Find the Merchant! [Yuuma]

Cerulean orbs would glance over to the immediate space of Yuuma upon his locution. Tsuna would redirect his awareness to the two men up on the balcony - the two on the lower grounds, he smiled as he turned to face his partner with a clear consent to those odds. "I'm not opposed to that." He affirmed, nodding as Yuuma took the initiative to select the two up top. Tsuna, eyed them from his position for a moment, gauging them in acute observation before finding them more than easy targets for his comrade. His eyes shifted over, giving an approving nod. As he formed his lips to speak, there was an abrupt entrance.  

The Hatake lowered himself further to the ground, extending his head out only a bit to take notice of what was taking place. Two more men join the two on the lower level. One of which barked orders and spoke of an important shipment - Tsuna's brows furrowed as his eyes narrowed towards the emphasis on 'very'. Something about that did not sit well with him, it made him feel as if the merchant was in danger, or will be should they not locate him in time. A concerned expression painted his face as he looked over to his teammate whom was focused on the men. It was clear that the one giving commands was the one they were after, Rylo. With him exiting to the back, there left three on the lower level and 2 on the upper. Yuuma's nervous remark only birthed a smile and quiet giggle from the silver haired boy - giving him a thumbs up as he regained himself to operate. "I only have one idea, don't get caught. Move quickly and do not hesitate. If we are going to capture Rylo, it has to be now or else we will risk everything - that includes our promise to his family." His eyes closed as he smiled. "I'm not willing to let them down, something tells me that you're not about to either, Yuuma." He added as he turned his attention over to his targets. Two of which stuck close together, while the third was located 5 meters away with his back turned. Tsuna used his left hand to form a signal for Yuuma to move out, adding to that signal to stay in hiding until the right moment occurred. Basic shinobi code of silent communication. That very same hand moved to unstrap his blade from his back, at which he would hold within his left. Tsuna stalked his prey as he awaited the right moment to strike. The air about him shifted, densely so - his concentration was so potent that he was unbothered by any and everything else. The gaze that he had fixed on them seemly saw past them - reading them and every possible action that they may do within reason.  

With a swift brush of the right hand over the pouch to his lower back the Genin retrieved a single smoke bomb - darting from behind his cover he would fling it into the solo standing man, it would erupt within 1 foot of him, shrouds the man in a thick grey smog. This noice caught the attention of the guards, the two on the bottom and the two up top. Giving Yuuma a distraction to work with. With the two on the same level of the Hatake they would notice boy speeding towards them - one dropping his guard completely at the sight of a blitzing white haired child. Tsuna delivered a left rising knee to the chin, rattling the brain - the man's head shifted to the left from the force, he was in a daze. Whilst in the air, the boy would take his right hand and grab a handful of hair - kicking his feet downward to drop his weight and slam the man's face into the floor, rendering him unconscious. He then fluidly turn to the second and rushed him, reverse gripping his sheath blade in his left. He would drop his center to strike at the inner joint of tge left knee, taking the leg from under the man, spinning to the left from his feet to his knees back to his feet to strike at the opposite knee, bringing the man to a kneeling position. Tsuna would then spin delivering a swift heel to the jaw of the man. The impact was enough to cause heavy trauma, immediately knocking him out. Using that momentum the boy would twist and dart towards the remaining target, as the smoke cleared he would shoot his sheathed blade in the man's direction. Purposeful aiming to miss, but to draw his attention. The man looked to see where the boy was aiming, paying little mind to his rapid approach. As he turned back Tsuna was already within grabbing distance where he tackles his left shoulder into the midsection of the man, slightly winding him - he grips his shirt and pulls and immediately pushes as he used his left leg to hook the back of the man's right taking his balance from him, Tsuna unhook at this point to fall with him, there he would drive the man's back unto the ground forcing his head to smack the floor. Once on top he would hook his left arm in with the man's right, spinning over his once counterclockwise locking it in, pulling back with all his weight to lift the man up - his legs would slither and wrap around the throat if the man as he fell back commencing a triangle choke, inclining his hips and constricting his legs to suffocate and render the man to fall asleep after a few seconds to a minute.  

Once this was over the boy would release him and allow him to fall to the left of him. Standing he would motion to his weapon and picked it up. Turning his attention over to Yuuma to see how he was fairing, he would speak loud enough for him to hear him. "Next time, you get the three and I'll settle for the two, deal?" He smiled, releasing a dramatic sigh as he approaches the door leading to Rylo. The Genin would pause a moment before breaching the room with his eyes fixed on the man and his right hand hovered over the hilt if his blade as if he was prepared to use tge sword for whatever came next. "...This ends here, Rylo." Immediately regrets using that line..."That was so uncool, Tsuna...dumb ass!" He thought as he did his best to focus on his pokerface in the face of the enemy.

[WC: 1,103]
[Total WC: 8,260]

This was it. Time to put their makeshift plan into action. The signal was received and Yuuma would begin to make his way towards the upper story of the warehouse- a feat easily accomplished by a bit of upper body strength and the activation of a surface walking technique. Chakra gathered at the soles of his feet as he walked silently along the wall until he found a spot out of sight to slip up and over the edge of the balcony, landing him on the second floor. Despite the light-bathed warehouse, the diligent work of the coolies and the plethora of tall shelves made it very easy to slip by unnoticed generally by anyone though this would also mean losing sight of Tsuna. Yuuma wasn’t exactly certain what the “go signal” was going to be but he had a feeling he’d be able to put it together pretty quick by the time it came around. However, without knowing when that was going to happen, Yuuma would waste little time getting into a closer and closer position to the two workers moving slowly along the shelves as they checked off number after number. While the surface walking made his steps silent, he dared not rush himself from position to position. Eventually, he would find himself situated behind a set of heavily laden shelves that were in the path of the traveling workers.

Wracking his brain, Yuuma would do his best to think of how exactly he was going to handle the situation. Granted, it was two warehouse workers that, while boasting a decent physique, probably had little to no training that would assist them in taking down a shinobi. Underestimating one’s opponent was a sure-fire way to allow them the upper hand, however, and thus Yuuma would consider his options carefully on the best way to quickly and decisively handle the duo. His hand would float to his weapon pouch, a finger running along the curve of a kunai he had readied before. Nerves began to shake as the two drew close, now standing on the other side of the shelf he had hidden behind. “It’s now or never, Tsuna,” he quietly called out across the void, hoping that somehow his teammate would hear him and respond. To his immeasurable surprise, it felt like that was exactly what happened as a puff of smoke appeared in the midst of the warehouse. A smoke bomb.

“Huh?” One of the workers said, turning to look over the railing. “What the…” The other said, the two of them turning away from the shelf and looking to the sudden bustle of action beneath them. With how slow they reacted, Yuuma wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that these guys had no idea what was going on. They didn’t even call out in alarm or begin to panic- they had no clue that their companions had just come under attack. The realization spurred Yuuma to action, his hands bracing against the shelf he had been crouched behind and giving it a measure of effort. Putting the work into his legs, Yuuma would grunt as he heaved his body weight against the heavy shelves producing a creaking of wood. As the shelves began to topple, the two workers would turn. “Wha- whoa!” One would call, diving out of the way of the crashing shelves before they could collide with him. A heavy thud of the shelves contents hitting the ground could be heard as one of the workers was struck, knocked to the ground, and pinned by the heavy shelves. A cursory inspection didn’t note any blood, and the fact that the man struggled to try and lift the shelves off him told Yuuma that he was very much so alive.

The time for relief was brief, however. The worker who had proved to be a little lighter on his feet when it came to dodging falling furniture stayed prone lone enough to cast a hurried glance over his shoulder to his companion, his eyes lifting up then to see the perpetrator. “N-n-n-ninja!” He hollered, the panic clear in his voice as he scrambled to his feet. Proving to be quite spry for just a worker, the man was on his feet and making quick pacing down the balcony towards the set of stairs on the far side. Fearful noises left the man as he made a mad dash for freedom, a glance over his shoulder sending a jolt of trepidation over him as he would spot the assailant making a very quick track to catching up with him.

“Oh no you don’t!” Yuuma called, leaping from his run with arms outstretched, tackling the man from behind resulting in a small oof being heard as the two of them fell to the ground. Despite his fear, however, the worker would continue to struggle, turning and kicking at the floorboards in an attempt to make a bid for escape, hands shoving at the younger boy in an attempt to dissuade his grapple. Yuuma, however, was raised in a farming village, and wrestling livestock was not only part of a daily routine of work, but sometimes even a competition. A competition that he did fairly well at. Hands would grab onto a loose article of clothing as his other hand fought to defend his face from getting pushed away, attempting to wrest control of the man’s wrists. His time of hog wrestling didn’t prove to be particularly useful against a creature with such long ligaments resulting in the two of them fumbling across the floor as they both made grabs for control. “Just stop- stop running!” Yuuma called, his face shoved away by a hand as he grabbed onto the man’s belt. In their struggle, neither of them seemed to fully realize their trajectory as gravity took hold of the pair of them, tugging them to tumble down the set of stairs they had been slowly working their way towards.

In a scene not terribly unlike that of cartoons featured on kid’s channels in the mornings, the two would tangle with each other as they fell down the set of stairs in a matter of ruckus that certainly didn’t speak to the stealth aspect of this mission. The pair of buddies came to a crashing halt at the bottom of the steps, both men losing whatever grip they might have had as they sprawled across the floor. Dazed, the both of them took a moment to collect themselves as they turned to look at each other in unison. Yuuma, for his own efforts, was quickly back to his feet and rushed to apprehend the man but found his vision violently obscured by a powder- the worker had dipped his hand into a nearby sack, gripping a fistful of a powdery white substance before dashing it across the face of the rushing shinobi. Flour filled the air, making the sudden intake of breath one that provoked coughing as Yuuma reeled, shaking out his head and rubbing at his eyes in an attempt to dislodge the powder. By the time he had recovered, the worker was once more running down a lane of shelves.

A hand rushed to his side, finger slipping into the weapons pouch and hooking into the loop of iron that was a kunai. The same one he had prepared earlier. Taking just a moment to line up his shot, the piece of metal would be loosed in the direction of the fleeing worker, though did not seek to implant itself into the body of the working man. Instead, the kunai would thunk into the ground just in front of the foot of the running man, who had taken time to look over his shoulder at the sound of the whoosh. Without realizing it, the man had taken his eyes off of the play Yuuma banked on, and would soon find his foot catching on the piece of metal that had imbed itself into the ground in front of him. Momentum carried him forward as his arms went out to the side as he attempted- and failed- to catch himself from falling. The stumbling man fought to keep his footing, but all this ended up doing was carrying him directly into the mouth of an open shipping container that had just been set up by the other floor workers. Between the forward momentum and lack of balance, the last of the workers soon found himself tumbling headfirst into the open container.

Seizing the opportunity, Yuuma rushed to the container and slammed down the lid, quickly doing up a couple of the latches and containing the last of the opposition. Flour still prominent in his hair, Yuuma connected a couple of the buckles on the lid of the container, securing the man in a temporary prison. Sighing, Yuuma would turn and plant his back to the container that now jumped and bumbled with the efforts of the warehouse workers to escape, along with a few colorful words offered through the gaps in the top. Sighing out loud, the young man would shake out his hair and look to Tsuna, who had finished his own efforts but moments ago. And quite handily too. Offering a weary smile and a thumbs up, Yuuma would turn to his partner. “Okay okay, fair. And next time, you can get the flour tossed in your face.” Standing from his leaned position, Yuuma would brush himself off as he took position on the opposite side of the door to Tsuna, giving him a nod of confirmation that he was ready to see this thing done.

Upon entry into the room, the two of them would be greeted to the sight of a typical back officer that had been shuffled around just enough to make some room. File cabinets sat against the sidewalls, a desk taking up the majority of the center of this thirty-foot by thirty-foot space. Behind the desk, the far wall displayed the door they had seen earlier that the two of them had seen leading into a narrow alleyway behind the building. Papers and files lay scattered about, and a large safe sits locked in one corner. The most interesting feature, however, was the two occupants. One they had seen earlier, Rylo. The other, a man that the two of them had received the description of when they began the mission. The missing nobleman Kenji. Kenji was currently bound to a chair via rope though was not gagged and appeared to be- for the most part- unharmed. The two occupants would turn to the door as it opened, Rylo standing just behind the desk and having apparently been amidst some heated discussion that died as soon as the intruders made themselves known.

Yuuma would stash away his grin at the cheesy line of his companion, instead offering a confirming nod; this was the end of the line for Rylo and whatever plans he might have had for his brother-in-law. Rylo, however, seemed gobsmacked at the revelation. “Shinobi?! In my warehouse!” He shouted, a finger jabbing in their direction accusingly. “You think your mystical arts scare me? Well, I’m not going to let you interfere! My sister deserves better than this- this-this scum! You boys are young, so I don’t expect you to understand, but nothing will stop me from caring for my family- nothing!” A fist would lift, pounding on the desk before him. Instantly, a singular blare of an alarm could be heard, and a moment later, the door in the back of the shop would open. “Now, face your doom, ninja!” Rylo called, a wide smirk appearing on his face as through the door stepped a mountain of a man.

He must have been well over two meters in height, having to duck through the doorway in order to get inside. The large, bald man would walk from the door to stand in front of the desk, separating Yuuma and Tsuna from their intended target. Across his chest was strapped a harness that displayed rippling muscle beneath it, and a pair of workman’s joggers clad on his legs. “Suha, take care of these two!” Rylo barked from behind. The large man would grumble a response, his neck pressing to the side as audible popping could be heard, cartilage snapping into place through his neck, and then again through his fingers as the man balled one of his massive fists into the palm of the other, slamming with enough force to give both of the boys the sound of an audible thud. Meat hitting meat. The man had no weapons on him, but from the looks of him, he didn’t need any.

Yuuma felt his stomach drop some. That...was a big dude. Still, he cast only a glance to Tsuna to set at ease his own mind. He was big, certainly, but there were two of them...and hopefully, Tsuna wasn’t out of tricks just yet. “It’s never quite that easy, is it.” Yuuma sighed, channeling what he thought could have been Tsuna’s innermost thoughts at that moment in time. Shaking out his arms, Yuuma would crouch into a low fighting stance. There wasn’t going to be any shelves to topple on this one, nor open crates he expected the man to stumble into. This was their real test- the last obstacle between them and their mission. “You know what they say; the bigger they are…” He trailed off, finding it within himself to at least join his companion in an attempt at zingy one-liners. Perhaps that was something they could both work on after this, presuming they were both still intact enough to be joking.

WC- 2,275
TWC- 10,213

Suddenly the aura of the room took a sharp turn - Tsuna’s facial expression twisted as his stomach dropped to his rear as he bare witness to the entrance of the behemoth of a man. The very core of this boy was shook from the sheer size difference of this individual. Indigo eyes moved to find Yuuma as he spoke aloud. “You must have read my mind...exactly...word for word.” He validated as he took a step back, almost trying to keep the monstrous man in his view. The Hatake shook the nerves from his now sweaty palms as he loosen his shoulders and joints. Also taking a low centered stance - sheathed blade to his left, closely tucked in. Right hand poised over the grip of his blade. Hearing the words of his comrade, instinctively the boy would word “...the harder they fall!” completing the sentence. 


The behemoth moved with great speed, he was deceptively light on his feet - out of impulse the Hatake fixed his mouth to speak! “Yuuma! Keep your eyes on Ry-” Cut short by a massive fist, nearly the size of his torso. With just enough timing he managed to black the blunt of the force with his sheath blade, however that wasn’t enough to stop the momentum behind it. “He’s s-strong! Too strong!” He thought, the force sending him off his feet - rocketing a total of 15 meters from the office. Wincing as he could feel the force from the blow, despite blocking it. He crashed into one of the walls creating half a centimeter dent around his body’s impact. He was winded, gasping as he struggled to claim the very air that he lost. The monster of a man was already on the move after his first blow, almost juggernaut-like. Tsuna looking up, took notice of the mountain of a man’s rapid approach - this validates that his speed from earlier was not a mere fluke, he was really agile. The man jumped extending his right foot as to stomp the genin. With swift thinking the boy rolled to the left rising to his feet to avoid such a fate. Darting toward him with two rapid steps - leaping toward him, using his right hand to grab the man by the head and tug while thrusting his knees into the face of him. Tsuna was far from weak, but he wasn’t the strongest either. He anticipated that this would stun the man, but the result he received was a chuckle that was followed by a constriction around his ribs and back. Tsuna’s eyes widen as he realized that he was...grabbed? With one hand?! The monster slammed him into the ground with a great deal of force, this in turn manifested blood to spill from the crown of the boy. The man lifted him and tossed him to the upper level like he was some mere rag doll. His body bounced and tumbled as he coughed to catch his breath yet again. At this point...Tsuna was terrified. His vision blurred, phasing in and out of focus. His hearing was a tad shot as he could only make out ringing...overwhelming ringing. The man looked up at him, then turned to look at Yuuma with a malicious smile - behind it cruel thoughts he means to man reality. 


Tsuna, with what he could see did his best to focus on the situation. He struggled to get the full scope of it, but he managed to obtain enough to see that Yuuma was on the menu. The boy pushed himself, the aching and sluggish feeling over his body made this no easy attempt. Using the railing to support his weight, he would hang his head over it. “Hey! Cue ball with no eyebrows! Was that all you had?! If so... Rylo needs to be reimbursed.” He pushed hard to form those words, even harder to hide his pain. It took a few moments, but the man turned to face him - clear rage filled his eyes as he did not take too well to the insult. Tsuna gulps as he glance over to Yuuma, glad to see that he was out of harm’s way. With the focus now on him, all that was going through his head was... “I was kidding! Why did I have to open my mouth? Wake up, Tsuna! This is all a terrible, painful, dramatic nightmare-oh who am I kidding, I’m about to get my ass handed to me.” With one effortless leap the behemoth ascended to the upper level where he stood over the leaning boy. Tsuna gave him a nervous smile. The man casually attempted to grab the boy. The Hatake using his quick thinking reached into the back of his weapon pouch to pull out a white and red tag, which he then fling towards the man’s hand simultaneously pushing himself backwards as the tag glows bright and explodes with a force of 55 at a 1 meter radius. Due to him still being within a few feet of this he was knocked back. Rolling to his feet as he slid to a gradual halt. He then looked on at the smoke from the explosive tag...the hand of monster was scathed, but not by much. Almost devilish eyes pierced through the smog as the man glared at the boy. His rush towards him was inevitable as he roared with fury. Tsuna glancing back at his teammate he could only nod to assure him that everything was going to be alright. His eyes found the man as he was now a foot from him and he threw another one of those massive fists. Tsuna closed his eyes and took a breath as he held his blade in his left with oddly loose handling. Tsuna reminding himself of the promise that he and Yuuma made to the merchant’s wife - the promise he made to indirectly and directly to his partner about causing sever harm. However, he needed to do what he must to protect their vow and his friend. Slowly his eyes open. Those indigo orbs were deep...cold and somewhat vacant of of any doubt. There was another side to Tsuna when he prepared to remove his blade from its sheath... a reason why he named the sword ‘Sloth’s Bane’. All his laziness is eradicated and he only puts forth 100 percent effort to win. 


His body fueled by pure adrenaline at this point, his mind calculating a number of strategies and tactics. As the fist entered his range, his right hand lifted and fingers spread as his arm and upper body channeled his chakra throughout at a rapid rate - strengthen and hardening the muscles as he caught and blocked the man’s fist with the same level of strength: 55. The force was great enough to to make his hair whip. Though his nonchalant expression as he blocked the attack was only increased in disrespect as he said these words. “Hmph... So that’s all the power that you can muster when you’re upset? I’m disappointed, big ugly. I thought you were going to kill me for sure, but now I see the odds are now in my favor.” His tone as utterly disrespectful as he spoke condescendingly. The man, for a mere moment looked surprised, but it was short as he listened to the boy speak and he withdrew his fist to throw another. As his fist left Tsuna’s hand - the boy’s person crackled and radiated with electricity pushing his strength to 50 and his speed to 85. He closed the space between them before his opponent could fully cock his arm back, tucking himself he would deliver a lightning charged uppercut that would bolt from the impact. This was intended to raise the man off his feet, but his strength rivaled that of this technique by 5 over which granted him resistance. But that was not issue, the blow was enough to stun the man. But it would not end there, Tsuna deliver 9 more strikes with his right hand and both feet - all charged with lightning. He would then end the assault with a double hand axe hammer with the pummel of his blade as the key component. This caused a massive lightning cry as the man was sent through the upper level floors to the bottom. 


The crashing of the man was loud enough to startle any that was not looking. The boy calmly looked down at the man, whom was already getting to his feet. Tsuna scuffed as he knew that wouldn’t have been enough to defeat him. Stepped from the newly created hole, descending towards the man. The man taking notice of this threw another punch to the boy. It was then deflected by the sheath blade of the Hatake - slapping the first to the right of the man. Once Tsuna was in contact with the ground he immediately took a tight enclosed stance with his grip on the hilt of his blade. The man suddenly felt a chill down his spine as he looked into the eyes of the boy and realized that he was...willing to do whatever it took to win. With him open, Tsuna released a powerful motion that was usually intended to swiftly strike and draw blood, but in this case it was used in an unorthodox manner where the blade did not leave the scabbard - instead the scabbard over the blade smashed into the face of the man sending him tumbling over. His blade and scabbard returned to the same position as before and with a speed of 62 and power of 42 he released his blade from the sheath that held it. One one notice that the blade sung no song as she was removed as silent as a feather in the arms of the wind - a shockwave manifested from the tip of Tsuna’s blade along with a ear rumbling bark that sent the man flying 5 meter into a wall when a crater in said wall would outline his body. Endless depths of ocean blue would linger on the now unconscious behemoth as he fell to the ground...still breathing which was good. 


Blood stained hair, trickling down the side of his face and left eye - Tsuna slowly walked over towards Yuuma’s direction as he held Sloth’s Bane in his right hand. Her hue in the lighting of the vicinity was purely immaculate to behold. She complimented the hair of the boy well, when it was not stained red. The Hatake would turn his cold eyes over to his comrade before shifting them towards Rylo with a condescending tilt of the head, turning his nose toward him. Slowly raising his blade point towards him as he mouths “Are there anymore toys you wish for us to play with, or are you the next opponent?” His tone was rather calm, while holding a tinge of malice. Leaning slightly over towards Yuuma, he would whisper “If there are anymore you can have them, I can’t fight anymore. Taking everything in me not to pass out. Haha.” His glare returned to Rylo. 


Suddenly all vision faded from his eyes and he was without conscious hitting the floor before his comrade and Rylo. 

Exit - Mission Complete 
[WC 1,857]
[Total WC 10,117]

Mission Claims-
30 AP
6,100 ryo

Personal Claims-
84 Stat points 
+3 Vigor, +45 Chakra and +36 Speed

Wind release - 4K
Chakra Sensory v7 - 2K
Lightning Beast Tracking Fang v7 - 1,312
Vacuum Sword v7 - 750
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough v7 - 900
Wind Pressure Damage v7 - 1,125

Dropping the remaining 30 wc

Approved

This was it. The last stand. The final confrontation. All that stood between them and their goal was one man. A hulking, behemoth of a man. Yuuma swallowed thickly as his right foot followed the step back that his partner had taken, and all at once, Yuuma was incredibly relieved that Tsuna was here. Had he attempted this ordeal alone, he feared that this would be where it ended. The call from his partner would pull his attention for just a moment, Tsuna assigning him the task of watching over the objective while he handled the big guy though the communication was cut short at the end as the big guy charged. The clash had Yuuma flinch, bringing up an arm to block his face as though that would do much of anything to have stopped the blow. The stars were with him today, however, as the mighty punch landed square into the defense of his companion sending him flying through the door and back into the warehouse to crater against the far wall. “Tsuna!” Yuuma cried out. In the mercy of the behemoth, the charging bull rushed past the stunned cleric who was subsequently knocked to the ground by the mass of meat that shoved his way past him. Lifting his head, Yuuma would look to the onslaught of murderous blows that would rain down on his companion. A strong urge pulled on him to run to his partner’s aid, but another voice in his head tugged him backward. “No. Remember the mission. Tsuna can handle himself.” It pained him, but Yuuma knew it was true.

Pushing himself to his feet, Yuuma would turn back to the man they had come here for originally. Rylo. For his part, Rylo was looking confident though when he realized that there was a shinobi left in the room, his resolve began to melt. There was no way he could have known that the much more dangerous of the two had just been punched into the wall, but the look on his face told Yuuma that this was an opportunity to capitalize. “Get me out of here!” Cried Kenji, who now struggled against the ropes tying him to the chair in which he sat. Rylo, having backed away from the desk, looked from Kenji to Yuuma and back, a scowl forming on his face before he turned and made for the door that the mountain of a man had come through. He wouldn’t get far, however, as Kenji’s foot hand struck out from the chair to catch onto the retreating man’s ankle causing him to tumble to the floor. Yuuma was on him before he could go anywhere, a hand capturing the man’s wrist and wrenching it behind him, causing Rylo to grunt in pain.

“Suha!” He cried out, pulling the man’s attention back through the door. Lifting his head, Yuuma could see the brute responding to the call. A cruel expression crossed the face of the man who began working his way back towards the room only to halt in his steps and look away; Yuuma had heard Tsuna shout something, but in the heat of the moment, couldn’t make it out clearly. Whatever it was, it certainly seemed to work. Yuuma, who had been mentally preparing to meet the beast head-on, instead looked back down to Rylo with an expression that informed the man of just how screwed his position was. With grit teeth, Rylo began to struggle beneath the shinobi, who was able to move quite easily with the out-of-shape man. “Damn you shinobi scum- you’ve ruined everything. You’ve damned my sister, and now you’ve damned me to. Damn you. Damn you!” The man spit and hissed. Yuuma felt an odd sensation pass over him at that moment, something strangely familiar in the words the man expressed.

“You’ve betrayed your family.” Yuuma would speak down to the man, who stopped his struggle at that moment and turned his head to peer at Yuuma out of the side of one eye incredulously, as though Yuuma has just spit on him.

“How..dare you,” Rylo spoke through grit teeth, anger seeping out of every pore in the man’s body. “I have done everything for my family- I’ve risked my life, my livelihood! How dare you insinuate I have betrayed them.”

Despite the accusation, Yuuma sat firmly on the man’s back, keeping his arm wrenched and locked in place. “Not only have you betrayed them, but you also have dishonored them.” Although the words sounded as though they were meant to provoke, Yuuma kept his tone even, and calm. As though he were speaking to an enraged animal. Before he could continue on his tirade, however, Yuuma continued to speak. “You have betrayed them not with your intentions, but with your actions. Surely by now, you must realize that there is no escape. The Queensman have been informed of our actions, and even should my companion fail, there are more shinobi that will assist us.” Despite this fabrication, it did seem to take the wind out of Rylo’s sail as the man calmed down. “You know what will come next. You will be apprehended. You will be arrested. The men of this warehouse will be jailed because you have implemented them in your crimes. Their families will suffer without them, and you have only yourself to blame for this.” Yuuma said down to him, his tone gentle, but pointed. This was the truth. “You may have wished for the very best for your sister, but instead you have hurt her. You have disrupted the peace of her family, and those of the people that trusted and relied on you in your workplace.”

“You’ll rot, and you’ll deserve it!” Chimed in Kenji, who earned a rather pointed, stern look from Yuuma. Brow furrowed, it was perhaps the dirtiest look Yuuma had ever given anyone. Before Rylo could retort, however, Yuuma would speak, this time directed at the tied-up man.

“And you. Shame on you. You have done nothing to foster the community of the market. You have not made any attempt to better your standing or that of your fellow man- instead, you drape your home in decadence and finery while your wife and child wear the clothing of the poor. That Rylo had restrained himself to a simple kidnapping is a blessing you should count yourself lucky for. Because while he might have failed, you continue to glorify the superficial and shallow, meager existence you give your family.” The look on Kenji’s face was as though someone had sent an electric shock through his system. Anger and horror rose to his features, but his eyes cast away instead of continued.

Beneath him, Rylo struggled some, but it was unlike before. Wresting his arm back, Yuuma stood, allowing the man to sit upright and gather himself. His anger had waned, but not vanished completely. “You don’t understand.” He said, folding his legs beneath him. Any thought of escape had left him, but he still found himself unable to let this shinobi speak to him as he had. “My sister- she’s all I have. Our family was dispersed, our parents passed when we were young adults, and ever since then, it has been my job to look out for her. I am the older brother! It is my duty!” He cried. Yuuma could sense the feeling deep within him, the raw emotion of truly feeling what he was saying. It was a feeling Yuuma knew all too well.

Folding his arms in front of him, Yuuma turned his head as a crash was heard outside the room somewhere. His brows furrowed, hoping Tsuna was fairing alright. His faith had to maintain. If he could reach Rylo quick enough, perhaps he would call off his beast. Turning back, Yuuma would speak up again. “You’re wrong. I know exactly how you feel. I, too, have a sister I care very deeply for. One I have not seen in over a year, since my village was attacked and razed by bandits.” Rylo lifted his gaze skeptically, as though he were trying to discern if Yuuma was lying to him. The relaxation of his own expression told Yuuma that the man could see the pain written clearly across his face. “And I would do anything- anything to see her again. I might even do something like this, but more than anything, if I could go back in time-” Yuuma paused, taking a knee to speak with the man on his own level. “- it would be to have simply not let go of her hand. I would give my arm to be back on that road and to keep my grip like a vice on hers. But that is the past. I don’t have the option anymore. You. You do.”

Rylo looked down at the ground, his palms rubbing together as he contemplated the man’s words. The silence that brewed between them told Yuuma that he knew the words to be true. “It..wasn’t ever supposed to be like this,” Rylo said, sucking in a deep breath as he hung his head, defeated. “I just wanted what was best for my sister. I’ve failed. I cannot do anything anymore.” A hand on his shoulder would startle him, bringing his gaze upwards to see Yuuma’s face, which now bore a soft, understanding smile.

“You still can,” the boy spoke softly. “You have made a mistake. You have caused a great deal of pain here today. But there is still time, and time will heal all wounds.” It was the final stroke. Rylo’s eyes held onto Yuuma’s for just a moment before he could see the fire leave them, his palms coming up to press into his own eyes gently as he leaned forward, sucking in a shuttered breath.

“What have I done..”

It was at this moment that Tsuna arrived in the doorway, looking rather beat to hell and drawing their attention to the door. “Tsuna!” Yuuma called, standing up and moving to attend to his companion. “It’s okay, he’s surrendered. It’s over.” A hand rested on Tsuna’s shoulder as the younger boy slowly relaxed from his threatening stance and then relaxed a little too much as Tsuna’s form began to go limp though was caught by Yuuma before it was allowed to hit the floor. “Overdid it a little, huh?” Yuuma said to the unconscious form of his companion, hoisting one of his arms up and over his shoulder to carry him more properly.

In an hour’s time, Queensman had arrived en masse to the scene at the behest of a runner who had fetched them. Each of the warehouse workers had been apprehended and was currently being gathered and questioned by the Queensman about their involvement. Rylo was placed into custody, and Kenji had been released to return back to his family. The behemoth of a man had a small contingent of guards escorting him as the lot was taken into custody as well. Yuuma had stayed behind to take care of Tsuna’s initial wounds though eventually a small team had been detached from the hospital and loaded the young boy onto a stretcher. From there the medical team had loaded into a wagon and vanished down the street in short order. Yuuma stayed around long enough to confirm with the Queensman that the two shinobi had been fulfilling a mission, offering the writ, and corroborating what Yuuma had told them about the job. With everything wrapped up, Yuuma found himself left alone with Kenji and another guard who was going to escort the man home once the business was concluded. “Thank you, young man. Thank you for saving me.” The merchant said gratefully, clasping Yuuma’s hand as he bowed his head. “And...you were right. I will have to consider more carefully not only how I act to my fellow man, but my family. Perhaps, in my pursuit of luxury, I lost sight of what was really important. And now a man- my own brother-in-law- is going to be jailed because I failed to recognize what you so readily picked out from him. I will do better.” Kenji promised, clasping his hand in front of his face in an apologetic manner.

Yuuma, ever the soft soul, simply offered the man a smile and a polite bow of his head. “It takes only a little kindness to raise the spirits of those around us. Especially those that look to us with love in their hearts. Don’t forget that when you think about decorating your home in gold before dressing the people that care for you most.” The conversation ended swiftly, though before Kenji could get far, Yuuma would call out to him once more. “Actually...there is one more thing you could do.”

The following day, when Tsuna would rouse from his combat-induced slumber, he would find himself in the Hoshigakure hospital. Fresh bedding had been wrapped around him, and a bandage wrapped over stitching that had been placed in his head. A fresh scar to impress the ladies with, no doubt. Looking around, Tsuna would spot a pair of items set on the desk beside him. The first, a note. Upon opening, it would depict an animate owl with a bandage over its head and a crutch under one wing. The stylized text would read “Hoo-hoo-Hope you get better soon!” Beneath this, another handwritten line of text would read. “Sorry for the bumps and bruises. Noodles are on me, hero!” Signed at the bottom would be the name “Yuuma” accompanied by a smiling face. The second item was perhaps much more captivating: an obviously expensive charm meant to be attached to the sheath or hilt of a blade. The charm depicted the black wing of an avian creature that was attached to a claw grasping a piece of jade. The entire piece was made out of a stunning silver that caught the light in an attractive manner, almost like the metal was attempting to emulate the personality of the boy that now held it. The day would soon come when the two of them would be called on to assist the village again. Before that, however, was the Chuunin Exams to pass.

WC- 2,360
TWC- 12,563

[Mission Complet. Exit]

Mission Rewards:
-30 AP
-6,100 Ryo

Claims-

240 AP

Other: (Discounts applied for teaching/max stats)
3,750 to master A rank Shadow Imitation x2 (no hand seals)
2,250 to master B rank Hiding Like a Mole x2 (no seals)
1,313 for B rank Earth Shaker
1,000 for One Handed Seals v7 (50% thanks to Tsuna)
2,250 to learn and master Moving Earth Core x2 (no hand seals)
500 for C rank Jab v7 (50% thanks to Tsuna)
500 for C rank Block v7 (50% thanks to Tsuna)
500 for C rank Vacuum Sword v7 (50% thanks to Tsuna)
500 for C rank Hidden Arms v7 (50% thanks to Tsuna)

Approved