B-rank mission:

A quick moving shadow make's it's way through the forest with silent steps, to some a blur within the tree's to other's they would see a slim but fit six foot male, hair mixed with the color's of snow white and auburn brown. A simple white v-cut shirt with short sleeve's matched with a black hoodie jacket that had white fluff on it that that only seemed to make his emerald eye's stand out more, black shinobi pant's with a black pocket pouch attached to his belt that held the shinobi headband of Konohagakure at it's center. And a  large brown colored scythe of sixty seven inch's with a cylinder shaped weight at the bottom and middle, at the top a  small yellow ball tied around the scythe by a silver ribbon and directly above it  a crescent moon shaped hole that leads to the bladed part that curves slightly downward with engravings that can be translated too "Spirit Weapon"

To other's he might seem like a reaper wondering the forest seeking souls that were ready to move on, to others he was known as Mokuzai Senju of Konohagakure, a newly appointed special rank jonin that had earned his title in the most desperate of time's.

He knew very little on how Sungakure which was destroyed by a rogue group of ninja came to be, but it seems those who survived were now being rallied by a unknown leader to take action now, even more strange that it seemed the hokage wanted to ally himself with them and gave missions to bring about bonds of friendships to that end. It was all very strange and Mokuzai couldn't help wondering if this was really just what the hokage wanted, either way he was a ninja and he would do the task he was assigned as he always did.

He had only been back in Konohagakure but for one night before he was sent off back to the border of Sungakure, told nothing but his mission partner was a  fellow shinobi who he was told he might have had a previous encounter with and to meet a team ready to move out towards the desert to deliver supplies in which they would be their escorts. Regardless of the dire situation he now found himself to take part in, it was still filled him up with glee that he was now back home after being away for so long, once the mission was over he would go visit his mother at the hospital as it had been years since there last contact.

But still the question pondered within his mind, "Just exactly who was his partner?"

WC:455

His departure to the Land of Wind had been an abrupt and unexpected one. With word of the Four remaining great nations heading towards the ruins of Sunagakure no Sato, it did not take long for Nayoko to receive word from his village that his presence was being requested at the evacuation site. He was a jounin after all, and the Hokage knew that he was also a captain of the village ANBU. That meant that his skills would most likely be needed in more that one capacity. But first and foremost was the mission he had received with his orders to travel to the Land of Wind: he needed to clear a path. The scroll he had received had little information, detailing only that some cargo for the relief effort needed an escort to the evacuation site and that he would be working alongside another ninja in order to complete the task. It seemed simple enough, and the idea of fighting off a few bandits needing more than just himself made him wonder if he was more of the backup than the vanguard. Regardless of the reasons why, he had his orders and he needed to move forward to complete them, so off to the Land of Wind he went.

It took him a fair amount of time to complete his travel to border of the Land of Fire, especially since he had never been to the Land of Wind before. The path was new to him, and he was expecting trouble around every corner. Luckily for him though, the road had been well traveled by other ninja from his village seeking to assist in the evacuation efforts that had been underway for some time now. While on the road he met up with a few chuunin, genin, and special jounin that had also been ordered to the border camp to which he had been temporarily assigned. He spent the last leg of the journey with a group of four chuunin, eventually breaking through the edge of the thick forests of the Land of Fire and crossing into the more sparse trees of the Land of Wind. From there, the journey was not along one before the Hattori found himself in the first camp of Konohagakure no Sato inside the Land of Wind. The number of refugees that had already arrived was astonishing, even to Nayoko. He had expected ten or twenty to have had made it this far, but in reality, there were dozens of people, each of them bearing their own scars from the long trek they had made. It took Nayoko a moment or so of quiet contemplation to silence his mind of the strife that image brought to him. He could not imagine a person destroying people’s homes like that. It was disgusting to him, and the rumours of it being done by a man he once respected made it hurt all the more.

He had not been in the village long when he was approached by a Special Jounin that seemed to be in charge of the camp and its day to day operations. Nayoko’s description must have been given because after a brief introduction, the jounin found himself being escorted toward the cargo that he was to protect. It was going to be used to set up another cam father inside of the country’s border in order to prevent refugees that were still fleeing from simply dying in the desert. It was a simple enough job, but the presence of bandits on the path ahead meant that it was far too dangerous for the cargo to travel alone. It made sense that the criminal element that was previously well established within the walls of the Village Hidden in the Sands would have spilled into the desert with its destruction. The bandits would probably not be a huge issue to deal with, but Nayoko’s presence was being requested in order to make certain that everything would arrive safely. There was but one thing left to wait for as the Konoha jounin perched himself atop the wagon filled with supplies.  His hood was down and he was sitting with his legs crossed, waiting patiently for his partner to arrive on the scene. Then the mission could be begin in earnest. Nayoko just hoped that the shinobi that would be fighting with him could keep up.

WC:734

Nearly two hours have passed since he left Konohagakure on route to the Border Camps where he was assigned his missions, the Senju had never been to the Land Of Wind nor to most of the great nations besides his home and Kirigakure and their smaller islands, as he loomed closer he could literally feel the temperature change in the air going from a cool breeze to a slightly hotter variation of it that became dryer every five meters he inched closer to his destination.  There was still three hours before he was to meet his partner for the mission, Mokuzai bended down onto one knee and pokes his index finger into the ground and back out, examining his finger he founds trace's of sand, he was close to entering the Land Of Wind.

A slight grumbling sound emanated from Mokuzai's stomach, he had some time so he decided to hunt for some food, he closed his eye's and started focusing on his hearing, looking for the tiny bits of sound creature's made that were carried by the wind, a rustling in the bush's  below about two and a half meter in front of him, he was going to make it his meal ticket.

Mokuzai released his scythe from the strap attaching it to his back, he begun to twirl the weapon in his right hand, pumping the muscle's in his legs as he bended them preparing to lunge at his target like a cat praying on a mouse, one...two...three, the Senju leaped off the tree, as he approached the target he grasp the scythe with his other hand and shifted his body in a way mid-air that the tip of it would be pointed upward,poised to slash what lied in the distance from their lower body to their  upper chest.

As he inched closer, his facial expression would change to that of shock as he was now in arm's reach of a large black bear, usually the lived towards the middle of the Land of Fire but this one must have become a loner and traveled all the way out on his own. Well, even if he didn't want to kill the beast in front of him his stomach said otherwise, but he didn't want to ruin the quality of his food by tearing a large gash into it, he then flipped the weapon around so that the tip was now directly aimed slightly towards the left of the bear's heart. This way the bear would die nearly instantly, as Mokuzai was aiming for the left portion of the heart that pumped the most blood through the body.

A clean slice, Mokuzai had aimed the scythe in such a way that the angle of the blade was able to slip through the chest bone's that were meant to protect the heart, he had been lucky the bear was already standing up on two legs other wise he would have missed. Mokuzai held his scythe tightly, and with all his strength lifted the weapon while it was still impaled within, causing the blade to sink even deeper until the heart was completely pierced through all the way to the back.

Waiting a few seconds, the bear at first that was twitching was now nothing but a hunk of large flesh weighting down on his weapon, there wasn't a lot of time so the Senju quickly prepped a fire by gathering sticks and small branch's and dry leaves, using his scythe he carved out decent size slices of bear meat and attached it on a stick and let it stay in the fire to cook it. Within two hours it was nice and charred and carried with it a elegant smell that tickled the sensation's of those who smelt it's scent, he begun to eat while watching the crackling of the fire dance about freely, it was almost hypnotic and it put him in a state of peacefulness before the storm.

Now that his stomach was satisfied he was now ready to press forward towards his mission, from here on there would be no more tree' from which to travel from and he now has to become accustomed to running on straight sand for the duration of his stay in the Land of Wind. Having to already been giving the mission details and the meeting point he didn't bother to go anywhere else and went straight there. Slightly in the distance of where he was headed he saw a tall sphere shaped building, he instantly leaped to it's top, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a map of the camp, and then at the terrain, his meeting point was a little to the north of his current position so he turned his head that way to see a shinobi with their legs crossed sitting there as if in wait.

"That must be him" Mokuzai thought to himself, Mokuzai throw his scythe right in front of the man,tip ready to dig into the ground, the Senju then leaped from his position while performing a front flip landing directly on his own weapon in a crouched position and he would yawn from the slight heavy sleepy feeling that before speaking, "Mokuzai Senju, im guessing your my partner?"


WC:902

Total WC:1,357

Nayoko found himself waiting atop the cargo for a lot longer than he had anticipated. It was not a bad thing though, as he presumed he would be arriving at the camp and then heading out right away on his mission into the Land of Wind. In actuality, the Hattori spent a little over an hour perched on the object he was to protect, simply waiting for his fellow shinobi to arrive and help him. The time that he had to himself was nice for a change, considering he had spent every waking and sleeping moment for the past year fighting his way through mission and mission or training body and mind. It was exhausting, so having this simple moment of peace was perfect. At some point while he was waiting, Nayoko found himself laying back onto the cargo, his hands behind his head and his eyes turned toward the clouds. That rolled past him across the sky above. If he only had to judge based on the sky, then Nayoko would never have imagined that a war torn, destroyed village laid deeper within the country he now sat within. It was a horrible thought, but in his mind, he acknowledged that at the very least the Leaf was helping the people who had now lost everything precious to them.

Eventually the jounin sat back up in place and looked back over the treeline, waiting ever vigilantly for his partner to arrive at the camp so that they could complete their mission. As he glanced about, he noticed a person perched atop a larger contract within the border camp. Obviously, this person was a shinobi given how they were perched atop the building and searching intently. Nayoko’s keen eyes watched as the man he assumed to be his partner scanned the camp before locking in on the Hattori. Moments later, Nayoko saw the young man throw his weapon, a scythe, through the air and toward him. He could tell the trajectory of the blade before it even came close, and so the Hattori simply stat still, waiting for the weapon to land. As the tip dug into the group, Nayoko followed the movements of the younger shinobi as he leaped down and landed in the handle of his own weapon, crouched as if about to pounce. A yawn broke through the young man’s lips before he finally broke the silence to introduce himself.

Nayoko did not respond for a moment, instead looking the boy up and down, taking in his features. The first thing that Nayoko noticed was that he seemed strong for his age. He was slim, for sure; but the jounin could see the tell tale signs of a well trained body. His headband was worn in the proper position, a choice that Nayoko did not make himself, and was covered lightly by his brown hair that fell down into his face slightly. Other than that, he wore no impressive armor, but was wielding basic ninja tools alongside his large scythe. It looked like an impressive weapon, but since Nayoko was not much for weapons beyond his fists, he did not really have a frame of reference. Having finally taken in the boy’s appearance, Nayoko nodded before slipping down off of the cargo and offering a hand in introduction. “I’m Nayoko Nozara, and that is only half true.” The jounin let a smile creep onto his face as he continued. “I’m just here as your backup actually. Near as I can tell, this mission should be pretty straightforward, and since you’re of rank to lead missions, the role has been passed to you.”

Crossing his arms, Nayoko leaned back against the cargo with the smile still on his face. He wanted to test this boy, even if it was not the main purpose of the mission. They would get the job done, but Nayoko saw an opportunity for the boy to learn that he simply could not resist. “I will be your firepower. You tell me where to go, and I’ll go there. You tell me who to kill, and I’ll do it. But you, young man, are in charge.” He paused one last time to let that information sink in. “The cargo is ready to move, along with the people who we are escorting. So young Senju, what are your orders?”

WC:732+734=1466

Upon introducing himself there was a moment of silence as the shinobi stayed seated on what seemed to be one of the cargo they were to protect, the man's eye's simply gazing at him, no doubt observing him. Whilst the man was silent Mokuzai would also take the time to scan the figure in front of him, the most noticeable thing about him was that even through his clothing he had very defined physique as his muscle's were noticeable, he could speculate that this man was either a taijutsu user or someone who loved physical fitness, the first option being the most likely.

The man wore a dark blue and green tunic and pants, both having accented silver symbols and markings covering his body, he could see that his shinobi headband was placed onto his right arm just below his shoulder and it was the symbol of Konohagakure, Mokuzai hadn't been home in quite some time so he would make sure to observe his movements and actions just to see how his village was doing.

It seemed he had finish his own observation as he now slipped off his seat giving a simple nod before introducing himself as he offered his hand for the Senju to shake, “I’m Nayoko Nozara, and that is only half true.” He then let loose a small smile before continuing, “I’m just here as your backup actually. Near as I can tell, this mission should be pretty straightforward, and since you’re of rank to lead missions, the role has been passed to you.”

Nayoko as he called himself would cross his arms as he continued to speak,  “I will be your firepower. You tell me where to go, and I’ll go there. You tell me who to kill, and I’ll do it. But you, young man, are in charge.” A slight pause in his speech, Mokuzai begun thinking about how to move forward if he was in charge before Nayoko put his final word in, “The cargo is ready to move, along with the people who we are escorting. So young Senju, what are your orders?”

Mokuzai would make a slight humming sound and then look downwards, then back up and then straight into Nayoko's eyes, he then hopped of his weapon and grabbed the handle before spinning it around and sheathing it by the strap on his back before speaking, "Have the people delay leaving so that they may move the cargo to less finely crafted transportation, moving around with that many people with fancy looking equipment is bound to attract all the attention. You and i will protect the actual cargo transport with only as many people as we need to get the job done on a different route, while the empty transport is carried with one on-hand chunin and two recommended genin in addition to a clone of mine and yours if you can make one that can ensure there safety while acting as a diversion." Mokuzai would then reach into his back pouch pocket and pull out a map and lay it flat before continuing as he pointed to a different route that leads the same way, "The route for the real transport will be slightly more audacious as it's not a route traveled usually by civilians, but for us it could save trouble. Any objections?" The Senju would look into his back up's eye's for a answer.

WC:603

Total WC:1,960

The Senju boy made a humming sound that Nayoko equated to thinking carefully about his next words. He hopped off the weapon on which he had been perched and while looking at the jounin, sheathed it before speaking. "Have the people delay leaving so that they may move the cargo to less finely crafted transportation, moving around with that many people with fancy looking equipment is bound to attract all the attention. You and i will protect the actual cargo transport with only as many people as we need to get the job done on a different route, while the empty transport is carried with one on-hand chunin and two recommended genin in addition to a clone of mine and yours if you can make one that can ensure there safety while acting as a diversion." He then pulled out a map and laid it out while pointing to an alternate route that seemed to be a little but out of the way, but would certainly be less prone to attack, at least in large numbers. The route for the real transport will be slightly more audacious as it's not a route traveled usually by civilians, but for us it could save trouble. Any objections?"

Nayoko’s eyes narrowed as he thought through the plan for a moment. It made sense, since the main problem would be if any trouble showed up in great numbers. But if they went on this less travelled road, then any bandits they might run into would not only be unprepared for a raid, but they would be in a small enough number that Nayoko would probably be able to fight them alone. It was a very smart plan, but with only one probably. Any clones he created would not be able to go more than 30 metres away form him, so he did not have a way to send one with the caravan. Even so, he nodded his approval and stepped back from the map. “It seems like a sound strategy. My only issue is that my water clones have to stay close to me to maintain their form, and this route takes us away from the diversion cargo. We will have to rely on the strength of the chuunin here in the camp to keep the diversion safe. Regardless, if they are set upon by criminals they can simply give up the crates without issue, since they will be empty. I still think it will work.”

With that, Nayoko began moving the cargo from its current cart and onto a smaller, less conspicuous one nearby. It would mean that they were leaving a little bit later than he would like, but in the end if it meant that nobody would get hurt, then the jounin was satisfied. Whether Mokuzai helped him or not, he would strike up a conversation with the Senju to try to break the ice a little bit. They would be working alongside one another, and so it was important that they understand a little bit more about how each of them fought and acted. Nayoko had already seen how dramatic the Senju could be based on his entrance, but he figured that he would be able to handle that weapon of his in a fight as well. “So Mokuzai, since I’ll be your backup firepower, I will let you know what I can do so that you can better deploy me when the time comes. I am best in an up close fight, being a taijutsu specialist. When I am close to my opponents I can bring them down quickly without much noise or expending a great deal of chakra. That being said, I also have a fairly powerful arsenal of long range, destructive jutsu that can be summoned at your command.” He paused for a moment in case his partner had any questions before moving on to what he was really curious about. “I see that weapon you have, so I’m curious. Do you prefer being up close as well? Or are you able to use the signature kekkei genkai of your clan? Wood Release is well known throughout the ninja world, let alone our home. I would be interested to see it in action, if you are able.”

He meant every word of it. Nayoko had met a Senju once before, but the meeting had been brief and he had not been able to see any of the famous wood release in their time together. If this mission presented the opportunity to see the young man use it against a bandit or two, Nayoko would know that this was all more worth the trip to the desert. Once the cargo was moved, Nayoko would simply lean against the wagon that they would be escorting and waiting for the word of his commander.

WC:809+1466=2275

Nayoko’s eyes became narrowed as he was surely thinking about Mokuzai's plan in his head and after a few minute's he spoke again, “It seems like a sound strategy. My only issue is that my water clones have to stay close to me to maintain their form, and this route takes us away from the diversion cargo. We will have to rely on the strength of the chuunin here in the camp to keep the diversion safe. Regardless, if they are set upon by criminals they can simply give up the crates without issue, since they will be empty. I still think it will work.”  The Senju would make a light scowl on his face as he thought about what Nayoko said, true enough Mokuzai forgot that clone's had a limit, even his advanced clone's could only travel 50 meter's away from him before dispersing, he could still send out a clone that would be able to provide protection until they were 50 meters apart but then it be a waste of chakra ultimately, he didn't like it but all he could do is trust that the chunin selected could hold off any raider's that they encountered or at least distract them long enough for Nayako and him to complete the real mission.

With that, Nayoko began to move the cargo from its current cart and onto a smaller, less conspicuous one nearby. Mokuzai was aware that they would be leaving a little bit later than he would like, but this was the only way he could ensure the least amount of injuries while completing the mission that would ensure stronger ties to Sungakure, if it was this way he could live with the choice. The Senju begun helping him out, Nayako decided to start talking which Mokuzai didn't mind because rather or not they liked it they would be relying on each other to watch each other's back in this mission so it wasn't a bad thing to know what type of skill set his partner had, “So Mokuzai, since I’ll be your backup firepower, I will let you know what I can do so that you can better deploy me when the time comes. I am best in an up close fight, being a taijutsu specialist. When I am close to my opponents I can bring them down quickly without much noise or expending a great deal of chakra. That being said, I also have a fairly powerful arsenal of long range, destructive jutsu that can be summoned at your command.”

So they were similar, Mokuzai was no taijutsu specialist but he was a close-combat specialist in that aspect, it was nice to know but then Nayako had more to say, “I see that weapon you have, so I’m curious. Do you prefer being up close as well? Or are you able to use the signature kekkei genkai of your clan? Wood Release is well known throughout the ninja world, let alone our home. I would be interested to see it in action, if you are able.” As he loaded the cargo Mokuzai took a quick breath before answering, "Yes your assumption is right, i use this weapon in close-combat similar to how you use your fists, although the range of weapons i can use is more than just this scythe. In addition i also use my clan's kekkai genkai, im sure during this mission your be able to see what it can do, although i am no master but i can use it to a higher extent then some."

Once most of the cargo was ready Mokuzai left Nayako to receive the people that would act as a distraction. When he found his three he read the list, a highly skilled Inuzuka genin known to sniff out traps and detect enemies before they got too close, a Rama genin that could shift the natural terrain to their advantage and also because their clan was known to handle multiple tasks at once, and finally a highly skilled Hyuuga chunin to take out enemies and disable jutsu's in quick succession. He quickly meant with the Hyuuga that he would assign as the genin's leader, "Remember, avoid a unnecessary fight, keep to the route, and if all else fail's give up the cargo and keep yourselves alive. Good luck!"

He quickly returned to Nayako and gave him a simple nod, "All end's are prepared, let's go."

The Senju beat on the cargo which was the signal for the few people around it to start moving, Mokuzai quickly leaped on a tree ahead where he would keep to the shadow's so that he would be less seen but keep a keen eye and ear out for trouble.

WC:823

Total WC:2,783

"Yes your assumption is right, I use this weapon in close-combat similar to how you use your fists, although the range of weapons I can use is more than just this scythe. In addition I also use my clan's kekkai genkai, I’m sure during this mission your be able to see what it can do, although I am no master but I can use it to a higher extent then some." Despite the fact that he was stuck moving crates and boxes, hearing those words put a smile on the Leaf jounin’s face. He was going to get to see the legendary kekkei genkai of the Senju clan in action. The same kekkei genkai that created the foundations of the village that he called his home would be on display for him sometime very soon. It was exciting to say the least. As the young genin set out to prepare the distraction convoy, Nayoko finished moving the last of the cargo onto the less conspicuous cart. He was impressed by the young man’s plan once again, seeing as he seemed so young but was still smart enough and experienced enough to know when sacrificing time was worth the risk.

With the last of the cargo loaded up onto the new cart and the other ninja prepared for their portion of the mission, Nayoko leaned up against the cart and waiting for his temporary leader to return so that they could set off. He had not been waiting long when Mokuzai returned from his briefing and gave Nayoko a simple nod, explaining that it was time to get underway. With a quick beat on the cargo, the convoy was underway. Nayoko followed the Senju’s movements as he leaped into a tree ahead of the group. He debated doing the same for a moment, but he did not want to make an assumption about what Mokuzai’s orders would be. He was taking full control of this mission, and Nayoko was just there to help. Instead, Nayoko reached back and lifted his hood, obscuring his face from the harsh sun of the Land of Wind that was beating down on them from above.

The procession continued unmolested for some time, Nayoko choosing to say on the ground walking just ahead of the wagon and listening carefully to their surroundings. The forest was not nearly as thick as back within the Land of Fire proper, and the thinning of the trees suggested to the Hattori that soon they would be entering the desert that they were headed for. From what Nayoko had been told, the supplies were meant for setting up a new camp just within the border, partway into the desert toward the ruins that were once Sunagakure no Sato. With the terrain changing from what Nayoko was used to, he was having a slightly harder time than usual determining exactly what he was hearing all around him. The wildlife that he was unfamiliar with in particular was causing him problems. The only other country he had visited in his lifetime was the land of Water. Despite its name, it was very similar to the Land of Fire when it came to flora and fauna that could be expected. There were certainly some differences, like the humidity and the nearly constant mist that hung over the village, as per its name. But for the most part, it did not feel all that different from his home in Konohagakure no Sato. But the Land of Wind was so utterly different that it was almost frustrating to the Hattori man.

But even with the distractions, Nayoko was able to pick out a sound that he knew all too well. It was the sound of whispering. Hopping up to where his mission leader was situated, Nayoko landed with barely a sound and spoke in a hushed tone. “Mokuzai, I don’t know if you heard it, but there are people nearby. I don’t know how many, but I heard whispering nearby. I suspect that it is bandits of some kind laying in wait to ambush us.” He had to force himself to pause at that moment. He had so many thoughts rushing through his head at once, each of them a product of his experience as a shinobi thus far in his career. He wanted to start issuing orders that would help them position the caravan and prepare for some kind of assault. He wanted to dash toward the source of the talking that he had heard and begin decimating the enemy force right away. He wanted to meld into the shadows and destroy them before they knew what had been set upon them.

But he held his tongue and stopped short. This was not his mission; not anymore at least. And so he stopped himself from giving commands and instead asked a question that he had not asked in a serious situation for some time now. “What are your orders?”

WC:833+2275=3108

Now that Mokuzai and Nayako's squad had moved and prepared the cargo for transport the mission begun to go underway, at first the mission proceeded unhindered by enemy movement and one could even find solace in the travel, while Nayoko choose to stay on the ground walking just ahead of the wagon Mokuzai had taken the aerial approach watching further ahead from the tree's but the Senju was sure his partner was listening carefully for any strange movement's. After being on foot for nearly twenty minute's the forest that once surrounded them thickly was no longer the case, the thinning of the trees suggested that they were nearly the sandy shore's of the Land Of Wind meaning it wouldn't be long until they entered a desert plain.

Mokuzai himself was only aware of the fact that they were transporting cargo that would be used to set up a new camp their as a base of operation's closer to the situation, it was a good idea as it would save time and trouble of traveling then having to do a actual mission, but the Senju thought to himself on how the survivor's of Sunagakure would feel about outsider's trans passing on their land after the attack on their village. Nearly a hour later as they had reached and were now fully in the desert sand's slowly passing by the ruin's that were once Sunagakure no Sato, unfortunately due to the changing landscape and for many the first time to this new land the rapid change in temperature and walking conditions provided a challenge to nearly everyone, Mokuzai himself had never been near Sunagakure and was getting quite a bit of trouble as with each step his foot sunk into the sand.

It took awhile for him to realize, but it wasn't until he took one more step into the sand that he realized he had now visited four out of five of the great nation's. Too many the accomplishment wouldn't seem much as in their life time it was expected for a ninja have been to every village at-least once or twice but to Mokuzai it was like completing a milestone of his childhood dream's, now all that was left was to visit Iwagakure and he would officially have traveled to all the five great nation's.
Suddenly the sound of whispers pierced Mokuzai's ears and he thought to himself, "It seem's some of the enemy force's are here." It was at that moment Nayako had hopped forward to where he was and begun whispering into his air, "Mokuzai, I don’t know if you heard it, but there are people nearby. I don’t know how many, but I heard whispering nearby. I suspect that it is bandits of some kind laying in wait to ambush us.”

He didn't make any movements as they were clearly being watched but instead he whispered back, " Tell them to get inside the cargo caravan and activate a layer of defensive jutsu around it, were swiftly take them out ourselves but ill be going ahead first in 3...2...1!" Mokuzai quickly released his scythe from it's straps and spun it around while molding the tip in chakra, he then turned north east and then impaled the tip of his weapon into the ground, there was a 3 second delay but from where he was facing nearly thirty two meter's out a giant thin wooden blade emerged along with the sounds of blood curdling screams that came from a bandit that had been impaled and was now held up by the blade in the air, as if afraid for their own life two other bandit's leaped into the air desperate to escape but the Senju quickly made another hand seal and from the large wooden blade emerged two smaller one's that quickly caught up with the two bandit's before impaling them right through their neck's killing them as well.

He then took the tip of his blade out of the sand and then keep a keen ear for incoming wave's of enemy, suddenly the sky would blacken and Mokuzai looked up to see nearly hundreds of kunai's flying straight towards them in great number's, he immediately alerted Nayako and told him to come over to him quickly before he responded by quickly strapped back on his weapon and performed the Boar, Hare, Snake hand-seals that created a large wooden barrier from the left and the right rushing to the center at a speed of 30 m/s while covering the caravan and it's people as well as anything else in a 12 meter radius at a height of 4 meter's. Mokuzai then quickly spoke to Nayako, "Get ready, were beginning the real assault."


Chakra: 190/250

Jutsu Used:

WC:830

Total WC:3,613

His special jounin commander barely moved as he responded to Nayoko’s question, showing that he was aware that the duo were probably being watched. "Tell them to get inside the cargo caravan and activate a layer of defensive jutsu around it, were swiftly take them out ourselves but ill be going ahead first  in 3...2...1!" The speed with which the young man released his weapon form his back and moved it to his hand was nothing to scoff at, but what was more impressive was the result of that movement. The tip of the weapon dug deep into the sand covered earth below their feet, and though there was a few moments of silence, the Hattori could feel the flow of chakra moving through the earth before them as it shot out in the direction of the whispers. After a few seconds there was a loud crashing sound as a large wooden spike drove itself through one of the would-be assailants and killed him instantly, his last words being a gurgling scream that was cut short due to the lack of air remaining in his body. Even as this happened, Nayoko sprung back to the cargo wagon in time to see the Senju kill two more of the bandits with his wood release.

As he landed, Nayoko could not help but smile. In front of him he was now seeing the legendary wood release of the first Hokage and all of the Senju clan on display. Its deadly potential was incredible, and Nayoko made a note to himself to follow the progress of the young man before him. He wanted to see what a shinobi of his own caliber could do with such a power. But the time for contemplation was not now. Instead, as he landed he called out to the civilians around him. “Everyone on the wagons!” He gave them a few moments to climb onto the closest part of the caravan before forming a few hand seals an exhaling a wall of water around a portion of the wagon. It was about this time that Mokuzai called out to him to alert him of the incoming kunai. Nayoko was about to form the hand seals for yet another defensive technique, but stopped himself as he saw the Senju create his own large, wooden barrier in the path of the weapons, protecting the people within. His quiet words came to Nayoko as the pulled his hood up over his head and waited. Get ready, were beginning the real assault."

Nayoko nodded; it was time for him to attack. The sound of bandits running down the sand dunes and toward them as easy to hear, and thus gave their position away without Nayoko even needing to see them. He bent his knees for a moment before pushing out form under the barrier to his left and into the open, right into one of the oncoming enemies. He connected with the bandit using his left shoulder, driving it into the man’s abdomen and causing him to cough up blood. The sensation of ribs collapsing beneath the force of the attack let the Hattori know that this man would no longer be a threat, and so instead of following up the strike, the jounin simply used the corpse as an object to roll off of to his feet in order to take in his surroundings. There were three more bandits that had closed on the caravan and were so close to Nayoko that he could not help but attack them. The remaining enemies were up the side of a small sand dune; three of them with short bows aimed down at the wagons and one standing behind those three, shouting out orders. She appeared to be the one in charge of the group, and tat unfortunately meant that she would have to die. But first he needed to deal with the underlings.

Snapping his head to the left, Nayoko pushed off of the ground and launched himself toward the nearest foe. As he moved, he through his right fist forward and crashed it against the man’s skull. The blow staggered him, leaving him helpless to Nayoko’s follow up punch to the throat from his left hand. The bandit’s wind pipe collapsed before he even knew that the Hattori was on him, and his corpse crumpled to the ground without a sound. Even as he completed the attack, Nayoko was reaching onto his waist and pulling out Hurricane Reaver. The weapon unfurled in a mere moment, and the jounin threw it immediately toward one of the other two vanguard bandits. It slammed into his chest without any contest and sent the assailant to the ground. Finally, Nayoko formed a quick series of hand seals and channeled a great deal of chakra through his body before a stream of water seemed to pull itself from the ground around him before twisting together above his head into a large dragon made of water. The dragon’s maw opened wide as it crashed down on the last of the forward bandits, crushing him in an instant. With them taken care of, Nayoko managed to side step an incoming arrow before shouting to the Senju that was leading their mission. “There are four more at range out here including a leader. I’ll hold this line in case more come!”

It was then up to the Senju to take care of the rest…

WC:902+3108=4010

Chakra 280/320:

As Mokuzai gave the sign that it was time for his partner to attack as well Nayoko simply nodded in response. The sound's of bandits running downwards from the sand dune's was easily recognizable to the Senju and Hattori, Mokuzai lightly chuckled as they completely gave away their position and felt that they were underestimating  the power of the village of Konohagakure's forces. Nayoko wasted no time as once the barrier opened he pushed off from a bent knee and plunged right into the enemy force's connecting with a bandit using his left shoulder, the man coughed up blood easily and Mokuzai was sure he was no longer a threat which Nayako seemed to think as well as he didn't bother following up with another strike.

As he dealt with the bandit's Mokuzai stayed close to the caravan by standing on top of it, any projectile's that came near it were cut or deflected as he spun his scythe to intercept them, as he kept protecting the caravan he suddenly felt a large heat source getting hotter behind him, when he turned around he would see a mass of fire shaped like a ball coming for him, Mokuzai sheathed his weapon in chakra as he begun to spin it slowly in his hand picking up speed rapidly, once the fireball got close it started to disperse from the generated wind of the spinning weapon as it collided with it before disappearing. The Senju would hear his partner suddenly scream out directed towards him, “There are four more at range out here including a leader. I’ll hold this line in case more come!” Mokuzai simply nodded before answering, "Ill be counting on you then!"

Mokuzai quickly sprung into action by jumping off the caravan by doing a front flip to land on the sand, he begun running and picking up speed until he was moving at 10 m/s at full sprint while at the same time doing a zig-zag motion dodging enemy projectile's, one of the bandit's summoned a large shuriken and throw it at him, The senju jumped mid air and aimed his weapon in such a way that the tip of his scythe would go through the loop of the shuriken in the center, as he spun his body before throwing the large projectile right back into the bandit who throw it as they started coughing up blood and as he got close enough he kicked directly onto the shuriken making it stab deeper in while causing the bandit to fly a meter away. From behind he could sense one bandit coming with a blade and from the other a large hammer, the Senju quickly used the the blunt end of his scythe and thrusted it backwards into the blade wielding bandit's hand causing them to drop the weapon before swinging it upwards to cause the back to smack them against the chin before spinning around and impaling the tip of his scythe into their neck causing them to choke out blood while struggling to break free , with one swift motion he would spin himself around once more while the tip of his scythe was imbued into the bandit's neck and as the hammer aimed for him it  instead smashed into the body of his ally as Mokuzai took the tip out of them and they fell to the floor due to his stab wound and the blunt force of the hammer.

The bandit seemed to drop his hammer, the shock that he killed his own ally by accident seemed to be too  much as he fell onto his knee's simply staring at them, he started to even scream loudly with a blood curdling cry that Mokuzai felt for deeply, to end his pain the Senju with a flick of scythe impaled the tip under their chin to silence them before pushing it deeper until he could see the tip coming out their mouth and then pulled it back out quickly taking the blood off with a flick of his wrist.

Just as he stared into the body he felt a even more intense heat then before and would look toward's it source to see a giant fireball roaring and in the shape of a dragon's head coming at him, he immediately bent down slamming his hand against the sand causing a earthen door to rise up in front of him, the dragon like fireball would collide with it but even then the flame's seemed to flow around it as it inflicted the Senju with 1st degree burns around his arms and shoulders and burned his clothing slightly. As the fire stopped rampaging Mokuzai would take off the jacket that was burning even as he moved and throw it onto the sand, he quickly yelled out to Nayako, "Take the caravan and head towards the destination, i'll meet you there, thats a order!" The tone in his voice was clear and almost harsh as he gave out the direction, but he was sure Nayako would figure out that he didn't want the caravan to say out in the open as he fought and it was better for them to keep moving, Mokuzai would quickly weave the Boar, Hoarse, Dog, and Dragon hand sign as his final preparation.


Chakra: 175/250

Jutsu used:

WC: 900
Total WC: 4,514

As Nayoko stood on the cargo filled wagon, he watched the young Senju in action. The jounin was prepared for any other attacker to come his way, but if he was going to consider this mission a complete success, then he needed to see just how strong lower ranked shinobi was. The boy jumped forward, moving with a speed that was impressive for his station, but still had a lot of room for improvement. Even so, the deftness of his blade was nothing to sneeze at, and as one enemy after another was felled before him, Nayoko could not help but smile. It seemed that in his absence from the leaf, they had still continued to train some of the most talented young ninja that he had ever seen. He had now been to three of the great ninja countries of the world, and though his allies in the Land of Water had been wonderful to work with and were strong in their own right, Nayoko had continued to be impressed by the men and women that had risen through the ranks at his own home.

The bout that he watched patiently ended with a large dragon made of pure flame rising from one of the remaining criminals, and Nayoko bent at the knees to prepare a defense. However, it seemed that his talents were not needed as the young Senju slammed his hands into the ground and produced a wall of pure earth; a familiar jutsu to the Hattori. As the ashes of the explosion settles to the ground, Nayoko saw his leader through the smoke throwing is burning jacket to the ground before looking up to him, a coldness in his eyes that reminded Nayoko of a man that he had met only a few times in his life. Nayoko’s brow furrowed for a moment before he realized that the Senju was speaking to him; ordering him to the end destination of the caravan in hopes of keeping it safe. The jounin of Konoha simply nodded at that, knowing that it was a smart tactical call, but upset that he would miss any more fighting that might occur. Leaping form one wag on to the next, Nayoko began picking up the people that had fallen from he wagons and placing them back where they belonged. It did not take him long to get everybody situated again, and before too long he found himself shouting over the din of the battle around them. “Follow me!”

With that, he took off running ahead of the group, hoping that they would heed his words. Whether it was the adrenaline from being attacked or the knowledge that listening to him would mean living longer, the men and women driving the carts did not hesitate for a moment. Before too long Nayoko had the caravan following his lead out into the desert and away from the potential threat. As the caravan moved further ahead, the Hattori turned to the driver of the first wagon, instructing him to not stop moving until they reached the destination before leaping back from wagon to wagon until he was on the last one. It was from that perch that Nayoko squatted down and activated his ANBU sensory technique. He wanted to see just how the battle would end, and after seeing his comrade’s prowess on display, he knew that missing any part of the fight would be nothing less than disappointing.

And so as the wagon caravan moved further and further away, Nayoko watched silently for any approaching enemies, but more importantly, to see what the young shinobi from his village would do to clean up the criminal scum that had dared to assault them. A smirk spread onto the Hattori man’s face as he awaited the display of power that the user of the legendary Wood Release might unleash.

WC:646+4010=4656

Chakra 260/320:

With Nayako and the caravan now making their way towards the end point of their destination they previously set route on Mokuzai smiled lightly now turning back to the shinobi in front of him, "Now it's just you and me, no distractions or other things to worry about. I'm sure I don't have to tell you this will be to the death due to the nature of warfare, I would prefer not to kill you but you attacking my comrades put's you on my priority list."  As Mokuzai scanned over the shinobi's body even though his  clothing he could tell his muscles were somewhat defined, mostly a taijutsu user, he already know he had fire jutsu so now all he needed to know was what other elemental jutsu the man possessed in his arsenal, rather or not he liked it the Senju would soon find his answer.

As they gazed into each other's eyes from a distance they begun walking around each other in a circle as if testing each other's will to fight, the desert sands shifting around them as the wind whistled and grains of the softened earth scattered to the air blowing all about around them, the sun above glaring down at the shinobi as if it was the grand judge witnessing what would be the last battle of one of the shinobi who found themselves in a war. From afar a hawk was flying to its destination but as it passed over the two shinobi it would emanate an animalistic cry and in that instant, the battle has begun as both shinobi ran towards each other ready to fight to their last breath.

Mokuzai was poised to end it so that he could return back to the caravan where Nayako and the rest of his comrades were patiently waiting for his return, he quickly reached his maximum running speed moving faster than the shinobi in front of him, as he got near he would slightly bend his knee's and get into a lower stance before using  his scythe to do a low sweeping slash  however, Mokuzai's movements were too obvious and the other shinobi had simply jumped into the air about a meter away to avoid it but that was exactly what the Senju wanted. From the shinobi's location, he could hear the light sound of a wheezily chuckle as from the corner of his eye he could see he was weaving handseals, Mokuzai lightly smiled as his back was facing the shinobi as he had actually anticipated his actions all the way until this moment,  his opponent was underestimating him and that was the type of mistake that leads many shinobi to their deaths.

At the corner of his eye, he could see the shinobi puff up their chest and he recognized it from a fellow comrade he watched train once before, it was a fire jutsu so he knew what to do, Mokuzai himself weaved quick handseals so the moment balls of fire came towards him he created a ring shape like hose around his mouth and focused a jet stream of water straight at them resulting in a chain reaction that put out the fire while covering the immediate surrounding area in steam. Now that he had sufficient cover Mokuzai knew it was time to end it, he clasped both hands together and then kneeled pressing them into the ground and in that instant earth would form to his left and right side's into a four-meter earth giant that looked like it weighed nearly six hundred pounds each, it was time for the Senju to start the real assault.

Mokuzai rushed in first to provide a distraction for his giants, he spun his scythe in his hand rapidly while running at full speed and then leaped into the air upon reaching the range his weapon could reach and swung the tip of it downwards towards the shinobi's skull, the shinobi was quick and caught it between his two hands as they were in open palms that pushed the tip into the center stopping it' force from impaling their skull. Mokuzai jumped back with his weapon and used his free hand to put it in his mouth and whistle loudly, from behind the shinobi the steam would clear up to reveal the earth giant that landed a direct punch to their back essentially breaking their back's bone's before flying towards the Senju, Mokuzai spun his scythe in his hand rapidly and as the shinobi got close he would use the blunt end to smack their chin sending them flying upwards into the air, with yet another whistle the second earth giant jumped high into the air intercepting the shinobi and delivering a hammer fist strike directly onto their head sending them back to the earth, the earth giant that had been on the ground intercepted the shinobi again catching him with an open palm. Mokuzai wasn't sure if the shinobi he was facing was still alive but he sit back and watched as the earth giant who had been in the air was falling back down directly above the earth giant holding the shinobi in his hand and as he fell he would crash straight into the earth giant resulting in both of them breaking apart as there own weight destroyed each other and the shinobi getting caught up in the damage would surely have perished.

With his enemy gone Mokuzai finally fell to one knee, he had exhausted a lot of his chakra in the need to finish his opponent off quickly but it seemed to pay off. Resting his body for a few minutes he got back onto his feet and quickly reunited with the caravan and Nayako until they reached their destination.


-Exit-

Chakra: 125/250

Jutsu used:

WC:975

Total WC: 5,489

Using 1,733 saved WC from this thread Training i the dense forest

for a total of 7,222


B-rank mission: 2500/2500 (4,722 Words Left)

E-rank Jutsu (Phytogen Based Life-form): 500/500 (4,222 Words Left)

Speed Stat:
B-1 ~> B-2, 800/800 (3,422 Words Left)
B-2 ~> B-3, 900/900 (2,522 Words Left)

25 ryo per 100 Words, 1000/1000: 250 extra ryo (1,522 Words Left)

Endurance Stat:
B ~> B-1, 700/700 (822 Words Left)
B-1 ~> B-2, 800/800 ( 22 Words Wasted)

The beginning of the battle was slow, with the two opposing shinobi staring each other down before beginning to circle one another. It was tense, and Nayoko could feel himself holding his breath as he waited for the first strike. He had all faith in his comrade and his ability to defeat the criminal standing before him, but Nayoko knew it may not come without a cost. Every ninja would eventually get into a fight that they would not leave without their share of scars. The thought of such a battle caused the Hattori to reach his hand to his midsection, feeling the scar subconsciously as he continued to stare down at the battle that was about to begin from his perch on the wagon. He had nearly died the day he received the wound that gave him that scar, and the man that had given it to him still roamed the world. He had not heard form him in years, nor had he heard tale of his activities; but Nayoko knew he was still out there. Those thoughts clouded his mind but momentarily before he managed to focus back on the fight that was happening before. Him. Their circular pacing lasted for what seemed like an eternity, before finally the two warriors turned and dashed toward one another, beginning the duel in earnest.

His comrade’s opening strike seemed to miss the target, and even from this distance the jounin could see the hand seals being formed by the criminal, weaving his hands into different positions until a blast of fire was release from his mouth. But the leaf ninja was ready for this, unleashing a torrent of water much like the jutsu that Nayoko himself used to defend himself in many different battles. The resulting steam clouded the Hattori’s vision for a moment, but thanks to his chakra enhanced perception he was able to follow the attacks that continued. The Senju seemed to them create two golems that were definitely dangerous to fight. Mokuzai rushed in first, spinning his scythe and leaping into the air before bringing his weapon down on his enemy. The man caught the weapon in his hands, proving once again that the Senju had some ways to go if he wanted to be an efficient and deadly shinobi. But even so, his superior planning meant the end of this fight was close. The combo that proceeded to occur was a devastating one to say the least, with the two rock golems utterly demolishing the now dead bandit leader in mere seconds. Nayoko nodded slowly as he deactivated his sensory technique and turned around toward the rest of the caravan. Giving a simple thumb up to the civilians, he knew that the message would be received. The first part of their mission was done. Now, they needed to set up camp and prepare for whatever was coming next.

As he turned around, he could see Mokuzai walking slowly along the dunes toward his location. He was certain that the boy would be exhausted, but the fight was not over yet. It was not long before he reunited with the group, at which point Nayoko was sure to congratulate the young man. He was certainly a good representation of what a ninja at his level should be; and there was no doubt in the Hattori’s mind that one day the young Senju would be just as strong, if not stronger than himself.

[Exit Thread]

WC:578+4656=5234

Mission Complete! (2500/2500)

Training: