Quest 28: Strikeforce Nebula- assault

"Ryuzaki look, it's a messenger hawk," Ken points out.

The large brown predator swoops down from the high snow capped mountains. I extend my arm as a perch, and it lands there having two messages wrapped on its legs, I take both, one address to Takashi. I unravel the tiny scroll and read it as the hawk lands in a nearby tree.

To the chunin commanders,

I'm sorry guys I couldn't catch the perp, he escaped. We should be heading to the steam state by the time you get this please a location for us to meet up. Be careful the enemy may have employed mercenaries as well as rogue ninjas.

"Useless as always Tokegeroh," Takashi groans what was the point in sending two letters?

I pull out message scroll from my vest and write:

To Tokegeroh Ren,

We found a lead thanks to Kallen, the bandits are holed up in an old inn with some dried up hot springs outside of Jokisure. We're closing in on them as I write, so hurry if don't want to miss the action, Baka-geroh,

I smile at the last finishing touch on my letter and call down the bird, "Take this to a team heading this way," I instruct tying my message the bird.

The damn thing screeches loudly in my ear, before taking off into the gray sky, good riddance damn buzzard.

"what did Aniki say Ryu-chan?" Kallen asks me, I try not to blush at her using my nickname she's probably the only her I'd allow to say it.

"He couldn't catch the guy, but he's on his way here to back us up and that there might be rogue ninja and mercenaries we'll have to content with." I respond, that beautiful girl flashes me a quick smile making my heart race.

I liked her ever since I first saw her at the Academy, but she was always hanging Baka-geroh. That's the reason why I hated the guy, I made sure to belittle him as much as possible. I mean sure he's my teammate now, but that guy has so many secrets I don't think I can trust him, even his relationship with Kallen seems off. The way she looks at him is the same way I look at her maybe I'm just paranoid.

When we come across an off beaten path in the road ahead, with a few worn foot and hoof prints in it.

"It's this way right?" I ask.

"Yeah but there's been a lot of traffic coming through here," Kallen says.

"We should go the treetops less chance of us getting spotted.," Yusuke suggests.

"Yeah, let's go," I command and everyone leaps into the snow covered the canopy.

We jump from branch to branch shaking off the snow as we pass, finally make it a large tan inn with red tile rooftops standing in front of a rock wall, with a bunch of dried up geysers in front of it.

"Now what? Do we wait for Tokegeroh, and set up camp." Yusuke asks.

"That heavy traffic is worrying me, and who knows how long Tokegeroh could take to get here," I respond, then I notice the guards around the hotel, there standing vigilantly watching I don't like this.

"It's useless, even the enemy is probably looking for us, thanks to Tokegeroh," Takashi snorts out.

"Lay off him Takashi, he probably ran into some complications," I say defending my teammate from this asshole.

"Yeah right, if I know him, he probably got distracted by some nonsense and perp got away like I said he's useless."

"Didn't he kick your ass Totally?!," I retort, the pudgy-faced fat ass gets angry, but then he calms himself down.

"He got lucky, I get him next time." he says gravely.

I doubt Tokegeroh kicked his ass, using strategy it wasn't luck, but I drop the subject. I hear something coming up the road.

I see a horse driven carriage carrying some crates, but suddenly a rock wall erupts blocking its path forcing the carriage to stop.

I see Takashi hands in the snake seal. "What are you doing?!"

"Coming up with a plan since their all on high alert, I'm thinking we use a trojan horse."

I am unfamiliar with the term, but Kallen and Yusuke know what he's talking about.

"Let's get down there and introduce ourselves," Tora says ready for action.

There are only two men thankfully, Tora jump on one of them from the trees and Takashi pops out the ground and stabs the other. I jump down as well and go the crates. I pry one open with a kunai, and it's the same kind of weapons that guy was carrying back in Nippon, a bunch of long ones and short ones and black bombs.

"We can use these! We can have a solid adv-"

"Nope, we're destroying them," Takashi interrupts me sternly.

"Why?! I've seen what this thing can do, first hand, hell has so Tora!"

"No! do even know how to fire it, how to reload it or deal with the recoil, we're destroying them and that's final." He says, glaring at me, but how does he know so much about it? He's never fought against these.

"Whatever, how we send the cart in and blow it up it'll make for a good distraction." I advise, he nods, but as he turns away a grab one of them and slip into my vest along with several beads and a vial of powder I saw that guy use it I'm pretty sure I can too.

"Alright let's make a plan of attack with the others," Takashi says, hailing the rest of the team.

"We need two of us disguise ourselves as these guys, I'll line the bottom the cart with paper bombs so they won't see it coming. A squad needs to deal with archers outside so the rest of us can fight without worry,"

"No need for disguises I've got something that can help on that end." Takashi smiles creepily.

He drags the bodies in front of him and flings through some hand seal and touch his palms to the ground, the earth swallows the corpses and a green crack forms on the ground as the bodies pop out more pale, but they're moving.

"Something I've been working on since the exams ended," He clarifies. "So long as they don't notice the stench this will work just fine. By the way, we only have ten minutes until their bodies break down."

"What?! That isn't enough time! We need to get our people into position, why didn't you just cast the jutsu When we're all ready? You idiot!" I roar angrily at him.

"Then get them into position!" The fat bastard roars back.

Damn it this just makes things worse, "Everyone find a place to settle in we're moving on the hot springs now!"

"Now!?" Honoka shouts over the radio.

"Blame Takashi and his stupid ass jutsu!" I run over and cling to the bottom of the carriage as it starts moving the rock wall ahead sinks back into the ground. I need to quickly plant these bombs and find a safe place to detonate, I pull out several tags nearly dropping them, I hurriedly plant the bombs up and down the bottom.

"Hey, the weapons are here!" I hear a voice boom out joyfully.

"Bout damn time, I heard those ninjas hit the fat asshole Tsuchi, and that weird dude Vito," So they knew we were coming that explains the increased security. Vito must be the guy Tokegeroh's group attacked.

"Hey you guys alright, aw shit you guys reek!" the words have nerves on edge is now the time.

"Get the fuck to the south end, so we can unload this thing and take a fucking bath."

I let out a sigh of relief when the carriage starts moving again, and I scan the area for openings. I see one, to my left a crates big enough to hide my body, I roll out from underneath the cart and slip behind the crates I don't think the archers spotted me.

These crates they might have same kinds of weapons, the look the same as the one on the cart.

"With these as well leftovers from the last shipment, those shitty shinobi won't stand a chance," We'll see about that I scurry up the wall behind me to the roof keeping my body low. I notice the bandits are gathering around it.

"Everyone ready,"

"Yeah,"

"yes,"

"Roger,"

"Let's do this!"

I release the seals the cart's blast blooms in fiery blaze its ember petals scatter to the other crates, making more blossoming fires. The deafening shock waves rip the bandits to shreds. The inn is catching fire nicely as well, that gives me an idea!

I pull out a scroll from my handy vest and unfurl it, the kanji for wind is written in the center, I hold it outwards, and trigger the seal, a torrent wind catches the flames and spreads all over the rooftops some of the archers get swallowed by them.

"Remember our target is a woman named Natsumi, we take her alive, and maybe she can lead us to Paragon boss," I remind the team.

"Okay, good with that fire Ryuzaki it should make things easier for us if we smoke them out.," Kallen says making my heart jump, but now's not the time for that I need to rendezvous with my team.

"Hey, Ken where are you guys?!"

"west side of the inn heading inside with Yusuke," My teammate responds.

"Be there soon," I grab a blank scroll draw up a fire seal array, my chakra spreads to the fire catching and pulling the flames into the scroll. Now that that's done, time to meet up with Ken and Yusuke, there's a window below me isn't covered in flames, I jump in though there.

Shit, the moment I do I see a dozen bandits standing between me and where I need to go. One of them heard my landing and turns around this going be annoying totally.

"There's one!" The scrawny bandit shouts and all of their attention is turned to me, time to get to work.

I run at them with them as come towards me, the first victim swings his sword in the narrow hallway recklessly. I rush in and bash his face in his nose is broken, as he recoils in pain slam palm into his sword holding elbow causing him to stab the girl behind him. Her head sprays out blood as she falls limply to the floor with the sword still jammed in there. A man moves around toting another of those weapons, he tries to point it at me, but I'm the faster shot as two shurikens hit his sides, He thrashes around from the impact a fires a shot into the wall another shuriken in his neck and he's dead. The man with broken nose manages to free his sword and comes at me, I jump in his range and throw him into a wall while disarming him, two more men approach from behind, I quickly use my new sword to parry the incoming blows watching sensei fight little I learned some techniques.

I cut them down quickly enough by dismembering them, there both missing their arms coating the walls of the hall with their blood. I decide to give the man pack his sword by tossing it into his gut, he's pinned to the wall desperately trying to free himself as he bleeds out.

The people scatter for some- oh shit! A fireball zooms down the hallway and his square on! Damn it burns oh on I'm dying..., Hahaha or would if I hadn't put up this barrier, come on, they didn't think I'd be prepared for this kind of thing. The flamethrower back is already out of breath not surprising fire style is very chakra intensive. The bandits look at me gobsmacked I smirk pulling out a little fire of my own. I unravel the seal pointing it at them, flames erupt from the seal burning the scream running around like chickens with their heads cut off, the flames kill them off quickly before dying out themselves.

I run down the halls heading west, I see them standing outside a door.

"Just in time boss, we found Natsumi," Yusuke says.

"Yeah, we interrogated one of the bandits this is room she's in. It was easy the guy caved soon as he saw us."

Right then something screamed at me, 'something isn't right'

"Ken, Yusuke wait,-" too late Ken opens the door, fire blasts out it and a powerful shock sends me flying back, a trap bomb, a trigger on top of paper bomb used to ambush intruder, Damn it, Ken and Yusuke! I tried to get to my feet, but I feel a sharp pain in my legs. A huge chunk of wood is stuck inside of it, I rip it out roaring in pain and throw the bloody piece aside.

"Well, well, well it seems I have guests,"A woman voice comes out smoothly over my ringing ears.

The woman must Natsumi, she is cleaner than most bandits she's a kunoichi, a rouge ninja dammit!

I try to sit up I can see the fallen forms of my team totally! This is bad if I don't do something soon we could all die!

The woman Natsumi has short pink hair, wearing a white and red kimono I can see chain mail covering her cleavage. Her deep brown eyes bore into me like a hawk, and then they travel down to the floor."

"Oh ho what this thank you this speeds things up so much," She picks a gun, my gun! Dammit! I can't die here. She loads my heart is racing my head trying to think of a way out, I can barrier myself but what if she finishes off Yusuke and Ken if there even alive. She points the barrel at my face, damn I want to tell Kallen how really feel about her, and Tokegeroh, I want to fight that bastard some day. I want to surpass you gramps dammit this so unfair! I feel something, air roaring winds like a tornado is in room Natsumi feels it too.

"The hell is tha-" before she can finish her sentence she sent flying into the wall by something. I look around and- Yusuke he's still alive his face is a little burn and splinters of wood are jutting out him, but he's still alive!

Natsumi get back to her feet angry, I can feel the woman's bloodlust.

"You little shit, you'll suffer for that!"

Time to end this, I go through all the hand seals the array forms.

Natsumi points the loaded pistol at him and the fires, the thundering crack stops my heart my blood runs cold when I see my teammate fall.

I have to keep going keep concentrating for their sakes! The array has formed just in time, as the kunoichi turns her eyes widen in shock.

"What the hell is that!?"

"My ultimate seal, Hidden jutsu: Dragon lancet seal!" I shout out as the blue dragon bites down her I feel her power and her skill filling me up, enough power to overcome her I want to drain the bitch of every last drop, but we still need her to find out paragon's plans so leave her with just enough for her to live.

My wounds are healing A little from seals effects, I'm able to walk a little now. I limp over to Yusuke he's still alive thank goodness he starts to a little, but those pieces are still inside of him, and Ken is he?

No... Damn it all, Ken's is in pieces he took the brunt of the explosion the skin is singed off, and his chest cavity is exposed. He's dead what do I tell Tora and Kallen my eyes well up, they were both my responsibility and let one of them die dammit!

"Kallen, I need you here please," I murmur over the radio.

"What's happened Ryuzaki?" She can already tell something's wrong.

"Yusuke's is critically injured and -" Dammit I can't say it. "Just get to my position in the west of the inn.

"I'm close just hang in there!" She shouts.

I limp over to the kunoichi and seal her chakra alongside a curse seal that won't permit to move without my say so. I can hear someone running down here I lean on the wall and wait. Kallen rounds the corner she sees me and then she looks to the others. She looks at Ken and covers her mouth I notice the tears forming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, she's a rogue ninja she set up a trap for us. Ken – Ken took the brunt of it all, he's dead."

She says nothing and walks over to Yusuke removing the splinters of his body and heals him with the mystic palm.

Exhaustion comes over my body as I feel the seal's effects fade I slump down on the inn's floor. Kallen walks over to me her lovely hazel eyes leak out tears. She quickly wipes them away and begins healing my legs.

"Kallen I'm sorry,"

"Don't be we're shinobi, this happens in our line of work," She says coldly, but I see through that facade she putting on a brave face. "There you're finished, just more thing." She turns to Ken's corpse.

She removes his headband and his wallet containing his ninja registration card. She flings through several hand signs and burns his remains.

"I'll tell Tora what happened don't burden yourself with this, okay," she says solemnly, I can only nod at her words.

" Hey! We're almost finished here you grab the bitch yet!" Takashi yells crassly over the radio.

"Yeah, we got her," But at too high a cost.

Objective 2/4 cleared

items obtained

Rusted swords x4

Silver kunai x2

44000 ryo