Path to Jounin pt 1

Their battlefield being a rainforest allowed the advantage of being able to move around without having to be silent, the noise of various animals masked their movements. Sakana let out a sigh of relief as everyone fell into their assigned positions, with little trouble except for a small protest from Aramu, but Max was able to control that situation.
 
Since the moment the group walked through the door the Meijin was continually examining the area for new chakra signatures. In a slip second he panicked as Max’s signature disappeared from existence, he swung his head around faster than he should’ve. Even though Max stood standing Sakana couldn’t internally calm down, the situation suddenly become real to him. Another group of Kumo ninja hid in another part of the forest, ready to kill them. This wasn’t a test anymore, it was a test of survival. Max would go onto explain his reasoning for suppressing his chakra. No, no, you’re right. I’ll suppress mine now, how about a bit of warning before you disappear off the radar like that, okay buddy?” Anyone listening would be able to tell his tone displayed concern. He would ty to maintain his composure with his next words, “We’re sticking together, I don’t want any of you out of my sight, got it?” The three genin’s head would bob up and down, they knew he was serious.
 
Humid and sticky, those were the best words to describe the feel of the environment. It was the kind of weather that would make your clothes stick to your skin, if the two chuunin weren’t so conditioned then they might not have been able to endure the weight of their armor. Sakana looked towards the genin, his eyes were met with the sight of little droplets of sweat falling from their faces.
 
On top of all the heat Max inquired about if he should bring out his puppet. “You’re call man. I’ve never seen the puppet but if you think you’ll be stronger inside then I’d say go for it…. The conversation was cut short as screams echoed throughout the terrain, Sakana instinctively moved in front of the genin to put himself in the front even though the noise was far away. The chuunin tried formulating a strategy, but nothing came to him. “Anyone got a plan?” His question was half sincere but also just an act to buy his mind some time to think. Leadership wasn’t a quality that the Meijin often possessed but being thrown into a life or death situation could quickly change a person. He needed to take charge now, because if he didn’t there might not be a next time.
 
WC: 2,480

“Yeah, you are right. Sorry, Sakana.” Max would say, apologizing. He didn’t mean to worry Sakana, it was just an instinctual reaction to the situation we were in. Being able to limit your opponents capability of detecting you aided in stealth and therefore survival. It is easier to hunt prey that are out in the open and easy to see. Max would agree with Sakana’s decision about sticking together wholeheartedly. It would make keeping everyone safe a lot easier.
 
Max would find himself sweating a great deal, the clothes clung to his body in various places. While this place was beautiful, it made plenty of sense for why it was used for this test. The environment itself was a weapon against us and a test of our survival capabilities. Prolonged exposure to these conditions along with lack of food and water would quickly kill anyone that was foolish enough to stay here. The proctors didn’t say that there was a time limitation, but it was clear by these conditions that one was in play.
 
Sakana would say that it was up to Max on whether or not he brought out Dread Knight, but before the young blonde could come up with a decision a booming, echoing voice could be heard throughout the arena calling them out and challenging them. “Well, that is one way to go about finding the other group” Max would say with a small chuckle. The confidence that their opponent showcased was almost amazing. It was clear (at least to Max) that this guy was as clueless about them as they were of him, else he wouldn’t challenge such capable people with that kind of arrogance.
 
Max’s immediate thought would be to just go and pummel this boisterous shinobi, but that might have just been Napa’s influence taking its toll on the boy. The telepathic voice of Napa would whisper in his head, telling him that he should rip this enemy limb from limb. Disembowelment for his insolence.
 
Max would summon Dread Knight, entering into the massive puppet and activating its ocular systems. The puppet was 18 feet tall, 6 feet wide, and covered in tattered robes. It’s sickly, pale white skin and lifeless eyes stared into the distance. The stench of death and decay was particularly strong in the heat of the jungle like setting, but Max wasn’t bothered by it as it was something he was accustomed to. The genin likely did not enjoy the smell, and Sakana might not have expected it either, though he has dealt with Max’s puppets before and knew well what they were made of… decaying flesh.
 
“This fool seeks to meet his end, so be it. He will beg for his life before our might!” Max would say to Sakana telepathically, though there was something off about his voice and how he was speaking. Napa was tainting the boys mind, and allowing his own bloodlust to drive Max into a frenzy of rage.
 
Unless Sakana told him to stop, he would ready himself to dash towards the voice and end this event with haste. Max could use another voice of reason right now, one to help pull him from the depths of his own mind.

WC:536

They talked a big game, but they would not attack. Minutes would pass and nobody would show up. "Damn cowards" The jounin prospect would think to himself as he cracked his neck in reaction to the stiffness standing here had caused him. The sibling genin behind him would get a good laugh out of it, not realizing the danger of an enemy who refuses to show themselves. But Kiyo and Yur were smarter than that.

The situation made them uncomfortable. Kiyo would have preferred to bring the fight to them, but given this was a forest and they had refused to give away their position, he had no way to locate them. "Fuck" He'd say through clenched teeth as his head was on the swivel, scanning sections of the forest. All the while one hand would rest on the hilt of bone splitter, his massive broadsword.

He'd give them a few more moments, and if they still refused to show themselves. He would be going hunting. "You three, keep your eyes open and your head on the swivel, none of you are dying here today" The command would be met with three swift nods, and he'd feel a slight sense of relief, the genin were an obedient little batch at the very least.

The ball was in the opponents court, considering they where the only ones who knew the location of the enemy

Sakana’s method of going into a fight involved taking your time, evaluating the opponent before attacking. Apparently, Max did not share this mindset as he instead charged off into the distance. God damnit, it is too hot to be running through a swamp. The thought raced through his mind while he went to follow Max.
 
The children, there wasn’t enough time for them to form a strategy and the Meijin couldn’t bear to let them charge along side the two. He grabbed his drawing sheet and quickly scribbled down a hawk that started to form at a speed of eighty. “KIDS, jump on the bird. It’s going to follow close behind, under no circumstances are you permitted to get off it, understand?” Once the genin were on the bird it would follow behind them at it’s max speed.
 
As they dashed into the distance Sakana briefly reached up to his back to grab his katana but decided to leave it inside it sheathe, water techniques would probably work better under the circumstances. Assuming they would approach the enemy, the chuunin would follow Max’s lead.
 
 
AP: 625
-45 for bird
580

Max was no longer in the driver seat it would seem, the violent tendencies of Napa fueling an insatiable rage within him. There weren’t a lot of opportunities for the clone to take control, and it took a great deal of time to chip away at the mental defenses of poor Max. Napa wanted Max to reach his full potential, and the only way he could do that was if he tapped into the clones mindset. This world was one where the strongest survived… no the strongest THRIVED while the weaker fell to their knees. All the great shinobi crushed all those that dared oppose them, flaunting their power to the weak and keeping them in line with threats of death or worse.
 
Napa wanted Max to thrive in this world.
 
The now raging Chuunin would continue to dash through the dense vegetation, it easily being crushed beneath the massive puppet. There in some places there was limited room, but the powerful puppet fueled by Max’s chakra was more than capable of simply uprooting the trees that were in his way. Nothing seemed to be able to stop the Dread Knight as it made its way towards where the sound was that called them out. The location of someone that thought they were the boys greater, or perhaps even equal. Such a thought brought a disturbing smile to the face of young Max, as he imagined the usefulness of this exercise. Not only would he showcase what he was capable of, but he may also get the opportunity to add yet another corpse to his undead army.
 
…The army that would bring down his foes…
 
Speaking of an army, Max would bring out two of his Rotting Corpse Undead Puppets, along with his Skeleton Puppet and of course Stein. The last time he used Stein he realized how dangerous using the puppet could be, but this wasn’t a spar with friends. No, this was a mission where his life was on the line. If they weren’t careful the enemy would cut him and his team down without hesitation.
 
“Mercy is for the weak, boy…” Would be heard whispering through his head.
 
Max would find the big mouthed target, standing out in the open clear as day, his three genin clearly near him. He obviously didn’t want to be stealthy, or hide from his adversaries. How… foolish… Max could sense the bloodthirsty urges of Napa.

“Those Genin are weak, but they could prove to be a problem if you aren’t careful. It may be best to simple end their miserable lives now.” The clone would say, speaking to Max in a way that would be more likely to sway the boy. Simply telling him to kill them served little purpose, but ending a threat before it became a problem made sense, and was something the boy could justify to himself. Still, he had no desire to kill them. They were genin, barely out of the academy it would seem. They had their whole lives ahead of them, hopes and dreams abundant. But Max had his own desires, his own goals to achieve. He would reach those goals, no matter the cost. That’s what he has told himself, over and over again.
 
The area wasn’t particularly filled with vegetation, though the area was surrounded by trees. It would seem as though this adversary found a decent clearing about 50 meters in diameter, a lone tree sitting in the center of the clearing. It was strange, but this seemed to be just about the center of the whole training area. The Chuunin adversary was on the Eastern tree line, standing tall on a branch. He wanted a fight, and so Max would bring one to him. Max would pop out of the jungle from the Southern side only 25 meters from his enemy, now standing 8 meters into the clearing from that original position facing his opponent.
 
The boy stood there, his small army of the dead beside him in varying positions. Stein was 5 meters away to Knights left, the skeleton 5 meters away on his right. The Rotting Corpse Puppets lead the front, each 10 meters away from the knight in front of him, and 4 meters away from one another.  Max would signal to the target, simple putting the large hand of Dread Knight up, pulling back the four fingers in a “bring it” motion, signaling that he wanted to fight. “Only one group can move forward. Let us see if you are ready to call yourself a Jounin, boy.” Max would say out loud using Ventriloquism. Such a thing was very much what Napa would say, not so much Max.
 
The two puppets in the lead would dash forward, testing just how capable this man was. They were expendable, should he prove to be a capable opponent. They would dash toward the man, their shivs ready to pierce right through his heart if given the chance. Stein and the skeleton held back, seeing how the man would react to the first assault.

WC:843
TWC:4566

AP: 1107 - 30 (Stein's Stench of Death activation) - 5 (Ventriloquism) = 1072 AP left

"You know I don't quite like the way you're talking to me!"

Kiyo would shout to the gross undead army approaching in his direction, before his hand instinctively clutched at the kunai in his weapons pouch, it was probably for the best that he not let the damn things get to close before he knew what this man was capable of, so he'd target a single one of the puppets, unleashing a volley of 3 kunai in its direction while the two puppets and himself were 15 meters apart. 1 kunai would be aimed for its center mass intentionally set to rip through the center of its stomach this center kunai had an explosive tag trailing behind it primed and ready to explode at a moments notice, the other two aimed about a foot to either side of the same puppet the first was aimed at, at the same height and traveling in unison with the first carried no explosive tag. These two extra kunai would prevent the puppet from dodging to the side.

Assuming the first puppet was dispatched by the fatal blow to its stomach, Kiyo would stand waiting for the last of the remaining two puppets to finish its charge, much prefering the idea of battling one compared to the two.

The kunai were on a trajectory to hit the puppets at about the 11 meter mark, and as they landed kiyo would yell to his opponent.

"COME ON, SHOW ME WHAT YOU CAN DO!"

(All actions happened at maximum speed and power unless otherwise stated)
Justu used: none
AP remaining: 400

Kiddo stats cuz I realized I never gave them any:

150/2=75+40=115 Throwing speed
150/4=37+50 = 87 sharpness

Running straight into the battle without a combined plan probably wasn’t the greatest idea but Max wasn’t use to leading a team so he didn’t fault him for it. This was the first official battle Sakana was participating in. He didn’t know his fighting style yet, but he didn’t think trying to use brute force against an enemy he knew nothing about was the way to go. His partner was lucky since he fought at a distance, the Meijin would have to get in close to attack. As he followed Max towards the sound he kept looking back to the genin that now sat atop the bird; it was trailing behind them since it couldn’t keep up with their top speeds but it was still within eyesight of the chuunin. Not wanting the kids to be alone Sakana signed the tiger handseal and created two water clones to follow behind him, they would run just fast enough to never be more than 20 meters behind him.
 
As soon as they found the enemies Max charged in with two of his puppets, Sakana was a solid five meters behind Max since he didn’t want the blond hair boy to worry about Sakana getting caught in the cross fire. He was stood behind a tree peering out at Max controlling his puppets. Even though they were in a forest Sakana wanted to further the terrain conditions to suit him, he would sign the seals necessary for rain tiger at will and then rain would start to fall in the area. The boy sensed nine total people in the area, his own team as well as the team of his enemy. He wouldn’t be taking any actions at the moment but he would have his hands up ready to strike if needed.
 
AP: 580
-          20 upkeep for bird
-          20 for water clone
-          40 for RTAW
All actions done at max speed and all that fun stuff

The puppet targeted by the kunai would continue its dashing, using the foot of space between the kunai to shift to its side and glide through the opening sideways, allowing the kunai to harmlessly pass by. Considering the puppets emaciated body, such a feat was not beyond it considering the area the kunai was aimed at (center mass or roughly the bottom of the stomach based on average center of mass for humans). The kunai would then fly harmlessly into the ground as they continue their trajectory.
 
The puppets (or puppet singular if the attacked one is dispatched) would then continue the charge, reaching the opponent with haste as they cleared the remaining distance and dash up the tree to their prey.
 
Upon reaching striking range (within 0.5 meters) it would strike at the man’s chest with its shiv, aiming to pierce through his left breast and into the heart of the man as it thrust forwards. Considering the man only had a shirt to protect him, it would likely plunge through his flesh like butter should it connect (Speed: 112 Sharpness: 50).
 
The other puppet (if still functioning) would also get into range and strike at the man, stabbing at the man’s elbow (speed 112 Sharpness 50) from the side in an attempt to cripple the targets arm on the side where the man’s weapon was located. Should it connect, it would cause significant damage and make life miserable for the shinobi.
 
While this was happening Max would move towards the man while housed within Dread Knight, its speed at full and its lifeless eyes locked on the target. The speed of the behemoth was surprising, but Max was intent on ending this as quickly as possible. It wouldn’t be far behind the other puppets, moving in to converge on the swordsman and see what he was capable of. It would stand 2.5 meters away from the base of the tree and await an opening. Stein would be 3 meters to Dread Knights left while the skeleton would be equidistant on his right.

Max would activate Dread Knights Enhanced Optics and scan the area for targets to keep track of where everyone was. So long as they produced electrical signals within 100 meters of Max he could detect and "see" them. 

Jutsu and AP:
1072 AP
- 5 AP for Chakra Threads (since the update)
- 5 AP for Chakra Suppression Synergy (as per the update)
- 40 AP for Enhanced Optics: Electrical Sensory (See Dread Knight)
- 5 AP for Stein's Stench of Death upkeep

1017 AP left

OoC: Unlisteds are at full speed/power. You know the drill.

The enemy would seem to be stunned that their assault was disregarded, the speed of the puppets reaching him before he regained his senses. The forward thrust of the puppet would pierce into the chest of the would be Jounin, slicing through flesh and bone with ease before stabbing them in the heart. Their death would be swift, and likely without unneeded suffering. 
 
"How... disappointing," Max would think to himself completely unsure as to why this person expected any less from a Jounin candidate. The enemy genin would still remain, though, paralyzed with fear as their fearless leader was dispatched in but a moment. 
 
"I suggest you surrender. You are clearly outmatched by either of us Chuunin," Max would speak aloud through Ventriloquism. The genin would swiftly lay down their arms and be restrained. 
 
Now that there were no enemies hiding in the area, Max would quickly search for the target item (likely with the help of Sakana) until it was found. Once it was, they would turn it in and complete their task, awaiting their final grading to see if they can proceed to the next phase.


---Exit---


WC: 188
TWC: 5136 (only need 4000 to complete my half of the mission)


Claims:
Completion of A rank mission (and all associated rewards)


Other WC claims to be determined. 


OoC: Houring Both Komon and Sakana (with their permission no less) so that we can get the mission over with. Claiming lethal hits on the target.

Approved.