-- izakaya [VEGA]

[Estilo]

[ IZAKAYA ]

name; izakaya
rank; b
description; We've been getting unfortunate reports of cow mutilations in the rural village of Izakaya for weeks now, and just recently an adult male was found with his limbs torn off. Though the village itself lies in the wilderness of Kaminari no Kuni, it still falls in our jurisdiction, and requires the assistance of Kumogakure ninja. Investigate the cause of these mutilations. Do so carefully. Rumors persist that a monster of some sort is the cause of all this trouble, but it is up to you to discover the truth and put an end to the slaughter.
reward; 100 experience, 2,500 ryo
minimum shinobi; one
mission status; interminable
requirements; satomi kaguya; atlas burabiya

the village of crops and livestock. it has proven to be an extremely beneficial community and makes up for over twenty-five percent of kumogakure's organic food and meat products. though the people living here have a reputation for being friendly and welcoming, the recent cow mutilations seemed to have struck them hard. izakaya is a much quieter place now. children no longer frolic in the streets. seldom do people leave their homes for any other reason than work. the only functioning business in the village square is the bar and saloon- and during the nighttime, no one dares to walk the dirt roads. there is something in the air. a strange sensation that alerts your most primal instincts. a presage.

[/b][/size]

_____________________________________________________[/justify][/center]

Atlas, or what appeared to be the real thing, strode down the traveler's path with calm as they neared the bridge that would take them over the Tianguis River and into the province that was Izakaya. Their walk was graced with scenery that consisted of a myriad of tall pine trees and a drab gray canvas above. The smell of pine wafted with the breeze that swept by ever so gently, with it the fragrance of fresh spring water and mountain air. Birds chirped, an ambiance in an already picture perfect setting. It would not take long before they passed by a worn down metal sign that stated: IZAKAYA- then some nonsensical graffiti about someone's mother and a barnyard animal. The half-masked Akegarasu seemed to have suppressed a laugh. But he kept on walking forwards, not stopping to acknowledge it any further- focused with the task at hand.

When he and Satomi reached the bridge- a structure that spanned a width of ten meters and a length of forty- the young Raikage would come to a stop and turn to his Kaguya companion. "So." He muttered, his attention turning to the teenager. "I'm fairly certain you read the mission description. So you must have a general jist of the task at hand. Basically- investigate the oddity that has been troubling these people. Find the root of the problem and deal with it. I'll be knocking back a few drinks somewhere." He stated blatantly. "But I'll be able to keep in contact with you with this little beauty." And so, he'd outstretch his forearm, and watch with a smile as a raven suddenly perched upon it, talons digging into his sleeve.

Gently patting the avifauna's crown with a finger, the half-masked male would then proceed to lifting his arm and allowing the raven to fly off- having summoned it only to give an example to Satomi Kaguya. "Should I need to see or tell you anything you might want to know, I'll do it through that bird. It'll be following you throughout Izakaya, and wherever you might go. If you ever need to contact me, feel free to do so through that bird." Confident that his duty as Chuunin- and secretly the Raikage- was set and done for, the Akegarasu would nod. "I'm putting a lot of trust in you, Satomi. The Raikage'll have my head if something happens to you, man. So try not to... overdo things or whatever."

He yawned, stretching his arms forward and bouncing on the soles of his feet a few times. "Well, good luck dude. I'm off." And with that, the Chuunin walked off, crossing the bridge then abruptly disappearing in a poof of smoke. It was up to Satomi Kaguya to take the mission from here, with Atlas' raven playing both Huginn and Muninn for the time being- two ravens that distributed information to the proclaimed Norse "raven-god" Odin. Surely, the ninja would go about his own way of investigating this matter- but when shit really did hit the fan, the young Raikage was prepared to aid the genin. But... could Satomi really deal with what was currently here or not?

OOC-- Ha ha, hope that was alright. Give me the heads up if you have any suggestions or whatever. I'll do my best to make this interesting!

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[vegapunk]

---

It truly was a picturesque setting that the young genin was placed in. All round him, through every sense he could feel the grip of nature gently marking its presence, welcoming Satomi and his companion to the beautiful region. The path from which they marched was a simple travelers path marked with tall grass edge's and a thin rough gravel layer. It would soon lead them to a basic yet large wooden bridge which would safely guide their passage across the Tianguis River. The overcast sky above could not dampen the spirits of the young ninja as the excitement of what was to come boiled through his blood and veins. This would be his first mission in an area which was unknown to him, an exciting prospect with unknown outcomes and adventures. The smell of the tall pine tree's fused itself with the fresh spring water and mountain air to create an uplifting wilderness experience. The region felt untouched with no scar of humanity to bare its lands.

But, as the river neared a rusted sign labelled 'IZAKAYA' clouded the young man's vision as he and his companion stopped at the foot of the bridge. Satomi did not know much of the man he was travelling the country with, only that they both shared a home and allegiance to Kumogakure. A shrouded and mysterious figure, there was little conversation on the trip to this point, but enough for the situation to not become awkward. Satomi was not an overly talkative person himself so taking in the peace and tranquility suited him just fine. He was a chuunin, a higher ranked shinobi than Satomi, and was a sort of chaperon for the mission. He could tell that the was powerful, well at least a lot more powerful than Satomi. It was the way he presented himself physically even when half-masked. As the chuunin turned to speak his eye's darted in Satomi's immediate direction for which he spoke with a calm and neutral tone. He spoke about the mission in hand presuming that Satomi had read the mission description before coming, for which Satomi nodded in reply. He would not personally be in the presence of Satomi for this mission, but instead, lay in wait in a bar and keep in contact.

Satomi presumed that the chuunin would pull an earphone 'mic' piece out however instead of the technological instrument he a Raven gently sat on his forearm. Within a few seconds it would fly away briefly before disappearing in a small amount of smoke. A contract summon it seemed. He proceed to explain the workings of the Raven and how if I needed anything on this mission he would be able to contact me through the bird, and I could use the bird to contact him. Things were starting to get down to the 'nitty-gritty' end and Satomi could feel the slight adrenaline pulse at the edge's of his skin. As Satomi's concentration faded slightly he was darted back with the words spoken to him by the chuunin like an academy student caught nodding off in the front row of his Kaminari no Kuri history lesson. "I'm putting a lot of trust in you, Goh. The Raikage'll have my head if something happens to you, man. So try not to... overdo things or whatever." Shot back into attention Satomi replied quickly with a smile on his face.

Hmm...I'm sure the Raikage wouldn't be too concerned with a mission for a measly genin. But I will do my best and not fail either of you! I can handle the situation in Izakaya for sure, don't worry about nothing."

Saying his farewell's the chuunin steadily made his way onto the bridge walking before disappearing into smoke. Satomi would now take the reigns from here on in marking his first semi-solo mission as a shinobi of the Cloud. Walking onto the bridge himself he lent up against the wooden railing and pulled out a scroll which contained the mission information neatly printed on the front with the Raikage's signature scribbled at the bottom. The town was a heavy agricultural sector which provided Kumogakure with twenty-five percent of its organic food and meat products. However, recently cows have been getting mutilated and the locals have no idea as to why. It was Satomi's mission to find out what was behind such a thing. Rolling up the scroll and placing it back into his pouch he began to launch himself into a run, his large loosely following at his sides, his back bent forward, running at pace. He had no time to spare and wanted to impress the chuunin with his activity and diligence. Gliding along the wooden bridge possible resolutions to the problem at hand ran through his mind. Surely it was not anyone from Kumogakure as the village relied upon the products which came from the Region. Could it be Rogue-Ninja, a wild animal or even a disease? All these idea's turned in the the young genin's head as he made his way to his destination.

---

[Sayomi]

Vega | +10 exp

Espada | + 10 exp

[Estilo]

GM

You would enter the somewhat lonely town of Izakaya in a matter of seconds with the speed in which you had begun running. Small children in tattered clothing sit along the curb of one street, simply staring at you as you pass. An unused ball lies beside their petite feet. They seem to hold no interest in playing with it. Up ahead, a housewife rhythmically swipes a broom over the sidewalk in front of her wooden, one-story house. The dirt road between sidewalk and the other houses continually creates a mess the more the wind blows, however, and you begin to notice that her plight pretty much has no point. The woman, however, doesn't seem to care. Bare-footed, in a stained pink dress and with a sedated look in her eyes, she continues on. Whether any of them are willing to speak is unknown.

The Chuunin's black raven flies in the sky above, cawing- and ominous squawk. Somehow you know that a simple gesture will summon it down towards you, should you need to relay information or make some inquiries. Currently in the east sector of Izakaya, you see a variety of one-story houses. Most of them look cheap and old, others look refurbished. A two-story building made of sand stone, at the corner of the road, houses an inn and bar. Another establishment on the street sells piñatas, a large rectangular window displaying these colorful creations with pride, and yet another store serves as a liquor place. None of these places, upon closer inspection, look to have any business. Only the presence of the civilians that own them. A sorry state of affairs, but prevalent.

The smell of old wine and grain wafts throughout the air, hanging onto a chilly breeze. Where this fragrance is coming from, is currently unknown to you. But the Eastern Sector of Izakaya is your best bet. Straying off from this main road you're on will possibly get you some answers. Following the main road will take you into another sector, a different community. The answers to the cow mutilations that have been happening here currently seem far out of reach, and the location of the mutilations themselves is still unclear. This is where your mission starts, however, this is where the story begins. A sense that something is wrong washes over you.
_________________________________________________________________

Atlas Burabiya

Atlas entered the Deidora Inn with little more than a yawn, pushing the door open and crossing the threshold into the musky interior. A few scattered patrons here and there, sitting in the shadows, nursing a beer- seemingly comfortable in their own booths and eerie loneliness. He ignored them, ignored their stares. Black boots rapping against the dusty hardwood floor, he proceeded to the bar and tentatively sat on a stool. The bartender, an old man with a gray beard- one that appeared like overgrown dog whiskers from afar- looked at his new customer as he wiped down a mug with an old tablecloth. The stocky employee of this establishment propped the mug in front of the half-masked male, stuck his tablecloth into the front pocket of his black apron. An awkward silence between the both of them, each of them gauging the other. When it was over, Whiskers voiced his question.

"What'll you be havin', hombre?

OOC-- Sorry for the wait! I cleared up a thread; this one is officially on my hit-list! So expect regular updates~

[vegapunk]

---

A plume of dust and dirt rose up and around Satomi as his feet skated to a stop at the entrance of the small town. Waving his arm around to clear the dust from his vision he scouted his surroundings gaining a perspective of what was in front of him. The town looked to be in stark-contrast to that of the scenery entering the area. What was once lush and evergreen had seem to fade to dry, dusty-dirt. The state of the town was dire and to think that the cow mutilation was the central cause of it brought a cold shiver down Satomi's neck. Things were a lot more serious than he first anticipated. Walking forward at slow pace he looked down a street to see a group of children sitting on the curb as the slight dusty breeze glided through their hair. There eye's were fixated on Satomi without a single glance elsewhere, as if they were announcing an intruder had entered their midst. It wasn't the kind of welcome Satomi though he would have or was used to. Perhaps his presence here was not as welcomed as he first thought. If he was to gain any information on the happenings in the city he may need to shift his thinking and not stand out so much. This precaution he kept in the back of his mind as he continued to walk down the main dirt road.

Up ahead a women continued to sweep her house with rhythmic consistency, but to no avail. She seemed to be in a far away state not conscious of anything but the task at hand. Things were starting to get creepy and fast. As a hot chill ran through Satomi's body he looked up to hear the squawking of a black ravin above his head high in the air. Through its actions it looked to be the same one his chuunin companion summoned earlier, it was good to know that he wasn't alone in this place. Satomi quickly remembered that the chuunin would be able to view and communicate with Satomi through the use of the ravin. He wondered if the man was equally as chilled by the presence of this town. Continuing his march he detailed houses to his right, some were old and weathered, others seemed to be larger with work done to them. Shops seemed to be up and running but there was no clientele. It was sad state of affairs. The town looked to once be in a flourishing condition, however it was now desolate and crude. Satomi needed to help these people and find the cause to their problem. The question was would they see him as outside interference or a helpful hand in a ominous time?

Within an instant the smell of old wine and grain rippled through his senses and seemed to be coming from past the main shopping area, further to the east. The smell was unusual and most definitely unsettling at the same time. Satomi changed his direction off the main road to turn to a connecting street which would take him further into this sector of the city. As he walked with caution a small tabby cat caught his attention as it rested on top of a turned over trash can. It was shabby looking but neat with his forearms tucked underneath its body, eye's fixated on Satomi was he walked past it. The feeling of being watched was not a pleasant one and alarm bells were starting ring in Satomi's mind as the creeping feeling of potential danger stabbed its way into his consciousness. He didn't get a good feeling from this place. Like an itch that needed to be scratched Satomi reached into his pouch and pulled out tin container which held his rolled cigarette's. Slipping one between he lips he placed the tin back into the pouch as the lighter ashed the tobacco creating a small plume of smoke.

Walking down the road east bound the interesting smell seemed to heighten although Satomi was not overly sure of its direction. The houses on the street were basic and wooden and he presumed this was most likely the district were the workers would live, perhaps he would get some answers here. However, there was no one in sight. He would walk up to the porch of a house on either side of the street but the dirty windows gave not allusion to what was kept inside. Highly puzzled and frustrated the young genin kept walking but maintained his composure. What the heck is going on around here? he thought to himself waveringly. Eventually he came to a cross roads in the form of an 'L' shape. If he kept his quest forward near the end of his vision he could see what seemed to be a farming area, wide fielded crops and limited buildings. He thought to naturally go in that direction however out of the corner of his right-eye he spotted a man scruffy looking man perched on the side of a porch. The houses down this road were similar to the ones he had just come from. Satomi walked towards the man and noticed he had just thrown a stub of a cigarette out, perfect. Nearing to the man's position Satomi removed his Kumogakure headband placing it in his pouch and spoke in a soft nonthreatening tone making sure to not scare the man away. At first glace he was weary moving back slightly, but after noticing it was a young boy he initiated eye contact.

Excuse sir, I seem to be lost and I was wondering if you could possibly help me? Would you care for a cigarette for your troubles..? I have plenty.

The young Kaguya looked to have a gleam of innocence in his eye. A lost traveler, weary and tired, far from home. The man agreed to the cigarette and tentatively asked what where I was going and how I came to be here. Handing over a cigarette graciously the man placed it in his mouth as Satomi lit the end for him. After a couple of puff's the man seemed to relax a little. He seemed to be under some kind of stress. Satomi began to speak, hesitant on which angle he would take with the man. This could be his only chance to salvage some information on what is going on around here and possibly gain some insight towards the cow mutilations.

I was just passing through to get to the other side of Kaminari no Kuni, I am visiting my grandfather but I regret to say it has been a while since I have traversed this side of the lands. If you don't mind my asking, the last time I was here this town was much more...how should I put this...prosperous? The town shops were bustling with trade and there was plenty of livestock in the fields. Now, it seems to be baron.

[/i]

The harmless and genuine tone which came from his mouth seemed to suck the civilian in, although Satomi could tell he was cautious of what he was going to say. Taking a large drag from his cigarette, the flaming ember crackled at the end as the man took a hearty in-hail before he spoke. Satomi proceeded to take a drag of his own cigarette at the same time.

"Between you an' me kid, this here place isn't the safest to be at thee moment especially after sundown. Lotta strange happenings goin on roud these parts. You'll best be safest to leave now god knows I'mma gonna! All of our cows have been gettin' culled at nigh' an we dunt have a damn clue why. Without them we have no ryo to live on. I suggest ya get on outta here, take the main street out to the bridge north-west.[/b][/blockquote]

---

[Estilo]

GM - ELSEWHERE

He staggered to his feet. The air was dense with dust. The inner chamber was more or less intact, but the cave's outer wall had been reduced to rubble. A ragged aperture remained, large enough to clamber through. Hiromasa made for it. On the way, he stumbled across something on the floor. Iteki Hatake. The Cloud ninja was lying on his back. His clothing was charred and tattered. Most of the skin had been burned off him. He stirred. Just alive. Just. Hiromasa knelt. Iteki blinked up with scarlet eyes. His mouth moved, wordlessly, or so it seemed. "I told you I would kill you." Hiromasa said, or thought he said. His ears were ringing too loudly for him to hear even his own words. Iteki's expression was resigned- the irony of it.

Hiromasa rammed the heel of his palm against the base of the man's nose, driving bone and cartilage upwards into the brain. Outside, dust hung around the hidden valley in a red-brown fog. Through its skeins and swirls Hiromasa could see that the place had been devastated. This portion of Kaminari no Kuni was more of a ruin than it had ever been. The temple façades were gone, a few spars of column jutting here and there from landslides of rock. The rest was red, cratered moonscape. Suddenly, there was a light. Milky jade-green brilliance. Blinding. Filling the world. And then a detonation that punched the ear drums like knitting needles. The cave convulsed. Hiromasa was flung against the rear wall by a pressure wave. And for a time, he couldn't move. Think. Feel. Sprawled out amongst the corpses of villagers.
_________________________________________________________________

The door behind the old man opened up with a sharp creak. A seemingly middle-aged woman appeared on the porch, a sleepless look in her eyes. When she glanced at the young stranger outside, she opened her mouth as if to say something to him, closed it, then held up a hand. "We're not doing this grandpa," She muttered, reaching down to grab the old man by the arm and help him up. "Look, whatever you think is going on, it's only an exaggeration. Didn't we talk about that? Don't fill this strange man with delusions and horror stories. It ain't right!" The old man in question protested with little more than a grumble. He allowed himself to stand up, but kept his stare on Satomi.

"Six months ago," He started, the cigarette hanging out of his semi-toothless mouth still fuming, his granddaughter still trying to drag him back into the house with constant tugging. "We been plagued with this curse for six months. It dun reduced my granddaughter to being a sitter- here in this god-dayum house. She's only nineteen!"
_________________________________________________________________

Atlas Burabiya

All genius is a conquering of chaos and mystery, the Raikage thought as he took another gulp of the heavy amber beer that the bartender had served him just now- with a distasteful look in his eyes, one might add. He wondered how the white-haired genin was faring so far. Closing his optics, he would activate the Crow Vision technique in his arsenal, executing a single hidden hand seal- as to not alarm the other patrons in this establishment. What he saw, through his avifauna's eyes, was the meeting between Satomi and an old man, then a woman who looked to be around forty. How long would it take? How long before the Kaguya discovered that he wasn't the first Cloud ninja to take upon this task? He drained the last of his alcohol, wondering.

[vegapunk]

---

Like opening the flood gates of a dam, it turned out the old man only needed an excuse to tell the tales that he knew. Genuinely haunted and progressively spooked, with every word that was muttered out of the his mouth Satomi could see the pain it brought him and his family. It was now all starting to become more clear, the haze of miss-communication was lifting. Perhaps finally he would get some definitive answers. Suddenly, the door behind the old started to open with a sharp creak. Out came a women who the old man seemed to greet as his granddaughter, however she looked older than one would expect a granddaughter to be. She had a concerned look on her face seeing her grandfather interact with a stranger the way he was, her beading eye's fixed on him as if to give a signal to stop. She spoke in a firm monotone voice with a focus on reiterating the fact that what the old man was saying is all folk law and to not scare a traveler, especially a young boy. But, it seemed as though the old man didn't care for her worrying this time as his glared stayed fixed and constant on Satomi. He mumbled about the cow mutilations happening for six-months and how it was crippling the town.

"Grandpa! that is enough. Leave this poor boy to go along his ways, he doesn't need to here you mutter on. You'll scare him.

[/b]

'Well he should be scared luv'! This damned curse means we can't even go to our fields anymore especially afta dark. Who bloody knows whats out there anymore. I hate this retched place![/b]

Satomi began to think that perhaps the man was just a rambling old fool who was too scared and delusional to make any sense of what Satomi was asking. The words coming out of his mouth started to heighten and Satomi could tell he was getting upset. It wasn't until his last comment when the old man murmured about the field and how it would be a death wish to go there after dark did Satomi click. Taking a single and lasting drag from his cigarette Satomi threw the bud on the ground and gently stomped to bury it into the dry dirt below. He had all the information he would gain from these people particularly the old man who now seemed beside himself. With a worried expression the granddaughter walked onto the porch and knelt next to her grandpa coaxing her arm around her shoulder in an effort to comfort him. As Satomi looked up he could feel the temperature dropping around him, it was getting late in the day. Nightfall was about to creep through this town and if Satomi was going to heed anything the old man had said he ought to be prepared for anything to come. Centering his expression he looked towards the girl and spoke.

"Hmm..I best be off then as it seems I don't want to stick around here after nightfall! I am awfully sorry for upsetting him. Thank you for your information it was most helpful.

With a dip of her long draping dress the granddaughter signaled 'you're welcome' and Satomi turned on foot leaving for his next location. It would seem events were starting to fall into place, one after the other, however he couldn't help the sinking felling in his stomach of something not being right. What was this town or even his chuunin not telling him? With every step the young genin took the shroud of night slowly slithered over the town. He wouldn't have to wait for too long for the action of tonight to begin yet he still had time to tie up some loose ends. He though to travel to the bar and inn and talk with his chuunin patron for the mission, but like a flashing light in his mind he remember the raven which circled above. Its stealth and cunning was superior and even Satomi had forgotten the presence of the bird. Scanning the sky above the Kaguya spotted the black raven perched on the side of the house with its beady eye's scanning the region. Not particuarly sure how to get the attention of the bird Satomi reached his arm out in the direction of the bird and whistled one, two, three times to grasp its attention. Within an instant the birds wings gracefully lifted and it glided down to rest on his arm, its pure black eye's staring straight at Satomi. Never having a conversation with a bird before Satomi coughed cumbersomely and spoke.

"I am presuming you saw the conversation between those citizens and I. They were both hesitant to divulge any information but the the old man gave away some hints in his hectic state. It seems as though something out of the ordinary is happening at night time in the fields where the cows usually graze and sleep. I thought I would check it out tonight, I have an idea to allude most suspicions. What the heck is actually going on in this town?!"[/i]

Satomi's face looked straight and worry-free but his mind was heavy with the burdens of tonight. He wasn't overly sure what he may encounter tonight and perhaps it could be a dead-end with no leads at all. Then he would have to start fresh and gather more information in the town tomorrow which he wasn't keen on. The towns people were not the most friendly and easy-going. Gently lifting his arm up initiating the bird to depart his forearm the graceful raven lifted up into the air above. Without hesitation and a cool hand, Satomi then lifted his two hands together in front of his chest channeling chakra within his body. Forming a basic single handseal the young genin whispered "Transformation no Jutsu" as a small plume of white smoke appeared spontaneously around where his body once was. The cool breeze had picked up slightly blowing the cloud of smoke away to show a simple tabby cat placed where Satomi once was. Remembering the cat he saw earlier perched on the turned over garbage can Satomi would now escape detection in a small part, but he would need to play it safe. Scuttling on all fours the scruffy tabby cat begun to run in the direction of the fields towards the 'L' intersection where he once came. Running in zig-zag's and staying close to the sides of the house to try and defuse attention Satomi made his way. The mission was now taking its first real turn.

SPOILER: Click to show

Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique)
Rank: E
Type: Supplementary / Ninjutsu
Range: Self
Special: Allows the user to transform into any person, object or animal of normal/small/miniature size. Transformation can be held for one turn, plus one more each time retrained.
Description: Henge no Jutsu is a very basic ninjutsu technique which every ninja learns at their respective village's Shinobi Academy. Henge allows the user to transform themselves into any person or object. This allows the ninja to move with stealth or to trick their opponents.
Domain:Academy Student Ninjutsu..

[/blockquote]

---

[Estilo]

Atlas Burabiya

"That's what you're here for~" The raven responded with its beak open, Atlas' soothing tone of voice filtering through. To find out exactly what was going on in this town. "Follow your lead, but be cautious. I'll be watching in case you need any more assistance." And with that, the raven would fly off of Satomi's arm, back into the drab gray sky- which was now darkening into the night. Soon the sun would fall, and it was then that, hopefully, the anomaly that was occurring in Izakaya would make itself known. Opening his eyes, delving out of the Crow Vision

[/u] and Crow Mimic technique for the time being, Atlas returned to the murky interior of the bar.

The crow would follow the young genin throughout his travels in the entire area, and knowing so calmed the Raikage's nerves a bit. The pressure of an unexplained disappearance or injury lessened. He could now enjoy the cold beer positioned in front of him on the counter, and muse what would have to happen next. Surely, the genin would find out what he already knew soon enough. And the reason why he had held this little fact away from him? Well, it was simple. He was testing the youth. That, and the pieces would all come together nicely if he found out on his own. Refusing to divulge information, despite the risk, was a decision Atlas had decided to make for the better- for Satomi's sake. This was something the lad had to tackle on his own, this was a task that was meant for him and him only.
_________________________________________________________________

GM

The sun had finally dropped dead, the eerie glow of moonlight paying homage to its temporary death. That great bright ball in the sky would be revived in another twelve hours or so, but for now, the land belonged to the night. And the night, well... it belonged to something else entirely. The roads that criss-crossed throughout Izakaya were now empty and lifeless, the illuminating white of the moonlight contrasting deeply against the dead gray setting. The cat that scurried towards the fields where the cows were rumored to have been mutilated would feel an unnatural chill run down its spine. What sounded like melodious chimes trickled throughout the night air.

Satomi's little feline adventure would eventually lead to the outskirts of the town, a vast field of blue grass bordered by a deep whistling forest. Spotted cows grazed about, a single horned bull hunkered down beside an oak tree out on the fields. Nothing but the sound of crickets and wind echoed throughout the scenery. For now, everything was normal, nothing unusual in sight. Then suddenly, an inhuman howl- a cackle resembling something like a monstrous coyote and hyena. It came from the woods, suddenly and without warning. The cows, however, did not seem to react to it. They just continued chewing their grass, content with their nightly snacking session. What had made that sound? Was it approaching or going deeper into the woods? Why hadn't the cows been frightened by it? The same cows that had, according to rumors, been assaulted by a strange entity a few nights before. This was all something the genin would have to take into account.

[/justify][/blockquote][/blockquote][/font]

[vegapunk]

---

It was a feeling of relief when Satomi heard that his chuunin companion was ready for assistance if needed. It was the feeling of being out of reach of anyone that flustered him the most, what if he couldn't solve the problem for this town by himself? As the dark night beckoned him Satomi stayed alert and agile as the gods shifted the world on its ends. The bright light of the sun had now been converted to the dark gloom of the moon. The roads that edged their way through the town were now, and most definitively, clear of anyone. No villagers dared to leave the compounds of their warm and secure homes to be captured by the night. The night air was still with not even the slightest hint of a breeze as the dust and dirt lay stationary on the ground below. Not only one was alone in a unknown land did they discover the fascinating and fearful touch of the night. The eerie moonlight would be the only beacon of light for Satomi to travel on much like that of a sailor looking for a single beam of light from a lighthouse, he would have to use his primal instincts tonight and thankfully he had plenty of that.

Satomi, on all four paws, darted through the deserted streets of Izakaya making his way to the fields. With each quick and precise movement the feline made the closer it came to its destination. By passing the last of formal residential housing Satomi now scampered close to a fence which was bordered on either side by simple dirt and grass fields. These fields seemed to lack moisture and rough dirt patches sat boldly amongst short and helpless grass. These would not be the fields that would reap Satomi the rewards of his findings, he had to push further. Up ahead, in the outskirts of the Izakaya town, a large field of blue-tinted grass lay in wait. The further he left the town the larger the breeze of the night became as the prominent field of grass gently swayed in rhythm of the wind. At the edge of the grass-field a forest would begin with its dominating pine trees taking center stage of the great greenland, similar to that of the vegetation seen coming into the village before the bridge. With urgency under paw Satomi scuttled closer to the part of the field which was closest to the forest until he meet the perimeter of the longer grass. The natural agility and grace of the cat was similar to that of the Kaguya clansman's movements as he leap't to the top of the fence and down to the other side.

Elongating the front his front appendages through the long grass Satomi stayed hidden from sight as the sleek and agile feline stay low amid the grass. Up ahead only fifteen meters away was a hulking, horned bull which lay in rest under a oak tree. This was the first cattle beast that Satomi had encountered the whole time he was here. All seemed peaceful and the cattle beast was not afraid of the night at all, and why should he be, as the only sound which filled the night air was the echo of crickets. Making his way closer to the oak tree Satomi looked around in search of anything else, as other cows seemed to graze peacefully in the field. Sitting on his back legs he began to lick his paw and whip it around his left ear. It could be seen that this was the first time he had transformed into a feline animal and the characteristics were endearing. However, within an instance a loud howling sound echoed harshly from within the woods startling the young genin into an alert status.As if to expect the cows to react in fear, they didn't. Each carried on their normal mundane routes as if to not even hear the chilling sound.

Puzzled but attentive Satomi ran towards the edge of the woods through the thick grass. Why were the cows not scared? The rumors through the town told stories of these same cows getting culled by something in this area. What did they know that he didn't? As these thoughts ran through his mind he had reached the edge of the woods. In an instant a plume of smoke rose around Satomi and he was returned to his normal state as a human as he cancelled his Tranformation no Jutsu. With a large gulp in his throat Satomi pulled a kunai out his pouch on his hip and held it with a tight grip in his hand. Launching off a near tree and zig-zagged his way leaping into a branch high in one of the tree's. Trying to decipher the sound which he had heard in the fields it sounded in-human, a beast of some kind. He felt he would have better coverage of the land below and a safer position to stealth the woods high in the tree's so he proceeded to move deeper into the woods high above. Through his training in ototon chakra Satomi had a distinctive natural ability to better locate sounds than most, however he didn't want to utilize any chakra at this stage, not know what he might encounter the deeper he went. He knew it was coming in the surrounding direction that he was in, he would just need to keep his ears on alert.

The woods were dark as the moonlight from above barely able to pierce through the tops of the trees, however there was still enough to navigate, at least poorly, through sight. Satomi would rely on his hearing and try to concentrate his attention on areas of suspicion. Gliding from tree to tree he made his way deeper into the woods in rhythm with his pounding heart beat and the kunai gripped tightly in his hand. Once again the in-human howl of a beast echoed through the forest the only sound for what seemed miles, but it did not startle Satomi this time, he was more than ready for what was to come. Making a small adjustment to his direction he edged his way slightly east in pursuit of the sound. Through a slight clearing the vision of the pine he could make out what seemed like rock. As he leaped from branch to branch closer he noticed that indeed it looked to be a small rocky patch of highland. It was here that the noise was coming from, he was sure of it. Leaping only three branches closer he made his way within a range of sight, only twenty odd meters away. Crouching low staying close to the trunk of the tree Satomi could make out a shadowy outline a figure in the distance as he tightened his grip on the kunai in his hand. Softly whispering to himself Satomi spoke.

What is that?

[/i]

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SPOILER: Click to show

Kunai x1

[/blockquote]

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[Estilo]

Atlas Burabiya

"Time is never wasted, when you're wasted all the time!" He beamed clinking his glass mug with the bartender, who'd he managed to swoon with a large tip and a charismatic conversation. The patrons surrounding them, however, were a whole another nut to crack. "C'mon, nooow!" The half-masked male pleaded, turning around on his stool flippantly and glancing around at the fellow customers that shared this establishment with him. "What's the point of being in a bar if you're going to be moody about it, hmmmm?!" Spinning his body around, back to the counter and the bartender, he smacked a small bag of ryo he had retrieved from one of the many pockets on his jacket. "HERE. Enough ryo for the lot of us!" He grinned drunkenly. "Free drinks on me tonight, Sergio!"

The once gloomy and quiet patrons sitting in the shadows of the dive bar now responded with short grunts of approval. Some of them smiled, others held up their half-empty mugs in a respectful gesture, and some of even talked. A small chorus of muttered thank yous and good man, good man. He'd cast the bait, now he only needed to reel them in. Transforming a previously quiet, untrusting and unsociable group of loners into a gang of fellow bar mates and open-talkers. He would find out what was occurring here, one way or another. "The 'F' word's here, but the 'F' word's bad! Cuss my mother and I cuss my dad! But I love my mother and I love my dad! Wanna have all that they never haaaad!" He sang his chanty heartily, rocking back and forth on his stool as he balanced the mug of beer being held by his hand. Soon enough, he was holding shoulders with the bartender, singing along as the other patrons approached for their free booze. "Wanna get low, wanna get high! Glue's in the bag, like the clouds in the sky! Sticks to the cider, sticks to your lips! Wanna get the spiders off my hips! Try and make out, when you don't get kissed! You wanna get it up but she broke your wrist! Dad's got your arms and mother got's your fists! Crossing off kids on their xmas list!

Nyaaaah, nyaaah, nyahnyahnyahnyah!"

[/center]
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GM

What the Cloud ninja saw was hunched over and covered with matted black fur. Only the moonlight provided illumination of what he could be sure was blood soaked into the creature's pelt. Clear visibility was difficult to ascertain, as it was standing beside a boulder and still moving throughout the rocky terrain, never stopping once. Without a doubt, Satomi would have to pursue it immediately before losing it to the brush beyond that bordered this rocky outcrop. Having spotted nothing more than a hunchbacked creature with black, bloody fur, the Cloud ninja would find that this beast was also speedy, running on all fours and sprinting past massive boulders and jutting rocks. With the same agility and balance as a ninja, it would eventually leap from one of the stones into the pine trees bordering the land, continuing on from there and hopping from branch to branch.

With intense power and coordination, it would keep its distance from Satomi well. A few minutes into the chase, it would turn its wolf-like head over its shoulder, then quicken its pace even more. It was now running on full blast, but fueled by something the white-haired male probably wouldn't have guessed. It was running with frantic fright. Its body gestures attested to this fact, its spontaneous turns and leaps resulting from it being true. It had no direction, only the animalistic instinct to run away and escape. Its untamed strength even managed to tear off the very branches it leaped off of, unintentionally flinging the debris towards the ninja following it. Knowing that the creature was way too fast for him to keep up, how would that Cloud ninja approach detaining it? Or even... killing it?

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[vegapunk]

---

A deep gulp and a cool prick in the back of his neck, everything was starting to heighten and intensify. The events of today had brought him to this position, huddled close to the trunk of a tree ascertaining the situation in front of him. Looking to the sky above a slight sliver of cloud brushed in front of the moons ever watchful eye illuminating the forest below. Shit the young ninja thought to himself, he had to move quickly and with full resolve. He still could not make out the creature that stood before him, but he did know one thing, it was definitely a creature. Partial soaked and matted fur flickered in the slight breeze and the way the beast moved, it was no human. Without a single moment of hesitation the white-haired shinobi pushed up with his left leg at an accelerated speed, the kunai still tightly gripped in his hand. Floating through the air his pale skin shining in the glow of the limited moonlight on offer he landed rolling out of the pressure, his head up and focused on his target. Leaning forward with his arms back Satomi began to sprint with incredible speed, he had to catch up to his target.

Leap after leap, the flickering of a footstep Satomi zig-zagged his way in pursuit of the beast however no immediate gain was being made. Scampering over the rocks and boulders the beast would have now surely sensed his presence and it was fleeing to make its escape. Its movements were more powerful than Satomi had expected, running on all-fours with commanding speed it would slightly edge its way out of sight before briefly coming back within again. How would Satomi combat this pure animalism as he wasn't fast enough to match it purely in a sprint, he had to use was the creature did not have, the wits of a trained shinobi and the brains of a human-being. In the chase Satomi moved into action taking stage on the large boulder on which the beast had just cleared and sprint forward past. He would take his position from above once again leaping from the boulder upward into the tree's above. The cloud which slightly covered the moon above had now passed and a delicate increase in illumination of the area was now present. His eye's were fixed on the beast as he leap't from one branch to the other trying to quicken his pace with every stead, his Kaguya grace and fluidity of movement allowed him a greater advantage in the steady tree's.

However, the creature had done the same as if in reaction leaping from below it vertically jumped to a tree and branch above, pausing momentarily before moving onward with its great speed. He now had it within his sights, but for how long? With single-minded attention on the creature Satomi noticed it turn its head over its shoulder, it was definitely no human as his general shape looked like that of a wolf, ears pointed and nose and mouth pushed forward. Its pace had now quickened to the point of surprise and its movements were even more urgent than they were before, but not as precise. Branches would now be flung backward as the creatures claws dug into them ripping them off completely. Spreading his legs horizontally and placing his hand on the airborne branch Satomi avoided it before landed on the next branch, this would slow him down too much if he didn't do something to retaliate. In a single motion the young ninja leap't in pursuit and hurled the kunai furiously which was placed in his hand. Turning from tree to branch the beast did not even react in a different manner in reaction to the immediate threat of danger, it conveniently turned before the kunai missed it, piercing a tree trunk slightly in front of it. Startled, the creature howled in panic before changing its direction slightly to the right of its previous path. If it truly had its full attention on Satomi it would have reacted accordingly to the danger...did it have its full attention on Satomi, or something else?

Steadily following the beasts tracks, which were easy to read as its frantic claw marks scarred the branches it landed on, Satomi pulled out another two kunai from his pouch and gripped them in his hand. Ahead Satomi could see a slight clearing and that was where the creature seemed to aim for. Pushing forward through the lining of the forest Satomi had to stay at least within thirty meters of his target for his plan to work and as he pushed from branch to branch he calculated their approximate distance to be that of fifteen to twenty meters. He would make it to the clearing were he could finally make his move on his target, he was getting tired of the cat and mouse game which currently took place. Keeping his wits sharp he would try to pay attention to any suspicious variables, he had a feeling that he was not alone in this forest but whatever else was out there was a complete mystery to the young shinobi. Heightened to the sound of a crush further ahead it seemed as though the beast had made his way down to the clearing, completely ripping through a branch on its way down, the debris scattered on the grassy and rocky brush below. Moving with intensive speed Satomi kicked off the side of the tree trunk before spinning his weight forward and landing on the clearing below, the jarring in his legs pushed up through his sturdy bones, he could see the beast ahead it was now time to move.

Running forward slightly gaining power from his forward motion Satomi would run on an opposing angle of that to the beast now. Instead of pursuing it from a position directly behind it, he would move to his right in a circular action. He would lose meters gained but it would not matter as it was all part of his plan. He would now be at an angle were the position of the hunt was changed, he would move in frightening the beast with the throw of a single kunai. Launching a kunai from his hand it hurled through the air at speed launching itself in the direction of the creature. Rotating through the air the kunai scrapped the beasts right leg before passing to the ground in front it. This was the moment Satomi needed as he strung a series of handseals together with urgency before cupping his hands over his ears.

The beast was now howling an mixture of pain and anger, it had stopped temporarily in a frenzy, the moment of pain and the kunai in front of him taking center-stage in its eye. The young white-haired male then suddenly produced a bone chilling sound from his mouth, a shrill of immense proportion in the direction of the beast which was roughly twenty-odd meters in front of him. The sound echoed through the area and into the creatures ears. Kiai, the sound release technique, would cause the creature to howl in agony as it would pierce its ears. Being only a simple beast it would drastically lose its balance, and be tampered with heavy disorientation all amongst fear and confusion. This was his chance to get near it. However, the effects of the technique would also tamper with his own cognition but to a much lesser extent. Seeing the beast fall upon his hind legs Satomi would react by prepping his move next. The howling sound would give away the young man's position in the forest, he could only hope that it would not attract anything that would mean more trouble for him.

SPOILER: Click to show

Kiai (Scream!) (-Within a range of 0-30 meters)
Rank: [D, C,] B, A, S
Type: Offensive / Ototon Ninjutsu
Range: See special!
Chakra: Mid - High
Special: Scream range depends on the user's highest Sound Dominion range, and it effects friends and foe alive, including the user. Scream induces heavy vomiting, disorientation, lack of balance, lack of overall bodily homeostasis, and panic. While screaming, user remains in place. Highest rank known determines how long the effects of the user's scream can last upon its victims.

D: 1/4th of a turn
C: Half a turn
B: 3/4th's of a turn
A: Whole turn
S: 2 turns

Description: A very straight forward and offensive technique, scream allows the user to attack multiple targets at once with a powerful, almost deafening scream. The user will need to draw in a deep breath before performing the technique, which will then expand all around the user for the duration of the technique.
Domain: Ototon. Ototon Ryouuken 'B'.

Kunai x2

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[Estilo]

Atlas Burabiya

"You ever hear that ss-tory? That story- y'know!- about the, um... the... red-eyed demon, yeah, taht's it! You- yous ever heard of it before?" The Niidaime Raikage in disguise asked, a drunken stupor surrounding him- a mug of lager in one hand, while the other held onto a stranger sitting nearby for balance. He spoke to the bartender, who had also managed to drink himself into early intoxication, despite the fact that he was currently supposed to be running a business. Not talking to a jovial red-haired man while one of his customers sucked the tap dry of beer. But that was the effect Atlas Burabiya had on most people, a cheeriness that permeated their souls and ensnared them into an ecstasy of celebration and joy. He was glad to see that he had not lost his touch, and now- despite being a bit tipsy himself- the half-masked male would start asking questions to a crowd he had "prepared" to ask questions to.

"Y-Yeah," The bartender- Sergio- stammered, trying to stand upright but unable to lift his upper half from the bar's damp counter. He stayed slumped over said counter for a few minutes more, gradually regaining the strength to attempt regaining his posture once more- a bit later. For now, he would make himself comfortable, as he tried to remember what he had been talking about with the nice fella who had bought them all drinks and given him a large tip. "They saaay... that the demon guy-thing, or what have you... is actually, was actually a local around these p-parts. B-but, I ain't nevah met the guy. I, I dunno who or what heevin is."

[/color] He started to laugh, heaving laughter that made his chest contract and expand as fast as his beating heart. "IT'S A BUNCH OF CRAAAAP. CRAAAAP. Dun listen to nuthin' no one, anyone got to say 'bout it. Used to be one of us- you gotta be stupid to believe that!"
_________________________________________________________________

GM

The screech the white-haired male emitted was the creature's own personal slice of hell, its heightened auditory senses proving to become a drawback in this case and forcing it on all fours in a cacophony of shrieks and whimpers. Its world was spinning and blurry, and as it tried to continue its speedy escape, it only found itself staggering for balance that had not yet been regained.It stumbled into the dirt beneath it, bloody and matted fur now speckled with gravel and blades of grass. It saw no guaranteed method of escape anymore, it felt trapped, threatened, scared. With a hellish growl, and a scowl that would rival that of the devil himself, the wolf-like creature would turn to Satomi and bare its large fangs. This was it then, it would have to fight back, despite that ringing in its ears, and the instinct to continue to run away. The cut that the human's bladed weapon had issued stung its thigh painfully, but it would muster enough primal urge to turn and abruptly leap towards the male ninja, claws bared and mouth open agape in an attempt to chomp down on any limb it could sink its already bloody teeth into.

Its eyes glowed a deep, almost golden yellow. Its breath was rank with blood and raw meat, a smell that could be detected when close-by. This was no ordinary creature- there was no doubt about that- but the wilderness of Kaminari no Kuni had a tendency to withhold strange secrets and creatures. Question was: was this the creature that had been terrorizing the cows? The almost humanoid wolf leapt towards Satomi at such a speed that it rivaled that of a thrown kunai. It was lunging for close-combat, for a chance to tear at the ninja's flesh before he could issue any complicated string of hand seals or draw another bladed weapon in time to throw it once more. It had a fight and flee instinct, to attack, retreat, then attack once more. But each time, it would get more aggressive, more pumped- primal adrenaline flowing through its veins at such a rate that it would be difficult to stop.

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[vegapunk]

The immediate area surrounding the young ninja and the beast had fallen silent, as only the deathly howl of the creature wailing and moving frantically could be heard. It seemed as though the Kiai had been successful as the beast looked to be in a much dire stat that it previously was. It was an interesting and frightening situation when confronted with it. The beast was something that Satomi had never seen before, something the forests and woodlands of Kaminari no Kuni could only harbor. Everything about it screamed pure animal; its razor-sharp white teeth, matted blood-soaked fur, and raw muscle layered on its hind legs and upper body. However, the young shinobi was not scared he lived for the challenge. With a deep breath his hands begun to move at a furious pace, his second kunai wrapped around his thumb hanging loosely. The beast now only had eye's for Satomi as it started to recover from his previous technique. He didn't have enough chakra to sustain a long enough blast of ototon-type chakra to completely immobilize the beast, and it now seemed to be out for blood.

It's glowing yellow gaze firmly fixed on Satomi, the beast began to move in his direction at an accelerated pace. It had seemed to have shrugged off most of the effects of the Kiai attack by now, most likely fueled by its rage and anger at the young boy. But Satomi was prepared and had always been so. The main purpose of the first attack was to stop the creature from running away from him, he wanted its attention, its hatred to be angled in his direction. At least this way he could deal with it in way that he knew how because he was certain that if the chase had continued, he would not have been able to keep up. He would now be able to fatally wound the creature in close-combat working with his instinctive and graceful Kaguya movements. He needed to see if this beast was the true reasoning behind the mysterious disappearances and slaughtering of the cattle in Izakaya. Was this going to be the beckoning moment of it all?

The beasts movements were quicker than he had first anticipated but as the last shuffle of handseals was complete his chosen technique would be performed. The simple yet effective Bushin no Jutsu was how the white-haired genin chose to combat the situation. Within an instantaneous flicker of smoke another identical copy of Satomi appeared but not in a stationary position. He didn't want his clone to be used purely has a sacrificial decoy to avoid the charging beast, he needed to gain crucial time in order to use his bloodline to mortally wound the beast. The clone copy of Satomi launched itself in the air above the charging creature while the real Satomi lay in wait in his original position. Unknown if the beast had taken the first stage of his trap he firmly gripped the kunai which was hanging around his thumb in anticipation for what was to come. Unexpected to Satomi the beast came crashing through the smoke in a blood-fueled rage, fangs showing with a deep snarl. The smoke from the Bushin no Jutsu had slightly clouded his view as its claw came swinging through the air aiming for Satomi's necks.

The cool night air seemed to ripple as the furious swipe from the beast locked-in on its target. Frantic in defense, Satomi shifted his body weight over to his side in order to dodge the impending attack whilst bringing his kunai over to block the attack aimed for his neck. This creature would not muck around as its intent was clear. It wanted to strike the young shinobi in a fatal area and then escape the situation as fast as it could. He did not know if this was because of the reoccurring situation that this beast was indeed scared of something else and wanted to finish him off, or it was powered by rage and hate using its predatorial instinct to drive for the finishing blow. Regardless, the strike was immense as its sharp claw clashed with Satomi's kunai, causing a flicker of light to spark briefly in the dull night. The pressure was too much as the kunai flying from his grip and also the genin flying as well. Turning in the air Satomi gracefully back-flipped placing one hand on the ground before slighting his feet in the dirt to absorb the energy from the blast. With slightly blurred vision he looked back up at his target, adrenaline pumping, ready for his next move.

It seemed as though the beast had now recognised the bushin which Satomi had created earlier as panic and fear formed across its face. Due to its charge the clone was now positioned behind the beast meaning that there were two of Satomi now, both position in front off and behind the beast. Looking identical to that of Satomi the clone was a mere illusion with no physical substance but a beast if its limited intelligence would not pick-up on such a thing, especially in the haze of the moonlight and its current condition. Instinctively at Satomi's command the clone began to advance towards the beast at pace, with a single kunai in its hand. How would the beast react? it now had two enemies in its eye's and only one of them was in a position to directly attack it. The real Satomi now stood three-or-so meters back from the beast being pushed by its previous attack. In-hailing a deep breath to calm himself Satomi slowly rose his arms straight outward with his hands and fingertips pointed directly at the beast. As the chakra began to swirl he could feel his bloodline begin to ripple through his body, this would be preparation for the final blow. This creature would not experience anything like the strength of his bone as the condensed calcium would have more than enough penetrating power to rip through its hide like a pin through a balloon. So what technique would the white-haired genin chose to use?

SPOILER: Click to show

Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone Technique)
Rank: E
Type: Supplementary / Ninjutsu
Range: 0 - 5 meters
Chakra: Very Low
Special: Allows the user to create a clone without substance that resembles the user in every way, including retaining its movement speed. Clones cannot mold chakra nor perform jutsu, nor can they harm. Up to one clone can be made, plus one more each time retrained.
Description: Bunshin no Jutsu is a Ninjutsu technique which every ninja learns at the Ninja Academy. The Bunshin technique creates a copy of the ninja without substance that, although easily seen through by those with doujutsu, can fool the normal eye easily. Why? Simply because although without substance, the copy resembles the ninja in every way. This clone can function as a distraction or as means to confuse one's opponent, though no real damage can be done by it. Finally, as soon the Bunshin gets attacked or comes into contact with an opponent, it will disperse.
Domain: Academy Ninjutsu

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[Estilo]

Atlas Burabiya

Mugs of lager clinked together in celebration as the roar of the small but jovial crowd soon turned into song. The floor shook with stomps and jeers, the patrons in the bar under the influence of the various gallons of alcohol they had all managed to consume as one. Atlas' part in this play had been executed perfectly, and now- still talking with the currently immobile bartender- was time to reap the benefits of such an accomplishment. Pulling the strings, it seemed, had never been this easy before. "OKAY, OKAY, HOLD UP." The half-masked male exclaimed over the singing that shook the walls, his request directed to the overweight bartender that was slumped over the bar's counter. "Let's say- AND BEAR WITH ME NOW-" To which the bartender would immediately reply with a chuckle- what beeear? "WHAT IF-" The Niidaime Raikage continued, still imitating this drunken state of mind to his perfection, settling the mug in his right hand down on the counter. "LET'S SAY- for instance, uh... that this rumor might be, y'know, REEAL?"

The intoxicated bartender chortled, his chest heaving in and out like a fish struggling to breath. "T-THAT- THAT'S JUST STUPIIID." He taunted, his eyes closed, as his lids seemed heavier than usual. "IT CAN'T BE REAL. B-BUT I GUESS THAT MAYBE, I MEAN PEOPLE SAYIN'- UH, SAYIN' THAT THE DEEMON IS ACTUALLY- COULD BE- ACTUALLY, A KAGUYA. B-BUT... THE LAST KAGUYA THAT LIVE HERE, DIED MONTHS AGO. IN A COAL MINING INCIDENT." Bingo. The information the Nidaime Raikage required had finally been given to him. It was certainly possible that, through some unfortunate circumstance, this missing Kaguya might be responsible for the mutilations that had been occurring here as of late. But the fact that it was a possibility stunned him. He'd known of this Kaguya- a ninja who had come to Izakaya to escape his life as a shinobi. He wasn't sure whether this Kaguya was related to Satomi, in some way, but when the half-masked male had heard about his recent death...
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GM

Caught in between two versions of its attacker, the beast growled with anticipation- its bright, feral yellow glare shifting in between both twins as it anxiously dropped into a combat ready stance on all fours. It hadn't been expecting this, and its primal tendency to feel threatened immediately took hold. It barked at the two- more of a cackle and snap, than an actual bark- and bared its long teeth for them to see, slobber running down its mouth and hanging loosely above the ground. Hair bristled in anger, fear, an inherent sensation. But when the sound of footsteps touching upon tree branches became clear to its impressive animalistic hearing- something the human lacked, and was therefore oblivious to- the animal's preparation for attack suddenly and abruptly diminished. With its wolf-like tail cowering between its legs, the beast began to slowly retreat, throwing its glance at all sides and trying to pierce the darkness that surrounded them in the woods. The twin humans were no longer its focus, something much worse was arriving. And that something appeared and struck hard, blinking into existence above the animal then suddenly driving its spiked elbow into its back from above- a pile driver with bone.

A ravenous whimper and cry reverberated through the air as strong as Satomi's previous sound ninjutsu, the beast being driven into the ground powerfully- dust and spurts of blood shooting upwards, then falling back down like rain. Laid flat on the ground, a pool of blood gradually expanding beneath it, the wolf-like creature grew wide-eyed and struggled to get up. But with its attacker standing above it, his bony elbow lodged within its humped back, it couldn't. The man, dressed in what could only be described as black rags, wouldn't let it get up. The bare bone that jutted out of his right elbow was jabbed deeper into the beast's flesh until- after a chorus of disturbing death rattles- the monster was finally dead. A nasty 'squelch' sounded as the seemingly young male withdrew his boned appendage and straightened in posture. A Kaguya, no doubt. The bone he had extracted from the beast dripped with thick red blood, and he cared to lift his arm to gaze upon it nonchalantly- running a single finger down its length to actually feel the liquid.

When he was done, his bone would slink back into his own flesh, and he would stick that single bloodied finger into his mouth, giving it a brief suck before popping it out once more. It was only then- still standing over the deceased corpse of this strange animal- that he cared to physically acknowledge the presence of Satomi and his pitiful Academy-bred clone. Dead gray eyes peered at the real Satomi from afar- a distance of fifteen meters- from behind dirty white locks of hair. His mouth was a thin horizontal line on his face, that suddenly curved into a small and malicious smile. He recognized him. He knew who he was, evidently. But in his now distorted mind, he didn't care. Question was, did Satomi remember him, exactly? It had been so long, after all. And by the looks of things, both of them had changed drastically since their last meeting. Mentally and physically, they were opposites.

[Shinryu]

Jesus, talk about effort.

Espada: +60 +bonus 20
Vega: +50 +bonus 20