Redemption. . . in the Echo of Shadows! (pt.1)

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"There is no such thing as failure. . . only giving up." ~ Hao Fu Jin

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~ A lot had happened since the second phase of the Chuunin Exams, some of which Sumiko couldn't be proud of while others were moments of silver lining. The kunoichi was elated when she learned that she had in fact managed to make it to the last portion of the Exams despite her botched performance. Sumiko didn't waste any time making her way through the streets of the Hidden Sand, careful to grab anything that she needed along the way and within a few minutes, she was at the gate awaiting her partner's arrival. The raven-haired girl waited for a moment idly but, even with her being 20 minutes early, she felt that her partner was moving much too slow. The last leg of the Exams would be a unique mission that tested their resolve under pressure outside the comfort of the village. Sumiko wouldn't kid herself into thinking that she wasn't nervous and slightly hesitant about taking on this high-ranked mission. The girl sat herself upon a group of stacked wooden boxes; her tiny legs swinging off the edge but only the moving fabric of her kimono would suggest this to the public.~

(thought) " Tea Country. . . "

~ Sumiko thought to herself as she reached into the folds of her kimono to retrieve the mission scroll, primarily the map itself. Her grey eyes scanned over the map in order to gauge where to go but when she noticed how close the Land of Tea was to Konoha the kunoichi couldn't help but frown and close up the mission scroll. Konohagakure. . . The Village Hidden in the Leaves had been entangled with the Hidden Sand for many years, some good and some bad from what she heard in regular town gossip. The kunoichi sighed to herself and tried her best to figure out the best methods of travel in order to minimize the energy expended and their chances of being intercepted by Leaf or Rogue parties. Sumiko thought on this for a moment before looking at the various shadows around her in order to judge the time.~

(thought) "Where on Earth are they?"

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~ WC: 348 ~

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. The words rang in Jupiter Yamanaka's ears as he made his way through the streets of Sunagakure towards The Cleft. Time had passed since the previous leg of the Chuunin Exams, yet for Jupiter, the passing of time was of no importance. He had made a pact with the devil in the interest of his estranged younger brother's life and as long as he was making progress towards his end of the deal, the relative position of the planet on its orbit around the Sun had no meaning to the dark haired shinobi. His victory in the battle stage of the exams had been a twofold failure. Although he stood his ground against two more experienced shinobi and came out on top, he failed to impress the voice in his head. Not only was he deemed a non-winner by the esteemed proctor, but neither of the two shinobi that he was up against managed to fulfil his fatal desire to experience the sweet release of death, even if only in a simulation. They had not even so much as left a scratch on his body. After putting his battle skills to the test, Jupiter had made his way to the Temple of Jashin to seek guidance from the only counsellor he had ever known. There, his divine guidance reinforced to him that he was still not worthy.

 Jupiter would arrive at the spot dressed in a clean spotless white yukata. He wore clunky wooden sandals whose soles would elevate his 6'1 frame by another two inches. He wore a sash on his waist on which his ninja pouch would be affixed. The neck of a metal flask hung out in the open. His curly dark brown hair touched his shoulders and on his back was a large dome shaped straw hat that he had brought along in anticipation of the midday Sun that they would surely encounter during their long journey to Tea Country. Air conditioning was a privilege that Jupiter had come to take for granted since he was welcomed into the confinements of the weather regulating dome that oversaw most of the village. It was just before the break of dawn and the Sun had not yet peaked from the horizon. The waning gibbous moon was still posted in the sky, though rays from the star below the horizon were beginning to emerge and dim the luminosity of its light refracting from the lunar surface. Staring out into the cleft, his bronzed face cracked a subtle grin. It would be almost three years since he was welcomed into the Hidden Sand. The same amount of time was about to pass since he made his pact with the devil - when he vowed to convert to Jashinism in return for his brother's safety from the various curses that Jashin was capable of bestowing upon him. During this time, he had never once truly ventured out of the village, though he made a pilgrimage into the abyss of the desert to prepare for the battle stage of the Chuunin Exams. 

 Jupiter was now slightly ahead of the boxes upon which Sumiko was sat. He had noticed her as he passed by and had nonchalantly made her wait no more than ten seconds before clearing his throat and speaking up. "You must be Sumiko-kun. I'm Jupiter. It's a pleasure to meet you." He would speak in a calm, gentle voice with no cracks. His pitch was not too deep and not too high either, it was just the right tone. He glanced back at his fellow Genin with his icy blue eyes and smiled once again, taking a note of her appearance. The angle of her cheekbones and the hue of her dark hair came off to him as characteristically 'Wind Country'. Being from outside of the Hidden Sand himself, Jupiter was entirely unable to pick up on any trace of her Rock Country lineage. He was friendly, but he was not too keen on making friends. His paranoia would deter him from pointing the devil towards more hostages that could be used against him. He was even cautious about what he thinks about. "So, shall we take a boat, or shall we hike through Fire Country?"

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WC: 720

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~ After a few moments of waiting, Sumiko picked up on an odd sensation that made the fine hair on her arms stand on high; a rare feeling as it was typically associated with fear and/or discomfort. Her grey eyes shifted from their zoned-out state in order to figure out who this troubling aura belonged to and their identity revealed itself to her instantly. Given the time of day, the likelihood of anyone being out was low unless they had a reason and when she noticed a rather tall man had closed in on her location; Sumiko had a suspicion that they were her long-awaited partner. She immediately noticed his formal attire which complimented the girl's style of dress as well which the kunoichi believed would allow them to better blend into the surroundings. While Sumiko was analyzing the man by aura alone; it became apparent that they both shared an appreciation for a lack of dialogue since neither one of them opened their mouth to speak to the other.~

~ To her surprise the man had opened his mouth and addressed her in a formal manner which further verified her initial thought on Jupiter. Sumiko could sense that despite the man's apparent comfort that he was choosing his words carefully as his signature simply just seemed off to her as if it festered gently beneath the surface of his skin and had a sort of hunger. With his introduction, Sumiko granted the man her full attention, shown by the shifting of her grey eyes into his which was followed by a small diplomatic smile. With this unknown sensation lingering around Jupiter, Sumiko couldn't say that she fully trusted this man and decided to keep herself aware of everything and everyone, including him, in case anything happened.~

" Ah, there you are. . . I had worried that you might have missed the announcement. The pleasure of our meeting is all mine."

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~ Sumiko spoke calmly as she stood from her seating and her 4'10" stature made Jupiter look like a giant compared to her. The girl disliked looking up to people but compared to her time in the Academy and now; Sumiko had gotten used to others being significantly taller than her so it was less of a dampener for her mood. Jupiter's question got straight to the point of their point of travel to the Land of Tea which pulled him from her immediate focus. The girl recalled the map once again and their own objective. She knew from the mission description that the country was notable for its naval ports which could be useful to their entrance. The thirteen-year-old tucked her raven-colored hair behind her tiny ears before responding.~

" Hm. . . Well, they hate shinobi, and hiking to a civilian merchant country without product would make us stand out in a bad way.  So I say we infiltrate a merchant ship and use them as cover to enter the Land of Tea without detection and a sound alibi. . . I hope your transformation technique is immaculate."

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~ WC: 502 ~

~ TWC: 842 ~

After considering his partner's suggestion, Jupiter would at first remain silent. He was blissfully unaware of the suspicion that his fellow Genin carried towards his aura behind her grey eyes. Though he was a Yamanaka by birth, he possessed no degree of sensory affinity. He was not very adept with using his chakra for most purposes, though he had a firm grasp of the elementary techniques. Up until this point, he had so far been averse to tapping into his chakra to perform techniques that bore any sort of complexity in terms of chakra manipulation. Instead, he had always relied on his physical attributes to navigate the trials and tribulations he had thus far faced in his journey of shinobihood. He had a carnal resentment towards violence, and in his subconscious mind he had affiliated the adept use of chakra with the act of engaging in combat. Yet, his own methods were often equally if not even more brutal. Staring out into the horizon, the shinobi looked down from the cleft and marked a convoy headed in the direction of the nearest harbor.

Glancing back at Sumiko, Jupiter slightly nodded his head in agreement to her plan - affirming his capability of carrying out her plan - before fixing his gaze back on the ship to gauge the distance between them. Though he had not mastered the Transformation Technique to the fullest, he was certain that he was capable of making a decoy convincing enough to a civilian. Though time was immaterial to the haunted elder brother, the same could not be said for the esteemed Kage who had already announced the strict deadlines for the third phase of the Chuunin Exams. The Genin did not overthink her comment about him missing the notice - as he felt she was righteous in her suspicion and his arrival was indeed late especially considering their short deadline. He was the type to take on responsibility freely. Instead, he was now determined to do the utmost to carry out the mission to completion within the week or so that the two Genin had to work with. Time was now their enemy until they can prove their capacity to seize it efficiently. Right on cue, a ship blared its sirens in the far distance - its faint buzz could be picked up all the way at the cleft in the silence of the break of dawn. The time for words had passed. Jupiter formed the ram seal with one hand to mimic the use of Body Flicker Technique, before sprinting towards the convoy at his running speed which was boosted by his consumption of the wine in his flask. He was faster and stronger when he was under the influence. He was quite fast to the point of almost being a blur but not quite as fast as he could have been if he actually knew how to use Body Flicker Technique.

~ There was a period of silence that came after Sumiko shared her ideas with Jupiter and the kunoichi rested in that. The girl found comfort in knowing that her plan, while more than likely not air-tight, was sound enough to not be shot down immediately. This moment of thought last for a little while but when Jupiter glanced back at her and merely nodded in agreement; the strategist smirked softly before tucking her tiny hands into the billowing sleeves of her kimono. With their first part of the mission planned, Sumiko now had to figure out how they were going to pinpoint the ship that they needed to get on but it appeared that Jupiter was already on that. Her eyes shifted from Jupiter to the convoy that he had eyed beforehand. Sumiko noticed that the convoy seemed to be heading in the direction of the harbor and she figured that it was a nice coincidence that would finally get this mission underway.~


~ Before Sumiko said anything else she noticed Jupiter form the ram seal but oddly enough his chakra didn't show any signs of manipulation. The kunoichi brow raised as she watched him take off towards the now moving convoy. "Is- is he serious?" Sumiko thought to herself as she ran in behind him but she noticed that his speed still seemed to be higher than she expected. Was he just that fast normally or was there something else? The girl didn't have much time to focus on that as they had a convoy to infiltrate. Within a matter of seconds, the pair had closed in on the convoy but were far away to not gain too much attention and the girl picked up on the various people that were associated with the convoy.~

" There are 8 with the convoy. . . 4 footguards, two drivers and two inside the convoy itself with the items... It would appear that transformation would be easier with the footguards due to their heavy armor and helmets that cover any distinguishable features."

~ Sumiko spoke calmly as her senses in their passive state gave her all the information she needed to know. The girl pondered a thought as they followed the convoy.~

" Transformation might be too taxing for this entire trip. . . what if we just borrowed the clothing of two of the footguards? I could distract and detain and then you go in and knock two of them unconscious? Or perhaps we could try our hand at convincing them of their own free will."

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~ WC: 418 ~

~ TWC: 1,260 ~

 Now crouched down behind a wild a bush next to his compatriot, Jupiter Yamanaka would simply listen as Sumiko briefed him on what information she could gather about the composition of the convoy. He fixed his gaze on the two carriages that comprised the convoy in question. It would appear that two footguards were assigned to each vehicle. The drivers steered tall stallions in the front. He watched them as he marked the eight individuals in the group. He could not have made them out without Sumiko's hints, but her words made it easy for the Genin to pick them out. As he watched intently, one of the carriages came to a halt. The other kept moving on ahead in the direction of the faint blaring horn. Two armored foot guards stepped out of the body of the vehicle, and walked about twenty feet away from the horses, towards a crowd of shrubs in the desert sand. The air was still, there was no breeze. From the carriage, even Jupiter without a knack for sensory skills could detect the smoke from a merchant's cigarette coming out from one of its windows. It would appear that they had made a pit stop to allow the guards to heed nature's calling. The guards took their helmets off to let the air in, and proceeded to take care of business.

Glancing at Sumiko, Jupiter had found a way to amuse himself - silence. He was holding in a laughter, as he was not expecting things to unravel in the way that they did to make Sumiko's plan even more feasible. The way that their mission was playing out made Jupiter feel as though they were in a fiction. The chances of the two finding the convoy at the right time, and for the guards to wander off on a whim seemed slim to the skeptic. The way that this was playing out, it wouldn't even be necessary to distract them. We don't have enough time to convince them.. Jupiter deduced in his mind as he thought of the impending departure of the ship that lied in wait for them further ahead on their journey. He was no stranger to fighting multiple opponents at one time, and he was even more familiar with physical detainment. Tilting his head towards the two guards that he had marked with her assistance, he would signal Sumiko to watch carefully and follow him once the job is done.

 Moving swiftly through the still air in the early morning light, the Genin took his chances. He approached the guards from behind before planting his broad hands on the sides of the skulls of the two tall knights. Before either could react, his tight Jotun grips rendered them immobile. He knew that they were no match to his strength when they did not put up a fight immediately. "This could have played out differently for me if you lot had not become so complacent. I'm sorry about this. I hope you atone for your sins." The Genin dished out a word of advice before he slammed their heads into each other, knocking them unconscious. It would appear that the merchants had been greedy in recruiting a lower class of foot guards. Perhaps their dealings had become too routine or their goods were just not that valuable. Dragging the bodies down into the shrubs before them, Jupiter took cover behind a clean bush and glanced back towards the direction he came from. With his fingers, he signalled to Sumiko that the path was clear, so that they could 'return' to the convoy from whence they were.

~ As much as Sumiko had disdain for the annoying sound of a man's voice, Jupiter's lack of speaking was unusual to her. No attempts of talking over her or attempting to outshine her given the circumstances. . . just pure silence. The kunoichi couldn't even attribute it to him simply not paying attention as his actions merely filled in the blanks. Tucked behind the wild bush, Sumiko was able to actually see Jupiter's actions carefully as he mentally identified each group of people she laid out for him. The girl had been too busy watching him watching them that she'd noticed him holding back a smile which caused her to raise a brow at him.~

(Thought) " Hmm? What's so fu- "

~ Sumiko finally turned her head to the convoys only to see two guards excreting their bodily waste. Her face flushed a deep red as being forcibly inserted in such a private situation was simply something a lady of her age shouldn't be seeing. The angle saved their dignity but the steady and forceful streams couldn't be missed. Before Sumiko could get her thoughts together Jupiter was already on the move. It appeared that Jupiter had made his decision. She followed behind while maintaining cover in order to elevate the success of any backup that he might require. Sumiko watching Jupiter take out the two guards with both ease and sheer force was quite the sight to see. She awaited the signal and then quickly scurried to the covered convoy and hopped on in. Once she was inside, Sumiko was shocked by the amount of stuff that filled the transport which would be great for them to hide among. She began to hear a few of the people talking about hurrying and forgetting about the stragglers causing her to quickly poke her head out and wave him in hurriedly.~

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~ WC: 306 ~

~ TWC: 1,566 ~