It started as a peacefull day [Dual Contract Search]

[Kato Hana]

Manzo walked out into the clearing. He had found out there was a new member in the corps so he thought he would do the honor of providing an assessment of her skills. Of course he had not made it easy for her. He had simply told her with a written letter to meet him at a certain date and time. The place he was a bit fuzzier on. He purposely left it so she would have to track him down. After all you never knew when you had to track someone down that decided to force their way through the village gates.


As he waited he looked around the clearing. The last time he had done an assessment he had Sluggy help out but this time he thought he would give the guy a break. He did think about summoning him though, just to enjoy the piece of this area. It was rare these days to get the chance to just enjoy this calm and peaceful.


As he took it all in he was reminded of the day that he and Sluggy met. It was a day similar to this though his reasons for being so far away from the village where nothing like this. That day he had been training before acid spit started falling from the sky.


Bringing his hands together they formed a quick hand sign and a wooden reclining chair grew out of the ground. It would not be the most comfortable chair but it would allow him to put his feet up while he waited. Assuming she would get here in time. Pulling out a book he sat down in the chair, which seemed to sink a bit into the ground a bit, and began to read. He generally like to keep a book on him, though he rarely got a chance to read it, which made this morning the perfect time for just that. Because after all why spend time figuring out what he was going to do with the newest member of the ANBU when he could relax.


Eventually he managed to finish the book. Well I guess she wasn’t able to track me down he thought to himself as he stood up and the chair began to recede into the ground. It was important to Manzo to leave as if he had never been here. As he looked around one last time preparing to himself he wondered if anything interesting would happen to him on the trip home.


[MFT]

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

Soku read the note which had been left at her doorstep. The date and time were easy enough to decipher but it was the location itself which was cloudy. She had spent the last hour or so pondering over it and was headed north where she thought the ANBU operative to be or so she thought. Soku hated riddles as they fried her brain to mush but this was one riddle she had to solve. Besides, she was curious to see who this shinobi was who operated in such a fashion. He has to be around here somewhere. Her bright green eyes scanned the treetops as the kunoichi analyzed her surroundings looking for anything unusual.

The girl glanced down at her note again for reference. She was close to where she thought this man should be so he defnitely was lurking around somewhere. The young ANBU observed the ground for clues and could faintly make out some light tracks. "Bingo. Got ya." Soku began to follow the footprints until she came to a clearing. The tracks veered off to the left and these were fresh. These were just made. Motivated by this discovery, she pressed on deeper into the woods.

Eventually, the girl was sure she'd seen someone up ahead but couldn't be sure. The kunoichi took to the treetops and propelled herself gradually towards the figure who was holding some sort of book and humming as he walked towards her, back to the village. Soku jumped down taking him aback by her sudden appearance and spoke. "You are Manzo, yes? The one who sent me this peculiar note." If this wasn't Manzo, then Soku had miscalculated by a lot and it would cost her. The girl prayed silently and awaited the individual's response.


The man's eyes looked at her as he contemplated her sudden arrival. It was as if he was expecting her which was a good sign that this was indeed the Manzo she had heard about in the village. Soku glanced at the book he was reading. He didn't look like the bookworm type but looks could be decieving. "You sent me on quite a chase trying to find this place but I do love a good challenge."
Her instinct was telling her this she'd found the ANBU operative but Soku knew all too well the secretive ways of the corps. Those tracks could have been purposely laid to lure her off course. She wouldn't put it past the branch to do something like that even if this was just a simple assessment as Manzo had claimed.

[WC: 426 words]

 

[Suika]

Peaceful, peaceful. A sea of emerald grass danced as the winds chimed a quiet ballad. The sun shone its radiant beams as it supplied nutrients to its adorers. All was well, all was right.

They watched.

Peaceful, peaceful. A human grasping the joy of nature. He found relaxation in Mother's warm, loving embrace, and would share it with another.

They writhed.

Piece full, piece full. They wanted their fill. Two kindred souls intertwining harmoniously before them. Hunger. Plump for the picking, and aesthetic for the crunching. Two entrees exercised their will and freely engaged. It was now time.

Suddenly, the two shinobi would feel an icy coolness brush them in place of the breeze's typical snug touch. It was a seemingly unnatural occurrence, but it was meant to be. After all, they were now under their surveillance, and they yearned to lure their prey. Manipulation of the elements was not a tricky feat; however, their string of contrived events were meant to harbor deceit. After a few seconds of further calm, the sky's light almost flickered like a dying lightbulb. Flick, flick. It was a hastened second, so if either shinobi performed an elongated blink, they would have missed it. What was going on? It was then that they made their sights visible. Intentional. The duo would feel as if they were being watched from the trees just outside the clearing. Something wasn't right.

If the shinobi positioned themselves into a fortified guard, they would be met with nothing. If they approached the area where they sensed another, they would be greeted by an empty, still patch of plant life. It would be another minute or so until they heard an inhuman shriek. It emitted from the dark forest opposite of them. The sound wasn't one that belonged to any obvious wildlife, but its tone carried an agony shared by all creatures. Again, it cried. It's audible sorrow almost blared for aid. In fact, although seeming from a different tongue, it would feel as they captured the phrase "HELP" from its tormented scream.

What would Manzo and Nasaki do?

 

[Kato Hana]

Manzo had packed up his things and was getting ready to leave the peaceful clearing when he saw a figure approaching. She jumped down in front of him. It was close to the dead line but close did not mean over.

”I am glad to see you could make it. Though I was truly wondering if you would. “ As he spoke he could feel a sense of dread wash over him. It seemed to be a wave that was originating from the forest.

Pausing for a second to decide what to do with it he spoke again. ”You will find that many things are a test, and this was one of them. We are expected to be the best. The ones that are called when other branches can’t deal with a threat. Do you think someone forcing their way in through the gates is going to make it easy to be found? Tracking a person based on a vague note is an important skill to have.“ Manzo did not like what the environment was doing.

”So tell me how do you think you did?“ As he asked the question there was an unearthly scream that went out. Quickly a wooden clone of Manzo was created and the two charged towards the scream, spitting up to cover more ground. He gave a glance back to see what Nasaki would do. He could feel the agony that raged with the scream and as he had just got done saying they were the ones that called upon to do the tasks that others would not. This may not be anything that drastic but as he had discovered with his slug brethren even the lowliest creatures deserve their help.

[MFT]

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

The kunoichi felt a relief wash over her as he confirmed that he was indeed Manzo. She had spent precious time and effort in tracking and would be frustrated if it all was for nothing. He inquired to her opinion of assessment and she gave a reply."Well, if you ask me, I th-" Soku was interrupted by a piercing shriek, a yell of pain, of agony, someone reaching out to them. It was not a threat, it was a cry for help. Automatically, she turned to locate the source of the horrifying noise and began moving towards it. It seemed Manzo had the same idea, creating a clone to cover more ground to pinpoint the source.

She had no idea if she was following the real Manzo or a clone but only one thing was on her mind right now, to find the source of this shriek. "It sounded almost....inhuman." That was no normal yell, perhaps a animal in distress had called out. They followed the source of the voice hoping to see something that might give them clues to what was occuring.

She also felt a change in the atmosphere, something was amiss about the surroundings. They were close but far. She could have sworn it was in this direction but there was nothing here, only the swaying of the trees and bushes. Someone or something had called out to them but was nowhere. It was like a intense game of Hide and Seek. "Was it not here we heard the guttural sound?" Perhaps the creature was hiding in plain view, afraid to come out or perhaps it was stalking them. Sometimes predatory animals lured their prey in with various tactics then pounced. Soku felt on edge, her hands gripping her kunai which she kept concealed in her pocket as if not to scare off the animal if it was watching them.

 

[Suika]

Attention.

Like a net cast into the sea, they managed to tangle the mortals' senses into their lure. They were in their spectral grasps... it was only a matter of time. With drool dripping from his lips, an unknown presence stalked from afar. Split, splat. “Tasty.” His twin, a more feminine entity, shook her head in protest. Conflict then stirred among the gemini. One reigned dominant, so his will was manifested into the next set of eerie occurrences.

Deflection.

The hefty man appeared unfazed by the spontaneous conundrum. Confidence? A need to impress the young gal besides him? They refused to fathom it. The female shinobi, on the other hand, seemed on her toes with her refined senses. A bit more skittish, they presumed, but probably more intelligent than her superior. This brought more enjoyment to their game, or rather, his. It was time to turn it up a notch.

Suddenly, the echoed wails grew almost violent as the wildlife in the area scattered everywhere. This audible nightmare occurred for about fifteen seconds before coming to a complete stop. Silence. Not before long, the present stillness of the atmosphere was interrupted by a low, dense rumble. From beyond the trees was its startling source. If the two shinobi went to investigate the happening, they would be greeted by a storm of dust. Once it settled, their eyes would instantly make notice of a strange piece of architecture in the middle of the forest. Was that there before?

A small, glowing temple stood above the earth. It was adorned in yellow, runic symbols as it had a clear entrance. It appeared medium-sized, like a large hut, but what was inside? If the duo approached it, they would notice the stone door barred shut. If they attempted, nothing they could do would break its seal. If they further investigated the spontaneous structure, they would notice a round panel in front of its entrance grounded on the floor. The panel was light and, if stepped on, sank an inch or two. It also had two shoe prints embedded in it, as if purposefully carved out. Its obvious oddity, however, was that the prints resembled two right feet. Was this some type of contraption?

They waited, lingered. His hunger roared in his belly as his sister whimpered sorrowfully next to him.

 

[Kato Hana]

Manzo was not surprised that Nasaki had followed him into the forest though he was not sure if he was glad for it. Anything that could have made that kind of noise was not going to be a good thing. Sure Manzo was confident in his ability to deal with whatever the forest threw at him but that confidence had come from experience. He had yet to find what kind of experience Nasaki had.

Interesting enough Nasaki had chosen the real Manzo and not the clone to follow. He wondered if she had an ability to tell the difference or was it luck. ”It did sound pretty inhuman.“ He told her. ”But I have friends that live in woods close to here which makes me investigate when something is so out of the ordinary. I haven't had a chance to see what you are made of so this might be a good test. Be on your guard.“ he doubted he needed to say as much but it never hurt to remind someone.

Looking around he did not see anything from where he thought the noise would have come from but that did not mean much. He really was not the best at sensing people but he did have a few tricks. Using Chakra Sense he tried to find what was out there.

As the audible noise scattered the wildlife a storm of dust started to surround them. Attempting to counter it he began to manipulate his chakra to infuse it with wind in an attempt to push the dust storm away.

As the dust cleared Manzo found himself facing a structure that should not be there. This day was getting stranger and stranger.

Walking around it Manzo looked to see what a visual inspection would hold. Seeing the foot prints Manzo wondered.

”It seems that whatever caused this wants two people to step on it.“ He pointed at the indentations. ”Using clones would be a safer option though.“ His curiosity had been peaked and he wanted to figure out what was going on.

If Nasaki could not summon a clone or did not want to stand on the impressions herself, Manzo would create a second clone and have them stand on the impressions, seeing what would happen, hoping it wasn’t just a death trap.

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

Something was really off about this forest and she didn't like what she was hearing. The Manzo she'd been following turned out to be the real one but that had just been sheer luck. The kunoichi glanced around for a hint as if something nearby might lead them or give them a clue to this creature's whereabouts or what the heck they were dealing with it. A few seconds passed and Soku found herself facing a unwelcome storm of dust that blew into her face. The girl infused some lightning chakra into her hands bracing for an attack that might never come. Instead, the duo found themselves facing a structure or some sort of object. "It's like someone's toying with us and we are being manipulated." The young AiT observed the two impressions in the surface and nodded in agreement at Manzo ' s suggestion. It was better to make sure this wasn't some sort of plot to lure them in and horribly slaughter them. "Unfortunately, I can not make shadow clones." She glanced down at the indentation which loomed out at her almost enticing her but Soku wasn't stupid.

The only way inside that oddball of a structure was by stepping on those two impressions but after the series of events that had just occurred, that didn't seem like such a great idea."This is either a really nasty trap or it could be a harmless looking impression but I am curious to what resides in this dwelling." It was certainly made of some earthly substance and did not look man made at all which made Soku more curious. Something or someone had purposely planted this in front of them being aware of their presence in the area and were trying to ward them off or lure them in, whomever it was resided in this structure and the only way in and out was by stepping on those indentations.

 

[Suika]

Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn.

Maybe tubby was smarter than anticipated. As the man summoned his clones to do his bidding, the round, stone panel rumbled upon their imprint. It then went silent. Suddenly, the stone door ejected forward and crashed through both the clones. For now, and thanks to his reasonable thinking, Manzo and Nasaki were safe. While it indeed was a small trap, its results held true. The pathway that led into the small shrine was now open. Would the duo dare venture inside?

He hoped so. She didn't.

If the two entered, the door behind them would reform itself and magically seal them off from the forest. If they tested its durability, it would feel as if its material was impenetrable. They would have to find another way out. Contrary to its outer appearance, the eerie shrine was more grand inside. In fact, its internal structure, with all its spaciousness, stretched out way too far, both from width and height, to make any true sense. It was as if they transported into a different realm.

The two would witness an architecture that resembled an old castle. Moving forward, there were rows and rows of spires that were adorned with odd, metallic symbols. There was an archway fifteen yards forward from where they stood. If they neared it, they would notice a large, stone tablet with noticeable words etched onto it. It was dark, but if they managed, it read the following:

Gemini, two are a pair
Separation leads them to despair
Choose a path, it will lead the same
The Gemini watch, play their game
A devil sneers, an angel weeps
Win their challenge, rewards you reap
But be forewarned, trust not your friend
The person besides you will be your end

If they further examined it, there was nothing more left of the cryptic message. What was its meaning? If the two continued forward, it wouldn't be long until they discovered three pathways. All three were like a tunnel, but possessed distinct differences. The first one, with a stone etching of horns above it, looked as if it made a descent downward. The middle, with a carving of what resembled two question marks, pressed directly forward. The third path, with little wings and a halo scratched over its entrance, appeared to ascend upward.

There was a decision to be had. Which path, if any, would the shinobi choose?

 

[Kato Hana]

Whatever this structure was it was to be sure that traps were involved. They would need to be careful as they stepped forward. It seemed that whatever caused the disturbance in the forest it was coming from this structure, which in Manzo’s eyes meant he needed to investigate it.

As he descended into the structure he could not help but wonder where it had come from. As he had thoughts the doors slammed shut behind them. Turning he proceeded to attempt to open them any way he knew how, going as far as using his most destructive jutsu on it. All of which failed.

When he had exhausted his bag of tricks and any that Soku would try he would turn to her and speak ”Well it seems that the only way out is to go deeper in.“

Proceeding forward it seemed to be almost like a castle that was underground. Why would anyone build this, and leave such a strange poem in it? This day was turning out to be very strange.

”I seemed to remember hearing the word Gemini before but I can not remember from where“ Posing it to her to see if she knew the word.

As they came across the three tunnels he briefly thought about it then summoned 2 clones of himself. ”I don’t believe the poem saying to person beside you will be the problem, But if you feel differently they you may choose your own way. I am going to go down the center path, while sending a clone down both the right and left. That way if something happens to them or they find a way out I will be able to know. I am picking the center because the horns are a bit ominous and frankly I don’t trust the angelic wings. “

He would give her a chance to speak before heading down the passage with the two question marks. Unless she had a better argument and could change his mind.

[MFT]

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

They proceeded down the strange passageway until they halted coming to a area where the paths split off in three directions."Gemini..cant recall it from anywhere." The poem was a most peculiar one but what reason would she have not to trust Manzo. He was a Leaf shinobi and the consequences for turning on of his own were unspeakable. It was simply not done. A look of determination came over Sokus face as she nodded to the central passageway. "I feel like there is a more sinister purpose behind this riddle and its true intention is to place false seeds of doubt in our minds and make us suspicious of each other. I will follow your lead. Something doesn't feel right about this place and its not the poem that worries me." With a nod, two of the senior ANBU's clones disappeared down the passageways to the left and right in a matter of a few second.

The girl checked to make sure her weapons and first aid supplies were within easy reach. She carried these with her in a small pack strapped on her leg in case of emergencies. The passageway got dimmer and darker and there was less and less light as it protruded down the hallway. One of these passageways was the right one and they would know instantly if the left and right were traps thanks to the clones.

The ANBU duo proceeded down the passageway, Soku was tense following close behind Manzo scanning the walls and ground for any potential traps or enemies that might pop up. It was dead silent, too quiet almost like something was watching them."Something is in here with us and we are not welcome. I can feel it."

Perhaps the shriek they had heard was not one of help, maybe the creature was warning them, warning them to stay away or suffer. They weren't suffering yet, right now, they were navigating their way through this labyrinth hoping to stumble across something to guide them. Her hair stood on end as the echoing sound of their footsteps resounded down the hallway. Something was here and it was in no mood to befriend them. She could feel the hostility in the air.

 

[Suika]

One Manzo, two Manzo, three Manzo... this was no fun. Really, this was no fun at all. "Clones." he snarled as he surveyed from afar. His sister, almost smiling through her grievous expression, placed her hand on her brother's back as to pacify him. He angrily shoved away her embrace as he manipulated a few mechanisms in front of him. "This is my game... my hunt. They will play by my rules." The aggressive entity then pulled a lever.

Rumble.

As Manzo and Soku traveled down the middle path with question marks etched above, both would hear and feel a low rumble throughout the stone passageway. Suddenly, Manzo would feel his clones vanish as he was no longer expending the chakra to maintain them. In fact, if either of them tested it out, it appeared as if their chakra reserve was slowly becoming sealed with every step they took. What was going on? The entrance to the path behind them closed shut. They had no choice to move forward. If and when they did, it wouldn't be long until they were greeted with another stone tablet with writing on it. Lucky for them, there were a few torches along the path, so they had decent opportunities for lighting.

Shinobi, shinobi, one and two
Add one more, further hatred I'll spew
Duo are a gemini, a third is with consequence
Test this again, test this again I dare
Continue your path, but lean on your wit
Your vitality is mine, best beware
Flashy blasts and frosty rays
Lean on wit, likely you'll see another day

After the last words were read, the stone tablet spontaneously shattered into dust. Its burst wasn't violent, so the ninja did not have to worry about shrapnel. However, as it collapsed, there would be two small objects in its place. One was a long, dual-sided key, both gold and glowing, and the other was a vial. The vial was the shape of a tiny perfume bottle and contained a black, liquid substance. Whether the two grabbed and kept the items or not was completely their choice.

Crackle.

The flames along the walls flickered for a second. As the two continued down their path, they would then approach small identical dolls frozen in place. Their position showed oneness, but their expressions were seemingly blank.

If Manzo and Soku neared the dolls, it would seem as if six-inched duo hopped back away from them. This would continue for as long as they did so. Were these things alive? Their beady stare kept fixated on the shinobi. They kept their inanimate stance until one sneezed. "Achew!" the orange one cried. The other stood frozen in its previous position as if unaffected by its partner's secretion, but looked as if a sweat drop fell from its brow. What exactly was going on?

[OOC: For the rounds in this passageway, both Soku and Manzo will not be able to access their chakra temporarily. Feel free to try to find away around this if you'd like, and this will 100% wear off once they are out of this passageway!]

 

[Kato Hana]

As Manzo felt the clones snap back to him almost at the same time he stopped walking for a second to shift through the information that was provided him. Which was just about nothing.

”It seems that someone, who ever is running this place doesn’t like clones. They both just came back to me.“ He told Soku.

This was confirmed when they came across the tablet. Wits alone, he thought to himself. Well for now he would play the game. Not having access to his chakra would have made it more complicated, though he wondered what would have happened if he brought Sluggy out to play.

With the objects left in the tablets place Manzo would pick them up then offer the key to Soku if she wanted to carry it.

The strangest part so far was the blue pair. He was starting to think it was a trick of the eyes until one sneezed. Crouching down to make himself seem much less threatening he would offer the pair some food that he always carried with him, after all it took work to maintain this body shape.

”Well hello there” he would tell the blue pair. ” Can you tell us anything about this place and maybe a way out?“ If they did not seemed appeased by the food, which was craziness to think about, Manzo would offer the bottle. He was a bit reluctant, thinking he might need it in the future, but this was their first real lead abou this place.

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

There was a low rumbling sound and a quick glance told the Santaru their way through which they had came had been closed off."Something really is determined to keep us in here.'She was beginning to regret ever coming down here now but what done was done. As they walked, Soku felt drained almost as if her chakra was begin siphoned away which in all actuality, it was. Question mark symbols were carved into the walls as they progressed and she felt they were bound to stumble on something, a clue, a hint, something.

The stone tablet loomed out at them revealing it's riddle. This one seemed more violent in nature and that whoever was concocting these puzzle and games was not pleased with their actions so far."We have to be careful. Further hatred I'll spew... it says. I don't think it wants us using clones or even chakra at all at this point."Upon finishing the poem, it crumbled away and was replaced by two most peculiar items. A gleaming, shiny key and a bottle that contained some sort of deathly black liquid. The color black usually was not a good sign and something told her this was a vial of death or worse.

Further they went until stumbling across two blue twins dressed in orange and black garbs who seemed to be not moving, still as a statue. One of them then let loose a sneeze whilst the other one remained motionless. They were small or probably afraid of the giants whom loomed over them at such height. Soku gave them a contagious smile indicating she meant no harm, her hands free of weapons.

Manzo handed her the key they had found and she took it keeping it close. This object was important in some fashion. Keys were always useful, especially in puzzles and riddles like the one they were in right now. She watched as the heavyweight shinobi offered some morsels of food to the duo asking for some information in return. Whether they took it or not was up to them. She took a knee so she was on eye level with the one who hadn't moved at all and smiled. "Hi there. I don't know who you are but you would be doing us a favor if you gave us some tips on this place. Besides, my friend and me here have some food here just for you guys. So what do you think?"She asked eyeing the doll. It felt pretty stupid talking to something that wasn't talking or moving in any fashion but a clue was a clue and right now, these blue humanoid things were their only lead.

 

[Suika]

As the duo approached the smaller set, each little doll figure hopped backwards as they squeezed each other tight. From the beads of sweat that continuously poured down the twin’s brow with the black overalls, it was apparent that they were nervous. Did they find the Shinobi scary? Unnerving? What would settle their anxieties?

Then, like a shining beacon, was Manzo’s offering to the tiny pair. Squeaking delightfully, the set of twin dolls detached and waddled carelessly towards Manzo’s hand. They gladly reached for the snacks and chowed gluttonously. It seemed their caution wasn’t too great, as they practically took candy, or goods, from a stranger. They weren’t the brightest bunch. Then one spoke with the tiniest, feminine voice.

“Thanks, Sexy-senpai!” she exclaimed as she blushed intensely toward Manzo. What? The one who wore black, which had more of a masculine appearance, proved not too different from his sister. “Who’s the girl? She’s cute!” The ragged, small duo continued to munch on the snacks, even as both Manzo and Soku shot their very reasonable questions. Oh, right, they were here for a purpose.

“Sexy-senpai, I’ll tell you everything!” she cried as she hugged the man’s foot. The other motioned for Soku to lift him up. “Yes, we will tell everything! The princess of this castle has a message for you two!” Princess? With further questioning and embrace, the two would shed some light regarding the Shinobi’s very odd situation. “You are in a castle… The Gemini’s castle!” The other one posed. “We are Her Majesty’s Royal… uhhh…” He exchanged a bewildered glance with his sister. What was their role? “We are Her Royal knights! Yeah, that sounds cool…”

The duo both then hopped away from the shinobi and entered into a waltzing stance toward the path ahead. They motioned the shinobi as if they wanted them to follow. “The Gemini are strong Youkai royalty! The princess is beautiful and fair, but her brother is menacing and carnivorous. Her Majesty has sent us to guide you. She is actually locked up right now.” They both frowned. “The only way to free her is if you both die, or if we save her. Either way, we win! …But, Princess wants you alive, so the latter is the preferable option. Do you accept?” They stared intently at the Shinobi duo. It was quite the request and there were many questions left unanswered. How would the Leaf ninja respond?

Suddenly, the path they were in began to rumble as both would feel an ominous presence. The small set of dolls jumped at the occurrence. Once they received an answer, they would do their best to guide the pair safely to the next step. At least, hopefully. His Majesty was quite ambitious in his bloodlust.

[OOC: Orange font = Orange Overalls "knight", black font = Black Overalls]

 

[Kato Hana]

Sexy? Manzo could not remember the last time he heard those words being used to describe him. He did not exactly have the figure of a god, more like that of a rock. But perhaps these Youkai had a different defination of sexy than he was used to.

They were presented with a pair of choices. He was beginning to suspect everything was done in pairs around here.

”Well Sir, and Lady knights the latter of the two options does sound much more preferable“ plus Manzo did not think they would be getting out of this castle without performing their quest. ”I can’t speak for my companion here but I will accept your quest to free the princess.“ Thinking about it for a second he once again spoke. ”You can call me Manzo, do you have names we can use?“ He would pause to let them answer before continuing on with his questions. ”So what can you tell us about what we need to do to free the princesses?“

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

The two things, you could call them were going on about royalty and how the princess needed help. Soku couldn't help but wonder whether there was actually a princess in distress or were they being made fools of. Soku smiled down at the black garbed Youkai picking him up for a second in response to his tiny little gestures before answering."Alright, little guy. We'll help you."Manzo seemed to be going along with it to and she was most curious to meet these monarchs the little creatures talked about.

There was a rumbling along the path they were standing which the girl was not expecting. It seemed to be a way of communication and the creatures jumped at the shockwave. "What was that?"She asked looking around for any signs. She shook her head, she was overthinking it. Deciding to rely on the duo before them, she waited for them to lead the way. They were however not moving, it seemed they were waiting but the question was, waiting for what?

 

[Suika]

“We need to kill her brother!”

“Yes, slay the fiend!”

The two small doll-like entities, like the oddballs they were, posed. Despite the weight of their words, their expressions appeared quite cheery. As they planted themselves into their coordinated stance, the low rumbling in the pathway grew increasingly more violent. The walls shook as some pieces of rubble fell from the ceiling. Earthquake? No, it was clear that this wasn’t natural as the rumbling matched that of an even, yet angry tempo.

“HE’S ON TO US!” squeaked the doll with orange overalls. The other motioned at the two shinobi. “He’s going to send in his royal guards!” Lacking any true explanation, which seemed a pattern at this point, it was shown through their non-verbal cues that it was time to get the heck out of there. Behind the two shinobi, they would hear a thunderous presence approaching them. Whatever it was… it was heavy, and possibly very large. They cue’d the two to follow them. “Let’s go, Sexy Manzo-senpai” The other, with a hurried tone, began to run. “Yeah, let’s skedaddle, Cutie-chan and big man!” Would they follow the twin dolls down the path?

If they chose to follow the twin dolls, their path would feel long as they felt the presence of a monstrosity behind them (if not, then they would be met with another surprise). Eventually, the path led to a large chamber. The room was decently sized and was shaped as if a mini-colosseum. There were no visible exits once they reached the room, but there was ample space to maneuver around. Suddenly, a sinister, masculine voice penetrated through the rumbling of the chamber.

“INSOLENCE!” The two dolls froze and squeaked. The voice was devilish as its malevolence leaked from every word uttered. “Resistance? Foolish mortals, your efforts are futile as your demise is imminent. But I’ll make you a wager… defeat my royal guards, and I will grant you a seat at my dinner table. Hint hint, you’re the main course.” The voice faded away. What was going on? The twin dolls, obviously frightened, both jumped on to the shinobi and clang to them as they shivered. “Sexy Manzo-senpai… he’s sending in his beasts! Can you guys beat them?” The other looked as if he was about to cry. “No, this is it. We’re toast!”

Suddenly, a terrifying monstrosity emerged from the pathway behind them. The beast, which resembled a type of chimera, boasted huge muscles, grand weapons, and a flaming ferocity. It roared out as it swung its giant blade. Although hard to notice at first, the beasts’ tail appeared as if a big, ugly serpent. Did this chimera possess two consciousness? It was clear from its stance that it aimed to slaughter the shinobi and dolls before him. It then charged out at them. What would the Leaf shinobi do?

[NOTE: You have two rounds to defeat the “royal guards” before a consequence occurs. Unfortunately, normal chakra is still unavailable for this task… but maybe there’s a way around it? You can also try using the dolls… but what can they do? Other than the tools on you and the ones you’ve picked up on the way, both your characters will notice at least 20 ft. of rope in the room, about 6 torches, a few wooden poles, and random pieces of metal shards on the ground. Good luck! I will partly roll for your actions and the actions of the beast, but creativity will add extra points to your modifiers for sure! Have fun!]

[NOTE2: Also, I apologize for such a late post. I was on vacation, so I should be more timely from this point on. Thank you for patience and understanding!]

 

[Kato Hana]

Manzo was calm. He did not like the idea of being an assassin for someone he just met, no matter the story. But he also knew that this may be their only way out of the trap. As they were being dragged by the increasingly frantic, prevy duo he tried to take note of their locations in case they had to go back this way.

All feeling of doubt left him though when he was being offered as the main course of dinner. ”So we either die by the royal guard or we die by being eaten. Well this sounds like fun. “ he said under his breath.

The royal guard was something to behold though. He turned to face it, and he smiled. They thought he was trapped in this building cut off from his chakra, which he was but not all chakra was created equal. He had thought about summoning Sluggy but that would likely not end well, for multiple reasons.

He looked over his shoulder to comment to the duo, as he began to walk towards the royal guard. ”is there anything you guys can do to help?“ Assuming they did not say anything that would affect his plans he would also address Soku ”See what you can do with that rope, maybe you can trip him up. I will work to keep his attention on me.“

As he said that chakra energy started to swirl in his hand, through any that tried to feel it would quickly realize that this was not normal chakra energy but instead created with natural energy. His pool of natural energy was normally smaller than his chakra but he could always refill it. He was unsure how that would work in this place though.

The energy spiralled into a ball then bits of rock started to swirl around it, quickly changing into wood. All of his focus was on the royal guardian. ”Hey ugly. We were just having a peaceful walk down here and you had to go and fowl it up with that stench. “ With that he threw the Rasengan at the beast. Just before it hit it split off into a second, after all everything seemed to have a twin in this place why shouldn’t his attacks. He was going to wait to see how this attack did before he started to go crazy.

MFT

Spoiler

Use Perfected Rasengan Rasen-Tremor with Combo, Overcharge, and Focus (Combo Master, Elementalist and Jutsu Master), comboed with Perfected Rasengan Rasen-Tremor with Overcharge. Both using Natural Energy (Holy) which isn’t normal chakra

This weeks training
WC 406

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

Her mouth ran dry as Soku glanced up at the terrifying montrosity that towered above them. They had trekked so far only to be told they had to defeat said monster or face annihilation. She looked up at the beast questioningly tilting her head to one side as she analyzed it's movements."I don't suppose you'd be interested in talking about this, would you?"The thing was big and heavy but it was not swift, something that would play to her advantage. The girl was small and light, nimble as a rat. Nodding in response to Manzo ' s suggestion, she glanced around the room noting down the environment."Hey, you two dolls. Mind creating a little distraction while we take out the trash."She said eyeing the behemoth as it approached. It's intention was clear, to wipe them off the face of the earth, something Soku decided she would not be content with.

Darting forward as Manzo launched his Rasengan at the giant, she grabbed a hold of the rope and looped it around the monster's neck and extended the rope all the way so it spanned the entire 20 feet and tied the rope to the hilt of her Storm Blade which she slammed into the ground point first to serve as a anchor. The line ran taut with the strain of the beast it was restraining but it held."You know what they say, fight fire with fire."Scooping up a torch, she dropped it onto the rope watching as the flames rushed along the taut line getting ever so close to the goliath before them. Their chakra was still unusable and she didn't have anything to counter this so the kunoichi would have to make do with the environment.

Spotting a few metal shards, she picked one up and felt the weight."Not too heavy but very prickly and sharp.This could prove useful."She nodded in approval and collected the pieces pocketing them waiting for a reaction from the enormous montrosity before them. That blade would be a problem and ideas were running through her head but all of them involved certain death. "I say we need to lure it somehow perhaps."She said speaking to Manzo. With these metal pieces and a bit of flame, a simple trap could be made, no problem. It would have to be strong and resilient enough to hold this demon and she got to work using a metal shard to shave off some cloth off her shirt. Soon, this concoction of hers would prove vital to their survival.