Missing Mission:
Thursdays were the days I took off for training my Jutsus and any new techniques. For some reason Thursdays felt good. Endurance training, body hardening, chakra control and research were like hobbies but Thursdays were like day offs.
I woke up late to give my prey time to come out of hiding. Walking past non-ninjas, the best way to enhance this particular ability; I was trying to figure out my blood mist jutsu. I still had trouble coming to terms with what Tensue discovered; that I couldn't use my ability without healing my target. Casting out my gentle breeze technique I spread my blood mist over the people; unnoticed. It was strange, in a way I was helping them by studying myself, my blood delivering my saturated compounds… The trade-off I received in return was very small, their chakra was a very weak profit because they were civilians, as well as the fact that I was losing strength through the vitality my blood scarified in lust.
Blood mist sacrifices saturation for Chakra. This was all I could really observe from my exploitations of the villages in the Leaf. I noticed a particularly sick man and decided to look at my flaws from a new angle. Can I heal him? I happened to know a little about blood, since gaining the ability I'd been doing a tiny bit of studying on the topic, even before I started manipulating my plasma I knew from the Academy that chakra and blood play a big role in healing. This is why hospitals use blood transfusions on patients with incurable diseases. Taking out the bad blood and introducing healthier blood extended the life span of their patients and alleviated some of the symptoms, which leads to a more bearable existence for the affiliated.
I cast my gentle breeze out, focusing as it travelled through the multitude to my intended target; I strained my eyes to see if it had any effect. Slowly the sick man rolled his shoulders and his face washed away his paled complexion with a frown. He took a deep breath before continuing his path through the crowd, he seemed more elevated, more physically capable, far better; Success!
Well that was strange, maybe I should focus on that; healing. I cast out my jutsu again but faulted. A distinct call in the distant winds, rung in my ears. Messenger hawk!
"Lady HoKage…!" One of the Chunin knocked on the Hokage's door just ahead of me. He seemed to have been waiting a while already, he and the others. I hadn't seen my fellow Chunin since Shikimaru and I played that Chunin training test, what was it called again?
"Ikiyothro" I called out in greeting to the Chunin knocking on the door, "Nice to see you again after the Bo taoshi game" I waved to the man, he was much older them me but it was nice to use him as a diversion during that game. Most of the Chunin had weapons, he in particular had a massive war-hammer which made him really hard not to notice, this was why I used him as just the decoy I needed in the game of Bo taoshi. Bo taoshi was a simple game of capturing an enemy's strong point, in the game they used a wooden poll to demonstrate the strategically advantage of height as a tool for surveying the battle field. Shikamaru and I were told to stand on the polls and our fellow Chunin would hold them up, your objective was to knock your opponents poll down. On opposing teams this means a field with one poll on either end. After the fourth round of losing to Shikamaru I came up with a devious plot. Instead of leaving Chunin behind to steady my poll I sent off Ikiyothro with a small group of mean looking ninja while a substitution jutsu seemingly held up my pole. I assigned another group the duty of taking down Shikamaru's poll, I ordered them to wait for the counter attack to clash with Ikiyothro before launching an attack that circumvented Shikimaru's defences total, taking victory with his defeat. Shikamaru probably could see the deception, but with his main forces already clashing with my first wave, it was too late for him to command his ninja to fall back and hold off my main force of attack.
"Why did she let the Genin in before us Chunin!" Ikiyothro's knuckles knocked against the hollow timber of the door, his mood sour and the echo bold. The Hokage was obviously ignoring the man, the sound of her throat clearing in disapproval from inside her office was an unwelcoming grunt touched with terrible disdain.
"If you carry on like that you might not want the Hokage to open the door" I shifted my gaze to see Shikimaru slouched on the floor, his back against the wall like he'd found the perfect place for a morning nap. "That Hokage is dangerous" I took it he meant she isn't as mild as the old Hokage. The Chunin filled room was silent except for the three of us, the Hokage's office was a place of great reference… And with Tsunada as Hokage, a foreboding threat of reprimand.
"I was supposed to be fishing today, Day off, leisure time, time with the family" Ikiyothro's harp strung complaint made it hard not to sympathise with the man, it was my day off too come to think of it "Good times with friends, free time, you know that kind a deal. Not messenger hawk!" He turned away from the door, surrendering to Shikimaru's approach, instead of struggle against the wait he rested his back against it.
"The life of a Shinobi" I sighed, not that I was in agreement. I wanted to let Ikiyothro know that I understand, not to ostracise the man with my mastery of patients.
"Ya but with that life comes rules and a sense of duty and respect" Ikiyothro paused to add depth to his words. The smell of mildew on pages freshly dug up from the ninja archived, filled the silence. All the Shinobi in the room straightened their postures to magnify a solemn sense of pride for honour and service, with their expressions full of glorious self-respect they listened intently to what Ikiyothro had to say next "We Chunin have suffered so much in order to gain the rank of middle ninja, which has earned us certain privileges here in the Leaf. That does not include being ordered to service on a day off only to be placed on the waiting list, because Genin have been ordered in before you!" He held a fist up rattled it in indignation.
The room rung with its silence, the expected applause I supposed Ikiyothro predicted was met with chuckles which chided into a roar of waving shores as bemusement caught flame into expression.
What? I hung my mouth open for a moment… lowered my pride spired chin and chuckled with an eased sense of disappointment and humour at the absurdity of Ikiyothro's hurt ego.
"What?" He stretched the question with a lack of comprehension for their source of hilarity "I'm being serious here!" he wrangled the air with a fist, cursing "Curse you nah Sayers, I have a right to demand dignity" The room roared even further to the passion prominent in the man's conviction to stand regardless of their over spilled laughter.
The Chunin in the room hooted along with my amusement, for I too found this mirthful, before quickly remembering that they were outside the Hokage's office.
"Agh man Ikiyothro we all feel ergh… underappreciated sometimes." As I was unable to put a comforting hand against his shoulder (for his height was greater than my own) I instead gave a comforting comradely punch, which was quickly shoved away. "There's no need to start a rally over it, we are ninja after all, we can handle a little tough love"
"But I" Ikiyothro put a finger up in his defence before losing track. "When you…" He pointed "HEY! Wait a minute! I'm a Chunin and…"
"So is he" Shikimaru finished the man's statement. Ikiyothro couldn't pretend he's above being teased by me, for I'm chunin too, Even though a genin could possibly get away with the same tact too.
Ikiyothro stared at me shifting his rage from the Hokage to me, and no I wasn't about to get into a fist fight here "Hey Ikiyothro, I'm sorry, I can tell you're a bit ticked off today and I'm not the person who's going to add to that" I offered out my hand, an agreement/apology that was a hope for no hard feelings to persist. I didn't know whether he took it that I was the cause of his humiliation.
Mumbling to himself he turned his head to the side, trying to wipe the red off of face. "You know you could have told me I was only a decoy in Bo taoshi" He lightened his mood with a sharp grin saying "but I wish I could have captured that look on Shikimaru's face, it was the perfect look of shocked embarrassment over losing to you"
"Hey I take offence to that!" I blurted before Shikimaru groaned, apparently he didn't like being reminded that he lost… hmm I wonder how I can use that to my advantage in our next game of Bo taoshi, when we run the improved version we created together with Asuma.
Time passed. The Hokage's door opened and a squad of three genin, I had never seen before, parted through us and left the room. The three genin all seemed very strange characters, each distinct in how odd they appeared. They did not seem like Leaf shinobi yet they had the leaf symbol on their protectors. One genin had chalk white frail skin, the other had large arms and legs and a silver tinge to his skin, the last genin was the most unusual with what looked like giant white bird wings fitted onto her back. How is it I have never seen them before? Surly I would have noticed ninja like them.
Following after the three strange genin were all the familiar faces of the regular genin I knew.
Naruto was about to open his mouth and not quite ready to hear him shout at the top of his voice I interrupted "Who were those ninja Naruto? I have never seen them before" The doubtless scheme worked and distraction removed his lips from his initial volume.
Putting a hand to his chin after Sasuke brushed past in a hurry to complete the mission that had just been assigned, Naruto hummed "I don't know" it seems he hadn't known them either.
Sakura grabbed Naruto by the pressure point within his collarbone region. One of the most painful areas aside from the spit glands and groin and I was certain Sakura wouldn't want to grab any of those. "Come one we have a mission" Naruto shouted out in objection before screaming in sudden pain as Sakura applied pressure.
"A little cruel don't you don't you think, Sakura?" I tilted my head while she proceeded to drag Naruto from the room, the shorter figure of Naruto being hauled mercilessly out of the reception area of the Hokage's office.
"Awe thanks Argies" Sakura blushed, I pointed to myself in question. "Pressure points are cool now that you mention it" She smiled and winked at the same time, and I could not help but think. Did I perhaps make myself unclear in my questioning?
I felt completely stunted, "What, a… I-I said CRUEL!" Too late, Naruto's remaining companion had already left to their assigned mission and it was now time for the Chunin to hear what part they had to play.
The number of off duty Chunin who filled the room, fit comfortably within the Hokage's waiting area. This was a testament of how few Chunin were off duty, because the waiting room was not very large. Now it was time to enter the Hokage's office as one body, Chunin.
Shizune ushered us into the room, we stood in the formal rigid platoon formation for the Hokage to address us together as one unit.
"An hour ago" The Hokage wasn't behind her desk instead she paced the room. I instantly perked up to pay proper attention, whatever it was it must be grave for her to summon so many of us here. "One of the Daimyo's distant relatives sent a message to the tower that his son is missing" The Hokage pulled a file off her desk, "This is our clients son" she showed us the picture making sure we were all paying careful attention, the picture showed a man in his mid-twenties. "He was touring the Leaf village with his body guards at the time of his disappearance. He appears to be a common noblemen, but don't let his appearance fool you, he is a skilled ninja. Our Intel on the Daimyo's family informs us that our client and his son have trained under at least eight Shinobi masters, it is therefore unlikely he could be so easily kidnapped." She paused briefly, looking across the room into our eyes, before returning to her rapid pacing with her hands behind her back.
Suddenly…
She stilled slightly! Her pacing slowing further before stopping completely to look directly at me, I regarded the place around me to make sure I wasn't mistaken before addressing her. "Lady hokage…?"
"Argies and Shikimaru, as new Chunin, tell us what you make of this mission? What can you tell me about it?" Her eyes narrowed in a manner that made me question whether or not she had overcome judging me to be a spy, but then I noticed she was looking at Shikimaru the same way.
"Tell you about it Lady Hokage? I do not understand what you mean" Her question was pompously vague, it was like asking a person what they thought about Thursdays and expecting a string of words that formed to an exact point of reasoning that was to the partiality of the person whom asked it. Not knowing what was needed of the question made answering it very difficult for the exact same reason that the question was easy to answer; it could be answered in many different ways. A paradox.
I thought of this deeply while gazing into the Hokages eyes with curiosity keenly waiting to hear her reply "If you knew the answer you wouldn't question what I mean by it" She turned her attention to Shikimaru who stirred uncomfortably under her narrowed gaze.
"It's tediously suspicious, lady Hokage" Shikimaru's slow drawl added in her title with a near failed attempt at caring to speak at all.
"One is oblivious, the other lazy, now if you have had enough Shizune, let's continue this mission assignment" Tsunada quickly ticked the apparent list Shizune marked off on her pad, it seemed Tsunada's assistant was more astute with ninja business the Hokage herself. A Guidant's form; a listed marking, a ticking off of categories of our strengths for easier reference when consulted for future mission assignments. This was something an advisor would have, it made me consider that Shizune maybe more than the assistant she seems. This was all concluded before I could rectify myself now that I got the hint that this mission was off.
Tsunada satisfied that we had failed her test, continued onward with the mission assignment and her pacing. "He has been missing for a month prior to the message being delivered to us, apparently his body guards did not see any reason to ask us for help instead informing their Daimyo that our Village has lost their patron. Their duty has now been forced on us, however, I do not believe this is a normal kidnapping, What Shikimaru and Argies should have realised was that this is a test from our Daimyo on our capabilities as a ninja Village. Regardless we are to treat it as any high paying kidnapping, let us prove to the Daimyo that we can complete his mission" The room filled with a single triumphant roar from our platoon in recognition of the Hokage's challenge and confidence.
"My Lady" Shizune interrupted before we could be dismissed. "There is still the matter of the letter"
"What letter?" Tsunada shot, Shizune cringed to the raise in the Hokage's voice "Agh yes the letter." She seemed to remember, the look of thoughtlessness ripped clean off our ladies face by the flash in her serious demeanour returned "The Daimyo has warned us not to harm any of the kidnappers, he believes they are of an allied village and does not want to provoke a war, or so he says"
"Lady Hokage if I may, why did you wish to see the genin before us?" It seems Ikiyothro's attitude varied vastly depending on which side of the door he was on, hahaha…
"I felt that the genin might be able to better relate to the client's son, a missing child is not always a kidnapping and our client is known to be 'assertive' with her children" There were many questioning frowns to the Hokage's statement.
"…So you are saying our Client is a women?" I found myself saying, the looks I received in return told me that was not the questionable statement in mind and that I had possible seemed a little sexist for thinking all our clients were male. The women Chunin in the room all cracked their knuckles in unison and I felt a growing dislike for me glaring into my line of sight, the Hokage!
Taking my comment in stride Tsunada perfectly ignoring my realisation and continued "Even though the Noble's son is in his twenties the Daimyo sent us a picture of a twelve year old boy, it could be a simple mistake or it could be that the Daimyo did not expect us to have records of his Ninja relatives. Either way we cannot have our mission fail, which is why you chunin are in pursuit of the more treacherous version of the boy the genin are in search of" Tsunada shifted herself to another head raised in question.
"Has this child been sighted within the walls of the Leaf" A member of our troop voiced. "The gate guards would hold documents of such ninja entering he village along with any figures that would fit the description of body guards." This would be something I would expect the mission assignment to entail already, not a follow up question, yet the man continued to prob. "Have both these targets been spotted already? It would be presumptuous of us to track a target that may not even be here"
"As presumptuous as your argument that I am a fool!" Tsunada's response was sudden but satire by the man's tone I agreed with her claim to offence, to which the man instantly denied.
"Lady Hokage I would never…" He adjusted his glasses before bowing slightly in sight of the fury that was Tsunada.
"As I thought Ebisu. I did not mention him being sighted prior in the village for the very fact that this is a trial on our competence as a ninja village. Whichever facade of our ability the Daimyo wishes to test, he would not be so blatant as to spit in our faces. He has respect for us as Ninja and therefore any test he would assign to us would be riddled with hidden challenges taxing the vast range of all our abilities. Information gathering like the intelligence we pulled from our achieves about his relatives son, discovering that he is a ninja and not the boy they identified us to find. Tact and Reasoning just as I am demonstrating to you now by having our genin assigned the boy and the chunin the man, as a precautionary that the mission is a possible double. Restraint in our capacity to encounter the enemy but not harm or kill them, in the letter the Daimyo claimed was for the reasons of keeping peace between any allies that maybe responsible. Finally and most important is that we complete this mission in as little time as possible. This is a test of our resolve, as a Village, as a Nation and as a people. Show the Daimyo that we can complete this mission and complete it whilst drawing not even the slightest bit of attention to our village, we cannot allow for any weaknesses to be seen from us so soon after the invasion, any scattering of our forces could looked as a loss of order. I am counting on you all to finish this mission flawlessly!" Tsunada cracked her knuckles in her conclusion, watching me for the corner of her eyes, my skin cracking with perspiration to a worryingly accurate message delivered…
"Lady Hokage, one further question" Ikiyothro grinned sheepishly "How will we be paid" another one of those paradoxical questions but apparently Tsunada knew exactly how to answer.
"For each allied kidnapper you detain, 34 000 yen, for rescuing the young boy or bringing in the older man you will be paid 500 000 yen. One allied kidnapper," Tsunada hummed biting her cherry red lips in desire "That should be enough for 1 drink, isn't that enough motivation Ikiyothro?"
We were to travel the Leaf village surreptitiously, but in such a way that everyone could see us. The mission was a secret, the fact that so many had been called to one mission would instantly spread panic, but the fact that there were ninja all over in the ninja village wasn't particularly secret at all. The main obstacle to overcome was in 'how to keep procedure' and our rhythm of the systematic break down of the Ninja village. We needed to divide the village up into sectors so that they could be searched and cleared, not being able to clock in where|what|who made it hard to identify what had already been scouted. Shikimaru's Dad, I forget his name, was at the desk to help us with this task.
"…A search is easily spotted when patterns form" The Chunin captian, Shikimaru's Dad, was following through with the explanation of his plan once again. My mind was still buzzing from his high detailed illustration over the map of Konohagakure. His plan was really simple, what took understanding was that it made no sense to us. Instead of searching through the village quarter by quarter, sectoring and clearing portions of the village, we would instead each be individually handed a map with a route to follow. This made it appear that we were simple going along with our day as a normal day offs, the normal activity of the village. Some ninja where handed planned paths which appeared to have them going shopping for flowers, groceries, weapons, amour, clothing, shoes, medical supplies, while other ninja was handed plans that headed into the forest, past homes, wash houses, dangerous or closed off sectors like Sasuke's family grounds and so on. This all sort of made sense, instead of searching in a ridged and obvious search pattern where we split up encircled the village and tightened the net until nothing was left to look over. We would instead skewer the village in different paths and all sort of directions, remaining no place left to hide.
If you pleaded with Shikimaru and his dad, they would hand you a planner to some where you wanted to go. Shikimaru understood the chaos planning and was happy to help his dad draw out the paths instead of joining us on the chaos mission. It meant he got to stay in one place and commit to one effort, lifting the weight of a pencil, how troublesome.
My path, after looping around various buildings, eventually lead to the forest. Walking the stone roads, my footsteps echoing down, made me feel watched which unsurprisingly helped me keep my eyes open for anyone that maybe watching me.
Alert to every shadow, welcoming to every breeze.
Who knows where I'll find my meadow, it is always a mystery where one finds their keys.
Distant though it be well travelled, we walk the paths that never cease.
The minds hailing Hallows, the hearts harkening ease.
For comfort let me be shallow, it is nothing that I have ever pleased.
To walk the paths that nah have been travelled.
To brash aside the grasses that sparrow.
To limp and tip and welcome a nip
This I tell you, I hark to me.
For strength and struggle be you what I desire.
Desire desire, aspire to thee.
To be thee what be greater than thee.
Forever more to harden and kindle
To whisper and tingle
To wonder what are wrinkles.
I soon found myself outside the village, passing under bridges and down alleyways, I had cleared my planned path and now it was the forest I would sector and dissolve of any hiding spot. I'm sure the tracking specialists were assigned additionally thorough jobs, revising our steps perhaps or doing a proper job of sniffing out the foreign ninja in whatever fashion according to the operation of their tracking techniques. I didn't need to concern myself about that however, all I needed to do was complete my side of the mission and that meant the forest in front of me.
The forest would normally be a difficult hunting ground, but we were Leaf ninja. We could identify a misplaced leaf and a crooked branch simple by flying through the forest, bunny hoping from tree to tree. We could do these things because we had an inherent understanding of what was natural. The forest is our protection and it is what makes the Hidden Leaf hidden, it is our home and like a home we could recognise what was familiar and foreign throughout its confines.
While leaping through the trees, whispering through the winds and over the misty streams of morning, I heard shattering screams that silenced the bird calls and creaking of canopies. I jumped down and crept with silence to near the scent of trouble, freshly burning oak bark and shrubberies. A Ninja with pale white skin jumped down from the trees stroking the sound of fear, a cat toying with its victim, his face shone an expression of zeal that sparked with pleasure to the arc of every shriek. He was no older than 12 years of age, he wore a Fukumen(cloths mask) over his mouth with a protector that held the Leaf symbol, his eyes fought against the light and gleamed with a grey tint. Brazenly he walked towards the sound of the terror, I found myself filled with a strange admiration for this odd ninja, his hands tightened around the intensity as the moment neared. This was the same ninja I saw before, leaving the hokage's office with his squad. Where were they now?
Quickly, once the screeching ninja were spotted by the pale ninja, he hurdled up into a tree. He crouched there watching before doing something very peculiar; he pinched his Fukumen and held it just enough to bare his open grin. His lips wrinkled around their sides, now able to speak uninhibited, he whispered. As I watch crouched and hidden, I saw a thick grey fog escape his parted lips as he whispered to the three ninja who fought with phantoms that appeared from nothing.
These phantoms faded from existence and resurfaced from nothing as effortlessly as the vanished. They were there and seemingly not there at the same time, the ninja fighting against them were able to strike these fog made bodies and these apparitions could strike at them too.
"It's only a genjutsu…!" I heard one of the ninja wail, but she battled against the phantoms like the others even as she denounced the illusion.
I could not understand it. It must be a genjutsu but if it is a genjutsu, why can I see it too?
The squad fell to the floor. The illusions encircled the ninja squad, wrapping them in ghostly chains of nothing, before vanishing from existence permanently…. I sincerely hoped. The Shinobi looked as if they were frightened to death; they remained stiff and unmoving, knocked out by fear. The place around them chalked with fresh burns like a fire had engulfed the area.
I approached the Leaf ninja in the tree cautiously, who I had seen cast the mystery jutsu, I did not know if he would summon the same horror against me but he was a ninja of my adoptive Village.
"Are they ninja of our allied nations?" I asked the pale Shinobi, he looked at me with a lingering wisp of fog still escaping his mouth. "Sorry I did not mean to intrude on your capture of these ninja" It was sometimes considered rude or a danger to interfere with another Shinobi's operation. It could be seen as trying to steal their ninja secrets or as a threat, someone trying to take their profit before they can claim it as their quarry.
"They are ninja from the land of fire" the pale genin smirked in a lingering fashion that brought a chill down the hairs over my arms. I shook myself mentally of the feeling and listened again to what he whispered, in my mind. 'They are ninja from the land of fire' that would mean what? Tsunada told us that this was a test, so it would make sense that the ninja sent to challenge us would be ninja from our Land; the Daimyo's ninja. These details were not given out to the genin, and the three knocked out ninja on the ground did not wear identifying protectors.
"Ninja from the land of fire you say?" I asked in question because these details were not supposed to be known by me either, as far as the genin knew. "How exactly did you know they would be here? I heard them scream and saw you follow them here as if you knew where they would be before their sudden howling" I relaxed my stance, letting him know that he was not on trial. I wore my Chunin vest which classified me higher than him, rank often superseded friendliness, and I did not want this.
"A… Fuuinjutsu trap" he said with reluctance but continued on, realising with relief that he was free to speak his mind with me. "I am a Fuuinjutsu and Genjutsu user, moulded together these techniques sanction me to manipulate reality" the words he spoke twisted in my mind as his smile boarded. I felt dizzy for a moment and so I rested myself against a half burnt tree to listen to his words, feeding the world that twisted before me. "I should not have spoken" his voice husked and shut silent behind his Fukumen and leaf protector.
The world spun back to reality the instant his words ceased "What was happening to me" I placed a hand against my head, running my fingers across my sculpt to try and relieve the sensation of un-reality.
"I, I lied before…" he mumbled before jumping down to stand in front of me instead of high up on a branch. "My clans ability isn't genjutsu" From under his Fukumen he sounded a very different person, the brash nature to his voice was lost to a shy meek character.
"It was genjutsu" I reaffirmed, he was trying to hid something in saying it wasn't but I saw it, it was genjutsu. "The only thing I don't understand is if it was genjutsu why could I see it?" I was slouching against the tree, but now recovering from the illusion users spell I stood straight and Dominating of the situation. "What kind of genjutsu was that? Why could I see it too?" I demanded, brushing the colour of coal off my hands and onto my pants.
He looked at me, searching. Perhaps for the answers to the question, finally he spun his tongue into a response "A different form of genjutsu. Instead of toying with their minds, antecedent's jutsu simple brings what is hidden, up to the surface" He looked at me earnestly and I could not believe what he said, but I also did not discount it to be what he believed.
"Thank you for explaining your jutsu, it was a privilege to hear and meet you…." I struck stone in my pleasantries. I had no hard feelings for the pale ninja's beliefs, I just didn't believe them. That meant no reason to cast aside the ninja as a fellow comrade.
"My name is Genjuu…" his insecurity was beginning to show so I offered up a question to stimulate the conversation.
"Are you going to take all these guys back yourself, haha?" I chuckled awkwardly "Not that I'm planning on stealing them or anything, I mean I wouldn't be able to take all 3 back either" I couldn't help smiling along to my own insecurities, feeling that people misread me when the resulting confusion could lead to hostility.
"Genjuu Doesn't need to take them back alone" I near jumped at the depth of the anonymous voice. On turning I recognised the speaker as Genjuu's silver skinned team mate, he was standing next to the girl with white wings on her back.
"Never sneak up on a ninja" I removed my hand from my kunai pouch. "I've always heard people say that but this has got to be the first time I've experienced it as the ninja snuck up on" I shook my head with a sigh of relief as my heart returned it's pace. "Listen, I really should be going now, no point in searching for someone in an area that already has three pairs of eyes at work" I had the feeling I would see them around again.
Argies chakra flickered out of existence; he did not wish to intrude on the genin squad any further then he already had. While he leapt through the trees, in search of the two possible missions, he thought of Genjuu's genjutsu trap.
He found it to be a bizarre tool for this particular mission. Traps were used only when certain conditions were at play, and a fuuinjutsu trap sparked his interests fiercely.
Fuuinjutsu in all ninja villages became outlawed after the last Great Shinobi War. It was forbidden to teach because it was regarded both as a powerful and dangerous tool, for the user and the Village who occupied its usage. Fuuinjutsu is responsible for every Kekkai Genkai(blood limit) in existence. When used on new born children, even to the extent of DNA manipulation before birth, it created new chakra networks. These new networks make the usage of a particular jutsu a permanent configuration within the holder, setting the ability in stone removing the need of hand seals and reducing the expense of chakra. This added a permanent instrument of advantage to the clan who created them, but it was not without cost. The creation of Kekkai Genkai indebted many blunders in its wake. Many failed attempts and horrific consequences resulted in the Five Great Nations prohibiting the teaching of Fuuinjutsu. This was only one of the reasons however, the other main reason that Fuuinjutsu was forbidden was in order to hold clan power. Very few clans that do not possess Kekkai Genkai are seated in positions of power. By eliminating Fuuinjutsu, they have insured that the clans in power today will forever hold their position over the rule of the people.
Argies muddled over the disarray of thoughts within his head as he combed through the forests for anything suspicious. He wondered what that scent of fire was and how the area became charred around the ninja without a blaze ever being there, and what were those apparitions? He listed the conditions surrounding the use of traps: escape, protect, attack. The only one he could deem to be of use to Genjuu were traps used to attack someone. There was a problem with that however; the use of traps to attack required a variety of scenarios. You as a trap maker had to either, know where your target was going, lure your target into the trap, set enough traps and do regular checks to see if anything is caught, or somehow know your trap was sprung like Argie's use of wire in his puck trap in the Forest Of Death. This ultimately determined to Argies that Genjuu somehow knew his trap was sprung and furthermore knew how to set a trap that would not catch Leaf Shinobi. This collusion stoked the fires of passion in Argie's mind, he had to learn Genjuu's trap secrets!
"It is paramount!" Argies pronounced in prominence of his hearts own desires, 'Power I can call my own' his ultimate goal to perfect himself.
A half an hour had passed since meeting the pale skinned ninja, this fact dawned on Argies in an instant. He had fallen under the spell of duty and had not realised that so much time had passed, yet he smiled at this fact. The fact that he was on a mission within the Leaf's walls but for the first time it was not a mission confined to the walls of the Leaf alone. In his extra classes in the academy, classes provided for ninja with no unique traits, classes for ninja confined to D rank missons which themselves where within the confines of the Leaf Village. In those classes that meant he was not truly a ninja, he dreamed of the day when he would be given this mission. A mission that whittled away the hours not in boredom but in duty, in the confidence the Village had for him as a Shinobi, as a true Ninja of the Leaf!
Suddenly, out of his thoughts with the snap of a nearby twig, Agies sensed the presents of someone not far from his position. Someone that was trying to hid, someone that knew he was there, someone who cursed as he approached.
"…So you found me" The stranger stepped out from his cover, the large bush around him disappearing in a puff of smoke; concealment jutsu. As the thick clouds of chakra disappeared three bodies took its place; Chunin, unconscious not dead.
"It seems I wasn't the first" Argies looked over the 3 chunin, he didn't recognise any of them; he couldn't use them as a measurement of this man's strength. Argies looked around myself, there was no chance of retreat; he wouldn't be able to call for back up. "I don't see any of your Kidnappers around, what happened to these chunin and why were you hiding from me?" He couldn't let on that he knew this wasn't a kidnapping, even with the man's age being at least 15 years older than his picture, he had to have an explanation for it other than he knocked them out. Argies expect him to be shocked that he knew the man is the missing boy the Daimyo asked The Leaf to search for, their ninja files detailing them on that matter might have come as a surprise to the ninja threatening to attack.
"Kiddnapping?" He chuckled in mock, "I would say it is more of a hostile takeover with the number of Chunin my Shinobi and I have already taken" He unclipped his kunai pouch.
"Augh, well so much for wasting time, it wasn't like back up was on its way anyway" Argies unclipped his kunai pouch as well. The scene held a sense of honour which was strange for ninja, usually no time was spent in watching your enemy prepare themselves for your attack. There was no unfair in the terminology of the ninja combatant, there was simple victory or defeat, yet now these two ninja a 12 year old boy and a 20 plus year old man waited for their opponents preparation before they faced off.
"Are you ready?" The man asked Argies, who frowned in response "What's wrong?" The man grabbed his elbow and stretched it while puzzling the look on Argies face.
"I don't know your name, funny isn't it?" Argies chuckled, clucking his Kunai in his hand. "I was handed a mission to find a client's son, but I don't know the clients name or her son's name" Agries secretly cut a grove into his hand as he spoke
"My name is Yuu. Traditionally before fighting before an audience ninja would greet each other. What is your name?" Yuu stretched his shoulders and brought his chest out to magnify supremacy yet still striking a solemn stance. It was as if the ninja born of nobility showed a consideration of lenience in the form of a battle courtesy towards Argies; an act of mercy.
"My name is Argies, but unfortunately the audience of my fellow comrades are not present to watch our sceptical" Argies jumped forward, his Kunai clashed with steel, but his attack did not meet the opponent he expected it to penetrate.
"That is most regrettable for you my friend, for you see, I do not have such a problem. Ha ha ha ha ha…." Yuu jeered malevolently before throwing off Kunai at Argie's break from the guard he encountered. The armed guards, that were the reinforcements of Yuu, were both heavily armoured. Disabling these two guard would be a vain attempt alone. Making the feat impossible, yet Argies had to persist, Flinging the kunai directed at him aside, because he had the honour of his Village to preserve.
Directly after his kunai struck Naginata (a long poll with a blade on its end) Argies leapt away only to leap forward again, slamming his hand against the leather armour in front of him.
"Life Blood Siphoning jutsu!" he declared before darting back once again. The man the jutsu was summoned onto grabbed his stomach, the area of impact, and cringed as his muscles tightened involuntary. Even through the armour did Argies blood soak, feeding a hunger that could never die, a thirst for chakra! The man collapsed to the ground with a heavy grunt in his defeat.
For a split moment Yuu looked to his downed guard with disbelief. His shinobi had been eliminated so quickly, and by the hand of a chunin of so young an age. "This cannot be" He remarked at the face of reality.
"Blood mist jutsu!" Argies now jeered to his own ill deeds, his own intent to harm licking at the palm of his hand as he sealed its cut with a drag of his tongue. The blood mist soaked in the man's armour steamed through, blistering his skin, and returned to Argies. This had been the first time Argies had successfully used the jutsu he had only practiced in theory, but he liked the feeling of power it gave him. The man's chakra fuelling the pathways with in Argies, the reserves over flowing, the power his!
When nothing appeared to emerge from Argies jutsu pronounced, Yuu began to grow suspicious. "What was that?" Yuu's second guard made motions to attack, but Yuu haltered him in wait of Argies response.
"A precautionary measure" Argies smiled with mischief in his eyes "You bid me so much time, it is only to your downfall" Now Argies too gave time for his adversary to speak, gesturing politely with his hands. "Please activate your own ninjutsu, it would only be fair" Argies casted his word in a shell of false tolerance, before adding…
"Relish my attack Yuu, because by its end Yuu will not be alive." He struck forward at Yuu a second time but once again a guard intervened. His fists plunging into Argies mid forcing him to fumble back.
"Ahaahahaha! Yes that is perfect!" Argies boomed, his voice reverberating off the ground he barked at, bent over by the attack he righted himself and leered at Yuu over the shoulder of the guard. The forces driving Argies ignored the guard and hungered over the concentration of chakra behind him. "Yuu will be mine" He said as if to another entity, to no one there, words stated as fact.
"Listen hear buddy, you don't want to do anything reckless…" Yuu's plea was cut short by a rumble that lusted for blood. He shut his mouth, putting aside reason, and instead formed his hands into several seals before entering his tongue into the assailant's diplomacy "Shockwave, thundering touch!" He pushed aside his guard and ran forward with his own attack, twisting his hand into gestures that rung with the crack of a lighting jutsu. Finding his path, twisting around Argies defence, he pinpointed his target.
Yuu lifted Argies by the throat, electricity arcing and sputtering against the flesh. "Now sleep like the others" He sent a further serge of chakra into his grip, but fear enveloped him as the shock petrified. Argie's face grew maniacal within Yuu's grasp, and Yuu soon found he no longer had control over the chakra within arm.
Argies gripped the arm that held him up, and an ecstasy overcame him, he felt the power consume him and the words he spoke next were of nothing but gibberish fuelled by a ludicrous overwhelming frenzy for more!
Argie's mind ignited in white, but it was not the power but the blow to the back of his head. Yuu's downed guard, the first to be struck by Argie's blood jutsu, had recovered in time to end the attack on his patron. Yuu now freed from young Argies, stepped back in doubt of what had happened.
Regaining his footing Yuu made his judgment. "This is a demon; we must destroy it before he wakes up!" He grabbed the Naginata from his guard's hand and levelled it with Argies neck, just as he lifted it up to strike the killing blow… A ninja with silver skin intervened.
Argies looked up to see the blade's edge, and rolled away mere moments before the steel could render him lifeless. The Naginata wrestled from Yuu's hand dashed around the ground before the silver ninja could part it from him completely.
"You're here?!" Argies shouted in confusion, shaken by the blow to his head and his sudden regain of consciousness only to be near removed from the conscious world permanently. The events seemed a fool of the mind, playing out before reason; he acted ahead of realising what had almost happened. He considered with eerie shock, "Was Yuu trying to kill me?" while he watched the pale ninja's team fight against Yuu and his men. The daze of turmoil confusing his measurement of reality, remained him to stand their watching.
We returned in search of the ninja who witness my ritual, the undertaking of calling forth the shades of the before, on finding the source of our search we intervened at a critical moment. The ninja was fighting others of this land, others that do not wear the protectors of the Leaf yet are trained by our land of Fire. Fuma let his instincts act through his hands, finding himself within the battle before our plans could be condensed to word. Taka did not fault in her loyalty to us, we struck together in our habitual team formation.
Fuma would call their attack, Taka stepped her blows on them from the sky, and I… I would linger beyond the battle field, watching and whispering.
I stared down from the sky at the ninja who was with Genjuu an hour ago, he did not come back to the battle field, he looked lost. The atmosphere of the battle could not wake him from his misplaced sense of peril. I looked down on Fuma, the struggle to survive, he could hold these three off in no successful way. The tips of my feathers counted times passage, four against three, three against three, two against three, one against three. With the ninja we came to aid, we could be a party of four. While Genjuu's ninja stagnated, we were a party of three. When I hovered here in the sky, we were a party of two. Where Genjuu hid himself, made our party only Fuma. One.
The final number counted, echoed, and my mind was complete. "Fuma, wake the imbecile!" I dove down and took the combat out of the hands of Fuma, taking his place as target on the battle field.
I cast aside the Hanbo(half-staff)of the first guard, using my feather jutsu, gusting a wind chakra based ability against their weapon arts. The second guard had no weapon to show, but his hand techniques were composed to that of a two handed user, he couldn't grab hold of me as I used my wings as weapon and shield combined. My feathers felt every movement, every action and motion. I battle looking down yet I know how to fight, using reaction along I let my instinct take to flight. Always looking down and never ahead, why compose to technique when my strength is anticipation; in my head.
Fuma walked over to our ninja, while I gritted my teeth to the assault, and punched him in the gut. The ninja lost his breath but Fuma pulled him straight again, forcing air back in. This wrenching returned the ninja's mind to the gravity of the battle that progressively evolved towards our defeat. I noticed too that the men I battled where the ninja in armour. The other ninja, the taller ninja, studied my battle from afar. 'My doubts were limited; he must be the engineer behind this combat. The Head of the serpent that must be cut off'
"What is your name" Fuma glided our ninja closer towards the enlightenment of our looming defeat. I could no longer endure the gale, the two armoured Shinobi gusted a rage I could not bare alone. I flew free to the sky, parting loose feathers in my flight, they flustered in fury to my downfall out of sight. I observed in impudence of the three chunin unconscious, the plunder of these ninja, admiring my might and impertinence of their ninjutsu arts dashed by my ability of flight. I the sky I was unparalleled, goddess, beauty of the heavens. My protector shielding my eyes from the light, battling strangers I look down, their feet my only sight, 'cause I see by feeling the wind against my wings.
"My name is… Argies, his name is Yuu" Argies, the name revealed, pointed off at the man honing an assault at Fuma. Fuma pulled his arm across Argies in defence, but the Chunin ninja stepped ahead of him. "You can have the others, Yuu is mine!" Unmistakable, my vision was clear but my mind distrusted its seeing. Yuu's attack reached in for Argies, grasping at the mist, but the touch could not be made. Static lashed in the air, a hand penetrating forward, yet the target could not be caught. Engulfed in a purple smoke, the ninja Argies was as untouchable as my flight.
"Blood burn jutsu" the words stung in the air and all three ninja cried out with sudden pain. The armed guards and the man named Yuu all grabbed their own arms in raving pain as blisters formed across their skin.
I watched with a sickening horror to the sudden change in battle, our fall was unavoidable yet the present view I had from the sky told me we were winning. Argies stood over the ninja named Yuu, the serpent's head, and watched with an evil gaze as the man cried with incapacitating pain. He crouched down behind the man and locked his arms in a full nelson (professional choke hold) pressuring the man into sleep. The thrashing and the unbearable grasps, filling the air, a sight I did not want to look upon. From the vision of my eyes lids closed black, I saw the helpless innocence of an unborn chick devoured, defencelessness clinging to life and another mercilessly shelling it. The final gasp ended, Fuma and Genjuu had removed Yuu's guards from consciousness. I fluttered to my decent…
"You didn't kill him?" The whispers of Taka, tipped with a hardened concern, stretched into my ear.
"You have spared his life. Why not remove his head as a trophy. One who showed no love for your life, why not remove him Argies, and be done with the cur?" Agries stared with a cold steel, examining me for imperfection, weighting his eyes over my friends.
"Silver, White and Grey, hey? Nice combination. In front the steel, above the eyes, and distant the arrow from afar. Steel defends with little time to plan, eyes watches plans and attacks, and arrow sits in wait honing its aim for a critical strike." Argies lifted Yuu by the collar of his Uwagi (animal leather ninja Jacket with hidden interior pockets), and slung him over his back. Genjuu stood on his toes to remind me that my question and Taka's was never answered by the chunin.
"I didn't kill him because that was not the mission assigned to either of us. *Sigh*, I know what it may have looked like, but it was my only way of capturing him safely. I have no ninjutsu that can render a victim unconscious." The chunin answered my unspoken question, to have managed that would mean he could refine our audible range. There was little point in Genjuu and Taka's shying away from speech. "Genjuu, why did you decide to return?" Argie's own question asked.
Genjuu looked down at the ground, the grass caught with wounds from the Naginata's blade edge, his eyes searched but they did look to the battle's art. He turned up and whispered in to my ear, even knowing that it was pointless now. "Tell him why we returned" he begged of me.
"In aid of you, but this threat was not expected." I the speaker spoke for Genjuu. "Genjuu reminded us that if he could not take a squad of three back himself for reward, than the same challenge would persist for you" My tongue filled with lead, not armed to indulge, I took the task of speaking out of my hands and instead claimed the weapons scattered my own.
Argies pointed to the two guards "Then that is your reward, Yuu is mine and my gratitude is to you. Thank you for your help" He let go of Yuu who still hug on his back, he had using his chakra to enhance his strength to be able to carry such a weight. He bowed looking up, never take your eyes off your opponent, and I returned to examine the weapons' edge for imperfections.
…
Argies attended to the downed chunin, his hands shaking as he strained to unknot the bindings. I found my lead tongue growing lighter, and took the task from his hands saying. "You seem tempered by this battle, the red steel sits hot against the waters, unable to rest." I trusted that my philosophy would calm the trouble I saw in him, his mind suffering the trauma of near death.
"Agh, thank you again" He breathed out heavily, letting loose the weight in his shoulders, to the place where we crouched. "In the battle there, before you guys got here, I think I lost my mind. I-I augh, can't explain it but I just fault insane you know" He shook his head, revulsion forged on his face. When finally the knot was loosened, I place my arm across his back to reassure him. "That was the pause in my attack, I concentrated on regaining control of myself, and your punch in my gut seemed to help" I felt the warmth in his chuckle, reverberate down my arm.
"Battle tempers us with strange emotions, thoughts and wounds. They all heal nevertheless through meditation, time and an understanding of one's self" The verses of my lead tongue did not cool the expression of confusion his face armoured its self with. We laid the Chunin flat, no indication of movement existing aside from breath.
"These ninja do not appear to be waking up anytime soon… hmm. Let me try something here" The Chunin rubbed his palms together and sombrely whispered into the pyramid of his hands pressed together. Very few ninja were religious but from my scrutiny I saw a pray uttered, still his fingers shook. Continuing his ritual, he opened the vestment of one of the chunin and pressed his hands against the man's chest. For a moment I waited in awe, not seeing or hearing any sign of revival yet I dinged expectantly.
Alert, struck open like the rock split by a hammer, a rush of fresh air entered the lungs of the now conscious Chunin. "We must report to the Hokag… I was pass out?" The sudden switch on collected past and present in a flash, the chunin realised what had happened and looked around. "You managed to defeat him?" He voiced astounded.
"Yes I guess I did, but I had a lot of help" Argies set his gaze on me and continued. "They were tired already, fighting your squad before my arrival, there was no way they could continue against another three" I noted a change in Argies, his quaking had slowed but I could still see its ware on him. He pressed his hands against another ninja, encircling his palms around her arms.
She to breathed life into her lungs, awakened by the sight of her attackers fallen, her eyes widened with relief. "Thank you for helping us, I am sorry for think you were 'offensive'" She hugged Argies who's face lit up with a rosy red before setting stone back in place as the lady shifted again into his view. He seemed alike to Genjuu and Taka on this matter, he shied away his emotions from others unwilling to express what was there.
His tremors had slowed further, he touched his hand against the last Chunin and they vanished completely. "I cannot wake him?" The other chunin looked down on their companion with concern. "I don't think it is him, I think it is me, I'm spent." He lifted the Chunin up as he raised himself off the ground.
"We will take him back, you have done all you can and we thank you… Argies" I was surprised the other chunin knew the name of a genin made chunin just recently, the name seemed to slip into mind with difficulty yet it still was present. Who was he that they would know of him? Who was he to be able to raise the fallen from sleep? Who was he to cripple three ninja without even touching them?
"We must all make our way back, my team will aid you with the two guards, I need only a moment to seal their weapons before I am ready as well. We do not know if there maybe others who might ambush us on our route back to the mission desk" I the silver ninja, as Argies called me, the steel, made my preparations and insured that they would not leave us behind on this mission. I felt my team was vulnerable; these guards in armour would attract too much attention from any of their allies and they were heavy making travel slow. We would need the aid of these chunin and the ninja who cut wounds without moving, the invisible sword; Argies.
…
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