Mission name: Fall of Yusuke - The Last Stand
Mission rank: B
Objective: Infiltration
Location: Suna (Endless Wasteland)
Reward: 500 Ryo +1 EP
Development: Become ANBU
Mission Description: Corner Yanase Yusuke
Mission Details: Cleanup duty. Now that the army is gone. The leader of the Clan, Yanase wishes to go into hiding. Make sure that there is only one way he can go for. Eradicate all last remaining servants you might find on your way.

Enemies: The 'throne room' will be protected by 9 B-Ranked special martial artists (non-ninja) and 1 captain (ninja) with all stats at X-2. The captain has wind and fire element and access to library jutsu equal to his rank. All with weaponry 1 rank above them.

The day had come. Today the Clan Yusuke would be eradicated. Verdandi moved down from her lodge to Ozay's work room. He had been busy all night making deals with all kinds of crime lords. He was the king of their syndicate now. The most powerful criminal in suna capital. Verd chuckled. "Happy with your little empire?" she would ask teasingly. "You're aware that this all has become way more dangerous than I ever signed up for… all because of you." He replied. In a slightly sarcastic but certainly worried voice. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. You did a plenty for that situation to happen as well." Verd added. They agreed. They both did this. This abomination of a situation. But now. It was Ozay's turn to return the favour. "I gotta figure out where he went. Any safe house we haven't burnt down just yet?" Verdandi would ask. Ozay's birds had been scanning the area since days. No success. "Alright. I'll go and hunt for intel myself." Verd winked. Dressing up casual. Off to the bar to go and grab a beer. The tavern wasn't really a good place for her. Considering she had been part of a lot of ruckus lately. Verd used transformation to turn her face a bit different. Sometimes little effort had great effect. She didn't know how many of her latest missions had been observed by people that actually survived the fray. But her face wasn't a completely unknown thing anymore. Especially since 'Elena' was supposed to be dead anyway.

Verd would drink herself through the bar, talk with the barkeeper, interrupt the guests. Getting noisy with them and trying to get the info's she was looking for. But no chances. Verdandi worked her way through many bars and many shady places. No results. It was a pretty disappointing night to say at least. She came back home drunk and dunked herself into her bed without having the energy to deal with Ozay or the servants. Dozing off pretty soon. Verd would wake. Feeling terrible. She needed water. Slowly rehydrating after the alcohol was necessary. But seemingly. He night out wasn't completely without results. "A massage came in." Ozay said when he saw Verd moving through the kitchen. "What is it about?" she asked casually. Eating some pudding as she sat down on the couch and Ozay showed her the letter. "Dear Assassin. I know whom you are looking for. I can tell you where he is. Please meet me at the Yusuke mansion." Verdandi nodded. Easy and clear. No mistake it was one of the last survivors in Yusuke's core. Maybe they were willing to trade safety for information. "It’s a trap. A pretty obvious one too." Replied Ozay. "You're not seriously considering to go there alone, are you?" Verd shrugged. The person didn't specifically forbid her to bring company. "Hmmm maybe send a backup team. A medic… maybe a guy with explosives? I always need explosives. I love blowing up stuff…"

Verd and Ozay agreed however, they had to go there, see what was waiting for them. Ozay prepared a little Squad of his best men. Medic, Demolition man and a bunch of guards. He dressed in his own battle gear too. Just to make sure that it was clear he'd be joining as well. However, once they arrived at the location. Nothing was to be found. Ozay glared around. His men seemingly impatient as they were trigger happy to get lost. The pile of rubble was still there. Most of the corpses had been removed however. A mass grave not far from here would have ended up being the final resting place of these people. A lot of… body parts were still laying around. Slowly rotting away. The stench wasn't really a lot of fun. Verd tried to ignore it but it was bugging her. Until eventually. She saw something that wasn't there before. Her Sharingan picked up a chakra signal below. Verd would guide Ozay's men through the rubble. Letting them lift and remove a ton of dirt from various spots that was near where Verd expected the chakra flame to come from and there it was. An entrance. Dandi couldn't help but hit herself in a facepalm. They were looking for Yanase all over the place and he had never really, truly left his home. Verd looked back at Ozay's troops and nodded. Time to get the rat killed. She kicked open the trapdoor that she found and jumped down into the darkness below.

The various corridors would imply that this shaft had been used for labour and transport. It wasn't the official entrance. Verd could only guess that said entrance had been buried for good beneath the rubble. A lot of the pathways of the tunnel she was in were destroyed as well. Ultimately forcing her to go down a very specific path. Ozay was right. This already smelled like a trap. But Verdandi couldn't help it. There was just one way forward for her to go. Eventually she passed some half-broken rooms. Some lights were still working. Shattered pool tables. Broken down alcohol displays. Rotting food caches. Verdandi didn't know her explosive work had this amount of damage. Or that there was this kind of luxury home hidden beneath the Yusuke compound anyway. Some of Ozay's men casually helped themselves to some valuable looking items. Verd didn't care. She wasn't into criminal collectibles. She did see the Jade Figure however. That took her back a bit. Instantly raising a very disturbing thought in her mind. She moved further, deeper into the broken rooms. Rest rooms. Sleeping rooms for guards. Luxury bedrooms. All broken down and halfway trashed. It was a challenge to go through them and find a way forward. But Verdandi's Sharingan allowed her to see where she had to be heading for. Allowed her to see where the chakra flame was supposed to be and soon. They would reach the main hall of what once was but another throne room.

The throne itself was empty. Yanase wasn't here. Nine strong and fierce looking warriors. Yanase's personal guards were here. And… Yuan. Verdandi thought it'd be him when the Jade figure reminded her. She had hoped it wasn't going to be him. "So, you finally arrived. Good. I almost thought you wouldn't be able to make it and I'd have to end my miserable life myself…" he spoke. Turning around. Facing Verdandi. He had a large scar on his face. A missing right eye. Verdandi stopped in shock of the gruesome wound. "Oh, I see you notice my newest addition to my beauty, it was my reward for escorting YOU and the diplomat to the summit. Yanase thought, maybe if I only have one eye. My sight would be sharp enough to detect traitors right below my nose next time. You know. Those who might end up blowing up everything you ever worked for, after trusting them. After VOUCHING FOR THEM." His anger was evident. Verdandi just stared down. She knew he was right. Verd created a fist as she tried to bear the emotions he would raise in her. "I fucking adored you. Heck you know that I loved you. Of course, you brushed me down because you were… 'married' do you even know this guy?" he pointed at Ozay. "He's just another PAWN in your play, isn't he? Just another figure you'd sacrifice at any moment to get what you want… Isn't it true?"

Ozay himself seemed emotionless about it. Immune to the drama Yuan conjured here. Ozay had been a skilled man of the special forces since years. Someone who did not have any emotions left. A complete machine, a killer, a tool. Verdandi didn't know if she could be like him just yet. If she wanted that. "You fucking ruined me. We didn't have to be together. I wouldn't have forced you. But you had to take me down with you in your stupid plans. You had to see to it." He shouted but Verdandi interrupted him. "You could have left! After the heist. After the summit. You knew whom I was. You know what had happened. You could have just left. I never asked for you to take the blame. Its your stupid pride that brought you back here. Not me. Don't push that on me. I saved your ass from that explosion. I made sure that you were not harmed. I gave you the chance to leave this forsaken city. You still can. There's medics able to heal you. Even give you a new eye. Men able to give you a new home. A new life. Far away from criminal activity. Far away from anything that could put you into such misery." Verdandi explained. "Far away from you, you mean?" he continued. It was hopeless. He was too far gone. His psyche long shattered. Verdandi couldn't tell what other torture Yanase had put him through. But this man was broken and there would be no chances to rebuild him.

Verdandi slowly unsheathed her blade. Yuan just stood there. Like a statue. Frozen into place. She launched forward. The nine guards instantly moving in. A few lesser guards attacking Ozay and his group. Leaving them to deal with it Verdandi would take care of the main group. Exhaling frost breath quickly to cut off their breathing. Kicking away into them. Pushing them away with a simple gale palm technique. Sending them flying backwards. Pulling her kunai and tossing them at the first targets chest. Then jumping in before the kunai actually impacted and kicked it with all her strength into the man's chest. Sending him flying to the next best wall behind him. Keeping her motion going. Rotating over her own axis to slice her katana with full might into the incoming attacker. Breaking through his defense's. Verd pushed the katana forward, piercing into the guys shoulders and making sure he felt the blood spilling from his skin. Moving the Katana sideways. Letting it slowly come towards his throat before pulling off and slicing his arteries wide open. Verdandi kicked him away. Two down. Four were coming at her at once. Blades slicing her way. Verd didn't have a choice but to use her explosive tag. Placing it on one of the four. Before slipping past his legs, pushing him into the other three and then giving the signal for the tag to go off. Boom. Six down. A mere three left.

Verdandi directly charged one of them. Sending swallow snow strike, ice birds flying to another. While the birds gracefully impaled the poor man. Verd hit her own target with her shoulder. Staggering him back. Pushing her katana tip into his foot. Accidentally cutting some toes off and leaving him to scream and bleed. Hitting the back hilt of her blade to his face. Punching his gut and then slicing her katana down on his neck, letting the blade hit his atlas bone and crack it. Dropping the body to the floor unable to move anymore. Verdandi continued. Swallow Snow Strike victim was neatly pinned to the next wall. His body covered in frost birds. Verd just had to pass by and give the mercy kill strike. Then it was just one left. He would swing his dao's beautiful blades. Aching to slice into her. Verdandi accepted, going into close combat. Sheathing her blade. Avoiding his primary vertical slices. Punching the guy in the cheek and the chin. Ducking from the horizontal slices. Hitting him in the crotch and punching his nerve endings in both thighs. Coming up to his wrists. Covering them in Verdandi's own palms. Then kicking her way up from his thighs, belly, chest, neck to face in a ladder climbing way before she let go off his hands but keeping his dao's. After he dropped backwards to the floor like a potato bag. Verd accepted his loss and stuffed one of his dao's in his chest.

She kept the second one. Seeing how Ozay and his men had too finished their battle. A few of his soldiers were dead but the medic and the demolition men were still fine and so was Ozay. Verdandi stared at Yuan. He was laughing manically. His face distorted. Lifting his spear. Making a 'knack' with his neck and then charged for Verdandi. Verd avoided the spear tip. Kicking it from the side but Yuan brought it around and hit her back with the spears handle. Quickly he turned it around again to shove it into Verdandi's back. She jumped up, somersaulted over it, gripped the weapon and came down to stand on it with one foot before the other hit down into Yuan's neck. Interrupting his nerves grip on the weapon before she used her weight to rotate back forward and take the spear with her. Her dao dropped to the floor so she could properly grip the new weapon. Directly turning it around to spear forward and try to hit Yuan's own chest. Seeing him draw his sword to deflect the spearhead and launch past it forward. His hand lifting. Supposedly to bring down the blade on Verdandi's face. But Verd just turned the spear aside and let it drop. Its weight falling on Yuan's toes as she ducked. Kicked his belly. Lifted the dao off the floor and sliced once straight into his chest. Cutting a deep wound into his skin. Leaving him to tumble back slowly.

Yuan wasn't a real ninja but he had chakra. He used his limited skills to desperately defend himself. Spewing fireball and dragon blasts from his lips only to be soaked in Verdandi's water encampment wall. A wind slash but Verdandi answered it with her own wind slash. She kept walking towards him. He was already forming his seals again. But Verd had lifted her kunai and shoved it straight through his palm. Pushing him back to the wall. Unsheathing her sword. She'd kiss him. Softly. Watching a tear drop from his lone eye before she pushed her blade up his torso, straight into his heart. She wouldn't break the kiss. Not until the light had vanished from his eyes. Yuan was dead. Verdandi didn't know if he would have wanted it that way. He did deserve some affection and he was right when he spoke that she had taken everything from him. Destroyed everything. But it was his decision to go back. It was his decision to be a criminal. His decision to remain her enemy. His decision to let his bride become his breaking point. She might have pushed him into this. But at least he'd die with the sooth of affection on his lips. Maybe he forgot about the bitterness of death while he left. And if not. Well guess that's just his fate then.  Ozay's men slowly pulled the corpses together. They had searched the whole room. There was only one way further down. Only one door. Only one room left to visit.

[EXIT]

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