Floodwaters & Tea [IO, Mission]

Don't Forget An Umbrella:

It has been three days since the typhoon swept across Kirigakure, knocking out power to the northern half of the village and leaving low-lying areas of the islands flooded and their buildings damaged. The most recent tropical storm season has been rougher on the village than usual. The damage to the massive artificial storm surrounding the village earlier in the summer has left it less able than usual to sap the strength of the typhoons that regularly sweep over Island Country.

Since the storm has hit, a terrible, chill drizzle has continued in its wake, slowing the retreat of the floodwaters. Cold fog clings to the village, soaking everybody not hunkering down in the warm indoors freezing to the bone.

Murata carefully directs her team's inflatable rescue boat across the stagnant, soupy floodwaters. She doesn't trust herself to walk across the water right now. Her mission clothing is soaked through and filthy after three days on this mission, despite the waterproof poncho she wears over top of it. Emergency Response Team 3, one of the many hodgepodge teams of available shinobi thrown together, has had maybe one full night's sleep and three proper meals between them since the storm hit.

The portable radio on the boat crackles with barely-audible speech. "Team 3. Come in. Reports of stranded civilian to your north, near the teahouse. Over."

"Gotcha. Over," Murata grips the connected microphone shakily, voice peppy and warm despite the audible chatter of her teeth. Then she blinks blankly out into the fog, rain, and grime - slowly turning her head towards her teammates. "...do any of you know what teahouse she speaks of...?"

[272]

It was the worst kind of rain.  It was the rain that soaked you to the bone and there was no way of ever getting warm again once you were wet, and Team 3 had been out in it for three long days.  Out in a small, inflatable rescue craft, the gang had been patrolling the surrounding area looking for flood survivors and waiting on orders.  Kasumi sat near the front of the boat with her paddle laying across her lap as she sulked with her hands crossed.  Her hair was heavy as it very long, but being this wet for this long, gave Kasumi a headache.

”What is being dry, anyway?” Kasumi mumbled with a sigh.

Murata, who had also been placed on Team 3, seemed to be a nice enough kunoichi - even in such cramped conditions.  Her strong physique proved invaluable while paddling against the current.  Kasumi could quickly bring the boat up to speed with haste, but she couldn't maintain the momentum for long.   Thankfully for the young Hyuuga, the waters were calm.  Murata had some interesting tatoos on her face which Kasumi wished to inquire about.  Perhaps, when the weather returned to normal, they could introduce each other properly, but for now, they had a job to do.  As high command buzzed into her teammate's ear, Kasumi perked up with interest and focus.

”Eh, what's that, Murata?  A teahouse?  Pft, your guess is as good as mine!”  Kasumi said as she got ready to paddle.  ”Right, I'm on it.  Byakugan!”

Suddenly, the veins near the young Hyuuga's pearly eyes bulged out as chakra flooded into them.  Kasumi began scanning the general area for the stranded victim.


(-5 ap for Byakugan, 205 ap remaining)
(WC = 276)

Kasumi's eyes have proved invaluable, thus far, allowing them to scan through buildings and locate anybody trapped without having to worry if they have left somebody behind. Murata idly wonders if Kato was effectively toying with her in their spar, holding back such abilities. All the more motivation for her to get stronger!

Though they are all of equal rank, Murata's age has landed her in the position of squad leader. The team has found that despite her loud voice, she is quite hands-off and thoughtful, seeming curious about her group's individual ways of problem-solving. When the team hauls the shuddering, frighteningly cold woman into the rescue boat, that changes.

"Kita is right," Murata says, sounding worried. The woman looks to be in the older end of middle-age, dark hair plastered to her face. She's violently shivering, mumbling something incoherent as filthy water drips from her. "Do they teach you all about hypothermia in the Academy - ah," Murata draws back a little as the woman mumbles louder, distressed, looking back and forth. A warm, quiet summer's day flits across her awareness as Murata carelessly shares memories with the woman at their brief contact, not thinking to restrain the natural inclination of her chakra. "Apologies. I startled her. You're safe now, ma'am. We just need to help you get warm!"

"Wh-where..." she murmurs, looking between all of them, seeming confused.

"Kirigakure," Murata answers, firmly, before letting out a little laugh at Gonk's joke. "No, Mother Nature doesn't make all that good a soup, does she?"

Murata keeps an arm around the rescued woman, the small dimensions of the boat doing one thing very well - keeping them huddled close together, so as to quickly warm them back up. Murata speaks into the radio receiver -  "We've got her. Any word from the shopping district? Over."

The command center takes a few moments to respond. "Check out the south. Rooster Street. Hana Street's just by there, higher elevation, you can drop anybody you find off. Over."

[332]
[TWC: 604]

”We'll run out of room in this raft before we will ever need to worry about sinking.  Just as long as no one tries to preform a giant summoning jutsu or get impaled on any sharp debris, our inflatable raft will be sufficiently buoyant for our mission,” Kasumi said to assure her teammate who introduced himself as Kita.  ”I like your thinking, Kita.  You're on the right track.  We'll need the extra space to maneuver to preform clean rescues.  We don't want to push anyone overboard on accident after only just getting saved.”

Like Gonk, Kita was also a little shorter than herself, and thanks to her hips, Kasumi weighed more as well.  But Kasumi did not dismiss her teammate for being of smaller size.  

Kita's mind seems sharp and full of inquiry.  His reasoning skills seems sound enough, too.  He might not come from a powerful clan, but his intellect would prove more useful than a unique technique any day, Kasumi thought.

Gonk was also apart of the team and Kasumi was very glad to see a familiar face.  As the squad paddled closer towards the old lady, there seemed to be some debris which blocked the team's path.  Kasumi reached for her bandaged parcel, which she wore over her shoulders, but before she could undo them, Gonk rattled off a witty remark which had to do with the water tasting like tea.  He then dove into the murky waters to make the rescue. Murata seemed to also have a funny bone as she was quick to launch her own jest.  A moment passed as Gonk came back up to the surface with the middle aged lady in hand.

”Wait, teas are considered soup, now?” Kasumi asked with a coy smile.

Kirigakure seemed to be full of new Genin just like herself, and when all of this was over, she made a promise to herself that she'd try and fit in.  If bonds of friendship could be formed, Kiri as a whole would benefit greatly from it.  If this Generation of Genin could stick with it long enough, Kirigakure would be a terrifying village to take over for any would-be wrong doer.  

Kasumi listened intently as her ears perked up once again.  Murata spoke into her portable communicating device and got a response.  This time there were potential victims needing rescuing towards the southern section of town located at Rooster Street. Kasumi looked at Murata and nodded focusing her gaze towards that direction.  As her sight pierced though the submerged buildings, Kasumi eventually pinned down the location of a few more survivors.  

”I have eyes on four more chakra signatures.  Let's cut across this alleyway, one of them is close.”

Kasumi navigated the team down a back alley and into another main street.  The murky waters were thick with silt.  If it weren't for the buildings poking out of the water, Kirigakure would look like a completely different place in the world.  In the distance, the team happened upon an elderly man who was clinging upon a half submerged lamppost.  His strength was waning as the team paddled closer.

”Just hang on for a little bit longer, sir!” Kasumi called out.  

But the old man was exhausted.  His fingers slipped and the old man sunk, disappearing under the murky waters below.

”I'm still tracking him.  Gonk, rest yourself for the next person.  I've got this one,” she said in a determined voice.  ”Please be prepared to catch them.”

Kasumi reached behind herself and fished out the end of the bandages from her parcel and gave it a tug.  It was the quick release which unraveled the entire thing in couple of seconds.  What was underneath was a pile of carved wood which resembled some sort of creature.  It slowly made “clacking” noises as it sprung to life.  The shape that resembled a head looked to be about the size of human in the fetal position.  Its three eyes darted around as if it were trying to focus and it had eight appendages.  It then slunk over the side of the inflatable raft which disturbed the water below.  Kasumi slowly stood up which only rocked the boat a little and stretched out one of her hands.  It looked as if she playing an imaginary piano one-handed.  Her focus was still on the water.  Her hair was wet, and wavy – a single bead of water formed at the tip of her long ponytail.

”I've got him, she said calmly.  ”Get ready.”

Like a fisherman trying to hook a fish, Kasumi yanked back and raised her hand over her shoulder.  If one studied closely, they could make out a thin strand of chakra protruding out of the Hyuuga's slender fingers.  A second later, the murky water broke as the creature leapt out into the air.  For some reason it seemed bigger than before, and it was traveling back towards the boat.  In its clutches it was carrying the old man.  They were coming in hot and needed to be caught, else the boat was about to become an inflatable trampoline...


(-5 ap for Byakugan, -5 ap for Chakra Threads, 195 ap remaining)
(WC = 838)
(TWC = 1114)

As the group began to row their raft back out towards Rooster Street, Kita thought a bit more about the predicament that the group found themselves in. The entire group of was tired and hungry, and while Kita couldn't speak for the others, Kita was beginning to go numb. He had lost feeling in his face, save for a nose suffering from freezer burn. His hands were entirely devoid of any feelings of touch, and the only assurance that Kita had that he was still hanging onto his oars was the pressure in his arms of pushing the raft over rippling waves, and the visual confirmation that his hands were still firmly attached to the wooden handle of the oars. 

Kita listened carefully to the instructions of his group mate Kasumi Hyuuga as she guided them with surgical precision through the labyrinth of rain. She seemed a pleasant person to be around in Kita's opinion, even if her pale eyes unnerved him a bit. She was the first Hyuuga that he had ever met, but had heard stories of them being stuck up and snobbish. Kita shrugged, chalking it to prejudice on his part. He looked from teammate to teammate, taking in the group in question. Murata seemed to be a capable leader of the mission, and Kita admired her ability to lead the group with the confidence that she did, even if she was colder than he was. Additionally, she was also a clanless shinobi, making her appear that much more impressive in Kita's eyes, almost seeing her as a larger than life figure. Gonk was a decent fellow, seeming to be the most able bodied in the group, at least in the current situation. He appeared to be a Hoshigaki, although his purple hair was something Kita was unaware that Hoshigaki could possess.

Kita's thought were interrupted when he heard something through the pouring rain. Kita stood up from his place in the boat, and squinted through the liquid haze, attempting to find where the sound came from. "I think I hear something. Could we stop the boat for just a moment?" Kita waited for a moment, listening through the deafening torrent, sure that he heard it again. It was just the faintest hint of a voice. Kita listened harder. Not one voice, but two, both crying for help in the rain. Kita pointed a finger through the rain, gesturing to the area where he heard the voices. "I think we have some survivors over there! Do you guys hear them?"

Word Count = 422

Total Word Count = 703

The team is gaining a second wind, emboldened with each small success. They're almost finished, and Murata is glad that they can end it on a high note without murdering one another from stress and proximity. Even back home, with people deeply spiritually invested in getting along with one another and staying close, they simply got sick of one another sometimes.

"Ooh, the shop,"  their rescue mumbles to herself, Murata giving her a reassuring rub on the back.

"Four!?" Murata exclaims in surprise when Kasumi identifies their next target, leaning forward to look into the muck as if she can match Kasumi's gift and spot them if she simply tries hard enough. Rooster street is appropriately named. The bright, ostentatious colors and clusters of advertisements along the buildings are recognizable, but strangely alien feeling without the lights and the chatter of people.

She lets out an exclamation of concern when the man slips away from the lightpost - restraining herself from leaning forward too much and unbalancing the boat. Kasumi quickly takes charge of the situation. Quiet anticipation washes over the group when she stands to presumably maneuver... whatever it was she sent under the water? Shinobi are so odd, Murata never has any idea what tricks they will pull out next.

"Team Three, report? Over," the radio crackles, startling Murata a little.

"OnemomentOVER," Murata replies hastily, as right at that moment, their second rescue and Kasumi's creation are barreling down towards them. Murata leaps to her feat to help Gonk, and water splashes around them as the rescue boat bobs precipitously with the new weight. They slowly seat themselves back down, Murata marveling at Kasumi's puppet as Gonk wraps the old man up into another blanket.

"I thought that was a summon," their first rescue chatters in surprise, Murata giving a double-take at the black-haired woman's lucidity as she speaks to Kasumi. "I-is that your work, young lady? It's very good."

"What... is it?" Murata asks, squinting at the tangle of wooden limbs - resulting in an odd look from the civilian woman, whose expression is clearly asking '...are you not a shinobi as well?'. "I am not local! Do not give me that look! Focus on warming up!"

Murata sighs. Well, it figures. Someone who's lived decades in a shinobi village is going to know more than someone like her, even if she's the one with the shiny headband.

She promptly escapes the conversation by bringing the radio reciever up to her mouth. "Team Three, we've got one more, dropping them off and then we have another three. Over."

"You guys can head to Hana and rest up for the day after these. We'll have someone to debrief you. Good work out there. Over."

This information is relayed to the team, Murata letting out a weak cheer.

When they reach Hana street, Murata hefts up the older man in her arms and shakily steps out on to dry land - oh, it is so nice to feel dry land under her feet. Though still in need of attention, their first rescue is very shaky on her feet, but thankfully small enough in frame for Gonk to help to the little field hospital. 

Murata looks over the white-garbed medical ninja, unsure whether to feel jealous of their lot in all this, but she quickly turns back towards her duty with her team.

"It looks easy for them, does it not?" Murata says to Gonk as they walk back, clearly sort of speaking to herself as much as she is to him, giving an easy shrug. "But I would not want to see what they see, I suppose. At least it's dry!"

They have one last outing. When Kita hears those voices, Murata perks up, her own hands starting to go numb. Two more rescues get bundled into the boat with them, these ones thankfully stranded on an upper level rather than being adrift in the water. They voice their appreciation before starting to worriedly mumble among themselves as to when they'll be able to return home as the group heads towards the last signature Kasumi had spotted - this one more difficult to find, given that his signature has evaporated by the time they reach him.

He's young, just a little bit younger than Gonk and Kita, looking so small and frail when they pull him out of the water. Murata quickly scoops him from the others' arms, expression grim, quick to ensure that it's not any of them who is checking the child's pulse. He is quiet, and cold, Murata taking a few moments to check his wrist before moving to his throat. Murata wraps a blanket around him after a few moments, silent. If Kasumi's Byakugan is still active, Kasumi can see Murata spiking her chakra as she lays a hand on the boy's clammy forehead.

"Let's get back quickly," Murata says to the group, for the first time on this mission sounding tired.

[823]
[TWC: 1427]

”Nice catch, Gonk,” Kasumi said without turning her head – her Byakugan was able to witness the entire thing transpire.

The kunoichi paused for a moment and then sat back down in her seat and picked up the paddle which lay at her feet. The inflatable raft wasn't quite full, though it was feeling a little cramped. If anyone were to flail their arms violently, there was a good chance they'd hit someone else. Kasumi was relieved to hear their next stop was to drop off their rescued civilians. Team seven was making a difference, saving the lives of those who might not otherwise make it though the storm.

I hope this gives our Kage, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the proof he needs that I can be trusted to protect his people, Kasumi thought as she helped paddle from the front.

A long pause washed over the teen as she thought about her cloudy past. With all of the fake memories removed from within her head, Kasumi was left to wonder what really went on. She wondered if her real memories would ever return. Where they buried deep within her subconscious like the examiner promised, or were they lost forever? Her thoughts were only subsided when the black haired woman, who they just rescued, asked about her aquatic contraption.

”That one's name is Tako. Its not a summon, but rather a puppet I constructed myself,” Kasumi explained.

As the young Hyuuga paddled from the bow of the inflatable raft, the girl came to realize that she was in the wrong spot. Kasumi did not have the highest stamina was draining fast. It seemed that everyone was reaching their limits when High Command buzzed in their leader's ear. Their mission was almost done! Once Team Seven dropped off their first round of rescued victims, there was three more reported to be in the area. Once they were safe, Team Seven could return to headquarters to be debriefed and catch up on some rest. Hana Street became their immediate destination as they paddled through flooded alleyways.

We're on the home stretch now! Kasumi thought with a smile.

Murata was the first to exit the boat with elderly man. Out of the two rescued, he seemed to be in worse shape, physically. The woman was delusional, but she looked like she was okay once she calmed down. Only a medical ninja could be the judge of that, however, as that was not Team Seven's specialty. As Murata and the old man stepped out of the boat, Kasumi braced the boat on the opposite side with her weight so that their raft would remain stable. Seeing as how the black haired woman was in a much better condition than the man, Kasumi reached out a hand to pull the woman to her feet and kept the boat steady as she stepped off.

”You are safe now, ma'am. Go with the medical nins. They will attend to you and get you warmed up.” Kasumi paused and turned to the rest of the team, ”Gonk, Kita, you two next. I'll be right behind you after I tie the boat. Don't worry, I'm still tracking the other three victims. They seem to be okay for now.”

It was nice to finally stand on solid ground once again, even if was only for a brief period of time. It was at this time that the Hyuuga would give her eyes a break They had spent way too much time in that inflatable raft. It was a minor victory, but a greatly appreciated one all the same. Kasumi stretched out her legs for a moment as the white robed medical nins sought to Team Seven's rescues. Kasumi let out a sigh of relief once they appeared that they would pull through. But their mission wasn't quite over, yet.

One by one, Team Seven made their way back into their inflatable raft. Instead of rowing herself, Kasumi got the bright idea to have her puppet row in her place. This was good for all parties involved. The young Hyuuga noticed that she did not tire out as easily, and the team could maintain a higher speed in the water. Even though Kasumi's puppet did not have suction cups like a real octopus, Tako's tentacles each had a chakra receptor at their tips which let it grip onto things.

”If only we had a couple more oars. Then, tako could really glide us through the water! Perhaps if another typhoon hits the islands I will try it out then. Ack, what am I saying? I wouldn't wish this upon our islands at all!”

With the help of Kita's ears, Gonk's shark-like stature, Muratha's strength, and Kasumi's Byakugan, Team Seven found the rest of the survivors in their designated sector. Two were stranded in the top of a building which did not pose any real problem, however the last survivor was in bad shape. It was just young lad who looked to be younger than than Gonk and Kita. The poor boy's chakra signature was weakening with every stroke from their paddles. The boy was found, trapped on a low roof with nowhere to go. Kasumi wasn't sure how long he'd been there, but he looked like he was just as drenched as they were. The kid had no shelter, and worse yet, the taller surrounding buildings acted like a wind tunnel. The boy was very cold to the touch when Murata swiped him up and wrapped him in a blanket.

”Yeah, we need to get back to Hana Street, and fast, Kasumi agreed to their leader's suggestion.”I can barely sense his chakra – its only a small ember..”

Kasumi continued to manipulate her puppet by making it row from the bow. She then carefully moved herself next to their leader.

”The boy needs to get warm. Perhaps an extra body can help.”

(-5 ap for Byakugan, -5 ap for Chakra Threads, 185 ap remaining)
(WC = 966)
(TWC = 2356)