The First Kill [Private]

Mission Name: Subject Gathering [Repeatable]
Mission Type: Combat
Mission Rank: B
Mission Goal: Capture and Kill the Bandits.
Description: A tribe of bandits has been located outside the village forming an organized group with guards and scouts. Though at the moment they aren't a high threat, they're a bunch of criminals that need taken out (D to C-Rank NPC, ~20 of them). The Ryuutei Clan has paired with Kirigakure to deal with them, the Ryuutei offering a way to dispose of the criminals as training subjects for their young and food in return for offering to come through and take care of the cleanup themselves after the job is done.
Payment: 25,000 Ryo
Requirements: 1 C-Class Ninja or 2 D-Class Ninja.

Satori had led the way through the grounds of the compound, they'd been after weaponry and arms for the boy to use on the hunt, though it did occur to him that he hadn't yet told Akemi was the hunt even was. With this thought as he entered the armory and turned toward him, he jerked a thumb at the multitude of ivory and steel weapons decorating the walls. Everything from kunai, to bows, axes, and blades. Each unique, clearly all hand-made by multiple smiths and craftsmen.

Once they turned, Satori would idly rest his hands on his hips. "You haven't killed anyone yet, have you, Akemi?" He inquired bluntly, likely catching the boy off-guard, but Satori wasn't concerned as he waved a hand to get his attention. "Put out your arms," he commented simply while he waited on the response, before carefully measuring the boy's arms and wingspan with his hand before doing the same for the smaller boys legs and torso. Afterward straightening and moving toward the armory he began grabbing weapons as he passed them. One of each type, each one at the correct measurement for the boy's stature to ensure it wasn't too long or short to be used properly.

Laying the weaponry out over a table, he turned and began gathering pieces of armor. At a glance, the boy hadn't ever worn any, so it made sense to ensure that the boy had light armor. It was less protection, but far easier to move in and adjust too compared to actual armor. With that, the boy began laying out leather pieces of armor, leg and arm guards, a torso guard, and so forth.

"Put on the armor first, over your clothing, then try the different weapons to see what feels the most natural too you," Satori explained idly, finally turning after a few minutes of gathering he was satisfied and would stand by patiently. If the boy needed help getting the armor on he would move to help, not bothered by any lack of experience the boy may have with such things.

He followed Satori as they walked through the compound, heading to get weapons and armor for the hunt. Several times Akemi had almost asked what the hunt was about. As they entered the armory, and Akemi took a look around. Satori had been gesturing behind him with his thumb and as he looked there were tons of weapons all over the place. Bows, axes, kunai blades, each and every single one of them made by expert craftsmen. And they were covering the walls. He’d never seen so much weaponry in his life. Even his own mother only ever kept a kunai and some shuriken, he wasn’t used to everything that he was seeing.

Yet as he was marveling at the weaponry all around him Akemi suddenly asked if he hadn’t killed anyone, to which Akemi shook his head. He’d never killed anyone, had never had the desire to do so, nor had he ever had a reason to. He was a bit confused as he looked over at Satori, a young man who by now should’ve known that Akemi hadn’t killed anyone. He didn’t have the eyes. He had resolve, but that was about all he had. He’d never wished for death on anyone.

But… His father and his mother had both told him that if he couldn’t bring himself to kill then he couldn’t become a shinobi. Regardless of how he felt on the matter he would have to take someone’s life; that or he, himself, would die. He would have to harden himself if he ever truly wanted to be a shinobi. He still didn’t exactly see how that was possible. It wasn’t possible that he HAD to kill in order to be a shinobi. He… There had to be another way… Right? But, it was more than possible and probable, that it wasn’t possible.

Satori grabbed different weapons of a size that appeared to fit Akemi and himself. Then, after looking Akemi over, he began to lay out different pieces of armor, all of which seemed to be leather. Slowly he walked over and picked up the different pieces of armor and, with a little effort, put them on piece by piece.

Slowly he tested out several of the weapons. Of all the weapons the blade felt best, and most natural in his hands. He gave it a few test swings, checked the grip and smiled before turning back to Satori.

“So,” Akemi said as he sheathed the blade and tested the armor he was currently dressed in. “I hadn’t asked this yet, but what is this hunt?”

Satori noticed the way the boy's eyes shifted uncertainly, the body language that he gave off, the way he reacted to the concept of killing. It was all very human, but sadly, ninja weren’t human in the normal sense. Releasing a slow breath, he outright smacked the boy upside the head, ignoring his initial question as he placed his hands on his hips. Staring firmly into the boy's eyes, he made his position as straightforward as possible, this was important. If he didn't make it clear, it would cause Akemi to die one day far too early.

"You're a Jounin, Akemi-- no, let's go even sooner. You're a Chunin. You've just gained your flak jacket, and they've sent you on your first real mission. It's nothing serious, a minor C-Rank to ensure the safety of a small caravan of merchants from here to a nearby territory. You're attacked by a group of bandits, they're just bandits, but you can't handle ten or more at once. They capture some of the merchants." Satori's voice was calm as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"What do you do?" This was no longer a discussion on the hunt, it was a rhetorical situation. Akemi wasn't idiotic, he doubted the boy didn't understand where this was going, but in battle uncertainty was death. When you began pondering "should I" instead of just doing something, you died. It was why dedicated training was so important, almost everything a ninja did had to be ingrained in their muscle memory, and so did the killing. Grief and moral questions could come once the battle was over, not during.

This was important. He had to ensure that Akemi no longer stumbled over thoughts like "what if I find a way to win without killing". That was the right of someone so powerful that they had time to think about that in the middle of combat, that was something that few ninja ever had the chance to ponder. Even the Kage, as strong as they were, could only ponder such things against C-Rank or lower ninja. Doing so for those above that level would just risk their death needlessly, and too many hopes rode on them.

Satori kept his arms crossed, watching the boy patiently, waiting as his feline, crimson eyes bore into the boys own. Methodically, carefully, he would pinpoint Akemi's weakness and smack it with reality. He could grieve for his kills, he could question his morals if he had too, but if the boy couldn't kill and do so without hesitation-- he was no good as a ninja.

Satori sighed slowly, then walked up to Akemi and smacked him upside the back of the head, ignoring his question. Akemi rubbed the back of his head, confused as to why Satori had just hit him, not that it was beyond the realm of believability for him to do it anyways, but it still confused him. He was about to ask why the hell Satori had just slapped him upside the back of the head when his friend suddenly posed a scenario, rhetorical as it was.

Immediately he began thinking. There were several things that he could probably do to stop them…

“Well, I could… No, wait, I couldn’t do it fast enough to catch them all before they could save their associates… Hmm, wait! I could… No, I wouldn’t be able to hit them quick enough before they stopped me…” He frowned and continued thinking. But the more that he thought about it, the more he began to realize something. “I’d, I’d have to kill them. The only way to accomplish my mission would be to kill the bandits. That’s what you’re getting to.” Satori’s tone was calm, and without any hints of judgement or concern. His parents, mother specifically, had continuously told him that if he intended to be a ninja then he would have to accept that he would have to kill someone. Now even Satori was telling him the same thing.

It didn’t matter though. Akemi was always the kind of guy that tried to find a different solution to death and violence, but during his training with his mother she was constantly shooting such ideas down. She would kick him, punch him, knock him down and kept telling him that sometimes it didn’t matter what you wanted, that sometimes you didn’t have a choice. Sometimes you had to do whatever you had to do to accomplish an objective.

“Satori,” he said looking up at the other boy. “I know that I need to get tougher. My mom constantly tells me that if I want to be a ninja that I have to get used to acting without considering what might happen. I can’t think that I can find a way to not kill them, like you said. It’s a big reason as to why I’ve been training with you and your father. Your clan is tough because of your training. I’ll have to get used to killing, that much is obvious. Be honest with me. Is that what this hunt is about?”

It took a bit, but the boy seemed to get the idea. Satori had expected to have to cut him off each time, but instead, the boy was doing it for him. Quickly coming up with plans then ensuring he was wrong, and moving forward. Once he came to the point of killing, Satori simply nodded his head once in agreement. However, as the boy brought up "toughness" Satori snorted and waved his hand.

"I don't give a damn how strong you are, Akemi. Physical power, skill, tactics, all that can be gained through practice at any time if you're determined enough. I'm only concerned about your mental state. Ninja are, by nature, living weapons of their country. We're super soldiers. Designed to slaughter, and responsibly use the skills and techniques we've gained to protect and serve our village, our country. Skill and technique, strength, that all comes second to one thing-- your mental strength." Reaching up to his shoulder, Satori tugged the bone blade from his back and casually flipped it. Offering the other boy the handle with a relaxed expression.

"Take a few swings with it. Feel how the blade hums to your chakra passively and increases how easily it swings, how easily it cuts through the air?" Once the boy had given a few swings, he stated in a firm tone.

"That blade is made out of the woman that I killed. I made it myself, using my clan's methods of taking human chakra and infusing it into their remains to enhance the material. Killing comes as naturally to adult Ryuutei as it does breathing. We have accepted our role, and no longer hesitate in the slightest, that is our strength." Lowering his hands he reached to accept the blade to take it back.

"This hunt is to capture those that would do harm to the village. To our people, and use them as the trial into adulthood for our newest generation that wish to become adults. You are not expected to kill them, however, I think it will be good for you. Learning to kill in a situation like this is the safest option, and even doing it only once will ensure the shock won't cause you to hesitate before and after the action in real battle, which could cost you your life." Sheathing the blade into its location once more, Satori crossed his arms over his chest. Waiting for the reactions of the other boy, for his questions, and his resolve however feeble it may be.

He'd come to expect that out of Akemi. If nothing else, the boy was willing to do anything he had to in order to better himself, this was no different in that way.

Akemi said that he didn’t care how strong he was physically. Power, tactics skill all of these could be honed by constant practice and patience. They could be cultivated. But it was his mental state that Satori was concerned with. The power that ninja wielded, after all, made them veritable living weapons, things that would defeat and kill adversaries. It didn’t matter what they thought personally, the fact of the matter was that not killing wasn’t an option. On difficult missions, it was very possible that one would have to kill opposing ninja, or else they would die.

Akemi watched as his friend reached up and pulled out the blade of bone from his back and offered it to Akemi with a calm expression. Slowly, Akemi reached up and took it from his friend, holding it. He tested the weight for a moment and swung it a few times. He could practically feel it trying to synchronize with his natural energy. It sliced through the air, whistling only lightly in the wind when he swung it. When Satori told Akemi where the blade had come from and how it had been made to be the way it was, he felt a little queasy. He spun the blade back around and handed it back to Satori, doing his best not to show the way that he felt.

One of the main things that he was beginning to realize that he had to fix was his hesitation. There was no shame in loving and valuing life but when your people were threatened, or your own life was threatened then taking the life of on that was threatening that life was not wrong. One did not have to stop valuing the lives taken, but had to accept that killing them was a matter of survival.

This hunt was about capturing those that would do harm to the village after which the Ryuutei would use them in the trial of adulthood. Satori told him that while he wasn’t expected to kill any of them, that he thought it would be good for him, so that he could understand what it meant. So that he could steal his resolve and no longer be afraid of killing. He watched his friend sheathe his blade and then cross his arms. Akemi had found a friend that had been helping him.

He picked up the sword that Satori had sat on the table and gave it a few test swings. “I know, that I’m not like your clan,” he said, testing the grip. “I never went through the normal mental conditioning that you have been put through. I’m not a Ryuutei, so my training with my family hasn’t been nearly as difficult.” He looked over at his friend. “But I want to do this. I have to get used to this. Is there anything else I should know about this hunt?”

Satori listened quietly to the boy, judging his reactions carefully, especially noting the uncertainty in regards to his blade. A slight smile formed on his lips, tucking his hands back into his pockets as he explained the obvious. How he hadn't gone through the "Ryuutei Conditioning", how he wasn't one of them, and his training hadn't been nearly as "difficult", causing the other boy to shrug slightly.

"None of that matters. What did I tell you when we first met? If you want to do something, then do it. Period." Shifting his gaze upward he shook his head slightly, "You think too much about pointless things, Akemi. You hold yourself back so much just because you're so uncertain about everything. The only one you're talking to when you say things like that is yourself, no one elses opinion-- not even mine, matters in the end. I can give you advice, I can give you my view, but that doesn't mean you have to take it." Raising a hand upward he would simply point at his chest.

"You could have refused what I said. You could have said you'd find a way to be a ninja without killing. Sure, you'd die. But you could still have that mentality, it's your choice." Slowly he would rest his hand on his hip, looking down at him quietly.

"You need to find your own rock, Akemi. As a man, you need something that you can cling to, no matter how turbulent the situation and never let go. It doesn't matter how high it may be. A great podium that refuses you to kill, putting you above so many others that are more realistic. A refusal to ever use a weapon. A refusal to ever leave a cry for help unanswered. If that rock is identical to my own, or close but slightly altered, that's fine. But so far I have yet to see you really cling to any actual stance or ideal, and it's going to get you killed. That uncertainty resonates through your every action, every expression and thought." Slowly releasing a breath, he shrugged.

"But I'm just a brat too, so don't put too much credit on what I say. Just my opinion." Clapping his hands together he turned, looking back at the weapons as he examined him wielding the sword.

"Does that feel comfortable to you? Test as many out as you want." Placing his hands in his pockets and relaxing once more in place while Akemi tested out his preferenced, Satori answered the previous question finally.

"As far as the hunt, nothing directly, but be aware of our rituals. Killing is not something to be taken lightly, so when we kill anything, the body is used to its fullest. Meat is eaten, bone is turned to weapons and tools, hide to leather, and so forth. Be mentally prepared for that fact." Turning, Satori would face the wall as he contemplated anything else the boy may want.

"Have you trained with any other weapons in the past?" He inquired curiously, glancing over his shoulder to see if there was anything specific he should focus on.

Satori was definitely right; Akemi did remember his friend telling him about that. If you want to do something then he just had to do it. He did spend a lot of time thinking about things that to most people, especially most shinobi, would think about. But he didn’t hold himself back that much, did he? He needed to stop questioning such things, Satori was definitely right about that. The only opinion that should matter to Akemi was Akemi’s.

Thinking on it, logically, he could have refused what Satori said, he could try to keep clinging to the naïve mentality that could be a ninja without killing. But he was going to be the best shinobi! He was going to be the sword against Kirigakure’s enemies, and a shield for her people. Satori wanted to talk about a rock?

“Satori, I’m going to be the greatest shinobi of all time. I’ll become even more powerful than the Mizukage himself, and I’m going to do all of this so that I can destroy the Kirigakure’s enemies and protect her people. That’s my rock.” He swallowed once. Even if it means killing people, I will be the sword and the shield of the Kirigakure.” But he couldn’t help but frown a little bit as Satori called himself a brat. “You’re not a brat, Satori. Just not as much experience as the adults, yet.” He made sure to throw that in there.

He tested out the blade, liking the way it bit and cut through the air, though he put it down to momentarily test out the axe, and then bow. Neither of the other two weapons felt right in his hands, unfortunately. One of the main problems with axes was that they were too heavy for him to use properly, and the issue with the bow was that he tended to get caught in it. Akemi looked over the different weapons and picked up the blade once again, listening to his friend.

Akemi stopped momentarily and admired the craftsmanship of the weapon as Satori told him about the ritual. He wasn’t one hundred percent certain what to make of what he was being told. The meat was eaten, the bones were turned into weapons and tools skin to leather, and so on. He began processing that fact. He’d known that the Ryuutei clan was not like the normal ninja, but he’d never thought that was part of their ritual. Still, he’d agreed to come on this hunt. He’d agreed to be a part of this hunt, he’d agreed to take part in this, there was no pulling out now, not for Akemi. He swallowed. He would just have to prepare himself for what happened when he got to that point.

But suddenly he looked over at Satori as his friend asked him if he’d trained with any other weapons. He shook his head.

“I’m afraid not. The only weapon I ever really used was my kodachi that my mother had bought. That’s why I wanted to test this weapon out, just make certain that I can use it pretty well.” He gave it another swing. “I’m mostly getting my head ready for this ritual. This will be the first time I’ve killed someone, and I just want to make sure that I’m fully prepared.” Unfortunately, this was true. It was going to be his first kill. Though on some level he was happy that he would at least have lost this one part of innocence after this hunt tonight. He couldn’t remain innocent as he was if he wanted to remain a shinobi. His parents, and Satori both knew this, and his mother and Satori understood the feeling and after tonight, he would as well.

Satori tilted his head a bit as Akemi offered his "rock", and Satori shook his head a bit. "No. You're only halfway there. But that's enough for now, you're smart, you'll figure it out without me shoving it down your throat." Just making sure that he thought about it would be enough, and would do wonders for the boy's confidence and understanding. He was too focused on power, too focused on skills and abilities still. A rock wasn't something so complex, something that grounded a warrior was always something simple.

Akemi would have to dig deeper, and he needed to do it himself. The core of what he had just explained and stated, he wanted to protect people. It was that simple, that was the boy's rock. Once he realized that and found he could focus on it, he knew Akemi would make great strides. Power wasn't enough. Adding power into the equation meant that without that power, you would hesitate. Without that skill, you'd stumble and fall. Akemi needed to make his rock, and it needed to be something so powerful that it didn't matter what happened.

Lost legs. No chakra. Bleeding out and dying. Broken, having lost all that he loved. If he truly found his rock, none of that would matter, and he would become a force of nature. This was the lesson his father taught him, and now he was trying to help Akemi realize it as well. Though he was fully aware it would likely take a bit of time, it had taken him time to figure out his own after all.

Releasing a brief sigh, he would turn his mind toward the hunt instead. Straightening as he listened to his words. "A Kodachi, huh?" Satori murmured curiously before glancing back toward the wall as he would glance through the options, before grasping a scimitar from the wall and turning. Offering the sheathed blade to the boy casually, "Try this then. It's about the same weight and has more weight at the tip to help transfer weight more easily, it'll help make up for the lack of muscle on your frame, but isn't so heavy you can't wield it. The shape is similar too, though it's a bit more curved." As he stated this, he would idly rest his hands at his sides, waiting for the final verdict from the boy.

Depending on his response the next choice would be the last to get him armed, and then they could be on their way to begin the next stage, the start of the hunt itself.

Satori shook his head, saying that he was halfway there, but that he was smart and he would figure it out on his own. His cheeks burned a bit, like they always did when people complimented him. It wasn’t like it was bad or that he didn’t appreciate it, it’s just that he was never expecting the compliment. This was especially true of Satori, whom he respected more than most of the kids in his class. Satori was more of a warrior than everyone in their class and Akemi had always wondered how he’d become the way he was. Well, he had his answer now.

He would still have to find this “rock” that Satori kept talking about for himself. It didn’t matter how much he wanted to protect the village, there was something more that he just wasn’t getting. He didn’t know what it was that he wasn’t getting but if he kept going, if he kept his head up and moved forward he would find it, eventually. Akemi couldn’t help but smile.

Lightly, Akemi put down the blade as Satori went back towards the wall to grab a different weapon. Watching silently, Akemi began to realize how lucky he truly was. He had always been curious about different cultures and enjoyed learning greatly. And he was friends with a someone in one of the clans and was even about to participate in one of their rituals, as grisly as it sounded. Plus he’d already come this far, and he knew that he couldn’t be rude and refuse it now. Besides, it was a special opportunity and one that he wasn’t sure he would ever get again.

Satori handed him a blade that he called a scimitar, and as Akemi unsheathed it he couldn’t deny that his friend was right. It was about the same weight as his kodachi, though the majority of it seemed to be near the edge, and as he swung it, the weapon seemed just slightly heavier towards the edge. He used some of the technique that he’d used when training with his kodachi and, for the most part, the swings felt as natural as his weapon did. Though, he couldn’t lie it was a bit more curved that he was used to.

“I like it,” he said, gripping it tighter after a few test swings. “It works really well, and should slide in and out of adversaries with ease.” Then he sheathed the blade. “I won’t lie to you, Satori, I’m a bit excited but mostly anxious.” He exhaled slowly. He had decided to come with Satori. “Still, I’m going to participate in this and I’ll see it through to the end, no matter what.”

As Akemi would shift through a few basic strikes and movements with the blade, Satori watched his footwork and movements carefully. They were basic but certainly usable, and he clearly was more comfortable with the blade then the other weapons he'd been testing. Satisfied with it, he would begin placing the other weapons back in their spots, carefully wiping off any marks from their fingertips each time as he listened to the other boy's statements.

"If you weren't nervous I'd probably call you stupid," he stated idly as he hung up the axe, the last of the items before wiping his hands idly and turning to face the boy once more. "Just focus on doing what you can, on what you need to do. I'll make sure nothing goes too far." As he stated this, Satori would then move toward the exit of the room. "Put it on your belt, we're going to meet up with the others at the edge of the forest." With this, the boy would wait for Akemi before stepping out and leading the way through the windings stone pathways. Heading toward the forest edge, though no one was waiting.

Satori didn't stop here, instead, heading directly into the forest itself and glancing back at the boy. "Move at your top speed that you can hold for long distances, I'll keep up. Head in that direction," raising a hand and pointing north, toward the edge of the village's border. Once Akemi did so, Satori dashed forward after the boy and kept pace with him easily, moving at his speed and leading the way through the forestry, out of the clan's jurisdiction, until they came to a single road that led, eventually, to the Mist Village itself.

From there, Satori halted, and the reason became apparent as there were about six other Ryuutei decorating the area, all of them bore headbands and three wore flack jackets marking their ranking. Four were female, two were male, all bearing the piercings that marked them as adults. One of the women stepped forward, hands on wide hips as the woman's brow arched, deep crimson hair flowing down her back.

"Satori, you're late, it's unlike you." Satori nodded once toward Akemi in response.

"I had to get approval from father to bring him. This is Akemi-kun, the one I mentioned." The woman glanced down at the boy, sizing him up briefly.

"The Student huh. Will he really be alright? They're just bandits, but they're sure as hell not random thugs in an alleyway. Has he experienced real combat?" Satori shook his head.

"No. But he'll be fine. I'll be with him and take in my quota as well, father believes he can do it, we managed to land a blow on him working together." The woman's brow arched, impressed clearly as she glanced toward Akemi once more before grunting and nodding.

"Alright. Try not to die, kid. I trust Satori, but don't go dying and causing us to deal with paperwork for the village." Turning, she would clap her hands together without waiting for a reply. All of them appeared calm and nonchalant despite the threat of possible death, it was the Ryuutei way. As long as the goal was achieved, the clan had gained a victory, and that meant their death held meaning. The only purpose for a member of their clan.

"Alright. The location is ten miles west. Each of you has been assigned your position. The camp consists of fifty-seven bandits. We're to take it down, and capture our quota at least seven each. Understood?" There was only silence and nodded heads before the woman turned and disappeared with a flash, heading into the woods.

Satori turned, looking at Akemi and offering a grin, "Still ready?" A final chance to get out of this, after this, there was no turning back.

Akemi sheathed the blade, and he knew without needing to look over at his friend, that Satori was watching his movements carefully. Every time the two of them hung out, they trained and whenever they trained the other young man watched him scrupulously. But when he finally looked up he saw his friend beginning to put the other weapons away and he sighed in relief. He hated it when people judged him, but it was happening a lot, especially with his mother. He knew that the instructors at the academy were judging them too, though it wasn’t just him, they were judging everyone.

He blushed when Satori said that he would’ve been stupid if he wasn’t nervous. It seemed that at least that was still the most human part of him, those little flaws that everyone always seemed to have before experience. Listening to Satori was the best advice that he could really give himself and he slowly tested his feet. Akemi was ever so slightly wondering about what this hunt would be like, and part one part of him considered whether or not he should go all the way in this. But he’d gone too far to just stop and give up now, and he was hellbent on learning as much as he could.

Akemi slid the weapon into his belt, and followed Satori through the winding stone paths, and headed towards the edge of the forest where Satori had said they were to meet others. But when they arrived, there was no one there and Akemi looked over at his friend. Yet when his friend kept going, Akemi was confused, until Satori told him to go at his top long distance speed and head off North. He would be following behind easily until they got where they were going. Though confused, he nodded and dashed off in the direction Satori had gestured.

Yet as they moved through the area, Akemi realized that they were approaching the very border of the actual Mist Village itself. He heard his friend stop and Akemi came to a stop as well. There were about six Ryuutei, at least he assumed they were Ryuutei, ninja. Each one of them had a headband and three of the six had flak jackets. This was a fairly serious operation, from what he could see and for a moment he had that normal wave of fear. But when a woman stepped forward Akemi simply watched her, even as she placed a hand on her hips and spoke to Satori fairly casually. Akemi frowned a bit when Satori told her that he didn’t have any actual combat experience, but this would be good for him, then. Satori said he was going to be with Akemi.

When she told him not to die, he nodded. He didn’t want to die, but this would be good experience and a good baseline on what he would have to improve upon with his own training. He wasn’t going to die. He’d come too far to do so. Still, in his nervousness, he couldn’t help but swallow. But when the woman clapped the rest of them got ready. There was no nervousness, just calm preparedness. He took in a deep breath, to steady himself, listening as the woman said that they were to capture seven each. That was the quota.

Satori looked back over at him and smiled, asking if he was still ready.

“Of course,” Akemi said smiling at his friend, despite the hand still shaking, as he gripped the scimitar, and he forced himself to be calm before looking at his friend again. “I won’t slow you down, Satori. I’m ready when you are.”

Akemi’s hand was shaking, and his nervousness was evident. Yet the boy's eyes held determination, and that was enough for the long-maned young man. Satori grinned, turning and walking toward the edge of the forest before his heels dug into the earth.

“Let’s go,” he stated simply in reply, before launching himself upward. Traveling at the same speed that Akemi had set for them before as his gaze narrowed on the forestry before them. It would be several miles of travel to reach the camp, but that was fine. It would give Akemi time to adjust to the realization he was going to be fighting a real battle, as well as offer him time to plan. The original scenario had been relatively simple.

With the idea of splitting up into pairings before working to attack from each angle of the camp. Each of those involved were well-versed in their jobs, and were relatively balanced in skill. Though, like most Ryuutei, they held a preference in the usage of Bukijutsu and Taijutsu. Satori held no such limitations and fully intended to begin delving into the usage of Ninjutsu in order to help cover all basis.

Especially with his added responsibility of watching over Akemi, it would be important. Luckily the usage of earth and water jutsu, which were his specialties at the moment, had a variety of uses that could be used in combat. The closer they got to the camp, the more obvious the camps location became. They clearly didn’t think that the village cared enough to remove them, a simple case of foolish bandits getting big heads.

Now it was the clan’s job to remove them. Satori shifted his foot, flickering up to land on an upper branch as he waited for the signal that would alert all of them to begin. He crouched, glancing over to wherever Akemi may land as the claws decorating his bare feet dug into the wood to secure his current perch. The camp before them was dotted with several fires, a handful of bandits were on watch or patroling.

The rest were idly resting about the fire, a few were even training, to Satori’s surprise. Usually bandits relied on raw force and numbers to achieve their goals, it was rare to see them this organized with guards stationed. Perhaps they weren’t so big-headed as they were getting proper training from someone. That was moderately concerning, but not enough to warrant a change in their current plans. His voice remained silent as he lifted a hand and crossed his two fingers, before swiping to the side. Simple sign language asking the basic question: “Ready?”

He approached the edge of the forest slowly, taking in a breath with each step. His mother and father didn’t exactly know about this, didn’t know that he’d be going into a real battle since he hadn’t told them. Thinking on it, they would’ve either told him that he couldn’t go or would’ve tried to load him down with unnecessary gear, of which he wouldn’t have brought with him anyways. He took an additional breath, before launching off behind Satori at the speed that he’d gone the first time.

Akemi’s eyes narrowed as he mentally prepared himself for everything that he was about to do, the fact that if he killed, he would go through their rituals. Yeah, his mom and died might be a bit concerned, but at the same time they should be proud of him for his decision. He was going to learn whatever he could. Then it hit him, he was actually going to have to kill someone, and he felt panic creeping up his spine, but he couldn’t let that stop him. He’d come to the realization and admitted it to himself.

Buki, tai and ninjutsu were all that he had to rely on, and for the most part they were the beginning jutsu that he even knew… Regardless, he could do well with whatever he had on hand. He was adaptive enough for combat, and the training against his mother with different weapons and martial arts styles meant that he could fairly easily hold his own. He gave a soft sigh and steeled himself against what was to soon come, he would have to kill, regardless of how he felt about it.
They neared the camp and Akemi could partially see why the Ryuutei had decided to clean out this place. It was a rather large camp with people going here and there. Large fires were around, and he could expect people were feasting around the fires, relaxing and having fun, or perhaps even planning their next attack. He watched as Satori landed on a nearby branch, claws digging into the wood on it.

Landing nearby, Akemi glanced over at Satori, before taking stock of the camp himself, making note of several key points. There were several fires throughout it. That would make things a fair bit more difficult for stealth, as they needed to find a way to blend easily into the shadows. Then there were the watches and patrols. Not a normal group of bandits, and either had training or were being trained, though it was possible that they were taking hints from the village.

Akemi counted, while positioning himself on the trunk of the tree. They’d have to be quick and stealthy, strike fast, defeat enemies without much fuss. The overall goal was seven a piece… He couldn’t help but wonder if that meant him as well, though he didn’t think it did. As much as he was participating… He shook his head. No, he couldn’t think like that. He was going to help Satori as best he could. Then he looked over to his friend, and the moment that he gave the signal to ask if he was ready, Akemi nodded. This would be a night to remember.

Satori eyed Akemi. The boy appeared to be as ready as he was going to be. Taking a deep, slow beath he straightened himself before looking at the first two guards that were standing about ten meters from their current position on watch. He glanced at Akemi, and raised his right hand before pointing at the boy. A silent statement that Akemi should focus on the one on the right, and Satori would handle the one on the left. He mouthed the name of the technique they'd learned in the Academy: Body Flicker.

It would allow them to get the drop on the group, and clear the distance without issue in a burst of speed they couldn't keep up with if all went well. Offering a single encouraging smile, Satori turned before his gaze narrowed on the pair of guards as his hand lifted in the half-tiger seal. Suddenly he blitzed forward in a flash.

Body Flicker.

The guards were, understandably, taken aback when a tall young feral boy appeared between them both. Before they could raise an alarm, the throat of the first was split open by Satori's claws. Shredding his vocal cords and carotid artery in one fell swoop before turning. Ready to dig into the next as blood splattered from his claws, waiting to see how Akemi had done with "his half" as it were while the other man dropped to the ground with several gurgled clinging to his throat. A useless attempt, he was dead within moments.

Akemi watched Satori with a serious expression. He was worried, to be honest, and it was probably understandable and Satori would’ve said that it was ok, and Akemi reached back, gripping a kunai. He had something of a plan, and lightly rocked forward on the balls of his feet. With a slow nod, Akemi gave a brief nod and looked down at the guard on the right, and he couldn’t help but gulp lightly. This was…going to be a horrible thing, what he was about to do. He was going to have to kill this man, and… he still wasn’t fully sure he could do it, but he was here now and he had to, or else he’d jeopardize the whole thing. Satori mouthed two words, body flicker, an old academy skill and Akemi understood immediately.

They were going in fast, and they were going to take down these guards in seconds. He had a few nanoseconds of thought at best, brief calculations, and he knew that he’d have to kill the man. With a bright smile, Satori turned back to the guards, and suddenly was down on the ground.

Time seemed to slow down as Satori landed and swung his claws, Akemi’s own hand rising in the same seal Satori had used a moment ago. He heard the skin getting sliced open, heard the gurgling as he landed on the second guard’s shoulders and without looking or thinking, jammed the kunai into the second guard’s neck and twisted it. Covering the guard’s mouth, Akemi then jammed it into the front of his throat and then wrenched it out again. Blood poured out of the man’s neck in both places and Akemi felt him cough blood onto his hand, while tears slowly came from his eyes. He hadn’t wanted to do this, but Satori had been right, it had to be done. He leapt off the man’s shoulders, silently landing on the wood as the man’s body dropped. He didn’t even look at Satori, while he began to curse himself for not simply stabbing the front of the throat.

As the body fell, and Satori's claws stabbed through the man's skull, ensuring his death he also heard the attack to his side, and glanced over in time to see Akemi strike a second time. It seemed he at least had ensured that he'd "double-tapped" his own target as well. Straightening immediately, Satori waved for Akemi to do the same. The reason for this was simple as the bodies fell. From a distance, all the others would see was that two humanoid shadows were still standing on-guard.

This would ensure a lack of emergency being called, and Satori flicked the blood from his claws as he eyed Akemi quietly for a moment as he cursed himself.

"It's fine. You always want to 'kill' your target twice anyway to ensure they can't get back up," he murmured simply, before raising his hands and forming the clone seal.

Haze Clone.

Immediately as the two semi-solid illusions formed beside him, Satori nodded for them to continue forward. The Haze clones wouldn't last forever, but they didn't need too. Simply act as a distraction and keep the alarm from sounding from missing guards. Lowering and stalking through the shadows at a quick, but even pace his eyes narrowed on their next targets. A group of the bandits were lounging around a fire. Some in sleeping bags, others drinking and wobbling on chairs. Clearly relying entirely on the guards on watch.

Satori lifted a hand to get Akemi's attention before then pointing at the group. Quick sign language getting the basic strategy down.

Target awake first. Throat to silence. Sleeping last. Quiet and quick as possible. Body flicker.

Satori told him not to worry about it, that he’d made the right call in striking again, despite Akemi’s feelings on the matter. Sometimes Akemi couldn’t help but feel that if he listened to his friend more, if he didn’t let so many things bother him, he’d be a better ninja, but now wasn’t the time to focus on that. He watched as Satori suddenly made the seal for a haze clone, and Akemi nodded. A distraction to keep up the guise of security.

Following quickly and quietly behind his friend, he watched as Satori stopped at and looked at the next group. They were drinking, resting in chairs, others lying in sleeping bags and enjoying the peace that night tended to bring. He might’ve felt bad for them, had they chosen a different life. But these were brigands, as well as a threat to the village. These ones had to be dealt with, and he had come to assist in getting rid of them. Nothing else was in his thoughts as he stopped at Satori’s hand, and followed his pointing. He saw the sign language, marking every part of the plan down quickly and carefully before nodding.

Slowly, he raised his hand and made the same half-seal as before, while gripping his kunai in his free hand. This would be quick, and quiet and over before they knew what hit them. He suddenly surged forward, one of the men who’d been taking a drink was suddenly silenced as the kunai was impaled into the side then front of his throat before he moved to the next, trusting Satori to be on the others. He still hated this killing, this senseless killing but had agreed to come with them. He would prove to everyone that he could be a shinobi worthy of the Kirigakure.

Satori nodded once as Akemi seemed to understand the situation, and was adapting well. No psychological instability. Good. His gaze flashed upward, focusing on the targets they had before them as his claws flexed; before he stepped forward and formed the seal. They both blurred forward as Satori's claws ripped into the throat of another that was drinking before he could even sound an alarm. The low gurgle was the only sound as the last that was awake spun in confusion only to find Satori's legs wrapped around his throat.

The sound of a spine-snapping filled the air as Satori brutally twisted his head, falling and leaping off the body to land one the first one sleeping, trusting Akemi to handle the final sleeper that was beginning to stir from the commotion as his blood-covered hands ripped into the slumbers man's throat in two quick jabs. Afterward, he paused as Akemi dealt with his own, ears carefully focused on their surroundings.

No sounds. His gaze flicked toward the other campfires near them; dead silent. His clan was handling their sides well. Slowly straightening, Satori simply made a mental count. He signed it bluntly.

Seven more to go.

As Satori took down the sleeper in front of him, leapt into the air and slammed into the other man as he tried to push himself up, air being pushed out of the man’s lungs and then a quick kunai stabbed into his throat. The gurgling sound made Akemi cringe for a second, but he was quick to move on. No alarms raised, and he looked up. It seemed that the rest of the Ryuutei clan were handling their part with aplomb, though he shouldn’t have been surprised. They were all capable ninja in their own right.

The group by the fire was down and done and Akemi couldn’t help but blink at the sight of the bodies. He’d always thought that when something like this happened, if he ever had to kill, that he’d be sick to his stomach, that he’d puke his guts out. And yet, standing here, covered in the blood of a few men that he’d stabbed in the throat to kill? He just…wasn’t feeling the sickness like he’d thought he would. He wasn’t feeling anything about their deaths, in fact. Just that it was a job that needed to be taken care of.

He looked over at Satori, wondering what his friend was doing until he signed that there were only seven remaining. With a nod, Akemi then quickly signed back.

How do you want to handle this?

Satori lifted a hand silently in response to the question, pointing toward the central fire. There were only a few side-camps left, and they would be cleaned up by the rest, that left only the primary camp where the rest of their quota would likely reside. A simple sign signaled their movement forward while they still had the element of surprise.

From the left.

With this Satori leap up to the left, following the line of brush and stones that dotted the darkness around them, he would spot the group before them. A total of about thirteen total. He glanced around and saw the single flickers from the metal headbands purposely turned to let the other Ryuutei know the squads had gathered. They would be working as a team from multiple angles to take out the bandits as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Chakra flowed through Satori's hands before he glanced toward Akemi and offered a single smile. His friend hadn't thrown up, lost himself, or become generally sick. It was a good sign, it meant he was a natural ninja. But they could talk about that later. Instead, he focused on the job at hand and took a single breath before signing toward Akemi.

Ready?

As soon as Satori gave the signal that they were it would begin, they were the last squad to clarify.

Akemi followed the hand to the central fire. He counted, one after another. About thirteen people in all… Then Satori signaled that they’d come in from the left and Akemi nodded, with a serious look in his eyes. Slowly, Akemi leapt upwards, following not too closely behind Satori, ready and waiting to attack. With a bit looking up, several metal flashes from other headbands made little Akemi understand. This was a joint attack.

Slowly, Akemi put away the kunai and drew the blade that Satori had given him to use. One boy had claws, the other had a blade. He then watched as Satori’s hands began to gather chakra to them, and when he was suddenly offered a smile. Akemi smiled back for a brief second and took a deep breath himself and watched as Satori signed to Akemi, asking if he was ready. Gripping the weapon in his hands, he nodded and immediately signed back.

I’m ready.

The moment that Akemi gave his readiness, Satori tilted his claws against the light. It sheened outward, and the signal was given. Satori flickered forward in a blur, and the screams of terror filled the air as wild men and women appeared from seemingly thin air, launching themselves on the bandits like raptors. Satori's chakra-enhanced claws slamming into the neck of one of the men on guard duty, muscles straining before he outright removed the man's head from his body.

Before leaping off the body like a springboard on to the next. As if a swarm of raptors had launched from the brush and grasses to assault them from every angle, flickering from one direction to the next as the bandits struggled to arm themselves, let alone properly form a defensive line of any sort.

Akemi was not a Ryuutei, that much would be evidently clear were one of the bandits to see him, he didn’t plan to give them a chance. Satori raised a clawed hand slowly. There was a moment of silence as little Akemi took a breath, and suddenly the other Ryuutei flashed into the bandits, the world exploding into a cacophony of screams. Men and women were cut down by Ryuutei as they went in and out of the world, Satori right with them.

As he watched his friend go flying forward, he took in a breath. Once more Akemi assumed he’d be feeling the fear wash over him, and yet, even as he stood there, he could only feel the need to accomplish a job. His eyes knitting together in effort, Akemi surged forward, right behind Satori as if time was catching up to reality.

A head went flying past him as Satori removed it from a guard’s shoulders. Akemi had long since set his eyes on a target, a man still fumbling to get his weapon from where it was laying nearby. Caught in the confusion, he’d been one of the first to rush and get it, but had knocked them over in his haste. By the time Akemi had reached him he was just turning to get ready to fight, when the boy sliced through his neck with the blade he’d been given. There was a brief moment of silence as blood erupted from it and he fell over, Akemi landed and dashed away again, to hit more. He would earn his place amongst Satori this day, no matter what.

Satori was a Ryuutei to his core. Blood splattered his face and mane, coated his claws and hands, but he didn't hesitate nor fall back. There was only combat, only predatory need to cut down all in his path. Corpses fell one after the other, and when the bloodshed finally came to a halt he straightened. Slowly allowing crimson feline eyes to examine their surroundings, noting the bodies and the fact other Ryuutei were performing some cleanup now, and ripped his claws from the throat of his final kill.

He ignored the gurgling and death throes of those near him, instead his gaze focusing on Akemi as he moved toward him. Glancing at the bodies nearby that had been neatly killed using the blade as Satori smiled softly, nodding once in approval. At a count, it appeared Akemi had managed it, getting seven.

Satori didn't bother asking if he was alright, or how he was holding up, it was clear. Despite the bloodshed, Akemi was perfectly stable. A natural killer. Or perhaps it would be better to say a natural human, closer to his roots as an animal than what others tried to pretend how they were "better". Bemused, Satori grinned at his friend.

"Well done, Akemi," he stated simply as he glanced at the blade, nodding to it. "Like it?"