The rain was beating down hard on the coastline today, dark clouds pouring an endless spray over the land as wind whipped the treetops. Terrible weather for fishing. Great weather for a bit of subterfuge. Thankfully, the Lightning Country was full of great spots that were ripe for such activity, especially if one was a Mist ninja.
Kawaba. It was a good example of the rural lifestyle. Good views, friendly neighbors, and fresh fish everywhere in sight. Not too many people, not too few. But they were all too engrossed in their daily lives to expect the turmoil that would befall them.
Wrapped in a shoddy cloak to ward off the constant stream of raindrops, Makoto took position at the side of a house while waiting for the rest of her team to catch up. Once they had, the kunoichi cocked her head in the direction of a nearby building. Some guards were posted outside but they weren't shinobi. "The first cache's there. In the storehouse." Spare food and some weapons, mostly. Nothing impressive but it was kept under lock and key.
The mission: destroy it all.
"Take out the guards. Get inside. Make it quick."
They couldn't dawdle for too long. According to the scouting reports, a token force of Cloud ninja were on patrol in the nearby area. Chances were, they would come running to assist the townsfolk once they heard trouble had arrived on their shores. However, Makoto expected to be long gone with her squad by the time any response could be mounted.
"If anyone gets in yer way, show no mercy."
Strike hard and strike fast; basically the Inuzuka motto. Her students would do well to follow that practice as well, should they wish to get back home in one piece.
Why did it have to rain? Bad enough that he didn't want to be on this mission at all now, the flaming Hozuki's ninjutsu would be more ineffective than it already was. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to do much. After all, this was his first real mission. No more playing search and rescue for Miss Gedo's cat. No more delivering groceries to the elderly. This time he was taking part in a mission on the borders of enemy territory. This mission mattered outside of the bubble of the Mist. Failure here could have real consequences. As the thought of failure, as well as the fear, raced in his mind Suzaku let of a sigh.
"This is going to suck." Muttered under his breath. Not loud enough for anyone to hear if they were not close to him. Yet, everyone on this mission was standing in proximity.
The instructions of the team leader were in one ear and out the other. He knew what the mission was. Having played this moment of waiting in his head multiple times. How could he be of use? Would he be able to get close enough to a guard to be considered a threat? Did he even belong here? Now was not the time for questions but, they came up nonetheless. His sensei gave the order. The time to act was now but, he wasn't going to be the one to act.
Suzaku pulled out the mask that was previously hanging from the side of his pants and placed it over his face before pulling his hood back over the rest of his head. If someone saw him, the last thing he wanted to be was identified. He decided that he would be making his approach from the right. From what he saw, that side had the least amount of guard which, would mean he had an opportunity to avoid most of the action if he was lucky. He found himself about ten feet from the closest guard prone on the rooftop above him.
He was waiting for the rest of the team to make their approach before making his next move or, if he was even luckier, they would get this whole building cleared without his help.
A lone dog wandered down the street, its snout low to the ground as it whimpered through the ongoing drizzle. By the time the pitiful sounds reached the ears of the closest guards, said canine was within arm's reach. "Get back mutt!" commanded one of the watch. He waved the end of an old spear toward the soaked animal, trying to shoo it away with another exclamation. "Go on! Scram!"
The dog didn't recoil in fear as one would expect. Instead it arched back and let out a long howl, giving the signal.
"Rraagh!"
The Inuzuka dove into action as soon as she heard the cue, breaking into a mad dash on all-fours. Seeing as her genin had taken the right side, the left side of the storehouse was ripe for the taking. And take she did. Rainfall drowned out the noise of Makoto's rapid approach, putting her right on top of a pair of guards before they knew what was happening. Claws lashed out with vicious intent, shredding and raking both hapless victims before they could sputter out a cry of pain.
"Grrr."
Other thuds and splashes could be heard around the vicinity of the building, marking the demise of more watchmen as their bodies hit the muddy floor. Makoto's dogs appeared to be responsible for the coordinated strikes, chomping down on the unsuspecting villagers in quick succession. This kind of teamwork was exactly what they excelled at, each canine working in unison to increase their chances of success.
The question remained: could the young Hozuki keep up?
Notes: lets kick this off with a little ambush! feel free to control any npcs at your leisure as well
Suzaku knew that staying prone up here would not suffice as a plan for long. He knew that Makoto and her hounds would be making their approach and, the last thing he wanted was for himself to be caught doing nothing. "Why me."
He peeked over at the guard. As of now, he seemed to be unsuspecting of an ambush that was taking place. He wasn't the biggest of men. Maybe Suzaku had a chance here if he took advantage of his high ground. Suzaku needed not take this moment for granted. It was his chance to eliminate one adversary in his path with minimal noise or detection.
First would come the distraction. He threw a small rock he found on the rooftop to the left side of the guard. A slight head turn would follow the noise and that was all the opening Suzaku needed. He swooped down from the roof and grabbed the Gaurd around the need while wrapping his legs around his body. A simple choke to incapacitate the man but he wasn't going down.
Maybe he had bitten off more than he could chew here. A struggle was taking place. Muffled noises could be heard and this would lead to more trouble if he didn't finish this soon. He tried to readjust himself by unlatching his legs to swing his body to the front of the man. Quickly latching his arms back around his neck and slamming forward driving him headfirst into the ground. As he pushed the now unconscious body off of him he looked around to see if anyone else was approaching him.
Rushing around to the other side of the building, Makoto seemed intent on lending assistance where it was most needed. Namely, her genin. Fortunately, when she turned the corner she was greeted by a reassuring sight - the guard was silenced. Praise would come later, of course, as the Inuzuka didn't have time for distractions. So she stated firmly, "Stay focused." They had only passed the first hurdle. The next part of their objective was when the real challenge would begin.
Barking to one of her companions, a shaggy-furred canine trotted up from the opposite side of the structure. On its back was something akin to a ninja's flak jacket, only fitted for a canine form instead of a human one. Makoto soon shuffled through the ninken's pockets and pulled out three objects, handing them off to the genin. "Slap these on anythin' important." She nodded to the storehouse with a wild grin. "And get ready t' run like hell."
After saying as much Makoto gave the genin a push, ushering him towards the inside of the building. With the guards dealt with, there were only heaps of supplies to greet him past the door. Food, water, and tools were packed into every corner and covered in a layer of straw to keep moisture at bay. In the end, it would all serve as perfect kindling for the fireball that was about to erupt.
However, there was one small problem with the scene inside.
"Eh? Na..Naoto? That you again?" an unfamiliar voice stammered from nearby, followed by a light thud among the crates of supplies. The figure responsible staggered into view a moment later, bottle in one hand and sword in the other. Undoubtedly a guard and undoubtedly a drunk. "I toldja to mind your own bus'ness!" he blustered angrily, looking all too ready for a scuffle with whoever his blurry vision settled on.
Fresh off of the ground and, here Makoto was. Five minutes earlier, she would have found him laid on that rooftop. Instead, now she saw him as successfully playing his part in this mission. Now that success had him as the one that had to enter the building. He entered with what he assumed had to be explosives in hand. After all the mission was to destroy. They had managed to go undetected for this long.
Except for the guy inside... that so conveniently now would be making noise before getting Suzaku in his sights. That one moment of noise caused a quick reaction as he hit the deck. He heard the steps and hiccups. Clearly, this man was intoxicated. He may have been able to beat Suzaku in his normal state but it would not be possible in his current state. Now he had to just dispose of him. He picked his body off the ground and rushed the drunkard. A quick sweep of the leg to try and catch him off guard.
DIDN'T WORK! Suzaku was on the ground holding his head after being completely clubbed by the bottle the man was holding. How could things get so bad quickly? Barely conscious with his hands holding onto his head where it was almost surely split.
"Hey! Was'uh big idea?!" the drunk sputtered after clubbing the genin to the floor. "You gone crazy, innerup'n meee? H-Hows many times I gotta...I gotta tell you?!" He stumbled closer during his inane grumbling, sword swaying dangerously in his hand, until eventually he planted a foot on the boy's chest. It was in the next moment that the guard peered down in focus, clearly strained in his efforts to collect his thoughts but meaning to say something nonetheless.
"Eve'y time you start co-complaining like...Whaa..."
In mid-ramble the guard finally managed to take stock of his visitor, confusion riddling his expression as he gripped the sword tighter in hand. He may not have understood what was going on, but the slightest bit of caution registered in the drunk's eyes. Well, caution and anger.
And Makoto wasn't there to help. But that being said, Suzaku wasn't necessarily alone either.
Hurried footfalls sounded by the storeroom doors, the arrival of another intruder soon entering the mix. A rush of brown fur charged into view, leaping at the guard with all its weight. The tackle was more than enough force to knock the drunk off his feet, freeing the genin from the floor in the process. His reinforcements? A ninken of course.
The beast and guard were tussling on the ground, giving Suzaku an opening to accomplish his task.
Meanwhile, on the lookout outside, the Mist Jounin kept a watchful eye on the roads, sniffing the air for any scent of danger. Occasionally she would glance back to the storehouse, concern knitting her brow. "What's takin' so long?" Makoto sighed impatiently.
As if having a bottle smashed across his face wasn't enough. Suzaku was lucky that this drunk for right now at least didn't recognize him. His weight on his chest was more discomfort but, at this point, he could not get the man off of him even if he wanted to. He grabbed the shoe trying to allow himself to get up. No avail. Instead Suzaku now had the worst possible situation. This drunk was no longer blabbering his ass off. He was looking at his now fractured mask realizing it wasn't one of his fellow guards messing around. He had to get this guard off of him NOW.
It wasn't his effort that got the man off of him. Makoto had sent him some cavalry. One wolf to potentially save his life. He had to act quick while they tussled. He could deal with the pain of his face later. Quickly he rushed around the supplies placing his tags. Once the final tag was placed he looked to the dog that had taken care of his adversary.
"Lets get the hell out of here." He ran out the building straight past Makoto. She said to run after he was done. Besides he didn't want to have to explain the fresh wound on the top of his head where a piece of his mask used to be. This would provide some time.
Whatever the holdup was, it couldn't have been that bad. The genin was still in one piece by the time he came running by, putting Makoto's doubts at ease. She trusted he got the job done, seeing how eager he was to move, and didn't hesitate to follow. "Let's move." Kicking off the muddy ground with ample force, she sped toward the next objective while her pack started weaving through the streets.
All that was left to do was to wait for the...
BOOM!
And just like that, the storehouse erupted into a shower of flames and debris, pulverizing everything inside the building. Rain or no, the sound from the combined blasts carried clear across Kawaba and drew the attention of countless villagers. Cries of panic were already popping up from the site of the shattered building, yet the Mist ninja still had some element of surprise.
"Up ahead!" Makoto barked.
The second cache was situated within the likes of a dreary stable, evident by the panicked beasts of burden making a racket nearby. Unfortunately, the animals weren't alone either - another handful of watchmen scoured the outside. Some were attempting to calm the livestock but most were peering in the direction of the recent explosion, arms at the ready.
Switching to a predatory stance, the Inuzuka offered a curt warning before rushing into the bulk of the guards. "Stay close! There's more of 'em!" Sprinting on all fours like some rabid animal, she managed to close the distance with impressive speed. A moment later, a spray of mud kicked up in her wake when Makoto dove into the clustered guards, disorienting those at the front of the stable and sending them jumping for cover.
The explosion caught the young Hozuki off guard for only a second. He had lost focus as he saw a little of his blood drip from the small wound on his head. Either way, they had completed the first part and, now they were running to the next location. He would not allow himself to make the same mistake twice. There was no surprise in Makoto making up the distance between them. She was far more experienced than him and had already saved his ass once today. Which made her words about being careful all that more resonating for the young boy
Not a single enemy would cause even a bruise to him as far as he was concerned. This time he would be prepared. He was ready to take on any obstacle. He watched her as she leaped forward to take on the guards. Suzaku was not too far behind this time. No waiting around to catch anyone off guard or to watch her do all the work with her ninken.
He ran towards one of the guards on the left side. As soon as he was within a close enough range he would throw the hardest punch that he could towards his ribs. The impact of the punch caused the guard to keel over where his face would be met with the knee of the Hozuki boy knocking him down. Newfound confidence could be seen in his eyes. It was no coincidence however the boy who normally wasn't much for combat had just opened the Gate of Opening.
As soon as he turned from the guard he had just put down he would begin running at a duo of guards both ready to take him on. In his own element at this time, it looked like the young boy was getting ready to bite off more than he could chew.
Those poor watchmen didn't know what hit them. Each unfortunate soul that the Inuzuka raced by was covered in vicious scratches before they could so much as cry out in pain, their bloodied bodies thudding on the ground one by one. Pure savagery dismissed any threat the villagers might've posed, claws and fangs ripping right their puny defenses like an angry whirlwind.
Makoto was sure to keep close to the genin's side the whole time, covering any blind spots when he rushed ahead. Whether two guards stood in the path or twenty, it didn't make a difference. The jounin knew her way around close-quarters combat better than anything else, dashing in tandem with Suzaku's attacks to rake at the opponents' legs. They would tumble and buffet from the blows, leaving themselves wide open for the genin's blade.
And there were plenty more where that came from.
Though the rains masked scents to some extent, Makoto only had to hear the howls of a couple of hounds to alert her to other dangers. More guards were rushing around the stables and noticing their fallen comrades, the wet plops of their hurried footfalls drawing closer by the second. "Set the beasts loose!" she barked, pointing to the pens where all manner of livestock was kept. With any luck it would buy them some time to complete the next task. "I'll plant the tags!"
Just then a small group of guards rounded the corner with weapons at the ready, looking intent on blocking the way. Seeing the trail of bodies that decorated the area, the newcomers didn't hesitate to charge at both Mist ninja. Flimsy spears thrusted and clumsy swords swung, an uncoordinated mess of movements rushing at the intruders.
It was almost like a different person had taken over his body. All of his other times opening the gates had been in training. Never had he used it in anything like this. In fairness, he had never been involved in anything like this before in his life. His mind was moving faster than his body at this point. He knew he only had only a short time left in this state. Now would be the moment to make it count.
Makoto and the dogs were doing all the heavy lifting anyway. He would focus on the task. All he had to do was continue to create chaos around these terrible excuses for guards. He quickly ran towards the pen doors. This group would not be the one to stop them. He ran right towards the closest soldier with his spear leading the way. Suzaku jumped onto the pole and used it as a launchpad to get him past the rest of the troops. He didn't need to look back. There was no doubt in his mind that Makoto was more than capable of taking care of this.
He began pushing one door open after another. Trying his best not to get run over by any of the large beasts within them. These last movements really had the suck little bit of energy he had from him. For now he would just have to watch how this little stampede would affect the Makoto and the opposing party.
By the time Makoto finished slicing up another pair of guards and tackling a third through the wall, frightened animals began running amok. There'd be no stopping them as they darted toward the nearest exits, trampling over wounded guards and knocking over supplies in their wild panic. It hadn't taken very long for the stables to become an absolute madhouse, which would only serve the Mist ninja in completing their objective.
Slapping a few explosive tags onto some conspicuous stacks of crates and throwing a couple into the rafters for good measure, Makoto didn't waste a second that the distraction afforded. "C'mon, pup! It's 'bout to blow!" the jounin shouted from across the room, her voice somewhat muffled by all the clamoring from the beasts. If that didn't her point across however, the next exclamation would surely get the genin's attention. "TSUUGA!"
Diving into a spiraling motion, Makoto crashed through one of the stable walls with fang and claw, creating her own getaway route. Her dogs followed suit, smashing into whatever stood in their path as they each forged their own exits. Every hole the pack created made the building a little less stable, the snapping and creaking of wood adding to the chaos until one side of the stable looked on the verge of collapse.
Sliding to a halt some short distance away from the scene, the Inuzuka took the chance to catch her breath. Watching her ninken dart by one after the other, icy irises darted side to side, keeping track of her surroundings and fully expected the genin to emerge. "Get down!" she ordered at last, slamming her palms together as she formed the sign of the Snake - the trigger for the detonation.
Not unlike the previous target, the stable would then go up in flames, bursting with a violent boom and showering the streets with debris.
