It was a rather placid day in Konoha. The sun shined brilliantly, few clouds lingering in the sky to obscure it. There wasn’t anything notable to speak of; at least, not that Uchiha Keiji had heard. The man sighed as his eyes studied the document his gloved hand held for the fourth time that day. Thoroughly satisfied with his memorization of the mission dossier, he folded the paper neatly before sliding it into his back pocket. The mission, while not the most dangerous he had ever been on, would be a refreshing change of pace from the extended vacation he had just finished. A group of bandits calling themselves Kyoufu had been molesting one of Konoha’s outlying towns, and it had recently turned violent. Keiji’s objective was to locate these bandits and neutralize them – an easy task; that is, if this was a solo mission. He looked up towards the luminous celestial body, sunglasses shading his eyes from damage as he gauged the time.

‘He’s late.’ Keiji thought, leaning against the great wall that surround Konoha, protecting it and its inhabitants from those that would see them harm.

The onyx-haired man was, of course, referring to the genin scheduled to accompany him on this mission. The shinobi was called Kimura Zoro, a twenty-one year old male who had requested to be placed on a higher ranked mission. Although keeping tabs on his fellow Konoha-nin was something Keiji valued, he had heard nearly nothing about this Zoro character, only privy to the fact that he was old for his rank and he possessed light green hair. Keiji dipped his hand into his vest’s front pocket, withdrawing a packet of cigarettes from the compartment. He quickly placed one to his lips and lit it, placing the packet back into the compartment from which he retrieved it. After dragging on it for a good while, he exhaled with a sigh. He loved these.

Keiji’s mind reverted back to the genin. Although it was certainly not common to have a genin as aged as Kimura, it wasn’t unheard of. The man’s sapphire eyes examined his cigarette once more before he placed it back to his lips and inhaled sharply.

‘Hopefully I won’t have to babysit him.’

Zoro is sprinting down the street thinking to himself, "I'm late, Keiji san is gona be soooo pissed..." As Zoro is sprinting down the street, he runs into another ninja. "HEYYY!!! Whats your problem!! "Sorry, gotta run! Zoro says this with a very embarrassed tone. As Zoro continues to the meeting spot at the main gate, he starts reciting the mission at hat, "So there is more then 50 bandits who decided to break into my favorite shop! But they also are somewhat skilled with ken jutsu, so i better keep my distance and use my clans jutsu, but this is also a B ranked mission, which also means good pay if successful, and Keiji san will be pissed if we dont succeed, so i beter do my best to not die! As Zoro finished reciting his mission at hand, Zoro reached the main gate. "OYYYY! Sorry Im late Keiji San!!

Keiji peered at the man in front of him, sapphire eyes obscured by the tint of his sunglasses. He drew on the cigarette once more, enjoying the last of it before flicking it nonchalantly to the side.

“You’re late.” The Uchiha stated, placing both hands in his pockets. “Let’s begin.”

The sannin took off, legs carrying him at a pace that the genin could match, provided the green-haired man exerted himself. Passing through the main gate and officially exiting Konoha, Keiji leapt forward, soaring through the air at a height that only shinobi could hope to reach. He gracefully landed on a thick branch on one of the abundant trees that Hi no Kuni was known for, bending the knees in order to absorb the impact and then forcefully propelling himself through the air once more, conserving his momentum. His mind wandered. It had been a while since he was one a mission, let alone one with a genin accompanying him. The fact that this was the man’s first was… disconcerting. Certainly a gratuitous amount of death would be involved, and Keiji only hoped that his subordinate was mentally prepared for the consequences, physical and mental.

The man gazed upon the sun once more, discovering that he had been travelling for nearly an hour. The two Konoha-nin would reach their destination in a short while. Keiji stopped, feet firmly planted on the branch beneath him. He pulled out a cigarette, lighting it and drawing fully. Exhaling, he looked at his accomplice. This would essentially be the last time they had to rendezvous in earnest before entering Hioko. Behind the darkened lenses, azure globes analyzed the man further – was he truly ready for a B-rank mission? He drew on the cigarette once more, leaning on the trunk of the tree and enjoying the brief reprieve from travel.

“As your taicho, let me be clear,” Keiji said, allowing a brief pause so the genin could fully understand what he was saying. “Failure of this mission is not an option. Hioko is a valued trader of Konoha, and therefore our ally. It is our duty to protect it.” Keiji drew on the cig once more, enjoying the taste and the aroma of the burning tobacco. “I have not read your file, but given your behavior on the street today, not to mention the fact that you were late to a mission in which lives are at stake, I already have my doubts about you.”

Keiji paused, allowing the gravity of his words to sink in before continuing. “However, as your taicho, it is also my duty to protect you. Therefore,” Keiji paused, taking off his shades and wholly meeting Zoro’s gaze, “There shall be no heroics on this mission. If you need help, you shall call for me. If you believe danger is imminent, you shall tell me. From this point forward we are inseparable until the moment we report to the Hokage, clear?”

The Uchiha didn't wait for his answer to continue. “The town’s a mile away. We’ll enter it through conventional means – walking, starting now. If anybody sees us arrive by tree it’ll be far too suspicious.” The man flicked his cigarette to the branch, stomping it out with vigor. “We’ll make room accommodations at the tavern there and stay there until we are contacted by the one who ordered this mission. We’ll go over the specifics of the neutralization later. Until then, no more talk about the mission – we are to pose as weary travelers just looking for a place to stay.”

Keiji dropped from the branch, landing on the ground with ease and waiting for his assistant to do the same. “Any questions?”

After reaching the main gate and apologizing to his taicho, Keiji just stared at him through his sunglasses. It didn't take very long for Zoro to piece together what Keiji may be thinking.

Zoro then said out loud, "If your starting to doubt my abilities due to me being late and due to my rank, i'd wait until you see me in action before you reach a conclusion "

Keiji then went on to explain how important the trader is to our village, and because of his clans trait of being loyal to the village, Zoro just nodded in agreement as well as to show that he understood.

After hearing that death was not an option, he said, "Sir, I shall not be a burden, do not let my tardiness and rank give you doubts for this is a B ranked mission and if I was not ready, i wouldnt be coming. But i will follow your orders and will never leave your side."

With that said, Zoro listens to the plan that Keiji presented before him and carefully analyzed the situation. When Keiji finished and asked him if their was any questions, he simply said, "No Sir, I am ready when you are."

The duo would soon find themselves within eyesight of Hioko. The sannin sighed, taking off his sunglasses and hanging them from his shirt. Hioko had changed, no doubt due to the nefarious faction that had been menacing the town. Once a bustling town with multitudes of vendors and a myriad of products for sale, main street was largely desolate, only a couple of people pacing on the road, quickly migrating to their destination, lest Kyoufu would strike and find an easy target. Keiji reached into a different pocket this time, retrieving a cigar which he quickly placed to his lips and lit, rotating it slightly and puffing on it from time to time to obtain an even burn. Keiji shoved his hands in his pockets frustratingly. Things here were worse than Konoha realized; if all of the merchants closed shop and withdrew from plain sight this early in the day, the group of bandits really had to be hitting them hard. The fact that Hioko’s main source of revenue came from vending indicated that the local economy had taken a massive impact.

“There’s the tavern.” Keiji said to his accomplice, pointing at one of the larger buildings on the road. The onyx haired man quickly made his way to the structure, sure that the Kimura would follow. The familiar scent of Hioko tobacco, one of Keiji’s favorites, graced the man as he entered the establishment. He looked around, searching for any sign that his contact or one of the Kyoufu members was present, finding no evidence of the sort. The Uchiha sauntered to the bar before sitting down and getting the barkeeper’s attention. “Pint of stout, please.” The man behind the bar nodded, uncorking a bottle and emptying the dark contents of it in a tall glass before placing it in front of Keiji. Taking a large gulp of the liquid, Keiji handed over a sum of ryo to the barkeeper, who took it with gratitude. “Here’s your change, sir.” The man handed Keiji a folded bill before being called away by another patron. Keiji unfolded the bill, smiling as he noticed the small print in the upper corner of the bill: “Back room. Second door on the right.” Keiji placed the bill back on the counter – these people needed the money they had.

Keiji chugged the last of his beer with gusto, snuffing his cigar in an ashtray before nudging his ally to follow him as he made his way towards the back of the tavern. He opened the door that the notation had instructed him to, closing it after he and his fellow shinobi were inside and locking the door sequentially. “Clear.”

A rugged man stepped out from the corner. “I am Joshiro. You two must be the Konoha-nin.” The man stated, arms folded across his chest. A large scar adorned his face, carved across his right eye and descending to his lower lip; Keiji mused whether or not the bandits were to blame. “The sooner we’re done here the better.” The man's words were laced with venom, poison dripping from his tongue. “There are exactly fifty-three bandits in a camp located roughly three miles to the northwest. They raided us last night, so odds are they won’t be back for a while.” Keiji nodded, glancing at his partner out of the corner of his eye to make sure he was attentive. “All of them use some kind of bladed weapon. Katanas, tantos, and the like.” The man leaned against the wall, eyes closed. “Most are newcomers to the group, attracted by tales of grandeur and riches – you won’t find them to be a problem.” The man sighed, placing a cigarette to his lips before offering one each to the Konoha-nin, which Keiji gladly obliged. The man ignited the stick and inhaled sharply before continuing, “Some of them are quite skilled, however. I recommend you take them out first – the others are peons that have no sense of direction without being lead.”

Keiji smirked, enjoying the sweet flavor of the Hioko tobacco he had gone so long without. He exhaled as he spoke, “So you do want them dead, correct? No apprehensions?”

The man shook his head. “These men have killed five people, showing no remorse for doing so. They deserve their fate.”

Keiji nodded, “Very well then. We’re going to need lodging until nightfall, I assume this room is ours to use?” The man replied with a silent, curt nod. “Excellent. We’ll see Hioko done right, Joshiro.” The contact quickly thanked the two for their efforts and left the room. Keiji turned to the man remaining beside him. “Any questions? If not, we’ll leave at sunset. That’ll give us enough time to reach their camp by dark.”

Zoro observes how everyone in the tavern and even in the village seemed quite paranoid. Zoro then took in the information that Joshiro had shared with them. He then started to think about the best possible way of taking out all of the bandits, then he remembered that Joshiro wants them all dead. "Killing every single bandit seems like a very un logical for only 5 deaths, but it is a mission after all, and this merchant is very important to the village so i will do what he says for the sake of the village" Zoro thought. After the man finished talking and left Keiji and Zoro alone, Keiji announced they would be leaving at sun set, which meant Zoro had time to start planning for the following day, but before that it was time to get a drink.

"One beer plese" Zoro said slapping money on the counter

"Here ya go sir" The bars man said.

Zoro then took a long sip and let out a big refreshing sigh as if he had not had a drink for some time. He then reached into his pocket and took out a cigar and lit it. He took a long puff and sighed with relief, "Phew, hadnt had time to smoke or have a drink in months!" Zoro said to himself. After finishing his beer Zoro took out a parchment and wrote down what he knew of the mission thus far: 53 bandits in total. The bandits killed 5 villagers. The Bandits were stationed at a nearby camp. The Bandits all have some type of weapon, but most are newbies that need order.

He then wrote down the objectives: Must kill every last bandit. Must stay close to Keiji since he ordered me to. Take out all experienced bandits first so that the newer ones go nuts, and then finish the rest of them off. And then he put in all caps, FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!

By the time Zoro finished writing, only 5 minutes had passed. " I guess i have time to work out before i hit the hay." Zoro said.

And with that Zoro walked into an empty room and took off his shirt and started to do some push ups, but remained on guard the entire time. While doing his push ups, Zoro started putting a plan together, "Should we go head on or in total stealth mode? Should we try to keep our distance or go into close combat? If we decide to keep our distance, i shall use my fire clan teqnique to shoot a fire ball into their camp in order to burn some of them and then play it by ear." Zoro thought to himself.

After completing 1500 sit ups and push ups, 30 minutes had passed. Zoro then walked over to some water and cleaned up before heading back to the room. Before going in however, Zoro lit another Cigar and took in deep puffs. After some time, he stuffed it in an ash tray and headed back into the room.

"Hey Keiji, im not sure how you wanted to go about this, But i was thinking we sneak up on the camp and i let lose a fire ball to burn most of the bandits and then play it by ear, unless your think that its to risky to do that, and in that case ill just follow you. " Zoro said faintly.

Zoro then layed down and closed his eyes and started thinking about how he didnt want to let Keiji or the village down. In fact, he was so nervous that he would mess up he started to sweat vigorously. "Why am i freaking out all of a sudden, this is not like me, i have to calm down, i have to calm dow..." Zoro fell asleep before finishing the thought.

Just before sunrise Zoro woke up and started pacing back and fourth waiting for Keiji to give the signal to leave.

Keiji would spend the next couple of hours in the room that the tavern owner was gracious enough to let him and the green-haired man use, smoking the rest of the cigarettes he brought with him and occasionally returning to the bar for a bottle of stout or porter. He could hear the hum of conversations taking place in the front of the inn and it calmed him; unfortunately, his companion did not receive the same effect, as he lay on the bed sweating – no doubt a result of his lack of confidence. The genin had come to Keiji with a plan during the downtime, which Keiji quickly dismissed as being too neglectful of the bandits’ sheer numbers. No fireball produced by a genin would be able to eradicate a large majority of the bandits, as the Kimura had suggested. As the hours passed, the sun slowly began dipping into the horizon, transforming the sky into a dazzling array of pinks and oranges. The man peered out of his window and noticed that it was starting to become overcast, a boon considering they were invading the camp under the cover of night – the moonlight wouldn’t give away their position due to the heavy cloud coverage. Sitting up from the chair he occupied, he clicked his tongue to get the Kimura’s attention, signaling that it was time to go.

Thanking the innkeeper for his hospitality, Keiji made his way out of town toward the location Joshiro indicated the bandit camp would be. The sun dipped further until there was no light in the sky, save for the faint luminescence given off by the bandit camp, now visible by both Keiji and his counterpart. Keiji spoke as they continued toward their objective, “You will wait until I have located and dispatched the strongest of the group before entering combat.” He ordered. “When I am ready for you to enter, I will give the signal through fire in the air.”

Finished, Keiji launched himself at full speed towards the bandit camp, slowing himself down to a brisk walk when he was able to see the bandits themselves. “Hold it! Hand over all of your valuables if you value your life!” one of them barked, running toward Keiji with sword in hand. Keiji raised his hands in a forfeiting manner, speaking as he did so. “Whoa, whoa! Take it easy I’m here to join you guys!” Keiji smiled as the men slowed their approach, yet still armed themselves. “I’ve got news of a huge caravan heading for the daimyo that your leader would love to hear!” The two bandits looked at one another, contemplating whether or not Keiji’s words had any validity to them. After a few moments of deliberation, the bandit spoke again “Alright, start walking, and don’t try anything funny or I’ll stick you like a pig, clear?” Keiji smirked, his plan worked effortlessly – fucking idiots. “Crystal.” The Uchiha responded.

Keiji was led by sword-point to the interior of the camp, noticing things of interest on the way. There were a large gathering of men dining next to multiple fire pits, around thirty men according to the shinobi’s estimate. It wasn’t long before Keiji was shoved into one of the biggest tents in the camp, no doubt the accommodations of the leaders and his lieutenants. Forced to his knees by one of the bandits who escorted him into the camp, a man on the opposite side approached him, hand cautiously placed on a nodachi on his hip. “And who is this worm who you bring before me?”

“He was looking for us, Same-sama!” the bandit replied. Keiji scoffed internally at the man’s name – shark. “He says he has news of a caravan heading for the daimyo!”

“Is that so, little man?” Same said, glacing down at Keiji. The man was burly, multiple scars adorned his shirtless torso. Keiji wondered how tall the he was. “Elaborate, if you please.” The man said, drawing a dagger and placing it at Keiji’s throat.

“Yes, that’s correct. I’m a swordsman who works for the daimyo for shit pay and I want more. Word of mouth is you guys are the most powerful group around, so I made my way here.” Keiji said, meeting the gaze of the towering man without fear of the dagger at his jugular. “I overheard one of his guards say that they were worried a caravan due to arrive in three days’ time carrying a colossal amount of gold and silver was in danger.”

Keiji could practically see the man’s face light up at the mention of gold and silver. The man slowly withdrew the dagger, ordering that the two underlings fetch him his lieutenants. With haste, the men did has Same asked, and within moments there were three additional men in the tent. “Leave us.” Same growled at the two minions, who quickly obliged. After recounting Keiji’s fabricated tale to his lieutenants, Same laughed and there were several cheers among those in the tent. “You were right to tell us this, boy! We’re going to live like kings!” Same shouted as he gestured for Keiji to rise. “We’re always accepting new, capable swordsmen!”

“Ah, that’s good to hear. I’m not the best, but I do know my way around a blade.” Keiji stated before appearing to vanish. With alacrity, Keiji closed the distance between himself and Same and forcefully uppercutted the man, savagely breaking his neck with a sickening crunch, all the while drawing the nodachi from its sheath while the man was still airborne. Turning his attention to the lieutenants, who were still in the midst of processing what had happened, Keiji swung the colossal blade, decapitating two of the men and staining the grandiose rug beneath them with crimson. The third man behind Keiji drew his blade and was poised to strike when the shinobi drew one of the wakizashis from the still-standing beheaded corpses with his free hand, turned, and plunged it mercilessly into his throat, killing the man instantly before ripping it out. Keiji smirked as he heard four thuds as the bodies crumpled to the floor – all those that would have served as a minimal threat to him were now dispatched.

“Now to thin their numbers.” Keiji said as he exited the tent, hands still clutched around the recently obtained wakizashi. Leaping high in to the night sky, Keiji inhaled deeply, kneading chakra in his throat before exhaling a grand display: a magnificent dragon, composed entirely of vibrant orange and yellow flame, that descended to the ground rapidly before leveling off and encircling a large portion of the camp and continuing to coil in the empty space between it, bending to Keiji’s will. The dragon annihilated everything in its wake, turning both man and structure into nothing but ash in the summer night’s wind. Finally running out of breath, Keiji fell gracefully back to earth. It was time to clean up the stragglers with his ally, who no doubt saw the glorious display from where Keiji left him.

Jutsu Used:

Chakra: 330/355

Zoro listened as Keiji told him the plan of waiting for the signal, and the only thing that went through his mind was, "What happend to staying together?" Zoro thought in a mockingly tone. Despite his feelings, he stayed true to his word and listened to his superior and stayed put. Zoro decided to lean up against the side of a tree while waiting, But all of a sudden he felt a sharp object touch his back and an unfamiliar voice followed, "Hey, what are you doing in our camp, face us with your hands above your head" the bandit said with a shaking voice.

Zoro thought to himself, "He must be a gennin..." He then turned areound and faced the bandit, and then grabbed his sword and stabbed him in the heart only to come face to face with atleast 5 more, and now they were angry nervous genning who made the mistake by charging at zoro, who simply duked and slashed killing two in one, and then stabbed straight through 2 more leaving 1 left. At this time Keiji's signal destroyed almost the whole camp. "Damn, i better hurr... SHIT!! THAT HURT" Zoro said out loud. The last bandit went to slash at zoros face and at the last second zoro stepped back, but not in time for his left eye got slashed vertically leaving a scar, and also making it so he could not open his eye.Out of pure anger Zoro slashed the bandits head clean off and started heading towards Keijis location, only to come into contact with many panicking bandits.

Shit was all Zoro could think, but atleast he could use that move... Zoro then waited until just the right moment where 5 more bandits were close to gether. He then started molding chakra into his mouth and realeased a small sized fire ball, but big enough to leave the 5 bandits with second degree burns, and then he ended their misery by beheading all of them. "Sorry, but i have to hurry" Zoro said. Zoro then arrivied at Keijis location, "Lets finish this".

Spoiler:

Ignoring the clichéd statement his fellow Konoha-nin had just uttered, Keiji grimaced as he inhaled, the stench of seared flesh and still lingering and tainting the air around him. His previous attack was truly devastating – a roaring dragon literally composed of flame that could reduce a human like to little more than ash on the wind, his only consolation was knowing that the men he had killed had died a relatively quick death. And yet his objective was still incomplete. Gripping the wakizashi in his gloved hand, Keiji’s eyes darted from point to point as he chose his next unfortunate victim, quickly fixating on a muscled man not much taller than himself. Darting forward with speed unrivaled by anybody at the camp, Keiji quickly swung upward with his weapon, the honed blade easily slicing through the man’s dominant arm, effectively disarming the man. Keiji clutched the still-airborne severed arm, sword still clenched in hand, pivoted on the ball of his foot, and ferociously threw it at an incoming bandit. The man had little time to change his momentum and it would prove to be his undoing as the sword penetrated his torso, the sheer velocity of the javelin-esque projectile sending him flying back several feet and sticking him to a wall. Disregarding the man whose arm he had amputated, who would quickly die due to blood loss and shock, Keiji ran to a location several dozen meters away, where a small group of bandits had congregated in order to improve their chances. Keiji stopped, flicking his wakizashi and splattering the ground with the blood of his victim.

“My my,” the Uchiha started, walking towards the group. “There are quite a lot of you.” Keiji tossed the wakizashi far into the air, light of the fire glinting off of its blade before it disappeared into the veil of midnight. He pointed at each of the men as he closed the distance. “One, two, three, four…thirteen?”

“That’s right, thirteen against one. You’re fucked, asshole!” the largest man of the group roared.

Keiji smirked, performing a shunshin and appearing behind the man, catching the wakizashi he had previously thrown into the air. Leaning into the man, Keiji whispered: “Are you certain?” The man didn't have time to respond as metal sliced through his abdomen before savagely being ripped out the side of his body, intestines and crimsons quickly slipping through the grievous wound. Keiji utilized his superior agility to dodge and weave through the group of bandits, quickly dispatching them until there was one remaining. The onyx haired man clicked his tongue disapprovingly as the remaining bandit ran, dropping his sword and literally running for his life. Keiji sighed – why did they always have to run? “You dropped this!” Keiji yelled at the man as he picked up the discarded katana and hurled it at the man, the weapon spinning akin to a fuma shuriken. Keiji turned and began walking away, a satisfying slurp gracing his ears as the man was bisected vertically, each half of his body falling to earth.

Keiji sighed, tossing the wakizashi aside – he would no longer need it. He mulled whether or not to stay and help his accomplice with the remaining enemies. Fifty-three bandits exactly minus the seventeen he had slew and the thirty or so he had reduced to cinders left six bandits that he had not killed. The sannin recalled that the Kimura had a large vertical cut adorning his face, meaning that he had encountered at least a single bandit and survived.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine.” Keiji stated as he began running back to Hioko in order to inform the town of his success, after which he would wait for the Kimura and begin the trek back to Konoha.

While Keiji was taking care of the rest of the bandits near by, Zoro went for a walk around the camp to make sure every other bandit was dead. Zoro's left eye had been slashed, and so he could only use his right eye for the time being, but that would not stop him. Thats when he heard the whimpering of what seems to be the last bandit.

"Lets have some fun.." Zoro said with a grin.
"Hey, you, are you alright, why is this camp a mess?" Zoro asked the bandit."

"Thisss sannnin attackeeed ourrr campp, and imm the lasst onne leffft" The bandit said with a shiver in his voice.

"Im sorry to hear that, want a cigar?" Zoro asked as he held his hand out with a cigar in hand.

"Sureee" Said the bandit as he reached for the cigar.

Just as the bandit was lighting the cigar, Zoro worked his way behind him, and with a single motion, he snapped his neck and caught the cigar that was just lit right before it fell to the ground.

"Thanks for lighting it for me mate, my lighter just ran out" Zoro said with an evil laughter following his statement.

And with that, he ran back to the village at which Keiji is waiting for him.

"Lets get out of this damned place Keiji, and thanks for letting me come on this mission with you" And with that Keiji and Zoro headed back to Leaf village.

[END]

final word count: 1600/1500