The smell of shit permeated the air, the pinch in my nose somehow not nearly tight enough. It was baffling how the smell could pierce through, had to be coming in through my ears or something. A wave with my spare hand to my senpai, a nudge of my head in the direction of the smear as I approached it. Yup, there was a bear here.
Wrapped around the trunk of a barren tree was the intestinal baggage of a local bear; caked on in a rather... Unfortunate amount. "I think this is from the culprit!" I'd yell between tightly knitted teeth, and blocked-as-well-as-I-could nose. "They said it was a huge bear, right?" I almost wanted to poke it with a stick - an impressive pile of shit!
Now, let's wind it back a bit to the before-times; when I wasn't excited to see a steaming mountain of crap.
Having lost my sword to a particular boating excursion with my oh-so-wise sensei, I had to acquire a new one, and to do that, I needed collateral. Found a shop owner willing to haggle, had some excellent steel - won't bore anyone with the details, but he offered it in exchange for a mission. So I dragged in one of my senpai - a Hyuuga that goes by Asura. Some psycho, from everything I know. But how hard could it be, anyway?
An old bear - a GIANT bear - had been roaming the areas in-between iron mines, leaving his supply chains cut short. Travel to the island it was on, find the bear, take it out. Flashing forward to now, I was starting to see how it could be the same old tired shit. The sword was nice, though.
Asura silently wondered if this was a pun or not, a hand waving frantically at the stench before digits clamped down hard against his nostrils. It was enough to convince him that agreeing to this mission had been the worst decision he'd made in quite some time. Responding to the summoning of the Genin before him, the Hyuuga furrowed his eyebrows as a small portion of chakra was delivered to his optics. Suddenly, the Byakugan manifest. Gone were those luminescent green pools, replaced with something far greater. As the Chuunin took mental note of the area, his lips parted to sigh. "Right."
"And you brought me into the fold of this mission for a blade..?" Asura questioned the Genin. He knelt down in front of the mess, though such a ministration was more for show. He need not do anything to reveal that which surrounded him. Nearly 360 degrees of terrain was accessible to to the Hyuuga. Signs of life were scattered here and there, though one note in particular was of interest. Asura stood to full height, turning toward Nomura with a hand lofted toward their southern flank. "Fishermen. Five o' clock and approaching through the flora. We should spread our canvas and ask if anyone's seen consistent patrons around these parts."
Their mission was a clear one. Asura once more fished into his pocket for the parchment that had assigned them such a task. Details were scarce, and thus they had been delivered into the folds of investigation. "Situation's probably unbearable for the locals." Okay, that one was intentional.
"Because you're getting paid." my tone was curt, the somehow still penetrating stench souring the usual bite. 'Sword's just my payment, don't act like a moron."
I watched the man as his eyes shifted, veins growing ugly on the side of his face. It was always fascinating to see, the odd, blank yet not expression in their eyes. I could tell he was looking through me. Creepy. Almost shaking my head to get rid of the thought, hiding it with a scratch of the neck.
Five, huh? Head turning, my mental image of a clock landing me perfectly at... No, that's four. Five. Five.
"I'll lead the way, then." I stepped forward, smile screaming into the void. "I gotta see if the sword is good, after all." My sword drawing slowly upwards, dancing towards the nearest not-so-in-the-way branch to 'clear the path'.
"You keep behind me with the eye-magic you have, let me know if anyone's gonna show, alright?" almost a sneer at this point as I turned towards the path ahead. "And save some humor for the rest of the world while you're at it." My step forward would leave little room for intervention, although I had no doubt my "superior officer" would declare 'I take the lead!' or some other faux patriotic mush.
Be happy if he didn't, though.
— asura hyuuga | 221 words | testing, testing, one two tease
If nothing else, Nomura knew how to take initiative. Whether that left him a meat shield or a source to blame in the future, the possibilities were silently noted as Asura watched the Genin advance. He could feel the itch from within, a silent but desperate plea for the beast to once more be loosed from its cage. Grit teeth prevailed as he lowered his head, the Byakugan continuing to observe the vicinity with meticulous proportion. "Not nearly enough to babysit..." the Chuunin muttered when Nomura was out of range of audible ability. A deep breath before a leap from the earth. Asura would not follow suit in drawing a weapon of any sort. They were investigators, and fear would most likely lead to attempted misdirection.
A hand pushed any foliage and obstruction from before him as Asura traveled. The stench and sight of a poached animal was far too fresh for comfort. The individuals he'd spotted with his Byakugan were still within range. But as they began to close the distance, it was the extended distance of his visual prowess that allowed him to detect multiple projectiles speeding toward Nomura's front.
"Arrows! Dodge!" The only warning that Nomura would receive. Their lack of communication had meant that they'd been spotted by a distant source, one outside of Asura's range. To his east he evaded, a foot kicking hard from the bark of the tree he'd landed upon and sending him shooting in an angular fashion away from the volley. Asura landed in a crouch behind sufficient, wooden cover. He could hear their coordinated shouting. The disguises were being discarded in favor of swords, throwing knives.
"Three of them. Northwest!" Asura continued, providing a scope of knowledge for Nomura to take advantage of. The sound of arrow meeting wood thud hard about them. There was that itch again. Asura lifted a palm to his face, gripping his countenance and biting his lower lip until it was painful. "No. No. No..." Asura trailed off, intent upon quelling the urge. It was both fortunate and unfortunate that Nomura had unsheathed a weapon early. There was little choice but to leave the altercation to his hopefully capable hands.
But if all else failed....he could at least take the sword and the money after this Mission was over if the smartass Genin kicked the bucket early. He'd simply chalk it up to honorable sacrifice if asked why he hadn't swooped in and saved the day.
Wouldn't be far into my foray of slicing tree branches that a warning would fly from my partner. My head perked up as my blade swung down, collapsing my knees forward in a single motion. The sword would be wedged into the earth a bit more firmly than I'd like, but better than an arrow to the neck. Their thudding behind me was like the drums of hell - Looks like something fun.
The internal monologue would have to go silent as I regathered my senses, wrenching the blade from the earth and back to it's sheath, heeding Asura's words, darting towards nearby trees. Making it northeast shouldn't prove too much of a hassle, but three enemies was more than I'd be prepared for. Slipping behind the trees wouldn't prove to be as successful as I wanted, another arrow whirred by; faint cursing under my breath.
A slow breath, and a mad dash. Distance was the main issue with archers, if I was able to close the gap without... Well, without too much injury, it'd be fine. My path would stick to the trees as more ammunition made it my way, a few clearing holes through my cloak. Before making the last leap of distance, an idea formed - my jacket flying off to the left of the tree. Me? To the right.
Circling around the last obstacle, I slammed forward on my left, grip tightening around handle and sheath. The flick of a thumb, the squeeze of the shoulder, the pressure of my weight slamming forward as the sword shot forward, aiming at the nearest archer's head. Iaido was efficient at one thing; immediate results. Doing it again was going to be the hard part.
Killing intent ran through my blade with the first attempt, hoping for it to succeed with a shower of blood. Either way, I'd continue forward, attempting to grip the archer's shirt; shouting out to Asura as I did. "Found them! Come on!" audible panic as toes dug into earth.
The display before him unfolded with a certain rhythm, and the Hyuuga had no choice but to follow suit. As Nomura took to evasive maneuvers, Asura only had moments to plot a course of following up. The sound of arrows striking the vicinity about them would not deter him, thumping and thudding with murderous intent. The Chuunin bore witness to it all, the field about him revealed as he spotted the few archers who remained in the distance. There was no time to delegate. Projectiles whizzed just by Nomura, prompting Asura's wrath to tear itself from the pit of his patience.
As if on cue, Asura reached into his belongings. Twin kunai were pulled from his pouch. If Nomura had followed through with his attire being tossed as a diversion, the Hyuuga would use it to his advantage. Arrows tore through the fabric with success, though a single aggressor would find the dual set of kunai that arrived through that same jacket the last thing he'd see before they buried themselves deep into his chest. Nomura's sword would make a similar display, the roar of pain and scarlet piercing the air satisfactory to the beast that raced toward the surface of Asura's psyche.
"Damnit!!" Asura heard, following by the sound of foliage rustling and equipment clanking. Into the gathering the last of them maneuvered, clicking and positioning the objective. Nomura's bearing down upon his assailant was met with no resistance. The light had long since left his eyes. His life's essence was already beginning to pool about his skull. "Had to put your nose into other people's shit, didn't you!?" the hidden archer shouted. A single arrow was fired this time. Attached was what looked to be a strip of paper.
Asura's eyes narrowed. "Move!!" the Hyuuga exclaimed, a vault forward placing him into a shoulder charge hard against Nomura's side. There was little time to divulge a plan, his Byakugan easily discerning its intent. He used the force of collision to grip the body beneath him, rolling and yanking the corpse into the arrow's trajectory. A fleshy thump later, Asura pushed the body onto its back and staggered to his feet.
A desperate jump to safety. A curl as he slid across the earth.
Blood splattered against my face, the sudden warmth almost causing me to flinch. My hand tightened around the man's clothes, forcing him forward as a barrier. Fuck it's wo-
"Shit-" Asura's body slammed into mine, my hand wrenching free as I was pushed out and away from my victim. Out of the corner of my periphery I could see the arrow fly, and the faint boom as a section of the corpses chest exploded. Asura's words went unheard, my attention having been turned to the bastard with an exploding arrow.
Getting back off my ass was clumsier than I wanted - a side glance and a yell at Asura announcing what little bit of a plan was rolling around my head. "You take the other one, I'll get this asshole!" Re-sheathing my sword as I started to move, barely managing to dodge another arrow as I did. Sweat rolled on the back of my neck, twisting and spinning my weight behind counter however I could.
Truth be told, even fighting for this long was exhausting. Breathing was getting harder, and Asura's divebomb hadn't been much help. But if there's only three, we can do this. Both hands now, gripping my sword and sheath, shoulders starting to shiver. Behind a tree, I took one more breath, slipping out and at the assailant with another strike, aimed firmly to cut him from his balls to chin.
Keeping this up was gonna make me pass out at this rate.
Labored breathing prevailed, the entirety of his form shaken and bruised as debris, terra fell in a shower about him. The disoriented Hyuuga struggled to stand, wincing in pain and exhaustion. He could hardly celebrate the fruits of his labor as he staggered, sweat causing his silver locks to rest matted against his countenance. Sheer force of will allowed him to evade an incoming arrow, the projectile's audible proportions so close to his ear that he'd barely dodged its lethal intent.
The Byakugan was able to gather intel as Asura broke out into a desperate sprint. Beads of sweat trickled from his chin as he sought out the target of his kunai just moments before. Having spotted his quarry easily, Asura only hoped that Nomura's efforts would be enough as he measured the distance and slid to his knees near his wounded assailant. "Talk! Why did you attack us!?" Asura gasped, clutching the kunai and forcing the dying hunter to writhe and shout in pain. "Argh!! F-fucking ninja..!" A cough yielded blood as he squirmed. "W-we...we have to m-make money, too....wh-who gives a shit....about a bear!"
Asura's eyes narrowed, his hands leaving the kunai and searching pockets for intel. A piece of parchment, tattered and wrinkled, was pulled from the hunter's coat pocket. A momentary inspection to confirm its relevance, and the Hyuuga pounded down and into the kunai to drive them further into the now lifeless corpse's abdomen.
Nomura's own efforts were met with ferocity as his own target readied and fired arrow after arrow. Narrowly dodging, the frustration in his eyes only accentuated the vulgarities shouted as the swordsman advanced. A desperate maneuver forced him to draw upon his own blade - unsheathed and screaming through the air as he slashed at the Genin's head. A narrow miss, the edge of his sword meeting no resistance as it swiped overhead. A miss.
An exclamation of terror and pain rang out through the forest as flesh parted, scarlet spraying forward as death wrapped its frigid fingers about the hunter's soul. Writhing, spasming, the sheer force of Nomura's attack forced the corpse's form backward. A thud upon the ground. The soft sound of blade falling to the terra below. All fell quiet in the following moments, naught but labored breathing audible between the two.
Asura fell upon his back, the Byakugan disengaged as he took deep breaths and stared up into the foliage of the trees above. "....Too close..."
The struggling sounds of a man near death, kunai held against his throat in some attempt at interrogation. All echoed against the back of my head, the pull of my blade from skin heavy.
"Pheeeew-" the sound of air slowly pouring from between lips, the ragged thunk of the corpse as my sword dripped, slick with blood and dirt. My legs buckled as I took another step, slumping against a tree. Sweat had formed in places I wasn't sure I had, and a look over my shoulder showed my old cloak to be full of ammunition.
Getting another one of those is going to be a pain in the ass. A faint laugh at the thought, before another sigh. Adrenaline was still raging through my system, but I was starting to feel the nicks and scratches from every branch, twig, and bit of brush I had ran through. A few nicks from stray arrows were more than undoubtedly mixed in, but right now wasn't the time to worry about that.
"Hey, Asura!" I yelled out, not bothering to turn around - the scuffle he made had been more than loud enough. "Find anything good?" the following words lacked bravado, exhaustion plainly slipping into demeanor. Pushing off the tree, I'd begin to lean down, cleaning my weapon on the former archer's clothes. "Mine's not talking much."
But still, I forced a smile.
In the distance, a bear roared.
— asura hyuuga | 236 words | i'll take control of the bear after this
Heavy breathing continued as the Hyuuga lay upon his back, eyes staring up and into the foliage with a slightly disoriented status. They had managed to escape death multiple times in the skirmish, the Hyuuga clutching the spoils of victory. "D-documents..!" Asura managed, rolling over and pulling himself to stand. Sweat trickled from his chin as he used a nearby tree to lean against, a single eye closed until he swiped at it with a forearm to rid himself of the sting of exhaustion. "Poachers," the Chuunin began, shuffling and staggering slightly toward Nomura's position. "Looks like they were hanging around in the area hoping for another kill. But it's anyone's guess if there's ano-!!" [break][break] As if on cue, the very next sound that was audible confirmed the parchment's information. A deep shudder ran through the Hyuuga's form as the bear's roar vibrated the atmosphere. Asura stopped in his tracks, eyes widening to a degree as he stared in Nomura's direction. They were in no position to engage the beast without a plan, let alone attacking it and only hoping to survive. The Kirigakure shinobi quickly surveyed their surroundings. The fact that Nomura yet stood was testament enough to his ability to move. [break][break] Quickly, Asura surmised that the dead laying at their feet had come prepared for such a beast. With that in mind, the Hyuuga took to gathering their weaponry along with what arrows remained. "If we want to avoid looking like the first bear we saw before we got here, we better move." The Hyuuga muttered the words, hoping that he was barely audible to the beast that undoubtedly lurked. "....But first.." the Hyuuga trailed off. [break][break] The lifeless bodies were gathered one by one, as quickly as Asura could manage. Piled together, he had hoped that the fresh corpses would be enough to deter his pursuit. [break][break] It was nowhere near his proudest moment, but survival was survival.
"Pansy." I scoffed under my breath at the Hyuga. The bear's roar wasn't exactly the closest, but they could move fast if they wanted. A few horror stories of getting chase down - well, in Kirigakure, you got used to hearing about it.
I'd watch Asura doing his ritual, taking the moment to focus. Actually, wait. Bait? a new thought crossing my mind, a faint smile starting to show. Maybe I misjudged you some. Might be ranked higher for a reason. Who would've thought?
"Poachers can't be good." I replied, starting to back away from the scene of our slaughter. "We need to recover some. Or I do, whatever makes you happier about it." The slight shift in tone as I continued to inspect the forest around us, mulling over our position. Everything was a mess after the scuffle, no noticeable tracks beneath the turnover of dirt and spritz of blood.
Where the hell did they come from? darted in the back of my skull, but not before another roar. This one was much closer.
"Asura, hide!" The vestiges of adrenaline carried me to start climbing a tree, breathing heavy. "If it's coming this way we might be able to get the drop on it!" It occurred to me as I climbed that this idea probably wasn't the most well thought out, but I still continued onwards. Forming handseals as I took a perch, a deep breath followed, hoping that Asura had done something before the bear showed.
The crash of branches, a blurry mess of fur rampaging towards us.
It was the only acknowledgement of his obscured morality that ears would received. Simultaneously, a crossbow of medium size was inspected as Asura dragged himself to an adjacent tree. "A dead bear would make me feel great about everything," the Hyuuga trailed off. Bark and foliage were disturbed as the Chuunin climbed - a jump was out of the question for the moment. Settling in to his newfound hiding place, two fingers reached into his inventory and retrieved two food pills. "Catch!" Asura muttered, tossing one of them to Nomura's hands. Hurriedly, fingers worked to adjust the crossbow with one of three bolts that he'd retrieved. It was foreign to him, taking seconds to properly seat the projectile as the roar forced a shudder down his form.
It hadn't been lost on him, the difference in rank and yet the necessity of foregoing such protocol in order to survive. From his perch, Asura managed to summon enough chakra to activate his Byakugan. Once more, veins protruded as he slowed his breathing in an attmpt to calm himself. He had committed the information from the parchment to memory. But as the sound of paw and maw grew louder, there was no time to converse or strategize with the swordsman. They only had their own wit, their own instinct to prevail. His heart's pace was rapid, a now unkempt Hyuuga pulling the crossbow into position. As their quarry grew closer, the only hope was in the element of surprise.
The plan hatched, Asura need only wait for the bear to draw close to the bodies and take from their flesh what it would. As fresh as they were, the Chuunin was banking on the enticing meal granting them a quick and hopefully effortless assault. Otherwise, Asura surmised, it was going to be a long evening.
Snapping jaws, twisting branches, the bulldozing mass of fur and flesh smashed apart half a dozen trees - only to come to an abrupt stop at the pile of corpses A sniff, audible in the stilled air. Sweat clung to the back of my neck, my focus far too narrow to even notice the attempt of comradery from Asura. A slow, quiet exhale, as the last seal formed between my hands.
The bear seemed to take notice to the both of us almost immediately as I did, its nose pointing up to the sky as it stood on hind legs. Empty eyes stared blankly, unable to parse our location for the moment. It would be enough for either of us to act.
My chakra rippled out, projecting itself into a clone falling gracefully from the tree. A breath followed, clenching my sword tightly as I leapt to another tree; the clone catching the bears attention. Another roar.
Now! I jumped at the opportunity, heal spinning back against the tree in an attempt to strike down - my iai-tachi slicing out towards its chest. My accuracy wasn't going to be the best, but with backup... Well, I hoped Asura would prove useful.
