Mission First Hand View

[Nanjirou Soku]

It was a simple enough request and one she hadn't taken before. The frazzed looking merchant, a grey-haired blacksmith by the name of Kuno had bombarded her desk over and over with missives until the Sennin had taken it upon herself to confront the man and ask just what in the name of Raiden and all the gods above was he planning on doing. As it turned out, Kuno did not have any intent to disrupt her rather stressful office duties or at least, he hoped not.

It was a simple request really. They were to serve as the advance party for one of Kuno's caravan carrying precious ore and basically act as the eyes and ears. She had seized this chance to snag Toshi and HIkaru as well as this would be probably be an once in a lifetime experience. Soku barely got out in the field these days so it was a welcome change so after sending Kuno on his way with some carefully worded threats not to overwhelm her assistant with any more letters, she took on the request.

An ANBU had been dispatched to inform both Toshi and Hikaru of the details and to meet Soku at a prescribed location as the Sennin had already set ou ahead donning her old battered ANBU vest and mask, her sword strapped to her back. After all, the villagers would surely wonder where the Sennin was heading out at such a time and that would warrant attention, attention that she didn't need.

That would really be the first aspect of seeing if this misson went to plan, to see if Hikaru and Toshi could pin her down. She had no worries about HIkaru knowing she was more than capable, she'd brought the girl along as backup just in case, it was mostly Toshi she was keeping an eye on since he had such an vested interest in the organization that dealt from the shadows.

"Fresh prints too." She muttered to herself kneeling down to poke at the dirt, her eyes following a trail of steps that couldn't have been more than a day old. Clearly, someone had been down this path more than once and while the caravan was following close behind, it left an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

This was one of the backwoods path rarely used so if someone was down here, they were either traveling or camping. There was hardly anything else to do there well except prey upon unsuspecting merchants which is exactly what they had been dispatched to prevent. She'd heard reports about a rather notorious bandit group roaming about in the area, maybe this would give them the chance to get rid of that particular thorn.

First however, she needed to link up with her other two shinobi, it would be quite en embarassing display to Kuno if their whole plan fell apart simply because of some logistical issues. It had happened before and she was not planning on re-visiting that, the rumors that would start in the village that the Sennin of the Leaf Village couldn't even perform a measly escort mission would leave her shuddering for days.

Better to think on the postive and hope that some bandits showed up, they were the cowardly kind, strike fast and retreat instead of standing their ground. Well, that was if they ran into any as her eyes scanned the treeline, for all she knew, they might be tucked away watching her but better not to give away your prescence if you weren't sure.

WC: 584/7,000

 

[Toshi]

Toshi asked Hikaru a few questions on what he should have prepared for the upcoming mission. Of course it sounded rather simple, but the fact that it was his first mission kept him on his toes. He wanted to experience the mission for himself, so that he knew what to expect from there on out. He stayed up most of the night, sitting indian style on the pond of the Sakurako Clan House. He kept himself afloat, careful not to drift off when those brief moments of comfort were upon him. Keeping his mind blank, he awaited the morning sun to arise before he opened his eyes.

Toshi knew the day would bring a lot of work. If he wanted to make a great impression on Soku, the former ANBU Captain, he would have to bring his A - game. It felt as though shinobi life was full of tests. He liked that his shinobi way would be tested. It was one thing to prove yourself, but to survive the obstacles that came your way was yet another thing. He wouldn't lose honor fighting for what he believed in. Doing what was dishonorable would throw away his name. He knew he was not in this alone, there were others that he fought for as well. There was a lot at stake here, and he wouldn't let the enemy overcome him.

Putting on his shroud, he walked out of the front door of the clan house, awaiting Hikaru. He looked to the Hokage monument. Upon seeing Asuka-San's face, he thought about what she said to him in her office. He knew that he was worth something if he chose to be a soldier of the village, but there was much more to that. He kept his mind focused on the day's goal: Success.

Upon the arrival of the ANBU, Toshi took mental notes of what the opp said. The mission sounded simple enough, but the fact that these precious ores were being carried was enough to keep Toshi on his guard. There would probably be those that wanted to rob these ores. It sounded like they would sell for a good amount of yen. The news only excited the boy. He double checked with Hikaru before they departed. He wouldn't stress her with any of his premission jitters. He wanted to show that he had what it took to be a full fledged ninja.

Arriving at the outter areas of the village, Toshi observed his surroundings. If it wasn't for the ANBU's direction, he wouldn't have found the path that he was to meet Soku on. Seeing her in her ANBU vest and mask made this mission seem fiormal. He felt as though he wasn't properly dressed, but he continued to hold a bright outlook on what was to come. He approached her slowly, calling her name and afterward, taking a bow. "Toshi and Hikaru reporting in." Toshi said, the slight grin on his face giving away his excitement. He hoped to remain in his excited state, even if things got tough. His determination and will would keep him going on when things became fierce.

[ Topic Entered ]
WC: 525/7,000

 

[Miyazaki Hikaru]

Hikaru rose early in the morning- today was mission day. She hadn’t been on one of these in a while, likely because of her… recent complications, what with adapting to sharing her consciousness with Ukabu and slowly figuring out how she could continue to be useful to the Medical Branch. She grabbed the remedial supplies she had prepared the previous night. It didn’t seem like too difficult of an assignment to come back to, especially since she’d be accompanied by Toshi and Soku, but you could never be too careful she supposed.

The young woman borrowed some of her jinchuuriki spirit’s chakra for sight as she stepped out into the main courtyard of the Sakurako house, spotting her teammate on his way. “Morning,” she nodded to him as they departed, falling into step with the genin beside her. It was Toshi’s first mission, she was aware; she had answered his questions about preparations earlier simply, repeating what he probably would have heard from old Academy instructors and Soku herself. From experience Hikaru knew that one’s first assignment could just as easily serve as a test as it could a guarded learning exercise, so she didn’t want to ruin it by saying too much.

A member of the ANBU branch flitted by to deliver the details, including the location they were supposed to meet Soku: one of the narrower paths around the village, certainly one she hadn’t used often. The premise was familiar enough to her, so while their messenger elaborated she watched for Toshi’s reaction out of the corner of her faintly glowing eye. He seemed to be taking it seriously enough (despite the fact that his first-day jitters manifested as excitement rather than apprehension).

When they had received the full briefing, she responded to the genin with a smile in the affirmative, and the two of them set off for the route. All the while Hikaru let her teammate lead the way to make sure he had listened well to the directions. Though she had miraculously never had an overly judgemental client for an escort mission, they were infamous for bogging down otherwise successful missions with criticism. Which would make for a good learning experience for Toshi, perhaps, but she personally didn’t want to get chewed out for failing a low-rank mission as a Medical Chief.

She spotted Soku on the pathway; the genin seemed to have no trouble recognizing her as well, which was a start. Hikaru mirrored his bow with a nod and a smile. “Whenever you’re ready, Captain.”

[Entered]
WC: 418 / 7,000

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

As it turned out and thank Raiden for it, Toshi and Hikaru did indeed to find the elusive former ANBU Captain scouring over the prints as her head jerked up at Toshi frowning at his grin. He was excited which was understanable but there was a thing as being too giddy and overdoing things as she simply nodded her greeting. "You've already made your first mistake." She informed the boy to let him process, it was always slightly amusing to see the younger ones struggle as they tried to figure out what they did wrong before Soku finally took mercy on the boy and told him.

"It's okay to be eager but remember this is a real misson, don't let your eagerness get in the way of the purpose." She paused as she turned to Hikaru frowning as well. "Call me by name, you calling me by a senior rank gives the enemy the impression I'm the shinobi in charge and as such, they'll see me as a bigger threat and try to take me out first before they go for you guys." She let that sink in before adding on to add in a bit of light humor. "Unless you hate me that much, didn't know I was such a pain."

She hoped not. If the two shinobi were here, that meant Kuno's caravan was not far behind and that was a flag for them to get moving. The treeline on either side provided plenty of cover and any smart thief would probably know better than to mess with an gang of three Leaf shinobi especially when they had an ANBU with them but then again, most bandits were not very wise and from what she' heard, they had gotten quite comfortable out here so maybe they were used to scuffling with shinobi every now and then, not a thought that sat well with her.

She nodded towards the tracks which carried down the path. "Fresh footsteps, this is not a path that is used often and if it is used, it is for merchant caravans like the one we are in charge of today. It's not that dense which means whoever came through here is on foot as opposed to a merchant convoy made up of wagons and horses."

Bandits did not travel with wagons, they traveled on foot and she had put that calucations together given a few seconds. Her expression grew serious as she beckoned them closer. "One more thing, both of you. I'm in charge of both of your's well-being, especially your's Toshi. That means if I give an order, you must follow it." Her eyes flitted across their expressions, her next words coming out grave.

"That means if I tell you to leave me and run, you will do so. Sometimes, missions can go terribly sideways and things happen, I don't say this to scare you but it's a reality, I've seen it happen before."

Her missing arm was evidence enough of that glancing down at the metal limb fashioned and designed by one of Konoha's brihtest medical innovators, thank the gods for Nao.

"Right then, Toshi, you want a taste of the ANBU, right? Let's see how good your tracking skills are, pretty easy, just follow these footsteps down that path. Hikaru will bring up the rear and as for me-" A smile, almost terrifying crept onto her expression if they could have seen her face covered by the mask.

"I'll have a friendly converstation with anyone who gets too close."

That was the biggest lie she had told herself.

WC: 1172/7,000

 

[Toshi]

"oh?" Toshi's grin turned into a clueless expression as he was told he made his first mistake. He didn't expect to mess up so quickly. The mission had only begun, it was a rough start, but he wouldn't quit. What exactly did he do? He wondered as he awaited to hear Soku's case. She explained that his hype was over this charts. This was a mission, not a surprise birthday party. Focus was key, and sometimes that meant overcoming the zeal that lay within. Toshi nodded, now looking determined as he was ready for the mission. She also noted to not call her by her rank. Toshi took this to the head as well. There seemed to be a lot more to learn, the Academy couldn't teach one everything. Field work was definitely a need.

As she told the two that this mission could be dangerous, she told them to follow every order given. It was a strict code to keep the safe. Toshi understood that he was still green. Just a grasshopper in this giant leafy territory. She didn't have to tell him twice. She then told the do that if she ordered them to run, that they should do so. Toshi wasn't so sure about this. Even though he nodded and gave a straight face, he wasn't entirely sure he could leave someone behind. Even if it was a Sennin of the village, a former ANBU opp as well, but running away just didn't sound like the answer. Of course, Hikaru could probably pick up on his vibe, sharing the same Clan House and all. He was told to lead the way.

"This should be a piece of cake." The mission sure sounded simple, and with Soku there, the boy was sure he wouldn't mess things up. He wondered if his trainings would be enough for what was at hand. Toshi looked to the tracks that he was to follow, stooping down and taking note of the sights. He rubbed the dirt, wondering when the tracks were made. "Hmm." The boy stood back up. He clutched the forehead protector that was around his neck, kissing the Konoha symbol. 'Let my first mission be a success. This is for the village.' He let go of the forehead protector, beginning his way down the path. He made sure to keep his eyes open for any problems down the way. If he saw anything out of the ordinary, he'd be sure to inspect it. He knew he would have questions as they went on with the mission, but he'd ask at the proper time. Until then, he stayed alert, keeping himself ready for anything.

Tracking was a skill the boy picked up while working on his battle strategy. Learning to fight while the area was disguised in a deep fog, confusing the enemy, and then striking when least expected. "I'll try to stay safe as I lead the way." He folded his arms behind his head, taking to a slow stroll as he moved in front of the group. He was careful as to what he was saying. He knew that if there were any stealthy eavesdroppers nearby, he didn't want them to have the upper hand from conversation. Note 1 that he took from Soku.


WC: 1,065/7,000

 

[Miyazaki Hikaru]

Hikaru’s face reddened as Soku pointed out her error alongside the Genin’s. “Right,” she winced, “what should we call you instead?” While not encouraged, Toshi was at least allowed to make mistakes- she on the other hand was a trained Captain of the Medical Branch, and perhaps more importantly than her rank she was the team’s medic for this mission. She at least appreciated the humor from their Captain, though mentally she had to kick herself for forgetting. She wasn’t a stubby Genin anymore; it wasn’t immediately obvious to potential attackers who to target first, and they certainly didn’t want to give them any hints.

Following that train of thought led Hikaru back to her role as the med-nin of the team- if there was someone they didn’t want to be targeted, it was her. Under normal circumstances, anyway (she was head of the Combat Division after all, she had a few tricks up her sleeves). Soku was the Captain for this mission, though, so final authority below duty to the village fell on her. She hadn’t been on a mission herself since her ‘medical complications’ after the tournament anyway.

She surveyed the treeline around them as Soku examined the tracks on the ground. Hikaru nodded expressionlessly when she brought up their duty to listen to her- she was very familiar with the finality of orders, it was one of the many things she’d had to practice during the early transitional period of her status as Medical Chief. Making impossible decisions with others’ lives at stake was a very real part of her job, one that she understood the reasoning behind from both the side of the one giving those orders and the one receiving them.

Toshi led them off, and she brought up the rear of the team, her ears prickling with every rustle of a bush within her enhanced senses’ range. She wondered whether they’d really run into trouble on this mission while she listened. Escort-related assignments like these always attracted bandits, though it would be a little strange for a small group of them to outright attack a caravan guarded by three Leaf Shinobi.

WC: 775 / 7,000

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

"Soku." The kunoichi told Hikaru simply. "Tempest in front of strangers, I seem to have developed a most unforunate reputations with bandits after what I did with the last gang that dared to show their faces in such a brazen manner."

It had been a while since there had been an organized attempt and last time, they hadn't been after monetary gain or anythin gof the sort directly speaking. They had been after the visual prowess of the Uchiha clan hoarding the eyes intending to sell them on the underground market before Soku and Hoheto had disposed of them in quite a brutal manner as she recalled.

Word had gotten around of the young kunoichi who had laid to waste the bandit's operation and it had been some years since then but she wasn't taking the chance that one might happen to know her by name.

For the most part, it was quiet as they followed Toshi's guide and he was doing good for the most part but Soku's frown was back on her face as she double-checked his work. "Something's wrong." She said quietly so only the two of them could hear coming to a stop so that she could inspect the tracks.

It wasn't Toshi's fault really for a novice tracker but to an ANBU like Soku, she could make out the discrepancy quite easily kneeling down to eye the dirt more closely before glancing up to where her two ninja awaited, eyes alert ready for any sign of the enemy.

"These tracks are too obvious, it's like they want us to follow them." That of couse did not bode well, they could being lured into a trap or being directed off course, it was a false trail laid to cover the real one as she walked around before her eyes caught something glinting in the sunlight.

Among the greenery, the black fabric stood out fluttering on a branch as she picked it up feeling it. "This is thick, rough clothing designed for the outdoors and looks like it's been cut from something and intetionally left."

One question was bothering her, why lay the false trail? Who was worried about being followed, no one else other than the merchant caravan should have the knowledge that three shinobi would be serving as the vanguard and if some budding thieves had prior knowledge, that could only mean one thing.

"An informant." She whispered cursing softly.

Names could wait as she straightened nodding ahead. "Odds are they want to lure us somewhere and ambush us."

It was quite hurtful really how obvious they were being, it was an insult to her intelligence, they had been alerted before they had even set out as she nodded, a plan settling in her head.

"And that's exactly what we're going to do. If we stop following this false trail, they'll know the gig's up and get a move on before we even catch wind of them, this way, we can give off the impression we're none the wiser and that'll catch them off guard."

A ring of steel against leather as her sword cleared it's scabbard. "Weapons out and stay focused, I have a feeling we're about to run into our friends very soon." Soku threw cheerfully over her shoulder nodding for Toshi to resume tracking while the Sennin begin to scan the forested treeline on either sign of them for any flicker of movement.

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The bearded man looked up angrily as the scout entered his tent tired and weary after a day in the saddle.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt you to knock, would it, Lumari?" The scout otherwise known as Lumari made a pretense of lookign around for something to knock on in this canvas tent, his lip curling in contempt at the bandit leader settled in front of them with his meat and water.

"Pardon me but I seem to have misplaced the door knocker, Kurai." Lumari felt no sense of deference to this man, he had been hired on as a merecenary, an enforcer of sorts to those who wanted to become an thorn in the bandit' gang's side spearhead by Kurai.

They had made a good haul so far and with their inside man giving word of another merchant carvant traveling this way, their purses would be heavy. Lumari poured himself a cup of water from the pitcher before settling down in front of the bearded letter.

"Our informant was right, we're being followed."

Kurai looked at him expectantly knowing the man had brought more information raising an eyebrow in mock surprise.

"Three Konoha-nin, two of them look like they'd rather be at home writing letters." He let a deep laugh erupt from him at the thought.

"The third?"

He allowed himself a pause at that, that was the crux of the matter. "She could be a problem, seemed very well acquainted with the outdoors but they still fell for the false trail." His lip curled again into the sneering expression, these Konoha nin really were nothing, even a fool could have seen beyond the fake tracks.

Kurai wasn't taking any chances though, the last thing he needed was the village folk nosing in on his buisness, one more haul and they would be out of here. He reached into his robe fishing out a pouch of gold coins flinging it at Lumari.

"Kill them." This far from the village, it would be a while before anyone found them and by then, Kurai and his little cronies would be far, far away from the Fire Country.

Testing the weight of the pouch, Lumari nodded satisfied as he stood. "Consider it done." Stopping by the entrance of the tent, he grabbed his crossbow and his quiver of bolts before exiting, a killing gleam in his eyes as he set out to do what his profession entailed.

Sometimes, Kurai thought, having a paid assassin on your side could be a very exceptional tool as long as you didn't tick them off.

WC: 2147/7,000

 

[Toshi]

"I want to be, the very best, that one ever was! Dun dun dun dun! To catch them..." It was the third time the boy looped the song. That one popular manga was on his mind. It reminded him of Kaliko, who took a liking to roaming the clan house. He let the cat roam on its own, very rarely did it visit his room anymore. It wasn't like he was lounging around most of the time, but rather, he was out training. Sometimes all day and night. Furthering his shinobi studies and trainings is what prepared him for days like this.

It wasn't until Soku mentioned that something was wrong, that Toshi stopped his singing. "Hmm?" Toshi looked to to the mission leader, wondering if he missed something along the path. Soku explained that the tracks they were following were misleading. As she picked up on the clues, she came to the conclusion that the team could be headed into a trap. Now it was apparent that the trio would run into trouble. The boy pulled on his gloves, both hands now resting in his fighting attire. He cracked his knuckles, he'd be prepared when confronting the enemies. The fact that they would engage in combat didn't scare him. He knew to keep his mind calm and to stay prepared for anything.

As Soku nodded for the boy to continue on, Toshi stayed alert, moving along the trail once more. "To catch them is my real test! To train them is my cause! Dun..." He continued singing, but it was just another traffic. He figured if the enemy saw the younger boy singing, they'd think he was just a pushover. Truth be told, it was Toshi's strategy to get the enemy to underestimate him. He kept his focus on his surroundings, and what was up ahead. If he noticed anything out of the ordinary, or any traps that lay set, he would point it out to Soku and Hikaru.

[ WC: 330 | MFT ]
WC: 1,395/7,000

 

[Miyazaki Hikaru]

The forest was quiet as they went, eerily uncertain in a way she hadn’t felt from Fire Country land in quite some time. Soon enough, Soku signaled that there was something wrong, and began to more closely examine the tracks left in the ground- moments later, she revealed that they were probably decoys. Hikaru scanned their surroundings as she continued. The conclusions a trained ANBU could come to from such seemingly little information were incredible, but although they mirrored her own aptitude with identifying treatment for battlefield wounds the two subjects had little topical overlap. So she let the professional do her thing.

As it turned out, the trail had indeed been predetermined. Hikaru nodded- their captain’s logic was sound, of course- and watched Toshi for his reaction to the news. Both he and Soku readied their weapons in expectation of a fight. Likewise, though she didn’t have a physical weapon on her person, the Medical Chief internally prodded her jinchuuriki spirit to be ready. She hadn’t truthfully been expecting combat so soon, but she hadn’t been afraid of a fight since she took the job of braving them. Hikaru maintained the same pace as the others, giving no outward signs that anything had changed.

WC: 980 / 7,000