The Lost Temple

The toothpick in Yami's hand broke, having been used a little too much after his hearty breakfast. He didn't know where the Konohagakure shinobi had gone to spend their night and didn't much care as long as they were on time. The old man was walking at a middling pace towards the north entrance to the town where he had instructed the squad of Kononhagakure shinobi to meet today, the morning sun barely peeking out over the horizon and painting the sky various shades of pink, orange, and purple. It was a beautiful sunrise, but Yami had no eyes for it today like he usually would.

He threw the toothpick onto the ground, rubbing the two teeth that a little chunk of beef was stuck between and sucking at the same time to try and jar it loose. After a good handful of seconds had passed he finally managed to get it, spitting it onto the ground as he arrived at the northernmost road out of the town. A sigh escaped his lips as he leaned back against a building and folded his arms, waiting for the shinobi to get there so they could begin their journey. Hopefully they ate something or were planning on doing so on the way since doing this mission on an empty stomach wouldn't be a good idea.

Yami was dressed more lightly than he had been yesterday, wearing loose pants made from a greyish wool. They were old, the wool having lost much of its warming factor and being just barely enough to cover his legs. He still wore the same boots as he had on yesterday, with a forest green shirt covering his torso. On his waist was the same coinpurse from yesterday filled with silver with a simple dagger next to it for his own personal protection. The grey and black hair he possessed was pulled tight against his skull into a chonmage hairstyle, just without so much of it cut off. The topknot style was a favorite of Yami's even if it looked a little silly on a merchant with no swordsmanship skills whatsoever.

He sighed and then yawned, staring indirectly at the sunrise so he could watch the colors dance across the sky. It was a sight he never tired of even in his old age, having watched the sunrise most days that he could recall. "It's a beautiful one today," he commented to nobody in particular, a small smile on his lips. "I hope it stays beautiful."

After a solid night's rest it was the following day. They agreed to meet at the gates. Room service would provide a suitable breakfast, one of salted salmon, rice, miso soup, tsukemono, and rolled omelette. It provided essential nutrients and proved to be quite filling. Afterwards she would gear up, assuming her students had enough common sense to do the same before meeting at the gates with their client. Out the hotel room she would travel down the main road to the great gates where she would see Yami in the distance. Her appearance remained entirely the same as before, choosing the opt out for the same gear and uniform as she always does.

Her footwear consisted of standard black sandals fitted for comfort and security. With the toes and heel left exposed they provided additional balance, while the rest of the foot up to the ankle was protected by the thick nylon material of the sandal. The soles of the sandals are reinforced with hardened material to resist heavy impacts and weathering. She wore a pair of loose fitting black pants with the bottoms near her ankles taped securely in white bandage wrap. This provided balance and reinforcement to her ankles while closing off the ends of her pants. In addition, more bandage wrap was wrapped around her right thigh which allowed a navy blue holster to be strapped over comfortably. Around her waist she wears the basic utility belt which carries two green holsters on her right side along with a tool pouch around her back side and a canteen to the far left.

A black mesh shirt is worn under a common long sleeve black top having a red seal of fire placed on the outsides of each sleeve towards the upper arm. Over that was a fitted green flak jacket provided by Konoha's armory. The jacket was zipped up and secure firmly on her body. Worn on both arms were a pair of custom crafted arm guards gifted to Masuyo. The banded steel design covered the backs of her hands to her elbows leaving a soft spot of leather to allow wrist movement. Around her neck Masuyo wears her forehead protector as a collar. The black cloth is tied in a knot around the back side of her neck with the steel plate facing the front for identification. The steel plate has Konoha's emblem engraved on the front. Masuyo has straight black hair which extends down to her mid back. Two strands of hair drop down touching her chest which leads into her bangs, those being cut shorter and swept to the side. She stands at 5'9 weighing approximately 145 lbs. Her fair skin is complimented with her voluptuous form which is completed with a pair of hazel eyes.

At the moment, Masuyo would say nothing once arriving, except give an extended yawn as she stretched. She was not entirely a morning person, though was disciplined enough to function just as fine at any hour of the day. She would wait for her students to arrive, if they hadn't followed her already. Once they were all gathered she would wait for Yami to take over.

Spending the night in a bed was welcomed by Rin as they stayed at a hotel with decent room service. However what Rin wasn’t expecting was how late people was starting to get up. It was perhaps around 4:30 in the morning before Rin pulled himself away from the comfort of sleep. Taking a quick bath on top of getting changed into another set of clothes which consists of dark slacks that has the ends closed by a white cloth wrapped around his ankles. On his torso is the mesh shirt underneath a grey short sleeved shirt. Rin wasn’t going to gear up just yet since it was only 4:50, and breakfast wasn’t ready yet either. So he took a seat on a vacant chair in his room the was next to a closed window panel. With a mechanical click Rin opened the window just enough to allow the cool morning breeze wash over his face.

His watchful eyes shifted around the streets from his point of view. It was quiet and dark like the town itself was asleep. To be frank it was quite eerie, and the sky was like a void of light. Yet the wind combs over Rin’s damp hair that brings a chill down his spine. Taking his comb, Rin brushes out the knots and straightens out his dark hair. That didn’t take long to do either and now the genin was stuck watching the streets. And good lord there were so many stray cats shifting around in the alleyways. From hisses of tom cats to bellows filled with hostile intention. Each sounds like they’re struggling to survive and steal from each other.

Somewhere, Rin doesn’t remember when exactly, but one second Rin closed his eyes with his head buried in his arm and essentially took a nap. It was a short twenty minute nap as it was 5:15 and he could hear pottery faintly clanging against each other and the sizzling spits from stoves. Woken up with a start as he jerked his head up. It took him a second to remember where he was before Rin lightly pinched the bridge of his nose. Shrugging off the drowsy that was weighing on his mind, Rin made his way to the lobby. The room service was just loading up on food when Rin came around the corner and with brief pleasantries exchanged Rin picked up his breakfast by the tray.

After Rin finished his breakfast he would garb himself in his armor and make sure all of his tools and weapons are in their appropriate locations. Once he was done preparing and gearing up for the mission. Now Rin will sit in the lobby as it was 5:45 in the morning so he can be found sitting at a booth with his arms crossed. Probably reading something equivalent to a magazine to occupy his mind instead of following people with his eyes and eavesdropping in people’s conversation. Finally Masuyo came out, but now Rin can see why she’s not a morning person. It was already nearly 8 for the record, and Rin will be following outside of the hotel to the gate like they’re supposed to be at. No words were being exchanged as Yami was already there and Masuyo was being silent.

Sera didn’t sleep overly well and it showed, dark circles had formed under her eyes, and normally she would have put on a bit of makeup to counteract the body’s natural consequence but she was on a mission and nothing was readily available for her use.

Closer to five am Sera would lay awake and decided to remain awake. Getting up she would unpack and repack her bag, go through her beauty regiment as best she could with what she had packed. Before placing on new undergarments, but keeping the cloths she wore the day before. She would place her headband back on, around her neck and leave her bag in the room as she went to go find breakfast closer to half past five Luckily there was some in the room beside the lobby, a small assortment of varies breakfast items scattered in a buffet style. Picking out a light Breakfast mostly of Fruits and a piece of toast for some extra calories she would then return to her room.

Placing each piece of armour back onto her left she recalled the conversation Rin had with her upon meeting him, it was simple, even since then he seemed to have matured, which was saying something already when she had met him she never would have guessed how young he really was, he had offered her some solid advice that she ended up taking to heart. The armour fit comfortably and seemed less heavy now that she had gotten a little more use to it, or perhaps it was simply the small bit of rest she had gotten.

Making the bed in the room she would double check the room for her belongings. Then sat the table in her room until it was ready, quiet and lost in her own thoughts, this would be the last moments she would be allowed to worry, this would be the last bit of uncertainty of this day, she would be ready and she would be Strong and Concise. She must have waited a few hours in silence before picking up her bag. Placing her Nodachi on her back and walking down to the lobby to return her key.

It wouldn’t be too long before the rest of the town started moving about, the sun was rising as she exited the hotel, by the time she wandered down to the gates Yami would be there already as well as her Sensei and Rin. it appeared she was second to arrive out of the squad, rubbing her eyes with her hands before she got to them. As she reached them she would bow her head towards them all, even if they weren’t looking and announce herself “Good Morning, I hope you slept well.” And flashing a smile, a genuinely happy smile, a hit of nervousness perhaps show, after all this was the real deal and Sera would have to be ready to face any and all challenges that come to term.

Similarly to Masuyo, Taichi really wasn't a morning person. He wasn't even one to eat breakfast as he's gotten used to just waking up, getting ready and going out, worrying about food at lunch mostly instead of waking up in the morning to eat. Anyway, he got his own separate room from his squadmates for the night and really just slept instantly as soon as he got under the covers. In the morning though, he'd been awoken by room service accompanied by breakfast, it's not an unwelcome concept but he found it somewhat weird as it was something he isn't used to. After he had the breakfast, he just got out of bed and started to get ready.

Taichi wears a brand new beige-coloured shirt with it's bright colour being blocked out by the leather equipment Taichi is wearing which consists of a leather vest, spaulders and arm guards. The visible parts of his shirts are the very bottom linings of the beige shirt and the front and side of the shirts arm sleeves. The waist has a light belt which is keeping the tucked in bottom of the shirt into Taichi's long black pants, the hip pouch is connected nicely to the back of Taichi's light belt, which carries all his ninja tools.

With the footwear, Taichi is wearing black ninja sandals which gives some space between the black pants, exposing some skin at Taichi's lower legs. He also has several holsters, a left leg one containing one kunai, his right leg holster carrying ten shuriken and his waist holster also carrying another 10 shuriken. Taichi also wears his forehead protector around the neck, he also wears a backpack carrying the necessities for a possible survival in the wilderness, such as dried food.

After getting himself ready for the day, Taichi exited the hotel around the same time as his squadmates, heading towards the gates and greeting them. "Morning." he'd simply say to all four of them. He didn't seem to be hyperactive but not bored either, possibly suggesting that he's still somewhat drowsy from his sleep, either way he was ready to go for this mission.

(Turbo charging this ahead guys. Vroom vroom!)



Yami turned to Masuyo who chose not to say anything. That didn't bother the old man too much, he understood the desire for silence in the morning. Still, he would give her a smile and a small nod as a greeting. The next to show up said nothing either, which annoyed Yami slightly but he said nothing about it. The next two genin to show up however would speak to everybody, both of them greeting everybody present. Yami would wave and smile to both of them in return, happy that at least half of the Konoha squad had some manners. Once the four were gathered, Yami would clap his hands together to get their attention and would begin to speak.

"Alright guys, this is it. I want to thank you all again for helping me with this before we head out. These knives mean the world to me, and you all being willing to risk your lives for them means almost as much. Thank you," he said, bowing to each of them in turn. For an old man, he was surprisingly spry. "Okay, now that I've got all the sentimental stuff out of the way," he began again with a grin," let's head out!" Without wasting a beat, the old merchant turned and began up the road that led north.

A few hours later, Yami would turn northeast off the designated road and began walking towards into the woods. "I remember when I was young walking through these forests. I would hunt and play every time my father docked in this land and plied his trade throughout it. This temple was a place I found on my last time through after I went as deep into the forest as I'd ever gone before. I think you guys will like it as much as I did." Yami didn't particularly care if any of them were listening, it was just nice to talk every once in awhile. The older you got, the more talking became all you could do.

Finally, after another handful of hours of walking through forests as old as most of the old clans of the continent, Yami would hold a hand up to signal everyone to stop. "If I remember right, the temple should be about two kilometers ahead. I'm gonna go ahead and wait here for you guys to get back if you don't mind. Don't want to get in your way, after all," he said. With an eager smile, Yami would sit under a tree and lean against the trunk while watching the Konoha squad move towards the temple. "And good luck..."





At the temple-



The Temple of Hononi; the final resting place of the Fire Disciple. He had not wanted a large, showy temple or one that many people could worship at. Among all of the disciples, he was the one who desired the renown the least. And so Hohoni selected a spot in the middle of his favorite woods and constructed his own tomb. Even in its heyday it wasn't much to look at, but the caress of time had worn it down and ruined much of its splendor.

It was a small construct buried in the woods eight feet long by four feet wide with fully enclosed walls and only one entrance. Inside it was plain and old though obviously kept up by somebody. There were no cobwebs and very little dust, as under the floor of the interior rested the casket of the Fire Disciple according to legend. This was not all that was contained within the temple. Resting on a small platform resting one meter off the ground and on a fine cloth made of red silk were four knives as black as night. They were obviously made of ebony with an equally fine wood serving as their hilts. A remarkable fuuinjutsu pattern was etched into the ebony blades, denoting these as particularly special weapons. Each appeared balanced for throwing as well.

All of this was hidden from the outside world by a single entrance on the south side of the building. The temple was elevated, with a set of three stairs leading up to the entrance. The exterior was made of raw granite, each wall being one solid piece. Whatever had moved them into place was very powerful, and whoever had cut them to fit as the walls of a temple had been extremely talented in his own right. The roof was made of wood and ordinary clay tiles, with the tiles appearing recently replaced. The exterior was old, but as well kept as the interior was. It was obvious that this was not an abandoned temple by virtue of appearance alone, but this was not the only hint for the squad of Konoha shinobi.

Just inside the entrance of the temple rested a man leaning against the pedestal the knives were laying on. He had a bandage wrapped around his right shoulder, blood still leaking through from what appeared to be a stab wound. He was bald and had a crooked nose. A plain brown robe adorned his 5'8" body, a sword belt with a katana on his left hip being the only other thing on his person. His breathing was somewhat labored and sweat was beaded on his bald head. He appeared to be suffering from an ailment of some sort. Outside the temple and on the stairs were numerous bloodstains and three large pools of blood where a body had likely been laying. The blood was dry, being a few days old.

As the squad would draw near the only entrance to the temple, the man inside the temple would groggily open his eyes. He still had enough sense about him that he was able to detect the shinobi moving closer. A grunt escaped his lips as he pushed himself to his feet. A stagger followed as he struggled to maintain his balance. His left hand was placed onto the pedestal to help him steady himself as his right hand moved to the hilt of his katana. "Stop there! Turn around and leave this place, it has been sullied with the blood of the ignorant all too recently and I have no desire to spill more," he warned.







An image of the knives, for when you guys are able to see them:

Spoiler:

Throughout the travels and upon reaching their parting point Masuyo turned back towards Yami as he spoke. There was the temple not terribly far, though quite some distance in terms of communicating with their client. "And you will be safe all by yourself? if you say so." She parted from Yami with what she said. She had suspicions on him not being one-hundred with what he shared with them. Certainly these knives were not an heirloom piece as they were pursued by enemy Shinobi. Regardless she tried not to cloud her judgement. In the end they were simply mercenaries to do his bidding, not a detective for his personal life. Whether he was a masterful assassin, or truly a traveling merchants was not up to them. "Let's head out, team."

Approaching the temple, if one could call it that, Masuyo would be able to spot everything described from a fair distance. "This is more of a mausoleum than a temple. I expected us to encounter a squad of hired mercenaries over being grave robbers." As Masuyo and her squad neared the temple she spotted a wounded man and what would appear to be their prize. Certainly the area was small, and if Yami was accurate with his findings, these were the only set of knives located in the vicinity. Masuyo would stop briefly before the staircase as the wounded old man began to animate again. He spoke of this burial being spilled with ignorant blood, which would explain the pools of dried crimson and the man's wounded shoulder. He was armed with a sword, and although he was a threat, he was nothing the squad would be overwhelmed with. Masuyo casually rested her hands on her waist in a sense to lean on herself, but planning as well as her right hand was centimeters from her holsters.

"Whether you live or die is your doing. Our objective is the set of knives inside. You can present them to us outside of the temple or we can set foot inside and 'defile' these sacred grounds. Make your choice and be quick about it." She spoke abruptly with a demanding voice. It was much colder than her typical, cheery atmosphere. One that would suggest she knew how to let back to have fun and how to be serious when a situation called for it. She remained perceptive of her target and the environment. A large part of her felt like he was going to struggle with her demands. Her prize would not come as easy as anticipated.

During the trek through the forest Yami was muttering about when he was a kid. No one else said anything, so Rin kept his mouth shut and focused his attention to their surroundings. The boy was confident with his own eyesight and hearing if there was anyone, or anything, nearby. Thankfully there wasn’t anyone side from maybe the occasional small game. However at some point as the temple can be seen further ahead Yami opted to stay behind. Masuyo let him decide his own course of action so long as it didn’t hinder them. So Rin shrugged the feeling that there was something more to it. The only thing Rin could think of is if they fail or get caught Yami was nowhere to be found since he’ll be long gone by then.

About 125 meters away from the temple, Rin cast the sensory field without touching anything and just focused on what he could detect. “There is one person that is positioned quite high. It is a strong fire, and there’s four small ones. Like maybe the size of my hand small, but the chakra is dormant i think. It’s like a smoldering fire compared to the other.” Rin spoke up mainly to inform Masuyo what was ahead of them before they even reached the steps. Still he made a note to keep his voice low since he didn’t want to allow the sound to carry. Then Rin looked back at Taichi before asking. “You mentioned the hiding like a mole before. Is it possible for you to sneak inside while underground so if things go south we’ll have a way of securing the knives?” Of course he isn’t a leader nor does his words hold any authoritative weight. But it was more of a suggestion of a backup plan.

When they arrived near the temple about 15 meters out a man garbed in a brown robe armed with a sheathed katana gave out a warning. Something about not wishing to spill more ignorant blood. Of course it would explain the three dried blood pools on the steps. It suggested that there were others here probably seeking something, and seeing as the blood wasn’t turned black yet it had to be recent too. Rin picked up on how there wasn’t much of dust or cobwebs like one would find in an abandoned temple. There was also the matter of a sarcophagus inside of the temple as well. The genin tried to recollect anyone of importance in the Land of Fire who would build a temple as their tomb.

Seeing as how the man had a hand on the hilt Rin does the same as he rests a right hand on his katana. Masuyo was quick to the point and held a fierce tone too. Rin hid the shudder down his spine as he wouldn’t want to anger Masuyo. The grip on Rin’s katana tightened as this would be his first real combat, and as such Rin is quite nervous. Taking a deep breath, Rin spoke more to himself as his voice seems to have regained with a bit more strength behind it. “Hohoni… The Fire Disciple right?” Rin’s hazel blue-green eyes shifted over at the sarcophagus as there was like a spiritual weight on his shoulders. All this time Rin was always under the impression that Hohoni’s temple was lost in the forest, and yet here was this guy who is most likely a keeper of this temple.

Still, Rin can see the beads of sweat running down the man’s face, and somehow judging from how this guy needed to brace himself against the pedestal Rin doubts he could put up much of a fight in that condition. “Please sir, we’re just here to collect the knives from the temple. Once we have them we’ll depart and you’ll be left unharmed. None of us needs to spill our lives over some tool.” Hoping to convince the man if it came from a younger genin who is technically still a child in many eyes. His shoulder length hair sway with the wind as his eyes was focused on the man. To further solidify Rin’s persuasion as well as helping Masuyo, Rin released his grip on the hilt and his right hand hangs off to his side.

Stuff:

As they were leaving Sera readjusted her bag over her shoulder and went with the squad. Her sleepless night didn’t help her want to be more alert but by a hour in she was back to herself,  she no longer craved sleep nor did she feel as tried, but she likely still looked it.  The march on the other hand was far easier then the day before. This was due to a mixture of being more adjusted to her armour and because her need to be at the ready.

Traveling through the forest Yami had mention that he played in this forest as a child, and that he recalled the temple they were to go to wasn’t too far off.  He decided to stay behind with no guards which seemed entirely wrong somehow.  Though Sera would have protested the idea, Masuyo seemed relatively unphased by it, followed by an order for the Squad to keep moving.

Breaking into a Temple to steal scared knives didn’t feel right on her,  she felt like she was on the wrong side of this battle, Masuyo had said there was likely mercenaries or another squad there to stop them and that also didn’t sit right with her.   now somewhat conflicted she looked at the temple in the distance,  Rin seemed to Stay Somewhat quiet until he started to come up with a plan himself.

His idea to go underground to get it with Earth Ninjutsu was smart, unless they have a sensory type with them as well. “ if he did go under ground they might be able to detect him still, would you be able to block their vision of him so he doesn’t get caught out alone?” she asked Quietly looking back to Rin for a moment.   Her flow of ideas cut short by the Robed Figure Telling them to stop. Before  Sera could answer  Masuyo and Rin were Negotiating. Sera would wait quietly with her hand at the ready on her blade.   She took a position Right of Masuyo so if and when she drew her blade out  there was no one in her way to complicate it.

Sera’s emerald green eyes watched quietly, she drew in each breath quietly and let it go softly. Her mind at the ready she kept focused on the man with the blade,  he claimed to spill the blood of others, and his intentions seemed set in stone he likely wouldn’t allow us to pass without incident.  Rin had also mentioned there was another person up high, with a stronger chakra. She would get ready she had to ensure safety if there was something.  Her gaze slowly looked up towards where she figured the concealed higher up person was.  She would prepare encase they came out with an attack before the negotiations were set up.  she was at the ready and silent.

(For narrative purposes, we'll say Taichi stayed behind to guard Yami)





The wounded man smiled at Masuyo's words, apparently not phased at all by them. In fact, while he was wounded and barely conscious, there was one thing anybody could tell; this man was not afraid of anything. One of the younger ones spoke to him as well, trying to sound a little more polite than his squad leader. "You want the knives? No, you want money. Someone else wants the knives. You seem like an intelligent woman, and yet you fail to see the gravity of what you're doing." The man made no move to draw his blade, instead focusing his eyes directly onto Masuyo. They were hard, unwavering. "These knives belong to only one man, and he is long dead and buried. For one to not only know of their existence and be actively hunting them at the same time is not a good omen for the future. Please, I beg you, do not make me draw my blade on this day. Leave, and never return. Lie to your employer, tell him the knives are not here."

The man was no fool himself however, and he half expected the group of shinobi to decline this offer. He truly did not wish to kill them, but it was his duty to guard this place at any cost. To him, there was not a price too high to pay to fulfill this duty. He was one of the last of his kin to take up the mantle of guarding these holy sites. Not many of his kin had ever had to fight a man, let alone kill one, as they were supposed to be secret locations. In the entire history of his clan, this site in particular had only ever been attacked once and the attacker had been driven off. And yet, he had spilled the blood of three men and now was faced with the task of spilling the blood of three more. Assuming that the shinobi would decline this offer, he would frown and remove his hand from his sword, letting it drop to his side.

"The last three fools who tried this are lying among the trees half a kilometer away. They wanted money too, but I offer you something more valuable than that if you turn around and leave; your life. It is something not so easily given, but I offer it to you now. Neither of us want bloodshed, so do not be the one to cause so much of it." His eyes bore into Masuyo, his warrior's mind keeping tabs on the two young ones. They were not an issue for him, of that he could be certain. Too young to pose a threat in his mind. The woman however, she was an issue. That much he could tell. He wished that the villages did not employ such children in their military, it was such a barbaric thing to do. Raising children to be killers was such an awful way for a child to grow up, no matter how talented they may be. Putting these two down before they could be subjected to the terrors of life as a paid killer would be one of the biggest honors of his life, no matter how short that life may be. "But do not be fooled. If you decline this offer, I will cut you down without mercy," he finished in a tone more devoid of emotion than anything Masuyo could muster. His will was unshakable when he was in this temple, as it was his sacred duty to die defending it. Any who would force him to do such a deed deserved nothing less than complete and utter ruthlessness. Which would they choose- run and live, or fight and die?



The man's stats, if you choose to attack:

Strength: C (D++ w/penalty)
Constitution:C
Stamina:B (Currently at 40/120 points of stamina from previous fight and wound)
Speed: C (D++ w/penalty)
Coordination: B (C++ w/Penalty)
Intelligence: C
Perception: B

Masuyo was willing to hear the old man out. What he said was not far from the truth. Masuyo did not truly desire the knives. They were the objective set by her employer. He was also not wrong when he mentioned ill omens. Masuyo would speak once more for the sake of conversation, but even she knew this man was not going to budge from his guard post. "I do not doubt what you're saying is true. It was odd when our client expressed such interest in these knives for being a mere merchant. And the story he told us doesn't line up with the situation at hand. It appears he is a liar, but I'm not here to police whether he is telling me the truth or not. The rank of the mission assigned assumes there will be an enemy presence and that I must retrieve those knives at all costs. That much is true." Masuyo would shrug, reaching into her hip pouch, her fingers locking four kunai between their gaps, one kunai have a small treat attached to the end. Her eyes fixed directly on the man who was conveniently already trapped by the confines of the temple. "But let the chips fall where they may." Swinging her arm from her hip pouch she released each kunai in a deft movement as the black daggers soared towards their target, that being the man within the temple.

They would have no real target except the man's torso in a diamond spread. Attached to the ring end of one kunai was a bit of wire and a small, round red orb the size of a gumball. Whether it was parried or the kunai made contact with anything the orb would whip around and hit any surface resulting in the pepper bomb being detonated. This would release a large cloud of stinging gas to force irritation from the eyes and constrict breathing. As the kunai went towards their destination Masuyo turned her palm upright as she followed it up with a secondary, more lethal action. Surging her chakra into the earth and stone at the base of the temple the room and entry way would suddenly be filled with a series of stone spikes, each of them hardened to a fine point with enough force to slaughter anything in its path. The entryway and room of the temple would be filled with the spikes save for the coffin and the knives. Masuyo had enough sense to not directly defile a dead corpse.

Nonetheless the old man would be cornered and potentially deemed deceased not having a ton of options to work with.

The Stuff:

Rin half hoped that the guy would come to reason, but then again what was the reason to snatch a set of knives from a temple? For money of course as they were being paid for this mission. Yet Rin cannot shrug off the feeling that something is off. Taichi apparently had decided to stay back and guard Yami so that ruined plan b quite a bit. To answer Sera’s question a earlier though Rin had responded with; “I can only suppress myself, and it only works if you’re just focusing on physical techniques. However the moment you use ninjutsu of any kind the suppression is lifted and sensors can pick up on it very quickly.”

The old man and Masuyo traded some words to each other. To be frank Rin really did think it was just him being paranoid that there is some hidden factor that hasn’t been revealed. However what Masuyo said got Rin into thinking that Masuyo wasn’t really getting onto him for assuming these things. Its really keeping to himself and perhaps seek to investigate it if the evidence builds up. Even so this mission apparently is a B rank mission at the very least, but if Yami was a liar as Rin had been wary of then maybe they don’t have to turn the knives to Yami? What if they could just take the knives back to Konoha instead?

No matter the costs or the future goal, the ultimate prize is those knives. This old man continues to stand his ground and not even acknowledge Rin as a threat. Which was fine for the kid as he didn’t want to stand out. Rin actually would have been worried if for some reason the guy was paying more attention to Rin than to Masuyo. Still Masuyo was the first to take action and Rin’s focused sight on the keeper saw everything that happened. The guy really was in a tough spot since it is an enclosed area with only one opening and that happens to be the only exit as well. However Rin doesn’t believe that was the end of everything as the boy draws out his iron katana and proceeds to step closer to Sera’s right side. In case the guy somehow gets behind them or flanks them Rin will be in close proximity to intercept the keeper. Until then, Rin focuses from his mind’s eye in that temple filled with spikes. The doton chakra is sensed from the spikes, and Rin is keeping track on the keeper. With his enhanced senses it would be difficult to escape from Rin’s sight, hearing, and given how far his sensory field expands on a near passive level.

Stuff:

Sera Nodded towards in as her Told her about how his Sensory Suppression worked. And it wouldn’t have made sense to try that route there was no guaranteed and they wouldn’t want the Squad more Spread out then it already was.   With Taichi Saying Behind to Guard Yami, it would just be Rin and Her, Masuyo likely wouldn’t interfere unless they were endangered.  Or At least Sera figured this would still be used like a learning experience.

With Diplomacy failing Sera looked at the man and took another Step forwards her hand now on her blade.   Even if she Didn’t Like it this was the mission she was assigned. They were at a standstill. And it was not going to get any better then pleading and being denied.  This man was Charged with the task of Guarding it and they were going to take it, he was simply the enemy now.   Sera would Draw her blade out and stand at the ready “With your Command Sensei” she would Say calmly loud enough for the man guarding the temple to hear while Gripping her Nodachi Handle slightly tighter she would Await the word.
She wouldn’t engage upon the enemy without the confirmation, but this was a display of power, hoping that either he would think he was outmatched and flee, or would have his out of sight people come out of their spots or even move, Sera was told there was one person above out of sight but Sera wouldn’t be able to spot them without some movement or  them breaking out of their position.

Though Sera hoped this would end without bloodshed, she had a feeling that this man wasn’t going to back down and they would likely have to fight their way in, either way Sera would be ready. Sera’s heart beat quickened and then slowed back down as she awaited a few seconds for the command of her Sensei. This was the moment she had been training all this time for.  She would do what it took to complete this mission and do her village proud, even if it was not the most ethical of Missions. There was option to fail.

The man said nothing as Masuyo declined his offer to let them all go alive. I'm not sure if I can take all three of them out myself... so I must- he began to think to himself before being interrupted by Masuyo's kunai toss. The man stepped behind the pillar, drawing his sword to deflect the one kunai with the bomb while his other hand grabbed the pepper bomb so that it would detonate in his hand rather than into the air as two more hit the pedestal and the last grazed his side. He caught Masuyo's actions in regards to utilizing the jutsu, the nameless one realizing that she cared very little about this temple's condition as long as she got her goal. It was admirable how deep her devotion to duty ran, but it was also disturbing that this devotion would cause her to desecrate such a holy site. It disgusted him more than anything.

Like a mouse struggling in vain to escape a cat once the cat has broken a leg, the man would shift to try and avoid the worst of the spears as they filled the area. A grunt escaped him and nothing more once he felt numerous shafts of the spears embed themselves within his body. For a moment the only sound that came from the small temple was the sound of a sword clattering to the ground. He had managed to avoid any directly lethal shot, with spears puncturing most of his body except his lungs and heart. He could not move his arms or legs, or even feel them, as one spear had cut his spinal column in half right above the shoulder blades.

The man's eyes flickered open as he lost his sense of feeling for most of his body. Tired eyes scanned the small room as well as his body. The knives were secure, that was all that mattered right now. The pat pat of his blood hitting the floor was the only thing keeping him conscious, as he now knew what he had to do especially since he was incapable of using his own body. Outside the temple, there would be no sounds for a few seconds. Breaking that silence would be the voice of the now dying man, weak and shaky.

"My flesh... my blood... my very soul..." he began. After these words were spoken, a dull light would begin to emanate from the entrance of the temple. The source of this light was the knives lying on the pedestal, and to any sensors in the area they would sense a sharp spike in the amount of chakra that was currently gathering within the interior of the temple. The source of this chakra was not the dying man inside, however, but rather it would seem to be coming from the ground directly beneath the temple.

"I surrender... everything... to protect that... which he entrusted... to his descendants..." Again, another sharp spike in chakra could be felt. This second spike was not only detectable by sensors however, as the raw amount of chakra surging from the ground underneath the temple gave off waves of pressurized wind similar to those experienced in the beginning stages of a hurricane.

It was probable that the group would not hear the last part of this incantation due to the sound of the wind in their ears, but it would be spoken as well. As the life faded from the nameless man, a few final words would escape his lips as the last of his chakra was expended to perform this unknown technique. "Live again... to protect that... which I could not..." Upon these final words, he would cease to live as the damage from his earlier fight and this brief one with the chuunin of Konohagakure finally overcame his will to survive.

The last few words caused the pressure from the wind to increase drastically, with small branches and leaves being ripped off of the trees they were on if they were too near. The chakra signature grew once more, focusing now into one spot; the entryway to the temple. The chakra and wind continued for many seconds, with the chakra eventually beginning to turn visible so that even those without the sensory ability could see the mass gathering in front of them.

And then like it had never happened, the wind would cease and the chakra coming from the ground would stop, all at once and with little warning. Almost as if the technique had been cut short by something, but this did not change the effect of this unknown technique that had already presented itself. In front of the entry to this small temple, the chakra would quickly shift into the form of a man and continued to glow a bright orange color. To a sensor, it would feel as if the very embodiment of fire had stricken their senses with how radiant and powerful this chakra was. If it had not been cut short, it would have been utterly stifling to all but the best.

Clothing began to form as the chakra gave color and texture to a man rather than a glowing blob of chakra. Skin, hair, scars, everything would be present. There would be an odd, ethereal glow around this mystery man's form the same color as an intense flame. It was obvious that this was a construct made of chakra due to its creation and this glow, but this did not mean it was any less of a real threat. The man would turn to face the trio of shinobi from Konohagakure slowly, brilliant green eyes bearing down on Masuyo.

He was completely bald, his clothing seemingly belonging to a museum. It was simple in color and design, reminiscent of a monk from the ancient histories of the continent. He had a few visible tattoos on his body, likely being fuuinjutsu of some sort, and stood at a rather impressive height of 6'4". The man's eyes shifted down to his hand as he examined his form, disappointment splaying across his face. "Such a weak bloodline... This is nowhere near what it was meant to be," he spoke, disappointment in his tone. For a second time, his eyes would wander to Masuyo's own. "Are you the one who has chosen to defile my temple," he asked, this time with a tone being neither happy or angry. It was completely neutral, as if he already knew the answer. Perhaps unnoticed by the group due to his grand entrance was another little fact; the knives from the pedestal had somehow managed to find their way onto the belt this new guardian was wearing without him having entered the temple at all. Just who was this man?





Image of the man:

Spoiler:

The man made an effort to survive, though his attempts were futile as he was clearly outclassed and too wounded to be of any use. Masuyo was not fond of weak opponents personally, but her job did not give her the option to choose her opponents. In a moment the fight was over as the man suffered minor damage by the kunai, but was finished by the Ninjutsu. Earth was viewed commonly as defense, though when used properly it could serve as deadly offensive technique. Masuyo did not smirk or relish in her victory. Primarily become she noticed an odd response to the man's death. He was murmuring to himself. This was followed by the sudden force of energy in the area with a strong gust coming from the interior of the temple. A blinding light would erupt at the front of the temple, the orange light taking the form of a man. As he began to materialize he took on some features. Tall, muscular, and bald. Through any means of stereotyping Masuyo concluded the man was a monk of sorts, or used to be in his past life. Is he that old man? Masuyo questioned briefly in her own thoughts, arms partially covering her face with eyes narrowing on him. If anybody were to be considered a threat, it was him.

In a brief moment it appeared everything was coming together: the truth about the knives, her employer lying to her, and this man before them. It was not hard for Masuyo to notice the knives on his hips that was once on display. As the light settled so did her arms dropping back to her sides, though she still kept a low stance ready to jump into combat at a moment's notice. "It would appear so. I would be lying if I didn't admit I am a surprised you woke up from your rest to protect a set of knives which supposedly belonged to my employer, though that story is long under the bridge. Just what significance are these to you, and above all, who exactly are you?" Masuyo was not entirely expecting a direct answer, as it appeared they were hard to come by nowadays. She would listen, if he had anything to offer but aggression. But odds are this man did not emerge for a social gathering.

Did it really have to boil down where one party dies while the other lives? Rin thought to himself as he sticked to his plan on being the rear guard with Sera. Keeping an eye, ear, and his mind out to their surroundings in case anyone tries to flank them. His bare iron held firmly by his left hand while Rin's right hand was touching the ring of his kunai holstered on his right thigh. Not drawn yet, but least to say he'll completely minimize the timeframe to draw the small blade.

Rin's ears perked up as somehow that old man was still alive though barely considering how raspy it was. The man was murmuring something, but Rin could barely make out what it was even with his enhanced senses. Something about giving his soul? Was it a prayer? Rin's mental questions was immediately answered as a strong surge of chakra flared his sensory range. The boy pinpointed where the chakra was coming from, and frankly it was beneath their feet. All while the man was murmuring a prayer and as time progressed by the second this chakra presence was only getting stronger. It progressed to the point where this chakra presence was giving Rin a headache. “Beneath us…” Nearly the instant Rin says this a strong gust of wind tears through the nearby trees and branches. Rin had to crouch to solidify his roots to the earth. The dazzling light pouring from the temple's entrance illuminates the area, and in case Sera would start to be carried away by the wind. Rin will reach out with his now free right hand using the Arhat's strength as he would grab Sera's forearm of whichever arm that was closer to him. Using his strength Rin will make sure Sera doesn't get separated from them at least by the wind's strength.

Once the wind dies down and the light fades. Rin could still feel the near overwhelming chakra presence was still around, but seems to be condensed at the entrance of this temple. Rin didn't have to look to detect the movement from the four knives that seems to attach themselves to this presence. Then an unfamiliar voice spoke of a weak bloodline before directing a question. It sounded masculine, and when Rin finally turned his head to look over his shoulder there was a man that appeared to be the stereotypical monk. His eyes appear focused on Masuyo, and Rin was honestly glad. Even Masuyo seem to tense up before she responded. It seems that this new man's chakra is so strong and thick that even non-sensors can feel it. The problem is that gauging in terms of chakra strength this guy seems to have the upper hand. A line of sweat rolls down from his temple as Rin's eyes were focused on this monk.

“This guy is powerful…” Rin mutters more to himself than to anyone around him. His nerves steeled with resolve as Rin would let go of Sera and places his index finger on the kunai's ring from the right thigh holster. Rin hasn't drawn it yet, but least to say from the sounds of it this guy is not going to just let them leave now. This squad has come too far to do that now. Besides in the end it'll be Masuyo's call for that. Should Rin be eager or afraid of this guy? For as far as Rin can tell the monk isn't paying Rin or Sera any attention, but then again Masuyo was the one who brought spikes into the temple. At this point Rin can only wait for the moment this monk draws aggro to himself.

Still positioned about a meter behind Masuyo Rin will lift his right hand into the hip pouch where he grabs a nice little paper. With a practiced movement of his hand Rin wraps this tag around the hilt of his kunai still holstered on the right thigh. Dropping his voice to a whisper hoping this monk won't hear yet just enough for Sera and maybe Masuyo to hear. “Just in case Sera, is it possible for you to toss a smoke bomb at that monk's vicinity? Not right away, wait until after he says his piece.” Close combat may not be advised, but no matter how Rin thinks about going the diplomatic way it'll always end up in shedding blood. Hopefully it wouldn't be Rin's or the squad's blood. So it'll be best to see about getting the jump on this guy and maybe create an opening for Masuyo to unleash some strong attack of her own.

Spoiler:

Sera still awaited Masuyo’s Command on whether to engage or not, though she had landed a solid hit on the older man, and with his last breath he seemed to summon the True Guardian of the temple. One which was displeased to see them. This was going to be far more compilated then Sera would have liked it, and the Decision for Taichi to stay behind was becoming to be a problem, but little could be done about it. he was first choice for their squads Frontlines, but something told Sera that being close to this man was going to be more then just a sword strike,

The wind generated by the man was blinding, using her Right hand to Shield her eyes she felt the on her shoulder as Rin held her in place, he seemed far Stronger then Sera had ever given him credit for.

After the wind seemed to settle, Rin mentioned that this man was powerful, which reaffirmed her suspicions, this was going to be quite the hassle. But what was done was done and only one group would emerge victorious today and Sera hoped it was going to be them. . . With Diplomatic methods failing, this Guardian was likely final Stand. Which made Sera believe that this was going to be one of the toughest fights of her life.

Sera would do as instructed by Rin, as she kept her Left hand on her Blades handle and then fished a smoke pelt from her hip pouch located on her backside, not quite in view of the Stranger but it was likely clear that she had gotten something from her bag.
Sera’s worried demeanor changed in an instant with a Single thought. ~ I have trained my entire life for this moment~ when thought about like a different task then the job at hand didn’t seem so hard, if she spent her entire life reading books and never practicing then she should be worried, but it was the other way around she was the one who would be prepared for this battle.

Knowing the attempt was Futile Sera would Let go of her blade for a moment but Quickly Extend her hand outwards and flick her Wrist, the Senbon launcher would click as her finger touched the trigger and the Needle would Launch towards the Monk, its angle and speed lined up to plummet into his right leg if it went unchecked. The only foreseeable consequence in her mind was it sparked the fight, he might possibly throw it back or if it went accordingly the attack would hinder his moment and this would be over long before it started.

The unknown man listened intently to Masuyo's words, listening to see if he could detect any type of lie hidden within them. He detected none, the woman asking a couple questions of her own. His eyes moved to look at the young ones that were preparing themselves for combat. Ever so slightly, his green eyes would narrow. The young are always arrogant. That much hasn't changed, he thought to himself. "These knives are the one thing I claim as my own," he answered as the young girl fired something at him. Almost effortlessly, the man's hand snapped down to catch the senbon. He lifted it to examine the weapon, one he apparently had never seen before, as he continued his answer. "And if you do not know who I am, then my one desire has also come true."

To Rin, who could sense the man, he would no doubt notice that the chakra holding this construct of a man together was getting weaker by the moment. Already it was as if he had spent enough of his stamina for a B rank ninjutus, and it was only decreasing more and more as time went on. What Rin could not sense, however, was the small pool of natural chakra that had been sealed in with the rest of this massive amount of chakra. This small pool caused the man's eyes to change, with orange outlines around them with a horizontal line and the color yellow replacing his pupils and iris' respectively. The man dropped the needle as he began to inhale, his hands weaving no seals as the signature technique of the katon element was fired at the squad of shinobi with little warning.

A ball of flames larger than the average Great Fireball you would typically see went flying towards the young ones since it was the girl who had instigated combat. His left hand snapped to his waist and with a masterful motion drew and threw one of the knives on his belt directly for Masuyo's heart as the fireball was descending on the young ones. After this initial attack, the man would dash to his ten o' clock away from the squad of shinobi and closer to the forest. During this retreat his right hand would draw and fire a second knife from his belt directly for Masuyo's chest again wherever she may have gone. These knives were not your ordinary knives either. The average steel produced by most craftsmen would hold up about as well as paper when one of these struck it.

"I am against killing, but here I have no choice. I apologize in advance," the man spoke out to the squad. With the ability to sense granted by his mastery over natural chakra, this mystery man could detect what his three opponents were doing and whether or not his attacks had had any effect on them at all. He needed to see how serious he had to get, for he too could sense that his time was much shorter than it was supposed to be. Truly, that man had hardly been one of his descendants. Barely a drop of blood was shared between the two, and this was the result. To say the least, he was disappointed.





Notes:


Unknown man's stats:

Str: D -> C (SM)
Con: C -> B (SM)
Sta: B
Spe: C -> B (SM)
Coo: B -> A (SM)
Int:??
Per: A -> S (SM)

Techs used:

Great Fireball Technique: B rank power- 5 points (Chakra reduction for Katon)

Focused Amplification- 3

Upkeep for living- 15

Sage Mode- Sensing active

Senjutsu pool: 25/60


Stamina used: 23/120

The man gave vague answers, which made Masuyo feel less guilty for plundering his grave site in the first place. He was nobody valuable enough to regret harming and her actions would not cause a war of any sorts. Masuyo glared quickly at Sera as she acted on impulse. Part of her wanted to smack her upside the head for her audacity. She did not analyze the situation at hand. Clearly they were no longer fighting a wounded old man and perhaps not even the same man as before. To attack a newcomer with no prior knowledge was asking to be targeted, and that's exactly what had happened. The man inhaled deeply giving Masuyo a good clue he was about to expel some Ninjutsu and not just getting ready to yawn. She knew Rin not only had Sensory, but was competent on his feet. Masuyo was confident he knew what was about to come and to evade. Sera on the other hand was slower and not as wise to compensate for her lack of sensory. Springing off her feet she intercepted Sera as the fireball was expelled. She was exceptionally light in her arms not adding any notable burden.

The fireball impacted the ground as it erupted into a tempest of flames covering a ten meter diameter. Fortunately the Jounin and Sera would have avoided the blast in due time. Finding safety in a nearby tree. The broad, sturdy branches of the Senju Trees provided substantial respite, Masuyo setting Sera back down onto her feet before immediately being greeted by another incoming attack, the knife thrown being audible to the sharp senses of the Jounin. This was directed at her aimed to pierce her bosom. The man had no intent to hold back. Masuyo would spring up just a couple meters above the knife's destination using energy at the soles of her feet to cling onto the truck of the tree. The knife would miss its mark and impale the tree instead, the blade striking it effortlessly burying up to its guard. Drawing her attention to the man she saw him retreat not after throwing another at her. Masuyo would take the same measure as before skipping up the tree another two meters as this blade would miss its mark.

Masuyo would react by retrieving the knife closest to her yanking it out of the wood and having it held in a reverse grip. "Grab the other!" She would bark at Sera before springing from the tree and onto the roof of the temple. During her leap her left hand worked to create two hand signs. By the time she landed on her destination she began to exhale as a mass of condensed air formed before her, the sphere easily growing four feet in diameter before being expelled at incredible speeds. As she expelled the sphere it grew tremendously into a massive twenty meter diameter sphere of dense air as it raced towards the man. The impact force would be great as the technique had the tenacity to strike the man and carry him into the forest shattering many trees in its path before detonating its payload. Despite the man's durability it was capable of cracking a few ribs at the very least if successful in a direct hit.

The Stuff:

Rin noticed the monk shifting his attention over to Sera and himself with slightly narrowed eyes. Now Rin isn’t going to hide what he was doing now as he was prepping for a battle. But out of her action Sera launched some senbon at the monk. “Wha- Not yet Sera!” Rin quickly said to Sera before the monk snatched the tools out of the air. ’Great so this guy has good eyes and coordination.’ The boy thought as his sensory field went off as the mystery man started to build up in chakra. At the same time Rin could detect this guy was losing chakra by the minute, and yet the guy’s iris turned into a different shape and color. ’And this guy knows some form of Visual Jutsu? Great.’

Still it didn’t long before Rin to register the chakra the monk was building happened to be Katon chakra and it felt like a strong one too considering the size of it. Rin was just about to tell Sera to move, when from the corner of his eye Masuyo was already on it as this monk launched a large ball of fire rapidly descending upon their location. In a simultaneous effort just as Masuyo had grabbed Sera, Rin was also in the start of a dash while forming a half tiger with his free hand. Charging his legs with chakra to hasten his movement, and together Rin sprinted with Masuyo towards the trees though Rin ends up on a different tree about two meters to the side. Upon near the end of his sprint Rin would flip and twist his body before coating his feet with chakra.

So when Rin lands effectively lands on his feet against the tree he sticks to the surface though he drops into a crouching position with his katana held firmly by the left hand. From his keen ears Rin heard the man granting them an apology and that he is against killing. No choice? Oh for the love of… Rin speaks up loud and clear at the monk. “Oh give me a break! Everyone has a choice and no one can make it for them by themselves! Would it be so hard to ask if we can borrow your knives temporary and return them?!” At this point the mission is no longer about retrieving the knives for this old man, but for the Hidden Leaf itself. The point of talk is over, but still he feels like because things were worded wrong and maybe a certain keeper wasn’t so damn stubborn things didn’t have to end up like this.

Another surge of chakra emerges around Rin’s radar as Masuyo avoided both knives that were coming after her and launched a strong attack of her own. This was a battle between ninjutsu, and it was the type of battle that Rin had no place in. Instead Rin opted himself to play as the rear guard role and leapt between the trees towards Sera. If she hasn’t grabbed the second knife that’s already in the trunk Rin would proceed to take it as he arrived. “Okay, I’m gonna guard your flanks as best as i can. He’s…” Rin took a moment to scope out where the man had taken off to. Which shouldn’t take him no more than a moment to register. “He’s over there where Masuyo fired that technique at. Most likely going to move so keep your eyes peeled.”

If Rin has the knife in his hand the boy will see to stashing it by taking his explosive tag wrapped kunai and putting the special knife in its place. Taking up a defensive stance preferably behind his teammates as his watchful eyes scan the area that is being devastated by Masuyo’s fuuton technique. Additionally using the sensing ability to keep tabs on the monk and makes it easier to find him too.

Spoiler:

After watching the Monk Catch the Sedbon she knew that she was going to be in for it, The mans Reflexes were uncanny and Were honed to a blinding speed. This was going to be bad, but what choice did they have, he clearly wasn’t going to hand over anything.

The monk Seemed to Use Some sort of heightening ability before he Launched a fireball at her and Rin, which luckily Masuyo had figured out before she had been in danger, being scooped up and placed in a nearby Tree she quickly Got to her feet Using Chakra to bind herself to the Trees Surface and getting ready to follow the orders that Masuyo Barked out.

She was to get the knife that was tossed at Maysuo, Sera promptly moved down the branch and quickly Scanned the tree Trunk where the knife landed just in time to See Rin Grab the Knife himself and then stash it away. Sera slide down the bark of the Tree As Rin came to the Branch she was on, her sensei on the Aggressive with a Wind Based Jutsu.

Seeing as Rin was going to cover their Flank Sera would too press the attack. Turning her Arm and using her Senbon Launcher to fire off the Remaining 4 Senbons with Spread that would cut off Escape on the Monks Right. Her Sensei Would be the Striker and She would have to be the Disabler in this Scenario. Hoping that she Wasn’t going to draw more fire at herself, she made sure to keep an eye out for the man, and was able to retreat to the Tree’s Again when/if he was to make another attempt at her.

She was there to ensure this job was seen through to the end. Hoping Rin was Capable of Covering their Flank if the man was to come in for close combat, Sera was Stronger then first Training session with Masuyo but she had a long way to go and she knew she was outclassed, Her Ace in the hole was Sensei Masuyo, in Sera’s eyes she was Unbeatable, and Sera would hope to be of use at least a little bit. Make the man Waste his Energy and Allow Masyuo to Continue Striking from a distance.


(( Senbon Luncher is now 0/5 ( 5 remaining in pouch)

The man watched the actions of the trio keenly, gathering information on how they each reacted in the given situation. It was obvious now more than ever that the woman was the biggest threat. She managed to evade both of his knife throws and ordered one of the other two to grab the second knife while she retrieved the first. His sensory abilities detected the build up of chakra as the jonin wove her two seals, with the man responding in kind with a similarly powerful technique. However, his preparations would require no seals.

Another deep inhalation of breath expanded the man's chest as Masuyo did the same, and when she fired her attack he would have completed the preparations for his own. A powerful stream of flames fired from his mouth, taking the form of a dragon as it twisted and wound its way towards the trio of shinobi. On its way it would eat the large projectile Masuyo had fired at him, the fuuton chakra causing the fire to flare and grow in size. It wound its way through the trees between the groups, igniting every one it passed on its way to her. The maw opened wide, the man fully intending on consuming the jonin in the flames. If she chose to evade it, the dragon would simply divert its course and head straight for the slowest of the group; Seia. If she had saved her once before, there was a good chance she would save her again which allowed the man to use that to his advantage.

As if the dragon was not enough, the group of shinobi from Konohagakure would be much chagrined to find that their effort in collecting the two knives thrown at them would be for naught. Despite both Masuyo and Rin successfully getting one knife each, both of these knives would simply disappear from their grasp as if they had never been there in the first place. However, the marks in the wood where they had landed were still there. Indeed, they had been thrown at Masuyo, and yet now they were nowhere near them. Instead, the man was grasping both knives in his hands again. They had just reappeared there as if by magic, and he made full use of this.

While the dragon was winding its way through the trees, the man would throw both knives at Rin with a slight delay on the second knife as he intended to throw that on an interception course. The first knife was aimed for his heart, a fatal blow, as the man ignored Rin's words and continued with what he believed to be his true mission. Wherever Rin went after the first knife throw, whether avoiding or blocking it, the man would throw the second with the intention of piercing his right thigh to disable him and make the future fight easier.

His hands snapped down to the two remaining knives and with the same smooth and perfected motion would draw these to throw at Seia and Masuyo. The first knife was thrown at Seia's heart, again with the intent to kill. The second would be delayed slightly again as he waited and sensed to see what the elder woman would do in response to the multi-staged assault. Wherever she decided to move, the man would throw the fourth knife at her right leg to try and disable her as well with the dragon following closely behind.

He had been forced to stand still while manipulating the dragon, and even while he fought his chakra reserves were rapidly depleting. He was utilizing a lot of heavy firepower to try and overwhelm this trio of warriors before his time was spent. If only he had not been summoned with such impure blood, this fight would have been over with already. As it stood, he would need to fight with everything he could muster in order to win. Truly, a pitiful sight for one such as him.




Used:

Unknown Enchantment ability w/knives

Fire Dragon Flame Bullet- A rank power, B rank speed, 10 cost (Reduction UA) (Also consumed the Fuuton technique to increase its power to S)

Upkeep for existing- 15

Sage Mode- Sensing Active


Stats: Same


Senjutsu Pool: 20/60

Stamina Used: 48/120

Masuyo heaved a mighty breath as did her opponent. Suddenly the remembrance of the man's Fire affinity ran across her mind. It was a threat she had to be aware of, and although he may or may not be using a Fire release technique, she had to be on her toes the minute she saw it. And sure enough, that's what followed through. The flicker of flames exiting the man's mouth showed to be none other than the power Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, a high level technique which was to not be underestimated. There was not a lot of second thought put behind her actions. The Wind empowered the Fire. Being swept by such powerful flames would decimate her entirely, and in mere seconds reduce her to ash. Acting fast she avoided the torrent of flames entirely by pouncing to the side and onto the earth, the dragon either following through and decimating the temple or changing course.

Regardless Masuyo would flee the scene, scooping up Sera in her arms and running far, far away from the scene.

[Exit]

Senses were screaming inside of his head as this mystery man musters up a large amount of chakra which, no surprise, was Katon. It didn’t take a genius to put two and two together that would be very bad, and of course Rin spoke to Sera to move before forming half a tiger seal and as that dragon head fireball emerges from the guy’s mouth Rin had already moved 45 meters towards the side. Just for safe measure Rin went a total 65 meters in quick timing as that fireball was heading past him now. Masuyo had moved as well and seemed to grab Sera.

Rin didn’t have time either as his enhanced hearing and sight caught one of those knives aiming at him directly. His eyes having no difficulty on keeping up with both of the knives as the second was a little delayed. Predicting their original trajectory Rin was simply stepping to the trunk of the tree when both knives intercepted. One going for his heart, and the second going for his thigh. Still keeping his original path Rin’s left arm quickly raised up with sword as chakra flowed through his blade. Simultaneously Rin’s right arm dropping the kunai comes up to and actually manages to catch the knife by the hilt as his right thigh shifted away towards the trunk. Normally this wouldn’t be possible except there is quite a gap of at least 50 meters between Rin and the mystery guy that just made the knives slower.

Rin’s sword arm smacks the knife further away to deflect that knife just enough to tear a hole in his sleeve as it sinks into the senju tree to the hilt. Just from these contacts Rin knew if he hadn’t stepped into the arhat fist to enhance his strength potency he wouldn’t have been able to stop their striking power. At least not before they would have sunk into his chest. The fireball misses Rin as it continues on down, but now Rin notices something else. Masuyo and Sera were nowhere to be found at least not within his range. “Did… did they seriously leave me here alone? With this guy?”

He didn’t know what to feel either abandoned or maybe a glimmer of hope that she’ll come back at the last second. There was no way Rin was going to get away from this, and suddenly he felt like his fate was definitely sealed. “Now I’m really going to die, but what the hell? Those trees don’t grow back in the next decade you jackass.” Rin was speaking like the guy could hear him, which honestly at this point it would not surprise Rin. If the knives weren’t gone by now, Rin reaches up with his right hand to grab the knife from the tree before he begins heading towards the mystery guy. Weaving through whatever tree lines as chakra weaves through his feet to magnetize just enough for him to slide around the trunk before leaping off. The kunai with the explosive tag was caught from his sword hand by the index finger around the ring so he still had it on him. In the case that this sage dude starts hurling more fire at his way Rin would not only detect the surging chakra, but also takes on a more zigzag pattern in an unpredictable rate as it was truly random.

One thing is certain, Rin threw that kunai roughly 5 meters away from the sage guy yet nothing happens. The kunai just pierces into the base of a branch just enough to anchor itself, and just for the hell of it Rin throws the two knives at mystery man. One going for the man’s left knee, and the second is moving towards his stomach area. Rin isn’t really expecting them to hit or if they’re even still in his hand. Regardless after he is rid of the knives Rin will reach over to grab the hilt of his wakizashi and draws it out. However he does not press the attack. “So how are we going to play this? You kill me, and you go poof to who knows where? You’re losing a lot of energy that shouldn’t be possible normally or you wouldn’t be able to stay here.” Which means this guy was on a clock. If it continue this rate he’s going to perish, but hopefully Rin can now attempt possibly one last thing that he always believe in. “There’s gotta be a better way than just killing and then some…”

In which case he might not make it home, and in truth Rin was scared. Greeting death at its door is something that Rin only experienced mildly once before. However Rin couldn’t run as he knew that well enough. More so Rin refuses to quiver and shake at the knees. Rin still couldn’t believe his own sensei practically left him, but then again he didn’t expect her to just run off. Rin was standing high on a tree branch looking at this guy while staying close to the trunk of his tree. If anything he had to be careful, and while range was his best friend right now he can’t do anything about it. Rin’s specialty was up close and personal kind of thing, and not to mention based on what Rin saw of this guy’s speed Rin would burn out trying to outrun him. This would be nearly impossible to win on any level.

Spoiler:

The man's eyes widened a little in surprise as the elder woman decided to retreat rather than continue with her mission. Perhaps he had succeeded, but could he really afford to let them go? He would be gone eventually, and then the temple would be open for plunder. No, he would need to go after them. As they had before, the four knives would simply appear back in his possession as soon as he willed it. He slipped two back into their sheathes and kept one more in each hand, his sensory abilities picking up that one of the three shinobi had not left. No, rather, this young boy was speaking to him. What madness is this? You don't talk on a battlefield, you fight. The man made no comments to his first statement, not really caring all that much. He had to give this young boy... no, young man, credit. Not many would voluntarily stand up to him alone, and he hadn't seen the woman issue any orders. To be willing to fight when so heavily outmatched was commendable, though the man wasn't entirely sure if it was stupidity or bravery that caused him to do so. Perhaps a healthy dose of both.

The man would walk briskly towards the young man as he began to say his second statement and said something that caught his attention. This boy could tell he was losing energy? That must mean he could sense chakra, which might also explain why had decided to stay. He thought he could wait it out. How sadly mistaken he was, however, the man would not overpower him outright with a high level jutsu as he had just tried to do. Already he could feel the heat from the trees as they began to burn. The sight did not please him, that was for sure. This had been his favorite forest as a boy, and many of the trees he saw burning now had been around in his lifetime as well. They were his old friends, and he had stolen what little life they had left in them. But they were killed by a ghost with one mission and one mission only, and if the pain of that sacrifice was the cost for carrying that mission out then so be it.

Barring any acts of aggression from the boy, the man would stop his advanced when he was five meters from the boy and looked directly at him. "There is always a better option than killing, but my choices on the matter are limited. This is the consequence of one of your choices, not a choice I have made. I exist to defend this place, and I will defend it." He raised his left hand and pointed the knife in that hand at Rin's chest. "I will give you the credit due for standing alone, and I will make sure your death is an honorable one. Know this, and move on to the afterlife in peace."

And then without warning, the man would flick the knife in his right hand at Rin's right leg before charging in behind it. He didn't know if it would be deflected or not and didn't particularly care, he just needed it to be a distraction. Once he had closed the relatively short distance right behind the knife, the man would deliver a palm strike with his right hand to Rin's diaphragm to try and steal his wind from him. Immediately after as a follow up, he would step to his left while bringing the knife from his right to his left in a horizontal slash aimed at slicing the right side of Rin's chest. With the step he would turn with the motion to keep Rin in front of him as the knife he threw appeared in his hand yet again. Should he have gotten lucky and hit the boy with it, the blade would be bloody from where it would have stuck in his body and the wound that had been plugged would be bleeding. "What is your name, young man?"




Notes:

Stats: Same

Used:

15 points for being alive

Sage Mode (15/60)

Sensing

Stamina used: 63/120