Rescue Waho - Mission Go!
Asuri
"The lunch break is our way in. Funida, Tatsuoki, Beniyo, we'll be one team…"
The four of them sat in the unused room in silence.
They should be heading to lunch any minute now…
"...Lunch is one of the most important meals of the day!"
"Whatever you say doctor Busujima."
Everyone got ready to move.
Asuri had an ear to the door, waiting for their steps to fade away with a hand held up.
Step. Step.. Step… step…
Silence.
She swung her hand down in a 'follow me' motion, and opened the door.
…
"Motoe, you have another task…"
Motoe leaned against the wall near the side door leading to the residential area.
He was counting.
"...that twenty minute patrol is our main time limit. Once we're inside we'll let you in through the side door. If you're not in by 18 minutes, make a noise so we know to wait."
…
"Once the lunch break starts…"
Asuri and Beniyo moved to hide behind either side of the door, while Tatsuoki and Funida approached the door.
Tatsuoki paused with his fist raised.
Asuri nodded the go ahead.
Knock Knock.
Click, the door opened.
A teen stood on the other side, around 16 years old.
"Can I help you?"
"Hi, We're really lost, could you point us to the village exit?"
The assistant rolled his eyes, and stepped out so he could point down the hall.
Which was when Asuri and Beniyo jumped him.
He didn't stand a chance.
"...if there are four guys working in shifts, then there should only be one at a time."
…
"Once we're inside I need you boys to stand watch…"
Tatsuoki rushed to the side door to let Motoe in, while Funida dragged in the teen, and took his coat and name tag.
Everything in place, their gazes met and they split off to cover each their own door, with Funida covering the main entrance.
…
"Benyio, you and I will look for Waho…"
Asuri flicked on the lights as Beniyo started to run around.
The doctor's facility consisted of several rooms connected by hallways.
The main entrance entered a sort of lobby/recreational room.
The first room Asuri checked was an office. No sign of Waho.
The first room Beniyo checked was a smaller prison, with 3 cells. 2 of them were occupied, while the third remained empty. The two had deformations. They were spotted with snake scales. One of them had slitted eyes, while the other laid in a far too flexible position. No sign of Waho.
Together they arrived in the final room. The laboratory.
On one of the tables they found her tied down, shifting uncomfortably.
She had snake scales growing from her elbows up to her neck, and down to her lower back.
"Waho!"
Beniyo rushed over and started undoing the binds.
Asuri approached more cautiously.
The girl's eyes shot open. Slitted, like a snake.
"Beniyo…"
"We're here to get you out of here, hold on."
A shout from the main entrance. Funida.
"We've got trouble!"
Asuri and Beniyo's eyes met.
"...if we get caught, we split and run. Beniyo and I will take Waho and get out. You guys will have to handle yourselves."
Funida
He'd seen the doctor and that ninja coming back.
It's way too early.
He dropped the coat as he shouted over his shoulder.
"We've got trouble!"
The door creaked open.
"Well look who it is. Mr ninja, isn't that our good friend Funida?"
The doctor held the door open, speaking with sadistic glee.
"I told you I saw someone snooping about yesterday."
They'd been caught.
The chunin walked in and the doctor closed the door behind them. A casual glance was enough for the two to notice the knocked out assistant.
"This is where I ask you if you considered what would happen to your parents for this."
Funida flinched.
The doctor laughed.
"Oh my, Mr. Ninja, have you not told the poor boy?"
What?
The chunin turned. To face him.
"I wanted to see how far he'd go before he figured it out."
"Oh did I just ruin your game mr ninja?"
The chunin shook his head.
"Not yet."
The chunin turned back to Funida.
"I'm going to give you one chance to explain what you're here for."
A wave of killing intent hit the child, who recoiled back a step in fear.
Shaking, Funida looked down at the ground.
Forgive me.
"We- We're here to rescue Waho. They should be leaving out the back now."
The chunin stepped forward.
"Smart lad."
"Haha. Oh this is just too much."
Funida flinched again.
"The boy betrays his friends to rescue his parents, who are long since passed."
What?
The amusement in the doctor's voice vanished.
"Deal with him, I'll go get my subject."
Funida did nothing as the doctor passed him by.
"Is it true?"
The ninja scoffed.
"They weren't worth feeding."
Knuckles cracked with Funida's grip on the staff. He raised his head with a dark look in his eyes.
"I'll kill you!"
He stepped in to attack.
The ninja blocked with ease.
"Hm, I just told the lie. It was the doctor who locked them up and decided to let them rot."
Funida looked back over his shoulder at the man he'd let escape.
"Don't turn your back to a ninja."
Funida managed to turn enough to see the backhand hit him, and launch him into the wall, impacting it lightly.
In his powerlessness, the rage burned out.
They're gone…
A shadow stood over him with a raised hand.
"Funida!"
Thunk!
A staff intercepted the strike.
Two quick steps, and another struck, forcing the ninja to back away.
"Motoe, Tastuoki?"
They stood vigil over him.
"We heard everything. Go after the doc and help the girls."
Tatsuoki twirled his staff.
"We'll hold this guy off."
"Pfft, we'll kick his butt!"
Funida forced himself up.
"You guys…"
"We're practically brothers right? Your family is our family, kick his ass for us."
Funida nodded, and with renewed vigour, chased after the doctor.
Motoe
"You do know that we probably can't take on a chunin, Motoe?"
"Yea, but Funida didn't need to know that."
The two took up their stances.
"Kids playing at shinobi. Ridiculous."
Before Motoe could react, the ninja stepped in and kicked Tatsuoki away, before turning to punch Motoe.
Right block.
The fist impacted his staff and he slid a couple of steps.
He's out of our league!
…
"Hey Boss, how do you know you've mastered a block?"
"Why the hell do you think I'd know that?"
Motoe shrugged.
"Urgh, fine. Let me explain. What does a block do?"
"Stop you from getting hit right?"
…
The ninja followed up with his other hand.
Left Block.
The fist impacted his staff again, and he stepped to keep his balance.
…
"So what does that mean?"
"Huh?"
"What does not getting hit mean?"
That doesn't make any sense.
…
The ninja kicked straight.
Middle block.
Motoe fell on his back and recovered to his feet with a roll.
…
"It means making the attack pointless."
"So… I've mastered the block then?"
Hei glared, and got up.
"Really?"
Motoe nodded hesitantly.
"Stop me."
Thunk.
…
Another punch.
Left Block.
He felt the impact vibrate through his body.
…
Motoe slid back from the hit.
"See, nothing."
"Really?"
Hei's staff taps the ground where Motoe'd been standing.
"Then why have you moved?"
…
I get it now…
The ninja completely controlled the fight.
With every strike Motoe weakened.
With every strike Motoe lost the chance to do anything but block the next attack.
"If you master those four blocks, you'll never get hit."
The ninja raised a leg up straight, ready to bring the hammer down.
"...if you're never hit, you'll never lose."
This ninja was so much stronger than him, but winning wasn't about strength.
The hammer fell.
High block.
He wanted to buckle and brace, but then he'd be crushed.
"Then why have you moved?"
Instead he angled the block, guiding the foot to fall beside him.
An opening!
Motoe held the staff over his head, ready for a samurai kenjutsu styled overhead strike.
I'm not fast enough.
He could see the opening closing, and the wall regained its strength.
"Wind release: Silver spear!"
To the side, Tatsuoki stood at the end of a thrust, from his staff, a stream of silver coloured air striking out.
The ninja raises an arm and bats the weak blast aside.
"Not being hit means making the attack useless."
Cracks, the pinhole widened, the wall collapsed, and victory shined through.
Waho
Waho was piggybacking on Beniyo. She was the fittest of the three.
"Out the back."
Her body may have still been waking up, but her mind was sharp.
"Take a left now."
"Waho, what are we doing?"
"Using some of that useless knowledge you hate. Right now."
She ignored how Beniyo grumbled in response. They both knew there was no bite in the words. Waho was channelling her panic into sarcasm, Beniyo was turning it into irritation.
To each her own.
"Waho, how likely is it that we are being pursued?"
"Very."
She'd been a 'prized success'. The furthest the doctor had gotten to imitating some of Orochimaru's biological modifications.
"He'll want me back. Your greatest odds of success would be to leave me behind."
"No way! We've come this far, we'll get through to the end."
"I find myself in agreement."
Waho picked up on something in the distance.
"While the guts is appreciated, I can hear the doctor approaching, please hurry."
"On it!"
They reached a less lit area of the base.
"Alright, we're here, put me down."
"Waho, this isn't the exit."
Waho shook her head.
"We weren't going to get away in time, I was merely maximising our odds of survival."
Beniyo cracked her knuckles as Asuri helped her down.
"Good, with what he's done to you I have a thing or two to say!"
"With your abilities, I expect it will be something along the lines of 'Aargh, ouch.'"
Asuri interjected, elegantly.
"Focus. He's here."
Step. Step. Step.
The three saw the man approach calmly. His deceitfully calm voice dripped of poison.
"Now, now. This has gone on far enough."
He pulled at one of his rubber gloves. Waho had seen that he didn't like having to clean blood off his skin.
He equipped a smile that was meant to be friendly. Its cheshire shaping relayed its true nature.
"This could all end quite neatly, look, we're already at the prison. Why don't you all cooperate?"
Beniyo looked back at Waho, who mouthed...
I have a plan.
The good friend Beniyo was, that was enough.
She didn't actually have a plan, more like an idea.
Asuri and Beniyo shared a look and readied themselves.
A sigh.
"Hard way it is."
The two charged.
With a scoff, he waved his hand at Beniyo, the slight back hand knocking her away. Giving Asuri the opportunity to come close and strike.
She backed away almost as quickly, a cautious look in her eyes.
"Tch, tch. Your clan techniques will be useless here, I've shifted the position of all my pressure points."
He shrugged.
"Perhaps if you'd had something like the Hyuuga Byakugan you might have had a chance, but your clan's blood is weak."
"Leave her alone!"
The doctor didn't turn as he caught Beniyo, mid charge, by her throat.
"Enhanced senses, reflexes, strength, speed, and stamina. It's wonderful what can be accomplished with enough knowledge and hard work. Don't you think Waho?"
She tried to struggle to her feet, but her body was still weak.
"No need to worry, you'll soon find yourself even greater than these things, once I'm done with you. Your compatibility with the process has been astounding. For now though…"
He turned his attention to Beniyo who was starting to turn blue.
"...I did of course implement the best of my results on myself, once it was proven to be stable. I would rate myself equal to a higher class jonin."
Desperate, Asuri tried to punch him, which he simply ignored.
It was ineffective.
"Busujima!"
The doctor let go of Beniyo to block the incoming attack with his forearm.
This is it.
"Asuri the keys! He's carrying the keys to the prisons!"
She reached, but the doctor stepped back.
Funida struck again swiftly, an attempt at a three hit combo.
"Primitive, and pointless-"
Asuri dove for the keys again, and he backed up once more up against the cage, before grabbing her wrist.
"While valiant, these endeavours are-"
A silhouette of a man loomed over the doctor. A massive figure, who moved silently.
A pair of gorilla thick dark skinned arms shoot through the bars, wrapping themselves around the doctor's neck, before twisting his neck with a visceral snap.
Silence lingered, and no one moved as the lumbering figure reached down to grab the keys.
Click. Creak.
He was free, and walked out into the light.
"Funida."
"Uncle!"
The two approached one another, seemingly familiar.
While they caught up, Beniyo came and helped Waho to her feet.
"Did you know that the ninja here knew Funida?"
She shook her head.
"No, I knew there was a ninja here that the doctor's escort was worried about."
"I guess facts can be cool."
A muffled laugh was Waho's response.
"You guys!"
Motoe and Tatsuoki.
That meant everyone was here.
"So, you six have gotten yourselves into some trouble I hear."
Naturally, the adult present took charge.
"...you are aware that Orochimaru did actually like the doctor right?"
They shared looks.
Oh…
"First the brat, now you. Why are all you kids so gullible?"
He shook it off.
"You need to get out of here, and you need asylum. I can take a group with me to the hidden cloud, but too many and we won't make it far."
Tatsuoki and Motoe looked at Funida.
"That's your home right? We can go there."
Tatsuoki nodded in agreement.
"Don't you have your clan?"
He shook his head.
"Grandfather will understand, and like Motoe said, we're practically brothers. No way are we leaving you alone."
The man nodded, and turned to the girls.
"That leaves you three."
Waho stroked her chin.
"The land of fire is the closest. We can head to the hidden leaf. Being Orochimaru's enemy, he's less likely to make a move against us there."
Beniyo nodded readily, while Asuri seemed resigned to her fate.
"Hey, before we go…"
Motoe got up and approached Beniyo.
"...Let's meet up again sometime right?"
Beniyo took his hand.
"Yeah."
An idea hit Waho.
"The chunin exams."
Looks.
"We can meet up at the Chunin exams, either you guys come to the hidden leaf, or we go to the hidden cloud."
"It's a promise."
""Right!""
A cough.
"First we need to make it out."
The lumbering ninja handed the keys to another prisoner.
"Here you go, the more people you get out, the better your odds."
…and the group witnessed the start of a riot.
"We're not going with them. They're our distraction…"
…
Actual ninja are really impressive.
All of them had made it out of the village.
"Alright, it doesn't seem like anyone has noticed, it's time to split."
He paused.
"Actually, you six go on ahead."
They were hesitant, but they assented, leaving the man alone in the clearing.
The Prisoner
A black clad figure landed nearby.
"I thought someone was missing from the riot, but here you were. So heroic, staying behind to let them escape. I wonder, would young Funida's parents have survived if you'd done that 3 years ago?"
A sound jonin. One who'd continuously visited and taunted him over the last 3 years ever since his capture. Yumika had the right idea about him, a real hateable bastard.
"No." Lighting cracked at his fingers "I just wanted them out of the blast zone."