A Brand, A Part [Free|Yama]

[Okada Kaji]

Continued from: The Ultimate Reward is Honor

He was basking in the red glow of the sunlight against his eyelids, and the blood that ran between them, flowing upwards from his mouth. And as his tired eyes opened, the dizzy sight was upside down, and he was bound, slumped over the back of a trotting sunan mare. He was Shikamatsu; a Leaf Defector-turned murderer. The dizzy rouge felt helpless and disposed, watching his captors walk besides him along another forest trail. They were now in the thickets of the Forest of Death, casually taking a route Kaji knew well.

“Ah Shikamatsu, you’re awake” the sound of Kaji’s voice instantly restored his sense of reality and alertness, and he began squirming like a pinched serpent. The degenerate attempted to spit at the veteran shinobi, but couldn’t accomplish action accurately from his position. Since the last chapter, Kaji and Yama had rebound Shikamatsu in hempen rope, with just enough slack for him to breathe. Now he would be delivered to an undisclosed location with a bow on him. But now that the rogue was awake, the group came to a stop besides a bubbling creek along the path, where Kaji and Yama could finally question Shikamatsu on their terms. After that, they’d probably have to make him black out again.

“This won’t be fun, but you’re going to have to learn about this stuff sooner or later.” Kaji spoke aloud, quite calmly as he took a hand on Kukki’s reigns and walked her off the path to a clearing by the water’s edge. “Yama” he emphasised. “Normally I’d say it’s a bit early for you to learn about extracting information, but we’re a bit pressed for time.” He then grasped the rogue by the back of his bounds, and yanked him off the horse’s back. There was a sharp thud as he hit the mud.

- Kaji has entered the thread.​

 

[Gushiken Yama]

It was within the village but also tucked away from the hustle and bustle of it where they had decided to stop moving and Kaji had taken the rogue and thrown him off the horse. The boy's body tensed up before impact and he let out a sharp groan as the wind was probably knocked out of him. Yama looked up at Kaji and nodded a few times. He mouthed the words so as not to say anything the rogue might overhear. Whatever it takes, those Chuunin won't ever have to be pressed for time again. I think that mixes up the circumstance just a little bit. I apologize before-hand if it goes against the honor codes of the ANBU branch sensei, but I also promise you that someday we'll be no longer teacher and student but equals. We will look back on these moments jovially." Yama saw that the Genin had a small file and was trying to cut through the bounds in his hands, Yama kneeled down and made a small succession of seals before recasting the Shadow Possession, this time it was with ease and efficiency for the rogue's weight was heavily redistributed and he didn't have the strength to resist the technique. The Shadow Possession a success, Yama made sure that he put his hands like the rogue's so as not to try and make him move his muscles in incredibly raw ways. A naive child trying to show compassion to a murderer but it was how he was put together nonetheless. Once he had made the rogue toss the file aside. He released the jutsu and sat down on a ground, a small whoosh of air escaping his lungs from the exertion of two Shadow Possessions in one day.

The boy would admire his sensei's horse while Kaji did whatever it was that he did in order to begin the information extraction. While they had been walking, Yama had asked for the contents of the note and the two had discussed and ascertained thus far that the organization that Shikamatsu was one of the lower peons, and that this "Black Scorpion" sect had to be operating within the village. Everything else had been semantics and apparently it was now that they would truly begin to unlock the mystery of what had transpired. Yama got back up off of his kneeling position and wiped the sweat off of his forehead. The winds of time blew through the area for a moment, and subconsciously a transferal of information flooded his head. Unlocking the training and jutsu he had "learned" recently and making him stronger than he had been five minutes ago. This was an unusual phenomenon that was talked about only at the highest of philosopher's tables and really had no precedent for what caused it. All that mattered was no one ever questioned it and it was okay.

In a desire to come off as "scary" before the interrogation would begin Yama said rather briskly, "Sensei, I can use my Suiton Ninjutsu to create a pocket of water where he cannot breathe. If that would help." He reached back into his bag and pulled out the kusagiri that Kaji had handed him a few hours earlier, "Or maybe we can use these to dig out under his fingernails." The boy was a little taken aback by the things he was saying, his heart still held onto the ideals of non-violence and compassion. But at the same time, he had recognized that the situation he was in, had to put those notions aside. The boy recognized that he also very much disliked anyone that was so silly to murder his fellow countrymen in full blood. In a way this was a pinnacle moment in the boy's young life, for this was the time when he learned to differentiate from what was being accepting and loving, to doing whatever was necessary in order to protect the Will of Fire.

"In any case I'm ready to begin sensei."

 

[Okada Kaji]

Kaji issued a surprised nod of approval as Yama caught Shikamatsu’s escape effort with another shadow bind. He took control of the rogue’s actions with ease now, and made the rogue fling his file into the dense woodlands. It appeared as if the escape attempt had ratified Yama’s will to join in the interrogation process, as he became rather creative when devising improvised torture techniques. However, Kaji seemed much more focused on the information he wanted from Shikamatsu, then how they’d gain it. Although he was beaten, the rogue’s will was still much too strong for him to give up the Black Scorpions. The solution was a purely psychological one, because the prisoner was already pummeled to a pulp.

Kaji took hold of the prisoner by binds again, and dragged him farther away from Kukki, closer to the water’s edge. “There is already a medic corps squad at the scene where we found you. While you were out, I alerted the Leaf of your crime and capture. The only thing left is for us to bring you back in one piece. There will be a vigil for them tonight: the shinobi you killed... at least the ones we know of.” Kaji loomed over the punished rogue, glaring down at him with hollowness in his eyes. Indeed, in the time it took Kaji and Yama to travel from the Training Zones to the Deadly Forest, the sensei used a white, hexagonal earpiece to inform an ANBU Controller of the encounter in the training zone. He also enlightened Yama on the other aspects of their mystery; that being the Letter from The Stinger, and the contact he was directed to Shikamatsu was invited to meet. “Tonight, families will mourn because of your actions... and chances are, swift justice will see you put to death by dawn. In the eyes of the village we will have nothing left to gain by keeping you alive. Your connections will already be severed from the black scorpions by the time the red tape is cleared, and we can send a squad after them.” Typically, rogue organizations had their methods of erasing connections with contacts, burning them if the contact becomes a risk of harming the organization. Shikamatsu was a mere pawn, so his knowledge was losing value by the hour. “I believe there is something left of you to redeem, Shikamatsu. But you are out of opportunities to learn from your mistakes unless you give us Stinger.”

Rather than breaking down and singing for Kaji, Shikamatsu reverted to grotesque spitting, and used his direct range to spit a glob of saliva and blood onto Kaji’s collar, and some made it into his hair. Rather instinctively, Kaji shoved the bound rogue back to the dusty ground, and wiped the collar with an even dirtier hand, making the mess worse. “Refusing to assist us is at no one’s peril but your own. But if you refuse, we might as well do the honors and put an end to you now.” Kaji then marched back over Shikamatsu, and performed a series of complicated two-hand mudras, molding his chakra into a jutsu he did not perform often. Dropping onto Shikamatsu, Kaji pressed his palm into the target’s chest, and arose off of him immediately after. The rogue began to convulse as wildly as his bonds allowed, and made interrupted attempts at screaming. The echo continued to bleat into the depths of the forest, but he quickly petered out of strength as the illusion became cemented in Shikamatsu. He was then frozen in place; save for sporadic attempts at breathing, which left his chest jerking uncontrollably.

“This is Petrification” Kaji said informatively as he looked briefly to Yama, his pupil. “It’s a jutsu I picked-up in the Stone’s ANBU corps.” He might have cracked a smile as he added  “their jutsu are incredible, but everything had to have a earth-theme.” He then knocked on Shikamatsu’s temple, and a dense thud sound resonated from him. “The jutsu is turning his body to stone;” he then leaned to the side and looked into Shikamatsu’s eyes; “but don’t worry, you can still breath and speak. It just feels like you can’t.” Kaji then lifted Shikamatsu by his bounds again, and his body remained as stiff as a board as the anbu lifted him. “This is just a genjutsu… but I wager you will be deep into drowning by the time you break it.” The pair then crossed the water’s edge, and Shikamatsu found the strength to unleash a defiant roar, uncultured by his mostly-paralyzed vocal chords. Kaji loosened his grip on Shikamatsu, and let the awaiting coolness of the stream wash over the rogue with a big splash. The sensei merely crossed his arms, and waited for the method in his madness to break Shikamatsu’s defenses, which would surely wither away in the time it’d take to escape the genjutsu.​

 

[Gushiken Yama]

His will absolutely broken. Shikamatsu felt that really the only muscles he could still move were his vocal chords. He felt absolutely defeated. No man was worth this. Nothing was worse this kind of torment!

"The Black Scorpions operate inside of the village. They receive contracts from members of the Fire Country. We get the contracts and then we get funding through the Merchant's Guilds, some of the blacksmiths make the weapons we use for assasinations. They have special chakra on them that prevent us from leaving fingerprints on them in case we lose them. Then one of us takes the contract and performs the work. Grrkk... Afterwards we then head back to a special headquarters and get our payment. The guild operates with the Stinger at the head, he has two Claws that serve as his bodyguards and the rest of us make up the Body. I was the newest recruit. The Stinger uses sealing jutsu, these tattoos loosen the limits on our bodies... His name is..."

Before he could finish though suddenly his head exploded sending blood and brain matter all over the two that stood nearby. Upon closer inspection, there was a tiny seal on the back of the neck right below the severed parts. Anybody that knew a thing or two about Fuuinjutsu would know this was a seal that would self destruct anybody that had the intention of saying a specific set of words.

Any time that Yama had to be impressed about Kaji sensei's awesome jutsu was quickly cut short as he was splattered with whatever was left of the rogue ninja. Yama stood there absolutely shocked, he had never been covered with the matter of another living being first. His body started trembling a little bit a little voice in the back of his head the only thing keeping him sane in this particular moment. Yama would not notice the seal on the severed neck. "U-u-uhh what just happened?" he would manage to squeak out to the ANBU. Yama started cleaning himself off with a cloth from his bag. His eyes wide as he tried to get what he could off of his clothes and face.

The Yama of five years in the future smiled back on this moment...

 

[Okada Kaji]

Shikamatsu became a fountain of information once the illusionary jutsu took hold of him. He was desperately spilling the beans, stating a superabundance of knowledge about the organization that coerced him into committing treason and murder. Kaji recognized this guild of assassins as a scourge within their village; one that seemed impossible for such an oath-driven culture like the Leaf.

But once the captive shinobi reached a limit in the amount of secrets he could divulge, a suicidal seal was triggered at the back of Shikamatsu’s neck. The pink matter of his brain was spread about like shrapnel, staining Kaji and Yama with specks of crimson. Kaji was still propping up Shikamatsu at the time his skull exploded, and let the body splash into the shallow creek waters. The creek didn’t flow with enough force to pull the corpse, but the blood was dying it all deep red and sanguine like fine wine. Kaji revealed a simple handkerchief and was hopelessly wiping his face and hair. Kaji was silent then, brewing the inner-storm until he let out a disgruntled sigh. "U-u-uhh what just happened?"  Yama was fanatical, and panicking rightfully at the sight before him. It was Kaji’s role as the senior to remain calm in this situation, but in all his years, he had never encountered such a moment so personally. “His head exploded” Kaji answered dryly, taking a second to glance at his pupil while he smeared more blood into his clothing. “Different organizations have their own renditions of oath of silence seals: jutsu meant to keep their shinobi from compromising info, ergo, snitching.” As he took the time to explain the seal to his pupil, Kaji dipped low and took hold of Shikamatsu’s body again. This time he slung the corpse back onto the sand, and paced around where he’d have the best view of the neck’s remains. Kaji turned the body, and pointed out the remains of a seal imbedded into the neck. “See these marks? These seals are always triggered by uttering code-words, psychologically triggered by the victim. This seal in particular must have tapped into Shikamatsu’s Life Gate, and caused an overload of chakra that manifested within his neck until--” Kaji paused his explanation to make a vocal popping sound. “In Maruishi, oath sealings are considered unethical and are forbidden. And here in Leaf, the oath seals aren’t nearly so severe. The worst you might be dealt is a permanent loss of speech or paralysis. It might go without saying, but this was a bit... extreme.”

Efficient as always, Kaji didn’t spend long trying to clean himself up, and proceeded with his improvised plans. He unveiled a single parchment scrolls from his equipment pack, unscrolled it besides the corpse, and withdrew a shard of black pastel. He began inscribing the unknown across jutsu-binding circle printed on the parchment; small kanji and symbol drawn with finesse. Once inscription was complete, Kaji clapped his hands together in a routine performance of mudra; hand seals molding his chakra into jutsu. The veteran ninja clasped a hand down onto the body of Shikamatsu, which was already running cold. A burst of steam filled the air in a burst as space ripple and shifted to absorb the corpse. Only this steam replaced his form, along with the creation of a large symbol in the center of the summoning dial in his scroll. The symbol was still glowing with resonating chakra as Kaji began rolling it back up. “We need to take the body for a rushed tox report and autopsy; and learning how to decipher this Stinger’s fuuinjutsu is top priority” he was communicating a bit more with his pupil now, as the situation was now far from the standard day of training he usual dedicated to them.
“Yoarashi to control” Kaji raised two fingers to a hexagonal ear piece on his right ear, and spoke, calling to a remote handler within the ANBU who operated as a dispatcher. There was a buzzing as the controller responded privately with Kaji. However Kaji seemed distraught by the news he was given, and nearly snapped the ear piece before rushing to end the call. He was now attentive to Yama again, and shared the troubling update: “The medics sent to the training pits claim there were no bodies to be found.”
​

WC: 720

 

[Gushiken Yama]

In the face of adversity, there was two roles you could take. That of the mice, or that of the men. Taking the stance of the mice was allowing yourself to admit that you had no control over the situation, that you were admitting you were inherently flawed and that you had lost sight of that which you wanted to achieve. Playing the role of the mice was fine, it was safer... Anyone that told you any differently was only trying to hide those flaws within themselves. However, there was also the role of the men. Strong, determined, show no fear and do what is required of you to do. You have duties, you have obligations, you have honor that needs to be upheld. Taking the role of the man was preferred by most people, it was a better bet. Left you with a stronger social standing. In this very moment, hanging on the balance between sanity and allowing deep rooted trauma to take it's place in his mind. Yama felt as though he was standing in front of a mirror, looking at himself as a crack started to form right in the center. One half twisting with fear, the other with anger.

In the moment, Yama's eyes were sunken in his head and he still had a hard time processing what had just happened, but watching his sensei go through the motions as if he was already broken. The true mark of a Shinobi that realized that showing emotion only lead to weakness and suffering, if Kaji was capable of putting on this mask despite the huge age gap between them. Then damn it all to hell so was he. Yama shook his head, he had chosen the path of the men after all... He listened intently and watched the man's every move as he started to work quickly to preserve the body and also give a very in depth explanation of the process of the seals that had caused an adverse reaction. Yama looked back down at the body and then looked back up and said, "So is it safe to assume, that any other members of his organization are going to have these oath seals, and also is it safe to assume that the particular phrase that will set it off is in fact the Stinger's real identity?" While this was all going on he had finished cleaning himself as best as he could. His clothes were rather dark, and the blood had soaked in until it was practically a part of his clothes.

Watching the body, Yama used his mind to think back to the fight with Shikamatsu that they had earlier that day. Suddenly a sort of revelation came to him, "Sensei, I am slightly unfamiliar with the way the body begins to decompose and break down. However, look at his muscle mass, it's much smaller than it was when we were fighting him. It was strange because even though my Shadow Possession is unrefined. I should have been able to hold him down much better than that." Yama's eyes trailed all over the body, until they fell onto the mark of the scorpion that rested upon his wrist. "Could this possibly be another fuuinjutsu?" He asked touching his finger to it, "From what you've told me, being able to use a seal like that would denote that he has at least some form of mastery. Is there any type of seal that could release the body's limits? Enhancing physical abilities?"

Finally it came to the fact that none of the previous bodies were found in the training fields, Yama nodded dishearteningly. "I guess that means we were either watched, or that the Stinger has a connection to the life force of the sealee and recognized that he had been brought down." He didn't know this part for sure, but he was good at making the best educated guess that he knew. Suddenly a bright light came into his mind. "I know a medic, her name is Etsuko. She has green hair and she's one of the best I've ever seen. I think if we take him to the hospital then I can convince her to at least look at the body for us."

 

[Okada Kaji]

Both the master and the apprentice found their duty as an immeasurable tool for coming to terms with the sudden death of Shikamatsu. For many shinobi, it was the call of their duty that strengthened their resolve when facing such insanity. The path of the anbu was no ordinary life, or so they say. Kaji was fully perceptive as his pupil made valuable realizations. Mentally, they were traversing the same path, and veteran experience placed Kaji a few paces ahead; however he was confident that Yama understood what occurred, when considering the student’s commentary. "So is it safe to assume, that any other members of his organization are going to have these oath seals, and also is it safe to assume that the particular phrase that will set it off is in fact the Stinger's real identity?"

Kaji nodded softly, encouraging young Yama’s intuition. “That’s right” he confirmed. “Some groups bind their shinobi with oath seals as a standard part of their indoctrination… And Shikamatsu did mention that the Stinger has a proficiency in fuuinjutsu.” Even with the corpse put away, there was still a rich supply of blood and bits of flesh remaining where the shinobi stood. This was the handiwork of the sadistic Stinger; it was the work of a specialist, indeed. “Identity. Everyone answers to someone higher on the food chain in these kind of scummy circles, but the Stinger is the one we’re holding responsible for three deaths, and counting.”

And before Kaji removed the corpse from sight, Yama also noticed the vast amount of changes that happened to the body since Shikamatsu life was cut short. Unlike the beheading, Kaji had encountered numerous shinobi in possession of strength enhancing curse seals over his career as a lifelong affiliate of demanding squadrons that pushed their shinobi to the brink. The common aftereffects of the life-force draining seal were present in Shikamatsu, and magnified in the moments of his downfall. The fresh, young corpse nearly resembled the form of an elderly body found days after death. Unaware of the what the frowned-upon seals were, Yama asked Kaji about the fuuinjutsu that ravaged their captive. "Could this possibly be another fuuinjutsu?" He asked, studiously. However this time Kaji was absorbed with sealing the body away, and made contact with the remote contact. He nearly snapped at Yama when informing him of the missing ally bodies, and had a tested energy as Yama recommended a medical expert to him. The sensei was skeptical of the student when considering his lack of experience, but as an outsider new to the leaf, Kaji lacked a better name to mention from the medical corps. He was resolved to find Etsuko, and hoped she would be live up to the impression she set on his pupil. “Hopefully, your friend Etsuko will know a thing or two about curse seals.” Kaji then recalled the questions asked by Yama while he was preoccupied with the corpse sealing, and expanded on his intentions. “The Stinger didn’t originate the jutsu that was sealed into Shikamatsu; it may have had a personal touch, but there are bound to be ancestral records of the scrolls and tomes responsible for the components of the seal.”

Kaji then set two fingers at his lips, and whistled to his faithful steed, which came along on command. Kukki had not wandered far, though she was startled by the captive’s demise and a bit farther into the woods than before. With the scroll put away in his pack, Kaji was finished at the scene, and hurriedly climbed onto his mount. Once he was settled and stable upon the steed, he waved to Yama and offered him a hand, suggesting that he ride along to hasten their trip. He patted the large saddle on his horse, which was equipped for holding Kaji and his usual deadweight. Kukki was used to carrying Kaji along with the occasional guest, whether it was a target he was bringing back alive, or his courtesan friend Hiromi whenever Kaji gave her a ride home from work. “Something tells me our day is far from done” he noted.  “Ride along with me; I won’t have you wasting your energy on foot when there is so much work to be done.”​

WC: 710

 

[Gushiken Yama]

Yama took the man's hand, getting up onto his horse and situating himself behind Kaji until he was comfortable. So it seemed that now their goal was the hospital, hopefully Etsuko would be on duty and would be willing to take a look at the body for them. So many questions still surrounded this mystery. As they started to ride closer into the village and closer to the hospital. Yama would start to recap everything that they had learned so far in his mind. He also would think about what could possibly come next after this. Would Kaji include Yama in hunting down other members of this organization? He was getting stronger by the day, but he couldn't help but think about the cold precision of what this Stinger person was capable of, and how many other assassins he had in his fold. Yama thought back to what Shikamatsu had said. That there were two personal bodyguards that the leader of this guild had and that there was an unknown amount of people that would make up the body.

As the rode together, Yama would look at Kaji and ask; "What is the next move then sensei? After we have the body autopsied. Whatever information we receive on it what would be our next possible move? Should we find another member of the guild that we could maybe get more information out? Or should we go and find someone from either the Merchant's or Blacksmith's Guild that might be willing to talk?" Yama would fall silent after this and continue reflecting. From what he had gathered, Shikamatsu had said that either guild was providing services to the assassins, but how willingly were they doing this service? That was the big question, another thing that he thought of was the abilities of the members they had displayed, this meant that this organization had specialties in sealing and Taijutsu from what they had encountered thus far. Did this mean that perhaps they were only Taijutsu proficient? Or would the two of them find that they were more sinister than that?

Whatever the case may be. Yama would find himself both incredibly nervous but also incredibly elated. Not even a member of the ANBU corps yet and he was already playing detective. It was every young boy's dream after all..

[ MFT | WC: 387 ]

[ Topic Left unless Stopped ]

 

[Okada Kaji]

Kukki began a concentrated trot once Yama was safely seated, and Kaji tugged her reigns. The horse’s even pace was on par with a human’s sprint, yet she was hardly making an effort. The whistle of wind was in Kaji’s ears, and the canopy of trees blanketing the sky overhead were passing by in a blur. The path through the Forest of Death was long and winding, but Kaji knew the way, and Kukki could navigate the shortcuts more expertly than any mount Kaji would ever find.

Then Yama continued his speculations, and asked Kaji to explain the plan once more, if only for clarity’ sake. He mentioned the web of contacts hinted by Shikamatsu in the moment of the rogue’s demise. And though they were possibly valid leads, the other guilds were likely posed as earnest businesses, and would not entertain their investigation unless the ninja could prove something. “The autopsy should narrow down what kind of sealing jutsu have been used on Shikamatsu… If the Scorpions are operating locally, there is a chance we may have records of other ninja recovered with these seals. We may not have the Stinger’s name, but every fuuinjutsu has a way of leaving it’s unique mark on a victim.” Using the Scorpion brand, Kaji and Yama had a trail to follow back to the Black Scorpions, and from there to their Stinger.

Suddenly, the trio heard a multitude of whizzing sounds closing into them, and Kaji pulled Kukki’s reigns to cut sharply to the left around a thick ironwood tree. Several shuriken were embedded into the wood in a straight line longer than a full katana’s slicing arc. Before even seeing an approaching assailant, Kaji knew just what was coming to pass. “The scorpions” he said. “This must be their clean up crew, coming for the body.” There were shadows moving amongst the trees, all dressed in proper black as they tried their best to pursue the fleeting mare. The thunder of hooves pounding against the forest floor created a whirlwind of speed. The foes were mostly sending projectiles now, and aiming for the shinobi or their horse; whatever they could manage to hit. “How many do we have chasing us?” Kaji required Yama’s insight while he steered the mount, as there was no time to look off-course while running through the dense forest.

Hurriedly, Kaji began clasping his hands together, molding chakra into a shroud of dense shadows, which cast over Kukki and her riders. The shroud added a powerful presence of shinobi enchantment to the mare, and began protecting their passage from the onslaught of sharp flying things. The shadowmere then leaped mightily over a steel wire trap laid for her on the path, making a courageous neigh as she did so.​

WC: 462

 

[Gushiken Yama]

If it wasn't for the fact that Kaji was incredibly quick with his reflexes. The two of them would probably have backs full of shuriken. The man made the verbal confirmation although they were both thinking the same thing. Perhaps these were the very same foes that were responsible for getting rid of the two Chuunin that Shikamatsu had slain earlier that day? Whatever the semantics of the situation were those could be discussed later. As the sped through the forest, Kaji certainly showed a knack for horsemanship. The bond between beast and man could be stronger than any bond between two people if given the proper conditions. Kaji looked back and asked Yama how many of the Scorpions there currently were in pursuit. The boy took a deep breath and calmed his mind, he flipped himself on the horse until he was sitting backwards. It was a lot bumpier at s full gallop but the boy poured a gentle chakra into his feet and placed them on Kukki's haunches in order to give himself better balance. Looking into the thick and shadowy branches of the woods.

Kaji used a shadow Ninjutsu in order to further protect them from projectiles, it was strange seeing a non-Nara use such a jutsu but it was not outside of the realms of possibilities. The shroud made the task at hand certainly a little harder. But then again, this was the Nara's forte after all. Completely apt at any mental task he soon looked back at Kaji and shouted above the commotion, "There's three!" Kukki kept over a steel wire trap right around this moment and the sound she let out was nothing short of majestic and made Yama smile inwardly. He had an unexplainable feeling brewing inside of him however, one could call it a desire to fight back. Looking at the movement patterns of the three shinobi he soon caught onto the fact that they had a few simulated movements and were easily getting caught in movements that spelt openings. Yama looked back at Kaji and said, "I have an idea, make sure she stays calm!" Amidst the full gallop Yama used this chakra in his feet to slowly move, taking a few seconds in between each shift of his weight until he was suddenly standing on top of the horse. His knees bent so that he moved with the momentum of the back legs.

The boy would weave through seals, focusing on his inward chakra until it was pulsing with a fierce red. He would inhale very deeply and then suddenly put his index on his thumb, and holding the other three above the two would put this up to his mouth Fire Style: Grand Fireball no Jutsu! his chakra would pour forth. His fingers providing the basic Change in Chakra Nature and a large fireball would exhume itself from him. It flew in the general area where the shadow Scorpions would be in order to be accurate with their kunai and shuriken. Yama would not see if this had been successful or not as maintaining the chakra in his jutsu and feet was difficult for someone of his level. Turning back around and flopping back into his previous position on the horse he called out, "Hopefully I got one!"

[ Topic Re-Entered ]

 

[Okada Kaji]

The shadowy veil covering the trio made them a difficult target to the scorpion assassins. The fleeting steed was fading from sight, weaving between the natural barriers of giant trees and shrouded forest monuments. Pitch back rags covered these shinobi completely, turning each assassin into an ambiguous, faceless killer. Among the three shinobi in black, two trailed behind, unable to keep pace with the galloping steed. But the third agent of the scorpions was almost hovering over the heroes, keeping pace with them by levitating on a metallic platform. The leading assassin was also the sniper who fired first, and repeated the attempts now by seemingly generating steel senbon needles, and five-sided shuriken to fling at the targets.  The leading scorpion was closing in upon them when Yama warned of his bright idea, hoping the steed would not dismount her riders in fear after he took his shot at their pursuer.

Kaji rolls 1d20+5 for Animal Handling: 7

Kukki nearly buckled after the heat of a globe of flames brushed her backside. Kaji held the reigns high, but couldn’t entirely prevent his faithful steed from stutter-stepping. The aim of Yama’s fire ball was knocked off target by approximately twenty-three degrees to the left, and fifty-six degrees too high. The pursuer must have appreciated the chance to avoid the ball of flames, however the attack would still do great damage to the scorpion’s and their cause. A colossal tree branch as wide as men were tall took the blaze, turning a portion to cinders on impact. The force of gravity and the bouncing branch instantly tore the gigantic arbor lose. A section of the forest canopy began to give way, barreling down onto the two assassins who failed to slip past the collapse. They were served, two for the one.

The shrouded scorpion on the metallic disk came to a circling halt once it discovered the fall of the two partners. They would bare twice the shame of Shikamatsu if they ended up in the Leaf’s medical lab as well. Cutting it’s loses, the Scorpion remaining assassin would have to let the shinobi escape, and hopefully fish the other flunkies out of the cave-in with their lives intact.

The anbu and his apprentice vanished into the depths of the forest, no longer in pursuit but maintaining Kukki’s impressive speed. “They weren’t onto us the whole time; if that were the case they would have never let us try to take Shikamatsu in” Kaji found an understanding of the attack, presuming it was the best response an organization like the Scorpions could have attempted in such a short time. “We will continue to the Medical Corps” Kaji elected, as if he considered another path. “They won’t be able to follow us into the districts.” And as if the attack had never occurred, the trio continued their expedited dash across Konohagakure.​

- WC: 479
- Kaji has left the thread unless stopped.

 

[Gushiken Yama]

[ Topic Left ]

[ To be Continued at Konoha Hospital ]​