{OOC: Alright guys. I'm an idiot and accidentally deleted the previous incarnation of this thread. Don't worry, though! We'll all proceed as if everything has happened. A summation of the thread:

• Tame hears Hao is in town. Sees the signs of a nearby fight, goes to look/assist. Noboru engages Tame with his puppet, keeping him on his toes.
  
• Owydelu sees Tame as the ANBU sweep for threats. Engages in combat (Wood Shuriken).
  
• Tame dents the Sealed Labyrinth that Noboru created to contain him.
  
• Uzumaki Tsuneo blows a building up with a sealed Katon jutsu and proceeds to defect from Konoha.

That's pretty much it.}

Daraku knew that they were close as the landscape around changed to a more nature-oriented feel, full of woodlands and whatnot. Shinobu was somewhere behind him, he was too focused to wait for her, but he knew that she would arrive soon enough, which was all that mattered in terms of battle. He landed in the top of a tree, hidden by the leaves as he looked out over the landscape and near the border of Hi no Kuni. There was a figure in the distance, who of didn't fit the description of Tame, their retrieval target; a man with long, green hair, wielding some sort of crossbow devices. Rather, this man was unrecognizable, but he nonetheless seemed to be engaged in combat. A labyrinth of walls was up, and a puppet was attached to him by a series of chakra strings. Taking his usual approach to fights, Daraku sprinted off to the right, headed toward the man who must've been fighting Tame in hopes to strike from an unexpected spot. As he grew closer, their surroundings became more clear; he would have a stark advantage attacking from behind using his kekkei genkai, and rescuing Tame wouldn't be a problem in the least, or so he assumed. The anticipation was ravaging...

A moment or two passed, and Daraku now was in place. He held a hand up to his chest and formed a hand seal, before quietly reciting to himself..."Isō Zure." Color drained from him, fading him to a pastel and desaturated gray, then the light fled him as well, leaving him as dark as a shadow...his skin, his eyes, his hair, his clothes, even the swords strapped to him. He tested to ensure that the kekkei genkai was working properly, and attempted to clap his hands. They passed through one another effortlessly and made no sound. "Perfect." He advanced under the shade of the forestry like a wisp in the wind, whirling as he went forward unseen by any eye. Even under close inspection, one would have to be pretty near to see him in the least, and the man was still turned, full attention on the labyrinth and Tame within it. By the time he heard the footsteps behind him, it was too late, and Daraku had his sword to his neck. "Good-bye, now." The target immediately moved in an effort to escape, but found his demise in this futile attempt, as Daraku pushed the blade hard onto his Adam's Apple; the moment he tried to move, it caused a deep dash, and after a few minutes of choking and clawing at his bleeding neck, the figure lay immobile on the ground, all life robbed from his body and all remaining will lost with his departed soul. The blood spread, creating a puddle in the dirt around them. Daraku's lips curled into a sickly smile as he watched the body drain into an empty husk. First kill of the day, what a RUSH...he felt up the corpse for some sign of identification because he was the type to pin a name to each of his murders. A ninja info card was found in the dead man's back pocket: Chikamatsu, Noboru. Noboru, huh...? Too bad for him, not that Daraku cared.

The corpse suddenly burst into blue flames that consumed it and the puddle of blood, leaving no trace. A clank in the distance registered in Daraku's hearing, and he went to the area he'd heard it. It was a puppet, the one that Noboru had been using previously. He grabbed the puppet and put tied it to his back using the tie he wore under his Aoi Bara cloak, as a token of victory. Another noise interrupted him, a nearby one that startled him just a tad. He abandoned his shadowy form and looked to the west, where the sound's origin apparently was. It was similar to the sound of an explosion, or so he thought. He wondered how far back Shinobu was, and if she had heard or even seen the blast. The nearby labyrinth jutsu finally released as Noboru's chakra faded away due to his death. Daraku's smile faded, as the world began to return to him. He still had the task of taking Tame back, and the explosion meant there was another enemy to eliminate in this. He wiped Noboru's blood from his blade, Hikō, and grasped its hilt firmly as he proceeded towards the origin point of the explosion. Who knew? Maybe he would get lucky and manage to kill more weaklings today.

---

Training Chemical Release: Breaking Point
Word Count: 776/2,200 {10% higher Word Count requirement due to Ishido Clan}

Equipped Items:

230/250:

An audible thud could be heard as Hoshi landed on a tree branch in the Fire Country. Her eyes moved back and forth at rapid paces, making sure to stay alert for any enemies that would dare attempt to stop them. She peered down to ground level to see that One of her fellow missing nin had already started without her. The man sliced the neck of what looked to be a Sunagakure ninja, or so his attire  suggested. After a few moments, the body burst into blue flames, signifying that the ninja was a part if the Anbu for his village. Blood had already been spilt so short into the mission. It seemed like this Tame might be worth the hassle after all. She waited for the man to clean his blade, choosing to use him as a distraction. As these thoughts raced through her head, an explosion sounded off in the distance, proving that the mission was far from complete.

She wondered what the enemy was capable of. Maybe whoever it was would be a challenge for them, though she doubted it. After Daraku, she took off like a speeding bullet. He Aoi Bara attire flailed in the wind as she moved towards the origin of the explosion. The distance was not much, so they would be there quickly to kill the opposition and acquire Tame.

Gin intentionally stayed back and let the two others take the forefront of the assault. Sure, this wasn't explicitly a part of the plan that she had already stated, but it would let her see what the other two had in their arsenal. From what she could gather thus far, the two of them wielded swords as well. She wanted to get a glimpse of what they were capable of. She watched from among the trees, crouching on a high branch well above the ground while she watched the other two fight. Their intended target - Tame - was within her sight. She narrowed her eyes. He didn't look imposing, nor did he look particularly intimidating. But there was something about him - a chilling aura that was hard to describe - that just spoke volumes of how dangerous he could be. Gin knew better than to judge someone merely by heir appearance. This was a noted criminal, which made Gin wonder how the hell she was going to convince him to come along with her. Dragging him against his will seemed unlikely. If he resisted, this might not end well at all. She had to be on her guard and she had to be ready to get the other two out of there and take care of this on her own if all else failed.

The young woman's attention was so fixated on Tame that she barely noticed Daraku slicing the throat of someone that she recognized as one of Sunagakure's ANBU. It was a pity, really, but she couldn't really say that she knew the man, nor could she say that she had any ties to him at all. She had severed every feeling she had for Sunagakure the moment she stepped out of the village gates. Well, she hadn't gotten rid of her loyalty entirely. That was a process that would take quite a while. For now, her feelings towards the village that she used to rule and lead were only repressed for the most part. In any case, it was time to intervene now that the others would likely be caught off guard or focused on the fact that a dead body had just disintegrated before them. Gin had to ac quickly. An opening like this would likely not happen again. She leaped from the tree and landed silently. Very swiftly, she would run and appear behind him. She would remain still, but aware and on guard in case he tried anything. He was an archer, she could tell as much by the bow that he held in his hand. She had a couple of wind jutsu that could stop the arrow's trajectory. She focused chakra on her lips in case she found herself having to resort to it. Being this close to him was without a doubt dangerous and a hazard.

But at the same time, it was necessary. Gin's eyes were still locked on Tame, though she was well aware of the other shinobi that he was fighting. Not only that, but the explosion... This meant that she had to hurry up, lest more attention be drawn to the vicinity. The explosion might serve as a distraction for the fist few minutes, but the ANBU would be looking for the culprit soon. And they were near the general area. This could go very wrong very quickly if they weren't careful enough. "I have a deal or you," Gin began, speaking in a very low whisper. "Follow us and we will make sure that you get out of here alive. We will offer you allies, a chance to grow in strength and a means to accomplish your goals. We are the Aoi Bara - The Blue Rose. I'll explain the details once we get to where we're going," She said bluntly. She only hoped this worked. if it didn't, she would have no choice but to fight. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't enjoy anything more. But she knew that they were at a high risk here. There would be a chance to test each other's strength soon enough.

And then there were.....five?

Tame was honestly surprised....he never thought that he'd be caught off-guard so easily. He supposed that the Labyrinth that his opponent had constructed had effectively limited the range of his chakra-sensing technique. No matter.....he would have to deal with them, he supposed. Though, the enemy of his enemy was his friend; one of the group (at least, it seemed like they were working together) simply and rather elegantly offed Tame's attacker.

Not concerning himself with the blue inferno that was the ANBU's death, he quickly spun around. He knew someone was coming....someone with quite a bit of clout. Though, he didn't worry too much....if they knew who he was, they most certainly wouldn't try and mess with him. It went without saying that news traveled fast, and that he was already notorious for killing the Hokage. The wind rustled through his hair as air was displaced by the woman rushing in. Despite making himself blind....well, he could see better than ever. One, two, three newcomers....plus that pesky Konoha-nin who he wasn't quite sure was present or alive. The one who had half-approached him proceeded to half-speak, a hushed and rushed talk. "I have a deal or you. Follow us and we will make sure that you get out of here alive. We will offer you allies, a chance to grow in strength and a means to accomplish your goals. We are the Aoi Bara - The Blue Rose. I'll explain the details once we get to where we're going." If Tame had anything to say about it, he'd say they were....a bit desperate. I wanted to have a little more fun, he thought, before projecting his thoughts back to her, along with her accomplices (though what the third one was doing there was beyond Tame)--

A sort of warping sound. And then he was behind her. With a barrel to her head.
Listen to me. I'll come along. But.

Shifting the barrel, he shot directly adjacent to the woman's neck, at the third one, who seemed to be around just because. Then....he used a technique to 'save' this woman. Warp Snipe....Type 2.

The bolt stopped right short of where the younger-looking woman was at the time of shooting....just a short demonstration of power.

You DON'T control me...n' DON'T own me. Savvy? Dismissing his arrowguns and reducing his suspended bolt to little more than air, he untied his blindfold and put his hands in his pockets, a sign he was ready to go.

Daraku's footsteps were slow and his mind was in the clouds; he certainly wasn't in any rush to find the source of the boom. Enough time passed until rather, it found him. A boy ran out, not too old at all by the looks of it, Daraku was at least 3 years older just based on appearance. The kid had dark hair and light eyes in contrast, with plain clothes. There was a look on his that simply screamed urgency; his eyes flickered left and right, looking for a way out. The guilt on his face was clear, and he had to have been the one to incite the explosions. Problem solved. Daraku paid no attention to the guy, instead turning back around to head back to the rest of the group. Shinobu was talking to Tame, at the moment, and it all seemed pretty civil, as according to plan. He stopped a few paces in front of them and listened; the exact words were a mystery to him, his focus wasn't all there, but he could discern that she was persuading him using a sort of "reward" idea, something along the lines of "if you join us, you'll get this, and this..." By the time she finished her point and hoped the persuasion worked, there was a short pause where all was silent and no one said anything. 

The scene shifted, as Tame lifted his weapon. This could get ugly, fast, but Daraku wasn't one to intervene when he knew that was a clear risk of dying. Tame was desired because he had power, and Daraku didn't want to be on the other end of it. The weapon was pointed directly at Shinobu, a killshot if not dodged of blocked in time (which would be no easy feat in itself). Tension in the air was chokingly dense. Just as Tame fired the bolt and it found Hoshi's head it's new target, he stopped it in the same breath, just in time to prevent the girl's demise. Sudden, foreign thoughts in Daraku's mind formed words, but they weren't his own words, they were Tame's. He was speaking to him, and most likely Hoshi and Shinobu as well, through their minds. How...odd? Daraku couldn't help but focused as the words strung through his psyche. Listen to me. I'll come along. But, you DON'T control me...n' DON'T own me. Savvy? Savvy, was apparently Gin's silent reply, as without a second thought, Tame's weapons faded and he put his hands into his pockets. His long, green hair fell behind his shoulders, and his pale eyes were set on some distant thing. Well, then, it looked like everything was settled, and Hoshi didn't look shaken in the least by the fact that she was almost skewered...in the face.

Poised to leave, Daraku took one last glance at Konoha, which was still burning based on the plume of black smoke rising high above its gates. That was right, he'd almost forgot the kid responsible for the damages. Where was he...? Daraku spotted him slightly east, approaching the four of them with a peculiar look about him. Something was in his hand. It was large, like a round ball...but there was blood dripping from the bottom of it. "Hey, you! What the fuck...are you holding someone's head!?" There was no question about it, it was a head, with a glazed-over expression and a jaggedly-sliced neck. It must've been a recent kill, and judging by the amount of blood on the man holding it, he had been the murderer. Interesting enough, if anything. Daraku closed his mouth again, silently shifting his hand under the black mantle shrouded over him, the blue rose on it shimmering lightly in the dim moonlight. His hand met the hilt of Hikō again, and he unsheathed it, letting it low so that its sharp edge could be seen from under the cloak, next to his feet. He yearned to throw it, let it stab through the crazed maniac holding the severed head. It would be easy enough, with the chain attached to the grip and wrapped around Daraku's arm. He ultimately stopped himself, not only because he had gotten his taste of carnage for the day, but also because the man began to speak.

"The Aoi Bara, I assume?" Daraku gave him a blank stare.

"Huh, didn't realize we had reached international fame. However you knew us, or for whatever reason you would care, doesn't concern me. Yes, we are the Aoi Bara. What do you want?" was Daraku's blatent response. He didn't have time to deal with random encounters, he and the rest of the group needed to get back to Tsuyo as soon as possible before they had Konoha ANBU and Jounin coming after them. They had gotten their job done efficiently, with no evidence, and it was still dark out. If they left now, they wouldn't be suspected. Not yet, at least. The guy bit his lip, still clenching the head tightly by the hair, letting it thin between his fingers. His bite was so rough that it pierced his skin, and a single drop of blood dribbled down his chin before falling from it like a stalagmite. It hit the grass under their feet, tainting it red. He spoke again.

"I want you to take me with you." Was he serious? Daraku gave him a satirical grin. This kid was either a prodigy or an idiot, but Daraku just wasn't sure which it was yet.

"Heh. Knowing myself, if I wasn't part of this gig, I would have you on the sharp end of my blade in no time. Consider yourself lucky that that is not the case. Me, I don't exactly know what to think of you yet; judging by the head in your hand, you're at least of some use to us in combat...but we don't have anything else to back that up with, now do we?...I'll let the others decide--" he said, in a harsh enough tone to keep the guy intimidated and on his feet. He turned to them, letting his blue eyes wander over to theirs. They all shared a gaze, for a moment, before he continued, "Well? What do you want to do? You think boss-man will need this Konoha wimp?"

---

Training Chemical Release: Breaking Point
Word Count: 1,870/2,200

The woman appeared behind them and they moved immediately towards Tame's direction. Whitin a few minutes, they appeared on the battlefield with the woman appearing behind Tame. The offer was rushed and bold. She didn't really expect that much out of this guy. He didn't appear to be much of a threat. However, the man quickly responded with a move of his own, showing immense speed in pulling the weapon to her neck. He was full of surprises it seemed, as in an instant he was projecting thoughts to her. She scoffed at his his tone, but she wouldn't let him upset her now. To much was at stake. It seemed he wasn't done though. As the gun like weapon shifted slight and shot a bolt at impressive speeds directly at Hoshi. Her eyes narrowed and she prepared to react with her usual defensive technique, but the bolt stopped. Once again, she heard the man's voice in her head. The bastard had some nerve trying to scare her. On any sane person, it would have worked. She was far from your average ninja though, so she simply rolled her eyes as the bolt of what seemed to be a crystal dissipated into nothing.

At least he agreed to come with them. The leader would be happy to hear that. Her head snapped in another direction as a Konoha ninja came out of the forest holding a freshly severed head. This just kept getting more and more tiresome. She immediately swapped to an offensive stance, holding her sword tightly as she prepared to end the boy's life. He spoke with the male that was with them for a few moments. So he wanted to join? Strange considering someone who killed the Kage of Konoha was with them. Daraku turned to ask Hoshi and the other on our thoughts. "We already have enough people traveling with us, so I say no. It's not like my opinion matters though. Just know that if he makes any movements or comments I don't like, I will end his life without hesitation." She spat the response out like the bitch she was. With that she waited on the woman's response, as she was the strongest of them and would have the final say. Once the decision was made, she would turn and head back to the base. She was tired of these assholes already.

Tame sighed. The woman had stayed silent for far too long for his tastes. At the comment of the man beside him, Tame began to walk away. I'll take him. If he pisses me off, though.... And with that, he sent a wave of malice, his killing intent, at Daraku. Only at him. Only he needed to know what would happen.

C'mon, kid. Let's get going.

Leaving only the slightest of traces of direction, Tame headed for the south border of Konoha's reaches, the Land of Fire. Marking trees randomly with his glowing bolts, he didn't have to slow down for the kid. As he would pass by them, each one of the markers would dissolve on Tame's command (for the whole while, he was keeping tabs on him with his Mind's Eye). No, it would not do him well to fail his first psuedo-mission for the Aoi Bara.

Jackpot.

[442+158 = 600! Travel Konoha ----> Iwa complete; will be official once Tsuneo also travels to Iwa. Still in this topic until then.]

Gin held her gaze steadily on Tame, even as he almost shot at the two other people that were with her. She smirked underneath the bandages that covered most of her face. Archery seemed like a useful skill, and now that Tame was apparently going to be a part of the organization, maybe she could convince him to teach her the basics. She could probably figure the rest out by herself with aid of the sharingan that had been implanted onto her face only brief while ago. Gin only separated her gaze from the green haired boy when an explosion resonated within the proximity of their location. Gin let out a frustrated grunt. That would without a doubt draw attention to their location. They had to get out of there as soon as possible. She stared at the boy that was the apparent cause of the explosion. So he wanted to join them. The other two weren't keen on the prospect. But Gin took sympathy on the boy. If he had any type o talent, she could grind it out of him and turn him into a worthy member of the organization. Yes, she would do that. "I'll let you come along. You'll be my responsibility and you'll be under my training," She stated. She wasn't giving the boy a choice at all. Her words were a fact. "Don't assume that this is a good thing. Be assured that I'll put you through hell itself. If you survive, you'll be more than a worthy addition to our group. In the meantime, restrain yourself from doing anything that gets you any notoriety whatsoever. Understood?" She asked.

But Gin wouldn't wait for an answer before she set out, following the others that had already head out towards Iwagakure. Well, she had a student now. She supposed that placing him under her responsibility and protection was virtually the only way that the other members of the organization would let him survive. She sighed as she set off, running within the forests that surrounded Konoha. She held the line, making sure that no one was following them. And if someone did dare interrupt their travel to the Earth Country, Gin would make sure that they died trying. It was now her job, after all. She was a hired mercenary working for the Blue Rose. Her loyalty was to them now. And of course her new student... She hoped that this would all work out in the end. In the meantime, she would head back to her temporary home. All she wanted now was a good meal and a warm shower. Maybe she would kick a couple of people's asses when she got there. Might as well keep on going with her self-proposed goal: Making the Blue Rose a worthy opponent of the major villages in the shinobi world.

[Konoha to Iwa - Complete. Exit Thread]

Daraku smiled, amused by the intensity in the man's eyes as Tame projected his thoughts to them. I'll take him. If he pisses me off, though.... As if he was projecting his emotions with that statement, Daraku got a bit of a chill down his spine, an omen of sorts. It wasn't a bad thing, at least not in his book; he was just starting to like this Tame guy more and more, they shared a similar taste for pure, unrestricted violence. Bloodshed was the first thing they had in common, and that was enough for Daraku to enjoy on the trip back. The defecting man huddled over to Tame, and they began to leave the clearing,  the flames in the village still burning relentlessly. How sad for the village, to be constantly attacked as it was. Daraku'd heard of how much damage it suffered from Tame's attack, which had been how Tsuyo even knew of him. Now this kid's attack...this village was a giant target for the Aoi Bara, it seemed, before they had become the group that they were now. The group...the idea that Daraku now had a system of companions and allies on this wild life he'd undertaken was reassuring, t the very least, but there was still unfinished business he needed to finish alone. His thoughts wandered to the Pursuers of Truth and his purpose for leaving Sunagakure in the first place as Shinobu went on about taking on the newly-recruited headhunter as a pupil or something. He turned to her the rest of the group, who were leaving. He kept his foot solid on the ground.

"Y'know what? I think I have some business of my own to take care of. You guys go ahead, I'll meet you back at the Mansion in Iwagakure. If I don't come back soon, don't worry about it; this could take a while, depending on the amount of ninja that are alerted by this fire and ruin and whatnot. See you guys then."

With that farewell, Daraku turned and walked back towards the village. He was in Konoha already, why not tie up some loose ends and prepare himself to kill his "nemesis"? He knew that she still outclassed him, but that would change soon, and the weaker her forces were when that moment came, the easier it would be to kill her and earn back his clan's honor. Ironic, how killing his clansmen seemed to be the only way to do so...but they were a torn group, and as such, the Pursuers were hardly of the same blood. They were...traitors, and that was that. On his way back into the village gates, three Jounin stood there, about 10 meters away from him and standing close to each other, putting out one of the smaller fires. They noticed Daraku, and immediately drew their weapons, ready to attack. He laughed under his breath. Don't even think about it... he thought to himself, forming an Ox hand seal and preparing to test his newest jutsu. Before the Jounin could charge at him, he spoke the jutsu's name, like a malediction to their pathetic souls. "Kagakuton: Hakaiten." A burst of chakra escaped his silhouette, and the three turned against each other, stabbing and clawing violently. Blood was shed, within seconds one's throat was slit, and soon, they were all dead, having killed one another blindly. "Such weak wills are manipulated like puppets under the pressure of Medical Ninjutsu...I feel like a demigod or something. Heh." He kicked one of the corpses as he continued past them, into the village. If anything, the villagers would suspect those three did the damages and killed one another, as the Aoi Bara had disappeared and Daraku, with no blood on his hands, and gone on a separate path, both physically and symbolically: a path of vengeance.

[Exit Thread]

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Training Chemical Release: Breaking Point
Word Count: 2,200/2,200 -Complete-

Training Yin Healing Wound Destruction
Word Count: 331/2,200 (to be continued in another thread)

200/225:

Hoshi simply stood in a blantantly stubborn way as everyone did as they wanted and ended up leaving one by one. She sighed as she looked around, throwing her sword up to her shoulder. "I guess it's time to head back. To bad I couldn't slaughter anyone." She said taking off in the direction of Iwa. Why did she come again?

Travel to Iwa Complete [Exit Thread]