I Speak For The Trees [Kaito/Guren/Yusuke/Niento]

Kaito, still recovering from all of the alcohol he had consumed back in the Otafuku Village, walked down a thin dirt road along with Guren, Yusuke, and the other man who had decided to join them at the bar. The bard they had met, Saxon, had provided the group with a map of wherever it was they were and advised them to go speak with the forest spirit in the forest not too far from the village. Saxon had informed them of a plot to destroy this realm and all who are in its confines, so this peaceful and joyous event had turned into saving the world.

The drunk Kaito didn't know if he was up to saving the world, honestly. Sure he had gotten strong since his graduation at the Sunagakure Shinobi Academy, but when it came to someone like Guren, his strength was surely subpar. He was also still only a genin, so what would he be able to do in the grand scheme of things.

'These negative thoughts...' He thought to himself, clasping his head with his left hand. 'They have to be the alcohol talking. I've really got to avoid that crap in the future...'

Just then, the Inuzuka paused dead in his tracks as his gut churned violently.

"Ugh... Not again..." He said in a mere whisper. He quickly broke to his left. "Excuse me again, guys!" Ducking behind the closest thing he could prop himself up against, he hunched over and hurled puke all over the ground. This wasn't the first time it happened either. It was the third time he had done so since the group left the village about thirty minutes beforehand.

'I'm never drinking alcohol again. Ever!"

The unholy puking lasted for only a few minutes, but it was time that should not have been lost while the entire world was resting upon the group's shoulders. As Kaito finished up, he would weave a few hand signs for a small Water-Release technique. A small pool of water engulfed his hand and he would use it to clean up the mess that was on his face. He didn't have any napkins or anything on his person, so it was the best option he had available to him. Once he finished with that, he would zip up the collar of his shirt as far as he could and held the cotton fabric over his nose so that his enhanced sense of smell couldn't pick up on the horrible smell of puke.

"I'm so sorry, guys..." Kaito said to the others as he turned around to face them again, his voice rather nasally from the fact that he was holding his nose shut. As he turned to look at them, however, he noticed something. Upon the sign he had propped himself against, he could read the words "Yoshino Forest" written in a fancy black font. "Hey! This must be the place the bard was talking about!"

{WC = 492}
{Total WC = 492}

Yusuke had followed close on the heels of the other three, but to be honest it was hard to keep up with Kaito and the smoking guy. Lord Kazekage wasn't too hard to keep up with, but he had a feeling that he was being watched over. Yusuke put his 1 hundred percent into to not dropping the pace though. Kaito's drunk antics had stopped them more despite the other boy's speed.

After the third puking stop it seemed that they had finally mad e it to their destination. Now you know to lay of the drinks huh? Yusuke teased. Seeing him so vulnerable after all they'd been through, was quite funny to Yusuke, but he'd leave the boy alone after one comment. He had embarrassed himself enough on his own. He didn't need Yusuke to help him. This does look like the right place... Yusuke looked around the pink grove surrounding the group and noticed a few of the trees didn't look as vibrant as the others. In fact, they looked like they had been leeched from. Yusuke wasn't an expert on plants, but the academy of Sunagakure went over medicinal herbs stored in their famous green house. He also spent time in the beautiful grove. He could tell if the trees were looking, badly, but he could also tell something else from his shinobi training. 

As the boy moved closer to one of the pathetic looking trees he noticed what was afflicting them. These trees have been poisoned..., but why? he asked aloud to no one in particular. This was the most serious Yusuke had been the whole trip over. Was it the sense of danger or his mask failing him in a time of stress probably both, but he didn't have time to ponder upon his question or mental state for long. 

A figure dashed through the trees over head. about 60 meters away. Yusuke only caught a glimpse of it but immediately reached for the kunai pouch strapped to his leg. We've got company he stated! he stated as he leveled the blade with his mouth. Yusuke stayed still, but ready for anything that came his way. 

WC:366

Guren's patience had been growing thing since he had reached this unknown land. From the abrupt whisk into another problemed world, to the putrid stench of puke from Kaito, everything had been testing the Chinoike's resolve. Still though, like a tea kettle he kept his lid on though. But one could only guess for how long, as it would be inevitable for him to let off some steam at some point. Nevertheless it was humorous, seeing how it was likely one of the first times that Kaito drunk and he was already visibly full of remorse. Yes, alcohol wasn't for everyone. But in moderation, it was just fine. Those two glasses of sake the night before were a drop in a bucket to the Kazekage. Even Yusuke seemed fine, whom didn't have nearly as much to drink as Kaito. And the genin was even egging on the other. As displeased as Guren was in how outsiders would perceive the way Sunagakure genin carried themselves, he couldn't help but be reminded of all the shenanigans he pulled when he wasn't in the spotlight. 

As he smirked to himself, he trailed behind the other three in the team. His head lowered, reflecting on all that had gotten him to this path. But he only lived in this moment for a split second, quickly lifting his head and picking up his pace to match that of the unknown man. As he neared him, Guren would call out to him. "I didn't get your name...Mine's Guren, and this is Kaito and Yusuke."

Guren awaited the fourth member's introduction, and shortly after it was when Yusuke and Kaito would seem to have an observation of the mission at hand. As soon as their voices pierced Guren's ears, his head would shoot forward towards the direction they pointed out and his eyes would abandon their normal states. Now each bore their Ketsuryugan and Byakugan, actively scanning for anything and anyone. And sure enough, his Byakugan would pinpoint the approaching figure. He dashed through the trees whilst cutting down the distance. 60m. 50m. 40m. 30m. 20m. He was fast.

But as he reached 20m, he'd be met with the incoming sharp wire of blood that would intensely expel from the extended fingertip from Guren's left hand. The collision of the two would occur 10m away, where the assailant would deflect it with a tanto that appeared to be connected to his arm. From there, Guren's blood wire would retreat back several meters but stay extended during the current stalemate. The assailant would stay put as well, rooted in a somewhat robotic and lifeless manner. A quick scan of his vitals would reveal his lack of blood in his body, despite the enormous reserves of chakra he bore.

"This isn't a person. It's lifeless. Bloodless. Yet full of chakra. If I had to guess, we're dealing with some type of puppetry. Kaito. Yusuke. Show me what you've learned thus far. Feel free to step in too, however I will be holding back unless necessary. I'd like to show off how capable Sunagakure's genin are."


WC = 513

Hands behind his back, Niento walked rather lackidaisly to the right and behind Guren as he looked around his surroundings. What was once a bustling town started to turn into trees and soon enough forest. A subtle shift in scenery as the quartet followed the contents of the map to the destination that was labeled within it. He found it odd the bard had such an item on him and why he didn't follow it was..interesting but he was a bard after all and many of them were not about the shinboi life. The smell and sound of puking filled his ears which caused him to turn slightly toward the culprit where he would reach into his shirt pocket and begin to pull out a black box while he spoke," Sometimes kids shouldn't drink because your stomachs aren't fit for such things... I suspect this will happen for a quite a bit until you develop a hangover...basically your head is going to fill like its going to explode, but it won't. Congratulations on graduating," he would say as he popped out one of the white sticks and pressed his mouth down gently to grasp it between the corners of his lips. He wouldn't look up to Guren but he would acknowledge the fact that he gave him his name," Niento. Niento Sarutobi, pleasure to make your acquaintance," the next sound had been a single click from his flint and steel lighter that had the insignia of a monkey on it before he took one deep inhale and from his lips parted a large cloud of smoke.

It seems the two Genin had seen something and sprung into action which caused Guren to react as well. Sticking his hands into his pockets he would jump into a nearby tree and follow them, surveying the situation quietly until he had been about 10m away from where the assailant had stopped. Within the tree he looked down with his passive perception as he didn't have any fancy doujutsu to help analyze the puppet, but through his chakra sensory he could both feel and "see" the massive chakra reserves. When he was offered to step in, Niento would lean against the tree and shrug," If its a test for your genin, its a test for your genin. Me stepping in would be overkill anyway, so have at it kids," and with that he would lean and continue to smoke as he waited for the show.

411 WC

As soon as Kaito had pointed out that this was the place that the bard had told the group about, Guren would step into action. A red wire of sorts would expel from the Kazekage's hand before the metallic sound of clashing sounded off ten meters in front of them. Sobering up as quickly as possible, Kaito entered his favorite battle pose; an incomplete version of the Inuzuka Clan's favored fighting position known as the "Imitation Beast Ninja Arts" style. His being incomplete, however, meant that he only bent forward at the knees, his shoulders brought backward to give more balance in the hunched position. Just as he did, the puppet began to... speak!?

"Oww! That hurt, man!" It said, rubbing its arm in which it wielded the tanto blade. Guren's wire must have connected with it, even for just a second. "What brings you here? It is disrupting my mission!" The puppet suddenly sprung to life, jumping upwards at an angle directly at Guren. Kaito didn't waste anytime in adhearing to Guren's request to show the man how far him and Yusuke had come. Digging his feet into the ground, Kaito would activate his "Taijutsu: Elemental Barrier" skill. His body would become encased in a rock-like shell as he jumped into the air in front of Guren. Mid-jump, he would twist his lower body and prepare for a devastating counter attack.

"Speed: Sparrow!"

Kaito untwisted himself, rearing his armored leg harshly into the body of the puppet and sending it hurdling towards the ground to his left. He would then follow this up by forming the Monkey → Rat → Hare → and Snake hand signs. Pushing out his chest as earthen chakra began to form within him, he would shoot 10 fist-sized rocks directly at the puppet. Once all of the stone bullets were hurdling towards the puppet at a blinding speed and Kaito landed back down upon the ground, he would address Guren.

"I apologize for the way I carried myself after the drinking competition, my Lord, but I swear that I will not let you down!" Kaito dug his feet into the ground again as he waited for what would happen next. Hopefully Yusuke would be able to follow up what the Inuzuka had set into motion...

{WC = 381}
{Total WC = 873}

//////

-25 AP for "Speed: Sparrow" enhanced with "Taijutsu: Elemental Barrier"

Remaining AP = 1,005

The Kazekage was able to track much more than Yusuke could. He informed them that the entity moving through the trees was not natural. A chakra infused entity with no flesh or organs was certainly something that Yusuke had never faced. In all honesty he hadn’t faced a truly hostile opponent yet. The clanging of metal and blood rung through the air as Kaito entered a fighting stance. It’ll be fine. We’ve got the Kazekage and this other guy Yusuke thought who just identified himself as “Neinto Sarutobi” peace of cake!....Wait Sarutobi?!?? He was surprised by the man’s last name but he then was surprised by his and guren’s conversation.

Wait, just us! Yusuke almost did a double take as both of the experienced shinobi decided to sit this out. Yusuke was truly worried for a moment, but he quickly put that worry to the side. There is nothing to do, but do it Yusuke resolved himself with the futility of being afraid, the fact that the Kazekage was at his back, and that he had Kaito to help out.

Yusuke immediately tossed the kunai at the target, providing a distraction. Kaito leapt into action using an earthen kick to send the target crashing into the ground and keeping it there with a barrage of rocks spewed from his mouth. Yusuke wasn’t as fast as Kaito but with the excellent job his comrade had done he wasn’t going to simply sit by. He moved within five meters at maximum speed, and weaved the signs Snake, Boar, Monkey, and Dragon finishing in time with Kaito’s rocks crashing into the target.

Yusuke’s hair grew separated into three long condensed strands that extended in a triangle formation towards the pinned puppet. Each strand grew mouths with sharp fangs like a lion. They then wrapped around the puppet pinning its limbs to its body at [75] speed and power. The fangs clamped around the head of the target but didn’t bite down. The fangs rested there gently The steel wire-like hair clamped around the target until Yusuke heard the puppet make a CRRUUNNCH. He smirked knowing he had crushed the puppet’s limbs rendering them unusable.

Yusuke manipulated the hair to lift the target into the air, holding it tight while keeping it restrained. Nice move’s Kaito Yusuke said standing perfectly still to maintain his jutsu.

What was that you said about your mission puppet? Does it involve poisoning these trees? Tell us everything or I’ll finish destroying you. While Yusuke was a bit of a loose cannon he knew how to cooperate and how to turn off his playful and fun loving side. He was fully focused on the Puppet’s word, but kept his wits about him for any trickery. If the puppet made any sudden moves, Yusuke would crush it into splinters.

---

WC:471
TWC:837

Spoiler:

Guren nodded in agreement with Niento, and upon revealing his name, Guren became uniquely interested in the fellow shinobi. He too was a Sarutobi like Yusuke, however from the potency his chakra emitted Guren could tell he was far more developed (pause). He himself had not seen the abilities of the Sarutobi in person, but he had heard many stories on the legacy of the Third Hokage. Perhaps this one next to him was of similar caliber, and thus Yusuke would be cut from the same cloth. While the battle took place, Guren would exchange in a deeper introduction with Niento as he simultaneously monitored the field for any potential threat to the genin. Should one present itself, he would immediately step in. But he had faith in his shinobi.

"A pleasure to meet you Niento. I can't tell from your attire if you're affiliated with any village in particular. Or are you more of a wandering soul?"

As Guren posed the question to the Sarutobi, his eyes were fixated on the movements of the genin. They seemed to work in reasonable tandem, weaving in between the puppet's attacks while also seizing opportunities to go on the offensive. With a slight smirk, he nodded lightly as Kaito and Yusuke seemed to be on the advantage. With his dojutsu still active, Guren was able to pinpoint the origin of its chakra source which was centralized in the core of its torso. It emitted a spectral, purple hue of chakra that seemed to fuel its abilities. Upon the duo subduing the puppet Yusuke immediately began an interrogation, offering a life or death ultimatum to it. Puzzled by this, as the puppet wasn't alive per se, Guren interjected. 

"Yusuke, Kaito. Dismantle that puppet and retrieve the core from it. Carefully handle it, as that is its chakra source. And I bet whoever is behind this has left some sort of mark on that device..."

Should Yusuke and Kaito follow the instructions, they would be able to read an insignia upon the core. An insignia belonging to a certain person who could later be tracked down back to the festival village, as many of the symbols riddled throughout the festival were branded with an identical match to it. With this revelation, the team would start off from the forest and head back to the village. But not before the puppet could emit its last words, "Sakura Warrior", followed by a 20 second timed explosion that would allow the quartet to flee the scene before being caught in the blast radius. And so Guren would lead the charge back to the village.

WC = 437. TWC = 950

- Exit -

Claiming Mission Rewards: 4,000 Ryō / 20 AP


Max Stat 25% Discount Claims
950 Words towards Ketsuryugan Genjutsu Mastery (950/2062.5)

Approved

A small smile appeared on his face as he reached into his pockets and pulled out a deck of cards, carefully and quickly shuffling through them as he began to speak," A little of both honestly. While I currently reside in a village I also just roam from time to time because of my business. I run a traveling circus of sorts, though I wouldn't call it a circus...More like a place where dreams and reality coexist. Though this definitely takes the cake on how my performances look like for this little charade we are taking apart of," he would stop as he pulled from the deck what would be to most a "Joker" card but had "Jester" written on it instead. His eyes never left the genin as they dealt with the puppet and he was honestly expecting them to do worse, but they lived up to the expectation that their leader had of them. It made it easier to recognize the position of Guren, or at least as close as he could," I figure besides being from Suna you are either a high ranking official or the Jounin or cell leader for these two? You put a lot of trust into them which is... interesting to say the least, but they hold up to the standard that you have set for them so I cannot say they are bad shinobi. I wonder if they will have a better chance to shine in these events," a small drop of ash would touch the tree trunk in which he was standing on as he took in a small inhale and released the plume of smoke into the air.

The fighting seemed to have ceased as the two Genin had finally finished taking care of the puppet. Guren was smart to have them remove the core, but that the end it was never going to be easy. The countdown would begin and Niento had the forethought to chuck the puppet into the stratosphere, but instead he would turn on his heels and run with the group. There had been something that had bothered him about this and it was the fact that the puppet, while strong didn't put up much resistance. It had to have been something to keep them in one place, but one thing was for sure. The curtain was soon about to close on their fun little evening.

[Exit]
TWC: 800
Claims:
All Mission Rewards
800 words toward Wabisuke New total is 1100/1125

Yusuke had done a fantastic job of subduing the puppet and following up on what Kaito had started.

"We'll done, Yusuke." He said as he walked over to the boy and patted him on the shoulder. He was smiling as he did this, but the rock encasing around him would make this impossible to see.

As soon as Yusuke began interesting the puppet, Guren would interject by telling the boys to remove the Chakra core that resided within the puppet. As the puppet was not a living, breathing creature, the core would be the only thing remotely keeping the thing 'alive'..

"I'll take care of that."

Feeling outwards with his chakra Sensory abilities, Kaito located the Chakra core where the heart would be should it have been a regular person. Kaito balled his earthen fist tightly, reared it back, and forced it sharply into the puppets chest. The metal encasement grinded harshly as it was mutilated by the force of the punch, but Kaito would take no damage from this thanks to his Elemental Barrier skill.

After a short minute of fishing around, Kaito would grasp the core in his hand before ripping it out of the body. He observed it, finding on it an insignia that bore the same name as the gentleman who had made him,, Guren, and Sebastian make the origami animals at the gate leading into the festival. He would advise the rest of the group of this before a timer of sorts begain to flash on the core.

'20... 19... 18...'

"We better get the hell out of here." Kaito advised, running his way towards the entrance of the forest from which they had entered. He would hear the puppet emit the words 'Sakura Warriors...' as he ran. While the boy didn't know exactly what the puppet meant by it, he liked the ring of it. He would think on this title that he now bore as the mission group ran back towards the village. He had no doubt in his mind now that they would be able to save the world. In fact, he welcomed the opportunity...

[EXIT]

{WC - 354}
{Total WC - 1,227}

Claims:
- All mission rewards
- 1,227 WC towards mastering "Dustless Bewildering Cover" - 3,002 / 3,750 WC (25% discount per Max Stats WC Discount - previously trained 1,775 WC on my stat page).