Re: Fanservice

Wed Jul 13, 2022 12:06 pm

{I'm in for pirates!}

"Me? I'm from-" Saturn would cut his reply short when the green haired shinobi inquired about his nationality. He was going to name Konohagakure, the village that he was born in. Yet, he despised that nation. His experience there was traumatic and rather short-lived, and he suffered greatly in the Senju household that raised him and discriminated him for his inability to wield wood - going so far as to ignorantly call him bastard and Uchiha as derogatory names although the former was partly true about him. "We're from Kumogakure." His voice tapered off as he indicated his new nationality among his two compatriots that accompanied the squad on the mission. Saturn would abruptly choke and then clear his throat upon hearing Baruga's tale, using his strong abilities of deduction to draw out the rest of her sentence that she cut short claiming the squad was too young to receive that information. Following his muffled cough, he would continue to think about the case of the bad shrimp before going on to blurt out the word 'Shark'.

"What the fuck?" Saturn took his tinted shades off to reveal his own blue eyes as he fixed his bare gaze on the flying whale that made its way towards the coastline. He had never seen a whale, let alone one in flight. In the distance, he could spot the other whale. One was horned and the other was pink. "That doesn't make any sense. I'm dreaming. Now I'm sure." The baffled shinobi claimed before briefly being splashed in his unprotected face with a sprinkle of water. "I'm awake." He immediately dictated before turning to the tanned kunoichi to hear her out. "W-Wanker?! Why, you, who do you think y-" Saturn gritted his teeth, leaned towards the alarmed kunoichi and bit his tongue to stop himself from saying more. Perhaps he did not want to be on the bad side of a kunoichi who could summon flying whales, this close to the water. "Ahem. You're right. That was my bad. I shouldn't set off false alarms like that. Let's take it easy and just take a relaxing stroll along the beach. No sharks involved.." Saturn exhaled, and walked a couple feet away from Baruga to the side, no longer in direct confrontation with the water style user.

"Hm." Saturn nodded at Kosuke as he took up his offer of a palm reading, affirming that he would find the time. Only then did he refresh his working memory to comprehend what the medic had accomplished in such a brief amount of time. "Attractive?" He turned to Baruga smiling subtly with a warm friendly expression that had no trace of the bitterness he briefly felt at being scolded moments earlier. He was quick to forgive and even quicker to forget. As for birds, the three around him had not seen how he soared through the sky and even ate tuna as a bird himself before running into them. "Looks are overrated. I used to think I like older women. But really, I like girls who are mature. Emotionally. And spiritually. An empath! I like a girl who can listen and talk about our feelings. I think what I'm describing is a therapist, but that doesn't cut it..." His voice tapered off as he fixed his gaze on a stunning tanned babe with blonde hair and a fair complexion that passed the squad in her red bikini. His eyes would then go back and forth between his teammate Rizuke and Baruga after the vagabond replied to the kunoichi's inquisition. Once again using his almost clairvoyant powers of deduction, he would lean in towards Rizuke and throw his right arm over her shoulder, poking his younger teammate's ribs with his other hand. "You're not jealous of Sashihara-san, are you?" He would tease somewhat audibly though his comment was passed to Rizuke quietly compared to how he usually spoke. In the back of his mind, a vision of bloodthirsty sharks lurking in the water waiting for an opportunity to feast still bothered him, although he felt more assured knowing that Baruga's whales were patrolling the coast actively.

"I'll be right back." Saturn walked ahead of the squad declared in almost identical fashion to Kosuke after some time. Besides his knack for deduction, the blonde haired shinobi had another quirk. He was not too keen on revealing the nature of his powers to other shinobi, his kin and his enemies alike. Keeping them in the dark would help add to his mystical allure and supernatural vibe when he eventually demonstrated the outcomes of his abilities without showing the audience how it works under the hood. Although he could be sociopathic at times, he was also selectively empathetic. He had taken a liking to his teammate Rizuke since the time they met and since even earlier than that when he had read in a mission report about how Rizuke does things. Besides that, he had met Baruga and Kusoke at the beach when he was in a good mood and the ambience was warm and friendly. He did not want his curiosity and eagerness to prove that he was right about the sharks to spoil the evening for his compatriots and Kosuke. Intending to investigate on his own, he devised a plan to get away for long enough to be able to summon a clone in order to send a delegate on his behalf to the deep sea. Yet, he stopped in his tracks when Kosuke pointed out the strangely behaving animals around them.

Putting his tinted shades back on, he would glance at the tree where the oddly colored parrots were circling, and take two steps forward to get in range. He had his side faced to Rizuke, Baruga and Kosuke. Behind his frames, his eyes would roll back into his skull. One of the parrots strayed from the flock and perched on a high branch, staring out into the horizon. In the sea, hidden from the squad's view by the tall trees and the contours and curvature of the beach, was a massive ship about 100 feet in length. It was docked about 300 meters from the beach. The bird turned back around and dove down towards the squad. Within moments, it was perched on Saturn's shoulder, as the shinobi remained perfectly still like a stone statue. It chirped before speaking out in its high pitched voice.

"Savvy? Savvy?"

Saturn had infiltrated its mind and taken over possession of the avian body. Now he was in the middle of reading its memory. The parrot and the flock it roamed with, and even the monkeys, were not native to the beach. They were exploring their new environment just like the squad had been. Unlike the squad, however, they had come to the beach aboard a massive ship that hoisted a peculiar flag. The monkeys had jumped into the sea and ventured into the land while the ship was docked and were possibly on the verge of being left behind. The parrots had come to guide them towards the ship. As the couple approached the squad and broke down erratically, Saturn removed his mental clasp on the bird's mind to set it free, letting it take a panicked flight barely within arm's range of the Shinobi. The bird screeched before Saturn swiftly grabbed it in his fist, letting two of its feathers rustle and fall off of its body.

"Pirates." Saturn declared to the squad as Rizuke consoled the couple. A monkey had found a spot 10 feet ahead of the blonde haired shinobi, wielding a banana. "Arr!" The parrot cheered as the primate threw the weapon at Saturn, who used his quick reflexes to grab it and keep it intact. Although he did not wish to trouble his squad, they were now faced with an unavoidable problem. "There's a ship docked in the sea, around the bend." He chomped down on his newly acquired banana. "Blimey!" The parrot wailed from inside Saturn's pocket, and the monkey threw its hands on its head in despair. The Genin stopped and witnessed Rizuke console the couple, a shimmering gleam shining subtly on his own face upon seeing his teammate's compassion for the strangers and his determination. The primate would turn and attempt to flee, but the swift shinobi now clutching the banana with its peel in his mouth, would perform three quick hand seals in succession, reciting them in his head. Tiger, Rat, Ox! The monkey fell over on its side and laid on the sand on its back, its hands and legs twitching in the air. An audience comprised of a crowd of monkeys and parrots had formed another fifteen feet away from the specimen in the sand, some in the tree and some on the ground. Some of the members of the crowd stood their ground and fixed their gaze on their immobilised comrade but did not dare to come any closer. "You are undermining yourself, Rizuke-kun. We need you." He glared at his teammate, his face looking much more solemn than it was when he was found by the others. He looked back and forth between Kosuke and Baruga, checking to make sure they were on board too. Walking over to the twitching monkey, he would then kneel down and grab its palm, his thumb checking the primate's pulse while planted on its lifeline. Above, a lone parrot flew off towards the ship, then some others followed. "Blimey, Blimey, Blimey!" they chanted in unison as they fled, and Saturn who had devoured the banana now gritted his teeth. He looked back at the squad, "I know where the hostages are being kept.... but they know we're coming."

WC: 1617 TWC: 3488

Jutsu and Skills Used:

Temporary Paralysis

10 AP

Sixth Sense

10 AP

Hiden: Psycho Mind Transmission

30 AP
Remaining AP: 575-50=525

Wed Jul 13, 2022 4:10 pm

Baruga glared Saturn down the moment she heard the slightest hint of backtalk, and only pulled away once he acquiesced. Her anger was righteous, to her at least, and although she was getting better at keeping her anger issues in check, she was still an incredibly vindictive person. Even as they tried to move onto better topics and actively do their jobs as lifeguards, she was still slightly simmering about Saturn's false alarm.

And then Rizuke opened his stupid goddamn mouth and questioned her sense of efficacy when she summoned Katsuyori. Overboard, her ass! Just because she brought a sword to a chopping board didn't mean that the sword couldn't chop, dumbass! Baruga's anger at Saturn reignited, if only for a minute, as she whirled around to bring her glare to Rizuke, eyes cold as ice.

Then, she pulled away, counted to five, and all was well.

Kosuke's return and the ensuing ego stroke managed to brighten her mood, as well. "Blue eyes and confidence", hm? Baruga smirked at Kosuke, stretching her arms over her head as she figuratively (and, a little bit literally) strutted in front of the group.

"Yes, I suppose that's quite fetching. As for me, I suppose I like boys who know what they're doing, and look good doing it. It would depend."

She met Kosuke's eyes when she said that, putting her arms in front of her, then entwining her fingers and stretching them out in front of her this time. There was something fairly attractive about him, come to think of it. Tall, handsome, and smart. Shame that he didn't come from Kumogakure, but Rice Country wasn't too far away, at least.

The conversation became far more easy after that. Saturn's own opinion on women was more focused on personality and ideals rather than any particular looks, but his trailing eyes as he followed a pretty blonde thing said otherwise. Baruga laughed and started making a joke about therapists and ninja and how their therapists would need therapists, and for a little bit, it was mostly just chatter between the four of them.

After a moment, though, Kosuke noticed the birds acting strangely. She wasn't nearly as inclined to scoff and brush it off as, comparatively, a second shark alarm. Strangely behaving aquatic animals was the obvious "boy who cried wolf" suspect, but there might be something genuinely wrong if some unorthodox creatures were showing up and acting strangely.

Saturn followed up by approaching the parrots and, presumably, using some sort of mind technique. In the meantime, a couple approached Rizuke, and immediately, Baruga snapped to attention. No false alarm this time. No bad intel. Any of her previous rambunctiousness or haughtiness completely faded away.

Once the threat was established by the couple's eyewitness report and confirmed by Saturn, Baruga summoned an azure orca with hand-like fins and red markings. She pressed her hand to its nose.

("Having fun at the beach, lass?")

("Shut it, you. We've got pirates with hostages coming around the bend, and I want them dead. Take Hideyori, Katsuyori, and Ujimasa. I need you to cover them while they and my colleagues retrieve the hostages. After that, you're with me.")

("Heh. Right to the point, eh? And my reward?")

("I'll bloody well let you chug all the rum I can afford on this resort, but if our cargo dies, you're going home sober.")

("Deal.")

With that, another whale — a fully-grown, huge blue whale this time, by the name of Ujimasa — appeared in a cloud of summoning smoke. After the azure orca — Suizei — bellows in the open air, summoning Hideyori and Katsuyori from the beach to the quartet of ninja, Baruga sat on the sand and entered a meditative stance. She closed her eyes, and blue markings begun to outline her face as she pulled chakra from nature itself.

Baruga's voice was clear, audible, and intent as she addressed the rest of the group from her spot on the ground, like a judge reading out a verdict. None of her previous flair or temper existed anymore.

"This ship is coming now, I can feel it. Your mission is to retrieve the hostages with the help of my summons and clear the pirate's ship of any innocents. Sashihara, Uchiha, you're going to be on primary retrieval duty. Both of you are with Ujimasa, the largest whale here who can hold the most people."

Ujimasa veered closer to them, the huge, elderly whale standing as the largest of them all.

"Sashihara, I expect you on first response aid if necessary. Uchiha, help him."

Katsuyori, the crystal-covered narwhal from before, floated next to Saturn.

"Saturn, you're on defense with Katsuyori. If you see any stray hostages, call for Hideyori. Hideyori will be there as a backup vehicle. Suizei will be providing covering fire and drawing the most attention from the pirates. Remember, your jobs are to clear the ship. Once I'm done gathering nature chakra, Suizei and I will demolish the ship and neutralize any hostiles remaining. Clear out by the time you see me approach."

With that, Katsuyori offered her back to Saturn. Ujimasa, on the other hand, opened his mouth to Kosuke and Rizuke, expecting them to get in.

Baruga opened her eyes and revealed not blue, but a glowing, iridescent gold color, and the outlines on her face grew more opaque. Despite the peaceful seaside, the surrounding atmosphere suddenly felt like a storm approached, like the ocean was receding and quieting and pulling back — before a tsunami hit.

"We've no time for questions. Get on the whales and get ready."

Once the other ninja boarded the whales, Baruga's summons would fly through the sky, with her own personal S-Rank Whale, Suizei at the lead. Suizei emitted a loud baleen cry that reverberated throughout the air, and immediately veered past the bend, with the other summons following.

Once the pirate ship was visible, arrows started flying, and some of the pirates even blasted Fire Release techniques at the airborne team. Suizei retaliated in kind, and after blowing a thunderstorm out of his blowhole, giant bolts of lightning begun to strike at the pirate ship, taking out swaths of deckhands all at once.

The weaker whales with the genin approached the deck of the ship, and the rescue was on.

(For reference, descriptions of the lower ranked whales can be found here, while Suizei is here. Baruga is currently entering Cetacean Sage Mode.)

WC: 1051.
TWC: 2550.
Baywatch Mission WC: 1499/750.
Pirates Mission WC: 1051/1250.

Chakra Sensory is passive.
Nature Chakra Proficiency is active. 2/6 Nature Stacks.

Current AP Usage:
5 AP - Hideyori, E-Rank Whale.
10 AP - Katsuyori, D-Rank Whale.
10 AP - Ujimasa, D-Rank Whale.
35 AP - Suizei, S-Rank Whale.
1442/1502 AP Used.

Summon Points used: 11/12. (Horde Summoner.)
Hideyori — 400/400 AP. Approaching ship deck.
Katsuyori — 750/750 AP. Approaching ship deck.
Ujimasa — 400/400 AP. Approaching ship deck.
Suizei — 1355/1500 AP. Used Sound Sensing: Echo Oscillation (45 AP) to locate the ship. Used Whale Lightning Art: Raigeki (100 AP) to draw attention.

Thu Jul 14, 2022 10:38 pm

Ko's Stat Page:

Kosuke - "Speech"|Thoughts|(Jutsu)
Third Party - "Speech"

It seemed that Kosuke had somehow managed to engage Baruga in a session of flirting. Most assuredly it was thanks to the confidence boost he had just gotten from helping the injured man on the beach. Kosuke was typically his most comfortable in an environment of crisis, but now, as Baruga returned the sentiment in kind, he found himself slipping out of his element and back to the reality of the situation. As her eyes honed in on his she began to stretch and he found his eyes drifting ever downward as if pulled by gravity. Past her lips, dangerous weapons that he imagined she was very capable of wielding, he visually traced her skin down her neck to her exposed clavicle. Her smooth skin was well maintained and lithe, betraying that she was purposefully about her training despite a perceived air of self-important. Gliding further down his gaze landed on her supple-"Ahem." He blushingly found himself coughing slightly and looking away from the kunoichi in a flustered manner.

The awkward moment flowed away as if pulled by the tide of the ocean as Saturn cut in with interests of his own followed by his own incident of ocular wandering. Ko appreciated the reprieve and found himself laughing along with the group as Saturn ribbed Rizuke figuratively and literally. His laughter was supplemented appreciably by the realization that Saturn had his own pair of blue eyes and a sort of somewhat aloof confidence. Unfortunately the good vibes were not to last. As Ko pointed out the strange behavior of the animals in the distance a new crisis began to unfold for the group.

Saturn ran ahead and approached the direction of the parrots before he stopped moving completely. Shortly after one of the creatures descended from the sky and landed on Saturn's arm before crying out. This was followed by Rizuke meeting up with an approaching couple that was screaming out for help. The couple had just gotten out information about abductors when Saturn confirmed what they were dealing with. "Pirates." How does he know tha- Before Ko could even begin processing the information, Saturn was already in the act of chasing a nearby monkey and Baruga followed suit with more of her whale summons.

Kosuke watched Baruga closely as she placed her hand on the magnificent creature. She appeared to have taken on a new persona. She seemed resolved and focused as if all the pretention had been stripped away from her. Finally he thought to put himself into action as well and started moving and shifting his attention back towards Saturn who was making a declaration that he knew where the hostages were located. Just as Ko had gotten to Saturn there was a loud bellowing in the air and Baruga began to address the entire group as a whole.

She sat meditatively but spoke clearly and directly, embracing her role as the defacto leader of the group with ease. Declaring that the captors were making their way over to them she divided the group into specific roles and paired everyone up with a whale companion. While Kosuke would have preferred that they had time to collaboratively work out a plan, there simply wasn't any time to waste and Ko knew how to follow direction and perform to the best of his ability in a role. "Got it. You can count on us." Kosuke nodded to Rizuke as he spoke; while Ko may be his senior in age he would trust the boy as an equal on this mission.

Kosuke would get what information he could from Saturn regarding the location and condition of the hostages before taking his place by the creature Ujimasa. One last look over at Baruga showed her still in her meditative state but having undergone a transformation of sorts. Previously blue eyes gave way to glowing gold and her face was now home to river-like streaks of blue. A magnificent sight to behold and one that he wouldn't be able or want to forget.

Ujimasa was offering his mouth and Kosuke obliged the creature as gingerly as he could. The massive creature would be a valuable asset that was perfectly suited for a rescue mission of this nature. The inside was spacious enough to hold around 4 people and the creature's back would likely be able to hold an entire ship's crew if demanded. Thinking back to when he saw Baruga place her hand on the whale summon earlier Ko decided to try something similar to test a theory.

If this works like I think it does then maybe we can communicate. Ko glanced down, stretching his right palm open, and took a deep breath before placing the hand on the inside wall of the whale's mouth. Closing his eyes he emptied his thoughts before forming a thought as if speaking to himself inside his mind.

("Hey there Ujimasa, this may not actually be doing anything but if you can understand me I think we should dive into the water and come up on the other side of the ship near the back. With Suizei grabbing their attention we should be able to get in and out without much trouble that way.")

("That won't be an issue. Consider it done.")

The sensation as words echoed in his mind that didn't belong to him shocked Ko to his core. He pulled back his hand and searched around for a moment before realizing what had happened. He wasn't expecting it to happen exactly the way it did but his guess turned out to be right and he had been able to convey his thoughts to Ujimasa. Now he just needed to work with Rizuke on a rescue plan and then execute on the plan to make sure everyone got out safely.

Once Rizuke had settled in, Ujimasa took off across the sky before diving down into the water. The creature made its way over toward the pirate ship as the other whale summons made their way over in the sky. Hopefully if any of the crew had spotted them dive into the water it would be forgotten about once the chaos started up top.

Kosuke took this brief moment they had to lay out a plan with Rizuke for how they would handle the hostages. "Alright Rizuke-san, we don't have much time. Saturn gave me some information regarding the hostages. They are on the lower deck at the back of the ship so that is our target. Our priority is to get all hostages off the ship, preferably onto Ujimasa. Hopefully most of the pirates will be on the upper deck and focused on everyone else." Ko took a moment to make sure Rizuke was on the same page before placing his hand against Ujimasa again.

("Let me know as soon you sense that things have started.")

("It doesn't magically work that way. But it won't be long before they begin the assault.")

("Sorry, I don't know how this all works but thank you.")

"We will need to find an entrance to the lower deck as the first thing. I can fight if I need to but I am most effective as support so I should focus on helping the hostages, especially any that are injured. I'll be able to do what I need to do if I know that you are watching my back. Can I count on you to handle most of the fighting?" They likely didn't have much time now so Kosuke hoped that Rizuke was in agreement.

("What's going on up there?")

("I can't sense anything from here, but we should get moving now.")

("Alright. Go ahead and bring us up as inconspicuously as you can.")

After a short time Ujimasa's mouth began to open and the outside light burst through blindly. After a moment of getting his bearing Kosuke realized that they were on the side of the ship opposite the beach towards the back, exactly where he had wanted to be.

("Stay right here if you can for us to bring people out.")

They were just barely out of the water so Kosuke channeled his chakra and hopped over to the ship grabbing hold solely due to the chakra on his hands and feet keeping him effectively glued to the wood. (Surface Walking) Looking up he indicated to Rizuke about the window above them with the neck of a cannon sticking out. That's our ticket in. Just at that moment a monstrous bolt of lightning struck the ship above them. The thunderous sound that accompanied the blast drowned out any initial cries of pain among those on the deck. Hopefully there aren't any hostages up there. But this is really gonna put us on a strict timeline for rescue regardless. Ko was now able to see that the once peaceful weather had been replaced with the beginnings of a massive storm. One might easily make the mistake of thinking this was the calm before the storm, and maybe that was the case, but the storm was already here to be sure. Could she really be capable of all this? It's incredible..... and dangerously indiscriminate in its devastation.

Kosuke continued his climb up to the window and entered after Rizuke. Perfect! Saturn knew exactly where we needed to go. At the back of the room they had climbed into there were metal bars across from wall to wall of the ship. A makeshift holding cell, presumably for rowdy intoxicated pirates or valuable hostages depending. "Oh thank goodness! What's going on? Are you here to save us!?" There were a no guards currently, but an open hallway to their left towards the front of the ship meant that they could have additional company at any moment.

Kosuke was quick to try and assess the situation and get as much valuable information as he could. "We are here to help. Please calm down! Are there any more hostages on the ship?" Ko was running over to the gate that served as the only exit from the holding cell. "Uhh, there are 2 more people I think. That got taken to the Captain's quarters up above for questions earlier and haven't been brought back." The answer was disheartening. It meant that the rescue operation just got more risky for everyone involved. "Rizuke, I will help these people. Do you think you can find the other hostages? I'll be right behind you after I am done here." Kosuke asked one of the hostages if they knew where the keys to the gate were while he gave Rizuke a chance to respond.

"Oh god, look out they are coming!" Two pirates were rushing down the hallway towards them, one with a large key dangling from a ring at his waist. They must have gone topside for a moment to find out what was happening. "Alright Rizuke, I'll follow your lead!"

{Rizuke, you can timeline any of this if you feel the need but I proceeded with many assumptions for the sake of progression. Sorry for any incovenience.}

WC: 1815
TWC: 4570
Mission Wordcount: 4750/2000

Jutsu and AP:

Mon Jul 18, 2022 9:37 pm

Rizuke would listen to the parrot that was being piloted by his teammate tell the makeshift squad where the prisoners would be held on the ship. It would be up to Kosuke and Rizuke to rescue them while the other two Kumogakure shinobi would lay down some impressive firepower to distract the crew. Kosuke would inform Rizuke that Rizuke would have to be the fighter in this part of the mission, as Kosuke himself would be better at support. Rizuke would agree, he had been practicing some offensive abilities since the last time that they had seen each other. Rizuke wasn’t as useless as he had been in previous missions. He was excited to show off his new abilities in the coming minutes to his friends. The whale Ujimasa would pick up the duo and the whale would open his maw. Kosuke would step in head first and attempt to be as pleasant as a shinobi entering a big water-born mammal’s mouth that’s diet is krill could. Rizuke would just jump in, “This is going to be uncomfortable for all of us involved.” He would tell the older shinobi next to him stroking the tongue of the blue whale host. “We’re not very yummy are we Ujimasa? Once we’re out it’ll be better, but we also might need to store more people in here, and for that, I apologize.” Rizuke would say out loud to the whale while trying to maintain focus on the task at hand. Rizuke would notice how big the creature was, there wasn’t much more room in the mouth. The escapees would probably have to ride topside which would bring a whole new set of problems to the escape, but one problem at a time he thought.

Rizuke and Kosuke had a little bit of time to strategies before they stormed the ship and freed the unfortunate people trapped on the ship. Rizuke felt bad for them, being powerless he understood, for a long time he saw others around him gaining so much and so fast, and he was stuck. He knew he wouldn’t allow anyone to take away another’s power on such unequal playing fields, his squad and he would play as the equalizers of their fates. Before Ujimasa would move Kosuke and Rizuke would discuss whether it would be more effective if the retrieval team wasn’t seen before the fighting started or really at all. Rizuke would watch as Kosuke would glance down, stretch out his right palm open, and take a deep breath before placing the hand on the inside wall of the whale's mouth, and then he closed his eyes, something would happen a few seconds after the man did this that looked like it rattled him. Rizuke would watch as the man shinobi would pull back his hand from the inside wall of the whale’s mouth and search around for a moment looking a little panicked and confused before coming back to the realization of what he had been through. Rizuke was curious, but if the shinobi wouldn’t tell him, he had no room to ask what happened.

It was once he had finally established a spot in the whale’s mouth, that Ujimasa would take off from their spot at the beach and into the sky before diving down, deep, into the ocean. The small squad made up of two shinobi and a summon would make its way to the target, the pirate ship. Before the battle would begin the other summons would make their way over to the battlefield by means of the sky. Rizuke and Kosuke would hope that no one saw them enter the water, but even if they did Rizuke would inform Kosuke that even if those on the ship saw this whale submerge, they would lose sight of them underwater, and their approach would go unnoticed as long as the battle was able to draw their attention from the ocean. Rizuke would also take the time to hear what the older shinobi would have to say.

               "We will need to find an entrance to the lower deck as the first thing. I can fight if I need to but I am most effective as support so I should focus on helping the hostages, especially any that are injured. I'll be able to do what I need to do if I know that you are watching my back. Can I count on you to handle most of the fighting?" Kosuke would finish his idea by asking the teenager if he could do the thing, he had been spending the last few weeks training his body to undergo. Rizuke would nod in agreement and would add before they arrived at their destination. “I won’t let any harm befall you or any of our charges.” The look of intensity was burning deep in the younger’s eyes, he was in his head preparing to unleash his jutsu on whoever got in the team’s way.

               After a short time of waiting in the whale’s mouth and preparing himself, Ujimasa's mouth would begin to open and the outside would pour into view like waves of light washing over the two in the mouth. Rizuke and Kosuke would have to wait a few moments to let their eyes adjust to the outside. Rizuke would follow Kosuke’s lead because it seemed he knew where they had landed. Before they headed into the ship they would share one more nod, a nod that solidified that they may not be from the same village, but right here right now, the two of them were all each other had and they’d both be damned if they allowed the other to fall.

               The whale had positioned himself to where his mouth was just out of the water, Rizuke would watch as Kosuke would channel his chakra and hop over to the ship, Rizuke would lose sight of him and fear for the worst, but his fears would be calmed when he saw the older shinobi holding onto the side of the ship with his hands and feet stuck steadfastly. Rizuke would follow the older shinobi’s gaze to the window with a cannon sticking out of it. With a nod, Rizuke would acknowledge that he understood what the support shinobi had wanted Rizuke to do. He would jump onto the ship as his older counterpart had done. Rizuke would scale the ship with a speed of 70 as his skin appeared to have a shade of orange. (Fire Style: Invigoration) Just as Rizuke made it in the window a huge bolt of lightning struck the ship above the duo. Rizuke was impressed with the showmanship of his two Kumo shinobi, he would have to get these people to safety to make sure any damage they sustained out there wasn’t in vain.

               After Kosuke arrived they would notice the holding cage of the ship, where the hostages were being held. "Oh thank goodness! What's going on? Are you here to save us!?" They had yelled loud enough to issue a warning gesture from Rizuke, “We are here to save you, but you need to keep quiet, if you alert the ship to our presence all this work and planning will be for nothing.” Rizuke would say in a hushed tone. There weren’t any guards and Rizuke was grateful, but that could change at any minute. Rizuke would stand guard while Kosuke would assess the situation.

               "We are here to help. Please calm down! Are there any more hostages on the ship?" Rizuke would hear his older counterpart say as he made his way to the entrance to the cage. "Uhh, there are 2 more people I think. That got taken to the Captain's quarters up above for questions earlier and haven't been brought back." Rizuke’s stomach dropped at those words. Rizuke would look over his shoulder at his partner’s face and see he was trying to analyze the situation at a high-speed rate. "Rizuke, I will help these people. Do you think you can find the other hostages? I'll be right behind you after I am done here." Kosuke asked his young partner as Rizuke thought over the plan Kosuke would ask the prisoners if any of them knew where the keys were. Rizuke didn’t have the time to answer when one of the prisoners yelled. "Oh god, look out they are coming!" Rizuke would try to warn them again, any surprise element was surely lost with these idiots screaming and yelling every few minutes. He would think to himself as he worked over the situation. There were two of them and they were running, no, charging back to the holding cell, the idiots defiantly alerted them to the fact that there was a rescue party inside the ship. "Alright Rizuke, I'll follow your lead!" The older shinobi said as he readied himself. Rizuke would throw back his arm to stop the older from advancing. “I got these two, work on keeping them quiet, we don’t need more of them down here.” He would perform the hand seals Bird, Snake, Rat, Ox, Dog, and Rizuke would charge at the two trying to advance into the holding cell room. Rizuke would stop a few feet and the men would stop and freak out as Rizuke’s body would appear to transform into a flock of parrots. At this point, Rizuke would see the keys, and he would approach as if the two couldn’t see him because he knew, these two were stuck in his genjutsu, and right now his body was a flock of parrots flying around and pecking the two. He would have to dodge a few real swings from their swords, easily dodged as they were swung at the ceiling and not at his physical body. He would pluck the keys from the one with the key attached to his waistband. After he successfully robbed the man of his key, he sent the two further down into the ship so as to not alert the rest of the ship to anything happening underneath by materializing as a person once more to them in the genjutsu and running further down.

               “Now that we have the key, get these guys out, and show them back to Ujimasa, I’ll find the captain’s quarters and free the other two.” Rizuke said as he started his way up the stairs, he would think about the sight he would see. Was someone waiting for him. He couldn’t use his fireball jutsu in this close of quarters. He just used his genjutsu on the prison guards. He had a sword that he barely knew how to hold and he was clumsy with it, but if he needed to, he would swing away with it. As Rizuke turned the corner and saw the cabin door that led to the captain’s quarters he rushed inside hoping to throw off any aggressors before they had a chance to react, but what he entered made him want to throw up. It appeared that a lightning bolt had struck one of the prisoners, and Rizuke could smell burnt hair and flesh. He would take stock, shouldn’t there be two people up here? He would think as he moved around the crying badly burnt prisoner. Rizuke noticed an opened window and thought to look outside. There he noticed bobbing in the water was a head and a body, that could be the last prisoner or a pirate. He thought to himself, at that moment he noticed Saturn and he would flag him down. “Saturn, there’s a body in the water, can you verify if it’s friend or foe?” He would plea to his friend who was keeping pirates at bay. He would then pull his body back in, tell the burnt body he’d be right back and then he’d head down to the whale and the prisoners escaping. “Kosuke.” Rizuke would say as he approached the man guiding prisoners to the top of the whale, and collecting himself. “I need you to come with me to the captain’s quarters, you’re going to need to work a miracle.” He would say with his face a pale green. Rizuke would let the whale know they’d be right back and he could take the first wave of prisoners to the shore and out of harm’s way. He would Lead Kosuke to what he had found and guard the medic as he worked his magic.

WC: 2068
TWC: 4080

Wed Jul 20, 2022 5:00 pm

skskksks

Wed Jul 20, 2022 5:08 pm

"Hold on just a second, I-" Saturn stammered under his breath upon hearing his senior's murderous intent towards the hostile pirates. He was not allowed to finish his sentence, and he refrained from dragging it on. The squad did not have the luxury of time to pit their individual ideals against each other to devise a plan that worked for all. The lives of the several hostages were at stake. It all happened in the blink of an eye. Feeling the rush of adrenaline in his veins, the Genin was in a trance when he leaned in and revealed what he knew about the location of the hostages to Kosuke. The colorful parrot that he had possessed briefly followed Rizuke to add any details that he may have missed out, before Saturn released his mental clasp on the avian's mind, letting it flee into the horizon screeching blimeys. Before he could argue, the squad of four - or rather eight including the exotic whales - was already off to the races. Saturn found himself on the back of Katsuyori, the whale summon that was assigned to him by his compatriot. Planting his hand on the whale's back, he managed to communicate to the massive summon telepathically without really thinking about it. To him, it felt just the same as communicating verbally. His bronzed face gleamed with a look of sheer determination when he decisively affirmed that he was ready, "Let's go."

As Katsuyori beelined at the ship, masterfully swimming close to the water's surface while carrying the Kumon shinobi on her back, Saturn's bare feet sliced into the waves below - the rest of his body remained above the sea's surface. He had an epiphany, wondering if he could use aquatic mammals to surf like this in the future, if he survived now. As they raced towards the ship, the Genin looked up at the sky to see the dark blue haired Baruga flying towards the ship on an azure orca, and caught site of the menacing bolts of thunder that struck the ship, breaking off some of its wooden base while knocking out a few adversaries. The streams of fire that were shot by the pirates in retaliation at the flying assailants were clearly no match to the more experienced shinobi and her ferocious whales. Saturn at first gritted his teeth anxiously, watching on helplessly as the thunderbolts struck the ship indiscriminately. He could not make out the results of the barrage from afar, but Katsuyori brought them closer and closer to the ship before coming to a halt about 100 meters from the vessel. Looking on, Saturn felt a little queasy. His head was spinning. Looking down, he realized he was basically on a living ship. Yet he wasn't sure if it was his seasickness or his aversion to mortal combat that made him feel ill.

Growing up in Konohagakure, Saturn never wanted to be a shinobi. He was a free spirit whose interests lied in the esoteric. He liked wandering into the woods on his horse Dione late at night to lay on fields to gaze at the stars. He had a little notebook where he took notes of the coordinates of various constellations. He wanted to be a fortune teller - the best in the world. In that way he planned to make his living without infringing on the lives of others around him - only dealing with his customers and his horse. Yet now his Buddhist horse was missing having gone on her retreat to the mountains weeks prior. Ever since then, his life seemed to get more stressful with each passing day. Without her counsel, he was left to make his own judgments over and over, and bear the responsibility of the outcomes of his actions. Dione was even more of a pacifist than himself, and she always guided the young man towards the light. When Saturn confessed his desire to kill the racist faction of the Senju clan who drove him out of his hometown and made his childhood a living hell, his horse who endured the same abuse at the stable in the household taught him forgiveness and made him question himself. Faced with the sobering reality before him, once again Saturn found himself leaning towards an idea of 'righteousness' in his mind. His idea meant that it was not up to him to take the life of another. The memory of causing the death of a vulture in the Kumon mountains using his abilities still haunted the pacifist. Would it really be his fault if he stood idly by and watched as the filthy pirates were killed? Time and time again, Saturn would search for peace and find himself in the middle of violence. He remained frozen in place, the flurry of dizzying thoughts rendering him passive, until his teammate's plea would interrupt his spiralling thoughts.

As his eyes met Rizuke's, Saturn inhaled sharply. In his mind he saw the vision of a vulture flying into the sunset, until the light from the Sun diminished the avian to a dot and sucked his perspective into the light, snapping him out of his daze. He forgot about his seasickness and turned his gaze to see the floating body as it moved along Katsuyori's side within arm's reach. Leaning over the edge of mammal's upper back, Saturn grabbed the collar of the older man's drenched coat and strained himself using a lot of his strength to heave the body onto the whale's back. Rolling him over, he placed his hand on his heart to see that it was still beating. There was no doubt in his mind that this man was none other than the captain of the ship. He saw the pirate's face when he infiltrated the mind of his monkey that they left behind on the beach. He wore an eye patch and had a tanned complexion much like Saturn's. His hair was long and dark. He wore a brown coat over his dirty white shirt, and baggy black trousers to go with his aged leather boots. He was bleeding from his head. Saturn at that moment had a divine revelation. He could not afford to be passive. He remembered why he started to train in the ways of shinobihood. In the world that he lived in, one had to be strong and capable in order to guide the flowing river of life towards one's own ideals. The pirate captain coughed up blood. He seemed to have been blasted away by the impact of one of the lightning bolts and he must have hit his head somewhere. As the pirate opened his eyes, Saturn slapped him across the face putting him back to sleep. The look on his own face now bore an even stronger resolve than before. To the superstitious young man, this was a sign from God himself.

Saturn had wasted no time performing handseals in quick succession, at first summoning a shadow clone next to himself and then forming his signature hand seal, the one he had figured out by his own intuition, to possess the body of the befallen pirate. His own body would fall unconscious, but his clone would catch it. The pirate's body would sit up, but now it was Saturn's mind in his body. The communication between Saturn and his clone was in his singular mind, no words had to be spoken to communicate the plan that he had devised.

Within moments, the 'captain' appeared on the deck of the ship, holding the sharp edge of a menacing curved sword to the throat of the blonde haired shinobi. A wicked grin stretched across his wrinkled face from ear to ear, showing off his rotten teeth.

"Cease your fighting!" He ordered his crew,

"Behold! Aye, a hostage! One among the assailants. A scoundrel, worse than Scourge of the seven seas! Aye, he among they who infringe on our right to claim ransom from the folk who banished us from the Mikadzuki Beach on that ghastly night in July, over seven Suns ago! Aye, left us, the band of twenty sailors, marooned in the endless sea! Forced us, to become pirates, to scavenge galleys as they scoured through the ocean. Now pay Ye! A ransom of 1,000,000 ryo! Lest Me show this man to the Hempen Halter, or order my men to cleave him to the brisket!"

The captain's speech would cause the pirates on the section of the dock to stop their attacks and their eyes to shimmer gleefully in hope that their captain had dug them out of their hole. They cheered as they inched closer to their captain, but the first mate remained suspicious.

"Ay, Ol' Bartholomew. Since when do you talk like that?"

Right on cue, the shadow clone that Saturn had summoned appeared on deck almost instantly, using Body Flicker Technique. Before any of the crew could react to the duplicate, the clone performed six hand seals in succession before planting his hand on the wooden floor of the ship, summoning a hound made of lightning. The cackling beast was about as big as a german shepherd, but its jaws carried two rows of teeth that were both six inches long and six inches wide. In a flash, the hound zipped across the ship's surface, striking the worn out pirates from behind one by one, causing them to fall like dominoes. Saturn's ninjutsu was not quite as strong as his sensory techniques, and he made sure to hold back though a certain degree of damage was unavoidable. As the hound approached the captain from behind, Saturn released his clasp on the captain's mind, and opened the blue eyes on his original body before leaping out of harm's way in the nick of time. In the matter of only a few seconds, the section of the deck was wiped out. The immobilized pirates were stunned, and they remained twitching on the ship's floor as Saturn walked by them one by one, confiscating any weapons when he could find them.

"That's the last of them." He would say to his senior who hovered over the ship on her summon. He spoke with an elegant poise and his bold actions were decidedly flamboyant. He had read Bartholomew's mind to double check the faces on board, and he was confident in his teammates' capacity to take care of the others on board. Baruga had already taken care of quite a number of the pirates as well, and Saturn witnessed in the captain's mind how two of them had been wounded severely before the captain's eyes. On this side of the deck, he felt comfortable expressing his ideals to Baruga without having the other two listen in and believe that he was undermining her command. "These pirates have caused enough suffering already. The hostages are safe, and this crew is incapable of fighting any further. I propose we grant them safe passage back into the sea, and let the sea decide their fate.. I know you ordered me to stay back on defense, but I couldn't let the three of you have all the fun!" Saturn's solemn expression morphed into a playful smirk and a warm smile, showing off a shine in his pearly whites. He believed that the job was done. Behind him, the captain crawled closer to the edge of the deck, cursing the shinobi under his breath. From his position on the ground, he formed hand seals before screaming out, "Katon, Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"

"No, stop it!" Saturn turned around and pleaded, but it was already too late. With those words, a ball of fire 20 meters in diameter had formed above his mouth and fired itself towards Baruga and her mount.

Shadow Clone
Mind Body Switch Technique
Lightning Beast Tracking Fang
~~too lazy to calculate AP but trust me I had enough for this~~

WC:1959 TWC: 5447

Thu Jul 21, 2022 5:12 pm

The waters of the shore of her chakra receded. The world was the ocean around her, beautiful, vast, unfathomable. Her yin and yang were merely the push and pull of that ocean, the shakers and movers — and even then, she had to concentrate and clear her mind, lest she lose control of the great waters that surround her and sink in their very depths, forever encased in limestone rock.

As she sat seiza, her palm outstretched towards the sky while her fist rested on her lap. The mark of Bishamonten — the monkhood that trained her in how to meditate. Holding his shining pagoda in her skyward hand, his spear in her other (all figuratively; imagery helps with maintaining her focus), Baruga focused on the ocean of nature chakra, breathing with the ocean waves, even as lightning and thunder roared in the distance, and there was the sound of a fire elsewhere.

Now was not the time for that. She tightened her hold on Bishamonten's spear, she balanced his pagoda more smoothly, and her cleared mind allowed her to synchronize with the greater waters of nature. She harmonized her breath with the sea breeze, until it became difficult to understand where her skin ended and where the summer air begun.

She was nature.

She was the ocean.

She was the sky.

She was...

And then she opened her gold-glowing eyes fully, broke into a ninja sprint that left troughs in the beachside, and dove into the water like an Olympic swimmer.

From the ship, there would be a strange bump in surface tension rapidly approaching the sea vessel, followed by a splitting of the sea. In modern terms, it could be likened like a torpedo, flying under the water about to blast a hole in a battleship cruiser — in truth, it was Baruga slicing through the water in a continuous "dolphin kick"-type stroke.

She surfaced a few dozen meters away from the ship, breaching the water with a butterfly stroke before landing on her feet and running at an insane speed, comparable to fully-trained taijutsu specialists — perhaps even faster. Her feet were a blur, and water was kicked up like the back of a speedboat, even leaving behind a trail of seafoam in her wake.

And then, she heard Saturn's voice as she approached. Suizei halted his attack as both Baruga and her whales listened.

He was asking for peace. Asking for sanctuary. Asking for the love of one human to another, for these... kidnappers. Human traffickers. Possibly even rapists, depending on the nature of who they captured and why. Career criminals, in any case, who would hunt and pillage and kill and hunt again without repercussion, all because they'd been given a slap on the wrist by a kind-hearted shinobi.

And then he had the gall to fucking smile at her.

The ocean in her roared and begged for their deaths. She wanted nothing more than to swallow this entire vessel into the abyss, in a whirl of water and brine and chakra so powerful that even a bijuu would be hard-pressed to ignore her wrath.

Her choice was made for her, though.

"Katon, Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"

An A-Rank Great Fireball Technique came flying at her, the largest possible size available for such an attack. It burned hot, bright, blinding. It was fire in full form, the textbook example of Fire Release Ninjutsu, infamous all across the Elemental Nations. Suizei was fast enough to dodge it, but she was too angry to do anything but plunge into the flames.

Baruga reached into her clan's dimension and allowed the chilly water of her dimension's personal lake to envelop her the moment the Great Fireball was supposed to burn her to death. She phased through the technique, and it seemed to pass harmlessly through her body, almost like a glitch, as she leapt up from the waters and to the deck of the ship.

As the Great Fireball exploded behind her during her ascent, she looked at the captain with hatred in her eyes, the angry lines of her face reflected off of the blinding luminescence of the failed ninjutsu. Her teeth were gnashed together like the faces of her Gates of Rashomon. In that moment, the blue markings of her Sage Mode were frighteningly bright, her eyes glowing with pure, utter power.

The captain's life was forfeit.

"You had your chance," Baruga snarled coldly.

There was a tether of energy, like a liquid mass of darkness and sea green water being outstretched from her palm to the captain's body, before suddenly, both Baruga and the captain were gone, seemingly vanished into thin air.

The first thing that Captain Bartholomew Rogers noticed was that it was dark.

Pitch-black. Like staring into the back of your eyelids at night. It was cold. There was no sound, either.

And then he noticed that there was no sound because his eardrums had burst and filled with water, and his entire body felt like it was being crushed by two mountains.

Pain. Pain! Pain like he'd never felt before! He tried to scream out in pain, but the air left his mouth, his nose, his eyes, even, as if yearning for escape after a lifetime of prison, and the pain became a hundredfold. He could taste blood. He could taste salt.

He tried to pull his arms together for a ninjutsu, anything to save him.

He couldn't feel his fingers anymore. He couldn't feel his arms anymore. He couldn't even see them, couldn't even see the tip of his own nose.

Like a sensory deprivation tank, he saw nothing. He heard nothing. He smelled nothing. His only sensations in his final moments were the taste of salt and blood, and cold, and pain, pain, pain, PAIN, PAIN, PAINPAINPAINAAAUUUUGHHH —

He saw, in the middle of his death, a pair of eyes, glowing gold.

Again, he tried to scream.

Only a small bubble escaped his throat.

After a moment of absolute nothingness, Baruga spawned on the deck of the ship in a splash of the same liquid darkness that appeared before. She was still in Sage Mode, and seemed none the worse for wear.

Captain Bartholomew slumped to the ground, crushed by 200 atmospheres worth of pressure, in a simulacrum of the depths of the Bathypelagic Zone equivalent of Ryuuguu-jou's oceans.

His skin was entirely black and blue, and his body looked like it had crumpled in on itself before being filled with water. His fingers were pruned and mangled. His ribcage had crumpled in on itself, but still had the illusion of being slightly intact, given the water currently overfilling his pulmonary cavity and marinating his exploded lungs. A mixture of saltwater and blood trickled out of his lifeless eyes, his crooked nose, his bloated mouth, his burst stomach.

It was a gruesome sight.

Baruga looked down at the corpse, then at the pirates. Fearful. Horrified. Haunted. Traumatized.

Catharsis rolled through her veins. She gazed at everyone — her teammates, the pirates, the hostages, everyone — with a cold, vindictive fury.

"Saturn, you advocated for them, so you get to make sure these fine gentlemen get out safely. Katsuyori will ferry you back to shore. The rest of you, secure the hostages. Suizei will help."

The Cetacean Sage leveled one last glare at the pirates, before snorting derisively, as if scoffing at children.

"The sea will decide your fate. Just like it did for him."

Baruga turned around, spat at the ground in contempt, and dove back into the ocean, making her exit.

WC: 1263.
TWC: 3813.
Baywatch Mission WC: 1499/750.
Pirates Mission WC: 2314/1250.

Chakra Sensory is passive.
Nature Chakra Proficiency is active. 4/6 Nature Stacks.
Animal Sage Mode is active (+90 Speed, +90 Chakra). 1/4 turns.
Cetacean Sage Mode is active.
— The user can jettison themselves through water as a form of movement and move freely in water.
— They can hold their breath for the entirety of their Sage Mode.
— The user is unaffected by the crushing effect of large amounts of water (i.e., the deep ocean).
— The user can use their natural senses perfectly underwater.

Current AP Usage:
5 AP - Hideyori, E-Rank Whale.
10 AP - Katsuyori, D-Rank Whale.
10 AP - Ujimasa, D-Rank Whale.
35 AP - Suizei, S-Rank Whale.
50 AP - Sage Mode.
150 AP - Secret of Ryoinsatsu: Ryuuguu-jou (Phasing).
75 AP - Secret of Ryoinsatsu: Ryuuguu-jou (Royal Invitation, Abyssal Waters).
1107/1502 AP Used.

Summon Points used: 11/12. (Horde Summoner.)
Hideyori — 400/400 AP.
Katsuyori — 750/750 AP.
Ujimasa — 400/400 AP.
Suizei — 1355/1500 AP.

Exiting Thread
+ 20 Beachside Tickets + 30 Beachside Tickets
+ 6000 Ryo + 10000 Ryo
+ 30 AP + 50 AP
+ 76 AP (From 3813 WC)
+ 1 Pirate Armor Set
+ 527 WC to Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave (B-Rank) (1500/1500).
+ 1000 WC to Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave (A-Rank) (2500/2500).
+ 1500 WC to Sage Art: Reduction (B-Rank) (1500/1500).
+ 786 WC to Sage Art: Reduction (A-Rank) (2286/2500).

Sat Jul 23, 2022 4:37 am

Kosuke - "Speech"|Thoughts|(Jutsu)
Third Party - "Speech"

Rizuke was resolute in the face of danger and Kosuke felt comfortable trusting him as there was danger all around and time was of the essence. Rizuke was also right about needing to calm down the hostages to prevent any more surprise guests visiting them. The began performing handseals and Ko shifted his attention back to the group of hostages. "Everyone please calm down and remain quiet. My partner and I are here to rescue you and we are not alone. Once we get you out of here safely we will find the others and get them out too." Ko spoke softly but firmly to the group to reassure them that the situation was under control. Adrenaline and clear purpose was helping to keep him focused but he was also worried about the situation for the rest of his group as well as the missing hostages. Other than the lightning blast from earlier they had no idea what was happening nor the condition of the ship and crew.

Ko looked back towards Rizuke to see the pirates swinging wildly at the ceiling as if in a trance while Rizuke deftly dodged in to retrieve the key. Ah, he must have them under the effects of genjutsu. That's not what I would have expected but then again I figured he would surprise me. Sending the pirates running back down the ship, Rizuke tossed the key back to Kosuke and instructed him to get the hostages off safely while he went ahead.

The key was large and obnoxious, a descriptor that would also apply to the gate, holding cell, pirate crew, and the boat itself. After a few moments the gate was flung open and the hostages charged out at Ko with offers of hug and thanks. "We aren't safe yet, please come this way with me." Ko brought the group over to the windows that Rizuke and himself had used for entry onto the ship. Glancing out he could see Ujimasa was nearby waiting and watching out and made his way up after being waved over my Ko. Moving the cannon away from the window was tough but the group pitched in and the work was done quickly after which the loading process began.

The group was hesitant at first but after some coaxing they started moving out of the window and onto the back of the large whale. As the last of the six hostages were finishing up their exodus Rizuke returned the a harrowed face and even more harrowing news. “I need you to come with me to the captain’s quarters, you’re going to need to work a miracle.” Kosuke was going through his mind about what kind of situations he might find and just followed as Rizuke sent the first set off hostage off and lead the way up to the captain's quarters.

The way was clear and the journey was short up to the area with the captain's room. Inside the room was a gruesome scene. A hole had been blasted in the ceiling, presumably the result of a stray bolt crashing down onto the ship earlier. The was some very large debris scattered around the room but near the blast zone there was a young woman crying out in pain. Apparently she had been too close to the initial blast and had suffered a series of burns. Rizuke stood watch as Kosuke went over to comfort the woman and see to her injuries as best he could.

"I'm a doctor and I am here to help. My name is Kosuke, are you able to tell me your name?" Ko examined her as he knelt down beside her. She isn't bleeding from what I can see and she appears to be breathing normally. "My-my name is St-Stacy. Puh-please help me." She spoke through sobs to answer Ko's question. The woman's burns appeared to be mainly on and around the side of her neck and hair. This is workable, I have seen burns worse than this but I am lacking on tools at my disposal. "That's a lovely name, it is nice to meet you Stacy. I'm gonna do my very best to help you, you are in good hands. I'm gonna ask a few more questions though so try your best to answer for me. Are you feeling dizzy or nauseous at all?" Ko pulled the wrap off the fingers of his right hand as he went to check her pulse and eyes. Pulse is high but stable. Pupils appear to be normal. "No, just a lot of pain in my neck." She was getting her sobs more under control as the situation developed. "Thank you for answering. Give me just a moment and I'll take a lot of the pain away." She seems stable enough and the doesn't appear to be any shock. It looks bad but I think she will recover with time and care.

Tiger. Rat. Boar. Rat. Snake. The seals were fast and Kosuke's hands were glowing in their accustomed way. Ko was channeling as much chakra in to the technique as he was currently able to muster. The area would heal over somewhat and the pain would subside for now, but the rehab would be a process of longer term care. Thankfully it seemed that after proper treatment however the wound would heal fully. "You should be feeling a bit better now. Please don't move for now and try to stay quiet as we work to get you and everyone else off the boat safely." A more full examination of the room revealed a second person against the wall underneath some debris. They were hard to spot, but Ko rushed over to check on them and ascertained that they had not suffered any apparent traumatic injuries. Instead it appeared they had been knocked back by the blast with some debris and lost consciousness as they were buried. Ko passed this information along to Rizuke and was going to work to transport the patients back down but was distracted by the developing situation taking place outside on the deck.

The majority of pirates had been knocked unconscious and Kosuke witnessed Saturn's plea with Baruga and the ensuing chaos with the captain of the ship. What followed was gruesome and awful. Disappearing and then reappearing the captain was nearly unrecognizable in his disfiguring. No additional diagnosis was needed to understand the condition of the former captain. He was dead. And after barking out orders Baruga was gone. Unpredictable, devastating, and deadly just like the ocean. The rest of the rescue operation passed by like a movie in Kosuke's mind, an out of body experience of sorts.

After some time working with the remaining hostages Ko was able to get both individuals loaded onto Suizei and secured safely. Ko turned to his teammates before leaving to deliver the hostages to the shore. "It was nice to meet you both, I am sorry things turned out the way they did. You were a great partner Rizuke, and I think I will have to take you up on the palm reading some other time Saturn." Ko hopped up on to Suizei as well before giving a final departing message. "Take care of yourselves, I'm sure I will see you both again."

The ride back was solemn but also quick and triumphant. A medical team was on site now at the beach and able to receive the two that had sustained injuries on the boat. There was a lot of the way of crying and hugging as well as thanks and cheers. Ko was polite but his mind was stuck on the death of the captain. It had all seemed so unnecessary, even if not in end result it was certainly unnecessary in the means. It was a stark reminder of the power wielded by some shinobi and the need for people that can fight back against that kind of power to be able to protect people. The one thing he needed more than anything right now though was to rest.

{Exit}

WC: 1343
TWC: 5913

AP and Jutsu:

{Exit}
Missions Claims:
- 20 Beachside Tickets + 30 Beachside Tickets
- 6000 Ryo + 10000 Ryo X2 (Beloved Presence) = 32000 ryo
- 30 AP + 50 AP X2 (Beloved Presence) = 160 AP
- 1 Pirate Armor Set

WC Claims:
- 20 Vigor
- 33 Chakra
- 6 Speed
- Jutsu: Iryojutsu Amplifier C-Rank (279/500) | Previously Trained (221/500) = (500/500)
- Jutsu: Iryojutsu Amplifier B-Rank (500/500)
- Jutsu: Storage Displacement D-Rank (500/500)
- Jutsu: Cleansing Aura B-Rank (1750/1750)
- Jutsu: Stone Pistol Jutsu C-Rank (1000/1000)
- Jutsu: Temporary Paralysis D-Rank (500/500)
- Jutsu: Earth Style Wall C-Rank (1000/1000)
- Jutsu: Shock Paddles E-Rank (250/250)
- Jutsu: Hangover Cure E-Rank (134/250)

Sun Jul 24, 2022 8:09 pm

Rizuke would finish watching over the prisoners and ensuring their safety. He watched as Kosuke ran up onto the deck, it was a madhouse. He wanted to go topside and help his crew, but he was dutybound to see the rescue through. As the ship started losing weight it started to rock a little more. Rizuke didn’t mind the swaying of the ship, Kosuke had been gone only a few moments, but Rizuke could recognize his absence. He would return to help Rizuke after that and Rizuke would notice the solemn look on his newly found friend’s face. “Did everything turn to shit topside?” He would ask the kindhearted medical ninja trying to work with the prisoners to get them ready to transport. He wouldn’t get a response so the two worked in silence about the subject and just worried about the task at hand.

Once they got the prisoners off the ship and on or in their perspective whales. The duo would head to the top of the ship again where Saturn was, Kosuke would turn to the pair of Kumogakure shinobi and say "It was nice to meet you both, I am sorry things turned out the way they did. You were a great partner Rizuke, and I think I will have to take you up on the palm reading some other time Saturn." But before he could simply leave Rizuke would respond, “We didn’t get to know each other very well, but if you ever find yourself in Kumogakure don’t be afraid to seek me out. The pleasure of our encounter was all mine.” Rizuke would finish as Kosuke mounted Suizei who had been loaded up with injured and non-injured hostages. It was agreed Kosuke would take the whale and its cargo back to shore while Saturn and Rizuke finished a walk-through of the ship to make sure all the pirates were apprehended and there would be no surprises when the island law enforcement was brought in. "Take care of yourselves, I'm sure I will see you both again." Kosuke would say as the whale departed Rizuke would wave at his partner through the invasion of the ship, and watch as he left.

Now it was down to Saturn and Rizuke left on the ship, Baruga was nowhere to be found. “Good job on helping us save the hostages,” Rizuke would see the same solemn look on Saturn’s face as he did on Kosuke’s. What happened here? Why is everyone so dejected even after we did what we needed to. The pirates have been dealt with, and the hostages are saved. You and Kosuke both have that look like someone kicked your puppy.” Rizuke would finish, not seeing what transpired, if he had he would have been in the same state of mind. Rizuke hadn’t killed anybody yet, and he was perfectly content keeping it that way as long as he had to. Rizuke also knew his friend was a pacifist and wanted to bring peace to the world. “Hmm, you and Kosuke are upset, he was all about healing and fixing people, and you’re trying to bring peace to the world. Did Baruga die? Did she kill someone? Those are my only two guesses, I don’t think she’s dead, I feel like Kosuke would have apologized. She must have killed someone.” Rizuke would deduce out loud, and then he’d feel shame for being rude. “I’m sorry, I know you want to change the world and bring peace to it. Maybe you’ll have to start by changing our comrade’s view on killing?” He would ask hoping to not offend, but give insight to his teammate who’s also regarded as his friend. Let’s go back to shore, we’ve done everything we can here.” He would say hopping off the side of the ship and landing on the water.

The pair would travel silently Rizuke needed the time to think, both of his compatriots had been this affected by the death of the enemy, how was Baruga handling it? She acted tough, but that has to be for a reason, why does she have such a hard exterior? All these thoughts would go through his head on his way to the shoreline. Kosuke had already taken his leave Rizuke would part ways with his teammate. “I’ll see you soon Saturn, I hope you have an enjoyable rest of the time at the beach.” He said as he made his way down the beach. He had never had a mission go so well, and everyone feel rotten afterward, what a weird feeling. He hoped the rest of the team would find closure quickly.

WC: 773
TWC: 4853

Exit claims

50 tickets

Ryo 16000

AP 80

1 Pirate Armor Set (Includes 1 each of the "Pirate Hat," "Pirate Boots," and "Pirate Jacket" items)

48 to stats

blast wave 2500/2500- 4853 = 2353 left to spend

Ninjutsu Amplifier 2353/2500 leaves me with 143 to learn the A-rank version of this tech

Mon Jul 25, 2022 2:07 pm

Approved