Strengthen the Herd [Mission]

[Yoichi]

天の下の最強 ————

^{"Now this is how it is, we try to handle biz, and make moves in this land where the power lives. Where they devour kids and acts of cowardice rule from a tool of violence and a shrouded bliss. I try to release my malice, and develop my inner peace in a place so callous. Maybe I'll go to Angle or other Gold Coast and blow smoke with the old folks cause they know most"}

SPOILER: Click to show

name; Strengthen The Herd
rank; b
description; While our army is strong, inarguably strong, it can’t hurt to make it a little bit stronger. Our reports show that a group of tribal warriors have been using our lands as a sparring ground. While they may not be very sophisticated, their certainly tough. If anything they’d make great shock troopers. I want you to meet with them and convince their leader that joining our army is the best thing for them. Do what you need to do Shinobi.
reward; 300 experience, 5,000 ryo
minimum shinobi; one
mission status; interminable

Pressed with the task of strengthening Kirigakure's forces, Shiroji decided to pursue the rumor of a tribe of warrior occupying the lands. It was necessary in the case of an upcoming war, to have allies, or else our defeat was very possible and something the shinobi couldn't allow. Their village had been recognized as the bloody mist for many years, and they couldn't allow their reputation to fall at the hands of a war. No, they could surely triumph through such troubling times, and to insure that this was the case: the chuunin made headway for the location of this tribe. One way or another, he intended to bring them to the side of Kirigakure, whether by word or fist. He'd prefer to use a more peaceful approach, but knew that he must do what it takes to bring reinforcement to Kirigakure lines.

A confident stride, the details of which obscured by his white coat that buttoned effectively at the neck. Nothing lay revealed by the folds of his untampered white cloth, save for the hilt of his katana which protruded slightly through the opening covering his midsection. Beneath the anorak, Shiroji crossed his arms and he mulled over his plan of action. Just how would he convince the barbaric tribe to forge an alliance with the infamous shinobi of Kirigakure. To this effect, he hoped their leader could see reason. Fabled to be a wise man, holding even the most ancient of secrets, it was possible that he could rationalize with the young chuunin over the status of their relationship.

The day was surprisingly warm, a naked sun casting down uncontendable heat from the sky above. The black cloth of his bandana absorbed the few beads of sweat that had accumulated, and the shinobi kept his gaze on the tattered dirt path before him. The sound of pebbles crunching beneath his boots echoed forth slightly, masking the sounds of his surroundings. Even so, he felt secure, sure that in the lands of his people and in times of peace that he'd be safe to travel alone. If that wasn't enough, he spotted a comrade up ahead.

Approaching the shinobi casually, he spoke softly, a moderate level of discomfort in his voice. Excuse me..." he cooed, and it became clear that the young chuunin wasn't the most comfortable with human interaction. But he had improved over the years out of necessity, increasing his daily word count from none to at least a number of double digits.

[/color]

[Lang]

Never once in his life had Rael been asked to recruit anybody for anything; he was not charismatic enough to rally people together, nor did he possess the mindset and willingness to persist when declined. If someone didn't want to join, then that was their decision. Unfortunately, his latest mission was going to involve some heavy persuasion skills, though whether that was to be done via diplomacy or trading fisticuffs, it didn't quite specify. Given the fact their group reportedly consisted of tribal warriors that lived and thrived on combat, the latter seemed a tad more likely.

It was still relatively early in the day, and so a warm breeze granted him some level of comfort as he followed the well-beaten path, leading all the way from Kirigakure to the major crossroads that continued on to various docks around the island mass. Of all the places they could have chosen to make their 'turf', why come all the way out to Water Country if they wanted somewhere to stay? He understood that, as a tribal group, they were likely more given to staying far away from normal civilization. However, wouldn't doing so also limit the number of adversaries they could face? It made little sense to the young Genin, why anyone would choose to follow a combat-oriented lifestyle, only to have no one to fight.

Then again, do we even need all these extra troops?

It was no secret that Kirigakure was currently hailed as the mightiest of the Five Greats; its number of recent high-profile shinobi overshadowed nearly all of the others put together. What was the point of having so-called 'shock troops' to deploy, if that sort of warring tactic went against their fighting methods to begin with? Mist ninja were not known for actively engaging their enemies on the open battlefield, or needlessly throwing away lives when it was completely unnecessary. Kami, there was a reason why their signature 'Kirigakure no Jutsu' was so aptly named. Striking from the shadows (or in this case, mist), Kiri represented the epitome of assassination and silent killing.

The sound of a voice calling out from behind caused the young boy to pause in his trek, turning to assess this new individual. The older male that approached him towered over the nine-year old by nearly two feet, which might have intimidated a regular civilian child. However, the white-haired Genin recognized this nameless individual as one of his own, seeing the black-clothed headband around their waist, bearing the same mark of Kirigakure that was stitched into his own long-sleeved shirt. As such, he greeted the person with a two-fingered salute as they drew near.

"Sure thing. How can I help you?"

[Yoichi]

天の下の最強 ————

^{"Now this is how it is, we try to handle biz, and make moves in this land where the power lives. Where they devour kids and acts of cowardice rule from a tool of violence and a shrouded bliss. I try to release my malice, and develop my inner peace in a place so callous. Maybe I'll go to Angle or other Gold Coast and blow smoke with the old folks cause they know most"}

Opposites attract; or so the saying goes. It was something Shiroji only hoped he could apply to the situation at hand, and the impossible task he'd been assigned. Coming from a village founded on the strengths of stealth in combat, it was rare for them to request outside help, nonetheless help from a barbaric tribe on the outskirts of our land. Uncivilized and aggressive, they find their pride in battle—opting to face enemies head on rather than to capitilize on the strengths of surprise. This in essence, made them opposites, bringing us back to the statement that opposites attract. But did they?

As the boy turned to face him, Shiroji guessed he was no older than ten. His small and thin frame likely a result of his underdevelopment, and he expected to see a seasoned warrior out of the young shinobi as the years went on. The kaguya had seen his comrade from a great distance, and misjudged him to be much larger based on the accurate proportions in his body. As a rule of thumb, children were generally proportioned unevenly, because of inconsistant growth, but this boy was well in tune with his body; and to add to the peculiarities of it, a white mane harnessed his crown. The more the merrier, Shiroji thought, unable to see the true potential of his allies worth.

"I'm on a mission to request the alliance of a nearby tribe. I thought I might ask you to accompany me in the absense of my team," he mused, an apathetic look to his face.

The stoic feel behind his gaze held firm upon the boy, observing his reaction intently. When sign was shown of approval, Shiroji was commence again, taking lead down the beaten path towards the docks. After taking a few steps, he'd cock his head towards the young genin, thin lips parting once more, "Kirigakure Chuunin, Girochin Shiroji." And just like that, his gaze returned to a frontal view, encompassing the landscape ahead with further analysis. It wasn't long before the reached the sandy shores, where waves would reach for dry land only to be pulled back to sea by the currents of the ocean.

Get in," Shiroji cooed. He had lead the boy up a small wooden dock, the port had been used well past its years, which was obvious by the rotting planks and the way it shook as you walked across. But the deck held a single vessel by a well tied knot, and as the shinobi uncoiled the the rope he had given command. It was a small wooden dinghy with a maximum occupancy of two; a small rutter hung over the back edge of the boat, steering the ship as wind current pressed the sails open and forward. "When we get to their island, we must ask to speak with their leader. I'd like to use diplomacy if at all possible," the kaguya declared, glancing brielfy to his constituent before reverting his gaze to the sea ahead.

[/color]

[Lang]

Despite taking the initiative to actually greet this other party, Rael did not have a chance to more closely scrutinize them until they were face to face. Although the white anorak hid most of their body, this person moved with a definitive manner similar to Yokumaru-sensei, indicating he was at the very least trained in taijutsu. How well this deduction carried over into reality was anyone's guess, but taking into account the katana and wakizashi they bore, a history of extensive physical training would not surprise him. In any case, teal met sapphire amiably enough, especially since in the end, both shared a similar allegiance to the village that housed them.

Rael made no outward sign of expression at the request to accompany him; what were the chances that he would come across someone with the same objective he was assigned? Truly, this was an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Not only would he have additional support though I suppose I'll be the one supporting in this case, but it was a chance to become acquainted with yet another one of Kirigakure's forces. The number of individuals Rael was starting to familiarize himself with would soon be quite something. One thing they all seemed to share: none of his new associates fit the norm. Perhaps this one would be the same?

Girochin Shiroji, hm? And a Chuunin no less. Given the older male's age, which he estimated to be twenty or so, that was to be expected. "Hiraiyomi Rael, Genin." And with that, the two Kiri ninja twice/half the other's age continued on their way, with the rest of their trek to the island docks done in relative silence. Shiroji did not exactly seem like much of a conversationalist for petty topics, a trait shared by his much younger counterpart and one he personally appreciated from other people. He was a bit dubious about their vessel, but in the worst case scenario, he'd cling onto a broken raft and float his way back to one of the islands, so long as there weren't any hungry sharks or raiding pirate ships around.

Fortunately, he wasn't delegated the task of rowing them all the way to their destination; that would have just been uncalled for. Settling back as the currents pushed them along the waters, he listened to Shiroji give his input on the preferred method of dealing with their potential 'recruits'. "I also hope that things can be resolved peacefully and through negotiating. However, given the nature of these tribes, it's to be expected that they highly value strength, and thus unlikely to acquiesce to a treaty without a demonstration of our own. No one is interested in a weak ally; only the strong have the right to discuss peace with the strong."

[Yoichi]

天の下の最強 ————

^{"Now this is how it is, we try to handle biz, and make moves in this land where the power lives. Where they devour kids and acts of cowardice rule from a tool of violence and a shrouded bliss. I try to release my malice, and develop my inner peace in a place so callous. Maybe I'll go to Angle or other Gold Coast and blow smoke with the old folks cause they know most"}

The small vessel cut steadfast through the ocean current, swiftly pushing the small boat across the water's surface. It was incredible, the speed that such a seemingly poor quality boat could acheieve, but in actuality, the dinghy was something of his father's creation; and while the wooden structure seemed unstable, it was more secure than most boats. "Watch your head," the chuunin announced as he pulled the handle of the rutter, releasing the sail's ropes in the same moment. In one fell swoop, the front sail loosened, allowing the main sail to swing from one side of the boat to the other, passing over the head of Shiroji and his new comrade. As it reached the other side, the flapping canvas caught hold of wind and regained its push, successfully completing a tack. Shiroji then tied the ropes once more to efficiently hold the sail in place.

Handing the rutter to the small genin, Shiroji made his way to the bow of the small boat, standing against its railing to get a full view of the "road" ahead. Lifting the bent form of his hand to his brow, he blocked the overpowering light of the sun, just enough to see the island ahead. Black sand shores quickly trascended in a jungle-like domain, ungodly plants provided a lush green veil over the island, making it hard to decipher any form civilization. And after a few more minutes of travel, the dinghy ran parallel to the island, revealing several warriors who lurked in the shadows.

"I come as a representative of Kirigakure... I wish to speak with your leader," the kaguya declared, cupping his hands around his mouth to better convey the message. Their response, was not at all what he had hoped for. And in an instant, the warriors had nocked their bows, releasing a barrage of arrows upon the small craft. 'Shit' he thought, quickly shifting his hands to the sheath and hilt of his katana. He delayed his draw, timing the arrows to the very last second as they headed for the bow of the boat. There were approximately ten arrows total, vaulting towards him at a high arch, the sun was not in his favor. But at the last second, he caught glimpse of the projectiles as they dipped below the veil of light and his blade unsheathed in a flash. In one slash, the katana dismembered the ten arrows, casting their broken pieces into the waters below.

He glanced back to the shore, only to see the tribal warriors duck back into the jungle, and it appeared the two shinobi had been spared—for now. "Let's dock here, steer us towards the beach," Shiroji explained, maintaining his position at the bow of the boat. As soon as the vessel hit land, he leaped from its surface, landing on top of the water with the use of some chakra. He pulled the boat quickly ashore, dragging it up until the beached reached the jungle to avoid the currents of water taking their transport while they were gone.

[/color]