Re: Miracle in Moon Country [Komori & Shichiro]

Wed Dec 22, 2021 10:20 am

It seemed the plan would work out after all, shichiro would think as he watched from behind the safety of the bakery’s wall. It also seemed that the farmer was more then he let on to be, which was made clear by an axe passing through his body… which was now made of water? Yea definitely more then what he lead on. The Hashimoto crime lord didn’t think on it too long, but made a mental note that he was going to have to be careful around this guy.

He may have accidentally brought someone into the fold of his business that he shouldn’t have. A mistake he’d have to watch closely from here on out, but for the moment the mans power would benefit him, and he’d effortlessly execute the plan shichiro had hatched, collapsing snow onto a horde of delinquents and as he put it saved the bakery, even if buddy the elf seemed less then enthusiastic.

“And just where the hell were you?”

He’d say pointing an accusatory finger at the small man. Buddy shrugged it off, “Attending to more important matters, a lot goes into making christmas happen. We leave security work to the professionals” he’d say with a degree of sarcasm and a clearly less than great view on shinobi.

Shichiro debated keeping up the charade and asking why he was here if it was just professionals, but this man seemed to know a lot about the group and it was probably best not to push his buttons in front of the others. So instead he just crossed his arms and pouted as the elf showed them to the workshop and explained their purpose. Much like the bakery, it was another building which needed protection, and much like the bakery, they also were not allowed to kill. A rather troublesome rule, but one Shichiro probably would have followed without the reminder, murder was not a good look for a grocer.

He groaned as the man explained they’d be here till sunrise realizing he’d miss the expected first shipment of goods for his grocery store, but would keep his mouth shut and stand guard nonetheless. The sooner this was over the better, and he sure as hell wasn’t walking home. Not in this weather at least, not soon after the farmer with a suspicious amount of power and the girl got into an argument of semantics, the girl correcting him about the quantity of their attackers, before pointing to yet another horde of attackers.

“oh you’ve gotta be kidding me”

Shichiro would say with his face now firmly planted in the palm of his hand. This was going to be a long night. Yet again his brain had to work fast to find a solution that didn’t out him as a combatant, and his eyes would scan around the room for something to use. On the outside of the building behind them we’re a few sleighs, shichiro didn’t see a use for that. So his eyes flicked left, past the zukumiki girl and to a box of firewo-, …wait what the hell was up with that girls eyes? Shichiro did a double take before he shook his head and focused on the fireworks, he didn’t have time to process whatever that was right now.

“guys I think I’ve got an idea” he’d say shuffling through the snow and to the pile of sleds, the angry mob was still a good distance away and he just might be able to pull this off. He’d lug the sleds over to the boxes of fireworks which had no doubt been stored there for the festivities and would begin to stack them atop one of the sleds before signaling to the others to do the same. They were of course free to do as they pleased but shichiro would continue the process regardless.

If they helped they’d have 3 sleds with fireworks strapped to them, and shichiro would set each box on fire with the lighter he carried around for …reasons. The horde now a tad closer then before would then see 3 objects sliding towards them, through the combination of distance and falling snow it would be hard to tell exactly what until it was far too late, and a flurry of colorful explosions ignited against the white terrain and caused a beautiful view that the workshop workers would surely see and appreciate.

The explosion of course was not enough to kill, but it was enough to frighten and the forces that were charging would now be running in the other direction with missing eyebrows and charred clothes, coughing through the smoke.

“we did it guys, we saved the workshop” he’d say mocking moris earlier statement.

WC: 770
TWC: 2341

Mission 1 667/667
Mission 2 1000/1000
Mission 3 687/1334

Thu Dec 23, 2021 6:25 pm

Blissfully unaware of both of his underlings' feelings of mistrust, Komori had led the gang, not to be mistaken for the actual Hashimoto or Zukumiki gangs, to the warehouse accompanied by Buddy the elf. He was not in a mood to describe things just yet, perhaps saving it for when he was in the Christmas spirit. The last several years had been lacking, the true date of Christmas coming and going without him having cause to celebrate. Yet now, there was something to protect and festivities to have, even if the situation was not his first choice. It seemed that Shichiro was still heckbent on cursing for the holidays. The now less agitated Komori chose to let the correction slide, which turned out to be a rather good call as a mob of vandals appeared on the horizon. Time spent arguing would only inhibit their concentration, and despite the earlier events of the night, eye patch san still wanted to maintain as much subtlety as possible. Not that it was necessarily still in the cards after he had used a very loud beam of lightning to put a halt to the initial assault.

Now taking stock of the situation before him, it seemed that there was not quite as much snow to cause a quick solution to the problem. Years of experience drove him forwards on instinct before he was even aware of his own actions. A single hand rose into the Ram seal in preparation for combat. Yet before he had ventured too far forward, the boy who overinflated his own mental abilities called out yet another idea. He waited for the boy to elaborate, though it appeared he expected them to read his mind. Well if you insist…

Just kidding. Instead, he would be far more direct. "Well don’t keep us waiting." He casually pointed a thumb towards the ongoing surge of grinches attempting to ruin Christmas as a reminder to Shichiro’s apparent lack of urgency. The wannabe mafioso started lugging the sleds towards the fireworks. Well that might just work, Komori would think, mildly amused with the idea. Besides, he had probably brought enough attention to himself today. As much as he had loved the spotlight in the past, his new life in Tanbo had been an intentional attempt to stay out of it. If the kid's plan could work, it seemed fair to give it a shot.

But a helping hand might also be worthwhile since he was opting to use projectiles in this day and age. Komori subtly used a single hand to finish the jutsu he had planned on using, the Ram seal he had been holding followed by the Tiger → Ox → Boar → Bird → Dog seals. He would actively try to use this technique when Shichiro was busy handling the sleds and hopefully Ichika would be looking elsewhere. Regardless, a five centimeter wide stream of viscous water was expelled from his mouth several meters from his person towards where the bad guys were on track to reach. A puddle of syrup would spread along the surface of the floor.

He would strap a box of these fireworks onto a sleigh, just as his temporary farm hand had done. A quick spit of the same liquid that formed the puddle ensured the box would stay attached to the sled. Not accounting for Ichika's actions, there would now be at least two, possibly three sleds equipped home alone style with fireworks. Shichiro would attempt to light it, but even after several clicks of the lighter, which for some strange and unrelated reason made him think of a recent arson in Tanbo, no flame appeared. Mori cocked an eyebrow at the impotent boy, and attempted to reassure him. "Performance issues, eh? Don’t worry about it, it happens all the time." He paused, pointing an index finger and causing one hand to conduct a small burst of lightning onto the tip of the wire, igniting it, and if the Zukumiki girl asked, hers as well. “From what I hear. Not me of course, but other people I assume."

After the ignition from Komori, the sleds would take off towards their adversaries, just as they reached the puddle. Several of the assailants would find themselves stuck in the puddle and unable to free themselves, those behind them slowing their approach to gawk in confusion. All the while, firework propelled sleds hurdled towards them at such a speed they themselves did not get stuck, the sheer impact force knocking several of them free from the syrup field and knocking down many of them like bowling pins and rendering them unconscious. Those who managed to dodge the initial sled charge would be met with smoke and explosions from the fireworks, and what followed was a spectacular and sudden display of color as the boxes erupted into festive fun, and behind that wall of color, the remaining opponents retreated, and the holidays were saved. At least now Yoi's Angels:tm: would be able to get to the celebration. Right?

WC: 2747
667/667
1000/1000
1080/1334

Thu Dec 23, 2021 8:21 pm

An idea?

Following the tank top clad Shichiro, the diminutive Leaf genin didn't need an explanation of the plan—sleds, fireworks, and bad guys, no further discussion needed. Lacking both the muscle and mass of her two partners, Ichika struggled against her sled's weight like an anemic sled dog being put into its traces for the first time. Finally, with a less-than-lady-like grunt and throwing all her weight against the strap, Ichika moved the sled one foot, two feet, three feet, and more. Once it got moving, the rest was easy, and she caught up to her companions of circumstance, ready for the next phase in Shichiro's plan.

"Could you—" she began to ask for help setting her fireworks off, but Mori's help cut her short. "Thank you, Mori."

The explosion of color that followed rivaled any fireworks display the genin had seen in her short eighteen years of life. Reds cascaded into blues, blues bloomed into purples, and purples exploded into brilliant whites, creating a beautiful display that left a fleeting retinal echo burned into Ichika's eyes. Somehow, by a stroke of luck, the explosion itself did not seriously injure any of the bandits, though it did certainly concuss a large majority of them given the few figures sprawled out on the ground clutching their ears. By all counts, Shichiro's plan went off without a hitch and, in the mastermind's own words, 'we saved the workshop'.

Unfortunately, little time remained to revel in victory as two figures had escaped from the brunt of the blast. Instead of helping their fallen comrades, these two figures, cloaked in black and as quick as lightning itself, bid a hasty retreat back towards the main square from whence they came originally. Surely, Itazura's forces wouldn't press their luck further tonight, right?

"Hurry up, you three!" Buddy reappeared as if had been watching the whole thing from a distant world. "Don't let those two escape, they're after the star!"

Spurred on by the elf's words, Ichika was the first—though likely not the fastest—to take off after the last two bandits. Though they had the head start, it wasn't too hard to follow the pair's path through the Christmas-time village. The bandits left destroyed snowmen, broken windows, and deep footprints in the snow, their frenzied flight was anything but subtle. A couple of times the genin and her compatriots, if they indeed followed suit, had to rely on the directions of a few distressed elves. While beautiful and perfect for the season, the village itself seemed to lack a central planner, so the trail sometimes ran back on itself, looped forward, and met dead ends until they made it to the main square.

Dominated by a large tree at its center, the main square seemed to be the nexus for all things Christmas. Lights lined the streets, sleigh bells jingled on the wind, and everything smelled strongly of pine and peppermint. If it were not for the two figures quickly scaling the large tree, Ichika would have liked to have joined the pint-sized denizens of Moon Country for the celebration they were quite clearly gearing up to have. Unfortunately, she had a job to do and, seeing the two bandits coming in her direction with Yoi's star in hand, made it all too clear that now was not the time for a party.

Thinking fast and moving faster, the raven-haired girl dropped to the ground and, with perfect timing, pulled up a string of Christmas lights that lined the sidewalk. Creating a colorful tripline across the bandits' path just as they were about to get away, she sent the two figures sprawling into the snow. It wasn't the most graceful of plans, but it certainly worked and the genin couldn't quite argue with success. With any luck, her companions had followed her and would be able to retrieve the star which lay some distance away from the entangled bandits.

The red faded from her eyes, and they returned to a color resembling coal. For the first time all night, she had taken the initiative, and her heart wouldn't stop beating as if it wanted to burst from her chest. She hadn't hidden like in the bakery, and she hadn't relied on others as she did at the workshop—she had saved Christmas alongside Mori and Shichiro, it felt amazing and terrifying all at the same time.

The night that followed included cookies, cocoa, and carols. Ichika sang, drank, and ate to her heart's content, and she loved every moment of it. If it were all a dream, then it was one of the best she'd had in quite a while. It had adventure, danger, thrills, and more. However, as the night progressed even the Uchiha's energy waned, and her lids drooped. Finding a small alcove in the workshop, she drifted to a contented sleep with all the warmth of the holiday lulling her into a deep sleep.

When she awoke she found herself back in her bed. Snow still fell outside, her mother had not yet returned, and the whole house was as it once was. Perhaps the whole thing had been a dream in the end? Only time would truly tell and, for now, she had far more important things to attend to with her mother returning later in the day—the house needed a bit more spirit and maybe a few dozen cookies.

Exit.
WC: 902
TWC: 3022

Mission 1 667/667
Mission 2 1000/1000
Mission 3 1334/1334

+ 30 Chakra
+ 2590 words towards training 2 tomoe sharingan, fully trained ( 2590 words + 1009 words + 401 words = 4000/4000)
+ 432 towards 3 tomoe sharingan
+ 21500 ryo from the three missions referenced in the first post
+ 110 AP from the three missions referenced in the first post
+ 1 Christmas 2021 Lottery Ticket for completing the mission arc
+ 1 Tinker's Tools
+1 Material Demagnetizer
+1 Omnistone

Thu Dec 23, 2021 10:08 pm

No sooner had the explosions stopped and the thugs retreated would buddy the elf appear to give them yet another task. The small man was perhaps the most annoying character shichiro had ever had the chance to meet, next year I might be the one attacking christmas he’d think in the back of his head resentful of being dragged into all this. It was cold out, his shirt didn’t even have sleeves and that little shit handn’t even offered him a sweater. What kinda elf didn’t have a spare sweater or two, shichiro didn’t believe it for a second, this was bullshit.

But the others chased after and the heir to the hashimoto fortune was not one to get left behind. The girl with the weird eyes would move first, shichiro would follow shortly after and Mori would either be ahead or behind the young grocer wasn’t too sure, and didn’t much care either way. What followed was a chase for the story books, through broken windows, looping and running through circles, the whole thing was essentially a scooby doo chase scene, not that shichiro knew what that was of course. We respect the fourth wall here, it remains in tact. But as fun as the scooby do chase might be, it was also exhausting and there was still the whole issue of the tank top too.

Luckily it seems ichika was on top of things, a clever move and a pull of a wire seemed to be enough to foil the would be thieves, sending them to the ground like an AT-AT which shichiro also didn’t know about because of the fourth wall like we explained earlier. Regardless the picture was painted, and the clumsy criminals let the star fall out of their hands and into the snow. Shichiro knew there wasn’t time to hesitate, so he’d leap onto it, covering himself in snow and ruining his clothes.

But once contact was made he’d raise his arm in the air displaying the star for all to see. “G-got it!” He’d shout shivering, half preparing for buddy to appear so he could tell him to shove it before they got yet another assignment. But it seemed he never would, not even to give a thank you for their hard work. Perhaps the elf had more important things to do tonight, but shichiro figured it was more likely he was just a jerk.

im definitely attacking Christmas next year the now soggy shirted man would think to himself before standing up and brushing off the remaining snow. “Nice job kid” he’d say giving a nod to the girl, she may be a zukumiki, but he supposed in the spirit of the holidays a temporary truce was in order. It wouldn’t be long however until the other elves of the town square invited them to join their festivities, shichiro would of course oblige them, if only to get out of the snow and into the warmth.

And warm it was, the Cozy house they found themselves in had quite the fireplace, filled with freshly cut lumber and it’s warmth slowly dried his clothes. In addition to all that, more kept coming rounds of hot cocoa, and sweets kept coming to their tables seeming to be in infinite supply. And the trio ate until their bellies were full and their bodies were warm and their urge to violently assault Buddy had left them. All in all the remainder of the night was a relief compared to the nightmare before Christmas they’d just escaped, and even a grinch like Shichiro had a swell time.

But all things eventually came to an end and eventually he drifted to sleep, waking to find himself lying in the remains of the broken vase from the night before with an envelope resting on his chest. Still a little groggy and confused he opened it wondering who it could possibly be from.

Inside the letter written in decorative font the boy would read “missed a spot, better clean that up ~Buddy”

-— exit —-
WC: 664
TWC: 3005

Mission 1 667/667
Mission 2 1000/1000
Mission 3 1334/1334

Claiming:
1142 words towards finishing double mastering shadow imitation (no handseals)

1863 words towards A rank split second

10 stats towards speed (50 total)
15 stats towards strength (25 total)
5 stats towards vigor (103 total)

+ 21500 ryo from the three missions referenced in the first post
+ 110 AP from the three missions referenced in the first post
+ 1 Christmas 2021 Lottery Ticket for completing the mission arc
+ 1 Tinker's Tools
+1 Material Demagnetizer
+1 Omnistone

Fri Dec 24, 2021 2:50 am

Komori smiled at the girl who had been struggling with her sled. Her inexperience was rather apparent to anyone who was able to observe her, but she attempted to work hard anyways. He could not help but notice the derivative exclamation by Shichiro, even though he had attempted to ignore it the first time. Mori’s timing had been impeccable, the damaged bakery providing a sense of dramatic irony, despite it still being saved, which contrasted with the perfectly intact factory, which was not even touched by those who sought to ruin the holiday. Lessons in creativity aside, Eye patch san was called back to attention once more as two would be criminals were changing the target of their unmerry actions towards the star of the great evergreen tree that had been spotted earlier. The years had not been kind to him, and Ichika was actually faster than he was at present. Agh, my hip, the geriatric twenty something thought to himself as he watched the girl with red eyes dash past him by a relative 10 speed or so. Perhaps spurred by their inability to contest the three unlikely guards or their own fear at three ninja Kevin McCallisters, the two escapees were thrashing their way through the city streets and leaving a path of wanton destruction wherever they went. The former shinobi fell behind his comrades, the shortness of breath from years of self neglect slowing him down. To think there was a time where he could have capped his speed.

Luckily enough, it seemed he did not need to do the heavy lifting for this bend in the road. Ichika had indeed been the one to take action this go around, and the change of pace was greatly appreciated. She had potential, that much was apparent, so perhaps the former kage would be able to teach her a thing or two one day, if it was in the cards. He did not recall seeing her in Tanbo whenever he had been to town, most likely for the bar. Komori would have bent down and picked up the star in a very casual and easy way, but it appeared that Shichiro had misunderstood the farmer’s lessons of getting one’s hands dirty and instead decided to apply that to his entire person as he leapt onto the ground and soiled his clothes in the process. Okay.

There was not much left to consider now as the festivities they were promised kicked into full swing now that they did not have to worry about a series of grinches with questionable motives. Mori allowed himself to indulge in the spirits and sweets more than regularly, the entire experience still not quite believable in regards to reality. Here, he would spend time celebrating the season and getting more friendly with Ichika and Shichiro, not that he was sure any of them would remember by the next morning. Well, the Zukumiki girl may since it did not seem she was drinking from the same stock as eye patch san himself. As the celebrations continued, ‘Mori’ saw Buddy from across the room, and their gaze met. This could only have meant a single thing. A crowd gathered around the two as they had a drinking competition, drinking eggnog spiked with whiskey. He was not certain who would have won this night. Eventually, the booze would force his weary eyes to close and the late night to come to an end, wherein he would be transported by Buddy back to his humble rice paddy to sleep off his hangover.

--Exit--
WC: 3300 even
667/667
1000/1000
1334/1334

Claiming: 33 stats towards Chakra, 2500/2500 for Ninjutsu Enhancement at A rank, remaining 800/1000 words towards Chakra Absorption
21500 ryo from the three missions referenced in the first post
+ 110 AP from the three missions referenced in the first post
+ 1 Christmas 2021 Lottery Ticket for completing the mission arc
+ 1 Tinker's Tools
+1 Material Demagnetizer
+1 Omnistone
Chakra signatures of both Ichika and Shichro
750 bonus ryo per B+ mission, 1500 total, from being A rank according to Mission Salary rules

Fri Dec 24, 2021 5:11 pm

Approved!