Preparation Meets Opportunity [Private]

[Raikou!]

The Raikage and a single Anbu guard walked into a secret clearing on the outskirts of Kumogakure. It was a large grass field surrounded by tall oak trees and a powerful stream fed by a tall waterfall. The mountain crest peaked over the tree line while dark looming clouds rolled overhead. It was a somewhat gray and ominous setting, but it was actually a pretty average day in the Cloud Village.

Beowulf, dressed as the Raikage, quickly began to undress as soon as he and his bodyguard were alone. First he tossed aside his traditional Raikage flat hat. Then he untied his honorific robe and let it drop to the ground. Next he scratched his head and pulled his hair down to the side, revealing that he was wearing a white wig. His natural dark brown hair spiked up while the unnatural silver white hair fell to the ground. Finally the young man pulled down his face mask and let out a loud sigh. It felt good to be out of his uniform.

He sat down and then laid back, stretching out and yawning. Wearing only his black Anbu armor, Beowulf looked like he did before he became Raikage, except the giant spiked headband he wore. He actually really liked it, so he kept it on.

His Dragon Anbu guard walked to his side and looked down at the young Raikage. The silent sentry stood still for a moment seemingly studying his master before finally shaking his head in disapproval.

Beowulf's "body guard" was actually his brother Rathalos. The silent sentry pulled his mask off and rolled his neck to the right. If Beowulf was going to get comfortable, so was he. Rathalos tossed his mask to the side and then reached to his back and pulled his cloak off from over his head. He and his brother wore matching armor  and with his hair grown out currently, the two were almost identical. Only their facial expressions were different. Beowulf's was calm and peaceful while Rathalos' was serious and calculating. 

"Oh does it feels good to be out of that costume." said Beowulf.

"It's not a costume brother, it's your identity." replied Rathalos.

"It's OUR identity. When the hell are you going to take your turn being Raikage. This is stressful stuff I'm dealing with everyday."

"Don't act like I'm not involved in every decision Beowulf. We are both stressed out. You know that the Anbu need me more than the Kageship right now."

Beowulf sat up and crossed his legs and sat like he used to when a child. He looked up at his brother and smiled. How the hell did we get into this?

"I know what your thinking brother," said Rathalos, "It was the Gale Empire that got us into this mess. If they hadn't assassinated the previous Raikages we could be at the Gentlemen's Clubhouse right now relaxing like old times."

"I never knew you liked that place Rath. You always complained about it and said it was a waste of time."

"It is a waste of time brother. But after these past months of non-stop work I actually kind of miss wasting time."

"Wow. Never thought I'd hear YOU say that. So this war really is getting to you huh?"

"Of course it is. It's killing me inside that I haven't figured out how to defeat them yet. Or how the hell they got into our village in the first place. Hell I hardly know anything about them and it pisses me off."

"You don't need to know every-"

"I know that Beowulf. But now that lives are on the line I can't help but feel more responsible than ever. If I can't figure this out who will?.."

".. We will brother. We will together."

Beowulf rolled back and kipped up to his feet. He smiled warmly at his twin brother and patted him on his back. Rathalos had always been the wisest and quickest of the two, so natural he assumed the older brother role. He always took on the burden of caring for both Beowulf and his own needs. But now that he was technically Raikage, Rathalos wanted to take on the burden of the entire village. Beowulf just wouldn't allow that. They weren't kids anymore after all.

"Come on, lets prepare for our next mission," said Beowulf cheerfully.

[Raikou!]

Each ninja walked over to a separate part of the training field. Beowulf walked over the large flat rock that rested near the east side tree line. Rathalos walked towards the high but narrow waterfall opposite of his brother in the west section. The each pulled out the equipment they planned to prep on this dark and stormy day.

Beowulf pulled out a medium sized bag full of Hira-Shuriken. They were large flat throwing stars that cut through flesh and bone like butter. Beowulf had 90 of them. He placed the bad down onto the surface of the rock and then reached into his butt bag. He pulled out two C ranked weapon scrolls and placed them right next to the bag of shuriken. He had quite the tedious task but it needed to be done. Beowulf opened one of the two scrolls and laid it out flat. He then poured out all the Hira-Shuriken out in front of him near the weapon scroll. With everything prepared, Beowulf performed the Weapons Sealing technique. After a short string of handseals Beowulf started to pick up and push skuriken into the weapon scroll one by one. Each one slowly sank into the scroll being sealed away and ready for use at a moments notice.

Rathalos took a seat near the raging waterfall. He too had a bit of a tedious assignment. However Rathalos still found it interesting. He pulled out his Iruken Pack. It was a small thin metal backpack that transformed into spider legs. It was perfect for strange maneuvers and last ditch movement, but Rathalos didn't quite know how to control it yet. So the young man sat down with his back against a tall rock and pulled out the instruction manual to the high tech gadget. Rathalos was very intelligent and he picked up knowledge quickly. It wouldn't be too long before he mastered the gizmo out right.

The weapon specialist had a hard time focusing on his weapon sealing jutsu. He kept on day dreaming about past battles and future ones. It got into a groove though and began sealing them away quickly. 45 Hira-Shuriken were sealed into the first weapon scroll before Beowulf decided to start on the second weapon scroll. He completed another set of handseals and began the second half of his work. He was getting a hang of the whole process now so it went much quicker.

Rathalos slowly devoured the instruction book for the Irken Pack. He memorized every function, mechanical limit, and trick to operating the spider legs that extended out of the pack. All that was left now to try the pack out and put into practice what he had just memorized. Rathalos slipped the slim metal backpack on and immediately activated it's spider-mode. Six metal legs shot out of the oval pack and arched high over Rathalos' head. Keeping in mind everything he learned, Rathalos began to make the contraption move. The legs slowly lifted his body up into the air until his feet were about a meter off the ground. Then he began to walk, clumsily at first. Controlling the pack wasn't so hard as was getting the timing down on all six of the legs. He began to do laps around the field until he felt comfortable operating the machine.

Beowulf finally finished after about an hour's worth of work. He rolled both weapon scrolls back up and placed them back into his butt bag. Each scroll was now sealed with 45 Hira-Shuriken. Ready to be used in Beowulf's Twin Dragon Jutsu.

Rathalos also finished his assignment in little over an hour. He could now run, jump, and climb with the eight metal legs that extended out of the Irken Pack. He could also maneuver quite well with each leg individually, allowing him to use the legs almost like arms and hands. Rathalos was sure it would prove to be useful.

SPOILER: Click to show

Heiki Chouin (Weapons Sealing)
Rank: C, B
Skill: Fūin jutsu
Effect: “Reloads” weapon scrolls: With this technique, the user can seal and save weapons to their scrolls.
Special: Hand seals: Dog-Boar-Ram
Drawback: -
Description: After performing the hand seals, the user will pick up their weapons quickly, one by one, and simply press them to the scroll where their symbols are. The weapon will sink in the scroll, ready to be released by the sealer’s touch any time.
Limit:
• Weapon Specialist
• To seal a main weapon in a scroll, the user must know the B-Ranked version of the technique. One Main weapon will take all slots of a C-Ranked Scroll.

[Raikou!]

Beowulf was more or less done with his preparations. For the rest of the day he would leisurely sharpen his twenty one katana while watching his brother seal some elements.

Rathalos spent the better half of the day placing Element Seals on his twenty five small scrolls. Each time it took complete concentration and a considerable amount of chakra. Already he was exhausted from this but now he had to actually seal in some attacks.

Standing near the narrow but tall waterfall, Rathalos pulled out one of the twenty five sealed scrolls he carried in his tactical vest. He held the small scroll in his right hand as he began to walk onto the water at the base of the water fall. The beginning of the powerful stream bubbled wildly as the water crashed down from the cliff above. Rathalos sent chakra to his feet to stay balanced on top of the tumultuous water's surface but he still stumbled a bit as he walked forward. As he came closer and closer to the crashing waterfall it became harder to stand and the mist made it harder to see. Rathalos reached into his butt bag with his free hand and pulled out his Dragon Anbu mask. He placed it on his face attaching it thoroughly to his headband. The mask's goggles made it easier for him to see as he approached the crushing waves.

Water began to pound him as he came close to the bottom of the water fall. A wall of churning water separated him from being crushed by the immense power generated by the towering waterfall. With his scroll held tightly in his right hand, Rathalos made a daring jump. He leaped off the water surface towards the falling water near the bottom of the falls. Mid-air he rolled over to face the sky. He made a single tiger seal with his hands before unraveling the scroll and entering the falls. Immediately the tons and tons of water blasted him down. Just as his body was about to be forced underwater completely his sealing activated. A bright blue light emanated from his scroll and began to suck up all the water falling on top of Rathalos. He struggled to stay on his feet as his Element Capture technique captured an S rank blast of Suiton. The sealing ended and Rathalos was to be crushed by the falls. Except he rolled out of the way just in time sparing his life. He let himself sink under water for a moment. Close one, he thought. But a success none the less.

SPOILER: Click to show

Soshifuin no Jutsu (Element Sealing Technique)
Rank: "B"
Skill: Fuinjutsu
Effect: Allows the user to place an Element Sealing Method inscription.
Special: Tiger, Dragon, Rat, Boar, Snake, Ox, Bird, Tiger, Dog, Rat, Ram, write on scroll.
Drawback: Must be precisely done, consumes an A rank amount of chakra.
Description: The user quickly inscribes the Element Sealing inscription upon a seal. The user can then use the resultant seal to absorb basic elements. The inscription can be placed on a D or C ranked scroll. A D ranked scroll can contain elemental strength of up to B rank. A C ranked scroll can contain elemental strength of up to S rank. Using the Soshifuin no Jutsu takes up the entire scroll, meaning a puppet, custom technique, weapon, or anything else cannot be stored within the scroll while the Soshifuin is inscribed upon it. This seal must be reapplied every time the scroll is filled and then emptied of elemntal force.
Limit: Must be a C Ranked nin, must be Chuunin or Higher.

Soshi Nottori (Element Capture)
Rank: "D", "C", "B", "A", "S"
Skill: Fuinjutsu
Effect: The user captures a basic element within a scroll inscribed with the Soshifuin.
Special: Tiger, place scroll in path of element.
Drawback: If a weak scroll is used to capture too strong of a blast it will detonate, the scroll will detonate if damaged. This technique can only capture Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, or Lighting element techniques and blasts.
Description: The user forms the Tiger seal, focusing chakra into the scroll and placing the blank circle of the Soshifuin inscription in the path of the element to be absorbed. The scroll then captures the element, focusing it into a single kanji in the center of the scroll. The D ranked version of this technique can only capture a D ranked blast, the C rank version can contain a C rank blast, and so on, so the S rank version can contain and S ranked blast, or the equivalent thereof. This technique can only handle basic elemental chakra. This technique can only contain one type of elemental chakra at once. Once a seal has captured a blast, it cannot hold another until said blast is expelled and the seal reapplied. The chakra is then contained indefinitely within the scroll.
Limit: Must be C ranked, must be Chuunin or higher. Must be a Ninjutsu Specialist or higher to learn the A and S ranked versions of the technique.

[Raikou!]

Rathalos was beat up, but not beat down. He repeated this waterfall trick five times until the last one, when he really did almost get crushed. He crawled back on to dry land and rolled onto his back exhausted. He smiled while putting away his suiton sealed scrolls away in one of his chest pockets. He brother Beowulf just looked up shaking his head. Back when they were children Rathalos would always scold Beowulf for doing risky things, but it seemed nowadays it was always Rathalos doing the risky stuff. And if Beowulf wasn't incorrect in assuming so, Rathalos' preparation was about to get even more risky.

Still on the ground, Rathalos pulled off his Dragon Anbu mask and tossed it to the side weakly. Just as he did, lightning cashed over head in a loud booming SHOOM. The echo reverberated for what seemed forever. Rain began to pour down on the brothers, prompting Rathalos to raise his right hand over his eyes. Perfect weather, he thought.

Suddenly he kicked up to his feet and pulled out a ready to be sealed scroll. More lightning crashed over head. He placed the scroll into his mouth to free his hands, then let out a short burst of seals. His skin quickly transformed into steel. As if his cells flipped over to a metallic side, all his skin would become like metal. Then quickly he made the tiger hand seal and pulled the scroll from his mount and unraveled it. Just as he pointed the scroll at the sky a beaming on crackling light came ripping out of the heavens. A second later and Rathalos would have been fried. Instead the lightning blast twirled into a vacuum and disappeared into the scroll. The force was still incredible and sent Rathalos flying back.

"Rathalos!" yelled Beowulf.

Worried about his brother in the lightning storm Beowulf grabbed one of his swords and flung it spinning into the space above Rathalos. Just as he did another bolt came crashing down and met with the blade mid-air. Rathalos rolled to his feet, created another tiger seal, and unraveled another scroll. Yet another blast came diving in from heaven meeting with Rathalos' scroll. This time he managed to stay on his feet during the sealing, but the weather was getting worse and it was only a matter of time before a full fledged lightning storm began. Beowulf continued to send his katana spinning into the air over Rathalos' head. Every other bolt of lightning was intercepted by Beowulf's Katana, giving Rathalos just enough time to set up for another sealing. Rathalos sealed five S rank raiton blasts before sinking into the ground where it was safe from the storm.

Rathalos rose from the ground next to Beowulf no long encased in steel. He smiled even though he was obviously exhausted.

"I think that will be enough brother," said Rathalos out of breath.

"Yeah." said Beowulf smiling shaking his head.

SPOILER: Click to show

Soshifuin no Jutsu (Element Sealing Technique)
Rank: "B"
Skill: Fuinjutsu
Effect: Allows the user to place an Element Sealing Method inscription.
Special: Tiger, Dragon, Rat, Boar, Snake, Ox, Bird, Tiger, Dog, Rat, Ram, write on scroll.
Drawback: Must be precisely done, consumes an A rank amount of chakra.
Description: The user quickly inscribes the Element Sealing inscription upon a seal. The user can then use the resultant seal to absorb basic elements. The inscription can be placed on a D or C ranked scroll. A D ranked scroll can contain elemental strength of up to B rank. A C ranked scroll can contain elemental strength of up to S rank. Using the Soshifuin no Jutsu takes up the entire scroll, meaning a puppet, custom technique, weapon, or anything else cannot be stored within the scroll while the Soshifuin is inscribed upon it. This seal must be reapplied every time the scroll is filled and then emptied of elemntal force.
Limit: Must be a C Ranked nin, must be Chuunin or Higher.

Soshi Nottori (Element Capture)
Rank: "D", "C", "B", "A", "S"
Skill: Fuinjutsu
Effect: The user captures a basic element within a scroll inscribed with the Soshifuin.
Special: Tiger, place scroll in path of element.
Drawback: If a weak scroll is used to capture too strong of a blast it will detonate, the scroll will detonate if damaged. This technique can only capture Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, or Lighting element techniques and blasts.
Description: The user forms the Tiger seal, focusing chakra into the scroll and placing the blank circle of the Soshifuin inscription in the path of the element to be absorbed. The scroll then captures the element, focusing it into a single kanji in the center of the scroll. The D ranked version of this technique can only capture a D ranked blast, the C rank version can contain a C rank blast, and so on, so the S rank version can contain and S ranked blast, or the equivalent thereof. This technique can only handle basic elemental chakra. This technique can only contain one type of elemental chakra at once. Once a seal has captured a blast, it cannot hold another until said blast is expelled and the seal reapplied. The chakra is then contained indefinitely within the scroll.
Limit: Must be C ranked, must be Chuunin or higher. Must be a Ninjutsu Specialist or higher to learn the A and S ranked versions of the technique.

SPOILER: Click to show