A Shady Target

Previous Thread
The Yuki walked through the woods, with the other Konoha shinobi, Tadashi and Kizaru. It was about sundown and the Yuki didn't want to be working in the dark. However, they may have to, so Yoi was prepared for that as well. In this case, working in daylight would probably be a better scenario. Not knowing the layout of the Black One's base, the Yuki wouldn't want to be working in the dark, where they couldn't see as well.

The group seemed to be nearing the edge of the borders, as Yoi noticed something out of the corner of his eye. The merchant they had been trailing had taken a left. If Yoi had memorized the map correctly, there was no road there. Therefore, the man was going off the road. The Yuki, activating his quiet footsteps jutsu, tracked the man's chakra signature so he would know where to go if they started to follow the man. The Yuki whispered quietly to the others, "I think their base of operations is right up ahead. What do you guys want to do?"

The Yuki, using the ring he had recently designed and purchased, quickly scrambled his chakra signature so any people sensing him would think he was someone else.

WC: 207
TWC: 1219

AP:
-2 from Quiet Footsteps
442 remaining

Links:
Chakra Sensory
Quiet Footsteps
Ring of Chakra Mastery (Flexible Chakra Signature used)

Tadashi made a quick trip back to his house before rejoining the group. This was due to the ginger needing to equip some of his trusty shinobi equipment, namely his tools, pouches, and Tsukumogami which were put on in their respective positions. Tsukumogami's hood and mask were momentarily sunken in the armor's mainframe, as there was no current use for both of them. It was technically, winter, but god, it was damn hot out; but he would be a fool to even think that Konoha wouldn't be warm in the winter. Nevertheless, the Namikaze would be ecstatic if he got the chance to try out Jubaku, his newly crafted sword. He was told by his father that blacksmithing and crafting were duties of the Black Dragon Family and not one for the Royal Family to casually dabble in, yet the ginger couldn't care less. Creating a weapon, and a Mystic Code that a warrior could effectively rely on, was a form of satisfaction that was hard to achieve. The pure excitement of using his Mystic Code was amplified further by the fact that it was an S-rank mission against despicable people. Tadashi was not bound by his duty as a shinobi, rather, this was his duty as a Knight.

Though, the three Genin even doing an S-rank mission right now was an inconsistency within itself. Firstly, why would the Konoha Government ask two Genin ranked shinobi who were previously tortured in an A-rank mission to perform an S-rank mission? The fact that Konoha knew of Yoi and Kizaru's predicament said a lot about the village's current state. "Is Konoha lacking in that much shinobi that it would hire 2 crippled shinobi to do a high-level mission?" Tadashi thought. It was an intrinsic notion to behave cautiously in a high-ranking mission, amplified further if one was a low rank. Yoi and Kizaru were both inexperienced and dead-weight if the ginger were to be analytical. "What happens if something like Calin happens again? Would I be strong enough to protect them?" The Namikaze pondered once more. A surge of terror emanated through him. A glance at the two of the boys was more than enough to set Tadashi at the edge, wondering if he could defend the two. 

The rumination stopped once the group stopped at the edge of the borders, Yoi announcing that the Black Ones' base was close. The Namikaze's eyes squinted upon reflex, thinking carefully about their next step. Any incorrect step could be fatal, and it didn't help that there was an abundance of strong shinobi that could very well be Calin level lurking in a base. "Tch," Tadashi whispered to the two, "It appears that there are some high chakra values in that base over there." He proceeded to point at a dark warehouse about 100 meters in front of them. "We'll have to use Mind's Eye of the Kagura or some kind of variant to be able to accurately sense all of them." A pause.


"We can just split up, and enter the warehouse to swiftly defeat them. They seem around Chuunin to Jounin level by just chakra alone, so be extremely careful." The ginger calmly yet firmly whispered. "Kizaru, you know Earth Release right? Can't you submerge yourself underground and come back up? If possible, can you please do that straightforward towards the warehouse? You can do this!" The Namikaze asked. 

"Yoi, since you have a Ninjutsu specialty, can you do Mind's Eye of the Kagura to sense their whereabouts alongside me so we can properly situate ourselves? Or, do you not know how to do it? I can teach you quickly." 

Tadashi would patiently wait for either of their responses. 

WC: 716
Mission TWC: 3972/1666

Kizaru was feeling fine until they started to get close to the enemy base. It sort of all came rushing to him that he was in serious danger, yet again. He was glad the leaf took him in and he would he happy to repay that by working with them. Constantly throwing his life on the line for them was something else though. He had healed from Calin's attack, come back stronger from it even. But was he really ready for a mission like this?

Tadashi was clearly the strongest in the group, but Yoi is also gifted and skilled. The Puppeteer just wondered where he fit in to it all. Yoi let them know they were getting close and they stopped to plan out their next move. Tadashi suggested that Kiz head underground and enter the building from below and launch a surprise attack with his puppets.

"Y-yeah I can handle that." He said weakly. He picked up his voice a little more and tried to sound more confident, "I'll need some sort of signal once I'm in when you're ready to go. I'll drop as many as I can."

That was where he would fit in. He may be unsure of his skills as a shinobi at the moment, but his craftsmanship was solid. He could at the very least trust his puppets to perform as he designed them. This was what he spent all that time at his desk for. All the wasted sketches and crappy designs bore a few good ideas. Rake and Alucard would keep him safe while the other two worked their own angles.

Once they agreed on a signal Kizaru would sink into the ground and start making his way into the enemy territory. He gauged the distance it would be from where he started to the warehouse building. Once he was sure he was beneath the correct spot he would slowly poke his head up and get a look at his surroundings. He could see a few thugs from his spot but he was sure there were more. Nobody seemed to notice he was there, so they weren't all that alert.

'Must think the leaf hadn't caught on to them yet. Arrogant.' He thought. Kiz would sink back down and move a little bit from where he came up to a spot by a wall. Somewhere he could wait for the signal and still catch a few by surprise.

-20 Ap for Hiding Like Mole

280-20=260 AP

(WC 407)
(TWC 880)

The Yuki turned to Tadashi and said, "Mind's Eye of the what? Well, I don't know it. Just know some basic chakra sensory and that's all. I could learn it quickly. I'm assuming it would be a similar concept though."

"Kizaru's right. We need a signal. I've read about a common jutsu among puppetry users. It's called Ventriloquism or something. You could make your voice sound like it's outside the wall communicating towards us. But that's if you know the technique."

The Yuki really hoped that Kizaru knew the jutsu, otherwise the Yuki had no idea what to do.

WC: 101
TWC: 1320

I'm going to need to see a little more in order to claim a teaching bonus. as far as I need, he simply asked if you knew how to use it

Edited out claims

The ginger cautiously nodded towards Kizaru once he looked at the puppeteer's expression, trying to masquerade his uneasiness with a facade of confidence. Tadashi couldn't help but feel somberness towards Kizaru, especially since the two boys had to face a strong enemy not too long ago. To be forced into a mission with potentially more powerful enemies with a minimal interlude of recovery was a horrifyingly accurate depiction of a shinobi's fate. The Namikaze empathized with both Kizaru and Yoi, still remembering the atrocities of the Invasion of Sunagakure as if it happened only mere days ago. So, it was even more admirable to see the two performing at a relatively stable state as most shinobi would most definitely be shell-shocked. All Tadashi could hope for both Yoi and Kizaru was that their fear wouldn't resurface in full force because hesitation spelled defeat for shinobi.


"Let's hope that they're not too much of a hassle to deal with..." He sighed, ruffling his hair in response to the predicament. Once Yoi talked about Ventriloquism, Tadashi was intrigued. He remembered glancing upon the jutsu on his Jutsu Encyclopedia. "Yes, your assessment of the situation is correct, Yoi, but we cannot communicate back to Kizaru since we both don't have Ventriloquism..." A pregnant pause occurred as a silent smirk formed on the young teen's expression. "Perhaps...Yoi and I will both use our sensory techniques to pursue both yours and the targets' locations, and we won't be that far away. When it's time, I'll flash a burst of light with this piece of metal here." He pointed to Jubaku which was sheathed on his left hip. "When I do that, the battle commences. Is that ok or do you guys have something else better in mind?" He respectfully proposed. They didn't have much time until The Black Ones leave their current positions, so they would have to plan quickly.

The ginger blinked twice when he heard Yoi's response about not knowing Mind's Eye of the Kagura. "Hmm... Now how can I explain to sense harder? Isn't it supposed to come naturally to prodigies like him?" Tadashi ruminated in his thoughts for a short while before explaining. "Well... It's sorta like trying to think really hard on a hard question in an exam. Instead of letting chakra signatures come to you, taking the passive role like in Chakra Sensory, force chakra to come to you. It's more akin to taking an active role. It's the same concept, but different execution. Try practicing." He replied to Yoi. 

If they were both done with their preparations, Tadashi would turn towards the base, about to sprint just before Kizaru left. 

WC: 542
TWC: 1258
Mission TWC: 4214/1666

(Teaching Yoi Yuki, Mind's Eye of the Kagura for half WC.)

Kizaru waited nervously for the flash of light signaling the start of the attack. They were outnumbered for sure, but if they pulled off their surprise attack well enough, it could be over quick. Kizaru would be to the enemies backs, waiting with just his head above ground. He could see three targets in his immediate vicinity. One with a long sword on his back while the other two appeared unarmed. He began running over scenarios in his head for how he should proceed. If he attacked with both Alucard and Rake at the same time he could be able to drop all three before they react, but then he would be leaving himself exposed.

He needed to learn from his past mistakes. Chuta was able to get in close when they sparred, and Suzume was able to sneak right past his defenses. His puppets were strong but Kizaru himself was an easy target. He would need to keep Alucard close in case things got hairy. Rake would have to do the heavy lifting in this fight. As he thought about his moves, his legs began to ache. If only he had more time to recover from his injuries. This was no time to think about that however. The moment Tadashi sent up the signal it would be time to move. He couldnt afford to hesitate here.


-10 Ap for Hiding like Mole upkeep

260-10=250 ap
(WC 227)
(TWC 1107)

As Tadashi explained this jutsu to Yoi, it suddenly started to make sense. Yoi tried it out and was amazed by his new ability to sense chakra signatures. Now that the group was preparing itself, Yoi moved roughly 20 meters to the left, while still staying silent thanks to his Quiet Footsteps jutsu, and prepared to activate Freezing Aura. Yoi took a few deep breaths, calming himself. Yoi had never really done combat like this before. The only time he had encountered a Missing Ninja, he hadn't stood a chance. And all his other fights had been monitored, or they had been spars. Yoi managed to calm his nerves and was ready for the fight ahead.

WC: 116
TWC: 1436/1666

1250 words towards completely learning Mind's Eye of the Kagura with teaching discount above

AP:
442 to start
-4 from Quiet Footsteps (forgot to pay upkeep from last post)
-45 from Mind’s Eye of the Kagura (90 power)
-49 total
393 remaining

Links on stat page