A Christmas to Save! [Yasahiro, Nova, Jun]

Luckily for Yoi, the entire group decided to help him and protect the bakery. The spirit's shoulders dropped in relief. "Oh thank you, I'll be in my chambers if you need anything." Yoi left to go towards his chamber. His energy was exhausting and depressing. The rumors of the attack on the bakery seemed to weigh on him heavily. Jun hoped that their efforts would lift his festive spirits. Maybe it would lift all their spirits.

Miki took the leadership role and explained that she and Yashiro would go get clothing for them while the Kumo ninja and Jun stayed behind to look for any possible points of entry. Jun saluted Miki, "Right away, Ma'm." The two would leave soon after to get them clothes and Nova and Jun would be left alone together to watch the bakery. The group was cautious of any suspicions they moved to do their mission. 

Jun would glance around the main area of the bakery, only noticing the front windows and the doors as possible entrances. Behind the counter in the back was a back door that lead to the dumpster behind the building. Once outside, Jun jumped onto the roof of the bakery to see if there were anything someone could sneak into. there was only one way in from the roof, the chimney. The chimney was from the oven of the bakery where all the smoke could escape through the top and waft the smell of the sweet over to the village. Those were the 4 entrances: front door, windows, back door, and chimney. Jun went to meet up with Nova to confirm these findings. 

The other two hadn't made it back yet, so there was some time between just Jun and Nova. Jun stared out the front window to watch for the other's return from the clothing store "I'm Jun Fuji, by the way," She introduced herself to Nova. "I'm from Hoshi. What about you?" Jun was interested in some small conversation with Nova. If Nova was open to some conversation, Jun would continue to converse. "You know, I actually never thought Yoi was real. I always thought he was a tale from my father's childhood. He was the one who told me that I got presents from Yoi when I was younger. I wonder if he knew that Yoi was real." Jun pondered out loud to Nova. She was a smart kid and she knew that her parents sometimes told her stories that weren't real but used to get a lesson. I guess the stories of Yoi were just as real. 

Little did Jun know, there were people approaching the bakery. These people's intentions were unknown but they were sure to find out soon. 

WC: 454
TWC: 2079

And then there were two.

It was with a slightly apprehensive expression that Nova turned to look back at Jun. She didn't even necessarily dislike the woman, she just... Didn't have the social energy to deal with someone like her at the moment. Hell, Nova didn't have the social energy to deal with anyone most of the time. She'd try to be nice, but there was never a guarantee that the constantly angry genin would be pleasant to talk to. Nova even tried to smile at the other woman, but the resulting expression was so far away from a smile that it actually looked a little bit terrifying. Cleary, Nova's face wasn't built for such expressions.

Thankfully, Jun didn't seem to want to initiate small talk just yet as the two made their way outside to inspect for potential entrances and exits. Despite her personality, it seemed that Jun did know how to be professional when the time called for it. To keep a better look, Nova did a few handseals and with a puff of smoke an exact replica of her appeared to her side. The shadow clone nodded and leapt up to the highest point of the roof to keep a better eye of all the surroundings; if any of those evil joy-destroyers came knocking, Nova would know. Eventually, Jun and Nova ended up next to each other next to the ground window; evidently, the two had the same idea of keeping watch there.

"Nove Tsuba," She said in a terse reply to Jun, "Proud kunoichi of Kumogakure." At Jun's further rambling, Nova's eyebrows begun to furrow slightly in frustration but it wasn't aimed directly towards Jun. Parents had always been a bit of a sore spot for the young woman.

"Must be nice." Nova snorted in a bizarre twist of actually opening up for once - maybe the joyous atmosphere was getting to her, "The only thing my parents ever told me was how much of a disappointment I a-"

Nova's admission was cut short as a surge of foreign memories came rushing through her mind: her shadow clone had popped itself. She took a second to sort through the memories, face suddenly serious. "Someone's trying to sneak up us. Just there, behind the building." She said, pointing out the building she was talking about. It looked like the time for opening up was behind them, for it seemed combat was about to be afoot. Nova grabbed her bo staff from her back and nodded in the direction of the building, "Let's go."

Nova stepped outside, staff in hand, and narrowed her eyes. Shadows were approaching, and just as she was about to fear she saw the source of the shadows. It took everything within her power not to burst out into laughter as she realized that Itazura's "attack force" consisted of a dozen or so two-foot-tall elves in black stereotypical ninja attire. With a poorly concealed smile, Nova began to run towards the approaching group of tiny elves. It looked like it was time to play football - or hockey, she supposed.

WC: 518
TWC: 1610

A brothel? Not exactly the strangest of professions, though definitely one of the oldest; but who was Yasahiro to judge? In the cold weeks and nights after his rushed departure from the Land of Iron, he found himself sleeping in brothels, bakeries, and bars—anywhere with a bed and a warm meal that didn't ask too many questions. The people who worked in each establishment were all the same; they were all human with hopes, dreams, and fears like anyone else. So long as they made the choice of their own volition, how one chose to make a living mattered little to the Komekage.

"I'm sorry to hear your village lacks an appreciation for talent," his amber gaze dropped momentarily to the shorter woman and lingered for only a few heartbeats. Leadership skills, if squandered, rarely came to blossom peaceably. "Though, it is an admirable goal you have: to rebuild something once lost."

The conversation then turned to the leader's appearance, something he rarely put much thought into. Unlike his dear cousin, Yasahiro preferred the utilitarian over the ornamental. People dressed to impress those around them, and the exile no longer had anyone in the world he needed to impress or peacock for. The very idea of it all sounded like a pain and a bother, neither feelings he wished to subject himself to unless absolutely necessary.

"I don't know about barbaric" he laughed, expelling a large cloud from his mouth into the cold atmosphere as he did. "But Rice Country is a land of farmers and fishermen; there's no need for all this there, it simply gets in the way."

To emphasize his point, he lifted his sword arm until the garment prevented the full range of movement. While warm, the patchwork parka was not ideal for anything that required anything in the way of dexterity. If and when combat came with a skilled opponent, the parka would have to go or he could risk injury.

Silence fell over the pair until they arrived at the store, where Miki's whispered implications were met with a wry smile and a shake of the head. Relationships, both emotional and physical, had long since fallen by the wayside for the rising leader. Meetings, missions, and money occupied his time now for much of his waking hours such that by the end of the day he wished for nothing more than a soft pillow, a warm bed, and a good book—what more could one ask for in life?

Of course, such thoughts fell from the fore with the arrival of three figures at the end of the street. Bathed in the pulsating red light of the faux reindeer’s nose, each of Itazura's agents took on a sinister guise. Shadows played over their faces, their blades glinted crimson in the light, and their once casual approach turned into a hurried run—so much for a silent night.

The first two assailants, both wielding katana, clearly lacked formal training. Their strikes went wide and wild, leaving holes in each of their movements. Without much exertion, the Komekage bobbed and weaved through their strikes without even so much as drawing his blade. A few quick strikes to the abdomen sent the first swordsman into unconsciousness, while an unarmed chop to the back of the second’s neck sent them into a crumpled heap in the snow.

Cast from his shoulders, the man's parka fell to snow as the third figure approached.

Much like the first two, she lacked finesse with her blade. However, she made up for it through sheer strength and speed that nearly put the Komekage to shame more than a few times. The metallic ring of the samurai's blade being drawn, however, marked the end of true combat; he batted the larger sword away with the flat of his blade and sent the women into an early Christmas-time slumber. Though they would surely have headaches and bruises for weeks, the three figures would live to fight another day—killing so close to holidays simply wasn't done.

"Nice of you to join us," a stream of something akin to steam issued from the man's nose as he exhaled and looked back at the returning Miki. "And thank you."

Accepting the hat and retrieving his parka, he pulled the patchwork jacket back over his black undershirt. The hat, it turned out, fit perfectly. Unfortunately, the pair's work remained undone, as Miki's detective skills quickly discovered. The bakery, the workshop, and the star from atop the tree, did Itazura's depravity know no bounds?

"Make for the workshop," he said, easily keeping pace with Miki as they hurriedly retraced their steps through the village—distributing the clothes could wait. "We'll have to trust that the other two can handle themselves at the bakery."

The scene outside the workshop—as Yasahiro and Miki soon found—was much the same as outside the store. Four figures, cloaked in black and wielding swords of different makes, hammered on the doors, trying to force their way in. The elves inside had clearly locked themselves in, and all that remained was for Miki and Yasahiro to clear out the would-be robbers. The samurai drew his sword and walked forward without sparing his raven-haired companion another glance.

Peaking out from behind the silhouette of the workshop stood the tree, lights and all—time was running out.
---
WC: 885
TWC: 2966
Mission 1 500/500
Mission 2 750/750
Mission 3 1000/1000

As Nova was engaging in Jun's conversation, Nova would get information from her shadow clone that intruders were behind the building. The Kumo ninja would lead the way out the back with her bo staff as Jun followed urgently. The duo scanned the area to find these intruders. They were small poorly dressed ninja elves armed with basic weapons like katanas, kunai, and spears. "Aw, they're so cute!" Jun giggled, "Hey, we aren't here to fight you but we will protect the bakery, so don't even try." Unforunently that wasn't enough to stop the horde -- perhaps they had the idea that they had an advantage in numbers. Jun prepped herself with her fighting stance, one palm facing towards the threat while the other was positioned close to her chest as a defense and her feet one in front of the other. 

Jun waited for the horde to approach. Her fighting style was great at fighting multiple opponents simultaneously. It was filled with a lot of flowing motions and quick circle-based dodges. Six of the elves approached Jun while the other half went after Nova. Jun swiftly dodged blades with a simple sidestep and redirected projectiles away from her with flowing hand movements that would be launched at the ground harmlessly. Jun was going for a non-lethal approach because she didn't feel these enemies deserved it. Jun had no idea what their ideals were or if they were being ill-informed, so death seemed like a cruel punishment. An ass beating tho was not above her. As the 'ninja' got close, she would strike their chest with an open palm and other weak points of the elves that would cause unconsciousness or disarmament.  

All her opponents were taken down with none of them getting to the bakery. This would be followed by Miki and Yashiro's defense of the workshop that was happening at the same time as the bakery attack. Jun and Nova would be able to notice their battle as the workshop wasn't far from the bakery. Assuming the defense of the workshop went well, they would have successfully defended both areas

The commotion caused some of the civilians to come out of their homes and notice the small army that had attempted to harm their lively hood. Yoi also left his chambers to see what all the ruckus was. He was surprised to see the number of elves who would want to hurt their festivities. The citizens looked to Yoi for guidance and answers. The present-giving spirit would take in a deep breath and address the crowd. 

"As you can see, the rumors about Itazuma are true. That wicked spirit attempted to attack our workshop and our bakery. Despite this, we have prevailed thanks to the shinobi brought here today. To show that we do not fear the threats against us, the tree lighting will still happen. Please return to setting the tree up as we prepare for the star placement ceremony." 

The crowd cheered and dispersed with new enthusiasm and courage. Yoi would turn to the shinobi afterward. "Please, stay for the lighting ceremony. It is very important for elves that this still happens. Otherwise, I don't know if they'll have the spirit to be able to deliver the presents. I doubt Itazuma would stop now after her two defeats. Her last target will most likely be the tree. We will provide food and drinks for this ceremony that you may indulge in." He seemed to suddenly get anxious as he realized the time. "I have to go and prepare. Thank you for how much you've already done. You four might save the festivities for the entire world." He left in haste. 

Jun accepted this invitation and assuming the others did as well, they would head to the village square where the massive tree was being decorated. The star hadn't been placed on the tree yet but it was visible to the group on a pedestal as if it were a massive statue. Jun wasn't sure how they were going to get it up there but she was excited to see it. In the meantime, she would indulge in cider drinks and plenty of cookies. 


WC: 697
TWC: 2776

Nova rushed to meet the tiny elves head-on, displaying no fear or remorse for what she was about to do. As cute as they may be, once she got in range, Nova threw away all form and technique with her bo staff and elected to use it like a bat. The first elf to get within range had scant few milliseconds to widen its eyes and feel true fear, before Nova's stuff came down in a whopping arc centered on his head. There was a loud crack, followed by the elf dropping to the floor unconscious; though Nova imagined he'd have a comically-large bruise growing out the top of his head when he woke up later.

Nova twirled her bo staff around and ruthlessly swept out the ankles of an elf who'd managed to creep up behind her, knocking him out by smashing the flat part of her staff into his nose. This was... Surprisingly fun. Nova thought, deftly spinning out the way of some thrown kunai. The metallic instruments of death sailed past her, and Nova returned the favour by grabbing one out of the air and lobbing it back at the offending elf. Since she still had no desire to kill any of these poor people, Nova had put a spin on the kunai to make sure the rounded end hit him in the forehead. With a resounding clunk, the third elf fell to the floor - 6 more to go.

A small smile crept onto Nova's face as she knocked another one out. Though she'd be hard-pressed to call this an even fight, it was a fight nonetheless. She hadn't felt the thrill of battle in a long time - perhaps in a dream, but Nova's memory was pretty foggy. To speed things up somewhat, Nova activated the first gate and exhaled as the familar tight, painful feeling overtook her muscles. It felt like she was tensing every muscle in her body as hard as she could, without letting up. Not a particularly pleasant feeling, but the sensation of moving faster and hitting harder was tremendously satisfying. With the aid of the first gate, Nova's form blurred even more than before and she quickly dispatched of the remaining elves.

Surrounded by the snoozing forms of tiny people, Nova dropped the first gate and massaged a painful muscle cramp in her forearm. She let out a small breath, and then quickly got to work tying up her opponents; she was no medical expert and she didn't have any knowledge of how long they'd actually stay unconscious. Her previous experience said a couple of minutes or so, but she'd never knocked an elf unconscious before so she had no way to know for sure. Regardless, it wasn't more than a couple of minutes of work and by the time Nova was finished it looked like things were starting to happen.

Yoi had come out somewhere and was giving a speech to various citizens who had come out of their homes during the commotion, Despite her previous confidence in the fight, Nova withdrew into herself at the various stares. She still wasn't very good with people, let alone entire crowds, and she still felt remarkably out-of-place in her training gear. It wasn't as bad as it could've been - since that other woman had given her a coat- but Nova still wished to be anywhere but here. Thankfully, it looked like they were onto their last mission: to protect the star on top of the tree during the festival.

As Nova entered the town square along with Jun, and quickly discovered how easy it was to get enraptured by the energy of the place. People were laughing, children were running, and a high level of cheer was present amidst the air. It kind of reminded Nova of the festivals in Kumogakure, though without all the drunken brawls. The festival passed by quickly; there was a brief scare or something about someone trying to steal the star, but that was swiftly dealt with by Nova throwing an empty glass at the figure. Of course, Nova ended up getting quite drunk during the festival so she may have just imagined everything.

When Nova was teleported back to Kumogakure, she collapsed into bed and dreamed of fighting elves with candy cane swords.

[Exit]

WC: 713
TWC: 2323

Claims:
21800 Ryo (21500 + 300 from Genin pay)
110 AP
1 Material Demagnetizer
1 Tinkerer's Toolkit
1 Omnistone
1000 words for C-Rank Whirlwind Pirouette Kick
1300 words out of 1500 for B-Rank Discovery of an Incomplete Truth
46 additional AP from WC

Faceless assailants fell to both Miki and Yasahiro's blades, the former fatally and the latter less so. To kill was a choice and not one that Komekage took lightly, especially given the season. He had no interest in cutting the life of an elf, human, or otherwise short if he could help it. After all, enemies or not, their assailants likely did not have much choice in the matter, they fought at the whims of another either out of fear or loyalty. Such was the way of the shinobi world: to live and die for something greater than oneself.

Next thing the leader knew he was being dragged around the Christmas town by the diminutive Kunoichi until they arrived in the village center where the massive Christmas tree stood. Separating from the group, Yasahiro watched with cloaked amusement as one of the women, Nova, easily dispatched an ill-conceived theft of the Christmas star. If this was the best Itazura had to throw at the season, then it would surely be safe for the rest of the year and many yet to come.

In the revelry that followed, Yasahiro took a backseat and enjoyed it in moderation unlike a couple of his companions. Nonetheless, he made merry with the elves, Yoi, and his erstwhile companions until, like a haze, he fell into a restful sleep by one of the larger bonfires. When he awoke he had returned to Tanbogakure with nothing save for the afterglow of the party and the hat to remind him that it really wasn't a dream. What a strange way to celebrate Christmas the man thought as he lay down for another long winter's rest.

---

Exit.
WC: 278
TWC: 3244
+ 64 AP from max stat training
+ 3244 words towards S-rank Fuinjutsu Breaking, A-rank and below fully unlocked through this allocation—3244/5000 for S-rank.
+ 21500 ryo from the three missions referenced in the first post
+ 110 AP from the three missions referenced in the first post
+ 1 Tinker's Tools
+1 Material Demagnetizer
+1 Omnistone

The party was great! The sounds, the lights, the music, the people made the whole experience magical. Jun could finally feel the Christmas spirit. The elves and the rest of the team members were having a blast with the mixture of tantalizing senses. The daring group drank and ate to their heart's content as they completed their last mission: protecting the star. 

It was getting to the end of the festivities, and there was nothing. It was the end of their mission, and the group would get to say their last goodbyes before getting teleported back to their respective villages. "Hey! I want to say that it was fun meeting you all. I hope that I see you all in the future. Although I probably won't go to a brothel." She laughed, teasing Miki. It was their time by the time they finished their goodbyes and disappeared in a flash. 

Jun would flashy appear in her new apartment again after leaving it. It was excellent for the kunoichi to have a refreshed sense of Christmas spirit now. Not wasting any time indoors, she would blazingly run to her closet and grab her coat to join the other villagers out in the holiday spirit. The night ended for her with snow everywhere, from a game of snowball fighting with the neighbor's kids, totally kicking their butts, and some sweet tea to warm back up before crashing on the couch. 

WC: 238
TWC: 3014

EXIT 
Mission rewards from Christmas event
21500 ryo + 300 for genin pay = 21800
110 ap 
1 Omnistone 
1 tinker tools
1 Material Demagitizer 
30 stats (14 stats to strength and 16 stats to chakra)
new stats:
Vigor: 10
Chakra: 46
Speed: 50
Strength: 50

503 Wc towards 360 Degree Shield Hand C rank (1000/1000) continuing from this
Atman Fighting Spirit (1750/1750) B rank 
Free Spirit Style: Swift Palm C rank (761/1150)

All above claims approved