Hooves thundering against the earth at a steady gallop, the impending arrival of the shinobi under Makoto's command was announced only moments before the shinobi and their commandeered horses burst into the tight-woven trees of the forest. Nikukyuu ride as an unseat passenger on the horse being driven by the Daichi, her ninken partner having leapt to claim passage atop the haunches of the steed in Ryuunosuke's care. With the woman's fingers anchored at the saddle, her body weighed to one side of the horse, a knee rest against its side as she kept her feet up from the ground, pupils narrowed to feral slits as her lips press to a bitter line. Ferocity roll off from her figure in waves, and the pale of her eyes showed narrow with focus.[break][break]
The sounds of nearby battle, the cry of a wounded soldier - while the battle raged on between the pillar-like trunks dotting the woodland, Kyuu's focus was toward Makoto's demands.[break][break]
❝ Good luck. ❞[break][break]
The words offered toward Makoto low and dark, voice tense as she held her gaze southward.[break][break]
❝ AME -- ❞[break][break]
She'd lost track of Sayuri in the skirmish, but with time against them and a direct command from their leading officer, there was no chance of doubling back. Her voice rang harsh with the bite of her demand.[break][break]
❝ We're going up. Send the horses into the fray to mow down the opposition. ❞[break][break]
It was all the instruction they were getting. Near as soon as the words were spoken, she and her hound were gone in a flash, both vaulting up for the boughs of the trees in order to make use of the camouflage of their foliage.
As the battle raged around them Ryuu felt himself exhale a slight shaky breath before steeling himself. Dark eyes narrowed as he maneuvered the reins of the horse into the proper direction he gave a firm nod before replying with a simple "Right!" While the horse was moving into the direction he desired he slowed it to a stop before jumping off of it. From behind he gave it a firm smack on it's hind end as it reared up with a shrill whinnied and trotted off right where they wanted it to in a blind panic and possible rage. With that done the Nara followed his superior up into the treeline, hoping this bought them some time to make their next move.
Zazou felt himself yanked downwards, the zombie below him had contorted itself into a usually impossible shape in order to try and squeeze his eye from its socket. His hand gripped to pull the blade from the undead warrior, but before he could even lift it to deliver a blow, one of Jun's arrows pierced it and stopped it in its tracks.
He gave a nod of acknowledgement to him and as he steadied himself for what seemed like the next wave, he was met with the pleasant surprise of reinforcements. They'd been holding this area down long enough themselves, and the Inuzuka was a sight for sore eyes.
The Chunin flicked the blood from his blade and sheathed it, following by the side of Jun and Makoto. "He's right." Zazou said in response to Jun, knowing that they couldn't let this figure go unattended to whip up more casualties. They'd already lost significant bodies in this zone, contributed to that woman alone. "We should deal with her before she impedes us further, and while we have her on the run. It might help us in finding the source of all of this."
While it may not have been his place, he was adamant that a piece of the puzzle lay within the individuals that were different to the zombies they had been fighting.
The dust weaving genin gripped the horse with his thighs the moment he landed, his hands quickly coming together to form a handseal. As he did, the kunai used to attack the previous rider would burst into a cloud of dust. It then formed a stream, travelling rapidly back toward him and reforming as a kunai in his hand. There was no telling how long this mission would be going, and it was important to conserve as much chakra as he could. And he never knew when he was going to need more dust. Eyes widened a bit as the Inuzuka jumped over to join him, lips turning into a smile once he registered who had latched on. It was important to hide the anxiety that was building in his chest if he wanted her to continue putting her trust in him.[break][break]
Daichi gripped the reigns tightly as they went forward, doing his best to maintain control of the stallion while still paying close attention to the orders being barked by the two canine-esque women. It seemed they would be abandoning the horses, which was a shame. He really didn't want to see these poor creatures get hurt, but it seemed that he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. And so he would reposition himself on the back of the horse before jumping off of the saddle and allowing it to storm off into the fray.
[attr="class","APP3"]Though Jun’s bow did strike true against one of the bodies dragging the Jounin of the Hidden Stone away, it was the last they would see of Shoichi, or that side of the battlefield for that matter. The ground would begin to tremble once more, and the area around Shoichi and the female kunoichi in hiding began to collapse as the ground gave in. Trees were uprooted with the fall, and then a stillness followed by faint screams. His attempts to spot the assassin that had been fleeing were in vain, she had managed to slip out of site and was heading in the direction of the city.
Makoto, who had bravely charged forward had ended up in a tussle with three reanimations that were right at the edge of the fallen ground. Below she would be able to catch a glimpse of the arena created below an artificial canyon thirty feet down, with a tunnel leading to the east. In the center of it all was a raven-haired woman in a regal outfit of a pale plum and black, with gold to accent it.
Around her two wicked pillars of earth impaled Aiko and Mai, not yet dead but mortally wounded. A third body, belonging to Shoichi, could be seen being enclosed behind the lid of a standing coffin that began to sink beneath the ground. After this was performed the woman placed a hand on Mai’s forehead, draining a visible amount of chakra from her body, so much so that the insects that relied on it for food began falling from her as they died.
Kyuu, Daichi, and Ryuunosuke found themselves unimpeded. Due to the speed at which they traveled they would not have time to see down into the hole created in the ground. It seemed as if the enemies here paid them little mind as they pressed onwards towards the city. They would be able to pass on and get to where the front lines began, where they could deliver orders to have units there fall back into the city.
From the pit crawled out four more zombies that charged towards Makoto after she finished dealing with the group that were in the immediate area. Assuming that Jun and Zazou came to join her, they would find themselves staring at the imperial ninjutsu specialist from above as she rejuvenated her energy from the kunoichi that were recently captured. She looked towards them, squinting to make out the headbands of the Hidden Mist.
“What a bother,” she called out. “Why are you even here? When did you pirates become lap dogs for the Sound?”
OOC: Kyuu, Daichi, and Ryuu exited succesfully and will be tagged into the next round of 'the line'!
"Stay focused!" the Inuzuka barked to her peers in a harsh and commanding tone, hoping to cut the chatter to a minimum as she assessed the dangers ahead. Icy orbs would shift toward both Jun and Zazou in the following instant, a sense of ferocious determination glinting off the kunoichi's eyes. "Remember. We have our orders." Though spoken coldly and plainly, she trusted that her comrades would understand her meaning.
As far as the scene unfolding in the pit went, there was little that a few raggedy corpses could do to hold back Makoto's inner beast.
Diving headlong into the closest foes with fang and claw, the Inuzuka hacked her way through the mindless entourage with the assistance of her ninken. Building speed as she hopped on all-fours, Makoto kept her movements light and swift, passing by one enemy after the next. Anything she didn't kill outright, she trusted Jun and Zazou to eliminate.
"C'MERE YA UGLY HAG!"
Fearless as could be, Makoto dashed straight for the enemy's position despite whatever ritual was going on. The fact that allied shinobi were in the way didn't faze her in the slightest either. Rather, it was opening she would exploit if the foe was trying to use them as shields. Effortlessly synchronized with her ninken partners, the Inuzuka soon threw herself into a rolling motion alongside the likes of two tunneling cyclones.
"GATENGAAA!"
Notes: goin for the kill! buzzsaw + passing fangs x2 comin at the creepy lady
[attr="class","torchic-post"] Jun stumbled into the tree line, vanishing from sight, as soon as the ground began to tremble beneath them. He watched from the shadows of the canopy as a strange woman seemed to command the dead. Was this the power of the empire? [break][break]
He couldn’t help but imagine his children packaged neatly in boxes of their own as he witnessed the fate of Shoichi’s body. [break][break]
Stay focused. He gritted his teeth as he recalled Makoto’s lack of a satisfying response. There was no point worrying about his family now so he did his best to push such distractions aside and heed his fellow Jounin’s advice. He’d have time enough to find Hideyoshi after the trio survived this encounter.[break][break]
Jun notched an arrow and waited for an opening to present itself as Makoto charged past the shambling corpses. He wasn’t certain what the dark woman wanted with the hostages but it didn’t seem as if she were prepared to offer them as bargaining chips. He’d release his arrow aimed to pierce center-palm on the woman's outstretched hand with the hopes of pinning it to the skull of the doomed Aburame and rendering her unable to defend against Makoto and her companions. [break][break]
He’d leap across the branches to avoid anything drawn towards his position before attempting to hide once again.
Zazou paid close attention to what happened before them. Whatever this woman was doing, it seemed beyond explanation of simple jutsu. She was on an entirely different level than the three of them. His first thought was to initiate a plan, something to give them an idea of her power and capabilities. As he turned to his comrades, he soon noticed that Makoto had charged in with her ninken, while Jun was readying an attack with his bow.
"Tch!" A sound of frustration. Usually he'd be the temperamental one and charge in head first, but he didn't think this was going to be so easily solved with brute force. Now he had a decision to make.
His right hand twitched, a few sparks of electrical current running through it. Zazou toyed with the idea of trying to finish it in one fell swoop, but he risked a lot if he went through with it and was unsuccessful. No, not yet. There were other things afoot, such as her absorbing energy from the two shinobi impaled on those earthy spikes.
Figuring the fate of the one who had been afflicted by her touch was sealed, he rushed forward, delivering flurries of kicks and sweeps to mulch through the zombies that would try and impede Makoto from behind, making sure she'd have a clear run back if she needed it. He leapt into the air, extending his body back almost as if he was throwing a javelin but instead - a vicious crackle of lightning flew from his hand intent on destroying the earth pillar that impaled Aiko - now he would see just how important it was for her to keep them close.
[attr="class","APP3"]The woman seemed to notice the incoming arrow, reacting in a split second to pull her hand away as the arrow embedded itself into the head of the suffering Aburame. Putting an end to the woman’s plot to use her to replenish her chakra reserves. She looked up with disgust, but then surprise as she saw an incoming whirlwind of Inuzuka coming her way.
She began forming hand seals but found herself being violently tackled by Makoto. She fell to the ground, but upon closer inspection Makoto would realize that she had taken advantage of the hasty movement to set up a substitution. Laying in front of her was the body of Mai. The imperial woman stepped out from a flank of the earthly spike that held Aiko in place with an intense look in her eyes.
She turned as she saw a flash of lightning heading towards the pillar before which she stood. She dove out of the way, though she let out a cry as some of the voltage tore away from Aiko and towards herself. As the earth crumbled away, the earth compacting her wounds crumbled and she quickly died.
The woman looked at Zazou with a look of fear in her eyes. Usually, she could just tunnel away, but that wouldn’t be safe now. There were signs of chakra exahustion on her face, such as a large strained vain on her forehead and a sickly look about her. She sighed.
"Alright, I surrender..." she said in an annoyed tone and her arms crossed.
The Inuzuka snarled in anger after she ripped through the meager substitution, skidding to a halt and kicking up dirt. Barks of warning then alerted her to where the true culprit had vanished to, causing the Mist jounin to burst into another sprint. Her ninken followed closely at her sides when she advanced, ready to strike the next blow.
What she heard next was laughable. Surrender? This wasn't some academy training exercise. Hesitation on the battlefield meant death.
Without missing a beat, Makoto came barreling in from the sidelines and attempted to tackle the murderous coward to the ground in the harshest way possible. Like a wild animal on the rampage, claws lunged for the assassin's arm and fangs snapped toward her throat, trying to seize her movement before she had a chance to escape again. The ninken leapt into the fray a moment later, aiming low as they tried crunching on the enemy's legs to further impede any getaways.
Surrender or no, Makoto fully intended to break this foe until she was begging for a quick death. Then - maybe - she would consider talk of 'surrender'.
Notes: yeah, no. aint killing yet but doing some damage before taking her captive
Zazou landed just as the woman surrendered. The look she gave him was something he'd remember for quite some time. He let out a sigh as he looked at the bodies of the deceased... an unfortunate outcome of war that he inflicted on one of them. He wasn't entirely sure they'd have recovered from it, but the Mist seemed to have achieved what they set out to.
"Hn." A soft drone escaped from his mouth as he watched his sensei essentially try and knot the woman up with her limbs and canine like mannerisms as well as the ninken themselves. "Don't go killin' our prize too soon, sensei." He said with a toothy grin, kneeling down so that he would be on the side of the woman with her facing him.
Unsheathing his blade, he gave it a look before he twisted his wrist to make the point face downwards, lunging and piercing it into the ground beside her head - the blade maintained enough that she'd probably see her own reflection in the steel. The manner in which it was done made it a threat, but Zazou looked at it more as offering her a way out of death that was mere inches from her.
"You're gonna tell us everything you know about these zombies, the source of them and whatever intel you've got on yer forces." His hand was still firmly on the hilt of the blade, which he'd started to slowly twist. She'd be a useful captive if they got her to play ball. "Then we'll consider your surrender."
As the battle raged around them Ryuu felt himself exhale a slight shaky breath before steeling himself. Dark eyes narrowed as he maneuvered the reins of the horse into the proper direction he gave a firm nod before replying with a simple "Right!" While the horse was moving into the direction he desired he slowed it to a stop before jumping off of it. From behind he gave it a firm smack on it's hind end as it reared up with a shrill whinnied and trotted off right where they wanted it to in a blind panic and possible rage. With that done the Nara followed his superior up into the treeline, hoping this bought them some time to make their next move.
