ninety-nine problems. ( private quest )

[Estilo]

Seven years ago. . .

It had been weeks since I'd obtained the title of illustrious Nidaime Raikage. But with the pride that came with being the leader of such a beautiful nation, came the burden of all its peoples safety. I needed to strengthen myself if I ever hoped to protect my village from threats such as organized cells of international criminals, I needed allies. Naturally, going to village's with the proper alignment was the first idea on my list- Konohagakure no Sato proving to be a worthy candidate. But there were other options. And if I looked hard enough, I knew I'd be able to find the allies I'd lost so long ago, during the throes of the First Shinobi War.

The Crow's High Council had known of the Burabiya family for centuries. We had history together, history that spanned several generations. My great-grandfather, who had a hand in building the great city of Kami no Shima- using his massive murder of crows to build the city from the scraps of a ruined civilization. My father, the man who had played a part in Kusagakure's destruction, using the Great Crow King Kurobizu to bolster his own criminal misdeeds. Then there was me. The soldier who fought in the First Shinobi War, now the Nidaime Raikage.

I'd keep our legacy going on, redeem the surname my father had tarnished with his misdeeds. But before making contact with the elder Kurobizu, I needed his messengers. The crows Muninn and Huginn. Finding them would be fairly easy for me. Convincing them to guide me to the other crows was another matter. But I was sure, despite my one or so year gap of inactivity in their ranks, that they would still remember my face. After all, they often enjoyed mocking me for my goatee. I could only imagine what they'd think of the porcelain mask I wore now.

Leaving Kumogakure no Sato, I ventured into the thick pine forests of Kaminari no Kuni beyond. The towering mountain range afar told me I was going in the right direction, cascading clouds gathering over a pointy summit. It was there where the fabled Crow's Peak was located, a sanctuary I had not visited in years. And it was there where I knew I'd find the two loudmouths I was looking for.

[Estilo]

Going after:

[/b][/color]
RANK; D
CLASS; Junior
CHAKRA; Low
STAMINA; Very Low
TYPES; NIN¹ TAI² GEN³[/S]

HUGINN
RANK; D
CLASS; Junior
CHAKRA; Low
STAMINA; Very Low
TYPES; GEN¹ TAI² NIN³

O-REN
RANK; C
CLASS; Senior
CHAKRA; Low
STAMINA; Mid
TYPES; TAI¹ NIN² GEN³

AUHM
RANK; C
CLASS; Senior
CHAKRA; Mid
STAMINA; Low
TYPES; NIN¹ TAI² GEN³

YANTI
RANK; B
CLASS; Senior
CHAKRA; High
STAMINA; Mid
TYPES; NIN¹ TAI² GEN³

SASIN
RANK; A
CLASS; Senior
CHAKRA; Very High
STAMINA; Mid
TYPES; NIN¹ TAI² GEN³

BARON SEYDOU
RANK; A
CLASS; Senior
CHAKRA; Very High
STAMINA; Mid
TYPES; NIN¹ TAI² GEN³

SHIN-SOO
RANK; A
CLASS; Senior
CHAKRA; Very High
STAMINA; Mid
TYPES; NIN¹ TAI² GEN³

KUROBIZU
RANK; S
CLASS; Sage
CHAKRA; Massive
STAMINA; Very High
TYPES; NIN¹ GEN² TAI³[/ul][/size]
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[Estilo]

[/b][/color]
RANK; D
CLASS; Junior
CHAKRA; Low
STAMINA; Very Low
TYPES; NIN¹ TAI² GEN³

( x2 Fables Bonus )
( 0 - 25 EXP )[/ul][/size]
"MUNINN, YAH BASTARD!" I growled, leaping from tree to tree, an occasional wayward branch slapping me across the cheek. In the distance, the fleeting form of a winged creature shooting through the leaves. Its incessant cawing echoing sharply throughout the area, a taunting laughter. The mischievous raven Muninn, in my sights, but refusing to stop even for a second. And why would it? Only recently it had managed to steal a scroll I had carried on my person, and successfully escaped with it in its clutches. The scroll in question had worth, and I wasn't about to let that smug feathered scoundrel get away with it so easily. Giving it that satisfaction was out of the question! "I'LL PLUCK YOU FEATHER FROM FEATHER, BRAT!"

The crow in the distance continued to cackle, tauntingly so, overjoyed that I was struggling to keep up with it. Its feathered form darted through waves of leaves as it flew towards a rocky outcrop at the base of a sloped mountain side. "Nyaaah- you've gotten slower with age, At-san! Are your bones aching? Nyah-ha ha ha! Don't fall and break your hip!" Practically grinding my teeth with anger, I knew I would have to resort to harsher means. If I ever sought to detain Muninn, regain my scroll, and convince the little devil to vow his loyalty to me once more, I would need to prove my worth once again. Catching him, as easy as it sounded, was far more difficult than it seemed. It required the cunning of an ultimate Akegarasu.

Brainstorming in my mind, as my pursuit struggled by the second, I finally managed to come up with a decent idea. Muninn would surely see it coming, to some extent, and it was there where I had to think on the fly and give it something it wasn't expecting in the least. So, with plan in mind, I issued a short string of hand seals mid-sprint. Black boots landed with a 'clack' when I successfully positioned myself on the next branch, then scraped across the surface of the wooden limb when I proceeded forwards. Closing the distance slightly between me and the bird, I continued.

"This is it, Muninn! I'm warning you! Enough with the child's play!" But when it blatantly ignored me, drowning out my advice with incessant laughter, I continued on. No point in trying to convince him any further. It would appear that- over our several years apart- he was still very much the same. With a wolfish grin, I held the last hand seal I had performed- the bird. This was it. He was making me look like a fool, and I didn't take kindly to it. Summoning the chakra needed to perform the technique that would follow, I would start the spur-of-the-moment plan that had been mapped out in my mind. Time to go into action! If this didn't work, I wasn't sure what would.
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[Estilo]

A murder of crows. They emerged from the surrounding pine trees when I'd focused my chakra, an entire murder of twenty darting towards Muninn the first chance they got. Considering that they were considerably faster than me, they reached the taunting little bastard with ease, flying around and beside him at all times. "Child's play? NYAH! You're too old for this to be considered child's play! You should just give up, dusty bones! You're little crow's don't stand a chance against me!" And he continued by proving his point, taking down one of my crow's mid-flight as a hawk would take down a helpless pigeon. And throughout it all, its laughter ensued. Annoying, obnoxious, belittling scoundrel!

I tried to contain my frustration, but Muninn- and his counterpart Huginn- just had that effect on me sometimes. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something about them made me cringe. They knew how to push my buttons, how to rile me up, and I hated giving them the satisfaction of doing so. Me- the man who had fought throughout the First Shinobi World War, the man who had proven his patience and attained the Jounin rank. Me, the Nidaime Raikage! There were shinobi out there far stronger than Muninn or Huginn in terms of strength- and one would be hard-pressed to find one that could frustrate me as easily as these cackling ravens.

Despite my clear exasperations, however, I would have to regain my composure in order to carry out the plan I had already put into motion. As Muninn continued to pick off my raven's one-by-one, I knew I would need to act fast. So with little hesitation in mind, I scanned the territory ahead for a place to lock my boots on firmly. This was going to be risky, and I only had one shot at it. Missing the opportunity meant Muninn would escape, and most likely react more cautiously as I continued the pursuit. And when Muninn acted cautiously, instead of carefree, I knew I wouldn't stand a chance at catching him alone. Or rather, I knew it'd be leagues more difficult than it was now. Which was really saying something. Needless to say, I couldn't let it get to that.

I landed on a wide branch, and it was then that I knew that I could commence. The soles of my boots planted firmly on the wood's surface, I charged my legs and feet with chakra. No point in letting Muninn know what was about to happen by saying something. I wanted to catch him by surprise. So, in the blink of an eye, I disappeared off the surface of my branch- only to reappear in a poof of smoke where on of my crow's used to fly. This position placed me a few meters ahead of Muninn, in mid-air, but facing him. The shock in his beady black eyes- it was priceless. With a wide toothy grin, I reached out to grab the feathered little scamp. "YOU'RE MINE!"

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[Hirihi]

25 EXP to the hunt
35 EXP to the sidebar

= 60 EXP

[Estilo]

[/b][/color]
RANK; D
CLASS; Junior
CHAKRA; Low
STAMINA; Very Low
TYPES; GEN¹ TAI² NIN³

( x2 Fables Bonus )
( 0 - 25 EXP )[/ul][/size]
With Muninn caught, and a flurry of scratches and beak bites all over my body, I proceeded up towards Crow's Peak in an attempt to find his partner in crime- Huginn. I was almost certain I'd regained Muninn's respect, despite his incessant cackling as I held him like a tucked in football. But I could never- truly- gain their loyalty until I had them both together. Muninn and Huginn just worked that way- like the North and South Pole, you needed both to keep everything balanced. Advancing through the mountainous terrain, I kept my eyes open for any sign of Huginn. He knew I was coming. Muninn's caws and protests worked like an alarm for the two. And it was then that I realized that capturing Huginn was bound to be as difficult- if not more- than capturing his counterpart. He was ready for me, ready to avoid capture.

Finding no other option, I retrieved a length of wire from the recesses of my coat pocket and tied it around Muninn's frame. "Quiet down, you!" I growled, stopping beside a pine tree at the summit of Crow's Peak. With its wings tied firmly, I continued. "You've already been captured haven't you?! Quit being a big baby about it!" And so I tossed Muninn into a bush, despite its incessant cawing. I'd come back for him later- but for now, Huginn was the one I was after. Crouched beside the pine tree, hopefully in cover, my eyes shifted towards the copse of trees afar. My murder of crows was scattered among the branches, ready for my mental orders. And I was ready too. Issuing a single hand seal, I closed my eyes, activating the Crow Vision technique. And immediately, I saw what they saw completely.

With their vision transmitted directly into my mind, I knew this was the moment to act. So I sent my mental command, ordering them to scatter upon the territory of the wooded Crow's Peak. And they all flew in different directions, silently gliding with the wind as they darted through the trees and observed the scenery from high above. Huginn was in this territory... somewhere. It was only a matter of finding him with one of my crows, then herding him towards my location before performing an ambush. This plan was far more intricate than the last, but it was what was required of me in order to even have a chance at capturing that feathered scamp.

I waited for sign of the crow's presence- anything. And when I got it, my mouth formed a wolfish-grin. One of the crows found him hiding in a tree, claws clamped onto a branch as he tried to discern the location of his companion. And when Huginn caught sight of it, it crowed in alarm. Based on what that particular crow had saw, what it had passed, and the noise it was making, I could correlate all the indications provided and effectively find Huginn's location from here. But first, I'd chase it down with my crows, hopefully leading him towards me in the effort!
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[Estilo]

They cawed loudly as they chased Huginn relentlessly through the pine-forested mountain region. Oh, yes. At first, the summoning creature had attempted to put up a fight. Just as Muninn had, tackling my crows and attempting to claw them until they 'poofed'. But he had only managed to take down a few before he was overwhelmed with the sheer size of my premeditated murder.

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