The Monsters We Make

Rekka had been out on his front porch in his rocking chair, taking a afternoon nap when he was woken up by the incoming presence of the individual who would drop off his summons for the mission he was being requested for. Upon being handed the scroll for details , The Old man would read the scroll getting all the details, upon which he would light the scroll on fire in his hand , rubbing the ashes between his fingers and he would hoist himself up grabbing his cane and begin to walk towards his destination, he could be there in a moments notice if he wanted, but he liked taking his time and playing the role of the slow old man, only a hand full of people knew his true speed, however when he got within eye sight of the outpost that he was sent to report to, he could see a familiar face that he had recently met, the young Nara Kunoichi. However it would seem they had a much heftier job this time around, so the old man pondered to himself if they would get more help than last time. Not that their third from the last was not help in their own way.

The Man had just seemed....very matter of fact and to the point of the entire mission, these youngsters needed the life lesson questions asked that made them question themselves and seek deeper within, the questions that drove each shinobi in their own right to their ultimate goals. The last man did not seem to be having any of that, and Rekka did not think this place filled with many other strangers to be the place to press such questions either. Its more comfortable the less people that there are around to find out that you have a deeper emotional side to you than you may let on. The Old Man once getting close to the young woman would give her a warm and gentle smile, the fire that burns within his eyes glisten to reflect the warmth, only one or two yet live still that have truely seen the fires rage within his eyes, and he hoped to keep it in such a manner , but he knew that the truth of the world meant that one day he would have to show what he was truely capable of.

The Black Gi with the White Haori was only over shadowed by the old mans beard that nearly reached the ground, and eyebrows that almost met his beard. The old man would place one hand over the other that rested on top of his wooden cane, awaiting for the time and rest of the party that should arrive at any moment. He let out the soft breath that let those around him know that he was indeed still alive as he began to have some small talk with the young Kunoichi "Rather nice to Meet you again young lady, I hope that life has found you well in the short span since our last meeting together" The raspy voice of the old man creaked out, one would almost think that moths were about to come out of a attic that had not been opened in a generation. The sincerity in his voice ever prevelant within the words he spoke even if it was meant just to kill time.

TWC- 562

The moon hung high over Konohagakure, casting its pale light over the village. Inside the perimeter set up around the exclusion zone, tension was palpable. Among the shinobi assembled, a small figure appeared silently, barely noticeable even among the disciplined ranks of the shinobi. The Child, wearing a white cloak that obscured their features, moved with a quiet grace, their presence almost ethereal.

The Child had spent the evening within the confines of their apartment, as was becoming increasingly more common these days. Gone were the days of waking up in strange locations, not knowing date, time, or even why they were in said place to begin with. It was a jarring change, waking up in one's own bed knowing how they got there, but it was one that The Child had slowly grown accustomed to during the last month or so.

Despite the growing homeliness and familiarity of their accommodation their was still a sense of unease within The Child. They were after all still technically on duty, being roped into being a first-responder should anything come up during the night. It had seemed like an easy bonus to wage at the time, but The Child had quickly come to realise that any sort of problem would now be shoved upon them.

When the alarms blared, a sharp note cutting through the tranquillity of the night, The Child paused, their supper left uneaten and cold. They could feel the village’s urgency even from their secluded spot. The alarms, the rush of shinobi, the whispers of danger, it all pulled at their heightened senses. A soft sigh escaped their lips, and with one final mournful look at their half-eaten food, The Child headed toward the source of the disturbance, their cloak billowing behind them like a ghost in the night.

The Child met with the messenger sent to get them along the way, the message was vague, but The Child was afforded an advantage in being able to perceive the problem long before they had arrived at location.

As they approached the outpost south of the exclusion zone, The Child's milky-white eyes took in the situation. The barrier shimmered under the moonlight, containing the chaos within. The sounds of the chimeras twisted, unnatural roars, echoed through the night, sending a shiver down The Child's spine. These were no ordinary beasts; the roars were tinged with pain and madness, a testament to the horrors they had undergone.

Wishing to get a further scope of the situation their eyes flared with chakra, veins protruding, as the dormant Byakugan sparked into life. They were only able to get a brief scan of the area, noting that the beasts were already on the prowl. It wouldn't be an easy clean up then, it was looking more and more like their supper wouldn't be finished tonight.

The Child moved closer to the gathering point, their footsteps silent on the hard ground. The outpost was a hive of activity. Shinobi were setting up defensive positions, discussing strategies in hushed tones, and keeping a wary eye on the barrier. It was a scene of organized chaos, everyone acutely aware of the danger lurking just beyond the shimmering field.

Upon questioning the nearest shinobi, The Child was directed to where the rest of their team waited. Natsumi, the young kunoichi they had met a week or so ago, was easy enough to spot given their choice of attire. Not exactly the best outfit for avoiding the untold horrors that lay within, but it was hardly The Child's problem. She seemed to be in conversation with an elderly shinobi The Child was unfamiliar with.

The Child approached the pair, their small stature making their presence almost unnoticed until they were close enough to speak.

"Good evening," The Child greeted softly. "I am Saku." They introduced themself, more out of a necessary need than out of a want for social interaction. "I received the summons. What’s the situation?" A strange question, giving the obvious sounds of beasts wandering in the night further within the barrier, yet one they felt was needed to draw out any more information that would be helpful going forward.

[693]

[2008/7000]

Late.

Yeah he was definitely running late to the mission but did he really care? Not really. One thing had lead to another and he found himself oversleeping and thanks to the blinds in his room the sun never had a chance to penetrate his dark cove to wake him. As he darted and dashed through the streets throwing on his jacket, the blue haired son of the Hokage would without a doubt be the last one to arrive to the function. Moving from the street he would leap onto the nearest rooftop and began to sprint at his full speed to meet up with the cell of genin he would be participating in todays missions with. He didn't ask for any names nor did he care to , Nura simply wanted to get the job done and move on with the rest of the day. He wasn't far maybe a minute or two away from the location before the trio was about to be let into the zone. Jumping from the last rooftop he would make the last push to arrive just as the Chuunin was about to let them in and as the barrier was finally opened he would have arrived, not breaking a sweat but moving to straighten out his jacket," Almost didn't make it. Alright so we ready to go in?," he looked between the group for a moment before shrugging and sticking his hands into his pockets, was it really okay to be this late? Looking over to the Chuunin who was, for all intents and purposes, upset with the late arrival would not voice her opinion at the moment. Nura would wait until the others had went into the location and then he would, taking the time to look around slowly before sniffing the air for a moment or two. Nothing like the smell of danger and possible destruction to aide in ones day.


319 WC

It seemed The Child was the last member they had been waiting for, as the briefing began soon after they had made their presence known.

The tall Chuunin gave the group of three a summary of what was going on. The beasts that The Child had bore witness to before their arrival had to be dealt with. That was the unsurprising part. The Child was simply glad that there had only been a small number of them, if more had escaped it could have potentially spelt disaster. Already the cogs in the young Genin's head were beginning to whirl, several ideas on how best to deal with these beasts streaming into conscious thought one after another. So pre-occupied was The Child they nearly missed the second part of the explanation.

Scientists, taken alive. Traitors to the village supposedly, likely the one's who had opened up the cages and let the beasts roam. Three in total, it would likely be hard to find them all in the confusion of the beasts. Maybe that had been their escape plan? Get away in all the confusion, though it seemed destined to fail. There was of course the off-chance that they weren't the one's who caused it, which The Child believed may be true. In recent times they had learned that it was not always a clear cut picture, the line between good and bad guys had blurred.

Still, it wasn't The Child's job to think. They were a Genin; a practically nameless face whose job it was to follow orders. Originally it had been without question, though in recent times The Child had become to possess more autonomy. With that said even now they didn't want to think too much about this. They knew distracted and muddled thoughts would not end well for them once they had entered the barrier.

As the briefing continued, The Child forced themselves to focus, pushing aside the swirling thoughts and doubts. Deal with the beasts, capture the scientists, simple enough. Questions...were there any necessary for The Child? Perhaps there were some that would aid the others, locations on where the scientists may be hiding for instance. However if they had no interest in asking, then neither did The Child. They themselves had the advantage of their eyes, the vision granted by the Byakugan likely being more than enough to track down anything within the barrier itself.

Speaking of, the barrier itself was quite something. It was unlike anything The Child had bore witness to before. They were entirely unsure of how, or who, had created such a thing. Nonetheless, they were impressed by the marvel that stood before them. It was a testament to the skills of the Konoha shinobi to be sure, capable of keeping the chaos contained within it's borders and keeping the chimera-like beasts under check.

When they were ready to enter, the fourth member of their temporary team arrived. The Child had never seen them before, an all too common thing, but was pleasantly surprised to have an additional member to make things easier. More people meant more ground covered, a luxury that allowed them to get this done all the faster.

The Child could felt a sense of awe when they passed through it, a tingling sensation running down their spine. Awe and wonder lasted only briefly, as they were firmly reminded of the task at hand once they saw the scene that lay out before them.

Within the barrier, the once familiar streets of Konohagakure had become nigh unrecognisable. The pathways, usually well-kept, were littered with debris and overturned food carts. Street lamps flickered erratically or had gone completely dark, casting shadows that danced in the night. The unmistakable claws marks had scarred the buildings, gouging deep into the wood and stone structures as far as the eye could see. A scene not far away from a horror movie, and one that would be hard for The Child to shake away for some time.

In a way, the cries of the beasts that filled the air on occasion was comforting. If The Child had been left in complete silence, it would have made the scenes even more horrific. In the eerie silence between the roars and crashes, The Child could hear their own breathing, shaky and quiet as it was.

Focus, they needed to focus. The Child looked forward, their sight reaching beyond the scope of a normal human's. Even then, The Child could not fully scout the extent of the exclusion zone. Their main aim was to try and locate the scientists, the beasts should be easy enough to find after all.

Their concentration slipped when another cry rang through the night, and they were suddenly pulled back to where they stood. The Child they had almost forgotten they were not alone. They blinked, suddenly coming back into focus once more. "Scientists or beasts..." Their soft voice carried through the silence as they crouched, speaking their thoughts aloud, "I'll hunt the beasts to the west."

With that The Child jumped upward, landing on the nearby roof and taking off across the buildings. Admittedly 'west' was rather vague, given the fact that the perimeter was a few kilometres or so wide. It was a lot of ground to cover, and if the beasts had been in anyway stealthy then it would have likely been more difficult to find them than normal. Thankfully then, the snarling and crashing of the beasts continued to pierce through the otherwise quiet sector of the village.

The Child came to a halt at the edge of a string of buildings. They crouched, casting their gaze down to the crossroads that lay down below. Market stalls overturned, fabrics and crates lay tattered and smashed on the ground. The street lights lay dormant in this area, the only light being that from the moon in the clouds above. Despite this The Child could see the movements in the shadow of a beast prowling the streets. They could hear the low snarling breath of the beast, the sound of their heavy footsteps as it walked the streets.

With a held breath The Child tensed, their hand instinctively moving to the hilt of their sheathed blade. The beast seemed unaware of their presence for now, though The Child only figured that since they hadn't been attacked yet. There was little light in the area, and The Child had yet to fully get a good look at the beast that lurked. No time to delay, they had to deal with this quickly and move on.

The Child stood, and the street lamps flickered to life to illuminate the streets below. Normally The Child would have cursed their bad timing, however the light revealed the beast to have had their eyes on them the entire time. In a way it had saved them from disaster. The Child had a moment to recognise what was going on, then the beast pounced as the street lamps died and the streets plunged into darkness.

Quickly The Child dropped, throwing themselves off the rooftop to get out of the way of the pouncing beast. Their eyes flickered into life, the Byakugan awakening to provide them with much needed visual clarity. Finally they got a good look at the beast, and regretted it almost immediately.

It was similar to a bear in shape, though twice the size and rippling with even more muscle. It's furred was a shade of either dark brown or black, and was matted with all sorts of grime that had come from it's recent rampage. The head itself was a strange mixture, seeming to be a hybrid of wolf and panther, with a mouth filled with dagger like teeth. Everything about the creature was wrong, from it's forked tail to it's sickly yellow eyes. Said eyes were currently trained on The Child's location, which meant there was little time to be admiring the abomination.

The Child rolled to their feet, quickly drawing their Katana from sheath and grasping it in their dominant hand. They took in a deep breath to centre themselves, feeling their accelerated heartbeat regulate as their focus came back to them. The Child took a step, then rushed forward. The intention was to take care of the beast quickly, and hopefully not get in a prolonged conflict with it. It was huge, so maybe that would provide an advantage for The Child. Unless they took a hit, then they'd probably just be violently torn to shreds in the dark. A grim thought, and one to keep in the back of their mind.

Rapid steps brought The Child across the street before the beast once again pounced. Their razor sharp claws raked against the cobblestone road, The Child deftly moving out of the way of the strikes. It was definitely slower than they were, just about, which was a true blessing. The Child took another deep breath, hopped from one foot to another, and then rushed forward once more.

Lightning sparked and crackled in their hand, chakra forming around The Child's enclosed fist. It should be enough to deal with the creature, hopefully, they thought. They ducked under another swipe from the beast, their mammoth sized paw soaring over their head, and thrust their fist into the ribcage of the beast. Lightning chakra surged through the beast's body causing it to cease and lock up. The beast now paralysed it collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.

The Child let out the breath they had been holding, wiping sweat from their brow in the meantime. "One down." More cries filled the air, and The Child realised they would have to speed things up.

During the rest of the clean up operation, they would eventually stumble across a scientist in hiding. Whether this was one who had caused the initial issue or not was unknown to them, but they brought them back with them anyway. Better safe than sorry.

An hour or so later The Child was back in their apartment and promptly went to sleep.

[Exit]

[2368]

14000 Ryo
70 AP
2213+500+37=2750/2750 Tank
1500/1500 Chakra Sensory [Max Stat Discount]
831/1500 Chakra Suppression [Max Stat Discount]

Rekka stood there as she bowed, he sensed the trepidation in her voice which would made the old man smile underneath the long beard. It was nice to see that he could still command respect, or was it he simply reminded her of someone she respected more so than it being just respect for him. Either way, when she introduced herself he would simply say to her " It is nice to finally have a name to the face, Lady Nara"

Shortly after, a presence made itself known, a soft voice from just behind them. Rekka turned his head backwards to face it, the being spoke their name " Saku" Rekka would place the name with this one as well, there seemed to be nothing for him to denote gender of this one, not even their voice gave that away, choice of cloths, or body composition, seems they were still growing into their body, a mere child. "Nice to meet you Saku, I am Rekka Meijin" Rekka Replied, he would keep his eye out on this one.

Finally after a silence of mere seconds, a ninja that guarded the entrance began to give them the mission details, and would let them in. As they entered a fourth would come charging in, it was the blue haired male he had met before, late as always. Rekka gave a soft sigh and shook his head and headed in. When the child took off Rekka also spoke up " I will head off towards the forest" And Rekka would take off.

Rekka Meijin stood at the edge of the forest, the soft rustling of leaves the only sound accompanying him. The local science institute had sent out an urgent plea for help, and as a seasoned shinobi, Rekka was no stranger to the chaos that often accompanied experimental mishaps. The institute had been working on enhancing animals with various drugs to assist shinobi in the field or benefit the local populace. However, their experiments had gone awry, and now highly dangerous and volatile creatures were on the loose. The task was clear: capture them alive if possible, but neutralize them if necessary.

Rekka took a deep breath, his keen senses scanning the area for any signs of movement. The first step was to track these creatures down without causing a panic among the villagers. He moved silently through the underbrush, his eyes and ears attuned to the environment. It wasn’t long before he found the first set of tracks deep, irregular prints that suggested a large, powerful animal.

Following the trail, Rekka soon came across a clearing where the first creature was wreaking havoc. It was a massive, muscular boar with glowing red eyes and unnaturally large tusks, clearly the result of the institute's enhancements. The boar charged at anything that moved, its aggression heightened by the drugs coursing through its veins.

Rekka assessed the situation quickly. The boar was too dangerous to approach head-on. He needed to subdue it with minimal risk. Reaching into his pouch, he pulled out a set of specialized kunai tipped with a tranquilizer. Timing his throw perfectly, he sent the kunai flying, striking the boar in the neck. The creature roared in rage, thrashing about before the tranquilizer took effect and it collapsed to the ground.

With the first creature subdued, Rekka secured it with reinforced ropes designed to withstand enhanced strength. He sent a signal to the institute’s retrieval team, who would transport the boar back to its cage. Rekka couldn’t afford to rest; there were more creatures to deal with.

As he moved deeper into the forest, he encountered a variety of mutated animals: a hawk with razor-sharp feathers that could slice through trees, a wolf with heightened speed and strength, and a snake with venom potent enough to paralyze a human in seconds. Each encounter tested Rekka’s skills and resourcefulness, but he managed to subdue them all using a combination of tranquilizers, traps, and his own shinobi techniques.

By the time he had captured the last of the escaped creatures, the sun was beginning to set. Rekka knew his mission wasn’t over yet. With the village on high alert due to recent attacks and raids, it was the perfect opportunity for traitors and defectors to make their move. The village’s safety and stability were at stake, and it was up to Rekka to prevent any internal threats from causing further harm.

Rekka returned to the village, his senses sharpened by the adrenaline of the day’s events. He had received intelligence that a group of traitors was planning to incite chaos that night, taking advantage of the village’s preoccupation with external threats. The traitors aimed to disrupt the village’s defenses, hoping to carve out their own influence amidst the turmoil.

Blending into the shadows, Rekka began his search for the traitors. He moved silently through the streets, observing and listening for any suspicious activity. It wasn’t long before he spotted a group of individuals gathered in a secluded alleyway, their hushed voices carrying hints of conspiracy.

Rekka watched them closely, noting their leader. A tall, imposing figure with a scar across his face. The leader was outlining their plan to attack key points in the village, aiming to create confusion and weaken the village’s defenses. Rekka knew he had to act quickly to prevent their plan from unfolding.

With a swift and silent approach, Rekka launched into action. He took out the guards first, incapacitating them with precise strikes to pressure points. The leader barely had time to react before Rekka was upon him, their brief clash ending with the leader disarmed and subdued.

The remaining traitors attempted to flee, but Rekka was relentless. He used his speed and agility to outmaneuver them, capturing each one with minimal effort. By the time he had rounded them all up, the village’s security forces had arrived to take them into custody.

Rekka handed over the captured traitors, ensuring they would be interrogated for any further information about other potential threats. The village’s interrogation unit would extract every bit of useful intelligence from them, ensuring that any plans to destabilize the village would be thwarted.

As the night grew darker, Rekka finally allowed himself a moment of rest. The dual missions had been challenging, pushing his skills and endurance to their limits. But the village was safe, and the escaped creatures were back under control. He knew that more threats would always arise, but for now, he had fulfilled his duty.

Rekka stood atop a rooftop, gazing out over the village. The lights from the houses below flickered like stars, a reminder of the lives he had sworn to protect. The challenges he faced were never-ending, but with each mission, he grew stronger and more determined. No matter what dangers lay ahead, Rekka Meijin would always be ready to defend his village. He would not let even his age get to him.

Rekka determined at this moment, he needed to go have some words with the Hokage, he was ready to return to duty as a shinobi full time, and he had a debt to pay in the place of his grandson, and he had a rival who he recently found out is somewhere within the village, if they were alive, and still active themselves, Rekka felt the fire he had not felt in some time. He needed to face this foe of his once more, prove once and for all who was better.

1246

1808 TWC (Exit)

Missions Complete, 14,000 Ryo, 70 Ap Missions, 36 Ap Trained

Meijin's Embodiment 1808/2500 A-rank

Rekka Meijin wrote:
1246

1808 TWC (Exit)

Missions Complete, 14,000 Ryo, 70 Ap Missions, 36 Ap Trained

Meijin's Embodiment 1808/2500 A-rank

Approved!