Verdandi was moving through the desert on her way to her favourite oasis. The sun was burning bright and the Hyouton chakra layering her skin was melting idly away into the sand. Verd could cool herself but the poor little Avalanche was exhausted. I continuous generation of either water or ice was necessary to keep the polar boy steady and motivated enough to move. Verd cut off some cacti plants on the way to get to their juicy water reserves. For an ice user Verd was pretty used to dealing with the desert by now. But she needed some distractions here and there to get away from the battlefields.

Dandi could spy a large oddly shaped structure at the horizon. Not sure if it was one of those famous delusions one could get in the desert, it was yet on her path towards the oasis. Squeezing ger feet into Avalanche's hips as to tell the good boy to pick it up a notch. In the end, the large structure seemed to be but a gate into a mountain complex. Verd could taste the chance of getting some shade in there instead of hot burning sun. Even though archaeology wasn't necessarily one of her talent. Dandi would jump off Ava's back and slowly make her way towards the gate. Peeking inside Verdandi would realize that it was one of the many abandoned places in suna. A former village of sorts. The cave system seemed to go deep and far. Into the mountain and probably even down, into the depths of the stone.

Verd didn't really like to venture too deep into the ground. Walking past the gates and into the village. The many empty houses would give away a rather creepy feeling towards all of this. The structures were beautiful though, statues were built into the stone walls. Verd would move into what seemed like some sort of throne room for whomever controlled the people and the surrounding villages. Curiously she poked herself through the room, seeing how many artefacts had already been looted while others still remained, pretty to look at, telling little stories about the history of the place. As Verdandi would make her way back, pretty sure she had seen enough for a first impression. She could hear something.

Before she knew what was happening. A toxic dart had been shot and hit her at the neck. While Verd was falling, Avalanche moved in to try and protect her. As some sort of rope would slowly sling itself around the princess feet, she knew Ava wouldn't be able to save her on his own. Grabbing on his fur she'd stare at him in a dizzy state, whispering in old Hyougaan. "Get help...." Before she'd loose consciousness and the rope on her legs would slowly pull her away into the darkness. The startled bear would start to run, quickly, aiming straight for the entrance. Many darts would be shot, some even hitting the bear. His large body mass allowing him to tank them for now. A wooden gate was about to be lowered, the people who had abducted the Princess were obviously not in favour of letting the bear go. But Avalanche simply crashed head-on into the structure. Running past the gate and off into the desert.

Drowsy by the toxins of the darts, they would start to affect him pretty soon. The oasis was but only a few minutes away. Without Verdandi taking care of his hydration and sun-protection, the head was massively torturing the poor bear. He could make it. Slowly tapping his way into the oasis. Moving into the pond. He knew he had to go and search for help. But the world was getting dark and his body became heavy. He dragged himself slowly, paw by paw further into the water, until he eventually lost control over his body weight and finally gave into the toxins. Dozing off.


660

Chakra 180/200:

A trio of covered carts made up a small caravan that seemed to only be a speck of dust along the sand dunes. The tarps were crusted from the sandstorm earlier that day but that was as far as damage went. Civilians inside the caravan held each other close in silence, trying to pass the time however they could without expending too much energy. The women knitted, the men carved trinkets, someone was keeping an account of their supplies, others slept, and children played with their toys. It was almost like they weren't trained for combat and were just like every other group of travelers.

After the glassing of suna, the elemental nations swarmed likes flies, trying to claim the remnants of a long broken country. These group of civilians were part of a group of genin and retired chuunin whom were offered to live away from the mountains of iwa to suna to gather information and smuggle supplies occasionally. Everyone here had combat experience and enough loyalty to iwa that they can be sent in to integrate with the populace as a group of traveling merchants. Jet was not assigned to this group particularly but hopped on as she was going in the same direction that they were. Plus the extra protection she afforded brought a sense of security with her.

There had been reports of bandits in this stretch of land that had been becoming more ambitious with each and every raid. The land of wind has always been a country strife with danger long before she was born. Wealth was unevenly distributed and most of the populace lived in poverty. The lucky ones who had lived in cities were able to make ends meet and sometimes, more than that. When the shinigami's soldiers descended upon suna and left ruins in their wake, the poor cheered. How long have they prayed divine retribution on the corrupted upper echelons? How long did they have to suffer in silence in fear of being carried away in the night? As someone who spent her early childhood in the slums of suna before she was taken away, she knew firsthand what corruption was. When she heard of its destruction she wasn't happy however she wasn't unhappy either. Good riddance she thought. It just made her job easier.

Everyone in the country hated corruption to some degree and most of whom had died aside from the shinobi during the glassing were the upper and middle class; much to the improvished delight. They swarmed what was left, taking the pickings of the dead like vultures. The chaos made it too easy for iwa to integrate their own spies. And with a momentary glance at the caravan, it was like it was invited.

Just as her attention returned to the book in her hand, she heard a shout. A few of them saying it saw some sort of white beast on the horizon. Having heard that, her interest was peaked and so in one fluid motion she got off her cart and headed to the front. Several meters away she saw an a...white bear? Knowing that the medication she had prescribed for her mental instabilities didn't create illusions in her head and that she wasn't the only one who saw it made her less skeptical. Telling the others she would scout it out, there was a tingling in the back of mind that something seemed off and it wasn't just the bear. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a polar bear. It was not as massive as others she had seen and it was a long way from home. It had collapsed not far off from the oasis they had left an hour ago.

Before she questioned why it was headed to the small settlement there, she saw the darts and concluded it was attacked. No polar bear can survive in this environment alone so someone had to summon it or had it has a ninken seijutsu sort of thing like her nekomata, Kira. The only group who used bears in combat aside from the Kuma clan of iwa were the ice users in Kiri. This one was much smaller and not armored like the mizukage's one but it could be a cousin of sorts? By checking its pulse and body signs, it wasn't dying, merely asleep, drugged then. Calling out, she had one of the chuunin medics arrive at her side. After explaining the situation and the cause of why it was unconscious, the medic went to examine it. Thankfully the toxins used were known in this area and would be easy to treat. Kira spoke up saying she smelled another person on the bear, cementing her conclusion, and that the scent was very fresh, no blood though, just an earthy, stone smell.

It didn't take too long for the treatment with the help of local herbs and the world bending powers of chakra, to wake the bear. Unfortunately, when it awoke it tried to attack and was swiftly held down by its throat with Jet's hand around it. She pulled her scarf down and told it that they just treated it and where was its partner. Kira crawled up into its vision and made it aware that they weren't trying to hurt him and they just want to help. The antidotes and adrenaline boosts were going to give it enough energy for him to lead Jet and Kira to her partner so they can save her but they needed her to calm down. Hopefully, he listens...

937~

Verdandi was slowly waking, her weapons had been stripped from her belt, her blurry vision would slowly come to glare into the darkness of the dungeon. With the civilization gone, this place had certainly seen better days. The lack of actual lamps or torches was making it difficult for her to see. Verd felt ill to the stomach. Without any antidote the toxins were still inside her system. One of the bandits came near her and laughed. "Well well if it isn't our most priced bargaining chip. You'll net quite the ryo. Either on regards of your nation kiddo. Or just off at the slave pen." The bandit close to Verd was reaching forth with his arm. Suddenly a dark-skinned man would enter the premises. "Stay away from her… she's not just a prisoner she i-" his words were disturbed. The bandit in front of Verdandi had turned his head to listen to his boss. Unfortunately, the warning came to late. Dandi's eyes were glowing. Her palms quickly ripped the ropes apart. With a sudden loud scream, a huge chakra wave would emit from her body and let the mountain shake. Her anger was quickly channelled into her Hyouton powers. Her palm would grip for the mans throat and frost would instantly shoot from the ground. The wetness of the caves giving Verd plenty of ammunition for her frost. The ice prison encaged the man and even while his friends were running to his aid, Verd screamed and under a completely animalistic and brutal display of power the man would be crushed inside the frost. His screams would echo loudly past the ice into the mountain. His skin was dissolving as the frostbite was freezing it and slowly burning it away from his flesh.

By the time two guards had pushed Verd backwards to the wall. One would try to break the ice and pull their friend from his prison. Screams of shock and disgust as well as a few younger bandits that couldn't help themselves but puke at the display that revealed from within. Their friend had severe burns all over his body, his bones were broken and distorted. A weakling like him couldn't survive Verdandi's most fearful technique for too long. Verd was still screaming. Her arms moving and her shoulders punching against them men trying to hold her back. She was just about to exhale another massive Hyouton blast from her lips as the leader moved in, ration chakra would form into a ball in his hand. Not a chidori but still. Electricity was, after all, Verdandi's weakest link. The shock would be punched straight into her belly. The two guards aside had to let go off her as to not receive too much of the electricity by themselves. Another injection of toxin would quickly follow the paralysis. Verd babbled and her eyes became dizzy again. With a freakish smile on her lips she would spit in the boss's face and pass out again.

The men were outraged. Cursing the worst of words over the girl. Demanding the boss to instantly slay her in return for laying hands on their own. Or doing worse to punish her. But the boss told them to shut up. "This is what happens when you don't listen to me you stupid maggots. Tie her up in chains, not ropes." He would claim and kick a few of his lazy men to have them get to work. "I will not have my money taken from me so easily. This girl will make a fine slave to the bazaar. Once tamed. But first. We have to get her there alive. Understood?" he rubbed the spit off his face and punched the unconscious body of Verdandi once more. This time she would indeed be cuffed with metal chains to the ground. Palms behind her back. A thick leather band wrapped around her mouth to keep her from exhaling ice and a large ration barrier would be raised by the boss.

He sent one of his guys to head out, a messenger to get the means of transportation to the bazaar for them. It wasn't their first slave trade. Scumbags to the rotten core. Making use of the lawless state Suna was in right now. Not that it had been much better under the previous rulers. Meanwhile the apprentices were tasked to remove the remains of the frozen corpse not rarely they had to stop their task as to take a deep breath. The ice burned skin of their mate gave away a smell that even disgusted the leader. Leaving this part of the cave to get some fresh air elsewhere.


Meanwhile. Avalanche had awoken. His body sore, the toxins heavy in his system, heavy adrenaline shot into his veins. Reawakening his last emotion of fear, despair and angst. He was sad. He was crying and screaming inside. He had failed his Master and now he was to be the next victim. His jaw would bite away. His head punch to the next best body trying to hold him. Moving up in his considerable strength as yet a single grip of the Jounin could stop him from actually going frenzy. Confused by the sudden grip, his eyes would open and close until the blur would finally fade. He was yet still confused and the fears inside him did not vanish. It was but the adorable little cat like figure that appeared that would finally put him at ease.

Avalanche was pretty much capable of understanding the common tongue of men. A shinobi pet after all. However, he was not capable of speech himself. Once Jet would loosen his grip one the bears throat. He would cough a bit and then spend his full concentration on the tiny little furball that was speaking to him. Avalanche would brush his large snout carefully against the fox. Last time he tried that he got stung by an insect, so he was more cautious now. As the smell did not imply any aggression, Ava would slowly set back down and his tongue would lash out to lick against the nekomata's face playfully.

He did need a few minutes to calm himself with the cat's presence and getting used to the various smells of the new people around him. Specifically, the smell of Jet as he seemed to be the cat's Master. As Jet had already guessed, Ava would use his growling tongue to try and explain to the neko in very simple terms what he wished to express. "Master, Cave, Bandits" if anyone could understand him it would probably be Kira. Anyhow. He didn't wait for confirmation as towards if and how much they understood. With a simple bump, he would carefully lift Kira onto his head and let it cling onto his back. Slowly turning about. Trying to make sense of where he did come from. Slowly stepping towards where he could make out his own footsteps but the strong wind was covering them with sand quite quickly. However, the smell of his Master was something strong and tied to his snout. He could make out Verdandi's scent even through the worst of storms. As soon as he got his nose set on a direction he started running. Whoever wished to follow or not, was all up to them. Time to save the princess.


1240 / 1900

Chakra 140/200:

Kira her sweet little nekomata was only slightly taken aback at how the situation was currently being handled, both by the bear and by Jet. The polar bear due to how much it was bonded to its member whom she smelled ice and sweat on. And also by Jet who didn't immediately crush the bear's neck nor shoot it on sight. Just goes to show how much she has mellowed out since she first met her years ago among the carnage and drugged riddle air of the troupe long ago. Her medication to deal with her mental instabilities were helping out a lot though Jet could easily flip her switch at any moment, no matter how strong of a dosage she was currently on. She only hoped that a kidnapping in the desert wasteland that once held the corrupt and infamous suna did not trigger any traumatic memories of Jet's childhood. Thankfully it appeared she was taking this well after Kira played translator to what the polar bear said and relayed that their master was kidnapped and being held hostage in a cave by bandits. Jet's eyes may have darkened the slightest but that could also be her taking this situation more seriously.

Quickly, Jet told the caravan to continue without her whilst notifying a few of where she was headed and in the unlikeliest of circumstances, that her nekomata partner would return for aid if this proves to be a trap in some sort of way. The cartographer in the group told her the most likely area in that distance with cave systems would be a place locals refrain from entering due to the horrid stories of terrible beast lost in time. She feared no such thing but she knew first hand that some legends held at least of semblance of fact so she took it with a grain of salt, thanked him, and headed on her way.

The fact that the polar bear was able to keep itself up was crazy. Soon they arrived at the entrance. She told the bear to wait a moment, check for scents and if he and kira were up to it, then sneak in and cause a distraction. Meanwhile, Jet will go ghost and use her clan jutsu to go invisible. Now that she was undetectable she then use an anbu sensory technique and searches around. The one who had a signature under turmoil and a little bit larger than most was held in...that direction. She quickly headed there.

1359~

Verdandi lolled idly away at herself. Whenever she opened her eyes. The ration barrier remained around her. The chains tightly binding her. The guards staying far away from her and just making sure that she was still exactly where she was supposed to be. Verd wasn't sure what weird drug they had given her. The world was all wuzzy and shaky. She felt like taking a nap again. So, this kept on going like that for a while. Dandi felt like a while month had passed since she did anything useful. But apparently, it was but only moments and mere hours at best. By now. Avalanche had brought the potential reinforcements to the entrance hall. The bandits were busy. A few of the traders had arrived and they needed to be taken care off.

The guard which was supposed to detect any intruders was sleeping. His reinforcements drinking beer in a little tent just a bit further into the cave. Three of them sitting in there, the entrance lid half-way open and one could hear or see them playing cards inside. The cave system itself extended quite far. While the guards all donned to be D-Rank, most of the militiamen that were walking around seemed to be no more than simple foot soldiers, probably civilians that were radicalized and recruited by bandits now that the whole country was in chaos. They barely seemed to be a threat. E-Rank considerably. But there were dozens of them after all. In mass they could still prove to be quite annoying if someone were to sound the alarm.

A good 800 meters into the cave there would be found a number of larger tents. The actual captains of the militia. The real bandits were here. The six C-Ranked bandits each seemed to have unique but simple weapons on them. Oddly shaped wakizashi, insanely long katana, a three headed spear, a large battle hammer, a big crossbow and a guy with throwing knifes instead of kunai. Their unique designs and their strange dresses gave them each their own appearance. As if they were some sort of main characters for a very lame bandit show. They were all sitting nearby the large fire, munching on food and talking. While the boss, potentially B-Ranked. Was busy talking with the traders. Verdandi was not yet subject of their trade so there was still time. Keeping the big numbers hoarded up in the central while most of the cave patrols were but weak militiamen.

A whole bunch of them had gathered another 100 meters deeper into the cave. Where Verdandi was locked in her makeshift prison. Most of them lurking over the corner to stare at the woman whom supposedly crushed a man by her sheer will. The rumours quickly spread within the bandit came and turned wilder and wilder. At some point they claimed she barely even looked at him and he just exploded. So, whenever Verdandi moved even the slightest in her dizzy state, some of them would twitch in scared fashion wondering if she'd jump up and go kill the peasants. The drug however was wearing off slowly. Strength was about to creep back into her veins… Her mind soon able to render normal thoughts once again.

She was still weak however. But anger was slowly rising inside her. Only time would tell what might have to happen if one was to release her from this nasty dark cage ~


580 / 2480

Jet found the entrance and had the pair of animals go in and cause a distraction with strict orders to flee when it got too dangerous. Last thing she saw before she ran by in her invisibility jutsu ghost style: art of the unseen was the polar bear ripping out throats with its mouth and kira nipping ankles in a tag team style to stun, trip, and kill. It was rather impressive for a random team. Regardless she had other things to worry about. Taking out her large sword, mama's punishment she would constantly reappear only to chop off a head, limb, or torso then disappear into nothingness. She used anbu sensory to find all the signatures and when she eventually found the leader, he begged and pleaded for his life and gave out all the information she needed to rescue the polar bear's owner along with other captives. She nodded and he seemed relived until she burnt him alive at point blank range just cause she wanted to. She hated slavery of any kind, having been enslaved by the troupe and now enslaved to iwa. She tried to help victims whenever she could and to make sure every slaver died horribly. Once the bandits were dead and she felt kira's signature head onto her location with the polar bear, she grouped up with them, patched them up with what she could then went down to where they had them help. Releasing the civilians was simple enough and it wasn't hard to disable the barrier around the girl, a kiri nin it showed, and help her on her feet. She allowed herself to reappear the group of slaves and the girl, debreifed them on their rescue and had them transported back to the nearest city or meet up with iwa officials who could help them relocate if they no longer felt the wind country was safe.

1679~
-1500 (trained Sai (B-rank jutsu))
179~

[EXIT]

Verdandi said goodbye to Jet after their brief encounter. Jet would take the freed slaves back the nearest city she said and by all means that was fine by Verdandi. Verd however knew that, in the depths of the caves there were still bandits and she would not stand to keep them there untouched. Verd would remain at the entrance gate for a while. Licking her wounds. Recovering from her stained skin and her bruises. Watching down her body Verd was a bit surprised at how much she had been put through in this place. The corpses of Jet's victims however spoke of another nasty tale. It must all have happened in unfashionably quick succession. But Verd didn't mind. She rested. For many hours. Tightly snugged to her bear. Until at last her body had regained enough strength to stand back on her feet again. Verd moved back into the cave. Past the corpses, past the burned leader. His trusted men however, the squad he was working with. Was gone. Verd couldn't find a trace of them and hence she would move in deeper into the cave. Without much problem, she would pass by the occasional bandit guard and slice into their chest without question. Her blade ready to taste more blood. Verd moved down the various hallways. She would find secret staches. Various side rooms. Killed a few drug dealers. Freed a few more prisoners. Even encountered the slave trader guests and made short work of them however.

But the squad was not to be found. One of the last bandits. She would toss to the wall as she threatened to saw off his legs. It didn't take long until he would gladly give away where those nasty butts had run off to. Verd thanked him with a quicker, painless death instead of the nasty way. Verd would make her way through the nearby sand dunes and ended in a pub not to far from the caves. In a little oasis village. She transformed herself quickly into one of the bandits, the girls she had met there. It wasn't a pretty one but it'd work out. Verd moved into the bar and acted like she just barely escaped death. Telling the men about the monstrous ninja inside the caves that moved around and slaughtered every last one of them. The squad however, knew about that already. That's the very reason they left. After the leader got burned down they seriously needed to get their butts to safety. Verd however knew that her performance had worked out quite nicely. The men offered a chair to their companion in need and ordered a beer. Soon they started talking about the good old days when you could enslave people and sell them for profit. It didn't go without saying that Verdandi, on purpose, would start to pay round and round of alcohol. Slowly filling them up as they got more and more involved into small talk and serious conversation about how life sucks even.

Once time was up. The bar men would slowly escort the drunk yards up to the living floor. Placing them neatly in a separated room each. Verdandi would enjoy this. She moved slowly. From room to room. Acting as if she was a bandit girl in heat, the drunken men were giddy, despite the form she chose was not very appealing. Whenever she sat herself on top of them. She would place her palm on their mouth to shush them and then draw her knife to massively stab them into their chest. One. Two. Three. Four. The majority of the squad was already down. She would save the girl for last. Number five however seemed to be gay or seriously had higher standards. Rejecting Verdandi's offer, she'd reward that by drawing her katana instead and give the guy a quicker, cleaner dead than the others had received. Once she moved into the last of the rooms. Verd would find the bandit girl. They would talk. Figure out why she had become whom she was. Figure out what had brought her to all of this. It was a wonderful. Enlightening experience. Heart breaking. Deep and full of potential redemption. It was too bad that Verdandi didn't buy any of her crap. She gripped the hoe's head and mashed it against the next best table so many times that her skull eventually broke and Verd could leave her behind with the rest of the squad's bandit corpses.

Everyone she had seen inside that cave. Every bandit. Every merc. Everyone that thought for a second they could cage Verdandi for long. Even the slave buyers. Especially the slave buyers. They were all dead. None of them made it through the day and even now. Verdandi wasn't finished just yet. One of the fancy rich buyers spilled the beans where that supposed market was that she was about to be brought to for sales. Verd would go there. Give those nice people a warm visit and make sure that whatever would happen there. Would be a cruel reminder that this line of work, was not to be tolerated.

[EXIT]

Verd WC: 871 / 3351
Thread WC: 5'030

Chakra 135 / 200:

WC Usage: