A-Rank A Dangerous Escort (Cole, Hikari)

Salzem was waiting by the Gates of Konoha, checking all his gear, waiting for his team-mates and the person they were "required" to escort. Salzem was meditating atop a large flat roof when another village ninja came to him with a note from the hokage. Apparently a good friend of a feudal lord was in town and was looking to head back to the cloud. Supposedly, this was such huge news, the hokage had reason to believe there might be an attempt on the man's life.

"Swords, check..." Salzem said, adjusting his three Swords. "Gear, check..." Salzem mumbled again, patting his weapons pouch. Well, unless he was going to check he had his arms and legs, he was just about ready. Salzem leaned up against on of the doors of the gates, waiting for the crew to arrive. He wondered how the man they were escorting would look. By stereotype, the feudal lords were often described as rich and stuck up, powerful because of the ninjas they command and the lands of which they hold. He figured this "friend" would most likely reflect the feudal lord and they would be subject to his constant complaining, possibly demanding that they must practically carry him there. The very thought made him shudder. Well... If he was doing this with people he knew, that might make this whole experience a tad better.



(Link to mission: http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t15795-a-rank-a-dangerous-escort)

Cole was sitting at Ichirakus eating his bowl of pork ramen with extra onions. When a ninja appeared next to him holding a scroll. Cole took the scroll from him and the man disappeared again. Cole sit the scroll down and finished his bowl of ramen. He then grabbed the scroll and opened it. It said that their was an A rank mission he was suppose to go on. He had to protect a friend of the federal lord. Well this good get interesting he thought to himself he had never done an A rank mission before.

“well I got to go thanks for the food” cole would say as he turned and ran out jumping on top of the roof of the building across the street. Cole would run across the roof tops jumping from one to they other, as he ran he felt himself checking to make sure that he had everything. Which he did plus he had the two new books he had as well. If it turned out to be a boring trip at least he would have reading material he thought to himself.

It was around noon, and the sun was high in the sky when he got to the village gates. He hoped that it was some one that he knew going on this mission with him. The scroll didn't say who else was going on the mission it just said that cole was one of three he remembered reading. Cole would go and walk out of the village gates and stand by the door that was left open. He figured that since he probably had time before every one got here that he could do a little bit of training as well on this mission. He had a new jutsu he wanted to learn, and what better then to try it out in a mission.

Cole would turn were he was sure that no one would just walk up and get hit by it. He started by focusing wind chakra in his right hand. Trying to create a blade of wind that would extend three feet. He the wind chakra and then formed a blade around his hand into a blade. He then swung it a few times cutting some grass at his feet. Not bad he thought to himself he would next try to make the blade a bit longer and sharper, as it wasn't quit ready for combat use.

(wind blade- 409-4000)

"Hikari sweetie, focus your chakra again. I know you are starting to get the hang of the level one medical ninjutsu technique, but you must not let yourself get cocky. The level two medical ninjutsu technique is harder than you think, be prepared to fail severl times before you even succeed. But I know you will be able to get it, you are a fast learner afterall." A woman, average height with chocolate brown hair and hazel nut eyes said warmly to Hikari. This woman, by the name of Yuki, had volunteered to help teach Hikari two medical ninjutsu; the Basic Medical Ninjutsu that has two levels and Chakra Anesthetic. Hikari looked down at the table before her, a fish had been placed there while Yuki had been talking. The  fish was injured, a cut ran along the side of its scaled body, crimson slowly soaking the table as the fish flopped around. 

Hikari took a deep breath, focusing chakra to her palms. A greenish glow started to form around her hands, a sign her chakra had entered her focused points. She held her hands above the fish's cut, focusing on healing the broken tissue and stopping the bleeding. C'mon Hikari, you can do this! She focused even harder on the fish, a bead of sweating running down from her forehead. As the fish continued flopping on the table, the cut along its side was slowly repairing itself and connecting back together, thanks to the help of Hikari's medical ninjutsu. Once the cut had scabbed over, she picked up the fish and put it back in a big bowl of water where it would then be carried back to the fish tank, for these fish were used over and over again for training. 

"I did it Yuki!" She exclaimed with a grin, turning her head to glance at her mentor. Yuki smiled widely at her, showing Hikari that she thought she had done excellently. A man, a Leaf shinobi, ran into the room, holding a scroll. Apparently it was for Hikari regarding a mission from the Hokage. Me? Why am I being summoned to go on a mission? With who and for what? She could not comprehend why a low Genin like herself would be asked to go on a mission, unless it was because of her Byakugan and the 360 degree vision.

She unrolled the scroll, her eyes skimming the page as she read it. An A ranked escort mission for a friend of a feudal lord, and to the village hidden in the cloud! I have never been there, but I think this will be a great opportunity for me! I will not let the Hokage down! "Sorry Yuki, I have been summoned to go on a mission! We will have to continue my training when I get back!" She waved to Yuki as she ran out of the room, heading to the village gates to meet the two other shinobi accompanying her on the mission. I hope these ninja are nice, and that the feudal lord's friend isn't mean. I wonder if we really will get attacked...If we do get attacked I hope they are weak shinobi, otherwise I may not be of any help, even with all my taijutsu and ninjutsu techniques...


Hikari made it to the village gates with incredible timing, not needing to head home to get anything as she had all her gear with her. She spotted one shinobi leaning against the village doors while the other was training just outside the doors, for one had been left open. She walked over to them, standing a little bit in front of both doors.

"Salzem, Cole! Are you guys accompanying me on the A rank escort mission?" She didn't think they would have any other reason to be there, but she guessed they could have been going on a completely different mission together. I wonder when the feudal lord's friend will arrive and if he is the type to make a grand entrance or if he decided to play down the royalty and all, since he must know he could be a target it he requested to have ninja escorts. I guess we will see.


[WC: 701] [Level 1 Basic Medical Ninjutsu learned! ^^]

Salzem smiled as Hikari and Cole came into view. He would wave to them, eager to get this mission started. The sooner they got it done, the sooner they could all head home and not have to worry about some feudal lord's friend. As everyone drew into view, Zeevalfora's camouflage disengaged. Six of her long, blue hairy legs wrapped around Salzem's chest and stomach, her two fore-legs wrapped over Salzem's shoulders like the straps of a Book-bag. Her cephalothorax, followed by her abdomen faded into existence. A giant Blue tarantula sat on Salzem's back, content as a cucumber. Her slow rhythmic breathing pressing against his back.

And where do you think you are going...? The blue spider yawned in his mind. It appeared as if she had just woken up from a nap.

"We are going to escort another into country." Salzem whispered to his spider. If she were not on his back, he would swear that all six of her eyes would be rolling. Before she could say anything else, Salzem would speak up to Hikari's question.

"We are indeed." Salzem said. Hikari was his closest friend, in his mind. Sure he hadn't known her as long and hadn't trained with her as much, but.... he didn't know, That's just the way he was. Seeing that everyone was here Salzem decided to speak up.

"Seeing as we are all here, I'd like to let you all in on something: This mission is going to be dangerous. It is very likely that many missing ninja will be after the Man we are escorting. We will likely be under attack... more than once. I trust you both with my life. I only hope that you feel the same."  No sooner than he had finished talking, another voice, not of his spider, and not of Hikari or Cole. This one seemed to be older, male and more slurred.

"Nice speech. For an ape." Zeefalvora burst out laughing. Salzem glared at the new comer, stumbling up behind Cole and Hikari with a bottle in his hand. "Might be good for getting a mate." Zeefalvora's breath picked up as her laughter increased, body now thumping against Salzem's back. Salzem glared at the man and opened his mouth to speak. The man spoke first.

"I'm the one you should be escorting." He  said entering the group. "And If I'm going to be escorted by children, I should let them know how little faith I have in them." He took another swig of his bottle. If Hikari and Cole didn't respond hostile to this old man, Salzem would snarl, getting his rage under control before walking off into the forest. 

"Lets get this over with." Salzem would say.

Oh, man! The spider laughed. You just got planted, monkey! The spider's laughter came to a sudden stop. She must have found within Salzem's mind that if she said another word, he would break her legs.

Cole was standing by the gate when Hikari made it. Cool he would probably be on this mission with her as well. He had already noticed sal jumping down to stand in front of the gate, and cole would make his way over to stand beside Hikari he figured that Sal would be team leader with him being the higher ranking ninja among them. He hadn't seen Hikari in a while and he wondered just how much stronger she had became. The last time he saw her she was still in the academy and he helped her work on the fireball jutsu, and he figured that she had to have gotten a good bit stronger being given an A rank mission. To join cole and Sal on.

"Salzem, Cole! Are you guys accompanying me on the A rank escort mission" Hikari would ask?
"We are indeed." Sal would say before cole could say anything.
“so how have you been Hikari” cole would ask her after sal finished speaking. He had seen sal just they other day when they trained on sals birthday.

Then cole heard someone it was Sal or Hikari the voice was wrong. It was some guy that cole had never seen before. "I'm the one you should be escorting." He said entering the group. "And If I'm going to be escorted by children, I should let them know how little faith I have in them." He would say after taking another swig from his bottle.

Cole didn't like this guy and he didn't like how he spoke to them like they was untrained, and didn't know what they was doing. Cole knew the people on the team and they should work perfect. They Hikari a med ninja with great sensory abilities due to her byakugan. Then they had Sal who cole had never meet someone that had greater taijutsu skill. Plus they had cole who could back up sal with ninjutsu and fight from a range. While sal fights up close, and Hikari bouncing back and forth between her fire style and gentle fist.

Knowing all of this cole wanted to punch the guy for what he said about them, but he knew better. He held his anger in not saying anything to the man, but he couldn't help but give the man a stare that told him what he was feeling.

(WC-396 TWC-805)

Hikari was glad to know that two of her friends were going on the mission with her and not two complete strangers that would look down on her for being a Genin. She was also glad that Salzem was their leader, as she trusted his decision making skills more than she would an unfamiliar Chuunin. However, as Salzem's spider decided to come into view with its legs wrapped around him, she shivered a little bit. She wasn't scared of spiders, but just the idea of such a gaint spider crawling around with its large teeth coated with venom gave her goosebumps. I guess Salzem really likes spiders if he made one a familiar. As long as his spider friend doesn't try to eat me, we will be good! I don't mind spiders after all, as long as they don't kill me haha.


She turned her attention to Cole as he started speaking, asking how she has been. With a cheery smile across her lips, she energetically replied, "I have been great Cole! You will not believe all the jutsu I have mastered since I have become a Genin! How have you been?" She could not wait to tell Cole, and even Salzem,about her latest accomplishments in training. She figured Cole would love to know that she had mastered one of her clan's taijutsu moves while she also figured Salzem would love to hear about her starting basic medical ninjutsu, since he himself was a medical nin.

Then Salzem started talking about their mission, and Hikari's hypothetical guesses were coming true. So we really will be attacked and possibly even multiple times! A-at least we are a group of strong shinobi! And don't worry Salzem, I trust both of you guys with my life as well! But now that I think about it...I've never met a missing nin before, nor have I ever even seen one! Are they evil and mean like people make them out to be? At the sound of a new voice entering the scene, her ears perked up. The voice was slurred and masculine, belonging to none other than the feudal lord's friend whose name was still unknown. He walked up behind Cole and Hikari, and started lashing out insults at the group: calling Salzem a ape for his 'speech' and saying that he had little faith in 'children' protecting him, even if they were above the age of a child.

Unfortunately this prude of a man is a jerk. Not only that, but I can smell the alcohol on his breath from here! I never expected to be escorting a drunkard! She thought to herself, eyes narrowed at the man. She bit back her words, knowing that this man was a client of the Leaf and a friend of a feudal lord. They were assigned to protect him, not be the cause for his demise, no matter how rotten of a man he was. Hikari had no tolerance or patience for rude people, like this man, even if he held some importance in the village she would set him straight if he tried anything or said something that crossed the line. 

Salzem motioned for them all to start heading out, not giving them any orders -as of yet- to their formation positions to have the upmost security for the man. She decided it would be best to be at the end of the line, if they were to follow a line the whole time. Hikari waited until both Cole and the man followed behind Salzem before she started walking, making sure the back was protected. They would leave the gates and head into the forest, where her Byakugan would come in handy to protect them from attacks behind them, that most ninja would be surprised by. However, she would wait to activate her Byakugan until given the order to by Salzem.

[WC: 1,346]

"Drunkards. Why a Drunkard...?" Salzem mumbled to himself. Salzem would say nothing until they were a good ways down the road from Konoha. He noticed that Hikari had hung back to protect the Drunken creep.

A wise decision...Salzem thought. She looked to have gotten much stronger since their last meeting. Salzem had noticed how uncomfortable Hikari was around Zeefalvora. She noticed it to and Salzem knew Zeefalvora would be all too inclined to say something so before Zeefalvora could say anything that would compromise their friendship, Salzem looked back at Hikari,a small smile on his face.

"Hey, Hikari, could you please look around with your Byakugan? Tell me if you see anyone." He would then mouth the words "Get ready" At Cole before continuing their walk down the road. He thought he had sensed something amongst these trees. Maybe he had, maybe he had not. They would find out momentarily.

"You d-don't think w-we'll run into any ninja, do you..?" The man seemed to have sobered up. Amazing how fear does that do you. Salzem flicked his eyes back towards the man, eyes disdainful.

"We might." Salzem said, eyes flicking back to the road.

"Well, do you think you can handle them!?" He said, eyes wide, voice raised. Salzem had little patients so he only responded with another two word answer.

"We might." And then, regardless of any more questions the old not-so-drunk drunkard might have, Salzem would return his attention to watching the tree line that bordered the road, and the road itself.

Walking through the gates cole would answer Hikaris question. She had asked him how he was doing but they was interrupted by the person that cole felt they should just let die. If they was attacked, but he knew that he couldn't do that. Nor was it something that he didn't think he could ever do. He was given this mission, and he wanted to see it through. Turning his attention back to Hikari “ive been good trained with sal their a few times since I helped you, and i've learned all kinds of new jutsu. Maybe ill get to show you some if we get attacked” cole would tell Hikari. “but I better get back in position. I don't know if you seen it but sal's pretty scary when he get mad” he would add as he picked up the pace to walk beside the drunkard, and he smelled with it. Cole knew that this wouldn't be a good thing the smell of alcohol could probably be smelled hundred meters in any direction. He would think to himself.

Cole heard Sal tell Hikari "Hey, Hikari, could you please look around with your Byakugan? Tell me if you see anyone." followed by “Cole get ready” at the sound of Sal tell him to get ready. Cole hand started to twitch he had never seen real battle before. Life or death is what it was going to be out here. Plus they had a disadvantage in the drunk they was protecting. They couldn't even yell at him to hide they would be able to smell him out, and cole didn't know if he could kill someone, but then it hit him, and the nervousness stopped. His focus came back he at that point he knew that he could kill someone. Not to protect the drunk but to protect his friends Hikari and Salzem.

With that cole started to prepare he focused his wind chakra into his right hand. His hand would glow slightly due to the chakra focused their but other then that no one could see what he was doing. What would be the point of a wind sword if other people could see it easily he thought to himself. He would hold the chakra and have the jutsu ready for the moment that they was attacked he could create the blade. While he walked and waited for Hikari to give either they all clear or a direction. Cole would join sal in watching the tree lines. Except he would watch they other one that sal was at the time and switch with. So that someone was always watching one or they other.

(WC-443 TWC-1248)

Hikari liked her position in the back, it let her look all around her at the scenery, checking for enemies of course. So this is what it is like outside the village. It's so pretty! I want to go on missions like this all the time! She had always wanted to travel and explore, having never known what the outside world held and the beauty it possessed, even if there would be ninja that would attack them at any given moment. There were flowers on the ground that were exotic to her, birds chirping melodies her ears have never heard. Everything was so exciting to her. Then she heard Salzem talk to her, asking her to use her Byakugan to detect anyone. Heh, if anyone is here they won't be ambushing us! Those losers. 

Her white eyes grew pulsing veins around the corners, a sight that freaked many out. She looked behind them, being able to see a mile away. Nothing but animals there. Then she looked to both sides of them, but still no hiding ninja. The last place she looked was in front of them. There! I see three people, but they aren't ordinary civilians walking through the forest, if that is a thing. Before she said anything she also sent out her chakra, using her chakra sensory skill to making sure her Byakugan did not miss anyone hiding. When she was clear that no one was immediately going to attack them, she finally spoke up.

"Salzem, Cole. There are three ninja a mile away in front of us. However, they are planning an ambush, because they have one of them lying on the ground, presumably trying to act dead. The other two are hiding in the two trees above the first one. I think they are hoping that we would be clueless and try to save the first one, leaving us wide open for the second. I have an idea, but your say is final Salzem. I do not know if they have also trapped the place, I didn't see any paper bombs but they could have wired the place up or something like that. Would it be possible to send in clones, that way it would trigger any traps they had while also drawing them out of their ambush spots, thus leaving them wide open for our ambush?" She was not sure that her idea was a good one, nor if it would work. She also didn't know if Salzem, or Cole, already had a plan in mind that was more effective than her own.
 
Hikari had not forgotten the drunkard was there. She had heard what he had whined to Salzem about while she looked around with her Byakugan, seeming to be wanting their help now that he could get killed. She had smirked at his cries, finding it laughable that he would change positions so quickly from a snobby rich man to a frightened child needing protection. He figured out he wasn't so high after all.

[WC: 1,848]

Three ninja huh...?  Salzem craned his neck and drew one of his swords, the keyblade Olympia. He dropped back and grabbed the old drunkard by the collar of his old, raggedy coat.

"Listen here. You are going to stay quiet, and you are going to stay still. We will deal with these ninja and be back in a minute." The man silently nodded, not aware that he had dropped his bottle. Salzem let him go. He liked Hikari's Idea of the clones tripping the potential trap, however, a clone was just an illusion. It held no substance beyond what was already visible.

"No... I like your plan Hikari, but...." Then he remembered Cole's water clones. He turned to Cole.

"If possible, please create 4 water clones, one for each of us and shape them into our likenesses. Please send them forward to spring their trap. If necessary, tail your clones from the tree line." Salzem then looked at Hikari.

"Sorry to trouble you with this, but please stay close to the old man, will you?"

"Hey... I'm no-" The old drunkard started, but Salzem had already moved on.

"I will sneak around the trap, catching them from behind." If everyone agreed to the plan, Salzem would jump into the trees silently, stepping onto and off of the larger branches deftly, avoiding making any noise. He had found the trap. Through the small branches and leaves, he could make out a smaller, lankier ninja hiding amongst the brush, kunai in hand, ready to throw. Below him, was a rather large, brawny ninja holding what seemed to be a large iron club in his hands. He was hidden behind a large log. Finally, the man face down in the dirt, pretending to be dead. His body moved slightly every couple of seconds. Having knowledge of the human body due to his medical training, Salzem was aware this was not a necrotic twitch or the movement of one wounded. This man was making small, subtle breaths, one slightly larger one when the smaller ones didn't provide enough air. Salzem waited for Cole's clone's to make their move and once the Missing Ninja had exposed themselves, Salzem would make his move.