[attr="class","texty"]The Jounin saw her shot land spreading in a long forking path however the rider was able to react in time making the bat take the brunt of the blow. The others commanded by another landed their attacks it seemed as Junko caught the flashes of steel before the two started to careen downward finally crashing into a shrine. Her brow would furrow as she climbed the walls of the buildings reaching the roofs once more as she grabbed a few pieces of smoldering wood and used the soot to darken the brighter parts of her clothing and body as she dropped flat watching the rubble taking note of the swarm, the well, the others making their way to the locations as she stilled her breathing and concealed her presence her main focus on the rubble and where the bats were.
Taking time the neko focused on her breath as well trying to pick up on the scents in the area besides smoke trying to detect blood or more oil given her current quarry stuck in the rubble. Between the report of the Rhinos and the abilities displayed she wandered if these bats were summons of some kind rather than natural creatures, if they were it was her duty to free them from the man with control. Either way if that man came into view she would move as silently and quickly to close the gap and prepare an attack.
[newclass=.nbox:hover]background-color:#ffd900;width:220px;text-align:right;font-size:14px;font-family:courier;color:#000;transition: linear .4s; text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:3px;[/newclass]
[attr="class","exhausted"]A lion concerns itself not with the opinions of sheep..
[attr="class","rhythm"]
❝
So often, we run from consequences. Do as you please but do it without regret.
We had been successful in our attempt.
I observed the scene before me with meticulous detail, watching as our quarry fell from the heavens and made contact with a distant structure. It was the likes of which I was unfamiliar, prompting my approach to be one of caution. Before I could issue further command to the shinobi that aided me, however, a familiar face and voice brought a modicum of comfort to my spirit. "Chinetsu," I began with a nod of respect, "Your timing is impeccable." His contribution to my instruments of distraction had turned them into destruction. I would not waste the advantage with belabored moments. There was now the matter of smaller creatures rising from the depths of where our aggressor now lay, robbing us of the opportunity to close the proximity betwixt us. "As you say," I replied to the Medic's command.
The swarm of creatures that peppered our destination spread out in attempt to thwart our advance. What bodies grew closer were assaulted with fang and wing alike, intent upon maintaining a protective barrier. The well that rest at their flank was now my desire, and I had already formulated the ministrations required to seize our forward march. Unaware if disease or particular control rest among them, I would test the waters with concussive grenades. From my pouches did I pull a twin pair, the pads of my fingertips pressing hard against the pins to give them transition from dormant to active. "Keep your distance," I said aloud as I threw my projectiles forward with expertise. Spread wide enough to birth a great area of effect, the grenades vanished into the swarm before exploding. With them, a force great enough to separate and dismantle their efforts rang out into the twisted scene of flame and debris. "Assault from long range only."
How nimble these small creatures were, distracting and diverting the intentions of some of the shinobi who attempted to aid in our conquest. I was sure to evade what creatures invaded my personal space, the flat of my kunai used to strike those that sought my flesh. "We're unaware if they carry contagion or otherwise. Clear a path to the well and secure it. Our main priority is still acquiring resources."
"Divert all Suiton use to disabling the enemy barrier preventing the advance of our allies." I, myself, would seek to continue the path toward assaulting the rider and its mount. Chaos and turmoil at my flank, I'd leave no stone unturned, leave nothing to chance in protecting and saving the lives of our innocent. With a steeled resolve, I waved my allies forward as I took point and carefully moved inward toward the shrine. Its beauty marred by death and decay at its outer rim, we would seek to preserve what was left of its integrity.
My gaze swept across the scenery. It wasn’t long before I spotted a patch of green amidst the violent grey. Eyes squinting, I honed in on the seemingly untouched speck of land—and eyes widening, there was the well!
Fading smoke-clouds unveiled a temple standing meekly beside it, and all around, lush greenery swayed serenely, oblivious to the mortal flames swelling just beyond their view. An oasis in a desert of ruin. Hopeful, I descended my perch with the haste of a sun-dried beggar at the sight of pouring water. My sandals met the dusty earth and I was a speeding arrow toward the shrine.
To have gone unscathed all this time. The place must have been blessed, I thought. Touched by the hand of some divine protector. And then I looked up into the choking sky and had my comforting thoughts smothered in oil. The hell-bat came hurtling down through the clouds like a winged meteorite, taking its rider along for a crash headlong into the very shrine that I was approaching. “What are the odds,” I gasped, lamenting the sanctuary’s loss of innocence as much as my own uncertain future. Still, I continued ahead... if cautiously.
My hesitance was well-placed, it seemed—just as I crossed the threshold from war-torn hell into green-grove heaven, the once holy temple declared its newfound heresy, vomiting a legion of bats from its cracked roof to terrorize any trespassers. I looked down at my planted feet and then back up.
🦇 🦇 🦇
Eek! Three abandoned the swarm and came shrieking towards me. A sickened look lined my face, though there wasn’t much time to remain disgusted as they quickly overtook me in the garden. My hands gripped either of my two katana as the trio sped past a pile of logs, wanting to surround me. I studied them intensely, biding my time; two drew near, with one just behind.
I wouldn’t allow them a chance to situate themselves around me; as soon as the first two entered striking distance, my left-hand blade lashed out from its sheath in a diagonal swath, attempting to bisect both bats in a single swoop. My other katana rose more quietly from its sheath, awaiting my final assailant. Should the slash triumph or fail, the striking blade would leap into guard, covering the front of my abdomen, while my right-hand blade would seek to skewer the last bat, shooting forward in a controlled stab as it approached.
In the midst of my wrangling, I heard a sonorous voice ring out, commanding. A wave of relief rolled over me, knowing that I wasn’t here alone, and that a more experienced shinobi was around to direct the coming fight. When the bang! of the grenades blared out, I felt the residual impact in my periphery, the concussive wave forcing the ground to tremble.
Excitement tickled me suddenly, then, as if by foreign hand, and I sensed the ancestral call for blood begin to hum through me. There was no turning back, now. We were caught in the throes of war, and so blood must well.
My breath - my chest - tightened, the swivel of my sword through air burning in my shoulder. The flying head soared, a muddy mess of blood and pebbles landing with a hefty thud. Another step followed, attention swiveling to the rapidly growing mass of soldiers attacking Goro.
My Iai-tachi slid back into its sheath, slick with the earthy mixture as I regained balance, spinning on my heel to push forward. Another breath, the thoughts in my head strangled for attention as eyes forced wide, darting to and fro. The shift into my knee, the weight pushing down into the earth - every motion pushed into a single, flowing pirouette. A moment of inspiration tingled down my spine, the long hours of scrolls and manuscripts pouring open the in back of my skull.
Flowing Sun: Crashing Horse. A tuck forward, an Iaido strike rising from underneath would strike out at one of the men's legs, my spin turning to release a second strike directly down on another's skull, the momentum carrying enough to carve into it's ribcage if the blow landed. Retreiving from the attack wouldn't be elegant, but my voice would ring out regardless, addressing the muscle bound monkey man:
"Disengage! I don't know what the hell is going on!!" the panic liquid as it burst from my lips, pulling myself backwards - and hopefully my sword - with whatever momentum I could salvage from the blow(s). If everything succeeded, we'd have thinned out the approaching line enough to slow them down. Maybe give ourselves enough time to understand what we were fighting.
@ event | 259 words | buki upgraded yeeeeeeaaaaaaaah boi
Goro's heart was pounding like a drum, the liquid rage moving through his body fueling little more than his primal urges. As the two initial targets were dispatched, a flood of dopamine and intense heat coursed through Goro's chest, causing his muscles to tighten and flex - and for just a moment, seemingly expand. ''Give in..'' A voice spoke at the edges of his mind, echoing through the scrambled mania that were his senses. As the third soldier swiped at his ankle, Goro moved his leg with the motion, earning him a shallow cut and a freshly opened wound, but sparing his ankle. With all the grace of a stumbling giant, he fell towards the soldier and held his sword wielding arm down with his knee. ''.. Show them what you are.'' The voice was gentle, alluring, tempting - and starkly contrasted the movement of Goro's hands. Fingers caught on the closest opening in the soldier's body, grasping at the edges with inhuman strength. With all the strength he possessed, Goro pulled his arms apart while Kiki scrambled forward.
''GRUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHH!''
His hands tore through him, catching on points of especially high tension like he was tearing through dense fabric. Stunned by the sickening noise, Kiki immediately bounded closer to the man and attempted to place her hand on his back to see if he was okay - however, Goro ignored her as he emerged from the newly eviscerated soldier and roared at the approaching four soldiers. Something was changing within Goro and it was beginning to manifest in his physical form. Horned stumps wept with blood on his forehead as a few centimeters of bone pushed through and his limbs developed thickening veins, moving viscous and unnaturally thick blood through his limbs. Although he was not yet transformed, something dangerous was developing in his body - an awakening of his true power. Filled with renewed vigor, he bounded towards the two soldiers that remained. Wild, wide swings of his arms would be aimed towards the two standing targets, with his open hands seeking to grasp and slam the most vulnerable areas they could grab into the ground, in an attempt to crush them against the hard surface beneath his feet.
Kiki followed closely behind Goro but did not join in the attack herself, sensing that for the first time, her partner had truly lost control. Instead, regardless of whether or not Goro was successful in decimating two more victims, she would grasp his waist and pull him away from the approaching horde, using all of her strength to pull and direct him towards the rest of the allied forces. With spit and abject rage alike, Goro simply roared at the group as he was pulled away against his will and would direct himself towards the next target in his way.
[attr="class","APP3"]Benkei's strike would cut the leg of the approaching thrall, which let out a pained groan that was not quite human as it stumbled. Stupidly the next in succession tripped and fell over the fallen one as the swordsman signaled for withdraw. Even more enemy forces could be seen emerging from the woodlands, more than the detail at the gate could handle by itself. Goro who had been too enraged to see reason slammed two more of the living dead face first into the ground, their heads disintegrating into soil and leaving them lifeless. His gorilla companion seemed to have their wits about them and grappled the fighter to start pulling him away from the battle.
The eastern side of town was a residential area, as it was furthest from the main trade routes leading into the city. Homes were boarded up, and were supposed to be evacuated, but passers-by would be able to see people in many of the homes peaking from windows and several who had climbed on thatch rooftops to observe the hell that had been unleashed on their village. Perhaps the most notable feature on this side of town was a large 'U' shaped mansion that was gated off and surrounded by a wall of its own. Someone had been wise and used doton to create walls to create a chokepoint that led towards the mansion, blocking numerous alleyways in a hope that they could funnel the incoming enemies into the yard of the mansion while shinobi with bows and kunai ready stood atop its roof in waiting for the undead to arrive.
Sanosuke Himura was on the ground level of the chokepoint. The shinobi that had helped him to create the point with doton had used his chakra haphazardly and had gotten to a point that he was too weak to stay back. Unlike the other shinobi that had put on the rooftops to counterattack against the incoming dead, he was on the ground level to stop enemies from compromising the chokepoint.
The chokepoint wasn't perfect, but it would force the dead to take a roundabout way to get to the rest of the city that would help buy time for the others. There were many choices to be made. The dead were already spilling onto the streets and the sounds of screaming could be heard as some broke into the homes of civilians. The roundabout side streets were unchallenged, so without intervention they would eventually make their way past the fortifications of the mansion. The mansion itself could eventually be overwhelmed, though no enemies had yet arrived at the position.
Meanwhile back towards the shrine, shinobi battled against swarms of bats. Kikuyo would notice that when they struck their first bat, it would dissipate into a puff of smoke and disappear. Several other shinobi would notice this as well. As Anotsu called for suiton users to direct their waters towards the swarm, many of the users seemed hesitant as chakra was limited and much of the city was on fire. A few obeyed without hesitation, but others turned to using kunai and other weapons to fight the swarm, unsummoning them strike by strike. Among the suiton users that had been helping to stop the fires brought upon the city was Hideyoshi Satō of the mist, perhaps annoyed that his father had left him in garrison, perhaps not. Either way there were more important things to worry about now, like trying to get to the well to resupply and help put out fires around the area. Up until now, Izumi Niijima had the simple task of helping carry buckets of water to help put out fires the old-fashioned way, but with bats circling around her trying to bite she would likely have to drop them to defend herself.
A concussive grenade caused a temporary scattering of the swarm. Those listening carefully could hear little shrieks with high-pitched voices behind them "Run away!" "Ahhh!" "OUCH!" and a wave of other words jumbled together by many voices. There was a temporary dispersion of the creatures away from the area the grenades had landed, making an opening for those who desired to get through to the shrine. Kikuyo, Hideyoshi, Izumi, Chinetsu and others in the area had a chance to follow Anotsu through to the building and the well outside of it if they moved quickly before the bats moved back into the circle and to harass them again.
Once in the garden outside the shrine, Anotsu and any that followed him would draw closer to the well and the foliage that surrounded it, including a cherry blossom tree that had lost many of its leaves due to the cold. The inside of the upper floor of the shrine would lead to a prayer room that was open with mats laying before a carved figure of a large feline with chubby cheeks and its eyes closed. On the floor there were various papers that were scattered along the floor. The room was dark beyond the death throes of sunset peering in through latticed windows. There was a staircase to either side of the idol that would wind up to the top floor. To the right of the prayer room was the quarters of the priest left abandoned and creaked open. In the back left corner of the prayer room were shelves packed with scrolls and books in a reading area, but many had fallen on the floor and were scattered about.
The upper floor was only slightly more well-lit because of the large hole in the roof letting more of the fading light in. Junko would be able to observe peering down a black circle that had been left on the ground and smeared with blood that had a strange oily substance mixed with it. There was no sign of the large bat beyond the vague outline of its shape in the rooftop. The ground was littered with wood and debris. On the ground near the right staircase leading down to the first floor, a scroll was left with a symbol painted on it in blood that was too hard to make out in the low light.
On the far end of the room away from the stairs was a bell that rest over an arched window with a cord for pulling that rest in a dark corner of the room void of light. The bell would suddenly begin to toll, but she could not make out the figure pulling at it from her position. Both herself and everyone below and around the outside would hear the sound of the bell.
Hide really, honestly, truly, hadn't even wanted to be here. But just like with nearly everything he had to do, he'd been drug along by his father. What was even worse was that instead of joining the second recon team alongside Jun, he'd been left behind in the garrison. And now look at the place.
Buildings were drenched in oil and on fire, crisping up to the last shreds of wood. Bats filled the sky, shrieking and attacking anyone they could. It seemed his meager attempts to put out some of the blaze were doing next to nothing: he couldn't generate a substantial enough amount with his Suiton to extinguish them without a water source nearby.
The little black creatures had been swarming the area, and more than a few came at him specifically. A flailing of legs and swords would be useless against the tiny, hard to hit creatures. Forming a handseal, he gathered water in his mouth and spat it out in a violent explosion of tiny shrapnel-like droplets of water. It wasn't terribly powerful, but it was enough to unsummon most of the bats that surrounded him. The remainder of them he cut down with his tanto.
Sato had heard Anotsu call out to those with water release, but was then nearly deafened by a loud explosion: the concussive grenade had gone off near him. Reeling for a moment, he proceeded to break rank with the rest of the team futilely attempting to extinguish the firestorm.
Following the lead of the Rain Jonin, Hideyoshi burst through the break in the swarm and made his way to the garden that surrounded the shrine. He marveled at the giant sakura blossom tree, lit up by the glow of the fires that consumed Onomichi. Turning to those who had come with him, he prepared to speak but was suddenly interrupted by an ominous bell's toll.
Cautiously watching the building where the sound had come from, he split from the main group that had entered. "I'll head towards the well," he said without taking his eyes off the shrine. With careful steps and his tantos in his hands, he proceeded towards it while making sure there was nothing and no-one laying in wait. "Well, this isn't terrifying at all." He muttered under his breath.
"Niijima, you are to follow a team of shinobi to Onomichi at once! They could use some extra hands!"[break][break]
That was almost all that she had been told as she was summoned. The girl had finished her geisha work only hours befo and was looking forward to spending the day relaxing when one of her superiors had approached her. How he had found her was beyond her, but she knew that there was no way for her to say no. Onomichi...Izumi had thought about asking questions, for clarification, but judging by the hint of panic that was in his voice, she dared not. No, questions could and would be answered if she simply observed, that much she had learned since becoming a shinobi. The girl merely nodded her head, returning home to grab her sword before leaving at once. [break][break]
And she couldn't have been more right in her intuitions. Her golden-brown hues would be met with the sight of red and orange flames, her body feeling a chill that even the burning blaze couldn't take away, and her nostrils filled with the smell of burnt flesh and blood. She had never seen something quite like it, not even something close to its caliber, as she tore through the streets. Izumi had no time to be shocked, had no time to allow her own emotions dictate what was needed of her. She was here to help, and it took her a good minute before she turned her attention to a voice. It belonged to a person yelling out orders, someone who she guessed was in charge of the situation. [break][break]
That was good, she would gladly follow orders at that moment, unsure of what she would and could do if left to her devices.[break][break]
The young woman had closely followed the lead of Kikuyo, taking in his orders and nodding. Izumi had taken to the rooftops, or rather, what had been rooftops of the buildings now half destroyed. She wanted to know how to stop the flames, and having heard the man, knew that their primary mission was to get water to put out the flames. Her intuition told her to follow the Kaguya, even though she had no idea who he was or what he was doing. And that was when she saw the shrine.[break][break]
Or more importantly, the well that was within it. It would give them the water source necessary to put out the flames. Not thinking of very much except the simple task of putting out the fire, the samurai would make her way through the streets, the sight of littered bodies made her stomach turn. But she continued forward, her eye set on reaching the shrine. Although she didn't know why this was happening or how she could stop it, Izumi knew that she would do what she could, and at that moment, it was to help the others by bringing them buckets of water.[break][break]
How she wished her innate chakra element had been suiton...[break][break]
The girl locked on the shrine, quickening her step. There was no more time to waste. As she turned a corner, her footsteps ceased, her eyes would be met with some sort of flying object. No, it was not just one, but what quickly turned into a few. They were flying directly towards her, and from where she was standing, swarming above her head, she could then make out what they were....[break][break]
Bats![break][break]
Damnit...she thought to herself. Izumi despised being interrupted when she was doing something, especially something of such grave importance. The girl's hues followed the movements of the bats as they circled. She readied herself, the thumb of her right hand flicked the guard of her sword. She would wait for the right moment, the creatures lowering to circle around her body. Izumi had been carrying pails, but would be forced to drop them at this little intermission. Her movements were swift, with a flick of her thumb, she lifted the hilt of her katana, taking a couple of steps back as she drew her blade. She was used to swift attacks. In a flash, Izumi would turn her body, holding the sword close to her horizontally so that when her body turned, it turned with her. She could feel the blade connect with a couple of the creatures. [break][break]
A rush of adrenaline coursed through her veins. She hadn't had the chance to pass her blade along anything other than targets made out of straw during her samurai training. It was nice to feel like she could use her skills, even if it was just killing off bats. Her eyes darted around quickly, giving half her attention to those around her. It seemed that there were others who had the same thought as her, who had come to try to get water to put out the fire. With another flick of her wrist, she returned her blade to its sheathe, this time around her momentum had been interrupted by a sound that even the most composed would have shuddered. An explosion that was quite close had gone off, temporarily dispersing the bats. This is my chance! Izumi was not about to be held back by small creatures anymore. Judging by the response of most of the others, they had the same thought. There was a man with brown hair that leading the way, and so, in the split second when the bats dispersed, she would take advantage of the opening and rush towards the shrine.[break][break]
Izumi slowed down her footsteps as they reached the garden outside the shrine. She couldn't help but stop to stare at the cherry blossom tree, which seemed like it had taken a beating from the winter cold. At least there were no bats now stopping them from getting the water from the well. "I'll be going as well..." she whispered, although not many would care about a Genin like her any way. She had been tasked with getting water, so getting water was what she was going to do. Izumi followed Hideyoshi, who had volunteered before she could speak. With her hand always touching the her sword, she too was on guard for any sudden ambushes or attacks, her dark brown hues scanning the surroundings carefully. [break][break]
[attr="class","texty"]At first glance into the wreckage her gold eyes narrowed and Junko didn't want to push the assault given the blood and ichor, most likely oil spread about a wooden structure, but as her ears caught the eeps of the bats she sighed and worked the charred wood along all of her exposed skin, this time less for her own stealth and more to dissuade the bats from biting something that would taste like ash.
"I'd rather not drag you into this fight, but if you insist on staying in my path, you will fall under claw." Junko spoke just loud enough to project her voice for the bats as she focused along the muscles of her body while they would pull taught against her frame and her hair would bristle before sharp gold eyes opened and her muscles would spring. Launching off the roof on [All-Fours] the neko would bolt across the ground like a bullet weaving between swarms and through the holes in the formations of the shinobi without any regard crossing the distance before leaping off the ground aiming for the hole in the building with an arm outstretched her metal clad arm took hold of the frayed ceiling using her momentum to fling her body to the side of the hole and using her claws to sink into the wall, staying off the floor as her eyes shot to the bell following the apparatus to whoever was ringing it while also keeping track of any bats that would've been here as well her vision adjusting in the dim.
[newclass=.nbox:hover]background-color:#ffd900;width:220px;text-align:right;font-size:14px;font-family:courier;color:#000;transition: linear .4s; text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:3px;[/newclass]
A carnal longing seethed behind my eyes as my blade tore through the foul air. Oddly yet, I was left unfulfilled when the steel connected with flying flesh. In a strange sequence, each bat would evaporate into a plume of smoke as my katana pierced them, denying me the fresh blood that I desired.
A scowl escaped me. I turned toward the other shinobi, witnessing the same end, again and again. It only churned the hunger within me, tempting me to recklessness. So when the swarm of bats dispersed against the grenade’s impact, I blazed through the opening and into the courtyard of the shrine. There was little hesitation as my gaze jumped from the well to the sinister doorway. The thought of water-gathering bored me any longer; blood-craving, I was too agitated to consider it. I wanted to throw my hand in with the war.
My taupe nin-sandals sliced through the grassy opening toward the shrine. The muted glint of my katana shone on either side of me, still unsheathed. I slowed my breath as I approached the entrance to the building, smelling and seeing, my pupils darting left to right as I overtook the door’s threshold.
A stench laced the atmosphere, causing my nose to crinkle before becoming attuned to the odor. The room looked empty, at first glance; yet a horrible presence seemed to submerse the space. I felt a chill course my spine, and my primal thirst began to dissipate. I slid from the entrance and into the shadows of the corner opposite the menacing bell, as swift and silent as a stalking fox. I noted a group of large, leather-bound scrolls laying on the floor nearby.
Gong!—a sound rang from the other side of the room. My eyes darted across the wooden expanse separating us. Gong! Again.
I gulped—not of fear, but anticipation; my expression was energetic, my sword-guarded body tense, like an alarmed hare, raring and fully-alive.
Life or death, we asked for this. No running now! Let’s play.
Last Edit: Nov 9, 2021 22:58:48 GMT by Kikuyō Kaguya
[attr="class","zacwords"]Connection! Just as he had arrived on the scene with haste, his lightning bases efforts channeled into the aerial projectiles, piggybacking onto Anotsu’s attack and enhancing in order to create a credible and unavoidable threat to the flying assailant. And while it appeared the ghastly, demonic looking rider atop the strange looking bird would take efforts to avoid damage as best as it could, some things seemed to already be set in stone. As such, the combination would work, lightning, chakra and metal coming together to partially turn the opponent’s weapon against them, and at the same time, potentially injuring them. But as much as he wanted to celebrated, experience urged his patience; dep down, he knew this encounter was far from over. [break][break]
The bat barreled towards a shrine, not far from Kikuyō’s position.
[break][break]
A furrowed brow worn as what now appeared to be a large bat circled its way into a spectacular crash somewhere nearby. The building appeared to be untouched from the initial fires, a temple of sorts. A bat…!? To make matters worse, while Chinetsu had barely begun to grasp the potential bestial nature of his opponents, it seemed the suspected oversized bat, the one carrying their main target, the one they had downed, had now crashed into a building and seemingly burst, reproducing into hundreds of miniature versions of itself. [break][break]
There was a stillness from the shrine for several moments, but then from the hole in the roof came what looked like a flock of birds.
[break][break]
They did not hesitate to attack either. Those of Chinetsu’s allies unfortunate to be so close to the crash point had been subject to the seemingly vampirical bats, and without warning, were quickly overcome. And so was the Cloud medic, overcome with regret as he witnessed positive turn to negative as if it were a turnkey. Yet despite this, the seasoned combat medic knew better than to lead the way through outbursts. At the moment he had regrouped with Anotsu. Breaking that formation purely on the vanity of shallow revenge would expose him to more vulnerability than he cared to witness.[break][break]
"Chinetsu," I began with a nod of respect, "Your timing is impeccable.
[break][break]
And though he felt a tad bit more enraged than a rationale mind desired midst such a tactical incursion, at the very least, he was there; present. Together, they stood a better chance. And so, despite some minor victories appearing to end in losses, the bigger picture was at hand. Keeping the same plan in play, Chinetsu would let his chakra rage as he continued to charge his compatriot’s projectile attacks with his own lightning, applying the same effect that brought the singular threat down, but in a wider fashion to suit the sudden invasion of smaller yet equally annoying winged opponents. Simply put, it was effortless. [break][break]
Kikuyo, Hideyoshi, Izumi, Chinetsu and others in the area had a chance to follow Anotsu through to the building and the well outside of it if they moved quickly before the bats moved back into the circle and to harass them again.
[break][break]
It was time to move in. With the break in bats as a result of their strike, Chinetsu would mirror Anotsu and what would appear like a few other allies. The temporary opening granted them a chance to move forward – best not to waste it![break]
The sputtering of mud was more disturbing than the blood, my sword pulling away with a sickening wetness that would come to haunt my dreams. Assuming I got to have more, my retreat coming into reality as I turned, a hand reaching out to pull away the inuzuka. It wasn't a lasting touch, nor forceful; there was little faith in his ability to discern between ally an enemy particularly carefully.
The soldiers - whatever they were - seemed to die fairly easily, as any other. Is it some kind of jutsu? had rung through my head from the first speck of dirt flying from where spittle should've come. If that's even something you can do... It would come to some level of self promise to study ninjutsu. Bothering with it feels far too labyrinthian.
Continuing into my retreat, my gaze turned from overrun forests to the night sky alight, black shapes flitting between trails of smoke and blotting out the stars. From a stretched frown, concerned knitting of the brow, to even the knuckles tightly gripping a blade flying free from its sheath, only one thought rang in my chest.
[attr="class","exhausted"]A lion concerns itself not with the opinions of sheep..
[attr="class","rhythm"]
❝
So often, we run from consequences. Do as you please but do it without regret.
My pawns had moved across the chessboard and afforded their king advance.
Wasting no momentum, I would take advantage of the opening. Though I moved with swift ministration, my footsteps were lighter than their previous manner. Into the maw of uncertainty we went, intruding upon the undisturbed remains of lives long gone or departed. There was a meticulous method in my observation. Every nook and cranny, even if for a breath, was surveyed before I could proceed. The dilapidated building held an odor that took moments to adjust to, though it was the least of my concerns as I stopped momentarily here and there to skim parchment and foreign object alike. I knew not whether scribble or symbol would offer insight as to our whereabouts. Regardless, I needed to keep pursuit of our quarry 'lest they were given time to recuperate. Along wood and rug I stepped lightly, the years of my stealth training coming to fruition in concealing my presence - as much as one adorned in pristine white could be. The shadows welcomed me, blanketed my form as I sank into obscurity.
And then the bell, announcing its presence and screaming into the atmosphere with audible superiority. Once I had spied the impact point of our earlier combined efforts, it took but a moment for me to take up kinetic energy and create an angular descent toward the source. Quietly, quickly, I crouched and allowed my left hand to hover near my item pouch. Its twin sought the scroll near the stairs, attempting to pilfer the item without my presence detected. If successful, reconnaissance would climb to the precipice of priority. If our aggressor was here, we could be certain that it would attempt to use the unknown to home-field advantage.
[attr="class","APP3"]“Oh no!” a voice screeched as Junko bolted across the room towards the bell. A grotesque pig nosed bat the size of a small child had a hold of the rope that made the bell ring, and it quickly let go and began fluttering upwards to try to get away from her. In a panic, the fuzzy brown bat circled around the ceiling near where the scroll was left on the ground at the staircase. More clearly visible now that her eyes had adjusted, the scroll was…
Anotsu , Kikuyu, and Chinetsu had entered and made their way up the stairs towards the sound of the chiming bell. When the fearless Jounin reached down to pick up the scroll in the dark, there was a sound of a fuse lighting and a sudden flash followed by a boom. With the reflexes of a Jounin, the explosive tag likely hadn’t managed to directly impact his hand, but wooden shrapnel would unavoidably pepper the group. Enough to cause minor injuries and breaks in the skin.
Junko would witness the smoke of the small explosion that would make it difficult to see exactly who it was. The sound put the cowardly bat circling around the bell into a bigger panic, causing it to crash into the walls several times as it fluttered around in confusion. Meanwhile, at the well of the shrine where Izumi and Hideyoshi were gathered, another genin there had already pushed ahead and was drawing water into the bucket. The water that came up looked off. It had a dark murky hue to it and a chromatic sheen to the surface… closer inspection would reveal it to be contaminated with oil! The genin in a hidden stone head band who had gathered it looked at it funny, and then peered at Izumi and Hide. “Does that look right?”
On the eastern side of town, if Benkei were to turn he would find that the Inuzuka had fallen behind. There was little time for his dread, as he found himself alone in a narrow corridor of buildings. From the roof tops, there was a sudden appearance of a woman with black hair that flicked a sleeved wrist forward at him. Three senbon aimed for his right thigh. Almost as soon as she threw it, she darted out of his field of view. If he listened carefully, he would hear her feet landing on a different rooftop nearby.
OOC: Anotsu triggered a booby trap- only minor injuries. The summoner was not at the bell, looks like he left a bat as a distraction. There is something wrong with the well water at the shrine...
"Shit..." Hideyoshi whispered under his breath, seeing the rainbow-like reflection from the water. Oil? Oil!? It shouldn't have been any surprise, yet it still pissed him off. Can't expect anything else from these Taiyou bastards.
"No, it doesn't look right. Because it isn't right." Making sure not to get too close, Hide continued. "There's oil in it." What a pain. This was going to cost them time and chakra to deal with.
Shaking his head, he beckoned for the Stone genin to stand back from the well. "Thankfully oil and water don't mix. I can pull all the water out slowly, but we have to be careful we don't blow ourselves up. Any spark from this blaze touches that oil and this well is done for."
Turning to the genin, he instructed him to fetch water repeatedly so that Hideyoshi wouldn't have to be near the potentially explosive well while he worked. Looking up at Izumi, he addressed the cloud shinobi. "You're from Kumogakure, right? I know this is probably grand coming from a Mist shinobi, but do you think you could watch our back? There's still no guarantee we won't be ambushed. There could be a saboteur lying in wait to light our asses up."
Fetching a number of containers to hold the filtered water in from the garden, dumping out potted plants as he went, Hide knelt down and began using Suiton to pull whatever water still remained in the buckets from the well out from underneath the oil.
