Burglar Beatdown [Hunter]

Mission:

Current Stats:

Kita felt his heart racing in his chest as he read through the mission in his hand. Kita had been in his apartment and enjoying some quiet reading when he got a mission from under the front door. He was going on his first "hunter" mission as they call them. Kita read through the details of the mission, trying to determine if this was for real, and if the day had finally come where he would face another shinobi in combat. Apparently, a Genin in training had recently turned to crime for some reason or another, and was used his training to rob people over in the banking district. He was becoming a nuisance, and someone needed to bring him in alive. Kita tried to look through the message again and again for anymore info about the enemy that he would be facing, but he found nothing. There was however, a small aside at the bottom of the letter, explaining that Kita wouldn't be alone in this mission. Apparently, Kita had a partner who would be working with him. A tiny bit of relief and slight glee filled his mind when he saw that Murata would be working with him on this mission. "She's another clanless ninja, isn't she?" Kita remembered her leading the group of Genin as they rescued people during the storm in north Kirigakure. She seemed capable, but Kita wondered how she would fare in a fight. Kita slipped on his Kirigakure underclothes, and his winter winter gear, securing his ninja tools tightly to his belt. He was sure that he would need them today. With a slightly shaky breath, Kita grabbed a sweet drink from the fridge to calm his nerves, and exited out the front door.

Before long, Kita was standing on the roof of one of the banking buildings, sipping on the last of the drink as he waited for his partner to arrive. He had informed the bankers inside the building that he would be up there, and to point anyone matching Murata's description that he would be up there. Kita hoped that by standing on top of the building, he would see if the one that he was hunting was anywhere in the general vicinity, or if he attempted to rob this bank, Kita would be nearby. Of course, it also went without saying that he hoped Murata would be able to find him up here, but Kita had no idea as to where she was at the moment. Kita crossed his arms and tapped his finger against the side of his coat, trying to conserve heat. Kita felt a bit nervous about the whole situation. On one hand, Kita wanted to say that he was sure that he could handle this, and that everything would turn out alright. The other part of him however, couldn't help but feel a hard lump in his stomach, unsure if he was walking into the last fight of his life. Kita shook his head. "I shouldn't worry as much. I'm strong, and I've been training hard as well! Plus, I'm going to have backup from Murata. Hopefully everything will turn out alright." Kita let the words hang in the air, and looked through the mists of Kirigakure for any sign of his partner, or his prey.

Total Word Count- 551

Murata would have arrived like a ghost, if Kita's eyes weren't so sharp. He sees her coming, but he certainly does not hear her. She slips silently from the bank building's roof access hatch just as his words leave his lips, her bluish chain hood gleaming in the morning sunlight. The mist is ever-present but thin, making its presence known but hiding nothing in the dawn's light. A thin layer of snow covers the streets and rooftops, undisturbed by Murata's footsteps as she approaches her mission partner, the care and grace of Kirigakure's Silent Killing technique on full display.

He may not recognize her immediately - the last time the had met, she had not yet had her armor repaired, and her face is hidden behind the coif and faceplate. A comfortable cotton jacket lies over her armored one, but it is obvious from the bulk of her clothing that she is layered up. It is good for both the cold and for her protection - she is especially grateful to have her gloves. The handle of her kanabo tends to soak up the chill in winter.

She is sure to look around her as she emerges from the bank and walks towards him, getting a good bearing on her surroundings. If anything suspicious is already afoot, she will be sure to get on top of it. Murata is grateful to have a mission partner who is Kirigakure born and raised and knows well what to look for.

"Good morning!" she says, voice much more familiar than her visage. As Murata walks, she casually forms the Dog handseal and pulls a shuriken from her weapons pouch, branding it with a Mark Seal before offering it to Kita. "Keep this. So I will know where you are if we are separated."

The bank building is three stories tall (coming to ten meters in height), constructed in a stern and modern style of largely concrete. It's a slow morning, with few people moving about the streets below - most sharply dressed employees of the financial areas getting ready for their days. They will have hefty purses, temping thieves like trees heavy with fruit. Murata settles into a crouch, focusing on the sound of the streets as she watches. The pair are positioned near the corner of the roof, allowing them a suitable vantage point over the streets.

She had been wondering when she would next have a serious fight. With luck, this thief will not make anybody's lives difficult. Murata had not been expecting that the first life she may have to take would be a resident of the village. She should have predicted this - the villages are clannish and strict. It does not sit well with her. But she will do her job, and she will protect her comrade.

"Did you get a description with your mission slip?" she asks.

[476]

Mark Seal -5 AP
AP: 429/434

Stat Sheet:

Kita breathed a sigh of relief as Murata's voice emerged from this masked figure. For a moment, Kita was certain that the their had slipped behind him, and was intent on taking not just the bank's money, but Kita's very life. He gave a quick nod, pushing his doubts and fears about the mission aside for now. "Good morning Murata. I wish you could've told me sooner that you were wearing ninja armor like that! I thought for a minute that you were the thief!" He watched as Murata plucked a shuriken from her side pouch, applying a seal to it and handing it to Kita. He nodded, and picked it up, examining the little seal that she had placed on it. Kita had read about this jutsu in his encyclopedia, but he didn't even need to have read that to know what it was. "Mark Seal, right? That's actually a really good idea. Believe it or not, I learned the technique myself a while back." Kita was about to make his own seal, when an idea came to his mind, and he lowered his hands. Kita shrugged it off, sure that it would come in handy later, and pocketed the shuriken, offering Murata an unmarked one to make up for her loss. Kita took a brief pause, taking a passive glance through the streets. It barely registered in his mind when Murata asked him if he had received a description on his mission slip. He nodded slightly, bringing it out of his bag. "I got a basic description. Blonde haired girl, white bodysuit, green hood, and black boots that seem designed for stealth missions. Pretty glaring if she's actually wearing the outfit, but if she's disguised..." Kita's voice trailed off as he said that, turning around to gaze at the myriad of people strolling through the banking district.

Soon, Kita was looking from the top of the building through the fogged streets of Kirigakure, searching with a relentless eye for the thief. Despite his watchful eyes, he found nothing. Kita was certain that the thief could remain hidden through the crowds, but working his way through the businessmen below wouldn't do anything for him. At best, he would have a reduced field of vision, and never find her. At worst, she could swipe his ninja tools. Neither were an enticing option. There was however, one option that did appeal to Kita. Taking a step back from the side of the roof, he walked towards a more secluded area, where he could not be easily seen by people walking along the streets. He grinned slightly as he brought his hands together, forming an all too familiar cross seal. An eruption of smoke occurred to either side of himself, summoning two shadow clones to either side of himself (Shadow Clone). The clones turned to Kita, forming a salute to their creator and his partner. "How can we help boss?!" Kita grinned, forming another hand seal, causing the clones to erupt into another could of smoke, before two wealthy looking businessmen stood where the clones once were (Transformation Technique). Kita made sure that both of them would be the perfect target for their thief. One of the clones had been shifted into a very thin, very scrawny, very weak looking man with a large briefcase. Kita even decided to go the extra mile on it and have a single ryo caught in the side of the case. The other clone was made into a very large, very fat man. Kita bedazzled him with jewelry and ornate watches, and added a dopey expression to his face. Kita grinned. The clones would do nicely.

Kita stared hard at the two clones, a stern look coming across his face as he informed Murata and the clones of his plan. "Here's the deal you two. We don't know which of these people is the thief. If my theory is correct, you two should be an enticing target for her. All I want you to do, is locate the thief. She should try to pickpocket you. If she does, you'll be aware of her, and you'll be able to stop her. If you see her, use the Mark Seal on her. From that point on, me and Murata will be able to track her wherever she goes. Outside of that, don't engage unless you're certain that it's her, and she's actively trying to attack you or someone else. One of you go inside the bank and pose as someone wanting a loan, and the other walk the street. I'll keep a lookout from here. Be aware of your surroundings as well. If she figures out that you're my clones somehow, and tries to kill you, I can use your memories to pinpoint her last known location." With those last words, the clones were dismissed. With the silent grace of a shinobi, they moved into their positions, with the fat clone making its way inside the bank, and the thin clone making its way to the streets to roam. Kita turned to Murata, and gave a nervous thumbs up. "We have eyes nearly everywhere except the bank vault."

Word Count - 860

Total Word Count - 1411

Jutsu Used:

"I would not make for the best thief in this," she says as she accepts his offering of a replacement shuriken. "I stand out like a sore thumb."

At the suggestion that their target may be in disguise, Murata hums in acknowledgement. Perhaps their eyes will fail them. She sits cross-legged and holds the Seal of Confrontation to activate her Mind's Eye of the Kagura, expanding her awareness across the streets - perhaps looking from below as if she is meditating. The hum of all chakra within one hundred meters thrums painfully in her skull for a moment, feeling like the beginning of a migraine before she quickly adjusts and is able to sort through the massive amounts of information flowing through her chakra network.

If Murata's change in stance does not influence Yumeko's decision-making, she will be well within Murata's sensory range when she leaves her hidey-hole to slip into the crowds. At first, she is simply one of many, but Murata is an experienced people-watcher, and she understands how people move. It is very odd to see somebody zigzag through different groups as the thief does, and Yumeko's movements catch her attention as she makes her way closer to the bank.

Their high vantage point allows them a significant range of view, but it also leaves them very visible. Murata has to assume that their thief is keeping a close eye on them. It would be best to give her as little information to work with as possible. Just before Kita draws back to put his plan into action, Yumeko has progressed to about sixty meters from the bank building, provided her course of action has not changed.

"I think I have found her. There is somebody who keeps moving from group to group. She is by the insurance office right now. Be careful not to alert her, she is watching us, if she has any sense." Murata's eyes finally follow the suspicious signature, head motionless as she searches for their thief out of the corner of her eye (that motion of course concealed by her armor). She catches a glimpse of nimble green. "...she is not disguised," she notes with mild amusement in her voice. Perhaps they are worrying too much.

Murata does not turn her head or physically acknowledge the discussion happening behind her as Kita produces his clones (assuming that he will continue with this course of action). With the streets so noisy and crowded as the morning really gets going, it is unlikely that their voices will carry very far. She pays close attention to their target, wondering if Kita's withdrawal in of itself will result in a change of course.

"I like this plan," Murata says. All the while, she has of course been holding the Seal of Confrontation, keeping up the extended range on her sensory technique. "I have eyes on the vault, and your clones as well."

The most obvious path downwards is through the bank's roof access, and the clones take it, keeping them fully concealed from any onlookers as they move down through the bank and take their positions - getting some major side-eye from the bank staff before they enter the public areas, but given there are two shinobi on their roof in the middle of a mission, they are already expecting some level of strangeness.

---

WC: 556
TWC: 1030

Mind's Eye of the Kagura -45 AP
AP: 384/434

As she had hoped the first step into the ring was made by her unknown assailants, but in a curious way. She had spent a lengthy amount of time watching the people who came and went in this area so when two extremely distinct players joined the fray of average looking men and women it was a bit to far of a tip of the hand. Granted she knew nothing of the full plan but if she had to guess these were bait with such obvious attractants of ‘easy picking’ wealth that a more careless thief would be drawn in - but her sights were set on the two that refused to touch down to her level. At this point she was back against the tree that was closest to the rooftop the two sat on - and watching over her shoulder through a branch to the high ground the two held he contemplated her predicament. Don’t they want to come and play? What is this sending clones to do their bidding for them… come on. There was no way she was going to pull off any big robberies until these two were dealt with, and stealth was off the table as they knew she was here. Tight spot indeed.


The larger of the two had gone into the bank which blocked off her biggest target and she was now playing dodging tag with the thinner of the two - something felt deceptive about his frail outer appearance. Closing her eyes she went over the options at her disposal and settled on the only course she stood any chance - draw them to her on the ground because they would see her coming if she tried a forward approach. Alright then, looking up she would grasp a decently thick branch with both hands,[at least 8 meters in length and 4 in width] and pull it with a clean off the main trunk slide into view of the roof and throw it like a javelin with impressive accuracy directly at the spot the two were standing. The moment the branch left her finger tips she was moving to her next action - with deft fingers she tied two kunai to two notes of explosive tags and threw them directly on either side of the branches middle target with a 5 meter margin; essentially boxing in an evasive movement with explosions on either side.

Of course her most immediate threat would not come from her target but from those who had infiltrated the ground as a clever rouse to trick her - so turning from the assault she would find the thin man and move as quickly and discreetly away from his position keeping as much distance as possible while the explosion drew the crowd's attention. You’re turn.


Throwing Speed calcs: 
44 + 75 / 2 = 59.5 + 40 = 99.5 throwing speed.

WC 461

Kita breathed in and out, trying to ease the beating of his racing heart. He watched on as the thief weaved in between the crowd below, pilfering and stealing wealth with slippery fingers from the pockets of hapless citizens on the street below. It was way too far for Kita to make out the finer details of the thief in question, but Murata's guiding hand was more than enough to help Kita pick her out from the crowd. Even still, the ease with which she blended in was enough to make even a careful eye lose sight of the burglar. The thief made her way behind a nearby tree, obscuring herself from Kita's vision. It wasn't cause for panic however. Murata's jutsu assured Kita that the thief was still there. Better yet, his clone had caught wind of the woman's location, and was on the way to place the mark seal now. It bobbed and weaved through the crowd of citizens, closing on the thief like a shark circles its prey. Kita thought on that last analogy. He might have been hanging around Gonk for too long. His train of thought was interrupted however by the sound of tearing and breaking, clearly audible even over the chorus of voices below. Kita's eyes snapped to attention just in time to see the tree branch coming at Murata and himself, as he began to dodge out of the way.

The clone checked the watch on its wrist as it made its way through the crowd. Just another motion to blend in. After all, the watch didn't actually work, so the clone had no idea what time it actually was. There was one thing that it was certain of however, and that was the fact that the thief had no interest in its disguise. "I think that the boss might have made a mistake. Either she isn't interested in my disguise, or she's onto us." The clone scratched the back of its transformed head, scowling as it did. "I really hope that it's the latter. I hate this transformation, and I really want to drop it soon." The clone followed the thief with dogged persistence, matching the thief's attempts at ducking through the crowds with its own. He wasn't prepared to lose her. Not yet. The thief finally stopped behind a tree close to the roof that the clone's master and companion were on. She leaned calmly against the back of the tree just outside the glass windows of the insurance building to the side of the crowd, and the clone did its best to appear natural, coming to a stop around 5 Meters away from her. Thankfully, she had lost sight of it for now. "Okay, she's distracted by the boss for now. I can probably walk up and tag her with the seal before she knows what happened. Should I just walk up and do it? Would I be fast enough? Maybe I can go for a feint of some kind. Yeah, that's it. I'll ask her for the time, claim my watch is broken, and then use the mark..." The clone's eyes widened as the thief wrested a mighty limb from the tree that she was leaning on, rounding the tree and throwing it at his master with incredible force and precision. The time for thinking was over. The clone clasped its hands together in the dog seal, already rushing forward at top speed to close the small distance between them (120 Speed) as the thief attached her paper bombs to her kunai, throwing them after the branch, the chakra filled the clones hands, and it outstretched both its palms, bringing them together as to make a mighty clap to the sides of the thief's head, just as she was turning around from her assault. It was the perfect setup. The clone was approaching rapidly from behind, from the thief's blind side, and outstretching its arms so that any dodge to the side would result in running into the waiting hands of the clone. To jump up would allow the clone to grab a leg, to duck would allow the clone to quickly course correct and grab something, and to dodge backward would simply push her towards the boss, if she even could dodge that is. Even an attack to the clone could work in its favor if it could grab the limb doing so. At least, that was the plan if its quarry didn't have a way out that the clone hadn't anticipated. The only downside was that the technique had to be slowed to apply it, and the clone hoped that it worked. If everything went according to plan, the thief would be marked, and the clap to the ears would discombobulate her as well. The clone bit its transformed lip, as it reached the point of no return (Fuinjutsu: Mark Seal, See Jutsu Used section for specs).

Thankfully, despite coming from a nearby tree, the projectile was far enough away to where the ninja had ample time to react (49 Meters). The branch raced towards the side of the bank building as Kita cartwheeled a considerable distance out of the way (120 Speed), his lithe body dodging through the barrage of splinters and shrapnel that exploded out from the point of impact at the corner of the bank. Kita just finished his acrobatics as the area was engulfed in a fireball near immediately after he got to his feet. A wave of heat rocketed past him, slightly burning Kita's skin, even through the winter coat that he was wearing. Chunks of brick and mortar fell down into the streets below, collapsing on innocent civilians as it did. The crowd below was stirred up into a frenzy as pandemonium filled the streets, villagers running in terror and fear to get away from the bombings, some desperately trying to help those trapped under the debris, and some running over their fellow man in equal fervor. Kita whipped around to see if Murata was alright. "Murata! Are you okay?!" Kita prayed that his clone managed to get his seal off in the chaos. If he hadn't, things were about to get a lot more difficult. "I don't know if my clone got the seal off or not. We'll have to deal with that problem when it comes up. If you can still track that thief, I'll follow you."

Word Count - 1049

Total Word Count - 2460

Jutsu Used:

A Note:

Murata watches the thief's attack with a mild expression, stepping a few centimeters to the side of its intended impact point (along the edge of the roof, of course, watching her step) and reaching beside her as it sails closer. As a tree branch, it naturally has a taper, and Murata catches the end of the mammoth projectile when it comes within arm's reach with both hands and flips it backwards over her shoulder to land harmlessly behind her on the bank's roof. The branch's impact force of 60 is no worry to her through her armor (at 80 health in the case of physical forces such as this), nor enough momentum to overcome the strength of her body at 76, leaving her unthreatened by it in general even if she were to somehow fumble her catch. It should, by her previous experience with giant branches, probably be a bit more difficult than that for her to throw. However, as Yumeko - substantially less gifted physically than Murata - managed to lug it at them so easily, Murata finds it surprisingly light.

The explosive notes go off on either side of her in the moments after she catches the branch, but as Murata is well clear of their one-meter explosive range, they are no threat. They are no bother to the building, either - any visions of crumbling concrete and trapped innocents are simply an imagined worst-case scenario, as the explosive force of 55 does little to the 125-health concrete building save for some scuff marks. The crowds react in a panic nonetheless, sensibly, witnessing explosions and immediately beginning to move away from the area.

"That could have hurt somebody," she calls to their thief, a note of disappointment in her voice, resuming her Seal of Confrontation as soon as the branch has left her arms to bring their target into her full sensory awareness once more. She had been forced to break her concentration just momentarily. Murata glances sideways to Kita, noting the bite of the explosion on his coat. "Yes. Are you alright?" she mirrors, concerned. Her next decisions hinge on what has happened between their target and Kita's clone.

---

WC: 359
TWC: 1389

Mind's Eye of the Kagura Upkeep -20 AP
AP: 364/434

Kita's head snapped to attention, his body instantly whipping around to look at the spot where the clone disappeared. The smoke from the disappearing clone was still thick in the air, and the thief was scrabbling to their feet to escape from their location. This was their opportunity to end this threat here and now. Kita turned to his partner, firing off only a few words before springing into motion. "I'm alright, I was quick enough to dodge. I've got her position. I should be more than fast enough to catch her." Kita was already leaping off of the building at top speed, rocketing forward over the lip of the bank towards his foe. He was about 37 meters up, just high enough that Kita could jump up from the ground if he wanted to. Kita fell, graceful as a feather onto the ground. He focused directly ahead of himself, eyes locked onto the target.

With all the speed he could muster (120 Speed), Kita rushed forward towards the burglar, intent on ending it here. The distance between the two slowly closed more and more, as Kita weaved and ducked through the rampaging crowd of panicked civilians to get to the thief. It was only a few moments before Kita was in position. He knew what he wanted to do, but he didn't want to hurt the crowd of people. Kita leapt above the crowd, jumping perpendicular to the running thief, already performing the necessary hand seals to do his jutsu. His body rose above Yumeko, directly above her head as a torrent of water exploded from his mouth, aiming directly down at the unlucky thief (Great Vortex Technique). "With this technique," Kita thought, "I'll drive her into the ground. An overhead shot like this should prevent the crowd from getting hurt, and minimize property damage. After that, she's one paralysis seal from being put in jail." With that thought, the spiraling water cascaded down, aimed directly at the fleeing thief's head.

Word Count - 332

Total Word Count - 2792

Jutsu Used: