It was hard to say that the village hidden in the mist was pleasant. If anything the place was murky and sullen. Many of the nin traveling along the borders of the village stayed well out of range when they could, but for some it was inevitable. The fog was low and settling against the rocks while the moon planted itself high within the sky lording over those which depended upon its light for travel. The breeze was sweeping through the reeds and the water's edge with a stealthy grace, as the animals crept among the water hiding from the moonlight. Taizu stood against the shadows sparring herself from the lunar world around her and waited. She was waiting for four very specific people to pass by her station, and when they did, she had orders to capture and kill. Her body tense, she realized she was tired. Exhausted. She'd been tired since her last mission two days ago in which she'd been ordered to help interrogate a neighboring nin that had been caught trespassing a treaty with the land of lightening. Her smooth red braid slipped over her shoulder brushing her bicep. She fought the urge to move it back behind herself so as not to alert the two she waited for. She wasn't one for looks, Taizu had always been practical.
A simple kunouchi, she'd never bothered giving much thought process into how she dressed or how her hair looked. Hell, she didn't even bother wearing make-up unless she was forced to for a role playing intell mission. Those she hated. She hated being dressed up in traditional robes and having her hair done with intricate braids and flowers. She was not a trophy wife. She was a hand to hand battle ready ninja. That didn't involve having her nails done and her lipstick on. She feigned women who lived to do nothing but find a husband and settle down, let alone kunouchi who led their lives to serve as medical and intell workers. Fuck that shit. She wasn't even good at healing wounds, let alone saving someone's life with any medical function whatsoever. There was a light splash to her right, five feet from her spot, she stayed still and held her breath. It wouldn't be long now. As the black cloaks moved in front of her she caught the first glimpse of Uchiha Sasuke. They'd given her this mission because she was the best they'd had. The best ninja in the mist, but not a swordsmen, Taizu had become a valuable asset at the kage summit. However, she'd refused to be a part of re-sealing the five tailed beast of the mist within herself. They'd proposed taking it back from the Akatsuki and sealing it within her, one day naming her the Mizukage. Again, fuck that shit. Taizu didn't want to lead a village, she didn't want to be a hero, and she sure as hell didn't want a psychotic manic beast sharing her body with herself.
Hugo came up on Sasuke's right as Suigetsu took his left flanking him in a triangular formation. However, it was the little redhead that she watched follow behind them that annoyed her. She was a sensory type who was using her chakra to feel out the swamp, which meant Taizu had minimal seconds to act. As Karin stopped to alert the other boys in front of her that there was another nin to their left, something hard hit her in the back of the neck. It was fast…swift…and her vision dimmed. She passed out hitting the edge of the bank. Sasuke paused glancing back eyeing Karin. He didn't have time to see who'd done it but if she was stupid enough to get knocked out then he didn't need her. He turned to continue walking when Hugo stopped and looked around cautiously.
"Stop." He said raising his hand, but it was Suigetsu who laughed. They both glanced at the idiot perplexed by his sudden outburst.
"Oi! Taizu! Come out my friend!" he called into the mist. Taizu rolled her eyes from where she was hiding in a tree branch that sat above the river bank heaving a long sigh. Well she'd now lost the element of surprise.
"You dumbass. You don't just announce other people's presence." She said sliding out of the tree she dropped into sight crouched on the bank standing up to look at them.
Hugo couldn't help but stare for a moment. A kunoichi? The mist had sent a kunoichi to intercept them? He fought back a laugh but smirked still at the thought. He was rather impressed though. She was slender and taller than most females with an elongated neck and round eyes that shone emerald in the moonlight. Her skin was honey colored, not as pale as most, but it also had a faint dusting of small auburn freckles. Her cheeks and nose were sprayed with the little dots, but they didn't mare her face, yet they added to her abnormal appeal. She wasn't the best looking girl he'd seen by far, she was too plain, but he could see why some would want her. She seemed stable. Dependable. Suigetsu interrupted his train of though however, when he swung the executioner's blade (what was left of it) off his shoulder and aimed it at her. She raised an eyebrow watching him bored and put her right hand on her hip.
"Are you kidding me? You're the other swordsman?" she sighed shaking her head. "Really, and here I thought someone worthwhile had taken Zabuza's blade." He twitched half gaping at her before he shut his mouth and grinned at her.
"And here you are, still doing missions like a good little girl. Never deviated from the path did you Taizu?" she snorted.
"If by deviate, you mean follow that creepy ass snake bastard, then no. I never deviated from the path. But I sure as hell don't answer to the Mizukage." She snapped watching him debate whether or not he'd attack her. But of course she knew what he was going to do before he did it. He ran at her with the blade laughing raising it above his head ready to swing it down across her torso and rip her in half. She stayed still until the last possible second and ducked swinging her leg out knocking his legs from under him. As he slipped she grabbed the blade from his hands, punching him in the stomach, she knocked him into the muddy riverbank putting the blade to his throat.
"Don't test my patience. You're the least of my concerns right now. Besides, you never could beat me when we were kids. I don't know why you thought you could do so now." She sighed and put her foot on his chest keeping him down where he was and she looked up towards Sasuke and Hugo.
"Let me guess, orders are to capture and kill?" Hugo grinned watching her shift her weight easily onto Suigetsu's body keeping him down. Sasuke continued watching her eyes, she was watching him the most. Smart girl. She wasn't letting Hugo and Suigetsu distract her from the target. Normally they counted on the diversions for Sasuke to attack from behind, but she wasn't going to let that happen. He could see it. She was too determined and despite what Hugo seemed to think, far too skilled. He could feel her chakra radiating outward from her body even though she was masking most of it.
"The only one I need to kill here is the Uchiha. Stay out of it and I'll let you live." She said meeting Sasuke's eyes while talking to Hugo.
"Then you've agreed to a suicide mission." Sasuke spoke firmly his eyes changed red and she froze caught within the Sharingun before she could even blink. She was fucked.
