Bandit hunt [2x] Private Mission

[~Emi~]

Bandit Raiders
Rank: A
IIC Length: Two days
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: Destroy a bandit camp.
Description: A couple of small villages in Ame no Kuni have had issues with bandits plundering their trade routes, so they've pooled some ryo to hire shinobi to come in and take out the camp entirely. A scouting expedition has revealed that there are missing ninja mixed in with the bandits.
Reward: 120,000 Ryo

Enter with Hiraishin

T

he duo appeared in a small forest in the middle of the land of fire using the divine step also known as hiraishin. The Hoshigaki immediately took a step away from Itada and searched with his eyes around for anything in the surrounding area that could discover them. But it was quiet and almost completely dead of life. He sighed and turned around a few times to allow himself a clear hearing to all of the sides before he felt fully safe. Then he corrected his black ANBU robe, mask and bear paw's, so they would fit him comfortably in a fight. The only things contained in the robe was one rain, one fire region maps and his crimson tears set.

If he hasn't arrived in a few minutes we'll do it alone.

He obviously referred to the person he had mentioned was an ally during the conversation in the tower.

The plan is to follow merchants from fire country as that is the most promising bait for the bandits. We will interrupt the engage of combat, kill all of the attackers but the weakest and most afraid one to have him run back feared to the main camp. When we have located it, I will block all the escape paths and I'll allow you to show me a little more of who you are.

It was a fairly simple idea, and even though it sounded brutal, he actually didn't mention that everyone in the camp had to die, which allowed Itada to find other solutions, if needed. The mission was a challenge for the ninja after all. When he had seen that the ninja had understood the orders Emi walked around one of the trees and gazed out into the distance, Zuruel was late.

Skulking Shinzu
M$

[M$]

[enter

The two appeared within the forest via nothing but a yellow flash; the sudden, un-welcomed teleportation technique had taken the Uchiha by surprise. While the prior began his quick scout of the surrounding area, Itada was still busy trying to piece together just how they had gotten there. As he watched the jounin take up position to scout, he pushed the thoughts of what he had just witnesses to the back recesses of his mind and mimicked the Anbu's actions. After checking that there were no immediate threats around, the thought slithered back into his mind, bringing with it an intensive curiosity; this was only compounded by the following words the six foot jounin spoke next.

"The plan is to follow merchants from fire country as that is the most promising bait for the bandits." – kumoku

'Fire Country....?", the Uchiha thought to himself.

It was only seconds ago that there were in the Amekage's office, and now Kumoku was claiming the two had ended up in Hi No Kuni. Another look to the surroundings would somewhat confirm this; the land was not drenched in rain, the weather was warm, and from what he could see there were plenty of trees and other vegetation-al sources around them. It was his first time being back in Fire Country since he was a child.. it was nice, to say the least; if only Kumoku had given him a warning ahead of time, Burraku would have enjoyed that place; he'd been trapped under the umbrella of Ame for far too long now.. It was here that Itada made a promise to bring him here one day.

Safe and secure, Itada simply listened to the Anbu as he set forth the mission plan: find and locate merchants, follow them until ambushed, kill the attackers, let the weakest one flee home and then take the rest out once the main stronghold was found. It was a solid plan, and one that would allow him to exercise not only his shinobi prowess, but also no restraint. With his medical knowledge it would be simple to eliminate who needed elimination while keeping those imperative to the mission alive; the rule of medics state they should never post on the front lines.. Itada believed in no such thing. Unlike his last mission, this could actually be fun.

"Understood.", was the response given, in accordance to the mission directive. The plan seemed simple enough and there was no need to add anything. Itada understood what was said to him, and few questions needed be asked, well save one, but that could wait for the moment.

The two ninja stood in the clearing waiting for the third member of the cell to show up. When he did, Itada planned to turn the whole group invisible to the naked eye. What better place to hide than in plain site?

He checked his equipment and made sure he had everything on hand: two longswords strapped horizontally across his back covered in poison(Death), one melody arm on the right, two slots of caltrops(32), two slots of kunai(10), two slots of senbon(114),one slot hira shuriken(15), one slot of exploding tags(80), and an Eye of the Tiger gem embedded in his left palm(+2 movements, +10 skill cat 2).

[Skulking Shinzu]

An odd hue of light – almost completely black – flickered in the area to reveal Zuruel dressed from head to toe in black attire with a knee-length grey cloaked draped over him to hide four katana (two-on either side). Thanks to the numerous Deep Pockets rituals enchanting the cloak, it held an assortment of gear and items. Anything he could ever need for a mission of this calibre. “If you can block the rats from escaping, then I’ll be able to incinerate them all in one go.” A dark chuckle escaped the Kedoin’s lips. Comments like these could only be spoken out loud when Lady wasn’t around to judge.

“And who is this?” Zuruel blinked as his eyes drew towards the other person with Emi. There were no notable features he could discern, aside from a gem embedded in the man’s palm. One he had never seen or worked with before. However, due to Emi’s relaxed demeanor, Zuruel could only assume that the teen is an ally of Emi. “Well, introductions out of the way, let’s get started.” Immediately the Kedoin took in a deep breath of air to analyse all the scents within a 10m radius of him. On top of all this, Zuruel’s enhanced sense of hearing was always active and passively analyzing all the sounds within a 50m radius of him. Hopefully, this would alert him to any potential signs of a ambush while trailing the merchants before the bandits could react.

SPOILER: Click to show

Scent
Rank: "D", "C", "B", "A", "S"
Skill: TaiJutsu
Effect: This extraordinary special quality allows a creature to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: The creature can detect opponents within 10-meters by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 20-meters; if downwind, it drops to 5-meters. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at x2 the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk, can be detected at x3 normal range. When a creature detects a scent, the exact location of the source is not revealed—only its presence somewhere within range. The creature can take a movement to note the direction of the scent. Whenever the creature comes within 2-meters of the source, the creature pinpoints the source’s location. When finding Herbs and Animals (random), Scent may improve searching for them (must have Scent of object previously before searching). Learning "D" Rank allows the user to search for Common things, while "S" for Nearly Impossible. Each rank user learns increases chance of finding by 2% for the Rank of Herb, and increases per Rank thereafter. Example: At "S" Rank User gains 10% increase chance in finding Common Herbs and Animals but only 2% Increase for Nearly Impossible Herbs and Animals.
Limit: Must be an Animal, Fey, Monster, or Vermin. Innate Animal Jutsu.

[x5] Jigoku no Mimi (Hells ears)
Rank: "D"
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: With this technique the Bard is capable of pinpointing the location of a noise within a small area.
Special: ---
Drawback: Cannot be used to hear techniques that silent the user's movement. Must be trained multiple times.
Description: Bards are around sounds constantly and all their training in the musical arts hones their hearing. They are capable of further training their ability to hear to allow them to listen and precisely pinpoint the location a sound is coming from as long as it is within ten meters of themselves. They can continue to train their ability to pinpoint the location of a sound to increase the distance it can be pinpointed from by ten meters each time, capping off at fifty meters.
Limit: Art of the Bard

[~Emi~]

Heading out

I

t didn't take long before Zuruel actually joined up with the duo, but as he was alone the boy wondered where lady was. But as she wasn't necessary for the mission, it could actually be a good thing as she most likely wouldn't allow the slaughter to happen.

Good that you could join us. I am Kumoku and this is Itada. The purpose of this operation is to get an idea of Itada's capabilities as a shinobi.

Was the reply he gave to Zuruel before taking out the maps of the different nations and displayed where they were upon the fire country one.

This is where we are right now, and this road is the most commonly used by travelers going through the bandit area.

He clearly displayed on the map where the attacks had been while allowing them to take a good look. Then when he noticed that they were done he just put it back into the robe He then adjusted his ANBU mask and began to move towards the road he just had shown them.

We are visitors in these lands, so try to not make your presence known.

The shadows then engulfed his body and his steps disappeared into a soundless pattern. To avoid having his companions loose track of him, Emi had his robe flicker a little extra in their direction. His nerves were tensing up as they approached the road as he knew how the security details usually was surrounding them, and it was likely that there would be guards nearby. So when they were a few hundred meters from the road he had the team to stop before he opened his inner eye and analyzed the nearby area.

The area is clear for now, find good scouting positions and be observant of each others.

Stealth 277, observers -75
Observation 112

[M$]

The arrival of the third member of the team took Itada by surprise with his arrival, although his face would show no such thing. He was more intrigued by the way the man appeared, instant and in a flash; it was almost in the same manner him and Kumoku had arrived here. Curiosity only grew within the Uchiha as he eyed the newcomer, intrigued by his choice of words. By his statements, surely he was a warrior worth note, and if he used the same technique as the ANBU Kumoku, possessed powerful jutsu.

Inside, the young Uchiha's excitement grew. Nothing even happened yet, but already this assignment was better than the patrol he'd done previously.

He came closer and listened to the captain as he spoke, glancing at the map as the ANBU pointed out their location. After the briefing finished, Itada moved with the team. As they came closer to the road and was halted, he would respond to Kumoku statement about the area being clear and finding good scouting positions with a technique. His left hand danced through the seals, resting on the last and final one as his body began to fade from sight. In seconds, the Uchiha would no longer be visible, masked by the glamour of his genjutsu.

"I'll be close by", Itada said just as his body disappeared. He waited there for a few seconds, in case anything else was said, and then he'd be off to a better position.

SPOILER: Click to show

Stealth [125]
Observation [125]

Invisibility, Permanent
Rank: "A"
Skill: GenJutsu
Effect: As Invisibility, except the effect is permanent or until diJutsued.
Special: "Handseals"
Drawback: ---
Description: Affects anyone who sees the target. The user is able to perform this technique on the target they touch. The duration of this technique lasts until negated or removed. This technique may be negated.
Limit: Must know the Glamour Perception. Must know Invisibility.

[Skulking Shinzu]

“I see.” Zuruel studied the map carefully. Being a tactician, he scanned for vantage points. Meanwhile, he took in the scent and analysed the voice of Kumoku with his keen Bard hearing. It was definitely Emi – a fact that perhaps needed to be kept hidden. “Understood.” On command, Zuruel blurred away from existence and began to follow the masked man. His Kedoin cells were naturally adept at camoflauge. Coupled together with this, he silenced all of his bodily functions. His heartbeat, breath and even footsteps could no longer be heard. This close range, the group would likely be able to spot distortions in the air that somewhat revealed Zuruel’s general position and movements. Anyone further than a meter, however, would see nothing more than empty space.

As the captain signaled that the area was clear, Zuruel focused on his heightened sense of hearing. He was fully aware of all sounds within a 50m radius of himself. Even the heartbeat or breath of individuals attempting to keep their presence hidden. If nothing was found, he’d simply use his knowledge of the map from earlier to find a high vantage point. He hoped to be able to use this to pinpoint any bandits laying in wait for a ambush.

SPOILER: Click to show

Textured Camouflage
Rank: A-ranked
Skill: Taijutsu
Effect: A extremely powerful camouflaging technique.
Special: ---
Drawback: The user's chakra system is not hidden with this technique.
Description: A superior camouflage technique of the highest degree that taps into the blood lines innate gift. By commanding cells to alter dimensions, pigmentation and texture, the user can blend into the background with ease. This is not invisibility, but rather the user's skin and hair taking the appearance of the background; blending them seamlessly into the area in which they occupy. As the user moves from one area to another, their skin will reflexively change and alter at the same time. The user can literally appear as if they were the limb of a tree, or conglomerate of rocks by a river bed. This ability can be used within an urban environment as well, as some users have been known to perfectly camouflage into the back drop of a bookshelf or office furniture. This allows the user to allude capture, make it difficult for an enemy to fight them within a given area, or even help in stalking and espionage. If actively in combat, the user can make themselves a difficult target to track and fight. The items the user carries is not hidden with this technique, but the "Flesh Fabric" technique is usually used in conjunction with this technique to hide items. It takes 1 post to complete a full camouflage.
Limit: Kedōin Blood line.

Hush
Rank: A-ranked
Skill: Taijutsu
Effect: Silences the body of the user.
Special: ---
Drawback: Lasts only a set amount of time and can only be used 3 times per day. Blood lines with hyper aware hearing may not be fooled as easily.
Description: With specific manipulation of flesh, the Kedōin are capable of dulling sound production from their body. The user alters their skin in such a manner, as to increase surface area and texture. Their skin undertakes a "rippled" appearance, while growing slightly thicker, plumper and softer. Various undulations of the skin and the altered nature of the flesh act very similar to how grooved surfaces and panels dampen sound in "Anechoic chambers". When sound leaves or comes into contact with this altered flesh, it is rapidly dispersed and absorbed directly into the skin. Air pressure is mitigated through this process, producing a very effective means of sound reduction. Running, jumping, and full combat sound like dull whispers and faint pin drops to others. It takes 1 post to prepare for this technique and it lasts for 10 posts (1 minute). This technique can be paired with any other clan techniques without penalty.
Limit: Kedōin Clan. Must know "Warp Visage: Flesh manipulation".

[x5] Jigoku no Mimi (Hells ears)
Rank: "D"
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: With this technique the Bard is capable of pinpointing the location of a noise within a small area.
Special: ---
Drawback: Cannot be used to hear techniques that silent the user's movement. Must be trained multiple times.
Description: Bards are around sounds constantly and all their training in the musical arts hones their hearing. They are capable of further training their ability to hear to allow them to listen and precisely pinpoint the location a sound is coming from as long as it is within ten meters of themselves. They can continue to train their ability to pinpoint the location of a sound to increase the distance it can be pinpointed from by ten meters each time, capping off at fifty meters.
Limit: Art of the Bard

[~Emi~]

Stealth is key

B

oth of his companions seemed to be doing a good job and disappeared from visible sight. His inner eye did however still detect both of them, but as there was no reason for anyone to use such a sensor technique in the middle of nowhere without a reason, he didn't see it as any danger for them. But after they had remained hidden for almost 30 minutes and they heard swift footsteps and Emi a couple of large chakras, he began to sweat. The situation could go really bad if they were noticed. So when the leader of the group stopped on the road and searched the area with his gaze, Emi held his breath and tried to see any possible sign of the man noticing them. But after a brief stop, he dashed after his comrades and seemed to be quite unaffected by any stress. When they were out of his reach with his inner eye, Emi breathed out and sighed.

It didn't take that long after the ninja passing before a small caravan of merchants crossed their location. Since there were no need to be right next to them Emi allowed them to have a 100 meters lead, allowing the group to remain hidden with ease. Even though there were no dangerous guards in the caravan, it was essential that they acted natural and didn't scare off any ambush.

Keep your eyes open now, the bandits most likely stalk their prey for a few miles before the ambush, just to make sure its a good catch.

The shadows were their friends, which had Emi chose paths that sometimes were a little longer just to allow them to remain hidden. They were however never close to even loose the caravan as it was quite loud and brushed up a large amount of road dust as they traveled.

[M$]

Now hidden under his cloak of invisibility, Itada took note of the measures the others on the team would utilize to remain stealthy; Kumoku was covered in shadows and the other one(who had not yet given his name) faded from view in much the same way he had. He took in the last of the information before he made his move.

He took up position as best he could while remaining behind both his comrades if possible. As a shinobi trained in the medical arts, it would his prerogative to remain as covert as possible. It was only after they had scouted for a while that it would finally be some commotion; first, a a group passed, with one pausing for a second as if he noticed them, but kept pushing forward with the rest of his men.

The next bit worth note was the passing of merchants as they traveled along the road the trio were scouting. Listening to Kumoku, Itada simply nodded in agreement. He had been in more than one skirmish with bandits– they had no rules, no honor– they'd plunder even the weakest at the slightest opportunity. He moved as his captain moved, keeping along the path drawn out before him, ever vigilant, elevating to the treetops when possible.

Waiting ... stalking... plotting on the moment he'd be able to quench the thirst of the blade at his hip.

SPOILER: Click to show

OOC: not much time post today. I can post, but it will be from my phone.

[Skulking Shinzu]

Zuruel clicked his teeth together as the caravan passed by. Using his echolocation, the 110m area around him lit up and revealed its secrets. He hoped to use this to pick up on the existence of any groups of individuals stalking the caravan. Although it was impossible to pick up on any features such as clothing, it’d be quite clear to him if any individuals were tracing the caravan’s tracks whilst making a conscious effort to remain hidden behind objects for the sake of stealth.

While all this was happening, the Kedoin stroked his chin and remained close to the group while using his knowledge of the map to remain in the highest of vantage points. He always preferred this. There were a limited number of places he could be approached from and on top of that, he had a perfect view of the surroundings. Sadly, not being one that could allow himself to be distracted whilst on a mission, his eyes remained squinted to drown out the breath-taking scenery. Instead, he purely focused on his echolocation.

OOC: Sorry! Missed these posts.

[~Emi~]

Let the hunt begin

D

uring the their travels on a safe distance they could notice that the merchant they had been stalked were trading with large quantities of antiques. Emi really didn't know much about how the general trade of that category, but he had heard that when it was expensive there were a lot of money involved, but mostly it was fairly rubbish. That fact had him sigh as he knew that if there were little value in the wares the chance of meeting the band of bandits were slim.

There were a couple of additional ninja squads that met the caravan during its path towards the border, but almost all of them were completely focused upon the merchants and didn't even bother searching for the group. So it wasn't any opposition for them, allowing them free passage. The entry to the land of rain was a quite massive situation as there were several groups that they could accidentally meet. But thanks to their sensory ability Emi was able to guide the group through some long way around to not walk into anyone. As assistance Emi did however ask for the other two to keep an extra focused eye upon the caravan, so they wouldn't loose them while they took detours and Emi focused on other things.

After approximately 20 minutes after they had crossed the borders a few faint chakras were detected by the young Hoshigaki. It appeared to be a fairly small group of 10 individuals which quickly approached the caravan. Emi held up his hand to stop his group before he carefully pointed out the directions of all of the auras that he could detect.

I want that one...

Emi pointed with his entire arm towards the weakest one.

..to be the only survivor, traumatize him, scare him and have him forget common logic.

It was brutal way to introduce the genin into the darkness of the world, but as the targets were criminals, Emi really didn't hesitate that they had deserved whatever was coming their way.

Let them initiate their attack first however, we want a confirmation that they're the ones we're looking for.

[M$]

'Antiques?'

Was there really money to be made in trading antiques? The Uchiha pondered for a second as the revelation came about, then quickly dismissed the thoughts– these were bandits, after all– they'd plunder through just about anything to satiate their greed.

The only indication that they were leaving the lands Hi no Kuni was the sudden shift in the atmosphere; while the foliage and greenery was still present, the sun would start to be hidden by rain clouds overhead. Following Kumoku and the caravan had brought the shinobi a route he hadn't known about before, but returning to his homeland brought about a new sense of calamity. Itada knew how the Land of Rain worked; here, law was the last thing the people worried about. As a shinobi, he was indeed the law here... but the underworld knew him as something ... no, someone else.

Coming to a halt as Kumoku held up his hand, Itada followed the outstretched arm to its' destination. Unfortunately, at this distance it was hard to tell exactly which man the ANBU was referring to. A problem easily solved by the birth of the Uchiha's kekkei genkai; through the crimson curtain that was his Sharingan did the chakra in the men become visible, and the observational and analytical prowess it bestowed to Itada made identifying the weakest of the group a simple task.

Itada took this moment to look at both Kumoku and the newcomer and it was as he'd expected– both the warriors were powerful based on the language their chakra spoke.

However, after what he had seen at the tower, such was to be expected.

His eyes focused back to the group as Kumoku spoke once more: "I want that one...to be the only survivor, traumatize him, scare him and have him forget common logic."

Simple enough, Itada thought to himself. He had just the genjutsu in mind to cause such havoc.

Now.. all he'd need to wait for the signal to begin.

SPOILER: Click to show

Invisibility, Permanent [Active]
Rank: "A"
Skill: GenJutsu
Effect: As Invisibility, except the effect is permanent or until diJutsued.
Special: "Handseals"
Drawback: ---
Description: Affects anyone who sees the target. The user is able to perform this technique on the target they touch. The duration of this technique lasts until negated or removed. This technique may be negated.
Limit: Must know the Glamour Perception. Must know Invisibility.

Sharingan
Rank: "C", "B", "A"
Skill: NinJutsu
Effect: The Sharingan is a special eye that grants the user a broad form of abilities, and unlocks techniques dedicated to the Sharingan.
Special: Handseals
Drawback: ---
Description: Picture The Sharingan is the most feared ability of the Uchiha Clan. This unique ability manifests in a clan member's eyes, and while some might call it a genetic aberration of deformity, the Uchiha have used this gift to devastating effect. In some members this ability will only let them anticipate or predict the path of an attack. The user activates this ability as a "C" Rank weaving movement that does not provoke an opportunity of attack. Each Rank learned the user gains a Tomoe (maximum 3). User gains a +10 insight bonus to Investigate, Observation, Reading Lips, and Forgery (to copy writers) checks per Tomoe. User gains a +10 insight bonus to Sense Motive against Feints per Tomoe. User gains a +2 insight bonus to Intimidate per Tomoe. User gains a +2 insight bonus to Will Saves against GenJutsu and Mind-Affecting Jutsus per Tomoe. User gains a +2 insight bonus to Attack Damage per Tomoe. User gains a +2 insight bonus to Dodge per Tomoe. The user can concentrate for a move-movement to gain the ability to "See Chakra" for as long as the user concentrates, plus 5 rounds. The Sharingan eye costs chakra per round to maintain. If the user is blinded, user gains none of the benefits of the Sharingan. Unless caught flat-footed, immobilized, or feinted against, the character cannot lose Minor Defenses while the Sharingan is Active. Deactivating this is a free movement. When the user unlocks the 3rd Tomoe they gain the ability Glare. User gains a +20 bonus to Observation to detect GenJutsu techniques or see Chakra Activity (see See Chakra). The Difficulty Saves of a character's Eye Techniques increases by +1 no named bonus while their Sharingan is active.
Limit: Must be an Uchiha.

[Skulking Shinzu]

“Antiques?” Zuruel shrugged. He never could quite understand the interest in dusty old relics. However, that’s the way the world worked. A world he was no closer to understanding. “I see.” Zuruel nodded as Emi guided the group through a long and winding path into the Land of Rain. Using his Kedoin prowess, he probably could have slipped past the Ninja guards. Sensory techniques were useless against a Kedoin. However, as the others would likely find it a lot harder, Zuruel simply remained quiet and obediently followed Emi until the Hoshigaki signaled that enemies were approaching.

With a faint click, Zuruel adjusted the zoom capability on his lenses. He analysed each individual member of the group and their weaponry. If these were bandits, then they certainly weren’t the impressive variety. “Understood.” Zuruel stated coldly as Emi warned of the weakest individual. There was only one reason why Emi would want him all for himself. Being the weakest, he likely had the loudest mouth and would spill the group’s secrets at the sight of his dead comrades. This was going to be fun. “Traumatize and scare? He’s in for a treat.” The Kedoin snickered at the end of his whisper as his fingers gently wrapped around the hilt of his katana.

[~Emi~]

Fearful trinity

E

mi's inner eye followed all of the individuals sneaking around in the forest, and he saw that most of them were actually quite weak, but some were ninja level. The mission information had given them a heads up on the missing nins, but he was a little surprised that there were some for such a small job. But he carefully memorized the chakra sources of the stronger ones and tried to predict their movements. The area was quiet and the traveling merchants were still unaware of the two groups surrounding them. "Sheeps" was the only thing he could think off when he looked at them.

They have divided themselves into 3 groups, the groups on the right and left side are actually the stronger ones containing 2 missing ninjas each. The one in the middle seems to be just a roadblock of rogues with our guide to the camp within. You two can take the sides, I'll focus on inducing the fear.

A few seconds later from him giving the final instructions the caravan suddenly stopped and a small group of laughing men of various sizes walked out in front of it. They all wore weapons of all the types, but it was quite obvious that none of them were especially experienced using them. That's when Emi send his group out to the sides as kunai's with explosion tags landed on the wagons, coming from the forest on the sides. The Hoshigaki then jumped through the crowns of the trees within the shadows to get closer to the group ahead of the caravan.

He was however not completely sure on how he actually wanted to do it, but when he got within range, he had made up a plan which began with allowing them to think it was a possible fight towards two opponents. The boy then smiled behind the mask as he analyzed the qualities of the men in front of him, he enjoyed the thought of taking them out furiously. His bloodlust ignited his eyes and Emi made some final alterations to his gear while enjoying the quite before the storm.

[M$]

"I'll take the ones on the left.", Itada told his companions in a muffled tone, the caravan having come to a stop via the ragtag group of men obstructing its' path. Still invisible, Itada made his move toward the group he had been assigned to kill. Instead of heading in a straight bee line toward them, he would go to his left first and flank around to their backside, making sure to stay a safe distance away until his positioning was comfortable enough to move in. When so, he approached cautiously until he reached about thirty meters from the group.

Posted at their flank, and hidden by both his invisibility jutsu, and the various vegetation around, the Uchiha split his soul into two and brought about an exact replica of himself, equipped with all his abilities and shinobi tools. Without exchanging words, the Soul Split continued its' progression toward the targets, using its skills in stealth and the invisibility to remain hidden. Its' progression would be akin to a snakes– slow, low, and silent– like an assassin, he would strike when it was time.

Meanwhile, as soon as the split had occurred, Itada had refocused his vision to the targets. His ability to see chakra networks made it easy to tell which two of the group were ninja; using this knowledge, he focused his gaze on them, using the power of his kekkei genkai to lock them within his Hypnotic Stare. This would decrease their ability to defend against his genjutsu dramatically, and the bandits surrounding the two shinobi would be hit with the same effects as there was little that could escape the Uchiha's gaze(Wide Stare).

Safe, thanks to the distance between him and the group, and his inability to be seen, Itada proceeded without hindrance; his hands came together in an elegant display, the finale bringing about a simple genjutsu that would cripples his foes. It would be subtle at first; each target would perceive and gentle flow of leaves swirling around them, lasting but only for a second before it disappeared. All whose minds were weak enough would succumb to the power of his Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing technique(33). It would take some time before his genjutsu took effect(1 round). When it did, they would all see the thing they feared the most, and if they couldn't resist, would be over stricken with fear.

In that time, he and his clone waited; Itada, thirty meters away, and the split slightly closer at fifteen meters.

[Skulking Shinzu]

“The right for me then.” A dark grin possessed Zuruel’s features as he weaved together a set of hand seals. Still in his vantage point, he aimed carefully before forcing Chakra into his lips which with a cupped hand, he unleashed in an array of flames. Combined with wind Chakra, the flames quickly picked up speed and whizzed through the air like a speedy projectile. It seemed to miss the group on the right completely and smack into the ground somewhere far away from them. That’s when the fun began.

As the projectile of flames and wind hit the ground, the two opposing Chakras merged and immediately combined to release a flash of light. In a instant, the flame incinerated everything within a 100m radius of them – leaving behind nothing but a crater and smouldering earth. Being aimed quite a distance away, the inferno completely took out the group on the right and left behind nothing but ashes. However, due to his aim, no one else was harmed by the Jutsu. “Did I go overboard?” He wondered as he scanned the horizon. No one from his targeted group appeared to have survived.

SPOILER: Click to show

Futon: Pheonix Flare
Type: S-Rank
Effect: A blast of fire is blown into the air to appear as if it were a giant explosion. Offensive, range (100 meters at the least)
Special: Snake, Boar, Ox, Dog, Rat, Snake, Ox, Sheep, Dog.
Drawback: N/A
Description: After performing the necessary handsigns, the user fires a giant burst of fire either in the air,(possibly as a distraction) or at the opponent. This jutsu adds wind behind the fire to add the effect of the fire expanding. Ranging in a distance of at least one hundred meters, the explosion could level a large area just from the sheer force of the blast, while if the force does not do it. The secondary chakra enhanced fire WILL!
Limit: Fire Release required, Wind Release required

[~Emi~]

The camp

W

hen the opposing bandits stopped in there tracks as they noticed that something was up, Emi saw that one of them acted as the temporary leader in the group. So he smiled behind his mask and got up behind them before he stepped out from the shadows and pierced the heart of the leader. He immediately collapsed and the others jumped back from their fallen comrade. Since Emi suspected that the remaining group would charge upon him, he wanted to force the weakest to stay behind and just observe, so he threw senbons so they hit him in one knee and the neck next to the throat. As he wanted to make sure that it didn't look planned, he also had thrown an additional three senbons that killed off one of the other males.

Their eyes were widened and Emi could see that all of them feared him, but only the healthy ones charged at him with their weapons held high. Emi then blocked and slaughtered them as they reached him as he slowly walked forward. There were a lot of blood spray across both him and the ground as he walked, but he had his eyes focused on the final target in his play. The final ally to his target was disarmed before Emi grabbed its head and without hesitation crushed it like a grape. The fear overwhelmed the man, just as planned, which had him trying to run away from the murderer that had just slaughtered all of his friends with almost no effort at all. The fact that he had a senbon in his leg forced him to stumble forward, making him feel even worse about his situation.

Since Emi kept a steady pace throughout the entire attack, the injured man was able to get some distance in between them. But as that was what Emi had planned, it didn't really matter. He looked on the map, to see what was located in the direction of where the man was going. There seemed to be a lot of promising campsites within a logical distance, which forced them to follow him further.

When the man had gotten out of the ordinary visible range, Emi whistled to the other two while both keeping track on the man by the scent of blood and his chakra aura. It didn't take long before it was clear that there were no hesitation on the direction of the man and there were a few tracks visible a little now and then in the ground, which made it clear they were getting closer. So to avoid anything revealing their position, Emi finished off the man with another senbon, this time it hit him in the back of the head and embedded itself far within his skull. It was a little annoying to get out as he retrieved his creation, but it didn't matter, it had to be done.

After another 20 minutes of travel in the same direction as the man had tried to escape, Emi finally located a large amount of chakra auras, most were not strong, but some were obvious to belong to nukenins.

Alright, I found the camp. It is 200 meters in that direction.

He pointed out while bringing out his map of the land of rain. After he had located where they were and at what location the bandits had their camp, Emi formed a square around the entire area that he knew the enemies were inside off. Then he performed a few handseals and charged his jutsu for a few seconds. After 18 seconds the barrier erupted and locked in the area in a red burning shield.

It is no longer possible for them to exit the cube unless they either kill me or teleport out, so it is now time to see what you have got. Zuruel, you may kill as you wish, but do not take them all. Itada, I want to see how you handle them, there's different ways to be a shinobi, show me your way.

Emi then walked towards the camp, he had no intentions to fight as he knew that both of his comrades were fully capable, but he wanted to be up close to see everything. The bandits knew they were coming as the red shield lit up the sky, but they didn't know where they currently were.

[M$]

It would be subtle at first; each target would perceive a gentle flow of leaves swirling around them, lasting but only for a second before it disappeared.

The leaves vanished, and something else appeared in its' place; the image seen by each bandit would be different from the last as the genjutsu Itada used were specialized for each individual person. Each of his targets, both bandit and nukenin, would fall victim as the curtain of the demonic illusion fell upon them, encasing and trapping them in their own personal hell, imprisoned by their very own minds. The Sharingan aided the strength of his genjutsu, increasing the potency of the Uchiha's illusion considerably. Horrendous, terrified screams could be heard from the group on the left— Loud shrieks of terror and agony would fill the surrounding area, adding to the fear induced by Itada's comrades.

From his thirty meter perch, the original Itada had trained his kekkei genkai on the strongest of the group and in response to him being the first to break free of his genjutsu, the Soul Split was already upon him, both unnamed blades unsheathed from his backside, splitting into the nukenin with reckless abandon. Blood dripped from the two blades as he removed them from the nukenin's now limp body.

Crimson eyes glared forth and without any pause or hesitation, the Soul Split continued his intricate dance of murder, dashing in and out as he cut down the remaining targets one by one. Paralyzed with fear from the genjutsu, he'd hardly break a sweat killing off the rest of the group. When they were all killed and on the ground lifeless, the split would search each of their corpses for any type of loot: Ryo, weapons.. anything really. They were bandits after all– they had to have something of worth. Regardless if they had items or not, the two would move forward, rendezvousing with the group before proceeding.

They followed the weakest bandit via Kumoku's sensory capabilities and upon locating the camp, the Anbu blocked off the entire encampment in a burning red aura. After Kumoku spoke his last piece of information, it was time to begin. No way to escape? Sounded like fun to the Uchiha.

"Understood"

Without waiting for further instructions, if any, Itada and the other half of his soul headed off to get closer to the camp. The first step would be reconnaissance; they needed to know where everyone was, how many were there, and who among them possessed the most strength.

[Skulking Shinzu]

Zuruel snickered as Emi crushed a man’s skull like a grape. It had been a while since he had witnessed such violence. It made his muscles tingle and blood shoot with adrenaline. Part of him had wished he hadn’t obliterated his group of enemies so quickly now. Sadly, muscle memory and instinct had gotten the better of him. All this time with Lady had unfortunately taught him the value of mercy and putting an end to foes sufferings swiftly. At some point, he’d have to teach himself how to undo all these ‘bad’ habits that Lady had instilled upon him.

“Ah, well this was easy.” Zuruel glanced over to the distance. Like Emi, he could follow scent trails too and with the assistance of True Sight granted by his Soul Caster powers, he could also see Chakra and auras to some degree. Naturally, this made the campsite 200m away light up against the background like a Christmas tree. “Aw, I can’t kill them all? Guess I won’t use any Jutsu. I’m no good with enclosed spaces. Most of my techniques pack too much of a bang.” He snickered while drawing Firestorm’s Despair – one of Ryutatsu’s blades. Upon unsheathing it, the metal glowed red-hot before erupting into a stream of flames.

“Itadakimasu.” He grinned as he dragged the tip of his blade along the ground. A trail of fire followed as he entered the red barrier and whistled to catch the attention of the bandits. Unlike the masked Uchiha, the Kedoin was far more direct with his actions – a fact which only became more clear as several bandits rushed over to his direction. “So slow.” He yawned. Seeing their movements in slow-motion thanks to his Devil’s Quicksilver potion, Zuruel simply pivoted to dodge an incoming axe before swiftly raising his blade to hack off the man’s arm. A flurry of screams then erupted as Zuruel broke out into a graceful dance of dodging incoming weaponry whilst hacking off limbs and heads.

“No… This won’t satisfy me at all.” Zuruel sighed and sheathed his blade. Sensing a opportunity, one fool-hardy bandit immediately approached from behind and struck at the back of the Kedoin’s head. Immediately, his skull opened up. However, not from the wound. Before the opponent’s blade could even touch him, fanged teeth appeared which stretched out before shutting tight around the weapon to shatter it. Blisters then appeared around the Kedoin’s flesh which slowly began to grow and form sacs of greenish liquid. “Have fun. I’m going to go take a nap or something.” He yawned as the blisters broke off his body and slid down his trousers to form six snake-like homunculi with enough height to tower above the bandits while upright. Hissing, several fanged maws appeared along the entirety of the homunculus’s bellies as they began slithering towards the group of bandits and devouring their bodies whole in grotesque slithering motions. In mere moments, it quickly turned into a massacre with pools of blood forming all around the bored Zuruel.

[~Emi~]

Mission complete

T

he fight was going pretty much as he had expected it to, his group really was overqualified for the task, but still it was a good way to learn what Itada was about. It didn't surprise him that he shared a common dullness to blood and death, like more and more ninjas from the small nation did. Emi sighed as he sat on the branch, the other boy would be useful for the land, but the fact that violence became an everyday thing in his homeland made him a little down. When all of the bandits had been taken out, Emi jumped down unto the ground and exclaimed to the other two.

Now, check the amount of living areas and match it to the amount of slain. We want to make sure all of them were in the raid or in the campsite.

It was actually something he had done while observing the area, and it matched up pretty much perfect. But he wanted to have them learn to always think in those paths.

well, this went smooth.

He then said as he walked up to the bored Zuruel and offered him a large pile of money.

Thanks for the assistance, I will also notify the kage about the aid you've given us today on this mission.

The boy then nodded to Zuruel and walked over to Itada.

Ready to head back?

The right arm then moved out and attempted to touch the other shinobis shoulder, which then would have the two of them vanish into the thin air if accepted.

-Attempted exit-
Money given to Zuruel : 500'000 Ryo

[M$]

It went smoother than expected; the two Uchiha had made their around the back of the encampment, moving about stealthily until enough intelligence was gathered where they would be able to eliminate everyone quickly, quietly, and efficiently. After the successful installment of their phantasm genjutsu, Friend to Foe, the majority of the camp's occupants turned on one another, viewing those comrades they have fought many battles with as creatures and beings they hated most. It wasn't long before they were clawing and tearing at each other with their blades and other weaponry.

The ensuing chaos made it easy for Itada and his doppelganger to clean up the left overs; equipped with two sets of twin blades and two pairs of Sharingan eyes, the Uchiha duo danced through the encampment in brilliant display of death and fear. Too distracted by their once comrades, the bandits fell easily and without struggle. Steel blades ripped through flesh as the Uchiha both parried and attacked in the same motion. There was only two of them yes, but between the illusions and predictive capabilities it seemed like a small militia had raided the camp.

There was one that resisted, no doubt one of the nukenin. Though his mind was powerful, he misunderstood and underestimated the craftiness of the Uchiha. He had caught sight of one, but amidst his endless taunting and meager attempts at intimidation he was struck down by the Soul Split that had appeared behind him via the body flicker technique. In one swift motion, head separated from shoulders as it landed on the ground with a thud and slid over to Itada's feet. When it was all said and done, Itada would bring the head back toward the ANBU captain as proof of the completed deed.

This camp had fallen, but to what avail? Bandits were bandits– he'd dealt with them as a young child new to Ame, and he had finished massacring an entire camp of them as a full fledged shinobi. Where was the head to this seemingly endless snake he wondered.

Covered in a bit of blood, Itada allowed the ANBU to touch his shoulder. It was the same motion he'd made to teleport them from the tower, so in his mind it was going to bring them back to the village.

"Yea, let's go.", Itada said as the two disapeared in yet another flash of light.

He didn't worry about the other man too much; he was powerful, no doubt, and Itada would catch up to him sooner or later. For now though, he was focused on the upcoming chuunin exams.

[ exit