Lost July

Mission:

Anzo meets up with the caravan leader as they're about to head out, listening as he introduces himself and his friends in the caravan itself before pulling out a map to show the route they're taking to get to the village. Anzo gives a single nod to the man when asked if he understands the route and the time they need to get there. He's even able to visualize the map in his own mind, pointing out the various locations that they're likely to meet a potential ambush of those B-rank shinobi without having to look at the map. The caravan leader looks over the map, circling those locations before nodding once and setting the caravan to moving. Anzo himself follows on the side of the caravan, riding atop one of the carriages in the middle of the pack, providing the protective genin with a great view of the area all around the caravan, the left and right, back and front in view for several hundred meters for at least the first leg of the journey. He knew, however, that they'd enter a thicker part of the forest soon, and that would reduce their visibility heavily.

Once they reach that part of the forest, Anzo hops off, knowing that they're approaching a bend in the roadway, and that would prove to be the first location that would be a likely ambush point. Anzo discreetly sends out a few of his Kikaichu, letting them scout for him without letting the other people in the caravan see what he was doing so as to not make them feel uncomfortable with him as a traveling companion due to his insects. When the Kikaichu return without any report of humans on the ground or among the trees, only then does the Aburame let the caravan through, with their thanks. Still, he watches as they go, his golden lenses flashing in the dappled sunlight through the leaves.

They start approaching the second likely ambush point, and when this one also seems to be without danger, the caravan leader makes it clear that he won't be stopping for any of the other potential ambush points, having apparently become impatient after seeing that Anzo was planning to stop them before every likely ambush location. Anzo frowns at this insistence to keep the caravan moving despite the danger, but he can't deny the caravan leader his position of authority over his own caravan, although he does let the caravan leader know that this could potentially be far more dangerous than simply allowing him to find the bandit ambush before they continue, though the man waves him off and tells the genin that this would be his own problem, not the caravan leader's.

Anzo lets out a defeated sigh; the leader was right that it was going to be his problem. If he wanted to get the mission done successfully, he would have to protect the caravan regardless of the leader's willingness to listen to his suggestions. The forest starts to open up again, leaving them open under the sky, and the caravan leader scoffs at the circle on the map showing that this meadow would be a possible ambush point under Anzo's suggestion; it was foolish, according to the leader, to attack with the sky open and the foliage so far back. Anzo wasn't so sure.

And just like that, the B-rank shinobi attack from above, jumping from trees as the middle of the caravan passes out of the forest and into the meadow, making it too difficult to turn back into the protection of the forest, and forcing them to pass through the long stretch of open grassland to the far end in order to reach cover. Anzo is quick to create a shadow clone, with the clone quickly beginning handseals while Anzo himself focuses chakra throughout his muscles, before leaping skyward and smashing a few of the shinobi directly in the face with his chakra enhanced strength. He carefully positions himself to knock some missing nin into their friends, causing them to tangle up with each other as they plummet to the ground. Anzo's shadow clone, meanwhile, creates a large and powerful stone dragon from the earth near them, protecting the majority of the caravan with its body when some of the missing nin attempt to use Katon techniques to set the caravan alight and sow chaos. With Anzo physically defeating the missing ninja and his shadow clone taking them out with his Earth Release techniques, the group of B-rank shinobi are quickly beaten down and left unconscious as the caravan rushes into the forest on the opposite side of the meadow.

As soon as the caravan is somewhat safe inside the forest, Anzo follows, letting his shadow clone disperse and giving him enough chakra to ensure he can continue to beat back any pursuers. Once it's clear that they're not going to be pursued, Anzo catches back up with the caravan leader, who remains silent and staring straight ahead, apparently too proud to show either gratitude or regret for now.

Apparently, the missing nin that had assaulted the caravan on the way to the village was too badly beaten, and probably too embarrassed at being defeated by a single genin, to continue with any further ambush plans, and didn't even attempt to follow the caravan afterwards, as Anzo confirmed by using his Kikaichu as scouts. Once they reach the sizable village, there's not much need for Anzo to protect them for now, as the village had its own guards, and so he meets with the caravan leader to collect his reward for the mission, which is provided to him readily along with the leader's much more abashed gratitude now that they're no longer in front of his subordinates.

Anzo's sunglass's lenses flash with recognition when the caravan leader exclaims to the Aburame that with him rushing down and assaulting the missing ninja in the air while his shadow clone was using earth techniques to help out, he was like a humanoid typhoon, bringing destruction against the opposition while remaining untouched by the missing nin themselves. Anzo rather likes that moniker, though he doesn't say so out loud. With a quick two-fingered saluted wave, Anzo bids his farewell to the caravan, his job now done and the Aburame prepared to get back to Konoha quickly with the mission completed, now that he was no longer walking alongside a caravan.

OOC: THREAD EXIT