Rough Nights [Contract Search]

[Sekuro]

Friday : Diamond Maelstrom: 11:48PM​

It had been a few days since the events of the Toraono wedding, and Kagemaru had enjoyed the festivities. Though the wedding was fun, it was not simply pleasure. It was also an opprotunity to gain information on the people of Wind Country and their customs. Kagemaru and his group had been sent to Wind Country to collect information for the Hokage of Leaf. The trip so far was a fairly turbulant one though he expected as much. Kage usually worked alone and with the inclusion of three others he could only expect things to not go 100% smoothly.

Tonight was another of those nights...

The group together had stopped by a cave formation to seek refuge from the elements before they continued onwards to Saunagakure in order to continue their mission. Still physically tired from his battle with Toraono Kuro at the Dojo, Kagemaru fell asleep somewhat quickly which was unusual for him. As he slept, on of his subordinates decided to go on a journey and left the camp. Unfortunately, in his unconscious state, Kagemaru was unable to stop Ginjiro from sneaking out of the camp and out on his own, otherwise he would have. But fortunately, before the stroke of midnight, Kagemaru had the urge to relieve himself. Naturally he woke himself out to find a secluded portion of the cave in which to urinate as the faint glow of the dimly lit fire crackled. The sound of the crackling fire was muffled by the echoing of wind inside of the cave that their group resided in. Somewhat soothing to listen to.

As Kagemaru made his way to an area that wasn't visible to the remaining group members, he began to relieve himself on a cave wall. It was at this time, in a half-asleep daze, that he took the time to survey his surroundings. This was a simple task as Kage had possession of a very nice pair of eyes. He possessed the Hakumei Byakugan which were a cut above normal Byakugan which were powerful in their own right. His visual range stretched for several hundred meters in every direction at all times. A blessing and a curse all at the same time though Kagemaru kept his gift hidden from most by covering his eyes with a blindfold. He could see through the blindfold just find but he didn't have to worry about people gawking at his glowing eyes.

As the group were alone and they all knew of his secret, Kagemaru didn't feel the need to conceal his eyes and as such, the glowing gems of his eyes gave off a luster of shine that reflected off the crystallized walls of the cave as the light from his eyes reflected off the source and back around him. It was a stunning effect to say the least. Several seconds would pass by as Kagemaru continued to urinate on the cave wall. He'd checked for enemies, traps, and things that were out of place.

No hidden enemies... no foreign chakras... fire's still up... teammates still sleep...

It took him another second to realize that Ginjiro wasn't there. At his sudden realization of that fact, Kagemaru whipped around in shock. His stream of urine still flowing and now flying all over the place. It was at this moment that some of it got onto his pants and feet and the added shock of that overly embarrasing moment caused him to exclaim.

FUCK MY LIFE! His voice echoed throuout the caves and reverberated and that also sent a surge of embarrassment through Kage as he was usually more calm and collected then the previous few seconds had displayed. Fortunately for him, it didn't seem to have woken up his other two teammates, Mizuki and Zenichi. Though preferring to not risk being seen like this, Kagemaru created a clone of himself that was fully clothed. The clone was instructed to go to Kage's bag and fetch him a replacement set of clothes, two of his belt pouches and to bring them all to him. Kagemaru was going to go search for Ginjiro and bring him back to camp. At the very least he was going to make sure he was safe. Kagemaru didn't want the life of a genin on his conscience. Taking only a minute to change into battle appropriate gear, Kage was off to find his missing teammate. Wearing the sand brown battle pants he'd gotten from the Toraono Dojo, and a mesh shirt, Kagemaru dashed off towards the deeper parts of the cave in search of Ginjiro.

He'd better not be dead because when I find him I'ma kill'em myself.

===
[WC: 700+]

 

[Kazu]

[Congratulations! You've found the kings of the desert, the Lizard Contract! Do you accept?]​

 

[Sekuro]

Without a doubt.

 

[Kazu]

In his sudden rush of epiphany, the man began to spray his urine all over the cave as the sounds of his yelling reverberated everywhere. It was such a loud sound that it was a wonder that it didn't wake up the man's teammates. However, that's not to say it didn't wake something else up. As the man frantically worked his way around the small camp that had been set up in the cave, a figure began to stir. Before anything could be done, Kagemaru bolted down into the caves, causing more of a ruckus with his talking and movement. The way the caves were shaped magnified all the sounds that came through it, journeying down much farther into the deepest reaches of this system. As the man continued down, he would find himself following twists and turns in a somewhat never ending cycle. His eyes would definitely help him to see his way through, but that didn't mean he could foresee everything. As he continued, a figure moved. Perched on a rock, barely moving at all, was a lizard about the size of a backpack. With purple scales, yellow eyes, and a grey underbelly, the lizard seemed to stand out among the rest of the cave.

If the man decided to stop and look at the thing, it would seemingly look back straight into his eyes. It would cock its head just slightly, as if it was sizing him up. If he didn't stop to look, however, it wouldn't matter much. Either way, at this point the lizard would speak in a voice filled with a calm and calculating youth. "So tell me, what'cha doing making such a huge fuss, hrm? You woke me up from a perfectly good nap." Wait, did that lizard just talk? Heck yes it did! Cocking its head again, the little lizard stared the man straight in the eye. Unflinching, not even to blink, it spoke again. "And, judging from the smell of things, you made a right fine mess in my home. This is just great. What do you have to say for yourself, huh? You better have a good explanation." How would Kagemaru deal with a situation like this? It wasn't so much a problem of whether combat would be involved as it was just simple everyday matters. Being disruptive and making a mess of things was really quite rude. Though the man might still be too busy to really care about what this creature had to say anyways.

 

[Sekuro]

Saturday : Diamond Maelstrom: 12:02PM​

Kagemaru had been running for some time now. He'd purposely decided to make noise so that if there WAS anything hiding in the cave that was alive, once it moved, he'd be alerted to its presence. And it was that way of thinking that paid off.

He eventually came upon a very large reptile. Normally Kage would have ignored it and pursued more pressing matters, like finding his lost teammate and beating him in the face for running off without alerting someone. They would indeed have words, but for now, there was something peculiar about this reptile. Kage's first reaction aws due to the fact that it had a strange chakra.

Normal animals didn't have that much chakra. Even though chakra was the life essence that drove all things, normal animals didn't have much of it because most of them didn't have the intelligence to train it. With that in mind, Kage recalled stories of rare animals occasionally had these unique traits. Perhaps this was an opprotune time to find out if he was really that lucky.

The purple lizzard stared at Kagemaru. Most likely it was due to his glowing eyes. Like a deer staring into the headlights of an oncoming automobile, this is what Kagemaru assumed this lizzard was doing. As it cocked its head, Kage cocked his with it, mimicing its movements. The two stared at each other for a brief moment in time before the lizard took it upon himself to break the silence with casual conversation.

Wait what...?

At the first sound of intelligent speach coming from the lizard, Kagemaru was taken back slightly to the point where his eyes widened and his head did a sort of slight bounce in realization of this feat. It was amazing, but Kagemaru couldn't be overly impressed as he lived in the age where people could shoot out fireballs from their anus on command. But it was still an impressive feat none the less.

Holy shit a talking lizard. Thats awesome.His reply was just as clam as the question the lizard asked. He would however, continue on to answer the lizards question.

I'm sorry for waking you up. But for my own safety, I made noise as I moved so that I'd be alerted to anything I didn't actually see initially. I have really good eyes so if something woke up, I'd have seen it move. Much like how I saw you Mr.Lizard. But if I'd known there were intelligent animals about... I'd have been more considerate. Then true to his personality, Kagemaru caught onto the logical flaw in the reptiles next statement. Though it was illogical by standard means, he wasn't all to sure if it would be different for this particular lizard.

Hey... where exactly do you relieve yourself huh? I always thought animals did it wherever they pleased... so long as it wasn't where they slept. I pissed a little towards the entrance of the cave but by now you can't be that upset... I even changed clothes. You're a strange one Mr.Lizard. But I do apologize for my rudeness, I know I wouldn't like it if a stranger pissed in my home aside from the designate area, so I guess its not too much to think you wouldn't have one either. So forgive my rudeness, but I have a question to ask you. He then keeled down to where he was balancing on his toes but sitting on his heels. The only light in the area was the light coming from his eyes and the reflections of that light on the cave walls and the crystal features among them. At this point, he'd accepted that he was talking to an animal. This could very well be a dream but as he didn't feel the need to outright wake up, he'd continue onward with the conversation, and on the off chance it WASN'T a dream, then perhaps this odd reptile could assist him in finding his lost teammate.

I dunno if you noticed, but I came here with 3 others. One of which is kinda gone and the other two are still at camp. You wouldn't happened to have seen anyone come through here would you? He's just a kid but I'm still in charge of his well being. If you can help me, I would repay your kindness in any way I could. Situations like this had also been covered in Kagemaru's training. You were more likely to attract bees with honey then vinegar as the saying went. So he opted to be nice and polite for the moment until the situation changed, he saw no reason to rush off. This animal may have information so taking the time to speak to him was a better option then running off blindly into a maze of tunnels. Even with his super enhanced vision, his eyes weren't that of a god. He could only see so far and recall so many twists and turns. Hopefully his luck would hold out. If only he had a magical ball that could catch animals like this. Something like this would make a nice pocket monster. This was a rare find indeed.

 

[Kazu]

Choukushi seemed rather pleased by the man's reaction. It wasn't everyday that someone was impressed by his very existence; especially not among the others of the Lizard Contract, who had to struggle and toil just to be recognized as a being. He liked it a lot—perhaps this man with the glowing eyes would continue to be amazed. As the man continued to talk, explaining himself as to why he was making so much noise, Choukushi's eyebrows—or at least what would have been his eyebrows—raised up a bit. That was rather smart thinking. "Hrm, don't worry about it. You were only doing what you needed to do to stay alive. I would have done the same." Wincing at the name 'Mr. Lizard', however, made the little guy quick to correct that. "Please, call me Choukushi. Who might you be, huh?" Choukushi was beginning to enjoy this. He'd heard stories of humans, but he'd never had the opportunity to really interact with one before. He intended on really testing this man to see what kind of person he was, and perhaps if he liked him he'd give him something nice; like a dragonfly. Those always made tasty snacks! As the man continued, Choukushi would respond appropriately. "How terrible of you to say! Do I look like some common animal? I guess since you're pretty much like a monkey, you throw your own feces, huh? Not so nice when it's being said to you, huh?" Adjusting his position on the rock, Choukushi laid down so as to almost be getting ready to nap. "If you want something, you better say it fast. As it is, you're not exactly on my good side, kid..."

As the creature heard Kagemaru out, a smile slowly grew across the lizard's lips. Could lizards even smile? Even if they couldn't it seemed that this one definitely could. When Kagemaru had said all that he wanted to say, the lizard gave it a few moments before he responded. When he did, it was in a lazy voice that seemed devoid of any compassion. "I don't think so. Why should I, the resident of this place, help you, the intruder, find one of your friends? He's not in here, I'll tell you that. And that means he's out there, in the Diamond Maelstrom. The sandstorms aren't blowing now, but when they do you'll be cut to ribbons. Why should I stick my neck out like that for you, huh?" Kagemaru would have to think on his feet. What this lizard said was the truth; the Diamond Maelstrom could kill those caught in its sandstorms. Without help, he certainly wouldn't be getting anywhere. Without a guide, his search may very well end right here.

 

[Sekuro]

Saturday : Diamond Maelstrom: 12:07PM​

Choukushi it is then. Kage would remember that name for a long time to come. A talking lizard was a rare sight and he'd like to remembe his name for when he told the story later.

I go by Kagemaru. Onryu Kagemaru of Fire Country. Then as Choukushi seemed to take offense at his mention of where he releaves himself, Kage decided to take his words lightly and chuckled at his reply.

Ha... you're pretty funny. Looking like a common animal or not, you'd have to ask yourself... what exactly does a common animal look like? I know animals in general don't shit where they sleep. Even humans don't do that. For you to take offense at me saying that is kinda funny. If I were an animal, I'd shit wherever I felt like. I don't know how it is for you since you're a tad special, but humans when around other humans have to go to specific locations for that kinda thing cause doign that in public is pretty horrific. He kept his tone light hearted to emphasize that he was talking in a joking manner. The point was to make Choukushi realize that he'd gotten mad for something very trivial. At least it was trivial to Kagemaru. All the while, Kage was slowly trying to create a good raport with the lizard so that he'd better his chances of getting him to help.

There have been humans who've been known to do that... He said with a smirk while referencing the monkey comment Choukushi made about feceise.

And they usually only do that as a defensive mechanisim too. I don't personally, cause... yanno... I learned jutsu and stuff, but anyawy, there are some people who theorize that humans evolved from monkeys anyway. So its not all too different. Monekeys don't poop around other monkeys too by the way. They have designated areas for that. Kagemaru wasn't exactly sure if he was steering the converstaion in the right direction, though hopefully his version of witty banter would ammuse the lizard. But Kagemaru did indeed notice the smile the Lizard gave him which was then followed by a rather poor attempt at denying his help. It was obvious that Kagemaru had to offer him something in return for his help which wasn't unheard of. But how to bargain with an animal? Though the though of Ginjiro being out in the Maelstrom was worse then being in this cave. A few seconds went by and Kage had the answer.

Why? Well because I can help you too. Kage stood up from his sitting position to stretch his legs since they were beginning to get tired.

You live in the desert correct? You can't tell me that there is an ample amount of food here for you... With such little vegitation, there can't be that many bugs flying around, and you eat bugs right? No plants mean no bugs mean no food for you. Where I'm from we've got too much of both. So you help me, and I can either bring you with me back to my country for you to have your fill OR, I can bring back a bunch of bugs for you to try. Exotic bugs to snack on... I'm not a fan, but you may like that. Kage was taking a chance. This lizard was a strange one but he was still a lizard. Lizards at bugs since they were soft and it didn't seem like he had teeth. Even Snakes, lizards with teeth weren't made for chewing. So Kage assumed that this lizard was in that same boat. Bugs and plant life made sense to him.

If thats not to your liking, then maybe there is something you want personally? I'm skilled in many things... But I would really appreciate your help or guidance. I don't know if you have family, but even though that boy isn't my blood, I owe it to his family to see him home safely. If I've got to take a few scrapes and cuts along the way I will. Kage's loyalty to Leaf was absolute. That boy was a Leaf shinobi and Kage would make sure that Ginjiro made it home because that was his duty as a fellow Leaf shinobi.

 

[Kazu]

Staring at the man with the glowing eyes as he spoke, Choukushi waited a few moments before he would respond. "Sounds like this kid is really important, huh? Risking your life to save someone else's...only humans would come up with such an idiotic idea..." As he thought some more, the little lizard stared straight into Kagemaru's eyes. He was searching, trying to figure out exactly what kind of man he was. He was genuinely curious now. Perhaps, just maybe, he was a match for his brethren. That decision, though wasn't up to Chouksuhi. The lizard would have to take the man elsewhere, to the den of his clan, in order for him to be judged. Would he be worthy of them? Smiling again, Choukushi began to stretch his legs. "I guess it can't be helped, huh? C'mon then, let's go find your friend. Though I'm going to want a boatload of dragonflies when this is all over..." Jumping off of his rock, Choukushi began to scuttle his way out of the cave with Kagemaru close on his tail. It didn't take them too long to get to the entrance of the cave, where the rest of their party had been. Choukushi also noticed the spot where Kagemaru had taken a piss. Making a big deal out of avoiding the spot and showing his utter disgust, Choukushi called back to the man with the glowing eyes. "Geez, man! You really could have done this outside, you know..." Regardless, Choukushi continued out of the cave and stood at the entrance overlooking the desert. For now, the deserts were calm, though Choukushi could sense that this wouldn't be the case for long. Kagemaru's resolve would soon be tested, and it wasn't going to be an easy test either. Waiting for the man to catch up, Choukushi began to speak. "Alright, you listen to me. This here desert is about to become a battleground. If your friend is indeed out there, then we're going to have to act fast. For now, we'll spread out and try to find the little guy." With that, Choukushi jumped forward and began scouting the area for anything that could be considered human in nature.

Though Choukushi didn't know, Kagemaru's eyes could see much better than he had let on. He would be able to see, then, that a massive sandstorm was coming in from the east. The winds would reach them first, then the sand would follow soon after. They didn't have a lot of time to do much of anything, so they'd have to act fast.

[ooc]
You have two rounds until the winds catch up to Choukushi and yourself, and one round after that until the sandstorms hit.
You are allowed to RP finding something of Ginjiro's, but keep it within reason.

 

[Sekuro]

Saturday : Diamond Maelstrom : 12:17PM​

Kagemaru's words seemed to have gotten through to the lizzard. Though, Kage could tell he was putting up a front to act tough, he could really see that the thought of eating his fill of exoctic is what sealed the deal. Or so he though. Either way, they were off to the cave entrance in search of Ginjiro.

As they approached the front entrance, Choukushi thought to make a comment about Kagemaru making a mess with his pee on the cave floor. Kage really didn't care for the remark because he was more then certain that normal animals crapped and pissed anywhere they felt like. He wanted to mention horses and how they defecate at any given moment when the need arrises but he thought to just leave the topic alone for now.

Once they reached the cave entrance, Kage made sure his team was still present and safe. Mizuki and Zenichi were both still asleep and he didn't want to wake them. Mainly due to not wanting to hear Mizuki's mouth on how he lost Ginjiro, so Kage allowed him to sleep tight for the moment.

Spreading out isn't exactly the best option for us. I haven't told you, but my eyes are somewhat special. The important part to know now is that I can effectively see literally everything within a 2500 meter radius and moving outside of my field of view isn't exactly safe as we would be too far away from each other to remain in contact. But what I can do is look for his chakra signature and hopefully that'll lead us in the right direction without aimless searching. True enough, Kagemaru didn't assume Ginjiro had gone out into the desert because of how dangerous it was so he'd tried to search within the cave. However, it would seem that Ginji had decided to leave the safety of that cave for an unknown reason. Kagemaru already ruled out forced abduction because even if Ginjiro would have been caught by surprise, there would have been evidence of others arriving and there was none. Taking a second to focus his chakra to his eyes, Kagemaru activated an ability he had, Scan which increased his visual range even more. Effectively Kagemaru now had a 3000 meter visual radius and within second, he pinpointed a small amount of what seemed to be Ginjiro's.

I found a trace amount of Ginjiro's chakra off in that direction. I don't see any signs of a struggle but... Kage was just beginning to see the makings of some kind of formation below where Ginjiro's chakra traces were.

We're going to have to get closer, if what I'm seeing is correct, I think he may have gone underground. He was beginning to get a strange feeling about all this. Just what exactly had happened to Ginjiro? But as he spoke, he motioned to have Choukushi follow him. Though now that they were searching outside of the cave, Kagemaru's vision was unimpeded by the cave structure so Choukushi's guidance wasn't exactly needed unless it was something directional that was well beyond Kage's visual range. But for now, Kagemaru understood that he could prove very useful as this was his home territory.

As the two arrived to the location of Ginjiro's chakra signature, Kage was now able to better see what he couldn't before.

There was something here but now there isn't... It looks like signs of a fairly large object that was recently moved. Even though the wind had been blowing for what was probably hours since Ginjiro vanished, there was still traces of un-natural sand movement in this area.

From what I can see... about 2000 meters down, there is a cave just below here. But I don't have any earth jutsu... do you think that your cave connects to this location? I'm seeing the top of the cave so its possible that its much further down then what I can see... Oh... and we've got about 2 minutes before a sandstorm hits. So whatever we're doing we gotta do it fast.

[ooc: Hopefully I wasn't over stepping my bounds with mentioning the cave below that location. I just thought it would be an easier natural progression.]

Marked for training
wc: 300+

 

[Kazu]

Well, that was certainly an interesting development. Who would have known that the man's glowing eyes were something special? Looking over to the man as if to say 'no shit', Choukushi began to scurry back towards the man. "Guess that works, huh?" So far, this was Kagemaru's show. He was the one that wanted to find this kid, and CHoukushi was just here for the ride at this point. Still though, the man really did intrigue him. As he claimed that the boy's chakra signature was in a particular direction, Choukushi would simply keep up with him as they neared the spot. "Lead the way." What the found, though, was not the child. Instead, it seemed as if they had found an odd sort of cave. Choukushi was quite surprised at this, considering he'd never even heard of a cave existing here. He'd never encountered anything like this, and caves don't just magically appear out of nowhere. Or do they? "Okay, so if you can't get down there, what's the plan, huh? I've never heard of a cave around these parts, and it most definitely doesn't connect back to my cave. That one's the only cave around here for about a mile in each direction." Then there was the mention of the sandstorm. That didn't sit well with Chouksuhi at all. "Sandstorm, huh? Looks like we'll have to come up with something fast, huh? Any ideas?" It may seem like Choukushi wasn't doing anything to help. That's because he wasn't. If Kagemaru spoke up about that at all, Choukushi would respond immediately. "Hey, I'm just the guide here. Did you expect me to know anything else, huh?"

As Kagemaru would be thinking, however, something unexpected happened. Suddenly, without any warning, the entire cave system began to sink deeper into the earth until it seemed to vanish completely. What the heck was going on? Was their plan sunk before it had even begun? And with the threat of the sandstorm coming, they didn't have a lot of time to come up with some sort of other plan. What would the man with the special eyes do?

[ooc]
You have one round until the winds catch up to Choukushi and yourself, and one round after that until the sandstorms hit.

 

[Sekuro]

Saturday : Diamond Maelstrom : 12:19AM​

The night was still young but their time was swiftly running out. Kage was still focusing on the spot where he'd seen the cave but then in a sudden turn of events, the area he spotted began to vanish. This wasn't good. Not at all. He turned to Choukushi as to ask him what was going on but before he could even get a word out, the lizard was already spouting off how useless he was.

Fuck my life! The situation was beginning to aggravate him severely. This was the reason Kage preferred working alone and not in a group because he didn't have to be countable for anyone but himself. And now his only lead about where Ginjiro was had vanished literally before his eyes. He could see off in the distance that the wind was picking up and the sandstorm wasn't too far off. So he'd quickly ask Choukushi a question before he would suggest that they return to the cave and out of harms way.

The cave vanished, but I know what I saw... Do you have any friends that may be able to help us get through this sand? Even if I have to promise barrels of bugs from my country as compensation, I have to make sure my teammate is ok. I have to do everything in my power to make sure he's fine before I can quit. If you do, now would be the time to speak up because I can see now that the storm is approaching quickly. We don't have much time. His words rang true, as Choukushi would also most likely be able to tell that the winds were beginning to pick up and being a native to this land, he would know all too well what kind of damage that storm would do. More so then Kage would.

I've got a few defensive jutsu that can hold off the storm for a while but nothing permanent. If need be, I can buy us some time, but this isn't exactly my specialty. This was one of the few times Kagemaru had been put in a really bad situation. He didn't like this feeling. He tried extremely hard with everything he did to make sure things went as smoothly as possible so that he wouldn't be forced to feel this way again. Not since the unfortunate incident with Sumina's sharingan eye. He hated the feeling of uselessness and this situation was not helping at all. But he wasn't giving up. Based on the little time that they'd spent together, Kagemaru could tell that this child would go far in the world of shinobi and Kagemaru would make sure that Ginjiro lived to reach his potential. That boy called him sensei, so it was Kage's duty to teach him what it meant to truly be a shinobi. But first he'd have to make sure he was alive.

 

[Kazu]

Just like that, everything was falling apart. There wasn't anything that either of them could have done, and now they were in some major trouble. he cave had disappeared, and the man still needed to find his student. He was determined to move heaven and earth if need be, and Choukushi could see the desperation in his eyes. "I believe you, Kagemaru. Don't worry, we're not giving up yet." He'd like to say that the man had nothing to worry about, but he couldn't. Choukushi could only see one real solution to all of this: he needed to ask for help from the others. It wouldn't be easy to find them, nor did he know what would happen once they got there. But there was an even bigger problem than that. Sighing, Choukushi began to talk again to Kagemaru. "I've got something in mind, Kagemaru. Neither of us can get down to that cave, and we don't have time to try right now. That sandstorm will rip us to shreds. There's only one person who can help us now, and I know how to get to him. There's just one problem..." Here's where Choukushi knew that there might be problems. This wouldn't be an easy pill to swallow for the man, but it was the only thing that could be done. "Kagemaru, we're going to have to leave your friend for now. I know you want to save him, but the only way to do that is to find my friend. Once we find him, he can help us. But we have to leave now, Kagemaru." What would the man do? Could he bear to leave his pupil? Whatever his decision was, he'd have to make it fast. "What do you say, huh?"

[ooc]
Next round the winds will catch up to Choukushi and yourself, and one round after that the sandstorms will hit.

 

[Sekuro]

Saturday : Diamond Maelstrom : 12:23AM​

The situation was quickly deteriorating and it was irritating Kagemaru greatly. He was a user of shadow jutsu which was an advanced for of using water and fire jutsu. The situation currently called for either sand or earth jutsu. Both of those things were totally out of Kagemaru's jutsu vault. Calming himself, he continued to try and think about what could they possibly do while listening to Choukushi. Apparently he DID have a friend that could help. Though it came at the cost of abandoning the search for Ginjiro and it was obvious that Choukushi thought that that would be an issue for Kage. However, he was still capable of logical thinking and understood what needed to be done. They were getting nothing done standing here, they weren't able to get through the sand, and there was a sandstorm coming. There was little doubt in Kage's mind that it was a good idea to leave. The winds continued to howl and not only could he see the oncoming death storm of shards but he could feel it's presence. It wouldn't be long before a full sandstorm was upon them and their lives were in danger. It didn't take a lot of time for Kagemaru to reply to Choukushi. He had been formulating an exit strategy to keep them safe the moment they left the cave and this fell within his thought parameters.

No arguments here. Lets get moving... point the way.

 

[Kazu]

Nodding to the man as he told the lizard that he would be okay with leaving his student behind for now, Choukushi spent no time waiting. "In that case, let's be off. We need to go a bit further into the desert, so if we hurry the storms won't hurt us too badly." The lizard immediately scurried off away from the cave they had come from. Chouksuhi was leading them, at an angle, deeper into the path of the sandstorm. It was their only way, to be honest. If they were to wait the sandstorm out in the cave, then it would take hours for the storm to subside. They didn't have that kind of time. As the two of them hurried along, the winds finally managed to catch up to the two of them. Tossing sand into the air, the winds were harsh and unforgiving. Choukushi was used to the sand, but the winds were making it hard to move. He could have easily kept still during the storms, allowing the sands to simply wash over his body, but because they were moving that would prove difficult. Shouting up at Kagemaru over the sound of the winds, Chouksuhi tried to make himself heard. In this wind, though, it was hard to hear anything. "We need...moving west. These...making it hard...properly. Do you...can protect us....winds somehow?" As the lizard spoke, he realized quite quickly that he wouldn't be able to keep this up. These winds were making it difficult to communicate properly. Nevertheless, the lizard continued to motion in the direction they needed to go. The worse part, though, would be once the sandstorm hit. Once those came, then they'd have zero visibility. Only Choukushi's sense of direction would keep them on course at that point. But it begged the question: what good would Choukushi's directions be if Kagemaru wouldn't be able to see a foot in front of his face?

[ooc]
The sandstorms will arrive next round.

 

[Sekuro]

Saturday : Diamond Maelstrom : 12:25AM​

The two of them began to make haste even deeper into the sandy dunes of the desert. It was dark, cold, and windy. These were not situations one should be willingly placing themselves in and especially not in unknown territory. However, Kagemaru was resolute in that he'd find his student and no matter what threw elements came his way, he'd raise above the occasion.

Initially he'd allowed Choukushi to lead but it became obvious that he was having issues traveling due to the sandy dunes and the harsh winds. Kage wasn't having the easiest time traveling either. Sand wasn't a solid object and traveling on it was proving difficult. Choukushi attempted to tell Kagemaru something but he could only make out some of the words. Lip reading wasn't an option because Choukushi didn't have any but he made out enough words to understand what needed to be done.

Picking Choukushi up, he placed the over-sized lizard on his left shoulder as he began to weave hand seals. The entire time he did this, Kage never stopped moving as they would continue heading west. It only took a few seconds for the seals to finish and erupting from the sands below them was a roaring black dragon. Ebony Nightmare. Kagemaru had summoned a shadow creation to aid them in traveling. Its body was snake like and snakes could travel effectively in this type of situation by moving the muscles on their underside. It was also wider then Kagemaru's feet so it had a better footing then he did. Hopping on top of the dragon hopefully with Choukushi on his shoulder, Kage began focusing his chakra.

I have one technique that is very good for defending, however, I can't move while using it. So we'll ride this while I protect us from what I can. You should still keep your head down though.

Kage would then weave more hand seals and Choukushi would see several shields of chakra begin to circle around them. These shields weren't very powerful but they were an additional source of defense for them as he prepared his larger technique.

Kage's arms began to rotate in a spherical manner and his hands began to glow with a white chakra. As his arms began picking up speed, the chakra began to flow out in a line and as he continued moving his arms faster and faster, the chakra lines became like whips. The whips circled around the dragon, Kage and Choukushi and created somewhat of a moving bubble shield. Eight Trigrams: Heavenly Guard. This defense would hold so long as he had the chakra to keep it up constantly. Without knowing the distance of their destination, this tactic was somewhat of a gamble for Kage but he was determined to get to where he was going.

The sands are blocking my vision so I can't see very far. You'll have to guide me so that I can guide the dragon.

Kagemaru was finding that he had more and more respect for this lizard as time passed. They'd just met and he was risking his life to assist Kage in his time of need. He'd surely repay Choukushi when this debacle was over, and Ginjiro would get a stern talking to.

 

[Kazu]

Choukushi was extremely impressed. The had, all in a few moves, saved the both of them from certain demise in this sandstorm. By creating a secondary figure with which to navigate and using his chakra shields and bloodline techniques, the man had made it so that the two of them could continue to move while at the same time avoiding damage from the sandstorm. Very good, indeed. As Choukushi watched the sandstorm wash over the man's barrier, but never break through, the lizard spoke with a tone of appreciation. "I gotta hand it to you, you're some kinda brilliant, huh? This is a mighty fine set-up you've got going here. With this, we should be able to make it all the way to 'The Lair.'" What the heck? With a name like that, you knew something was coming. Something big, bad, and possibly out to kill you. It's the name of a place where you probably shouldn't be intruding upon. Still, the two of them pressed onwards with Choukushi giving directions as to which direction to steer this giant black snake. As they neared the location, Kagemaru would see a massive rocky structure appear in front of them.

As they neared the place more and more, Chouksuhi directed the pair of them into a large alcove where they'd be safe from the sandstorm. The place was large enough to fit the whole black snake inside, and once in CHoukushi made it clear that Kagemaru could drop his techniques. The trip hadn't been a quick one, roughly about half an hour, but with all of that work being done Kagemaru must have felt at least a little drained. Choukushi would let him catch his breath and store up some more energy while he talked a little. "Alright, I'm not going to sit here and try and dissuade you from going in here with me. You've already come this far, so I know you're willing to go all the way, huh? What I am going to say is that this is going to be far more dangerous than that sandstorm out there. In here, you could die at any point, without warning, if you're not on full alert. If you really want to save your friend, you need to make it out of here alive, at any cost. Understand?" Choukushi knew this guy's answer already. The lizard had seen his resolve, his determination, and his ability to overcome the obstacles in his way. There was no doubt in the lizards mind that Kagemaru would be able to make it through this. Still, that didn't change the fact that thousands of people had died here in the past...

 

[Sekuro]

Saturday : Diamond Maelstrom : 12:53AM​

They'd been traveling for just over half an hour before they finally made it to wherever Choukushi was leading them. The sandstorm wasn't dying down and Kagemaru couldn't afford to let up on his techniques even though he was getting extremely exhausted. Maintaining the Heavenly Guard alone was not a simple task as it required concentration and constant rapid arm movement. There were times during their travel where his arms would slow down but luckily Kagemaru had the foresight to place up chakra barriers as well. Ultimately all his techniques held out and they reached their destination. Once there, Choukush vaguely explained the situation and Kage couldn't lie and say that he understood.

His jutsu were dispelled and now that he could rest his arms, Kagemaru felt extremely relieved. Sighing heavily he simply plopped down to the floor of the cove they were in and listened to the lizzard speak. He had several questions as to what exactly this had to do with finding and helping his student but for now, he'd simply keep his guard up. The lizzard was acting suspicious and Kagemaru caught wind of it easily. The way he said The Lair" and his lack of explaining what they were in for. But time was of the essence and he didn't want to waste any on just a hunch so he would go forward.

The time Choukushi spent talking, Kagemaru simply rested himself and sipped on the energy drinks that he'd brought with him. He was always prepared with at least his basic battle necessities even though he would look very empty handed. This was due to the nature of his preparations. Kagemaru carried energy drinks for chakra, Food pills (Health Pills) for emergency rations, and blood pills for emergency medical care. In case of emergency, his blindfold could be used to tie a splint together if he couldn't outright pop any broken bones back into place with his taijutsu. He wasn't a medical shinobi, but he was prepared for most basic situations with just a single belt pouch. Once he heard that he would have to be on his guard at all times, Kagemaru was even more mentally prepared then before. He'd already been suspicious of Choukushi and now he was potentially in danger. Something didn't add up but he would go along with it anyway. Once he finished his energy drink, Kagemaru would reply.

Got it. Lets get this show on the road.

 

[Kazu]

Nodding at the man and holding his gaze for a moment longer, Choukushi then turned tail and started to walk deeper into the enclave. "Alright than. This way." If the man followed Choukushi deeper into the cave, they would eventually reach the back wall of the cave. There was a big rock leading up to the middle of the wall, and Choukushi began to walk up to the wall. Once he got to within arms reach of the wall, he would press one of his padded feet up against the wall and waited. After a moment, Kagemaru would be able to see that some of the lizard's chakra had actually left his body and went into that wall. From there, it dispersed all over the wall. Not a moment later the wall began to rumble open, spewing dust and debris everywhere. Once the dust had settled, the door was wide open and led down a dark path into the belly of this structure. Turning back to look at Kagemaru, Choukushi smiled. "Pretty neat, huh?" Hopping off of the rock, Choukushi would lead the man down into the path. If Kagemaru followed, the two of them would notice that the door would shut behind them, sealing them inside the pitch black tunnel. Normally, this wouldn't have proven to be a problem for Kagemaru seeing as how he possessed a Hakumei Byakugan. However, this wasn't a normal situation. The man, with his contant Byakguan, would see so much inteference of chakra rebounding off of these walls that he might as well have been blind. The walls all around him were steeped with old chakra, built up from hundreds of years. The man was just as blind as Choukushi was in this cave. "Not to worry, Kagemaru. This is the easy part. We just need to keep going forward, okay? This should b-" Suddenly the lizard stopped talking. All the man would hear was a bubbling sound, and a sloshing. Then a gasp, and Choukushi would call out in a panicked voice. "What the hell? Is this...quicksand? This isn't supposed to be here!"

 

[Sekuro]

Saturday : Diamond Maelstrom : 1:06AM​

Kagemaru nodded along and followed the lizard through the rocky door. He only slightly smiled in response to the door being 'neat' as he'd seen things like that before in his lifetime. Though as he followed Choukushi down the path, Kagemaru was struck by an intense head pain. It seemed like every surface within this cave was steeped in chakra and Kagemaru couldn't help but see all of it at once. He was feeling pain similar to that of when you step from a dark place for a long time, into a well lit place and our eyes adjust to the light but it hurts. However, for Kagemaru it was like staring blindly into a bright light with no end. He couldn't look away as he was forced to be able to see all things at all times. This was more painful then Choukushi could know.

Falling to a knee once the pain began to hit him fully, he tried to keep up with Choukushi but was several feet behind him by the time Choukushi had gotten trapped within the quicksand.

Quicksand?... What kind of... ah... place... is this? Ugh... Kage was having a hard time speaking as he was still suffering from staring at the ancient and bright chakra that surrounded him in every direction. However, he didn't have much time to save Choukushi so he had to act fast. Fortunately, he still possessed the will to use handseals. Once again calling forth for his ebony dragon, Kagemaru's onyx colored pet appeared behind him in its snake like form. It couldn't see chakra like he could so it wouldn't be as inhibited as he was.

Dragon, fetch Choukushi and get him out of the quicksand. Though he couldn't see, he knew they were in a cave so he had to assume that there was no natural lighting for his dragon to even be able to see normally. So weaving a few more handseals, Kagemaru's eyes began to illuminate even more Searchlight. He couldn't see but his eyes would be similar to a light house guiding those boats safely to shore. In this case, it would guide Choukushi and his dragon together and hopefully to safety.

Chou, keep talking so that my dragon can find you but don't move. You'll also need to tell me... ugh... where... you are because... this chakra... is painfully blinding. The light may hurt a bit... but bare with it... With that, Kagemaru began to strafe his gaze back and forth until Choukushi could tell him when to stop. Once the beam of light found its way to Choukushi, his dragon would attempt pull Choukushi out of the quicksand as the lizard couldn't have made it very far into it with his small frame.

 

[Kazu]

Kagemaru's quick thinking had saved the day once again. Choukushi raised his voice and kept shouting for the dragon to find its way to him. With the aid of Kagemaru's glowing eyes and the giant ebony dragon was able to locate Choukushi. Wading into the quicksand and throwing the little lizard out, the dragon had succeeded in saving the guide. However, when it tried to get out, the giant thing found that it couldn't move in the quicksand. Its massive bulk was dragging it down. Soon the creature was lost in the sands, gobbled up by the earth and never to be seen again. Panting with relief, Choukushi began to talk while he rubbed the sand off of his body. "Man that was some mighty quick thinking there, Kagemaru! You sure saved my ass, huh?" It wasn't until then that Choukushi realized how much pain he seemed to be in. Looking concerned, the lizard rushed over to Kagemaru's side. "Hey, you okay there? Just relax, it'll be okay..." Indeed, it would be. After a few minutes, Kagemaru's eyes would grow accustomed to the cave. It was a painful process, but it was soon over. The man could once again see, albeit with a bit of pain still in his eyes. Once he expressed that he could again see, Chouksuhi's face would light up with joy. "Oh thank god! You had me worried..." Turning back to look at the quicksand, CHoukushi's eyes had as well become accustomed to the night. He could now see the point where the stone became sand. "This didn't used to be here. That means they've possibly changed all of the traps. I thought I could get us through here without a hitch, but that doesn't look to be the case. We're going in blind, huh?" The lizard was weighing his options. Everything ahead of them was probably different from what he knew, meaning that he wouldn't be as much help as he thought he would. Well, there wasn't much to do at this point but keep going. Turning back to Kagemaru, the little lizard gave him a half smile. "Well, we sure as hell can't go back now. Any ideas on how to get across?" Obviously, they couldn't use the Ebony Nightmare anymore. It was too bulky to make it across the quicksand, and would just sink again. They needed another plan, but did Kagemaru have anything else in his repertoire to use?