[attr="class","parchment-h1"]Hatori Kurosawa: The Horselord
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[attr="class","parchment-h3"]Sunset
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[attr="class","parchment-thread"]Not everything went exactly to plan. [break][break][break][break]The perfect team had been picked out by Téngfēi, but the demands of the operation quickly took precedence. A shinobi of the sound put in charge and pulling several members of the dream team away from his intended destination. [break][break] Small farm houses dotted the fields of cleared forestry west of Onomichi. Carved into the fields were hidden trap doors leading to small underground bunkers with interconnected chambers: perfect for hit and run tactics. Peaking out into the south from a distance lanterns were ablaze as far as the eye could see. [break][break] The ground quaked as the first wave of imperial forces galloped fourth on horseback. This cavalry unit was made up of mortal men, subjugates of the empire that were part of an elite unit. As they made their way across the field, shinobi forces set up in ambush would throw shuriken to down horses. They seemed to be rushing past shinobi, not focusing on stopping. [break][break] In the crowd stood out one man in particular, mounted on the finest black stallion and adorned in hellish samurai armor that far outmatched the padding worn by the mounted infantry at his command. While many of the units pushed forward, he and a small group of riders pushed towards the outskirts of the western wall and began establishing a camp. These riders began patrolling the area, impaling shinobi with spears and pulling them from their trenches. [break][break] Recon team one was being led by Yousei Shinkiro, but the renowned Seiichi Koji accompanied her as well. Among the pack were also Möngke Genghis and Yukio Shimizu. They were located in a small bunker not but a few hundred meters from where Hatori Kurosawa sat atop his horse on a small hill overlooking the town. He watched from afar as a creature fell from the skies over the city, a large bat that swooped over the northern side of the village. From its mouth poured streams of fire that began setting buildings quickly alight as hails of shuriken were thrown towards it... but that was a tale for a different group of shinobi. [break][break] Could this team stop the Horselord from entrapping the western side of the town? [break][break] OOC: post once this week to validate entry into the event if you were tagged in this post.
[attr="class","pwfbody"] Team leader!? Now that was unexpected! Yousei definitely hadn't been anticipating that Mai would put her in charge of an entire squad, but here she was, suddenly thrust into a position of prominence once again as the leader of Recon Team 1. Well, if Mai had faith in her then she wasn't about to let her down! So what if she'd only been a jounin for like a month, and she'd never led a unit in a large scale military engagement? There was a first time for everything, right? And trials by fire built character! She totally had this, no worries. [break][break]
It seemed her team was comprised exclusively of foreign mercenaries and shinobi; a swordsman from the Hidden Mist (hey, she'd actually met that one before!), a Hozuki from the Hidden Rain, and an anthropomorphic bear from the Hidden Cloud. Wait, so even bears could become jounin in Kumo? That was pretty awesome! The more you know, huh? Anyway, while their group might've been a little rag-tag, Yousei was totally digging it. It was always the crazy teams like this that ended up being the protagonists in those shounen manga, after all. [break][break]
And speaking of shounen manga, it looked like their big bad evil guy had just arrived! Peeking out from their patented Sound Village guerilla warfare bunker (seriously though, they had so many of these things), Yousei regarded the smug bastard for a long moment as he sat on his smug horse, looking out smugly over the town, where- woah what the heck was that thing? Was that a fire-breathing bat doing strafing runs over there? [break][break]
That was kinda concerning, but her team's job was to deal with things here right now and make sure this guy and his Taiyou dogs couldn't take control of Zone 3, so she'd just have to trust the rest of the coalition to deal with the chiropteran horror. [break][break]
Turning her attention back to Smuggy McSmuggerton, Yousei then quietly addressed her team, making sure not to give away their position. "Our main objective is going to be taking out the commander in the fancy armor over there. Do that, and the rest of his cavalry should rout." She explained calmly, laying out the game plan. "Be careful though, this guy is no ordinary samurai, and his troops look well-trained too; they're definitely no run-of-the-mill ashigaru." [break][break]
Yousei may not have subscribed to the Taiyou Monthly Newsletter, but she knew enough about samurai that she could tell even from a glance that Hatori Kurosawa (whose name she didn't actually know, mind you) and his men were no pushovers. These guys meant business. [break][break]
"Most importantly, remember to watch each other's backs out there. We may be from different villages, but right now we're all on the same side. Let's teach these good-for-nothing Imperials a lesson, and make it back home alive." [break][break]
It all felt useless. The thunder of hooves were the rataplan of war on the tautly wound canvas of a drum that would be heard as men exhumed their spirits in cries of terror. Their screams were of agony, spilling from them as their voiceless regret and shame had not fallen deaf on him. Alas, all he could do was take a back seat to their misery as they remained motionless. They had been some hundreds of meters away as they were stowed in a bunker, to remain idle until the proper opportunity was roused amidst the chaos or from the tiers of Yousei's own lips came the order to break out and assail their target. Their unit had been one specially assembled, though to what degree remained ambiguous to the cloud jounin as Möngke only ever got to share more preliminary details. He was at the command of sapling, a sprout in her career as she was still tender in her years -- no less or no more than Mai Aburame who had tended to an unnatural wound earned by the unnatural blade of another. There was acquittance already shared with Möngke and never before had he met the medic of the mists, though her disposition had been palatable.
Seiichi had been apart of many conflicts, his tenure as a shionbi saw it so. Never, however, had he been apart of a covert arrangement. Huddled in a bunker with them was a man who seemed more the echo of a titan than shinobi. He filled the width of their tunnel, donned with a cloak fashioned from the pelt of a bear, body and head, the top of its jaw forming a hood. Long fangs framed Seiichi's face, deadly and fierce, as they scaled the length of temple and ear and further pronounced the lantern jaw beneath a more recently kempt beard; the remainder of his frame was dressed in a gi tattered by attrition and torn at the sleeves, though recently laundried. The man who donned a bear's pelt boasted shoulders that could frame a mountain and arms that rivaled tree trunks, yet he moved with a deftness that betrayed his uncommon proportions. By all accounts he was a natural born shinobi despite his unwieldly frame, moving no more noisily than his dainty comrades.
The weight of his own gaze was added to Yousei's as he peered at their target, a man unlike the countless others who ravaged the land around them in a bid to conquer this zone and further their holds on this land. There was nary an opening in his armor-- or at least an opening that was exposed immediately to his much more mundane eyes over such an impressive distance. The cloud jounin himself convinced that beneath the plates that scintillated fire-light was surely interlinking chains powerful enough to null the finest points of their weapons. Still, despite his forming reservations on the usefulness of bladed weapons, he still had with him a pair of forearm length claws that hung from a hook that had been woven into the obi that tightened the gi above his waist.
His attention was stirred from the mounted man and his small entourage and to Yousei, the small pixie of a woman with cropped tresses of hair no-less lively than those capering flames that sprouted the further Hatori's troops advanced, as she spoke out to them. Despite being young in her years, there was a confidence in her metered voice as she worked to rouse their spirits while avoiding detection. She had a point: if they failed to work together, there was a toll that tragedy would expect them all to pay.
"We need to move," the bluster of his voice was an unfortunate thing, "give your command so I can go."
An order to order. Such was the nature of Seiichi Koji's speech.
Last Edit: Oct 9, 2021 14:05:50 GMT by Seiichi Koji
[attr="class","text-space"] Within the maelstrom of calamity, pull in hope.[break][break]
Norisuke Hozuki’s soft amethyst eyes looked upon the raging conflict with almost aloof apathy. All for the glory of Amegakure. Fighting alongside other shinobi against the Empire was an honorable thing, even if they were from other villages. It was perhaps this fact that the boy’s usual calm soul was ablaze with the torrents of pride that were hard to contain. Thus dwelled within his tactful mind, whether he should go all out, or be reserved to not give away village secrets. It was a difficult concept in these times of death and flame, surely the shinobi who had been slain by the Samurai at this point were of like mind. No matter, this was a time to act, not a time to suffer decision paralysis. [break][break]
A large gourd of water was adjusted to his back, unadorned in any way. Honestly it was a miracle that alongside that and the beast of Kumogakure that they all fit in this trench. Otherwise, Norisuke was garbed in the traditional Amegakure shinobi attire, a black jumpsuit, white scarf, rebreather and conical hat. At either hip were two more gourds,with a shinobi pouch just below the main gourd, and a bandaloir of kunai and shuriken attached to the harness that kept the gourd to his back. Enough water for his Suiton techniques, or to remain hydrated if he used his Hijutsu. [break][break]
As their unit commander spoke, Norisuke listened carefully. Even if they were shinobi from another village, he still respected the chain of authority and nodded along to the orders. Take out the big one huh? He considered his talents in keeping the other Samurai off of them while the Jounin swarmed and massacred the enemy leader, but was sure their command leader would likely assign tasks as the avenue of attack drew closer. ”Very well.” His voice was soft, gentle, almost inaudible over the torrents of war outside. Yet within those words was the latent bloodlust that fueled the Hozuki clan, a clan he had never met. [break][break]
While their leader reminded them to watch each other’s backs, the Hozuki performed the handseals for his Hijustu, figuring this would be the main opportunity to do so as the technique took some time to trigger. In the heat of battle it was nearly impossible to activate. The titan of the man seemed eager as well, Norisuke respected that on an internal level. Respectful enough to listen to orders of those placed above you, but eager to move into action. Into the slaughter. ”I am ready to be used, Commander.” With that, he completed the handseals required, his body shifting from the solid structure of bone and flesh, into a more supple mass of water, still retaining the same physical appearance, but the keen eyes of the jounin in the room would probably detect something different about the boy. He also understood that his grasp of his technique was one that didn’t allow it to persist for long.
This wasn't the plan. She wasn't supposed to be working with a bunch of proper shinobi for this whole mess. She was supposed to be acting on her own, taking advantage of this moment to try and hinder the Empire's operations and potentially cause some chaos in their back lines. But when that red haired kid suggested that she register as a merc, it was hard to say no to the opportunity. Obviously she had considered it before but...Whatever. Now wasn't the time to be considering the past or any of that nonsense. Her lone eye was set toward the future; As well as that heavily armored samurai sitting so proudly atop of his noble steed while his men ravaged the village.[break][break]
The nukenin stood casually among the group, though there was a certain tension in her shoulders. All it took was one slip up and she could suddenly find her allies turn to enemies. It was always hard to tell how individuals felt about rogue ninja, especially considering one of them was a man she was quite familiar with from her old rival village. And yet there she stood, casually leaning against his broad shoulder as they took in the battlefield. Luckily for her, very few outside of the Mist were aware of her condition. Who would ever assume this crippled wanderer was Tsubaki Mizuno?[break][break]
Still, she had to be careful. Her usually wild hair had been tamed into a tight bun on the back of her head, something she hadn't been convinced to do in quite some time. Her face was covered by a generic oni mask she picked up from one of the local stalls, obscuring her features and all too recognizable facial tattoos. She maintained her usual loose style of clothing, allowing her to keep her bandaged right arm tucked away in her clothing. The front remained open, revealing her bound chest that both preserved her modesty and further disguised her shillouete. Hopefully this would be enough to keep from drawing too much attention.[break][break]
The mask would also hide her jagged teeth as he lips pulled back into a grin as the rest of the crew spoke. They really had a weird little crew gathered up here, didn't they? "Easy there, big man. I know this probably aint your style, but we can't just go chargin' in there." Her left arm came to rest on the sizable gourd of water hanging from her waist as she gave him a shrug. A quick glance was shot to the puddle of a man as well, her mind already cooking up the variety of ways he could be used. Hozuki were such a weird bunch. And finally her attention fell to their fearless leader, who was extra adorable as she did her best to remain calm and take leadership over a group containing two far more experienced shinobi. Still, she had confident that the kid knew what she was doing. "What's the plan, boss?"
[attr="class","APP3"]Horsemen continued to bypass the western side of the city, heading to towards the northern side. Experienced jounin would be able to tell that they intended to cut off reinforcements coming from Otogakure from helping the people in the town.
“Keep this lane open!” Hatori’s voice rang out across the battlefield in a commanding shout. Horsemen around him began answering the approach of another group of brave shinobi. Against mounted javelins some of the more inexperienced shinobi who dared rush in were quickly impaled and trampled. It wasn’t completely one sided, other shinobi attacked the horses with shuriken before popping back into cover.
A group of two horsemen found their horses toppled near the position of the recon team as they worked out a plan, and one was crushed by a wild hoof. The other wrangled himself free. A man that stood at an average height with a cheaply made kabuto helmet and jerkin of a tanned color. He stood up and drew a strange object that looked like a pole wrapped in paper, his eyes gazed around left and right, until he seemingly made eye contact with the moss-covered pill box that peered out from the bunker.
“Hyaaaa!” he called out as he rushed towards the group. He quickly planted the strange object between his legs and began performing a few hand seals. His hands sparked with fire and a wick was lit and began to sizzle quickly as he positioned the stick pointed towards the bunker.
With a loud pop and a flare that shot quickly towards them, a stream of embers poured towards the bunker and obscured the inside with a choking smoke in a matter of seconds. It was not lethal, and the embers themselves were only of mild discomfort, but it appeared the soldier intended to smoke out the occupants of the bunker.
The sound of a sword being unsheathed could be heard through the sudden chaos.
OOC: Danger has found its way to your team! The bunker is filled with smoke and hot embers. A soldier waits ouside with blade in hand hoping to take advantage of the disorientation.
Yukio Shimizu will be phased out if the next post is missed.
[attr="class","pwfbody"] As expected, Yousei's little group had some major differences in personality, but she knew that if she could get these gears working together, they were going to have one hell of a clock on their hands. [break][break]
"I like that enthusiasm, Kuma-san!" She hush-shouted quietgetically, as she turned to size up the hulking jounin from the Hidden Cloud. "Let's see...big, tough, and super built; no doubt to the credit of your ninja bear ancestors!" That was a gag, right? She didn't actually think that- [break][break]
"And you're carrying a pair of claws, very fitting. You must be a close-range specialist, right? In that case, I need you to help me get Steedy McRiderson over there off his horse. He's leading some sort of elite cavalry unit, so I'm sure he'll be a lot easier to deal with if we can get him unmounted and on foot. Just stay alert and remember to expect the unexpected, for all we know that might be some sort of samurai ninja horse!" [break][break]
That said, she next turned her attention to Norisuke and Tsubaki. Hey, was it just her, or did Norisuke seem a little different? She couldn't quite put her finger on it (a little wavy? a little wet behind the ears? a little some other water pun?), but like. Oh well, probably nothing to worry about. [break][break]
"While we handle that, I'll need you guys covering our flanks. Between the Horse Force™ (the ™ is silent, just to clarify), and all the random ashigaru running around out there, we're gonna need some serious crowd control once things hit the fan. And don't be afraid to help each other out! Teamwork makes the dream work; the dream being these Taiyou bastards pushing up daisies." [break][break]
However, it seemed their little strategy meeting would have to wrap up there, as they were rudely interrupted by the battle cry of a horseless rider who had rushed their bunker with a weird...stick? Oh wait, it was like a fireworks tube! Annnnd now the bunker was filled with smoke and embers, and she was gonna have to get her whole outfit dry cleaned to get the smell out. Suffice to say, she was less than pleased with the situation; dry cleaning wasn't cheap! [break][break]
"Don't bother wasting your chakra on small fry like this!" Yousei coughed out into her sleeve. They were in the middle of a warzone, after all; chakra was a precious commodity, and not one that they could afford to be wasting here. [break][break]
Then, holding her breath as best she could, she quickly slipped the Oto headband off her arm and pocketed it, before removing her coat as she took off running towards the exit, making sure her footfalls were nice and loud as she chucked the jacket out through the smoke ahead of her. [break][break]
Why pay for dry cleaning when you can just buy a new jacket! [break][break]
The hapless samurai on the other side had no doubt been waiting to swing at the first thing that came through the door, but he almost certainly hadn't been expecting that thing to be casual wear. Yousei herself slid out just moments later, her diminutive stature allowing her to keep an exceptionally low profile as she skidded to a sharp yet graceful halt, drawing her blade in a clean diagonal slash aimed up through their would-be assailant's torso. That shabby armor wouldn't be helping much here; not against a high-quality blade like Hatsuyuki. [break][break]
[attr="class","APP3"]Stared, unresponsive for what seemed a pregnant pause.
"Funny."
She was charismatic, if nothing more. The small sliver of a woman braced them, whether she recognized it or not, with the engagement of her bubbly persona; alas, whether it be the ire of the more muted giant behind her was for him to decide. She spoke in a natural way, hers a form of speech that diffused them effortlessly from what chaos had continued to ensue from beyond the confines of their bunker. She was quick to engage each each one of them, shifting between the members of their motely crew. Seiichi had seen her type before: she was destined, come the time, to press beyond the ranks of a jounin and fill into something more. It could said, for the time, she was but a shadow of the women she'd be then. Seiichi would shift mildly to look back, narrowing eyes to scrutinize the shinobi whom donned an oni-mask and fluttery robes before called to attention by a more youthful voice that surrendered his form to something more immaterial on completion of a seal. The jounin thought it an interesting trick as, while still corporal he could only assume a solid blow was bound to phase right through.
It was then that the pleasantries were brought to an end, the reality of battle brought to their doorstep as they were assailed by a man who survived -- but Seiichi was committed in making their miracle last briefly. In an instant the dead-man-walking pumped their bunker with a firework that expelled a clouding miasma of smoke, sure to choke the breath from them if they remained stationary. With a breath drawn in earnest to brace his lungs, the Bear of Kumo pressed forward towards the passage that'd spare them relief from the noxious cloud; his alert ears were wizened to the scrape of a blade. He moved to equip his claws, long and frightening blades affixed on a specially-crafted handle fit for hands as large as trenchers. While no sword, their ample length which scaled the length of his long forearms afforded him comfortable footing against even the most formidable blades.
Alas, the one they braved as they barreled out of the mess of embers and smoke was no such thing. He had been filed behind Yousei and as they reached the end of the passage, Seiichi crouched briefly to make a bounding jump that untethered him wholly from the ground, ripping from the misting cloud like a beast in tall grass. Whether or not their Commander's rending slash had landed, the Kuma no Kumo was prepared to follow her actions up as he descended from the sky like a terror. Having adjusted to dive at the apex of his leap, he barreled forward with a right claw that led forward and the other one prepared to deflect any ground-to-air counter should their wits still be about them. If he was met with minimal or no defense, then the weight of Seiichi, in addition to the speed in which he descended, could see the blades of his claw run through him and force them both to the ground. If successful, he'd withdraw them and flick his wrist to relieve them of their red sheen.
His heart pounded, thrumming wildly in his chest. He was eager to move forward, her rousing speech of teamwork all but evicted.
Last Edit: Oct 16, 2021 7:44:33 GMT by Seiichi Koji
The masked woman nodded along with her commander as she described her plan, making a mental note while staring out at the battlefield before them. They definitely had their work cut out for them here, but she was confident that with this bunch of folks they’d be able to pull it off. Even with the youngest and least experienced shinobi here taking the lead. Luckily it seemed like she had a good head on her shoulders, even if her tone didn’t really fit the dire situation before them. ”Not a huge fan of playin’ second fiddle. But I guess I can leave the big guy to you two.Consider your asses covered.” Even if her face was hidden, the grin that spread across her face was audible in her voice.[break][break]
But they didn’t have much time for plans, as the sound of a samurai’s battlecry caught her ear. Her left hand reached across to grip the hilt of her blade, ready to strike at anyone who dared approach their position. As she turned toward the source, she found her view quickly become clouded by a thick smoke. She held what breath remained in her lungs as she quickly pushed out of the smoke, her eye quickly settling on their attacker. But before she had a chance, the two jonin were already pouncing the poor soldier with enough force to destroy a soldier with three times his mettle. Maybe these injuries had slowed her down more than she realized…[break][break]
While her body may have been hobbled, her mind was still sharp. She darted forward after the other two, her single eye taking a moment to examine the man’s armor as best she could. She would do her best to get as many details right as possible, but at the end of the day the silhouette was what really mattered. The kunoichi’s hand slid into the loose material of her attire, joining her permanently banaged limb to form a few quick handseals before becoming engulfed in a puff of smoke. A moment later, the masked woman was adorned in the man’s uniform and wore an unfamiliar face that was not her own. It wasn’t like anyone kept track of each and every rank and file soldier’s identity, right? ”I’ve been watching these guys for a long while now. I might be able to raise a false alarm and draw some of his men off the hill.I just need to see if this guy has any more flares…”
[attr="class","APP3"]The assailant fell for Yousei’s trick hook, line, and sinker. With a war cry he thrust his blade into the incoming garment, eyes widening with confusion as they made purchase, but it passed through the blade. In the haze of the smoke and the lack of time to process the information, he imagined a ghost had appeared.
The slash of Yousei’s blade struck true, cutting through the straps holding the jerkin out of place as blood and spittle flew from the man’s mouth. He desperately stumbled back and drew his forearm up and began a swinging motion. Yousei could see the reflection of the Seiichi enter the terrified eyes of the man before his swing was easily batted away and he was led into the ground with a lacerating strike and brutal force.
He squirmed for only a few moments. His hand reaching for a small knife strapped to his shoulder but finding himself unable to unstrap it from the hilt before his energy failed him and his body surrendered to the inevitable.
To Tsubaki’s disappointment, the man carried no more flares. But after briefly looking, there was a rider that had died not far from them that had taken an arrow to the chest. A long flare rested at the side of his corpse within only around ten meters. She would manage to get a hold of it and slink away in time to avoid what would come next if she desired.
Four riders in the distance seemed to have been drawn by the commotion. The stomping of galloping horses approached, and each man was wielding a javelin. They branched out from one another in pairs, hoping to set up a pincer movement against them. If Seiichi and Yousei allowed them to execute the pincer, each rider would take a quick jab and pass by one shinobi and then go to stab the other shinobi in the back in succession. A tactic that would be deadly to common genin or other warriors, but surely the jounin could break the assault.
[attr="class","pwfbody"] As the absolutely brutalized samurai succame to his grisly end, Yousei quickly got back to her feet, flicking the blood from her sword as she ceremoniously returned it to its sheathe. Hey, look at that! Everyone made it through their first encounter safe and sound. Not that it was a particularly difficult one, mind you, but it's the little things that count, right? [break][break]
"Good idea!" She nodded affirmatively, as Tsubaki explained her plan to blend into the enemy ranks. "With such a large force, there's no way a well-played impostor would be easily recognized, especially with all this chaos going on. Just make sure you don't get overwhelmed out there, okay?" [break][break]
Then, reaching down, she picked her jacket up off the ground, surveying the blade-sized hole in the fabric before slipping it back on with a sigh. Might as well roll with it for now; besides, the battle damage would probably look pretty cool when they all got back from this. [break][break]
Seemed that wouldn't be getting much of a break though, as the thunderous hooves of the Horse Force™ began approaching. The quartet of riders soon split off in pairs, and it was obvious that they were trying to execute a pincer attack on herself and Seiichi. Man, these random encounters were getting pretty annoying, she just wanted to fight the boss already. Who set the spawn rate for this area anyway? [break][break]
At any rate, Yousei decided to focus her attention on the cavalry approaching from the left, wordlessly entrusting Seiichi with the right, as she positioned herself in the path between the oncoming horses and coiled her body to the side, in what appeared to be an unusually deep iai stance. [break][break]
She let them gallop forward until they were nearly upon her, not moving a muscle and no doubt seeming easy prey for the horsemen, especially when their weapons held such an advantage in range over a simple katana. [break][break]
But as their javelins thrust forward, Yousei moved in concert with their actions, jumping up and over their spear-points at an angle as she uncoiled her body like a spring, drawing her blade as she did so, and performing a spiraling slash that would first slice up across the chest of the rider to her left, before carrying through and slicing down across the back of the rider to her right, with Yousei herself completing a full 180 before landing back on the ground as the horses passed her. [break][break]
If all went to plan, that would be her half of the pincer dealt with. The rest would be up to Seiichi, while the disguised Tsubaki was free to carry out her plan unimpeded. [break][break]
[attr="class","APP3"]The two had prevailed, for the time being. The overwhelming pressure of their jointed attack proving far too much for the man, who braved their advances haphazardly the moment he saw it wise to ready his blade, to handle. Yousei had threatened what remained of his mortal coil and Seiichi had sealed his fate with his crippling--and fatal--strike as a lifelessness stood in stead, unblinking, of the fear and shock that wailed in his eyes as the Bear crashed upon him like a predator in tall grases. Having flicked the warm and sticky blood, that doused him and the many merciless blades of his claws, he look over his shoulder. He heard the voice of the woman from behind him though, when he turned to face them, she was no longer the women with a hobbled arm and eyepatch. She matched the slain man in many characteristics, save the wounds that had rend from his body a soul not wizened by his experiences. Whoever they were before they were announced a causality had not mattered, for they were now a spirit, left to witness the exploit of his death as a penance for the cause he fought for. While she may have not been as quick to act as the two Jounin, it seem she intended to express her expertise along the valley of shadows as the true display of skill in her cunning and stealth was to occur.
Seiichi nodded in approval with Yousei's outburst-- the idea was good. Unless these samurai were provided with an ability to look beyond disguises, she was bound to go largely undetected as this fog of war provided her an unsung advantage. Seiichi took this opportunity of respite, as shortly lived as it soon proved to be, to assess the battlefield beneath the scrutiny of well-trained eyes, as mundane as their abilities were when fielded along the gifted. Unless anything in particular stood out to him, it seemed that the Jounin was able to recognize little beyond the carnage he bore witness to while in the confines of their bunker-- curiously, at a time where he could have sworn their group had been larger. Perhaps he was getting older faster than he'd admitted, this last year had been as enlightening as it had been trying.
However, on queue, the glower brought on by his determination to better learn the gnarls and pits of the battlefield they had stood on was interrupted. Off in the distance the thunder of hooves grew louder and louder as their blip of commotion was enough to rouse their suspicion. Their thrum in the distance soon the clap of a thunderous drum as their coordination atop beast was a sure tactic, one to waver the spirit of the uninspired. He'd glanced over to his fellow Jounin, a dainty wisp of a fairy-turned-swordswoman and stole a glance, nodding as they wordlessly assumed their counters. Much like Yousei, Seiichi had adopted an idle stance. With claws previously drawn and equipped, he remained placid on this battlefield as they closed in. It was then, as they crossed a post set by his imagination, that the Kumo no Kuma reacted. With a charge he broke loose, arms extended behind him to offer leverage when they were most needed.
He lept, once again, as they closed in with their coordinated pincers to try and impale the shinobi, the impressive gait of their horses to be far more responsible on the impending damage than the man that braced their javelins. If timed correctly--which Seiichi had all unwavering confidence in that he could--he'd avoided the attempted skewer of large and unwieldly pointy-sticks as his arms caved inward in the expanse of his large wingspan. He had leapt at such a height-- and with such force that a cloud of dust still settled moments after he untethered from the ground--that he could meet them them at the height of their upper abdomens, assailing them with an eviscerating swing each that should have been enough to tear them from the security of their saddles, leaving them to be dragged along the course their horses had been set on or knocked clear off. Seiichi tucked into a roll, lessening his impact on the ground as well as boosting the speed in which he recovered. He'd rise and quickly pivot, moving forward to execute mercy blows should they be needed.
With a plan in mind, he recognized his ambitions and desires had to remain chained. With the duress and scrutiny Tsubaki was now beneath as she trekked into the heart of the battle, anything that could give her away was to come down on her from all sides.
Last Edit: Oct 23, 2021 13:35:24 GMT by Seiichi Koji
Just as she was about to curse her luck for the slain soldier having used their only flare, the kunoichi would spot their fallen comrade not too far off. She gave her allies a quick nod, lips curling into an pleased grin as they both gave approval to her idea. It was painful to admit that these two outclassed her in raw combat power these days, but at least her experience as a shinobi was still keeping her as sharp as ever. "You guys better not screw this up. My life's in your hands as much as mine is in yours" With that she tossed the jonin duo a wink before sprinting off, moving to quickly scavenge what she could from the fallen horseman's corpse before sprinting off toward the enemy's back lines. She was careful not to move like a shinobi as she made her way back, adopting the more clumsy stride of a desperate civilian who had a blade thrust into their hands. It was an awkward stride, but it was kinda fun to act like a dumbass for a moment.[break][break]
She looked back over her shoulder for a moment, spotting the other horsemen converging on the two warriors. She could only hope that they would be able to handle that without raising too may alarms. Fortunately neither of them seemed like they were one for showy jutsu or the sort. All they had to do was make sure none of those guys could retreat to gather reinforcements. For the moment, all she could do was focus on herself as she scanned the battlefield, searching for the best approach to lure the enemy from their position. She had a few ideas, but only one shot at getting this right.[break][break]
Using a combination of her disguise and the classic technique of 'look like you know where you're going', Tsubaki would start to maneuver herself around the battlefield, aiming to get behind enemy lines. With any luck, she would look far more like a messenger than a deserter. After all, why would someone planning on going AWOL run toward Taiyou's back line instead of seeking freedom away from either side? Should everything go as planned, she would eventually make her way into the forest behind the hill where their target was set up. She was a ways off from them, deeper in the woods where they wouldn't have line of sight on her. Once she was confident there were no one nearby on her, Tsubaki would crouch down to the forest floor and spend a brief moment scouring. It wouldn't be too hard for her to locate a rock and some fallen twigs and leaves. With a bit of arranging, she would position the rock, kindling and signal flare all together. Once it was all set she would take a step back and grip the hilt of her blade. With a deep breath, she would suddenly draw and swing the blade in a single fluid motion, the blade grazing the rock. The friction would cause a number of sparks to flare up, some of which would find their home in the kindling. It was only a matter of moments before the first bits of smoke started to curl off the pile of dead plant life.[break][break]
After spending a moment to nurture the embers and ensure it would grow into a flame, she would reward herself with a nod of satisfaction. The kunoichi then made her way to a tree a short ways off to be out of the smoke's range, leaping up to lurk within its branches. A few moments later, the same popping sound from not too long ago would sound off, the fire having consumed the flare and cause it to go off. A pillar of smoke would start to billow up, reaching over the canopy to be seen at a distance. Now all that was left to do was sit back, hope they take the bait and work on a plan in case this one failed.
[attr="class","APP3"]Yousei’s jumpers were graceful and did little to startle the horses as she lept acrobatically into the air and delivered her attack against the first rider. Javelin were awkward weapons to raise up, so the first was caught completely off guard and let out a blood-curdling cry. His horse continued to move forward with him on it, but he slumped over and fell off several meters away. Seeing her airborne, the second rider had the sense to drop the javelin and reached for the reigns of the horse and quickly braked to avoid her trajectory. The rider abandoned the pass and took a hard curve to the right and began galloping back around with a sword drawn.
Seiichi’s assault knocked the first rider from the horse, and the second horse in the duo was so frightened that it bucked violently upward and sent its own rider plummeting to the ground. As the horse ran off, the first rider was trampled by the second horse, sparing Seiichi the time of having to finish that one off. Before the second swordsman could get up off his back, he had taken him out.
Another wave of swordsman were coming, but then in the distance the smoke began to billow over the hill. The group decided to divert to deal with them, not exactly eager to be the next victims of the warriors they saw from afar. The rebounding rider that had survived Yousei’s attack peeled off to join them, leaving the two jounin for others to deal with.
Tsubaki could see the team of riders coming from far off breaking away from their targets to come investigate the hillside diversion. There might yet be time for her to slip away before their arrival, but there was a bit of a risk if she did so.
From the position of Seiichi and Yousei, Hatori had turned from his overwatch of the city to view the smoke in the distance and then towards the two fighters who had been left abandoned. The sword he drew was legendary in its own right. A long and thin blade, with a rectangular hand guard. Anyone who studied kenjutsu extensively would recognize it as Kurosawa, a blade that was forged to be wielded by the father of Iaidō and now seemingly a trophy of the empire.
He made no attempt to approach, but waved the blade menacingly forward from atop his horse that was draped in fine black cloth.
[attr="class","pwf1body"] As still more cavalry began approaching in the distance, Yousei had been braced to deal with yet another wave of cannon fodder with Seiichi, but it seemed that Tsubaki's clever plan would be sparing them the trouble. [break][break]
The riders flocked to the rising smoke signal like moths drawn to a flame, their attention diverted completely from the two jounin as they galloped off into the forest. Hopefully Tsubaki had an exit strategy in mind, but Yousei couldn't see her doing something reckless like this without a plan, so she'd likely be regrouping with them soon. [break][break]
In the meantime, that left Yousei and Seiichi staring down the commander, whose attention they certainly seemed to have attracted from the look of things. Honestly, that suited Yousei just fine; no more distractions, it was time for the main event. "Alright, Kuma-san. Let's teach this guy a lesson. Remember, try to find a way to get him off that horse, if you can. Getting him on foot should make things a lot easier for us." [break][break]
Indeed, the sword Hatori drew was not unfamiliar to Yousei; she recognized it immediately as Kurosawa, a blade once crafted for the legendary swordsman now heralded as the father of iaido itself. To see such a blade in the hands of the Empire set Yousei's blood alight. Did their defilement of the samurai name truly know no bounds? To tarnish a relic of their proud history with such corruption...it was unforgivable! [break][break]
So kill him~ [break][break]
Her fingers tightened around the hilt of Hatsuyuki. For once, she actually agreed with that unwelcome voice in her head, though she wouldn't admit it. [break][break]
Sheathing her family's sword in preparation, she gave a nod to Seiichi before dashing forward, rapidly closing the gap between herself and Hatori while circling around to his flank, staying just out of range of his sword as she once again let her blade fly free, casting off a crescent blade of chakra aimed not at the rider, but at his horse's legs. [break][break]
In the meantime, Seiichi would be free to conduct his own half of this two-pronged assault. Hopefully, by splitting the samurai's attention one of them would be able to find an opening and exploit it. [break][break]
