Shark Bait [Private]

Mission Name: Hunting Replenishment [Repeatable]
Mission Type: Logistics
Mission Rank: C
Mission Goal: Hunt down a large quantity of game to help replenish food stores.
Description: The local market has suffered a loss due to moisture ruining the salted meat stocks. Go out and hunt down as many animals as you can and bring them back to the market so that a professional butcher can skin and break them down for proper salting and selling.
Payment: 15,000 Ryo
Requirements: 1 D-Class Ninja

Satori exited the gate alongside her as they made their way into the country, following the primary road as he glanced down at her. She seemed a bit on the uncertain side, or perhaps annoyed was the proper way of putting it. Stretching his arms over his head his gaze lifted toward the sky, no need to rush this part after all.

“If you were part of the council we’d have a lot more time together, you know,” he stated simply, a bemused smile decorating his lips as he glanced back down to her briefly before looking forward. “Don’t look so sour over the idea of sharks, either. It’ll be a good way to build your stamina and force your muscles to acclimate to unusual angles. Fighting underwater isn’t something easily done,” as he explained this he grinned.

As she’d likely assumed they’d be fishing normally. Not jumping right into the shark's natural territory and fighting them to the death before dragging them onto the beach. But, where was the fun in just a casual fishing trip with big spears instead of hooks and lines? Satori, despite his new position, was still the man he always had been. A proper combat simulation was always doable with a bit of creativity, on any mission.

She gave Satori a fierce side-eye as he proposed she join the council. There was more than just paperwork and such to deal with there too; she would also be revealing a lot of the power and such that she had been amassing. Sure, Satori could counter all of it pretty easily, but showing off what she could do early would just be an invitation for him to come up with a counter. He didn’t need any help.

But as he explained that they weren’t fishing for sharks but legitimately fighting them underwater, she visibly brightened slightly, seeming to like the idea of what he was proposing. He was lucky though, because he had the excuse of being the clan head, he had dodged his responsibility to take her shopping thus far… but she hadn’t forgotten. One of these days she would demand it… he owed it to her after that whole scenario with the Academy and all those kids… although she had to admit she had sort of enjoyed that one.

But she didn’t have a re-breather… meaning she would need to come up for air nigh constantly and deal with sharks that she had pissed off as a result while she gulped in air. It was a good handicap, for sure, but also made this a bit more dangerous. Midori could swim, but she wasn’t a fish out of water by any means. Fighting underwater was going to be a serious challenge.

[1]

Satori grinned as she visibly brightened before falling into her own thoughts. Likely contemplating how she was going to deal with the underwater bouts. Tilting his head a bit in thought he contemplated the issue, but it wasn’t likely to be one. Sharks weren’t group hunters. Sure, the blood may attract more, but they wouldn’t just swarm in on them because of some blood in the water.

They’d just as likely attack one another, and were even easier to deal with in a “bloodlust” as it were, because the already stupid creatures were even dumber during that time. As long as you kept a level head, even for a normal human, let alone a ninja, sharks weren’t actually that big of a threat. The issue came about when someone lost their head and panicked, and became easy prey.

Such was the situation with any predator and prey confrontation, really. Glancing down at her he arched a brow and finally asked the question as they walked.

“Why don’t you want to take a seat?”

The question came, as she knew it would.

She took a moment while they were walking, thinking about the right words to say to truly convey what she wanted to. Satori was used to this action from the ever-dark green haired teen, and would likely remain patient as she did this. After a few moments of silent contemplation, she turned her head slightly, ensuring she made eye contact.

“Too much work for smart people. Getting better, but not there yet. Left to people like you, better for the Clan. Just tell me who to crush.” It was a simple thing too; not everyone could be a leader. Sure, she could inspire others, but she was no teacher, no academic scholar… she didn’t even consider herself able to lead a squad of Ninja on a mission reliably. Seats were designated for people who could weigh in on decisions that affected them all.

But she had one more note. “Interrupts my training to beat you and be useful to you.” It was a side-effect, but she knew it would cut into her training, just like Satori was hardly able to step away anymore because of his job, and she didn’t want that at all; she’d wind up breaking a hole in the wall because more paperwork would be put on her desk.

[2]

Satori remained silent and patient as ever while she thought about her response. When it was finally answered, he didn’t say anything until she was completely done. Offering a slight smile as he lifted his gaze up and hummed in his chest.

“The seated position isn’t any of that, though,” he stated with a slight smile. Midori was one of them, but she’d always kept many things at a distance. Including the limited politics of the clan, status, and general cultural interactions. Certain things she’d grasped instantly, but anything to do with the responsibility she’d avoided like the plague. Almost as much as she’d avoided vocal communication with many.

“It’s a title that holds respect, Midori. It means that others in the clan can come to you for training. That you can inspire from a distance when they see your strength. It gives you the right to put in your opinion on issues involving the clan, but the responsibility is split between the council and clan head. Not on any one individual.” As he explained this, they continued their walk, his tone as casual as his pace as he glanced over at her.

“It will only help you grow. Both in knowledge, decision making, as well as combat skill due to how many others will want you to train and spar with them once you take the position.”

She narrowed her eyes as she looked at him declaring that she had it all wrong, knowing that he was trying to sweet talk her a bit. But she respected his opinion too much to dismiss anything he said, so she listened intently, even if her facial expression was somewhat disbelieving. Considering how busy Satori himself was, she had a hard time thinking that she was going to be able to continue to train as much as she did now.

Hold respect. Cool. Come to her for training? She wasn’t a teacher, as she had tried to tell this long haired bastard several times… she had no talent for instructing others in the way of Taijutsu even, and that was her strongest forte. Putting her opinion on issues for the clan sounded like a major hassle… but she could see a bit of value in it.

The spars sounded nice though… more people to fight and expand on her strength and style as she continued to hone her skill. After a moment of consideration, she thought about the single most exciting thing about the whole ordeal. “How many do you think I can beat?” she asked, curious of his opinion of her possible opponents for taking that position.

Satori glanced at her, he’d figured the last part would be what got her attention. Amused he simply smiled and contemplated her question for a few moments. She couldn’t beat Kiyoshi yet, or Raika. But the third and fourth… well, that was feasible, though it was impossible to say for certain since they were all about the same range of power that she was with slight deviations and shifts.

“Easily in the top ten seats,” he finally responded with, “How far after that would be a hard call. I’d say up to the fourth or third seat, though,” as he explained this he idly shifted a hand in his pocket while he glanced at her.

“Besides. You need to stop hiding your bloodline from the village and clan. I know you’re embarrassed by it, and uncertain, but it’s time to move past it Midori. You’re only shackling yourself.” As he stated this he stepped over a log along the road, hopping over it easily while they talked. The shore was getting slowly closer now.

In the top ten seats… that would be pretty impressive, but it still sounded like a lot of work. Not the fighting part; that was literally one of the only reasons she would probably enjoy it, but what came after. She didn’t mind being responsible, she just always felt like she wasn’t intelligent enough to make those right decisions, and she worried it would bring down the clan as a whole. “You think my opinion is worth that?” This had far deeper meaning than simply if she was qualified for the job.

She wanted to know that she wouldn’t be wasting her time, as well as everyone else’s.

The green haired teen also wasn’t entirely certain that she was the right type of person for that job… although she was widely accepted through the clan, she was still an oddity. And it was true that she didn’t like showing off her Nature Chakra side of the house in terms of abilities very often. Even with all her practice, she felt like it was unstable and uncertain. That lack of control was more than just an embarrassment, it was a liability. “Control is better, but not where it needs to be.” She wasn’t sure it ever would be either… and she didn’t want to hurt anyone she cared about.

[4]

“I do,” he stated bluntly. Not concerned at all. She didn’t think she was smart enough because she constantly compared herself to him. But she was smarter than Kiyoshi, her ability to adapt and learn was tremendous, and her ability to analyze a combat situation quickly was quite high. She was continuing to improve as well. She wasn’t as creative as he was, but she made up for it with other methods. She wasn’t stupid by any means.

Her secondary worry didn’t cause him to respond either, blinking once before glancing at her.

“You’ll never feel like you’re in perfect control of it,” he stated bluntly as his gaze lifted up. Before a slight smile formed on his lips. “Not until you master something else at least. I’ve done some digging for you. I’m still figuring it all out but I think I’ve discovered a way to make it possible for you to never suffer the drawbacks. It’s a long road though, no point thinking to hard on that now,” He’d found out about Senjutsu through his studies. It had taken a bit of time, but he’d managed it.

The concepts of natural energy and Senjutsu were far too similar to what she was experiencing for it to be a coincidence. Especially since they already knew she took the energy from around her.

The confidence he spoke about trusting her to weigh in on decisions genuinely surprised her, causing her eyes to open a little bit more than normal. Satori wasn’t someone to sugarcoat it either; he had been the one to suggest that she do her absolute best to improve mentally, and gave her exercises for the mind to help her with processing speed and mental sharpness. Even Midori herself felt like she had been making progress with that, but the subject had to grab her attention first. If it did though, she absorbed it like a sponge.

It was he said next, regarding her control, that made her pause in her tracks mid-stride and turn to look at him, a mixture of disbelief and hope in her eyes as she leveled with him. After a half second, she realized that she had stopped and quickly re-matched his pace, her head turned completely to look at him. “Anything to control this would be complex,” she said, putting a hand just beneath her chest against her diaphragm. The implications were insane. If she was able to use her abilities without reservation and losing her mind, she could become very powerful indeed.

Maybe even give Satori a run for his money.

Chewing on this information a bit, she wanted to ask more but his comment about not needing to worry about it now meant that he was still looking into it and needed more time. She would be patient. “You find that out and help me get it, I’ll join the council without a second thought.” Enticing him with what he wanted in return was a surefire way to make him keep looking with higher priority.

[5]

Satori’s gaze slid toward her as she tried to make him a deal, in a way. An attempt at bribing him, and after a moment he paused and turned to look at her. Surprisingly serious, he was even frowning at her.

“Apologize,” he stated firmly as he looked into Midori’s eyes. “You just insulted me, Midori.”

He also knew she hadn’t meant it that way. But that had stung.

“Do you think I have any priorities above my family and their needs? Do you think you need to try and make bribes to get me to progress? All things have their time. All things are given all the effort I can, and my priorities always place my family and friends before anything else.” His tone was firm as he slowly softened his expression.

“How many hours do you think I’ve sat in dusty libraries, talked to travelers, bought information and examined your blood and abilities for over these past years? Since I first saw you use that power and had to calm you?” Slowly releasing a breath, he shook his head.

“The two subjects aren’t interwoven. Join the council, push yourself out of your comfort zone and develop. It has nothing to do with your bloodline abilities. I will always do all I can to help you expand on those.”

Midori instinctively stopped as Satori had, keeping pace with him like she always had, but from the expression on his face, it wasn’t good. She listened to him all the way through, and while at first she had begun to shrink, she didn’t shut down completely like she normally would have. They had spats before, as all siblings did, but normally Midori’s reaction was to curl up emotionally and mentally, take her licks and be done with it. She would recover in a few hours and apologize during those times, but she had grown a lot since then, and interacted with a lot of people.

She wasn’t going to curl up anymore.

“I apologize. I attempted to make a joke.” For that part, she was genuinely sorry. “I know you are trying. I am too. But they are interwoven, at least some. How can I lead, earn trust, when I cannot trust myself?” Her gaze had hardened, not out of defiance, but pent up depression and frustration at her own inability to figure things out. How many hours had she spent, alone and away from everyone, training her bloodline, testing things and figuring them out? Reading anything she could find? Discussing that topic with Satori directly? It wasn’t that she didn’t understand where Satori was coming from, and she knew she didn’t need to bribe him; she had genuinely meant that part as a joke. But she did think that it was interwoven.

If he wanted her to lead and inspire, it had to not be through fear. And the truth was, she was terrified of herself.

[6]

Satori shook his head once, releasing a sigh. She apologized and understood he was serious. That was the biggest goal here. He couldn't allow anything to slip through that grate of insecurity she had. He couldn't help everything but the bits he could work with, he wanted to ensure he caught it before it got out of hand.

Unfortunately, that insecurity reared its head once more. Satori's arms crossed over his chest as she worried over her own fear of herself and the fear she may inspire in others.

"Ryuutei are brutal and hearty people willing to die since surviving childhood. Don't be so arrogant as to think that your abilities inspire some absolute terror. The only one afraid of your powers are you, the rest of us will view it exactly as it should be viewed: just another weapon. They will fear you abilities no more than they fear my Ijutsu that can dissect them alive or cause their cells to rot... or cause cancer at a touch," his tone was blunt and to the point. The only one holding her back here was her own fear. She wouldn't be able to 'rule through fear' among the Ryuutei. No one could.

"If you don't want to lose control using your form, then that's what we'll focus on," he stated simply before turning and continuing on their path.

"You'll hunt the sharks using your bloodline today," he stated simply.

Midori shook her head side to side. “Village Ninja. Ryuutei integration. If I am on the council, the Kage will ask me to lead others. Only logical they will not always be Ryuutei.” Midori showing that she had been doing her homework and why she was concerned about scaring others. Sure, the Ryuutei would be fine; as someone who grew up with them, that much was absolutely obvious… but not the only factor. Shaking her head, she also shrugged, saying without words she could easily be wrong about the whole thing, but that was the way she saw it. She was actually looking into politics, repercussions, positions… what it meant to be placed in a certain slot. She was honestly wondering why the village hadn’t sent him to be leading other Ninja fro the village, but as the integration was still new, perhaps they were giving him some time as clan head.

She sighed again as he laid out the groundwork of how this mission was going to be training, but nodded. She should have seen this coming, but Midori hadn’t really thought it through outside of wanting to get her point across. She had accomplished that, and now it was time to deal with her next task, and she did so without much in the way of complaint, and began to absorb Nature Chakra within herself to prepare. If she was going to be using this form to attack and such, she needed to be able to maximize the exposure, which was probably something Satori was looking for. Already she could feel the itch to fight in the back of her mind.

[7]

Satori’s brow rose even higher as she brought up the other village ninja, and shook his head once firmly.

“A seat on the council has nothing to do with the village, Midori. You can be a Jounin and seatless, and a clan head and a Genin,” he jerked a thumb idly at himself.

“In fact it will be good practice for when you do rise in rank for the village,” he stated as added incentive. Smiling softly as he walked, he glanced back at her. “Leading Ryuutei will help you understand you’re not nearly as off from that idea as you think,” with this he would lead once more. There was no reason to push her beyond that, he simply wanted to correct her line of thinking.

“I’ll probably be given Chunin soon. Due to the new Mizukage being thrown into everything, there are higher priorities than me. But I’m obviously an exception. I was probably ready to be a Chunin when I graduated the Academy, honestly,” a bemused shrug formed. The new Kage, Kyoji, was a young Hoshigaki that was a bit out of his element and clearly overwhelmed. It made sense. The previous Mizukage had been so inactive it had been nearly painful.

“If you end up attacking me, that’s fine. I won’t break you out of it. We’ll fight to give you practice to reel it in on your own,” he stated simply as he stepped over a fallen log.

Midori nodded thoughtfully as he explained the difference between the council and the village standings, and supposed that was a true statement, and her thoughts on the matter had been baseless. With a shrug and a nod, she silently agreed that she would think about it, but she wasn’t going to be bringing up the topic again until their mission was done. The new Mizukage made things far more interesting as far as village standings went, and she wouldn’t be surprised if he made Satori a Jounin rather than a Chuunin. He had the power for it; she had been witness when he had mopped the floor with a couple of Jounins from the village that had thought their status should have scared him. That had been entertaining as he proved them wrong.

The thought of attacking him made her actually smirk, and she shook her head.

“I have trained. Friend from Foe is easier.” It wasn’t perfect, but it was a far cry from where she had been before; she no longer lost her mind completely when she fought, but she did feel like it was muddled a bit. It was still enough to scare her because while she certainly was able to guide it better, she still didn’t feel like she was directly in control, and that was something that was terrifying for Midori. In the Ryuutei power was everything, but only when tempered by strong control; a berserker like herself was a great asset, but only if she could stay behind the wheel.

And now Satori had given her hope to find a way to stay completely in control.

Absorbing more of the Chakra, this was the other part of the ability that she didn’t care for normally; her lust to fight that got ever stronger as she continued to bring in the volatile chakra… but there was another thing that she was immensely proud of that she wanted to share. “Finally can use Ninjutsu.” It was a simple statement, but the subtle undertones were evidence that she was extremely pleased about this, and it was opening a door to a whole new line of strength that she hoped he would help her tap; the Jutsu-Glutton that he was.

[8]

Satori grinned as she confidently stated that friend from foe was easier, and arched a brow. “Was that with me hitting you though?” he inquired simply, and it wasn’t to brag. Depending on how she was training, all kinds of variables could throw her off. The more that he helped her develop the better off she’d be. Specifically with his skillset he could make her go through quite a bit of hell to push her boundaries and increase her control all the more.

“We’ll focus on the overgrown fish first, though,” he stated with an amused tone, turning to focus on their surroundings once more as he sniffed at the air once in thought. Altering their course slightly to head toward the beach as he glanced down at her and arched a brow curiously with a slight smirk as they broke the cover of the tree’s to expose the large white beach and crashing sea.

“We’ll need bait,” he stated idly as he glanced around slowly through the waters. Any fish would do to bring in blood. He wasn’t particularly worried about what specifically, if needed they could grab something from the forest as well, as long as it bled a bit in the water it would do more than enough to draw them in.

The fact she could use Ninjutsu was notable as well. His mind working on the connections, if she had an elemental affinity yet, or if he should wait to test it. As well as options for her to learn and use as of now.

She shook her head. “Not you… but Riku has. Managed.” She was relatively confident about it too. Her and Riku were becoming like real sisters, and they complimented each other well for training; Midori could strike Riku without holding back, and the watery vixen could fight against someone who was strong against her natural skill set. Riku’s bloodline was still extremely advantageous in conjunction with her poisons, but that was neither here nor there.

Altering her course along with him and emerging on the beach, she looked around and found a patch of greenery near it that was particularly thick and moved to it, presenting a single finger for Satori to indicate he needed to wait a moment for her. She wasn’t afraid of changing in front of him; the Ryuutei didn’t really care about all that, and they were siblings, but she did know that changing in a place that easily could bring public eyes was a bad idea. After a minute, she returned in a completely different outfit The black swimsuit would allow her maximum range of motion and kept her covered, and she didn’t want to get her actual clothing wet as it would drag her down. It was also stretchy, so transformation wouldn’t be a problem either.

Bait? That would be easy enough… but first they had to get into the water. Stepping out into the waves until they were waist deep, she paused and turned towards Satori. “Sharks are territorial. They will come for me as a predator. Kill the first but leave it in the water to attract the others.” She could feel her inner tank of Nature Chakra reach it’s peak, and a very predatory grin spread across her features as she literally grew. Nearly six feet normally, she was a large woman with a muscular frame, but as her skin turned black and muscles bulged, she was closer to ten feet tall with arms that looked comparable to Satori’s legs in diameter.

She dived into the water without a second thought, looking for a predator that was now her prey.

[9]

Satori glanced over at her briefly as she went to change, unhindered as he simply pulled off his jacket himself and tossed it to the side idly to hang on a nearby branch. He was already bare-footed and only had on pants aside the vest. With this he moved toward the waters edge while she changed, and once she had he glanced at her briefly with a curiously raised brow. The transformation was quicker than it used to be, and a smile formed on his face in response.

Unperturbed by the shift, Satori instead admired the fact she was able to keep a general level of control over her form. Rising up before turning and launching herself into the water without issue after having said her piece. She’d most assuredly gotten better at control. Though there was always more room to grow, and more than that, control was the first step. Building on that control to create elaborate tactics was the next step forward. But that would wait.

A solid foundation, for now, was the best option. As she launched herself into the water he simply grinned as he crossed his arms over his chest and halted at about knee-deep water. Watching her patrol the waves as he let her do as she wished for now. After all, this was primarily training for him and the more that he could give her pointers the better. Plus it was re-stocking the food supply as well, of course.

Midori was down in the water, and the regular fish scattered at the presence of what they likely thought was a large black shark with limbs. She had taken a healthy gulp of air, and if there was an upside to this form, her lungs were larger so she could probably hold her breath for longer. It might take a little while for a shark to appear, or for the fish to acclimate to her and get close enough for her to turn them into chum… but for now, she simply looked around under the surface and waited.

Another thought occurred to her, but it was all but cheating, as one small fish swam close to her. She could communicate with them much like the snakes and other land animals… this technically could be done easily and efficiently, but that wouldn’t be much in the way of training. But it did give her a means to bring them to her quickly and effectively; she would simply issue a challenge. She reached out with her mind into the water, summoning every shark she could feel and basically calling them goldfish. Now that she had their attention, she felt them approach and prepared herself.

The first was a blue shark… about six feet in length and relatively thin compared to other species, but faster as a missile as it sliced through the water. She watched it come straight at her, jaws opening in anticipation before Midori deftly pressed her hand, laden with a bit of chakra she had prepared to use the water as a ‘solid’ surface to get out of the way. As it streaked past, she reached out and grabbed the tail-fin, shredding it and dragging it backwards as it started to thrash. Her blackened fingers dug into the flesh of the beast, and in seconds it was torn apart, pieces drifting into the ocean.

That would draw the others. Coming up for air, she took large gulps of it into her lungs as she prepared herself for the next one...

[10]

Satori watched the shark speed forward and got well… turned into mincemeat, as one would expect. It was the creatures own fault for being an utter idiotic animal, such was the way of nature. Naturals selection was a deadly and unforgiving mistress. That was life.

This was proven as the blood spread throughout the water like chum, and Satori idly squatted down so he was slightly within the bloody water. He could already see the shadows of the sharks coming toward the rapid scent of blood spreading through the ocean. It’s scent was heavy on the air.

“Hmm, multiple at once, be careful Midori,” he stated in a bemused tone that clearly stated he wasn’t that worried in the slightest. But, it would add some challenge to their fishing trip. Multiple sharks attacking from different angles, all larger than a simple blue, would make a far greater impact on her. Underwater tactics would become important.

Body control, contortion and physical control would all be increasingly important, drawing a slight smile on his lips as he waited patiently for what was to come.

Midori heard him and smirked in his direction before taking another lungful of air and submerging again, going a bit deeper so she could see past the blood that was spreading and thinning in the water. It was still thick enough to disrupt her vision, so she wanted it out of the way; she didn’t need to worry about the sharks only going for the chum. They would want a stake for the feeding grounds here, and were often known to attack the predator in the area to ensure it had first dibs.

The tiger shark, more than ten feet in length and built with muscle, was the first to appear, and the hammerhead swimming off to her right seemed to slow it’s approach, not wanting to tangle with both of them at once. The tiger was more aggressive though, charging straight at her, and she performed the same trick again, but instead of tearing this one apart, she focused her transformation to strength and wrapped a massive arm around it’s head and squeezed until she heard a bone-wrenching pop, breaking it’s spine.

That was when she realized that the Hammerhead was almost upon her. It had been waiting for a target of opportunity, and she had underestimated it’s intelligence. One arm still holding the head of the Tiger in its death throes and still dangerous, she cocked the next one back and fired a Chakra Blast straight into its mouth. It died instantly, and she caught the thing by its signature hammer-style head, pushing both now corpses towards Satori to throw onto the shore for her while she returned to the surface, catching her breath.

[11]

Satori watched the exchange with a bemused expression, she had almost gotten a chunk bitten out of her (not that the risk had been too extensive even if they did). But she’d managed, and as the sharks went sailing through the air his hands opened and casually caught the two large chunks of meat before setting them down on the shore. Shifting himself he knelt down and slit both their throats, before flipping them so their heads faced toward the ocean.


This caused the blood to slowly drain into the sand, which was then swept up in the ocean. It would keep it relatively low, but continue the output to keep the sharks coming for now while minimizing how much it would hinder her vision. Arching a brow he waited patiently for the next batch, it would do her good to handle several more. Perhaps while the bodies drained of blood once they had a good haul they’d then spar a bit.

They hadn’t in a while anyway, and assuming he didn’t use Genjutsu or his medical techniques and she held her transformed state, she’d be a decent opponent for him to tangle with for a bit. It would also help him get a general grasp on how much control over the state she now had in a serious fight.

Midori hadn’t really meant to throw the sharks out of the water, and had been vastly underestimating her own strength, something that would be obvious by her slightly surprised expression as she caught her breath, treading water for the moment. The way that he caught them so easily though, she felt like his strength was likely comparable to her own. She really hadn’t thought about how much she had grown, but now it was obvious for her to see a real life application of it, she had hope of one day catching up to Satori.

The blood around her was mostly cleared and diluted now, aside from the chunks of shark that still floated around. She noted a pair of Mako sharks, the fastest she knew of in the species, darting in and out, grabbing a chunk and retreating before she could retaliate and let them. This was an indication that she had gotten the attention to all the sharks in the area, and the beasts knew enough to respect her authority as a predator. That also meant that the bigger challengers would be stepping up to the plate soon more than likely.

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than when three large sharks began to make their approach, but at a slow, steady pace. Two of them were large tiger sharks… over 20 feet in length, and an absolutely massive Great White shark in the middle, but hanging back. What was this, some horrible theater performance where the main boss has a couple of henchmen? Taking one last deep breath, Midori plunged, getting herself as low as she could so she could avoid having anything come up from underneath her, eliminating one avenue of approach. Preparing herself, she watched and waited… this one would be difficult.

[12]

Satori saw the great white first, it was hard to miss. Quite the monster by normal standards, really. Grunting, he crossed his arms over his chest as he watched it approach along with two large tiger sharks. His eyes narrowed slightly as they neared, and as Midori dived deeper he nodded once. That was a good strategy.

Great whites loves to come up from underneath their prey like great spears and hit the stomach to cause as much damage as possible before swooping in for the final kill. Kneeling down slightly, Satori watched as the pair shot toward her with bemusement. Large, fast, but tigers weren’t going to be enough. The white was wary, testing to see how the other two would fair before it wanted to dive in as well. That was the mistake.

If all three had come at once, the great white from the side in a flank while Midori dealt with the two tigers, it would have been more questionable. As it was, dealing at them in waves, Midori would be more than fine. His gaze lifted slightly however, as he saw a different shape. A much larger shape as his brows lifted slowly in surprise.

Orca. Likely attracted by the scent of sharks blood, which they enjoyed for the fattiest parts. Intelligent, massive and deadly. Thankfully it was only a small pod, it looked like three, but for the first time Satori wasn’t certain if Midori would be alright on her own. He stretched a bit and prepared to help--but only if she needed it.