The Unknown Threat [Mission | A-Rank

Nayoko · 1 The Unknown Threat [Mission | A-Rank | Private] Sat Jun 16, 2018 10:42 pm

Nayoko

D-rank

EP : 21

838

Character sheet
Chakra:

(420/420)

Mission:

Nayoko sighed as he strapped on the greaves of his ANBU armour. The bright light of the Land of Wind sunset was filtering through the tent walls to given everything pale orange hue including the shiny new set of equipment. He had only used the set once or twice since being promoted to his position because of the relative peace that had persisted throughout Konoha and the Land of Fire since his return from Kirigakure no Sato. The armour still seemed new to him, seeing as he had never been one to wear armour before his promotion. The breastplate still didn’t even have a single scratch on it which made Nayoko worry that the people waiting for him outside would not take him seriously. He was so used to working alone and not having to worry about other eyes watching him that the idea of doing what he was about to do seemed…foreign. Sure, he ha led a few missions in his day, but that was with genin on missions he knew he would be able to take care of without an issue. He barely had to lift a finger on most of them, letting the genin and chuunin that were with him at the time do most of the work so that they could gain the experience. But now here he was, the captain of the ANBU of Konohagakure no Sato, and he had a mission to complete.

The Hattori took a moment to look at his mask as he stood at the flap of his tent. It was also clean and without a blemish, but after today he doubted that would be the case. The jounin checked his equipment one last time, ensuring that Hurricane Reaver was strapped into place and his basic kunai and senbon were readily available. With the final checks complete, Nayoko lifted his mask to his face, threw his white ANBU captain cloak over his shoulders, and stepped out of the tent to see the ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaves that had assembled before him. Each and every one of them were wearing the same armour as him, the only variation between them coming in the form of their different animal masks and the black of their cloaks in comparison to his white. He had been given little information about the shinobi and kunoichi before him, though that was by design because of the nature of their position. They were the Black Ops of the village, and the less known about each other, the better. There were four ANBU that were stranding before him in a single file row. They had been chatting idly as they waited, but the moment Nayoko emerged form the tent, they quieted down and stood at attention, ready to move out at a moment’s notice. The captain took a moment to look them over and size up what he had been given to work with. Without seeing their faces, he was not able to glean a great deal. But he surmised that he was probably ahead of them by quite a bit in terms of strength and speed if he had been put in charge of so many. But he could work with that. Finally, he gave a curt nod and began to speak, addressing his assembled force.

“Hello all,” his voice came from the ANBU mask lower than his actual voice and slightly distorted so as to hide his identity. He wished that he could simply remove his mask for him comrades, but he understood the importance of the secrecy. “We’ve been given an important mission to take care of today. In the wake of the destruction of Sunagakure no Sato, the criminal element that was once present has been allowed to flourish. With the absence of any kind of police force, those wishing to push for independence and radical responses to the tragedy have become violent, including the group that we have been informed about.” He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in so that he could be sure there would be no confusion as to the purpose of their mission. By now they would know that this was an elimination mission with no prisoners allowed. After a brief silence, the Hattori continued. “Our forward scouts into the Endless Wasteland have found a location where a group of outlaws has begun gathering. Their forces are still growing every day, but we cannot allow an organized effort to take root here. We are being sent in to cull this attempted grab at power. Even if we are unable to eliminate every member of this group, we must leave them weak enough that they will no longer be able to seize this opportunity without significant recovery time. We will travel into the desert as soon as this briefing is done and hopefully reach the camp by nightfall. That is when we will strike.”

There was another pause as he contemplated his next words. He knew that each an every one of them knew the risks they would be taking just by being members of ANBU, but at the same time he felt the need to reiterate them. His gaze fell over the entire team once again before he spoke, quieter now. “I doubt we will all make it out alive, but know that what we do, we do for those who could not fight back themselves.” With that, he raised a hand and motions for them to fall into formation behind him before he turned about and said one more thing. “ANBU, let’s move out.”

They were nearly silent despite their numbers as the team of Konoha ANBU sped across the desert, ready for the shedding of blood at a moment’s notice. Nayoko led the charge, keeping at a pace where nobody had to push themselves to keep up so that they would still be full of energy upon their arrival. As the sun tucked behind the horizon and the darkness of night fell over the desert of the Land of Wind, Nayoko spotted the camp in question in the distance, but closing fast. Raising his right hand, the jounin motioned for the group to move into a new formation with two groups of two separating such that they could make a three pronged assault on the camp when they arrived. With a quiet sigh, Nayoko steeled himself for the bloodshed that was about to ensue and issued up a silent prayer to whoever was listening that his people would make it home safe.

But he knew they would not.

WC:1102

Yōsei · 2 Re: The Unknown Threat [Mission | A-Rank | Private] Sun Jun 17, 2018 6:44 pm

Yōsei

S-rank

1004

Character sheet
Chakra:

(525/525)

Night had fallen hours ago, but rivers of light still twirled into the dusty sky, illuminating the encampment which lay half buried by the day's windstorms. Through tents, weaving figures of desert-worn shinobi made their preparations, fires boiled the broths of fresh soups, those assigned to keep watch prowled with narrow eyes, peering into the windswept expanse with paranoid breath. For days now, the followers of a new creed made their way across the desert, receiving directions from feathered messengers. Whispers of a new savior crept quietly across the forgotten Land of Wind, hushed tones spoke of the chance for vengeance, to take back the pride of the Lost Sand. Sudden imposition by the Great Nations had made Yōsei's mission to galvanize the stray remnants of Suna's scattered children. With the destruction of an empire came the limitless cry for justice, those who had seen with their own eyes what fire came to wash away their homes and kingdom, turning the dunes into crystal monuments which symbolized bloodshed and arrogance.

"Kokiro, where are the letters?"

Shuffling away folds of fabric, the man addressed emerged clasping a stack of paper envelopes. As one of Yōsei's forward bases, a unit strung together by the mysterious Sealer's promise of revenge, the men were tasked with spreading his hidden gospel to the remnants of Suna's military who now made their home among the devastation. Bound in black trappings, each missive held the words which the Sealer sought to permeate the nation with; to be free and have revenge for those who destroyed their homeland, to stab at Konoha's heart, the wretched hive which spawned those that performed such blasphemous acts. Ashamed at the state of his home, the Sealer had traversed the weary sands for months, each stop along his journey served to forge a new contract. Few who knew of the Sealer had seen his haunting guise, fewer still had stood in his presence and those precious elites who had been given a chance to speak with him in person, they were reborn as leaders among men. Fluttering in cages stacked high at the edge of the encampment were birds who preened, cooing and jeering at the men who tied scrolls to their feet; such creatures knew the land more intimately than any other could, and served an integral part in maintaining communication.

The first scouts who had met with the radicalized native sons of Suna had not fared well against their scorching fury, Yōsei's words of payback spurring them into primal conquest. Like a virus, the Sealer's philosophy spread through the disheartened masses who lingered, unwilling or unable to leave the tragedy behind and assimilate into the culture of another. It was callous, perhaps, bitter and manipulative to twist the emotions of these people into hatred only to focus it at the Leaf Nation who embarked on this crusade back to Suna with noble intentions, but it was necessary. By now, messages were leaving the camp en masse, dozens of avian couriers rising with the fire and smoke to carry themselves away in search of banners which beckoned them to land. Strung high above the camp, a single flag, the stained red fabric which bore the symbol of Sunagakure laid claim to the dune they had built tonight's shelter at the apex of. Surrounded by darkness and sand, the men who slumbered, and those who watched, worked and prepared themselves for the impending exodus, would remain entirely unaware of the predators lurking in the obfuscation.

Miles apart from his followers, Yōsei made his way between walls of spinning dust, navigating his land with precision. The dysfunction brought about by the arrival of the Great Nations had made the Sealer's work tireless and long, skipping across the Land of Wind, prepared as he was, would inevitably lead to additional engagements. With a scowl set in stone on his face, though concealed by the arrogant visage of Obito Uchiha, the Sealer had set about this grisly missive with utmost displeasure; slaying the weak a foolish held no secrets for a man returned from death. With the press of his toes against the sand, Yōsei was gone, apparating again somewhere across the land with plumes of smoke and folds of black cloth coiling away with the wind. Setting his eyes on the wreckage of the Hidden Sand, the Sealer stepped forward again and was at once in the heart of that same city, he took a sweep with his eyes, examining the empty streets and vanished once more. Barely removed from the carnage of slaying Hastur's worshippers, Yōsei had hours before his sunrise meeting with the Kumogakure front line and spent his time wisely, traversing the land he called to serve him, keeping watch on all his assets.

First to fall around the camp would be those poor scouts, untrained and incapable of tracking the ANBU who slipped silently through the calm desert night. The silver sliver of the moon was enough to pitch eerie silhouettes long across the sand but not to aid the unsuspecting non-shinobi. Blades pierced flesh and the deed was done, blood lost in the shadowy sand which would be washed anew by the wind come morning. It was no feat of luck that he came upon them, snuffing out the lives of men who serve a holy ghost would resonate with him, voiding contracts pledged to lost skies would not be overlooked. And so he came, to the nest of his chosen few, picked not for their strength or training, but the vehemence with which they sought to redeem their homeland. Passionate hounds who would bay and snap in the name of Yōsei's cause with such vigor that they could sway the hearts of men the bewitching spirit could not himself reach. Watching from a distance, the Sealer's eyes trailed the ANBU effortlessly, chakra spinning in the eyes of his mask. With no time to waste on petty errands, and unwilling to sacrifice these men, Yōsei came upon the southern group of Shinobi while still they ran unaware, this duo, to the left of their captain, had separated at his behest and curled around toward the southern flank of their target. The ANBU were not marked as Leaf shinobi by their regalia or iconography; instead the ex-Hokage could tell by every movement they made. Years spent in the very same Black Ops, both as pawn and captain, and his tenure as Fire Shadow meant few claimed to possess such intricate knowledge of the Leaf and their tactics.

"This cannot continue."

Seisakata's edge, concealed by the night, roared down as the Sealer left his feet, meeting with the flanks of his quarry and digging into the thigh of the trailing shinobi, slicing into the muscles and dropping him into the dirt immediately. Reacting to the sudden fall of his partner, the second ANBU spun, unleashing a shout, doubtless a code phrase to alert his comrades of an attack. Rather than engaging the unknown target, the unassailed agent would circle away, strafing to the direction of the squadmates that would be arriving in seconds. At Yōsei's feet, the wounded shinobi twisted his healthy leg to strike at the Rogue's heel, causing Yōsei to hop backward. With the drop on the pair, the Sealer could have easily slain them, but there was no sense in such outright carnage. This was known to the two Leaf-nin whose eyes transfixed on the tattered robes, ripped to shreds yet somehow deepened by the mangled shoal. He stood still in the windless expanse, intending to draw forth the ANBU, away from the camp of men who would be fodder before them. If resistance were their quarry, if the ANBU sought to take revenge for the slaughtered Kumogakure soldiers throughout the desert, then they would have their chance to strike it down. At his hip, held in his left hand, the Oath longed to be awakened, the sleeping giant's tooth eager to have its way again, but reluctantly, remained dormant.

1332

chakra 330|345:

Nayoko · 3 Re: The Unknown Threat [Mission | A-Rank | Private] Sun Jun 17, 2018 8:13 pm

Nayoko

D-rank

EP : 21

838

Character sheet
Chakra:

(420/420)

Silently, the team of Konoha ANBU slipped their way across the desert sands toward the camp ahead of them. Their approach seemed to be unnoticed for the most part, considering that the few scouts they could see up ahead appeared to be untrained and uninterested in whatever they were supposed to be doing on their watch. It was a mistake that they would not live to regret. With a swift hand motion, the white clad ANBU captain signaled for the two ninja to his left to break off from the main group and push ahead. They did so with ease, leaping from the slightly elevated dunes as if whispers on the wind before plunging their blades into the helpless victims below. As the bodies dropped, the two ANBU simply continued their press forward with Nayoko and his other two warriors in tow. The press continued with the same two ninja slaughtering the forward scouts of the encampment with ease and Nayoko left to plan from behind. It all seemed very easy, to him. Their camp was obviously not guarded very well at this time, though his intelligence reports had suggested otherwise when he had ready them. It may have been an over estimation of the capabilities of the criminals of the former village Hidden in the Sands, or it meant that there was something very wrong about what was going on. The gurgle of yet another scout’s throat being slit sent a shiver down the captain’s spine as he suspected the worst.

He was right to be worried.

Music:

Nayoko did not see the enemy approach. He did not have a chance to. It was the sound of a blade slicing into flesh that alerted him and caused his head to spin, just in time to see his comrade cry out in pain and fall to the ground immediately. The other ANBU had heard this as well, and wasted no time shouting the emergency code while he turned to confront the new foe. He then dashed off in the direction of the other two squad members who had to return from their forward position. Nayoko fell back in kind, knowing that it would almost certainly mean the death of his comrade who had fallen. But they had a mission to take care of, and without assessing the threat first, the entire team would be slaughtered. He forced himself to watch as the ground member of their team swung out with his good leg and force the unknown assailant to jump back. But much to the surprise of the captain, he did not end his life in the moment. Instead he simply stood still, as if taunting the ANBU squad away from their target. Nayoko gritted his teeth, grinding them for a moment beneath his mask while he watched and tried to decide what to do. He had no idea what this man was capable of, other than the fact that he was extremely skilled with the Ōdachi that he held in his left hand. If they turned to push on into the camp he was certain to pursue, and that would mean the death of more than just one of them. Despite everything he could think of doing, he knew there was only one way out of the mess they had landed themselves in.

Though his mask, he spoke to his comrades quietly, keeping his eye on the mysterious target that bore a mask he had only heard legends about. This man was no Obito Uchiha, that was certain. But he certainly must be confident to wear a mask like that. Nayoko prayed that it was unwarranted bravado and an overestimation of his own skill. But something told him that was not the case. “I want two of you to turn and push into the camp now. We need to disrupt the efforts here no matter the cost. One of you say with here and snatch up our injured companion while I keep him busy. Heal him up if you can and then get back to the mission. Think of me as your wall. I won’t hold him forever, so signal me when you wiped out at least half of them.”

He did not say another word, not did he wait for even a moment more. Instead, he pushed off of the ground and launched himself toward the target, futon chakra gathering around him as he did so for two purposes. The first was to enhance his speed, pushing the air out of his path and stopping any wind resistance from affecting him. The second purpose was to form a weapon in his hand in hopes of clashing with the figure before him. The air swiftly coalesced into a long sword made purely of wind, the hilt resting in the palm of his right hand as he closed the distance. Once he was within swinging range the Hattori dropped down, bending at the knees and bringing the blade up across his body from his left hip up toward his right shoulder while also straightening himself to put the extra power of his legs into the strike. Even if the attack did not his, he knew that the wind swirling around the blade itself would at least open a few wounds on the assailant’s body.

He did not know if he would survive the next few moments, but he had a mission to do for the leaf, and if he would do his best to accomplish it, even if it would cost him his life. "I'm your opponent now, stranger."

WC:933+1102=2035

Chakra (275/320):

Yōsei · 4 Re: The Unknown Threat [Mission | A-Rank | Private] Sun Jun 17, 2018 10:42 pm

Yōsei

S-rank

1004

Character sheet
Chakra:

(525/525)

There was little left to be said, the wounded ANBU hopped to his feet, steadying himself through his use of the walking practice he knew so well, watching Yōsei closely and questioning why he could still draw breath. The Sealer watched through the dark, stalking the ANBU with his eyes as the group separated, a lone shimmer of chakra making its way toward him while the others circled around, some continuing for the camp. The shouting in the distance had alerted the men who dwelled there, now clamoring for arms and taking up spears, shields, and bows to levy at their shinobi foes. They had fought ninja before, making their way across the desert, the Sealer's words had prepared them for the power held by those who would come for them, and each time, they would suffer many casualties. In the wake of their battles, those who remained to take from the bodies their sacred ninja tools, and bury the bodies of their brothers, became tempered by the crucible and soldiered on toward the horizon. The ANBU who would arrive at the camp; however they chose to do so, would not meet with vicious warriors wielding strength and magic with unmatched skill. The Leaf-nin would find a furnace of unparalleled spirit, strengthened through suffering that would not die in the dark.

The execution of his final goal meant the Sealer had to use his time in the desert wisely, an ANBU raid on the forward-most of his followers' camps wasted valuable seconds already, and Yōsei would not be content if he could not repel these invaders within minutes. Since the arrival of the Hidden Cloud, the Sealer still had heard no word of the Raikage's presence, the tyrant had not been drawn here like the Mizukage, who subsisted on the front lines as a true warrior. Through senseless, bloody slaughter, Yōsei had hoped to draw Hastur's ire, but still the skies remained clear, no thunderous wrath descended yet upon the Sealer or his kin. Waging these brutal battles far from here had succeeded in capturing the attention of the nation itself, but Konohagakure spies had seen through this charade, tracking the ominous disappearances of scouting troupes which lead them to this trail. The truth which even the ANBU did not know was the intention of this pilgrimage; Yōsei had instructed the most trusted among his followers to leave the Land of Wind to prepare and to journey toward the Land of Rain. Slowly but surely, Sunagakure became a land of intrigue once again, and the unwanted attention soiled plans to make it his home before the Land of Stone. Recent events, coupled with the rapid growth of the Raikage's influence, had left the Sealer with no choice but to accelerate his plans and do what needed to be done.

"For everyone."

The rest of the men who closed in toward the Sealer would see him make no move to stop the two agents from extracting their comrade and leaving their efforts to heal his wounds uninterrupted. Yōsei focused on the chakra signature of the singular entity that moved toward him quickly, leaping and descending toward him with curious confidence. The composition of the man's attire marked him as the ANBU captain, in command of this unit and one of the villages most elite jōnin, a position of power the Leaf shinobi's opponent had once himself held. The Sealer first looked at the gathering well of chakras that split within the approaching agent, wind chakra contorted, flowing smoothly through the man's body revealing the respectable level of his chakra control. Beneath his mask, Yōsei smiled to himself, proud of the man who bore the mantle of that thankless servant of death; it reminded him of the man he once had been, merciless, cunning, and objective focused. There was a quality the ANBU captain appeared not to share with the Rogue who observed him; he was apparently not much of a planner. As the chakra within his body burst into existence, Yōsei shifted his hand, gripping the hilt of his blade tightly. With the man who soared toward him, Yōsei felt a sort of kinship, whether for the common ground of once holding the same title or the heritage of Konohagakure's Will of Fire he could not tell. But there was something else, a thread that tied them together which the Sealer could not yet place. The world called out around them, yielding to the might of those who called themselves saviors.

Stepping in as Nayoko would bend down, revealing he was poised to strike, Yōsei would lash at the air with his right hand, the brief shine of sacred sealing script covering his palm as the Sealer gestured dismissively. The Hattori would find, as he rose his arm to strike, the air of his blade vanish into nothing, coiled into harmless streams which spun into Yōsei's palm as the Rogue, too, made his move. Bursting forward off the sand, Yōsei would close the distance between the pair with Seisakata clutched in tow. It would be unlikely the man had ever seriously fought against an opponent with such skill, the Sealer's deft hop would put him moving to his opponent's right at the moment of his jutsu's dissipation and momentum carrying him past as he began his assault. Spinning his body to the right on the axis of his left leg, Yōsei would swipe with his right arm, immediately transferring the ruthless Oath to the digits of that hand in an attempt to strike at Nayoko's hip, beneath where his leg joined to his torso, threatening to rend muscles. Not satisfied, the instant his left hand was free of the blade it held, his Eight-Tails would reveal itself to replace the sword and rest at the Sealer's twirling hip. From there, two bolts would snap into the air, intending to lodge themselves between the jōnin's shoulder blades. By switching the composition of his stance in an instance, Yōsei hoped to catch the ANBU off guard and unaware, what once had been a left-handed stance, held at the hip, was now a sweeping arc which left Seisakata poised to defend the Sealer and a new threat that roared loudly at the ANBU captain.

1040

chakra 310|345:

Nayoko · 5 Re: The Unknown Threat [Mission | A-Rank | Private] Mon Jun 18, 2018 10:40 pm

Nayoko

D-rank

EP : 21

838

Character sheet
Chakra:

(420/420)

After the ANBU had extracted their wounded comrade, they wasted no time and began healing him right away. One of their number, a kunoichi, was a very experienced medical ninja and it did not take her long before she had most of the man’s wound closed. It would still hurt him, but he would be able to stand for now. They then turned toward the camp as their captain had ordered them to do. They had a mission to fulfill no matter the cost. That was the ANBU way, and these four ninja were no exceptions to that rule. They could hear the clambering of the camp, now on high alert thanks to the Leaf ninjas’ position being given away. Throwing stealth to the wind, the four ANBU opted to drive a full-frontal assault on the denizens of the camp. They were no shinobi laying in wait, but simple bandits and criminals who had rallied together after the destruction of what was once their home. The ANBU knew no fear against such an enemy, though perhaps they should have.

As the four of them landed within the camp, the assault began with a large dragon made of pure ration chakra descending upon a group of the bandits below. Though some managed to get out of the way, a couple of them were utterly fried to ash in the blast. The quick follow up with zoning techniques in the form of walls created through doton techniques was nothing less than professional. But it was when the injured ANBU descended into eh created fighting pits that the true strength of numbers and morale began to show their colours. Despite being a skilled shinobi, his injury combined with the fact that he was surrounded by five of the bandits on his own meant that he did not stand a chance. His allies were off in different directions, blocking ways of approaching the main battle and cutting people off one by one. But they all stopped for a moment as they heard a grunt of pain that could only have come from their ally. They turned just in time to see a spear driven through his back and out the front of his chest, with seven men and women surrounding him. One of their number was down, but they still had a job to do.

Nayoko, on the other had, was unaware of what had transpired since the rescue of the formerly living ANBU. He was instead distracted by the highly skilled shinobi before him that he was attempting to attack at that very moment. As he began his swing, he was shocked by the sudden lack of resistance he felt when the stranger reached out with his hand and touched the oncoming Blade of Wind. The effect of his touch was instantaneous, and the strands of chakra infused air that had once held his blade dissipated and swirled into he fingertip of his foe. The Hattori’s eye narrowed as the reality of the strength of his foe began to sink in, but he did not have any time to process it as the counter attack began. The speed at which he moved was impressive, though not much faster than himself; especially when he was enhanced by his jutsu. Even so, as Nayoko turned to his left in order to follow the attack of his assailant, Nayoko caught the shimmer of the blade he had been wielding coming for his leg, as well as the glint of another object in his opponents left hand. He knew he was already out of position, given that he was still caught mid-swing as the attack was coming at him; but her could escape it for the most part.

Instead of trying to stop himself and dodge or block the attack with a new motion, Nayoko allowed the momentum from his failed attack to carry his body forward, springing off of his feet into a roll as the sword swung for his hip and the bolts launched at his back. He ducked into his roll just in time to hear the whizzing of bolts flying past his head, but that short victory was countered by the warmth he felt open up on his right leg. Thanks to his roll, the leg remained on his body, but the cut was deep into his thigh, and he could feel his warm lifeforce draining from him even as he completed his roll and pivoted with his left foot, facing his opponent once again.

He had no time to think about the pain though. Even as he turned, he began forming a series of hand seals which were compete by the time he was facing the attacker. From the desert around his feet rose a torrent of water enhanced by his chakra that coalesced above the Hattori’s head into the form of a dragon. The great suiton beast would waste not hesitate in diving toward the rogue shinobi in an attempt to crush him in its jaws. Nayoko would attempt to accent this attack by pulling Hurricane Reaver form his waist and hurling it toward his enemy as well in an attempt to make him change his position to one that was less favorable. The fuma shuriken would fly towards the man, and if it missed would arc back toward Nayoko thanks to its enchantment. He needed to buy time for now, but he knew that every second that went by was one that would push him closer to the edge, both of life, and control.

For already Nayoko could hear the voice in the back of his head. Let me in…The whispers of the devil within him that Ayakashi had revealed to him in the Dream of the Butterfly Sage School. Its words were tempting, but Nayoko knew that he would lose control. And he did not want to do that. You are outmatched, you fool...Nayoko knew that the voice was only his own inner darkness, wanting to push outside and take over. He knew that he would still be himself, but he also knew that this side of him could be consumed. His leg throbbed with pain. If you do not do this, you will DIE! The final word echoed through his mind in that moment. He did not want to die. Dropping into a defensive stance, Nayoko waited for a opening. When he got the chance, he knew what he would have to do…

WC:1082+2035=3117

Chakra (250/320):

Yōsei · 6 Re: The Unknown Threat [Mission | A-Rank | Private] Tue Jun 19, 2018 9:08 pm

Yōsei

S-rank

1004

Character sheet
Chakra:

(525/525)

Collapsing into fury and blood, the campsite became the scene of a grisly resistance. A fire ignited as the desert's native son's took up arms against the invaders, tearing down the wall of a tent, Kokiro, the youngest of Yōsei's chosen few, wrapped the cloth around his blade and took toward the assassins. Not the first time the teen had fought against shinobi, he expected their speed, watching as best he could for the white masks waving throughout their camp. In his hand, the wrapped blade would linger in a firepit to the boy's right, igniting slowly then spreading as he ran toward another of the structures. The boy's plan was, knowing that his fellows would not survive in combat alone, to burn the camp with righteous indignation and force the ANBU agents to navigate the dangerous maze of burning tents, allowing his brothers in arms to navigate the funeral pyres and herd their prey. Without the precision of their foes, the Rogue's followers fought with unmatched severity, willing to go to any lengths so that the ideals for which they fought might endure eternally. Such was the power of vengeance which drove men to become demons.

Thrusting forward, the contorted face of a fighter came to rest on the shoulder of an ANBU agent, impaled on his blade but clutching at the folds of his shirt and flak-jacket, laughing hysterically. From the left, a pair of followers came upon him with daggers, sinking into the flesh of his shoulder and abdomen. Pushing the weight of the body on his arm toward the second group, the Leaf shinobi threw himself back along the sand, gripping at his wounds and withdrawing the katana from his foe. The smiles on the faces of the resistance caused him to pause, realizing the hands which snuck behind him too late as the bodies of more men emerged from the blazing shoal of a tent behind him, igniting their own bodies in an attempt to blanket the operative in the fire. Screaming, he felt the weight of men press upon him and the cackling laughter which echoed in the blaze. Searing flesh and desperate struggles fought over the sound of metal and fire, mixing with the midnight heat.

The man who stood before the Sealer had not anticipated such a swift dismissal, Yōsei's technique effortlessly rending the air away from the wind blade as he darted to engage. At a glance, what separated the pair's speed was a fraction of a difference, but it would be the quickness of Yōsei's thoughts that sought to undo the ANBU captain at speeds he would not have a hope to match. As the Sealer suspected, his quarry was unable to track the rapid shifting of his weapon, which struck into the crook of Nayoko's thigh beneath his backside and pushed into the flesh without resistance. With Seisakata's edge alone, the Sealer could effortlessly have thrust forward with a flick of the wrist in an attempt to sever the leg entirely, whether the ANBU captain knew his life had likely been spared at that moment, Yōsei was unsure. Bending at the elbow, the Rogue allowed his sword to slice cleanly through the group of hamstring muscles, doubtless ravaging the man's leg from the femoris across the outer tensor but curving outwards as the man's body continued forward. Yōsei felt his blade hum quietly, thankful to its master for the chance at a duel. The Oath of Blue Sky, as it was known, a relic of the Hidden Leaf, had seen a thousand such moonlit struggles. Tonight it would be Nayoko's struggle, his chance to prove he could cling to existence in the face of death, and prove himself worthy of the Shadow's mantle.

As the Hattori continued onwards, flowing with his audacity to avoid the twin projectiles threatening to rend his spine, Yōsei spun the Yatsouhan in his fingers, letting free his grip and sealing the machine away while still continuing his momentum past Nayoko's original position. Blade now held aloft in the Sealer's right hand, dripping with the ANBU's blood and pointing toward him, trailing the man's heart with its vicious stare. Already, the now free hand came together in a string of expert one-handed seals, preparing his ninjutsu while he landed in time with the wounded operative who turned to face him. Before the man's chakra burst from nothing, Yōsei had observed it, though his back could conceal the signs forming between his hands, the Sealer's enhanced eyes watched the natures of his chakra keenly, rhythmic waves of Suiton bubbling into the air long after the internal formation Yōsei had witnessed. Snapping at the sky, the water dragon gave the impression of a mighty beast, twisting its lucid body toward the Rogue, aiming to snatch up between its jaws the Sealer's frame and rend him from the earth. No match for his quickness, the dragon would descend upon a cloud of blue vapor, sealing formula apparating at the man's feet and lurching toward the dragon's path. At this distance, the combined speed of both techniques rushing to meet one another would make it unlikely the seal would be avoided and manage to suffocate its target, squeezing the life force from Nayoko's chakra and drawing it into the depths of its scripture which lay in the dust.

Behind the chakra, another hidden strike would follow at the same moment, a devious but effective strategy befitting of the ANBU's training. It was this layered strategy which caused the Sealer to move, so if for any reason his seal had not been able to deal with the water dragon technique, he would no longer be vulnerable to either. Watching carefully the spinning shuriken's deadly edge, the Sealer launched into a run, drawing chakra close to himself and bending the light to his whim. In a flash, Yōsei was gone, enveloped in the cloak of chakra which rendered his body invisible and for the duration of his deft bound to the right, rotating around the axis of Nayoko, his chakra as well. Before landing, Yōsei's dominant hand moved at blinding speeds, stringing together hand signs which would be completed as he landed, now to the right of where the ANBU had been facing, still invisible. In the distance howling combat was nothing to the silent moment which Yōsei let linger in their duel. He wondered for a moment, had Nayoko heard tales of the ruthless killer that once slew in Konoha's name? Would he recognize, from the tall tales of years gone by, that vanishing stroke which left behind dust in the Sealer's wake? How much of Yōsei's legacy had been spun, by time, into myth?

What may have felt like eons amounted to no more than two seconds before the Sealer accelerated toward Nayoko, the chakra which he had prepared now igniting in a series of crackling flames along the edge of his blade. To the heat, Seisakata's jeweled complexion would react without delay, bouncing the light between the folds of its composition and erupting with a blue glow at the center of the Katon inferno which how engulfed its form. Closing the gap between them with unsurprising swiftness, the Sealer brought his blade toward Nayoko's chest, lashing out from his right hip heavenward and toward his frontward left leg to snap with the tip of his sword at the man's right pectoral while simultaneously launching, from his left foot in an effort to dash beyond the Hattori and to the left. Such a leap would position him opposite the side where he had started, and the conservative strike at Nayoko's chest would allow him to curl the blade back and across his body as he dashed, turning his right side in time with his momentum to remain facing his opponent. Able to glide through the sand, Yōsei dropped his knees to lower his stance and unfurl the blade above his head, the maneuver able to cover most of his form if the Hattori was able to counter and press an attack of his own. Otherwise, the blade would swing gracefully at the empty space between them, providing a threatening zone of fire and steel that hurtled toward the ANBU in a followthrough effort after his initial strike. The motion provided Yōsei with a blade between him and the Hattori at all times, and a free hand with which he could still place a hidden seal; beneath the folds of his cloak Yōsei would call the symbols to the palm of that same hand, ready to swallow any magic his opponent dared to produce.

1432

chakra 265(245)|345:

Nayoko · 7 Re: The Unknown Threat [Mission | A-Rank | Private] Thu Jun 21, 2018 5:10 pm

Nayoko

D-rank

EP : 21

838

Character sheet
Chakra:

(420/420)

The sand beneath their feet was soaked with blood. Both their own blood and the blood of their fallen enemies. As the three remaining Konoha ANBU fought back wave after wave of the desert dwelling criminals, they began to realize just how enormous the operation hey had launched was. Dozens of men and women set their tents ablaze, forcing the ANBU to fight between walls of fire and funnelling them into directions they could not control. Even as the overwhelming hoard threw themselves upon the blades of the trio, they knew that the tides could turn at any moment. They were fighting on their terms, doing their best to keep things under control but seeing it slip away more and more as the flames of rebellion grew higher all around them. As the trio continued to fight, they found themselves cut off from one of their comrades and try as they might to push back to him, the numbers were just too great. The two that were together watched in horror as a blade was driven through the lone ANBU’s chest, followed by a group of men and women that had set themselves on fire charging through a burning tent collapsing onto him. His screams were heard loud and clear as the scent of burning flesh mingled with that of the blood that covered the sand at their feet. The taste of iron in the air was thick in the remaining pair’s mouths, but they could not mourn yet. They needed to push back against the army while their captain fought off the unknown threat.

With a few coordinated swift swings form their katanas, the two ANBU managed to cut back the hoard for a moment and gain a few meters of safety, even if it was just for a moment. Int hat short span of time, the duo glanced toward each other before forming hand seals simultaneously and inhaling a great deal of air. As their chakra mingled with the air in their lungs, it infused with it and energized it into a jutsu that would mean death for a sizable portion of this army. As the pair stood with their backs to a wall of fire, they exhaled as one producing two huge orbs of futon chakra that launched forward at a blinding speed. The people in front of them did not stand a chance as the two Great Vacuum sphere tore their way through the men and women without slowing. Blood from their bodies sprayed in every direction, raining down form above with various limbs and entrails that were also scattered without prejudice. The spheres continued for a time, carving a path through the tents and people which left an opening for the duo to press the attack. They knew that they only had to kill a few more to ensure that the operation was a success, and so they pushed forward, carving their way through anyone that would dare to come too close. They were so close, but one threat still loomed large…

The great water dragon dove toward the unknown threat at a blistering pace, but once again, Nayoko found himself outmatched. As the dragon descended, the Hattori with a mixture of surprise and frustration as the beast was utterly consumed by a blue vapor that emerged from his opponent. The vapor rendered the dragon useless in mere seconds. Nayoko’s defensive stance tighter up as he saw this; his right leg pushing forward and his left one remaining even with his shoulders as he crouched low in preparation or a counter attack. The throbbing in his forward leg had not stopped yet, and he knew it would not until he got some medical attention. But it could not take the time to worry about that now. Instead he had to focus on the fight. However, just as that thought went through his mind, the man he had been fighting seemed to disappear in an instant. Nayoko’s eyes darted around in search of his assailant, but he was nowhere to be found. Holding his stance, the Hattori knew that if he did not know where the man was, he would die in moments. He also knew there was a way for him to see. The brief respite from the fight that followed the disappearance of the rogue ninja left Nayoko with a precious few seconds to enact the only thing that could save him.

Yes…

Music:

The voice that clawed at the back of his mind whispered to him with elation as Nayoko drew in an incredible amount of nature energy in an instant. The space around him reacted to the flow as well; the wind began to swirl around him in a small cyclone while grains of sand lifted off of the ground as a natural response to the sudden gathering of energy. And in those two seconds, Nayoko’s form would change. The man’s once dark brown eyes would flash beneath the mask, changing into a sapphire blue while his hair would shift from its regular brown to a bright silver. That silver colour was also reflected in the chakra tattoos that began to cover his body, spreading form his stomach and covering every inch of his skin. Above his head, two barely visible arcs of chakra hung motionless and attached to nothing. But the biggest change was the one on his back, as two large butterfly wings made of pure Senjutsu chakra unfurled into existence. Konoha’s Butterfly Sage had awakened.

And with this awakening came the benefit of his sensory abilities. Everything within fifteen meters of him became crystal clear, even without looking. Which meant that even as the rogue ninja was emerging form his invisibility, the flames of his jutsu crackling along his weapon, Nayoko was more that ready. His enhanced reaction time became evident as the black sung upward form the rogue’s right hip and toward the Hattori’s chest. Feeling the attack incoming, Nayoko bent backwards at a surprising speed, bending all the way so that his right hand could be placed on the ground above his head as the blade passed over him. Feeling the movements of his enemy, the Hattori kicked off of the ground so that he was poised in a one-handed hand stand now facing where his attacker had ended up after his movement. Even as the flames were leaping from his opponent’s blade into the air before him, Nayoko was weaving hand seals with his free hand, and when the fire leaped to him, the Sage blew out a barrier of water to block the attack. But thanks to his Sage Mode, he could feel the hand seal that his opponent weaved beneath his cloak as well as the chakra forming in the cloak itself. Anticipating the destruction his barrier before it could block the oncoming jutsu, Nayoko bent at his elbow and rolled forward and away from the rogue ninja. He would pivot as he came to his feet so that he was facing his opponent just as Hurricane Reaver would return to him, the jounin catching it with his left hand.

If the barrier was still in place having absorbed the flame strike but surviving thanks to its natural affinity against katon techniques, then Nayoko would pull back with the fuma shuriken that had returned to him and throw it forward, following up by forming the shadow clone hand seal to produce exactly one hundred replicas of the weapon in a wall travelling together, each of them as deadly as the last. On the other hand, if the barrier was no longer present then Nayoko would instead string together hand seals and produce a vortex of water that would surge forward at 35m/s in hopes of catching his opponent in a moment without his defenses up.

WC:1312+3117=4429

Chakra 210 (185)/320:

Yōsei · 8 Re: The Unknown Threat [Mission | A-Rank | Private] Fri Jun 22, 2018 7:57 pm

Yōsei

S-rank

1004

Character sheet
Chakra:

(525/525)

Kokiro had not seen warriors like these, even the shinobi they encountered along the road to the Hidden Rain, who had fought mightily, paled in comparison to the Leaf ANBUs' refined training. Routing the pillar of flame which became of the central tent, Kokiro clasped his blade tightly, having discarded several weapons so far, the tanto which he now held served as his final method of protection. He could see, as he peered through the wreaths of flame which rose high, catching alight the desert cold and washing away peace, leaving ruin, that the Black Ops had adapted. It was the way of shinobi to evolve and be prepared for any situation, and while the combination of numbers and audacity had proven fateful in the initial moments of battle, they had now been analyzed and rendered naught. Water poured down, an ANBU operative conjuring the downpour and focusing it, twisting the water into the shape of teeth and claws used to snuff the roaring fires. The other two, who moved in planned circles to defend their comrade who doused the hazards while slicing through the bodies of their targets effortlessly now they had the chance to navigate freely.

The boy thought back, remembering the sunlit day he found himself embroiled in the pilgrimage which brought him here. Alone and hours from death, the boy had escaped from captors, who had intended to enslave him. He could still feel the burning sensation of scorching sun on his shoulders, searing the flesh as he collapsed, resigned, into the dust. It was then he felt the hand place itself across his naked back, impossibly cold fingers which traced the spine and then the voice, which rose with the heat from between the valleys of the desert sand. Calm and sincere he spoke, and the Sealer's contract had been swift and fair, in return for a new life, Kokiro would become a herald; chosen of the Sand's bewitching specter. The aura of death which still, after all these long years, on the Sealer's skin, served to comfort his charge and rise him from the sand. Kokiro had felt nothing like the infusion of energy, gifted to him by the world who sang at the mysterious savior's command. He had not noticed the sealing script which now lay at the small of his back, drawing in the nature chakra which restored his body.

"When you are well again, the two of us will find shelter. Let go of your fear, young Kokiro, turn it into hope."

As they fell in the camp, which burned a nearby bonfire, Yōsei and the captain of Konoha's ANBU continued their duel. Shadows stretched long by the rising brightness of the flaming camp, the pair danced swiftly, shapes of steel and flourishes of chakra sent between them as they soldiered on. As he had suspected, the dragon conjuration proved no match for the Seal which constricted and drew the chakra away into the ground, and as he rolled, Yōsei could see the ANBU's confusion as he found himself suddenly unable to track the rogue who stalked him. But there was more, behind the layer of distress, the lens of chakra which spun before the Sealer's eyes could track the flow of energy beneath the soil, distorting and twisting away from the natural wellsprings of Senjutsu chakra and toward his opponent. At once, Yōsei realized what was now obvious: his opponent was a Sage, and more than a student of the art but versed enough to call the influx of the world's spirit to his body and let it fill him, refine him and awaken that which dwelled within. Further still, Yōsei's eyes widened behind his Jibaku, perceiving finally the lingering connection that he had felt between them become manifest.

Coalescing from the man's body, a familiar flow of chakra ignited into the air, bright strands of natural energy forming the wings and markings of a Sage with which Yōsei too had trained. Marked as a Butterfly Sage, the practitioner of the same methodology that the renowned Mizukage had claimed the mantle of, Yōsei's mood shifted from annoyed disdain to delight; ecstatic to leave an impression upon one of Ayakashi's students. As the Sealer came upon his target, he let out the first lash, igniting his blade and targeting the chest. Deftly, his quarry dropped low as the Sealer rolled past, arcing the blade across his body and over his head as he had planned while he watched the ANBU pivot, movements altered by his Senjutsu transformation. Letting loose his biting flames toward the man, he observed the string of seals woven by the Hattori's free hand and planted the formula of his finished Ambition Breaking firmly on his palm. As the soaring plume of flame cast out toward the ANBU, he lept back while producing from around him a cascading torrent of water which rose to form a wall between them. Still able to track the Hattori through his approximation of the Sharingan, Yōsei would not remain still.

Moving from his position backward with a swift hop, Yōsei would then rotate back the direction he had come from, watching the man's chakra behind his veil of water as the formation for a new technique began. Stopping immediately, the Sealer cut his arc short of rotating around the wall to charge directly toward Nayoko's position with Seisakata in tow at his right hip. Raising his free hand, Yōsei would ignite the fūinjutsu formula within his palm, causing strings of elegant text to coil around his arm from the cradle between his fingers. The source of his technique would apparate in time with the shuriken leaving Nayoko's hands, the Sealer's keen perception able to discern the flow of chakra which betrayed a second technique within the thrown weapon. As the Reaver pierced the water's veil, and Yōsei descended toward it, the Sealer would wave the hand which held his inviolable will, clouds of chakra bursting around his body from the seals which writhed on his flesh, glowing beneath the folds of his cloak. At once, the clones in the vicinity of Yōsei's body would vanish as quickly as they appeared, ripped away by the fūinjutsu which ate, too, at the rampart which impeded him. Skipping effortlessly through the emptiness in his wake, Yōsei would impart the terrifying knowledge of his authority upon the ANBU captain; Konoha's prodigious son, who once had been known as the world's greatest sealer, would not bother with such petty tricks.

Weaving his body to the right, the real shuriken remained the only threat, and Yōsei's speed would make the dodge possible only barely, the projectile colliding with the side of his mask and digging a deep trench in its wake. With his mask crumbling from the bottom left, integrity lost after the blow from Nayoko's Reaver, Yōsei's sinister grin would reveal itself. Piranha's teeth spread wide and strung together with fury. The Oath would flip between his fingers, bringing the grip across his body as he neared his striking distance and would lunge to his left, planting that same leg and beginning to swing the edge of his sword out from his torso toward the Hattori's midsection. Before his motion could be completed, he would push with his forward leg and shift his weight, twisting the wrist which held his blade and pivoting the strike away of any defenses which would come to prevent the evisceration he would have otherwise attempted. Reborn anew, the Sealer's offense came from on high as his left hand slipped beneath his other and brought with it the Seisakata, which struck down from the Sealer's position further to the right of where he had feinted a fraction of a second before, having attempted to navigate the circumference of his opponent without losing momentum. For his abdomen from the right had shifted to a blow which threatened to rend the opposite shoulder from above, and the Sealer continued still to display his sword-fighting prowess, rivaled by few who could still lay claim to the world of the living. Still, his left hand remained close to his body, between the pair, ready to grip the hilt of his Legacy's breeze which spun around him and draw forth the Wakizashi in an effort to defend himself as he analyzed the Sage's transformation. Perhaps Nayoko would recognize this ferocity; shades of his master, Ayakashi, and the demons they shared were not made secret in this moonlit bout.

1411

chakra 240|345:

Nayoko · 9 Re: The Unknown Threat [Mission | A-Rank | Private] Mon Jun 25, 2018 10:00 pm

Nayoko

D-rank

EP : 21

838

Character sheet
Chakra:

(420/420)

They were in control now. The battle was theirs to take; and take it they would. The lives of each of their enemies were cut short as one by one the two standing ANBU weaved their blades through the bodies of their foes. Blood flowed through the air and splashed across the desert floor with each flourish of their weapons like an abstract artist flinging paint onto a canvas with precision, but not knowing what art would leap forth from their unconsciousness actions. Where the superior numbers of the criminals had proven to be a problem for them initially, the trained experience of the Konoha ANBU was shining through in their more desperate hour. The torn, battered, and burned bodies of their fallen enemies had begun to pile up before them, and as more and more bodies it the saturated sand beneath their feet, they began to turn their attention toward the battle on the nearby sand dune. They knew that their captain had been fighting the unknown threat for an extended period of time at this point, and it was very possible that he was close to death. They had a mission to complete, but now that they had almost completely decimated the criminal element that had taken root in the desert, they could focus on their retreat. With swift movements, the ANBU rushed to retrieve their fallen comrades before leaping away form the smouldering camp and toward their captain, hoping that it was not too late.

As the battle in the camp was wrapping up, the battle between the ANBU captain and the powerful renegade continued without a moment of slowing. The heat from the decimated camp flowed over the pair that silently danced, flames clashing against water and blades flickering in the light of the blaze. Nayoko had moved just in time, his Sage Mode giving him the small edge that he needed to track the movements of his superior opponent. The rest of his maneuver also went according to plan, his body twisting and spinning so that he was able to produce a defence against his opponent’s attack. But his opponent did not simply let his technique fly and not respond. The rogue shinobi hopped back and away from the Hattori, just as Nayoko distanced himself, but he did not stop there. As soon as Nayoko turned around, he released the jutsu that he had planned ahead of time, throwing his fuma shuriken forward with deadly speed, and then multiplying it by using the shadow clone technique, creating one hundred deadly blades arcing toward his target. The Hurricane Reavers carved through the space between the two shinobi, but only for a moment, for just as soon as the technique had begun, it was over with a cloud of chakra that consumed his cloning technique and his rampart with ease. Nayoko’s eyes widened slightly as he realized just how adept his opponent was at sealing, able to destroy two of his techniques, one of which was one of his most powerful ones without even moving.

With nothing left between the pair of dueling ninja, the Hattori’s opponent launched himself forward seemingly into the path of the original fuma shuriken that still remained. His body twisted to Nayoko’s left, but his weapon still managed to collide with one side of the stranger’s mask, carving though the material and causing it to crumble away. But the reaction that Nayoko saw on the face of his attacker was not one that he expected; for instead of a serious face of concentration, the Hattori was faced with a grin that caused a shiver to run up his spine. This man was enjoying every second of the fight, and Nayoko was struggling to keep himself alive. It was a level of ferocity and bloodlust that he had only seen a few times before, and as the fight progressed, Nayoko was reminded by shades of his teacher in the man’s movements. The throbbing in his leg returned in that moment of sobriety; the adrenaline having run its course for the most part. But he could not rest yet, for as his mind snapped back to the moment, Nayoko was under attack once again.
The lunge to Nayoko’s right was reminiscent of the earlier attack. Preparing for the proximity of the slash that was coming for his midsection, Nayoko Stepped to his left and moved to strike out at the body of his attacker in an attempt to stop him in his tracks. But it seemed that the mysterious sealer was prepared for this outcome, and had even anticipated it. The man pushed up from his original position past the Hattori and up above him, bringing the attack form an angle that he had not anticipated or prepared for. Thankfully, the Sage’s perception granted by the nature chakra flowing around him allowed him to know where the strike was coming from, and thus he knew that no matter what he did, he would not escape the blow that would potentially rend him in two from his shoulder down to his hip. Gritting his teeth, the Hattori allowed his will to overwhelm him; his need to survive this attack pushing throughout his body from deep within and out to his skin. In that moment, the Heart of Iron that his clan was known for became clear, as the silver haired Butterfly Sage reached up with his right hand without looking and grabbed the sword, closing his hand around the blade without flinching.

There was a moment that lasted for less than even a second that Nayoko stood there, the blade that had already carved open his leg now sitting in his hand. The quality of the blade meant that there would be a small cut left on his palm from the weapon, but it would be worth it for the next move that the Hattori would make. It was in that moment that he finally felt he had given himself enough of an opening to truly strike out at his opponent, and so he did. His knees bent slightly as he moved the chakra in his body into his legs, focusing his energy on the next attack that he would launch. At the exact moment that he would release his grip on the sword, Nayoko would spin his body hard to his left and raise his left heel in a back kick that moved at a blinding pace toward his opponent. But the kick would not simply aim for the man at his back. Instead, Nayoko targeted the sharp toothed grin that was exposed by the broken mask, aiming to shatter the mystery man’s jaw with his empowered strike and send him flying back.

Whether or not the attack landed, Nayoko would follow through with the kick and end up facing when the rogue had been hanging in the air before hopping back away from the man in an attempt to put some distance between them. His leg screamed with pain as blood soaked through his pants. Chakra exhaustion was beginning to set in, and Nayoko knew that he did not have much time before he would be simply out lasted in this duel for the desert.

WC:1211+4429=5640

Chakra (100/320):

Yōsei · 10 Re: The Unknown Threat [Mission | A-Rank | Private] Mon Jul 02, 2018 8:30 pm

Yōsei

S-rank

1004

Character sheet
Chakra:

(525/525)

Hopeless battles wrought upon the sands often have tragic conclusions. Kokiro was no stranger to tragedy, the boy had been cast into this weary pilgrimage by fate, intending to follow the specter who saved him until the bitter end. Yōsei's instructions passed only to the boy, who looked at first with fear at the onlookers who each seemed to judge him silently. Not questioning his missive, or why he acted as the Sealer's chosen, Kokiro informed them of their task. Gathering in rows, men who now lay dead beneath the sand, watched as the teenager took his position atop a formation of rocks. They would journey across the desert, tasked with delivering orders of Yōsei's plan throughout the contacts he had made and instructing them where to meet. The splinter groups, each one formed from the Sealer's tireless efforts, asserting his dominance throughout the region and then manipulating, by virtue of his reputation, the leaders of factions to his cause. How many days had passed since Kokiro stood and imparted Yōsei's words? Sixty? The boy could no longer remember, and in the fires of his campsite, he raced to get away.

"Know that I will protect you. When you wish to hide, and fall between the folds of time, perform the technique, I have shown you, and I will find you in the valley beyond everything."

ANBU would pile the corpses, slicing all who opposed with their blades and skill. Adaption, the cornerstone of Black ops Shinobi, made the furious rebellion crumble under the weight of its fervor, Kokiro slipping away between the blazing shoal of a tent and struggling to recall what he had been taught. With his hands shaking, the boy brought them together slowly in the patterns his master had shown him, the ones he had dutifully memorized, and formed the Seal of Confrontation. The Sealer's chakra, sealed within the linked cursed formula on the boy's back, would pull at his body and then the unfamiliar sensation of transmission overcame him. As the Agents made their retreat, assassinating the last of their targets and setting alight the remnants of their camp, the man who stalked towards Kokiro would stop, mouth agape beneath his mask, as he watched the young rebel vanish in the sand. For the Sealer's chosen, the experience of the world moving instantly beneath him caused him to stumble and fall, toppling down the edge of a dune for several meters before coming to rest at the base of a camp. Surrounded on all sides by a forest of swords, each strung with sealing tags, the cradle of dust surrounded a firepit upon which Kokiro could see the roasting flesh of a desert beast. Confused, the rebel twisted his body around, peering out over the endless scattered blades and seals, doubtless placed by the mysterious figure he followed, before from the veil of his thoughts came a calm intrusion which put his worries to rest.

As the camp burned in the distance, Yōsei came upon his opponent with swift dismissal, the chakra of his illusory shuriken and that of the water rampart from which he attacked were, in turn, wiped away from the battle with the caress of the Sealer's chakra. The ex-Hokage could feel each life snuffed out by the merciless ANBU who tore through his followers but kept his focus on the chosen messenger who flirted with death while not knowing his master and guardian fought only a leap from where he faced death. Yōsei came through the fading water and smoke, hyena's grin plastered across his face as he approached, watching the Hattori's body for any movement, scanning the man's face as he stepped into the feint. Superior skill led the captain to defend, and with a single motion, Yōsei was gone, risen up to cast his judgment down from on high and rend the Leaf ninja in half with Seisakata's wretched hunger. The man's face betrayed his capture; the Sealer had him dead to rights if not for the impossible task which followed, and were it not for that secret technique, Konoha's ranks would have been thinned tremendously. The chakra gathering within Nayoko's body would not be lost to Yōsei's vision, the lenses of energy he wore allowing him to perceive its workings even as the man's hand rose, face steeled to catch the Oath within his grasp.

Yōsei's eyes sparked joyously as he watched the well of chakra overflow to resist his blade, and as he landed, he would push into the resistance, testing the Blue Sky's Oath against the Hattori lineage, forcing it to prove its worth. Seisakata took this challenge boldly, defiant edge sparking blue and illuminating as it clashed with the insurmountable defense that opposed it. Sand flourished, rising around the pair in pomp and fanfare as their energy pulsed outward, stillness gave way to the duel's pressure as the Hattori began to move. Yōsei carried himself forward, spinning as he watched the Jōnin maneuver his body to lash out with his leg, and mimicking his flow. The Sealer would dip low, willing his blade to vanish in his hand while he swung in time with Nayoko's movement, sweeping with his left heel into the supporting leg, aiming to connect with the ANBU's calf and take with it his ability to balance, in time with the full distention of the Hattori's kick. By the way the Sealer moved, the jōnin may have thought he possessed a Sharingan, the reactive prowess of his motions able to fluidly match the captain while simultaneously predicting them. Already, Nayoko had proven his worth to the Sealer, able to remain steadfast against odds which he had been caught ill-prepared to challenge, this quality spoke volumes for Yōsei, who sought it out amongst all potential students.

If Nayoko were felled by the kick, it would be effortless for Yōsei to swipe out his right hand as he rose and grip the ANBU by his clothing, strength intending to propel the Hattori several meters through the air before he would meet abruptly with the sand. Otherwise, Yōsei would rise with his hands ready either side of his chin and press forward, striking first with his off-hand for the man's jaw and then following through with a thrust from his opposite knee which would rise for the gut. The peak of Yōsei's ideal sequence would follow if Nayoko had been both tripped and thrown, in which case, the Sealer would chase his improvised projectile and aim to meet him barely after he hit the ground and unleash his right leg upward into Nayoko's chest, intending to chip him up from the sand with considerable force. Airborne, he would meet with the wound up fist of Yōsei's right hand which would attempt to impact the side of the ANBU's head and send him again on an unfortunate tumble across the sand. The assault, if executed to its maximum potential, would likely leave the captain with little more than broken ribs and a concussion. Otherwise, Yōsei would be content to engage in fisticuffs with his fellow Leaf-ninja, if by some feat of dexterity he had managed to avoid being tripped, or recovered from the Sealer's intended sequence.

1200

chakra 235|345:

Nayoko · 11 Re: The Unknown Threat [Mission | A-Rank | Private] Sun Jul 08, 2018 6:26 pm

Nayoko

D-rank

EP : 21

838

Character sheet
Chakra:

(420/420)

The team of ANBU had but one goal now. The camp around them had all but burned to the ground, and those who would have once called themselves denizens of that camp laid dead on the sand, the last of their life force draining into the desert where it would remain for the rest of eternity. With the bodies of their fallen comrades gathered up, the two healthy ANBU knew that it was time to extract their captain and escape before the mission became one of the suicidal variety. They were about to leave the site and head toward the dunes where the battle raged between their captain and the unknown threat, but their retreat was interrupted by the sight of a boy weaving hand signs a short distance away. Even as the camp burned around him, it seemed this young man was trying to slip away by using some kind of jutsu. Regardless, he had to be eliminated, and so one of the kunoichi that spotted him turned to move toward him. But as she stepped forward, her mouth fell open with awe. The boy seemed to complete his series of hand seals with the familiar seal of confrontation, and then he was gone. There was no intermediate step, there was barely even a trace of him ever having been there. He was simply gone. She stood for a moment, unmoving and trying to understand what had happened before her partner called out, beckoning her to return to the group and help in the escape. Shaking her head, the ANBU turned away before leaping up to the dune where the duel was taking place.

The team landed just in time to see their captain display just why he held the position that he did. The blade came down toward him, but was stopped short by the Hattori who grabbed it as if it was nothing more than a staff with no potential to cut him. He could feel the mysterious sealer pressing down against his hand, trying to overwhelm the gift of his bloodline with sheer power. But Nayoko’s Will of Iron was stronger than any blade of heaven or earth, and he held firm as he spun into his kick. Even as he released the blade to allow for his kick, the jounin sensed it disappear much like it had done before, sealed away somewhere that Nayoko’s Sage perception could not reach. It was still as he was turning that Nayoko felt the movenets of his attacker, and as he felt the strike moving toward to only leg that was holding im up, his training with Ayakashi flooded back to him.

"What is under scrutiny is your fighting style. You're overthinking yourself, you're using Karate," Ayakashi would slap both of her thighs making a point before adopting a strong stance, bringing one fist to the outside of her chin and the other across her waist. Raising herself up on her toes and inhaling deeply before relaxing into stance again. "Karate, although classic, is a martial art of self defense and decisive offence, you are a mountain, always rooted to the earth, never, NEVER leaving it. You are immovable and strong where you stand."

In that moment, Nayoko did not feel like a mountain. The assault was too much, too quickly, even for the Sage to deal with. The man’s movements reminded him of his good friend, Maigo. He possessed the Sharingan and had the legendary Uchiha blood flowing through his veins. It would not have surprised the Hattori if this enemy before him possessed the same legendary dojutsu behind his mask that betrayed an obvious respect for a historic Uchiha figure. The kick connected with Nayoko’s calf, and the jounin found himself in the air then, bracing himself for the impact that was certainly about to come. The brief moment in the air was irrupted by a tug on his clothing that sent him flying through the air before bouncing against the sand. He managed to regain his footing however just in time to take another strike to his chest that sent him into the air, followed shortly by a punch aimed toward his head. It was only by sheer luck that the jounin managed to raise his hands to block the blow to his head that would have certainly meant at least a concussion, maybe worse. The force behind the attack however did send him back toward the earth, where he tumbled across the sand for a few meters before standing once again, his chest and abdomen throbbing with pain alongside his leg. He was injured, and it was only going to get worse.

But fortunately for him, he no longer needed to stay. As the Sage looked back toward his opponent, he also saw past him to the ANBU that were waiting on the desert beyond. One of them raised their hand and made a circular motion in the air, giving the signal that the mission had been completed. It was then that the sound of roaring flames near him finally hit his senses. Their job was done, and if they stayed here, they would all certainly die. He gave the slightest of nods before standing up straight, leaving himself open for a moment, but ready to continue with his defense if need be. As he weaved together a series of seals, he called out to his attacker. “Your camp burns Sealer. Our work here is done. Perhaps we will meet on the battlefield again; and next time I’ll be prepared.”

Unless he was interrupted, the jounin would complete the necessary preparation to use the Body Flicker technique, which he used to travel back toward the forward camp with his squad. Their mission was complete, but not without a new mystery emerging. It was one that he would wrestle with for some time to come, and one that he knew needed to be answered as soon as possible. Who was the mysterious Sealer? And what did he want with the Land of Wind…

[Exit Thread]

WC:1014+5640=6654

Mission Complete! (3500/3500)
Learned B-Rank jutsu from Yōsei (3000/3000)

Unused WC: 154

Yōsei · 12 Re: The Unknown Threat [Mission | A-Rank | Private] Mon Jul 23, 2018 5:19 am

Yōsei

S-rank

1004

Character sheet
Chakra:

(525/525)

Unprepared and unaware, the leaf jōnin could not resist the rapidity with which the ex-Hokage struck at the foundation of his stance, sweeping through the column of his leg and causing the ANBU to topple down. Releasing his hand like a viper's jaw, Yōsei's fingers slipped beneath the folds of his foe's jacket, gripping the top of his armor below the neck and whirling with the captured Hattori in tow. With the Sealer at the center of its orbit, the spin would end as Yōsei hopped with his right foot, slamming the other into the dirt and halting his momentum to send the jōnin plummeting toward the sand, where he skipped through the dust kicking up torrents of silver grains. Grinning like a madman, the Rogue would not allow his target to find peace, his perception could effortlessly detect the roaring inferno that had become of this campsite, and the Fire Shadow was unwilling to babysit those who had been entrusted with his tasks. With the World Serpent's reckoning drawing closer, a streak of red approached the horizon heralding a rain of fire come to wash the Great Nations from this ruined landscape.

Upon Nayoko in a matter of heartbeats, the Sealer's trial was marred with deep trenches, each fall of his pounding gait supplanting the dust and causing it to bloom in violent arrays without time to settle before the Namikaze struck again. Hooking beneath the man's ribs, Yōsei would launch him skyward and pirouette on the axis of his feet, following through with the chip which would slam dutifully into Nayoko's chest, likely to thrust the wind from his lungs and crack the man's ribs as he found himself at the mercy of Yōsei's touch. The Rogue, spinning on his supporting leg, brought his fist to the stage a fraction too late to send the ANBU's world spinning with the thunderous hook which would otherwise have shattered his cheekbone and concussed him severely, but instead found purchase against the sturdy forearms of the Hattori. Nayoko would feel the pain resound, even diminished by his fortunate block, still enough to crack the radial bone in the arm which would bear the brunt of the force and send his body hurtling through the air into the sand. Arm over arm, the ANBU tumbled away into the dirt, the watchful gaze of Yōsei's visual prowess trailing wicked strands of chakra as he began to march toward his rising target. The Leaf Ninja already would find it hard pressed to continue this bout, unable to withstand the brief encounter which already had left him wounded and struggling to breathe.

Overhead, the moon watched on, playfully jeering at the Sealer's secret glee. How promptly the captain of Konohagakure's famed ANBU had been dispatched of would have been alarming if not for the magnitude of the foe which he stood before, the Hattori clansman having no way of knowing he faced the blade of a man who once had been called Hokage. For the fallen Shadow, the encounter served to bolster his convictions, validating the Hidden Leaf's recent inadequacy, the soldiers given up to be indoctrinated by the wasteful Mist Village and their lineage of pointless suffering. The wayward Sealer's approach, grim and stoic, in time with the tolling of a funeral dirge, and the ascension of that dark Oath would herald the message which Yōsei would soon deliver. He could watch, behind the mask his quarry wore, the eyes of the Captain peering desperately through the night for whatever signal that would allow him reprieve from certain death. In the seconds which followed, Yōsei would clench his fist, bound tightly in black threads, on the hilt of Seisakata, strands of chakra pointedly twitching into existence around the Sealer's hand. Jagged lines, impossibly angled raiton streams would coalesce from the Oath's edge, the relic of Konoha's greatest duelists, from within, would release its lucent mysteries, labyrinthine crystal edge shimmering with the light of the Sealer's chakra. Bright flashes would cut seamlessly into the dark, twisting the night into a monochrome film, overexposed and raw in the presence of Yōsei's Blue Sky Oath. Withholding the blade's iridescent wrath barely, Yōsei sought only to conjure the lightning with which to punctuate his dismissal of the young ANBU captain. When the moment of clarity came, Yōsei knew his messengers lay in cinders, relief crossing like waterfalls washing away the heavy burden of dueling the ex-Hokage must have felt like redemption from Hell itself; something the Man in Black intimately knew.

"Konohagakure rests on the precipice of a great Upheaval. In time, the Leaf will come to understand that its forsaken Will of Fire will not be buried. Run far from here, young butterfly Sage, student of the Demon Ice Witch, and take with you my words,"

"There is no power held by men like that which the Will of Fire allows. Forget whatever foolishness the Mist has taught you, return to your homeland and prepare. When next we meet, it may very well be in the ashes of the Hidden Leaf."

To accentuate his gospel, the Sealer would trail the tip of Seisakata to point at Nayoko while he spoke, strands of charged, blue light lapping menacingly at the air around his body. The Sealer's words would carry themselves through the world, as was his way, and the Captain's own Senjutsu would allow him insight into the method by which Yōsei projected his voice, belying yet more power which the Sealer had not revealed. How effortlessly it had been for the Rogue to dispatch of the Hattori's assault would only be brought further into the light if Nayoko took the time to decipher his enemy's similar talent for the Sage Arts. At the end of the Sealer's message, the light which streamed from Seisakata would vanish in an instant, with none of the pomp and fanfare which had accompanied its arrival. Nayoko would be foolish not to take the gesture of silence as an opportunity to steal away into the evening calm, leaving behind a flourish of sand and wind, which of course the Jōnin did with swiftness. At once, the Sealer could feel the chakra thin in the surrounding dunes, ANBU agents vanishing into the silver streams of sandy rivers sleeping between the dusk and dawn. With a flick of his wrist, Seisakata was gone, and the Sealer with it.

In the blazing remnants of his messengers' camp, Yōsei knelt in the embers, the ashes of his sealed scripture fluttering away as the wind coiled unnaturally around him. Calling forth the world to snuff out the funeral pyre, the Sealer would leave warm soot in his wake as he vanished with the last flickering firelight. With his step across the nation, Yōsei's mind left the duel behind, and with it the memories of the men who crossed that sector, spreading his word and seeking the road to Amegakure. Yōsei sighed, the ribbons of his cloak unraveling around his neck to discard the broken mask in the sand as he hopped from dune to dune, airborne between vast stretches of the silver ocean. With the dawn would come more of these brutal attacks, the villages would not rest until each man who bore the banner of independence had been wiped away.

end.

1215
7630
4375 completes a-rank mission (criminal)
1750 trains s-rank fuinjutsu/ninjutsu technique (-20% clan bonus, 10% pvp bonus)
1400 trains a-rank fuinjutsu/ninjutsu technique (-20% clan bonus, 10% pvp bonus)

twc
14,284

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1 The Unknown Threat [Mission | A-Rank | Private] Sat Jun 16, 2018 10:42 pm

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2 Re: The Unknown Threat [Mission | A-Rank | Private] Sun Jun 17, 2018 6:44 pm

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