"He's here," Yohei whispered in amazement. He rubbed at weary eyes and strained to focus, peeking through a rotted hole in the wall. Only a short distance away he could spot the lone figure was on the approach, arriving right on schedule. Give or take a couple of days. But none of that mattered anymore! While lacking much sleep from the night prior, the zealot felt some energy return to his body - a rush of excitement perhaps? - at the thought of this plan finally coming to fruition.
Nudging his companion awake, Yohei spoke in an urgent yet hushed tone. "Hey, get up! He's here." The silver-haired ninja was wearing a smug look on his face as he slid over to another vantage point, peering through one of countless cracks in the wall to spy on the visitor. "Just like I said, see? The same place every week. How predictable..." It was rare for Yohei to sound so excited, but the current development was enough to bring a bit of determination back to his typically sullen gaze. He was no meticulous planner nor a brilliant tactician, yet he was emboldened to learn the object of his ire was right within reach.
"You ready?"he asked Sumire with a chuckle, quietly wrapping a length of chain about his forearm.
They'd been patiently hiding out for days in this sorry excuse for a temple, waiting for their little visitor to arrive. Although the dilapidated building once belonged to the Uchiha, it was now long abandoned and in a state of partial collapse. Whether the place had been that way for decades or only recently was anyone's guess, but it at least served as a comfy spot to prepare an ambush. Besides, Yohei had been adamant that they strike from that very location, as if to spit on the very ancestors the temple was built to honor.
This entire ordeal was taking entirely too long. Yes, you read right; the duo of missing nin had apparently been laying low at this run down temple for days on end and it wasn't surprising that it had led to creating quite a bored Sumire. So much so in fact that the miko garbed woman and taken to napping with a scroll over her face up until an unwelcome nudge into her side caused a humming stir."Hm...?" The words barely registered with the woman, slowly reaching up to peak out from under the cover of the thin scroll that draped her features. Though with that being said, there was no need for her companion to repeat himself as she sat up without another sound while watching the other scuttle about the ramshackled building as if he lost all sense of what they were there for. [break][break]
Admittedly it was odd to see considering Yohei's usual demeanor, but Sumire understood to some extent. Even if she didn't, she wasn't going to question it either. That didn't mean she wasn't going to tease him about it though. Thus with a more self assured hum and a lingering smirk playing at the edge of her lips, she made it clear that his words had not evaded her. "Well would you look at that. Spoken like a true stalker." Her tone was light and teasing, but at the same time was waving off his seeming concern for her preparations. If she wasn't ready at this point after having been stuck here for days, then what was the point of them being there to begin with? Besides... she was the one that got sleep in the past few hours. "Really though... do you actually need me for this?" [break][break]
A rhetorical question. She knew he probably didn't but it was insurance in case things went awry. It wasn't a big deal either way and was the reason why she didn't dally in drawing her bow with a properly tucked arrow all the while. She was quite sure that their guest had not noticed them yet either considering the steps were still gradually approaching rather than the opposite. "Go on. Go ahead and say hello~"
Sumire's glib attitude was to be expected at times like these. As prone to teasing as she was, the act was kind of reassuring, actually. If she wasn't there to give a little levity to the situation, Yohei might've gotten cold feet and had second thoughts about this crazy decision.
The target was an Uchiha after all.
"Riiight. Showtime."
Yohei exhaled to calm his nerves, unsure if it was fear or joy chomping away at his anxiety. Before he could dwell on that thought, he quickly slipped on a ratty straw hat and ducked outside as stealthily as possible.
During the moments to follow, their prey crept closer without breaking pace, oblivious to the trap being set. And with the ninja's approach so did the prominent features of the Uchiha steadily came into view; jet black hair, a punchable face, and an insufferably haughty demeanor. Clearer still was the Amegakure headband strapped across his forehead. Not only was he a traitor, but a privileged traitor.
Yohei interrupted the man's progress just before he got to the stairs of the temple, stepping into view from the side of the building. "Come to pay your respects too?" he greeted with a charming smile. Despite that nonchalant introduction, it was all thanks to the hat shadowing part of his face that Yohei's wrathful gaze stayed hidden.
The Uchiha immediately stopped in his tracks, attention snapping to the startling presence of the uninvited guest. A subtle motion to the side indicated the ninja was caught off his guard, the hilt of a kunai just barely visible where his fingers were reaching. In other words, he wasn't looking at the building anymore - he wasn't aware the real danger was coming from somewhere else. From someone else, rather.
"How about I do you a favor... and reunite you with your ancestors?"
No retort? No real reaction? Well that's no fun. Though at this point Sumire couldn't be bothered to care too much about it as she silently mused to herself and got into position. Yohei had already escaped to the freedom of the outdoors anyway. What was her position, you may ask? It was a simple set up, really. While the zealot made his way out and around, the pretend miko slinked her way upwards through the hole in the ceiling all the way to the roof. From there laid a cloak of leaves that dangled from overgrown branches with, of course, the classic gaps that allowed the sunlight to peer in-between. It was enough to give a trained kunoichi the vision she needed from the proper vantage down the staircase. She already knew that. She tested it personally. Now it was just getting to the... messy parts. [break][break] By now, the familiar voice had rung through the ruins and brought attention to not only their target but also the surrounding wildlife. It was of little consequence. The fluttering of wings from the smallest of birds wouldn't deter her shot or position. It had done its job and Sumire didn't even offer a glance to the scene as she went through the vials of concoctions that were prepared. For an Uchiha that relied on their sight... breaking it would be oh so terrible, wouldn't it? It didn't take long to make that decision, dipping the arrowhead into the suspiciously colored liquid before bringing it at the ready. "Three. Two. One..." A soft murmur as the final number released the shot aimed directly for the jugular. It didn't matter which of those veins it had hit, it simply mattered that it did, which shouldn't have been difficult considering she was given an exposed side to target. [break][break] Therefore in the matter of seconds it took for Yohei to taunt their target, the poisoned arrow would immediately embed itself deep into the Uchiha's neck. There would be blood, yes. Not copious amounts though unless he showed his lower intelligence and decided to remove the arrow. That being said, the shot alone should have been sufficient evidence of Sumire's presence. Not that the dead man had the luxury to be worrying about that as he staggered from the sudden impact. She should have been the least of his concerns now. She didn't even bother nocking another arrow. It was over and now it was a matter of seeing how the pampered mouse responded to being caged before its demise. Should be amusing.
Direct hit. Sumire made the perfect shot! Her deadly arrow sent the Uchiha reeling back from the blow, completely blindsided from the impact. It was a satisfying sight to behold, made even sweeter by the fact that it'd cost so little effort.
Until a cloud of smoke burst into the air.
"Wait--!"
Yohei tensed and grabbed for the sickle he'd been concealing by his side, ready to defend himself. Was this Uchiha quicker than he let on? Or was it a bluff to buy some time? Gritting his teeth in frustration, the missing-nin made a quick leap and slashed steel toward the cloud, slicing clean through thin air. When the smoke parted from that attack, nothing was there except a few droplets of blood on the ground.
"We're not done!" he shouted in warning.
Their target may have been wounded but he wasn't going to lay down and surrender as easily as they hoped. Even with an arrow lodged in him. Impressive really. Then again, this particular Uchiha was once a chunin of the Hidden Sand.
A flurry of shuriken then peppered the front of the temple, striking rotten wood and ripping into the crumbling interior. Yohei was in the line of fire as well, shielding his face from the sudden barrage as he felt the sting of metal connect with his arms and legs. "Where is he?!" Despite how quickly Yohei defended, by the time he glanced around to get a sense of the Uchiha's whereabouts, the slippery devil vanished again.
A smokescreen. How cliche... though disappointingly effective from the looks of it. While the cloud of smoke had distorted Sumire's view of the immediate area, she could see the silhouette of what seemed to be frantic movements from with it. Yohei couldn't truly have not expected this, right? It was entirely within the realm of possibilities and he knew she did not have any deadly poisons to guarantee a swift end either. The panic had to belong to the now blind mouse. Or at least, that was what she thought until she heard the sudden declaration that might have been audible to anyone else in the vicinity. With an exhaled breath, the miko garbed girl slipped off the roof to raise herself onto a higher branch for vantage. [break][break]
Even a blind pest was still a pest and so staying where she was after having shot the arrow would be a foolish decision. Yet... she fully expected for her partner to take care of the trash which is why she didn't bother moving that far. The shuriken that subsequently flew wildly across the front of the false temple thus bothered her little. While it struck her as a possibility that these shuriken were not aimed for her but rather the one the the smoke, and a likely one at that considering that these blades were no where close to flying high enough to where she originally sieged, she'd be disappointed if such a panic induced retaliation had been the undoing of the previously eager nukenin. Either way... the smoke couldn't last for long and there was always plan B. Clearly the unfolding events didn't phase the woman whatsoever. Everything was within expectations. [break][break]
That is why Sumire didn't even bother raising her bow again and instead casually brushed a few strands of pink away from her field of vision. "I thought you had better aim~" A loud muse broke out into the sad little alter of remembrance, as light and breezy as could be. Actually, that statement could have applied to either of the two men down in the empty area. Maybe it would be enough to give one of them some motivation. However, while temporary, could an Uchiha truly locate someone without their prized eyes? She fully expected her voice to fall on deaf ears, but certainly not her words to the kekkei genkai scum. "Was that fake along with everything else about you, one who owes everything to their name?" A silent smirk reappeared upon the woman's features afterwards, not caring that the smog was dissipating quickly at this point. Whether or not it revealed their target was irrelevant for even if she was found and were attacked; there was more than one way to skin a cat that hadn't learned their lesson to watch their back.
[break][break] ... And at least for a backup if Yohei failed to follow up, the missing kunoichi did prepare a few hand seals just in case.
"Don't antagonize him! It's not nice to make fun of the blind."
Not that the blindness would last very long, but the Uchiha didn't need to know that. The poor fool was probably shaking in his boots right about now, believing his precious eyes were damaged. Would he panic? Would he try to flee? Would he possibly surrender?
Yohei got a straight answer when he noticed a blur of movement dart into his periphery. "That's more like it!" he shouted angrily. Grasping the chain of his kusarigama in one hand, Yohei made a sweeping motion to intercept the figure, the edge of his sickle preparing to slice once again should the need arise. So color him surprised when the chain only hit the mark, but passed right through his target entirely.
A clone.
The real Uchiha revealed his presence with a leap and a pair of explosive tags soaring out of his hands. The toss was poorly aimed, striking some distance behind where Yohei stood, however an explosion was still an explosion. Dirt and debris were tossed into the air, flinging the silver-haired nukenin toward the ground and clouding part of Sumire's line of sight.
And Yohei was implying that she was being mean, yet here he was implanting ideas into the dead man's head. Sumire couldn't help but chuckle to herself. "Oh my. You're going soft." The words were carefree as ever, though at this rate the ambush was going to put the woman to sleep. Maybe that was to be expected since she was the supporter here yet this was taking much longer than Yohei was implying it'd be. A testament to the resiliency of the Uchiha bloodline no doubt. They were like cockroaches. [break][break] The wild swinging and shouting of her partner did garner some attention from the amethyst orbs though, making note how easily he's letting his emotions show. The more intriguing thing though was the fact that the Uchiha had not broken off to confront the archer that had caused him such harm. He had even gone through the trouble to bomb his own family's already crumbling shrine just for a chance to fight back. Plus it was kind of funny seeing the cockroach fight with an arrow sticking out of his neck. Speaking of though... probably best to reapply the Uchiha's medicine lest he grow more balls. [break][break] Yeah she saw Yohei hit the ground before the cloud of dirt covered him up, but she wasn't too concerned about it. She had full confidence he could take care of himself. Still, it probably meant she should do something. Rather than taking another vial from her sash, instead came three explosive tags that were swiftly affixed to the ends of some arrows. The thought struck her to attempt to fire all three in one shot... but that would put her partner in danger since... well anyway. She didn't do that. So as the dark haired target fell into the dust of dirt, Sumire drew her bow to fire each arrow at the sides away from where Yohei was last spotted. Each would cause its own explosion with the expectation to catch anyone that attempted to escape from the temporary arena, which was fully expected even if she couldn't see it. Even if the Uchiha wasn't attempting to escape, it should have been that much easier after narrowing the playing field.
More ringing filled the nukenin's ears as he stumbled between the repeated explosions, dust kicking up in his eyes to add to the inconvenience. Temporarily dazed, he could think of nothing better to do than swing fiercely through the obscuring cloud, not knowing where the prey might be hiding. By some miracle Yohei's sickle met resistance during his wild assault, leaving him equally astonished and enthused.
"Whoever you are...I won't let you defile this place!" the Uchiha strained behind gritting teeth, a lone kunai rattling his fingers as he struggled to hold back the nukenin's weapon. With blood seeping through his teeth, he managed to force out another growl. "I'd rather see it destroyed!"
"Oh? How noble."
The clash broke and the Uchiha leaped backwards, headed to the steps of the temple. But not before receiving a hefty cut across his arm courtesy of Yohei's weapon. The injury seemed to matter little to the ninja however, his hands pressing together to form a series of seals.
"No you don't!"
A length of chain whipped out and smacked the Uchiha center mass, knocking him off balance and sending him slamming into the front doors of the temple. The sorry state of the woodwork meant the Uchiha crashed straight into the building, littering the place with even more debris than before.
"Let's make that wish of yours a reality then," Yohei panted, wiping a bit of blood off his sleeve. "We could make a much better shrine than this eyesore, mm?" He chuckled and glanced up to Sumire's position, figuring she would agree to the idea of a little demolition project. Provided she still had some of those explosive tags on hand, the building wouldn't last much longer from all the abuse.
Oh there we go. Seems like there's quite a bit more talking now. Funny how people loved to talk more in their final moments. The thought alone made the woman subconsciously shrug it off, especially considering what little she caught upon the discussed topic. Something about nobility and wishes? Well... whatever it was, it was ended abruptly with the shattering sounds of splintering wood rot and crumpling thuds of stone. The reverberation from the impact was enough to visually shake the remnants of the building below. As such, Sumire's nonchalant gaze shifted from the rickety roof to where the now visible silver haired shinobi stood staring at her. [break][break] It was a brief statement, but the idea that was conveyed straightforward enough. An exhale latter and everything was set up. The kunoichi lowered back down unto the roof and scattered a few more explosive tags on the exposed shingling, then flip down directly in front of Yohei himself. "Mm... you really expect too much sometimes," she stated without a single care given towards the sight of the cockroach he had confronted. From there, all she needed to do was casually toss an explosive tag kunai behind her. It mattered little where it landed since all that was needed was to send the chain reaction to the rest. One small explosion turned into another much larger one to the point that it might have truly sounded akin to a rockslide. Might have looked a hint too dramatic too. What can you do? [break][break] Needless to say, after having spent a few days cooped up in the damn place, Sumire knew exactly which weak points to target in the structure itself that she had easy access to. There was no doubt that the building was no more. Whether that was true for the cockroach inside was a different story. "I don't need to tell you that I'm not helping with the clean up, right? And mangled body won't be too helpful either." Though the tone was a tad more serious and severe, the female still kept a subtle smile on her lips.
The ensuing explosions brought a fitting end to the decrepit temple once and for all, scattering its remains as far as the eye could see. Yohei watched in delight as it violently broke apart, barely flinching as debris came rushing past him. He felt oddly gleeful to witness the place go up in flames. Yes, it was like striking a blow to the pride of all those arrogant Uchiha.
Damn it felt good.
Alas, the collapsed building created a whole heap of a mess. One that Sumire sounded like she didn't want anything to do with. "Yeah, yeah. I got it." Yohei gave a dismissive shrug before repaying Sumire's sass in kind. "Sit back and relax like always."
The silver-haired zealot didn't waste any more time after that, hopping through the pile of destroyed planks and rubble to see what became of their prey. Not that he really expected the Uchiha to survive such a blast. "Hey! Still aaalive?" he cried out tauntingly, pushing broken wood beams out of his path and lifting busted stones aside. It only took a few minutes of searching to find a limb sticking out of the pile, confirming the deed was done.
Uchiha or not, having a whole temple fall on your head was a pretty surefire way to die.
Grinning at the aftermath of his and Sumire's handiwork, Yohei scampered over to the body for a closer inspection. Crouching down with sickle at the ready, he shoved a few chunks of rubble away while examining the Uchiha for any signs of life. He was even ready to deliver the killing blow if need be. So what happened when he gave the body a swift kick? No reaction whatsoever. Not even a tiny twitch. "Shame."
Dragging the bloodied Uchiha out of the rubble and towards the demolished entrance, Yohei let his partner hear the good news. "Hey, Sumire! Think you overdid it a little?" At least the corpse wasn't in pieces, but it was banged up pretty bad; bumps and bruises, broken bones and cuts all over. Good thing they weren't bounty hunters or something like that, else they'd be out of luck when it came to retrieving proof of the kill.
"If that's an invitation, I believe I will." A brief chuckle expressed her amusement, knowing full well that Yohei was attempting and failing at making a jab. Thus she turned to the side and gestured a hand as if to guide Yohei to the wreckage. Not that he needed it of course. Yet there was always a chance that their target escaped such a pathetic demise. That would have been disappointing, which is why Sumire at the very least turned to watch her partner dig through the pile of garbage with some amount of vested interest. There was some amount of poise to her stance as she watched on, arms delicately folded across her chest in patient consideration. Therefore when the form of what looked akin to a ragdoll was retrieved, the missing kunoichi shifted to a more thoughtful posture. "It was your idea. Besides, I can tell you enjoyed it way too much" [break][break] While the words were obviously meant for the zealot, amethyst irises focused themselves on the mangled corpse behind him. He was right... shame it was not in the best of shape, but it would have to do. Different context but same result. More harm to it wasn't going to make things worse for her purposes however, so she didn't comment on the treatment given to it. It was an apt treatment in her own opinion as well. "More importantly, we shouldn't stay here much longer. With all the noise, someone is bound to get nosy." One last glance between the two figures and Sumire swiftly turned heel. Contrary to her own statement though, she remained still and scanned their surroundings before taking a few steps down the stone staircase from whence the Uchiha had once came. Why? Well they needed to figure out a direction and running in a random one with a slung corpse wasn't going to do them more favors in the off chance there was anyone else close enough in the area. Plus, she didn't really see the need to run anywhere as long as they were not in the open and out of sight. [break][break] Now it was a matter of finding a place to lay low and do her research. Speaking of which, "Did it cut you up too badly? I was getting the impression that you were having a hard time~." [break][break]
After hauling the Uchiha's corpse over his shoulder with a loud grunt, Yohei then nodded in agreement that lingering around would only draw trouble. "Good point." They did make a lot of noise in that last rush, didn't they? All those explosions were just begging for somebody to come along and investigate. Yohei hoped they could avoid that sort of publicity for the time being, at least until they could catch their breath.
Following Sumire's lead, he dismissed any silly notions of having trouble with the fight. "I'm fine. Just some scratches. He was quicker than I thought." For somebody with an arrow lodged in their neck, the freak had put up one heck of a last stand. "Heavier too." Yohei added with a groan. He could still feel the sting of those fresh cuts he got from the shuriken, but it was nothing he deemed serious. Yohei ended up adjusting his sleeves just in case, trying to cover the gashes from sight.
"Next time you can dance with the Uchiha for a change."
Eager to find a new spot to lay low, he pointed off in the direction of the next patch of woodlands. "Hm. I think I remember seeing a cabin down that way." Not to say it was a guarantee that it'd be abandoned, but there were usually old huts like that hidden in the nooks and crannies of the countryside. Having a roof was nice too. "Or we can find a nice comfy cave if you'd prefer that." That was intended as a joke but it didn't sound like a terrible option after Yohei considered what he just said. There were less reasons for people to wander into caves than cabins, so maybe that would limit the chance of interruptions.
"Oh? Is that why you were covered in cuts?" A confidently spoken exaggeration, but portrayed well enough what she knew without having to turn back and face him. It wasn't as if Sumire didn't watch from afar after all. What she had seen was more than enough that it mattered little a portion of the fight was censored. Plus, that pained sound wasn't doing the guy any favors. "Why do you insist on letting your injuries get worse?" Asked as if questioning an undeniable fact that posed an unnecessary contradiction. Nevertheless, the pinkette didn't wait for a response as she turned to the opposite direction of the supposed remote cabin out of the way. The decision was relatively simple. If someone were around then a cabin would be the first decision to rest for any traveler, shinobi or not. Either way, it'd be much easier if they did not have to explain the shattered bloody corpse behind them. [break][break] On that note, "Keep acting like that and maybe I will take the next dance." A chuckle then a smile. She didn't quite understand why Yohei was trying to play the role switch card. While the idea of getting her hands dirty was not high on the list of priorities, every once an awhile didn't hurt. At the least, she could be a tad more inconspicuous. What? She might have set them, but laying the explosive tags was Yohei's idea at the end of the day. Anyway, as entertaining as this banter might have been, it was bound to end sooner than later since they were reaching that nice comfy that Yohei was mentioning before. Or at least it was some cave. Any cave was good enough if it had decent cover. While she didn't wait for any cues to enter, within a few steps there was an expectant turn back to her partner with a hand extended expectantly. "Hand, please."
At times like these, Yohei sorely wished his sealing techniques were more refined. Tossing an entire body into a scroll would've made cross-country travel a bit less daunting, that's for sure. Instead he was stuck shouldering the dead Uchiha for the duration of the trip. There also came a point where he got impatient and simply strung the corpse along with his chain, but that was even less efficient.
Thank Jashin that there was a suitable cave nearby. Nothing too cavernous or defensible but it would make a good camp for now. Setting the dead ninja's body beside some rocks, Yohei sighed in relief and looked just about to relax before he heard Sumire again. "C'mon. I said it's fine," he insisted. Despite the reluctance in his voice, the zealot rolled up a sleeve and offered a hand anyway. Cuts riddled his arm, some looking deeper than mere grazes, though he pretended not to be bothered. "Save your chakra for that mess over there. Can't let it go to waste after all the work we put in." Unlike the condition of his wounds, he did share concern for their prize. It'd be a shame if the parts expired before they could learn anything useful.
Come to think of it too, there was one other thing Yohei cared about. He wasn't the least bit subtle about it either.
"By the way, how are you holding up? Everything happened pretty quick but I bought enough time for you keep some distance, right?" Yohei cocked a brow and gave the other nukenin a quick once over. Like he hoped from the get-go, she didn't appear to have a scratch on her. "For a second I thought maybe those tags he threw were meant for you." Not that they could ask the Uchiha now, but it was safe to say his aim had been pretty compromised. "Good thing the poison worked out," Yohei muttered in thanks.
