Grinning despite his injuries, Yohei seemed rather relieved to hear his partner got out of the conflict unscathed. He may not have been a very good ninja, but he could be a pretty decent diversion. At least enough to keep Sumire away from harm. Between her aim with a bow and her skill at healing, she was much more capable anyway.
"Heh. I dunno about death, but my ears are still ring--" the zealot's words trailed off as he came to a slow realization. How did Sumire put it? A flash of death? It got him thinking for a second. Then his grin faded and he slapped his forehead amid a lamenting groan. "Aw, dammit." The look in his eyes was one of sadness, like he'd been caught making a huge mistake. "How could I forget?!"
Pulling away from Sumire in a hurry, the silverette returned his attention to their prize and crouched down with some sense of urgency. Dipping his fingers into a blotch of blood that seeped from the Uchiha's chest, Yohei brought his reddened digits to the ninja's forehead and traced a crude symbol on the forehead - an encircled triangle pointed downward. Following that marking, he clasped his hands together and closed his eyes for a short prayer.
"Lord Jashin, please accept this meager sacrifice in your honor."
The words were practiced but not as fervent as one would expect from a 'true believer'. Yohei seemed satisfied with it either way, rising to his feet and wiping bloody fingertips on his sleeve. "Sorry," he remarked softly, unsure how Sumire would take it all. "Don't wanna piss off God."
At times like these, Yohei sorely wished his sealing techniques were more refined. Tossing an entire body into a scroll would've made cross-country travel a bit less daunting, that's for sure. Instead he was stuck shouldering the dead Uchiha for the duration of the trip. There also came a point where he got impatient and simply strung the corpse along with his chain, but that was even less efficient.
Thank Jashin that there was a suitable cave nearby. Nothing too cavernous or defensible but it would make a good camp for now. Setting the dead ninja's body beside some rocks, Yohei sighed in relief and looked just about to relax before he heard Sumire again. "C'mon. I said it's fine," he insisted. Despite the reluctance in his voice, the zealot rolled up a sleeve and offered a hand anyway. Cuts riddled his arm, some looking deeper than mere grazes, though he pretended not to be bothered. "Save your chakra for that mess over there. Can't let it go to waste after all the work we put in." Unlike the condition of his wounds, he did share concern for their prize. It'd be a shame if the parts expired before they could learn anything useful.
Come to think of it too, there was one other thing Yohei cared about. He wasn't the least bit subtle about it either.
"By the way, how are you holding up? Everything happened pretty quick but I bought enough time for you keep some distance, right?" Yohei cocked a brow and gave the other nukenin a quick once over. Like he hoped from the get-go, she didn't appear to have a scratch on her. "For a second I thought maybe those tags he threw were meant for you." Not that they could ask the Uchiha now, but it was safe to say his aim had been pretty compromised. "Good thing the poison worked out," Yohei muttered in thanks.
True. Living a simple life was nothing to get bent out of shape about. Yohei was hesitant to admit it, but sometimes he wanted a lifestyle like that. In a world of ninja he was mediocre at best, but in a world of fisher mongers he might've fared better. Or maybe he would suck at fishing too. Who knows?
Accepting the treat without any hesitation, Yohei gave an impressed smirk in response to his partner's comment. "Wow. Listen to you, handing out words of wisdom. That getup really suits you after all, huh?" If he didn't know any better, he'd say Sumire was really getting into her role. The whole shrine maiden appearance may have just been one more method to make their travels easier, but perhaps they'd found her second calling. "All we gotta do now is learn how to chant a few sutras and you'll really fit the part."
Unfortunately all the sutras about Jashin were not meant to be uttered in public.
Yohei finally joined his companion on the log after that, taking a bite of takoyaki as he settled in for a moment of relaxation. The ocean view was pleasant enough. Some could even call it breathtaking. For the zealot it was merely a temporary distraction to gaze at while he sat there to think, contemplating the next move. "A lot different from home, isn't it?" he observed with a sigh. He meant different in a good way, of course. Refreshing. "Never visited the sea back then." He couldn't remember why. Though it made him wonder if there were still places in their desert homeland that were worth seeing like this.
"Honestly, I'm surprised places like this are still around. You'd think some crazy rich lord would've built a mansion here by now."
After hauling the Uchiha's corpse over his shoulder with a loud grunt, Yohei then nodded in agreement that lingering around would only draw trouble. "Good point." They did make a lot of noise in that last rush, didn't they? All those explosions were just begging for somebody to come along and investigate. Yohei hoped they could avoid that sort of publicity for the time being, at least until they could catch their breath.
Following Sumire's lead, he dismissed any silly notions of having trouble with the fight. "I'm fine. Just some scratches. He was quicker than I thought." For somebody with an arrow lodged in their neck, the freak had put up one heck of a last stand. "Heavier too." Yohei added with a groan. He could still feel the sting of those fresh cuts he got from the shuriken, but it was nothing he deemed serious. Yohei ended up adjusting his sleeves just in case, trying to cover the gashes from sight.
"Next time you can dance with the Uchiha for a change."
Eager to find a new spot to lay low, he pointed off in the direction of the next patch of woodlands. "Hm. I think I remember seeing a cabin down that way." Not to say it was a guarantee that it'd be abandoned, but there were usually old huts like that hidden in the nooks and crannies of the countryside. Having a roof was nice too. "Or we can find a nice comfy cave if you'd prefer that." That was intended as a joke but it didn't sound like a terrible option after Yohei considered what he just said. There were less reasons for people to wander into caves than cabins, so maybe that would limit the chance of interruptions.
The ensuing explosions brought a fitting end to the decrepit temple once and for all, scattering its remains as far as the eye could see. Yohei watched in delight as it violently broke apart, barely flinching as debris came rushing past him. He felt oddly gleeful to witness the place go up in flames. Yes, it was like striking a blow to the pride of all those arrogant Uchiha.
Damn it felt good.
Alas, the collapsed building created a whole heap of a mess. One that Sumire sounded like she didn't want anything to do with. "Yeah, yeah. I got it." Yohei gave a dismissive shrug before repaying Sumire's sass in kind. "Sit back and relax like always."
The silver-haired zealot didn't waste any more time after that, hopping through the pile of destroyed planks and rubble to see what became of their prey. Not that he really expected the Uchiha to survive such a blast. "Hey! Still aaalive?" he cried out tauntingly, pushing broken wood beams out of his path and lifting busted stones aside. It only took a few minutes of searching to find a limb sticking out of the pile, confirming the deed was done.
Uchiha or not, having a whole temple fall on your head was a pretty surefire way to die.
Grinning at the aftermath of his and Sumire's handiwork, Yohei scampered over to the body for a closer inspection. Crouching down with sickle at the ready, he shoved a few chunks of rubble away while examining the Uchiha for any signs of life. He was even ready to deliver the killing blow if need be. So what happened when he gave the body a swift kick? No reaction whatsoever. Not even a tiny twitch. "Shame."
Dragging the bloodied Uchiha out of the rubble and towards the demolished entrance, Yohei let his partner hear the good news. "Hey, Sumire! Think you overdid it a little?" At least the corpse wasn't in pieces, but it was banged up pretty bad; bumps and bruises, broken bones and cuts all over. Good thing they weren't bounty hunters or something like that, else they'd be out of luck when it came to retrieving proof of the kill.
A frustrated groan could be heard down the road as Yohei quickened his steps. There weren't any pressing issues he was being forced into, and certainly no emergencies worth attending, but he gave off a sense of urgency in the way he moved. "Hey! Sorry I'm late," he called out to the familiar pinkette once he was within earshot, an apologetic grin fixing onto his features.
Joining his partner by the scenic overlook, Yohei seemed more flustered by his tardiness than concerned with the beauty of their surroundings. "That village elder would not shut up." Even now he could hear the old codger's voice in the back of his head, spouting all that nonsense about local traditions and when certain fish were in season. "All I wanted was a little info from the guy and instead what I got was a whole history lesson about the different ways to slice a fish." What a complete waste of time. It wasn't like he planned on staying here very long, much less starting a new life as a fisherman.
Yohei sighed. "I swear, these people are hopeless."
Suffice to say, he didn't have any leads worth following. There weren't any big and famous clans to be found in tiny places like these. Hell, there wasn't even the faintest rumor of something like retired ninja or suspicious visitors passing through town. It irked him to have put in the effort for absolutely no reward, and by this point he was beginning to doubt there were any worthy sacrifices nearby.
More ringing filled the nukenin's ears as he stumbled between the repeated explosions, dust kicking up in his eyes to add to the inconvenience. Temporarily dazed, he could think of nothing better to do than swing fiercely through the obscuring cloud, not knowing where the prey might be hiding. By some miracle Yohei's sickle met resistance during his wild assault, leaving him equally astonished and enthused.
"Whoever you are...I won't let you defile this place!" the Uchiha strained behind gritting teeth, a lone kunai rattling his fingers as he struggled to hold back the nukenin's weapon. With blood seeping through his teeth, he managed to force out another growl. "I'd rather see it destroyed!"
"Oh? How noble."
The clash broke and the Uchiha leaped backwards, headed to the steps of the temple. But not before receiving a hefty cut across his arm courtesy of Yohei's weapon. The injury seemed to matter little to the ninja however, his hands pressing together to form a series of seals.
"No you don't!"
A length of chain whipped out and smacked the Uchiha center mass, knocking him off balance and sending him slamming into the front doors of the temple. The sorry state of the woodwork meant the Uchiha crashed straight into the building, littering the place with even more debris than before.
"Let's make that wish of yours a reality then," Yohei panted, wiping a bit of blood off his sleeve. "We could make a much better shrine than this eyesore, mm?" He chuckled and glanced up to Sumire's position, figuring she would agree to the idea of a little demolition project. Provided she still had some of those explosive tags on hand, the building wouldn't last much longer from all the abuse.
"Don't antagonize him! It's not nice to make fun of the blind."
Not that the blindness would last very long, but the Uchiha didn't need to know that. The poor fool was probably shaking in his boots right about now, believing his precious eyes were damaged. Would he panic? Would he try to flee? Would he possibly surrender?
Yohei got a straight answer when he noticed a blur of movement dart into his periphery. "That's more like it!" he shouted angrily. Grasping the chain of his kusarigama in one hand, Yohei made a sweeping motion to intercept the figure, the edge of his sickle preparing to slice once again should the need arise. So color him surprised when the chain only hit the mark, but passed right through his target entirely.
A clone.
The real Uchiha revealed his presence with a leap and a pair of explosive tags soaring out of his hands. The toss was poorly aimed, striking some distance behind where Yohei stood, however an explosion was still an explosion. Dirt and debris were tossed into the air, flinging the silver-haired nukenin toward the ground and clouding part of Sumire's line of sight.
Direct hit. Sumire made the perfect shot! Her deadly arrow sent the Uchiha reeling back from the blow, completely blindsided from the impact. It was a satisfying sight to behold, made even sweeter by the fact that it'd cost so little effort.
Until a cloud of smoke burst into the air.
"Wait--!"
Yohei tensed and grabbed for the sickle he'd been concealing by his side, ready to defend himself. Was this Uchiha quicker than he let on? Or was it a bluff to buy some time? Gritting his teeth in frustration, the missing-nin made a quick leap and slashed steel toward the cloud, slicing clean through thin air. When the smoke parted from that attack, nothing was there except a few droplets of blood on the ground.
"We're not done!" he shouted in warning.
Their target may have been wounded but he wasn't going to lay down and surrender as easily as they hoped. Even with an arrow lodged in him. Impressive really. Then again, this particular Uchiha was once a chunin of the Hidden Sand.
A flurry of shuriken then peppered the front of the temple, striking rotten wood and ripping into the crumbling interior. Yohei was in the line of fire as well, shielding his face from the sudden barrage as he felt the sting of metal connect with his arms and legs. "Where is he?!" Despite how quickly Yohei defended, by the time he glanced around to get a sense of the Uchiha's whereabouts, the slippery devil vanished again.
Sumire's glib attitude was to be expected at times like these. As prone to teasing as she was, the act was kind of reassuring, actually. If she wasn't there to give a little levity to the situation, Yohei might've gotten cold feet and had second thoughts about this crazy decision.
The target was an Uchiha after all.
"Riiight. Showtime."
Yohei exhaled to calm his nerves, unsure if it was fear or joy chomping away at his anxiety. Before he could dwell on that thought, he quickly slipped on a ratty straw hat and ducked outside as stealthily as possible.
During the moments to follow, their prey crept closer without breaking pace, oblivious to the trap being set. And with the ninja's approach so did the prominent features of the Uchiha steadily came into view; jet black hair, a punchable face, and an insufferably haughty demeanor. Clearer still was the Amegakure headband strapped across his forehead. Not only was he a traitor, but a privileged traitor.
Yohei interrupted the man's progress just before he got to the stairs of the temple, stepping into view from the side of the building. "Come to pay your respects too?" he greeted with a charming smile. Despite that nonchalant introduction, it was all thanks to the hat shadowing part of his face that Yohei's wrathful gaze stayed hidden.
The Uchiha immediately stopped in his tracks, attention snapping to the startling presence of the uninvited guest. A subtle motion to the side indicated the ninja was caught off his guard, the hilt of a kunai just barely visible where his fingers were reaching. In other words, he wasn't looking at the building anymore - he wasn't aware the real danger was coming from somewhere else. From someone else, rather.
"How about I do you a favor... and reunite you with your ancestors?"
"He's here," Yohei whispered in amazement. He rubbed at weary eyes and strained to focus, peeking through a rotted hole in the wall. Only a short distance away he could spot the lone figure was on the approach, arriving right on schedule. Give or take a couple of days. But none of that mattered anymore! While lacking much sleep from the night prior, the zealot felt some energy return to his body - a rush of excitement perhaps? - at the thought of this plan finally coming to fruition.
Nudging his companion awake, Yohei spoke in an urgent yet hushed tone. "Hey, get up! He's here." The silver-haired ninja was wearing a smug look on his face as he slid over to another vantage point, peering through one of countless cracks in the wall to spy on the visitor. "Just like I said, see? The same place every week. How predictable..." It was rare for Yohei to sound so excited, but the current development was enough to bring a bit of determination back to his typically sullen gaze. He was no meticulous planner nor a brilliant tactician, yet he was emboldened to learn the object of his ire was right within reach.
"You ready?"he asked Sumire with a chuckle, quietly wrapping a length of chain about his forearm.
They'd been patiently hiding out for days in this sorry excuse for a temple, waiting for their little visitor to arrive. Although the dilapidated building once belonged to the Uchiha, it was now long abandoned and in a state of partial collapse. Whether the place had been that way for decades or only recently was anyone's guess, but it at least served as a comfy spot to prepare an ambush. Besides, Yohei had been adamant that they strike from that very location, as if to spit on the very ancestors the temple was built to honor.
The Shirogane family were a once proud people whom resided within the Hidden Sand for generations, having earned a reputation for producing exceptional ninja. They were far from being called legends, though the name carried respect in some circles and fear in others. The latest in their line was Yohei, but by the time of his birth the Shirogane had all but crumbled into dust, the last vestiges of his family forced to live destitute in their ancestral homeland.
Both of his parents had tried - and failed - to follow the shinobi lifestyle only to be outdone by their more talented peers, casting aside all hopes for redeeming their legacy. Thus they settled for a meager existence on the edges of Sunagakure, running a pitiful florist business in order to make ends meet. Despite their squalid existence, stories of his family's former greatness were in no short supply during Yohei's formative years, providing him with all the motivation needed to pursue that fleeting dream of restoring family honor.
Shortly into his burgeoning ninja career he realized how truly outclassed he was. Other ninja came from wealthy and famous clans, boasting extraordinary jutsu. Others simply wielded great potential in their blood, granting them favor among the village and its leadership. Yohei had to work much harder than any of them in order to catch up, tirelessly toiling away to earn any speck of acknowledgement. He was optimistic at first, believing it would all work out in the end.
Yet in spite of his dedication, Yohei's talents were nothing exceptional and his achievements were lacking. Those with superior lineages and greater privilege always passed him by, rising through the ranks and achieving praise like it came naturally, fostering a growing resentment in him. Fortunately there was somebody in his life that he could share that pain with - a childhood friend and fellow ninja whose experiences mirrored his own. Together, they served under the same platoon and faced many of the same tribulations due to their commoner upbringing, giving them all the more reason to share disdain for their peers.
By the time the Sand village met its ill-fated demise and its people were left to scatter, Yohei finally lost his patience with the exhausting facade. Between the destruction of his home and Amegakure's takeover, he ended up shirking all responsibility and renouncing his pledge to serve. Guided by his own selfish interests to strike back at those that'd wronged him, Yohei figured there was no better time than the present to see it done. Convincing his longtime partner that their real calling could be found elsewhere, he and Sumire abandoned their official duties and went rogue.
Only recently did the truth behind Yohei's determination come to light, his involvement with a certain cult driving a new ambition for change. He had been exposed to the dark teachings of Jashin, reklindling his hate for the privileged and successful into a spiteful zealotry against everything they stood for. To that end, he embarks on an endless mission for bloody revenge, ready to sacrifice anything for a taste of accomplishment.
Proficiencies
Senju Bloodline [Dormant] Unbeknownst to Yohei he carries the blood of the prominent Senju in his veins. Once awakened, the potent trait that he carries will heal injuries quicker and keep him in excellent health.
Taijutsu [Apprentice] Hand-to-hand combat is something Yohei would rather avoid, but his training and experiences have provided him a sufficient means to defend himself. His fighting form is nothing unique and his technique might be rough around the edges compared to others of his level, though he can hold his own in a brawl. If nothing else, he can take a punch well and his footwork isn't too shabby.
Kusarigamajutsu [Apprentice] The art of wielding sickle and chain has been passed down the Shirogane family for generations, so naturally Yohei knows a thing or two about its usages. The fundamentals of his current style rely mainly on the sickle part; hacking and slashing in close-quarters. Using both portions of the weapon in conjunction is more of a challenge, but when given enough of an opening he can sling the chain with middling accuracy to immobilize targets.
Stealth [Apprentice] While fully competent at hiding his presence when he expects danger, Yohei lacks the guile for using many concealing techniques when under pressure. He has an adequate grasp of the core tenets, from moving quietly in the shadows to donning a basic disguise, but surely has a long way to go in terms of keeping himself unnoticed.
Fuinjutsu [Journeyman] Sealing techniques constitute one of the few skills Yohei has truly honed over the years. His formulas are basic but effective, enabling him to seal non-living objects like weaponry within paper talismans, while also providing a capacity to create explosive tags. Additionally, his formulas typically incorporate the marks of Jashin, giving the seals and their effects a distinct blood-red appearance.
