A question of position

Wed May 18, 2022 10:15 pm

Mission details :

Yasahiro……..being the unreliable one had always been Asahi’s job. Now when he had a real job with real responsibilities, he’d decided to switch rules. There was this nonsense about him being out on important missions defending the village from the front line against criminals, but that was just talk wasn’t it? It seemed more like the man had taken an office and baited others into doing all the work after he left to do gods knew what. More and more of the military designations was falling into his lap with his cousin so “busy” and he was nearing a breaking point. When it had been just his own work, it was tolerable to a degree, but now…..now he was ready to abandon the village to its own devices. If it wasn’t for some of the people he’d met; and the sinking feeling in his stomach he may have just done that. Certainly in a past life that would have been the first response, now however…..this was the way it was. “Send for Yamato and……and this Mori fellow please.” He’d say to the administrative aid. She’s take the documents and rush off, to deliver the assignments. Yasahiro had recommended the man before he set out, and at the current time Asahi wasn’t sure who he was.

The papers would inform both men that they had been assigned a mission. For Yamato it was a standard assignment, for Mori it was more of the civilian compulsory duty in exchange for staying within the village. Though it was really so he could see how the man held himself. Yasahiro didn’t often sleep highly or recommend others for jobs, so this stood out. If he was halfway decent and could chew gum and walk in a straight line at the same time, well he might offer him a job. Anything to take a little bit of the heat from his back.

The mission was simple. Several nobles where coming to your the rice fields that were furthest from the village. Asahi would accompany them as the de facto leader, while Yamato and Mori would act as their guards. Hotaru needed a day off anyway, the lad was starting to get on Asahi’s nerves anyway. The two men were to meet him bright and early the next morning at the gates where they would set out after collecting the nobles, and do a there and back again tour. Simple enough, though there was always a chance for….less than desirable outcomes. The Zukumiki had made several moves lately no doubt inspired by the imprisonment of a couple of their men. Not to mention the revelation of several old hideouts. It didn’t hurt to be careful……

Wrapping up for the day, Asahi would content himself with turning in early, tomorrow at first light he’d meet up with a friend, and though he didn’t know it, job applicant….and early mornings had never been his strong suit.

TWC - 488

Sun May 22, 2022 2:11 pm

The last mission that Komori Hozuki had done was simple. Pick some poisonous herbs, don’t ask questions, bring them back. He had completed this with the overly spiritual Asahi and the more reserved, yet reliable Hayato. He had even taught Hayato, alongside Kato and Yamato several techniques from his own arsenal. In order to further test the waters of his own shinobi abilities after so many years of inactivity, Komori had now accepted a mission to protect an important target. As to how he accepted that mission, it was not necessarily of his own accord. A woman approached him at his paddy farm and called out his pseudonym, stating that she had papers from one of the kage. Mori, as he was known, arched an eyebrow in response, uncertain of if he had even met either of the apparently two kage that ran this minor village.

The woman and papers explained that this was a requirement of him staying in Tanbogakure, and that there may be a hefty fine should he refuse. He gritted his teeth in mild disdain, but it was something he had been debating doing. A proper assignment, one where conflict may arise, as opposed to the previous outing where the largest issue was whether or not he could pick herbs without getting poisoned himself. Nobles were frequent targets of bandits or highwaymen, and despite its current roster, it was likely that the Rice Village still held a softer reputation. Guard duty had never quite been his favorite activity, but bodyguarding was at least a step above the monotony of guarding the gates. Komori thanked the woman for her time and offered her a cup of tea prior to her departure. With the matter of assignment settled, Komori would continue his fieldwork before turning in for the night, arriving at the gates of the village the following morning. He wore dark robes and a worn straw hat, and no weapons adorned his person. The only distinguishable aspect of his attire was the black eyepatch that adorned his face and covered an empty socket. His sandaled feet stopped at the entrance to the gates, standing to the left side to those looking outwards. He thought his best to keep his good eye on his surroundings as he awaited for the nobles and presumably, more guards to show up.

WC: 390

Sun May 22, 2022 6:23 pm

When Yamato received the message, he couldn’t believe his eyes. He remembered mentioning Mori to Asahi but he hadn’t expected a familiarity at this level this fast. Perhaps the two men knew of each other even before Yamato’s praise, perhaps there were more than one person vouching for the eyepatched man whose past seemed to be protected closely. Kumo. Yamato knew where he was from. He remembered that brief word, as it was the only thing Mori seemed open with in such a direct way. Even admitting his past work there had been a lot of handwaving and trailing off. Regardless of his suspicious aura, Yamato had placed his trust in the man. It remained to be seen, if that was about to prove foolish. This very mission could have been the perfect time to find out where Mori stood. A great opportunity to betray the acting Kage and the shinobi who had so blindly trusted him. Also a great opportunity to showcase his skill and loyalty. Yamato was excited. Or nervous. It was hard to tell. Either way, his heart rate was higher than it had been on any job he had taken for a while. Of course, he was not the only reason. This was also Yamato and Asahi’s first job - and first outside meeting in general - in a while. The blonde Yamanaka would have been excited for this moment even if it wasn’t for the man who might or might not have been the criminal Yamato had been after for months.

With a lot hanging on his shoulders, Yamato walked towards the meeting point mentioned in the message. He looked different, even if he had kept most of his style. His hair was cut short to no longer interfere with the increasingly physical work he had been doing. His trusty white jacket was leaning on his shoulder, revealing more of the most damning piece of the puzzle: a black shirt. The arsenal of weapons he was carrying were now more visible: katanas, shuriken, kunai, you name it. He always had at least on hand on one of the swords sitting in a sheathe tied to his belt. If he heard a sound he couldn’t immediately place, his other hand would quickly make its way towards one of the throwable weapons. He was visibly uneasy.

He noticed Mori had already arrived. He was wearing black. Yamato pushed down the questions, hoping the funeral he had dressed for was not his. He calmed his nerves and approached the man he had grown fond of fast and then entirely ghosted. Perhaps he would have understood, being a man of a certain age with a past in the same line of work. "Morning, Mori." Yamato addressed the man with a smile. "You are not entirely done with this line of work after all? Hopefully you’ve come back with good feelings?".

Post WC: 479
Total WC: 479/1000

Sun May 22, 2022 11:26 pm

Yawning loudly, Asahi made his way from Okada castle. His attire was much more formal than normal. Though the kimono was still a patent flowery pattern, it was of a higher quality. Put on to specifically be of comfort to the nobles. He was told by some of the others about the castle that making a good first impression would go a long way with the meeting. Finally relenting, he'd agreed. His kimono was yellow with sunflower patterns. The Komekage hat on his head, with the majority of his blonde hair tied up hidden beneath the wide brim hat. Onimaru at his left side, the sheath freshly polished. In his left hand the Bashosen would bounce on his shoulder. The palm fan bouncing behind his head. It was a curios tool, an even stranger that it had been lying within the Okada archives. Per his position he was allowed to take it out and about and had been doing so at every chance he had. He felt a spiritual connection with the thing, as though it had a great history waiting to be unraveled.

Wooden clogs clip clopping as he walked, Princess Ivy Bluemoon kept pace next to him. Arriving at the gates shortly after, still yawning and wiping the sleep from his eyes, he would notice the two individuals. In a strange accent and sing song voice, he would shout out "Ahhhh a man in black with an eye patch, That's A Mori." Smiling he would reach out to shake the man's hand. After he had done so, he would perform the same gesture to Yamato. "What a group of winners we have here today. Your services are as always..." He would give a little bow, "Of the utmost appreciated." Standing back up, he would look outwardly of the gate spying the coming group.

"Bit stuck up I hear." He would say in a whisper to his companions. "Lets just keep them safe, do some spying about and drinks on me......also hope you don't mind, I brought a ride." Swinging up onto the saddle of Ivy Bluemoon, he would motion her forward leaving Mori and Yamato to converse. Small talk was shared with the nobles, and the party set out. The nobles each had one retainer that appeared to be combat ready, though it was clear the bulk of the protection was down to Yamato and Mori. With his attention on politics and quick wits, Asahi's own sensory abilities were occupied. Not noticing that the group had been followed since they vacated the village. Surely nothing sinister?

TWC - 916 / 1000

Thu Jun 02, 2022 5:53 pm

“Well, well, well,” Komori began upon seeing a familiar face with an unfamiliar haircut. “Changing things up, eh, Blondie?” He gave a slight smirk as a gesture of friendliness while his eye quickly scanned the ninja tools visible on his person. “Was I meant to bring lunch?” he jested before returning to answer his question. “I’m dipping my toe in the water, as it were. Unfortunately, this time, I didn’t quite have a choice,” he explained. “Something about compulsory duty, I’m afraid.” He raised his eyebrows for emphasis on the word. “Regardless, we’re both here so there’s no use complaining about it.” He gave a thin, half hearted smile.

Still waiting for the acting kage to show up, Komori would raise a hand of greeting to an armed man donning the kage hat walking beside a horse. His arm froze in the air as he realized who was wearing it. The pair had met on one hazy night, the same night he had originally met Yamato. While the two had interacted in the hunt for hemlock, Mori thought further back to the foggy memory that consisted of him refusing to do karaoke with the more androgynous blond man. However, he appeared to be more masculine now than when they had first met initially. Komori looked down at his hand and reluctantly shook it. He thought of asking several questions, starting with where he stole the hat, who he was impersonating, how long had this ruse been going on, but they all crashed together in his head and were exhaled outwards in a drawn out sigh that could have been mistaken for yawning.

Finding it best to go with the current instead of fighting against it, he instead looked outwards to the travelers. The kage apparent strode forwards and engaged with them, but Komori was more than comfortable to remain in the wings. Instead, he directed the unasked questions to Yamato. “How long has that-” he hesitated for a mere heartbeat, trying to find a more polite word to describe him. “-guy-” He failed. “-been kage of this village?” He had spent the majority of the past few years having never really interacted with the politics of Tanbogakure, yet now it appeared as though he had once turned down a kage in a karaoke bar. Following Yamato’s answer, Komori would move with the carriage on its left flank, his good eye able to look around. Not that he was doing as much looking at the moment, as his mind was too busy racing trying to determine when exactly the karaokage had been appointed.

WC: 429
TWC: 819

Thu Jun 02, 2022 8:49 pm

Yamato coughed. His face gave away his feelings, so there was no reason to hide them. He spoke. "You know I hate to disagree with you Asahi. But I think actually. When you learn in a dream, but you know you’re not dreaming, THAT’S a Mori.". He then mimed touching Asahi’s forehead, alluding to the Ninshu trick the blonde man had learned from the eyepatched man. A trick Yamato knew the leader of the village was also familiar with. Yamato then shook his head at himself. He turned towards the man he was speaking about in third person as if he wasn’t there. "Excuse me, but you see, back in old… Nevermind.". His shame had turned into anxiety and then confusion by the time he gave up on the sentence. "What is a Mori? Solve our dispute, won’t you? Does the name have a meaning?".

Yamato waited for an answer if Mori decided to give one, but regardless of any attention, Blondie remembered the reason the three had met up. It was such a joy being in the same place at the same time with friends he had not spent time with for some time, and never together. Yet it felt like a friendly gathering as well, at least partially. Mori made a comment about Yamato’s new hairstyle. "Yeah..." he gave in, "I loved the long hair for a while, but with the summer around the corner it was just too much. You don’t seem to have changed your style much at all lately. If it isn’t broken, do not repair, correct?". Yamato was visibly proud of the casual lingo he had picked up from around the town. "I thought you might have lost the eyepatch by now at the very least. Have you had no time to have it healed, or are you hiding something under there?" Yamato asked with a smile, indicating the last question was a joke, but there was a bit of paranoia deep in his heart that did want to hear Mori’s answer, or at least watch his reaction. As long as there was no cotton, Yamato was going to stay calm.

He had to focus. As much as he would have preferred, this was not a gathering for tea and biscuit. They had a job to do. "Truly an excellent team you have picked, Asahi. I would hate to sound like I’m insulting the capabilities of the rest of our village’s forces, but… Very efficient, to say the least. If I was a more casual person maybe I’d use the words… All killer no filler?". Yamato did not know where that came from. His cheeks turned red from embarrassment, and he looked down, away, in every direction to hide it. "LET’S TALK SHOP.". Oh no. While trying to cover for his last words, he had once again found himself in unknown verbal territory. He could only guess that the time he had been spending locked away with his research, not making any contact with other people had worn down the social abilities he had been working on for his entire stay in Tanbo. "Let’s… Review the missions ahead of us shall we?" Yamato fixed his last statement with shame.

Yamato had no reason to herd the cats, it seemed, as Asahi seemed to be on top of the case. Yamato shook his head with a smile. He had forgotten his place, lately used to only taking smaller missions with newer shinobi and having to lead groups rather than participate as equals. This reminded Yamato that there were stakes, more than a vegetable that might be squashed or a cat gone missing. There could be actual danger ahead of him, not just summer heat and patience. He regained his focus with his heartrate increasing with the clocks turning in his head, coming up with all of the thousands of ways the mission could go wrong, resulting in one, two or three deaths within the group. He wanted to avoid any of those options if possible, then looking out for his own life if it was not.

Yamato scowled in jealousy, seeing Asahi’s ride. This was not the ‘equal’ group work he had in mind. Mori and himself still had to walk on foot it seemed, even though it seemed like this could have been something the deputy kage could have handled, renting out a couple of steeds for his accompanying shinobi. Well, there was no reason to fret it now. He just had to do his job, and maybe he could snidely comment about this situation to Asahi when they were having tea. "Next time we should hire a carriage." he whispered out, then immediately changing his mind, "Nevermind, I guess carriages aren’t exactly cut out for shinobi work… Or that common in Tanbo, come to think of it. Although I hear the Hashimoto’s are cooking up something with horses.". Yamato sighed and followed the trail of Asahi and his steed.

Yamato closed his eyes, focused, and used another technique he had picked up from Mori to sense the world around him. Perhaps simply looking back would have been enough, seeing as how closely they were being followed. The chakra sensory side of things also seemed important only a second later when Yamato realized there were large signatures from both sides of the group that were invisible to the naked eye, on top of the small group that seemed to be following them from about fifty meters away. Yamato reached out to Mori’s forehead to share the information with him in the swiftest way. It might not have been necessary if Mori picked up on the chakra signatures at the same time. "Ready for action?" Yamato asked, "Have you stretched your old bones properly?". He had a smile on his face. The chakra signatures were getting closer, ready to ambush them from three sides.

All of a sudden, a hurricane of shuriken and kunai started raining down. Yamato used the Rainbow Fort Seal to defend their passengers and their ride as much as he could. Behind the falling metal, a figure was jumping down towards them, seemingly have jumped from a shadowy winged animal companion that was flying even further above. Most likely seeing this as the sign, the rest of their shadowy stalkers ambushed the shinobi of Tanbo from all three sides. They were not close enough for Yamato to get a good look at them yet. The blonde man performed the handseals two summon two shadow clones, getting ready for the battle.

Post WC: 1089
Total WC: 1568

Fri Jun 03, 2022 2:41 pm

Asahi for the most part would go along with Yamato's funny way of talking. Asahi often had the feeling Yamato knew what he wanted to say within his mind, however the road that connected these ideas and his tongues had a few potholes that caused things to get jumbled up. Still, he felt that his friends' anxieties were almost always unwarranted. A byproduct of overthinking, rather than the actual product of anything tangible. Still, Asahi himself had little in the way of social discourse anxiety, so his abilities to empathies could be considered a little less than ideal. He would watch and let Mori answer the questioning of his metaphysical meaning and what it meant to exist as himself, before turning to a subject he could understand. "I mean, it looks cute." Asahi would say in response to Yamato's discussion on his hair. "I prefer the long side for myself, though it is a bit annoying with the heat. The Iron country was a bit more forgiving for such things."

He only had time to really be involved with these quips for a moment before he was pulled away by the approaching nobles as previously discussed. On his ride, they set out. He discussed the crop production, Gato's store improvements and expansions, and the possibilities of attempting to open up major trade routes. All still in the work, all potentially highly profitable, so naturally of great interest to those who could receive gains from the endeavors. His goal was to secure some kind of trade deal with a major village, though this was a touch ambitious and opened itself to its own risks. Right now, their little piece of the world lay mostly forgotten and hidden away in obscurity. Entering the big stage as it were always risked not only the eyes of profit and friends, but enemies and vagrants. Luckily none of those were lurking within the country at the moment, surely.

As he discussed these matters with the nobles, a call to action occurred around them. Having been wrapped up in discussion, he had not noticed the flurry of action that surrounded them. Yamato and presumably Mori were more up to the task and fought back to defend the small group. On top of the Ivy Bluemoon, seemed to be paying more attention than her master. Several hoofbeats, and a plethora of stone formations erupted blocking the nobles from any immediate attack, and shielding them from several projectiles. The Toujinba working through Ivy, as Asahi played it off that it was something he had done. "No need to panic!" He would shout attempting to gain some control over the situation. "Mori, what's going on?" He'd shout if the immanent threat was delt with. He had brought the man, because he wanted to see what he was capable of. So it was natural he would ask him. Hoping that someone would be able to tell him what was happening with this bit of civil unrest that they seemed to have fallen into.

TWC - 1419 / 3,333.3333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333

Wed Apr 19, 2023 12:30 am

Kovac SP:

ap/stuff:

All he knew about were meaningless killings, yet he knew their impacts and wanted to act upon them. As he skimmed into the air, he saw partial darkness and a viscous cloud surface; it would soon be a miserable night. With every heartbeat, he grinned. "More." He thought. Kovac had much to think about, but he only cared about this senseless blood. Equipped in his Ronin robes, hunter's longbow, katana, and quiver, it was time to proceed and accomplish more of his goals. He came across a lovely area as the night became gloomy, with rain pouring in. He activated his eyes, expanding his field of vision to one hundred meters. This gave him a completely different concept where he saw four Shinobi and carriages. This was his moment; as he tapped into his powers, unlocking his valor bloodline, a blue hue appeared in his pupils eyes. He maintained a distance of twenty-five meters; staying alerted.

This time it seemed they were on a mission to protect some carriages. Kovac peered into his world, seeing four Shinobi being jumped on by bandits. One wore a dark robe, a straw hat, and a black eye patch covering his sockets. The other is blonde, has short hair, a white jacket, and a black shirt. And then there were two identical clones of the blonde. Since the user (Yamato) didn't mention where his two clones were, both were dispatched in front of Yamato and Komori, two meters from their creator. They were facing forward. Away from plain sight, where the Hyuga would not be noticed, it was an ideal spot with their necks and backs exposed.

He was twenty-five meters away from them as their backs were turned away. The exact range where his own hunters longbow is required to shoot and kill. The distance between Yamato and Mori is two meters. Kovac kept his distance while maintaining his range, and his eyes fixed on them. If this were his chance to ambush, it would be in a heartbeat. The bandits occupied all three sides, left, right, and front. It was a highway and a five-way. With the same tactics, he quickly lifted up his hunter's long bow and shot two fast arrows, one after the other. Both indicators travelled toward the two individuals with their backs turned.

Both arrows would travel at a speed of one-three-seven with a maximum covariance distance of ninety-seven meters. The first arrow was aimed at the back of the blonde's throat; unless he were defended correctly, it would pierce him through from one side to the other, ending his life. The second arrow, aimed at the individual with a straw hat, would also be targeted at the back of his throat; unless appropriately defended, it would pierce him from one side to the other, and the after-life waited for him. The Hyuga would be ready for anything that appeared. It was a battle of position indeed.

WC:469

AP/Stuff:

Fri Apr 21, 2023 12:38 am

As yet again the same procedure happened, killing the both gentlemen's. This time ending them for good and sending them to the after-life. As the bodies fell down to the ground, witnessing the bandits leave, he quickly arrived to the lifeless bodies. He scanned the surroundings to make sure it was clear, before wasting no time sealing both of the corpses. He headed out the field, it was another day in the makings. Possible, it was a mission success.

WC: 79
TWC: 548
[48 Hr’ing back out brush em]

https://www.narutoroleplaygame.com/t49952-lightness-skill
548/1000 to this

(Exit)
Claims

548Words
- 5 AP
Claiming hit and kill on Yamato and Komori
Claiming both body and belongings, as well stored in a corpse storage scroll

Fri Apr 21, 2023 11:38 am

Junichiro wrote:As yet again the same procedure happened, killing the both gentlemen's. This time ending them for good and sending them to the after-life. As the bodies fell down to the ground, witnessing the bandits leave, he quickly arrived to the lifeless bodies. He scanned the surroundings to make sure it was clear, before wasting no time sealing both of the corpses. He headed out the field, it was another day in the makings. Possible, it was a mission success.

WC: 79
TWC: 548
[48 Hr’ing back out brush em]

https://www.narutoroleplaygame.com/t49952-lightness-skill
548/1000 to this

(Exit)
Claims

548Words
- 5 AP
Claiming hit and kill on Yamato and Komori
Claiming both body and belongings, as well stored in a corpse storage scroll

Approved.

A question of position

A question of position

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