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Post by odawara mamoru on Dec 19, 2013 18:54:38 GMT -5
Their journey had brought them across three countries in the span of three days, leaving little room for sight seeing, the four man squad found themselves on the outskirts of once fertile, and now desolate land within the confinements of Kusagakure's borders. Hidden beneath a lavish wall of bamboo forestry, their sprint across the tree tops came to a stand still, Kuwabara's hand raised in a closed fist, ordering the immediate stoppage.
His eyes scanned the area ahead, ears tuned, his entire person poised to pick up on even the smallest of details. Nothing. Absolute silence. Descending to the floor of the forest, expecting the others to follow suit, not even the wildlife had dared inhabit what lied ahead, leaving only uncertainty to the four standing mere meters from what was once a place filled with all different forms of life.
Hesitating, he peeled back a thin strand of bamboo, prying an opening large enough to see through. Ahead lied a scene their world was unfortunately far too familiar with, leaving a mark that would undoubtedly burn into the minds of any whom gazed into the depressingly grim remnants of the ninja-monk temple. "Looks like the rumors were true..."
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Post by Ro on Dec 21, 2013 13:32:58 GMT -5
Seiza, as she was called now, peered through the bamboo to see the wreckage. The rumors were certainly true enough, and she wondered what clues they could gather from this place. Even someone with the power to do this had to leave behind clues, right? Her hand gripped Samehada's hilt out of anxiousness.
"Well then, should we get a closer look?"
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Post by Ho Rin on Dec 21, 2013 18:20:56 GMT -5
[/td][td] Infiltrating the Land of Grass had not been easy. The small nation was heavily guarded, particularly at its borders. That they managed to sneak in was more of a testament to the skill of the four individuals, rather than any lack of skill in the ANBU who guarded the border of the small nation.
Upon coming to a stop with the others, Rin would stand off to the side. Her left arm crossed over her chest, her hand clutching her right elbow. She hung back, all three of her team members in her field of vision. Behind her mask, her eyes darted from one member of her team to the next.
Mamoru seemed to be taking the lead for the moment, and that was fine with her. It was not the role she was most comfortable in, anyway. That was not to say she was not capable as a leader, but she merely preferred other roles to such.
For now, she would simply follow. [/td][/tr][/table][/ul] |
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Post by Yoippari Hakumei on Dec 21, 2013 22:46:29 GMT -5
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The silence was the first thing that confirmed Hakumei's suspicions of the actuality of the rumors they'd heard. It would seem that even nature avoided this epicenter of death--the sky was void of bird songs and the forest floor free of new tracks. There was no sounds to be heard, or life to be seen. Only the stench of death filled the four's noses.
"Ah." Satori began, agreeing with Mamoru in that the rumors were indeed true. "We should proceed but with definite caution.--despite how quiet things may seem, there is no telling if someone remains alive in the ruins. Or worse, that the person who did this still resides inside."
He formed a handseal as he continued to look through the bamboo at the temple steps which were covered in lush green moss. His eyes flooded green as he activated his Aogan, revealing to him a world unknown to his comrades. His sensory abilities among others, would be absolutely necessary, he thought.
"On your count, Kuwabara."
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Post by odawara mamoru on Dec 22, 2013 0:59:33 GMT -5
Hakumei was justified in his reasoning, however, Mamoru did not consider every possibility. "What makes it so certain a person caused this," out of habit he bit down on an imaginary piece of straw behind his mask, suggesting that the culprit could have very well been the object of affection the bijūtsukai were harping over. The world harbored a handful of shinobi with the capability of unleashing such chaos, which was the main reason Mamoru wanted to see the scene with his own eyes, unwilling to rely on myth and legend alone to fuel their investigation. On Hakumei's go, Mamoru took off, the trio hopefully following behind soon after.
The world had seen the likes of the bijūtsukai before in many shapes and forms, the most infamous being the akatsuki, who the late Naruto had battled, the war they waged coming of legendary note. Above all else, one thing remained relatively simple to Mamoru; if one were looking to meddle in village affairs with bijū, than they would require the skills necessary of handling them along with the jinchūriki they inhabited. Dispatching an entire ninja monk temple seemed like as good as ever a place to start.
"Do you see anything worth investigating, Satori?" The battlefield had long since been caught by the sands of time, leaving Mamoru to question whether they would find anything of worth amidst the ruins. If nothing turned up, they would need to expand their search immediately. The reality of the situation might have left them with little choice under their current circumstances. Targeting shinobi capable of this caliber would undoubtedly force their hand into meeting with the Lady of Kusagakure.
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Post by Ro on Dec 22, 2013 12:46:36 GMT -5
"It's doubtful that a Bijū would have caused this," she stated. "I've been in contact with all current Jinchūriki and Bijū. None resided within the Land of Grass. Considering the fortifications of this country, it's doubtful that a disturbance from foreign individuals would be regarded as rumors. And considering that Bijū leave much bigger trails in the wake of their destruction, this could not be one."
Gyūki said nothing. Hunting those who sought to put him away permanently was not quite the strategy he had in mind. In fact, Gyūki strongly believed that Ro's presence on this team was a mistake; one the Raikage might eventually pay dearly for.
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Post by Ho Rin on Dec 22, 2013 13:05:26 GMT -5
[/td][td] Rin was definitely the silent type. She had yet to really say anything to the three men she had been paired with. She was not shy, nor did she dislike them. She simply had little to say, as was often the case with her. She was more thoughtful than most, especially on a mission. She would speak only if she needed to.
She surveyed the scene before them. Her eyes would come to rest on one thing, and then moments later be torn away to look at something else. She was carefully studying the crime scene, re-imagining the crime as it happened and placing herself in the criminal's shoes to get a better understanding of him or her.
The sort of answers they were looking for... probably weren't here. No doubt a substantial amount of evidence had already been taken away by the ANBU of Hidden Grass. That was not to say they were wasting time here, but their next stop should be Hidden Grass.
That may pose a problem, considering their illegal entry. [/td][/tr][/table][/ul] |
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Post by Yoippari Hakumei on Dec 22, 2013 15:30:46 GMT -5
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"Seiza is right," Satori began. "Were it a beast that did this, I don't think there would even be any ruins."
He peered around the temple, his face unseen by his comrades given the mask he was wearing. He was thankful for that. If they could see his face, they might question what was going on here. Hakumei's face conveyed nothing more than shock. Shock and awe at the complete lack of life that existed here.
"Nothing here is alive, that's for sure, Kuwabara." Hakumei replied to his inquiry, unsure if they should investigate further or not. "We may be able to find some clues here and there throughout the temple, but this tragedy happened too long ago for those to lead us anywhere definitive.
"My recommendation is that we find someone who might know about this so I can get some information from them. I think it's a pretty safe bet that any higher ranking shinobi of Kusagakure will know something about the person who decimated the entire ninja-monk temple." |
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Post by odawara mamoru on Dec 22, 2013 16:31:49 GMT -5
"As Seiza stated, Kusagakure is currently committed to protecting its borders quite heavily due to the ongoing events in the north," he sighed, deciding it was best to continue their search elsewhere. Pulling a map from his back pouch, he unfolded the wrinkled paper, mapping out their next course of action. "We'll move north under the cover of the forests foliage. From there, any of the shinobi outposts we slipped past the night before will do in extracting any valuable intel."
Folding the map, he slipped it into the pocket of his vest, confronting his three comrades. "As instructed, we cannot risk our presence here being exploited," he spoke with annoyance, his gaze falling on Seiza's weapon. "Henge it," he pointed to the blade at her back, its status providing more than a link back to the village, something Kuwabara would not allow. "Keep in mind, we're not here to start a war or provoke Kusa through force. The faster we get our intel, the faster we leave."
"In the case that we are somehow overwhelmed, we'll retreat into Tsuchi no Kuni's borders. Lets move."
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