What Evil Lurks in the Burning Sands? [Chuunin Exam]

[Takahashi Aki]

Masashi Mako stood waiting on the boarder of Inferno. There had been some troubling reports about the works of Demons and Devils in the land that always burned. The Masashi were a clan of old that had dealt with these sorts of things, Mako was considered a black sheep amongst them mainly because she didn't attend many of the clan's gatherings or meetings. Mako had her roots deeply entrenched in Sungakure as a solider first and foremost, and then as an examiner. Sometimes those two fields crossed paths. This was going to be one of those days. Her grandson Sousuke told her to take a few people with her to go investigate what deranged and terrible things were brewing and or breeding in Inferno. One of the names on the list was Naoki. Sousuke spoke of how she had mouthed off at an Arc Demoness, and how she was instrumental in an escape during a communications black out ops in Inferno going back a few years. Supposedly this girl was a friend of the mute ... Koizumi Tsubaki? That sounded right to her.

Mako wore her usual attire. She had her eyepatch. She wore her military coat that had one sleeve stapled up to her elbow due to a missing arm. She had a smoking cigarette hanging out of her mouth. Like her grandson she had violet hair, and considering her age it was quite remarkable she only had a few grey streaks in it. The veteran was usually short on patience, but not today surprisingly. Perhaps it was because on her person she had no less than three packages of cigarettes waiting to be smoked while she waited. Mako could infact be called a chain smoker, and she would perhaps go out of her way to prove it by smoking several cigarettes at one time. Not only did she have multiple cigarettes on her person, there was a flask of alcoholic contents as well which was filled to the brim. Unlike the cigarettes there was only one flask but it was filled to the brim. It was going to be a long day in Inferno, might as well make the most of it with something to break up the time.

 

[Toraono Michino]

The sound of crunching sand behind Mako slowly elevated to a noticeable level of hearing as Michino neared the woman standing on the dune. He was making the noise on purpose, though, not from a lack of being able to do so.
This was not the teenager's first trek into dangerous territory with Mako and, along with the fact he was a Toraono, it was probably the reason he had been selected for this. He had just returned from the ancient pilgrimage around the Godsfall and came back something of a different person. Puberty had finally seemed to really kick in as the boy had grown nearly a whole four inches into six feet during his two week journey; he also seemed a little wider in the shoulders. His personality was what had shifted the most, even more than his sudden growth. Gone was his quiet personality and in its place was something that took on all challenges like it was his life's quest to keep one upping himself. The first thing he did coming back into the village was walk into the Kazekage Tower and remove his personal leave of absence and apply to be reentered into the shinobi working field as what ever they needed of him; funny his first job was dealing with demons in the desert.
It also seemed that, with age, he was growing more out of the bits that were reminiscent of his father and more into the mother he was birthed from. While his face and pointed ears held trademarks of the Ryuu Clan, the natural tiger marks on his shoulders and face certainly helped him look the part of a Toraono.

Today he walked into the desert knowing, at least in theory, what he was facing and dressed accordingly. His long raven hair was tied up into a long tail that reached to the end of his back with a long strand of white cloth. At the end he had tied a small steel ball that bounced back and forth as he walked. He wore his usual bare chest/vest and pants combo but this time the vest seemed like it was made of slightly protective material and button to cover his everything above his abdomen. The bottoms were also more akin to carpenter pants except the ends were tapered up just a little above his ankles. In true Michino form his feet were bare and still looked like the soles of his poor feet had been hardened into stone. Two weapons hung loosely on each hip; identical short swords. They carried little flair except being made of pure silver and single chunks of metal. The weapons didn't have a special grip nor was there any guards and were sheathed in black leather.

Once he was sure Mako was aware of his presence the Toraono strode up beside her and looked on into the awaiting challenges. He crossed his arms and spoke briefly with a hint of humor in his tone,
"I swear Mako, you never age. It's been months since we met and yet I'm the only one changing here. I dare to claim you're a day walker," he ended the sentence not looking at her directly but with an impish side glance. With the exception of the last three weeks the boy had gotten accustomed to Sousuke and whatever extended family that was there to visit/torment his father. It was the only other place besides his clan's dojo that he felt at home and the only other people he thought of as family. Whatever it was that was needed he was there to help out - even if it meant fight his own kind.

[Topic Entered]

 

[Samejima]

There was very little confidence in her capabilities as she made her way to the appointed meeting place. Nervous as ever, Naoki snapped her fingers about to try and calm her nerves, as more information about her surroundings is always something she could use to regain her bearings, no matter where she might have lost them. Ugh it's so open... I don't like this place. I mean, lived here all my life, sure, but I don't like being out like this... She thought to herself a lot as she walked through the expanse, until she sniffed a familiar smell. No, not the sand. The smoke. She was far more used to this smell now than she was all those years ago. Even the patrons of the snack house never smoked as much as her flings at the arena did, and thanks to that she was now highly sensitive to the smell, scrunching up her nose a little as she approached the area.

She noted the boy and the woman standing on top of a dune, raising her voice to make herself known in case they weren't facing her and thus couldn't see her wave as she normally would. "G-good day! I hope you haven't been waiting long, Masashi-san. My name is Samejima Naoki, reporting for duty ma'am." She ended the greeting with a short bow, then turned her head towards the boy to give him a polite nod, unsure about how to greet him. Seems like he's a lot younger than me. Man do I feel old now.

Both would be able to see that her eyes were pupilless, and would most likely deduce that she was blind. With her current attire consisting of a black shirt, black pants and a pair of black shinobi sandals, she was indeed dressed very plainly, with her Sunagakure headband tied across her forehead rather conventionally. Her long black hair was tied back into a ponytail to keep it out of the way, as this was a rather important event after all.

After 20 long years, finally going to be a chuunin. The old man would be so proud.

 

[Chiyo]

Yet another series of crunches in the sand heralded the arrival of the young Uzumoreru, her long raven hair rippling in the wind off the sand. As usual, she was wearing one of her many dresses - much in contrast to the others in the party. Today she had chosen a simple grey cotton dress that was fitted around her rib cage and covered her shoulders, but flared out around her hips and fell to mid-thigh. Normally she would simply pair this with sandals and some jewelry and call it a day, but she was at least slightly more sensible than that. In preparation of their destination, she had worn a pair of opaque leggings to protect her skin from the harsh landscape with sturdy boots as well as long, fingerless gloves made of the same material as her leggings.

As she strolled toward the trio gathered atop a sand dune, she recognized the boy in their midst and she grinned, today was already looking up. Luckily it didn't look like she was as late as she thought when she had woken with a start 30 minutes later than planned. She just caught the greeting of the woman who had arrived ahead of her. It made her a little uneasy that woman sounded a bit nervous, but perhaps that was just her personality. Chiyo raised a hand in greeting as she spoke, "Hello! My name is Chiyo - I received a notice from the academy that I should report here, so here I am." The girl's golden eyes glittered brilliantly in the bright sun reflecting off the sand as she smiled slightly, moving forward to stand next to Michino.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Mako removed the cigarette from her mouth, looked at Michino and laughed. It was a hearty laugh that one would think Mako was not capable of doing. Daywalker. Seriously? Is that what the kids are thinking these days when they see a person who just continually ages well? Mako would not answer him immediately as she placed the cigarette back into her mouth, a small grin would follow. It was one of those looks that seemed to suggest something was up with her, but what it was? That was not going to be revealed anytime soon. Michino did not see her transform when she put she granted mercy and a full retreat to the kidnapper who took Sayuri. "You dare to claim? I'll let you keep daring to claim, but an old lady is entitled to her secrets."[/b] She answered. Between Michino and Tama, Mako liked dealing with Michino more. Tama was ... too ripe in age. The fact he was a shriveled old man who was in fact younger than her grandson was most disappointing.

The next two to arrive were girls, the first being Naoki and the second being Chiyo. The old woman knew Naoki was blind all too well. The child might not have wanted to wear black considering where they were going but ... eh, it'll be fine Mako figured in the long run. Mako remembered hearing from some time back that her daughter, Chiyoko, had met the child. She was adept with instruments, and was capable of making curious sounds come out of some of them. "I hope Chiyoko was right about you showing real spirit."<i></i> The other individual would be Chiyo ... which was quite close to Chiyoko. Was ... was Mako being tested here? Seriously? Chiyo? The veteran would continue to puff her cigarette. She would finish the cigarette, and she would drop it on the floor and stomp it out. She would

"We're at war with Sora, but while we're at war with Sora we need to be wary of what evil lurks in the wilds."<i></i> She began, "Naoki sometime ago engaged in a confrontation with an Arch Demon. Things have been relatively quiet in the land of Inferno, which is concerning. My grandson has tasked us with a scouting mission to find out what is going on out here. If we can handle it, we can certainly try to do so."[/b] Mako explained. She looked to each of the three before her. "Arch Demons are particularly crafty. The difference between them and most demons is not only a matter of strength, but they are cunning as well. We're going to be in the deep out here, and we're going to have to work as a team."<i></i> Mako with her one had would gesture to the landscape before them. It looked ordinary at the moment as far as the normal eye could see, but what lurked ahead of them? Who truly knew. Mako would begin her trek, whether or not they were going to join them was up to them.

(So, as we're going to proceed here we're going to use your stats in order to determine that you survive certain checks. Genjutsu will be perception, Stamina will be Constitution, Ninjutsu will be Arcana, Agility will be dexterity, so let's start get out our secondary stats)

 

[Toraono Michino]

The demonkind listened well as his pointed ears twitched a little at the thought of reentering the desert for the very same reason he was glad to leave it. Despite being part of one the youth had little love for demons and their ruthless ways. He sighed a little at Chiyoko and threw a worried glance over to the girls who had been chosen to come with them. He was at least somewhat aware of what Chiyo was capable of but had no idea of Naoki's strengths except that she had really pretty eyes. It only took a moment of looking at her before he realized she was blind which doubled his worries. For a moment he thought of adding on that there was no shame in turning back to what their leader said but, he realized there shouldn't be any reason to discredit the two fellow shinobi. The concern for their well being still obviously shown on his face, a part of his personality he couldn't help, but he gave them a friendly nod of his head as he turned to follow in. The teen hoped he had conveyed via that body language not to worry about their task as much as he was. His bare feet pushed into the heat of the dunes as they who followed marched forward behind their leader while trying to keep a sharp eye out despite the whipping grains of sand in the wind. Checking to make sure his swordbelt was on tight enough for the walk ahead of them the demonkind tightened the grip on the evil lurking in his blood as they moved in. He really hoped it wouldn't wig out again like it did on his last trip into this hell hole.

Spoiler

Perception = 600
Constitution = 600
Arcana = 600
Dexterity = 600

Melee Accuracy = [29]
Ranged Accuracy = [19]
Ninjutsu Accuracy = [23]
Melee Dodge = [23]
Ranged Dodge = [23]
Ninjutsu Dodge = [23]
Genjutsu Difficulty = [29]
Genjutsu Save = [23]

Twisting Shadows
HP: (40+lvl) x stamina
CP: (45+lvl) x chakra control
Class Bonus: +2 Melee Accuracy/+2 Gen DC 5% Bleeding
High: Tai Acc/Gen DC
Average: Dodge/Gen Save/GenDC/NinAcc
Low: Ranged Acc

 

[Samejima]

Another girl showed up, Naoki noticed, after hearing her voice ring out from behind her. She made a point of waving at this one, since she was facing them and all. "I'm Samejima Naoki. Naoki is fine." Turning to the boy next to her and tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention, she would note, "That goes for you too, nice to meet you all!" She grinned, hoping to make nice with these people whom she was presumably going to be working with, then paused "Well, I guess I haven't officially met you yet huh? What's your name?" she asked the boy, and assuming he replied with it she would nod, "Cool, nice to meetcha."

Naoki thought about asking Mako whom Chiyoko was exactly, but didn't comment, instead beginning to overthink her now-apparent expectations as if her being a 20-year-old genin wasn't already something that spoke of her abilities. She formed a rather confused expression at the mention of her having faced off against one of them, waiting until after Mako had begun to walk before asking her about it. "I uh... I don't remember having fought off something as dangerous-sounding as that," she jogged along to keep pace with Mako, "You sure that was me ma'am?"

She adjusted the straps slung across her chest; one for her messenger bag full of supplies and one for her kokyuu, which she had recently started to play again. She still had no idea how to play it the traditionally beautiful way she remembered it being played all those years ago, but it would suffice for any entertainment purposes, she hoped. What exactly does she mean by "in the deep" anyway? Last I remembered the sands of Suna were fine after the Diamond Maelstrom cleared up... I wonder what's happened out here in the time I've been gone. Naoki would snap her fingers periodically as they walked, just to be sure she wasn't stepping on any scorpions or the like--things could get dicey if even one of them happened to be of the shuriken variety. The swirling winds would prove just loud enough for Naoki to make her way through the desert, so if it was annoying anyone she would comply with stopping.

Spoiler: Stats

Main Stats[lb][/lb] Constitution: 525/525[lb][/lb] Dexterity: 525/525[lb][/lb] Arcana: 525/525[lb][/lb] Perception: 305/525[lb][/lb]

Secondaries[lb][/lb] Melee Accuracy = [24][lb][/lb] Ranged Accuracy = [18][lb][/lb] Ninjutsu Accuracy = [21][lb][/lb] Melee Dodge = [21][lb][/lb] Ranged Dodge = [21][lb][/lb] Ninjutsu Dodge = [21][lb][/lb] Genjutsu Difficulty = [18][lb][/lb] Genjutsu Save = [19][lb][/lb]

Custom Class[lb][/lb] Sandshark[lb][/lb] HP: (45+5+9) x stamina[lb][/lb] CP: (40+5+9) x chakra control[lb][/lb] Class Bonus: Kinjutsu Option (Hachimon)[lb][/lb] High: Melee Accuracy[lb][/lb] Average: Ninjutsu Accuracy, Genjutsu DC, Genjutsu Save, Dodge[lb][/lb] Low: Ranged Accuracy

[tbody] [/tbody]

[MFT]

 

[Chiyo]

The girl smiled widely as the pale eyed woman greeted her, noting that she was blind. Idly she wondered how Naoki's abilities embraced her lack of sight. She turned her attention to the elder woman smoking a cigarette as she heard her name spoken, but noted with surprise that the words were directed to the woman beside her. She raised an eyebrow, wondering who it was that shared her name. The tone turned serious again, and Chiyo's brow furrowed slightly as she listened intently to the woman's words. She had braved the sands twice before in her life, though she didn't remember the first time. She was still a newborn, though that trip was before the maelstrom had been tamed. She did, however, remember the last time, and it wasn't a trip she was looking forward to making again. 

She had not, however, had much dealing with demons, and her golden eyes flickered nervously to the boy standing beside her. She recalled her father's words of warning, but pushed them to the back of her mind. She wouldn't allow such stupid prejudices to effect her judgement - or success on this journey. The old woman was right, they would need to work as a team. She caught his eye for a brief moment as he glanced around the group and flashed a small smile, shaking her hands out to calm her nerves. "Let's do it," she said, her voice ringing with confidence. Now that she had steeled herself, she would fall into step a bit behind Naoki, straightening her gloves and tightening the straps of her small backpack to keep it snug to her spine.

 

Spoiler

Perception = 70/70
Constitution = 210/210
Arcana = 153/153
Dexterity = 280/280

Black Blood Fist
HP: (50+lvl) x stamina
CP: (30+lvl) x chakra control
Class Bonus: +5% Unarmed Taijutsu Damage, +5% Chance of inflicting Suppression
High: Tai Acc
Average: Dodge, Gen Save, Gen Acc, Nin Acc, Ranged Acc
Low: None

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Spoiler

Welcome to the stat box. This is where the devil is lying to you consistently. Each round something will happen. You will need to call out a check. So for instance if you think you're seeing an illusion call Perception. If you beat the roll, you get to see past the illusion and what is real. If you fail you may start losing Sanity. Sometimes there will be a magical object, to interact with it, you will need to do an Arcana check, if you fail to interact with it properly, something bad may happen which will mess with you mind. If the way is blocked, we may need to shove rocks out of the way in which strength will be needed. If you fail ... well you will take significantly less Sanity damage compare to the other two. I will roll a d20 and combine it with your score and do so on an individual level. Let us begin our journey

Michino
Strength 29
Dexterity 19
Arcana 23
Evasion 23
Perception 29
Sanity: 100%

Naoki
Strength 24
Dexterity 18
Arcana 21
Evasion 21
Perception 18
Sanity: 100%

Chiyo
Strength 13
Dexterity 12
Arcana 10
Evasion 12
Perception 8
Sanity 100%

Chiyoko
Strength ??
Dexterity ??
Arcana ??
Evasion ??
Perception??
Sanity: -166%

The three of you begin to enter the outskirts of Inferno. As you approach the landscape, curious things happen. The heat suddenly increases and begins to increase rapidly. Naoki had been subjected to this before as she was in the outskirts of Inferno. This time it seemed to be much hotter. The sky above seemed to carry an odd haze about it. If one looked carefully enough there was a very odd occurrence every six to eight minutes there would be an electrical disturbance. It seemed like lightning was skirting the sky, and not just any lightning but it was red in colour. In about two hundred meters it would seem like the team was going to reach a threshold. The ground before them would become not sand, but glass oddly.



Naoki. You questioned Mako about if it was indeed you who had been in the land of Inferno. There was an odd look about her. Mako tilted her head slightly. Mako would give you a particularly odd grin. For a slight moment it seemed like there was something not quite right in her smile, like the teeth for a fleeting moment seemed too sharp, or not quite human. "You're calling my grandson a liar? I'll have to ask him about that won't I?"<i></i> The old woman spoke almost coyly. Mako would continue her way forward leading the team. The glass surface was coming up more and more.


Michino. You have been in the presence of Mako before. Unfortunately for you, there was no witness unto what her true power set was. As you continued to walk you began to feel an odd burning sensation on the back of your neck. Should you touch it you would pull you hand back and find some black ichor. The substance seemed to be quite thick. Was this an old wound that opened up? Have you ever seen your own blood before? Surely. Was it ever black and thick? Maybe this wasn't a wound, maybe it was something that came down upon you earlier?


Chiyo. Who knew what experience you lacked here. Were you prepared for what lurked out here? You were bringing up the rear of the team. The landscape here was something truly outlandish and perhaps something very much beyond what you are used to seeing. As you were bringing up the rear, you pause. You have a distinct feeling that you are being watched by something, but the more you think about it the more you mind offers you a very disturbing suggestion. You are not being watched by something. You are being watched by everything. You consider the notion that everything has its eye on you.


Mako would make a gesture for you all to stop. The Veteran kneels and begins to look about. "It's purest glass out there?"<i></i> She states outloud. Was that a question meant for all of you, or perhaps some of you? It seemed like it was a silvered colour glass which if you decide to push forward with Mako will begin in about ten meters.

 

[Toraono Michino]

The desert was a nigh-unending expanse of insanity. It was an old scarred battleground where humans fought a powerful oppressive evil to win their freedom. Looking around at the golden dunes whipping stinging sands into their eyes it was hard to imagine themselves as a victor of anything. 
Michino tried to keep a sharp eye on the shifting golden hills. He could feel the sweat rolling down his face and torso but he shouldered on trying his hardest to ignore what he could. The Toraono was no stranger to the desert heat having lived above the surface since birth but, even he could feel the weight of the sun. Carefully he reached to his side near one of the short swords and slipped his fingers into his belt to pull out what looked like a flat snake skin. Pulsing a little bit of his chakra into the leather removed the seal that was keeping the long canteen flat and portable. With a flick of his thumb he popped off the cap and went to tilt his head back to get a swig.
It was then he finally acknowledged the pain on the back of his neck. Reflexively the demonkin's hand struck up at his neck to swat before pulling away to make sure it wasn't one of their country's blood-hungry bugs. Seeing the black ichor on his hand made him wonder if he had indeed just slayed an insect of vampirism and reached back to wipe it off the painful area. As he did so his fingers tried to investigate the source of the pain to make sure he didn't have a wound from what he suspected was an insect. At least he was sure it wasn't his blood...he wasn't aware of anyone who did.
As he rubbed on the back of his neck he would also make sure to keep a firm grip on the canteen as he took his sip in hopes to prevail against the heat. He would then offer the drink to the others when Mako made her strange comment. He looked ahead at the glass landscape wondering if the temperature had indeed gotten so bad it was turning the desert itself into glass. If that was true there was no way they'd be able to walk its surface without getting cooked. The very idea that the sun would focus so much of its hate into their side of the world was ludicrous by itself...but it was the Wind Country. There was all kinds of unexplained mysteries abound.

"Mako, is there another way around? If the heat index out there is strong enough to turn sand into glass then we'd might as well be walking bacon."

 

[Samejima]

The genin froze. "N-no ma'am, that's not what I meant at all! I..." She hesitated. There's really no point to dragging this out, the Steward probably knew what he was talking about, whatever it was. She didn't have much of a recollection of what happened so long ago, with the more recent happenings. She trailed off and left the topic at that, not noticing the almost inhuman grin the old lady flashed from how flustered she was at having been accused of accusing her grandson of all people of lying.

Naoki used to be very well-versed in the art of toiling under the sun. She used to know not to wear black for example. Unfortunately, her vision was no longer what it used to be (read: non-existent), and she had lost most of the techniques she used to keep in mind at all times, such as bringing a covering for her head, and making sure as much of her skin was covered as possible so it didn't sting so damned much. Bah, the old man would flip out if he saw me being so irresponsible. 'Heatstroke kills!' he'd yell, before flopping his favorite towel over me. Man that thing stank... As she walked, she was able to keep pace, but it wasn't long before she decided enough was enough and started rummaging around in her pack for anything to cover her head with, to no avail. Sighing, she figured she would at least offer advice to anyone who had prepared for it: "If any of you have a cloth to cover your head with, it helps with reducing the risk of heatstroke. I'm a bit unprepared today, to my great disappointment..." she chuckled wryly.

The boy already seemed to be drinking, and it just called to mind how thirsty Naoki herself was right now. Just a little should be fine... No! No, I can't, gotta save the stuff for later... What if we get stranded out here? yeah, better try and save it... They'd been walking for quite some time now, and by Mother Suna she was going to have to get something to--of course! She formed a few quick handseals, using a jutsu that would usually only be used to douse fires on herself. She was already drenched from the sweat anyway. Rinsing herself down was the least she could do for her skin, resistant as it may naturally be to the heat. Phew...

As a side note, Naoki would comply cheerfully if anyone wanted her to perform the jutsu on them, happy to help.

She stopped with the rest of them when told to stop, and felt compelled to yell at the expanse to determine its components, impossible as it might be that it was actually glass. "is it... okay to make noise? I can yell to try and figure out if it's glass, bit too far off for me to tell for sure right now." The ambient noise of the Inferno was quite telling however; she was able to detect that the surface was indeed different than what they had been traversing.

[MFT]

 

[Chiyo]

Chiyo strolled along rather casually given the extreme climate. The extensive training she had been subjected to by her father had included spending extended periods of time within the desert. Of course, during these times she was never very far from Soon, but isolated enough that she had learned to cope with the heat. Her golden eyes wandered over the dunes around them, gauging her level of dehydration as she looked around. She had definitely survived much worse. She flashed a small smile at Michino as he offered her some of his water, but shook her head. She could wait much longer and it was a much better idea to ration their supplies in case they were out here for longer than anticipated. As Naoki splashed water on her face, the teenager raised her eyebrows. That was a very handy jutsu, she wondered idly if the woman would be willing to show her how it was done. Her mouth was open to ask when Mako stopped.

The other two gathered around the old woman, speaking to her, but Chiyo would still be several feet away. She had stopped when she began to feel a curious sensation that she was taught to always be wary of. As suddenly as the feeling had appeared, she would activate her Jōmyaku no me.* In an instant, the whites of her eyes would become an inky black color. Turning slowly in place she would stare intently in all directions, her vision allowing her to see the life-blood of any living creature within a mile of the team. She heard Mako's question, but as she didn't have an answer yet, she continued to concentrate on her search.

As she looked for any sign of something or someone, she would speak finally, "I-...I think we're being watched." Her voice would be quiet, but carrying. Surprisingly, she didn't sound worried as most girls her age might, she sounded like she was preparing herself for anything. Her father would be proud.

Spoiler

Not sure if this would boost my pitiful perception since it's not genjutsu, but I'll need a perception check please.

Jōmyaku no me - Activated Passive
While most users of the Jōmyaku have no choice in turning the ability on and off, Chiyoko is blessed. Usually she activates it without realizing it when angered but the process is simular to the Hyuuga’s except she manipulates the blood flow to filter more chakra through the veins around her eyes as opposed to just chakra. Also opposed to seeing a chakra system the eyes sense and see the blood pulsing of living creatures and chakra auras of awakened blood. Doing so for prolonged periods can cause a strain and to make it appear as if she’s crying blood.

Rank 3: +3 Accuracy/Dodge, 2000 meter visual range.
Rank 3: 1AP; 900 chakra to initiate, 430/round to maintain

[MFT]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Spoiler

Michino
Strength 29
Dexterity 19
Arcana 23
Evasion 23
Perception 29
Sanity: 100%

Naoki
Strength 24
Dexterity 18
Arcana 21
Evasion 21
Perception 18
Sanity: 100%

Chiyo
Strength 13
Dexterity 12
Arcana 10
Evasion 12
Perception 8+3
Sanity: 95%

Chiyoko
Strength ??
Dexterity ??
Arcana ??
Evasion ??
Perception??
Sanity: -166%

[6:27 PM] Melkor|Sousuke: .roll 1d20 for Chiyo on perception
[6:27 PM] Melkor|Sousuke: nope
[6:27 PM] Melkor|Sousuke: t!dice 1d20
[6:27 PM] BOTTatsumaki:
:game_die: Rolling Dice!
[d20 : 17]
In the end, the result was: 17
[6:27 PM] Melkor|Sousuke: well thats slightly terrifying for Chiyo.
[6:29 PM] Melkor|Sousuke: take sanity damage!
[6:29 PM] Melkor|Sousuke: t!dice 1d5
[6:29 PM] BOTTatsumaki:
:game_die: Rolling Dice!
[d5 : 5]
In the end, the result was: 5

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Chiyo. You in contract to your allies decide to find out what exactly is watching you. You pause for a moment and reach into your ability set. You were blessed, or cursed, with a special form of sight. You reach deep within yourself and bring that power out. Your vision changes for a moment. You are no longer present with your allies, you stand alone in the dark and the field of glass before you draws your attention. You bring yourself to the edge of the glass. Your vision to see the life blood of living creatures goes hay wire. You see at least four dozen bodies beneath the field, or lake if you will of glass. You see them all buried deep beneath the glass. Their forms are not all human, some are beast-men, some are in fact demons, and others are something else entirely that seemed to be a mixture of both. Then there is a moment of spine tingling horror as all of their heads turn, just turn and look at you precisely. You feel shock and revulsion and you cannot tell whether or not these creatures are living, dead, or in an in-between state. Yes. You are being watched by something in specific. Nothing else matter. These eyes see you. Your mind jolts, and you fall on your backside. You blink several times. You come to a very horrible conclusion. It is up to you to share this simple fact. There are people, there are things beneath this sea of glass. They all just reacted to you and stared at you, you, you! They did not stare at Michino, Naoki, or Mako. They chose you! You cannot be certain for sure, but there is danger ahead of you, and while your mind is reeling in all of this you take hold of this information. Better to know now instead of later. Their eyes, all of the eyes seemed like little candles. Staring at you.

Michino. You remain puzzled by the black ichor. You reach and pull back what appears to be a small tooth. Maybe it was indeed a blood hungry bug, but you consider it further. This is a tooth right? You focus so intently you cause it to break apart into many more tiny pieces. You frown at the notion of this. Your little research subject is gone, and gone right before your very eyes. You put it out of your mind for the time being and approach the glass field. You get nothing from it. Yet you feel the heat rising from it. Silver glass. You cannot seem beneath it, not easily at least. It seems to stretch out for a long time. The glass from what you can tell reaches out for about five hundred meters. You turn your head and look for an alternate path. It is not immediately visible, but you get the distinct feeling that this cannot go on forever. That would be simply madness. All rivers must end. You've never heard of a field of glass before. The more you think about it, the greater the logical conclusion comes, follow the glass field, see if the path diverts, and then walk along the edge of it. Assumedly you should be able to reach the end point right?

Naoki. You approach the situation of this heat with an answer. Perhaps in all of this you are the most practical person. This is something that is truly worth doing because the alternative? Not so good. You notice Mako oddly glaring at the silver glass field. She looks down and then out across the field of glass. She is seemingly trying to find an end for it. You asked about making noises, and if you should yell to try and figure out the nature of this silver glass field, and if it is truly indeed glass. Mako turns her head your way, and she seems to be rather annoyed, not at you, but at the situation as a whole. "You can certainly give it a try."<i></i> Mako would shift her gaze to the sky. As she does so another bolt of red lightning is seen grazing through the sky. "Yeah. Give it a shot. This lightning seems to be the only worrying thing right now. It's not hitting the ground or anything like that."<i></i> Mako seemed to be alright with your course of action whether you choose to peruse it or not.

 

[Chiyo]

Almost as if in a trance, Chiyo moved forward toward the edge of the glass. She couldn't be sure if it was from morbid curiousity or a disregard for her own life that drew her forward through the sea of blackness, but there she stood. What the fuck!? Her golden eyes flickered at high speed over the scene before her, widening in horror. This....is not what she expected when she left her apartment this morning.

She could feel warm tears trailing down her cheeks, but she ignored them. Her mouth dropped open in a silent scream as the eyes turned to look at her. Immediately she stumbled backward and fell to the ground, desperate to get away from what she had seen. Blinking her eyes, they returned to their normal state and she could see her companions again. She would bring a shaking hand up to her face to finally brush away her tears, but they came away coated in black. She stared at her fingers a split second. It had been a long time since her vision had taxed her so much to cause her to cry blood, and to have this happen after such a short period of time? Even when she was just realizing her abilities she could keep it up much longer. 

Just then she heard Mako's reply to Naoki's question and she jumped to her feet, moving forward quickly to place her hand on the woman's shoulder. "No! I... There are....creatures...under the glass. Loud noises would probably not be our best option at the moment." Her voice shook, and her eyes were still wide. She probably looked rather mad, especially with streaks of black blood on her cheeks, but she had to make herself understood. "They..." She shook her head a moment, closing her eyes before looking back up and speaking to the rest of the party. "I don't know what they were...humans, what I would assume are demons...hybrids," her eyes flickered to Michino for a split second before continuing. "They weren't....right, though. I can't put my finger on it..." The teenager wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head again, trying to rid herself of the vision of dozens of eyes staring at her through the blackness.

 

[Toraono Michino]

As the demonkin moved his hand away from his neck to see the little tooth immediately he was intrigued. He knew of a few insects that had fang like funnels they used for drinking blood but what he held between his fingers looked more like an actual fang. Before he could really get a good eye on it though the fingers he held it between twitched and the pressure destroyed the specimen. With a sad sigh he decided to make a mental note to look it up in the Sunan library when they got back. However the conundrum stood before them still in the large silvery field of glass. It was downright hard to look at honestly. A part of him had to wonder if the glass wasn’t actually being created by the heat but was already there and was instead reflecting the heat of the sun. It would explain why the hot air seemed far more daunting than usual. Michino slowly began to move down the dunes towards the field to see how far it was to an edge when he heard the sound of someone falling on the sand. The Toraono turned his head fast and nearly slipped down the dunes when it saw that it was Chiyo that had fallen back with black eyes; and black blood streaking down her cheeks.
He had never seen the ability used before and instantly his mind thought of the black stuff on the back of his neck. The teenager didn’t know a lot about the Uzumoreru except that she did help him once before her father out right beat the absolute crap out of him. There was no telling what he might of said to sway her opinion of him or if the entire thing had been on elaborate set up to mess with him; it wouldn’t be uncommon in Michino’s life.
Pushing these thoughts to the same side of his brain where the tooth was the demonkin strode back up to the girl who looked like she had seen something horrible and listened to the warning she gave against making too much noise. He turned his head towards the field and wondered if that was indeed where their goal was waiting.

“Mako,” he said calmly, “Do you have any way to sense what is underneath that field? If it is demons we can drive them out if we can beat them in combat…but it may be wiser to try and seal the area under a large ninjutsu spell. I only know of a handful of seals and all of them have something to deal with demonic energy but not on this scale. It would take a lot of chakra and focus I know I don’t personally have to put a seal out here. Not to mention the heat, the time it would take to write out, and the mudra itself…”

His piercing blue eyes turned from Mako to the other females in the group questioning what they could do. He had the tools but not the talent. If you wanted the Toraono to cast an illusion or even fight something toe-to-toe he could probably handle that. Exorcism was bit beyond him and he hoped that he could rely on the rest of the team to figure out a solution that didn’t involve fighting the beasts. He knew from experience - demons fight dirty.

 

[Samejima]

Naoki's unseeing eyes widened at Chiyo's urging; watching a girl suddenly hug herself so tightly before the mission had truly even begun, was disconcerting at best and foreboding at worst. "Whoa, hey... what happened? Did... did you sense what was out there or something?" She was more than a little concerned for the girl's well-being, but there wasn't anything she could do for her right now, being unlearned in soothing practices of any sort. Hearing Michino ask about sensing things, she pitched in, "I-I can use vibrations instead of sounds, but if that's what's down there then I don't know if that'll escape their notice... What do you think, Masashi-san?"

If given the OK, she would use a modified version of a Sound jutsu that wouldn't generate any sound that the others could perceive. By controlling the stiffness of her cochlear hair cells however, Naoki would be able to pick up on anything the returned vibrations would be able to convey. If she hadn't been told to hold off, she would try and think of another way to help while rubbing Chiyo's back to try and calm her down.

Spoiler

Perception check, but only if Mako says it's all good.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Spoiler

Michino
Strength 29
Dexterity 19
Arcana 23
Evasion 23
Perception 29
Sanity: 100%

Naoki
Strength 24
Dexterity 18
Arcana 21
Evasion 21
Perception 18
Sanity: 100%

Chiyo
Strength 13
Dexterity 12
Arcana 10
Evasion 12
Perception 8+3
Sanity: 95%

Chiyoko
Strength ??
Dexterity ??
Arcana ??
Evasion ??
Perception ??
Sanity: -166% -> We begin to successfully divide by zero.
Sanity^2: -661%

[9:20 PM] Melkor|Sousuke: Naoki's perception check using a sound jutsu
[9:20 PM] Melkor|Sousuke: t!dice 1d20
[9:20 PM] BOTTatsumaki:
:game_die: Rolling Dice!
[d20 : 9]
In the end, the result was: 9
[9:32 PM] Melkor|Sousuke: Naoki's perception on a long distance sound
[9:32 PM] Melkor|Sousuke: t!dice 1d20
[9:32 PM] BOTTatsumaki:
:game_die: Rolling Dice!
[d20 : 6]
In the end, the result was: 6

Chiyo. Your mind is recovering from the horror that you saw. Your mind is still haunted. Still haunted by seeing all those little candles where there should be eyes. A phrase comes to your mind, and it sticks there. The candles are going out all over the accursed Inferno; we shall not see them lit again in our life. Your mind reels in, as your mind does the work for you. Little by little you see these candles go out. A horrible notion because your rational mind comes to a singular conclusion: Murder. Murder of what lurks sleeping down beneath the glass. Mako reaches for a cigarette and puts it in her mouth. She holds a singular finger up and lights it. She inhales, and then exhales. There an eriee calmness in the woman, but in her eyes you notice it. Whereas your mind is reeling, you see in the eye of Mako a woman who had dealt with this sort of madness her entire life. You freeze. For a fleeting moment you notice something out of place. Her singular eye seemed to be off. The iris did not seem circular but it for a singular moment became an oval. You blink. Was this a trick of the mind? Or in your singular moment of mild insanity, you see something more? Seconds, precious seconds, pass. Your mind tells you, that her eye is fine. There is nothing faerie in this. It is seemingly normal.

Michino. You query Mako. The smoking woman lets out another puff of smoke that forms a circular cloud. A remarkable feat really. "Demons more than likely. Could be bodies of some poor saps from a while back. Many a traveler has come into Inferno and have perished."<i></i> She removed the cigarette from her mouth. "Eventually those bodies would have to go somewhere. I guess you're all going to learn the hard way."<i></i> Mako again placed the cigarette in her mouth. Her eye shifted skyward. You've seen Sousuke do this before when you've been in his presence. This expression was more or less his thinking phase, as you've come to learn from Judori. "Sealing it isn't really an option. You'd tire yourself out too quickly and out here you need as much stamina as you need fresh air."<i></i> To seal this body of glass would indeed take a long amount of time. You rationalize it may take the better part of a day to even begin to seal up a fraction of it.

Naoki. You ask what happened just now due to the sudden reaction by one of your team mates. Mako looks over to you. "Girl's got us a lead. Beneath this sea of glass lies ... demons, undead, or something else."<i></i> The older woman explains. Mako again shoots a quick glance over to Chiyo, and then she turns back to you. You ask a question, and propose that instead of sending out a sound you use try to figure out things through vibrations. "Give it a shot. Hopefully what you find will have less of an effect on you."<i></i> With that you give it a try. You stand still a trying to feel things out, oddly you don't really get a sense of anything. Your technique goes off, to what you think is the best of your ability. You get nothing back. No heartbeats, no vibrations, nothing. You're not the most confident in this, but you think about it and what Mako had said earlier. If they are in fact dead bodies then ... why would there be any vibrations? You get something else though. A vibration elsewhere. It was so very faint.

 

[Toraono Michino]

‘Chino felt the hair on the back of his neck raise up a little for some reason when his leader’s voice seemed to change or did he just imagine that? His eyes were watching her the entire time as she copied the look of deep thought he had seen from their family so many times before. She was offering her opinion on the situation but no real solutions. Was this person really the Chiyoko he knew from his visits to Sousuke’s house? For some reason his mind was telling him that the elder from his memory was far more go-getting than this. Perhaps she was just testing them and was going to lead them all to a solution first.
While he was waiting on the blind female to use her technique to try and sense what Chiyo saw the Toraono narrowed his eyes at the silver glass before him as the heat felt like it was starting to rise. Or was that just him again? On a gut feeling the demonkin placed his hands into a seal that would break any Genjutsu or illusionary hands trying to fondle his chakra focuses and confuse him. Things around them just wasn’t adding up in his head all the way. Even at the start their leader warned them off the demon’s cunning.

If nothing came of that he would wait for Naoki’s answer before suggesting perhaps trying to use their chakra to touch the surface with Genjutsu and see if it reacts. He was running himself down to the ideas that came to him naturally and only things he really knew were how to cast out his chakra and fight up close.

 

[Samejima]

Naoki furrowed her brow in frustration. "I guess I can't get them to go down far enough? Didn't sense anything back from down there." She thought for a moment, picking up a distant sound that seemed out of place somehow in the whipping winds and molten desolation of the desert. Desperate to contribute something of value, she added, "and there's some other noise in the background, but I couldn't tell exactly what it was. It just kinda... stuck out to me somehow." She pointed in the direction of the noise. "From somewhere in that general direction... Sorry I couldn't tell ya much more," she stood up, sighing. Naoki walked over next to Chiyo, and if she didn't appear to be too distraught she would put a hand on the girl's furthest shoulder and squeeze it lightly as a gesture of reassurance, turning her face toward the girl and giving her a nod if she turned to face Naoki.

 

[Chiyo]

As she half-listened to the rest of her companions, Chiyo would pull her pack around her body to locate her canteen. Her hands still shook slightly, but she unscrewed the cap and took a couple of small swallows of the refreshing liquid before returning it to her bag. Her golden eyes would shift over to look at each of the others before her gaze landed on the old woman. For a fleeting moment she thought she saw...something...off. I must be going insane... She thought as she shook her head slightly, perhaps it was the heat getting to her after all - not to mention the freaking demons. Raising her hands, she would brush her long hair back with her fingers, deftly twisting it into a bun and securing it with a pin she kept in her glove.

Once her hair was out of the way, she felt a little better, though the strange way the old woman's eye looked was lodged in her thoughts. The teenager jumped a little as she felt a hand touch her shoulder, but turning her head, she saw that it was just Naoki. One corner of the girl's lips would curl up in an uneasy smile as she relaxed a little, grateful for the comforting touch. Though her suspicious nature was still getting the better of her, even the fleeting thought that something was off was enough to nag at her mind until she did something about it.

She would turn head to look across the desert, just over Mako's shoulder. However, she would be taking in every detail of the old woman's appearance in her periphery. searching for anything out of the ordinary.

Spoiler

Perception check please. Chiyo is still using her sight ability as well, so any oddities in blood flow or heartbeats would be noticeable.

[MFT | 279]