Protecting the Hero...Tree [p]

[Sato]

Mission::
Hero
Rank: C
Description: "The Hero Tree is an important aspect of Taki given its seemingly eternal wealth of energy, one which will allow us to do many great things. However, the Tree can never be harmed by those that wish to bring the village peril. As such, much like our village patrol, it is important to have a security presence around Tree, at all times."
Restrictions: Unlimited / 1+ Genin
Rewards: 50 EXP / 1,000 Ryou

OOC::
Mission Taking place at The Hero Tree.
PM to enter thread Please. Meant to be a Private Mission

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The task was seemingly a simple one, with hardly any prospect of any action or excitement. What more could you ask for right? Well, if you were Sato Unagi then you’d prefer a whole lot more of the very things this mission didn’t promise. He longed for adventure, action, fun of really… any sort in comparison to watching over a tree. Of course to some it’d be a great honor, the tree was after all a historic place of life and power for the village.

Even to some it was a legendary place, even holy! But to Sato it was a neat source of power for the people, but otherwise it was a tree. Nothing special about it in his options other then the fact it was freaking massive. He hadn’t seen this legendary ”Hero Water” nor had he seen it’s effects. So why should he take it seriously? Nevertheless, he had agreed to re-enter society and the Toads had told him that the best way to do that was to swear alliance and follow the rules and customs of the village he did so to. So here he was, abiding by that. And even though it was an especially freakishly large tree, it was gonna get protected. Like it or not.

Standing at the base of the tree, after walking down the endlessly long pathway through the lake surrounding the behemoth of a tree, Sato stopped, placing his arms behind his head he looked up and let out a low whistle. It was big, but he just didn’t have any words to describe looking up form it’s base.

“Well, better get to work.

He spoke with a low voice to no one in particular, then he bent at the knees and was off! Leaping up onto the twisting vines that made their way up the large trunk, he was going to start with recon from the lower branches and check in with a watchmen patrol supposedly making rounds through the tree tops. Plus it’d be a great way to spot any approaching dangers. This might be the most uneventful cakewalk Sato would ever get as a mission…

[Sato]

With the blood of the Gamabushi running through his veins, his leaps were a bit more impressive then the average ninja, and with them he made it to the branches in no time at all. After a bit of moving and getting used to his aerial surroundings in the tree, he ran into the patrol squadron, and had a brief meeting with the commanding officer, a short-tempered chunin, Sato had his patrol sector. The meeting itself was more like this…

”Hey there. Sato Unagi reportin”

”WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?! Get your ass to sector 28 on the south side of the Tree and keep things under control!”

Clearly not the most well mannered fella but at least he was clear with his instructions. Sato had left them hearing the same man mumble something about new bloods these days and how they were all talk and always late. Whatever the case it didn’t take Sato long to make his way to the area known as Sector 28. A darker side of the tree, Sato wandered out into the long thick branches till eh was well over the water of the lake below. Here he’d settle in to take his first portion of watch duty..

Wow, had he been soooo… right about his mission. Absolutely no movement aside from his own and the wind swaying the leaves. Nevertheless he tried to remain vigilante… but his mind started to wander a bit, reflecting back to his time on the magnificently beautiful Mount Myoboku and his Toad companions… he should stop by and visit them sometime soon..

Little did the genin know that just off the waters edge a group of people were arriving to make his day more interesting. Hidden in the underbrush of the foliage, they readied themselves, and the explosives they carried. Terrorists who planned to thwart the efforts of those who’d see Takigakure rise back to it’s former glory and beyond by striking at it’s heart… the Sacred Hero Tree.

[Sato]

The day… dragging on.. Sato was starting to feel the effects of the cool afternoon, his skin warm from where the sun hit it as it barely fell between the other branches. He was getting tired and the relaxing, boring environment was starting to put him to sleep. He was crouched, like a vigilante shinobi should be, leaning on a branch along his left and “looking out” over the water fro movement… but after hours passing and seeing nothing his heavy eye lids seemed to prove to be the only enemy he was fighting.

The dull day was wearing on and Sato had been loosing his resolve to stay coherent for a while now. Assured nothing would happen, today or probably ever, his desire for rest on this particular boring day was seeming more and more appealing. Until motion snapped his attention into abrupt alertness. Similar to that of someone who falls asleep in class and is awaken by the teacher slamming something loudly on their desk, he jumped forward a bit, eyes widely opened as he blinked sudden focus into what was happening.

The terrorists had decided to make their move! After sitting for hours, slowly and skillfully prepping their bomb in the underbrush, careful to keep from being revealed to early, and assured themselves there was no one in the tree facing them, they began racing towards the tree over the waters surface. It seems because of Sato’s dozing and lack of movement the terrorists thought him to not be there at all.. and actually worked to his advantage in some way.. who woulda thought?!

Finally! The action he’d been waiting for! Two raced in front in a reverse triangle formation, gazes dead set on the tree base and waters surface, as if they expected to see those who’d wish to stop them emerge there. One followed a few feet or maybe a meter behind, cradling a package like an over stuffed back pack. The others had swords strapped to their backs, obviously the thirds defense…

Time to get this party started! As they neared him, well raed forward on the water under where he was, high in the tree, he timed his move and grabbing a branch above him he flipped over, placing his feet, and pushing off with his Gamabushi nature to send him downward at a accelerated rate, like a bullet with a purpose.

[Sato]

Racing down, like a human missle, his speed was timed nearly perfectly with the advancing trio, who never thought to look up as they moved under the tree’s wide canopy. The first mistake they’d make, and hopefully the last for one of them. Rolling in the air, Sato would place his feet under him and land on the back, feet striking the upper back of the third man. His breath would leave him and his face wide with shock as the weight and momentum as well as the power of both the heels being driven into his back hit him.

Like a double heeled pound of rocks falling from space the man stood no chance, quickly being sent into the water from the force possibly causing him to black out form the strike. Sato channeled chakra to his feet so he’d ride the wave caused by the man and his attack to remain on the surface of the water and watch as the other two ahead of him came to a rather abrupt halt to turn and face the sudden problem.

The three eyed each other for a few passing moments, the two terrorists clearly shaken by Sato’s sudden entrance and attack, the third came bobbing up about a meter to Sato’s left, face down and unconscious judging from his lack of movement, the pack he was clutching , might be wrapped around his wrist possibly holding down half his body causing an odd sort of bobbing motion. Sato focused on the two consciously alert, his face a mask of almost laziness, his eyes dull but brilliantly full of yellow color watched them before he broke the silence.

”You have no business here. Who sent you and what are your intentions…. If you don’t tell me the easy way…”

The water had leveled out and Sato rose to his full height, and cracked his knuckles, never taking his eyes away from them.
…Theres that other way.”

One raced forward, nearly without hesitation. The suddenness of it almost alarming as he shouted
”GET THE BOMB AND FULFILL THE MISSION!”

He unsheathed his katana from his back as he charged, and began slashing at Sato. He was quick, but not shinobi quick. While these two must have some talent to be standing on the water, they were not by any means good, or real ninja. Probably some sort of hired muscle with some chakra control lessons. Sato was easily able to dodge the slashes while the other one went for the unconscious one.

But damn! Did he say BOMB?! He had to clear this mess up and now! Dodging a downward strike, and stepping to the right, turning his body, Sato swung around with his left fist, the man dodged and jumped back a few feet before charging, sword down as he prepared to strike. As he moved, beginning to swing his sword at the stationary Sato, the Takigakure genin did something odd for shinobi… he opened his mouth.

[Sato]

That right, opening his mouth his lager then average tongue came flying out. With the man’s speedy advance and the speed at which his tongue can travel working together, the strike was much faster and harder then it’d normally have been. But it was faster then the man could respond to, and his raising blade wasn’t fast enough o counter the attack. The thick tongue of the Gamabushi hit him square in the throat, his own momentum working against him in the encounter.

Hitting the soft spot with the significant force was enough to cause a shockingly pained look on the man’s face as his body begin to go limp, dropping the blade into the water and falling forward as Sato’s tongue was seemingly reeled back into his mouth. He’d fall into the water, stunned and not far off from unconisousness himself…

Sato quickly turned his attention to the other one, who had flipped his ally over and was kneeling with the black pack on his knee fiddling with something inside. A FREAKING BOMB! Sato jumped and shot his tongue out a second time, sending it racing for the man as he worked. But he looked up in time, and was able to jump back, causing the tongue to strike into the water, missing it’s mark.

Sato landed and locked his eyes back on the man, a bit of frustration entering his previously solemn mask. The man had zipped the bag and was flinging it at the tree tops, a muffled beeping now sounding from it… DAMMIT! Sato looked back from the rising bag, to see the man charging him like the last, but his sword raised high. So he raced for him as well, but as he did he gather something in his mouth, his special oil, a trait shared by some of the very toads the Gamabushi are so similar to.

He was running out of time, and he couldn’t waste anymore on these low lives… He readied his attack and tried not to consider how much time he had before that damn bomb went off, and any thought of what it’d do to the tree if it did…. The village was still under reconstruction… he couldn’t be the one responsible for something like this. He had to succeed!

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JUTSU USED::

• Kouzetsu Kama no Jutsu (Extending Toad Tongue Techniqe)^x2
  
• Gamayudan (Toad Oil Stream) Prepared
  

[Sato]

Approaching the man, Sato released a precise stream of oil into the terrorists face, but not before the man came forward with his blade. Sato had a plan and to deter from that meant he might not make it to the bomb in time, so he had to block the blow rather then dodge it. So he whipped his butterfly knife, opening it with his flicking wrist and bringing it up to block the sword. But it wasn’t enough, nor was it up long enough to have solid power to completely stop the blade.

As a result Sato took a bit of the blade in his left forearm, but his momentum and slight block saved his arm, only leaving him with a mildly deep slash. He pushed the blade back as he half jumped/ half stepped up to the man’s chest as his body was snapped back from the shot to the face. Sato’s next foot coming up to the man’s face and from there he pushed off with his Gamabushi strength propelling him up this time, rather then down.

As he raced up into the air the black sack containing the bomb was beginning to fall back from the force of gravity. As he got closer the beeping of a ticking clock got louder till he reached it, snagging the bomb as he went up, suing the weight shift to spin and toss the bomb to the water surface away from the tree, toward the land away.

The ripping explosion that followed as the bag flew away sent Sato reeling back in a wild, uncontrollable spin back through the air and into the water. Darkness took over… he was aware that he was floating.. but not sure where..

He saw a man smiling, his yellow eyes as large and yellow as Sato’s… The old fart Toad sage on his shoulder and a women next to them, the same bright smile and hair as red as Sato’s but much longer flowing down her back…. Placing their hands on either of his shoulders they pushed him away from the light and back towards the dark below…..

His eyes snapped open and he let out a breathe, bubbles leaving his mouth… He was in the dark waters of the lake around the Tree! He quickly swam towards the surface, towards the light. Breaking the surface of the water, the black smoke form the explosion was dissipating, Sato worked his way out of the water, gasping for breathe as he made it to a knee with his chakra once again keeping him on the surface..

He surveyed the scene, the water was agitated and he was rocking too and fro as the surface was still unsettled form the explosion… Two men were still floating in the water, one face up and another down a few meters away now. He probably was sent drifting from the shockwave… Looking up the tree looked unharmed, aside form a flurry of leaves hat were falling down… aside form the rain of leaves it was un harmed… mission accomplished?

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JUTSU USED::

• Gamayudan (Toad Oil Stream)
  
• 
  

[Sato]

Sato’s attention was won over by the final Terrorist, lucky number three, the one responsible for the painful slash on his left arm. He had broken the surface of the water and was loudly gasping for breathe and flailing to get out of the water through the use of chakra. He wasn’t succeeding and Sato was done with this squabble. He jumped, having nearly caught all of his breathe and landed, drawing his tanto from behind him. Landing and kneeling behind the man, he leveled the point on the man’s neck from behind.

The touch of the steel caused a frightened and surprised reaction on his face as he abruptly stopped moving. I guess the touch said more then any words could…

”Move and this blade goes through your neck… I think we’ve had enough fun for one day...”

The man wouldn’t have a chance to respond as numerous men fell from the tree above, fellow takigakure shinobi to help secure the area and take the perpetrators into custody. Sato would be debriefed, giving a full report of the incident to a few patrol captains and form one or so… he got a welcome congratulations.. from others he would get cold glances and nothing but a shrug.

Overall he had done good, and his boring day had turned out… well surprisingly exciting.. a little to much so, or so his still racing heart told him. But all in all, he gave a small grin as he made his way back across the only path leading to or form the great Hero Tree. He would definetly view this place as less boring and more exciting then before. If it could drive people to such extremes as to make them blow it up from fear, maybe there was more power to it then he gave it credit for…. Regardless… he was making memories.. and ties to the village that would prove pricelss in the times to come…

MISSION COMPLETE
EXIT

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JUTSU USED::

• 
  
• 
  

[KEITH]

+60