Artist Protection Program[Mission]

[koi]

The night dragged on as Katsu had left the leaf village to his mission in Tanzaku Gai. The clay harrier underneath his feet glided swiftly through the air while a solemn Katsuro sat criss-crossed on the beasts back. The massive creature left Katsu with a decent amount of explosive clay in his small pouch while the large pouch strapped to his thigh offered three times as much clay. His ink rested in the yatake set strapped to his back and he had a paintbrush ready at his thigh. Katsu was prepared for anything!

"So which place is it..."

Gentle brown eyes scanned the ground below as Katsu flew over Tanzaku Gai, but he still needed to seek out the general store that he was sent to protect. There was a calming warm breeze in the air which gave the blonde haired shinobi a certain comfort in the sky, but this comfort would have to leave as the mission was underway. The giant owl beat it's huge wings several more times before Katsu would finally spot the general store. On command from it's artistic master would the immense bird arc down out of the clouds to land in the empty street below. Katsu dropped from the bird, surveying the street all around him. By the looks of it the time was probably around midnight. No street lights flashed in the distance and not a single window was lit.

Katsu would let his gaze wander for several moments before catching movement coming from the general store. Acting on instinct he willed the clay owl to disperse and leaped to the front door of the shop. He squatted down low, slowly turning the door knob so as to not alert anyone to his presence, and slipped into the shop without a sound. Total darkness filled the dingy little store, but beams of moonlight scattered about the shop offering some vision. Katsuro clung to the shadows, quietly moving about the store with little less than the creak of his shoes to be heard. In the very back of the shop he'd spot four figures, each clad in all black, but strips of moonlight drenched them all, giving away their location.

"Give us the money!"

"I cannot!"

"Fork it over old man!"

Below the thugs Katsu could see a small figure hunched over in the fetal position. The store owner most likely. In any case it would be best to stay hidden and attack from the shadows. Reaching back for his yatake set, Katsuro released the brush from his thigh and a bottle of ink from his waist. Just twenty meters away his little movements couldn't be heard, the darkness offered the perfect blanket, and he was in perfect position for a sneak attack. The paintbrush gently licked the top of the bottle before Katsu would rapidly draw a myriad of snakes on to the scroll plastered on to the yatake set. After a few handseals Katsu would whisper his commands and watch in joy as the scene would slowly unravel.

"Ninpou, Chojou Giga..."

[koi]

Katsu watched in triumph as the twelve snakes he'd drawn sprung to life and were charging for the four men. They rapidly slithered across the store floor before lunging at their targets. Each target would have one snake wrapped around their ankles, hands, and mouth. When the deed was complete Katsu closed the yatake set, reloaded his tools, and continued on to the midnight thieves. He looked down upon the fray of squirming captives with a smile on his face, but there was one whome he wss to save. The older man rose from the floor, viciously shaking Katsu's hand in thanks and hastily rushing out of reach of the thieves.

"You must be the Konoha ninja! Thank you for your help, but I fear the worst has yet to come."

"What do you mean..."

"Right before you came they had called for their buddies to come and lift the heavy stuff...there'll be dozens any minute now."

Katsu heaved a heavy sigh before reaching into his pouch to check his clay. If there was in fact dozens of those lowly thugs coming Katsu would be in for a long night. Judging by how weak the first set of thugs were Katsu guessed the next couple wouldn't be any different. Hell, maybe he wouldn't have to waste any ink or clay. Suddenly, sounds could be heard coming from outside. The sounds of many feet and roaring men.

"Looks like they're here...I think I'll go greet our guests."

The blonde haired artist crossed the room once more, only this time he casually opened and closed the door behind him. Noncholantly turning to the street, Katsu took in the huge number of thugs. There were at leat two dozen, but they were all probably weaklings.

"Hello. My name is Katsu and you all are about to be beaten" he laughed.

All at once the legion of evil rushed at Katsu. With little less than a smirk Katsu reached into his clay pouch, readying a bomb.

[koi]

Just as soon as he reached into the pouch he'd retract his hand, watching as a fist flew past his face. Tipping a bit back on his heels Katsu was able to narrowly avoid a jab to his right cheek. The blonde haired Konoha ninja ducked down low as a leg soared overhead, then with a smile he'd spring into action, throwing his arms up to catch the leg and pushed up with very little force knocking the thug over. Katsu leaped forth like a blur in the night, twisting and turning his body in all directions as he released waves of kicks upon nearby thieves. From the moment Katsu reached into his pouch he decided no chakara would be wasted on these lowly of scum.

A small creep of a man pounced onto Katsu's back, but in an instant the artist dipped and the tiny man flew over the teen's shoulders. Before he hit the floor Katsu reached out and grabbed a tight hold of the midgets ankle and began to violently swing the miniscule man in all directions before letting go. The midget shot in a straight dart only to have his fall broken by a tight cluster of thugs.

"This is far too easy" Katsuro howled.

The leaf ninja sprang once more, bouncing in the dirt and over the heads of many, landing with a booming thud upon the back of a thieving man. Katsu crouched low, sweeping out with a swift kick that knocked several men to the floor. The group all around Katsu slowly backed away from the ninja who stood crouched atop a mighty big thug. Whispers of shock ran through the crowd and silence shook the town. A grin spread on Katsuro's lips as he figured the man beneath him was most likely their boss and with that an idea popped into his head.

"I want y'all ta lissen an lissen good!" Katsu spoke in a thuggish accent. "I dun wanna see none of y'all in this town again! Promise that y'all is gonna leave in peace and I won't kill bossman here."

"We promise!" they yelled in unison.

Katsu jumped from the bosses back, making his way through a parted crowd. Once he reached the storefront he turned only to see a mass of black clad figures making off in the night.

[koi]

Finally the mission was over and for Katsu's first mission it went by pretty fast. The old genin only wished that his next missions could be just as easier. Standing about aimlessly in the road, Katsu drew the Yatake set from his back once more, drawing a phoenix on the scroll. Just as he was about to go into his handseals the store owner shot from the store, elated and out of breath. The little portly fellow was pretty cute actually!

"I could never thank you enough leaf shinobi! I'll always be indebted to the leaf!"

With that Katsu went into his sesls, watching as the large bird sprung to life on the ground before him. He repacked the set and took a seat on the bird, flying off back to the comfort of Konoha.