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Momochi, Akiyama. Once again Kaito found himself paired with a member of one Kirigakure's greatest bloodlines. The small amount of information that Kaito had time to look into between now and yesterday afternoon when he had received word of this mission, was minimal to say the least. The medical-nin had mostly only heard of the Momochi clan from his fellow medical ninja, who often marveled at the clan's ability to heal or simply shrug off damage.

Kaito new next to nothing about this Akiyama though, other than his name and rank as a genin, same as Kaito. The young genin only hoped his introduction to Akiyama went better than the sparring session he'd had with Yuki, Yoshito a couple week ago. It wasn't like Kaito was just gonna go around kissing every guy he came across or nothing, but recently he'd felt a greater need to be secretive about his feelings concerning the male species. After all, not everyone would react as kindly as Yoshito had.

Kaito was waiting near the dock of the Hidden Mist village, he and Akiyama were meant to travel to one of the western villages to relieve an outpost that was currently under construction. Apparently, a local gang of bandits were too happy with the increase presence of law enforcement and had taken to raiding the outpost during the night. Luckily no one had been killed yet, but it would happen sooner or later if this trend was allowed to continue and that wasn't something Kirigakure could allow to happen.

It wasn't the first time Kaito had been sent as relief, but he'd only ever traveled to locations as a medical ninja, rarely ever seeing combat. This was set to be his first mission outside of the Hidden Mist village where he knew he was going into a combative situation. Of course, Kaito wasn't looking forward to killing anyone, hopefully he and Akiyama would be able to capture a few bandits to appease the higher ups and just scare the rest of the them into submission so the raids would stop.

Kaito stood next to the boat that would take him and Akiyama to their destination, he was wearing the typical shinobi uniform of the Hidden Mist, as well as his white lab coat signifying him as a medical ninja. It might be to many layers for some, given the humid nature of the Land of Water, but Kaito simply didn't feel right without his lab coat, and he knew that his fellow ninja would know to come to him should they need medical treatment. It wasn't enough to be skilled in medical ninjutsu, if your comrades didn't know you were a medical-nn, they could die without even realizing they could have asked for medical treatment.

It'd been a decent enough day so far, the weather was abnormally rain free, though the humidity from yesterday's rain had set it and weighed down on the air around Kaito, causing his skin to stick to just about everything. Despite the humidity and clear skies, it was still a bit chilly out, and the air caused Kaito to pool the sleeve of his lap coat over his hand subconsciously, as if to shield himself from the slight nip in the air.

It was wouldn't be be getting dark fro a few more hours, and Kaito and Akiyama had about an hour long boat ride before they made it to the island. Hopefully, this would allow the two of them time to figure each other out, perhaps even discuss what sort of jutsu they both knew and how best utilize their skills. With the various range jutsu that Kaito knew, he'd much prefer to let this Momochi dude deal with the close combat tactics. Not that he'd abandon his comrade or anything, but from what Kaito had heard about their mission, as long as one of them could deal with the bandits from a range and the other keep them at bay in more hand to hand combat, they should both be fine.

Other than Akiyama, Kaito was still waiting for the boat captain as well. He didn't know where she'd gone, but if she didn't get back soon they wouldn't be ready in time to report in at the outpost before nightfall. This mission would become twice as difficult if they arrived in the middle of a raid, rather than being able to set up a few traps and defenses before hand. Though, it wouldn't be too bad though, as Kaito had been practicing a new medical ninjutsu that would aid the two young genin if they ran into too much trouble. It would allow them to continue fighting longer, even after taking a couple injuries, until they could seek proper treatment.

Casually pacing through the streets of Kirigakure, Akiyama looked about at the bustling market just outside of the docks. Merchants moved back and forth quickly between customers who were trying to make their final purchases before the stalls closed. It was loosely organized at best, and absolute anarchy at worst, this made the distance between Akiyama and his objective seem nearly endless and he dipped and dodged his way through the crowd. Hands stuffed deep into his jackets pockets he merely shrugged away anyone who came too close either with his elbows or shoulders, attempting to be as gentle as possible. The large object strapped tightly to his back was more than enough to draw the attention and concern of a few bystanders, a few of them even specifically working their way around him, alerting others to the massive weapon the boy wielded.

Eventually the crowd as a whole seemed to disperse around Akiyama. This was of course more due to the mass of the weapon he wielded instead of the respect and fear Akiyama thought his presence rightly deserved. Grinning under his bandages the path seemed clearer now, the dock he was meant to meet his partner at now visible. The other Genin looked surprisingly old to what he was used to, the majority of his peers being at least a few years younger than him. This one, with his long silver hair seemed older, more mature, possibly even seasoned to some extent. Approaching, the long black hilt of Akiyama's zanbato protruded from behind his back. Bandages shifting it was clear a smile was forming beneath on Akiyama's lips "I assume you're Kaito." He said calmly as he approached closer, reaching out his left hand to shake is teammates hand.

Noticing the lab coat the other Shinobi wore Akiyama could only assume he was some sort of medical ninja. His jutsu would be highly useful, a skill sought after by many teams for missions and one that would likely take him far in his career. Sadly Akiyama held no talent in the art of healing, his specialties focusing more towards direct and physical confrontation. Based on his attire and equipment this could be very obvious to anyone with even basic perception. His physique added only that much more to how obvious his skill set was, being nearly a foot taller than the boy in front of him.

Reaching to the collar of his vest he tugged hard, trying to bring some kind of relief to himself from the obnoxious humidity of the village. "I much prefer it to be colder than this most days." Reaching into the back pocket of his thick grey pants he pulled out a small booklet of some kind. Flipping it open to roughly half way through the art seemed to be portraying that of a battle between a single man with a large blade and several other individuals within a thick mist. The front of the book read "Demon of the Mist" in old red letters with the face of an oni drawn beneath. "Any clue when the captain will get here?"

He'd seen him coming, how could he not have? Kaito had met a member of the Momochi clan before, a terminally ill girl who had been named Kareta. Kaito remembered how no one had been able to heal her, despite her illness normally being curable. After three years of tests, tubes, and living her life strapped to a bed, she had died a painful death at the age of seven. He didn't know the specifics, but Kaito knew the Momochi clan didn't react to Medical Ninjutsu the way most people did. It was harder to heal their injuries, much less an actual illness or disease. The images of that tiny frail child withering in pain and puking her organs up woud haunt Kaito for the rest of his life. No one deserved to die like that, especially a child.

Managing to push the past from his mind for the moment, Kaito took the young man in as he approached. Akiyama was tall, taller than Kaito at least, though definitely tall considering his age. Like Kaito, he was dressing the the typical Kirigakure uniform. Also like Kaito, Akiyama also wore a coat over his uniform, though his was blue in color as apposed to Kaito's white. The genin's black hair and blue eyes made for a striking appearance, which was only heightened by the bandages the Momochi clansmen wore covering most of his face. Kaito also noticed the large sword, a Zanbatō if he was correct, attacked to the genin's back. Kaito was skilled in the use of a katana, not that he had one on him, but he could respect Akiyama's dedication to swordsmanship, assuming he did know how to use it at least.

As Akiyama neared him, Kaito reached out to accept the handshake, a bit more formal than he was accustomed too, or perhaps less formal? Most of the time shinobi just nodded to one another as a form of acknowledgement. That, or ignored each other entirely until given a reason to expressly notice another shinobi's presense. "Osoroshī, Kaito. I assume your Momochi, Akiyama then." Kaito offered with a friendly enough smile. Recently, Kaito had made a few friends within the ranks of his fellow genin, Akiyama was not yet one of them, but there was always room for more comrades and friends, especially among the ranks of his fellow shinobi.

Kaito noticed the genin sizing him up, most likely attempting to figure out his weaknesses and strengths just by looking him over, not that Kaito wasn't doing the same. He figured that between Akiyama's bulk of muscles and the rather large sword on his back, his newest mission partner was a very physical and up close type of combatant. This was a perfect compliment to Kaito's more ranged and supportive style. He only hoped that the two of them would actually be able to pull off a bit of synergy between the two of them in order to deal with the bandits at the outpost without too much difficulty.

Akiyama broke the momentary silence that had fallen after the two of the took the time to size the other one up by commenting on the weather, which actually caused Kaito to chuckle. Perhaps, despite his appearance, Akiyama was nervous about the mission. "Yeah, me too, though I prefer the rain most of all. Not that a sunny day at the beach is without it's merits or anything." Kaito opted to allow a little small talk while they waited for the boat captain. "I'm not sure when she'll be here, but while we're waiting we could always discuss the mission." Kaito offered, waiting to allow his companion the chance to respond. "Last I heard, the report stated about seven men, early to late twenties. Motives are mostly unknown, though they've been labeled as anarchists." More often than not, the motives behind a criminal's behavior didn't matter in Kirigakure, it was the fact the had broken the law and were hindering the Hidden Mist's efforts in the process that had caused Kaito and Akiyama to me sent to put a stop to it all.

The elderly boat captain had finally arrived, carrying a rather large cup of what smelled like coffee while looking like hell. The woman was clearly in a bad mood as she'd mearly grunted and glared at both Akiyama and Kaito before stepping onto her boat and disappearing into the captain's cabin. Kaito had been quick to follow her aboard, ready to get going as he took a seat on the back deck of the small vessel and beckoning Akiyama to join him.

"My guess is that this group of bandits is most likely just upset about the outpost being built because it'll mean a beefed up Hidden Mist shinobi presence in the area, which will make whatever criminal activity they are into more risky and difficult to pass by under the radar." It wasn't all that complicated really, this sort of issue actually happened a lot when one of the larger villages took an interest in an area or village that was out of the way. Crime thrived most in poorer communities, the introduction of law enforcement always received backlash for a while afterward. "I say we capture a couple of them to get information from, kill all but one of them to prove the point, and then let one of them go so we can follow him back to whatever hole in the ground he sprang out of." Kaito's words might have sounded harsh to a foreigner, but Kirigakure did not take prisoners and even genin were expected to carry out the law when required to do so.

Again, Kaito paused to allow Akiyama the chance to respond, in doing so he also heard the boat's engines begin reffing up and sure enough a few minutes later the horn sounded and one of the deck hands untied the ship from the dock before the familiar lurch of a boat at rest suddenly moving forward signaled their departer. They had an hour to discuss the specifics of their strategy with each other, Kaito was in no real rush to finalize their plans just yet.

Akiyama glanced to his left and right as Kaito spoke, attempting to spot the ship captain, concerned as to if the owner of this fine vessel was going to make them late for reporting. This was Akiyama's first mission of this rank after all, most of the other involving helping old women with their groceries or painting someone's fence for them. Never had he been thrust into a combat encounter with enemies intent to kill. However, growing up in the Village hidden in the Mist certainly aided him in his coolness in the face of deadly combat. After all, to be born in Kirigakure and to take up the mantle of Ninja was a monumental task, a path surely paved in blood if one was to become successful. It was his peoples way after all, military might had been the focus of his village and his nation since the founding of his clan.

Thinking of clans Akiyama slowly brought his attention back to Kaito, his surname unfamiliar to him. He was clanless, or at best part of one who had little to no standing within the village and thus nothing of serious use to offer. Typical for Akiyama these days, to be stuck with inferior stock, though that was likely how it always was, perhaps his own genetics gifts would rub off on his teammate by the time they made it home. placing his booklet back in his back pocket he spoke once again in a less formal manner. "Grown men throwing molotovs at hard working men just trying to get a job done. I wouldn't expect anything less from the kind of people who seclude themselves on the lesser islands." Venom could be heard clearly in Akiyama's tone as he spoke, a Genin who clearly valued the work of honest laborers over disgruntled farm boys and criminals.

Watching the boat captain approach Akiyama scoffed under his bandages at her attitude. Who was she to look so upset and annoyed when she was being payed to do a simple back and forth trip from one island to another in broad daylight? Following behind Kaito, Akiyama would find himself a seat beside the other Genin, moving his blade, still sheathed he would lay it beside him, propped up by a nearby seat. Lounging back as far as the rough wooden seats of the boat would allow Akiyama continued to listen. When he spoke of only leaving one alive Akiyama's interest seemed returned in its entirety to his compatriot. A medical ninja, so blunt about the taking of life, he expected nothing else from a Kirigakure Shinobi.

"The scope of our mission is to simply repel any attackers who would dare assault the fortress being built. I like the way you think though, going above and beyond usually looks good on paper for the higher ups in the village and could go a long way towards a bonus." Pausing, Akiyama looked off the side of the boat in some kind of vain attempt at judging the distance of their objective from where they were now. Turning back to Kaito he placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, leaning forward and using it as a sort of kickstand for his upper body as he leaned forward. "Not that I only care about the pay, I just like to see myself as a practical individual rather than one who simply does everything for the sake of the village. My clan isn't exactly known for their soft nature either." He paused again, focusing more intently on Kaito before the bandages covering his face wrinkled, indicating a smile beneath. "That's to say, I like your plan. If you're really feeling up to this whole above and beyond plan of yours, we could even go as far as tracking these idiots down ourselves."

Akiyama leaned back again, releasing his grasp on his sword and allowing it to plummet back to its resting place with a loud thud. The weight of the weapon was clear after that, definitely not a tool for capture or mercy. Reaching to his back pocket once more, Akiyama pulled out his booklet and began scanning the page he was last reading. His attention seemed entirely focused on both the text and images portrayed. The man with the large blade seemed to be standing on some kind of pool of water, one hand at his chest and the other stretched above his head. Mist began to permeate the scene and eventually in the next slide the man vanished entirely. "So, what do you know about my clan?" he asked, eyes still fixed to the art on the pages in front of him, slowly flipping to the next page.

While Kaito agreed with Akiyama's point of view regarding the men raiding the outpost, he didn't see much purpose degrading their honor when they were more than likely going to die tonight one way or another. Why waste one's breath on the last breath of another? Their time was better spent planning for the encounter itself, not discussing the immorality of traitorous anarchists. While Kaito held no great disregard for the various Clans of Kirigakure, in fact quite the opposite truth be told, he could still feel Akiyama's disregard of him, however slight, as Kaito was clanless. These types of clan members were not the type of people that Kaito liked to be around. They were arrogant and foolhardy, dangerous to take out on a mission because they generally didn't care if their teammates died.

Paired with the way Akiyama gone on about hard working men and his views on the mission, Kaito began to grow weary of the task at hand. If he couldn't trust Akiyama to have his back that was fine, Kaito could still use him as a meatheaded shield, putting Akiyama between him and the raiders so he could pick them off from a distance. When Akiyama asked Kaito to regal him with the history of the Momochi, Kaito had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. It wasn't like Kaito didn't know who they were, but the Momochi were the equivalent of lesser nobility within Kirigakure, more often than not simply seen as apart of the rabble by the more esteemed bloodlines. From Kaito's sparse dealings with Captain Momochi of the Village Patrol Guard, he wasn't exactly inclined to flatter Akiyama.

Reaching over to his right arm, Kaito felt the scares under his shinobi uniform, he'd been mauled on his first patrol, and even though he'd been healed well enough to make it to his patrol the next night, Captain Momochi hadn't favored him for his perceived failure. It wasn't like Kaito had cowered from the wolf, he'd used his body to shield his comrade and ended up getting severely wounded in the process. He was just lucky it hadn't happened to the same side of his body as his previous shoulder injury, reinjuring that would have put him out of commission for at least a week. Kaito could even feel the senbon that had pierced his left hand as if it was still there. Despite his skill in medical ninjutsu, Kaito didn't exactly enjoy getting injured and acquiring wounds. It was just part of the deal when you became a shinobi.

"I know the most famous member of your clan was a traiter that got killed by a Konoha genin, but I don't know much more than that." Kaito spoke plainly, letting his gaze drift to the spray of the sea coming up from the side of the boat. It'd only been about ten minutes and they were already starting to get into that awkward stage of one trying to show their dominance over the other. Akiyama moving his big sword around didn't exactly endear him to Kaito, and if they weren't going to discuss strategy in favor of Akiyama's dreams of glory, Kaito was content to just sit and pretend to listen until they made it to their destination.

About forty minutes later, Kaito was busy making sure he had everything he needed for the mission before they landed. They were only about ten minutes out and the captain had already told them to get ready. She'd seemed much more chipper, apparently the coffee helped, but Kaito was more concerned with himself and his associate. He and Akiyama definitely had complementary combative styles, but they hadn't discussed jutsu combinations or tactical options. Kaito was fast enough to dodge attacks, and Akiyama seemed more than capable of taking them head on, so Kaito's role wouldn't likely include medical aid, so instead he was preparing to put himself in a mental state where he could take a life.

"Akiyama, remember to try and capture at least two or three of them, our report said there were seven, that leaves two each, or three for you if your feeling greedy, otherwise let me do the interrogation. I might not seem intimidating but with my medical skills I am more than capable of causing tremendous pain without accidently killing them. Ever seen somebody rip out a person's kneecap with a senbon? It takes precision, otherwise you'll hit an artery and they'll bleed out." Kaito said, twirling a senbon in his hand with a grin on his face. With that, the ship pulled into dock and Kaito didn't wait for the captain to drop her anchor before he leapt from the boat and began making his way up the coast in the direction of the outpost. The last thing Kaito wanted Akiyama to do once they had captured their prisoners was to go around waving his sword in their face or worse yet cleaving off limbs. Sure, Akiyama could likely intimidate someone, but medical ninjutsu could be used to torture and terrorize a victim. Fear and terror were more useful in getting someone to talk.

A nerve twinged in Akiyama's face as Kaito responded with no small amount of disrespect towards not only his clan, but his favored ancestor. It was true, the story went that Zabuza was defeated by a mere Genin. This Genin of course was trained and led by none other than the man who became the sixth Hokage. It was odd how it often worked in Konoha, the strongest shinobi there were often trained by their village leaders. It was no surprise really, with teachers of such magnitude even slackers and the feeble would eventually become mighty. This of course disregarding the fact most of these shinobi were no such thing, but instead prodigies of the highest caliber. The one of which Kaito spoke in fact was destined to become one of the strongest shinobi to ever live, nearly a mythological figure, though firmly grounded in reality.

Smirking under his bandages Akiyama could not help but enjoy the fiery nature of his companion, even letting out a soft chuckle as he gazed off into the distance. Leaning deep into his chair he watched the other boy for a while, trying to understand precisely what had set him off like that. Was it perhaps that he picked up on the feeling Akiyama held for those of lower birth within the village? Or was it that he was still ruled by fits of anger so commonly associated with males in their teens? Akiyama had no way of knowing and had no intentions or interest in finding out.

Sitting for quite some time in silence Akiyama slowly twirled his sword, boring a small hole in the deck of the ship from the constant rotation. Reading his booklet his eyes never ventured up, hardly even noticing their distance from the dock until Kaito spoke again, finally pulling him from his lack of focus. Looking up to see the dock so close Akiyama would grunt softly as he stood from his seat, the tip of his blade still pressed into the soft wood that made up the deck of the small boat. In one swift motion Akiyama would swing the sword over his head, sheathing it on his back were it dangled only a foot from the ground.

Glancing to Kaito as he spoke Akiyama stepped forward, ready to exit onto the dock. "Sure thing, just don't go trying to convince me to let you perform acupuncture on me." Chuckling softly Akiyama jumped from the boat behind Kaito, proceeding down the coast. Seeing the open beach of the island and the nearby treeline Akiyama slowly melded into the brush, moving quickly but taking care to remain quiet. "I'd rather not get jumped by a group of bandits before we ever make it to our objective." Akiyama spoke as he leaped from branch to branch, propelling himself with powerful broad jumps that allowed for surprisingly swift travel through the woods.

Continuing for a few minutes at maximum speed Akiyama would quickly halt, nearly slipping from the branch he was on with the abruptness of his stop. Digging his fingers deep into the trunk of the tree he managed to hand on, if just barely. Only three or four meters ahead, directly below him was a man dressed in all black. His face was mostly covered by some sort of cloth mask and he carried a long blade with an exaggerated curve that made it look similar to a crescent moon. He was tall, well muscled and clearly unafraid of violence, or at the bare minimum, committing the act considering his attire. He seemed to be scanning back and forth for something and only upon looking where the man had did Akiyama realize what was through the trees in a nearby clearing. The fortress, its workers seemingly packing up for the day as the sun was to set in just an hour or so. The man was here to scout, that much was clear, and the attack was likely not far behind him.

Motioning to Kaito to get his attention Akiyama raised his right hand and pointed towards the man. Pointing back to himself he paused and held up two fingers and then pointed to Kaito. This was Akiyama's first attempt at anything like this and his hand signals were likely on par at best. Hoping Kaito would understand his plan for a delayed second attack by Kaito he would reach over his shoulder with his right hand, gripping the hilt with clammy hands. Akiyama was nervous, he couldn't deny that, his breath control was nearly nonexistent  and his free hand trembled slightly before he pushed off from the branch. The rustling of leaves was the only sound that could be heard as Akiyama closed the distance between he and the man below. Reaching over his shoulder with his left hand he took the hilt of his massive blade in both hands, swinging it with every ounce of strength he could muster in a diagonally slash meant to cut the man from shoulder to hip.

With an ease one would only expect of a Shinobi the man dipped low, entirely avoiding Akiyama's strike as he sailed overhead. His heavy blade digging deep into the moist dirt he gripped it tightly, using it to guide himself over top of it in a front flip, narrowly avoid a sword stroke he hadn't even noticed coming. Landing with his blade between him and the man Akiyama's eyes went wide for a moment before they refocused on his target. The man still had his back to Kaito and Akiyama made no attempt to glance in the others genins direction in fear of alerting their enemy to his presence. "The response time of Shinobi just gets more ridiculous every year!" the man shouted, bringing his sword so that its tip was level with Akiyama's throat.

Dashing forward Akiyama hardly had time to respond, swinging his blade wildly upwards to glance the thrust of his opponent away from his neck. The blade slid smoothly through the flesh on Akiyama's cheek before a hard wood sandal was planted firmly into the boys guts. Grunting loudly Akiyama was sent tumbling backwards off of his feet and onto his back with a soft, moist thud in the mud. The bandages that covered the lower half of his face now soaked in the blood that now spilled from his shallow wound. The man was fast, and strong, and his skill in combat easily comparable to that of an experienced Genin. The only saving grace for Akiyama was the lack of control of chakra that was to be expected from a bandit. But as it was now, in a direct confrontation, even using jutsu, Akiyama would be hard pressed to win without at least receiving grievous wounds. Luckily for Akiyama he had one ace in the hole, the Genin the bandit had failed to notice due to their brief scuffle that served as a perfect distraction, keeping every sense the man had focused entirely on him.

Kaito had seen the genin's hand signs, but he had also seen the nervousness and the slight hesitation before the strike. That hesitation had given the bandit Akiyama had attacked the split second he'd needed to counter Akiyama and take the advantage. These bandits might have been trained as shinobi at some point, given the man's obvious grasp of the basics. The thought made him sick, shinobi doing something so dishonorable to their own country, but Kaito couldn't step in just yet, he had to let Akiyama make his mark. More importantly, Kaito needed to know if his comrade had it in him to take a life. All that bluster over his clan's greatness and the snide attitude he'd had against Kaito for being clanless, seems it was all for naught.

Quickly reacting to the clear disadvantage that Akiyama had managed to put himself in, Kaito threw a senbon toward the bandit, missing on purpose and instead hitting a rock in the ground just below the man's legs. Kaito had used the technique he'd recently picked up from Tsukina Sensei, she'd called it Ricochet, as it was a ninjutsu that allowed something such as a kunai or senbon to bounce back so to speak. The maneuver had managed to land the senbon directly in the man's arm, between his forearm and his bicep, rendering the man's sword hand useless as Kaito jumped from the cover of the trees above and came down next to where Akiyama was standing. Wasting no time, Kaito infused his saliva with chakra, forming the Dog Hand Seal as he did so, before spitting out a thick frothy foam upon the bandit.

The effect was almost instantaneous, the man started flailing around and screaming as the foam ate away at his skin. The bandit had somehow managed to pull his knife out and started swinging widely in the general direction of the two shinobi. Kaito jumped back, narrowly dodging the knife. It the man hadn't just been covered head to to in acidic foam, Kaito would likely have just died by that blade. Unfortunately for Kaito, the foam started to dissolve into water, allowing the man to see again.

The attack had clearly taken a lot out of the scout, his exposed skin was a nasty shade of red that was slowly turning purple. It was the first time Kaito had gotten to use the jutsu, and it had worked perfectly, at least to an extent. Kaito had been inspired by the idea while eating ubi ice cream, and noticed how his saliva had dissolved the sugars in the ice cream, but Kaito didn't have time to think about his new jutsu, the bandit came for him, a swift kick to ankle had Kaito on the ground, but he quickly moved away from the man by falling into a forward roll, attempting to pop up behind him only to get an elbow to the face.

With the taste of blood in his mouth, Kaito did a backflip while pulling out another senbon. The bandit had already ripped the one out of his arm, before pointing his sword in Kaito's direction. Luckily, Kaito had managed to flip the script on the situation, instead having Akiyama behind their target. There was no real use in allowing this man to live, he would either escape to warn the others, or simply hinder them as much as possible. No, this man needed to die, and Kaito needed Akiyama's help to make it happen. In order for Akiyama to have his opening, Kaito needed to keep the man's attention.

Now, this wasn't particularly hard for Kaito, it might have actually been harder to get the man off his heels than anything, but he still had to dodge and weave, and counter the bandit until Akiyama stepped in and took the guy out. Kaito understood that this would be Akiyama's first time spilling blood for the Hidden Mist, and Kaito hoped he'd just get it over with. Kaito's own first experience with killing had come when he was still young and not yet ready. His grandmother's estate had been attacked by bandits much like the one struggling in Kaito's arms, but they had killed a number of his grandmother's bodyguard during the raid.

There had been a servant boy, about Kaito's age at the time who had been injured in the crossfire. The boy was going to die no matter what, and Kaito's grandmother had told him to end the boy's suffering. Kaito and the boy had spent many of the summer days and nights becoming fast friends. To be forced to kill him had been to much for Kaito, and his grandmother, ever the diligent shinobi herself, had forced Kaito to watch the child suffer until he had finally managed to kill the boy he'd been so fond of. Kaito had loved his grandmother, but she had been a cruel woman at times, but she had also been correct.

Perhaps it had been this memory that had set Kaito more on the path of a medical-nin than down a more combative path, but that didn't matter now, Kaito was here, in combat, looking death in the face while his partner stood ready to kill on of their targets. It had to happen now Kaito thought to himself, as he realized he wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. It was in that moment when the bandit thrust forward with his blade, causing Kaito to reflexingly move backwards, before tripping over a rock. A fucking rock. It wasn't long before Kaito had a boot on his chest and a sword pointed down toward his face. If Akiyama didn't act now, Kaito would die, and more importantly, they would fail their mission.

Akiyama's eyes went wide as a senbon came flying through the air, bouncing to pin itself deep within the flesh of the bandit in front of him. Only moments later did Kaito follow, spewing some sort of liquid that sizzled as if it were a fire cooking raw meat. The pain the enemies face showed was a clear indicator as to what the technique had done. Even clearer was the bright redness of his skin and the moist appearance of it, they were burns. It was odd to see a shinobi capable of something like this, a truly odd way technique that seemed entirely Kaito's own. Akiyama had a few abilities of his own like this, jutsu he had created himself in the solitude of his training though he didn't expect something so offensive in nature to come from a medical-nin.

As the two clashed in physical combat Akiyama watched for a moment as if stuck in some kind of haze. Kaito was faster than him, he was stronger than him, and it seemed Kaito was reacting far better than he had. A simple kick was all it took to knock Akiyama into the mud after his initial assault had failed miserably. Even worse Akiyama didn't have the good sense to get up and keep fighting. He had been overwhelmed entirely, and by a common criminal, and shown up by the another Genin who had no business out performing him. It was only a moment later that Kaito was knocked to the ground, the sharp point of the bandits blade posed to strike and end his life while Akiyama simply sat back.

Clamping his jaw sheet and biting down with tremendous force he cursed himself internally as he reached for his blade. Gripping the hilt as mud slipped between his clenched fingers he pushed off the ground with his left foot. Propelling himself to his feet he took only one more step. A clump of grass and a powerful thud could be heard as Akiyama launched himself forward with his chakra, Gliding through the air at over thrice the pace he would normally be capable. Pulling back his blade for extra power he would throw himself forward with all of his weight and momentum as the mans back was turned.

The blade seemed to pause for a moment, threatening to stop his momentum entirely as it struck the man in the middle of his back. That was before it continued forward, pulling the man off his feet as Akiyama pushed forward with his arms, stamping his feet down to gain leverage and strength in his swing. Only a moment later would the man above Kaito find himself face first into the grass, the splash of his crimson blood painting the entire width of Akiyama's steel blade as it swiftly streamed from his wound. It was deep, so deep in fact Akiyama believed it had likely severed the mans spine, leaving him with little ability to defend himself if he was even alive still. Gripping the blade with both hands Akiyama wrenched the blade free, causing a spurt of blood to shoot from the long gash he had left in the mans back.

The rate at which the blood flowed was astonishing, and if the shock hadn't already done it, the blood loss would likely kill the man within minutes. Staring down at the man with wide eyes the thrill and adrenaline of combat began to leave him, hand quivering as he dropped his sword to the ground. He had reacted fast and violently just how he had been taught. It was not for his pride however, but for the safety of his ally, the only solace he could find in the pit of horror he now found himself. He had never believed killing would be this hard, especially not a criminal who did the same with zero regard. But seeing the mans face, having heard him speak and see the look in his eyes as he fought for his life against Kaito. It left him human, far too human for Akiyama's mind to fully process the action he had just taken against him.

Dropping to a single knee Akiyama let out a deep breath, glancing away before slowly looking back to where Kaito was. Reaching down instinctively he took up his sword, swinging it in a wide arc as blood was sent splattering into the mud some few feet away. Sheathing the blade on his back again Akiyama stood, pulling his conscience together as best he could in the moment as their was still a mission to be done, and more lives to take. It was a truth he would have to come to terms with here and now, the path he walked as a shinobi was paved with blood and corpses regardless of how he felt about it. Burying these thoughts deep he turned on his heels to face Kaito. "Thanks." he spoke as he began walking towards the edge of the forest to peer our into the clearing where the fortress was. "Do we wait for them to make a move and ambush them or do we go on the hunt?" He asked, his tone colder than it had been when he spoke to Kaito on the boat.

It wasn't until Kaito saw the pull and tearing of flesh, as bone gave way to the weight and strength behind the sword shredding it's way through the bandit's back and chest that Kaito knew Akiyama had managed to pull together the strength and prove himself worthy of being a shinobi of the Hidden Mist. In the old day of the Bloody Mist, people understood that for a student to truly become a shinobi, they had to take a life. Now, as in the past, this principle was still true, though the students graduating from the academy were no longer required to kill one of their own, it wasn't the headband that made them shinobi, but the first time they spilt blood in the name of the village. Akiyama had just continued this tradition, finally earning himself the right to call himself a shinobi.

Kaito didn't have time to dwell on such sentimental ideas, as the blood dripping down from above reminded him where he was. Akiyama had impelled the man from behind, not quite killing him just yet, but the bandit wouldn't be long for this world no the less. Quickly getting into a crouch, Kaito moved quickly to reclaim his senbon from where it lay in the grass, before meeting Akiyama where he stood, having dropped his sword. Kaito knew how it had felt the first time he killed, he could still hear the sound of his own crying mixed with the servant boy's own tears and pleas. He could still feel the weak grasps his friend had made in a vain attempt to push Kaito away, he'd been to weak, to close to death to put up much of a fight as Kaito's grandmother handed her grandson the tanto. The glint of blood on steel always scared into the back of Kaito's mind.

Akiyama spoke finally, pulling Kaito back to his senses with his words. "Both, we'll hunt them down and ambush them as opportunities present themselves." Kaito said, moving to check and make sure the first of their targets lay dead. He was, so Kaito looked back to Akiyama, his face and upper chest covered in the slain man's blood where it had fallen while Kaito was under the man. Most of the hair framing his face was a mixture of blood and Kaito's silver. Kaito thought about whether they should dispose of the body or just leave it there. If the other bandits found their friend, they would know something was up. Then again, if these bandits and troublemakers were simple criminals, allowing them to find their friend dead might just send them all running for the hills, thus making them easier prey for Akiyama and Kaito to pick off.

Since Akiyama was still fresh, Kaito opted to take the role of mission leader for himself, regardless of what the Momochi claimed of clanless shinobi. "Thank you, but next time don't hesitate, and I won't have to thank you again. Now let's move." The bandit scout had been facing the direction of the outpost, which meant the two shinobi now knew which direction their targets were planning to attack the construction site. Despite that piece of information, Kaito also understood that it didn't mean they knew where their targets currently were.

"I'm going to get a wider view." Kaito said as he pointed to the sky. This would likely confuse the Momochi genin, but Kaito had his share of tricks. The young shinobi jumped into the trees, the blood on his face already drying in the slight breeze as he moved. From atop a higher tree branch, Kaito jumped into the air, manipulating the natural moisture in the air to form a sort of stepstone out of water, allowing the genin to leap from point to point midair and reach an incredible height, if only for a moment.

That moment had been enough for Kaito to notice the movement in the trees not to far from where he and Akiyama had killed the first of their targets. Two more of the bandits were headed straight for Akiyama, even as Kaito  began to fall back to the earth. Just before the point of no return, Kaito created another of the stepping stones, hopping on pure water before landing on a tree branch about twenty meters from where he'd first jumped into the air. Too far from Akiyama to alert him without giving his own position away, Kaito instead took a senbon from his pouch and threw it in his comrad's general direction, purposely throwing it into the dirt near where Kaito had last seen Akiyama. Hoping the Momochi would understand his warning.

Withdrawing two of his kunai from his back pouch, Kaito creeped forward on the tree branch, causing it to sag a couple inches as the two bandits approached. Kaito opened his mouth, releasing a thick mist infused with his chakra that would cover the immediate area, making it nearly impossible to see for most people, before dropping down on one of them. It was doubtful these bandits had any means of countering the the Hidden Mist Technique, though Kaito briefly wondered if Akiyama would be able to utilize the situation to his advantage or not.

It didn't matter to Kaito, as he had utilized a less common technique alongside the first, the Mist Phantom was a jutsu that allowed Kaito to take on the form of mist himself, making him nearly untraceable to all but the most advanced shinobi. With this in mind, Kaito was ready to strike, first cutting shallow wounds into the shoulders of the first bandit as he fell, before disappearing into the mist, narrowly evading the man's counter attack as he swung backwards, cutting into the shoulder of his own comrade. With both men standing so close together, and cursing at each other, Kaito knew exactly where to strike next.

Just as he had done with the first bandit, Kaito opened his mouth yet again, yet this time rather than mist, more acidic saliva was forming into a thick froth meant to coat the two bandits in foam that would leave behind terrible burns. The ensuing screams after the Kiri shinobi spit the acidic mess at them, was all Kaito needed to hear for a slight grin to cross his face. He knew he needed to pace himself, or else risk running out of chakra, but he could rest later, while he was torturing whichever poor souls he and Akiyama choose to keep alive. These two were fortunate, their suffering would only be temporary.

Glancing over his shoulder as Kaito responded, Akiyama turned again to the clearing ahead, his vision fixed on it as he wondered if the builders even knew the danger they were in. Turning to face Kaito, Akiyama would remove his sword from its sheath once more, holding it lazily at his side, its tip pressed into the wet dirt as he watched Kaito. The boy was quick on his feet and had shown a commendable amount of skill up to this point, but walking on air, it was simply odd to say the least. Few Genin would likely think to develop such a skill, but clearly it had its uses. As his teammate ascended into the tree Akiyama would think on the blood that had coated him and how little it had fazed him. Glancing back to the body of the man he had just vanquished Akiyama held his breath for a moment. Releasing the air built up in his lungs slowly he attempted to calm himself before another battle would begin. After all, Akiyama had no want to place Kaito in such a position again, where his life was held in the balance. Where his life depended entirely on Akiyama having the resolve to strike down another human being.

A wet thud in the dirt to his left was all he heard, turning his head he saw a single senbon protruding from the grass. It was clearly the weapon of choice for Kaito, though the meaning behind it was clearly far from his attempt to attack anything. It was a warning signal plain as day, and Akiyama had no intention of ignoring it. Moving quickly to his right, Akiyama would leap into a nearby tree, hearing the sounds of feet on wood as at least two individuals catapulted themselves through the canopy. That was when he heard it, another pair of feet, moving in from the opposite direction, a simple pincer maneuver that even Academy Students would understand. Their physical prowess and skill in direct confrontation was surprising, though their intelligence and tactical depth was clearly lacking. Looking in the direction the senbon had been thrown from Akiyama could already see the forming of mist in the distance, a common technique in Kirigakure and one he knew well.

Leaping forward and out of the range of the mist Akiyama would head in the direction of the other half of the pincer. Pushing off a large branch Akiyama would spot one of the bandits from the corner of his vision. The man held within his hand a large glass bottle, the flames that wafted from the rag jammed within a clear sign as to what it was meant for. Without a moments hesitation Akiyama moved, a faint discharge of electricity enveloping his arm and coalescing in the blade of his sword to form a thin barrier of raiton. Swinging vertically with a speed clearly far beyond what one would normally be capable of with such a bulky weapon in one hand he struck the bottle. Smashing the bottle as it still lay within the mans hand the blade continued, slicing the mans fingers from his hand, cauterizing as it passed through his flesh. The concentrated alcohol within would burst forth, spilling onto the mans left side in a flaming spray that quickly began to burn deep.

Passing by the man as his clothing was set alight and he fell to the dirt below Akiyama would bound backwards upon the next tree branch. Intercepting the next bandit who followed behind the first Akiyama would swing once more with inhuman speed, catching the man in his ribs. Dragging the man into the dirt below Akiyama would slam him down, carried by the hunk of steel that made up the blade of his sword, leaving him with both shredded flesh and broken bones. It was not a gentle landing after all and Akiyama quickly wrenched his sword free once more before thrusting it downwards into the mans chest where he would leave it, approaching the man who now lay with half his body burned black on the forest floor. Smelling the charred flesh Akiyama could barely keep his composure, wanting nothing more than to turn away and vomit at the sight of it. Now was no time for weakness or mercy however, and with a swift push of the heel he flipped the man to his stomach.

Sitting on his lower back Akiyama pulled on both wrists, the flesh on his left nearly slipping from the bone as he did so. Using the mans own belt Akiyama would bind his hands behind his back, placing his right foot on the back of his head as he sat, waiting for Kaito to return or another bandit to arrive. It was also an opportunity for Akiyama to take in the death and pain he had caused to both men, a chance for him to desensitize himself to the horrors of battle. It was something Akiyama would need to be familiar with, and it is what would keep his gaze fixed between the two of them, as one sobbed in agony beneath him and the other drowned in the blood that was filling his lungs. Death was a noisy affair it turned out, only exasperated by both men's fear of death or will to live.

Seizing the opportunity while it lasted, Kaito dug his kunai into either side of one of the bandit's neck, leaving him on the ground bleeding out before moving onto the next. It was time for them to start taking prisoners, with two confirmed kills and the sounds of battle elsewhere, Kaito didn't want to risk the remaining bandit making any problems for them in the meantime. The man was blind, the vast majority of his flesh burned by the acidic foam that was the cause of his suffering.

Kaito hadn't meant to blind the man, but when acid got into the eyes, there was nothing to be done, not even by a medical shinobi, at least not one like Kaito. Even if the genin had been skilled enough, there would have been no purpose in aiding the man. Instead, the Kiri ninja placed his blood soaked kunai in his pact before withdrawing two more senbon. The man kicked and screamed, but he was far to injured to put up much of a resistance as Kaito put the man's hands in place, using the senbon to impale the man, making sure he wouldn't be able to move his hands without suffering a great deal of pain. If the man's eyes were burned shut by the acid, Kaito would have sworn he was crying as the genin led him out of the mist and into the clearing where Akiyama had his own prize.

"Three dead, two captured, I doubt the outpost is in much danger for the time being. Once were done getting what we need from these two, we can hunt down the rest of their group and end this distraction." Kaito spoke softly, almost like a mother soothing her children as he reached up and brushed his hand across the man's reddened face, caressing him as he let out a gasp of pain. The still tender pain would make it easy to get him to talk, and the charred flesh of the man under Akiyama's rear would easily tear and bleed. It looked like if Kaito didn't hurry, Akiyama's catch might die before anything useful could be ripped out of him. No use in healing a man that would soon be dead, Kaito figured he'd just interrogate the burned captive first.

"Remember, hunting down the rest of their gang wasn't part of the mission, we've repelled the attack for now. That's a successful first mission for you I take it?" Kaito asked the genin of the Momochi clan with a grin, this would just be one more tally on a list for Kaito. He was just happy to get the chance at more combat experience, as it only served to make him stronger, Akiyama too, though it was clear to Kaito the Momochi still needed time to adjust to the shinobi's way of life. "I just hope you've got some more bite left in you, Momochi." Kaito offered, only semi-taunting the genin as he pulled a pair of senbon out of his back pocket and prepared to earn his information the fun way.

Akiyama glanced down at the man that he currently rested upon. The smell of his burnt flesh wafted intensely within his nose, leaving a stench that seemingly ingrained itself within Akiyama's memory. It was a distinct smell, one somebody could never mistake for anything else, and one he now knew all too well. The seemingly hardened outer layer that cracked and oozed puss and blood was a hard sight to take in, though one Akiyama knew he must. Glancing upwards as Kaito approached he quickly noticed the mans pale and red blotchy skin. It was a pattern familiar to him, yet another chemical burn for somebody to experience, likely acidic in nature. It was odd, seeing the opposites when it came to the burns that the two bandits had received compared to each other. The oddest thing however was the mans eyes, they were red and nearly swollen shut. It was a simple indicator, the man was blind, at the very least in the short term. It would be hell for him soon, unable to even see what torturous things were about to occur to try and prepare himself for the pain.

"We should take them to the fort so you can do your work, I'll lead." He spoke in a stern voice, clearly trying to take some semblance of responsibility in the moment. After all, Kaito's bandit may be blind, but his injuries did not fully keep him from functioning physically. This made the bandit a danger being so close, possibly being able to pull off a sneak attack before either shinobi could intervene. Akiyama's bandit on the other hand, an entire half of his body was entirely useless to him and his hands were bound tightly. If shit hit the fan, it would be Akiyama who could simply drop his captive and rush head long into danger, not Kaito.

Standing, Akiyama would pull on the mans bonds, the leather of the belt that restricted his movement tugging on his wrists, splitting the skin like an overcooked ham. Blood quickly rushed from the wound, coating the mans hands and leaving a small trail along the ground wherever they traveled. Moving over to the corpse pinned to the dirt by his sword, Akiyama would pull it from the dead man, wiping the blade off on the pant leg of his prisoner. Sheathing the sword for the final time today he would step in front of Kaito. "I've got a lot more than a bite left in me, Kaito." Glancing over his shoulder with a wide grin, Akiyama began to walk.

Passing through the brush and into the opening Akiyama would lead the two of them towards the fortress. As they approached the workers who had previously been abuzz slowly came to a stop. Their packing up to return home halted as they stared in silence at the two shinobi, leading bandits who had previously attacked them. It had been unknown to them that they had even been saved, but now seeing their silent saviors they simply smiled and nodded as the boys passed them. Heading into the fortress Akiyama would give his orders to the guards, relieving them of their duties after they had allowed both he and Kaito inside.

Moving to the back of the half built fortress the sound of ringing metal could be heard, the blacksmith working tirelessly on the tools that kept the construction going. There were also women, tending to the horses and livestock that were kept within, assuring their health remained satisfactory. To Akiyama it seemed as though every citizen here had their purpose and they served it as well as they could, just as any person under the protection of Kirigakure should. Finally reaching the back of the fortress Akiyama would gaze upon the main structure, what seemed to be a large manor or estate. Its archway was massive with massive red double doors that lead into the foyer.

This however was not the appropriate place for the work Kaito was soon to perform however. Moving off to the left of the manor Akiyama would position himself with a large barn. It was empty, only bales of hay littering the ground and various tools hanging from the walls. It was a storage area, clearly, and the perfect quiet place for Kaito to work. Moving his burned bandit to a nearby rack on the wall Akiyama would remove his bindings, replacing with a nearby rope that he secured tightly to the rack. Assuring the same was done with their other captive Akiyama would look to Kaito, a serious look in his eyes. "Do whatever is necessary, I won't have any of these bandits ever returning to attack these people."

Removing himself from the barn, Akiyama slid the large door closed behind him, leaving Kaito to his delicate chore. Moving to enter the large manor nearby Akiyama noted its artistic nature as he entered. Swirling patterns of cloud and dragons and other such creatures were painted and sculpted into the walls and ceiling of the foyer, giving off a very intimidating presence. It was a place meant for a man or woman of high position, though it felt odd that so much work would go into a fortress in such an unimportant part of the nation. Perhaps things were worse off here, or more important than Akiyama had first imagined. Perhaps even, this was suspected to be some sort of future battleground that needed to be watched over by a highly competent shinobi or diplomat.

Regardless, Akiyama continued deeper into the manner, finding himself within the main hall. Following its linear path deep into the manor Akiyama would soon ascend a set of stairs, leading to yet another hallway. This one however was lined with door on both sides, leading to various bedrooms, likely for guests of some sort. Seeing himself into one Akiyama would assure it had a window close by the barn. Cracking it open slightly Akiyama intended to listen to the sounds of Kaito's torture, yet another way for him to immerse himself in death, numb himself to it. Sitting upon the edge of the large, silken sheeted bed, Akiyama rested his elbows against his knees. Placing his face within his palms the boy let out a loud sigh. It was one of not only relief at surviving, but also one meant to expel any feelings he held towards the killing and torture of several people. This was the way of a shinobi, the path he chose.

This was a path paved in blood and one he must take if he were to bring honor and renown to his clan once more. It had been so long since they had been respected by the other clans of the village. They were tough men and women, it was true, but beyond that obnoxious resilience, they held nothing special. The Yuki controlled ice, the Hozuki could liquify their own bodies. Compared to these Kekkei Genkai, the Momochi were next to nothing. However, like the only true legend of his clan, Akiyama would change this, he would assure that the other clans both respected and feared his prowess. He would assure his family and clan would never have to hear the belittling words of those who deemed themselves more important ever again. In truth, he knew his clan to be barely anything more than those who were clanless. He knew to compensate he needed to see himself as higher, as greater than they could be by virtue of his bloodline alone. Seeing Kaito in action however, Akiyama's belief in this had wavered. Kaito, was better than him, there could be no doubt of that, and his resolve to take a life seemed to have been solidified at a far younger age as well. Truly, as of now, he was the superior shinobi. To Akiyama, this was unacceptable, something that he would have to fix as their mission progressed. After all, how would he ever achieve his dream of being one of the greatest within Kirigakure if he was so easily overshadowed in his youth? To Akiyama, proving himself against Kaito as the mission progressed was his number one objective, whether that be through teamwork or simply outdoing him in some way

~Exit Thread~