Quest 30: Strikeforce Nebula- Raid
It's a shame that we could stay in Jokisure longer, but we have a job to do. Other Chunin had found us soon as we left the city, and we were escorted to a near Fort Kamiki another place abandoned by time, we arrive at a camp they had already set up. I can see the fort towering over the snow-covered treetops ahead.
"Hmm, so you decided to bring all of them well that makes things easier," A familiar gruff voice states.
I look over in the direction and Kuwabara the proctor for the second exam.
"Wait I think you're short one man."
"Yeah we suffered a casualty raiding one of Paragon's bases," Ryuzaki says in a monotonic voice.
He looks at the redheaded chunin, his eyes look a little mournful but his gaze hardens as he turns to the genin. "And you all decided to come along, you weren't ordered by these idiots?"
"Yeah, if this information can start a war we have to what we can to stop it." Mao states.
"I want payback for what they did, Ken," I feel Tora seething his hate growing.
The rest nods their heads in agreement, "They are here because they want to be." I state.
"Fine, the good news is we confirmed that this Dr. Vito is here along with the intel we are looking for the bad news they have rogue ninja and mercenaries guarding the place. For the sake of this mission, I will be assuming command over your squads understood." The dwarf barks out.
We, as the trio of chunin nod in response.
"Good, my team will be assisting the assault on the outer perimeter, your team is on infiltration find that information is top priority, destroy it if you have to as long as it doesn't get into the mist hands." Kuwabara debriefs us.
We go over to the fort, god it's so big, Himeji was only about a third of its size.
"This place once served as a palace for the grand daimyo before, the land of steam became part of the federation. Then it became a fort during the second great war." Kuwabara informs as we get closer. "After the Cloud had sacked us here we thought it would fall to pieces seems we were wrong," He continues.
"Alright, how do we get in?" Ryuzaki asks.
It's a damn good question considering the have archers and gunmen on the roofs and I don't see any to get up there without being spotted.
"We have two other teams here on stand by, We'll hit them out of here so you can get in."
"Are you coming in with us a jonin on the inside will do more damage," I say making the gruff man smirk.
"True but the point is to distract them and I have the just thing." Kuwabara grabs his radio, "Get ready we're moving now," he then bites his thumb and performs a summoning. The array appears and my vision is obscured by smoke my body lurches upwards. The white haze clears and I find myself seeing the top of the fort with no canopy blocking my sight. I look down and see that I'm standing on a red and black striped ground, it looks scaly.
Of all the guards are on high alert, of the monstrosity and the archers and gunmen take aim. The sound of freight train roars below, and an immense fiery plume shoots out consuming the foes before us. The roars of mercenaries clamor below, fighting the other teams of ninja.
The ground rumble below as whatever creature this is continues to move on the vast castle. It stops just outside courtyard and leans in on the western tower.
"Now not the time to get star-struck brat get your ass inside move!" Kuwabara hollers out.
All eleven of us descend off the... Lizard, no salamander. It's colossal head swings around burning more assailants.
"Whoa, I gotta learn that one," Tora whistles in appreciation.
"Come on in here," I say opening nearby a window.
Inside is...Really clean I mean when we raid bandit hideout there filthy, rotting and musty, but then again this isn't a bandit hideout it's paragon's base, and an important one. The room we enter has polished hardwood floors and beige walls.
"Whoa, it's nice in here," Kali chimes.
"I know we're so used, going into abandoned buildings and stuff," Tora adds on.
"We can appreciate the decor later, we need to split and scourer for that Intel." Charles barks.
"Okay, we'll split the teams we used last time?" I ask
"Sure why not so as long no one else gets killed." Charles' jibe is a cheap shot at Ryuzaki
"Stop being such a dick Takashi-gaki." Charles huffs at my last statement.
Midori is over by the door she signals that two are outside. Charles just walks through it, that reckless fool. I hear sounds of fighting metal striking and thudding then they cease.
"um, it's clear." Midori chirps
While we leave I hear Erik mutter."That jackass."
Truer words are never spoken.
"Alright, My team we'll take the west wing," I command.
My radio sparks on, " I need a seal user, dealing with a barrier out here it's in the east wing, these sons- o..." Static interference, just like the mission at Nippon.
"Someone's jamming the signals again," Kali points out.
"This has happened before," Mao asks
"Yeah, our joint mission in Nippon something like this happened." Ryuzaki states he pause for a moment, "And that guy was there to a rogue ninja I think.
Richard, he's probably here as well, Then why haven't blackguards intervened yet you think they would have caught him by now if we found his location. Maybe the clan decided to go public with the information, making the blackguards unnecessary. The Hoshikage was willing to let me give away the information, if so then the council is getting desperate.
"My team will head over to the east wing, we need to tell Kuwabara about the jammer," Ryuzaki states.
"That leaves the north section for my team," Charles commands.
We all go our separate ways without radio communication between each other I just everything doesn't go to shit.
Ryuzaki
The blade comes down quickly barely me leaving any time to dodge, The tanto wielding mercenary nicks my shoulder, thankfully he only scratched my vest. The old man rushes me again but, I'm more prepared to block him this time, I parry his knife thrust and kick him in his gut, he reels back, but he's still standing. What a pain the rest of my team is faring well, as far as I know. I see Kallen kicking some guys ass in the corner of my eye.
"Brat pay attention to what's in front of you!" the old soldier shouts swinging too wide.
I take the advantage and move in, but he anticipates this and follows with a jab from his free hand. He aims for my head, thinking quickly I swerve my forehead into his path blocking it. The unexpected move surprises him and I low kick him in his knees. He stumbles into a wooden drawer collapsing under him his head hitting the wall with a resounding thump. His body slouches, signaling my victory.
I look around and see Yusuke and Kallen have finished their opponents as well.
"These guys are pretty tough customers," Yusuke says wiping off some sweat.
"Yeah but nothing we can't handle," I state feeling proud of my training.
I make a few hand seals ninja art: seal detection lines of formula appear on the walls wait a second that's-
Before I can even give out a warning walls shoot of the floor separating me from Yusuke and Kallen shit! The walls continue moving around rearranging themselves it's like the maze in the first chunin exam.
"Ryuzaki are you okay?!" Kallen shouts from the other side of the wall.
"I'm fine but we gotta a problem this is labyrinth trap barrier it might be setup around this entire place we have to deal with it and quickly."
"No kidding it's bad enough that we're practically deaf and dumb in here!" Yusuke yells.
"Okay we can probably find whoever doing this, both barriers would have to be in the same location!"
"How's that?!" Yusuke asks,
"A barrier this complex won't work with another barrier in a different area the the advanced nature of the matrices clash too often," Kallen explains to my surprise.
"Exactly we find one we find the other. Ugh but that guy isn't our problem it's Takashi's the formula I saw shows that center is north of here."
"So we leave it to that asshole." Yusuke groans.
"Luckily, Tora is with him he'll find out what's going on," I hope. "In the meantime we need a way warn the other teams outside, look for an exit," I order.
"Roger."
"Yep,"
I let out a sigh, be safe you two I can't bare to lose anyone else. I run down the path before me trying to weave my way out of this crazy maze. Finally a room, it's large and- someone's here a woman sitting legs folded facing away from me in the center of the room. She turns her head in my direction. She's expecting me, her hair is black, straight and long reaching the center of her back. Her skin is a light brown a shade or two lighter than Kallen and Tokegeroh, she's kunoichi I can tell by the gear she wears, shuriken pouch on her hip kunai knives on her thigh and wearing a silky dress green with wire mesh underneath.
" Hello there boy, come to kill me?" she says in a smooth tone.
"Depends are you going get in my way?"
She chuckles lightly, "Depends on what you're after?"
"The end of Paragon," I state coldly.
"Then yes child, I'm going to get in your way." It's so weird she almost sounds sad.
She rises to her feet and turn towards – what the hell she's
"Are you-"
"Yes child, I am blind."
Brian/ Tokegeroh
Of all the luck this would happen, the wall suddenly started moving separating me from my team leaving me pretty much on my own. Another dead end, this fucking maze! It's like their leading me somewhere, a door is just ahead about time!
I open the door and enter it's a lab I think. The place has cages with something in- oh shit! I see where this going, the door shuts behind me, it's locked! They made this place a killing room.
"Well if it's my friend from the other day, came to have more questions answered." I know that slimeball's voice anywhere, Vito!
Charles/ Takashi
"This way Takashi-san," Tora directs me with a stern voice.
He certainly has no love for after what I said back in Jokisure
"This is too easy," I mutter.
"I agree we're being led by the nose, into a trap," Tora says but his pace quickens.
"Hold on dammit, do you want to die!" I shout trying to catch up the little fool going get us both killed.
He stops, "No I want Paragon dead," he looks at me with a cold expression, the little psycho means it. " There's a room just ahead."
I see the lit room as round the corner, we enter and see a buff man toting a fucking bazooka!
"Hello kiddies, ready to play!" The burly man sounds completely mental.
The expression in his eyes yellow eyes screaming insane asylum. Wait I know this bloke or at I've heard if him, a former shinobi exiled for breaking the third tenet and almost the second tenet. Randy the manslayer or Rando the demon, The man murderous rampage killing dozens of civilians we the council asks his reasoning he said just because he could. He was known as one of the most dangerous ninjas during the second shinobi war! Paragon unleashed this monster!
Tora already walking up to him, the little bastard going to get himself killed.
"Tora don't!" I shout.
Randy's eyes fell on the Uzumaki, but Tora keeps walking to him. The man has a murderous glint in his eyes I can feel a chill deep in my bones. This killing intent, I recognize instantly. I activate the Black Tortoise's chakra, I can't hold back against him if do we're both dead!