one of his targets, shattering his nose and sending blood in a cascade around them.  The opponent fell to his knees in pain. Rhys quickly spun himself and his lone tonfa in a circle that caught the sole standing target in his throat. He wheezed for breath as twirled his tonfa and slammed the long end against his temple. The poacher fell over dead.

  Rhys turned to the last enemy, still in his knees trying to control the river of blood flowing from his shattered nose. Rhys dissipated his tonfa and threw the black metallic sand in the eyes of his foe, blinding the already injured man. The poacher cried out in agony, Rhys's reply was to grab him by the back of his masked head firmly.

"Your life is in my hands. Answer my questions or suffer the same fate as the poor creatures that you slaughtered for personal gain!"  Rhys jerked the sobbing man's head and for good measure.

   Rhys was just about to begin his line of questioning, he needed answers from this poacher. He was about to begin when an arrow seems to appear from thin air. The wooden shaft of the projectile was now sticking out of the captive's throat. Rhys turned to face shooter, it was the (hopefully) final poacher. The robed figure stood at least 20 m away upon a sand dune. That had been quite a shot, this opponent was cut from a different cloth than the others had been.

   The murderous foe looked down on Rhys with a smug glare. Unlike the other poachers, this one wore no mask. He was a young man, maybe 24, and his tanned skin suggested he grew up in this area. His delighted sneer beamed down at Rhys as he called out.
  
"What a shame. Those four were decent workers. You my gay idiotic friend have annoyed me, and that is punishable by death." The sadistic foe knocked another arrow and drew it back. He released the projectile that flew forward at an incredible speed.

   Rhys tried to use his "Push" jutsu but his hands were not quick enough. The arrow blazed through the air and struck the large man in his left shoulder. He grunted in pain at the impact, he was surprised at how fast the enemy projectile had been. This enemy would not be as easy to defeat as the others had been. He broke off the wooden shaft, grimacing through the pain.

"My name is Rhys Kenta, and I will destroy you for what you have done!" Rhys rushed forward while making hand signs. The hulking man advanced quickly as black sand armor spread over his chest and head. A black metal katar formed in his right hand with three short blades.

  His foe shot another arrow but this one was stopped short by the armor. The impact made a crack along the chest piece but it would hold for now. It had done it's job, as it afforded Rhys enough time to close the distance between the two men. Rhys made it up to his opponent before he could manage to knock a third arrow. Rhys growled with effort as he slashed at the poacher with his magnetic sand katar. The construct cut into the flesh as of it were butter leaving a lack of flesh in it's wake. Blood sprayed out of the gash as the poacher lept backwards with a cry of pain.

"Wait wait!! Kenta? Your from that Kenta farm with all the animals right?" the poacher kept his distance as he enticed Rhys with his information.

"That's right.. What do you know about it?" Rhys paused his assault but kept his guard up. This enemy knew about his home and he had to know more.

"I know that your farm turned out to be quite the payday. All those critters brought a pretty penny for their parts and those we couldn't sell were great for lunch!" it had been a ploy to distract Rhys. The poach advanced in the large man and stabbed him with the tip of his bow that had been coated with metal and sharpened into a blade. The would struck deep into Rhys's left arm as it was exposed. Rhys pulled back, removing the enemy weapon from his flesh.

"You murderer! You killed then all! They were innocent!" Rhys made hand signs with his left hand and pushed his chakra forward. The "Push" jutsu knocked the enemy bow from his hand, the metal tips being caught in the magnetic force were pushed back causing the poachers grip to falter.

  Caught off guard the poacher looked at his disarmed weapon that lie meters behind him. He turned back in time to see Rhys rushing him. The katar hacked down on the poacher's left shoulder. It cut down into the sinewy muscles and sending a cascade of blood to fly through the air. The poacher lost his footing and fell beneath the mass of the towering Rhys.

" No don't kill me! I know more! Just don't hurt me!" the poacher coward at Rhys's feet. Rhys didn't immediately strike.

"Speak quickly. If you lie, you die." Rhys hovered the blade of his katar at the enemy's throat.

"Not all of the beasts were killed! We still have some of them. They are at the main camp. Here I have a map... Not that it will help you. You're going to die there." the poacher laughed menacingly as he lifted his map from his pouch up to Rhys. His maniacal cackling carried through the air.

  Rhys took the map and then pressed the blade of his katar down into the throat of his prey, silencing the laughter.

"I told you not to lie. My death will not occur at the hands of those as weak as you." Rhys withdrew his blade and blood sprayed out like a macabre fountain of death. He dissipated his weapon and armor and sat down to rest.

  The exhausted Rhys looked around at the carnage he had wreaked upon his prey. Four bodies now lay silent in death, five of you counted their companion from before. Rhys spent about half an hour looting the camp for anything of value before piling all of the bodies together.

  The least Rhys could do was save them from being eaten as they decomposed. Rhys used his Mag-sand jutsu to break down the sand beneath the bodies sending them down into the depression. Rhys settled the created Mag-sand down on top of them, sealing them in a sandy coffin.

  His work done, Rhys began his long trek back to Sunagakure. He had a map to turn in and he was in desperate need of medical attention. After a short respite he would follow his latest clue. Rhys had to be in top physical shape if he was going to take on the main camp of the poachers. These scum of the earth that had raided his home and destroyed his life.

  Rhys would enact his vengeance and set right the wrongs they had set in motion. For now he needed to heal up and regain his chakra. His work he had accomplished was enough for the day.



(1983 wc)
750 to train Reorx from E to D rank
1175 to raise Endurance from D to D3 -150ryo

58 leftover