Only a few miles away from the border which separated the Lightning and Fire Countries, a lonely fortress stood in a state of neglect and disrepair. Whatever purpose the structure had served in its original state was long forgotten and its rightful inhabitants were gone without a trace. It mattered little nowadays, because the place was mostly ignored by travelers and nobody seemed interested in rebuilding a crumbling ruin.
However, lately there was someone poking around the fort and drawing some attention. An important dignitary from the Hidden Cloud, no less. Rumors suggested he was on a diplomatic mission to the neighboring lands, using the old structure as a kind of rest stop along the way. A lifelong supporter of the Hidden Cloud who boasted connections with some powerful figures in his homeland, there was no doubt his influence would make him a target when traveling abroad.
Hence, the group of Cloud ninja that followed at his heels.
"At least five outside." Makoto's icy blues shifted over to her companion, studying his reaction. Key word - outside. Chances were, at least another squad of enemy ninja would be guarding the diplomat on the inside. "Chuunin by the looks of it," she added nonchalantly, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back on a crooked tree. "I bet they're expectin' trouble."
The mission was high stakes. One misstep could mean the difference between life and death. Which was why Kirigakure had sent two of its best to get the job done - the hawkeyed archer and the wild mutt. Where one excelled in close-quarters, the other was a master of fighting from a distance. Between them both was years of experience that would surely come in handy. Success hinged on their ability to work together and capture their target - failure was not an option.
Notes: Jun Satō we gotta infiltrate the castle and grab the guy inside!
[attr="class","torchic-post"] Jun’s eyes narrowed as he craned his neck to look around one of the many trees that still stood between his hand and the aforementioned squad. He let out a sigh, “I don’t suppose the others are dumb enough to come running outside to treat their wounded?” It wasn’t really a question and it didn’t sound like one when he said it but he needed some way to express his annoyance at the Cloud Shinobi hadn’t laid down and died already. A frontal attack would only make things harder when the others hunkered down inside the fortress. [break][break]
“It’ll be better for them and quicker for us if they don’t know we’re here until…” The until hung in the air for a moment as Jun trailed off. He didn’t think the rest needed to be said aloud. They’d find out soon enough if the shinobi on the other side could be left alive or not and the pair of Jounin would do whatever needed to be done. Thoughts of his own children would have brought with them a wave of guilt if he were not so focused on returning to them in one piece. Join the hunt or become the prey; that was the life of a ninja.[break][break]
“We could move around to the back. There may be a secondary entrance we’ve not seen.”
"Well there's an idea," the Inuzuka hummed with mild intrigue. Charging through the front doors was more to her liking but she was aware that doing so would only risk their objectives. Searching for an alternative way in would not only save them the trouble of fighting but also cut off another escape route for the enemy. After pouring through those details, she added one more comment to the mix, "Course, anythin' they're not watchin' is probably booby trapped."
It was risky. But a better option than anything Makoto could bring to the table. All that needed to be done is to find one such entrance.
Giving a quick stretch of her arms and a crack of knuckles, the Inuzuka removed her attention from the castle. "Sure beats stickin' around here all night, so I say we go for it. Hope yer light on yer feet, Jun." A fanged smile parted the kunoichi's lips as finished that remark with a challenging tone. She was ever the competitive type, especially when it came to showcasing her abilities among other jounin. "Let's get a closer look, eh?" She nodded toward her intended path and began to skulk in that direction, dropping onto all-fours like a predator on the hunt. Ninken followed at her flanks as soon as she moved, moving just as quietly to avoid detection.
Minutes later, after circling the perimeter and sniffing around for anything useful, one of the Inuzuka's dogs stumbled upon something of interest. There appeared to be a large drainage grate at the bottom of the fortress, presumably used for water runoff or maybe for disposing sewage. The metal had long rusted into little more than feeble rods, meaning it wouldn't be difficult to break inside.
"Whaddya think? Smells like it hasn't been used for a while."
[attr="class","torchic-post"]“We’ll just have to be extra careful then.” Jun smirked in response to her warning about potential traps and remained in place as his fellow jounin’s competitive edge shined through sharp teeth. He thought it best to lower expectations well in advance since the sable-haired vixen was obviously the quicker of the pair. “I’m sure I’m not as light as you, Makoto, but I do alright.” [break][break]
He took off after the woman at a slower pace, weaving through the shadows without leaving so much as a blade of grass out of place. It didn’t take long for the keen senses of Makoto’s ninken to locate the access point he’d been hoping for. Jun looked at the rusted bars and then down at the ninken. Good dog. He’d think with a slight grin as he extended an open palm towards the dog. If it seemed responsive, he’d give it a little scratch behind the ears. [break][break]
“It’s easy to overlook something like this, especially when looking for a temporary encampment. Best to keep our eyes open though, just in case.” The bars were simple enough to break. Jun pulled a cats paw crowbar from a compartment in his vest and muffled the sound with a bandana. [break][break]
“Ladies first?” He offered, stepping aside and gesturing towards the newly made opening.
Makoto snickered with excitement, slipping right through the busted grate without hesitation. "Don't mind if I do." No way could she refuse the offer to stride headfirst into danger. Jun was such a gentleman! She would have to pay him back for that kindness, provided they got out of the castle alive.
Sniffing around the darkness to quickly get her bearings, the Inuzuka stayed hunched on all fours as she took the first steps into the unknown. The drainage tunnel might not have been used in years, but there was a noticeable layer of slime coating the bottom which made it tricky to keep balanced. Adding to the complication was the slight slope at which it was built, making the endeavor of passing through it more of a climb than a crawl.
"Watch yer step," she warned in a low growl. "Could be tripwires here."
It was a slow and steady effort to get to the top of the tunnel, but Makoto remained calm as she forged a path for her companions. The odd cluster of gunk or deformation in the stone gave her reason to pause a few times, her nose constantly sniffing for anything suspicious, though the caution proved fruitless. No enemy defenses were blocking the way so far, which meant they might've gotten a lucky break.
"M'kay, nice an' easy."
The top of the tunnel eventually leveled out a bit, leaving enough room for the jounin pair to huddle beneath the grate that led to freedom. And by the looks of it, they were somewhere inside the castle walls now. Makoto was the first to investigate the exit, pushing lightly against the rusted metal to get a peek at the outside. When she did, the attempt didn't last for longer than a second before the kunoichi ducked back down.
"Looks like some kinda storehouse," she commented in a whisper, glancing to her companion and making a shushing gesture. "One enemy nearby."
[attr="class","torchic-post"] Jun moved to follow as Makoto took the lead, waiting patiently as she checked for traps hidden among the shadows and grime. He would normally insist on completing such a task himself or at least double checking but he trusted Makoto’s nose almost as much as his own eyes. She crawled along ahead of him and it wasn’t long before he had to drop down onto his hands as well. They crouched together under the grate and again he waited while she took a quick peek into the room above. [break][break]
One enemy nearby. [break][break]
Jun smirked, “It’s always a pleasure to watch you work.” He supposed they could try to wait it out. He couldn’t complain about the company and it was possible the shinobi in the storage area would find what he was looking for and simply move on. It was also possible that he wouldn’t or that they’d have to fight him later. It seemed a shame to miss out on the opportunity to take out a straggler.[break][break]
He drew a long knife from his boot and held it between his teeth while he lifted up the metal grate and slid it to the side. He knew the general direction Makoto had been looking before so he pulled himself up onto the ground level and weaving his way through the various crates he found himself behind an unfortunate Cloud ninja. He listened for any sign of others in the room and when he was certain the man was alone and preoccupied, Jun flickered behind him, placing a hand over his mouth and ending it mercifully quick. [break][break]
He lowered the body to the floor and went to offer Makoto a hand up into the storage room. He knew she didn’t need his help but it might be a tricky task for a ninken.
After the nuisance in the room was disposed of, Jun would find that his Inuzuka partner didn't balk at accepting his assistance. First to come out of the tunnel was Makoto, giving a wild shake of her hair to rid herself of a few cobwebs. Then out popped another...Makoto. And a third. Even a fourth. They each took Jun's hand and hauled themselves up, busily sniffing the air the moment they entered the new space.
Given their identical appearances and similar mannerisms, it was pretty much impossible to tell them apart now.
"Over here."
One of the Makotos growled lowly to the rest of the group, shifting her way through the stacks of supplies. The others were quick to follow, keeping a sharp eye out in different directions to make sure nothing snuck up on them. With their combined senses at work it would be unlikely any Cloud ninja could slip by unnoticed. Soon enough they reached the entrance of the storeroom itself. The door was left ajar and a pair of hushed voices could be heard just beyond, shuffling some type of heavy objects.
The troop of Makoto lookalikes paused to listen.
"Is that the last of it?"
"Think so."
"Do we really need all this? There's enough food for fifty men here."
"Haven't you heard? Rumor has it we're staying here for a while."
"What? I thought this assignment was over next week!"
Meanwhile, as the conversation carried on between the unknowing Cloud ninja, a subtle grunt slipped out from one of the Inuzuka clones which prompted the entire bunch to move closer to the doors. Once they were in position, it took a mere shift in the kunoichi's stance to signal the group to strike, throwing the storeroom doors open as they lunged for their prey. It was over in the blink of an eye, the four Makotos sinking their fangs into throats and plunging claws into guts.
Quick as it happened, both slain shinobi were then dragged back into the storeroom and tossed into a pile with the rest of the supplies. "Catch any o' that?" a hushed Makoto asked to her companion. "Sounds like they really are postin' up here for good." Not that it was any surprise, it was just all the more reason to be a thorn in Kumogakure's side.
