Movement. Out of the corner of her eye Makoto noticed the slightest shift, all her senses honing in on that disturbance. The silhouette of a large, horned animal was creeping into the clearing, unaware of the danger it faced. Following behind it were two, three, no - five more!
Makoto licked her lips.
A little closer. A little more. She wanted to be right on top of them before the beasts knew what was happening. If she got the chance, ending the hunt in one swift blow was preferable, but she had to act carefully. Holding in a low growl, the anticipation was slowly gnawing away at her until...
"RRRRRAAAAAHHHHHH!"
The Inuzuka jumped down from the rock with a ferocious howl, leading the charge with claws at the ready. Dashing in from multiple directions were her faithful dogs, the snarling pack descending on the herd with utmost haste. As luck would have it, during that split when she revealed herself, Makoto recognized something was amiss too.
Was that another beast charging from the side?!
There wasn't any time to think about it.
In the next second Makoto landed among the cluster of prey, crossing slashes meeting thick fur. She purposefully aimed for the biggest animal in the bunch - the one with the scariest horns and the meanest look. Turned out it was sturdier than she gave it credit for too, because despite getting part of its throat clawed out it had the gall to slam her to the ground!
The Inuzuka snarled in anger after she ripped through the meager substitution, skidding to a halt and kicking up dirt. Barks of warning then alerted her to where the true culprit had vanished to, causing the Mist jounin to burst into another sprint. Her ninken followed closely at her sides when she advanced, ready to strike the next blow.
What she heard next was laughable. Surrender? This wasn't some academy training exercise. Hesitation on the battlefield meant death.
Without missing a beat, Makoto came barreling in from the sidelines and attempted to tackle the murderous coward to the ground in the harshest way possible. Like a wild animal on the rampage, claws lunged for the assassin's arm and fangs snapped toward her throat, trying to seize her movement before she had a chance to escape again. The ninken leapt into the fray a moment later, aiming low as they tried crunching on the enemy's legs to further impede any getaways.
Surrender or no, Makoto fully intended to break this foe until she was begging for a quick death. Then - maybe - she would consider talk of 'surrender'.
Notes: yeah, no. aint killing yet but doing some damage before taking her captive
Old - Stealth [Journeyman]: Makoto is well-versed in the fundamentals of stealth and can hide her presence with a variety of simple techniques. While her approach to concealment is none too mystifying, she relies heavily on physically masking her presence through camouflage or employing basic transformation skills to hide. Years of hunting have also made her quite adept at moving quietly, so it's no surprise that she enjoys ambushes above all else.
New - Stealth [Veteran]: Hiding one's presence and detecting unseen threats comes naturally to Makoto, her skill in stealth being inherently linked to her animal instincts. While her approach to concealment is none too complicated, she excels in using camouflage and transformation jutsu to vanish from all but the keenest senses. Years of hunting have also made her quite adept at moving quietly, giving her an intimate knowledge over Silent Killing techniques, so it comes at no surprise that she enjoys using ambush tactics.
A refreshing breeze of cool air brushed against Makoto's face, prompting the kunoichi to pause and take a deep breath. Other than the relaxing feeling it brought to her senses, she was actually using the wind to confirm her earlier suspicions. The prey was still close - still on the move - and coming straight toward her position even.
"...Mm."
Bending down onto all fours and growling to her ninken, she alerted the pack that it was time to spread out. Any minute now their tasty victim would come stumbling into the open, looking ripe for ambush. That's when she and her dogs would swoop in for the kill, claiming the best prize anyone could really ask for: a hard-earned meal.
Oh how she loved midnight hunts~
Compared to the selection of beasts that inhabited her island home, the mainland had so much more to choose from. Deer and boar were at the top of that list, though she wanted to sink her teeth into just about anything with a good amount of meat on its bones. Being in unfamiliar lands also gave the whole ordeal a sense of danger and challenge she had always been drawn to, making it well worth the trip.
Shortly after her dogs had dispersed into the undergrowth in preparation for the ambush, Makoto caught a whiff of something else in the distance. "Eh?" She crinkled her nose at the faint scent, looking a bit confused and wondering if it'd been her imagination. In a way it almost reminded her of...no, that couldn't be it. Not all the way out here. Not in the middle of nowhere. The Inuzuka shook her head and discarded those puzzling thoughts, shifting her concentration back to the hunt.
Skulking through the shadows as quietly as possible, she eventually found a good vantage point from which to watch the area. Makoto laid herself flat atop a large rock, diminishing her presence to the point that she practically blended into the stony surroundings. Her gaze then squinted against the darkness as she waited for the prey to pop into the open.
At first glance, Makoto thought the bear was something else entirely. Her instincts didn't tell her it was a wild beast but more so an old acquaintance, to be specific. Their appearances were strikingly similar, as was the scent, but those details proved superficial in the end. The longer she held her ground and stared the animal down, the more she began to understand.
"You." Makoto grumbled again in a low tone, taking a few cautious steps toward the lumbering ball of fur. Then she repeated the same words firmly, practically gritting her teeth. "You are..." Given the peculiar intensity of her stare and the way she was postured, it seemed well within reason that she'd try to subdue to the beast. Yet instead she just beamed with joy when lunging toward Nomi, "...such a handsome boy, ain'tcha!"
Looking utterly bewildered by the bear's friendly attitude, the Mist jounin was far too eager to stroke its fur and provide a couple scratches behind the ears. She showed no fear being face-to-face with the impressive muzzle either, finding it all too adorable to ignore. "Look at'chu! So big n' strong!" the kunoichi complimented with more playful scratches. That cold behavior she'd been showing until now had just melted away in a matter of moments, the thrill and joy now quite visible in her expression.
"Where'd this one come from? He smells like one of ours." She posed that question to the others while continuing to shower the beast with affection, unable to pull herself away from that fuzzy face.
Had the visitor not made it a point to step right between her ninken, Makoto would've very likely shooed him away again. Yet she quickly noticed something was off about his approach, especially when he didn't make much of a splash. "W-Whoa. Look at that!" she exclaimed to her dogs, each of the shaggy beasts tilting their heads in confusion. They didn't appear to understand how the visitor could move so smoothly, or how he made the water rise, but it certainly captured their attention.
Makoto felt suddenly encouraged, her prominent fangs poking out to reveal a wolfish grin. "Well, I don't get a lick o' what yer sayin' but ya seem to know how this stuff works!" There was plenty of pride to be heard in the kunoichi's tone, like she was glad to have a lack of understanding. Finding clever ideas and inventive approaches had never been her forte, so the talk of taking different 'angles' went straight over her head. "Where's a pup like you learn how'ta do a thing like that? They teachin' e'ryone to walk on water these days?" Her frosty gaze narrowed a bit as she pointed at the visitor with an accusing claw.
Today marked the second occasion she met a child in this foreign land who could manipulate water with such ease. Was it all simply coincidental or did it mean she was behind the curve for not learning earlier in life? Whatever the case, it made the Inuzuka somewhat jealous to see members of the younger generation pick up skills so effortlessly.
"Show me that trick of yers again," Makoto insisted bluntly, recoiling her arms to cross over her chest. Whether or not the young visitor had intended to give more displays of power, it sounded like it was being expected of him now. Not to mention, the way the dogs began to circle around him made it feel more and more like he was being sized up. "I gotta do somethin' like that but bigger an' more...shwoosh!" the kunoichi commented next, merely thinking out loud as she swept a foot through the water to kick up a hefty splash.
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.
"Stay focused!" the Inuzuka barked to her peers in a harsh and commanding tone, hoping to cut the chatter to a minimum as she assessed the dangers ahead. Icy orbs would shift toward both Jun and Zazou in the following instant, a sense of ferocious determination glinting off the kunoichi's eyes. "Remember. We have our orders." Though spoken coldly and plainly, she trusted that her comrades would understand her meaning.
As far as the scene unfolding in the pit went, there was little that a few raggedy corpses could do to hold back Makoto's inner beast.
Diving headlong into the closest foes with fang and claw, the Inuzuka hacked her way through the mindless entourage with the assistance of her ninken. Building speed as she hopped on all-fours, Makoto kept her movements light and swift, passing by one enemy after the next. Anything she didn't kill outright, she trusted Jun and Zazou to eliminate.
"C'MERE YA UGLY HAG!"
Fearless as could be, Makoto dashed straight for the enemy's position despite whatever ritual was going on. The fact that allied shinobi were in the way didn't faze her in the slightest either. Rather, it was opening she would exploit if the foe was trying to use them as shields. Effortlessly synchronized with her ninken partners, the Inuzuka soon threw herself into a rolling motion alongside the likes of two tunneling cyclones.
"GATENGAAA!"
Notes: goin for the kill! buzzsaw + passing fangs x2 comin at the creepy lady
Makoto blinked, totally baffled by what she just heard. Was this rowdy pup just messing with her or did he really not understand why Saba-Ou was so important? Clearly he was no career fisherman if he didn't know that much.
"Huh? Yer fishin' in these parts an' ya don't know?"
The Inuzuka shifted her gaze to the side, contemplating if it was even worth the trouble of explaining. Yet after seeing how quickly the man's tune changed at the mention of power, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to indulge him. So long as he didn't lash out again.
Clearing her throat and adopting another stance with hands held upon her hips, Makoto decided to give it a shot.
"Legend has it there's a special fish swimmin' these waters. Somethin' that's been livin' here for longer than anyone can remember."
She paused for dramatic effect.
"Saba-Ou. The king of all mackerel."
A ridiculous name for a fish, yet the Inuzuka recited it with the utmost seriousness. It sounded like she believed the stories whether or not they were far-fetched. What other reason would she have for going to such lengths to find a mere fish?
"Folks say it has magic o' some kind. Can make the rivers flood or dry 'em up. All sorts of stuff."
Makoto nodded solemnly and then raised both hands out in front of her, claws clenching at thin air as if she was pretending to hold an imaginary prize.
"But if somebody manages to catch it, then Saba-Ou has to grant them a wish!"
By the time Makoto finished slicing up another pair of guards and tackling a third through the wall, frightened animals began running amok. There'd be no stopping them as they darted toward the nearest exits, trampling over wounded guards and knocking over supplies in their wild panic. It hadn't taken very long for the stables to become an absolute madhouse, which would only serve the Mist ninja in completing their objective.
Slapping a few explosive tags onto some conspicuous stacks of crates and throwing a couple into the rafters for good measure, Makoto didn't waste a second that the distraction afforded. "C'mon, pup! It's 'bout to blow!" the jounin shouted from across the room, her voice somewhat muffled by all the clamoring from the beasts. If that didn't her point across however, the next exclamation would surely get the genin's attention. "TSUUGA!"
Diving into a spiraling motion, Makoto crashed through one of the stable walls with fang and claw, creating her own getaway route. Her dogs followed suit, smashing into whatever stood in their path as they each forged their own exits. Every hole the pack created made the building a little less stable, the snapping and creaking of wood adding to the chaos until one side of the stable looked on the verge of collapse.
Sliding to a halt some short distance away from the scene, the Inuzuka took the chance to catch her breath. Watching her ninken dart by one after the other, icy irises darted side to side, keeping track of her surroundings and fully expected the genin to emerge. "Get down!" she ordered at last, slamming her palms together as she formed the sign of the Snake - the trigger for the detonation.
Not unlike the previous target, the stable would then go up in flames, bursting with a violent boom and showering the streets with debris.
Makoto couldn't resist letting out a small chortle when the girl mentioned practicing the jutsu on her own brother. A little competition between siblings was always nice to hear about. It even reminded the Inuzuka of the playful antics her ninken got into, especially when the youngest pups were trying to outdo their bigger brothers and sisters.
Then Erika got to explaining how the whole thing worked, leaving the jounin pleasantly surprised by her enthusiasm. "Oh?" Makoto honestly hadn't expected the kid to be so talkative when it came to giving instructions, though that illustrated just how serious she was about lending a helping hand. Serious enough to give a demonstration, at that. "Hey, not too shabby! Yer pretty talented for young'un, ain'tcha?" As if on reflex, Makoto gave the genin a praising pat on the head, thanking her for the effort. "Sure, lemme give it a shot!"
Actions always spoke louder than words. The Inuzuka believed in that philosophy from the bottom of her heart, meaning that the demo was a great way to get her mind properly focused. It was helpful having a clear goal in mind.
"Rabbit, dog...rabbit, dog...rabid dog..."
The jounin's fingers repeated the first pair of seals a few times over, practicing the motion while she stepped closer to the water's edge. Thankfully there weren't many seals she had to memorize either, provided she remembered correctly. When the pattern looked good enough, the woman drew in a big breath like she was ready to shout at the top of her lungs, then shut her eyes tightly to concentrate on chakra.
With a lunge she unleashed her technique!
"Pfffttaaah!" A spray of spit left her lips, looking far more similar to a childish jape than an actual jutsu. It could've been the fact that she forgot the last hand seal or maybe that chakra had built elsewhere. But Makoto was nothing if not stubborn, the initial failure only empowering her determination to try again. So even as a line of spittle ran down the jounin's chin, she kept trying to blow out a mouthful of water between labored breaths.
Bursting through rows of foliage with ninja hounds at her sides, Makoto was relieved to have finally reached decent cover. The charge across Hisashi Road had been a reckless one, but at least her squad couldn't be chased by horses among all the trees. Although it seemed horses would be the least of her worries, given the sounds of combat coming from nearby.
"Keep movin'! We gotta make it to the front!" she barked to the others, urging them to push forward at the same breakneck pace. The Inuzuka didn't even look back to assess who was still following - if they couldn't keep up they were good as dead. There was only one ninja she could confirm was likely at her heels, which Makoto figured out by scent alone. "Pup! Yer in charge! I'll get the message to the forces 'ere while ya lead everyone south!"
Aside from a firm growl, those were the only instructions Makoto gave to her kinsmen, Nikukyuu Inuzuka , leaving no room for discussion.
With her mind already made up, Makoto and her ninken diverged from the path a second later, shooting off toward the sounds of ongoing battle. "GATSUUUGA!" she then hollered at the top of her lungs, plunging into the forest in the shape of a wicked cyclone. Her intention? Fly right into the thick of the fighting to disrupt the enemy of course! Though the jounin had no clue what kind of battle she was charging into, the pair of familiar scents that lied ahead gave her the only information she needed to know.
"JUN! ZAZOU! WITH ME, NOW!"
Notes: tl;dr makoto tryin to help her fellow mistees and left kyuu in charge to reach zone 2
"Aheh. Yeah somethin' like that..." the jounin replied with a wry chuckle, both vaguely regarding the part about knowing Jun and trying not to seem offended by the term 'dog trainer'. Had it been anybody else but a youngster calling her that, Makoto would've socked them one good. Though as far as she could tell Erika didn't sound familiar with ninken whatsoever, giving the impression that this was her first encounter with their kind.
"Don't let 'em hear ya say that. They'll be fishin' for compliments all day," Makoto replied with an amused snicker, only half-joking. She knew her dogs would snatch any opportunity to get praise, even if it meant going out of their way for an extra pat or scratch behind the ears. "Course they got names too, just like you an' me. Let's see, there's Ranmaru, Wanmaru, Danmaru, Ganmaru, Yanmaru, Pachimaru, Tenmaru, Takimaru, Hoshimaru, Ichimaru, Nimaru, Sanmaru..." The jounin paused to take a short breath and do a mental headcount. Unfortunately, numbers weren't her strong suit and she ended up dismissing that notion with a shrug.
"Let's just say there's a lot!"
Makoto nodded along with that assessment, arms crossing over her chest in a serious fashion like she was saying something profound. The true size of her pack may have been hard to quantify but such things were of little consequence to the Inuzuka's lifestyle. She raised them, nurtured them, trained them - did anything else matter?
"Anywave, ya said somethin' about spittin' water didn't ya?" the Inuzuka asked with raised brow. "Can't be harder than walkin' on water, right? I mean, there's not all that focus ya gotta put into yer hands and feet I bet." She sounded quite interested in the concept, giving a thoughtful hum as she imagined the benefits such a jutsu would provide. While her mouth was often occupied chomping enemies or clutching swords during battle, it wouldn't hurt to add another option to the mix.
Picking herself back up after the collision with her ninken, the Mist jounin wiped the water from her face to reveal a disappointed grimace. The timing of her technique was still way off and so was the flow of chakra, leaving her destined for failure. With neither of those aspects working in the kunoichi's favor, the elusive art of Suiton would remain out of her grasp.
Then a moment later the approach of a young man distracted her thoughts. The dark-haired Inuzuka shifted to face him, blue orbs narrowing with suspicion while disappointment continued to furrow her brow. "Huh? What's that yer yappin' about?" she questioned firmly, the corner of her lip upturned with a snarl. Truth be told, she ignored the first few comments the youngster made, thinking he was just some complaining citizen.
"Stay back unless yer lookin' to get soaked. I'm workin' on somethin' over here."
Makoto then gave her mane a wild shake, spraying her immediate surroundings with a shower of water droplets. It didn't do much to alleviate the discomfort of walking around in drenched clothes, but at least it felt good to clear her head. The frustrated expression she'd been wearing was quick to fade away in the same motion, replaced with a determined scowl.
"Besides, brute force is all I know," Makoto grumbled.
That admission didn't exactly bother her, but most would probably interpret that reaction as arrogance. To try and tackle new skills with nothing but grit and a lot of muscle at her disposal, it was no surprise Makoto had been met with setbacks. Though after all the years she'd spent fighting, she was simply set in her ways. Perhaps all she needed was a push in the right direction?
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."