The Lost Team: Picking up the Trail

Mission Details:

“So, you’re sure they’re missing?” The voice of the redhead was stern and with a hint of worry in it, however it remained collected and didn’t allow the others in the room to feel his worry, lest it spread like wildfire, the same that consumed the Black Forest not to long ago.

“It all leads to that conclusion,” said Hino Keita, the ANBU operative that Kaito had been working with for the past few weeks. Without a leader in the house, the duo Hino Keita and Yamaha Shigetoki had taken to invite Kaito to assist with small issues that they personally didn’t wish to resolve, mostly because they weren’t combat oriented, but also because most issues were below their paygrade.

Kaito looked at the files one last time. The team consisted of a decorated team leader who might as well have been a war hero, for all the redacted information in their file, as well as two chunnin. “Nobody has redacted information in their files unless they’re special ops,'' mused the redhead, but he knew asking the duo in front of him for any information would be met with silence.

“I’ll look into this. Looks like a good place for my team to start from; by looking for other teams. Thanks lads.” The two lads nodded and waved Kaito goodbye.

Already atop a grey building, he awaited the arrival of his team members, summoned by an inconspicuous letter which didn’t offer much information at all other than the meeting’s location and his initials as the means of a signature. Kaito didn’t use his own signature, but it should be enough for his team members.

____________________________
WC: 274

Zento walked out of his house A normal day by the looks of it. Birds chirping, people heading to their day jobs, perfect weather. Zento closed his eyes taking a deep breath and releasing it. Peaceful day. He was happy to see that. Walking forward and seeing he had mail. Opening the letter and reading it. A gathering point? Waste of a day. Zento thought about ignoring it. Pretending he never saw the letter. But he was sure they would find him. Zento would go back into his house. If he had to go to some meeting, Zento might as well get his tools. Zento groaned and put the note in his pocket. Opening his door again and walking back out. It was quiet now. No birds singing. People off the streets, boring. Zento's face was pretty blank as he left his house. Reaching and grabbing the vague letter. Heading to the location he had too go to.

Walking down the roads, the man yawned a bit. Rubbing the back of his neck and looking for places to dive into and hide from the mission. But the places didn't catch his eye as he was walking. Day cares, hospital, markets for people who think because they shop their that they are saving the world or something. Zento didn't want to go to those places. He would make it slowly to his location. Finally being there. First one there though. Zento's face showing clear disappointment. He was hoping maybe he would have gotten there late and they would just do the mission without him. Let him enjoy the perfect weather in this day. He wouldn't say anything. Just finding a good place to sit down. He would wave over at the Jonin and mumble some kind of hello as he took a seat. Reaching into his bag. He would pull out just a simple sword handle without a blade. Something for him to practice his wraps on the handle. Taking his time on it. His focus on that and blocking the world out.

Zento would undo the wrap. Rubbing his fingertips along the wooden handle and reach for some sand paper. Lightly brushing it in very minor spots to smooth them out more. Closely examining the handle. Brushing the sandpaper to key points and blowing on it to remove the small shavings off the handle. Putting the sandpaper back and practicing his wraps again. Finishing it and giving it a final exam. Having a bit of a disappointed look on his face. He undid the wrap and started over He would pull out his fan and fan himself off. Taking a small break and looking around to see if anyone has shown up or any kind of development.

------

Word Count:457

Ghost would wake up from a very good nap. He has been training none stop as he himself had major plans. Yet only time will time about those plans. Ghost would smile as he got ready for the day. He was all set now as he knew things were going to get heavy like. Last night he rec a letter. He did not from who but it did say to meet his team some place. Ghost was more or so confused but happy that. His team finally was called upon for a new mission. Things were starting to get interesting to him.


Looking on he would grab his katana and make his way towards the location. It was a bright day nit even noon yet. He would wonder what they was going to be doing. This was going to be a crazy day indeed. Ghost would look up as he saw a bird flying high. Thinking to himself what would it be like to fly that high. Or to just fly away when one so deemed too. But it matter not as he was soon close to the destination at hand. Taking out his water bottle. He would take a sip of it. He was now at the location and ready to meet every one. But look around he did not his team.


However he soon go up top to the roof. There he saw the leader and Zen. Waiting for his arrival. He would wave at them. "So what is this letter all about? Are we off on a mission?" Looking at Kaito as he asked the question.

Wc269

As his Alarm clock rung, Rayul laid in bed grunting loudly in his pillow as he was annoyed by the everlasting sound playing the device, signaling that it was time for him to get up. "Get that shit, yo...", he says, as he rolls over in bed, eyes still closed as he hoped to catch a few more Zs. The weight of the bed shifted as a beautiful, dark-toned lady with her hair in a natural Afro arose from the other side of the bed, wrapping the cover that warmed them both during their slumber around her as she shuffled across the room to silence the alarm. As she pressed snooze, she turns her head back towards the bed where Rayul was, smacking her teeth as if the presence of the lazy man pissed her off. She picked up a slipper from beside the dresser the alarm was placed, and hurled it at Rayul's head, causing him to hit it against the wall he was facing. "Get up, nigga. You was supposed to leave last night, you know my boyfriend returns from his mission today.", she barked at Rayul. He wasn't supposed to be here, but to be honest, he himself forgot he was even here. Last night, he met a fellow Kumo resident named Mika, and after spending some time showing her around, he himself stopped by a bar. One too many shots of Saki led to other things, and eventually, he found himself wandering the streets late night with a group of girls. He was so wasted that he couldn't make it home, and luckily, one of the women found his new-profound face tattoos rather attractive, and offered him a place to lay his head for the night, as long as that was his only intent. Luckily for him, she fell back on her word about "only staying the night", which is why he found himself inside her bed, rather than the couch.


"Girl, what the fuck!", he said, as the minor pain caused from hitting his head woke him up fully. He sat in the middle of the bed staring the woman down, who was standing there with her arms crossed. "You gots to go...I'm not finna get caught up with you, boy.", the brown 'vixen' stated, moving around the room as she gathered any belongings of Rayul into a small tote-bag. The Uchiha finally got up, and reaching down at the foot of the bed, he stepped one foot at a time into his boxers, shuffling up his legs as he positioned them correctly around his waist. He grabbed his pants from beneath the bed as well, and slid them on. He looked around for his shoes, but assumed that they were inside the living room. As he walked outside of his room, he snatched the bag from the girl's hand, still pissed that she threw a fucking shoe at him to wake him up. "Tell yo boyfriend he's a bitch", Rayul joked as he slipped on a shoe that was beside the couch in the living room, as he assumed. As he walked outside of the door of her home, he turned around and looked at the naked woman, staring her up and down before he made another smart remark. ",and that head was TRASH, lil momma. Do better!", he laughed as he walked out her door, leaving it open. He continues out of her yard and along the street, heading back home to see if anything 'exciting' awaited him.

Once he was home, he was greeted by his aunt with a letter addressed to him. He raised a brow, just as she did as she wondered why her nephew showed up half naked, but his reason was different. He wanted to know why he was even still getting mail nowadays. He thought he had changed his mailing address at HQ, which he was certain he did, but this speculation also is what made him know the letter was of importance. Whoever sent the letter had to know Rayul personally, and upon investigating the contents, it was yet another letter from Kaito, his Team Leader. A small grin formed on his face as he finished reading the details half-way. He read the location he was to report to, and shoved the document in his pocket, as he already knew that whatever he'd be doing, it would most certainly be more fucking fun than waking up in some random female's house. Kissing his Aunt on the cheek, he throws on a shirt from inside his home before heading back out, taking out in a sprint towards the location marked.

He had slowed down to walk half way before reaching the destination, and upon arrived Rayul realized that he was late to the party. Zento, Ghost, and Kaito of course were already present, and seemed to be chatting up about something. Zento was sharpening some piece of wood, but remembering the skills the guy showed on their last mission together, he dared not ask for a demonstration on whatever he was preparing. Rayul's presence is made known whenever he comes into view of Kaito, who at the time was talking to Ghost. "So what is this letter all about? Are we off on a mission?" was all he heard from the man he called him brother, assuming he was questioning the reasoning behind getting the letter as well. Rayul broke his silence as he spoke to the group. "I hope it's a mission... I've got a nasty hangover that I need to train off.", he says as he begins to stretch his body, loosening all the tension built up from the walk he had earlier.
----------------------
WC: 947

Zento looked up listening to what the team leader had to say. Putting away his practice handle and got to his feet. Grabbing the scroll being tossed to him and opening it up and reading it. Zento would do his best to remember the address and then thinking on how to destroy the scroll. Zento reached into his back pouch and pulled out a paper bomb. He didn't have a lighter or any fire elements himself. And doing a light reflection with water would be weird and take a while. This seemed more exciting to him anyways. He slapped the paper bomb to the scroll and took aim into the sky. Thinking and then jumping up to a tree and going to a tall branch. Jumping up and throwing it as high up in the air as he could and then fall back to the ground. Making sure there was a very safe distance between them and the paper bomb as it exploded. Destroying the scroll and giving a nice little show for everyone. Zento landed on the ground and rolled. Feeling very confident before his sudden stop with his knee bashing into the tree. "JESUS FUCK THAT'S MY KNEE! FUCKING CHRIST! WHY DID NO ONE STOP ME?!" Rolling around a bit holding his knee. Pointing to the sky as if he was pointing at the team. "You could have stopped me! But you DIDN'T! FFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUCK!" Zento getting to his feet and dusting his leg a bit. 

Zento walked over to the man who would be escorting him or something to the targeted location down town. Acting as if he never bashed his knee or was hurting at all. Zento quickly put his arm around Hikaru's shoulders. "Alright, So. We going to be heading down town we gotta look the part. First, we need to get black leather coats. Get a bandanna to show you're tough. Maybe chew a toothpick or something while you flip a coin. These are some high rollers. You gotta sell this shit kid. All on your tab of course for the two of us. Thank you for the donation. First though, lets get something to eat. My treat." Zento said reaching for his back pocket and patting around. Giving a bit of a laugh. "Well, how about you cover the meal this time and I got the next two times huh?" Clicking his tongue and pointing at Hikaru with the hand not over his shoulder with his thumb pointing up and then bending down to act like he was firing a weapon at him but instead it was just his hand.

Listening on to their new mission it was about time. He had taken a small break but now he was an k and ready to do what he needed to do. Taking the scroll he would open it up. Looking over it a smile would come upon his face.ooking on he could tell things were starting to get hot. Could a battle be in the works. Ghost would look up at the sky and wonder why his team was called in for such a task. It was clear the village was starting to see this group as a sort of task force. After all the AB Combo was on it. Now to mention the other three whom was monsters in their own rights. Ghost would look. On as he knew what needed to be done. Looking on at Rayul he would throw the scroll at him. With fast action none the less. 


"Looks like we got to go pay a visit to this place. Hopefully it will be a get in and out type of operation. I would hate for it to be anything else. Ghost would smile as he would head off assuming Rayul was behind him. Walking toward the address Ghost curiosity would get the best of him. "So Ray do you think this missing team went Missing In Action on purpose? Or is this a big misunderstanding on our part. I mean come to think of it we are not the only ones to form a special force here." he would ask this wondering Rayul thoughts on the matter.  

Wc531

Rayul sobered up real quick being told that he'd be going on some form of a scavenger hunt. A task like this would surely need his full attention, something he'd lack while still under the influence of countless shots of Sake. Ghost had tossed him a scroll that contained some coordinates, according to Kaito. They were to remember the address, then dispose of the scroll. He guessed this was to prevent anyone other than themselves from knowing where they were going, which was smart. As he opened the scroll up, his Sharingan manifested as the scroll reached its full length. Using his eyes, he ran the location through his head multiple times, forcing his brain to remember it as quickly as he could. They say it takes the human mind 7 times of seeing something before they remember it. Less if you're an Uchiha, of course. He rolled the scroll up when he was finished with it, knowing that his partner had all the information he needed already. While holding the scroll in his hand, he kneaded his chakra into fire, allowing a small burst of combustion to form in his hand as the scroll was set ablaze and burned.

Ghost had asked him what he thought about the team that had gone missing. They had wondered if they went missing on purpose, or if indeed it was a troubling matter of kidnapped Kumo shinobi. "Honestly,", Rayul said as he and Ghost prepared themselves to depart, "they probably were tryna finesse themselves some extra cash with the wiring stuff, or they ended up owning an outside source. There isn't much reason for someone to just 'leave' Kumogakure. Then again, they probably chose to leave like this to avoid having to go through the correct way of revoking their citizenship.". To be frank, Rayul didn't care if they went missing or not. As of now, they were branded missing to them, and Rayul deemed them a threat to Kumogakure with the knowledge they had as long as they were not there. They must be brought back by any means necessary if not, they'd at-least need to gain clarity on the whereabouts of these people. They gotta find something, even if it's a couple of dead bodies when they arrive at the location. "I wonder what took them so long to form a team for this, though. This seems like some top-Jounin shit if you ask me.", Rayul pondered with his partner. He wasn't complaining about it, though. This was something he wanted as a Shinobi; to be seen as being capable of taking on such missions even at his current skill level. There was certainly room for improvement and growth, both of which would be present during this assignment. "Fuck it, man. Let's get this shit done my guy!" he told Ghost as the two embarked on their half of the journey.

[WC: 482]