Political Prisoner:

Maikeru was nervously pacing. He was eager, on edge, his nerves completely racked. His heart was racing. There had been an issue among one of the independent factions he had been working with. A grave issue. One of the charismatic leaders in the most prominent faction of the Independent Confederation, Takeshi Taoto, had been captured by Kumogakure. Everyone part of the Confederation knew what kind of move it was. They falsely accused him to take him in. Not only that, but associates as well. It was a pretty dire situation. On the meeting with one of the factions, they were geared to go to war with Kumo. The outrage was fiery and intense. Maikeru could sense the bloodlust coming from them. Fortunately, it was quelled by logic. They were in no position to go to war with anyone. They would get wiped out within the span of a couple months. Instead of going into the village blazing and instigating a war, he and another Iwa nin would who knew of his innocence would be disguising as Kumo Ninja to infiltrate the camp. Another Ninja there disguised as a Kumo Shinobi who would be making sure that Takeshi was in no harm while he stayed, would create a diversion, and use that for him to escape.

The task wouldn’t be too hard. But Maikeru only hoped that the diversion would be big enough to warrant the attention of most of the Shinobi there. But Maikeru wouldn’t Maikeru sighed and walked towards one of the IC officers. He was in the largest base of the IC, a huge camp that was far from from the actual Suna. It was almost kilometer worth of training equipment, resting tents for sleeping and living quarters. It was organized by ropes with poles, cutting the circle shaped base into sections. The center being where the Leaders of the Confederation had their meeting. That’s where Maikeru was. And he was about to be waiting on his new partner. The Officer tapped Maikeru on the shoulder. “Be careful out there. There are bandits that would not hesitate to attack you. If you see them, kill them.” Maikeru nodded, and sighed. It was a rather stressful situation to be in. He had been put in the forefront of many high ranking missions a lot lately. First he was sent by some stranger to do some dangerous work, and now he is being sent on an ANBU level infiltration mission. As stressful as it has been for him, he found it quite exhilarating. The excitement had been more than enough for him.

435 WC

Mission:

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Her head would tilt back as a sigh rose from her parting lips. The loose sheets of now, iced white hair would flow over her shoulders save for the single beaded section of her right side, such remaining weighed down against her collarbone. Slowly her miss matched orbs would open to stare up at the celling of the tent. Surrounded by the same four sheets of the tent walls irritated her more and more each moment she was stuck within the confides of the tent. Since the release from her captivity she had only been out of the camp a few times, mainly due to still healing she were constantly reminded that she needed to rest, but what of her mental state? If she had to stay inside any longer she felt as though she may burst, a well of emotion's she was unfamiliar with sitting harshly atop her chest and throat. She had been away from her duties or so long, a few missions here and there could not ate her need to be of use, not even a little.

She had been listening, listening to everything as closely as possible, from the shift changes to the runners carrying messages. She had been learning to subtle movements of the camp, its flow, its energy and its people all by sound. For each time she stepped from her tent she disrupted the flow even if it were only for a moment. Her left hand, already gloved would rise to stroke the remaining fingers of that hand over the material she had strewn across her hair until needed, thin and smooth. Just like the glove the sheet had been crafted to cover the mutilations she had endured, she felt no loss at what her reflection had become yet such changed the perceptions of those around her at first.  

She had learnt the sound and patterns of a few that passed her tent regularly so when the sound fermillair footsteps came into ears shot she would raise from the bed to step from the tent, snatching up her tessen, tatsu and amai in the process, Ripa tsume already attached to her belt, hidden beneath the layers of thin fabric. Placing amai at the front of her belt and tatsu at the back her long strides would bring her quickly and easily up behind a female, a few inches shorter than Taeru herself.  Taeru would reach out placing her left hand atop the women's shoulder to pause her. The women's head would snap around as though ready to scold any that dared to stop her in her duties, yet her features would change; her eyes widening as she took in the sight before her. Lost for words her bottom lip would tremble a little before a whip of a sound left her “i’m sorry.” Ignoring the reaction as she remembered she hadn't covered the damaged side of her face yet in the heat of the moment, “Your giving out missions...before you say anything, my last was completed was it not. I require another.”  like ice had been poured over the female she would shiver, a nervous setting taking over her demeanour as she looked around, practically begging for an excuse to leave, now nothing to do with the look of Taeru but that which she asked. With a sigh the women would take a flick through a few parchments before holding one out, her gaze adamantly stuck to the ground, “Try to stay out of trouble, were already in too much of it for you taking off on a mission the last time... and what with everything that’s happening, the Tsuchikage doesn't need the stress.”  

Her features cold as she regarded the female before her, Taeru would take the note before turning on her heel to walked away “I know, thank you.” Taeru would stalk back into her tent slitting open the mission details to read, taking in all of the details before burning the note as she had been accustomed to once upon a time.  Reaching up she would tug down the material before attaching it correctly, the material would attach  to the loops that hung from the left side of her braided fringe following the loops about to the half up do bun before clasping the material down to her body suit to ensure that it wouldn't blow up in the wind at random, sitting flush against the flesh, covering completely the left side of her face ear and neck, the veil like material simply obscuring that parts it covered from sight, though with how close to her eye it sat, her visibility through it was enough. Her attire comprising of a small range of pale colours starting from white to a dusted beige.  The body suit made, tight and to cover her left side up to her throat completely whereas the right side showed visible flesh of her chest and arm. Draped about her form a light weight material quite like the material of her glove, the glove itself had been made to keep the missing digits area covered and extending up along her forearm to her elbow. Whilst her beaded senbon that decorated the now snow-white strands of her hair, that for the most part sat in a bun whilst the right half of her fringe brushed her brow whilst a weighted bead held a section of hair down to frame her pointed features and high cheek bones.  Her hand would cup over the metal plate displaying the symbol of Iwagakure no sato  that were securely attached to her clothing at the centre of her chest. Before stroking her fingertips over it.

Striding again from her tent she would flit past the few people straggling about the camp, passing from one camp to the next as she followed the worded map now inscripted in her memory seemed almost too quiet, yet there was always a calm before a storm were there not? Instead of attempting the gates she would slip around the side of the encampment, before dipping inside, taking the change before entering to observe and listen as she slipped closer, keeping her form hidden. Catching a warning, evident in the tone of the male’s voice she would peer over to take in the sight of the two, the twos age a contrast by sight yet it were the elder of the two telling the younger to be careful. Pacing about, was he nervous? Gathering that she was in the right place she would straighten her form before stepping from a small hidden section between supplies and a thick tent, her strides intent on approaching the two. Her voice holding a monotone and a heavy accent, “You will want to recheck your perimeter and remove any spaces such as the one I have just observed the camp from.”

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Word count: 1151.

Maikeru looked at the girl who had approached. She looked damaged. Gravely. Maikeru saw that her pinky was missing and the right side of her face was covered. Scars littered her body. Maikeru wasn't taken aback by this. “The camp is safe. And none of us mind if our briefings are listened to. We have nothing to hide from anyone here. But we should get going. No time to waste. And nine times out of ten: we will be getting attacked.” Maikeru sighed, knowing that hostility has gone up drastically. The bandits have been getting nastier. Meaner. More barbaric. And more bold and stupid. Maikeru cracked his knuckles and put on his Smackaroos. The Gauntlets he bought for a fool. He wiggled his fingers in them, as he usually did. “Stay sharp. Stay smart. Let's roll.” Maikeru walked through the military camp, followed by his partner. “The plan is we go in, make some noise, get the VIP, and get out. Correction. We don't make some noise. We wait til noise is made. Maikeru walked over to a man with a cart, smoking a cigar. Maikeru held up two fingers. The man briefly looked at his partner and tossed them two Kumo Robes. “Maikeru quickly put his on, and continued to make his way through the camp. He placed his hands in front of his chest, making slow punching motions. He did this to get himself prepared for the battle to come. It always helped. He looked at the two guards and gave a nod, continuing out through the endless desert.


Maikeru continued his walk with his female partner. They had been going for quite a while,Maikeru saying nothing. His mind was wandering in the sea of thoughts. Too much had been on his mind. He needed to continue to help Sunagakure. Help keep it free and liberated, yet he wasn't sure how long he could keep it up. It's toll was taking a heavy hit. His eyes had bags in them. But his muscles had grown. He had been hitting the gym more often than not. To cope with it all. He needed to cope and everything was getting to him.


Maikeru's train of thought was caught off by a sound. It sounded like whispering. And shuffling. Bandits. Maikeru cracked his neck. “Bandits. Like I said. Get ready.” Maikeru raised his fists and waited for them. There were ten of them. Maikeru saw one coming, and grabbed him by the neck, and threw him into one of his allies. Maikeru punched another in the face. He felt each crack on his metal covered fists. Blood and teeth were flying from his face. Maikeru had achieved something. Catharsis. After he threw him away, Maikeru turned to his partner. “And by the way. I'm Maikeru.”

472/907

Her brow would arch as she listened to the boy before her, observing not only him but those about the camp. Far too lax for her liking. If nothing else this boy needed to learn that secrecy was essential to the duties of a ninja, such she had decided that he would at least start to realise this throughout the mission. Taking note of the boy’s choice of weapon. "Stay smart.” She would snort before clearing her throat quietly, her voice had been layered thickly not only with her unusual accent but with sarcasm dripping from it. She would remain stood in place as the boy began his walk throughout the camp, her form disregarding his actions for a moment before turning to the male of which the boy had been conversing with. “As I said previously, it would be within your better interests to keep the place you sleep secure from those that may well intend you harm.”  without waiting for a replay to her stern toned word she would turn on her heels before striding in the direction the boy had headed, arriving close, in time to note the scent of a cigar. Like a striking pain images flickered throughout her mind causing her left hand to raise pressing the palm into her left eyes, her fingers curling to grip at the fabric that covered that side of her face. Her lips would press to a thin line as her head tilted downwards.  


The scent lingering thickly as it filled her lungs again, as the kumoagakure uniform were threw in her direction her form would twist to avoid it allowing it to land in a crumpled pile on the ground, the boy still jabbering on whilst fumbling into the clothing.


With a hiss she would push the memories away allowing her hand to drop back to her side, anger surging through her, twisting her features, forcing them to harden to a bitter state, a look that most would find un-natural of the visible pretty features of her face.  Allowing him to wonder off further and further in-front. At least they had time before reaching the base of their objective, for now the quiet was more appealing. She had decided to act when out of ears shot from the camp they had just left.

Yet just as the lad had jabbered on about bandits. It would seem that the boy had jinxed them. She could hear them before they came into sight.  they hadn't yet had the chance to surround them though they were attempting to do so. Silently she would shift dropping behind further before allowing a burst of speed towards their ranks heading towards their rare. Her speed eclipsing theirs, and their shock she would take advantage, her right hand withdrawing Ripa tsume from its hidden place at her belted drapes as her left reached to withdraw tatsu from its usual place tucked in her belt at the back. She would dip allowing her moment to force her form into a crouch as she landed before them only to raise quickly, tearing into their abdomens to spill them onto the sand saturating it with their scarlet fluid and shock. Tastu would snap shut as they dropped to the ground, yet she was already on the move again.  It would seem the boy had only just heard and came into contact, a surprise, she had expected him to have heard them when she had. Pausing she would watch him, an attempt to gage the boy's strengths and weaknesses, only retaliating when a bandit attacked her personally.  yet Ripa tsume would re-sheath hidden away again, choosing to use the blunt force of Tatsu closed.  

Watching the last fall and the boy turn to her, her brow would arch. "It’s a little late for an introduction but I accept it." She would speak in a mere mumble, only just audible as she stepped up to the boy replacing tatsu into her belt before placing her left hand against the boys left shoulder, grasping his clothing with her arm against his body as she stepped past his right side, her leg would be placed behind him before pushing into her movement. Pressing her strength and weight into the movement to take the boy to the ground, her own movements fluid and quick enough to shift so that she would be able to move atop him pinning him to the ground, her knees trapping his arms in place. Her right hand would spin her kuni simply to show it were there for the moment. "Now, you are going to take a moment to listen.  You are too loud, to open with the information you are supposed to be guarding. As a shinobi it is our job to keep our missions a secret's yet you spout the information of this one so freely. Did you bother to even check if I were indeed your ally?  Good shinobi have been tortured and died before giving up that kind of information. " Keeping the pressure so her weight in place she would shift a touch to make sure she wasn't causing difficulties for the boys breathing, she didn’t need him passing out, along with better positioning herself in-case he chose to retaliate with force. "Now, you will think before you speak. And this is what we shall do to accomplish this mission; As you are dressed for the occasion, you shall be able to move through the enemy camp with me as your prisoner, this way we shall both be able to gain different kinds of information that will aid our village. You will be able to attempt to gain information as one of them where as I will be able to gage what happens with the prisoners and how best to get them out. We will not be loud. A mission like this requires etiquette and you had better realise this, otherwise you can return to that sham of a camp we have just left."

The groan of the bandit missing his teeth would draw her attention causing her to roll her eyes as she stood dropping the Kuni beside the boy. "Finish him. We do not leave behind loose ends that could cause us problems later on." She would step back to watch the boy closely.  "I tell you these things now so that you will not have to learn then the hard way.  learn now and learn quickly so that you may survive and serve Iwagakure no sato." She would wait before deciding to introduce herself.

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Word count: 1225.
Total word count: 2376.

Maikeru was more than caught off guard. He was tripped to the ground, falling in the sand with a loud “oof.” He didn't realize how much stronger she was than him. Slightly dazed from the action, he attempted to get up. When he did, he found that he was pinned to the ground, and that the Kunoichi was on top of him. “Too close!” He was too distracted to notice that her Kunai was being twirled menacingly. She felt light, but she was also pretty strong. He looked up to listen to her rant about keeping secrecy. Maikeru only chuckled. “I know everyone in that camp by face and by name and by background, you being the only exception at the time. “And yeah I know the plan. The Mole in the enemy camp will cause a diversion, and when that happens, we move to rescue and secure the VIP. And don't worry I've been doing shit like this for the past three months now. And I think I'm going to call you Miss Sunshine, since names are obviously a “no” for for you, and I can already tell you're going to be a ray of Sunshine to work with.” He dusted himself off, clearing his clothing and hair of sand. She then asked him to take care of the bandit that attacked. He simply shrugged and stomped the ground and aimed his palm at the attacker, unleashing an intense blast of electricity. Maikeru didn't care for bandits or their lives. It wasn't a hard action to take. The pair had walked towards the camp. Maikeru decided to take the Kumo outfit off and go in as a prisoner, per Sunshine’s request. Upon entering the camp, they were stopped by the guards. Maikeru looked at them with hatred as visibly as possible, in an effort to sell his prisoner role as convincingly as possible. He spat on the ground near the guard’s feet. He pinched Maikeru in the stomach. He doubled over. “Make sure you teach this one some manners. Piece of trash. Maikeru feigned a cough to further sell the act. It was going perfectly. Maikeru got up and was being taken to the cages. Maikeru looked about, from left to right. The people in cages were in terrible shape. Awful. But then he looked to find who they were looking for. Takeshi Taoto. Maikeru mumbled under his breath. “Good. Now all that's left is the-”

There was a huge explosion on one side of the camp. The Mole had done his job. It was time to move into action.

441/1348 WC

As he chuckled, naturally her left hand would ball to a fist as It drew back, only for her self-control to kick in instead opting to grasp his jawline before pressing the blade of her kuni just above his adam's apple. “You may know all those back in that camp but when it comes down to the truth of the matter, you do not know me and any of them could easily have been traitors or even...” as she spoke her appearance would shift changing into that of the male Maikaru had been speaking to when she first arrived before again slowly shifting to the male with the cigar, her voice changing to match her appearance, “an imposter all together.” pushing away from him to allow him up and to continue.  

She would slip her Kuni into its pouch her gaze passing about the landscape as she changed yet again. Rolling her eyes she would reply, “You say you know the plan yet speak so rapidly of other plans.“ with a sigh her left hand would rise to rub over her face before shifting over her hair allowing her appearance to change again this time taking the appearance of an olive skinned, black haired beauty, a true enough desert beauty, her features more rounded and her eyes ever so slightly different shades of green, her outfit similar to what she had been wearing save for it being black now and the symbol of Iwagakure now no longer visible. she would reach up to unpin the veil covering the left side of her face, now that her appearance had been altered she wouldn't have a need for such.  She would watch as the electricity took out the bandits life, taking note of the chakra nature used by Maikaru before speaking, now sure they were the only two to listen to her words, “For the record my name is Taeru... “ As she spoke she would step up to wrap a piece of the fabric from about her form, around his neck, twisting it once before speaking “Hands” she wouldn’t, however, wait for him to complie reaching to draw his hands together in front of him as she stepped before him, wrapping the cloth now around his wrists, a makeshift and for all intensive purposes, convincing binding. “However Miss sunshine will do for now. If you are to be my prisoner you may as well look the part.” she would give a light tug on the binding, such only tightening about his throat and wrists when she tugged otherwise loose and usually comfortable due to the soft texture of the fabric itself.

Without looking back she would stride forwards stringing him along in silence. Yet as they neared the target camp she would tug a little rougher, her demeanour taking on an alluring stride, her hips swaying more and a devilish smile crawling her lips. Her hand would raise as though to flag the guards down as they approached, yet throughout all of the changes to her stand it would be her voice that stood out, taking on a more native edge and her tone no longer flat now holding a sweet silky tone with each of her words, “Hey, long time no see! Ouh...” pausing as she got closer before continuing, “Your not the guards from before, though I suppose’ you guy change all the time, well regimented and all that.” She would speak seemingly none stop, slipping herself in-between the guards before giving another tug to draw Maikaru closer. “I’ve brought back another as per the request and agreement boys.” yet s Maikaru spat at their feet she would shift away and into the other leaving a small mark of her chakra upon him, as she stepped away a thin strand of the chakra would tether them together. As the guard punched Maikaru she would keep face with simple ease, only once Maikaru doubled over would she take the opportunity to step back to his side leaning over to rest against him resting her chin against her hands as she smiled at the two. “A good beating would do him some good, he’d make a nice little pet, I almost loath handing him over.”   the first guard stepping up would hold his hand out, “Come on now, there's real men about, if you were able to kick him into submission he ain't no man. Spend some time about men from Kumoagakure and you’ll realise that.” She would rise from leaning against Maikaru before handing over the bindings leash to the guard leaving an imprint of her chakra and scent on him only to leave an imprint of her chakra on the guards hand as she passed over the leash. “Don't mind if I do.” The guard would pass the leash over to the other guard as she would wink before wandering off into the camp only to detour once out of sight to follow and keep tabs on Maikaru, making sure to be there if something went wrong. Only once he had been locked in the makeshift cages would she shift the string of chakra stepping past the guard again, effectively pickpocketing the keys in the process. Once she had the keys she would turn her attention to gathering knowledge, shifting her appearance once again, now to a youngster, leith, tall and male.  Slipping the remaining slither of material that hung from her to drape it over her shoulder she would continue through the camp, making sure to map the layout and note those whos chakra stood out.  

Only when an explosion erupted sending a silencing wave before the chaos of action sprung into life. As ordinary members of the camp moved away from the explosion and the shinobi moved towards she would remain as a male and follow the crowd heading away. She would slip from the crowd as she came upon the makeshift cages. She would slip the key into the lock before pushing the door open “Come along sunshine, we will take them all, that way they won’t know who we’ve come for.” she would lean in to take the cloth from him in a fluid movement giving one last tug as though to help him to his feet, having assumed he had found their objective. “Now move.”

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340/350:

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Word count: 1061.
Total word count: 3437.

Maikeru chuckled. “You’re the Sunshine...Sunshine.” He watched as all the other Kumo Ninja went to the location of the explosion. Everything was going according to plan. Maikeru raced away from his cell in the confusion of everything. He saw smoke and commotion in the camp, everyone moving about frantically. Maikeru ran towards the cage of Takeshi Taota, who looked around the confused and frightened. “No please! Don't hurt me.” As Maikeru pulled him out of the cage, he began to panic. Maikeru was losing patience. “We aren't here to hurt you. We are here to rescue you. We were sent by the factions. We're going to get you out of here. I just need you to stay calm and come with us quickly, before the guards come-” Maikeru looked off to the area of the camp that exploded. Another blast had come off and this time there were a large some of people being blown up with it. They flew into the air, ragdolling around. Maikeru's curiosity was piqued to the maximum, but he didn't have time dwell on what the distraction was doing. All they had to do was escape. Maikeru assumed that Taota was supposed to be transported to a far more secure camp, considering how much security lacked in this one. While everyone was handling whatever was going on there, Maik quickly forced up one the it he cages. It will give the Ninja something else to worry about. The three swiftly and quietly ran out of the camp undetected. While they were hundreds of meters away, Maikeru looked back to see one final grand explosion. That was, without the shadow of the doubt, an Otsuka, and whoever it was, they did as fine as explosions as Maikeru had ever seen.

“I truly can't thank either of you enough for this. I'm not sure I would be alive for much longer.”

“Don't mention it. And I haven't actually seen you do what you do nor have I been told by the ISC. Why does Kumo want you so badly?”

“Simple answer my boy; because I can rally the people. I have gone to multiple places with Kumo Influence, and I simply convince them that Hastur is a liar and a megalomaniac. A friend of mine was executed for denying Hastur. It's an awful situation. He thinks that he is a God. A GOD?! Can you believe that?”

“You just have to train and be dedicated to get to that level of Power.”

“I do agree.”

Maikeru started to feel a chill up his spine. It was cold. He felt like he was being watched. He activated his Mother Earth's Eyes, to get a scope of the area. And his suspicions were correct. Approximately thirty meters west of their direction there were a few people hiding behind the dunes. Two of them. He concentrated harder as Taota kept talking, trying to better feel the weight they caused beneath the earth. Both of them were female. And both of them were armed. It was likely they were bandits. Or Kumo Ninja that had Escapes the destruction of the camp. Regardless, they were in a dangerous situation. While Taota continued to talk about whatever it was, Maikeru conspicuously moved towards Taeru and whispered to her. “Be careful. We have two Kunoichi west of here. We just need to walk in an angle of where we currently are going, and then launch long ranged attacks as an opener
From there I'll try to get close to them and unleash the real hell. Maikeru began to walk in a diagonal. Only slightly to make it look not so obvious. His Eyes were still activated, he just needed to get close enough to launch his Lightning Release Electromagnetic Murder. They stayed in that position. Maikeru felt that they were moving slightly. When he did, he immediately began to move his hands to use the appropriate signs, and then Unleashed a torrent of lighting on to them. He heard them screen to the top of their lungs from the pain of being engulfed in electricity. “You can't hide from me!” Maikeru walked forward. He still had his Jutsu on, so he could tell that they were disoriented. This gave Maikeru the opportunity to attack. Explosive energy began to charge up in his leg. He looked at the sandy ground. He hadn't used Curb Stomp on sand before. He raised his foot, and shoved it into the ground. A trail began to lead towards the target, sand sputtering everywhere as the Chakra went to find its host. Maikeru used the half tiger seal when the target was reached. There was an explosion. They both were quick enough to move out of the way. Maikeru pushed Taota to the side. “Get to safety. Taeru, you take one I take the other.”

821/2169

With a flick of her wrist, the cloth in her hand would make a snap sound and open on the light breeze like a sheet of fine silk. Watching Maikeru trundle past into the crowd with a male hot on his heels she would lean into the makeshift cages, her left hand gripping the bar of the door whilst offering her right hand out to a small child as she spoke to the ground within, her voice an appearance still that of a young man. “We all need to go, move through the crowds and try not to bunch together, we need to be as hidden as possible and we will get out of here together.”  once the child reached back for her she would lean further to scoop the child into her arms before wrapping the material around them and again her appearance would change, this time to a woman with chestnut brown wavy hair and warm brown eyes to match. With a soft smile, she would nod to the others allowing them to file out as quickly as possible before moving herself, holding the child close. Her gaze would shift along the crowd keeping an eye on their members along with looking out for any potential threats as they seeped out of the encampment.  

Though the camp grew smaller in the distance and giving a quick headcount including Maikeru and the other up front, they were all accounted for, something wasn't quite right. Her sight picked up little aside from the dunes of sand and their small group but it was the scents upon the soft breeze as it passed her by, whipping her own hair about her face. People were either already here or were coming, and fast. Haste now gripping her movements as time itself seemed to nip at their heels, she would uncurl her shroud from around their forms as she placed the weak child on her feet beside one of the women of the group before making her way back to Maikeru’s side, her gaze cutting between the two, her warm brown eyes becoming dark and stern. “You two talk too much to be out in the open, did you learn nothing during your time held captive?” a rhetorical question yet a trace of venom-laced her words, as she could already see he had not learnt any lesson from being captured. Turning away from the elder man her cold gaze would set on Maikeru, her voice dropping to a low rumbled whisper as her accent returned “We are being followed.”  

Yet she would step back as he began to look around, the fine hairs on the back of her neck rising as the air charged with an electrical current rose into the air like static. With a hiss of irritence, she would twist, pivoting on the balls of her feet before pressing off into a sprint just as Maikeru began speaking again.  Taking off at a right angle to Maikeru before planting her foot deep into the sand to change her direction quickly, Maikeru already drawing their attention as he attacked, their screams would travel too far along the desert for her liking, silencing them would be a godsend. As she passed into the electrical current the sensation of sickness seeping into the air, sweet and thick raiton chakra would flood through her, almost as though Maikeru’s jutsu had triggered her own, as she dove in, a spin in her step, she would remove Ripa tsume, her chakra pumping through it with a fluid ease as an olive green crackle danced along the blades surface. The contact of the weapon to the females side would be enough to knock her into her comrade, the other female falling into Maikeru’s next attack. Taeru’s opponent stumbling before crumpling to a knee. The impact of her blade causing what could only be explained as a miniature impact explosion. Taeru would give no chance for her opponent to gain back her breath, pivoting on the spot again as her leg drew up to a right angle before dragging it around to boot the female harshly in the chest as she whipped around with Ripa tsume slicing open the one side of the females throat, the female's blood spilling thickly along the parched sand, that seemed to scream to be quenched as though this land had not consumed enough bloodshed.  

Yet the sensation of another body too close so suddenly would draw her attention back just in time to catch sight of a male before feeling a blunt forced pain shoot through  her left side originating from her left hip, realising at the last moment what had happened as she too crashed to the ground, landing atop the corpse of the female still bleeding out. With her gaze intent on the male that had sent her to her rump with ease, the screams of the onlookers a second late, she would roll over the body to create space as she moved into a crouch, her gaze now catching sight of the group they had been sent to rescue, surrounded by three people, the group seeming to have no way of escape. “Sunshine protect the group!” for the first time in a while her voice would raise, her accent slipping into her words even through her disguise jutsu. The flat rasp of her voice scratching up along her throat in a clear order, such she expected to be followed as she readied to face off against the male before her.

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Word count: 927.
Total word count:4364.

Feeling the vibration of everything around him, Maikeru had noticed that his female companion had taken advantage of the opening and dispatched the enemies. He smirked. “I love it when a plan comes together.” But when he tried to get all the escapees to safety he noticed that he was surrounded by three ninja. They must have avoided touching the ground in some way, preventing Maikeru from sensing them with Gaia’s eyes. They all had masks on. But they couldn’t hide their appearance from Maikeru. One was a male with quite handsome features, and the other two were female. One with younger and softer features, the other being more experienced out of the three. Though, he had to take in the realization that it didn’t matter what they looked like. The end goal to them was to kill them, and in turn Maikeru had to kill him.

Maikeru had to get them away from the civilians. The situation was very dire. He had to act quickly. And decisively. He had formulated a plan on getting the by standards out of the situation. By using the Ox hand seal, he was able to use the Geomancy Jutsu to create a sand cylinder platform, raising the group 10 meters upward, allowing Maikeru to focus his attention on the enemies. When one of them tried to jump up the dandy platform to proceed to the escapees, another attempted to keep Maikeru from interfering by attacking him. But he was prepared of this. He reached from his back pocket and pulled three Kunai. He threw them at  the leg of the man who tried to scale the sandy platform in an effort to attack the escapees,stopping him in his tracks, having him fall to the ground. Maikeru grabbed a Kunai from the side of his attackers hip. He grabbed his throat as well, using his superior strength. Maikeru noticed that the third surrounding member had a small wrist crossbow pointed at Maikeru. Reacting quickly, he turned the man who he was currently choking to wards the incoming shot. It shit him in the back, as Maikeru had planned. Maikeru threw him aside and there the Kunai at the stunned man with the strange crossbow’s face,breaking the mask, going through his skull. Maikeru took his own Kunai to stab it through the chest of the man who fell to the ground.

He had noticed that there was still one left. He cracked his neck from left to right. He was stronger than the others. He knew Sunshine would have quite a bit of a hard time to deal with him. So he'd needed to aid her in some way. Maikeru created the snake hand seal, and the sand around him began to engulf his body, piling on him until it takes the form of a Minotaur , 3 meters from. The Behemoth raced towards him, and just as was suspected, his assault was dodged. After he jumped to the side, Maikeru deformed the Statue back to being nothing more than a pile of sand, and flew out of the Jutsu, punching the man's shoulder. He grabbed Maikeru by the arm and threw him aside. Maikeru tumbled through the sand. He looked at the Escapees and deformed the platform, having them be powered to the ground. Maikeru had done his job. He ran to them. “She'll be fine let's go.” As the group began to run away, Maikeru looked back. He had created a safe distance between him and Sunshine. He created the half tiger hand seal, a smirk on his face, causing the man to be blown up from the Detonator Jutsu he had planted in him. It wouldn't kill him but it would do severe damage. Maikeru ran away with the rest of the party, specifically taking the VIP safety.

[EXIT]

646/2815 WC

Feeling the ground shake beneath her feet as Maikeru moved under her order, clearing her mind to focus on the male, her mind clicking into overdrive as the sensation of a creeping sickness began to flow and spill from her seeming to consume any close enough to sense her chakra as it activated fully. The intent to kill swimming effortlessly within the chakra as it settled in her gaze. Keeping her disguise in place she would launch her form forwards swiping in her movement, her blade meeting that of the males causing sparks to erupt with the power of the first true clash. Dipping her right hip downwards she would draw up her left, raising her left knee to connect with the male’s ribs. Payback at the very least as she felt her hip twinge again. Yet as the male grasped her knee she would fall with him, the both of them landing in a heap on the ground. Such a messy affair, fighting, yet was that not the world they had chosen to live in?  

the male's arm would raise to slam his elbow down against her hip drawing out a choked sound of pain as the sensation of a twinge turn into a shooting pain traveling the epicenter of the hit up to her ribs and down along her thigh. Her left side evidently weaker than that of her right. His free hand drew back to punch forwards yet his movements were not as fluid as they had been from their landing. Her form already arching upwards, a reaction from the hip as though to shield the hip. She would, however, snatch Amai from the front of her belt, swiping upwards just in time to catch his wrist, blocking his attack. Though the clear sound of a small crunch would become clear, fracturing his wrist with not only her own weapons movement but more so the first of the impact he had hoped to connect with her face. With a grunt of his own, he would retract his hand far quicker. Taking the chance she would scamper backward dragging her form over the sand before hoisting herself into a crouch, her breathing elevated as her heartbeat, each of the movements her lower body made would send a surge of pain throughout her left side.  

The sound of Maikeru’s voice telling the others to leave her were a relief she needed. Having someone get in the way would only cause difficulties of which she needed no more. The male before her was stronger and this she knew. She needed to end this as quickly as possible yet it would seem he too thought the same as raiton began to rise along his uninjured arm as he dropped his kuni to the ground. Things were now serious as his chakra ignited in response to their blatant brutality towards one another, the sheer instinctive nature of two intent to kill one another. But who would be the prey and who would raise as the predator?

Flicking Amai open a torrent of chakra would swamp down into the war fan creating an almost solid looking green heated coal coating. Swiping diagonally upwards she would flood the area with a thick ashen smog, before snapping Amai closed once more. The thick smog itself covering an area of thirty-five meters, engulfing the male bearly a couple of meters from her.  The only thing alerting her that he had begun moving forwards would be the crackle of electricity along his arm as it swiped forwards as though clawing for a way out of the blinding torturous ash.  The ash cloud itself barely wounding the flesh creating mere first degree burns yet the invasive spoke clogging his lungs and blinding his sigh. He looked like a stumbling child, or so she thought.  Raising her left foot she would boot forwards aiming for his chest to force him further into the smog, his grunt of stressed pain would sound only for a whip-like energy coiled around her throat sending a surge of electricity through her, forcing her to her knees, sweat immediately bubbling to the surface of her pores, coating her in a cold sweat, a choked yelp of a gasp escaping her.  Her body jerking uncontrollably as each jolt passed through her, though almost as though it fueled her, a green crackle of raiton chakra would drip from her into her weapons, spreading a static like dance of an electrical charge along both Ripa tsume and Amai. With a great deal of struggle, she would push to her feet, baring most of her weight to her right side, ensuring she would stay up even if her left side decided to buckle beneath her weight and the electrical charge that still pumped through her.

As the male launched from the smog of her jutsu she was waiting, stood when he expected her grounded. Not that he could see clearly even after exiting the jutsu through the air. as he descended with little way of escape she would swipe, first with Amai and then with Ripa tsume, one hit forcing him into another before falling beneath the wheezing weight of his body. both their forms dropping to the ground. Another violent jolt of electricity would pass through her before fading almost instantly. She would drive Ripa tsume into the soft section of the males waist the first dip of the weapon, would slip so easily inside until her hand met with an odd sensation of...mush.  a mixture of his damaged organs and splinters of his mutilated ribcage meeting her touch with an unsettling squelch. His blood leaking quickly from the unnecessary puncture wound, coating her in his blood as she struggled out from beneath him.  

She would lay here for a moment an attempt to catch her breath before sitting up. She would look about at the body’s almost hoping a sandstorm would come to remove the evidence as she herself had no such time to do so. Stumbling to her feet she would find her balance before placing her weapons away. she needed to catch up with the ground and Maikeru. Setting off as an unsteady sprint she would soon catch up enough to see the group through the gates of safety.  

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260/350:

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Word count: 1052.
Total word count: 5416.

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