no go bang. [M]

[| J.im Kelly |]

SPOILER: Click to show

name; clearing mines
rank; c
description; During the war Kumogakure no Sato planted mines around various areas amongst the village so the enemies would be welcomed with a satisfactory treat. With those desolated times over it’s time we clear those mines before they backfire upon us. There are several areas with mines laying dormant waiting to be triggered. Remove them without triggering them, be cautious!
reward; 40 experience, 500 ryo
minimum shinobi; one
mission status; interminable

As the two brothers exited the compound, Gin brought the note he received from the attendant from his robe into his hands, examining it carefully. Retrieving a writing utensil, he marked the cardinal directions on the back of a note, using the information given to him to create a map of the outlying areas around the village for reference. He went over the map, marking an "x" to where the mine fields were. Looking it over several times, he memorized it, putting it within his robe just in case he needed it again. Turning to his brother, he nodded in the direction they were going, with a simple utterance, they were off.

"Let's go."

The first location was several hundred feet away from the wall of the village. The two launched from their positions with Gin as the lead. Underneath him his robe separated, the air bubbling under him as he glided upon the rooftops. The gate was their first destination as they had to pass it to leave the village. After several moments, they reached the end of the buildings tops, and dropped down to ground level where they would be located several feet away from the gate. The two exited, and as they reached the outside Gin once again retrieved his note, looking over the map to reassess his position from the nearest mine field. To his brother he spoke once more, breaking the silence that often corrupted their social activity.

"This way."

From there it was solely on foot. Behind him his arms swayed with his movements as his torso inclined, charging face first on route to the mines. Of course, he made sure to be cautious, as any mistake on his map could've run him straight into the field, and blow both him and his brother to bits. As they came upon the location, he pivoted, halting himself and holding his hand up, giving a sign order to stop. Looking over his shoulder, he cocked his head, motioning for Satsui to take his side.

"Here it is. Be careful, any little mistake could set off ALL of these mines. And you know well what that means."

Nodding, he went into his back pouch to retrieve a kunai knife, stepping forward with ease.

"We'll work from different sides."

He turned, facing the opposite of his brother. Taking to a kneel, he began his work, carefully brushing the areas around and off the top of the mines without putting too much pressure or aggravating it. While this was being done, his other hand simultaneously pushed the kunai around the mine with care, digging it up. He placed the mine inside of a leather pack, after making sure it wouldn't detonate on him. He moved over to the next, and to the next, continuing this process. He didn't talk to his brother at all, this would require ALL of his focus, and if he messed up, both of their lives would be finished.

[Dagron Hoshigake]

It was the kind of silence that stifled and unnerved most people. The kind where paranoia settled in and the mind began to grow feverish with ill or omenous thoughts that blossomed into an almost hysterical fit of nerves when on the field. On a field of landmines burried only inches deep with enough explosive force to maim limbs, shatter bones, or even obliterate whole segments of the body. It made the job of removing landmines impossible for some and tedious for others with shaky states of mind. But for one so focused, determined, and utiliterean as Satsui, who drifted amongst a field of destructive plates like the shadow of a crow, it was as effortless a task as cleaning his nails

Silence reigned supreme. A preternatural absence of noise broken only by subtle brush of a hand or slice of steel into dirt. Though never once did Satsui himself speak. Silence was quintessential to remain focused. And despite having gained sufficient information where some, or most were located, many landmines could be seen where dirt was humped abnormally. It made the job less a treasure hunt and less a time consuming effort. Work was tedious, whether it was a flawless escavation or an unsteady hand working the loose soil around the covered mines.

Like Gin, Satsui had his own pack, though it was sewn out of a thick linen material and dyed various shades of greys. Each uprooted mine found it's resting place in that very pack, nestled delicately into pouches inside the bag where other accessories might once have been stored. The idea of stacking landmines atop one another within a confined space seemed almost ludacris to Satsui, so his haul would be cut low to around eight landmines considering the pockets and accessable space of the pack. Hindsight, he'd remind himself later, and were he ever to commit himself to this task again would bring extra bags. Though the likelihood of ever returning was slim. He had bigger plans than sifting around the dirt for relics of past wars.

The extremity of the work had been greatly exaggerated, or lessers had been employed. It took only twelve minutes to salvage two landmines and another five to recovered one that seemed to be damaged or completely deactivated. Luck began to fade when several others had been buried beneath firm earth and took much longer than hoped, but inevitably found haven within the grey pack where its kin rested, waiting until an unwitting individual made the wrong move. No such move would be made by the ninja who recovered them. The rest that could not be recovered were left with cautionary marks dug into the ground for other shinobi who'd brave the wastes of war.

When Satsui had finished with his portion of the work, he delicately lifted the pack over his shoulder, allowing the side that held no mines to press against his back. Each step held an almost ethereal elegance, a kind of cautious delicacy seen only when an assassin snuck into the rooms of their marks. Satsui remained a shadow lingering in the light of day, the village a hopeful backdrop behind malevolent figure.

".. Finished."

[| J.im Kelly |]

The time it took to dig up the rest of the mines was miniscule. The luck he had was far greater than his brother's, it had seemed. His side had many areas in which the dug up dirt was soft as crumbled easily under the kunai, almost like sand. The pack's space was becoming an issue by the end of the gathering. It had seemed like it wouldn't have been enough to carry the last few mines he had to dig up, but to his luck, it was just perfect. He carefully lifted the back after zipping it shut, looking around the area in surprise. They had completed their mission without fault, and in good time as well. It took no more than a few hours to retrieve the entire field.

"Alright, that was a lot easier than I expected it to be. Good thing we didn't allow one to explode. Probably would have been the end of us."

Looking over to his brother he nodded, looking over the entire area once more. Before he left, he looked back over his shoulder, double taking. Off in the distance was a small mound that popped up from underneath the earth. Another mine? Gin pondered, telling his brother to wait a moment before departing. Stepping over, he retrieved his kunai once more, brushing the dirt and rock off the top of the mound to get down to the device. After reaching it, he dug up around it and opened his pack once more, placing the last mine inside of a corner where it wouldn't be aggravated by his movement. Phew. Could've been dangerous...

Walking back over to his brother, he nodded, and the two began their walk back to the village. The walk was long, and they did not pick up their pace due to the mines in their bags. Instead of doing the village a service, they would've been bringing great harm if one of the mines decided to explode while they were transporting them back. Of course, like it always was, it was drawn out in silence, making it seem to drag on longer than it actually did. As they reached the gate, he took a quick glance of a map of the village. Turning the opposite way of the compound, the two headed back to an armory where most of the weapons used by the Kumogakure military were stored. The mines would be better off in the hands of the village where they could be re-used if needed.

After they were done dropping off, they headed back to the compound. They had some ryo to gain.

[THREADexit]

[Dagron Hoshigake]

Not once had the silent ninja spoken a word since departing the mission zone. Even when they had reached the armory Gin had done most of the talking, Satsui leaving few with only grunts or gestures that could have meant anything. His thoughts festered else where as they had been since the mission ended. It was almost a bloodlust that had plagued his mind leaving him swarthy and obscure behind Gin, despite being several inches talling and muscular even in his shinobi shozoku. His icy blue eyes smoldered beneath the veil of black cloth, brooding an unusual storm that made for an unsettling atmosphere.

[Exit.]

[永遠に]

+ 20 Gin
+ 12 Satsui