He didn't need to hear that twice. Not after almost being pierced by the horseman. To be honest Suzaku was lucky to be alive. If it wasn't for this Jounin and his companions Suzaku would be going back to the Mist in a box. He was even luckier that the ninken had prevented him from being buried under the now dead body. He placed his sword back in its casing. Covered in blood now he would have to be sure to give it a thorough cleaning after this. Although if they endured any more battles it probably would only get worst.
He raced behind the captain watching as he and the other pup turned into damn near hurricanes to attack the now approaching enemies. He would not make the same mistake twice. This time he was running behind hoping that the same type of hole that was made previously for the team to keep running would be the same result that he got this time. It was simple in his mind. Stay close to Kegawa at all times and his probability of surviving increases tenfold.
Never close your eyes and attack an enemy. Well, it worked for Suzaku maybe, he should shut his eyes more often when in combat? It seemed to have a higher success rate than his other attack attempts. With open eyes, he could see that even with the help of the dog, this fallen horseman was still targeting him. No weapon yet would still have the strength advantage over Suzaku.
"Hey, take it easy. You don't want to fight someone more in your league."
A step back and a tighter grip on his sword was all he had done at first. Before he knew it, the dog was back at it aiming, for the back leg of his attacker. He would need to jump on this opportunity as soon as possible. Without hesitation, he would attempt to plunge his sword into the adversary's chest. If this didn't work, he would be in some big trouble.
It was almost like a different person had taken over his body. All of his other times opening the gates had been in training. Never had he used it in anything like this. In fairness, he had never been involved in anything like this before in his life. His mind was moving faster than his body at this point. He knew he only had only a short time left in this state. Now would be the moment to make it count.
Makoto and the dogs were doing all the heavy lifting anyway. He would focus on the task. All he had to do was continue to create chaos around these terrible excuses for guards. He quickly ran towards the pen doors. This group would not be the one to stop them. He ran right towards the closest soldier with his spear leading the way. Suzaku jumped onto the pole and used it as a launchpad to get him past the rest of the troops. He didn't need to look back. There was no doubt in his mind that Makoto was more than capable of taking care of this.
He began pushing one door open after another. Trying his best not to get run over by any of the large beasts within them. These last movements really had the suck little bit of energy he had from him. For now he would just have to watch how this little stampede would affect the Makoto and the opposing party.
Why did he have to stand still? That decision was about to cost him his life. He heard the leader of his unit yell out something about trying to die. It was audible but, with the horse charging him surely, they could understand if he wasn't comprehending anything other than the fact that he was about to die. He had to do something. Act now or die in foreign lands. He pulled his sword from the side of his hip.
Suzaku saw the Inuzuka leader's dog come to assist him as well as the shurikens that were thrown at the horsemen. He started running towards the horse sword, extended. His only real option was to avoid the weapon in the rider's hand. He slid as he got within range of the horse. He would try and cut through the front leg of the beast to get the rider off his perch and at least make it easier for the dog coming to help him to take the adversary out.
The explosion caught the young Hozuki off guard for only a second. He had lost focus as he saw a little of his blood drip from the small wound on his head. Either way, they had completed the first part and, now they were running to the next location. He would not allow himself to make the same mistake twice. There was no surprise in Makoto making up the distance between them. She was far more experienced than him and had already saved his ass once today. Which made her words about being careful all that more resonating for the young boy
Not a single enemy would cause even a bruise to him as far as he was concerned. This time he would be prepared. He was ready to take on any obstacle. He watched her as she leaped forward to take on the guards. Suzaku was not too far behind this time. No waiting around to catch anyone off guard or to watch her do all the work with her ninken.
He ran towards one of the guards on the left side. As soon as he was within a close enough range he would throw the hardest punch that he could towards his ribs. The impact of the punch caused the guard to keel over where his face would be met with the knee of the Hozuki boy knocking him down. Newfound confidence could be seen in his eyes. It was no coincidence however the boy who normally wasn't much for combat had just opened the Gate of Opening.
As soon as he turned from the guard he had just put down he would begin running at a duo of guards both ready to take him on. In his own element at this time, it looked like the young boy was getting ready to bite off more than he could chew.
Life was moving so fast for the young Hozuki. Just a week ago, he was on his first mission. Now here he was on a joint mission so big that every single village had sent Shinobi from every tier to take place in it. Suzaku's skills were novice at best. What could he contribute to this effort? How dangerous was this mission in the first place? After all, some of the people he saw in the camp looked just as young as him if, not younger. They couldn't be sending this many shinobis to their doom. Or maybe they would be acceptable casualties if it meant the villages survived. They could always raise more ninja.
Before long, they had begun on their travels to support one of the teams that had left camp earlier. Suzaku paired with a few faces he recognized from the village and strangers. To be led by someone who was also a foreigner to him. Trusting this person with not only their lives but having their best interest in mind seemed like a reckless decision by all parties involved. Suzaku would have to be on the top of his game. As little game as he had at least.
As soon as the horsemen surrounded them Suzaku saw how the Inuzuka leaped into action, followed by the companions. An aggressive approach was directed to them before embarking on this journey. It seemed that their leader was going to follow through on it. He would wait before making any move. Not sure if it was fear or just trying to see what impact the captain's move would have on them. Either way, it was like he was frozen in place.
As if having a bottle smashed across his face wasn't enough. Suzaku was lucky that this drunk for right now at least didn't recognize him. His weight on his chest was more discomfort but, at this point, he could not get the man off of him even if he wanted to. He grabbed the shoe trying to allow himself to get up. No avail. Instead Suzaku now had the worst possible situation. This drunk was no longer blabbering his ass off. He was looking at his now fractured mask realizing it wasn't one of his fellow guards messing around. He had to get this guard off of him NOW.
It wasn't his effort that got the man off of him. Makoto had sent him some cavalry. One wolf to potentially save his life. He had to act quick while they tussled. He could deal with the pain of his face later. Quickly he rushed around the supplies placing his tags. Once the final tag was placed he looked to the dog that had taken care of his adversary.
"Lets get the hell out of here." He ran out the building straight past Makoto. She said to run after he was done. Besides he didn't want to have to explain the fresh wound on the top of his head where a piece of his mask used to be. This would provide some time.
Fresh off of the ground and, here Makoto was. Five minutes earlier, she would have found him laid on that rooftop. Instead, now she saw him as successfully playing his part in this mission. Now that success had him as the one that had to enter the building. He entered with what he assumed had to be explosives in hand. After all the mission was to destroy. They had managed to go undetected for this long.
Except for the guy inside... that so conveniently now would be making noise before getting Suzaku in his sights. That one moment of noise caused a quick reaction as he hit the deck. He heard the steps and hiccups. Clearly, this man was intoxicated. He may have been able to beat Suzaku in his normal state but it would not be possible in his current state. Now he had to just dispose of him. He picked his body off the ground and rushed the drunkard. A quick sweep of the leg to try and catch him off guard.
DIDN'T WORK! Suzaku was on the ground holding his head after being completely clubbed by the bottle the man was holding. How could things get so bad quickly? Barely conscious with his hands holding onto his head where it was almost surely split.
Suzaku knew that staying prone up here would not suffice as a plan for long. He knew that Makoto and her hounds would be making their approach and, the last thing he wanted was for himself to be caught doing nothing. "Why me."
He peeked over at the guard. As of now, he seemed to be unsuspecting of an ambush that was taking place. He wasn't the biggest of men. Maybe Suzaku had a chance here if he took advantage of his high ground. Suzaku needed not take this moment for granted. It was his chance to eliminate one adversary in his path with minimal noise or detection.
First would come the distraction. He threw a small rock he found on the rooftop to the left side of the guard. A slight head turn would follow the noise and that was all the opening Suzaku needed. He swooped down from the roof and grabbed the Gaurd around the need while wrapping his legs around his body. A simple choke to incapacitate the man but he wasn't going down.
Maybe he had bitten off more than he could chew here. A struggle was taking place. Muffled noises could be heard and this would lead to more trouble if he didn't finish this soon. He tried to readjust himself by unlatching his legs to swing his body to the front of the man. Quickly latching his arms back around his neck and slamming forward driving him headfirst into the ground. As he pushed the now unconscious body off of him he looked around to see if anyone else was approaching him.
Why did it have to rain? Bad enough that he didn't want to be on this mission at all now, the flaming Hozuki's ninjutsu would be more ineffective than it already was. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to do much. After all, this was his first real mission. No more playing search and rescue for Miss Gedo's cat. No more delivering groceries to the elderly. This time he was taking part in a mission on the borders of enemy territory. This mission mattered outside of the bubble of the Mist. Failure here could have real consequences. As the thought of failure, as well as the fear, raced in his mind Suzaku let of a sigh.
"This is going to suck." Muttered under his breath. Not loud enough for anyone to hear if they were not close to him. Yet, everyone on this mission was standing in proximity.
The instructions of the team leader were in one ear and out the other. He knew what the mission was. Having played this moment of waiting in his head multiple times. How could he be of use? Would he be able to get close enough to a guard to be considered a threat? Did he even belong here? Now was not the time for questions but, they came up nonetheless. His sensei gave the order. The time to act was now but, he wasn't going to be the one to act.
Suzaku pulled out the mask that was previously hanging from the side of his pants and placed it over his face before pulling his hood back over the rest of his head. If someone saw him, the last thing he wanted to be was identified. He decided that he would be making his approach from the right. From what he saw, that side had the least amount of guard which, would mean he had an opportunity to avoid most of the action if he was lucky. He found himself about ten feet from the closest guard prone on the rooftop above him.
He was waiting for the rest of the team to make their approach before making his next move or, if he was even luckier, they would get this whole building cleared without his help.
What is your purpose in life? A question that most people struggle with their entire lives. Suzaku has always has been more of a talker than a fighter. Violence is a means to an end in the shinobi world but, Suzaku does his best to avoid it all costs. He from a young age knew that he wasn't the violent type. When it came to schoolyard fights, Suzaku always took the diplomatic approach. Convince the other person it wasn't worth it or that he would be incapable of putting up a good enough opposition. Maybe it was cowardly. That is all about perspective. Suzaku avoids getting his hands dirty his peers got moral victories. Maybe, he was just helping improve the confidence of others. Either way, it worked out for him most of the time.
Especially in the Mist, you run into people that are not much for words. If Suzaku has to resort to combat, he's probably complaining the whole time. There is nothing that Suzaku has to do in this world that he hasn't tried to talk his way out of doing. It is not that he is lazy. The idea of having responsibilities is the real issue for Suzaku. He prefers going by the beat of his drum. Unlike most members of his clan, Suzaku refuses to file down his teeth. He does not like to be easily identifiable to anyone. It is better to blend into your surroundings. Anyone who does not in the shinobi world he believes is a target.
Unbeknownst to him, Suzaku is only a Hozuki in name. The parents who raised him are not even his. Suzaku is the child of a couple that was traveling through the mist along with a caravan of traders and others looking to turn a quick profit in the minor villages. Famous for its piracy the mist was not the best choice of villages to pass by. The caravan was attacked and most of its members were killed by the looters. Suzaku's father was one of the people able to escape the chaos. However, losing his wife was a loss he could not handle at the time. The fear and priority of himself making it out alive superseded his care for his infant son. A father who had just lost it all would give up the only thing he had left to a small family who sheltered him on his last night in Kirigakure. Most families would not have taken a stranger's child but they did due to an inability to create a child of their own. Suzaku believes them to be his birth parents. They are the only family he has ever known and they have given him nothing but love.
Proficiencies
Taijutsu [Rookie] Suzaku has been trained in the basics of martial arts to properly attack and defend himself in combat. His use of taijutsu, however, is almost always defensive. Sometimes it is best to be aware of your shortcomings. Suzaku does not pack a strong punch due to his smaller frame but by reacting rather than foolishly attacking he gives himself a better chance to catch someone off guard with a rightly timed blow. If he is unable to counter blows sometimes Suzaku may let himself get hit in an attempt to grab his opponent. He may not be a lethal grappler but a chokehold or armbar can prevent even the strongest of foes from fighting if they don't know a way out of the hold.
Kenjutsu [Rookie] Can you even claim to be of the Mist village if you have not once picked up a sword? It's almost like instead of toys you are immediately given a sword. Suzaku has been trained by his father in the art of Kenjutsu. Due to his inexperience, most of his movements are sloppy and his strikes usually leave him with easy openings for his adversaries to take advantage of. Due to these weaknesses although he always carries his sword out of not wanting to disappoint his father very rarely is it used.
Stealth [Rookie] Stealth is without a doubt one of the most important abilities that a shinobi must have. Being able to skillfully avoid detection or retrieving items without being noticed are things that Suzaku might one day become skillful at. Due to his desire to always play the background, he has some talent when it comes to blending into crowds or keeping quiet under distress. The lack of real mission experience has however prevented him from excelling at this to what his potential should be.
Eight Gates[Rookie] Our bodies have natural limitations that prevent us from going above and beyond. Whether it be mental or just physical limitations that prevent us from running ourselves into the ground. These limitations are said to be protected by barriers called the Eight gates. Suzaku has been trained to get through the first gate known as the Gate of Opening. Located in the left hemisphere when Suzaku opens the gate his normally defensive style of combat is replaced with an attacking style that allows him to be more reckless than he normally would be. Although it does not increase his strength or speed sometimes being able to move without fear can be the difference between failure or success.
Katon Release [Rookie] Imagine being raised by a clan known for its prowess with water and never even being able to use any of their abilities because you are not compatible with the element. Now take it a step further and imagine that you can use the element that is the exact opposite of your family. For Suzaku that is no dream, he was born with Katon release in his DNA. He still only understands only the basis of ninjutsu not truly being capable of doing much more than doing the bare minimum when it comes to damage. He's quite envious of his peers and their ability to use the hydrification technique but it is something that it looks like he will never be able to do at this point.
[attr="class","APP3"]
Demon Slayer
Suzaku Hozuki looks like Tanjiro Kamado .
Last Edit: Sept 30, 2021 17:23:22 GMT by Suzaku Hozuki
What is your purpose in life? A question that most people struggle with their entire lives. Suzaku has always has been more of a talker than a fighter. Violence is a means to an end in the shinobi world but, Suzaku does his best to avoid it all costs. He from a young age knew that he wasn't the violent type. When it came to schoolyard fights, Suzaku always took the diplomatic approach. Convince the other person it wasn't worth it or that he would be incapable of putting up a good enough opposition. Maybe it was cowardly. That is all about perspective. Suzaku avoids getting his hands dirty his peers got moral victories. Maybe, he was just helping improve the confidence of others. Either way, it worked out for him most of the time.
Especially in the Mist, you run into people that are not much for words. In the event that Suzaku has to resort to combat, he's probably complaining the whole time. Actually, there is probably nothing that Suzaku has to do in this world that he hasn't tried to talk his way out of. It is not that he is lazy. The idea of having responsibilities is the real issue for Suzaku. He much rather go by the beat of his own drum. Unlike most members of his clan Suzaku refuses to file down his teeth. He does not like to be easily identified preferring to blend in with the people around him. Being lost in the crowd so he does not get bothered by people.
Proficiencies
Taijutsu [Apprentice] Sed at sagittis dui. Pellentesque tincidunt elementum nunc ut tincidunt. Nunc pellentesque massa eu efficitur bibendum. Phasellus luctus quis libero nec dignissim. Curabitur eleifend tortor lacus. Praesent et odio ut sapien efficitur porttitor.
Shurikenjutsu [Rookie] Sed at sagittis dui. Pellentesque tincidunt elementum nunc ut tincidunt. Nunc pellentesque massa eu efficitur bibendum. Phasellus luctus quis libero nec dignissim. Curabitur eleifend tortor lacus. Praesent et odio ut sapien efficitur porttitor.
Stealth [Rookie] Sed at sagittis dui. Pellentesque tincidunt elementum nunc ut tincidunt. Nunc pellentesque massa eu efficitur bibendum. Phasellus luctus quis libero nec dignissim. Curabitur eleifend tortor lacus. Praesent et odio ut sapien efficitur porttitor.
Fire Release [Rookie] Sed at sagittis dui. Pellentesque tincidunt elementum nunc ut tincidunt. Nunc pellentesque massa eu efficitur bibendum. Phasellus luctus quis libero nec dignissim. Curabitur eleifend tortor lacus. Praesent et odio ut sapien efficitur porttitor.
[attr="class","APP3"]
Face Claim Series Name
Firstname Lastname looks like Character Name.
Last Edit: Sept 17, 2021 23:22:00 GMT by Suzaku Hozuki
