Nightmares End [IO]

The mist was thick. Sticky. It was difficult to move through, particularly for someone like Yuuma. Yuuma, for his part, did well to keep his body in shape but he was no weight lifter nor track sprinter. The measure of his spirit vastly outweighed the more tangible parts of his being, and this chakra-infused mist alone was proving difficult to progress through. It clung to him like a liquid spider web, making the walk down the corridor more of a trudge. Thankfully, they didn't get very far by the time Zayrian made a motion for them to halt. In his passage, the Genin seemed to have found a stone that Yuuma had missed in his begrudgery of the misty trek. Turning his attention to the smaller of the three, Yuuma would inspect the stone though with a lift of his hand, Zay summoned action in response. A faint pulse of light before the archway was revealed, showing the winding spiral stairs leading upward, the bright red light visible at the top. Reaching out a hand, he'd pat Zay on the shoulder a couple of times. "Good eyes, those will serve you well." The trio had a brief moment at the bottom of the stairs, though Yuuma had very little to offer either of them until they got to the top. The plan remained the same; keep on the disguise until they knew for sure they had found what they were looking for. Thankfully, sitting at the top of the stairs, an aged, oak door sat squat, barring their entrance into the source from which the mist flowed. If this wasn't a sign of their objective, nothing was.

Standing at the top, Yuuma would dismiss his disguise and revert to the normal set of cleric-like robes that he typically wore, the scar on his forehead returning in full prominence as he turned to address the pair of Genin he was with one last time. "Alright. This is it. The both of you have done incredibly well for yourselves, but beyond this door will be our real test. Our success is mandatory- we don't know if any other shinobi from our village knows of this place or even will be able to make it here. As such, it falls on us to disrupt whatever the hell is going on. So whatever is through this door, be it man or otherwise, we will be putting a stop to it. Make any preparations you need to now." For as inspiring as the words were meant to be, they still had to be spoken in a low whisper in order to maintain their subtle approach. A series of hand seals followed before Yuuma would emit a soft, pale blue light. An aura had affixed itself to his body, shimmering just over his form like a protective shield. Another series of seals and a staff of rock would form in his hand. The staff didn't appear particularly ornate or special, but it was at least a weapon by which he could defend himself in the rather cramped quarters.

Nodding to Zay and Takeda both, he would allow the Genin to be the one to open the door. The door itself bulged outwards as though it was restraining a great deal of force. It took only a split second for Yuuma to send chakra to his feet, allowing him to stick to the floor and avoid being knocked back against the wall. A fate that he was unable to stop Takeda from suffering. In the room beyond, the sets of figures all rushed to the center in preparation to face the attack, but Yuuma was already prepared to move. His shadow raced from his feet, flying along the contour of the shaded floor before splitting in an attempt to grab the assailants. In the blink of an eye, however, the room shifted. The two shinobi accompanied by their hounds were gone. "Quick, move to strike the-..." Yuuma began, interrupting himself when he turned to glance at his companions only to find them also gone. The one remaining in the room bellowed out a peal of laughter as he reached behind his back to withdraw a rather wicked-looking blade.

"Something the matter, little ninja? You are looking scared now that you are alone." The man began to take advancing steps, though Yuuma was quick to pull himself together. Facing a foe alone actually reassured Yuuma some- it would be easier to operate with only himself to worry about. He just hoped that the two would be able to take care of themselves against their opponents. Hefting his weapon, Yuuma would take up a spear stance with the staff though would instead throw the weapon aimed directly at the chest of the only available opponent. The throw was slow. Clumsy. The man hardly needed to even raise his weapon in order to deflect the blow. The rock spear would clash against the blade, being harmlessly rent aside. More laughter would come. "Is that really all you have? That was pathetic! That wasn't even...wait..why can't I..." The man began to slow as the realization that his body wasn't acting on his own came to him. What he had failed to realize was that the thrown staff had been a simple ploy to allow his shadow to move unseen, and when the cultist cast his gaze to the ground, the reality of the situation would impact him.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this," Yuuma said. Although he didn't relish in killing anyone, there was no way to allow this man to live after what he had done to his village. The two of them would mirror each other's actions as they approached, standing before one another with less than a meter between them. "You have chosen to attack the people of my village. I cannot allow that. As a member of the Hoshigakure Shinobi, I sentence you to death for your crimes." Yuuma would lift a hand to his tricep, a single kunai appearing in his grasp.

The man's face morphed from concern to resolution, to a cruel and wicked smile. "You think killing me ends this, shinobi? All you do is send me to join my god. You have no idea what has occurred these nights- we have scarred your village. We have robbed from you not your coin but your security and peace of mind. Not even in your sleep will you be allowed to be at rest. The members of the Jashinist will return even after me, and they will take from you what they will. You will never see us coming. You will only know it when-" the man was cut off as a kunai was plunged into his neck. A spurt of blood sent crimson liquid in a spray that coated the front of Yuuma in a fine line of blood that trailed from the mid of his robe and up across one side of his face. The man writhed as he could, but the shadow forced him to stand there, forced to hold his hand outward as though he were stabbing something as he slowly, painfully choked on his own lifeblood.

"May the stars offer you mercy." Yuuma exhaled quietly, withdrawing his technique and letting the body of the cultist slump to the ground. It took less than a minute, but Zayrian and Takeda would appear next to him in short order. Both of them seemed to be in relatively good shape, and the only sign of the struggle with Yuuma would be that streak of blood and the kunai that rested in his hand. He turned, offering them both a wide, warm smile that appeared almost out of place next to the line of blood on his visage. "Well done. You two very well may have saved Hoshigakure. Thank you. Both of you." The last thing Yuuma remember was turning to offer them both a bow, but instead of standing back up, he opened his eyes to see the ceiling above his bed.

Sitting up, Yuuma would look over to the now empty perch that sat beside his bed. Nothing. Wiping his hand across his face, he'd feel no smear of cold blood. Just sweat. Sighing into the night air, he'd turn to sit on the edge of his bed in the back of Starfall Remedies. It took him some time to collect himself, but in the end, Yuuma would decide that sleep was not for him tonight. Instead, he would put on his shoes and coat, pop a piece of candy in his mouth, and take off for a leisurely night stroll in the still city of Hoshigakure.

WC - 1,441
TWC - 4,457

[Mission Complete. Exit.]

Claims:

-1500 for Chakra Infusion [1,500/1,500]
-1875 for A-rank Soul Expulsion [1,875/1,875]
-1,082 toward Fuin spec. [1,082/3,000]

Mission Rewards:

Claiming 29,250 Ryo (+750 from Chuunin)

143 AP

Claiming 30 Tickets

Claiming 1 Golden Ticket

Claiming Milestones:

Hit the Ground Running: Complete one mission.
Bonus: 500 Ryo

Teamwork makes the Dream Work: Complete a mission in a mission group of 3 or more.
Bonus: 500 WC

Approved