Relapsing (Private/invitation only)

[The Dude]

name; Where’s My Support?
rank; c
description; Another important role in fighting a war that can’t be substituted is that of medics and craftsmen. They play the support role and it’s a crucial one indeed. Without them field healing and weapon repairs become impossible, grinding the village to a screeching halt. Your particular mission today is to bring back one of those to our village. Either a medic or a craftsman. They must be alive and they must be able to communicate for the mission to be considered a success.
reward; 50 experience, 1,000 ryo
minimum shinobi; one
mission status; interminable

Absolute darkness is a strange and unexplainable veil of shadow so dark and powerful that it cannot be banished by light. In fact any light that falls upon it will immediately be consumed by the darkness lost forever within along side whatever the shadow has cast itself upon. Inside of the veil no object has a sense of identity, losing all shape and form without a light to identify in. It was in this shadow now that Takumi was now falling. He had been falling for a long time now, so long in fact he could remember nothing else but the sensation of falling. He could see nothing, hear nothing, and feel only the sensation of plummeting faster and further down into the unknown. He had tried flailing his arms and screaming for help only to find his body and voice were gone. He knew that it was wrong to be missing a voice and a body but no matter how hard he tried he could not remember what he sounded like or what his body should be.

After what must have been an eternity Takumi stopped falling, he didn't collide with anything nor was he slowed down he merely couldn't feel the sensation of falling anymore. With the sense of falling now gone Takumi floated in darkness numb to everything for a few moments and then something stirred within him. Feelings, not physical but emotional, stirred powerfully deep within him. The emotions were so strong in fact that they began to materialize moments from Takumi's past within his mind in dark and hazy forms. The first was of a woman and a child manipulating dark free forming clouds through the air in beautiful magnificent displays of power and all Takumi could feel was a sense of wonderment and joy.

[The Dude]

After a few minutes of watching the spectral shadow display the silhouettes dispersed into dust swirling silently in small individual twisters before colliding and exploding into a second scene. The boy was holding the woman in his arms rocking her still frame gently and Takumi felt himself feeling empty. It was as if something within him was gone or had died, and the emptiness inside was tearing at the rest of him eroding his will in an attempt to pull something into the hole to replace what was now gone.

Menacing figures appeared on the scene standing behind the boy. They began peeling him away from the woman's form but the boy clung on tight and when he was finally pried free the dark clouds that had been directed in majestic weaves and waves materialized once more. Although the boy had not changed in appearance he no longer seemed a mere boy but instead he emanated rage and power becoming a make-shift monster dominating the clouds with his will as his world came completely unglued. Their movements were no longer fluid and beautiful but jagged and vibrating as they cascaded into the new arrivals driving them back.

The boy's fingers crooked and bent as he instructed the clouds like a maestro with his hands. The clouds again crashed and drove his enemies around through the air and into the ground. However the clouds weren't massive enough to be able to drive all four of his enemies back and in time an opening in his vicious assault was left open one of the figures dove through. Turning the entirety of the clouds back to catch the one who had slipped past, the other three figures moved swiftly to overtake the boy himself and pin him to the ground before dragging him off. As they dragged him off he stopped struggling entirely and the emptiness Takumi felt was replaced once again by a sense of a numbness to everything but with the added bonus of feeling utterly out of breath.

[The Dude]

Slowly the scene melted away again into the veil of absolute darkness and all sense faded. Again Takumi began to fall without control but again he would come to stop with no justifiable means. Silence and nothing followed for an eternity and then feelings once again began to stir but this time the entire scene was vivid. Takumi woke up slowly in his own body in his old room at the the psychiatry clinic. White walls and endless halls with an emptiness that rang through it all.

Takumi's senses had returned but they were caught on the sick scent of the dead. No longer in control of himself he soon found himself calling for the doctor, the only hope he still clung to anymore. The doctor seemed like the only chance at the life he had before... if only he could make him understand that he didn't need this place. Hollow foot steps echoed down the hallways outside Takumi's room and soon there was a knock on the door.

The door swung into the room and in stepped the tall broad shouldered doctor. His gray hair, aged eyes, and worn face betrayed his age, but underneath the exterior the man could not be in better condition. Looking down upon Takumi he smiled warmly and rested his hand upon his shoulder to show his support and friendship.

"Tak my boy, I was so glad when you first came back to us from whatever world you went too but this has to stop. I can't constantly drop everything I'm doing with my other patients just to come see you. Now then, what's the story this time?"

"Doctor what am I still here for? I've recovered, I feel great, I can communicate with others and I'm even getting up and about again. Can't you see that I can't take this place, I can't take these walls. This whole place is making me feel worse the longer I stay here."

[The Dude]

Takumi awoke with a start, nearly jumping off his bed into the air. Cold sweat was pouring down his body and kikai were swarming all over the room freely uncontrolled. Clapping his hands together rapidly the kikai seemed to realize their master was awake and swarm back to their home immediately now that he was no longer being tormented. Swinging his damp wet legs over the side of the bed he sat up and rested his elbows on his knees holding his throbbing head in his hand.

Takumi had run out of his medication at long last since the disappearance of his doctor and his dreams were returning worse and worse. He had dreams like this many many times before but they were always different experiences. Sometimes he experienced falling endlessly, at other times he was buried alive, sometimes he was just suffocating endlessly but death would never come, and occasionally it was even worse. The night he had dreamed of just now had been the worst, that night the screaming hurt.

Staggering away from his bed he made his way to the bathroom showering and cleaning up before getting dressed for the day. He was running out of time before the dreams would get worse and worse again from lack of medication. Despite the severity of the repercussions it would have, he had no other choice but to keep moving forward in his work for the village and ignore the approaching mental collapse.

[The Dude]

He stepped out of his house in the slightly chilled morning air as he unrolled his mission scroll to review notable facts and key points. The mission summarized the need for more supportive rolls in Kirigakure no Sato before concluding the issue could be resolved by simply going out and taking them through any means necessary. The easiest way would be to try and talk someone in to merely joining Kirigakure.

A separate scroll that had been en-wrapped in the first gave Takumi a brief profile on each of the rumored smithies and healers. He had been up all night making this shopping list of potential targets for the mission, in fact it was the last thing he could vaguely remember before he fell asleep and had nightmares. He made a mental note reordering the list in the order he would be pursuing them, unfortunate for the old healer at the top of his list. Luckier for the up and coming smiths in the territory, after all Takumi only needed one of them so the lower on the list the more likely he wouldn't have to deal with them.

He locked up the house behind him before setting off for the village gates. The old man after all had been spotted near the village but never inside. If the rumors were true he tended to travelers who would come to the village gates only to be turned away. He had also reportedly saved and returned ninjas to the village which was the only reason the village allowed him to heal the ones turned away. Takumi would be making him an offer to join the village diplomatically first, after all the healer seemed nice enough.

[Forsaken]

Axel yawned stretching as he leaned back on the pale blue gates, he hated getting up early but loved the moist arid atmosphere the watery village had in the morning hours so the two balanced each other. An AnBu member had woken him up half an hour prior to his current stating that he had been given a mission to help a fellow gennin collect and bring back a medic or craftsmen. The early awakening sewed a small seed of hatred in him for his leader but shrugged it off and continued with his duty.

In his current state, Axel slid down the wall sitting quietly while Hime laid over his lap wagging his tail. His wolf made him smile faintly as he relaxed in the cool morning mist his village was known for.

[The Dude]

It wasn't long before Takumi came to the gates of the village guarded diligently by guards he would be questioning soon for the whereabouts of the medic nearby. There was another shinobi at the gates though, sitting on the ground propped up with his back to the door itself. He had long fierce red hair, lean sinewy build to his slim frame, and what appeared to be a wolf across his lap wagging his tail. Cute pooch.

Takumi didn't pay him too much attention as he was most likely on his own assignment or had his own personal business to carry out. Instead he approached one of the guards and gave a polite nod. After their brief greeting Takumi explained the nature of his mission to the guard and began to ask him about the medic near the village. The guard smiled and nodded confirming he knew of the medic and went into the gate's small office looking for paper and ink to draw a small shoddy map for Takumi.

[Forsaken]

Axel saw a young man approach the gates wearing dark clothes and a mask hiding his face along with a headband resting over the top portion of the mask bearing the symbol of Kirigakure. Hime glanced at him before turning to Axel and tilting her head.

He nodded and stood going over to the boy and as the gate keeper went into his office Axel tapped gently on the boy's shoulder to get his attention while Hime stood at his side sniffing the boy's feet. "Hey are you Takumi? Ive been asked to help you out on the mission."

[The Dude]

As the man went into his office there was a tap on Takumi's shoulder. Looking back over his shoulder he saw the man with his wolf now sniffing at Takumi's feet curiously. He smiled under his mask as he knelt down to the wolf's level offering an open palm for him to sniff as the man explained.

"Hmmmm help me on my mission? Your aid's appreciated, sir, but I think you might be a bit bored on this assignment. We're just going out for a walk to find some support for the village either smithies or medics. Here's the mission scroll and some extra notes on possible support targets for us in the area in order by who's closest to us. My name's Takumi by the way."

Takumi still held his hand out for the wolf but he looked up and spoke to the man now. It was hard to determine an ally or enemies strength by appearances alone. All Takumi was able to deduce was that he had a wolf he most likely used in combat. Even as he looked up at him though Takumi began to see shadowy forms in the corner of his eye forming. He shook his head vigorously and briefly to shake the visions from his mind and try and stay focused. He had no choice but to ignore it and pay attention to the mission and situation before him.

The guard came out handing Takumi a map as he stood up. They then briefly exchanged polite nods and the shinobi looked back to his new partner. It was time to get started, and get this done in a timely fashion to keep Takumi's record of missions top notch.

[Forsaken]

Hime gently started licking the boy's hand in response showing her affection. The scene made Axel smile a little while the boy gave him the mission parameters which he shrugged quietly and relaxed his stance. "Eh I'm already up and it couldn't hurt to go for a morning walk right Hime?"

Hime yipped softly nuzzling his leg as he looked over the list of possible applicants for medics and craftsman in the area while the boy got the map from the guardsmen. "So anyone in particular you have in mind for our target?"

[The Dude]

"Well at the top of my list is an old man who seems to stay close to the village. The man's like a ghost though, he leaves no evidence of his existence except word of mouth. What I have learned is that according to the rumors the man heals all people approaching the village in need including our own shinobi. So, based on his the rumors that he heals everyone who comes close to the village no matter who they are or their intentions I'm hoping we can handle this somewhat diplomatically. If not, well that's the good news about there being two of us against one old man."

Takumi looked down at the map studying it diligently as a small gather of his kikaichu materialized from his pants at the ankles ascending into the air to hover in a cluster behind his shoulder as if to read over it. According to the map the man had taken refuge in a cave on the coast, or was most likely to have done so at any rate. But the coast was a labyrinth of crashing waves, jagged rocks, and well hidden caves. Takumi looked over his shoulder giving his kikaichu a slight nod and they immediately buzzed off high into the air and into the distance to begin scouting for him.

"The old man is close, just a short walk over to the coast actually. It seems he's taken up refuge in one of the caves so we'll have a little work finding him before we can actually talk to him. Hopefully we can convince him to come back with us somehow without too much resistance. When you're ready sir."

[Forsaken]

"Heh that's true enough it shouldn't be too much trouble getting an old man too come with is peacefully or otherwise" Axel said nonchalantly walking along the young boy while Hime stayed at his heels. As the two neared the coastline The boy released his kikaichu into the air and they started scouring the area. "Hm I have an idea, follow my lead and cover the cave entrances with your kikaichu after he comes out."

Axel headed down to the coast and briefly submerged himself to wet himself and aid with the charade. He laid along the grainy sand and tore apart a hole along his calf before cleanly slicing s jagged cut across his appendage. He winked softly at Hime and she started to howl out, the sound reverberating through the trees and caves while Axel started crying wolf. "Help! Someone please help me! I cut my leg and I cant walk!"

As he continued the fake call for help he scanned the coast seeing of both the elderly man was coming and that the boy was hidden well enough to pull off the capture.

[The Dude]

Clouds approached the coast darkening the sky and threatening the serene scene with the distant boom of lightning. Reverberations could be felt through the air from the coming storm, an excellent foreshadowing of events soon to pass. It soon began to rain as it grew darker still, water pouring relentlessly from the sky battering the kiri shinobi. It was in this abysmal weather that the man they sought came forth...

A dark figure towering in stature easily 6'4" with broad shoulders had appeared upon the sandy coast a mere ten meters away from Axel. He wore a heavy black trench coat with a hood that repelled the water effectively as well as covered much of his face. What could be seen were two ends of a scarf trailing out from the hood and an impressively kempt gray beard covering an aged and weathered jaw. He did not approach Axel but instead with his arms against his body and his hands tucked deeply in his coat pockets he called to the shinobi in a cold stern voice.

"Show me the wound... and then show me your open hands before I help you. If your hands move at all after I've come closer, a cut on your leg will be the least of your worries."

[Forsaken]

Axel felt the calm with the rolling storm but an ominous tone thundered through it. As the rain started to drizzle down Axel saw a dark figure emerge from the caves and strive forward. His tone was dark and grave making Axel comply holding his hands out to show him he meant no harm before placing them on the sand so he could sit up while HIme moved behind him acting like a prop so he could sit up.

As Axel's eyes gazed at the man through his bangs he discovered the reports about him being so easy to capture may have been exaggerated...slightly. His sharp cunning eyes went over a quick run of possible tactics and his own abilities. He would take this man down and return him to the village. but first, the cut in his leg.

[The Dude]

He approached slowly with long smooth strides before kneeling beside Axel and withdrawing his hands from his pockets. One hand became bathed in a dark green pulsing glow before it took hold of Axel's leg in his hand gently, but before anything happened his free hand took a long hunting knife and held it up to the shinobi's throat threateningly. If Axel attempted to make a sudden move the knife would simply be thrust forward an inch to split his throat open wide. The green light emanated off of the mans hand creeping along the skin on Axel's leg to the open wound before miraculously reversing all the damage done and closing the wound to leave absolutely no sign that it had happened to begin with.

Takumi, who had hidden himself well among the outcropping of jagged rocks against the ocean, had watched silently waiting to be sure this was the man they were looking for. Upon witnessing the man's healing prowess, it proved enough for the Aburame and he came out from his hiding place slowly and quietly creeping along the waters and sands attempting to make it to the beach without being detected. This motive did not work out as well as he had hoped though, for no sooner had Takumi stepped onto the beach than the man withdrew a second hunting knife still holding the first to Axel's throat and hold the other towards Takumi ready to throw.

"Get back!"

"Calm down calm down! I'm just here to collect my partner and return him to the village safely. Thank you, for healing him!"

The man however was not trusting at all as he held the knives in place, but now glowing chakra began to run along the blades. He glanced from Takumi back to Axel anxiously as though awaiting one of them to strike. However, Takumi had no intention of attacking the old man yet, he was going to stick to the plan and try diplomacy first.

"Don't bother lying boy, the odds of you being so close by and not arriving before myself to aid your partner are slim to none. What is it you two want?"